SImple question really.
Should I make it a priority to quickly gather a party that I think will be my permanent party?

I currently have my main character and the first 5 suckers to come along. That would be Imoen, Xzar, Montaron, Jaheira and Khalid.
I like Jaheira and Khalid (because I'm a good guy, and I intend my entire party to be that way), but while I find Xzar and Montaron to occasionally provide a good laugh, they really don't fit my style and I want to get rid of them eventually.
So - should I ditch them as soon as possible in favor of more permanent companions, or should I use their help to get me through some early quests?

Do as you wish. If you dismiss them you loose some firepower but they don't take XP. But since you only get little XP for the early monsters and will reach the XP Cap anyway it won't matter.

I'd go straight to Nashkel and drop Xzar and Montaron there (they're tied together). Pick up Minsc and finish his quest to get Dynaheir. Boom, you've got your all-good party, complete with healer and mage. If you feel like Khalid and Jaheira aren't pulling their weight, there's also Kivan, Coran, Xan, Ajantis, and Branwen.

Edit: I forgot to mention that Xan and Coran aren't available until certain points in the main questline. Ajantis and Kivan only require walking to them, though, and Branwen only requires freeing her from a spell.

(On a side note, this really doesn't matter in BG, but BG2 assumes your party was Imoen/Khalid/Jaheira/Minsc/Dynaheir, so if that matters to you, there ya go.)

Yeah well on the first two times (years ago) I just played and gathered along the way. Never liked Khalid, so I replaced him with Minsc, and Jahiera replaced with Branwen. You get his two at Nashkel basically. I played as a Mage so I also had Kagain upfront, even though my party was relatively good aligned.

But this time I went straight for the party and immediately gathered them all, then returned to the Map where you and Gorion are ambushed, so then I really started playing. Yeah it took a while. The party is: Ajantis, Minsc, Branwen, Safana (Imoen is a better thief but I wanted a change), Me (mage), Dynaheir.

So yeah you can do both. I it is your play through, I recommend just playing ans see what you find alsong the way, nothing bad or regretable should happen.

Also, Shadowsetzer gives a good recommendation.

Thanks for the information guys =)

On a sidenote: Is there any way to seperate Minsc from Dynaheir?
I'm a Mage myself so I don't need Dynaheir that much (a party with two mages seems somewhat weak to me - am I right?), but I can't live without "Go for the eyes, Boo! Go for the eyes!"

Right after freeing Dynaheir, have her go scouting. Alone. It's a little sad how long a naked mage last against a few gnolls, and Minsc will cry. But Boo will comfort him.

This'll work for any other party members that are 'paired', as well.

if you wanna keep kalid and jeheria,, I dont think i would grab misc and dynaria.. goto the carnival.. learn about the hidden hero there.. You need a scroll stone to flesh.. Im sure monteron can pick pock one from someone... i dont recall who.. but somewhere around there lol

then goto the mines and you will find the most droll wizzard alive.. But boy is he a fun party memeber.. If i was gonna go trhough the game my first time, that would be a very good party.

for extra firepower, when imoen gets to lvl 7? i forget exactly, do the math to find the sword cost cap, and make sure you dual class her in time.. goto wizzard. Your gonna have to help her out for a bit to lvl her back up to use both sets of skills but its worth it.. do some wilderness adventuring, and get her to theif+wizzard then goto durlags tower.. talk about fun !

make her your lock pick, traps person, get move silienty, skimp on hide, she can use invisi powers later. grab some pick pockets if you can for a little extra fun


also to break up parings you dont need to kill one.... all you need to do is goto an inn and leave them in different areas.. aka like one upstairs in the freindly arm, while the party stays bellow.. this makes the one walk up to you and avoid the we are leaving conversation.. Just go back downstairs and kick out the one ya left upstairs.. problem solved.. there can be issues if you go back up later, but just repeat.. You can also leave them in sepertate rooms, close doors.. ext.. lots of places to leave people

Also leave any party member back at an inn for later retrival.. If its your first time through you might wanna constier always leaving a slot open in the party.. this will let you get maximum recruitment. some of the joiners are one shot only.. and if you leave a party member in the wilds many times they are gone for good.


some people would say, a pari of mages a cleric, a druid that doubles as a back up healer/support spell fighter and a theif.. even with wimpy kalied is a great group combo..

honestly.. to get the most outta the game.. your gonna wanna play it like ohh 10 times and try different combos *grin