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Overview

Congratulations, you've made it past the warders and down to Lower Level 2 of Durlag's Tower. Now you have to discover the secrets to opening the many doors that block your progress through this area. While you might find a mechanism that opens one door, be forewarned that it might simultaneously close another. Also, sleeping on this level or going back up to the upper levels will reset some of the doors and they will have to be reopened. For minimal frustration, try to do this level all at once.

Careful combat strategies will keep your party healthy and there are plenty of healing potions stashed about. It's a good idea to keep the party AI turned off while doing this level so they don't rush into trapped areas in pursuit of enemies. It's also a good idea to have a high level thief around to deal with all of the traps.

While you're exploring the level, you'll come across several Dusty Books -- so many, in fact, that we decided not to label them on the map above. You're not required to read any of the books, but they can give you some oblique clues about the room they're in, or give you some information about Durlag and his family, which you'll need on Lower Level 4. If you read them all, then you'll learn that Islanne was Durlag's wife, Kiel the Legion Killer was Durlag's oldest son, and Fuernebol was Durlag's youngest son.

Note: Red circles indicate floor traps. Pink circles indicate secret doors.


1 - Foyer

This is where you'll begin in the level. You won't be able to open three of the doors in this room right away. You'll have to perform actions in the adjacent rooms (#2-4) first.


2 - Statue Room

You'll find two statues in this room flanking a rug with a doppelganger on it. Using the statue closest to the practice room (#3) will open the door between the practice room and the foyer (#1), and close the door between the bedroom (#4) and the foyer. Using the statue closest to the bedroom will do the opposite.

You might also notice two secret doors in the room. You'll open them by performing certain actions in the practice chamber (#3) and the bedroom (#4).

Finally, in the back of the room you'll find a locked and trapped globe that you can loot for an Antidote, 4 Potions of Healing, a scroll of Greater Malison, 5 scrolls of Haste, and 346 gp.


3 - Practice Chamber

You'll discover three sparring dummies and seven traps in this room. If you loot the dummies, then you'll find 5 Acid Arrows, 10 Arrows +1, 6 Arrows +2, 11 Arrows of Fire, 12 Arrows of Ice, 8 Potions of Healing, 2 Potions of Heroism, a Potion of Master Thievery, and scrolls of Champion's Strength, Defensive Harmony, Otiluke's Resilient Sphere, and Protection from Lightning.

You might also notice that you can "talk" to the dummies, which means that you can (force) attack them as well. Attacking the yellow dummy on the left will cause the secret doors between this room and the statue room (#2) to open, the door between this room and the foyer (#1) to close, and a greater doppelganger (worth 4000 xp) to appear in the revealed hallway. The doppelganger will cast Stinking Cloud but otherwise shouldn't be too bad.

As for the other two dummies, hitting the red one in the center of the room might cause the door between the foyer and the bedroom to open, and hitting the blue one on the right might cause the door between the foyer and the throne room (#5) to open.


4 - Bedroom

Inside this room you'll find four containers that you can loot for an Adventurer's Robe, 8 Bullets +2, 11 Darts +1, 7 Darts of Stunning, 17 Darts of Wounding, scrolls of Domination, Monster Summoning II, Remove Curse and Spirit Armor, and 331 gp.

You'll also find three wardstones. Picking up the red Islanne Wardstone (from the table by the chairs) will cause the two secret doors between this room and the statue room (#2) to open, the door between this room and the foyer (#1) to close, and a greater doppelganger (worth 4000 xp) to appear in the revealed hallyway. The doppelganger will cast a Fireball in the bedroom, so it's best if you only have one character in there when the battle starts.

As for the other two wardstones, picking up the yellow Fuernebol Wardstone (from the nightstand to the left of the bed) might cause the door between the foyer (#1) and the practice room (#3) to open, and picking up the blue Kiel Wardstone (from the nightstand to the right of the bed) might cause the door between the foyer and the throne room (#5) to open.


