Need help choosing a Stronghold

probe53 · Post by **probe53** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 3:53 pm

For those that have played with one of these two strongholds-
the keep
the guildhouse

I need help deciding which one I should get.

My own opinions right now are:

keep- the good--> about to complete the quest, lots of space, nice map... but the problem is it is 8 hours away from the main city maps

guildhouse- the good---> close to city maps (need for shops and such), only theives can get this (monk, fighters, ranger, barbarian can get keep, more chance of getting it with other classes) and right next to cromwell, but problem is i know nothing else about it.

thanks for your opinion.

QuenGalad · Post by **QuenGalad** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 4:04 pm

I much prefer the Castle.

The thieve's guild brings quite a lot of trouble, only one small sidequest (with no bonus xp from it), annoying people to deal with, and, very important to me, is not prepared to sleep in. I was delighted to see, every time I rested in the keep, that picture of two beds you get in the tavern...
It makes you feel at home there. The guild does not offer that, you can only sleep on second floor, and that's because of some kind of error, I think. Still, my oppinion only.

Pellinore · Post by **Pellinore** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 4:22 pm

I like the Keep. I am doing the Guildhall now and am a bit annoyed with it...no real reason. The Paladin one isn't bad, either...right next to a map exit which I like.

dragon wench · Post by **dragon wench** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 4:32 pm

Definitely the Keep!
The quests are much better, plenty of storage capacity, and has already been pointed out, you can sleep anywhere in it and get little cinematic of the beds.

probe53 · Post by **probe53** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 4:37 pm

does.. the "bed movie" mean something? (i thought it was just a movie that plays if you rested in inn... does it doe something too?)

dragon wench · Post by **dragon wench** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 4:48 pm

probe53 wrote:does.. the "bed movie" mean something? (i thought it was just a movie that plays if you rested in inn... does it doe something too?)

It's just a roleplaying thing, makes it feel more realistic

More critical, maybe, is that you can rest *anywhere* in the keep, which is not the case with the Guildhall.

anarchistica · Post by **anarchistica** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 9:33 pm

The D'Arnise Keep has more quests and gives more XP, though it also costs you quite a bit of money. More space to store your stuff, an in-house priest, the possibility to execute a bunch of people... and you get besieged too.

The Thief Guildhall has only 3 quests that gives less XP and some money. Sure, it's in Athkathla itself, but that's only a minor advantage at best. The Keep is closer to Suldanesselar and the two dragons, and all that travelling helps pass some time for quests to kick in.

VonDondu · Post by **VonDondu** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 11:05 pm

Of the two you listed in the poll, I prefer the Keep. However, it is not my overall favorite. There are other strongholds I like even better: in ascending order, the Planar Sphere (very entertaining but too cold and lonely to be my overall favorite), the Cleric stronghold (simple quests but a bit more interactive than the Keep), the Ranger stronghold (little touches like the gifts the people of Imnesvale leave in your cabin and the grateful comments they make really help me feel at home there), and the Playhouse (the most intellectually challenging and the most interesting roleplaying experience of them all).

probe53 · Post by **probe53** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 11:25 pm

erm, a bit out of place but...
the things you throw in your stronghold .. crates... tables... chest... cracks... statues.. potty-holes...

they will NEVER disapear right?

...basicly.. your stronghold never gets robbed or raided does it?
(also, how much stuff can one container hold? INFINITE?<--- what is feels like so far...)

DaemonJ · Post by **DaemonJ** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 12:08 am

The Keep is definitely the better choice.

The guild is way too much trouble for what little bit of money you get from it.

anarchistica · Post by **anarchistica** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 6:56 am

probe53 wrote:erm, a bit out of place but...
the things you throw in your stronghold .. crates... tables... chest... cracks... statues.. potty-holes...

they will NEVER disapear right?

...basicly.. your stronghold never gets robbed or raided does it?
(also, how much stuff can one container hold? INFINITE?<--- what is feels like so far...)

Stuff on the ground will probably disappear, it even does in the Pocket Plane. Stuff put in containters never disappears for as far as i know, no matter where it is. Obvious exception: When you liberate the keep it gets cleaned out. Everything gets whiped and they somehow even manage to get rid of that Iron Golem.

Celacena · Post by **Celacena** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 7:18 am

anarchistica wrote:they somehow even manage to get rid of that Iron Golem.

you mean it regenerates?

I like getting the XP for killing it - can be difficult, but I think I used the staff of rhyn to bludgeon it to a heap of rust last time through. can take a lot of damage clearing it out, but the satisfaction of cleaning up after yourself and de-infesting the castle is good.

I ought to check on what weapons are needed for the golems etc - as I waste a lot of effort at times.

the planar sphere can be a real casualty ward.

