Рискнете ли вы кинуть кубик, если как минимум один из вариантов броска грозит ужасной гибелью? А таковы, между прочим, будни отважных искателей приключений, блуждающих по миру Forgotten Realms. Здесь фраза «смерть, поджидающая за каждым углом» – это не какое-то пережеванное клише, а констатация факта. Местный мир очень, очень опасен, и смельчака, сошедшего с проторенной дорожки, поджидает много интересных вещей. Некоторые из них удивительны, большинство опасны, и вы не всегда будете способны полностью постигнуть их смысл.
Такая жизнь устроит не каждого. Если где-то есть что-нибудь интересное, то оно захочет вас убить, съесть, сжечь, ударить током, содрать кожу, наложить проклятие, обратить в камень или принести в жертву. И предупреждать вас будут не всегда, в обновлённой версии Baldur’s Gate 2 я умирал, неожиданно заходя в комнату, где толпа чародеев вызывала демона, неожиданно заходя в гробницу с волшебником-мертвецом, неожиданно заходя в логово теневого дракона и неожиданно заходя во взрывающийся магический лес.
Имейте в виду, что все эти смерти и множество других, вовсе не предначертаны, их можно избежать, если подготовиться заранее, и после загрузки и надлежащих приготовлений мои герои без проблем справлялись с некоторыми ситуациями. В остальных всё зависит только от кубика с шансом броска на смерть. Один неудачный бросок может стоить вам жизни.
Пререндеренный задний фон неплохо смотрится на широком экране.
Baldur’s Gate 2 всегда бросала игрокам серьёзный вызов, и возвращение в Enhanced Edition обещало быть захватывающим и любопытным. Здесь вам предлагают не только десятки способов умереть, игра по-прежнему гордится набором правил, базирующихся на эксцентричном и порой выводящем из себя втором издании Dungeons & Dragons. Не забудьте: ваши спасительные броски и класс брони должны быть низкими, а характеристики и броски атаки высокими. В отличие от параметра THAC0 или скорости каста. И ещё: барды могут использовать длинные луки, но не композитные, ясно? Нет, я понятия не имею, почему.
Я бы не хотел обременять непосвящённых этими странными устаревшими правилами, это как изучать мёртвый язык, и во время путешествий по опасному миру возиться со всем этим совершенно не хочется. Но при своём высоком пороге вхождения и построении на почти мистическом своде правил Baldur’s Gate 2 остаётся великолепным, роскошным, примечательным и невероятно масштабным приключением.
До блеска отполированное фэнтези изобилует филигранными деталями и при всей запутанности эффектов заклинаний и правил (поверьте на слово, волшебство крайне важно на поздних этапах игры), его искусно прописанные персонажи и изысканные тексты столь же превосходны, как и прежде. И столь же мрачны. Взглянув на Baldur’s Gate 2 сегодня, можно провести параллели с пост-роком конца столетия, столько в ней историй об обидах, потерях, страданиях и утрате веры. Здесь всё пропитано болью взросления и перемен, и это, возможно, лучшая игра для эмо-культуры, что когда-либо создавала BioWare.
Напоминает уроки алгебры, но демонстрация бросков атаки помогает вам понять, что работает лучше.
Она прекрасна в своей печали. В новом высоком разрешении и широкоэкранном формате Baldur’s Gate 2 и впрямь выглядит очень приятно. На пререндеренном заднем фоне красуются впечатляющие ландшафты, а похорошевший интерфейс не вызывает неприязни. Из перевыпуска предшественника, который получился совсем непослушной зверушкой, были определённо извлечены уроки, и в Baldur’s Gate 2 уже меньше багов и вылетов.
Однако, иногда она всё-таки показывает вам рабочий стол, и заметно, что в дневнике отсутствуют некоторые записи, особенно, когда они касаются нового контента Enhanced Edition. Одна небольшая, но надоедливая странность, заключается в репликах персонажей, накладывающихся поверх других (и даже его собственных), прерывая диалоги и иногда раз за разом повторяя одну и ту же фразу. Во время одного боя с дварфом-оружейником, воинственный кузнец непрерывно ревел «by Moradin’s hammer», снова и снова, и снова, пока я не раскроил ему голову цепом (+4 к атаке, бонус к урону огнём, холодом, кислотой и ядом).
Новые спутники – большинство которых заимствованы из Enhanced Edition для первой части – в целом очень уместное и приятное дополнение. Они отлично вписываются в игру, но выделяются не так сильно, как уже знакомые персонажи, а качество их квестов, диалогов и озвучки не всегда держится на одном уровне. Они предлагают новый опыт и новые возможности (порой в довольно симпатичных локациях), но ваших любимых друзей они не заменят. Для тех, кто просто хочет убивать больше монстров более мощными заклинаниями, включён режим Black Pits. В играх Baldur’s Gate никогда не было недостатка в разнообразии целей для убийства.
Ни одна другая глубокая фэнтезийная игра не могла позволить себе столько несерьёзности.
Основанием для покупки перевыпущенной Baldur’s Gate 2 почти для каждого станет новый контент. Как было в случае с первой Baldur’s Gate, игре приходится конкурировать с копеечным оригиналом, над которым более десятка лет колдовали моддеры. В интернете можно найти фанатские модификации, технические апгрейды и множество дополнительных квестов, бесплатно распространяющихся сообществом, в котором жизнь бурлит и по сей день.
Заново поиграв в Baldur’s Gate 2, нетрудно понять, почему их любовь всё ещё не иссякла. Игра такая большая, такая насыщенная, и эти попытки что-то в неё добавить выглядят как ещё один слой глазури на роскошном торте, даже, если это не самый лакомый из ингредиентов. Можно просидеть в ней все выходные и увидеть лишь малую долю того, что игра может предложить. Ей нужно посвящать всего себя.
Так что, если вы не хотите заморачиваться с модами, но всегда хотели бы игру 13-летней давности, что выглядит и играется приятнее старого оригинала, это идеальный выбор. Если вы заядлый фанат, чувствующий, что просто обязан посмотреть на новых спутников и квесты, которые больше нигде не найти, то это и ваш выбор. В ином случае, стоит внимательно приглядеться к разным модификациям, с приличным набором которых Baldur’s Gate 2 будет работать не менее стабильно, чем Enhanced Edition: вас будет немного потряхивать на кочках, но вы успешно преодолеете весь путь.
Sonic,
13.05.2007 13:15:16
Эпилог:
У Аномена после общения с главным героем наступил кризис веры. Носило его неприкаянного, носило да и вынесло в какую-то глухомань, в которой злой клерик Ямаш поднял восстание. Аномен занялся организацией отрядов самообороны, подвёл под это дело идеологическую базу и сколотил новый орден, скромно назвав его Последователи Аномена.
Романтика: Аномен с главной героиней сто раз откладывали дату бракосочетания ради очередного приключения, но от своей судьбы не ушли. Элминстер блестяще провёл церемонию, а пьянку главных героев Фаэруна, приглашённых на свадьбу, жители Балдура будут помнить до конца своих дней. После этого супруги удалились на покой.
| Aerie принадлежит одной из самых загадочных рас Forgotten Realms - крылатым эльфам. В молодости она была поймана рабовладельцами и продана в цирк, где её показывали публике в клетке. От недостатка движения её крылья ослабели и их поразила инфекция. Чтобы уберечь Aerie от смерти, крылья были жестоко отрезаны. После этого она стала бесполезна для цирка и не погибла только благодаря гном Quayle, который её вылечил как физически, так и духовно. Из уважения к нему Aerie стала покланяться Baervan Wildwanderer, но при этом и не забыла богиню её родной расы - Aerdrie Faenya. С тех пор она путешествует по свету и борется с жестокостью и несправедливостью.
Раса: Крылатый Эльф (Авериэль) Класс:Клерик \ Маг Мировоззрение: Законопослушно-добрый
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Где найти: В Waukeen"s Promenade города Athkatla, Circus
Эпилог:
Аэри отправилась воевать с рабством во всех его проявлениях, мстя таким образом за свою поломаную жизнь. У неё точно съехала бы крыша, если бы она не встретила группу своих крылатых сородичей. Посещение родины вправило Аэри мозги, она перестала ныть по поводу сломанных крыльев и удалилась работать верховной жрицей в деревню гномов по протекции наставника Куэйла.
Романтика: Аэри и главный герой долгое время тусуются по миру, по дороге родив сына и дочь. Попавшиеся по пути авериэли подсказали дорогу на родину Аэри. Там были обнаружены её родители, тут же благословившие молодых. Свадьба и хэппи энд.
Где найти: Umar Hills, в домике
Эпилог:
Валигар после нескольких лет шатаний по лесам вернулся в Аткатлу, где ему навязали чин Верховного Инспектора. Стал сильным лидером, восстановил честь семьи Кортала, женился и родил сына. Связей, порочащих его, так и не завёл
Эпилог:
Викония ненадолго осела в Уотердипе, но была предана и отправилась странствовать дальше. Разрушив планы Рыцарей Щита по захвату Калимпорта, Викония примкнула к Дриззту До"Урдену и помогла защитить Сулданессалар, за что все эльфы были ей ужасно благодарный. Дальнейшая судьба неизвестна.
