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Voiced by: Melissa Disney

What I think of her:
Imoen is basically one of the main characters of the Baldur's Gate series, and if this were a newer BioWare game like KotOR, Jade Empire, or Mass Effect, they would probably just force you to drag her around with you everywhere you go. Thankfully, it is not, so you can be rid of her if you so desire. It might be a good idea to keep her around during your first play-through of the game, since she's pretty important to the story, but after that you can feel free to play without her. Another interesting fact is that I think Imoen will remain with you even if you are evil, despite being Neutral Good.

Where to find her:
She walks right up and joins your party as soon as the game begins. However, she won't be with you for long (not yet, at least). So do not make her memorize any spell scrolls unless you just want the XP from it, because you will lose her and any spells she memorized once you leave the dungeon. Don't worry, you'll get her back for keeps later, once you rescue her from Spellhold. Then you can make her memorize whatever you like.

Side-Quests:
Just the main plot.

Interaction:
YOU: Imoen mostly interacts with you. She is like your guide throughout the game, a sister that sticks with you through thick and thin, often explaining things to you.
Sarevok: In Throne of Bhaal, Imoen can give up part of her soul to resurrect Sarevok if you're too much of a chicken to do it yourself. She won't like him much if you keep him in the party though.
Nalia: If you're crazy enough to keep two characters who are both female human mage/thieves with you through the entire game and into Throne of Bhaal, they will suddenly realize how much they have in common and declare themselves "archmages" together.

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Voiced by: Jim Cummings

What I think of him:
Minsc is basically the most popular, enduring, and easily-recognizable character in the entire Baldur's Gate series. He is a ranger who, strangely enough, can go berserk, and his animal companion is a small hamster named Boo. He is also very strong. Because of all this, he is quite useful, not to mention funny.

Where you find him:
He is trapped in a nearby cage when you first start the game. Provoke him, and he'll go berserk and break free. Then he will join your group.

Side-Quests:
None that I know of, but a little boy will talk to him in the Government District of Athkatla and start the Umar Hills quest, which he will want you to complete. It's not really related to him though.

Interaction:
Aerie: Since his "witch," Dynaheir, is dead, Minsc takes Aerie on as his new one. After he accepts her as his witch to protect, he will go berserk if you let her die during a battle. Watch out.
Edwin: Edwin sought Dynaheir's death in the first Baldur's Gate game, and Minsc still hates him for it. They will eventually come to blows if you keep them in the same group. If you keep them together long enough, however, Minsc has some funny comments to make after Edwin gains his "nether scroll."
Jan: The silly little gnome has some of the funniest interactions with Minsc. He covets cuddly little Boo, and often tries to steal him. Of course, Minsc doesn't like this.

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Voiced by: Heidi Shannon

What I think of her:
In the loathsome excuses for novelizations of the Baldur's Gate series (I do NOT recommend reading them), Jaheira's husband Khalid ended up dead, and the player fell in love with her. In BG2, this is possible in the actual game. Her romance is one of the longest and most complex, but because of this, it is also very buggy and will sometimes break. Still, you can always keep her around if you need a decent fighter with healing powers, as her extra ability to Raise Dead ("Harper Call," unavailable to most druids) makes her almost as good as a cleric.

Where you find her:
You'll pick up Jaheira in the cage right next to Minsc's. Just get the key on the table in the room with the stone golem and open the door. She'll talk to you and join.

Side-Quests:
Jaheira has a boatload of side-quests related to the Harpers and to your romantic relationship with her (if you're male), perhaps more than any other character in the game. First, when you are ambushed by bandits in the streets of Athkatla, take the dying man to the docks like he wants. Then do the quest for Xzar the mad wizard and the Harpers, also in the Docks. Later, you must rest somewhere in the wilderness (outside Athkatla) and be attacked by bandits. They will hold up Jaheira, but don't let them slit her throat. Be heroic. Jaheira will be called away by a messenger soon afterwards. Rest again and she will return in the night, telling you that she needs to take you to the Harper Hold in the Docks again. Go there and be interrogated. Then, when things go sour, start fighting. Once that's over, go wander around in the wilderness again until you meet another Harper. You will meet several more harpers like this until Jaheira finally disappears one time when you rest. She leaves a note saying not to follow her, but do it anyway. You'll find her in the Harper Hold again, and you'll have to fight some more Harpers later. Then, finally, an old Harper meets you and asks Jaheira if she thinks she did the right thing by giving up her Harper heritage for the favor of a bhaalspawn like you. She'll say yes, and he'll give her a Harper Pin. Now Jaheira is free. If you ever think the romance has ended because she left the party, enter this code in the debug (cheat code menu, see my BG2 codes section) menu to get it running again: CLUAConsole:SetGlobal("JaheiraRomanceActive", "GLOBALS", 1). If you set it to 2, then you may miss some dialogue. But BE WARNED: this romance is complicated, and messes up sometimes. In fact, I have never even gotten it to work perfectly myself. You may wish to seek help on a support forum if it seems to have broken.

