BEST TIPS for Wizardry 8

[Helix]

Guardian Angel is your friend. This is a level 4 Priest spell,
and it will save your party over and over. I can cast this spell
at power level 7, and the recipient takes absolutely no damage
from melee or missile attacks. (not sure if it works vs magic though).
Learn it. Use it. Trust me.

[Gimli]

Guardian Angel "absorbs damage from any attack". Also it's a level 2 spell so you get it early on.

[Helix]

My bad, Grimli. It is a level 2 spell indeed. Tnanks for
clearing that up.

Helix

[Annheiser]

About Bloodlust and for that matter, most cursed weapons...

If they don't have extended range, you're better off giving this weapon to characters that can cast offensive magic. Most of the time, your party will be standing still in the first round casting combat-only buffs (e.g. bard songs, elemental shield, etc.), while your melee will get busy with bows, slings, and whatnot. Having someone sit there is a waste of a turn. That's why this would make a good Samurai weapon. He can pair this with his inate speed of lightning, and he can cast Mage spells.

[ThorinOakshield]

I noticed a tip on using a excel spreadsheet for determining if a spellcaster was able to cast a spell or not.

I found that when in a shop if you click on the spellcaster and then right click on the spellbook you are interested in, It will give a green message if you know it, it will give you a red message that you are not able to know if in the text about the spell. Of course if you need to pay attention to the books required realm, it will not give you a message telling you can use it, you need to make sure the spell is for your realm. (i.e. It won't give a message telling you you can't learn the spell if you a mage looking at a alchemy spell)

When in inventory, I believe the same messages will appear, but it at least higlights the item in read if you can never learn it.

[FuriousGeorge]

When starting a new party, instead of using the chars you want, start with all fighters or lords.

Immediately upon starting at the beach, go and REPLACE all the fighters & lords with what chars you want. You'll be able to start out with better equipment than you'll find in lower or upper monastary this way.

For bards, you may want to buy his starting equipment (which includes the lute) or just start with the bard. Ditto for Ninja, Faeries, Samurai, etc..

[jsalsb]

At initial ranged encounters against spell casting opponents: cast element and soul shield in the first round while your archers "soften up" the monsters. Second round use RUN and wade in to melee. But run carefully. Guide your party to a spot where your hackers can hit at least 2-3 monsters without having to move again.

If you have a third pc who can cast freeze all, do so in the first round as well (for all but water resistant monsters… a life saver in Castle Rapax!). Freeze all allows you to concentrate on those you are attacking, without worrying about those you are not. Freeze it and forget it! I found this to be the best spell overall.

[jsalsb]

Short on cash to buy those goodies from the armorer in Castle Rapax? How about all that litter you've left behind? Collect all the armor you've despoiled your vanquished foes of, and trade it all in for a nice 150000 gp infinity helm!

[jsalsb]

Keep all your duration spells going at all times: armorplate, enchanted blade, missile shield, magic shield, and especially X-ray. Light is optional (batteries not included...).

[jsalsb]

Shopping: merchants seem to max out on item slots. Buy all their 25-or-less grouped missiles, and sell them back in groups of 100, or just drop them if you can spare the cash. Will free up slots. I noticed this in the demo, when burrz stopped spawning new items once he had about 50 rows of bullet stones. In my demo, Burrz's ledge was littered from end to end with arrow clsters and bullet piles.