Help File
By Brett Bixler
WARNING! This help file contains major spoilers. Read it at your own risk!
"Destiny of the Spheres" is the third adventure in the "Spheres" Trilogy. It is highly recommended that you play the first two scenarios, "Riddle of the Spheres," and "Quests of the Spheres," before playing this scenario. While this scenario stands on its own, a party that works its way up through the first two scenarios will be quite suited to this adventure, and references to previous adventures will make more sense to the player. A "traditional" six character party should have an average of 30 levels per character to start this adventure.
I have included a "Destiny" Party Maker (thanks to Tarl Kudrick for the model) for those of you who want to create a party from scratch. Even if you have a party ready to use, if you haven't played "Quests of the Spheres" and obtained the Singing Sword, Halberd, and Mace, they are available in the Party Maker. Just run it, avoid the gold and experience specials, pick up the weapons, and exit the Party Maker. This is NOT absolutely necessary, but the weapons are nice.
"Destiny" is listed as a Very High Level (30th level+) adventure, and "Destiny" was designed for a starting party with an average of 30 levels per character. Parties that don't match this description will find "Destiny" too hard or too easy.
This adventure is fairly open-ended. There is no sequence of quests or missions you must go on. Half the fun of this adventure is figuring out just what you must do! For those of you who need definite goals, see tip A1 below.
Water - Make sure you always have enough water. If you run out & die, even the BoE Character Editor can't help! Pay attention to where water is available. You can carry up to 10 units of water. Be smart. If you have 9 units of water and come upon another one-shot water supply, don't use it just then. Wait until you need it. On the other hand, if you are travelling into the unknown, stock up on water before you leave.
Resources - Trainers, food sellers, etc. are in short supply in this scenario. Given where you are, this is perfectly logical. Gripe if you will, but I thought long and hard on this and to add any other "sites of hospitality" would totally destroy the realism of the scenario.
Mapping - The Ribbon is a dark place. The maps reflect this. Keep careful notes where caves, towns, and cities are, and how to get from place to place. Otherwise, you will stumble around in the desert quite a bit, wasting valuable water. If you just can't find a place, see tip L1 below.
None of this adventure is timed, so you have plenty of time to explore, take side trips, etc.
Spells - High level (5th, 6th, and 7th) Mage and Clerical spells can be found throughout this adventure. The ideal party will start with no 6th & 7th level spells. In my opinion, a party initially loaded with 6th and 7th-level spells will have far too easy a time in this scenario's battles. Of course, you are welcome to disagree with me. Use the provided BoE character editor to give your characters these spells, if you so desire.
The Power of Music - You begin the scenario with The Power of Music, a wild power that will do different things at different times. It appears as a special item. Its use is unlimited, but it does take time to 'charge up' between uses. Use it when you are in the toughest situations.
Misc. - One special being, Null, will harass the characters several times until they utterly destroy it. There is no away around this.
"Destiny" contains puzzles that require some thought. I've tried to
balance this adventure between hack-'n-slash, puzzles, and a decent story
to tie it all together. I'll let you decide how well I've succeeded.
Some outdoor specials will allow you to contact the realm of the Spheres.
Pay VERY close attention to these specials, as they offer you information
and power.
In addition to the normal accumulation of experience points, you will
receive bonus points when you accomplish certain tasks. Many times this
will be enough to boost you a level.
These corridors link several sections of the Ribbon together. There are three of them. Explore them carefully!
The spell Divine Thud can be found in one of these passages.
Trouble with the Guardian Golems? See tip 4A.
This is where the adventure starts. Not much here, except for some water
in the SE corner of the battlefield. GET IT. It is strongly suggested you
head NE from here and find the Rebel cave as soon as possible. Head northeast
from here, or you may not survive.
This is your main refuge. Water is available here. So is food, but you will have to look for it. Talk to everyone. They offer different hints on what you must do.
Various Mage spells (through 5th level) are available here in a hidden place. Trouble finding them? See tip 5A.
Lila has various Priest spells (through 5th level).
Various low-level alchemical spells are available here.
You can store items here, in Lila's room.
Typical barracks. Beware of D'kar, they will see through any disguises.
A Red Library Card is available here in main D'kar area.
