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 
carju@celtic.co.uk. 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.