Романтика: Главный герой и Викония продолжили путешествовать, а заодно родили сына. Счастье длилось недолго - Викония была отравлена слугой Lolth. Говорили, что папа и сын впоследствии замутили нехилый поход против дроу, но достоверных данных нет.
| Jaheira родилась в регионе Tethyr, в котором в то время правил король Alemander. К своей неудаче родилась она в самом разгаре гражданской войны. Её семья была убита разгневанными крестьянами, а сама она спаслась только благодаря служанке, которая вынесла Jaheir"у из рушащегося замка и отнесла в лес к друидам, под присмотром которых та и выросла. Jaheira верит в то, что добившись места под солнцем в своём мире она сможет защищать природу гораздо более эффективно. Но с каждым годом в глазах этой задорной девушки видно всё больше и больше печали. Мир не спешит меняться, а всю больше и больше её друзей остаются на лежать поле боя. Навсегда...
Раса: Полуэльф Класс: Воин\Друид Мировоззрение: Истинный нейтрал
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Эпилог:
Участие в деле Баала слегка подвинуло крышу Джахейры, и она с маниакальным упрямством взялась за поддержание баланса в мире. Иногда она действовала заодно с Арфистами, иногда одна. Нигде не заерживалась надолго, жила как хотела.
Романтика: Годы странствий сделали союз Джахейры и главного героя нерушимым. Хотя разлучали их на долгие месяцы, но они неизменно возвращались друг к другу. О детях ничего неизвестно.
Где найти: В начале игры, в тюрьме.
Эпилог:
Имоэн вернулась в Кэндлкип, после чего примкнула к Хелбену и Элминстеру. Тусоватся с великими магами ей вскоре надоело и она, по слухам, возглавила воровскую гильдию.
Где найти: В начале игры, на втором уровне подземелья
Где найти: Под Temple District города Athkatla, в Sewers.
Эпилог:
Келдорн ушёл на пенсию и спокойно жил в Аткатле, до тех пор, пока на Эмн не двинулись гиганты. В свои шестьдесят лет Келдорн с пятью рыцарями удерживал стратегически важный проход до прихода основного войска. Удержать ужержали, но для старого воина этот бой стал последним.
Где найти: В Slums District города Athkatla, Copper Coronet.
Эпилог:
Поберсерствовал один, потом убил главу клана дворфов и занял его место. Чтобы не скучать, организовал поход дворфов в Андердарк, чем донельзя удивил и огорчил дроу. Вовремя не отступив из Андердарка, Корган с товарищами попал в окружение, из которого уже не выбрался. Последний раз его видели втыкавшим свой топор в глотку одной из священниц Lolth.
| Minsc принадлежит берсеркерам восточной нации Rashemen, но из любви к животным и природе он стал ranger"ом. В регион Sword Coast он прибыл как телохранитель одной из важных персон своего народа. К сожалению он не смог уберечь своего хозяина от смерти, и из страха о публичном изгнании из своего общества он решил остаться на побережье. Все эти невзгоды сказались немного на разуме ranger"a. Так например он очень привязан к своему любимцу Boo, которого он называет миниатюрным гигантским космическим хомяком. Вполне возможно, что такие существа существуют в Forgotten Realms, но похоже в данном случае Minsc"a просто слишком часто били по голове.
Раса: Человек Класс: Рейнджер Мировоззрение: Хаотично-добрый
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Где найти: В начале игры, в тюрьме.
Эпилог:
Минск и Бу долго грелись в лучах славы, потом собрали партию Кулак Правосудия и отправились с ней громить всех evil"ов в Фаэруне. Громили, громили и пропали без вести.
Где найти: Под Temple Ruins, в тюрьме.
Эпилог:
Мэззи Фентан собрала вокруг себя тусовку Рыцарей Фентан и отправилась с ней совершать подвиги. Массовая резня троллей и орков, свежевание дракона в его собственном логове - вот самые громкие деяния Мэззи и Компании. Дожила до старости.
Где найти: В Slums District города Athkatla, Copper Coronet
Эпилог:
Налия ещё год изучала магию и заводила полезные связи. Вернувшись в родовой замок, она с удивлением обнаружила там Исайю Роенала. От души попинав старого врага, Налия занялась переустройством общества, заслужила любовь аборигенов и отхватила место в Эмнском Совете Шести, где нажила себе кучу врагов из-за своих социалистических взглядов.
Где найти: Trademeet, под Mayor"s House, в тюрьме
Эпилог:
Сернд воссоединился со своим сыном Асдейлом, но зов матери-природы часто отвлекал его от роли воспитателя, и сынок вырос монстром, овладел магией и набрал армию. В сражении погибли оба.
Где найти:
Эпилог:
Сэйрвок прыгал с места на место. В Бердаске разгромил армию наступавших орков, но проявил при этом такую жестокость, что местные жители не знали, кого бояться больше. Появлялся тут и там, затем внезапно исчезал. Говорили, что он пытался штурмовать Ад, но на самом деле Сэйрвок отправился в Кара-Тур похоронить единственную, кого он когда-либо любил, - Тамоко - и больше на сцене не возникал.
Хаэр"Далис
Где найти: Mekrath"s Tower (Athkatla, через Temple District, Sewers)
Эпилог:
Хаэр"Далис перебегал из города в город в поисках неприятностей на свою голову. Познакомился с женщиной-камбионом и отправился с ней в Ад. Случайно поднял восстание на нескольких Кругах, из-за чего на время стал наиболее разыскиваемым преступником во всех измерениях. Хаэр"Далис успешно улизнул в Сигил и примкнул к труппе Раелиса.
Где найти: На последнем этаже Guildhall в Docks District, Athkatla
Эпилог:
Эдвин после победы стал считать себя чрезвычайно крутым магом и сумел подчинить себе группировку Красных Визардов, став их самым могущественным лидером в обозримом прошлом. Попробовал наехать на авторитета Элминстера, и, естественно, на этом его жизненный путь оборвался.
Где найти: В Government District города Athkatla
Эпилог:
Ян Янсен отбыл небольшой срок за контрабанду обезьян, после чего взялся за неё с удвоенной энергией. Вооружив стадо обезьян ножами, скинул известного бандита, хотя сам это отрицал. Впоследствии Ян женился.
Дисклеймер
Все нижеследующее является субъективным мнением автора на тему одиночного (соло) прохождения Baldur’s gate 2: Enhanced Edition и не претендует на истину в последней инстанции.
Цель данного гайда – рассказать о самой возможности одиночного прохождения этой действительно прекрасной игры. Подобное прохождение - интересный и непростой вызов каждому ценителю жанра, с лихвой окупающийся чувством удовлетворения от прохождения игры.
Гайд составлен на основе личного опыта соло-прохождения игры за разных персонажей и, следственно, не может считаться полным, а потому, если Вы заметили какие-то неточности или хотите дополнить гайд Вашими мыслями или замечаниями – оставляйте комментарии.
Хотя в сети существуют довольно качественные переводы игры на русский язык, во избежании неточности все критические термины, имена и названия даны на оргинильном языке.
Как пользоваться гайдом
Если Вы не знакомы с классами, специфику и краткое резюме по каждому из них я дам в начале раздела. Вам останется только выбрать наиболее интересный для Вас вариант и познакомиться с ключевыми особенностями его создания и использования.
Архетипы:
- Arcane – кастеры
– это маги и волшебники. Обладают внушительным арсеналом заклинаний буквально на все случаи жизни, от прямого урона молниями и вызова тварей из преисподней, до некромантии и изощренных спеллов вроде whish.
Предпочитают дистанционный бой и совершенно не годятся для боя ближнего.
Средняя сложность на старте игры и легкая прогулка ближе к концу. - Divine – кастеры
– это священики, боепопы и прочие служители высших сил. Идут в ближний бой под защитой и усилениями от огромного количества заклинаний.
Средняя сложность на старте игры и средняя сложность end game-а. - Воины
– файтеры, монахи, варвары и прочие. Очень разношерстная компания, но с общей тягой к ближнему бою. Много защиты(АС), хитов, отличный урон и богатый арсенал оружия, но слабая защита от магии (в большинстве случаев) и негативным эффектам.
Легкий старт и высокая/средняя сложность end game-а. - Разбойники
– воры, убийцы, карманники и прочие романтики с большой дороги. Для любителей ударов в спину, ловушек и тех, кто стремится исследовать контент игры по максимуму. Класс предоставляющий самые обширные возможности.
Тяжелый старт и средняя сложность end game-а.
Если Вы ранее не пробовали проходить игру в одиночку (или вообще не играли в нее, но хотите пройти ее одним персонажем), рекомендую начать знакомство с классов: Wizard, Wizard/Fighter, Cleric/Fighter или Paladin.
Ботхи - первый промежуточный босс Baldur"s Gate 2.
Назывет себя сестрой Иреникуса, но не ясно имеет ли в виду биологическое родство или говорит о схожести судеб.
В прошлом эльф, за свои злодейства была изганана и лишилась статуса и эльфийской души. Ныне вампир, руководящий тайной организацией стремящейся захватить теневую власть в городе.
Садистка, убийца и просто красавица.
По профилю - вампир, 25 уровень, CE
HP 120
AC -1
STR 24
DEX 24
CON 20
INT 15
WIS 15
CHA 14
Cold 100%
Electricity 100%
Magic 75%
Magical cold 10%
Дама агрессивная и истеричная. отлично дерется в ближнем бою, имеет 3 атаки в раунд, THACO 4 (попадает хорошо), стандатрный вампирский набор + что-то вроде domination, который пытается наложить на нашего персонажа. И, конечно, куча миньонов в придачу.
