UESP Main Page Arena Daggerfall Battlespire Redguard Morrowind

(Walkthrough written by Scott Jennings)

Starts With: Starting a New Game Dungeon: Privateer's Hold, Daggerfall Minimum PC Level: None Key Strategy: Survive to escape! Story Progression: Gives the preface to the story. Prerequisite Quest: None Next Quest: Lady Brisienna

The first dungeon that you start out in is Privateer's Hold, and it's here that you'll learn how to deal with the many dungeons of Daggerfall. By the time you leave Privateer's Hold you should be second level, and have a full set of armor and at least one decent weapon. While the following will tell you how to immediately exit the cavern, feel free to leave the beaten path while you are exploring.

Finding the Exit
You start at the bottom of the dungeon -- so you need to go up. The first part of the dungeon is fairly linear. After a bat, the first door on your path contains an imp, so if you don't have a steel weapon yet you may want to come back to it. As you continue, you'll see stairs leading down on your left - at the bottom is the lair of a thief, whom you can usually take by surprise (use your backstab skill!) and who has some good equipment.

Keep going up, and you'll face an archer behind a U-shaped table. (Go around the table and engage the archer in melee, don't let him pick at you from a distance.) To your left is a throne room. (If you want, you can also get past this area by going straight ahead, but it's not the most direct route out.) Enter that, kill the bat flying around, and save. At the top of the massive flight of stairs is a Skeletal Warrior and that smile doesn't mean he's friendly.

Once/if you deal with him, look besides the throne... there's a lever there. Jump onto the raised platform and pull the lever, and the throne will climb to the next level.

Follow the corridor up and around (killing the rat along the way) and take the first door on your right. You'll face three monsters at once - a rat, a bat and an imp. If you're quick, you should be able to lure the bat outside and kill it, then move around the rat to take out the imp, then finally get the rat.

You'll see what looks like a cave that has a skull in it along a wall. That's the exit (all dungeon exits look like that.) Click on it, breathe that fresh pixilated air, then press onward to Daggerfall City.

Helpful Tips

• Be sure to equip your character before you start! Click your inventory bag -- you should have 1 and probably 2 weapons. Trust me, using your bare hands at this stage is a bad idea.

• Most Daggerfall dungeons have enemies that are based on your level. Since you're 1st and 2nd level in this dungeon, here's what you'll face. For more detailed monster descriptions and combat strategies, see the Daggerfall Bestiary.
  1. RAT - The first monster you'll face. Despite appearances, you won't have to duck to hit him... just swing.
  2. GIANT BAT - Another fairly easy one to deal with.
  3. THIEF and ARCHER - These are the humans running around. They can be dangerous, but carry valuable equipment you'll need.
  4. IMP - This is one of the most dangerous creatures you'll face in this dungeon, and also one of the first. (Gee, thanks, guys...) Two things to remember - first, this monster cannot be hit by iron weapons. So if you don't have steel or better, avoid them! Second, the Imp's spells are far more dangerous than its melee attack. Close quickly and try to dodge any spells it throws (yes, it's possible!)
  5. GRIZZLY BEAR - Nothing special about the bear... just big, mean, and deadly. Try to keep them off balance using the combat tips elsewhere on this site.
  6. ORC - Another humanoid monster - dangerous due to their high health. You won't see many of these.
  7. SKELETAL WARRIOR - The most dangerous monster you'll face in Privateer's Hold. Save before attacking, and give it all you have. You'll need it.

The next quest is Lady Brisienna, or you may return to the Quest Walkthrough Page.

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