Just started Kingmaker for the first time after playing Wrath like 10+ times, and I hit the opening scene where the Aldori is explaining the mission (“Go deal with the Stag Lord, claim the territory, etc.”)

Then you get this dialogue option:

>MC: “Why not just recognize this ‘Stag Lord’ as Baron?”

>Jaethal: “That's a good point. As I see it, this Stag Lord already holds power over the region with confidence."

I would crack up if the Aldori was like, "Yeah, you're right that would be a lot easier. I guess you guys can go home and we'll work this out with the Stag Lord directly."

Fade to black.

Game Over screen.

Credits roll.

(I assume this Stag Lord guy is batshit crazy or a demon or something, and that's why they can't do this of course).

(Also is this Aldori an ancestor of Seelah's friend in Wrath or something?)

For the longest time I wondered why sometimes the enemy armies in Crusade Mode have humans (often good or neutral aligned ones, not cultists).

At first I thought it was just devs mixing things up (trying to give us more enemy variety than babaus, dretches, etc.) and not really thinking too much about how strange it would be for a Lawful Good soldier to join up with Deskari's crew.

Then it finally hit me: oh… these guys are probably enslaved/mind controlled by the demons. This army (a good way west of Kenabres) for example is literally just a succubus with a group of innocent human slaves.

This was probably obvious to everyone else, but it took me like 200 hours to figure it out.

I wish there was a way to rescue these guys and add them to the Drezen army. Like if you focus fire and kill the succubus first maybe you can break the spells?

(It reminds me a bit of the part in Gray Garrison where you can find a succubus controlling a group of paladins and there's nothing you can do to free all of them other than a few before combat starts; the ones who start the fight under her control remain ensorcelled even if you kill her first).

There’s been some discussion on the subreddit about whether Regill is the only companion who actually cares about winning the war or maybe gets too much credit for the same.

So I decided to put together a tier list categorizing the companions by how much they prioritize closing the Worldwound and beating the demon lords.

For this analysis, I looked at two main criteria:

• how focused each character is on the war / closing the Worldwound, and
• for companions with personal quests, how much those quests actually contribute to obstructing Baphomet, Deskari, or their cultists (versus being about personal growth, trauma, recovery, etc. that are not directly impeding the Abyss's army)

Ended up with the below categories:

Category A — “Model Crusaders”

These guys wake up thinking about killing demon lords and go to sleep thinking about killing demon lords.

• Regill A Hellknight who treats the Worldwound like a personal performance review and reorganizes the entire order to maximize the Commander’s odds of victory.
• Seelah A paladin whose personal quest is literally “stop a Baphomet cultist from stealing souls,” which is about as on‑brand for the crusade as it gets. Archetypal paladin.
• Lann A crusade‑raised mongrel who brings an entire army to the cause and keeps fighting even if you never recruit him.
• Galfrey A queen who has spent her entire life chained to the crusade and carries the weight of Mendev’s survival on her back.

Category B — “Helpful, but With Side Quests”

They want the Worldwound closed, but they also have personal business that's not super related or at least not intentionally related.

• Ulbrig A displaced fey-obsessed refugee from 'Pathfinder: Kingmaker' whose quest is mostly about reconnecting with his descendants rather than hunting Areelu.
• Arueshalae Dedicated and heroic spy, but her personal quest is the final chapter of her spiritual healing rather than a strategic strike against demon lords.
• Sosiel A devoted crusader, but whose quest focuses on uncovering his brother’s fate instead of advancing the war effort.
• Ember A gentle reluctant soldier whose “personal quest” accidentally functions as a morale‑shattering psy‑op against the Abyss.

Category C — “Here for Vibes”

They'd probably prefer the Worldwound be closed, but it’s not exactly their top priority and definitely don't want to be in the army.

• Daeran A demon‑hating aristocrat who wants nothing to do with crusading and whose quest is about surviving his own tragic backstory.
• Woljif Reluctant thief, errified of warfare whose quest revolves around his Baphomet‑touched heritage rather than the crusade.
• Trever A once‑heroic crusader (probably Model Crusader in the past), but now burned out and broken, staying only out of loyalty to his brother.
• Aivu Basically Camellia except with cookies instead of murder. Doesn't even join the crusade unless you're Azata.

Category D — “Actively Concerning”

Their goals have nothing to do with defeating demon lords and sometimes actively undermine the crusade.

• Wenduag A power‑hungry survivor who uses the crusade as a stepping stone to power and glory and will betray it if she doesn't get spanked enough or whatever.
• Greybor A mercenary who enjoys killing demons but will take a contract on the Commander if not hired.
• Camellia A serial killer who pretends to commune with a fake spirit while secretly murdering crusaders for fun. Probably the most parasitic companion.
• Arueshalae (Corrupted) Zero interest in the crusade, just there to kill people and have fun. Basically Camellia except bisexual and winged.
• Nenio A scientist who openly wants to open more Worldwounds (for research) and proposes tactics that would literally buff the demon lords (Baphomet riding Deskari -- both with the Outflank feat, Mounted Combat, and Spirited Charge? Might as well give them merged spellbooks, Nenio!)

Love to know what you think and would change.

Sometimes the UI in the game can be a little hard to interpret. I tried examining the tooltip in the equipment menu but I'm not 100% sure if this sword has the Brilliant Energy property or not. I could try experimenting with it in combat, I guess...