Если Вы воин - вставайте в проходе и работайте сначала по миньоном, а затем, как закончатся ее подручные, по Бодхи. Не давайте себя окружать, берите максимальную защиту и не забывайте про голову. Потеря управления над вашим персонажем - проигрыш.
Поможет rage, защита от нежити, клирический обкаст и прочее.
Если маг - работайте по площади, вызывайте саммонов в виде мечей или демонов и, возможно, Вы вообще не увидите Бодхи.
Joneleth Irenicus
Иреникус, он же Айреникус, он же глав.гад Baldur"s Gate 2, истезавший нашего протагониста в своих мрачных катакомбах, мотивируя это поисками какой-то там скрытой силы.
Вдаваться в его историю я не буду, скажу лишь что он был могущественным эльфийским магом, стремящимся стать богом. В своей жажде власти он зашел слишком далеко и был проклят и изгнан богами, своим народом и любовью всей жизни - королевой эльфов Suldanessellar.
Потеряв свою "эльфийскую душу" он начинает разрушаться, отсюда отметины на его лице и следы хирургии, и решает посветить свою жизнь мести и попыткам доказать всем (включая самого себя) свою крутость. Словом, все по учебнику психологии.
По профилю - эльф, wizard, 30 уровня, NE
HP 96
AC 0
STR 13
DEX 18
CON 14
INT 18
WIS 18
CHR 17
Сражается магией. Это стандартный набор спеллов начиная от маг.ракет, MS и прочих direct damage спеллов и заканчивая стандартными TS + много обкаста.
+ форма Slayer, что делает его относительно неплохим воином и миньоны демоны.
Впрочем, несмотря на все это, врят ли его убийство будет ли Вас сложной задачей. К моменту завершения игры Вы, скорей всего, уже перевалите порог 20-ого уровня и будете одеты в лучшие вещи в игре, и встреча с ним, будет проще чем бой с twisted ruins или с его сумасшедшей сестрой.
Пара слов об Enhanced edition
Серии baldur"s gate более 15-лет, так что нет ничего удивительного, что ее решили обновить и, прости господи, подкрасить в переиздании Enhanced edition.
Хорошо это вышло или нет - пусть каждый решит для себя (из тех конечно, кто помнит как выглядит оригинал), я хочу лишь рассказать о некоторых важных изменениях, которые так или иначе относятся к теме одиночного прохождения этой игры.
Если Вы посчитаете важным добавить что-то, что я упустил - дайте знать.
Возможность создавать партии с нуля
Да, теперь у нас, как в серии icewind dale, есть возможность заранее создать партию манчкинов и, дав им имена, "Mage", "Cleric/Fighter", "Blackguard", "Theif" уничтожить все живое. Конечно, ни о каком отыгрыши и внутрипартийных отношений речи не идет, но пройти игру будет значительно-значительно проще.
Еcли у Вас не получается пройти игру одном персонажем или Вы просто хотите попробовать несколько разных комбинаций, сделайте команду по своему вкусу.
Advanced AI
Интересное новшество. Это, по-сути, продвинутый искусственный интеллект сопартийцев. Которые теперь сами решают каким оружием им пользоваться, кого атаковать, какие заклинания использовать и так далее.
Если играете от одного персонажа, советую отключить эту функцию как можно скорее, иначе Ваш персонаж начнет творить невероятно глупые вещи. Сделать это можно в окне статистики (record), кнопка customize,а затем scripts.
Если играете с группой, Вы новчиок или по каким-то причинам не хотите особенно заморачиваться - оставляйте. Хотя в этом случае лучше ставьте story mode.
Уровни сложности
Лично я никогда не видел смысла ставить сложность отличную от core rules, которые играются по правилам 2.5 редакции DnD. Все что распологается выше или ниже - это уже изменение базовых правил (читай математики и удачи). Сделать из игры Dark Souls все равно не выйдет, а вот извратить те правила, по которым функционирует мир - легко.
Впрочем, для тех кто собирает ачивки, разрабы приготовили парочку, если Вы пройдете игру на сложном или невозможном уровне.
Ну, и, конечно, так называемый story mode или "пройди игру без паузы". Что это я, честно гвооря, не смотрел, но если Вы хотите легкой и ненапряжной игры - стоит попробовать.
Ачивки
Их, я уверен, ждали многие. Порядка 100 ачивок в BG2 и BG2TOB (одна из которых на соло прохождение).
Большинство получите по ходу прохождения сюжета, часть связана с убийством ключевых монстров (о них я написал выше) и получением/достижением определенных показателей (Lore, Hit points etc).
В одиночном прохождении получить все будет довольно сложно, так что если Вас интересует именно эта часть игры, лучше проходите командой.
Полный список ачивок можно найти хотябы
Новые классы
Их в последнем адпейте 1.5. Есть кит клерика, но он, по сути, мало чем отличается от остальных, так что осатется на откуп ролевикам, а вот второй - shaman (шаман), это уже новый полноценный класс со своими уникальными вещами и способностями.
Шаман - этакий sorcerer от мира друидов. Он также заучивает заклинания раз и навсегда, но пользуется списком заклинаний друидов. Помимо него имеет несколько уникальных спеллов(защитные и усиливающие) и собственную уникальную механику - призыв духов.
Пока мы танцуем (не можем двигаться и атаковать), у нас есть шанс вызвать бесплатного духа или нескольких к себе на помощь, самый крутой из которых air elemental, что...не круто.
Для одиночного прохождения, если уж Вы хотите поиграть друидом, лучше выбрать оборотня или кит avenger.
Заключение
На этом завершается наш экскурс в мир одиночного прохождения Baldur"s Gate 2:EE.
Получилось довольно обширно и, местами, излишне подробно, но сказать хотелось многое.
Baldur"s Gate действительно прекрасная серия, наравне с planescape torment и серией fallout, ставшая культовой для целого поколения игроков. Прекрасный ролевой мир, интересная история, продуманная механика и простор для отыгрыша все это то, что сделало ее одним из лучших творений легендарной BioWare.
Мне остается только пожелать Вам удачи на просторах Фаеруна в сражениях за свое наследние.
Belm
2) Silver Hilt
(дропается с Kruin в 6 Главе, мимо не пройдете, он потребует у Вас Silver Blade);
3) 7.500 GP
Silver Sword
, Двуручный меч +3
1) Pommel Jewel of the Equalizer
(получится в самом начале, на первом уровне Лабы Иреникуса);
2) Blade of the Equalizer
(дропается с Elder Orb в Подземелье Бехолдеров в Underdark);
3) Hilt of the Equalizer
(найдете в Подземелье Иллитидов в Underdark);
4) 7.500 GP
The Equalizer
, Длинный меч +3/+4
A complete list of the fascinating cast of characters that can join you
on your adventures in Baldur"s Gate II: Shadows of Amn and Throne of
Bhaal. In this guide, you"ll read where you can find them, how good they
are, what quests are related to them, and how they will react to the
other characters, including you. Note that unlike in BG1, all
of the characters will occasionally banter with unique dialogue, even if I did not note any special interactions on this page.
NOTE: If this is your first time playing a Baldur"s Gate game, I highly
recommend reading my Beginner"s Guide to
Baldur"s Gate !
The characters:
- Customizing Portraits
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Customizing Portraits
Find Aerie appealing but wish she had less junk hanging in her hair? Think
Edwin"s
portrait looks totally whacked-out and prefer the far cooler BG1 version?
ME TOO! Well, now you can do something about it! Just follow these steps:
1: Create new portraits for the character you wish to change, using the
normal BG2 portrait sizes (one large and one small). Now save them as
bitmaps. Unfortunately, the filenames in BG2 can be a bit more confusing
than the ones found in BG1. In order to help you, I"ve provided the
filenames of the Large and Small portrait files below each character"s
portrait in this guide. Hope this helps!
2: Once you"re done, move these files into your game"s OVERRIDE folder. That"s all there is to
it! Next time you play, your new portrait should show up in place of their
old one!
NIMOENL.bmp
NIMOENS.bmp
Voiced by
: Melissa Disney
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IMOEN
Gender: Female
Race: Human
Alignment: Neutral Good
Strength: 9
Dexterity: 18
Constitution: 16
Intelligence: 17
Wisdom: 11
Charisma: 16
What I think of her:
Imoen is basically one of the main characters of the Baldur"s Gate
series, and if this were a newer BioWare game like KotOR, Jade Empire,
or Mass Effect, they would probably just force you to drag her around
with you everywhere you go. Thankfully, it is not, so you can be rid of
her if you so desire. It
might be a good idea to keep her around during your first play-through
of the game, since she"s pretty important to the story, but after that
you can feel free to play without her. Another interesting fact is that
I think Imoen will remain with you even if you are evil, despite being Neutral Good.
Where to find her:
She walks right up and joins your party as soon as the game begins.
However, she won"t be with you for long (not yet, at least). So do not make her memorize any spell scrolls unless you just
want the XP from it, because you will lose her and any spells she
memorized once you leave the dungeon. Don"t worry, you"ll get her back
for keeps later, once you rescue her from Spellhold. Then you can make her memorize whatever you
like.
