WarWizard
 

Feel free to comment and discuss this game here. Also, if you have any useful tips or tricks don't hesitate to share them with the others! Thanks!

Review and Download (if available)

One thing to keep in mind - if you save a game in one of the slots and then save later in the same slot, it doesn't update all files in that savegame folder but only one or few which produces few minor bugs. Those are for example, if you save a game before buying an expensive item in a shop then load it again if you don't want the item, you'll end up still having bought that item and spent your gold for it already and there's no way to undo that.
Some other things also can happen with that system like saving before attacking some stationary creature on the nearby field just to see what he drops after the battle, then loading the game only to discover it still being killed and gone forever.

This can be circumvented by keeping two savegame slots occupied and saving the game before such critical moments not in the same slot but the other one. In that case the game overwrites all files in that other save folder and the above mentioned bug doesn't occur, i. e. you bought an item and after loading the game you didn't just as it should be.
Since the game was so little known there's unfortunately no patch for this bug and few other minor ones.

One other thing to keep in mind which is critical to the game progress - when you free the wizard Genethar who has one Portal spell memorized, under NO circumstances cast it just for fun as he does not have it in his book and can't ever again memorize it, which would leave you stuck in the game without being able to progress at a certain point (unless you cheat / hex-edit).

Awesome. I've been looking for a copy of this game ever since I found the war wizard demo on a bbs years ago. I can't wait to get into this game and finally explore this game finally.

Stuck in Warwizard 1
 

I just started WarWizard 1 again recently. I have some questions:

1. Where do I find the 1st lvl. sorcerer and magician spells for my Warwizard? I want the search spell but don't want to use a sorcerer just for that. Should I explore cities or just fight in dungeons to get spells? Are there any spells I can find in a dungeon as well as in the shops?

Thanks.

Rob

Most spells can be bought in cities. Some can be found in dungeons, though I think none that can't be bought also. However not all cities offer the same spells, so you'd need to explore a bit and visit other cities.
Of course, proceed cautiously and save often, as in some areas you will often encounter enemies which might be too much for your party. It doesn't hurt to grind a bit also, to increase each party members' armor class and attack, before exploring further.

ATT and AC
 

I increased my evasion proficiency 1 level, but it didn't increase my ac. Is AC related to damage absorption, and evasion is a separate check? Does it increase with every level of evasion? What about attack? Does every level of weapon skill increase my listed attack?

Thanks.

Rob

Further notes: I am using DosBox to run the game. Perhaps I messed up when backing up save files in Windows Explorer? I copied the whole game directory each time. What about the Amiga version? Should I see a change in attack values with different weapons equipped if I have proficiency?? I tested, and my atm and ac go up when I use the enchanter spells that raise them. Yet, increasing my proficiency/evasion doesn't increase my ac or atm. IS THIS A BUG? If so, how do I hex edit? I can't find the values for AC or ATM in my hex editor.

Thanks.

Rob

Those two defense and attack values, displayed on the big blue-black shield and axe in the statistics screen, inscrease only 1. when your Strength and Dexterity values increase (through drinking potions) and 2. when you're wearing one or two (the game doesn't seem to register more than two) Rings of Protection in the inventory, in the Body area. And through the enchant spells, but then only temporarily. Those proficiencies cannot be trained up.
They directly affect your chances of avoiding being hit, to hit an enemy (I think) and certainly the amount of damage done when you hit someone.

There're also two proficiencies which can be viewed in the inventory screen, if you click on Torso armor you're wearing and the weapon you're wielding. Since all armor worn in Torso spot is of the same class, your proficiency with it increases effecitveness in either robes, leather armor, chain or plate armor. It is trained only when you receive a hit from enemy.
Weapons are of different classes, so if you're wielding a Longsword, your profiency with any sword (be it Two-Handed or Short Sword) increases the more you attack with it. If you switch later to a War Hammer, it's a different weapon class so you'd have no proficiency in it and need to train it through attacking enemies. Same with Dagger class and Bow (all bows, crossbows and slings) class weapons.
These two proficiencies lower the chance of you being hit by enemies and your chance to hit them with the weapon you're wielding.

Now, I have no idea how exactly the four different proficiency levels co-operate with each other, but I guess (from observing while playing) that they simply stack with each other. The two defense proficiencies don't seem to reduce the damage received, only lower the chance of being hit.

Thanks for your quick response! It is appreciated.

Rob

Bug?
 

I visited Calroman's Keep to the north but couldn't speak to the Duke and Duchess "properly". So, I reloaded and can now speak to the Duke who gives some information. But the Duchess doesn't have anything "special" to say. I tried bribing and threatening her. Do I need more charisma, or is it a bug? Or does she speak to me later or have nothing to say? Can I complete the game without her text?

I had a weird crash as well in this city. I tried from a really old save, and she still doesn't say much.

I got the Key to Gildain from the Duke's room. Is that all I need from here?

Thanks.

Rob

What do you mean, you couldn't speak to them properly? They didn't talk with you? It's usually best if you select the WarWizard (I) to talk to people, some mercenaries in your party could, for example, only speak Halfling and therefore couldn't talk with human NPC's. Maybe you had one such mercenary selected for talking.
Usually both rulers of a city have some interesting hints to say. It doesn't matter as much though if they for some reason don't, it's only hints about something you can find out in dungeouns for yourself, anyway. And yes, you should be able to complete the game without talking to anyone, as long as you know what you have to do. Keys are important for special doors or chests, but can be dropped after they've been used. Better stash them all in one chest somewhere, though, to find them again if necessary.

Are you playing the game in DosBox? If yes, which version, 0.74? Did you follow the advise about saving games in my first post in this thread? When you save the game, you should do it alternately in different slot than you saved before, i. e. you saved in slot 1 before, later save in slot 2, and sometime later when you need to save again do it in slot 1.
If you save all the time in only 1 slot repeatedly, the game doesn't save everything entirely in that savegame slot, and if you load a game after that, bugs and crashes might appear. I'm not sure exactly why the game behaves like this, but I think it has to do with the caching DosBox (or maybe Windows itself on lower level) does, as it had the same issues back then in Ms-Dos when Smartdrive (a caching program) was loaded.

Thanks for the reply. I am playing in DosBox .74. I save in multiple save slots and then backup the game. I think I might have saved in the same file twice in a row before and THEN saved in the second slot. I am not sure, and I will try not to do that. I couldn't get the Duke or Duchess to say anything other than "Hail Traveller." I reloaded and then the Duke would give me a hint BUT not the Duchess.

I got a fresh copy of the game in a separate directory and started a new game as a test. I set random encounters to none and then travelled to Calorman's Keep. The Duke gave me a hint but the Duchess just says, "Hail, Traveller." Maybe I should talk to her later?

Thanks.

Rob

Ah yes, the Duchess in this city doesn't have anything interesting to say indeed. This won't change.
If you still encounter problems with the game in DosBox 0.74, you might want to try it in DosBox 0.73. I didn't have any problems with the game in the latter version (minding the savegame tactic), but didn't play it yet in 0.74.

Btw., Charisma only affects the willingness of stronger mercenaries, especially in later areas further into the game, to join you.

cant find warwizard shield
 

heya. there is a cave where you are supposed to find the warwizard shield. but after clearing the cave and kill the mountain giant, i cant find the shield anywhere. anyone has any idea where it is?