Games PC ULTIMATE WIZARDRY ARCHIVES User Manual

Note: When reading through the Ultimate Wizardry Archives’ manual, keep in mind that each chapter is a manual of its own. From time to time a chapter may refer you to a “section of this manual”, meaning “this chapter”.

Proving Grounds of 5 the Mad Overlord

Knight of Diamonds 59

Legacy of Llylgamyn 61

Return of Werdna 69

Heart of the Maelstrom 79

Bane of the Cosmic Forge 127

Crusaders of the Dark Savant 185 & Wizardry Gold

Warranty 249

Customer Service 251

Interplay Web Site 255

Credits 257

Notes 259

Proving Grounds

of the

Mad Overlord

Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord

The Special Effects Department

Each brand of computer has its own unique features. Your IBM PC (or 100% compatible) is no exception. The IBM PC version of Wizardry has been specially programmed to take advantage of some of these features.

Pauses for Thought

Occasionally the program pauses to allow you to read messages. Although this delay is adjustable (by pressing [T] when in the Maze), experienced players will often want no time delay at all. Pressing [ALT] when the program is pausing will end the pause immediately. If you get tired of pressing [ALT], you can press [SCROLL-LOCK]to switch all the pauses off and on. These features are especially handy during long combats.

Sounding Off

There are times (2 A.M. in particular) when you need to play in silence. Pressing [CAPS-LOCK] will switch the sound on and off.

Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord

Acknowledgements

In a large endeavor, people close to the principals often contribute so much that their participation cannot go without mention. Without the many hours that these people have spent, Wizardry might never have been. The authors would like to thank:

Playtesters

Roe R. Adams III R2A4 Jay Banks William Bensburg John Day William Dewhurst Lee Drake Valerie Drake Virginia Drake Rick Dutton Walt Freitag Brenda Garno Jerry Lazar Susan Lee Sheila McDonald Mike Massamilla Helen Murphy Paul Murphy Elizabeth Rowe Dave Shaw Ami Silberman

Testing Staff

Janice Hindle Tim Woodhead Linda Sirotek Becky Woodhead Katy Woodhead

Technical Staff

Hideki Akiyama Yasuhiro Furuichi Kazuyoshi Horiguchi Les Cannon Ryu Koriama Seijin Maeda Shigeya Suzuki John Hood Yoshito Takcuchi Shinya Yamada Shinji Yamamoto Anton Treuenfels

Authors of the Manual

Roe R. Adams, III Robert Woodhead

Illustrators

Rick Austin Will Mclain Linda Wheelin

Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord

It was in the fall of the fifth year of the fanatical wizard Werdna that our campaign began. What season or year it is now, none of us knows. I believe we are on the ninth level of this accursed maze, but time and distance are ever shifting, and reality is fleeting.

As we break camp, my five companions and I sort out our weapons and supplies. We have accumulated wondrous treasures and mighty weapons. Dreams of returning to enjoy the subtle pleasures that this shared booty could bring fill our wakeful sleep. Sezmar, the samurai; Sarah, the priest, and I, a ninja, are the vanguard. Moradin, the thief; Prospero, the mage; and Tuck, the bishop, bring up the rear.

We slowly make our way down the zigzagging corridor. Suddenly, the eldritch light cast by Sarah's Lomilwa spell reveals a secret door. Kicking the door open, we charge into a small room. Unfortunately, the hellhounds, demons and deadly creeping coins do not welcome company. A fierce battle ensues that shakes the very foundation of the maze. I slay one demon with my bare hands, while Sezmar dispatches hellhounds with his Muramasa blade. The tide of battle turns and twists in a kaleidoscope of weapons and mystical energies. Finally Prospero ends it. While Sarah shields us behind a Maporfic spell, Prospero casts the dreaded Tiltowait. We are victorious!

Bare, magic-blasted walls hardly reward our heroic effort. Our luck suddenly takes a dramatic turn -downward! The secret chute masks the hidden entrance to the tenth level. The final path to Werdna's lair is open. As we are standing around, slapping

each other on the back, the air is pierced with a maniacal laugh....Werdna waits!

Sobered, we regroup, heal our wounds, and set out again. We have no delusions: our greatest challenge lies ahead.

Resolutely raising our banner high, we stealthily tiptoe forward. We quickly vanish into the stygian darkness. Momentarily, our banner shines with the gold and silver dragons of Hawkwind's Hunters, then it too vanishes as distant sounds of battle reverberate.

- Book 1, Chapter 9, the Chronicles of Hawkwind

Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord

Journey to the Land of Wizardry

The Wizardry program is truly magical. It allows your computer to open a portal into a world far removed from todays high tech living. There brave warriors do battle with evil wizards and fearsome monsters for riches beyond compare. It is a place where careful planning and strategy are more important than mere reflexes. You will be able to create and captain a party of stalwart adventurers about whose adventures the troubadours will sing epics for years hence.

Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord is only the main module of an extensive series of scenarios. Each scenario will take you deeper into the legend and lore of the Wizardry world. The characters and skills that you develop in Proving Grounds will carry forward into the other programs. So hone your talents well, as Knight of Diamonds, Legacy of Llylgamyn, The Return of Werdna, Heart of the Maelstrom, Bane of the Cosmic Forge, Crusaders of the Dark Savant, and Wizardry Gold await!

In times to come, many other new scenarios will enrich your Wizardry experience and challenge your leadership skills. Wizardry is not just a single game to play and put away, it is Fantasy Role-Playing at its finest with years of campaigning ahead of you. Journey now to Wizardry and let your imagination flow through the screen into a world of magic and adventure.

Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord

Characters

Each Wizardry character is a unique individual with strengths, weaknesses, and special abilities. A character is portrayed in the game by hundreds of separate pieces of information, each of which is influenced by the actions that the character performs.

Statistics

Statistics are basic measures of a character's ability to do things. The higher the statistic, the better the character's performance.

Strength affects your skill in combat. I.Q. and Piety influence your ability to cast and resist spells. Vitality affects your ability to withstand damage. Agility helps you avoid attacks and open treasure chests. Luck comes to your aid in many mysterious ways.

Characteristics

Characteristics are descriptions of the physical, emotional and intellectual makeup of your character.

Race is the most important. Wizardry characters can belong to one of five races. Each race has different strengths and weaknesses, most visibly reflected in the minimum ability values (statistics) for each race.

Humans excel at nothing, but have no particular weaknesses, except for a decided lack of piety.

Elves are intelligent and pious, but not very robust. They excel at intellectual pursuits, and are excellent spell-casters.

Dwarves are strong and hardy. They love fine weapons and armor and delight in a good fight.

Gnomes are pious and agile, probably from praying underground during earthquakes. Due to their ascetic traditions, they make excellent priests.

Hobbits are agile and very, very lucky. They are a happy-go-lucky people, and, with the right training, become superb thieves.

Alignment describes your character's general ethical outlook.

Good characters are really good. They go out of their way to help old ladies cross the street.

Neutral characters take life as it comes. They would help an old lady cross the street if they were traveling in the same direction.

Evil characters are not really evil when compared to some of the things they fight in the Maze. They are self-centered, and always want to know "what's in it for them." Evil characters help old ladies cross the street for a small fee.

Note: In the above, we are assuming the adventurer is male, as we may sometimes do in this guidebook. Wizardry is a non-sexist game, however, English is a sexist language.

Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord

Other characteristics include hit points, which describe how much damage a character can tolerate before death, and armor class, which describes how well protected the character is.

Possessions

Possessions are objects that characters own. Gold is a very important possession. When your character begins life, he has a

pittance (probably won in a lottery), barely enough to buy some simple armor and a few paltry weapons. As your character explores the Maze, he will find great riches in gold, which may be used to purchase better items, lodging, and perhaps occasionally acquire the services of a high priest to cure, heal, or even resurrect a friend.

Gathering and maintaining the best possible set of items is a major pastime for Wizardry adventurers, as they can make the difference between life and death! The number and variety of items found in Wizardry may be a little bewildering at first. We won't tell you how the items work, but do offer some general guidelines here.

First of all, not all items may be used by every character. Some items may be used only by specific character classes. You will learn what works by practice and experience.

For example, mages may not use armor, shields, swords or maces.

Also, some items have an alignment, just as your characters do. If a character equips an item that has a different alignment, the item will seriously impair him. In addition, it will become cursed.

A cursed item is any item that cannot be voluntarily unequipped. If you equip such an item, you will be "cursed to wear it."

Cursed items are not always bad for you. Some of the better items in the game like to "stick around."

The only safe way to rid a character of a cursed item is to pay to have it removed at Boltac's Trading Post.

Some items may be used to cast spells. Each time you use the item to cast a spell, there is a chance it will break. Generally, scrolls and potions can only be used once, while rods and staffs may work a dozen times.

Items may affect a character even though they are not equipped; they can do things just because they are being carried around.

Finally, certain magic items have special powers which you can invoke. When you try to equip yourself with one of these items, you will be asked if you wish to invoke its power.

Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord

Experience

Experience is a measure of the character's mettle and abilities, as tested in the real world. Where the abilities and characteristics describe the character's potential, perhaps the best way to measure the ability of a character to help the party is by the number of experience points he has earned.

A character can gain experience points only through the test of steel, in real combat with a mortal enemy. After each combat, all surviving members of the party will receive an award of experience points; the amount they get depends on the difficulty of the combat.

Since the experience award is divided amongst the survivors of the batte, if you manage to defeat a formidable group of monsters with only a few adventurers, they will each get considerably more experience points.

As the character gains experience points, certain thresholds will be passed, depending upon his or her class. When the number of experience points are obtained, your character is said to have made the next level. When a character makes a level, his statistics and characteristics change, usually for the better.

Class

A character's class is a sort of job description. It describes what the character has trained himself to be. A character always belongs to one class, and under certain circumstatnces can change his class. Characters start their careers in one of the basic classes, and usually choose an elite profession when they become more powerful. Each class has special requirements as to minimum abilities, alignment and allowed possessions of its members. A complete list of the entrance requirements for each of the classes can be found on page 22.

Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord

The four basic classes are:

Fighter: The basic man-at-arms. Fighters have high hit points, can use any armor and weapon, and relish their role as shock-troops. They may be of any alignment.

Mage: The sorcerer. Mages have poor hit points, can use only daggers and staffs as weapons, and can wear no armor except for robes! They can cast mage spells, and may be of any alignment.

Priest: The holy one. Priests have fairly high hit points, and, although they cannot wear helmets, they use almost any armor or shield. Priests do not fare as well in combat as fighters, and must use specially consecrated weapons, such as maces and flails. Priests have unusual abilities, however; in addition to casting priest spells, they can dispell the undead (skeletons and zombies, for example). Priest may not be of neutral alignment.

Thief: The trickster. Thieves have average hit points. Their weapons are limited to daggers or short swords; they can wear leather armor and use a shield. Thieves are very good at circumventing the noxious treasure chest traps which often lie between a party of adventurers and their hard-earned loot. They may not be of good alignment.

The four elite classes are:

Bishop: A combination of priest and mage, with some advantages and disadvantages of both. Bishops have average hit points, can wear leather armor, and use priests' weapons. They can cast both mage and priest spells, although they do not learn them as quickly as the other classes do. Bishops start learning mage spells immediately, but must reach the fourth level of ability before acquiring knowledge of priest spells. Bishops are capable of identifying magical items, and thus they can avoid the hefty charge levied for that service in Boltac's Trading Post. Like priests, bishops may not be neutral.

Samurai: These folk are fantastic warriors, and can use all fighter weapons and armor. They start out life with more hit points than fighters; in the long run, though, a fighter will have better hit points. At the fourth level of ability, samurai

Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord

slowly begin to learn mage spells. The strict code of Bushido prevents Samurai from being of evil alignment.

Lord: A combination of fighter and priest. They have the hit points and abilities of fighters, but at the fourth level of ability they gain the ability to cast priest spells, and the ability to dispell. Lords must be of good alignment.

Ninja: A superhuman fighting machine. Ninjas can use any weapons or armor, but work best without any! When fighting with their bare hands they can wreak havoc and destruction, sometimes killing the strongest opponent with a single blow. As long as they disdain armor, their great training gives them lower and lower armor class as they reach higher and higher levels of ability. Ninjas earn hit points as does a thief, and learn no spells. Finally, they must be evil.

Spells

Spells are magical formulas that allow the caster to bend the physical laws of the universe.

There are two basic categories of spells, mage and priest. Within each category there are 7 levels of spells, from weak level 1 spells to the powerful level 7 spells.

Each character has a spell book, which lists all spells that are able to cast. For a character to be able to cast a particular spell, he needs to have that spell in his book, and he needs a spell point with which to cast it. So in order to cast the third level mage spell MAHALITO, a character must have the spell in his book, and would need a third level mage spell point.

Characters learn new spells by making levels in classes that teach spells. If they later change their class, they will retain the knowledge of the spells they have learned so far, but won't learn new spells unless their new class also teaches spells.

Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord

There is a minor exception to this rule. If a character knows at least one spell of a particular category and level, then he will eventually learn all the spells of that category and level, even if he changes to a class that doesn't learn spells.

For every spell you know, you are granted at least one spell point with which to cast it. Thus, if you know 3 first level mage spells, 2 second level mage spells, and 1 third level mage spell, you will have at least 3 first level mage spell points, 2 second level mage spell points, and 1 third level mage spell points.

If you are currently a member of a spell-casting class, you may gain extra points, based upon what level you have attained. You can never have more than 9 points in any category and level.

Points are reset to their current maximum values each time you enter the Maze for an adventure (It's assumed you got a good night's sleep and studied your books over breakfast.) Each time you cast a spell, you lose a point of the appropriate category and level. When you have none left, you cannot throw that category and level of spell again without going back to the Castle to rest.

If you know 3 spells of a certain category and level, and have 3 points of that category and level, you could cast one spell three times, or each of the spells once, or any combination.

Places

Your Adventurers spend their time in one of two places, the Castle or the Maze.

The Castle

The Castle is a safe haven where your Adventurers can train, rest and lick their wounds, be ripped off by the shopkeeper, or even resurrected from the grave. The Castle encompasses five locations which provide special services to the Wizardry player. These are the Training Grounds, Gilgamesh's Tavern, Boltac's Trading Post, the Temple of Cant, and the Adventurer's Inn.

The Training Grounds, located just outside the Castle, rings with the sounds of swords clashing and timid battle cries. A closer inspection shows youngsters hitting pells with wooden blades, and many of the battle cries turn into yelps when the blade bounces back and hits them! It is here that you create new, novice characters, and can inspect veteran characters, who are standing around shouting encouragement (and other things) to the novices.

Gilgamesh's Tavern is dim and smoke-filled from the haunch of boar roasting slowly over the fire. Small groups of adventurers talk in low tones around deeply scarred wooden tables. Here is where you hope to find a team capable of surviving the arduous rigors of the Maze.

Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord

Boltac's Trading Post is the commercial center of the Castle. It is owned and operated by a friendly dwarf named Boltac. Like all dwarves, Boltac likes gold, and will sell you your own arms (not your "armaments," your arms!) if he can get away with it. Here the spoils from a hundred forays find their dubious way to sale. This place has all the equipment you need to make it your one-stop shopping center, and it is open around the clock for your adventuring convenience.

The Temple of Cant is the first stop whenever a party brings back characters who are dead, paralyzed, or similarly distressed. If the high priests of the Temple can do anything to help the poor devil you've hauled in, they will tell you what tithe is required. But since the fees expected by the clergy are rather high these days, it is likely that afflicted person may not be able to afford the "donation", so be prepared to help him out.

Poisoned characters are automatically cured when they return to the Castle from the Maze. Lost characters are beyond mortal help, and are given a free burial.

The Adventurer's Inn offers several important amenities for your characters. To being with, staying in the Inn overnight or longer can help you recuperate from rough fights with monsters by restoring some or all of the hit points you've lost in combat. If you've accumulated enough experience points to qualify you for a higher experience level, checking into the Inn will let you learn of your success, and provide details about the changes in your character statistics. Otherwise, you'll be told how many more experience points you need to increase your level.

The changes in your character statistics may enable you to change from one character class to another. To check, go to the Training Grounds and use the (C)HANGE CLASS option.

Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord

The Maze

The Maze is where the adventurers go in search of monsters to kill, loot to "borrow", and clues to help determine the whereabouts of the evil wizard. As the characters become more proficient, they will be able to adventure for longer periods of time, and penetrate deeper into the Maze; eventually, they may come face to face with their nemesis, Werdna!

The Mission

Trebor, the Mad Overload, was not always mad, merely power crazed. Several years ago, he had obtained a fabled amulet, whose awesome powers were the subject of many legends. As he sat in his throne room gloating over the empire this amulet would bring him, a great incapacitating fear gripped him. When the terror had passed, a trembling Trebor no longer held the amulet. Only one wizard could cast such a terrible spell - his arch nemesis, the Evil Wizard Werdna. How was Trebor to find him and get back the amulet?

The answer arrived swiftly, the very next day, when the earth groaned and the Castle rocked from side to side. For to taunt his enemy, Werdna had used the amulet to carve out of the ground below the Castle a ten level fortress maze. Secure in the vast depths, surrounded by monsters most foul, Werdna, to this day, still plumbs the secrets of the amulet to some unknown purpose.

The shock of all these events completely unhinged Trebor. He became thoroughly paranoid and strove to protect himself with an elite guard of the best characters in each class, while plotting on how to get the amulet back.

Trebor, though, is also well known for killing two birds with one stone (or any other handy weapon). He quickly turned the affront of Werdna's Mazes below his Castle into an asset, by declaring that these were the special Proving Grounds he had ordered built! He told his subjects that these Mazes would form the perfect place to train the bodyguards he needed (and quite possibly recover the amulet at the same time.)

Needless to say, any Adventurers who did recover the amulet will be immediately inducted into his Elite Guard, by force if need be...

This, then, is the situation your characters are thrust into. With a little luck, they will map the Maze, maul the monsters, make off with some of the goodies, find the Amulet and only get killed a few times while doing it!

Using the Wizardry program

In almost all cases, when Wizardry asks you what you want to do, the program will display a menu of options. For example:

M)AKE A SCENARIO DISK S)TART THE GAME

To select an option, simply press it's first letter. The program places a ")" after the first letter of each option to remind you that you type the first letter to select the menu option.

To make the manual easier to read, we will not put the )'s in prompts. Instead, we always CAPITALIZE any menu options we mention, and we highlight the first letter in a special (W)AY, so that it looks like a little key. Any time you see this special highlighting, you'll know you can press that key.

Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord

When you have to enter a single key, you'll be asked to press a key; when more than one key is required, you'll be asked to type what is required and press [ENTER]. The only times you will be asked to enter more than one keystroke is when you are typing the name of a character or spell, or answering a riddle.

On some computers, [ENTER] is called [RETURN].

If you are asked to confirm a choice, the program will ask you something like "DO YOU WANT TO DO THIS ( Y / N ) ?". In this case, select the option you want and press the appropriate key.

If the question or a menu contains a "#", the program expects a number key [1,2,3 etc.) as the answer.

Finally, in some menus you will see a graphic symbol that looks like a " " instead of the ")" after the first letter of one of the options. This means that the option containing it is the default option, which you can select by pressing [ENTER].

In describing the game, it will sometimes be necessary for us to use terms that may be unfamiliar to you. Don't panic! These terms will be defined later on, usually in the Adventuring section. If curiosity gets the better of you, a quick perusal of the Glossary will help.

Getting Started

Starting the Game

Ah, to adventure! To begin Wizardry, just follow the following instructions.

