help with my party, please

Shine · Post by **Shine** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 10:26 am

Hello,
I'm hoping for some advice for my party. Parameters:
My first time through BG2
I like lots of RP and therefore look for interesting party interactions, doing as many side quests as possible, and digging into the various stories. I like folks like Minsc (even that loopy sword he's currently carrying) for the dialogues. That said, I do NOT have the banter pack installed.
I'm playing a female fighter. Since I'm interested in the romance part, I've installed Tsujatha's mod as I heard that Anomen is a bit of a drip.
I'm not far into the game. Covered the slums and graveyard and am currently on my way to sort out Nalia's problem.

So now I'm wondering what the most fun combination might be. This is what I have, and why:
- Me, female fighter
- Minsc, because he's funny
- Jahiera, because everyone says she's good to have. She's not as abrasive as she was in BG1 and I'm getting attached to her
- Yoshimo - I will want Imoen back since I like mages.
Anomen, because he came along.
Tsujatha, because of the romance and he seems to be a capable mage (necro). I am currently stringing Anomen and Tsujatha along for the fun of it but I believe those two will come to blows. I kicked out Nalia for Tsujatha.

I am hoping to do Anomen's quests before Tsujatha gives him the boot, but then what? This will leave me without a cleric. While Jahiera has many spells that help in that general area, I probably should be looking for another cleric.

Keldorn looks interesting, not sure if Haer Dalis is very useful. Would either be suitable replacements for Anomen?

Any comments on this much appreciated.

Jedi_Sauraus · Post by **Jedi_Sauraus** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 11:25 am

Ditch Anomen get Mazzy

Don't know how I ever played without her. She's a Halfling fighter of good aligment and has a really cool voice set. Edwin and Korgan are both pretty funny IMO "yes, yes just stop pestering me"

but if your really roleplaying they might not fit with your team aligment. (both are evil)

If you ditch Anomen you'll have to watch out for undead since Jaheira does'nt have access to restoration, but so far I've found this to be less of a problem than it sounds

oh if you don't know where Mazzy is...................... minor spoiler .......... Start solving Umar Hills you'll pick up her trail there.pick up the quest from a boy in the goverment district

Shine · Post by **Shine** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 11:41 am

Hmm, Mazzy being a fighter doesn't help me with my cleric shortage.

How about Viconia, at least until the group's rep goes over whatever she doesn't like? And will she have issues with me being a half-elf?

Can you wait indefinitely until picking up some of the NPC's? Would be nice to play out Anomen's bits before getting her to join - but is she needed for anything before then?

I don't really understand how the various timelines work out and what happens if you wait or rush a certain part of the plot.

Coot · Post by **Coot** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 11:42 am

I would try not to get rid of Anomen. He's a great fighter/cleric and comes with a nice background story.
If you don't want to keep him, both Keldorn and Haer'Dalis are fine. Keldorn would be the obvious choice because there's so many undead in the game and he's a powerful fighter, but Haer'Dalis is great too, if you know how to use him.
Have you considered Aerie? She becomes very powerful later on in the game and she's a cleric too.

Raven_Song · Post by **Raven_Song** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 1:31 pm

If you want to choose Tsujatha over Anomen (which I wouldn't - Necromancers are a rather specialised taste, no mirror image, project image, simulacrum) then neither Keldorn or Haer'Dalis would really "replace" him, as neither have access to cleric spells.

So you're either looking at Viconia (and keeping watch of your reputation) or Aerie (and raise her from the dead every other fight). Of the two I'd say Viconia is the better choice - if only for the magic resistance.

And yay for Mazzy - I'd ditch Minsc and his stupid sword, for her in a heartbeat - but then you didn't ask about that, so I'll be quiet now.

Shine · Post by **Shine** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 2:10 pm

Ah, sorry, wasn't clear. Didn't mean replace Anomen with the bard or Keldorn. I mean, if I'm going to not have a cleric at all, are those two fun to play?

Not sure what the excitement about Mazzy is. She seems a little weak, no significant quests, short sword on the front line?? - does she have fun interactions, then?

As for mirror image etc - I don't think I've ever even used those. My clumsy combat strategy is to lob offensive spells like mad and hope for the best :laugh: I had to take away Imoen's flame ball in BG1 because she kept frying her own people.
Like I said, I'm more interested in the social aspects of the game than whether or not I have every spell at the correct time and place.

I suppose I could go back and get Aerie if I can't be without a cleric.

Question about that, since I don't know how these stats are assigned: If I wait for quite a while before going back to Aerie (she was already in my group early in the game, but I sent her back to the tent), will she still be the level she was originally, or will she load in the general vicinity of my group, stats-wise? In other words, do you have to accept new members into your group in the order that you meet them, when you first meet them?
This game doesn't seem as lineal as others I've played.

