The Let's Play Archive

Divinity II: The Dragon Knight Saga

by Stabbey_the_Clown

Part 52: The Battle Tower




Chapter 36 – The Battle Tower



Throne Room and Personal Quarters
The Platforms


Yara’s Current Auras



Music: Here be Zandalor



A bit of a change of pace, time to slow down after Sentinel Island. This update will be little more than a tour of the Battle Tower. Terminology update: now that they’re in the tower, I will be referring to the servants I selected in chapter 28 as Platform Operators.

Video: Throne Room and Master Chamber


(Dragon Knight Yara) Wow! I’m impressed! This place is sparkling! I can’t believe they cleaned all this up so quickly!




(Zandalor) You have shown Damian the dominion of the Dragon, and now I have need of it too! I have the shield we need to enter the Hall of Echoes, but things have gone awry! Meet me in Aleroth’s great hall, where I shall need you to help me stem the tides of evil that were released in search of the shield. The city has been overrun and week’s end shall find but a blackened ruin if you do not come. I need you, Dragon Knight!
All right. When do we leave?
…
Zandalor?

The wizard had already teleported away.

I GUESS IT’S NOT THAT URGENT THEN.
Why does he always do that?

Music: A Sense of Menace





Brave Zandalor – he has the shield already! Do not dismiss his call for aid, Dragon Knight!


I adjusted Zandalor’s dialogue. He says “tomorrow” not “week’s end”, but I’ll be honest. Getting to Aleroth right away isn’t as simple as it could be, and even if I go as fast as I can, I’m pretty sure that I’m still too low a level to be able to help Zandalor.

Also, seriously, Zandalor, what the hell – you were RIGHT HERE. If you REALLY need my damn help so much, take me with you.




(Sassan) I apologize for bothering you, Dragon Knight, but I’d like to introduce these people to you.
You need not apologize, Sassan. Go ahead.
Thank you, Dragon Knight. These men served Laiken – not by their own will, but by intimidation. And now they will serve you. Tom, Dick, and Harry are veteran trackers who will search the lands for the ores, gems, and ingredients you desire. I should mention, though, that Laiken equipped them as poorly as he treated them. But you can change that.
How is that?
Your trainer can provide them with weapons, which will increase their combat effectiveness and reduce the time it takes to complete a mission. Your enchanter can forge them armours, which will heighten their chance of success and decrease their chance of being wounded. Should they still be hurt during their travels, you’ll need to inform your alchemist so he may heal them. That’s it. May they bring you great treasure!




(Harry the Herb Gatherer) No land too far, no sea too wide. I’ll find each and every ingredient you desire!
(-200 XP) That alchemist has it easy! We do the dangerous gathering and he just boils our spoils in a kettle.
Nothing right now. I bid you good day!
Divine bless you!

(Tom the Ore Gatherer) Greetings, Dragon Knight! What ore would you like me to search for?
(-200 XP) How come Sassan got pretty again all of a sudden?
I must take my leave now.
I will be here if you need me.

(Dick the Gem Gatherer) Any gem you want, I’ll get it! I am at your command.
(-200 XP) Sometimes I just want to run off and stay away. Then again, I had better not mess with a Dragon Knight!
I know things must have been hard for you all under Laiken. I promise you that I shall be a better master than he was. I mean, really, how could I be worse?

There was a round of nervous chuckling.

But I have a monumental task I must undertake – the defeat of Damian. You need merely to look outside at the island to see the threat he poses. Every plant, every gem, every scrap of ore you three bring me is another step closer to his defeat. I need you. Please, lend me your aid.

All three of the runners saluted. Yara returned the salute.

Thank you. I’ll see you get better equipment soon. I have other matters to attend to.
Certainly!

The runners will save us an incredible amount of hassle now that we have them available. They will go out and bring back whatever we tell them to, so our ingredient-finding hassles are over. The only thing they can’t find is Malachite Gems, which means we have to be careful with how we spend those.

Improved weaponry says that it is SUPPOSED to decrease the travel time, but the travel time is actually non-existent – once the runners have left the throne room, you merely have to leave the tower then return immediately and they’re back. So I suppose improved weaponry might not even matter. I haven’t tried experimenting without that, though. It might just contribute to the odds of returning uninjured instead.

EDIT: Improved Weaponry actually contributes to the amount of an ingredient the runners bring back. I just did an extensive test. I had my runners (fully upgraded with armour) fetch me Black Rose, Black Rock, and Amber, 10 times each at all 4 levels of weapon upgrades (including no upgrade). If they came back injured, I deleted that run and tried again.

