GameBanshee Forums

I started a thread called "rate these NPCs" a while ago (it is a bit further down the thread list now) and thought we could revisit the topic now that I have a bit more experience with the game.

I hope the responses are as good this time.

Here were my original comments along with my updated comments in Italics.

Aerie - decent cleric/mage. Too few Hitpoints. Spit on her and she's dead.

I have completely changed my mind on Aerie. Excellent Character. Adds great versatility with both priest and mage spells available.

Anomen - Good cleric.

Good Cleric but pretty boring and annoying. Doubtful that I will use him again

Cernd - Did not use him except to finish his quest.

Used him to finish his quest again. Not very interesting to me. If I need or want a druid I will use Jaheira

Edwin - Did not use him at all.

Same answer

Haer'Dalis - My char was a Skald so I did not use him.

My character is a fighter this time but I am still not using him

Imoen - Decent Mage, Decent Thief.

Same answer

Jaheira - Liked Insect Plague and Fire Elementals. Thought she sucked other than that. Personal preference.

I stand corrected. Playing through without her and missing her quite a bit. Did not realize how much she added to the group

Jan - Did not use him.

Pretty good Mage/thief. Fills a needed spot adequately.

Keldorn - Did not use him.

I like this guy. Gave him the strength belt and carsomyr. Got his AC down low and he rocks.

Korgan - Did not use him.

I don't like being evil so he is not really what I want.

Mazzy - Did not use her.

Same answer

Minsc - Good tank. I used him a lot in BG1 also (played it many times) so I just feel more comfortable with Minsc along.

Same answer and I really really think that he gets some type of advantage that doesn't show up in his stats. He is a friggin machine.

Nalia - Did not use her yet.

Good mage. Don't really use her as a thief since she is so limited in those abilities. Good mage though.

Valygar - Only used him in Sphere and was thoroughly unimpressed.

Same answer

Viconia - Did not use her.

Again, I don't like being evil and I really don't like her attitude. She annoys me. Too weak for plate too if I remember correctly. Won't use her again.

Yoshimo - Does not seem very motivated to join in the fight. Good thief though.

Won't use him again. I guess a good thief adds a lot to a party but my experience is limited. Jan fills all the thief roles that I need filled and adds mage spells to the package.

Aerie - Worthless imho. Can't use her clerical advantages (armor) and in most battles I have to decide if I want to throw an "aid party" spell or "harm enemy" spell. Too many eggs in one basket. Then there is her constant whining. I usually pick her up for the bickering with Jaheira and the extra Haer Dalis drama. When it all comes to a head "Adios".

Anomen - The ideal fighting cleric which is a character type I like a lot. If only his voice pack wasn't so annoying. His quest is interesting in the fact that he evolves into something else.

Cernd - Unimpressed. His were form is only useful for a small period in the game, since I prefer being able to use all this magical stuff that I collect in my travels. He lasts just about long enough for me to take care of the grove, trademeet, and his quest. A funny moment in my last game... Cernd was in wolf form when we got back to the promenade. His old neighbor walks by, and this wolf says "Hey don't you recognize me?"

Haer'Dalis - Some nice quests to get him into the party, and a well matched voice pack for his class. In BG1 and IWD I used Bards as a ranged character, playing the harp, and as a high level spell caster. The dual wielding version of the Blade kit is a little outside my tactics, so I haven't kept him in my parties for very long opting for other NPCs instead.

Imoen - Liked her improvements in Chapter 1, but in the one game that I got her back, she was way under powered. In future game I'm going to have to discover how much in Chapter 2 I need to leave for her to do.

Jaheira - Perfect class combo given the cap. Her druid spells are very useful in different engagements. Other times some basic equipment can really sup her up to be a deadly front line warrior. She has the most in depth romance and quest in the game. And despite the fact I don't like hitting on a widow five days after we find out her husband is dead, I usually choose her as my romantic interest.

Jan - Because of his thief skills he is almost a must have NPC to get into your group. Add to that his spells, stories, and tussles with other members, Jan brings a lot of fun to a group. What can I say, I like the little guy and will always save a place for him in my parties.