Side-Quests:
Just the main plot. Interaction:
YOU: Imoen mostly interacts with you. She is like your guide throughout
the game, a sister that sticks with you through thick and thin, often
explaining things to you.
Sarevok: In Throne of Bhaal, Imoen can give up part of her soul to
resurrect Sarevok if you"re too much of a chicken to do it yourself. She
won"t like him much if you keep him in the party though.
Nalia: If you"re crazy enough to keep two characters who are both female
human mage/thieves with you through the entire game and into Throne of
Bhaal, they will suddenly realize how much they have in common and
declare themselves "archmages" together.
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NMINSCL.bmp
NMINSCS.bmp
Voiced by:
Jim Cummings
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MINSC
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Class: Ranger (can go berserk)
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Strength: 18/93
Dexterity: 16
Constitution: 16
Intelligence: 8
Wisdom: 6
Charisma: 9
What I think of him:
Minsc is basically the most popular, enduring, and easily-recognizable
character in the entire Baldur"s Gate series. He is a ranger who, strangely enough, can go
berserk, and his animal companion is a small hamster named Boo. He is also very strong. Because of all this, he is quite
useful, not to mention funny.
Where you find him:
He is trapped in a nearby cage when you first start the game. Provoke him, and he"ll go berserk and break free. Then he will join your group.
Side-Quests:
None that I know of, but a little boy will talk to him in the Government
District of Athkatla and start the Umar Hills quest, which he will want
you to complete. It"s not really related to him though. Interaction:
Aerie: Since his "witch," Dynaheir, is dead, Minsc takes Aerie on as his
new one. After he accepts her as his witch to protect, he will go berserk if you
let her die during a battle. Watch out.
Edwin: Edwin sought Dynaheir"s death in the first Baldur"s Gate game,
and Minsc still hates him
for it. They will eventually come to blows if you keep them in the same
group. If you keep them together
long enough, however, Minsc has some funny comments to make after Edwin
gains his "nether scroll."
Jan: The silly little gnome has some of the funniest interactions with Minsc. He covets cuddly little Boo, and often tries to steal him. Of
course, Minsc doesn"t like this.
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NJAHEIRL.bmp
NJAHEIRS.bmp
Voiced by:
Heidi Shannon
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Gender: Female
Race: Half-Elf
Class: Fighter/Druid (Multi-Classed, can Raise Dead unlike most Druids)
Alignment: True Neutral
Strength: 15
Dexterity: 17
Constitution: 17
Intelligence: 10
Wisdom: 14
Charisma: 15
What I think of her:
In the loathsome excuses for novelizations of the Baldur"s Gate series
(I do NOT recommend reading them), Jaheira"s husband Khalid ended up
dead, and the player fell in love with her. In BG2, this is possible in
the actual game. Her romance is one of the longest and most complex, but because of this, it is also very buggy and will sometimes break. Still, you can always keep her around if you need a
decent fighter with healing powers, as her extra ability to Raise Dead
("Harper Call," unavailable to most druids) makes her almost as good as
a cleric.
Where you find her:
You"ll pick up Jaheira in the cage right next to Minsc"s. Just get the
key on the table in the room with the stone golem and open the door.
She"ll talk to you and join.
Side-Quests:
Jaheira has a boatload of side-quests related to the Harpers and to your
romantic relationship with her (if you"re male), perhaps more than any
other character in the game. First, when you are
ambushed by bandits in the streets of Athkatla, take the dying man to the docks like he wants. Then do the
quest for Xzar the mad wizard and the Harpers, also in the Docks. Later, you must rest
somewhere in the wilderness (outside Athkatla) and be attacked by
bandits. They will hold up Jaheira, but don"t let them slit her throat.
Be heroic. Jaheira will be called away by a messenger soon afterwards.
Rest again and she will return in the night, telling you that she needs
to take you to the Harper Hold in the Docks again. Go there and be
interrogated. Then, when things go sour, start fighting. Once that"s
over, go wander around in the wilderness again until you meet another
Harper. You will meet several more harpers like this until Jaheira
finally disappears one time when you rest. She leaves a note saying not
to follow her, but do it anyway. You"ll find her in the Harper Hold
again, and you"ll have to fight some more Harpers later. Then, finally, an
old Harper meets you and asks Jaheira if she thinks she did the right
thing by giving up her Harper heritage for the favor of a bhaalspawn
like you. She"ll say yes, and he"ll give her a Harper Pin. Now Jaheira is
free. If you ever think the
romance has ended because she left the party, enter this code in the
debug (cheat code menu, see my BG2 codes section) menu to get it running
again: CLUAConsole:SetGlobal("JaheiraRomanceActive", "GLOBALS", 1). If
you set it to 2, then you may miss some dialogue. But BE WARNED: this romance is
complicated, and messes up sometimes. In fact, I have never even gotten
it to work perfectly myself. You may wish to seek help on a support forum if it seems to have broken. Interactions:
YOU: If you"re a male human, elf, or half-elf, you may romance Jaheira. But the romance is very
complicated. See Side-Quests above.
Korgan: These two really hate each other, and their banter can be quite entertaining, as they are both skilled at insults.
Cernd: Jaheira is inferior to Cernd in druidic ranking, so she respects
him.
Nalia, Aerie, Edwin, Anomen, and Keldorn: Jaheira thinks they"re all
fools, really. She puts them in her list of people to berate. Typical
Harper.
Haer"Dalis: Being both sharp of tongue, Haer"Dalis and Jaheira like to
match wits and spar with insults. I get the feeling that they actually
like each other, though they express it by trying to drive one another
crazy.
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NYOSHIML.bmp
NYOSHIMS.bmp
Voiced by:
Maurice LaMarche
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Gender: Male
Race: Human
Class: Bounty Hunter (thief)
Alignment: True Neutral
Strength: 17
Dexterity: 18
Constitution: 16
Intelligence: 13
Wisdom: 10
Charisma: 14
What I think of him:
Yoshimo is pretty cool. Once you get him, keep him for as long as you
can, at least on your first play through the game. He is the ONLY
pure-class thief, and the only one besides Jan that actually levels up
as a thief, and therefore he is VERY useful. He also has a lot of
information to say and has a role in the main story if you keep him
around. As a bounty hunter, his skill with traps is also quite useful.
Where to find him:
You"ll get Yoshimo as soon as you use the portal to get to the second
level of Jon Irenicus"s dunegon. You can"t miss him.
Side-Quests:
As I said,
Yoshimo has a lot to do with the main plot if you keep him around, which
I would recommend doing in at least your first play through the game. Also, the first time you visit the Docks, he"ll
ask you to visit Renal Bloodscalp, which starts the quest to acquire the
thief stronghold. If you"re a thief, you"ll want to do this. Yoshimo
isn"t necessary to complete it though. Interactions:
YOU: Yoshimo isn"t a love interest, but he practically takes the place
of Imoen for a while, giving you hints and tips and explaining things.
He knows much about Amn.
Haer"Dalis: The tiefling bard senses that something is amiss about
Yoshimo, and is very suspicious of him. Despite Yoshimo"s best efforts
to make peace, they just don"t get along very well.
Edwin: Yoshimo ridicules and teases Edwin, especially after he gets his
"Nether Scroll".
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NAERIEL.bmp
NAERIES.bmp
Voiced by:
Kath Soucie
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AERIE
Gender: Female
Race: Winged Elf (an Avariel
who lost her wings)
Class: Cleric / Mage (Multi-classed)
Alignment: Lawful Good
Strength: 10
Dexterity: 17
Constitution: 9
Intelligence: 16
Wisdom: 16
Charisma: 14
What I think of her:
Aerie is the nicest party member you"ll ever recruit. Naive and innocent, she"s nice to just about everyone. She can romance a male human, elf, half-elf, or possibly gnome protagonist. Some players find her romance whiny and annoying, but at least she appreciates you from the beginning, unlike the other romances. Also, there is the potential for an entertaining love triangle if you have Haer"Dalis in the party. Even though she can be hard to use in combat, she is an interesting character to have around because of her high number of interactions with other characters. I highly recommend giving her a try, personally.
Where to find her:
Once you leave Jon Irenicus"s dungeon at the beginning of the game, go
directly south and you"ll find a large circus tent. The guard at the
front will tell you what"s going on. Tell him you"ll help, and he"ll let
you inside. You"ll find Aerie in the central domed building insdie, though she looks like an ogre
at first because of an illusion. At one side of the room are some
commoners that are actually orcs. Kill them and bring the sword they"re
carrying to Aerie. She turns into an elf like she should be. Then you can ask
her to join your party.
Side-Quests:
If you keep Aerie around for long enough, she will be approached by a
gnome from the circus, who tells her that Quayle needs help. Go back to
the circus and talk to Quayle. He"ll tell you that
a friend of his needs help. If you do what he says, it will eventually
lead to getting Haer"Dalis in your party. I think the reason that they
put this in here was so that you WOULD get him and experience the love
triangle. So get him to join, since the love triangle is kind of fun.
Also, here is a tip for Aerie"s romance: definitely tell her that she
does NOT have to sleep with you until she is good and ready. If you
sleep with her too quickly, she will feel like you took advantage of
her, and the romance will end. In Throne of Bhaal, you can actually
have a child with her, although it"s a rather awkward affair to say the
least (despite some funny commentary by the other party members). Interactions:
YOU: Aerie is a romantic option for a male human, elf, half-elf, or possibly gnome.