No Weapon Upgrade
Minimum Fetched: 1
Maximum Fetched: 5
Average Fetched: 3, 3, 3.3

One Weapon Upgrade
Minimum Fetched: 3 (+2)
Maximum Fetched: 9 (+4)
Average Fetched: 6.5, 5.6, 6

Two Weapon Upgrades
Minimum Fetched: 5 (+2)
Maximum Fetched: 13 (+4)
Average Fetched: 9.5, 9.7, 9.9

Three Weapon Upgrades
Minimum Fetched: 7 (+2)
Maximum Fetched: 16 (+3)
Average Fetched: 11.7, 11, 11.5

While the maximum upgrade didn't bring back 17 of an ingredient in any of the test runs I did, I suspect that 17 is the maximum, as the other upgrades increased the minimum by 2 and maximum by 4.

Improved armour visibly contributes to the odds of returning uninjured. You will want to get all your runners to medium-quality armour, that gives a good chance of returning uninjured. Injured runners don’t bring anything back. In the test run I did above, with the runner's armour upgraded to maximum, there were only 7 injuries in 48 runs.

It costs 100 gold per injured runner paid to the alchemist, it’s not a lot, but the real annoyance is having to send your runners out again because they came back injured. If you have to prioritize what upgrades to get, I'm upgrade the runner's armour to level 2 for all of them first, then get weapons to 2.

If you’re farming for items to sell, for ore you want Malachite Ore, and for gemstones, you want Diamonds. If you really want to do potion-selling, which I don't recommend, make masses of cheap Potency 1 or 2 potions, because they don't require extra ingredients.




Really nice place. One thing to note: While in the Battle Tower, your health and mana do not regenerate, not can you cast any skills. You can still summon your creature with the skull, though. This is to prevent you escaping a battle, healing to full then going right back. You still can return to the tower and heal, but you’d have to go somewhere else first instead of back to the spot you left.






(Kirill) My Dragon master! Let me bid you a fond welcome! I am Kirill, the famous composer. What would you like me to play for you?
How did you end up in this tower?
Like many, I was caught in Laiken’s evil web. Luckily the old pervert had a weakness for music and dance. That is why I am still alive and composing, and Salome alive and dancing.
(-200 XP) I’ll write a requiem for Laiken… which will probably be the most cheerful piece I’ve ever written.

Obviously a reference to Kirill Pokrovsky, the composer who created the music for the game – and all the other games in the Divinity series.

1. Play me a happy ditty.
Something frivolous? No problem!

Music: In the King’s Garden



2. Play me a calm tune, if you please.
It shall be serenity itself!

Music: Sunflower



3. Play me something… ominous.
Dark, foreboding… Yes, I know just the thing.

Music: Damian Attacks



4. I’m in the mood for a romantic piece.
Indeed! Well, here’s a melody that should please a longing heart.

Music: A New Dawn



5. “Rambler from Slavs”
No problem!

Slavic





Mindreading Laiken puts his sword in the chest behind the throne.




(Salome) Hail, Dragon Knight! How may I please you?
Tell me about yourself.
I am Salome, a one-time slave of Laiken, now your humble servant. When I was captured I was destined for his laboratories – a rat to be experimented on. But I danced for him and he was so enticed he kept me alive. So beguiled he was that I could have asked him for the head of Damian and he would have brought it to me. Still, I detested him, as you may imagine, and I am honoured now to serve one who truly deserves the tower.
(-200 XP) Whose head shall I ask this one for? Maybe… yes, I never could stand the man.
Please dance for me.
As you wish.




Uh, yeah, lovely. That’s enough, Salome.

I’m sure that most people when they first got the tower asked Salome to dance for them. I’m also sure that most people never asked her to dance for them a second time.




An elevator behind the throne leads to the private quarters.




These are your personal quarters, where you may stash the treasure you find and teleport to the places you have travelled to.




Now that this island lies covered and surrounded by Damian’s toxic air, this portal is our only way out.



Almost our entire list of teleporters has been lost. We keep the Morgue shrine, and the Battle Tower shrine on the island itself. If we hadn’t visited the Grand Knight shrine in Orobas Fjords yet, it would have been automatically added.




There was a strange… man… sitting at the table.

(Hermaphroditus) I bid you welcome, Dragon Knight! I am Hermaphroditus, your illusionist. How can I assist you?
How did you end up in my tower?
I was travelling to Farglow to visit my cousin Tiresias when suddenly I found myself in the midst of a vortex of magic. Next thing I knew I was here, instructed by the island to await the arrival of my new master: a Dragon. So here I am, ready to serve and grateful to be alive. There is not much else to say.
(-200 XP) Why be satisfied with the pleasures of one when you can have those of the both of them?
I uh… must take my leave of you.
Of course.

You really should watch the video to hear Hermaphroditus’ voice.




