AJANTIS
"We follow the righteous path; the path of Helm."

Voiced by: Jason Marsden

Gender: Male
Race: Human
Class: Paladin
Alignment: Lawful Good
Strength: 17
Dexterity: 13
Constitution: 16
Intelligence: 12
Wisdom: 13
Charisma: 17

What I think of him:
Ajantis is a paladin, a member of the Most Noble Order of the Radiant Heart, and a total zealot. If you are playing a good party and need another warrior, grab him. After all, he's the only paladin NPC in the game.

Where to find him:
Once you get to the Friendly Arm Inn, head straight north until you get to a the farms (looks like a barn and tilled fields on your map). Follow the road for a ways and you'll find Ajantis standing next to a tree. He'll walk up and ask if you're a friend or a foe (much like Anomen will do in Baldur's Gate II). Of course, if you want him, answer friend.

Side-Quests:
None that I know of.

Interaction:
Ajantis will argue with, and possibly eventually fight, any Evil or Chaotic character in your group.

ALORA
"C'mon people now, smile on your brother. Everybody get together, try to love one another, right now!"

Voiced by: Amber Hood

Gender: Female
Race: Halfling
Class: Thief
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Strength: 8
Dexterity: 19
Constitution: 12
Intelligence: 14
Wisdom: 7
Charisma: 10

What I think of her:
A pink-haired super-happy little halfling girl. With her 19 dexterity, she makes a decent thief, but since you pick her up late in the game, you don't get to assign most of her skill points yourself. Be sure to keep her far from combat and using a ranged weapon, since her other stats are abysmal.

Where you find her:
Alora can be found trying to rob the Hall of Wonders in Baldur's Gate at night. Tell her you'll keep a lookout for her, and then stand around a while before talking to her again. She'll join up. You can then use her skills to loot the place clean.

Side-Quests:
Besides standing watch for her in the Hall of Wonders... nothing that I know of.

Interaction:
Any evil person: Alora will try to make them more happy and less mean.
Xan: Alora's exact opposite. She will try to cheer him up, but will be disturbed at how miserable he always is.
Edwin: Of all the evil party members, Alora tries particularly hard to cheer up Edwin, for some reason. She seems to like him... and strangely enough, he returns the sentiment.
Garrick: Alora likes music, so she likes the ever-friendly and naive Garrick also.
Minsc: Alora thinks Boo is adorable.

CORAN
"The storm is always preferable to the calm. You can't live without a little adventure."

Voiced by: Brian George

Gender: Male
Race: Half-Elf
Class: Fighter / Thief (Multi-Classed)
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Strength: 14
Dexterity: 20
Constitution: 12
Intelligence: 14
Wisdom: 9
Charisma: 16

What I think of him:
Although his portrait is... strange, Coran is actually an excellent character to have along. His 20 dexterity makes him an excellent thief and archer, and his fighter multi-class improves his survivability and backstab. If you want him, try to rush to the Cloakwood portion of the game as fast as you can so you can get him early.

Where you find him:
After you've taken out the Bandit Camp, start exploring the Cloakwood Forest. Coran will be standing on a bridge in the third or fourth section. He'll approach you and ask for your help. Say yes if you want him along.

Side-Quests:
Coran will only stay with you if you help him go wyvern hunting. When you're in the fourth section of the Cloakwood Forest, there will be a small mountain with a cave in it somewhere in the center of the area. Enter the cave to find a HUGE dead wyvern, a heap of carcasses that it had been eating on, and several large and small wyvern children flying around their mother's rotting corpse. Once you kill them and take their heads, Coran will remain in your party contentedly.

Interactions:
Coran will flirt with most any female member of your party, but his interactions with Safana are unique and particularly amusing.

DYNAHEIR
"Who are thou to touch me like you know me? Watch thee where thy place thy pointer..."

Voiced by: Jennifer Hale

Gender: Female
Race: Human
Class: Mage (Invoker)
Alignment: Lawful Good
Strength: 11
Dexterity: 13
Constitution: 16
Intelligence: 17
Wisdom: 15
Charisma: 12

What I think of her:
If you want a pure-class mage in your goodguy party, Dynaheir is your best choice. And she comes with Minsc, the mascot character of the Baldur's Gate series, so why not grab her? She also has a special Slow Poison ability that can clear up some of your cleric or druid's spell slots.

Where to find her:
Walk down the streets of Nashkel and you'll meet Minsc the crazy ranger. He'll ask you to save his witch, Dynaheir. The Gnoll Stronghold will be added to your map. Travel there and you'll find Dynaheir in one of the building's bloody corpse-pits.