Beware of Ettins!
Trouble finding the next level down? See tip 8A.
There is a secret supply cache at 24, 12.
Trouble with the room with chair and machines? See tip 9A.
Trouble getting down to the next level? See tip 9B.
Food machine - Located in the middle eastern part of the level, pull on the lever, wait for the schmuck to travel the length of the machine, then approach the crate and Get the slop (food) that was created.
Viewing Room - Trouble opening this door? See tip 9C.
Trouble accessing the north part of this level? See tip 10A.
You can find the priest spells Heal All, Revive, Revive All, and Major Cleansing here.
The history of the D'kar is located here.
Marmenill is here. He has the Ring of Disguise.
Various goodies can be found here.
These three stations allow you to travel from one place on the Ribbon
to another very quickly, if you can defeat their guardians.
Trouble opening the storeroom? See tip 13A.
Look for the secret area in the middle of the lair.
The spell Kill is available here. The spells Protective Circle and Pestilence
can be found here.
If you have the Amulet of Disguise, you can enter this city and obtain some basic services. Otherwise, avoid it!
Destroying the water purification machinery will give your party experience points. To destroy the water purification machinery, you must locate three key words and use them on the appropriate machine. See tip 15A for more information.
Beware of the D'kar Amulet Salesman. If he asks you who you belong to,
reply Fest or Barg, or the entire city will turn hostile.
This level is full of acid pits, and acid creatures.
A mithral bar is located at 4, 12. Take it to Barg to forge into acid-resistant mithral armor.
A key word for water purification machinery is located in SE section of caverns.
Major encounter with a D'kar is located in SE section of caverns.
Some food is located in the SW section of the caverns.
Information on the water purification process is located in a lab in the NW section of the caves, including a hint that Spak may have a vial of super-acid in his possession.
Some gold is located in the NE section of the caves.
There is no way to avoid Barg's traps. All party members but one will lose all their possessions here. You must do as Barg asks to retrieve your items.
Note: Parties of more than three carrying maximum loads (16 items each) may lose some items here, forever. Sell or store all non-essential items before coming here!
You can find the spells Mindduel and Major Summoning here.
You can find a Green Library Card here. Trouble finding it? See tip 17A.
If you have the Mithral Bar (From Under Plague), it can be forged into
acid-resistant mithral armor here.
You can find the spells Mass Paralysis and Protection here.
Trouble with the entrance puzzle?
FORTY + TEN + TEN ------ SIXTYSee tip 19A.
You can find the spells Paralyze and Force Barrier here.
You can find the alchemical spells Strong Strength and Bliss here.
Trouble getting out of Pule? See tip 19B.
There is a vial of super-concentrated acid in the SW corner of this fort. It's needed in another place.
If you enter through the south (via the crumbling wall) and encounter Spak, the encounters will be less severe, as you have caught him off guard.
You can find the spells Shockwave and Quickfire here.
You can find the alchemical spells Strong Poison, Strong Healing, and
Killer Poison here.
You will not be able to enter Shat until you defeat his servant, Null, five times. See tip 21A for the location of Null's appearances.
There is a semi-hidden well at 10,32.
You can find the spells Daemon, Flight, and Death Arrows here.
You can find the alchemical spells Resurrection Balm and Medium Power here.
You can find a violin here.
Trouble figuring out what to do here? See tip 22A.
Trouble getting in? See tip 23A. Trouble navigating
this area? See tip 23B.
Look for gold and food on dead Durok. Look for the Brown Gem. You will
need it later on. Trouble finding it? See tip 24A.
Trouble with the locked door riddle?
CROSS +ROADS ------ DANGERSee tip 25A.
Can't find anything else on this level or can't get past a certain point? See tip 25B.
The spells Ravage Spirit and Resurrect can be found here.
You can sell items here.
A random item shop is located here.
Darts, arrows, and bolts are available here.
Potions are available here.
Thief items available here.
Wands are available here.
Be very careful. Nosey, curious adventurers will be caught!
Free the slaves by destroying the D'kar slavemaster. Gather some treasure from the Durok guards. There is also some additional treasure here. See tip 27A if you need help finding it.
You can find the spells Hyperactivity and Destone here.
