Reflections on the NPCs, with grades

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I'm sure that this has been discussed many times but what the heck? I've played the game enough times to form very firm opinions on the pros and cons of the various NPCs - and I make no apologies for being opinionated. So, in alphabetical order:

Aerie
Aerie divides players of the game into two camps: those who hate her and those who don't like her at all. I myself fall into the former camp. She has the most awful portrait of anybody: she looks like an animé character reflected in the back of a spoon. And boy, does she whine: her "Poor me, I've lost my wings"; me "Yeah? You'll lose your teeth as well if you're not careful".

She never fits into my kind of party. I like everybody to be at least some use in a fight. Multiclassed to a mage, she certainly can't cut it in melee and with a single point in slings she's going to end up with less than 1% of the kill total. Yes, I know she's gets a shedload of spells, even with her slow level advancement, but so do other characters and they don't whinge.

Overall mark: D
Played in BG2 the Motion Picture by: Melanie Griffith

Anomen Delryn
I've never been able to stand him for long enough to give him a chance to develop. Yes, I know he improves if you guide him the right way but I just don't have the patience. IMO, you can only guide him the right way in all honesty if you're playing a LN / LG / NG character. I was playing a CN fighter-thief and consequently told him to confront his sister's murderer. Blow me if the little twerp didn't go and murder the guy's daughter. So out he went. And when he's with you, he just won't stop talking:

Him: "I'm going to be a knight"; Me: "Shut up"
Him: "I killed a load of giants"; Me: "Will you shut up"
Him: "My father hates me"; Me: "I don't blame him"
etc.

If you have the patience, he is a useful member of a party. He's strong and is a decent fighter, with the ability to specialize in any cleric weapon. As with any fighter-cleric type, clerical buffs such as Draw Upon Holy Might and Righteous Magic will turn him into a righteous killing machine.

Overall mark: B (good Anomen) / C+ (mad, bad Anomen)
Played in BG2 the Motion Picture by: Sean Penn

Cernd
Oh dear, the game designers seem to have gone out of their way to ensure that you ain't going to take Cernd along, which is a shame as he's a thoroughly decent guy and one of the more pleasant characters to have in your party. The problem is this: when he's not a werewolf, he's quite feeble. When he is a werewolf he's quite strong but can't cast any spells. When he eventually becomes a greater werewolf, he's super tough, but he only gets one transformation a day. If he has to return to human form (because you need him to cast Heal) he can't go back. The upshot of this is that he's less effective than, say, Jaheira whose place in the party he's competing for.

Overall mark: C
Played in BG2 the Motion Picture by: River Phoenix

Edwin
The guy's a complete swine, but he's also a star. He's the funniest guy / gal by miles. He spends quite a lot of the game as a woman, which leads to many humorous exchanges and the experience doesn't make him a better person in the slightest! He gets an obscene number of spells to cast - more than you'll know what to do with. The only problem is that he's hard to keep in a good-aligned party and Minsc will eventually kill him. Also, if I have to choose between him and Minsc, I'll take Minsc every time.

Overall mark: B (A if you're evil)
Played in BG2 the Motion Picture by: Rowan Atkinson

Haer'dalis
Looks as though he should suck, but he's actually rather good. He's better than a PC Blade because he gets weapon specialization in short swords and (eventually) long swords. As a tiefling he has useful resistances, too. He can get a low armour class and, dual wielding Belm and Kundane, gets four attacks per round. Put him in an offensive spin and he cleans house. Seriously, when I played him, he was one guy that I did not have to worry about: I could set him to attack an enemy and when I returned my attention to him, the enemy would be dead. His spell casting abilities only serve to make him more deadly. His low starting HP are offset by rapid level advancement - he eventually overtakes Jaheira, for example. He's also one of the more insightful of your companions and it's entertaining to have him around. The big disadvantage is that it's damned difficult to get him into your party in the first place, as you have battle your way through the Planar Prison.

Overall mark: B+
Played in BG2 the Motion Picture by: Johnny Depp

Imoen
Solid and dependable. She's a good spellcaster (although nowhere near as good as Edwin) and her thief abilities are good enough to get you through the game, just so long as you don't want any traps set, pockets picked, backs stabbed, etc. However, it sucks big time that she rejoins your party with 400,000 XP, generally about a million less than the rest of your party.

I hate her BG2 portrait and always use Shadowkeeper to give her back her old appearance.

Overall mark: B
Played in BG2 the Motion Picture by: Meg Ryan

Jaheira
Another solid, steadfast companion, she is by far the most interesting from a roleplaying persepctive and her Harper quest colours the entire game. Her 15 strength doesn't quite cut it in the front line, but she's a natural for the Girdle of Hill Giant Strength that you can buy in the Adventure's Mart. Give her the Sling of Seeking and a decent melee weapon and she's very capable indeed. Her druid spells make her quite versatile and she may be the only clerical type that you need. Insect Plague, in particular, is great for taking out enemy spellcasters. She has been considerably softened since BG1 and her dialogs rarely annoy.

Again, I hate the BG2 portrait and use Shadowkeeper to return her to her former smouldering beauty.

Overall mark: B+
Played in BG2 the Motion Picture by: Susan Sarandon

Jan Jansen
This guy is one of the game designers' triumphs. The characterization is superb and he has many talents. His starting equipment is excellent - it'll be a long time before you replace any of his gear. He's the only thief that you can keep whose skills improve. Because he's multiclass, his skills don't max out, but you can easily get him to 100% in set snare which you can use to give Irenicus a very rude awakening on the Tree Of Life. I took him along the last time I went through the game, but I didn't really play to his strengths. I tried to use him primarily as an offensive spellcaster, but what I should have done is this: Chaos, Mislead, backstab, backstab, backstab. Some people find his outrageous lies irritating but I thought they were quite funny. Interestingly, he's recognized all over Athkatla.