1. From the Windows START/PROGRAMS mean select Wizardry and then the scenario you wish to play.

2. Select (S)tart Game (Press [S]).

3. Ignore the program’s insistence to insert a scenario disk and simply press [ENTER].

Note: Since the original Wizardry games were released on floppy disks, it was important to make copies of the original disks to play on. These copies were called “scenario disks”. These disks are not needed any longer, as the game is running directly off your hard drive, where the hard drive serves as the scenario disks.

Making a Scenario Diskette

This option is a left over from the good old days of floppy disks. Since you have already installed the game from your CD-ROM on your hard drive, the game has automatically created a Scenario Disc for you there. Therefore you can completey ignore this menu entry. It does no longer work.

If all else fails, Read the Manual!

We can't overemphasize the importance of the instructions given in this manual. It's possible to stumble through the game without reading it, but you'll probably be a lot happier if you sit down with this book in front of you as you explore each aspect of Wizardry. Studies at the previously mentioned university have shown that 99% of all computer users read software manuals only after they have become hopelessly frustrated. Please be one of the one percent who won't have to call us at 3 A.M. to complain about losing their favorite characters...because you read the manual!

Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord

About "Cheat" Programs

Wizardry is a very popular game, and several people have written "cheat" programs that let you create "super" characters. We recommend that you do not use these programs for three reasons:

The cheat programs are unreliable and may damage your files. They destroy much of the challenge of the game. In the long run, it isn't much

fun to play with a set of characters that simply cannot be hurt. We are always making changes and improvements to the Wizardry game, and the

cheat programs may not work with future versions of Wizardry.

Moving about

The Castle contains a variety of locations, which you can get to by selecting from a menu. Some of the locations are reached by going to the (E)DGE OF TOWN and selecting a location from that menu. Refer to the Wizardry map on this page. If the location is inside the walls, you can enter it directly; if outside, you must first go through the Edge of Town.

Creating a Character in the Training Grounds

From the main menu of the Castle, press [E] to go the Edge of Town. When the next menu appears, press [T] to select the Training Grounds.

There are 4 options in the Training Grounds:

(C)REATE A CHARACTER

Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord

(I)NSPECT A CHARACTER (R)OSTER OF CHARACTERS (L)EAVE

Press [C] to create a new character. Next, choose a name for the character and type it in, ending by pressing [ENTER].

If you want to put a password on the character, type one in (YOU have to remember the password!) Most times you wouldn't need a password, so just press [ENTER].

Now you must choose your character’s Race and Alignment. For each you will be given a menu of choices. Simply press the letter associated with your choice.

The next selection concerns the character's statistics. Your new character will qualify for admission into one or more of the eight classes on the basis of these statistics. Based upon your choice, for race, a profile set of minimum statistic values will be displayed. You now have a chance to influence the profession of your character by distributing bonus points.

Note the special line that tells you how many bonus points you have to work with. The number of bonus points is selected randomly each time you create a character. You'll distribute these points among the various statistics. The [ENTER] key moves a selection arrow down the list of statistics. When you have the arrow pointing to the statistic you want to change, press [+] or [-] to add to subract points.

If you move the arrow off the bottom of the list of statistics, it will pop up to the top of the list.

Some computers also have up and down arrow keys. You can use these in addition to [+] or [-].

You can change the statistics any way you like, but you must use up all the bonus points you've been given. Also, you cannot push a statistic below its original value, or above 18.

Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord

When you make changes in the statistics, class options will begin to show. Each class has different minimum statistic requirements, and when you have added enough bonus points to the right statistics to qualify for a class, it will appear in one of the windows. The minimum statistic scores required to qualify for each of the classes is as follows:

Fighters need 11 strengths. Mages need 11 I.Q. Priests need 11 piety and may not be of neutral alignment. Thieves need 11 agility and may not be good. Bishops need 12 I.Q. and 12 piety and may not be neutral. Samurai need 15 strength, 11 I.Q., 10 piety, 14 vitality, and10 agility and my not be

evil. Lords need 15 strength, 12 I.Q., 12 piety, 15 vitality, 14 agility and 15 luck. They

must be good. Ninjas need 17 in all their statistics, and can only be evil. You will never get enough bonus points to create a Lord or a Ninja. Eventually

the statistics of one of your characters will rise high enough to qualify for these classes, and you will be able to change class. This is explained later in this section.

Once you've allocated all the bonus points and qualify for a class that you want, press the [ESC] key to signal that you are done. Then, if you like the character, press [Y] to store him in the roster.

Before you go charging off, filling the universe with alter egos of yourself, keep in mind several important facts:

A team can consist of up to 6 members, and any less increases the chances of disaster. There is a word for "Lone heroes battling against incredible odds." This word is "dead."

Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord

Developing a well balanced team with diverse talents is one of the major keys to success (See the section on adventuring.)

Decide which alignment you prefer your party to have before you start generating characters. Evil cannot play with good, but neutrals may play with either. Some character types are only available to one alignment or the other, so select the whole makeup of your team first to avoid disappointments, such as finally generating a fantastic samurai, only to discover that he cannot join the rest of your evil team!

