Together RPG - Might & Magic III - 6/1-8/1
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Re: Together RPG - Might & Magic III - 6/1-8/1
with the announcement of Skyrim HD and my on-going struggles with the original game's bugginess on a 144Hz monitor, I've decided to put Skyrim on hold for now. So maybe I will end up playing this after all. Hmm.
Re: Together RPG - Might & Magic III - 6/1-8/1
You should, it's a lot of fun once you get past the initial learning curve. I'm laying waste to enemies and enjoying the thrill of exploring however I see fit. Once you reach a certain level and get access to specific spells like Town Portal and Walk on Water, you realize you can go pretty much anywhere in the game. The whole thing opens up to you, and you discover you can go almost anywhere and explore at your leisure.
Once I figure out this Fountain of Youth problem, I'll have overcome the final arbitrary limit to my party. Beyond that, I just have to make sure I get strong enough and buff properly to take on the bosses that I've been running up against. Many have already fallen, like the Sonic Ninja of Wildabar, the Cult Leader of Slithercult Stronghold, and the Mummy King of the Fortress of Fear. Many more remain however, so I need to make sure I'm strong enough to take them on. As I go I keep getting better equipment, access to spells, and higher levels, but since things are pretty freeform, I sometimes find dungeons that are a challenge to make it through or ones where I simply walk over everything. Either way I feel accomplishment when I clear each one, knowing it's one less thing in the game I need to worry about.
Once I figure out this Fountain of Youth problem, I'll have overcome the final arbitrary limit to my party. Beyond that, I just have to make sure I get strong enough and buff properly to take on the bosses that I've been running up against. Many have already fallen, like the Sonic Ninja of Wildabar, the Cult Leader of Slithercult Stronghold, and the Mummy King of the Fortress of Fear. Many more remain however, so I need to make sure I'm strong enough to take them on. As I go I keep getting better equipment, access to spells, and higher levels, but since things are pretty freeform, I sometimes find dungeons that are a challenge to make it through or ones where I simply walk over everything. Either way I feel accomplishment when I clear each one, knowing it's one less thing in the game I need to worry about.
Re: Together RPG - Might & Magic III - 6/1-8/1
Sounds like you've hit that curve I did where you keep getting new shit to explore new areas to get new shit.
You are correct that the pyramids are involved with the Fountain of Youth. The Golden Key is what you need to enter them. As for keys to cleared dungeons, the only way to get rid of them is to put them on an NPC hireling and then disband them from your party. I liked to use the ones from Fountain Head as storage. There's actually two sets of keys, since you can get all of them off of NPC hirelings.
Do you have the magic word to teleport to the final town? You should have gotten it by now, and you'll want to take advantage of it to get the final spells for everyone. The Sorcerer spell Implosion does 1000 damage to a single target; it helps a lot with some of the toughest monsters like Rocs.
You are correct that the pyramids are involved with the Fountain of Youth. The Golden Key is what you need to enter them. As for keys to cleared dungeons, the only way to get rid of them is to put them on an NPC hireling and then disband them from your party. I liked to use the ones from Fountain Head as storage. There's actually two sets of keys, since you can get all of them off of NPC hirelings.
Do you have the magic word to teleport to the final town? You should have gotten it by now, and you'll want to take advantage of it to get the final spells for everyone. The Sorcerer spell Implosion does 1000 damage to a single target; it helps a lot with some of the toughest monsters like Rocs.
Blizzard Entertainment Software Developer - All comments and views are my own and not representative of the company.
Re: Together RPG - Might & Magic III - 6/1-8/1
You mean Blistering Heights? The Town Portal spell apparently grants me access to it, but I have yet to visit there, nor do I recall coming across the necessary word. It sounds like I could use that spell though. I gotta take down the dragon somehow.
I'm gonna have to go with your Hireling storage method. I was hoping I could toss stuff in the bank, but it seems a cash-only endeavor. I wish they had thought about that sort of thing, as characters are getting some pretty full inventories just off the gear they're wearing.
