How to be an Avatar - Ultima IV

Everything after me being disappointed at not getting warped to California is non-canon, remember.

Except for Shamino screwing everything up.


Well, okay, never mind. I still pick up Shamino and max out my Humility (...I think).


Also he has this keyword. Huh.
: Dangerous?
: I am not afraid of tomorrow, I have seen yesterday, and I love today.

Whoever programmed the dialogue derped up with his speech, so I fixed it.

Now we gotta wait for a Last Quarter moon that'll lead us somewhere good.



This is why you'd want a long range weapon. Or surround the enemy like I did, but that option isn't always available...anyway, as you can see, the orc is currently fleeing. Meaning he tries to flee to the edge of the battlefield.

You can't move and attack in the same turn.

This makes getting EXP very annoying unless you have a ranged weapon.

Oh yeah, EXP is also only rewarded to the killer (in this case, Shamino)...


...and they leave a treasure chest, which may or may not be trapped. Ultima's weird compared to modern RPGs. On the plus side, treasure chests (which are always gold, in my experience) always drop, even if the enemy flees. So you can still get enough gold to get a sweet crossbow.



Sleep Traps are one of the traps (the other, in my experience, being acid traps, which deal damage). No prizes as to what this does (although apparently Shamino drags Erdrick around for all of the rounds he's asleep).



I have no idea as to what makes skeletons different from orcs. Except there are NPC-skeletons.



An acid trap. That fails.
: How did you do that?
: My fucking mad Avatar-to-be skills.



I think that's a mage. Who does magely stuff. Like animating skeletons.

Also, apparently skeletons are weak to ax blows. Erdrick's one-shotting them. So is Shamino, but sword > ax.



We also (finally) end up here.



: You just said that and I still don't know how to pronounce your name. Anyway, job?
: Welcome thee to Yew, city of Justice!

: Justice?
: Love no one more than the Truth, for Justice seeks no favors. Temper thy Justice with understanding.
: Yew?
: why did you just ask that
: Yes, 'tis a fair city! Does thou like it?
: Sure.
: Let it be as thine!



: Job?
: I decide Justice.

: Justice?
: You ask the stupidest questions sometimes.
: Shut up.
: Justice is Truth in action.
: Isn't it Truth and Love?
: Extending our reaches to the stars above?
: Uniting all peoples within our nation?
: Protecting the world from devastation?
: Erdrick?
: Shamino?
: Team Avatar, blasting off at the speed of light?
: Surrender now, or prepare to fight?
: ...get the hell out of here.


: Well, that could have gone better.
: What, we could have get stuck in a cell that wasn't exitable at any time and didn't have the Rune of Justice in it?
: ...what?

: ...oh. Huh.
The runes are needed to complete the game.


This chick needs her baby to be healed, so she asks us for money. It gives +3 Honor and +2 Compassion no matter how much gold you give, so it makes sense to give your allotted amount to the beggar one gold at a time. Time consuming? Yes. But you'd spend as much time around the world, giving to other beggars.

I give her 13 gold.



...this is why you sleep in your tent.


Even if you get attacked by...snakes?
Run. It'll give you -2 Valor, but also more Compassion and Justice then letting them flee. And it's easier to pull off, as well as being less of a drop in virtue.



Later, in the middle of nowhere, we get ambushed by...pink ladies' undergarments?

Insects. Apparently they're insects.

Which I killed. Which drops my virtues.

...goddammit.


Our current position makes us near somewhere special.

Also, note Erdrick's current HP. Insects hurt, especially when you were resting to get healed from 140 HP and weren't the one woken up first.



Also, trolls can attack us on the bridge. This is the only actual random encounter, I believe; everything else is on the map.


Trolls have slings.



Anyway, our location is here! The village of Paws!


Riiiiiiiiiiiight here. This is all Paws is good for, besides food.


Then going south and east more, we arrive here!


Trinsic, city of Honor, and home to the best Companion!


: Dupreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee please come with us
: Sure, whatever. Wait, how do you know who I am?

: You're just that awesome.

Dupre is a drunkard paladin, and is therefore the best character in the game. When he gained a portrait, he got a mustache, and when he gained a good portrait, he got an even better mustache:
and/or 



Sadly, they were too big, so Dupre's stuck with Paladin!Cecil as his thing. Remember the mustache, though. Always remember.

One of Lord British's bros, Greg Dykes (at least, I assume they're bros, otherwise Dupre wouldn't be so awesome), is who Dupre is based on, and posed as Dupre's face model in Ultima VII Part 2 (the bigger portrait).

