301 lines
17 KiB
Plaintext
301 lines
17 KiB
Plaintext
|
|
|
|
THE BARD'S TALE
|
|
Part 1
|
|
|
|
THE BARD'S TALE is a multi-character role-playing game in the tradition of the
|
|
WIZARDRY series. It was written by Michael Cranford of Interplay Productions and
|
|
distributed by Electronic Arts.
|
|
|
|
The game begins in the town of Skara Brae, where the evil wizard Mangar the
|
|
Dark has isolated the town from all help by casting a spell of eternal winter on
|
|
the surrounding countryside. Mangar has defeated all the good wizards and
|
|
warriors of note in the town and has infested the town with his evil minions.
|
|
The task now before you as junior magic casters and warriors is to defeat Mangar
|
|
and restore Skara Brae to its rightful inhabitants. Oh yes, you should bring a
|
|
bard along to record your deeds. He will sing your praises if you succeed, or
|
|
croon a dirge at your funerals.
|
|
|
|
The magic system used in the game is rich in diversity. A magic user must start
|
|
out as either a magician, specializing in casting magical effects on non-magical
|
|
objects, or a conjurer, who deals with the instantaneous creation of objects and
|
|
effects through magic. After learning at least 3 spell levels in a magic art, a
|
|
magic user can change from one class to another. But do not be too hasty: after
|
|
leaving one class you can never go back to it.
|
|
|
|
Once a magic user becomes proficient in at least one art, he can then become a
|
|
sorcerer. Sorcery deals with the magic of illusion and magical perception. If a
|
|
magic user becomes proficient in at least two of the arts, he can then become a
|
|
wizard. Wizardry deals with the summoning and control of supernatural creatures.
|
|
The experience points required to advance a level as a wizard are much higher
|
|
than the other magic classes. It is best to let your magic user advance all the
|
|
way to level 7 in whichever art he is in before changing classes. But be sure to
|
|
change class after he has attained level 7 of the art. In the dungeons there are
|
|
many traps for the unwary; you never know who will be killed and what spells are
|
|
required to save your party from extinction.
|
|
|
|
There are several different fighter classes available in the game: monks,
|
|
paladins, hunters, warriors and rogues. All have different strengths and
|
|
weaknesses. During combat only the first three members of your party can
|
|
physically fight or be attacked; the last three can cast spells. It pays early
|
|
in the game to have three fighters of some type to protect your magic users from
|
|
physical combat and free them to concentrate on a magical attack.
|
|
|
|
The bard is a unique individual who can fight, albeit poorly, and cast six
|
|
magical spells by playing an instrument. You must have one along, as this is the
|
|
Bard's Tale. to the final battle with Mangar.
|
|
|
|
The final batle itself is a large disappointment as it is fairly easy to
|
|
defeat Mangar and his vampires, and meet Kylearan again, who gives you 300,000
|
|
bonus experience points. After defeating Mangar, you can then proceed one more
|
|
square north for the last question of the game. The answer is "SPECTRE SNARE,"
|
|
which you then receive (it is good for binding to your party any of your
|
|
opponents in battle).
|
|
|
|
|
|
THE BARD'S TALE
|
|
Part 2
|
|
|
|
Obviously, the first thing you must do is assemble your party. There is a
|
|
beginning party (supplied with the game) already equipped with a basic level of
|
|
armor, instruments, etc. A much better and unique option is to transfer
|
|
characters over from either WIZARDRY or ULTIMA III. These characters come over
|
|
as fairly senior level characters and make the beginning of this game much
|
|
easier. This is a highly desirable alternative.
|
|
|
|
If you create your own characters -- which you must do for your bard -- pay
|
|
special attention to the dexterity attribute. This attribute determines who
|
|
strikes first in combat, and can be the difference between an easy encounter and
|
|
one which is a struggle. Magic users should have a high IQ, while fighter
|
|
classes should have a high strength. I recommend a monk as one of your fighters.
|
|
Their armor class drops as their level rises. Mine eventually had an armor class
|
|
of LO wearing only a robe. They also can do the most damage unarmed in actual
|
|
combat.
|
|
|
|
My starting party consisted of a monk, two paladins, a bard, a magician and a
|
|
conjurer. At higher levels of the game, you will want to trade in one of your
|
|
paladins and develop another magic user.