Interactions:
YOU: If you're a male human, elf, or half-elf, you may romance Jaheira. But the romance is very complicated. See Side-Quests above.
Korgan: These two really hate each other, and their banter can be quite entertaining, as they are both skilled at insults.
Cernd: Jaheira is inferior to Cernd in druidic ranking, so she respects him.
Nalia, Aerie, Edwin, Anomen, and Keldorn: Jaheira thinks they're all fools, really. She puts them in her list of people to berate. Typical Harper.
Haer'Dalis: Being both sharp of tongue, Haer'Dalis and Jaheira like to match wits and spar with insults. I get the feeling that they actually like each other, though they express it by trying to drive one another crazy.

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Voiced by: Maurice LaMarche

What I think of him:
Yoshimo is pretty cool. Once you get him, keep him for as long as you can, at least on your first play through the game. He is the ONLY pure-class thief, and the only one besides Jan that actually levels up as a thief, and therefore he is VERY useful. He also has a lot of information to say and has a role in the main story if you keep him around. As a bounty hunter, his skill with traps is also quite useful.

Where to find him:
You'll get Yoshimo as soon as you use the portal to get to the second level of Jon Irenicus's dunegon. You can't miss him.

Side-Quests:
As I said, Yoshimo has a lot to do with the main plot if you keep him around, which I would recommend doing in at least your first play through the game. Also, the first time you visit the Docks, he'll ask you to visit Renal Bloodscalp, which starts the quest to acquire the thief stronghold. If you're a thief, you'll want to do this. Yoshimo isn't necessary to complete it though.

Interactions:
YOU: Yoshimo isn't a love interest, but he practically takes the place of Imoen for a while, giving you hints and tips and explaining things. He knows much about Amn.
Haer'Dalis: The tiefling bard senses that something is amiss about Yoshimo, and is very suspicious of him. Despite Yoshimo's best efforts to make peace, they just don't get along very well.
Edwin: Yoshimo ridicules and teases Edwin, especially after he gets his "Nether Scroll".

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Voiced by: Kath Soucie

What I think of her:
Aerie is the nicest party member you'll ever recruit. Naive and innocent, she's nice to just about everyone. She can romance a male human, elf, half-elf, or possibly gnome protagonist. Some players find her romance whiny and annoying, but at least she appreciates you from the beginning, unlike the other romances. Also, there is the potential for an entertaining love triangle if you have Haer'Dalis in the party. Even though she can be hard to use in combat, she is an interesting character to have around because of her high number of interactions with other characters. I highly recommend giving her a try, personally.

Where to find her:
Once you leave Jon Irenicus's dungeon at the beginning of the game, go directly south and you'll find a large circus tent. The guard at the front will tell you what's going on. Tell him you'll help, and he'll let you inside. You'll find Aerie in the central domed building insdie, though she looks like an ogre at first because of an illusion. At one side of the room are some commoners that are actually orcs. Kill them and bring the sword they're carrying to Aerie. She turns into an elf like she should be. Then you can ask her to join your party.

Side-Quests:
If you keep Aerie around for long enough, she will be approached by a gnome from the circus, who tells her that Quayle needs help. Go back to the circus and talk to Quayle. He'll tell you that a friend of his needs help. If you do what he says, it will eventually lead to getting Haer'Dalis in your party. I think the reason that they put this in here was so that you WOULD get him and experience the love triangle. So get him to join, since the love triangle is kind of fun. Also, here is a tip for Aerie's romance: definitely tell her that she does NOT have to sleep with you until she is good and ready. If you sleep with her too quickly, she will feel like you took advantage of her, and the romance will end. In Throne of Bhaal, you can actually have a child with her, although it's a rather awkward affair to say the least (despite some funny commentary by the other party members).

Interactions:
YOU: Aerie is a romantic option for a male human, elf, half-elf, or possibly gnome.
Minsc: Minsc will eventually take Aerie on as his "witch" to replace Dynahier, and he will then go berserk if you let her die in a fight. It seems that a lot of NPCs really like Aerie.
Haer'Dalis: Haer'Dalis finds Aerie very attractive, and he will have a full-blown romance with her. If she dies during their fling, he will leave the party and turn hostile. If you love Aerie too, however, he will eventually challenge you to a duel for her affections. Aerie will not like it if you choose to fight.
Cernd: If they have the right conversation before visiting the druid grove, Cernd will give Aerie a tour of the place, though you may have invoke this with the Ctrl+I code.
Anomen: If he fails his knight test and becomes Chaotic Neutral, Anomen will grow to resent Aerie's goodness and innocence. He will try to hurt her, and then she will become afraid of him, sometimes running away if he gets too close.
Viconia and Korgan: These are the only two people that Aerie makes no effort to pretend she likes. She hates and fears both of them, and they do not work well together. She doesn't like drow and despises everything about Korgan.

