OK, I'll help you out. Let's analyse the NPCs.
Haer'dalis: Who needs another Blade? Good for possible RP reasons though.
Jan: Half mage, half thief. A must in any game, plus it's cool to have a gnome in the party. Recommended.
Edwin: A very good mage. A possible second mage for the party.
Aerie: Half mage, half cleric. Annoying and whiney. Boring romance. Can be an effective spell caster when properly equiped (likely if you have Imoen, since she'll want armours and Aerie is free for a certain robe)
Jaheria: Half fighter, half druid. An effective array of spells, as most druids tend to have. Can bash heads with the best of them, with spells such as Ironskins and Nature's Beauty. Can also raise dead. Recommended.
Cernd: A druid, shadowed by Jaheria in almost all areas. GWW is good, but not good enough. The Shapeshifter rebalancing mod turns him into something of a god, though. Your choice - pathetically weak, or obscenely strong.
Minsc: A good tank, although not as good as many others. His choice of kit (or rather, lack of kit) betrays him. He does have Boo and some interesting dialogue, though.
Viconia: Good MR, interesting character, romance wise. Not the best cleric, and is disadvantaged by lack of a kit. I'd recommend Jaheria instead of Vikky.
Keldorn: The only paladin NPC, and therefore able to use one of the best weapons in the game. His kit gives him a number of useful bonuses, too. Give him the Gauntlets of Dex, and he's smiting in the name of Torm!
Yoshimo: A good thief, but never quite gets good enough to warrant taking.
Mazzy: With the Tuigan bow, she is an excellent sniper. Halflings are cool, too. A few useful abilities. Excellent Dex. Lack of Strength can be easily compensated for. Give her Crom Faeyr and she can make a good tank. Recommended.
Korgan: A good kit choice. Massive HP. Can be a good tank. May be overshadowed by that other NPC you are going to have, however.
Anomen: Annoying. The best cleric in the game, no doubt about it. Take him if you want a cleric who can also deal some damage with a weapon.
Nalia: Overshadowed by Imoen. I recommend you don't take her.
Valygar: Can be good, especially with his backstab. Can also be a good frontliner, in the right situation. Extra spells a bonus too. Let down due to lack of personality.
Is that all of them?
Oh well, I tried my best, as well as making some recommendations.
[ 04-20-2003, 05:41 AM: Message edited by: pcgiant ]