Overall mark: B+
Played in BG2 the Motion Picture by: Danny DeVito

Keldorn Firecam
A totally decent, stand-up guy, noble yet humble, Keldorn is perhaps the most useful character you can have in your party. The Inquisitor is the most powerful character class and Keldorn is the best mage killer around. One blast of his uber-dispel magic ability leaves them pathetically exposed. His one disadvantage is a low dexterity score but this is easily remedied. Also, you have to keep pretty much on the straight and narrow if you want to keep him, which is fine by me.

He comes with excellent starting equipment. The Firecam armour is one of the best suits in the game and if it weren't for Carsomyr I'd keep Hallowed Redeemer as well.

Overall mark: A
Played in BG2 the Motion Picture by: Donald Sutherland

Korgan Bloodaxe
I simply don't like this fellow at all. Edwin is nasty but funny. Korgan is plain nasty. Sure he's a tough fighter, but I don't enjoy having him along. I wouldn't associate with such a person in real life and I don't in BG2 either. The one time I played him, he led us through a seriously tough slog in the Lower Tombs which left everybody bruised and battered (and level drained!) for very little reward. "What are we doing down here?" piped up Nalia. "What indeed?" I asked myself. Then he started insulting everybody. "Bugger off, dwarf", I thought and kicked him out of the party.

From a game playing perspective, I don't much like berserk rages. You lose control of the character and when the enemy are scattered he turns on his companions.

Overall mark: C+ (B+ if evil)
Played in BG2 the Motion Picture by: Michael Madsen (wrong size, I know, but perfect personality).

Mazzy Fentan
Everything I said about Keldorn also applies to Mazzy. She's tough, courageous, honourable and indefatigable. She's also a bit boring but I won't hold that against her. Everyone likes feisty women and there's none feistier.

She's the best archer in the game, but needs a little enhancement in the strength department to cut it on the frontline. Her special abilities make her better than a paladin, with more rapid level advancement.

Overall mark: A-
Played in BG2 the Motion Picture by: hmm, don't know; any suggestions?

Minsc
He's a must-have every time I play the game. The game designers have made him even loopier than in BG1 but he's rather endearing in a leery way. Admittedly, after two zillion times through the game, the constant "Ah, we are all heroes, you and Boo and I. Hamsters and rangers everywhere rejoice!" is wearing a bit thin but I can live with it. He's the best fighter you can get and consistently gets the highest kill total.

My main complaint is that he'd be better as a straight fighter. I know that being a ranger is an integral part of how he sees himself, but does anybody actually use him as a ranger? No! We all give him the biggest sword we can find and the heaviest armour and stick him on the front line. Being a ranger only slows him down.

Also, I prefer the BG1 portrait. That made him look damaged and vulnerable, which he is. The BG2 portrait simply looks vacant.

Overall mark: A-
Played in BG2 the Motion Picture by: The Rock

Nalia
Like Imoen, only less so. I guess that if you don't take Yoshimo, you take Nalia instead and boot her out when you get to Spellhold. She's a solid enough spellcaster but rather a crap thief. She can also be most annoying: her "What are we doing down here?"; me "Saving your castle you wretched bint!". I generally leave her to a life of stifling luxury with Isaea Roenal. She has an excellent magic ring. Pity no-one else can use it.

Overall mark: B-
Played in BG2 the Motion Picture by: again, open to suggestions

Valygar
Another solid, dependable, tough character. Perhaps the most boring of all the NPCs, his strong, silent exterior hides a strong, silent interior. Curiously, I've found that his morale is generally the first to break.

He comes with excellent starting equipment. Given the Stalker's armour restrictions, the Corthola Family Armour is the best you can get. His katana is rather spiffing as well. Valygar and Celestial Fury were made for each other and it's more than worth the trouble to go and get it for him. His Stalker abilities make him an excellent silent killer - I think there's a bug in the game that makes his backstabs more deadly than they should be, but I'm not complaining: I like deadly.

Unfortunately, I've not been able to find room in my party for him the last few times I've been through, but he's definitely worth taking along.

Overall mark: A-
Played in BG2 the Motion Picture by: Denzel Washington

Viconia
Well, she's OK, sort of. She's the best straight cleric in the game, but then she's the only straight cleric in the game. Her high magic resistance is offset by her physical weakness - we're talking Aerie weak here, folks. A cleric should be able to wear any armour and carry any shield and stand on the front line, taking the pressure off your fighters if not actually dishing out much punishment herself. Alas, Viconia can't wear any armour heavier than scale unaided and she can't carry the heaviest shields either. Worse, she's not strong enough to wield the Flail Of Ages. To get her up to scratch you need to use two strength enhancing items: Gauntlets Of Ogre Power (and taking them from their owner is no easy task) and the Girdle Of Fortitude. Seriously, take Anomen if you want a cleric: his lower wisdom is more than offset by his greater fighting ability. Also, as an evil cleric, her undead rebuking ability is less useful than undead turning. You have to kill the undead eventually anyway (question: can you really kill undead? Is there a better expression? "Lay to rest" perhaps?) and blasting them to chunks with righteous power is a lot better than charming them and then attacking them a bit later.

If you take Viconia along for any amount of time, she reveals herself to be a really quite unpleasant person, not in an entertaining way like Edwin, but in a sinister, creepy, slightly soiling way. I kinda think that the fanatics in the Government District maybe had the right idea. If you have Keldorn in your party, he will eventually kill her. I've not tested it, but I've heard tell that Valygar kills her as well.

Overall mark: C (B- if evil)
Played in BG2 the Motion Picture by: Halle Berry (I'm thinking Storm in the X-Men, yes indeedy!)

Yoshimo
A bit rubbish, really. He's got good stats but Jan's a better thief and he's multiclassed. You can get a good backstab in if you play him right but then he's got to run to the back of the group and pling away with a short bow. Personally, I don't mind overmuch that he betrays you (now I'm not spoiling it for anybody by revealing this, am I?) since compulsion to commit evil acts is a perfectly valid defence. The fact that I don't mind doesn't mean that I don't sell his katana when we get to Spellhold, so that he later comes at me with his fists.