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Voiced by: Grey DeLisle

What I think of her:
Nalia is pretty useful if you want to grab a replacement for Imoen when she gets captured by Irenicus. Why? Because Nalia is a human female mage/thief EXACTLY like Imoen! This makes her quite useful if you're playing a good character and Imoen is no longer available. Nalia also has a lot to do with the De'Arnise Keep, the stronghold you can gain possession of if you're a fighter-type character.

Where to find her:
Just go in the Copper Coronet tavern and she'll walk up and ask for your help. If you can't take her with you immediately, she'll wait for you at her family's keep, which is added to your map.

Side-Quests:
She wants you to free the De'Arnise Keep, her castle, from a troll invasion. If you're a fighter type of character (fighter, barbarian, or monk), you'll want to do this anyway, as Nalia will then grant you command of the castle. A while after you've done that, she'll be called off to attend her father's funeral. Go to the Graveyard district and talk to everyone you meet at the funeral. You will be approached by some foppish nobleman, Isaea Roenall, who will threaten you and Nalia. Later, this noble will return and have Nalia arrested. Some guy will walk up and suggest how you can get her back. Go to the docks and find a guy named Barg standing around in the street. Talk to him and get him to reveal who he's working for. He'll tell you about Officer Dirth. Go to the Sea's Bounty, the nearby tavern in the Docks District, and talk to Officer Dirth, who's standing next to the bar. Kill him, and take the evidence off his corpse. Next go to the Goverment District. Look on your map for the building called the Roenall building. Go inside and raid the place, taking everything. Then leave and go into the main government building, which isn't far away, and talk to Corgeig Axehand, showing him all your evidence. He'll let you have Nalia back.

Interactions:
Imoen: If you're crazy enough to keep two characters who are both female human mage/thieves with you through the entire game and into Throne of Bhaal, they will suddenly realize how much they have in common and declare themselves "archmages" together.
Korgan and Jaheira: Both of these characters find Nalia rather pitiful and will belittle her ambitions.
Anomen and Keldorn: Nalia has little respect for the Most Noble Order of the Radiant Heart, which Anomen and Keldorn are members of. So they don't get along.

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Voiced by: Bill Martin

What I think of him:
Korgan is one of my favorite characters. He is one of the best fighters in the game and is hilariously funny with his dirty mouth and bad attitude. Just don't get too high of a reputation (18 or ablove) or he'll leave permanently, being evil and all.

Where to find him:
Just go in the Copper Coronet tavern and talk to the dwarf in red and black standing next to the little fighting ring at the front. He'll tell you a long-winded tale and ask for your help. Tell him you would love to help, and then he'll join.

Side-Quests:
Korgan wants you to find him the Book of Kaza, which is in a tomb in the Graveyard district. Go there and enter the pyramid-shaped tomb at the far right of the map. Once you're inside, go to the main spider-web area in the middle of the tomb and head south. Korgan will tell you when you find the right tomb. Enter and get ready for a fight. Watch for traps and LOTS of undead. Eventually you'll reach the right tomb and Korgan will tell you that it has been looted already. His former comrades already took the book. Now leave the tomb and go to the Temple district of Athkatla. Enter Pimlico's estate (look on your map to find it). Korgan says that his former buddies beat you here as well. Go inside anyway. Bring your character and Korgan into the bedroom containing the dead nobleman. He'll say "It looks like me former comrades have painted Pimlico's finery with his innards!" Raid the house and then leave and go to the Slums. Climb the stairs to the roof of the Copper Coronet. Korgan will spot his old buddies, Shagbag, Crazyface, and Scrooloose. Then the fight will start. Once you've killed them, Korgan will express his gratitude and tell you to take the book and sell it for your reward.

Interactions:
Jaheira: Korgan loves to argue with Jaheira, and the two of them hate each other. It is amusing to keep them together in the same party.
Mazzy: Korgan finds himself attracted to Mazzy the halfling, and, even though they are of totally opposite alignments, he tries to woo her. At first she hates him, but eventually he has a surprising amount of success.
Nalia and Aerie: Korgan hates weaklings, and Nalia and Aerie are both weak and fragile. Nalia, however, can take his insults better than Aerie. Aerie HATES him and doesn't mind telling you that you really need to get rid of him.
Edwin and Viconia: It would seem that the game designers realized that people would want to be evil and, therefore, want to have all the three evil characters in their party. This is why Viconia, Edwin, and Korgan will sometimes talk amongst themselves on occasion, like when you are talking to the head deep gnome, Goldander, in the Underdark.

