On this page you'll find a small selection from the e-mail I've received, my replies, and some comments. I've edited the letters as necessary, in some cases leaving only one sentence. Any personal names have been omitted. You may find some of your questions answered here.

I have grouped the letters under various headings, so here's a Table of Contents in case you're looking for something specific:

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• GENERAL COMMENTS ON BAK & THE BAK WEB
• SHAREWARE BAK?
• WILD-GOOSE CHASE (Mocker's Rest)
• RETURN TO KRONDOR (Sequel)
• WINDOWS 95
• FINAL REST
• MIND MELT
• ZIP? DOWNLOAD? MAKALA - BEASTHOUNDS
• LYSLE RIGGER and THE RIFTWAR SAGA
• THE GUARDA REVANCHE
• DIE, DIE, YOU BASTARD!
• TRAPPED CHESTS
• PRINTING PROBLEMS
• UNSOLVED MYSTERIES ...
• DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF BAK (incl. MUSIC)
• MAKING MONEY IN ROMNEY
• MAGICAL WELL IN ELVANDAR
• THE FIFE AND LAUREL
• SHOPS
• HELP! HELP! HELP?
• THE GERMAN BAK (DON'T MISS IT!)

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This web rocks.

I just thought I'd let you know that this is without doubt one of the best web sites I have ever seen - an example of what can and should be done with the medium.

I just wanted to say what a fantastic site you have. A great page and really good speed. I wish there were more like it. Please go on expanding this site.

Betrayal at Krondor is the BEST game ever. This Web Page has got to be one of the very best most well done (sic) page I've ever seen. I will gladly add a link to it from my page ...

I would like to add my voice to many others who have praised your Betrayal at Krondor Web Page. It is one of the best, if not THE best Page I have seen on the 'Net in every way I can think of. I sincerely hope that you're working on other pages as supreme as this one, most importantly for the forthcoming Return to Krondor (BAK2).

Betrayal at Krondor has got to be one of my all-time favorite games and is definitely my favourite RPG game. The combat is fantastic, the story is interesting and continues to amaze me, even if I'm playing it for the third time! I do have to wait between replays, though, or otherwise I'd get bored.

Some people I've spoken to have complained that BAK was too linear and you couldn't change the storyline. While I must admit this is true, there are loads of sub-adventures you can experience. I keep finding things I haven't done or seen before. This game is truly fantastic!

Betrayal at Krondor is a really cool. Right now I am in Chapter 3. I've killed Navon Du Sandau, and I am fighting Moredhel Idiots, looking for the Nighthawk Headquarters. I really like it.

I just wish to thank you for an excellent Krondor-page. I started playing BAK a few years ago, and finished it some months later. There was one thing that kept annoying me, though. I couldn't find the shell that repaired the Guarda Revanche. I was sure I had searched through the entirety of Midkemia, killing every Moredhel, opening every chest. However I didn't find the Shell until I read your excellent Walkthrough. Thank you - your pages have lifted a severe burden from my shoulders.

I just wanna let you know that BAK is definitely the best game yet and your web-site absolutely kicks ass !!!

This is one of the greatest web pages I have ever seen. And I believe I've been around the Internet a lot.

The Krondor Web is the best! It's phenomenal! It's so good, I had to stop looking at it, or else it would spoil the rest of the game for me. Anyway, I'm stumbling my way through Midkemia, some three years after I got this game (I was on hiatus for a while), and I am mighty pleased to see that there is such a comprehensive site for BAK. I dunno if I should be surprised, because I still rate BAK as one of the top RPGs ever (Wiz7 gets the other vote), and maybe it only makes sense that such a wonderful site would follow; at any rate, you have one of the best sites I have EVER visited. It's awesome.

This is an EXCELLENT web site. I admire your effort in producing it. It would be nice if more sites could follow this model.

I am on the FEISTFANS-L mailing list, and I am a big fan of Raymond E. Feist. I know I am not the first one to tell you that your page is truly excellent. You deserve a pat on the back for all the work you've put into your awsome page. There is only one thing wrong with it though - you are to modest! Put your name on it in a couple of places - you deserve it. I mean, I had to go to Kirk Woll's page just to find out your name! Thanks again for this great page. Thanks to any who helped, also.

COMMENT: I guess this calls for a reply! In the unlikely case that anyone is interested in my identity, here's some information:

Name:	EYSTEINN BJÖRNSSON
Address:	ÆGISGATA 4
	101 REYKJAVÍK
	ICELAND
E-mail:	eybjorn@rhi.hi.is

I can't think of anything else! I guess I am modest, after all!

I really admire your pages. Although I've not NEEDED to use them yet, I've skimmed through a lot of them, and can really appreciate the vast amount of work involved. I admire your dedication, and wonder at your motives for doing this.

COMMENT: Re: motives. So do I - all the time!

Found your page interesting, but the brown background and dark text made it VERY hard to read (I'm using Navigator 1.1N).

COMMENT: I was a bit puzzled by this letter. As I'm basically using bright text (Green, Red, Yellow) on Black background, I wrote back asking for more specific information. Unfortunately I never received an answer. Please let me know if YOU have a problem reading the BAK Web!

Unfortunately I don't have any more negative comments to report. I guess most people won't bother to express their opinion, unless it's positive. If you don't like a page, it's all too easy just to forget about it. Although it is, of course, very nice to receive a lot of positive feedback, I'm a bit disappointed by the lack of criticism. I am far from happy with some aspects of the layout myself. But apart from that I am truly overwhelmed by all the positive feedback I've been getting. I just wish I could make the BAK Help Web available to more people. I finally made it into the Games Domain, but so far YAHOO have ignored my requests for inclusion, which is a shame, because so many people use YAHOO.

MUCH LATER: Most of this is, of course, no longer true. The Web has been on Yahoo for quite a while, and I've actually received a few negative responses. I've even received a couple of abusive ones, but only one obscene one ;-)

Many more general comments will be found scattered below under various headings.

LETTER:

I've been looking for a copy of BAK to download, shareware or otherwise. I'd appreciate some help.

This is beyond me. If you can help, please share your knowledge.

First of all I would like to say that this is one of the most fantastic web sites I've ever seen. I was browsing through your Correspondence Page and saw a request for a downloadable version of BAK. I believe there's a shareware version at the following URL:

http://happypuppy.com/games/link/betrayal.htm

The page is called The Betrayal at Krondor Download Page, so I think it's a pretty safe bet. I hope this helps in case anyone ever asks for the information.

COMMENT:

I am grateful indeed. But I don't think this is a FULL version of the game, though. By the way, for all or any of you, who are interested in downloadable games, patches and things like that - the place to be is THE GAMES DOMAIN. They have EVERYTHING, even this Web!

MUCH LATER: How utterly quaint! BAK is now available for free.

WILD-GOOSE CHASE (Mocker's Rest)

LETTER # 1:

Hi! Just wondering if you could give me directions to the Mocker's Rest inn? Any help will be appreciated!

Sorry, I can't help NOW, but I'll check when I get home tonight. I've been meaning to collect the names of ALL the inns, maybe one of these days I'll get around to it. You can be sure I'll let you know immediately, if I can locate it. Do you have a specific reason for wanting to find it? Are you expecting to find something there? If so, let me know - it might help me locating it faster.

