Just a quick question. What's everyone's opinions on when you should head off to Durlag's tower? Am I able to go there once I've finished the main quest in BG? Should I go there before I beat up Sarevok and his mates? Around about what level of character should I be before I go and tackle this area of the map?
Well, if you have the 3 CD version of the game with the expansion already installed, you have to do it before killing Sarevok for the final time. I'm getting close to that point myself and I was thinking of going in after the return to Candlekeep, personally. That seems about a good a time as any.
I personally did the expansion areas after completing all the quests in Chapter 5 (Baldur's Gate), up till the only thing left to do was initiate the quest that starts Chapter 6 (the return to Candlekeep).
I was glad to have done the expansion areas before Chapter 6, instead of after. At the conclusion of Chapter 6, I felt the main storyline was racing towards the final confrontation. It would've broken the main storyline's momentum at the end of Chapter 6 to just up and go off to Ulgoth's Beard for awhile. If story momentum matters to you, of course. Personally, I found it thrilling.
All my dudes had over 89k XP by Chapter 5 (Baldur's Gate). And they were maxed out to 161k XP by the end of the expansion, before Chapter 6 (Candlekeep). So, my dudes were certainly high enough level to tackle the expansion areas when I decided to check out Ulgoth's Beard.
Why is it that whenever I finally get around to playing a new game for the first time,
I feel like playing Baldur's Gate for the second time...
I too went after Chapter 5 and it was a great time to go for my characters and the story.
Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocre minds. The latter cannot understand it when a person does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses their intelligence.
I have entered Durlag's tower on a number of occasions at Level 1. I use a potion of invisibility to get in, then let Deder to do all the work whilst my levels zoom up. When I go down into the basement I leave my character at the stairs whilst Deder uses stealth to get all the goodies. Once Love was dead I exited as the rewards are often pretty useless to a low level character. What's the point in getting a powerful spell if you cannot use it? However, by then you are level 5 or 6 and when you pick up your party they are already quite powerful.
I generally go there at the beginning of Chapter 6, once all my party members are up to level 8. I tried once before entering Baldur's Gate for the first time and it was really hard going, but then I'm not the most advanced player so others would probably find it a lot easier then than I did
For me a lot depends on the character I'm playing. The +2 Scimitar and Book of Wisdom are well worth picking up early in the game and since these are in the above ground levels they are relatively easy to get these items once past the Battle Horrors. Added to that htere are a few items that will boost your cash reserves early on.
So if you're not using stealth, it come down to whenever you feel your party can get past those two Battle Horrors. For me can usually do it arround level 4.
The Ghasts and bassalisks on the first floor are worth a good few points and all you need is a level two spell to protect you from the Basalisks. So you can get a good weapon and probably go up a level or two.
Then return later in the game to do the below ground levels whenever you feel like it.
It's just me but I tend to do every quest that I intend doing before I visit the top floor of the Iron Throne as you are entering the end game so to speak. But you could easily do the Tower between Candlekeep and returning to BG to help break things up as was suggested by others.
As with so much of BG there is no right or wrong time to do any of it, just whenever you feel the party is tough enough. Mind you, below ground is a hard slog so best not to go too early.
I'm usually all eager and raring to go, dontchaknow, so I usually go there before I've even opened the old city up. Makes it a tad more of a challenge, but also means that, when you come out 'n' all, you're characters are a touch on the more powerful side of what they should be at that stage of the little old game, dontchaknow, and therefore makes the rest of it a smidgen too eash, you get me?
The other big argument for leaving it til late is that, once you're into the city, the only remaining big long adventure, in terms of the plot, is Candlekeep, so leaving DT til then makes it perhaps more valuable in terms of enjoyment, dontchaknow. However, I'm too much of an eager beavor to show enough of the old restraint.
