Surgical Strike *Spoilers*

[Antman]

After a marathon weekend of Surgical Strike, after completing Dune II, I seem to be stuck. This is a fantastic dungeon! Loving the all the keys and doors and riddles everywhere, and the secrets. Just my kind of dungeon, just like I always liked CSB over DM. I'm finally getting map of this dungeon in my mind and am able to find my way around. Anyway...

1. I'm in the Ven Spawning Rooms, but I can't seem to make anything spawn or do anything and there is no way out of this area as the "open your mind wall" closes and I'm currently saved in there with no backup.

While I'm mentioning this I might as well ask some other questions from my notes:

2. In the secret "lost corridor" theres a door with an iron lock I can't open (iron key doesn't work).

3. Don't really understand this riddle: "cats have nine lives, with the proper ritual, you can have 30" maybe it's not even a riddle but a random secret?

4. Past the "missing spaces" there is only a halberd and a piercer. Is that it? That puzzle took me ages, let alone finding the key to get in there in the first place.

5. Can you kill Chaos at the top of the tower?

6. What does the coin slot in the furnaces area do? I put a coin in it but it seems to do nothing.

7. In the same room as the "open your mind" riddle, there are two switches, one behind a fake wall, what do they do?

8. Why does a club work in the "members only" riddle? I just spammed it with items until it clicked.

9. The "way to go no where" and "don't look down" area, not sure how I got the pit to open here, do you just have to wait? Finding that key in room with pits above was a lucky lucky find, I could have been stuck there for ages!

10. Turquoise door, this door has been bothering me for ages, I guess the key is further on in the project venom area?

11. The Ra lock, is there actually a Ra key? Why does it shoot lightning at you when you put a Zo Kath Ra in it? Why does it vanish when you wear the Hellion? Why? Why? Why?

12. The .rar file I downloaded of this dungeon says version 2.2 but in RTC when I load it, it says 2.1, which version am I playing?

[Sophia]

I'm in the Ven Spawning Rooms, but I can't seem to make anything spawn

Think through what abilities you have and what you might like to have happen. Are there any new spells you know that might come in handy?

there is no way out of this area

I think you should be able to "open your mind" again, but I don't remember for sure.

In the secret "lost corridor" theres a door with an iron lock I can't open

It's just a decoration. The real way to open the door involves "finding" the lost corridor.

Don't really understand this riddle: "cats have nine lives, with the proper ritual, you can have 30" maybe it's not even a riddle but a random secret?

This is a little bit weird of a reference. Please forgive me for this rather esoteric puzzle. Do you know how to get 30 lives in any games other than DM?

Past the "missing spaces" there is only a halberd and a piercer. Is that it?

I guess I underestimated the difficulty of this room and should've made a better reward.

Can you kill Chaos at the top of the tower?

No, he's just there to taunt you.

What does the coin slot in the furnaces area do? I put a coin in it but it seems to do nothing.

It opens an alcove. You probably found the item but didn't realize the coin is what unlocked it for you.

In the same room as the "open your mind" riddle, there are two switches, one behind a fake wall, what do they do?

Since I honestly don't even remember, let's say it's just one of those esoteric secrets of the dungeon.

Why does a club work in the "members only" riddle? I just spammed it with items until it clicked.

Because a "club" is for "members only"! Get it.. ha ha...

The "way to go no where" and "don't look down" area, not sure how I got the pit to open here, do you just have to wait? Finding that key in room with pits above was a lucky lucky find, I could have been stuck there for ages!

If you don't look at the pit, then you can cross it.

Turquoise door, this door has been bothering me for ages, I guess the key is further on in the project venom area?

No, they're scattered about the dungeon as secret prizes. Nothing behind the turquoise door is strictly required.

The Ra lock, is there actually a Ra key?

Yes.

Why does it shoot lightning at you when you put a Zo Kath Ra in it?

Punishment for your attempted trickery.

Why does it vanish when you wear the Hellion?

The chaotic magic of the Hellion overpowers the Ra magic of the lock... or some such flimsy logic.

The .rar file I downloaded of this dungeon says version 2.2 but in RTC when I load it, it says 2.1, which version am I playing?

You're playing the latest version.

[Antman]

Cool thanks for the hints, I had never seen that spell before, I just tried everything with Ven in it until something worked. But I think I have truly stuffed my game now, I went downstairs from there and Chaos popped up with some hell hounds due to the Hellion, so I killed them and saved. This seems bad because now when I head to the end of the corridor I die, due to becoming an evil superpower. This seems to happen whether I have the Hellion or not, so now that I've saved I can't undo it and proceed? Or do you not need to get past here? Or is that the supposed to be the end? I knew I should have saved in a different save slot.