Actually, I was told in Chapter 3 (after I went back to Krondor) by one of the Mockers in the sewers that I'm supposed to look for Mocker's Rest and ask about something. Can't remember what though.

Mocker's Rest beats me. I'll keep looking. BTW, did you like my Web? Please let me know if you've found something wrong with it. I need all the criticism I can get.

Mondo webpage! Excellent graphix! I know the effort it takes and you don't get any guff from me, dude.

Been looking for Mocker's Rest. It's definitely NOT in any of the cities or towns, so I guess it must be somewhere in the middle of nowhere. Please let me know the reason you think it exists at all!

The mocker in the sewers said to drop by (in Chapter 3).

NO REPLY

LETTER # 5:

Hi and Happy New Year! BTW, have you found the Mocker's Rest yet?

REPLY # 5:

Finally, here's your answer: You can not find Mocker's Rest. It is the Mockers' meeting place in the sewers below Krondor. If you try to enter the sewers in any of the Chapters where you're not allowed to, Limm will refuse you entrance to the sewers, because the thieves are having a meeting there!

Hmm ... went through the text of the game and the dialogue is in there. It mentions family business at the Mocker's Rest and to talk to someone or other. I think it's also specifically mentioned it's an inn. Unfortunately there's no location. No worries though, I'm still looking. I've been there before I just can't recall where. It might be in the woods somewhere far from everything else. Oh well. Thanx for the info though.

COMMENT: Sigh... For the interested: There is no Mocker's Rest Inn to be found anywhere in the game. If you've read Feist's novels, you'll know why: Mocker's Rest is situated in the Sewers below Krondor.

RETURN TO KRONDOR (Sequel)

Many people have asked about a SEQUEL:

I really enjoyed playing BAK and I really appreciate your page on the Web. There are a lot of side quests I didn't even suspect. By the way, do you know when the sequel to BAK is due?

I recently bought a PC in August and one of the first games I bought was Betrayal at Krondor. I loved it. The first minute I started to play it I was hooked. It's actually the only RPG I ever considered replaying. Since it says on the box that the game came out in 1993, I was wondering if you know anything about a sequel being released any time soon.

I've been playing Betrayal at Krondor for a long time and I have always enjoyed playing it. I was wondering if you know any other role-playing games as good as BAK, which can be found in the market. I've tried to find games like this, but they have not been as good as this one.

COMMENTS: Here's info on 7th Level's RETURN TO KRONDOR (including graphics!) I have not yet found a game that comes close to BAK.

MUCH LATER: By now, we have the unofffical sequel (Betrayal in Antara) and the official one (Return to Krondor). See my LINKS page for the relevant links. We even have Feist's novelization of BAK, Krondor: The Betrayal!

WINDOWS 95

A very common problem:

I have installed Win95 and the gane just does not want to work, saying "NOT ENOUGH MEMORY - MAKE BOOTDISK" .... but I have 32 Megabytes of RAM! I am desperate to play the game - tell me what I can do ...

Have you tried to play Betrayal at Krondor on Windows 95?? I am trying to, but I can't get it to work.

Whenever I try to start up BAK in Windows 95 with Soundblaster as my music card, I always get an error message saying 'this program has performed an illegal action & will be terminated'. I was wondering if you could tell me what the problem is?

Have you played BAK in Windows 95? I've been having problems with that - the sound effects don't seem to work right.

I have been having trouble installing Krondor. I have Windows 95 and it has sucked up all my extended memory. I have tried making a boot disk, but it didn't work. If you know the correct configuration for the disk could you please send it to me. Thanks. If you need more info please ask.

Sorry, but I'm NOT an expert on these things. All I know is that this is not a question of RAM at all. You must have at least 590K of conventional memory free in order to run the game.

I've been able to run BAK under Windows 95, but only by creating new AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files, and booting the computer using those. You have to pare these files down to the bare minimum in order to free enough conventional memory. If you can free about 600K, you should be all right. (I've managed to free 612K.) You also need 1MB of EMS (Expanded Memory, NOT Extended Memory), so a Memory Manager is needed.

By the way, I had exactly the same problem trying to run BAK under Windows 3.1! (I guess it's basically a DOS game.)

As for SOUND, I can't offer any help at all. All I know is that when I first got Windows 95, it refused to accept my Soundblaster. It finally turned out that W95 didn't recognize the Soundblaster Driver (which was pretty old). After loading a new version of the driver, everything was OK.

If this doesn't work, I'm afraid I won't be much help.

Thanks for the info - I didn't know it needed 590K - so I just freed up a lot of memory with QEMM. Thank you once again. Now I can start my journey.

LATER COMMENT: I receive many requests for help with Windows problems. Unfortunately I'm not an expert on technical problems, but usually I've been able to help. I've also received cries for help from people, who can't run BAK under DOS; people who used to be able to run BAK under DOS, then lost their boot-disk and the instructions for making a boot-disk! The following is basically my standard answer to all of you who can't run BAK for some reason or other:

Betrayal at Krondor is a DOS game. It MUST be able to access a minimum of 590K Conventional DOS memory, and 1MB EMS. In most cases you will need to create a boot-disk in order to achieve this. Instructions on how to do this are included in the BAK package.

If you want to run the game under Windows (95 or earlier), you basically must boot your computer with the boot-disk, before running Windows. After that you're just running BAK in a DOS Window.

Here are some instruction on creating a BAK boot-disk:

Copy your autoexec.bat, config.sys and command.com files to a diskette. Pare down autoexec.bat and config.sys to the bare minimum. Make sure the following lines are in your config.sys:

device=c:\dos\himem.sys
device=c:\dos\emm386.exe 1024 ram
dos=umb, high

Also make sure that your mouse driver and soundcard driver are loaded into high memory (example: devicehigh=c:\mouse\mouse.sys).

After booting up with the boot-disk, check your memory (using the MEM command). If you now have 590K (or more) conventional memory, and 1024K EMS, you should be able to run BAK. If not, you'll have to remove more stuff! If you're running SMARTDRV.EXE, it is OK to remove this.

You could also try to run DOS's MEMMAKER. This program is quite intelligent, and can easily reconfigure your system.

WARNING: Always make copies of your autoexec.bat and config.sys before you start messing with them!!!!

MUCH LATER: This continues to be a problem, but unfortunately there is no single solution. The problems and the solutions totally depend on the configuration of the computer you're using. I've recently needed to install BAK under Windows 98. It refused to run, until I set the sound to "Soundblaster/AdLib" in the INSTALL program. After that, it ran OK, regardless of the 590 K limit.

FINAL REST

This one went on for a few weeks, and is a bit embarassing for me, as I was totally unable to give any help at all, until it was too late.

LETTER # 1:

Where do you find the FINAL REST Spell?

REPLY # 1:

Hi, thanks for writing. I'm afraid I can't remember at the moment where to find FINAL REST, but I'll check it out and let you know as soon as I can.

LETTER # 2:

Thank you very much for doing this for me. I hope it is not to much trouble.

I'm afraid I still haven't managed to find the Final Rest Spell! But I will certainly come across it sooner or later. You can be sure I'll let you know as soon as I find it. I'm pretty sure it's somewhere in Chapters 2 and/or 3.
Don't hesitate to ask whenever you need. I may not always be able to help, but in most cases I will have an answer for you. When I finally manage to do Chapters 2 and 3 in detail, I hope I will know pretty much all there is to know about BAK.

