I've just entered watchers keep and am already stuck, I've collected all the papers and scrolls, talked to the priest and given him his slippers, read the note on his sleeve, I've lit the furnace with the tindlebox and I've killed all the statues. I read in a walkthrough that I'm supposed to put the candle and bell on the altar infront of the big blue guy, then kill all the statues when they come to life and the big blue guy will talk to me. But, I've already killed most of the statues(Except the ones that come to life after you perform the ritual.) So I put the bell/candle on the altar and nothing happens? What should I do?

Have you taken the book off the altar yet? Do that, kill the statues that spawn, and then perform the ritual.

I'm stuck at almost the same spot, except I've completed the ritual (got the experience for it and everything). I've killed all the statues I can find in level 1, there are no more unanimated ones in the hall, and still, when I try to go through the portal, I get the message: "Somehow the statues defending the portal are preventing you from entering it". I do have the Vigil Stone.
I don't know if I've forgotten something myeself, or if this is a bug (I haven't been hit by bug prior to this in the series, at least that I noticed) though I can send my savegame to someone if all else fails.

since you're not too far into Watcher's Keep... i suppose the only way is to restart it... anyone know the COnsole codes for this?

I may be wrong but there are two wardstones in the 1st level and they may have something to do with opening the gate along with whatever else they do. I believe they are on the right side of the level in the rooms on the other side of the great hall. Just a suggestion.

Yeah, I had them too.
I played through the level again (I had a save before I'd headed over to Watcher's Keep), and figured out something, at least. When the statues animated the first time, I ran into the kitchen and closed the door. A bit later, I opened the door and started killing the statues outside (limiting how many could approach at once, etc). However, I didn't remember killing a statue with a bow/arrows. The second time through, I just stayed in the main room and fought them, and it seemed like I fought more statues. Its kinda like one of them wandered off while I was in the kitchen and disappeared. I wandered all through the level afterwards, but never found another statue to kill.

I've noticed something strange(well not really when you think about it) and definately annoying during some battles that can lead to problems. It seems they have features on enemies now where they can retreat and just disapear. They often say something like "No more. I've had enough!" or something like that. After that, if you don't take that last whack quickly and finish them off, they will turn and run a few feet and disapear, never to be seen again. This really means nothing against lesser enemies that have no real importance, but at least once it happened with a group of enemies where the object was to kill them all to advance the chain of events. It happened that one turned and ran, and never reapeared. Hence I was stuck at a certain point, unable to advance any farther and had to reload and make sure I killed all of them off the second time. Like I said, this really makes sense from a RP standpoint if you think about it, but it'd defiantely annoying when every enemy is a "must kill" and one retreats, not giving you the chance to kill him. I guess ruthless warloards just can't buy good help these days :D. What does this have to do with the above post? Well I just thought perhaps that's what happened to one of the statues and that's the reason the portal kept telling him that statues were blocking the portal. Perhaps all the statues were "must kill" and one retreated, leaving him high and dry.

That retreat thing never ever happend to me throughout the entire course of ToB, I found that weird >:)

I know what you mean, Crawl. That same thing happened to my F/M/T on a solo quest at the beginning of the game.

I was trying to eliminate the Duergars(sp?). I figured the best plan was t take out the mage with a stealthy backstab attack, it worked. But then I was visible to the other (4?) and had to retreat quickly. I ran back through the library and out the door to hide again. I hid in the shadows and opened to door expecting to find Llylich(sp?) waiting for me, but he was nowhere to be found. I searched the entire area after taking out the remaining enemies, but I could not find him anywhere. So I rested where I originally ran into the Duergars(sp?) and there he was to greet/attack me. Yay! I was then able to kill him and take the acorns. (hate missing easy xp ;))

Next time, try resting where the enemy disappeared and you might get lucky and get attacked by them in your sleep. :D


-Immoral

Do you have the vigil stone from pol ?

I think the wardstones are to ward off the two golems in the tomb room.

EDIT:

Sorry. you already got the stone. Well basicly when you put the bell and the candle on the altar (the book is already there) some statues come alive and when you're done killing them the giant statue speaks and you perform the ritual. Then the portal should be open and the remaining statues will also turn hostile and attack you. This is the way it should go anyways.

[This message has been edited by Invoker (edited August 08, 2001).]

I hate when they run...grrr :mad: !
Very, very annoying!

ok, this thread has been dead for quite awhile but i still think this is a problem that occurs quite often. i'm playing bg2 again now and my first try with watcher's keep lvl1 i did like quizno and hid in the kitchen. this probably made some statues to run away and cause the problem with "somehow the statues defending the portal are preventing you from entering it". i tried to sleep a couple of times to make the "runners" come back and stab me in my sleep but nothing happend. luckily i had an savegame just before i entered the keep so i played it all again and slaughtered my way through the statues to finally enter the portal.