Menzoberranzan (game)

Menzoberranzan was developed by DreamForge Intertainment, Inc. in 1994 and published by Strategic Simulations, Inc., who also published other titles of the Forgotten Realms Setting, like Al-Qadim: The Genies Curse.

Gameplay
It was a first person role-playing game in a similiar style like Ultima Underworld and Might and Magic games of that era. The player starts with two heroes in a small village, which is under attack of evil drow. They follow them into the Underdark to the mighty drow city of Menzoberranzan.

Plot
The game begins in a small town in Icewind Dale, where the two player heroes return from an adventure to the greetings and cheers of the locals. But as the festivities carry on late at night, the town is raided by a drow party. The drow capture a group of villagers and escape with them, and the heroes are charged with the quest to retrieve them. As the heroes take their steps out of the town tavern to aid in the defence against the lingering drow, they also have to put out the fire that was started in the village store. When the invaders have been repelled, and the fire put out, the heroes a given a special helmet by the town's innkeeper.

As the heroes venture out in to the plains of Icewind Dale, they will encounter gnolls, drow, verbeeg and other monsters. As they move around the plains, they will find the house of the wise old druid Vermulean, who knows a lot about the world and its wonders. He tells the heroes that to venture the Underdark, they will need protective stones so that the radiation doesn't harm them, and allow them to see as an underground dweller would. This leads the heroes to quest for the gems all over the plains. Their hunt leads them to meet Drizzt Do'Urden in a mountain pass where he saves the heroes from fighting a giant and offers to join up with the heroes.

Further away in the plains, the heroes meet the kenku, Vonar, a friend to Drizzt, who had his wing wounded by the drow who invaded the village. He also offers to join the party. After gathering all the gems, they take it to the old wise man who transforms the gems, so that the heroes may venture to the Underdark.

Although they do not know it, the gem and helmet they received are actually parts of the legendary Helm of Spiders, an ancient and powerful drow artifact. The party ventures deeper into the Underdark, finding friends and foes allow the way, some of which join the adventurers. They travel through dwarven mines, the Temple of Dumathoin and caverns of myconids, galeb duhr and driders. On their way, they find out much about the treachery of the dark elves, and eventually reach their infamous city of Menzoberranzan.

Here, they find themselves amid raging wars between drow houses, all vying for the ancient Helm of Spiders. After the heroes recover the last part of the ancient artifact, the adventurers use it to rescue the prisoners. Drizzt leads them out of the Underdark, and all the villagers are united again.

Characters

 * Companions: Azarell • Baldassar • Borenorak • Drizzt Do'Urden • Maeldithar • Manahath • Vlakverdling • Vonar
 * Other: Dorn Black Axe • Feerus • Galentha • Grumsznar • Jalynfein • Jarlaxle • Malice Do'Urden • Maznafein • Rizzen Do'Urden • Ssar Tarell • Vermulean • Vierna Do'Urden

Creatures

 * Playable races
 * dwarf • elf • gnome • half-elf • halfling • human


 * Other
 * aboleth • bugbear • centaur • carrion crawler • cloaker • derro • drider • drow • fungi skeleton • galeb duhr • gnoll • hook horror • kenku • leucrotta • myconid • myrlochar • night hunter • ochre jelly • osquip • panther • roper • rust monster • shrieker • spitting crawler • stirge • svirfneblin • troglodyte • umber hulk • uropygus • verbeeg • violet fungus • yochlol

Locations

 * Buildings & Sites: Bazaar • Sorcere • Temple of Dumathoin
 * Inns & Taverns: Carpathian's Tavern • Gollvelius' Tavern
 * Shops: Galenthas Goods • Ssar Tarell
 * Settlements: Menzoberranzan
 * Regions: Icewind Dale • Underdark

