There actually is a Mind Stab spellbook in the game's code, but there is no location where it can actually be found in-game, and you can't import it from Wizardry 7, either.

If you had the Cornu of Demonspawn, which is an instrument that casts Banish, would you keep it in your Bard's inventory?

(The only way to get this item is to import it from Wizardry 7, but at least the game does let you do this, unlike with, say, the Horn of Prometheus (which felt a bit like cheating the one time I hacked it into my inventory, even though it's just Fireball at a Fireball-appropriate level).)

The Ring of the Road and Tinker's Carryall Bracers are both buyable from Bela. The Ring of Beasts is more interesting because it's not sold anywhere, but you need a Felpurr or Rawulf (or a Trynnie RPC) to be able to equip it, which is not something I tend to have in my party.

Also, does the 6th Bough stay clear once you kill the Rattkin,

Speaking of which, I decided to look up the Felpurr Bishop situation, which lhen leads to the question of which race to use for a INT/SPD Bishop (PC = Power Cast, SS = Snake Speed, numbers are level learned):
* Human: 12 PC, 17 SS, gets more Vitality (and hence more HP), also more STR means better carrying capacity
* Elf: 11 PC, 16 SS, can equip the Fey Ring (know of any good place to farm sprite drops?), fastest to get Power Cast
* Felpurr: 13 PC, 13 SS, can equip the Ring of Beasts
* Faeire: 12 PC, 12 SS, fastest Snake Speed, but crippled long term by equipment restrictions (no easy SP regen, no Snakeskin Boots), but can at least equip the Fey Ring
* (Mook: If, for some reason, you want Power Strike on a Bishop, this race gets it first, at level 17.)

I usually keep all the Bard instruments that I find(except the one that casts Charm, useless in battle), until she maxes out at 8 instruments. At that point, decisions have to be made. I probably would not have a Banish instrument if there were other choices. I generally dislike the instrument that casts Slow, as it makes battles last longer. I also don't care for the one that casts Magic Screen, as I can have my Priest cast it at guaranteed PL7, and with Powercast, it might even be more powerful and longer lasting. I believe there are 2 different instruments that cast Freeze Flesh and Freeze All, so once you get the latter, the former is obsoleted. The Insanity instrument is decent for a long time, and the Haste one only has to be cast at PL3 to completely max out Speed for my Snakespeed characters.
I know that the Ring of the Road and Tinker's Carryall Bracers are buyable from Bela, it's just that you need to be a high level to be over there safely. You find the 6th Bough much earlier usually, and since my Bard has maxed Strength, with the Caliban's Cuirass from Crock(+10 Str) and the Ring of the Road from a generous Rattkin drop(+20 Str), she will do her max damage and have max Carry Capacity. My Gadgeteer will be at 120 Strength. If they keep alternating Bloodlust(double damage), they will kill anything quickly at the front of the party formation. Since the rope bridges are great for limiting Rattkin Goons to only your front party member(s), I find this to be an ideal place to farm items, experience, and skill ups, and I think they drop gold too.
No, just like most areas, once you clean it out, more enemies will eventually respawn(an exception being the Rapax Courtyard). I just like to think, since I killed the Rattkin Breeders, Don Barlone, and Milano Calzone, the Trynnie should have an easy time with the leftovers(random Rattkin and Swarming Wasps). It's a role-playing game, after all.
IIRC, there are Sprites all over Trynton, but I think the set ones are low-level, and probably won't drop the Fey Ring. I'm not sure if Sprites respawn, I know that there are a lot of plant enemies there. Did you know that a Giant Bat can be fought? It's best to engage near that house with a ton of ammo, near where you place Marten's Idol. I think what you're looking for is the Mountain Wilderness...tough high level Sprites can spawn there, and I believe they start neutral, so they will only engage you if you get close.
I don't consider race that important usually, but for a power class like the Bishop, it can make a difference. Are you basing your decision on race on literally one ring(Fey Ring, Ring of Beasts), or is it more about who gets PC and SS first, or do you want well rounded, like Humans? When I do Bishops, I go INT, SPD, SEN,PIE,VIT,DEX,STR, so Power Strike is literally my last concern(it's a luxury, but the SOD does decent without it). When was the last time you saw a Bishop engaged in melee though? That's how I treat my casters. Magic first, physical damage second(unless they out-level you by a significant amount, like when I fight Level 22 Savant Minion at level 18/19). Then, physical damage starts to shine. It could also be that I haven't unlocked PC yet.

