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Solution
Finished August 1st, 1991
Written in ASCII format by Jc 2
Alright, kiddies, here's a modern solution file to that three year-old
adventure game called Wasteland. This game is one of the best games EVER
created. The great variety of skills you can put into your characters, the
smooth interface and the rock-solid (well, almost) plot is reason enough to put
this among the classics. And if you haven't bought the game, yet, do.
This solve covers many of the main points to the Wasteland scenario, but I hope
I didn't miss too many nuances. There are many parts to this file: the basic
solution, an essay on character creation and a list of all the armor, weapons
and equipment you'll find in the game. There's also a section on general hints
and some unknowns.
Oh, by the way, if you really want to thank me, send me the solution put out by
Origin. I never managed to get a copy of that.
If you have any other problems or updates, you can reach me at Caesar's Palace:
(213) 398-1224, node @4 for most WWIV nets.
SOLUTION:
You start out at Ranger Center in the southern part of the Wasteland. Go west
to the kids' camp of Highpool. Try and enter all the various buildings.
Complete the dog quest. (There is no way to avoid killing Rex.) Rescue Jackie
in the hidden cave on the west side (by talking to the boy; use Perceptionto
find the cave). Find the building with the bed and junk. You'll find a secret
cache under the bed. Use perception on the pump beside the bed. Your first
quest will be to find an engine.
Go to Quartz, a four-square city to the northwest. There is an ammo shop at
the southwestern end. Pawn some items/sell excess equipment until you have
$500. (Re-supply whenever needed.) Travel to the Nomads' Camp, which is a
square with tents to the east, on the north side of the desert. Buy an engine.
See the brakeman.
Return to Highpool. Fix the pump by U)sing the Engine on the pump. Wow...
dinero and some armor.
Travel to the Agriculture town to the west to earn some easily-acquired
experience. The final quest will be to kill Harry the Bunnymaster, who lies in
the southern section of the farm, in the northwestern fields. You also might
want to venture into a cave in the southwest part of the fields.
Head on over to Quartz. Take the back entrance to Scott's Bar in the southeast
section of town. Enter the Men's Room around the corner and question the boy.
Hmm...another quest? Find the Head Crusher and give him the Visa card. (You
can go get the stuff later on.) You can also "CHAT" with him about the Muty
Cuties. Go to the riddler in the northwestern section of the bar. The answers
are "TOAST" and "R." The last answer you can find yourself. Cute, huh? Ellen
can be reached on one of the central bar seats on the west end of the bar.
The Stagecoach Inn is in the center of town. Find Room #18 and get what you
need. Explore if you want. Enter the Courthouse via the secret entrance on
the northeastern end. Climb the vines up each level. Blow up hard to open
doors with TNT if you can't pick them. The rest is up to you...go in the front
door if you want. Password is "MUERTE."
Little known fact #1: Dan Citrin is the key to $1000. He's on the second
floor. Once you rescue him, he'll tell you about how he and his father hid
money right under Ugly's nose. His father is on the third floor, in the same
cell block as the mayor. Rescue him and you get the cash.
Once you have rescued Mayor Pedros (and Dan Citrin, if you did), then you can
hit the Hideout in the northeast part of town. You can enter by a secret
entrance on the space directly to the southwest of the Hideout. Use rope to
climb up the wall. The glass wall is a good place to raise Perception levels;
just walk along the wall. Break the glass with a crowbar, get down and party.
There is a safe behind the map of Quartz in Ugly's office. Crack it, or use
the combo: 27-11-16. Ugly is to the east. Rescue Felicia.
You can drop Felicia, Mayor Pedros or Dan Citrin. They are not crucial to the
game. Find Ace via a secret passageway in the officer's lounge. You need him
for the game.
Go to the jeep north of Quartz. Ace will fix it. He's the only useful
character; he drives you around. (Be like me: use extra characters as
slave-burdens and decoys.)
Now you're in Needles. It's on a real map, if you want to check. Explore the
town, being careful of the radioactive dump site on the northwest section of
the town. Look through Downtown. You'll find things ranging from yummy hobo
dogs to three-legged prostitutes. Important places: the gang meeting behind
some rubble, the bloodstaff tester, the ammo shop, the howitzer. There is also
a locked room for gambling; the password in is "ACAPULCO." Use the howitzer to
load up shells (found later in the game) to increase your Demolitions and AT
Weapons skill. You can also find Christina, an Uzi-packing soldier-ette.
Remember that you'll find lots of bloodstaffs, but there is only one real one.
To the southwest of Downtown, you'll find a toxic waste dump (actually a
missile silo). Bring plenty of TNT.
To the northeast of Downtown, you can find an ammo dump, a police building and
a library. Go down the ammo dump to find a ruby ring. Get some equipment,
too. Enter the police building and explore. Get the ruby ring to the priest
in southeastern Needles. Drop the ruby ring after he sees it.
There are a bunch of sand dunes on the southern end of Needles. Use them to
improve Climbing skill. On top of one dune is a note.
Now you should be ready for the Temple of Blood, which is in northwest Needles.
There is a radioactive field to the southeast, so I suggest walking along the
edges. Once inside, explore around until you find the chess game. Here are
the keys: U-L-L-L-L-U-U-R-R-R-R-R-D-R-R-U-U-U-U-L-L-D-L-L-L-L-U-U-R-R. That's
thirty steps.
Swim north across the moat and get the one, true bloodstaff. Be careful about
the pressure pad. Now, here is where you want to get the power packs and the
LAW rockets; you'll need them later in the game. Try and make sure you get two
LAWs or five power packs whenever you can. If not, just restore and try again.
(Read the Miscellaneous section for more info.)
After you get the bloodstaff, head back south into the rocket. The launch code
is "MOTEKIM." Return to the priest in southeastern Needles and give him the
real bloodstaff. Use the engine to fix the jeep. You're off to Las Vegas!
There's no way to avoid losing the jeep. You won't need it anyway. Important
sites in Las Vegas: the library in the southeast corner, casinos on the west
strip (Spade's Casino and Fat Freddy's Place), a scorpitron (an almost
invicible enemy) in the center and a jail in the northeast. Las Vegas is also
a hotbed of killer robots, so be careful. You'll also find many rockets from
these robots. Collect as many LAWs and RPG-7s as you can; you're going to blow
Guardian Citadel soon. By the way, there is a secret stash of equipment on the
northern part of the golf course. It's between four flags. Make sure you pick
up the sonic key with it. You can also find a sonic key from 10 cyborg
commandos in the northeast.
First off, step to the library and see if you can find any new skills. Second,
find a building with a beggar in it. It's just west of the library. You'll
learn about Covenant, Max, Fat Freddy and Faran Brygo. Rescue Covenant at the
Jail.
Third, you should see Fat Freddy. The password is "BIRD." He'll ask you to
kill Faran Brygo and bring back his onyx ring. However, there are TWO rings in
the game. One is held by Faran, the other is in the Guardian Citadel. In
other words, you don't have to kill Faran to get the $10K reward.
Fourth, you should go to Spade's Casino. Explore, but make sure you step up to
the bar. You'll also notice that there's a path to the basement from the 2nd
floor of the casino. Use a rope, and you'll find a rock and pebble hill to the
northwest. This is a good place to improve your Climbing skill. Faran Brygo's
place is in the center of town, just east of the scorpitron. There's no way to
get to Faran Brygo without getting past the scorpitron, and there's no getting
past the scorpitron without getting blown to bits. So, hold off on that task
for now.
Finally, you should head over to the Temple of the Servants of the Mushroom
Cloud. It's on the east side of Las Vegas, a building with a little nuclear
explosion on it. Get in with "OPPENHEIMER" or "EINSTEIN," and explore. There's
a doctor in there that will join you. You can also find a library and a
hospital. There's a secret door on the west side of the temple that you use to
get to the sewers. You can either use the sonic key to open it, or talk to
Charmaine, who'll give you an alternate solution. Tell her "FARAN BRYGO" sent
you.
Before you head into the sewers, you have one monumental task ahead of you:
beseiging the Guardian Citadel. By now, you should have collected about 15 LAW
rockets and 10 RPG-7s. Arm your best shots with rockets and raid the Guardian
Citadel. The Guardian Citadel is filled with fanatical xenophobics, which is
not at all harmless; however, these guys are armed with energy weapons and
power armor (rating 14), which make these monks lethal.
