Best Stronghold for an EVIL Character?

Aozgolo108

I'm planning an evil playthrough but some things have been bothering me about the strongholds. It seems as if certain stronghold quests are designed specifically to punish you for making evil decisions.

Such as a revolt in De'Arnise Keep or your apprentices dying in the Planar Sphere

So I was curious which stronghold is the best for still maximizing the benefit from said stronghold while still behaving evil?

moody_mage

I always viewed the apprentices dying in the Mage Stronghold as an opportunity to play an evil role without any real consequence. After all why care about the lives of a few pesky wimpy apprentices if you get a semi-decent magical item out of it.

For the greater good and all you know? It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.

Aozgolo108

decado said:

I always viewed the apprentices dying in the Mage Stronghold as an opportunity to play an evil role without any real consequence. After all why care about the lives of a few pesky wimpy apprentices if you get a semi-decent magical item out of it.

For the greater good and all you know? It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.

While you may get better magical items out of it, I was under the impression that allowing any of them to die precludes the chance to get the apprentice who makes potions for you later? Seems a pretty hefty price-tag to me

enqenq

Ring of Wizardry vs. a bunch of potions of arguable value which I can't even be bothered come back to collect. Even if they might be useful it's not like I can't get them elsewhere, whereas there's only two of those rings in the game.

Plus we both know that potioncrafter serves as a spy for the Cowled Wizards anyway.

Bayaz

Ring Wizardry >>>> all strongholds. Planar Sphere is objectively the coolest as well.

But the stronghold system in BG2 isn't even a real stronghold system. It's just a glorified class quest but i'd take the Ring 100 times out of a 100.

moody_mage

Aozgolo108 said:

decado said:

I always viewed the apprentices dying in the Mage Stronghold as an opportunity to play an evil role without any real consequence. After all why care about the lives of a few pesky wimpy apprentices if you get a semi-decent magical item out of it.

For the greater good and all you know? It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.

While you may get better magical items out of it, I was under the impression that allowing any of them to die precludes the chance to get the apprentice who makes potions for you later? Seems a pretty hefty price-tag to me

I end up with cases full of unused potions. No real need to have more given to me on top of those.

Twani

The Talos cleric Stronghold is the only stronghold that really rewards evil ridiculousness. The more crazy evil you are, the happier your superior will be.

You can play pretty evil with the Thieves Stronghold, but eventually you'll run out of rogues.

kaffekoppen

Aozgolo108 said:

I'm planning an evil playthrough but some things have been bothering me about the strongholds. It seems as if certain stronghold quests are designed specifically to punish you for making evil decisions.

That's pretty much how the whole game was designed, though notably the EE content deviates from this.

An obvious stronghold for evil characters would have been the fighter stronghold if it had been designed a bit better. You can be a real dictator, but the effect is negative. What if there was another way to hang on to your stronghold by being cruel?

By the way, it's my favorite stronghold not counting the planar sphere because of the Reaching Ring alone. It sits there and generates money for you forever once you're done with the quests. Compare this to the thief stronghold that actually puts you to work.