Tower of Penance... Optional? (Spoilers)

[Markytous]

So if you're aware of the different endings, you know that you don't need the beacons should you pursue 2 of the 3 endings. I think I just confirmed it for myself, as I just started a new game and opened the gate to the Abbey without clearing the tower. Just wanna know if for sure Tancred is an optional boss and I don't actually need to even access the tower. Funny thing too because as of right now Fextralife says Tancred is not an optional boss...

[Quickdraw]

I dont know if its optional or not but imo Tancred is the best armor in game.

[Grad]

He is mandatory to access the beacon. He is a beacon boss.
Even if you don't cleanse it, you need to kill the beacon protectors.

[Traltwin]

Shouldn't listen to Fextralife ... they just rush out literal garbage and then it's basically up to all of US to fix their website's inaccuracies for them.

But good to know that they're optional... I want the advanced radiant caster as a starting character so I think I have to do all 5 beacons... as a guess lol.

[Markytous]

Originally posted by Grad:

He is mandatory to access the beacon. He is a beacon boss.
Even if you don't cleanse it, you need to kill the beacon protectors.

Why is this? What isn't accessible if you don't clear the beacon protectors? At what point is progress halted? I genuinely don't know and I'm curious about this for doing certain quickest runs possible through NG cycles.

[Grad]

Originally posted by Markytous:

Originally posted by Grad:

He is mandatory to access the beacon. He is a beacon boss.
Even if you don't cleanse it, you need to kill the beacon protectors.

Why is this? What isn't accessible if you don't clear the beacon protectors? At what point is progress halted? I genuinely don't know and I'm curious about this for doing certain quickest runs possible through NG cycles.

You will not be able to enter Bramis, the last zone in the game.

[Markytous]

Originally posted by Grad:

Originally posted by Markytous:

Why is this? What isn't accessible if you don't clear the beacon protectors? At what point is progress halted? I genuinely don't know and I'm curious about this for doing certain quickest runs possible through NG cycles.

You will not be able to enter Bramis, the last zone in the game.

Oh, the blocked gate. Got it, thanks. I'll test this myself as well.

[Valhalla]

I do not believe it is optional, as you still need to get to the shrines at some point or another, no matter the endings.

[KoD]

I reached the throne room in Bramis castle without even seeing the Empyrean. The guide for Umbral ending also doesn't include The Judge as requirement, as far as I can tell. Maybe Tancred can also be skipped in certain cases.

[Khryst]

Umbral doesn't require beacons. As long as you don't cleanse any. so you can skip both Judge Cleric, and Thancred if you so choose.

Infernal and Radiant endings yes you're gonna have to do the tower.

[ArVrok]

Originally posted by KoD:

I reached the throne room in Bramis castle without even seeing the Empyrean. The guide for Umbral ending also doesn't include The Judge as requirement, as far as I can tell. Maybe Tancred can also be skipped in certain cases.

Just finished a second playthrough an hour ago and I couldn't open the castle gate until returning to Empyrean and defeating the Judge. This might extend to the other beacon bosses too, but that's unclear.
(All other beacons were cleansed up to that point)

[Khryst]

Originally posted by ArVrok:

Originally posted by KoD:

I reached the throne room in Bramis castle without even seeing the Empyrean. The guide for Umbral ending also doesn't include The Judge as requirement, as far as I can tell. Maybe Tancred can also be skipped in certain cases.

Just finished a second playthrough an hour ago and I couldn't open the castle gate until returning to Empyrean and defeating the Judge. This might extend to the other beacon bosses too, but that's unclear.
(All other beacons were cleansed up to that point)

Umbral doesn't require you do go to Empyrean or the Tower.

If you've done all the steps required to get the ending, you deal with the huntress either get the Rune of Adyr or have the Iron Wayfarer take it.

If you get the Rune go turn it into Withered Rune of Adyr and you can access the castle.

if the Iron Wayfarer took it, make way to castle gate kill his ass take Rune, then go turn it into Withered Rune of Adyr...and open the castle.

you NEVER have to go to Empyrean and NEVER have to go into the tower to get Umbral.

Now if you cleansed a beacon then Yes you do have to deal with the Judge and Thancred in the tower because you ♥♥♥♥♥♥ up and cleansed a beacon and CANNOT DO THE UMBRAL STEPS BEFORE GOING INTO THE CASTLE. Which by all accounts is actually not possible and locks you out of actually getting the Umbral ending because you would've have used the Rune of Adyr to open the castle and not the Withered Rune of Adyr.