First thing you should do is enter, and then SAVE. Scout around a bit, trying
not to use too many restores; get to know the positions of each enemy. Brother
Goliath blocks the only entrance to the Citadel. He only has a melee weapon,
and he won't move, so he won't be a problem. The two bunkers on the left and
the right are inaccessible, so don't bother with them. First target: Brother
David, who is just east of Goliath. Take him out with one rocket. (Don't
waste rockets!) Next, are the two sisters to the left of Goliath. You might
have to take a few steps up, but don't get within range of Goliath. Last, you
can waste Goliath. Approach him at 20', and execute him in whatever style you
prefer. Pick up his pulsar key. There are four keys you can get from this
place; you'll need all of them to end of the game.
Enter the Guardian Citadel by way of the brick wall just before the big gate.
Blow up the brick wall with some TNT and take the side door in. Notice that
there are some rooms to the northwest, one of which is a vault. That is your
first objective. Blow away anything that gets in front of you up to the vault.
Crack the vault--you better be able to--and take everything BUT one power pack.
Trust me. (Well, go ahead if you want.) You'll pick up the meson canon, one
of the most powerful weapons in the game. From then on, you can just autofire
anything that gets in your way. Watch your ammo, though.
Finish through the rest of the northwestern rooms. Your next objective will be
the power armor buried deep within the Guardian Citadel. Go east and then
north through the main chamber. You'll enter the Outer Sanctum. Blow away
everything (using some strategy) until you get to the steps on the northern
side of the chamber. Enter the side door to the west (since the gate will be
locked) and turn the winch. Now, you can exit the winch room and climb up to
the Inner Sanctum of the Citadel. First thing you see is a locked vault.
Password is "ROSEBUD." Take EVERYTHING. Try and get six power packs from each
stack.
Everything is pretty simple once you have power armor. Clean up. Important
sites: a library, a helicopter, a place to fix broken toasters, cells. Make
sure you find all four keys. You should also have found secpass B. Pick up
the grazer bat fetish and make sure to give that to the Junk Master in Savage
Village. The password for the village is "REDHAWK." You can also bring
Redhawk instead of the fetish if you want. The Junk Master will put Base
Cochise on the map, which you'll get to later. Pick up the onyx ring and give
that to Fat Freddy. Kill the scorpitron and talk to Faran Brigo. Enter the
sewers through the Temple of the Servants of the Mushroom Cloud.
The object of the sewers is to find and repair Max. You'll find plenty of
parts, e.g., rom boards, fusion cells, servo motors and power converters,
strewn about the locale. Don't lose them. Use ropes to get across the rivers
and chasms. Dig (with a shovel) through the weak walls and passageways.
Finally, find the assembly room and unlock the door with your sonic key. Stick
Max together again, and get out. You should have some extra parts; don't drop
them.
Since you have rescued Max, you'll now be able to access Sleeper Base, which is
in the northeastern part of the Wasteland map. Go there. The next three bases
where you'll be exploring will be operated by security passes, or SecPasses.
You'll find them in this order: 1, 3, A, 7, B. Secpass 1 is in the
northwestern room; secpass 3 is somewhere in the center. Secpass A is on the
second floor. Secpass 7 will be on the third. There are two secpass Bs, you
only need one. You should have one from the Guardian Citadel. Secpass B is
used to open the armory on the second floor. To get past the glass wall, use
TNT or plastic explosives.
There is a chopper simulator on the third floor. This is where you can learn
how to fly the chopper at the Guardian Citadel. Use one of the extra ROM
boards you got from the sewers to fix it. Also, there is a secret door in the
same room where you got secpass 7. The problem is, the secret passage has an
electric current going through it. Disband one character to the northeastern
room, where the power is controlled. Switch views to turn on the power to open
each door, and to turn off the power to walk across the passageways. At the
end of the secret passage, you should find some parts you'll need for the last
stage of the game.
You can also have some fun creating clones. All you need is Clone Tech skill
and a jug. You can create an interesting party that way...at least you don't
get any of their stubborness when you trade items.
That's about it for Sleeper Base. Next stop is Darwin Base to the south. Go
there. You'll find some sick characters in the bar. You'll need to make some
antitoxin in the town lab. You need some fruit, and some chemicals (which you
found at Ugly's hideout in Quartz, right?). Hire them and see what they're
like.
From there, head south to the actual research center. You need secpass 7 that
you got from Sleeper Base to get through all the doors. You'll eventually need
to use the elevator to get anywhere. Go to the Upper Level and meet Finster.
Note where the one-person cyborg room is. Go back down to Ground Level. (Don't
go to the Lower Level.) Exit to the southwest into the primaeval scene. Your
objective here is to get to an opening on the far east side of the field. You
can have some fun with the animals if you want; it's good experience. Once you
get to the east room, open up the door and someone'll tell you Finster's a
robot. Take the elevator back to the Upper Level, meet Finster, blow him away
and take his head. Use the head and Cyborg Tech skill in the cyborg room. Make
sure you bring plenty of TNT.
You are now in Finster's electronic brain. The answers to the first three
questions are 32, 512 and 20. The fourth test is kind of tricky. Walk around
until you get stuck in the upper-left corner. Then, use your IQ on that space
(Use, IQ, space bar) several times until you can walk freely to the testing
space. The answer is "FINSTER." The next box will have "Walls of Deceit."
Use IQ or some other attribute to destroy them. The answer for the testing
space is "NOTHING." Save the game, and try and score on the bases. Silent
Movement skill will be used when stealing. If you get caught, then try using
luck or charisma to get you out of the showers. If none of this works, just
restore and try again.
The fifth test is real hard. You are held back by two web-like walls; you
can only use strength or explosives to get through. Kill the two fake
Finsters. The second will have a jug; picking it up will open up the next
test. Go north. Kill three more Finsters and solve another riddle with
"ICEBERG." For the next test, take the left path. Use your IQ to fool the
android. Head southwest to kill the final Finster, Finster Leviathon. Take
secpass B (and open up that armory in Sleeper Base if you haven't already).
Now you can stock up on all those power packs that you want to use, 'cause you
only have one more base to go before you win the game. Stock up on your
equipment and head for the Guardian Citadel. Take the chopper and head for
Base Cochise. (You can go on foot to Base Cochise, but I don't advise it.)
Make sure you bring some rope and some rockets with you.
When you land on the roof, the computer should have destroyed all the
ground-based robots around you. Pick up any equipment lying around on the
roof, and blow open one of the gun turrets with TNT. Use rope to slide down.
Go north and talk to the computer if you want. (Don't say "BREAK!")
Afterwards, head east and discover a secret door in the wall. Use TNT to open
it up. Enter the chute.
North of you is a ladder down and an energy field to get outside. Disregard
those for now. To the southwest should be a radioactive pool and a retracted
bridge. Three xenon laser cannons should be guarding it. They are very tough,
so autofire those meson cannons to dispense of them. Extend the bridge, cross
it, and you should find yourself filled in a room with computer consoles. Go
to an active one on the left, and enter "RUN." Choose an administration robot,
which will cough up VAX. He's an excellent NPC, so take him. You can continue
southeast, following the passage (which will eventually lead up to a stash of
rockets and power packs), but I recommend against it, as it is heavily guarded.
Instead, go back to the starting point and take the ladder going down. The
level is divided into a number of compartments, each with its own vault door
and testing site. (You have to finish the testing site to open up the next
vault door.) For the first one, just disband a character across the oily pipes
and open the door. The second one should be just as easy. Your Perception
should bring out all the land mines to the open. The fourth test involves a
set of tumultous weather conditions. Send in your luckiest character (who
should be VAX) to open up the next vault. The fifth test is a bit trickier.
You are put in a combat simulator, guarded by xenon laser cannons mounted on
the wall. I suggest taking a southern route, but it doesn't really matter.
After you open the last vault door, climb down the next ladder.
