E2M7: The Great Hall (Heretic + Hexen)
From DoomWiki.org
| Heretic re-release maps |
|---|
| The City of the Damned |
| The Dome of D'Sparil |
| The Ossuary |
| The Stagnant Demesne |
| Fate's Path (deathmatch only levels) |
| This level has an original version |
E2M7: The Great Hall is the seventh map of the Hell's Maw episode in the enhanced Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders re-release, included with Heretic + Hexen. It uses the music track "Wait" by Kevin Schilder.
Contents
Walkthrough[edit]
_E2M7_map.png)
Essentials[edit]
Go straight forward as the level starts to drop down to a gray platform with a switch, press it to raise a bridge then run through the lava on the west side of the starting platform to find another switch that will lower a lift. Ride the lift back up to the start then go east down a set of stone steps to an ethereal crossbow, before continuing down to a platform and going south across the bridge you just raised to reach a column-lined staircase. Go up the stairs to a room with sabreclaws then pass through the door in the south-east corner to find a fire gargoyle protecting two more doors. Open the south door to enter a storage room and slay any gargoyles and sabreclaws hiding behind the boxes, then press the switch on the south wall to lower a box near the center of the room which has the yellow key on top of it.
Go back to the previous hallway and open the west door this time to confront some golems and nitrogolems, then open the yellow door at the south end to find an undead warrior protecting another switch in the north-west corner of the tunnel. Press the switch then go back to the storage room to find that the north-east wall has opened, revealing a wide staircase guarded by gargoyles and sabreclaws. Instead of going down the stairs, walk along the east ledge to a doorway leading to a tiled room with gargoyles, sabreclaws and weredragons, then press the switch on the west wall to raise a step up to the platform behind you with the dragon claw. Press the switch on this platform to lower the round pillars on the west side of the staircase, then go to those pillars and walk south to a switch that will lower the plinth behind you holding the green key. On smite-meister skill level or higher, stepping off the plinth will teleport you into an ambush with fire gargoyles and a map scroll.
Go back to the large room on the west side of the map and go through the green door at the north end. The next room has four switches that need to be pressed one at a time to lower the inner walls, revealing sabreclaws and gargoyles hiding behind them. After pressing the final switch and opening the east wall, go into the neighboring room then open the north door and push through a few weredragons to reach the blue key at the other end of the room. Go back to the wide staircase you saw earlier and go down to the bottom to collect a firemace, then go east between some columns to the blue door which is defended by more weredragons. Go through the door to a columned hall and walk up the steps to the red throne to reveal a switch behind it, which will open the doors behind you and release several disciples of D'Sparil along with two iron liches. Push through the enemies to reach the exit door at the east end of the hall and step on the large teleporter behind it to finish the level.
Other points of interest[edit]
The north ledge before the blue door has a hellstaff at its west end. You can also go through the opening in the north wall here to drop down to a Wings of Wrath.
Secrets[edit]
- Go to the bottom of the wide staircase near the center of the level, then go back up to the storage room to find that part of the west wall has opened, revealing a passage with sabreclaws and gargoyles. (sector 41) The wooden steps in this passage hold stacks of mace spheres and Time Bombs of the Ancients, among other items.
- As you approach the blue key door you will hear two platforms moving behind you. Get on the north platform and ride it up to the ledge above, then run off the west end of the ledge. You should jump across the brown pillars and land on the C-shaped ledge below. Open the chained man mural to find a Tome of Power, a flame orb, and lesser runes. (sector 371)
- From secret #2, go back to the platforms by the blue key door and get on the south platform this time. Follow the ledge and go through the wall that opens on your left to enter the tiled room with the dragon claw; entering from this direction will open another wall to the south, behind the Chaos Device. The corridor behind this wall holds various ammo pickups, as well as a Ring of Invincibility. (sector 69)
- After getting the blue key, return to the previous room and go to the south-west corner to find that a wall has opened revealing a switch. Press the switch to open the north wall, then head down some magma steps (which are damaging) to a cavern with weredragons guarding a phoenix rod on a small island. (sector 106) From this island, walk east to find an enchanted shield and a route back to the start of the level.
Bugs[edit]
Demo files[edit]
Comparison of versions[edit]
Room design[edit]
- The starting area has been redesigned to look like temple ruins, with broken columns and sandstone platforms.
- Columns were added to the stairs south of the starting point, in the hall leading to the blue key, and to secret #3.
- The room before the blue key is now a small maze of walls and switches.
- A throne was added to the penultimate room.
- The end of the level was altered to include a battle with a group of disciples and iron liches.
Texture changes[edit]
- Many floors in the map were changed from gray stone (FLAT521) to tan stone (FLAT522).
- A larger variety of wall textures were added, replacing the hardened lava (LAVA1) seen throughout the original level.
- A missing upper texture above the ledge with the hellstaff (sidedef 965) was fixed.
- The halls on the east side of the map were changed to black and white tiled floors.
Thing placement[edit]
- Hanging skulls and corpses were added to the room north of the yellow door.
- A single firemace appears at the bottom of the wide staircase in single-player. In the original level the weapon was exclusive to multiplayer.
- Chandeliers were added above the blue door.
- Comparison of maps
E2M7 (original)
E2M7 (Heretic + Hexen)
Areas / screenshots[edit]
Speedrunning[edit]
Routes and tricks[edit]
Current records[edit]
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[edit]
Player spawns[edit]
This level contains five spawn points:
- facing south. (thing 4)
- facing south. (thing 5)
- facing east. (thing 6)
- facing south-east. (thing 7)
- facing west. (thing 12)
Statistics[edit]
Map data[edit]
| Things | 624 |
| Vertices | 2956* |
| Linedefs | 2927 |
| Sidedefs | 4155 |
| Sectors | 374 |
Things[edit]
This level contains the following numbers of things per skill level:
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