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Using Magic in a Post-Chapter 4 World (Spoilers)

So I'm in the process of yet another run of Baldur's Gate 2, and it's getting to that point in the game where I have enough disposable income to make my "considerable contribution" to the corrupt swine that are the Cowled Wizards. However, a thought has crossed my mind: What would happen if someone held off on paying the wizards until after chapter 4?

Upon reaching Spellhold, we discover that Irenicus has completely seized the place, killing all the wizards residing there in the process. Granted, Spellhold is more a place to stick their dissidents than a command center. But it is still the closest the wizards have to a seat of power (at least as far as we know) and it is likely that they would send a considerable amount of their mages to try and reclaim it. After all, they've imprisoned a great many magic users in the prison (most of them unjustly)... Magic users that may hunt them down for some payback if they don't reclaim control of the place. I imagine that in order for him to conduct his experiments in peace (and we can see in-game that he does), Irenicus would have to have killed most of the Cowled Wizards; enough at least for them to decide that reclaiming the prison is no longer worth it, which is no small number. With so few mages left in their ranks, perhaps they are unable to enforce their ban on magic?

This is likely wishful thinking, but I'm still curious. I mean, given the fact that the wizards don't harass you outside of Athkatla, and even then, only when you are in the streets of the city (duck into the nearest building, sewer, or back alley with conveniently placed enemies and you're fine), paying the 5000 gold really only seems to get rid of a very minor inconvenience; one that can be easily circumvented. So, has anyone tried casting spells without a license post-chapter 4?
OrlonKronsteenMush_MushJoenSoJuliusBorisov

Comments

  • gorgonzolagorgonzola Member Posts: 3,864
    I never pay to cast anything anywhere.
    Usually before chap 4 happens the CW have stopped to send their dogs behind me, and the dogs and their useful loot and killing xp are appreciated, often you find some tasty lev7 and 8 scrolls, right at the beginning of SoA :smiley:
    I don't think that the chapter has influence, there is a set number of 4 mages parties, with increasing level and power. If you survive the CW stop sending mages and you are free to cast.
    OrlonKronsteenNightingaleMush_MushJuliusBorisov
  • NightingaleNightingale Member Posts: 61
    edited November 2016
    @gorgonzola You know, I've yet to try a "screw you, Cowled Wizards!" run, probably due to the fact that I remember having a difficult time with them the first time they ambushed me. Perhaps I'll try that this time.

    @Kurona Pity. Yet another missed opportunity at dynamic world-building. And yeah, that's probably the thing that bothers me the most about them. I get jumped by mages at all hours of the day and not ONCE have the Cowled Wizards done a damn thing about it. Gods forbid I cast spirit armor though... Nope. Can't have that.

    Honestly, I'm starting to believe that they only come after 2 types of spellcasters: The truly dangerous ones, and the ones they think they can extort. No point in coming after a Githyanki Wild Mage, since:

    A- They certainly don't have the gold to pay them

    and

    B- You'll be the one to kill them. Why waste time and money? Let the Bhaalspawn do the work and then jump in with the "This is an unsanctioned use of magical energy" shtick.

    Instant Profit... B)

    Thanks for the info!
    Post edited by Nightingale on
    God
  • JoenSoJoenSo Member Posts: 910
    I always thought of Spellhold as a place that the Cowled wizards didn't have much control of or even interest in. Kind of like shipping off convicts to Australia - the important thing is that they won't come back. As @Nightingale says, they seem to be more interested in getting gold and keeping up that sweet sweet monopoly on magic in Athkatla.

    Also, I've never bought the license or even fought the Cowled wizards. During my first playthrough at the age of 13 they gave me a harsh warning and then painted the slums with my brain. This intervention at an early age has made me stay on the right side of the law ever since.
    NightingalegorgonzolaGreenWarlock[Deleted User]
  • KuronaKurona Member Posts: 881
    Oh yeah there's a quest in the Quest Pack mod at the end of which a Marilith can spawn in Athkatla. For once, the Cowled Wizards are actually on the case!
    Nightingalegorgonzola
  • GreenWarlockGreenWarlock Member Posts: 1,354
    Kurona said:

    They still come for you after Chapter 4, regardless of the Spellhold situation. And they come only for you, not for the Githyanki war party led by a freaking Wild Mage of all things. Come on BioWare, this one was really too much.

    My assumption is that any spell-casters of high level coming after me can afford the trifling matter of paying off the Cowled Wizards for less than the price of a high level spell scroll.
    gorgonzola
  • gorgonzolagorgonzola Member Posts: 3,864

    @gorgonzola You know, I've yet to try a "screw you, Cowled Wizards!" run, probably due to the fact that I remember having a difficult the time with them the first time they ambushed me. Perhaps I'll try that this time.

    Is a good school about how to fight against mages, the early parties are tough, but about your same level, and you can trigger the fight, they need some planning but are doable. With the last parties they are high level mages, if you want to defeat them early you must have some really good tactics, you are fighting in areas filled by civilians so AoE spells are risky. You can not use brute force nor cheap tactics, you have to learn from them, learn how to get rid of their defenses, how to disrupt spells you can not survive, how to defend yourself against magic. You need to have a solid base knowledge of the spell system to deal with 4 decently scripted mages using a low level party.
    And if you dare to reload and fight the battles many times to seek the good loot is really challenging but also rewarding, you will not find a Wish scroll, but you can have lev 7-8 scrolls to equip an heavy magic party in chap 2, scrolls that are quite rare and not available at that point.
    Is the best of the 3 in game sources of additional scrolls that I know, and is also a little source of additional xp.

    Is not the best RP implementation, but is not so misplaced, in the end they want just money and control, if you pay they don't really patrol to control how you use magic, and the first warning should have happened when Imoen cast her spell, also why they try to kill you instead of putting you in a prison like they are supposed to do?
    They use the first warning policy or not as they like, they ignore, kill or put people in prison as they like, with no control by the courts or the council of the 6, pay them and everything is fine. Scare them, killing their dogs and a couple of high level members of their mafia and again everything is fine.
    Asking those 5000 GP, that are a lot of money, about 10 weeks of income for a noble like Nalia's father, for a license, is only one of their mafia activities, they are a group of power, not of justice.
    You have to RP them like that, not as a fair governmental institution.
    The fact that if a fight happens the Amnish guards take your part against them instead of helping them is a clear sign on how they are tolerated, being a powerful lobby, but are not a part of the official power system.
    Nightingale
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