Phantasy Star strategy (Master System) ************************************************************ ************* ************************* A GUIDE TO PHANTASY STAR ************************ ************************************************************ *************** VOLUME ONE Part I: Introduction ==================== PHANTASY STAR is one of the hottest games out for the Sega entertainment system. It is, in a word, phenomenal. Graphics sharp enough to make a razor look dull. Musical tunes that range from lively to suspenseful, sad to joyful. A complex, detailed quest. Adventure Role-Playing at its finest. These features and more are all at your fingertips in PHANTASY STAR, perhaps the most sophisticated and advanced home video game available on today's market. You may have read my walkthru for the game, which can be accessed by typing GO TEG-12222 at any prompt. If you want some help on the game, but don't want to have the whole game handed to you on a silver platter, this guide is written to help you without doing the game for you. Part II: The Characters ======================= There are four characters in PHANTASY STAR, though you only start with one and must acquire the other three. This section discusses the powers and limitations of each character. ALIS: Alis is the main character in Phantasy Star, the one around whom the story revolves. Her brother Nero was one of many people who rebelled actively against King Lassic's evil tyranny and was executed by Lassic's RobotCops. Alis vowed that somehow, someday, she would destroy Lassic and avenge her brother's death. Alis starts out armed only with her brother's Short Sword and wearing only Leather Armor; however, as she acquires the money to buy stronger armor and arms, she becomes more and more powerful. Alis has the highest DEFENSE strength of any character, so at optimum strength, she will usually take the least amount of damage on average from enemy attacks. Alis may use most of the weapons and armor available in the game and she has six spells to use when she learns them. These spells make Alis versatile and round her out as an adventurer. MYAU: Myau is an intelligent species of Algolian cat. He stands about knee high to Alis, and his fur is tan and white. Unlike most earthly cats, he has long, rabbit-like ears and a very thick, bushy tail. He can speak the human language. Myau starts out relatively weak but becomes very powerful at later stages in the game. He cannot wear normal armor or use normal weapons, but some shops carry special armor and weapons exclusively useable by him. When Myau acquires the more powerful of the two weapons available for him, his ATTACK strength will be higher than anyone else's until you acquire the magical Laconian weapons. At high levels, he is an extremely potent fighter who can even the odds in your favor. Myau also has a selection of six magic spells with defensive or supportive functions. Myau has no attack spells but his fighting power makes up for it. Myau also has one special ability which you must learn; harnessing this secret power is one of the major keys to finding and defeating Lassic. ODIN: Odin is a brave and powerful warrior whom Alis was told to find by Nero when he died. Odin is good in heart and he also wishes to destroy Lassic to free the Algol system from his tyranny. Odin has no magical powers and cannot use magic spells. However, he can use any armor and weapon except for the special arms used by Myau. He alone can use the best armor and weapon in the game and has the expertise to use the potent gun weapons. His ATTACK strength is slightly lower than Alis' except when he wields the game's most powerful weapon, the mighty Laconian Axe. NOAH: Noah is an Espar Wizard who lives on Motavia. She is enlisted by Alis at a certain point in the game. While Noah has no personal desire to crush Lassic, she has a sense of duty and will agree to join you when you approach her properly. In combat, Noah is the weakest member of the party. She can easily be slain if you are not careful. She has only a limited number of armor and weapons to choose from. However, Noah is the best magic-user in the game, having nine versatile spells from which to choose. She has more magic points than any other character, though they may quickly run out if you cast too many spells. Still, at high levels, Noah is a decent, if not powerful, combatant, and can hold her own when supported by the rest of the group. Part III: The Algol system ========================== The Algol system has three planets which orbit the star Algol, deep in the Andromeda Galaxy. To ultimately conquer Lassic, you must eventually explore and become familiar with all three planets. PALMA: Palma is the planet where the game starts. It is the most developed of the three planets, and is similar to Earth. Palma has wide, open meadow areas, forests, mountains, oceans and rivers, and