Ishar 3

Solution

Bernd Wolffgramm - editor of DLH 

Here is the ISHAR 3 solution: Note that I played this game on an 
Amiga, but I don't think there are any major differences to the 
IBM PC version.  Cheers, Russell Robinson

*******************************************************************

General Hints:

Your task is to kill a dragon before the evil wizard Shandar can 
enter his body and take over the world.This must be done before "the 
conjunction". When this is I don't know: I finsihed the game about 
day 87. You advance in this game by completing subtasks in a 
more-or-less fixed order.  While you can (usually) wander about 
anyplace you have already been, certain things must be done to open 
the next time portal, etc. Sometime when you do the right things 
somebody will tell you what to do next, sometimes you just have to 
find it out yourself.  The clues are mostly there, but often very 
obscure. Take careful note of everything and if stuck think hard 
about what people have said, etc. Remember: TIME is very important 
in this game! 

1) I suggest you start with a sucessful party from ISHAR II, else 
make or recruit a party with 3 fighters, at least one a Paladin (has 
healing spell).  Put these in the front row. Behind, you should have 
a magician and a cleric (called a clerk for some reason). Set the 
fighters' displays so you can see when they are getting weak, and 
the others so that spells can be cast quickly (including the 
paladin). During the course of the game some characters will have to 
be dismissed. If the party refuses to dismiss someone you will have 
to kill him outright (this is dangerous) or strip him of armour and 
put him in the front before a battle. 

2) After talking to the man you meet at the immediate start of the 
game, begin by exploring all of poor town so that the shops/inns 
become marked on the map.  The city is divided by a wall into poor 
(outer) and rich (inner) sections: there is only one way into rich 
town. Shops are open from 6 hours through 21 hours.  Inns are always 
open. You may need to buy some food/weapons to survive since theives 
will attack in some places. You will probably loose some or all 
characters, so save often.Eat to rebuild strength (buy food from 
shops or eat in an inn); sleep (in an inn) to restore spell points 
and heal.It is sometimes best to heal people with spells before 
sleeping since sleeping doesn't heal very much but always restores 
50 spell points.  It seems that the thieves' power increases in 
proportion to your own so it is always possible for someone to die 
no matter how experienced you are.  Don't forget to keep an eye on 
your strengths during battles since if you becone too weak your 
blows are of no use. You can stop and eat (keep up your stocks of 
bread!) without being hit. 

Always "listen" in an inn and take careful notes of what anybody 
says and the name of the inn and who can be recruited there. It is 
also useful to note what items each shop sells so you don't waste 
time looking for something later. In shops you can sell unwanted 
items by giving them to the shop keeper. 

Killing theives gets you $$$ (don't forget to pick it up!) and 
experience points.  There are also some treasure chests but you have 
to kill thieves to get to them. You can get some $$$ for delivering 
a package from The Hearth Inn to The Noisy Lyra Inn.  Theives tend 
to reappear in the same places so you can learn when to expect them.  
The more experience you have the more spells are available and the 
power of old ones goes up too. 

NOTE: DON'T HAVE MALTUS (AT THE SILVER WOLF INN, FAR SOUTHEAST PART 
OF TOWN) TAKE YOU TO SEE THE MAGICIAN IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE 
ASTRONOMER!!  THE MAGICIAN WON'T TALK TO YOU AND YOU WILL NEVER GET 
BACK IN AGAIN!! 

3) After exploring Poor Town, enter rich town: you will need $4000 
for a pass which you should wear; it lasts forever.  Explore to find 
the shops and inns, bank, library, theatre, and palace.  Signs are 
opposite shops, not above the door as in poor town. There are no 
theives in rich town, probably because of all the guards (don't 
attack them!). You won't be allowed far into the palace yet; the 
theatre will be empty (and is open only at night).  The bank and 
library are only open during the day. The bank has a safe where you 
can deposite items. 

(I'm told there is one shop that gives away free magic shields early 
on, but charges later.  If so, you could get lots, store them in the 
bank safe, and sell them later??) 

