Ultima Trilogy

I-II-III

Produced by: Origin Systems Inc.
Distributed by: Origin Systems Inc.

DESCRIPTION

The complete Ultima adventures in one package that tells the captivating story of the struggles of Lord British's kingdoms with the forces of darkness - the Triad of Evil. Journey through The First Age of Darkness, confront The Revenge of the Enchantress and then face Exodus. Ultima III when the Great Earth Serpent awakens from a slumber of ages. Only a party of adventurers can save Sosaria.

NOTE: On this page you'll only find the information for Ultima I & II. Since Ultima III was also sold seperately i've placed the information for it on a seperate page.

Ultima I

The First Age Of Darkness

STRATEGY

THE BEGINNING

Once you create your character, and endow him or her with race, type, and attributes, you are ready to begin your adventure. Each race and type of character has its own advantages and disadvantages. Obviously, a fighter is vicious in battles, wizards or clerics throw potent spells, and thieves are good at thievery. Experiment with different characters. Your first step, upon finding yourself in the middle of a grassy plain, is to ready your armour (leather) and a weapon (dagger). Thus prepared, you may then begin to explore the world of Ultima.

You will encounter a number of strange creatures during your travels. On land, you will find Orcs, Evil Trents, Hoods, Knights, Bears, Wandering Warlocks, Necromancers, Hidden Archers, Thieves, Dark Knights, and Evil Rangers. In the ocean, there are Giant Squid, Ness Creatures, Dragon Turtles, and Giant Octopi. It is likely that you'll be killed quickly. If so, you will be reincarnated. (If you're reincarnated in the middle of water, keep trying to move or attack. These actions will use up your food and hit points, and you'll be reincarnated again -- hopefully on land the next time.) However, your resurrected self is lacking in food, gold, and weapons. Take heart! Although the process of building up your points and possessions seems slow, if you persevere you will "ultimately" be victorious. The following strategy hints should be helpful:

THE DUNGEONS

Dungeon experience is vital in order to increase your hit points. It can also be fatal. If your character is a novice, it's best to explore only the 1st or 2nd level of a dungeon. Then you can retrace your steps, climb out of the dungeon alive, and repeat the process. As you become stronger, you can descend deeper into a dungeon. There you will do battle with increasingly powerful creatures, but you may also gain hundreds of hit points and gold pieces. You will encounter the following enemies in any dungeon:

Levels 1 and 2: Thieves, Rangers, Skeletons, Bats, Giant Rats

Levels 3 and 4: Giant Spiders, Cyclopes, Orcs, Gelatinous Cubes, Vipers

Levels 5 and 6: Ettins, Minotaurs, Mimics, Carrion Creepers, Lizard Men

Levels 7 and 8: Wraiths, Wandering Eyes, Liches, Tanglers, Gremlins

Levels 9 and 10: Daemons, Balrons, Mind Whippers, Zorns, Invisible Seekers

Even if you have accumulated many thousands of hit points, some of the more powerful creatures can easily destroy you. You will have to discover, through trial and error, which weapons or spells you should use against them. (Note: Only a wizard can use the Blink, Create, Destroy, and Kill spells.) The following strategy hints should help you in surviving dungeon travel:

SPACE TRAVEL

You have been exploring the four continents of Ultima, crossing plains and oceans, and increasing your attributes and possessions. Suddenly, you find advanced weapons, armour, and vehicles in the cities. Purchase a space shuttle as soon as you have enough gold. The shuttle will carry you out into space where you will strive to destroy 20 enemy vessels. If you do this, you will be designated a "Space Ace". You will want to be a Space Ace before rescuing the princess. If you destroy the enemy spacecraft, and return alive to Ultima, you will have gained thousands of experience points and will be ready to save the Princess. Space movement can be tricky, and the following strategy hints should help:

THE GAME

SAVING THE PRINCESS

In each castle, there is a Princess imprisoned. You will see her pacing in her cell in the lower right of the castle. The key to her cell may or may not be in the possession of the Jester (hopping around near the King). You must kill the Jester in order to get the key. Keep trying until you get the correct key that will unlock the Princess' cell. The following strategy tips should assist you in freeing the Princess:

