Trick: Levelling before picking up multiclassed NPCS

wampa

NPC level when they join your party seems to be determined by your PC level at the first time you talk to them. However, for multiclasses, their level in BOTH classes seems to be determined by by PC level. For example, when my Sorcerer first talked to Khalid and Jaheira, he was around 7000 xp. Khalid joined and was also around 7000 xp, while Jaheira had around 7000xp - in EACH of her classes, making her XP total roughly double that of anyone else in my party.

I'm guessing this strategy isn't as effective if your main character is multiclassed.

The downside here is missing out on NPC customization opportunities (assigning weapon proficiencies) and max hit points per level up (on lower difficulties) - but if you're not planning on keeping around the character for more than a single adventure or two, it may be worth it.

ryuken87

It's based on your level rather than experience (or at least it was before EE, dunno if its changed or not). This can amount to huge chunks of exp early in the game, for example a level 5 thief (10k exp) can get many characters with >40k exp. Details here: http://www.forgottenwars.com/bg1/good.htm

[Deleted User]

I've been doing this on my most recent playthroughs: running around solo (or with Imoen) until around level 5 before recruiting more NPCs. As @ryuken87 points out, this works particularly well with Thieves and Bards, but even with a slow-leveling class it's nice to get a few levels under your belt before you start splitting XP. You miss out on the opportunity to customize proficiencies, but I find that most of the NPCs' proficiencies are allocated in ways that are good enough, if not ideal. The only downside is that a lot of the NPC Thieves distribute their skill points in undesirable ways, which is why I often take Imoen with me (Safana has a pretty good distribution between find traps and open locks if you want to pick up a thief later).

One thing to note, though, is that this only applies to the original NPCs. The new EE NPCs are scaled based off your actual experience rather than your level. Since Dorn and Neera are both relatively slow levelers, you won't see as good results unless you really put off recruiting them.

wampa

I just picked up Neera with 8k XP and she came to me as a level 2 (2500xp) Mage. I decided this was unacceptable.

I reloaded, used the console to set my XP to 10k (my protagonist is a Sorcerer), and picked her up again - this time she was level 4 and had 10k experience as well - as well as several decent spells at level 2. (Mirror Image, Invisibility, Stinking Cloud, and Scorcher). Looks like I'll be sidequesting for a little bit more XP.

[Deleted User]

Each of the new NPCs has level 2, 4, and 6 variants. To recruit Rasaad, Dorn, and Neera at level 6, you need to have roughly 27.5k, 36k, and 40k experience, respectively.

karnor00

Unless it's been changed for BG:EE, I think that NPC level is actually determined the first time you enter the map where the NPC is located.

So if, for example, you want to recruit Jaheira and Khalid at higher level then you will need to avoid going to the Friendly Arms Inn until you are higher level yourself.

And it means there's no way to get a higher level Zxar and Monty.

[Deleted User]

@karnor00 Months ago @Erg addressed this point in another thread:

Erg said:

OK, I've tested it. I can confirm that this is how it works:

1) NPC level is indeed set on entering the area

2) NPC level will not change if you level up while standing in the area where they are

3) if you don't speak with them, or if you speak with them but don't let them join you, and leave the area, the NPC level will be reset on reentering the area. Time is not a factor, you can leave, level up, and reenter right away and the NPC will be updated according to your current level.

4) if you let them join and then park them, they will be locked forever at their current level.

This fits my experience, as I've recruited a higher level Kivan despite always going through High Hedge early in the game. So you can go to FAI and even talk to Jaheira and Khalid and still get them at a higher level provided you don't recruit them, and you can get a higher level Xzar and Monty by ignoring them on your first trip through the map.

wampa

I'm curious if this happens with Dorn - his situation is a bit unique, since you can talk to him at the FAI early on but don't acquire him until you head to Naskel mines. Not sure if talking to him early locks in his level (or XP, rather) at the time of speech...

[Deleted User]

@Wampa The new NPCs seem to buck the trend in this respect as well, I've recruited Dorn at higher levels by avoiding him until my experience was higher, but in my latest game I talked to him early in the FAI and when I went back later to recruit him for his personal quest he was still level 1.

wampa

@Kaigen - Yes, I've been avoiding talking to him until my PC hits 9k XP just to avoid that.

Time4Tiddy

wampa said:

I'm curious if this happens with Dorn - his situation is a bit unique, since you can talk to him at the FAI early on but don't acquire him until you head to Naskel mines. Not sure if talking to him early locks in his level (or XP, rather) at the time of speech...

I decided for my most recent playthrough to use each of the new NPCs long enough to do their quest, and finish off with Dorn and keep him until the end. Since Neera's quest doesn't launch until you are level 4, I had Neera for quite a long time, then switched to Rasaad. Rasaad came in at level 4, and I kept him through level 5. I then went to FAI and picked up Dorn (I had refused him during the Nashkel map transition). I was level 5 mage, Dorn joined as level 2 with 17 hp. Fortunately, he leveled up quickly because I was already into Chapter 5, but I really had to babysit him during his quest because he would die in one-two hits.

I have to assume from this that he is set based on your level when going through Nashkel and the cutscene. I had never had him in the party.