E1M1: The Docks (Heretic + Hexen)

Heretic re-release maps
The City of the Damned E1M1: The Docks E1M2: The Dungeons E1M3: The Gatehouse E1M4: The Guard Tower E1M5: The Citadel E1M6: The Cathedral E1M7: The Crypts E1M8: Hell's Maw E1M9: The Graveyard
Hell's Maw M1 M2 M3 M4 M5 M6 M7 M8 M9
The Dome of D'Sparil M1 M2 M3 M4 M5 M6 M7 M8 M9
The Ossuary M1 M2 M3 M4 M5 M6 M7 M8 M9
The Stagnant Demesne M1 M2 M3 M4 M5 M6 M7 M8 M9
Fate's Path (deathmatch only levels) M1 M2 M3
This level has an original version

This level occupies the map slot E1M1. For other maps which occupy this slot, see Category:E1M1.

E1M1: The Docks is the first map of the City of the Damned episode in the enhanced Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders re-release, included with Heretic + Hexen. It uses the music track "Dark" by Kevin Schilder.

Walkthrough

Map of The Docks

Letters in italics refer to marked spots on the map. Sector, thing, and linedef numbers in boldface are secrets which count toward the end-of-level tally.

Essentials

Go straight forward to the dock then turn right (east) and follow the steps up to a small room with one or two gargoyles, then press the switch to lower the yellow key. Go back to the starting room and open the yellow door on the west side to face a golem, then go down the steps and pass through a wooden door at the bottom. Follow the passage up some stairs to an octagonal room with one or more golems, then continue south up another staircase and press the switch at the top to open the metal door in the room below. Go through that door and kill any waiting gargoyles, then follow the hallway round two corners to raise a set of stairs. Go up the stairs and head east to the exit door, then open it to find the blue exit switch (a golem defends it on bringest them oneth (BTO) skill level or higher).

Secrets

1. Open the bright wall behind the barrels in the south-east corner of the starting room to find a silver shield (and a quartz flask on BTO or lower). (sector 154)
2. After passing through the yellow door, go down the steps and open the wooden door at the bottom. Approach the metal wall in front of you, which depicts a demon with a mouthful of skulls, to open it and find Gauntlets of the Necromancer and two wand crystals. (sector 144)
3. In the octagonal room, open the east wall with the eagle insignia on it to find steps leading up to a ledge with a Tome of Power, then go south up another set of steps to find an ethereal crossbow. (sector 166) Depending on the skill level you will also find a varying number of wand crystals, crystal vials and ethereal arrows in this area.
4. After pressing the second switch, go back down the stairs to the octagonal room. The south wall between the staircases has opened to reveal a teleporter which goes to the large water pool outside. (sector 182) The pool contains wand crystals and ethereal arrows, along with one or two undead warriors and a Bag of Holding at the south end. The teleporter at the east end, which is the secret, will send you back to the docks.

Comparison of versions

Brightness levels have been changed in several parts of the map. Additional sectors have been added to create shadows and more gradual changes in light levels.

Secret #4 was moved to the west end of the large water pool, where the player teleports in.

Texture changes

• Several staircases have wooden floors rather than stone ones. This corrects an inconsistency in the original level where the stairs had stone floors and wooden risers.
• The walls behind the quiver of ethereal arrows by the exit door were changed from stone to wood.

Thing placement

• An extra torch was added to the left-hand side of the doorway in front of the player at the start.
• A torch was added at the turning before the stairs leading to the exit.

• Comparison of maps
• 

  E1M1 (original)

• 

  E1M1 (Heretic + Hexen)

Speedrunning

Current records

The records for the map at the Doom Speed Demo Archive are:

Run	Time	Player	Date	File	Notes
SM speed
SM max
BP speed
BP max
NM speed
NM 100S
Tyson
Pacifist

The (absence of) data was last verified in its entirety on August 10, 2025.

Deathmatch

Player spawns

This level contains four spawn points:

1. facing north. (thing 5)
2. facing north-west. (thing 73)
3. facing south. (thing 74)
4. facing east. (thing 75)

Statistics

Map data

Things	245
Vertices	725*
Linedefs	865
Sidedefs	1157
Sectors	183

* The vertex count without the effect of node building is 659.

Things

This level contains the following numbers of things per skill level:

Single-player
Monsters	1-2	3	4-5
Gargoyle	12	21	23
Golem	9	15	18
Undead warrior	1	3	3
Weapons	1-2	3	4-5
Gauntlets of the Necromancer	1
Ethereal crossbow	1
Ammunition	1-2	3	4-5
Wand crystal	46	37	27
Ethereal arrows	14	9	9
Quiver of ethereal arrows	1	1	0
Health & Armor	1-2	3	4-5
Crystal vial	26	20	17
Silver shield	1
Items	1-2	3	4-5
Bag of Holding	1
Quartz flask	2	2	0
Tome of Power	1
Keys	1-2	3	4-5
Yellow key	1
Miscellaneous	1-2	3	4-5
Key gizmo (yellow)	2
Teleport glitter (red)	2
Teleport landing	2
Ambient sounds	1-2	3	4-5
Drops	3
Slow footsteps	1
Wind	2

Multiplayer
Monsters	1-2	3	4-5
Gargoyle	12	21	23
Golem	9	15	18
Undead warrior	1	3	3
Weapons	1-2	3	4-5
Gauntlets of the Necromancer	1
Ethereal crossbow	1
Dragon claw	1
Hellstaff	1
Phoenix rod	1
Ammunition	1-2	3	4-5
Wand crystal	46	37	27
Ethereal arrows	18	13	13
Quiver of ethereal arrows	4	4	3
Claw orb	10
Energy orb	1
Lesser runes	8
Flame orb	3
Health & Armor	1-2	3	4-5
Crystal vial	26	20	17
Enchanted shield	1
Silver shield	1
Items	1-2	3	4-5
Bag of Holding	1
Chaos Device	1
Morph Ovum	1
Mystic urn	1
Quartz flask	2	2	0
Tome of Power	3
Wings of Wrath	1
Keys	1-2	3	4-5
Yellow key	1
Miscellaneous	1-2	3	4-5
Cooperative start	4
Deathmatch start	4
Key gizmo (yellow)	2
Teleport glitter (red)	2
Teleport landing	2
Ambient sounds	1-2	3	4-5
Drops	3
Slow footsteps	1
Wind	2