Jedi_Sauraus · Post by **Jedi_Sauraus** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 2:34 pm

Mazzy is a very good tank, get her early enough and specialize in flails and two weapon style, or two handed weapons and halberds. she makes an excellent archer with Gesen's bow as well + there are a few decent shortswords out there if you have ToB.

Another point regarding clerics, IMO Jaheira will be enough; she has Access to Heal and a resurrection type spell. skeleton warriors can be cast by mages if you really need them, but her mountain bears (hasted) are very good summons, not to mention elemental princes later.

the one thing Jaheira does'nt have is restoration which is hardly a critical spell, very few monsters level drain and 99% of the time you can "choose" who gets exposed to it ie you send the immune tanks first then the non immune tanks flank. On the rare occasion that you do get level drained well 800 gold at a temple will fix that

I've noticed that when I have viconia I use approx. 1/3rd of her spells between rests, she is good for her magic resistance, I'd take her if you have SoA only and think Jaheira is not enough. if you have throne of bhaal Aerie is the better option. combining highlevel mage and cleric spells can create some pretty powerfull combinations if you don't mind waiting for them. Another aerie bonus is that she fits your teams aligment, don't know how much value you place on this.

note : in SoA only Aerie doesn't have a high enough level don't bother with her

Rhûn · Post by **Rhûn** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 4:34 pm

Well....I definitely find that the neutral and evil NPCs have more interesting, more funny and more frequent party interactions, so maybe you should consider taking some on board. Jan, Edwin, Viconia, Haer'Dalis, Korgan...if you're worried about party conflicts with your good NPCs, read below (spoilers! - highlight to read)

Spoiler

Jan - can't think of a situation where he interferes negatively, though he can annoy your other NPCs and in-game NPCs (with interesting results). Goes on long-winded, barely believable anecdotes whenever he feels like it and generally just turns any situation into a laugh.
Edwin - conflicts with Minsc, but is loyal to the PC. His rude and sarcastic remarks are quite fun.
Viconia - isn't really justified by her alignment, as she progresses into a more neutral outlook before the end of SoA and can change her alignment in ToB (to True Neutral/Neutral Good, can't remember which). She banters quite a lot and has some interesting interjections here and there, underdark etc..
Haer'Dalis - like Jan, he accepts the PCs decisions with no real complaints. Has some useful interjections in some situations (e.g. spectator beholder in sahuagin city) and questions the PC occasionally.
Korgan - needs to be kept on the reigns a bit since he's a bloodthirsty killer, but he seems to have morales which contradict his alignment, which you'll know if you play him. But he also binds himself to the PCs actions. If you take Mazzy with you, these two banter quite a lot.

(done)
Haer'Dalis is a good addition to any party, as the Blade is a powerful kit that gives you backup arcane and melee fighting, and he also is specialised in shortswords, which Bards are typically unable to do.
I really like Druids, and fighter/druids too, but Viconia is a serious challenge to Jaheira, with her lower AC, very useful buffs and spells versus undead and faster levelling. You could even take both to get access to all the divine spells.

DaemonJ · Post by **DaemonJ** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 6:32 pm

Aerie has been awesome for me and has never died on me. Being both a cleric and a mage she really helps the party out, especially when teamed with Jaheira.

fable · Post by **fable** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 6:55 pm

Shine wrote:Hello,
I'm hoping for some advice for my party. Parameters:
My first time through BG2
I like lots of RP and therefore look for interesting party interactions, doing as many side quests as possible, and digging into the various stories. I like folks like Minsc (even that loopy sword he's currently carrying) for the dialogues...

Jan is a must for his interactions, as well as his quest. His multiclassing means he advances slowly, but eventually becomes extremely powerful thanks to being able to use armors, weapons and items relating to all classes. I'd also suggest Aerie: her dialog is well-written, and her attitude both unique and refreshing in so many games where damaged goods are a subject of fun rather than sympathy. Korgan is another one with an excellent quest, and a lot of character interactions. Personally, I'd avoid Keldorn, Valygar, and Cernd for the pallidness of their dialog, but maybe that's just me.

Shine · Post by **Shine** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 12:20 am

Thanks, all. I think I will play around with some of these other characters which do sound more interesting and fun than some of my current ones.

I must say, theTsujatha mod has turned out to be a bit of a dud. The voice-over makes him seem like he's got a poker up his backside and he goes from being obnoxious to picking wee flowers and hiding them in my backpack. And he tends to wax poetic while everyone's wading knee-high in corpses or we just got buffed up for a fight. Good lord, I'm ready to date Minsc - at least he's got enthusiasm.
However, Tsujatha is a kick-butt (i.e. overpowered) mage and I'd have a hard time cutting him loose now. Accidentally caught in a melee, he grabbed his staff and did about as well as the others. Too bad he doesn't have the hp/ac for front line brawling.