Yoshimo is a Bounty Hunter which, IMO, is the worst thief kit. They lack the offensive power of the Assassin and the special traps are, well, a bit rubbish really. You can get more mileage out of him by dualling him to a fighter straight away: he becomes quite good then. The only problem then is that he's more effective when he attacks you in Spellhold, but not enough to cause any real trouble.

Overall mark: C (B- if dualled to a fighter)
Played in BG2 the Motion Picture by: Jet Li

 

Here's my take:

Aerie: Repulsive little whining whore. Irritating to the extreme. But is the most flexible spellcaster in TOB at high levels.
Grade: C+

Anomen: Another whiny fool. Only thing is, he seems a lot more dependent and confident than Aerie. Plus, he becomes obscenely powerful at high levels to the point where he can possibly beat the final boss by himself.
Grade: A+

Cernd: A rather bland character roleplaying wise. I never saw fit to bring him along no matter what party I played. Still, his high wisdom makes him initially better as a caster than Jaheira but he loses out on overall versatility at high levels.
Grade: B-

Edwin: He is THE master of magic. Need I say more? Plus, his dialogues are hilarious and his shallowness of character turns in a source of much amusement rather than disgust.
Grade: A

Haer Dalis: Extremely weak initially and you have to go through a tough dungeon to acquire him properly as a party member. His versatility is commendable at high levels, though. But since I prefer specialised characters in my party, I rarely take him.
Grade: B-

Imoen: She fills in Yohsimio's gap almost perfectly and brings a plethora of spells to boot. No more awesome traps but you get more spells instead. She is useful for almost any party, even an evil one. She whines and whines but does not leave. Plus, she is a Bhaalspawn like you! I always take her along, although she does get miserable with a reputation of 2.
Grade: B

Jaheira: A mighty warrior and spellcaster. Versatile, but like I said before, not to my taste. Her quests are interesting, at least and her romance is the longest. Personality wise, she is a most admirable lady to be fair, although I often have to kill her as I storm the Harper Stronghold.
Grade: A

Jan Jansen: I really do not see what's so funny about this fool at all. His spells suck, his thief skills are irrelevant. I never take him along.
Grade: D

Keldorn Firecam: His abilities are unbalanced! No mage stands a chance in the face of his Dispel Magic! And if you aren't a paladin, he is the only NPC that can wield the awesomely unbalanced Carsomyr. He always attacks me in the sewers, though. Must be my rep of 3. Personality-wise, Keldorn deviates from most paladins as a man of rare sanity and commmon sense. Definitely take him along if you're wimpy good.
Grade: A

Korgan: Ah, one of my favorite characters in BG2. He's nasty, psychotic and super tough. He's the best front-line fighter in BG2, with Sarevok coming a close second. (take away Keldorn's Carsomyr and give the both of them generic +3 weapons and you'll have one dead paladin in moments) Crom Faeyr in one hand, Axe of the Unyielding in the other. None can stand in his way!
Grade: A+

Mazzy Fentan: I found her personality very bland and cookie-cutter-esque. An extremely boring character with only a mildly intriguing sidequest. She may be a good archer and all but I would rather take another frontliner or spell caster over her.
Grade: C

Minsc: Need I say more, he's everyone's favorite buttkicking delusional ranger! His lines do get old, though but he's a great frontline character for good aligned parties. As I play evil, I often ditch him. Nevertheless, he is an imperfect but decent NPC. Sarevok and Korgan are better warriors.
Grade: C+

Nalia: Another bland character. Boring to the extreme and has a nuisance of a sidequest. She's basically the beta version of Imoen. I rarely take her along, though her spellcasting abilities are fairly decent.
Grade: C+

Sarevok: Ah, the brother of my PC. Once a lord of evil himself, now he serves Charname. How can I not take him along. With the Sword of Grief or the Ravager, he mows down entire hordes of enemies. Personality wise, I simply get a kick out of having a fallen dark warrior eating humble pie and taking my instructions. I always take Sarevok along.
Grade: A+

Valygar: Bland and tasteless. He's boring, though he is powerful enough with his Stalker traits. Plus, he's the only one besides your PC who can wield Celestial Fury and Hindo's Doom to any real effect.
Grade: B

Viconia: Ah, my favorite romance option in BG2. She's nasty, she's vindictive but she's also unfailingly loyal and intelligent. Anomen is all well and good but there are times when I simply cannot stand him. Here's where Viconia comes in with her tons of healing and buffing spells. Her Turn Undead ability is most useful. At high levels, you can seize control of vampires, wraiths and bone golems. When you're done with them, have them cluster together and cast a Fire Storm. Voila! Problem solved! Her physical weakness is easily countered by a strength booster and clerics should not be at the front line anyway. They should be behind the fighters healing them and renewing their buffs so her low CON isn't an issue.
Grade: A

Yoshimio: The perfect sidekick for any party except in those where the PC is a thief. His skills are invaluable early in the game and his traps are devastating at mid level. He never/rarely gets to high levels anyway so the lousy HLAs of the Bounty Hunter are irrelevant. He's less annoying than Jan and a lot more reliable...until you reach SpellHold. I was actually rather indignant at his betrayal and the loss of a valuable party member.
Grade: B.

 

Chris and Shura are so on point with 'lotta their statements!


And....Halle Berry in a BG movie as Viccy? Oh Yes oh Yes oh Yes oh Yes!!!! Oh Yes!! Oh Yes!! More Yesses than Cespanar can say!!!


On a side note, isn't River Phoenix deceased?

 

My thoughts (and I'll try to keep a "C" as an average score). I'll try to keep it short.

Aerie: D
Extremely annoying. Sadly, with the right equipment and spell selection she can become an absolute terror.

Anomen: D-
See "Aerie" entry and replace 'she' with 'the whiner' and 'absolute terror' with 'solid character.'

Cernd: F
Possibly the most boring character in the game. Top that off with the fact that he shifts into a stupid looking wolf.