Other Training Grounds Options

The (R)OSTER OF CHARACTERS option will display all the characters available, and show you whether they are alive or dead, and in the castle or out on expeditions.

The (I)NSPECT A CHARACTER option lets you look at your character in detail, and perform character specific "housekeeping" actions.

To return to the Castle, simply (L)EAVE.

Inspecting a Character in the Training Grounds

Press [I] at the main Training Grounds prompt to inspect a character. Next, select a character by pressing a letter. Now you can (I)NSPECT, (D)ELETE, (C)HANGE CLASS, OR (A)LTER PASSWORD.

(I)NSPECT shows the character's vital statistics, weapons, armor, spell books, and any special goodies he has found so far in his forays into the dungeon. This display will be covered in more detail in the section describing Gilgamesh's Tavern.

(D)ELETE allows you to retire old, world-weary adventurers, but will ask you again, just to make sure. Retired characters pack up all their belongings, go to Club Wiz, and are deleted forever from the game.

Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord

(C)HANGE CLASS gives characters the option of changing their professions in midlife. When you change class, you are entering the new class as a level one character. Therefore, changing class has the following side-effects:

Your character statistics drop to the minimum for your race. Your experience points drop to zero. All your equipment will remain in your possession, but your items will be

unequipped. Since you are changing class, you may not be able to use them anymore.

You will retain knowledge of any spells you already know, and you always get one spell point per spell in your spell books. However, you lose the extra spell points you got for being a member of your previous class. Though you may learn new spells and get new bonuses for being a member of your new class, it is likely that, at least at first, you will have fewer spell points to work with.

If you know at least one spell of a particular type and level, then you will eventually learn all the spells of that type and level, even if your new class doesn't learn spells of that type. So, for example, if you change a mage into a ninja, and the mage knew the 3rd level mage spell MAHALITO, then the ninja would eventually learn MOLITO, the other 3rd level mage spell.

(A)LTER PASSWORD changes the character's password in case of security problems (younger sibling, devious friends, parents who hate to be shown up!).

You must know a character's current password in order to change it. This option will not delete a forgotten password.

Gilgamesh's Tavern

Gilgamesh's is where you assemble your party. Enter the Tavern by pressing [G] at the main Castle Menu. Gilgamesh's menu provides you with several options.

(A)DD lets you add characters to your party. You will be shown a list of all the characters compatible with the other members (if any) of your party. You can select one by pressing the letter associated with the character.

As soon as you select someone who is not neutral, the alignment of the team is chosen, and disappointed incompatibles will wander back to their drinks.

(#)INSPECT lets you look at the current status of a character. This option is extensively described on the next page.

Remember, whenever you see a #, Wizardry expects you to type a number, not the actual (#) key.

(R)EMOVE lets you remove a character from the party. (D)IVVY GOLD pools the gold belonging to the party, and then evenly splits it up

between the party members. (L)EAVE exits the Tavern.

If you decide to visit the Training Grounds once a party has been formed, the party will disband automatically. You will have to go back to the Tavern and reassemble them.

Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord

Inspecting a Character

When you are in the Tavern, (#)INSPECT lets you inspect a character in the party by typing the number key associated with that character.

When you inspect a character, a window appears that offers a wealth of facts about your character. Five pieces of information are found at the top. Your character's name and level appear first. Next are alignment, race and class. On the lines below appear your character's statistics, characteristics and possessions.

Your character's hit points and maximum hits are displayed as 8/8, where the second number is your max hits. Hit points describe the amount of damage you can tolerate before death. Max hits are the maximum number of hit points you can have. Each time you are injured in combat, hit points are deducted. For example, during a combat you take 2 points worth of damage, then your screen will show 6/8. If the hit points reach zero, your character dies.

Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord

Armor Class is a measure of how well-protected you are against attack. Note that, unlike other measures in this game, a better armor class, or AC, corresponds to a lower number. Thus AC may be expressed as a negative number if it is unusually good. Bare skin, for example, has an AC of 10. A character with an AC of -10 is about as well armored as a Sherman Tank.

When a character acquires armor that is +1, +2, or +3, that means that upon being equipped with the armor, his AC will be lowered 1, 2, or 3 points below what is normal for that piece of armor. For example, Leather Armor lowers AC by 2 (10-2= new AC of 8), while Leather +1 lowers AC by 3 (10-3= new AC of 7).

Some items in Wizardry do you more harm than good. Such items are frequently noted as having minus numbers. For example, a defective piece of Leather Armor might be Leather -1, giving the wearer an AC of 9 instead of the usual 8. Such items are almost always cursed.

Remember that while a cursed item is usually bad, it doesn't have to be. In Wizardry, cursed means that the player who equips it is "cursed to wear it".

Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord

Status will tell you about any problems you may have. Being DEAD is one of these, although you'll also see other maladies here. Characters who are marked OUT are lost somewhere in the Maze! Their status may become OUT due to any of three causes: Obliteration (everyone was killed), Starvation (Power failure or turning off the computer) or Vacation (using the (Q)UIT option while in the Maze.)