lava pits. There are nine residential areas on Palma, as well as several caves and four towers. The towers are particularly dangerous and you should not venture into them until you have grown powerful. MOTAVIA: This desert planet contains some of the game's most important secrets. Motavia consists mostly of endless sand dunes, dotted with ant lion pits. There are also mountain ranges, a huge lake, and an area of deadly poison gas, which cannot be crossed without a protective device. Motavia is only partially settled by the Palmans, though it does have a Spaceport and a major town. There are four residential areas on Motavia, as well as three caves. Each cave has an important item. DEZORIS: This planet is a rough place to be. There is only one Palman town here, along with a village of Native Dezorians somewhere amongst the ice mountains. Dezoris is a world of ice, consisting entirely of ice mountains, with several glacial plateaus nestled among them. The Dezorians have built a series of tunnel networks through the mountains to connect the glacial plateaus with each other. Two of the tunnel entrances are actually caves; each cave has a very important item. There's also a tower, and one other building, somewhere on Dezoris, each also with an important item. Part IV: Weapons ================ You eventually want to acquire the strongest weapons you can, in order to defeat Lassic. Many weapons can be bought; some weapons are unique and must be found. There are five different kinds of weapons in the game: Swords, Fangs, Axes, Guns and Staves. They are each listed below separately. SWORDS: The most basic weapons of the game. Alis and Odin can use any sword; one sword may also be wielded by Noah. Short Sword: Alis starts the game carrying one. You can also buy it in one Armory. It is the only sword that Noah can use. This sword is a rather poor weapon with an attack strength of only +4. Iron Sword: Sold in one Armory. It is not exceptionally powerful, though it is good in the early stages of the game. You should get one when you can and upgrade later. The Iron Sword has an attack strength of +12. Titanium Sword: Sold in one Armory This weapon is relatively strong and can be used in the early and median stages of the game. It has an attack strength of +21. Ceramic Sword: This sword is powerful and can be used in median stages of the game; possibly some of the early advanced stages. It is sold in one Armory. Its attack strength is +31. Light Saber: Sold in one Armory, this is the strongest store-bought weapon available. It can be used in most of the advanced stages of the game, due to its attack strength of +46. Laconian Sword: This magic sword is unique and you must find it. It is the strongest sword in the game and is used in the game's most advanced stages. It is the only weapon which will give Alis an attack strength as high as Myau's. The Laconian Sword has an attack strength of +60. FANGS: Fangs are special weapons for Myau, exclusive for him. Iron Fang: This fang is unique and must be found. It is a median-level weapon that gives Myau his first boost in combat power. The Iron Fang has an attack strength of +10. Silver Fang: Sold in an Armory. When Myau acquires this weapon, he becomes an extremely powerful fighter. With an attack strength of +30, the Silver Fang serves Myau well, even in the most advanced stages of the game. AXES: These weapons are very heavy, so Alis cannot wield them. Only Odin is strong enough to wield them. Iron Axe: Odin starts the game with one of these, and you can also buy one in an Armory. It's a good opening weapon, but should be upgraded early. It has an attack strength of +10. Laconian Axe: This magical battle axe is unique and must be found. It is the only weapon which will give Odin a higher attack strength than Myau. The Laconian Axe has a phenomenal attack strength of +80. GUNS: Only Odin has the necessary expertise to use these items. They do only moderate damage, but they have the advantage of shooting each enemy in an encounter- meaning if you are in a fight with five Manticores, each manticore will suffer damage from a gun every round. Also, guns never miss; no monster can dodge an attack from any gun. Guns are especially useful for exterminating large groups of low-strength monsters. Needle Gun: An opening level gun that is not really too effective, but is useable in the early stages of the game. It is sold in one Armory, and does 5 points of damage to all foes each round. Heat Gun: This gun is more useful. It is useable in median stages of the game. It is sold in two Armories, and does 10 points of damage to all foes each round. Laser Gun: This gun is strong enough to be used in advanced stages of the game. It is sold in one Armory and it does 20 points of damage to all foes each round. STAVES: These weapons are the only weapons besides the Short Sword that are useable by Noah. Alis