5 - Throne Room

At the back of this room, you'll find Kiel's Helmet sitting next to a throne. It's a trap. When you pick up the helmet, three greater doppelgangers will show up, and the door between this room and the foyer (#1) will close, locking you inside. However, if you're quick, you can run back into the foyer before the door closes. The three doppelgangers will then cast two Stinking Clouds and a Cloudkill, and they'll wait for you to show yourself. While they're waiting, they'll take damage from their spells.

To get back inside the throne room, you'll need to go to the practice room (#3) and hit the blue sparring dummy on the right. This will re-open the door betwen the throne room and the foyer. Then you'll just need to draw the doppelgangers to you one at a time and kill them in the foyer. You'll earn 12,000 xp for completing the battle, and Kiel's Helmet isn't a bad reward, either.

Note: Just be careful. If doppelgangers die without you doing any damage to them, then you won't earn any xp.


6 - Switch Room

You'll find 11 switches on the wall here. Each switch will open or close a door. Helpfully, the interface will let you know if the door is being opened or closed, so go ahead and flip each switch until all 11 doors are open. Then you'll have an easier time making your way through the level.


7 - Bridge Room

Inside this room you'll encounter five greater doppelgangers pretending to be Durlag's family. They'll keep switching their identities between Fuernebol (ranger), Islanne (mage), and Kiel (priest), so it won't make any difference which one you target first. Just concentrate your fire at one at a time, and kill them as quickly as possible. You'll earn 20,000 xp for defeating them.

Also in the room you should notice a small, trapped compartment on the northern wall. Inside it you'll find a scroll of Protection from Evil, 10' Radius, a scroll of Chaotic Commands, and 1157 gp.


8 - Kiel's Crypt

Inside this room you'll find two locked chests -- plus four dwarven doom guards. The doom guards will leave you alone, provided you don't try to loot the chest at the foot of Kiel's bier. If you want to kill everything and loot everything, then the easiest way to deal with the room is to use a ranged character to force-attack one of the guards. This will cause all of the guards to turn hostile. Then you should be able to draw them to you one at a time.

You'll earn 8000 xp for defeating the guards, and when you open the chests you'll find Kiel's Buckler, Kiel's Morning Star, a Potion of Frost Giant Strength, 3 Potions of Healing, a Potion of Hill Giant Strength, and 432 gp.


9 - Trapped, Fake Staircase

In this room you'll find a staircase leading down, but it's fake -- and trapped. If you try to use it to go down then you'll just end up where you started. The real staircase is located to the south (Exit B) past a warded secret door. You'll need the Level 2 Exit Wardstone to reach it.


10 - Wardstone Room

You'll find multiple traps and containers in this room. When you loot everything, you'll end up with 15 Arrows +1, 9 Bolts +1, 25 Bolts of Biting, 20 Bolts of Lightning, 20 Bullets +1, 16 Bullets +2, an Oil of Speed, a Potion of Freedom, 4 Potions of Healing, 3 Potions of Master Thievery, and 112 gp. You'll also find the Level 2 Exit Wardstone, which will allow you to open the secret door leading to the exit staircase (Exit B).

11 - Teleportation Room

This room is really two half rooms. The halves are separated by a gap, so you won't be able to walk from one side to the other. But in each half you'll find a Teleportation Wardstone in a pot, and when you pick one up, the runes on the floor in each half will start glowing. This will allow you to click on the runes like an exit and be teleported to the other side.


12 - Torture Room

You'll discover a cool dozen traps on the floor in this room, so proceed carefully. You'll also find Durlag's Goblet on the floor. It'll fully heal you (good) but cause you to flee during battle (bad), so either don't use it at all or save it as a last resort.


Exits

1. Stairs back up to Lower Level 1.
2. Stairs down to Lower Level 3. To reach this exit, you'll need to pick up the Level 2 Exit Wardstone from the wardstone room (#10).