Keldorn - Picked him up for the first time a couple of nights ago. His main weakness is quickly overcome, and he has proven to be an effective tank. The jury is still out on his voice pack, and interactions with other members, but despite my general dislike of Paladins my first impression of Keldorn is a good one, so he may get a slot in my next group.

Minsc - Love the voice pack, love the interactions, love Boo, hate his class. His stats are perfect for his personality, but I spent so much time using him as front line tank, that I never got to use his ranger abilities. For me most of his skills are wasted and misdirected, so usually I change him out for a different NPC.

Nalia - Whatever advantages there is to having her in your party is quickly overshadowed by her annoying voice pack. Another short timer in my parties, just long enough to complete her sub quests then out she goes. Sometimes I'll lock her up in her own keep and throw away the key.

As far as the rest I haven't gotten a chance to play with them yet or if I have its only been for a short period.

Aerie - Good cleric/back-up mage. Her hit points can be easily brought up with pale green Ioun Stone and girdle of fortitude. Strength is not such a big problem because mage robes/bracers aren't that heavy, there are several strength-enhancing items in the game, and she can cast several strength-enhancing spells. She killed Kangaax the Demi-lich for me in one game!

Anomen - He's a good cleric who can tank. If you want a cleric who can blow up the higher-level Undead without playing one yourself, then he's the man. His main problem is his annoying personality. Finishing his quest the lawful way boosts his wisdom.

Cernd - I was underwhelmed by his werewolf forms. Being able to cast those druid-specific 7th level spells just does not compensate for one glaring flaw: He can't level up past 14.

Edwin - He's a very good conjurer whose amulet grants him bonus spells. There are several good-aligned PC's who will try to kill him, but this isn't set in stone. He has an absolutely hilarious sub-quest. The NPC's reactions are absolutely priceless.

Haer'Dalis - He's a blade with some cool swords. He's a jack-of-all-trades, and even has his own romance script, which can lead to interesting situations if your romance interest is Aerie. I liked his line on a successful pickpocket: "What was once yours is now mine."

Imoen - Good thief and mage. She also gets bonus spells. Whether I pick her up or not depends entirely on who I have in my party. If you finish too many quests in chapters 2&3, she'll be significantly behind the rest of the group in levels.

Jaheira - Good fighter/druid. I've decided that's she's indispensible. Her Insect plague ruins enemy mages' days, and gets through most of their protections. The Harper plot yields loads of goodies and experience points when she's in the group.

Jan - My favorite thief. He's a good illusionist thief who comes with equipment that compensates for the slower level-ups. Allocate points to trap-setting and give him the Mercy Killer ring, and past level 10, even his traps will kill Adamantite golems.
His Flasher Master Bruiser Mates are sort of like Symbol: Stun launched from a crossbow. Plus, he's the comic relief!

Keldorn - The best of the paladin kits. His Dispel Magic is priceless, and another source of frustration for enemy mages. Give him the gauntlets of dexterity and Carsomyr +5, and watch him mow everything down. He doesn't like Drow, but does not always try to kill Viconia.

Korgan - Excellent fighter, but he's evil. He and Aerie do not get along. I picked him up for his quest, and was impressed by his abilities. If only he weren't evil... I know! I'll just let him "find" this cool new helmet he can't resist putting on. Problem solved.

Mazzy - Give her Tansheron's, and later, Gesen bow. She's also pretty good in melee, and has some nice special abilities.


Minsc - Good tank. Put him and Jan together and watch the hilarity commence. He and Keldorn work together really well. His berserk ability can be tricky, it gives him good immunities, but you need to keep the rest of the party away from him. Giving him Lilarcor seems to help regain control of him faster.

Nalia - She is a good mage but poor thief. She has a nice ring which gives her several bonuses.

Valygar - A stalker who comes with good armor and a personal katanna he can't backstab with. Give him CF as soon as possible and he'll rock. His personality is bit boring, though. Note: For some reason, the 8th level+ rangers in this game are missing their clerical spells until you level them up.

