Durlag tower, is it worth it?

Wolk

Since you can easily get to the xp cap for a party of six doing everything else, is durlag's tower worth doing?

Permidion_Stark

If you have never done it before it is definitely worth as visit. However, I do find parts of it quite irritating and I must admit I always refer to a walkthrough when I am doing it these days. (I like the Dudleyville one best: http://www.forgottenwars.com/bg1/ )

SamuelVarg

Yes

Aranthys

You mean, beside the fact that it's probably the best dungeon in the baldur's gate saga ?

KidCarnival

Maybe there's an XP cap, but there isn't a loot cap. Some of the best weapons are in Durlag's, including the World's Edge +3 2H Sword. So yeah, very worth it.

PugPug

You can't take any of that with you into BG2 though, can you? I know there are a few items that will turn up, not sure if any are from there.

And you have to do it before facing Sarevok, I think, so I guess you could use those items in the final BG1 battle.

Wolk

KidCarnival said:

Maybe there's an XP cap, but there isn't a loot cap. Some of the best weapons are in Durlag's, including the World's Edge +3 2H Sword. So yeah, very worth it.

I'm soloing the game with a f/m/t, and i've done durlags tower in a lot of playthoughs, loved the dungeon, i agree with @Arantys, it's one of the best in the serie ( but the one with the shadow dragon is still my favorite)
I don't need the 2H sword since i fight with scimitars, i'm getting a little bored of playing solo so i just want to know if it is really worth to go all the way for items i won't use, i might still go in for the tome but that's about it.

Corvino

Depends on what you're getting out of your run. I don't like Durlag's as much as a lot of the BG2 dungeons, but it's still fun (if long).

If you are playing through BG:EE mainly to get a character ready for BG2 then grab the 3rd Wisdom tome and skip it. If you're a completionist, or have never played through Durlag's Tower before then don't miss it.

elminster

If you've never done it before its worth it to check it out. If you have already tried it before and you are at the level cap then I would recommend instead beating the game and starting BG2 (you can however just go to Durlag's in this case to grab the Wisdom tome as its easily accessible).

Madhax

If you view anything not directly conducive to killing Sarevok as a waste, then yeah, you can skip it.

But it's pretty much the Watcher's Keep of BG1. A well-built dungeon full of all sorts of different challenges, puzzles, and rewards. It has a chilling story, a great atmosphere, plenty of difficult encounters, and genuinely confusing obstacles to overcome.

Playing it for the first time in BGEE (I never owned TotSC originally) was the highlight of my first BGEE run, and probably the most fun facet of this game for me. Your results certainly may vary, but I definitely recommend doing it at least once.

TethorilofLathander

Definitely! It's a great story and you can get some nice items to fight Sarevok and Aec'Letec

ajwz

Best dungeon of any infinty engine game hands down.

Skip the rest of the content, play this.

Noon

Durlag tower is IMHO far superior to the werewolf island (which i always skip now), XP, great stuff, and challenging battles, but it can be a bit frustrating also.

KidCarnival

Wolk said:

KidCarnival said:

Maybe there's an XP cap, but there isn't a loot cap. Some of the best weapons are in Durlag's, including the World's Edge +3 2H Sword. So yeah, very worth it.

I'm soloing the game with a f/m/t, and i've done durlags tower in a lot of playthoughs, loved the dungeon, i agree with @Arantys, it's one of the best in the serie ( but the one with the shadow dragon is still my favorite)
I don't need the 2H sword since i fight with scimitars, i'm getting a little bored of playing solo so i just want to know if it is really worth to go all the way for items i won't use, i might still go in for the tome but that's about it.

Well, there's a second Rashad's Talon on the roof. No need to go inside though, you can just do the upper levels and head to the roof. Not much of a derail if you're getting the tome anyway. I assume you're using Drizzt's swords tho, so there is probably no use for any of the weapons or gear in Durlag's except the tome.

mement0

Wolk said:

Since you can easily get to the xp cap for a party of six doing everything else, is durlag's tower worth doing?

If you play as a thief, Durlag's tower is a great place to feel useful.

lunar

Watchers keep in bg2 is a better dungeon IMHO but Durlag's very fun/challenging too. If you are no reload player avoid it at all costs as it can get quite deadly. Also avoid if you lack a thief with max trap detection. Or just loot the upper floors and be done with it.

Mathmick

Durlag's tower is quite good, if you can get by some of the more annoying moments. However, like all linear puzzle-based story-focused dungeons, it may be more difficult to enjoy the second time around when all you are doing is remembering where all the puzzle items are.

Basically: Play it, but make sure you enjoy your first time around.

Nic_Mercy

Wolk said:

Since you can easily get to the xp cap for a party of six doing everything else, is durlag's tower worth doing?

I find the tower especially worthwhile if I dual class my charname and/or have created party members that I plan to dual class along with Imoen.

And then of course there's the loot

CoryNewb

I've been trying to finish durlags tower since January. I never seem to make the time to finish...I just play other play throughs instead.

Edit: but yes it is worth it. Quite the dungeon!

Lateralus

It's a challenging dungeon, designed to keep the over confident players in check. It's a very deadly grind with many traps and much treasure. And, I think it's anti-climatic. The feel for the dungeon, is that there will be a pot of gold at the end of a bloody trap filled rainbow. But, it kind of just gives you stuff as you go. I would have made the rewards much less gradual and the final payoff much greater. Maybe having a master vault with a key you have to recover and construct at the very end of the dungeon. Durlag's Vault, make a nice little film image of the doors opening into a see of gold and throw all of the best treasure in there.

It's not worth it because the game is over and you lose everything you gain in the sequel. Mayeb if you took a 3rd level party in there and tried it, now that would be insane.

Durenas

There was a master vault at the end, but it was mostly filled with gems and gold. Since by that time in the game, we're swimming in money(at least I am, I have 100k+ gold in my most recent playthrough), the treasure is kind of meaningless.

Aranthys

lunar said:

Watchers keep in bg2 is a better dungeon IMHO but Durlag's very fun/challenging too. If you are no reload player avoid it at all costs as it can get quite deadly. Also avoid if you lack a thief with max trap detection. Or just loot the upper floors and be done with it.

Gameplay-wise, yeah.
Story-wise, nah. Can't beat Durlag's tower there. The story behind the tower is just THAT awesome

On the other hand, what's fun about Durlarg's tower is managing to solo it, rather than finding the items themselves.
Some parts are hard to manage solo, for sure (Pride & co on level 1, the demon at the end, and so on...)

CoM_Solaufein

Durlag's Tower is worth it for the simple fact its an old dwarven ruin. I like dwarven ruins. Too bad it wasn't larger like a dwarven city.

Night_Watch

ya know, I've never actually beaten TotSC and thus, Durlag's Tower. Been through Watcher's Keep dozens of times (a two headed baboon w/ snake arms is not what i had in mind for a demon prince, well played D&D, well played) i'll get to it one day.