Cloudy Mountain on Intellivision (Also known as Advanced Dungeons & Dragons CARTRIDGE, Crown of Kings, Adventure, etc.) Walkthroughs, Strategies, Information, and Frequently Asked Questions -------------------- General Data -------------------- Author: Dale Hoffman (Chickenbolt) Email: dalemichelleh@aol.com Originally Created: March 30, 2013 Version: 1.1 Revision history: Version 1.0 – March 30, 2013 - Initial release. Version 1.1 – April 3, 2013 - Corrected minor grammatical errors. -------------------- Table of Content -------------------- General Data Table of Content Scope About the Game The Map The Caves Walkthrough Challenges Glitches Frequently Asked Questions Credits Final Note From The Author Legal -------------------- Scope -------------------- This document is designed to help people learn more about Cloudy Mountain, as well as to bolster interest in the game. Early video games obviously have limited graphic detail and relatively simple gameplay. For this reason, in order to get maximum enjoyment from old games, one must be very imaginative. Rather than just take the game for what is on the screen, try to understand the intent of the game designers and get absorbed in the atmosphere of the game. Note: There are many versions of Coudy Mountain released on many systems, usually inside a collection of Intellivision games called Intellivision Lives!, and under different names such Advanced Dungeons & Dragons CARTRIDGE, Crown of Kings, Adventure, etc. Games in these collections are generally true to the original in basic gameplay, but controls are usually different, and sometimes various features are missing. For instance the Nintendo DS version of Cloudy Mountain does not include arrow counts, or any sounds when spiders pilfer arrows. Keep this in mind when using this document. Refer to the user manual for the collection you are playing, couple it with this document, and hopefully you will be able to get more out of this wonderful old 1982 game. -------------------- About the Game -------------------- The object of the game is for a team of relic hunters to survive rough terrain and savage underground beasts to obtain the Crown of Kings. This is one of the earliest adventure video games, with considerably deep gameplay for the time it was first published. -------------------- The Map -------------------- There are 4 map configurations. At the start of a quest, 1 of the 4 maps will randomly be selected for the adventure. As you navigate different maps, you will find that some make for an easier quest, and others make it more difficult. Simply reset the game repeatedly until you see the map you want. Rivers: The only way to travel on these raging, blue rivers is with a boat—which unfortunately is always guarded by a mad demon. Forests: The dark, green forests are so thick, that they require an axe to penetrate them. Serious trekkers will have to face a snake if they want to obtain an axe. Walls: The black walls are erected by dragons, and may only be passed by using a key. Dragons do not give up keys without a fight. Mountains: From a distance, all of the small mountains look similar. They appear black if they contain a penetrable cave system. Brown mountains have no entry, and cannot be passed over. As hunters approach black mountains, they can determine the difficulty and type of creatures inside. At this time, the mountain will show a color: purple, red, blue, or gray. After clearing a mountain, your party may pass quickly over that mountain again. However, after clearing 4 mountains, you will find that the monsters have moved back into the mountain you have previously cleared. Cloudy Mountain: Beware the winged dragons of cloudy mountain. It is a snow-capped peak that can be seen for a far distance, and the white clouds continually hover and roll above it. The greatest of all beasts have deemed this mountain the choicest of all places in which to guard the broken Crown of Kings. The snores of these terrible winged dragons can be heard reverberating from one side of the land to the other--even as far as the hunters’ hut. The general color of the cloudy mountain will change depending on the strength and speed of the creatures of the land. Gray means the hunter’s quest will be easy, blue indicates more challenge, and red denotes difficult. If the mountain is purple, hunters must be very cautious--this is the most difficult quest of all. The Hunters: The quest begins with a 3-hunter expedition, represented on the map by the number of white dots. They are skilled in the art of archery, and have a mad obsession with ancient relics. From their hovel in