E2M5: The Wizard's Manse

The Wizard's Manse is the fifth level of The Realm of Black Magic. It appears to be a large mansion, once the abode of a swamp wizard. Most of the action takes place indoors, in relatively cramped rooms and corridors. The Manse's central chamber has multiple levels and players will gradually ascend them as they approach the exit.

This level introduces the Thunderbolt. The player must search for the Gold Key in order to proceed. This level is interconnected by platforms across two rooms of Water going up multiple floors of a tower.

Quick Level Completion

 * Follow the platform to an Elevator.
 * At the top, follow the platform to an intersection.
 * Take the left corridor and follow it to a Button to push.
 * Return to the intersection and follow the right corridor to a room with a balcony overlooking it.
 * Press the Button on the right side to open a Wall to the left.
 * Follow the opened corridor to a room just after an area filled with Slime.
 * Shoot the Button to the left to cause a platform to raise out of the Slime.
 * Stand on the platform and allow it to start moving to the right.
 * Shoot the Button to the right before the platform reaches the right wall.
 * Jump onto the newly raised platform and follow it to the end.
 * Jump onto the ledges on the wall as they stick out of the wall to get to the top.
 * Follow the platforms until you eventually reach a Button at a dead end. Press the Button.
 * Swim to the top for your last breath of air before the Moving Platform descends into the Water, and wait as it moves though the Water. As it raises, push yourself to the top with it to minimize health losses.
 * Go up the Elevator to the right.
 * At the top follow the corridor to some stairs beside the Gold Door.
 * Follow the corridor at the top of the stairs to the Gold Key.
 * Return to the Gold Door and go through it to get to the exit room.

Walkthrough
Collect the two 25 Health, one on each side of the starting Arch. Collect the Shells by the stairs and climb the stairs and turn right at the end of the corridor at the top. Kill the Ogre on the platform to the left and above. Collect the Rocket Launcher on the middle of the platform. Just after the above platform jump into the Water below. Swim to the left wall, and turn left to collect Nails. On the other side of the left wall is a doorway to another Water room. Collect the three 25 Health, Nails, and Shells. Return to find an Elevator that leads back to the platform with some Shells at the top.  (#1) . Follow the platform to the end and ride the Elevator. Collect the Shells to the left. Turn left again and follow the platform to a turn to the right into a building with Nails by the entrance, and a Fiend that exits the building as you approach. Inside the building, follow the right passageway to a 25 Health, and turn left to some Nails. Return to the entrance of the building and follow the left passageway. Collect the 25 Health to the right and kill the Death Knight. Kill the Ogre to the left on the platform above. Follow the platform, collecting the Shells and Nails and pushing the Button at the end. To the right is the right passageway, as well as a platform risen out into the next room. Before turning back to the right passageway kill the Ogre that goes onto the newly risen platform. At the end of the new platform collect the  Green Armor and turn to the stairs to the right. Collect a 25 Health at the entrance of the next room and kill the Ogre that jumps from the upper wooden balcony. Collect the Nails to the right, and a 25 Health and Shells to the left, as well as a Button. A Wall opens to the right with a Fiend, 25 Health, and Red Armor. Also a Wall opens to the right of the room, with Nails and stairs to the right. Kill the Ogre at the top and turn left. Turn left again and kill the Death Knight. Follow the U shaped platform around to the middle while collecting the Shell. Kill the Ogre on the platform above. If you jump into the Water down here you can collect the two 25 Health, as well as follow a passageway as a shortcut to the third paragraph of the walkthrough. Follow the U shaped platform the rest of the way and enter the doorway to the left. Turn right and kill the Ogre on the platform above. Collect the Shells and turn right at the end. Jump across the Slime to the platform on the other side, and kill the Fiend in the Slime. Collect the Thunderbolt, Cells, and Rockets in the next room. Collect the Biosuit in the previous room and collect a 100 Health in the Slime. Drop into the next room's Slime and swim to the right to find a passageway leading to an Elevator and Scrag. Collect the two 25 Health and Nails, and drop down to the Biosuit room.

Shoot the Button to the left in the next room by the Slime. This shall cause a conveyor belt of platforms leading to the next Button. Shoot the next Button before the platform gets to the wall to raise a platform to the left. Follow it to the end, and then turn left and jump onto the little platforms in the wall to the top to the right. Collect the Shells and go up the stairs to the left. Cross the wooden platform overlooking the first room of this building that you killed the Ogre on earlier while collecting the Shells. Turn right at the end and kill the Death Knight on the stairs. At the top of the stairs is the wooden balcony overlooking the Red Armor room. Collect the Shells and turn right. Collect a 25 Health and turn left. Kill the Scrag that spawns in the middle of the room. Follow the balcony and collect a 25 Health and Nails. Turn left at the end and collect a 25 Health and 2 Nails. This balcony is the one with the Ogre over the U shaped platform room. Follow the balcony to the other side and go up the stairs to the left. Kill the Fiend at the top, and collect the Shells and 25 Health to the left. Turn right to a wooden platform overlooking the wooden platform overlooking the first room of this building. Collect the two 25 Health and press the Button at the end. This starts the Moving Platform on a route through the Water below, hold your breath to the last possible second before it pushes you down. When it stops on the other side kill the Ogre, then collect the 25 Health and 15 Health. To the left is Water leading back the way you came so go right onto the Elevator. Kill the Scrag behind you at the top. Follow the stairs to the top and drop into the Water.

