A step by step walk through of Jim MacBrayne's "Holy Grail" by rac This is my solution in a little under 410 moves, (and 10 years work off and on) This solution is for game TADS Version 1.01 Release 960227 Comments and earned/total points are in () ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your purpose in this game is to find the Holy Grail, along with 5 gems and return them to Merlin. I have tested this solution, except for keypad, which requires a random answer each time played, as a script. If I've missed something or been unclear let me know. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- SMALL DUNGEON >get lamp. light >n. nw. ne. e. e ARMOURY >get ball >d TORTURE CHAMBER >get note >u. w. w. sw. n. n. n. w LAKE SIDE >examine sand >get sand >e. e. e. n. u ATTIC >get gutter >d. e STABLE >get horseshoe >s. e >open >south STINKING HOVEL >get elixir >n. w. w. w. w. s >save "s0" ( 0/ 0) NARROW PATH >attach gutter to hooks >put sand,ball in gutter >s. s. ne. u >save "s30" ( 30/ 30) >e. s. s CUBICAL CELL >get coin.n.n. >save "s40" ( 10/ 40) EASTERN BATTLEMENTS >press depression >w. d. sw. n. n. n. e. e. e. e. n MAGICK SHOPPE >put coin in slot >push silver,gold,red. ring. s. n >push silver,gold,red. ring. s. n >push silver,gold,red. ring. s. n >examine counter >save "s60" ( 20/ 60) >get ruby >s. w. w. w. w. s NARROW PATH >get all >put sand,ball in gutter >s. s. ne. w STRATEGIC PLANNING ROOM >examine arabesque >put ruby in indentation >e. u. e. s. s ** RUBY ROOMS ** ------------------------- Must get opal and clover or game is unwinnable ------------------------- MIDDLE OF FIELD >save "s70" ( 10/ 70) >n. e. e. se. s. d >get leaflet >u. n. nw. ne. n. w EDGE OF FOREST >get clover >e. ne ROCKY CONFINE >read note. read leaflet. drop note (leaflet helps with key pad & wooden chamber) press buttons that answer question to note There are five possibilities: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- if note asks for smallest number which is the sum of fifth powers of its digits then >press 1 >press enter ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- if note asks for smallest number which is the sum of cubes of its digits then >press 4 >press 0 >press 7 >press enter ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- if note asks for smallest number which is the sum of two cubes in two ways then >press 1 >press 7 >press 2 >press 9 >press enter (9 cubed plus 10 cubed equals 12 cubed plus 1 cubed) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- if note asks about the next perfect number then >press 8 >press 1 >press 2 >press 8 >press enter ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- if note asks about prime numbers then >press 1 >press 9 >press 9 >press 9 >press 9 >press 6 >press 4 >press enter ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >east (as you give the correct answer the door slides open) (otherwise press delete and start over) DOMED CHAMBER >examine plinth >get opal >w. sw. s. sw. se. s CLIFF TOP >jump ** BACK to THE CASTLE ** ------------------------ TOP OF TOWER >d. ne. ne. w STRATEGIC PLANNING ROOM >get ruby >put opal >e. u. e. s. s ** OPAL ROOMS ** ---------------------------------------------------- A lot to do here, obtain zucchetto for intelligence use wooden chamber for teleport, examine spells, etc ---------------------------------------------------- NARROW LEDGE >save "s80" ( 10/ 80) >jump. u. n. n. ne. e. se BROOM CUPBOARD >get rope >nw.w.sw.nw.w HUGE HALL >say "fire" >save "s100" ( 20/100) >look >get zucchetto (this skull cap makes us smart enough to read spells) >examine it. wear it >nw >d. e. open >e. e. open >e. e. open >north BROOM CUPBOARD >get philtre >s. w. w. n SOUTH OF RIFT >lasso upright (Syntax puzzle, guess word that attachs rope) >save "s120" ( 20/120) >north NORTH OF RIFT >get shiny key >s. s. w. w. n. nw. u HALFWAY UP TREE >unlock door >open it >drop key >east. close WOODEN CHAMBER [Bottom half of leaflet provides coordinates for this teleporter] These buttons add: pink :yellow:orange These buttons subtract: purple:brown :black If you make a mistake, you end up in a Featureless Room with Hole >push