Can I still recruit Bartholomew after Troll Troubles?

[CaimDark]

I didn't know he was an advisor and I finished Troll Troubles without ever seeing him. Now I went to his place and he says we'll be useful to each other but I can't recruit him. Did I miss him for good? Is there another way to get him as an advisor?

[Agony_Aunt]

Probably won't work unless you have had the conversation about what to do about the captured troll.

AFAIK there is no later opportunity. He says he's packing his bags to leave the region when you go to recruit him normally.

I don't get how you missed him though. You're literally directed to visit him.

[CaimDark]

When I got the quest to see him, I was closer to the Troll Lair than to him, so I just kept on my way to the lair and dropped by his place on the way back. I'm trying to avoid quest guides as much as possible, so I assumed it was just another secondary quest I could do later. I only looked him up after visiting him, suspecting there was more to him than was being let on and noticing the Nature of the Beast quest had failed.

We had the conversation about the troll, I let him keep it. Then I get access to his store, and that's it, he doesn't say he's leaving, nor can I recruit him.

[CaimDark]

Turns out I can still recruit him. I went back to his house, he was indeed packing and I recruited him.

[Hasefrexx]

Originally posted by Agony_Aunt:

Probably won't work unless you have had the conversation about what to do about the captured troll.

AFAIK there is no later opportunity. He says he's packing his bags to leave the region when you go to recruit him normally.

I don't get how you missed him though. You're literally directed to visit him.

To be able to recruit him you need to not tell him to stop his experiments with the troll and not keep the whip.

[Agony_Aunt]

Originally posted by Hasefrexx:

To be able to recruit him you need to not tell him to stop his experiments with the troll and not keep the whip.

I didn't want to say that, and anyway, its irrelevant because OP has already missed that.

[Bloodartist]

I recruited him way, way after the troll troubles mission... Like 8 levels later. But Im lawful evil and allowed him to continue his experiments. Only after I was in the mission where Tristian betrays you and I was forced to kill him did I learn that Bart is recruitable. I went back expecting having lost the opportunity, but I actually COULD recruit him! Too bad his stats suck.

[Agony_Aunt]

Originally posted by Bloodartist:

I recruited him way, way after the troll troubles mission... Like 8 levels later. But Im lawful evil and allowed him to continue his experiments. Only after I was in the mission where Tristian betrays you and I was forced to kill him did I learn that Bart is recruitable. I went back expecting having lost the opportunity, but I actually COULD recruit him! Too bad his stats suck.

His stats probably suck because you got him way later than you should have. If you get him when you are meant to and keep training him he's a solid advisor.