LATER REPLY:

Sorry - still haven't found the FINAL REST - beginning to doubt if it's to be found in Chapter 2. That only leaves Chapter 3. I'll keep my eyes peeled - I know it's gotta be there somewhere, because I found it once - although I've totally forgotten where! Just be patient - that is in case you haven't found it yourself already.

LETTER # 3:

Thanks for all the hard work you've been doing trying to find Final Rest. I will make it easier for you. I found it in Chapter 3, in a shop a called Dabeh's Fanciful Trinkets, south east of Cavall Keep. Thanks again. I now know who to ask for information on the game if the need arises.

REPLY # 3:

I know this is too late for you, but you may be interested to know that FINAL REST can be found in Chapter 2. If you visit Brother Marc (in the cornfield south of Sarth) in this Chapter, his NIGHTHAWKS keyword will be switched on. Marc will tell you all about Nighthawks and Black Slayers, and offer you FINAL REST for 100 Sovereigns.

LETTER # 4:

Thanks again. Now that you mention it, I do remember where the spell was. But the problem was that I did not have enough money at the time. Anyway I appreciate the help. Thanks.

COMMENTS: At the time I still hadn't even started investigating the Chapters in question, so my help amounted to less than nothing. However, without this correspondence I would probably NOT have made a special effort to find Final Rest, thus discovering Brother Marc's offer. A good example of the way the Web has benefited from feedback. Write, all of you!

MIND MELT

LETTER:

Congragulations on your Betrayal at Krondor homepage stuff. It must have taken a lot of effort to do.

Since you seem to be the authority on B@K I wanted to know if you could tell me where I can find the MIND MELT Spell in the game. I have played the game twice and am pretty sure I've looked in all the Moredhel Chests, etc. Where is it ?

REPLY:

Hmmm - a very good question indeed! I've never really used the MM spell, so I had to check some of my old saves. This is what I found:

Owyn never seems to have found this spell. Patrus has this spell at the start of Chapter 7, but he doesn't have it at the end of Chapter 5. Very strange indeed .....

I'll investigate this further when I have the time, and let you know if I find something. At the moment I'm spending all my time trying to finish the Chapter 3 Walkthrough.

One possibility is that Patrus automatically has MM at the beginning of Chapter 7. My saves certainly indicate that this is the case. Do you have any saves where you could check this out?

MUCH LATER:

It has finally been pointed out to me where Patrus can get the MIND MELT Spell. In Dencamp there's a house you can't enter unless you have the correct password. In another house a man will tell you the password, which turns out to be wrong. However if you return to the man, he will now give you the correct password. You can now enter the house, and get MIND MELT. Of course Owyn can also get this spell, if he goes to Dencamp during Chapters 1 - 3. MIND MELT doesn't look like much of a spell, but it should be noted that it does Double Damage to both Goblins and Witch Hags. A good authority on BAK has assured me that a MIND MELT at a Cost of 9 points will suffice to kill ANY Witch Hag in the game!

Weirdly, (I'm told) you can only do this in the original version of the game. In version 1.2 the man will not be in the house the second time around, so you're unable to get the spell.

LETTER:

First of all, I must say that I'm very impressed by your Krondor pages. They are wonderful. I'm amazed by the great work you did. I played Krondor a long time ago, but never finished it, because I was away from a computer for 2 months, and when I got back, I did not remember where I was and what I had to do. Just by looking at your pages, I want to replay it, and if it's OK for you, I would like to be able to access your BAK Web locally. I wonder if you could ZIP the BAK Web and send it to me. Thanks a lot if you agree, and again - congratulations on your great job!

REPLY:

I mean to zip the BAK Web when it is finished. This will probably happen within the next two weeks. Hope you can wait.

COMMENT: This reply was too optimistic. There are problems I didn't foresee. Basically I just need more free time to work on this, and my other pages on the Net. I have a job, and a life as well. All I can say is: I'll do it as soon as I possibly can!

MUCH LATER: I don't think I'll ever be able to offer a zipped Web. Even if I zip the 22 Megabytes, the zip file is almost 18 Megabytes. I just can't afford to pay for the additional server space.

LETTER:

Let me congratulate you for having built probably the most useful web site I have ever seen. I only have access to the Internet at work. However, my brother is making me download everything there is (hundreds of pesky little GIFs), so that he can use it at his own leisure at home. Thanks a lot for putting all files Krondorian in the same directory. I sincerely hope you donīt mind my stealing it. My brother (more into the game than myself) informs me that the final confrontation with Makala is a doddle, provided you have the Horn of Algon Kokoon. Again, thank you for an enjoyable website.

REPLY:

Glad you appreciate my efforts. Of course you're more than welcome to download the whole site, although I don't envy you of the gargantuan process involved! I hope your brother appreciates your patience. You give the concept of Brotherly Love a new meaning. I just hope you don't have a boss peering over your shoulder at work!

There is a catch, though. I'm constantly adding bits and pieces to the BAK Web, mainly as a result of all the correspondence I receive. Also I'm working on some new features which may (or may not) be added in the near or distant future. So make a note of the latest revisions date - when this changes you may want to download new versions! I try to mention any revisions in the Updates Page, and you'll probably be able to figure out which files have been changed.

Your brother's comment on Makala and the Beasthounds is interesting indeed. I haven't tried it out, as I donīt have a proper SAVE for it. I'm a bit surprised though, because generally I've found the Beasthounds' performance to be rather poor. Does your brother have any detailed info on this? Do Beasthounds do extra damage to Dreads? To Makala? My preferred method, which involves a combination of TOUCH OF LIMS-KRAGMA/SKIN OF THE DRAGON/FETTERS OF RIME, may be too elaborate (?). If there's a "simple" solution to the Makala Fight, I would be most interested to know about this.

COMMENT: I'm amazed at somebody actually taking the trouble to do this. We're talking 800 files here! I know, I know - I ought to have a downloadable ZIP-file, but somehow I just don't feel like doing it while I'm constantly revising and adding stuff. As for the Beasthounds the answer is simple, to my acute embarrassment! Read on.

LETTER:

Well, the main thing about the Beasthounds is that they're pesky, annoying the enemies, standing in the line of fire, keeping Makala and the Dreads busy. You are quite correct that they are neither extremely tough nor kickers of rears in close combat - sorry if I made you believe otherwise!

ANOTHER LETTER:

If you're wondering why Beasthounds are effective with Makala, it's because they stay close to him, making it impossible for him to use Spells.

STILL ANOTHER LETTER:

You wondered about the Beasthounds' prowess against Makala. I tried this the other day, and they ARE somewhat effective. Their attacks are pitiful, but they serve another purpose. If you get 5 or so Beasthounds running around, they will clog up Makala's and the Dreads' Spells, as the Spells will often hit the Beasthounds instead of your Characters. Therefore you can just whack them with Spells yourself without worrying much.

COMMENT:

I stand corrected. I grovel. I blush.

LETTER:

This web page is great! Even more thorough than Yee's Strategy Guide. A great page for a great game. Anyway, I need some help and I'm wondering if you can help. In the Strategy Guide there's a list of things you have to pay for (like training), where it says you can hire Lysle Rigger to impersonate you (for 100 sovereigns). When and where does this happen?! All I can talk to him about is the hand he sold. I've done like everything there is possible in the game BUT that one little thing. HELP!

