NPC encumbrance

[ZenBoy]

Is there any way to get the NPC's in your party to sell the crap they pick up so they are not encumbered all the time? I picked up that Druid, Melany cause I thought she might be cool, but she gets encumbered if I give her a new weapon. I want to give them better gear, but can I get them to sell the old stuff or something? If I try that int he barter screen it just says 'NPC will not drop that item' WIll they just fill up if they are allowed to pick up enough stuff? It just doesn't make sense to me that they would loot gear and not sell it. I don't care that they get the money, I just want them to not be encumbered all the time.

Thanks!

[Lord Plothos]

This is a big problem with NPCs in this game. There are some ways around it, such as using Elmo (who only takes money) or the wizard in the Wench (who only loots scrolls), but most of them will fill up fast and become useless. First of all, if you talk to a merchant with the NPC in your party, the merchant will say something like "let me just take care of this other customer first". That's your NPC, who will sell just about anything they have. I'm not sure if they'll sell the old stuff after you've had them equip better stuff or not. To keep them unencumbered, at least, you can fill their inventory with small items, such as gloves and boots looted from corpses. When they're full, they won't be able to take anything at all. This is also a nice way to keep them from taking valuable items that you want for yourself. In general, though, I'd just stick with the two I mentioned above, or not use any NPCs at all (I never do). Having them in your party will reduce (slightly) the amount of XP you get, anyway (you'll get a 1/6 share instead of a 1/5 share). NPCs are just too much work for too little benefit, IMO.