OK there are apparently 3 ways to get in to see Balthazar in Amkethran. First is Seamon and his disguise idea, second is the way through the cave of the dead, and third is to slaughter the guard captain and take the gate key off his rotting corpse.

The third I discovered quite by accident as I slaughtered all the monks and mercenaries in Amkethran. And that is the route I took since everyone (including Elminster) seemed to imply that it was impossible.

Was there anything I missed by taking this route versus the other two?

I took the cave of the dead---you missed nothing from that route as long as you have already 'done' that cave (with the lich and his weird turntables/monster summoning devices).. I did however look plate mail +1 from the house where the 2 adventurers are who give you the key--but that is not too helpful at that point.

I suspect all routes lead one place--the room with the monks. I don't think there is anything too that dungeon

What about the route with saemon. I also fought my way through the gates because i couldn't find that slimy bastard. Where is he, i wanna kill him!! :mad: :mad: :mad:

For me, he was back in the Smuggler's Cave... I had actually agreed to the disguise plan with Saemon before I went out and killed all the Monks and Mercenaries, and found the gate key on the Guard Captain's corpse.

I went back after killing Balthazar to see what he had to say now that I didn't need him any more, but he disappeared right after the screen loaded (not his teleportation trick; the way the game makes NPCs disappear when they are no longer needed).

[This message has been edited by Blackthorne TA (edited July 18, 2001).]

Damn, i went there but no one was there, does that have anything to do with the fact that i saved his smugglers from the monks and they all left to save their hides?

Nope, I did the same thing... Must be a bug.

The Merc seem to spawn nonstop, is that true or what. Balthazar came out to see me and marked my map. Should I still try to get into his house, is there any xp or loot inside? I tried to attack the mercs and they just kept spawning endlessly and I couldn't find the key, so I just kept killing until I got bored and then I reloaded. What's the gouge? Is there a ToB walkthrough out there?

You don't go in to see Balthazar at this point in the game. Go to the other two places that he marked on your map and take care of business. When you're done there, you come back to Amkethran to face Balthazar.

The Mercenaries and Monks will all be hostile to you when you get back, and though there are a few of them that raise the alarm which spawns more enemies, you can eventually kill them all (at least I was able to).

Very good scoop.