Ultima III (NES) Walkthrough

The following is a complete walkthrough for Ultima III for the NES. { ascii art by http://patorjk.com/software/taag/ } ...   ::: ::::::::::::::::::.        :    :::. ;;     ;;; ;;;;;;;;;;;';;;;;,.    ;;;   ;;`;;          Ultima: Exodus [['    [[[ [[[     [[     [[[[[[[, ,[[[[, ,[[ '[[,   JP: Kyoufu no Ekusodasu $$      $$$ $$'     $$     $$$$$$$$$$$"$$$c$$$cc$$$c   "The Terror of Exodus" 88    .d888o88oo,.__88,    888888 Y88" 888o888   888, "YmmMMMM""""""YUMMMMMM    MMMMMM  M'  "MMMYMM   ""`    Strategy Guide v1.2a

Special thanks: Wolfgang Abenteuer, DragonAtma and KopeofOnrac ______________________________________________________________________________

LINE COLUMN BREAK AT 78 CHARACTERS..........................................78 Composed using TextPad 5.4.2: 32-bit Edition, Windows XP Prof., SP3 v.3300 No copyright. Feel free to redisitrbute, but -DO NOT- post it on GameFAQs. ______________________________________________________________________________

This document is printer-friendly. Each section is organized according to page number. You may need to adjust the spaced gaps manually before printing. ______________________________________________________________________________

- Table of Contents -                                               Page Num. ______________________________________________________________________________

Game Background  ·················································   .[ 1] Character Creation  ··············································   .[ 2] Playing the Game  ················································   .[ 4] Equipment and Spells  ············································   .[ 6] Enemies  ·························································   .[ 9] Strategy Guide  ··················································   .[10] Tips and Exploits  ···············································   .[12]

__                ___________________________________________________________   GAME BACKGROUND ______________________________________________________________________________

- Story (Taken from the Manual) -

"Eons ago, Lord British came unto the land of Sosaria. Since that time, it has been united under his rule as the Kingdom of Britannia, and has gone through two major crises. A few years ago, there were political upheavals among the city states of the kingdom. The ringleader of this political instability was Mondain, the Magician. Under his horrible rule, the people's lives were devastated. A valiant warrior was called forth from another world by Lord British. This warrior finally overthrew Mondain."

"Britannia survived the first crisis, but peace in the Kingdom of Britannia did not last long. Minax, the Witch, a disciple of Mondain, became very powerful and ruled the world of darkness. Minax had power to sway the time axis of the universe; however, a legendary hero again came to the rescue, overthrew Minax. and brought peace back to the kingdom."

"The Kingdom of Britannia entered into a peaceful state for another twenty years. Now, the kingdom is about to face its third crisis. Rumors abound about a fiery island which has emerged in the southwestern seas. Little is known of the evil that dwells there. It is known only as Exodus. Mondain and Minax have cast a spell on Exodus, this island of fire, and the little-known island has started volcanic activity."

"Lord British has sent out a call across time and space in search of four valiant warriors. Their quest: To return peace to the kingdom. They must solve the riddle of Exodus. You are the leader of this quest."

.[PAGE 1]

__                           ________________________________________________   CHARACTERS AND PROFESSIONS ______________________________________________________________________________

In the character creation menu, you'll have the option of creating your own characters, or having the computer generate "READY-MADE" characters for you. (which produces terrible results) An adventure party will consist of four characters at a time, although you may still create and store additional characters in a character roster. (as many as 20 characters total) You may freely swap characters between your roster and your adventure party by returning to the character creation menu and selecting "FORM PARTY."

This feature will come in handy when you need to train new characters, because the power level of monsters that appear on the surface world depends on the level of your party. If you swap your high-level characters for low-level characters, then your party will only encounter weak enemies. (unless you venture into a deadly dungeon)

When you create a character, you will need to choose a race, then a profession. The race of a character simply determines the limit of their major attributes, while profession determines which equipment and spells are available to the character. Choosing the right combination is mostly important for magic-users, as those with low INT or WIS - Races - Max. Abil. Scores  have access to fewer spells.

