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 comp
lete, 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 cottag
e.

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 o
f 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 tak
en 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 i
s 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 D
umathion 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 f
rom 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 chali
ce 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 yo
u 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. Gi
ve 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 throug
h 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, befor
e 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. Rizz
en 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 middl
e 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 Ke
y 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 a
nd 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 encoura
ged us on this work and thanks to SSI for MENZOBERRANZAN.