The Hobbit Adventure Game By Jared Davis Version 2.0 1/21/2013 This is my guide for the classic text adventure "The Hobbit." There have been walkthroughs, but given the way this game was created, you simply can't just follow a list of commands to copy, it is better to have an understanding of the items, characters and locations. Also, I've played the game several times until I do believe I've mastered it. But even now sometimes I'll get killed by a goblin, get throttled by an invisible Gollum, whisked off by the wood elf and stung by a spider, or even become toast for Smaug. Before we begin, it's important to note that there are two versions of this game, available for many platforms. The simple version is typically one disk. The extended disk version (properly known as "The Hobbit Software Adventure") features some different gameplay. This later version was the only one available for MS-DOS, and also features some very detailed graphics. There are many variables in the game, mainly due to the Non Playable Characters (NPCs). Two of them are your companions, Thorin the dwarf and Gandalf the Wizard. The NPCs will fight and do other functions. You may ask them to do something and they might comply, remain silent, or even say "No" when you're about to be killed. In one game I played, Gandalf had an odd habit of picking up dead bodies and walking around with them. This guide is how to complete the game. There is a score that will be ranked as you do key tasks in the game, however, I have yet to discover what exactly gets you a good score. I theorize that you can actually score up to 115%, however, the game will display this as 15%. So, rather than worry about trying to get a perfect 100%, let's go get that treasure away from Smaug! A couple notes: the game is played in real time. If you don't enter a command after awhile, the command "WAIT" is automatically entered. However, you can use the command "PAUSE" to break this. You can come out of "PAUSE" by beginning to type your next command. Your friends Gandalf and Thorin have personalities and will express them. Gandalf will wander off by himself, and it's best to just let him, as long as he isn't carrying anything you needed. Thorin will say irritated things if he waits around too long, but he'll usually stick around with you. This guide will assume you are familiar with how to enter commands. If not, there's a guide at the end. If anyone wants to contact me, my e-mail is scarecrowandtinman2002 (at) yahoo (dot) com. I think I've covered the game very well here. CONTENTS 1.00 CONTENT GUIDES - 1.01 GUIDE TO NPCS - 1.02 GUIDE TO ITEMS - 2.00 STRATEGY GUIDE: LOCATIONS - 2.01 BAG END/HOBBIT HOLE - 2.02 LONELANDS - 2.03 TROLLSHAWS/CAVE - 2.04 RIVENDELL - 2.05 MISTY MOUNTAINS EXTERIOR - 2.06 MISTY MOUNTAINS INTERIOR -- 2.06A - GOBLINS' DUNGEON - -- 2.06B - FINDING THE RING AND EXITING- -- 2.06C - RECAPTURED AFTER FINDING THE RING - -- 2.06D - BYPASSING THE DUNGEON - - 2.07 BEORN'S HOUSE - 2.08 MIRKWOOD -- 2.08A - I CAN'T LOOK ACROSS THE RIVER - - 2.09 ELF KING'S HALLS - 2.11 DESOLATION OF SMAUG/LONELY MOUNTAIN -- 2.11A - DEFEATING THE DRAGON IN EARLY VERSIONS - -- 2.11B - DEFEATING THE DRAGON IN THE EXPANDED DISC VERSION- -- 2.11C - ALTERNATE METHODS OF KILLING THE DRAGON - -- 2.11D - IF THORIN IS DEAD - -- 2.11E - IS GANDALF AROUND? - - 2.12 THE RETURN JOURNEY 3.00 - COMMAND ENTRY - 3.01 - DICTIONARY 4.0 STEP-BY-STEP WALKTHROUGH 1.00 CONTENT GUIDES These are guides to NPCs (Non-Playable Characters) and all the items you'll find in the game in case you want to explore the game blindly but still want a grasp on what you're doing. 1.01 GUIDE TO NPCS THORIN - Thorin is a dwarf who will generally follow you, unless you are wearing the ring, thus making you invisible. He might wander off and become unavailable. He is not necessary to complete the early version of the game, but is critical to the Software Adventure version. GANDALF - If Thorin is not around, Gandalf can help you in the Misty Mountains. However, in many games I have played, he can wander off and never be seen again. He is not necessary to finish the game. TROLLS - East of your cozy hobbit hole is the trollshaws, where two trolls are sitting around a fire. They might fight you or try to eat you. Generally, you can survive one turn around them, which you should use to get away from them. They cannot be killed. Head away from them and wait until day dawns, and they will be turned into stone. You can try to send Gandalf to kill a troll, but the downside is that while he's killing one, the other will kill him. THE WARG - A creature called a warg roams the game and can show up virtually anywhere. When you find it, kill it. It is also possible that it will already be killed, possibly by Elrond, a troll, Gandalf, or a Goblin. It is also possible that it will kill someone you'll need on your quest, so hope you find it before it