Posted February 16, 2010
high rated
Arcanum has many potential allies in it for a would-be hero. Some are good, some are bad, and some are really just not that important. Many will die horrible deaths fighting for you because, frankly, their stats suck and their AI consists of a digital cabbage inside their poorly-rendered heads.
I have taken the time to write abilities, where to find them, and how to get them to join you, because surviving the trials of Arcanum alone is murderous, and not all of these folks are easy to discover. Here they are listed, roughly in the order that you can find them. Note that characters who only join you temporarily as part of their own sidequest are not listed here.
Your maximum number of followers is dependent on your charisma. You're allowed one follower for every 4 points of Charisma. A Charisma score of 8 allows 2 followers. A CHA score of 20 allows 5 followers, and also grants you the ability to ensure that no party member will leave without your permission. There are some backgrounds that can affect this. For example, Educator takes away one follower in return for other bonuses. However, gaining the Expert level in Persuasion adds one follower. Masters of persuasion can talk people who normally wouldn't tolerate each other into staying with the party.
Virgil: That dude you meet when the blimp crashes. Don't worry about finding him, he'll find you. Besides serving as a source of exposition, Virgil is a competent fighter and healer, and one of the only characters with full voice-acting. First-time players are advised to keep him around for the entire duration of the game. If you let him, he will join you and fight by your side no matter what.
Sogg Mead Mug: An ogre you can find in the bar in Shrouded Hills. Not much of a character, but like all half-ogres he is massively strong and tough, an excellent melee fighter. Getting armor in his size might be a challenge, but if you can get him early in the game you'll have a substantial tactical advantage over anybody who does not also have an ogre on their side. Getting him to come with you requires a charisma score of at least 9.
Jayna Stiles: A chemist from Dernholme. She will only join you if you do not have a substantial magical alignment; you must be bent towards technology or nuetral at the time you ask for her to become a party member. Although she might seem like an interesting person before she joins the party, all of her sparkle will fade as soon as she becomes a member. She's also a poor combatant and unable to equip heavier gear. BUT, she is very useful in one respect: she can mix potions for you if you can get the ingredients for her. Given that the plants needed to brew restorative brews are pretty common, keeping Jayna in the party is a good way to get access to cheap healing. Be warned; Jayna will not tolerate you killing good people.
Vollinger: A suspicious-looking halfling from Dernholme. Vollinger is a passable fighter, and like Jayna he can use his chemistry knowledge for your benefit. He can also make guns. However, you cannot have both him and Virgil in the party at once unless you max out persuade... and by the time you're a high-enough level to do that, Vollinger will be useless to you.
Magnus: A Dwarf waiting outside of P. Schuyler and Sons in Tarant. He is a decent melee fighter, but if you want to play an evil character he'll soon grow angry at your civilian-massacring ways and leave the party. He's easy enough to convince to join, though, as long as you're polite. He's got more personality than most allies, but his most important trait is his smithing skill. He can make pure ore and the game-breakingly powerful Balanced Sword for you if you bring him the materials.
Dog: From Gamebanshee: "You’ll find Dog being attacked by a gnome the first time you see him. If you rescue him from the gnome, then Dog will join your party and not count against your follower limit. Since Dog will also earn master training in melee, he’s one of the best followers in the game.
Note: It’s not clear when the gnome starts kicking Dog. So if you want to add Dog to your party, you should head for him right away when you visit Ashbury for the first time. Otherwise the gnome might kill him. "
Geoffrey Tarellond-Ashe: A vainglorious necromancer from Ashbury. He will only join you if you're evil. Spellcaster AI in this game is sub-par, so I don't recommend seeking him out; he'll blow all his spells on the first enemies you encounter and then get himself killed trying to knife the foe to death.
Torian Kel: The ghost of Kel "lives" in a place called the Ancient Temple, and a long sidequest must be undertaken to bring him back to life. You must be evil to get him in the party, but it's worth doing his quest just because he knows more about the game's backstory than almost anyone else in the game, and will tell you all of it even if he doesn't join you. He's a capable melee fighter.
Chukka: Gilbert Bate's manservant/bodyguard may join you after you've done a few of Gil's jobs. See 'Sogg Mead Mug' for details on why ogre fighters are kickass. Bates is, of course, in Tarant.
Gar: The world's smartest orc. If you have 2 ranks in persuasion when you first meet him, you can ask him about tea to make him reveal his origin. You can then blackmail his owner into giving him to you. He can be a brawler for you, but I'd recommend releasing him to gain a fate point and pick up someone else. The museum Gar resides in is in Tarant.
Loghaire Thunder StoneDwarf King. Getting him into the party is a challenge that requires high intelligence and persuasion. Talk to his son Randver about the Stone and Shape, and then talk to Loghaire about the same. He is a good meleer, and works well with Magnus on a certain dwarven history sidequest...