Specific Hints in Order of Play:

(Note: I don't give "turn right then left" details or maps of 
dungeons, etc. You have to make maps if you want to succeed. Also, 
it may take one or more trips back to town to get healed, etc, 
before you can complete some of the steps below: others must be done 
in one go. Generally it is best to just accept the fact that you are 
going to get killed and go on to explore as far as you can. Then 
reload a saved game and do it right. In some places monsters 
regenerate if you leave and then come back again.) 

1) Buy a jug of wine from a shop.

2) Go see the astronomer (Typhus Mernith) in rich town (marked on 
the map by a green arrow). He is always open but ill tempered until 
you give him some wine.  He then gives you a deck of cards to take 
to the magician (Mather Fudius) in the far southeast of poor town.Go 
there and pick up and read the scroll by his door.You can't go in 
yet. 

3) Go to the Silver Wolf inn, listen, buy Maltus some food, then 
follow him into the magician's place.  Refuse to leave until the 
conversation comes to an end.  Then pull out your deck of cards (you 
can get at them even if the portraits are covered up) and give them 
to him.  He then points out the first time portal which you can use 
anytime from now on if you keep the key to his place. 

4) Your trip through portal 1 takes you to a large forest; the time 
is -73 years.  The forest is inhabited by wasps and dragon-flies 
which you must fight off.  Find the racoon in the far southeast part 
of the forest. This may take a while as the forest is a bit complex 
- three major areas connected by narrow bits (make a map).  Its not 
the ususal dungeon type thing with corridors but has large open 
areas instead. The racoon will tell you he is a magician whose spell 
has failed and he is stuck as a racoon. He gives you a scroll. 

5) Go back to portal 1 and exit. Show the scroll to the magician. He 
will tell you where to get a flask for mixing potions (it will be 
marked on the map) and what ingredients you need to buy. You will 
also need Keldonia Powder which no shop sells.  A man in the Big 
Troffer inn gives this to you if you "listen" (I think you may need 
the flash first). 

6) Go back to the racoon; mix the ingredients in the flask and give 
it to him to drink.  He turns into a man and gives you a 
medallion.His name is Greem Dahilin (same surname as the theatre 
owner). 

7) Exit back to town again and go to the theatre in rich town. It 
opens at 20 hours.  The owner will recognize you as the heros that 
helped his grandfather (the racoon) once you show him the medallion.  
He will point out portal 2, open only from 2 to 4 am (from this side 
- all hours from the other). 

8) Do whatever you need re food, rest, arms, etc.  Then enter portal 
2.  It takes you to a swamp, -4322 years.  Explore this and kill any 
tiger that attacks - keep the skins as you can sell them for $$$$ 
later.  You must find and kill an indian chief and also find a large 
jewel.  Then exit back to town. 

9) When you exit the theatre the man you met at the very beginning 
of the game (Astar) appears again. He tells you that you did well to 
kill the chief and that the town is in consequence a bit different 
then it was. He also tells you to go to the library where you can 
get some rather cryptic clues.  You will also find that there is a 
new park in the south of rich town.  In the park is a meteor on 
display, but its top is missing. 

 10) Go back through portal 2 and you are in the same swamp but at 
+3725 years this time (as the library clues hinted).  There are some 
changes.Explore and you will find the missing part of the meteor.  
If you find the Chaos Sword beware of using it (in fact I think 
anything with the word "chaos" in it might be dangerous).  Go back 
to town and place the missing piece on the meteor - time portal 3 
appears. 

11) Before entering portal 3 buy everyone a fur coat and rope. Put 
coats and ropes on, else you will freeze to death or maybe fall off 
the icy paths you find on entering the portal.  The time is -1432 
years. Explore and find 3 flowers plus a crazy looking machine 
(referred to in the library's clues). Place the jewel on the left of 
the machine and exit back to town. Beware of wolves: after they 
attack once they are behind you! It may pay to put someone heavily 
armoured or with lots of hit points at the rear of your party so the 
weaker members don't get killed. 

