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Need help picking interesting NPCs for my party

HoopleDoopleHoopleDoople Member Posts: 23
in Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition
In honor of the new Baldur's Gate game I'm going to start a complete playthrough with a custom party. This is something I've always wanted to do but never got around to. However, I don't want to forgo the fun of having the NPCs around for their banter. Therefore I am going to use EE keeper to "paste" my custom characters onto the NPCs in my party.

The primary consideration for selecting NPCs will be how interesting they are to have around, as they'll all be plenty strong after editing. It would also be nice if the NPCs halfway matched up with the class they're going to be switched to, but this isn't an absolute requirement. I'm currently considering the following composition for my party:

Dwarven Defender
Fighter/Cleric
Fighter/Thief
Skald
Shaman
Dragon Disciple

I'd prefer my PC to be either the Skald or Dragon Disciple, but I'd still consider any of the others except for the Shaman (no BG2 stronghold). My PC will be either good or neutral, but I wouldn't rule out an evil NPC if they're interesting and can coexist with my party (assuming I keep my reputation at 18 or below).

All recommendations are welcome, and there's really no right or wrong answer. After seeing everyone's advice I'll weight the options and let you know who I chose. Thanks in advance for your help.

Comments

  • abacusabacus Member Posts: 1,307
    Are you running through the entire series? If so, then I guess you'll want to limit yourself to the npcs available in all the games?
    Jaheira, Minsc, Viconia, etc...
  • HoopleDoopleHoopleDoople Member Posts: 23
    abacus said:

    Are you running through the entire series? If so, then I guess you'll want to limit yourself to the npcs available in all the games?
    Jaheira, Minsc, Viconia, etc...

    Yes I am, but it doesn't particularly matter to me if I have to switch NPCs or not. If you personally think the continuity makes it more enjoyable you're welcome to recommend that approach.
  • DevardKrownDevardKrown Member Posts: 421
    Why Limit yourself ? the only tricky part is to Catch them all and do the quests they have to the Right time so they don't run off...
    i myself keep my Reputation around 10-18, cheap store prices maybe great but once you Reach Baldur's Gate you swim in gold anyhow and ending the game with 250k or 300k doesn't really matter...

    and which NPC are interesting is in the eye of the Beholder...some people Loooove Neera ... i just want to Strangle her with her own Entrails....still i keep her around until i can go to her Map and finish off that Quest..
  • Clumsy_DwarfClumsy_Dwarf Member Posts: 112
    edited April 2016
    The only issue I can see is in BG2 your arcane caster is a sorcerer. During some of the harder fights, he will need to be knocking down defenses of spellcasters (liches are spellcasters too lol) and dragons. Counting on dispel magic and other control from your healers to help is tricky at best. Also sorcerers have the limited spells so some slot choices become almost mandatory.

    Maybe turn the fighter/thief into a mage/thief. Invisibility is great to rebackstab and he could add versatility to your arcane spells.
  • QuiqueQuique Member Posts: 62
    Garrik or Eldoth could be your skald for the first game, I'm guessing you could turn Branwen into a fighter/cleric dual, but the level adjustment might prove tricky, Yeslik on the other hand is already an awesome fighter/cleric as Coran is an illegal dex 20 fighter/thief (you can mix up his skill pick which is not good). Kagain might be your DD. What are you planning to be good or evil? That might help to narrow down the options.
  • magisenseimagisensei Member Posts: 316
    Someone else said it already - why not try them all and see which ones fit your party best. What I might find interesting and entertaining, others might find down right annoying.

    Neera - doesn't irritate me at all - I think she is light and a bit anxious but other wise a bright personality that lifts some of the heaviness of the game. The thing that bugs me about her is the thing that makes her part of the interesting thing about the game - she's a wild mage and after being polymorphed into a wolf by accident it can it somewhat of a trial with her at times.

    I like Dorn - serious, fully of vengeance but also thoughtful at times and a bit lonely. Being a half-orc is difficult and he knows it.

    Viconia - I like her at times but her drowness once in a while bothers me - she starts speaking in drow and making comments like "nothing has been accomplished" - the question is what does she want me to do? If I complete anymore reputation quests she's going to leave so..... makes you wonder what she wants?

    Baeloth - is fun, a bit quirky, a bit rude even - a fun person to travel with once in a while - it is a shame that he is a bit overpowered - but if you don't mind hanging with a drow sorcerer with a bit of a complex then take him along.

    On this my first run in BGEE - I am trying out most of the NPCs and so far - so good - I've missed the dwarf named Y (full party couldn't add him because I just added the druid) and Shar-Teal (she's hiding somewhere on one of the maps) but otherwise almost everyone I think.

    I have a core team of 4 which doesn't change with 2 free spots (to make 6 members) so that I can try other NPCs.

    Let me say this - there are some really annoying NPCs - and they are annoying not because that they suck at their job but because of their personality which grates on the nerves .... and makes you want to throw a fireball at him.
  • DevardKrownDevardKrown Member Posts: 421
    I have a core team of 4 which doesn't change with 2 free spots (to make 6 members) so that I can try other NPCs.

    there is the Thing its all about , in a "Normal" party it boils down that you want 3 Jobs to be Fulfilled , a Mage , a Thief , and a Healer... everything above is Flavor and additional Bag space.

    i personally Boil my Thief needs down to a LvL 6 Swashbuckler, Never needed a Single trap or Backstab in my Life , and the Micro management is not rewarding for the results, so i Dual him to a Mage and have 2 of 3 Needs down in my CHARNAME, just have to grab one of the many healers and have 4 Slots to rotate NPC's through, and once all quest are done i Grab my 4 favorites.
  • UnderstandMouseMagicUnderstandMouseMagic Member Posts: 2,147
    I would say that the most important consideration for the most fun is not who you take along, but having the NPC Project installed.

