I've finally beaten Shadows of Amn and am now starting Throne of Baal (yay!!!) Question: My team consists of a Cavalier (PC), Keldorn, Minsc, Jaheira, Imoen, and Edwin. I'd like for Sarevok to join my team, but I don't know who to replace. It's down to choosing between Keldorn or Minsc, as Sarevok is a fighter and the player who'll be booted should be of a duplicative function. I wanna keep Keldorn 'coz he's such a tank with the Vorpal, but I'd like to keep Minsc because of his ranger status. He's got vampires as racial enemies, is stealthier than Imoen, is pretty good with bows, can dual wield, and is funny as heck. Who should Sarevok replace --- Keldorn or Minsc?

First of all, how did you manage to take your party through SoA? Did you have the happy group patch, cuz Edwin and Minsc aren't exactly lovers? [img]tongue.gif[/img]

If the main sword you're using with Keldorn is Vorpal, might as well switch him up. If you have holy avenger though, it becomes a more difficult question. Do you?

I would say get rid of Minsc... However, he's Good Aligned, as are you... You don't actually need to take Sarevok. Also, Imoen sucks so you can ditch her. Pick up Jan Janson!

(Picks up ugly little gnome, sticks himin a latrine.) Keep Imoen, she's by far the better mage and an equivalent thief. Also, you can do without Sarevok, he glares too much.

<font color="lightblue">Jan is actually a better thief than Imoen; because he levels as a thief, and you can effect where his proficencies go without cheating.
But I do agree with Imoen being a better mage than Jan; because she levels only in the mage class, and all her XP is devoted purely to it.

Were I forced to choose between them, i`d go for Jan- i`m a backstabber [img]smile.gif[/img] </font>

I'd ignore saverok and drop edwin, pick up jan. You got enough tanks between you and minsc keldorn and jahiera, in pinch, and that will give you the best thief and between jan and imoen you'll have a edwin.

Ooooo, do I sense another Imoen v Jan *ahem* "debate" ;)

In corner #1, Attalus, Galadria and Kaltia!

In corner #2, Sir E, Grammar, and joining them, True_Moose, because Jan can kick Imoen's behind any day! (assuming he can reach that high) [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Pooh, as is often said, Jan isn't a candle to Immy in the mage department. He is dualled, has a low INT, and just an illusionist, to boot. He won't get the 10th level spells in time, especially in this case, where she finished BGII so is higher and better-equipped then JJ would be if summoned in. Not to speak of having to put up with his puerile humor. Bleah.

I think you should get rid of Minsc.

Come on this is a no brainer, why are you carrying around 2 paladins, dump Keldorn and give your Cavalier Carsomyr if he doesn't already have it. If you want another mage instead of Edwin that is also a no brainer, take Nalia. Since she is a dual classed thief/mage she can wear elven chainmail and still cast spells. So your party would look like this:

PC(Cavalier)
Sarevok
Minsc
Jaheira
Nalia
Imoen

Looks good to me. By the way i would start giving Sarevok proficincies in Halberd when you start leveling up.

Yikes! Ok, here goes the replies (and more questions):

1) I don't have the patch, so would it seem weird that I was able to keep Minsc and Edwin from killing each other? Those two never had an issue (again, does this seem weird??)
2) My PC's equipped with the Holy Avenger, and Keldorn's got the Vorpal. If I take on Sarevok, he gets the Vorpal
3) Is it safe for me to drop members from my existing roster and replace them with peeps like Nalia and Jan, without letting go of characters that have already enjoyed a certain level of experience? When I bring in these characters, don't they come in with the levels that I left them with in Shadows of Amn? Won't they have a problem catching up? Or are their exp points kicked up a notch or two to match the current experience levels of my other party members?
4) Do I really need Sarevok? He says he carries information that could be useful...could I do without this knowledge and go about adventuring blindly? Seems a lot of fun, but I wouldn't wanna miss anything critical.
5) Re Edwin vs Imoen vs Jan ---- how important are thieves in this game? Why would I drop Edwin, a devoted mage with kick-ass spells for someone like Jan when I've already got a thief-mage in Imoen? Should I then get rid of Imoen in favor of Jan?

(OMG, I should've broken this up in shorter replies....sorry, guys!)

