Watcher's Keep Competant

[Luther]

I just started a game in SOA with TOB installed and i want to do the new Watcher's Keep. I'm only a lvl 9 Paladin and the guys outside tell me I'm not enough of a man to tackle it yet. What is a good level to start thinking about doing Watcher's Keep?

[demus]

well, I did it with a party of average level 22 and found it fairly hard, so Id advise not starting it untill your at least very near the end of SoA, if not some way into ToB But thats just my experience, i don't know if others found it easier (I have a very badly made PC ) )

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Nicodemus Deathslayer, Paladin and Undead Hunter of the Order of the Holy Flame

[Ixion]

40 ? no seriously...Lv 15. Minimum...the Watchers keep r one of the toughest places in the game..big number of baddies. Dragons. and other nasty things And alot of ppl say that the hardest battle in the entire game series(i think so too) is in the watchers keep. at Lv 5 against a group that is watching the seal...

[Kezardin]

Luther,

Like you, I recently installed TOB and started a new game. I did the first level of WK with characters about level 11-12, then headed off to do Umar, Tradmeet and some other things and came back for level 2.

My group is currently in Underdark, so the plan is to do level three of WK in chapter 6 and the other 2 levels after starting TOB.

This is a dungeon you can really do at your own pace.

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the first level of WK and the 'trader' will give you some nice items early in the game

Kez

[Luther]

Thanks for the lowdown guys. I'll keep it in mind.
I'm actually really wanting to just skip straight onto TOB now but I don't want to miss out on getting some of the really good SOA items (like Crom Fayer and all that.) ,not to mention the Bhaal's tears enhancements right at the end of SOA. Ah well, looks like I'll just have to troop on through it one more time...

[Quinch]

Bleah... the Keep is nice enough a test of mettle, but the fact that you can leave anytime you please is something that kinda puts a damper on the atmosphere. In my opinion, Durlag's Tower was definitely *the* place in the BG series... especially with the "the only way back now is to go on forward" feel you get once you're deep enough.

{Disclaimer: My BG discs met their early demise at the hands of my sister, so I've only played TOTSC areas once}

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"Geez, just a little demonic summoning and the entire conversation goes down the toilet...."

[Ronn_Bman]

I also enjoyed Durlag's Tower much more. I think it was because at lower XP levels of BG, it was much more of a challenge.

I've carried my party forward from SoA to ToB and really haven't found much in the way of challenging fights. That's not to say they're all easy, but one reload usually allows me to defeat my opponent.

In the original BG & ToSC, I was constantly reloading and trying to figure out how in the heck to live through the battles. I'm not saying that's always fun, it can be quite annoying, but it is more challenging.

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An elevator smells different to a dwarf.

[Prime2U]

I was bored one weekend and imported my monk back to the start of SOA and soloed Watcher's keep. That allowed me to use my long time character and still have a challenge (pretty big challenge). It was a blast hehe. Monk is level 39 w/ high resistance to magic and guantlets of crushing (+4 to attack and damage with fists).

Originally posted by Ronn_Bman: I also enjoyed Durlag's Tower much more. I think it was because at lower XP levels of BG, it was much more of a challenge. I've carried my party forward from SoA to ToB and really haven't found much in the way of challenging fights. That's not to say they're all easy, but one reload usually allows me to defeat my opponent. In the original BG & ToSC, I was constantly reloading and trying to figure out how in the heck to live through the battles. I'm not saying that's always fun, it can be quite annoying, but it is more challenging.

Hehe, I know what you mean... those kobold commandos and sirines did make life miserable for me back in BG1. Ah, those were the good 'ol days

[Drawde1]

I went through Watcher's Keep with a party of level 11-13 or so characters (I hadn't read much then about ToB or WK on the messageboard, so didn't really know what to expect) .. The first couple of levels were OK, but when I got to the demon level, it started to get NASTY.. Those tieflings and elemental-summoning glabrezu defeated me so many times I had to resort to sneaking by them.
And as for the final keep guardians (the beholder, marilith, drow etc).. Apart from Melissan (who I still haven't managed to defeat) this surely must be the toughest battle in all of BG2. The Rod of Resurrection was very handy, but several times I had to escape through the portal, raise my dead characters, rest, then return. And that was with planting about 25 assorted thief traps, skull traps, and glyphs around the place they came out, and summoning assorted elementals, pit fiends etc.
Needless to say I didn't fight Demogorgon at the end