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Arcane Tower
| Underdark | ||||
| Decrepit Village | ||||
| ↑ | ||||
| Arcane Tower | → | Selûnite Outpost | ||
Overview
Access
Approaching the Arcane Tower is made difficult by the Arcane Cannons protecting it. As a small location, reaching the staircase outside the tower grants 40 XP at Level 4, 80 XP at Level 5.
The area is divided roughly into the entry area, each floor of the tower, and the garden outside the bottom floor. Upon initial approach, the doors are shut and the central elevator is disabled, and floors must be accessed through other means.
The party can use the fungus platforms growing on the southern wall of the tower to jump their way down to the ground floor. It is a good idea to cast 
to prevent unnecessary fall damage. Alternatively, Flying or teleporting (via 
) will also get the party down without issues.
Ground floor (generator room)
To restore power to the tower - which will activate the elevator and deactivate the automated defences - the party will need to bring a 
Sussur Bloom to the power generator. Sussur Blooms can be found at the Garden just outside the door, or from the sussur tree in the Dread Hollow.
Interact with the Power Generator to bring up the crafting menu and use it to combine the machine with the Bloom. The tower will come to life, granting 25 experience and an Inspiration point for the Guild Artisan background. Once the generator is powered, the arcane cannons power down, the arcane braziers become lit, and the elevator can be used to ascend and descend between the floors.
First floor (greenhouse)
This floor can only be accessed by the restored elevator, by flying, or by using the platforms on the exterior fungus on the south side of the tower. This is a level that contains all the mushrooms required for the quest 
.
The other notable item on this floor is the 
Threadbare Book containing the phrase: "How can I trust? How should I know? How can I show myself, my darkest me?", which provides an additional option for interacting with Bernard on the roof.
Second floor (main entrance)
The main floor can be accessed directly through the front door of the tower, or via the elevator after it is powered. Opening the Main Door requires succeeding on a 
DC 15 Sleight of Hand check, or it can be broken down - it has 
and 36 hit points. Alternatively, there is a broken window to the left of the door that can be entered. Opening this door prior to the restoration of power will lead to a confrontation with two Arcane Cannons.
A dusty book can be found here. If read it changes its name to 
Evil's Ascent.
On the northern balcony is the 
Chest of the Mundane, which is revealed as magical with a successful Arcana check. Removing the clutter from the chest, or placing a Sussur Bloom near the chest (or vice versa), will dispel the illusion to reveal some scrolls and 
Mystra's Grace. The latter can provide the party an additional casting of which can help them avoid some damage trying to access the ground floor.
The southern balcony doesn't contain any notable items, but lets the party access the exterior fungus platforms to the lower levels.
Third floor (bedroom)
This floor can only be accessed by the restored elevator or by flying. This floor contains documents that the party should inspect prior to ascending to the fourth floor (roof), in order to have a peaceful interaction with Bernard.
The Roads to Darkness can be found on the desk at the South-Eastern corner at X: -25 Y: -297.- The
Torn-Out Paper on the table close to the elevator at X: -35 Y: -286.
Aside from the books, the magical ring 
Mage's Friend can also be looted on this floor in a wooden chest by the bed, at X: -29 Y: -273.
The 
Orpheus, Prince of the Comet, Part One: Betrayal can be found on top of a bookshelf in the South-Eastern corner X: -31 Y: -296 and be read by Lae'zel to start the quest . If she is not available, it can be read after picking up The Careful Art of Tir'su Ciphers from the table near the elevator X: -32 Y: -292 and using it to read the disc (or after succeeding on a DC 20 Intelligence check.
Lastly, there is an interactable button at the north-eastern corner of the tower that appears to do nothing when pressed. To make it work, the party will need to retrieve and equip the 
Dog Collar from a grave in Dread Hollow at X: -41 Y: -212, prior to interacting with it. Doing so will reveal that the button served as a food dispenser for Lenore's pet, Myrna, as a piece of 
Raw Steak appears. The party can only do this once.
The fourth floor (roof)
This floor can only be accessed by the restored elevator or by flying. Upon arriving at the floor, a dialogue will trigger with Bernard, who is standing guard by the elevator along with a group of Animated Armours.
Bernard speaks strictly in poetry, with the scattered lines found throughout the Arcane Tower serving as various command phrases for him. In the first meeting, if the party has read The Roads to Darkness and responds with "Or art though friend, a rescue from my lonely wake?" it prevents Bernard from becoming hostile and attacking. Successfully doing this grants the party 50 Experience points.
Afterwards, the party will have several options/commands they can use with Bernard, depending on what they've read (see #Bernard's commands).
The 
Guiding Light ring can be obtained by reciting "How can I trust? How will I ever know? / How can I show myself, my darkest me?" from the Threadbare Book on the first floor, or by destroying Bernard in combat. It cannot be pick-pocketed. Destroying Bernard (or commanding them to drop their weapon) will also grant the party the 
Light of Creation.
There is also a Lever next to a bookshelf on this roof, that can be noticed with a DC 18 Perception check. This is an alternate way to open the wall in the first floor that leads to the basement.
Lastly, there is the Stool of Hill Giant Strength in the northeastern corner, behind the Animated Armour, that party members can sit on and notice its magical effect. If they break the stool and pass the subsequent perception check, they can obtain the 
Club of Hill Giant Strength.