Not quite true. Freeze All only affects any enemies that you can actually see, while Freeze Flesh, having group targeting. can hit enemies you can't see (like those on the other side of the wall; this might, for example, be useful if Ferro is being attacked and you can't quite reach him).

Also, I tend to get the Arressting Aria (Feeze All) before the Frigid Fiddle (Freeze Flesh); in fact, there's no guarantee that I'll even get the latter on any given playthrough.
You can just use the "use last item" shortcut (it's safe to use with instruments and gadgets) to keep using that gadget until it casts the spell at PL7, and I believe that Power Cast only affects the duration, not the magnitude, of this particular spell. Note that you don't need to equip an instrument to use it outside of combat.

The Armorplate gadget works the same way, but unlike the Magic Screen instrument, it's quite heavy.

Your level doesn't need to be that high due to enemy level scaling; at lower levels, you just need to avoid the cave that has the Diamond Eyes, as that cave has a couple high level undead enemies. It is worth going there eventually (in addition to Diamond Eyes, there's the Succubus Song (Lifesteal instrument) and a Giant's Sword in there, but you don't want to go there too early.

Edit: Also, I'm planning on making minor adjustments to the game via Cosmic Forge, and Bela's shop inventory is the most sensible place to put the Ring of Power, which grants SP regen (and is normally only available if Bela, who you can't attack, somehow dies).

This reasoning doesn't work for the Cobaltine Powerglive, since the NPC that drops it isn't a merchant (and I believe you can't kill him without triggering the ending, either).

What about an Itching Skin instrument? The Chromatic Lyre is also obtainable via Wizardry 7 import, and it casts Itching Skin. I don''t see that spell as being particularly useful, but when the only other level 1 instrument spells available are Sleep, and possibly Bless and Terror (Pipes of Doom), it might be worth keeping for the early game. Unfortunately, it's rather heavy, so just like the Silent Lyres (yes, there are two of them for whatever reason), the weight may be enough of a reason to leave it behind. (Succubus Song and Hades Harp may be worth the weight, however, and the Lyre of Cakes would be if it were obtainable and the Dulcimer of Mending not.)

I just got the casters to level 19, having given them all of their level 7 spell picks. I'm holding off on Banish, because the Priest and Mage can just buy it from Braffit, when he feels like offering it. The whole party is now at level 19, so I may need to save and reload until he offers it.
At the point where I reach Crock, I tend to load up my casters with Mana Stones. If I want Armorplate and Magic Screen, I will simply cast them. I can always use the Mana Stones to regenerate SPs, and with a side benefit of increasing the Artifacts skill(not that it's needed, I have my Mage at 74 skill). I will probably set a portal at Crock to rest and regenerate Mana Stones by selling back to him, then buying them back(my Communication skill is almost maxed, thanks to the Bard's skill bonus). That's the beauty of having 4 casters, having 4 portals.
You should edit Burz to sell Mana Stones and/or Magic Nectars. That first stretch of Arnika Road is especially brutal for a magic party, as there is no easy way to regenerate SPs. Resting only increases the likelihood of more enemy spawns, which is why I ground so much in the Monastery.
Why the Dark Savant drops his glove upon death is beyond me, when you can't do anything with it.
Itching Skin is decent, but it doesn't work on Savant machines or undead. It also does no damage. It's an early game spell that is quickly obsoleted. I can't remember the last time I used that spell, even against Higardi thieves. I use the Bless instrument quite often, almost every battle on Round 1. It's always useful to have extra AC and CTH. Sleep isn't helpful because it splits up the enemies. The enemies that aren't affected by it still charge my party, and the ones that are, just sit where they started. It makes it hard to aim spells to hit everyone.

