Separating NPC pairs (no deaths, no mods)

Kilivitz

Well, no permanent death at least.

I recently found out (kinda sorta by accident) a nice method of separating NPC pairs. I don't recall seeing it anywhere, so I'm posting it here.

Of course, some people are happy enough sending the undesired NPC on a naked basilisk hunting, or leaving them inside a building forever wondering where the hell are you seriously he was here like just a second ago. But what if you could break an NPC pair without resorting to cruelty AND being able to recruit the rejected one again without any hassle?

Well, have you ever noticed that if you kick out an NPC while his/her companion is dead, the dead NPC isn't removed? So basically, you just have to:

1) kill the NPC you want to keep
2) remove their companion from your party
3) raise the dead NPC

Voila. You have kept your favorite NPC in the party, while the companion you wanted removed is alive, unscathed, and can even be recruited again.

The only drawback is that you'll need to spend the gold to raise the dead NPC. A small investment in the name of not keeping their companions safe and sound. I mean, it's the least you could do, right?

Kilivitz

As a sidenote: it is a bit difficult to roleplay it, of course. The guy at the Nashkel temple was a bit confused.

"You see, first this group of adventurers comes in through the door and everything looks normal. Then this enourmous bald guy with a tattooed head takes off his armor and helmet and just sands there naked, with a hamster on his shoulder! Then this other fella, a shady looking elf, starts pelting him with arrows and no one bats an eye! The big bald guy drops dead, there's blood all over the floor, it's madness! Then one of the ladies in the group, who looks like a witch and has a funny accent, walks over to this guy who's apparently their leader. They exchange a few words and share a friendly hug. She walks to the corner of the room and waves goodbye to them. Then, their leader walks up to me and just says, 'hello good sir, may I request the services of your temple?' MADNESS, I say!"

BillyYank

I'm thinkin' you don't actually have to do all that in front of the priest. NPC's, especially the non-joinables have to put up with a lot. We don't really need to rub their noses in our PC status, do we?

shawne

Way too complicated. Much simpler route: let the person you want gone read a Cursed Scroll of Petrification. They're not dead, you don't have to waste any resources, and if you're a Good character you can justify it by wanting to keep a person who's obviously hopeless as safe as possible, and that you'll go back to restore them once the danger has passed.

thelovebat

It's easy enough to separate pairs at the Friendly Arm Inn since it has multiple floors and any of the quests/chests on those floors can be taken care of fairly early in the game to avoid those NPCs the rest of the game. That's what I did to keep guys like Minsc in the party, since it's an easy to remember and somewhat central location if I don't want the whole pair with me.

At least it makes more sense roleplaying wise especially for good or neutral aligned characters than doing something that seems evil or mean to get rid of one. It's like a polite way of saying "I want someone from this ordeal to survive in case we don't come back." or something, or maybe just a nice way of saying "Sorry, but I have my preferences for adventuring. Here, have a stack of gold and make yourself at home with the Friendly Arm."

DullSkullTheSecond

Can't you just place the npc you want gone inside a house and then kick them out of the party? I haven't done it recently but I remember it working well. And if it does, it cost nothing at all and you can roleplay you just forgot them in there. For a few months....

Skatan

DullSkullTheSecond said:

Can't you just place the npc you want gone inside a house and then kick them out of the party? I haven't done it recently but I remember it working well. And if it does, it cost nothing at all and you can roleplay you just forgot them in there. For a few months....

Roleplaying...