Abbr. /STR/DEX/INT/WIS   - Character Status States - --+---+---+---+--- [H] Human | 75| 75| 75| 75 Abbr. / Description [E] Elf  | 75| 99| 75| 50  -+ [D] Dwarf | 99| 75| 50| 75 [G] Good     | Good health! [B] Bobit | 75| 50| 75| 99 [P] Poisoned | HP will decrease with each step. [F] Fuzzy | 25| 99| 99| 75 [C] Cold     | Food will be consumed more rapidly. [D] Dead    | Character can no longer fight. - Character Professions - [A] Ashes    | Character is physically destroyed.

Abbr. /Access to magic      /DEX bonus +--+--  * The U.S. manual [F] Fighter    |  n/a                 |  n/a        specifies that the Thief [P] Paladin    | Half Will Power      |  n/a        has no DEX bonus, while [B] Barbarian  |  n/a                 | ordinary    the Wizard has a superior [C] Cleric     | Full Will Power      |  n/a        DEX bonus. Other sources [W] Wizard     | Full Magic Power     |  n/a *      claim that the converse [I] Illusionist | Half Will Power     | ordinary    is true. The manual [D] Druid      | Greater half of both |  n/a        possibly contains errata. [T] Thief      |  n/a                 | superior * [L] Lark       | Half Magic Power     |  n/a        In my experience, the [R] Ranger     | Weaker half of both  | ordinary    Thief -is- much better at [A] Alchemist   | Half Magic Power     | ordinary    disarming traps.

DEX bonus determines how effectively a character may disarm traps when opening a chest, and each chest has a ~50% chance of being trapped. (thanks, Wolfgang)

Professions automatically gain access to spells, depending on their total MP. (total INT and WIS values, depending on which system of magic they use) If you have a Cleric with 20 WIS, for instance, then she has access to every Wisdom Power spell up to "Rise." Characters indicated to have half of a system of magic only gain half as much MP, and therefore, half as many spells. A Lark with 99 INT, for instance, has access to every Magic Power spell up to "Cleric." See the spell tables later in the guide.

.[PAGE 2]

__                   ________________________________________________________   CHARACTER ANALYSES ______________________________________________________________________________

"Fighter"    [****·]      "Paladin"     [*****]      "Barbarian"   [**···]

Your typical "everyman"   Good equipment access,     Imagine the Fighter with of the party. He can      and a few Will Power       access to much fewer equip anything, but lacks spells to boot! equipment options. access to any magic. Suggested race: Dwarf     Suggested race: Bobit      Suggested race: Dwarf

"Cleric"     [*****]      "Wizard"      [*****]      "Illusionist" [**···]

A pretty terrible         Virtually no equipment     A weaker version of the fighter, but has access   access, but has access to  Cleric, but with her own to all Will Power spells. all Magic Power spells,   DEX bonus. Honestly, a which are quite powerful. terrible profession.

Suggested race: Bobit     Suggested race: Fuzzy      Suggested race: Bobit

"Druid"      [***··]      "Thief"       [***··]      "Lark"        [*****]

Limited access to both    Fair equipment access      Can equip any weapon, magic systems, but MP is  and awesome DEX bonus,     and has access to some determined by the         but Clerics are better     Magic Power spells. A stronger of INT or WIS. at disarming traps. very adaptive character. Suggested race: Fuzzy     Suggested race: Elf        Suggested race: Fuzzy

"Ranger"     [*****]      "Alchemist"   [*····]

The "jack-of-all-trades." Frankly, the worst Good DEX bonus, fair      character in the game. equipment, and can do     Don't bother, unless you healing, too. want a challenge. Suggested race: Human     Suggested race: Fuzzy ______________________________________________________________________________

For those just starting the game, I would recommend the following party:

Bobit, Paladin 10 STR | 15 DEX | 25 WIS |  0 INT  Outfit this party with Human, Ranger   5 STR |  5 DEX | 20 WIS | 20 INT  ranged weapons, where Bobit, Cleric   5 STR | 20 DEX | 25 WIS |  0 INT  possible. Fuzzy, Lark     5 STR | 15 DEX |  5 WIS | 25 INT

Physical power isn't a major concern, as STR doesn't have a substantial influence on attack power, anyway. You'll want to focus on ranged attacks, as this allows your characters to keep their distance from enemies. It's also good to have mixed DEX bonuses and spell-casting capabilities. With this party, you'll have full access to the Will Power System of spells, which is essential for survival.

