Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar/Side Quests

All information to get the rare items is already in the game, if the Stranger talks with every character. Although the NES remake has shorter dialogues, most information is still found in the same towns and also at the same pubs.

Magic reagents

Nightshade fungus

Presto, a very small wizard (in Skara Brae). JOB? I cast great big spells! SPELLS? I can cast Jinx, Kill and View! Dost thou know what these spells have in common? NO? Guess! YES? What? NIGHTSHADE? Yes. Ask the barkeep at "The Axe'n Grog" in Vesper about nightshade.	A fighter (in Vesper): I heard the barkeep in Trinsic knows of Fungus. He takes a liking in good tippers!
Arron (in Vesper) says: "Welcome to Axe'n Grog. What'll it be, food or grog?" GROG? Here's a mug of our best. That'll be 2 GP. 99GP TIP, NIGHTSHADE? Of nightshade I know this: seek out Virgil or thou shalt miss! Try in Trinsic!	Barkeeper (in Trinsic): 100G TIP? Oh, that! Varzil of Moonglow can show thee. Tell him I sent thee!
Virgil, a mystic wizard (in Trinsic). JOB? I create magical fields. FIELDS? Poison is my favorite. Is it thine? NO: Well, I don't care. YES: Bravo! NIGHTSHADE? Nightshade may be found only near lat. J'F", long. C'O" only on the darkest of nights!	A bearded mage (in Moonglow): I am Vasil, and I have got a secret! And would you not like to know? Oh, all right! Ye forced it from me! Search 149,46 on the night of the twin new moons!

Three spells only require Nightshade fungus:

1. Jinx: useful against large numbers of enemies;
2. View: useful, but it's more convenient to buy magic gems instead;
3. Kill: not useful, ranged weapons are more reliable.

Mandrake root

Swindrik, a tall wizard (in Trinsic). JOB? I cast spells. SPELLS? Spells of great power. Dost thou cast spells of great power? YES? What is the most powerful reagent? MANDRAKE? Ask at the Folley tavern of mandrake.	A druid (in the Lycaeum): I have seen a dissertation on Manroot in a book by Calumny of Yew. Sadly, the page on which its location appeared had been torn.
Greg & Rob (in Paws) say: "Welcome to Folley Tavern. What'll it be, food or grog?" GROG? Here's a mug of our best. That'll be 2 GP. 99GP TIP, MANDRAKE? The last person I knew that had any Mandrake was an old alchemist named Calumny.	N/A
Calumny, a solemn druid (in Yew). JOB? I make spells. SPELLS? I invented Quickness! Can thou cast it? YES? It requires ash, ginseng and bloodmoss! MANDRAKE? Mandrake root is found only in the Fens of the Dead and in the Bloody Plains where the ground is always damp.	A druid (in Yew): I am Calumny of Yew, most lettered of scholars! I am compiling the definitive book on magic. 69105 pages, and not finished yet! Manroot, eh? Let me consult my book... Ah. Near Minoc, at latitude 54, longitude 182, there is a swamp of poison. Search there on the darkest of nights!

As the Nightshade fungus, Mandrake root can only be found "on the darkest of nights".

Seven spells require Mandrake root:

1. Jinx: useful against large numbers of enemies;
2. Negate: useful against enemies that cast debuff spells (sleep) on the Companions;
3. Resurrect: absolutely necessary, although hopefully used not often;
4. Gate travel: use sparingly, because walking allows to fight and earn experience and gold;
5. View: useful, but it's more convenient to buy magic gems instead;
6. Tremor: not useful, ranged weapons are more reliable;
7. Iceball: not useful, ranged weapons are more reliable.

Spell recipes

This section is a stub. Help us expand it, and you get a cookie.

Original spell quests

Undead

This spell requires garlic and sulphurous ash.

Gate travel

Jingles, a young mage (in Paws) JOB? I seek the wisdom of magic. MAGIC? My master knows the gate travel spell! MASTER? My master is Mentorian. Dost thou know him? NO? He lives in a hidden village in Lock Lake reachable only by ship, ask of the gate spell!	N/A
Mentorian, a tall wizard (in Cove) JOB? I study the magical arts. ARTS? There is truth in magic! Dost thou disagree? NO? Good. GATE? Since thou dost bear the ankh, I shall tell thee. A gate spell requires ash, pearl, and mandrake root!	A bearded mage (in Cove): Ah, seeker, we meet at last. I am Mentarion, master of the Gates! Know now that sulfur ash, black pearl, and manroot are necessary for the Gate spell.

Resurrect

Shazom, a dying young wizard (in Moonglow) JOB? I am apprentice to the great wizard Nigel! HEALTH? I will soon die. DIE? Pass on. NIGEL? I will soon need to use the spell he calls 'recall'. Hast thou met Nigel? NO? He lives at the Lycaeum. YES? Seek him out for he will teach thee.	N/A
Nigel, a noble wizard (in the Lycaeum) JOB? I teach magical spells. SPELL? I have a specialty! Dost thou know what it is? YES? What do I call the spell? RECALL? Yes, resurrection! It takes ash, ginseng, garlic, silk, blood moss, and mandrake!	A bearded mage (in the Lycaeum): I am Nigel, master of all wizards! My magic is strong enough to raise the dead! Life, thou knowest, is given only unto the highest of wizards, and it requires garlic, moss, fungus, and... hmph, well... and... and Marina of Empath Abbey will tell thee its final ingredient! I am quite busy right now, no time for chitchat!
N/A	A beardless mage (in Empath Abbey): Hello! I am Marina Mandracha, in the service of Lady Marcy.