pink,pink,yellow,yellow,yellow,yellow,orange,orange >examine indicator (reading should be 3:5:3) >pull switch >open. west CRAMPED CHAMBER >examine scroll (we cant use it but it's good for points) >save "s130" ( 10/130) >east. close WOODEN CHAMBER >push pink,pink,yellow,yellow,yellow >push orange,orange,orange,orange,orange >examine indicator (reading should be 5:8:8) >pull switch >open. west BROOM CUPBOARD >examine crystal >look. get key >east. close WOODEN CHAMBER >push pink,brown,brown,black,black >examine indicator (reading should be 6:6:6) >pull switch >open. west MERLIN'S RETREAT >get grimoir (we need this spell!) >read it >save "s140" ( 10/140) >east. close WOODEN CHAMBER >push pink,brown,brown,brown,brown,orange,orange >examine indicator (reading should be 7:2:8) >pull switch >open. west GRAND CHAMBER >examine parchment (we cant use it but it's good for points) >save "s150" ( 10/150) >east.close WOODEN CHAMBER >push yellow,yellow,yellow,black,black,black,black,black >examine indicator (reading should be 7:5:3) >pull switch >open. west ** BACK TO THE CASTLE ** ------------------------ DENSE THICKET >get torch. drop leaflet >w. w. w. w. w. s NARROW PATH >pull lever. get all. put them >s. s. ne. w STRATEGIC PLANNING >get opal. put ruby >e. u. e. s. s >n. e. e. ne. e ** RUBY ROOMS AGAIN ** ------------------------- One last thing to do here ------------------------- AT STONE CURTAIN >unlock door with crystal key >open. east CYLINDICAL ROOM >get sapphire >east ** BACK TO THE CASTLE ** ------------------------ DENSE THICKET w. w. w. w. w. s NARROW PATH >pull.get all. put them >s. s. ne. w STRATEGIC PLANNING >get ruby.put sapphire >e. u. e. s. s >light torch **SAPPHIRE ROOMS** --------------------------------------------------- The rooms in this area use reverse logic: east is west, take is drop, ignore is examine, etc --------------------------------------------------- OCTAGONAL ROOM >save "s160" ( 10/160) >n. nw. n BROOM CUPBOARD >drop emerald >s. se. s. e. ne. e ** BACK TO THE CASTLE ** ------------------------ DENSE THICKET >drop torch,crystal >w. w. w. w. w. s NARROW PATH >pull.get all.put them >s. s. ne. w STRATEGIC PLANNING >get sapphire.put emerald >e. u. e. s. s **EMERALD ROOMS** --------------------- Potion puzzles here --------------------- JOUSTING FIELD >save "s170" ( 10/170) >north. get staff (needed to invoke spells) >d. d. ne. n >WEST OF ABYSS >push mauve. drink philtre (philtre makes you very light for only 1 move) >save "s190" ( 10/190) >n.e.se DUSTY ENTRANCE >open >east >drop all but elixir (elixir slows the world down!) >up. drink elixir. west BALCONY >get diamond. drop it >e. d. w >catch diamond >save "220" ( 30/220) >e. get all. w. s ** BACK TO THE CASTLE ** ------------------------ DENSE THICKET >drop horseshoe >w. w. w. w. w. s NARROW PATH >pull.get all.put them >s.s.ne.w STRATEGIC PLANNING >get emerald.put diamond >e. u. e. s. s ** DIAMOND ROOMS ** -------------------------------------------- Here be the dragon, a maze, and the grail -------------------------------------------- BRICK LINED CHAMBER >save "s230" ( 10/230) >open >n. ne. se >open. ne BRICK LINED CHAMBER >get key >sw. s BRICK LINED CHAMBER >say "feervo" (must have staff!) >e. save "s250" ( 20/250) >east BRICK LINED CHAMBER >get grail >w. se. e. e. n. nw. nw. w. n ** BACK TO THE CASTLE ** ------------------------ DENSE THICKET >w. w. w. w. w. s NARROW PATH >pull lever >s. s. ne. w STRATEGIC PLANNING >get diamond (should have all 5 gems now) >e. se MERLIN'S ROOM >unlock trapdoor with rusty key >open it >down >north !!Congratulations!! Returning the Holy Grail earns you 50 points ( 50/300) Returning the gems; Ruby,Opal,Sapphire,Emerald,Diamond earns you an additional 50 points ( 50/350) For fun, try these... ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Standing on drawbridge and waiting after gutter hook mechanism is loaded. Finding where objects dropped in Featureless Room with Hole go when dropped. Dropping everything in Featureless Room w/hole and then jumping in. Jumping without the clover at Top of Cliff. Smelling all the odours in the different rooms. Reading the sign in the surgery.