Minsc: Minsc will eventually take Aerie on as his "witch" to replace
Dynahier, and he will then go berserk if you let her die in a fight. It
seems that a lot of NPCs really like Aerie.
Haer"Dalis: Haer"Dalis finds Aerie very attractive, and he will have a
full-blown romance with her. If she dies during their fling, he will
leave the party and turn hostile. If you love Aerie too, however, he
will eventually challenge you to a duel for her affections. Aerie will not like it if you choose to fight.
Cernd: If they have the right conversation before visiting the druid
grove, Cernd will give Aerie a tour of the place, though you may have
invoke this with the Ctrl+I code.
Anomen: If he fails his knight test and becomes Chaotic Neutral, Anomen
will grow to resent Aerie"s goodness and innocence. He will try to hurt
her, and then she will become afraid of him, sometimes running away if
he gets too close.
Viconia and Korgan: These are the only two people that Aerie makes no
effort to pretend she likes. She hates and fears both of them, and they
do not work well together. She doesn"t like drow and despises everything
about Korgan.
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NNALIAL.bmp
NNALIAS.bmp
Voiced by:
Grey DeLisle
|
NALIA
Gender: Female
Race: Human
Class: Thief / Mage (Dual-classed)
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Strength: 14
Dexterity: 18
Constitution: 16
Intelligence: 17
Wisdom: 9
Charisma: 13
What I think of her:
Nalia is pretty useful if you want to grab a replacement for Imoen when
she gets captured by Irenicus. Why? Because Nalia is a human female
mage/thief EXACTLY like Imoen! This makes her quite useful if you"re
playing a good character and Imoen is no longer available. Nalia also
has a lot to do with the De"Arnise Keep, the stronghold you can gain
possession of if you"re a fighter-type character.
Where to find her:
Just go in the Copper Coronet tavern and she"ll walk up and ask
for your help. If you can"t take her with you immediately, she"ll wait
for you at her family"s keep, which is added to your map.
Side-Quests:
She wants you to free the De"Arnise Keep, her castle, from a troll
invasion. If you"re a fighter type of character (fighter, barbarian, or monk), you"ll want to do this anyway, as Nalia
will then grant you command of the castle. A while
after you"ve done that, she"ll be called off to attend her father"s
funeral. Go to the Graveyard district and talk to everyone you meet at
the funeral. You will be approached by some foppish nobleman, Isaea
Roenall, who will threaten you and Nalia. Later, this noble will return
and have Nalia arrested. Some guy will walk up and suggest how you can
get her back. Go to the docks and find a guy named Barg standing around
in the street. Talk to him and get him to reveal who he"s working for.
He"ll tell you about Officer Dirth. Go to the Sea"s Bounty, the nearby
tavern in the Docks District, and talk to Officer Dirth, who"s standing
next to the bar. Kill him, and take the evidence off his
corpse. Next go to the Goverment District. Look on
your map for the building called the Roenall building. Go inside and
raid the place, taking everything. Then leave and go into the main
government building, which isn"t far away, and talk to Corgeig Axehand,
showing him all your evidence. He"ll let you have Nalia back. Interactions:
Imoen: If you"re crazy enough to keep two characters who are both female
human mage/thieves with you through the entire game and into Throne of
Bhaal, they will suddenly realize how much they have in common and
declare themselves "archmages" together.
Korgan and Jaheira: Both of these characters find Nalia rather pitiful
and will belittle her ambitions.
Anomen and Keldorn: Nalia has little respect for the Most Noble Order of
the Radiant Heart, which Anomen and Keldorn are members of. So they
don"t get along.
|
Voiced by:
Bill Martin
|
Gender: Male
Race: Dwarf
Class: Fighter (Berserker)
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Strength: 18/77
Dexterity: 15
Constitution: 19
Intelligence: 12
Wisdom: 9
Charisma: 7
What I think of him:
Korgan is one of my favorite characters. He is one of the best fighters
in the game and is hilariously funny with his dirty mouth and bad
attitude. Just don"t get too high of a reputation (18 or ablove) or he"ll leave
permanently, being evil and all.
Where to find him:
Just go in the Copper Coronet tavern and talk to the dwarf in red and
black standing next to the little fighting ring at the front. He"ll tell
you a long-winded tale and ask for your help. Tell him you would love to
help, and then he"ll join.
Side-Quests:
Korgan wants you to find him the Book of Kaza, which is in a tomb in the
Graveyard district. Go there and enter the pyramid-shaped tomb at the
far right of the map. Once you"re inside, go to the main spider-web area
in the middle of the tomb and head south. Korgan will tell you when you
find the right tomb. Enter and get ready for a fight. Watch for traps
and LOTS of undead. Eventually you"ll reach the right tomb and Korgan
will tell you that it has been looted already. His former comrades
already took the book. Now leave the tomb and go to the Temple district
of Athkatla. Enter Pimlico"s estate (look on your map to find it).
Korgan says that his former buddies beat you here as well. Go inside
anyway. Bring your character and Korgan into the bedroom containing the
dead nobleman. He"ll say "It looks like me former comrades have painted
Pimlico"s finery with his innards!" Raid the house and then leave and go
to the Slums. Climb the stairs to the roof of the Copper Coronet. Korgan
will spot his old buddies, Shagbag, Crazyface, and Scrooloose. Then the fight will start. Once you"ve killed them, Korgan
will express his gratitude and tell you to take the book and sell it for
your reward.
Interactions:
Jaheira: Korgan loves to argue with Jaheira, and the two of them hate
each other. It is amusing to keep them together in the same party.
Mazzy: Korgan finds himself attracted to Mazzy the halfling, and, even
though they are of totally opposite alignments, he tries to woo her. At
first she hates him, but eventually he has a surprising amount of
success.
Nalia and Aerie: Korgan hates weaklings, and Nalia and Aerie are both
weak and fragile. Nalia, however, can take his insults better than
Aerie. Aerie HATES him and doesn"t mind telling you that you really need
to get rid of him.
Edwin and Viconia: It would seem that the game designers realized that
people would want to be evil and, therefore, want to have all the three
evil characters in their party. This is why Viconia, Edwin, and Korgan
will sometimes talk amongst themselves on occasion, like when you are
talking to the head deep gnome, Goldander, in the Underdark.
|
Voiced by:
Rob Paulsen
|
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Class: Fighter / Cleric (Dual-classed)
Alignment: Lawful Neutral (later Lawful Good or Chaotic Neutral)
Strength: 18/52
Dexterity: 10
Constitution: 16
Intelligence: 10
Wisdom: 12 (increases to 16 if he is knighted)
Charisma: 13
What I think of him:
Anomen is a rather arrogant and annoying character, but for some reason
he is the only romance interest available if you"re female. So if you"re
playing a girl, you might as well pick him up for the conversation. At
first, he"s a rather terrible cleric and a mediocre fighter, but it"s
possible to improve him (see Side-Quests).
Where to find him:
Just go in the Copper Coronet tavern and walk straight north. You"ll be
interrupted by an armored dude, which is him. He"ll ask you if you"re
good or evil. Answer good (even if you aren"t) and he"ll offer to join.
Side-Quests:
Keep Anomen around long enough, and some guy will walk up and tell him
his sister"s been murdered. Go to the Government district and enter his
family home, the Delryn estate. His father is a real creep and tries to
convince him to get revenge for his sister. Here, the quest splits, so
I"ll present both courses of action and their outcomes:
If you"re a good guy, tell Anomen
that revenge is wrong, and stop him from doing it NO matter what! He
will ask you to talk to Bylanna in the main government
building, though it doesn"t really solve anything. Even after this
disappointment, hold your ground and tell Anomen
not to seek vengeance. He will berate his father and leave. A few in-game days later, a guy will ask Anomen
to return to the Order of the Radiant Heart. Go to the Temple district
and enter the Radiant Heart building. Anomen will be judged by the
Order. If you convinced him NOT to get revenge, then he is knighted,
which changes his alignment to Lawful Good, increases his wisdom to 16, and
changes his name to Sir Anomen. He"ll be more useful and less of a jerk
from now on. Then just talk to Sir Ryan Trawl and leave. This is also
the best course of action if you want to have the Anomen romance. If you
do, Anomen will later try to get revenge on his own. You have to follow
him to the big estate in the middle of the Bridge District and stop him,
telling him you love him and all that drivel. After that he"ll be a
happy camper, and in Throne of Bhaal, he will ask you to marry him.
The
other course of action is, after speaking with his father, to help Anomen get his revenge. I don"t
recommend doing it if you plan to keep him around for a considerable
length of the game, but it"s fun to try if you"re an evil character who
plans to replace him later. After telling him that revenge is the best course
of action, head to the Bridge District and enter the huge building in
the very center. After slaughtering everyone inside, return to Anomen"s
father and tell him what you"ve done. Anomen doesn"t seem entirely happy
with it, and rightfully so - when he is called back to the Order of the
Radiant Heart building in the Temple district to be knighted, he is
pronounced a FAILURE and does not recieve knighthood. His alignment changes
to Chaotic Neutral, making him even MORE of a jerk and leaving his
wisdom in the pits. Interactions:
YOU: Anomen is the only female romantic option. If you"re a female human, elf, or half-elf, grab
Anomen. Also, it"s better to get him knighted.
