First some relatively spoiler free info. My party is 10th level and in Act 3, just outside Baldur's Gate proper. Now for the spoilerish stuff...


When I first arrived in Rivington, I ran into the checkpoint leading into Wyrrn's Rock Keep but didn't have a pass on me. I almost talked my way past the patrol, but was forced to submit to a brain scan by a giant robot golem thingy. I was asked to submit to arrest, and I ever so politely declined, and was forced to wipe the checkpoint. I then doubled back around and got a pass to the Lower City by playing detective. I then returned and advanced past the checkpoint. As soon as I arrived in the keep (through the prison oddly enough) I was instantly intercepted by another robot and told to report to Gortash's Audience Hall to witness a coronation.

This gave me some license to explore the first floor of the keep, but I 'accidentally' strayed into a forbidden zone and everybody went hostile. Curious if I could beat all the robots and flaming fists, I decided to duke it out on a whim. I was able to wipe out everyone on the first level without too much sweat and no reloads, but it took forever. The problem is that if I just try to stroll into the Audience Hall at this point, it is instant death. Before anyone in the party can so much as sneeze or react, we're all dead from multiple smokepowder bombs/grenades. I don't even think we're surprised or ambushed, it's just that the robots have such high initiative rolls that we can't get off a single action.

The process of clearing out the first floor was such a long slog that I'm loathe to reload, though it may be necessary. My primary character has some shapeshifting, invisibility and flight capabilities and was able to kill 2 or 3 steel watchers on the ramparts with misdirection, smokepowder bombs/barrels and knockbacks/gravity. But there are way too many for one character to handle.

Which leads me to some questions:

1) Can I get the rest of the party to the upper levels of the keep without triggering hostilities? Will Gortash and his buddies cool off if I head to the lower city for a while? I think most/all of the baddies had the 'Temporarily Hostile' status.
2) Is fighting all these guys at 10th level feasible? Am I supposed to head straight to the Audience Hall, or explore the Lower City first?
3) Should I go back and reload at either of these two points:
a) Before encountering the checkpoint
b) Before triggering hostilities on the 1st floor of Wyrm's Rock