Not sure what I'll play, as it has always been a toss up between Mage or Cleric (in the past chaotic good)... whatever backstory I create, I will not play as one of those DoS 2 style prefab characters. As for the companions, we have in act 1, I don't care what happens to them, just as long as they do not follow the camp like some horrid BioWare collectable.