Edwin: B-
A for usefulness. Sometimes he can be hilarious (in moderation), but he occasionally annoys me.

Haer'Dalis: B+
My vote for the 'most misunderstood character.' Improved Bard Song is just unbelievably great. He also can dual wield almost any combination of weapons to great effect.

Imoen: B
Solid player.

Jaheira: C-
Like Haer'Dalis, Jaheria is a misunderstood character when it comes to capabilities. But, unlike Haer'Dalis, Jaheria is incredibly annoying.

Jan Jansen: B+
Best thief in the game. Can set up traps, cast spells, and fire a crossbow with the best of them. Ehhh... well... he's OK with a crossbow... And he is freaking hilarious. By far, the most humerous character in the game.

Keldorn Firecam: F
An A- for usefulness. But guess what? I just can't use him. I don't see how you could possibly roleplay a good party and allow him to stay away from his family.

Korgan: n/a
Never used him for more than a quest or two.

Mazzy Fentan: C+
One of the most potent fighters in the game. The fact that she's a halfling means she gets great bonuses to her saving throws. Only problem is that when you get her she has a lot of wasted profiency points.

Minsc: D-
Annoying. He is the wrong class too. His only commendable statistic is 'strength,' which is entirely irrelevant. And there are a few other fighters that are arguably superior in combat.

Nalia: D
Anomen and Nalia belong together.

Sarevok: A
What can be said? Put the Ravager+6 in his hands and watch the heads fly!

Valygar: B-
Useful. A bland personality though.

Viconia: A-
Pathetic in combat until you get the quest spell 'Energy Blades'. Even so, when you play hardcore, like I do, her 50% innate magic resistance can't be topped. Also the most interesting character in the game.

Yoshimio: F
-Yeah, you know why.

 

Aerie:
Personality: B
Her whining and overly simplistic view of life is annoying. But at least she's willing to tough it out for you, and that's owrth something.
Gameplay wise: A-
Very useful as someone to keep your party alive and feed someone with spells with. Keep her alive, and she'll keep the whole lot alive as well.

Anomen:
Personality: D (or A-)
Arrogant to the extreme, completely ignorant, completely indifferent and with armed with extreme prejudice, if grading was based on the whole alphabet I'll give this one a Z.
At least he gains sense when he becomes LG and becomes someone tolerable enough to work with, but to reach this level you have to tolerate his *other* personality around for some time.
Gameplay wise: A
Excellent fighter and spellcaster.

Cernd:
Personality: B-
The difference between wisdom and intelligence is shown clearly by this character. And despite being a high ranking druid he is actually quite naive and ignorant.
Gameplay wise: B-
Cernd is quite powerful, to be sure - but that doesn't change the fact that Viconia and Jaheira are a better choice of companions.

Edwin:
Personality: A+
With a personality like his he deserves no less.
Gameplay wise: A+
Most powerful spellcaster in the game.

Haer Dalis
Personality: A+
Truly the work of a genius. His personality and view of things will really give you something to think about.
Gameplay wise: A+ (or B)
Haer Dalis is the most powerful NPC in the game. (If you'd like to dispute this please read the hundred or so posts about Blades first.) But if when he ins't being power-charactered he makes a B.

Imoen:
Personality: A
Imoen is one fo those characters who tries to make things better for everyone - and who has the common sense to know what to say and do in the right conditions. These characters are welcome almost everywhere - and she is no exception. She also forms and integral part of the whole Bhaalspawn epic.
Gameplay wise: B+
She's a decent spellcaster, with some thieving skills that see some use every once in a while. She also wields bows.

Jaheira:
Personality: A-
A character to remember and a personality to respect and admire. She adds some very interesting aspects to the storyline.
The big ? though is about her and Khalid...
Gameplay wise: A
A good fighter with a tangle of offensive, healing and summoning spells.

Jan Jansen:
Personality: A
If you're a lighthearted person you'll find his jokes funny or even hilarious - and his tales are both interesting, and bizarre. (Some are even worth a few minutes of laughter) He has some depth, though he hides behind a delusional personality.
Gameplay wise: B-
He's decent. But that's all.

Keldorn Firecam:
Personality: A
It's rare to find a paladdin with his kind of wisdom and sense - and tendency towards humility.
Gameplay wise: A+
Enemies who depend on magic are no match for this character. He's quite solid - but watch out for enemies who can do physical damage like crazy.

Korgan:
Personality: B (A+ for evil)
You'll hate this guy if you're good. His bloodlust and deranged personality will make you think twice about turning your back on him.
If you like to revel in blood and gore though, this dwarf's the perfect companion for you.
Gameplay wise: A
Hardest character in the game. Open up the enemy for his attacks and he'll carve through them easily.

Mazzy Fentan:
Personality: B
All too common personality. Well enoguh, though.
Gameplay wise: A
Good archer, and a good frontline character. She can take care of herself long enough while you go about more immediate matters.

Minsc:
Personality: A+
No explanations needed.
Gameplay wise: B
While he may not be able to make a saving throw to save his life, he's a very good fighter otherwise.

Nalia:
Personality: B (A- in ToB)
Naive and innocent, but she goes around this in ToB. She gains purpose and the knowledge on how to achieve it.
Gameplay wise: B
Imoen the less.

Sarevok:
Personality: A
No explanation needed.
Gameplay wise: A+
Best warrior in the game. Deathbringer Assault = instant death 95% of the time.

Valygar:
Personality: B
Valygar has that personality that hides itself too often to be studied much.
Gameplay wise: B+
A dual wielder of Katanas, and a minor spellcaster. Good enough.

Viconia
Personality: A
She has depth - and is quite interesting. Overall her personality is great for both good and bad.
Gameplay wise: A
She's made to last - with her high AC and MR. All the time she's casting spells to keep your party alive and keep the enemy in pain.

Yoshimio:
Personality: B
Good enough. Though sometimes he seems too good and is clearly trying to earn favor.
Gameplay wise: C+
Poorest character IMO.

