Floor 10: End of the line
Man, I'm exhausted.
This feels like it was entirely the
wrong kind of place to come to.
Surrounded by bugs and spiders and darkness, yikes!
It's getting REALLY annoying. I want back to the ever colourful world of alien romance!
Quit your whining. I've prepared some top notch equipment for you. It's scattered around the dungeon, so you'd better find it and use it. Much like in a typical manga, I've no more power left to give you. Now it's up to you to proceed as you see fit.
Time to make it down to B10 and end this shit!
(I'm all outta LARP anyway.)
For that, we must take the elevator to B9 and then proceed to (8,2) -- which is the
only way we can reach the 10th floor.
It looks like the fools have been made aware of their true purpose, and now they're out to get the amulet. Haha, they don't even know what they don't know.
I have heard the rumours, my lord. What a stubborn *bzzt* world. Yet its end *beep* only grows nearer.
Indeed. The transformation is already underway. Soon, very soon the world will be transfigured.
What shall we do *whirr* with the pesky ones?
We should prepare a proper welcome party for them, teehee!
Along the way, we encounter a new kind of enemy,
Earth Giants. Well, okay, not quite new as we already fought them in the previous update, but this time they're identified and we can see their true form. Ain't it grand?
At (8,2), we're automatically transported down to B10 via a chute.
Floor 10 is broken down into sections, each having you battle one group of Werdna's guardians, of which there are six in total. You only fight the guardians in fixed encounters marked by the swords in the map. And even though the encounters are fixed, the monsters that appear in them aren't, so the guardians may be either pushovers or omgwhatisthisidonteven depending purely on your luck (and the roll of a die). This is also a level where Teleporter traps get really, really nasty, since they teleport you around randomly and getting caught up in one of the grey squares (stone tiles) means an instant TPK.
Werdna himself is at (17,3); good luck getting there!
"Trebor sux"? Somebody's got issues.
Funnily enough,
"Trebor sux" will be an important clue in Wizardry IV. As for
"Contra-dextra avenue", which means basically "don't turn right", this clue hints at one important feature of this floor's design -- turning right after each of the fixed encounters brings you back . So it's basically "don't turn right if you want to get to Werdna, do turn right if you want to get the hell out of here". Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
We'll get to Werdna by the end of this update, sure, but currently our goal is to get our greedy game developer hands on some of the better equipment as well as level up to lvl13 at least, else we just won't be able to survive the final encounter.
On B10, there's a fixed encounter with Werdna's guardians behind every door. What will it be this time, I wonder?
Vampires! This could've been nasty, but thankfully Sawyer instantly dispelled 3 of them and Todd killed off the remaining one.
Among the loot, there is probably the most legendary Wizardry item -- a
Blade Cusinart' (yup, with the ').
For Fighters, nothing beats the Blade Cusinart'. It hits for 1D3+9 (!), has 6 to-hit (!) and +4 swings (!).
...Maybe he just wants to be friends? You know, deep down in his heart?
Werdna keeps trying to frighten us, but evil game developers doesn't afraid of anything!
Next we encounter a group of Greater Demons accompanied by a Ninja. Great Demons bring some really good exp, but they also hurt like hell.
Among the loot, we discover a
1st Class Plate. It lowers the character's AC by 7,
and it can be equipped by a Priest. Therefore to Sawyer it goes.
Poison Giants are horribly horrible. They breathe on the party -- i.e., on
every character -- for 40 HP. Imagine what happens when there are more than one of them...
Yep, right, a TPK happens.
Flacks are notable for the fact they have 15D12 HP and AC of -3. They're also resistant to Fire, Cold and Poison, can deal Cold damage to your entire party with their breath, hit for 4D8+3, as well as stone, poison, paralyse AND one-hit kill you.
Ugh.
The
Ring of Movement allows you to cast
Malor, the teleport spell, once, and then it breaks. Useful when you can't handle the heat.
An even better find is a
Shield of Evil, an evil alignment-exclusive shield that lowers your AC by 5 and grants a 2% magic resistance. It can even be equipped by Priests and Thieves, but for now, it goes to Pete.
Oh hey an
Armor of Heroes! It lowers your AC by 7 and grants a 10% magic resistance. We give it to Todd.
Back at the castle, MCA levels up but doesn't learn new spells, alas.
On B4 we encounter a... rabbit?
Really?
Yep, it's a Vorpal Bunny in disguise!
Surprised by David Gaider. I don't envy the poor rabbit.
Oh hey 4 Greater Demons. I wonder how much experience they will bri---
Er, nevermind.
