Walkthrough:
INTRODUCTION
This walkthrough gives explicit instructions on playing SIMON THE SORCERER to a successful conclusion. It does, however, assume you have read the Game Manual and are familiar with the various methods of controlling your actions. In directing you from place to another, I either supply instructions relative to the screen, right, left, up or down, or assume you will use the on-line map to zap you to the nearest location to your next destination. After you have visited a place once, I assume you will know how to find that place again. However, if the directions are not clear, I have provided maps as described in the following General Hints.
GENERAL HINTS
Be pleasant, cooperative and always offer to help. When conversing with potential or definite enemies never back off unless you have completely run out of options. If the conversation doesn't turn out the way I say, just try another response until it does.
TAKING RISKS
Don't be afraid to take risks. Do so. You can't die and you may need to experience the downside before you can solve the puzzle.
HINTS
Visit the Wise Owl in the Woods for random hints. He will always tell you something useful, but it may be for past or future use. Hopefully he will occasionally tell you something of immediate use.
SAVING
Quite honestly, you don't need to save at all, except before quitting. You can't die and the game never crashed on me. (The inventory did become invisible from time to time though!) Anyway, you may want to replay some sequences again in a different order. Save as often as feels comfortable. For instance, I saved frequently during a thunderstorm!
OPENING SCENES
Watch the credits! Simon is lounging around in his bedroom bored with his homework. Meanwhile Simon's dog is exploring the attic. Hearing barking from upstairs Simon climbs up to the attic and opens the chest. The dog jumps out and Simon discovers a spellbook. Handling the spellbook invokes a spell which causes a small local rift in the fabric of space and time. The dog walks through the rift and Simon follows... Simon finds himself in the middle of a Goblin food invocation ceremony. The dog hides, but Simon loses his spellbook and is put into the Goblin's cooking pot! Doggie to the rescue! They both escape and arrive at Calypso's cottage. Calypso, a Grand High Wizard, has left a letter for Simon explaining that he has been captured by the evil wizard Sordid and has brought Simon here to find and rescue him. But first Simon must become a wizard himself so that he can use Calypso's spellbook...where ever it is now!
CALYPSO'S COTTAGE
Take the magnet from the refrigerator door. Open the desk drawer and take the scissors.
TAVERN
Go outside and go right into the village and at the Blacksmith's, up to the tavern. Open the door and go into the tavern. Look at the fruit machine and take the matches. Talk to the Nubile Valkyries about Sordid. Use the scissors to cut off the sleeping dwarf's beard. Go into the room on the right and converse with the wizards until they agree to tell you how to become a wizard. They tell you must find and return with a magical staff. The staff is last known to be in the possession of, the now deceased, Nafflin the Necromancer.
APOTHECARY
Leave the tavern. Head left past the Shoppe, up to the Dodgy Geezer. Get away from this guy as quickly as you can. You'll find him useful later on. Go left to the Apothecary's. Pick up the ladder outside the apothecary's cottage. Go inside and take the cold remedy and specimen jar.
WISE OWL
Return to outside the Shoppe and go left into the woods. When you reach the four way junction, take the first path on the left. Continue along this path until you see the wise owl. Talk to the owl. Pick up a hint or two. Take the feather from the left center of the screen.
WOODWORM
Return to the four way junction and take the first path on the right. Continue on this path until you see the tree stump. Talk to the woodworm. They will ask you to find some mahogany for them.
WITCH'S COTTAGE
Take the path down and continue left to the Witch's Cottage. Turn the handle of the well and haul up a bucket of water. Take the bucket of water.
BARBARIAN
Return along the path and then go left to the four way junction. Take the second path on the right and continue on this path until you meet the Barbarian. Help the Barbarian and he will give you a whistle.
TROLL BRIDGE
Return left to the four way junction. Take the lower right path and walk past the Woodworm tree stump to the Troll Bridge. As soon as the action stops talk to the troll so that he takes and uses your whistle. The Barbarian comes and clears the bridge.
