Party questions
After having read about the different classes, hesitated much to continue with Sorcerer, Kensai/Mage, Berserker, etc. for BG2 (I had played BG1 4x but never BG2), I ended up setting my mind on Inquisitor and decided that I will be using NPC mages to cover the crowd control spells needed and a few damage ones.
I'm still very early into BG2, I just got the beginning of Chapter 2 where I accepted to have Korgan in my party. I then just had Nalia that also asks for it and I think even Anomen is there but I'm not sure if I can have him with me or not yet but my party is already full. I currently have all of the other followers (Jaheira, Minsc, Aerie, Yoshimo).
I would very much like to keep Korgan as he seems to be a decent melee fighter (much better than Minsc as he has more health, better specializations and a reliable berserker buff unless the regular one also makes you lose control of your character, I can't remember too well since I only played one Berserker in BG1's Black Pits but I'm pretty sure I didn't lose control over my character). I like to have 2 or 3 good fighters up front (my Inquisitor has good stats obviously) and although I like dual wield and find Minsc to be funny with Boo, I don't find him to be that great of a melee fighter so I'm thinking of getting rid of him eventually. I also dislike Yoshimo, I just don't know how to use Thieves properly in BG, I don't get how to use the traps, the Hide in Shadows for an occasional backstab is nice but fails most of the time and they just end up being very weak in team fights the way I use them (I mostly just keep one to disarm traps and open locks).
I just used all of my spell scrolls and bought a few other key spells for Aerie so I'd like to keep her. Her being Cleric/Mage seems like she could have a lot of useful spells although I'm afraid that she might have too many to cast and am not sure which ones to focus on (cleric or mage) first. I still have Jaheira for now to heal just like I did when I played BG1 with a party but I think I'd probably be better off replacing her (Jaheira) eventually as I don't find her fighter class to be very useful with her stats (maybe I just need better gear for her?) and she seems to have fewer cleric spells. So here are my questions:
1- Can I keep both Korgan and Aerie in the same party (Chaotic Evil and Lawful Good) or will they physically attack each other or one will leave the party? I don't mind too much if they argue but I don't want to invest on them to have one of them leave the party later on.
2- Is there something I'm missing about Minsc or is he pretty average/weak for a melee character? What about Jaheira?
3- I'd like to get Imoen back eventually since I like mages and hate having to waste a follower slot on a Thief just to unlock stuff and disarm traps so that lets me have an extra mage with the Thief utility I need. I have read that Yoshimo doesn't stick around all game anyways (but having no other thief, I think I should keep him for now) so I guess I could swap these once I get Imoen back. People say that she's far behind on levels, is it that big of an issue?
4- Would having Aerie+Imoen that would be doing almost nothing but cast spells along with 1-2 other cleric or druid type of follower (if I keep Jaheira, maybe Anomen eventually) be a bad idea if my main character is Inquisitor? Would it be too spell casting heavy and I'd be shooting myself in the foot when I have to use dispell magic (which is the main reason why I took an Inquisitor in the first place) or is it fine and I just have to focus more on heals/direct damage spells instead of CC ones?
I'm still very early into BG2, I just got the beginning of Chapter 2 where I accepted to have Korgan in my party. I then just had Nalia that also asks for it and I think even Anomen is there but I'm not sure if I can have him with me or not yet but my party is already full. I currently have all of the other followers (Jaheira, Minsc, Aerie, Yoshimo).
I would very much like to keep Korgan as he seems to be a decent melee fighter (much better than Minsc as he has more health, better specializations and a reliable berserker buff unless the regular one also makes you lose control of your character, I can't remember too well since I only played one Berserker in BG1's Black Pits but I'm pretty sure I didn't lose control over my character). I like to have 2 or 3 good fighters up front (my Inquisitor has good stats obviously) and although I like dual wield and find Minsc to be funny with Boo, I don't find him to be that great of a melee fighter so I'm thinking of getting rid of him eventually. I also dislike Yoshimo, I just don't know how to use Thieves properly in BG, I don't get how to use the traps, the Hide in Shadows for an occasional backstab is nice but fails most of the time and they just end up being very weak in team fights the way I use them (I mostly just keep one to disarm traps and open locks).