|
|
|
|
When you first leave the Adventurer's Guild, explore the city. Visit Garth's
|
|
Armory, and find the Review Board (located next to the inn on Trumpet Street).
|
|
Don't wander too far until you get a feel for how you can survive. To restore
|
|
hit points after fighting, visit a temple. There all ills -- including death --
|
|
can be cured for a price. After a fight, you will quite frequently find objects
|
|
of some type. Keep them all. If you don't need them, go to Garth's and sell them
|
|
for gold -- you will need it.
|
|
|
|
Visit Roscoe's Energy emporium located off the Gran Plaz on the corner of Grey
|
|
Knife Street. There you will get an idea what it costs to restore spell points.
|
|
|
|
Early on, when you are still short of gold, the best way to restore spell
|
|
points is to go into the Adventurer's Guild and just wait. This game is in real
|
|
time, and spell points are restored as you just sit there. If you wait on the
|
|
street or in a house, you will almost certainly be attacked.
|
|
|
|
When you find an object after a fight or in a chest in the dungeons, experiment
|
|
with it to find out what it is. There are no cursed items. Quite a few objects
|
|
have magical properties that are not readily apparent. Here are a few of the
|
|
objects that I found most useful, even though you won't run into these until
|
|
later in the game: Kael's Axe seemed to be the best weapon, causing the most
|
|
damage for my Paladins; a frost horn for your Bard, when used in combat, causes
|
|
40-70 hit points of damage to a group of monsters; a mage staff for your magic
|
|
users allows them to regain spell points even in a dungeon (this is incredibly
|
|
useful). I will leave it up to you to discover the usefulness of the other items
|
|
found during the game.
|
|
|
|
After learning the game play by wandering around the city and being able to
|
|
survive, it is time to visit the dungeons. This is where the battle with Mangar
|
|
will be won or lost.
|
|
|
|
|
|
THE BARD'S TALE
|
|
Part 3
|
|
|
|
There are five dungeons in the game that must be explored in the following
|
|
order: Wine Cellar and Sewers, The Catacombs, Harkyn's Castle, Kylearan's Tower,
|
|
and Mangar's Tower. Each contains something that will help in the subsequent
|
|
stages of the game.
|
|
|
|
Wine Cellar and Sewers
|
|
|
|
The easiest dungeon of them all is reached from the inn on Rakhir Street. Enter
|
|
the inn, ask to order a drink, then select wine. You will then be ushered into
|
|
the Wine Cellar. I cannot overstress the importance of mapping in this game.
|
|
Whenever possible, have the MALE spell in operation. This will help you avoid
|
|
some of the traps that are lying around. When you have an encounter and find a
|
|
chest, always cast a TRZP spell to disarm any traps that may be guarding the
|
|
chest.
|
|
|
|
Located in the Wine Cellar are the stairs down to the Sewers. The first level
|
|
of the Sewers contains almost nothing of interest. So locate the stairs to the
|
|
second level of the sewers as quickly as possible and get down there. The second
|
|
level contains one very important bit of information that you will need to enter
|
|
the Catacombs: the name of the Mad God. There are also two hints to questions
|
|
that will be asked in other dungeons. Explore this level fully to find all the
|
|
hints and the Mad God's name. The lowest level of the Sewers is next and
|
|
contains one item of importance for later in the game. Locate and take the
|
|
stairs exiting from this level. Make sure you know where the stairs lead
|
|
exactly. After this (I hope you have been visiting the Review Board regularly to
|
|
advance levels and learn new spells), you are ready for the Catacombs.
|
|
|
|
The Catacombs
|
|
|
|
The Catacombs are reached from one of the Mad God's Temples, located on the
|
|
east side of the Gran Plaz. After entering the Temple, ask to speak to the
|
|
priest, then give him the Mad God's name: TARJAN.
|
|
The first level of the Catacombs is just a survival test at this stage. Once
|
|
you can survive there fairly easily, head for the second level of the Catacombs.
|
|
The second level has a clue in it about the Mad God. It also contains a very
|
|
nasty creature called a Soul Sucker that lurks in the southwest corner of the
|
|
second level. If you decide to go in there and try him out, make sure you have
|
|
your character disk backed up. You will not be able to defeat him at this stage
|
|
of your development, but fortunately you don't have to.
