DREARCLIFF MANOR by The Software Works A text adventure on disk PCPD 746 Solution by Bev Truter Following this solution you can win the game with 340/350 points - it's unclear how the missing 10 points can be found, or even if they can be found at all. It is essential to follow this solution exactly to begin with, until you have got the first two items mentioned, otherwise you will be missing 20 points from the total at the end. Nouns typed in capitals are treasures. From the starting point at the Entrance to the manor go N,N,N,D,W,W,S to the Store-room. Get lamp, light lamp, then N,E,E,U,S,U,S,E,E,S to Bedroom. Get PIGGY BANK. If you see the shattered remains of a piggy bank it's too late, so restart the game again. You could try getting first bank then lamp, but whichever way you try, you'll need the lamp (before it gets stolen by someone else) and the piggy bank (before it gets broken and the contents stolen). You can "break bank" (10 points) to get the rare coins inside it (10 points); but you end up with the same number of points for either the bank or the rare coins. This is where I suspect the missing 10 points might be - is it possible to get the rare coins from the piggy bank without breaking it? There's 2 other people searching the manor as well, so next thing to do is find the revolver and bullets. From Bedroom with piggy bank go N,W,W,N,D,S to Foyer. Get revolver (you're not as likely to be attacked if you're not holding the revolver). N,E,N to the Sitting-room, get SILVER COINS. E,E to Study, open desk, get bullets, load revolver, then SAVE the game. From here on if you hear an ominous rustling noise behind you, type "shoot ". E.g., if you have just gone west into a room and you hear a noise behind you, "shoot east". If you miss, you are killed, so resume play from the last restored game. If you kill the attacker, he drops a brass key, which you will need to open the locked door (in the room 2 moves south of the Study). The disused room containing the sleeping bag west of this locked door is the "safe place" to store all the treasures you find. From the Study go S,S to a room outside a locked door, unlock door (you'll need to be holding brass key), W to the disused room with the JADE SCULPTURE. Drop bank, coins, E, lock door. (Remember to lock the door each time you exit the disused room). From here onwards it's mostly a case of solving a few puzzles and collecting more goodies, but explore the grounds outside first before you start collecting treasures, as once you drop anything it will be stolen and dropped in another random location, until you have shot the invisible attacker. DO NOT shoot the "ornery man" if you see him - he has to stay alive to solve one of the problems. From Foyer go S,S,S,S,S,S,S to End of Driveway. Then W,W to the SW corner of the estate. Climb tree, get SAPPHIRE EGG, D,N,N,E,E to the Dirt Road. Get paper, read paper (it mentions a Philosopher's stone, and what to do with it). W,W,N,N,E,N,N to South of Stables. Get shovel. Make your way back into the house to the Central Hall (north of the Foyer), and as soon as you have shot your attacker and found the brass key he was carrying, return regularly to the disused room to store the treasures. W,N to Dining-room, get keys. S,W,S to the Kitchen, get pig. N,E,E,N,D to Centre of Basement, unlock door with keys. E to Laboratory, push wall to reveal an opening to the north, N to Older Laboratory. E to Store-room, push bookcase to reveal entrance to north, N,E,N,N to a Low E/W Passage. The pig unearths a pile of truffles and wanders off. Get TRUFFLES. While you're here, go W,W to the locked door, try to open the door (you can't, the lock is rusted), shoot lock. There doesn't appear to be anything beyond this point, but if any objects disappear from their current locations, they might be dropped somewhere beyond the door. Return to Foyer, then N,N,N,E to the Verandah, where you can see a brick wall to the north. Drop stone, and it disappears, leaving an arrow pointing north. Go north until you can't go any further, dig, get CHEST, open chest (It's full of money). Return to disused room to store valuables regularly. Foyer: N,U,S,E,E,N to Bedroom with jewel box. Get box, open box (contains a DIAMOND TIARA and a PEARL NECKLACE). S,W,S to the Bedroom with desk + chair. Get CERTIFICATES, get chair, move desk to reveal opening in floor. D,E to east end of Stone Room. Drop chair, get OPALS, U,N,N to the Intersection. Return to Foyer. N,W,W,S,E to Pantry. Open cupboards (you see a dumb-waiter). You can go D to the Washroom in the basement, or up to a closet in a room on the second floor of the manor. U to Closet, get map, read map. (It shows a section of the gardens). N,N,E,U,S,E to East Attic. Open trunk, move clothes, get RUBY PENDANT. W,W to West Attic. Move trunk to reveal opening, D to West Hall. Open door, W,S. Get RARE PAINTING. N,N to another Corner bedroom, where you see a bed with a lump and a sheet pulled over it. Move sheet to reveal a corpse wearing a GOLD RING. DO NOT get the ring, as the corpse attacks and kills you. Instead, wander in and out of the room after you meet up with the ornery man in the room with the corpse. After a while you will find him dead, and anything he was carrying lying on the floor, including the gold ring. Get everything he dropped and the ring, but don't wear it yet. It's for making you invisible, and you'll need it for the Troll, not for getting past the ferocious dog. Return to Foyer with gold ring and set of keys. Foyer: N,N,D,E,N,E,N,E,N to passage outside the Troll's Cell. Wear ring, E to cell with Troll. Unlock Troll, and although he looks about suspiciously, he can't see you. Follow the Troll immediately he leaves the room (W,N,W,S to the Featureless Passageway). He opens a secret door, so follow him E,E to his Lair. Listen and watch what he does. Get DEED, W, pull lever, W,N to Intersection. Read deed (you are now the owner of Drearcliff Manor). Return to disused room with the deed to win the game. - o -