and Odin can use them too, but should not as they have stronger weapons to use. Wood Cane: Noah starts the game with one of these, and it is also sold in one Armory. It is a poor weapon with an attack strength of only +3. Wand: Sold in one Armory, this is a decent, if not strong, weapon. Its attack strength is +10. Part V: Armor ============= Armor is used to reduce the damage of enemy attacks and, like weapons, you should upgrade armor as soon as you can. There are three kinds of armor: standard armor, fur, and mantles. STANDARD ARMOR: Alis and Odin use these. Leather Armor: Alis starts the game wearing this armor, and it can also be bought in one Armory. It is very poor armor and should be upgraded quickly. Leather Armor has a defense strength of +5. Light Suit: Similar to Leather Armor but made of much stronger material. It is good for Alis and should be obtained quickly. The armor is sold in one Armory and it has a defense strength of +15. Iron Armor: Odin starts the game with this armor. It is too heavy for Alis to wear. Iron armor is also sold in one Armory. Its defense strength is +20. Zirconian Armor: Sold in one Armory, this armor is good for the median and early advanced stages of the game. It has a defense strength of +30. Diamond Armor: Sold in one Armory. This armor is extremely powerful, and worn in advanced stages of the game. It is extremely expensive, but well worth it, since it provides a defense strength of +60. Laconian Armor: This magic armor is unique and must be found. Like the Iron Armor, it is very heavy, so Alis cannot wear it. The Laconian Armor is protected with a special safeguard that you cannot neutralize until an advanced stage in the game. When you can do so, and you find it, Odin will enjoy its amazing defense strength of +80 for the rest of the game. FUR: Special armor for Myau, made excusively for him. Thick Fur: This is the only form of armor available for Myau, but it is easily obtained in an Armory near the place where you first meet him, at a moderate price. Thick fur will also provide Myau with a defense strength of +30. MANTLES: Special protection for Noah, exclusive for her. White Mantle: Noah starts the game wearing one of these, and it is also sold in one Armory. This mantle is a symbol of her exceptional knowledge and advanced education. Unfortunately it is also poor protection, with a defense strength of only +5. Frad Mantle: Noah must find her old master and prove herself worthy to him before he gives her this mantle. Its defense strength is +40. Part VI: Shields ================ Shields give additional protection from attacks so they should also be acquired and upgraded frequently. There is only one form of 'shield' available for Myau, while Noah cannot use any kind of shield. Leather Shield: Sold in one Armory, the Leather Shield is light but weak. Its defense strength is only +3. Bronze Shield: This shield is sold in one Armory and is too bulky for Alis to carry. It is also a weak shield, with a defense strength of only +8. Iron Shield: Very heavy, but somehow Alis can carry one. It is sold in one Armory and has a defense strength of +15. Ceramic Shield: Made of a light but strong material, this shield can be used in advanced stages of the game. It is sold in two Armories and has a defense strength of +23. Laser Shield: This high-technology shield is used in advanced stages of the game. It is sold in one Armory. It is expensive but it has a defense strength of +30. Mirror Shield: This mystical shield is unique and must be found. Only Odin can use it. You must find this shield to defeat a particular monster in the game; Odin will want to slay this monster for something it has. The defense strength of the Mirror Shield is +40. Laconian Shield: This shield is also a unique magic shield which must be found. Best suited for Alis, it is the strongest shield in the game with a defense strength of +50. Gloves: This padded footwear is for Myau. They are sold in one Armory at a fairly expensive price. They are worth the price since they provide a defense strength of +40. Part VII: Miscellaneous Items ============================= Miscellaneous items are tools which are used repeatedly at various points in your quest. They will all help you along the way. Many items duplicate the effects of some of the spells the characters have; they are useful in earlier stages of the game, when you have not yet learned these spells. Miscellaneous items can be separated into these following sub-categories: Light Sources, Food, Identification, Potions, Communicators, Protective Devices, Vehicles, Keys, and SPECIAL, for the few items not fitting into any of these categories. LIGHT SOURCES: Light is needed to see in most of the caves and towers. Flash: This is a light that will help you see in dark mazes. Each Flash may be used only once before burning out. Flashes are sold in most Secondhand Shops. Magic