Divine Divinity, secret area in first Catacombs

[Jim Vieira]

Hello all, I just started replaying this game recently, having
never gotten very far in it when I first bought it, and having
been distracted by other games. I decided to start over and
play it fully.

In the very first level of the catacombs under town, I found
a secret area I cannot find my way to. I noticed it because
of the way the game handles in game cutscenes. In the
southern most area of the map, there is a statue of a woman
and if you light the candle there, it activates her old protector
that failed her, and he then helps you.

When it was going thru that whole "arise my protector" part,
I noticed a room directly to the west of her statue. As soon as
the cutscene was over, and the fog of war fell back into place,
it was covered again. This room would be the south western
most corner. Due south of the Orcs that are looking for the
Axe, and due west of the statue.

I can't figure out how to get in. There are barrels in there with
stuff in them (even though it's blackened, moving the cursor around
in the darkened areas highlights them sorta).

I searched a bit on google (both usenet and web) and cannot find
a solution. I saw maps to the levels in parts of spoilers, but they
didn't seem to see this. I tried turning off torches around it and
stuff. Can't find any other switches. Anyone else find this and
find a way in? Please help asap if you can.

Jim

[GSV Three Minds in a Can]

Post by Jim Vieira
Hello all, I just started replaying this game recently, having
never gotten very far in it when I first bought it, and having
been distracted by other games. I decided to start over and
play it fully.
In the very first level of the catacombs under town, I found
a secret area I cannot find my way to. I noticed it because
of the way the game handles in game cutscenes. In the
southern most area of the map, there is a statue of a woman
and if you light the candle there, it activates her old protector
that failed her, and he then helps you.
When it was going thru that whole "arise my protector" part,
I noticed a room directly to the west of her statue. As soon as
the cutscene was over, and the fog of war fell back into place,
it was covered again. This room would be the south western
most corner. Due south of the Orcs that are looking for the
Axe, and due west of the statue.
I can't figure out how to get in. There are barrels in there with
stuff in them (even though it's blackened, moving the cursor around
in the darkened areas highlights them sorta).
I searched a bit on google (both usenet and web) and cannot find
a solution. I saw maps to the levels in parts of spoilers, but they
didn't seem to see this. I tried turning off torches around it and
stuff. Can't find any other switches. Anyone else find this and
find a way in? Please help asap if you can.

...

The trick with DD is that most of the dungeon areas are actually on one
(or more) large map(s) .. even though the dungeons are reached from
completely different areas. The developers 'jigsawed' all the small
pieces into one large level.

So what you saw you can probably get into from somewhere else (maybe
miles to the east) later in the game. Of course there is also a (rare)
bug that lets you walk through dungeon walls - you can then wander
around between the dungeon areas like a lost soul (there is no way back
in to any of them).

[Jim Vieira]

Post by GSV Three Minds in a Can
The trick with DD is that most of the dungeon areas are actually on one
(or more) large map(s) .. even though the dungeons are reached from
completely different areas. The developers 'jigsawed' all the small
pieces into one large level.
So what you saw you can probably get into from somewhere else (maybe
miles to the east) later in the game. Of course there is also a (rare)
bug that lets you walk through dungeon walls - you can then wander
around between the dungeon areas like a lost soul (there is no way back
in to any of them).

...

Ahhh... well that makes sense. There was another time when I was on
level 2 or 3, where I saw red dots moving on the minimap, just out of
range of the room I was in, and wondered if that was a secret area too.
But now that makes sense. Thanks for your quick reply sir, I appreciate
it because I'm anal and it was keeping me from progessing. I will have
to make a mental note of the layout of that room and see if I find it again
from another area, later.

Thanks again

Jim

[Gabriele Neukam]

Post by GSV Three Minds in a Can
Of course there is also a (rare)
bug that lets you walk through dungeon walls - you can then wander
around between the dungeon areas like a lost soul (there is no way back
in to any of them).

Well, on some places I could get back. You need to find another cellar
which has the entrance at the north side, so that is integrated into the
wall (more or less). Stand there and click on the "stairs". You'll find
yourself back on the "surface" (the upper half of the respective map).

Read the Larian Forum, where some devised a method to deliberately enter
the "forbidden zone" between the dungeon areas, and how they found some
amazing thingsnever seen when you do play the game regularly.

But be warned. If you enter the "forbidden area", you might break the
game. Better use a savegame for it which you won't use for anything else
after the exploration. I my case, the map of area4 (the desert) was
partly uncovered, and some random number generator failed.


Gabriele Neukam

***@t-online.de

[GSV Three Minds in a Can]

Post by Gabriele Neukam

Post by GSV Three Minds in a Can
Of course there is also a (rare)
bug that lets you walk through dungeon walls - you can then wander
around between the dungeon areas like a lost soul (there is no way back
in to any of them).

Well, on some places I could get back. You need to find another cellar
which has the entrance at the north side, so that is integrated into the
wall (more or less). Stand there and click on the "stairs". You'll find
yourself back on the "surface" (the upper half of the respective map).
Read the Larian Forum, where some devised a method to deliberately enter
the "forbidden zone" between the dungeon areas, and how they found some
amazing thingsnever seen when you do play the game regularly.
But be warned. If you enter the "forbidden area", you might break the
game. Better use a savegame for it which you won't use for anything else
after the exploration. I my case, the map of area4 (the desert) was
partly uncovered, and some random number generator failed.

...

Thanks, but I try to avoid forums .. too many (each requiring
registration, and regular visits). I wish the developers would just use
Usenet instead. 8>. I don't have DD any more, so I won't be off
exploring 'the void'.

[Nan Wang]

Jim Vieira <***@widot.rrdot.com> wrote:
[snip]

There are cellars under a few other houses in the village, it's probably one
of those?

[Jim Vieira]

Post by Nan Wang
[snip]
There are cellars under a few other houses in the village, it's probably one
of those?

Actually, it appears to be part of level 3, or 4 (I forget which, the one
where you get the second teleporter pyramid). See I asked about it on
the official DD forums too, and someone posted this picture:

Failed to load image: http://members.shaw.ca/divineone/map.jpg

In the upper left appears to be the big dungeon level with the 4 tombs
Next to it, up top is one of the first catacomb levels. Below that is the
level I was talking about, level 1. To the left, somewhat hidden off
the edge, is the level with the teleporter pyramids. That little area
that swings out to the east, under level one, is where the pyramid
was.

Jim