Dragon Warrior
Typed out by Dan Gonzalez
Dragon Warrior Instruction Manual
Developer: Enix
Publisher: Nintendo of America - 1989
Note: The original release of Dragon Warrior included a Explorer's Handbook
which was basically a walk-through for the entire game. However, upon the
re-release of Dragon Warrior a few years ago a abbreviated instruction
manual was included instead, and this is the one I am typing because most of
the contents of the Explorer's Handbook can now be found in the Dragon
Warrior FAQ. However, I have also included a few small details from the
Explorer's Handbook that were not addressed in the FAQ.
The Story of Dragon Warrior
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In olden days of yore, the realm of Alefgard was cloaked in darkness.
According to legend, a brave warrior, Edrick, brought light back to the land
by defeating an evil being. He used the Ball of Light bequeathed to him by
a friend to drive off the enemies of Alefgard. He then gave the Ball of
Light to King Lorik, who unified Alefgard. The land was at peace for many
generations. In the time of King Lorik XVI, the Ball of Light were stolen
from Tantegel Castle by the evil Dragonlord, and once again the Kingdom of
Alefgard was plunged into darkness. Many travelers fell prey to the
merciless fangs of monsters, and the beautiful was transformed into
poisonous swamps that hindered travelers. It was also rumored that several
Towns and Villages were destroyed; wiped off the face of the land by Ghosts
& Dragons.
Many brave warriors tried to recover the Ball of Light, but none of them
returned from Charlock, the Dragonlord's dark castle. The people longed for
peace, but did not give up hope. The great Seer Mahetta predicted that "One
day, a descendent of the valiant Edrick shall come forth to defeat the
Dragonlord."
Who is this brave soul? There is only one possible answer.
You.
Your quest is to find and defeat the Dragonlord. The time has come. This
is the start of your adventure.
Welcome To The Realm Of "Dragon Warrior"
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*Insert the Dragon Warrior pak in the NES Control Deck and turn the Power
On. The title of the game will appear on the screen and the opening music
will begin to play.
Option Screen:
*If you are going to begin a new game, move the cursor to the "Begin a new
quest" and press the A Button on Controller 1.
*The display will change to a screen in which you can register your name.
*Use the Control Pad to select a letter then enter it by pressing the A Button.
*If you make a mistake while entering your name, move the cursor to Back and
press the A Button. The cursor will move back one space.
*You may enter names up to eight characters long.
*Now that you've entered your name. Next, press the A Button, then the
display will change to the Message Speed screen in which you can select the
message speed. You can choose a option by moving the cursor with the
Control Pad, and then pressing the A Button.
*Now the game play screen will appear. Let's get on with the adventure.
Continue A Quest (to continue saved games)
Choose "Continue A Quest":
*Here, you can continue any one of three previous adventures which can be
stored as Adventure Logs in the Imperial Scrolls of Honor. Once you have
chosen an Adventure, you will continue that adventure with all the strength
and Items you had when it was saved.
Change Message Speed:
*Select the Adventure Log for which you want to Change the Message Speed by
using the Control Pad and then pushing the A Button. You will then be asked
"Which Message Speed Do You Want To Use?" Again use the Control Pad to
choose the Message Speed for your Adventure Log - either Fast, Normal, or
Slow - then push the A Button.
Copy A Quest:
*This option allows you to copy the attributes of one character that has
been recorded on an Adventure Log to another Adventure Log.
*You might make a Copy of an Adventure Log to protect against a possible
erasure, or if a friend wants to play at a higher level.
*First, select the Adventure Log you want to copy using your Control Pad.
Than push the A Button. You will be given a choice of Adventure Logs to
which you can Copy. (You can only Copy into a Adventure Log that does not
already contain a character's quest.) Press the A Button to select the
Adventure Log you want to Copy to.
*You will then be asked Yes or No: Yes if you want to Copy, No if you
decided against making a Copy.
Erase A Quest:
*Select the Adventure Log you want to Erase. The status of the character in
the chosen Adventure Log will be displayed. You will then have to answer
Yes or No, Yes if you want to Erase the Adventure Log, and No if you want to
keep it as it is.
How to use the Controller and Displays
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Control Pad:
*This moves your character Up, Down, Left, and Right.
*When entering commands, the Control pad moves the Flashing Cursor in the
Command Window in the same direction.
A Button:
*When you press this button, the Command Window appears on the screen and
you may enter commands. Use the Control Pad to bring the Cursor to the
command that you wish, then press the A Button.
*If you press this button when the Cursor is flashing in the Text Window,
the next Text Window will be displayed.
