The companions suck

[Serverus88]

Stat wise they are garbage, but i can deal with a sub-par stat alignment it just takes some extra work. I don't know of its just me but every one of the companions personality is intolerable. I don't expect to like all of them but hell i need at least 3 that work well together RP wise and combat wise. I suppose an evil PC would work fine, i hope the new companions are good aligned and at least one front-liner.

[Hobocop]

They all have reasonably optimized ability score assignments based on the Standard Array, so not sure what you're on about.

[voldalin]

He doesn't like their personalities.

[Hobocop]

Originally posted by voldalin:

He doesn't like their personalities.

Yeah, don't really care about that because it's subjective. I can't agree that their stats are garbage.

[Serverus88]

Originally posted by voldalin:

He doesn't like their personalities.

I am sure he did not read past the first sentence.

[Alealexi]

Originally posted by Hobocop:

Originally posted by voldalin:

He doesn't like their personalities.

Yeah, don't really care about that because it's subjective. I can't agree that their stats are garbage.

Most likely OP is used to rolling for stats and never looked up standard array in their life.

[CCGOD]

Originally posted by Hobocop:

Originally posted by voldalin:

He doesn't like their personalities.

Yeah, don't really care about that because it's subjective. I can't agree that their stats are garbage.

It's because there's no totally good companions. All have a mix of both except the vampire whose pretty much all evil. And it's an issue when their like/dislike of you locks out story options. So if you want them to like you you have to make choices you don't want to. Just to satisfy an AI

[Hobocop]

Originally posted by CCGOD:

Originally posted by Hobocop:

Yeah, don't really care about that because it's subjective. I can't agree that their stats are garbage.

It's because there's no totally good companions. All have a mix of both except the vampire whose pretty much all evil. And it's an issue when their like/dislike of you locks out story options. So if you want them to like you you have to make choices you don't want to. Just to satisfy an AI

That doesn't really have anything to do with my point, and there will be more companions in the full release.

Nor is being locked out of story options because companions don't like you or the company you keep an issue, because that's been a thing since BG1.

[Stormcrow505]

Originally posted by CCGOD:

Originally posted by Hobocop:

Yeah, don't really care about that because it's subjective. I can't agree that their stats are garbage.

It's because there's no totally good companions. All have a mix of both except the vampire whose pretty much all evil. And it's an issue when their like/dislike of you locks out story options. So if you want them to like you you have to make choices you don't want to. Just to satisfy an AI

*cough* Role Playing Game - - Honestly the majority of the first act has been in early access so long, that have had the time to play every class/race combo anyway you want/need to fully explore every one of the totally optional side character's stories. The last time I ran through it, I either sidelined or disregarded (or killed off) half of them.

Until they finally get back to finishing the story of the game, it doesn't really matter.

[kingsims]

Lezel is pretty good build wise. At level 4 just bump her Dex and Strength one point each, and you have a solid frontline unit with 19 AC with sword of justice ability that refreshes on short rest should she lose it. Her ability to frighten or Drop weapon of enemies is useful, and likewise ability to push things off ledges with her attack as battlemaster.

Astarion you can get to 18 dex as well easily at level 4, and then either use a point buy or get a feat that gives +1 dex and something else. So yes the Evil characters are more optimized. Astarion can be given access to Scimitars as well assuming there are very good ones in Chapter 2 like the Drizzit Scimitars in BG1/BG2.

Wyll sucks badly statwise, You could skip on +2 Charsima and buff him to 19 AC with moderately armoured feat for 14 Dex + Medium armour + Sheild. But hes behind Lezel/Astarion on his man stat. So id say unless Hexblade mod comes around and allows Wyll to have Mizora as his Patron to be the "Blade" of frontiers. Then hes weak until Level 5 where he gets fireball spam (6 times per long rest) to make up for it.