P.S. Have you read all the books? They're great! So great I'm now in the process of re-reading all of them! The game is so much better after reading the books because people you talk to usually refer to book characters in passing and its like "oh yeah I remember that guy!" : )

Thanks for the flattering comments on the BAK Web. As regards your Lysle Rigger dilemma, I'm afraid I can't help at all! As a matter of fact I think it's extremely unlikely that you can do such a thing. What would be the purpose? Although the Survival Guide is very helpful, unfortunately it's riddled with errors. I suspect this may be one of those.

As for the books - yes, I've read them all (except the latest one, which is not yet out in paperback). I think they're very good indeed, although I don't think I would want to actually re-read them. Of course this is a matter of taste - I just happen to be more into stuff like Stephen Donaldson and Robert Jordan. But I agree that when you've read the books, the game gains a whole new dimension. I should know, because I hadn't read them, when I first played the game, but did so while I was creating the BAK Help Web. It really casts a totally new light on the game. I never cared much for James when I first played the game, but then he turned out to be my favorite character in the books! In some cases, though, the knowledge from the books clashes with the game. For example, I find it very hard to believe that Limm (in the Krondor Sewers) can teach James anything about Stealth! If the game were completely in accordance with the books, James' Lockpicking and Stealth Skills should be much higher than they are! But this is nitpicking of the worst sort, so I'll stop now ...

COMMENTS: Perhaps this was a bit unfair. By the way - can anybody solve the Lysle Rigger enigma?

THE GUARDA REVANCHE

So many people have asked for help here, that I've had problems choosing the best ones:

LETTER:

I just want to say how much I love this page. I've printed out every page possible so far with all the graphics and everything and come back almost every day waiting for new stuff to be added. I hope you keep it up - it's helped me a lot and opened the game wide for me. Without your page I would never have known about a LOT of the things you can do.

I do have one question for you. Where exactly do you obtain both parts of the sword that needs a Shell to fix it? Thanks and keep up the great work!

You only need to find the HILT of the Guarda. Eliaem's Shell will repair it, and turn it into the most powerful Sword in the game. The Hilt of the Guarda will be found in a Chest in the Ancient Valheru Ruins near Elvandar (in Chapter 6).

LETTER # 1:

I can't find Eliaem! I've killed the Spellcaster and picked up Eliaem's Heart, but I can't find Eliaem herself. I've followed your directions, taking the western path and then going north towards the river. Is she visible? Or do you have to do something for her to appear?

Eliaem is just standing there on the riverbank for all to see! If you click on the big map at the beginning of my Chapter 6 Walkthrough you will get a map of Elvandar, which should show you the approximate place where she's standing. On the Western Path go to where it bends furthest towards the north. Go straight north from there until you reach the river. You should now be very close to Eliaem. Just go back and forth along the bank until you find her (and don't forget to look around a bit).

Hope this helps. Let me know if it does! If it doesn't I will try to figure out a way for you.

Thank you so much for the directions. I finally found Eliaem. The strange thing is that she doesn't give me the Shell when I give her Eliaem's Heart, only a huge amount of food. So how can I get the Shell?

You sure have a problem there! As this has never happened to me I must confess I'm not quite sure what has happened!

I can only think of one thing: If your characters' inventories get filled, any overflow will go into a bag. Have you checked whether there is a bag on the ground with the shell in it? If not, all I can suggest is that you play this part of the game all over again. (Hope you have a handy SAVE!) This time go and talk to Eliaem FIRST to accept the Quest. THEN fight the Spellcaster to get Eliaem's Heart. FINALLY go back to Eliaem and give her the Heart. She is definitely supposed the give you lots of Rations AND the Shell.

I think it is quite possible that you have to talk to her first in order to accept the Quest before you perform it.

If none of this works, I am quite at a loss!!!

I've found out how to get Eliaem's Shell. You must drop the Hilt of the Guarda Revanche into a bag before talking to Eliaem. If Gorath or Owyn hold the Sword, the program will not give you the Shell. This must be a bug ...

Glad you managed to solve this riddle? Surely it's a bug - I guess the game just doesn't expect you to find the Hilt BEFORE you get the Shell.

MUCH LATER: I finally succumbed to the temptation, and tested this. And managed to solve the problem. And what a silly little bug it turned out to be! In order to receive Eliaem's Shell, Gorath and Owyn must, between them, have 3 empty slots in their inventories before they hand over the Heart. Why? I'll try to explain:

Eliaem will give them 12 packs of Rations and the Shell, i.e. 13 items. In order for all of these to go into their inventories, Gorath and Owyn need 13 empty slots between them. (No, the slot just emptied by giving the Heart to Eliaem will not get filled.) If the inventories are full, Eliaem's gifts will go into a bag. The problem is that the bag only has 10 slots, so 2 of the Rations, and the Shell, will disappear into programmer's oblivion. If you have 3 empty slots in the inventories, 3 Rations will go there, the rest (9 Rations and the Shell) into the Bag. (If you only have two empty slots, 2 Rations go into inventory, 10 into Bag, and the Shell is lost.

I don't know what the programmers can have been thinking about! It should have been easy to ensure that the Shell replaced the Heart in inventory.

MUCH, MUCH LATER: Complete information will be found in the relevant section of the MAP WEB.

DIE, DIE, YOU BASTARD!

LETTER:

I was recently fighting a group of enemies in the dungeon in Chapter 9, and one of them (a Moredhel Warrior) just didn't want to die. All of the other enemies were fairly easy to kill, but this one was impossible: Gorath kept hitting him for 100+ Damage, but it seemed to take for ever. A friend of mine who has fought the same group of enemies claims this didn't happen to him. Do you know the explanation to this?

This is a well known bug in the original version of the game. I believe it has been fixed in later versions. The bug has to do with the Guarda Revanche Sword, so basically it will only happen in Chapters 8 and 9. If Gorath uses the sword on some enemies, they will actually GAIN Health Points instead of losing them. Unfortunate, isn't it? I know there's one Moredhel Warrior in Chapter 9, and at least two Pantathians in Chapter 8, which manifest this bug. If you come across any more of these enemies, just don't let Gorath deal with them.

LETTER:

I was wondering if you know how to disarm a trapped chest without getting hurt! I cast the spell that can detect trapped chests but don't seem to be able to disarm them. Any hints?

The SCENT OF SARIG Spell only allows you to detect the trap. The Game then checks your Lockpicking Skill to determine whether you're able to deactivate the trap. Basically what you need to do is to raise your Lockpicking Skill. Always keep your Picklocks in the possession of the Character with the best Skill. Use any opportunity to practice your Lockpicking - your Skill will increase with each attempt. Abuk (whom you'll find East of Lyton) can improve your Skill a lot, for a fee. Please note that some chests may be impossible to deactivate. Finally: NEVER attempt to deactivate a trap without SAVING first!

PRINTING PROBLEMS

LETTER:

I wish to thank you for all the work you put into this site. As a long time BAK player I enjoy your walkthrough tremendously. I just have one complaint, not about the content, but the design of the walkthrough. The graphics you have included are very good and helpful, but when printing your walkthrough I have had a hard time because of them. Maybe a separate text-only version could be included? Please do not reply to this letter, as I am using a business E-mail address.

