DRAGON WARS
Miscellaneous Facts and Spoilers v1.01
by Stephen S. Lee (ssjlee@shell.rawbw.com)
You may distribute this freely, so long as you give proper credit to me.
This was derived from the PC version; I make no guarantees about
applicability to other platforms.
Please feel free to e-mail me with corrections or suggestions.
This isn't a walkthrough (check those out if you want one), but this
guide is meant more to cover information not covered elsewhere.
TRANSFERRING CHARACTERS FROM THE BARD'S TALE GAMES
Don't transfer characters from Bard's Tale II -- the routine is seriously
buggy.
As for Bard's Tale I, the transfer routine IS worthwhile, and is clearly
different from the transfer routine on the Apple ][ that I've read many
complaints about.
A level 1 character in Bard's Tale I becomes level 1 in Dragon Wars.
Otherwise, you start at level 2. Thus, you get a slight edge from
transferring a magic-user to Dragon Wars from Bard's Tale I immediately
after making a class change. This is different from the Apple ][ version
-- there, you retain your levels, which is a serious liability in Dragon
Wars, as levels do not mean anything other than an opportunity for more
skill points.
Transferred characters get 12 extra skill points to distribute, or more
if their transferred stats are particularly poor. (Transferred characters
get only 10 extra skill points in the Apple ][ version.)
Strength, IQ, and Dexterity in Bard's Tale I remain the same. This is
particularly nice for Dexterity, which is very useful and expensive in
Dragon Wars. Constitution gets turned into Spirit. Health will start at
18, no matter what, as far as I could tell.
Magic-users will start with Arcane Lore and Low Magic; Monks will get
Fistfighting (which is worthless except at the very beginning); other heavy
fighters will get Swords and Two-Handers; and Rogues and Bards will get
Town Lore, Hiding, and Lockpick.
If you transfer a character with 18 in all statistics, you will be about 30
skill points ahead of a newly-rolled character. That's significant, even
though some of the skill points will be where they aren't really needed.
It especially pays to have everyone learn at least Low Magic if you
transfer characters.
SOME ADVICE ON DISTRIBUTING SKILL POINTS
Skill points are very precious, like the manual says -- take care not to
waste them! (Well, unless you abuse the location in the Underworld that
gives you five skill points ...)
It helps if everyone can swim, but that's one skill point, and that's all
that's ever useful as far as I know. Low Magic is also excellent to have
on everyone. Other than that, you should definitely specialize.
It isn't useful to have more than two characters learn a given advanced
magic skill, considering the lack of scrolls they can learn from. Also,
don't pile the advanced magic skills on one character; spread out the load
and specialize. There's a hirable character with Sun Magic, and you can
eventually have one character learn Druid Magic free of charge. Putting
more than one point into Low Magic is close to useless, but your
specialists should pump up the advanced magic skills (it's useful well
beyond the few points the manual suggests). Don't neglect Spirit, either.
Axes are superb early in the game, but there are no powerful late-game
axes. The first available hirable character, Ulrik, has Axe 3; you can use
him as your early-game axe wielder, and dump him later when your party gets
full.
Apart from axe, you probably want your front-line characters to specialize
in each of the various melee weapon skills (except for mace, which is never
really all that good; and Fistfighting is only relevant for maybe the first
half-hour of play, skip it). Specialization is much cheaper in skill
points than increasing Dexterity, and increasing Dexterity has minimal
benefit beyond about 20 or 24 anyway. (Once you have both the Charger
spell and items that can cast Zak's Speed, you can magically obtain high
Dexterity whenever you want it.)
You also want one of your eventual back-rank characters to learn bow skill
as well as magic; and if you're not above a bit of bug-exploiting, you can
also train another character in crossbow, as it's possible to recharge a
Dead Bolt quiver. The Dead Bolt and Tri-Cross combination isn't the match
of the Magic Quiver and Gatlin Bow combination, but it's still nice to
have.
Bandage is not useful to have on more than one character, but it's useful
to pump up on one. This skill has no cost to use, and cures any character
outside of combat to (10 + Bandage Skill) health.
It's useful to increase Lockpick to as high as 7-8, but such high skill is
only useful in places where alternate puzzle solutions exist; 3-4 is still
enough to fully explore the game.
Climb is only needed on one character, but getting it up to 3-4 comes in
very handy many times.
Lore skills above one are generally not useful, as the manual says (one
"two-handed" sword does require Mountain Lore 2). Two of the hirable
PC's come with Cave Lore, so you don't need to spend any points on that
at all, as it has no use at all in Purgatory.
You can also get away with not putting any points into Hiding and
Pickpocket, since there's an early hirable PC who comes with those skills
at level 2 (which is enough for all purposes that I know of), and you'll
almost certainly retain him all the way to the end; those skills have no
use I know of in Purgatory either.
EQUIPMENT CHART
An item whose price is marked by an asterisk can't be purchased; the price
is just calculated from the selling price. It's not quite complete, but
the weapons and armor section should be complete (much information comes
courtesy of the clue book).
The "Str" and "Dex" columns indicate the requisite Strength or Dexterity
needed to wield that weapon.