12) On re-entering town you meet Maltus again. He says his master 
wants to inform you that a new time portal (4) has appeared in the 
NW of town. Exchange fur coats for armour; you can leave the ropes 
on. Then go find portal 4.  This is easy to find and lightly 
guarded.  But where it takes you depends on the time you enter: 12 
to 23 hours takes you back -9230 years, 0 - 11 forward to +580 
years.  Go forward; if you go back you immediately find a locked 
door for which you won't yet have the key. 

13) You are now in a large dungeon with basically six sections 
(there are steps up or down but really everything is on the same 
level (things don't overlap). The first section is the "entry" area: 
dodge the fire balls and find a stairway south and down to the 
second section (the other doors will all be closed anyway).  Fight 
skeletons and explore until you have found a switch (toggle it), and 
2 keys (you need to use one in this same section). There are also 
various other treasures ($$$$, food, daggers). 

14) Go back up to the entry area and find a now open doorway leading 
north (the switch opened it).  Before entering a room with bright 
lights you should find and kill a strong magician (use the "protect 
from fire" spell if you have it) so that you can toggle another 
switch. Once that is done go into the room with the lights and 
quickly find the passage out the north side, else you will be 
blinded (temporary).  Don't worry about the door to the right. 

15) You then go down (through a door opened by the last switch) to 
another distinct dungeon section: kill spiders and find treasures 
(including another key). Beware in case one of your swords becomes 
cursed so that when you swing it you hit someone in your own party: 
cure this with the exorcism spell.  I'm not sure where the curse is 
put on you - could have been earlier and I just didn't notice.  Find 
the long corridor with large rock balls rolling down it.  Make your 
way along the corridor, dodging the rolling rocks, and along the way 
find a switch and toggle it.This opens a door near the end of the 
corridor. Pass through and open another door using a key. Pass 
quickly through another room of blinding lights and you then come to 
a maze of many doors that open only at certain times (twice a day, 
for 3 hours).  Beyond the first door (opens at 0 and 12 hours) the 
halls are filled with poison gas! There are a few clocks in the maze 
which you can advance so that certain doors open (or close).  The 
exit from the gas area is "north" but will take some experimentation 
to find.  You can also find some money.  It is important to exit 
with as many hit and spell points as possible: you will need them! 

16) Leave the gas area and come to a large room filled with fire 
balls. Cross this using a protect from fire spell, fight a guard and 
go north then west (use another key on a door). Take steps down and 
enter a large room filled with lava. You can safely walk on the 
stepping stones: note that some are marked with circles.  You find 
that each time you step on a stone with a circle on it that a woman 
(Thina) in a suspended cage is lowered a bit: if you step on too 
many she falls into the lava. Find the correct path that lowers her 
just to your level and immediately adjacent to you.  She then 
escapes and wants to join your party, which you must let her do by 
dismissing someone else.  She is a fairly powerful cleric so dismiss 
the one you have already, remembering to strip him/her first of all 
possesions and money. Equip Thina and put her in the back rank. She 
asks that you help her find Zoltar.  Exit back towards the fire ball 
room but go south instead of re-entering it.  Find more $$$$ and a 
dagger until it looks like a dead end. Pass south through an 
invisible door and make your way south and west. There are lots of 
tough guards.  Pass SW through another invisible door, dodge fire 
balls again, heading south.  Fight the final lot of guards if you 
are able enough, else dodge them and run south until you come to the 
original fire ball corridor (through a one way door). Exit through 
the time portal back to town. 

17) Turn right and you meet Astar again who tells you a bit more 
about what to do: "Find Thina's boyfriend (Zoltar) at the palace and 
take them both to a forest".  When you sleep at an inn Jon appears 
in a dream and tells you where to find guard's uniforms suitable for 
entering the palace.  Go there. The house is locked: the key is in 
the fountain behind you. 

18) Put on the uniforms and go to the palace.  Be sure all women in 
your party are wearing helmets else the guard still won't let you in 
(No Single Women Allowed!). Since Zoltar will want to join you, 
strip and dismiss one of your fighters before entering. You find 
Zoltar (Thina's boy friend) but he tells you to leave. Take the 
helmet off Thina and he recognizes her and offers to join your 
party.Take him in.Exit and put armour back on. 