finds them. In the Software Adventure, a common occurrence is the warg meeting up with the wood elf in Mirkwood and getting thrown in the dungeon, where it will either be waiting for you in the dungeon, or it will kill the butler. I have not seen the warg show up around Long Lake, the Desolation of Smaug, or the Lonely Mountain. But there's a first time for everything. You might go straight to Beorn's house when you start the game to find the warg and kill it so it can't cause you any trouble later. It could be in the woods or north by the Great River. ELROND - Elrond lives in the cozy land of Rivendell. He will offer you some lunch, which helps build your strength to kill some goblins (or the warg). You can also ask him to read the map, which will unlock a location in the game. If you find Elrond dead, it may be a good idea to restart your game, as the unlockable location may be critical in completing the game. GOBLINS - In the Misty Mountains are many goblins. If you are careful, they can be killed. If you just attack with the sword, they will respawn. They may fight you, but will more likely throw you in their dungeon, where you'll find the key necessary to get the treasure in the Software Adventure version. In some games, the goblins manage to leave the Misty Mountains and will capture you and throw you in the dungeon. The best strategy here is if you have the Ring, wear it and kill them. In one case, they captured the wood elf and when I was thrown into the goblins' dungeon, he threw me into the Elvenking's dungeon. If you shoot Bard's bow and arrow or throw the sword, you can permanently kill the goblins by shooting them. The bodies won't "fall into a hole," and thus, won't respawn. There are six goblins, the Nasty Goblin (who operates the small insignificant crack), the Hideous Goblin, the Disgusting Goblin, the Horrible Goblin, the Vicious Goblin and the Mean Goblin. If you've killed one and another walks in and you try to kill it too, be sure to specify which one you're trying to kill. GOLLUM - Gollum also roams the Misty Mountains. Unlike the book, it is recommended to kill Gollum when you see him. He may take the ring from you, even if you've picked it up first, which will make him invisible to you, meaning he could kill you. If Gollum is around you long enough, he may ask you a riddle. It is recommended to just leave him instead of trying to answer it. If you know the answer and say it to him, he may spare your life, and in one case I've seen, he dropped the Ring. PALE BULBOUS EYES - These are likely the spiders from the book. There is no way to kill them. The proper way to escape them is to wait twice and move on at each location you see them at. Going back will get you killed as well. WOOD ELF - He will likely throw you into the Elf King's dungeon, which can prove to be a shortcut at times, or a pain. You might kill him when you see him. The Wood Elf is supposed to patrol Mirkwood, but he has been known to wander outside of it. Once, he arrived as early as the first Misty Mountains location. BUTLER - Depending on if you have the ring or not, you may or may not want to kill the butler. He will open the trap door and throw a barrel through it, sending it to Lake Town, allowing you to get a ride. If he sees you, he throws you in the dungeon, which he has the key to. If you're wearing the ring, he won't see you, allowing you to jump on a barrel after he throws it in. BARD - He is needed to kill Smaug the Dragon. In some versions, he might follow you, in others, you may have to pick him up or carry him. In the Software Adventure, he must get the arrow out of his quiver before he kills Smaug. It may help if you ask him for the quiver and then give him the arrow. Do this as soon as you meet him. You must ask him to kill the dragon. DRAGON - Smaug the Dragon is the big baddie in the game. In early versions, he will roam around the Lonely Mountain area. One person mentioned he popped up in the Elf King's hall. In the Software Adventure, he'll stay under the mountain until you take his treasure. If you've sneaked in, or have some extra time, you might be able to kill him with a weapon, but the best method to killing him is to have Bard shoot him with the arrow. 