Open up the sealed room with secpass B, and blow away the gatlin' guns. This
level is composed of four rooms, one in the NW, NE, SE and SW. Each room also
has a little compartment with a self-destruct mechanism, a cylinder. Head for
the NW room, first. You have to blow away the doors with a rocket; none of the
cards will work. (Will Visa cards work? I don't know.) Equip one guy with a
RAD suit, a rocket, a power coupler and the blackstar key. Send him to the
lower-right corner first to breach the glass wall and fix the machine with the
power coupler. Have him or her use the blackstar key in the northwestern
cylinder
Head toward the NE room, next. You'll have to break a machine on the
upper-left to stop the conveyor belt. Use the nova key on the cylinder.
For the SE room, fiddle around with the gadgets with Electronics skill. Make
sure you fix the southernmost computer, as it controls the cylinder closing
system. The correct key is the pulsar key.
For the SW room, just stroll through all the wrestlers and enter the final
compartment. The quasar key is the correct key.
The program will then ask you if you want to start the destruct sequence by
pressing a buttong. Press escape. First, disband three characters to the
other cylinder compartments. Select the NW character and start the sequence
with red, then SE with yellow, then SW with green, then NE with blue.
You now have one hour before the place blows. The escape pod is just north of
where you started from in this level. Group your characters in the most
efficient time-saving method and enter the pod as a group. You emerge where
the main computer WAS. You can't escape from the same way you came in, so head
south to the left escalator. Exit the building and use secpass B to get
through the first door. Picklock the second door and run like hell.
Congrats...you've solved Wasteland.
Nope, that's not it. Another little known fact: radio HQ and they'll tell you
some more.
CREATING CHARACTERS:
This is the most important part of the game, as the attributes you have in the
beginning will either make you or break you in both the beginning and climax of
the game. Here are some guidelines:
Have high intelligence (14-18). IQ translates into skill points. In the
future, every character MUST have Energy Weapons skill, which has a minimum 23
IQ rating. Starting out with high IQ early will also allow you to buff up some
of your combat abilities.
Start with high dexterity (15-18). This is a must have. 95% of the time
you'll be fighting with some type of projectile weapon. Your "thieves" should
start out with very high dexterity.
For the rest of the abilities, there is not that much importance. Strength and
agility are good for close-in fighting. You can bash up lotsa people with
multiple attacks if you have Brawling skill. You can really whip the
armored-enemies when you find chainsaws and the Proton Axe. Luck is supposed
to be good for hand-to-hand, according to the rule book, but I've seen no great
effect from it. Luck is good also for lock-picking and disarming bombs.
Charisma...neah...you can be as ugly as hell and still kick the sh*t out of
enemies. Speed is also pretty much useless.
Generally, you should have at least two characters with starting Medic skills.
All should be skilled in the various arts of weaponry (including hand-to-hand
and projectile). You NEED a lock-picker and a bomb specialist.
SKILLS:
Generally, you need only level 1 abilities when you start out. Using the
abilities will actually increase your skill level occassionally WITHOUT
subtracting from your available skill points. I've found that using a skill
against an especially tough problem (like shooting an armored Cyborg with an
AK-97) and then succeeding (by scoring really heavily on the robot) has a very
good chance of getting a skill upgrade. However, if you're up against an
impossible problem (like hitting an xenon laser cannon with a crowbar), you
don't have much chance at all at raising your skill. Here are the skills
according to IQ level:
(Those preceded by a "*" indicate all characters should have this. Those
preceded by a "#" indicate at least one should.)
*Brawling (IQ 3): For any type of hand-to-hand combat. (All melee skills
correlate with damage and number of attacks.)
#Climb (IQ 3): Climb ropes, ravines, etc.
*Clip Pistol (IQ 3): For M1911A1 .45 caliber and VP91Z 9mm handguns. (All
projectile weapon skill levels are correlated with shot penetration, damage and
maximum effective range.)
Knife Fighting (IQ 3): For melee knife combat. (I suggest just getting
Brawling.)
Pugilism (IQ 3): For bare-hand combat. (Again, Brawling is enough.)
*Rifle (IQ 3): For M17 and M19 rifles.
Swim (IQ 3): Swimming in water (or blood, for those accident-prone). (There
is only one part in the game where you HAVE to swim, so I don't recommend
this.)
Knife Throwing (IQ 6): For knife-throwing.
*Perception (IQ 6): For spotting concealed items, traps, etc. Acts both
passively and actively.
*Assault Rifle (IQ 9): For that AK-97 and M1989A1 assault rifles. A must-
have.
*AT Weapon (IQ 9): For those extremely cheap Sabot, LAW and RPG-7 anti-tank
rockets.
*SMG (IQ 9): For Mac 17s or the ever-present Uzi.
Acrobat (IQ 10): (I have hardly any idea what this does. The only thing I can
think of is dodging melee blows.)
Gamble (IQ 10): For those games of chance. (I don't recommend this. You can
earn more money by killing people.)
#Picklock (IQ 10): For getting past locked doors, boxes, etc. (Why is
everybody so secretive?)
#Silent Movement (IQ 10): For moving stealthily in dangerous places. (You
don't really need this if you have heavy firepower. Just blow the enemies
away.)
Confidence (IQ 11): For empathizing with sad characters. (Actually, a good
charisma will suffice.)
Sleight of Hand (IQ 12): For card tricks. (Stupid!)
Demolition (IQ 13): For explosive charges. (You only use this once.)
Forgery (IQ 13): For creating false passes. (Most enemies will just let you
pass if you are well-equipped and/or experienced.)
Alarm Disarm (IQ 14): For disarming alarms. (You never need this.)
Bureaucracy (IQ 14): For dealing with serious people. (You also never need
this.)
#Bomb Disarm (IQ 15): For disarming bombs. (Occurs quite a while in the
game.)
#Medic (IQ 15): For reviving characters who are UNConscious, SERious, CRTical,
MRTally wounded or COMatose. Doesn't help dead people, though. Skill level
dictates how far into death a medic can operate. Level 1=SER, Level 2=CRT,
etc. Can't bring back hit points in the traditional spell casting way, though.
#Safecrack (IQ 15): For opening sealed containers.
Cryptology (IQ 16): For deciphering weird writing.
Metallurgy (IQ 17): For discerning what's valuable mineral and what's
worthless rock.
#Helicopter Pilot (IQ 19): For flying that one helicopter in the game.
Toaster Repair (IQ 20): For fixing broken toasters.
#Electronics (IQ 20): For numerous electrical fix-ups late in the game.
#Doctor (IQ 21): Like Medic, but considerably more efficient.
Clone Tech (IQ 22): For adjusting cloning equipment.
*Energy Weapon (IQ 23): For laser weapons, the Ion Beamer and the Meson
Cannon.
#Cyborg Tech (IQ 24): For delving into cyborg brains (especially evil ones
named Finster).
WEAPONS:
Ammo is limited! There comes a point when trading stations run out of 7.62mm,
9mm and .45 caliber ammo. Conserve it wisely. Here is a list of all
acquireable weapons according to damage effect.
Club: Melee weapon.
Knife: Melee weapon.
Throwing knife: Projectile weapon best used at close range.
Crowbar: Melee weapon.
Sledge hammer: Melee weapon.
Axe/Pick axe: Melee Weapon. Good all-around hand-to-hand weapon.
VP91Z 9mm pistol: General purpose handgun with a big clip and smaller bullets.
Has 18 bullets per clip and a maximum range of 29'.
1911A1 .45 pistol: General purpose handgun with better penetrating power than
the VP91Z. Has 7 bullets per clip and a maximum range of 29'.
Spear: Projectile weapon with maximum range of 59'. (Strange that the
computer treats this as a rocket.)
M17 carbine: Short-barreled rifle which uses 7.62mm ammo. Easier to score
with at short range than with the M19, though harder to score at longer ranges.
Has 10 bullets per clip. Maximum range at 79', though designed for medium
range.
M19 rifle: Standard rifle which uses 7.62mm ammo. Effective at long range
only if the user is sufficiently skilled. Has 8 bullets per clip. Hits at any
visible range.
Chainsaw: Self-powered melee weapon.
Grenade/TNT/Plastic explosives: Can be tossed in combat for area effect. Best
used at close range.
Flame thrower: Liquid-fueled fire weapon. Has 40 shots per package. Best
used at short range. Not reloadable. (I don't recommend this.)
Laser pistol: Weakest and smallest energy weapon with very low penetrating
power. Hits at any visible range. Has 40 shots per clip. (All energy weapons
use power clips.)
