You’re standing in the burning ruins of Kenabres, demons are literally falling from the sky, and your only help is a grumpy paladin and a shaman who talks to spirits. Welcome to the Worldwound. If you’re diving into the massive CRPG that is Owlcat Games’ masterpiece, you quickly realize that your Pathfinder Wrath of the Righteous companions aren't just stat blocks. They are walking, talking liabilities. Or assets. It really depends on how many times you’re willing to reload a save because Camellia "accidentally" found herself in a basement with a corpse.
The game is huge. Like, 150-hours-long huge. Because of that, picking your party isn't just about who hits the hardest; it's about who you can actually stand to listen to for three months of gameplay. Some of these characters are lovable rogues, and others are genuinely irredeemable monsters that the game lets you keep around because, hey, a high Armor Class is a high Armor Class.
The Early Game Essentials and the Problem with Seelah
Seelah is your first companion. She’s a Paladin of Iomedae. She’s cheerful, she drinks too much, and she’s probably the most "normal" person you’ll meet. But here’s the thing people get wrong: Seelah isn’t just a tank. If you keep her as a pure Paladin, she becomes a buff machine. Mark of Justice is arguably the most powerful ability in the entire game when you’re fighting high-AC bosses. It lets the whole party add her Charisma bonus to attack rolls.
Then there’s Camellia. She is the literal definition of "I can fix her," except you definitely cannot. She’s a Spirit Hunter Shaman, which makes her incredibly versatile. You can build her as a tank, a secondary caster, or a melee damage dealer. Most players struggle with her early on because her damage output seems low, but once you start stacking "Elemental Barrage" (though nerfed in later patches) or focusing on her rapier crits, she becomes a monster. Just... maybe don't ask her about the amulets. Or the blood.
Why Some Pathfinder Wrath of the Righteous Companions Feel "Weak"
It’s usually a build issue. Take Lann and Wenduag. You get a choice early on: the zen archer or the spider-cat cannibal. Most people pick Lann because he’s sarcastic and "good," but Wenduag is actually a powerhouse if you multiclass her into a Rowdy Rogue or a Mutation Warrior. Lann is safe. He stays in the back, he shoots three or four arrows a round, and he rarely misses. But he’s boring.
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Wenduag? She’s a project. She’s also a great litmus test for your Mythic Path. If you’re going Angel, she’s going to hate you. If you’re going Demon, she’s your best friend. This brings up a massive point about the Pathfinder Wrath of the Righteous companions system: your Mythic Path changes how they react to you. A Lich playthrough is going to feel lonely because most of the "living" companions will eventually realize you’re a skeletal nightmare and leave. Except for maybe Regill.
Regill Derenge: The Best Character You’ll Hate to Love
Regill is a Hellknight. He’s a gnome, which usually implies "whimsical" or "funny." Regill is neither. He is a lawful evil fascist who values efficiency above all else. He’s also the most pragmatically written character in the game. While other companions are crying about their feelings, Regill is telling you that losing 400 soldiers was a "calculated necessity."
Mechanically, Regill is a beast. He uses a Gnome Hooked Hammer, which is a weird weapon, but his "Hellknight" levels let him bypass damage reduction like it’s nothing. If you’re playing on Core difficulty or higher, you need Regill. Not because he’s nice, but because he doesn't miss. He’s the only companion who will tell you your plan is stupid to your face and then execute it perfectly anyway because he respects the chain of command.
Dealing with the Caster Crisis: Nenio and Sosiel
Nenio is polarizing. She’s a kitsune who wants to write an encyclopedia and constantly forgets who you are. Some players find her hilarious; others want to leave her in the desert. But you need a Wizard. In Pathfinder, "Buffing" isn't optional. If you aren't walking into a fight with Haste, Heroism, and Death Ward active, you’re going to die. Nenio is your scroll-crafting, illusion-casting solution to the game’s insane difficulty spikes.
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Then there’s Sosiel. Poor, boring Sosiel. He’s a Cleric of Shelyn. He paints. He’s nice. He’s also kind of a wet blanket compared to a Succubus or a Hellknight. However, Sosiel has access to the Community Domain if you give him the "Impossible Domain" mythic feat. The "Guarded Hearth" ability he gets from that domain is the single best boss-killing buff in the game. It adds his Wisdom modifier to the entire party’s attack rolls and saving throws. It makes impossible fights winnable. You don't bring Sosiel because he’s cool; you bring him because he’s a portable holy battery.
