Overview: (14)

Learn about Kivan, a powerful recruit in Sword of the Sea. Discover his stats, favored enemy, and how he compares to Minsc for your party.

Alright, let's talk about Kivan! He's a really solid recruit in Sword of the Sea, kind of like a good-guy version of Shar-Teel, but honestly, even better. Think of him as filling a similar role to Minsc, but with a superior Armor Class and a favored enemy type (Ogres) that's often more useful. Plus, Kivan has some great dialogue, especially with Viconia.

Now, his Hit Points might start a bit low, but don't let that scare you off. His perks more than make up for it. He's an excellent scout and archer. I actually had him in my party for my very first playthrough of this game!

You might be wondering how he stacks up against Minsc. Minsc does have the advantage of being a sequel character, so if you plan on playing through both games, having a Ranger pal for the long haul might be appealing. They play pretty similarly, though I tend to have Kivan rely on his bow a bit more than Minsc. If you decide to recruit Kivan, most of the advice I'd give for Minsc will apply to him too. The main difference is that Kivan doesn't need specific support items like The Brawling Hands; he's pretty self-sufficient.

Quick Tip: Make sure you recruit Kivan as soon as you possibly can. He starts off already having lost four Hit Points, and by level four, he's down a whopping 13. By level six, that loss can climb to 24. So, the earlier you get him, the better his potential.