Thief The Dark Project Bonehoard: Down in the Bonehoard Map Guide
Complete map guide to Down in the Bonehoard in Thief: The Dark Project, covering objectives, gear, loot totals, enemies, secrets, and difficulty differences.
Mission Overview: Down in the Bonehoard
Down in the Bonehoard is the fourth mission in Thief: The Dark Project and its expanded re-release, Thief Gold. Garrett descends into the Bonehoard, a massive underground complex of haunted crypts on the outskirts of The City, to recover the legendary Horn of Quintus. This Thief The Dark Project Bonehoard map guide covers the layout, objectives, loot, and hazards so you can grab the treasure and make it back to the surface.
Story-wise, Garrett is without a reliable fence and short on money, so he follows the lead Cutty gave him and goes after the horn himself. Rival thief Felix and his crew have a head start, but you will find both Felix and Adolpho dead along the way. The level's tombs are linked by tunnels burrowed by Burricks, poison-gas-spewing creatures introduced in this mission, and its largest chamber, the Halls of Echoing Repose, contains interconnected octagonal towers several stories high. The horn's eerie, mournful tune echoes through the crypts and doubles as an audio guide to your goal.
Objectives by Difficulty Level
The core goal never changes, but Hard and Expert add quest items, loot quotas, and an exit requirement, according to the Thief Wiki's Down in the Bonehoard page.
| Objective | Normal | Hard | Expert |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steal the Horn of Quintus | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Steal at least 1,000 in valuables | No | Yes | Replaced by 2,000 |
| Steal the Mystic's Soul | No | Yes | Yes |
| Return to the surface | No | Yes | Yes |
| Steal at least 2,000 in valuables | No | No | Yes |
| Steal the Mystic's Heart | No | No | Yes |
Structurally, metal doors block the path to the Mystic's Soul on Normal and the Mystic's Heart on Normal and Hard, so those gemstones are only reachable at the difficulties where they are required.
Gear Loadout and Equipment
Starting gear:
- 50 Broadhead Arrows
- 12 Water Arrows
Available in the shop:
- 12 Water Arrows
- 6 Rope Arrows
- 6 Noisemaker Arrows
- 3 Holy Water Vials
- 3 Healing Potions
Rope Arrows are strongly recommended for reaching elevated tombs, and Holy Water Vials are useful in the undead-infested crypts. Most importantly, hold on to Fire Arrows: the Mystic's Soul objective requires at least five, and 16 are scattered around the mission. In Thief Gold, the new Fire Shadow enemy provides an unlimited Fire Arrow supply, so you can never be locked out of the torch puzzle.
Map Layout, Enemies, and Loot
The Bonehoard is organized into sprawling tomb sections connected by Burrick tunnels. Notable areas include the entrance and rope drop at the start, the northern vaults, the Marad crypt, the torch-puzzle antechamber to the Mystic's Soul, and the multi-story Halls of Echoing Repose leading to the horn's tower.
| Creature | Normal | Hard | Expert | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burrick | 16 | 16 | 16 | Poison-gas attacker; five more appear dead |
| Haunt | 0 | 0 | 1 | Only spawns when the Mystic's Soul chamber is reached |
Storyline characters found in the level are Felix and Adolpho, both deceased.
Loot totals 2,450 across the mission: 425 in gold, 1,800 in gems, and 225 in goods. Typical pickups include gemstones and gold goblets, alongside quest items such as the Mystic's Heart and Mystic's Soul that appear based on difficulty.
Secrets, Traps, and Version Differences
Secrets:
- Collect all of the Golden Bones and throw them into the Hammer Shrine sarcophagus to receive 8 Water Arrows, 4 Fire Arrows, and 1 vial of Holy Water.
- In the antechamber to the Mystic's Soul room, a hidden stash of 2 water crystals sits beside a pile of bones atop the large stone ring suspended above the floor.
Traps: This is the first mission where traps appear, and the Bonehoard is full of them. Watch for darker or concave floor tiles and holes in the walls before stepping anywhere.
How difficulty changes the map: Creature counts never change. Instead, higher difficulties remove clues and loot. Sutter's diary exists in three versions, and only the Expert copy mentions the X-shaped marks in the Burrick tunnels. Marcus's diary, Adolpho's notes (missing on Normal), and the M4HEART papyrus (missing on Normal and Hard) also vary. Removed loot includes the purple vase near the starting rope drop and the tiara near Adolpho on Hard and Expert, plus items such as Sutter's purse, the goblet and gemstones in the northern vaults, the Halls of Echoing Repose vases and necklace, and the gemstones at the horn's tower entrance on Expert.
Thief: The Dark Project vs. Thief Gold:
- The Fire Shadow enemy was added as an infinite Fire Arrow source for the torch puzzle.
- A deep hole in the Burrick tunnels was removed.
- The ledge leading to the Marad tomb was changed to wood so a Rope Arrow can be used on it.
- Several textures were updated to give areas a more distinct look.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Bonehoard in Thief: The Dark Project?
It is a massive underground complex of haunted crypts on the outskirts of The City and the setting of the fourth mission, Down in the Bonehoard, in which Garrett steals the Horn of Quintus and, on higher difficulties, the Mystic's Heart and Mystic's Soul gems.
How much loot is in Down in the Bonehoard?
There are 2,450 total loot points: 425 in gold, 1,800 in gems, and 225 in goods, per the Thief Wiki on Fandom. Hard requires stealing 1,000 worth of valuables, while Expert raises the quota to 2,000.
How many Fire Arrows do I need for the Mystic's Soul?
At least five. Sixteen Fire Arrows are placed around the mission, and Thief Gold's Fire Shadow makes the supply effectively unlimited, so the torch puzzle can never become unwinnable.
Can I avoid the Haunt in this mission?
Yes. The single Haunt appears only on Expert in the Mystic's Heart chamber, and the room is dark enough for a quick thief to sprint past without engaging it.
What are the mission's pop-culture references?
Garrett's line "The Horn of Quintus, I presume." nods to "Dr. Livingstone, I presume," and the booby-trapped skull swap guarding the Mystic's Soul is widely seen as a reference to a scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark.
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