Obviously I couldn't reply, so I'm hoping the sender will read this:

REPLY:

I think your problem has to do with the BROWSER you're using. I've been using Netscape 1.2 and 2.0, and I have no problems printing any of the Walkthroughs. If I print in Draft Mode the Graphics don't take very long to print, although they don't look like much (smudges, basically). I've been contacted by various people, who don't seem to have any problem printing the Walkthroughs. Perhaps you just need to download the latest Netscape (2.0).

Creating new text-only versions of the Walkthroughs is something I just don't want to spend time on. If you have a lot of time to spend, you can easily download the HTML files, and delete all the graphics from them.

And finally, most of the latest browsers allow you to both View and Download minus the Graphics.

LETTER # 1:

What an awesome page! I was reading the section on Weapon & Armor Modifiers when I noticed your comments on Flaming Swords. I've always wondered about that. I happened to look in a book on BAK I have, and found it has some weird info on Flaming items. (BTW, this book is full of errors.) It refers several times to an item called a Fire Brand, which has something to do with Crossbows. It also vaguely mentions an item called a Quegian Fireball which, as far as I could tell, is a Flaming Sword Modifier. It also has a list of spells with no descriptions, including a spell called SEEK NOT THE HEAT, which obviously (maybe?) doesn't exist. Judging by the name of this spell it sounds like it might protect you from Flamed Swords ... This book also states that wearing the Amulet of the Upright Man not only increases your lockpicking skills but also protects you from the Nightfingers Spell! I don't know about you, but I have never had anybody even try to cast NIGHTFINGERS on me.
Finally: Have you ever cast NIGHTFINGERS on Makala? He is carrying a Steelfired Staff. I wonder how he pulled that one off!!

REPLY # 1:

Thanks for a very interesting letter! I hardly know what to say about this esoteric information ....

I still have no idea whether it's at all possible to Flame a sword, although I seriously doubt so. By the way, what is this book you're talking about? Surely it's not Yee's Survival Guide? Please let me know - I didn't know there was another one. By the way, Yee's book is also full of errors and misinformation. He also mentions Firebrands, which I think are = Flaming Quarrels. A Quegian Fireball?? Oh my .... I seriously doubt such a thing exists. SEEK NOT THE HEAT sounds interesting as well, but I'm practicaly 100% sure that doesn't exist either.

I think it's quite likely that the Amulet of the Upright Man does give protection from Nightfingers, but as you remark, I don't think it has ever happened to me that someone tried to Nightfinger me! Just let them try!

A Steelfired Staff(?) sounds definitely weird. Oh, well .....

Again, many thanks for all this stuff - and please let me know what this book is!

Thanks for the response. I'm sure that a Quegian Fireball and SEEK NOT THE HEAT do not exist but I wonder why my book talks about it?

I'd better explain: The book I get all this bogus (?) information from isn't really a book. I have the CD version of BAK, which has an online Hint program on it. That's where I got all this info.

Flaming weapons sounds like something that the programmers put in the game but never really did much with and finally just phased the idea out. I once saw some screen shots from BAK that looked rather different. From what I could tell, it was an earlier version of the game. I guess they came out with a version with bug fixes soon after that. The screen shot I saw was of a battle, but the buttons at the bottom were arranged in a totaly different pattern.

As for Firebrands, my "book" says that they are REQUIRED IN ORDER TO shoot Flaming Quarrels, whereas in Yee's book they are obviously THE SAME AS Flaming Quarrels!

I bet all this stuff (Firebrands, Flamed Weapon Modifiers, SEEK NOT THE HEAT, Quegian Fireballs, etc.) was actually in the original version of the game. When they fixed the bugs, they also got rid of a lot of stuff, and perhaps added stuff as well and changed some names. (For example, as you mention in your Spell Pages, Strength Drain is also called Life Drain.)

My book refers to the Aventurine as Cleaning Oil! It doesn't even mention the word Aventurine. It also states that you can purchase a Staff of Macros at Dabeh's Fanciful Trinkets. Furthermore it has some Spell information that doesn't make any sense. It says HOCHO'S HAVEN can only be cast upon the caster himself and that SKIN OF THE DRAGON can only be cast on someone other than the caster. It also says you can't have more than one Mirror Wall active at a time, and that a Staff of Macros is required to cast MAD GOD'S RAGE!

All of this could possibly be part of an earlier version of BAK. Tell me anything else you know. Hope this info helps. What we need to do is somehow contact Sierra and ask somebody who REALLY knows!

REPLY # 2:

Hi, and millions of thanks for all this new (and crazy) info.

I never bothered to spend the money to buy the CD Version of BAK - but you've convinced me that I really should do so. The hopelessly garbled Hint Feature sounds most "interesting"! My problem is that it's not available in Iceland, so I'll have to wait until my next trip abroad. Irritatingly I just returned from a London trip, but well, I guess it can wait.

Until I manage to get hold of the CD version of BAK, I would be extremely grateful for any additional information on these strange matters.

DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF BAK

LETTER:

I have the CD version of Betrayal at Krondor. The only difference is that it uses CD music which is awsome, ten times better than the disk version music.

Hey, I gotta admit I LOVE this web site. I wanted to let you know about a few things I've noticed about BAK. I had the disk version of BAK when it came out in '93 and liked it. I read the books and it took on a different light! Now I have the CD-ROM version of the game, and noticed three things: 1) The game is an updated version; 2) There is a 5 minute interview with Feist in .AVI format on the CD (really informative); 3) The CD-ROM can play as a normal CD with ALL the music from the game in it (I love the opening theme) ... Thanks for a great site!

Sigh! It really looks as if I have to get the CD-version, if only for the soundtrack. After the endless BAK sessions needed to create the BAK Help Web, I must confess that these days I usually turn the music OFF whenever I need to return to Midkemia! Don't misunderstand me: I really DO like the music, but after six months of sessions lasting up to 8 hours, I began to fear for my sanity. During the last two months I even began to suspect that the structure of my inner ear had become irretrievably MUTATED, because I could actually HEAR the music for hours after I'd turned off my computer, especially in bed after turning off the lights, and sometimes even in the morning on waking up! This was especially true of the Northlands theme in Chapter 4, and the Rift-World theme in Chapter 8. To top it all, BAK's Combat Theme is the one I like least of all, and today I can barely listen to it without flinching. Enough said.

BTW, I'm ashamed to say that I've only ever played one version of BAK (the 1993 diskette version). I know there's a CD version, and I also know there are patches available to update the original version. Does anyone out there have partial or full info on the various versions of BAK? Does anyone know if there's a MAC version available? What are the differences between versions? Etc., etc. ... Please communicate your info - the more the merrier - I'll try to coordinate all the info I get, and make it into a whole. Man, I wish I could get in touch with Sierra/Dynamix! I need a lot of answers to a lot of questions - in order to make them available to all you BAK fans out there.

MUCH LATER: At some point the people at Sierra discovered the BAK Help Web, decided it was cool, and rewarded me by sending me the CD version. Since then I have discovered many version differences, all of which have been documented in the MAP WEB. And the CD music is brilliant! My favorite is the Malac's Cross theme. But I do have a complaint: The music doesn't loop, as it did in the original version. It just plays once, and then there's ... silence ...

MAKING MONEY IN ROMNEY

LETTER:

In Romney, at the start of Chapter 3, the Guild War prices mean that you can sell all sorts of junk there for massive prices! When carrying equipment to Romney, if you find yourself a bit short of space, and feel like cheating, the Cheat Central Chest can be used as an extra backpack. Just empty it and fill up the space with valuable stuff. You don't have to keep all the stuff from the Cheat Chest (just throw it away), but the extra space can be very valuable, and if you feel guilty about cheating, you can view it as simply saving time.

