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The Dragon Warrior Walkthrough
version 1.6.

     This document is a walkthrough for the original Dragon Warrior for the
Nintendo Entertainment System. Sooner or later I'll get around to creating
graphics out of maps that I made while traversing the game, but in the
meantime, this file should help you go from start to finish without any
trouble.

     If you find any of the information to be inaccurate, or if I left
something out, please let me know so that I can put it into the next version
of the walkthrough.

               - Brian
         (wingchild@home.com)


Table of Contents

I. Walkthrough
  1.1 Introduction
  1.2 The Search for Gawelin
  1.3 The Rainbow Bridge
  1.4 The Dragonlord 
  1.5 Conclusion
 
II. Credits and Contact Information



.x-x.  Section 1 - Dragon Warrior 1 Walkthrough  .x-x.

1.1: Intro
_

Before you get started in the game, there are a few general things to take
note of.

1.   When you die, you'll come back at Tangetel Castle, in front of the King.
You will still have all of your experience, but you will lose half of your
gold on hand. This will only really bother you in the beginning of the game.
Later, gold will be so easy to come by that the only bad side to dying in
combat will be having to walk back to where you were.

2.   Bridges lead to danger. As you venture into new lands, crossing a bridge
from where you are to somewhere new will almost assuredly bring more powerful
monsters to fight.

3.   There are three basic parts to the game; the search for Gwaelin, the
building of the rainbow bridge, and killing the Dragonlord. The search for
Erdrick's Artifacts is also very important, but it's really part of the
three main quests.

4.   There is an old man in Tangetel Castle who restores your MPs. A very
good thing to do is fight cautiously until you reach level 3, then go
marauding. Kill everything you can, waste all your MPs healing, and return to
the castle. Talk to the old man, get your MPs back, heal up, get them back
again, and return to marauding. This way, you can build levels without having
to pay for an inn.

     Actually, it's a good idea to come back to the castle once in a while
anyway, because..

5.   You should save often. Death comes very unexpectedly at times, and not
always at the hand of an Armored Knight or Red Dragon. The old NES units
aren't nearly as stable as their modern console counterparts, and even
bumping them slightly will cause the game to reset itself, losing all
you've accomplished. The only way to prevent _serious_ mental anguish is to
save frequently.



1.2: First Quest - The Search for Princess Gwaelin
_

You begin the game at Tangetel Castle. As you exit the castle to begin your
quest, you'll be able to see Brecconary, the first town that you'll visit
during the game. Go there, and equip yourself with a weapon and some armor.
The Red and Blue Slimes that frequent this area aren't really dangerous,
except to already dying adventurers, but if you wander around and stumble into
a Ghost without a weapon and armor, you'll probably regret it.

| Town Profile | :: Brecconary :: -------------------------------------------
Location: Just to the northeast of Tangetel Castle. It's within sight range,
and is the first town that you find.
Armory:  Bamboo Pole   10     Tools:  Herb         24     Inn:  6 gold.
         Club          60             Torch        8
         Copper Sword  180            Dragon Scale 20
         Clothes       20
         Leather Armor 70     Area Monsters: Red and Blue Slimes
         Small Shield  90     Special: A fairy water shop behind the door.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

A good place to gain levels at the beginning is in the hills just north of
Brecconary. This is where you'll start to notice terrain differences. See the
Terrain Chart (section 1.8) for more detail.

As for equipment this early, the Club is a good choice, and you can choose
between buying clothes now, or waiting and trying to save up for leather
armor. When you have the money, also purchase a small shield. (This is one
game where a shield does more than function as ornamentation.)

If you head just to the northwest of Brecconary, into the hills beyond the
first mountain range that you can see, you can fight Ghosts while still
being relatively close to town, in case something goes wrong.

At level 3, you gain the HEAL spell. HEAL returns approximately 12 HP every
time you cast it. It costs 4 MP to cast, though, so you can't use it forever,
especially early on. However, since you're fighting so close to Tangetel
Castle, you can take advantage of the man that heals your MP. From the main
entrance of Tantegel castle, go up until you can turn right, and follow the
passageway. He's right out in the open.

When you hit level 3-5 and have a weapon and armor, head to the north and
explore Erdrick's Cave. It's in a desert northwest of the castle. There are no
monsters inside the dungeon, so don't worry about running into something you
can't handle -- the torch you start with should be fine to get you through,
though, if you're paranoid, you may wish to purchase another. The cave is two
levels deep. On the second floor down, you'll find a chest containing the
Tablet, which tells you a little bit about Erdrick's history, that you're his
descendant, and what part of your quest will be.

After you clear Erdrick's Cave, having reached level 3-5 (I prefer to go high,
myself), you should try to get to Garinham. Level 4 brings you the HURT spell;
something rather useful at lower levels. (Later, your weapons will be able to
do higher damage then the spells.)