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Voiced by: Rob Paulsen

What I think of him:
Anomen is a rather arrogant and annoying character, but for some reason he is the only romance interest available if you're female. So if you're playing a girl, you might as well pick him up for the conversation. At first, he's a rather terrible cleric and a mediocre fighter, but it's possible to improve him (see Side-Quests).

Where to find him:
Just go in the Copper Coronet tavern and walk straight north. You'll be interrupted by an armored dude, which is him. He'll ask you if you're good or evil. Answer good (even if you aren't) and he'll offer to join.

Side-Quests:
Keep Anomen around long enough, and some guy will walk up and tell him his sister's been murdered. Go to the Government district and enter his family home, the Delryn estate. His father is a real creep and tries to convince him to get revenge for his sister. Here, the quest splits, so I'll present both courses of action and their outcomes:

If you're a good guy, tell Anomen that revenge is wrong, and stop him from doing it NO matter what! He will ask you to talk to Bylanna in the main government building, though it doesn't really solve anything. Even after this disappointment, hold your ground and tell Anomen not to seek vengeance. He will berate his father and leave. A few in-game days later, a guy will ask Anomen to return to the Order of the Radiant Heart. Go to the Temple district and enter the Radiant Heart building. Anomen will be judged by the Order. If you convinced him NOT to get revenge, then he is knighted, which changes his alignment to Lawful Good, increases his wisdom to 16, and changes his name to Sir Anomen. He'll be more useful and less of a jerk from now on. Then just talk to Sir Ryan Trawl and leave. This is also the best course of action if you want to have the Anomen romance. If you do, Anomen will later try to get revenge on his own. You have to follow him to the big estate in the middle of the Bridge District and stop him, telling him you love him and all that drivel. After that he'll be a happy camper, and in Throne of Bhaal, he will ask you to marry him.

The other course of action is, after speaking with his father, to help Anomen get his revenge. I don't recommend doing it if you plan to keep him around for a considerable length of the game, but it's fun to try if you're an evil character who plans to replace him later. After telling him that revenge is the best course of action, head to the Bridge District and enter the huge building in the very center. After slaughtering everyone inside, return to Anomen's father and tell him what you've done. Anomen doesn't seem entirely happy with it, and rightfully so - when he is called back to the Order of the Radiant Heart building in the Temple district to be knighted, he is pronounced a FAILURE and does not recieve knighthood. His alignment changes to Chaotic Neutral, making him even MORE of a jerk and leaving his wisdom in the pits.

Interactions:
YOU: Anomen is the only female romantic option. If you're a female human, elf, or half-elf, grab Anomen. Also, it's better to get him knighted.
Keldorn: The older paladin is Anomen's superior in the Order of the Radiant Heart, but Ano doesn't show him much respect... though he will apologize after he is knighted.
Aerie: If Anomen fails his test, he will try to hurt Aerie, resenting her goodness and innocence.
Jan and Haer'Dalis: Anomen is purely Lawful, and both Jan and Haer'Dalis, who are Chaotic Neutral, tease him and ridicule him. Jan's comments are particularly funny.
Edwin: Anomen has some funny comments to make after Edwin gains his "nether scroll."

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Voiced by: Jack Roth

What I think of him:
Jan Jansen is funny AND useful. He is the only thief besides Yoshimo that you can level up steadily in the thief class throughout the game, and he is also an effective mage. He is also totally insane, obsessed with things like turnips and griffins and the family stories of distant gnomish relatives. A great addition to any party, since he's one of the few useful characters who will join and stick around even if you are evil.

Where to find him:
Go to the Government district and head south. You'll find him standing beside a tree, selling Flashers. Tell him you're interested and listen to his rant. A nobleman will approach and accuse him of selling illegal merchandise. If you tell the noble that you and Jan were just chatting about the weather, then he'll leave and Jan will join the party. If you tell him the truth (you Lawful jerk) then Jan will be arrested and taken to prison (also in the Government district). You can then go to the prison and pay for his release, and have him join the party anyway.

