This page contains the text-only version of the complete walkthrough for the 
    1998 computer adventure game "Rent-A-Hero" from Neo Software.

Rent-A-Hero

Hints & Complete Walkthrough

v1.0 (c) November 15, 1998 by MOATMAI at AOL dot COM

The world of Tol Andar is a strange place where medieval fantasy clichés
meet cybernetic technology -- a story with a lot of potential.
Unfortunately, some situations are less than fair, hence this
walkthrough.

Please note that the walkthrough will basically shove you through the
game as fast as humanly possible. It is definitely not a scenic tour:
When you play at your own pace, you can occasionally stray to some
locations Rodrigo has already visited before and get new snippets of
conversation.

If you are in need of a hint (and you don't want to spoil your fun with
a complete walkthrough), here are a few general pointers and a Question
& Answer section to get you over the hard bits.

---

General Notes:

Double-clicking on a place will make Rodrigo scurry there quickly. If
you do this too often or too soon, however, you risk missing vital story
clues. For instance, if you double-click on the cave in the introductory
sequence, you will miss a rather funny punchline and a bit of plot
information.

Clicking on something once may not be enough. Many places / persons /
objects will only yield an object after you click on it twice in a row
-- or more. Some objects will appear only after Rodrigo visits the place
following certain other events. In a few cases, objects pop up only on
his second visit.

One more thing: Should you be color-blind, you don't stand a chance to
finish this game. Get somebody to help out when you enter the critical
area [trust me, you'll know when you're there]. No, I don't know what
the programmers were thinking, either.

Questions And Answers:

Questions And Answers:

What's the goal of the game?

Save the world, of course.

How does Rodrigo get a commission?

Maybe Louis can help, after all, he runs a Hero Discounter shop. Maybe
not... sometimes work just works right into Rodrigo's office.

How do I get the sewage worker off the manhole?

Talk to Sancho.

How do I get the Gold back?

Good things come to those who wait. In this case, you have to wait quite
a while. Do go looking for the gold, but don't expect to be successful
very quickly.

How do I get through the smelly passage?

You don't.

How do I get the skipping rope from the girl?

Bargain with her -- offer another object. Hint: It is hidden in the same
forest, but Rodrigo has to beat around the bushes a bit.

How do I help the Dragon?

Scavengers will eat anything, even if it kills them. The forest is full
of poisonous mushrooms and an extremely poisonous bush.

How do I get into Endavin?

Rodrigo needs a cloak from Sancho's tavern. He will also need a
cyberglove and hat, but first our hero has to help the ancient dragon
out. Both monks and pirates insist on earrings as fashion accessoires.

Where are the other five keystones?

There's something about Jasmine, don't you think? She really knows how
to shine.

How do I get Jasmine out of the tree?

She may look hot, but she can't stand the heat. Straw burns quite well,
did you know that?

How do I light the straws?

Need a match? Look in the mines and drill even where it looks futile to
proceed. Scan the surroundings closely after drilling.

In what order do I have to place the keystones into the Artifact?

Look at the floor in Tharain's library in Esragoth. Walk out and come
back in, repeatedly. Make notes.

(If you're a cheater, check out the file "S70_back.bmp" in the directory
"\Game\Loc20\" on Disc 2 of the Game.)

The colors of the keystones don't seem to match the ones on the floor in
the library?

When Rodrigo inserts a keystone into the artifact, the stone in the
middle briefly lights up in the precise color.

How do I change the order of the keystones?

Rodrigo will have to pull them out and replace them. Usually, he will
have to pull them all out and then put them back in.

What do I do after everything goes boom?

Make a wish.

No, really, what do I do?

Have you never heard of wishing wells? Of course Rodrigo needs money for
that... which you might find near the sewers.

Do Cynthia and Rodrigo ever get it on?

You have a dirty mind, you know? But so do the programmers...

How do I camouflage the boat?

Don't stretch your imagination too much. A little something might
suffice... you might want to enlist the dragon's services again.

Why do I keep getting more and more evil magicians confronting me -- I
thought there were only six?

You have to successively destroy them to succeed. Every time they hit
you, you have to start again. The correct sequence is hard-wired but
there doesn't seem to be any logic in the progression.

---

Special Notes:

Some objects and people in the game may have slightly different names in
this walkthrough from the ones used in the game. The reason for this is
that the version I played was not in English.

Please do also note that the walkthrough tries to be as complete as
humanly possible, going so far as to indicate in detail which paths to
take. Having suffered through one of SinJin's solves where he just wrote
"go there" without even providing a minimal hint as to how to accomplish
this feat, I decided not to take anything for granted.

