Someone has been working in the shadows, manipulating events on the Sword Coast to their advantage.
Unravel the mysteries of the Twisted Rune and progress beyond fighting the last wave of Cowled Wizards in Athkatla in this mod for Baldur's Gate II
- Compatibility
- Installation
- Components
- Starting the Quest
- Spoilers Section
- Thanks and Acknowledgements
- Tools Used in Creation
- Copyright and Legal Information
- Version History
Cowled Menace should be compatible with mostly everything, especially since in v2.0.0 I've changed the way the mod works. Very, very few vanilla assets are used or altered, and if they are, they were altered using maximum compatibility editing practices, as unobtrusive as possible.
Cowled Menace works with Sword Coast Stratagems (SCS) in the sense that it doesn't break things, but I am in need of more testers for this regarding balance. Not sure if the fights are too easy or too hard with it installed.
In general, Cowled Menace should be installed after NPC mods and EET's main component (if using EET), but before Tweaks mods and EET_end. Then SCS last.
Since v2.0.0, this mod is compatible with the Unofficial Item Pack (v1.0.4 and below aren't)
Windows
Cowled Menace is packaged and installed with WeiDU and is distributed as a self-extracting archive. To install, simply double-click the archive and follow the instructions on screen.
Alternatively the files can be extracted from the archive using WinRAR. If properly extracted, you should have a "cowledmenace" folder and setup-cowledmenace.exe in your BG2 folder. To install, double-click setup-cowledmenace.exe and follow the instructions on screen.
Please run setup-cowledmenace.exe in your BG2 folder to reinstall, uninstall, or otherwise change components.
Main Component - The Cowled Menace
This is where everything major about the mod is installed, from custom NPCs to new areas, new scripts, dialogs, and items. Refer to the Starting the Quest Section below if you want to know more about that. For those of you who are stuck or wish to get spoiled, there is a spoilers section as well.
The quest aims to tie up some loose ends concerning the Cowled Wizards and bring closure to the unfinished Twisted Rune content in the Vanilla game by adding lots of it and a conclusion.
Note: This component also modifies the XP provided by Cowled Wizards very much in the same way the "Appropriate XP Rewards for Cowled Enforcers" component from "klatu tweaks and Fixes" does it, as this mod deals with Cowled Wizards quite a bit. So it's unnecessary to install it separately as they do largely the same thing.
The other components aren't technically part of the main quest line but I recommend installing them anyway if they feel appealing to you.
(Optional) Appropriate Items for High-Level Spellcasters
A level 14+ wizard running around with a nonmagical quarterstaff and 28 gold pieces makes no sense at all, especially if they teleported in expecting a fight since they would come prepared. This component aims to drastically increase the items worn and dropped by high-level spellcasters in Baldur's Gate 2, specifically targeting the ones who currently drop nothing, or close to nothing. The challenge level of these fights will increase as worn items will provide these spellcasters with various bonuses, but the rewards will be greater to compensate (better loot). The goal is that those encounters make sense.
This component aims to give items to individual, distinct creatures, not those created by extraordinary circumstances (like clones). Killing the same enemy twice (Jon Irenicus, for example) will not yield double the rewards. Exception: Lich in the "Spawn Undead" script, as it's implied it's a separate lich each time, that was simply chilling there when you arrive.
Compatibility: This component is intended and calibrated for those who have Sword Coast Stratagems (SCS) installed. However, the items added to the creatures are either vanilla items, or vanilla items modified by those mods so it will still work in a vanilla install. Any new items added in this component are additions made by myself, and should therefore work on any install and (theoritically) not overwrite anything. A compatibility problem could arise if you have a mod installed that alters random treasure tables, since this component also does so.
Special Thanks to Roxanne on Gibberlings3 for some pointers on this one.
(Optional) Mages cast Gate far from themselves.
This component is aimed at vanilla (non-SCS) installs and is quite simple: casters able to cast Gate will now do so far from themselves to reduce the chance that the demon will be their next target (genius AI). Shouldn't have any compatibility issues as it's a very precise editing that I've done, compatibility-friendly to the max. Note: This component is completely and utterly useless if you have SCS installed.
(Optional) Use pre-EE Spell Deflection Globe (Requires EE)
This component has 2 options to choose from. Either the old pre-EE globe is added only to Spell Trap and the Staff of the Magi (recommended, to help distinguish it since it's so powerful), or to the following spells as well: Minor Spell Deflection, Spell Deflection, Spell Trap, and their Item versions. For variety's sake.
Hooks
For most players, starting the Tanner quest in the Bridge district of Athkatla marks the first time you encounter the Twisted Rune and get involved in their business, even in the vanilla game. Following clues you receive from those engagements, as well as exploring around the Bridge and Temple Districts should help you progress. Do not hesitate to get out of Athkatla if a clue leads there. Even a vanilla letter you thought was useless might not be useless anymore.
Some of the encounters in this mod happen in different fashion depending on the order in which you progress through the quest, and the actors you have encountered (and in which order). It's quite modular. The encounter in the new Enclave in particular varies greatly in difficulty depending on choices you've made in the game, outside of this quest. Another encounter depends on your difficulty slider. I have restored unused lines by Shangalar in the vanilla game too, which I was quite surprised to find. A word of warning: the Twisted Rune are a powerful and ancient organisation... come prepared.
In any case, don't forget to mess with and investigate the Cowled Wizards too, as this mod's name implies.
Detailed spoilers section (read if you're stuck)
Special Thanks to Mike1072, demivrgvs, Roxanne, kreso, DavidW, CamDawg, Nythrun & Miloch (area patching) and every helpful fellow on gibberlings3 forums!