Side-Quests:
If you keep Jan around, he'll be called off to help his relatives in the Jansen home in the Slums. Go there and go upstairs. Jan will have a chat with his old girlfriend, Lissa. You find out that her daughter is sick and dying. Jan leaves the party to tend to the sick gnome, and asks you to fetch cures for her. First go downstairs twice until you reach Jan's turnip cellar, and talk to the old gnome in the corner (watch out, he's totally batty). Once you've learned all you can from him, return to Jan. He'll tell you what to do. Next go to the Government district and head to the Jysstev estate. Convince the butler that you're here on business and talk to Lady Jysstev. She'll tell you about the Hidden and the Enlightened Ones, yadda yadda. Go to the Slums, enter the Copper Coronet, talk to the shifty proprietor, and ask him about "other entertainment." He'll give you permission to enter the back rooms. Go through the door beside where Anomen is (or was) standing and head straight down the hall in front of you. A cutoff on your right will lead down to the sewers. Have a look around until you find the Hidden guy. Talk to him and he'll tell you to kill some people for him in exchange for his help. Go to the Bridge District and head to the upstairs of the Five Flagons inn. There are two Githyanki hiding out in one of the rooms. Put them out of their misery and then go back to the sewers and tell the Hidden about it. He'll reveal his true identity and then heal the girl. Go back to Jan's house and he'll rejoin. Downstairs he'll have a confrontation with some dwarves. Agree to help him and he'll stick around. Disappointingly, the conflict with Lissa's dwarf husband is never truly completed, at least not that I've encountered.

Interactions:
Minsc: The silly little gnome, Jan, has one of the funniest interactions with Minsc. He covets cuddly little Boo, and often tries to steal him. Of course, Minsc doesn't like this.
Mazzy and Anomen: Jan doesn't get along well with Lawful aligned characters, especially Anomen, whom he calls "Ano," and Mazzy... though he doesn't mind Aerie.
Viconia: Jan has a very funny conversation with Viconia about his encounter with the Drow.
Valygar: Valygar is the only person in the Realms who seems to have the ability to shut Jan Jansen up. Just keep them both in the party together and they'll start arguing.

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Voiced by: Grey DeLisle

What I think of her:
Viconia is probably the most popular romance available for a male character, for obvious reasons. She's evil and cruel, but seductive and has the most attractive portrait in the game. Viconia is a great cleric for spellcasting purposes, but she is too weak to be a good fighter. I suggest arming her with a sling, and increasing her strength with an item if at all possible.

Where to find her:
Go to the Government district and head to the prison. A mob outside will be about to burn Viconia alive because she's a drow. Cut her down and kill the fanatics. She'll then offer to join. Warning: since she's a drow, having her in the party lowers your reputation by two points.

Side-Quests:
All of Viconia's side-quests are related to her romance. In Shadows of Amn, it may seem like the romance ends after you sleep with her, but it will still carry over into the expansion. In Throne of Bhaal, you can get her alignment to switch to Good, although it's hard (it never worked right for me). Supposedly, here's what you have to do: The first time she wants to sleep with you again, turn her down "because the time isn't right." Later she'll ask what you think of her, and you should respond in a nice way. When she asks what it's like being a Bhaalspawn, you have to say that you don't enjoy the murder part. You have to make sure that at least ONE romance conversation occurs between meeting her wraith-brother (each romance interest meets a different wraith at this point in the game, and Viconia's is her brother) and the destruction of Saradush by the giants. After the battle there, she will ask what you think of the destruction. If you answer no, she'll ask if you would like her to change. Say yes, and she will switch to a good alignment. It should be noted, however, that Viconia's story ends rather sadly in the finishing text scroll if you decide to keep her as your love interest and remain a mortal at the end of the series.

Interactions:
YOU: Viconia can have a romantic relationship with you. See above for details.
Keldorn: Having a paladin and an evil drow in the same party is a formula for disaster. Eventually, Viconia and Keldorn will have a duel. One will end up dead and the other will stick around.
Aerie: Viconia hates Aerie's goodness and weakness, and they don't get along. But two available romantic relationships never get along. Jaheira, Aerie, and Viconia will always fight... over you.
Edwin and Korgan: It would seem that the game designers realized that people would want to be evil and, therefore, want to have all the three evil characters in their party. This is why Viconia, Edwin, and Korgan will sometimes talk amongst themselves on occasion, like when you are talking to the head deep gnome, Goldander, in the Underdark.

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Voiced by: Roger L. Jackson

What I think of him:
Of all the characters who can join your party in Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn, the grizzled old paladin Keldorn is THE BEST as far as combat goes. If you follow the quests in the Temple District where you meet him, you'll eventually find the Gauntlets of Dexterity on a zombie leader, and these will fix Keldorn's only stat failing. Later if you give him Carsomyr the Holy Avenger (only usable by paladins) from the stomach of the red dragon, Keldorn becomes practically unstoppable. He's actually a strong enough character to probably finish the whole game solo if he wanted.

