Keeping companions out of the fights

Moonheart

(Post modified because the problem wasn't clear enough and the first answer have been completly out-of-topic)

I have a true love/hate relationship with companions in BG2:
- I definitively LOVE to read their banters and reactions to the dialogs, and feel that a game is not complete without them
- I also HATE to have to manage them to keep them alive during fights, because I don't need them to win in those figths in first place

That problem actualy always prevented me reach the end of ToB, because:
- either I do a solo run, and I feel frustrated to not read the companion's banters and reactions (some of them are priceless, like having Viconia explaining to Imoen that she should act as a slave to her brother)
- either I do a party run, and I feel frustrated during fight to spend so much time to keep my companions safe

So, I'm asking here if some people would know a way to keep companions out of the fights efficiently.

I've tried several methods, without finding anything convaincing:
- Let my companions at the entrance of the map and make my protagonist explore alone (it make resting painful, and also, many place or fights doesn't allow this)
- Put the Staff of Magi and the Cloak of Whipers on a companion ask set the IA on "flee" (works well, but only for one of them, as both items are unique, and I don't want to "cheat" by duplicating them)
- Let them get killed and don't rez them... (but the dead doesn't banter or react to dialogs... quite logical)
- Try to isolate them with Contingency + Otikule's Resilient Sphere (too bad: they resist their own spells... another oversight of BG2 toward D&D rules)

redline

Can't say I usually have this problem, honestly. Functionally, there's no difference between a companion character and CHARNAME - less optimized stats, maybe, but they have access to the same spells, equipment, and tactics that your main character does. Are you relying completely on the AI? Saving all the best loot for your PC? The fact that you're successfully completing fights solo tells me you know your way around the game, so it seems odd that you wouldn't just pause, select a different character, and apply the same expertise to the rest of your party.

Personally, I turn AI off altogether - I'd rather not have a script, no matter how simple or low-risk, sending someone off where I don't want them in the middle of a critical fight. And if you're dead set on simply keeping them out of the fight altogether, that would also allow you to keep them out of the enemy's line-of-sight without them charging off someplace you don't want them.

Philhelm

I don't have that problem either. I don't min-max during character creation (not that there's anything wrong with that), so usually the stronger melee NPCs do some of the heavy lifting and share in the glory. I don't rely on AI, aside from auto attack, since I hate it when an NPC just stands there during a large melee. Otherwise, I pause the game periodically to issue individual commands and cast spells. Another option is to change the settings so that the game auto-pauses every time a character is ready to take an action, although some people might not like that style.

deltago

turn off AI.

Moonheart

@redline, @Philhelm : I feel you didn't understand my problem, here... I have absolutly no trouble to keep my companions alive when I manage them!
My problem is that I DON'T WANT to have to manage them... at all. I bring them with me for flavor, not for fights.

@deltago : Turning the IA off doesn't prevent a companion to be attacked and killed.

abacus

The only reliable way is make liberal use of the auto-pause function and to micromanage them all with the same care you give to Charname. Turning the AI off will help to prevent them wandering into traffic.

Strategic positioning can also be of use... the unmodded AI will tend to target your closest toon, so it can generally be manipulated to make enemies hit who *you* want. It won't work all the time... particularly not for some ambush scenarios.

A good supply of Invisibility pots for more vulnerable characters can also help.

Moonheart

Ok, that's three persons that don't understand that my problem is that I don't want to have to manage them... I feel I need to rewrite the opening post to make it more clear.

Arunsun

I understand your problem, but there is no solution besides managing them at least a little. Or keeping them at the entrance of the dungeon, but that's annoying when you want to rest or progress to the next dungeon level.

Moonheart

That's what I fear.

I've done a duo run once. With Imoen wearing the Staff of Magi, this was an improvement compared to a solo run, but only one companion was not enough to make me feel satisfied (having your sister and your love besides you is already what I call a minima)

I fear I will never finish that game once... that's already what? 6-7 runs that I stop during ToB because I'm not feeling satisfied with them?

TheArtisan

There is one thing you could try if you were that desperate- if you use EEKeeper then you can change all your NPC's appearances into Eagles or Seagulls, and this gives them an untargetable model (basically, they can attack but enemies can't attack back). They can still be damaged by AoE abilities but enemies won't ever attack them directly. It's a silly solution.

Moonheart

LOL yes, probably...

abacus

Non-detection lasts 4 hours... It's resource heavy, but combined with Invisibility (or I10'R) and a non-aggro AI script it could be enough to get you through most maps with them just tagging along.

I'm not sure there is a perfect solution for what you're after.

Maybe eekeeper them to be immune to all damage types? Although you'd still be vulnerable to save-or-suck spells, flayers and level drain, etc.

Moonheart

According its description, True Sight dispels Non-Detection, which means that this method only work with permanent Non-Detection (a.k.a. Cloak of Whispers, an unique item)

redline

Given that the enemy AI will spam True Sight and other detection spells when an invisible character is near, the invisibility approach is flawed because it will modify enemy behavior. Time spent casting detection spells is time that would normally be spent targeting CHARNAME with something more useful. Not sure if that's a concern.

I feel like the seagull approach from @Artemius_I is probably the best, honestly, provided that doesn't mess with the dialogue triggers. Add some resistances from EEkeeper to avoid AOE damage and you're left with invincible, untargetable avian companions. A little odd, but truth be told it's kind of an odd request. It's like you want SoD's story mode, but only for certain characters.

ithildurnew

Talk about 1st world problems...

Philhelm

The version 2.0 update allows for Story Mode, which gives all characters 25 Strength and prevents party death. I know that's not the answer you're looking for, but that would follow the parameters of point and clicking your NPCs and forgetting about them.

Other than that, I think that you would need to use EE Keeper. Give the NPCs 25 Dex, Con, and Int (Mindflayers!), 999 HP (or whatever the system can handle), and trick them out with the most defensive gear that gives AC, damage reduction, magic resistance, etc. You can probably also add innate immunities and improve their saves and stuff like that, but I've never tinkered that deeply with EE Keeper. Finally, turn off their AI so they just stand there during combat.

Moonheart

Does True Sight cancel the thief's hide in shadow?

If not, I could perhaps so a Shadowdancer protagonist, and take a Neera as a Romance, so this way I'll do the fights with her while my protagonist and Imoen stay hidden somewhere