Ideas on my new party

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I'm sick of all the same old parties( my usuals anyway) so how does this sound. Please criticise!

Me: paladin
Kagain
Imoen
Dynahier
Kivan
Garrick

Any advice. And I don't know where to find Kivan. some other people on this forum rated him so I wanted to try him out. also does dynahier join up with you if minsc isn't in your party? I seem to remember this happening to me last time but it may all be in my head.

 

Kivan can be found in the High Hedge area.

You don't have a proper healer in your party, so your game will be hard.

 

well then i'll put branwen in but who should I swop for her?

 

Kagain or Garrick. Bards are next to useless in BG1 unless you can manage them properly, and Kagain will leave if your rep gets too high.

 

I would suggest a cleric or druid for healing. Branwen in the Nashkel carnival can be gotten early. I would ditch Garrick for her. Dynaheir will join you if you don't have Minsc. She says something like, 'He's taken another blow to the head. I must find him.'

 

Some additional details. Specifically, Kivan is in High Hedge, but a bit northeast of the actualy building. There's usually a brown bear or two right by him, so approach with caution.

I also recommend taking along someone who is at least part cleric. You'll likely be stuck with Branwen as your only option early on, but you could replace her with Yeslick in Chapter 4 (recommended). I would say Kaigan is the most expendable in the party. While Kivan is a little light on the hps, he can tank, and his excellent dexterity means he doesn't get hit too often. Also, everyone else in the party is either good or neutral, and as such, won't have any problems with a high reputation, but Kaigan will.

I also see value in getting Garrick to come along. I have him in my current game, and him being able to identify virtually everything once he gets to level 5 or 6 is useful. Also, he can help fill in the gaps that Dynaheir is missing. As an Invoker, she can't cast Enchantment spells, meaning you'll be missing out on some very useful options like Sleep and Charm. Garrick can handle those for the party.

Finally, while it is possible to take Dynaheir without taking Minsc, it is NOT possible to talk to Minsc after that. Once they are re-united, you either have to take both of them, or take neither of them. It doesn't stop you of course for getting Minsc killed, and then dropping him for somebody else.

 

To get Dynaheir without Minsc, I suppose the best option would simply be to never speak to Minsc.

You could take Edwin along instead, and refuse to kill Dynaheir once you find her. That nets you some experience and Edwin will leave, and you can then have Dynaheir join.

 

How would I play Garrick. most people say he is a mission (making me want him more). should I make him a secondary tank or give him a cross bow? also does he suffer any penalties spell wise for being a bard? I haven't really ever played one.

[ December 11, 2005, 09:54: Message edited by: chris DC ]

 

Bards do not get spells as quickly as mages do. A bard starts getting spells at level 2, and the spell progression table is slower than a mage's. However, since Bards gain levels faster than mages anyway, it's not really such a big problem. They do get fewer casting slots, so if you use spells a lot having only a Bard as your arcande spellcaster can get a bit tight.

Tanking with a Bard in BG1 is probably not a good idea, so you're probably better off keeping him in the back, singing, throwing spells or shooting off missiles (I think Bards can use Composite Longbows, unlike thieves)

Garrick is also involved in a love triangle with Eldoth and Skie, so it's quite fun to have those three together (although not very productive)

 

Not quite. Bards can use long bows, but not composite (Long Bow of Marksmanship would be best). Unfortunately, Garrick's not proficient with bows, at least not yet, so a crossbow is your best bet. I usually get the Crossbow of Speed from Beregost for the extra attack as soon as possible.

Also, unlike mages, there's no armor that a bard can wear and still cast spells; bracers and Protection items are the best you can do. Tanking is definitely out of the question unless you intend for him to die several times.