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*    DARK MESSIAH OF MIGHT AND MAGIC    *
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*   Single-Player Enemy and Item List   *
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***********
DISCLAIMERS
***********

"Might and Magic" and "Dark Messiah Might and Magic" are trademarks of Ubisoft
Entertainment, Copyright 2006, All Rights Reserved.  Game developed by Arkane
Studios and Floodgate Entertainment.

This FAQ is currently only approved for display on GameFAQs.com, Neoseeker.com,
Supercheats.com and CelestialHeavens.com.  Displaying this document or any
content derived from it without permission from the author, Patrick
"Exaggeration17A" Leahy, is prohibited.

This FAQ may contain limited SPOILERS-- allusions to plot and character details
revealed while playing through the game.  I've tried not to give any major
details away apart from how to defeat the enemies in this game but if you're
worried about spoilers, it is recommended that you NOT read this guide.

This FAQ and pertains ONLY to the single-player portion of Dark Messiah of
Might and Magic.  Content relating to the multiplayer version is not
included, nor are there any plans for its inclusion in the future.


************
INTRODUCTION
************

Originally, I had intended on writing a full FAQ and walkthrough for Dark
Messiah of Might and Magic, but then I realized that a fairly comprehensive
game guide already existed on GameSpot.com.  Therefore, I shortened my FAQ to
include only those areas where the GameSpot guide was lacking: information on
the enemies you encounter and the items you find in the game.

The list I've compiled may not contain every item in the game and may contain
the occasional error, but I've tried to make it all as complete as possible.
I've also tried to give you an indication of when you can expect to find the 
items on the list BUT I've recently discovered that the items you find may
vary depending on what skills you have.  Therefore, phrases like "first found
in chapter five" should be taken as approximations in certain cases.

Apart from that, if you find any other errors, scroll down to the contact
information section to let me know about them.


****************
ENEMIES - HUMANS
****************

Most of the humans you'll fight in Dark Messiah are necromancers and their
allies.  They're more vulnerable to fire than they are to lightning, but all
attacks work about equally well on humans.

BLACK GUARDS - First appearance in the prologue.  These are mercenaries hired by
Arantir and the necromancers to serve as cannon fodder.  Most of them carry
short swords, occasionally with a shield, while others use a bow as their
primary weapon.  They're only really dangerous in groups... they don't dodge,
block or parry much and are easy to line up for a power attack or a well-placed
kick.  A volley of three flame arrows or three power attacks to the head from a
short sword will kill them, too.  Take out the archers first or force them to
drop their bows if you can, then kill them in your favorite way.

NECROMANCERS - First appearance in chapter two (also, the guys who leer at you
when the main menu is displayed at startup).  Necromancers are wizards that
specialize in death magic, which allows them to raise zombies and even reanimate
fresh corpses.  You'll mostly have to worry about fire projectiles from them,
though.  They generally use magic as their primary form of attack and have a
meathook as a backup melee weapon.  Their magic is devastating at medium range,
so fight them at either close or long range depending on your weapon of choice.
In any case, you want to kill necromancers fast and prioritize them as targets
over all other enemies except liches so you don't have to deal with any variety
of reanimated corpse.

NECROMANCER TRAINEES - First appearance in chapter eight.  You might think I'm
kidding, but I'm not.  You'll run into servants in the necromancers' lair, at
least some of which talk as though they were training to be necromancers.  They
have no means of attack as far as I know, but should be killed regardless (which
won't be hard) so they don't alert their masters.

STONEHELM GUARDS - First appearance in chapter one.  For the most part, they are
your allies but in chapter nine, a poorly aimed spell or arrow might cause you
to wind up fighting them.  They're kind of like an improved version of Black
Guards since they attack and defend more effectively and almost always carry
shields.  Refine your strategy for killing Black Guards a little if you
accidentally provoke them and you should be fine.