Lamp: This light, once bought, may be used indefinitely. It is sold in some of the Secondhand Shops. Torch: This light source is unique and must be found, somewhere on the planet Dezoris. The native Dezorians consider its light to be holy. FOOD: Food is sold in the First Food Shop and is used to heal injuries. Cola: Drinking a Cola restores up to 10 hit points of damage. All first food shops carry Cola. Burgers: Eating a Burger will restore up to 40 points of damage. Two other items, not mentioned in the manual, can also be considered food. Some of the townspeople and monsters will tell you about Cake and Nuts of Laerma. If you decide that these will be useful to you, you must find them and learn how to use them. IDENTIFICATION: You must carry proper identification before you can access certain areas. Roadpass: This item will let you use conveyor belt Roadways to the Palman Spaceport, and the town linked to the Motavian Spaceport. You must make a deal of some kind to get it. Passport: Once you gain entry to the Spaceport, you need a Passport before you can board a Starship. POTIONS: Liquid substances contained in bottles. They have special uses. Alsulin: Myau carries it around his neck when Alis finds him. Myau knows what it does, but he cannot open the bottle. Polymeteral: A powerful acid that can dissolve any substance, save only for Laconia. You must find out where it comes in handy- and where it is sold. COMMUNICATORS: Used to communicate with some of the monsters. Many of them will talk to you, but only a few know your language. The others may only be spoken to with magic spells or one of these devices. You may only use a communicator device once; it is then used up. Magic Hat: Equal in strength to Alis' CHAT spell and will communicate with any creature that the CHAT spell will work on. Sold in several Secondhand Shops. Sphere: Equal in strength to Noah's TELE spell and will converse with all intelligent creatures in the game. Sold in several Secondhand Shops. PROTECTIVE DEVICES: These are special devices that will provide protection against certain unnatural forces. Gas Shield: This device allows you to cross the Poison Gas area on Motavia safely. Sold in a warehouse. Crystal: This powerful item provides essential protection when you come face to face with Lassic. You have to find a certain person, and convince him to give you one. VEHICLES: Quick transportation from place to place. Landrover: This all-terrain vehicle is a very handy item. It moves across all planet surfaces rapidly. It is sold in a Secondhand Shop. Hovercraft: This boat will cross all water bodies and will also let you get across lava pits without taking any damage. This vehicle has to be found; a certain man will tell you where it is if you find him and talk to him about it. Luveno Starship: You will eventually get a Starship built for you, if you can find the man who builds it, and convince him to do so. You will need this Starship to travel to the planet Dezoris, which has no Spaceport. Ice Digger: The most important of all vehicles, since it is used to get two items that are absolutely required to finish the game. It moves across the Dezorian ice fields as easily as the Landrover, and can dig through the ice mountains at two certain areas. The Ice Digger is sold on Dezoris in a Secondhand Shop. KEYS: Used to open locked doors in mazes. Dungeon Key: Useable indefinitely, it opens all doors with locks on them. A certain villager will tell you where it is hidden. Miracle Key: This special key cannot be found until late in the game. It opens doors with demon faces on them, which are magically locked. SPECIAL: Other assorted items that do not fit in with any of the above sub-categories. Transfer: This will magically whisk you back to the last Church that you visited. It is used up after one use. It only works on planet surfaces, not in a cave or tower. It's sold in many Secondhand Shops. Escaper: This item will turn you all invisible just long enough to escape an encounter. It is used up after one use. Most Secondhand shops sell them. Compass: Used for finding direction, you need it to navigate the unclear path through a certain forest. Laconian Pot: This special item will serve Myau well in two ways. You must figure out these uses. Flute: This nifty little item, after you find it, will teleport you out of any maze. If played during combat, it is supposed to put monsters to sleep, but this power doesn't really work. Hapsby: Hapsby is a robot made out of pure Laconia. You must find him when you have the Luveno built, since only Hapsby knows how to operate and fly the Starship. Amber Eye: A precious gem embedded in the Casba Black Dragon's head. You'll need to learn what to do with it. Prism: This magical item will show you another world; a place where no Starship can go. It will only work in one special place which you will have to