Durlag Bug?

FrdNwsm

I went into Durlag's tower in a prior incarnation, and got whomped on royally. Never made it past the watchers, and decided to try again with better preparations and a different MyChar. I remembered the problems I had the first time, and this time went in loaded for bear. I whacked the battle horrors, cleaned out the upper battlements of the various vermin, then started on the basement.

Now, one of the things that made it so bad the first time around was the fact that the entryway collapsed behind me, so I couldn't get out. This time I didn't take Ike up on his stupid tour offer, and just waltzed in. I was rather amazed to find out that, unlike last time, not only did I cream the watchers, (I had a real kick-butt group all set for them) but ... even after getting down to the level below that one, I could still come and go freely. I went back to Beregost, sold some loot, and returned. What's up with that? Sort of disappointing; I bought out every cure potion and antidote in High Hedge, Beregost, and the Temple east of it, in anticipation of a lengthy siege.

CaptRory

I don't ever remember it collapsing behind me. But hold onto those potions, or stash 'em in a chest on site, you might need them.

Gallowglass

Like @CaptRory, I've never heard of the entrance collapsing behind me. I always go on Ike's tour.

Yes, you're supposed to be able to come and go freely through the sections you've cleared out, so you don't necessarily have to tackle Durlag's tower all at once.

FrdNwsm

Interesting; the first run through was a while ago, so perhaps a change was made in the interim. But I know there was a reason I couldn't get out. I have an old saved position from just before I entered this time around. I'll see if I can't trigger the collapse again.

Also, the next level down has all these annoying doors that you have to do weird things to open. I assume this resets if you leave and come back? Otherwise I have no idea how to open most of the doors. I have 4 wardstones but these don't seem to do much of anything.

FrdNwsm

OK am I hallucinating or what? I could swear that when I entered Durlag's tower the last incarnation (I was an axe throwing half-orc Kensai), I met some thief who was casing the place but he got cold feet and left. Shortly after that, while I was exploring the first dungeon level, the entrance collapsed. Nothing of the sort happened this time around.

Fiendish_Warrior

Maybe you should play it like that? It would certainly make Durlag's Tower more interesting and difficult.

FrdNwsm

>>you should play it like that? It would certainly make Durlag's Tower more interesting and difficult.<<

I came prepared to do just that, actually. My group is much stronger now than the first time. MyChar actually soloed the upper levels and outer basilisk areas, as well as the entire first lower level, except for the final battle with the watchers at the lift. I kept expecting the exit to collapse but it never did.

I know what happened the first time, dang it! And I can't reproduce the effect. Nor do I have a save game that goes back far enough to try again.

CaeDares

Nothing collapses behind you, I'm sure. I've done Durlags Tower several times already so I kind of know the ins and outs of it.
The floor you're currently on is confusing at first, and there's no way you'd understand what to do without several reloads:
There's some armor stands in the room that is already open, every time you whack one a door opens. There's only 1 room that isn't for story purposes, the other 2 are (the statue room and the bedroom). Once you get through the right door you'll reach an encounter where you'll be hit with a few aoe spells. I won't spoil the entire level for you, so just go off that. If you want to know more then just let me know.

Fiendish_Warrior

When I first played Durlag's Tower, I was not expecting the basilisks out on the rooftop at all. That was surprising for that brief moment before petrification set in. MyChar hesitated and it was all over.

@CaeDares I hated that area. I could've taken the long way around through the warp rooms but I was determined to let Imoen get to the exit from the entrance area by walking through a couple of doors. It probably took me 20 or so minutes before I got the right doors open. The worst was when I was like, "Alright, just one more to go," and then I would accidentally trigger one to close that I had already opened. At one point, I wisened up and made Imoen walk through every door that I opened so that it didn't matter if it closed again.

elminster

FrdNwsm said:

OK am I hallucinating or what? I could swear that when I entered Durlag's tower the last incarnation (I was an axe throwing half-orc Kensai), I met some thief who was casing the place but he got cold feet and left. Shortly after that, while I was exploring the first dungeon level, the entrance collapsed. Nothing of the sort happened this time around.

