Ultima III: Exodus/Shortcuts and cheats

Starting out
There is no set solution to this game. It's long, even with these gold and time saving clues. Try forming a party and transferring all food and weapons to one member. This is best done within the Castle, avoiding monsters with which you can't cope. Leave the town to save the game, quit out of the game and then relaunch it, delete the empty character shells, and create three more. Go to town and buy your front line men bows; these have the major advantage of hitting targets from a distance. Consider using a Cleric with 25 Wisdom points, as you'll need all the healing power he can muster.

You'll be able to get to a maximum of 550 hit points, initially, by (T)ransacting with the King, provided you have enough experience. With your 550 points, go to the dungeon in the northeast corner of the island, in the blackened area. You'll recognize it by its waterway. In the first level you should find two "plates," one of which you should touch. They yield the Mark of the King. With the Mark of the King, you can now get up to 2,550 hit points, again provided that you have enough experience.

Dawn and Exotics
When you leave the Castle, go west 8 steps and south 34. When the moons are in 0,0 conjunction, the town of Dawn will appear below you. In it you'll be able to buy better armor and weapons, as well as the keys, powders which negate time, and gems which permit a screen display of the local area. More important, in the lower right corner are three guys, each with important clues about Exotic weapons. After leaving, try to find a ship if you don't already have one. Be careful approaching a ship, as the current owners would like to keep it! Once you've secured your own ship, try digging ([O]ther Command, type "DIG") on the two-square island near the island town of Fawn.

Gold from Death Gulch
Make your way to the town on the island east of the Mainland. You'll recognize it by the bribable guard standing before a locked gate. You can save the 100 gold bribe fee and a key by entering the maze south of the main entrance. Go north at the first place you can, then straight east as far as you can, and then north to inside the gate. Peer at a Gem, and sketch the town, using the sketch to get into the town. Go east to the locked gate. This one requires using a key. Go south to the entry on the left side of the screen. Go west to the first north possibility, west to the next south possibility, and west again. This should put you next to a guard. Bribe him (unless you are strong enough to kill off all the guards, not bloody likely!) To the west lies a treasure area, good for about 1,100 gold (about 2,000 if you have the Mark of Force). It's good to have a Thief who can grab the chests, and a Cleric who can heal him. Repeat this process until you've got quite a load of gold, say 13,000 or so.

Ambrosia and Cards
Loaded with your gold and at least four keys, jump in your ship, find a whirlpool storm and enter it. You'll be cast on the shore of another island where there are four shrines. Here you can buy capability points at 100 gold a pop. Peer at a Gem to get the lay of the land, and make a rough sketch. The Shrine of Strength is in the west, reached through the mountain entry way in the northwest corner. Work your way south from there. You're on the right track if you encounter two sets of wild horses. Keep going south from there. Be sure to search ([O]ther Command, type "SEARCH") at each shrine.

The Shrine of Intelligence lies behind three locked gates in the north-central area. Don't bother opening up the cages. Capture the ship that's waiting for you and sail west to where you can disembark. The Shrine lies behind the third gate. You reach the Shrine of Wisdom by going north from the entry gate of the Shrine of Intelligence. Track around to another locked gate. After the initial north and east travel, work your way south and slightly east. Ignore the next locked gate you see. The Shrine of Dexterity is in the southeast area. After entering the dark area (to the right and north of your landing point), work your way northeast.

Near the initial entry into this area you'll be able to go south. Following that track gets you to the south shore of the Island, where you must capture a Pirate ship. Using yet another key, sail through the locked gate to the west and into the awaiting Whirlpool in order to get back to the point at which you initially entered the Whirlpool. There's also a complicated route in the west that will get you to another ship and back to the waiting whirlpool without using a key, if you're willing. Several trips between Death Gulch and Shipwreck Island [Ambrosia] should bring your attributes up to a fairly impressive level, and will certainly make your life easier.

Remaining Marks
By now you should have at least one Mark and all four Cards. You'll find the Mark of the Snake on the eighth level of the dungeon on the large island east of the Mainland. You'll find the Marks of Force and Fire on level 8 of the dungeon surrounded by lava in the dark mountain area at far south of Lord British's castle. Lastly, if you want to find the Lord of Time, look in the northwest corner of level 8 in the dungeon locked in by mountains (which you can only reach via the Moon Portals).

Assault on Exodus
Once you have 2,550 hit points and all eight Marks and Cards, you're ready for Exodus. "Ready" all of your party with Exotic weapons and "Wear" Exotic armour and sail up to the Snake in the center of the island on the southwest corner of the Mainland. [Y]ell EVOCARE. It would be wise to make a backup copy of the Roster file before entering the castle, as things can get rough in there. Go as far to the west (or east) as you can, walking through the Force Fields and Fire. Then head north, all the way up. As you go along you'll have several fairly tough battles. Note that you can't use powder to negate time in Exodus Castle.

In the upper central part you'll hit three sets of invisible enemies (Floors), each of whom hit pretty hard. Use your Wizard's "P" spell or your Cleric's "O" spell. To get the rest, line your men up abreast and march up the room, attacking forward and to the sides. Each Floor panel will only take one hit to kill when you find them. Watch which of your guys is getting hit: he's the one nearest your foe.

Now the time has come. Move below, to the left of the machine that is Exodus. [I]nsert Love, move right, [I]nsert Sol, move right, [I]nsert Moons, right again and [I]nsert Death.