Please don't distribute this solve without full credit. The most
up-to-date version can be found at the URL
http://www.hellonearth.com/hints/rentahero.html -- that page will
provide links both to an ASCII version and a HTML version of the solve.
There are also game screenshots which might clear up some minor
problems.

---

Detailed Walkthrough:

Introductory Sequence

Inventory: DragonBlaster Deluxe

During the introductory sequence, when Rodrigo asks you to pull his
blaster, do so. After defeating the dragon, he will ask you to click on
the cave's opening: Follow his advice to see whom you have managed to
rescue.

Item lost: "DragonBlaster Deluxe" (disappears from inventory)

Smashville: Rodrigo's office and thereabouts

Inventory: nothing

Instead of pondering whether he should rename his bureau "Rodrigo'
Princess & Princes' Rescue Service", Rodrigo will automatically walk
into his office. Exit the office and walk to the elevator on the right
side of the screen. Go up and enter Louis' "Hero Discounter" shop. Talk
with Louis until he keeps saying the same things. Exit Louis' quarters
and return to Rodrigo's office.

Sit down behind Rodrigo's desk (click on the desk); a dwarf named Namil
will enter. Keep the conversation going until Namil leaves -- you now
have a mission. Stand up and click on the desk again to retrieve the
advance from the desk's drawer. Exit the office.

After the following inevitable mishap you take the elevator downstairs
to talk to the worker standing there. Keep talking to him until Rodrigo
decides the guy should better be left alone. Take the lift up and climb
into Rodrigo's glider, heading for Sancho's Tavern.

Item obtained: "A bag full of gold"
Item lost: "A bag full of gold"

Smashville: Sancho's tavern

Inventory: nothing

Help the leather-clad woman (the Leatherette) who is being harrassed by
two idiots by clicking on her. Enter Sancho's tavern and walk to the
tables upstairs. Talk to the stranger until he feels harrassed. Things
happen by themselves. Re-enter Sancho's tavern, point your mouse to the
lower end of the screen and enter the main room of the tavern. Talk to
Sancho until he gives Rodrigo his whistle. Exit the tavern and climb
back on the glider, heading back to Rodrigo's office.

Item obtained: "The stranger's cloak"
Item obtained: "Sancho's whistle"

Smashville: Rodrigo's Office and thereabouts

Inventory: Cloak, Whistle

Once you step off the glider, click on the whistle. Take the elevator
downstairs and enter the sewage system.

Smashville: Sewage System

Inventory: Cloak, Whistle

Inside the sewage system, exit to the right. In the next screen, walk
all the way to the left. The bag is in the water. Click on it. Pull the
crank. Exit through the door next to the crank. Cross the next screen.
Climb up the ladder, back to the surface.

Item found: "A bag full of gold"
Item lost: "A bag full of gold"

Smashville: Rodrigo's Office and thereabouts

Go back to the main floor and climb on Rodrigo's glider. Exit Smashville
by clicking at the top of the screen. In the selection screen, choose
the forest as your destination.

The Forest

Inventory: Cloak, Whistle

Go down. Click on the brushwood on the right. After listening to
Rodrigo's reminiscences, click again -- you will now find a teddy bear.
Walk up and, on the screen with the glider, up again. Talk to the small
girl with the skipping rope until you run out of arguments. Offer her
the bear. Walk down, climb onto the glider, heading back to Smashville.

Item obtained: "Jean Jacques Pierre V"
Item lost: "Jean Jacques Pierre V"
Item obtained: "A skipping rope"

Smashville: Rodrigo's Office and thereabouts

Inventory: Cloak, Whistle, Rope

Take the elevator down to the lower level, climb back into the sewage.

Smashville: Sewage System

Inventory: Cloak, Whistle, Rope

Inside the sewage system, exit to the right. In the next screen, walk
all the way to the left. Standing next to the crank, click on the
skipping rope in the inventory. Pull the crank. Walk to the right. In
the next screen, continue to the right. You will now exit the sewage
system. Don't mind the head peeking out of the sewage tube (Rodrigo's
being tailed, but there's nothing to be done about it).

The Dragon's Ravine

Inventory: Cloak, Whistle

Walk to the right. Click on the Dragon until he invites you to see the
dragon cementery with the scavenger creatures. Go back to the dragon
(click on the lower edge of the screen), talk to him until the
conversation stops and go back to the left. Don't enter the sewage tube,
but walk into the forest instead.

