--A random Crusaders of the Dark Savant FAQ--
Written by: Ravashack
v. 1.95a
Mandatory Copyright information:
This file is copyright 2000 by Ravashack, a.k.a. Leo Wang in the non-internet
world. If you want to use any of the information here in any form, feel free
to contact me at asianfro@hotmail.com to get my permission--that way I can
keep better track of who's using it and who isn't. If I don't reply back,
then I'm busy at the moment and that the answer to whatever your request is
is no--never assume that I will automatically answer yes. Usage of this
document without my permission violates copyright laws, no matter what you say.
For an interesting essay on copyright myths by Brad Templeton, take a look at
http://www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html
and read to your heart's content.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A little "getting to know you" stuff and Contact Info:
This here is a FAQ for the game Crusaders of the Dark Savant. It can also be
used for people playing Wizardry Gold, which is the same thing with more bugs.
^_^ It is the first FAQ I have ever made, so feel free to point out the
mistakes, screw-ups, and suggestions that I'm sure will be in here to me at
asianfro@hotmail.com. This email address will ALWAYS be in use unless I update
this FAQ stating that I have closed this email. I have problems answering
email when it is not a normal working weekday however. (You do the math...)
If you wish to chat with me, I'm on ICQ as Orlandu. Of course, I'm not just
going to *give* out my UIN just like that--I want to know who you are before
I let you add me, which means I'll want an email or two from you to check that
you aren't the malicious type; I'm getting too much spam to be trusting
anymore. If you wish to avoid that hassle, I am also (occasionally) on the
Galaxynet IRC server as "Rava" or "Ravashack" on weekdays--just login to
www.galaxynet.org with a browser or use mIRC to connect to a Galaxynet server.
Minor updates such as spelling errors, typos, site additions, etc. will be
habitually done at http://www.gamefaqs.com. Major updates (such as adding a
new section or changing the format of the document) will be done to all the
sites that have this FAQ...or at least the administrator of the site or whoever
it is that manages the FAQs will be notifed of the update.
Emails asking about cheat codes, editors or about games I have not written a
FAQ about will go under the Block Sender list and be ignored for the rest of
time. If you need to look up something like that, just use a search engine
like www.google.com and type in your query.
Just so you know, an actual walkthrough of this game *requires* maps. The game
is just too big to do it effectively without them. Because of that, I cannot
enclose a full length walkthrough until I solve my map problem--otherwise I
would. It is currently in the works however.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The big appreciative 'Thank You' goes to
Llevram, who decided to help me out on this little venture by looking over my
pre-born FAQ and suggesting a lot of things--too many to thank him individually
on each section he suggested. His site is at:
http://www.softwarespecialties.com/
If you really have to cheat and aren't stingy about it, at least take a look at
the programs he's written for Wizardry 7, even though Wiz7Edit must be bought.
Excellent interface, and the Item Viewer Wiz7Item(a separate program) is more
accurate than the in-game methods! Llevram's always there to help you with
problems if you need him.
The folks on the Software Specialties board for the surprises that pop up
about the game every few days and so. You know who you are. Thanks for
putting up with me ever since I joined.
Sir-Tech Canada, for trying to get Wizardry 8 done even though they are having
difficulties. I know you guys will find a way...
D.W. Bradley, for being the brains behind the game. He's working with a
different company on a game similar in view to Dark Savant. If you liked
Crusaders of the Dark Savant, you'll probably like his upcoming game as it
seems similar. Try visiting http://www.heuristicpark.com. (Unfortunately
it is quite buggy...)
DSimpson a.k.a. ManyMoose, a GameFAQs FAQ writer, for unconsciously planting
the idea in my head that I should try writing a FAQ a year or so ago. The
lengths of his FAQs should only show that there is a wealth of information
inside.
Some of my friends at Panumbra, who reminded me of the existence of this game
with a few off-topic posts on the webboard.
Anyone who I've actually helped at the game for listening to me, and anyone
who I've missed. :)
Anyone who sent in a question not covered here. I appreciate the feedback
guys. :)
The folks at various game sites for being interested in my FAQ--especially
the ones that put it up.
GameFAQs and CJayC, just for being there (and posting this up).
Dallas on the GameFAQs message boards, for taking the time to review this
FAQ and give pointers about it.
The Ironworks Wizardry 8 board at
http://www.ironworksforum.com/ubb/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi
for just being a Wizardry 8 board.
Bernice Carter, a nice 40-something year old lady who wishes to point out that
not all avid gamers are young male "whippersnappers."
Baz, for reminding me about an oversight.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This FAQ is currently displayed at:
http://www.gamefaqs.com/
http://www.the-spoiler.com/
If you want to doublecheck where this FAQ should be, go to
http://www.gamefaqs.com
and look. If you want to alert me to someone who may be ripping off my FAQ,
feel free to drop me a line--I will appreciate it.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Table of Contents:
1. Character Creation
* Male Vs. Female
* Races
* Classes
* Skill Selection
2. Party Creation
* The 'Super' Party
* The 'Quick and Easy' Party
* The 'Dual Class' Party
* The 'Blender' Party
* The 'Vanilla' Party
3. Picking Spells
* General Spellcasting
* Learning spells from books
* Commonly used spells
4. Survival 101
* Status Ailments
* Killing NPCs
* Inventory Management
5. Playing the Game
* Questionnaire Walkthrough
6. Version updates
* Sources
* Future Plans
7. Spoilers
* Items
* Gameplay
_______________________________________________________________________________
|-----------------------------Character Creation------------------------------|
_______________________________________________________________________________
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--Male vs. Female--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What's the difference? Females, when they start out, get a -2 in Strength, +1
in Personality, and a +1 in Karma compared to the base statistics given in the
manual. Males start out with the base statistics given in the manual.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Males-
Perks:
* Classes based on strength are easier to get for males.
* Males can wear the Cameo Locket
Flaws:
* See benefits of Females
* Cameo Locket is only attainable by importing a party from Bane of the Cosmic
Forge or saved game editing.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Females-
Perks:
* Classes based on Personality will require 1 less point to get for females,
unless it has a strength requirement as well.
* Females can use certain items like Stud-Cuir Bras and Jazeraint Skirts.
(Sorry, no cross-dressers in the game.) Some of these items are the best for
the particular class the female may end up in.
* Females can become Valkyries, which are Lords with less experience point
requirements and no guaranteed starting Diplomacy.
Flaws:
* See benefits of Males
* Diamond Ring, one of the better female-only items, must be imported from Bane
or edited into the saved game.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Overall-
Use Male characters only if you are importing a game from Bane of the Cosmic
Forge, if you are rolling up a Fighter-type character or a Psionic, or you
cheat.
Use Female characters whenever you are rolling up a spellcaster and all other
situations that don't apply to male characters--you don't lose anything out of
it, and it gives you the option to class change into a Valkyrie later.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--Races--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Basic Layout:
-(Name of Race)-
Race's Stats
List of Perks
List of Flaws
A chart of how many points the race needs to achieve a class
Sample Chart:
_____________________________________________________________________
| | | | |
| Class Name | STR | INT | PIE | VIT | DEX | SPE | PER | F? | Total |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Fighter | 3 | | | | | | | N | 3 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
Explanations:
STR = Points towards Strength needed.
INT = Points towards Intelligence needed.
PIE = Points towards Piety needed.
VIT = Points towards Vitality needed.
DEX = Points towards Dexterity needed.
SPE = Points towards Speed needed.
PER = Points towards Personality needed.
F? = Should I use a Female for the class?
Y = Yes, it will lower the amount of points needed.
- = Doesn't matter
N = No, it won't help you in the points.
(Note: Any class with Y will have point distribution altered to reflect stat
changes for female characters)
Total = Total amount of points needed for the class.
Convenient Starting Professions
* A profession(s) which the race excels at naturally OR
A non-basic (not Fighter, Mage, Priest, or Thief) profession that can be
achieved with a below average amount of points out of all the races OR
A basic profession achievable within 2 points or less
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Human-
Base Human stats:
9
8
8
9
9
8
8
Perks:
* No inherent weaknesses to an attack type.
Flaws:
* No inherent resistances to an attack type.
* Too average.
* Someone else can fit a class better than they do in most cases.
Points needed to meet Class Requirements for Human:
_____________________________________________________________________
| | | | |
| Class Name | STR | INT | PIE | VIT | DEX | SPE | PER | F? | Total |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Fighter | 3 | | | | | | | N | 3 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Mage | | 4 | | | | | | - | 4 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Priest | | | 4 | | | | | - | 4 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Thief | | | | | 3 | | | - | 3 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Ranger | 1 | | | 2 | 1 | | | N | 4 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Bard | | 2 | | | 3 | | 3 | Y | 8 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Psionic | 1 | 6 | | 5 | | | 2 | N | 14 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Alchemist | | 5 | | | 4 | | | - | 9 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Valkyrie | 3 | | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | | Y | 12 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Bishop | | 7 | 7 | | | | | - | 14 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Lord | 3 | 1 | 4 | 3 | | 1 | 6 | N | 18 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Samurai | 3 | 3 | | | 3 | 6 | | N | 15 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Monk | 4 | | 5 | | 1 | 5 | | N | 15 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Ninja | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | | N | 17 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
Convenient Starting Professions
* Fighter
* Thief
* Ranger (don't expect your spell points to come back quickly though)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Elf-
Base Elf stats
7
10
10
7
9
9
8
Perks:
* Higher resistance to sleep spells.
* Combat-types can take advantage of a Race-specific weapon (Elven Bow).
* Decent spell point recharge rate.
Flaws:
* Strength- and Vitality-based classes harder to get in the beginning.
* Race has slightly lower hit points than normal
Suggestions:
* When picking an Elf, pick female unless you fully intend to make it a
fighting character
* Go for a spellcasting class
Points needed to meet Class Requirements for Elf:
_____________________________________________________________________
| | | | |
| Class Name | STR | INT | PIE | VIT | DEX | SPE | PER | F? | Total |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Fighter | 5 | | | | | | | N | 5 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Mage | | 2 | | | | | | - | 2 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Priest | | | 2 | | | | | - | 2 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Thief | | | | | 3 | | | - | 3 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Ranger | 3 | | | 4 | 1 | | | N | 8 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Bard | | | | | 3 | | 3 | Y | 6 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Psionic | 3 | 4 | | 7 | | | 2 | N | 16 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Alchemist | | 3 | | | 4 | | | - | 7 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Valkyrie | 5 | | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | | Y | 13 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Bishop | | 5 | 5 | | | | | - | 10 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Lord | 5 | | 2 | 5 | | | 6 | N | 18 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Samurai | 5 | 1 | | 2 | 3 | 5 | | N | 16 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Monk | 6 | | 3 | | 1 | 4 | | N | 14 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Ninja | 5 | | | 5 | 3 | 3 | | N | 16 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
Convenient Starting Professions
* Mage
* Priest
* Bard
* Alchemist
* Bishop
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Dwarf-
Base Dwarf stats
11
6
10
12
7
7
7
Perks:
* Poison resistance
* Magic resistance (i.e. to spells like Lifesteal or Make Wounds)
Flaws:
* Slow. Don't expect them to go first anytime soon unless you sacrifice
all your bonus points towards their Dexterity and Speed.