I was able to get out of that area, not sure why I hadn't retried "opening my mind" again. Found another skeleton key lock and another secret area nearby. So still missing a Ra key, a Turquoise key and a skeleton key now.

Also, for the "don't look down" puzzle, I think I just waited in front of it for a while and I was able to cross it while still facing it.

[beowuuf]

By 'lost corridor' , it might not necessary lost in space. Perhaps it's from a different time in DM... mow lost in memory

I really loved this puzzle btw!

And now i will have mophus nightmares again about opening the mind

[Trantor]

The Lost Corridor was probably THE most obscure puzzle I found in a dungeon so far. Though I can't help but admire its wit and sense. And your hint describes it perfectly, Beo.

[Sophia]

But I think I have truly stuffed my game now, I went downstairs from there and Chaos popped up with some hell hounds due to the Hellion, so I killed them and saved. This seems bad because now when I head to the end of the corridor I die, due to becoming an evil superpower.

Well, I wouldn't call it "stuffed," but you did save well on the way to one of the endings, without being able to go back.

[Antman]

Is that not the actual Hellion ending? I guess it doesn't actually end, you just die after being turned into beings of total chaos. If not, how do you get past the teleporter that traps me next to the winged key lock and a door and kills me? Can't seem to find a way to get out of it. Do I need a second winged key from somewhere else? I guessed it would be through the fake wall next to the lock.

Looks like I might have to start again! At least I'll know what I'm doing second time around, avoid the Hellion at all costs! Except to get that secret maybe...

[Sealtiel]

Since I'm currently tearing all my hair out in frustration over Conflux III, I decided to go back & try a solo character play-through of Surgical Strike. I'm doing alright, but I found something that I definitely didn't find on my last playthrough.

There's a message on the wall telling me to dance, and a plate in the middle of the room. When I step on the plate, the launchers in the room start shooting stuff at me; and I'm unable to leave the room for a while. Is this actually a puzzle, or just there to screw with me? Also, whatever the launchers are shooting doesn't damage me or anything; just a bunch of colors explode when I fail to dodge them.

[linflas]

this is a bonus puzzle if i remember well.. kinda long time

[Sealtiel]

Sorry, but I have another question about the "Dance" puzzle. My buddy tells me a song from a DDR machine plays when you step on the panel, but he doesn't know which one.

Just for the record, I love DDR. I started playing when it first came to the states. Even though I can't hear the music anymore, I still play it. I still have a total blast playing the game, and now I'd like to know which song is playing here. I think it'll help me to enjoy it more, as I can remember what pretty much every song from that game sounds like.

Thanks in advance to whoever answers this for me.

[Sophia]

Moonlight Shadow.

[Gambit37]

I finally started playing this again. Spent ages mapping as I was getting totally lost.

I've managed to map bits and pieces of 8 levels, but only a few in any detail: the entrance level, +1 level up and 4 levels down -- perhaps half of each level. Beyond that, it's just bits and pieces.

Honestly, I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing. I've opened up a bunch of iron locks, gold locks, the ejector seat, the altar of pain, and found project venom. Killed tons of worms, screamers, scorpions, deth knights, mummies and skeletons. I have a smoky flask, some dragon fruit, a vorpal arrow and the assassin star -- most of my other objects are dull and 'normal'.

Beyond this I have no decent keys to open any of the interesting locks, and lots of other ways are blocked by pits or wooden x braced doors. What gives?

(The magic boulder is clever!)

[Sophia]

Keep in mind that your party in SS can throw some pretty hefty fireballs. Wooden X braced doors aren't so tough now, are they?

[Gambit37]

Doh! I'm too steeped in original DM lore.... thanks!

Those Giggler bombs are fun

[Gambit37]

Progressing much further and I think I've found a bug: Behind a secret wall in the Corbamite mine, there is a green button that removes a wall behind a messed up rotated door. Is this rotated unpassable door intentional?

I'm also stuck in the mines. I got to this level via a pit and found stairs to the bone crusher and corbamite energizer. Can't seem to do much with that and I now can't seem to get back out of this area, keep going round in circles...?

[beowuuf]

Yeah, it's an RTC engine quirk that positions the door in the wrong direction - I believe you can get to the door and open if from the other side, or there is another release.... it wasn't a game breaker anyway

[Gambit37]

OK, cool, thanks.

