Wizardry 8 for Windows
Supplementary FAQ (Version 2.5 - Incomplete Struggle)
Current Update: Monday, 18 March 2002
Previous Update: Wednesday, 13 March 2002
Created: Thursday, 13 December 2001
By Don "Gamera" Chan (crs1219@hotmail.com)
Note: I read Guiler's WIZ8 FAQ as I play WIZ8. This
FAQ is "supplementary" because this FAQ skips the
details that his FAQ already explained. OTOH, this FAQ
reports details that aren't or weren't in his FAQ,
and clarifies details that are ambiguous in his FAQ.
0.   Wanted
1.   Acknowledgements
2.   1st Impression
2.1  2nd Impression
3.   The Party
3.1    Character Creation
3.2    Character Development
3.3    Strategies and Tactics
4.   The Adventure Begins
4.1    Lower Monastery
4.2    Upper Monastery
4.3    Arnika Road
4.4    Arnika-Trynton Road
4.5    Arnika
4.6    Trynton
4.7    Trynton Upper Branches
4.8    Rattkin Tree
4.9    Swamp
4.10   Mine Tunnels
4.11   Northern Wilderness
4.12   Umpani Base Camp
4.13   Mt Gigas Caves
4.14   Mt Gigas Upper Caves
4.15   Mt Gigas Peak
5.   The Alchemist's Guide
6.   The Gadgeteer's Guide
7.   The Ranger's Guide
8.   Recruitable NPCs
9.   Links
"Setsunasa!" (*1)
0.   WANTED
I'm looking for:
- A list of merging which two potions will produce
which other potion.
- A list of quest items, including their names,
locations, and the NPCs who need them. For example, the
components that Antone in Arnika needs to make his special
items.
- A list of swear words that the NPCs dislike.
- Any Easter Egg or weirdness that the overworked and
underpaid Sir-Tech Canada programmers planted, or any
undocumented feature that the debuggers missed.
- WIZ8 players who will write entire chapters of useful
hints about the areas that my party hasn't explored,
including Ascension Peak and even Marten's Bluff!
- Osama bin Laden, dead or alive.
Disclaimer: I send the newest version of this file
to only five Websites:
- http://www.gamefaqs.com/
- http://vgstrategies.about.com/
- http://DLH.Net/
- http://www.gamesover.com/
- http://www.cheathappens.com/
If you downloaded or read this file at other
Websites, the SysOps of the other Websites probably
leeched it from one of the above Websites.
Dementi: J'ai envoye la plus recente version de ce
fichier a seulement cinq sites webs.
- http://www.gamefaqs.com/
- http://vgstrategies.about.com/
- http://DLH.Net/
- http://www.gamesover.com/
- http://www.cheathappens.com/
Si vous avez telecharge ou lu ce fichier a partir
d'autres sites, les responsables de ces sites l'auront
probablement pompe a partir de l'un des sites ci-dessus.
1.   ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thanks to these sierra hotel persons/organisations:
- Amakusa, Chickenator, Don Barlone, dr490n, Jowy,
Kimpo, Klef, MrPink, Paladin, phunky1, Quesius, remoh,
ribald, the fallen one, Thor the Almighty, ZephyrKai, and
other WIZ8 players in the WIZ8 message board in
GameFAQs.com, for Q&A.
- Borgman of Philippines and his wife.
- Drechenn, Guwahaha, kiah, Kthulu, Muley, and
tangentz, for chara creation hints.
- Guiler and Jack Leung, for the WIZ8 FAQs.
- Jean-Luc Barbera of France, for the French
translation of the Disclaimer, and the English translation
of the NOIR foreword. (After all, English and French are
the two official languages up here in Canada, the True
North Strong and Free.)
- John Hubbard, for hints.
- Matt Majewski, for gadget list.
- Miguel Sanchez, for feedback.
- Peloi, for attribute, dungeon, magic item, potion,
spellbook, music instrument (WIZ7 and WIZ8), and Omnigun
lists.
- Philip In of Hong Kong, for being yet another
non-Japanese friend who works in Japan.
- Razorclaw X, for the WIZ8 RPC (Recruitable Player
Chara) Guide.
- Slankers, for gadget list and recruitable NPC list.
- NATO personnel participating in Operation Enduring
Freedom. The Empire Strikes Back.
(Social democracy in action.)
No thanks to these lima delta persons/organisations:
- The EVIL terrorists responsible for the attacks in
the USA in the morning on (Tuesday) 11 September 2001
(local time).
- M27Power.Com, for computer virus.
- Osama bin Laden and his Al Qaeda.
In memory of:
- The victims of the terrorist attacks in the USA in
the morning on 11 September 2001. God bless America.
"Le noir, ce mot designe depuis une epoque lointaine
le nom du destin.
"Les deux vierges regnent sur la mort.
"Les mains noires protegent la paix des nouveaux-nes."
- NOIR (TV: 2001)
2.   1ST IMPRESSION
Wizardry 8 for Windows, by Sir-Tech Canada, has three CDs. Disc 3 is
the play CD.
This game installs as 1.19 GB (without levels and cinematics) to 1.85
GB (with levels and cinematics). I chose to install it with levels and
without cinematics, which consumes 1.59 GB.
WIZ8 is a direct continuation of the previous Wizardry games. The
player can actually import old chara from WIZ7.
The WIZ8 party can have six PCs and two NPCs. The PCs' races and
classes are same as the PC races in Bane of the Cosmic Forge and Crusaders
of the Dark Savant.
In each chara's inventory screen, the figure that represents that chara
is blurry and naked, and the figure remains naked when that chara's wearing
armour. (-_-;) (Then again, I knew we Canadians are more liberal than the
Americans to our south.) Unfortunately, the male figures of the Human and
Human-like races (Dwarf, Elf, &c) don't look (ahem) anatomical correct.