Points needed to meet Class Requirements for Dwarf:
_____________________________________________________________________
| | | | |
| Class Name | STR | INT | PIE | VIT | DEX | SPE | PER | F? | Total |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Fighter | 1 | | | | | | | N | 1 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Mage | | 6 | | | | | | - | 6 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Priest | | | 2 | | | | | - | 2 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Thief | | | | | 5 | 1 | | - | 6 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Ranger | | 2 | | | 3 | 1 | 1 | N | 7 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Bard | | 4 | | | 5 | 1 | 4 | Y | 14 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Psionic | | 8 | | 2 | | | 3 | N | 13 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Alchemist | | 7 | | | 6 | | | - | 13 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Valkyrie | | | 1 | | 3 | 4 | | Y | 8 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Bishop | | 9 | 5 | | | | | Y | 14 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Lord | 1 | 3 | 2 | | 2 | 2 | 7 | N | 17 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Samurai | 1 | 5 | | | 5 | 7 | 1 | N | 19 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Monk | 2 | 2 | 3 | | 3 | 6 | 1 | N | 17 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Ninja | 1 | 4 | | | 5 | 5 | | N | 15 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
Convenient Starting Professions
* Fighter
* Priest
* Ranger
* Valkyrie
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Gnome-
Base Gnome Stats
10
7
13
10
8
6
6
Perks:
* Magic resistance (i.e. to spells like Lifesteal or Make Wounds)
Flaws:
* Slow. Don't expect them to go first anytime soon unless you sacrifice
all your bonus points towards their Speed.
Points needed to meet Class Requirements for Gnome:
_____________________________________________________________________
| | | | |
| Class Name | STR | INT | PIE | VIT | DEX | SPE | PER | F? | Total |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Fighter | 2 | | | | | | | N | 2 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Mage | | 5 | | | | | | - | 5 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Priest | | | | | | | | - | 0 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Thief | | | | 4 | 2 | | | - | 6 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Ranger | | 1 | | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | N | 8 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Bard | | 3 | | | 4 | 2 | 7 | Y | 16 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Psionic | | 7 | | 4 | | | 4 | N | 15 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Alchemist | | 6 | | | 5 | | | - | 11 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Valkyrie | 2 | | | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | Y | 11 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Bishop | | 8 | 2 | | | | 1 | Y | 11 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Lord | 2 | 2 | | 2 | 1 | 3 | 8 | N | 18 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Samurai | 2 | 4 | | 1 | 4 | 8 | 2 | N | 21 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Monk | 3 | 1 | | | 2 | 7 | 2 | N | 15 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Ninja | 2 | 3 | | 2 | 4 | 6 | | N | 17 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
Convenient Starting Professions
* Fighter
* Priest
* Ranger
* Valkyrie
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Hobbit-
Base Hobbit stats
8
7
6
9
10
7
13
Perks:
* Magic Resistance (i.e. to spells like Lifesteal or Make Wounds)
* Natural thieving characters
Flaws:
* Poor Intelligence and Piety makes them poor spellcasters. Don't rely
on any spells they may use on coming back quickly.
Points needed to meet Class Requirements for Hobbit:
_____________________________________________________________________
| | | | |
| Class Name | STR | INT | PIE | VIT | DEX | SPE | PER | F? | Total |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Fighter | 4 | | | | | | | N | 4 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Mage | | 5 | | | | | | - | 5 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Priest | | | 6 | | | | | - | 6 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Thief | | | | | 2 | 1 | | - | 3 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Ranger | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | | 1 | | N | 8 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Bard | | 3 | | | 2 | 1 | | Y | 6 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Psionic | 2 | 7 | | 5 | | | 1 | N | 15 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Alchemist | | 6 | | | 3 | | | - | 9 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Valkyrie | 4 | | 5 | 2 | | 4 | | Y | 15 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Bishop | | 8 | 9 | | | | | - | 17 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Lord | 4 | 2 | 6 | 3 | | 2 | 1 | N | 18 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Samurai | 4 | 4 | | | 2 | 7 | | N | 17 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Monk | 5 | 1 | 7 | | | 6 | | N | 19 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Ninja | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 5 | | N | 21 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
Convenient Starting Professions
* Thief
* Bard
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Faerie-
Base Faerie Stats
5
11
6
6
10
14
12
Perks:
* Character always start with Gossamer Gown (U), Gossamer Gown (L), Faerie
Stick, Faerie Dust(5), and Lt. Heal(3) regardless of class.
* Lower AC than other races
* Magic Resistance (i.e. to spells like Lifesteal or Make Wounds)
* Spell points return at a very quick rate.
* Natural spellcaster
* Race specific helmet (Faerie Cap)
* Race & class specific weapon (Cane of Corpus for the Faerie Ninja)
Flaws:
* Cannot use most weapons and armor
* Consistency of starting equipment prevents Faerie characters from using
sometimes irreplaceable equipment such as the Poet's Lute.
* Low carrying capacity
* Tends to have low amounts of hit points
Points needed to meet Class Requirements for Faerie:
_____________________________________________________________________
| | | | |
| Class Name | STR | INT | PIE | VIT | DEX | SPE | PER | F? | Total |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Fighter | 7 | | | | | | | N | 7 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Mage | | 1 | | | | | | - | 1 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Priest | | | 6 | | | | | - | 6 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Thief | | | | | 2 | | | - | 2 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Ranger | 5 | | 2 | 5 | | | | N | 12 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Bard | | | | | 2 | | | - | 2 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Psionic | 5 | 3 | | 8 | | | | N | 16 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Alchemist | | 2 | | | 3 | | | - | 5 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Valkyrie | 7 | | 5 | 5 | | | | Y | 17 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Bishop | | 4 | 9 | | | | | - | 13 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Lord | 7 | | 6 | 6 | | | 2 | N | 21 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Samurai | 7 | | | 3 | 2 | | | N | 12 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Monk | 8 | | 7 | | | | | N | 15 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Ninja | 7 | | 4 | 6 | 2 | | | N | 19 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
Convenient Starting Professions
* Mage
* Priest -- Most extended weapons available for Faeries are Priest/Bishop.
* Thief
* Alchemist
* Bard -- A pointless choice after playing as you do not get the Poet's Lute.
* Samurai -- A semi-useless choice as you cannot wear most decent armor.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Lizardman-
Base Lizardman Stats
12
5
5
14
8
10
3
Perks:
* Mental Resistance
* Acid Resistance
* Greater than normal amount of hit points
Flaws:
* Very slow mana recharge rate
* Academia skills tend to not mature
* Intelligence and Piety go DOWN on level ups if too high.
Points needed to meet Class Requirements for Lizardman:
_____________________________________________________________________
| | | | |
| Class Name | STR | INT | PIE | VIT | DEX | SPE | PER | F? | Total |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Fighter | | | | | | | | N | 0 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Mage | | 7 | | | | | | - | 7 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Priest | | | 7 | | | | | - | 7 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Thief | | | | | 4 | | | - | 4 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Ranger | | 3 | 3 | | 2 | | 4 | Y | 12 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Bard | | 5 | | | 4 | | 8 | Y | 17 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Psionic | | 9 | | | | | 6 | Y | 15 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Alchemist | | 7 | | | 5 | | | - | 12 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Valkyrie | | | 6 | | 2 | 1 | 4 | Y | 13 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Bishop | | 10 | 10 | | | | 4 | Y | 24 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Lord | | 4 | 7 | | 1 | | 9 | N | 21 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Samurai | | 6 | | | 4 | 4 | 5 | N | 19 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Monk | 1 | 3 | 8 | | 2 | 3 | 5 | N | 22 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Ninja | | 5 | 5 | | 4 | 2 | | N | 16 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
Convenient Starting Professions
* Fighter
* Ninja
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Dracon-
Base Dracon Stats
10
7
6
12
10
8
6
Perks:
* Breathe Acid
* Acid resistance
* Mental Resistance
Flaws:
* Breathing Acid takes out a large percentage of stamina, regardless
of your level.
* Damage of Breath is based on amount of stamina used
Points needed to meet Class Requirements for Dracon:
_____________________________________________________________________
| | | | |
| Class Name | STR | INT | PIE | VIT | DEX | SPE | PER | F? | Total |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Fighter | 2 | | | | | | | N | 2 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Mage | | 5 | | | | | | - | 5 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Priest | | | 6 | | | | | - | 6 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Thief | | | | | 2 | | | - | 2 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Ranger | 1 | | 2 | | | | 2 | N | 5 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Bard | | 3 | | | 2 | | 5 | Y | 10 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Psionic | | 7 | | 2 | | | 4 | N | 13 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Alchemist | | 6 | | | 3 | | | - | 9 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Valkyrie | 2 | | 5 | | | 3 | 1 | Y | 11 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Bishop | | 8 | 9 | | | | 1 | Y | 11 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Lord | 2 | 2 | 6 | | | 1 | 8 | N | 19 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Samurai | 2 | 4 | | | 2 | 6 | 2 | N | 16 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Monk | 3 | 1 | 7 | | | 5 | 2 | N | 18 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Ninja | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | | 4 | | N | 15 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
Convenient Starting Professions
* Fighter
* Thief
* Ranger
* Bishop
* Ninja
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Rawulf-
Base Rawulf stats:
8
6
12
10
8
8
10
Perks:
* Cold resistance
Flaws:
* None I know of
Points needed to meet Class Requirements for Rawulf:
_____________________________________________________________________
| | | | |
| Class Name | STR | INT | PIE | VIT | DEX | SPE | PER | F? | Total |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Fighter | 4 | | | | | | | N | 4 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Mage | | 6 | | | | | | - | 6 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Priest | | | | | | | | - | 0 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Thief | | | | | 4 | | | - | 4 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Ranger | 2 | 2 | | 1 | 2 | | | N | 7 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Bard | | 4 | | | 4 | | 1 | Y | 9 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Psionic | 2 | 8 | | 4 | | | | N | 14 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Alchemist | | 7 | | | 5 | | | - | 12 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Valkyrie | 4 | | | 1 | 2 | 3 | | Y | 10 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Bishop | | 9 | 3 | | | | | - | 12 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Lord | 4 | 3 | | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | N | 15 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Samurai | 4 | 5 | | | 4 | 6 | | N | 19 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Monk | 5 | 2 | 1 | | 2 | 5 | | N | 15 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Ninja | 4 | 4 | | 2 | 4 | 4 | | N | 18 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
Convenient Starting Professions
* Priest
* Bard
* Valkyrie
* Lord
* Monk
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Felpurr-
Base Felpurr Stats:
7
10
7
7
10
12
10
Perks:
* Dodge missile attacks
* Dodge spells
Flaws:
* None that I can tell
Points needed to meet Class Requirements for Felpurr:
_____________________________________________________________________
| | | | |
| Class Name | STR | INT | PIE | VIT | DEX | SPE | PER | F? | Total |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Fighter | 5 | | | | | | | N | 5 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Mage | | 2 | | | | | | - | 2 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Priest | | | 5 | | | | | - | 5 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Thief | | | | | 2 | | | - | 2 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Ranger | 3 | | 1 | 4 | | | | N | 8 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Bard | | | | | 2 | | 1 | Y | 3 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Psionic | 3 | 4 | | 7 | | | | N | 14 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Alchemist | | 6 | | | 5 | | | - | 11 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Valkyrie | 5 | | 4 | 4 | | | | Y | 13 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Bishop | | 5 | 8 | | | | | - | 13 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Lord | 5 | | 5 | 5 | | | 4 | N | 19 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Samurai | 5 | 1 | | 2 | 2 | 2 | | N | 12 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Monk | 6 | | 6 | | | 1 | | N | 13 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Ninja | 5 | | 3 | 5 | 2 | | | N | 15 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
Convenient Starting Professions
* Mage
* Thief
* Bard
* Samurai
* Monk
* Ninja
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Mook-
Base Mook Stats:
10
10
6
10
7
7
9
Perks:
* Cold Resistance
* Magic Resistance (i.e. to spells like Lifesteal or Make Wounds)
Flaws:
* None that I can see
Points needed to meet Class Requirements for Mook:
_____________________________________________________________________
| | | | |
| Class Name | STR | INT | PIE | VIT | DEX | SPE | PER | F? | Total |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Fighter | 2 | | | | | | | N | 2 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Mage | | 2 | | | | | | - | 2 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Priest | | | 6 | | | | | - | 6 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Thief | | | | | 5 | 1 | | - | 6 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Ranger | | | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | | N | 7 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Bard | | | | | 5 | 1 | 2 | Y | 8 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Psionic | | 4 | | 5 | | | 1 | N | 10 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Alchemist | | 6 | | | 5 | | | N | 11 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Valkyrie | 2 | | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | | Y | 15 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Bishop | | 5 | 9 | | | | | - | 14 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Lord | 2 | | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | N | 19 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Samurai | 2 | 1 | | | 5 | 7 | | N | 15 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Monk | 3 | 7 | | | 3 | 6 | | N | 19 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
| | | | |
| Ninja | 2 | | 4 | 2 | 5 | 5 | | N | 18 |
|____________|_________________________________________|______|_______|
Convenient Starting Professions
* Fighter
* Mage
* Psionic
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--Classes--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Fighter-
requirements: 12 0 0 0 0 0 0
Perks:
* Starting kit is very advanced compared to other characters
* Gain levels quickly compared to most classes
* May use a majority of weapons and the strongest armor available
* Greater than normal amount of hit points
Flaws:
* No spells
* Heavy armor weighs a LOT.