Side-Quests:
None that I know of.

Interactions:
Minsc: Dynaheir is Minsc's "Witch." He has sworn to protect her and will not willingly leave her side.
Edwin: The evil conjurer Edwin wants to kill the goodly invoker Dynaheir, though he won't say why. You can actually get them both to travel with you if you play your cards right, but they'll still hate each other.

IMOEN
"Do you wanna tell me a story about trollops and plug-tails? Pleeeease?"

Voiced by: Melissa Disney

Gender: Female
Race: Human
Class: Thief
Alignment: Neutral Good
Strength: 9
Dexterity: 18
Constitution: 16
Intelligence: 17
Wisdom: 11
Charisma: 16

What I think of her:
Since she joins your group at the very beginning of the game, Imoen is really your best choice for party thief unless you plan on being evil. She also has an important part to play in the storyline of the sequel. So it's not a bad idea to bring her along. With her high Intelligence, it is also possible to dual-class her to an effective Thief/Mage, which is her class in BG2 anyway.

Where to find her:
She will find you and ask to join your group as soon as you leave Candlekeep.

Side-Quests:
Imoen will stick around almost no matter what you do.

Interactions:
Evil people: Umm, she doesn't like evil people... Not much to say here.

KHALID
"If at first I d-don't succeed... the wife w-won't let me forget."

Voiced by: Jim Meskimen

Gender: Male
Race: Half-Elf
Class: Fighter
Alignment: Neutral Good
Strength: 15
Dexterity: 16
Constitution: 17
Intelligence: 12
Wisdom: 10
Charisma: 9

What I think of him:
Khalid has pretty mediocre stats and can't dual-class since he's a half-elf. The only thing worthwhile about him is his wife, Jaheira. Still, he's not terrible. Just not particularly noteworthy.

Where to find him:
As your foster-father Gorion tells you, "If we ever become separated, it is imperative that you make your way to the Friendly Arm Inn. There, you will meet Khalid and Jaheira. They have long been my friends, and you can trust them." Just do what he says.

Side-Quests:
Both Jaheira and Khalid are Harpers, and they're on some kind of a mission. Take them south to Nashkel and talk to the mayor guy there as soon as possible. Then they'll be satisfied and stick around. Basically, just follow the main plot and don't dally around too long.

Interactions:
Jaheira: She's Khalid's wife, and he's terrified of her. If you boot one of them out of the party, the other one will leave too.
Xzar and Montaron: These two villains are members of the Zhentarim, who are enemies of the Harpers. Jaheira and Khalid will suspect something and eventually fight them... and usually win, too. So don't keep all four around for too long, unless you really want to see them kill each other.

KIVAN
"My need for revenge gives me the strength to go on."

Voiced by: Rob Paulsen

Gender: Male
Race: Elf
Class: Ranger
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Strength: 18/12
Dexterity: 17
Constitution: 14
Intelligence: 10
Wisdom: 14
Charisma: 8

What I think of him:
Kivan is one of my favorite characters, because I'm fond of the vengeful ranger stereotype. Give him a longbow, and he will soon have among the highest kill-count in your party. He's a decent in-fighter as well.

Where to find him:
When you get to Beregost, go southwest until you find the High Hedge. Kivan is hanging out somewhere in the northeast corner of the map. Talk to him and agree to help him.

Side-Quests:
He wants to kill some bandits to avenge his lost love. Take out Tazok's operations by razing the bandit camp and slaughtering its inhabitants. Then Kivan is satisfied. Since this is part of the main storyline, you are going to do it anyway. Just don't take too long, or Kivan might leave.

Interactions:
Viconia: The good elven ranger and the evil drow cleric have a sort of love/hate relationship going on. Mostly hate.

MINSC
"Your words are as sharp as my blade, though not half as shiny. Ooohh... shiny!"

Voiced by: the legendary Jim Cummings

Gender: Male
Race: Human
Class: Ranger (that can go berserk)
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Strength: 18/93
Dexterity: 15
Constitution: 15
Intelligence: 8
Wisdom: 6
Charisma: 9

What I think of him:
The signature character of the Baldur's Gate series, Minsc is an insane ranger with a hamster animal companion named Boo. Minsc is a definite hero-type, enjoying nothing more than "Buttkicking for goodness!" as he says. He's more like a barbarian than a ranger, really, especially with his berserk ability. If you're a goodguy, don't forget to grab him. He will show up again in Baldur's Gate 2.