Keldorn: The older paladin is Anomen"s superior in the Order of the
Radiant Heart, but Ano doesn"t show him much respect... though he will
apologize after he is knighted.
Aerie: If Anomen fails his test, he will try to hurt Aerie, resenting
her goodness and innocence.
Jan and Haer"Dalis: Anomen is purely Lawful, and both Jan and Haer"Dalis,
who are Chaotic Neutral, tease him and ridicule him. Jan"s comments are
particularly funny.
Edwin: Anomen has some funny comments to make after Edwin gains his
"nether scroll."
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NJANL.bmp
NJANS.bmp
Voiced by:
Jack Roth
|
JAN
Gender: Male
Race: Gnome
Class: Thief / Mage (Illusionist) (Multi-classed)
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Strength: 9
Dexterity: 17
Constitution: 15
Intelligence: 16
Wisdom: 14
Charisma: 10
What I think of him:
Jan Jansen is funny AND useful. He is the only thief besides Yoshimo
that you can level up steadily in the thief class throughout the game,
and he is also an effective mage. He is also totally insane, obsessed
with things like turnips and griffins and the family stories of distant
gnomish relatives. A great addition to any party, since he"s one of the
few useful characters who will join and stick around even if you
are evil.
Where to find him:
Go to the Government district and head south. You"ll find him standing
beside a tree, selling Flashers. Tell him you"re interested and listen
to his rant. A nobleman will approach and accuse him of selling illegal
merchandise. If you tell the noble that you and Jan were just chatting
about the weather, then he"ll leave and Jan will join the party. If you
tell him the truth (you Lawful jerk) then Jan will be arrested and taken
to prison (also in the Government district). You can then go to the
prison and pay for his release, and have him join the party anyway.
Side-Quests:
If you keep Jan around, he"ll be called off to help his relatives in the
Jansen home in the Slums. Go there and go upstairs. Jan will have a chat
with his old girlfriend, Lissa. You find out that her daughter is sick
and dying. Jan leaves the party to tend to the sick gnome, and asks you
to fetch cures for her. First go downstairs twice until you reach Jan"s turnip
cellar, and talk to the old gnome in the corner (watch out, he"s totally
batty). Once you"ve learned all you can from him, return to Jan. He"ll
tell you what to do. Next go to the Government district and head to the Jysstev estate. Convince the butler that you"re here on business and
talk to Lady Jysstev. She"ll tell you about the Hidden and the
Enlightened Ones, yadda yadda. Go to the Slums, enter the Copper
Coronet, talk to the shifty proprietor, and ask him about "other
entertainment." He"ll give you permission to enter the back rooms. Go
through the door beside where Anomen is (or was) standing and head
straight down the hall in front of you. A cutoff on your right will lead
down to the sewers. Have a look around until you find the Hidden guy.
Talk to him and he"ll tell you to kill some people for him in exchange
for his help. Go to the Bridge District and head to the upstairs of the
Five Flagons inn. There are two Githyanki hiding out in one of the
rooms. Put them out of their misery and then go back to the sewers and
tell the Hidden about it. He"ll reveal his true identity and then heal
the girl. Go back to Jan"s house and he"ll rejoin. Downstairs he"ll have
a confrontation with some dwarves. Agree to help him and he"ll stick
around. Disappointingly, the conflict with Lissa"s dwarf husband is
never truly completed, at least not that I"ve encountered. Interactions:
Minsc: The silly little gnome, Jan, has one of the funniest interactions
with Minsc. He covets cuddly little Boo, and often tries to steal him.
Of course, Minsc doesn"t like this.
Mazzy and Anomen: Jan doesn"t get along well with Lawful aligned
characters, especially Anomen, whom he calls "Ano," and Mazzy... though
he doesn"t mind Aerie.
Viconia: Jan has a very funny conversation with Viconia about his
encounter with the Drow.
Valygar: Valygar is the only person in the Realms who seems to
have the ability to shut Jan Jansen up. Just keep them both in the party
together and they"ll start arguing.
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NVICONL.bmp
NVICONS.bmp
Voiced by:
Grey DeLisle
|
Gender: Female
Race: Dark Elf (Drow)
Class: Cleric
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Strength: 10
Dexterity: 19
Constitution: 8
Intelligence: 16
Wisdom: 18
Charisma: 14
What I think of her:
Viconia is probably the most popular romance available for a male
character, for obvious reasons. She"s evil and cruel, but seductive and has the most attractive portrait in the game. Viconia is a great cleric for spellcasting purposes, but she
is too weak to be a good fighter. I suggest arming her with a sling, and
increasing her strength with an item if at all possible.
Where to find her:
Go to the Government district and head to the prison. A mob outside will
be about to burn Viconia alive because she"s a drow. Cut her down and
kill the fanatics. She"ll then offer to join. Warning: since she"s a drow, having
her in the party lowers your reputation by two points.
Side-Quests:
All of Viconia"s side-quests are related to her romance. In Shadows of
Amn, it may seem like the romance ends after you sleep with her, but it
will still carry over into the expansion. In Throne of Bhaal, you can
get her alignment to switch to Good, although it"s hard (it never worked
right for me). Supposedly, here"s what you have to do: The first time
she wants to sleep with you again, turn her down "because the time isn"t
right." Later she"ll ask what you think of her, and you should respond
in a nice way. When she asks what it"s like being a Bhaalspawn, you have
to say that you don"t enjoy the murder part. You have to make sure that
at least ONE romance conversation occurs between meeting her
wraith-brother (each romance interest meets a different wraith at this
point in the game, and Viconia"s is her brother) and the destruction of
Saradush by the giants. After the battle there, she will ask what you
think of the destruction. If you answer no, she"ll ask if you would like
her to change. Say yes, and she will switch to a good alignment. It
should be noted, however, that Viconia"s story ends rather sadly in the
finishing text scroll if you decide to keep her as your love interest
and remain a mortal at the end of the series.
Interactions:
YOU: Viconia can have a romantic relationship with you. See above for
details.
Keldorn: Having a paladin and an evil drow in the same party is a
formula for disaster. Eventually, Viconia and Keldorn will have a duel.
One will end up dead and the other will stick around.
Aerie: Viconia hates Aerie"s goodness and weakness, and they don"t get
along. But two available romantic relationships never get along. Jaheira,
Aerie, and Viconia will always fight... over you.
Edwin and Korgan: It would seem that the game designers realized that
people would want to be evil and, therefore, want to have all the three
evil characters in their party. This is why Viconia, Edwin, and Korgan
will sometimes talk amongst themselves on occasion, like when you are
talking to the head deep gnome, Goldander, in the Underdark.
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NKELDORL.bmp
NKELDORS.bmp
Voiced by:
Roger L. Jackson
|
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Class: Paladin (Inquisitor)
Alignment: Lawful Good
Strength: 17
Dexterity: 9
Constitution: 17
Intelligence: 12
Wisdom: 16
Charisma: 18
What I think of him:
Of all the characters who can join your party in Baldur"s Gate II:
Shadows of Amn, the grizzled old paladin Keldorn is THE BEST as far as
combat goes. If you follow the quests in the Temple District where you
meet him, you"ll eventually find the Gauntlets of Dexterity on a zombie
leader, and these will fix Keldorn"s only stat failing. Later if you
give him Carsomyr the Holy Avenger (only usable by paladins) from the
stomach of the red dragon, Keldorn becomes practically unstoppable. He"s
actually a strong enough character to probably finish the whole game
solo if he wanted.
Where to find him:
Go to the Temple district and listen to the mob rant about the Unseeing
Eye. After that, go to the Temple of Helm and agree to help the high
priest get rid of the cult in the sewers. Go to the sewers (any grate in
the temple district will lead there) and head to the far right side of
the map. Keldorn is there (a little to the north). He"ll join up if you
tell him why you"re there. If you follow through with the quest, you
should find some Gauntlets of Dexterity on a zombie leader that will fix
Keldorn"s only bad stat.
Side-Quests:
Not counting the Temple District main quest, there is another side-quest
related to the veteran paladin.
If you go to the Government district, Keldorn will ask you to visit his
house. Go there (the Firecam estate) and talk to his wife. He finds out
that she"s been cheating on him. Go to Waukeen"s Promenade and enter the
Mithrest Inn. Talk to Sir William. Keldorn threatens to kill him, but is
convinced not to. Then go back to Keldorn"s house and talk to his wife
again. You can choose to let him remain with his family for a day, force
him to stay in the party with you, or let him go for good. The best
compromise is to let him stay there for a day, but naturally the
happiest ending for the knight himself is to allow him to remain with
his wife and live out the rest of his days as a family man. If you let
him go for good, however, you"ll never get him back. Make your choice.
Interactions:
Anomen: Keldorn is Anomen"s superior in the Most Noble Order of the
Radiant Heart, but Anomen won"t pay Keldorn much respect unless you get
him knighted as Sir Anomen.
Viconia: Having a paladin and an evil drow in the same party is a
formula for disaster. Eventually, Viconia and Keldorn will have a duel.
One will end up dead and the other will stick around.