Viconia - I picked her up in one game when I was playing a cleric, with the expectation that Keldorn (also in the party) would soon come to blows with her. Well, to my surprise, it didn't happen. It was cool running two clerics in the game. I would have both my cleric (priest of Lathander) and Viconia turn undead at the same time. Those she turned were sent my cleric's way to be blown up. Having her in the group leads to a lot of dialog surprises.

Yoshimo - Very good thief. I recommend playing him through one time. His major problem is he doesn't stick around.

To me, most NPC's are at least tolerable, ecxept for and especially Valygar, Cernd, and Haer Dalis'. Cernd and Haer Dalis' are weak as kittens, and have the brains to match, and none of them have any personality at all, which I find, makes them less fun to use and have around.

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The world's foremost authority on the throwing of dwarves, halflings, and gnomes.

@Dúnadan: There's nothing wrong with Valygar. He's a very good tank.
Let me ask you this: if your PC is a class that can't use katanas, who would you want to give that sweet Celestial Fury to?

Aerie: Great early addition. She's a good mage, bit weak in the hit points area, but she's a cleric too so it's not a problem. A nice package overall, well worth bringing along. Brings a wide eyed view to the party as well as a short and fairly unsatisfying romance (and I don't mean because of what [doesn't] happens at the end)

Anomen: Another cleric combo, but he's not really a good fighter until he finishes his quest, by which time you could have leveled another real fighter. The cleric abilities come in many other characters, all of whom are less irritating than this guy. Utterly arrogant. He's all yours ladies, please take him far far away.

Cernd: The big question is....why? Why would you tocuh this guy? Feeble fighter, feeble cleric, can turn into a Greater Werewold and instantly loses all his abilities and can simply fight, something people like Minsc can do already. Dull dull dull dull dull.

Edwin: f you want magic, look no further. Simply the ultimate in magical powers and dry sarcasm.

Haer'Dalis: Very irritiating man, battling with Anomen on the planes of arrogance. His abilities are not up to much, a couple of times a day he can be a reasonable fighter, but usually he's just plain poor. Worth having along if you're on the Aerie romance, just to spice things up

Imoen: I completed all of Chapter 2 before going for Imoen once, and I still think she was worth bringing along. She is the only pure mage besides Edwin, and all this stuff about being behind in levels is nonsense. She levels up in no time, and comes with thief abilities which are perfectly caperble of handing anything BG2 can throw at you, and she doesn't have to waste XP on these abilities, she gets them from the word go, and never has to touch them again. A great adition and part of the plot, as well as having a greater role to playin the expansion. If you don't bring her along, you're mad.

Jaheira: Very flexible. You want spells, creatures or a tank? Jaheira can do it all. Plus she brings along the best romance, and you don't start hitting on her until about 20 days in, so if offering a shoulder to cry on is some peoples idea of hitting on someone......

Jan: Good early on. He brings some nice mage skills, and makes for a good thief, who you can adapt as need be. Later on you're best swapping him out for Imoen, because why the hell would you wan to continue increasing theif abilities when Imoen brings along everything you'll need? Some good interaction, and some real drivel.

Keldorn: Waste of space. While he's not a bad fighter, both Minsc and Korgan are better, and this guy leaves if you make the superior choice of working for Bohdi. His strength is only 17 and his dexterity is laughable.

Korgan: Incredible fighter, though he's one for axes, which is a shame, and his main weakness. He's apparently evil, but he's more of a "looking out for myself" person. Brings some good interactions to the group as well as a large axe.

Mazzy: Goddess of long range combat. Get her the Grenson Bow and she will strike your foes down from afar. Max prof in short bows combined with unlimited ammo......*drool*. I rather liked her as a character too, bringing a cool head and noble heart to the group. She can help out up close when needs be too, and can look after herself with abilities like Lay on Hands and Strength. Great character.

Minsc: Great fighter, give him a decent double-handed sword, sit back, and watch the carnage. Good hit points, good stats, good tank. Never found much of a use for him going beserk though.......His main weakness seems to be a real lack of interactions. Like Imoen he seems to be a "main plot only" person mainly.

Nalia: Urg. Urg.......... She brings mage skills, but then so does Jan, who is just as easy to get, and Jan is a better thief. Hell, my cats are better theives than her, she really needs glasses, as she doesn't see traps until she's right on top of them. Do NOT trust your lives in her hands. She is also very whiney about helping the poor and will get on your nerves. Take Jan.

