Walkthrough forMenzoberranzan

Overview and Set Up

Menzoberranzan (usually referred to as Menzo) is a CRPG from SSI set in the Underdark city of the Drow. 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 party combination — bearing in mind that the two NPC companions who join you are drawn from a Drow Fighter, a Gnome Thief, and a Fighter/Thief/Mage bird — is a Half Elf Mage paired with either a Dwarf Fighter/Cleric or, for the more adventurous, a Human Paladin. Your characters start between level 5 and level 7, and you have the option to max their stats to 18 across the board.

The basic plot: the Drow have raided your village and taken most of its population captive. Your task is to journey into the Underdark and rescue them from the city of Menzoberranzan. The game is very linear and serves as an excellent introduction to CRPGs — fairly easy to complete, with a standard user-friendly interface.

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; your immediate task is to put out the fire in the storerooms.

1. Head East to the well and collect 12 buckets, filling them with water.
2. Use the buckets on each point of fire in the storeroom (the SE building on the Village map).
3. Once the fire is out, go North to the Guardhouse and recruit Baldassar (4th-level Fighter) into your party.
4. Collect the equipment from the Guardhouse, then travel around the village gathering further equipment.
5. Return to the Inn to collect your reward (a +2 helm), then exit through the Eastern Gate.

The Woods

1. Go South and speak to the injured Drow.
2. Go East and talk to Maeldithar (4th-level Centaur Ranger) — he is willing to join your party.
3. Go North to Vermulean's Cottage and speak to Vermulean.
4. Leave the area by heading Eastward past Vermulean's cottage.

Icewind Dale Plains 1

1. Go to the gap in the Southern Mountains and speak to Drizzt (level 15 Drow Ranger). He must join your party to complete the game, and he arrives equipped with some of the best weapons and armour in the game.
2. Once you have Drizzt, proceed North to Drizzt's Hideout.
3. Collect all the equipment in the hideout. A button in the NE wall opens a secret passage to the Eastern half.
4. Proceed East 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 four are located in the NE corner of the caves. You will need either a Jump spell or the Potion of Jumping to retrieve them all. There is also a Helm of Disguise located in the South.

1. Collect all 4 gems from the NE corner.
2. Take them to Vermulean's Cottage and have Vermulean enchant them into protection against radiation gems.
3. Return to where you found Drizzt and proceed South.

Icewind Dale Plains 2

1. Go SE and recruit Vonar (level 5/4/4 Fighter/Mage/Thief) into your party. If you skip Vonar, you will have to complete the latter half of the game with only 3 characters.
2. Explore the entire area, killing enemies and collecting items — one of the Trog Frogs carries a Scroll of Improved Identify.
3. Locate the mine entrance in the SE corner. Save your game before entering, as there is no turning back once you board the mine cart.

Underdark

Underdark Levels 1 & 2 and The Lake

These levels are a dark and sprawling slog through dead ends and branching passages. Progress carefully.

• On Underdark Level 1, speak to Manahath (level 5 Dwarf Fighter) to obtain the Descent Map.
• A ladder in the SW leads down to Level 2. You will need Passweb to get through the North section in order to find the ladder back up to Level 1.
• The ladder back down is in the SW corner via a secret wall. Nearby is a Pickaxe — take it, as it is needed later.
• From the SW of Level 2, head North via a flight area, a secret wall, and Passweb.
• Borenorak (level 4 Dwarf Cleric) is a map NPC who provides valuable information but should not be added to the party.
• The entrance to The Lake is in the NW corner. Fight the Aboleth in the lake, then follow the stepping stones back to Level 2.
• Work your way South to find the exit to the Dwarven Mines.

Dwarven Mines

1. Go NE to the Secret Door with the frieze on it.
2. Use Read Languages to translate the wall inscription.
3. Fight your way around to the North, where the entrance to the Temple of Dumathoin is located.
4. Watch out for Azarell (level 6 Elf Fighter) — she is actually a handmaiden of Lolth.
5. Note: there is no entrance to the NE area from this level.

Temple of Dumathoin — Level 1

1. Go West and collect the Pickaxe if you do not already have one.
2. Listen in to the conversation from the mid-East room.
3. Obtain the Silver Moon Key and use it to unlock the NE room.
4. Kill the Darro Savant to receive the Silver Star Key and several interesting books.
5. Note the two hammer-shaped corridors running N/S on the map. Enter the East hammerhead and push the button behind the East secret wall; this opens the West secret wall where the Holy Symbol of Dumathoin is hidden.
6. Use the Silver Star Key on the West hammerhead and descend to the next level.

Temple of Dumathoin — Level 2

1. Retrieve the Silver Circle Key from the South.
2. Free the prisoner Valkverdling (level 6 Gnome Thief) and add him to the party.
3. Use the Silver Circle Key in the NE and take the teleport.
4. Press the hidden switch on the South wall and retrieve the Horn from the NW.
5. Teleport out, then blow the Horn at the middle statue in the SE room to free the Chalice.
6. Take the Holy Symbol of Dumathoin, Horn, and Chalice and proceed South to descend to Level 3.

