. . . /`\ /: /( : / ) /`\ _ _____________ _ __. / | / \ [spl] : / / / ) /' \ /' `\ /' `\ /' : / | / \ : / / / / / /' \ ____ ___ / \___/ / | / | / / \ :/ / / / / / \( / / )/ ___ / . |/ | / / \ / / / / / / ` / / '/` ) / /: . | / (_\ \ / / / / / / )\ / / / / / / | /: |/ .___ \ ( `--' / / `----' `\ / / / / / / | / | | / \ \ \________.' `\_____________)`\_/ `\ / `\__/ |/ |___/ / \ ) : `\/ ` `\/ \ / :.....[ Ultima: Quest of the Avatar (NES) ]...... . . . ' ' [ FAQ/Walkthrough v1.2 by splice (09-01-00) ] Table of Contents: (1) Introduction / Disclaimer (2) Walkthrough (3) Runes (4) Stones (5) Virtues & Principles (6) Dungeons (7) Towns & Castles (8) Shrines (9) Moongates (10) Weapons, Armor & Items (11) Magic & Herbs (12) Tips & hints (13) Game Genie codes (14) Party Suggestions (15) Credits / Greets -:--- - - [ (1) Introduction / Disclaimer ] When I played through Ultima: Quest for the Avatar the first time, I had the luxury of having the Nintendo Power on it and the manual, both of which were an immmense help. Recently I wanted to play through it again but discovered that I'd lost all my info on the game. The net wasn't much help, as all of the faq's I managed to find were on the old PC version. So I decided to write this up as I played through the game for anyone else who might want some assistance. This game was awesome for its era, and it clocked in at number 99 in Nintendo's Best games of all time list. (Nintendo Power #100, September 1997) May the light shine upon thee, avatar. Whenever you see coordinates in this faq (lat,long) this corresponds to the location on the map given by the sextant. [ Disclaimer ] This faq was written by me, splice (Patrick Hood) and took a lot of work. You may freely distribute this faq as is, but if you're gonna change it please get my permission. If there's something I missed that needs to be in here, lemme know and I'll add your name and info to the faq gladly. You can reach me at splice@olemiss.edu. -:--- - - [ (2) Walkthrough ] It is difficult to give a walkthrough for this game, since it doesn't really go from point A to point B. A basic outline for completing Ultima: Quest of the Avatar follows: 1) Answer the questions of virtue to obtain your character. 2) Travel to the other towns and pick up companions. 3) Collect the runes for all the virtues from the towns. 4) Collect the stones for all the virtues from the dungeons. 5) Use the stones in the correct altar rooms to get the keys. 6) Attain avatarhood by mastering each virtue and meditating at their Shrines. 7) Obtain the bell, the book, the candle, and the skull. 8) Head to the Great Stygian Abyss, and beat the game. Of course, things are actually a bit more complicated. ;) First of all, pick your first companions wisely, because once you have chosen your first three (for a total party of four) you cannot obtain new members until you level up once for each person to add. In my experience, the best party is the Fighter, the Paladin, the Bard, and the Shepherd. The latter three can all use the +1 Bow, which has to be the singlemost useful weapon in the game, and if you pick the Fighter as your character, when you attain avatarhood, you will be able to use magic and be given 99 magic points. Of course, picking your character all has to do with the opening series of questions, so just pick the virtue you want your character to possess and you'll start off in his/her hometown. Oh, one more thing. Unless you enjoy a challenge, don't pick humility. Once you have your party together, head around collecting runes from the towns and getting used to moongate travel. If you see a red ship near the shore, walk up next to it and defeat the pirates and you can claim the ship for yourself. Ships are very easy to come by once they start appearing (around level three) and will prove to be a serious nuisance while sailing around, but they're a very efficient method of transportation. While you're adventuring, make sure you head back to Castle Britannia every now and then, since talking to Lord British is the only way to gain levels. Lord British will also heal you for free if you say you're not enjoying good health. Think of the castle as your home base for the quest. Check with Hawkwind (SW corner of Castle Britannia) to see how you're doing on the virtues. In getting the Stones, your best bet is to enter Hythloth from Lord British's castle (see section 6), head down to the bottom floor to the altar rooms, then to the dungeon of choice. Altars and stone rooms will look like chalices (cups) on the map, which is brought up by using a gem. If you see a room full of enemies which is