I just used all of my spell scrolls and bought a few other key spells for Aerie so I'd like to keep her. Her being Cleric/Mage seems like she could have a lot of useful spells although I'm afraid that she might have too many to cast and am not sure which ones to focus on (cleric or mage) first. I still have Jaheira for now to heal just like I did when I played BG1 with a party but I think I'd probably be better off replacing her (Jaheira) eventually as I don't find her fighter class to be very useful with her stats (maybe I just need better gear for her?) and she seems to have fewer cleric spells. So here are my questions:
1- Can I keep both Korgan and Aerie in the same party (Chaotic Evil and Lawful Good) or will they physically attack each other or one will leave the party? I don't mind too much if they argue but I don't want to invest on them to have one of them leave the party later on.
2- Is there something I'm missing about Minsc or is he pretty average/weak for a melee character? What about Jaheira?
3- I'd like to get Imoen back eventually since I like mages and hate having to waste a follower slot on a Thief just to unlock stuff and disarm traps so that lets me have an extra mage with the Thief utility I need. I have read that Yoshimo doesn't stick around all game anyways (but having no other thief, I think I should keep him for now) so I guess I could swap these once I get Imoen back. People say that she's far behind on levels, is it that big of an issue?
4- Would having Aerie+Imoen that would be doing almost nothing but cast spells along with 1-2 other cleric or druid type of follower (if I keep Jaheira, maybe Anomen eventually) be a bad idea if my main character is Inquisitor? Would it be too spell casting heavy and I'd be shooting myself in the foot when I have to use dispell magic (which is the main reason why I took an Inquisitor in the first place) or is it fine and I just have to focus more on heals/direct damage spells instead of CC ones?
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Comments
Her level depends on the XP you have when you rejoin her, but I wouldn't worry too much about it. Later SoA and ToB have oodles of XP flying around, and you'll have her back in shape in no time even if you miss the breakpoint in the worst possible way. Dispel Magic has a very specific radius of effect, and with a little practice you can aim it so that it doesn't dispel your own stuff, or at least not all of it. Inquisitors are very strong in BG2, but of course there's a little more to it than a 1-button solution
Jaheira isn't a very good Fighter in SoA because her levels lag behind, but she'll suffice well enough as a secondary warrior and her casting abilities are useful. Fighter progression tails off at high levels, so Jaheira eventually catches up and becomes a pretty competitive Fighter, but you'll be in ToB by then. She eventually becomes a very good caster too, but again you'll be in ToB by then. So she can be well worth persisting with because she's very good in the end-game (when you're facing the toughest opposition), but don't expect too much from her earlier on. There are two versions of Imoen available to be rescued, and which one you get depends upon your level at the time. Therefore how far behind Imoen's XP may be is very variable. Nevertheless, no, it's not a huge deal because you'll soon gain so much additional XP that the difference will be relatively minor.
Yes, the fact that Imoen can supply both of the essential Thief skills without needing a separate Thief in the party is often very helpful. Of course she can't do the optional Thief stuff (setting traps etc.), but freeing up a party slot for a whole additional character is often well worth that sacrifice.
Yes, keep Yoshimo, then Imoen can fill that slot when you find her. The late game is very magic-focused, so there's almost no such thing as "too spell casting heavy". Aerie plus Imoen plus another Cleric or Druid is a powerful casting team, which is exactly what you'll be wanting later.
You can also use it to dispel your team by attacking people that are under some detrimental effect, though of course they do take the damage from the attack, too.
Give Immy the +1apr bow and Aerie the sling that uses strenght bonuses, being a cleric and with a strenght enhancing item she easily can reach 25 strenght (+14 damage).
They'll do some ranged damage each round after the casting of spells.
At highter levels Aerie is something completely different......
Not only divine spells in sequencers and contingencies, but a real force in mlee.
The 25 strenght (+7 thaco) and the cleric thaco that is the best "non fighter thaco" make her a good dual welder even if she can put only 1 pip in DW so 4APR improved hasted, whith maxed damage due to righteous magic. give her FOA or another good crushing weapon and BADABOOOM......
While she is untochable protected whith both arcane and divine magic.
And she, or her PI or even better simulacrum, can shapeshift in iron golem for even more dps.
Really "my" little Aerie had slaughtered in mlee more then a dragon as the rest of the party was waiting in a corner of the area....
Excuse me for my bad english.