Eye of the Beholder I - Hints

                 Sent in by Andy Stenhouse

The first thing to do is make a party. Don't use the ready-made
party because it's not very good. Your party should have two
fighters and two magic wielders, a fighter and a paladin might be
a good idea because a paladin has some cleric abilities, also you
must have a mage and a cleric or two mage\clerics. A good party is
very important.

When you enter the first dungeon get some spells ready, both mage
and cleric spells. Not only will the use of magic help you to
fight the monsters but the more you use it the faster your party
will rise in rank. The first level is very easy. Most monsters
will need only two or three blows to kill them. The maps that come
with the game are not completely accurate but are still a good
guide.

Inspect the walls carefully; some symbols are important, some of
them are false walls. The ones with a single slash are opened by
inserting a dagger, the blocks of a different shade can be pushed
to open them. Others you can just walk through.

In the early levels you will need keys and gems to open the doors
but if you have a thief in your party he will be able to pick
locks once he has enough experience. At the end of level 3 there
are two ladders. It is best to go down the ladder with the shield
next to it. Remember to take the shield with you. A short distance
from the start of level four you should find a wounded dwarf. Let
him join the party as he is quite useful. If he is not there you
must have gone down the wrong ladder at the end of level 3.

It is a good idea to save the game before going down the ladder to
level four. This level is one of the hardest because of the giant
spiders.  They are poisonous and you will not have the cure poison
spell until you have a lot more experience so it's a good idea to
avoid breaking any of the webs, just open the door and pull the

hands of the figures to close the pits until you find the stairs
to level five.

On that level there is a large group of dwarves. They are very
important, agree to help them and they will give you a stone
medallion that will open the portal on level four but it is not
necessary to go back to level four because there is a secret
passage on level five. To find it you must go through one of the
figures on the wall. In the passage there is a stone necklace and
a portal. The stone necklace will get you through the portal and
take you to the same place but you will need the stone dagger from
level two to go further. In the room with many portals there is a
door with a spider lock. The key for that lock is through another
portal on level six which is reached by a stair from level five
that is rather hard to find; it is hidden by a false wall.

It is a good idea to collect all the bones you find on your way
because the dwarf cleric can resurrect them and some are very good
characters.

When you have the poison cure spell go back to level four and find
the stone sceptre. Before going to the deeper levels you will need
to have a remove paralysis spell as many creatures can paralyse
you.

You will have to visit the dwarves from time to time. They will
tell you what they want you to do for them and then they will give
you the Wand of Silias that will kill the Beholder on the last
level. To kill him use the wand on him and he will move back;
follow him and keep using the wand until you back him into the
brown pit.  He will then be killed.

Good luck and have fun with this excellent game.