STONEHELM WIZARDS - First appearance in chapter four.  Again, you'll never have
to fight them unless you accidentally provoke one in chapter nine.  The strategy
for dealing with them is the same as it is for a necromancer.


****************
ENEMIES - UNDEAD
****************

Since necromancers are your main enemies, you'll fight a lot of dead things that
they bring back to life with dark magic.  They're resistant to physical damage
but can still be killed by it relatively easily.  They're also usually
vulnerable to fire, but lightning works well too.

ZOMBIES - First appearance in the prologue.  These reanimated corpses are slow
and stupid, but they hit hard and can be tough to finish off.  Don't be fooled
by your first encounter with one in the prologue, either.  By the time you see
them again (chapter six), they'll have the ability to breathe poison gas, which
makes their hard hits even more dangerous.  They're best dealt with at a
distance, but if close combat is needed, don't stand still for too long and
don't linger in the short to medium range where they tend to use their poison
attack.

GHOULS - First appearance in chapter one.  Unlike their zombie cousins, these
creatures are quick but hit just as hard.  Your biggest problems will be their
tendency to attack in groups and how they don't stay still long enough to
properly aim any form of attack.  The best way to deal with them is when they
haven't spotted you but failing that, remember that they stay close to the
ground, watch their movements and aim as best as you can.

LICHES - First appearance in chapter six.  In case you didn't loathe
necromancers enough, these undead wizards have all the abilities of a living
necromancer (and use them with greater proficiency) with all the toughness of
undead creatures.  No matter what kind of character you're playing, there's only
one strategy to go with for them: hit them with everything you have and take
them down quick before the zombies they raise overwhelm you.

VAMPIRE KNIGHTS - First appearance in chapter eight.  Vampire Knights are the
strongest warriors in the game.  They carry shields almost as frequently as orcs
do, are very alert and very good at combat.  They're also one of the few enemies
who avoid being lined up for an instant kill kick (HOWEVER, they will charge as
soon as they spot you and countering this tactic with a kick has proven to be
quite effective... thanks again to CloudRiderX for the insight).  Don't take
risks with these guys and try to avoid fighting more than one at a time.  Take
them out as quick as possible with ranged attacks or block often in melee combat
and use quick power attacks when they leave themselves open.

UNDEAD COMMONERS - First appearance in chapter eight.  They're kind of a joke by
the time you encounter them, since they're only as tough as zombies (possibly
weaker) and you won't be worried about those either this late in the game.  The
only word of caution worth mentioning is, don't forget that these guys have the
same poison attack that zombies do.  Kill them quick and you won't have to worry
about them when a pack of ghouls show up.


*****************
ENEMIES - DEMONIC
*****************

In the Might and Magic universe, goblins and orcs were created by the fusion of
human and demon blood, and are therefore considered demonic.  The only other
demonic creatures in the game are the two normal cyclopses encountered in
chapters five and seven, respectively.  They have a vulnerability to lightning
but like humans, all attacks work pretty well on them.

GOBLINS - First appearance in chapter four.  Fans of RPGs should already be
familiar with the weak yet potentially dangerous goblin.  In this game, they
carry spiked clubs and usually wooden shields, and are almost never found alone.
Rather than use ranged weapons, goblins will throw rocks at you, which does
little damage but can add up when there are a lot of them.  Therefore, don't
hesitate to press the attack against a group of goblins, especially since
depleting their health can literally send them running for their lives.  When
this happens, just start damaging the next goblin since you can always find the
coward and kill him when you're finished with his friends.

ORCS - First appearance in chapter five.  Orcs are an RPG standby as well.  Like
Black Guards, they're mostly swordsmen with a few archers thrown in, but orcs
almost always carry some form of shield, hit harder and are much better at
combat.  Therefore, you need to be much more cautious with any orc armed with a
cleaver and prepare to use stronger spells, more arrows or just block more
often.  Don't forget to take advantage of their vulnerability to lighting as
well, if you can.