Maxos’ Master Chamber… The spell we seek must be near.

The Atrocities of Samuel Puppykiller, Evilest of Mages


The book to the right is a Dragon Skill book, it grants us one Dragon Skill point upon reading it. There are 5 in the tower, one here and one on each platform, and there’s a 6th in a wyvern nest outside.




This is the Battle Tower Coffer. Finally, we have a place to store our stuff.

It can hold 400 items, which should be more than enough. Our platform operators have access to it, so we can put all our herbs and such into it and still perform alchemy as if they were in our inventory.

Best of all, we can magically send anything from our inventory into the coffer no matter where we are, so say goodbye to “out of inventory space” messages forever!



Inside are the Dragon Armour Bone Cuirass (+40% Hitpoints), and the Bone Leggings (+40% to Offense).

Also in this area is another chest which you can’t lockpick. You need to go on a little scavenger hunt of the platforms to get what’s inside.




(-1400 XP) [+1 Skill Points]

Sassan is on the balcony. Mind-read her for a free skill point. Mind-read ALL the platform operators for a free skill point each. There’s no rush to this one, though.

Sassan can tell you about the platform operators, but it’s the same stuff you already heard. She can also trade with you, although she doesn’t have much to sell, nor does she have much money to buy your crap.




I’ll be getting the ring once I can afford it. While I do have over 45,000 gold, I’ll be spending 42,000 of it to outfit the runners with top-quality gear, and I need to buy my skill upgrades from Hermosa.




When we became the Dragon, we got two stones: The Morph Stone, which lets us change form, and the Dragon Stone, which lets us teleport to one of five places in our Battle Tower and return to where we left. So let’s take that tour now.


Video: The Tower Operators


Music: Lullabies for your Inner Dragon





(Barbatos) Welcome to the greenhouse: place of alchemical miracles!
(-1400 XP) [+1 Skill Points]
Is there anything else you need to create potions?
I have all I need. But we are close to the Orobas Fjords, are we not? I have heard rumours of an alchemist who lives there in a cave in the mountains. His spellbook contains potent recipes, or so I have heard, so maybe you could… borrow it?
See you later, Barbatos.
I’ll be experimenting ‘till you return!

Borrowed Book
Each of the Platform Operators has at least one quest to complete. These quests are well worth completing. You not only get a Standard Quest Reward, but you also get a Skill Book, and the ability the platform operator provides is upgraded.

This quest is a standard fetch quest, but I’m not doing it until after I open up the main town.




Here is a Dragon Skill book, and the first key in the scavenger hunt. Next stop: Necromancy Ring…






The Dragon book is on the lip of the Necromancy Pit, and the Alchemist key opens the chest over near Grimm.

(Grimm) Laiken is dead! Well done, Dragon Knight!
I take it you prefer this platform to that cellar.
I’ll say! Though the atmosphere is, well… similar. Weird chap you’ve got up here, by the way. Knows his stuff, though. Just plain creepy the way he keeps going on about “serving”. Even if I were his master, I still wouldn’t turn my back on him.
(-200 XP) I hope my dear brother and I will be reunited someday. Such stories I could tell!
I believe you can sell me some limbs?
That I can!




Finally, so many updates since you voted for it, I have acquired a Dragon Elf head. Both the skills are level 4, and they do vastly less damage than the Fireball spell, but oh well.

I’ll be back regularly to check for better heads and such. I will certainly appreciate his 20,000 gold for trading.




(Igor) Such a place for humble Igor! Magnificent are you, Dragon. Fortunate am I to serve you. May I serve you?
(-1400 XP) [+1 Skill Points]
Do you have all you require here, Igor?
Igor has all he needs to serve you well, master, but Igor may serve even better. My other master, whom I served before I served master Jonelath, unfortunate master Jonelath, had a book. The book is… powerful, it will serve us well. But master Barnabus is strong. Beware of master Barnabus! Take away the book and its pages will serve you greatly as I, Igor, serve you.
My creature needs work.
It shall be my great pleasure to put the knives and saws to flesh for you, master.

The Book of the Dead
This fetch quest for a book is more involved than Barbatos’ but I’m still not doing it until after reaching the next town.




I am off, Igor.
I loyally await your return, ready to serve you once more.

I replaced a Rank 5 Fireball doing 117 damage with two new Level 4 skills:
Magic Missile – 2 missiles which do 12 damage each
Magic Blast – 4 Hits of 16 damage each

Now, to the training platform…




The Dragon Skill book is on the table. You can’t grab it before getting the Dragon Stone, I tried. The chest the necromancer chest key opens is here behind Hermosa.