(The ancient American proverb "Naked man standing in revolving door is
going to Bangkok" doesn't apply in WIZ8.)
During the game, the player can change the chara's names, portraits,
and voices anytime. A chara can change her/his portrait to a portrait of
another race of the same sex, but not to a portrait of another sex. IMO,
most of the female voices sound either overly cheery or overly macho.
The game world is 3D, not square-based like WIZ7. Combat is turn-based,
but can be set as continuous. The monsters are also 3D.
The BGMs are MP3 files.
2.1  2ND IMPRESSION
When the party damages some monsters, disengages from the monsters,
exits the monsters' area (map), re-enters the monsters' area, and re-engages
the monsters; those monsters' HP will be the same as when the party last saw
them. The damaged monsters' HP don't regenerate.
At the same experience level as a PC, each non-recruitable named NPC
has at least 100 more HP than a PC. Also, the NPCs are like 7-Eleven. They
are awake and open their shops 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
After a chara equips and fights with an unidentified armour or weapon,
in its description, the name and attributes of the armour or weapon remain
unknown.
In combat, when a chara's missile weapon runs out of ammo, it's a free
and instant action in her inventory screen to take a slot of ammo from her
personal slots and reload her missile weapon.
Else, such as when a chara wants to equip a weapon from her personal
slots, she must use the Equip command in the next turn.
When a Valkyrie's Cheat Death works after the party falls down from a
high place, she remains awake and has about half her maximum HP. In combat,
after a hit that should've decreased her HP to 0 or below, she becomes
unconscious and has 1 HP. But Cheat Death doesn't seem to work against
poison damage. A poisoned Valkyrie, when neglected, will buy the farm.
A Gadgeteer tunes up her Omnigun about once per two levels.
When a Gadgeteer has two Omniguns and she levels up, she tunes up only
one Omnigun. When she has 1) an Omnigun in her active primary weapon slot
and another in her inactive primary weapon slot, or 2) an Omnigun in her
primary weapon slot and another in her Carried slots; she tunes up only the
Omnigun in her primary weapon slot. When she has an Omnigun in her personal
slots (primary weapon or Carried) and another in the party slots, she
doesn't tune up the Omnigun in the party slots. If both Omniguns are in her
Carried slots, she tunes up only the Omnigun closer to the upper left corner
of her Carried slots.
When a Gadgeteer has three or more Omniguns and she levels up, I
presume the game complies with the above rules.
When a Gadgeteer has no Omnigun in her personal slots, and 3) has both
Omniguns in the party slots or 4) in another chara's Carried slots, she
tunes up only the Omnigun closer to the upper left corner of 3) the party
slots or 4) the other chara's Carried slots.
When the party has dropped all their Omniguns on the ground and the
Gadgeteer levels up, she expectedly doesn't tune up any Omnigun. After she
levels up and picks up the Omniguns, she doesn't retroactively tune up the
Omniguns.
My party doesn't have two Gadgeteers, and I don't want to yomp all the
way back to Trynton Upper Branches to recruit Madras, so I don't know what
happens when both Omniguns are in the other Gadgeteer's primary weapon
slots?
Further, when the mark of the Omnigun to be tuned up is below the mark
appropriate to the Gadgeteer's Level, the game tunes up the Omnigun to the
mark appropriate to the Gadgeteer's Level. For example, a Level 12 Gadgeteer
will tune up an Omnigun Mk.5 ("borrowed" from a Level 8 Gadgeteer) to Mk.7.
When the mark of the Omnigun to be tuned up is above the mark defined
by the Gadgeteer's Level, I don't know if the game tunes down the Omnigun?
The next time my Gadgeteer levels up, to Level 14, she can't tune up
her Omnigun Mk.7. But if she has only an Omnigun Mk.6, I don't know if
she'll tune it up to Mk.7 anyway?
A Bishop or Priest's Turn Undead ability damages and sometimes
paralyses Undead monsters.
After a Bard successfully uses an unidentified music instrument, the
name of the music instrument remains unknown, but its description explains
its effect.
After the party has collected a lot of items that they don't want to
carry in their party slots or sell to NPCs, they can store the extra items
in safe places. For example, the empty houses or NPCs' shops in Arnika
(town).
In a house/shop, to deposit an item, go to the inventory screen, click
an item to stick it to the pointer, click the chara's head or the icon at
the lower right corner to exit the inventory screen, then drop the item in
the room. For example, in Arnika, my party store weapons in Antone's shop,
and magic items in He'Li's inn. OTOH, I don't think the party can pack items
back into chests.
WRT Pickpocket, I downloaded the WIZ8 patches, but I'll not install
them unless I bump into and can't overcome a serious bug, because the
patches reportedly tune up the NPCs' resistances to Pickpocket.
Also, I think different difficulty levels (Novice, Normal, and Expert)
just make the Pickpocket attempts harder, but don't change the items that
the party gets from the NPCs.
(FYI, when I was playing the AD&D2 CRPGs Icewind Dale (IWD) and Icewind
Dale: Heart of Winter (IWD:HOW), my female Human Paladin also used Detect
Evil on every NPC, and my female Gnome Illusionist/Thief used Pickpocket on
every NPC. It was like Rings of Free Action R Us.)
[From Paladin (2002.02.09):
I think the items you PP is not at random. Every NPC has a set of items
you can PP.]
[From Don Barlone (2002.02.09):
The items set that you can PP from an NPC changes, if you steal
everything from then you will get a new set of items, for example: you need
to steal several items from Don until you got the Cane.]
The Elementals that the Summon Elemental spell summons:
Level 1: Air Pawn (Level 3, 140-145 HP), Earth Pawn (Level 3, 296-350
HP), Fire Pawn (Level 3, 117-135 HP), Water Pawn (Level 4, 190-216 HP).