That is because nothing collapses.

BelgarathMTH

You may be thinking of the lower levels after solving the watchers' riddles and opening the seal. If I recall correctly, once you go down there, you can't get back out until you completely solve the rest of the dungeon. That's why I never go on after doing the upper levels and the first lower level - I hate being trapped in awful places, and there's a *long* way to go to get out of Durlag's Tower after the point of no return.

Am I wrong? Maybe I just couldn't find the correct puzzle door or lever or statue-touching sequence to get back out the first time I tried it, so I only thought I was trapped there.

Edit: Or was it a magic mirror I went through and couldn't get back out?

Fiendish_Warrior

@BelgarathMTH I don't recall having that problem. I left several times up until the Chess Room.

FrdNwsm

I found an old old save game position. The name of the thief who has second thoughts about continuing on is Bayard. I haven't done anything yet to close off the exit, but I'll keep trying. Belgarath may be onto something; it may be an event on a lower level that I am thinking of; it's been months since my last run through here. In any event, I distinctly recall being unable to get back out at some point.

Fiendish_Warrior

This could go the way of Chan Kang and Torch from MKII or Super Mario World Snake. If it's the latter, we probably won't find out for 20 years. We'll find out that you had to hit very precise buttons at very precise times in order to reprogram the game to collapse the entrance.

Tresset

This could be one of 2 things:

1. You are on the 2nd floor down of the tor (trapdoors and doppelgangers) and you are having trouble with the trapdoors. In this case there should be a room with a bunch of switches that will open up all the doors.

2. You are on the 4th floor down of the tor (past the chess battle and in the slime). The only exit of the tower once you get this far down is to speak to the ghost of Islanne on this floor and she will teleport you to the surface.

In any case I can 100% guarantee you that there are no collapsed entrances that happen in Durlag's and you should be able to leave and return at any time no matter how deep you get. (There is a mention of a collapsed path in a dialog with another adventurer in the tower but this never happens to your group. Ever. Trust me.)

Tresset

I should also note that many people believe that once you reach the chess board there is no returning to Durlag's Tower and you have to do the remainder all at once. This is false and a myth. Even if you leave by having Islanne teleport you out of the dungeon, you can always return to the bottom floors by simply re-entering one of the rooms of the four guardians on the 3rd floor down of the tor. Upon entry of any of these rooms at any time after beating the four guardians your group will instantly be teleported to the chess board again (you only have to 'play' the chess game once though).

FrdNwsm

OK, I am now experiencing the exact opposite problem. I can't progress any further. I have tried putting the wardstones back in Islanne's tables and grabbing them again, but door 3 never opens, and is immune to picking, bashing and knock spells. Also, doing that for some reason un-identifies the stones and I need to cast identify on them again. I can't get to the lever room, or in fact anyplace other than the dummy room, statue room and Islanne's room. Suggestions?

Tresset

Suggestion: What do you do to sparring dummies? Spar with them! (Attack the sparring dummies and if you hit the correct one doors will open.)

FrdNwsm

Yeah, I know that ... but not the right doors as far as I can see.

CaptRory

There's a room with a ton of switches. Stick a party member in there to open and close all the doors for you.

FrdNwsm

I take it back. I know I attacked these dummies before and the throne room door never opened, but this time it did. Grrrr. OK, thanks.

FrdNwsm

OK, I see what's happening here. Initially the dummies just open doors in the nearby area. Once you do something else, probably fool around with the wardstones in the dressers, they do something else. This is a terrible way to design a puzzle! There's no logical way to deduce this result, you just have to repeat actions randomly in the hopes that you will get a different result than the first time around.

Tresset

Durlag was mad! (The only dummy that really matters is the green one is the take away that I got from this puzzle after all these years of going through it.)