NPC story progression

[yupper]

Since the answers will inevitably contain some spoilers, I guess I should post it here...

 

What happens to the story/dialogue/plot progression of storyline NPCs that you have recruited but are not in your party? Do their storylines never unfold, or are there "milestones" triggered by visiting certain areas and/or doing certain things that, even if the relevant storyline NPC is not in your party at the time, you can still open up subsequent storyline dialogue with them after?

 

So for example, if I explore the Endless Depths without Kana and just leave him at Caed Nua.

 

If not, then what are the various points during the game when I should swap specific NPCs into the party to trigger their questlines?

 

Thanks.

[EphemeralToast]

I believe the only NPC personal quest you need to worry about coordinating is Aloth's… if you don't resolve it before the end of Act II, you missed your chance. If you want to be certain not to miss it:

 

Have Aloth in your party when you investigate the Catacombs for the first time, and take him to see the animancer at the Sanitarium BEFORE you attend the animancy hearings with the Duc.

 

 

 

Durance requires you to have him in your party for a certain number of rests. It will not advance if you leave him out of your party. You will need to travel and rest with him for the scenes to trigger.

 

Kana only needs to explore one particular level of Cad Nua; I believe it is floor 7, and I don't think there is a way to "miss" it.

 

Everyone else's quest is pretty straightforward. They ask for your help in doing something, and if you want to advance the quest… just do the thing.  Obviously they will have to be in your party when you do it.

 

 

ETA: There are certain places where Eder will offer to speak to you if you bring him there (you get the "Eder wants to speak with you" icon), and your response to him, while it does not affect your ability to complete his quest, may affect the ending he gets. One of these is the Dozens' adventuring hall, another is the Crucible Knights' shrine to Abydon; so having Eder with you when you visit these places may be attractive to you. There may be others I can't remember, too.

Edited November 8, 2015 by EphemeralToast

[yupper]

Cool, thanks for this.

[Parasol_Syndicate]

I've found the opposite. You don't need to have the NPC with you, but you need to talk to them about it, or else their quest won't change. 

 

Pallegina, Sagani, and Hiravias at least have to be at certain places at certain times. If they aren't, they get unresolved endings.