Wizardry: Bane of the Cosmic Forge Overview
Wizardry: Bane of the Cosmic Forge is a first-person dungeon exploration game where players form a party of adventurers to investigate a sealed, haunted castle. The narrative centers on the legendary Cosmic Forge, a pen whose writings become reality, and the mysterious fate of the castle's former royal and magical inhabitants. Upon entering, the party is trapped, tasked with uncovering the truth behind the artifact and the events of a century past.
Character creation offers significant depth, expanding beyond standard fantasy races to include options like the feline Felpurr, the draconic Dracon, and the tiny Faerie. Each race has inherent traits and affinities for certain classes. The selection of classes is also broad, featuring traditional roles alongside more specialized ones such as Ninja, Psionic, and Alchemist, though some require superior initial attributes. Characters can later change classes and learn unique skills upon leveling up.
Gameplay involves turn-based combat with detailed tactical options, including specific weapon maneuvers, and a magic system divided into six distinct schools of study. Non-combat interactions are more involved; thieves engage in minigames to handle traps and locks, while conversations with non-player characters are extended and can cover multiple topics. A key narrative choice made during these interactions leads to a branching storyline and several possible endings.
This installment introduced full color visuals and mouse control to the series. The entire adventure is confined to the castle environs, with no return to a town or option to create new characters after beginning. It allows manual saving at any point, a departure from earlier entries in the series.
