Hello all. Just got the gold edition of the game and think I'm going to like it much better than Temple of Elemental Evil. That said, how do I best use henchmen? I'm just at the beginning with a paladin character (with a level of cleric and fighter for domains and feats) and recruited the sorcerer. I told him to follow and to use ranged weapons. We got to the prison break and he was dead before I could even see it happen. What should I do? And, of course, who do I get (or should have)? Thanks all and I'm sure I'll be writing more soon.

Ugh. I say that you recruit Linu instead. Computer AI sucks royally in this game. Though I do believe there is an improved AI script. Check around.

Would it really be impossible to play without henchmen? I always hate using them in games like this. . .

It's not impossible to play without henchmen. It's just a bit harder and I think you might need some knowledge of 3rd edition D&D to make the right choices.

why dont you get first tomi or the barbarian dude first.. its better .. and he will live longer too. you dont need healing ( just buy healing kits)

oh yeah.. just to give you a little sense of relief, in the later chapters money will not be an issue so dont hesistate to spend "alittle" for the healing ;)

Thanks everyone for your quick help! I'm using Sharwyn now and seem to be doing better (she still occasionally makes stupid runs into rooms with lots of bad guys but at least she heals herself). Half the time I don't know what the crap spell she is casting/singing!

Am I supposed to try to upgrade her equipment? If I am, I am really dumb because I can't get into her inventory to give her anything.

Henchman question #3 - so, when I level up, I talk to her to get her to level up?

Final henchman question - so she/they reveal their quests when I level up with them?

Thanks again everyone!

You can't access the henchmen inventory in the NWN OC henchmen. There is a hakpak to allow this, but its cludgy and has to work around some daftdesign decisions on the part of bioware. The same hak also improves their AI a fair amount, so its worth getting anyway. Search the vault for it.

Henchmen in the SOU and HotU OCs allow proper inventory control.

And yes, when you level, you talk to her and tell her to level up, she is removed from the game and a higher level version is spawned. This process is what complicates proper inventory control and is why NWN OC henchmen still don't have it, the other henchmen just level up simply and dont get respawned.

Finaly, its dependent on your level,not how much levels youve gained with that henchman. So as long as you get to level 5 (IIRC) in the first chapter, you will be able to get all the henchman quests.

GRRRRR! ;) Just leveled up and can't get her to level up! I talked to her, listened to her whole life story, blah blah but how does she actually level up? Is there a certain response I need to give her? Thanks again

Henchmen always has one level lower than yourself but not lower than level 1. To make them level up, there should be a dialogue option that tells them to train or something similar.

Cc, I, too, have just started out in the gold edition and when the time is right, as Stratos indicates, the dialogue option will appear where you request that they level up.

I've been trying out various henchman and so far I've love Tomi's abilities. Also, take time to periodically talk to them and if all goes well you'll eventually have them reveal their requests to you. It is a trust issue.