Uzi 27 SMG: Simple and efficient automatic weapon which uses 9mm ammo. (The
FBI likes to use these.) Has 40 bullets per clip. Hits at any visible range,
though designed for medium range.
MAC 17 SMG: Sturdy automatic weapon which uses .45 ammo. Has 30 bullets per
clip. Hits at any visible range, though designed for medium range.
Mangler: Primitive rocket weapon used to score on lightly-armored enemies.
Maximum range of 79'.
Laser carbine: Bigger energy weapon with fair penetrating power. Hits at any
visible range. Has 30 shots per clip.
Sabot rocket: Small anti-tank missile for medium-armored enemies. Can be used
at any visible range.
M1989A1 NATO assault rifle: Standard assault rifle which uses 7.62mm ammo.
Fires as a semi or full automatic. Can score at any visible range. Has 35
bullets per clip.
AK-97 assault rifle: Standard Russian assault rifle which uses 7.62mm ammo.
Has higher penetrating power than the M1989A1, but has five fewer bullets.
Fires as a semi or full automatic. Can score at any visible range. Has 30
bullets per clip.
Laser rifle: Standard energy weapon with good penetrating power. Hits at any
visible range. Has 20 shots per clip. (I recommend this.)
LAW rocket: Small, armor-piercing explosive rocket good for those alloy-
skinned enemies. Hits at any visible range. (Expensive! You better be sure
you don't miss.)
RPG-7 rocket: Best AT rocket available. Hits at any visible range.
Ion beamer: Heavy energy weapon with very good penetrating power. Hits at any
visible range. Has 20 shots per clip.
Meson cannon: Heaviest energy weapon with annihilation penetrating power. Hits
at any visible range. Has 10 shots per clip. Not to be used against rodentia
(or leeches).
Proton axe: Self-powered melee weapon. Heavy penetration and damage effect.
(Awesome with level 7 Brawling.)
ARMOR:
Armor varies from plain clothing (rating 0) to power armor (rating 14). There
is no way your armor can be damaged or destroyed. Here is a list, with armor
ratings in parentheses:
Nothing (0): For sex and rodentia.
Leather jacket (1): For those a tier higher on the evolutionary ladder.
Robe (1): As above. (Used probably as a disguise to travel unnoticed in the
Temple of Blood.)
Bullet-proof shirt (2): For canines and handguns.
Kevlar vest (4): For rifles.
RAD suit (5): For small automatic weapons. Also protects against radiation.
Kevlar suit (6): For automatic weapons.
Pseudo-Chitin armor (10): For most automatic weapons and weak energy weapons.
Power armor (14): For rockets and heavy energy weapons. (I wish I had one of
these! Actually, in the last level of the game power armor won't help you
much. Be sure you have a good doctor.)
ITEMS:
Some items are useless, some not. You should either drop or sell anything
useless. Here is a list in alphabetical order:
Android head: There are two in the game: one to fix Max and the other to
"hook" yourself up with Finster's electronic brain at Darwin Base.
Antitoxin: For curing radiation sickness.
Blackstar/Nova/Pulsar/Quasar keys: For the final part of Wasteland. Used only
once.
Bloodstaff: Many fake copies of this lying around. The real one is held BELOW
Needles. Give this to the priest in southeastern Needles. You also will
receive it later to give to Charmaine in Las Vegas.
Book: Useless.
Broken toaster: Use Toaster Repair skill at the workstation in the Guardian
Citadel to pop up some extra power packs and a plasma coupler (in case you lost
or can't find the other one).
Canteen: Needed to survive in the desert. Prevents heat exhaustion for each
character that has one.
Chemical: For making antitoxin around Darwin Base.
Clay pot: Useless.
Club/Crowbar/Sledge Hammer: Used to break through glass.
Engine: Used to fix the water purifier at Highpool and the jeep.
Fruit: Useless.
Fusion cell: Used to fix Max, the robot.
Gas mask: For poisonous and sleeping gases. You only use it once in Vegas.
Geiger counter: Detects nearby radiation by two methods. Stop for a while and
you will hear clicking. Or, look at the graduated bar on the right.
Hand mirror: Useless.
Howitzer shell: For loading and firing in Downtown Needles. Loading will
sometimes upgrade Demolitions and AT Weapons skill.
Jewelry: Useless.
Jug: For cloning fluid at Sleeper Base--otherwise useless.
Map: Useless.
Match: Useless.
Pick Axe: Used to pick minerals at specific areas in the mine south of Quartz.
Plasma coupler: Used to fix many things late in the game, including the force
field mechanism in the northwestern key room under Base Cochise.
Plastic explosives/TNT: In non-combat purposes, used to clear debris. Both do
the same job; plastic explosives are just more expensive.
Power converter: Used to fix Max.
ROM board: Used to fix many things late in the game, including the helicopter
simulator at Sleeper Base and Max, the friendly robot.
Rope: For those hard-to-reach places. Keep four handy.
Ruby ring: Give this to the priest in southeastern Needles. Once recognized,
get rid of it.
Secpasses 1,3,7,A,B: Used to unlock numerous power doors in Sleeper Base,
Darwin Base, and Base Cochise.
Servo motor: Used to fix Max, the friendly robot.
Shovel: For digging. Be sure to keep one handy.
Snake Squeezins [sic]: The standard Wasteland alcoholic beverage. Give this
to bums and they'll move their *ss. Keep some handy.
Visa card: For the Head Crusher at the Quartz bar.
MISCELLANEOUS:
Here is some general information:
Sell any equipment you don't need at ONE location. That way, you don't have to
wonder which shop your ammo is in. I recommend selling power packs early in
the game; you can always buy them back later.
Attack the largest groups or the most dangerous groups first. Damage can
"spill over" onto others in a large group. When you attack a group with only
one enemy, and you kill him prematurely, you still have many other attackers
without a target.
When U)sing an item, ability or attribute, many people don't know that you can
press the space bar to use it on the space your party is standing on. Without
this knowledge, they wouldn't be able to pass Finster's brain.
Whenever you enter or leave a place, make sure you save it before quitting.
Strange things can happen, i.e., after entering an ammo shop and qutting
without saving, the ammo shop can no longer be entered.
If you want to upgrade your Medic or Doctor skill fast, then let someone who is
in SER condition fall into deeper shades of death. When you feel like it, try
the Medic or Doctor skill. The more difficult the problem, the better chance
you have at increasing your skill level. Make sure you save the game before
you do this.
When acquiring some items, the computer randomly rolls for the amount of cash,
equipment, etc. I think it is dependent on the total luck or the highest
personal luck of the party. Anyhow, if the equipment is important, like LAW
rockets or power packs, be sure to save it just before you step on the loot
space. That way, if you don't get what you want, you can just restore and try
again.
Develop your Brawling skill once you have the power armor. Almost nothing can
hurt you after that, so you won't have to worry about first shots. Just arm an
axe, chainsaw or proton axe and you're set to waste some people. Conserves a
lot of ammo.
The IBM version has macro capability. You should know this if you bought the
game.
WHAT IF'S:
Here are a few things you could try: (Remember to save the game!)
Kill everything and anything in sight.
Kill all the "Juvies" in Highpool. The programmers did quite some designing
for this scenario.
Go on stage at Scott's Bar in Quartz.
Go in the front door of the Courthouse and the Hideout in Quartz. Lotsa fun.
Use Perception on the crystal ball in Crowley's shop at Needles.
Look through the poster room in Downtown Needles.
Shell the hobo dob stand with the howitzer in Downtown Needles.
Blow away all the police robots in Needles.
Torture yourself in the Temple of Blood.
Try launch code "MORTAR" below the Temple of Blood. (Actually, use any of the
false passwords given in the fake journal entries.)
Blow up the front gate at Savage Village.
Kill everyone in Spade's Casino. There's a trapdoor behind the bar...
Jump in the sewer water or the river.
Clone several versions of you at Sleeper Base.
Enter "BREAK" at the main computer in Base Cochise.
Get killed at Base Cochise.
UNKNOWNS:
I have no idea what these things do, but I have a feeling they do do SOMETHING.
If you find out about them, tell me:
Combat Shooting skill
Crowley's Occult Shop in Needles
Ralf, the hobo, in the Temple of Blood
("So this is why we lost AcaDec!")
