Dungeon Master Forum

I believe it's probably in the 'hall with no end' area.
When you get the wall to open, there is a room with a skeleton.
As you enter that room, there is a plate to the right of you.
Does that plate do anything?

If someone has answered this question, I did not see it.

If memory serves me correctly, it disables the first spinner that launches the fireballs around the arena.

Nope, more insidious than that - it is the thing that launches the fireballs!

The critters walking in that room and press the button as they walk if memory serves, and launch a fireball. Killing these critters stops the launcher (although you should have disabled the first spinner by then, of course)

The on/off switch, or just the first spinner, for the fireball launcher is very close to the launcher itself, if I'm not mistaken.

I remember accidentally figuring out how many steps worked on that long hall.
I believe I backed down the hall, hesitating after each step.
Of course I spent quite awhile just traveling nowhere, not trusting the eyes in the back of my head,
before realizing I was constantly ending up at the entrance after a number of steps.

Back then, I knew of no one who was even playing DM.
No maps, helps or anything. You should have seen all the flux cages I was tossing around at the end.

Assuming you're all talking about that bit on Level Eight, as I recall to turn off the fireballs you have to find the key hidden on the floor, then go to the far wall and use it there to open a secret wall with a button behind it, which deactivates the forcefield thing redirecting the fireballs. I can't remember whether it stops the fireballs completely or whether there's still a chance you can be hit by one if you hand around at the far end of the room.
I still do the walk-one-more-step-than-last-time-and-then-turn-round thing to get down the long corridor. Worth it for the Delta Blade if I remember rightly .

There's still a chance of getting hit by one until you clear out that room!

Good old chop-y thrust-y delta blade

That's one of the best rooms in the game.
It's huge.
It has the fireballs being tossed about by the blue-fields.
It has a large number of reasonably simple puzzles (maybe not so simple the first time).
The first serious irritation with those little thieves (empty your hands or pay the penalty).

Along with the other neat things on that floor, the cross key was a memorable item to find.
(especially if the lighting isn't just right as you seek treasure)

One note of interest: Why the dumb door out in the middle of nowhere?

Why the dumb door out in the middle of nowhere?

A red herring.

I seem to recall not paying attention the first time, running rhrough it, and for a brief moment thinking I was safe...


I guess it's an easy way to keep fighting near a door?

Yes, I think the main reason it's there is so you run through it, close it behind you, and feel safe for an all too fleeting moment.

it's a bashable door. The door is there, to raise wonders about it.

terkio wrote:it's a bashable door. The door is there, to raise wonders about it.

I don't know if it raised and 'wonders' inside me, but it did raise a question, so the 'ghosts of DM programming'
are probably lifting an eyebrow and flashing a small smile at us.

I somewhere read that the static of level eight would make no sense -too much empty space there, the whole level would crash/collapse. Maybe they built this door as a means to support the ceiling
As a sidenote, it could help to orientate
or be some malicious obstacle for the party, because ghosts can pass through the closed door(and even attack from out of a door).
also, the door detracts from the hidden pits.
I would miss it, if the door was not there !

Too bad it didn't have a sign above it.

'Home Sweet Home'

Hey, it's like the weekly sitcoms; you can walk 'around' the door.
Lights, camera, action!