* Lessened skill points for Academia
Profession changing suggestions:
* Priest-}Valkyrie
* Mage-}Samurai
* Thief-}Alchemist-}Ninja
* Ranger-}Ninja
* Valkyrie (females only)
* Lord
* Samurai
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Mage-
requirements: 0 12 0 0 0 0 0
Perks:
* Learns the Thaumaturgic spells the quickest
* Increased skill points for Academia
Flaws:
* Low hit points
* No healing
* Doesn't start with a ranged weapon
* Lessened skill points for Weapon
Profession changing suggestions:
* Fighter-}Samurai
* Priest-}Bishop
* Thief-}Alchemist
* Psionic-}Monk
* Bishop-}Psionic
* Bard
* Samurai
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Priest-
requirements: 0 0 12 0 0 0 0
Perks:
* Learns the Theological spells the fastest
* Healer
* Starts with healing potions
* Starts with a ranged weapon if not Faerie
* Automatically has the Diplomat skill
* Increased skill points for Academia
Flaws:
* Few attacking spells
* Poor armor selection
* Lessened skill points for weapon
Profession changing suggestions:
* Fighter-}Valkyrie (females only)/Lord
* Mage-}Bishop
* Bishop-}Valkyrie(females only)/Lord/Psionic
* Psionic-}Monk
* Valkyrie (females only)
* Lord
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Thief-
requirements: 0 0 0 0 12 8 0
Perks:
* Gets a LARGE boost in Skulduggery every level for a good while
* Class specific weapon (Thieves Dagger) that is cursed, allowing use as
a secondary weapon for thieves that change professions.
* Learns Ninjutsu
* Learns Legerdemain
* Learns Skulduggery
* Increased skill points to Physical
Flaws:
* No spells
* Class specific weapon is weak compared to other class specific weapons
* Becomes outdated after mid-game as other classes get better kit
* Poor armor selection
* Limited weapon selection
Profession changing suggestions:
* Ranger-}Ninja
* Bard-}Samurai
* Alchemist-}Ninja
* Samurai
* Monk
* Ninja
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Ranger-
requirements: 10 8 8 11 10 8 8
Perks:
* Kirijutsu effect with missile weapons
* Class specific weapon and accessory (Estoc de Olivia, Forest Cape)
* Learns Alchemical spells
* Cannot be silenced
* Learns Skulduggery
* Learns Legerdemain
* Learns Ninjutsu
* Limited Healing capabilities (Heal Wounds)
Flaws:
* Second rate protection
* Bows run out of ammo
* Scouting is better suited for Fighters
* Limited weapon selection
Profession changing suggestions:
* Bard-}Samurai
* Alchemist-}Ninja
* Psionic-}Monk
* Ninja
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Bard-
requirements: 0 10 0 0 12 8 12
Perks:
* Learns Thamaturgical spells
* Learns Ninjutsu
* Can play musical instruments
* Learns Skulduggery
* Learns Legerdemain
* Starts with a Poet's Lute (unless character is a Faerie)
* Increased skill points to Physical
Flaws:
* Must be a female character to use the best protection available to the class
* Limited weapon selection
Profession changing suggestions:
* Mage
* Thief
* Samurai
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Psionic-
requirements: 10 14 0 14 0 0 10
Perks:
* Learns Theosophical spells the fastest
* Class-specific accessory (PK Crystal)
* Starts with Shadow Cloak (unless character is a Faerie)
* Limited Healing capabilities (Heal Wounds, Lifesteal)
* Increased skill points to Academia
Flaws:
* Many monsters resist Mental attacks more often than other attacks, making
most of the spells available to the Psionic useless.
* Shadow Cloak useless if no Thief, Ninja, or Bard in party
Profession changing suggestions:
* Valkyrie (females only)
* Bishop
* Lord
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Alchemist-
requirements: 0 13 0 0 13 0 0
Perks:
* Learns Alchemical spells the fastest
* Cannot be silenced
* Starts with Cherry Bomb (unless starting character is a Faerie)
* Class specific accessory (Medicine Bag)
* Increased skill points to Academia
* Limited Healing capabilities (Heal Wounds)
Flaws:
* Class specific accessory...stinks and is only found near the end of the
game.
Profession changing suggestions:
* Thief
* Ranger-}Ninja
* Bard-}Samurai
* Ninja
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Valkyrie-
requirements: 10 0 11 11 10 11 8
Perks:
* Learns Theological spells
* Class-specific weapon (Maenad's Lance)
* May use a majority of weapons and the strongest armor available
* Anything a Lord can do, a Valkyrie can do better
* Healer
* Greater than normal amount of hit points
* Valkyries require less experience to gain a level
Flaws:
* Available to only female characters
* Heavy armor weighs a LOT.
Profession changing suggestions:
* Samurai
* Monk
* Ninja
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Bishop-
requirements: 0 15 15 0 0 0 8
Perks:
* Learns both Theological and Thaumaturgical spells
* Learns Diplomacy
* Can wear better armor than the Priest
* Healer
* Greatly increased skill points to Academia
Flaws:
* Spell progression is SLOW as research must be divided in half.
Profession changing suggestions:
* Psionic
* Alchemist
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Lord-
requirements: 12 9 12 12 9 9 14
Perks:
* Learns Theological spells
* Learns Diplomacy
* May use a majority of weapons and the strongest armor available
* Starts with very good equipment
* Greater than normal amount of hit points
* Increased skill points to Weapon
Flaws:
* Very expensive class to attain
* Very expensive experience requirements
* Most things a Lord can do, a Valkyrie can do better
* Heavy armor weighs a LOT.
* Valkyries have smaller experience requirements.
Profession changing suggestions:
* Priest
* Ranger
* Bard
* Samurai
* Monk
* Ninja
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Samurai-
Requirements: 12 11 0 9 12 14 8
Perks:
* Learns Kirijutsu
* Learns Thaumaturgical spells
* Class specific weapons and armor(Muramasa Blade, Do-Maru(U) and (L),
Tosei-Do (U) & (L), Hi-Kane-Do (U) & (L), Kabuto)
* Increased skill points to Weapon
Flaws:
* Semi-limited selection of weapons and armor
* Expensive class to attain and maintain
Profession changing suggestions:
* Valkyrie (female)
* Monk
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Monk-
Requirements: 13 8 13 0 10 13 8
Perks:
* Learns Kirijutsu
* Learns Theosophical spells
* Learns Ninjutsu
* Learns Hands and Feet
* AC benefits from Ninjutsu
* Limited Healing capabilities (Heal Wounds, Lifesteal)
Flaws:
* Theosophical spells resisted more often
* Expensive class to attain
* Limited weapon selection
* Armor restricted to robes
Profession changing suggestions:
* Ninja
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Ninja-
Requirements: 12 10 10 12 12 12 0
Perks:
* Learns Kirijutsu
* Learns Alchemical spells
* Cannot be silenced
* Learns Ninjutsu
* Learns Hands and Feet
* AC benefits from Ninjutsu
* Learns Skulduggery
* Learns Legerdemain
* Limited Healing capabilities (Heal Wounds)
* Weapons Ninjas can use are useful
* Class specific weapons, armor, and accessory (Sai, Nunchuku, Ninjato,
Ninja Cowl, Ninja Garb(U), Ninja Garb(L), Tabi Boots, Blackbelt of 5
Flowers)
Flaws:
* Expensive class to attain
* Very expensive experience requirements
* Slightly decreased skill points to Academia
* Usage as a 'Jack of all Trades' creates difficulties mid-game
* Semi-limited weapon selection
* May only equip Ninja Cowl, Ninja Garb(U) & (L), Tabi Boots, and race
specific items for armor
Profession changing suggestions:
* None
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--Skill selection--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Essential Skills-
Swimming: Everyone needs to have at least a 10 in swimming before attempting
to enter the water to practice. There are three places to practice without
wasting too much time: New City (using the fountain in the Starter Dungeon or
the one at Father Rulae), the Ra-sep-re-tep pool in the Starter Dungeon (using
the fountain in the same area) and Munkharama (at the Polar Munk Society...
bring healing though...). Get your swimming to at least a 20 using these three
places--the Lost Temple has a fountain that is in the water, but you need to
have at least a 20 swimming to reach it. Once you do, you can practice until
you have a 100 in it.