supposed to have an exit to one side but you can't go that way, beat the enemies then walk around the room and you should trigger a secret passage to open. There are places where this requires walking into a wall also. If the map shows a square with four dots on it, this is a wall that you can walk through. Just move forward as if there were no wall there. There will always be a person in the stone room you must talk with to get the stone. In the yellow stone room of compassion there is a beggar that you should give money to or forfeit the stone. When the person poses their question, the rule of thumb is: always answer yes. No matter how wrong it may seem, yes is always the answer which breaks down the wall and gets you the stone. Just remember that once you've got it, don't exit the stairs by the chest or you might be stuck going all the way through the dungeon to get back to Hythloth. Instead, go back to Hythloth and cast Exit. Every time you cast Exit from Hythloth, the balloon will be there waiting for you. After you've gotten the stones, Search the square with the Ankh in one of the three altar rooms (Love, Truth, and Courage) and place the proper Stones in the four holes to obtain the Key of Love, Key of Truth, and Key of Courage (see section 4). Once you're an avatar go to the Lycaeum and to Empath Abbey and gather up the mystic weapon and armor, the Sword of Paradise and the Exotic Armor. Once you have the Keys, and the other quest items (see section 10), head to the isle of the avatar by boat (it's the island on the southeast corner of the world, where Hythloth is located) and walk up to the mouth of the volcano. Use the quest items in this particular order: ring the Bell, read the Book, and light the Candle. Mondain's skull will shatter and the entrance to the Abyss will open. When you enter, you'll notice that you're alone. You must face this final challenge without the assistance of your companions. Beating the Abyss isn't that much of a challenge, if you've done well enough to master the other dungeons. Carry along lots of Gems so you can get an idea of which rooms to enter from what direction. Secrets abound, and most of the time the use of a secret passageway is the only way to keep going. On each floor of the Abyss there lies a chalice. When you reach it, a booming voice will greet you and ask you a question about a virtue, and ask you to place the proper colored stone. Once this is done, you will descend to the next level. The order of the questions goes straight down the list of virtues, like so: Level 1: Which Virtue is made up of Truth? Honesty, Blue Level 2: Which Virtue is made up of Love? Compassion, Yellow Level 3: Which Virtue is made up of Courage? Valor, Red Level 4: Which Virtue is made up of Truth and Love? Justice, Green Level 5: Which Virtue is made up of Love and Courage? Sacrifice, Orange Level 6: Which Virtue is made up of Truth and Courage? Honor, Purple Level 7: Which Virtue is made up of Truth, Love, Courage? Spirituality, White Level 8: Which Virtue is made up of none of these? Humility, Black When you place the black stone on level 8 of the Abyss, you've won the game, and attain the Codex along with all its secrets. -:--- - - [ (3) Runes ] Runes are the keys to their respective Shrines. Until you have a rune for a certain virtue, you cannot enter its Shrine to meditate. Meditation on each virtue is the only way to attain partial avatarhood in the virtue, so getting all eight runes should be one of the first things you should get out of the way. Compassion: You can find this rune if you search in front (one square right) of the stairs leading to the hotel in Britain. Honesty: As soon as you enter the town of Moonglow, head North and you'll see a brick square. Search three steps south of this square to obtain the rune. Valor: After you've obtained the Key, go to Jhelom and enter the door to the left of the hotel. The stairs take you to the basement. Head north and you should see a ghost, who will tell you to search in the corner of the room (on the damage floors). Justice: After you've obtained the Key, go to Yew and into the court. Enter the room to the left (the jail) and head down the stairs. Enter the cell to the north, and Search the floor beside the jailed Vorpal to find the rune. Honor: In Trinsic, go to the crop field in the southeast region of the town. Search the crops for the rune. Sacrifice: Enter the furnace of Zircon in Minoc and search the corner of the room for the rune. Spirituality: On the first floor of Castle Britannia, from the entrance, head north then west then north again and you'll see a white