|
|
The lowest level of the Catacombs contains something you will need later. Once
|
|
you have reached the third level of the Catacombs, you must use a teleport
|
|
square to enter the Wizard's Realm. The teleport is located in the southeast
|
|
corner of the dungeon. Once you are in the Wizard's Realm, you must defeat him
|
|
to gain the Eye. After you have this item, you are ready to tackle Harkyn's
|
|
Castle.
|
|
|
|
|
|
THE BARD'S TALE
|
|
Part 4
|
|
|
|
Harkyn's Castle
|
|
|
|
Harkyn's Castle is located in the northeast corner of Skara Brae. At this point
|
|
in time, it becomes very important for you to have filled your special slot with
|
|
the most powerful character your magic users can summon. If you are in the
|
|
process of developing a wizard, a lesser demon is best.
|
|
|
|
The first level of Harkyn's Castle contains one item of importance: the Crystal
|
|
Sword from the southeast corner of this level. You will now begin to find some
|
|
of the more powerful objects to experiment with during your encounters. After
|
|
obtaining the crystal sword, head for the second level of the Castle. The stairs
|
|
are located in the northeast corner of the first level.
|
|
|
|
The second level of the Castle has a couple of interesting things. If you
|
|
answer the riddle correctly ("SHIELDS") you get a magic mouth which can be used
|
|
to cast the SOSI spell. You must also obtain the silver square from the
|
|
southwest corner of the dungeon. The access to this is from a teleport located
|
|
towards the middle of the northern section of the dungeon. The portal to the
|
|
third level is located in the northeast section of this level.
|
|
|
|
The third level of the Castle contains the entrance to Kylearan's Tower and
|
|
some interesting opportunities. The answer to the Old Man's question is "SKULL
|
|
TAVERN." When you encounter the berserkers located at 12E 5N of this level, take
|
|
advantage. They can be fairly easily defeated with the right magic spells. You
|
|
should have at least two sorcerers capable of casting the MIBL spell. It also
|
|
helps if your bard has a frost or fire horn to aid the others along. When you
|
|
can defeat these guys easily, it is time to make another magic user. You can
|
|
teleport from the Castle entrance, fight the berserkers, teleport back to the
|
|
entrance, exit the castle, then do it again and again until your spells run low.
|
|
At 60,000 experience points a crack, it doesn't take long to develop a decent
|
|
magic user. After this, it is time to attempt Kylearan's Castle. When you
|
|
approach, and fight the statue of a Mad God located in the southeast corner of
|
|
this level, you will be teleported inside the gates of Kylearan's Tower.
|
|
|
|
Kylearan's Tower
|
|
|
|
After the battle with the Mad God and your subsequent teleport (you did have
|
|
the eye in your possession), go one step forward, turn right, then kick the door
|
|
down. You will then be entering one of the two most difficult mazes in the game.
|
|
Most of it is in the dark and there are riddles that must be answered. Backup
|
|
your character disk before entering this maze. Once you are in, watch carefully
|
|
for teleports: they are everywhere. It is extremely important that you map this
|
|
maze very carefully. After you have reached the antimagic square from wandering
|
|
in a very small section of the dark, the next step forward is a teleport to 11E
|
|
12N. Explore until you find a magic mouth that asks you to "Name the one of
|
|
cold, foretold twofold," The answer to this one is "STONE GOLEM." You will then
|
|
be teleported again. After this, you will enter a very large, dark area. In
|
|
order to get out of this, you must answer the question posed at 12E 2N which
|
|
says, "Name the Endless Byway and your path will be guaranteed." The answer to
|
|
this is the only street in Skara Brae with no end, Sinister. You then can map
|
|
your way through a lighted section to another dark area. From this dark area you
|
|
must obtain the Silver Triangle, located at the very north of the dark area. You
|
|
can then exit the dark area, going south from 1E 6N. After this, you will face
|
|
the Crystal Golem (did you bring the Crystal Sword?). You can defeat him with
|
|
conventional weapons and spells, but somebody has to have the crystal sword or
|
|
he will reappear to block your exit.
|
|
|
|
At this point, you can exit the tower to refresh your players or continue on.