1.02 GUIDE TO ITEMS CHEST - The chest is where you will put the treasure at the end of the game. You can open it, close it, get inside it with Thorin (and maybe Gandalf). Getting inside it and closing it without the sword isn't recommended as you won't be able to get out, though. CURIOUS MAP - Gandalf gives this to you and has a penchant for taking it, giving it back, or dropping it. You will need Elrond to read it to unlock a location that may be needed to complete the game. LARGE KEY - Carried by one of the trolls. Unlocks their cave. SHORT SWORD - A weapon that will also serve as a light source. Be careful not to abuse it, because it can break and it cannot be replaced. You can slash with the sword with the command: KILL (target) WITH SWORD You can also use it as a projectile weapon with: THROW SWORD AT (target) Using the adverbs "VICIOUSLY" and "CAREFULLY" might help. If you are successful at killing an enemy by throwing the sword, be sure to pick it up again. If you're captured without it, you're stuck in a dark room. ROPE - Needed to get the boat in the forest. Thus, it's recommended to pick it up, though the boat isn't needed to complete the game. Surprisingly, on occasion, I've been able to use the rope to kill Smaug. LUNCH - Elrond gives you some. Can be eaten to increase your strength for fighting. Elrond will give you more if you wait a bit longer. Be warned that overeating can prove dangerous! After having a sixth helping from Elrond and the food from Beorn, I died. GOLDEN KEY - Found in the Misty Mountains. Does nothing but increase your score. It is not needed to complete the game. CURIOUS CRACK - An entrance used by the Goblins to capture travelers in their cave. You can open and close it from below, if the goblins don't catch you! SAND - You can dig in the sand in the Goblin's to find the Goblin's trap door. GOBLIN'S TRAP DOOR - Can be broken with the SMASH command. It breaks quicker with the sword, but this has been known to break the sword. SMALL CURIOUS KEY - The secret side door key for the Lonely Mountain. You need this for the Software Adventure version. Thorin will carry it, though you can ask him for it. He will usually take it back, hower. It seems to break if he is killed. VALUABLE GOLDEN RING - The One Ring from "The Lord of the Rings," but here it's just a magic ring that makes you invisible for a few turns. There are versions of the game that will glitch up and the ring will vanish forever once you wear it. Older versions of the game can be completed without the Ring (and skipping going inside the Misty Mountains altogether), while the Software Adventure requires it. Your companions will wonder where you went and wander off if you wear it. The disappearing ring glitch seems to happen if you type "wear ring" when you find it rather than taking it first. CURTAIN, CUPBOARD, FOOD - Found in Beorn's house. You open the curtain to find the cupboard, and open the cupboard to find the food. You eat the food to gain strength for fighting more of those lovely NPCs. BOAT - Found in Mirkwood. You have to throw the rope across the river to get it. Normally, you have to throw it twice. WEBS - Can be smashed to open new paths. If you're strong enough, they'll break with your hands. You can use the sword, but it will notoriously break it. MAGIC DOOR - For some reason, it doesn't seem open until you're wearing the Ring. But the elves will use it, and only they can open and close it. It's an alternate way of entering and leaving the Elf King's halls without going to the dungeon. TRAP DOOR - You can open the door, or you can have the butler do it, if you're wearing the ring and one of your companions didn't kill him. BARREL - Contains wine, which can be drunk. You can also enter it or have a companion ride in it. (Generally, they tend to jump out along the way and get lost.) After it is thrown into the trap door by you or the butler, you can jump it and ride to Lake Town, or you can ask a companion to jump it. It is also possible to have your companion climb into the barrel and close it and carry them around in it. I did this once when entering the Elf King's Halls by the magic door and Thorin had wandered off. I got the barrel, went back through the door, found Thorin, had him climb in, then closed it. You can also throw it through the trap door with him inside and he'll normally join you when you go to Lake Town. The barrel can also hold just about every item you'll pick in the game except the treasure. But don't do this if you're going to be using the barrel to get to Lake Town, because items cannot be removed from the barrel once you arrive on Long Lake. BOW, QUIVER, ARROW - Carried by Bard, his weapons of choice. In the Software Adventure, he must remove the arrow before he can fire. You can ask him to get it ready, or you can ask him to give you the quiver and you can give him the arrow. I recommend doing this as soon as you meet him, because one delay can mean curtains for you. You can take the bow and arrow from Bard and use them to kill virtually everyone. SIDE DOOR - Found along Lonely Mountain. You must find it in the Software Adventure, while Smaug's roaming in earlier versions renders it optional. You must also have the curious key or have Thorin carrying it and with you to open it. You also have to wait for it to be revealed, and there have been times when I get there just as it disappears. If this happens, you'll have to load a saved game or restart. TREASURE - Found in Lonely Mountain. If Smaug is not dead, it will raise his ire, and it is