Level 3: Lesser Air Elemental (Level 5, 206 HP), Lesser Fire Elemental
(Level 5, 280-288 HP), Lesser Water Elemental (Level 6, 198 HP).
Level ?: Major Water Elemental (Level 9, 276 HP).
IDK if the WIZ8 patches already fixed these "features":
- An ale seems to have a "max item per slot" of 1 instead of 10.
- A recruitable NPC won't let the player give her special item to another
chara or the party slots. Trying to force this to happen may hang the game.
For example, in Domina's inventory screen, when I tried to give her
Stun Mace to my Priest, Domina vocally complained and blocked the attempt.
In a safe room, I ran the party (Shift+(movement key)) until she was
unconscious. In her inventory screen, I tried to give her Stun Mace to the
Priest again, but failed because the Priest's also unconscious. I tried to
give the Stun Mace to the conscious Bard and Gadgeteer, and to the party
slots, but got a message window that says: "This item belongs to Vi. You
can't remove it." Closing this message window doesn't change the situation.
I clicked the Stun Mace on the chara's portraits and Exit icon (lower
right corner) to try to drop the Stun Mace, but got the same message window.
I clicked the Stun Mace on the Drop icon, and the pointer became an
arrowhead again, as I assumed the game successfully dropped the Stun Mace on
the floor, but when I tried to exit the inventory screen, I got the
abovementioned message window. I clicked a weapon in the party slots and
tried to give it to Domina (unconscious) and another chara (conscious), and
to drop the item, but got the abovementioned message window.
About the only things I didn't try are to dismiss Domina, dual-class
her, paralyse her, and get her killed.
BTW, after the party ran to and fro, when everyone else was
unconscious, the Stamina bars of the Bard and Gadgeteer, who wore Necklaces
of Endurance (female only), remained almost 100%. But in combat, their
Stamina bars don't regenerate as fast.
Later (2002.02.12): Domina doesn't complain when she has two Stun Maces
and the player takes away one of them.
- In the first few slots of my party's items are two Poison Daggers, two
normal daggers, and a Sprite's Dagger. Each time I click the Sort By Type
icon, the Sprite's Dagger plays musical chair with the normal daggers. That
is, the Sprite's Dagger cycles through the slots holding the normal daggers.
- When a chara equips a Cursed weapon as her active weapon, she can't
remove the Cursed weapon, or swap between her active and non-active weapons.
But when a chara equips a Cursed weapon as her non-active weapon, she can
remove the Cursed weapon. Also, when a chara equips a Cursed weapon as her
non-active weapon, and swaps the Cursed weapon as her active weapon, she
can't remove the Cursed weapon.
Thus, a chara can test whether an unidentified magic shield or weapon
is Cursed or not.
- When a Gadgeteer tunes up her Omnigun to Mk.6, does it "Kill 5%" or "KO
5%"?
- When a Gadgeteer tunes up her Omnigun to Mk.7, the game claims it has
an Arrow Attachment. Its description doesn't mention the Arrow Attachment,
and it really doesn't accept arrows as ammo.
The Wizardry 8 for Japanese Windows (WIZ8J) is made by Locus and came
out on 2001.12.20.
http://www.locus.co.jp/wizardry8/
The Mycom PC Web HP has a review at
http://pcweb.mycom.co.jp/column/game/game060.html
http://pcweb.mycom.co.jp/news/2002/01/25/06.html
And the 4Gamer.net HP has a review at
http://www.4gamer.net/review/live/wiz8j.html
The text in the game are evidently in Japanese, but I don't know if the
voices are also in Japanese?
I presume the Chinese (Taiwanese) version is on its way. (X_X)
As of 2002.02.23, my party's Sierra Hotel list, sorted by kills:
Class                    Level     Kills     Alias
Valkyrie, Female Human   12        221       Vi
Samurai, Male Dracon     12        179       Battousai
Ranger, Female Mook      11        162       Mireille
Bard, Female Felpurr     13        138       Chierin
Gadgeteer, Female Elf    13        128       Kirika
Bishop, Female Elf       12        104       Maki
Priest, Female Elf       12        74        Misato
Monk, Male Android       11        55        RFS-81
For comparison, as of 2002.02.09, the party's previous Sierra Hotel
list:
Class                    Level     Kills     Alias
Valkyrie, Female Human   10        118       Vi
Samurai, Male Dracon     10        115       Battousai
Bard, Female Felpurr     11        101       Chierin
Ranger, Female Mook      9         99        Mireille
Gadgeteer, Female Elf    11        76        Kirika
Mage, Female Elf         10        76        Asuka
Priest, Female Elf       10        54        Rei
The Valkyrie gets the most kills because her polearm does excellent,
multiplied damage against hostiles affected by Freeze All, Freeze Fresh, and
Web.
The Bard, Ranger, and Samurai's secondary weapons are magic bows and
crossbows with magic ammo, so they can take down heavily wounded hostiles
who begin to flee from the party.
The Bishop is dual-classed from a Level 10 Mage. She gets kills with
her high-level, single-target offensive spells less often than the Bard's
multiple-target Piercing Pipes and the Gadgeteer's single-target Lightning
Rod.
The Priest uses a Holy Basher as an extended weapon, but doesn't use a
missile weapon, because the Bishop/former Mage already uses a Wrist Rocket
sling, the Gadgeteer (logically) uses an Omnigun, and thus the party's
always low on sling ammo. Though every chara has bombs, potions, and
powders, the Priest thus has fewer chances to hit the hostiles.
(To take advantage of the Gadgeteer's high Modern Weapon skill, she's
just begun to use a musket, after the party bought 400-500 musket balls from
Kunar in Umpani Base Camp. Earlier, the Ranger has a blunder buss reserved
for the tough hostiles, such as Golems and Moraxes.)