Creatures around Garinham include Ghosts, Red and Blue Slimes, and Drakees,
along with the occasional Magician (casts HURT). Magicians don't normally
come that far north, but once in a while you may see one. At level 5, you
should have enough HP to make the run safely.

| Town Profile | :: Garinham :: ---------------------------------------------
Location: Head north from Tangetel until you reach the sea; follow the sea
coast to the northwest.
Armory:  Club          60     Tools:  Herb         24     Inn:  25 gold.
         Copper Sword  180            Torch        8
         Hand Axe      160            Dragon Scale 20
         Leather Armor 70           
         Chain Mail    300    Area Monsters: Drakee, Magician, Ghost, Slimes
         Half Plate    1000   Special: Garin's Grave, behind the door.
         Large Shield  800   
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next area to gain levels is in the hills south of Garinham. You'll fight
Ghosts and Drakees, for the most part, though you'll probably be frustrated
by the low amount of gold that they give. If you're feeling courageous, go
further south from Garinham, towards the bridge at the southern tip of the
continent. Magicians will attack in force as you near the bridge, as will the
standard Ghosts and Drakees.

Crossing this bridge puts you in the domain of more Ghosts and Magicians,
as well as Magidrakees (casts HURT) and Scorpions. You might also see the
occasional Skeleton. Scorpions are easier to beat once you have the SLEEP
spell, and for now, Skeletons are almost off limits - fighting one without the
SLEEP spell simply makes you spend most of your remaining magic on healing.
You can  attempt the southern continent if you like, though I don't recommend
it until level 7.

Save up your money, and purchase the hand axe, chain mail, and large shield
from Garinham. They'll help. Once you have the chain mail, you can probably
risk the southern continent, as long as you stay near the bridge.

Another place you can go about level 7 is Kol. Area creatures include
Magicians, Magidrakees, Scorpions, Ghosts, and the occasional Skeleton, much
like the southern continent. Again, provided that you like to go toe-to-toe
with scorpions all the time, you can probably get here as soon as you have
the chain mail and hand axe.

| Town Profile | :: Kol :: --------------------------------------------------
Location: Head northeast of Tangetel and find the bridge leading east. Cross,
then head to the southeast and find a second bridge. Cross again, and head
north. Kol is in a small forest, surrounded by mountains.
Armory:  Copper Sword 180     Tools:  Herb         24     Inn:  20 gold.
         Hand Axe     560             Torch        8
         Half Plate   1000            Dragon Scale 20
         Full Plate   3000            Wings        70
         Small Shield 800    
Area Monsters: Scorpion, Magician, Skeleton, Magidrakee
Special:       Fairy's Flute
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

In Kol, you can purchase Wings for 70 gold (instant return to Tangetel). You
can also find the Fairy's Flute, a necessary item to complete the game. To
get it, find the bath in Kol, and search four steps south of it. Kol also
sports the wonderful Full Plate armor, for 3000 gold. (Don't bother saving
for half-plate, just go directly from chain mail to full plate. It doesn't
take that much longer to save the gold, and the jump in defense is worth it.)

It's a very good idea to keep a pair of wings on you at all times for
emergencies, from the time you find Kol, until level 13 when you get the
RETURN spell. You may think this an expensive practice, but when you're
bashing things on the southern continent, and suddenly waste all your magic,
with no way to get home, with your HP starting to fall, you'll agree with me.
You may also recall how I said the only bad thing about death is losing half
your gold. Gold is important for 85% of the game, so spend the 70 up front to
protect that hard work.

Level 7 nets you the SLEEP spell, which works surprisingly well on Scorpions
and Skeletons alike. You'll be able to explore the southern continent rather
well, now.

You'll probably notice a cave, inside a mountain pass, with some swamps out
in front of it. This is the cave west of Tangetel, for future reference.

The cave west of Tangetel contains some lame equipment, but most importantly,
monsters with a higher amount of gold than outside the cave. It's a good idea
to attain level 9 by simply walking back and forth inside the entrance of the
cave. At level 9, you'll get radiant, a spell that makes torches obsolete,
provided you have magic to spare. It lights up a much larger area than a
torch, which is why I recommend waiting for it; it never hurts to be able to
see where you're going in a dungeon.

Inside the first level you'll enounter Druins, Scorpions, Magicians, and
Ghosts. This is a two level cave. Don't go to the bottom floor until you
reach level 10, and get STOPSPELL, because magic using enemies are down there.
You'll find Drolls, Poltergiests (HURT), Drakeemas (HURT), Skeletons, and,
worst of all, Warlocks (HURT, SLEEP) on the lower level. Hence, you need
stopspell to survive.

If you go further south of the cave, you'll find another bridge, leading
west. You'll probably encounter your first Wyvern before you even touch the
bridge, though, and that alone should be enough to deter you for now. Instead,
after reaching level 10, and attaining the full plate armor, hand axe, and
large shield, go to the eastern continent, where Kol is.

