Putting the 'role' back in role-playing games since 2002.
Donate to Codex
Good Old Games
  • Welcome to rpgcodex.net, a site dedicated to discussing computer based role-playing games in a free and open fashion. We're less strict than other forums, but please refer to the rules.

    "This message is awaiting moderator approval": All new users must pass through our moderation queue before they will be able to post normally. Until your account has "passed" your posts will only be visible to yourself (and moderators) until they are approved. Give us a week to get around to approving / deleting / ignoring your mundane opinion on crap before hassling us about it. Once you have passed the moderation period (think of it as a test), you will be able to post normally, just like all the other retards.

Wizard's Crown

DaveO

Erudite
Joined
May 30, 2007
Messages
1,239
It works to your favor to do the Palace in one try. There are not a lot of encounters inside compared to a night trek, but the encounters are fairly high level.
 

latmagicman

Literate
Joined
Oct 30, 2020
Messages
10
I couldn't get past the big room of demons on level 2. I tried to fight them one by one through the door but they kept fireballing my entire party. I was keeping up with the praying however, but it was a 90 minute fight that I ended up losing. =/ Maybe I'll try again around day 180.... getting too close for comfort to win the game. Also DaveO, you mentioned training from 156 to day 77 of the next year... what does that mean - you beat the game and kept playing so you can transfer to ED?
 

DaveO

Erudite
Joined
May 30, 2007
Messages
1,239
Yes, you can repeat retrieving the crown in the second game year to prepare the party for Eternal Dagger. The training grounds will improve any skill to 100 at a cost of the skill improvement(3-6) * its current value. To improve Sword from 50 to 51 at the training grounds would cost 204 copper. Going up another point would be 208 copper.
 

DaveO

Erudite
Joined
May 30, 2007
Messages
1,239
How many defensive items do you have? Each character should have three along with fully enchanted armor.
 

Fatty

Augur
Joined
Nov 17, 2011
Messages
134
Location
Gladstone
So as usual once you a-holes start posting about this, I fire up a new game.

I’m noticing while playing the C64 version that Turn Undead seems to be either broken or I do not understand how it’s supposed to work. My priest has Turn Undead and Karma at 130 but after dozens of attempts has yet to “ turn” a single skeleton. I am assuming on a successful “turn” that the skeleton would die?

I never used Turn Undead in the past and I think I see why.
 

latmagicman

Literate
Joined
Oct 30, 2020
Messages
10
Turn undead works for me in dosbox. I recall it working around the skill level 100s occasionally on skeletons - it'll kill or fail. I got it up to 160-200 on my three priests.

As for my day 182 run, I'm on the level 4 puzzle in the palace, with average of +8 defensive items and +3 or more on scale/chain/plate (still only one magical plate). I don't get hit much by physical between the armor and luck (natural or blessed). I beat the couple dozen demons by constantly spamming dispel magic on my 3 sorcerers and they spending all the time rebuffing and not casting fireball or poison. The poison is the one that makes things interesting over a long fight - I blew thru 3 priests of max karma keeping my poisoned folks alive.
 

DaveO

Erudite
Joined
May 30, 2007
Messages
1,239
Turn Undead is supposed to take down skeletons, zombies, undead warriors, vampires, ghouls, and any other undead in the game. My Apple version seems to have Turn Undead less effective than the Atari version. I've never heard of it where it just won't work.
 

DaveO

Erudite
Joined
May 30, 2007
Messages
1,239
My final trek into the ruins netted ZERO morale loss, but that's what 30 dexterity will do for you. Final skill training from the grounds put me at game day 178. This party is more powerful than my Atari Wizard's Crown run.
 

latmagicman

Literate
Joined
Oct 30, 2020
Messages
10
OOF I just beat the rubble demons in the palace on day 196. Now, trying to take out next set of high demons next level - they don't seem to all be casters?. Not looking good after first attempt... looks like my time management early in the game is going to cost me a win.
 

DaveO

Erudite
Joined
May 30, 2007
Messages
1,239
It's just two fights on the top level. You can use the stream to eliminate morale loss before the fight. Not all characters need to have sharp/very sharp weapons. Put somebody that can face Tarmon and his group in tactical combat(a priest works best). Get your six blessings off and always Dispel Magic if demons or Tarmon put up armor or magic protection. I believe that as long as a character is not attacking Tarmon, magical weapons are fine. I remember I sent in a priest with a sharp axe on the first completion and then my sword user armed with a very sharp greatsword(damage 24) on the second completion. Keep your sorcerers off to the side for dispel, and you could get by with all killing attacks due to the party being blessed.
 

DaveO

Erudite
Joined
May 30, 2007
Messages
1,239
Any new updates from Fatty or latmagicman? Or perhaps some suprise players since I saw more posters than I expected mentioning Wizard's Crown as their first RPG. I'm not sure where this game fits into my "progression" into RPGs. As I mentioned earlier, I'm fairly sure Ultima 2 was my first RPG.
 

Fatty

Augur
Joined
Nov 17, 2011
Messages
134
Location
Gladstone
Welp, I failed to back up my disk and it became corrupt and won’t load any more. After making three starts before I made a party I was happy with, i can’t bear to start again so soon.

