Best NPC? Hmmm. That's a tough one. I'll have to say Keldorn, because he's an honourable man and (for anyone who's beaten the game with him) his epilogue is undoubtedly the best!

I should create a clan called the Keldorn Firecam Clan, or KFC. :D

Aerie doesnt suck, shes just annoying. In one of my games i concentrated really hard on getting her to survive because she was my romance. So i gave her the chain+5 and crom a good sheild etc. She rocked, i would tank with her on low level enemies just cause it looked so funny. And if i really needed her to fight id just cast tensers. She got hurt, no prob, chain contengency set to heal and whatever else. She has a really odd set of abilities due to the fact that she has all the spells except druid. If you know what youre doing you can really get her to fit well into any situation. Most people seem to just give her a robe and a staff, tell her to cast magic missles and then gripe and say that Imoen/Nalia or Viconia is better. I dare to say no, can viconia tank with stoneskin haste mirror image spell trap...,can Imoen cast sanctuary in the middle of a battle to heal/rebuff themselves or set their chain contingences to heal? Properly used Aerie is oddly effective.

I'll agree with you LordSephiroth. Aerie can be a great asset to a group. It's a matter of finding proper equipment for her, like you said. Just because she's a mage, don't skimp out and give her a lousy sling or staff. Give her, heck, buy her items that up her stats like you would with any other character.

She's not anoying, she's unique. I'm using Anomen and Jaheira as my healers this time through for variety, but i like aerie better.

(Sight spoiler - unless you know whos imoens ummmm... father)
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I find Aerie too weak for me, I can see that she'd be really powerful later in the game but I'd rather have, Imoen as her banter is better and shes your sister why would you go all the way thro the game and not take her plus shes a Bhaalspawn. But as a Mage i'd rather have Sola and as a cleric Anomen just cos they're all rounders and solid and you dont have too have a hand in every thing they do i case they die, unlike Aerie if you turn your back for a sec during a fight shes dead.

[ 04-05-2003, 03:24 AM: Message edited by: Sparhawk, Warrior of the light ]

The concept of Aerie is that one needs to realise that she is not half a Mage, she is not half a Cleric. She is a Cleric/Mage and her true power only comes about when one realises and understands that.

Whenever I have Aerie in my party, the party tanks tend to die more often, because they are in the frontline. Some Stoneskins, a Mirror Image, maybe a Blur, and Aerie is safe and secured.

There is something wrong with one's tactics if Aerie is being pounded by enemies, because that is what the party tanks are for, to distract the enemy while Aerie and the other spellcasters/archers duke it out on the enemy.

In any case... Protection from Magical Weapons or Invisibility is always a lifesaver for any spellcaster.

For late game, Aerie is a winner. Time Stop + Spell Trigger (3xLower Resistance) + Harm = 1 dead enemy, unless it is immune to Time Stop. Killed most of the Bhaalspawn this way. Careful, though, don't use this against Improved Abazigal, as he gets stuck on Near Death. Then, there's the lovely 3 x Implosion in a Chain Contingency.

Middle game, Aerie is just fun to use. Bah... Fit in 3 x Cure Critical Wounds in a Spell Sequencer, and it's almost a Heal. Doom + Chromatic Orb. It's quite astonishing the different tactics you can pull off.

Early game? Aerie comes in at a higher level than most of your characters, making her Draw Upon Holy Might quite powerful.

SPOILER - Aerie THE Fighter
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Here is how you can make Aerie the BEST fighter for a limited time (found this on a Gamebanshee forum):

Place in chain contingency (enemy sighted) : Aura of flaming death, champions strength, Regeneration
Place in contingency : Rightous magic
Place in Minor sequencer : Armour of faith, draw apon holy might
Place in sequencer : Blur, holy power, mirror image
Place in trigger : Tensers transformation, improved haste, spirit armour
Begin by casting improved alacrity, unless you are low lvl in which case its not important (just sucks waiting) cast black blade, followed by boon of lethander, sequencer then minor sequencer then sight your enemy, allow contingencies to fire before casting spell trigger...

Do all this and check her stats - the only problem are the number of attacks !

And if she wears Boots of Preservation ...

Enjoy !

Jaheira is by far my favourite NPC in BG2, and in any CRPG.

As far as I'm concerned, she's the most beautiful woman to have ever walked the face of Faerun (Viccy and Ellesime included), and I never tire of playing through her romantic storyline.

She's also mega-powerful once you know all the tricks to using her:
1) protected by Iron Skins, she'll slice and dice everything in sight.
2) She'll unleash Creeping Doom and render the mages helpless.
3) She can knock a whole army of its feet with Earthquake.
4) With the right items and level progression, she'll gain immunity to the elements and to poison.

Her prowess as both a Druid and a Fighter, her beauty, her sensitity (underneath her gruff manner), her conviction, her grit, it all adds up to a package that I find just plain overpowering in the extreme.

Aerie is good if you use her right, especially with the right equipment. Having her cleric spells sped up by the Robe of Vecna can be very useful.

In many of my games, Anomen ends up in the party. He's strong enough of a fighter to allow him to tank (especially if you give him the Gauntlets of Dexterity and ***** in a melee weapon). If he passes his test, he is a solid cleric, too. He may be annoying, but very useful in the party.

Jan is also useful, if annoying. Multiclassing rocks in ToB, and he is a strong thief and solid backup wizard. Definitely a winner in my book, if he would just shut up.

My vote for the worst: Cernd. If this were 3rd edition and he had access to feats from the Masters of the Wild book, give him Natural Spell and he would rock (cast spells while changed in form). Can you imagine him in werewolf form casting Nature's Beauty? Ironskins? But he doesn't have that feat, so he can either change form or cast spells (at least Jaheira's shapechanging sucks enough that you rarely use it, so you end up keeping her in regular form and just casting spells with her).

I think haer dalis (sorry i forgot how to spell his name properley)
After he gets 2 slots in long swords and 3 in dual wielding equip him with the blackrazor and celestial fury............cast a few protection spells on him and observe the destruction he brings.........of course without using shadowkeeper you have to take the evil path when you arrive in hell...but thats ok...............i also think he is quite funny and tends to talk alot to other party members............also his music is pretty cool.........
yep the tiefling is a gun
regards to all friends.
nightshift001