So, I'm planning to keep my companions as canon as possible, but I'm not sure about Shadowheart. Most people giving her a ranged weapon, like a crossbow, I recon, because she's not really good in melee. But on the art she's usually have a spear, and doesn't really give an archer vibes to me. Do you think there is a way to make her at least somewhat reliable with a spear? And, in any case, how much does her weapon choice really matter, since she's a cleric?
Viable in terms of mechanics? Sure, at start her STR bonus is one less than her DEX bonus, and since she is a cleric, you're not gonna use ASIs to bump anything but her WIS (or give a Feat). A +1 on a d20 is not a big deal spaced out over dozens or 100s of rolls. And if you want her to go melee, I think her only finesse option is a dagger. In EA, if I don't use Lae'zel (which is often because she's a jerk, like they all are, but she's an ugly jerk) I often have Shadowheart up front after having her cast Shield of Faith. When I get that spear from the crypt early on, I give to her, albeit with a shield rather than two-handed, because if I'm gonna have her tank, I'm going to give her a shield.