NOTE: For the Lark, some people also prefer Elf as the suggested race. This means a higher STR and DEX capacity, but access to fewer Magic Power spells. If you think this would be more suitable for your party, then it's your call.

.[PAGE 3] __                 __________________________________________________________   PLAYING THE GAME ______________________________________________________________________________

- Overview of Controls - ___________________________________         | ____________________            _ | [D-Pad] Move party / scroll || _                  Nintendo(R) || through menu options | _| |_ SELECT START. . || [Start] Starts the game [D-Pad] - ||_ O _|| [--]  [--] |  || [Select] Open additional | |_|  |_____________| ` B   ` A  || menu options or pages ||_________________________________|| [A] Confirm option / speak |___________________________________| [B] Cancel / skip turn

Special thanks to CMoriarty, whose ASCII art I used. (and modified)

-- The Heads-up Display (or "HUD") --- ,--. '--'                                           -- Interaction -
 * NAME GMFW || This window appears if the player does not press any buttons
 * H0200 M10 || for a few seconds. It provides an overview of the party's
 * NAME PFMW || current status, including HP, MP and general health.
 * H0100 M00 ||
 * NAME GMBF || The letters in the upper-right hand corners beside each name
 * H0240 M20 || indicate status, gender, race and profession, in that order.
 * NAME GFBC || The meaning of each abbreviation can be found in the various
 * H0200 M10 || character tables earlier in this guide.

As you explore the world of Sosaria, you'll encounter many NPCs and monsters with whom you can interact in a number of different ways. When you press the [A] button, the command menu will appear. While facing a target, you can issue commands such as "TALK" or "FIGHT." Speaking with NPCs will provide valuable information about your journey, and is essential to completing the game.

Bear in mind that you may also engage friendly NPCs in combat. Doing so will prompt guards to converge on your party; but leaving the area and returning will reset them to a friendly disposition. -- Combat -

Random enemy parties will often roam the surface worlds, and should they make contact with your own party, a combat sequence will ensue. Use the [D-Pad] to move characters, (one space at a time) or press [A] to open the command window and unleash an attack, cast a spell or use one of your tools. Pressing [B] will skip that character's turn. -- Treasure Chests --

Occasionally, you will encounter treasure chests. Defeated enemies (and NPCs) will drop them in random locations, but some areas are already littered with treasure. Treasure can be claimed by facing or standing over the chest, opening the menu and selecting "GET."

There's a good chance that opening a chest will spring a trap, causing one or more characters to suffer damage or an affliction. The "Open" spell is available to any profession that has access to Will Power spells, and will safely disarm any traps in a chest. If you open a chest in a village, there's a chance that you will be caught stealing, which prompts guards to attack you on sight. -- Saving Your Data

There are inns located in Castle British as well as the hidden city of Dawn. Speaking with the innkeeper will allow you to save your data. (at no cost) Note that inns - curiously enough - do not heal HP.

[CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE]                                  .[PAGE  4]

-- Basic Survival -

Food is essential to the function of your adventure party, and is abbreviated [F] in the heads-up display that details your party's status. Food can be purchased from the grocers found in various villages, and purchased food can be allocated evenly among all characters by opening the menu, pressing SELECT, then using the "FOOD" command. Be sure to check your party's food supplies often, as running out of food will cause HP to gradually decrease. Characters who have contracted colds will consume food at a faster rate than normal.

Characters who have become poisoned or ill can be restored to normal health by visiting healers found throughout villages. Different ailments cost different amounts of gold to heal. Alternatively, you can neutralize poison with the "Cure" spell, or remedy any ailment by drinking from a pure spring found in some dungeons. -- Moon-Gates --

In the upper left-hand corner of the screen is a display detailing the cycles of the two moons that hang over Sosaria. Depending on their state, magical portals known as "moon-gates" will appear on various locations of the map, allowing your party to access areas that might otherwise be inaccessible. I'll detail the important locations in the "Strategy Guide" section later in the guide. -- Dungeons and Questing --

On your journey, you will need to venture into dungeons in order to procure special treasures, marks and cards that are essential to the completion of the game. Dungeon exploration is done in a first-person view, unlike the third- person perspective found in typical exploration modes. Dungeons are quite dark and will require the constant use of spells and torches in order to provide illumination.

