Crossing Acheron

This level occupies the map slot E1M3. For other maps which occupy this slot, see Category:E1M3.

This level occupies the map slot MAP03. For other maps which occupy this slot, see Category:MAP03.

Crossing Acheron is a single-level PWAD designed by John W. "Dr. Sleep" Anderson. As part of their 10 Years of Doom feature, Doomworld named it one of the ten best WADs of 1994.

At least four versions of the map are known to exist:

Version 0.0 (ACHERON.WAD), released June 10, 1994.
Version 1.666 (ACHERON6.WAD), released September 23, 1994.
Version 2.0 (ACHERON2.WAD), released October 12, 1994.
Version 2.2 (ACHRON22.WAD), released July 5, 1995.

The first two WADs replace E1M3; the other two replace MAP03. The level also appeared in Maximum Doom as ACHERON2.WAD, as MAP15 of R.WAD, as MAP15 of RALPHII.WAD, as E2M7 of RALPHNEW.WAD, and as MAP25 of WADPAK4.WAD.

Walkthrough[]

File:Crossing Acheron map.png

Map of Crossing Acheron

Letters in italics refer to marked spots on the map. Sector numbers in boldface are secrets which count toward the end-of-level tally.

Essentials[]

If you want to get the yellow key, you have to go around the slime pit and press 'use' on the far side of the pit until the floor with the key raises, otherwise if you go into the pit to get it, you will be stuck there (however, the sector that the key is on doesn't hurt you).

Speedrunning[]

Current records[]

The records for the original map on the Doomed Speed Demos Archive are:

Run	Time	Player	Date	File
UV speed	0:46	Opulent	2001-08-07	ache_046.zip
NM speed
UV max	3:14	Ryback	2001-08-09	ache-314.zip
NM100S
UV -fast
UV -respawn
UV Tyson
UV pacifist

The records for v2.2 of the map on the Doomed Speed Demos Archive are:

Run	Time	Player	Date	File
UV speed
NM speed	1:16	Never Again	2009-11-23	achronnm_na.zip
UV max	6:41	Never Again	2009-11-23	achronuv_na.zip
NM100S
UV -fast
UV -respawn
UV Tyson
UV pacifist

Miscellaneous demos[]

Run	Time	Player	Date	File	Notes
				.zip

Statistics[]

Map data[]

	Original	v1.666	v2.0	v2.2
Things	259	295	308	355
Vertexes	722	883	921	993
Linedefs	914	1144	1199	1290
Sidedefs	1307	1625	1701	1851
Sectors	207	271	286	305

Things[]

Crossing Acheron contains the following numbers of things per skill level:

Version 0.0
Monsters	1-2	3	4-5
Zombieman	4	6	6
Shotgun guy	13	19	19
Imp	19	23	23
Demon	3	13	13
Spectre	3	4	4
Lost soul	3	8	10
Cacodemon	0	2	4
Baron of hell	1	3	4
Powerups	1-2	3	4-5
Armor	1	1	1
Armor bonus	8	8	8
Backpack	1	1	1
Berserk	1	1	1
Computer area map	1	1	1
Health bonus	7	7	7
Medikit	8	8	8
Megaarmor	2	2	2
Partial invisibility	1	1	2
Radiation shielding suit	2	2	2
Stimpack	2	2	2
Supercharge	2	2	2
Weapons	1-2	3	4-5
Chainsaw	1	1	1
Shotgun	2	2	2
Chaingun	1	1	1
Rocket launcher	1	1	1
Plasma rifle	1	1	1
BFG9000	0	0	1
Ammunition	1-2	3	4-5
Box of bullets	2	3	3
4 shotgun shells	2	2	2
Box of shotgun shells	4	5	5
Box of rockets	2	2	2
Energy cell	2	2	2
Energy cell pack	1	1	2
Keys	1-2	3	4-5
Red skull key	1	1	1
Yellow skull key	1	1	1

Version 1.666
Monsters	1-2	3	4-5
Zombieman	4	6	6
Shotgun guy	19	25	25
Imp	22	26	26
Demon	3	13	13
Spectre	5	5	5
Lost soul	3	8	10
Cacodemon	1	3	5
Baron of hell	1	3	4
Powerups	1-2	3	4-5
Armor	1	1	1
Armor bonus	8	8	8
Backpack	1	1	1
Berserk	2	2	2
Computer area map	1	1	1
Health bonus	6	6	6
Medikit	6	6	6
Megaarmor	2	2	2
Partial invisibility	1	1	2
Radiation shielding suit	2	2	2
Stimpack	1	1	1
Supercharge	2	2	2
Weapons	1-2	3	4-5
Chainsaw	1	1	1
Shotgun	2	2	2
Chaingun	1	1	1
Rocket launcher	1	1	1
Plasma gun	1	1	1
BFG9000	0	0	1
Ammunition	1-2	3	4-5
Box of bullets	2	3	3
4 shotgun shells	2	2	2
Box of shotgun shells	4	8	8
Box of rockets	2	2	2
Energy cell	3	3	3
Energy cell pack	1	1	2
Keys	1-2	3	4-5
Red skull key	1	1	1
Yellow skull key	1	1	1