B Button:
*Press this button to Cancel a command.
The Command Window will appear when you press the A Button while you are in
the Walkabout Mode.
Select the command with the Control Pad and execute it by pressing the A
Button. (Cancel it by pressing the B Button.)
Your present Status will be displayed in the Status Window.
LV:
*Your Level.
HP:
*Your Hit Points.
MP:
*Your Magic Power.
G:
*Your Gold.
E:
*Your Experience.
Entering Commands During Walkabout Mode
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Talk:
*When you choose this command, you can speak in the direction you are facing.
*You can't speak to anybody unless that person is right in front of you.
However, you can speak to people in Shops and Inns, etc. if you're standing
at the Counter.
*Choose the direction in which you want to speak by using the Control Pad.
Then use the "Talk" command.
Status:
*You can find out just how much strength you possess in many different areas.
Stairs:
*Place your character on the stairway and choose this command to go Up or
Down the stairs.
*This command won't work if you're not directly over the staircase.
Door:
*You can open Doors if you have a Key. Use Keys wisely. You can only use a
Key once and you need a Key for each Door.
Spell:
*You can chant Magic Spells. Use the Control Pad to choose the Spell and
press the A Button to cast the Spell. This command doesn't work if you
haven't learned any Spells yet.
Item:
*Choose this command to use the Items that you have acquired. Select an
Item with the Control Pad, then press the A Button to use that Item.
Search:
*Use this command to Search the area at your feet.
Take:
*Use this command to open Treasure Chests. Move over the Treasure Chest and
use this command to take what is inside.
Entering Commands During Fighting Mode
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*When you leave a Castle or Town, lots of monsters will come out to attack
you. If you happen to bump into one of them, the game will automatically
enter the Fight Mode.
Fight:
*You can Fight monsters with any Weapons you may have or with your bare
fists (if you have no weapons).
*In most fights, you won't be able to defeat the enemy with one blow. You
may suffer some damage, but you can carry on until you've defeated the monster.
*Carry on fighting while keeping an eye on your hit points until the enemy
is defeated.
Run:
*As you suffer damage from the Hit Points in the Status Window will
decrease. When you have no Points left, that's the end of your game. So
Run away if you think you're dangerously close to that point. Remember,
Running away can be a very important "fighting" technique.
Spell:
*You can chant a Spell instead of using Weapons. In a Fight, Spells can
Heal wounds or inflict damage on the enemy.
Item:
*Use this command to recover your Life Force with the Herbs you are carrying.
More About Your Character
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*You can examine your Status by choosing the Status Command!
Level:
*This tells you your Level as a Warrior. You're at Level 1 at the beginning
of the game. As you Fight monsters and gain more Experience, your Level
goes up, your Strength increases, and you learn more Spells.
HP (Hit Points):
*This shows your Life Force. Hit Points will decrease when an enemy
inflicts damages on you. Don't forget, when this number reaches 0, that's
the end of you and the game!
Maximum HP:
*If your Life Force is very low, it can be restored to Maximum Force by
staying at an Inn. Also the Maximum HP goes up with each Level and you'll
be able to withstand more damage.
MP (Magic Power):
*This is your Power for chanting Spells. This power goes down each time you
chant a Spell. Some Spells use more or less MP than others.
Maximum MP:
*You can restored your Magical Power to Maximum Strength by staying at an Inn.
G (Gold):
*This is the Money you have obtained. You get some Gold for each of the
monsters you defeat. And when you've saved up enough Gold, you'll be able
to buy Weapons, Armor, and other Items.
E (Experience):
*This is your Fighting Experience. You can gain Experience by defeating the
enemy, the stronger the enemy, the more Experience you get. As you gain
Experience, your Level goes up and your Strength increases.
Strength:
*This number increases as your Level goes up.
Agility:
*Your character becomes faster at higher Levels. This means that you can
more easily avoid the enemy or Run away.
Attack Power:
*The higher this number, the more damage you can inflict on monsters. You
can increase your Attacking Power by becoming stronger and acquiring more
powerful Weapons.
Defend Power:
*A higher Defense rating means that an enemy's attack will inflict less damage.
Getting To Know The Terrain
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*Let's take a walk around Alefgard.
Plains:
*You can walk about normally as fewer monsters live here.
Forests:
*You can walk through Forests. But more monsters are lurking here.
Hills:
*Hills will slow you down a bit. More importantly you'll come across may
enemies. If you don't want to bump into a lot on monsters then keep out of
the Hills.