OAF
Walk across the Troll Bridge and continue along this path, taking the upper right path at the junction, until you meet the Oaf. Talk to the Oaf about his beans. Suggest they need watering. Pour the bucket of water over the beans. You will leave. Return and pick the beans up out of the puddle.
BEHIND CALYPSO'S COTTAGE
Return to the village and go to Calypso's cottage. Plant the beans in the compost behind Calypso's cottage. Pick the water melon.
SOUSAPHONE
Return to the Troll Bridge and go to the upper left to the sousaphone player. You will try to escape the noise but you also want that sousaphone! Visit the sousaphone player again and throw the melon into the sousaphone. The sousaphone player will hand the instrument over to you for repair.
PALEONTOLOGIST
Return left to the five way junction, then take the upper right path to the cordoned off hole. Talk to the paleontologist who is inside the hole. He is looking for a fossil.
GOBLIN'S FORTRESS
Continue right along the path to the Center of the Forest. Take the higher path, that starts on the left, to the Goblin Fortress. Look for the shopping list under the stone. Take it.
WOODCUTTER'S COTTAGE
Return to the lower path and continue right to the Woodcutter's Cottage. Talk to the woodcutter. He is miserable because he can't cut down the magic trees. He needs a magic axe made from Milrith. He will give you a metal detector.
SWAMPLING
Return to the Center of the Forest and take the upper right path. Continue through the cave entrance and on into the swamp. Attempt to open the door of the Swampling's residence and the Swampling will invite you in. Talk to the Swampling. Accept the stew. Eat as much Swamp stew as you can. Ugh! Fill the specimen jar with the stew when you can. Keep eating the stew until the Swampling has to leave. Leave and continue right to the mountains.
SLEEPING GIANT
Keep walking right through the mountains until you reach the Sleeping Giant. (Why have all those people turned to stone?) Disturb the sleeping giant by playing the sousaphone. This will make him push the tree over so you can walk across the chasm.
DRAGON'S CAVE
Continue right to the Dragon's Cave. Visit the dragon. Blackened! Click on Simon to recover. Go into the cave again. Give the cold remedy to the Dragon. Go into the cave and take the fire extinguisher. Leave and walk behind the cave. Pick up the rock with the fossil.
TALKING TREE
Go right, and right again, at the climbing pins, continue right and talk to the Talking Tree.
MOUNTAINS
Return to the Sleeping Giant then go left. Use the metal detector.
SHOPPE
Return to the village. Open the Shoppe door. Hand over the shopping list to the shopkeeper.
BLACKSMITH
Visit the Blacksmith and give him the rock. You will leave with a fossil.
PALEONTOLOGIST
Return to the Center of the Forest and go left to the Paleontologist. Give the fossil to the Paleontologist and tell him you found it in the mountains (where you actually detected the milrith!).
MOUNTAINS
Return to the Sleeping Giant and go left. Search the dirt and rocks and pick up the milrith ore.
BLACKSMITH
Return to the village and visit the Blacksmith. Give the milrith to the Blacksmith and he will make you an axe head. Pick up the bell clapper from the bench. Also take the rope and attach it to the magnet.
WOODCUTTER'S COTTAGE
Return to the Center of the Forest and go right to the Woodcutter's cottage. Hand the axe head over to the woodcutter and he will leave. Go into his cottage. Pick up the climbing pin on the left-hand side. Put out the fire in the fireplace with the fire extinguisher. Move the hook over the fireplace and you will go down to the basement. Take the mahogany.
WOODWORM
Go to the Troll Bridge and take the lower left path to the tree stump where the woodworm reside. Talk to the woodworm. The woodworm become part of your inventory.
TOWER
Go to the Cross Roads. Take the lower right path to the tower. Put the bell clapper in the bell and sound the bell. Climb the long braid of hair. Talk to the girl behind the screen and kiss her. Well, she did say "when she was a piglet"! The pig 'Repulser' becomes part of your inventory. Use the woodworm on the floorboards. Go down through the holes to the basement, using the ladder on the second hole. Open the tomb. Could this be Nafflin the Necromancer with the magic staff? You will be forced to leave, but you can now return here through the ground floor doorway. Go in and go back down to the tomb, open it again. Do not look at the mummy but pick up the stringy bandage at his back. The mummy will unwind and be destroyed. Take the staff.
