My all time favorite group is an all ranged party. I took a party of 4 ( main char ( kensai / theif with azure edge ) + korgan ( dwarven thrower ) + haer dalis ( crimson dart ) + viconia ( sling of everard ) ) all the way through SOA + TOB and it was by far the most hassle free game ever.

I always hated fighting in enclosed spaces with a melee party. One guy reaches the target and the others just keep on trying to walk and never moving. I have found thrown weapons ( mostly axes ) to give the best damage over time of all the ranged weapons. In fact a kensai with a throwing axe and high strength does more damage over time then an archer with the best bow.

Oh, yes, and I also HATE carrying / buying / managing ammo.

I am considering taking another ranged party but this time having 6 characters instead of 4. This time I also want to be able to use some of the better melee weapons I pick up ( IE Carsomyr ).

I am thinking:

Keldorn - fire tooth ( carsomyr on switch )
Haer Dalis - Tansherons bow / Hangard's axe
Aerie - Everard sling ( staff of magi on switch )
Valgyar - azure edge ( celestial fury on switch )
Minsc - rifthome ( mace of disruption on switch )
Cernd - crimson dart ( belm on switch or just shapechange )

I really want Keldorn and Aerie, but one thing worries me.

Does anyone know if the good characters like keldorn / valgyar / minsc leave if you do things like: kill the silver dragon, side with bohdi etc? I have never done these things with them in my party and I like doing them > :D

No, I'm pretty sure they don't leave. You are likely to get Keldorn and Valygar after you side with Bodhi, so it wouldn't matter in that case. Also, I don't remember if Minsc has ever been in my party when siding with Bodhi, but it shouldn't make a difference.

I could swear I read somewhere there were a few circumstances where keldorn left you if you did something naughty.

Then you'll just have to remember quick and autosaves and not be terribly naughty, won'cha?

[ 07-26-2005, 12:14 AM: Message edited by: Illumina Drathiran'ar ]

Keldorn and Mazzy will leave the group if you side with Bodhi. I am not sure about killing the silver dragon, but it seems likely that they would leave then, too. I have heard of Valygar doing so.


Sillara

I remember another one.

Keldorn gets peeved when you turn into the slayer doesn't he?

I remember him going hostile and attacking me.

Man, being good sucks.

No. I've had him in my group when this happens and he never attacked me.

My party of Valgar Korgan Mincs Jaheira and Main character.

I joined with bodhi ( jeez her base sucks ) and my party didnt complain at all. If you choose to murder the rich guy instead of save the imprisoned midget then minsc and some others will be quite unhappy. None ever left though.

In the shadow thief base theres some wizard called taz or maz or something adn nearby where he's found is a door. Any1 know how to open that door?

***Major item spoilers throughout the whole post***

Two big points first:

One: You're missing two, make that three of the most powerful ranged weapons in SOA/TOB from your list:
- "Firetooth" +3 returning throwing dagger: 2 attacks per round, +3 to hit, 2D4+3 dmg + 1-2 fire dmg. Sold by vendor in Ust Natha in Underdark.
- Tuigan Bow: Short bow: 3 attacks per round!!! +1 to hit, +1 damage. Kill the Beastmaster in the Copper Coronet in the animal pens. Even if you insist that every other ranged weapon in your party not use ammo, you MUST use this one.
- "Boomerang" +2 returning throwing dagger: 2 attacks per round, +2 to hit, 2D4+2 dmg. given by Captain Dennis at Delosar's Inn in the Bridge District as a reward for the Limited Wish quest. Strictly worse than the "Firetooth" dagger but better than most other ranged weapons.

Two: A ranged party without Mazzy? Mazzy + Tuigan Bow + Level 13 = 4.5 shots/round. 9 with Improved Haste. You can do the same with any PC or NPC that is a warrior with 2 or more points in Short Bow proficiency, but Mazzy is a great character overall and starts with Grandmastery in Short Bow anyway.


If you hate buying/carrying/managing ammo, you'll want to do Watcher's Keep level 1 early. That will give you not only the unlimited +1 quiver of arrows and case of bolts, but also the ammo belt which will let you store tons of good ammo. Plus two no-ammo ranged weapons: Crimson Dart and Fire Tooth Crossbow +4.

You didn't say what PC you wanted to use with the 6-character ranged party. An Archer would be the default choice, but as you learned a Kensai can use thrown weapons in BG2. (Many people consider that a game design oversight, since the Kensai kit clearly forbids all ranged weapons, but it certainly works fine in the game.) I can personally vouch that a Firetooth-using Kensai is incredibly nasty.

The higher APR ranged weapons are best for consistent damage dealing. That's why the Tuigan Bow is so fantastic: a base of 3 attacks per round with ammo up to Arrows of Piercing. Crimson Dart is the only other ranged weapon with a base 3 attacks per round, but its base damage is much lower. Still, with high strength you could do a lot with the Crimson Dart. Of the 2 APR weapons, I like Firetooth the best, but the Light Crossbow of Speed can deliver some very nasty bolts, and the Short Bow of Gesen has an interesting glitch where if you load it with real arrows, its phantom arrow damage adds to the real arrow damage.

How's this for a sample ranged party, with only 2 ammo-users:

PC Fighter/Thief: Crimson Dart (Could work well with high STR & DEX, prob also take Short Bow proficiency for backup and specialize in a good backstab weapon also)
Mazzy: Tuigan Bow
Keldorn: Light Crossbow of Speed
Valygar: Firetooth +3 Dagger (use Longbow of choice until he learns Dagger)
Anomen: Sling of Everard (no ammo) or Sling of Seeking (better damage)
Imoen: Short Bow of Gesen (Tansheron's Bow until you assemble Gesen)

Swap Anomen with Aerie if you like her, but this party would actually take advantage of the little-known fact that Anomen is specialized in slings!

No, those items do not get a strength bonus.

The cases of plenty are far too low an enchantment to bother with and I don't care to wait till TOB to get to +2.

My main character will be a kensai dualed to a theif later on.