find. ************************************************************ *************** ************************************************************ ************* ************************* A GUIDE TO PHANTASY STAR ************************ ************************************************************ *************** VOLUME TWO In Volume One I spoke about the main characters, and all the items which you acquire in the game. Here I talk about villages and towns, spells and general hints. Part IX: Magic Spells ===================== Alis, Myau and Noah can use magic spells, though only Noah starts the game with the ability to use magic. Alis and Myau start out with no magic power and must acquire it later. The number of MAGIC POINTS that you have dictates how much magic you can use. If you cast too many spells, you will run out of magic points and will be unable to cast any further spells until you go to a Hospital or one of the two rest houses. Noah's spells can cost many magic points so be sure to use them very sparingly. Spells are automatically 'learned' when you reach the level necessary to learn them. You will still have to go to a Hospital or a rest house before getting extra magic points. ALIS' SPELLS: Alis acquires six magic spells. She has the least number of magic points since her spells are not of strong attack nature. Heal: Alis learns this spell at 4th level. It restores up to 20 points of damage. Uses 2 magic points. Bye: Alis learns this at 5th level. It insures you a quick escape if you wish to flee an encounter. It uses 2 magic points. Chat: Alis learns this at 6th level. It will allow her to communicate with some of the monsters who speak their own language. Uses 2 magic points. Fire: Alis learns this at 12th level. It shoots 2 balls of fire at enemies in battle; each fireball does from 7 to 11 points of damage. If multiple opponents are being fought, target creatures will be randomly selected. Spell uses 4 magic points. Rope: Alis learns this at 14th level. It ties up a monster and renders it unable to move or attack for up to three rounds before it slips free. Uses 4 magic points. Fly: This spell only works on planet surfaces. It whisks you to the last Church you visted, even if it was on another planet. Uses 8 magic points. MYAU'S SPELLS: Myau also acquires six spells. They are mostly defensive. Cure: Myau learns this at 6th level. It will restore up to 80 points of damage. Uses 6 magic points. Terr: Myau learns this at 9th level. Makes weaker monsters recoil in fear. This spell does not seem useful since monsters will attack even when under the influence of this spell. Uses 2 magic points. Wall: Myau learns this at 12th level. Creates a barrier that will block all physical attacks. The stronger the monsters, the shorter the duration of the Wall. With some exceptionally strong monsters, it will disappear immediately. Uses 6 magic points. Trap: Myau learns this at 15th level. Used to spot traps in treasure chests and dungeons. Myau disarms them when he spots them. Uses 2 magic points. Exit: Myau learns this at 17th level. Allows you to float to the surface, out of any maze. The spell is wholly superfluous since Noah gets the same spell early and you will most likely have the flute when Myau reaches 17th level. Spell uses 4 magic points. Help: Myau learns this at 20th level. Gives a special boost of strength to the recipient, increasing likelihood of scoring a hit and the amount of damage inflicted per hit (if Odin is using a gun, the spell will not help him). Uses 10 magic points. NOAH'S SPELLS: Noah has nine spells. Some are defensive, some mundane, and some are powerful attack spells. Noah has more magic points than Alis or Myau; however, some of the stronger spells can use up even Noah's magic points in a hurry. Fire: Noah has this when you meet her. Exactly like Alis' spell of the same name. Cure: Noah has this when you meet her. Exactly like Myau's spell of the same name except that Noah cannot use it during combat like Myau can. Exit: Noah learns this at 6th level. Exactly like Myau's spell of the same name except that Noah learns it early and it can be useful until you find the flute. Uses 4 magic points. Tele: Noah learns this at 9th level. Similar to Chat but stronger. Will allow you to communicate with certain monsters which have a language that Alis' CHAT spell cannot decipher. It uses 4 magic points. Wind: Noah learns this at 12th level. Fires three tornadolike blasts of wind at the monsters. The blasts will strike random targets (if more than one monster is encountered) and each blast does 9 to 12 points of damage. Uses 12 magic points. Prot: Noah learns this at 14th level. Short for Protection, the spell will create a barrier similar to Myau's WALL spell, except it also blocks any enemy spells. It also can have a very short (or even negligible) life span against particularly strong monsters. Uses 10 magic