OK, I'm Just asking your OPINIONS,and There are few Q to answer:
(1)What's your favourite NPC?
(2)What do you think is best NPC?
(3)Who is Must-have for party?
(4)What's good gear for Q(1),(2),(3)?

[ April 20, 2005, 20:22: Message edited by: Beren ]

1. Haer'Dalis or Jan, I think the NPC's in BGI are better.
2. Korgan or Edwin. Korgan hasn't 'wasted' any proficency slots on useless stuff like Minsc, Keldorn and Mazzy and Edwin is by far the best mage.
3. Aerie :lol: ... no seriously, a second mage & cleric in one that leaves space for three melee characters.
4. Longswords or katanas for Hare'Dalis and the melodic chainmail, I usually go with Melf's minute meteors for ranged, too much hassle otherwise due to the dual-wield. Axes and hammers for Korgan. Robe of Vecna for Edwin. Wow, I just realised I can't remember any weapon names. :D

1)Minsc(Butt kicking, for goodness!)
2)Minsc again(We are all heroes, you and Boo and I.Hamsters and rangers everywhere, rejoice!)
3)Imoen(Because she is my little sister)
4)Lilarcor and Minsc, they are created for each other. Tuigan Bow and Gesen Bow for Imoen

Haer'Dalis using one of his own weapons with shortsword of the mask and later some of those great longswords when you build his profiencies up. Basicially what Sticker says.

Jaheria with red dragon scales armour, a high powered sling, spear of withering or impailing, some strength increasing items like the belt from adventurers mart or the ogre gloves from planer sphere.

Edwin with the robe of Vecna and staff of the Magi. He becomes unstoppable then!

I am not really fond of Minsc as he hardly hits for me and he cannot take a beating, but most people here swear by him...

Yoshimo is great with the shortsword of backstabbing, rings of invisibility, mercy killer ring (if you can afford it), black dragon armour and that stone that improves thaco and HP from the spiders layer in the graveyard district.

(1)What's your favourite NPC?

Valygar, probably. I like BG1 NPC much better.

(2)What do you think is best NPC?

Anomen. Good power, romance.

(3)Who is Must-have for party?

Anomen, Valygar, Korgan.

(4)What's good gear for Q(1),(2),(3)?

As it's SOA:

Anomen - Gorgon Plate, Crom Fayer, +5 shield.
Korgan - +3 axes in both hands, Red Dragon plate.
Valygar - Celestial Fury, Belm, Shadow Dragon plate.

Hey, why just not saying "I'm new here, and i don't know what party to use"
I personally don't think your questions can be answered properly, because there are many different ways to play, like good or evil, and so on.

When good, I like to take Imoen and Minsc whenever I can. Evil guys take Viccy and Edwin. Korgan gets the boot since Axes aren't that great in SoA imo.
Powerwise, Edwin is the best. Also Anomen.
Just get Anomen down to -11AC or thereabouts with FoA or IMoD and he is happy. Since Edwin wont be at the frontlines he does not need much by way of equipment. Ofcourse Robe of Vecna and Staff of Magi are fun :evil:

I'm Not new, but I'm just thinking of another party

(1)What's your favourite NPC?

Haer' Dalis

(2)What do you think is best NPC?

Edwin or Keldorn (Edwin for awesomeness, Keldorn stat-wise)

(3)Who is Must-have for party?

Edwin

(4)What's good gear for Q(1),(2),(3)?

Haer' Dalis should have some strenght-increasing belt, cloak of the sewers, ring of earth-control, Helm of Balduran, Bard Chainmail, and his swords.

Edwin, as said before, only really need Robe of Vecna and Staff of The Magi (maybe bracers of defense ac 3)

My Opinions:

1)Minsc...very funny

2)Best Mage NPC...Edwin hands down.
Best Good aligned fighter...Keldorn with Minsc a close second. Keldorn wins due to his paladin abilities.
Best evil aligned fighter...Korgan.
Best theif...Yoshimo
Best Cleric...Viconia and Jaheira are both pretty darn good.

