BUG VERSION 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 47/870915 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 49/870917 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 51/870923 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y *57/871221 N N Y Y Y Y Y Y
1. In versions 47, 49, and 51, you can take the hurdy-gurdy away from the Monkey Grinder without killing him, by using the levitation wand. He'll still be able to use it against you though, even if you leave and return without it.
If you get rid of him by giving him the chest, the hurdy-gurdy will appear in the same area (Outside Guild Hall) regardless of where you left it.
In version 57, the levitation wand doesn't work on the hurdy-gurdy. If you try it, the grinder grabs the hurdy-gurdy before it floats away and says "Cute."
2. BUTTERFLY BUG: In Versions 47, 49, and 51 if you have the butterfly on the rim of your goblet you can sell it in any of the shops with the command GIVE BUTTERFLY TO WOMAN (SELL BUTTERFLY will not work). A few turns later the butterfly will fly out of the case and land on your goblet again, allowing you to sell it repeatedly.
You get 5 zorkmids the first time you sell it, with the value doubling on each succeeding sale (10, 20, 40, 80, 160, et cetera). It is even possible to win the game without obtaining the Crocodile's Tear by doing this. Selling the butterfly when you have more than 20,000 zorkmids, will make your balance go crazy, giving you something like -30,000 zorkmids.
In Version 57, it is impossible to sell the butterfly at all. If you try, you get the message "You'd have to take the butterfly out of the goblet first.", and if you do take it, you can't hold onto it.
3. If you go to the Pool of Radiance, then type DIP ME IN POOL (as opposed to GET IN THE POOL), it will say that you see yourself in the pool, even though you really aren't there. However, you will now be unable to interact with yourself (EXAMINE ME, POINT WAND AT ME, et cetera) for the remainder of the game, unless you are at the pool. There is no way to get "yourself" back out of the pool once you "put" yourself in. This works in any version.
4. If you read the scroll of recall while at the snowy clearing, you will be able to magically return to the lava and inscribe the glyph without obtaining the Ring of Shielding. This works in all versions.
5. In any version, typing THANKS, will generate the response "There's no need to thank the [string of garbage]."
With Frotz, the string of garbage will merely be "ac" ("bc" in version 47). With the original Infocom interpreter it will be somewhat longer, varying depending on the version of the game.
6. The hourglass and arch, combined with the chest, can cause the game to lock up on you if used together, if you haven't opened the chest previously.
Use the hourglass to travel anywhere in the Plaza's past or future. Wait until the sands have stopped falling, and then EXIT the arch. Then drop the chest and open it. You will go through the scene at the Fields of Transinfinite Splendor, but when the unicorns send you back, you will be in a room called simply "Darkness," and are told that you may be eaten by a grue, just like when you are inside the idol. However, apparently you are still in the vicinity of the arch, because your magic items (including the Scroll of Recall) still fail with the same error message you get when you are in the past or future, about how a nearby influence is blocking its magic. You can still feel the wind changing direction occasionally, indicating that you are outside.
However, you cannot enter or exit the arch. If you try to go NE, SW, or W, nothing happens and you go to the next turn. If you go another direction, you are told "There's no exit that way." (even if your direction was ENTER!).
If you turn on the lamp to see where you are, the status window will say "There's [your name] here. Inside [your name] you see [a list of your inventory]," your location will change to gibberish ("bc" in Version 47, "jc iindyysgvxc" in Version 57) and the game will immediately crash.
This bug was probably not discovered during playtesting because of the great difficulty in getting to the ruins without the rose, combined with the fact that you cannot obtain the rose without first opening the chest. This bug is present in all versions. -- Chris D. Lang
7. THE RUG BUG:
In all versions, you can move in a blocked direction simply by standing on the rug first.
For example, on the first turn of the game, go NW (to "Edge of Storms") and then WEST, and you will be told:
Kerblam! Forks of lightning dance across your path, and the clouds boom with laughter.
However, bring the rug to the Edge of Storms, DROP RUG, STAND ON RUG, and then go WEST, and you will be able to get past without having the goblet.
This bug can be used in several
other ways. You can use it to get past the warning nymph into the Guild
Hall, to get past the Christmas Tree Monsters without the caterpillar, to get
past the wall of corbies to the rosebush in the Gray Grotto without the
proper key, and to get past a hostile monster. This last can be very useful
in escaping from a superior foe who is blocking the only
exit. -- Paul Hart
8. In all versions, it is impossible to interact with the crocodile when you are in the same location as the idol, because of the similarity of their names. For example, if you try to ATTACK CROCODILE, you are told "Which crocodile do you mean, the idol or the crocodile?" Answering THE CROCODILE repeats the process. (NOTE: There are similar bugs in Deadline and Zork 2.) -- Mike Schiraldi
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