*****************
ENEMIES - ANIMALS
*****************

The animals you fight in this game are almost exclusively spiders, though there
is one annoying exception.  Like the undead, physical attacks aren't the best
option but fire will make quick work of them.  Lightning is generally okay too,
with the same annoying exception.

SMALL SPIDERS - First appearance in chapter three.  The smaller spiders you
encounter aren't much of a threat as long as you notice them, although sometimes
you can literally walk on them and kill them accidentally.  They will attack you
and they can poison you, so it's best to kill them before they get that chance.
I recommend a well-aimed kick or other melee attack.  Anything else is a wasted
effort.

LARGE SPIDERS - First appearance in chapter five.  Here's the real threat.  The
main problems you encounter when fighting spiders are their numbers (another
enemy that likes attacking in groups) and their poison, which continually drains
your health until you're down to 5 hit points.  The only plus side is that
besides the poison, their attacks only do 1 or 2 points of damage.  Since there
are usually no other creatures around when you fight these spiders, I recommend
ignoring the poison effect until you've used whichever tactic to kill every last
spider, then heal yourself.  Don't bother drinking an antidote potion when
you're poisoned and other spiders are still around (you'll probably just get
poisoned again), and don't bother trying to heal yourself before the poison
wears off (it won't make the poison wear off any sooner).

FACEHUGGERS - First appearance in chapter five.  These fleshy, floating
creatures that resemble octopi with big teeth and crackle with electricity are
called "ugly little brutes" and "mindless vermin" in the game, and those seem
like more appropriate monikers than "facehugger" to me (thanks to Hezz for
supplying this official name).  In any case, you'll probably grow to hate them.
They can be quick and hard to hit with an attack until they're right on top of
you, by which time you're taking steady damage from their teeth and electric
attacks.  The only good news is, a well-aimed fireball will obliterate them and
contrary to all logic, you can still damage them with lightning attacks, too
(thanks to CloudRiderX for reminding me of that).  It might be worth keeping
some fireball scrolls in your inventory just to deal with them easily.


****************
ENEMIES - BOSSES
****************

CYCLOPS - First appearance in chapter one.  These 15 foot high, one eyed
monsters come in two varieties: regular and undead.  You'll run into three
undead ones (chapters 1 and 9, and the epilogue) and two regular ones (chapters
5 and 7) but the strategy is the same for either type if you want to confront
them.  You only need to kill chapter one's cyclops, and you use a ballista to do
it.  The other three are optional, though you will generally get more skill
points for killing them, and doing so will make getting through the chapter
easier, too.  Using the battlefield you have to your advantage is the best
strategy (kicking over a statue in chapter five, cutting a log loose in chapter
seven and cutting a large rock loose in the epilogue) but those tricks fail, it
is possible to defeat them in a more standard way.
Archers and mages need to stay as far away from the cyclops as possible and
shoot for the eye, the only spot where they can be damaged.  Warriors need to
hide behind a shield, wait for the cyclops to attack, block it and run in to
attack the eye while it's at ground level.  Assassins will have the most trouble
since they can't be backstabbed.  Use the archer's strategy if you have a bow
but if you only have daggers, your only option is to use the warrior's strategy
and dodge the cyclops' attacks since they can't be parried.  Prepare to use a
lot of healing potions though, since their attacks are hard to dodge and you
might not be able to get to the eye fast enough if you dodge too far.
When a cyclops takes enough damage, it will stagger and fall to its knees,
leaving its eye open for a final, killing blow.  Don't hesitate when this
happens since it will recover if you don't finish it off.  The fountain of blood
pouring from its eye lets you know it's as good as dead.  One last warning: stay
out of the way when it's ready to fall to the ground!