Characters that you summon in will be of lower class and have less spells than people in your party already, not to speak of being less well equipped. And, no, you don't have to have Sarevok in your party. I have finished the game twice without him and never missed him at all.

hmpt. whats all this talk of dropping Imoen for Jan? thats disgusting. (from a roleplaying pointa view) Imoens your sister! (okok HALF sister) and Jan... is just an annoying turnip luving monkey erm.. (lets just leave that unsaid ;) ) Sarevok? you DONT REALLY need him. hes allright as a fighter, but, you dont need him THAT much. Have you considered ditchin Edwin? [img]tongue.gif[/img] Or should I say "Edwina" *snigger* [img]tongue.gif[/img] You *could* always drop Jaheria... (I wouldnt, but if her naggings getting to ya...) hmm, I'd be inclinded to drop Keldorn. (outa prejudice for paladins [img]tongue.gif[/img] ) but thats just me.
*still looks disgusted at the VERY IDEA of replacing Imoen for Jan! (best Sarevok voice) "BAH!"*

Also from a roleplaying point of view Jan makes more sense than edwin because you are more or less a good party(2 paladins for god sake) Edwin is evil, he can't be happy with you.

as for the power gaming, edwin is the best mage, jan is the best thief(although he'll be lower lev it's pretty easy to lev. in tob) Imoen becomes a good mage and has thief skils. It seems your more intresting in powergaming but be careful with your reputation

I don't think I'm spoiling anything by telling you Kamui that when you beat ToB there is an epilogue for every NPC is your party. So choose the 5 npc's you would like in your party the most. But i wouldn't give up on Imoen if this is your first time through the game, cmon she is essential to the story line and for that matter Sarevok is too. Dump Keldorn and Edwin and take Sarevok and Nalia.

Ditch Minsc and Imoen and grab Sarevok and Jan. Sarevok starts out 5 star specialized in 2 handed swords. This makes him a chainsaw on legs from the very start. Since Edwin destroys the competition in the mage department the only weak link would be Imoen A.K.A. the crappiest thief in all the realms. Ditch the zero for Jan the....... well o.k. he is still a zero , but at least he can still get thief levels.

<font color="lightblue">Imoen is NOT the crappiest thief in BG2.
She`s the second most crappy [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Crappiest is Nalia... dualled at level 4; has trouble picking a rotten lock... </font>

<font color="lightblue">Jan is MULTIED, not dualled ;) Imoen is dualled; meaning that she is stuck as a level 7 thief forever.
"Just" an illusionist ?? An extra spell per level at the loss of the Necromancy school- no big loss, only Necromancy spells that I ever use are the Death Spell and Finger of Death. Plus I usually play a mage of some kind myself, so I will have those spells. Jan can still summon things, use Stoneskin; plus his backstab multiplier is far better than Imoen`s.
So, for me atleast, Jan is a better NPC than Imoen; ofcourse that will differ from person to person, in the end everything boils down to playing style [img]smile.gif[/img] </font>

You do not use Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting, LennonCook?

Boot either Keldorn or Minsc, I would choose Keldorn.

He already has a Paladin! Drop Keldorn!

yeah i had one in my post, took about all of it. damn these Jan versus Imeon fights, damn it!! anyway i checked Imeaons thief stats and they are heaps high (for a lv seven anyway)

<font color="lightblue">Never found even one scroll of it [img]graemlins/saywhat.gif[/img] </font>

<font color="lightblue">Never found even one scroll of it [img]graemlins/saywhat.gif[/img] </font></font>[/QUOTE]<font color="lawngreen" face="trebuchet MS">O... my... god.... there everywhere Lennon :eek: ... please tell me you have at least used the spell :eek: </font>

Sorry, Lennon, yes, he is Multi'ed, which is even worse than dualled. If you like him, certainly, use him, as you are a mage, but, as I am also playing a Paladin, Immy is much more useful as she is a better mage, and I can't even remember the last time that I Backstabbed (Or used the stealth ability) on anyone outside of PS: T. I just go whack 'em down. Waste of time to go sneaking around.

[ 10-10-2002, 09:06 PM: Message edited by: Attalus ]

Eh? The Ambushers in the Underdark( as you go to rescue Phaere) have it already. Lazarus in Saradush has 2 scrolls of it too.

[ 10-11-2002, 10:03 PM: Message edited by: Dundee Slaytern ]

I'd drop Keldorn, his strength and dexterity both suck. Sarevok is a much better fighter, and with him, Minsc and your cavalier, you'll have more than enough brawn.

After reading the replies (thanks, guys!), I've decided to drop Keldorn and take on Sarevok. I wanted to see how the game will pan out from a role-playing perspective. Plus, as many of you have pointed out, I've already got a Paladin as my PC!

And to the ongoing dispute of Imoen vs Jan vs Edwin vs. etc., I decided to keep Edwin and Imoen. Again, from a role-playing perspective, I wanted Imoen to stay with the party. And I can't do without Edwin's spell-casting prowess, especially at the high level he's in.

As far as having two evil characters in an otherwise goody-goody party, I've decided to just turn into the Slayer every time my reputation gets too high so that these evil characters won't leave my party. Wow, that option gets so handy (although not in the way you'd expect...)