ArthurWalden: Although I probably don't really need to say this, just to be clear: when you are allowed/required to kick someone out of your party in the Ravenloft games and Menzoberranzan, it must be an NPC you have recruited. You cannot ever get rid of the two PCs you created (or imported) at the beginning of the game.

Now, in Eye of the Beholder (which the Ravenloft games/Menzoberranzan were clearly based on), you can kick any member of your party out any time you like, except that you can't ever go below four members.

ArthurWalden: Oh, sure. You just need to follow the procedure I stated. Note that this can be very desirable to do with one of the NPCs in Stone Prophet if you still want to perform a good deed and need a particular item (which you likely will at first) but really don't want that NPC in your party for some reason.

One thing about party makeup: it doesn't matter as much in these three games as in many other D&D games. You always want a cleric, of course, (I'm not sure how much a paladin can substitute) and you definitely want a mage in Strahd's Possession to keep you out of melee with level draining undead and shadows (they're bugged), but beyond that, it's not that vital. There is one NPC in Menzoberranzan (a Forgotten Realms game) whose presence in roughly the first half of the game can make it MUCH easier, but even they're not mandatory.

One more thing: in Strahd's Possession, you can usually go back (or somewhere new) and get back an NPC you've kicked but you can't always do that. In Menzoberranzan, you usually can't because of the linear nature of the game, with lots of points of no return. In Stone Prophet, you always can.

ArthurWalden: Unfortunately, that's not possible. The only way to dismiss an NPC is to try to recruit a 5th NPC, at which point you will be required to choose one NPC to dismiss. However, I am not sure you are correct about experience in this particular game. It is true that in many D&D games experience is divided equally among all party members (such as the gold box games and often in the Infinity Engine games), I am not sure that is the case in the Ravenloft games and Menzobarranzan. Since having fewer than four party members is not really much of an option in these games, it may be that all characters get equal experience regardless of numbers. In any case, the games really are designed to be played with four characters. Are you particularly obsessed with leveling up your characters as high as they can go for its own sake? If so, other RPGs might be a better fit than these games. If you want to focus on plot, environment, and atmosphere, however, these games are great and you definitely can (and probably should) complete the game with a party of four. Again, my opinion is that the games play best with four characters.

Note: do heed my warning about level draining undead (and shadows, which again are bugged) in Strahd's Possession. Stay out of melee with them as there is no way to restore lost levels (or strength points) in this game. This is only an issue in this game. Menzoberranzan has no undead at all and in Stone Prophet they shadows work properly, making them much less of a threat. (In case you're not aware, unlike level drain, shadow strength drain is supposed to be temporary. However, in Strahd's Possession, it is not.)

ArthurWalden: Although I probably don't really need to say this, just to be clear: when you are allowed/required to kick someone out of your party in the Ravenloft games and Menzoberranzan, it must be an NPC you have recruited. You cannot ever get rid of the two PCs you created (or imported) at the beginning of the game.

Now, in Eye of the Beholder (which the Ravenloft games/Menzoberranzan were clearly based on), you can kick any member of your party out any time you like, except that you can't ever go below four members.

stryx: Luckily they didn't die on me in those games.