Yes hire Vi (despite her annoying voice set;),
and perhaps also Saxx (head north on Arnika road),
as ninja build is probably already difficult enough without any other class interfering.
unless you go for stupid coc using fairie ninja.

Multiclassing a bard or gadgeteer is not a good idea; if you do it before level 18, you won't be able to use the final instruments or gadgets. If you do it before level 24, those items won't reach their maximum effectiveness. If you are already level 24, you are almost at the end of the game, and there's no point to multiclassing then. You're going to need to compromise on this point; you can't really do both of these with just six characters. (One possilbe compromise is to use a bishop, but focus on just 2 spellbooks. Another is to rely on RPCs, though they won't willingly go certain places.) For bard/ninja multiclass, the best distribution is either 0 in bard or 0 in ninja; that multiclass (and most multiclasses, actually) is not a good idea.

Bard/gadgeteer multiclass is not a good idea, either; you won't get access to any high level instruments/gadgets with this setup.

In other words, both options are rather poor.

Perhaps I could point out that Bishops are better at close combat than Mages. If you are willing to compromise on your "no bishop" point, you could replace your Mage with one, and then you could start with Heal Wounds.

Also, your party has two characters with Alchemy, so you could actually drop the Ninja and still meet your requirements without a Bishop. Priest/Valkyrie for Priest, Mage for Mage (though Mage is actually a rather poor class in this game), Ranger for Alchemy (you don't need a Ninja!), and Monk for Psionic. (Ninjas are not as good as they sound in this game, and they level as slowly as Bishops without being as powerful.)

W8 can be played with almost any party, Why not with yours?

Hybrids can use magic, but later and it will be weaker than with casters.

Bards and Gadgeteers combined have access to the most interesting Psionic spells. A gadgeteer does not have any gadget at the start of the game.

Bards and Gadgeteers combined have access to the most interesting Priest buffs, but the priest gets them earlier.

Bards, Fighters, Priests and Mages are very strong at the start of the game.

Ranger finds all hidden items without having to search for them and covers Alchemy school as well.

A ninja is not very strong in a full party: Low leveling, many skills to train. He's better in a team of 1-4.

An Alchemist can brew potions, useful for the party (Pickmeup, Restoration) or can be sold with high profit. A full party needs a lot of money. The ranger can fulfill this role too, but later and needs heavy grinding to make him good in this discipline.

Train one char in Locks&Traps (Gadgeteer or Bard) and give your priest an identification spell as soon as it is available.

Training Pickpocket is not worthwile imo.

Train each char in one weapon skill only. Dual Weapons sword/dagger/mace is rather for advanced players.

Do not take Light or Stamina at the start of the game for your casters, spellbooks are found in the first minutes.

From your suggested party, I would go for Priest, Bard, Ranger, Fighter, Gadgeteer, Mage, only skip the Monk for the fighter. Alchemist replacing the gadgeteer would be stronger far into the game, but the gadgeteer is the best damage "caster" in the late game.

Give your priest one skillpoint in Mace, otherwise she gets a staff. For a priest, I prefer Mace and Shield.

I suggest arrange them in a wide frontline with Fighter, Gadgeteer, Priest in the middle, Ranger and Bard on both flanks, and the mage in the back. Against single very heavy hitting monsters put the fighter in front.

From Arnika onwards, Vi can be your second tank and healer.

When you get the impression during the game the priest is not useful anymore, best convert her into a fighter. When she's not busy with casting Stamina/Rest All, she can add to party's damage.

Have fun.

Realistically, I would expect a Bard to get access to Heal All before a Priest does, because a Bard levels faster and the level requirement is high enough that you're likely to find at least one of the two copies of the instrument that casts that spell.

(This could happen for Restoration, depending on the path you take, but isn't as sure a thing, as the instrument for that is in a remote location that isn't so easy to get to.) Actually, I would seriously consider Lord or Valkyire; that way, she will eventually be able to start improving her magic skills again.

Bard can use the dulcimer at L11. Priest too, but the bard levels faster. So you are right. Bard can also use this spell at higher levels when she gets it, while priest normally starts at PL1. But bard can fizzle.
Fastest access to heal all is via Crock's amulet, if you play the game in the "normal" sequence.

The reason for the priest to be in the starter party is in the TO's composition is Heal, Stamina, Bless, Divine Trap, Guardian Angel, Identify, Web at low levels. A little later armor plate + magic screen, cure paralysis in battle or cure poison after battle, if developed correctly.

You are also right about the Valk/Lord. After 4 levels without increasing magic abilities, they will come back again. I suggested a fighter for 2 reasons: 1) to make clear that she can still cast her useful spells, 2) I found berserk in my games more useful than developing spell skills and get new spells from L15 onwards, when both bard (bless, magic screen, heal all) and gadgeteer (armorplate, guardian angel, superman, heal all) are in the party.

I

Priest can cast it at power levels higher than 1 right away, if you are willing to take the risk of the spell fizzling, just like with a bard's instruments.

Also, you can get Heal All earlier; Lord Braffit sells scrolls of Heal All, which, being PL4, are likely more reliable than the PL6 of the Amulet. (Of course, there is the problem that, like many of the game's consumables, Heal All scrolls are overpriced for a single use item. Speaking of overpriced, why are Resurrection scrolls more expensive than Resurrection powder?)