Where to find him:
He's just standing idly around in the streets of Nashkel. He wants you to save his witch, Dynaheir. Agree to do so. The Gnoll Stronghold will be added to your map. Make your way there and save her. Do NOT delay unless you want Minsc to go crazy... or, well, crazier.

Side-Quests:
Like I said, save Dynaheir from the Gnoll Stronghold. That's about it.

Interactions:
Dynaheir: If you have Minsc, you're going to get Dynaheir. The two of them are a pair and must stay together. If she dies, Minsc totally flips out.
Edwin: The evil conjurer Edwin wants to kill the goodly invoker Dynaheir, though he won't say why. You can actually get Minsc, Dynaheir, and Edwin to travel together, but they won't get along too well.
Garrick: Minsc will encourage Garrick to keep playing, because Boo enjoys his music.

YESLICK
"You dig sixteen tons, and what do you get? Another day older... and deeper in debt."

Voiced by: Bill Farmer

Gender: Male
Race: Dwarf
Class: Fighter / Cleric (Multi-Classed)
Alignment: Lawful Good
Strength: 15
Dexterity: 12
Constitution: 17
Intelligence: 7
Wisdom: 16
Charisma: 10

What I think of him:
Yeslick has a very odd name, but he's a decent enough cleric for a good-aligned party. Every party needs a dwarf, after all.

Where to find him:
After clearing out the Nashkel mines, you'll have to clear out the bandit camp. After clearing out the bandit camp, you'll have to explore Cloakwood. After exploring Cloakwood, you'll get to the Cloakwood mines. Deep in the Cloakwood mines, you'll find Yeslick waiting near the jail cells. It seems that he helped found the mines, and he would like to help you free them from the clutches of Sarevok's minions.

Side-Quests:
Just keep going the way you're going, and help clear the badguys out of his mine.

Interactions:
Kagain: The good dwarf and the evil dwarf will not get along. Personally, I prefer Kagain.

BRANWEN
"'Tis better to die on your feet than live on your knees."

Voiced by: Bernadette Sullivan

Gender: Female
Race: Human
Class: Cleric
Alignment: True Neutral
Strength: 13
Dexterity: 16
Constitution: 15
Intelligence: 9
Wisdom: 16
Charisma: 13

What I think of her:
Branwen is a cleric of the battle-god Tempus. She's my favorite cleric in the game, but purely because of her accent and Viking attitude (I like to give her Kagain's golden winged helmet). She also has a special ability: she can call upon a spiritual hammer a few times per day without actually casting a spell to do it.

Where to find her:
When you get to Nashkel in the south, you can go directly to the east and reach the carnival tents. Explore around until you see a petrified woman. A nearby gnome will sell you a stone to flesh scroll to free the petrified woman, though at a rip-off price. You can get one at a cheaper price from a nearby temple. Once you cast Stone to Flesh on Branwen the statue, just walk up to her and talk. She will be grateful and pledge her service to you.

Side-Quests:
Turns out she was petrified by one of the game's main villain mages, Tranzig, and would like to seek revenge. You will be instructed to seek out Tranzig after you clean out the Nashkel Mines (although it is possible to skip him). Once the mines are clear, he will be waiting for you in the rooms above Feldepost's Inn in Beregost.

Interactions:
Strong warriors: Branwen respects all hardy warrior-types in your group.
Shar-Teel: As a fellow female warrior, Branwen appreciates Shar-Teel's presence, despite her temperament.

FALDORN
"Why must man always despoil the Oak Father's gifts? Man is the least grateful of Nature's children."

Voiced by: Heidi Shannon

Gender: Female
Race: Human
Class: Druid (actually a Shadow Druid)
Alignment: True Neutral
Strength: 12
Dexterity: 15
Constitution: 11
Intelligence: 10
Wisdom: 16
Charisma: 15

What I think of her:
Druids never seem to be able to really stick to their title of "true neutral." Jaheira is actually good, not neutral... and Faldorn is actually evil. Faldorn is a Shadow Druid, a member of a darker order of Druids that defend nature at all costs. They'll kill you for so much as stepping on a leaf or disturbing an anthill. Faldorn will work with you though, to fight for nature's greater good. She's a bit loony though, and her stats stink. She can, however, summon a dread wolf as a special ability. It's useful, but nothing great.

Where to find her:
In Cloakwood, you'll notice one area of the forest is suffering from a particularly bad infestation of Druids for this time of year. Keep looking and you'll find a big tree that serves as a headquarters for the Druid leader. To the south of that structure is a little patch of standing stones. Faldorn is there, waiting for you to talk to her.