Revision history of this file:
Version 0.5 (Limited Edition): Tuesday, 18 December 2001
Version 1.0 [46 KB]: Sunday, 20 January 2002
Version 1.5 [74 KB]: Saturday, 9 February 2002
Version 2.0 [113 KB]: Saturday, 23 February 2002
3.   THE PARTY
Note: To paraphrase the anime studio KSS, all
characters, stock prices, and three sizes in this
game are fictional.
The player can create a new WIZ8 party, or import a WIZ7 party. This
defines the area where the party begins the adventure. I created a new WIZ8
party.
3.1  CHARACTER CREATION
The way I formed my first party is to create six new chara, and not use
any default chara. First, I choose six different Classes.
Based on my WIZ6 and WIZ7 (Bane of the Cosmic Forge and Crusaders of
the Dark Savant) experience (and prejudice), I prefer Classes that can KIA
(critical hit)... and hope they don't get Charmed or Confused in combat. I
naturally also need a Priest-type and a Mage-type. I choose Samurai (melee
KIA and speed), Ranger (missile KIA), Bard (Music), Gadgeteer (Engineering),
Priest, and Mage... but hope they don't get doubled by NPCs with higher
Levels in the same Classes.
I dislike Monk and Ninja because they have light armour and weapons.
Though Monk and Ninja have melee KIA, stealth, and thief skills; I can use
Bard and Rogue for stealth and thief skills. Instead of Rogue, I choose Bard
because Bard can use music instruments.
As I'm a Mechanical Engineering grad (U of T, MEC 9T3+1, N PSI SUX,
ERTW), I feel a sense of duty to try Gadgeteer. (^_^;)
Instead of Alchemist, Bishop, and Psionic, I choose Priest and Mage for
simplicity. I remember the WIZ1 Bishop's "Identify Item 9" trick that
instantly warped a WIZ1 Level 1 Bishop into a Level 234 Bishop (Tiltowaits R
Us), but I think a WIZ8 Bishop might level up too slowly and need to divide
his bonus points amongst too many skills and spells. I might change my mind
later and reform the party with the other Priest- and Mage-type Classes.
(WRT the WIZ8 Ranger's missile KIA, when I was playing Phantasie III by
SSI, the magic weapon called Gnome Bow impressed me. It could cause
excellent damage to and remove a monster's body parts, and KIA many monsters
with one shot. In the real world, I've a lot of respect for the USMC (United
States Marine Corps) Scout Snipers, but I prefer semi-automatic sniper
rifles.)
Second, after I choose the above six Classes, I review the default
chara of those Classes, to note their primary attributes, and the attributes
that control their primary skills. Then, I choose a Class, and cycle through
the Races to note which Race gives 50-60 points in the important attributes
of that Class, without decreasing more than one of the other attributes to
25-35 points.
I avoid Faerie because I think despite the AC bonus, his size prevents
him from using many items.
Finally, my party are:
Samurai:       Dracon, Male        "Battousai"
Ranger:        Mook, Female        "Mireille"
Bard:          Felpurr, Female     "Chierin"
Gadgeteer:     Elf, Female         "Kirika"
Priest:        Elf, Female         "Rei"
Mage:          Elf, Female         "Asuka"
I hope there aren't many powerful items that Elves can't use.
Also, I don't have any Fighter, Lord, or Valkyrie. I initially wondered
if I should replace one of the first four chara by a female Human Valkyrie,
or eventually change one of the female chara's Class to Valkyrie. Later, in
Arnika, the party recruited a NPC Valkyrie (see below).
Without a Bishop, IMO the party can't conveniently identify new items
and unequip Cursed items.
(No prizes for the Netters who identify the origins of the chara's
names.)
Later (2002.02.19): Make sure every chara has average or above
Vitality, so they have as many HP as possible. Despite all the armours,
shields, and defensive magic; the enemies' melee, missile, and offensive
magic damage will penetrate! Worse, most magic attacks will simultaneously
affect the entire party.
Reportedly, after a chara changes class, she can't use the equipment
and skills of her previous class, unless the equipment and skills overlap.
For example, a Mage who was a Fighter can't use most armours, shields, and
weapons. OTOH, a Ninja who was a Samurai can still Critical Strike.
A dual-classed chara's level isn't necessarily her level in her current
class. For example, when a Level 10 Mage dual-classes into a "Level 11"
Bishop, she actually functions as a Level 1 Bishop. She can't even learn
most Spell Level 2 spells from spellbooks.
More about the Change Class function in a later version of this FAQ.
WRT spells, low-Level Priest obviously should choose spells that heal
the party (Heal Wounds, &c), and spells that affect multiple targets (Sleep,
Terror, Web, &c).
Low-Level Mage obviously should choose spells that damage one or more
targets (Energy Blast, Frost, &c), and spells that affect multiple targets
(Sleep, Terror, Web, &c).
In the game, a spell-caster learns a new spell everytime she advances a
level, or uses a spellbook that the party gets from NPCs and treasure
chests.
Finally, some practical comments about the chara's skills:
Alchemy: Just as a Gadgeteer can merge otherwise useless items into
gadgets, any chara with the Alchemy skill, even a Ranger, can merge two
different potions into a better potion.
After a chara successfully produces a potion, the new potion is an
unidentified potion in the inventory, but the party should've no problem
with identifying the new potion. So, producing new potions can increase both
the chara's Alchemy skill and the party's Artifacts skills.
Locks & Traps: My party has Bard and Gadgeteer, but no Rogue. So, WRT
Rogue skills, the Gadgeteer takes care of Locks & Traps, and the Bard takes
care of Pickpocket.