I'm gonna have to go with your Hireling storage method. I was hoping I could toss stuff in the bank, but it seems a cash-only endeavor. I wish they had thought about that sort of thing, as characters are getting some pretty full inventories just off the gear they're wearing.
Re: Together RPG - Might & Magic III - 6/1-8/1
Yeah, I was definitely getting involved in a bit of inventory management by the end of the game. I actually kept one NPC hireling in the party to store all the key items, since I'd be picking up several Orbs of Power and Artifacts in between trips to town. I also reached a point where I had all the gold, so I was quickly trashing items that weren't upgrades.
You actually can equip a shitton of stuff in that game; 10 rings and 4 medals in addition to all the one-of items. However, you can't equip more than one of the exact same item, so you can't have two Obsidian Rings. Now, if one is Obsidian Ring and the other is Obsidian Ring of Sparks then you're good.
You actually can equip a shitton of stuff in that game; 10 rings and 4 medals in addition to all the one-of items. However, you can't equip more than one of the exact same item, so you can't have two Obsidian Rings. Now, if one is Obsidian Ring and the other is Obsidian Ring of Sparks then you're good.
Blizzard Entertainment Software Developer - All comments and views are my own and not representative of the company.
Re: Together RPG - Might & Magic III - 6/1-8/1
I'm already at that point. I had to skip out of the Cursed Cold Cavern because I found so many artifacts of Good/Neutrality/Evil that I needed to bail and hand them off for the space. Key's inventory is clogged entirely with keys(heh), Bone's storing the hologram cards, Noise is holding on to a couple of pearls that I apparently give some kind of pirate queen(?), while Ack, Popo, and Fastbilly try to keep some spare space for gear I pick up. I should probably just start trashing anything I come across that is equal or less than Silver and Iron in quality since I'm now finding stuff like Emerald, Diamond, or Ruby gear. I even found my first Obsidian weapon last night.
Re: Together RPG - Might & Magic III - 6/1-8/1
Yeah, the top end gear looks like:
Gold
Ruby
Emerald
Sapphire
Diamond
Obsidian
Gold
Ruby
Emerald
Sapphire
Diamond
Obsidian
Blizzard Entertainment Software Developer - All comments and views are my own and not representative of the company.
Re: Together RPG - Might & Magic III - 6/1-8/1
Well, about that time.
I started last night's session of Might & Magic III(or as my girlfriend says it, Mike the Magic III) by handling inventory woes and clearing out the Black Knight of the Cursed Cold Cavern. This fight required some pulling of monsters from around him and a bit of prep, because the Black Knight sits in a room alongside two witches who can easily curse equipment and render it useless. To stop this, I managed to draw the witches out of the room, kill them, and then make my way out to a temple using mobility spells to have myself uncursed. Once I returned, I waded in and felled the Black Knight in three swift blows from my party tanks.
Upon leaving the Cavern, I decided it was time to heed real Popo's advice(as opposed to in-game Popo, who instead advises me on important topics like loin cloth fashion trends and how to urinate on one's beard to attract a mate). Bone the Cleric used his Town Portal spell to take me to Blistering Heights, the final town. I cleansed it of the fire lizards, mini-dragons, and the demon lord who controlled it. With this threat out of the way, I picked up guild membership and waited until night to purchase the most powerful spells in the game. Funny enough, I had apparently managed to acquire all but 2 of Bone's spells, but now both he and Key have them all, while Noise is missing several that simply aren't useful anymore due to their low damage output.
With my new magic powers, I figured it was time to go do something stupid, so I went after the final dungeon I had yet to approach on the starting continent, the Halls of Insanity. This dungeon features hordes of mini-dragons, which were rendered largely ineffective against me by protection spells, as well as Mystic Clouds, which are a threat because they apparently drain spell points with their attacks. Finally, instead of a single boss, the Halls of Insanity are populated by beholders called the Evil Eyes, which can inflict the dreaded insanity status while also breaking armor. My first attempt at the dungeon, I explored deep into the western corridor only to come across these multi-eyed bastards after running out of spell points. A horde of these monsters hit me from afar, broke my armor, ripped my party apart, and drove the lone survive of the massacre mad. I crawled out of the dungeon wondering why my magic had failed me and slunk off to a nearby wagon where a woman treated my mind and allowed me to heal up. I had my armor repaired, and I plunged back into the dungeon.
