POLL: Canon(?) Anti-PC Party

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I had a thought recently that if the Khalid-Jaheira and Minsc-Dynaheir pairs (along with Imoen) are meant to be with the PC, what are the other two NPC pairs for? After considering it for a little while, I realized that both pairs are evil. (Skie may be TN, but if she idolizes Eldoth, she's already well on her way to becoming evil.)

This brings to mind the idea of them being part of a different party which works at cross-purposes to the PC. Examining the four known members of the group (Monty-F/T, Xzar-Necromancer, Eldoth-Bard, Skie-Thief), it's clear that what the party is missing is a decent warrior and a divine spellcaster. So who do you think they would be?

Note: I included Sarevok and three neutral priests to give more choices. For some reason there aren't any LN, TN, or CN warriors.

EDIT: Just to make it clear, this is not a party advice thread.

[ August 03, 2005, 19:25: Message edited by: Felinoid ]

Poll Information
This poll contains 2 question(s). 25 user(s) have voted.
You may not view the results of this poll without voting.

Poll Results: Canon(?) Anti-PC Party (25 votes.)

Anti-PC Party Warrior? (Choose 1)
* Kagain - 56% (14)
* Shar-Teel - 24% (6)
* Sarevok? - 20% (5)

Anti-PC Party Divine? (Choose 1)
* Branwen - 4% (1)
* Faldorn - 24% (6)
* Quayle - 4% (1)
* Tiax - 16% (4)
* Viconia - 52% (13)

 

Kagain for the first Q. The best fighter in the game.

For Q two, Viconia or Tiax. Viconia for the MR, Tiax for his coolness.

 

My current party consist of:

Me-druid
Kagain
Montaron
Viconia
Eldoth
Edwin

Obviosly, I had to kill Xzar, but IMO Edwin is the best choice for arcane spellcaster, and I love his attitude

Kagain is very useable tank when I correct his low DEX with Gloves of Dexterity, and his high CON allows him to regenerate soaked damage.

Viconia is great cleric, with her high magic resistance.

Playing this evil party is lot of fun and when I planning my list of companions my thoughts were similar to Felinoid, but I made my corrections.

 

I voted for Kagain and Quayle. The ugly gnome types would go well with the anti-party, especially as they'd stand out even more than usual in the Sword Coast. Viconia is too obvious and Tiax is a little unfocused for these purposes.

 

Went with Kagain/Viconia. Would have gone with Shar-Teel, as she's more interesting, and more integral to the BG plot, but 1) she's harder to get, and 2) Kagain fills the "evil dwarf" slot Korgan takes over in BG2. Viconia is the obvious choice, because BioWare can't get enough of female elf clerics.

Of course, "canon" issues are only relative when you talk about the evil path through the BG saga, as SoA assumes you took the good path. Out of the NPC's you mention in the poll, once you get to SoA you hear nothing from Kagain, Shar-Teel, or Branwen (unless you count the tutorial); Quayle, Tiax, and Faldorn barely recognize you (if at all); and Viconia only mentions that you saved her once, not that you adventured together for a long period of time. (And Sarevok isn't anywhere near a BG1 NPC). Also,there is no mention of Eldoth or Skie, and Xzar and Edwin remember you, but not so well, and Gareth is just clueless.

If we just stick with BG, I'm not sure whether Xzar/Monteron and Eldoth/Skie are necessarily the equivalent of the good path Jahiera/Khalid and Minsc/Dynaheir pairings. Why you certainly have the choice to side with the Zhents against the Harpers, Eldoth/Skie don't have anything to do with Minsc/Dynaheir. If you wanted an opposition there, the obvious choice would be Edwin (but then again, who needs both Edwin and Xzar in a party together?).

Also, if you have Eldoth/Skie, wouldn't you want Gareth as well (CN) for the triangle? And while Skie (N) is one option to trade out Imoen for a less evil thief, what about Safana (CN)?

Hmm, more questions than answers; perhaps the evil road through BG involves picking up alot of NPCs and discarding them after a while (as opposed to stable good party of J/K, M/D and Imoen)...

[ August 03, 2005, 19:25: Message edited by: Bion ]

 

Oh, please. As if Korgan isn't just Kagain in disguise.

Besides, I based this whole thing on the idea that it's a party working at cross-purposes to the PC's party, not just one taking the 'evil path'. None of these party members would remember you because they never met you. If they had, the two groups would have had it out, and only one group would walk away. As it is, you never fight them in BG1 (unless you start it), so they probably don't even know who you are.

 

Ahh. A "what if" scenario. But still hard to support in the game. If X/M have a problem with K/J, it's not because they're working for Sarevok (unless you're Phillip Athans, that is), it's a Zhent-Harper thing. And the Zhents are equally concerned about Sarevok's plan, as they're being blamed for it.

And it seems to me that Eldoth's evil is more about being an unscrupulous jerk than about, say, seeking world domination. Plus, lots of the evil characters hardly get along (like Eldoth and Shar-Teel)...

 

Yeah, that's why I put the (?) after Canon. It's a bit off the wall, but wouldn't it be interesting if somebody modified the game so that you could play Sarevok's part instead of the PC's?

 

...how to play Sarevok

1) A particular site is critical to your operations. Make sure it's well-guarded...by a handful of kobolds.

2) You've discovered a potential rival Child of Bhaal, who is currently as weak as a kitten. Immediately send even weaker opponents armed with useful items to "season" this rival.

3) Drat, this rival has messed up your plans across the Sword Coast, and is now brazenly walking around Baldur's Gate. Immediately dispatch two losers to try to assassinate your rival using some obscure poison that takes ~one year to work, and make sure one of the losers has an antidote just in case.

...etc.

 

Drat you, Bion, you have just made the love of my life look like a total idiot!

Er, come to think of it that is exactly what he did. Well, if I had been there to advise him...

 

For someone who's so cool and kicks so much a- in Throne of Bhaal, Sarevok didn't get off to a very good start in the Baldur's Gate series.