Climbing: In the beginning of the game, you won't need this. However, once
you get to the mountains in Guardia you're going to need at least a 30 in
climbing skill. Don't say I didn't warn you...Levitate can temporarily boost
your climbing skill when attempting to climb by the way.
Scouting: If this is your first time through, you need scouting. Without it,
you won't be able to pass several areas, as you won't know to search an area.
On second and subsequent times through the game however, it is safe to skip
this if you remember where everything is.
Skulduggery: When starting, don't settle for less than at least a 5 or 6 in
Skulduggery on a character that is going to be your lockpicker. At least,
start with that amount before you try to disarm a chest. Chests are HARD to
disarm. You will be Quit/No Save-Restoring very often--having an actual
Thief in the party instead of a Bard, Ninja, or Ranger substitute can
eliminate this problem after a couple level ups, as they gain a nice bonus
to Skulduggery every level up to a certain point.
Mapping: You need a minimum of 10 in Mapping to map walls, a minimum of 30 to
map 1x1 rooms, and a minimum of 60 to map stairs and pits. Some teleporters
aren't mapped, as far as I can tell; only the ones that use pits are. In some
areas of the game, the inability to map will leave you stuck or moving at a
snail's crawl if you do not know the area, especially in the darkened areas
where the only thing you CAN map are the walls.
Theosophy/Theology/Thaumaturgy/Alchemy: Essential for anyone that learns
them. Until it reaches 95-100, if you don't put points into this, you're
potentially missing out on a spell that might help you in game.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-"Nice to have" skills-
Artifacts: Having a high Artifacts skill lets you assay items to find out what
they are without casting Identify. Don't worry about putting points into it
however; you automatically gain points every time you successfully use
(not equip and throw) a wand in battle as an item. This, however, doesn't
eliminate the need for Identify unless you already know what an item does.
Ninjutsu: Monks and Ninjas gain an AC bonus from this, in addition to
anything else that other Ninjutsu practitioners get. They should build this
up all the time by practicing hiding instead of putting precious skill
points into it. Anyone else with this simply gains a nice ability to hide
and do a backstab or surprise attack.
Legerdemain: The 5 Fingered Discount is a nice thing to have, but you won't
pilfer much. The chance of getting caught is quite high as well, even with a
level 100 Legerdemain, so save before trying. If the character's inventory
slots are full only gold will be taken, which keeps this skill from being
totally useless; most shopkeepers have horrible items in their inventory--you
wouldn't want to steal them if your life depended on it. Legerdemain is best
when the pickpocket using it is rather high level, is decent at it (has at least
a 30 so in Legerdemain), and pickpocketing someone worthwhile like Belcanzor for
his items or Dame Ke-Li for her Ankhs. Be especially careful pickpocketing
wandering NPCs. Some like Capt. Boerigard have very nice weapons and such, but
they may attack you if they catch you pickpocketing them, which is a bad thing.
Kirijutsu: This skill gives you a chance to get a Critical Hit that instantly
kills a monster. Very nice to have, but try not to get the person with it
confused!
Mind Control: A personal skill that you can get in Dionysceus; it reduces
the effectiveness of psionics and other mental spells. A minor side effect
is that you will never fall asleep in the poppy field with even 1 point in
this skill.
Power Strike: I don't know about you, but I LIKE hitting for more damage. :)
Diplomacy: Diplomacy is kind of a unused skill in the game--most of the time.
However, when used it can be really useful, when an NPC is very angry with you
and you need to calm them down (and maybe get friendly again). The fact that
characters with a Personality of 14 can automatically get it, AND the fact that
anyone who successfully "pleases" an NPC automatically gets a one point raise
in the skill regardless of whether they have it or not however makes the skill
kind of a "I'll get it when I need it" skill. Warning: Diplomacy is a useless
skill in the Wizardry Gold version of Wizardry 7. No matter how pleased you
make an NPC, they will never trade with you until you please the NPC by doing
things for them (i.e. doing Barlone a favor will please Mick the Pick and
Ratsputin enough to trade with you).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-"Really depends on your playing style" skills-
Mythology: This lets you successfully ID the monster you're fighting. In
some cases it will be very useful, if you're conserving mana and don't want
to mistake Night Rooks for Vampire Vultures. In most cases however, it is
easy to figure out what the monster is after a round, or even based on where
it is. Putting points into this is really up to your strategy, but it goes
up naturally over time, albeit slowly.
Scribe: If you like to save on mana, you may find a use for this skill.
Personally, I've gone through the game with only one point put into this skill
for Knock-Knock scrolls to be slightly more effective--other than Magic
Screen, Armorplate, Locate Person, and Enchanted Blade scrolls, Knock-Knock
scrolls are the only other ones I actually use and all of them can (or are
supposed to) be used outside of battle. Some nice spells are on scrolls, but
chances are, you're going to sell them for the cash they give you--by the point
you don't need cash anymore, scrolls are already quite useless.
Firearms: I personally don't like 2 of the 5 weapons that use this skill.
Still, you might as well get it. Raising it is up to you however.
_______________________________________________________________________________
|------------------------------Choosing a Party-------------------------------|
_______________________________________________________________________________
Depending on what difficulty you are playing, there are five types of parties
that will be used throughout the game: the 'Super' Party, the 'Quick and Easy'
Party, the 'Dual Class' Party, the 'Blender' Party, and the 'Vanilla' Party.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--The 'Super' Party--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Super Party is what everyone wants to end up with at the end of the game,
but it is very hard to use in the beginning. The reason is because the Super
Party is a party with hard to get characters such as a Faerie
Samurai/Monk/Ninja, Elf Lords, or other such hard to get/play classes for
example. Because these guys are hard to get, you don't have a lot of
excess points to distribute for other stats. To top it off, the class
usually has almost double the experience requirements of the easier-to-achieve
classes such as the Fighter. With all these factors thrown together, this
party is not recommended for a purist new to the game--various maps that hint
at what to do are your only clues as to what should be done if you do not wish
to consult outside sources, and with a Super party it will take too long to
level them up; the NPCs will have snatched them away before you get to them,
and the only ways to get your hands on them are buying it for 10,000
gold--which you won't have for a long time--or killing them, which is very
difficult with this kind of party until much much later.
Sample Super Party:
Lizardman Samurai
Faerie Ninja
Elf Lord
Mook Monk
Faerie Bishop
Elf Valkyrie
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--The 'Quick and Easy' Party--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Quick and Easy Party is the exact opposite of the Super Party. This party
is usually made up of characters quickly rolled up, and is usually something
like 2 Fighters, an offensive spellcaster (Mage or a Psionic), a healing
spellcaster like a Priest, a thief, and maybe a miscellaneous character
thrown in for fun. Races are chosen by whether the race can get a class
easier than other races, thereby giving you more points to distribute
elsewhere. Sometimes, the party will be rolled up with higher scores
so that you can distribute the excess points as you see fit. The game will
be easy in the beginning, but after a while you will get the urge to change
profession as experience requirements get higher and higher and your diversity
in what you can do gets lower and lower. Which brings us to...
Sample Quick and Easy Party:
Lizardman Fighter
Human Ranger
Faerie Thief
Rawulf Priest
Faerie/Elf Mage
Mook Psionic
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--The 'Dual class' Party--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This party is similar to the Quick and Easy Party except for one major
difference: The characters rolled up are customized to be able to switch
professions at will. For example, say you have an Elf who can be a Ranger.
You choose Fighter instead, add points to meet the minimum requirements for a
Ranger, and put any excess points where you want it (usually Vitality in this
case, as you will be hurting for hit points from all the profession changing).
The reasoning for this party is to mainly take advantage of the relatively low
amount of experience needed in the first 5-10 levels to accumulate skills and
spells quickly--a Faery Thief that I converted into a Ninja after hitting
level 7 already had 100 Skulduggery at level 3!
Sample Dual Class Party (Characters rolled with 15 points to distribute):
Elf Fighter -} Converts to Ranger at level 10
Felpurr Fighter -} Converts to Samurai at level 10.
Faerie Thief -} Converts to Ninja when stats meet minimum Ninja requirements
and Skulduggery } 80.
Elf Priest (F) -} Converts to Valkyrie when Theology } 80.
Elf Mage (F)-} Converts to Bard when Thaumaturgy } 80.
Elf Bard (F)-} Converts to Bishop when Mage converts to Bard.
(F) means female.
Assuming that each character gets 15 points to distribute, this is what
would happen normally.
Stats are given in the order of:
Strength, Intelligence, Piety, Vitality, Dexterity, Speed, Personality.
Elf Fighter-
Elf Base stats:
7: 5 points added(meet Fighter requirements)
10:
10:
7: 4 points added(meet Ranger requirements)
9: 1 point added(meet Ranger requirements)
9:
8:
That leaves you with 5 more points to redistribute; in this case we
distribute the excess to Vitality as all the ability scores will be reset
down to the bare minimum after the profession change; might as well get
some extra hit points and stamina out of it.
Felpurr Fighter-
Felpurr Base stats:
7: 5 points added(meet Fighter requirements)
10: 1 points added(meet Samurai requirements)
7:
7: 2 points added(meet Samurai requirements)
10: 2 points added(meet Samurai requirements)
12: 2 points added(meet Samurai requirements)
10:
There are three points to distribute left as you wish. Again, I would put
it into Vitality.
Faerie Thief-
Faerie Base stats:
5: 5 points added(almost meet Ninja requirements)
11:
6: 3 points added(almost meet Ninja requirements)
6: 5 points added(almost meet Ninja requirements)
10: 2 points added(meet Thief requirements)
14:
12:
In this case, there are no excess points to use. You will be relying on
level ups to give you the rest of the stat boost you need. This could
easily be met by level 7 or 8--less if you reload your level ups to get
the bonuses you want.
Elf Priest (F)-
Elf Base stats:
7: -2 for being female, 5 points added(meet Valkyrie requirements)
10:
10: 2 points added(meet Priest requirements)
7: 4 points added(meet Valkyrie requirements)
9: 1 point added(meet Valkyrie requirements)
9: 2 points added(meet Valkyrie requirements)
8: +1 for being female
This leaves you with 1 extra point to distribute. Either Vitality
or Intelligence is a good choice; getting more Academia points to
speed up getting the higher level spells is nice, but so is more
hit points.
Elf Mage (F)-
Elf Base stats:
7: -2 for being female
10: 2 points added(meet Mage requirements)
10:
7:
9: 3 points added(meet Bard requirements)
9:
8: +1 for being female, 3 points added(meet Bard requirements)
You've got 7 points to redistribute. As Mages don't have a hope
to gain a lot of hit points a level, dump them either in Intelligence for
increased amount of Academia points or in Piety for better spell point
gain/level and spell point recovery.
Elf Bard (F)-
Elf Base stats:
7: -2 for being female
10: 5 points added (meet Bishop requirements)
10: 4 points added (almost meet Bishop requirements)
7:
9: 3 points added(meet Bard requirements)
9:
8: +1 for being female, 3 points added(meet Bard requirements)
Again, you have no points to redistribute after that, but like the Faerie
Thief, level ups will take care of the rest of the stat requirements--only
quicker in this case as you only need Piety to go up one.