The Forest

Inventory: Cloak, Whistle

Walk to the right. Click on the little red mushroom. Go back left. Walk
down. Walk to the left. Walk up. You should now be facing a poisonous
bush. Click on the mushroom in the inventory, check out the snail
action. Take some leaves from the bush and retrace your steps to the
dragon's ravine (down, right, up, up, right).

Item obtained: "A mushroom"
Item lost: "A mushroom"
Item obtained: "Poisonous leaves"

The Dragon's Ravine and Cementery.

Inventory: Cloak, Whistle, Leaves

Walk to the right past the dragon and head towards the dragon skull.
Click on the skull, then click on the jaw of the skull. Now click on the
thorny bush on the right-hand side. Once again, click on the skull and
then on the bush. Rodrigo will move the bush aside and uncover the
skull's auditory canal. Click on the canal to enter.

Inside the Dead Dragon's Skull

Inventory: Cloak, Whistle, Leaves

Click on the Leaves -- now you will have to leave. Click on the dead
dragon's jaw to exit the skull. Wait for explosive results and head back
to the left and then bottom, to the dragon.

Item lost: "Poisonous leaves"

The Dragon's Ravine

Inventory: Cloak, Whistle

Pirate attack! Good thing you were nice to that dragon. Pick up the
cyber glove and the hat and return to Smashville through the sewage
system (left, left, click to the crank, right and back up the ladder).

Item obtained: "The pirate's hand"
Item obtained: "The pirate's hat"

Smashville: Ranama's Monastery and Observatorium

Inventory: Cloak, Whistle, Hand, Hat

In Smashville, return to Rodrigo's glider and saddle on. Head for
Ranama's Monastery (click the zone slightly to the right next to the
houses on the left. Make Rodrigo exit the monastery and watch the secret
behind Ranama's flying trick. Climb back onto the glider to return to
the monastery and have a little talk with Ranama who's now
embarrassingly earthbound. Exit the monastery, have Rodrigo climb back
onto his glider and exit Smashville.

Endavin: Outside the Town

Inventory: Cloak, Whistle, Hand, Hat

On the selection screen, choose Endavin, the town on the right. Click on
the guard and then click on the left to leave.

Smashville: Ranama's Monastery and Observatorium

Inventory: Cloak, Whistle, Hand, Hat

In Smashville, climb right back onto Rodrigo's glider and head for the
observatorium (again). Walk towards Ranama, click on him and then and
point your mouse at his earring. Click on it several times, until the
Monk turns his head. Now be quick and click it again. Rodrigo will make
a quick exit.

Item obtained: "Ranama's earring"

Endavin: Outside the Town

Inventory: Cloak, Whistle, Hand, Hat, Earring

Back in Smashville, man the glider and exit Smashville. Re-visit
Endavin. Witness the exchange at the gate between the guard and the
Stranger from Sancho's tavern (who turned out to be an undercover pirate
after all). Click on the guard and then on the gate.

Endavin: Inside the Town

Inventory: Cloak, Whistle, Hand, Hat

Inside, head to the right and click on the pile of rubble, twice in
succession. (For all I know, the pin is a McGuffin, i.e. useless). Head
back to the entrance and enter the tavern.

Item obtained: "A safety pin"

Endavin: Inside the Tavern

Inventory: Cloak, Whistle, Hand, Hat, Pin

Click repeatedly on the pirates at the table. When they pull up a giant
jug, click on it. The results are predictable: Rodrigo loses his
consciousness and all his worldly belongings.

Item lost: everything

Endavin: In the Dungeon

Inventory: nothing

Talk to your fellow prisoner, the beautiful but extremely verbose
Jasmine, until she runs out of exposition. Click on the upper left-hand
dungeon window to get even more exposition -- slowly, the puzzle is
coming together (or is it?). When the dialogue starts over, click on
either side of the screen to move away from the window. Click on the
haystack in the middle of the floor. Click again.

Item obtained: "Straw"

The Forest

Inventory: Straw

Walk up, follow Jasmine to the left. Pass the gate of Esragoth.

Esragoth: Town and thereabouts.

Inventory: Straw

After the guard welcomes you, click on the dwarf to the left. Ramil
appears, click on him once he finishes hugging Jasmine. Once he stops
giving Rodrigo useful information, click on the right to exit Esragoth.
When Tharain appears and invites Rodrigo into his library, click on the
dwarf until he gives you the keystone and stops spewing out new
information. Exit the library, talk to Nurgar, the Guard and wait for
Jasmine and Namil to emerge. Click on Jasmine until she runs away. Enter
the mines to the left of the screen.