Finished August 1st, 1991
Written in ASCII format by Jc 2
Alright, kiddies, here's a modern solution file to that three year-old
adventure game called Wasteland. This game is one of the best games EVER
created. The great variety of skills you can put into your characters, the
smooth interface and the rock-solid (well, almost) plot is reason enough to put
this among the classics. And if you haven't bought the game, yet, do.
This solve covers many of the main points to the Wasteland scenario, but I hope
I didn't miss too many nuances. There are many parts to this file: the basic
solution, an essay on character creation and a list of all the armor, weapons
and equipment you'll find in the game. There's also a section on general hints
and some unknowns.
Oh, by the way, if you really want to thank me, send me the solution put out by
Origin. I never managed to get a copy of that.
If you have any other problems or updates, you can reach me at Caesar's Palace:
(213) 398-1224, node @4 for most WWIV nets.
SOLUTION:
You start out at Ranger Center in the southern part of the Wasteland. Go west
to the kids' camp of Highpool. Try and enter all the various buildings.
Complete the dog quest. (There is no way to avoid killing Rex.) Rescue Jackie
in the hidden cave on the west side (by talking to the boy; use Perceptionto
find the cave). Find the building with the bed and junk. You'll find a secret
cache under the bed. Use perception on the pump beside the bed. Your first
quest will be to find an engine.
Go to Quartz, a four-square city to the northwest. There is an ammo shop at
the southwestern end. Pawn some items/sell excess equipment until you have
$500. (Re-supply whenever needed.) Travel to the Nomads' Camp, which is a
square with tents to the east, on the north side of the desert. Buy an engine.
See the brakeman.
Return to Highpool. Fix the pump by U)sing the Engine on the pump. Wow...
dinero and some armor.
Travel to the Agriculture town to the west to earn some easily-acquired
experience. The final quest will be to kill Harry the Bunnymaster, who lies in
the southern section of the farm, in the northwestern fields. You also might
want to venture into a cave in the southwest part of the fields.
Head on over to Quartz. Take the back entrance to Scott's Bar in the southeast
section of town. Enter the Men's Room around the corner and question the boy.
Hmm...another quest? Find the Head Crusher and give him the Visa card. (You
can go get the stuff later on.) You can also "CHAT" with him about the Muty
Cuties. Go to the riddler in the northwestern section of the bar. The answers
are "TOAST" and "R." The last answer you can find yourself. Cute, huh? Ellen
can be reached on one of the central bar seats on the west end of the bar.
The Stagecoach Inn is in the center of town. Find Room #18 and get what you
need. Explore if you want. Enter the Courthouse via the secret entrance on
the northeastern end. Climb the vines up each level. Blow up hard to open
doors with TNT if you can't pick them. The rest is up to you...go in the front
door if you want. Password is "MUERTE."
Little known fact #1: Dan Citrin is the key to $1000. He's on the second
floor. Once you rescue him, he'll tell you about how he and his father hid
money right under Ugly's nose. His father is on the third floor, in the same
cell block as the mayor. Rescue him and you get the cash.
Once you have rescued Mayor Pedros (and Dan Citrin, if you did), then you can
hit the Hideout in the northeast part of town. You can enter by a secret
entrance on the space directly to the southwest of the Hideout. Use rope to
climb up the wall. The glass wall is a good place to raise Perception levels;
just walk along the wall. Break the glass with a crowbar, get down and party.
There is a safe behind the map of Quartz in Ugly's office. Crack it, or use
the combo: 27-11-16. Ugly is to the east. Rescue Felicia.
You can drop Felicia, Mayor Pedros or Dan Citrin. They are not crucial to the
game. Find Ace via a secret passageway in the officer's lounge. You need him
for the game.
Go to the jeep north of Quartz. Ace will fix it. He's the only useful
character; he drives you around. (Be like me: use extra characters as
slave-burdens and decoys.)
Now you're in Needles. It's on a real map, if you want to check. Explore the
town, being careful of the radioactive dump site on the northwest section of
the town. Look through Downtown. You'll find things ranging from yummy hobo
dogs to three-legged prostitutes. Important places: the gang meeting behind
some rubble, the bloodstaff tester, the ammo shop, the howitzer. There is also
a locked room for gambling; the password in is "ACAPULCO." Use the howitzer to
load up shells (found later in the game) to increase your Demolitions and AT
Weapons skill. You can also find Christina, an Uzi-packing soldier-ette.
Remember that you'll find lots of bloodstaffs, but there is only one real one.
To the southwest of Downtown, you'll find a toxic waste dump (actually a
missile silo). Bring plenty of TNT.
To the northeast of Downtown, you can find an ammo dump, a police building and
a library. Go down the ammo dump to find a ruby ring. Get some equipment,
too. Enter the police building and explore. Get the ruby ring to the priest
in southeastern Needles. Drop the ruby ring after he sees it.
There are a bunch of sand dunes on the southern end of Needles. Use them to
improve Climbing skill. On top of one dune is a note.
Now you should be ready for the Temple of Blood, which is in northwest Needles.
There is a radioactive field to the southeast, so I suggest walking along the
edges. Once inside, explore around until you find the chess game. Here are
the keys: U-L-L-L-L-U-U-R-R-R-R-R-D-R-R-U-U-U-U-L-L-D-L-L-L-L-U-U-R-R. That's
thirty steps.
Swim north across the moat and get the one, true bloodstaff. Be careful about
the pressure pad. Now, here is where you want to get the power packs and the
LAW rockets; you'll need them later in the game. Try and make sure you get two
LAWs or five power packs whenever you can. If not, just restore and try again.
(Read the Miscellaneous section for more info.)
After you get the bloodstaff, head back south into the rocket. The launch code
is "MOTEKIM." Return to the priest in southeastern Needles and give him the
real bloodstaff. Use the engine to fix the jeep. You're off to Las Vegas!
There's no way to avoid losing the jeep. You won't need it anyway. Important
sites in Las Vegas: the library in the southeast corner, casinos on the west
strip (Spade's Casino and Fat Freddy's Place), a scorpitron (an almost
invicible enemy) in the center and a jail in the northeast. Las Vegas is also
a hotbed of killer robots, so be careful. You'll also find many rockets from
these robots. Collect as many LAWs and RPG-7s as you can; you're going to blow
Guardian Citadel soon. By the way, there is a secret stash of equipment on the
northern part of the golf course. It's between four flags. Make sure you pick
up the sonic key with it. You can also find a sonic key from 10 cyborg
commandos in the northeast.
First off, step to the library and see if you can find any new skills. Second,
find a building with a beggar in it. It's just west of the library. You'll
learn about Covenant, Max, Fat Freddy and Faran Brygo. Rescue Covenant at the
Jail.
Third, you should see Fat Freddy. The password is "BIRD." He'll ask you to
kill Faran Brygo and bring back his onyx ring. However, there are TWO rings in
the game. One is held by Faran, the other is in the Guardian Citadel. In
other words, you don't have to kill Faran to get the $10K reward.
Fourth, you should go to Spade's Casino. Explore, but make sure you step up to
the bar. You'll also notice that there's a path to the basement from the 2nd
floor of the casino. Use a rope, and you'll find a rock and pebble hill to the
northwest. This is a good place to improve your Climbing skill. Faran Brygo's
place is in the center of town, just east of the scorpitron. There's no way to
get to Faran Brygo without getting past the scorpitron, and there's no getting
past the scorpitron without getting blown to bits. So, hold off on that task
for now.
Finally, you should head over to the Temple of the Servants of the Mushroom
Cloud. It's on the east side of Las Vegas, a building with a little nuclear
explosion on it. Get in with "OPPENHEIMER" or "EINSTEIN," and explore. There's
a doctor in there that will join you. You can also find a library and a
hospital. There's a secret door on the west side of the temple that you use to
get to the sewers. You can either use the sonic key to open it, or talk to
Charmaine, who'll give you an alternate solution. Tell her "FARAN BRYGO" sent
you.
Before you head into the sewers, you have one monumental task ahead of you:
beseiging the Guardian Citadel. By now, you should have collected about 15 LAW
rockets and 10 RPG-7s. Arm your best shots with rockets and raid the Guardian
Citadel. The Guardian Citadel is filled with fanatical xenophobics, which is
not at all harmless; however, these guys are armed with energy weapons and
power armor (rating 14), which make these monks lethal.