I think you can see the pattern: If you can afford it, fill out the
requirements of the 2nd class first before distributing the points to other
statistics. If you can't, spread out the requirements somewhat so that it
only requires as few level gains as possible to get there. 15 is the number
I use for a minimum when creating profession changing characters; you might
use a lesser amount or a greater amount, depending on your patience. Whatever
you do, if you want to take the greatest advantage out of changing professions
do so by level 10. This is because it takes the same amount of experience to
get from level 1 to level 10 as it does to get from level 10 to level 11.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--The 'Blender' Party--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I call this the Blender party mainly because it takes a little bit of the
Super Party and a little bit of the Quick and Easy Party and/or the Dual class
party. Basically, there will be a couple characters that may have been chosen
because of the items they start with, and others which were chosen because you
like the class or some other reason. Most people new to the game will
probably end up using something like this, where they have a prize character
that they do not wish to change profession with--especially when the character
gets a 19 or 20 in Intelligence or Personality, which are scores that cannot be
improved by certain items that can be bought, or a 19 or 20 in Vitality, which
cannot go over 18 with items.
Sample Blender Party:
Felpurr Samurai
Lizardman Ninja
Faerie Monk
Faerie Thief -} Converts to Ninja when stats meet minimum Ninja requirements
and Skulduggery } 80.
Elf Priest (F) -} Converts to Valkyrie when Theology } 80.
Hobbit Bard
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--The 'Vanilla' Party--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Called the Vanilla Party for its simpleness, this party NEVER changes classes,
so pick carefully. You'll need at least 1 healer, 1 offensive spellcaster,
and 1 Skulduggery character unless you're looking for a challenge. After
you're familiar with the game, try going through with only a single character!
It *can* be done. This party is usually done as a Quick and Easy party, but
Super parties that don't class change are done too.
Sample Vanilla Party:
(See Sample Quick and Easy Party or Sample Super Party)
_______________________________________________________________________________
|-------------------------------Picking Spells--------------------------------|
_______________________________________________________________________________
Thank you Llevram for much of the information in this section.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--General spellcasting--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All spells that you can cast are cumulative. That means you can cast them
over and over to make them last longer (if they have a duration), reduce the
duration of all status ailments except disease, stoning and death
(in the case of the ailment cures), or increase the effectiveness of the spell
(which only happens with battle-only spells if at all). The six spells you
can cast at any time (Enchanted Blade, Armorplate, Magic Screen, Detect
Secret, Direction, Levitate) are reflected in the globes on top of the game
screen and are cumulative in duration only.
Casting any of the other battle-helping spells (such as Bless, Haste, etc)
outside of battle will have NO EFFECT, even if cast before a fight or some
action that causes damage of some sort, so don't waste your spell points and
stamina. Keep in mind that when casting the six out-of-battle spells
repeatedly that it is best done in front of a fountain so you can restore
yourself. Also keep in mind that the longer the spell has been active, the
weaker it gets, so don't rely on multiple castings casted 3 game days ago to
get you through certain tougher fights.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--Learning spells from books--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following spells may be learned from books:
Air Pocket
Anti-Magic
Astral Gate
Fire Shield
Ice Shield
Missile Shield
Bless
Charm
Conjuration
Detect Secret
Direction
Haste
Knock-Knock
Levitate
Identify (*anyone* can learn this from a book!)
Stamina
Wizard's Eye
Armor Shield
Remove Curse
Watchbells
Be warned however; if you do not have a spell already of the same type as the
one you wish to scribe in your book (for example, having Shrill Sound when you
scribe Missile Shield in the case of a mage), you will NOT gain any spell
points in that category until a spell from the same category is "learned" from
a level up. For example, an Alchemist scribes Stamina instead of learning it
the normal way. The Alchemist will NOT gain any water spell points until he
or she learns another water spell by a level up--in this case Cure Paralysis,
Draining Cloud, or Cure Disease.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--Commonly used spells--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Heal Wounds
Stamina
Dispel Undead
Enchanted Blade
Cure Lesser Condition
Air Pocket
Purify Air
Cure Poison
Cure Paralysis
Silence
Armorplate
Magic Screen
Haste
Mindread (only on your first time through--it tells you what to ask the NPC
sometimes; otherwise it gives you a bit of information you could
have gotten with Lore or just gives Nothing)
Fire Shield/Ice Shield
Lifesteal
Poison Gas/Acid Bomb/Firestorm
Conjuration/Illusion/Create Life
Nuclear Blast/Deadly Air/Word of Death/Mind Flay
Asphyxiation(expert mode only for crowd control and convenience)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--Spell-picking Choices--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Note: The required amount of skill points for a group of spells may be off
by one or two points.
Thaumaturgy (Mage spellbook)
Level 1 spells:
Energy Blast
Your (possible) first damaging spell. Nothing special.
Chilling Touch
Your other (possible) first damaging spell. Nothing special.
Terror
Give the opponent the "Afraid" ailment for a short time. I do not advise
using this spell if you are looking for experience. This becomes useless
mid-game if it wasn't useless before already.
Sleep
Gives the opponent the "Asleep" status for a short time. One of the most
useful spells in the game, even if your party already has a Bard with the
Poet's Lute. This becomes useless after mid-game however, as you'll have
ways of dealing with multiple targets.
Armor Shield
Grants an Armor Class bonus to a character. Initially, the meager protection
offered by the spell will not be too helpful. Later on however, it is a very
useful spell to cast while hiding (or after you drank an invisibility potion)
due to its cheap costs and noticeable drop in Armor Class when cast at level
7.
Direction
Shows the direction your party is facing. A useless spell after you get the
Journey Map Kit, as you can easily check which way you are facing by using
the map.
Level 2 spells: (18 Thaumaturgy)
Magic Missile
Damages a limited number of opponents. Useful when you need to deal medium
amounts of damage to a group.
Shrill Sound
Damages an entire group, regardless of the size of the group. Very useful
when you don't want to waste extra spell points to hit everything in a group.
Missile Shield
Deflects any attacks that are projectile attacks (i.e. uses "Throw" or "Shoot"
as a form of attack). Chance of being deflected is related to how high of
a spell level you use to cast the spell, with around a 99% deflection rate for
a level 7 Missile Shield.
Knock-Knock
Opens locked chests and doors. Success rate is related to the power of the
spell and the complexity of the lock. Don't expect to use this spell
successfully midgame and onwards.
Detect Secret
Acts like you have a high amount of scouting skill. Very useful the first
time through the game if you don't want to build up scouting. Very useless
subsequent times. When you need to search, the eye will twinkle; however
if you have a weak Detect Secret, the eye may not pick up on some things.
Watchbells
Wakes up everyone who is asleep. The success rate of the spell depends on
how tired the characters are and how long they've been sleeping. Not very
useful after you get the Mind Control Personal skill--even before then,
the spell doesn't really work too well if you're not already at full
stamina.
Weaken
Makes the opponent do less damage when they attack. Useful I suppose, but
I prefer killing them as quickly as possible. Supposedly this spell also
lowers resistances, which can be very useful, but there's no way to tell for
certain.
Level 3 spells: (37 Thaumaturgy)
Fireball
Once you get this, you'll be avoiding usage of Magic Missile except on
Undead and fire-resistant monsters.
Fire Shield
Reduces or eliminates the effectiveness of all Fire Realm spells and Fire
based attacks. Don't expect it to eliminate spell damage to nothing when
it is coming from something strong, although Fire Crow breath will be
much less painful.
Ice Shield
Reduces or eliminates the effectiveness of all Water Realm spells and
Ice-based attacks. You'll be happy to have this up when something decides
to cast Deep Freeze on you.
Web
Paralyzes one target. Yuck. There are better things out there to learn;
the only monsters you would want to cast this on are incredibly
resistant to it because they are NPCs or the monster equivalent of one.
If you can paralyze an NPC with this, you're WAAAY above the NPC's level.
Whipping Rocks
For a group hitting spell, this isn't that great. A lot of monsters have
enough Earth resistance to make this spell relatively useless--however,
when the damage gets through it is all right.
Stink Bomb
Not a very useful spell. It will hit from 1-3 targets only, which explains
the relatively inexpensive casting cost. However, Shrill Sound and Magic
Missile are better, AND you get them earlier. If you think the added
chance of Nausea is worth it though, go right ahead and get it.
Air Pocket
Deflects Asphyxiation spells and reduces the effectiveness of incoming
Air-based spells that stick around as clouds. It also reduces the
effectiveness of breath weapons like Dragonlizard breath. Don't expect
this spell to have any effects on Whirlwind or Firestorm however.
Blink
Randomly makes you invisible/uninvisible during the round. You will
always become uninvisible to attack. Lasts quite a while too. Don't
bother with this spell if the character knows Ninjitsu though.
Level 4 spells: (54 Thaumaturgy)
Iceball
The Ice equivalent of Fireball, only more expensive. But then, it hurts
more, so that's a fair trade off. With Fireball and Iceball in your
belt, you're probably finished with mass-target spells for a long while
through the game--at least for your mage.
Magic Screen
Reduces the effectiveness of all incoming spells and spell-like attacks.
That includes breath weapons and fireball-like blasts, but not little
laser beams like the ones the T'Rang Tecniks use to attack. Remember:
this can be casted outside of battle.
Conjuration
Summons a monster to help you. They range from the pathetic Vulture at
a level 1 casting to perhaps Fieros and Myxlmynx at level 7 (which are
pretty darn useful). The best out of the three summoning spells if you
want magical damage.
Armormelt
Makes the opponent easier to hit. Think of it as the opposite of
Armor Shield, except it targets everyone.
Crush
Does up to 200 damage to one target. Of course, it misses so much that
it just isn't worth it. That's right, MISSES, not resisted.
Wizard Eye
Gives an overhead view of the area--just like you had a Journey Map kit.
(Surprise...) Skip this spell if I were you, unless you've been
skimping on your Mapping skill or don't know if there is a secret passage
behind a wall.
Spooks
A Terror spell that affects all opponents. I don't recommend it.
Level 5 spells: (72 Thaumaturgy)
Prismic Missile
Causes random status ailments or damage. It is more likely to cause damage
on weaker opponents and more likely to cause status ailments (which rarely
includes "withers and dies") on more powerful ones. Keep in mind that this
won't work on something with 100% or greater Light Resistance, like Man O'
Groves.
Anti-Magic
Tries to prevent a group from casting spells successfully. Not too useful
when you're fighting multiple groups of spellcasters as it is better to
just off them all right off the bat, but insanely useful when fighting one
group of spellcasters if you want to conserve on your mass-target spells.
Levitate
Prevents damage if you fall into a pit, and augments your Climbing skill
when you climb. Levitate won't help you if you jump off a cliff however;
you'll still die. The power level in this case is for duration, not
damage prevented as a level 1 Levitate will protect you from falling into
pits.
