Dragon Warrior I Manual
Text version
Modified from the original in order to be clear without pictures by
Christopher Lee Boger
GrnGbln@aol.com
vladamir@comsource.net
This manual wasn't all that well written to begin with, so don't blame
me!  The table of contents in it didn't even list key points!

CONTENTS:
=========
The story of Dragon Warrior
Welcome to the realm of "Dragon Warrior"
Option screen
Entering commands during walkabout mode
Entering commands during fighting mode
More about your character
Getting to know the terrain
Your weapons and armor
How to use your items
Magic Spells
Visit the King and have your deeds recorded on the imperial scrolls of
honor (How to save your game)
How to start off on the right foot (What you must do at the beginning of
the game)
Hints on defeating the Dragonlord

THE STORY OF DRAGON WARRIOR:
============================
     In olden days of yore, the realm of Alefgard was cloaked in darkness.
According to legend, a brave warrior, Erdrick, brought light back to the
land by defeating an evil being.  He use the balls of light bequeathed to
him by a friend to drive off the enemies of Alefgard.  He then gave the
balls of light to King Lorik, who unified Alefgard.  The land was at peace
for many generations.
     In the time of King Lorik XVI, the balls of light were stolen from
Tantagel Castle by the evil Dragonlord, and once again the kingdom of
Alefgard was plunged into darkness.  Many travellers fall prey to the
merciless fangs of monsters, and the beautiful countryside was transformed
into poisonous marshes that hindered travellers.  It was also rumored that
several towns and villages were destroyed; wiped off the face of the land
by ghosts and dragons.
     Many brave warriors tried to recover the balls of light, but none of
them ever returned from Charlock, the Dragonlord's dark castle.  The people
longed for peace, but did not give up hope.  The great seer Mahetta
predicted that "One day, a descendent of the valiant Erdrick shall come
forth to defeat the Dragonlord."
     Who is this brave soul?  There is only one possible answer.
     You.
     Your quest is to find and to defeat the evil Dragonlord.  The time has
come.  This is the start of your adventure.

WELCOME TO THE REALM OF "DRAGON WARRIOR":
=========================================
     Insert the Dragon Warrior Pak in the NES Control Deck and turn the
power on.  The title of the game will appear on the screen and the opening
music will start to play.
     Press the Start button, then the display will change to show the
Option Screen.  You can choose an option by moving the arrow cursor with
the control pad, then pressing the A button.

OPTION SCREEN:
==============
     BEGIN A NEW QUEST
     If you are going to start a new game, bring the arrow cursor to
"Begin a new quest" and press the A button on controller 1.

     The display will change to the naming screen.  This is where you can
register your name.
     Use the Control Pad to select a letter, then enter it by pressing the
A button.
     If you make a mistake while entering the name, bring the arrow cursor
to "Back" and press the A button.  The arrow cursor in the name box will
move back one space, erasing your mistake.
     You can enter names up to eight characters long.

     Now that you've entered your name.... Next, press the A button, then
the display will change to show the message speed screen.  You can choose
an option by moving the arrow cursor with the Control Pad, and then
pressing the A button.  Now the Game play screen will appear.  Let's get on
with the adventure.

     CONTINUE A QUEST (TO CONTINUE SAVED GAMES)
     If you wish to continue a previously saved game, select "Continue a
Quest".  The display will change to show the games which have been saved
previously.  Here, you can continue any one of three previous adventures
which can be stored as Adventure Logs in the Imperial Scrolls of Honor.
Once you have chosen an adventure, you will continue that adventure with
all the strength and items you had when it was saved.

     CHANGE MESSAGE SPEED
     If you wish to change the message speed of a previously saved game,
select "Change Message Speed".  The display will then change to show the
saved games.  Select one of these with the arrow cursor and press the A
button.
     The display will then change to a screen listing the saved games.
Select one of these with the arrow cursor and press the A button.
     The display will then change and you will be asked "Which message
speed do you want to use?"  Again, use the Control Pad to choose the
Message Speed for your Adventure Log- either Fast, Normal, or Slow- then
press the A button.

     COPY A QUEST
     This option allows you to copy the attributes of one character that
has been recorded on an Adventure Log to another Adventure Log.
     You might make a copy of an Adventure Log to protect it against
possible erasure, or if a friend wants to play at a higher level.
     First, select the "Copy a Quest" option, then select the Adventure log
you wish to make a copy of.  Then push the A button.  You will be given a
choice of Adventure Logs to which you can copy.  (You can only copy into an
Adventure Log that does not already contain a character's quest.) Push the
A button to select the Adventure Log you want to copy to.
     You will then be asked Yes or No: Yes if you want to copy, No if you
have decided against making a copy.