 

"Mazzy Fentan
Overall mark: A-
Played in BG2 the Motion Picture by: hmm, don't know; any suggestions?"

Joanne Whaley (sister of Frank Whaley, ex-wife of Val Kilmer)

"Nalia
Overall mark: B-
Played in BG2 the Motion Picture by: again, open to suggestions"

Drew Barrymore

[ October 31, 2003, 22:35: Message edited by: Buck Naked ]

 

Thank you!

 

I haven't played the game a lot of times, so this is more a list of general impressions.

Aerie
Personality: A
I just love her. It's probably because she's so innocent and fragile and I just feel like making the world a better place to live for her. I really like theidea of protecting my spouse, so she's a nice romance option for me.
I can see why people find her annoying though and I think so sometimes too. It is *not* time for romance talks when in the middle of a fight or when we're buffing up to face a giant red dragon!
Power: B+
Never underestimate the power of Timestop + Harm. The only thing is that she's very fragile and you have to make an effort to keep her alive (thank god she's also minsc's witch).

Anomen
Personality: D
I really dislike him. He is so arrogant and can't stop talking about himself...
Power: A
He is a very good fighter with the Crom Faeyr and FoA (but then again, who wouldn't be?). He can also cast spells very decently and the low wisdom only means he gets less bonus spells.

Cernd
Personality: C
I don't think he talks a lot, but when he does it's some boring crap about nature and balance.
Power: C
Greater Werewolf form (even with the mod) is far inferior to any fighter with equipment I have at the time that he would get it. His spells are pretty good though, but he's just not very useful.

Edwin
Personality: A?
I never really played him, but I thought he was pretty funny when I met him at Mae'Var's. I never got around to playing him though, as I've always played good and had Minsc with me.
Power: A+
I hear he gets 3 extra spells per level? That's pretty damn good!

Haer'Daelis
Personality: C
I never really played with him for a long time, but I really hate the 'my raven'-****. He's always talking about birds and **** and he sucks up to Aerie and tries to steal her away from me (= dead Haer'Daelis).
Power: A+
Blades are great and Haer'Daelis is even greater. His stats might not be as great as a PC character's but the rest is amazing.

Imoen
Personality: B+
She's really cheerful and innocent, I like that. She's always cheering people up and saying something positive.
Power: B
Nothing great. She's a decent mage and a good enough thief.

Jaheira
Personality: A-
Really well worked out personality, but I'm having some problems with the bossy thing. She has a good romance and story with the Harpers.
Power: A-
A solid fighter and a slightly hampered druid.

Jan Janssen
Personality: D
I can see why people would find him funny, but I don't. I hear he does some pretty funny things later on, but I haven't kept him around long enough.
Power: B
I don't like thieves, but they get pretty nice in ToB. He's a severely hampered mage.

Keldorn
Personality: A-
I really like him except for one thing: he seems awfully bloodthirsty for someone so good. Granted, it's evil blood he's after, but still. For the rest: he's a real force of good, he's one of the greatest followers of his god and he's humble about it.
Power: A+
What can I say. Great Dispel Magic, True Sight, Carsomyr, Hallowed Redeemer... The only thing he needs are gauntlets of dexterity.

Korgan
Personality: B
I think it's pretty funny how bloodthirsty he is. It fits his character well. I don't like him though. And anyone that dares attack Aerie dies.
Power: A
He's a dwarven berserker with good stats. Have him dual-wield the Axe of Unyielding and something else (Crom Faeyr/Frostreaver or something) and he's really deadly.

Mazzy
Personality: B
She's boring, yet noble. She's really coureagous, but also a bit holier-than-thou at times.
Power: C+
I don't really like her. If I need another fighter, I know some people that are stronger..

Minsc
Personality: A+
Minsc rocks!! Not only is he really funny, he's also loyal, coureagous, nice and a true force of good.
Power: A
He always seems to get the highest killings percentage and he dies rearely.

Nalia
Personality: C-
I don't like her. She annoys me.
Power: B-
Decent mage, pathetic thief. I'll take Imoen any day.

Sarevok
Personality: B
I don't really like him. I haven't played BG1, so I feel no special bond or something. I think it sucks for someone so evil to tag along with me and then whine at every turn. He has pretty good dialogue though and you can change him (which I like).

Valygar
Personality: C+
First of al, he's boring. Second I'm a sorcerer and he's whining about magic 24/7 (WTF does he put up with me?). Third (one of our conversations):
Valygar: Magic sucks bigtime doesn't it? Wouldn't you just like to hunt down every magicuser in the world and skin them alive?
Me: Valygar, you stupid fool, I AM A SORCERER!
Valygar: Hmm, didn't know that, figures though, I saw you do some magic **** occasionally.

The fool is in my party for over a hundred days and he finds out I am a sorcerer. ARGGH!!
Power: B+
He's a very solid character who can backstab. Can't put him at the frontline though.

Viconia
Personality: B+
I never really played her, but I hear it's unpleasant. I also heard it was a very good romance though and that you can change her. I like that .
Power: A
She's the best cleric in the game and if you give her the crom faeyr, she could potentionally hit stuff and wear armor and shields. I think Anomen is better though as he'll have better AC and THAC0 vs Viconia's MR.

Yoshimo
Personality: B
I don't really think much of it. He's usually sucking up to me. I don't really like him very much, but I thnk his betrayal was a cool plot twist.
Power: C
No need for a straight class thief in SoA and definetely no need for a bountyhunter..

 

Here's my take.

Aerie
Personality: B
Lots of people find her annoying. I'm not one of them. To be honest, I never had a problem with her insecurity or naievete.
Power: A
She's got pathetic constitution. Big deal. She starts off pretty weak, but if you know how to use the cleric/mage versatility, she ramps up quickly. I often find that she's the only one left alive with my PC after a tough fight. Plus, you can use cleric spells in the contigiencies.

