Escape from Order's Prison: HINTS & TIPS (Spoilers)

[the master]

Has the light spell changed as I am trying to use the same one as DM and nothing is happening.

[Soaponarope]

Yes, the FUL spell restores your torch. You must have a torch equipped when casting it.

Early on one member of your party must have a torch equipped to have light, or you can make use of the torch sconces in certain areas.(placing a torch in them will light up the surrounding area)

Later on, you will find a magic light spell, freeing up a member's offhand.


Tips on defeating some of Chaos' deadlier minions (will spoil if you haven't met them yet)

In General-

Most armored enemies (like golems and knights) will take much more damage from blunt attacks than blades(unless those are ninja skill blades in which case they bypass armor). Blades are generally better against fleshy creatures than blunts are.

Ranged attacks can be quite powerful and are the best way to kill some monster types due to their heavy melee damage and magic resistances.(this gives ninjas a real purpose).

The more advanced a spell the less often creatures will resist it. For instance lightning bolt comes later than fireball and takes more mana, but many more strong creatures resist fire.

Ghostly monsters do magical damage in melee attacks instead of physical. Having the correct protections in place can greatly decrease their damage.

The dispel spell is a must for several creatures, though you can also find powerful vorpal weapons. Summoned creatures like skeletons summoned by a necromancer can also be dispelled even though the base creature cannot be.

Monster Types-

Chaos Warrior(death knight)-

Spoiler

First thing, don't bother using magic on them. Fire and lightning do a tiny bit, but it will take forever. The best way to take them down fast is to use piercing attacks(this means ninja based). Ninjas can find the weak points in their armor. A high level ninja with a strong weapon can take them out in only a few hits. If you haven't been training ninjas, the next best thing is to use blunt weapons on them. Some of them have the power to turn invisible making them even more resilient. Avoid going toe to toe with them in this state, and backup and wait until it passes. You will miss most of the time otherwise. The one spell that can be useful fighting them is push/pull. Sometimes you just want to get them out of the way, or you can push them into a trap.

Water Elemental-

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You may find these creatures best avoided whenever possible as they often just won't die. Water Elementals have the ability to reform anew half the time, but at least it gets them out of the way for the moment. Their attacks are magic based.

Hellhound-

Spoiler

Their combination of high damage, quick speed and toughness can make hellhounds very deadly. They breathe fire so be sure to have fire shields in place. They are immune to fire and resistant to poison, but lightning bolt and any physical attacks will work just fine.

Noodler(materializer)-

Spoiler

These monsters can be killed in the same way as the ones like them in the original DM. They are much stronger, but there are items and spells in the game which will make them significantly easier. When in their "invisible" state magic will pass through them. They can still be dispelled even while invisible by using "bank shots"; this is hitting a nearby wall and the spell will explode and still damage them. Vorpal type weapons will also work. Remember that attacks made with vorpal weapons scale with wizard levels and the wisdom stat. Later on you will find weapons which can "banish". This attack is capable of doing hundreds of damage to non material monsters when in the hands of a powerful wizard, thus killing them instantly. Noodlers can cast a variety of spells, but their most deadly is lightning bolt. Casting a spell shield will help. Later you can find better spell protections as well.

Necromancer-

Spoiler

Capable of teleporting, throwing poison bombs, summoning undead, opening doors and causing darkness, necromancers can be quite tricky. Like the lesser wizards, weapons will work much better than magic against the necromancers. Use blunt weapons or dispel magic to clear out any skeletons blocking a path to the necromancer and try to go in for the kill. Just be wary of them dropping a poison bomb at their feet, of which both they and all nearby undead are immune.

Pit Spawn(horned demon)-

Spoiler

Very strong creatures that can be numerous in some areas. They are nearly immune to fire and poison. If you come across a demon lair and cannot handle them without too much trouble, the area is best left to return to later.