Where to find him:
Go to the Temple district and listen to the mob rant about the Unseeing Eye. After that, go to the Temple of Helm and agree to help the high priest get rid of the cult in the sewers. Go to the sewers (any grate in the temple district will lead there) and head to the far right side of the map. Keldorn is there (a little to the north). He'll join up if you tell him why you're there. If you follow through with the quest, you should find some Gauntlets of Dexterity on a zombie leader that will fix Keldorn's only bad stat.

Side-Quests:
Not counting the Temple District main quest, there is another side-quest related to the veteran paladin. If you go to the Government district, Keldorn will ask you to visit his house. Go there (the Firecam estate) and talk to his wife. He finds out that she's been cheating on him. Go to Waukeen's Promenade and enter the Mithrest Inn. Talk to Sir William. Keldorn threatens to kill him, but is convinced not to. Then go back to Keldorn's house and talk to his wife again. You can choose to let him remain with his family for a day, force him to stay in the party with you, or let him go for good. The best compromise is to let him stay there for a day, but naturally the happiest ending for the knight himself is to allow him to remain with his wife and live out the rest of his days as a family man. If you let him go for good, however, you'll never get him back. Make your choice.

Interactions:
Anomen: Keldorn is Anomen's superior in the Most Noble Order of the Radiant Heart, but Anomen won't pay Keldorn much respect unless you get him knighted as Sir Anomen.
Viconia: Having a paladin and an evil drow in the same party is a formula for disaster. Eventually, Viconia and Keldorn will have a duel. One will end up dead and the other will stick around.
Korgan: I found it a little bit interesting that, if you have Korgan and Keldorn in the party, Keldorn will make a comment to you on how he does appreciate Korgan's battle prowess, even though he's evil.

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Voiced by: Michael Bell

What I think of him:
I don't really like Haer'Dalis. He's not that great of a character, and I've never had much luck with the "Blade" specialty class of Bard anyway. It turns him from a good bard into a cruddy bard/fighter, it seems to me. However, he is fun to keep around for a while if you are romancing Aerie, so you can experience the love triangle storyline.

Where to find him:
Go to the Bridge District and enter the Five Flagons Inn. Go downstairs and watch the play, then talk to the woman in the back to get the quest to save Haer'Dalis. He can be found in a special hidden area of the sewers (enterable in the Temple district). You have to save him from a mage by either killing the mage or performing a task for him. It's up to you. Afterward you must finish the whole bard quest, but I'm sure you can figure that out.

Side-Quests:
Haer'Dalis is involved in only one quest that I know of... the one you must do to get him. You can follow it through and figure it out yourself, I'm sure.

Interactions:
Aerie: As I said, Haer'Dalis likes Aerie (like almost everyone else) and he'll flirt with her at the same time she's flirting with you. For more info on this, read the Aerie Interactions section above.
Jaheira: Haer'Dalis and Jaheira will occasionally exchange jabs verbally, matching their wits and skill with words. It can be slightly entertaining, at least.
Yoshimo: The tielfing bard senses something is amiss about Yoshimo, though he won't reveal much about it... You'll find out later what he's hinting at.

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Voiced by: Jim Meskimen

What I think of him:
Edwin's stats look like crap at first. He has low strength, low dexterity, low wisdom, and low charisma. But, if you think about it, a mage only really needs intelligence and constitution to succeed... Besides, Edwin has a GREAT intelligence score, plus an amulet that provides him with extra spell slots. On top of all this, he is the only pure-class mage in the whole game, and he gets even more spell slots from being a Conjurer, the best type of specialist mage since the only restricted spells are the relatively useless Divination ones. Basically, he's the best mage in the entire game.

Where to find him:
Edwin is a little hard to get... but he's worth it. Go to the Docks and enter the Shadow Thieves guild building. Find and speak with Renal the Bloodscalp. Accept his quest to uncover the treacherous Shadow Thief. Simply follow this quest to its conclusion by working for the traitor and Edwin, until Edwin finally gets you what you're looking for. Then Edwin will offer to join your party.