Anomen
Personality: C
I never had a big problem with him either. His arrogance can be irritating, but I guess I'm just more easy-going than most.
Power: A-
He's the only cleric in the game that can melee effectively, and all the cleric spells he can cast has the effect of making him one of the best fighters, too. I personally prefer taking a real fighter and Viccy or Aerie as backup, though.

Cernd
Personality: C
He is awfully stoic. Truth be known, I don't take him enough to really get to know him though.
Power: C
He's a typical shapeshifter druid. It wouldn't be that hard to create another one that could best him. I always found Jaheira to be a lot more capable.

Edwin
Personality: D
His condescension always had the effect of making me want to kill him. I hear that the female dialogues are hilarious, but I couldn't stand him long enough to experience that.
Power: A
He's an awesome mage. He gets +3 spells per level up until level 10. His specialization bonus gives him lots of bonus spells. In a one on one duel, I think Aerie or Imoen could beat him at higher levels, though. He's an excellent primary mage for evil parties.

Haer'Dalis
Personality: D
His womanizing and bird metaphors made me want to cast Polymorph Other: Fly on him and then pull out my Flyswatter +2.
Power: B
He's good, but I found that a properly equipped fighter could beat him. -10 AC isn't difficult to get on any pure fighter.

Imoen
Personality: A-
She's your kid sister. She's integral to the plot and has a cheerful good nature. At times, she managed to bug me though. She's got some hilarious dialogues in ToB.
Power: B+
She's not as good a mage as Nalia, but her thieving skills are good enough to last the whole way through ToB. All in all, she's pretty solid.

Jaheira
Personality: B+
Sorry, but her overbearing, motherly attitude got me upset. She doesn't act her alignment. The Harper quest is well-thought out, but I found it annoying at times. I never played her romance through, so I won't comment on that.
Power: B+
She's a unique multiclass combination, and one that lends itself to significant strength if properly used. As a druid, she's got high hitpoints and the ability to use plate armor. She levels slower, and druid combat buffs aren't as good as cleric ones, so I'd say Anomen is a bit stronger. She's also got lower strength.

Jan
Personality: F-
I hate him, plain and simple. If he were a talking turnip, he'd have a better personality. His stories are a bunch of lies and he has less mental sanity than Tiax. I can see that some people might find him funny, but I do not.
Power: C
He's a halfway decent thief, which is good because he sucks as a mage. He can't cast necromancy spells, which are about the only useful ones later on in the game. If he threw turnips, he'd probably have more combat effectiveness than those flashers he throws.

Keldorn
Personality: C+
I always thought he was a bit arrogant and self-righteous. Nowhere near as much so as Anomen, but still. He's selfish, willing to abandon his own family for his own quests. And on top of that, he picked a fight with Viccy in Spellhold and lost, making me go the whole way through Spellhold and the Underdark with Minsc as my only fighter.
Power: A+
Let's face it, this guy is the most ridiculously overpowered NPC ever put into a game in the history of computer gaming. He could solo the game with his head stuck up his butt. That's how powerful he is. He's got extremely useful special abilities and comes with some of the best equipment in the game.

Korgan
Personality: B-
I found a lot of his dialogue funny (like when he tries to make a pass at Mazzy), but he's mean, self-centered, and greedy. He's the wrong alignment. His quest is fun.
Power: A
He's the second-best fighter in the game. His weapons of choice though, aren't that great. I'd rather he use bastard swords or two-handed swords. He's got more hitpoints than anyone else in the game, and his high strength makes him hit pretty hard.

Mazzy
Personality: A
She's a paladin in all but fact. She's kind, sweet, and funny. She is dedicated to her cause and humble about it. She's got some great dialogues with Valygar.
Power: B
Her stats look like a thief's, not a fighter's. She's got low strength and somewhat low constitution. Her special abilities, though, are second only to Keldorn's, and she's a demon with the bow. Given a strength belt, she'd be an awesome melee fighter.

Minsc
Personality: B
His dialogues are funny, but they do get wearing on the nerves after umpteen times of hearing them. His insanity serves to make the game a bit more light-hearted. He's the comic relief character.
Power: A
About the only bad thing I can say about his fighting abilities is that he can't get grandmastery. As that's not a big deal... He's one of the best fighters in the game, period. He loses a special items slot, but that is also, not a big deal.

Nalia
Personality: C-
She's extremely naive and assertive. It gets annoying whenever she steals your gold to give to people. Her in dungeon line annoys me to no end. I often end up killing her in Spellhold, since she doesn't give back the stuff in her inventory upon leaving.
Power: C
She's the second best mage in the game, but the worst thief. The maging difference between her and Imoen is next to nothing, but the thieving difference is obvious. I use her to replace Imoen, but she gets kicked out when I make it to the Asylum.

Sarevok
Personality: A-
He's pretty thoughtful and nice to the PC considering their past. He's scared of Viconia. He's probably the most human-like out of all the characters.
Power: A+
He's the best fighter in any Baldur's Gate game ever made. Deathbringer attack is incredibly strong without being overbalancing and even without it, he's excellent.

Valygar
Personality: D+
I just don't like him. His personality never goes deeper than "I hate magic, watch me brood." He's also a moron, since he didn't realize that my PC was a mage until Suldanessalar (I picked him up first thing in Chapter 2.)
Power: B-
He's a decent fighter, but others are better and they don't have the restrictions he does. Properly equipped, he can be good, but his AC will never be good enough to be an endgame frontliner.

Viconia
Personality: A
She's one of my favorites. She can be a bit cruel and heartless at times, but spend some time with her and you'll find out that she's got multiple layers that just need to be unraveled. Her romance is very well-thought out.
Power: B+
I would give her an A, except for the fact that Anomen tends to be a bit better in everything. Viccy's extra spells don't really give her any advantage over Anomen. She's incredible with the Gauntlets of Ogre power and the Sling of Seeking. Despite me not using her as a melee character, she always seemed to be in pretty bad physical health.

Yoshimo
Personality: D
Never did get along with him. He's awfully nosy. Can't be trusted.
Power: D
I am thoroughly convinced that Cernd could head-butt him to death. If he were a fighter, he might be reasonable, but by the time you get him high enough, he's gone.