GOLUM
Return to the Cross Roads and take the path up, on the right, to the waterfall. Climb down the vines at the lower left of the screen. Talk to the Golum. He will tell you he needs food for a party. Give the Swamp stew to the Golum fisherman. You will sit down to fish and eventually find the ring of invisibility.
BEEHIVE COTTAGE
Return to the village. Go to the path outside the Apothecary and go left to the Beehive Cottage. Have Repulser, the pig, eat the Chocolate truffle door. Go into the cottage. Take the smokebox and beekeeper's hat. Go outside. Use the smokebox on the beehive. Pick up the wax.
TAVERN
Go to the tavern and ask the barman to fix you a drink. While he is preoccupied put the wax on the nozzle of the barrel behind the bar. The barman will think this barrel is empty and leave it for you outside. He will also give you a free beer voucher. Pick up the barrel of beer when you leave.
DWARVES MINE.
Return to the Center of the Forest. Look at the rock at the mine entrance. Pick it up and look at the rock again. It says "beer". This is the password to get into the mine. Put on the beard. Go into the mine. Try to go to the left. Bribe the guard with the barrel of beer. Return up the steps and go to the left. Talk to the dwarves. Find out how to get into the treasury (through the golden door on the upper left). Take the hook. Return to the steps to the right and go down to the beer room. Use the feather on the sleeping guard to make him turn over. Take the key. Return to the treasury door and open it with the key. Talk to the dwarf. Bribe him with the beer voucher. He will give you a gem.
DODGY GEEZER
Return to the village and visit the Dodgy Geezer. Drive a hard bargain and sell the gem to him for 20 gold coins.
SHOPPE
Return to the Shoppe. Buy the hammer and white spirit. Leave. Outside the shop, open the box and get in.
GOBLIN'S FORTRESS
Open the box you are hiding in. Look at the boxes. Pick up the spellbook. Look at the spellbook and you will find a loose piece of paper. Pick up the rat bone. Put the piece of paper under the door. Use the rat bone on the lock. Pick up the piece of paper. Use the key to unlock the door. Open the door and leave. Pick up the bucket and go down the stairs. Talk to the Druid. Remove the ring. Talk to the Druid again until he tells you he needs to see a full moon. Put the bucket over the druids head. Pick up the mints. Pick up the flaming brand and hold it over the Druid's head. The Druid escapes as a frog. When you hear Goblin guards approaching, open the iron maiden and hide in it. The frog will return with a hacksaw. Open the iron maiden. Take the hacksaw and use it on the bars. Leave.
DRAGON'S CAVE
Return to the Dragon's Cave and use the hook to climb up to the boulder above the cave entrance. Use the rope and magnet on the hole (this is the skylight in the Dragon's Cave) and you will collect some gold coins. Repeat this three times until the magnet comes up empty.
TALKING TREE
Climb down and return to the Talking Tree. Clean up the pink splotch with the white spirit. Talk to the tree. The tree will tell you four magic words.
TAVERN
Return to the village. Visit the wizards in the tavern. Talk to them. Hand over the staff and pay the fee to become a wizard. Ask the wizards about Sordid.
APOTHECARY
Visit the Apothecary. The Druid is at home and he wants you to find him some Frogsbane.
SKULL ISLAND
Go to the Center of the Forest. Return the Swampling's hut. (Thank goodness the Swampling's not back yet!) Move the box and open the trap door. Go through the trap door and walk along the planks. Fix the loose plank with the hammer and nail. Continue right to Skull Island. Pick the Frogsbane.
APOTHECARY
Return to the village and visit the Apothecary. Hand over the Frogsbane and you will receive a mysterious potion labeled "Drink Me".
WITCH'S COTTAGE
Go to the witch's cottage. Open the door and go in. Try to take her broom. You will get chucked out but enter the cottage again. The witch will offer to play a game with you. Accept. Use the magic word "Sausages" repeatedly until you win the game. You may not win the first game, but keep returning to the cottage and playing the game until you do. The witch will then cheat and become a dragon. Escape by saying "Abracadabra" and becoming a mouse. Run away through the mouse-hole near the rocking chair. You now have the broom.