Jormund: Dwarf wizard in Qintarra. Will join you if you clear him of a murder charge. Doesn't seem very useful, because he's lousy even for a spellcaster, but do his quest anyway for the XP and his magic staff.
Waroman: Big lizard from the Bedokaan village. To get Waroman to join your party, you must resolve the conflict with the poachers through dialogue. Then, if you tell the Bedokaan chieftain Kan Kerai your story, he’ll suggest you take Waroman with you to help you out. Waroman will eventually gain expert training with the bow, and master training with melee weapons, so he’s a good companion to have if you’re diplomatic enough to get him.
Perriman Smythe: Another one of those adventurers you read about in the papers. Smythe shows up in Tarant after you visit the Elf Village. He's a powerful sorcerer, which means that he'll waste all his magic and then turn into a water elemental for no good reason. Don't bother with him unless you think your party really needs a healer.
Sebastien: Sebastian will only show up after you’ve spoken to Edward Willoughsby about the “personal measures” he’s taking in the Boil in Tarant (Ed, like Perriman, doesn't show up until you go to the Elf city), and killed both Boil gangleaders. He's a passable fighter and carries some good equipment when you first meet him. He can also make explosives and electrical devices for you. He's easy to overlook, though, because of the very specific requirements you must meet in order to get him.
Z'an Al'urin Dark elf from the Dark Elf village. She will join you regardless of your alignment if you're completely honest with her. She's a capable spellcaster, but that doesn't count for much in an NPC. She does, however, get to have an interesting conversation with Arronax, your archnemesis. Only bring her along if you're really addicted to story elements.
Raven: Elf princess. Incompatible with Z'an unless you max out Persuade. She's a bow-user who can fight passably well as long as she's supplied with arrows, but I'd recommend not bringing her along because there are others who can do better.
Franklin Payne: Payne will only show up in his home after you’ve visited the dark elf village, but before you go on to the next story location. He's a great storyteller, a cheerful adventurer, and very, very British. Good with guns and melee weapons, and recommended for both reasons. Good voice acting too, which only makes the stories he has to tell of his adventures that much more fun.
Weldo Rubin: Halfling hero who will meet you at the entrance to the Wastes. Not a bad character, but sadly underleveled for the time you meet him.
Prisoners of the Void: Besides the ultimate villain himself, most of the named (non-slave) characters you meet in the Void can join you, and they're all quite powerful in their own ways. If for any reason you don't already have a full party by the time you reach the endgame, feel free to recruit some or all of them. I leave it to you to figure out how.
I have taken the time to write abilities, where to find them, and how to get them to join you, because surviving the trials of Arcanum alone is murderous, and not all of these folks are easy to discover. Here they are listed, roughly in the order that you can find them. Note that characters who only join you temporarily as part of their own sidequest are not listed here.
Your maximum number of followers is dependent on your charisma. You're allowed one follower for every 4 points of Charisma. A Charisma score of 8 allows 2 followers. A CHA score of 20 allows 5 followers, and also grants you the ability to ensure that no party member will leave without your permission. There are some backgrounds that can affect this. For example, Educator takes away one follower in return for other bonuses. However, gaining the Expert level in Persuasion adds one follower. Masters of persuasion can talk people who normally wouldn't tolerate each other into staying with the party.
Virgil: That dude you meet when the blimp crashes. Don't worry about finding him, he'll find you. Besides serving as a source of exposition, Virgil is a competent fighter and healer, and one of the only characters with full voice-acting. First-time players are advised to keep him around for the entire duration of the game. If you let him, he will join you and fight by your side no matter what.
Sogg Mead Mug: An ogre you can find in the bar in Shrouded Hills. Not much of a character, but like all half-ogres he is massively strong and tough, an excellent melee fighter. Getting armor in his size might be a challenge, but if you can get him early in the game you'll have a substantial tactical advantage over anybody who does not also have an ogre on their side. Getting him to come with you requires a charisma score of at least 9.
Jayna Stiles: A chemist from Dernholme. She will only join you if you do not have a substantial magical alignment; you must be bent towards technology or nuetral at the time you ask for her to become a party member. Although she might seem like an interesting person before she joins the party, all of her sparkle will fade as soon as she becomes a member. She's also a poor combatant and unable to equip heavier gear. BUT, she is very useful in one respect: she can mix potions for you if you can get the ingredients for her. Given that the plants needed to brew restorative brews are pretty common, keeping Jayna in the party is a good way to get access to cheap healing. Be warned; Jayna will not tolerate you killing good people.
Vollinger: A suspicious-looking halfling from Dernholme. Vollinger is a passable fighter, and like Jayna he can use his chemistry knowledge for your benefit. He can also make guns. However, you cannot have both him and Virgil in the party at once unless you max out persuade... and by the time you're a high-enough level to do that, Vollinger will be useless to you.
