The Arcane Tower is home to the cleric Lenore De Hurst, who hasn’t been seen in years. It’s a place where flowers and poetry — and stools — have special properties, where doors can be ignored, and where secrets abound. In this guide we’ll reveal all.
Map
Points of Interest 1 – Arcane Turrets 2 – Locked Heavy Chest 3 – Entrance Doors 4 – Open Window 5 – Traveler’s Chests 6 – Chest of the Mundane 7 – Small Sussur Tree 8 – Secret Door 9 – Power Generator 10 – Gilded Chest
11 – Timmask Spores and Tongues of Madness 12 – Telescope 13 – Wooden Chest 14 – Button 15 – Engraved Githyanki Disc 16 – Bernard and His Books 17 – Stool of Hill Giant Strength 18 – Hidden Lever 19 – Gilded Chest 20 – Staff of Arcane Blessing
Treasure ? – Dirt Mounds
Exits A – Path to the Underdark B – Large Mushrooms C – Hole D – Staircase E – Metal Door F – Central Elevator
Area Note
When you first arrive at the Arcane Tower, its power will be off, but its defenses — in the form of Arcane Turrets (#1) — will be active. You can solve both problems at the same time by rushing past the first turret you see, using a pair of large mushrooms (Exit B) to jump to the Garden behind the tower, grabbing one of the Sussur Blooms at the Small Sussur Tree (#7), and then entering the tower on Level 1 and inserting the bloom into the Power Generator (#9).
When the power in the Arcane Tower comes on, the turrets will shut off, and the central elevator (Exit F) will start working, giving you an easy way to move between the tower’s levels and explore to your heart’s content.
While you’re exploring, you’ll find notes from and about Lenore De Hurst, the owner of the tower. You’ll learn that her pet dog Myrna died (#16d), causing her to become depressed and befriend a bulette. You probably met the bulette on your way to the tower, and you can find Myrna’s grave south of the Sussur Tree in the Underdark. You’ll also learn that Lenore was planning to leave for Baldur’s Gate (#19), but that she was never seen again (#3). Given the traveler’s chests by the front door (#5), did she actually leave? You’ll never find out.
Points of Interest
1 – Arcane Turrets
Enemies
4x Arcane Turret – Lv. 4
You’ll encounter four Arcane Turrets in the Courtyard and Level 4 of the Arcane Tower. When they spot an enemy, they’ll target it with a blue beam, and then they’ll shoot it four times per turn for 1d4+1 Force damage. There are a few ways to deal with them:
If the turrets can’t see you then they can’t target you. So using Invisibility or stealth will allow you to walk right past them. You can also use turn-based mode to Dash to a place where their targeting beam gets interrupted, like behind a rock or a wall.
The turrets are powered magically, so you can drop a Sussur Bloom next to them to disable them. You can find Sussur Blooms in the Underdark at the Sussur Tree there, and also in the tower’s Garden (#7). If you have a Sage (like Gale) in your party when you do this, then you’ll gain the “Secrets of the Sussur Tree” inspiration.
The Arcane Tower starts out unpowered. When you power it back up — by putting a Sussur Bloom (#7) into the Power Generator (#9) — the turrets will go off-line. So you might want to just run past the turrets until then.
You can attack the turrets. They are “sturdy,” which means 10 damage is subtracted from all attacks against them, and they are highly resistant or immune to all damage except for Electricity, which they are vulnerable to. This makes the turrets difficult but not impossible to kill. If you have an “All In” character, or a spellcaster with lightning spells, like Lightning Bolt or Witch Bolt, then you might be able to take them down quickly.
The easiest way to kill the turrets is in turn-based mode. Hide your character behind cover, and then on their turn have them move away from the cover, attack the turret, and then return to the cover. In this way you’ll be able to destroy the turret without taking any damage in return.
But note: Turrets get “resurrected” after they die. Sometimes this means they start fighting again, which means killing them won’t help you any, and sometimes they regain their health but stop attacking, which means killing them is worthwhile. This seems to be random or buggy, or maybe we just haven’t completely figured out how the turrets work yet.
The best solution for the turrets is to place a Sussur Bloom at the first one you come to, or just run past it, and then focus on reaching the Garden and turning on the power, which will disable the turrets.
If you can beat the DC-15 Sleight of Hand check to pick open the chest here, then you’ll find the light hammer Skybreaker inside.
Nearby, you’ll also find a Letter to Yrre on the ground. In it Lenore will ask Yrre to wait for her until she comes back, but apparently she never came back.
