MENZOBERRANZAN WALK THROUGH Produced by JULIAN and CARYL TANDY OVERVIEW AND SET UP MENZOBERRANZAN usually referred to as MENZO is a typical CRPG from SSI. You generate 2 characters from the usual assortment of Fighters, Thieves, Clerics, Mages, Rangers and Paladins. With the standard 6 race types: Elves, Half Elves, Dwarves, Halflings, Gnomes and Humans. The best option (bearing in mind that for most of the game the other 2 NPC's that join your party are 2 from a Drow Fighter, Gnome Thief and a Fighter/Thief/Mage bird) is a Half Elf Mage, and either a Dwarf Fighter/Cleric or if you feel adventurous a Human Paladin. Your characters will start between level 5 and level 7 and you do have the option to super stat them to all 18's. The basic plot is that the Drow have raided your village and take captive most of its population. Your task is to journey into the Underdark and rescue them from the city of Menzoberranzan. The game is very linear, (links to the 3 sections are given below), and is an excellent introduction to CRPG's as it is fairly easy to complete, with a standard fairly user friendly interface. A full set of maps (viewable in MSDOS Edit) accompany this Walk through. ABOVE GROUND THE VILLAGE After generating your characters and watching the Intro. you start in the local Inn. This is the point at which the Drow attack the village and your task is to put out the fire in the store rooms. You must head E to the well, then collect 12 buckets and fill them with water. Use the buckets on each point of fire on the storeroom (SE building on Village.Map). When the fire is out go N to the Guardhouse and get Baldassar (4th lvl Fighter) to join you. Get the equipment from the Guardhouse and then travel around the village collecting other equipment. Finally go to the Inn to collect your reward (nice +2 helm) and then exit the village by the Eastern Gate. THE WOODS Go South and talk to the injured Drow. Go east and talk to Maeldithar (4th lvl Centaur Ranger), who is willing to join you. Go north to Vermulean's Cottage (see Woods.Map) and speak to Vermulean. Leave the area by heading Eastward after Vermulean's cottage. ICEWIND DALE PLAINS 1 Go to the gap in the Southern Mountains (see Icedale1.Map) and talk to Drizzt (lvl 15 Drow Ranger). He must join you in order to complete the game and comes equipped with the best weapons and armour in the game. Once you have Drizzt proceed N to the cave that is Drizzt's Hideout. Collect all the equipment in the hideout (a button in the NE wall opens a secret passage to the Eastern half of the hideout). Then proceed E to the Leucrotta's Lair. LEUCROTTA'S LAIR The purpose of this cave is to find the 4 gems needed to survive in the Underdark. All 4 are located in the NE corner of the caves (see Gemcave.Map). You will need either a jump spell or will need to find the potion of jumping in order to retrieve all the Gems. There is also a helm of disguise located in the S. Take all 4 gems back to Vermuleans Cottage and get him to magic them into protection against radiation gems. Then go to the point where you found Drizzt and proceed S. ICEWIND DALE PLAINS 2 Go SE and get Vonar (lvl 5/4/4 Fighter/Mage/Thief) to join you (if you don't get Vonar you will have to complete the later half of the game with only 3 characters). Wander around the whole area picking up goodies and killing everything that moves as one of the Trog Frogs has a scroll of Improved Identify. Go to the mine entrance in the SE corner (see Icedale2.Map) and before you enter the Underdark save the game as there is no turning back once you get into the mine cart. UNDERDARK UNDERDARK 1 / 2 and THE LAKE There is not a lot on this level other than a fairly dark and tedious slog up and down via various dead ends. On the first level (see Underlv1.Map) Manahath (lvl 5 Dwarf Fighter) must be spoken to in order to get the Descent map. A ladder in the SW leads down to level 2 (see Underlv2.Map), you will then need passweb to get through the N section in order to find the ladder back up to level 1. The ladder back down is located in the SW corner via a secret wall. By this ladder is a pickaxe which should be taken for later on. From the SW of level 2 head N via a flight area, a secret wall and a passweb. There is a map NPC called Borenorak (lvl 4 Dwarf Cleric) who whilst giving you valuable information should not be added to the party. The entrance to the lake is in the NW corner. Fight the Aboleth in the lake (see Lake.Map) then follow the stepping stones back to level 2. Work your way S to find the exit to the Dwarven Mines. DWARVEN MINES Go NE to the Secret Door with the frieze on it. Use read languages spell to translate the wall and then fight your way around to the N (see Dmine.Map), where the entrance to the Temple of Dumathoin is located. Watch out for Azarell (lvl 6 Elf Fighter) who is really a handmaiden of Lolth. There is no entrance to the NE area from this level. TEMPLE OF DUMATHOIN LEVEL 1 Go W and collect the pickaxe if you do not already have one (see Temple1.Map). Listen in to the conversation from the Mid E room. Get the Silver Moon Key in order to unlock the NE room where after killing the Darro Savant you will get the Silver Star key and several interesting books. Looking at the map you should see the corridors form two hammer shapes running N/S. Go into the E hammer head, push the button behind the E secret wall to allow you to get through the W secret wall where the Holy Symbol of Dumathion is hidden. Use the Silver Star key on the W hammer head and go down to the next level. TEMPLE OF DUMATHOIN LEVEL 2 Get the Silver Circle key from the South. Free the prisoner Valkverdling (lvl 6 Gnome Thief) and include him in the party. Use the Silver Circle key in the NE and use the teleport. Press the hidden switch on the S wall (see Temple2.Map) and get the horn from the NW. Teleport out and then blow the horn at the middle statue in the SE room, this will free the chalice. Proceed along the S passage way with the holy symbol, horn and chalice and go down to the 3rd level. TEMPLE OF