3)There is no 'must have' NPC...this game can be soloed, but If I had to pick one it would be Yoshimo early on for the trap defences/open locks (unless PC is a theif).

4)There are so many ways to equip weapons and armors and it too depends on what kind of PC. Would take pages to answer for all the combinations but some things are obvoius like Caromsyr for Keldorn, Crom Faeyr for Korgan and Staff of Magi for Edwin.

Final thoughts...any NPC can be good if equipped well and used intelligently.

[ April 22, 2005, 03:02: Message edited by: Isshy ]

(1) Minsc

(2)Edwin

(3)Keldorn or Edwin

(4) 1.Silver sword
2.Vecnas Robe
3.Karsomyr +5

I think though that its the combination of items and the PC character that makes a good party. :D

Gotta disagree with Isshy on the best NPC thief - I consider Jan to be a better choice the Yoshi. His base thief abilities along with his gear make him pretty useful right out of the box. That high detect illusions can be very nice to have (especially if you don't have Keldorn). Add some fairly strong Arcane casting ability (no necro, but he can Stoneskin and Mirror Image to protect himself, and spells like Fireball and Cloud Kill have their uses) and he's a bargan in the Thief slot.

1) Favourite is Nalia, I think I'm in love with her. See my posts in 'Imoen, Nalia or Jan?' topic for more!

2)Jaheira, she is an awesome punishment taker, she has -11 AC, GOOD resistant to nearly everything, and with her Ironskin, summoning and healing she is a tank! Get her a belt that enhances str, and she is awesome!

3)Imoen ofcourse, my only childhood friend, the one I started my adventuring career, and my little sissy!

4)Short bow of gessen, King's mask, Robe of Vecna,(if you are not a mage), some rings that enhance thief abilities, plus thief potions for Nalia.

Best armor you can have, (limited wish creates a good one with LOW ac.), Dragon shield, Helm of Balduran, any decent scimitar or club for Jaheira, plus lots of AC improvers, (ring of earth, cloak of sewers, etc) she is amazing and versatile!

Hmm, Imoen does not need equipment seriously, Firetooth dagger is nice for her, plus anything suitable.

Duece..I really like Yoshimo's traps. He can take out a Dragon all by himself if he plants enough traps...can Jan do that? Plus he is a good backstabber, especially with celestial fury, he hides well for scouting, and is also damn good with a shortbow. When it comes to stealing Jan is better but with a few potions even Imoen can wipe out any NPC's inventory. Granted he has no mage skills but you could always dual him to mage or cleric if you like. It all depends on your point of view I guess...RP vs powergaming etc. For me it's those awesome traps.

For me, it's Yoshi both in RP and powergaming aspects. I can't stand Jan's personality, the way he laughs at others, and I don't like his thief abilities (compared to Yoshimo).

I think Nalia is a good mage(Not Thief!!!) too. and Kulyok, why do you think Jan's thiefy skill is so bad?(He's best thief in the game)

(1)What's your favourite NPC?

I have a few.

- Korgan just because he's just so strong with axe of the yeilding. You get him early and can specialize his weapons however you like, but dual-weilding axes is a great place to start and you can get 5 stars in two weapons plus full dual-weilding in SoA alone.
- Viconia because she's the best cleric in the game and dark elves are cool
- Mazzy because of her sexy voice. That's about it.
- Keldorn because once you fix his low dex, you've got a great character. He's using the best Paladin kit and can use the Holy Avenger.
- Imoen because her thief skills are pretty much at exactly the right level to disarm traps and pick locks (with a few items) for the entire game so she can maximize those mage levels. She basically solves the need for a thief and a mage (better than Jan or Nalia IMO), so you can pretty much stack up on any combination of warriors or priests or extra mages for the rest of the characters.