mage in a room with a table and chairs. In this room, there's a wall to the east you can walk through to another room with three treasure chests. Search the square in the corner with the chests around it for the rune. Humility: In Paws (directly south of Britain), head for the stables in the southeast region of the town. Check the ground behind the stables for the rune. It's located on the square that's as far southeast as you can go. -:--- - - [ (4) Stones ] The stones are used in the three altar rooms to obtain the keys of Courage, Love, and Truth. All three altar rooms can be accessed through the bottom floor of the Dungeon Hythloth and can also be found from the other six dungeons. When you enter an altar room from Hythloth, you'll enter from the south and you can reach three other dungeons by either going north, east, or west from the ankh in the center. After you've obtained the stones, Search the square with the ankh and you can place them in the holes to obtain the keys. The proper stones to place in each altar are: Altar of Truth (accessible from Deceit, Wrong, Shame, and Hythloth): Honesty (Blue), Justice (Green), Honor (Purple), Spirituality (White) Altar of Courage (accessible from Destard, Covetous, Shame, and Hythloth): Valor (Red), Sacrifice (Orange), Honor (Purple), Spirituality (White) Altar of Love (accessible from Despise, Covetous, Wrong, and Hythloth): Compassion (Yellow), Sacrifice (Orange), Justice (Green), Spirituality (White) The Blue stone of Honesty can be found on the seventh level of Deceit. The Yellow stone of Compassion can be found on the fifth level of Despise. The Red stone of Valor can be found on the seventh level of Destard. The Green stone of Justice can be found on the eighth level of Wrong. The Orange stone of Sacrifice can be found on the seventh level of Covetous. The Purple stone of Honor can be found on the second level of Shame. The White stone of Spirituality: To obtain the stone of White, you must enter the cave in the Serpent's Spine mountains (Northwest of Britain). This cave can only be reached through the use of the Balloon, and is at the coordinates (81,63). Enter Hythloth from Britain and cast Exit. This will take you outside where you can enter the balloon. Make your way up to the cave and enter. While in the cave, be sure to also obtain the Scale (Zircon in Minoc can use it to make the Axe of Legend, a powerful weapon that only Geoff the Fighter can equip). Search the chest in front of the Ankh to obtain the stone of White. The Black stone of Humility: Head to Moonglow. Enter the moongate with both new moons (both black). You will stay at Moonglow, but immediately Search the ground where the moongate appears (right where you land) when you arrive and you'll find the stone of Black. -:--- - - [ (5) Virtues & Principles ] There are eight virtues: Honesty, Compassion, Valor, Justice, Honor, Sacrifice, Spirituality, and Humility. Each virtue has a rune, a stone, a color, and a town associated with it (see table). These virtues are derived from the three Principles of Truth, Love, and Courage, as shown. Virtue Color Town Principle(s) ----------------------------------------------- Honesty Blue Moonglow Truth Compassion Yellow Britain Love Valor Red Jhelom Courage Justice Green Yew Truth, Love Sacrifice Orange Minoc Love, Courage Honor Purple Trinsic Truth, Courage Spirituality White Skara Brae Truth, Love, Courage Humility Black Magincia none Improving virtue is very important in becoming an avatar. To check the progress of each virtue, Talk with Hawkwind. He is located in the southwest corner of the first floor of Castle Britannia. Virtue How to improve ------------------------------ Honesty Don't lie or open chests in towns / Overpay the reagent seller Compassion Give money to beggars / Give LOTS of blood to the healer Valor Don't run from fights / Attack first Justice Overpay the reagent seller Honor Don't open chests in towns / Overpay the reagent seller Sacrifice Give blood to the healer Spirituality Talk with Hawkwind Humility Talk with everyone you come across In regard to Compassion, the quickest way to master it is to simply go back and forth from Lord British to the healer in Britain, giving blood and getting healed back up, until you're ready for avatarhood. Most of the virtues will improve just during your normal questing. When Hawkwind tells you that you're eligible for partial avatarhood in a particular virtue, head towards the Shrine for that virtue (you must also have the Rune to enter the Shrine) and meditate on the Ankh to attain the blessing of the Shrine and partial avatarhood. You can