Party recommendation for a swashbuckler
bmardiney
Member Posts: 36
So I want to play a good-aligned swashbuckler and here's the party I've come up with. I just want to get impressions before I start down this long road (I've never actually finished BG 1 so I want to check it off the list).
1 - PC as Swashbuckler
2 - Adjantis as paladin
3 - Coran as archer
4 - Yeslick as cleric
5 - Imoen as mage
6 - Neera as mage
I know almost all of those characters are multi or dual classed, but I listed them based on the function I want them to fill. Is it too mage heavy? Too thief heavy? Is Yeslick a good enough cleric to take on that role alone? Do you get him too late? Any thoughts are welcome.
1 - PC as Swashbuckler
2 - Adjantis as paladin
3 - Coran as archer
4 - Yeslick as cleric
5 - Imoen as mage
6 - Neera as mage
I know almost all of those characters are multi or dual classed, but I listed them based on the function I want them to fill. Is it too mage heavy? Too thief heavy? Is Yeslick a good enough cleric to take on that role alone? Do you get him too late? Any thoughts are welcome.
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Comments
1) swashbuckler (from Rogue Rebalancing)
2) Imoen (dualed to mage at level 7)
3) some fighter: Kivan or Shar-Teel, probably Kivan
4) Coran
5) Yeslick
6) Quayle (I would like to have Eldoth more but not Skie, maybe I will install the possibility of spliting NPC pairs. It is a part of NPC project or SCS)
But this is just an idea, it may change during my playing.
EDIT: Oh, nevermind, I forget that you get Minsc before even rescuing Dynaheir.
I'd like to keep Imoen for story purposes, but I've read that she doesn't really talk much in BG1. But then, I've also heard she's a great mage if you dual class her. I'm torn.
1. Me (CG Swashbuckler with a heavy focus on pickpocketing before other skills)
2. Minsc. Once I rescue Dynaheir I move her by herself to the top floor of the Friendly Arms inn and remove her from the party. RP wise I'm letting her recover from her kidnapping.
3. Viconia (eventual Romantic interest, and very helpful for getting past the Sirens for Safana's quest)
4. Safana (Dual to Mage at level 6) Because she's a pirate. That's why.
5 Coran (Ranged Support, Lockpicking and fun dialogue with Safana)
6. Rasaad (Mostly to get more Viconia dialogue)
In the early game I use Jaheria, Khalid and Imoen through the clearing of the mines. Long enough to establish some RP history that will carry over into BG2. I entrust Imoen into J&K's care, in a misguided attempt to keep her safe. I also pick up Neera in the early game, to cover magical support in the early game and get her first quest.
So I rely on Imoen for early game Lock/Traps. Coran comes with 100% lockpick by the time I get him, but his Find trap is lacking, so I focus Safana on that before dualing her.
Viconia will leave the party if you get to 20 reputation, but there are workarounds. She's also not particularly evil as far as her actual actions go, and in BG2 you can potentially change her alignment. So it makes for a very interesting romance in the long run. She works better with a good group than you might think, but does require keeping an eye on your rep. And avoiding certain companions. She never starts trouble, but a few otherwise good party members (like Kivan) will try to murder her just because of her race.
I'd grab Branwen up until you get to Yeslick. You can't really grab Kivan unless you're willing to rush into the bandit camp, because he will leave after some time if you don't do the bandit camp after recruiting him, but he does make an excellent archer.
If you're planning to have your Swash and Coran deal with the traps and locks, you could just dual Imoen to mage at level 2.
FYI, Ajantis wont make a good tank until you get him the Gauntlets of Dexterity.
So I'm gathering that this setup is going to be mage-heavy and fighter-light. I think I'm okay with that but I may switch Imoen for Minsc...not sure yet.
How do you manage reputation with Viconia? I may recruit her in a new playthrough - it begins tonight when I clock off from work (excited like a child at christmas) - and find myself weighing up the potential acts of necessity to keep her on side. I was eying up that helm of opposite alignment, but it's not in the easiest of areas to reach.
