(( As sinsemilla noted above, our overworked and under-appreciated script writers and developers are working on a fix that will better ensure that guests of Candlekeep comply with the laws of the community.
(( In the meantime, however, the Candlekeep faction's position used to be -- and so far as I know remains -- that visitors who do not wish to comply with the area's Lore-based rules will be allowed into Candlekeep to access blank scrolls and other supplies, but
any roleplay that they attempt inside or immediately outside Candlekeep will be ignored.
(( The way this usually works is that the outlawed, or evil, or monstrous PC is turned away at the gate, and then, in the appropriate out of character bubbles or brackets, the
player is offered entry on a purely OOC basis, with the understanding that any in-character actions that they take from then on will go unacknowledged -- until they have left Candlekeep.
(( Although there are surely endless arguments as to "owning up to the consequences of playing an evil character," "staying in character through thick and thin," and the like, once the scripts are put in place -- and all but force visitors to comply with Candlekeep's laws -- I, personally, am going to move that we continue to allow
out of character access to players who need to access Candlekeep's stores, until a workable alternative can be reached (see below). Their roleplay will continue to be ignored as before, and their character's will not be compromised or later recognized for removing their masks, as it will be the
players visiting Candlekeep, not the
characters.
(( One workable alternative to this is to make the supplies that can be currently purchased at Candlekeep also readily available in Baldur's Gate. Another, as CrispyWalrus states, would be to put "evil"-aligned stores in appropriate places, such as the temple of Bane. Implementing seedier localities -- much later down the line -- is also a good option. Two Lore-based examples might be Lathtarl's Lantern (a remote fishing village known for its pirate founder and its smuggler activities) and Roaringshore (an even larger and more notorious pirate stronghold), which would both be north of Baldur's Gate, but south of the Troll Hills (and so, whichever one was implemented would probably be accessed through the Fields of the Dead).
(( Essentially, I think it is bad form to limit
player access to items and equipment due to their
character habits or personalities. Evil characters bring a lot of conflict and life to the server, and their players should not be punished for that. They are not forced to play evil-aligned characters, as noted, but they do the server a lot of good by providing its population with antagonists -- without evil player characters, the server would surely suffer, and we should not allow for official positions to be that playing an evil character means that you have to expect fewer opportunities to enjoy the game and improve your character than everyone else.
(( Sorry for the mini-essay, but this is my personal opinion on the issue of access. It's less a matter of what's fair to the character, and more an issue of what's fair to the player on the other side of the screen. Until viable alternatives are in place -- and in game -- then all
players (if not characters) should have access to these areas. ))
(( EDIT: I've posted a description of Roaringshore up under the Area Design thread, in case anyone is interested in learning about it, or even in designing it:
http://bgtscc.fomwaa.com/forum/viewtopi ... =24&t=6585 ))