PAO-KAI - First appearance in chapter five.  Pao-Kais are evil dragons with
lightning breath and plenty of natural weapons as well.  You only run into two
of them in the game, and they aren't really a challenge once you know what you
need to do.  In chapter five, get its attention by hitting it with a spell or
arrows, then run to the passage with the portcullis and lever and close the
portcullis on the dragon when it sticks its head through.  In chapter nine,
you can run into a building and take the Pao-Kai down with the conveniently
placed ballista inside.
Like the cyclops, it's possible to kill them in a more standard way, or at
least it is in chapter nine.  The strategy should be the same as it is for the
bone dragon; scroll down to the end of the bosses section to see it (thanks
again to Hezz for reminding me of this fact).

ARATROK - Appears in chapter five.  Aratrok is the orc chieftan who will
challenge you "blade to blade" near the end of chapter five.  He's only a
tougher version of the standard orc, but the nature of his challenge causes
problems for everyone but the warrior.  If you cast any spells, the four other
orcs he enters with will attack and make the fight even harder.  Said orcs also
block the exit, so it'll be hard to get away from Aratrok in the room you fight
him in.  Either parry and counter-attack a lot with melee weapons, run in
circles and shoot constantly with a bow, or prepare to use a lot of spells to
win this battle.

GIANT WORM - Appears in chapter seven.  This is more of a really big hazard than
an actual boss, since there's no way to kill it.  The only way of dealing with
it is running away... keep a close eye on your stamina so you aren't caught
winded and unable to dodge its jaws.

GIANT SPIDER - Appears in chapter eight.  This is an optional boss, but deciding
whether or not to fight it plays a big part in your decision to be good or evil.
This is another boss that will pose the most problems for the assassin, since
the strategy for fighting it is a lot like that of the cyclops.  Either keep
your distance and use ranged attacks (preferably fire-based) or use shield
blocks and counter-attacks in close.  Aim for the rear of the spider since its
head is armored and will deflect attacks.  Also like the cyclops, you don't want
to be nearby when it's about to collapse.

ARANTIR - First appearance in chapter three.  Arantir is the boss of the
necromancers and the main villain of this game.  You don't get to actually fight
him until the epilogue and finale of Dark Messiah, since attacking him in
chapter three results in instant death.  When you do fight him, he's
disappointing.  Assassins can just sneak up and backstab him, warriors and mages
can make quick work of him as well, and the fight is only marginally challenging
for archers if you decide not to keep your distance.  The real danger is the
"ally" he summons....

BONE DRAGON - Appears in the epilogue.  The bone dragon summoned by Arantir is
the real final boss of Dark Messiah.  It's essentially a skeletal Pao-Kai that
you can actually damage and is bound to Arantir.  This fight is pretty
unbalanced depending on what skills you have.  If you're a melee-focused warrior
or assassin, all you can do is run around, dodging its lightning breath until it
comes in for melee attacks, at which point you may have to resort to leaping
attacks at its tail.  It's a much better situation for archers and mages who can
run around and shoot it.  When it takes enough damage, it will vanish and
Arantir will be vulnerable to attack.  Depending on how quick you are and how
much damage you can deal, you should only have to make the dragon vanish two or
three times before Arantir finally dies.


**************
ITEMS - SWORDS
**************

Swords are the weapons of choice for warriors, though other weapons exist that
reward those skilled in melee combat.  Swords are relatively fast, do the most
damage, have power strikes that are easy to aim and they can dismember your
enemies, sometimes resulting in quicker kills in close combat than other
weapons.  In later chapters, the best swords will require you to have points in
strength, so plan ahead if you want to use them.
Five different power attacks can be made with swords: a downward slash when
standing (effective for dismembering, decapitation in particular), a forehand
slash when moving right (good against enemies trying to sidestep), a backhand
slash when moving left (also good against sidesteps), a thrust when moving
forward and a different thrust when moving backward (both thrusts are good for
keeping your distance, and for aiming at enemies' legs if they hide behind their
shields).
A power attack with a sword made when the adrenaline bar is full will result in
a two-hit combo strike similar to the one made from a charge that instantly
kills and usually dismembers its target (occasionally, you will impale your
enemy on your blade instead).
You can make a couple of swords in the game if you use a forge.  To start, use
the bellows to the left of the fireplace to get a fire going.  Then, you'll need
a steel bar or Flamegold bar to put in the pot to the right of the fire.  Next,
turn the wheel to swing the pot over the flame.  When smoke rises from the pot,
turn the wheel again and the molten metal will pour into a sword pattern plate.
Pull a lever to the right to dunk the blade in water and cool it down.  Then,
take the blade from the plate and use it on the fire.  When it glows red, grab
it and use it on the anvil behind the fire.  Then, pick up the blacksmith's
hammer near the anvil and attack the sword to hammer it into shape.  Finally,
use the tools to the left of the anvil to make a hilt and you have a completed
sword!