ANOTHER LETTER:

I was very surprised to see that nobody seems to have discovered a great way of making lots of money at the beginning of Chapter 3. The best thing about it is that it's not a bug or a cheat, even though some people might consider it a less than ethical avenue.

At the beginning of Chapter 3 the city of Romney is under civil unrest and, consequently, the prices have gone through the roof, especially for weapons and armor. I discovered that, unlike any other time in the game, the trafficking of materials is a profitable venture at this time. I found that I could make the most money by going immediately north out of Romney until reaching the temple of Banath. I would then teleport to the temple of Tith, which I had visited in Chapter 2, and enter the Arms of Dala Shop in Wolfram. As you know, this shop sells damaged goods at cut prices, so I could buy them cheaply and repair them, improving my skills in the bargain. The easiest things to carry and the most profitable are the Greatswords, which I bought until I filled my inventory. The road back to Romney is just routine and the rewards at the end are overwhelming. Using this method I amassed about 20000 sovereigns. I could have "earned" much more, but there was no need for it.

It is important to do this before contacting Arlie Steelsoul, as this will end the rioting and drive the prices back down.

COMMENT:

The deviousness of BAK players continues to amaze me. How can anyone claim that BAK is a linear game? The possibilites seem to be endless. However, this gambit has been pointed out to me often - and the different approaches to it are a constant source of delight to me! I've chosen the above two letters as my favorites - if you think you can figure out a better scheme, please tell us about it! The basic information has now been added to the Chapter 3 Walkthrough.

MAGICAL WELL IN ELVANDAR

LETTER:

If you really want a way for Owyn to be able to defeat Makala and the Dreads on his own, one way is to increase his strength enormously using the Magical Fountain on the way to Elvandar. If you bring enough Fadamor's Formula, and give Owyn one vial at a time while Gorath holds the rest, you can boost their strength as much as you want.

REPLY:

This is very interesting indeed. I haven't managed to test this yet, as I don't have a handy save for it. If I understand you correctly, you can repeat the action while your supplies of Fadamor's Formula last, boosting the Strength again and again. This is then similar to the two instances where you can get the same money endlessly (i.e. the Inn at Tanneurs and the plague-house near Lims-Kragma). I've often wondered if the programmers designed it that way, or if they are accidental oversights (more likely).

ANOTHER LETTER:

In Chapter 6 (Elvandar) there is a Magical Well that will increase your strength if you drink from it, mixing Fadamor's Formula with the water as you drink. However, a bug in the game (I'm guessing) makes this Well the ultimate power-up. The game never decrements your supply of Fadamor's Formula! Your characters can have 200+ strength in no time at all! Chapter 8 has never been so easy.

COMMENT:

I must admit I kind of skimped when I wrote the Northern Elvandar part of the Chapter 6 Walkthrough. I DID come across the above mentioned Well, as you can see from the Elvandar Map (it's there!), but since I didnīt have any Fadamor's at hand, I didn't bother (for shame!) How could I have suspected that my oversight would later be spotted by eagle-eyed users of the BAK Web, which at that time was only a distant dream?

Anyway, I stand corrected. The problem is that I don't have a handy SAVE to check this out - can anybody help? Unfortunately I've thrown away a lot of old saves (making room for new ones), and I don't want to replay Chapter 6 from scratch. If anybody can E-mail me a Zipped Save (right in front of the Well, plenty of Fadamor's provided) I would be extremely grateful for the time thus saved.

I don't want to add details to the Walkthrough until I'm able to experience this particular feature, but a hint has now been added to the Chapter 6 Walkthrough.

LATER COMMENT:

Yes, I finally managed to make my way to the Magical Well with a supply of Fadamor's Formula in order to test the Strength-Boosting feature! I tested the Well's features in all possible ways, and here's what it does in my version (obviously other versions differ!):

The following procedure can be repeated as long as there is any FF. Each successful use of FF will add +3 Strength to both Characters.

1. If Owyn has any FF, all will be taken. Strength = +3.
2. If Owyn doesn't, Gorath's supply is checked. Then:
3. If Gorath has any FF, all will be taken. Strength = +3.

Thus the only way of using each charge of Fadamor's Formula here, is to let Gorath hold all and feed one at a time to Owyn. This way the Well will only use one FF at a time. This concurs with the first letter above, so I queried the info from the second letter. Here's the reply I received:

This is truly weird. I purchased my copy, on floppies, only a few months ago. I discovered the Well and associated bug the second time I played through the game. I did, however, download a patch for BAK from Software Creation BBS. You can Telnet to swcbbs.com or hit www.swcbbs.com on the Net. If you do a zippy file scan for "betrayal at krondor", it has a patch, from Dynamix originally, that upgrades the game to Version 1.01 (I think). I can not verify that my original Version 1.0 diskettes did this Strength Bug, but the game most assuredly did this after the upgrade, so I can only assume that the upgrade may have introduced the bug into the game. If you would like, I could send you a saved game, so you could verify it.

I am in Chapter 9 at the moment, crushing everything in my path. This is much easier than the first time - Chapter 8 took me 20 minutes - when I ran and hid all the time because I was injured and LOW on food. If no one else can verify this bug, I can only continue to utilize it myself. However, it is very real, and reproducable from a save I made at the beginning of Chapter 8. I had had the same result several times, and I checked again to verify my sanity after receiving your E-mail.

REPLY:

Can you send me a SAVE? Preferably right in front of the Well (before use if you can), with plenty Fadamor's Formula provided? I have NOT downloaded the Patch, but I want to try this out in my un-patched version. I'm pretty certain this bug can't be duplicated without the patch, but I just want to make sure this isn't happening on account of an item you're carrying, or anything like that. I have recently come across a bug, which I was able to reproduce in my version of BAK by using somebody else's Save, so I wan't to make sure.

COMMENT:

My E-pen pal sent me the save I requested, and I was NOT able to reproduce the effect of limitless Strength! Obviously this is not possible without the patch. However you can be sure that my correspondent was telling the truth: He had obviously been utilizing the bug. Owyn's Strength was 176, Gorath's 202!! Sigh .....

MUCH LATER: The reason for this has since been found. It is a bug in version 1.02 - and is treated in detail in the MAP WEB.

THE FIFE AND LAUREL

LETTER:

In the Chapter 7 Walkthrough, you say that the Fife and Laurel shop is closed. I've found that it's actually open.

REPLY:

Very interesting! I've been here in Chapters 1, 2, 3, 6 and 7, and it's always been closed. Did you actually find it open in Chapter 7? Which version of the game are you actually using?

COMMENTS:

Unfortunately I never received a reply to my reply. So here's a question for the experts: HOW and WHEN is the FIFE & LAUREL Shop (in Dimwood) open?

MUCH LATER: This question was actually answered a long time ago! The answer will be found in the relevant section of the MAP WEB.

