GameBanshee Forums

Hey all,

I am almost finished BG2: SoA, I have TOB installed and I have a few questions for all you wise folks here at Game Banshee:

1) During what part of the game or expansion is Watchers Keep accessable? The manual said chapters 2, 3 and 6, but can u still get there while playing TOB?

2) At what level would you recommend going to watchers keep. I am currently level 17 and dont want to get in over my head.

Thank you for any help you can provide me with.

Trickstuf

1) You can go at any time durring the game

2) I would recomend not going until you start TOB, otherwise the items you get will be to powerful, IMO. But if you're level 17, you'll be alright, and you can always come back later if things get to tough.

Thanks alot. Its good to know i can go there whenever i want.

To some extent, the game automatically adjusts the difficulty, depending on the level of your characters. (Your level determines how many traps and monsters will appear.) IMO, Watcher's Keep is best when it's most difficult (or when your characters are extremely powerful). Therefore, I recommend waiting until you finish Shadows of Amn before you go there.

I also think there's another reason not to go to Watcher's Keep before you finish Shadows of Amn: namely, the final battles in Shadow of Amn will be too easy if you have plundered Watcher's Keep. You're looking at millions of experience points and ungodly artifacts, so any encounter in Shadows of Amn will be a breeze. Besides, after you fight Saladrex, the various "watchers", and the Imprisoned One, Jon Irenicus will seem like a pansy. And if you finish Watcher's Keep in Chapter Two, you might as well be using cheese and cheat codes when you play the rest of the game, in my opinion. Where's the fun in that?

(might be a slight spoiler (not sure))









I didnt get foebane because i did the first level in chapter 3 with solo sorc
(because of bugs later i never finished the game but still)

I do believe the game stops you from entering if it determines you arn't of suffecient level, not sure what the minimum level is but I think it's around 12 or 13.

I know because I tried going there very early in a particular game and the priest you must talk to for access said something about me not having enough experience to traverse the perils of the keep and that I should come back later when I had more, or something like that.

IMO the best time to enter Watcher's Keep is your first available opportunity in ToB. This occurs after the second of a series of battles. major spoiler, highlight to read You will be required to fight a total of six other bhaalspawn, you will be able to access WK after defeating Gromnir The first time I went through WK I waited until close to the end of ToB... It was fun in terms of difficulty, but a bit pointless in terms of being able to make full use of all the items you find there.

You could also go just before the final battles in SoA, but as others have said, it will make those seem like a kindergarten picnic

also some mods actually recommend you dont enter until you get to tob...

for example, the imoen romance mod tob version, when it comes out will recommend you do not enter until tob, to get extra dialog...

and edwin romance mod, which is in pre beta, when the tob portion comes out will say do not enter watchers keep until tob...just for romance plot reasons...

however, tactics mod, kinda makes you want to go around chapter 6 or so, since improved irenicus is no pushover...

I actually recommend going to WK very quickly - but stop right before you try and open the portal to the second level.

You can get items there which are more convenient then anything else really, such as the potion belt and the quiver of infinite arrows as well as the case of infinite bolts and pouch of infinite bullets.

Then don't actually finifh the first level until after SoA.

Rav

Rav's recommendations are actually my own, as well. IMO, the devs should have put the case of not-quite-infinite bolts and arrows (it *does* fill up, it just takes a lot) and the potion belt into the main game long before the add-on--perhaps in Trademeet. It's one of those conveniences that doesn't really make things so much easier it breaks the game balance.

Watcher's Keep (spoilers)

For what it's worth I'm with Rav and Fable on this. I will visit WK early in SoA to purchase the potion bag as it frees up loads of inventory slots. I don't usually buy the Firetooth+4 crossbow or the Shortsword of the Mask+4 unless I have a character that can use them as a primary weapon and my purse is fat with gold. I sometimes enter level 1 if I need the quiver, etc. but normally hold off until I've rescued Immy. I won't take on level 2 until my thief has enough traps to kill the main monster there (I hate that fight with the chromatic thingy). I will then do level 2 and maybe 3 before finishing SoA and save the last levels for ToB so I can still have access to the Knight of Helm lady that sells/buys stuff.

I think you can stash your extra equipment in one of the many chests found on WK level 1 before finishing SoA and it will still be there when you start ToB. Can anyone else confirm this?

Re: Watcher's Keep (spoilers)

Originally posted by UncleScratchy
I think you can stash your extra equipment in one of the many chests found on WK level 1 before finishing SoA and it will still be there when you start ToB. Can anyone else confirm this?

Yes. But don't do that with the key with which you need to enter WK

Perhaps someone in the modding community would be willing to make a small fix/mod adding the potion bag , ammo belt available for purchase (for example add the the stuff available after the Copper Coronet slaver quests).

Originally posted by Nuke
Perhaps someone in the modding community would be willing to make a small fix/mod adding the potion bag , ammo belt available for purchase (for example add the the stuff available after the Copper Coronet slaver quests).

Or you can just use SK to edit it in...
I don't think it is a great idea to use SK in order to cheat in all kinds of high-powered equipment, but stuff like the ammo belt is reasonable.

IIRC the Improved Thief Stronghold ends up with you being able to purchase a potion belt and receiving an extra bag of holding.

But it's just easier to get unlimited stacking from Ease-of-use. No more inventory problems!