Item obtained: "The keystone of Tharain"

Esragoth: The Mines

Inventory: Straw, Keystone

Grab the shovel and proceed to the left. Enter the tunnel in the middle
(second to the left, to be more precise) and then go right. Surprise,
the drilling device doesn't work. Click right, then left, then right.
Click on the pick-axe, then on the rocks. Click on the right upper rock
and then click on the pick-axe in the inventory. Now click the shovel in
the inventory -- Rodrigo is now the proud owner of a cooking stone.

Click left, left and then go through the second tunnel from the right.
Click on the middle tunnel to return to the drilling device. Click on
the cooking stone in the inventory, then on the lever at the side of the
machine (it's right behind Rodrigo, just click on him if you must).

Follow the machine: Left, left. Stop at the junction with the four
tunnels and click on the shovel to activate the rail switch.

Continue down the second-to-right tunnel, continue to the right (you
will notice that it is in fact physically impossible for the machine to
take that route with the way the tracks are laid out, but that's Fantasy
to you). Click on the lever to start the drill (the lever on the
right-hand side of the machine), twice (!). Next to the tunnel entrance,
you can now click on a box of matches which is hidden behind the
leftmost rock, right next to Rodrigo's arm.

Activate the other lever of the drill (which makes it move), click at
the tunnel, then left, left, middle, right. Activate the drill again,
twice (there is an entrance barely visible behind the rocks).

You have found the secret passage, now you just need to retrieve the
necklace from Jasmine. Exit the mines: Up, left, left, right, right.
Then exit Esragoth to the right.

Item obtained: "A shovel"
Item obtained: "A pick-axe"
Item obtained: "A cooking stone (hot!)"
Item lost: "A cooking stone (hot!)"
Item obtained: "A box of matches"

The Forest

Inventory: Straw, Keystone, Shovel, Pick-Axe, Matches

Head to the left into the forest. Head right, down. There's a tree to
the right: Click on it (Jasmine's hiding up there) until Rodrigo
realizes he cannot climb up. Click on the straw and on the matches.
Click on the necklace which falls out of the tree. The heroic thing now
would be to extinguish the flames, but it isn't strictly necessary.

Go back to Esragoth: Up, Left, Left, right. Re-enter the mine to the
left and head back to the secret passage (left, left, middle, right) and
enter the passage to the right.

Item obtained: "A necklace"
Item lost: "Straw"

The Secret Chamber

Inventory: Keystone, Shovel, Pick-Axe, Matches, Necklace

Step up to the Artifact by clicking on it and select the necklace from
the inventory. Rodrigo now has six stones in his inventory. Rodrigo will
always insert the stones clockwise, beginning at the top, and this is
the order to do it: Red, Turquoise, Blue, Yellow, Violet, Green. If you
are unsure what the color of the stone is (the stones in the inventory
are somewhat off-color), insert it into the artifact and it will glow in
the proper color. As Rodrigo celebrates himself for his heroic action,
things take a more sinister turn outside.

Item lost: "A necklace"
Item lost: "The keystone of Tharain"
Item lost: "A stone from the necklace (with a hole in it)"
Item lost: "A stone from the necklace (with a hole in it)"
Item lost: "A stone from the necklace (with a hole in it)"
Item lost: "A stone from the necklace (with a hole in it)"
Item lost: "A stone from the necklace (with a hole in it)"

Concordshire: Cynthia and the Well

Inventory: Shovel, Pick-Axe, Matches

After Rodrigo wakes up, click on Cynthia's ample cleavage until she
recounts what has transpired while Rodrigo was out of it. Exit Cynthia's
house by clicking into the lower left of the scene. Outside, click on
the well for a lame joke. Exit to the forest to the left.

The Forest, the Dragon's Ravine and back to Cynthia.

Inventory: Shovel, Pick-Axe, Matches

Click on the upper right, then twice on the top until you are back at
the Dragon's Ravine. Go right and click at the dragon until he tells
Rodrigo everything he remembers. Return to the left and go back through
the forest to Cynthia's home (down, down, down, left, down).

Click on the well and go back through the forest (left, right, up, up,
up) to the Ravine. Look at the ground below the sewage tube -- the bag
of gold's finally reappeared. Head back to the forest to the well (you
know the drill by now...) and once Rodrigo stands next to the well,
click on the bag of gold in the inventory. Click on the well until you
exhaust its dialogue.