(Hermosa) This is an impressive location to be sure. Ready to get busy?
(-1400 XP) [+1 Skill Points]
I think it’s time to do some training.
Let’s get it on!



Your Trainer can do three things for you: Increase the caps of your skills, or reallocate all your skill points (including Dragon skills.)

Unlearning skills costs 5000 gold the first time, and doubles in price each time after that. It’s really better to plan in advance to avoid needing to reallocate. Becoming the master of the tower gives you the ability to raise the skill caps to 10. Not all skills cap out at the same level. For example, Life Tap is capped at 5.

The third thing your Trainer does is provide the weapons for your runners. It costs 1000 gold per runner for the basic weapon, 2000 gold per runner for a moderate quality weapon, and 4000 gold per runner for the best quality weapon, for a total of 7000 gold per runner. And I don’t even know if it does anything!

Hermosa gives you half-price for Warrior and Ranger skills.

I increased the caps for Unarmed Expertise, Thousand Strikes, and Battle Rage to 10. The rest can wait until much later.


How’s life in the Battle Tower treating you?
Great! I was apprehensive at first, but now I’ve come to realize what a great opportunity this is. To have such powers at my disposal, to work for a Dragon Knight who opposes the Black Ring against all odds…
I’m… sorry about what happened to the crew and passengers of the Starbound, Hermosa.
Thank you, Dragon Knight. Their loss hurts, but I shall work through it. One thing bothers me, though. A matter of unfinished business, if you like. There is a man, Morgan’s his name, who is very much enamoured with me and gave me my necklace. Though he always loved me more than I loved him, I feel it would be cruel of me to simply keep him in the dark about my whereabouts. I’d be very much obliged if you’d return the necklace to him and let him know he must move on. He won’t be to difficult to find, as he is the harbour master in the Orobas Fjords. It’s not a pleasant thing to do, but my mind is made up: my place is here now, with you.
I must leave.
See you later!

Dear John
An easy delivery quest, and our destination IS at the first town – Champion Harbour.

Now, to the workshop.




The chest is unlocked with the key from the chest on the training platform. The Dragon Skill book is on the ground to the right of Wesson. There are two enchanting machines you can use without going through Wesson. One is to the left of Ginny, and the other is opposite it.




(Wesson) My humble shop in Aleroth is nothing compared to this platform and its machinery! I think I’ll be able to forge you some fantastic pieces.
(-1400 XP) [+1 Skill Points]
So – do you have everything you need here?
This is the best enchantment smithy I’ve ever seen. But now that you mention it, there are specific supplies that could improve it even more. My assistant Lister was on his way from Broken Valley to the harbour in Orobas Fjords when I was spirited away by the Island. He was transporting a shipment of goods I bought from Derk, a smith in the valley, which I could use to create some unique enchantments. Maybe you could verify his safe arrival in the fjords and bring me the shipment.
(Ginny) If you have the time and desire to do so, great Dragon Knight!
Of course, of course. That goes without saying.
I’m off, you two.
It sure is windy up here isn’t it? Not very good for the lungs!

Short Supply
Another fetch quest with complications, but our first stop is in Champion Harbour.

The key from the enchanter platform finally opens up the chest in the master chamber. It has random stuff in it, but it’s on the more valuable end of the scale.




I bought all my tower runners the best gear possible. At 42,000 gold, it nearly bankrupted me, but that’s the single biggest expense in the game, and the runners can start paying it off immediately. Whenever your runners return to the tower, send them out as soon as possible. For maximum cash, send them hunting for Malachite Ore (40 gold each) and Diamonds (180 gold each), those are worth the most.

It takes about 10 seconds for a runner to leave the tower, but after that you can leave and immediately return and they’ll be back. There’s no limit to the amount of times you can send them, and if they are not injured, they’ll typically bring about 7-12 of the item you sent them to get.







Throne Room and Personal Quarters
The Platforms




Lullabies for your Inner Dragon (Alchemist)



Battle Tower – Trainer



Battle Tower – Enchanter



In the King’s Garden



Slavic



Hall of Echoes Bound

There are four parts to this quest, and they opened up at the start of Act III.







I spent the 5 free Skill points from the tower operators. Now that skills are no longer capped, we’re suddenly short a lot of skill points, which the 5 free ones help make up.

Unarmed Expertise

Increased from Rank 5 to 7

Damage Bonus: +67% -> +94%


Battle Rage

Increased from Rank 5 to 7

Mana Cost: 75 -> 99
Duration: 60 -> 120 seconds
Damage Bonus: +60% -> + 80%
Melee Armour Penalty: -30 -> -24


Life Leech

Increased from Rank 1 to 3

Leech Chance: 10% -> 14%
HP Drained: 7% -> 11%



Yara’s Current Auras









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