Overview: (23)

Learn why Xan is a weak early-recruitable character in Sword of the Sea. Discover his limitations as an Enchanter and why Edwin or Imoen are better choices.

This section provides an overview of the character Xan in Sword of the Sea. While technically available early, recruiting him involves a trip to the Nashkel Mines. However, it is strongly advised against due to his significant drawbacks.

• Class Limitations: Xan is an Enchanter, meaning he cannot cast powerful evocation spells like Magic Missile, Web, Stinking Cloud, Fireball, or Fireshield. This severely restricts his offensive capabilities.
• Competition: Compared to other mages, Xan falls short. Edwin is a superior choice for an evil alignment, and Imoen is the better option for a good alignment.
• Moonblade: Xan does possess a Moonblade (+3 sword, counts as a dagger) which offers a +1 bonus to Armor Class and 50% Fire Resistance. However, his low Strength score makes this weapon largely ineffective in his hands.
• Personality: Xan is described as a whiney pessimist, adding to the reasons to avoid him.
• Leveling Issues: Xan suffers from poor Hit Point allocation as he levels up. At level six, he may only have 17 Hit Points, significantly less than his potential, and has already lost Hit Points by level two and four.
• Alternative Disposal: For a dark sense of humor, the author suggests feeding Xan to a Sword Spider for bonus points, referencing a similar suggestion in their Icewind Dale FAQ.