It was the second drive where I discovered the Mystic Clouds drained my magic. This gave me an opportunity to prepare after facing them, so when I next came across the Evil Eyes, I was ready for them. Mystic Shield proved a boon to the fight, though I still was forced to march out to cure the insanity they had inflicted. Finally I made a final push and cleared the dungeon, securing two more power orbs in the process. That's one more dungeon out of the way.
After turning in my orbs and performing some much needed inventory upkeep, I then decided it was time to use my newfound magic powers and press on to the southeastern desert island where the Roc holds sway. There is a magic well in the Thorn Blossom Orchard that can take you there. I drank of its cool waters and found myself standing on the hot sandy beach of the Buzzard Bluff. Swiftly I slaughtered the barbarians and two-headed Death Locusts that resided there. I then gingerly picked at a sunken treasure chest to summon the mighty Vulture Roc. It appeared in the sky, and Key let loose her powerful magics, devastating the beast. It took two of her strongest spells, but the beast let out a terrible cry as aetherial forces crushed its internal organs from the inside and pulled it into a black hole of its own body mass.
With the Roc safely handled, I decided to save, rest, and go back to snagging treasure. That's when I discovered the cruel truth of the Roc: there are more than one. At the next treasure site that I excavated, three fell upon me at once, and all three went for Bone and Key and rent my spellcasters to pieces while the rest of the party watched in horror. Have you ever heard the death screams of a gnome whose two ends are only held together by a thin string of intestines as enormous birds scarf him down with their massive beaks? I won't likely forget it. Key's death was much quieter, though that's probably because they ate her head first. Her body still wandered around aimlessly and twitched for a bit while drizzling blood into the air before it finally stopped moving. I wonder how long her head lived for. Needless to say, it was a party wipe situation. Thank goodness I had saved recently.
My dreams of drawing out treasure dashed, I decided now was a good time to instead explore the nearby cave. This is now where I sit, inside the entryway of the Magic Cavern. There are evil magic shields wandering about, but they don't put up nearly enough of a fight. I managed to loot an Obsidian Flamberge for Ack the Fighter, so these guys pretty much get squashed.
So yeah...I will now chronicle what I have left to do:
I started last night's session of Might & Magic III(or as my girlfriend says it, Mike the Magic III) by handling inventory woes and clearing out the Black Knight of the Cursed Cold Cavern. This fight required some pulling of monsters from around him and a bit of prep, because the Black Knight sits in a room alongside two witches who can easily curse equipment and render it useless. To stop this, I managed to draw the witches out of the room, kill them, and then make my way out to a temple using mobility spells to have myself uncursed. Once I returned, I waded in and felled the Black Knight in three swift blows from my party tanks.
Upon leaving the Cavern, I decided it was time to heed real Popo's advice(as opposed to in-game Popo, who instead advises me on important topics like loin cloth fashion trends and how to urinate on one's beard to attract a mate). Bone the Cleric used his Town Portal spell to take me to Blistering Heights, the final town. I cleansed it of the fire lizards, mini-dragons, and the demon lord who controlled it. With this threat out of the way, I picked up guild membership and waited until night to purchase the most powerful spells in the game. Funny enough, I had apparently managed to acquire all but 2 of Bone's spells, but now both he and Key have them all, while Noise is missing several that simply aren't useful anymore due to their low damage output.
With my new magic powers, I figured it was time to go do something stupid, so I went after the final dungeon I had yet to approach on the starting continent, the Halls of Insanity. This dungeon features hordes of mini-dragons, which were rendered largely ineffective against me by protection spells, as well as Mystic Clouds, which are a threat because they apparently drain spell points with their attacks. Finally, instead of a single boss, the Halls of Insanity are populated by beholders called the Evil Eyes, which can inflict the dreaded insanity status while also breaking armor. My first attempt at the dungeon, I explored deep into the western corridor only to come across these multi-eyed bastards after running out of spell points. A horde of these monsters hit me from afar, broke my armor, ripped my party apart, and drove the lone survive of the massacre mad. I crawled out of the dungeon wondering why my magic had failed me and slunk off to a nearby wagon where a woman treated my mind and allowed me to heal up. I had my armor repaired, and I plunged back into the dungeon.