You must locate the Void Gate Key on this level. See tip
28A. Trouble locating the stairs to the upper level? See tip
28B.
Whatever Kals you have not killed to this point in the adventure will be here, ready and willing to fight you. If you have previously defeated a Kal, his section of this level will be open to you. Otherwise, that area will be inaccessible. There is nothing of major importance in any Kal's area, but there are some nice goodies and spells to be had! One prisoner on this level has some vital information to give you. See tip 29A if you need this information.
You can find the alchemical spell Knowledge Brew here, in Spak's area.
The spell Word of Recall can be found here, in Shat's area.
You need to have the Void Gate key (see tip 28A)
and know the password (see tip 29A) to close all the
Void Gates on this level. Once you do this, the entire fortress will blow
up. When you return to the ground level of the fort, leave as soon as possible.
You have 100 moves before it blows up.
The spells Avatar and Wall of Blades can be found here. See tip
31A if you need help locating them. Trouble getting in? See tip
S1. The truth about the Squiggles and why D'kar writings cause insanity
can be found here.
Trouble knowing what to do here? See tip 32A.
The spells Summon Guardian and Mass Charm can be found here.
The alchemical recipe for Strong Power potions can be found here.
A1. You have three major missions. Destroy the D'kar (see tip D1). Destroy the Squiggles (see tip S1). Destroy the Ribbon (see tip R1).
L1. Approximate Locations of Towns, etc.
| Place | Location |
| Mountain Passage A | 52,6 (South Entrance) |
| Mountain Passage B | 56,340 (South Entrance) |
| Mountain Passage C | 52, 147 (South Entrance) |
| D'kar Battlefield | 75,313 |
| Rebel Cave | 91,278 |
| Scab | 24,256 |
| Musty Cave | 90,196 |
| Subterranean Lab | Access via Musty Cave |
| The Womb | Access via Subterranean Lab |
| Lyeena Lair | 25,190 |
| Transfer Station #1 | 73,216 |
| Transfer Station #2 | 24,72 |
| Transfer Station #3 | 24,408 |
| Skunger Lair | 16,330 |
| Skunger Cave | 86,185 |
| Beaker Lair | 44,421 |
| Plague | 58,59 |
| Beneath Plague | Access via Plague |
| Barg | 56, 99 |
| Fest | 40,100 |
| Pule | 37,168 |
| Spak | 16,437 |
| Shat | 82,150 |
| Fist of Wrath | 72,34 |
| Hydros' Fount | 45,94 |
| Abandoned Mine | 6,385 |
| Abandoned Mine, L2 | Access via Abandoned Mine |
| Buboe | 65,353 |
| Slave Mine | 37,459 |
| Adamentine Fortress | 71,393 |
| Adamentine Fortress +1 | Access via Adamentine Fort |
| Void Gates | Access via Adamentine Fort |
| Library | 25,9 |
| Library +1 | Access via Library |
D1. Destroy the Adamentine Fortress by closing the Void Gates. This will destroy the fortress and the center of D'kar power.
S1. Destroy the Library. Gather all three Library Cards so you have access to the various levels of Library. One card is located on Marmenill in the Womb, one is in Barg's fort, and one is in Scab. Find one part of the Purity Gem in Buboe. Go to Spak's fort and recover a bottle of concentrated acid. Go to the Mountain Passage with water in it. Use the vial of concentrated acid to open a thick steel door. Find the concentrated healing potion in the area behind this door. Go to Shat's fort and recover the violin and the other part of the Purity Gem. Join the two sections of the Purity Gem together. Take the concentrated healing potion and the violin back to Smithers in the Rebel Cave. You will heal his hands with this potion. Smithers will then travel with you until you reach the Library. Once there, he will open a way in for you and destroy all the guards. Look for a secret passge on the west side of the Library that leads around to the back of the Library. Fight your way to the upper levels and place the Purity Gem in the correct place, then get out! This will incapacitate the Library and the Squiggles.
R1. Find the Fire, Water, and Earth Elementals. After you recover all three elementals, you will receive an Air Elemental while travelling outdoors. Place the other three elementals in the appropriate Mountain Passages. Once the other elementals are placed, activating the Air Elemental will destroy the Ribbon. Be sure you have accomplished all the other tasks you want to before doing this!