Side-Quests:
She wants you to free her forest, Cloakwood. Duh, you were going to do that anyway.

Interactions:
Jaheira: One druid is nice, the other is mean. The two don't like each other, and I believe Faldorn will eventually try to attack Jaheira (foolish, since she and Khalid can take down Faldorn easily).

GARRICK
"Brave brave Sir Garrick, Sir Garrick led the way! Brave brave Sir Garrick, Sir Garrick ran away!"

Voiced by: Dee Bradley Baker

Gender: Male
Race: Human
Class: Bard
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Strength: 14
Dexterity: 16
Constitution: 9
Intelligence: 13
Wisdom: 14
Charisma: 15

What I think of him:
I like the idea of bards, but when put into the battlefield they just never seem to perform well. Garrick is no exception. His stats contain nothing exceptional, and his abilities match. When fighting, it's usually best to keep him at the back, singing his song. His most useful ability is his extremely high Lore; he can identify almost any item just by looking at it. Just put it in his inventory and right-click to inspect it.

Where to find him:
Garrick is standing in front of an inn in the very center of Beregost, right behind the big obelisk thing. Talk to him and accept his job. He'll take you to Silke, who wants you to kill a mob of thieves for her. It turns out that the thieves were actually working for her, however, and did not do anything wrong. Refuse to kill them, and Silke will fight you instead. The thieves will thank and reward you, and Garrick will then join you. He won't join if you helped Silke... even though he was working for her a minute ago...

Side-Quests:
Just kill Silke. That's it.

Interactions:
Eldoth and Skie: I don't know what would inspire you to keep TWO bards around, but, if you do, you'll find that Eldoth and Garrick fight over Skie, the little thief girl, if you have them all in the party simultaneously. Garrick tries to convince Skie that Eldoth doesn't really care for her.
Minsc, Alora, and a few others: Will enjoy Garrick's music and ask him to play more often. It would seem that he's more skilled than his brief cameos in Baldur's Gate II lead one to believe.

JAHEIRA
"You are amusing... in a 'what the hell is wrong with you' kind of way."

Voiced by: Heidi Shannon

Gender: Female
Race: Half-elf
Class: Fighter / Druid
Alignment: True Neutral
Strength: 15
Dexterity: 14
Constitution: 17
Intelligence: 10
Wisdom: 14
Charisma: 15

What I think of her:
Jaheira is sort of one of the main characters of the Baldur's Gate series, and you can have a romance with her in BG2... so if you care, you can keep her around for that reason. She's a decent fighter and a decent druid, but not excellent at either one.

Where to find her:
As your foster-father Gorion tells you, "If we ever become separated, it is imperative that you make your way to the Friendly Arm Inn. There, you will meet Khalid and Jaheira. They have long been my friends, and you can trust them." Just do what he says.

Side-Quests:
Jaheira and Khalid want to meet Berrun Ghastkill, the mayor of Nashkel. Since you're going to have to talk to him anyway, just make your way down there and do it. Also, when you get to Baldur's Gate, some old Harper guy tells you to keep Jaheira safe, because he cares for her. He doesn't really help much though. He may attack you if Jaheira is dead or Xzar and Montaron are in your group.

Interactions:
Khalid: He's Jaheira's husband. While the two of them don't really seem to love each other that much, they do care for one another and will not be separated.
Xzar and Montaron: These two villains are members of the Zhentarim, the enemies of the Harpers. Jaheira and Khalid will suspect something and eventually fight them... and usually win, too. So don't keep all four around for too long, unless you really want to see them kill each other.
Faldorn: Jaheira and Faldorn do not share the same Druidic views, and they don't like each other at all.

QUAYLE
"Oh yeah? Well, I've got more smarts in my little finger than you've got in your little finger! No, wait a minute..."

Voiced by: Jeff Bennett

Gender: Male
Race: Gnome
Class: Cleric / Mage (Illusionist)
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Strength: 8
Dexterity: 15
Constitution: 11
Intelligence: 17
Wisdom: 10
Charisma: 6

What I think of him:
Quayle has the special ability to turn invisible at will a few times per day, but that is the only thing good about him. Otherwise, this possible parody of a certain politician is one of the worst characters in the game. His strength is so low he can barely carry his own armor and weapons. His constitution is terrible, so he dies very quickly. He is as ugly as a rotten ghoul. And, finally, he is a cleric with wisdom of TEN. His dexterity is not the best in the world either, and his intelligence may be good, but he is only a multi-classed illusionist, so he doesn't get many spells anyway. Add to all that that he is a complete madman that thinks he's the smartest person in the world and you've got perhaps the worst NPC ever. Unless you're trying to make the game as difficult for yourself as possible with the worst possible fixer-up of a party, avoid Quayle.