Deep Freeze
Learn to love this spell. It is the most consistently damaging spell in
the game--which is why you need Ice Shield when monsters cast it on you!
Level 6 spells: (90 Thaumaturgy)
Firestorm
Fun fun fun. Burns the enemy for a small amount for several turns. Very
useful up to mid-game to kill things--after that it's useful to add a bit
of damage here and there to cut battle time down.
Astral Gate
Instantly kills demons. Since it's specialized, getting this is up to you.
You *will* run into demons however.
Zap Undead
Useless. Don't waste your time with this spell--anything undead you find
is either going to be real easy or real resistant to this expensive spell.
Recharge
Very useful when used on items that have the effect of Magicfood when used
and can be used multiple times. Otherwise mildly useful to get back
charges on items like the Amulet of Asphyxiation.
Noxious Fumes
Not very useful. Just a better version of Stink Bomb that hits a group.
However, there is a much better chance of nausea than Stink Bomb.
Asphyxiation
Wipes out lower level critters with ease. You can get this decently fast
with a mage, so try to grab this spell as fast as possible if you're on
hard mode and the 5 groups of critters that ambush you each fight start
to get on your nerves. Becomes useless near the end of the game though.
Level 7 spells: (98 Thaumaturgy)
Nuclear Blast
Can't go wrong with this spell. Just watch your Fire spell points.
Ressurection
You can always quit-reload, and unlike Ressurection, you don't have to wait
forever to get it. However, since it can be used in a fight, it isn't totally
useless. However, if you're the perfectionist type you're probably going
to skip this spell. If you ressurect a character, the character loses 1 point
of Vitality and their life counter increases by 1.
Theology (Priest spellbook)
Level 1 spells:
Heal Wounds
Get it if you like it, get it if you don't.
Make Wounds
An attacking spell which uses spell points better suited for healing?
I sure don't like that. You might, but saving the spell points for healing
will save you some nap time.
Stamina
Get it if you like it, get it if you don't.
Bless
Grants you bonuses to hit. Hey, I'd take that any day. Even later in the
game, this spell is useful.
Charm
Paralyzes an opponent. Out of battle, it makes it easier to make friends
with NPCs. If you have diplomatic problems, this may be useful. Otherwise,
skip for a better spell unless you have no choice.
Level 2 spells: (18 Theology)
Enchanted Blade
Helps with hitting and dealing damage, AND you can cast it out of battle.
Love this spell.
Dispel Undead
Only works on undead, but there's a lot of undead in the game. It works
more often on the skeleton types of undead than the ghost types of undead.
Keep in mind that any of the "Spectral" monsters like Spectral Ravens or
Spectral Moths are considered undead as well. Don't expect it to work too
well on some unique undead monsters, with a very notable exception of the
ones in Witch Mountains.
Cure Lesser Condition
Cures or reduces the duration of the "Irritation," "Sleep," "Afraid,"
"Blind," and "Nausea" ailments. This spell is very useful to cut down on
the time you spend sleeping, and if you run out of Mental spell points it is
no big deal, so there is no need to ration uses of this spell.
Divine Trap
Helps to identify which trap a chest is booby trapped with. You will only
need it if your Skulduggery character has a low amount of Skulduggery, or
if you are unfamiliar with guessing the traps of the game.
Identify
Tells you how much damage (if applicable) the item does and what special
effects it may have. If it has a special power, it won't tell you what it
is, but it will mention the that it has one. Special powers are where when
you equip the item, it asks you if you want to invoke its special power, and
generally are very limited in usage. This is best used as a "what does this
item do" check, where you cast and reload--however, for some things (like
weapon damage for some weapons) it will give the wrong numbers.
Slow
Slows down an enemy group. Useful when fighting enemies stronger than you
so that you can try to go first in subsequent rounds. Much more useful
when combined with Haste to make sure you go first.
Level 3 spells: (37 Theology)
Hold Monsters
Attempts to paralyze a group. Unlike Web or Paralyze, the "Paralyze"
ailment caused by this spell is easily removed by an attack.
Sane Mind
Cures or reduces the duration of the "Insanity" ailment.
Silence
Silences a group of monsters. Don't try it on the Umpani, most Munks,
Gorn Rangers, and other Alchemical spellcasters.
Armorplate
Improves the armor class of each character (although you won't see
any changes in the review screen). The bonus is that it can be casted
outside of battle.
Blades
Does decent damage, especially considering that it's a damaging spell
the Priest has access to. After multiple castings of Armorplate, you'll
want to do *something* with all the spare Earth spell points you have.
Haste
Speeds up your party. Very useful in fights against monsters faster
than you (or higher level).
Cure Paralysis
Cures or reduces the duration of the "Paralyze" ailment. Useful. Get it.
:)
Restfull
Restores everyone's stamina. The amount restored is less than what you
would get back if you casted Stamina on each character, but the convenience
makes this spell useful. Still, if you can, there are better spells to get
than this.
Level 4 spells: (54 Theology)
Conjuration
Summons a monster to help you. They range from the pathetic Vulture at
a level 1 casting to perhaps Fieros and Myxlmynx at level 7 (which are
pretty darn useful). The best out of the three summoning spells if you
want magical damage.
Paralyze
Paralyzes an enemy. Is about as useful as Web is for mages and Alchemists.
Superman
VERY useful. It reduces the amount of stamina you use when you take a
swing at a monster, or whatever form of attack you use.
Cure Poison
Cures or reduces the "Poison" ailment, or reduces the "Badly Poisoned"
ailment to "Poison". Grab this quickly--you won't always have that
Cure Poison potion handy.
Whirlwind
Another attacking spell for the Priest. Unfortunately, most monsters
don't take a whole lot of damage from this, if they get hurt at all.
Level 5 spells: (72 Theology)
Lightning
The only Fire spell for Priests, and it hits in a group to boot.
Grab it as early as possible so that you can have as many spell points
for it as possible unless you already have Fire spell points.
Death
Instantly kills one target. Not too handy as it doesn't work often--the
things it works on are easy to kill anyway in most cases.
Remove Curse
Makes it possible to unequip a cursed item. Quite useful; however, a weak
enough Remove Curse will only allow you to unequip some items and not others,
so make sure you use a level 6 or 7 Remove Curse.
Healthfull
Heals everyone for a small amount of hit points. This spell would be nicer
if it actually healed more damage--a level 1 Healthfull seems to heal around
1-4 damage; you do the math. Still, it's group healing, and that's always
nice.
Purify Air
Eliminates or reduces the duration of any cloud spells casted on your party.
Handy when you get pounded with Poison Gas or Firestorm.
Cure Disease
Cures the "Disease" ailment. If it doesn't go away when you cast it, cast
a stronger Cure Disease. The higher your vitality, the lower the spell level
you will need to cure the disease.
Level 6 spells: (90 Theology)
Cure Stone
Cures the "Stone" ailment. If it doesn't go away when you cast it, cast
a stronger Cure Stone. The higher your vitality, the lower the spell level
you will need to cure the petrification. When cured, the character who
was stoned loses 1 point in Vitality.
Locate Object
Acts like Wizard Eye, only it shows the locations of any chests in the area
(not dropped items).
Lifesteal
Attempts to do a large amount of damage to one enemy and heal you with that
damage. Your spellcaster will never need to cast Heal Wounds on him or
herself again. It works on a *lot* of enemies, but don't expect it to
work on the real nasties like Rexx or Godzylli very often--even at level
7.
Astral Gate
Instantly kills demons. Since it's specialized, getting this is up to you.
You *will* run into demons however.
Recharge
Very useful when used on items that have the effect of Magicfood when used
and can be used multiple times. Otherwise mildly useful to get back
charges on items like the Amulet of Asphyxiation.
Level 7 spells: (98 Theology)
Locate Person
Attempts to find all the NPCs. Level 7 Locate Person tends to find all
of them.
Word of Death
The Priest equivalent of Nuclear Blast. Get it if you need another
source of mass damage.
Ressurection
You can always quit-reload, and unlike Ressurection you don't have to wait
forever to get it. However, since it can be used in a fight, it isn't totally
useless. However, if you're the perfectionist type you're probably going
to skip this spell. If you ressurect a character, the character loses 1 point
of Vitality and their life counter increases by 1.
Death Wish
Tries to instantly kill everything. Better than Death, but still horrible.
Get it if you really like instant-death; otherwise don't bother with it if
you have a choice, unless you really need another 20 Divine spell points or
you're getting this early in the game.
Theosophy (Psionic spellbook)
Level 1 spells:
Mental Attack
Your typical level 1 damage spell. It has the bonus of a large possibility
of inflicting "Insanity" but this bonus is rather useless after mid-game.
Bless
Grants you bonuses to hit. Hey, I'd take that any day. Even later in the
game, this spell is useful.
Charm
Paralyzes an opponent. Out of battle, it makes it easier to make friends
with NPCs. If you have diplomatic problems, this may be useful. Otherwise,
skip for a better spell unless you have no choice.
Sleep
Gives the opponent the "Asleep" status for a short time. One of the most
useful spells in the game, even if your party already has a Bard with the
Poet's Lute. This becomes useless after mid-game however.
Heal Wounds
There really shouldn't be a reason why you didn't pick this as your first
spell. Any healing is nice.
Stamina
Unlike the Priest, get this at your leisure. Still, get it quick, as you'll
need stamina recovery spells and items in the game.
Terror
Attempts to give the "Afraid" ailment to a group. Not very helpful if you're
trying to get experience.
Level 2 spells: (18 Theosophy)
Psionic Fires
The Psionic equivalent of Fireball, only earlier. Quite useful at this point
in the game.
Knock-Knock
Opens locked chests and doors. Success rate is related to the power of the
spell and the complexity of the lock. Don't expect to use this spell
successfully midgame and onwards.
Cure Lesser Condition
Cures or reduces the duration of the ailments "Irritation," "Sleep," "Afraid,"
"Blind," and "Nausea." This spell is not that crucial for the
Psionic--everything can be cured with a little rest or by the Priest if
you have one in your party. In the case of "Nausea," make *sure* it is
"Nausea." "Disease" looks a lot like "Nausea" if you weren't paying attention
whenyou got it. The reason why this spell isn't too useful for the Psionic is
because the Psionic actually needs his/her Mental spell points for spells
like Mental attack.
Divine Trap
Helps to identify which trap a chest is booby trapped with. You will only
need it if your Skulduggery character has a low amount of Skulduggery, or
if you are unfamiliar with guessing the traps of the game.
Detect Secret
Acts like you have a high amount of scouting skill. Very useful the first
time through the game if you don't want to build up scouting. Very useless
subsequent times.
Identify
Tells you how much damage (if applicable) the item does and what special
effects it may have. If it has a special power, it won't tell you what it
is, but it will mention the that it has one. Special powers are where when
you equip the item, it asks you if you want to invoke its special power, and
generally are very limited in usage. This is best used as a "what does this
item do" check, where you cast and reload--however, for some things (like
weapon damage for some weapons) it will give the wrong numbers.
