User:Typhon/Wizardry V: Heart of the Maelstrom/Walkthrough

The Playhouse Mystery Theatre

On Level 5 of the Dungeon, as part of Manfretti's, there is a notorious and nasty little Dungeon Feature, called The Playhouse Mystery Theatre. Upon paying 5000 gold to enter, you are teleported via chute to the central square at 3W, 0N, right of top of a convenient pit. The whole Playhouse Mystery Theatre is an anti-magic zone, so you can't cast any DUMAPIC spells to work out where you are. And you also cannot MALOR out either.

when on this square you are faced with four identical passages leading from this square, each one leading in a cardinal direction. Each of these leads to one of four identical one-way doors. Beyond each of these doors is an identical curved passageway leading to another door. Which, are all identical, of course. Beyond each of these, is a small chamber; once again, these are all identifical.

In each of these you are notified unprompted there is a Button on the Wall. You are then asked if you wish to search. If you do, you trip over a hidden wire wherein you are teleported, again via chute back to the central square, facing a random direction. Which of course given the view from each direction is identical, you do not know what direction you are now facing. And of course, being the same central square and its pit you started off from, you get to meet its pit again. And so on.

No matter the direction you, if you follow the same sequence, you will return to the central square. Its a nasty little cameo of a dungeon feature. One that you cannot teleport out from.

Oh, and you can encounter wandering monsters in here too.

The secret to getting out is that between tearing what's left of your hair out, in one of the small rooms with the buttons, if you do not search when prompted, and instead you look for hidden items, you will find a Wire on the Floor. Upon finding this, you will be prompted to search again, and this time if you do, you will be informed that you have stumbled over a hidden button, and be immediately teleported out of the Theatre (via chute) to 7W, 2N.

Note this is on the other side of the Playhouse, in a separate part of the level from the main area of Manfretti's. You can make your way back via a nearby Healing Pool and a Secret Door.

Was it worth 5000 gold to visit? You decide!