16 replies to this topic

[Klorox]

By completely legal, I mean no mods, no XP cap removers, no illegal stuff,
nothing.

What's the most powerful protagonist, along with (up to) 5 official Bioware
NPCs?

Edited by Klorox, 10 December 2007 - 05:55 AM.

[Choo Choo]

Linjo (elven assassin)
Minsc
Anomen
Jaheira
Edwin
Imoen (various NPC's until Spellhold for quest sakes, and then I take along Yoshimo)

Four out of six make do in melee combat, and all four are capable of something else than pounding in heads (Minsc with ranger spells, Anomen with cleric spells, Jaheira with druid spells and Linjo with backstabbing, setting traps and other thief skills).

Two mages, one of them using sling and offensive spells (Edwin) and the other using defensive/disabling spells when not backstabbing the weaker enemies in a group.

With mods, the only thing I do different is exchanging Edwin with (sorceror) Xan.

[the bigg]

Depends on playstyle

I tend to play big melee parties, so with the plain game I'd go as follows:
kensai CHARNAME
Korgan
Keldorn
Jaheira
Viconia/Anomen
Jan Jansen/Imoen

This way, I have three meat shields who are also highly competent warriors (one immune to everything, one can dispel everything in the plain game, once can disable all mages except liches), an uber-fast chopper, and minimal clerical/mage spell coverage to finish the game.
I might also want to swap CHARNAME for a (multi, not dual) fighter/thief, if I prefer to backstab critical foes rather than fast-chopping everybody.

the Jan Jansen -> Imoen transition is done once I get Imoen back. I don't do Yoshi -> Imoen because I prefer to have some basic mage spells even before Ch 4.
Viconia -> Anomen is suboptimal, but will be done if the Viconia/Keldorn conflict escalates (by the time this is required, Anomen will be a couple of quests from getting level 14 and Greater Restoration, which is all I really need a cleric for).

With mods, I can't make my mind up on the `perfect' party (given the ample choice of powerful weapons and/or NPCs who are buggy, silent, stupid, don't blend in, or are too overpowered even for me), but something I always do is that I use Swashbuckler->Mage for Imoen from Refinements, so I use her like most people do with kensai->mage, and as such carry a primary mage for mass destruction (Edwin, or a mod NPC).

Edited by the bigg, 10 December 2007 - 06:34 AM.

[Kulyok]

A custom party will be more powerful, always - simply because of stats distribution.
A Fighter/Thief,
A Sorcerer,
A Fighter, dual-classed to Cleric,
and three Bercerkers or Barbarians should make it in my book. Perhaps an Undead Hunter, but a high-level But I like banters, romances, interjections, opinions, egos and theories, so I never quite tried that.

[Kellen]

I usually go with
Main Character (Sorcerer or Cleric)
Jaheira
Minsc
Aerie
Anomen
Yoshi/Immy

I've made it through whatever they can throw at me.

[Tassadar88]

I often went with an elven/half elven fighter/mage for PC, then Minsc, Jaheira, Immy, Naila and Aerie. I like to blast what I can with spells and let Minsc with Jaheira take down the rest, with summons if need be

[Klorox]

A custom party will be more powerful, always - simply because of stats distribution.
A Fighter/Thief,
A Sorcerer,
A Fighter, dual-classed to Cleric,
and three Bercerkers or Barbarians should make it in my book. Perhaps an Undead Hunter, but a high-level But I like banters, romances, interjections, opinions, egos and theories, so I never quite tried that.

Of course a custom party would be more effective, but I'm asking you what your power party is using official Bioware NPCs.

Mine is as follows:

Berserker 13 > Mage protagonist
Jaheira
Anomen
Jan

I have two arcane & two divine spellcasters, 3 out of 4 make good tanks, and I can use what I believe are the best weapons in the game.

Four characters is my person preference. They're easier to control and concentrate on. You also advance in levels faster this way.

[the bigg]

Oh, if we consider custom characters I'd go with something like

berserker -> cleric
Inquisitor
Fighter/thief
Kensai
stalker -> cleric
thief -> mage

notes:
the B->C duals at game start, because you get healing spells earlier and regain Rage earlier, while waiting (in the long run) will only give you a couple of HP, an extra rage, 1/2 attack, and no better THAC0... but he's a meat shield, not a damage dealer (we already have three people with GWW and two backstabbers)... and he needs to heal until the more offensive S -> C can build up his ranger skills and dual.
the S -> C duals at 13th (for the x3 backstab and extra attack). He can backstab with the Staff of the Ram, so the late dual isn't useless (although he's largely crippled until he regains the stalker skills, which is almost half game). Archer -> Cleric is crippled in the plain game because it can't put ***** in Slings anyway.
the F/T uses the offensive thief skills (Set Traps, Hide + Backstab, eventually Pick Pocket), whereas the T -> M duals as soon as it can get 100 points in Detect Illusions, Find Traps and Lockpick (and let the various enhancing items/potions/spells help with the few harder traps).