recommended you wear the Ring when taking it if he's not dead. After Smaug is destroyed, head home and put it in the chest to finish the game. TORCH - A completely optional item, a torch may be taken in the Goblins Caverns or Elf King's Halls by tying the rope to one, pulling the rope, then untying the torch. DEAD BODIES - When a character is killed, their body becomes an item, such as "dead Bard," "dead Gollum," etc. Some dead bodies may be picked up and even used as weapons! I once managed to kill Smaug with Gollum's corpse. WEAPONS - Actually, just about anything you can hold in the game may be used as a weapon. Simply type "KILL (character you want to kill) WITH (item you want to kill them with)." See what happens! But it's a good idea to save before making the attempt as your attack might not be effective and only make you a new enemy. 2.0 STRATEGY GUIDE: LOCATIONS This is basically a walkthrough. A step-by-step, command-by-command guide for the expanded disk version can be found at GameFAQs here: http://www.gamefaqs.com/c64/565487-the-hobbit/faqs/14842 (It's missing a couple commands, though. I've addressed them below, so check it against this.) 2.01 BAG END/HOBBIT HOLE - This is where Gandalf should give you the map. You can open the chest now, if you wish. The important thing is to head out east into the Lonelands, through the open door. 2.02 LONELANDS - This is a spot just between Bag End and the Trollshaws. In many games I've played, Gandalf will often snatch the map from you here. How to prevent him from doing it is actually determined on what you do in Bag End. If you open the door, you'll let Gandalf out, thus giving him the extra turn in the Lonelands to get the map. If you open the chest (for later) first, he'll open the door, so when you head out, you'll walk out together. If you keep moving, he won't have a chance to take the map from you. 2.03 TROLLSHAWS/CAVE - Just east of the Lonelands is the Trollshaws, where the trolls (see above) are hanging about. What to do here is go to them and then head north or southeast or southwest to avoid getting killed by them and await dawn. Many people I've seen head north to wait at the Troll's path, but you could also head on southeast to Rivendell and do what you need to do there until dawn breaks. After dawn breaks, return to the trolls to find them now turned into harmless stone statues. Take the large key one of them dropped and head north and unlock and open the door to head north again to get the rope and short sword. I have also found that you can get the sword and rope before day dawns. In the Lonelands, enter the command: SAY TO GANDALF "GO EAST AND TAKE KEY AND GO SOUTHWEST." If he agrees, he'll go east. Wait for him to come back and ask him for the large key. Go northeast and unlock and open the door and get the things from the cave. Now you can go past the trolls onto Rivendell and not have to backtrack until you head back home. If you find Gandalf's quirks bothersome, you can have him enter the cave, close it on him, and lock him in. You can be a dear and let him out later, or just leave him. 2.04 RIVENDELL - Ask Elrond to read the map so he can unlock a location you'll need later. Then, wait for him to give you some lunch. He may do this multiple times, so if you want to beef up before heading to the Misty Mountains, you might try waiting a bit longer. It is entirely possible for Elrond to be killed by the warg if it gets to him before you do! 2.05 MISTY MOUNTAINS EXTERIOR - While you can get lost in them, the Misty Mountains are surprisingly straightforward. If you don't wish to enter the Mountains to find the Ring and the key to the side door, simply head east. However, if you're played the extended version of the game, it may be worth the trouble and effort to find these items. Upon entering the Misty Mountains area, you can head south to find the maze to eventually get the useless golden key. (The exact directions are: south, east, north, northwest, north, southeast.) When you see an exit down, continue going down until you can also go east, get the key, then go back up, then north, west, and then south. You'll be back at the beginning of the Misty Mountains. To enter the Misty Mountains book style, you can go east twice from Rivendell, then north into the cave with the mysterious crack to get thrown into the dungeon. It is also possible to enter through the Goblins' back door, find the Ring, and leave again without getting captured. 2.06 MISTY MOUNTAINS INTERIOR - Assuming you've been captured, it is hoped that you had a companion with you, or else it will be a long wait (or perhaps never) until you can exit the dungeon. 