Valygar: Unimpressive sums this guy up. Not much of a fighter, can't backstab with his weapons (I reccomended you get the BG2 bugfix which corrects this fairly obvious oversight). Frankly, unless you have Mazzy and want the interactions between the two, leave him behind once you've accessed the sphere. You want want to take him through it so as to hear his views. Dump him after.

Viconia: Unimpressed. She's a damn good Cleric, but she's not much else. Her fighting abilities are lacking, and frankly, you're better off taking Jaheira to fill this kind of role, unless you fancy the Viconia romance.

Yoshimo: Great thief, but a waste of space. You don't need, nor should you want, a pur thief. He can't fight that great, he has no magic, he can simply spot traps and open locks. Not worth it at all, especially as all your effort in leveling him comes to naught eventually.......Take through once, just for the nice twist, then never use again.

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Quitch, being the Ranger known as Skyhawk, is a proud member of The Brotherhood of the Woods

Originally posted by Quitch:
Keldorn: Waste of space. While he's not a bad fighter, both Minsc and Korgan are better, and this guy leaves if you make the superior choice of working for Bohdi. His strength is only 17 and his dexterity is laughable.

Valygar: Unimpressive sums this guy up. Not much of a fighter, can't backstab with his weapons (I reccomended you get the BG2 bugfix which corrects this fairly obvious oversight). Frankly, unless you have Mazzy and want the interactions between the two, leave him behind once you've accessed the sphere. You want want to take him through it so as to hear his views. Dump him after.

Viconia: Unimpressed. She's a damn good Cleric, but she's not much else. Her fighting abilities are lacking, and frankly, you're better off taking Jaheira to fill this kind of role, unless you fancy the Viconia romance.

Yoshimo: Great thief, but a waste of space. You don't need, nor should you want, a pur thief. He can't fight that great, he has no magic, he can simply spot traps and open locks. Not worth it at all, especially as all your effort in leveling him comes to naught eventually.......Take through once, just for the nice twist, then never use again.

I disagree with you on some points:

Keldorn: Most probably the best in the game! Give him Gauntlets of Dexterity and Carsomyr and this guy can take on anything. Add to that that his armor grants him Free Action and that his kit makes him immune to Confusion, Fear, etc., and you've got some pretty bad@$$ mind flayer slayer.

Valygar: Cool dude and master of katanas. This is the guy you want to wield Celestial Fury, and to do your backstabbing (with CF). Interaction with Mazzy is hilarious.

Viconia: Best cleric in the game, thanks to her 18 WIS. She's way hotter than Jaheira. Give her the Mauler's Arm and she'll be decent enough in combat as well. 65% magic resistance is nothing to sneeze at either...

Yoshimo: Perfect backstabber (in all the meanings of the word). He's the only thief NPC that can actually get the x5 backstab multiplier. 17 STR make him a quite good fighter as well, if needed.

Originally posted by The_Pope:
@Dúnadan: There's nothing wrong with Valygar. He's a very good tank.
Let me ask you this: if your PC is a class that can't use katanas, who would you want to give that sweet Celestial Fury to?

Anyone but Valygar.


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The world's foremost authority on the throwing of dwarves, halflings, and gnomes.

Originally posted by Dúnadan:
Anyone but Valygar.

Why? What's wrong with him? He's an excellent fighter!

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The Pope, known in the Realms as Gabriel, is a Proud Member of the Brotherhood of the Woods

Originally posted by Minsc&BOO:
VALYGAR:His sword is unsuitable for backstabbing.NO MORE NEED FOR WORDS.

THEN GIVE HIM ANOTHER ONE!
Like Celestial Fury, arguably the best weapon in the game (if you don't count Blackrazor).

AERÝE:Very few hit points.I add her to my party only for the reputation point from the guard

If you're talking about the guard outside the circus tent, you don't need her in the party to get the rep point.

