Too many mages?

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Starting a new party. I really like multi-classed characters, so I was planning on taking all of them with me this time (first time I'm taking all at once). So that's Aerie, Jaheira and Jan. Moreover, if I properly role-play, that means I also should bring along Minsc and Imoen. I'll probably play a paladin as my PC.

So that gives me:

PC Paladin
Minsc
Jaheira
Jan
Aerie
Imoen

This seems really mage heavy to me. I suppose I can ditch the role-play issue and grab another NPC, but I don't really see how that helps in the greater scheme of things. What, drop Minsc for Keldorn? I already have a paladin. I suppose I can get rid of Imoen for Valygar, which will give me the backstabbing ability I currently lack with Imoen and Jan. Suggestions?

Oh, one more thing. I have taken Keldorn with me so many times, I'm kind of tired with the Inquisitor kit (as powerful as it is). I have no experience in playing either a Cavelier or an Undead Hunter - any suggestions out there for the better gaming experience? I'm leaning towards Undead Hunter, simply because there's a hell of a lot more undead in the game than dragons and demons, and plus the immunity to level drain seems like a really nice perk.

 

For starters I think your party is fine.
It´s like my favorite party except that I have Nalia instead of Jan. And sometimes the PC is a mage at that. So with a Paladin you´ll do great.

As for what Paladin Kit you should take.
As you say, the Undead Hunter´s abilities will be more useful. Actually, they´re very useful.
First time I played BG2 I used a Cavalier but only because I roleplayed the game and I wanted my PC to be like a Cavalier was.
Their abilities doesn´t really get used much but you wont have any trouble getting through the game though.

Today I would´ve gone with the Undead Hunter.

 

Your only problem will be the ease of which you will complete the game. Having lots of mages is good, not bad. It will make the game much easier. Mages can already summon better tanks than your characters will ever be anyway, and unleash damage that your fighters will rarely achieve in so short a time. Throw in caromsyr +6 which blasts through all the protections stupid mages use in tob, and you will have little to no trouble getting through the game.

 

Mages are good, mages are cool. The only thing better than a mage is more mages. Seriously I went through one game with a Berserker 7/Mage X PC, Anomen, Jaheira, Imoen, Edwin, and Aerie. That's 3 full time mages for yeah and one multi-classed. Was it fun? Oh, yes it was fun. By the end of SoA each party member had around 3,500,000 xp without any mods.

 

That's not too many mages. Let me give you several reasons. You do love my stunning logic, so it's going to be a nice read

1. The mages from BG2, with the exception of Edwin, aren't only mages. They perform some other useful functions, too. The more the merrier, when it comes to the party's potential for competent retribution

2. Your tanks and supporting tanks should make it possible without much difficulty to prevail in physical combat. You don't need more

3. Later in the game, the importance of mages will only increase. There are many "tight throats", as we call them here, where magery is highly beneficial.

4. Only spellcasters are able to deal damage to more than one creature at a time, and mages are the best at it. Basically, one mage is one fireball. Two mages are two fireballs. Three mages are three fireballs. Three fireballs clean the house before you finish saying "Rest eternal grant them".

5. Buffs, summoning and dispelling. More mages is more buffs. Two mages is improved invisibility for everyone and early enough, for instance - such as two priests is easy protection from death magic for everyone and early enough. Two priests and two mages is a must for good spellcasting fun and Aerie is both. Jaheira and Anomen are also fighters and good tanks at that, while the other mages make decent archers and passable melee combatants. I consider a party consisting of: paladin protagonist (paladin/mage human multi if I decide to dabble with SK), Jaheira, Anomen, Nalia, Imoen, Aerie. Three mages, three priests, three warriors, one thief, one ubersmiter - be it a cavalier with special melee powers (I'm quite good with paladin casting) or an inquisitor making room instantly for the other gentry to unleash hell and protecting them from sneak attacks. Everyone in the party being able to wield magic is a good idea. None of my BG2 parties have included a non-caster other than Yoshimo. As you guess, spreading buff duties allows more slots for summoning, and everyone is able to dispel magic. Which rules

6. Roleplaying reasons. Amn is a highly magic-intense setting. Most of adventurers have some spells. At the same time, Cowled Wizards regulate magic use in Athkatla. It's a nice roleplaying touch to have so many so powerful, dangerous, feared and carefully respected forces in your party

 

My advice would be to simply go for it and enjoy the experience for whatever it's worth. We might think this or that but you might discover something different, or more meaningfully, something you *personally* enjoy.

 

You can never have enough mages. Period.

You still have backstabbing ability with Imoen and Jan, just not as much as you would like (it seems), though I think Jan can get a x5 backstab multiplier by the end of the game, or x4 at least, and Valygar will never get that high, because doesn't a Stalker's backstab stop at x3?

I agree, go with the Undead Hunter because it is a pain in butt when you keep getting level drained, and discouraging when you can only die from being level drained and not from too much damage.

If you wanted, you could probably take Anomen instead of Minsc or Aerie. For Minsc because then you get more spells, and can't Anomen get five *s and Minsc can't? For Aerie because it will add another melee fighter and level up in Cleric spells more quickly, and drop the amount of mages you have down. Still good roleplaying-wise, unless you're planning on romancing Aerie.