points. Open: Noah learns this at 17th level. It will open doors with demon heads on them; these doors are held shut magically. Uses 4 magic points. Thun: Noah learns this at 18th level. Short for Thunder, it shoots a bolt of lightning at each monster in an encounter (like a gun weapon) which does 30 to 40 points of damage. The spell is more effective when fighting more than one opponent, though some monsters which travel alone seem to always take maximum damage from it. It is costly in magic point use- 16 magic points. Use it sparingly! Rise: Noah learns this at 20th level. It will resurrect a slain comrade so you do not have to use a Church. Uses 12 magic points. Part X: Towns and Villages ========================== There are various towns and villages on each planet. The towns have paved streets, and the buildings will be of more modern construction. All towns and villages except one are Palman settlements. The Native Motavians are nomads, but the Native Dezorians have a village on a small plateau among the ice mountains. All towns and villages will have most or all of the following features: HOUSES: Self-explanatory, the houses are where the people live. Visit the people in their homes and they will share little tidbits of information with you. Piece them together and you will learn what to do next. (Some people are in the streets and you can learn what they have to say by just walking up to them.) HOSPITALS: Easily identifiable by the Red Cross, Hospitals will restore all lost hit points and magic points for the price of one meseta per hit point and/or magic point restored. CHURCHES: Identifiable by the yellow crucifix, a Church will resurrect a slain party member at the cost of 20 mesetas per experience level of the recipient (meaning if Odin is slain when he is 10th level, it will cost 200 mesetas to raise him). If nobody needs to be raised, you can learn how many experience points everyone needs to reach the next level. Finally, the last Church you visited will be where you are taken by a Transfer or Alis' FLY spell when you use either. ARMORY: Here is where you buy armor, weapons, and shields. Not every town or village has one. FIRST FOOD SHOP: Here is where you can buy Burgers and Cola, which you can carry to supplement your healing spell power and keep you alive until you reach a Hospital or one of the two rest houses. Not every village or town has a First Food Shop. SECONDHAND SHOP: Here is where you buy some of the miscellaneous items that you use. Most armor, weapons and shields, as well as most other items, can be sold here at half the price you bought them for. The shop owners will not buy all items, knowing that some of them are always important to you. Not every town or village has a Secondhand Shop. EXIT: Some of the major towns will have special exit doors. These exits have Robotcop guards on duty. They will not stop you from entering or leaving, though if you approach them, they will admonish against leaving. ROADWAY: These same major towns also have Roadway entrances. Roadways are conveyor belts that take you to the Spaceport. Here the Robotcops will stop you, and if you do not have the proper identification, they will not let you board the Roadway. You will come across these fifteen towns and villages in your travels through the Algol Star System: Camineet: The major town on Palma. It has two Exits and a Roadway entrance. Alis lives in Camineet and the game starts in front of her house. Parolit: Sister town to Camineet. It has an Exit and a Roadway. Scion: A port town on Palma. Several important secrets can be learned in Scion. Eppi: A small village on Palma. Gothic: A village on Palma that once was supposedly more than a village. Bortevo: A village on Palma that has fallen into decay. It is now more of a junkyard than a village. Loar: A village on Palma. It has been in decline as of late. Abion: A village on Palma. It is very important in two special ways. Drasgow: A small town on Palma. It has a special shop in a warehouse. Paseo: The major town on Motavia. It has a Roadway. It has no Exit door, but the exit area is watched by two RobotCops. The governor of Motavia lives in this town, which contains some important secrets, including the final secret of the game. Uzo: A village on Motavia, that will point you to some important items. Casba: A small village on Motavia. It has some important items and clues. Sopia. A poor village on Motavia that nevertheless contains two important secrets. One is vital to Noah. Skure: The sole Palman settlement on Dezoris. It is a town with one of each Shop, a Church and a Hospital. Native Dezorian Village: This village is actually a dual village, one on each side of the tunnel entrance. No Palmans live here- native Dezorians tend all the business and live in the homes. They all speak your language and you may communicate with them all normally. Make sure you locate each