Imoen could probably get pretty close to 100 find traps and open locks with her at level 6 if you go the 6 thief/9 mage route. So she could take care of that aspect entirely for you and still be a worthwhile mage while still being able to use a short bow decently (unlike single class mages).
As for fighters, your swashbuckler should be able to hold his own well enough in melee, particularly after you get him the Shadow Armor and some levels. Branwen/Yeslick make decent enough front liners that can take some damage. If you have Kivan and Coran (and sometimes Imoen) both(all) firing arrows from behind those two plus Neera and Imoen firing off spells, it should make most encounters pretty trivial.
Just don't do any buffing spells with Neera. :P
As for fighters, I'm not sure what your lineup is at this point but many of the characters mentioned can be great in melee if necessary.
Kivan and Coran are traditionally used as archers but actually make for fantastic fighters. Kivan especially; he has great stats and anyone who can get ** in long swords and two weapon style is going to be a fearsome warrior by the end of the game. Make sure you buy up those giant strength potions.
Your cleric can cast Strength of One for fights where you don't want to waste potions and Yeslick himself is no slouch in melee either.
Ajantis is pretty tanky which is always useful in a front liner.
And enough of this stupid victim playing by projection of real world racism into a game. Boo hoo, just being a certain race makes you "evil"... yeah, right, these poor misunderstood drow.
The answer to both questions is yes IMO.
Yeslick is one of the top 5 best NPCs in BG1 IMO. His wisdom is as high as any cleric in the game IIRC, and he also gets dispel magic as an innate ability. On top of that, he can also serve the role of a front-line tank.
But as you've noted, you're going to get Yeslick somewhat late in the game, so you'll need other NPCs to sub as both clerics and fighters until you get him. Use Branwen or Viconia in the cleric role, and Minsc, Kivan, Dorn, Shar-Teel, or Kagain (if you don't mind evil characters) in the role of tanks.
You may want to give some consideration to Kivan. He's almost certainly the most versatile fighter in BG1 - both a devastating archer and an efficient tank. He could fill both Coran's archer role and Yeslick's tank role until you get your hands on them - and by that time, you may decide that you don't want to give him up after all.
Drow are a special race in DnD universe and overall most intriguing and beloved/hated of all the races because of their matriarch driven, slave, torture and backstabing with 0 morality type of inteligent creatures.
So by that definition as Vico lived and knew only such world, anything different is just unacceptable to her, which is a big self contradiction as she gets your help in BG1. I always considered her leaving the group at 20 reputation as a preemptive strike, as she doesn't know better, she is scared that all of it is a rouse and she runs away before you betray here like many did in her past (those who had her in BG2 know exactly all the betrayals she went through both in the Underdark and on surface before meeting the protagonist).
Still, in BG1 it was simply easier to put how all evil NPC-s leave at 20 reputation just as all good leave at 1. And honestly because she doesn't know better Vico is evil NPC in BG1. In BG2 however that has been fixed. She is evil at start and even with 20 reputation she doesn't leave the group, you find out her entire history AND you can even change her allignment in one point of the game.
As conclusion I really don't see a problem with Viconia in the game or the "inherent" evil. If we count out Dritzz from the story all drow's (other then Elistraee followers) are evil. Vico served Lolth at start, she survived Menzobaranzan, you can't say she didn't do dispicable things in the service of Lolth. Even Elistraee's followers had to do some really evil deeds to survive and they actually knew they were doing wrong. Vico didn't. Hell's, it took Vico almost entire BG2 to accept that and only because of protagonist's constant explanations.
Now to return to the original question :P
My good Swashbucker group consists of:
1, Swash
2. Minsc
3. Dynaheir
4, Neera
5. Yeslick
6. Branwell
Honestly I always found perfect group in 2 arcane casters, 2 divine casters and 2 phisical party members. Till you reach Yeslick you could fill the hole with whoever (I give a thumbs up for Vico honestly