Sator · Post by **Sator** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 5:28 pm

Umm, you could get both you know? Anywy it's an exploit in the game as far as i'm concerned. Just dual your kensai to a thief before getting the reward from Nalia, go do the thief guild and then come back to the keep. Mind you that the creators of the game never intended it for anyone to have 2 keeps, it's just an oversight on their part. But if you need help to decide... I personally would go for the Keep, for all the reasons stated above.
Oh, and for me the easiest way to defeat the iron golem in the De'Arnise hold is just casting Polymorph Self: Flind on Nalia (she has the spell by default unless you removed it from her spell book yourself. But why in the hells would you do that?) and whack away when the thing jams on the small door.

anarchistica · Post by **anarchistica** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 7:35 pm

Celacena wrote:you mean it regenerates?

No, it's gone, along with the magical items in those alcoves. It's quite amazing they can't get rid of some puny Trolls but can dispose of an Iron Golem...

Celacena wrote:I ought to check on what weapons are needed for the golems etc - as I waste a lot of effort at times.

+3

Celacena wrote:the planar sphere can be a real casualty ward.

Buy Firetooth from Sister Galena at the top of Watcher's Keep. It's a +4 crossbow that automatically fires +2 fire bolts. It can kill all Iron and Stone Golems, just takes some time. Also, for some reason Jan's Bruiser Bolts can stun Iron Golems, making them easy to take out. Finally, get a +3 weapon with reach (two handed) and the amulet that makes you immune to poison. You can strike from a distance and his Cloudkill won't affect you.

Sator wrote: Oh, and for me the easiest way to defeat the iron golem in the De'Arnise hold is just casting Polymorph Self: Flind on Nalia (she has the spell by default unless you removed it from her spell book yourself. But why in the hells would you do that?) and whack away when the thing jams on the small door. You will damage it with the fire damage that the gnoll's halberd has.

Doesn't it count as a +3 weapon (too?)?

probe53 · Post by **probe53** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 12:12 am

well, the reason i asked was because i left a whole bunch of composite bows and 2-handed swords in one of the crates... and yes it got cleaned out..

as for the iron golem, i cleaned it out already....
flesh and stone gone down easy. clay lasted longer due to my weapon types.
then iron used the flail that i made and came back and flailed it to death with my main + anomen's "anti-giant hammer" + both had oil of speed...

super easy once i was ready (just make sure to run away form his fart).

i got everything important, just some extra $ lost in those previous crates...
oh well.

btw. iron golems a lot easier with a mage if you dont have the good weapons... memorize "enchanted weapon" for your warriors....

and have a nice bash fest

Jedi_Sauraus · Post by **Jedi_Sauraus** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 2:44 am

another vote for the keep.

I's the best stronghold in the game. the only problem I find with it is you have to wait a week for each event which is way too long I'm usually only 1/3 to 1/2 way through before I've got nothing left to do except go to spellhold

the golem is easy stand outside and throw melf's meteors 5 or 6 should be enough. and as for the lesser golems take them out 1 by 1 at your discresion

the hardest one is the clay golem because he can be damaged only by blunt weapons. you can also buy that +3 bow in tradmeet after you save it at 4:00 am the name escapes me

Sator · Post by **Sator** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 7:38 am

probe53: Not to worry, most of the experienced players will ignore all the junk that is not enchanted anyway. It's just too much hassle to carry all of it to town and sell it to make a measly 200-300 coins extra. You won't be able to spend all the gold in the game anyway, trust me on this one.

anarchistica: It's a +1 Halberd that hits as a +3, and also does 1 fire damage. The helpful thing is that the Flind seems to outrange the IG's cloudkill. Sorry for getting mixed up in my previous post, i stand corrected

anarchistica · Post by **anarchistica** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 3:15 pm

Sator wrote:anarchistica: It's a +1 Halberd that hits as a +3, and also does 1 fire damage. The helpful thing is that the Flind seems to outrange the IG's cloudkill. Sorry for getting mixed up in my previous post, i stand corrected

Oh yeah, it counts as 3+, that's what i meant.

It's actually Gas Cloud, not Cloudkill (my bad).

As far as i know, fire damage will only heal an Iron Golem. I might be wrong though.

If you wonder what AC, THAC0 and such an Iron Golem has, look here. The information there should be correct, though you should feel free to change it if it isn't (it's my very very W.I.P. pet project).

Jedi_Sauraus · Post by **Jedi_Sauraus** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 9:59 pm

nope I can assure you fire damage will not heal an Iron Golem (quite the opposite in fact

). I usually do the keep before getting any kind of +3 weaponry hence my favorite tactic to deal with that nasty Iron golem is to have my mages stand outside the door and kill it with Melf's meteors. you just can't tank that beast at level 9 unfortunatly.

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