|
|
If you exit, when you reenter you must again answer the endless byway question
|
|
to continue. Upon reaching the end of the snaky road on the east side of the
|
|
maze, don't go through the south door. Take the door that goes west. You will
|
|
then enter several rooms with spinners and teleports that make finding your way
|
|
almost impossible. The way past these is southwest. When you make it, you will
|
|
be teleported to 14E 1N. It is then an easy stroll to meet Kylearan himself. He
|
|
turns out to be the friendly wizard and gives you a key that allows you to get
|
|
into Mangar's Tower. He then teleports you to the stairs exiting his tower. You
|
|
no longer need the crystal sword or the eye, and you are now ready for Mangar
|
|
himself.
|
|
|
|
Mangar's Tower
|
|
|
|
If you paid heed and followed the stairs from the bottom level of the Sewers,
|
|
you will know how to get inside Mangar's walls. If not, go to the Wine Cellar,
|
|
teleport your party 17E 16N 3D, and take the stairs up. Then turn right and kick
|
|
the door in. You should be at the entrance to Mangar's Tower.
|
|
|
|
Level one of Mangar's is fairly easy to find your way around in. Follow the
|
|
teleports and walk around until you reach the magic mouth on the east side of
|
|
the maze. What is tricky is that after leaving the magic mouth, you are now on
|
|
level 2 of the tower. So be careful in mapping.
|
|
|
|
Level two of Mangar's is again fairly easy (not even a warmup for level 3).
|
|
From this level you must answer the question located at 4E 15N to obtain the
|
|
silver circle. The answer to the question is "CIRCLE." You must then make your
|
|
way to the stairs located in the middle of the southern side of the maze.
|
|
|
|
Level three is the hardest maze of all, but by this time you must be getting
|
|
really proficient at mapping. You must wander around this level and obtain quite
|
|
a number of items. First of all, you should get the master key, for 50,000 gold
|
|
pieces, from 19E 12N. This key allows you to enter Mangar's through the front
|
|
gate, instead of from the Sewers. You must then find the clues to the seven
|
|
words needed to access the fourth level of Mangar's. Gratefully, you can
|
|
teleport into and out of this level of the Tower. After finding the clues, you
|
|
can then speak the seven words to the magic mouth located at 10E 4N. They must
|
|
be entered one at a time. The words are, "LIE WITH PASSION AND BE FOREVER
|
|
DAMNED." Stairs will then appear at 3E 9N. This is the only way to obtain
|
|
entrance to the upper reaches of Mangar's.
|
|
|
|
The fourth level of Mangar's has only one tricky part. When you first arrive,
|
|
you have a limited number of ways you can go. After reaching a certain point,
|
|
located in the northeast corner of the level, doors appear everywhere. Don't be
|
|
confused. Everything maps the same, it's just that doors are everywhere.
|
|
Eventually you will find the portal to level five in the southwest corner of
|
|
this level.
|
|
|
|
Level five is the home stretch. This easy maze leads you to the lava pit in the
|
|
middle of the eastern side of the maze. There you dive in and are teleported to
|
|
10E 6N. You will then find the march up the hall of harm to be fruitless if you
|
|
didn't bring the three silver items along. If you have the silver triangle,
|
|
silver square, and silver circle, a door will appear directly north of you.
|
|
After passing through this door, cast your REST spell to restore everybody to
|
|
health and proceed directly north to the final battle with Mangar.
|
|
|
|
The final battle itself is a large disappointment as it is fairly easy to
|
|
defeat Mangar and his vampires, and meet Kylearan again, who gives you 300,000
|
|
bonus experience points. After defeating Mangar, you can then proceed one more
|
|
square north for the last question of the game. The answer is "SPECTRE SNARE,"
|
|
which you then receive (it is good for binding to your party any of your
|
|
opponents in battle).
|
|
|
|
|
|
This was a very difficult game to solve...Took me more than a year!
|
|
|
|
|
|
X-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-X
|
|
Another file downloaded from: The NIRVANAnet(tm) Seven
|
|
|
|
& the Temple of the Screaming Electron Taipan Enigma 510/935-5845
|
|
Burn This Flag Zardoz 408/363-9766
|
|
realitycheck Poindexter Fortran 510/527-1662
|
|
Lies Unlimited Mick Freen 801/278-2699
|
|
The New Dork Sublime Biffnix 415/864-DORK
|
|
The Shrine Rif Raf 206/794-6674
|
|
Planet Mirth Simon Jester 510/786-6560
|
|
|
|
"Raw Data for Raw Nerves"
|
|
X-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-X
|