E1M2: Castle of the Damned

Castle of the Damned is the second level of the Dimension of the Doomed. A relatively small castle with several Water canals running through it, the player is introduced to the Medieval style they will generally be spending their time in.

In this level, the player also has their first encounters with the Monsters used in most game levels, and must find a Silver Key to proceed deeper into the castle. Many Secrets can be found by swimming in the Water.

Although intended as a Single Player level, this map is also considered one of the most popular Multiplayer (Deathmatch) maps, beating some maps specifically designed for Deathmatch. This is also one of the most popular levels for team Deathmatches.

Quick Level Completion

 * From the start, go to the main bridge by going up the stairs.
 * At the opposite side, follow the left corridor, continuing until you reach the Silver Key.
 * Turn around and follow the corridor past the newly opened doorway to the silver door.
 * Press the Button in the middle of the room
 * Turn around and enter the newly opened door, following the corridor to the exit.

Walkthrough
At the start, collect the two 15 Health by the Strogg Crates and kill the Grunt, as well as the new chainsaw wielding enemy, the Ogre. There are Shells next to where the Grunt stood, there are Nails underneath the bridge, as well as a shootable Wall to the far right of the start under the Water (#1) . When done cross the bridge and go up the few stairs where you may find some more Shells and a 25 Health. Turn left and cross another bridge while killing a Grunt on the bridge and an Ogre in the next room. Jump to your right in the bridge room to get a 25 Health and a Green Armor. Go to your left at the end of the next room while collecting the two 15 Health and follow an extended platform around while picking up a Double-Barrelled Shotgun. On the right of the entrance to the platform room are some Shells. Eventually you'll come to a point with some Nail Traps, right before is a 25 Health as well as an Ogre; avoid the traps and continue on. Soon you'll come to a fairly open u-shaped bend in the platform with an Ogre, a 25 Health, and some Shells, as well as a Shootable Button on the wall that allows you to get some Yellow Armor. Make sure to jump in the Water afterwards  (#2) .

Go around the u-bend and up the stairs while killing a Grunt, and beware the 2 Knights, a new enemy that is melee only, that will ambush you from the lowering Wall, but also know that there are two15 Health to the right, and a 15 Health by the Knight, as well as some Nails. Push the Button where the Knights were to extend the bridge to the Silver Key, and grab it. Below the bridge is a 25 Health and Nails on an alcove, than return to the bridge by following the Water to  (#2) . The Door opposite the Silver Key will open, so head through it and follow the passageway down to the room with the Silver Door while collecting the three 15 Health and some Shells, and killing 2 Grunts. In the room just past the Silver Key make sure to hit the Button on a nearby pillar  (#3) . In the room with the Silver Door there are 2 Grunts and a 25 Health. By the Door leading back to the corridor at the end of the main bridge are Shells and another Grunt.

Use the Silver Key to go through the Silver Door and step on the Floorplate in the center of this area to release two blocks while collecting the two 25 Health from the entrance, and some Shells on the other side of the round ledge. Kill the Fiend, another new enemy that is melee but is also very fast and deadly, that emerges from the double Doors. You can head through the Teleporters that open either side of the Door to go up onto a ledge, where the Fiend is harmless. Also while up here get the two 25 Health and Nails. When done, go through the opened passageway opposite the double Doors and head up the stairs while collecting the two 15 Health. Grab the nearby Shells while killing the Knight straight ahead. Proceed forward through the Arch to exit the level.

Differences from Easy to Normal

 * Grunt located on platform with Green Armor
 * 2nd Grunt just before Knight trap
 * 3rd Knight in Wall trap
 * Grunt located by Door that opens up after Silver Key is taken
 * Grunt located by Quad Damage Wall
 * Ogre just behind Silver Door 
 * Ogre in middle of Fiend  room
 * Knight in opposite corner from other Knight in final room.

Differences from Normal to Hard/Nightmare



 * Grunt to the right of bridge in start room
 *  Scrag, a new floating enemy, at  (#1) 
 * Ogre in room just before main bridge from start
 * Grunt on Double-Barrelled Shotgun platform
 * Scrag between Nail Trap and main bridge
 * Ogre just after  Nail Trap
 * 2 Scrags spawn when Yellow Armor Button is shot
 * 4th Knight in Wall trap
 * Ogre and Scrag by Silver Key 
 * Grunt just behind Door leading to Silver Door room from main bridge.
 * No Grunt spawns for  (#3) 
 * Ogre on right side of Fiend  room
 * 2 Grunts  on ledge in Fiend room
 * 2 Fiends  spawn after 1st Fiend  dies
 * Ogre just behind originally locked Door in Fiend  room
 * No 2nd Knight in final room, instead it is a  Scrag  and  Ogre 
 * One more Nail Trap at the Nail Trap area

Differences

 * Nailgun by start right before first bridge, and 3 Nails located by Strogg Crate to left
 * Rockets Launcher at  (#1) 
 * Shells by Double-Barrelled Shotgun
 * Grenade Launcher behind Wall where Knights came out in Single Player
 * Rockets where Silver Key was
 * Super Nailgun below bridge leading to where the Silver Key used to be
 * Shells between doorway that used to contain Door that unlocked when Silver Key was collected and the bridge leading to where the Silver Key used to be
 * In room where the Fiend used to be, the alcove above contains Rockets and 100 Health
 * On stairs leading to Arch is a Super Nailgun and Nails

Spawn Locations

 * Right side of prior Fiend room
 * By silver doorway
 * By start
 * By Nail Trap
 * By doorway that used to contain Door that unlocked when Silver Key was collected
 * Opposite side of doorway that used to contain Door that unlocked when Silver Key was collected
 * By Yellow Armor
 * By  (#3)  pillar
 * By right Door from main bridge
 *  (#1) 

Differences in Quake 64

 * 1) No Shootable Wall in Water in Slipgate room leading to (#1)
 * 2) No Strogg Crates in Slipgate room

Trivia

 * This is the only level where Grunts can be found outside of the idBase Level Theme.
 * This map featured in the Red Annihilation tournament in 1997, for the tournament finale. In that game, Dennis "Thresh" Fong and Tom "Entropy" Kimzey faced off with Thresh defeating Entropy 14−1.  Fong was awarded John D. Carmack's 1987 Ferrari 328 GTS cabriolet as the grand prize.