Modern Weapon: Muskets are useable by Fighter, Lord, Valyrie, Ranger,
Rogue, and Gadgeteer. Blunder busses are useable by Fighter, Lord, Valkyrie,
and Ranger.
Thus, unless the party begins in the Umpani Base Camp area, when they
eventually get some guns, the Gadgeteer probably has the best Modern Weapon
skill because of her Omnigun, but she can't use the best gun. Though a
Gadgeteer's Omnigun can also use musket balls as its ammo, don't waste them
this way.
Pickpocket: My party has Bard and Gadgeteer, but no Rogue. So, WRT
Rogue skills, the Bard takes care of Pickpocket, and the Gadgeteer takes
care of Locks & Traps.
Polearm: A polearm is a two-handed weapon. It has extended reach and
high minimum damage. Against an immobile or sleeping enemy, even a low-level
warrior with an awl pike can easily cause 20+ damage points.
(OK. The sources of the chara's names are: NOIR, Rurouni Kenshin -Meiji
Kenkaku Romantan-, Sentimental Graffiti/Sentimental Journey, and Shinseiki
Evangelion (Neon Genesis Evangelion): Ayanami Rei (II and III), Hitokiri
Himura Battousai, "Chierin" Matsuoka Chie of Fukuoka (Fukuoka), Mireille
Bouquet, Souryuu Asuka Langley, and Yuumura Kirika.)
3.2  CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
Some of the chara's skills automatically increase (grow) when the party
is yomping about the game world, Dominus. For example, everytime the party
finds some hidden items, some chara's Scouting may increase. Everytime the
party identifies some items, some chara's Artifacts may increase. Everytime
the party sees some monsters, some chara's Mythology may increase. Everytime
the party survives a battle, some chara's combat and weapon skills may
increase.
Later (2002.03.09): To complement my earlier comments below, when the
player creates a party of new chara, each Level 1 chara's Vitality and the
attribute that's important to her class should be as high as possible. The
aim is to ensure the chara will have high HP, and her important attribute
will reach 100 naturally (without magic items) as soon as possible, which
unlocks a special skill related to that attribute.
For example, a Mage should have high Vitality and Intelligence. Even
when she begins with Intelligence 70, and she allocates 2-3 points per Level
to her Intelligence, she needs at least 10-11 Levels before her Intellgence
reaches 100 and unlocks the Power Cast special skill.
When a chara "levels up" or gains a level, I evenly allocate the bonus
skill points to the skills that aren't amongst the above-mentioned. For
example, Samurai increases his Critical Strike and Dual Weapons, but not his
Sword. Gadgeteer increases her Engineering and Locks & Traps.
Also, when a chara levels up, I evenly allocate the bonus attribute
points to the attributes that control that chara's primary skills. For
example:
Samurai:       Dexterity, Senses, Speed
Ranger:        Dexterity, Intelligence, Senses
Bard:          Dexterity, Intelligence, Senses
Gadgeteer:     Dexterity, Intelligence, Senses
Priest:        Dexterity, Intelligence, Piety
Mage:          Intelligence, Piety, Senses
On second thought, I'm neglecting Vitality, which controls each chara's
all-important HP. (My Mage's maximum HP is very pathetic.) Maybe I'll
increase their Vitality instead of Dexterity or Senses... (9_9;)
When the primary attribute of a chara's Class reaches 100, she gains a
new speical skill. For example, when a Mage's Intelligence reaches 100, the
Mage gains a special skill called Power Cast that allows the Mage's spells
to penetrate the high-level monsters' 100% Resistances.
The special skills are:
Strength: Power Strike.
Intelligence: Power Cast.
Piety: Iron Will.
Vitality: Iron Skin.
Dexterity: Reflection.
Speed: Snakespeed.
Senses: Eagle Eye.
When, for instance, Ranger and Samurai reach Level 5+ and can learn
spells, they should choose either defensive spells that heal (Heal Wounds,
&c), or offensive spells that affect multiple targets (Sleep, Terror, Web,
&c).
Let Priest and Mage choose spells that cure, heal, or protect the party
(Armourplate, Bless, Heal Wounds, &c), and spells that affect or damage one
or more targets (Energy Blast, Frost, Sleep, Terror, Web, &c)
Later (2002.01.30): When a chara levels up, the player can't allocate
points to a skill that's 75 or above.
After my chara were Level 5-6 and began recruiting NPCs, when they
gained levels, I improved their attributes this way and hoped some of their
attributes eventually hit 100:
Warrior-type:  Dexterity, Strength, Vitality
Priest-type:   Dexterity, Piety, Vitality
Mage-type:     Dexterity, Intelligence, Vitality
Also, instead of a Priest and a Mage, maybe my party should've started
with a Priest and a Bishop, with the Bishop concentrating on Mage-type
spells, because the Bishop uses way better armours and weapons than the
Mage. Though the Bishop's Artifacts bonus is inferior to the Mage's Wizardry
bonus, I'm considering dual-classing my Mage to Bishop.
Later (2002.02.10): As advertised, I dual-classed my Mage 10 to a
Bishop 11. She loses the Wizardry bonus, but can learn more spells and use
better armours, weapons, and items. I also changed her name from Asuka
(Souryuu Asuka Langley) to Maki (Miyamura Yuuko, the former adult video
actress).
3.3  STRATEGIES AND TACTICS
During combat, if the party has no monster in their melee range, or the
player predicts the party can survive one turn of attacks by the monsters
that are already in their melee range, the party can choose to walk or run
in the next turn.
Then, in the next turn, when the party's walk/run is pending, the
monsters will probably move or attack before the party can walk/run. When
the game allows the party to walk/run, the party can cancel the walk/run.
Before the player clicks the "X" to cancel, the chara can adjust the targets
of their weapons. After the player clicks the "X", all the chara
consecutively attack the monsters.
