Valerie: As soon as you can, replace her tower shield with a heavy shield. She takes a -2 to hit with the former until level 5 and she has enough trouble hitting things as it is with her mediocre strength. Give her tower shield back then. Full plate for her should perhaps be your first big purchase.
Amiri: Don't stress if she seems to do a lot of damage but goes down frequently. That's what barbarians tend to do. I suggest you don't overreact by spending her feats to get single points of AC. Later on you can use spells like blur and displacement and her own DR to keep her up. She can only use one stance rage power at a time so only take one. Lethal stance doesn't stack with Linzi's inspire courage so if you want both companions in your group take reckless stance instead. Enlarge person is fantastic on her given her oversized bastard sword. Enlarge increases the die of damage as well as str and reach. Rage is toggled. She can't rage if she's fatigued.
Linzi: Sing, sing a lot. But don't forget she can do other things while singing. She might look like a decent archer but she's really not with only 8 str. I suggest concentrating on her spells/buffing/skills. She may be your go to for thievery very early on but she will quickly be supplanted by Octavia there who has skill focus. Hideous laughter is great on humanoids. Heroism (a 2nd level spell) is an amazing long duration buff at early levels.
Harrim: Channelling positive energy in combat heals your opponents in range unless you have selective channel which requires a 13 cha (which he doesn't have). Destructive smite is toggled. Cast bless before combat when you spot an enemy. Lesser restoration (which clerics gets at level 3) cures fatigue and ability damage. Resting should heal a little bit of the latter as well. Remove blindness comes at level 5.
Jaethal: Positive energy hurts her. Negative energy heals her. Unless you have a negative energy channelling main, she will pretty much use all her spell slots healing herself. I suggest waiting for enemies to engage on other characters before sending her in to clean up.
Free Loot Glitch
If you have jaethal as special when resting you get undead guardians. If you do this when resting during a mission. They appear when your attacked and they die right after. Bonus when you wake up there bodies are lootable. Got like20 sets of masterwork longswords and armor. And plain heavy shields. Nice free loot. Note: This glitch was performed on an unpatched version of the game. It is likely to eventually get patched.
Kingdom Building
Kingdom events run off timers, so you're always operating under a certain amount of time pressure.
Events come in two flavors- problems and opportunities. Problems take precedence because failing them reduces kingdom stats. Events will always auto-fail on the first of the next month if an advisor has not been assigned to them. Be careful assigning an advisor to an opportunity if they will not complete it before the end of the month- as a problem could pop up late in the month and you won't be able to assign an advisor for it. Each event has a DC (difficulty class), and each advisor has a bonus for dealing with events based off a stat- which stat depends on the advisor role Advisors who are also party members can boost their bonus with equipment that improves the stat. So, you may have an event DC 14, and your advisor has +5 bonus, meaning at the end of the event a D20 is rolled, and if D20 result +5 < 14, the event will fail. There are also triumphs and catastrophies. If you beat or miss the roll by more than 7, the event will have a larger effect on your kingdom stats.
Projects are static- they generally stick around unless you choose to do them. Be careful with projects as many of them are long term, preventing you from using that advisor for any events for an extended period of time. Some projects require your main character- they'll have your character on the project- meaning you cannot go adventuring, assign advisors, or do anything else while working on that project.
Kingdom stats- there are 6 primary stats, 4 secondary stats, and 1 tertiary stat. Primary stats have "ranks". Each rank adds a +1 bonus to dealing with events. Getting a primary stat to 60 and rank 3 will allow you to assign an advisor to the associated secondary stat if there is one. Espionage requires Rank 4 relations. Ranking a stat up is a project requiring you and the advisor for 15 days.
The economy stat affects the build points you get each week. You get a base 30 points per week, and ranking up economy raises the number you can get per week.
Claiming regions - when you claim a region, you can build a town in it. Scroll the large map around, there are small gold signposts scattered around the map (located at the empty nodes). Click a signpost to establish a town. You can have one town per region. Each town has one or more artisans who will build things for you from time to time once you complete their quest and build their workshop in the town. Building near a river is good when available, as that allows you to build ports/marinas in the towns.
Town growth is tied to claiming additional regions. Your first town will be able to grow once you claim two additional regions and build towns in each of them.
Vendor inventories are updated each chapter. New items will ONLY show up when you get to a new chapter.
