How Many Companions do you Keep and What are There Roles?

[iamdanthemanstan]

I've been thinking about going with maybe three companions for skills, one to do tracking and the like, one for medicine, and one for tactics and siege. They get fairly strong later so maybe four more to follow me as a sort of personal guard with the focus on combat skill plus training. How do you set up your companions and how many do you get?

 

[Captain_Octavius]

I usually have 7 or 8.

Me = Pathfinder, Surgeon
Kana = Tracker, Spotter
Artimenner = Engineer, Tactician
Rest = Champions + Trainer and some minor points in Wound Treatment and First Aid

All with a charger/warhorse, heavy armour, siege crossbow, morningstar and shield. Since Intelligence gives extra skill points, you can easily invest in two Party skills + personal skills on one companion.

 

[Ludial]

none. This way I get to lead my own company without any petty squabbles getting in the way of leadership. Maxing INT and CHA allows me to actually be pretty good at support (leader bonus to most skills means that I profit more from having those skills than when investing in companions). The only skills I max are Path-finding, Surgery and Leadership, most of the rest are sufficiently useful with just a couple of points in them (which with leader bonus goes up to 3).

All of this in mind, my char is still a pretty deadly fighter, so I find this to be the most balanced build.

 

[Bobsama]

I usually aim for default characters with good skills and then train CHA.

 

[Captain_Octavius]

none. This way I get to lead my own company without any petty squabbles getting in the way of leadership. Maxing INT and CHA allows me to actually be pretty good at support (leader bonus to most skills means that I profit more from having those skills than when investing in companions). The only skills I max are Path-finding, Surgery and Leadership, most of the rest are sufficiently useful with just a couple of points in them (which with leader bonus goes up to 3).

All of this in mind, my char is still a pretty deadly fighter, so I find this to be the most balanced build.

I've done this as well, it's certainly doable and pleasant in a way. Yet I stopped having commander characters, it makes the overall campaign game too easy. I focus on fighting skills now, it makes the battles more interesting for myself, while having a very challenging campaign game.

 

[Ludial]

well, I went from being a killing machine who couldn't pay his own troops despite going through constant warfare undefeated back in 1.011 to a fast and smart fighter. I still kill, but I also lead and support. versatility at its finest 

 

[Hertog Jan]

Most of the time i've:
Jeremus: medical skills, trade
Borcha (or Klethi): pathfinding, spotting and some points in tracking
Both equiped with a crossbow + 1h + shield

Lezalit (engineer), Rolf, Alayen, Bahestur: fighters equiped as knights

 

[Filou]

8 in total with no infighting, and once the few dialogs which I hope I could respond by "get a room" are done I'm at peace for the rest of the game.

-3 specialists: Jeremus (medic) Deshavi (ranger) Bunduk (tactics/engineer).  They get a 2h axe, a crossbow/bow and 2 quivers, they stay in the back.
-2 Shock troop/bodyguard : Imira and Klethi dressed up as Huscarl and skilled as such.
-3 Lords in training: Baheshtur, Firentis, Alayen.  One hand weapon and shield, Crossbow/bow.

Only the nobles get horses in my party, so me and the 3 lords in training
They all get some training skill of course, the specialist more than the fighters.

 

[Captain_Octavius]

I really don't see why everyone seems to take the Commoner (good) group as opposed to the Noble (neutral/bad) group. Most of the commoners are very whiny about events compared to the nobles. Also, if you start with the nobles, you can level them as future vassals (very important if you want them to be effective), and once they are you can switch to the commoner group and stick to them.

 

[Ludial]

I really don't see why everyone seems to take the Commoner (good) group as opposed to the Noble (neutral/bad) group. Most of the commoners are very whiny about events compared to the nobles. Also, if you start with the nobles, you can level them as future vassals (very important if you want them to be effective), and once they are you can switch to the commoner group and stick to them.

Matheld expressly tells me that she would quit if ever I required her to cook for herself and wash her own clothes (want me maybe to wipe yar arse, m'lady?). Rolf requires that everyone defers to him as if he's a higher class of human and whines when we perform a tactical retreat. Alayen tells me to my face that he considers me lower than him based on nothing more than what family he was born in and also whines when we perform a tactical retreat. I don't hire pampered and haughty scum in my company.

Compared to them, I'd even show patience to the capriciousness of Marnid and Klethi's savagery. Being reluctant to run from a fight out of sheer bloody-mindedness and greed is still preferable than using honor as an excuse for said qualities; Klethi at least is honest about it.

 

[Captain_Octavius]

So you prefer your companions preventing you from attack a caravan or looting a village? Oh wait, you don't use companions at all. 

EDIT: Actually, there is one companion that doesn't whine about any events, Nizar. Maybe you should consider taking him in.

 

[Ludial]

So you prefer your companions preventing you from attack a caravan or looting a village? Oh wait, you don't use companions at all. 

I don't attack villagers and caravans anyway. Instead I fight the lords of the land and their supporters. But I think we've already had this discussion somewhere else

 

[Dalkar]

I do the same as Ludial. Attacking Villagers drops honour too, plus it's pointless. Raiding villages is dumb too imo. Why make a source of men hate you?
Caravans are bleh too unless you're rping a bandit imo.

 

[Captain_Octavius]

I always RP. Sometimes it doesn't fit the character and I indeed never attack villages/villagers/caravans. But often my character is an arch-enemy of a specific faction, and I'll never use their troops anyway. That's an OK sign for me to raid their villages.

 

[Rukaria]

I'm currently only using two companions. Deshavi and Klethi. Both used as combatants/trade/surgeon/engineer and some other less important skills. I raid villages very often, assuming I'm at war with that faction, and they don't complain about it. They both like each other as well.

 

[Cleomenes]

well I have about 7 which are : Firentis, Lezalit, Alayen, Bahesthur, Borcha, Matheld and Artimenter. I really give them horses, good armour and equipment . I rather use my own skills to develop the levels. And by the way there is no companion that whines. You said Nizar but he whines about Firentis becouse Firentis killed his own brother... So yea.

 

[Captain_Octavius]

And by the way there is no companion that whines. You said Nizar but he whines about Firentis becouse Firentis killed his own brother... So yea.

Actually, there is one companion that doesn't whine about any events, Nizar. Maybe you should consider taking him in.

 

[Cleomenes]

And by the way there is no companion that whines. You said Nizar but he whines about Firentis becouse Firentis killed his own brother... So yea.

Actually, there is one companion that doesn't whine about any events, Nizar. Maybe you should consider taking him in.

Oh right apologies

 

[Ludial]

yep, because he's a hedonistic adventurer that would do anything to have some fun. and he's a lvl 3 warrior poet to boot. It's probably the only companion I always hire despite him being such an insufferable sleaze.

 

[Filou]

I really don't see why everyone seems to take the Commoner (good) group as opposed to the Noble (neutral/bad) group. Most of the commoners are very whiny about events compared to the nobles. Also, if you start with the nobles, you can level them as future vassals (very important if you want them to be effective), and once they are you can switch to the commoner group and stick to them.

So you prefer your companions preventing you from attack a caravan or looting a village?

I mainly chose the commoner group because they're much lower level so I feel I can get more skill out of them and tune them to my liking.

I attack caravans on sight when at war with that faction and never had any complaints from any companions.  As long as you're at war they're fair game so I don't see what you're on about.

I seldom raid villages due to the rep loss, and when I do I simply don't raid many in a row.  Sure one or 2 guys whine but they get over it pretty fast.  Otherwise I've never had any whining except when I get "too many losses", but again they get over it and anyways I aim to avoid that regardless of what they say.
edit-yeah, some whine about failing quests - so what?