Bleebs look funny. They travel in groups of 1D8 and have 10D8 HP. They can call for help so that even more Bleebs arrive, but they only hit for 1D8+1, so they don't really pose much of a threat.
Apart from the fixed encounters, B10 also has random encounters like the one above. Unfortunately,
Dragon Zombies took us by surprise and we barely managed to run away. That was really close, I gotta tell you -- especially given the fact that Dragon Zombies can level drain you.
The next encounters brings us a
Neutral Plate (AC -7) that goes to Pete, lowering his current AC by one.
The
Masher of Mages is a really good (and rare) find. It only hits for 1D6+1, but it has +5 to-hit and +2 swings and, most importantly, deals extra damage to Mages, which is probably going to help us when fighting Werdna.
I'm on fire!
Mmm, smells just the way a man likes it... Burnt!
Having defeated the dragon, we find another Shield of Evil, which goes to Sawyer.
An even better shield, however, is the
Shield of Defense. Not only does it lowers your AC by 6, it also confers a 25% (!) magic resistance bonus.
Next we find a
Helm of Evil, the best kind of helmet there is (AC -3), restricted to evil alignment, of course. Generally, there's a lot of evil-exclusive stuff in the game, even if the very best armour there is, the famous
Armor of Lords (AC -10, 100% magic resistance), can only be equipped by a Lord (=> a character of good alignment) -- for powergamers only.
On our next level-up, Pete and Todd make level 12...
...so that Todd even ages one year.
Sawyer learns a new lvl6 spell,
Madi, the most powerful healing spell available. It restores all HP and cures all afflictions on one character.
Gaider can class-change into a Ninja now...
...but we won't let him do it at the moment. Class-changing would reset his attributes, and we don't really want that.
You're cruel.
Look who's talking!
Finally, Laidlaw new spell is
Haman -- the best spell in any cRPG EVER!
Code:
NAME : HAMAN
EFFECTS: THERE ARE SEVERAL EFFECTS THAT CAN OCCUR WHEN YOU CHOOSE THIS SPELL:
AUGMENT MAGIC: ENHANCES SPELLS TO DO MORE DAMAGE OR TO CURE MORE HIT POINTS.
CURE PARTY: CURES THE ENTIRE PARTY OF ALL STATUS AILMENTS.
SILENCE ENEMIES: SILENCES ALL MONSTERS.
TELEPORT ENEMIES: TELEPORTS ALL MONSTERS FROM OUT OF THE COMBAT AREA.
HEAL PARTY: CASTS A MADI ON THE ENTIRE PARTY
The effects of this spell are so powerful, that the character loses a level of experience just to cast it.
Yup, you heard it right. A spell with multiple effects that is so powerful that it
level-drains you!
I love you, Wizardry.
Unfortunately, Laidlaw cannot cast Haman when he's only level 12 -- for the level-drain on which this spell depends to occur, the Mage must be at least one level higher than that.
By the way, did I tell you just how cool
Lakanito is? When successful, it insta-kills the enemies that breathe air by suffocating them.
Oh wowity wow!
Armor of Evil! Can be equipped by a Priest, too! Very rare and restricted to evil characters, it lowers your AC by 9 (!) and confers a 15% magic resistance bonus.
Sawyer should be almost as well-protected as Pete and Todd now.
And then we stand ready to level-up again. Let's have a look at the party about to face Werdna.
Pete has proven to be a fine Fighter. With a Blade Cusinart' in his hands and a Masher of Mages in his backpack, he should prove invaluable to us in the end boss fight.
I'm fine, man. Let's kick Werdna's ass together, Todd!
In a stroke of luck, Todd gains 16 more HP.
Sure thing, Pete. We're in this together!
I'm gonna be honest with you, man. I don't mind if we disappear down there.
What?
Uh, don't get mad. ...I mean, nobody wants to die, sure. That means you too, Todd. But whatever happens, we're gonna go together, yeah?
Ah, huh, um, well... yeah.
Thanks, man! That's all I wanted to say. ...Anything wrong with that?
Heh, Gaider is all 18s now.
And kick ass he did!
...Hey Mike, you enjoy dancing every now and then? I know it may be a weird question, but... you know, this might be our last time together... Well?
Uh, well... yeah, I do.
(Gaider and Laidlaw do Shepard's dance together.)
Hey, Mike? Do you... love me?
N-No, I didn't really mean it that way! ...I meant, um... I meant whatever you think I meant!
What's with you two? Ohohoho, you're blushing. Ah, the long lost days of my youth... Wonderful, they were. Just with less homosexuality.
MCA learns lvl3 Priest spells including
Bamatu (party's AC -4), which we're probably going to need in the final fight.