     ERASE A QUEST
     First, select the option "Erase a Quest".  Then select the Adventure
Log you want to erase.  The status of the character in the chosen
Adventure Log will be displayed.  You will then have to answer Yes or No:
Yes if you want to erase the Adventure Log, and No if you want to keep it
as it is.  An erased Adventure Log is gone forever!  Only do this if you
do not wish to play this saved game again.

HOW TO USE THE CONTROLLER AND DISPLAYS:
=======================================
     Control Pad- This moves your character up, down, left, and right.
When entering commands, this pad moves the flashing arrow cursor in the
command window in the same direction pressed.

     A button- When you press this button, the command window appears on
the screen and you can enter commands.  Use the control pad to bring the
arrow cursor to the command that you wish, then press the A button.  If
you press the A button while the down arrow is flashing in a text window
then the next text window will be displayed.

     B button- Press this to cancel any command you have entered.

     The command window will appear when you press the A button while
you're in walkabout mode.  This window will appear in the upper right
corner of the screen.
     Your present status will also be displayed in the status window.  LV
is your level.  HP is hit points, your life force.  MP is magic power.
G is gold.  E is experience.  See: MORE ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER later in the
manual for more information on this.

ENTERING COMMANDS DURING WALKABOUT MODE:
========================================
     TALK
     When you choose this command, you can speak in the direction you are
facing.  You can't speak to anybody unless that person is right in front of
you.  However, you can speak to people in shops and inns, etc. if you're
standing at a counter.  (A counter looks like a yellow block)

     STATUS
     You can find out just how much strength you possess in many different
areas.  See: MORE ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER later in the manual for more
information on this.

     STAIRS
     Place your character on the stairway and choose this command to go up
or down the stairs.  This command won't work if you're not directly over
the staircase.

     DOOR
     You can open doors if you have a key.  Use keys wisely.  You can only
use a key once and you will need a key for each door.

     SPELL
     You can chant magic spells.  Use the control pad to choose the spell
and press the A button to cast the spell.  This command doesn't work if you
haven't learned any spells yet.

     ITEM
     Choose this command to use the items that you have acquired.  Select
an item with the control pad, then press the A button to use that item.

     SEARCH
     Use this command to search the area at your feet.

     TAKE
     Use this command to open Treasure Chests.  Move over the Treasure
chest and use this command to take what is inside.

ENTERING COMMANDS DURING FIGHTING MODE:
=======================================
     When you leave a castle or town, lots of monsters will come out to
attack you.  If you happen to bump into one of them, the game will
automatically enter the fight mode.

     FIGHT
     You can fight monsters with any weapons you may have or with your bare
fists (if you have no weapons).
     In most fights, you won't be able to defeat the enemy with one blow.
You may suffer some damage, but you can carry on until you've defeated the
monster.

     RUN
     As you suffer damage, the Hit Points in the status window will go
down.  When you have no points left, that's the end of your game.  So run
away if you think you're dangerously close to that point.  Remember,
running away can be a very important "fighting" technique.

     SPELL
     You can chant a spell instead of using weapons.  In a fight, spells
can heal wounds and inflict damages on the enemy.

     ITEM
     Use this command to recover your life force with the herbs that you
are carrying.

MORE ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER:
==========================
     LEVEL
     This tells you your level as a warrior.  You're at level 1 at the
beginning of the game.  As you fight monsters and gain more experience,
your level goes up, your strength increases, and you learn more spells.

     HP (HIT POINTS)
     This shows your life force.  Hit Points will decrease when the enemy
inflicts damages on you.  Don't forges, when this number reaches 0, that's
then end of you and your game!

     MAXIMUM HP
     If your life force is very low, it can be restored to maximum force
by staying at an Inn.  Also the maximum HP goes up with each level and
you'll be able to withstand more damage.

     MP (MAGIC POWER)
     This is your power for chanting spells.  This power goes down each
time you chant a spell.  Some spells use more or less MP than others.

     MAXIMUM MP
     You can restore your magical power to maximum strength by staying at
an Inn.

     G (GOLD)
     This is the money you have obtained.  You get some gold for each of
the monsters you defeat.  And when you've saved up enough gold, you'll be
able to buy weapons, armor, and other items.

     E (EXPERIENCE)
     This is your fighting experience.  You gain experience by defeating
the enemy.  The stronger the enemy, the more experience you get.  As you
gain experience, your level goes up and your strength increases.

     STRENGTH
     This number increases as your level goes up.