    I kept on reading here people saying they cannot play BG without it, I now understand what they meant.
  • GriboeGriboe Member Posts: 47
    UnderstandMouseMagic said:

    I would say that the most important consideration for the most fun is not who you take along, but having the NPC Project installed.

    I kept on reading here people saying they cannot play BG without it, I now understand what they meant.

    I cannot stress this enough. It's a completely different experience!
  • TelcontarTelcontar Member Posts: 12
    Hm my picks would be:

    Dwarven Defender - I assume this is your NPC although personally I would go with Dragon Disciple as NPC.
    Fighter/Cleric - Viconia or Jaheira.
    Fighter/Thief - Khalid
    Skald - Garrick / HaerDaelis.
    Shaman - Jaheira
    Dragon Disciple - Imoen (I actually thought about doing this to Imoen myself, since I wanted to try playing both custom made fighter and dragon disciple). Naeera comes as an alternative here.
  • magisenseimagisensei Member Posts: 316
    I totally forgot that with EEkeeper you can alter the classes of the NPCs in order to play with some of the new kits. Making Imoen a DD would be a different play and trying Jaheria as a shaman would by an experiment to try - (trying the shaman class with my charname); and changing some of the generic bards into kits would add to the game.

    But even making Khalid into a f/t probably won't improve him much; I'd make him a cavalier instead but then again....

  • FrecheFreche Member Posts: 473
    Personally I'm gonna change Imoen to a shadowdancer/mage -multi in BG2. Maybe making Vic a f/c havn't decided.
  • PK2748PK2748 Member Posts: 381
    Yeah you need a 15 strength to dual out of shadow dancer. Feeble little Imoen just can't make the cut. I see no real use for her at all
  • HoopleDoopleHoopleDoople Member Posts: 23
    edited April 2016
    Thank you for your advice everyone. Here's what I am now considering:

    Dwarven Defender Sun Soul Monk - Rasaad
    Fighter/Cleric - Khalid (Mazzy in BG2)
    Fighter/Thief - Imoen (Yoshimo to fill the gap)
    Skald - PC
    Shaman - Jaheira
    Dragon Disciple - Neera

    This will provide a fair amount of continuity and utilize a few characters I haven't used yet in BG and/or BG2. I will definitely look into the NPC Project mod. If you have any other comments or advice, please let me know. I won't be starting until this weekend so nothing is set in stone yet.
  • PlakePlake Member Posts: 5
    edited April 2016
    Some NPC quests are really frustrating. At first i took Kivan and Safana with me, but at the time i've reached Safana my party could easily walk to and through that cave, while killing everything on their way... Soon after that, Kivan first complained about some bandits and later left the team. I understand that you need to go to a bandid camp with him, so i restarted to get him asap (rightn after picking up Khalid and Jaheira, but WITHOUT picking up xzar and that other dude...).

    Safana, however, is a different story while the PC is still lvl 1! I managed to sneak with her into that cave and leave the rest where they met her. But in that cave she won't find a single trap, even when standing right next to it. Walking through that first trap only almost kills her, but even taking a potion for full health doesn't help, as the second trap always kills her. What am i doing wrong? :(
  • PK2748PK2748 Member Posts: 381
    edited April 2016
    For me those traps are hold person and dire charm, so take two invis potions. Quaff one and take one person through to the loot, take the loot, quaff a second invis potion and walk in our quest completed at level one no risk
  • PlakePlake Member Posts: 5
    edited April 2016
    Ah understood... Now i just need to sneak back out and visit a shop... Only have 1 of those potions with me. Thx
    Post edited by Plake on
  • magisenseimagisensei Member Posts: 316
    Invisible potions are hard to find unless you have access to the city of Baldurs Gate - there is one you can get in the town of B if you have a high enough open lock skill to get it.

    My team stole the treasure as well but we a mage with the spell invisible and a tank to walk over the traps.
  • megamike15megamike15 Member Posts: 2,666
    Griboe said:

    UnderstandMouseMagic said:

    I would say that the most important consideration for the most fun is not who you take along, but having the NPC Project installed.

    I kept on reading here people saying they cannot play BG without it, I now understand what they meant.

    I cannot stress this enough. It's a completely different experience!
    yes I find bg1 more entertaining when the npcs talk and have banter
  • PK2748PK2748 Member Posts: 381
    Beregost manor or the Nashkel Carnival both have a second or third invis potion easily acquired by the enterprising locksmith
  • BelgarathMTHBelgarathMTH Member Posts: 5,653
    Watch out changing Neera's class. I'm told there's a place in BG2 where she has to cast Nahal's Reckless Dweomer, or her quest breaks.
  • alceryesalceryes Member Posts: 380
    edited April 2016
    I've got a few games going, ATM.

    One is a custom party of 5 (so I can bring on and do the quests of most of the other NPC's) that consists of
    - ½ Orc Berserker
    - ½ Elf Fighter/Cleric
    - Elf Archer
    - Elf Mage/Thief (CHARNAME)
    - Elf Sorcerer

    The other party I'm having fun with is an ev...er, ummm, 'misunderstood' party of 6 that consists of
    - Dorn
    - Kagain
    - Viconia
    - Elf Fighter/Thief (CHARNAME)
    - Garrick
    - Edwin

    Garrick is underrated, IMO. Once you get him the Whistling sword and Army Scythe he's a bad-ass Swiss Army Knife.
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