Head to Kol first, and purchase some Wings for safekeeping. But instead of
going to Kol, head to the south most edge of the continent. You'll see a cave
surrounded by swamp. Enter it, but don't explore too much; just head due
south and find the exit staircase for now. (Exploring could net you an
encounter with a green dragon, which you really don't want to do. *shiver*)

You'll emerge on the other side of the swamp tunnel. Standard enemies include
Scorpions, Magidrakees, and the like. Head south. You'll see a ridge
of mountains, and then a second. In between these two ridges is the town of
Rimuldar; the town that sells magic keys. The mountains provide an effective
shield around the town.

As you get south of the first ridge of mountains, you'll encounter Wolves,
Warlocks (level 10 - stopspell!), Skeletons, and Metal Scorpions. Progressing
further than the second ridge of mountains will let you play with
Wolflords (STOPSPELL) and other nasty creatures. Don't bother for now.

There are two places to get into Rimuldar. You can either enter from the west
side, walk around its island to its bridge, and enter, or you can go to the
southeast corner of the dual mountain ridges, and find an eastern entrance.
Either way you get there, it's a good place to be.

| Town Profile | :: Rimuldar :: ---------------------------------------------
Location: Go due south of Kol, through the swamp tunnel. Head south after
you exit; Rimuldar is nestled between two mountain ridges.
Armory:  Copper Sword 180     Tools:  None     Inn: 55 gold.
         Hand Axe     560
         Broad Sword  1500    Area Monsters: Wolf, Warlock, Skeleton.
         Half Plate   1000    Special: I  - Key Shop -- 53 gold.
         Full Plate   3000             II - Howard/Wings - behind doors.
         Magic Armor  7700
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fighting around the little rectangle of land outside the town is recommended,
as you can handle Warlocks (with stopspell), Wolves, Skeletons, and Metal
Scorpions (with sleep) relatively easily. Purchase a broad sword here, and
some magic keys. You can also save up for the Magic Armor, though it carries
the same defensive rating as Full Plate.

The Magic Armor has one seriously redeeming feature that justifies its higher
price. For every four steps you take while wearing it, you'll regain one HP.
This doesn't sound like much, but if creatures don't attack you every step of
the way, you can heal without needing to cast a single spell. Also, you can
cheat by ducking into a town and walking back and forth until you're fully
healed. This lets you save MP, and gold, by not needing to cast spells or stay
at an inn.

If you really want to make gold fast, head further south of Rimuldar. The
Wolflords can be beaten by going toe-to-toe with them. Don't bother with
sleep, it doesn't work well. They'll probably cast stopspell on you -
ignore it. It's their only magic, and you can score a free hit while
they're casting. Just hack and slash. Another creature you'll encounter is the
Goldman -- 6 exp, 180 gold each. Hard hitting; don't waste time with sleep,
just fight then. Use your MP to heal with after the battle.

Note for the foolhardy:
There is a bridge on the southern tip of the continent where Rimuldar is.
Do not cross the bridge south of Rimuldar. Wyverns. Wraiths. Need I say more?

Another note for the foolhardy:
Garin's Grave is now accessible, since you can buy keys in Rimuldar.
Do not attempt Garin's Grave. Wraith Knights. Drollmagi. Spectres. See above.

After you've bought a few keys and upgraded your equipment (and, perhaps, even
leveled once or twice), head north to the swamp cave again. Inside the
is a green dragon, which we avoided the last time we came through. Guarded by
that green dragon is Princess Gwaelin. Make sure you  have at least full plate
armor, and the broadsword, as well as a full  compliment of herbs before
attempting to destroy this beast. You can take him out as early as level 12
or so, provided you have good equipment, lots of herbs, and some luck, as
well.

Green Dragon Strategy
-

The dragon can be put to sleep. Do so. Use the sleep time to heal, if
necessary, and to slam him with the broadsword. You should be able to do
about 10 - 15 damage each strike, killing the dragon in about 5 - 6 hits. The
dragon can hit you for over 20 with his flaming breath, and has physical
attacks as well. Try to keep the dragon under perpetual sleep - If it wakes,
cast again. You should come out victorious. One thing to watch out for is the
fact that the SLEEP spell will not work every time - perhaps one in three. A
measure of luck is required.

A word to the wise; I was extremely lucky in taking down the dragon at level
12. While you can put the dragon to sleep, the spell isn't too reliable. You
may wish to build levels until you reach level 17 (HEALMORE) before attempting
this section of the game. In fact, you may want Erdrick's Armor and a Flame
Sword, first.. :) Your decision, though.

Once the dragon is dead, all you have to do is talk to Gwaelin (you need a
key to open her door), and agree to take her back to Tangetel. You must carry
her back to the castle; easy enough considering the monsters en route.