Easter Egg: Go into Cynthia's house, click on the open fire, then on
Cynthia and then on the big bed.

Item obtained: "A bag full of gold"
Item lost: "A bag full of gold"

The Dragon's Ravine

Inventory: Shovel, Pick-Axe, Matches

Go back to the ravine and click on the dragon until he lets you climb
onto his back. Take a ride.

The Island

Inventory: Shovel, Pick-Axe, Matches

Enter the hut and click twice on the window in the middle. Click twice
on the windows to the left and the right, each. Click on the floor right
under the middle window. Now click again on the window in the middle.

Click on Megophias until he has told Rodrigo everything he needs to know
and the dialogue begins to loop. Exit the room and the hut to the left.
Click on the path in the middle of the screen, click at the hole and
return to Megophias (up, left, click on middle window). Click on the old
man in his machine, leave and climb aboard the dragon once more.

The Dragon's Ravine

Inventory: Shovel, Pick-Axe, Matches

Click on the left and then back into the forest (up). There, walk twice
to the right.

The Harbour of Smashville

Inventory: Shovel, Pick-Axe, Matches

Click on the barrels in the lower middle of the screen. The mysterious,
leather-clad woman (I call her Leatherette) whom Rodrigo first met in
front of Sancho's tavern will reappear. Click on the Leatherette until
she agrees to show you a secret passage.

Go down the passage and click on the boat. Walk back to the dragon
(right, right, left, up, right), climb aboard (click twice on dragon)
and return to the island.

The Island

Inventory: Shovel, Pick-Axe, Matches

Walk up the path next to the house and look around -- next to the hole,
barely four pixels in size, there is a pirate flag. Click on it. Go back
to the dragon and fly back to the ravine. Now walk back to the harbour
(left, up, right, right).

Item obtained: "The pirates' flag"

The Harbour Of Smashville

Inventory: Shovel, Pick-Axe, Matches, Flag

Climb down the secret passage and when Rodrigo is standing next to the
boat, click on the black flag in the inventory. Now click on the boat to
get underway.

Item lost: "The pirates' flag"

The Pirate Ship

Inventory: Shovel, Pick-Axe, Matches

Click on the chest which is blocking the way to the captain's cabin
door. Click on the door and then on the Leatherette. Now Rodrigo can
enter the door. Inside, the Virtual Ego Projector is lying on the bed.
Click on it and on the wine bottle on the floor (even though the bottle
doesn't do anything really), then click on the exit next to the battling
pirate captain.

Item obtained: "The virtual Ego Projector"
Item obtained: "A wine bottle"

The Harbour Of Smashville

Inventory: Shovel, Pick-Axe, Matches, Projector, Bottle

Walk back to the dragon (right, right and boom, you're there, the game
abridges the rest of the tour) and climb aboard -- next stop, the
Island.

The Island

Inventory: Shovel, Pick-Axe, Matches, Projector, Bottle

Enter Megophias' hut (left, click on middle window) and click on the Ego
Projector in the inventory. After a bit of dialogue, give the projector
another click. We now enter Virtual Reality...

Item lost: everything

Virtual Reality

Inventory: nothing

Click on the first Evil Magician. A line of characters will appear on
the lower hand of the screen. From left to right: The Dragon, the little
Girl, the Leatherette, Jasmine, Louis, Ranama, Cynthia and finally
Sancho.

Click on their faces in the following order to beat the six Evil
Magicians: Little Girl, Leatherette, Cynthia, Louis, Sancho and finally
the Dragon.

Now you will be asked to insert the first CD-ROM again. While inserting
Disc 1, keep the SHIFT-Key pressed to keep the Windows Autostart feature
from launching a second instance of the game (lousy programming).

Time for the brisk finale and a gut-wrenching song... see you in
Rent-A-Hero 2!

GAME OVER

---

Continuity errors:

The Leatherette always appears to be out of focus or pixelated.

After you have grabbed the cloak from the stranger, he still wears it in
front of the gates of Endavin.

The flag is nowhere to be seen when Rodrigo first visits the back of the
island. Why would the pirates return just to plant a flag on the beach?

When Rodrigo escapes with the boat, the pirate flag is missing. As he
rows back to shore, the flag is back.

Obvious Homages:

Lighthouse (the game)
Night Of The Living Dead
Return Of The Jedi
The Lion Sleeps Tonight (the song)
TimeCop

---

Hints and Walkthrough: (c) 1998 [email protected]