Running the Five Flagons Playhouse

Bard protagonists are eligible for this guild if and only if they have no other stronghold upon the completion of Rescue Raelis and Haer'Dalis from the planar prison side quest, accepting Raelis‘s offer will lock away any other stronghold options if available.

Once you are back in the theatre, the owner of the Five Flagons, Samuel Thunderburp appears and asks what’s going on. You can tell him you were given the deed to the Theatre by Raelis before she left for Sigil. Higgold, the famous director then shows up and tells you to bring some money in half a week before he sets off to recruit new actors in the meantime.

From this forward, wherever you are in the city, a young boy named Meck will find you when your presence is needed, most events are about 4 to 6 days apart, do not delay more than three days in getting back once the messenger‘s talked to you, else the Play Quality (PQ) will suffer due to your absence and negatively affect the amount of money you will earn from it later.

To further affect the Play Quality (PQ), you also need to talk to the actors in the backstage, the more confidant they sound the better. They have three separate comments: one is really depressed, the other is unsure of themselves and the last they are super happy about life.

Event 1: Choose who to star, Jenna or Iltheia
It’s the choice between the naive Jenna and actress Iltheia. Sure, Jenna might be the sympathetic favorite, but Iltheia will net you a better PQ in the end. Minimum money investment is 1000, but you can spend up to 10,000, naturally the more you spend the better the PQ

Event 2: Solve the jealousy between Jenna and Iltheia

 * If Iltheia is in the lead, don't threaten her or PQ will dip, compliment her for 11,500 exp then give her 500, improving PQ
 * If Iltheia is playing the small role:
 * Force her to accept it for 15,750 exp and improve PQ
 * Put her in the larger role, you get 6750 exp and improve PQ
 * Expand her role for 6750 exp, PQ will suffer
 * If Jenna is in the small role but you put her in the larger one, you get 6750 exp but hurt PQ
 * Letting them solve things on their own nets you no exp and cuts PQ

Event 3:  Zeran is improvising

 * Allow Zeran to rewrite the play for 15,750 exp and improve the PQ a lot
 * Allow him to keep improvising for 11,500 exp and improve the PQ slightly
 * Stop his improvisation and you get no exp and the PQ slips a little

Event 4: Everyone is rewriting their characters

 * Take control and rewrites yourself, if your charisma is 17 or higher you get 11,500 exp and PQ improvements
 * Stop all changes and pay them 500 as a bonus gets you 11,500 exp as well as PQ improvements
 * Have faith in Zeran's changes, with a charisma of 17 or higher and PQ improves
 * Threaten to "let them walk out" gets you no exp and the PQ drops

Event 5: The curse?
Lots of weird things are going on, and a Priest offers to cleanse the theatre for 1000.
 * Give him the gold and get 11,500 exp and improve PQ
 * If you can't afford to pay but have a high charisma you can give her nothing and still improve PQ
 * If can get away with giving her 500 with a high charisma you for 11,500 exp, but no change in PQ
 * If you send her packing, or have a low charisma you hurt PQ quite a bit

Event 6: Problems with the music

 * Your musician has vanished. Hiring Balmitance, the famous musician, has a great effect on PQ and nets you 15,500 exp a cost of mere 500
 * Let Marcus play the Harp while you rewrite the score:
 * 19 intelligence or higher, 15,500 exp and a better improvement to PQ, though not as good as hiring Balmitance
 * 18 intelligence, 11,500 exp, improvement on PQ
 * 16 or 17 intelligence, 6750 exp, a slight improvement to PQ
 * 15 intelligence or lower, no exp, hurts PQ


 * Making Marcus write the score hurts PQ a lot

Event 7: Barbarians have invaded the Theatre
30 or so days later you meet Higgold on the main level of the Five Flagons, this time he begs for you to get rid of the barbarians who have taken control. Go downstairs, clean out the five goons here, including one mage, and get 15,500 exp.

Event 8: Watch the dress rehearsal
A day later you attend the rehearsal. Take notes on what is being said… you’ll be tested later.

Event 9: Who's the big star?
Within three days, rather than the week you were promised, you’re summoned again. Seems a major power at the City Council is going to attend and Zeran is ill. You must take up the role of the wizard!

Your lines in the play were clued in Event 8, they are: 2, 1, 1, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1

After the show the City Councilor personally speaks, depending on how you performed you get: Next the overall PQ is judged: Finally Higgold offers to buy the theatre off of you for 10,000 (near perfection).
 * 49,500 exp plus Aslaer's Harp (near flawless)
 * 35,500 exp (several mistakes)
 * 19,500 exp (many mistakes)
 * 50,000 experience (near perfection)
 * 29,500 experience (not quite perfect)
 * 19,500 experience (not even close to perfect)

Weekly income
How much money the Theatre generates afterwards depends upon how much you invested at the start and the PQ. If you invested the maximum of 10,000 and had a phenomenal PQ, your share could mount up to 1800 at the first week, every following week the gold drops by 100 until it hits a static 500 where it will remain.

Source & references

 * Baldur's Gate II Walkthrough by Dan Simpson