Saving the princess has a few distinct advantages. The first is that you get
new messages from townspeople when you talk to them. The next is that when
you return her to Lorik, the King, she gives you an item; Gwaelin's Love. You
can use this item while you're traveling out in the wilderness. Gwaelin's Love
will allow you to do two things: First, you can check how much experience you
need to level without having to run all the way back to the King, and second,
Gwaelin will tell you how many steps away from the castle you are (such as
4 south, 10 west). This comes in handy in the search for Erdrick's Token,
later.



2.3: The Rainbow Bridge
_

Okay. The Princess is saved. There's the main thrust of the adventure. Now,
all that's left is that we have to destroy the Dragonlord. He's just to the
west of the swamp cave, across a channel of water that we've no way to get
over. Thus, we must find several items, and construct the Rainbow Bridge, as
Erdrick did.

We'll need to acquire the Harp, the Stones of Sunlight, the Staff of Rain,
the Rainbow Drop, Erdrick's Token, and Erdrick's Armor. The armor isn't really
necessary to build the bridge, but we'd be insane to just leave it behind. :)

The following sequence of events is simply in the order that I did them. You
may choose to do things a little differently; such as getting Erdrick's Armor
before even attempting Cantlin, or running through to Cantlin, getting the
Stones and Harp, then the Armor, etc. The timing of the following events is
really up to you.


The Stones of Sunlight
_

The Stones of Sunlight prove to be the easiest item to find. Return to
Tangetel Castle, and make sure you have at least one magic key with you. Go
to the northeast section of the castle, and open the door there. (Don't bother
opening the one with the chests behind it; they're worthless.) Talk to the
people you find, then take one step east past the girl in front of the key
shop. Head south along the castle wall, take another step east when you hit
the water, continue south, and you'll find a set of stairs leading down into
Tangetel's basement.

In this basement is an old man, one of the trusted keepers of Erdrick's items,
who tells you to take the contents of the treasure chest he's guarding. Do so,
and be rewarded with the Stones of Sunlight.

The rest of the items are not so easy to come by. I strongly recommend
leveling until you reach 17 (HEALMORE). Once you've got the HEALMORE spell,
things will be easier for you.


The Run to Cantlin
_

First things first. We need heavier weapons and armor. If you have HEALMORE,
you can try the run to Cantlin, the castle town. Directions are in the town
profile. You will cross through areas populated by the following:
Wraiths (HEAL), Wraith Knights (HEAL), Wyverns, Wolflords (STOPSPELL),
Knights (STOPSPELL), Demon Knights, Metal Slimes (heh, what fun), Werewolves,
Magiwyverns, and possibly even a Green Dragon or two.

Side note: The Metal Slime
Metal slimes are the highest EXP creature in the game. They'll net you even
more xp than a Red Dragon or Armored Knight. They only have 4hp. However, they
pack the highest di/dt (damage inflicts vs. damage taken) ratio in the game.
;) There -are- a few catches to them.

1. They tend to be pretty rare.
2. The areas they show in are full of very powerful monsters.
3. Magic doesn't work on them.
4. All non-critical attacks deal 1hp of damage.
5. Normal attacks tend to either miss, or fail, causing no damage.
6. Did I mention that they can cast HURT? And of course, my favorite,
7. They absolutely *love* to run away, especially if they've been damaged.

If you can kill the little freaks, hats off to you. The only way to do it is
to keep on swinging that sword, and hope for the best. The lure of 115xp is
definetly a powerful one, but make sure they don't suck too many hp away with
their spells.

When you finally do get to Cantlin, as you step within its protective walls,
you're greeted by a very large and unfriendly Golem. Use the Fairy Flute on
it in order to put it to sleep, and then bash it liberally. When it wakes up,
use the fairy flute again, bash some more, and so on until it dies. Do -not-
forget to heal.

| Town Profile | :: Cantlin :: ----------------------------------------------
Location: Go to the southern continent, where the cave west of Tangetel is.
Head south, across the bridge, into Wyvern territory. Continue to your
southwest, past the Desert of Hauskness, and enter a large string of hills,
flanked by a mountain range. (Like a tunnel, really.) Follow these hills
along the southern edge of the continent until you reach a bridge, which you
cross. Head to your northeast, taking the second bridge you come to (the first
will put you in an area with lots of swamp, and green dragons, so you'll know
it if you see it). This second area leads off with some swamp, but just to the
south of the bridge is the walled town of Cantlin. Warning: A Golem guards the
town. Do not approach without the fairy flute.
Armory: North Armory           Tools: Northwest Shop      Inn: 100 gold.
        Bamboo Pole   10              Herb         24
        Club          60              Torch        8
        Copper Sword  180
        Leather Armor 70              West Shop
        Chain Mail    300             Dragon Scale 20
        Large Shield  800             Wings        70
       