(2)What do you think is best NPC?

- Viconia just because you can't make a better pure cleric yourself, although Ranger/Cleric or Berseker/Cleric are very powerful too. Her stats are unbelievable once you get her a belt to fix her strength though.

(3)Who is Must-have for party?

I'd still have to go with Viconia, or maybe Imoen. Viconia is probably the best NPC hands down as most of the others are replacable.

Really it comes down to having the right person for the job. If your main character is a cleric, then getting Viconia wouldn't be very smart. Even in the right party, Anomen or Aerie would be a better fit depending on what else you are packing.

@ Chickavalier

Jan has problems with traps. While Yoshimo can lay five, Jan can lay only two or three, and these deal much less damage. You'll have to wait for quite a bit, and I prefer to be powerful early.

Besides, Jan is a mage. He is not good enough to be the only party's mage, so you'd need a sorcerer or Edwin. Then, you'll have two mages and half a thief. I don't like that picture. Of course, if Jan was a fighter\thief, I'd take him any day without hestitation.

But Jan is Enough to do every LP/FT/DI...and he is Illusionist, which means he gets 1 extra spell/LV
but I agree that Jan can't be only mage in the party

I think I have to go with Edwin as my Fav NPC..hes funny and ruthless..Viconia is up there right with him..

Jan is kewl but you can only play him so much

Mazzy gets on my nerves because she hastes all the time and gets tired quickly..

This is SoA so here's my favorite SoA party.

Korgan, Edwin, Jan, Vicky and Haer' Dalis

See other posts for equipment.

Vicky gets Fail of Ages.

Of course this tends to be an 'Evil' party but it sure is fun to play.

(1)What's your favourite NPC?

In Shadows of Amn: Minsc and Imoen. I've also become partial to Anomen after he almost single-handedly owned some major powerful people with his Blade Barrier in my last campaign.

(2)What do you think is best NPC?

Imoen and Haer'Dalis are the ones I like playing with most, because they're well-rounded and can do more things per person than a lot of the others.

(3)Who is Must-have for party?

As above, pretty much. Minsc for funniness and hacking people into little pieces, Imoen 'cause I love her, Haer'Dalis for the conversation and for having the best battle cries until Throne of Bhaal ("For the Doomguard, I strike a blow!").

(4)What's good gear for Q(1),(2),(3)?

Reading strategy sites, I get the impression I have rather unconventional builds for my favorite characters. I rarely get Lilarcor, so I often prefer to give Minsc two weapons in Shadows of Amn. With the Frostreaver axe and Skullcrusher +3 he can do a ton of damage. If I can spare points in hammers he can use Crom Faeyr. He wears the Shadow Dragon armor.

Anomen uses the Flail of Ages, generally all the way through Shadows of Amn and all the way through Throne of Bhaal. I usually play a fighter / mage so I use the Amulet of Power for myself, but I've been thinking I should let Anomen use it - I think he'd absolutely slaughter Bodhi's people with this and Blade Barrier.

Imoen gets a robe of some kind or elven chainmail (sometimes I whack Skarmaen Alibakkar in Trademeet and steal his). I don't mind too much in this 'cause she's pretty good with her spells and her bow regardless. Later I give her proficiencies in Katana for Throne of Bhaal. (Tenser's Transformation and a certain katana from Watcher's Keep turns our little Immy into five and a half feet of spinning red-haired death.)

Haer'Dalis uses the Crimson Dart or Arbane's Sword, or Soul Reaver if I can find the courage to fight the Demon Knights, and fills in the rest of the time playing folk songs to lift our courage.