CLIMBING PINS
Return to the Dragon's Cave and go to the climbing pins. There is one missing but you have one in your inventory. Put the spare climbing pin in the hole. Walk across the climbing pins.
SNOWMAN
Eat the mints and the snowman will melt.
SORDID'S TOWER
OUTSIDE
Continue right to Sordid's Tower. Use the witch's broom to get across the chasm. Consume the "Drink Me" potion. You will walk through a crack in the door. Your dog will grab you and put you in the garden. Pick up the leaf. Pick up the stone. Look in the bucket and take the matchstick. Go left to the puddle. Pick up the lily-pad. Put the matchstick on the lily-pad and the leaf on the match to make a sailing boat. Sail over to the seeds. Take a seed. Return to shore. Crush the seed with the stone. Attach the dog hair to the tap. Use the seed oil on the tap and turn on the water by pulling the dog hair. Use your makeshift sailing boat to get to the other side of the puddle. On leaving the boat you are nearly swallowed by a frog! Look at the water and pick up the tadpole. Threaten the frog and that you will harm the tadpole unless the frog gets out of your way. When the frog leaves look at the mushrooms. Pick the mushroom labeled "Eat Me" and eat it.
GROUND-FLOOR AND BASEMENT
Open the door and go inside. Terrified, you run outside. Pick up the branch. Go inside again and put the branch in the snapping chest's mouth. Pick up the shield and the spear. Go downstairs to the torture chamber. Pick up the chest. Move the lever to open the press. Put the chest on the block and move the lever so the chest is crushed. Move the lever again to raise the press. Pick up the candles. Use the spear to fetch down the skull hanging from the ceiling on the left. Pick up the skull.
BEDROOM AND LABORATORY
Go upstairs, then upstairs again, to the bedroom. Pick up the sock, the pouch and the magic wand. Pick up and read the book. Now you know what to do with Sordid's wand. Talk to the mirror. Put the sock in the pouch. Put the pouch in the mouse-hole at the foot of the stairs. You will catch the mouse. Go upstairs and talk to the demons. Keep talking until they tell you they want to return to the pit. Pick up the book and read it. You now know how to return these demons to their home. Talk to the demons some more and find out more information if you can. Pick up the chemical, the magical metal polish, and use it to polish the shield. Place the shield on the hook. Go downstairs to the bedroom. Talk to the mirror and ask to see the lab. You will hear the demon's true names. Go upstairs and keep talking to the demons until they give you the chalk so you can start the ritual to send them back. When you have completed the ritual, get into the teleporter, select the Fiery Pits of Rondor as your destination.
THE FIERY PITS OF RONDOR
Pick up the sapling and the pebble. Talk to the attendant. He will give you some brochures. Look at the brochures and then use the elastic band on the sapling. Use the catapult on the fire alarm. Pick up the souvenir matches from the counter. Go right, across the bridge and pick up the floor wax. Go right to Sordid. Use the wand on Sordid to turn _him_ to stone. Now light the pits with the matches. Throw the wand into the lava. Uh-oh! Sordid tries to kill you. Return to the lava pits and deal with Sordid. How? Use the floor wax so that he loses his footing...and falls into the lava!
Congratulations! Enjoy the closing sequences!
SIMON THE SORCERER HINTS by Michael Shire, 1996.
from Adventure Soft/Activision.
I borrowed some text from Zorian Rotenberg.
(1) General Hints
(2) Subtle Hints
(3) Less Subtle hints
(4) Near Solutions
(5) Items: What - Why (Where found)
(6) Red Herrings
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(1) We'll start with General Hints:
The most important - you never die, and you are never placed in a "no way out" situation, so try anything and everything.
The Magic Map allows you to travel to any location instantly, but the locations will only be present on the map if you have visited it. So explore a lot, and make sure you have been everywhere.
Remember that you are not bound by days and you have all the time in the world to save the wizard and get to the end to get rid of Sordid.