also check your progress by looking at the graphical representation of an Ankh in which each line represents another virtue mastered. This comes up when you enter the status submenu. After you've attained avatarhood, don't go around telling lies or stealing or your avatar rank will be taken away and you'll have to build your virtues up again. -:--- - - [ (6) Dungeons ] The dungeons are where the real quest begins. Dungeons contain powerful monsters and great treasure, and are great for building experience, if you play it safe and stick to the right dungeons. Inside dungeons you'll find springs which will either give you all your HP back or poison you, magic balls which will increase your characters attributes, and the stones of virtue. All dungeons have eight levels and all make use of secret passages. Make sure you bring along plenty of Gems, Torches and Herbs for the journey. Prepare well, and seek the virtues. The Dungeon Hythloth (240,239): This dungeon connects to all the other dungeons through the three altar rooms on its lowest level. The entrance to Hythloth is in Castle Britannia. From the start of the castle, head north, then east and look for a wall you can walk through to the north. Head west as soon as you enter (you'll see a woman who says that the balloon is near the remotest entrance to Hythloth) and notice another wall you can walk through to the north near her. Head up the stairs and you'll be in a small library with another wall you can walk through to the west. Head down the stairs in this room and you should be on the other side of the stream at the back of the castle. Enter the door and head down the stairs and you'll be in Hythloth. Once you've entered Hythloth you cannot climb back up to Lord British's castle, and casting Exit will take you to the remote entrance, which is on the very southeast corner of the world, below the Abyss, on the isle of the avatar. The white stone room is here but the stone is gone (section 4). The magic orbs in Hythloth will raise +5 Strength, +5 Dexterity, and +5 Intelligence. The Dungeon Deceit (73,240): [Honesty] The entrance to Deceit is on an islet off Dagger isle (North of Moonglow). The Blue stone of Honesty can be found on the seventh level. The magic orbs in Deceit will raise +5 Intelligence. The Dungeon Despise (67,91): [Compassion] The entrance to Despise is north of Britian in the Serpent's Spine mountains. The Yellow stone of Compassion can be found on the fifth level. The magic orbs in Despise will raise +5 Dexterity. The Dungeon Destard (168,72): [Valor] The entrance to Destard is Northwest of Trinsic. The Red stone of Valor can be found on the seventh level. The magic orbs will raise +5 Strength. The Dungeon Wrong (20,126): [Justice] The entrance to Wrong is East of the shrine of Justice. The Green stone of Justice can be found on the eighth level. The magic orbs will raise +5 Dexterity, +5 Intelligence. The Dungeon Covetous (27,156): [Sacrifice] The entrance to Covetous is just south of Minoc. The Orange stone of Sacrifice can be found on the seventh level. The magic orbs will raise +5 Strength, +5 Dexterity. The Dungeon Shame (102,58): [Honor] The entrance to shame must be reached by ship via the lost river. The Purple stone of Honor can be found on the second level. The magic orbs will raise +5 Strength, +5 Intelligence. -:--- - - [ (7) Towns & Castles ] Towns are places safe from the enemies that roam the countryside. They offer hotels where you can save your game and get a good night's sleep, pubs from which you can get useful information, healers to cure poison, heal, or resurrect departed companions, and sometimes weapons, armor, items, or herbs are for sale. Talk to everyone you meet and answer all questions posed to you as an avatar would or your virtues might suffer. Moonglow (135,232): Moonglow is the town of Honesty. * Mariah the Mage will join your party from here, she is located north of the entrance by the brick square. * Spells Unlimited is located here. When someone gives you the recipe to a spell you don't have, head here and tell the attendant the recipe to have it added to your spellbook. You cannot add spells if someone in the game hasn't actually told you the recipe. * The mage in the reagent shop will teach you Sleep (Ginseng and Silkweb). Reagent (Herb) Shop: Ash 2 Ginseng 5 Garlic 6 Silkweb 3 Moss 6 Pearl 9 Britain (106,83): Britain is the town of Compassion. * Iolo the Bard will join your party from here, he is located in the southeast region of the town (by the fire). Weapon Shop: Armor Shop: Sling 80 Cloth 50 Staff 20 Leather 200 Sword 400 Chain 600 Jhelom (220,38): Jhelom is the town of Valor. * Geoff the Fighter will join your party from here, he is located in a room on the first floor of the Hotel. Weapon Shop: Armor Shop: Bow 680 Leather 200 Staff 20 Chain 600 Axe 225 Plate 2500 Sword 400 Yew (43,58): Yew is the town of Justice. * Jaana the Druid will join your party from here, she is located north of the entrance in a small alcove in the woods. * Calumny will tell you that searching in the patch of swamp at (54,182) near Minoc at the time of two new moons will get you a piece of manroot. * Talk to the fire where Jaana is standing. Answering the flame's question properly seems to boost both your Honesty and Justice virtues. [credit: Neilast] * Hidden in the southeast corner of the town, a lady will give you the recipe for Squish (Ash, Silkweb, Moss, and Manroot). Minoc (20,159): Minoc is the town of Sacrifice. * Julius the Tinker will join your party from here, he can be found in the Northeast corner of the town, where the sick people are. * Zircon the Smith works in the room east of the weapon shop. The rune of sacrifice can be found in his furnace, and if you present him with the Scale (found in the Serpent's Spine mountain cave) he will craft the powerful Axe of Legend for Geoff the Fighter. Weapon Shop: Club 100 Axe 225 +2 Sword 1500 +1 Axe 3500 Trinsic (184,106): Trinsic is the town of Honor. * Dupre the Paladin will join your party from here, he is in the pub. Weapon Shop: Armor Shop: Bow 680 Leather 200 Club 100 Chain 600 Axe 225 Ring 800 +1 Sword 820 Skara Brae (128,22): Skara Brae is the town of Spirituality. * Shamino the ranger will join your party from here, he is by the Ankh. Reagent (Herb) Shop: Ash 2 Ginseng 5 Garlic 6 Silkweb 3 Moss 6 Pearl 9 Magincia (169,187): Magincia is the town of Humility. * Katrina the Shepherd will join your party, she's directly South of the entrance to the town. Before you cross the bridge, head South through the swamp and down the stairway. Buccaneer's Den (157,136): This town is not accessible by moongate. Buccaneer's Den is exactly what it sounds like, a town full of pirates. It's located on an island directly East of Paws. They have great weapons and armor for sale, as well as manroot. * Hit SELECT while the herbs for sale are displayed in the reagent shop to purchase Manroot. * In Katrina's room, there is a door just behind where she's standing. Beyond this door is a treasure chest which can be opened with no loss of virtue. It contains the Robe armor, which only a Shepherd can wear. It is second in defense only to the Exotic Armour itself, and since the Shepherd can normally only use Cloth (the weakest armor in the game), the Robe is invaluable when she's in your party. [credit: Neilast] Guild (items): Weapon Shop: Armor Shop: Reagent (Herb) Shop: Torch 5 X-Bow 1400 +1 Chain 4000 Ash 2 Gem 12 +1 Bow 4000 +1 Plate 7000 Ginseng 5 Key 2000 +1 Sword 820 Garlic 6 Oil 5 Wand 6500 Silkweb 3 Moss 6 Pearl 9 * Manroot 20 Cove (90,136): This town is not accessible by moongate. One can only get to cove through a whirlpool (which only appear later in the game in the ocean) or Balloon. * The Candle of Truth can be found by walking through a wall in the village shrine and opening the chest on the second floor. Opening it will not affect your virtues. * Mentallion will teach you the Gate spell here (Ash, Pearl, Manroot). Vesper (59,201): This town is not accessible by moongate. It is located West of Britain and South of Minoc, best reached by boat. * Press SELECT while viewing the items at the guild to purchase the Sextant for 900 gold. The sextant provides latitude and longitude coordinates and is very useful for finding places. Weapon Shop: Guild (items): Bow 680 Torch 5 X-Bow 1400 Gem 12 Sword 400 Key 2000 Oil 5 Paws (146,97): This town is not accessible by moongate. It is located directly South of Britain, best reached by boat. * A man will teach you the Reflect spell here (Ash, Ginseng, Garlic, Fungus). Armor Shop: Reagent (Herb) Shop: Ring 800 Ash 2 +1 Cloth 1200 Ginseng 5 +1 Chain 4000 Garlic 6 Silkweb 3 Moss 6 Pearl 9 [ Castles ] Castle Britannia (107,87): This is the home of Lord British, and is the singlemost important place in the game. The king can teach you about the virtues, principles, and can heal your characters. Hawkwind informs you of your progress on the road to avatarhood. The Hostel is here, providing a place for your companions not in your party to gather. The entrance to Hythloth castle is also here (see section 6). Lycaeum, Stronghold of Truth (107, 219): The Lycaeum is on the same island (and is Northwest) of Moonglow. * Nigel teaches you that the