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When going solo or duo, should I still do the early NPC quests to help XP for my f/m/t ?

If you're trying to gain as much as XP as possible (running as a F/M/T) with Aerie, should I still pick up some NPCs in order to complete their quests for the XP? Pretty sure some of them you need to take have in the party to complete their quests (could be wrong there though.) Granted I'll lose some XP on the fights etc completing the quests, so not sure it's really that necessary overall to bother with their quests (if all I'm caring about is the XP.)

Comments

  • ilduderinoilduderino Member Posts: 773
    I haven’t done a detailed analysis but I think in most cases it won’t be worth it, unless you take on the npc and then just rest for 7 or 14 days or whatever it takes to advance their quest.

    Otherwise if you are doing quests with them around waiting for the time to pass then they are likely to take more than they give from what you are doing in the meantime. Also certain npcs (e.g. Anomen) take more or all of the xp reward.

    The exception may be those where you can only visit certain areas with them on the team, so that would be the EE added npcs. As those areas give xp and unique equipment that can otherwise not be accessed.

    There is also one original BG2 npc that you must kill or take in the party temporarily to access an area. For RP reasons I would never kill them so would be obliged to use them for a while.
    Permidion_StarkgorgonzolaMichelleSkatan
  • monicomonico Member Posts: 571
    Agree with the above. Depends on how long their personal quest takes to trigger.

    Jaheira doesn't take long though:
    - save her from Irenicus dungeon, accept her in the party then ditch her nicely enough so she can be recruited afterwards by the docks. If I remember correctly, ditching her from the group makes sure her romance is out of the picture and won't postpone her quest.
    - save Renfeld and do Xzar's quest in Harper's stronghold
    - recruit Jaheira again, and Sime should appear immediately to trigger the quest with the Harper stronghold

    I do that often for a nice mage ring that otherwise is only obtainable in the Mage Stronghold quests.

    You can afterwards also bring her to the nearby inn to start her other quest involving Baron Ployer.
    Permidion_Starkgorgonzolasarevok57Skatan
  • gorgonzolagorgonzola Member Posts: 3,864
    if you want to maximize xp you have to solo the starting dungeon, discovering minsc and jaheira only before you have opened the path to the promenade.
    then don't go to the circus, but do some easy for a FMT quests, but without triggering the quest reward.
    if you sell and steal the wands you find in the starting dungeon is a big help for doing it, plenty of free summons and spells, that in the beginning are still powerful.
    then get aerie, her xp will somehow match your one, and trigger the quest rewards.
    recruit her right after getting multiples of 0.5M xp, charrname at 1000001 xp is fine, at 999999xp you get her at a lower level.
    this way you and her can have a real boost in xp, much more then skipping or doing some npc quests.

    you will be overleveled in no time that way.
    monicoilduderino
  • monicomonico Member Posts: 571
    gorgonzola wrote: »
    recruit her right after getting multiples of 0.5M xp, charrname at 1000001 xp is fine, at 999999xp you get her at a lower level

    I think the "levels" of companion XP is every 250k XP, up to 1.250.000 XP.
    So recruit companions when you are just above 250kXP, 500kXP (easily attainable with some early quests), 750kXP, 1mil XP or 1,250 mill XP.

    I would either go for 500k or max 750k XP. Any higher and it will take too long and won't feel like a 2-character run but more like a solo run. The first part of the game and leveling up is the most interesting anyway
    sarevok57gorgonzola
  • MichelleMichelle Member Posts: 549
    From an xp standpoint they are negligible and unnecessary. I can’t say about Hexxat and Dorn, I don’t play evil characters but the Neera and Rasaad quests can add a good amount of xp and loot. I would love to play the whole game with Wilson as my only companion, is that possible?

    Xp is, well not a problem. Solo you can skim the normal quests for just the items you want and still be maxed out in the Underdark. I haven’t done a duo in a very long time but, especially with F/M/T and Arie, should be able to the same with just doing all of the non npc quests. Solo you can actually max out without going near Watcher’s Keep before going to Brynnlaw by doing all of the quests, mini encounters plus Neera and Rasaad quests. I think, actually it has been a while since I have done any npc quests, pretty sure though.
    gorgonzolamonico
  • jmerryjmerry Member Posts: 3,822
    Hexxat's first quest is quite valuable for anybody; you get a 100-item bag of holding out of it. Other than that, her quests are the least rewarding of the EE NPCs. Very little unique gear, and not much gear overall.

    Dorn's quest brings quite a lot of expensive gear - all those sets of full plate - and can even be done without losing any reputation except the initial drop for taking him into the party. The one really good unique piece of gear is the helmet you can get at the end - the Visage, which grants +1 to hit, +1 saves, and some useful immunities.

    In most cases, you don't have to keep characters around for long periods of time to activate their quests. Some have their quests active immediately; Cernd's quest goes off as soon as you visit the Promenade with him after the Druid Grove is dealt with, for example. Others have in-game timers, which start when they join the party but run even if they're not in. You can swap characters in and out, run several timers in parallel, and do a bunch of character quests while adding very little overall time to the run.

    As for gathering experience before recruiting party members, a solo F/M/T can easily reach 1.25 million before leaving the Promenade for the first time. Just make sure you have enough points in Pick Pockets, shoplift everything from Galoomp and Lady Yuth, and scribe/erase repeatedly. Those two merchants have over 1.1 million experience worth of scrolls between them.
    StummvonBordwehrgorgonzolamonicoSkatan
  • Balrog99Balrog99 Member Posts: 7,367
    From an xp standpoint they are negligible and unnecessary. I can’t say about Hexxat and Dorn, I don’t play evil characters but the Neera and Rasaad quests can add a good amount of xp and loot. I would love to play the whole game with Wilson as my only companion, is that possible?

    Xp is, well not a problem. Solo you can skim the normal quests for just the items you want and still be maxed out in the Underdark. I haven’t done a duo in a very long time but, especially with F/M/T and Arie, should be able to the same with just doing all of the non npc quests. Solo you can actually max out without going near Watcher’s Keep before going to Brynnlaw by doing all of the quests, mini encounters plus Neera and Rasaad quests. I think, actually it has been a while since I have done any npc quests, pretty sure though.

    Arrghhh!!! Now you've got me wanting to restart (yet again) and try a Cleric/Ranger with Wilson as his sole animal companion. Damn you to Hades!

    And yes, it is possible to only adventure with Wilson. You need only take Rasaad to the Athkatla city gates to start his quest line and then take him to the Arena.
    gorgonzolaMichelleTrauerweidemonico
  • MichelleMichelle Member Posts: 549
    o:)o:);)
    I know what you mean, I have already started the game. Fighter/Druid.
    Balrog99 wrote: »
    Arrghhh!!! Now you've got me wanting to restart (yet again) and try a Cleric/Ranger with Wilson as his sole animal companion. Damn you to Hades!

    And yes, it is possible to only adventure with Wilson. You need only take Rasaad to the Athkatla city gates to start his quest line and then take him to the Arena.

    TrauerweideBalrog99
  • monicomonico Member Posts: 571
    I once did a run with a solo Totemic Druid and recruited Wilson only.
    Finished the game with no personal kills from the druid, all the kills were made by summons or Wilson. The druid was only casting buffs/debuffs/summons.
    I think the only direct damage caused by my PC was from summon insects (the disrupting spellcasting was what I was going for), and a few darts of stunning against Sarevok in BG1
    SkatangorgonzolaBalrog99SirBaldur
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