It was the second drive where I discovered the Mystic Clouds drained my magic. This gave me an opportunity to prepare after facing them, so when I next came across the Evil Eyes, I was ready for them. Mystic Shield proved a boon to the fight, though I still was forced to march out to cure the insanity they had inflicted. Finally I made a final push and cleared the dungeon, securing two more power orbs in the process. That's one more dungeon out of the way.
After turning in my orbs and performing some much needed inventory upkeep, I then decided it was time to use my newfound magic powers and press on to the southeastern desert island where the Roc holds sway. There is a magic well in the Thorn Blossom Orchard that can take you there. I drank of its cool waters and found myself standing on the hot sandy beach of the Buzzard Bluff. Swiftly I slaughtered the barbarians and two-headed Death Locusts that resided there. I then gingerly picked at a sunken treasure chest to summon the mighty Vulture Roc. It appeared in the sky, and Key let loose her powerful magics, devastating the beast. It took two of her strongest spells, but the beast let out a terrible cry as aetherial forces crushed its internal organs from the inside and pulled it into a black hole of its own body mass.
With the Roc safely handled, I decided to save, rest, and go back to snagging treasure. That's when I discovered the cruel truth of the Roc: there are more than one. At the next treasure site that I excavated, three fell upon me at once, and all three went for Bone and Key and rent my spellcasters to pieces while the rest of the party watched in horror. Have you ever heard the death screams of a gnome whose two ends are only held together by a thin string of intestines as enormous birds scarf him down with their massive beaks? I won't likely forget it. Key's death was much quieter, though that's probably because they ate her head first. Her body still wandered around aimlessly and twitched for a bit while drizzling blood into the air before it finally stopped moving. I wonder how long her head lived for. Needless to say, it was a party wipe situation. Thank goodness I had saved recently.
My dreams of drawing out treasure dashed, I decided now was a good time to instead explore the nearby cave. This is now where I sit, inside the entryway of the Magic Cavern. There are evil magic shields wandering about, but they don't put up nearly enough of a fight. I managed to loot an Obsidian Flamberge for Ack the Fighter, so these guys pretty much get squashed.
So yeah...I will now chronicle what I have left to do:
Re: Together RPG - Might & Magic III - 6/1-8/1
Your experience with the Rocs mirror my own. Only in my case I already had the best magic the first time I fought them, so I started by trading blows back and forth. My defenses were high enough that the Roc didn't kill me. Then after several rounds I thought "I'm definitely hitting him, how much health does he have left?" So I cast Identify Monster and saw there was still 1000 and change HP. So I busted out the giant nuke spell that I had enough SP to cast twice. I took him down, got my phat lewt, and continued mapping. Then I hit a pack of two Rocs with no SP (it had all been spent on the nuke spells and I didn't rest because I was crushing the normal mobs). That ended poorly, moreso because I hadn't saved recently.
I suppose this is a good time to go into some of the mechanical stuff I ended up learning about. The first is how spell resistance works. It seems that when checking resistance you get a chance to take half damage, and if that succeeds you get a chance to take half of that. This may or may not apply to monsters as well; if it does it would explain why I wasn't consistently killing things.
The other big one is how your stats work. Stats are D&D-esque in that they provide a bonus to a roll based on given stat ranges. At low levels these ranges are two numbers big, but as you get higher and higher it requires more and more of the base stat to get that additional +1 to your roll. Your first bit of diminishing returns is stats above 20 require four points for a +1 rather than two points, 40-49 is a +1, and after that the range is 25 points of base stat for an additional +1. So once you get up to 50 on your base stats gaining additional points doesn't benefit you as much. This can inform equipment choices.
I suppose this is a good time to go into some of the mechanical stuff I ended up learning about. The first is how spell resistance works. It seems that when checking resistance you get a chance to take half damage, and if that succeeds you get a chance to take half of that. This may or may not apply to monsters as well; if it does it would explain why I wasn't consistently killing things.