Xytax(black ghost)-

Spoiler

The most feared monster of chaos is the Xytax. Capable of draining your abilities and resistances as well as using powerful lightning magic, it poses a serious threat. If you must fight them, keep in mind it will also create clones of itself. These clones are decoys and cannot actually hurt you and can be dispelled like all summoned creatures. The true xytax's however cannot be dispelled, and can only be killed by banishing them back to the plane of chaos with vorpal weapons. *The health of these creatures was reduced in 1.1

[raixel]

Question: Do I need poison to use the 'poison dart' effect? So far im REALLY liking this dungeon. The noise the Oitus make when they attack is so cute and i spent time going 'aww how cute' then watched in horror as it slaughtered me with its cute little meeping noise.

[Soaponarope]

Question: Do I need poison to use the 'poison dart' effect? So far im REALLY liking this dungeon.

Yes, you will need poison. One vial is enough to poison all your darts.

Poison darts are quite powerful, though they will become regular darts again once the poison is released.

Glad to hear you are enjoying it.

The noise the Oitus make when they attack is so cute and i spent time going 'aww how cute' then watched in horror as it slaughtered me with its cute little meeping noise.

Lol, yea that's me doing that, as well as several other funny sounding creatures and sounds.

[raixel]

I just found the poison. Cuz I drank it

[Soaponarope]

Tetnus would call you a fool.

There are several "unidentified potions" along with ones you know. Sometimes you can get knowledge or hints based on certain characters or skill levels, but often you just have to experiment.

[ian_scho]

Congrats on releasing this SoapOnARope!

[the master]

I have come to a part with a corridor and some pits. On the sides of the walls are "eyes" I have gone down the corridor over the pits without falling in and found the key. I have found several buttons on the walls which has resulted in a transporter haze which transports me part way back up the corridor. However there is still one pit between me and freedom. When I go down the pit I find a transporter haze which transports me back to the end of the corridor. Is there a way out or am I stuck forever?

[Soaponarope]

There is a way out. I don't make dead ends you can't escape from.

With an exception much later on, you can't get stuck by going somewhere and even in that case it's because you haven't done something else yet. In this exception it's also made quite obvious your stuck.

A tip for both this spot and many others- leave items around on the floor to mark your place

[the master]

Upstairs from the wall inscription "dead end" the first pit on the right has a lever but I cannot work out how to close the pit to put the lever down.

Spoiler

I assume that this is the lever that opens the very last door in the corridor after the fireball corridor

[Soaponarope]

This is the tricky combination puzzle I referred to in my first post. Each lever does multiple things, and doing something that immediately helps you can also mess you up later on. Everything can be undone though.

Spoiler

That pit is the last step, and the lever behind it will open the final door. I am unsure as to whether you are referring to the fifth and final door, or the fourth door however.

[raixel]

Ugh yeah. I'm stuck there too. Workin on it tho, No hints yet!

[the master]

soaponarope

Spoiler

Referring to the final door which is the one after the fireball corridor, I assume that the final door is the one at the end, there is a pressure plate there also

[Soaponarope]

the master

Spoiler

Yes, the door with the plate in front of it is the last one. I wasn't sure since both the north to south and east to west are "fireball corridors". Not sure how you are stuck here then, as the one lever in this corridor closes the first pit you referred to. Is it that you don't know how to avoid the fireball? You have done everything you need to do in order to do these last steps and escape the puzzle area.

[the master]

Spoiler

I probably didn't reliase that the lever in that corridor was the one I needed to close the first pit.

[the master]

Spoiler

Still stuck. I know that when I pull that first lever it opens up the end door which releases a big metal mickey. The problem is he just killed me, think that if I encounter him again I will jump down a pit and come round again from below.

[Soaponarope]

master

Spoiler

Why jump down a pit,when you can send him down one? Your not expected to be able to kill this guy yet, but he can be avoided.

[DM_Player]

Soap,

I did kill this

Spoiler

Deth Knight, as well as the 4 others the are in the chamber before the alter of vi. You just have to get them one at a time somewhere where you can do the trusty DM two-step. It takes a awhile, because it seems like only about every fifth hit does any damage to the Deth Knights,

and then only for a few hit points.

Is the key

Spoiler

to door after you kill the worms somewhere nearby? The iron keys were all fairly close to their doors, but lying on the floor makes them hard to see. Is this key also on the floor?