Noted. I suppose I could just make a gadgeteer and recruit Saxx to fill the bard slot, as townltu suggested. I gather he turns up fairly early on? My main concern is that I know that there are some places he won't go. If you have to leave him behind, is it possible to find him again afterwards? Sure you can: bard + gadgeteer + 4 spellcasters = 6. The tricky part is trying to do both of the above *and* include both a ranger and a ninja in the party -- since both of them use alchemy, that would mean one of the other spellbooks would be excluded unless I either multiclass or recruit NPCs. I'm currently leaning towards the latter after taking your comments and townltu's into consideration.

The main reason I prefer not to go the bishop route is because I'm concerned that trying to juggle two spellbooks would result in them being spread too thin in terms of skill points, spell picks and action economy. A couple of secondary considerations are that bishops have a slower level progression and higher requirements than a mage. And my last, purely subjective reason is that I just can't get past the name (I expect a bishop to be a divine spellcaster, not a polymath). True, but I don't see that as a problem. Especially since they're both secondary casters. And like I said, I *want* to have a ninja in the party, mostly for the cool factor. I'm aware of that. I wasn't seeking validation for my choices; my question wasn't "Should I use these classes?" but rather "Given that I want these classes, what's the most effective way of combining them?" First you tell me that any party will work, and then you suggest I should drop the monk in favor of the fighter (the most boring class in the game)? Despite my stated desire to have a psionics-capable character in the party?

I appreciate that you're trying to be helpful. Some of the things you mentioned are useful information to keep in mind. Some of it is stuff I already knew. ("Hybrids can use magic, but later and it will be weaker than with casters." No, really?) Most of it has little to do with the questions I asked.

If you're looking for cool factor, wouldn't Samurai also work? You still get the Japanese flair and the critical hit ability, but you get a character who can cover the Mage spellbook (instead of duplicating Alchemy) and who doesn't have the high XP requirements that are otherwise only shared by Bishops.

That's a fair point. I'll have to think about it. Though I'd still probably take a mage as well (so as to have a couple of primary spellcasters in the party).

One final (probably) question: Is it better to start with a bard and recruit Madras, or to start with a gadgeteer and recruit Saxx? (Please explain your reasoning.)

Sax is easier accessible, theoretically without any battle at all,
Madras would require to evade much more enemies which is even harder in Trynton with its narrow paths.
I.e. in normal playthrough usually Saxx's xp pts are higher than party avg when I meet him the 1st time,
while Madras is always behind, depending on path up to several lvls.

Saxx's attrib pts sum up to 441, Madras's to 431.
btw both break the rules for self created PCs ;)

Combat skill wise they are rather on par.
btw funnily Madras has zero pickpocket skill, although Trynnies are depicted as thieves.

Madras has more area restrictions, where RPCs refuse to go or suffer hvy skill & attribute penalties,
especially in endgame locations Ascansion Peak and Cosmic Circle where it really counts.

Saxx comes with a unique item, its quite useful especially in late game,
Madras has standard stuff, unless you are in dire need of a lightning rod.

Tyrone Benskin gave Saxx his voice (as he also did for Magic in JA2)

p.s.
make sure to add your offensive casters as 1st characters to the party.
Else the physical attackers will waste actions on targets that die from spells anyway
or have no attack boni from buffs or enemy debuffs as the spells are not yet out,
because whenever you decide to move in combat (happens a lot),
the individual initiative sequence changes to "from upper left to lower right"
(extremely fast PCs(spd 100 & snakespd 30+) may break that rule)

Ninja needs "real" thrown weapons to crit and aurto penetrate, slings wont provide that,
so you may want to farm shuriken/darts in shops by repeted rests, they restock every 24h.
btw dont sleep anywhere near Ferro, unless you know exactly what you do.

Thanks for the info! What do you mean about Saxx and Madras "breaking the rules" for PCs?

For anyone wondering, this is the party I've settled on after taking everything into consideration (tentatively, as it could be quite a while before I actually get around to playing the game; I have several others I want to play first):

Dracon samurai
Felpurr monk
Mook ranger
Dwarf priest (may multiclass w/ Valkyrie)
Gnome gadgeteer
Elf mage
Will recruit Vi and Saxx at earliest opportunity.

"Break the rules of character creation":

Every race gets a distinct amount of overall attribute points when you create a PC, check sums in character creation menu,
humans get the most of all, reason may be the high requirement of 45 for every attrib and no spcl stuff like resistance bonus etc.
Assuming similar for the non createable and by default non playable races Ratkin, Trynnie, Trang and Umpani,
iirc all RPCs have too much overall attrib points if you reduce the value by 6 for each lvl above the 1st,
and compare with the sums on character creation.
I think this was intended because RPCs should have all their class skills somewhat evolved, but below what PCs have at that point,
so they are useful for different approach/playstyle,
but not op and too important to have in party.
The higher stats will just help them to rise skill values faster and get on par with the rest in party.

btw the simple (lvl-1) x -6ap calculation also reveals cheated PCs in YT LPs,
if foreign class spells wouldnt already have clearly shown that something is wrong..
And then she even became goofy and tried to serve the master outrageous lies :D