Splitting up the enemies isn't really a problem in the really early part of the game, as it's not as if there's much you can do that can hit an area with just level 1 spells:
* Energy Blast and other attack spells hit only one enemy.
* Paralyze hits only one enemy.
* Itching Skin affects a cone, but it isn't that useful because it can be resisted and only has a minor effect anyway.
* Sleep and Terror are group targeted, so splitting up the enemy won't affect the use of these spells. Then again, if you're concerned about splitting up the enemy, why would you be concerned about not being able to use the spells (particularly Terror) on them?

For level 2 spells:
* Blinding Flash and Sonic Boom will split up the enemies anyway, so if you're going to use these spells, you're probably not concerned with wanting to keep the enemies together.
* Insanity is like Sleep, but with more range, and enemies might even attack each other.
* Shrill Sound and Magic Missile are about the only spells where this is an issue, and in practice, they tend to surround you if allowed, so it might be better to use spells like Sleep to prevent this than not to (particularly if your Sleep caster has neither spell, which is the case for a Bard until Arnika Road).

Having done some research onlike, I've thought of doing a strategy that's pretty much the opposite of yours:
* Leave the Monastery at level 3. (I've read a few cases of players who've done this.) (If I level up on Arnika Road, enemies that have already spawned won't get stronger, but new ones will.)
* Level to 6 before Arnika, in order to prevent level 20+ Savant androids from appearing (don't want them at this level).
* Recruit Vi and maybe Myles, as apparently RPC levels don't affect enemy level scaling (but do affect loot).
* Leave everyone at level 6. (If I do a character replacement, the new character needs to reach level 3 ASAP.) As a possible exception, raise *one* character (only) to level 8 for X-Ray (probably my Bishop, but not until Wizardry skill is high enough; Wizardry + Mental Magic/10 needs to be at least 45 before level 8).
* Explore much of the world, getting the instruments and gadgets from Marten's Bluff. (Myles won't go there, but I could get RFS-81, who starts at level 10(!), and who will go there.) Maybe even try to get the Staff of Doom (unless that golem blocking the path is too much at this level).
* Dismiss RPCs, then level up for real.

I wonder how well this would work. (Note that exploring early is particularly nice for Gadgeteers, who have some useful low level gadgets that require ingredients from the Swamp and Marten's Bluff.)

I'm really not a fan of RNG. By the time I can hit groups/bomb a whole area, I assume that my initiative is greater than theirs. The exception, I have found, is Higardi Brigand(level 10). They seem to have an obscene initiative for their level, often competing with my party, in the teens, who have maxed Speed, and unlocked Snakespeed. It's a toss-up who goes first, so I tend to use hit-all spells with them. The trick is to have somebody in the front slot, and 1 each on the left and right flank, who can melee them, then have the weakest ones in the center, protected, with your back to a wall. I have found this works great in preparation for the Juggernauts waiting on the AT Road.
How are you going to leave the Monastery at level 3? Some people puzzle me. As if you are going to get through Gregor and the set level 6 Rabid Rats at that low of a level.

At your level (and even as far back as the low teens), another alternative to dealing with fast melee enemies is to use Ring of Fire. As long as the enemies advance to melee range, it will hit them, regardless of how the initiative rolls work out.

Ring of Fire also has the advantage of never fizzling at

Also, because HP is reasonably high relative to healing, the Dulcimer of Mending works fine for healing much of the time even with its slight chance of failure. (This is in contrast to, say, the 3D version of Final Fantasy 3, where relying on Heatra for healing (50% heal chance, unless you're a Summoner in which case it never heals), where higher damage/healing amounts make it too risky to rely on.)

