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Dragon Warrior II Guide > Walkthrough > Cave to Rhone

LOCATION: You probably remember the location by now, but I'll tell you again just in case you're only tuning in for this, the toughest leg of the game after an extended absence (you wouldn't be the first). Go to the town of Beran, located in the southwest area of the world map. Enter it and go to the House of Healing, then cast stepguard magic before using the Jailer's Key to dash out the back side. The waiting portal will take you to a patch of forest just to the east of the cave. Travel over trees, plains and swamp as you head west to the cave, which you revealed using the Eye of Malroth.

I told you before that you should be around level 25 or so before attempting the cave, but this time I really mean it. You're not just making a quick little jaunt to pick up a crest. This time, you're in it for the long haul. Just so you know, there are going to be lots of traps and confusing passages that are meant to test your patience and mental alertness, so you'll want to follow this guide closely to ensure minimal frustration. As always at this stage in the game, bring along a wing of the wyvern and a leaf from the World Tree. If you must, build your levels wherever pleases you (even here if you like) before you try to make it all the way through the cave. You'll probably end up needing several attempts before you get all the way through.

From the entrance, walk toward the upper right side of the chamber as walls permit, ignoring the descending staircases on the way. You'll find a staircase that leads up to the next floor, which you should climb. You're now at the center of a four-way passage. These passages will repeat if you pass through them in the wrong order, so follow them in this precise order: left into a passageway with multiple branches, down the third branch from the right, straight down two more screens and up a staircase.

You're now in a new corridor, which I am calling "corridor A" (you'll be coming back to this point in a bit). For now, head to the right while ignoring any of the paths that branch off to the sides or above you as the path winds its way through a series of twisting corridors. When you see the room that heads to the right, note that you can also take the passage that leads up to find a treasure chest with a LOTTERY TICKET. Otherwise, just go ahead and go into the room to your right, where a staircase leads to the next floor.

In this room, there's yet another staircase. Climb it and you'll see a treasure chest to your right. This contains the ARMOR OF ERDRICK, which is the most powerful defensive equipment available in the game. At this point, I would recommend warping back to Beran so that you can save your progress before re-attempting the cave. This allows you to keep any levels you may have gained, and of course your newly-acquired armor. When you return to the cave, make your way back to the corridor I referenced as "Corridor A."

From the head of the staircase where you first arrive in this corridor, it's now time to head off to the left. The intersection here will allow you to go along either an upper or lower path. Unless you want to waste your time for paltry treasure chests that contain nothing worthwhile, take the upper route and don't follow any of the side branches until you reach the top one that leads to a room to the right. Go in that direction, and through that room into another room with a staircase that leads up to the next floor. Here, another staircase leads up yet another floor.

The room you're standing in now is famous, but for a bad reason: it's full of pitfalls that will drop you down to the previous floors! While you've perhaps found a few of those already as you made your way through the cave, this area has an almost limitless number of them. It's very easy to fall into one without intending to do so. A map at this point is most useful. Because you'll be returning to this room again if you're following this walkthrough, I'm going to call it "Corridor B" for your convenience. I also will attempt to provide a partial map in a moment so that you can use that to get through the room without falling into the pits, but right now you actually want to do so! From where you appear at the head of the staircase, walk right one step and down one step and you'll fall into a pit.

You'll appear in a large floor with few distinguishing features. Head directly down until you're two tiles away from the bottom wall, then walk straight to your left toward the wall that waits in that direction. Just before you reach it, you'll fall into an invisible pit. On this floor, you'll see a treasure chest two steps below you. Open it to find the THUNDER SWORD. This magnificent blade is the one you'll want to keep for the remainder of the game. Warp back to Beran yet again to save this progress. Then make your way back to the staircase at the entrance to the room with all those pits, "Corridor B."

Here's a map of the corridor, with the pits I've found marked. Please note that I know there are additional pits, but I got through the dungeon before finding all of their locations. Here's the map as it exists currently:

******************************************************     * = Walls
****************************************************** S = Stairs
****************************************************** P = Pit
****************************************************** B = Entrance
****** ****** ****** - = Safe
****** ****** ******
****** ****** ****** *** = 1 Tile
****** ****** ****** ***
****** ******
****** ******
****** ******------------------BBB
****** ******------------------BBB
************ ---PPP ******
************ ---PPP ******
************ --- ******
************ --- ******
****** ****** --- ****** ******
****** ****** --- ****** ******
****** ****** --- ****** ******
****** ****** --- ****** ******
****** --- ******
****** --- ******
****** --- ******
****** --- ******
****** ****** --- ************
****** ****** --- ************
****** ****** --------- ************
****** ****** --------- ************
****** --- ****** ******
****** --- ****** ******
****** --- ****** ******
****** --- ****** ******
************ ******--- ******
************ ******--- ******
************ ******--- ******
************ ******--- ******
****** ****** ---PPP ****** ******
****** ****** ---PPP ****** ******
****** ******--------- ****** ******
****** ******--------- ****** ******
****** --- ****** ******
****** --- ****** ******
****** --- ****** ******
****** --- ****** ******
****** ******---PPP ****** ******
****** ******---PPP ****** ******
****** ******--- ****** ******
****** ******--- ****** ******
************ --- ****** ************
************ --- ****** ************
************--------- ****** ************
************--------- ****** ************
****** --- ****** ******
****** --- ****** ******
****** --- ****** ******
****** --- ****** ******
************--- ****** ******
************--- ****** ******
************--- ******SSS ******
************--- ******SSS ******
****** --- ****** PPP ******
****** --- ****** PPP ******
****** ------------****** PPP******
****** ------------****** PPP******
****** ****** --- PPP************
****** ****** --- PPP************
****** ****** ------ ************
****** ****** ------ ************
****** PPP--- ****** ******
****** PPP--- ****** ******
****** --- ****** ******
****** --- ****** ******
****** ******---PPP SSS******
****** ******---PPP SSS******
****** ******------------------------******
****** ******------------------------******
******************************************************
******************************************************
******************************************************
******************************************************


Hopefully, that will help you. If you fall into a pit despite the map, you'll land on the floor below. Walk to the wall to the right and then follow it up to the staircase that leads back up to the floor above. Now, walk left from that room and you'll appear at the point on the map I have marked as "B." From there, follow the safe ground I mapped out to safely reach the staircase leading up to the next floor.

Once you arrive at the next floor, you'll find yourself in another maze of sorts. You're almost to the end of the dungeon now, so follow the following instructions carefully. Begin by walking along the path to the right, into the next room. There, you'll find yourself in a room shaped like the letter "J." Exit out the upper left and you're in another small room. Exit out the path to the upper right. This room is quite large, and for the most part you can just head to the exit on the right side of the room (just don't hug the wall near the block shaped like an upside-down "L" or you'll fall in a pit). In the next room, you'll see an upper and lower path. Take the upper one into another chamber, then head up along that path into the next room. Here, the path forks. Head to the left. In this next room, you should exit along the upper of the two paths, then follow that hallway to the "T" and head out to the right. Just keep heading right through the remaining rooms to reach the staircase that leads out of the dungeon. Finally.

Area Weapons and Items
Item Name Cost Attributes Used By
Armor of Erdrick - +40 DEF Hero
Lottery Ticket - Play a game of chance Hero, Prince, Princess
Thunder Sword - Most powerful sword around Hero

NEXT: Shrine of Rhone