There are two doors allowing entrance into the tower — one on Level 4 and one on Level 1. They both start out locked. To open them from the outside, you’ll need the Antique Key (carried by Bernard, #16), or you’ll need to pass a DC-15 Sleight of Hand check to pick their lock. To open the doors from the inside, you can just pull the lever right next to them.
If doors aren’t your thing, then you can also bypass the Level 4 door by climbing through a nearby window (#4), and the Level 1 door by squeezing through a nearby hole (Exit C).
4 – Open Window
If you can’t or don’t want to use the front door into the tower (#3), then as an alternative you can just climb through the window here.
5 – Traveler’s Chests
If you look through the crates and chests here, then it’ll be clear that someone was packing in anticipation of leaving the tower. You’ll find three pieces of Broken Machinery inside the containers. While you might not think of machinery as an alchemical ingredient, that’s what the pieces are. If you combine them together, then you’ll create Salts of Copper Shavings, which you can use to brew Elixirs of Lightning Resistance.
If you examine the Broken Machinery, then you’ll see that they’re inscribed with the initials LDH and YTS, which represent Lenore De Hurst and Yrre the Sparkstruck, the two inhabitants of the tower.
“Looking at this chest fills you with a suspiciously overwhelming feeling that there is absolutely nothing special about it.”
If you open up the chest here, then you’ll only find some worthless kitchenware inside. However, if you beat a passive DC-15 Arcana check when approaching the chest, then you’ll detect that there is something magical about it. There are two ways to break the enchantment: you can bring a Sussur Bloom (#7) next to the chest, or you can just loot the chest. Either way, the worthless items will turn into the boots Mystra’s Grace, some spell scrolls, and more.
7 – Small Sussur Tree
Notable Loot
x2 Sussur Blooms
You’ll find two Sussur Blooms on the ground here. They can be used in the Power Generator (#9) to power up the tower, or dropped by Arcane Turrets (#1) to disable them.
8 – Secret Door
There isn’t any way to detect this door. You can open it by pulling the lever right next to it on the northern side or by pulling the lever on Level 6 (#18). There is also a view of the lever by the door from the staircase above it (Exit D), and from there you can use a spell like Grant Flight or Mage Hand to pull the lever.
9 – Power Generator
If you put a Sussur Bloom (#7) into this generator, then you’ll power up the tower, which will cause the lights to come on and the Central Elevator (Exit F) to start working. Hints for doing this include the Withered Blue Petals on the floor in front of the generator, and the Treatise on the Antimagic Properties of Sussur Tree Flowers on the nearby table.
10 – Gilded Chest
Notable Loot
Uncovered Mysteries
Inside the Gilded Chest here you’ll find the amulet Uncovered Mysteries, which gives access to the spell Detect Thoughts.
11 – Timmask Spores and Tongues of Madness
You’ll need these two alchemical ingredients for the quest Help Omeluum Investigate the Parasite. You can find some additional Tongues of Madness next to the Staff of Arcane Blessing in the Basement (#20).
12 – Telescope
When you look through this telescope, you won’t see anything of importance. However, if you’ve been to the tombstone in the Underdark, where Lenore buried her dog Myrna, then you might notice that the telescope is pointing directly at it, as well as the lake where Myrna liked to go swimming.
13 – Wooden Chest
Notable Loot
Mage’s Friend
Inside this chest you’ll find the ring Mage’s Friend, which gives +1 Arcana and +1 Religion.
14 – Button
You might notice a button on the wall here. If you look on the floor near it, then you should see a blanket, a Bone, and a Bowl. If you press the button while carrying Myrna’s Dog Collar (which you can dig up at Myrna’s tombstone in the Underdark), then the collar will vibrate. If you press the button while wearing the collar, then a Raw Steak will appear in the Bowl — but only once (because, as you might know, dogs aren’t good at restricting their food intake).
You’ll find an Engraved Githyanki Disc in the bookshelf here. If you have Lae’zel in your party when you examine it, then she’ll be able to translate it for you — although she won’t enjoy it, calling the text “drivel” and “heresy.” If Lae’zel isn’t with you, then you’ll either need to beat a DC-20 Investigation check to decipher the text, or you’ll need to pick up the book The Careful Art of Tir’su Ciphers from a nearby table (#16c), and then examine the disc while it and the book are in your inventory.
Regardless of your method, the disc will transform into Orpheus, Prince of the Comet, Part One: Betrayal, and it will tell the story of Orpheus, and how he defied his mother Vlaakith when she stole control of the Gith — which isn’t how the official history of the Gith is told. This will trigger the quest Discover the History of Prince Orpheus.
When you arrive at the top of the tower, you’ll be stopped and questioned by a construct named Bernard. If you haven’t read any of the books and notes in the lower part of the tower, then anything you say in response will lead to a fight, and you’ll have to take on Bernard plus four Animated Armours.