town and village. Talk to everyone and check the inventory of the shops. Part XI: Spaceports =================== There is a Spaceport on Palma, and one on Motavia. You use these in the early stages of the game to travel between worlds. The Spaceport on Palma can be entered from Camineet or Parolit through the Roadways. It has a First Food Shop and a Shop where you can file for a Passport. To the left is the entrance to the boarding area; two Robotcops guard it. If you have a Passport you can enter, board a Starship and fly to Motavia. The Spaceport on Motavia is where you land. There is a roadway leading up to Paseo. To return from Paseo to the Spaceport, show your Passport to the Robotcops and they will let you pass. Dezoris has no Spaceport so you can't go there until the Luveno is built for you. Once you have the Luveno, you no longer need to use either of the two Spaceports. Part XII: Mazes and Monsters ============================ Monsters inhabit the mazes, as well as the open countryside, of the three planets. You will encounter three different types of mazes: CAVES: The most common. Caves can be found on all three planets, and you will find plenty of the indigenous monster-life in them. Each cave will have one item and/or clue that will serve you well later on, unless the cave is really a tunnel. Most of the caves in Dezoris are really tunnels that will take you through one of the ice mountains- these tunnels have no special items in them. DUNGEONS: It is hard to describe the appearance of these buildings. There are only two of them; they each have an important item and/or clue(s), but dangerous monsters are minimal. TOWERS: The hardest of all. Towers are formidable obstacles, with mazes having many levels of twisting and turning passageways. The musical tune that plays when you explore a tower is more catchy and lively than the tune that plays when you explore a dungeon or cave, and the resident nasties are considerably tougher. One tower has only one level; the others have anywhere from 4 to a whopping 18 levels; each level with plenty of powerful monsters. One tower, which is part of a wall, is simply the gate you must pass through to get to the other side. The other towers each have an important item or secret at the top. Many of the dead-ends in passageways have treasure chests that may have money, items, or only traps in them. Also beware of pits, that drop you somewhere on the next-lowest level. Part XII: General Hints ======================= Now that we've been over everything in Phantasy Star, here are a few, final hints to help you with game play. -Save the game frequently. Do not be afraid to save the game each time you find another door or stairway in a maze, as well as just before entering the maze in the first place. Save the game every so often while trekking across open countryside. It takes a few seconds at most and you can avoid the trouble of having to rebuild if all your characters are ever slain. -While your first priority is to find Myau, Odin and Noah, do not be afraid to build Alis up to 10th level or even a little higher first. While you can find Myau as early as when you reach 4th level, you do not have to do so. You can build Alis up as much as you wish first. You can even build Myau up before finding Odin and then build Odin up before finding Noah. Simply stay in less dangerous areas while nursing up newly-gained allies. They will catch up in power very quickly and you can then go into harder areas. Also, if anyone dies while lower level, you will have at least one stronger character who can rush to a Church to have them raised at lower costs. -While it is not compulsory, making maps can only benefit you. If you have to exit a maze before finishing what you were doing there, the maps will help you find your way back to the areas you were about to explore when you had to turn back. Finding and mapping all passageways to their ends will often lead you to chests containing money and sometimes even burgers. Making maps will also allow you to mark down the location of pits so you can avoid them in the future. -The Compass can help you find your way in mazes. Using the Compass while in a maze will show what direction you are currently facing in. -When you upgrade weapons and armor for Alis and Odin, give the better equipment to Odin first. For example, if Alis and Odin each have a Ceramic Shield and you only buy one Laser Shield when you find the right Shop, give Odin the Laser Shield. Then, if Alis still has her Ceramic Shield when you find the Mirror Shield, give Odin the Mirror Shield and Alis the Laser Shield. If Alis and Odin both have Ceramic Swords, and you buy only one Light Saber, equip Odin with it. Alis' Attack and Defense Strengths (particularly defense strength) are higher than Odin's and giving him the better equipment first will put him on par with Alis. The only time that