This voluntary delay is useful when, for instance, some monsters
affected by a Terror spell in the previous turn, flee in the current turn.
The delay allows the chara with missile weapons to not attack the fleeing
monsters, switch to melee weapons, and attack the monsters in melee range.
During combat, damaging a spell-casting PC or monster doesn't abort
her/its spell-casting.
Right-click a monster to learn its immunities, if any. For example, in
Arnika, don't bother to Sleep or Terror a Savant Trooper.
When a low- to middle-level party has warriors who can throw spells, in
the first turns of a battle, when the monsters are in missile to thrown
range, the warriors can break up the monsters' formation with Terror,
instead of wasting missile weapon ammo for minimal damage. The Mage can
soften the monsters with Energy Blast and Frost. Then, when some monsters
are in melee range, the Priest and Mage can hinder the monsters and multiply
the other chara's melee weapon damage with Sleep, Terror, and Web.
If the party has a Bard, remember to use the Poet's Lute to Sleep the
monsters.
(BTW, a sleeping or unconscious Humanoid remains standing. A sleeping
or unconscious flying monster (bat, &c) floats in the air.)
[From Miguel Sanchez (2002.01.17):
If you go to somewhere that is "restricted" while you are in Marten's
Bluff, just stand right where they first warn you, and hit tilde ~ to go
into combat mode, enter run mode and once you can run right past the guards,
this way you can get the Idol and then do whatever else it is you need, fix
the teleport with the red & yellow wires and such...
I have a method to remove the guards guarding the combo lock in
Marten's Bluff too, they seem to run away from combat, so you could just
ensure there was an encounter near them, it was purely chance for me, they
also stay in the hallway, or wherever...
I also have used the turn on combat and run technique to quickly close
distance or even open doors and run right into shelter, where I can then
engage more safely...]
4.   THE ADVENTURE BEGINS
If the player creates a new WIZ8 party, they begin on a beach in the
Lower Monastery area.
If the player imports a WIZ7 party who was alone with Vi Domina, they
too begin on a beach in the Lower Monastery area.
If the player imports a WIZ7 party who was allied with the Umpani, they
begin in the Umpani Base Camp area.
If the player imports a WIZ7 party who was allied with T'Rang, they
begin in the Marten's Bluff area.
The player can't import a WIZ7 party that kept the Astral Dominae.
(Thanks to Jowy and phunky1.)
First, go to Options and customise the keyboard commands, especially
the party's movement and look left/right keys.
(I use the arrow keys for movement and num-pad for looking.)
Second, adjust the chara's formation, such that the warriors are in the
front and the wizards are in the back. Go to the chara's inventory screens
and check everyone's armour pieces (including boots and shoes) and shields.
When possible, give the best armour pieces to the chara with the worst HP.
*Everytime the party buys or gets new armour pieces, shields, or weapons,
repeat this check!*
(I call this repetitive procedure the "Lube, Oil, and Filter Sh_t".)
Return to the external view.
4.1  LOWER MONASTERY
Gadgets: None.
NPCs: Burz (male Trynnie, Level 5, 334 HP, not recruitable).
Switch on Search mode. Without moving, look around and check the radar.
*Always check the radar for items and monsters!*
Left of the party is a huge brownish yellow door. For now, ignore it.
Near the party is a chest. Open the untrapped chest and get all items.
*Regularly press Q to quick save after the party does or finds something
interesting!*
(Indeed, Q to quick save and Shift+Q to quick load is essential when
the party is Pickpocketing or Shoplifting a NPC!)
On the cliff wall way behind the chest is a grey panel. Guarding the
grey panel are three Softshell Crabs, or just "Crabs" when the party can't
ID them. Terminate them.
Look right. Standing in the water is a grey wing-like panel. Patrolling
in the water around the panel are two mobile Softshell Crabs. Move the party
into the water (no chara will drown) and terminate the Softshell Crabs.
With the grey wing-like panel on the party's left side, way before the
party is a ramp. Move onto and slowly up the ramp until the party can just
see some Softshell Crabs. When the Softshell Crabs also see the party and
become hostile, move the party backwards to the first bend of the ramp, with
the bend behind the party and the two patches of grass left of the party,
and wait for the Softshell Crabs. Don't allow more than three Softshell
Crabs to simultaneously engage the party. Also, a critical hit by a
Softshell Crab can kill a chara with fewer than 10 HP!
(To quote the Murphy's Laws of Combat, "When the enemy is in range, so
are you.")
After the party terminates the Softshell Crabs, go to the structure at
the top end of the ramp and get all items.
Return to the beach. Open the untrapped huge door. Enter the corridor.
Down the corridor are some classic Green Slimes.
(The gem-like object in a slime is its nucleus, and disappears when the
slime is terminated.)
The party eventually reaches a doorway and a ramp... and some hostile
Bats. FYI, in this dungeon, other monsters include: King Crab (boss monster
with 107 HP), Noxious Slimes (which shoot missiles), Roaches (ugh), Seekers
(lizards that shoot missiles), Small Spiders (which shoot missiles that can
paralyse), Swarming Roaches, and Tanika Fishes.
(WRT monsters that shoot missiles, to quote the Murphy's Laws of
Combat, "Incoming fire has the right of way.")
Anyway. In the room with the ramp and the Bats is a door that's barred
on the other side. Later, when the party enters that room from the other
side, to unbar and open the door, don't click the door. Click the horizontal
bar on the door, then click the door.
In another room where the party gets a Book of Light, walk around the
room and the party will find more items. For example, walk beside the
bookcases and table. *In fact, in any dungeon, rub the party against the
furniture and they might find items!*
(Reminds me of some ancient action RPGs, such as the Ys series by
Falcom, where the protagonist's SD figure bumps into a monster to attack it,
or bumps into a chest to open it.)