Life spell uses Garlic, Moss, Fungus, and.. to ask Marina of Empath Abbey for the final ingredient. * Father Antos says to search for the Book of Truth where other books are found. * The Sword of Paradise can be found here after you've reached avatarhood. * The recipe for the Negate spell is here (Ash, Garlic, Pearl, Manroot) * There is a telescope here which allows you to see the world map Serpent's Hold, Castle of Courage (241,146): This castle is found far southwest of Moonglow, around the bottom center of the world. * The recipe for the Jinx spell is found here (Fungus, Pearl, Manroot). * Sister Antos says the Bell of Courage can be found in some shallows north of the castle. Empath Abbey, Castle of Love (50,29): This castle is west of Yew, on the western coast. * The exotic armor can be found here after you've reached avatarhood. * Mariah Mandrache will introduce herself to you. * Brother Antos says the Candle of Love is in a hidden town off the greatest inland lake (Cove). -:--- - - [ (8) Shrines ] Humility (215,231): On the isle of the avatar. As you're approaching the Shrine, Use the Silver Horn or you'll be attacked every step until you reach it. Honesty (66,233): Located North of Moonglow, on Dagger Isle. Use the boat. Compassion (92,128): Walk East of Britain, across the bridge, over the swamp to reach the Shrine. Valor (227,38): South of Jhelom in plain sight. Again, use the boat. Justice (11,73): Located Northeast of Yew on a peninsula. Sacrifice (45,205): Located North of Vesper, Southwest of Minoc. Honor (207,81): Located Southwest of Trinsic near some swamps. Spirituality: Go to Minoc and enter the moongate when both moons are full. -:--- - - [ (9) Moongates ] Moongates are a method of travel passed down through the Ultima games. At first this may seem very confusing but you'll get the hang of it. The moongates are controlled by two moons, Trammel and Felucca, whose phases can be seen on the top left of the overworld screen. Trammel (the moon on the left) controls which gate is open, while Felucca (the moon on the right) controls the destination. When a moongate is open in a particular place, it can lead you to only three different places depending on the second moon, then it moves on to the next location. The following tables may make things a bit easier to understand, but you'd be well advised to map it out for yourself if this is confusing. Moon Phases: [ ] - New Moon [( ] - Crescent Waxing (1/4 full) [(| ] - First Quarter (half full) [(O ] - Gibbous Waxing (3/4 full) [(O)] - Full moon [ O)] - Gibbous Waning (1/4 new) [ |)] - Last Quarter (half new) [ )] - Crescent Waning (3/4 new) Moon phases | Gate appears at | Destination --------------------------------------------- [ ] [ ] Moonglow Moonglow [ ] [( ] Moonglow Britain [ ] [(| ] Moonglow Jhelom [( ] [(O ] Britain Yew [( ] [(O)] Britain Minoc [( ] [ O)] Britain Trinsic [(| ] [ |)] Jhelom Skara Brae [(| ] [ )] Jhelom Magincia [(| ] [ ] Jhelom Moonglow [(O ] [( ] Yew Britain [(O ] [(| ] Yew Jhelom [(O ] [(O ] Yew Yew [(O)] [(O)] Minoc Shrine of Spirituality [(O)] [ O)] Minoc Trinsic [(O)] [ |)] Minoc Skara Brae [ O)] [ )] Trinsic Magincia [ O)] [ ] Trinsic Moonglow [ O)] [( ] Trinsic Britain [ |)] [(| ] Skara Brae Jhelom [ |)] [(O ] Skara Brae Yew [ |)] [(O)] Skara Brae Minoc [ )] [ O)] Magincia Trinsic [ )] [ |)] Magincia Skara Brae [ )] [ )] Magincia Magincia -:--- - - [ (10) Weapons, Armor & Items ] In general, the more expensive it is, the better it is. Most people start out with Leather armor and a sword. [ Weapons ] Name Price Available From ---------------------------------------- Hand-to-hand combat: Staff 20 Britain Club 100 Trinsic, Minoc Axe 225 Jhelom, Minoc, Trinsic Sword 400 Britain, Jhelom, Vesper +1 Sword 820 Trinsic +2 Sword 1500 Minoc +1 Axe 3500 Minoc +2 Axe - Zircon of Minoc, requires Scale Sword of Paradise - Lycaeum, after reaching avatarhood Ranged combat: Sling 80 Britain Bow 680 Jhelom, Trinsic, Vesper X-Bow 1400 Vesper, Buccaneer's Den +1 Bow 4000 Buccaneer's Den Wand 6500 Buccaneer's Den, only the Mage and Druid can use Note: The Wand is the best ranged weapon, and the third most powerful weapon in the game (behind the Axe of Legend and Sword of Paradise) [credit: Neilast / J. Saleh] [ Armor ] Name Price Available From ----------------------------------- Cloth 50 Britain Leather 200 Britain, Jhelom, Trinsic Chain 600 Britain, Jhelom, Trinsic Ring 800 Trinsic, Paws Plate 2500 Jhelom +1 Cloth 1200 Paws +1 Chain 4000 Buccaneer's Den, Paws +1 Plate 7000 Buccaneer's Den Exotic Armor - Empath Abbey, after reaching avatarhood [ Items ] Torch - Use to give light to