Korgan: I found it a little bit interesting that, if you have Korgan and
Keldorn in the party, Keldorn will make a comment to you on how he does
appreciate Korgan"s battle prowess, even though he"s evil.
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NHAERL.bmp
NHAERS.bmp
Voiced by:
Michael Bell
|
HAER"DALIS
Gender: Male
Race: Tiefling (a guy with a little demonic blood in his veins)
Class: Bard (Blade)
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Strength: 17
Dexterity: 17
Constitution: 9
Intelligence: 15
Wisdom: 13
Charisma: 16
What I think of him:
I don"t really like Haer"Dalis. He"s not that great of a character, and I"ve never had much luck with the "Blade" specialty class of Bard anyway. It turns him from a good bard into a cruddy bard/fighter, it seems to me. However, he is fun to keep around for a while if you are romancing Aerie, so you can experience the love triangle storyline.
Where to find him:
Go to the Bridge District and enter the Five Flagons Inn. Go downstairs
and watch the play, then talk to the woman in the back to get the quest
to save Haer"Dalis. He can be found in a special hidden area of the
sewers (enterable in the Temple district). You have to save him from a
mage by either killing the mage or performing a task for him. It"s up to
you. Afterward you must finish the whole bard quest, but I"m sure you
can figure that out.
Side-Quests:
Haer"Dalis is involved in only one quest that I know of... the one
you must do to get him. You can follow it through and figure it out
yourself, I"m sure.
Interactions:
Aerie: As I said, Haer"Dalis likes Aerie (like almost everyone else) and
he"ll flirt with her at the same time she"s flirting with you. For more
info on this, read the Aerie Interactions section above.
Jaheira: Haer"Dalis and Jaheira will occasionally exchange jabs
verbally, matching their wits and skill with words. It can be slightly
entertaining, at least.
Yoshimo: The tielfing bard senses something is amiss about Yoshimo,
though he won"t reveal much about it... You"ll find out later what he"s
hinting at.
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NEDWINL.bmp
NEDWINS.bmp
Voiced by:
Jim Meskimen
|
EDWIN
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Class: Mage (Conjurer)
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Strength: 10
Dexterity: 10
Constitution: 16
Intelligence: 18
Wisdom: 10
Charisma: 10
What I think of him:
Edwin"s stats look like crap at first. He has low strength, low
dexterity, low wisdom, and low charisma. But, if you think about it, a
mage only really needs intelligence and constitution to succeed...
Besides, Edwin has a GREAT intelligence score, plus an amulet that provides him
with extra spell
slots. On top of all this, he is the only pure-class mage in the whole
game, and he gets even more spell slots from being a Conjurer, the best type of specialist mage since the only restricted spells are the relatively useless Divination ones. Basically, he"s the best mage in the entire game.
Where to find him:
Edwin is a little hard to get... but he"s worth it. Go to the Docks and
enter the Shadow Thieves guild building. Find and speak with Renal the
Bloodscalp. Accept his quest to uncover the treacherous Shadow Thief.
Simply follow this quest to its conclusion by working for the traitor
and Edwin, until Edwin finally gets you what you"re looking for. Then
Edwin will offer to join your party.
Side-Quests:
As soon as you go to the Graveyard district with Edwin in your group, he
will start rambling about a Nether Scroll relic, hidden deep in the
catacombs underground. Go down inside the pyramidal tomb and enter the
main underground room (the spider webs). Go directly south to the same
tomb that Korgan the dwarf wanted you to raid. Fight your way past the
undead, go down the tunnel leading south, and take the first cutoff to
the right. Follow this path until you find a lich. Kill the lich and
bring Edwin to the spot where he died. Edwin will say that he found the
Nether Scroll there. Choose the FIRST response, as the game might glitch
if you choose the second. Edwin will now have the scroll, though it
won"t actually show up in his inventory. Don"t worry, he"s just keeping
it hidden from you. A few days later, Edwin will suddenly say that he
has translated part of the scroll he found. He will gain some XP. Move
along. A few MORE days later and Edwin will say he has found and decoded
a transformation spell in the scroll, which will make him more powerful.
But it isn"t what he expects... and he turns himself into a woman. Keep
him around anyway; he has some hilarious comments to make as a woman, as
do the other party members (especially Yoshimo, Anomen, and Minsc). A LONG time later, too long for my tastes, a mage
will appear (I think it only happens outside... sometimes when you rest
in the woods) and say that he is looking for Edwin. Tell him you
don"t know any Edwin. He won"t recognize Edwin in your party because he
looks like a woman now. Not too long after that, the mage will return,
accuse you of lying, turn Edwin back to his normal self, and then
attack. Kill the hostile wizard, and Edwin will remain in your group.
Interactions:
Minsc: If you keep Edwin and Minsc in the same group for too long,
they"ll eventually try to kill each other. Unless you"ve really upgraded
him, Edwin usually ends up dead. Minsc also has some funny things to say
when Edwin turns into a woman.
Yoshimo and Anomen: These guys have some of the most hilarious comments
to make when Edwin becomes female.
Viconia and Korgan: Evil people should stick together... You"ll find
that the game programmers incorporated lots of comment conversations
that include all three evil characters.
Valygar: Edwin and Valygar don"t get along because Valygar hates mages,
and Edwin personifies everything he loathes about them.
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NCERNDL.bmp
NCERNDS.bmp
Voiced by:
Jason Marsden
|
CERND
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Class: Druid (Shapeshifter)
Alignment: True Neutral
Strength: 13
Dexterity: 9
Constitution: 13
Intelligence: 12
Wisdom: 18
Charisma: 13
What I think of him:
Cernd is a pretty solid druid. He has high wisdom, and for combat, he can transform into a werewolf. The werewolf form is not as effective as it should be, however. There are mods that can improve it, although they actually make it a little over-powered. Cernd"s comments aren"t all that entertaining... He"s pretty stoic and doesn"t have a lot to say.
Where to find him:
In order to find Cernd, you first must go to the City Gates and talk to
the commoner standing in the middle of the street. He"ll give you a
quest and add Trademeet to your world map. Go to the town of Trademeet
and find and talk to the mayor. Accept his mission and go downstairs to
find Cernd in a prison cell. He"ll join up to help free the druid grove.
Side-Quests:
Besides the druid grove quest, there is another quest you must do for
Cernd if you keep him around. When you go back to Athkatla after
liberating the Trademeet grove, you"ll be approached by some commoner
that knew Cernd a long time ago. The two of them exchange banter. Then
Cernd asks you to go to his former home, which is in Waukeen"s
Promenade. You"ll see it on your map when you get there. Go inside and
you"ll find some hobo living there, who tells you a little info.
Exit and go up a little higher to Galia"s abode. Talk to the woman
inside. She"ll argue with Cernd about his family problems. Make Cernd
leave the building and then talk to her again without his presence. She"ll give you some more
information about Cernd"s wife and child. Now go to the Government
District and barge into the Deril estate. You CAN talk your way out of
this, but you"ll end up killing the guy eventually anyway. Once he"s
dead, Cernd grabs his baby and runs off to the Druid grove. If you want
Cernd back, you"ll find him waiting for you at the grove, but I would
just leave him there to raise his kid... if you keep Cernd in the party,
the kid turns into a bad egg, though you can only find this out by
reading the endings after you complete Throne of Bhaal.
Interactions:
Aerie: Cernd will give Aerie a tour of the druid grove if they have the
right random party conversations, first in a city then in the grove. I
had to use the ctrl-i cheat to get it to work, myself...
Jaheira: Cernd is Jaheira"s superior in the druid hierarchy, so she
respects him.
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NVALYGAL.bmp
NVALYGAS.bmp
Voiced by:
Jeff Osterhage
|
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Class: Ranger (Stalker)
Alignment: Neutral Good
Strength: 17
Dexterity: 18
Constitution: 16
Intelligence: 10
Wisdom: 14
Charisma: 10
What I think of him:
Valygar is pretty cool. He"s a ranger (a stalker to be precise, which means he can backstab to a
slight degree but only wear leather armor, and he gets a few special mage spells) who dual-wields katanas (he
starts off with a pretty good one) and hates magic. He"s actually quite
useful, though you may find him a bit lackluster in the personality
department.
Where to find him:
First, travel to the Government District in Athkatla, then head into the
main building there. A mage working for the Cowled Wizards will send you
off on a quest to hunt down Valygar and kill him. You can investigate
Valygar"s house in the Docks and find out he"s not there. Go ask a tax
clerk in the Government Building about Valygar"s property holdings, and
he will inform you that the ranger owns a cabin in the Umar Hills. If you talked to the boy who gives you the main Umar Hills quest
already, then you should already have the Umar Hills on your map, so if
you want you can just skip all the searching and head straight there. You"ll
find Valygar in his cabin on the central western side of the map, atop a
hill. It"s guarded by some rangers who will fight you if you tell them
why you"re really there.
Side-Quests:
Valygar"s quest is simple - he"s your key into the Planar Sphere in the
Slums. If you kill him and take his corpse back to the Cowled Wizards,
they"ll pay you a meager sum and then leave, but you won"t get a chance
to investigate the Sphere. if you refuse to give them the body, you can
take it to the Sphere yourself to open it, which is much more
profitable. Naturally, however, the good thing to do is simply keep
Valygar alive and work with him to open the Sphere. Once
you"re inside, you have to fight your way to your final confrontation
with Valygar"s relative, the necromancer. Valygar confronts and kills
him, and drags his body back out into the sunlight one last time. After
that, you have a conversation with Valygar about magic, which he hates, and he stays in
your party for as long as you want.