Dungeons tend to be littered with traps, monsters and dead-ends. It's probably a good idea to map your progress, or refer to the maps and charts provided on various websites. Remember that you can use magic to ascend / descend through dungeon levels with relative ease, or to egress the party directly to the surface world.

I don't suggest you consider exploring any dungeons until you've taken the time to raise your party to level 5, sufficiently equip them for combat, and raise a few of their attributes. Since dungeons tend to be quite lengthy, you're likely to exhaust your party's food and health very quickly.

-- Character Advancement ---

Every time a character earns 100 exp. points, they are eligible for an increase in level. Speak with Lord British and he will promote that character. Each promotion results in +100 HP, but doesn't affect other attributes. At first, characters may only be raised to level 5. In order to be promoted to higher levels, you must explore dungeons and brand your characters with the "Mark of Kings," allowing them to advance as high as level 25.

Other attributes (STR, DEX, INT and WIS) are increased by traveling to the land of Ambrosia and donating gold to the various shrines found there. This is a fairly grueling task that you'll have to complete several times during your journey, but you can shorten your trips by: a.) Abusing Compass Hearts, and b.) Stockpiling plenty of gold before you visit the shrines.

.[PAGE 5]

Weapon Table
Most weapons can be purchased from any weapon shop, while weapons that appear after the "Broad Axe" can only be purchased from the weapon shop in Dawn.  (*) Although a melee weapon, the "Dagger" can be thrown at an enemy. Doing so permanently removes it from the character's inventory. 

Armour Table
Armor is listed in order of least to greatest defense power.

TIP: Don't waste any gold by purchasing armor, because you can outfit your entire party with the Mystic Armor as early as level 5.



Tools Table
The following common tools can be purchased from any guild shop. 

Quest Items
Other tools act as key items, and are necessary to the advancement of the game. None of these can be purchased - they must be procured. 

The corresponding locations of rare tools are indicated in the table to the below. The "PRAY" command must be learned before some tools can be procured. 

Systems of Magic
MP values indicate the exact MP cost to cast a given spell. Exhausted MP is gradually recovered as your party moves.

I've taken the liberty of splitting these tables to indicate which spells are only available to characters with half magic efficiency. (e.g. Druids, Paladins, Larks, Rangers, etc.) With 99 points in INT or WIS, they'll only have access to 10 / 16 spells in either system.

[Use] is where the spell is cast - [Bat]tles [Dun]geons [Sur]faces [Any]where

Magic Power System


Will Power System
 (*)The second "Heal" spell appears on the second page of a character's spell inventory. (accessed by pressing SELECT) It's named after the original "Heal" spell, but is, in fact, a different spell. __        ___________________________________________________________________   ENEMIES ______________________________________________________________________________

The game determines which enemies appear based on character levels. If your party is around level 5, for instance, then you're going to see Manes, Gargoyles, etc. in addition to earlier enemies. It's a good idea to keep your levels balanced so that exploration doesn't become too dangerous.

- Level 1+ Encounters -  - Level 3+ Encounters -

/ HP   /exp. / HP   /exp./ Special --+---+- --+---++ Goblin    | 19- 33|  3    Thief     |123-133|  5 | Steals unequiped items Orc      | 19- 33|  3    Brigand   |123-137|  5 | Steals unequiped items Skeleton | 35- 48|  4    Titan     |107-121|  6 |  n/a Ghoul    | 35- 49|  4    Giant     |107-118|  6 |  n/a Golem    |107-120|  6 |  n/a - Level 5+ Encounters - -Level 7+ Encounters - / HP   /exp./ Special --+---++-            / HP    /exp./ Special Mane     |175-189|  8 |  n/a           --+---++--- Gargoyle |175-189|  8 |  n/a           Snatches  |187-201| 10 | Poison spell Demon    |175-188|  8 | Poison spell   Bradles   |187-201| 10 | Poison spell