(There is much I have left to teach my disciple. ...And thanks to him, my eyes have opened. My career, my adventure... is not over yet. Even if I will not be offered a chance to create a worthy successor to Planescape: Torment... I will NOT be left behind!)
Sawyer's new spell is his first lvl7 spell,
Malikto, that sends a shower of meteors on all enemies for 12-72 points of damage.
No role-playing game can be won without pawns, and this may prove to be a very long game. There is no truth in today's game design. But there is truth in you, Josh. And that is why I chose you.
I... I'm grateful, MCA-sensei.
Perhaps you were expecting some surprise, for me to reveal a secret that had eluded you, something that would change your perspective of events, shatter you to your core. There is no great revelation, no great secret. There is only you. Know that much may happen here, Josh, but above all, do not forget this—you may trust in me. We cradle each other's lives, and what threatens one of us, threatens us both. And if you find you cannot trust me, trust in your training. Trust in yourself. Never doubt what you have done.
I will stand by your side, MCA-sensei! I will never distrust you!
All this power, at my disposal. I've never felt this strong before! This feeling... can this game... can it be even better than Dragon Age 2?!
Laidlaw also gains his first lvl7 spells --
Malor, the aforementioned teleport spell,
Mahaman, an improved version of Haman with two additional possible effects...
Code:
NAME: MAHAMAN
EFFECT: SAME AS HAMAN EXCEPT ADD THESE:
PROTECT PARTY : DROPS THE ARMOR CLASS OF ALL PARTY MEMBERS BY 20 POINTS FOR THE DURATION OF COMBAT.
RAISE THE DEAD: BRINGS DEAD CHARACTERS BACK TO LIFE WITH A DI SPELL.
...and finally, the infamous
Tiltowait, Wizardry's equivalent of a tactical nuke dealing 10-100 points of damage to all enemies.
Alright, it's the final countdown!
Let's see what guardians we're going to meet on our way to Werdna's lair.
A High Priest and a Giant. Easy peasy.
Well well, this is more interesting.
Maelific is an undead monster that has 25D4 HP, AC of -5, and 50% magic resistance. It can also cast Mage spells up to lvl7 (!).
Having 50% magic resistance means it can even resist a Tiltowait.
Luckily, our Fighters deal with him the old-fashioned way.
Among the loot, we discover two sets of
Treated Leather (AC -4), the best kind of armour Thieves and Bishops can equip.
Six Bleebs. They may call for help all they want, they're still going to be a pushover.
And so we've finally arrived.
I'm shaking, I'm shaking!
The Wizard in IN, eh?
Off to a good start!
Why, hello there, WERDNA!
So you've made it this far, after all. After all that has happened, still you live. You are difficult to kill. I must admit I underestimated you.
Just who are you?
I think it's about time I stopped hiding in the shadows. My name is Werdna. Andrew. Richard. Lord British. "My lord". The legendary hero the whole world has awaited? That'd be me. I go by many names.
I hope you have prepared a proper speech, villain.
Villain? Ahaha. I'm much less of a villain than you are.
We are?
Look at your alignment and be frank with yourselves for a moment. You are all MY progeny! I'm the one who gave you life, brought you and the industry to where you currently are, and I'm the one to usher the world into a new era. I am the alpha and the omega! I was at the beginning of role-playing and I'm the messiah of the ultimate role-playing to come!
Whatcha talking about, man?
I'm talking about YOU, fools. Each of you. Look inside yourself. To have fallen so far and learned nothing, that is your failure. Were you really born evil, or have you
become evil? It's been a while, hasn't it? Well, it's all over now.
*exchange puzzled glances*
Pete and Todd... In a way, I'm proud of you. To have unwittingly pushed my own agenda so far! Admirable for ones as limited as you. Thanks to you, everyone knows role-playing is about streamlining the mechanics and simply playing a role –
beyond the game's basic statistics, adding additional depth and interest, eating regularly to enhance immersion, taking off your shoes when entering your house, decorating it and wearing appropriate clothing!
I think I like this guy already.
Do we really have to kill him?
Mike and David... Have not Call of Duty deprived you of sleep? Have you not given in to the demand for higher production values and broader audience? Have you not designed RPGs to be visceral, QTEs to be pervasive, NPCs to be romanceable? What have you to say against that?
Against that?!
That sounds
perfect!
And finally, Obsidian folks... Have you not churned out one too many hackneyed projects already? Have you not compromised your vision – the very idea of vision you might've once had – to follow the light? The light of the almighty dollar! So tell me. Have you come seeking the light, my friends? Mwuahahaha.
We were forced to! The publishers left us no choice!