        East Armory             Area Monsters: Werewolves, Green Dragons,
        Flame Sword   9800      Demon Knights, etc. Bad stuff.
        Silver Shield 14800

        Southeast Armory        Special: Key Shop - 98 gold. (East armory.)
        Hand Axe      650                Fairy Water - 38 gold. (Same area.)
        Broad Sword   1500               Three weapon shops, two tool shops.
        Full Plate    3000               The Golem Guardian.
        Magic Armor   7700
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

It is very difficult to get to Cantlin without HEALMORE. I was able to do it
at level 14, though I advise no one to do the same. It went a lot like this:

       You encounter (insert beast here).
       Command? RUN.

You should definetly invest in a Flame Sword in Cantlin, since it'll be the
best thing you can use next to Erdrick's Sword, which we don't acquire until
the Dragonlord's Castle. I also recommend the Silver Shield, the perfect
compliment to any flawless suit of armor.


Wynn's Shop: Erdrick's Armor Rediscovered
-

In Cantlin, you'll hear about a man named Wynn, who owned a shop in
Hauskness. You'll also hear that he buried something of great value at the
foot of his tree behind his shop, and that he was the last possessor of
Erdrick's Armor. So, the only trick is to find Hauskness, right? Well, we
passed it en route to Cantlin. It was in the large Desert of Hauskness, which
we skirted. If you've got HEALMORE and have recently saved, by all means, head
in. You'll befriend Starwyverns (HEALMORE) quickly. (They inhabit Hauskness
now.) You'll also  encounter Werewolves, and the occasional Green Dragon to
round out the day. Wynn's shop is all the way at the far end of town, in the
southeast section; you'll see the one tree standing there.

As you step onto the square with the tree, you'll be immediately attacked by
an Axe Knight (SLEEP).

Axe Knight Strategy
-

Use STOPSPELL - an Axe Knight can cast SLEEP. Very nasty. Fight hard
against the Knight, using HEALMORE when necessary. For all the death the Axe
Knight can deal, four to five hits with the Flame Sword will dispatch him.
When he's defeated, search the ground you stand on to find Erdrick's Armor.
Don't leave that square without the armor. Stepping on that square will
trigger an Axe Knight attack every single time.

Erdrick's Armor has some special abilities to it. The Magic Armor heals you
one HP for every four steps you take, but  Erdrick's heals you one for one -
each step you take is worth a HP. If you're running low on hp, duck into a
town and just take a walk. Erdrick's Armor also protects you from damage you
would take from swamps and barriers. Neither will give you damage, or slow you
down in the slightest.


Proof of Heritage; The Token of Erdrick
_

Back in Cantlin, a man tells you "Thou may go and search. From Tangetel Castle
travel 70 leagues to the south and 40 to the east." These are the exact
coordinates of the Token of Erdrick, and you can use Gwaelin's Love to track
down the precise spot. It happens to be in the Green Dragon infested swamps
south of Cantlin, where you should not have gone when you were running to get
there. Take lots of herbs, and be full on magic, then brave the swamps, find
the proper location, and search. The token shall be yours. Now, RETURN to
Tangetel Castle, since the next item to find is in a different part of the
world.


Garin's Grave; The Silver Harp
_

Bring two keys with you, and go to Garinham. Open up the locked door in the
northeast section of town. Don't bother opening the door to talk to the two
guards, their information is useless. Push up on the black wall (the back of
the building) to find a secret exit; if you look at the cell the guards are
in, stand over the second block from the left, and go north from there. Be
sure to ware what the old man says about the harp, and enter the stairwell
to your right.

You'll wind up in Garin's Grave. I advise waiting until level 16-17 to go as
far down as the third level, though you can take the second one as early as
level 10-11. I found that with a Flame Sword (from Cantlin), I was able to
make the run through the cave as early as level 14, though I don't recommend
doing that.

Level breakdown is as follows:
Level 1: Warlocks (HURT, SLEEP), Drolls, Drakeemas (HURT), Skeletons,
         Poltergeists (HURT).
Level 2: Warlocks, Skeletons, Wolves, Metal Scorpions.
Level 3: Drollmagi (STOPSPELL), Wolflords (STOPSPELL), Spectres (HURT),
         Wraith Knights (HEAL), Druinlords (HURT, HEAL).
Level 4: Same as level 3.

Your prize for braving Garin's Grave is the Silver Harp; another necessary
item in the building of the rainbow bridge. The harp has an interesting
feature to it. Whenever you're wandering around the overworld, you can use it
as an item, much like the Fairy's Flute. However, the harp actually does
something; it will summon a monster to you, immediately. Every time. This can
be fun if you're trying to gain experience, and no monsters seem to want to
come out and play.

