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That seems a good answer to me...

[QUOTE=Nizidramanii'yt]Well sticking up for the community is laudable...solidarity and all that.
The only thing i care for is that i am finally getting some worthwile answers.[/quote]

Since I appear to have been unclear, perhaps too subtle, in my last remarks, let me state this outright. You were in violation of Rule #1 of our site owner's rules, which I linked you to in my last post. Consider yourself officially warned about your attitude and treatment of other members. Repeated warns can get you banned from GameBanshee. Hopefully, you will care enough about getting along with people here while seeking information to behave in a courteous matter. If not, you will be out.

Given the three choices you have, I'd personally opt for Jaheira. True, she takes some work to build up if you want her in the front lines, but artifacts and good armor will make a big difference. Frankly, I'd even opt to go with lesser armor so as to keep her casting ability available. She gets to raise dead pretty early (and it's always useful to have an extra party member who can do this), and has a number of unique spells that can help in various situations.

Of course, there is no such thing as a truly perfect party. Everyone has their favorite lineups, and many of us prefer a greater challenge with a deliberately imperfect or one-sided party, since the enemy AI is so woefully inept. But if you're looking for a well-rounded party with a good tank to use alongside Korgan, Jaheira is who I'd pick. Just my POV.

Jaheira it is then!Thank you all for posting.I appreciate all your posts just as much even though some of you were slightly off-topic.
We definitely started off on the wrong foot.Let's just bury the hatchet,okay?
You have my apologies

One more reason not to take Jaheira:

She is really good for low-level party, but in 6-member party she gets experience REALLY slow. In fact, she will become a 14-level druid only around 6 chapter (on this level drids get their 7-level spell).

So she is only worthy in first half of the game - later she becomes an abuse.

[QUOTE=kams]One more reason not to take Jaheira:

She is really good for low-level party, but in 6-member party she gets experience REALLY slow. In fact, she will become a 14-level druid only around 6 chapter (on this level drids get their 7-level spell).

So she is only worthy in first half of the game - later she becomes an abuse.[/QUOTE]

But like Aerie, in ToB she becomes a powerhouse. The fact that she's got two professions, each with its own perks, ultimately works to your advantage in the long run. Well, it did to mine, at any rate. One of our former regulars who no longer appears to frequent these forums (sadly) posted a scenario of perk, spell and skill allocations that he felt made her better than Korgan. He was being deliberately provocative, of course, but he had a point. A fully mature multi-professional, gifted with the right items and selections, ultimately becomes a world-beater.

So I would say--in the opening, she's great; in the medium range, per your remarks, she drags the team; in the longrun, she pays off in spades.

Apropos of this, I didn't find the post I was looking for, but discovered this from Thrain:

so the choice seems to be between jaheira and korgan. Korgan starts with a good proficiency choice and can easily be converted to weild the powerful crom fayr with stonefire or frostreaver

As for jaheira, her druid side does limit her weapon choices significantly. however, her weapon picks are weapons unlikely to be used by anyone else in the party, so theres no chance of conflict. she can also be converted to a dualweilder relatively easily, although it does take longer to get the proficiency points, she only needs two and then can dualweild belm and a club. however, the clubs and scimitars are not as powerful as other weapon classes (but they are underrated), so if youre powergaming this might not be an option for you. her other weapon choices are spear and staff. it is quite viable to go this way as there is a good +4 staff early on in the game (and will get you through most of the rest of the game too) and she can use all the elemental staffs. and of course in ToB one of the most powerful weapons is a staff. you could also use spears. there is one spear in SoA worth using, so if you go staffs and spears youll be waiting a while but it's worth it. i am of course talking about the impaler - noone can sniff at an extra 10 damage.

so, on the purely fighting side, korgan would seem to have it - lots more HP (he has 19 con, she is a multiclass), a slightly better THAC0 (but nothing that can't be remedied with some gauntlets or a belt) and better weapon choices.

however, jaheira has her druid powers as well. aside from being able to use the best anti mage spells in the game (the call insects spells), she also has direct damage spells, some of the best summons in the game and something which, in my opinion, puts her above korgan in the tanking charts - ironskins. ironskins will protect jaheira from melee damage for a couple of rounds, by which time her opponents are dead. in SoA this can be compensated for, but in ToB, especially in large parties (5-6), the character who can keep themselves from direct damage (fighter/mage and druid characters) are the most likely to survive."

Note, I'm not suggesting either of the other two options are less arguably good. I'm only stating my personal preference, and the reasons for it. As everybody has their own win scenario and party configurations for the game, each of the three party NPCs could function as "best."

Just to add another vote for Jaheria.

You need another Tank. Do not take Haer Dalis, as he’s not a real good tank. He’s a supplementary character to use as a second spell caster. I would take Jaheria because she has stone skins and is a fighter/druid, whereas Anomen is a fighter/cleric and you already have Viconia as a cleric. Take Jaheria because she can fight and has the Druid spells.

I often doesn't even concider using Jaheira in my party - after reading all this I think I'll have her for the next runthrough. ^^

[QUOTE=fable] Frankly, I'd even opt to go with lesser armor so as to keep her casting ability available. [/QUOTE]

Jaheira being a divine spelcaster has no problem with spellcasting while in full plate.