Side-Quests:
As soon as you go to the Graveyard district with Edwin in your group, he will start rambling about a Nether Scroll relic, hidden deep in the catacombs underground. Go down inside the pyramidal tomb and enter the main underground room (the spider webs). Go directly south to the same tomb that Korgan the dwarf wanted you to raid. Fight your way past the undead, go down the tunnel leading south, and take the first cutoff to the right. Follow this path until you find a lich. Kill the lich and bring Edwin to the spot where he died. Edwin will say that he found the Nether Scroll there. Choose the FIRST response, as the game might glitch if you choose the second. Edwin will now have the scroll, though it won't actually show up in his inventory. Don't worry, he's just keeping it hidden from you. A few days later, Edwin will suddenly say that he has translated part of the scroll he found. He will gain some XP. Move along. A few MORE days later and Edwin will say he has found and decoded a transformation spell in the scroll, which will make him more powerful. But it isn't what he expects... and he turns himself into a woman. Keep him around anyway; he has some hilarious comments to make as a woman, as do the other party members (especially Yoshimo, Anomen, and Minsc). A LONG time later, too long for my tastes, a mage will appear (I think it only happens outside... sometimes when you rest in the woods) and say that he is looking for Edwin. Tell him you don't know any Edwin. He won't recognize Edwin in your party because he looks like a woman now. Not too long after that, the mage will return, accuse you of lying, turn Edwin back to his normal self, and then attack. Kill the hostile wizard, and Edwin will remain in your group.

Interactions:
Minsc: If you keep Edwin and Minsc in the same group for too long, they'll eventually try to kill each other. Unless you've really upgraded him, Edwin usually ends up dead. Minsc also has some funny things to say when Edwin turns into a woman.
Yoshimo and Anomen: These guys have some of the most hilarious comments to make when Edwin becomes female.
Viconia and Korgan: Evil people should stick together... You'll find that the game programmers incorporated lots of comment conversations that include all three evil characters.
Valygar: Edwin and Valygar don't get along because Valygar hates mages, and Edwin personifies everything he loathes about them.

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Voiced by: Jason Marsden

What I think of him:
Cernd is a pretty solid druid. He has high wisdom, and for combat, he can transform into a werewolf. The werewolf form is not as effective as it should be, however. There are mods that can improve it, although they actually make it a little over-powered. Cernd's comments aren't all that entertaining... He's pretty stoic and doesn't have a lot to say.

Where to find him:
In order to find Cernd, you first must go to the City Gates and talk to the commoner standing in the middle of the street. He'll give you a quest and add Trademeet to your world map. Go to the town of Trademeet and find and talk to the mayor. Accept his mission and go downstairs to find Cernd in a prison cell. He'll join up to help free the druid grove.

Side-Quests:
Besides the druid grove quest, there is another quest you must do for Cernd if you keep him around. When you go back to Athkatla after liberating the Trademeet grove, you'll be approached by some commoner that knew Cernd a long time ago. The two of them exchange banter. Then Cernd asks you to go to his former home, which is in Waukeen's Promenade. You'll see it on your map when you get there. Go inside and you'll find some hobo living there, who tells you a little info. Exit and go up a little higher to Galia's abode. Talk to the woman inside. She'll argue with Cernd about his family problems. Make Cernd leave the building and then talk to her again without his presence. She'll give you some more information about Cernd's wife and child. Now go to the Government District and barge into the Deril estate. You CAN talk your way out of this, but you'll end up killing the guy eventually anyway. Once he's dead, Cernd grabs his baby and runs off to the Druid grove. If you want Cernd back, you'll find him waiting for you at the grove, but I would just leave him there to raise his kid... if you keep Cernd in the party, the kid turns into a bad egg, though you can only find this out by reading the endings after you complete Throne of Bhaal.

Interactions:
Aerie: Cernd will give Aerie a tour of the druid grove if they have the right random party conversations, first in a city then in the grove. I had to use the ctrl-i cheat to get it to work, myself...
Jaheira: Cernd is Jaheira's superior in the druid hierarchy, so she respects him.

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Voiced by: Jeff Osterhage

What I think of him:
Valygar is pretty cool. He's a ranger (a stalker to be precise, which means he can backstab to a slight degree but only wear leather armor, and he gets a few special mage spells) who dual-wields katanas (he starts off with a pretty good one) and hates magic. He's actually quite useful, though you may find him a bit lackluster in the personality department.

Where to find him:
First, travel to the Government District in Athkatla, then head into the main building there. A mage working for the Cowled Wizards will send you off on a quest to hunt down Valygar and kill him. You can investigate Valygar's house in the Docks and find out he's not there. Go ask a tax clerk in the Government Building about Valygar's property holdings, and he will inform you that the ranger owns a cabin in the Umar Hills. If you talked to the boy who gives you the main Umar Hills quest already, then you should already have the Umar Hills on your map, so if you want you can just skip all the searching and head straight there. You'll find Valygar in his cabin on the central western side of the map, atop a hill. It's guarded by some rangers who will fight you if you tell them why you're really there.