dungeons. Available at guilds for 5 gold. Gem - Used in the overworld, it will provide a map of the world. Used in a dungeon, it will show a map of the current level. Available at guilds for 12 gold. Key - The key opens all doors, and can be used over and over again. Available at guilds for 2000 gold. Oil - Available at guilds for 5 gold. Thanks for all the emails about this particular item :) If the Oil is used in battle it has the effect of a mini-Energy spell (one square of lava). Flute - If Katrina the Shepard uses it in battle, it can put enemies to sleep, although it has a very low success rate. (cred: T. Gentry) Sextant - Available in the Guild in Vesper for 900 gold. Press SELECT while looking at the items for sale. The sextant provides the current Latitude and Longitude coordinates and is thus very useful for finding places. Silver Horn - Search the island North of Magincia. Use this when approaching the Shrine of Humility to avoid being attacked every step. Quest Items: Bell of Courage - Search the shallows North of Serpent's Hold (208,176). Book of Truth - Search the shelf of the Lyceum library (Center square on right side). Candle of Love - Located in a treasure chest in Cove. Walk through a wall in the village shrine, take the stairs up to the second floor and open the chest. Opening this chest will not affect your virtues. Skull of Mondain - Search between the three volcanoes in the southern sea, West of the isle of the Avatar. You can see the location clearly by using a Gem in the overworld, as it looks like a giant skull. Note that you don't want to *use* the item *ever* in the game, since it will ruin your virtues. You simply need to have the Skull in your possession along with the other quest items so that when you use the Bell, the Book, and the Candle outside the final dungeon, the Skull with automatically shatter, and the entrance to the Abyss will open. Key-Cour, Key-Love, Key-Truth - Parts of the Three parts key, these are made at the three altars by placing the proper stones in the holes. -:--- - - [ (11) Magic & Herbs ] Casting magic spells makes use of herbs found around the world and sold at Reagent shops, like alchemy. Some herbs, like Sulfurous Ash, are commonplace, while others, such as Fungus and Manroot, are quite rare. Spells also use MP, which recovers as you walk. Spell Recipe Effect ------------------------------------------------ Light - Ash Provide light to dungeons Missle - Ash, Pearl Hurls a magic missile at an opponent Awaken - Ginseng, Garlic Awakens a companion Cure - Ginseng, Moss Cures a poisoned companion Wind - Garlic, Moss Changes the direction the wind is blowing Heal - Garlic, Silkweb Restores some (around 60) HP Fire - Ash, Pearl Hurls a fireball at an opponent Exit - Ash, Silkweb, Moss Exit a dungeon immediately Dispel - Ash, Garlic, Moss Remove enchantments and poison, and awaken View - Fungus, Manroot Same effect as using a Gem Protect - Ash, Ginseng, Garlic Increases armor's effectiveness Ice - Pearl, Manroot Hurls an ball of ice at an opponent Blink - Silkweb, Moss Escape from a battle instantly Energy - Ash, Silkweb, Pearl Hits an opponent and causes a 3x3 lava pit Quick - Ash, Ginseng, Moss Allows for two moves (one automatic) a turn Squish - Ash, Silkweb, Moss, Saps the enemy's health Manroot Sleep - Ginseng, Silkweb Attempts to put the enemies to sleep Negate - Ash, Garlic, Temporarily stops all spells Pearl, Manroot Destroy - Pearl, Fungus Destroy a single enemy Jinx - Pearl, Fungus, Manroot Charm the enemies into fighting each other Gate - Ash, Pearl, Manroot Transports to a destination of your choice Tremor - Ash, Moss, Manroot Causes an earthquake to damage enemies Life - Garlic, Moss, Restores the life of a departed companion Fungus, Manroot Defeat - Moss, Pearl, Manroot Sends a lethal blow to an opponent Herbs Availablility ------------------------------------- Sulfurous Ash reagent shops (2 gold) Ginseng reagent shops (5 gold) Garlic reagent shops (6 gold) Spider's Silk (Silkweb) reagent shops (3 gold) Blood Moss reagent shops (6 gold) Black Pearl reagent shops (9 gold) Fungus Search at (149,46) when both moons are new Mandrake Root (Manroot) Buccaneer's Den reagent shop (20 gold) or search the single square swamp west of vesper -:--- - - [ (12) Tips & Hints ] * When you're in the stone rooms, answer YES to the question posed by the guardian of each stone, no matter how strange the question may seem. * Save a little money by casting Light in the dungeons instead of using a torch. Light uses Ash which is only 2 gold. * Balloon won't move with the keypad? You have to cast Wind in the opposite