BG2 - Pay the Cowled Wizards or not?

elminster

Just curious what people typically do. When faced with the possibility of paying 5,000 to not have the Cowled Wizards confront you when you cast arcane spells in Athkatla do you typically pay the fee or not?

CaptRory

Usually I'll pay, just because I'm playing a Good or Lawful character. When I get around to an evil playthrough though... Look Out!

Djimmy

I learned about this option too late. The consequences of that are that even if I pay, I always have one in mind when casting in Athkatla.

the_spyder

Don't you constantly get harassed if you cast inside the city limits without first buying the license? I mean, sure - if you can stand up to them AND whatever it is that you were fighting, that's great.

FinneousPJ

Good, evil, whatever... money is plentiful.

CaptRory

@the_spyder I think they give up eventually.

bbear

If you pay them, you have given up potential rare drops such as scrolls of Horrid Wilting and Spell Trigger (only accessible in ToB or play as Sorcerer). You also miss out some cool wizard battles.

In my last game, I was lucky enough to obtain 2 scrolls of Spell Trigger from the Cowled wizards in Chapter 2 in SoA.

OneAngryMushroom

I got people to set on fire, and a swift fireball to the morals is the fastest way to do so.

Necdilzor

Hell no, I'm terrible with money and I always escape before they can kill me.

PugPug

If you pay them, you forfeit the chance to kill their enforcers. Kill enough, and they send a big bad group after you. Kill them, and they let you be.

Set some snares... bait them with something like Stoneskin...

ZanathKariashi

If by pay, you mean murder every single one of them till they realize it's just not worth pressing the issue....Sure... (tend towards chaotic alignments)

Kaltzor

I find myself normally not casting arcane spells on the streets of the city... They don't care what happens indoors or during ambushes where most of the encounters happen.

DJKajuru

I would gladly pay if Tolgerias, Rayic Getras and that cowled one in Umar Hills didn't piss me off so much.

deltago

The only time I pay them is if I have Keldorn in my party using his idiotic sword that casts a single magic missile at an enemy every time he gets hit and the cowled wizards show up demanding justice. Irony at its finest.

Other than that, I don't cast spells in public and use other strategies to defeat enemies.

kamuizin

and lost all the nice fights i can have by casting spells in the city? No ty !

kamuizin

bbear said:

If you pay them, you have given up potential rare drops such as scrolls of Horrid Wilting and Spell Trigger (only accessible in ToB or play as Sorcerer). You also miss out some cool wizard battles.

In my last game, I was lucky enough to obtain 2 scrolls of Spell Trigger from the Cowled wizards in Chapter 2 in SoA.

You can get Horrid Wilting in SoA, i believe that even earlier before underdark that is possible, but if not, the mage from the adventure group that you meet in the doors of Ush'Natha after Adalon disguise the party as a drow has one Horrid Wilting, also the imprisoned mage has another.

Spell Trigger can be brought if i'm not wrong.

In fact the Cowled fights aren't so profitable, but they're mage fights and that alone is worth (i always make solo mage fight with the mage of my team against the groups that come).

Ps:

Laeral Necklaces aren't uncommon drops among other high price jewels as well, and that's pretty nice sometimes.

For profit, drop your reputation under 3 and start walk in the city for a while, the city guard enforcer teams that pursue you use EACH ONE OF THEM an full plate mail, worth 1800 gps, you end normally with something about 9000 gps to 10.800 gps per low reputation fight trigger, that's very nice (just brought back you reputation at an temple later)

bbear

@kamuizin: I'm 99% sure Spell Trigger is not available in stores, treasures and loots. The scroll can only be acquired in drops. It's extremely rare to obtain it from another source at SoA (extremely rare drop from wizards). Where else to find a group of wizards then the Cowled ones?

Alexisisinneed

Eh its just 5k. Sometimes I have so much money I don't know what to do with it.

kamuizin

Install mods that give new expensive items, more item upgrades and use SCS II to raise galeans price from 20.000 to 160.000 !

I'm playing an old BG2 run atm @Bbear (with an character exported from BG EE XD), i will update this information later, but before that, are u certain that Ribald in the adventure mart does not sell this scroll after chapter 6? On the special store for advanced players?

bbear

Yes, 100% sure that Ribald does not carry it after chapter 6 at the special store.

Nifft

Too many civilians tend to die when I don't pay them, so I usually do pay.

Mortianna

bbear said:

If you pay them, you have given up potential rare drops such as scrolls of Horrid Wilting and Spell Trigger (only accessible in ToB or play as Sorcerer). You also miss out some cool wizard battles.

In my last game, I was lucky enough to obtain 2 scrolls of Spell Trigger from the Cowled wizards in Chapter 2 in SoA.

I never had a problem getting Horrid Wilting or Spell Trigger in SoA and I pay them every time (Lawful Evil PC--why go to the inconvenience of having to fight them when you can just buy them off for a relatively negligible price?). Maybe I've been lucky, but I usually got Spell Trigger through random treasure at some point in the game before ToB. I've also gotten Horrid Wilting through a random treasure drop, but it's always a guarantee when playing a mage

since your apprentices can make it for you in the Planar Sphere stronghold quests.

SCARY_WIZARD

I pay them, and I do Corneil's task. Or, if I have Unfinished Business installed, I do Minsc's quest!

[SPOILER]Either way, whatever butt-monkeys I find in the Planar Sphere from that organization get to help me varnish the floor with their last meals. Nobody hurts Imoen.[/SPOILER]

Troodon80

I pay them normally. Occasionally, however, I'll avoid paying them and then avoid casting within the city limits - at least in public. If you can lure an enemy inside a building, then you can kill, maim, and destroy. Assuming the building is empty, or at the very least you're not using area of effect spells.

If you finish off the Cowled Wizards (I think there's about five or six battles in total), then you're free to cast whenever you want without further persecution... so you can get some rare items, experience, and not have to worry about paying them or the constant hounding after that.

Depends on the level of the character, or the average level of the party. If I am importing a low level character, especially a mage, then I'll pay them. If I am importing a high-ish level character, then I'll take my chances. If I'm importing a mid-range level fighter and using Aerie or Nalia as the party mage, then I will, more often than not, pay them as soon as possible.

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HerrderGezeiten

Magier/Kleriker

Must i be interrupted at every turn?
Enough of this!

Eudaemonium

I tend to play this by alignment. My Lawful characters will always pay, whereas my Chaotic ones tend not to, or only do so if it gets to be too much of a hassle.

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the_spyder

I have never not paid them. Does anyone know if not paying them adversely effects the Planar sphere Stronghold quest line?

smeagolheart

I pay them now. For a long time I played and didn't even know about the option. I just didn't cast outside mostly. The vampire ambushes can be tough to win without casting in some cases.

Malicron

I pay, as I generally play a mage and hate feeling useless in combat. Not to mention I almost always pick up Aerie, so I kind of need magic in combat.

As a slight aside, does anyone else find it odd that your attackers in the city can throw as much arcane magic at you as they want without any trouble, but a single magic missile from you gets the ten-thousand pound @#$% hammer of the Cowled Wizards dropped on your head? You can't tell me every street thug in the city ponied up for a spell-caster's license. Where in the nine hells is my Cowled Wizard back up, damn it?!