Where to find him:
Once you free the Cloakwood mines, you can then cross the bridge that leads to the great city of Baldur's Gate. You'll find Quayle waiting for you on the road across the other side of the bridge. You can't miss him.

Side-Quests:
As Tuco's brother says in The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: "Just keep going the way you are going. And may God have mercy on your soul." (if you keep this loser Quayle around, that is)

Interactions:
Tiax: It's the case of one mad gnome against another. Quayle thinks he's the smartest guy in the world, and Tiax thinks that he's destined to RULE the world, so they don't like each other. And you probably won't like them either, since they're both pretty much useless.

SAFANA
"When I'm good I'm very, very good. But when I'm bad... I'm better."

Voiced by: Diane Pershing

Gender: Female
Race: Human
Class: Thief
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Strength: 13
Dexterity: 17
Constitution: 12
Intelligence: 16
Wisdom: 9
Charisma: 17

What I think of her:
Much like Branwen, Safana is my favorite theif purely because I like her voice and lines. I mean, she's voiced by Poison Ivy from Batman: TAS - what's not to like? This is not to say she's a bad thief. Not at all. Her stats are pretty good, and you can get her quite early by heading south along the shore once you leave Candlekeep. That way, you can assign her skill points yourself as she levels up. She has the spell Charm as a special ability.

Where to find her:
Walk along the Sword Coast down south of Candlekeep until you come to a place that has a big lighthouse. She'll be somewhere in that area. She'll ask for your help. Say yes.

Side-Quests:
If you read her bio, you discover that Safana was once a pirate. It turns out that she knows the final resting place of some pirate treasure, and she wants some "strong men like yourselves" to help her get it. Walk along the shore until you find a wrecked pirate ship. There is a cave somewhere nearby. Careful! There are some very tough Flesh Golems inside, guarding the booty. Either take them out or sneak past them to find the hidden stash of loot. Raid it, and Safana will say she's happy. She will then remain in your group.

Interactions:
Coran: He'll flirt shamelessly with Safana, but she'll spurn his advances. She seems to regret it if he dies, however.
Other strong men: Safana will also flirt with other strong men in the group, asking them to massage her feet and such. Minsc responds with, "I take no offense from your comments. You just don't understand the relationship I have with Boo."

SKIE
"I'm soooo bored... Let's go shopping!"

Voiced by: Grey DeLisle

Gender: Female
Race: Human
Class: Thief
Alignment: True Neutral
Strength: 11
Dexterity: 18
Constitution: 15
Intelligence: 15
Wisdom: 8
Charisma: 13

What I think of her:
The feisty daughter of the richest nobleman in Baldur's Gate, Skie is naive and extremely annoying, since she's used to being pampered (her lines include "I broke a nail!" "I mussed my hair!" "I have a cold!" and "I have a headache!"). With 18 dexterity, she's an okay theif, but you get her very late in the game, so you cannot assign most of her skill points yourself. Overall, there are much better choices for your party thief available.

Where to find her:
First, you have to pick up Eldoth the evil bard in Cloakwood. Then, once Baldur's Gate is open for you, head to Entar Silvershield's estate in the northwest section of the city. Skie is on the upper floor, primping in her bedroom. If Eldoth is with you, she'll join up. Otherwise, she'll think you're there to assassinate or kidnap her, and she'll run away.

Side-Quests:
None. She satisfies Eldoth's side-quest.

Interactions:
Eldoth: Skie loves Eldoth, though she is oblivious to the fact that he doesn't love her in return. He's really just using her and will probably discard her at the first opportunity.
Garrick: Garrick sees past Eldoth's false love for Skie and tries to win her with his songs... but he just can't seem to convince her.

XAN
"We delude ourselves to think that our pitiable band will stand up to our enemies. Why not save the effort and just lie down and die?"

