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Durlag's Tower - Thoughts?

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  • ThacoBellThacoBell Member Posts: 12,235
    Level 5 is what I consider the minimum level for reasonable challenge. Though it can be challenging for even a max level party.
    StummvonBordwehrMonotremata
  • AerakarAerakar Member Posts: 1,014
    If doing the full tower, I usually go at around levels 7-9, which is usually after the return to Candlekeep, but before returning to Baldurs Gate for the finale. I tend to do all of the TOTSC content one after the other and find these levels work well.

    The upper levels can be done at lower levels. If you can take out the doom guards outside, then you can probably do the rest, assuming you have a thief with find traps at 90-100% (with potions).
    ThacoBellStummvonBordwehrMonotremata
  • MonotremataMonotremata Member Posts: 78
    Ahh yeah I better hold off then, I couldn't even make it past the first Battle Horror outside, plus I cant find the town you have to go to for the tour of it. I was trying to do some of the extra stuff and Neera's side quest last night to try to grab some quick xp, but gave up after awhile cause I am just not ready for alot of it yet haha. We got completely trashed at the end of Neera's side quest when the Red Wizards show up, and that stupid Ogre Mage at the Firewine Bridge killed me more than a few times too. Might just have to get the bandit camp out of the way first and then go back before I finally have to go to Baldur's Gate.
    Aerakar
  • LoldrupLoldrup Member Posts: 291
    edited May 2018
    I once crawled through with a level 3 party. That was fun!
    Though I ran from all avoidable fights.
    And cheesed Love, Pride etc. by letting them die in their own cloud kill.
    And cheesed the demon Knight by using a scroll of protection from magic on my not-so-tanky "tank".
    My party members were around level 5 when I finished the dungeon.
    StummvonBordwehrAerakar[Deleted User]
  • stu-kstu-k Member Posts: 30
    I try to do Durlag's Tower as early as possible for 1 main reason. The Helm of Opposite Alignment. I run a good party with Viconia and the Helm was made for her. No more worrying about reputation.
    DaevelonLudwig_II[Deleted User]
  • XanatosXanatos Member Posts: 47
    I remember my first time going through the tower, as it was pretty recently. The story was compelling and I was honestly on the edge of my seat the whole time as I went through it. My Charname was a max exp Cavalier and I even had him solo out the last fight as I felt it would be fitting (granted with lots of buffing and stuff to make it possible). Unveiling the story, and the way the game tells you the story is so cool. I can see it being laborious after many times, but my maiden voyage through the tower was nothing short of my favorite experience of the game.
    AerakarThacoBellLoldrupUnderstandMouseMagic
  • raelcariraelcari Member Posts: 133
    tl;dr, I just need to vent my discontent at that chessboard where you start out trying to move like actual chess pieces, get struck by lightning bolts anyway and eventually proceed to charging in and hoping for the best. The 2h-sword is nice, though.

    I find DT too much of a chore for my playthroughs, but it's by no means a bad dungeon.
  • ArtonaArtona Member Posts: 1,077
    I don't love Durlag's Tower, but after playing IWD I started to appreciate it much more - it's more interesting, has some riddles, enemies are creative and varied, so it beats every dungeon from a game that is focused on exploring dungeons. At the same time I think that chess sequence is awfully frustrating, and every time I ended bombing figures with fireballs, because I never really understood how I am supposed to move.
    Overall, I prefer Watcher's Keep, but Durlag's Tower is good fun and I complete it in every run. And you can find there my favourite weapon in the game:
    Kiel's morgenstern, my personal favourite for barbarian.

    :)
    ThacoBellStummvonBordwehr
  • LoldrupLoldrup Member Posts: 291
    I often use the chessboard ligning for my own benefit: make one character immune to lightning, and invisible, then walk that character forth and back near the enemies line. They get toasted with lightning bolts while your own team, back on row 1, is rarely hit.
    By the way, it *is* possible to move by the rules described in the dungeon. It just requires careful reading of said rules :) And perhaps a lookup of the initial position of the chess pieces in a game of chess.
    ThacoBellAerakar[Deleted User]
  • UnderstandMouseMagicUnderstandMouseMagic Member Posts: 2,147
    Loldrup said:

    I often use the chessboard ligning for my own benefit: make one character immune to lightning, and invisible, then walk that character forth and back near the enemies line. They get toasted with lightning bolts while your own team, back on row 1, is rarely hit.
    By the way, it *is* possible to move by the rules described in the dungeon. It just requires careful reading of said rules :) And perhaps a lookup of the initial position of the chess pieces in a game of chess.

