Solutions to
THE BLACK CAULDRON
by Trace Haeggstrom
5/26/86
The way this solution text is written in such that you can
use it to help yourself when you've come to a major difficulty
and don't know what else to do. The clues start out as slight
clues and then if you still can't figure it out then read the
next clue. It is much more rewarding when you've figured out
the game yourself without any help, but when you get to the
point of giving up then look at these clues.
There are more than one way to finish this game and do
certain things, so once you do it this way listed below you
might want to try it again a little differently.
Also there are many dangers to watch out for that I'm not
going to warn you about. But once they happen to you you will
be wise to them and won't let them happen again.
The first thing you need to do before you even start the
adventure is get the instructions and read which button makes
you do the different functions, this is inportant so that if
you need to do someting fast that you can do it quickly.
It is also very inportant that you save your games as
you go along so that if you die, and I know you will, then
you don't have to start from the very beginning.
Also I have not checked this out for spelling so if anyone
sees an error then go ahead and change it for me.
The first clue is to go into the cottage and get everything
that isn't nailed down. And talk to the old man and he will
give you instructions on what to do next.
Now if you've done what Dallben told you to do then you
should of ended up back in the cottage if you followed Hen Wen.
There is another big clue in there for you if you are there
in the cottage. So then just try to do what the image tells you
to do.
If you can't find the safe house that Gwystyl tends then
look at the map and there is a thick brush area just below
the river widest part of the river. Try there and you should
have a little more luck. Then from there you will encounter
another inportant clue.
The next thing to do is to try to get youself up to the
castle. If you use the map that came with the game it is
in the same spot on the map as in the game. There is a
little bit of a maze in the rocks to work youself through
but it's not too bad.
If you found your way through the rocks and just can't
figure out how to go any further then just throw the thing
that Dallben gave you as you left the cottage with Hen Wen.
Once your up to the top of the rope then you have to climb
up the rock face in front of you. You best save your game
before you try it. There is a little bit of back and forth
movements needed to get up so keep trying.
The next hard part is to cross the water where the
aligators are. It is not as hard as it looks so go ahead
and try it. Once your on the little ledge then there's only
one way to go.
If your on the side of the wall and can't get any further
then you need to use the knife that was back in the black
forest to cut the vines to expose the window. Then you can
go on in.
Now your job is an easy one. You try to get caught by the
henchman. You can look around the castle a little bit first
if you wish but you will soon need to be caught to continue
any further.
Once your in the dungeon there is a cup there on the table.
This part I'm sure nobody has had any trouble with because it
is so natural what to do with the cup. But if you don't know
just try using it over at the door. Then your secret exit will
appear.
Now you need to look all around this area that you are in
to see where the next move is to be. If you keep a close eye
on the flying bubble it will go into the wall at one place
in the tunnels. This is an inportant place to investigate
so don't leave until you have.
Now you must use your sword whenever the henchman gets
near you. The keys on the wall are also some help to you
if you can figure out where to use them, not a real hard
problem to figure out. Also before you leave the castle you
should find all the thing that the henchman took from you
when he caught you.
Now you need to get youself back down to the flatland and
over to the water fall to use something that Gwystyl gave you
when you left Hen Wen at the safehouse. If you use this
certain thing at the waterfall you will see a secret way to
go.
Keep walking around in the cave and you will soon fall.
Then there will be a real need for one of two things. Either
of these items will be able to play music so if you have one
of them then be ready to use it. First carry on the
conversation that comes up and on a certain cue play the
musical item.
If you got out of the cave with the things that king
Eiddileg will give you then you need to go over to the marsh
land and try to get over to the little cottage across the
marsh. There is an easy way to get across and there is a
hard way. If you didn't get anything from king Eiddileg then
it's going to be the hard way, you jump across the rocks and
floating stumps in the water. If you got the stuff from king
Eiddileg then use the most logical one of them there by the
edge of the marsh, try using both things if you can't figure
it out.
Once you've crossed the marsh and entered the cottage
you will have probably already opened the chest to see what's
in it. Then the witches would have appeared to you and if
you didn't do the right thing then they turned you into a frog.
If you are ready to use the sword after they talk to you then
they will take that in exchange for the black cauldron. If you
use the sword too soon then they will start throwing the other
cauldrons at you.
If you jumped into the cauldron then you made the wrong
move because you just killed youself and ended the game.
There is a way to win without killing youself.
After the Gwythaints has taken the cauldron then it's back
up to the horned king's castle again to find it. The way up is
the same as before so there should be no problem there.
If you get into where the horned king is with the black
cauldron and you're up on the ledge and jumped then you once
again made the wrong move. there is a way to finish without
having to die at all.
Go down to where the underground tunnels are below the
dungeons and then you will see the horned king eye to eye
and you will be able to make him see his real self if you
use the right thing and he will take the big jump himself.
If you still can't figure out what you need to do to kill
the horned king then use the other item that you got from
Eiddileg king of the fair folk. If you don't have it then you
better go get it. Make sure you are ready to use it quickly
when you walk into the room that the horned king is in with
the cauldron.
Your close to the end and you might even have already ended
the game and still didn't get the full points on your score.
If you want the full score you need to bargain with the witches
at the end. Remember that they said that they love to bargain.
If you still haven't figured out how to bargain with the
witches then just don't do anything at the end and they will
keep uping the trade until they finally give you back the sword
and then the game will end and you'll live happily ever after.