I often reach Gregor at level 3. As for how to win, status aliments. I like Paralyze here (even though Gregor's Water resistance is 55), but there's other spells one could try, like Blinding Flash if you need a breather (only 25 resistance). Also, some normal attacks can cause status ailments. (Note, however, that Mental resistance is 70, and the others are 35.)

I don't remember the Rabid Rats, as they haven't been a particularly notable encounter in my experience.

How about Golden Apples? Golden Apples are a normally limited item, only found in retro dungeons or via import, that have some interesting properties:
* They're food items, like Bread Rolls. This means you can have 10 in one slot.
* They have a low value of only 25 gold.
* When eaten, the spell cast is Restore Magic at Power Level *1*, not 6 as the commonly available sources of this spell.

So, maybe I should add Golden Apples to the inventories of Burz and He'Li? It would give some more exposure to lower power Restore Magic effects.

Other interesting food and drink items:
* Bunch of Bananas: Restore Health 3, but are heavier than Bread Rolls. (For comparison, Bread Rolls are Restore Healh 2.) Import only.
* Crab Cakes: Restore Health 1, randomly dropped by Crusher and King Crabs. (Both are low level enemies, so it's at least possible to get this item when it's still useful.)
* Salted Munkmeat: Doesn't appear to do anythin. Import only.
* Dungore's Malt Ale: Booze 1. Import only.
* Milk of Magmanasia: Restore Magic 6, 3 charges. (So, like a Mana Stone, though I'm wondering if it behaves like a potion when used, except for the fact that it has charges.) Import only. (More expensive than a Mana Stone (1200 instead of 500); might be as expensive as a Mana Stone ought to be given the price of Magic Nectar.)
* Moser's Mojo Tea: Restore Magic 2, 5 charges. Import only.


One other possibility would be to add one of the charged Restore Magic items as a set drop in the Starter Chest. Could also put the Chromatic Lyre there, if I felt like it. (Seems that would be the least game-breaking of the potential import instruments, that and maybe those Pipes of Doom.)

Ring of Fire is ok, it's a damage over time spell, which the Alchemist is the King of DOT. Ring of Fire, Acid Bomb, Toxic Cloud, Death Cloud, Draining Cloud, I think that's all of them. The Mage has Firestorm. All of these are decent, and I use them with lower level enemies when I'm trying to get the realm skills up. But when the tough battle theme comes on, again with the level 22 Savant Minion, you want reliable damage. I usually try for some spell damage, but have to use the Spike Stones for physical damage(and a chance at KO). This is why I like the front/left flank/right flank/center formation, which for some reason is unpopular. The Gadgeteer stands on point, protected by Guardian Angel from the Priest, taking those heavy blows from extended range that can do double damage, and paralyze I think. The rest of the party is safely out of range of those nasty blows. This gives plenty of time for my party to work on their ranged combat skills. There needs to be some way of physical damage, even on a MDP.
By the time I get the Dulcimer of Mending(Heal All), my Bard is well over level 18, with Music skill well into the 90s, so fizzling out is not an issue.
It sounds like Gregor could be dangerous at level 3, especially if you have low HP glass cannons, who can be hit from range. Every time I have played, even when I kept party levels low(level 5 or 6), I have seen 2 set encounter Rabid Rats right when you enter the big room in the Upper Monastery with the crates. Shortly afterwards, I got charged with a big group of rats(15-20). This is initially the case. After that, I have discovered(with all my grinding to level 14), that there are 3 spawn spots. The Library where no magic can be used(but you can fight with magic if you stand just outside the room), these are always rats of some kind. The Garden in the room with the pool before you meet Altheides, these are always seekers of some kind. The room above the exit to the Arnika Road where you get the Lightning Rod(these can be various enemies).
Golden Apples would be a definite improvement over *nothing* for SP regeneration. You would just have to eat more of them than if you chugged Magic Nectars, but SPs are probably low at level 6 or lower. They wouldn't be OP either, as it's only Restore Magic PL 1. I would definitely give it to Burz. You *can* give it to He'Li too, but she already sells Magic Nectars, so...
I think the Bard has a decent progression with Instruments. You get 3 by the time the hard part of Arnika Road is upon you(Poet's Lute, Angel's Tongue, Piercing Pipes). The Gadgeteer only gets one(Lightning Rod), which does a decent job with low level enemies. You can add a few more instruments or gadgets as you see fit.
I tried to play the recommended way, staying at level 6 before Arnika, but that didn't stop higher level mobs from spawning(I remember a nasty fight with a few extended range level 8 Crusher Crabs). I won that fight, but was depleted of HPs and SPs and had to retreat back to the Monastery to rest. I suppose if Burz had offered me some way to replenish SPs, I might have continued on.
I do like Mana Stones, but I have to remember not to use the last charge, or selling it back to a vendor will make it disappear. The thing that makes it better than Magic Nectar is that it increases the Artifacts skill if you use it enough.

