Swen says the jump was helped by the Tadpole... Mindflayers have psionics and this is a special tadpole.
I am assuming the tadpole is assisting the mage hand also. We will have to wait and see if that is the case.
so only the pc can jump that far or every npc you get is infected.
They all could from what I saw.
In some instances it wasn't necesary because unlike a certain Vampire wannabe, they could walk through the water, but all could jump with the same slightly goofy animation (hope they improve it and have an alternative should we be rid of the tadpole and want to jump)
so the plot is we only find tadpole npcs to help us that way they can justify the hulk super jump and all the other crazy enhanced abilities. I really hope thats not that case. its weak ass writing to me.
We don't know. I am not sure it is wise to assume anything at this point.
It does look like at the beginning these are the first NPC's available to us for partying up with, but from what I have seen, we have the right to not team up with them, or you know, murder them in their sleep!! I am sure we will meet other NPC's over the course of the story without the tadpole, but for know at least, it appears to be a plot device to get a party started. As has been stated, animations are very much a work in progress.