Craggy Mountains:
*Very, very steep Mountains, They are Impassable.
Swamps:
*Poisonous Swamps. For each Step you take you lose Two Hit Points. Keep an
eye on your HP rating when you take a walk in the Swamps and use Herbs and
Spells to keep your Life Force high.
Entrances to Caves:
*When your character arrives at one of these, you'll automatically be
transported inside. Once inside, make sure you're carrying a fiery Torch.
If you go inside a Cave by accident, don't move. Use the Stairs command to
leave or else you risk being lost in the darkness.
Bridges:
*Beware of Bridges! When you cross a Bridge you'll arrive at an area where
Stronger monsters live.
Castles and Towns:
*You may enter a Castle or Town that you've come across. Here are some of
the things you will find in Castles and Towns:
Shop Counters:
*Go straight to the Counter if you want to Talk to the Shopkeeper.
Doors:
*You can open Doors with the "Door" Command if you have a Key.
Roofs:
*All houses with Roofs have an entrance. Sometimes, you must search for the
entrance.
Stairs:
*Steps for going Up or Down. Use the Stairs Command
Barriers:
*15 points worth of damage if inflicted on you if you take a step on one of
these. You need lots of courage and physical strength to pass through these
Barriers.
Shops
*This is where you may Purchase and Sell Weapons, Armor, and Items.
*First off, go to the Counter and try Talking to the Shopkeeper on the other
side. He will ask you what you want to Buy (or Sell).
*When you're Selling, the Shopkeeper will accept things at Half the Price
you bought them for. Alefgard businessmen are very stubborn. You won't be
able to haggle over the price.
Weapon Stores:
*They Sell lots of Weapons and Armor. Some Shops have a Sign consisting of
a Sword over a Shield, however, not all Shops have have Signs posted. Goods
differ from Shop to Shop.
General Store:
*Fiery Torches, Herbs, and other goods are available for purchase. You may
also Sell Items that you've picked up on your adventure.
Inn:
*When you stay overnight here, you can Restore the Maximum HP and MP that
you lost during your adventure. Look for the Inn sign. Each Inn charges a
different price.
Key Cutter:
*He Sells Magical Keys that can open Any Door. However, it's up to you to
find out which Town the Key Cutter is in.
Magic Water Merchant:
*There's a rumor in the Kingdom that there are Shops that'll Sell you
Magical Water that protects you from monsters. But we don't have much
information on this. If you're interested, search for it!
Your Weapons And Armor
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*Weapons.
*Armor.
*Shields.
Note: Check the Dragon Warrior FAQ for specific information concerning above.
How To Use Your Items
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*Fiery Torch.
*Herbs.
*Dragon Scale.
*Wings.
*Fairy Water.
*Key.
Note: Check the Dragon Warrior FAQ for specific information concerning above.
Other Items
Silver Harp:
*Attracts enemies when used.
Fighter's Ring:
*Use this Item and your fighting ability will increase. It also causes some
enemies to run away.
Cursed Items
*Some of the Items you find may be magically Cursed. If you pick one up, it
is a good idea to get rid of it as soon as possible.
Cursed Belt:
*This dangerous item will squeeze you like a vice. Ouch!
Cursed Necklace:
*Even though this item is rather difficult to find, it is a prize you don't
want.
If You are Cursed:
*If you accidentally pick up a Cursed Item, you will not be able to enter
Tantegal Castle. To remove the Curse, talk to the Wizard in the town of
Breconnary.
Though the fiery Torches, Herbal packages, Wings, Magical Water, and Keys
are reduced by One each time you Use them, you won't lose other Items even
if you experiment with them.
Magic Spells
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*If you've just set out on your travels than you don't know any Spells
whatsoever. But as you Fight on, you'll gain Experience and as your grow in
Level as a Warrior you'll be able to learn new Spells as your Level increases.
*Heal.
**You recover by 10-15 HP.
*Hurt.
**Inflicts 2-15 Points of Damage on enemies.
*Sleep.
*Radiant.
*Stop Spell.
*Outside.
*Return.
*Repel.
*Healmore.
**You recover 75-100 HP.
*Hurtmore.
Note: Check the Dragon Warrior FAQ for specific information concerning above.
Visit The King And Have Your Deeds Recorded On The Imperial Scrolls Of Honor
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*To Save your game.
*Your adventure is much longer than you think, so long that you'll never
achieve your goal in a single day.
*To Save your game, you must return to Tantegel Castle and visit King Lorik
on the Second Floor.
*Another thing, even when you're not ending the game we advise you to go and
visit the King, for example, at each promotion in Level.