4A. In the west side of the water mountain passage, towards the southern end, there is a piece of machinery. Smash it to eliminate the Guardian Golems. This will summon some other creatures, but the fight is far less severe than taking on a dozen Guardian Golems.
5A. Look for a secret passage in Marmenill's quarters, in the Rebel Cave.
8A. There is a secret passage to the next level at 19, 15.
9A. If you push just button one, then sit in the chair, your alchemy skill will increase by three points. If you push just button two, then sit on the chair, your item lore will increase by three points. If you push both buttons, then sit on the chair, you lose both three point of alchemy skill and three point of item lore skill. There is a hidden room to the immediate west of this room. It contains several energy bars.
9B. To unlock the door to the third level, you must enter the Flora Research area and join two loose wires together.
9C. You need the stone key (found near Marmenill's body) from the next level down, the Womb, to open this door.
10A. You must collect void boulders and toss them in all the tiny vortexes you find. When you do so, the path to the north will open up.
13A. You must locate two Large Runed Rocks, place them in barrels, and push the barrels into the center area of the lair. Switch to Combat mode if you have trouble pushing barrels through the narrow corridors. (An alternate strategy is to drop a rock where you are standing, move a space closer to the center, pick the rock up, drop it in front of you [thus moving the rock two spaces], repeat until the rock is safely inside the central chamber.) Place one Runed Rock on each magic symbol on the floor. This will extend a bridge to the storeroom on the west side of the lair. You can then enter this storeroom and stock up on food!
15A. Serrt - Located in Plague's Sewers (Beneath Plague). Use word on machine in purification room itself.
Jokab - Found in desk in Water Purification Manager's office. Use word on machine at north end of water canal, in NW section of city.
Kolab - Located in Mountain Passage with water, in secret area. Must use Special Item - Vial of Acid - obtained in Spak to open passage to secret area in Mountain Passage #1. Use word on machine at south end of water canal in SW section of city.
Note: Top off your water supply before doing this, as no fresh water is available once you destroy the machinery!
17A. Dispel the barrier, then push the red button at 22,46. Now move quickly, for this is timed. Exit the fort through the north portculli (but don't leave town), and turn left. Walk through the secret passage to the northeast corner of the fort. Look for a secret passage heading east. Enter it and disarm the chest. (If you are too slow, you cannot enter this passage.) The Green Card is within the chest.
19A. F=2, O=9, R=7, T=8, Y=6, E=5, N=0, S=3, I=1, X=4.
19B. There is a lever at 17, 34 you need to pull to open the southern doors.
22A. Look for a hidden room in the sw corner of
the level. Step on moving panel to shut off the Fists of Wrath. When you
get to the middle, east part of the level, use the Power of Music to firewalk,
then head south then west to get to the Fire Elemental.\
23A. You need the Water Key, found in Plague on a bookshelf at.41,25.
23B. Path to Water Elemental - Take whirlpools. Start at 23,49 to 40,35 to 52,38 to 49,17 to 30,24 - Elemental Chamber. Exit this chamber at 16,20.
24A. The Brown Gem can be found by having one character enter the crack at 11,40 and following the tunnels until they end.
25A. D=1, O=2, S=3, E=4, A=5, R=6, G=7, N=8, C=9.
25B. Slag, The Earth Elemental, can be accessed via a hidden passage just beside the steps to this level. You must have the Brown Gem (located on the level above) to gain entrance to his cavern.
27A. The treasure is located behind the SE corner wall of the central room. Use a move mountains spell to smash this wall.
28A. The Void Gate Key is located at 29, 25.
28B. The stairs are located at 25,27. Look for fake walls.
29A. The one and only password is death.
31A. The spell Avatar is at 12,15. The spell Wall of Blades is at 44,9.
32A. You must have the Green and Yellow Card (see
tip
S1) to open the doors to the Void Engines. Shut off both Void Engines.
Look for a secret passage at 16,6 to access the left engine. Look for secret
passages at 42,12 and 50,7 to access the right engine. Then take the Gem
of Purity (again, see tip S1) to the north window and
watch the fireworks!