This guide isn’t designed to tell you how to fight each battle. It is intended to highlight some of the games features that might be overlooked; providing information on all 3 of the optional followers – their unique side quests and level 1 stats; the possible outcomes of your decisions where the game lets you choose an option.
Information and Quality of Life adjustments
The options highlighted below are not mentioned by the game during the tutorial. Instead you have to pause the game, to access and explore the setting menu.
Settings Menu – Game
Retain random seed. Switched ON by default. This feature means that you will always get the same result from a fight or attempt to deactivate a trap no matter how many times you re-load the save whilst it is active. E.g. you deal 57 damage on your next attack and needed a 59 for the kill; with retain random seed on you’ll always score a 57 on reloading a.k.a. Groundhog Day. Switched off you’ll get a different result.
Rotate Mini-Map. Switched ON by default. The map rotates as you rotate the camera around the party, causing the blue arrow to always point to the top of the screen. Some people will find this annoying. Switching it off will lock the map with North at the top of the screen. The blue arrow will change direction instead.
Barks – these are the random comments the party will say such as opening the map, inventory, drinking potion etc. You can adjust the frequency along with selectively muting the Elf (airhead) and Dwarf (sweary).
Combat. Turn end automatically is ON by default. Switching off will allow you to have more say over using the Randomia meter. i.e. can move and attack and then decide to use a random perk.
You can extend the time to KO up to 5 turns or reduce it to 1. The reason you might consider extending the time limit is poison and burning effects still deal damage when KO’d and will remove 1 from the turn counter in addition to the turn count progressing. As will any damage received from an attack by your party (accidental, AOE blast, etc.).
Useful controls
Tab is beneficial in both exploration and combat. In exploration it will highlight all objects you can interact with in YELLOW. The exceptions are DETECTED traps in RED. Undetected traps and the buttons for a side quest on the 6th floor won’t be shown. In combat it will allow you to toggle the visibility of all health bars on screen.
T in combat will toggle displaying the exact details of each and every status effect a unit is suffering from. By default you’ll see a small icon. Handy for finding out what the injury did to your team or what the buff did to an enemy.
Shift in exploration mode will automatically switch the party member under your control to the thief. This will slow movement down to half pace, but a blue circle will appear on screen. All traps in range are detected. Traps in the main tower follow the same design, with Urik’s depths in chapter 7 following a different design. The lighting can make it hard to spot them on some floors.
Traps can only be tripped once per visit to a floor. You have to leave and re-enter a floor for any traps that weren’t successfully disarmed to be reset.
Space Bar held down during combat it will speed up the animations and outcomes for the enemy turn. Normal speed resumes when one of your units receives their turn; ideal for large combats.
Game Mechanics
The maximum level any character can reach in the main game is level 10. Level 11 is accessible through the DLC, but the level cap is only raised upon entering the Ruins of Limis. Out with this area you are capped at level 10. This prevents you from making the final battle slightly easier.
Dodge is divided by 2 every time you make a successful dodge in a given turn. This sees dodge go from 100% of profile value to 50% to 25% to 12%. When the turn counter progresses to the next turn all penalties are reset.
Parry is divided by 1.5 every time you make a successful parry in a given turn. This sees dodge go from 100% of profile value to 66% to 44% to 29% to 20%. When the turn counter progresses to the next turn all penalties are reset. Parry will work against ranged attacks as well as melee.
The last weapon you select for a unit determines if they are in melee or ranged mode. If in melee mode they can perform opportunity attacks. This is handy if you can only reach the enemy by sprinting. First select the melee attack option to make the character equip their blade. Then move them to base distance with the enemy. This will give you a free attack should they need to move away for any reason. Note you can’t do this after having sprinted.
Certain missions will split the deployment area to 2 or more zones. A unit can’t leave the zone they are placed in and can only switch positions with another unit if there is a vacant tile. The two units won’t automatically switch positions.
When selling your stuff to a merchant you’ll generally get either 80, 85 or 90% of its sale value (without the Dwarf’s merchant skill). Should you sell something by mistake you will be asked to pay 100% of the sale value and not the reduced priced you sold it for. The best merchants to sell stuff to are:
The temporary shop at the Orktobearfest. (90% all items). Disappears after a story battle though.
Tavern (90% for junk items & alcohol);
6th floor Blacksmith (90% weapons and shields);
6th floor seamstress (90% for armor, belts and jewellery)
6th floor herbalist (90% for potions).
Don’t buy or sell to Gilbert Falsgood. His stock is priced about twice resell value and offers you the lowest possible purchases prices (75%).