For the gruesome details, I was playing and had to deal with a semi emergency. Computer went into sleep mode and when I was able to return the emulator was frozen and had to be force closed. Apparently the disk was unable to survive this. I had just found my first “Soul” weapon too and was finally able to not be murdered by giant scorpions.
 

DaveO

Erudite
Joined
May 30, 2007
Messages
1,239
It's been months since the last update from latmagicman, and Fatty's run is obviously not recoverable. I am playing what I consider a minimal party in Wizard's Crown on the Apple version. It's not a huge priority at the moment.
 

latmagicman

Literate
Joined
Oct 30, 2020
Messages
10
I'll get back to wiz crown and dosbox soon enough. Going to do a pool of radiance run. Im just working up the mental fortitude to revist my childhood favorite. Also try the new dosbox that enables save states so i can more easily save scum the end of wiz crown :)

What do you consider a minimalist party? How goes the run?
 

DaveO

Erudite
Joined
May 30, 2007
Messages
1,239
I have yet to complete the first game day with my "minimal" party.

I have two fighter-priests, two fighter-sorcerers, two fighter-rangers, and two fighter-thieves. Again, this party is not very high for priority so I won't be playing past the first day any time soon.
 

DaveO

Erudite
Joined
May 30, 2007
Messages
1,239
Here is my "minimal" party composition and skill selection:
Fighter/Ranger: 12 Str, 18 Dex, 35 Life - Skill choice Axe
Fighter/Ranger: 8 Str, 21 Dex, 40 Life - Skill choice Bow
Fighter/Thief: 10 Str, 20 Dex, 35 Life - Skill choices Spear, Search
Fighter/Thief: 10 Str, 20 Dex, 35 Life - Skill choices Spear, Haggle
Fighter/Priest: 10 Str, 16 Dex, 35 Life - Skill choices Mace, Karma
Fighter/Priest: 12 Str, 14 Dex, 35 Life - Skill choices Sword, Karma. Armed with the +2 Broadsword you get for saving the girl from the thugs
Fighter/Sorcerer: 8 Str, 14 Dex, 35 Life - Skill choices Bow, Cast Spell, Power
Fighter/Sorcerer: 10 Str, 12 Dex, 35 Life - Skill choices Crossbow, Evaluate
 

KeighnMcDeath

RPG Codex Boomer
Joined
Nov 23, 2016
Messages
12,874
I'd have to boot up my c64 and see what i finished the game with. God those were fun times. To this day ruined cities are my favorite adventures next to small islands like phantasie i & shard of spring followed by bardstale in a single city. That influenced my buy for Pool of Rafiance (that and being AD&D).
 

DaveO

Erudite
Joined
May 30, 2007
Messages
1,239
Well, given that I failed horrifically on my Master of Orion 2 Let's Play I now have time available to dedicate to my new party. I'm also playing Eternal Dagger in Apple with my previous Crown party(3 fighter/sorcerers, 3 fighter/priests, and 2 fighter/ranger/thieves). I'll be trying the potential game shattering option of arming a lot of the party members with the Giant Slaying Dwarf Hammer you can buy.

I'll obviously finish my Atari 800 LP first.
 
Last edited:

DaveO

Erudite
Joined
May 30, 2007
Messages
1,239
I played a bit more for my 2nd Apple emulation group. I still have not gone beyond the first day, but my last fight was against two groups of thugs which gave my group enough experience to return to the inn and improve skills some more.
 

DaveO

Erudite
Joined
May 30, 2007
Messages
1,239
I finally finished up the first day. Overall, this was a pretty successful first day. I got Haggel to ~175, Search to 153 and Evaluate over 150. I also have good weapon skills with 75-100 across the board. I sold the shields and daggers for easy cash to eliminate morale loss and bought bucklers(cheaper and small). With the purchases, I can now take more weapons or even armor to sell. I also developed First Aid for the Fighter/Ranger and have the skill over 100. I was able to do two healings without causing serious injury, so perhaps First Aid is a bit more forgiving in the Apple version. I believe going into the ruins is doable, although I will have to avoid undead for the moment.
 

DaveO

Erudite
Joined
May 30, 2007
Messages
1,239
I finished the second game day on the Apple version. This version is definitely more generous for regeneration items. Also, the Apple version has the night fighting experience I mentioned earlier where your party can get a massive amount of experience for each successful night fight in the ruins. I can't recommend any version other than the Apple due to how much experience your party gets. My sword character now has a magic claymore(second enhancement) and I also have a fine claymore which my crossbow character is going to use for close combat. It's only 11 strength to equip the claymore and I'm already accumulating experience for that improvement. With my party composition, the obvious benefit is getting the valuable attribute increases early so that when more good magic weapons are found our party has the most attacks to use those weapons.

I am not planning to do any more parties on either the Atari or Apple versions. Three is sufficient and I can always compare pros/cons with not only party makeups but also discuss the differences between versions.
 

DaveO

Erudite
Joined
May 30, 2007
Messages
1,239
I may have started on day 3 on my Apple emulator version. I don't know if anyone has an update since my two months of posting.

P.S. - I'm at the finale of the sequel Eternal Dagger.
 

As an Amazon Associate, rpgcodex.net earns from qualifying purchases.
Back
Top Bottom