Reached Wyll's pact decision point in my current BG3 playthrough and told him to re-pact himself and save his father – the first time I've done that.
When I went to speak to Gale his response was 'Time and again, Wyll's plight reinforces my decision not to pursue the path of a warlock.'
And then I immediately had to stop the game and go write a fic.
Excerpt from The Diary Journal Autobiography Journal of Gale Dekarios Gale of Waterdeep Gale the Ingenious, age 13¼
Pros and Cons of Becoming a Warlock
Pro: More power. Obviously.
Con: Power doled out at whim of potentially unpredictable patron.
Counterpoint: Would surely be able to strike upon some sort of mutually beneficial arrangement. One in which more power for me would be in both of our interests.
Con: Mum wouldn’t like it.
Con: Nor would Tara. Nor Elminster.
Con: Elminster would probably have rather a lot to say on the subject. At a length to rival one of Professor Quendi’s lectures on Calishite modal expressions.
Pro: Could stop attending Professor Quendi’s Calishite lectures altogether on grounds that practical application is more beneficial to warlocks than theory.
Query: Does Blackstaff Academy even allow warlocks? Wouldn’t want to miss out on Professor Olaug’s classes on energy manipulation. Or Professor Taylor’s on fundamental Weave theory. Or
Pro: Eldritch Blast clearly a more versatile and powerful offensive cantrip than Ray of Frost or Poison Spray or even Fire Bolt.
Pro: Devil’s Sight also useful. Could read books in bed at night without Mum coming in to tell me it’s three in the morning and time to go to sleep.
Query: How does one go about approaching a potential patron?
Potential solution: Surely the Blackstaff owns at least one text on devil summoning. Multiple texts, even. Been meaning to see if I could get round the abjuration charm on his office door in any case.
Con: Negotiating with devils never turns out well for people in the stories.
Counterpoint: People in stories always remarkably stupid. Never even ask to read the fine print on their contracts. Or clarify blatantly obvious loopholes in the terms.
Pro: Could Eldritch Blast the smirk off Alastair Throckmorton-Pole’s poncy face next time he tells me I’m a jumped-up little brat who’s only taking advanced classes at the Academy because my mum’s no better than she should be (note to self: still need to work out implications of latter part of that statement. Obviously an insult but not entirely clear exactly what it denotes).
Con: Creates an opportunity for Alastair Throckmorton-Pole to tell me I’m a jumped-up little brat who’s only taking advanced classes at the Academy because my patron gives me power.
Counterpoint: Does Throckmorton-Pole possess the necessary mental agility to pivot to a new insult? Tiresome repetition of existing insult suggests not.
Con: Would, in fact, have more power not because I’d worked for it but because it was borrowed from my patron.
Query: Would I even be able to tell which parts of my power were me getting better at magic and which were just a reward for my services?
Con: That reminds me: I’d have to provide services of some description. Patron would almost certainly be uninterested in services that involve me going to the classes I like and Eldritch Blasting my nemeses.
Con: Elminster keeps hinting that if I work hard and don’t get into too much trouble I might be allowed to meet the Lady of Mysteries one day. Becoming a warlock likely his very definition of getting into too much trouble.
CONCLUSION: Not worth actively pursuing. Reassess decision should a patron pop up at any point to ask for my services.
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