OUT characters can be retrieved. Either select the (R)ESTORE AN "OUT" PARTY option from the Utilities menu, or send a small party down into the Maze to pick them up.

Shown next are your mage and priest spell points. These strings of numbers tell you how many spells of each spell level you can cast. Within each spell category, mage and priest, there are seven power levels. You can throw one spell of a given type and power level for each spell point you have in that slot. For example, mage spell points are 5/3/2/0/0/0/0 would mean that you can cast five first-level, three second-level, and two third-level mage spells. You must have a spell written in your spell books before you can cast it.

Below the spell points are two columns for your weapons, armor, and any goodies you have found on your forays. You can carry up to eight items at a time. To the left of each item may be found one of the following symbols (no symbol means the item can be equipped or carried):

* indicates that the item is equipped. Equipping is explained below. # reminds you that the item cannot be equipped by that class of character. For

example, priests cannot use edged weapons, and thieves cannot wear chainmail. ? tells you that the item is not identified, which means you don't know exactly

what it is.

- warns you that the item is cursed. Since it is stuck to you and probably doing more harm than good, a trip to Boltac's to remove it maybe in order.

At the bottom of the screen is a menu of commands that will allow you to perform all sorts of interesting tasks.

(R)EAD offers you the chance to peruse your character's spell books. Select the category of book you want to read. All the spells he has learned so far will be displayed. Refer to the Spells section beginning on page 52 for detailed descriptions on what each is and what it does.

(D)ROP lets you drop any item onto the dusty floor of the Maze or the muddy streets of the Castle.

Dropped items are gone forever. Be careful not to drop the wrong item.

(P)OOL GOLD moves all the party's gold to the character. If you later need to give back some gold to other party members, choose the DIVVY GOLD option while in Gilgamesh's Tavern.

(I)DENTIFY allows Bishops to attempt to identify an unknown Item. If they fail, there is a chance they will be forced to equip it; and if it is cursed, they may be in trouble!

(E)QUIP lets you select the items your character is to wear. For each type of item (Weapon, Armor, Shield, etc.) you will be shown a list of what items of that type you have and invited to select the one your character will use.

Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord

Weapons and armor you possess, but have not equipped, will not be of any use to you in combat.

You can unequip an item by simply choosing no item of that type when you equip. You do this by pressing [ENTER] instead of a number.

(T)RADE allows the characters to exchange gold and items amongst themselves. To trade, first press in the number of the character with whom you wish to trade. Then type the amount of gold, if any, that you want to transfer. Next, if you wish to trade an item, press the number of the item you want to trade. When you have finished trading items, press [ENTER].

If you don't wish to trade any gold, you can press [ENTER] instead of entering "0" as the amount.

An item must be unequipped before it can be traded.

(L)EAVE ends the inspection of your character. While you are on a foray in the Maze, you can also inspect your characters by going to

Camp. When you do so, two extra options are available. (S)PELL casts spells. The spell must be in your Spell Books and you must have an

appropriate spell point available in order to cast it. If the spell is one of the healing, you will be asked upon which member of the party you wish to spell cast.

Some spells can only be cast while in combat with the monsters. In the Spells section beginning on page 52, if the "WHEN" category says Camp or Anytime, you can cast it in Camp.

(U)SE allows you to cast a spell using a special item, such as a potion bought at Boltac's. Anyone can use an item; you don't need to know the spell it casts, and you don't need a spell point to cast it.

This means that big dumb fighters can keep DIOS potions around and cure themselves.

As with casting spells normally, you can't cast some spells in camp. Each magical item has an unknown number of charges, and may break after

being used. If it does, it will be displayed in your list of items as a BROKEN ITEM.

Depending on where you were when you inspected your character, some of the options may not be available:

From the Training Grounds, you may only (R)EAD your spell books or (L)EAVE. From Gilgamesh's Tavern, you may do everything but cast a (S)PELL or (U)SE an

item. When you are in the Maze and have (C)AMPED, you may do everything.

Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord

Boltac's Trading Post

Boltac's is where you buy equipment for your party. Enter the establishment by pressing [B] at the main Castle menu. Immediately, Boltac will ask which of your characters wishes to be served.

Once you have selected a character, the shopping display will appear. You can (B)UY, (S)ELL OR (I)DENTIFY items, (U)NCURSE cursed items, (P)OOL GOLD from any party members into your possession or (L)EAVE the Shop.

Buying Items

Boltac has an enviable inventory, but he may sometimes run out of certain items. Other items won't turn up in the Trading Post unless someone brings them back from the depths of the Maze and sells them to the proprietor. So the inventory list may change in length and content as the game progresses.

To buy an item, press [B] to browse through Boltac's wares. Then press [F] for forward or [B] for backward until you find the screen with the item you want. You'll be told how much it costs and whether the character can use it.

If you still want it, press [P] to purchase, then indicate the item you want by number.

If you select an item that the character buying cannot use, Boltac will inquire as to whether you are sure you want it.