Improved spell mixes

• quickness
• sleep
• magic missile

Master System spell quests

• quickness
• sleep
• iceball

NES spell quests

In the NES remake, there are more spells to be found: sleep, reflect, negate, destroy, jinx, squish, tremor and defeat.

Mondain's skull

Sebastian, an injured person (Britain) JOB? I know a terrible secret! SECRET? Mondain's influence has not left the world! MONDAIN? An artifact remains! I heard at Buccaneer's Den! Wilt thou find and destroy it? YES? Then ask at the pub there of the skull!	An injured person (in Minoc): Ungh... Oooh... Ohhh... Oww... The pirates' pub... Mondain... Ohhh...
A reaper (Castle Britannia, beyond locked door) JOB? I kill adventurers! KILL? There is a thing which can kill many! THING? Knowledge of it is found at Buccaneer's Den! Will you seek this thing? YES? It brings great power!	Reaper (Castle Britannia, beyond locked door): Heh, heh! When the skull of Mondain is used in towne, it feels good! Dost thou also enjoy the destruction of pitiful innocents? No? "Thou art a wimp!" (Humility +5) Yes? "Heh, heh! Another friend of evil!" (Humility -5)
Servile, a meek shepherd (Vesper) JOB? I can help thee! HELP? I know of the skull of Mondain the Wizard! SKULL? To use it for any reason is a sign of great evil, and no virtue! Hast thou heard of it? YES/NO? It is an evil artifact!	N/A
Ragnar, a solemn ranger (Buccaneer's Den) JOB? I travel. TRAVEL? The lands of Britannia. Art thou here looking for information? YES? On what? SKULL? Be warned that if thou dost ever use the skull, except to destroy it, all thy virtues will be lost!	A pirate (in Buccaneer's Den): Mondain's skull, ye say? Ye do not want it! East of serpent's Hold, in the midsts of three volcanoes. Ye do not want it. Now go away!
The Captain (Buccaneer's Den) 99GP TIP, SKULL? ...	N/A
Jude, a ragged soul (Minoc) JOB? To redeem myself! REDEEM? I will not speak of my sin! SKULL? I used it! If I help thee wilt thou swear to only use it at the mouth of the abyss to destroy it? YES? It can be found at lat-P'F" long-M'F" on the darkest night!	A tinker (in Minoc): Ah, to wield the Skull of Mondain! To level a city, to slay all within! Such power I can scarcely hope to claim!

Mystic arms

Seesha, an injured fighter (in Castle Britannia). HEALTH? I have a grievous wound. WOUND? Deep. JOB? I fight for my country. COUNTRY? Britannia. Fight ye for Britannia? NO? Hmm. YES? Then seek out the smith named Zircon in Minoc for he made the mystic arms, only they will save thee in the abyss!	An injured person (in Minoc): I can neither walk nor work, kind friend. Please, a single coin... No? A good day to you, still. Yes? Ah, my thanks. Zircon awaits the bearer of the scale!
Zircon, a seasoned blacksmith (in Minoc). JOB? I forge weapons. WEAPONS? I make the very best! Seek thee a weapon? NO? Hmmm. YES? Ask at the counter! MYSTIC? Ah, yes, the mystic weapons and armour, my greatest work! Those I gave unto Sir Simon and Lady Tessa.	A tinker (in Minoc): I am Zircon, a very busy smith! A very, very busy smith! ...
Lady Tessa, a wise lady (in Paws). JOB? I am the keeper. KEEPER? I cannot say. MYSTIC? Mystics can be found by an eight parts avatar! Hast thou attained enlightenment in all eight virtues? YES? The mystic weapons lie in the training room of Serpent castle!	A woman in pink (in Vesper): I am told the scale of a legendary snake is in the mountain!
Sir Simon, a wise lord (in Paws). JOB? I am the keeper. KEEPER? Of what I cannot say! MYSTIC? Mystics can be found by an eight parts avatar! Hast thou attained enlightenment in all eight virtues? YES? The mystic armour lies in the center of the oak grove!	A fighter (in Paws): Hail, strong warrior! Dost thou fight for Britannia? No? Then depart from my sight! Yes? The mightiest arms lie in the castles of Truth and Love.
Scatu, a tall mage wearing strange armour (in the Lycaeum). ARMOUR? I wear mystic armour. Art thou a partial avatar? NO? Alas. YES? When thou art eight parts avatar, seek Zircon in Minoc and ask of mystics! JOB? I advise. ADVISE? Thou would be well advised to visit the Seer often!	A druid (in the Lycaeum): The Sword of Paradise lies atop the magical altar above. Only a master of the eight Virtues may claim it!