AERIE:Too few hitpoints, Girdle of Fort and she's decent.
ANOMEN:Annoying attidude if you are male, but good cleric and fighter.
CERND:Useless...
EDWIN:Best mage but evil-aligned.
HEAR'DALIS:Backup mage, with offensive spin useful.
IMOEN:Good mage and with thief stuff good thief, too.
JAHEIRA:Nice spells and nice romance
JAN:Rather annoying, but an alternative to Yoshi
KELDORN:With Gaunts of Dex and Carsomyr a killing machine.
MAZZY retty good with Gesens or Tansherons.
MINSC:Good tank with Silver Blade or Lilarcor.
NALIA:Whiny and annoying, but the only decent good-aligned mage till you get Imoen back.
VALYGAR:Hmn, not really impressing, with Celestial Fury he's okay.
VICONIA:Hey, she's a cool drow, need for more words? Well, she's a good cleric and with the Gaunts of Ogre Strenght and Girdle of Fortitude a decent figter.
YOSHIMO:Best thief, but a traitor...

[This message has been edited by rapier (edited 03-31-2001).]

Keldorn: Most probably the best in the game! Give him Gauntlets of Dexterity and Carsomyr and this guy can take on anything. Add to that that his armor grants him Free Action and that his kit makes him immune to Confusion, Fear, etc., and you've got some pretty bad@$$ mind flayer slayer

Give anyone that stuff and they'll kick ass. Minsc for example, and he has a better strength. As for free action, I'd rather get a ring and have the extra strength that someone like Minsc provides. If you start slapping magic items on left right and centre, of course they're gonna kick ass, the question is, are they worth the effort when youy can get someone who comes in that state without the expense?

And as I said, you can't work for Bohdi with Keldorn, and Bohdi is the better route, so you have to pick him up after, so he misses out on plenty of XP.

Cool dude and master of katanas. This is the guy you want to wield Celestial Fury, and to do your backstabbing (with CF)

This guy is terrible, not good enough at anything to be worth while. So average it makes me weep.

Best cleric in the game, thanks to her 18 WIS. She's way hotter than Jaheira. Give her the Mauler's Arm and she'll be decent enough in combat as well. 65% magic resistance is nothing to sneeze at either...

Pure cleric, which you don't need. You'd be much better off plumping for Jaheira with her great Fighter priest spell combo. I've always found she develops into a better fighter and spell caster, plus you have her from the word go so her development is totally up to you.

Perfect backstabber (in all the meanings of the word). He's the only thief NPC that can actually get the x5 backstab multiplier. 17 STR make him a quite good fighter as well, if needed.

Lack of hit points compared to everyone else don't make him a fighter. Plus you lose him later anyway, so you're better dedicating your time building up someone else. Thus when you meet Imoen you have a choice of who to kick. Mainly though, a pure thief is a waste of a slot since nothing in the game really requires one.

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Quitch, being the Ranger known as Skyhawk, is a proud member of The Brotherhood of the Woods

@Quitch: You're really not that clever, are you?

Keldorn
Give anyone that stuff and they'll kick ass. Minsc for example, and he has a better strength. As for free action, I'd rather get a ring and have the extra strength that someone like Minsc provides. If you start slapping magic items on left right and centre, of course they're gonna kick ass, the question is, are they worth the effort when youy can get someone who comes in that state without the expense?

And as I said, you can't work for Bohdi with Keldorn, and Bohdi is the better route, so you have to pick him up after, so he misses out on plenty of XP.

It's his kit! His kit makes him immune to Fear etc., and the fact that he has his personal armour gives you the opportunity to give the Ring of Free Action to someone else.
Also, odds are pretty low I'll ever be playing a paladin, so that would be a waste of that sweet Carsomyr. This counts for a lot of people.

Valygar
This guy is terrible, not good enough at anything to be worth while. So average it makes me weep.

Have you even tried him out? 17 STR will do fine until you boost it with whatever item you find. It's the only guy decent enough to wield Celestial Fury, and he can deal quite some damage by backstabbing.

Viconia
Pure cleric, which you don't need. You'd be much better off plumping for Jaheira with her great Fighter priest spell combo. I've always found she develops into a better fighter and spell caster, plus you have her from the word go so her development is totally up to you.