I don't advise using it constantly, as the harp has to play its song first,
and it takes a little time. You can usually find monsters faster just by
roaming the overworld.


The Staff of Rain
_

Take the Silver Harp to the northeast, in the direction of Kol. Directly west
of Kol is a small stairwell leading down into the earth. You can see it from
west of Kol, but you can't get there by walking west. In actuality, you have
to walk to the southwest, and follow a forest path to the northwest, which
then wraps around to the northeast. Not difficult, as the monsters aren't hard
here.

In this cavern, an old man will be guarding another chest. Talk to him, and
he'll thank you for bringing the Silver Harp, and exchange that with the Staff
of Rain. (The harp is simply a bargaining chip to get the staff.)


The Rainbow Drop
_

Go back to Rimuldar, and then due south. There's a small island with some
swamp, high mountains, and a cave leading down from the surface. Isle monsters
include Wyverns and such, nothing too new by this point.

In the cave is yet another old man. When you show him Erdrick's Token, he'll
acknolwedge you as Erdrick's Heir, and combine the Staff of Rain with the
Stones of Sunlight to make the Rainbow Drop. Now, we can head through the
swamp cave toward Rimuldar in order to make the Rainbow Bridge.


The Rainbow Bridge
_

This is the second easiest part of this whole quest, right next to finding
the Stones of Sunlight. Go to the northwest of Rimuldar, almost due west of
the southern exit of the Swamp Cave. You'll see a section of land that ends in
a penninsula, jutting out over a channel. There is a one square section of
water that separates the two land masses. Go stand on this penninsula, and use
the Rainbow Drop. The Rainbow Bridge will appear, spanning the channel, and
letting you get onto the DragonLord's Isle.

A word to the wise: After you go five or six steps past the Rainbow Bridge,
you'll begin encountering Knights, Starwyverns, Werewolves, Wizards
(HURTMORE), and more. The enemies are difficult, so don't go exploring unless
you're powerful enough, or supremely confident in your RETURN spell and
ability to flee from battle.



1.4: The Dragonlord
_

The Dragonlord's Castle is to the west of the newly created rainbow bridge.
You have seen this evil palace from the very first time you left Tantegal
Castle, most likely - it's directly across the channel. (We'll note that,
for all intents and purposes, boats haven't been invented yet.) The castle
is guarded by a gauntlet of mountains, deserts, and swamps, all contained on
the tiny island it's housed in. The path to the castle is filled with the
most powerful overworld enemies that you can face, as detailed above.

When you finally make it inside of the castle, you will be faced with the
most ravenous horde of death dealing creatures in the game. Nothing is held
back at this point, and only the most fierce and troublesome creatures will
partake of your flesh while you visit the castle. (Don't go expecting red
slimes. Red Dragons, perhaps, but not slimes.)

If you don't have Erdrick's Armor, the Flame Sword, and the Silver Shield by
now, go get them. All of them. Do not attempt this castle without them, as it
will chew you up and spit you back in tiny pieces. Also, don't attempt this
area before level 17. The HEALMORE spell is invaluable, since it restores most
of your HP for just 10 MP; this area will let you get very familiar with it.
The only other general tip for the Dragonlord's Castle is to watch how hard
the enemies hit - if you don't think you're going to survive the next attack,
use HEALMORE - don't agonize over wether or not you can last another round.
This is one point in the game where safety is a higher concern than MP use.
Walking back to the Dragonlord's castle is a sucky, sucky thing.

While you can enter at level 17 to build levels, don't stray too deep. I
wasn't able to even reach the Dragonlord until I had hit level 20, and
couldn't defeat him until I had reached level 23.

The best places to level at this stage of the game are either inside the
Dragonlord's castle, or just southwest of Haukness. I prefer being southwest
of Haukness because I don't have to heal as often (enemies aren't as strong,
and don't attack nearly every step), I don't need to cast Outside, and metal
slimes sometimes show up and make it a real party. :)

A quick note before you enter the Dragonlord's Castle:
Radiant costs 3mp, Outside costs 6, Return costs 8. Don't wander around in the
dark without radiant, but always keep in mind (while you're healing) that it
will take a minimum of 14mp in order to escape the Dragonlord's castle and
warp back to Tantegel. If you're very very low on MP, remember that 6mp will
take you outside, and that 4 will give you a little boost from Heal. You may
be able to walk back to Rimuldar, and Erdrick's Armor's healing properties may
save you.. but don't bet on it all the time. Try to play it safe.

Provided that you're properly equipped, you can now enter the castle, and
start your journey down to the Dragonlord. The first thing you should do is
cast REPEL, so that the monsters don't attack every step or every other step.
It won't seem to do much for you, but it really does help.. a little bit.
The first floor of the castle is fully lighted, showing you that it is, in
fact, a castle. You will be able to see two stairwells that lead down, and
are behind locked doors. Ignore them, as they don't lead anywhere useful.
Circle around to the left, and work your way to the throne - it's across a
set of damaging floor tiles (which your Erdrick's Armor protects you from).
Step behind the throne, and search the ground to find a secret stairwell,
leading into the heart of the castle.

