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Spellhold (spoilers)

salierisalieri Member Posts: 245
edited October 2012 in Archive (General Discussion)
I feel a bit stupid starting a thread just for this totally inconsequential question, but I don't know where else to ask it or whom to ask it of.

It's been many years since I played BG2 and I don't have the means to play it again now, so could somebody remind me if it is actually explained in-game why you can't just go bonkers casting spells all over Athkatla to get to Spellhold? In hindsight it seems the obvious thing to do.

Comments

  • deltagodeltago Member Posts: 7,811
    because the mages attempt to kill you on the spot (after a warning) instead of dragging you to the prison. The only reason why Jon was sent there occurred because he was whipping the cowls good and went on his own terms - not the wizards.
  • salierisalieri Member Posts: 245
    I suppose, but that begs the question WHAT ABOUT TIAX?
  • MatteoTuriniMatteoTurini Member Posts: 105
    TIAX RULES ALL!
  • CaptRoryCaptRory Member Posts: 1,660
    This sounded like something a mod should include. EXCEPT! The character want to go there as a rescue party, not as prisoners which usually puts a damper on heroics.
  • styggastygga Member Posts: 467
    Spellhold is for the "criminally insane" magic wielders. I think we all agree Tiax is quite clearly not all there. At least that's how I remember it.
  • BCaesarBCaesar Member Posts: 477
    deltago said:

    because the mages attempt to kill you on the spot (after a warning) instead of dragging you to the prison. The only reason why Jon was sent there occurred because he was whipping the cowls good and went on his own terms - not the wizards.

    But then shouldn't they ask to make some kind of truce if you kill enough of them? I never tried it but I assumed they always just kept sending wizards to fight you forever.

  • DeeDee Member Posts: 10,447
    Big spoilers ahead.
    Prior to Irenicus's hostile takeover of Spellhold, the Cowled Wizards might send the criminally insane or the dangerously powerful to their asylum for containment and observation. This is why, for example, Tiax ends up there.

    After Irenicus takes over the asylum, the Cowled Wizards can no longer send people there. But they still have to keep order in Athkatla. So they offer warnings, and then kill anyone who becomes a threat. You can view their lack of negotiations dialogue as a political cover-up.
  • CaptRoryCaptRory Member Posts: 1,660
    @Aosaw Ooooooooooooh~ That's good.
  • QuartzQuartz Member Posts: 3,853
    @Aosaw Pretty good theory.

    Also I want to know; is there a way to get to Spellhold without siding with anyone? I'm just saying, a Chaotic Neutral or Chaotic Evil character may not want to side with the Shadow Thieves OR Vampires.
  • CaptRoryCaptRory Member Posts: 1,660
    A good character, especially Lawful Good, wouldn't want to side with either. I think there's a mod that lets you side with the Order of the Radiant Heart or whatever the paladins are called.
  • kamuizinkamuizin Member Posts: 3,704
    Or maybe the game just wanted to provide some uncoherent fun battles, who knows. Irenicus, after his capture, has seized control over all the spellhold, replacing the director (as you discover in spellhold), this is mentioned even before you get there in the harper compound by one of the harpers.

    So from my view, Irenicus just send an order to kill instead of take as prisioner to the enforcers with his director disguise.

    The political excuse from @Aosaw is pretty good also.

    In the end, maybe the Cowled wizards only arrest exceptional individuals that somehow are worth the trouble of be takes as prisioners, and just kill everyone else (there's too few people in spellhold after all).
  • rexregrexreg Member Posts: 292
    the mod that lets you go through the Order of the Radiant Heart is the Saerileth NPC mod...Saerileth is a 15 yr old romanceable paladin from Sigil
  • cyberhawkcyberhawk Member Posts: 350
    15 year old romanceable paladin? Who comes up with stuff like that again? I understand we need gay and lesbian romance, but who ever said we need a pedo bear romance?
  • ARKdeEREHARKdeEREH Member Posts: 531
    edited October 2012
    Doesn't it take years of training to become a paladin? How would it even be possible at 15?

    My guess is that since teenagers were in the original target audience of the game, maybe the mod is aimed at giving them a romanceable character their own age, even if it doesn't otherwise make sense.
  • Kitteh_On_A_CloudKitteh_On_A_Cloud Member Posts: 1,629
    cyberhawk said:

    15 year old romanceable paladin? Who comes up with stuff like that again? I understand we need gay and lesbian romance, but who ever said we need a pedo bear romance?

    ^ This. Who the hell comes up with something like that? :/
  • moody_magemoody_mage Member Posts: 2,054
    Kitteh_On_A_Cloud said:

    cyberhawk said:

    15 year old romanceable paladin? Who comes up with stuff like that again? I understand we need gay and lesbian romance, but who ever said we need a pedo bear romance?

    ^ This. Who the hell comes up with something like that? :/
    image
  • CheesebellyCheesebelly Member Posts: 1,727
    Holy mother of god, is 15 years old even deemed worthy of a level 1 character? XD
  • QuartzQuartz Member Posts: 3,853
    ITT: Disgust/shock at 15-year-old romanceable Paladin mod.

    I will join in on this bandwagon. WTF?? 15, a paladin?
  • kamuizinkamuizin Member Posts: 3,704
    I disliked Saerileth mod, but her age can be bothersome to some aged people (i have 26 for example) but for main char it's somehow ok, in the adventure you have something as 18 or at maximum 19 years, so you're just 3 or 4 years older than her.

    Her romance sucks anyway, no spiced scene, no sex (otherwise main char could lose reputation for rape?), no work in the relation, boring, naive, alienated, she putted a friend from mount celestia in her friendzone (she really has 15 only?) and the sucker come back to make problems, it's the goody two shoes romance t hat will sick to death anyone with a minimum of vision.
  • cyberhawkcyberhawk Member Posts: 350
    If the main char would have been around 18 it would have been still more or less fine. Only the intro for BG1 says you are 20. You could be 21 when in BG2, no one knows how much happened between Sarevoks death and CHARNAMEs capture. In any case, pedo bear would approve. I understand that in a medieval world such a thing might be not a big problem as long as the parents of the girl are OK with it, but it's us in the 20th century who are playing the game.
  • kamuizinkamuizin Member Posts: 3,704
    I have no problem with her age, personally i'm more fond of milfs, but even 6 years between both isn't a big issue.
  • CaptRoryCaptRory Member Posts: 1,660
    If it were well written it wouldn't be an issue or at least not as much of an issue. I read a Let's Play with this mod installed. Her naivete underscores how young she really is and makes it all the squickier. And it's pretty squicky to begin with.
  • salierisalieri Member Posts: 245
    Jesus, what has this thread turned into?

    @tanthalas I feel my question has been sufficiently addressed. Can you put an end to whatever else just happened, please?
This discussion has been closed.

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