Voiced by: Jeff Bennett

Gender: Male
Race: Elf
Class: Mage (Enchanter)
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Strength: 13
Dexterity: 16
Constitution: 7
Intelligence: 17
Wisdom: 14
Charisma: 16

What I think of him:
Xan is the only Lawful Neutral character in the game. He is a very depressed elven mage with a flaming blue moonblade sword that only he can use. The moonblade is the coolest thing about him, even if it's not really much use in his hands. Otherwise, he suffers from being an Enchanter, meaning he cannot cast Evocation spells, including the most useful offensive spells in the game, such as Magic Missile and Fireball.

Where to find him:
Just clear out the Nashkel Mines. When you get to Mulahey and kill him, you'll find Xan's moonblade in a nearby chest. Xan himself is in a back room of the cave, waiting for you. If you refuse to let him join, he disappears forever.

Side-Quests:
He just wants you to free him from Mulahey.

Interactions:
Ajantis: Xan is depressingly disillusioned about life. He knows how pointless Ajantis's altruistic goals are and calls him "our resident suicide-monger" who "lives in a black and white world."
Eldoth: Xan utterly despises Eldoth, the evil manipulative bard. The only time Xan expresses joy is if Eldoth bites it while he's in your party.

EDWIN
"Elminster this... Elminster that... Give ME two thousand years and a pointy hat, and I'll kick his arse!"

Voiced by: Jim Meskimen

Gender: Male
Race: Human
Class: Mage (Conjurer)
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Strength: 9
Dexterity: 10
Constitution: 16
Intelligence: 18
Wisdom: 9
Charisma: 10

What I think of him:
Edwin is the best pure-class mage in Baldur's Gate. He makes Dynaheir and Xan look like petty hedge wizards. He has 18 intelligence and an amulet that adds lots of extra spell slots. He is the best specialist mage type: a Conjurer, meaning the only spells he cannot cast are those in the relatively useless Divination school. He's a bit of an oddball, but he is the only evil guy with a suitably evil-looking portrait. If you're evil (or neutral, or maybe even good) get him. Just be sure to keep him protected, as his dexterity (and thus AC) is very low.

Where to find him:
He's standing on the bridge that crosses the river running through Nashkel. Agree to help him kill Dynaheir, and he'll join up.

Side-Quests:
He wants you to kill Minsc's witch, Dynaheir. She's waiting for you in the Gnoll stronghold, in one of their bloody corpse pits. Go in there, talk to her, and kill her. Edwin will give you a reward... his services as a mage.
NOTE: Strangely enough, there are some sound files deep in the game that have Edwin saying things like "I be not much help to you... I just go and sit with me pretties... and watch them sparkle!" Just like the madman Naljeir Skal in Spellhold in Baldur's Gate II! But I have no idea how to get Edwin to say these things. If someone finds some minor quest in the game where Edwin gets turned into an idiot or something and says these things, please e-mail me and let me know.

Interactions:
Minsc and Dynaheir: If you manage to get them all in your party at the same time, Minsc and Dynaheir won't get along too well with Edwin, who wanted to kill both of them.
Alora: For some strange reason, Edwin really takes to this cheerful little halfling. He'll even go so far as to swear to protect her!

ELDOTH
"There is no good or evil, only the charming! ... and the tedious..."

Voiced by: Neil Ross

Gender: Male
Race: Human
Class: Bard
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Strength: 16
Dexterity: 12
Constitution: 15
Intelligence: 13
Wisdom: 10
Charisma: 16

What I think of him:
Eldoth has the strange special ability to create poisoned arrows... even though he lacks the dexterity to use them well. He's another mediocre bard, even worse than Garrick in most respects. I can't really see any reason to get him in the group. Just avoid him.

Where to find him:
He's in the third section of Cloakwood somewhere. I'm not sure exactly. Just agree to help him and he'll join.

Side-Quests:
He wants you to "rescue" (almost like kidnap) Skie from her father, the noble Entar Silversheild in Baldur's Gate. Read Skie's character info on this page for more information.

Interactions:
Skie: Eldoth seems to like Skie well enough, but since he's evil one gets the feeling (especially if you read his bio) that he is just using her and will eventually discard her.
Garrick: Eldoth and Garrick will fight over Skie.
Shar-Teel and Xan: Both of these characters absolutely despise Eldoth, and will greatly enjoy watching him die.

KAGAIN
"Gold runs the world, kid. Faster you learn that, the better life'll treat ya."