Anyway, the Rune of Honor is also located in Trinsic (assume the same type of thing for all of the other runes, save Humility (which we got anyways) and Spirituality):

Riiiiight here. Also note the weird P: we're poisoned due to the magical field around us, cast by the asshole mage. Our mage can't do that either. :sigh: This is more or less advantegous to us, though, 'cause we can die.

Yes, I said that was a good thing. Why?


Well, for one I get to see a pretty slick-ass death animation.


But other then that...


we're alive in Britian! ...with most of our gold and some of our food missing. ._. Talking to a guy named Lord British, who certainly doesn't have an ego.

He's also Richard Garriot's second (and more well-known) in-game counterpart. Hrm.

Also, I could've sworn Dupre started at level 4. Eh, no big deal.



The "great evil lords" are Mondain, Minax, and Exodus, the bad guys of the first three Ultimas. Mondain is the one with the most legacy, but Exodus has his own time, too. Minax gets one, maybe two mentions outside of her game.


This includes inducing our level ups and free heals.


To do so, ask "health". Then answer "no". Lord British will then heal all statuses and all HP. For free.
: Alright, Lord British is the best king ever, hands down.
: What about me?
: Technically, you are the same person.

: The inferior half, yes, but the same person.




We also have enough EXP - even after dying (I think that reduces EXP, or at least teleporting to Lord British does) - to gain a level up each. Except for Dupre. :sigh:








Erdrick's and Shamino's status after leveling up, and Dupre's base stats. Which, yeah, isn't as good as Erdrick's when starting out (at the same level), but he's still awesome. And his INT is actually relevant!




Hawkwind the Seer is also in Britian, giving you a rough outline of your virtuitude as well as giving +3 Spirituality for every time you talk to him. Like a beggar, except free!


The thing is, though, if Erdrick is Sleeping or Dead, he won't talk. It's a dick move, putting sleep fields around his station.






I'm humble, but not humble enough to become a partial Avatar in humility. Anyway, let's leave this place. Good enough, seeing as I don't have the means to become one.




Outside of Britain (castle) is Britain (town).




We now have four of the runes.




And the last of the Companions. (Well, we'll need one more, but she's for later).
: May I help you?
: Hi, Iolo. You're joining us.
: Why?

: 'Cause you're one of the Companions.
: That makes no sense.

: Dude, I joined for less.
: Fine. I shall assist you in becoming an Avatar!


And so Iolo joins our team.

He's a level 3 bard, which makes no sense, given that Shamino, a ranger, was level 2.

ANYWAY


we're done for the day!

Next time: more waiting.

When we last left off, we got half of the runes and got some bros. Now we're skirmishing along the coastline, waiting for a ship to show up.

"Why do you need a ship to show up?" you may ask.

To hijack it.

"Why not buy one?"

You can't. plus I'm saving up for a crossbow


This is a giant fuck you, because (unless I'm mistaken), you can only get to the Shrine of Humility by boat, which is needed to finish the game.


I have no idea why I took this screenshot, but I want Shamino to get all of the EXP so he can reach Level 5. This will allow me to get the spell that gives access to the Rune of Valor.

It's quite easy, actually, given that Orcs, the main enemy (thus far, at least), typically get one-shotted by Shamino's sword, skipping the annoying-ass fleeing phase.


...typically.


Anyway, back to Britannia to get the Rune of Spirituality! And to show off something you can cheese: refusing help with 400+ HP allows you to donate 100 of it to aid others. This nets you 5 sacrifice.

The loss is not permanent.

There's a free healer in this castle.

Hmmmmmmmmmmm.


Although it's better waiting until you're higher-level so you don't have to go to LB between every. Single. Time. 20 Times.


Look closely. See anything out of place?


Yeah. This is Britannia's treasure vault. Now, I'd normally loot everything here, but this is Ultima IV. Doing so would lower my Honesty, Justice, and Honor by one each. So a net total of -45 virtue points would be lost.

So I'll just loot some.


First, the rune of Spirituality. This doesn't cost any points, but gives EXP...I think.


Then...shit. Gotta leave before I lose to my goldlust!


I must make note of something weird. All of these orcs swarm around Shamino...for what purpose? They can't attack him.

Then again, we need a level 5 Shamino, so.


I went to Yew, hoping there was a weapon shop.

There wasn't. Not even a reagent shop. Really?