Custom portrait of (redacted) by Wizards of the Coast LLC.
Huge thanks to klatu, I based many of my code on his tweaks and learned a lot of coding from his mods. Because the Cowled Wizards are heavily implicated in my mod, the main component installs a modified version of his "Appropriate XP Rewards for Cowled Enforcers" tweak. Many thanks also to the creators of the Infinity Engine Structure Description Project; and to Jon Hauglid, for Near Infinity.
And of course, thanks to k4thos for making the Enhanced Edition Trilogy.
- WeiDU by Wes Weimer and the bigg
- DLTCEP by Avenger
- Near Infinity by Jon Olav Hauglid and devSin
- IESDP maintained by igi
Cowled Menace is copyright © 2026 Maltodaxtrin/Daxtreme
You are allowed to submit maintenance updates for this mod. This mod is additionally licensed under CC-BY-NC-4.0.
This Modification is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC. This mod is also not developed, supported, or endorsed by BioWare, Black Isle Studios, Interplay Entertainment Corp., Overhaul Games or Beamdog. All other trademarks and copyrights are property of their respective owners.
2.0.0 -- Major Update
- Ported the mod to BG2EE (specifically Shadows of Amn). I have tested it and it is still compatible with the Enhanced Edition Trilogy (during the SoA portion), but it doesn't require EET anymore. As such, the content that was in Amkethran previously is now found in late Shadows of Amn. Same for the content that was in BG1, which has been transferred to locations in SoA. Follow in-game clues/letters/journal entries to find them! And lastly, obviously, the ending of the quest no longer happens in the Pocket Plane, as that's exclusive to Throne of Bhaal. The entirety of the questline is self-contained in SoA now.
- All of the quest dialogue, journals, letters, scripts, locations, etc., have been adjusted to account for these changes.
- Added many more Twisted Rune encounters and better integration with vanilla questlines to try and build further upon the dropped threads for the Twisted Rune left by the original BG2 developers. Completing vanilla quests regarding the Rune will wake them up. You'll feel it more if you piss them off now. You might even regret it.
- Vastly upgraded the rewards of the evil ending (they were almost nonexistent, an oversight).
- Major edits to the dialogue and scripts to add more lines, give players more choices, and improve the writing. Fixed broken triggers in some dialogue as well as missing lines, opening up more options.
- My mod is now finally compatible with mods such as Unofficial Item Pack due to a change in the way the mod operates. I no longer rely on MAGE18Z, which is a vanilla NPC, for anything, improving compatibility enormously. It is now highly, highly unlikely that another mod breaks mine, it would have to do some pretty crazy wide-ranging edits, like SCS does. SCS is unaffected by this change, however. Although it does edit my NPCs (and I want it to and properly arrange for it), SCS has never broken my mod, neither before, nor now, because my mod was made with SCS overwriting it after in mind.
- Fixed a dead-end scenario where you could no longer progress the quest if certain conditions were met (it was linked with paying Corneil for the spellcasting licence in Athkatla at the wrong time). Now you can (normally) never get stuck. Hopefully.
- I have tried to account for as many fringe scenarios as possible.
- It's not much but the difficulty slider now has a small impact on which spawns can happen at one point.
- Made small revisions so the mod is as lore-accurate as possible.
- Better reward in the new Enclave.
- Cleaned up unused assets/scripts and fixed various minor bugs.
- Added a French translation for 2.0.0. Removed Russian, schinese, polish, and italian translations while I wait for updates. Will update as/if they come in.
I consider this port to BG2EE to be the definitive version of the mod. Even if you are playing through the Enhanced Edition Trilogy, I would strongly recommend using this version instead. The content is better written, more streamlined and polished, there is more of it, and it has just superior implementation. The old EET version 1.0.4 was rough. The mod wasn't properly finished to be honest. It remains available for those who want to use it though, as it still works.
1.0.4 -- Translations (This is the last version that requires the Enhanced Edition Trilogy)
- Fixed typos in simplified Chinese translation (credits to Lewis Liu)
- Added Italian translation (threetimesdavey)
- Added polish translation (by my_summertime, SoM Membress, part of CoB Clan)
1.0.3 -- Translations
- Added Simplified Chinese translation (thanks to Lewis Liu)
1.0.2 -- Minor updates
- Fixed the player being stuck in the Pocket Plane at the end of the quest by automatically leaving the plane and going back to where you were. (if you want to go back to the Pocket Plane, feel free to do so) + added Russian translation for that part
1.0.1 -- Minor updates
- Added Russian translation (by Ulpian).
- Fixed Servant of Kartak's level that made it vulnerable to low-level Turn Undead.
1.0.0 -- First official release out of Beta
- Fixed Baldur's Gate Twisted Rune encounter not switching to enemy status in certain cheese situations where dialog couldn't happen. Fixed the same encounter not having any dialog in the beginning with SCS installed.
- Fixed a bug where you could endlessly repeat the last part of the quest to get massive amounts of experience when certain conditions were met.
- Evil players should have a proper (although still only partially satisfying) conclusion to the quest now.
- Improved Twisted Rune AI slightly compared to vanilla (they won't wait around in corner)
- Fixed a bug with the Twisted Rune ambush in the Guarded Compound not happening all the time. (If you have cleared the Twisted Rune enclave, they're still not gonna show though, that's intended)
- Fixed various weird behaviors with map region triggers.
0.2.1 BETA -- Adapted for G3 compatibility, added Linux and MacOs support.
0.2 BETA -- first official release.