     AGILITY
     Your character becomes faster at higher levels.  This means that you
can more easily avoid the enemy or run away.

     ATTACK POWER
     The higher this number, the more damage you can inflict on monsters.
You can increase your attacking power by becoming stronger and acquiring
more powerful weapons.

     DEFEND POWER
     A higher defense rating means that an enemy's attack will inflict
less damage to you.

GETTING TO KNOW THE TERRAIN:
============================
     PLAINS
     (Plains are light green in color with darker green spots)
     You can walk around normally on the plains, and fewer monsters live
here.

     FORESTS
     (Forests look like a group of two trees standing together)
     You can also walk through forests.  More monsters are lurking here
than in the plains, however.

     MOUNTAINS
     (Mountains are small rounded earth colored mounds)
     Mountains will slow you down a bit.  More importantly, you'll come
across many enemies.  If you don't want to bump into a lot of monsters,
then keep out of the mountains.

     CRAGGY MOUNTAINS
     (Craggy mountains are grey peaks)
     Very, very, steep mountains.  They are impassible.

     SWAMPS
     (Swamps are black in color with spots of lighter color)
     Poisonous swamps.  For each step you take you will lose two hit
points.  Keep an eye on your HP rating when you take a walk in the swamps
and use herbs and spells to keep your life force high.

     ENTRANCES TO CAVES
     (Entrances to caves look like a black half circle shaped door)
     When your character arrives at one of these, you'll automatically be
transported inside.  Once inside, make sure you're carrying a fiery torch.
If you go inside a cave by accident, don't move.  Use the stairs command
to leave or risk being lost in the darkness.

     BRIDGES
     (Bridges look like an arched bridge over a river)
     Beware of bridges!  When you cross a bridge, you'll arrive at an area
where stronger monsters live.

     CASTLES AND TOWNS
     (Castles have three towers with flags and towns look like a couple of
      buildings side by side)
     You can enter a castle or town that you've come across.  Here are some
of the things you will find in castles and towns.

     SHOP COUNTERS
     (Shop counters are a yellow colored block with a black outlined square
      in the middle)
     Go straight to the counter if you want to talk to the shopkeeper who
stands behind it.

     DOORS
     (Doors are black and are outlined in grey, with a grey line down the
      center)
     You can open doors with the "door" command if you have a key.

     ROOFS
     (Roofs are made up of small grey squares on top of buildings)
     All houses with roofs have an entrance.  Sometimes, you must search
for the entrance.

     STAIRS
     (Stairs down look like a hole with stairs leading in.  Stairs up look
      like a staircase standing on the floor)
     Steps for going up or down.  Use the stairs command.

     BARRIERS
     (Barriers are grayish and black diagonal lines on the floor)
     15 points worth of damage is inflicted on you if you take a step on
one of these.  You need lots of courage and physical strength to pass
through these barriers.


SHOPS:
======
     This is where you can buy and sell weapons, armor, and items.

     First off, go to the counter and try talking to the shopkeeper on the
other side.  He will ask you what you want to buy (or sell).
     When you're selling, the shop keeper will accept things at half the
price you bought them for.  Alefgard businessmen are very stubborn.  You
won't be able to haggle over the price.

     WEAPONS STORES
     They sell lots of weapons and armor.  Look for the signboard in front
of the shop which looks like a sword lying on a shield. (Some stores don't
put out signs!)  Goods differ from shop to shop.

     GENERAL STORE
     Fiery torches, herbs, and other goods are available for purchase.
You can also sell items that you've picked up on your adventure.

     INN
     When you stay overnight here, you can restore the maximum HP and MP
that you lost during your adventure.  Look for the sign that says Inn
outside the shop.  Each Inn charges a different price.

     KEY CUTTER
     He sells magical keys that can open any door.  However, it's up to you
to find out which town the key cutter is in.

     MAGIC WATER MERCHANT
     There's a rumor in the kingdom that there are shops that'll sell you
magical water that protects you from monsters.  But we don't have much
information on this.  If you're interested, search for it!

YOUR WEAPONS AND ARMOR
======================
     BAMBOO STICK
     Just a simple length of cut bamboo.  It's cheap but not very powerful.

     CLUB
     A shaved oak bough with an easy-to-hold grip.  More powerful than the
bamboo stick.

     COPPER SWORD
     A long sword made from copper that will inflict a fair bit of damage
on an enemy.

     HAND AXE
     An iron axe especially made for fighting.  Powerful but difficult to
wield.

     BROAD SWORD
     A light, strong sword made of steel that's really powerful.

     CLOTHES
     Made of thick cloth, they don't really protect you too much from the
enemy.  Even so, it's better than nothing and it does lessen the damage
inflicted by the enemy a little bit.

