-
- Forums
- Chatrooms
- Gallery
- Gameplay Videos
- Upload
- Articles
- Mod Reviews
- Shop SP: Games, Movies, Books
|
|
CASTLE, LEVEL 2
One purpose for this level is to acquire the Silver Square, which I'll need to reach the final battle of the game.
Another purpose is to grind for some more item upgrades, which are:
8 Mangar Guards
I start off at the stairs located 19N 0E. I go N N E E E N N E E E E E E E E E N N N and E through the door. I end up fighting 8 Mangar Guards. You typically won't find these Guards until the last dungeon, so they'll do some damage on characters whose AC isn't up to that stratosphere just yet. I still manage to kill them off one by one in melee combat.
I go back west out the door, and then cast a Restoration spell.
Wizened Man
Now I go W W S S S W N and N past the anti-magic square at 2N 10E. I have to put up Cat Eyes and other buffs again after passing through the anti-magic square.
I continue N N N and E when I get another set encounter against random monsters. From there I go E E S and rotate E to cast Trap Zap.
I continue E E E N N N N W W W and W through the door for another fight against random monsters. I continue W S W W W and W past the smoke room.
I continue W W W N E E E E and E. A Wizened Man asks me a riddle. If I get the answer wrong, I have to fight him, which can be risky since he's a Master Sorcerer who can summon Storm Giants or Red Dragons. I give the correct answer of "Vampire", whereupon he lets me go another square east to the teleporter.
Silver Square
The teleporter brings me to 0N 1E. I go one square west and obtain the Silver Square, which is one of three items I'll need to make progress in the final dungeon. I'm more willing to use the Mind Blades spell when faced with numerous enemies.
I go north through the nearby door. The room on the other side has three set encounters against random monsters.
After that, I go west to 2N 21E for another set fight against random monsters.
Ybarra Shield
I go south two squares. A Magic Mouth appears and asks a riddle, the obvious answer to which is "shields". I get the Ybarra Shield in my inventory, which provides 3 points of AC, and a limited number of charges to cast Ybarra's Mystical Shields. I'll just sell it when I get the chance.
Exorwand
I make my way through the smalls rooms to the west, engaging in three set fights against random monsters along the way. The last one yields an Exorwand, which Mordred equips. It can be useful should any party members get Possessed.
After that, I make my way westwards and return to the stairs to the first level. I go down the stairs, then back up the stairs to reset the random monster encounters on the second level.
Ali's Carpets
Now I start to show the grind cycle for the second level. I begin by going one square north and two squares east through the door. I get a set encounter against random monsters. It includes two groups of Wraiths, who can cause Insanity with their attacks. I therefore have both Talia and Mordred each cast a Repel Dead spell to get rid of them as quickly as possible.
*Note* As my inventory starts nearing its full limit of 40, I start to shed some items that I have already found and sold plenty of times before, in order to keep room for the new items available as random drops on this level.
I continue E though the next door, S S S S S E E E S and S through another door, E S and W through another door. That leads to a set encounter against random monsters.
Now I go through the rooms to the east, going into each for set random monster encounters. I get an Ali's Carpet during the first set encounter in a room. Lord Stygar equips it for a 2 point improvement to AC, in the same inventory slot as where other characters were able to equip Elf Cloaks. There's also the added benefit of limited charges of Levitation, which can be used even if the party is in an anti-magic square.
The next fight in the second room also yields an Ali's Carpet. Zarathos equips it for a 2 point improvement to AC.
1st Adamant Plate
I do two more fights in the rooms just to the east. After that, I turn north and start doing the rooms on the north side of the chain.
The fight at 13N 14E yields an Adamant Plate armor. Lord Stygar equips it for a 1 point improvement to AC.
1st Adamant Gloves
I continue westwards, and do the set fights against random monsters at 12N 11E, 12N 9E and 14N 8E. I get a pair of Adamant Gloves during one of the fights, but it remains unidentified.
I make my way back to the stairs and go down to the first level. After that, I go two squares north and then cast a Phase Door spell on the north wall. That allows me to loop around to 0N 0E and leave the Castle.
I recharge my Spell Points at Roscoe's and then make my way to Garth's shop. One of them is a pair of Adamant Gloves, which Lord Stygar now equips for a 1 point improvement to AC.
