Hellfire

time spell

mushroom cave

western

soul

northeast

man

offer him as much gold as you dare

a key and 2 open door spells

time spell

open the secret door

reveal invisible spells

password door

dead end

prevents acquisition of a necessary item

The Abomination fight near the very end of the game is extremely difficult for a character lacking high skill because his weakness, the Mirror, doesn't seem to exist in the website version of the game. In the Word version you can obtain the Mirror immediately after opening the 'Treasure' door at the beginning of the game. When used on the Abomination it dies immediately and you proceed to the final fight with the Trinitour. I know there are many little alterations made between the Word versions of these gamebooks and their online versions since certain elements may be overly complex, but I wonder if this item and function couldn't be returned to the online version to offer mercy for lower Skill characters?

The Rusty Gauntlets, which you NEED to fight the Trinitour at all, and beat the game, appear unobtainable without cheating, both in the Word version and website version. I've read Phil Sadler's old comments about how this item is supposed to be obtained by going to the dead-end after the Password door and using a 'Reveal Invisible' spell followed by the 'Open Door' spell. The problem I've run into here is that the logic of Hellfire prevents backtracking in this way. There is no way I've been able to find in both the online or Word versions of Hellfire to reach this "dead-end" area of the game while possessing 'Reveal Invisible' spells. The 'Reveal Invisible' spells are only obtained after using the Time Spell in the acid trap room (which comes AFTER the Password door and dead-end) to return to the beginning of the game and then using 'Open Door' on the 'Treasure' door. After gaining the new spells you are returned to the acid room where you're supposed to use 'Reveal Invisible' to make a bridge appear over the acid so you may proceed safely. That you reappear in the acid room, NOT at an earlier point where you could reach the dead-end area again makes sense with the game's logic. The Time Spell is supposed to return you to where you originally used it, not some earlier area. This creates an issue as you are only given the option to proceed forward out of the acid room, not backwards. This makes it impossible to ever get back to the Password door or the dead-end after it ever again, meaning the player will never obtain the Rusty Gauntlets and will be killed by the Trinitour for not having them at the final battle.

Abomination

cheating to gain the Rusty Gauntlets, by "teleporting" myself to the dead-end area so I could use the 'Reveal Invisible' and 'Open Door' spells on it and then teleporting myself back to the junction after the acid trap room.

278; 334 (Use Time Spell); 1; 21 (Gain 2 Reveal Invisible Spells); 261 (Use Reveal Invisible Spell & Open Sesaphil Spell); 281 (Use Dispel Darkness Spell); 347; 136; 369; 163; 215 (Gain Rusty Gauntlets); 344;

never thought to open the 'Treasure' door and try to leave right away without taking anything. That sign about 'regretting it later' for taking the gold at last makes sense.

those gauntlets are all that stand in the way of my first fair completion!

Using the Time Spell in anticipation of revealing the hidden door in the dead end. Amazing.

1; 208; 53; 371 (Gain Mirror); 473; 354; 214 (Gain 3 Dispel Illusions Spells); 473;

because my Luck failed when I met the Bloodbeast, even though afterwards you can poof him away with Dispel Illusion when the real fight starts.

like collecting the seemingly cursed or useless equipment pieces for the final battle, and the Time Spell now that I understand it better

A change from the silly characters and snake to an idol one sacrifices to; a clue via hidden mosiac as to why the spiders are benign and help, more definition for the NPCs and why they are there and a better hint on the Time Spell.