Is there any way to retrieve the ancient crown without using alchemy? It's really, really dumb that grabbing the crown makes the game admit in text that you touch the crown, but can't leave the tomb with it even if you kill all the skeletons. I mean, come on! Did your hero let go of it because he was scared? No. You grab the crown and stuff it in a sack before you run for your life. This is basic thieving 101!

If I have to hunt down a transformation potion recipe before the time runs out on the quest, I will be pissed. It will be my luck that I won't find it until I ask the 10th alchemist in the 10th city I visit.

Tried 5 different cities and couldn't find transformation. I give up. I can't get that crown right now.

you can usually get a couple Transformation scroll's fighting alchemists.

spoiler ahead.


alchemists are easy pickings use cover and let them come to you. they usually only get 1 potion on me. and I get 8 to 10 potions worth several thousand phennings.

besides that there is the Saint route there are several you can cleanse alters with.
And last, it is possible to call the demon forth and fight him.

Hello, darklanders in 2020!
I start to explore Darklands few days ago and accidentally found how to avoid this 'tomb bug'.
After you picked up a quest item and fell into the tomb go and start fighting with a nearest skeleton. Then, use surrender option in orders menu. You will get a message about skeleton did not accept your surrend, however your party will start resting for some hours. After this you will awaken amid the tomb and game will offer you to try find a quest artifact again. Accept this and you will start tomb level again (maybe with another layout), but now a quest item will be in your inventory.
Hope this helps to someone.