Confusion
Attempts to inflicts the "Insanity" ailment on an enemy group. Insanity
is a nice ailment to have inflicted, but after a while most of the monsters
you want to nail with this are pretty darn resistant to it.
Watchbells
Wakes up everyone who is asleep. The success rate of the spell depends on
how tired the characters are and how long they've been sleeping. Not very
useful after you get the Mind Control Personal skill--even before then,
the spell doesn't really work too well if you're not already at full
stamina.
Shrill Sound
Hurts an entire enemy group, regardless of number. For the Psionic however,
it takes a backseat for Psionic Fires in priority unless you have mass
enemy group problems (i.e. hordes of Rattkin Rogues/Bandits).
Weaken
Makes the opponent do less damage when they attack. Useful I suppose, but
I prefer killing them as quickly as possible. Supposedly this spell also
lowers resistances, which can be very useful, but there's no way to really
tell for certain.
Slow
Slows down an enemy group. Useful when fighting enemies stronger than you
so that you can try to go first in subsequent rounds. Much more useful
when combined with Haste to make sure you go first.
Level 3 spells: (36 Theosophy)
Dazzling Lights
The Psionic version of Prismic Missile, it dispenses status ailments or
just sheer damage. For some odd reason, this spell in my experience tends
to dispense status ailments more than just pure damage--however, the
"withers and dies" effect seems to pop up more often with this. Note:
This spell will not work on enemies with 100% or greater Light Resistance.
Blades
Unlike the Priest, the Psionic already has decent damage dealing spells.
Still, it's useful when you run out of spell points.
Hold Monsters
Attempts to paralyze an enemy group. Unlike the other paralyzing spells,
the paralyze effect from this is very likely to go away from getting
attacked.
Mind Read
Attempts to read an NPC's mind. You will either see a phrase that will
trigger some tidbit of information from the NPC, something you could have
found out by Loring with the NPC, or "Nothing" will flash on the text part
of the screen. Pointless after the first time through the game.
Sane Mind
Cures or reduces the duration of the "Insanity" ailment. Comes in handy
at times, as unlike the monsters your characters seem to be subsceptible to
insanity quite often.
Blink
Randomly makes the character invisible/visible throughout the round. Lasts
for quite a while, but is not a suggested spell if you are using a Monk to
get these spells.
Silence
Attempts to silence a group of monsters. Try to avoid casting this on
Alchemical-casting monsters.
Haste
Speeds up your party. Quite useful in trying to make everyone go first.
Cure Paralysis
Cures or reduces the duration of the "Paralysis" ailment. Especially useful
when the trap goes off in your face and leaves you paralyzed for days.
Level 4 spells: (54 Theosophy)
Armormelt
Makes it easier to hit and damage monsters. Think of it as the opposite
of Armor Shield.
Psionic Blast
A group version of Mental Attack, and just about as useful.
Illusion
Summons monsters to fight for you. Fantasmogoras are at the high end of
things that are summoned by this. The best out of the three summon spells
if you like instant death spellcasters.
Wizard Eye
Gives an overhead view of the area--just like you had a Journey Map kit.
(Surprise...) Skip this spell if I were you, unless you've been
skimping on your Mapping skill or don't know if there is a secret passage
behind a wall.
Spooks
The mass, hit-everything version of Terror. Yay. You're better off picking
Psionic Blast than this.
Paralyze
Paralyzes one enemy. Same thing as Web. You're not going to be using this
successfully when you want to.
Level 5 spells: (72 Theosophy)
Death
Useless, if it weren't for the fact that with the huge amount of Mental
spell points the Psionic has, it actually might work on something after the
umpteenth time. So near useless.
Level 6 spells: (90 Theosophy)
Locate Object
Is a Wizard Eye spell that also shows the locations of chests (but not
dropped items).
Lifesteal
The *only* true spell the Psionic will get at high levels of Theosophy that
is actually quite useful. Take it as soon as you can learn it. The massive
amounts of healing is really nice, and you kill something in the process
(sometimes something nasty like a Vampire Vulture or a Dragorra).
Level 7 spells: (98 Theosophy)
Mind Flay
It's a mass target spell, and it's really nice. Unfortunately it is the
worst out of all the mass target spells because a lot of monsters tend to
resist the type of damage it deals, just like Psionic Blast and Mental
Attack.
Locate Person
Tries to find all the NPCs in the world. A level 7 Locate Person tends
to find all the NPCs.
Ressurection
You can always quit-reload, and unlike Ressurection, you don't have to wait
forever to get it. However, since it can be used in a fight, it isn't totally
useless. However, if you're the perfectionist type you're probably going
to skip this spell. If you ressurect a character, the character loses 1 point
of Vitality and their life counter increases by 1.
Alchemy (Alchemist spellbook)
Level 1 spells:
Acid Splash
Your basic level 1 damage spell. A couple groups of monsters (the vapors in
particular) are pretty much immune to acid, but not a lot are.
Itching Skin
Attempts to inflict the "Irritated" ailment on a group of monsters. Tends to
work on a lot of them (even some boss-like monsters like *S P O T*).
Heal Wounds
Heals one guy. There shouldn't be a reason why you aren't picking this spell
first.
Stamina
Restores stamina. Very useful, so get it in the early stages of the game.
Sleep
Gives the opponent the "Asleep" status for a short time. One of the most
useful spells in the game, even if your party already has a Bard with the
Poet's Lute. This becomes useless after mid-game however.
Charm
Paralyzes an opponent. Out of battle, it makes it easier to make friends
with NPCs. If you have diplomatic problems, this may be useful. Otherwise,
skip for a better spell unless you have no choice.
Poison
Deals damage and attempts to poison the damaged enemy. Much more useful
than Acid Splash in some cases, and less so in others.
Level 2 spells: (18 Alchemy)
Blinding Flash
Attempts to inflict the "Blind" ailment on a group of monsters. Don't
expect this to work on monsters with light resistance like Man' O' Groves.
If Dazzling Lights or Prismic Missile don't work on that monster, this won't
either.
Cure Lesser Condition
Extremely useful for the Alchemist to have--unlike the other spellcasters,
Alchemists got a lot of ailment-happy spells; what do you think happens when
they backfire on their spells? :)
Confusion
Yet another ailment spell--it attempts to inflict the "Insanity" ailment on
a group of monsters. You won't be using this too much after mid-game, as
most monsters seem to shrug off this spell.
Level 3 spells: (36 Alchemy)
Stink Bomb
Yuck. You have better ways of making people sick. Still, you might like
the spell. I don't.
Air Pocket
Deflects Asphyxiation spells and reduces the effectiveness of incoming
Air-based spells that stick around as clouds. It also reduces the
effectiveness of breath weapons like Dragonlizard breath. Don't expect
this spell to have any effects on Whirlwind or Firestorm however.
Web
You really don't need this spell. What do you prefer, paralyzing one guy
or Blinding the entire group?
Whipping Rocks
Your first group-target damage spell as an Alchemist. The fact that it
doesn't seem to effectively hit most of the group at times can be
overlooked in this case, as you have nothing better as a group damage spell
at this point.
Cure Paralysis
Cures or reduces the duration of the "Paralyze" ailment. Keep it handy.
Level 4 spells: (54 Alchemy)
Fire Bomb
Once you get this, you can stop using Whipping Rocks if you got it. It's
the Alchemist's equivalent of Fireball, and as a Fire spell it hits quite
often. Still, you may pass this up for the Cloud-type spells you get in
this batch of spells.
Acid Bomb
A lasting cloud of Acid damage that lasts around 3-4 turns. Does decent
damage, like Firestorm, only not as much.
Crush
Tries to do up to 200 points of damage to one enemy. I say "tries" because
it misses quite often. That's right, MISSES, not resisted.
Poison Gas
Like Acid Bomb, it is a lasting cloud that sticks around for around 3-4 turns.
However, unlike Acid Bomb, it has a chance of poisoning anyone in the cloud,
and if they are hit multiple times, the poison lasts longer. Enjoy.
Cure Poison
Cures or reduces the duration of the "Poison" ailment. You will need this
as you get hit with nasty things like Vorpal Swords and attacks that poison
you on each hit.
Level 5 spells: (72 Alchemy)
Draining Cloud
Drains the stamina out of the group it is casted on, and lasts for a short
while. Useful when you're trying to tire out the enemy--especially if they
use breath attacks or spells.
Cure Disease
Cures the "Disease" ailment. If it doesn't go away when you cast it, cast
a stronger Cure Disease. The higher your vitality, the lower the spell level
you will need to cure the disease.
Purify Air
Eliminates or reduces the duration of any cloud spells casted on your party.
Handy when you get pounded with Poison Gas or Firestorm.
Deadly Poison
Attempts to make the opponent wither and die; failing that, it attempts
to damage and inflict the "Badly Poisoned" status on the opponent. When
this spell works, it REALLY works. You'll either love this spell or hate
it. Either way, it's much better than Death is.
Create Life
Creates monsters out of nothing. Monsters range from Spectral Moths to
Godzylli and Bloodwyrms. The best summoning spell out of the three if you
want sheer muscle; heck, it's the best period since the Godzylli can last
much longer than the other summoned creatures.
Level 6 Spells: (90 Alchemy)
Toxic Vapors
The cloud version of Stink Bomb. Very useful, and makes sure that at least
even powerful monsters can be incapacitated at times.
Noxious Fumes
Not very useful. Just a better version of Stink Bomb that hits a group.
However, there is a much better chance of nausea than Stink Bomb.
Asphyxiation
Wipes out lower level critters with ease. You can get this decently fast
with a mage, so try to grab this spell as fast as possible if you're on
hard mode and the 5 groups of critters that ambush you each fight start
to get on your nerves. Becomes useless near the end of the game though.
Cure Stone
Cures the "Stone" ailment. If it doesn't go away when you cast it, cast
a stronger Cure Stone. The higher your vitality, the lower the spell level
you will need to cure the petrification. When cured, the character who
was stoned loses 1 point in Vitality.
Level 7 Spells: (98 Alchemy)
Deadly Air
The Alchemist mass target spell. Quite useful. For an air spell, it isn't
resisted very much at all.
Death Cloud
The Alchemist instant-death spell. Not very great though, especially with
that expensive amount of spell points needed.
_______________________________________________________________________________
|--------------------------------Survival 101---------------------------------|
_______________________________________________________________________________
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--Status Ailments--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ailment: Sleep
Cure: Watchbells, Cure Lesser Condition, (automatic rousing)
Ailment: Afraid
Cure: Cure Lesser Condition, (resting--quick)
Ailment: Irritated
Cure: Cure Lesser Condition, (resting--quick)
Ailment: Blindness
Cure: Cure Lesser Condition, (resting--quick)
Ailment: Nausea
Cure: Cure Lesser Condition, (resting--medium)
Ailment: Insanity
Cure: Sane Mind, (resting--medium)
Ailment: Paralysis
Cure: Cure Paralysis, (resting--long), successful hit in combat (small chance)
Ailment: Poison
Cure: Cure Poison, (resting--short to long and dangerous!)
