Skip to content

When do you do watchers keep

Cowled_wizardCowled_wizard Member Posts: 119
edited November 2013 in General Discussion (Spoiler Warning!)
  1. When do you do watchers keep94 votes
    1. Lvl 1 in chapter 2, rest after underdark
      26.60%
    2. All the way down in chapter 2/3
      22.34%
    3. After Hell
      51.06%

Comments

  • Cowled_wizardCowled_wizard Member Posts: 119
    ahh forgot to add before suldanessalar
  • velehalvelehal Member Posts: 299
    Between SoA and ToB thanks to SCS mod.
  • CorvinoCorvino Member Posts: 2,269
    There are just too many nice little extras on level 1 to pass up early on. Unlimited quivers? Ammo belt and potion case? Foebane, Usuno's blade and the Crimson dart? Yes please!

    Not to mention that a quick detour for the Firetooth crossbow and shortsword of Mask is worthwhile.
  • bbearbbear Member Posts: 1,180
    Dont you wish that there is a bag of holding at WS so you can put all the goodies in one place?
  • recklessheartrecklessheart Member Posts: 692
    Yeah, I do it before I head to rescue Imoen, as with pretty much every sidequest. In hindsight, I think I will wait until ToB to do it with BG2:EE, because you and your equipment becomes too powerful to really consider anything Bohdi or the Matron Mother can throw at you a threat.
  • SceptenarSceptenar Member Posts: 606
    I usually do the entire keep in one go after Saradush, but before Abazigal and Sendai. I don't even go near the place in SoA because I think the rewards are too good relative to the difficulty, thus it throws off the feel of SoA if I run around there with ToB level equipment.
  • elminsterelminster Member, Developer Posts: 16,317
    "ahh forgot to add before suldanessalar"

    Count mine as that actually :)
  • doomdoomdoomdoomdoomdoom Member Posts: 89
    edited November 2013
    I agree that doing WK in SoA can be considered cheesy, but I don't necessarily agree that it's just because of all the loot.

    It just so happens that the weapons you find there are generally very poorly represented in SoA in terms of higher end +3 or better stuff.
    So you can tell the developers put thought into it and considered that some players might go there before ToB.
    Maybe a +3 or +4 weapon almost straight out of Irenicus dungeon without any fight (if you abuse stealing from shops and reselling) or relatively easy fight (using exploits to kill the statues) is a bit too much, but somewhere further along in SoA it's hardly a game changer when you've already found weapons just as good or better.
    For example, Usuno's Blade is a pretty cool weapon while you're in SoA, and solves the "no scimitar worth mentioning besides Belm" issue, but can anyone honestly say they definitely use it if only picked up in ToB, when you already have a variety of weapons that do more than just 10% of some electric damage?

    Moreover, you can't get the upgraded "overpowered" versions of these weapons before ToB anyway.

    I think the crazy XP you get there compared to SoA questing is a far bigger threat to balance, and there is no easy remedy for that other than not doing WK at all (while you can always unequip the weapons if you think they make the game too easy for you) so I generally avoid going deeper into WK before ToB.
  • Lord_TansheronLord_Tansheron Member Posts: 4,212
    It depends on my party, and how frisky I feel. With small parties, I usually do it before the Underdark. With large parties, XP will usually be too spread out to do it comfortably, and I'll wait for after the Underdark. Either way, I always do it top to bottom in one go, no splitting levels.
  • CuvCuv Member, Developer Posts: 2,535
    I do level 1 of WK early in SoA for the easy gear, then wait and do the rest in ToB before the enclaves to break it up the ToB storyline a bit.
  • KingGhidorahKingGhidorah Member Posts: 201
    Vote none of the above.

    Chapter 6 is usually when I go WK. Makes sense, the ultimate test before confronting Irenicus.
    Altough I have done it in chapter 2 once in order to pump some EXP in my ranger/cleric dual class.
  • MessiMessi Member Posts: 738
    I've done it at various points, voted level 1 ASAP because that's how I did it on my last playthrough, but in BG2EE I'll probably not do any of it at least until after UD. Doing lvl 1 really early always feels bit cheesy to me so I try to avoid it.
  • ZanianZanian Member Posts: 332
    Watcher's Keep is a big challenging fun treasure trove. I always do it as soon as I'm able. I just can't wait.
  • DrugarDrugar Member Posts: 1,566
    Before Suldanesellar, to give Irenicus some more time to squash the elves before my arrival.