Voiced by: John Mariano

Gender: Male
Race: Dwarf
Class: Fighter
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Strength: 16
Dexterity: 12
Constitution: 20
Intelligence: 15
Wisdom: 11
Charisma: 8

What I think of him:
Kagain is one of my favorite characters. He is an evil, greedy dwarven mercenary. He's not quite as fun as Korgan in BG2, but he'll do. One almost wonders if the two of them are related in some way. Anyway, Kagain is great fighter. He can swing an axe well enough and has twenty constitution, so he can regenerate health. He'll slowly heal while standing or walking around with the game unpaused, and he'll also heal while traveling or resting. Saves a lot of money in health potions and healing spells! Just watch out for his rather low dexterity. Oh, and Kagain has a shiny gold helmet with wings on it. You might want to pick him up just to steal it.

Where to find him:
It's hard to find Kagain, and I didn't even know he existed for a long time. When you get to Beregost, there is a building right beside Feldepost's Inn, on the northeast side of it. Since this building is turned away from you, you have to search the unseen wall for the door. Once you find it, go inside. There's Kagain, in his shop, wearing his shiny gold helmet. Agree to help him and he'll join.

Side-Quests:
He wants you to find a caravan that was attacked by bandits. Don't even try, as you can't do it. Instead, just take Kagain to the road directly south of the Friendly Arm Inn and he'll suddenly give up his search, but agree to stay with you anyway.

Interactions:
Yeslick: The good dwarf and the bad dwarf don't get along. No big surprise there.

MONTARON
"Do ye truly want yer last words to be so stupid?"

Voiced by: Earl Boen

Gender: Male
Race: Halfling
Class: Fighter / Thief
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Strength: 16
Dexterity: 17
Constitution: 15
Intelligence: 12
Wisdom: 13
Charisma: 9

What I think of him:
Montaron, or Monty, actually isn't half bad for a surly evil halfling (who acts and sounds much more like a dwarf...). His stats are okay and, as a fighter/thief with a good stealth score for hiding in the shadows, he can be an effective scout with a great backstab bonus when striking while hidden. As far as other thieving skills like picking locks, detecting traps, and picking pockets go, however, you're better off with pure-class thief, because they get more skill points. Still, if you're being evil, the only reason not to bring Monty along is then you have to drag around Xzar instead of Edwin.

Where to find him:
You should find Montaron and Xzar almost as soon as you start the game. After you leave Candlekeep and Imoen joins up, keep following the road to the east and up, and Xzar and Monty should be standing next to a signpost. Talk to Xzar and they'll start ranting at you. Just like Khalid and Jaheira, they want you to go south to Nashkel... although for more evil reasons, of course.

Side-Quests:
Just head south toward Nashkel and talk to Berrun Ghastkill, the mayor there. There's no need to rush, as you will be heading that way anyway. Also, if you keep Montaron and Xzar (he's necessary) until Baldur's Gate, then you can talk to the Zhentarim in the upstairs portion of the magic shop there. There's not much to it though. You just avoid a fight.

Interactions:
Xzar: The mad wizard and his evil halfling pet are a team. They stick together at all times.
Khalid and Jaheira: Keep both pairs of agents (Harpers and Zhents) around together and they'll eventually start a fight.

SHAR-TEEL
"You are such a funny man! That's why I'm going to kill you last."

Voiced by: Jennifer Darling

Gender: Female
Race: Human
Class: Fighter
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Strength: 18/58
Dexterity: 17
Constitution: 9
Intelligence: 14
Wisdom: 7
Charisma: 11

What I think of her:
Shar-Teel is a decent fighter, except for one small problem... Her constitution STINKS. Pretty surprising for such a hard-ass woman. Try increasing her Con with any tomes you find and you should have an okay fighter for an evil party.

Where to find her:
When you're in Beregost, head east and you'll reach a temple of Lathander. Keep heading east and exploring like crazy and you'll find Shar-Teel just standing next to a tree. Talk to her, and she'll engage in a duel with your "strongest male fighter." Strangely enough, this means that she wont join an all-female party, despite the fact that she's a female chauvinist, so to speak. I'm not sure how the game chooses who your strongest male fighter is, but it does somehow, and the fight starts. Beat her with just that one person and she'll agree to join up.

Side-Quests:
None that I know of. Interestingly, however, she turns out to be the daughter of Angelo, one of Sarevok's minions who captures you near the end of the game. I have heard that if Shar-Teel is in your party, he will let you go.

Interactions:
Eldoth: Since he is basically a male chauvinist, Shar-Teel absolutely hates this cocky bard.
Branwen: This warrior-cleric respects Shar-Teel as a fellow strong female fighter.

TIAX
"Tiax does as ye will. But one day... BOOM! He rules! Heheheh..."

