In Athalka (did i spell that right?) you get smited by the Cowled wizard chaps if you start waving yer magik around too much - and they talk about a Magic License! can you actually get hold of a magik license?

Yep, go to the government district, in the Council of Six building you must talk to Corneil. He will give U a license for 5000 gps. Always paid him when I started playing SoA, now I just kill all Cowled Wizards that show themselves, much more fun!

I never bothered to pay the fee, and actually I didnt use magic either(well I did one or two times). Now though, If they interrupt me in a batlle on the streets of Atkhatla I'll toast them aswell [img]smile.gif[/img]

Ack. Now there's a position I don't envy you. Since most encounters on the city streets are of a surprise nature, the very LAST thing I need is to be fighting a battle that I'm not prepared for, and then suddenly have 4 Cowlies teleport in with their Symbol: Stuns. (Of course, after you get ADHW, that's not a problem anymore. [img]smile.gif[/img] )

I am going to have some MAJOR pain with the party I just started:
Gnomish Fighter/Illusionist (hacked to use the Male Dwarven Mage avatar, and yes there is one), Aerie, Jan, Nalia, Kelsey, and Edwin. We are gonna look so damn spiffy marching down the street in our Robes, but since I *never* pay the Cowls, we are gonna have a hell of a time dealing with run-of-the-mill fights, especially without Insect Plague.

Ack. Now there's a position I don't envy you. Since most encounters on the city streets are of a surprise nature, the very LAST thing I need is to be fighting a battle that I'm not prepared for, and then suddenly have 4 Cowlies teleport in with their Symbol: Stuns. (Of course, after you get ADHW, that's not a problem anymore. [img]smile.gif[/img] )

I am going to have some MAJOR pain with the party I just started:
Gnomish Fighter/Illusionist (hacked to use the Male Dwarven Mage avatar, and yes there is one), Aerie, Jan, Nalia, Kelsey, and Edwin. We are gonna look so damn spiffy marching down the street in our Robes, but since I *never* pay the Cowls, we are gonna have a hell of a time dealing with run-of-the-mill fights, especially without Insect Plague.</font>[/QUOTE]Yes in the early levels, they can be a pain in the ass indeed. I've always kept me out of trouble with the cowls. Until now that is. Running trough SoA with a solosorc. Im not a fan of the sling, nor the quarter staff so magic it will be, wether its cowls around or not.
I remember in my sorcs early days in the bridge district, she met some noble person which behaved too arrogant for her taste. Solution, Protection from Evil + summon in an Glabarezu from the newly found summon fiend scroll. Cowleds didnt like that, so they came out of nowhere and attacked. I ran away, and let the Glabarezu do the job. I had a wizard eye to broadcast all the action of course [img]smile.gif[/img]

they can be pretty hard to deal with at first.. so if my party isnt strong enough i pay the fee.. but end up stealing its worth back to compensate [img]smile.gif[/img] BUT, once you get adhw, they dont stand a chance :D

I stopped paying.

I find it is very satisfying to beat them like a rented mule.

I um, set up as much as possible first, prebuff with Clerical spells, maybe go inside somewhere and cast Mage buffs, and, go out in the street and cast something.

My Transmuter made their life a living hell. There are some statues of Cowled Ones in several places, and, I think I turned some into squirrels. After a few fights, they got wise and left my anti social Transmuter alone. He is Chaotic Good, and, I try to role play him as such as much as possible. There was no way in hell he was going to pay 5000 gold for a licence. So when they showed up trying to kill him, he told them "Bugger off or else face pigeon poop for a thousand years." as is the typical Transmuter response to anything remotely threatning.

Now my Transmuter is bored. The Cowled Ones don't come out and play with him anymore.

No! Don't do that! The Cowlies are one of your best sources for high-level spells early in the game. I've looted things like Abi-Dalzim's and Mody's Sword from them. (As well as a suit of Plate Mail, which I thought was rather odd.)

Zarmen (my Fighter/Illusionist who looks like a Dwarf) is CG as well, and he's best buddies with Jan, especially since it was turnip boy who made it possible for the entire party to gain an extra level or two--by nicking every single shopliftable scroll in Athkatla. It's fun, I'm playing in ways I never have before. (How I killed TorGal: Aerie casts Protection from Fire and Resist Fire/Cold on me. I go into melee with Tor & his buddies, then cast a scroll of Fireball on myself, while the other 5 members Fireball me as well. Toasty!)

So far, I haven't cast any Wizard spells on the street, so the Cowls don't even know about me yet. When I do get around to summoning them, I'll have to stick to incapacitating spells so I don't hurt any Commoners.

Well, I could always go back and use Stone to Flesh I reckon.

In one memorable encounter, I managed to have my Transmuter and Aerie squeeze off two skull traps before the Cowls show up, and, guess what, they spawned right on top of my waiting skull traps.

BANG!

Scattered bits of Cowls all over the street.

My Transmuter laughed so hard he nearly wet his Robe of the Good Archmagi.

what does adhw stand for?