SHORT SWORD - First found in the prologue.  +2 damage.  This will be the standby
weapon for most swordsmen until chapter four, and you have to use it to get
through the prologue regardless.  There's not much to say about it that hasn't
already been said about swords in general.

LONG SWORD - First found in chapter three.  +3 damage, requires melee combat 1.
This is an improved Short Sword for those who have spent a skill point in melee
combat.  You can either find your first long sword in chapter four, or make one
yourself in chapter three using a forge located beneath the warehouse.

NAGA SILKSWORD - First found in chapter three.  +3 damage, +4% chance of
critical hit, requires critical hit 1.  Now things are getting interesting.  The
Silksword is a thin, curved blade designed for finesse over brute force.
Between the weapon's craftsmanship and the prerequisite skill, your strikes will
do double damage 7% of the time, which isn't often but it makes a difference.  I
usually spend points in critical hit if I'm a warrior anyway, so I think it's
worth getting the skill to use this sword, especially considering there's an
improved version available later.

CLEAVER - First found in chapter five.  +7 damage, requires strength 2.  The
exact opposite of the Silksword: brute force over finesse.  Pretty much what
you'd expect considering every orc in the game carries one.  Though the damage
is excellent, I find the prerequisite is hard to meet in chapter five and I
usually abandon it soon in favor of the Superior Naga Silksword anyway.  Feel
free to use it if you can, but don't expect to use it for long.

SUPERIOR NAGA SILKSWORD - First found in chapter five.  +6 damage, 4% chance of
critical hit, requires critical hit 2.  My favorite non-magical sword, in case
you haven't guessed.  The superior version of the Naga Silksword delivers more
critical hits (9%), and it's actually more noticeable.  I recommend it over the
cleaver as a result, despite its lower damage.

SWORD OF THE DRAGONCLAW - Found in chapter six.  +9 damage, +18 to undead,
requires strength 3.  Although you'll find it in chapter six, you won't be able
to use it unless you make a holy pilgrimage in chapter nine.  If you choose to
do that, this weapon's performance will be your reward.  It annihilates undead
enemies and can hack apart most other things just as easily.  It's not just the
best sword, it's the best melee weapon in the game, unless you're not pure
enough to use it.

EARTHFIRE SWORD - Found in chapter seven.  +6 damage, +12 to enemies vulnerable
to fire, requires strength 2.  This is one of your better choices, sword-wise,
especially if you don't make the pilgrimage in chapter nine.  In order to get
it, you need to make a sword from a bar of Flamegold found in chapter seven.
Its fire damage usually results in higher damage than what the Superior Naga
Silksword is capable of (and not just against enemies vulnerable to fire).  If
nothing else, it's certainly a good replacement for the Staff of the Firelord
for dealing with spiders and other enemies vulnerable to fire.

SOULDRINKER - Found in chapter seven.  +4 damage, 30% of damage dealt goes to
health, requires strength 3.  You would think that this sword would be on an
equal level with the Sword of the Dragonclaw given its requirement, but it's not
the case.  Damage this low in the later chapters isn't good enough even with the
life-stealing ability.  It's not bad to use against weaker enemies when you need
a health boost, but I can't recommend it as a primary weapon.  One last thing if
you decide to use it: remember that the undead have no life to steal, so don't
slash a zombie and expect to get more than 1 health for it.