2.06A - GOBLINS' DUNGEON - In the dungeon, you must dig the sand, smash the goblins' trap door, and take the key. (If Thorin is with you, he'll take it.) In some versions, smashing the trap door may need to be repeated many times before it breaks. Smashing it with the sword has proved effective, but in some versions, it will break the sword, robbing you of a weapon and a light source. Alternately, you can have a companion smash it, which seems to prove rather effective. To exit the dungeon, you must ask your companion to carry you, open the window, and go west. It is recommended you save your game now and often as there are goblins about, and a turn might get you captured again, while waiting a turn could let them pass. Be sure to allow Thorin to say "Wonderful, this key belonged to my grandfather Thror." He WILL say this and if he says it after you leave the dungeon, chances are you'll be heading away from him while he does it. There is an alternate method where you can ask your companion to exit the dungeon and open the door. (Note that Gandalf will likely enter the dungeon then leave it again on his own.) The command is: SAY TO (companion) "OPEN WINDOW, GO WEST, GO SOUTHWEST, OPEN DOOR." Wait (or break the trap door now and take the key) and when the door opens, go north. If they don't open the door or get recaptured, then they must have been killed. The door doesn't stay open, so don't waste your time exiting. 2.06B - FINDING THE RING AND EXITING- Go southwest, down, and wait until a goblin enters. Then head north, southeast and east to find the Ring. Get it, and Gollum should be nearby. Kill him right away. Go north, south, northwest and east to find the back door. Open it, go up, and close it again to complete the Misty Mountains. It is entirely possible that you may get recaptured in the Misty Mountains. Either load your saved game, wait an extra turn and try again, or wait in the dungeon for your companion and try the same strategy again. You can also try killing the goblins, but in the Software Adventure, they respawn, so it's only worthwhile killing them in the earlier versions as it's highly likely that while you duke it out, they either kill you or another enters and recaptures you. 2.06C - RECAPTURED AFTER FINDING THE RING - If you get recaptured after finding the Ring, don't worry, there are quick exits from the dungeon, if you can escape it again. Once you exit the dungeon again, go southwest, down, west and east to find the back door and exit. I have also been able to find the place where the goblin controls the small insignificant crack and exit back into the Misty Mountains. To do this, after exiting the dungeon, go southeast, east, east, up, and south. 2.06D - BYPASSING THE DUNGEON - To get the ring without going to the dungeon (and thus, not getting the key for the Mountain, so not a good idea in the Software Adventure version), go to Beorn's house and go northwest. Open the gate and go down. (If you don't want Thorin to follow you in, send him away before going down. This is likely a good idea if you want to avoid the dungeon.) Go down again, then down once more, wait for a goblin to pop up, go north, southeast, then east to find the ring. (Remember, Gollum is likely nearby.) Wear the ring, go north, down, (repeat wearing the ring to avoid getting caught, especially if Thorin's not with you) go north, and up through the crack and south to arrive in the Misty Mountains. 2.07 BEORN'S HOUSE - There is no sign of Beorn, but you are welcome to the food he has in the cupboard behind the curtain. Northwest of here is the Goblins' back door, northeast is the Forest Gate. 2.08 MIRKWOOD - Unless the woodelf appears and captures you (if he appears, and if you have a turn before he captures you, wear the ring and let him capture your companion, you'll get them back later), head east to find the black river. Look across the river to find the boat and try throwing the rope to get it. Have your companion climb into the boat if he's still with you and then climb in yourself. Climb out of the boat here and head east to face the spider webs. Smash the webs to head northeast, then smash them again to head north into the clearing. (Do not go any other direction than north. South and west take you back, and east takes you to a deep bog that you'll die in with no escape ever discovered.) Wear the Ring here and examine the door. Wait until it opens, and then head northeast. You typically have one turn to use the door, so don't waste it. You might be faced with the pale bulbous eyes if you explore Mirkwood or during your return journey. The strategy is to wait twice before continuing on. Apparently, the spiders lose interest in non-moving targets. Wearing the Ring or doing anything else besides heading away counts as a "wait," so any two moves before moving on will let you get by. The pale bulbous eyes will kill you if you try to go back the way you came. Keep moving forward. 