1- Valygar (great story, great potential, no hamster)

2- best as in most powerful? Jaheira (Fighter/Druid is only one notch below Ranger/Cleric)

3- Imoen (though she's getting on my nerves), Jaheira, Viconia... OR an evil alternative featuring Edwin, Korgan and Viconia (though a truly evil PC would let her burn and dance a gig). Good old Haer'dalis would be a good choice if he could get along with my PC -only they don't- (HD is way too flashy); Mazzy has been a regular element of most of my good parties though she's been known to be especially obnoxious in her relation with Valygar, Jan is an asset to any party but it's hard sometimes not to just put him out of his misery.

4- Tuigan bow, Belm scimitar, short bow of Geisen, mace of disruption, Crom Fayr, Flail of the Ages, Dragon scales armours... the regular stuff.

Favourite is a choice between Yoshimo (amazing character, great story) Jaheira (ditto) or Minsc (comedy).

Most powerful depends on how you play. Abuse the engine and nothing beats haer'dalis. But in my experience, valygar tends to be pretty deadly, as is anyone wielding the silver sword.

I nearly always take Minsc and Imoen. Since my last playthrough though, Kelsey looks like becoming permanent.

1:
Imoen - Thief-mage who can actually find traps and unlock, good stats, plus she's cool to have around (and she even gets praised by Korgan, and that takes talent)
Jaheira - hey, for all the nagging, she tends to grow on you. Well-rounded, developed character with a great plot for her. Plus, she's powerful to boot.
Keldorn - good story, well-rounded character... I almost feel sorry dragging him away from his family.
2:
Edwin - I've only taken him once (I don't like him as a character) but we are talking almost unlimited spellboo here...
Nalia - take imoen's stats, more carrying capacity, and no Exp. lag. Weaker thief but quite effective mage if you don't like Edwin.
Keldorn - lessee, do I use paladins to turn undead... no, do I like the HA - and quite a few other 2-handed swords... yes, do I consider several 95% sure dispells and a few true sights per day useful... oh yeah. He can become the ultimate mage-killer, imo... Besides, just give him the gauntlets of dexterity and he gets right up there with the best tanks ever (and some str. buffs don't hurt either).
Anomen - yes, he's annoying. But he's a fighter/cleric with enough strength and HP to make it count, possibly decent wisdom, and all in all another prime candidate for the dexterity gauntlets. And it's not as if one of the best and early accessible weapons isn't a blunt one.
Korgan - never taken him for long, but the times I did he slowly but surely took the lead in the kill ratio. Brutish, inelegant, and incredibly effective.
3:
Jaheira - good fighter, especially with a strength belt, ironskins and insect plagues (my favourite against mages), 6th level spells early on.
4:
Imoen (or Nalia) - tuigan/gesen bow, Bracers AC 3, Vecna robe, spell-giving rings and amulet of power if main spellcaster, AC-bonus Ioun stone, protective cloak/ring/amulet for AC and saves, usually inertial belt or anti-missile belt, possibly boots
Edwin - pretty much the same without the bow - I usually give him the staff of fire or somesuch, SotM later on
Keldorn - Carsomyr, Silver sword, gauntlets of dex, giant strength belt
Anomen - FoA, Dragon/Gorgon plate, good shield (falling star or harmony), GoD if keldorn's not around, Str. belt (optional)
Korgan - the two elemental damage axes (frostreaver and stonefire), dragon plate, str. belt (optional), possibly spell-reflection cloak or helm of charm protection
Jaheira - belm, acid or thorns club (both if the mod is present :) )/Forest staff, strength belt - necessary, maybe Balduran's helm (if not with the PC), and a good armor. Well, I sometimes give her the ankheg one, though - she is a druid, after all.

(1)Viconia
1. She's a non dual class and non multiclass CLERIC!
2. If you're male with enough strength, do her romance

(2)Anomen
1. Great Tank
2. Great Backup Cleric
3. His romance is...well I never finished it yet

(3)Aerie hands down
1. Secondary Cleric
2. Secondary Mage
3. Her romance is fun but you can't do 2-3 romances or else you'll be going 3-Way and girls don't like that and the game won't allow that either

(4) I'm not sure