DUMATHOIN LEVEL 3 Clear all the rooms you can before using the Silver Axe Key (see Temple3.Map), making sure you collect all the gems in the walls including the Diamond. Use the Silver Axe key and then the Silver Circle key. Offer the diamond to the fountain, use the chalice for healing and pick up the Axe of Hurling. Clean out the N rooms before proceeding S to the Temple Exit. TEMPLE OF DUMATHOIN EXIT After 2 ascents (see Templex.map) the lights will go out and Drizzt will be kidnapped. Before this happens remove his armour, and if you can, let someone else wear it. Drizzts weapons and Panther figurine will always disappear when he goes. Keep ascending until you reach the caves of the Myconid. MYCONID CAVES Search all of the N area picking up the Jade Spider (see Mushroom.Map), before going into the large cave in the middle of the map. Once you enter this room the wall behind you closes and you should proceed SE to talk to the Mushroom Men. They will lead you to the King of the Myconids and you should undertake his quest. When you get the antidote cure Valkverdling and then proceed SW through the opening provided by the King and pass through the exit to the Mouth Cave. MOUTH CAVE Speak to the Mouth (see Mouth.Map) in the Wall and accept his quest, to find the stone necklace. After picking up the necklace continue N and W as there are lots of goodies to be picked up, including Brogonars Stone, before returning with the necklace. Give the Mouth the necklace and then head SW to the Caverns of the Drider. DROW CAVES This is the largest level in the game and if it is not completed in the correct order a huge area will remain unexplored, and although there are no "game critical" items missed, some useful spells will not be found. From the entrance go NE and pass through teleport 1 (see Drowcave.Map). Completely search this area and head NW to the entrance back to another area of the Myconid Caves. Explore this area (see Mushroom.Map) but do not go through the one way exit in the SE corner. Return to the Drow caves and go back through teleport 1. Go through teleports 2 then 3 then 4 after searching each area. Go down to the lower level of the caves, Pick Vonar back up and talk to the Drider who will give you a scroll of transform to spider. Leave level 2 via the E exit and proceed NW to the Chasm. Use the scroll provided by the Drider and then head NE to the Entrance to the Underground River. UNDERGROUND RIVER After paying the ferryman his gems, get into the boat. There is nothing you can do from this point onwards, other than fight the aerial attackers. The boat will be guided by the current and when it stops get out and go to the entrance to Menzoberranzan. MENZOBERRANZAN APPROACHES TO MENZOBERRANZAN Follow your left (see Appro.map) and you will soon be at the entrance to the city of Menzoberranzan. To move around the city just click on the location to which you wish to travel. BAZAAR Go to Galenthas Goods shop (see Bazzaar.map) and trade in the helm. Go to Ssar Tafell's shop and speak to her. She will then send you on a quest to the Sorcere Tower. SORCERE TOWER Use the teleport to get up to the 2nd level (see Sorcere.map) and then speak to the Mage in the WS room. He will trade in the healing box for the bits needed to release the Drider spirit from House Baenare. Leave the Tower and enjoy the video clips, before returning to Ssar Tafell in the Bazaar. She will allow you to speak with Vermulean who will identify the gem of Lolth. You must then go to the House Fey Blanch. HOUSE FEY BLANCH This area is well worth fully exploring (see Feyb.map), as there are some goodies and lots of experience points. Find Gumsznar in the SW room and talk to him. He will then turn you into Drow, and send you to see Rizzen Do'urden in Carpathians Tavern. Rizzen will tell you the password and give you a map to House to House Do'urden. You must then go to Gollvelius' Tavern where you must speak with the rouge Jarlaxle. MANTLE CAVERNS Jarlaxle will send you to the Mantle caverns to return his Necklace. Mantle Cavern 1 (NE) is worth exploring (see Mantle1.map) and contains some good items (+2 Sword, gauntlets), before going to Mantle Cavern 2 (NW). The necklace can be found in the middle of the cave behind a secret wall (see Mantle2.map). Finish the cavern and return to Jarlaxle. You will then have to return to Mantle Cavern 1, kill the Drow Patrol in the SW corner and get the 4 insignia. Then proceed to House Do'urden. HOUSE DO'URDEN Give the password to the guards to enter the Commoner Area. Get the Gold Red Gem key from the mid N room (see Housedca.map) and go West. Get the Gold Green Gem key from the S room and go through the N door. Find the Secret Door and get the White Circle Key from the NW room. Go through the S door, past the villagers cell, unlock the White Circle door and teleport up to the Noble Area lvl 1. You can not enter the W area until you have seen Rizzen again, so go NW (see Housedn1.map) and teleport up to Nobles Area lvl 2. Go through the secret door in the NW (see Housedn2.map) and teleport to the S of the main corridor. Go SW through the secret door, kill Rizzen, get the Gold Black Gem key and the helm. Add the Gem of Lolth to the helm of spiders. Teleport back to the NE and return to Nobles lvl 1. The guards will now have disappeared and you can use the Black Gem key to open the W door. Go to the SW room and get the Gold Circle key. Go W and get Drizzts weapons. Unlock the Gold Circle door in the NW. Go through the Secret wall and get the Gold Blue Gem key. Open the Blue Gem door and before entering the teleport prepare for the final battle. Kill Matron Do'urden, free Drizzt and the villagers and watch the video graphics finish. This walk through was produced by Julian and Caryl Tandy email [email protected]. This file is free to copy and distribute please pass on the location of this file to anyone who needs help. Many thanks to all on News:comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.rpg who encouraged us on this work and thanks to SSI for MENZOBERRANZAN.