2.08A - I CAN'T LOOK ACROSS THE RIVER - In some versions of the game, you cannot get the boat across the river due to the particular version not recognizing the word "across." In this instance, you will have to face the pale bulbous eyes by heading down the Forest Road by going south of the Forest Gate. It's recommended to wear the Ring around the eyes as sometimes the eyes can follow you to the Elf King's Dungeon and kill you instantly. If the Wood Elf pops up, let him capture Thorin. Head east to the waterfall and wait for the Wood Elf to capture you there. If you find that the Warg has found the Wood Elf before you did and the Wood Elf is dead, you will have to load a saved game and hope you can avoid that or restart the game. 2.09 ELF KING'S HALLS - If you were captured, you will be in the dungeon, which someone will eventually unlock, unless the warg got into the halls and killed the butler. You can open the door and leave by going west. If you managed to enter through the magic door, you're just east of the dungeon. If your companion has been captured, you'll need to rescue them. I should note that if the wood elf came across the warg, chances are he captured it, meaning that it could kill any other prisoners (or they could kill it) or anyone else it finds in the halls, if it escapes. Go south and you'll find the elf butler. If your companion is dead (in which case, I hope you have the curious key for the Software Adventure), wear the ring and wait for the butler to throw the barrel into the trap door and then jump on it. If your companion has been captured, you will have to kill the butler to unlock the dungeon, which should release your friend. (It is possible they escaped and killed the butler themselves.) In this case, open the trap door yourself, get a barrel, throw it through the trap door, and tell any present friends to jump on it. Get another barrel (it reappears) and repeat for any other friends, or jump on it yourself once it's through. If it proves tough to kill the butler, carry him and allow him to capture you. He'll transport you both into the dungeon, allowing you to kill him without fear of interruption. You could also ask your companion to climb into the barrel, close it, then throw it through the trap door, jump the same barrel, then go east at Long Lake, and they should rejoin you. You can try a challenge and try to escape to leave without killing the butler. It's possible, but more difficult. If you're on the return journey, go to the magic door, wear the ring, and wait for the magic door to open. Or you can return to Long Lake by the barrels and head south and west to face the pale bulbous eyes in Mirkwood. 2.10 LONG LAKE - Here we come close to journey's end. Head east and pick up Bard. In the Software Adventure, go ahead and ask him for his quiver and then give him the arrow so he has it ready to defeat Smaug. There are two ways to have Bard come with you. You can tell him the directions you want to go in, or use the CARRY command to carry him. 2.11 DESOLATION OF SMAUG/LONELY MOUNTAIN 2.11A - DEFEATING THE DRAGON IN EARLY VERSIONS - In earlier versions, you can simply go north from Long Lake until you can go up, and then head north and you'll eventually enter the Mountain. Along the way, you'll run into Smaug, and you will simply have to tell Bard to shoot the dragon. This will allow you to get the treasure and return home. 2.11B - DEFEATING THE DRAGON IN THE EXPANDED DISC VERSION- The Software Adventure is more complex. Heading into the Mountain will get you or one of your friends killed automatically, even if you wear the Ring. From Long Lake, head north, go up, then go north, northwest, north (in earlier versions, this is enough), west, east, northwest and north to find the location of the secret side door. Wait until the setting sun reveals the keyhole, and then unlock it with the curious key or have Thorin do it, if he's still with you. In the Software Adventure, if the keyhole disappears, it will not come back. It will in earlier versions. In the Software Adventure, follow the course of action in "If Thorin Is Dead." Drop Bard here, and it's a good idea to save and to tell Thorin to go any other direction than inside the Mountain, or else he will be killed by the dragon. However, he has served his purpose at this point, so you can still complete the game even if he dies. Open the door, enter it by going east. Wear the ring, and tell Thorin to leave in case he has followed you in. Go east again to get the treasure, then head east to hurry back into the tunnel, then west to get out of the mountain. Pick up Bard, then head up to the top of the Mountain. If you haven't made sure Bard is ready with his arrow, do it now. When Smaug lands, tell Bard to shoot him. He should fire and kill the dragon, allowing you to return home with the treasure. You can drop Bard and let Thorin merrily explore the mountain, if he's still alive. Some have also been able to kill Smaug by throwing the ring at him when he lands. If you want to try this, save before doing so. 2.11C - ALTERNATE METHODS OF KILLING THE DRAGON - On a couple plays, when I sneaked into Smaug's chamber through the side door, I was able to kill him with the sword. Might be worth a shot, but save before doing so. This can only be done with the side door, as entering through the front door will wake Smaug. 