Side-Quests:
Valygar's quest is simple - he's your key into the Planar Sphere in the Slums. If you kill him and take his corpse back to the Cowled Wizards, they'll pay you a meager sum and then leave, but you won't get a chance to investigate the Sphere. if you refuse to give them the body, you can take it to the Sphere yourself to open it, which is much more profitable. Naturally, however, the good thing to do is simply keep Valygar alive and work with him to open the Sphere. Once you're inside, you have to fight your way to your final confrontation with Valygar's relative, the necromancer. Valygar confronts and kills him, and drags his body back out into the sunlight one last time. After that, you have a conversation with Valygar about magic, which he hates, and he stays in your party for as long as you want.

Interactions:
Mazzy: If you get Valygar and Mazzy together, Mazzy will "train" him to be her "squire," although he only finds the whole situation awkward and somewhat amusing.
Edwin: Valygar really hates Edwin, because the ranger has something against mages and evil mages in particular.
Jan: Valygar has another unique skill that I did not mention above... He is the only person in all the multiverse that can shut Jan Jansen up. Keep the two around and you'll see.

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Voiced by: Jennifer Hale

What I think of her:
Mazzy kicks major butt with a good shortbow! She is one of only three full-blown fighters in BG2 who start out with FIVE proficiency stars on a weapon. Mazzy's weapon is the shortbow. Give her Tasheron's bow, which can pump out infinite electricity arrows, and she'll be able to kill almost anything. In addition, she has several paladin-like abilities that come in handy. Finally, she's voiced by Jennifer Hale, who is awesome.

Where to find her:
Mazzy can be found by doing the Umar Hills quests. Go to the Government district and talk with the little boy in the middle of the square (if you have Minsc, he'll talk to him). Agree to help. Umar Hills will be added to your map. Go there and talk to the mayor, who will give you yet another quest to save the town. Find the abandoned ranger cabin the far southwest corner of the map and raid it thoroughly. When you pick up the right item, the Temple Ruins will appear on your world map. Go there and you'll find Mazzy imprisoned within the underground part. She'll join you and help you save the Umar Hills.

Side-Quests:
Mazzy will eventually be given a quest to help save her sister. Go to Trademeet and enter Mazzy's old house. You'll find out that Mazzy's sister has been poisoned. Go talk to the gnome (actually a dwarf) merchant at the south end of town. He'll tell you where to go next. Go to the local temple and interrogate the priest. Be nice. He'll bring out one of the other priests and ask him about the poison. A fight will start. Kill the evil priest and his minions. Then talk to the high priest again, and finally return to Mazzy's house to cure her sister. Mazzy will ask to remain there for a few days. Let her do so. Return later to get her to join you again.

Interactions:
Korgan: Though Mazzy is Lawful Good and Korgan is Chaotic Evil, the two of them will occasionally flirt with each other... though it's mostly just Korgan trying to win Mazzy over. Some of their conversations are rather funny though.
Valygar: If you get Valygar and Mazzy together, Mazzy will "train" him to be her "squire," although he only finds the whole situation awkward and somewhat amusing.
Jan, Edwin, or Viconia: Mazzy doesn't like chaotic or evil people. She's your typical Paladin... even though she technically isn't one.

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Voiced by: Kevin Michael Richardson

What I think of him:
Sarevok is the main villain you vanquished at the end of the original Baldur's Gate - a huge and powerful fighter with glowing yellow eyes. He has a special Devastating Critical Hit that happens sometimes and causes a TON of extra damage, making him pretty much the best tank out there... even a match for Keldorn. Not to mention he's the only character besides Yoshimo that you can dual-class. He makes a great fighter/mage or fighter/theif, and with the thief's backstab ability and his devastating critical hits, he can do more damage in a single blow than any other character in the game. In short, he's awesome.

Where to find him:
You cannot recruit Sarevok until the Throne of Bhaal expansion. Just keep playing, you'll find him... or he'll find you. Give him a part of your soul (though he can also take a part of Imoen's if she's in your party), and he'll come back to life and join up with you.

Side-Quests:
The only real side-quest concerning Sarevok is his conversion to Good. If you keep him around, he'll talk to you occasionally. Tell him that you don't really plan to hold him to his vow and other such nice things, and he'll eventually turn to the good side, finally recommending you NOT to take your place as a god in the end. Be rude to him instead, and he'll stay evil, encouraging you to grasp the power available to you and take the Throne of Bhaal... and let him be one of your loyal servants. It's up to you which path you take.

Interactions:
YOU: As I've said, he'll talk to you on occasion, and you can convince him to leave the dark side, if you so desire.
Imoen: Imoen is horrified by Sarevok, as she shares the same lineage as him and doesn't want to be like him.
Viconia: The drow asks Sarevok if he would like to... err... have a little fun with her. He considers her offer, but eventually declines. She calls him a coward.