    If they get killed with lightning bolts, do you get the XP?

    (OK, OK, so there maybe a way of being clever about things, and I fully approve, but XP...XP...)
  • LoldrupLoldrup Member Posts: 291

    Loldrup said:

    I often use the chessboard ligning for my own benefit: make one character immune to lightning, and invisible, then walk that character forth and back near the enemies line. They get toasted with lightning bolts while your own team, back on row 1, is rarely hit.
    By the way, it *is* possible to move by the rules described in the dungeon. It just requires careful reading of said rules :) And perhaps a lookup of the initial position of the chess pieces in a game of chess.

    If they get killed with lightning bolts, do you get the XP?

    (OK, OK, so there maybe a way of being clever about things, and I fully approve, but XP...XP...)
    I'm quite sure you don't get any. Which is a delight, as XP makes the game boring quite quickly... The first part of the game is always the funniest, because your just trying to muddle through. Later you get powerful and thus it gets boring.
    UnderstandMouseMagic
  • KvotheRM8KvotheRM8 Member Posts: 54
    Question, and I can’t ask it without giving away spoilers:




    I went im at too low level and with just Dorn, Vicconia, Shar-teel, and my Blade (Darkfang). Did surprisingly well in level one of the dungeon until I solved the riddles and those things came after us! They hit HARD so we ran, only to discover that they will chase you all the way out the front gate but will not leave. So, we healed up and went in and killed avarice, pride, and one other one whos name i cant recall. Three dead, but wasnt there 4 of them? I’ve been searching all iver and the fourth ine is simply gone and the elevator to the lower levels wont open.

    My question is, is there 4 or just 3? Pretty sure love was one of them but i dont think i killed that one. Even one at a time they were tough but I out smarted them unless its bugged and they must be killed in the dungeon room?
  • UnderstandMouseMagicUnderstandMouseMagic Member Posts: 2,147
    There's definitely four, Love, Avarice, Pride and Fear.

    However, one of them drops the, wardstone for the entrance to the lower level and that doesn't depend on them all being dead. Sorry, can't remember which one, possibly Fear??

    Posting this because, unles my game is gliched, on a previous playthrough, one disappeared and I found him on the lower level. To be clear, I got the wardstone and accessed the lower level before all four were dead.
    dunbar
  • dunbardunbar Member Posts: 1,603
    I found that if I retreated back towards the level entrance when the warders attacked (to avoid the cloud of whatever it is) then one of them would invariably do a runner (acting as if panicked) and would be a sod to track down.

    However I've since found that if I stick it out at the well head and go toe to toe with them then all four stay to fight - and die.
    ThacoBell
  • KvotheRM8KvotheRM8 Member Posts: 54
    I found "love" it just went for a walk on dungeon level one for whatever reason. That is a tough one and it drops the wardstone too.
    UnderstandMouseMagic[Deleted User]
  • LoldrupLoldrup Member Posts: 291
    Can Love be pickpocketted for the wardstone..?
    [Deleted User]
  • LammasLammas Member Posts: 211
    Well, I never liked Durlag's tower and having now completed it for the first time in years I find myself to still very strongly disliking it. It mostly boils down to how find traps works in BG's. Having to walk a few steps and stop for several seconds from the moment you go in all the way to the bottom is just horrible for pacing. The enemies encountered there are fun and challenging but the traps just kill any fun about this place for me.

    Another really major downside is how this place has like over 10 wardstones associated with it and they don't get consumed when used. Makes it confusing whether or not it's safe to throw them away. Their very high identification value doesn't help the problem any.

    I also strongly dislike the golem trials with their absolutely cryptic answer options but that's not so bad.

    Weirdly enough the chessboard that a lot of people seem to dislike a lot was one of my favorite parts of the dungeon. Nothing like hitting that many enemies with greater malison and then proceeding to bomb them with emotion and chaos and watch the world burn. It was hilarious.
  • UnderstandMouseMagicUnderstandMouseMagic Member Posts: 2,147
    @Lammas

    The traps are an integral part of the story, they are a manifestation of Durlag's grief and madness. If ever a dungeon was done right, it's Durlag's. It is never even hinted that going there will be a fun experience and nor should it be.

    As for complaining about the mechanics causing some need to stop and pause. Well BG is an RPG and in any simulation of a realistic situation, finding and then disarming traps should take some time.