The basement (secret room)
There are several ways to access the basement: Using the elevator with the Guiding Light ring equipped (an additional "Basement" button will appear at the controls), by 
or using through a gap from the 1st level, by using 
to activate a lever under the staircase, by using a bow to activate the lever under the staircase through the staircase, or by activating the lever on the 4th floor hidden next to a bookshelf.
In the basement, aside from more 
Tongue of Madness and 
Timmask Spores, the party can also find the 
Staff of Arcane Blessing leaning against a table, 
The Sparkswall in a gilded chest, and an assortment of scrolls in the chest and various rows of books.
Layout
| Level | How to access | Notable elements |
|---|---|---|
 Ground floor (Generator)
|
The exterior Garden can be access by flight, jumping or teleporting on outside the tower. The locked 1st floor itself can be accessed by the Back Door or a Hole on the wall. | Contains the generator that allows you to restore power to the tower. The elevator itself is located on a mezzanine, with the rest of the basement beneath it. |
| 1st Floor (Greenhouse)
|
Can be reached by the elevator, flight, or by jumping or teleporting on the mushrooms on the tower exterior. | Contains the quest related items Tongue of Madness, Timmask Spores). If the party don't want to explore the rest of the tower, they only have to visit this one floor.
|
| 2nd Floor (Main Entrance)
|
Can be accessed by the Main Door. Or flight and elevator if approaching from another level. | Contains the Chest of Mundane with Mystra's Grace + two Scrolls) and 2x Arcane Cannons.
|
| 3rd Floor (Bedroom)
|
Can be reached by the elevator and/or flight. | Contains key elements that allows the party to converse with Bernard and other constructs peacefully. |
| 4th Floor (Roof)
|
Can be reached by the elevator and/or flight. | This level contains Bernard, and the Guiding Light ring which is one method to visit the basement.
|
| Basement (Secret Room)
|
Can be reached by the elevator with the Guiding Light ring equipped, by flying or using through a gap from the 1st level, by using to activate a lever under the staircase, by using a bow to activate the lever under the staircase through the staircase, or by activating the lever on the 4th floor hidden next to a bookshelf.
|
Contains treasures - including the Staff of Arcane Blessing, The Sparkswall, and another set of the quest items Tongue of Madness, Timmask Spores).
|
Bernard's commands
| Line | Action | Required book |
|---|---|---|
| "Or art thou friend, a rescue from my lonely wake?" | Bernard will acknowledge the player character as their master, and remain passive. | The Roads to Darkness (third floor / bedroom)
|
| "How can I trust? How will I ever know? / How can I show myself, my darkest me?" | Bernard will give Guiding Light to the player character.
|
Threadbare Book (first floor / greenhouse)
|
| "These empty sheets are all that's left of you. / The last of all the thoughtless gifts you gave." | Bernard will give the player character a  Potion of Greater Healing.
|
 Patched Parchment (table next to Bernard, forth floor)
|
| "There is a light in every living thing. / It's crawling t'wards the surface to survive." | Bernard and the nearby Animated Armours become hostile and attack. | Evil's Ascent (second floor / main entrance, marked as Dusty Book before reading it)
|
| "The silence stretches on - I'm all alone. / Please, can I hold your hands, for just a while?" | Bernard will hug the player character and reassure them. It speaks as if the player character is Lenore. | Torn-Out Paper (third floor / bedroom)
|
Characters
Creatures
Related quests
Nearby locations
Torchstalk Gulch
To the east of the tower, this unnamed area of the Underdark has deep red mushroom clusters and spots of Torchstalk that cast floating embers into the air. The corpse of an unfortunate Drow can be found, having been killed by an unexpected fall.
The party can climb mushrooms along the wall to reach an upper level. Some of these mushrooms will be illusions that will de-materialise when stepped on or discovered with a DC 10 Investigation check. There are also some mushroom circles, one behind an illusory wall, on the upper level and below. These connect to each other, until the circle in the Overgrown Tunnel is used. Then they can be used to travel to the Overgrown Tunnel near the the Riverside Teahouse and back.
Festering Cove
The Festering Cove is a partially hidden location on a separate Underdark map, containing the Kuo-toa worshipping their god, BOOOAL. It can be reached by climbing down the cragged rock in Torchstalk Gulch X: 80 Y: -241.
Notable loot
Notable items obtained in this location, whether looted, purchased, or obtained as a quest reward:
Skybreaker inside a locked chest in-front of the tower X: 27 Y: 298
Fourth floor (roof)
Club of Hill Giant Strength break the Stool of Hill Giant Strength on the 4th floor of the tower
Guiding Light looted or gifted from Bernard after using the appropriate play line
Light of Creation looted from Bernard (can also use 
)
Third floor (bedroom)
Mage's Friend in a chest at the foot of the bed on the 3rd floor
Second floor (main entrance)
Chest of the Mundane, found on the northern balcony on the second floor (main entrance). It appears to contain worthless mundane items. If they are removed, or are in proximity to a Sussur Bloom, the enchantment fails, and instead the items can be seen to be 
Mystra's Grace and some randomised loot, including two scrolls.
First Floor
Basement (secret room)
Staff of Arcane Blessing
The Sparkswall- Level 3 Spell Scroll (randomised)
Notes
- The Arcane Cannons and Animated Armours can be disabled by a Sussur Bloom, whether it is placed near them, or held by a nearby character.
- If line-of-sight of the Arcane Cannons is broken, such as by using a
spell, they will be unable to fire.
