Quests order and picking up NPCs

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Hello everyone!
(long time reader, first time poster)

I was ordering what order do you recommend for the quests in Chapter 2, from a party and RPG perspective? For example: I might want Jan in my party, but if I don't have a reason to go to the Government District yet, I'm not going there just to pick up Jan.

Having that in mind, I'm considering the following, for my Monk run (minor spoilers):

Leave Irenicus Château with Minsc, Jaheira and Yoshimo. Do Circus and pick up Aerie (6 party members)

Go to Slums, pick up Nalia and Anomen, drop Yoshimo. Do Slavers and go to de'Arnise estate.

Drop Nalia, go to Tradesmeet and pick Cernd for that quest. Drop him and drop Anomen after his personal quest.

Go to Government District and pick up Jan and Viconia. Do a couple of missions around the city. Eventually drop Viconia (or let her leave after reputation increases) for Haer'Dalis.

Do Planar Prison. Leave Aerie and Haer'Dalis together.

Go to Umar Hills and pick up Mazzy. Do Shade Lord quest, then pick up Valigar and do Planar Sphere.

Drop Valygar, pick up Keldorn and do Unseeing Eye and Windspear Hills than leave Keldorn and Mazzy with their respective families.

Pick up Yoshimo again and start Chapter 3 with:

PC
Jaheira
Minsc
Jan
Yoshimo

What do you think? I'm only missing Korgan and Edwin, and the first is easy to miss (not a short joke ) and the second Minsc will probably kill on sight.

Thanks!

 

Order is really not important. I think it also depends on what you determine to be "from an RPG perspective." If going after Imoen is a high priority then you shift to chapter three as soon as possible (this gives the added benefit of having Imoen close in level to the rest of the party). All the chapter two quests can be done in after the underdark.

In that case: The Circus Tent is practically placed in your feet and the first to do.
For the same reason the Copper Coronet and Slaver's are next. After that you have several distinct paths -- going for help from your "profession" would be high on the list. So the stronghold quest would be next (De'Arnise Keep for a monk). Any romance quests might start as well.

Personnel choices would depend on alignment (it looks like you've choosen good alignment), drop those that don't match and do the quests for your personnel (although not necessary). At this point that's only Umar Hills from Minsc (not really his quest but the kid searches you out) and perhaps the Harper's quest from Jaheira. As a point of preference I always keep Yoshimo throughout -- he's the best thief in the game and makes every quest easier.

If you wander into the temple district you end up getting the Seeing Eye quest. By this point you should be well equiped and have the cash necessary. Start chapter three and finish the rest of the quests when you get back.

Personnel: PC, Minsc, Jaheira, Yoshimo, two from: Aerie, Korgan, Keldorn, Mazzy, Anomen, or Nalia. Perhaps Jan or Viconia as well if you got to the government district.

Take six when you go to spellhold. If you leave one behind, who cares as long as you've completed their quest.

Minsc does not kill Edwin on sight and actually has some very funny interactions with him. There are NPC's which do not like each other and will eventually come to blows. These will be pretty obvious though. It sucks when it happens in the underdark.

A bit of a spoiler: As a monk, take Saemon up on his offer and don't go through the doorway to escape spellhold. Side with the King in the underwater city -- do not side with the prince (their both jerks anyway and you can kill the king after he gives you a wonderful 'monk only' item).

 

The cowled wizards who have what you want are a government organization so the logical thing to do is talking to them in the government district where you can meet Jan first.

I recommend getting Jan before doing any quests, you'll want him to get his share of XP. You can pick up Nalia and Anomen first (you're taken to the slums when you leave Waukeen's promenade anyway) and dismiss Yoshimo before entering the government district to make sure to get Jan at the lowest possible level so he gets max HP at level ups.

I'd wait with doing Umar Hills, Planar Sphere and Planar Prison until chapter 6 so everyone in your final party gets quest XP, they might be too difficult for a low level party anyway, defeating the party in the guarded compound in and the party in the sewers below the temple district (the unseeing eye can wait until chapter 6) will help more getting the money and equipment needed for chapter 4+, don't forget to do the mace of disruption quest.

Chapter 3-7 might be a bit difficult without cleric, "protection from evil 10' radius" and "lesser restoration" are very important spells and Jaheira won't be able to cast level 7 priest spells.

I'd pick up Yoshimo just before the start of chapter 4, he isn't needed before.