I am happy to have purchased this game (I still plan on getting the Enhanced Edition when it comes out in November, for my 31st Birthday), and am having a blast playing it again...the memories (especially the music and funny quotes) bring back the yester-years of dungeon crawling at 2 AM on a school night!

I just thought I'd ask this in case there was a work-around. I understand that (most) party members who leave due to the party being full (not due to disagreements) will stay where you left them. However, this seems very stupid in some cases.

For instance, I just rescued Xan from the cleric of Cyric in Nashkel Mines. Xan joins the party (made up of my Elven Ranger, Branwin, Imoen, Khalid and Jaheera, and Minsc), and I let him take Imoen's place (so that Khalid/Jaheera don't leave, I need Branwin's healing, and Misc is required for the next quest that I plan on doing before returning to town). So now Imoen is sitting her arse in the dank-end of the Nashkel Mines.

My question is this:

Is there a way to have party members return to the nearest town (Nashkel, Beregost, Friendly Arm Inn, etc) rather than sitting in inhospitable environments? I can't see Imoen just waiting weeks or months down in this cave (although the cleric's bedroom looked pretty luxurious, lol). Not to mention, it's a pain in the butt to have to go to town, drop off a different party member, then return to the caves with a smaller party in order to pick up Imoen, return BACK to the town, drop her off, and take the one I left behind.

I'd like to have Imoen in the party with Xan (no non-cleric spellcasters in the group right now as I murdered Edwin, and didn't get the fighter/thief & wizard combo from after fleeing Candlekeep). That allows me to also take Branwin and Minsc, and myself making 4 people. I can't have Khalid/Jaheera, so I figured I'd leave Imoen in town until I meet up with the next NPC and can leave K/J behind and take Imoen again for Find Traps and Pick Lock.

Advice please?

There are mods that allows you to agree on different places for them to meet.
I know there BG1 NPC Project has a component called "NPCs can be sent to wait in an inn", and I'm sure other mods have similar.

Thanks for that! I'll have to spend some time reading up on these mods and see what it takes to get them running. I've seen posts about odd things happening in-game after mods are installed, so I figured they just weren't worth it. Perhaps this one is? I'll find out!

Unstated is whether you're playing vanilla BG1, or the Tutu or BGT conversions. If a conversion, then the BG1 NPC Project has what you want, and maybe Sword Coast Stratagems. If the former then BG1 Tweaks has a modified version of the BG1 NPC Project component. All three can be found at the Gibberlings 3.

(I prefer vanilla BG1, and I've been informed BG1 Tweaks v4 should be up in the next couple of days.)

That was pretty much all Greek to me. What are the "Gibberlings 3"? http://www.gibberlings3.net/? Either I missed it or I am blind, but what in the nine hells is a WeiDU?

You got the right web site. Sorry for not stating "website." WeiDU, short for Weimer Dialog Utility, is a nice little program that has become the center of Infinity Engine (Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, Planescape: Torment) modding. It automates the installation/uninstallation process, making it much easier to modify your games, and makes mods less likely to be incompatible with each other. As a player there's little else you need to know. I, as the compiler and maintainer of BG1 Tweaks, however...

And BG1 Tweaks v4 is now up on their site.

I have always just dropped all the NPC off in The Friendly Arm. Its centrally located and only a day or two trip from anywhere.