Caution: to avoid damaging saved information, hold the Reset Button as you
turn the Power Off.
How To Start Off On The Right Foot
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(What you must do at the beginning of the game.)
*When beginning a new game, enter your name. When you've done this, the
King will appear. Press any button and the King will talk to you.
*Once you've heard what he tells you, do as you're told. Collect the three
Treasure Chests and Talk to the soldiers. They're sure to give you lots of
useful advice for your travels.
*Enter commands by using the A Button and the Control Pad.
*Now, open the Door and set out on your adventure. The bottom of the
stairway is the Ground Floor of the Castle. You can see lots of people
moving about. Talk with them for useful Information.
*You should be able to see the Town Brecconary, if you leave the Castle. Go
into Town and find the Weapons Store to the North (straight up). Now, it's
time to buy Weapons and Armor.
*What a selection of Weapons and Armor! But you only have 120 pieces of
Gold. Are you going to buy the Club and Clothes, or the Bamboo Stick and
the Leather Armor? That's for you to decide. Use your Money wisely!
*Take a few steps out of Town and monsters will come to attack you. At
Level 1, you're still a weak fighter. Nevertheless, you should be able to
defeat Slimes. Attack them until they're defeated.
*You suffer damage when the Slimes hit you and your HP value goes down.
When the HP value is displayed in Red, that's a danger signal! When this
happens go back to Town and stay overnight at an Inn to recover your Life Force.
*The further away you roam from Tantegel Castle, the stronger the monsters
become. Our advice is not to stray too far from the Castle. Fight Slimes
and work in increasing your Experience Points.
*While you're Fighting Slimes, you are bound to be Promoted at some time to
Level 2. When that happens, go and see the King. He'll tell you how many
more Experience Points you need to advance to Level 3.
*When you've been promoted to Level 3, you'll learn a Spell, gain more
Strength and Speed and you'll be able to Fight Drakkees without much trouble.
*And at Level 4 you'll be able to use the Spell "Hurt". With this Spell,
you'll be able to travel to defeat the Magicians.
*If you continue the game like this, you'll gradually grow in strength and
be able to travel to fields farther away.
*Long, long ago the Hero Edrick defeated the evil Dragonlord. It's up to
you to do the same and create new legends for the little Kingdom of Alefgard.
Hints On Defeating The Dragonlord
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Look Carefully at the Windows!
*A Window will appear at the top left of the screen when you come to a stop.
*Always check this window when you're traveling. It will provide you with
important information.
*If you've fought a lot and your HP are really low, use the Spell "Heal" or
the Herb packages to recover your Life Force. If you're low on both HP and
MP, then go back to Town and stay at an Inn. If you don't, you'll die and
as a punishment you'll Lose Half your Gold.
Judge Monsters' Strength!
*The monsters roaming about in the realm of Alefgard each have differing HP
values and ways of attacking you. Slimes are defeated after only 3-4 Points
of Damage. However, Wolves and Skeletons won't be defeated unless you
inflict several times that much damage on them.
*While you're Fighting, remember how much HP certain types of monsters have,
how they attack you and how you can attack them.
Skillfully Use Your Items!
*The various Items that you can Buy in the General Store will really come in
handy.
*For example, you won't need Herbs if you remember the "Heal" Spell, but
they'll be very welcome if you've almost run out of Magic Points (MP) when
Fighting a surprisingly strong enemy.
*If you have enough Money to spare and you want to travel a long way, buy
the Wings. Many times you'll wish you brought some along.
Gather Lots of Information!
*To defeat the Dragonlord, you must of course be strong and seek out where
the Dragonlord lurks.
*To do that you must visit lots and lots of districts in Alefgard and gather
information from the Townspeople. Some of the things that they will tell
you may not make much sense at the time, but as you go forward in the game
you'll understand the meaning of their words.
*You would be well advised to make note of what they tell you!
Extra Tips
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Put the Silver Harp to Work:
*Once you have the Silver Harp you can use it to call foes. Why would
anyone want to cause monsters to attack? It's an easy way to build up
Levels and Gold without having to walk all over the place. If you use the
Harp near Hauksness you earn a great deal of Gold from Goldmen.
Keep Unlocked Doors Open:
*Everytime you unlock a Door it will cost you one Key. With the number of
Doors in the game that gets to be expensive. Don't waste Keys using them
then leaving the Town or Dungeon. As long as you stay in that location the
Door will remain open. But if you leave the Town, the Door will be shut
when you return.