The other big one is how your stats work. Stats are D&D-esque in that they provide a bonus to a roll based on given stat ranges. At low levels these ranges are two numbers big, but as you get higher and higher it requires more and more of the base stat to get that additional +1 to your roll. Your first bit of diminishing returns is stats above 20 require four points for a +1 rather than two points, 40-49 is a +1, and after that the range is 25 points of base stat for an additional +1. So once you get up to 50 on your base stats gaining additional points doesn't benefit you as much. This can inform equipment choices.
Blizzard Entertainment Software Developer - All comments and views are my own and not representative of the company.
Re: Together RPG - Might & Magic III - 6/1-8/1
This weekend I managed to put in enough time that I now believe I'm entering the real end game run. Might & Magic III, you've been a lot of fun, but things are definitely winding down. I'll include that area checklist at the end of this post which shows what areas I have left, what I've partially explored, and what areas I've finished and have crossed off the list.
Anyway, I started this new section of exploration with the Magic Cavern. It's mostly populated by magic shields and wizards, neither of which were capable of putting up much of a threat. The traps, however...they remove all magical effects, including the elemental protections I was using to stop the wizards' ice magic as well as important basics like Light. A torch probably would have helped, but I saw no reason to bother further cluttering up my inventory and moved in anyway. I liked this dungeon for the most part, not the least of which because I tend to prefer melee characters in RPGs, and it was fun showing the evil casters exactly what a sword is capable of. Further exploration revealed the real threat of the dungeon though, as I stumbled across magical sarcophagi hidden within the cavern walls.
Hmm, let's see: a dungeon dedicated to magic, evil wizards roaming the halls, and tombs covered in mystic runes. What could possibly be in these things? If you guessed "LICH," you'd be right! Liches are nasty magical undead that exist to hatch evil schemes, conquer worlds, and in general provide a great boogeyman for adventuring parties that feel the need to be totally screwed by a grand villain. Unfortunately for them, I have a foil: Key and Bone, magic extraordinaires! The first lich popped out of his tomb thinking he was all big and bad, and then Key imploded his rib cage with the wave of a pinky finger. Me Ack. Me no likey scary magic! Me prefer beat chest around campfire and then beat things to death with bare hands. This is why I keep a caster handy though. Key and Bone pretty much won every lich fight for me with their hideous magics, and with that I wiped out the Magic Cavern.
With that done, I figured it was time to explore a little more, and I polished off the rest of the southeastern desert island. I then headed back to Blistering Heights and figured it was time to knock out a few more town and castle dungeons. The cavern below Blistering Heights was the first, followed by a jaunt along the central fire continent to clear out a demon spawning location and then onto the dungeons of Castle Whiteshield and Castle Blood Reign as well as their treasuries. Realizing I was starting to get a bit limited in what was left, I instead opted to head back up to the Frozen Isles and then over to the Cyclops Cavern. The last time I entered there, I had bailed after the first cyclops fight because he had hit hard. This time our fortunes were reversed, and I had a pretty easy time mopping up the rest of the cyclops' people and ending their existence. Yes, I did just perform genocide against an entire fantasy race. What of it?
With that out of the way, I set my sights on exploring and went to map out the swampland of the central eastern continent followed by the remaining mountains of the northeastern snowy island. This simple charting process netted me valuable information from talking skulls in the swamp which informed me of much of my purpose(11 orbs to a king, gaining the Ultimate Adventurer title), and also gave me a ton of new gear and a few levels. I decided it was time to revisit the Dragon Cavern and take on a few dragons.
You know what? I can totally take dragons now! I quickly began exploring the cave, laying waste to the foul lizards and grabbing up as much loot as I could find. I'm stinking rich now, with millions of gold pieces. But I also thankfully saved before encountering something deep in the mountain which will haunt my nightmares for years. There are much bigger things than dragons in that cave, and there was no way I was capable of fighting it. I very nearly saved in an unwinnable state with a Dragon Lord or whatever it was called breathing down my neck, and most of my attempts to escape ended in vain with its jaws clamping shut on my party members. That poor Fastbilly, he had hopes and dreams...dashed on the teeth of oblivion. Thankfully I finally managed to escape and fled the Dragon Cavern for now.