Bernard is by far the most dangerous of the group, and he’s resistant to just about everything, but focus on him first and try to kill him as quickly as possible, and then mop up the rest. If you kill Bernard, then on his corpse you’ll find an Antique Key (which opens the tower doors, #3), the ring Guiding Light (which adds a “Basement” button to the Central Elevator, Exit F), the halberd Light of Creation, and a Potion of Greater Healing.
But if you’ve read the books in the lower part of the tower, then you might recognize Bernard’s greeting as coming from The Roads of Darkness (#16d) — beating a passive DC-18 History check will inform you of this as well — and you’ll get more dialogue options with him:
Threadbare Book (Level 3). Reading this book will give you the phrase, “How can I trust? How will I ever know? / How can I show myself, my darkest me?” If you say this to Bernard then he’ll give you the Guiding Light Ring.
Dusty Book (Level 4). Reading this book will transform it into Evil’s Ascent and give you the phrase, “There is a light in every living thing. / It’s crawling t’wards the surface to survive.” If you say this to Bernard then he’ll recognize you as an enemy and attack you.
Torn-Out Paper (Level 5). Reading this page will give you the phrase, “The silence stretches on — I’m all alone. / Please, can I hold your hands, for just a while?” If you say this to Bernard then he’ll offer you an awkward hug.
The Roads to Darkness (Level 5). Reading this book will give you the phrase, “Or art thou friend, a rescue from my lonely wake?” If you say this to Bernard then he’ll treat you as an ally.
Patched Parchment (Level 6). Reading this note will give you the phrase, “These empty sheets are all that’s left of you. / The last of all the thoughtless gifts you gave.” If you say this to Bernard then he’ll give you a Potion of Greater Healing.
“Seems like the owner was quite the literary type.” – Tav
17 – Stool of Hill Giant Strength
Behind the Automated Armour in the corner here, you’ll find a stool called the Stool of Hill Giant Strength. If you sit on it, then you’ll feel powerful, but when you stand up, the power will disappear. Each character has a different comment for gaining and losing the power.
“Ohoho, I like this. I feel strong as hell.” – Karlach
So how can you take the power with you? Simple — just attack the stool. When you destroy it, it’ll leave behind a Club of Hill Giant Strength, which sets the user’s Strength to 19.
Since the weapon itself isn’t great but the bonus is, the Club of Hill Giant Strength is an excellent weapon for characters who use ranged attacks, such as an archer with the Titanstring Bow or a Tavern Brawler. That’s because you’ll keep the Strength bonus even when the club isn’t your active weapon.
If you beat a passive DC-18 Perception check, then you’ll notice a lever hidden behind the cobwebs by the bookshelf here. But note: you have to stand right next to the lever to trigger the check. Pulling the lever will open the secret door on Level 1 of the tower (#8).
19 – Gilded Chest
Inside this chest, you’ll find De Hurst’s Diary and The Sparkswall ring, which grants resistance to Lightning damage.
20 – Staff of Arcane Blessing
You’ll find the Staff of Arcane Blessing leaning against the bookshelf here. It enhances the Bless spell.
You’ll need to beat a passive Survival check to detect these mounds, and a Shovel to dig up the chests they’re hiding. Conveniently, you’ll find a Shovel by the Small Sussur Tree in the Garden (#7).
The first time you approach the Arcane Tower via this path, if you beat a DC-10 Survival check, then you’ll notice scorch marks on the ground. This is to warn you about the upcoming Arcane Turrets (#1).
B – Large Mushrooms
Jumping between these two mushrooms will allow you to move between the front of the tower (Level 4) and the back of the tower (Level 1).
You’ll need to beat a passive DC-5 Perception check to detect this hole. Only tiny creatures, like Reduced small races, or Mage Hands, or Gaseous Forms, will be able to go through the hole to the other side.
D – Staircase
This staircase will take you between Levels 1 and 2 of the tower.
E – Metal Door
This door will take you between the Basement and Level 1 of the tower.
F – Central Elevator
Once you’ve restored power to the tower (see #9), you’ll be able to use this elevator to “Ascend” or “Descend” between the levels. If you acquire the Guiding Light ring from Bernard (#16), then on Levels 1 and 6 you’ll also see a button for “Basement,” which will let you travel to the Basement.
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Steven Carter
Starting with cassette tape games on the TRS-80, Steven has been playing, creating, and writing about games for a long, long time. This makes him experienced, not old. Lately, Steven has been focusing on walkthroughs, making sure everybody knows how to solve Towers of Hanoi puzzles.