SHOPS

LETTER:

A map of all the shops in Midkemia and information on the items available in each of them (Weapons/Armor, Spells, Keys, Gems, etc.) would be a great additional feature of the BAK Web, if you can find the time to do it. It can be quite difficult to decide where to go, if you want to buy or sell something. Like: Where can you buy Silverthorn Anti-Venom, or where is a good place to sell Spells! I'm sure this would be a very valuable addition to your site. Just a thought :)

REPLY:

You really hit me where it hurts! As a matter of fact - this is exactly what I meant to be the next addition to the Web! I've been working on this for some time - a complete listing of Shops, their Inventories and Prices (Buying AND Selling). This has proved to be a LOT MORE work than I ever suspected, so I'm afraid it won't be available in the NEAR future. However I WILL go on working at it - it's hard to find the time though. Please be patient! But you probably won't need it anymore when I finally manage to finish it!

COMMENTS:

Yes, I am working on this new feature. Astalon only knows how I'll be able to finish it. At the start it seemed like a nice, routine kind of thing to do, but ... Never underestimate the BAK programmers! Here's an idea of the thing I want to do (but it will take ages):

Every SHOP and INN will be listed, including their Inventories.
Prices (buying & selling) will be listed and compared.
Specialities will be noted.
A comprehensive list of items buyable, showing where and how much, will be included, if I can possibly find a way of doing it.

Please DO NOT expect this feature of the BAK Web in the NEAR future. At the moment I'm trying to work on gathering the information. When at last I have all the information, I'll have to load it into a Database, and finally generate the HTML from that! Perhaps I might want to expose snippets of information later on (here or elsewhere), but don't ask - I just don't know (yet). Please bear with me.

MUCH LATER: As most of you know, the SHOP WEB has been in existence for quite a while! Perhaps I should really delete such outdated correspondence, but I really don't want to - it brings back memories ...

HELP! HELP! HELP?

I constantly receive E-mail asking for help with extremely basic issues, most of which are dealt with in the Help Web. It seems that some people have a problem figuring out how to actually use the Help Web. Perhaps I should create a "BAK Help Web" Help Web? Don't get me wrong - I immensely enjoy answering these letters, since I vividly remember my first steps in the Midkemian jungle. I would probably never have finished BAK without help from a friend (age 13). Anyway, here's a (very) small selection of this kind of correspondence:

LETTER:

I am currently on Chapter 1 and I am right about to get to Krondor. But I can't get past a group of 6 that keeps beating me. Owyn is hurt at the moment and 'dies' at the first hit. The other two are fine but are unable to win the battle. Would it be better to keep trying to battle it out or would it work to try and chase them off by shooting them with arrows??

REPLY:

It is a bit difficult for me to advise you, not knowing exactly what the situation is. I suspect you're not doing this right.

Check out the following:

• Make sure your characters' health/strength points are as high as possible. If not, use restoratives. (You can also use restoratives during battle.)
• Make sure your weapons/armor are fully repaired, and use any modifiers and/or potions you have.
• Try to keep Owyn away from enemies, so he can use his spells. What spells do you have? Perhaps you need more? You can buy a lot of spells in Sarth. Don't you have any money? Remember you can sell weapons/armor from dead enemies in most shops.
• If an enemy is a spellcaster or an archer, you can disable him by having one of your characters stand next to him. Always try to kill spellcasters/archers first.
• If you "die" you can get healed at the nearest temple (if you can pay). You can also heal yourself with Sleep and Herbal Packs. Use Herbal Pack before sleeping, but take care that you stop sleeping before the Pack runs out. Repeat as necessary.

I hope some of this helps. If you play the game correctly, it is possible to kill all enemies. But it is very important to use every opportunity to improve your skills. I'm sure you'll get the hang of this soon (read the manual carefully).

LETTER:

I am having the hardest time finding James in the sewers. Is he on the other side of the metal door that's rusted shut?? I've been to every part of the sewers and I think I've killed all the enemies.

REPLY:

Please consult the BAK Help Web for this! Go to the Walk section, choose Chapter 1, click on MAP at the top right of the page to get a list of maps available for this Chapter. The Sewers map is at the bottom of the list, and James' position is clearly indicated in the Northwesternmost chamber.

LETTER:

Where can I find the Tuning Fork? Those Trolls always kill me, and I really can't be bothered to fight them (I always lose anyway).

REPLY:

The Tuning Fork can be found in various places, and bought in some shops. I can't remember all of them, but here are two of them (both mentioned in the Chapter 2 Walkthrough):

1. In Chapter 2, as you approach Malac's Cross from the west, you will meet a group of 4 Nighthawks. One of them has a Tuning Fork.
2. Please read the GRAIN QUEST section in the Chapter 2 Walkthrough. You can get a Tuning Fork from Larissa (east of the Temple of Dala). If I remember correctly, the first group of enemies east of Larissa's house also have one.

For your information - when I first played BAK, I managed to finish it, without even knowing what the Tuning Fork was for!! I remember trying to use it on the Practice Lute (!), and then I guess I just forgot about it! TROLLS are truly nasty, but they're also rather stupid, so they can actually be defeated, if you try hard enough. Just remember to SAVE before you fight them, and try repeating the fight until you're successful. You'll soon get the hang of it (Spells are important here). The downside is that they rarely carry anything worth having - although I vaguely remember a Troll or two that actually had something worth taking.

LETTER:

I cannot find the "THORN" chest.

REPLY:

The BAK Help Web was designed to answer questions like that! There are many ways it can help you find the THORN Chest, and I'll describe them to you, in case you haven't figured out all the features:

1. Go to the LOOK section. Click on Riddles. Find THORN in the list of Riddle Answers. Click on THORN. You will now see the contents of the chest. Note it also says "found North of Silden". You can also click on the Spynote and read it!
2. Go to the WALK section. Choose Chapter 2 Walkthrough, and go to the SILDEN section. The THORN chest is mentioned here.
3. Finally click on the MAP at the beginning of the Chapter 2 Walkthrough. You can now choose from a list of Maps. Click on Lyton/Silden Map. You can now see that the THORN, ALCOHOL and DELEKHAN Chests are clearly marked slightly to the north-west of Silden!

LETTER:

Where the heck is Nalar's Rib?? I've looked and looked around the place where the map said. Is it hidden or invisible?? Am I going the wrong way when I run into the trap?? Thanks once again.

REPLY:

Nalar's Rib is there for all to see, but don't expect anything big, it's quite small actually. Go to Chapter 4 Walkthrough and click on map at the top of the page. You will now get a big map of the Northlands, where Nalar's Rib is shown. Below the big map, there's a list of other close-up maps. Click on "South of Sar-Sargoth". On this map you should see exactly where it is. Also, remember to USE THE SPYGLASS. It'll help you find it.

LETTER:

I hope I don't sound like I'm incapable of solving anything in this game, but I have to ask about the spyglass. Where might it be?? Will I have to go back into the dungeon to get it?? If it is there, I don't know why I haven't found it. Thanks once more for dealing with me.

REPLY:

I don't think you're incapable, but you can find most of the help you need in the BAK Help Web!

You automatically get the Spyglass (and the Spider) at the beginning of Chapter 3 - you will find it in one of your characters' inventories. Before the end of Chapter 3, you should make sure that either Owyn or Gorath is carrying it (and the Silver Spider), as they need it more than the others.

COMMENT:

Finally here's a different kind of letter:

LETTER:

I'm just coming to the end of BAK (for the first time!). I would definitely never have finished the game without your Help Web, and I wanted to thank you for your efforts. The only thing I needed special help on and couldn't get definitive guidance was locating Nalar's Rib. If I may offer some constructive feedback, your description to find this location could be elaborated.