Do you know how the Corbamite Energizer works? I can't seem to get it to do anything useful... I can see the fireballs hitting the amalgams and changing the image, but can't seem to get them both to work at the same time. I only have the one corbamite that was in the alcove. I think I'm on the wrong track entirely.

I also thought I needed to use the Corbamite at a lock "Not Zo" lock further up, but I can't get out of this area to try it. I'm basically stuck until I can either figure out the energizer or find another way out of the mine...

[Gambit37]

OK, ignore me, I energizd the corbamite finally. Now I'm trying to work out the darn Ore room!

[beowuuf]

Hmm...I seem to recall it being tricky to getting it open. It perhaps did need speed with one corbum, or a second. I have this mental image of rushing backwards the second I fired the button or placed the corbum!

Not zo doesn't need plasma, it did need something else so you could be correct....

[Gambit37]

That Ore Storage was very clever. Must have taken a ton of RTC mech!

I found the Lost Corridor and recognised it immediately. Nice touch! Can't get in there though, the lock doesn't work.

I've been playing all day and found lots of stuff but I'm stuck again. Will have to check my maps and see what's not been opened. I know I need two more topaz keys: one for the door opposite the entrance to the Corbamite mine (after the winged key door) and one at the four pits around by the pit leading to the ejector seat.

There's a metal door past a bunch of illusion walls where I got the secret power towers (one and one scroll). How do I get in that door?

On the knights/screamer level, there's a door next to the winged key door I can't open: it's wooden with a metal /red bit in the middle.

Can't find anything for the "Not Zo Kath" and "Not Ra" lock, the corbamite didn't work.

Where can I find a cross key to open that wall in the corbamite mine? I also can't cross the first pit in that area (though I solved most of the other stuff around there).

I can't do anything to get into Project Venom yet -- I guess I need to do lots more first...

Hints will be fine thanks, I don't need complete answers.

[beowuuf]

I won't tell you for what it's the clue, but I'm guessing you haven't played around to fnd any new spells yet?

And if you recognise the lost corridor...did it look right?

[Sophia]

You should read it line-by-line.
Not Zo
Kath
Not Ra

What's not zo, kath, and not ra? Think about what the runes mean.

[beowuuf]

And don't clap when you get your answer!

[Gambit37]

OK, I got the "not zo" door open, now I'm not sure about the sacrifice. Tried a bunch of stuff, including killing and offering half my party...

I suddenly got your hint about the lost corridor Beo. Off to try that now.

Tips for the other stuff I mentioned would be useful too...

[beowuuf]

if it's the area i think, you will need the right impliment for the sacrifice to be conducted with

[Gambit37]

I merged yakathsar with zokathra to off my party -- didn't work, so I guess it ain't that. I have the sar blade, which would make sense at this sar altar, but that seems useless...? Oh... hang on.... sneaky..... something to try....

I managed to solve some earlier problems: the cross key lock and the initial pit in the corbamite mine are now done (big deal -- thought I'd get some nice treasure!)

I've found the shops and black market. I used one turquoise key. Now to find more of those.

I have one master key and the blue dragon is happy about that. Need three more...

Still feeling a bit aimless. I'm sure I'm missing something "big" to do...

What exactly is in that smoky flask, too!??!?!?! Mophus is freakin me out!

[beowuuf]

I warned you not to clap

So, you have the knife...do you have the sacrifice yet?


You are still missing three big things to do for three more master keys!

The smoky flask is just a weird coolness...or is it..? It might be useful somewhere else

[Gambit37]

Heh, yeah, sar blade is required to off the screamer. Didn't know you could do specific weapon deaths, neat!

[beowuuf]

we maybe couldn't, sophia could

this is under 37, imagine the possibilities now!

[Sophia]

The big flow of the dungeon is that you need four master keys. To get those, you need to solve four large areas: the mines, the furnace, the tower, and the nightmare. It seems like you already finished the mines. As a bit of direction, the entrance to the nightmare is right across from where you entered the mines, if you want to tackle that next. The furnace and the tower are higher up.

As for the specific weapon deaths, it's a trick. I'll explain the mechanics because I'm a bit proud of it. When you swing the sar blade, it momentarily activates a bunch of triggers on the floor of the altar room that are operated by a monster death cloud. So, if you've just killed a monster-- as in, with the sar blade-- they'll be tripped.

The smoky flask is inspired by (unapologetically ripped off from) the mushrooms in Conflux.