Magnus: A Dwarf waiting outside of P. Schuyler and Sons in Tarant. He is a decent melee fighter, but if you want to play an evil character he'll soon grow angry at your civilian-massacring ways and leave the party. He's easy enough to convince to join, though, as long as you're polite. He's got more personality than most allies, but his most important trait is his smithing skill. He can make pure ore and the game-breakingly powerful Balanced Sword for you if you bring him the materials.
Dog: From Gamebanshee: "You’ll find Dog being attacked by a gnome the first time you see him. If you rescue him from the gnome, then Dog will join your party and not count against your follower limit. Since Dog will also earn master training in melee, he’s one of the best followers in the game.
Note: It’s not clear when the gnome starts kicking Dog. So if you want to add Dog to your party, you should head for him right away when you visit Ashbury for the first time. Otherwise the gnome might kill him. "
Geoffrey Tarellond-Ashe: A vainglorious necromancer from Ashbury. He will only join you if you're evil. Spellcaster AI in this game is sub-par, so I don't recommend seeking him out; he'll blow all his spells on the first enemies you encounter and then get himself killed trying to knife the foe to death.
Torian Kel: The ghost of Kel "lives" in a place called the Ancient Temple, and a long sidequest must be undertaken to bring him back to life. You must be evil to get him in the party, but it's worth doing his quest just because he knows more about the game's backstory than almost anyone else in the game, and will tell you all of it even if he doesn't join you. He's a capable melee fighter.
Chukka: Gilbert Bate's manservant/bodyguard may join you after you've done a few of Gil's jobs. See 'Sogg Mead Mug' for details on why ogre fighters are kickass. Bates is, of course, in Tarant.
Gar: The world's smartest orc. If you have 2 ranks in persuasion when you first meet him, you can ask him about tea to make him reveal his origin. You can then blackmail his owner into giving him to you. He can be a brawler for you, but I'd recommend releasing him to gain a fate point and pick up someone else. The museum Gar resides in is in Tarant.
Loghaire Thunder StoneDwarf King. Getting him into the party is a challenge that requires high intelligence and persuasion. Talk to his son Randver about the Stone and Shape, and then talk to Loghaire about the same. He is a good meleer, and works well with Magnus on a certain dwarven history sidequest...
Jormund: Dwarf wizard in Qintarra. Will join you if you clear him of a murder charge. Doesn't seem very useful, because he's lousy even for a spellcaster, but do his quest anyway for the XP and his magic staff.
Waroman: Big lizard from the Bedokaan village. To get Waroman to join your party, you must resolve the conflict with the poachers through dialogue. Then, if you tell the Bedokaan chieftain Kan Kerai your story, he’ll suggest you take Waroman with you to help you out. Waroman will eventually gain expert training with the bow, and master training with melee weapons, so he’s a good companion to have if you’re diplomatic enough to get him.
Perriman Smythe: Another one of those adventurers you read about in the papers. Smythe shows up in Tarant after you visit the Elf Village. He's a powerful sorcerer, which means that he'll waste all his magic and then turn into a water elemental for no good reason. Don't bother with him unless you think your party really needs a healer.
Sebastien: Sebastian will only show up after you’ve spoken to Edward Willoughsby about the “personal measures” he’s taking in the Boil in Tarant (Ed, like Perriman, doesn't show up until you go to the Elf city), and killed both Boil gangleaders. He's a passable fighter and carries some good equipment when you first meet him. He can also make explosives and electrical devices for you. He's easy to overlook, though, because of the very specific requirements you must meet in order to get him.
Z'an Al'urin Dark elf from the Dark Elf village. She will join you regardless of your alignment if you're completely honest with her. She's a capable spellcaster, but that doesn't count for much in an NPC. She does, however, get to have an interesting conversation with Arronax, your archnemesis. Only bring her along if you're really addicted to story elements.
Raven: Elf princess. Incompatible with Z'an unless you max out Persuade. She's a bow-user who can fight passably well as long as she's supplied with arrows, but I'd recommend not bringing her along because there are others who can do better.
Franklin Payne: Payne will only show up in his home after you’ve visited the dark elf village, but before you go on to the next story location. He's a great storyteller, a cheerful adventurer, and very, very British. Good with guns and melee weapons, and recommended for both reasons. Good voice acting too, which only makes the stories he has to tell of his adventures that much more fun.
Weldo Rubin: Halfling hero who will meet you at the entrance to the Wastes. Not a bad character, but sadly underleveled for the time you meet him.
Prisoners of the Void: Besides the ultimate villain himself, most of the named (non-slave) characters you meet in the Void can join you, and they're all quite powerful in their own ways. If for any reason you don't already have a full party by the time you reach the endgame, feel free to recruit some or all of them. I leave it to you to figure out how.
Post edited February 17, 2010 by Prator