The Poseur's Cap isn't Cursed.
WRT the locked doors of the small rooms that have corpses in them, just
force the doors with your warriors (brute force). The party can get the
items in a room through the window on the closed door, but the party must
enter the room to find and get hidden items... and find and engage hidden
monsters.
WRT the King Crab in a big room behind a locked door, try to make it
unconscious with spells, to minimise its damage to the party.
When the party finds Burz, they aren't suicidal. They won't or can't
jump off the cliff that Burz's facing. Burz won't react when the party opens
the trapped chest near him and get the contents.
*In the auto-map, write short notes to mark Burz and other NPCs'
locations, and the locations of interesting things! For example, a locked
door that the party can't open until they get a special key later in the
game.*
Burz can add these keywords to the party's vocabulary: Arnika, Higardi.
Also, ask him about "trade" and "pickpocket". The party can even ask him
about persons and places that the party hasn't seen, such as Ascension Peak.
"(Heard anything about pickpocket?) Technically, it's
only stealing if you get caught. At least I think so."
- Burz, Lower Monastery
Burz demands cash for these keywords: messenger (72), monastery (24),
ship (20). Of course, a cheap party can pay him, then Load Game.
The party can Pickpocket, speak with, and trade with Burz, but can't
recruit him.
"Come back and see me if you need anything."
- Burz, Lower Monastery
Unless your alignment is Lawful Awful or Lawful Goody-Good, the party
can Pickpocket Burz. Quick save before an attempt. Leave and quick save
after a successful attempt. Quick load after an unsuccessful attempt that's
detected by Burz. After an unsuccessful attempt that's not detected by Burz,
try again. When the game claims Burz has nothing for the party to
Pickpocket, leave, hail him, and try to Pickpocket again. When the game
consecutively claims Burz has nothing for the party to Pickpocket for six or
more times, he probably really has nothing for the party to Pickpocket. If
the Bard or Rogue's Carried slots are full, the items will go to the party
slots.
"What the!? Hey, that's my job!"
- Burz, Lower Monastery
For comparison, my party got/Pickpocket these items from Burz: Bearded
war axe, bo, two buckler shields, bullet stones, bullwhip, bundle of arrows,
bundle of quarrels, bundle of Viper Arrows, chamois gloves, cloth pants,
Death Bomb, Dragon Kite (magic shield), Enchanted Bow, Faerie Dust, kitchen
sink, leather boots, leather greaves, leather helm, light crossbow, mail
mittens, morning star, musket (1 shot), oliveskin doublet (AC -2, Cursed!),
plate mail (L), two Potions of Light Heal, Robes (L) +1, short bow,
shuriken, silver sollerets, skullcap, sollerets, Staff of Blessing (5
charges), steel gauntlets, Stink Bomb, Stud-Cuir Bra +2, studded hauberk,
suede pants, throwing knife, war hammer, 500 GP (0 GP, 157 GP, 343 GP).
(The heavy metal armour pieces are excellent, but my party doesn't have
a Fighter, Lord, or Valkyrie to use them.) (T_T)
If Burz realises the party is Pickpocketing him, he doesn't attack the
party.
"Now you're gonna get it!"
- Burz, Lower Monastery
If the party attacks Burz, he has 334 HP and defends with a spear.
Though the game claims he's Level 5, he can summon Oak Elders ("Wood
Spirits"). If the party murders Burz, they get all of his 500 GP.
[From Paladin (2002.02.06):
BTW, I tried to sell a poignard to Burz and he accused me stealing from
him and attacked me. I shoplift one from him, but any poignard triggers this
event. I also sell a spell book (I forgot which one) to Braffit and he
accussed me too but didn't attack me. It seems the NPC also have personals
items.]
To open the gate at the other end of the bridge-elevator, the party
needs a Wheel Key. Three areas (maps) later, in Arnika (town), the party
will get a Wheel Key. Behind the gate is a room with two Screaming Heads
(Undead), two trapped chests, and a coffin. The chests and coffin contain a
magic great bow, a magic long sword, two Rings of Granite, and a Ring of
Protection.
I actually miss the traditional low-level monsters, such as Kobolds,
Goblins, Orcs, Skeletons, and Zombies. Sigh.
4.2  UPPER MONASTERY
Gadgets: Magnifying Glass, Microwave Chip.
Gregor has 120 HP and three attacks/round (melee and missile). Paralyse
or somehow disable it, so the party's physical attacks get bonus damage.
In the hall with six coffins, a pool, and a female statue, some coffins
are untrapped. One coffin may summon an Apparition (35 HP, Undead, can blind
a chara). Give your Bishop or Priest a chance to prove her deity exists, by
dispelling this monster.
Another coffin may have a trap that nauseates or make unconscious
multiple chara. Worse, the trap has multiple charges. Everytime the party
opens or closes the coffin, they activate the trap again, until every chara
buys the farm. (^_^;)
From one of the coffins, the Puck's Cap may be Cursed (Piety -10)!
South of Gregor's room, in the room with a female statue that's holding
a skull, don't touch the statue, but touch the skull. This opens a small
secret door behind and right of the statue, and the party can get the Safe
Key. If the party touches the statue, the square on the floor before the
statue opens and the party may fall to the intersection in the lower level
and get some damage, unless the party are standing on the edge of the
square.
Northwest of the Safe Key room, slowly enter the room with a red
button. Small Spiders from the ceiling engage the party.
(To quote NATO combat pilots, "You always find a better class of people
in the vertical.")
A Pustulant Slime's poison is temporary. It stops to damage when the
party wins the battle.
In the kitchen, the cleaver isn't Cursed. Set the dial of the microwave
to maximum warp (3), click the red button, and get a Microwave Chip
(gadget).
