Contrary to Halsin, Barcus has involvement in all three acts, though, I get your reasoning. It was just a case of ' if it has to be an already established character ', to not start from scratch. I don't need a Jan Jansen copy tbh. I liked him, but I would be ok, with one of the deep gnomes from the Iron Hand for example. I don't need and don't want a small companion to be the comical relief. They got the balance in BG 2 with Mazzy on one side and Jan on the other, but since it will at best be one new companion, I don't need it to be the comical relief.
BG1 had some good small companions too, with Yeslick, Alora etc.
DaKatarn: Female dwarf brings the same to the table than male dwarf, but chances are, we will se none of them as companion and tbh, my main wish is, a companion from the small races ( preferably a certain bard), maybe with a bit more down to earth story, no matter the gender.
His involvement in the plot is what would making him a companion complicated.
All scenes and plot points he appears in had to be adapted which means redoing a lot of perfectly working things.
