Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord
| Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord | |
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| Developer(s) | Sir-tech Software, Inc. |
| Publisher(s) | Sir-tech Software, Inc. |
| Japanese title | ウィザードリィ |
| Release date(s) |
 September, 1981
 July, 1990 |
| Genre(s) | RPG |
| System(s) | Apple II, Commodore 64, Macintosh, MSX, NEC PC-9801, NES, MS-DOS, Game Boy Color, WonderSwan Color |
| Players | 1 |
| Followed by | Wizardry II: The Knight of Diamonds |
| Series | Wizardry |
Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord is the first game in the Wizardry series of computer RPGs. It was developed by Andy Greenberg and Robert Woodhead, and launched at a Boston computer convention in 1980. In 1979, Robert Sirotek and Fred Norman created Sir-tech Software, Inc. to distribute the game, and it was released in 1981. The game was one of the first Dungeons & Dragons-style role-playing games to be written for computer play, and the first such game to offer color graphics. It was also the first true party-based role-playing computer game.
Starting in the town, the player creates a party of up to six characters from an assortment of races, alignments, and basic classes. There are also four elite classes. Characters can be changed to an elite class after meeting the stat requirements. After equipping the characters with basic armor and weaponry, the party then descends into the dungeon below Trebor's castle. This consists of a maze of ten levels, each progressively more challenging than the last.
The style of play employed in this game has come to be termed a dungeon crawl. The goal, as in most subsequent computer role-playing games, is to find treasure including ever more potent items, gain levels of experience by killing monsters, then face the evil arch-wizard Werdna on the bottom level and retrieve a powerful amulet. The goal of most levels is to find the elevator or stairs going down to the next level (without being killed in the process).
The game eventually ended up as the first of a trilogy that also included Wizardry II: The Knight of Diamonds and Wizardry III: Legacy of Llylgamyn. Proving Grounds needs to be completed in order to create a party that could play in the remainder of the trilogy.
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Apple II title screen
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Commodore 64 title screen
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NES title screen
[edit] Story
One Morning, Trebor, the Mad Overlord, noticed that the fabled amulet, which he constantly held in his possession, had disappeared. Realizing his ultimate fear come true, he uttered, 'It must have been stolen while I slept.' Looking around the room hoping to find the amulet, he instead saw a note sitting on the table. "Foolish Trebor, I did not think I could take the amulet this easily. How senile you have become! Do not attempt to retrieve the amulet, Trebor. For your best efforts will surely fail. The Great Wizard Werdna."
When Trebor finished reading the letter, it burst into flames and burned to ashes. The angered Trebor sent notices throughout the countryside and gathered soldiers to recover the amulet. "Those who are able to recover the amulet will be rewarded with great riches and much distinction," he announced to the soldiers.
Thus, adventurers from throughout the country who were confident of their skills gathered under Trebor and entered the dungeon deep below the castle in hopes of conquering Werdna.
Table of Contents
Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord · II: The Knight of Diamonds · III: Legacy of Llylgamyn · IV: The Return of Werdna · V: Heart of the Maelstrom · VI: Bane of the Cosmic Forge · VII: Crusaders of the Dark Savant · Wizardry 8
English spin-offs: Tale of the Forsaken Land · Labyrinth of Lost Souls
Wizardry Gaiden: 1: Suffering of the Queen · 2: Curse of the Ancient Emperor · 3: Scripture of the Dark · 4: Throb of the Demon's Heart
Wizardry Empire: Wizardry Empire · Wizardry Empire II: Fukkatsu no Tsue · Wizardry Empire III · Wizardry Empire III: Haō no Keifu
Other: Wizardry: Dimguil · Wizardry Chronicle · Wizardry Summoner · Busin 0: Wizardry Alternative Neo · Wizardry Traditional · Wizardry Traditional 2 · Wizardry Xth Academy of Frontier · Wizardry Asterisk: Hiiro no Fūin · Wizardry Gaiden: Prisoners of the Battles · Wizardry Summoner · Wizardry Xth: Unlimited Students · Wizardry Seimei no Kusabi · Wizardry Bōkyaku no Isan
