Entrance Randomizer (a.k.a. ER)
The "Entrance Shuffle" setting in the Randomizer allows players to randomize loading zones (also called "entrances") connecting the world.
Almost all entrances, including dungeon entrances, grottos, graves, houses, fairies, overworld entrances and owl drops can be randomized, depending on the option selected.
The most important thing to note is that all entrances are kept bidirectional, which means going through a loading zone from one side, then going back through the same loading zone will lead you back where you came from.
Another major aspect is that entrances are always shuffled with other entrances of the same type. For example, dungeon entrances will always lead to some dungeon, and overworld entrances will always lead to some overworld area, coming from an overworld entrance.
Different modes are available, which are incrementally more random and more difficult.
Available ER Modes
"Dungeons Only":
Randomize dungeon entrances, which includes all medallion and stone dungeons, along with Bottom of the Well, Ice Cavern and Gerudo Training Grounds, but not Ganon's Castle.
In order to improve dungeon entrance randomization, the Deku Tree and Bottom of the Well entrances are both open as adult, and boulders blocking the way to Fire Temple as child are also removed to allow child to reach the Fire Temple entrance. However, the Bottom of the Well entrance can only be accessed as adult after draining the well by playing the Song of Storms in the Windmill as child.
Lake Hylia will be filled for adult when defeating Morpha, which will also give Link the ability the control the lake water level by using the special Gossip Stone.
Dungeon blue warps will return Link in front of the new dungeon entrance leading to that blue warp.
"Simple Indoors" (Formerly "All Indoors"):
Randomize all dungeon entrances as described above along with most Grottos and Interiors.
Dungeons, Grottos and Interiors constitute 3 different pools of entrances which are only shuffled in their own pool.
Grottos include all grottos in the game, with small Fairy Fountains and the Lost Woods Stage.
Graves are also shuffled among Grottos, but this "simple" option doesn't include Dampe's Grave since it leads to the Windmill.
Interiors shuffled in this pool include most Houses and all Great Fairies in the game.
This option excludes a few special Interior entrances: Richard's House, Link's House, Temple of Time, the Windmill, the Kakariko Potion Shop and Gerudo Fortress interiors.
When shuffling interiors, adult trade quest timers are disabled in order to avoid issues with them.
"All Indoors":
Randomize all entrances from the "Simple Indoors" option, along with a few extra entrances leading to special places that were excluded from the "simple" option.
Those additional entrances are currently: Link's House, Temple of Time, the Windmill and Dampe's Grave.
However, entrances leading to the Kakariko Potion Shop and Gerudo Fortress Interiors are still not shuffled.
This option is incompatible with closed forest so it forces the "Open Forest" option to be enabled.
Otherwise, the option is the same as "Simple Indoors", and it includes all its changes.
"All Indoors & Overworld":
Randomize all Indoor entrances like in "All Indoors", and adds Overworld entrances as a new separate pool.
Overworld entrances include almost all loading zones between overworld areas, for example: Hyrule Field to Lake Hylia.
Some overworld loading zones are kept vanilla to avoid potential issues:
- The Castle Courtyard and Garden entrances (leading to Zelda) aren't shuffled, to avoid various issues.
- Gerudo Valley to Lake Hylia by the stream is not changed and always vanilla, since it is a special one-way entrance.
- Market Back Alley entrances are not changed and kept as a part of Market, to ensure the Richard item can be obtained.
Owl Drop positions are also randomized as an extra way to get somewhere in the overworld, but the owl still only takes off from Lake Hylia and Death Mountain Summit when Link is a child.
However, warp songs are not randomized and playing any song will lead you to their usual destination.
Some cutscenes are changed to bring the player to a more suitable place in this mode:
- Impa's escort brings you to the entrance of Hyrule Castle Grounds from the market, instead of bringing you to Hyrule Field.
- Getting caught by Gerudo Guards in the child Valley always throws you in the Valley stream, even if you have a Hookshot. And getting caught inside the Fortress brings you at the Fortress entrance from Valley if you are child or don't have a Hookshot. But you are still thrown in the jail if you are adult and have a Hookshot.
- Leaping over the fences with Epona in Lon Lon Ranch always leads to where the main entrance leads, acting as if you left Lon Lon Ranch from the main entrance.
Includes all changes from "All Indoors" and previous options.
ER Logic Quirks
Desert Colossus
- Escaping Spirit Temple from the hands can allow you to reach Desert Colossus which you may not be able to reach otherwise.
- The Requiem of Spirit cutscene is triggered when exiting the dungeon accessible from the entrance in Desert Colossus. This also means it still belongs to Desert Colossus and is included in that area when mentioned in hints.
Ice Cavern
- You may be able to do things in Ice Cavern as child if you have access to blue fire from somewhere else, or if adult can get some in Ice Cavern beforehand.
- The Serenade cutscene triggers as child as well in ER, so you may get that song location even if you don't have access to Ice Cavern as adult.
Adult Trade Quest
- Trade Quest timers are disabled in ER when interior entrances are shuffled, in which case you can play warp songs to deliver quest items.
Talon's House behind a night entrance
- When shuffling interiors, it's possible for Talon's House to end up behind a night only entrance, even though Talon's chickens game can only be played during the day. In this situation, Sun's Song can be played from inside Talon's House to change time to day and play the game as usual.
Dampe's Hut as child
- Dampe's hut entrance can be accessed as child but only at night while Dampe is outside doing his tour.
Dampe's Race
- At the end of Dampe's Race, you can play Song of Time to gain access to the top part of the Windmill, which can in turn grant you access to wherever the Windmill entrance is.
Lost Woods Bridge
- Saria's Gift cutscene is only triggered when entering the bridge from the Kokiri Forest entrance, but not when coming from the Hyrule Field side.
- Getting on the Lost Woods Bridge from the rest of Lost Woods can be done in 3 ways as adult, starting from the bean patch area:
- Using the longshot on the far side of the bridge
- Using the hover boots by walking on the trunk between the bean patch area and the bridge
- Riding the bean and dropping down on the bridge at the right moment
- It's also possible to go down from the Bridge to the rest of Lost Woods by using the longshot on the ladder near the bean patch.
Gerudo Valley as adult
- The bridge can be repaired by rescuing carpenters in Gerudo Fortress, which may unlock new access to the fortress side of the valley, even if you don't have the longshot or Epona.
- There is a grotto hidden in the valley below a silver boulder which is normally considered useless but may be important in ER. It can be found on the ledge on the other side of the heart piece crate.
Gerudo Valley as child
- When coming from the fortress/tent side of the valley, you can cross to reach the other side by avoiding guards carefully then jumping down on the bridge.
- If guards catch you in the valley as child, they will always throw you in the stream and you will end up in Lake Hylia.
- The storms grotto supposed to be behind the tent is not there in child time so it won't appear even if you play the Song of Storms at the right position.
Gerudo Fortress as child
- Rescuing carpenters can be achieved as child just like you would as adult, and you will be properly rewarded with the Gerudo Card (or the corresponding reward if you enabled "Shuffle Gerudo Card").
- The gate to the wasteland can only be opened as adult but this will also open it for child, so you can then come back and access the Fortress to Wasteland entrance as child if necessary.
- The storms grotto supposed to be behind boxes is not there in child time so it won't appear even if you play the Song of Storms at the right position.