First thing you should do is enter, and then SAVE. Scout around a bit, trying
not to use too many restores; get to know the positions of each enemy. Brother
Goliath blocks the only entrance to the Citadel. He only has a melee weapon,
and he won't move, so he won't be a problem. The two bunkers on the left and
the right are inaccessible, so don't bother with them. First target: Brother
David, who is just east of Goliath. Take him out with one rocket. (Don't
waste rockets!) Next, are the two sisters to the left of Goliath. You might
have to take a few steps up, but don't get within range of Goliath. Last, you
can waste Goliath. Approach him at 20', and execute him in whatever style you
prefer. Pick up his pulsar key. There are four keys you can get from this
place; you'll need all of them to end of the game.
Enter the Guardian Citadel by way of the brick wall just before the big gate.
Blow up the brick wall with some TNT and take the side door in. Notice that
there are some rooms to the northwest, one of which is a vault. That is your
first objective. Blow away anything that gets in front of you up to the vault.
Crack the vault--you better be able to--and take everything BUT one power pack.
Trust me. (Well, go ahead if you want.) You'll pick up the meson canon, one
of the most powerful weapons in the game. From then on, you can just autofire
anything that gets in your way. Watch your ammo, though.
Finish through the rest of the northwestern rooms. Your next objective will be
the power armor buried deep within the Guardian Citadel. Go east and then
north through the main chamber. You'll enter the Outer Sanctum. Blow away
everything (using some strategy) until you get to the steps on the northern
side of the chamber. Enter the side door to the west (since the gate will be
locked) and turn the winch. Now, you can exit the winch room and climb up to
the Inner Sanctum of the Citadel. First thing you see is a locked vault.
Password is "ROSEBUD." Take EVERYTHING. Try and get six power packs from each
stack.
Everything is pretty simple once you have power armor. Clean up. Important
sites: a library, a helicopter, a place to fix broken toasters, cells. Make
sure you find all four keys. You should also have found secpass B. Pick up
the grazer bat fetish and make sure to give that to the Junk Master in Savage
Village. The password for the village is "REDHAWK." You can also bring
Redhawk instead of the fetish if you want. The Junk Master will put Base
Cochise on the map, which you'll get to later. Pick up the onyx ring and give
that to Fat Freddy. Kill the scorpitron and talk to Faran Brigo. Enter the
sewers through the Temple of the Servants of the Mushroom Cloud.
The object of the sewers is to find and repair Max. You'll find plenty of
parts, e.g., rom boards, fusion cells, servo motors and power converters,
strewn about the locale. Don't lose them. Use ropes to get across the rivers
and chasms. Dig (with a shovel) through the weak walls and passageways.
Finally, find the assembly room and unlock the door with your sonic key. Stick
Max together again, and get out. You should have some extra parts; don't drop
them.
Since you have rescued Max, you'll now be able to access Sleeper Base, which is
in the northeastern part of the Wasteland map. Go there. The next three bases
where you'll be exploring will be operated by security passes, or SecPasses.
You'll find them in this order: 1, 3, A, 7, B. Secpass 1 is in the
northwestern room; secpass 3 is somewhere in the center. Secpass A is on the
second floor. Secpass 7 will be on the third. There are two secpass Bs, you
only need one. You should have one from the Guardian Citadel. Secpass B is
used to open the armory on the second floor. To get past the glass wall, use
TNT or plastic explosives.
There is a chopper simulator on the third floor. This is where you can learn
how to fly the chopper at the Guardian Citadel. Use one of the extra ROM
boards you got from the sewers to fix it. Also, there is a secret door in the
same room where you got secpass 7. The problem is, the secret passage has an
electric current going through it. Disband one character to the northeastern
room, where the power is controlled. Switch views to turn on the power to open
each door, and to turn off the power to walk across the passageways. At the
end of the secret passage, you should find some parts you'll need for the last
stage of the game.
You can also have some fun creating clones. All you need is Clone Tech skill
and a jug. You can create an interesting party that way...at least you don't
get any of their stubborness when you trade items.
That's about it for Sleeper Base. Next stop is Darwin Base to the south. Go
there. You'll find some sick characters in the bar. You'll need to make some
antitoxin in the town lab. You need some fruit, and some chemicals (which you
found at Ugly's hideout in Quartz, right?). Hire them and see what they're
like.
From there, head south to the actual research center. You need secpass 7 that
you got from Sleeper Base to get through all the doors. You'll eventually need
to use the elevator to get anywhere. Go to the Upper Level and meet Finster.
Note where the one-person cyborg room is. Go back down to Ground Level. (Don't
go to the Lower Level.) Exit to the southwest into the primaeval scene. Your
objective here is to get to an opening on the far east side of the field. You
can have some fun with the animals if you want; it's good experience. Once you
get to the east room, open up the door and someone'll tell you Finster's a
robot. Take the elevator back to the Upper Level, meet Finster, blow him away
and take his head. Use the head and Cyborg Tech skill in the cyborg room. Make
sure you bring plenty of TNT.
You are now in Finster's electronic brain. The answers to the first three
questions are 32, 512 and 20. The fourth test is kind of tricky. Walk around
until you get stuck in the upper-left corner. Then, use your IQ on that space
(Use, IQ, space bar) several times until you can walk freely to the testing
space. The answer is "FINSTER." The next box will have "Walls of Deceit."
Use IQ or some other attribute to destroy them. The answer for the testing
space is "NOTHING." Save the game, and try and score on the bases. Silent
Movement skill will be used when stealing. If you get caught, then try using
luck or charisma to get you out of the showers. If none of this works, just
restore and try again.
The fifth test is real hard. You are held back by two web-like walls; you
can only use strength or explosives to get through. Kill the two fake
Finsters. The second will have a jug; picking it up will open up the next
test. Go north. Kill three more Finsters and solve another riddle with
"ICEBERG." For the next test, take the left path. Use your IQ to fool the
android. Head southwest to kill the final Finster, Finster Leviathon. Take
secpass B (and open up that armory in Sleeper Base if you haven't already).
Now you can stock up on all those power packs that you want to use, 'cause you
only have one more base to go before you win the game. Stock up on your
equipment and head for the Guardian Citadel. Take the chopper and head for
Base Cochise. (You can go on foot to Base Cochise, but I don't advise it.)
Make sure you bring some rope and some rockets with you.
When you land on the roof, the computer should have destroyed all the
ground-based robots around you. Pick up any equipment lying around on the
roof, and blow open one of the gun turrets with TNT. Use rope to slide down.
Go north and talk to the computer if you want. (Don't say "BREAK!")
Afterwards, head east and discover a secret door in the wall. Use TNT to open
it up. Enter the chute.
North of you is a ladder down and an energy field to get outside. Disregard
those for now. To the southwest should be a radioactive pool and a retracted
bridge. Three xenon laser cannons should be guarding it. They are very tough,
so autofire those meson cannons to dispense of them. Extend the bridge, cross
it, and you should find yourself filled in a room with computer consoles. Go
to an active one on the left, and enter "RUN." Choose an administration robot,
which will cough up VAX. He's an excellent NPC, so take him. You can continue
southeast, following the passage (which will eventually lead up to a stash of
rockets and power packs), but I recommend against it, as it is heavily guarded.
Instead, go back to the starting point and take the ladder going down. The
level is divided into a number of compartments, each with its own vault door
and testing site. (You have to finish the testing site to open up the next
vault door.) For the first one, just disband a character across the oily pipes
and open the door. The second one should be just as easy. Your Perception
should bring out all the land mines to the open. The fourth test involves a
set of tumultous weather conditions. Send in your luckiest character (who
should be VAX) to open up the next vault. The fifth test is a bit trickier.
You are put in a combat simulator, guarded by xenon laser cannons mounted on
the wall. I suggest taking a southern route, but it doesn't really matter.
After you open the last vault door, climb down the next ladder.
