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| Throne of Darkness |
| Wizard soloing FAQ |
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..by Gessie, 2019
[ Index ]
1. Introduction
2. Important Links
3. Equipment Customization
4. Finances
5. Skillpoints
6. Miscellaneous
7. Wrapping Up
[ 1. Introduction ]
Throne of Darkness was one of the first RPG games I enjoyed along with Diablo
and Arcanum. Among these three classics ToD stands out due to its wonderful
graphic design and item customization - the reasons I still enjoy it today.
Being a tryhard min/maxing type of person in addition to my love for mage-type
classes I'd decided to make my first run a Wizard-only walkthrough. The early
game was extremely difficult yet very rewarding. Experience is gained on a
per-character basis meaning a solo character will effectively level up four
times as quickly compared to enemies encountered.
With the right build it's possible to run straight to the end boss and kill him
while ignoring most areas, though I opted to thoroughly sweep through the entire
game instead to find out just how powerful my Wizard could become.
If you enjoy a good challenge I highly recommend doing the same, though not
being too rigid about the "solo only" rule may save you a lot of frustration.
Playing the game now that I'm much, much older gave me the added benefits of
patience and foresight, which combined with my knowledge of the game allowed my
latest solo-Wizard to become insanely powerful surprisingly early. Thus I
decided to write this guide and offer you the same advantage.
[ 2. Important Links ]
<> Hat Man's Component guide:
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/pc/913876-throne-of-darkness/faqs/14323
Very useful when making tough crafting decisions. Alt+Tab to it often.
<> UnSub's Walkthrough:
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/pc/913876-throne-of-darkness/faqs/23528
Useful to find any character-specific quests you may have missed.
[ 3. Equipment Customization ]
<> Ideally, wait until you can create something that'll stay relevant
throughout the game. To ensure the best base stats for an item check the
Blacksmith's "Make" page; you can refresh his stock easily by making a cheap
item within the same category (melee/ranged/armor) and again by giving it back.
Here are the best values I've found:
Head: Matsutaka 35 AC - 135 strength required, 10 slots.
Legs: Sune Yoroi 35 AC - 100 strength required, 8 slots.
Arms: Ude Yoroi 39 AC - 120 strength required, 10 slots.
Body: Triple Scale 125 AC (Wizard, 130 strength req); Kunimichi 150 AC (other
classes, 150 strength req), both 25 slots.
Thrown: Nage Yari 29 Durability - 75 strength and 150 dexterity required, 20
slots.
<> Thrown weapons are superior to other weapon types due to their low stat
requirements per component slot. Note that only weapons can have Health leech.
<> The total stat requirements for the Wizard's best equipment are therefore
135 strength and 150 dexterity. You'll get roughly 50 bonus points split between
these stats from a good Jewel so keep this in mind.
<> Any stat points gained after reaching these values should be spent on
Vitality, else stronger enemies will kill you before you can heal.
<> Ki leech is extremely important. I recommend crafting multiple armor pieces
with it; this also gives you more Ki capacity. You'll need the Yama-Inu Blood
component for this (drops from enemies who transform into wolves after dying).
<> Health Leech is also very important though you should wait until you have
the best thrown weapon (Nage-Yari) before you craft it. You'll need either
Hairpin or Oni Fang components for this (the former drops from female archers,
the latter from club-wielding Oni).
<> NEVER use the Buddha components before you find all four, as these can be
used to craft a single 100% resist all body armor. You'll unlock these rather
late however so don't hesitate to craft a good Triple Scale before then. Save
your Gold Kenya Stones for this godly combo as they're the only boosters which
apply to all elements.
[ 4. Finances ]
<> Early on, after you've found 2 or 4 Gold Soul Shards (+15% gold gain each)
and a few Water Component boosters, immediately craft them into a quality armor
piece (I recommend the Ude-Yoroi). This should net you around 90% bonus gold
throughout the game.
<> A good Talisman will give you another +90% gold gains, a great reason to
kill a few enemies on the mountain before reaching the first castle - the way is
shown by a blue line.
<> Level the Leader for the sole purpose of pumping his Charisma as this
effectively reduces all expenses. Don't spend a single point on his other stats
- you'll get plenty of Kappa Blood (Strength/Vitality) and Tengu Feathers
(Dexterity) to outfit him with powerful equipment.
[ 5. Skillpoints ]
<> Don't worry too much about wasting skillpoints in a solo walkthrough as
you'll get tons. However, I also strongly recommend saving all points in a
single tree until the Kanji spell is unlocked as this is arguably the most
powerful in the game, and goes up to lvl 35. Earth is a good choice.
<> The first powerful spells at your disposal are the multi-homing ones, for
example Fire Darts - these are also the most cost-efficient and therefore remain
useful. Earlier spells are weak and often miss.
<> Ki Leech is very useful early on and costs only 6 points to max. You can use
the custom Spell hotkeys to cast a spell, then quickly switch to Ki Leech before
it lands. Set these up by opening the skill selection and pressing F9, F10, F11
or F12 to bind them.
<> You'll want at least one Dragon spell maxed out. These act as stationary and
invulnerable turrets and can be placed behind walls (works with Ki and Health
Leech). The Water version is uniquely good as it can freeze enemies while the
Earth version is uniquely bad due to knockback.
<> Feel free to ignore the skills on the right side of the tree until you have
a maxed damage spell, as only the curses are significantly useful - they amplify
damage dealt.
<> Petrify is the best option to immobilize enemies. It can also be used to
train weaker samurai. If an enemy is immune to its effects, try cursing him
first.
[ 6. Miscellaneous ]
<> You can save-scum to get the loot you want, which can be useful when you
need leech components. A fast way to do this is to save close to a large group
of enemies of a certain type, then quit without saving if you don't get what you
want. Rinse repeat. Be warned as this can get tedious - particularly Hairpins
are very rare drops.
<> Arguably the most desirable item in the game is the rarely-dropped Quartz,
which takes up only 2 slots and boosts Water components (Ki leech/gold gain).
There is no 2-slot Fire booster (Health leech) so don't bother waiting for one.
[ 7. Wrapping Up ]
If you've gotten this far, your Wizard will be ready for whatever the game
throws at him. Enjoy gleefully slaughtering Zanshin's hordes and thank you for
reading.