- Level 9+ Encounters -

/ HP   /exp./ Special --+---++-- Griffin  |  219  | 15 | Attack spell      All of the enemies in this section Wyvern   |  219  | 15 | Attack spell      appear on dry land. (e.g. the Dragon   |  219  | 15 | Attack spell      surface worlds) Balron   |  235  | 20 | Poison spell Devil    |  235  | 20 | Poison spell ______________________________________________________________________________

- Level 5+ Encounters -

/ HP   /exp. / HP   /exp./ Special --+---+        --+---++ Pirate    |145-159|  8          Serpent   |219-233| 15 | Missile attack

- Level 7+ Encounters -

/ HP   /exp./ Special        All of the enemies in this section --+---++--  appear on the seas. Man-o-War |235-249| 20 | Poison spell ______________________________________________________________________________

.[PAGE 9]

__               ____________________________________________________________   STRATEGY GUIDE ______________________________________________________________________________

This is a brief walkthrough detailing the steps necessary to complete the game. I haven't outlined too many specifics, nor have I drawn maps. (there are several very detailed maps available online) This is basically a step-by-step guide that will indicate which areas need to be visited, the gist of how to get there, and what needs to be done along the way.

Remember that, since Sosaria is a fairly open game world, there are significant detours you can take, and the order in which you perform important tasks doesn't necessarily have to be linear. If you think your party has become experienced enough, feel free to take a break from the main quest and explore any of the towns or dungeons that I haven't documented here. Many of these areas contain a lot of treasure!

-- [STEP 1: Commandeering a Pirate Ship] ---

the surface of Sosaria. The "Repel" and "Undead" spells will make quick work of these creatures, and each cost 0 MP to cast.
 * Accumulate gold and exp. points by defeating the low-level enemies that roam

shops, as ranged attacks make battles easier.
 * Consider purchasing ranged weapons (e.g. "Sling" and "Blowgun") from the

He will advance each character to level 5, which is the maximum level for now.
 * When each character has procured 500 exp. points, speak with Lord British.

Face a pirate ship to engage the pirates in battle. Defeating them will allow the player access to their own ship.
 * Pirate ships will begin to appear once your party has advance to level 5.

-- [STEP 2: The City of Dawn - The Mystic Armor] ---

then 35 steps south. Press B repeatedly in order to cycle the moon phases until both moons are new. Dawn will appear for a brief moment, but quickly disappear when the moons begin to change phases again.
 * Visit the hidden city of Dawn by taking 8 steps west from Castle British,

essential during later parts of the game.
 * Purchase a surplus of "Magic Keys" from the guild, as these will be


 * Save at the nearby inn before proceeding with the next step!

and use the "GET" command to steal gold. One of the chests will contain the "Gold Pick." Return to the inn, save the game, reload, and repeat these steps until each character has one. This is also a good way to accumulate gold early in the game.
 * Find the armory in the north section of the city. Face the treasure chests

Reference a map of Sosaria if you have trouble locating the island. Have each character use the "Gold Pick" in order to unearth the "Mystic Armor" hidden there. The armor may be equipped by any profession, and is the most powerful armor available in the game.
 * Leave the city, board the ship and find a 2-tile island just east of Dawn.

[CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE]

.[PAGE 10]

-- [STEP 3: Ambrosia] --

strand the party on the surface of Ambrosia.
 * Sail the ship into the maelstrom that wanders across the sea. This will

directly west and south into a small cove. Have each character pick the "Flower of Ambrosia." After you finish your business in Ambrosia, find Sherry in the Royal City (south-west area, near the water) and have each character give the "Flower of Ambrosia" to her. She will reward each of you with a "Compass Heart," which can be used to teleport your party to Castle British.
 * Go north, stop in the center of the second patch of grass, then head

attributes. (STR, DEX, INT and WIS) Consult a map of Ambrosia for precise directions to each shrine. Be sure to have a surplus of "Magic Keys."
 * Visit the four shrines and donate gold in order to raise character

sail into the maelstrom in order to escape.
 * Commandeer another pirate ship near where your party entered Ambrosia, and

