Advice for this party
Maurvir
Member Posts: 1,090
I just started a new party with an EET install the other day, and I'm hoping this will be a full-run. However, I'm trying out a new PC class - mage/thief.
I can't ever leave Imoen behind, so I have her specializing in setting traps, while my PC specializes in locks and disarming traps for now. Sure, she will one day be dualed over to mage, but I would like her to have a useful thief skill, since this loadout skipped Aura.
I also have Sirene and Isra as paladin tanks. Sirene, in particular, is a kobold killing machine. Isra still needs a bit more gear, but is coming along nicely. I'm not sure how much cross-mod there is in this part of the game, but I feel they work nicely together. I really do want to see the cross-mod stuff in SoA, so I'm planning on keeping them as my primary tanks.
This covers tanking, archery, thievery (except pick-pocketing), and a decent amount of arcane magic. Which leaves me with the conundrum. I want to run a mostly good party, but the party needs both more arcane and any divine magic.
I have tried Viconia, Jaheira, and Branwen for divine magic, and (thanks to a mod) Khalid as an extra arcane caster.
Viconia would be amazing if she weren't neutral evil, thus requiring "reputation management". This is possible thanks to the bardic adjustment mod, and I'm tempted due to her magic resistance alone, but it's a tough sell RP-wise.
Jaheira... She just isn't pulling her weight yet. In most fights, she is dropping a couple of spells and then having to back away to avoid getting pummeled. That would be fine, as the party has perfectly serviceable tanks, but it does mean she is primarily being used as a "cleric" at the moment - a cleric without most of the better cleric skills and no turn undead. Not being able to command an opponent is a pretty big disadvantage, as those few seconds often allow the party to get into better position. Not being able to turn undead is a bit of a nuisance for now, but that will become a bigger issue later.
Branwen seems like a good compromise. A full cleric with all the spells and turn undead, true neutral, so no reputation management, and has a pretty nice kit in the EE's. The downside is no innate magic resistance like Viconia. At the moment, the party has just dropped Jaheira in favor of Branwen to get the cleric spells back.
As for an extra caster, I presently have Khalid alone, having split the pair. His ability with a bow is second to none, especially with The Dale's Protector and his 3 pips in long bow. However, he also brings in a second caster, which gets the arcane magic abilities to acceptable levels.
Dynaheir and Xan are also options, but it's hard to imagine not having Khalid in the back pelting the enemy with arrows. On the other hand, as pure casters, they will definitely advance a lot faster.
Any ideas, or other NPCs I might be overlooking? This is a full-quadrology run, so while I could re-recruit Viconia, Jaheira, Branwen, and Xan (thanks to mods), Khalid is an issue.
I can't ever leave Imoen behind, so I have her specializing in setting traps, while my PC specializes in locks and disarming traps for now. Sure, she will one day be dualed over to mage, but I would like her to have a useful thief skill, since this loadout skipped Aura.
I also have Sirene and Isra as paladin tanks. Sirene, in particular, is a kobold killing machine. Isra still needs a bit more gear, but is coming along nicely. I'm not sure how much cross-mod there is in this part of the game, but I feel they work nicely together. I really do want to see the cross-mod stuff in SoA, so I'm planning on keeping them as my primary tanks.
This covers tanking, archery, thievery (except pick-pocketing), and a decent amount of arcane magic. Which leaves me with the conundrum. I want to run a mostly good party, but the party needs both more arcane and any divine magic.
I have tried Viconia, Jaheira, and Branwen for divine magic, and (thanks to a mod) Khalid as an extra arcane caster.
Viconia would be amazing if she weren't neutral evil, thus requiring "reputation management". This is possible thanks to the bardic adjustment mod, and I'm tempted due to her magic resistance alone, but it's a tough sell RP-wise.
Jaheira... She just isn't pulling her weight yet. In most fights, she is dropping a couple of spells and then having to back away to avoid getting pummeled. That would be fine, as the party has perfectly serviceable tanks, but it does mean she is primarily being used as a "cleric" at the moment - a cleric without most of the better cleric skills and no turn undead. Not being able to command an opponent is a pretty big disadvantage, as those few seconds often allow the party to get into better position. Not being able to turn undead is a bit of a nuisance for now, but that will become a bigger issue later.
Branwen seems like a good compromise. A full cleric with all the spells and turn undead, true neutral, so no reputation management, and has a pretty nice kit in the EE's. The downside is no innate magic resistance like Viconia. At the moment, the party has just dropped Jaheira in favor of Branwen to get the cleric spells back.
As for an extra caster, I presently have Khalid alone, having split the pair. His ability with a bow is second to none, especially with The Dale's Protector and his 3 pips in long bow. However, he also brings in a second caster, which gets the arcane magic abilities to acceptable levels.
Dynaheir and Xan are also options, but it's hard to imagine not having Khalid in the back pelting the enemy with arrows. On the other hand, as pure casters, they will definitely advance a lot faster.
Any ideas, or other NPCs I might be overlooking? This is a full-quadrology run, so while I could re-recruit Viconia, Jaheira, Branwen, and Xan (thanks to mods), Khalid is an issue.
Post edited by Maurvir on
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