Forgotten Realms: How does Candlekeep work?

[Slayer Lord]

Specifically, how does the entrance fee make any realistic sense? All visitors have to donate a rare book of some kind worth at least a 1000 gp to get inside, and I get the whole fortified library/monastery thing, so it makes sense that it be customary to donate A rare book, but how many scholars/wizards/other assorted visitors can manage that, especially since the vast majority of the Realms' residents don't go around carrying thousands of gold pieces on their person like the average PC. The FR wiki specifies it has to be a rare book, which by definition would put a severe limit on how many people they would be willing to let in; which would be fine, except that it's implied to be per visit. What if they need supplies from outside? What if some PCs needed to do some heavy-duty research and had to make multiple trips for whatever reason- do they need to travel miles out of their way to find the nearest antique book store? And what about personnel? Do any potential monks need some kind of wealthy background to even join? What about the guards or the stable hands or any of the other people working for the monks?

Presumably, permanent residents can come and go as they please (I hope), but then in first Baldur's Gate you're immediately locked out as soon as Gorion kicked the bucket, and your character and Immoen have lived in Candlekeep their whole lives, so what gives there? The novelization at least implies the monks only tolerated the protagonist because of Gorion, and once he was gone they were happy to lock the jerk out. But, it's still the novelization, so make of that what you will.

I like the idea of Candlekeep as a whole, but this has been bothering me ever since I first played the first Baldur's Gate a couple years back, and I've yet to find any sources that explain it further. For me, needing a certain pricetag on the books kind of ruins the image of the secure center for knowledge and learning, and gives it this kind of elitist vibe to it. Like "Oh, I'm sorry. But we can't accept this copy of An In-Depth Study of Kobold Mating Habits, it's only a common third edition, with a paltry 950 gp market value. We only accept first or second editions."
And really, with all the magical resources available in the realms, I doubt books are as expensive to produce as they were in the actual middle ages.

[Uncle Pine]

As much as I love it, habitants of Candlekeep are snoozy elitists, too worried about people perusing their knowledge and accidentally ruining their books to realize that keeping so many people out puts a hindrance to the advancement of knowledge itself.

The few times I played as a Wizard in FR, my character's dream was to enter Candlekeep, so he spent most of his time looking for rare books. However, he also had a reserve plan: writing several himself. At some point or another, one of his creation would've been worth more than 1,000 gp (or so he hoped)!

[Bullet06320]

in one of the novels, not sure which one, family genealogy records are also accepted

market value of spellbooks is probly the cheapest way to get the entry fee achieved

[Darth Ultron]

Specifically, how does the entrance fee make any realistic sense?

I like the idea of Candlekeep as a whole, but this has been bothering me ever since.....

The entrance fee is a book worth at least 1,000 gold, but not necessarily a ''rare'' book. The idea is you must add a new tome of knowledge to the library, one that they don't already have on the shelf. Note FR Wiki does...um..misquote things sometimes.

Another way in is by the recommendation and sponsor of a well known powerful mage, and it is noted that many of the entrance fee books are actually spellbooks(with new spells and not the cut and paste SRD spells). You can also get in if your one of the faiths of Candlelkeep and have a faithful sponsor or sponsored by one of the local rulers.

In general, though, Candlekeep is NOT a public library...it is a private library.

[Zancloufer]

To be fair in the Baldur's gate series it was implied/out right stated, that Gorion fought a fair bit about getting the MC allowed to stay at all. Being a VERY high level spell-caster with connections to powerful good aligned groups means his word had power. Pretty sure traders can still get in (at least the first gate) and there is probably some review board for gaining new permanent citizens to deal with day to day work.

You remember that one prophecy about "The Children of Bhaal bringing great strife and destruction"? They might have wanted to NOT let in those two kids that are proficised to bring about/be involved in Deity level wars/apocalypses. Pretty sure Sarevok would have re-enacted the siege of Saradush if Charname/Imoem where still in candle-keep after he got rolling. . .

Also while 1k GP is a lot, as mentioned they want new or valuable books. Yeah they are rich/elitist snobs, but they also have the biggest library in the world and have the largest and most reliable stock of written proficiency around. Also just about anyone with Ranks in profession makes 300+GP year preforming menial tasks.

[Âmesang]

Plane shift/gate/shadow walk/Spelljammer your way to Earth and pick up a copy of Twilight; just 'cause they may want a rare book doesn't mean it has to be a good book… and technically it would be "rare" from their perspective (unless another attempts this before you). :smalltongue:

Though for a similar though slightly more serious answer I imagine grabbing a book of lore from Oerth, Krynn, or Eberron should work as well; Slerotin's Manifesto* comes to mind—not necessarily the original, mind you, but even a basic copy of it should win entrance on just its spells alone, including a spell unique to it, Slerotin's fortitude.


*DRAGON Magazine #241 November 1997, p.79