*The business of not leaving a Town is of particular importance when you are
exploring the Grave in Garingham. You will probably need to leave the Grave
several times to recover lost HP.
Dragon Warrior - The Saga
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The Kingdom of Alefgard had long been a place of peace and light with King
Lorik on the throne, dispensing justice and planning fabulous celebrations
for the people. It was a golden time. Tales of dragons and other mythical
monsters were little more that ghost stories with which the children of the
kingdom frightened each other on winter nights. But the winters in Alefgard
were short, and the reason for this was the Ball of Light - a magical object
whose origins were steeped in mystery. Peace and contentment seemed to
radiate from the Ball of Light like the warmth of a fireplace. Life could
not have been better and, as is often the case, it was too good to last.
Of all the people of Alefgard, only one was unhappy, but one was enough.
This man lived alone in the mountain cave. Shunning the light, he turned
inward to his dark mountain home, which was riddled with tunnels as an
anthill. He explored ever further into the passages until one day he
reached the bottom chamber and discovered a sleeping dragon. Suddenly the
dragon woke up and the man thought he would be consumed in the monster's
fiery breath. But to his surprise he found that the dragon kneeled before
him. He commanded the dragon to sit, then run around the room, then roll
over and play dead. Like a trained dog, the dragon did all these things.
So that is how the man became the Dragonlord. From that day on he began
plotting his rise to power and the downfall of Alefgard.
When the first assault on the town came it was like a nightmare. Dragons
swooped low over the battlements of Tantegel Castle. The rooftops of
Brecconary were aflame! Horns sounded in the night as the sleepy, terrified
citizens ran into the streets. In the cold light of the moon they witnessed
the end of their golden age. The Dragonlord himself had arrived, riding on
the shoulders of a huge red dragon. The vast shadow of the worm passed over
the town in the direction of the King's castle. There the people saw it
atop the highest tower - the tower in which the Ball of Light was kept. One
swipe of the dragons spiked tail was enough to shatter the stone walls. A
tiny figure could be seen dancing in the ruins like a madman holding a great
prize. And then it was all over, the dragons gone, the kingdom abandoned to
a gloom of smoke and rubble and the Ball of Light stolen.
The next day, a man named Edrick sought an audience with the King. He was a
stranger, armed with a great sword and shield and protected buy strong
armor. King Lorik thought the stranger looked as if he had traveled a long
way, for his cloak was torn and his boots were caked with mud. "I am
Edrick," he said simply. "I can help you." He asked only a hearty meal,
which the King gladly provided, then the stranger set off into the
wilderness. Soon stories began pouring in from the other towns of the
kingdom, from Garinham, Kol, Rimuldar, and even distant Cantlin. Monsters
had appeared. They were wreaking havoc in the towns, destroying crops and
making the roads unsafe. But then came the other stories, takes of a brave
armored warrior who scattered the beasts and chased them back into the wilds.
Across the land Edrick searched for the clues that would lead him to the
Dragonlord. In time, he learned that the Dragonlord lived on an island that
could only be reached by building a bridge using the magical Rainbow Drop.
Once he se off on the final quest, nothing more was heard of the great
warrior known as Edrick, but years later another stranger appeared in the
land. Again the kingdom had faced a recent assault by the Dragonlord. This
time the King's daughter, Princess Gwaelin, had been kidnapped. The
newcomer set out in pursuit, but soon discovered a cavern in the desert and
inside the cavern he found a tablet. The message carved in stone was from
Edrick and it spelled out the destiny of his descendant who would follow his
heroic footsteps.
What followed was a quest of extraordinary bravery and deadly dangers.
Across the length and breadth of the kingdom the descendant of Edrick
followed the cold trail. Although he eventually rescued Princess Gwaelin,
he knew that there was much more to set right. He know he must face the
Dragonlord.
But this new Dragon Warrior fared better than his ancestor, In a battle
that became the subject of songs, the Dragonlord fell and his and castle of
Charlock was emptied of its evil host. The hero returned to Tantegal where
the King offered his kingdom as a reward, but the Dragon Warrior refused,
saying that he would find a kingdom for himself elsewhere. With Gwaelin,
the Dragon Warrior set out to explore the world and build a new home.
The second chapter of the Dragon Warrior saga opens many years later. The
Castle of Moonbrooke has been sacked by a sorcerer and his army. One
survivor escapes to the Castle of Midenhall where he warns the aging king
that his land is in danger. Their only hope lies with the Prince of
Midenhall. Like Edrick and the Dragon Warrior before him, the Prince is
about to step into history.
The Saga Continues....