direction that you want the balloon to go. * Want to earn lots of money quickly? Enter Hythloth from Britain and go down to the bottom level. Enter the dungeon Shame through the altar rooms. Go up to the sixth floor of Shame. Go through a secret wall on the east to find a room with many treasure chests. Search them for the gold, then go back down to the altar room. Return to Shame, and the chests will be back. You can rack up around 1000 in gold every time you do this, and if your party gets low on HPs go to a spring or cast Exit and Gate (or use the balloon) back to Britain to save and heal your party. * Want to quickly max out your attributes? Enter Hythloth from Britain, cast Exit, and re-enter Hythloth through the entrance by the balloon. Head South one square from the entrance and East one square and you'll see a magic ball. Use the Search command and let one of your party members touch it. They'll take damage and may die from the jolt, but it will raise their Strength, Dexterity and Intelligence 5 points each. Exit Hythloth and re-enter, making other party members touch the magic ball, and repeat until you're the only person left alive. Touch the ball yourself and when it kills you your party will still retain the added attributes, and Lord British will revive you and give you 400 gold. Just make sure you don't do this if you are saving up gold for something. I did this a bunch of times and didn't lose avatarhood or anything, so it doesn't seem to adversely affect you at all other than the gold. Simply repeat this procedure until your party is maxed out (50 is max). -:--- - - [ (13) Game Genie Codes ] Start with 8336 Gold Pieces: AZKP TIPA. Start with 4240 Gold Pieces: APKP TIPA. Start with 144 Gold Pieces (for experts): AAKP TIPA. Fighter starts with Strength of 48: AUNO YSLP. Fighter starts with Experience of 255: NYOO PVSK. Fighter starts with 812 Hit Points: LEVO ZIPA. Fighter starts with 75 Magic Points: LKNP YIAE. Mage starts with 381 Experience points instead of 125: PAOP TTAA. Mage starts with 712 Hit Points: ZEVP TIAA. Mage starts with Strength of 32: AXNO IIAP. Start with 100 Ash: GTXP IVAA. Start with 100 Ginseng: GTXP TVAA. Start with 100 Garlic: GTXP YVPA. Start with 100 Silkweb: GTXO ATYA. Start with 100 Moss: GTXO PVAA. Start with 100 Pearl: GTXO ZTGA. Start with 100 Fungus: GTXO LTAA. Start with 100 Manroot: GTXO GTAA. Heal costs nothing: AEKI TITG. Cure costs nothing: AAVI LSZA. Axe costs 1: PAEE NYOT. Staff costs 1: PAEE UYGP. Sword costs 144: AAOA XYPA. Bow costs 168: AAEA KYZA. Leather costs 1: PAXA ONEG. Chain costs 88: AAXA KYZA. Plate costs 196: AAXE XNPA. -:--- - - [ (14) Party Suggestions ] In most role playing games, the initial decisions you make as to what party to use can make or break the fun and challenge of the game. This game is no exception. Choosing the winning party is a challenge, and I'm always up for new suggestions. I'm probably going to play this game again soon (if I can tear myself away from Chrono Cross and company :) and might try this party, but anyway here's a party suggestion from Neilast: Paladin, Fighter, Druid, Mage: 1) You want your main character to be strong, but it's better to play as a Paladin rather than a Fighter, because not only does the Paladin have magic, but this way you can have your party utilize both the Sword of Paradise AND the Axe of Legend. (If you play as a Fighter you have to pick one or the other.) Also, the Paladin can use better armor than the Fighter (+1 Plate instead of Plate) so he can absorb damage better. 2) Not only does using both a Druid and Mage give you amazing magic power, but these two characters become the strongest fighters in the game (for ranged combat) once you give each of them a Wand. The Wand is so powerful that, at the end of my game, my Mage and Druid were doing far, far more damage than either my Paladin or Fighter, and I was clearing whole screens of enemies in only three or so rounds. -:--- - - [ (15) Credits / Greets ] A big thank you to FCI / Ponycanyon for bringing this to the NES, and of course to Origin and Lord British. Greets go out to all those in the #emu EFnet crew: faraway, herbman, Y0SHi, EFX, hypr, zophar, conjurer, berzerker, mooglezz, bondman, madhatter, sui, mrcide, typhoonz, lk and all my buds. Also greets to mindrape, vore, colrebel, sgtpppr, sagar, adept, hype, and psychotrane. Thanks to Rydain for helping me to remember where the bell was after all these years. Help along the way: Michael Olewinski William Miller Neilast Brooke Skeen Robert084 check out: http://www.parodius.com http://www.vintagegaming.com http://www.zophar.net