Version 2.0
Monsters	1-2	3	4-5
Zombieman	3	4	4
Shotgun guy	17	21	21
Heavy weapon dude	6	8	8
Imp	21	23	23
Demon	4	13	13
Spectre	6	6	6
Lost soul	2	6	7
Cacodemon	1	3	3
Pain elemental	0	1	1
Hell knight	0	1	1
Baron of hell	0	1	1
Revenant	3	5	5
Mancubus	0	0	1
Arch-vile	0	0	1
Powerups	1-2	3	4-5
Armor	1	1	1
Armor bonus	1	1	1
Backpack	2	2	2
Berserk	2	2	2
Computer area map	1	1	1
Health bonus	6	6	6
Medikit	6	6	6
Megaarmor	2	2	2
Megasphere	1	1	2
Partial invisibility	2	2	3
Radiation shielding suit	2	2	2
Stimpack	1	1	1
Supercharge	2	2	2
Weapons	1-2	3	4-5
Chainsaw	1	1	1
Shotgun	0	0	0
Super shotgun	2	2	2
Chaingun	1	1	1
Rocket launcher	2	2	2
Plasma gun	1	1	1
Ammunition	1-2	3	4-5
Box of bullets	2	3	3
4 shotgun shells	3	3	3
Box of shotgun shells	9	10	10
Box of rockets	3	3	4
Energy cell	2	2	2
Energy cell pack	1	1	2
Keys	1-2	3	4-5
Red skull key	1	1	1
Yellow skull key	1	1	1

Version 2.2
Monsters	1-2	3	4-5
Zombieman	3	4	4
Shotgun guy	22	25	25
Heavy weapon dude	6	10	10
Imp	33	41	40
Demon	4	14	14
Spectre	6	5	5
Lost soul	2	6	7
Cacodemon	2	5	6
Pain elemental	0	1	1
Hell knight	0	5	6
Baron of hell	0	2	2
Revenant	3	5	5
Mancubus	0	0	1
Arch-vile	0	0	1
Powerups	1-2	3	4-5
Armor	1	1	1
Armor bonus	1	1	1
Backpack	2	2	2
Berserk	2	2	2
Computer area map	1	1	1
Health bonus	6	6	6
Medikit	8	8	8
Megaarmor	2	2	2
Megasphere	0	1	1
Partial invisibility	3	3	4
Radiation shielding suit	2	2	2
Stimpack	1	1	1
Supercharge	2	2	2
Weapons	1-2	3	4-5
Chainsaw	1	1	1
Shotgun	0	0	0
Super shotgun	2	2	2
Chaingun	1	1	1
Rocket launcher	2	2	2
Plasma gun	1	1	1
BFG9000	0	1	1
Ammunition	1-2	3	4-5
Box of bullets	2	3	3
4 shotgun shells	3	4	4
Box of shotgun shells	9	10	10
Box of rockets	3	3	4
Energy cell	3	3	3
Energy cell pack	1	1	2
Keys	1-2	3	4-5
Red skull key	1	1	1
Yellow skull key	1	1	1

Technical information[]

An alternate release of version 2.0, labeled 2.0a, occurred on December 5, 1994. The two WADs are identical apart from the ENDOOM lump.

Inspiration and development[]

Crossing Acheron is the sequel to Dante's Gate. Although released singly, both were originally conceived as part of a full episode replacement. E1M3 was chosen over E1M2 as the map slot because E1M3's stock music better fit the overall theme.

At the time, Dr. Sleep said that the original release of Dante's Gate was too easy, and he wanted Crossing Acheron to have a faster pace (in addition to his customary emphasis on texture placement and atmosphere). Subsequent revisions added new areas and monsters, increasing the difficulty further.

Trivia[]

Acheron is a river in hell, according to Dante's story (and the Greek spiritual traditions preceding it. In Greek mythology, Acheron was the first of the five rivers of the underworld that the dead had to cross.). Dr. Sleep tried to create a river as an architectural feature in this map, but couldn't come up with one which looked sufficiently realistic.