the west, they can see Cloudy Mountain towering over all the mountains, trees, and walls in the land. Their desire for wealth and power outweighs the danger of the winged dragons’ lair. The hunters show 3 levels of health before they expire. Black: A black hunter is healthy. Blue: When hunters turn blue, they have obviously been bruised and battered. Red: If hunters bleed red, they can take little more damage before they disintegrate. Each hunter begins the quest with 1 arrow. They only drop into a cavern one at a time. Since all items acquired are common to the party, the mobile hunter will make use of all 3 arrows on the first cave raid. The other 2 hunters will wait outside the cavern for a reasonable period of time. If the member does not return, another of the party will drop into the hole and continue to explore the mountain passages. The proximity to the Crown of Kings has magical properties which allow the next explorer to immediately obtain all items that were carried by the fallen. Obviously the ancient crown only benefits the higher order of life, and that is why these hunters are so set on having it. If the party fails, a tombstone will appear on the mountain wherein the last hunter has perished. -------------------- The Caves -------------------- There are 7 different shapes of rooms in caves, laid out in a 4X4 or 4X8 grid. Each room can be found rotated in any 90 degree configuration, and interconnected with any other room, apparently at random. The grid wraps in such a way that the hunters continuing in one direction will continue to meet the same rooms over and over. 2 of the rooms are relatively large, and may be used for maneuvering when chasing or being chased--or to move around blobs. One particular type of room has a small side tunnel that can also be used during chases or other strategic movement around something. Arrows: Each hunter begins with 1 arrow, for a total of 3 common to the party at the outset. However, there are many quivers to be found which were left by unfortunate adventurers. The easier the quest, the more arrows will be found in the quivers—from 11 to 5. 1 or 2 quivers can be found in each cave, with the exception of the gray mountains which contain an extra quiver guarded by a greedy rat. Walls can be used to ricochet arrows around corners, but care should be taken not to injure ones own self on the rebound. Hunters are strong, but can only survive 1 accidental arrow strike. The bouncing of arrows off walls can be to ones advantage. Try to shoot arrows around curved narrow passageways to kill beasts while staying out of their path of sight. Skulls: The cunning winged dragon pair have left skulls in various locations throughout the mountains to keep would-be adventurers in fear. A hardy relic hunter will ignore these signs of death, and press on toward the bejeweled prize. Contrarily, the mapping skills of a trained hunter can be enhanced by using these skulls as a markers amongst many caverns which look alike. Rat Tracks: These tracks look like little black dots, and indicate that a rat sleeps in one of the adjoining rooms. Demon Tracks: The black, three-toed tracks, denote a demon sleeping in an adjoining room. Boat: A demon sleeps in the black boat until an adventurer arouses it. The boat can help a hunting party follow and cross rivers. Axe: A sleeping snake coils around the black axe. A hunter will have to deal with the snake, for the axe is needed to wend through forests. Key: Dragons sleep on their blue keys, and guard them with ferocity. In order to pass through locked walls, a relic hunter must first slay or trick the dragon to get the key. Exit: Since hunters drop into the mountains, they cannot escape without first finding the laddered exit. A monster always guards these green ladders. The Crown of Kings: This ancient blue-colored relic is highly coveted for its mysterious magical properties. Only beasts with the lowest of intellect are immune to the crown’s spell of slumber. The winged dragons are the most intelligent of all beasts in the realm. They are so vicious that they cannot bear to share the crown with their mates. It must have been a terrible fight that broke the legendary Crown of Kings in twain. Each winged dragon eventually falls into the sleeping spell of the crown, along with all the greater monsters in surrounding mountains. Monsters: There are 8 types of monsters in the mountains. They are listed here in order of speed in which they move about the caverns. Winged Dragon Where found: Cloudy Mountain Appearance: The winged dragon is a purple, winged, bipedal, serpentine behemoth with large