    Poncy gits.
  • Cowled_wizardCowled_wizard Member Posts: 119
    There is one thing everybody should go to do as soon as possible... the bag of holding potions.... (unless in bg2ee there are other places to find it)
  • lordkimlordkim Member Posts: 1,063
    Christ, im surrounded by fanatics !!!! me love it ;)
  • sunset00sunset00 Member Posts: 310
    edited November 2013
    I have no idea and don't remember sufficiently my original BG2 days/timings.. but i heard (here?) ) the very first level was excellent for some little extras..and very doable (with care) even for relatively early chars.. so i'd say i will clearly try to do that first level as quickly as possible in my next bg2ee playthrough.. if possible ))

    ps; once you come in, can you go back though (dont remember^) ?!.. of course, if once entered in, you must finish it to be able to exit..like the 2 last lvl of Durlaag tower..would be a little annoying for that 'lvl1 only' strategy and.. 'i will be back boooys, wait for me a little, byyye! (at the end of lv1)'. But if possible, seems to be very good idea indeed..' ;)
  • shawneshawne Member Posts: 3,239
    Right after recruiting Sarevok in ToB - the Keep is a great place to test his abilities, plus it gives him time to banter with other party members. :)
  • Lord_TansheronLord_Tansheron Member Posts: 4,212
    Cowled_wizard said:

    There is one thing everybody should go to do as soon as possible... the bag of holding potions.... (unless in bg2ee there are other places to find it)

    That is very true, the shop at the top is something I frequently visit very early. The potion bag is one thing, but also the Firetooth crossbow, which is amazingly strong.
  • sarevok57sarevok57 Member Posts: 6,030
    I do it right after I kill yaga-shura
  • etaglocetagloc Member Posts: 349
    only because it makes SOA to easy if you have ++ levels and all the epic items.
  • OneAngryMushroomOneAngryMushroom Member Posts: 564
    Cuv said:

    I do level 1 of WK early in SoA for the easy gear, then wait and do the rest in ToB before the enclaves to break it up the ToB storyline a bit.

    Exactly what this guy said

  • ShinShin Member Posts: 2,344
    I usually start it early on in ToB. For pacing/RP reasons I don't want to make a run for powerful gear early on in SoA, and I also feel saving WK until later on helps pad the ToB content out a bit.
  • mackosmackos Member Posts: 188
    Sceptenar said:

    I usually do the entire keep in one go after Saradush, but before Abazigal and Sendai. I don't even go near the place in SoA because I think the rewards are too good relative to the difficulty, thus it throws off the feel of SoA if I run around there with ToB level equipment.

    yep, 100% true sir
    |

  • BaldursCatBaldursCat Member Posts: 432
    I hate the maze. That is all.
  • MathmickMathmick Member Posts: 326
    I do it at the point where it seems to be intended to do it. It seems weird grabbing all of the recipe trinkets before you can even use them.
  • YupImMadBroYupImMadBro Member, Mobile Tester Posts: 347
    I got to go right away, even if it's just for the Potion Case.
  • ZarakinthishZarakinthish Member Posts: 214
    I don't know yet. Despite having the original BG2, I didn't get ToB until a few years later, when I had moved on to other games. Playing through BG2:EE will be my first time going through anything ToB adds.
  • Montresor_SPMontresor_SP Member Posts: 2,208
    Some time during Chapter 8, usually before going after Yaga-Shura.
Sign In or Register to comment.

2025 Overhaul Games, a division of Beamdog. © 2025 Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Baldur's Gate, Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, Forgotten Realms, Baldur's Gate, Wizards of the Coast and their logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries, and are used with permission. Hasbro and its logo are trademarks of Hasbro, Inc. and are used with permission. © 1998 BioWare Corp. All Rights Reserved. BioWare, the BioWare Infinity Engine and the BioWare logo are trademarks of Bioware Corp. Black Isle Studios and the Black Isle Studios logo are trademarks of Interplay Entertainment Corp. Atari and the Atari logo are trademarks owned by Atari Interactive, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.