Even the greatest adventurers can't survive alone, but fear not for there are adventurers out there willing to join you.

Be aware of alignment clashes, as not everyone will tolerate each other. If you choose wisely then you will have a strong party to save the world or destroy it, whichever you prefer.

When changing party members make sure you take everything off them first, otherwise you lose their stuff (unless you have them back). Also, be aware that certain members will leave with them. Khalid will leave with Jaheira, Montaron with Xzar, Minsc with Dynaheir, Eldoth with Skie. If you wish to keep one without the other, let the other one die in battle (or attack them).

Original Baldur's Gate weapon proficiencies

As Baldur's Gate weapon profiencies cover a huge range, I thought I'd list them for you. Blunt weapon covers Mace, Club, Warhammer, and Staff.
Large sword covers Two Handed Sword, Bastard Sword, Long Sword and Scimitar.
Missile weapon covers Crossbow, Dart and Sling.
Spear also covers a Halberd.
Small sword covers Dagger and Short Sword
Spiked weapon covers Flail and Morningstar.

Don't forget, ordinary weapons break until you sort out Nashkel Mines, so carry spares or get magical weapons.

Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition

Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition has different weapon proficiencies and new characters; I'm including these as I come across them in the game.

Name	Alignment	Class	Weapon Profiencies	Location
Ajantis	Lawful Good	Paladin	Original: Bow + Large Sword ++ Blunt Weapon + Enhanced Edition: Bastard sword ++ Two-handed Sword + Longbow +	Area north of Friendly Arm Inn
Alora	Chaotic Good	Thief	Original: Bow + Missile Weapons + Enhanced Edition: Dagger + Shortbow + Two-weapons +	West Baldur's Gate, Hall of Wonders at night
Coran	Chaotic Good	Fighter/Thief	Original: Bow +++ Large Sword ++ Enhanced Edition: Long Bow +++ Long Sword ++	First Cloakwood
Dynaheir	Lawful Good	Invoker	Original: Missile Weapon + Enhanced Edition: Sling +	Rescue from Gnoll Stronghold
Imoen	Neutral Good	Thief	Original: Bow + Small Sword + Enhanced Edition: Shortbow + Short sword +	First area after Candlekeep
Kivan	Chaotic Good	Ranger Racial Enemy: Ogre	Original: Bow ++ Spear ++ Enhanced Edition: Halberd ++ Longbow ++ Two Weapons ++	High Hedge
Khalid	Neutral Good	Fighter	Original: Axe + Bow + Large Sword ++ Enhanced Edition: Axe + Longbow + Long sword ++	Inside Friendly Arm Inn
Minsc	Neutral Good	Ranger Racial Enemy: Gnoll	Original: Axe + Large Sword ++ Spiked Weapon + Enhanced Edition: Mace + Longbow + Two-handed sword ++ Two weapons +	Near Garrison in Nashkel - agree to rescue Dynaheir
Yeslick	Lawful Good	Fighter/Cleric	Original: Blunt weapon ++ Spiked weapon ++ Missile Weapon + Enhanced Edition: Sling ++ War Hammer ++	Cloakwood Mines - Second level
Branwen	True Neutral	Cleric	Original: Blunt Weapon + Missile Weapon + Enhanced Edition: Sling + Warhammer +	Nashkel Carnival Steal Stone To Flesh scroll from person nearby then use it on her. If you have the enhanced edition you will probably need to purchase a scroll from a temple.
Faldorn	True Neutral	Druid	Original: Spear + Blunt weapon + Missile Weapon + Enhanced Edition: Club + Dart +	Near stone circle in the third Cloakwood
Jaheira	True Neutral	Fighter/Druid	Original: Blunt Weapon ++ Missile Weapon ++ Enhanced Edition: Club ++ Sling + Quarterstaff +	Inside Friendly Arm Inn
Skie	True Neutral	Thief	Original: Bow + Small Sword + Missile weapon + Enhanced Edition: Dart + Shortbow + Short Short +	If you have Eldoth, "rescue" Skie from Estate in Northwest Baldur's Gate
Garrick	Chaotic Neutral	Bard	Original: Small Sword + Missile Weapon + Enhanced Edition: Short sword + Crossbow +	Beregost, outside Burning Wizard - Kill Silke and he will join
Safana	Chaotic Neutral	Thief	Original: Small Sword + Missile Weapon + Enhanced Edition: Scimitar/Wazikashi/Ninjato + Dart +	Lighthouse area SW of High Hedge (2 below Candlekeep) - Loot cave with Golems
Quayle	Chaotic Neutral	Illusionist	Original: Blunt Weapons + Spiked Weapons + Missile Weapons + Enhanced Edition: Club + Sling +	Bridge to Baldur's Gate
Xan	Lawful Neutral	Enchanter	Original: Small Sword + Enhanced Edition: Dagger +	Last Nashkel Mines - rescue him and he will join you, don't forget to pick up his dagger from the chest.
Edwin	Lawful Evil	Conjurer	Original: Blunt Weapon + Enhanced Edition: Quarterstaff +	Nashkel, on bottom bridge - agree to kill Dynaheir
Kagain	Lawful Evil	Fighter	Original: Axe ++ Blunt Weapons + Missile Weapons + Enhanced Edition: Axe ++ Crossbow + Flail/Morningstar +	In large building near Feldpost Inn, Beregost
Eldoth	Neutral Evil	Bard	Original: Bow + Spear + Small Sword + Enhanced Edition: Spear + Longbow + Scimitar/Wakizashi/Ninjato +	Third Cloakwood - agree to free Skie
Montaron	Neutral Evil	Fighter/Thief	Original: Small Sword ++ Missile Weapons ++ Enhanced Edition: Short Sword ++ Sling ++	Bottom of first area after Candlekeep
Viconia	Neutral Evil	Cleric	Original: Blunt weapon + Spiked weapon + Missile weapon + Enhanced Edition: Mace + Sling +	Peldvale, kill Flaming Fist guard in Peldvale. You'll lose 2 reputation points when she joins as she's a Drow Elf
Shar-Teel	Chaotic Evil	Fighter	Original: Large sword ++ Small Sword ++ Enhanced Edition: Dagger + Long Sword + Two Weapons ++	Basilisk area above Gullykin - win duel and she'll join
Tiax	Chaotic Evil	Cleric/Thief	Original: Blunt weapon + Missile weapon + Enhanced Edition: Sling + Quarterstaff +	In the streets of Southwest Baldur's Gate, near Flaming Fist
Xzar	Chaotic Evil	Necromancer	Original: Small Sword (Dagger) + Enhanced Edition: Dagger +	Bottom of first area after Candlekeep