Temple of Dumathoin — Level 3

1. Clear all rooms before using the Silver Axe Key, collecting all gems embedded in the walls — including the Diamond.
2. Use the Silver Axe Key, then the Silver Circle Key.
3. Offer the Diamond to the fountain, use the Chalice for healing, and pick up the Axe of Hurling.
4. Clear the North rooms before proceeding South to the Temple Exit.

Temple of Dumathoin — Exit

After 2 ascents, the lights will go out and Drizzt will be kidnapped. Before this happens, remove his armour and have another party member wear it if possible — his weapons and Panther Figurine will disappear when he is taken. Keep ascending until you reach the Myconid Caves.

Myconid Caves

1. Search the entire North area and pick up the Jade Spider before entering the large cave in the centre of the map.
2. Once inside, the wall behind you closes. Proceed SE to speak with the Mushroom Men.
3. They will lead you to the King of the Myconids — undertake his quest.
4. When you obtain the antidote, cure Valkverdling.
5. Proceed SW through the opening the King provides and exit through to the Mouth Cave.

Mouth Cave

1. Speak to the Mouth in the wall and accept his quest: find the Stone Necklace.
2. After picking up the necklace, continue North and West — there are many items to collect, including Brogonar's Stone.
3. Return the necklace to the Mouth.
4. Head SW to the Caverns of the Drider.

Drow Caves

This is the largest level in the game. If not completed in the correct order, a significant area will remain unexplored and some useful spells will be missed.

1. From the entrance, go NE and pass through Teleport 1. Search this area thoroughly, then head NW to the entrance back to another section of the Myconid Caves.
2. Explore that Myconid area, but do not go through the one-way exit in the SE corner.
3. Return to the Drow Caves via Teleport 1, then proceed through Teleports 2, 3, and 4 in sequence, searching each area as you go.
4. Descend to the lower level of the caves. Pick up Vonar and speak to the Drider, who will give you a Scroll of Transform to Spider.
5. Leave Level 2 via the East exit and head NW to the Chasm. Use the scroll from the Drider to cross.
6. Head NE to the entrance to the Underground River.

Underground River

Pay the ferryman with your gems and board the boat. From this point you can only fight off aerial attackers — the current guides the boat automatically. When it stops, disembark and proceed to the entrance to Menzoberranzan.

Menzoberranzan

Approaches to Menzoberranzan

Follow the left-hand wall and you will arrive at the entrance to the city of Menzoberranzan. To move around the city, simply click on the location you wish to travel to.

Bazaar

1. Go to Galenthas' Goods shop and trade in the helm.
2. Visit Ssar Tafell's shop and speak to her. She will send you on a quest to the Sorcere Tower.

Sorcere Tower

1. Use the teleport to reach the 2nd level and speak to the Mage in the WSW room.
2. He will trade the Healing Box for the components needed to release the Drider spirit from House Baenre.
3. Leave the Tower and enjoy the video clips, then return to Ssar Tafell in the Bazaar.
4. She will allow you to speak with Vermulean, who will identify the Gem of Lolth.
5. Proceed to House Fey Blanch.

House Fey Blanch

This area is well worth fully exploring — it contains good items and substantial experience points.

1. Find Gumsznar in the SW room and speak with him. He will transform your party into Drow.
2. He will then send you to see Rizzen Do'urden in Carpathians Tavern. Rizzen will give you the password and a map to House Do'urden.
3. Go to Gollvelius' Tavern and speak with the rogue Jarlaxle.

Mantle Caverns

Jarlaxle sends you to the Mantle Caverns to retrieve his Necklace.

1. Explore Mantle Cavern 1 (NE) thoroughly — it contains good items including a +2 Sword and Gauntlets.
2. Head to Mantle Cavern 2 (NW) and find the Necklace hidden behind a secret wall in the middle of the cave.
3. Complete the cavern and return the Necklace to Jarlaxle.
4. Return to Mantle Cavern 1, kill the Drow Patrol in the SW corner, and collect the 4 Insignia.
5. Proceed to House Do'urden.

House Do'urden

Commoner Area:

1. Give the password to the guards to enter.
2. Get the Gold Red Gem Key from the mid-North room and go West.
3. Get the Gold Green Gem Key from the South room and go through the North door.
4. Find the Secret Door and collect the White Circle Key from the NW room.
5. Go through the South door, past the villagers' cell, unlock the White Circle door, and teleport up to Noble Area Level 1.

Noble Area Level 1 & 2:

1. You cannot enter the West area until you have spoken to Rizzen again. Go NW and teleport up to Noble Area Level 2.
2. Go through the secret door in the NW and teleport to the South of the main corridor.
3. Go SW through the secret door, kill Rizzen, and collect the Gold Black Gem Key and the helm.
4. Add the Gem of Lolth to the Helm of Spiders.
5. Teleport back to the NE and return to Noble Area Level 1.

Final Battle:

1. The guards will now have disappeared. Use the Black Gem Key to open the West door.
2. Go to the SW room and get the Gold Circle Key.
3. Go West and retrieve Drizzt's weapons.
4. Unlock the Gold Circle door in the NW.
5. Pass through the secret wall and collect the Gold Blue Gem Key.
6. Open the Blue Gem door and prepare your party for the final battle before stepping into the teleport.
7. Kill Matron Do'urden, free Drizzt and the villagers, and watch the ending video.