Interactions:
Mazzy: If you get Valygar and Mazzy together, Mazzy will "train" him to
be her "squire," although he only finds the whole situation awkward and
somewhat amusing.
Edwin: Valygar really hates Edwin, because the ranger has something
against mages and evil mages in particular.
Jan: Valygar has another unique skill that I did not mention above... He
is the only person in all the multiverse that can shut Jan Jansen up.
Keep the two around and you"ll see.
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NMAZZYL.bmp
NMAZZYS.bmp
Voiced by:
Jennifer Hale
|
MAZZY
Gender: Female
Race: Halfling
Class: Fighter (with a few Paladin abilities)
Alignment: Lawful Good
Strength: 15
Dexterity: 18
Constitution: 16
Intelligence: 10
Wisdom: 14
Charisma: 10
What I think of her:
Mazzy kicks major butt with a good shortbow! She is one of only three
full-blown fighters in BG2 who start out with FIVE proficiency stars on
a weapon. Mazzy"s weapon is the shortbow. Give her Tasheron"s bow, which
can pump out infinite electricity arrows, and she"ll be able to kill
almost anything. In addition, she has several paladin-like abilities
that come in handy. Finally, she"s voiced by Jennifer Hale, who is awesome.
Where to find her:
Mazzy can be found by doing the Umar Hills quests. Go to the Government
district and talk with the little boy in the middle of the square (if
you have Minsc, he"ll talk to him). Agree to help. Umar Hills will be
added to your map. Go there and talk to the mayor, who will give you yet
another quest to save the town. Find the abandoned ranger cabin the far
southwest corner of the map and raid it thoroughly. When you pick up the
right item, the Temple Ruins will appear on your world map. Go there and
you"ll find Mazzy imprisoned within the underground part. She"ll join
you and help you save the Umar Hills.
Side-Quests:
Mazzy will eventually be given a quest to help save her sister. Go to
Trademeet and enter Mazzy"s old house. You"ll find out that Mazzy"s
sister has been poisoned. Go talk to the gnome (actually a dwarf)
merchant at the south end of town. He"ll tell you where to go next. Go
to the local temple and interrogate the priest. Be nice. He"ll bring out
one of the other priests and ask him about the poison. A fight will
start. Kill the evil priest and his minions. Then talk to the high
priest again, and finally return to Mazzy"s house to cure her sister.
Mazzy will ask to remain there for a few days. Let her do so. Return
later to get her to join you again.
Interactions:
Korgan: Though Mazzy is Lawful Good and Korgan is Chaotic Evil, the two
of them will occasionally flirt with each other... though it"s mostly
just Korgan trying to win Mazzy over. Some of their conversations are
rather funny though.
Valygar: If you get Valygar and Mazzy together, Mazzy will "train" him
to be her "squire," although he only finds the whole situation awkward
and somewhat amusing.
Jan, Edwin, or Viconia: Mazzy doesn"t like chaotic or evil people. She"s
your typical Paladin... even though she technically isn"t one.
|
Voiced by:
Kevin Michael Richardson
|
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Class: Fighter
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Strength: 18/00
Dexterity: 17
Constitution: 18
Intelligence: 17
Wisdom: 10
Charisma: 15
What I think of him:
Sarevok is the main villain you vanquished at the end of the original
Baldur"s Gate - a huge and powerful fighter with glowing yellow eyes.
He has a special Devastating Critical Hit that happens sometimes and causes a TON
of extra damage, making him pretty much the best tank out there... even
a match for Keldorn. Not to mention he"s the only
character besides Yoshimo that you can dual-class. He makes a great
fighter/mage or fighter/theif, and with the thief"s backstab ability and
his devastating critical hits, he can do more damage in a single blow
than any other character in the game. In short, he"s awesome.
Where to find him:
You cannot recruit Sarevok until the Throne of Bhaal expansion. Just
keep playing, you"ll find him... or he"ll find you. Give him a part of
your soul (though he can also take a part of Imoen"s if she"s in your
party), and he"ll come back to life and join up with you.
Side-Quests:
The only real side-quest concerning Sarevok is his conversion to Good.
If you keep him around, he"ll talk to you occasionally. Tell him that
you don"t really plan to hold him to his vow and other such nice things,
and he"ll eventually turn to the good side, finally recommending you NOT
to take your place as a god in the end. Be rude to him instead, and he"ll stay
evil, encouraging you to grasp the power available to you and take the
Throne of Bhaal... and let him be one of your loyal servants. It"s up to
you which path you take.
Interactions:
YOU: As I"ve said, he"ll talk to you on occasion, and you can convince
him to leave the dark side, if you so desire.
Imoen: Imoen is horrified by Sarevok, as she shares the same lineage as
him and doesn"t want to be like him.
Viconia: The drow asks Sarevok if he would like to... err... have a
little fun with her. He considers her offer, but eventually declines.
She calls him a coward.
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Party
Ideas
Note that you don"t actually HAVE to fill up your whole party. Although I
personally prefer it this way, as I find controlling all six people more
enjoyable... there are some advantages to leaving a few slots empty. The
main one is that all remaining party members will level up faster, since
they don"t have to split the XP between so many characters. This also
applies if you"re crazy enough to try to solo the game.
MY CHOICE PARTY
:
This is my favorite party combination! Largely because they are my favorite
characters, also because they work well together.
- Aerie
(Grab her right after leaving Irenicus"s Dungeon. She"ll be
your romance interest. She"s a real fixer-upper of a character, but that"s
part of what makes her fun! Her spells are very useful.)
- Jan
(It"s hard to recommend any party that doesn"t include Jan
Jansen. Pick him up right after Aerie. He"s useful, hilarious, and a blast
to have in the party at all times.)
- (Korgan is AWESOME. Sure, he and Aerie don"t get along, but
you can at least manage them. And he"s too cool to miss out on. Besides,
every party needs a dwarf.)
- Edwin
(As the best one in the whole game, he"s obviously your mage.
Keep him around even through and after the whole Nether Scroll thing and
he"ll pay off, trust me.)
- Haer"Dalis/Keldorn/Sarevok
(Might as well drag around Haer"Dalis to
enjoy the love triangle, and then after he leaves, get Keldorn as an extra tank, though you
can later replace him with Sarevok if you like.)
FUNNY/CRAZY PARTY:
For the most entertaining conversations and inter-party banter, these are
definitely the people to bring!
- Minsc
(The classic funny ranger character, and practically the
Baldur"s Gate mascot. Keep him around for a good tank and for the laughs.)
- Jaheira/Anomen
(To give a bit of contrast against the crazy
characters that only heightens the hilarity. Jaheira makes some pretty witty
comments at times, and Anomen gets teased a lot.)
- Jan
(Grab the goofy gnome as soon as you can. He"s useful,
hilarious, and a blast to have in the party at all times. Definitely one of
the funniest characters! Maybe THE funniest.)
- (The fourth character you should get, and then go do his
quests as quickly as you can. His vulgar insults provide another type of
comedy besides Minsc and Jan"s goofiness.)
- Edwin
(Though you may have a hard time keeping him and Minsc in the
same party - you may need to download a mod or cheat - it"s worth it because
Edwin is hilarious.)
PURE GOOD PARTY:
BG2 includes a surprisingly large number of Lawful Good characters, so it"s
easy to fashion a party of pure, shining goodness.
- Misnc
(Constantly bragging about doing things for the sake of
goodness and heroism, he"s definitely someone you can take with you on your
holy quests.)
- Nalia
(Her desire to aid the poor certainly fits with your whole
goodness thing, and besides, you really need to have a thief of some kind.)
- Aerie
(She"s Lawful Good and pure innocence. You"ll have to protect
her a lot, of course, but isn"t that what good people are good for? Heh.
Take Anomen instead if you"re female.)
- (The ultimate super-paladin. Duh. Give him the Gauntlets of
Dexterity and Carsomyr and put him right in front. If your character is a
paladin too, maybe take Anomen instead.)
- Mazzy
(A wannabe Paladin and a great support character with her bow
and her various powers.)
EVIL PARTY
:
As easy as it is to make a full-good party in BG2, making a pure evil one
can be quite challenging, since there are only 3 real evil characters.
- Jan
(Yes, Jan Jansen again. No, he"s not evil. He IS, however,
neutral, so he"s one of the few characters that will stick with an evil
party. He"s also funny and useful, as I"ve said.)
- (Your obvious choice for an evil healer. If you"re male, might as well do the romance too.)
- (Duh. The second evil character of 3, and the tank of the
group. Grab him right after getting Vico and Jan from the Government
District, and do his quests.)
- Edwin
(Have I mentioned yet that he"s the best mage in the entire
game? He"s also one of only 3 evil characters. If you"re evil, get him
.)
- (Obviously, you"ll want to get Sarevok, but you can"t get
him until Throne of Bhaal. Until then, just use this slot for whoever else
is currently available. Drag some good people along and cut them loose
(along with their throats) later when they lose their usefulness. Like any
evil guy would do. One option is to keep Yoshimo from the beginning, then replace him with Imoen, then replace her with Sarevok.)