Ailment: Badly Poisoned (getting hit with Deadly Poison)
Cure: Cure Poison--reduces to Poison
Ailment: Disease
Cure: Cure Disease
Ailment: Stone
Cure: Cure Stone
"Ailment": Death
Cure: Ressurection
For ailments that can be cured by resting, the appropriate spell reduces the
duration of the ailment until it is down to 0 (i.e. the ailment is cured).
For ailments that CANNOT be cured by resting, you must use a set level of the
curative spell to restore the character or the ailment will not go away. This
level is based roughly on the subject's Vitality stat: the higher it is,
the lower your casting level can be.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--Killing NPCs--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Generally, it is a good idea not to kill NPCs unless you know you don't need
them--and can deal with the consequences. For example, some people kill
Father Rulae in New City and Brother TShober at Eryn River for experience,
which is fine (although pointless)...until they run into Xen Xheng and get
slaughtered. If you want to kill NPCs, make sure there are no more mobile NPCs
of the same race still alive. Making them angry enough to attack you can
become awkward at the worst times possible until your party is a killing
machine, as most of the mobile NPCs tend to stalk you.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--Inventory Management--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Some pointers:
* Try to keep your inventories organized.
* Move heavy non-essentials to characters with room, not characters with
the highest strength. If you move them to a character with high strength,
chances are that character has the high strength because it is wearing heavy
armor and can't carry anymore. If the character isn't wearing heavy armor
though, go for it.
* Try not to carry more than what you need, for two reasons:
1. You will almost always pick up loot. If you're in front of a battle
generator killing monsters, they will end up dropping loot eventually
unless you're killing something with no loot at all, like the Savant
Androids.
2. When you get an item from dialog, it automatically goes to the first
person with room in their inventory. If no one has room, it REPLACES an
item. You could do this to try to get rid of a key item, but chances are
that you'll lose something valuable instead. So don't have a full
inventory whenever possible.
* Merge items together to save space. When you need to spread the items
around (i.e. you want everyone to have an invisibility potion before a
fixed fight) merge the said item onto an empty inventory space to separate
them.
* If you're not wearing it, chances are you don't need to be lugging it
around if it isn't a key item or a restorative item. Sell what you don't
want, or drop it if you want it around just in case (Thesminster Abbey
in New City is a good place to drop items as it is often used and rather
large). Try not to drop TOO many items however--there is a set amount
of items that can be dropped in each map area.
* Avoid overloading your characters. When their carrying capacity score
changes color from grey, their equipment is heavy enough to affect their
AC, which is bad. Hey, what do you expect after carrying 300 lbs. of stuff?
_______________________________________________________________________________
|------------------------------Playing the Game-------------------------------|
_______________________________________________________________________________
The order of the following locations are a recommended, but not required, order
to get through the game for a brand new party starting just outside of New
City, based on when maps disappear.
-Basic Format-
Name of Area
List of monsters encountered
(fixed) = can only be fought in a fixed encounter (you can't avoid it)
Potential Questions
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--Questionaire Walkthrough (Semi-Spoilers)--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Starting Area (Near New City)
Monsters encountered:
Bambiphoots
Dandiphoots
Bitterbugs
Stag Weevils
Ravens
Glow Moths
Dane Initiates
Alliphoots(fixed)
Rattkin Rogues(fixed)
Rattkin Bandits(fixed)
Q: What do I do? I'm in the middle of nowhere!
A: Well first off, equip your items. Then SAVE. Get used to saving, as you
will be doing it constantly. Look around for a road and explore a bit.
Q: What about the forest area? Can't I look there too?
A: Of course you can. In fact, you should. There's a Journey Map kit that
will definitely help you hiding in a chest in the forest if you are
starting a new game. However, you should put that off until after you
have cleared out the Starter Dungeon, which is what you are looking for
on the road. This is because the monsters GUARDING the path to the
chest are very tough, and in your new condition you will most likely
get creamed. Instead, find a path on the road leading to a ladder going
into the ground. That's the starter dungeon.
Q: I imported a saved game from Bane of the Cosmic Forge, but I'm not where
you say I am!
A: If you instead started out in a different area because you imported your
game, I really can't help you too much.
If you started near Dionysceus skip directly to the Dionysceus section of this
FAQ and see if you can get the ?CRYSTAL? map in the Temple of Deadly
Coffers...if you can afford the outrageous fees. You may need to use
Legerdemain on Almagorte to pay your way through. At the very least try to get
the Mind Control skill before going to New City when you run out of cash, so
that you have a much easier time getting back to Dionysceus. Keep in mind that
you're on the same map as a newly created party, but on the other side of the
poppy fields.
If you started near Nyctalinth: go into the city, talk with H'Jenn-Ra, meet
Shritis(who you can say no to if you like the Umpani more, but don't kill
any T'rang NPCs until you can take on Shritis if you do!), and then
exit into New City instead of going back into the Anthracax. Be warned that
most NPCs don't like the T'Rang and will not trade with you, as you are
considered to be their ally (and enemies of their enemies).
If you started near Ukpyr: go in the city, join the Umpani I.U.F., decide
whether or not you actually want to help K'borra T'Rang, and proceed until you
have to deliver a message to Rodan Lewarx. (This is the most profitable way to
start, coincidentally.)
Incomplete Bane of the Cosmic Forge games will start where a new party starts.
Regardless of where you start, you need to get to New City eventually--the
first quarter of the game is linear if you have not played the game before
(and therefore know what the maps say) and unless you started in
Dionysceus, the only map you've got a chance of getting is the ?TEMPLE? map
in Orkogre Castle unless you know exactly what you are doing.
Starter Dungeon
Monsters encountered:
Encountered everywhere:
Mottle Cruds
Bitterbugs
Ravens
Level 1-
(No floor specific monsters)
Level 2-
Stag Weevils
Boring Beetles
Night Rooks(fixed)
Ra-sep-re-tep(fixed)
Q: What's this fountain here?
A: That fountain restores some health, stamina, and mana every time you sip
it. Don't forget that you can sip multiple times if once isn't enough.
To sip, either click on the fountain once and then on the characters
that you want to drink from the fountain, or search and then click on
the characters that you want to drink from it. Don't forget that you
can use the number keys (1-6) if you consider the mouse to be too slow
for this! However, be VERY careful with fountains. Most are beneficial,
but some have nasty effects on you. Save before drinking from any
fountain.
Q: What the heck am I supposed to do here?
A: Build levels. Clean out the entire dungeon. And to get to know the
game better of course. The most important tactic that you will learn
over and over here is to save before entering unexplored rooms and
areas. If you have someone with access to Priest spells, try to get
Dispel Undead if you can--you'll be happy to have it, I will guarantee
that. If something seems confusing, read the manual! It is quite
descriptive in how to do things. If you're using a copied version of
the game and didn't bother to get the manual, look for a copy of
Wizardry Gold--the manual is built in in that version by using the
F1 key, although Wizardry Gold tends to be more buggy than Crusaders
of the Dark Savant.
Despite what people may say about the game being non-linear, the first
part of the game is linear--you just can't handle most of the monsters
in the game at the level you are at. You'll see what I mean after
deciding where to go after New City--anywhere but Orkogre Castle,
Dionysceus(via the poppy fields), and Munkharama is lethal.
New City
Monsters encountered (varies by area of New City):
Gorn Spearmen
Gorn Rangers
Demented Munks
Dark Forest Munks
Rattkin Rogues
Rattkin Bandits
Dane Initiates
Dane Disciples
Savant Guards
Savant Troopers(fixed)
Savant Controllers(fixed)
T'Rang Youngers
T'Rang Wilders
Umpani Ruffians
Umpani Renegade
Q: The Savant Trooper won't let me through! Why?
A: You probably didn't state a place in New City for it to confirm.
Maybe there's an ad for a store in the Starter Dungeon somewhere...
you must have found SOMETHING resembling paper in there.
Q: What should I do here?
A: Think of New City as a bigger version of the Starter Dungeon, except
with stores and healing that you have to pay for, for now. Definitely
save before entering a place, as there are a couple doors that hide very
nasty encounters.
Q: Hey! I can't pick or force some of these doors! How do I get in?
A: If you're referring to the Umpani Detache and the T'Rshieches House,
you'll get in...but from a different place. If you are referring to a
certain always-jammed door near the Marina, buy a Knock-Knock scroll
from Belcanzor and have someone with at least 1 point in scribe use it
on the door...but save first. Either that or use a level 6 Knock-Knock
spell to open the door. Very useful treasure in the chest behind it,
considering how early in the game it is.
Q: What's with the Wand Majestik in the Curio Museum? I stick my hand in
but I can't grab it! All I get is this weird stone when I leave my hand
in there and my leader gets diseased!
A: *Don't* stick your hand in there unless you have a way to cure your
first character of disease. You can use Father Rulae in the Abbey in
the middle of New City, but you have to "donate" all your gold. Better
to wait until later when you can buy Cure Disease potions in Munkharama
or learn the spell yourself, as the Wand isn't going anywhere anyway.
Q: Can I use the boat Sogheim has in the Marina?
A: No, but you'll find a better one.
Q: What the heck do I do at these Devil Faces in the Curio Museum?
A: Read the ?BOAT? Map. Funny, some of those words match the devils...
Q: What is that sign in the Condemned Area?
A: It's a way into Old City. You'll figure out how to get in after you
help Barlone in the Rattkin Ruins' Funhouse with a favor. Maybe
Professor Wunderland was the friend he was speaking of--after all, he IS
a Rattkin, and he IS interested in Old City. Perhaps mentioning the
place Barlone mentioned will help jog his memory.
Q: What's the Book of Fables for? I managed to sneak past the Savant
Android guarding it with my fastest character.
A: It is for figuring out the witches names. Read it when you're in the
Witch Mountains, and especially pay attention to the last parts.
Q: Who's the Gorn Officer that Palukes mentioned?
A: You'll find out. Keep in mind when NPCs mention nouns like Officer or
even a place, there is a possibility that saying those words can open a
flood of useful info.
Q: I found a Black Wafer. What does it do?
A: It's for the Constabulary. Think of ETX as Entrance. Don't use it in
the Forbidden Zone however, unless you WANT to fight Savant Troopers and
Savant Guards.
Q: How *do* I get in the Forbidden Zone?
A: You walk in. :) You mean inside the inside area? Get the Control Card
from the T'Rshieches House...but you'll need to have a chat with
Shiritis before you can get a chance at the chest.
Q: How do I turn on the computers in the Forbidden Zone?
A: Use the Comm-Link Device from the Umpani Detache.
Q: What can I do with the computer? It wants me to login to some server.
A: Nose around Nyctalinth and wake up a few Savant Androids lying around.
Don't forget to nose around the Observation Center there for some other
answers. This is where the information you got in those two places is
used.
Q: How do I open the Security Cell?
A: Whichever server you didn't use (or used but it didn't work) the first
time, use it now.
Q: Nooo! This isn't fair!!! Why isn't the ?LEGEND? map in New City?!?
A: It tends to disappear VERY fast for s