However, Jaana here is a druid. Remember, Red Mage person? Unfortunately, I'm not experienced enough for her to join. Asshat. (party size = level)


Bandits are bandits. I dunno, okay?

ANYWAY Shamino got killed. Near Britian, I went to Lord British to get him revived...except somebody fucked up and made him not revive.

On that note, I'm done for now. So farewell!

Last time, Shamino got himself killed. You might think it's because I let him be, but nope. It was all Shamino. So we're here at a healer to get him less dead.


: Why can't we cheat the healers?
: Cheating people isn't very virtuous, Erdrick.
: And Shamino isn't worth 300 gold. Point?
: Then why are you reviving him?
: Because if I don't, we'll be going ~into the Abyss~ and he'll be level 3. And even if this isn't a typical RPG, going into the last dungeon with a level 3 character irks me.
: Aren't you basically going to do the same thing with Katrina?
: Sh! Spoilers!

Yeah. Resurrection costs level * 100 gold. Shamino's (still) level 3, so he just costs 300 gold, but if Erdrick died, he would need 400.

Also.


Shamino is a zombie.
: Braaaaaaains.
: What. Healer!



: I'm not sure how you managed to get a zombie of my alter-ego, and I'm not sure I want to know.

: Brain?
Yeah, a trip to LB fixes him right up. Unlike when he was dead.
: Hey, screw you.
: Couldn't you have just healed him at the healers?
: And pay another 300 gold? Shamino's definitely not worth 600 gold.

Although I'd be interested in what would happen, I'm 99% sure that he'd either drop dead, go to 1 HP, or basically be at 1 HP anyway and die upon being so much as scratched.

The 1% is more of a hope that it's a programming oversight and would render Shamino immortal, but if that wasn't true, I'd have to pay another 300 gold for him to be revived.



I hate it when there's a moongate that's where I want to go and leads to where I currently am.



I also hate it when I warp to Yew accidentally.

Especially because this is nowhere near where Yew actually is.

(Okay, it is, but not in the same clearing. Which makes it annoying. )


Hey, another kind of trap! Bomb traps deal damage to everyone. But the gold is still fine. Hrm.


Shamino achieves level 4, getting 400 HP and a handful of new spells!  Did I mention spells? You need to be a certain level to use them. Sorta like other RPGs, except you unlock a whole bunch of 'em at one level rather them being spread out.



Shamino's ~new stats~. He'll need 800 total EXP to get to level 5, and thus he'll need to be level 5 for us to get the rune of Valor. Which isn't really efficient (as we could be killing stuff with Dupre to get him to level 5), but screw it, you're not the one trying to become the Avatar.

Anyway...um. Hrm.

Ah, yes. I got running low on rations, so I went to the ration store. All ration stores sell packs of 25 rations, but they differ in cost. Britain's cost 40 gold, or 1.6 gold per ration unit. How they get .6 of gold, I don't know. Anyway, I buy 10 ration packs.

Then I give 6 gold to Sprite. One at a time, remember.

aaaaaand holy shit lotta monsters

The weird things that look like they have two heady things are ettins. No, I have no idea what they are. But they give 8 EXP, so.

Now, that might sound small. But you get 13 EXP from either a very dangerous thing (dragons) or something that will lower your virtuitude (: That's not a word. : Quiet, you.). So it's actually a lot.

Around this point I realize that Erdrick is close to getting level 5, which would be great...if he could cast it. Darn it, Erdrick!  



Now we warp to Minoc. Why?



What starts with "r", ends with "e", and is what we've been collecting?



Hint: it has something to do with the virtues.

Also, there's a thing called a Magic Axe here. It kinda sucks now, but it'll be better. It sucks because even though it's awesome, the magic bow - which is even more awesome - costs but 500 gold more and can be equipped by more people. It costs 1500 gold (thanks, GameFAQs!), and can be equipped by Tinkers and Paladins.

In other news,

SWORD HALBERD
These can be equipped by paladins and fighters, meaning Shamino still doesn't have a ranged weapon.
: Ha!
: I thought you wanted me to get to Level 5?
: Eh, I don't really care anymore.
: Wouldn't it be inefficient to have one member of our party be using a non-ranged weapon?
: ...._.





Although, there isn't anything I can get Shamino without weakening him. So.Anyroad, I sell my old stuff and go into ~the forge~.


: What up?
: I am Ziracon. I forge weapons.

: Weapons? ...god, Shamino's right.

: I make the very best! Seek thee a weapon?