30th Level
Talia and Mordred advance to their 20th levels as Wizards at the Review Board. The others advance to their 30th levels
I return to the Castle. Now I cast a Phase Door spell on the south wall. After that, I go two squares south to loop around and reach the stairs to the second level. This is the simple way to renew the second level grinding cycle after coming back to the Castle.
2nd Adamant Gloves
I repeat the grind cycle. I get a get a second pair of Adamant Gloves after one of the fights along the southern half of the chain. Zarathos equips them for a 1 point improvement to AC.
I get a random fight against two groups of Magicians just as I near finishing the cycle. I have Talia use Ice Storm on the group that is 40' distant. Mordred kills the other group, who are 60' distant, outright with a Mage Maelstrom spell.
I make my way to the stairs to the first level after finishing the cycle. I go to the Energy Spa on the first level and recharge Talia's and Mordred's Spell Points, and then return to the second level. The possibility provided by the Energy Spa encourages me to cast offensive spells (like Mangar's Mind Blades) much more frequently during my grinds, allowing me to repeat the cycle without worry until I need to advance my characters another level at the Review Board.
1st Adamant Helm
I begin the grind cycle again. I manage to go through the south side of the chain, and back west across the north part of the chain, when one of the fights yields an Adamant Helm. Lord Stygar equips it for a 1 point improvement to AC.
Luckshield
The next fight leads to obtaining a Luckshield as loot. I have Cassandra equip it, as its Luck bonus will help her Hide with pretty much 100% probability, no matter how large the crowd of monsters.
I finish the cycle and leave the Castle, since I have enough xp to advance everyone another level.
31st Level
I go to Roscoe's to recharge my Spell Points, but also have him identify the special features of some of my items, like the Luck Bonus for my Luckshield.
Talia and Mordred advance to their 21st levels as Wizards. Everyone else advances to their 31st levels. The video concludes with the party selling its excess loot at Garth's, and then returning to the second level of the Castle.
1st Adamant Shield
I commence another grind. I get an Adamant Shield after one of the fights along the southern part of the chain. Lord Stygar equips it to improve his AC by one.
2nd Adamant Shield
I resume the grind, and get a second Adamant Shield after the fight in the last room on the south side of the chain. Zarathos equips it.
After that, I finish the cycle, go downstairs to recharge at the Energy Spa, and come back up.
2nd Adamant Helm
I repeat the grind cycle. I find a second Adamant Helm after the first fight of the cycle, and have Zarathos equip it.
I thereafter complete the cycle, recharge my Wizards at the Energy Spa, and then come back up.
2nd Adamant Plate
I complete another grind cycle, and get a second Adamant Plate along the way. Zarathos equips it for a 1 point improvement to AC.
I have enough xp to advance everyone another level, so I leave the Castle.
3rd Adamant Plate
I go to Garth's Shop and have him identify some of my items. It turns out that one of them is a third Adamant Plate armor, which I have Gallard equip for a 1 point improvement to AC.
3rd Adamant Helm
I begin another grind cycle, and get a third Adamant Helm after its first fight. Gallard equips it for a 1 point improvement to AC, after which I complete the cycle.
4th Adamant Helm
I repeat the grind cycle again, and get a fourth Adamant Helm after one of the fights. Ariel equips it.
3rd Adamant Shield
I do a couple more grind cycles. I get a third Adamant Shield partway through the second one. Ariel equips it for a 1 point improvement to AC.
I go downstairs to recharge at the energy spa, and come back up.
5th Adamant Helm
Another grind cycle leads to obtaining a fifth Adamant Helm after one of the fights. Cassandra equips it for a 1 point improvement to AC.
I now have enough xp to advance everyone another level, so I leave the Castle.
36th Level
I've been doing lots of grinding. In the last grind shown in the video I do a few extra fights on the level to make sure everyone has enough xp to advance another level.
Talia and Mordred advance to their 26th levels as Wizards, and the others advance to their 36th levels.
*NOTE* From this point onwards, every other character besides my Wizards will require 200,000xp to advance another level. The Wizards still only require 100,000xp until they themselves reach 36th level in their class.
4th Adamant Shield
I do a couple more grind cycles, and I get a fourth Adamant Shield during the second one although it remains unidentified.
I leave the Castle after finishing the second cycle. It is night time, so I enter the Adventurer's Guild and leave to reset the time to early morning. That allows me to have Garth identify the shield. Ariel equips it for a 1 point improvement to AC.
I now have every item I want from this level, so my next destination is the Catacombs.