Personally, I like having the Gadgeteer be the one to cast Guardian Angel.

Also, I find that I tend to use Guardian Angel as though it were a healing spell, as that spell is more like one strategically (it can keep a character with low HP from dying, while a spell like Body of Stone is there to prevent HP from getting low in the first place).
Actually, I believe using the last charge of a Mana Stone will make it disappear immediately, because it's not an equippable item. Other items, like Duct Tape, will behave the same way I believe.

Now, if you take an item that can be equipped (for Restore Magic, the only options I believe are the Ring of Power (not feasibly obtainable) and the Staff of 12 Stars (as rare as the *Light* *Sword*)), then you can use it up and still recharge it.

Apparently, you can encounter enemies that are up to 150% of your average level, or as low as 50%. This means that level 8 is in range if you are level 6. Go at level 5, and you can't encounter level 8 enemies (to my understanding).

Going at level 3 would limit enemy levels to level 4.

Note that this does not count fixed spawns. It also doesn't count the situation where there are no enemies in the level range, at which point *anything* that can spawn there can spawn; this is why you should be level 6 before entering Arnika, as otherwise, you might have to fight those level 22 Savant Minions with a level 5 party.

I'd give it to He'Li so that a player who wants to stock up on Golden Apples wouldn't need to go back into the Monastery. (I note that they're cheaper than Magic Nectars when we go by cost per SP restored.) Also, He'Li has Bread Rolls, which are a similar sort of item, except they cast Restore Health 2.

One other advantage of the Golden Apple is that it probably can be used in anti-magic zones, whereas I don't think Magicc Nectar will work in them. (Then again, when was the last time you needed SP in an anti-magic area?)

You can use the "Use Last Item" key (Shift+U by default) to eat multiple apples in a short time out of battle, as long as you're careful not to eat the last one this way (as doing so could crash the game).

Also, I'm thinking of making Burz's Short Staff always available just so that it's not too hard to gain access to that particular Retro Dungeon. (I've actually never been in a Retro Dungeon.)

(Don't remember if I mentioned it before, but I think I'll give the Bullwhip to Antone since he can apparently drop it, and I'd prefer not to have to wait until Marten's Bluff if I don't get lucky getting one earlier.)