Odin's attack strength will surpass Alis' is when Odin wields the mighty Laconian Axe. (Of course, if you can afford two Light Sabers when Alis and Odin both have Ceramic Swords, then by all means get two and give one to each ot them.) -Don't hesitate to spend 200 mesetas or more on Burgers and Cola before going into a cave or (especially) a tower. They can help you cast fewer healing spells, saving magic points for attack and defense spells, and also keep you alive when you are low on both hit points and magic points and you have to trek a bit to reach a Hospital. -It's okay to be personally fonder of one character than another, but one cardinal rule you must not break: NO PAMPERED PETS IN PHANTASY STAR!! All four characters must work and fight together as a team. Learn how to coordinate their actions so they exploit each others' strengths and cover each others' weaknesses. Don't try to make Odin the hero of every fight- what if the monsters single him out and kill him? Don't cast all healing spells on Alis- what if Noah becomes low on hit points and you can't heal her? Alis, Myau, Odin and Noah are all in the same boat. They sail together or they will surely sink separately. -Carrying both a gun and a sword or axe makes Odin versatile. Swords and axes (especially the Laconian Axe) can do more damage than any gun, but somtimes they can also do less, while a gun's damage is steady each round. In addition, guns never miss, while some strong monsters can dodge Odin's sword or axe and take no damage. Guns can wipe out all of the monsters in an encounter in one instant if their hit points are less than what the gun does in damage, while a sword or axe can kill one monster each round, at best. Try to get a feel for when you are more likely to encounter one or two powerful foes, and when you are more likely to encounter several low or median strength monsters, and then equip accordingly- a sword or axe for the former encounters, a gun for the latter. -Learn the strengths and weaknesses of each monster. Monsters with ROPE spells can be particularly dangerous early in the game before you have all 4 characters- Alis may be capable of killing two Tarantulas easily when she is strong enough, but I remember the time when they went ROPE happy- every time Alis slipped free, one of them would instantly cast it again- they got so many free attacks in with Alis helpless that she was reduced from 105 hit points to only TWO by the time I was able to finally enter a command. If I wasn't able to RUN, Alis would have died next round. When you have all 4 characters, beware of monsters that can cast THUNDER spells on you. Don't be afraid to run from any encounter with such a monster. -If you meet a monster as soon as you go through a doorway or up/down a stairway, you will be unable to RUN; you cannot back up through a doorway or stairway. If you are at a dead-end passage, and turn around right after walking up to the wall, you will be unable to RUN from any monster that appears since your back is against a wall. If you walk up to the end of a dead-end passage, take a step or two backward before you turn around. If you meet any monsters and you wish to RUN, you can then do so (unless of course, they block your retreat). -Some monsters have an infuriating habit of always getting in your way and making it very hard to run. If retreat is constantly blocked, and you really want to escape without being forced to fight, use Alis' BYE spell or an Escaper (if you have one of them). A little trick to use when employing an Escaper: Have everyone try to use the Escaper; whichever character has earliest initiative will activate it and whisk you to safety. -Don't think that once you become powerful enough that you can just up and go after Lassic without first exploring that remote area on Dezoris or Motavia. Some of the most vital items and clues are in out-of-the-way locations, and every town and village will have that one extra bit of info that you need to accomplish something you couldn't before. If you are low on money, there is a way to pinch mesetas when you need to use a Hospital to heal. Cure most or all wounds with any healing spells you have left. If Odin has 75 points of damage on, it will cost 75 mesetas to heal him- but if Myau casts a CURE spell on him, Odin will regain all missing hit points and you need only pay 6 mesetas to get back the magic points Myau used. ************************************************************ *************** I hope this guide will give you some help in PHANTASY STAR without taking away any of the excitement and fun. If you're really lost and need some answers, you can read my walkthru in TEG or leave Easyplex to 73500,47. Have fun! **Voltron** In Volume Two, I will go into magical spells, buildings, towns and villages and finish off with various hints. **Voltron** 73500,47 on Compuserve caribou@cnct.com on Internet