     LEATHER ARMOR
     Sewn together from fragments of soft leather, it is useful in combat.
It's light and easy to move about it, and it gives you more protection than
the clothes.

     CHAIN MAIL
     Made from light metallic thread sewn together.  Light and easy to move
in, it will considerably lessen the damage that the enemy can inflict on
you.

     HALF PLATE
     A strong piece of armor made from beaten out iron panels.  Although
you can't move about so fast.  It really protects you from the enemy's
blows.

     FULL PLATE
     Made from specially fabricated steel, this is really durable armor.
It'll protect you from almost all enemy attacks.

     SMALL SHIELD
     A rectangular shield made from cow and goat hide.  Light and easy to
handle, it is the most widely used shield in Alefgard.

     LARGE SHIELD
     Cast from iron, this shield has a delicate engraved design on it's
front.  Of course, this durable shield has far more protective power than
that of the small shield.

     *Search for even more types of weapons and armor.

HOW TO USE YOUR ITEMS
=====================
     FIERY TORCH
     This lights up the dark and gloomy underground labyrinths.  It's made
from slender fresh wood and is soaked in pine resin and oil.  You can buy
it at almost all general stores.

     HERBS
     A medicine made of pulverized and mixed mandoragora root and mugwort.
Just one herb package will restore 20-35 of your HP points.

     DRAGON'S SCALE
     Legend has it that this fell from a dragon's body a long, long, time
ago.  A light green fossil that fits in the palm of your hand, it has
mysterious powers and slightly increases your defensive power.

     WINGS
     Another legend has it that, when lightning strikes and kills a Wyvern,
it's wings fall down to earth with their magical flying powers still
intact.  Using these wings will bring you back to Tantegel Castle.

     FAIRY WATER
     Magical water taken from a spring by a silver ladle on the night of a
full moon and purified at the altar of the goddess Aura.  It is said that
you can travel for some time while warding off those in your way if you
sprinkle some of the water on your body.  However, the power of this water
is not effective in caves or against evil monsters with great power.

     KEY
     Special keys that open closed doors.  Although you can use them on any
door, you lose on for each door you have opened.

     *Naturally enough, there are more items.  What power will new found
items hold in store for you?  Only you can find that out.

     Though the fiery torches, herbal packages, wings, magical water and
keys are reduced by one each time you use them, you won't lose other items
even if you experiment with them.

MAGICAL SPELLS
==============
     You've just set out on your travels and you know no spells whatsoever.
But as you fight on, you'll gain experience and as you grow in level as a
warrior you'll be able to learn new spells as your level increases.

     HEAL
     If you use this spell when you've been wounded in battle, you can be
cured without having to stay overnight at an Inn.  You can use this spell
whether you're walking about or in battle.  For each time you chant the
spell, you can gain 10-15 extra HP points and lose 4 MP points.

     HURT
     A spell you will use for fighting.  When you chant it, little balls
of fire spurt out of your fingertips.  One chant of this spell inflicts
2-15 points of damage on the enemy, and you lose 2 points of MP.

     SLEEP
     Chant this spell if you come across some really disagreeable monsters.
It will make monsters fall into a deep, deep, sleep.  You lose 2 points
of MP for every spell.  It doesn't work every time.

     RADIANT
     This spell will light up caves when you find yourself groping around
in the dark.  Brighter than a fiery torch, you'll be able to see far ahead.

     STOPSPELL
     Of the various monsters you'll come across in your travels some will
attack you with spells.  When that happens, chant this spell.  If the spell
is successful you can block the monster's spell.

     OUTSIDE
     If by chance you lose your way deep down in some dark, gloomy
labyrinth or if you find that you haven't enough strength to get back up to
the world above, then this is the spell for you.  It'll warp you back to
the world above in no time at all.

     RETURN
     When you've travelled too far away from home or you find that you just
can't return to Tantegel Castle, use this spell to soar high in the sky and
return.

     REPEL
     This spell will cloak you in a magical aura that protects you from
monster attacks.  However, it won't work in foul smelling caves.  And just
like fairy water, you can't use it against monsters stronger than you.

     HEALMORE
     Some of the Dragonlord's henchman are so strong that they inflict more
than 30 points worth of damage in a single attack, in which case "heal" or
healing herbs won't work in time.  This is a more powerful version of
"heal" and will restore 75-100 HP points each time you use it.

     HURTMORE
     This is a more powerful version of "hurt".  Legend has it that those
who can chant the spell summon up lightning and attack the enemy with it.
When you've chanted the magic spell, knife-like lightning is fired from
your fingertips and destroys almost all enemies.