Move the mouse pointer all around the screen. If the information
on the subject changes and displays the subject's name or what it is
called, then there is a good chance that you may need to pick it up or do
something with it.
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(2) Subtle hints:
There are a couple of hard to find locations:
} You CAN get to the man fishing in the river.
} You can go to the cellar of a couple of the houses.
The Dodgy Geezer will like something Dwarven.
Tinker with the keg to get free beer.
A real dwarf has a beard, and loves beer.
Dr. Jones really is good at digging.
The Blacksmith loves to hammer on his anvil.
The owl will give you some sound advice.
Annoying sounds can wake anybody up.
Seeds need water and fertile soil to grow.
If you can't move someone try tickling them.
Alice in Wonderland's 'Drink me' and 'Eat me'.
Woodworms are like fast and hungry termites.
Can any person eat a whole door of chocolate?
The cool MINTS are really HOT stuff.
==================================================
(3) Less Subtle hints (or you may be stuck on):
A CLAPPER is the striker in a bell.
Get BUCKET of water from the Witch's well.
TALK to the hole in the ground in forest.
The SPECIMEN jar is like tupperware.
The Blacksmith will both SMASH and CREATE.
LOOK for the MITHRIL in the dirt.
The grappling HOOK is complete with rope.
If you can't OPEN or USE a crate, try getting in or to MOVE it.
The HAMMER comes with free NAIL.
LOOK for rocks, pebbles, branches, twigs, ...
Don't get hooked on fireplaces.
WHITE SPIRIT is paint remover.
'Drink me' to shrink, 'Eat me' to enlarge.
Don't wait for a gust of wind to MOVE you.
LOOK for something to threaten frogs with.
The polished SHIELD is like a MIRROR.
Doesn't the ATTENDANT's face ring a bell?
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(4) Near Solutions:
You must climb down the vines to meet the fisherman. He loves stew.
Plug the keg of beer with something - The barman will remove it.
Get past the REPULSIVE chocolate door - you'll need the beeswax.
Get a beard from a real dwarf - the password is outside of the mine. Bribe them with beer, even coupons for beer - The sleeper is ticklish. Sell the treasure you find in locked room in the town.
You can find a shopping list just outside the Goblins' House, use it. Hopefully you know how to pick locks, and that you fished out the
magic ring. Use the paper with the door the rat bone with its lock.
Save the Druid if you cover his head with something dark that has a hole, you can set him free - you'll need light.
Go back to town, visit the Druid again, and you may find what he needs if you search another's house. MOVE the CRATE.
Outside dragon cave - you can see a boulder outcropping. You can get gold from up there.
Behind Dragon's Cave, you see a rock. Remember the Dr.? He loves to dig but you need to find milrith. Of course Milrith has to be shaped to an axehead.
Use metal detector on snowy ground.
Put out the fire in the fireplace. The Woodworms will keep you company. Don't keep them hungry, they'll need even more wood.
In the Tower, find something loose. Finish your quest and become a Master.
The Witches Duel. You need that broom! You need magic words. Find the pink smudge on tree, it's past the climbing pins. Keep on saying the magical word "sausages". To escape turn into a mouse with another word.
Sordid's Tower. Climbing pin from Woodcutter's. The Snowman is not Hot Stuff. All that heat from lava must make you thirsty.
There is stuff inside the bucket. Don't wait for wind to sail. Free the rust by grinding seeds, use the hair on tap. LOOK at the water, talk to frog.
Get a branch, use the branch on the chest. Pick up the shield and the spear, and go downstairs. There are candles hidden here. Get everything from down the spiral staircase (including candles, skull), from bedroom (including mouse), and then from lab. Polish shield up like a mirror (hint).
The Pits. Search the area, talk to the attendant, read brochure. Use MAGIC on Sordid. Did you read the magic books? Old Sordid should watch his step.
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(5) Items: What - Why (Where found).