[Jarno Mikkola]

Berserker 13 > Mage protagonist
Jaheira
Anomen
Jan

I have two arcane & two divine spellcasters, 3 out of 4 make good tanks, and I can use what I believe are the best weapons in the game.

I don't think that Jan is the best user of the Carsomyr!?

as soon as it can get 100 points in Detect Illusions, Find Traps and Lockpick (and let the various enhancing items/potions/spells help with the few harder traps).

But you don't need the Detect Illusions, as thiefs Find traps does it 100% already.

[Klorox]

Berserker 13 > Mage protagonist
Jaheira
Anomen
Jan

I have two arcane & two divine spellcasters, 3 out of 4 make good tanks, and I can use what I believe are the best weapons in the game.

I don't think that Jan is the best user of the Carsomyr!?

I don't think Carsomyr is as great as most people. And I can't think of a member I'd delete in favor of Keldorn.

as soon as it can get 100 points in Detect Illusions, Find Traps and Lockpick (and let the various enhancing items/potions/spells help with the few harder traps).

But you don't need the Detect Illusions, as thiefs Find traps does it 100% already.

They're two different abilities using the same button. If you have 100% in F/R Traps, but 0% in Detect Illusions, you can have that button on all day but you'll never dispel invisibility or some mirror images.

[Nex Vesica]

Jan actually saved my party many a time with his rockin use of carsomyr.

[VIIIofSwords]

Hmm, I've never really had any thoughts on what the ultimate party for my style of play would be. However, the toughest group I've ever managed to get through ToB included:

Dual-Class Ranger/Cleric
Minsc
Jaheira (quite frankly, I'm not too fond of her, but I can't deny that I find her the most tolerable of the BioWare clerics)
Yoshimo/Imoen (swapped one for the other in Spellhold)
Haer'Dalis
Keldorn/Sarevok (I do Keldorn's family quest right after Bodhi and let him leave with his family, because I can never bring myself to do otherwise)

Edited by VIIIofSwords, 12 December 2007 - 04:22 PM.

[Argathor]

My favourite:

Keldorn
Korgan
Jaheira
Valygar
Argathor (Sorc)
Edwin

A brutal no-nonsense party with loads of melee and spellcasting power. Thiefs? Bah! Priests? Hah!

[Gabrielle]

I never had a so called "legal" party even when the game first came out. The console commands were already known so theres a cheat. Plus I didn't like the idea that the kick ass weapons I had gained in BG1 didn't appear in Jonnie's dungeon. I didn't part BG1 with some lame long sword and non-magical armor.

[Klorox]

I just finished ToB with an ass-kickin' party:

Berserker 13 > Mage protagonist (GM in Axes and Hammers, dual wielding)
Anomen (GM Flails, dual wielding)
Sarevok (GM in Greatswords and Halberds)
Imoen

It was overpowered when I un-nerfed the grandmastery, so I uninstalled that component.

since it was only 3 characters, I had maxed out my XP for Imoen, Anomen, and protagonist in Watcher's Keep.

[wonnimchunha]

Me Fighter/Theif, double wield either katana/longsword
Korgan, double wield axe and hammer
Anomen, double wield flail and hammer
Aerie (her use of wish and sequencers makes her seriously overpowered...but I hate her whining)
Jan/Imoen

If you could put mods into the equation
Me Ranger/Cleric
Solaufein
Valen

End of all enemies

[Jarno Mikkola]

What's the most powerful protagonist, along with (up to) 5 official Bioware
NPCs?

At which point. Protagonist would need to be either Cavalier or Half-Orc Berserker. Using Carsomyr, or dual-wielding Axes and Warhammers.
NPC 1: Either Keldorn or Korgan with the other probs. Or it could be Sarevok, that is if you have the Half-Orc Berserker dual-wielding Axes and Warhammers, and you dual Sarevok to a thief that can use all items.
NPC 2: Anomen, Jaheira or Cernd.
NPC 3: Viconia
NPC 4: Jan/Nalia/Sarevok
NPC 5: Yoshimo->/Jan/Imoen