I wish I received more of these! Finding Nalar's Rib is hard indeed, and I guess my instructions weren't that helpful after all. Hoping to amend this, I have now added a new Nalar's Rib Map to the Chapter 4 Walkthrough.

THE GERMAN BAK & OTHER INTRIGUES

I hope you'll find the following correspondence as interesting and enjoyable as I have. Being an amateur linguist, I was thrilled by the examples of the German nomenclature. Also, the hitherto unknown (to me at least) BUG introduced here is very entertaining. Look out for the BUG - I liked it so much, that I decided to dedicate a new page to it. Read on.

LETTER # 1:

Having seen this nice web, which I find both informative and beautifully done, I thought I should send you some comments:

• MIND MELT. This is not as poor as you imply, as it combines the positive aspects of Damage at 3x the Cost and No Line of Sight! Plus, as far as I know, it does Double Damage to Witch Hags, i.e. a MIND MELT of Cost 9 will kill any Witch Hag you encounter.
• THE CD VERSION OF BAK. I have recently bought the Sierra Originals edition of BAK on CD. As you already know I'm writing from Germany, so this is the German Language Version. It has the CD Audio Tracks and the AVI with the Feist interview, BUT IT DOES NOT USE THE CD AUDIO IN THE GAME! Actually, as concerns the GAME itself, it's an exact copy of the normal German disk version to the very byte! They didn't even fix the spelling error in the krondor.001 file that wouldn't let you open on of the Moredhel Chests near the Dimwood Rusalki.

Sorry to babble on like this - I guess I just had to get it off my chest - but why not pester you with it, while congratulating you on a most excellent web site!

REPLY # 1:

Thanks indeed for your letter - the information is much appreciated. You are in no way pestering me - as a matter of fact your letter has excited my curiosity. Firstly, your observation about MIND MELT is absolutely correct. I had already realized MIND MELT does Double Damage to Goblins, but the Witch Hag factor brings it up a notch. How frustrating that this spell can only be found in one place! (Or am I wrong here?) What really interests me is the German version of BAK - do they really translate names like Highcastle? Also I'm puzzled (and curious) about that spelling error you mentioned. Any info on a German Midkemia would be appreciated, if you have the time.

Before replying to your letter, it seems I've bumped into one of those tiny annoying bugs in BAK, making it impossible for me to finish the Alcohol Quest in Capter 6. Some time during Chapters 1-3 I visited the Secret Valley and opened all the Chests there. Trying to temporarily get rid of some items, I crammed all the Ale Casks into two of the Chests, and transferred a lot of things from Inventory to other Chests. In Chapter 6 ALL THE CHESTS are empty!

You've expressed interest in the German nomenclature for BAK. Yes, they really translate Highcastle. Here's a short list from memory:

Highcastle	Hohe Burg
Eldpoint	Altwinkel
Dencamp on the Teeth	Dencamp auf den Zähnen
Dimwood	Hogewald
Hawk's Hollow	Falkenhöhle
Sloop	Zille
Northwarden	Nordwacht
Questor's View	Questor's Sicht
Darkmoor	Finstermoor
Prank's Stone	Schelmenstein
Kenting Rush	Kenting Höhe
Cavall Keep	Cavall Hort
Nalar's Rib	Nalar's Rippe

Some translatable people's names got translated as well: Mitchell Waylander is Mitchell Wegländer, and the German equivalent to the Halfgate Sisters is "die Halbtor Schwestern".

Oddly enough Malac's Cross ("Malac's Kreuz") didn't get translated, and neither did Abbot Graves ("Abt Gräber").

All Spells (with the exception of NACRE CICATRIX) got translated as well. Most other places and people have kept their names.

Finally, they of course translated all the Moredhel Chest Riddles. The error you've asked me about is in the BELL Chest (N. Section of Dimwood). The correct German answer is "GLOCKEN", but there's no "C" on the fourth letter wheel, making it impossible to open this Chest!

In reply to the first part of your extremely informative letter (your failed Alcohol Quest): I don't really think this can be classified as a bug. As you know, anything left in a Bag can easily disappear (realistically). A Chest used as a Bag is no different - things can be stolen from this as well. As soon as you've messed with a Chest, it's just the same as a Bag. I've heard of a patch, though, which you can download from somewhere, which (among other things) makes it possible to store things in Moredhel Chests, without the possibility that they will be stolen. I think I downloaded this patch once, but it did things to my BAK that I didn't like. As for the Alcohol Quest - I don't know if this will be of any use - you can buy an Ale Cask in Loriel. Could this be the loophole you need?

As for the rest - I enjoyed it immensely! Languages, and translations, are of special interest to me. Happily I know enough German to be able to understand and appreciate the German variants of the names in BAK.

LETTER # 3:

Re: The Ale Cask - you've hit the nail on the head - I actually found it in the Loriel Shop while wandering aimlessly around to see if there was anything left to do before going to Elvandar. Meanwhile I've left a Sword of Lims-Kragma in a Moredhel Chest in Dimwood, so that James, Locklear and Patrus can find it there in Chapter 7. (I hope this works!)

The main reason I'm writing, though, is that I've encountered a weird situation during Chapter 6. After meeting Eliaem and solving her Quest, I wasn't able to carry all the Rations she gave me, so I put most of them (along with a couple of useless things) into a BAG. After exploring the Green Heart some more, I returned to this BAG to stock up on my Rations. The BAG still held all the Rations and Items I'd put there, BUT it also contained two extra Items: a 165% Medium Crossbow, both Poisoned and Flamed (not possible!), and a BIG YELLOWISH THING that took up four space units (like an armor), was Blessed and NOT THERE: Investigating it (Right Click) resulted in an empty message, and trying to drag it into Inventory simply crashed the game!

Also, your BAK Web shows the Guarda Revanche to be Blessed (#3). In my game (remember this is the German version!) it does NOT carry any Blessing. Do I need to go somewhere in order to receive a Blessing?

REPLY # 3:

Easy things first: In my version of the game the hilt of the Guarda is definitely 3xBlessed when found, and keeps the Blessing throughout the rest of the game. Sorry!

As for the weird Items in your bag, I am horribly interested. Could you send me a Saved Game?

LETTER # 4:

Re: the Guarda - I suspected this! Re: the Bug Bag - I've tried to access the Bag again, but the game just crashes!! If I can find a way of sending you a Save (in front of the Bag), I will do so tomorrow.

COMMENT:

My correspondent kept his word and sent me a zipped save. After experimenting with the Bug Bag, I decided it was interesting enough to create a small Page around it, rather than just publishing my reply on the current page. There's a riddle included for you to solve. So here it is:

The German Bug Bag Page!

EXTRA COMMENT:

My German E-pen pal has reported other frustrating experiences with his version of the game. If you think a Non-Blessed Guarda Revanche is the ultimate bummer, how about this:

In Chapter 8 you can find three suits of Valheru Armor (Bless Type #3). Not so in the German version! Here there are only two of them (Bless Type #1) Aarghhhh ....!

We want more BUGS! If you've found one, how about sharing it with the rest of us?

MUCH LATER: The "German" bug described above, is actually a version 1.02 bug. See the MAP WEB. Various impossible items turn up randomly in the Bug Bag, but the above example is the only one, known to me, where a non-item turns up.

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