BATTLING MONDAIN

Once you rescue the Princess and locate the Time Machine, you are ready to do battle with the evil wizard Mondain. Board the craft and launch. Although you are now an expert fighter (you've done away with Balrons and Liches, right?), Mondain will nevertheless engage you in the battle of your life. The following tactics should help you destroy the Evil Gem, kill Mondain, save the universe and, not incidentally, win the game:

LAYOUT

The game of "Ultima I" involves travel on land and sea and through space and time. This file is to help you map a dangerous world. The planet consists of four continents separated by oceans. These continents contain many cities, castles, dungeons, and landmarks which the traveler must explore. Once the adventurer has purchased a seagoing craft or an air car, he or she may traverse the oceans with ease. When sufficient gold and experience points are accumulated, a space shuttle may be obtained for extraterrestrial journeys.

CONTINENT ONE

OVERVIEW

Continent One contains two castles (Lost King and Lord British); eight cities (Yew, Fawn, Britain, Montor, Grey, Paws, Moon, and Tune); nine dungeons (Perinia, Lost Caverns, Mondain's Gate to Hell, Unholy Hole, Mines of Mt. Drash (1 and 2), Death's Awakening, Montor, and Doubt); and two landmarks (Pillars of Protection and Tower of Knowledge).

QUESTS

Quest for King of the Castle of the Lost King: The King will ask you to destroy a Gelatinous Cube. To do so, you must climb down to level 3 or 4 of any dungeon and kill a Gelatinous Cube. Having done so, return to the King who will give you a red gem. He will also tell you that you will need four gems to launch the Time Machine.

Quest for the King of the Castle of Lord British: His Majesty will send you to find the Tower of Knowledge. The landmark is located on an island to the northeast of the continent. You will receive additional strength from the King when you complete your quest and return to him.

LANDMARKS

Pillars of Protection: This landmark is located on an island to the northwest of the continent. Enter the landmark, and your agility will be increased.

Tower of Knowledge: The Tower of Knowledge is on an island to the northeast of the continent. Your intelligence will be increased when you enter this landmark.

BARTENDERS' CLUES

Pubs: In the cities, there are pubs. Be sure to transact with Varg the tavern keep, since he may give you clues such as: "Destroy the Evil Gem," or "Best watch out for the wench."

CONTINENT TWO

OVERVIEW

This continent is located across the ocean to the east of Continent One. Continent Two contains two castles (Rondorlin and Barataria); eight cities (Snake, Owen, Gerry, Arnold, Linda, Helen, John, and Wolf); eight dungeons (Scorpion Hole, The Labyrinth, Where Hercules Died, Advari's Hole, The Savage Place, Horror of the Harpies, Gorgon's Hole, and Dead Warrior's Fight); and two landmarks (Pillars of the Argonauts and Pillar of Ozymandias).

QUESTS

Quest for the King of Rondorlin: The King orders you to kill a Carrion Creeper. This dread creature may be found on the 5th or 6th level of any dungeon. When you accomplish your task and return to the King, he will give you a green gem and tell you that you must use the Time Machine.

Quest for the King of Barataria: This quest involves locating the Pillar of Ozymandias (on an island to the southwest of the continent). The King will grant you increased strength upon completion of the quest.

LANDMARKS

Pillars of the Argonauts: The pillars are located on an island to the west of the continent. You are rewarded with various weapons whenever you visit this landmark.

Pillar of Ozymandias: Increased wisdom is your reward for entering the pillar (southwest of the continent).

BARTENDERS' CLUES

Pubs: If you buy a drink from a tavern keep, he may give you a hint such as, "Best you should know about space travel, and that you must destroy at least 20 enemy vessels to become an Ace!" or "The Princess will reward you if you save her, and will give an additional gift to a player of 8th level or higher."

CONTINENT THREE

OVERVIEW

Continent Three is located across the ocean to the east of Continent Two. This land mass contains two castles (Black Dragon and Olympus); eight cities (Poor, Ponder, Clear Lagoon, Gauntlet, Nassau, Wealth, Imagination, and Stout); nine dungeons (The End, The Metal Twister, The Long Death, Viper's Pit (1 and 2), Guild of Death, Troll's Hole, Tramp of Doom, and Slow Death); and two landmarks (Sign Post and Southern Sign Post).