19) Go back to portal 1 but before entering take all possesions from 
Thina and Zoltar.Enter and wander around until Thina and Zoltar 
annouce that they are leaving the party to set up housekeeping 
here.Then exit back through the portal.Fudius gives you the second 
jewel needed for the crazy machine.He says somebody must have 
dropped it. 

20) Recruit a new cleric and fighter, equip them, and head for 
portal 3 in the park.Put your coats back on, enter, and fight your 
way back to the machine. Put the jewel on the right hand side.Exit 
back to town, but leave your coats on. 

21) Re-enter portal 3 back to the icy mountains. This time the date 
is +XXXX (I don't have the exact date on hand).Things have changed a 
little. Explore and find two more flowers (you should have 5 now), 
and a magic belt.If you run across the crazy machine you will see 
that the two jewels are now missing: don't worry about it.Exit back 
to town. Put on the belt. 

 22) Put your armour back on and go back to portal 1 (Fudius).Enter 
and you find the date is +50.Explore and fight black knights and a 
magician. Find the grandson of Thina & Zoltar, and his wife, outside 
a hut.He will tell you a story and give you a gold key.His wife is a 
witch and will put a protection spell on you if you stand in front 
of her for a few moments.Exit back to town. 

23) Head for portal 4 (northwest part of town) and enter between 12 
and 23 hours.Use the gold key on the door.Explore and find food, 
daggers, money, and keys.There are blue poison splots on the floor 
that are hard to evade (sometimes stepping sideways, if possible, 
helps): use "cure poison" spells.Before passing down another 
fire-ball corridor, go to the far south-east corner of the dungeon. 
To get there requires toggling a series of switches (4 total) and 
using one key: don't worry if doors close behind you. You will find 
there a square room with a central pillar with 6 open windows. There 
is a passage out to the north but it is deadly to enter until you 
first unload ALL your possesions into the windows (except the flask 
which for some reason isn't accepted).Each window takes only 11 
items so be sure to lump together arrows, food, etc instead of 
putting them in one by one (click on the number not the item). Don't 
worry - you can get things back again later. 

24) Enter the passage leading north (it is safe now). Beware of a 
magician who you will have to kill with spells since you have no 
weapons.(Or maybe you could have mixed a potion before hand??) Find 
a switch and toggle it.Also find money, food.Go back and collect 
your belongings, then exit back and along the south boundary until 
you can head north again to the fire-ball corridor. 

25) Go along the corridor to an exit south (expect to be hit at 
least once). Use a key and enter a small maze filled with vampire 
bats.Find the exit north and a magician who keeps conjuring up super 
strong bats as fast as you can kill them (you can't attack the 
magician).  Eventually he runs out of steam and disappears. 

26) Enter a long room and head north.  Suddenly herds of devils 
appear in front of and behind you. Fight if you can/wish else dodge 
them and exit through a door to the north.  If you choose to fight 
it is best to do it in bits: there are invisible doors to the left 
and right as you first enter this room. If you go in one of these 
then you fight 3 devils only in each.  Then they don't sneak up 
behind you later. 

27) You are in another lava room with stepping stones but the path 
doesn't go far before you find gaps.  By stepping on the stones 
marked with rings you cause a missing stone to appear somewhere 
else.  Eventually you can complete a path leading north to the 
dragon. 

28) Kill the dragon if you can!!!  He has 2000 hit points. I managed 
it after 2 trips back to town to sleep/eat: the dragon doesn't heal 
himself while you are away.  It is best to use attack spells 
(especially "cold") 3 steps away (or 4 - I forget) so he can't reach 
you with his fire balls.  He doesn't advance. Then use the "protect 
from fire" spell and rush in and hack away a while, then back away 
again quickly.  Exit back to town when your healing spells run out. 
You will have to dodge the devils, fight two bats, and survive the 
fire-ball corridor so don't leave it too late.  It doesn't seem to 
make much difference if the witch's protection spell goes away.  
Don't expect any fancy ending ceremony. 

I never found out what use the flowers (collected in the icy 
mountains) are: they were important in Ishar 2. Also there was a 
small part of the city whose entry roads seemed to disappear about 
half way through the game - maybe there is some way in?