VISIT THE KING AND HAVE YOUR DEEDS RECORDED ON THE IMPERIAL SCROLLS OF
HONOR (To save your game)
======================================================================
     Your adventure is much longer than you think, so long that you'll
never achieve your goal in a single day.
     To save your game, you must return to Tantegel Castle and visit King
Lorik on the second floor.
     Another thing, even when you're not ending the game we advise you go
and visit the King, for example, at each promotion in level.

   ********************************************************************
   * CAUTION:  TO AVOID DAMAGING SAVED INFO, HOLD THE RESET BUTTON AS *
   *           YOU TURN THE POWER OFF                                 *
   ********************************************************************

HOW TO START OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT (What you must do at the beginning of
the game)
========================================================================

     When starting a new game, enter your name.  When you've done this, the
King will appear.  Press any button and the King will talk to you.
     Once you've heard what he tells you, do as you're told.  Collect the
three treasure chests and talk to the soldiers.  They're sure to give you
lots of useful advance for your travels.  (Enter commands by using the A
button and the control pad.  See ENTERING COMMAND DURING WALKABOUT MODE for
details)
     Now, open the door and set out on your adventure.  The bottom of the
stairway is the ground floor of the castle.  You can see lots of people
moving about.  Talk with them for useful information.
     You should be able to see the town of Brecconary, if you leave the
castle.  Go into town and find the weapons store to the North (straight up)
Now, it's time to buy weapons and armor.
     What a selection of weapons and armor!  But you've only got 120 pieces
of gold.  Are you going to buy the club and clothes, or the bamboo stick
and leather armor?  That's for you to decide.  Use your money wisely!
     Take a few steps out of town and monsters will come to attack you.
At level 1, you're still a weak fighter.  Nevertheless, you should be able
to defeat slimes.  Attack them until they're defeated.
     You suffer damage when the slimes hit you and your HP value goes down.
When the HP value is displayed in red, that's a danger signal!  When this
happens go back to town and stay overnight at an Inn to recover your life
force.
     The further away you roam from the Tantegel Castle, the stronger the
monsters become.  Our advice is not to stray too far from the castle.
Fight Slimes and work on increasing your experience points.
     While you're fighting Slimes, you're bound to be promoted at some time
to level 2.  When that happens, go and see the King.  He'll tell you how
many more points you need to advance to level 3.
     When you've been promoted to level 3, you'll learn a spell, gain more
strength and speed and you'll be able to fight Drakees without too much
trouble.
     And at level 4 you'll be able to use the spell "hurt".  With this
spell, you'll be able to defeat the magicians.
     If you continue the game like this, you'll gradually grow in strength
and be able to travel to fields farther away.
     Long, long ago, the hero Erdrick defeated the evil Dragonlord.  It's
up to you to do the same and create new legends for the little kingdom of
Alefgard.

HINTS ON DEFEATING THE DRAGONLORD
=================================
     (1) Look carefully at the windows!
     A window will appear at the top left of the screen when you come to a
stop.  Always check this window when you're traveling.  It will provide you
with important information.
     If you've fought a lot and your HP points are really low, use the spell
"heal" or the herb packages to recover your life force.  If you're low on both
HP and MP, then go back to town and stay at an Inn.  If you don't, you'll die
and as a punishment you'll lose half of your gold.

     (2) Judge monsters' strength!
     The monsters roaming about in the realm of Alefgard each have differing
HP values and ways of attacking you.  Slimes are defeated after only 3 or 4
points of damage.  However Wolfs and Skeletons won't be defeated unless
you inflict several times that much damage on them.
     While you're fighting, remember how much HP certain types of monsters
have, how they attack you, and how you can attack them back.

     (3) Skillfully use your items!
     The various items that you can buy in the general store will really come
in handy.  For example, you won't need herbs if you remember the "heal"
spell, but they'll be very welcome if you've almost run out of magic points
(MP) when fighting a surprisingly strong enemy.
     If you've got enough money to spare and you want to travel a long way,
buy the wings.  Many times you'll wish you'd brought some along.

     (4) Gather lots of information!
     To defeat the Dragonlord, you must of course be strong and seek out
where the Dragonlord lurks.
     To do that you must visit lots and lots of districts in Alefgard and gather
information from the townspeople.  Some of the things that they will tell
you may not make much sense at the time, but as you go forward in the
game you'll understand the meaning of their words.
     You would be well advised to make a note of what they tell you!

End text version DW1 manual
Typed up by Christopher Lee Boger
vladamir@comsource.net
GrnGbln@aol.com