wings on its back. Items guarded: Winged dragons are always found in mated pairs, each guarding one half of the Crown of Kings. Damage speed: It will eat a hunter very fast. Spore left: This creature leaves no tracks, so listen closely for its snoring. Sound made while sleeping: A soft snore can be heard when a winged dragon is sleeping nearby. Sound made while awake: If aroused, the winged dragon emits a horrid roaring hiss. Special attributes: This is the fastest and most intelligent creature in the land. Its wings lend it considerably more speed than the normal dragon variety. Furthermore, being a stronger beast, it requires 3 arrows to kill. Dragon Where found: Dragons are found in purple and blue mountains. Appearance: This creature is purple, walks on 2 legs, and looks much like the winged dragon--though it has no wings. Items guarded: They may guard keys or exits. Damage speed: Dragons can devour a hunter quickly. Sound made while sleeping: Dragons make the same hissing snore as their winged cousins. Sound made while awake: The dragon also sounds like the winged variety when awake, with a loud roar and hiss. Special attributes: Dragons on the higher skill quests are difficult or impossible to outrun, so they should be shot in the dark while sleeping. It will take 2 arrows to kill it. Snake Where found: Snakes infest the red, gray, and cloudy mountains. Appearance: The snake is a red, coiled serpent with its head erect and ready to strike. Items guarded: It may guard an axe or an exit. Damage speed: If it reaches the hunter, the snake can eat moderately fast. Sound made while sleeping: A series of brief, soft hisses can be heard if a snake slumbers nearby. Sound made while awake: An angry snake will hiss constantly, only pausing between breaths. Special attributes: 2 arrows are needed to kill it. On the harder quests, a running hunter may be able to escape a snake—but usually will be overrun. Demon Where found: Demons are in the blue and purple mountains. Appearance: This blue monster has 2 stamping feet and a mess of ugly spines jutting out of its body in various directions. Items guarded: They may guard a boat or an exit. Damage speed: Demons eat at a moderate speed. Sound made while sleeping: This creature is soundless, even in its slumber. Sound made while awake: The mute demon can leap upon a treasure hunter from a dark cavern. Only when it comes into the light is there any indication that it is awake. I wise adventurer watches for its tracks. Special attributes: The demon’s silence is what makes it such a formidable foe. If an arrow is shot when a sleeping demon is nearby, it may awaken-—but the only sound may be a hunter’s screams of agony in being eaten alive. A wary hunter should watch for its tracks to know if one is in the next room. Demons can usually be outrun, but only by a slim margin on the harder quests. This is the weakest creature that requires 2 arrows to kill. Rat Where found: A hunter can stumble upon rats in the gray and red mountains. Appearance: The little rodent is a small, creeping, black vermin with a snippet of a tail. Items guarded: Rats may guard arrows and exits. Damage speed: Slow--a rat may chew for a moment before the hunter is finished. Sound made while sleeping: Rats are soundless in slumber. Sound made while awake: A shrill squeak will pierce the caverns when a rat awakes. Special attributes: Since the rat does not make noise when asleep, it is important to watch for its tracks. The tracks indicate one is sleeping in a nearby room. Only 1 shot is required to eliminate it. A hunter will always be able to outrun a rat, even on more advanced quests. Bat Where found: Bats may be found in any mountain cavern. Appearance: These brown pests are small with a relatively wide wingspan. Items guarded: Bats are never on guard. Damage speed: They will follow a hunter continuously, but will never bite. Sound made while sleeping: These tenacious creatures will never sleep. Sound made while awake: You will know when a bat is nearby, because the constant flapping whoosh of its wings will cover the sounds of all sleeping monsters. Special attributes: This creature will make it impossible for a hunter to hear a sleeping predator. 