The "Secret" and Late-Game Additions
There are characters you can completely miss.
- Woljif: He runs away during a gargoyle attack. If you don't do his specific quest in Act 3, he’s gone forever. He’s your best source of "Sneak Attack" damage and "Haste" early on.
- Arueshalae: A literal Succubus trying to be good. She’s a Ranger (Espionage Expert) and has stats that are frankly unfair. She can easily reach 40+ Dexterity. If you find her early in the Drezen prison, she makes the mid-game a breeze.
- Greybor: A dwarven assassin who works for money. He’s fine, but he’s "glass cannon" personified. He hits like a truck but has the defensive capabilities of a wet paper towel.
- Ember: A scarred elven child who is secretly one of the most powerful blasters in the game. Her "Slumber" hex can put literal dragons to sleep.
A lot of players overlook Ember because she seems fragile. She is. But her "Hellfire Ray" build late-game can do 1,000+ damage in a single turn. She’s basically a nuke disguised as a beggar.
Complexity and Alignment Conflicts
You can't please everyone. If you try to be a paragon of virtue, you’ll lose the respect of characters like Regill or Daeran. Daeran is another standout—an Oracle who is posh, arrogant, and cursed by an otherworldly entity. He’s the best healer in the game, hands down. His "Life" mystery lets him heal the entire party as a move action, which is life-saving when a Balor is exploding in your face.
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The beauty of the Pathfinder Wrath of the Righteous companions is the friction. They argue with each other during rest bants. They disagree with your Mythic choices. If you go the "Swarm-That-Walks" path, they will literally all leave you or try to kill you. And they should! You’re eating the world.
How to Optimize Your Party Composition
Honestly, don't just pick your favorites. You need a balance. A standard "balanced" party usually looks like this:
- A Frontliner: Seelah or a built-up Mount (Animal companions are actually better tanks than most characters).
- A Full Divine Caster: Sosiel or Daeran for those essential 9th-level spells.
- A Full Arcane Caster: Nenio or a Mercenary for Haste and Mind Blank.
- A Ranged DPS: Lann, Arueshalae, or Wenduag.
- A Skill Monkey: Woljif or Camellia to handle traps and locks.
- The Wildcard: Ember for blasting or Regill for melee blender action.
If you’re playing on "Story" or "Normal," ignore all of this. Pick whoever you like. But the jump to "Daring" or "Core" is brutal. At those levels, the math matters more than the personality. You’ll start looking at Ember’s "Evil Eye" hex not as a cool roleplay moment, but as the only way to lower a boss's AC enough so that Seelah can actually hit it.
The Impact of the Mythic Paths
Your companions change based on your soul. If you become a Gold Dragon, you might inspire them. If you become a Lich, you can actually kill some of them and raise them as "Grave Guards." These are undead versions of characters (and some NPCs) who have no free will and follow you blindly. It’s dark, it’s efficient, and it’s a totally different way to experience the story. Delamere and Staunton Vhane are much more interesting as undead servants than they ever were as living failures.
Actionable Insights for Your Next Playthrough
- Focus on Outflank: Give every single melee companion the "Outflank" feat at Level 7. It is the single most important feat in the game for increasing accuracy.
- Abuse Animal Companions: If a companion can get a horse, wolf, or dog (like Seelah or Sosiel via domains), take it. The "Trip" mechanic on dogs and wolves is brokenly good.
- Don't Ignore Hexes: Ember and Camellia have Hexes. These are infinitely usable and don't care about Spell Resistance. "Evil Eye" and "Protective Luck" can carry you through the first three acts.
- Read the Combat Log: If you’re missing, look at why. Is it "Concealment"? Use True Seeing. Is it high "Natural Armor"? Use "Touch Attacks" (like Ember’s rays).
The Pathfinder Wrath of the Righteous companions are messy, complicated, and often frustrating. But they are the heart of the Crusade. Without them, you’re just a person with cosmic powers standing in a desert. With them, you’re a leader—even if that means you’re leading a group of people who mostly want to kill each other.
Check your alignment, stock up on "Remove Blindness" scrolls, and try not to let Camellia spend too much time alone. You’ll need every one of them before you hit the Threshold.