CAUTION: After leaving the store, you will probably be delighted with your shiny new items. But be aware that merely owning an item does not enable you to use it in the Maze. Only those items with which you are equipped can be called into play during combat.

Selling Items

Selling off excess equipment is a good way to raise cash for impoverished expeditions. Be aware, however, that Boltac is accustomed to making a tidy profit on every transaction, even those which involve buying back what he just sold you ten minutes before.

To sell an item, press [S]. You will see a list of your items, alongs with the price Boltac will pay. Select the item you wish to sell off by pressing the number.

Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord

You cannot sell an item that is cursed or which needs to be identified. If you attempt to sell an item that is equipped, you will be asked if that's what

you really want to do.

Removing Curses

Cursed items picked up in the Maze are very uncooperative and they stick like glue to anyone who equips them. If you manage to get back to the Trading Post in one piece carrying such an item, Boltac can uncurse it for you. Press [U]. You will see a display similar to the one used when you sell an item. Select the cursed item by pressing its number, and if you have the cash, Boltac will take it off your hands (or whatever part of your body it is attached to.)

Identifying Items

When you first find certain items in the Maze you cannot be certain of their exact properties. The names of these items describe only their appearance. Whenever possible, have such items identified before you equip yourself with them in case they turn out to be cursed.

One of the special powers of the bishop is the ability to identify items. However, there are some risks associated with having a bishop identify an item. If the bishop is not very careful, he or she may touch the item by accident. This will cause the item to be equipped, and if the item is cursed, the hapless bishop will be forced to use it. For this reason, Boltac has begun to perform such inspections himself. Needless to say, Boltac exacts a fee for this service.

The procedure for identifying items is similar to that of uncursing them, except that you press [I] to identify instead.

Pooling Gold

Since few adventurers can qualify for a Dungeon Express Card, the trading post features a (P)OOL GOLD option to help bring big-ticket items within reach of those on a limited budget. This option transfers the gold possessed by party members to the person shopping.

Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord

The Temple of Cant

Whenever a party brings back characters who are dead, paralyzed or similarly distressed, they can be carried to the Temple of Cant.

Enter the Temple by pressing [T] at the main Castle menu. You will be shown a list of the characters the Temple can help. Select a character from the list and the Temple priests will tell you what tithe is required. Choose which character in the party will pay the tithe. Should that character not have enough gold, the entire party's gold will be kicked into the fund. Unless the victim is dead or blown to ashes, (worse than just being merely dead), the healing arts of the Temple practitioners are assured of success. In those other more serious cases, there is a chance that the best efforts of the priests will be to no avail!

A character with a good vitality rating has a good chance of being helped, but old, infirm characters may be in big trouble. Dead characters who fail to be raised from the dead are reduced to ashes. Even in such depressing circumstances though, there is still hope: for a larger tithe, it is sometimes possible to resurrect a person even from an ashen mess - but if this attempt fails, the character is lost forever and cannot be restored by any means.

Anyone brought back from the dead will have but a single hit point and should limp post-haste to the Adventurer's Inn. Those resurrected from their ashes will have all their hit points restored (for all the money, you should get something free.)

Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord

The Adventurer's Inn

The Inn is where characters recover lost hit points and learn whether they have made the next level of experience. Enter the Inn by pressing [A] at the main Castle menu. Next, select a character who needs some rest & relaxation (R&R) in the same way you would for the Trading Post.

Once you've checked a character into the Inn, you'll be able to look over the types of rooms available. The more expensive rooms allow faster, but less economical, healing of wounds.

Note: Age is important in Wizardry. Beyond the age of 50, you will become more and more feeble until eventually you will not be good for much of anything except chatting about the "good old days" before the invention of the wheel. Therefore, you do not want to spend too many weeks in bed.

As you'll soon discover, certain spells can also be thrown on your characters which will restore hit points without the trouble, expense and wasted time of a visit to the Inn. But the Inn provides such medical services, even to those without spellcasting friends, as long as you have the cash.

Select one of the room types. Each type restores hit points in return for a weekly fee.

Hits/points week Fee/week

Stables none none

Barracks 1 10

Double Occupancy 3 50

Private Room 7 200

Royal Suite 10 500

Need more money? You can also (P)OOL GOLD from your party. This strips all the other party members of all their gold and gives it to the character in the Inn.

Once you have chosen a room, you will stay there until you are either fully healed or have run out of money. A display will count up your hit points and count down your bank balance. If the latter becomes alarming, you can check out early by pressing the [SPACE BAR].

Making a Level

After any stay in the Inn, a check will be made to see if you have made a level. Making a level is a joyous occasion. You'll see a declaration that you have attained the next level of experience and get all the news about any changes to your character statistics. Spell-casting characters may learn new spells. At the end of this sequence, you'll learn how far away the next experience level is.

There's a chance you might qualify for more than one level per visit to the Inn. This could happen if it's been a long time since you've had a good night's rest. If you suspect this might be the case, stay an extra night in the stables.

+ 224 hidden pages

Games PC ULTIMATE WIZARDRY ARCHIVES User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Table Of Contents