[Illumina Drathiran'ar]

I have a few thoughts and questions about this which need to be considered, I think, before real progress can be made.

Is your list in ascending order? That's kind of what I see happening there, but I'm not exactly sure.

What's the purpose of this exercise, precisely?

Do NPC "bosses" from Baldur's Gate belong on the list, too? Mulahey, Davaeorn, Tazok, and others I'm sure I've forgotten? What about Semaj- he wasn't important to the plot at all, but he was in the final boss fight.

Without knowing the purpose of the list, it's hard to hammer down what you're looking for.

Have you played Throne of Bhaal? You haven't mentioned anyone from that game, so I'm going to assume not and therefore not put anyone on the list until instructed otherwise.

Yoshimo isn't *that* important to the overall plot. You can play the game without him in your party, and he loses all importance. I would put him lower than Khalid and Jahiera.

So now the list appears thusly, which I have put into descending order, simply because it was easier for me.

Bhaal

Gorion (without him, you would have been assasinated in Candlekeep or left to die. Either way, game over.)

Alaundo (his prophecies set Sarevok into motion, and it can be argued that they also incited the events of Throne of Bhaal.)

Sarevok (without him, you would have stayed in Candlekeep being taught by Gorion and not kidnapped in SoA. There would be no game until the events of Throne of Bhaal, for which you would be woefully underprepared and perish.)

Ellesime (ultimately responsible for setting the events of SoA into motion.)

Irenicus

Bodhi

Imoen (with you from the start, and central to the first part of SoA.)

Matron Mother Ardulace (part of the master plan of Irenicus, and most likely integral to progress in the game- see my note on Adalon below.)

Aran Linvail (regardless of which path you choose, he's integral to progress in the game.)

Saemon Havarian (without him, you'd never get to Spellhold. Below Aran because you can't get to him without involving Aran.)

Jahiera (above Khalid because you can romance her.)

Khalid

Yoshimo

Elminster (who's been "nudging" you from the start. Of course, if the list is in terms of power, he'd belong near the top.)

People who may or may not belong on the list who are difficult to place, and the addition of whom may turn this list into a huge monster:

Tethtoril (Remember him? He sprung you from jail in Candlekeep near the end of the game. Without him, it probably would have been game over.)

Neb (People may not remember him from Baldur's Gate- he also springs you from jail near the end of the game. This isn't *integral* to the plot, as you can avoid getting caught, but dialogue in SoA implies that you did in fact get caught and meet Neb.)

The Dukes of Baldur's Gate (I realize that Sarevok had to manipulate them and try to assasinate all of them, but the important thing about them was that they were the Dukes of Baldur's Gate- there was nothing innately important of the characters themselves. Ellesime is important because she set the events of SoA into motion, not because she's the queen of Suldanessellar. Q.E.D.)

Bosses from Baldur's Gate (It's hard to integrate characters from both games. Was the fight in the Cloakwood Mines more important, ultimately, than the fight with the vampires? Are the events of Baldur's Gate more important because they happened first and therefore helped shape the character, experience, and readiness of Charname?)

Adalon (while you don't HAVE to help her to progress- you can just hack your way through the Underdark without doing the quests, right? But really... come on. It's pretty much safe to assume that the plot of the game involves you doing this the "right" way.)

Phaere and Solaufein (not as important as the Matron Mother, but they shape the Underdark quests which, as mentioned, aren't requred)

NPCs important to major major sidequests- Faldorn, the Shade Lord, Nalia, and Firkragg come immediately to mind. Sidequests are not crucial to the plot as such, but I think the game assumes you do them)

NPCs important to get your stronghold- Nalia, Faldorn, Firkragg, the Shade Lord, Haer'Dalis, Valygar, Gaal and the Unseeing Eye.