BG2 Good Party: fun and dillemas (Spoiler Alert)

FredSRichardson

There are a few spoilers in here - just so you know if you haven't sifted through the game with a fine-toothed comb like some of us =D

Well, I've really enjoyed playing through BG2 again. There are a few NPCs I've never played through with so I picked this lineup:

Keldorn
Valygar
Anomen
Mazzy
CHARNAME (Cleric/Illusionist Gnome from BG1 - um mega stats)
Jan

Jan and Keldorn I've definitely had before. But in most play-throughs I would keep Minsc and Jaheira but this time I wanted something different. Something like an obnoxiously good party =P

I installed a mod that let me open up the strongholds matched to all classes so I could get both the mage and cleric stronghold. That was about the only consequential change.

There were a few dilemmas. I *really* wanted the Ring of Wizardry. At first I tried doing the Harper Hold quests by dropping Valygar and adding Jaheira in temporarily but this felt so wrong I had to back up to a previous save with the original party. Ultimately I just told my young apprentices in the Mage stronghold that they should try to make the ring - I will claim that the protagonist didn't know better and deeply regrets the consequences. I'm surprised the rest of my crew didn't say anything...

The second questionable act was going to the slums and accepting the quest from the thieves guild. Keldorn voiced his disapproval but I forged ahead. Sure there is a fair amount of loot from this quest but honestly I didn't really need it.

I couldn't quite bring myself to buy any of the really powerful and cheesy items from the extra merchants so I didn't. I will not be beholder proof when it comes down to it.

Okay, so those were the morally questionable steps - I actually felt pretty good about everything else and frankly the party has been happy as can be. Now comes the sticky part.

I didn't plan properly for picking up Imoen again, and here's the problem:

I really like Jan - I mean his interactions with the crew are priceless - and I had him memorize every spell scroll he could so the really useful ones like minute meteor I didn't save... But when I told Imoen I didn't have room for her Keldorn voiced his disapproval and offered to leave in her stead. Well... I can't have that.

So I decided not to feel like a total heel and really two gnomish multi-class Illusionists are one too many, so I told Jan to leave. Actually, it looks like he's just standing around in that loopy Spellhold area. I feel bad that he might not make it back home in time for turnip tea...

Of course it makes too much sense to keep Imoen not just for the role playing aspect but also because I need a single class mage that can cast things like horrid wilting. I considered dumping Valygar or Anomen but that didn't feel right - the obnoxiously good party needs Imoen.

So I did get over that one bump and I think this is going to be a good party if a little less fun without Jan. Ah well... good times ahead I'm sure

FinneousPJ

You can save that little treat (Jan) for later. Like for when you're not playing a 2nd C/I.

FredSRichardson

I know some folks keep Yoshimo in their party for Spellhold, but Yoshimo doesn't make sense for a party of righteous do-gooders. I think Keldorn would detect his evil taint (?).

TheArtisan

I wouldn't say Yoshimo's evil

even with the betrayal stuff.

Also he's a bounty hunter which is arguably the most 'lawful' of the thief classes. Keldorn's actually quite friendly with him in their banters.

FredSRichardson

That's a good point - Yoshimo is "True Neutral" (he doesn't light up under Keldorn's detect evil) but there is something unsavory about him. Jan seems relatively harmless in comparison, that is with all his turnip talk =P

Bubbles

If you wanna feel righteous (with a cunning edge) ... side with Bhodi ^^.
You get to eliminate both Shadow Thieves and the neck biters ^^.

mashedtaters

Bubbles said:

If you wanna feel righteous (with a cunning edge) ... side with Bhodi ^^.
You get to eliminate both Shadow Thieves and the neck biters ^^.

From a role playing standpoint, you don't know that you're going to eliminate both of them until after you do it. It is definitely the greater of two evils to side with the vampires.

But my Charnames, although good because I like good, don't have any qualms teaming up with slavers (Edwin), human sacrificers (Viconia), liars (Jan), thieves (yoshimo), and murderers (Korgan), so it's a moot point which path is more evil anyway, I guess.

FredSRichardson

I was thinking of going neutral my next run-through and trying to play the reluctant protagonist. Naive idealism, blind self righteousness and doey eyed romantic notions wouldn't have much room in this party which rules out Nalia, Keldorn and Aerie. At the same time killing peasants or enslaving children crosses a line that leads to slaughter. I'm not sure how easy it will be to walk the neutral path in BG2.