 

@ InquisitorX

Yeah I was never able to take Keldorn with me for more than 2 hours. His abilities are way cool, but I really can't see myself taking him away from his family, especially since my PC is a paladin (similar abilities) and there are many other warriors available.

Thats the advantage of having your PC a paladin. You have someone else who can use Carsomyr. And even if that wasn't the case, I still don't think I'd take him, as there are other that are great weapons in the game too (Angurvadal, Psion's Blade, Celestial Fury, DayStar, Namarra, WarBlade, Crom Faeyr, RuneHammer, Staff of Rynn, Answerer, Equalizer, Vorpal Sword etc etc)

 

Rastor

How on earth did Keldorn lose to Viconia?

 

Haer'dalis

"He's better than a PC Blade because he gets weapon specialization in short swords and (eventually) long swords."

How does this happen? I am assuming this is some sort of special "Haerry-only" or "Tiefling-only" bonus, right, and not true for all blades? And how did you discover this -- did you level him up, then try to add a second star in longsword, and it just happened to work? Or does he just get a free proficiency in longswords at one of his level-ups? Is this a bug or is it intentional?

 

Haer'Dalis starts with 2* in s.swords and 2 wpn style; I noticed it the first time I got an extra point to allocate. Not sure if it's a tiefling-only bonus or NPC-only bonus, but it definitely doesn't apply to regular blades. IIRC, I don't think he gets the extra 1/2 attack the warriors get from specialization, though - just thac0 and damage bonuses.

 

I've played through the game countless times and I choose my NPC's based on three things: Power (their ability to deal it out in combat), Usefulness (ability to deal with various situations like thieving, healing, spell protections, etc), and Roleplaying value (which will vary from person to person).

Aerie:
Power:C, doesn't get the power spells quickly enough, terrible in melee but has a ton of defensive spells in her arsenal.
Usefulness:A, one of the most useful characters in the game; heals, breaches spell defensive, and lots more. Very diverse set of tools.
Roleplaying:A-

Anomen:
Power:A, with a high strength, con, grand-mastery, and quick access to the high level spells this guy is one of the best tanks in the game.
Usefulness:C+, he heals but has a low wisdom and is usually better off hacking away in a fight than casting spells.
Roleplaying: B-

Cernd:
Power:C, he seems to be a jack-of-all trades but master of none. Fights well as a werewolf but not as good as any of the warrior classes, good offensive spells but Druids usually need some healing spells and then there's the slow level progression.
Usefulness:C, access to healing spells but you can't rely on him to be your main one. And Druids don't have many versatile spells.
Roleplaying-

Edwin:
Power:A+, best mage in the game.
Usefulness:C-, the loss of Divination really hurts him here.
Roleplaying:B

Haer'Dalis
Power:B+, takes him a while to get there but he ends up quite good. Give him a belt of Giant Strenghth and Spell Trigger Stoneskin/Tenser's Transformation/Improved Haste together and he can take dragons down single-handedly (no joke).
Usefulness:B+, high lore, bard song, and some mage utility spells he's quite good.
Roleplaying:A

Imoen
Power:A, not as good as Edwin, but try her Mislead/Tenser's Transformation trick and she can take down groups of enemies very quickly.
Usefulness:A+, in my opinion the most useful in the game. Does all the essential theiving, breaches spell defenses, and dispells illusions. Very versatile toolbox/
Roleplaying:A+

Jaheira
Power:B, good tank though far from the best and access to the good Druid offensive spells though her slow level progression hurts here.
Usefulness:C, she heals but has being multi-class hurts, though her 17 wisdom is nice.
Roleplaying:A

Jan
Power:C, being multi-class he's not terribly good at flinging the fireballs, backstabing, and shooting arrows. His low stats hurt him a lot.
Usefulness:B+/A-, good thieving but doesn't get the mage spells quickly enough.
Roleplaying

Keldorn
Power:A, good fighting stats and can wield the mighty holy avenger. Arguably the best tank in the game.
Usefulness:A+, all those Dispel Magics and True Sights solves lots of problems.
Roleplaying:B

Korgan
Power:A, solid tank and Berserk is a deadly ability when used correctly.
Usefulness:C+, Berserk really is that good.
Roleplaying:C

Mazzy
Power:B+, solid archer though ranged weapons get worse as the game goes on. Not bad in melee either.
Usefulness:B+, good selection of unique abilities.
Roleplaying:B

Minsc
Power:A, no one can argue his prowess.
Usefulness, a wisdom of 6 doesn't help him too much with his spell casting.
Roleplaying:A+

Nalia
Power:B, can't do the cool things Imoen can and can't even be compared to Edwin.
Usefulness:B, weak thieving but has the mage spells that solve so many situations in the game.
Roleplaying

Sarevok
Power:A+, anyone gonna argue with me?
Usefulness:F unless you dual-class him and then he goes up to B.
Roleplaying:A

Valygar
Power:A-, best dual-wielder in the game and backstabs to boot.
Usefulness:C+, access to mage spells as well as priest and can scout around for you.
Roleplaying

Viconia:
Power:C+, nice sling but not much else.
Usefulness:B, best healer in the game but again, not much else.
Roleplaying:C-

Yoshimo
Power:C+, first-rate backstabber and archer, goes up to A if you dual-class him.
Usefulness:B, Bounty Hunter restriction hurt some.
Roleplaying:A

After playing through the game so many times I usually pick on roleplaying value and usefulness. Sheer power doesn't seem so important when you've discovered so many good strategies.

 

@ Beren: I don't enjoy killing Jaheira, but the Harpers simply have to go. If she does not join the fight, I would be more than happy to spare her.

As I've mentioned previously, I found Jaheira to be a most respectable person and an extremely powerful combatant.

However, since she chooses to oppose me, I have no choice but to fight her as a gentleman and dispose of her as painlessly as possible.

