When to start HOW and TOL?

De_Priester · Post by **De_Priester** » Mon Oct 02, 2006 1:52 am

I am currently doing the quest leading to the dragon's eye temple or something, to find the heart(h)stone. Anyway I am just curious at what point or level should you do HOW and TOL? Would doing them now be to hard (around lvl 5/6 full party) or would it be fine?

kmonster · Post by **kmonster** » Mon Oct 02, 2006 11:17 am

Best time to start HoW: After finishing the original game. Just reimport your characters (keep in mind that bag contents aren't exported.)
Best time to start TotL: After finishing HoW.

Philos · Post by **Philos** » Mon Oct 02, 2006 12:20 pm

Different approach

Kmonster's approach is one way to do it (and a good one). I prefer to do to transition within the game itself, rather than import the characters each time to start a new one. To answer your question about level, 5/6 is "probably possible" but will be tough, I usually make the transition to HoW around 9th or 10th. This usually occurs around the time of doing Upper Dorn and/or Wyrm's Tooth (the frozen aquarium). It was challenging but still not overwhelming. While doing HoW wait to transition to TotL until "just before" you make the journey Icasseract's (sp) Isle. Once you journey there HoW will end. TotL is pretty hard even with the character's being 13th and 14th level so you don't want to go there underpowered.

So my usually path is IWD up until Upper Dorn or Wyrm's Tooth, return Kuldahar and go to HoW, do most of HoW, pausing just before that last quest, go to the Gallows Inn in Lonely Wood and speak with the Halfing to transition to TotL. Begin and finish TotL, which will return you to HoW, finish that and return to IWD and finish the whole game. But that's me. There are many ways to do it. But if you want to do it within the game I would wait and get a bit higher than 5/6 level.

kmonster · Post by **kmonster** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 5:36 am

You can't start HoW unless all your party members have reached at least 9 levels, the Shaman will refuse to take you there otherwise.
The last chance to start HoW is before you walk up the stairs you can open by placing the 6 badges late in chapter6.
I wouldn't start HoW too early, with all the XP and items gained in the expansions chapter6 might become far easier and TotL harder than intended.

I personally recommend exporting and reimporting. Storywise it makes no sense hopping back and forth between the different main quests and you can have a weapon upgraded in HoW which you won't possess if you start HoW from Kuldahar. The expansions were mainly made for players who already owned the original and played through it.
But it can be fun either way.

Philos · Post by **Philos** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 11:57 am

Ah good point

Good point about the shaman Kmonster,

I forgot about him and that he says that. I've always been 9th or higher so it hasn't occured in any of my games. Read about it (in the manual perhaps?) a long while ago. But as KM says, DePriester, whichever way you do it you'll have fun.

Oh BTW, Kmonster which weapon gets the upgrade?

kmonster · Post by **kmonster** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 9:29 am

*** Spoiler ***

Aihonen's Blade, the greatsword +5 you you can get in Easthaven from the fisherman in chapter6 if you have given the broken sword to him in the prologue. It can be upgraded by Tiernon in Gloomfrost.

Philos · Post by **Philos** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 12:16 pm

Thanks

Thanks KM,

Appreciate the info. I had a party that I ran completely through IWD and then imported into HoW with that sword. Unfortunately I missed that upgrade when I visited "T" and that group completed HoW and TotL already. Blast!
But will remember for a future group though. Thanks again.