I agree with you. I like having the Gadgeteer cast Guardian Angel(it's almost free), the problem is, I don't have the gadgets yet for that. The Priest is my only GA guy now.
Body of Stone is great for dealing with physical attacks, but does nothing against magic. GA protects against all damage, and no status ailments will come to pass for those still under its protection.
I have noticed that my Bard and Gadgeteer have low Artifacts skill, probably because its controlling attributes(Intelligence and Senses) are lower on them. Why would a Bard and Gadgeteer need Intelligence? Powercast will not help them, as they don't *cast*, they *use* items. Some players don't understand the difference. They start with 50 and 55 Intelligence, which, with the Trynton Fountain, gets boosted to 55 and 60 respectively. There is no need to pump INT for them, as average levels seem to increase skills fairly. That would make the Bard and Gadgeteer prime candidates to use the Mana Stones on your casters to replenish mana for them, while gaining skill points towards Artifacts. I believe that anyone can *use* Mana Stones, even non magic users. You target them on someone else(someone with SPs).
Using the last charge will destroy a non-equippable item, you say. This is why I tend not to use gadgets with charges, such as Duct Tape(Paralyze), and the Magic Mirror or whatever it's called(Eye for an Eye). If you're not careful, they can disappear from your inventory.
Good for you if you can get past Gregor and the rats at low level. If you can somehow get onto Arnika Road at level 5 or lower, then you deserve the easy enemies that follow. I have a small counter-point, however. I just looked at Flamestryke's site *RIP*, and concluded that level sensors follow a 5-level pattern. For example, a party of level 1-5 will have any treasure greater than 500 gold removed from chests, a party of level 6-10 greater than 1000 gold, etc. This is not a big deal for the Arnika Road, as that is a low-level area. But the difference between level 5 and 6 is a treasure class list. I also noticed that for some reason, at level 5, I could not get the Higardi Bandits in the Upper Monastery to drop certain Bard items, namely Prospero's Cloak and Mercucio's Blade. Maybe it was bad luck. However, at level 6, I managed to make it happen. You never really know with RNG. As you said, being level 6, as opposed to level 5, when you first enter Arnika makes a big difference with treasures, you reach a new threshold, especially since there are so many treasure chests in Arnika.
I know of only 2 anti-magic zones: The Library in the Upper Monastery, and the 4th Bough in Trynton. In both cases, I believe that you can stand just outside of the border to these zones, and let the enemies come to you, and hammer them with magic. I only know this to be true of the 1st example.
I'm surprised a seasoned veteran like you has never done the Retro dungeons. Well, you might be surprised that somebody like me, who has played the game on and off since 2001, has never done so either. It just seems like a step back, in terms of gameplay. Not to mention, from the videos I have watched of people doing them, the grid overlays all 3 of them on top of each other, so X-Ray is more confusing than helpful.
I agree with you on the Bullwhip being available to be bought from Antone. Training Mace and Flail long-range shouldn't depend on RNG. At least he sells the Hammer, which allows a Mace and Flail user to train Dual Weapons, and gives you an off-hand Mace and Flail weapon, extremely rare until Diamond Eyes(I think the Hammer and Diamond Eyes are the only two off-hand Mace and Flail weapons, and the Hammer can't be equipped by a Bishop or Priest.)

If it's magic you're worried about, then Element/Soul Shield are much better, as they protect your entire party, rather than just one character.

Actually, I think that Element/Soul Shield might be *too* powerful, especially since there really isn't any good counter to them aside from just not using offensive magic, and I don't like that solution because it basically makes the primary role of some classes basically useless. There really should have been some spell that would reduce enemy resistances, or one that would dispel Element/Soul Shield (think PALIOS in Wizardry 5), to allow there to be some counterplay there.

I've been thinking it might be interesting if the game were modified to make those spells unavailable to the player and, at the same time, to take those spells away from enemies. That would, perhaps, keep magic from being quite as useless, and would also make spells (particularly status spells) a meaningful threat even late in the game.
It's not so bad with Duct Tape, as you can easily just by more; I believe Anna sells them for cheap.

On the other hand, that mirror is basically ruined by its limited charges (would be fun to use otherwise), while the item that casts Sonic Boom is basically useless with only a single charge (especially when there are bombs that can do that).

(Maybe that might be an item to give to Burz, so that the Gadgeteer would be more useful early game and could try to paralyze Gregor.)


There's also the area by the Chaos Moliri in the Mook outpost in Arnika. (I suspect it's there so you can't just grab the artifact and immediately teleport out, avoiding the need to either fight the Mook or give up the Astral Dominae (fake).)

(Wondering whether you can put the *real* Astral Dominae there.)