You can do some kingdom management in any region you have claimed and built a town in by clicking the button in the bottom right corner from the map. Some events require you to visit the throne room, however.
No character is available to fill the "Treasurer" position when you first get your kingdom, however one will become available early-ish in chapter 2.
Later characters which can become advisors *may* have alignment restrictions - Update on this; some may be locked behind alignment-restricted dialog choices, but it does not appear that they require the main character to match an alignment. All NPC party members (except Nok-Nok) can be advisors, though not all advisors are potential party members.
The blue kingdom resource nodes provide bonuses to your stats, but you have to visit each one after you have claimed the region it's in.
Buildings which take two slots to build cannot be rotated. Plan accordingly.
Unrest reduces the bonuses for solving problems. The level of unrest is displayed on the left side of the banner across the top- left of the time wheel. As unrest increases, the bonuses applied to rolls for resolving events/projects decrease.
Kingdom Management Hints
If there is a big crisis, do not wait, don't do a bunch of sidequests, get to it ASAP. Especially don't waste precious time with the projects that fast forward fourteen days.
If there is a big crisis, do not wait, don't do a bunch of sidequests, get to it ASAP. I really mean it, the game will spawn additional and harder problem events that will sooner or later prevent you from assigning advisors to all problems. This can lead to a downward spiral that might end your kingdom and your game. If you wait really long, there is even an event that will just end your kingdom (with no way at all to handle it successfully). You can still solve your sidequests and build your kingdom afterwards, I promise...
You can only access your kingdom management screen when you are inside your barony. It doesn't have to be your capital city, any area you claimed will work. Warning: This includes getting notifications about events (specifically, not getting them outside!).
The most common kingdom events must be adressed before the start of the next month, so make sure you return to friendly lands before the end of the month and adress all problems (since they can really take you down), and then with leftover advisors adress opportunites.
Certain projects like adding new lands or upgrading an advisor automatically progress time by fourteen days. Save beforehand, and try to time them at the start of the month (so you still have some time to adress new problems and opportunities before months end)
You can buy BPs at a rate of one BP = 80 gold from the merchant on the central square.
Upgrading a village to a town requires three regions, the upgrade of the 2nd village to a town requires 5 regions etc. A city requires 3 towns. Also the town upgrade requires at least 6 building slots filled in the village. Upgrades are done via projects and pop up automatically when requirements are met.
You get additional advisors by leveling the relevant stat of your advisor to 60. E.g. Hagrim will introduce the arcane advisor when you reach divine 60. It might also require a certain advisor level (3).
You can improve your advisors success rate by leveling up the appropriate rating. Each level of economy adds +2 to the economy advisors roll. If the advisor is a companion, you can also improve the appropriate stat by adding e.g. a headband of intelligence to your economy advisor. Its basically a roll of d20 + 2*rank + stat bonus vs a DC (like a skill check, but the skill rating is the kingom rank).
And thats it. Focus on problems before opportunities, check your kingdom before the turn of the month, and solve any crisis with absolute priority, and you can get a prospering kingdom soon.
Playthrough Hints
Don't dump (drop to 7) con or wis. Hp and will saves are important for everyone.
Int and cha are generally safe dumps for classes that don't rely on those stats. Its been confirmed multiple times that your main doesn't specifically need high cha to be an effective ruler. Of course if you want more skill points / a higher persuasion you do you.
Early on, try and focus on offensive feats like weapon focus (provided you know what weapon you will be using) over defensive feats like dodge and toughness.
For a frontliner/archer try to have at least an 18 in str/dex respectively (after racial modifiers) so you can actually hit things. Read a guide or take advice or something if you want a dex based frontliner as its trickier to build.
Arrow damage (via a composite bow) is based on str. Crossbows may seem better than bows but you can't use multiple attacks with them (without feats that haven't made it into the game).
Don't go down the archery feat line (point blank shot, precise shot) unless you are a dedicated ranged combatant. Feats are precious. Recreational archers can make do.
If you want to dual wield (and still hit anything) you need to put a light weapon in your off-hand. A light shield is light. A longsword is not light. You need to take the two weapon fighting feat (and improved shield bash if you want to dual wield weapon and shield).
Two-handing a weapon gives you a higher damage bonus from str and more damage from power attack. Its an easy and low feat intensive way to build a high damage frontliner. Of course your AC will be lower without a shield.