The only bits of junk that have any use are the egg and the rope, as they are used as puzzle answers. Everything else just clutters up your inventory.
The loot you get from a chest is pre-set. The only variable is your optional companion’s equipment. You’ll get the gold tier weapon in the same place and it will be the correct weapon for that companion. The Thief, Barbarian and Ranger all have options for their gold tier equipment, the others don’t. The choice is generally between offense (extra damage) and either defense including health or accuracy.
The thief’s Okay-ish daggers of betrayal are a weapon worth keeping. They are the only weapon that allows you to ignore protection with a basic attack. Otherwise it’s tier 4 or tier 5 skills that are available only to selected characters that have the ability to ignore protection. This is because protection X absorbs the first X damage of an attack. In the Ruins of Limis there is an enemy with protection 70 which sees all low damage (<72) attacks only score 1 damage against them.
There are 3 regions you’ll only get to visit for limited times. They are the Golbargh’s Lair (there’s a chest behind throne), Library (portal to access is in Golbargh’s lair for a pre-set duration), Urik’s depths (pre-set duration but can traverse between the 2 floors once floor 2 is accessible).
Optional companions
During act 2 you will be provided the chance to get a taster of 3 companions, each at level 3. The third is the priestess. Before you engage the target in a fight in the graveyard, create a save file. This will allow you to acquire all 4 achievements at the start of act 3 with comparative ease. After her quest is over, have the party heal in full as the follow on fight can be tough.
Once you’ve chosen your follower, if you took one, I’d highly suggest paying 50g for a Potion of Oblivion to reset them to level 1. This will remove 2 of the 3 skills they’ve be pre-assigned to give you greater say on how they perform.
Base stats
Minstrel Agility 13 Strength 9 Constitution 11 Intelligence 12 Courage 9 Charisma 15.
Mandatory skill: Beneficial Song {get proper name}
Note: passive skill perk Courage gives +3/+6 not +2/+4 as listed as of patch 1.3
Paladin Agility 10 Strength 12 Constitution 13 Intelligence 10 Courage 14 Charisma 11.
Mandatory skill: Less Lethal Hammer of Justice.
Priestess Agility 10 Strength 8 Constitution 10 Intelligence 14 Courage 11 Charisma 15.
Mandatory skill: Youclidh’s Recovery.
Shared equipment
Minstrel: Mana potions, Human Bow (Ranger, Barbarian). Worthwhile selling all his default clothing as it provides no bonuses what so ever.
Paladin: Crossbow (unequipped by default; Thief, Dwarf), Shield (Ranger or Dwarf). Note the Dwarf and Ranger can’t share shields between them.
Priestess: Mana potions, Wizardess staff.
The Priestess and Minstrel require Intelligence and Charisma instead of Strength and Agility to improve in combat.
The Minstrel is the least selected character at the time of writing. He’s poor in melee but can be improved with passive skills to be a reasonable archer. His strengths are his abilities should you persevere with him. He can give his action point to another party member, his AOE heal will only heal your side barring himself, (The Priestess’s AOE heal will also heal enemies), he can behave like a mana/stamina potion dispenser at range, he has a 100% accuracy with his AOE skills (one can stun, the other debuffs enemy strength & agility).
Their side quests are surmised below so you can see where you could have gone had you chosen them. You’ll be given a letter after getting a quest potion for the Pharmagician in all cases.
The Priestess sees you visit the Well of Souls (access through staircase near to where you get the bone dust for the potion), have a fight against human cultists (melee centric) in the cellar, go buy facemasks from the shop (mask replaces equipped helmet with one that provides +2 Charisma) and then head to the Orgy Salon under the gambling den to face more human cultists (mage centric).
The Paladin sees you visit the Tavern, have a fight against human mercenaries in the training room on the same floor and then go to the Pit of Splintered Shins under the gambling den to face a Dark Elf, Human mercenaries and a Troll should you take too long to kick ass.
The Minstrel sees you go to the graveyard, have a fight against skeletons there and then head to the Tavern to speak to an NPC. You go under the gambling den to the Cavern of the Tritone. The answer is a diminished fifth. You’ll face human cultists (balanced).
Quest Decisions and a few quirks
There are 2 times you will be given free healing by the game. These instances occur when accessing the fourth floor. One is after a cut scene that occurs after the first fight on that floor. The second is after giving the Pharmagician the three ingredients required for an anti-drunkenness potion. Otherwise all healing will cost you. In the DLC you’ll also be given a free heal at the start of the eleventh chapter.