New characters in Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition

Name	Alignment	Class	Weapon Proficiencies	Location
Rasaad	Lawful Good	Sun Soul Monk He can't wear any armour but can wear bracers (and of course cloak, ring or Amulet of protection). He's quite good unarmed combat with his special abilities, especially as he levels up. Also, you can use him to find traps but he can't disarm them.	Enhanced Edition only Scimitar/Wakizashi/Ninjato + Katana +	In Nashkel, amongst a crowd, near top bridge. Speak to him and be interested in his order and he'll join your party. He will join an evil party if you are nice to him.
Neera	Chaotic Neutral	Wild Mage if you don't use Nahal's Reckless Dweomer spell, she only has 5% chance of a random spell instead of the selected one. Wild magic adds fun to the game. She sometimes accidently turns herself into an animal but don't worry, she will be back to normal after a bit. You can always rest if you don't want to wait. I recommend you replace her quarterstaff as it can injure her. If you kill Silke (also in Beregost, near Burning Wizard) you will gain a quarterstaff +1	Enhanced Edition: Quarterstaff +	Somewhere outside in Beregost, rescue her from "Vicious Magic Bandits" and she will join your party.
Dorn	Neutral Evil	Blackguard Apart from being good with his two-handed sword, he also has some good special abilities.	Enhanced Edition: Two-handed Sword ++ Two-handed Weapon ++	You first meet him inside Friendly Arm Inn where he tells you to go away. You will meet him again when you are waylaid on the way to Nashkel Mines; after the fight he will join you or if you don't want him yet, he will go back to the Friendly Arm Inn where he will join you later. If he joins, you will lose 2 reputation but he is needed for Taris' quest. Taris is either outside Nashkel Inn or just inside it. Following that quest he has a quest of his own which requires access to city of Baldur's Gate itself, so it might be better if he joins you later in the Friendly Arm Inn (unless you want to keep him). If you wish to get Dorn on the way to Nashkel Mines but don't keep him, make sure you leave a party member (reform party) at a different area before heading to Nashkel Mines, otherwise you will lose them. Imoen always seems happy to re-join you.
Baeloth	Chaotic Evil	Sorcerer A sorcerer is different to a mage; instead of having to rest each time you want to change spells, you only sleep to gain to a certain number of spell slots (depending on level). These can be used for any of the spells the sorcerer has ever learned. So, no need to rest just because you haven't got the right spells for the fight ahead. I don't think he can write spells but he comes with excellent spells and he can use scrolls. He comes with a good robe.	Enhanced Edition: Dart + Quarterstaff +	Teleports in Larswood, by tower in the south, possibly after you kill some Gibberlings. Therefore, just wander round the tower killing Gibberlings until he appears. After a long conversation he will join you. As he is a Drow elf you will lose 2 reputation points if he joins you. Your main character may have to be level 5 or higher for him to join. For some reason, when you get reputation points he may leave the party but if you choose the option ... "Your whining has convinced me" he will happily re-join and stay. Don't worry, you don't lose 2 extra reputation points when he re-joins as you gained them when he left.