2.11D - IF THORIN IS DEAD - If Thorin was killed earlier in the game, usually the key shatters, thus making it unusable later on. If you want to try to complete the Software Adventure, make sure you've eaten at least three times (two lunches from Elrond, the food at Beorn's), have the Ring, and enter the mountain through the front door with Bard. Smaug will kill Bard, so head east into the tunnel, wear the Ring, and head back out to try to kill Smaug with your sword. If it doesn't work, you'll have to load a saved game or restart. If you're strong enough, Gollum's dead body and the rope have proved surprisingly effective in killing Smaug. 2.11E - IS GANDALF AROUND? - If you have managed to bring Gandalf with you to Lonely Mountain, I have managed to have him kill the dragon. Simply lead him to the front gate of the Lonely Mountain, then use the command: SAY TO GANDALF "GO NORTH, KILL DRAGON, GO SOUTH" Wait until Gandalf comes back and do it again. If he doesn't come back the first time, it didn't work and the dragon killed him. If he doesn't come back the second time, chances are he killed the dragon the first time. Save just in case Smaug killed him the second time and then go north to take the treasure! 2.12 THE RETURN JOURNEY - Head south from the top of the Mountain until you can go down, then continue south to the waterfall, which is a popular spot for the wood elf to pop up, if he isn't dead. From here, you must re-enter Mirkwood by going west. You'll see the pale bulbous eyes, so wait twice before going west again. The eyes will be back, so wait twice more before continuing west and going north to get to the forest gate. Head southwest, then continue west through the Misty Mountains pass, then southwest and west to get back in your hobbit hole. You can simply put the treasure in your chest, if it's open, or you can do a fun alternative and climb inside the chest, close it, and drop the treasure. Either way will prompt the ending screen. 3.00 - COMMAND ENTRY This is a text adventure, and it was groundbreaking. In 1982. Thus, the gameplay is primitive by today's standards. And for those unfamiliar with a text adventure, you type in your command and press "ENTER." It might seem off unless you're used to it, but when you get used to it, you'll actually get into it. Directions are entered by standard one or two-letter abbreviations. N is North, S is South, E is East, W is West, U is Up, D is Down, NE is Northeast, SE is Southeast, SW is Southwest, and NW is Northwest. The WAIT command can be entered, but it will also be done after letting the game sit for awhile. This won't matter in many locations, except Mirkwood and the Misty Mountains, where you might get attacked or captured while you let the game sit. There is a PAUSE command you can use, though. Using the @ symbol will repeat the last command, and considering that some NPCs might say "No" at first, or that rope won't get into the boat on the first try, this is quite helpful. You can use ATTACK or KILL to fight, and UNLOCK and OPEN and CLOSE to act on certain items. Examples: OPEN CHEST PUT TORCH INTO CHEST CLOSE CHEST ATTACK GOLLUM WITH SWORD SMASH TRAP DOOR KILL WARG WITH SWORD UNLOCK DOOR WITH KEY JUMP BARREL If you enter "ATTACK" or "KILL" and don't specify using the sword, the game will assume you'll just use your hands, so your attack will be weaker. However, considering how tough some of these bad guys are, not using your sword can mean life or death. You can also ask Thorin or Gandalf to do things for you. Examples: SAY TO THORIN "KILL WARG" SAY TO GANDALF "CARRY ME" SAY TO THORIN "GO WEST" SAY TO BARD "SHOOT DRAGON" Saving is simply done by SAVE and loading a saved game is done by LOAD. Depending on the version you play, it may save your game as a number or a name. The game might take a few tries before you get a handle on it and beat it at last. You might get fed up and give it up for years, but in the end, it's a bit of fun, particularly when you start reading into the strange variables. The game also allows a limited number of adverbs (see below). Only a couple are really helpful, and sometimes, they're not that helpful. The command "CAREFULLY THROW ROPE ACROSS RIVER" has proved more likely to catch onto the boat sooner. Using VICIOUSLY when attacking seems to kill your enemies faster. - 3.01 - DICTIONARY Here is a dictionary, lifted from the game's manual: Movements: DOWN D EAST E NORTH N NORTHEAST NE NORTHWEST NW SOUTH S SOUTHEAST SE SOUTHWEST SW UP U WEST W Special verbs: EXAMINE HELP INVENTORY I LOAD LOOK L NOPRINT PAUSE PRINT QUIT SAVE SCORE