On a side note: I usually take in Jaheira before I fight the Harpers, give her a +3 Staff and a set of Full Plate Mail +1 and recharge her spells before returning her to the Harpers. I rest a day and then commence my assualt.

I restate my stand on Jaheira: A

Too bad she has to die. If only she was evil, what havoc we might have wreaked together. A pity indeed.

 

Here's my view:

Aerie: C-
I am more used to Pure cleric or mage, so I'm still not skilled enough to use her. And, although she will be at the back casting spells, I still have the fear that magical attacks will bring her down, so I rather go for Viconia who have magic resistance. As for her personality, I will just go:"Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!..." If she starts whinning.

Anomen: B+
Anomen would get a c- or worst if not for so many SP members who enlighten me in a topic on him. Well... He is a cleric who can handle physical battles as well, but I prefer pure class. As for his personality, I only can stand him after he is knighted or else....

Cernd: C+
Although druid seems to be powerful, I just couldn't use them effectively. As a result, I hardly use him. But,I read somewhere about his conversation with Minsc and Haer Dalis and found it very funny. So I think his personality must be very interesting.

Edwin: A
A must have for me, if my main character isn't a pure mage. So Edwin will almost always be in my party. As for his personality, sometimes he can help main character analysis infomation , so I like him role-play wise. Plus he can be very very funny, as the rest stated.

Haer Dalis: C+
He can be dangerous with his magic combine with his weapons. But I rather go for true warriors who can just go straight and bash enemies' heads rather than a weakling who have to cast a couple of spells first before going to battle(a waste of spells by my thinking). As for his personality, he seems to be the only one who knew that Yoshimo will betray main character early in the game. Edwin suspected the same too, but I don't think he was sure about that. So I think he is a very observen(sp?) person.

Imoen: B+
With Edwin and Jan(if main char isn't spellcaster) who are better or more useful than her, I hardly use her. But She is a mage after all, and I respect the power of mage alot. So I guess I'm going to have her in my party instead of Jan. As for her personality, well... she can be very funny sometimes.

Jaheira: B+
She can get the Harper pin, can cast deva and elemental prince together, she is also a fighter so the +5 scimitar is set for her. So what do I get? A awesome destructive wacker! She and Jan are the only multi-class I can use effectively.
As for her personality, I like the fact that she is a ultimate loyal companion but dislike her whinning a little bit.

Jan Jansen: B+
Best thief in town, with the right equipment to boost his thief abilities and have mage spells to use too. Just the type of thief I like, instead of a fighter/thief. The only thing is that I prefer general mage than illusionist. As for his personality, he makes me laugh almost to insanity. You know why.

Keldorn Firecam: A
With Carsomyr, bracer of dex, HLAs(whirlwind and deva), even the child of Bhaal must respect his power. As for his personality, I like the way he guide Anomen and Minsc. Thus, he is also respected for his personality.
Korgan: A-
As Shura stated:" Crom Faeyr in one hand, Axe of the Unyielding in the other. None can stand in his way!" Truely a Havoc-wecker. But I dislike his personality a lot! He is disgusting! For some reasons, I can stand Pwent who is in Salvatore's stories. But not Korgan. I guess it's because, I prefer dwarves who are of good-alignment. Evil dwarves are too chaotic.

Mazzy Fentan: C+
She seems a bit not right in somw ways. Fighter wielding shortsword? She is good with Gensen, but I rather go for a main char archer than her.
Her special abilities are good, but I can live without them. As for her personality, she is certain a honorable knight, but since I hardly have her long in any of my party I can hardly say much.

Minsc: A
Well... here's a Minsc-supporter, so I guess you knoe what I'm going to say. He may not beable to weild Carsomyr, he may not crash head better than Korgan if both are compared with Crom Faeyr, but he is still very powerful. As for his personality, I like his silliness as they are often very funny.

Nalia: B+
Same as my comment on Imoen. As for her personality, Well... I hardly notices her, so no problem here. But on a side note, I find her portrait rather attractive.

Sarevok: A
The ultimate warrior, if equipped rightly can become almost unbeatable. As for his personality, he seems a bit proud, but not as bad as Anomen. Anyway, I like some of his conversations with other npcs.

Valygar: B-
As the only one except for maybe the main char who can wield CF effectively, he can be deadly. But not as deadly as Sarevok, Minsc etc... As for his personality, he seems to be always gloomy and is a loner. But I will go for a loner than a whinner anyday.

Viconia: A
Same as Shura stated. As for the benefit of evil turning, if a good cleric is turning a group of Lv-draining wraiths and he only managed to blast away a few of them, he will have to be protected against N-Plane to avoid the rest. But if a evil cleric only managed to turn and dominate a few of them, she can use the dominated wraiths as a decor(Very useful when party is at low-level). On a side note, wraiths can cast magic, which is something I did not expect till I turned one and found out.

Yoshimio: C+
When I was a beginner, I couldn't do without him. But after a long time, I realized that I depend too much on his cheesy traps("I know the lich will be appearing here" cheesy tactic) and so I kick him out and start to learn to play better. Yes, he can be powerful too. but I prefer to stay away from him, so that I can have a more "proper" party. As for his personality, he knows how to please almost anyone, which I like.

[ November 01, 2003, 18:17: Message edited by: Skywind ]

 

"Haer'Dalis starts with 2* in s.swords and 2 wpn style; I noticed it the first time I got an extra point to allocate. Not sure if it's a tiefling-only bonus or NPC-only bonus, but it definitely doesn't apply to regular blades. IIRC, I don't think he gets the extra 1/2 attack the warriors get from specialization, though - just thac0 and damage bonuses."

Sorry, guess I should have been clearer in my original post (what -- not again). YES, I already know he comes with two stars in short sword -- but I don't get why gets two in LONGSword, or how this was discovered.

 

It was pretty funny, actually. She cast raise dead on him, which apparently brought him down to 1 hitpoint, then whacked him with the Wyvern's Tail. He did manage to do a lot of damage before dying, though.