Magic

 * Magic items: Axe of Hurling • Guenhwyvar figurine • Helm of Disguise • Helm of Spiders • Icingdeath • Javelin of Lightning • Piwafwi • Ring of Regeneration • Sling of Seeking • Twinkle 
 * Potions: Keoghtom's ointment • potion of extra healing • potion of healing
 * Spells: acid bolt • Aganazzar's scorcher • aid • armor • backlash • blade barrier • bless • blur • burning hands • cause critical wounds • cause light wounds • cause serious wounds • chill touch • claws of the umber hulk • cloudkill • comprehend languages' • cone of cold • cure critical wounds • cure disease • cure light wounds • cure serious wounds • darkness • detect evil • darkfire • death spell • detect magic • disintegrate • dispel magic • dragon scales • draw upon holy might • enchant weapon • faerie fire • feather fall • fireball • fire seeds • flame arrow • flame blade • flame strike • fly • fortify • free action • harm • haste • heal • hold monster • hold person • ice knife • ice storm • immunity to adherance • immunity to spider venom • invisibility • jump' • levitate • lich touch • light • lightning bolt • magic missile • magical stone • magical vestment • Melf's acid arrow • neutralize poison • Otiluke's freezing sphere • passweb • prayer • protection from evil • raise dead • remove paralysis • shield • shocking grasp • slow • slow poison • spidercloak armor • spider shape • spiritual hammer • spook • stinking cloud • stoneskin • stop • true seeing • vampiric touch • venom bolt • venom immunity • wizard eye

Organizations

 * Clan Black Axe • House Baenre • House Barrison Del'Armgo • House Do'Urden • House Fey-Branche

Religions

 * Dumathoin • Lolth

Miscellaneous

 * Armor: banded mail • bracers • chainmail • gauntlets • helmet • leather • plate mail • ring mail • shield • studded leather
 * Gemstones: diamond • Gem of Lolth
 * Languages: Dwarven (Dethek)
 * Materials: leather
 * Metals & Alloys: adamantine • gold • iron • ivory • silver
 * Weapons: battle axe • bow (and arrows) • broadsword • crossbow (and bolts) • dagger • halberd • javelin • longbow • mace • pickaxe • quarterstaff • scimitar • sling • two-handed sword • spear • shortsword • throwing knife • warhammer

Game Credits
From the Menzoberranzan manual.
 * Producer: Scott Cuthbertson
 * Executive Producer: Bret Berry, James H. Namestka
 * Associate Producer, Voice Direction: Scot Noel
 * Lead Programming: Don Wuenschell
 * Game Design: John McGirk
 * Art Director: Jane Yeager
 * Lead Artist: Frank Schurter
 * Artist: Aaron Kreader, Craig Mrusek, Michael Nicholson, Eric Ranier Rice
 * 3D Artist: Jason Johnson
 * 3D Support: Jeff Zehner
 * 3D Character Generator: James H. Namestka
 * Music: Jamie McMenamy
 * Sound Effects, Voice Production: Anthony Mollick
 * Managing Doc. Editor: Eileen Matsumi
 * Lead Product Tester: Jason Ray
 * Testers: Kelly Calabro, Benjamin Cooley, Brandon Harris
 * Test Support: Annette Grove, Rose Ramos
 * Rule Book Editors: Jonathan Kromrey, Mark Whisler
 * Rule Book Writer, Interaction & Game Text: Scot Noel
 * Rule Book Graphic Design and DTP: David Boudreau, Leedara Zola
 * Cover artwork: Jeff Easley


 * Strategic Simulations, Inc.


 * Associate Producers: David A. Lucca, Jeffrey Shotwell
 * Product Test Supervisor: Glen A. Cureton
 * Compatibility Testing: Top Star Computing Services Inc.
 * Rule Book Graphic Design and DTP: Louis Saekow Design
 * Rule Book Printing: Consolidated Printers
 * Documentation Manager German Version: Claude Joris
 * German Manual Translation: Raimund Lingen

Connections
Menzoberranzan (PC Spiel)