ToB newbie questions

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I've just started playing BG2 for the first time. I have ToB installed, and I understand that once you begin ToB, you can no longer go back to any of the SoA areas, with the exception of Watcher's Keep. So I have some questions regarding this:

1. How does taking NPCs from SoA to ToB work? Once I start ToB with a group of NPCs, am I stuck with them for the rest of ToB?

2. If I leave items inside Watcher's Keep in SoA, will they be there in ToB?

3. Finally, what is a good time to do Watcher's Keep in SoA? Do you have to be pretty powerful (i.e., most of the way through SoA) to take it on?

 

1) When you finish SoA with ToB installed, you and your party are transferred to the first area of ToB. After an initial encouner, you are taken to an area where you can call in companions not in your party. If you want to get someone who's not in your party, it's not a problem.

2) Not sure.

3) You could probably do Watcher's Keep straight out of Chateau Irenicus, but it would involve a lot of cheese. I would recommend chapter 6, or late in chapter 3 if you've done a lot of quests. Ultimately, it probably depends on your playing style.

 

No, dont bet on items being left in the watchers keep, but why would you need to leave items there in the first place

 

As watcher's keep is designed to work in both SoA and ToB, your progress in it must be saved separately from either SoA or ToB. That means, in theory you should be able to leave any amount of stuff lying around in SoA, and get it again in ToB (because if you worked halfway through in SoA and left an important artifact lying on the floor that you'd need to get through it, then you'd be stuck should the items disappear). In practice, I can't say since I haven't tried it.

As for the best time to go there, it's yours to choose. You can go there pretty early on if you know what you're doing, as getting at least some levels clear is hardly a difficult task. And the stuff you'll get will clearly help you in SoA. Still, you will have to cheese some in order to get past the more difficult parts of it. And Sarevok comes with a bit of extra dialogue in ToB.

 

you should also know that you dont have to take on watchers keep in one big run.

you can for example enter watchers keep in early chapter to and do alittle, then leave and return later to do some more and repeat.

its up to you how you plan to take on watchers keep, when and how.

its hard to say much more without revealing spoilers.

 

Wait a minute - you mean all the items and enemies respawn in ToB if you do them in SoA?

I assumed you could only do it once. I never even tried doing it twice...

 

No, I'm saying that logically speaking Watcher's Keep would need to be saved separately because of possible bugs or exploits between the SoA - ToB jump. No enemies should respawn, only the Keep should be exactly the way you left it in SoA. Down to every last penny and trap you forgot on its floors.

 

I've actually done this.

I was playing SoA and got to the final level (before the Imprisioned One). The fight, after the last seal is unlocked, was far to difficult for my party.

So, I left Watcher's Keep and then destroyed Irenicus. In ToB, I was able to continue right where I left off.