Shadow Thief Guildhall – Baldur’s Gate II

This guide will walk you through the Shadow Thief Guildhall in the Docks District of the city of Athkatla in Baldur’s Gate II. This area’s codes in the game files are AR0305, AR0306, and AR0307.

Overview

The Shadow Thieves are a wide-ranging guild of thieves, spies and assassins who perform particularly dangerous, evil-aligned and lucrative ventures. Their activities, unlike those of most thieving guilds, are not limited to a single city and they range the length of the Sword Coast from Luskan to Calimport. The Shadow Thieves are based in Athkatla, in Amn (south of Baldur’s Gate), where they have a massive training complex and a testing ground for the assassins they sponsor. This group was once the thieves guild of Waterdeep, until they were driven out of that city by the Lords of Waterdeep. This secretive organisation appears to have reached some sort of agreement with the merchant lords of Amn, though no one knows of the agreement’s contents. Under this pact, the merchant lords leave the Shadow Thieves alone and are in turn left alone. The Shadow Thieves operate up and down the Sword Coast; their trademarkis a black silk mask impaled upon a stiletto blade (usually used in assassinations, or left behind at the scene if a garrotte or poison is employed instead). No names, descriptions, or even numbers of Shadow Thieves are known; extremely experienced operators are thought to be few.

Note: This page represents the Shadow Thief Guildhall if you’re on the side of the Shadow Thieves, or if you haven’t made a choice yet. If you choose Bodhi instead, then the Shadow Thieves here (and elsewhere) will attack you on sight.

1 – Black Market Thief

The Black Market Thief here will have an assortment of basic weapons plus several spell scrolls for sale. On one of the tables next to the thief, you’ll find a Potion of Master Thievery.

2 – Sidge

Sidge will tell you where to find Renal Bloodscalp (#4).

3 – Table

On the table here, you’ll find De’Tranion’s Baalor Ale. You might need it for a quest in Umar Hills.

4 – Renal Bloodscalp

Bloodscalp is one of the leaders of the Shadow Thieves. He’ll have a job for you. He’ll tell you that a thief named Mae’Var is plotting something against him, so he’ll ask you to infiltrate Mae’Var’s Guildhall in the Docks District and look for incriminating evidence. To help you out, he’ll give you a Letter of Transfer, which will serve as an introduction.

Finding evidence against Mae’Var is covered on the Mae’Var’s Guildhall page. When you deliver the evidence to Bloodscalp, you’ll earn 48,250 xp, but Bloodscalp won’t be done with you yet. To complete the quest, he’ll ask you to return to Mae’Var’s Guildhall and kill Mae’Var and his henchmen. These battles should not be difficult, and you’ll earn over 50,000 xp for defeating all of the thieves. Plus, Mae’Var will drop Shadow Armor +3 when he dies.

Note: If you’re playing a thief, then you should loot everything in Mae’Var’s Guildhall before leaving. The guildhall will shortly become your stronghold in the game, and everything inside of it will reset, so anything you don’t loot now will be lost. You should also free Kamuzu from his cell in the basement. He’ll help you out in one of the Thief Stronghold quests.

When you return to Bloodscalp, each character in your party will receive 45,500 xp, and you’ll also earn 10,500 gp. If you’re playing a Thief, then Bloodscalp will allow you to become the new guildmaster of Mae’Var’s Guildhall, and it will become your Thief Stronghold. See the Thief Stronghold page for more information about what you can do there.

Note: Apparently, in the original version of the game you could pickpocket some nice items from Bloodscalp, including Boots of Speed and Shadow Armor +3, but in the EE you’ll only get some potions and trinkets from him.

5 – Prison

6 – Torture Chamber

7 – Coat Check Room

You can have a funny conversation with Missy the coat check girl here. She’ll say different things to some of your companions (if you have them talk to her), including Jan, Minsc, and Yoshimo.

8 – Bow Training Room

You’ll meet Pelanna the bow trainer here. She won’t train you, but she will give you directions for where to find Aran Linvail (#11).

9 – Trap Training Room

When you enter this room, you’ll witness a thief failing to survive the traps. There isn’t any way to loot the “treasure” at the far end of the room (it’ll only have a purpose if you side with Bodhi).

10 – Lounge

If you talk to the shadow thief in here, then he’ll try to convince you to help him assassinate Aran Linvail and take over the guild. But before you can answer him, another thief will jump out of the shadows and kill him. You’ll find a Ring of Lock Picks on the dead thief.

11 – Aran Linvail’s Room

You’ll meet Aran Linvail here. He’ll give you three quests. See the Chapter 3 Pt. 2 page for more information about the quests.

Exits

• A) Exits to the Docks District.
• B) Stairs between Levels 1 and 2.
• C) Secret door to Level 3. This door will start out locked. You won’t get the key for it until Chapter 3.
• D) Exits to the Docks District. These exits will only start working in Chapter 3.