QUESTS

Quest for the King of Black Dragon's Castle: The King orders you to kill a Liche (which may be found on the 7th or 8th level of any dungeon). If you complete this quest, His Majesty will give you a blue gem and tell you that the Princess helps the Space Ace.

Quest for the King of the Castle of Olympus: On this quest, you must find the Sign Post. It is located on an island to the northwest of the continent. The King will reward you with additional strength for completing this task.

LANDMARKS

Sign Post: This landmark is located on an island to the northwest of the continent. Upon entering the Sign Post, you will receive additional stamina. Southern Sign Post: Additional charisma is your reward for finding this landmark. It is located on an island to the southwest of the continent.

BARTENDERS' CLUES

Pubs: The tavern keep may let you in on the following information: "One thousand years ago, Mondain the Wizard created an Evil Gem which makes him immortal. You must traverse the lands until you find a Time Machine. Go back in time to destroy the Evil Gem and save the universe." Or, the bartender may tell you that "Most, if not all, of the lakes and ponds have magical powers."

CONTINENT FOUR

OVERVIEW

Traveling east across the ocean from Continent Three, you will arrive at Continent Four. This land mass contains two castles (Shamino's Castle and White Dragon's Castle); eight cities (Lost Friends, Dextron, Turtle, Wheeler, Bulldozer, Gorlab, Brother, and Magic); nine dungeons (Skull Smasher, Doom, Dead Cat's Life (1 and 2), Dead Man's Walk, Hole to Hades, Spine Breaker, The Morbid Adventure, and Free Death Hole); and two landmarks (Grave of the Lost Soul and the Eastern Sign Post). If you wish to revisit Continent One, simply continue east across the ocean from Continent Four.

QUESTS

Quest for the King of Shamino Castle: You must descend to the 9th or 10th level of any dungeon and kill a Balron. After you do this, return to the King. He will give you a white gem and allow you to take nine items from the holds of his castle.

Quest for the King of White Dragon's Castle: You must find the Grave of the Lost Soul (which is on an island to the northwest of the continent). His Majesty will reward you with added strength when you return to him.

LANDMARKS

Grave of the Lost Soul: Upon reaching this landmark, enter it. You will receive additional stamina.

Eastern Sign Post: This landmark merely has a sign saying, "Go east to go east."

BARTENDERS' CLUES

Pubs: Varg may tell you to "Have a strong one, bub," or "Go back in time." Or, he may simply say that this is a great game (as indeed it is!).

Ultima II

The Revenge

STRATEGY

Ultima II (The Revenge of the Enchantress) is Lord British's exciting sequel to Ultima I. In Ultima II, you are challenged to discover the secret of Minax, the evil apprentice of Mondain whom you defeated in Ultima I. Once again, you must create a player character who will roam land, sea, air, and even outer space, battling strange creatures and increasing your character's attributes and possessions. However, in Ultima II, you must also unlock the mysteries of the Time Doors.

CREATING A CHARACTER

By allocating 90 points among 6 attributes and choosing race, profession, and sex, you may create a player character who is initially powerful or weak. For example, relatively high strength is the key to being able to wear certain armour; high agility will allow your character to wield certain weapons and steal more easily. I had good luck with my Elf Thief ("Bugsy") who was able to steal plenty of food, weapons, and armour. However, the Dwarf Wizard ("Hirsutus") I created endured a long, slow battle to merely stay alive. Experiment with different combinations to find out which is more successful and enjoyable for you.

A note about spellcasters: Clerics and Wizards may purchase spells in Villages. However, spells are both very expensive and relatively useless. Spells can only be cast within Dungeons and Towers and, unfortunately, you can easily win the game without ever entering either of those places.

BEGINNING THE QUEST

You start out with 400 hit points, 400 foods, and 400 gold. This may seem like plenty, but it isn't. Your food disappears quickly as you explore, your hit points diminish rapidly when you are attacked by creatures, and your gold pieces must be exchanged for supplies and equipment. However, you can always attempt to steal, and you can purchase additional hit points by transacting with a King.