Action verbs: BREAK CLIMB CLOSE CROSS DIG DROP DRINK EMPTY ENTER EAT FILL FOLLOW GIVE GO KILL LOCK PICK PUT OPEN RUN SAY SHOOT SWIM TIE TAKE THROW TURN UNLOCK UNTIE WEAR Prepositions: ACROSS AT FROM IN INTO ON OUT OFF THROUGH TO UP WITH Adverbs: CAREFULLY GENTLY QUICKLY SOFTLY VICIOUSLY 4.0 STEP-BY-STEP WALKTHROUGH Remember, if you see the warg, kill it. If you don't have a weapon, ask Thorin to kill it by entering the command: SAY TO THORIN "KILL WARG" -Hobbit Hole- (Gandalf gives you the map) OPEN CHEST (Gandalf opens the door) (This next part is optional, but if you don't have Gandalf or Thorin do it, then you'll need to get the key in Trollshaws yourself after day dawns and then go and unlock and open the cave yourself.) SAY TO GANDALF "GO EAST, EAST, TAKE KEY, NORTH, UNLOCK DOOR, OPEN DOOR, NORTH, DROP KEY" (Gandalf leaves) E -Lonelands- E -Trollshaws- SE -Rivendell- SAY TO ELROND "READ MAP" WAIT (until Elrond gives you lunch or day dawns) EAT (Day should dawn now) W -Trollshaws again- N TAKE KEY N TAKE ALL S S SE -Rivendell again- (You can get seconds on lunch from Elrond) E -Misty Mountains- --Finding the Golden Key-- S E N NW N SE D D D D E TAKE GOLDEN KEY U W N --Getting caught by Goblin-- E N WAIT (until you are thrown in dungeon) --ENTERING BY THE BACKDOOR-- (From the first exterior location) E E E NW OPEN DOOR D (To get the key) SW OPEN DOOR SE --ESCAPING THE GOBLINS' DUNGEON-- DIG SAND VICIOUSLY SMASH TRAP DOOR (repeat until it breaks) SAY TO THORIN "CARRY ME, OPEN WINDOW, GO WEST" WAIT (Until Thorin carries you west) SW (Save here) D (If a goblin is here and captures you, load your saved game and wait a turn and go down again) WAIT (until the hideous goblin enters) N SE E TAKE RING (Save after each turn. If you are recaptured or killed, load your saved game, wait a turn, and try going that way again. You may need to kill Gollum or a goblin to get through.) N S NW E OPEN DOOR (unless you entered through the back door) U CLOSE DOOR E E --If you are recaptured-- WAIT (Until Thorin appears) SAY TO THORIN "CARRY ME, GO WEST" WAIT (Until Thorin finishes this task) SW D W E OPEN DOOR U CLOSE DOOR E E -BEORN'S HOUSE- OPEN ALL EAT FOOD NE -MIRKWOOD- SAY TO THORIN "GO EAST, EAST" WEAR RING E E (If the wood elf is here, WEAR RING again) LOOK ACROSS RIVER CAREFULLY THROW ROPE ACROSS RIVER (Repeat until it lands in the boat) PULL ROPE SAY TO THORIN "CLIMB INTO BOAT" (if he wasn't captured by the wood elf) CLIMB INTO BOAT CLIMB OUT E SMASH WEB NE SMASH WEB N SAY TO THORIN "WAIT UNTIL DOOR OPENS, GO NORTHEAST" WEAR RING EXAMINE MAGIC DOOR WAIT WAIT NE -ELF KING'S HALLS- --If you were captured-- WAIT (until red door opens) W (follow next section) --If you were not captured-- WEAR RING S TAKE RED KEY N DROP RED KEY WEAR RING S TAKE BARREL N TAKE RED KEY UNLOCK RED DOOR OPEN RED DOOR (Thorin should enter) OPEN BARREL SAY TO THORIN "CLIMB INTO BARREL" CLOSE BARREL WEAR RING S OPEN TRAP DOOR THROW BARREL THROUGH TRAP DOOR JUMP BARREL (You are taken to Long Lake) -Long Lake/Desolation of Smaug- E CARRY BARD N N U --Early versions-- N (until the dragon appears) SAY TO BARD "SHOOT DRAGON" N (into Mountain) TAKE TREASURE DROP BARD --Software Adventure-- N NW N (This will get you to the side door in early versions) W E NW N --Lonely Mountain-- (As soon as the hole appears) SAY TO THORIN "UNLOCK DOOR, OPEN DOOR, GO SOUTH" (Before then or just after...) SAY TO BARD "TAKE ARROW OUT OF QUIVER, GO UP" (Make sure Bard is gone before entering the Mountain) (If the hole isn't around, WAIT until it appears.) (When the door is open...) E --Inside the Mountain-- (Save, sometimes Smaug will catch you, even with the Ring on.) WEAR RING E TAKE TREASURE E W U (Save, sometimes Bard says "No.") WAIT (until Smaug lands) SAY TO BARD "SHOOT DRAGON" SAY TO BARD "TAKE ARROW, PUT ARROW IN QUIVER" SAY TO BARD "GO SOUTH, SOUTH, SOUTH, DOWN, SOUTH, EAST" (Those last two commands are not needed, but they will return Bard to Lake Town.) S S S D S S -Returning through Mirkwood- --Facing the Pale Bulbous Eyes-- S S W (If the Wood Elf appears, wear ring instead of waiting. He will probably capture Thorin. You don't need Thorin now, but if you want, you can go back to the river and the boat to rescue him. Refer to the steps to crossing the river above and then follow the steps below for if you are captured, starting with wearing the ring and going south.) WAIT WAIT W WAIT WAIT W N W --If you are captured by the Wood Elf-- UNLOCK RED DOOR OPEN RED DOOR W WEAR RING S TAKE BARREL N UNLOCK RED DOOR OPEN RED DOOR OPEN BARREL SAY TO THORIN "CLIMB INTO BARREL" CLOSE BARREL WEAR RING EXAMINE MAGIC DOOR WAIT WAIT W W W W -Returning through Misty Mountains- (Save, some goblins might escape the mountains. If you find them, load the game, wear ring the ring before encoutering them again, and kill them with the sword) SW W W W -Returning home- W SW W PUT TREASURE IN CHEST