Newbie questions about IA Options

[Dementia]

Hi everybody!

I'm new to Improved Anvil and have heard a lot of good about it.

I have a few questions before playing:

i) I see a lot of talk about playing mage or vagrant, but I really like playing some kind of cleric ie C/R or C/F or a pure cleric. Can I enjoy IA without playing vagrant or mage?

ii) I don't consider myself a very good tactician, can I enjoy IA without being too frustrated. I accept reloads. But I would hate to sit a whole day not getting further. I would skip very tough challenges like the slaver compund but otherwise follow the plot and most else.

iii) I do like the banters of NPC does IA change that?

iv) Will I have to make custom NPC's? I would prefer to use Bioware's NPC or a few other like Xan, Auren or Kivan.

v) I never played ToB before, well I remember years ago I tried the big dungeon (I don't remember the name) but I didn't come through. Will that matter if I intend to play IA?

ahh well I think I got most of my questions. Thanks for your help in advance

Dementia

[Kerkes]

Imo, Minsc is good for high strenght and decent stats, but his rage is "tricky", to say the least. + He doesn't have blunt weapon profs but mace, and you don't get a +3 mace unitl skullcrusher in underdark, which is late. You'll need blunt. A custom berserker/barbarian is probably better. Vagrant definitely reccomended as protagonist, he doesn't die as often as mages, you get more exp and get to see great new quests. I'd also kick Jaheira out. Too low hp, her prots get dispeled asap. She gets very powerful, but that comes late. Cleric defintely. Anomen very good, since he can fight also. Imo, a custom ber-cler (my favourite custom for IA) or rang-cler even better. 2 mages - Imoen really shines, and Nalia (if you like her, I don't so I go with custom multi f/i or ber-mag dual .) Valygar is probably the ultimate Bioware NPC fighter for IA. Thief - dual or multi, singe only swash but I'd take a multi dwarf or halfling any day over swash. Bards - blade only, but I'd take a multi or dual figh-mag over them. I did like them before, not anymore.
Best advice: read readme completely. A lot of spells are much more useful than vanilla, on the other hand, a lot of them are nerfed a lot. You'll also find which mods/pack you cannot install with IA.
You'll probably be starting anew many times to figure everything out, but dunno worry, it gets easier when you get used to it. Nobody survives Suna Seni the first time they meet her.

[Raven]

Imo, Minsc is good for high strenght and decent stats, but his rage is "tricky", to say the least. + He doesn't have blunt weapon profs but mace, and you don't get a +3 mace unitl skullcrusher in underdark, which is late. You'll need blunt.

I don't think mace is a bad proficiency. You can get +3 maces from the Enchanted Weapon spell; plus the Improved Mace of Disruption is kinda handy.