Your first task is to obtain a weapon and armour. From where you are when you boot the game diskette, walk west and south into Towne Linda (it looks like a cloverleaf). You will find both an armoury and a weapons vendor there. After leaving Towne Linda, travel south until you reach Le Jester Village (it looks like 5 small circles). Villages are the only places where you can obtain additional food. Now you're ready to do some serious adventuring. But, before you begin your campaign in earnest, be sure to save the game. It's very easy to get killed, and you will want to be able to return to the status quo ante.

A word of advice: This game has an annoying "feature" involving the save game function. First of all, unlike Ultima I, Ultima II has no provision for two disk drives, so be prepared for frequent disk swaps. Secondly, if your character enters a Town, Village, Castle, Dungeon, or Tower (i.e., there has been interaction with the player diskette), and you are then gravely injured or, perhaps, have spent money on an item you are not allowed to use, and you then leave that location (i.e., another disk interaction), you will not be able to turn off your machine and reboot to find your earlier (healthier!) save game position. The solution to this problem is this: When you realize that your character has lost a lot of hit points while within one of those locations, turn off your machine then and there. Since no writing to the diskette is involved, you can then reboot and recover your earlier position.

THE INHABITANTS

In order to gain experience points, valuable items, and gold, you must slay many creatures. The universe of Ultima II is populated by Orcs, Devils, Daemons, Thieves, Fighters, Clerics, Wizards, Balrons, Sea Serpents, Guards, Merchants, Jesters, Seers, Oracles, Kings, Queens, and, finally, Minax. Some you must simply kill; others you must not kill but must transact with.

Transact with everyone you find in Towns, Villages, and Castles. Clues to solving the game will be revealed to you (occasionally, however, you have to offer gold to purchase a particularly valuable hint or item). In one Town, you will discover that offering gold results in significant increases to your character's attributes. As I mentioned earlier, you can obtain more hit points by transacting with a King (he pockets some of your gold as payment for this service). Be aware, however, that after 99 your attributes will roll over to 0! (Rollover occurs as well when any of your possessions total more than 99 and when your hit points, experience points, food, or gold climb above 9999). Don't be too greedy!

ITEMS

Utilize the "Z" (status) command frequently, especially after you have slain a creature. You will notice that there are certain items in your inventory which were not there before the battle. You will learn what each of these items is for (e.g., magical boots save you from a paralysis spell and tools allow you to escape from traps in Towers or Dungeons), and will discover which creatures are more likely to possess something you need.

There are a total of 20 objects for you to find, including: Torches, Keys, Tools, Quick Swords, Wands, Staffs, Boots, Cloaks, Helms, Gems, Ankhs, Red Gems, Skull Keys, Green Gems, Brass Buttons, Blue Tassles, Strange Coins, Green Idols, Tri- Lithiums, and Rings. Once you've obtained a particularly precious item (such as blue tassles which you'll need to board a frigate or strange coins which allow you to stop time), be sure to save the game state. Thieves just love to steal from you, and you may want to recover your earlier position. You will encounter an individual who claims to own "one of everything." Offer him gold and find out!

TRANSPORTATION

You may buy a horse in a Town in order to conserve food as you travel by land. However, frigates and planes are needed to traverse the oceans. You will need a rocketship to enter space.

Frigates may be boarded (as they pass by you on a coastline) if you already possess a set of blue tassles. However, planes and rockets must be stolen. Planes are available in only one Town; you'll need brass buttons and skull keys in order to fly a plane. Once you have a plane, you can "walk" it through a Time Door (Time Doors are discussed in the next file entitled "Ultima II -- Layout").

Rockets are found only in one Town and you'll need a number of items in order to blast off (if you need extra Tri-Lithiums, you can find hordes of the stuff on the highest level of a Tower or the lowest level of a Dungeon). Once in space, explore and transact until you discover the mysterious Planet X and the kindly Father Antos. A note about spaceflight: Landing is the trickiest part of this task; be extremely careful that you land on the grass, otherwise you'll be killed.

DEFEATING MINAX

Ah, yes, the dread enchantress! She rules time and the universe, ever so confidently, from her chambers within her Castle on Legends. Do not attempt to destroy her until you have spent many, many hours developing your character's abilities and have obtained weapons, armour, and valuable items. One item in particular, a ring, must be in your possession if you wish to pass unscathed through Minax's force fields. She is unwilling to die easily and leads you on a not-so-merry chase from chamber to chamber while her minions attempt to kill you. You can deal with her lackeys by stopping time, but only if you have sufficient quantities of strange coins. Persist in your attack; she will ultimately succumb and she and all her works will be destroyed!