Scissors ..................................... beard trimmer (Calypsos)
Magnet ............................. use with rope (fridge at Calypsos)
Rope .......................... tie to magnet to get gold (Blacksmiths)
Clapper .............................. bell at Stone Keep (Blacksmiths)
Ladder ..................................... stone keep's cellar (Town)
Bucket (water) .......................... watering beans (Witches well)
Bucket (metal) .................. free Druid and becomes frog (Goblins)
Beard ......................... use as disguise for mine (Dwarf in Inn)
Feather ........................... tickle sleeping dwarf in mine (Owl)
Whistle ................................. let Troll take it (Barbarian)
Rocks .......................... notes, shopping list, fossil (various)
Sousaphone ...................................... play for giant (Bard)
Watermelon .................................. plug sousaphone (Compost)
Beans ........................ grows melon (in puddle after OAF leaves)
Repulsor / Pig ....................... eats chocolate door (Stone Keep)
Smoke Box (and hat) ..................... smoke out beehive (Bee House)
Matches (Inn) .................... use on SmokeBox (Fruit Machine, Inn)
Bees Wax ............................ plug keg behind barkeep (Beehive)
Beer Keg .................................... bribe guard in mine (Inn)
Beer Voucher ............................ bribe gemkeeper in mine (Inn)
Hammer ........................ hammer plank beneath swamplings (store)
Gold Coins .................... store, wizards fee (Dragons, or Geezer)
Ring ......................... invisible to Goblins (Gollum, fisherman)
Paper ............................. catch key from doorlock (Spellbook)
Key ........................... dwarves treasure room in mine (Goblins)
Rats Bone .................................... pick door lock (Goblins)
Hacksaw ............................. cut bars to escape (Druid / frog)
Mints ............................ eat and breathe on snowman (Goblins)
Specimen Jar ..................... store Swamp Stew for Gollum (Druids)
Frogs bane ..................... under crate in swamplings (Skull Isle)
Cold Remedy ................................... give to dragon (Druids)
Fire Extinguisher ..................... woodcutters fireplace (Dragons)
Metal Detector .................... locate Milrith in snow (Woodcutter)
Fossil ............................. persuade Dr. Jones (Rock on Anvil)
Axe Head ........................ give to woodcutter (Milrith on Anvil)
Mahogany ....................... give to Woodworms (cellar Woodcutters)
Woodworms ................... wooden floor of Stone Keep (forest Stump)
Climbing Pin ........................... use on rock face (Woodcutters)
White Spirit ............................... clean pink splotch (store)
Staff ............................. take to Wizards in Inn (Stone Keep)
================
Calypso's Spell Book ....................... Witch's showdown (Goblins)
Sordid's Spell Book .................... send back demons (Sordids Lab)
Potion ....................................... drink to shrink (Druids)
Broom ..................................... fly over Doom gap (Witches)
Leaf, Pebble, Match ..................... make boat (garden and Bucket)
Dog Hair ................................... lasso water tap (your Pet)
Oil ................................... grind seeds, use on tap (Seeds)
Tadpole .................................. threaten frog ! LOOK (Water)
Mushrooms .................................. eat to enlarge (Past Frog)
Branch ................................ stuff in chests mouth (Balcony)
Spear ................................. get hanging skull (Main / Doom)
Shield .......................... polish and hang on hook (Main / Doom)
Skull, Candles .......................... part of ritual (Lower / Doom)
Wand ................................... use on Sordid (Bedroom / Doom)
Mouse, Pouch, Sock .............. get mouse for ritual (Bedroom / Doom)
Book ................................... info on wands (Bedroom / Doom)
Mirror .................. spy on demons through shield (Bedroom / Doom)
Chemicals .................................. cleans shield (Lab / Doom)
Teleporter ................................... goto Rondor (Lab / Doom)
Brochure .................................... get elastic band (Rondor)
Sapling, pebble ...................... add with elastic / bell (Rondor)
Bucket of Wax .................... Use on Sordid after wand (Fiery Pit)
Matches (Rondor) .......................... light fiery pit (Attendant)
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(6) Red Herrings:
The WAGONWHEEL, MATCHES from INN, PLACARD, WEDGE don't seem to have a use.
The FRIDGE does not open.
You can't use or get the MOOSEHEAD item.
The STONE TABLE in the forest is just for scenery.