Open up the sealed room with secpass B, and blow away the gatlin' guns. This
level is composed of four rooms, one in the NW, NE, SE and SW. Each room also
has a little compartment with a self-destruct mechanism, a cylinder. Head for
the NW room, first. You have to blow away the doors with a rocket; none of the
cards will work. (Will Visa cards work? I don't know.) Equip one guy with a
RAD suit, a rocket, a power coupler and the blackstar key. Send him to the
lower-right corner first to breach the glass wall and fix the machine with the
power coupler. Have him or her use the blackstar key in the northwestern
cylinder
Head toward the NE room, next. You'll have to break a machine on the
upper-left to stop the conveyor belt. Use the nova key on the cylinder.
For the SE room, fiddle around with the gadgets with Electronics skill. Make
sure you fix the southernmost computer, as it controls the cylinder closing
system. The correct key is the pulsar key.
For the SW room, just stroll through all the wrestlers and enter the final
compartment. The quasar key is the correct key.
The program will then ask you if you want to start the destruct sequence by
pressing a buttong. Press escape. First, disband three characters to the
other cylinder compartments. Select the NW character and start the sequence
with red, then SE with yellow, then SW with green, then NE with blue.
You now have one hour before the place blows. The escape pod is just north of
where you started from in this level. Group your characters in the most
efficient time-saving method and enter the pod as a group. You emerge where
the main computer WAS. You can't escape from the same way you came in, so head
south to the left escalator. Exit the building and use secpass B to get
through the first door. Picklock the second door and run like hell.
Congrats...you've solved Wasteland.
Nope, that's not it. Another little known fact: radio HQ and they'll tell you
some more.
CREATING CHARACTERS:
This is the most important part of the game, as the attributes you have in the
beginning will either make you or break you in both the beginning and climax of
the game. Here are some guidelines:
Have high intelligence (14-18). IQ translates into skill points. In the
future, every character MUST have Energy Weapons skill, which has a minimum 23
IQ rating. Starting out with high IQ early will also allow you to buff up some
of your combat abilities.
Start with high dexterity (15-18). This is a must have. 95% of the time
you'll be fighting with some type of projectile weapon. Your "thieves" should
start out with very high dexterity.
For the rest of the abilities, there is not that much importance. Strength and
agility are good for close-in fighting. You can bash up lotsa people with
multiple attacks if you have Brawling skill. You can really whip the
armored-enemies when you find chainsaws and the Proton Axe. Luck is supposed
to be good for hand-to-hand, according to the rule book, but I've seen no great
effect from it. Luck is good also for lock-picking and disarming bombs.
Charisma...neah...you can be as ugly as hell and still kick the sh*t out of
enemies. Speed is also pretty much useless.
Generally, you should have at least two characters with starting Medic skills.
All should be skilled in the various arts of weaponry (including hand-to-hand
and projectile). You NEED a lock-picker and a bomb specialist.
SKILLS:
Generally, you need only level 1 abilities when you start out. Using the
abilities will actually increase your skill level occassionally WITHOUT
subtracting from your available skill points. I've found that using a skill
against an especially tough problem (like shooting an armored Cyborg with an
AK-97) and then succeeding (by scoring really heavily on the robot) has a very
good chance of getting a skill upgrade. However, if you're up against an
impossible problem (like hitting an xenon laser cannon with a crowbar), you
don't have much chance at all at raising your skill. Here are the skills
according to IQ level:
(Those preceded by a "*" indicate all characters should have this. Those
preceded by a "#" indicate at least one should.)
*Brawling (IQ 3): For any type of hand-to-hand combat. (All melee skills
correlate with damage and number of attacks.)
#Climb (IQ 3): Climb ropes, ravines, etc.
*Clip Pistol (IQ 3): For M1911A1 .45 caliber and VP91Z 9mm handguns. (All
projectile weapon skill levels are correlated with shot penetration, damage and
maximum effective range.)
Knife Fighting (IQ 3): For melee knife combat. (I suggest just getting
Brawling.)
Pugilism (IQ 3): For bare-hand combat. (Again, Brawling is enough.)
*Rifle (IQ 3): For M17 and M19 rifles.
Swim (IQ 3): Swimming in water (or blood, for those accident-prone). (There
is only one part in the game where you HAVE to swim, so I don't recommend
this.)
Knife Throwing (IQ 6): For knife-throwing.
*Perception (IQ 6): For spotting concealed items, traps, etc. Acts both
passively and actively.
*Assault Rifle (IQ 9): For that AK-97 and M1989A1 assault rifles. A must-
have.
*AT Weapon (IQ 9): For those extremely cheap Sabot, LAW and RPG-7 anti-tank
rockets.
*SMG (IQ 9): For Mac 17s or the ever-present Uzi.
Acrobat (IQ 10): (I have hardly any idea what this does. The only thing I can
think of is dodging melee blows.)
Gamble (IQ 10): For those games of chance. (I don't recommend this. You can
earn more money by killing people.)
#Picklock (IQ 10): For getting past locked doors, boxes, etc. (Why is
everybody so secretive?)
#Silent Movement (IQ 10): For moving stealthily in dangerous places. (You
don't really need this if you have heavy firepower. Just blow the enemies
away.)
Confidence (IQ 11): For empathizing with sad characters. (Actually, a good
charisma will suffice.)
Sleight of Hand (IQ 12): For card tricks. (Stupid!)
Demolition (IQ 13): For explosive charges. (You only use this once.)
Forgery (IQ 13): For creating false passes. (Most enemies will just let you
pass if you are well-equipped and/or experienced.)
Alarm Disarm (IQ 14): For disarming alarms. (You never need this.)
Bureaucracy (IQ 14): For dealing with serious people. (You also never need
this.)
#Bomb Disarm (IQ 15): For disarming bombs. (Occurs quite a while in the
game.)
#Medic (IQ 15): For reviving characters who are UNConscious, SERious, CRTical,
MRTally wounded or COMatose. Doesn't help dead people, though. Skill level
dictates how far into death a medic can operate. Level 1=SER, Level 2=CRT,
etc. Can't bring back hit points in the traditional spell casting way, though.
#Safecrack (IQ 15): For opening sealed containers.
Cryptology (IQ 16): For deciphering weird writing.
Metallurgy (IQ 17): For discerning what's valuable mineral and what's
worthless rock.
#Helicopter Pilot (IQ 19): For flying that one helicopter in the game.
Toaster Repair (IQ 20): For fixing broken toasters.
#Electronics (IQ 20): For numerous electrical fix-ups late in the game.
#Doctor (IQ 21): Like Medic, but considerably more efficient.
Clone Tech (IQ 22): For adjusting cloning equipment.
*Energy Weapon (IQ 23): For laser weapons, the Ion Beamer and the Meson
Cannon.
#Cyborg Tech (IQ 24): For delving into cyborg brains (especially evil ones
named Finster).
WEAPONS:
Ammo is limited! There comes a point when trading stations run out of 7.62mm,
9mm and .45 caliber ammo. Conserve it wisely. Here is a list of all
acquireable weapons according to damage effect.
Club: Melee weapon.
Knife: Melee weapon.
Throwing knife: Projectile weapon best used at close range.
Crowbar: Melee weapon.
Sledge hammer: Melee weapon.
Axe/Pick axe: Melee Weapon. Good all-around hand-to-hand weapon.
VP91Z 9mm pistol: General purpose handgun with a big clip and smaller bullets.
Has 18 bullets per clip and a maximum range of 29'.
1911A1 .45 pistol: General purpose handgun with better penetrating power than
the VP91Z. Has 7 bullets per clip and a maximum range of 29'.
Spear: Projectile weapon with maximum range of 59'. (Strange that the
computer treats this as a rocket.)
M17 carbine: Short-barreled rifle which uses 7.62mm ammo. Easier to score
with at short range than with the M19, though harder to score at longer ranges.
Has 10 bullets per clip. Maximum range at 79', though designed for medium
range.
M19 rifle: Standard rifle which uses 7.62mm ammo. Effective at long range
only if the user is sufficiently skilled. Has 8 bullets per clip. Hits at any
visible range.
Chainsaw: Self-powered melee weapon.
Grenade/TNT/Plastic explosives: Can be tossed in combat for area effect. Best
used at close range.
Flame thrower: Liquid-fueled fire weapon. Has 40 shots per package. Best
used at short range. Not reloadable. (I don't recommend this.)
Laser pistol: Weakest and smallest energy weapon with very low penetrating
power. Hits at any visible range. Has 40 shots per clip. (All energy weapons
use power clips.)