THE LAYOUT

The cloth map and the pamphlet that come with the game are very helpful. Study both and make your own notes as you continue your quest. The map shows the world as it appears in the A.D. time period with symbols representing the 20 Time Doors that exist. The Time Doors take you from one time period to another, and there are five such periods: B.C. (1423 B.C.); A.D. (1990 A.D.); Pangea (9 million B.C.); Aftermath (2112 A.D.); and Legends (no time). Once you obtain a magical helm, you will be able to "V"iew your exact location (note, however, that your helm disappears when you "V"). The following is an outline of the various time periods and the locations of their Time Doors.

1423 B.C.

This is where you begin your adventure. You will find yourself in Eurasia with connecting passages by land to North America, Africa, and South America. Locations you'll visit include Towne Linda in Italy, Le Jester Village in Africa, a Tower in South America, a Dungeon in Greenland, Lord British's Castle in England, and a Signpost in Australia (islands may be reached once you board a frigate).

There are 4 Time Doors: 1) The NW Time Door in Europe takes you to England in 1990 A.D.; 2) The North Central Time Door in Europe takes you to the eastern peninsula in 9 million B.C.; 3) The NE Time Door in North America takes you to Legends; and 4) The SE Time Door in South America takes you to the north of North America in 2112 A.D.

1990 A.D.

Here you will visit Lord British's Castle and Port Bonifice in England, New San Antonio in North America, a Tower in Africa, a Dungeon in Greenland, and a Signpost in Australia.

There are 4 Time Doors: 1) The Time Door in South America takes you to North America in 2112 A.D.; 2) The Time Door by the Signpost in Australia takes you to the eastern part of the continent in 9 million B.C.; 3) The Time Door near Lord British's Castle in England takes you to Europe in 1423 B.C.; and 4) The Time Door by the Dungeon in Greenland takes you to the east of the continent in 9 million B.C.

9 MILLION B.C.

In this ancient time, the continents as we know them have not yet separated. This land mass appears to be one great island. You will visit Baradin's Town, a Dungeon, and a Signpost.

There are 4 Time Doors: 1) The NE Time Door by the Dungeon takes you to Legends; 2) The eastern Time Door takes you to Europe in 1423 B.C.; 3) The southern Time Door near the Signpost takes you to England in 1990 A.D.; and 4) The north central Time Door (north of Baradin's Town) takes you to North America in 1990 A.D.

2112 A.D.

This is the world of the Aftermath, a time of high technology and destruction. Nothing remains in North America, South America or Africa, but there is a Town (Pirate's Harbour) in northern Europe, a Dungeon in Greenland, and a Signpost in Australia. You will need to bring an airplane through the Time Doors in order to fly from North America to Eurasia (where you will find a rocketship). There are 4 Time Doors: 1) In North America, the NW Time Door takes you to South America in 1990 A.D.; 2) The SE Time Door in North America takes you to Legends; 3) In Eurasia, the southern Time Door takes you to the east of the continent in 9 million B.C.; and 4) In eastern Eurasia, the Time Door takes you to Europe in 1423 B.C.

LEGENDS

You will visit Legends often in an attempt to break through Minax's armies and into her sanctum. Her Castle in located in the center of the continent; besides numerous creatures, there is only a Signpost on Legends.

There are 4 Time Doors in a row south of the Signpost. Starting from the west: 1) This Time Door takes you to the northeast of the continent in 9 million B.C.; 2) This one takes you to Europe in 1423 B.C.; 3) This one takes you to England in 1990 A.D.; and 4) The eastern Time Door takes you to North America in 2112 A.D. [Note: Dates and Time Door locations may differ in various versions of Ultima II.]

SPACE

Use your galactic map to plot the coordinates for space travel. You will know you have reached the planet you are seeking when you find Towne Basko and Castle Barataria. Be prepared to fight; the inhabitants are belligerent and the thieves tend to steal from you. Remember also to take extreme care in landing your rocket; instant death results from one careless move. There are no Time Doors in space.