Voiced by: John Mariano

Gender: Male
Race: Gnome
Class: Cleric / Thief
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Strength: 9
Dexterity: 16
Constitution: 16
Intelligence: 10
Wisdom: 12
Charisma: 9

What I think of him:
Tiax is thoroughly convinced that someday he is going to rule the world. He is the other crazy, slightly funny, but TOTALLY USELESS gnome character in this game. He is only SLIGHTLY better than Quayle, but his wisdom is still not good at ALL for a cleric, and his dexterity isn't exactly the best a thief can have either. For some reason, Tiax can summon a Ghast at will as a special ability, which is actually his only useful ability. Of course, he IS good for a laugh... "Tiax moves! Make way!" But eventually his ranting can get kind of tiresome. "Did Tiax mention he was going to rule? 'Tis inevitable..." I actually solo-played (no party members) through Baldur's Gate once using a re-made version of Tiax as my main character.

Where to find him:
Once you enter Baldur's Gate, head straight west a few areas until you find the Flaming Fist compound. Tiax will be raving on the side of the road there. "You! Tiax would speak at ye, for 'tis destined to be so..."

Side-Quests:
Just help him achieve world domination. "The sun DARES to make Tiax squint! One day... revenge shall be his!"

Interactions:
Quayle: The gnome who thinks he is the smartest living thing in the Realms and the gnome who is positive that he is destined to rule the world absolutely HATE each other. "Ye cup-shot mutton-head! Tiax will slap ya silly! When he rules."

VICONIA
"I'll go where you wish, so long as you keep me from your accursed sun."

Voiced by: Grey DeLisle

Gender: Female
Race: Dark Elf (Drow)
Class: Cleric
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Strength: 10
Dexterity: 19
Constitution: 8
Intelligence: 16
Wisdom: 15
Charisma: 14

What I think of her:
Viconia suffers from relatively low wisdom, very low strength, and ABYSMALLY low constitution. As it is, she has more dexterity (give her a sling!) and intelligence than anything else. I would recommend someone like Branwen over her. As a Drow, though, she does have a natural fifty percent resistance to magic. This is good in some ways and bad in others, since it can block both harmful and beneficial spells. You might want to keep her around if you intend to follow her romance in Baldur's Gate II (in which she is a far better character).

Where to find her:
There is a patch of forest near the Friendly Arm Inn called Peldvale. Explore the areas around the Inn until you find one with that name written under it on your map. Viconia is hanging out there. Explore the area until she approaches and asks for your help. Then a Flaming Fist guard approaches and tries to kill her. Kill him to save her, and then Viconia will join up with you... which lowers your reputation by two for having a Drow in your party.

Side-Quests:
Just save her from the Flaming Fist zealot.

Interactions:
Kivan: The good elven ranger and the evil drow cleric have a sort of love/hate relationship going on. Mostly hate.

XZAR
"Tell us a story, Monty. Something with... bears, and gold!"

Voiced by: Frank Welker

Gender: Male
Race: Human
Class: Mage (Necromancer)
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Strength: 14
Dexterity: 16
Constitution: 10
Intelligence: 17
Wisdom: 16
Charisma: 10

What I think of him:
Among all of the many insane characters in Baldur's Gate, Xzar is perhaps the most insane of all... in case you couldn't tell from his portrait over there. He says completely random things in different tones of voice all the time, often indicates that he is a cannibal (even going so far as to quote Silence of the Lambs), and gets very angry if you turn out to be a nice guy. As a character, he's a decent necromancer with 17 intelligence and okay stats. He and Monty are somewhat useful. Still, as far as evil mages go, you are better off with Edwin.

Where to find him:
You should find Montaron and Xzar almost as soon as you start the game. After you leave Candlekeep and Imoen joins up, keep following the road to the east and up, and Xzar and Monty should be standing next to a signpost. Talk to Xzar and they'll start ranting at you. They, just like Khalid and Jaheira, want you to go south to Nashkel... although for more evil reasons, of course.

Side-Quests:
Just talk to Berrun Ghastkill, the mayor of Nashkel to the south. You can take your time about this, since you'll have to talk to him anyway... because he's part of the main plot. Also, if you still have Xzar around when you reach the city of Baldur's Gate, the mages in the upstairs room of the Sorcerous Sundries will talk peacefully with you... though you get more of a reward for killing them.

Interactions:
Montaron: Monty and Xzar are a team, and don't want to be separated.
Khalid and Jaheira: As I have said before, if you have all four characters, Monty and Xzar and Khalid and Jaheira, they'll eventually kill each other.