Uzi 27 SMG: Simple and efficient automatic weapon which uses 9mm ammo. (The
FBI likes to use these.) Has 40 bullets per clip. Hits at any visible range,
though designed for medium range.
MAC 17 SMG: Sturdy automatic weapon which uses .45 ammo. Has 30 bullets per
clip. Hits at any visible range, though designed for medium range.
Mangler: Primitive rocket weapon used to score on lightly-armored enemies.
Maximum range of 79'.
Laser carbine: Bigger energy weapon with fair penetrating power. Hits at any
visible range. Has 30 shots per clip.
Sabot rocket: Small anti-tank missile for medium-armored enemies. Can be used
at any visible range.
M1989A1 NATO assault rifle: Standard assault rifle which uses 7.62mm ammo.
Fires as a semi or full automatic. Can score at any visible range. Has 35
bullets per clip.
AK-97 assault rifle: Standard Russian assault rifle which uses 7.62mm ammo.
Has higher penetrating power than the M1989A1, but has five fewer bullets.
Fires as a semi or full automatic. Can score at any visible range. Has 30
bullets per clip.
Laser rifle: Standard energy weapon with good penetrating power. Hits at any
visible range. Has 20 shots per clip. (I recommend this.)
LAW rocket: Small, armor-piercing explosive rocket good for those alloy-
skinned enemies. Hits at any visible range. (Expensive! You better be sure
you don't miss.)
RPG-7 rocket: Best AT rocket available. Hits at any visible range.
Ion beamer: Heavy energy weapon with very good penetrating power. Hits at any
visible range. Has 20 shots per clip.
Meson cannon: Heaviest energy weapon with annihilation penetrating power. Hits
at any visible range. Has 10 shots per clip. Not to be used against rodentia
(or leeches).
Proton axe: Self-powered melee weapon. Heavy penetration and damage effect.
(Awesome with level 7 Brawling.)
ARMOR:
Armor varies from plain clothing (rating 0) to power armor (rating 14). There
is no way your armor can be damaged or destroyed. Here is a list, with armor
ratings in parentheses:
Nothing (0): For sex and rodentia.
Leather jacket (1): For those a tier higher on the evolutionary ladder.
Robe (1): As above. (Used probably as a disguise to travel unnoticed in the
Temple of Blood.)
Bullet-proof shirt (2): For canines and handguns.
Kevlar vest (4): For rifles.
RAD suit (5): For small automatic weapons. Also protects against radiation.
Kevlar suit (6): For automatic weapons.
Pseudo-Chitin armor (10): For most automatic weapons and weak energy weapons.
Power armor (14): For rockets and heavy energy weapons. (I wish I had one of
these! Actually, in the last level of the game power armor won't help you
much. Be sure you have a good doctor.)
ITEMS:
Some items are useless, some not. You should either drop or sell anything
useless. Here is a list in alphabetical order:
Android head: There are two in the game: one to fix Max and the other to
"hook" yourself up with Finster's electronic brain at Darwin Base.
Antitoxin: For curing radiation sickness.
Blackstar/Nova/Pulsar/Quasar keys: For the final part of Wasteland. Used only
once.
Bloodstaff: Many fake copies of this lying around. The real one is held BELOW
Needles. Give this to the priest in southeastern Needles. You also will
receive it later to give to Charmaine in Las Vegas.
Book: Useless.
Broken toaster: Use Toaster Repair skill at the workstation in the Guardian
Citadel to pop up some extra power packs and a plasma coupler (in case you lost
or can't find the other one).
Canteen: Needed to survive in the desert. Prevents heat exhaustion for each
character that has one.
Chemical: For making antitoxin around Darwin Base.
Clay pot: Useless.
Club/Crowbar/Sledge Hammer: Used to break through glass.
Engine: Used to fix the water purifier at Highpool and the jeep.
Fruit: Useless.
Fusion cell: Used to fix Max, the robot.
Gas mask: For poisonous and sleeping gases. You only use it once in Vegas.
Geiger counter: Detects nearby radiation by two methods. Stop for a while and
you will hear clicking. Or, look at the graduated bar on the right.
Hand mirror: Useless.
Howitzer shell: For loading and firing in Downtown Needles. Loading will
sometimes upgrade Demolitions and AT Weapons skill.
Jewelry: Useless.
Jug: For cloning fluid at Sleeper Base--otherwise useless.
Map: Useless.
Match: Useless.
Pick Axe: Used to pick minerals at specific areas in the mine south of Quartz.
Plasma coupler: Used to fix many things late in the game, including the force
field mechanism in the northwestern key room under Base Cochise.
Plastic explosives/TNT: In non-combat purposes, used to clear debris. Both do
the same job; plastic explosives are just more expensive.
Power converter: Used to fix Max.
ROM board: Used to fix many things late in the game, including the helicopter
simulator at Sleeper Base and Max, the friendly robot.
Rope: For those hard-to-reach places. Keep four handy.
Ruby ring: Give this to the priest in southeastern Needles. Once recognized,
get rid of it.
Secpasses 1,3,7,A,B: Used to unlock numerous power doors in Sleeper Base,
Darwin Base, and Base Cochise.
Servo motor: Used to fix Max, the friendly robot.
Shovel: For digging. Be sure to keep one handy.
Snake Squeezins [sic]: The standard Wasteland alcoholic beverage. Give this
to bums and they'll move their *ss. Keep some handy.
Visa card: For the Head Crusher at the Quartz bar.
MISCELLANEOUS:
Here is some general information:
Sell any equipment you don't need at ONE location. That way, you don't have to
wonder which shop your ammo is in. I recommend selling power packs early in
the game; you can always buy them back later.
Attack the largest groups or the most dangerous groups first. Damage can
"spill over" onto others in a large group. When you attack a group with only
one enemy, and you kill him prematurely, you still have many other attackers
without a target.
When U)sing an item, ability or attribute, many people don't know that you can
press the space bar to use it on the space your party is standing on. Without
this knowledge, they wouldn't be able to pass Finster's brain.
Whenever you enter or leave a place, make sure you save it before quitting.
Strange things can happen, i.e., after entering an ammo shop and qutting
without saving, the ammo shop can no longer be entered.
If you want to upgrade your Medic or Doctor skill fast, then let someone who is
in SER condition fall into deeper shades of death. When you feel like it, try
the Medic or Doctor skill. The more difficult the problem, the better chance
you have at increasing your skill level. Make sure you save the game before
you do this.
When acquiring some items, the computer randomly rolls for the amount of cash,
equipment, etc. I think it is dependent on the total luck or the highest
personal luck of the party. Anyhow, if the equipment is important, like LAW
rockets or power packs, be sure to save it just before you step on the loot
space. That way, if you don't get what you want, you can just restore and try
again.
Develop your Brawling skill once you have the power armor. Almost nothing can
hurt you after that, so you won't have to worry about first shots. Just arm an
axe, chainsaw or proton axe and you're set to waste some people. Conserves a
lot of ammo.
The IBM version has macro capability. You should know this if you bought the
game.
WHAT IF'S:
Here are a few things you could try: (Remember to save the game!)
Kill everything and anything in sight.
Kill all the "Juvies" in Highpool. The programmers did quite some designing
for this scenario.
Go on stage at Scott's Bar in Quartz.
Go in the front door of the Courthouse and the Hideout in Quartz. Lotsa fun.
Use Perception on the crystal ball in Crowley's shop at Needles.
Look through the poster room in Downtown Needles.
Shell the hobo dob stand with the howitzer in Downtown Needles.
Blow away all the police robots in Needles.
Torture yourself in the Temple of Blood.
Try launch code "MORTAR" below the Temple of Blood. (Actually, use any of the
false passwords given in the fake journal entries.)
Blow up the front gate at Savage Village.
Kill everyone in Spade's Casino. There's a trapdoor behind the bar...
Jump in the sewer water or the river.
Clone several versions of you at Sleeper Base.
Enter "BREAK" at the main computer in Base Cochise.
Get killed at Base Cochise.
UNKNOWNS:
I have no idea what these things do, but I have a feeling they do do SOMETHING.
If you find out about them, tell me:
Combat Shooting skill
Crowley's Occult Shop in Needles
Ralf, the hobo, in the Temple of Blood
("So this is why we lost AcaDec!")