With my choices whittling down, I instead took a little time to show a princess I had found some love and boom, ended up helping her and freeing a unicorn for millions of experience. I also figured it was time to go raid the first pyramid. I stepped in and discovered I was in the storage section of a spaceship. That's...odd. Oh well, still plenty to do. I raided the stores of the Pyramid of Storage and discovered they have the passwords to pretty much every question in the game. I also discovered the answer to the question of Piranha Bay and then went out to find I had uncovered the fabled Fountain of Youth! Finally, age is not a problem! The last great problem of time has been conquered, and I can hold sway for eternity! I drank of its cool waters, restored the proper ages to most of my characters, and then headed to the Swamp Town Cavern to take on the pricks which haunt its halls, since I had heard they had abilities to age my party members. With that, I completed the last of the towns.
Again, as I had watched the areas left to go dwindle away, I decided to take a stab at the Tomb of Terror, one of the last two unexplored wild dungeons. The first hall of the Tomb was packed to the gills with undead, but by now these freaks were pretty easy to handle. Reapers, ghosts, and phantoms haunted the second corridor, but I wiped them out without a problem. I then finally pushed on to the big room to discover what stalked its depths. As soon as Fastbilly unlocked the door, liches and vampires poured out to face me. Ack, Popo, and Fastbilly laid into them with their swords and axes, while Bone and Key dropped their most powerful spells to annihilate whatever got in my way. Meanwhile Noise climbed into a corner and sucked his thumb. He does stuff like that.
With the forward guard removed and their threat diminished, I pressed onward until I finally stood before the crypt of the Vampire Lord. Thrones line his halls, beckoning to be sat in by Ultimate Adventurers. Unfortunately I'm not yet an Ultimate Adventurer, so I could not sit in them. But I released the Vampire Lord and gave him everything I had, reducing him to a pile of ash and forever removing his evil influence from the world. I will return when I have the title, but this dungeon is official cleared.
With everything winding down, I chose to leave and delve into another pyramid. I've now found myself in the Central Engine Compartment of that massive starship again. I've cleared it out and managed to find enough Hero Orbs or whatever they are to put myself over 11 to one of the kings. My characters range from levels 41-50(Ok, levels 45-50 except for Noise), but I'm eligible for more and will gain millions more experience for handing over the orbs. I suspect it is time I enter the Maze from Hell and take on the Minotaurs directly.
Anyway, I started this new section of exploration with the Magic Cavern. It's mostly populated by magic shields and wizards, neither of which were capable of putting up much of a threat. The traps, however...they remove all magical effects, including the elemental protections I was using to stop the wizards' ice magic as well as important basics like Light. A torch probably would have helped, but I saw no reason to bother further cluttering up my inventory and moved in anyway. I liked this dungeon for the most part, not the least of which because I tend to prefer melee characters in RPGs, and it was fun showing the evil casters exactly what a sword is capable of. Further exploration revealed the real threat of the dungeon though, as I stumbled across magical sarcophagi hidden within the cavern walls.
Hmm, let's see: a dungeon dedicated to magic, evil wizards roaming the halls, and tombs covered in mystic runes. What could possibly be in these things? If you guessed "LICH," you'd be right! Liches are nasty magical undead that exist to hatch evil schemes, conquer worlds, and in general provide a great boogeyman for adventuring parties that feel the need to be totally screwed by a grand villain. Unfortunately for them, I have a foil: Key and Bone, magic extraordinaires! The first lich popped out of his tomb thinking he was all big and bad, and then Key imploded his rib cage with the wave of a pinky finger. Me Ack. Me no likey scary magic! Me prefer beat chest around campfire and then beat things to death with bare hands. This is why I keep a caster handy though. Key and Bone pretty much won every lich fight for me with their hideous magics, and with that I wiped out the Magic Cavern.