The castle then becomes a long, deep dungeon. Radiant is a total necessity.
Keep in mind that some staircases that you'll find will go up, instead of
down, and that you'll need to go down, up, and back down a different way in
order to find Erdrick's Sword. Finding that sword is your first priority.

To give you an idea of how deep this castle is, if the first floor is level 1,
then the Dragonlord's floor is level 8. You can make it all the way to the
bottom on one cast of Radiant, if you know where you're going.

Quick Castle Tip:
On any trip in, carry a full compilment of six herbs. "Why?", you think.
"Herbs suck. I have HEALMORE." Well, yes, but sometimes Herbs will be useful.
They can heal you for 20 or so, just enough to let you walk the rest of a
serious fight off in Erdrick's Armor, without having to worry about having
enough HP should you hit another monster right away. Herbs also don't drain
MP.

MP is a huge consideration in the Dragonlord's Castle. The big trick to
beating him is just surviving long enough to deal fatal damage. The trick to
-that- is getting to the bottom floor with the highest amount of MP possible,
for Healmore casting. So, the herbs may come in handy. :)

Here's a level breakdown of the enemies.

Dragonlord's Castle
-
Level 1: Wizard (HURTMORE), Axe Knight (SLEEP), Starwyvern (HEALMORE),
         Werewolf, Green Dragon
Level 2: Same as above.
Level 3: As above, but replace Green Dragons with Blue Dragons, and add the
         Stoneman.
Level 4: Same as above.
Level 5: Same as above.
Level 6: Add in the Armored Knight (HEALMORE, HURTMORE), and the Red Dragon
         (SLEEP).
Level 7: Same as above.
Level 8: Same as above, plus the Dragonlord, if you're picky.

The newest enemies to the Castle are Blue Dragons, Red Dragons, Armored
Knights, and Stonemen.

Blue Dragon: Harder than their green cousins, but only because they have more
hp and higher damage. No spells, no healing, so just chop them up.

Red Dragon: They feel like every other dragon you've ever fought, with one
exception. They cast Sleep. Best put stopspell on these immediately.

Armored Knight: A fight with one was once described as being like "trying to
attack an M1 assault tank with a toothpick". That's pretty accurate. These
guys -will- hurt you, and you probably can't run away.

Stoneman: They have an enormous amount of HP, and hit really, really hard. Run
from them whenever possible, as killing them costs too much in the way of
time, magic, and lost hp.


Find Erdrick's Sword
-

It isn't fair to turn you loose in the castle without the slightest idea of
where you're going.

Level 1: Go behind the throne, search, take the stairs down.
Level 2: Cast radiant right away. Follow the path to the only stairwell you
         can take, and go down.
Level 3: Same deal. Follow the path, only one stairwell.
Level 4: Right 2 blocks, down 2 blocks, left 5 blocks, up 2 blocks, left to
         the wall, down to the wall, right 1 block, down the stairs.
Level 5: Right 1, Up 2, right 2, up 1, right 2, down to the wall, right to the
        wall, up 7, left 2, down 5. Should be a stairwell leading up, with
        walls on three sides of you.
Level 4: Follow the path left and up, take the stairs up.
Level 3: Go up, left, and take the stairs up.
Level 2: Follow the path, the stairs lead down.
Level 3: You're now in a four block room with the sword.

Cast Outside and Return and go save the game. Right now. It's worth saving.

The Erdrick's Sword doesn't seem to hit much harder than the Flame Sword, but
it has the unique distinction of being just about the only weapon that can
really cause damage to Armored Knights, Red Dragons, and the Dragonlord. It's
necessary.


Defeat the Dragonlord
-

The last step in the game is to actually defeat the Dragonlord. I had to wait
until level 23 to beat him, though I suspect that you could do it around level
20 or 21 if luck was with you.

Here's the route to reach the Dragonlord.

Level 1: Go behind the throne, search, take the stairs down.
Level 2: Cast radiant right away. Follow the path to the only stairwell you
         can take, and go down.
Level 3: Same deal. Follow the path, only one stairwell.
Level 4: Right 2 blocks, down 2 blocks, left 5 blocks, up 2 blocks, left to
         the wall, down to the wall, right 1 block, down the stairs.
Level 5: Right 1, up 2, right 2, up 3, left 3, up to the wall, right 7, down
         2, left to the stairwell. Should be a downward stairwell there,
         surrounded by walls on three sides.
Level 6: Walk down, left, up, and take the stairwell down.
Level 7: Walk straight across to the right, take the stairwell down.
Level 8: This level is actually lit up. From the start, go up, head left
         immediately, turn up when you're standing next to the block. Take
         your first right turn and follow the path until you come out where
         the sand and water is. Cross over the little bridges there, and
         follow the path to the Dragonlord. This sounds a lot easier than it
         really is, considering the level of creatures you'll be fighting.