: Not now, no.

: Hmmm.

: ...

: ...

: ...I'm going in the forge now.

: Why?!



: This is why.

: This is nice and all, but did you really have to bring us in?

: Yeeeeeeeep.



Being in the forge, obviously, hurts you quite a bit. Although curiously, first turn in Erdrick didn't get hurt at all. Hrm. I think they're also just damaging magical fields, so you may be able to Dispel them.


While we're here, let's become a partial avatar in something! How? Well, Minoc is near a moongate that opens on the full moon. We have to wait until a double full moon.


Also, while I was resting, I found out that the Halberd had a range of two squares away. EXACTLY. God dammit, Richard Garriot, why can't a fucking halberd fucking hit right in front of the fucking user, fuck it?




: Men, is that what I think it is?

: It can't be!

: But it is!

: IT'S A SHIP!


Unfortunately, ships can fire cannonballs, which hurt. D: But first, moongate! During dual full moons! Any other phase, and it will lead us nowhere, but this will lead us to...




...the Shrine of Spirituality. Which resides in the Void. Or something. I dunno. But hey!


So first, we have to choose the correct shrine. ...even though it's still in the window. Guess it wasn't in the PC version?




Then we choose for how many cycles we want to meditate.




You wait a while for each cycle, then input the Mantra. OM is the mantra of Spirituality.






Oh, hey, cool, thanks Ankh. Even though I have no idea where Serpent Spine is, or how this is a vision.

...

ANYWAY, meditating nets you +3 Spirituality for each cycle you correctly give the Mantra for. So you need to do...34 cycles to net full Spirituality from 0.

...fuck. Thankfully, we don't start with 0...right?

Then I teleported away because I thought I could get another session in but the moons changed.  
So that'll be it for tonight.

: Well, we're lost. Again. I blame Shamino.
: Hey!

: Isn't this near Trinsic? Where I'm, y'know, from?

: Oh, hey, it is. So we're not lost. I still blame Shamino.





: NOW we're lost.

: Nice going, Shamino.

: You were the one who refused to look at the map!

: ...still.





: ...how are you able to not hit me?

: How am I incapable of hitting something right next to me?





: The map's not helping.

: Goddammit.





: Good news! I've managed to locate where we are.

: Finally.
: Bad news! We're back where we started.

: Uuuuuuuugh.





: Or...not? :psyduck:

: Let's just celebrate the fact that we're back in Britain.




: Like so?

: Eh.



Shamino has 552 XP. Fuck you too, bud.




: Goddammit, the ship left. ._.



Anyway, due to walking in a poisonous marsh, Erdrick got poisoned. This presented an oppurtunity to show off ~magic~.






First you go into the Magic menu and select Mix Reagents.




You then select the spell you want to mix reagents for. In this case, we want a Cure spell, which heals poison, unlike the Cure of Final Fantasy.




Then you select which reagents are used in the spell, for no reason other then Richard Garriot is a douche.


I'm sorry, but he is sometimes.


Cure's reagents are a thing of Ginseng and a clove of Garlic. You only ever use one reagent per reagent type for one spell.




Then you hit Mix and select how many uses of the spell you want to make.




Then you pray to your deity of choice that it works. I only failed once, when I was trying to mix Dispel(l), but still. Why would you make it fail, Richard Garriot? Especially when it consumed the reagents!




Casting on the world map is relatively simple.




Very, very simple.
: Erdrick!
: What?
: Nothing, I just had to say your name for the spell.

: ...





Bah. Something spawned in the water that wasn't a ship. Serpents are, obviously, water-dwelling monsters. They give 9 EXP a pop, and are evil.


I still wanted a ship.




Having fumbled my moongating again, I decide to Spirituality-grind.








So I'm Compassionate and Valorous, but not Honest.


Eh.




Goddammit, Ultima IV, I want ships to spawn! Ships! Incidentally, if you're using halberds fighting serpents is a good way to get exp, as you can just stay one space away from the shore and throw that javelin. Thing.


Why can't you attack when you're right next to them arrrrrrrrgh


Aaaaaanyway, I'm basically doing this
1) Go to Britain
2) Wait
3) Go to Minoc
4) Wait
5) Go to the Shrine of Spirituality
6) Meditate
7 (optional)) Get frustrated at the fact that I can't do the Shrine again
8) Get teleported to Trinsic and have to trek back to Britain
(repeat)


So I'll spare you the tedium and just update it when I get Spirituality. Or a ship. Whichever's first.