With that done, I figured it was time to explore a little more, and I polished off the rest of the southeastern desert island. I then headed back to Blistering Heights and figured it was time to knock out a few more town and castle dungeons. The cavern below Blistering Heights was the first, followed by a jaunt along the central fire continent to clear out a demon spawning location and then onto the dungeons of Castle Whiteshield and Castle Blood Reign as well as their treasuries. Realizing I was starting to get a bit limited in what was left, I instead opted to head back up to the Frozen Isles and then over to the Cyclops Cavern. The last time I entered there, I had bailed after the first cyclops fight because he had hit hard. This time our fortunes were reversed, and I had a pretty easy time mopping up the rest of the cyclops' people and ending their existence. Yes, I did just perform genocide against an entire fantasy race. What of it?
With that out of the way, I set my sights on exploring and went to map out the swampland of the central eastern continent followed by the remaining mountains of the northeastern snowy island. This simple charting process netted me valuable information from talking skulls in the swamp which informed me of much of my purpose(11 orbs to a king, gaining the Ultimate Adventurer title), and also gave me a ton of new gear and a few levels. I decided it was time to revisit the Dragon Cavern and take on a few dragons.
You know what? I can totally take dragons now! I quickly began exploring the cave, laying waste to the foul lizards and grabbing up as much loot as I could find. I'm stinking rich now, with millions of gold pieces. But I also thankfully saved before encountering something deep in the mountain which will haunt my nightmares for years. There are much bigger things than dragons in that cave, and there was no way I was capable of fighting it. I very nearly saved in an unwinnable state with a Dragon Lord or whatever it was called breathing down my neck, and most of my attempts to escape ended in vain with its jaws clamping shut on my party members. That poor Fastbilly, he had hopes and dreams...dashed on the teeth of oblivion. Thankfully I finally managed to escape and fled the Dragon Cavern for now.
With my choices whittling down, I instead took a little time to show a princess I had found some love and boom, ended up helping her and freeing a unicorn for millions of experience. I also figured it was time to go raid the first pyramid. I stepped in and discovered I was in the storage section of a spaceship. That's...odd. Oh well, still plenty to do. I raided the stores of the Pyramid of Storage and discovered they have the passwords to pretty much every question in the game. I also discovered the answer to the question of Piranha Bay and then went out to find I had uncovered the fabled Fountain of Youth! Finally, age is not a problem! The last great problem of time has been conquered, and I can hold sway for eternity! I drank of its cool waters, restored the proper ages to most of my characters, and then headed to the Swamp Town Cavern to take on the pricks which haunt its halls, since I had heard they had abilities to age my party members. With that, I completed the last of the towns.
Again, as I had watched the areas left to go dwindle away, I decided to take a stab at the Tomb of Terror, one of the last two unexplored wild dungeons. The first hall of the Tomb was packed to the gills with undead, but by now these freaks were pretty easy to handle. Reapers, ghosts, and phantoms haunted the second corridor, but I wiped them out without a problem. I then finally pushed on to the big room to discover what stalked its depths. As soon as Fastbilly unlocked the door, liches and vampires poured out to face me. Ack, Popo, and Fastbilly laid into them with their swords and axes, while Bone and Key dropped their most powerful spells to annihilate whatever got in my way. Meanwhile Noise climbed into a corner and sucked his thumb. He does stuff like that.
With the forward guard removed and their threat diminished, I pressed onward until I finally stood before the crypt of the Vampire Lord. Thrones line his halls, beckoning to be sat in by Ultimate Adventurers. Unfortunately I'm not yet an Ultimate Adventurer, so I could not sit in them. But I released the Vampire Lord and gave him everything I had, reducing him to a pile of ash and forever removing his evil influence from the world. I will return when I have the title, but this dungeon is official cleared.
With everything winding down, I chose to leave and delve into another pyramid. I've now found myself in the Central Engine Compartment of that massive starship again. I've cleared it out and managed to find enough Hero Orbs or whatever they are to put myself over 11 to one of the kings. My characters range from levels 41-50(Ok, levels 45-50 except for Noise), but I'm eligible for more and will gain millions more experience for handing over the orbs. I suspect it is time I enter the Maze from Hell and take on the Minotaurs directly.