    I appreciate that you don't like Durlag's because of the traps, but complaining about the mechanics of the game that actually goes a little way to represent what trap finding/disarming would entail doesn't make sense.

    What would you prefer?
    That they are outlined in red all the time and therefore cease to be "traps"?
    ThacoBellStummvonBordwehrConjurerDragonbutteredsoul
  • LammasLammas Member Posts: 211
    edited November 2018
    I thought this is a thread for expressing ones opinion of Durlag's tower. I gave mine, an as I don't like the place, yes, it is a complaintment.

    As for saying it shouldn't be a fun experience, I'm just going to absolutely disagree. Games are played for fun. There's a reason I've stayed away from Durlag's for years and my solution to that place for at least a few years shall be to stay away from once more. It's so simple.

    I know trap finding isn't going to change in BG into anything else but Durlags is the only place where you need to move at a snails pace probably spending more time with thump in my arse waiting for detect mode to do it's thing every 6 seconds than I'm doing anything else. None of the other trapped dungeons in the game force me to do that, none. Though if you really want me to present some solution here's one: I'd prefer that once they launch they'd be gone.

    As for the argument about what it would entail to find and disarm traps, I'd say that there's probably a pretty good reason that in POE you just find them immediately in detect mode if you have enough skill.

    Many people enjoy the place that's right fine by me. I don't. It's one of the only places in the whole trilogy that I truly avoid like plague.
  • ThacoBellThacoBell Member Posts: 12,235
    edited November 2018
    @UnderstandMouseMagic I mostly agree, except the fun part. I find Durlag's to be incredibly entertaining from beginning to end.

    @Lammas There's nothing with discussing our opinions either. As for the trap thing, there is a mod you might like on these very forums that allow you to immediately detect traps if you have a high enough skill.
    StummvonBordwehrUnderstandMouseMagicAerakarbutteredsoul
  • LammasLammas Member Posts: 211
    edited November 2018
    ThacoBell said:


    @Lammas There's nothing with discussing our opinions either. As for the trap thing, there is a mod you might like on these very forums that allow you to immediately detect traps if you have a high enough skill.

    You've piqued my interest. How might I find that?

    Also, kinda sorta relatedly, though off-topic: I'm probably going to play a trilogy playthrough in multiplayer in the nearfuture. Is stuff like that alright if both players have it or do I need to uninstall mods to run multiplayer?

    EDIT: I think I found it? https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/71763/trap-detection-recovery-evasion
  • ThacoBellThacoBell Member Posts: 12,235
    @Lammas The mod is right here. The trap recovery component doesn't work for me, but everything else does. As for multiplayer, you would need every player to run the same mods (installed in the same order and the same version) to run a multiplayer modded game. If that's too much of a hassle, you can backup your entire install and have to versions. One for mods and yourself, and a clean version for multiplayer games.
  • KvotheRM8KvotheRM8 Member Posts: 54
    Loldrup said:

    Can Love be pickpocketted for the wardstone..?

    That's a great question, I will try it on my next play through.
  • NoloirNoloir Member, Mobile Tester Posts: 380
    @Artemius_I DT is considered to be one of the best maps in all of CRPG gaming if not gaming by many game developers in terms of the ambience, the unpredictability, and the sheer plot of it all! A few protection from undead scrolls help to make it much easier but there's no fun in that.
    AerakarUnderstandMouseMagicThacoBell
  •  TheArtisan TheArtisan Member Posts: 3,277
    Ahhh I wish I’d stop being notified of this thread just because it’s mine

    I still hate the place though
    Lammas
  • semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
    @Artemius_I I can change the thread ownership if you want.
  • butteredsoulbutteredsoul Member Posts: 168
    Durlag's Tower makes my inner pre-teenage AD&D-dungeon-crawling child happy with nostalgia. Best part of TotSC.
    JLeeStummvonBordwehrConjurerDragonAerakar
  • GrimjackMVGrimjackMV Member Posts: 151
    edited December 2018
    Shandyr said:

    Durlag's Tower is my most favorite dungeon in the trilogy.

    ^ This. Durlag's Tower is meant to be a classic dungeon crawl experience: Devious puzzles, deadly traps, lethal monsters. You're not meant to be able to race through it, you're meant to take your time getting through the dungeon. I enjoy the change of pace.

    And importantly, it is entirely OPTIONAL. Tired of running through it? Just ignore it and complete other quests.
    AerakarThacoBellConjurerDragon
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