Ultima III: Exodus/Walkthrough

Starting a new game
When you begin a game with a brand new character, he or she begins with no weapons or armor equipped. Immediately [W]ear your cloth armor and get thy Dagger [R]eady before doing anything. Quickly look for a town and enter it. Inside the town, the gold you initially start off with will buy better weapons and armor. Your party's ability to survive depends as much on the quality of its equipment as on the quality of its leader. Don't forget to obtain enough Food. Towns are widely scattered, and starvation is always so unpleasant to watch.

Chests
When a monster group is vanquished on land, a treasure chest will usually be left behind. Some chests have much treasure in them, while others may be empty. Many of the chests both above ground and below ground are trapped. Either a Clerical "APPAR UNEM" spell must be cast to disarm the trap, or a Thief must attempt to disarm the chest. Some of the traps include: Acid (injures only the character opening the chest), Poison (same), Bomb (destroys the contents of the chest and hurts everyone in party), and Gas Trap (affects the entire party).

Movement
Without the special items that can be Peered into, a party can now only see that part of their surroundings as is not obstructed from view. Anything out of direct sight is shown blank. Trees, mountains, walls, and other such barriers will block their vision. Remember to check out each part of an area carefully. Many things are hidden just out of sight.

Combat
As you travel in a party, so do the monsters. When combat is joined, a special combat screen appears. On this new screen, each member of the adventure Party is shown separately, as is each monster. Each player may individually control their character during combat, moving, fighting, or casting spells. Beware, the monsters are permitted to attack on the diagonals, while a character can only attack horizontally or vertically. Watch out for monster formations where two or three of them can attack a character at once in a crossfire. Few can survive long against such a withering assault. To Attack (A), or Cast (C), a spell against a monster when it is your character's turn, you must give a direction for your attack to be launched. If a Fighter wishes to attack an Orc that is next to him on the right, he can swing his sword by typing (A), then (→). Bows and spells can be used very effectively across the entire battlefield. Be careful with a Dagger though. It is considered thrown if the enemy is more than a square away. Many Wizards have been slain by being overeager in combat and throwing their Dagger away. Each time a monster dies, the character who struck the fatal blow receives experience points for the deed. When a player accumulates enough experience points, he or she will automatically rise in levels. (Note: In the NES version, you must see the King in order to rise in level as well as increase your hit points.)

You should consider all parties on the surface as being malevolent. All the good citizens of Sosaria dwell within the towns and castle. Any party encountered on the surface, or in a dungeon is thus an enemy. If you are strong enough, attack immediately. If you are new, or suffering from grievous wounds, consider trying to run away. Once a combat is joined, only one survivor emerges.

Dungeons
The dungeons have, of late, become particularly treacherous and deadly. Explore carefully and slowly. Map everything. Secret doors abound throughout the different dungeons. Magical winds howl down the corridors, blowing out all light. If you walk slowly, glimpses of faint mystic writings may be noticed periodically. Recently a rumor has surfaced of an apparition that haunts a deep level of a hidden dungeon. There also exist many traps and pitfalls for the unwary. A Thief is an excellent choice to have in a party. If the party puts the Thief in front of the Party, he will have an excellent chance of spotting traps, before the party trips them. Many strange and wonderful places are hidden within different dungeons, such as fountains. Some fountains are beneficial, while others are poisonous. Always drink carefully at a fountain.