Don't get discouraged if the Dragonlord's Castle whoops up on you. You will
have to be a high level when you go in here, and will probably have to level
even higher in order to beat the Dragonlord.

When you make it to the Dragonlord, talk to him.

Dragonlord: "Welcome, [Name]. I am the Dragonlord -- King of Kings. I have
been waiting long for one such as thee. I give thee now a chance to share this
world and to rule half of it if thou will now stand beside me. What sayest
thou? Will the great warrior stand with me?"

..and you're presented with a yes or no prompt. If you choose Yes, that you
wish to serve the Dragonlord, you die, and the game is over. (You can
continue, as always, of course.) The whole speech is a ploy to prevent you
from killing him. If you choose No (go on, you played the whole game for
this), the Dragonlord attacks, and it's time for the final
battle. So, tell him No.

Dragonlord: "Thou art a fool!"


Dragonlord Strategy
-

I recommend level 25 or higher for fighting the Dragonlord. I was victorious
at level 23, and think it can be done around 21 or 20 (with luck and critical
attacks on your side), but 25 is a "safe" level to run this fight at. There's
still a huge chance that you can die; it mainly depends on how many MP you
have going into the fight.

The Dragonlord's initial form is that of a warlock, and he can use magic.
I've seen him cast both Hurtmore and Stopspell, though I have yet to see his
Stopspell work on me. You can cast Stopspell on him, but it may take a few
tries, and it may be more economical to simply bash the hell out of him in the
first place. Just make sure that you're very healed before crossing his HP
threshhold. The Dragonlord's initial form has approximately 100hp, which you
should be able to shave off in three attacks.

Two quick notes, though - First, if you get stopspelled, reset. You will not
win. Second, the Dragonlord won't use magic after he changes form, so casting
Stopspell on him is totally optional, and probably a waste of MP.

Once you deal enough damage, the Dragonlord changes forms, and becomes a
large, standing dragon. In this form, the Dragonlord can dish out from 30 to
50 damage in every hit. He can also breathe fire, as normal dragons do, for
similar damage.

As a side benefit, the form change results in the Dragonlord having a much
heavier armor rating. You'll probably not be able to give more than 15 damage
in a single strike, and scores of 10 or lower are much more common. The lowest
that I've hit the Dragonlord for is 6, at Level 20, and the highest was 15, at
level 23.

Deal punishment fast and furious, and make sure to use Healmore when you get
within one strike of death. Don't chance it. That's about all there is to say,
really. There is no grace to this battle. Strike, heal, strike, heal.

As near as I can figure it, the Dragonlord's second form has approximately
135hp. I was in combat with him for 12 rounds during which I attacked, and at
least 10 in which I had to use Healmore to stay alive. My first attack was
free, and the last attack was do-or-die - I didn't have enough MP to heal
again. So, figure on needing at least 100MP in order to successfully withstand
the Dragonlord. You can try it with less, but.. ;)

If you die, you go back to Tantegel castle, lose half your gold, and have to
make that gnarly trek into the depths of the castle again. If you win, you
take the Ball of Light from the corpse of the Dragonlord, and use it to banish
the monsters of the world once again.

At this point, all the monsters in the game disappear, terrain ceases to
affect your movement rates, and all of the townsfolk that you talk to will
cheer you.

"Hurrah! Hurrah! Long live [name]!"
"Thou has brought us peace again."



1.5: Conclusion
_

Head back to Tantegel Castle. It doesn't matter if you walk (no enemies) or
use Return, just get there. Walk into the main castle, and you'll see the King
waiting for you. The king gives a long speech, after which Gawelin asks to
join you in your travels. I'm not aware if you can actually tell her no or
not. In any case, tell her yes, and then sit back and enjoy the ending and
credits.

Congratulations - You've just smashed one of the finest original RPGs in
existance. :)



.x-x.  Section 3 - Credits and Contact Info  .x-x.


Credits
_

I would like to thank GWS Wizard and Mike664 for writing the original DW1 FAQ.
Their work interested me in this classic game again. If anybody knows how to
reach either of them, I'd love to hear from them.

Hats off to Enix on a wonderful game. Let's hope the Dragon Warrior series
keeps going forever. :)


Contact Info
-

If you find any errors or omissions in this FAQ, or feel that something should
be included, feel free to email me at <wingchild@home.com>. I'd be more
than happy to edit the FAQ to include changes and revisions.. though, really,
with a game this old, I doubt I'll ever hear from anyone. :)

Thanks for reading, and I hope you had fun. :)


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