If so then I guess I need to look closer.

[the master]

Soap can you tell me which lever or combination opens up door No 4, thats the one after you turn right in the fireball corridor.

[Soaponarope]

DM Player,

Yes, they certainly can be killed,

Spoiler

as you have to fight some of them later on. In fact, everything in the dungeon can be killed. These very early Chaos Warriors(the knights) I assume most players will avoid due to the skill and persistance it takes to kill them. When your characters are more powerful, they will hit a lot more often for more damage, and certain weapons work better than others. Good show on killing these early though!

As for the key to that door,

Spoiler

it is not around that area at all, and on another level. It's a different type of key which is easy to spot on the floor, but the location it's in can be hard to find.

[Soaponarope]

Master,

Spoiler

Both the first and second levers on the west side of the long north to south corridor toggle the fourth door.

[DM_Player]

Soap,

Yes, I did find the

Spoiler

steel key. The darker key was much easier to spot on the floor. You're right about the location being a bit hard to find. The spinner with the movable walls made it a bit difficult until I put some markers down.

So, far it's an interesting game.

[DM_Player]

Soap,

Missed keys. A Master keyhole key

Spoiler

one level above all of the ants

and an iron key

Spoiler

by the vorpal blade.

Also, can the hole by

Spoiler

the holy treasure room that says it needs repair

be closed?

[Soaponarope]

DM player, glad to see you are making progress, I hope some others are as well.

Master keyhole-

Spoiler

you did not miss anything here, there are two ways to open this door, but it's likely you can't open it yet.

iron key-

Spoiler

since you have reached the vorpal blade, you have found and used all iron keys.

However...

Spoiler

you will need two gold keys to continue, which can both be found earlier in different locations.

Hole-

Spoiler

yes this can be closed, and you will need to think differently than normal to do so.

I'm guessing you have not found

Spoiler

the dispel spell yet? Did you manage to kill the noodler and flame with just your vorpal blade?

[DM_Player]

Soap,

Yes, I and lbk are playing at the same time, but we're both stuck at these same 3 places. The door with the block keyhole lock type that you used iron keys for in the lower levels is an

Spoiler

ornate portcullis. This is the lock that requires 2 gold keys? I don't have any gold keys, so I'll have to take a run through the lower levels again to see if I can find them.

[the master]

Does anyone have a save game just past the corridor of levers and doors near the "dead end". This is driving me nuts and I am afraid that my computer might end up being thrown through the nearest window if I continue. Thanks. Please PM if you can.

[Soaponarope]

DM Player,

This door is the one I am referring to.

Spoiler

Most of the time each key type has its own lock type, but this is an exception(hence the fancy portcullis instead). The door takes one gold key, but there is another one soon after it, so you should find both to go this way.

Hints on finding these keys-

Spoiler

One of the keys is not too far away from the area, and is the other place where I did something similar to what made finding the steel key difficult.

Spoiler

The other key is past the bridge out pit.

[Soaponarope]

Master,

Sorry you are having trouble here still. I thought since you found the chaos knight you were through it, as he only comes when the puzzle is more or less solved.

If you have a save game at the start of the puzzle I can send you a step by step walkthrough, though this becomes difficult once you have fiddled with alot of things.

I will make you a save game with your party if need be.

[the master]

The problem is that I did find the chaos knight but then got killed by him and had to go back through what I had done. As I hadn't saved it for a while I couldn't remember how I had done it previously. I would love to continue on through the game but this is driving me nuts. Your offer of a saved game would be appreciated - assume this will be beyond the chaos knight? Do you need my saved game sent to you?

[DM_Player]

Soap,

I forgot to answer you about the

Spoiler

dispell spell. No I haven't come across it yet. I used the yew staff to take care of the flame and materializer. I thought that's why you had it nearby

Closing the pit only took me 4 tries.

Spoiler

FIrst I tried the boulders from the destroyable wall at the spider den. Then I tried other things. I really didn't want to destroy a table, as I tend to use those to block passages and as shields.