......
Just admit it, the six of you: 4chan and RPGCodex were right all along. But your vision is small time, just as you are. You aren't ambitious enough. I'm different. I had been searching all the time, searching for a way I could become the new hero, a way to renew and intensify my glory.
And they call
us evil.
And then I found it! I took possession of this amulet with one purpose in mind. I came here, to the depths of this dungeon… To RULE the entire world! To shed the light of microtransactions into even the darkest places! To make EVERYTHING into a role-playing game! You see, people are tired of their mundane lives. They dream of being heroes. They dream of dragons, QTEs, romances, regenerating health! But after the always short dream, the harshness of the real world kicks in. This amulet – it can change all that! It can transform the fabric of reality itself into the most glorious massive multiplayer role-playing experience the world has ever known!
...This guy is a real businessman.
Yeah, man, too bad he's our rival so we can't let him live.
That foolish underlord Trebor thinks he can stop me. He thinks there is a
different kind of role-playing. He clings to numbers, complexity, tactics, turn-based combat, choices and consequences... But he's mad, and I know better. That's not what the audience wants. That's not where the world is heading to. As for you, you'd never reach the heights of MY vision! You'd only get in the way. So long as you and the Mad Underlord meddle with my plans, this world cannot become what I wish it to be... The time for speeches is over. I gave you life, I will also
kill you!
Werdna's always accompanied by a random number of Vampires (and sometimes a Vampire Lord) in the final fight. Luckily, MCA dispels three of them at once.
Werdna himself is one tough mofo. He has 10D10+20 HP, AC of -7, regenerates 5HP per turn, and has a 70% magic resistance. He's also resistant to Fire, Cold and Poison, can level-drain, stone, poison and paralyse you, hits for 8D5 up to 2 times per turn, and knows ALL Mage AND Priest spells. A powerhouse of a mage, basically.
Still, a whole lot depends on just how many HP he rolls -- it can even be below 100 HP. In other words, this isn't the JRPG kind of boss.
Let's go all MALIKTO and TILTOWAIT on the bastard!
Oh fuck, it looks like he's gone all TILTOWAIT on us first!
In an unbelievable stroke of luck, we all survive Werdna's Tiltowait somehow. Alright, old geezer, NOW you're doomed!
Don't mess with a Blade Cusinart', folks.
The Masher of Mages, on the other hand, isn't as effective as it was hyped up to be. Oh well.
Sawyer's Malikto is resisted, and Gaider ambushes Werdna for measly 9 HP. But hey, every hit point counts!
And then MCA lands the final blow...
.........
Finally, Laidlaw's own Tiltowait finishes the remaining minions off.
Is that appropriate exp for winning the end boss fight, I ask ye?
Our only loot is the fabled amulet, the one that started all this mess. What power does it harbour?
Think we should leave the amulet for ourselves, Todd?
Sounds good, Pete!
But does it, really? Look at what it did to that Werdna guy. Turned him into a goddamn delusional spaceman. Do you really want to end up like that? Aren't you satisfied with how much Skyrim sells?
....
Something tells me you're good at heart. So don't just hurry yourselves to madness and death. If you can still do something, change something maybe, you shouldn't be dying. I beg you to believe in your purpose, somewhere in your heart. You've still got stuff to do.
*sob*
I'm proud of you, Josh.
*blushes*
Yes, proud. You've just ensured the future of our company, after all.
Pretty low on HP, aren't we? Note the "+" symbol next to MCA -- that means his health is regenerating as long as the amulet is in his possession.
The amulet gets identified as "Werdna's Amulet". Go figure.
Invoking the amulet's power fully heals our party.
Finally, we can use the amulet...
...to teleport back up to the castle!
With that, the endgame kicks in.
Oh come on you call that a reward?
Not majestic enough, man.
Looks like the normal kind of reward to me.
Normal for the likes of you, sure, but not for us at Bethesda.
Nor Bioware.
Can't be picky after DA2 flopped, though.
Sorry folks, I couldn't get enough donations flowing. Nothing I can do about it.
I can give you all custom titles, though.
Custom titles? Is that, like, achievements, man?
I love achievements.
Single most important element in an RPG!
I like your attitude. Now hand over the amulet.
*Takes the amulet*
Tonight, we say goodbye to the age of the pop-a-mole. And we also celebrate the coming return of the oldschool. We must pray. For today will be the death day of the absurdities that have been passing for RPGs lately.
Now that the amulet is mine, I can finally bring the RPGCodex frontpage back to life!
*Everyone exchanges glances*
Oh my, what have we done…
THE END OF WIZARDRY I. THANKS FOR READING!