The Robe of the Dark Arts is the strongest mage armor in Gothic 1 Remake, and it sits inside Xardas’s old Sunken Tower in the southern part of the Valley of Mines. Most of the structure is submerged, so reaching the robe means diving underwater, clearing an undead-filled dungeon, opening a sealed elemental door, and defeating a Demon Lord. The conversation that points you toward it opens up during Chapter 5, when Xardas mentions that Gomez holds the strongest armor in the Colony and you ask about an alternative.
Quick answer: Swim to the Sunken Tower south of the Old Citadel, dive inside, open the sealed door with Fire, Ice, and Wind (Sleeper) magic, then kill the Demon Lord behind the purple barrier to take the Robe of the Dark Arts off the wall.
Where to find Xardas’s Sunken Tower
The Sunken Tower lies just south of the Old Citadel, in a lake at the bottom of the valley. Only the top of the spire breaks the surface, which is why so many players walk past it without noticing. Right before the bridge that leads to the Old Citadel, climb down the ledge on the left side and follow the path down to the water. From the shoreline, swim out toward the tower.
Entering the tower and grabbing the first Tower Stone
Tip: If you arrive without the right spell circles, basic spell scrolls work fine for the door puzzle, so stock up before the trip.
Clear the undead and open the elemental door
The dungeon is packed with Skeleton warriors and Zombies. In the room with the purple brambles, a Skeleton Mage will keep summoning more skeletons. Kill the mage first to stop the reinforcements, then deal with the rest.
After the room is clear, approach the large locked door covered in symbols. Each symbol matches an element, and you open it by striking the door with three spell types. The game gives no hint here, which is where most players get stuck.
| Seal | Spell type |
|---|---|
| First seal | Any Fire magic |
| Second seal | Any Ice magic |
| Final seal | Wind / Sleeper magic (telekinetic) |
You can hit the three sections in any order. Each section glows a different color when struck correctly, and the door opens once all three are lit. Save before attempting it, since the seals don’t always register a scroll on the first try. If a shot doesn’t land, simply aim at a different spot on the same section and cast again.
Tower Stones and the optional library loot
Past the door you reach the inner sanctum, a library area. The robe itself does not require any of this, but the side room holds strong rewards. In the room with bookshelves to the immediate left of the entrance, lockpick the gate to reach a chest containing the second Tower Stone, plus two teleportation runes, one that returns you to the Sunken Tower and one that sends you to the Fire Mage quarters in the Old Camp.
Place both Tower Stones into the pedestals to open the door on the opposite wall. Behind it sits a chest with the Death to the Undead rune and the Amulet of Stone Skin, which adds +15 to Edge, Blunt, and Point protection. If you only want the robe, skip all of this and head straight from the door instead.
Beat the Demon Lord and take the Robe of the Dark Arts
Walking straight from the elemental door leads to a chamber where the Robe of the Dark Arts hangs behind a purple barrier. As you approach, a Demon Lord is summoned, and the barrier stays up until it is dead.
Stay close to the Demon Lord during the fight. If you back away and open up distance, it summons demonic hands that chase you down and can kill you almost instantly, so keep moving around the arena when they appear. Once the Demon Lord falls, the barrier drops and you can walk up to the wall and take the robe.
You’ll know it worked when the purple barrier disappears and the Robe of the Dark Arts becomes lootable. The robe is then yours to keep and equip.
Robe of the Dark Arts stats and comparison
The Robe of the Dark Arts outclasses both the standard Fire Mage Robe and the Water Mage robe across every protection type. The table below shows how it compares to the Fire Mage Robe.
| Protection | Robe of the Dark Arts | Fire Mage Robe |
|---|---|---|
| Edge | 45 | 40 |
| Blunt | 45 | 40 |
| Point | 20 | 5 |
| Fire | 60 | 30 |
| Wind | 30 | 20 |
| Ice | 30 | 20 |
| Energy | 30 | 20 |
The High Robe of Water sold by Saturas is the closest rival, but it offers 10 fewer points to Edge, Blunt, Point, and Fire than the Robe of the Dark Arts, and it costs 2,600 Ore Nuggets. Since the Sunken Tower robe is free once you clear the dungeon, it remains the best mage armor in the Colony for a magic build heading into the later chapters.