1 arrow will kill it, but the sound of the shot may arouse a dangerous beast. Bats move faster than only the spider and the blob. Spider Where found: Unfortunately, they may be lurking in any cave. Appearance: The spider appears as a black, crawling, multi-legged bug. Items guarded: They guard nothing. Damage speed: They will not injure you bodily, but they will try to steal arrows. Sound made while sleeping: Spiders are always awake, even in the dark. Sound made while awake: Spiders are soundless, and will crawl from the shadows to steal ammunition from unsuspecting relic hunters. A tap can be heard each time an arrow is stolen. Special attributes: Spiders are slow-moving, but can pilfer precious arrows. A wise hunter will outrun them if possible, because the 1 shot it takes to kill them may awaken a greater horror. Blob Where found: Blobs may be moving through any cavern. Appearance: Blobs are luminescent puddles of purple ooze that glister as they slither along the cave floor. Items guarded: Blobs do not guard items. Damage speed: Though blobs are very slow, they can devour a hunter instantly. At full health it may be possible to run through one at full speed and survive, but the chance is slim. Sound made while sleeping: These gelatinous masses never sleep. Sound made while awake: Blobs are silent, but hunters can see them in the dark long before they encounter them. Special attributes: Blobs are indestructible. Arrows are useless against them. They should be completely avoided, which is not difficult since they are the slowest monster in the realm. -------------------- Walkthrough -------------------- Your hunting party begins at the left side of the screen, appearing as 3 white dots on a black hut. The ultimate goal is to reach the large Cloudy Mountain on the right side of the screen, enter it, and assemble the Crown of Kings. Objective #1: Acquire Ammunition The party begins with only 3 arrows, so finding ammunition is the first priority. Use the arrow keys to move your party toward the mountains. As you approach each black mountain, it will glow with a color. Try to find a gray mountain. Brown mountains cannot be entered or otherwise passed through. Gray mountains are generally the easiest to explore, and can contain the most quivers. If no gray mountains can be reached, find a blue mountain, which is the next easiest. Red mountains are more difficult yet, and purple mountains are usually the most difficult. Each mountain contains 1 or 2 unguarded quivers that can be found. The gray mountain may contain a total of 3 quivers: 1 or 2 unguarded, and 1 guarded by a rat. If ammunition is low, an experienced hunter may be able to dash into a dark room, and take the exit before the beast on guard is able to deliver any fatal damage. Note that hunters are able to heal completely before entering the next mountain. If the creature on guard is known to be slow, a fast hunter may also take an object from a sleeping creature, and run away with little injury. Detailed walkthroughs of each type of mountain can be found in the Mountains section. Objective #2: Acquire Tools Look at the map, and determine the shortest or easiest route to the great Cloudy Mountain at the right side of the screen. You will see rivers, forests, and walls. There are 3 tools to be found: The boat allows access to rivers; the axe allows access to forests; and the key allows access to walls. You do not have to acquire all the tools to finish the game. You can collect them all for the sake of having them, or just get the tools you need. Boats are in blue mountains, axes are in red mountains, and keys are in purple mountains. When a route is determined, find a mountain which has the tool needed and enter it. (Note that once you pick up a tool, it can never be lost regardless of how many times you use it.) Objective #3: Acquire both halves of the Crown of Kings Enter the large mountain on the right side of the screen, known as Cloudy Mountain, and assemble the Crown of Kings to complete the game. Mountains Note: The following walkthrough presents the objective as what to collect. From another point of view, the objective should primarily be to destroy the monsters. Never enter a cavern with the feeling you are being hunted. The strongest monsters in the caverns are all asleep. Your party is awake and usually armed. Are you the hunter, or the hunted? Begin each cave with an offensive mindset. The basic objective is to collect items and arrows; however, if you are able to hunt down and destroy the resident guardian monsters, the items are an easy take and inherently a secondary objective. You are the hunter, not the hunted. Also note: The gray and blue mountains play basically the same, except that the guardian monsters in the blue mountain are stronger and more difficult to trick. Also the red and purple mountains are similar, except for the more difficult monsters in the purple mountain. Gray mountain Size: 4X4 rooms or 4X8 rooms Objectives: Collect ammunition and find the exit. Walkthrough: When you have dropped into the mountain, move cautiously into dark passages, listening for the hiss of a sleeping snake. When you begin to hear hissing, the snake is somewhere on the screen. It could be in an adjoining chamber, or in another chamber that cannot yet be accessed. If you have enough arrows, you may want to shoot an arrow into the dark. Be cautious doing this. If there is a solid wall nearby, the arrow may ricochet and injure your hunter. The hunter can only survive one such injury. The bat’s noisy wings will cover the sound of a sleeping snake, so be careful entering dark caverns when a bat is nearby. Also watch the cave floor for rat tracks, which indicate a rat is sleeping in an adjoining room. You may shoot an arrow into the dark, but, again, beware solid walls that can send the arrow back at the hunter. Also, launching arrows can possibly awaken sleeping animals, such as the snake. If this happens, the aroused animal will rush your hunter from the dark if it can reach you. Use a side button while moving to run fast. When the snake is killed, it may be possible to run quickly through the rest of the cave. Watch for spiders which steal arrows, as well as blobs which may devour the hunter on contact. There are 2 rats in this mountain, their tracks always being in connecting rooms. One guards arrows, and the other guards the exit. If you are looking for arrows, you can collect 1 or 2 unguarded quivers, and 1 guarded. If you find the exit before finding all the arrows you want, make a mental note of where the exit is located. You may also want to draw a map. Rat tracks, skulls, and odd-shaped caverns can serve as landmarks when tracking back to the exit. Blue mountain Size: 4X4 rooms or 4X8 rooms Objectives: Acquire the boat and find the exit. Walkthrough: There are 1 or 2 unguarded quivers in the mountain, but the main objective is to find the boat. The 2 demons in the blue mountain guard the boat and the exit. Also there will be 1 dragon lurking. Listen for the snores of the dragon before entering any dark rooms, being careful of bats that mask the sound. The dragon is one of the fastest creatures in the game, so it may be best to shoot into the dark--though cautiously. When the dragon is killed, the rest of the mountain will be easy. Demon tracks always indicate that a demon is in the next room. A demon makes no sound when awakened. When shooting arrows, it could awaken a demon, and you would not know it until the creature appears from the shadows. Kill the 2 demons, take the boat, and exit. Red mountain Size: 4X4 rooms or 4X8 rooms Objectives: Acquire the axe and find the exit. Walkthrough: The red mountain is more difficult to explore than the blue or the gray because there is less tracking, and more listening. Your only warning that a snake is nearby is the sleepy hissing sound. If you have enough arrows, kill the bats. Be careful when shooting arrows, that you don’t wake a nearby snake. 1 snake guards an axe, and the other guards the exit. Also you may encounter a rat, but its tracks will warn you of its proximity. If necessary, pick up any arrows you can find, then exit. Purple mountain Size: 4X4 rooms or 4X8 rooms Objectives: Acquire the key and find the exit. Walkthrough: Purple mountains also require plenty of listening. The 2 dragons are on guard--one with a key, and the other with the exit. Listen for their snores before entering any dark passages, and shoot into the dark with caution. There is 1 demon here, but it’s tracks will warn you that it is nearby. Kill the dragons, and exit with the key. Also, you are likely to run across 1 or 2 packs of arrows if you need them. Cloudy Mountain: Size: Always 4X8 rooms Objectives: Acquire both halves of the Crown of Kings. Walkthrough: This maze will always be 32 rooms, and it harbors the fastest monsters. There is no tracking to be done here. There are 2 formidable winged dragons, and 1 snake--all of which are asleep. Listen before entering any dark passage. Winged dragons can be difficult to outrun, and impossible to outrun on the higher skill quests. Also, the winged dragons each require a full 3 arrow shots to destroy, so make sure you have at least 3 arrows before attacking one. Shooting carefully into the dark is usually the best way to destroy them, but if the winged dragon is too close, it can be on top of your hunter before there is time to loose all 3 arrows. Leave plenty of room between yourself and the winged dragons when shooting. Also, shooting one creature can awaken another, and cause an even bigger problem. Always move slowly and with caution. There is no exit here. Each