I'm a great fan of Jaheira (never had a team without her), and specially if you will be playing ToB she is a must.
As stated above she will drag a little in the end of SoA beginning of Tob, but by middle ToB she become very, very powerfull. Just take a read of the bonus a druid receive at lev. 15 and the amount of spell will be ablo to cast from that lev.. Add to that that she is a advancing fighter (get the HLA of a fighter) and by the end of ToB she will be a fighter as good as Minsc, slightly inferior to Korgan (mastery/hp), but with all the bonus of a high lev. druid.
Thumb up for Jaheira!

[QUOTE=Ellester]You need another Tank. Do not take Haer Dalis, as he’s not a real good tank. He’s a supplementary character to use as a second spell caster.[/QUOTE]

A Blade is far more than what you suggest. Have you seen a Dual-Wielding, Stoneskinned, Mirror-Imaged, Blurred and Aggressive Spin-Hasted Haer'Dalis on Tensor's? Probably the best fighter you'll ever see, if only for a shorter period...

Then of course you have the High Lore, the backup spells (thrown at a higher level than would a Mage with the same amount of XP), the Bard Song, the Pick Pocket, the UAI and much, much more.

Well, for the thief part he already has Jan, so that covers UAI and pickpocketing. He already has Edwin plus himself as a caster, and also Jan as a caster, so he has more than enough spell casters. Lore isn't that essential, it's just a nice bonus for a bard. And as for the bard song, the Blade isn't that good as the song doesn't get better with levels, rather it just stays the same.

Sorry to take Haer Dalis to bits, but in this party he wouldn't fit in. But that is not to say he is bard, I for one am NOW a big believer in bards, after witnessing the awesome power that a bard can be. Yes, for this party the best option would most likely be Jaheria.

[QUOTE=Astafas]A Blade is far more than what you suggest. Have you seen a Dual-Wielding, Stoneskinned, Mirror-Imaged, Blurred and Aggressive Spin-Hasted Haer'Dalis on Tensor's? Probably the best fighter you'll ever see, if only for a shorter period...

Then of course you have the High Lore, the backup spells (thrown at a higher level than would a Mage with the same amount of XP), the Bard Song, the Pick Pocket, the UAI and much, much more.[/QUOTE]

I do believe that a kensai/thief with right equipment can challenge him for that position, but if we're just talking NPCs, then I'm very uncertain. Is he really that good?

Yes, bards can be VERY powerful. I used to be a disbeliever, but once you play with a bard, you become converted. I suggest you give it a go if you are looking for a fun, different and awesome class to play. It doesn't have to be a Blade, but they are best for that combination of Tenser's etc.

[QUOTE=dj_venom]Well, for the thief part he already has Jan, so that covers UAI and pickpocketing. He already has Edwin plus himself as a caster, and also Jan as a caster, so he has more than enough spell casters. Lore isn't that essential, it's just a nice bonus for a bard. And as for the bard song, the Blade isn't that good as the song doesn't get better with levels, rather it just stays the same.

Sorry to take Haer Dalis to bits, but in this party he wouldn't fit in. But that is not to say he is bard, I for one am NOW a big believer in bards, after witnessing the awesome power that a bard can be. Yes, for this party the best option would most likely be Jaheria.[/QUOTE]

I've already recommended Jaheira as well and was merely objecting to the Ellester's description of Bards. UAI is an advantage for all characters that may choose it, the fact that Jan has it doesn't change the fact that it's also useful for Haer'Dalis. As for the Bard Song, the Blade will get the same high level version as the rest of the Bards, which eliminates that drawback. Until then though, you are of course correct.

[QUOTE=Thrifalas]I do believe that a kensai/thief with right equipment can challenge him for that position, but if we're just talking NPCs, then I'm very uncertain. Is he really that good?[/QUOTE]

I very much doubt it, the protective spells will make a huge difference.

The Blade is a very versatile and potent kit, and H'D has good stats as well (you could equip him with the Belt of Fortitude, though).

Maybe if we talk midgame, but lategame as in end of SoA/Beginning of ToB I really don't think they stand a chance. Actually I don't think they stand a chance in midgame, but I *really* dont think they do it lategame. Their HLA isn't the best, so to speak. =)

[QUOTE=Thrifalas]Maybe if we talk midgame, but lategame as in end of SoA/Beginning of ToB I really don't think they stand a chance. Actually I don't think they stand a chance in midgame, but I *really* dont think they do it lategame. Their HLA isn't the best, so to speak. =)[/QUOTE]

Feel free to try it out.

Now I almost have to. ^^

I've played through with both a kensai/thief and a druid/fighter - both simply dualled in my case (at level 9 for the kensai and level 12 for the totemic druid). I found over all that both were very powerful - UAI cancels the disadvantages of the kensai so you can get a great AC, but the whirlwinds overall made the druid/fighter the best tank.

Knowing that Jaheira is a multi, she will have access to both sets of HLAs, so can pick a few of the highest spells, plus as many whirlwinds as needed. I think that would be the most powerful and useful of the handpicked characters to join with. Spellcasting and tanking.

Incidentally, druids, like clerics, can wear any armor without hindering their spellcasting abilities, so grab some dragon scales to give her AC and extra bonuses, and send her in with ironskins and she will last and last and last. I'd bet the ironskins would outlast every battle other than the big bosses.

G'luck!
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