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Volo
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“Our fates are bound, my wisdom vast, I dearly hope our kinship lasts!„
Overview
Volothamp Geddarm is a widely travelled wizard, most known for his guidebooks such as Volo's Guide to Monsters and Volo's Guide to Waterdeep. Elminster, an occasional fact checker and editor of his books - notably Volo's Guide to Monsters - has said he is prone to "exaggeration, misrepresentation, and flights of fancy".[1]
Involvement
Act One
Volo is found at the Sacred Pool in the Emerald Grove. If the party interact with him, he requests an interview on the recent goblin assault against the Grove. He soon departs for the Goblin Camp, intent on documenting goblin behavior from the inside.
The party will later find Volo as a captive to the goblins, forced to act as their jester and "entertainment". After a difficult performance, Volo is locked in a cage inside the Defiled Temple. If he is rescued, the party can invite him to their Campsite. If Volo is not freed before the conclusion of the Grove's quest line, he remains in the Goblin Camp awaiting rescue.
If the party attempt to pickpocket Volo during his dialogue after opening the cage door, Volo does not drink a Potion of Invisibility. Instead, he stands still and initiates combat with any patrolling goblin that sees him. The party is not forced into combat even after Volo dies.
If Volo arrives at the party's Campsite, he can offer to remove the mind flayer tadpole from the player character's skull via a highly questionable eye surgery. Agreeing to his eye surgery will end in catastrophe, but the player character permanently receives as compensation. This offer is only available during Acts One and Two. After the surgery, Volo leaves.
At the conclusion of the Emerald's Grove quest line, Volo attends the celebratory party regardless of which side the party aligned with. If the Grove was protected, he sings a song. If the Grove was attacked, he is kept in a cage (for his own protection) and asks the player character pointed questions as to how they justify slaughtering the refugees.
If the player character does not allow Volo to perform eye surgery, he remains in the camp until the end of Act Two. He does not have any new dialogue but can act as a vendor via the "Trade" option in the dialogue UI. Like other Traders, his inventory continually refreshes with 5 Potions of Animal Speaking and various scrolls that roughly match the party's level, including up to Level 6 spells. Being caught pickpocketing Volo has no consequence besides him briefly fleeing and losing some opinion of the offending character.
Act Three
In Baldur's Gate, Volo can be found trapped in front of the Steel Watch Foundry near the Grey Harbour Docks, tied to a railcart loaded with Smokepowder Barrels and with an angry mob ready to execute him. After rescuing and talking to him, he appears again at camp and offer the book
Regarding the Slayer.
Companion approval
Combat
Attacks and abilities
Volo has no spell slots, but knows the following spells:
Store
Corresponds to the DEN_Volo_Trade
treasure table.
Item | Quantity | Chance | |
---|---|---|---|
![]() |
9 | Always | |
![]() |
3 | Always | |
![]() |
1 | Always | |
![]() |
4;5;6 | Always | |
![]() |
1 | Always | |
![]() |
5 | Always | |
![]() |
1 | Always | |
![]() |
3 | Always |
In addition, he sells a random Scholar/Travel/Monster/Politics/Entertainment book.
Related literature
Balthazar Personal Notes: 3
Born to be Wild
Dearest Elminster
For the Attention of Volothamp Geddarm
On Goblins: My Life Among the Conquering Host
Volo's Complete Guide to the Behaviour of Nymphs
Volo's Guide to Baldur's Gate
Volo's Guide to Baldur's Gate (Signed)
Volo's Guide to Spirits and Spectres
Volo's Note
Gallery
Notes
- Volo is voiced by Stephen Hogan, replacing Rob Paulsen from previous games.
- Volo has appeared in multiple adventures, notably
Tomb of Annihilation,
Waterdeep: Dragon Heist and
Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage, as well as several video games such as Neverwinter Nights 2: Storm of Zehir, Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal.
- Volo met the protagonist of the previous Baldur's Gate games twice, and even got his hands on Irenicus' notes on torturing the protagonist (see Regarding the Slayer).
- If an Instrument is played near Volo, he joins in by whistling.
- If approached in his cell at the Goblin Camp, Volo will always recognize a character he spoke to previously at the Grove, even if they look completely different due to an effect like , suggesting he may have some form of Truesight capability.
- In the Emerald Grove, Volo claims that he never learned how to speak with animals, despite carrying and selling a Potion of Animal Speaking.
References
- ↑ Greenwood, Ed (January 1996). Volo's Guide to the Dalelands. TSR, Inc, pp. 4–5.