dragon guards a half of the fabled Crown of Kings. If you can outwit the winged dragons and assemble the Crown of Kings, its magic will transport you out of the mountain, and the game will end with an image of the crown under your party. -------------------- Challenges -------------------- Here are some ways to enhance the challenge of this game: -For a good challenge, try completing a quest without shooting any arrows. This can be very difficult on the highest skill level. You will need to do plenty of running and outsmarting the monsters. Sometimes it is necessary to lure a monster away from an object and sacrifice that hunter so the next hunter can go through another way, and pick up the object unguarded. Or you may need to rush in, and grab an item before being eaten. This challenge is very difficult, but not impossible. You may need a little luck. -Try to win the crown without using the run buttons. -Try finishing the game without running or shooting. I’ve never been able to gain the crown this way on the highest skill level. Is it even possible? How far can you get? -------------------- Glitches -------------------- There are some major glitches to note: -The most obvious glitch involves the keypad in conjunction with the directional disc. Sometimes if shooting while running, the hunter will keep running, often straight through walls and dark areas. Also, if you shoot an arrow while running, the arrow may pass through the creature without harming it. -When first dropping into a cave, you may be able to see a creature flash in the dark for a split second. Sometimes you can identify it by the shape or color. This can help to locate dangerous creatures, giving you an advantage. If you are not interested in this kind of advantage, you may want to look away from the screen while the hunter drops into the cave. -Another interesting glitch involves the upper left corner of the map screen. If you move your hunting party to the top left corner, then move northwest into the corner of the map screen, your party will disappear. Continue pressing the arrow keys, or other keys, and the party will appear in different places until they cannot move anymore. Depending on the map configuration, this may bring them closer to Cloudy Mountain, or leave them permanently stuck. -This is a fun glitch. If you are chased by any creature (especially blobs, since they are the slowest creatures), and the creature almost moves off the screen, and the hunter runs back to it, the creature will usually double itself. If you move them both off the screen simultaneously, sometimes the 2 creatures will turn back into 1, sometimes they will apparently be gone but found in another part of the cave system, sometimes stuck in solid rock, and sometimes they will disappear altogether. Have some fun with this. See how many monsters you can have chasing you at the same time. If done correctly, this is the only way I know of to remove blobs. With the larger creatures, this glitch works best when moving vertically. -------------------- Frequently Asked Questions -------------------- Q: What are your favorite parts of the game? A: I really like the sounds, especially the snoring dragons. Those sounds take me back to my childhood. Also, I like using the glich to double creatures over and over, make them disappear, reapear, or otherwise totally mess with them. Q: How long have you been playing this game? A: My parents bought the Intellivision II around 1982, and we were given the Cloudy Mountain cartridge 1 or 2 years later, probably 1983. However, we first played this at the neighbor’s house next door. That means I’ve played this for well over a quarter century. Q: What is your favorite Intellivision game? A: I like many Intellivision games, but Cloudy Mountain I think is my favorite. Other favorites include Space Armada, Bump'n'Jump, Night Stalker, Lock’n’Chase, and Tron Deadly Discs. -------------------- Credits -------------------- Thanks to those who recognize a good game when they see it, and are (like me) fanatic enough to read a document like this. -------------------- Final Note Form The Author -------------------- This was my fourth FAQ submitted. Email dalemichelleh@aol.com and tell me your opinions. --Chickenbolt -------------------- Legal -------------------- I had no part in the programming, distribution, or creation of Cloudy Mountain, or any other iteration of it on any game system. This document may not be reproduced for any reason except for private use. It may not be placed on any websites or be distributed in any other way without written permission. Copyright 2013 Dale Hoffman