-- [STEP 4: The Mark of Kings - The Mystic Sword] --

or illumination spells to banish the darkness.
 * Enter the "Cave of Death" slightly north-east of Castle British. Use torches

behind a series of hidden passages. Branding each character with the mark will allow them to be promoted to higher experience levels.
 * Find the "Mark of Kings" on the second level of the cave. It's located

"Descend" and "Sink" spells to reach the lowest floor more quickly. The "Ascend," "Rise" and "Surface" spells will also make for a quick exit. If these spells are not yet available to you, then I suggest you increase your WIS / INT in the shrines in Ambrosia.
 * Find the "Silver Pick" on the 8th level of the cave. Consider using the

next to the island city of Fawn. (not to be confused with Dawn) There, each of your characters may unearth their own copy of the "Mystic Sword."
 * Leave the cave and look for a 2-panel island just north of Castle British,

-- [STEP 5: The Other Marks] ---

small enclave. Press B repeatedly until a moon-gate appears. Enter, and the party will be transported to an enclosed area. Press B repeatedly until the next moon-gate appears, but do not enter it. Repeat this step until the second moon-gate appears, which will transport the party to the "Cave of Moon."
 * Locate the "Cave of Moon." Travel south of where Dawn appears and find a

(NOTE: You may want to buy a good stock of food before you spend several turns waiting for moon-gates to appear, as this process might take a while)

This will allow characters to cross lava unharmed.
 * Brand your party with the "Mark of Fire" on the second level of the cave.

"Mark of Force" on the 8th level. This allows characters to cross force fields unharmed.
 * Travel to the Cave of Fool directly west of where Dawn appears. Find the

Sol. Find the "Mark of Snake" on level 8. This mark allows characters to use the "Silver Horn." Note that the windy cave will make it difficult to keep torches lit.
 * Sail to the large island east of where Dawn appears and enter the Cave of

[CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE] .[PAGE 11]

-- [STEP 6: The Silver Horn - The Four Cards] --

a large enclave.
 * Travel to the City of Yew. It is located directly west of Castle British in

Head directly south and use the "PRAY" command in the center of the circle. The player will receive the "Silver Horn."
 * Learn the "PRAY" command at the temple found east of the city's entrance.

receive the four cards.
 * Return to Ambrosia and use the "PRAY" command at each of the four shrines to

-- [STEP 7: Endgame] ---

snake. Use the "Silver Horn" to frighten the creature away and gain access to Castle Exodus.
 * Return to Sosaria's surface and sail to the small island guarded by a giant

sure to equip each of your characters with melee weapons before proceeding.
 * Ranged weapons, as well as the "Sands of Time," do not function here. Be

Although difficult to target, they have fairly low HP and miss very often.
 * Farther into the castle, the party will encounter invisible enemies.

altar. Use the "PRAY" command in order to arrange the four cards in the sequence of LOVE, SUN, MOONS and DEATH. This will seal Exodus, but also prompt the destruction of the castle. Grab the ankh and rush your party out before they're destroyed.
 * Explore the castle. Find the northernmost region, which is considered an

__                  _________________________________________________________   TIPS AND EXPLOITS ______________________________________________________________________________

-- Death Gulch -

You can find Death Gulch on a small peninsula slightly southwest of Castle British. Using a couple of "Magic Keys," make your way westward into the city, then south. You'll find a small, labyrinthine path leading to a merchant's storage room. This is one of the easiest areas from which to pillage large amounts of gold. Using the "Compass Heart" will provide a quick escape in the event that your party is caught stealing. -- Free Resurrection ---

If the entire party has perished, Lord British will resurrect the party leader without any cost to the player. This can be exploited by first creating three disposable characters, placing whichever character you desire to resurrect in the leader position, then killing the entire party. It's a rather tedious process, but it can save some gold in the long-run. -- Spell Targeting ---

The "Repel" and "Undead" spells tend to be hit-or-miss, but will almost always eliminate enemy parties if you cast them while the enemy animation is on its second frame. (i.e. when the ghoul opens its mouth, or the goblin lowers its stick)