WEAPONS
AXES
Name Price Damage Str Other
Small Pick 50 1d4 4
Pick 60 1d6 7
Hand Axe 60 1d6 5
Battle Axe 70 1d12 17 -1 AV
War Axe 700* 1d12 18 -3 AV
Rusty Axe 2000* 1d20 18 -3 AV
Axe Of Kalah 7000* 1d12 18 +4 AV; 1d20 at 20'-50'
Magic Axe 700* 1d30 20 +1 AV
Nature Axe 1d30 18 -6 AV
FLAILS
Name Price Damage Str Other
Flail 40 1d6 10
War Flail 400 1d12 10
Bladed Flail 1000 1d12 10
Runed Flail 2000* 1d20 14 +2 AV, +1 AC
Barbed Flail 2000* 1d30 16 +2 AC
Spiked Flail 3000* 4d20 16 +2 AV, +1 AC
SWORDS
Name Price Damage Str Other
Dagger 30 1d4 3 +1 AV
Ruby Dagger 40 1d4 3 +3 AV
Shortsword 50 1d6 8 +1 AV
Broadsword 60 1d8 12 +1 AV
Hook 60* 1d8 10 +1 AV
Firesword 900 1d12 17 +2 AV, +1 AC
Lance Sword 60* 1d20 12 +1 AV, can melee at 20'
The Slicer -- 1d30 17 +4 AV, +2 AC
Glow Sword 1d30 24 +1 AV
Dragon Tooth 2d20 12 +8 AV, +2 AC, can attack at 60'
Freedom Sword 1d100 15 +15 AV, +5 AC, casts Inferno if blessed
TWO-HANDED WEAPONS (you CAN equip both a shield and one of these!)
Name Price Damage Str Other
Polearm 90 1d10 13 +1 AV
Greatsword 80 1d12 17 +1 AV
Magic Sword 80* 1d12 17 +1 AV
Grand Sword 5000* 2d12 22 +1 AV
Mountain Sword 2000* 1d30 -- +3 AV, +2 AC, requires Mountain Lore 2
Holy Lance 9000* 3d20 13 +4 AV
Heavy Sword 8d10 25 -3 AV
Dragon Sword 5000* 4d20 21 +3 AV
MACES
Name Price Damage Str Other
Mace 40 1d8 10
Old Peg Leg 200* 1d8 10 +1 AV
Hammer 40 1d10 12
Long Mace 2000 1d20 15 +1 AV, can melee at 20'
Holy Mace 4000* 1d20 12 +2 AV, +1 AC, casts Exorcism
Druid's Mace 2000* 1d20 12 +2 AV, +2 AC, casts Cure All
Throw Mace 4000* 2d12 18 +1 AV; 1d12 at 20'-30'
Spiked Mace 2d20 18
Crush Mace 4000* 4d10 15
Spell Staff 7000* ? -- +5 AV, +8 AC; requires Low Magic 1
BOWS
Name Price Range Dex Other
Bow 60 20' 10
Long Bow 90 40' 14 +1 AV
Great Bow 310* 50' 16 +2 AV
Archer's Bow 900* 50' 18 +3 AV
Magic Bow 60* 70' 10 +4 AV
Gatlin Bow 60* 20' 10 option to fire 1, 3, or all arrows
Crossbow 60 30' 12
Tri-Cross 600* 30' 15 +1 AV; option to fire 1 or 3 bolts
AMMUNITION (20 in a normal quiver)
Name Price Damage Other
Arrow 50 1d6
White Arrow 150* 1d8
Silver Arrow 500* 1d12
Grey Arrow 50* 1d20
Magic Arrow 700* 1d20
Magic Quiver 50* 1d4 infinite number of arrows
Bolt 60 1d4
Long Bolt 200* 1d4 +20' range
Pierce Bolt 1200* 1d6 +1 AV
Mega Bolt 600* 1d20
Dead Bolt 100* 1d20 can be replenished with the Charger spell
THROWN WEAPONS
Name Price Range Dex Damage
Javelin 40 30' 12 1d6
Spear 40' 12 1d8
Holy Spear 40* ? 14 ?
Bomb 200* 10' -- ?
Fire Spear 400* 50' 14 1d12
Boomerang 700* 50' 12 1d12 (bridge)
Boomerang 2000* 50' 14 2d20 (Kingshome dungeon)
Barbed Spear 4000 40' 16 1d20
Trident 4000* 40' 15 2d20; not lost when used in combat
These are some treasures that are not mentioned in the walkthroughs out
there. Combine this with actual walkthroughs for a more complete treasure
guide!
Salt Mines: there's a locked chest behind a secret door, with:
War Axe, Gauntlets, Magic Sword, Pierce Bolt, 9 Dragon Stones.
Bridge from Forlorn to Isle of the Sun: there's an arms cache southeast of the
bridge, with: 4 Dragon Stones, Shield, Helm, Sun Light scroll, Bladed
Flail.
Mystic Woods: there's a treasure on the shore of the ocean guarded by some
water spirits, in a locked chest: Plate Mail, Great Bow, Gauntlets, Wand,
7 Dragon Stones.
Mystic Woods: successfully wrestling Enkidu requires the Beast Horn and Str
18 (may require several tries). The character who wrestles successfully
gains Druid Magic skill level 2, along with the spells of Death Curse, Fire
Blast, Insect Plague, Whirl Wind, Scare, Greater Healing, and Beast Call.
Lansk Undercity: you can use Strength to move the statue of Irkalla in the
northwest corner; this will reveal a locked chest containing a Glow Sword
and 12 Dragon Stones.
Heavily Guarded Bridge: inside the barracks, a strongbox that can be opened
quietly with a high Lockpick skill, or by Pickpocketing a key from one of
the guards, contains: Ice Chill, Disarm Trap, Radiance, Healing Pot.,
Runed Flail, Grey Arrow, 500 gold.
Kingshome Dungeon: there's a secret door, leading to a secret passage that has
another secret door, to a disused room with the Kingshome throne, as well
as: Crown, 1000 gold.
