The land of Gael Cerran is in trouble. An evil ruler named Lord Cet, thought to be long vanquished, has been mysteriously resurrected. There is only one way left to defeat him once again – by wielding the magical Mavin Sword, forged from two metals bearing the property of the opposite forces, good and evil. The Oracles of Ishad N’Ha have charged a group of adventurers with the task of finding the sword and putting an end to Lord Cet.
Wizards & Warriors is a traditional role-playing game similar in many ways to Wizardry series. In the beginning the player creates a party of up to six characters, choosing between ten races and four initial classes. The races include, besides traditional fantasy humanoids, animal-like creatures such as the boar-like Gourk or the Omphaaz, which resemble elephants. Each race is available in both genders and comes with bonuses and penalties to base attributes, as well as unique traits, such as improved treasure-hunting for Ratlings or night vision for the feline Whiskahs. The four initial classes (Warrior, Rogue, Priest, and Wizard) can be promoted to eight elite classes and three special ones, which include such rare professions as Valkyrie and Zenmaster, and require completion of specific tasks.
The party starts in one of the few available towns, with still pictures representing locations (town hall, inn, armory, etc.), and navigation limited to clicking on them. However, the rest of the exploration (outdoors and in dungeons) is done in full 3D, with free exploration and camera rotation. Dungeons are connected by roads, forest paths, and other areas, and the player is usually able to explore freely, though access to certain locations may be restricted. Enemies can be found on set spots or appear randomly; the frequency of their appearance, as well as the overall difficulty, can be regulated in the main menu.
Combat is real-time from the distance, but becomes turn-based when standing near the enemy. Magic comes in six schools: Spirit, Sun, Moon, Vine, Stone, and Fiend, with seven levels of spells each, and several spells per level. Casting spells drains the mage’s mana pool. Characters can only cast spells within their own schools, with intensity of magic depending on his skill level, and limited by the amount of spell points in the school. Characters may join various guilds available in the game and thus gain access to special quests and promotions, take jobs, and perform other side quests.
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