Pure cleric; which you don't need?! I don't know about you but I like my cleric to level up fast. This is not the case for multiclassed priests. There are 2 kinds of classes that have to be singleclassed (or dualled to): priests and wizards, you want those new spells as soon as possible. Fighter/druid may be the perfect combo, but it maxes out at level 14, denying you a bunch of spell slots.

Yoshimo
Lack of hit points compared to everyone else don't make him a fighter. Plus you lose him later anyway, so you're better dedicating your time building up someone else. Thus when you meet Imoen you have a choice of who to kick. Mainly though, a pure thief is a waste of a slot since nothing in the game really requires one.

But that's exactly the point for crying out loud! You're contradicting yourself! He's a good thief, and if he betrays you, you just switch him for Imoen, another good thief. A pure thief (or a multiclassed PC) is the only character that can get a backstab multiplier of 5.

You should really consider all options before you go off telling this and that NPC suck.
I used to think Cernd sucked. What could possibly be wrong with a priest that has 18 WIS? That's a bunch of bonus spells!
I didn't like Haer'Dalis until I figured out the right way of playing him: activate Offensive Spin, do full damage, and if he's low on HP, activate Defensive Stance.
And so on. The same for Keldorn. His low DEX sucked so much, but I decided to give him a try. Guess what? In the very same quest I found the Gauntlets of Dexterity. This guy wasn't so bad after all. Then I found Carsomyr. I started to like this old geezer. Then I was trapped in that Mind Flayer dungeon. And by the Nine Hells, Keldorn syre helped out a lot!

So that's what I think about these NPCs. I probably didn't change your mind, seeing how stubborn you are , but maybe I talked some sense into you...

Originally posted by The_Pope:
It's his kit! His kit makes him immune to Fear etc.

Actually, that's the Cavalier's kit. Inquisitors are immune to Charm and Hold.

Originally posted by The_Pope:
I used to think Cernd sucked. What could possibly be wrong with a priest that has 18 WIS? That's a bunch of bonus spells!

A priest who can't level up past 14th level and who can't dual. 18 in wisdom nets him in bonuses only in 1-4th level druid spells. 14th level grants him one 7th level spell. Greater werewolf form is a lot less impressive after watching him get diced by higher level opponents.



[This message has been edited by Sojourner (edited 04-02-2001).]

Originally posted by Sojourner:
Actually, that's the Cavalier's kit. Inquisitors are immune to Charm and Hold.

Yes well, whatever. My mistake. He gets immunity to charm and hold. That's what I meant with "flayer slayer". And he gets Dispel Magic and True Sight, 2 invaluable abilities.

Originally posted by Sojourner:
A priest who can't level up past 14th level and who can't dual. 18 in wisdom nets him in bonuses only in 1-4th level druid spells. 14th level grants him one 7th level spell. Greater werewolf form is a lot less impressive after watching him get diced by higher level opponents.

I didn't say Cernd rules. I'm just saying he doesn't suck as bad as people claim he does.
By the way, in the expansion, he'll be able to advance in level beyond 14, thank God. Same thing with Jaheira.

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The Pope, known in the Realms as Gabriel, is a Proud Member of the Brotherhood of the Woods

@The_Pope: You're really not that clever, are you?

Have you even tried him out? 17 STR will do fine until you boost it with whatever item you find. It's the only guy decent enough to wield Celestial Fury, and he can deal quite some damage by backstabbing.

17 strength will not do fine when you can pick up guys who have better than that from the word go. He can't even backstab with his original weapon, so you have to give him something else until you get that magical weapon. For the time you have to invest, he is not worth it and never will be.

But that's exactly the point for crying out loud! You're contradicting yourself! He's a good thief, and if he betrays you, you just switch him for Imoen, another good thief. A pure thief (or a multiclassed PC) is the only character that can get a backstab multiplier of 5.

For myself I feel the Mage/Thief combo is a better choice. Spells over backstab for me.

I think you need to learn what a contridiction is though.

Sorry, but anyone who thinks Cernd doesn't suck......

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Quitch, being the Ranger known as Skyhawk, is a proud member of The Brotherhood of the Woods