Shadowheart is also in a bad spot with her weapon proficiency so you have to give her a dagger or the Strength Club in the tower to bump her up to 15 strength (She cannot even use rapier or short sword for a dex build cleric), but you need to pump points in her Wisdom to get more spell access (I guess the potion of hill giant Strength could fix her and buff her attack bonus with Club. Later on once we get that as an item since Lezel and Astarion won't need it as they will be 20 in Strength or Dex anyway at Level 8. But her subclass sucks (If she was light cleric then even with her sucky point buy then it won't matter due to Cleric abilities and access to the Fireball spell).

Gale is easy to build just +2 int at level 4 and your done with him. He can be built as Evocation or Abjuration wizard or whatever best wizard sub class at time of release and he will do just fine (Although his ability to eat precious items like sword of justice, and possible future quest rewards via the Iron Flask or Necromancy of Thay do suck big time). Its not a gold issue since i can easily get 20k gold in Act 1 by using Astarion before sleeping to "Visit" the vendors to offload loot via High Charisma PC and then have him steal the item + Gold back.

Staff of Crones and Selune amulet are meh at level 5 so he can eat them in Act 1. Since he gets 2d10 firebolt and 2d8 Ice ray, so the Ray of Sickness via staff of crones is not really needed at level 5.

So i guess if you want an "optimized" party bench ShadowHeart, Wyll and take Gale, Lezel, Astarion and you can then play Oath of Ancients Paladin or Light Cleric yourself and Min Max your build.

That party should roll over pretty much everything. Lezel is beastly at Level 5 she is pretty much Sar Beratha with less HP with her Sword of Justice at 19 AC and +1 to hit. She can burst 5 attacks with haste via Gale and her action surge. Using all her dice in her first turn, and thats excluding her dipping into posion or flame for extra damage, and potion of hill giant strength. She can keep going as long you give her battle master dice.

[Tread]

Gale's starting stats are weirdly allotted. He has 3 odd numbered stats 15 con, 11 wis and 13 char, when he could have 2 even numbered stats. Like 16 con and 12 wis or char.

[Hobocop]

Originally posted by Tread:

Gale's starting stats are weirdly allotted. He has 3 odd numbered stats 15 con, 11 wis and 13 char, when he could have 2 even numbered stats. Like 16 con and 12 wis or char.

Standard Array only has one 15, and that's in his Int Score.

Besides, this allows him to take something like Resilient (Con) at some point to round out that score and bump up his concentration checks at the same time.

[Tread]

Originally posted by Hobocop:

Originally posted by Tread:

Gale's starting stats are weirdly allotted. He has 3 odd numbered stats 15 con, 11 wis and 13 char, when he could have 2 even numbered stats. Like 16 con and 12 wis or char.

Standard Array only has one 15, and that's in his Int Score.

Besides, this allows him to take something like Resilient (Con) at some point to round out that score and bump up his concentration checks at the same time.

He's human, his stats start at 9 so he can have more than one 16 at least in BG3. Failing that he could have 14 con, 14 wis and 12 char. The point is those 3 odd numbers are weird and I don't understand what they were thinking giving him those.

Edit: It's event recommended the stat allotment they give your custom wizard character.

[Hobocop]

Originally posted by Tread:

Originally posted by Hobocop:

Standard Array only has one 15, and that's in his Int Score.

Besides, this allows him to take something like Resilient (Con) at some point to round out that score and bump up his concentration checks at the same time.

He's human, his stats start at 9 so he can have more than one 16 at least in BG3. Failing that he could have 14 con, 14 wis and 12 char. The point is those 3 odd numbers are weird and I don't understand what they were thinking giving him those.

Again, they've chosen to build all companions using the Standard Array, not point buy, so that's not really relevant within context.

[Tread]

Originally posted by Hobocop:

Originally posted by Tread:

He's human, his stats start at 9 so he can have more than one 16 at least in BG3. Failing that he could have 14 con, 14 wis and 12 char. The point is those 3 odd numbers are weird and I don't understand what they were thinking giving him those.

Again, they've chosen to build all companions using the Standard Array, not point buy, so that's not really relevant within context.

Then I question why they would do that given the fact the game uses point buy.

[boo_guy]

Their personalities are fine to me 🤷🏻‍♂️