In the Hall of Meditation, spell-casting automatically fails.
Waiting in the garden are two groups of some Seekers. Disable some of
them with Sleep, Sonic Boom, Terror, or Web. If the Seekers include some
Poison Seekers, the party can get from them some Venom Sacs that Antone
(NPC) wants.
In a room west of the Phoonzang statue and upstairs is a Lightning Rod
(gadget).
Use the Crude Iron Key to open the locked door in the Hall of
Meditation and enter the bells room. In the bells room, set the dial to
maximum warp (3) and click the red button. The bells shake the screen but
don't damage the party. The bells open the glass display case, glass wall,
and glass window elsewhere in this level.
Return to the control room above the crates in the first hall in the
Upper Monastery area. Slowly walk to the edge of the broken glass window and
look down. Aim for the centre of the crates and land there. Open an
untrapped crate to get an Hunter's Cape that isn't Cursed.
In combat, I don't think the Higardi Rogues will Pickpocket the party.
Also, in melee range, they don't look handsome.
4.3  ARNIKA ROAD
Gadgets: ?
The east half of this area is hilly. The west half is forested. Near
the hill-forest border, the east-west road becomes a T-intersection, marked
by a Monastery/Arnika sign. Northeast of the sign is a house. Such houses in
the wilderness are teleporters operated by the T'Rang and Umpani.
The forest is overrun by Higardi Rogues (80+ HP) and mobile plants
(Acidvines and Iron Weeds, 30+ HP). Nodes patrolled by them are: The
Monastery/Arnika sign, the bend north of the sign, and the bend south of the
sign. Way north of the sign is a Hogar (400+ HP).
Terminate the Venom Crabs to get some Venom Crab Shells.
(Maybe because of the simplistic radar at the corner, the mesas and the
terrain of the pass west of the monastery, the appearance of the Piercer
Modais, and the look of the auto-map, this area reminds me of the
battlefields in MechWarrior 1 by (IIRC) Activision.)
Sige the Sorceress (Level 4) and her four Piercer Modais (Level 7) were
a pain to my party of Level 5-6 chara who had poor armours and few missile
ammo. (X_X) Sige's Enchanted Blade and Terror spells are a smaller problem
than the Piercer Modais' HP. Sige has only 16 HP, but each Piercer Modai has
101 +8/-0 HP. In theory, to terminate all Piercer Modais, the party must
cause 420+ damage points. In practice, the party's missile weapons do feeble
damage (when they hit...), only the Mage can throw two or three overcharged
Energy Blasts and Frosts at a Piercer Modai for 10-30 damage points each
before she depletes her MP, and to engage multiple Piercer Modais with melee
weapons is suicidal.
The tactic my party uses is: When the monsters are in visual range,
engage and break up the monsters' formation with Sleep, Sonic Boom, Terror,
Web, and the like. Keep the monsters in thrown- to long-range, and use the
auto-map to navigate and run backwards/away from the monsters when
necessary. Don't allow the monsters to end their turn in the party's melee
range, or in the next turn, the monsters will attack the party before the
party can run. Target the party's missile weapons and spells (Energy Blast,
Frost, and the like) at one monster at a time. Occasional Bombs and Powders
launched by the other chara certainly help, but my party didn't use any.
(OK. I'm cheap.)
When the Mage depletes her MP, run backwards/away from the monsters to
disengage. After the party runs for three or four turns, and are far away
enough from the monsters, the monsters will turn about and retreat. Also,
after chasing the party enough times, some of the monsters will deplete
their Stamina and fall unconscious, and wake up one or two turns later.
OTOH, as long as at least one chara has positive Stamina, all six chara can
walk/run together. (Thank gods the monsters have lower movement and Stamina
than the party.)
When the monsters retreat, disengage the party too, unless all monsters
have almost 0 Stamina, only one monster is near the party, the other
monsters can't end their turn in the party's melee range if the monsters
change their minds and charge towards the party, and the front-line chara
have 30+ HP. In this case, the party can engage the lone monster for one or
two turns, then run backwards/away.
Repeat this hit-and-run tactic until the party has attrited all five
monsters. (-_-#)
(Actually, after the first time my party ran out of ammo, and the Mage
and Priest depleted their MP, the party returned to Burz in Lower Monastery
for resupply, ie, for the Bard to practise her Pickpocket skill. Later, when
the party returned to Arnika Road, I suddenly realised/remembered the
Gadgeteer had a photon torpedo launcher, ie, a Lightning Rod that costs only
Stamina and not MP to use, like the Bard's music instruments. When the party
aren't in combat, they naturally recharge their Stamina very fast. Thus, the
Lightning Rod complemented the Mage's spells: The party sees the monsters,
engages, launches spells, the Bard and Mage deplete their Stamina and MP,
runs backwards/away to disengage, and repeat.
Finally, my party attrited all five monsters earlier than I assumed,
but they didn't get any Piercer Modai Claw?
On second thought, I also used this hit-and-run tactic against monsters
that were willing to retreat in Icewind Dale, and cleared that game before
the monsters' AI became more clever and dedicated in Icewind Dale: Heart of
Winter. But in WIZ8, I'm executing the tactic in first-person view, not
simply point-and-click.)
The northwest exit of this Arnika Road area leads to the Northern
Wilderness area.
4.4  ARNIKA-TRYNTON ROAD
Gadgets: ?
NPCs: Rattus Rattus (male, Level 7, 283 HP, not recruitable)
Stay on the east side of the road to reach the entrance of Arnika.
West of the first Monastery/Arnika sign are some Knock Picks.
Northwest of the second sign, beside the wall, is a purple potion.
Southeast of the second sign is a house. Northeast of the house is a
buckler shield and chain hauberk.
"Right here, you freakin' idiot."