Swim to the platform at the end of the passageway and kill the Ogre. To the left is the Gold Door with three 25 Health. In the Water to the right of the stairs are Rockets, Nails, and a Quad Damage. Climb the stairs to the top to a platform overlooking the U shaped platform room and the room after. Turn left and collect a 25 Health, Rockets, and the Gold Key. Just before the stairs returning to the Gold Door, shoot the Wall to the right with a different texture  (#2) . Return to the Gold Door and kill the Fiend and Death Knight inside. Collect the two 25 Health, one on each side of the room, as well as the Rockets to the right of the Arch.

Differences from Easy to Normal

 * 2 Death Knights on Rocket Launcher platform
 * Scrag on right passageway from entrance of main building
 * 2nd and 3rd Ogre jumps off wooden balcony in Red Armor room
 * 2 Death Knights to right of Red Armor room
 * Death Knight at entrance to U shaped room from passageway after Red Armor room
 * Ogre on U shaped platform
 * 2nd Fiend by 100 Health
 * Scrag by conveyor belt platform room
 * Ogre at exit of conveyor belt platform toom
 * 2nd Death Knight on stairs exiting the wooden platform overlooking first room of main building
 * 2nd Scrag spawns when on upper floor of Red Armor room
 * 2nd Ogre on the platform overlooking the U shaped room
 * Ogre on the highest wooden platform of first room of main building
 * Ogre at top of Elevator to right of room after platform that moves under the Water
 * 2nd Ogre on stairs leading to Gold Key platform
 * 2nd Ogre on Gold Key platform
 * 2nd and 3rd Fiend in final room
 * 2nd Death Knight in final room

Differences from Normal to Hard/Nightmare

 * Ogre and Death Knight in passageway by start
 * 2nd Ogre on upper platform of Rocket Launcher room
 * No Nails by the entrance of the building on upper platform of Rocket Launcher room
 * Scrag on left passageway from entrance of main building
 * 3rd, 4th, and 5th Death Knights in Red Armor room
 * 4th and 5th Ogre jump from balcony of Red Armor room
 * Shambler instead of Fiend by Red Armor
 * 2nd Death Knight in U shaped room
 * No 100 Health in the Slime.
 * Death Knight in Thunderbolt room
 * 2nd Scrag by conveyor belt platform room
 * 3rd and 4th Scrag spawns when on upper floor of Red Armor room
 * Shambler instead of Fiend at entrance to the highest wooden platform of first room of main building
 * 2nd Ogre in room after platform that moves under the Water
 * 3rd Ogre on stairs leading to Gold Key platform
 * No three 25 Health  by Gold Door
 * Shambler and 3rd Death Knight in final room

Glitches

 * The player may Grenade Jump or Rocket Jump to the lower wooden platform overlooking first room of main building from the first room of main building.
 * The player may Grenade Jump or Rocket Jump to the highest wooden platform overlooking first room of main building from the lower wooden platform overlooking first room of main building.
 * To avoid having to descend in the Moving Platform, the player may Rocket Jump from the Button after pushing it to the Wall that will close behind them. Though it is impossible to get back out before the Wall initially closes, this allows the player to wedge themselves (meaning they will take damage from this move) and not descend with the Moving Platform, meaning they can escape when the Wall raises again.

Differences

 * 2 Cells on starting stairs
 * Quad Damage on upper platform of Rocket Launcher room
 * Nailgun on right passageway from entrance of main building
 * Double-Barrelled Shotgun on right passageway from entrance of main building
 * Thunderbolt replaced with Grenade Launcher
 * In the alcove above the Biosuit room, to the left is a passageway leading to the platform above the Biosuit room
 * 100 Health returns
 * Conveyor belt platform replaced with regular platform
 * Super Nailgun on balcony overlooking Red Armor room
 * 2 Cells and Thunderbolt on highest wooden platform of first room of main building
 * No platform that moves under the Water
 * Pentagram of Protection in room that would have been just after platform that moves under the Water
 * No Quad Damage by stairs leading to Gold Key platform
 * Three 25 Health  by Gold Door returns
 * Ring of Shadows in exit room

Spawn Locations

 * Prior Gold Key platform by Gold Key
 * Opposite side of prior Gold Key platform
 * Small room before second floor wooden bridge in first room of main building
 * Rocket Launcher room
 * Thunderbolt room
 * Second floor of U shaped room

Trivia

 * The Moving Platform that slowly moves under the Water is intended to scare first-time players. As it is entirely unavoidable that the player will get injured in the time that it travels under the Water, the player will most likely panic about their injuries due to being unaware that a 25 Health and 15 Health exist right after the Water to restore the Health that the player lost. John Romero, knowing that veterans would be aware of the trap and thus be trying their hardest to escape, created a Wall that almost instantly closes behind the player that he refers to as a "Star Wars door".
 * This is John Romero's favorite Quake level.
 * This level was one of the earlier ones made, being one of the rare recognizable levels from the screenshots taken on August 3, 1995.