There are 3 or so fights that will automatically occur when you enter a pre-designated area, even though they are areas you’re required to visit later on for a (side) quest. The fights are rats in the area where the monk with umbrella can be found/access Urik’s depths; spider’s in the sealed cavern entrance area in the underground caverns; goblin’s in the rooftop where you go looking for the herbalists gardening tools. The latter can be fought and the site revisited later to collect the herbalist’s tools. Possibly rats when visiting the vegetable patch for the first time (can’t remember if I’d spoken to the gardener first).
Mel’s Wine: Giving him the wine awards 480XP and 43GP. Keeping the wine gives no XP and 270GP. This is the only quest from Mel that is required for the all side quests achievement. The rest fall under a second achievement.
Caged troll: you won’t get any XP from either choice. You will get a few tips regarding the enemies on that floor should you feed him. Not feeding him just sees the options repeat themselves.
Organic Gardening. This is an optional side quest that has a hidden extra fight. You clear the first pest type in the garden and acquire the gardener’s desired pest control method. If you re-visit him after having completed a different mission in between, he’ll now tell you he now has pest problem 2 to deal with. You’ll get a few consumables as a battle reward but no bonus XP or gold.
Absolute Expertise. When you acquire the antidote you have the option to consume it right away or later on. If you delay consuming you’ll suffer -4 charisma to the Ranger but completing the game with this penalty sees you unlock an achievement.
Robbed Courier. You will earn 480XP for either decision over the Inn’s profits. The difference is do you want 500GP or not. The Courier will be shafted by either outcome.
Barney the Terrible. This has multiple outcomes. First option is to fetch him his drink or assault him there and then.
Assault him sees you get the keys but you won’t be able to access the chest in the wine cellar. You will also then have to face a sober Barney and a group of mercenaries when trying to free the prisoner. There are no hazards in this fight.
Choosing to get him his booze sees you go to the Wine cellar and fight mercenaries. This is a fight with hazard tiles (beer). Once you have the drink you then have the option of speaking to the herbalist BEFORE giving Barney his drink. If you visit the herbalist, you avoid a fight with Barney and will get his keys. You won’t have a fight when freeing the prisoner.
Giving Barney his booze will see you fight a drunken Barney with spectral rats & spiders. Barney also throws up every time you hit him. There are also hazard tiles (beer). There is no fight when freeing the prisoner either.
Dwarf insult competition. One of the three answers will be the correct answer. The alternative is to consume a pop-twit (4g each) for an auto-win of that round. They are sold by the Herbalist and in the Dwarf bar. The rule is first to three points wins. Should you reach round 4 the theme is animals and round 5 is freestyle. If you win the local insulting champion won’t feature in battle 2. If you lose you’ll face him.
Dwarf factions in Urik’s depths. Siding with either team will see you gain access to the Anvil. The decision influences enemy deployment and the presence of 2 units in the last battle.
Support the King: Battle 1 the enemy deploy on left flank; Battle 2 half the enemy deploy on your left flank, half are opposite you; Battle 3 no Iron Golems.
Support the Rebellion: Battle 1 the enemy deploy opposite you; Battle 2 the enemy deploy on your left flank; Battle 3 face 2 Iron Golems.
Dwalin’s Axe Part 2. When you’re asked to fetch the Axe the door to the smithy is highlighted DO NOT OPEN. No matter how many times you touch it, it won’t open. Your decision will see you choose between a gold tier axe for the dwarf or 3 000 GP. This is the only gold tier weapon for the dwarf. It is also the only time a weapon is auto-equipped on acquisition.
Ruins of Limis DLC
Siding with the Necromancers sees you acquire more weapons as loot and face 3 single stage battles. Your opponents will generally have 1 summoner, but they will have high protection values (35, 70). Your enemies will be zombies (summonable), spitter zombies, troll, lesser vampire assassins, vampire (summoner).
Siding with the Vampires sees you acquire more accessories as loot and face 2 battles (1 single stage, 1 two stage). Your opponents will have lots of summoners and there will be different types of summoner; at least one of which can cause the skeleton to explode like the Lich in the library. Your enemies will be skeleton warriors (summonable), skeleton archers, Skeleton Berserkers (summonable), 3 Types of Necromancer (summoners).
Of the two factions, facing the Necromancers in combat requires a more assassination target style of game play in order to avoid a protracted combat.
The reward you can choose from the wishing well, will either be the Wizard’s amulet of place swapping (switch 2 friendly units), the Ogre’s amulet of Drunkenness (+ Courage, + Strength, – Intelligence constantly); the Elf’s repellent amulet that pushes a friend or foe 3 tiles; the Barbarian’s attack amulet (attacks a 3×1 area; can’t alter alignment). You may only choose one option.
Credit to: sjmayhew