BG 1 NPC. Your opinion.

[THE JAKER]

Originally posted by Aegis:
<STRONG>To my knowledge, Coran was primarly a theif, thus could only get 1(?) proficeincy slot. Kivan could get upto 5 (For some reason, Rangers and archers, for me at least, can always get grandmastery in Bows..) Also, Kivan has the better dex, of 19.</STRONG>

thanks for getting that info up there, Astafas, I was beginning to wonder if I was thinking of the right character, or if I was playing a different game? As I recall Coran would hit just about anything with his bow...imagine what he could have done with the good bows in BGII and TOB

[Aegis]

Whoops, sorry I posted updated Kivan stats.

But, even with his original stat, Kivan still hit everything. Besides, I also stated that he is basically a "Dedicated" archer. Also, why would you want to waste a Tome of Dexterity on an NPC, and not the person whose stats would really matter? Also, when you have a Fighter/Theif, why are you going to want to keep having him switch between a a sword (in which he can backstab) and a bow? That's not very dedicated. Kivan was much better than Coran because Kivan would always have a bow standing back, usually next to the mage, launching arrows (Which rarely miss, regardless of Dex (17-20 is just one measly point to hit adjustment) Also, with Kivans experiance in Swords, if melee ever got that close to the mage/Kivan, he would be capable of using the sword to defend. IMO Kivan was by far the best NPC in BG.

[Astafas]

Originally posted by Aegis:
<STRONG>Whoops, sorry I posted updated Kivan stats.

But, even with his original stat, Kivan still hit everything. Besides, I also stated that he is basically a "Dedicated" archer. Also, why would you want to waste a Tome of Dexterity on an NPC, and not the person whose stats would really matter? Also, when you have a Fighter/Theif, why are you going to want to keep having him switch between a a sword (in which he can backstab) and a bow? That's not very dedicated. Kivan was much better than Coran because Kivan would always have a bow standing back, usually next to the mage, launching arrows (Which rarely miss, regardless of Dex (17-20 is just one measly point to hit adjustment) Also, with Kivans experiance in Swords, if melee ever got that close to the mage/Kivan, he would be capable of using the sword to defend. IMO Kivan was by far the best NPC in BG.</STRONG>

I played with Coran a few times and I must have played with Kivan at least 20 times. I prefer him to Coaran any day. Still, Coran *is*, as I said above, by far the better archer. The fact that he also can backstab doesn't change that. And how you used Kivan doesn't change that either - you could use Coran the same way if you wanted to, right? Actually, as you said yourself, Kivan is a good melee fighter, too, so I would rather put him up front and Coran in the back. As to the use of Tomes, it's not a rule that these have to go to your PC. I always used them where they did most good for my party. And should you give the Tome of Dex to Coran, his THAC0 with ranged weapons will be further improved. Should you instead give it to Kivan, his THAC0 for the same weapons won't change.

[ 09-07-2001: Message edited by: Astafas ]