When do you go to Watchers Keep?

Lathlaer

Question in the title: at which point do you consider yourself ready for Watcher's Keep? I have a party of four right now: 19th level Blade (main character), 16th level Cavalier (Saerileth mod), 14th level Neera and 19th level Hexxat. I really don't remember how it was down there (especially with the seals), so I'm on the fence if I should do it now, before going to Brynnlaw or after Underdark.

Your experiences?

BlueSorceress

I almost always go to Watcher's Keep before going to Brynnlaw, and often before starting Chapter 3. Just finished with my main character as a level 21 fighter, Rasaad at 18, Aerie at level 14/14, Jaheira at 13/13, Yoshimo at 22 and Jan in the rotating slot at level 13/13. Everyone gained 2 - 3 levels over the course of finishing the dungeon, so it sounds like you're at about the right place. Be prepared t utterly stomp the rest of SoA when you get out.

jackjack

Never - it won't show up on my map ever since the last patch

bman86

jackjack said:

Never - it won't show up on my map ever since the last patch

this. Can't do what you can't see

Amardarial

I'm in there now, just left the slums, lvl 9-10 party, about finished with level 2 of the Dungeon!

Shin

I'd consider myself ready relatively early on in SoA, at least for the first level. For RP and power scaling reasons though, I never set foot there until between SoA and ToB. Imo getting very powerful items early on doesn't mesh well with a good story.

jukaga

Do level one before Brynnlaw, or really as early as possible. Good easy loot to be had and the Helmites at the entrance have some nice things to sell, like the +4 Fire Xbow. Finish the rest after the underdark or keep it till TOB.

Xei_Win_Toh

I usually only go there in ToB. Might try it earlier in another playthrough.

Dzuk5

its deepends if i want iteam from it early. in moust of the time after underdark then is full of monsters( go on low level some monster wil be removd or be weaker= less exp-> this true to all location)

booinyoureyes

Right after you drop Saerilith from your group

sarevok57

I always go there after saradush in ToB, you just become way to powerful for SoA if you finish watcher's keep in SoA

Skaffen

bman86 said:

jackjack said:

Never - it won't show up on my map ever since the last patch

this. Can't do what you can't see

Check the workaround thread in the bugs section. This is easy to work around till the next patch comes out.

nano

The first two levels are pretty straightforward but the third is a pain. I'd leave that one for after the Underdark.

Akihiko

I do a level, then do a few quests, then do another level, then do more quests, rinse and repeat until Demogorgon is a corpse beneath my feet. But I always wind up completing it before heading to Brynnlaw.

elminster

I normally do the first two levels before chapter 4. Might as well pick up some of the good stuff like (depending upon your proficiencies) Foebane and Usano's Blade

AcridSyphilis

I do about half the quests in chapter 2, do chapters 3-5, after getting back I alternate between the rest of athkatla/other quests and watcher's keep

soul sucked out? no big thing

CrevsDaak

AcridSyphilis said:

I do about half the quests in chapter 2, do chapters 3-5, after getting back I alternate between the rest of athkatla/other quests and watcher's keep?

soul sucked out? no big thing

I do the same.
But! I had 1M in chapter 3, when I got in to Watcher's Keep, and after level 1, 2 and half of 3 I had like almost 2M XP, it was awesome!!!!
Note: I had only 3 party members and PC, and we got Throne (1M bonus XP)

Aramintai

I usually do it in ToB after killing Yaga-Shura.

Lathlaer

For RP reasons as well as a bit more excitement I intend to treat Watcher's Keep as World's Largest Dungeon. Meaning, if I go inside I don't go back until Demogorgon drops dead

booinyoureyes said:

Right after you drop Saerilith from your group

Not a fan, I presume?

I wanted to check her out since I already know everything there is about Keldorn and Carsomyr won't carry itself :P

jackjack

Lathlaer said:

I wanted to check her out since I already know everything there is about Keldorn and Carsomyr won't carry itself :P

Be doubly careful.

alaundo

Isnt watchers Keep intended for a ToB visit? Is it scaled so when you go there in ToB that there are stronger Monsters then?

Lathlaer

alaundo said:

Isnt watchers Keep intended for a ToB visit? Is it scaled so when you go there in ToB that there are stronger Monsters then?

It isn't exatcly like that. There are other factors with equipment and XP points being the most important.

Now, if I have only a four member party, it is natural that I advance quicker. Hey, in another gameplay with a party of two I fought liches as regular undeads in the Temple Ruins. Then comes the equipment: Neera has Robe of Vecna and Staff of Magi, I have Celestial Fury and Sword of Mask +4, Saerileth has Carsomyr. Hexxat isn't there for fighting, she is for setting traps and disabling them. I have completed every major quest from chapter 2, have ring of gaxx, amulet of power and dragon armors.

One could argue that my equipment is already on the higher end of the scale and something better can actually be found either IN the Keep itself or later in Throne of Bhaal.

Hence my considering if I should do it now

AcridSyphilis

you sound like you're ready go do it!

Lathlaer

I wonder if devs juiced some tougher fights in the Keep like they apparently did with dragons or final ToB fight (or so I hear) xD

alaundo

Gameplay wise watchers Keep is intended at sometime in ToB. It was included in the ToB Expansion in vanilla times after all

O_Bruce

Regardless if I'm feeling ready for Watchers Keep or now, I'll visit it in ToB anyway, since it is a ToB content. Often, I visit it

after defeating Yaga-Shura

, because the pressure of time isn't that big at that time.

jackjack

Vanilla Times sounds like a boring newspaper.

Dzuk5

watchers keep is intended to go when you got abaut 3000000 Xp or more on your heros, so the best time is go there after underdark or bhodi kill.

shawne

I usually go there after recruiting Sarevok and do the whole thing in one run - it gives him time to banter with your other party members.

Pantalion

I typically swing through level 1 in early-mid SoA, most of the enemies aren't too dangerous and the Exp rewards are sizeable, even when avoiding most of the combat, whilst the Crimson Dart, Quiver, Ammo Belt and Golem Manual are all valuable through the main campaign (the golem manual, in particular, shreds beholders, even if it's not particularly strong overall).

In comparison, level 2 is kind of meh, full of annoyance and items that are largely useless until ToB. It's not until level 3 you get anything particularly amazing again, as opposed to vendor trash, and the optimal permanent Mind Shield result probably is a little powerful for SoA, since it hugely invalidates Illithids.

Telsia

I usually do it in ToB but I will attempt to do it in SoA this time around just to see how it goes. The problem with doing it in ToB for me is that it doesn't fit in with the rest of the story going on, running of on side adventures makes very little sense while the sword coast is burning and the other Bhaalspawn might make their move any day.

Between SoA and ToB like I heard was intended doesn't work for me either simply because ToB start in Suldanessellar and it's hard to imagine why most characters would wish to return there after leaving after all that happened. As such in a way I think story wise the only time the main character really has to run of adventuring is when raising money to save Imoen.

On the other hand it makes less sense for Irenicus to be as successful as he is if the party could defeat Demogorgon's avatar with ease.