For clerics/inquisitors check carefully which free weapon proficiency you get with each deity as well as the domains they offer. Some weapons are good ie. Shelyn (glaive), Gorum (greatsword). Some weapons are bad (those you already have). Also note the domains a deity offers are based on flavour not necessarily balance (looking at you Desna). So some deities are mechanically better than others.
Don't multi-class without a specific plan. All classes are fine to go all the way to level 20 and some of their most powerful abilities are gained late. Prestige classes aren't necessarily better than base classes (and some are traps for the unwary imho).
Formations make a big difference. Unfortunately it seems you need to manually change formations every time you get a new companion.
Bear in mind how easy it is to flank and be flanked (two enemies adjacent). That's a free +2 to hit and activates sneak attacks.
Drinking a potion gives your adjacent melee opponent(s) a free attack of opportunity. Getting up from prone does the same. Try and heal before combat rather than during.
For most skills, it seems better to have one specialist in each than a bunch of generalists. The exceptions seem to be perception (checks take multiple rolls), use magic device and mobility (you use on yourself). Everyone with high wis or perception as a class skill should probably take perception (unless they are really hurting for skill points).
Use magic device is a really long term investment for most but it should pay off.
From the tooltip, it seems you need arcane knowledge on the specific character to learn new spells from scrolls (important for wizards, magus, alchemists).
Orisons/cantrips are free but will quickly be out-classed. Use them extensively at low levels while you can.
For spontaneous casters (bards, inquisitors, sorcerers) with limited spells known, each and every spell you take is a precious, precious resource. Try and take spells which seem like they will have value throughout the game (i.e those that scale with caster level) rather than those that do not. For example, sleep looks like a great spell and it is at low levels. But you won't cast it at all from the mid-levels on. Leave those kind of spells to the wizard.
Shooting into melee attracts a -4 penalty to hit. Ranged specialists take precise shot to remove this. Recreational archers should generally try a different target.
Use energy attacks/spells for swarms. They have high DR to weapons by design.
Various Steam Achievements
Complete the indicated task to unlock the achievement.
Achievement
How to unlock
Admirer of Finer Things
Gather masterpiece works from all ten royal artisans.
Against All Odds
Travel to the mysterious realm of the fey and face your destiny.
Assassinating the Assassins
You survived the night attack on Jamandi Aldori's mansion. What a nice way to start your adventure!
Bird of Prey
Win the main prize of the royal hunt fair and square, killing two magical beasts.
Bloody Squirrels!
Get the grimoire from one remarkable hermit mage.
Comrades-in-Arms
Succeed in all available companion quests and win the loyalty of your comrades.
Conqueror
Claim all available regions.
Deal with the Devil
Win the favor of the Order of the Rack. Or of their enemy.
Enemy Within
Solve the mystery and save your barony from an otherworldly threat.
Evil Is My Name
Make three special 'Evil' story choices.
Fire. Or Acid
Stop the troll invasion.
First in Collection
Obtain an outstanding gift from one of your royal artisans.
First Results
Increase the rank of at least one kingdom stat.
Flaming Crown
Face and defeat the one final enemy.
Foes No More
Turn three villains into your friends or servants.
Followers
Recruit all available companions.
Forged in Blood
Win the game, playing on Iron man mode and Unfair difficulty.
Foundation
You founded a barony in a wild, dangerous land. Good luck with that!
Friend of Many
Succeed in three 'Kingdom as Companion' quests.
Goblin Tears
Make the goblin merchant cry real tears.
God of Poetry
Help the goblins compose their warsong!
Hail to the King!
You are now the one and only ruler of your very own kingdom!
In My Heart
Find your love.
In The Name Of The Law
Make three special 'Lawful' story choices.
Intensive Development
Explore the Stolen Lands and find all resource locations.
Iron King
Win the game, playing on Iron man mode.
Know Their Weaknesses
Kill Kargad with sunlight.
Metamagister
Use in battle any spell with 5 metamagic modifications applied.
More Challenge, Please
Win the game, playing on 'Core rules' difficulty or above.
Neighborly Affairs
Deal with your fellow neighbor king and his appetite for your land.
No Country for Bandits
Clear the Stolen lands from bandit gangs and defeat the self-proclaimed bandit king.
Nothing Left Behind
Leave any map, carrying 5000 lbs. without being encumbered.
Now You Fall!
Knock down any creature that is 3 size categories larger than you.
One Punch
Deal more than 150 damage with a single unarmed attack.
Companions Strategy Hints...