There are a few debugging/testing cheat codes for the DOS version of Pools of Darkness.
The first: adding a 1 as the first parameter skips the title screen, and copy protection.
game.exe 1
Then there are three choices of third parameter
- Gem - Allows view of the area map in all locations
- HALIBUT - Allows editing/modifying of experienced players
- Helm - Allows ‘The GODS Intervene!’ - a.k.a. kills all enemy in combat, via alt-x
Thus to play the latter you would type
game.exe 1 2 Helm
What I don’t know yet is how to control what game is loaded if you use the 1 parameter, and the game ends up in a slightly unplayable mode. From reading the code it looks like it should load saved game Z. But that’s not working out for me so far.