So maybe I'll dump Anomen in favor of Viconia, just to see what happens

Jedi_Sauraus · Post by **Jedi_Sauraus** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 4:17 am

Definitly rotate char's and keep the ones you want, it's possible to beat the game with any combination. For any hard fight just do a search on it and you'll find 50+ diffrent ways to handle it for every possible class/ team combination.

general guideline is to have 1 good arcane caster since your crippled without. aside from that pretty much anything goes, which is why people still play this game after all this time

Raven_Song · Post by **Raven_Song** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 4:17 am

Ah, sorry, wasn't clear. Didn't mean replace Anomen with the bard or Keldorn. I mean, if I'm going to not have a cleric at all, are those two fun to play?

There's no real answer to that, as everybody reacts to characters differently.

Not sure what the excitement about Mazzy is. She seems a little weak, no significant quests, short sword on the front line?? - does she have fun interactions, then?

With a strength enhancing item she has some of the best tanking stats in the game. (DEX 18, CON 16). Just give her the Girdle of Frost Giant Strength, Grandmastery in Halberds and the Ravager and just see how weak she is.

As for "fun" interactions with Mazzy team her up with Jan, and especially Korgan.

Personally, I'd avoid Keldorn, Valygar, and Cernd for the pallidness of their dialog, but maybe that's just me.

I'll give you Valygar, he is rather humourless no matter who you team him up with, but Keldorn and Cernd can both be fun if you team them up with the right people.

From memory Keldorn makes a great foil for Jan, and has a fairly humerous disucssion about poetry with Haer'Dalis. As for Cernd, he has rather a gentle, often innuendo based, humour that becomes noticable with Keldorn, and Edwin(a), plus he's great if you enjoy seeing Minsc baffled.

DaemonJ · Post by **DaemonJ** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 5:00 am

Shine wrote:However, Tsujatha is a kick-butt (i.e. overpowered) mage and I'd have a hard time cutting him loose now. Accidentally caught in a melee, he grabbed his staff and did about as well as the others. Too bad he doesn't have the hp/ac for front line brawling.

I'm unfamiliar with this character (obviously a mod) but try using the Armor, Spirit Armor or similar spells to "buff" the character's AC up. The Robe of Vecna is absolutely awesome for a mage.

kmonster · Post by **kmonster** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 9:21 am

I don't recommend dismissing Anomen.
Cleric spells are very useful, PfE 10' alone can turn a hard struggle into a successful win and anomen is the cleric which will help you most. There are also healing spells you'll want to have.
The other clerics:
Viconia is evil and keeping your reputation low is very painful.
Aerie is a mage multiclass but you already have 2 mages (Tsujatha&Imoen).
So if you don't think your game is too easy keep him.
You'll also get extra Tsujatha-Anomen dialogue the mod makers created.

Minsc is your weakest party member and doesn't have a side quest, I'd rather replace him.

But you don't get much from switching characters around anyway. If you want to do the sidequests a few characters offers have them join, kick them out and have them rejoin a few weeks laters. When you leave the area with them or enter a special area the mini-quest will be triggered if there is one.

Jedi_Sauraus · Post by **Jedi_Sauraus** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 12:34 pm

yes protection from evil radius 10 is one of the few spells I miss with no proper cleric on board. however after taking him through once I can't say he was really usefull. There are plenty of better tanks outhere; I remember he had no access to the fighter HLA's, mediocre personality, appalling stats and over all seemed to die quicker than Korgan.
If I had too choose between him and Jaheira definitly Jaheira; her offensive spells are better and access to Ironskin, fighter thaco, HLA's and attacks/round make her a better better tank then a fully buffed Anomen with holy power, DuHM, ect, ect.

Also don't dismiss Aerie outright she is definitly powerfull later on (not in SoA only though) Haste + time stop + harm up to 2 bosses dead /round many other powerfull chain contingency combo's which I won't get into, but oh yeah she pulls her weight and is perfectly sufficient as a cleric in the long run

Shine · Post by **Shine** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 8:47 am

Well, thanks all, now it would appear that I'm just keeping my current line-up. And I think the reason is that I'm just getting too attached to my crew! I seem to have a soft spot for Minsc, the big ox, and cutting him loose would be painful (the sword's got to go, though).
I am keeping Anomen out of spite because when the showdown between him and Tsujatha happened, Tsujatha acted like a boy at a high-school prom and forced me to make a decision that was probably way too early in this particular relationship.
I haven't discounted Viconia yet - she may be useful when Jahiera starts whining (presumably) when our rep goes too high. But I suppose, now that I'm hooked on this game

, I can always try some of the other character combinations next time through.