***************
ITEMS - DAGGERS
***************

Daggers are the weapons of choice for assassins, mostly due to their ability to
backstab and instantly kill non-animal enemies you sneak up on.  They can also
be thrown at fleeing enemies, or as an adrenaline effect, for an instant kill.
They're also the fastest weapons available, though not as powerful as swords or
even some bows.
Three different power attacks can be made with daggers, all of which are two-hit
combos: a pair of simultaneous slashes while standing and moving left or right,
and two separate stab and slash combos made while moving forward and backwards.

DAGGERS - First found in chapter one.  +1 damage.  This is the basic version of
the dagger.  Like the Short Sword, it's an early-in-the-game standby weapon that
has no special qualities.

GUTTING KRISS - First found in chapter one.  +4 damage, +4% chance of critical
hit, requires stealth 2.  Whether or not you'll prefer these daggers to the
Poison Kriss depends largely on your combat style.  If you like to power attack
relentlessly to kill enemies quickly, go with this weapon.  If you're more
cautious and strike only when you know it's safe, then the poison effect will
wind up doing more damage than you will with these.

POISON KRISS - First found in chapter three.  +2 damage, magic attack: poisons
enemy, requires stealth 3.  These are found in the same general area where you
can make a Long Sword, though unlike that weapon, you may not be skilled enough
to use these daggers them when you find them.  The extra damage is certainly
nice for assassins, and the poison makes combat easier since you won't have to
make as many attacks... the poison can do the damage instead.

LIGHTNING DAGGERS - First found in chapter five.  +4 damage, +8 to enemies
vulnerable to lightning, requires melee combat 2.  These daggers are somewhat
anomalous since they don't require skill in stealth to use.  If you're an
assassin, you may not actually have the skill in melee combat to use them.
This makes them more of a weapon for the warrior, especially in orc-laden
chapter five where the lightning damage can make these daggers more effective
than the swords available to you.

SHADOWSTEEL DAGGERS - First found in chapter seven.  +6 damage, requires stealth
3.  Those who like the Gutting Kriss will definitely like the Shadowsteel 
Daggers, whose improved damage will come in handy when stealth fails you.
They're even the right color for assassination!

DAGGERS OF FROST - First found in chapter seven.  +2 damage, magic attack:
freezes enemy, requires stealth 2.  Generally not even as useful as the Poison
Kriss, these daggers' freezing ability doesn't make up for their low damage.
The situation that applies to the Gutting Kriss vs. the Poison Kriss might apply
to this weapon if you don't have stealth 3, but freezing is only so effective
when your enemies are already on top of you.

DAGGERS OF THE DRAGONFANG - Found in chapter nine.  +7 damage, +14 to undead,
requires stealth 3.  A holy weapon awarded to those who make a certain
pilgrimage during chapter nine.  Although the base damage is only a little
better than that of the Shadowsteel Daggers, their ability to slay the undead
makes them untouchable as the best daggers in the game.


**************
ITEMS - STAVES
**************

Staves are the weapons of choice for mages, and many staves in the game require
skill in magic affinity to be used.  These weapons are actually very effective
in combat, and can outperform swords early in the game if you can master the aim
of the power attacks.  They stun enemies often, which leaves them open to be
knocked down and then finished off while on the ground.  Their potential is
definitely not to be underestimated.
Three different power attacks can be made with staves, all are hard to aim and
two out of three are simply too slow.  You twirl your staff elaborately before
settling on a postion from which you will unleash two wild attacks that swing
your view with the direction of the blow and usually result in only one actually
landing.  The left and right power strike is the slowest, though the pair of
wide horizontal swings are good for small groups of opponents standing in a
line.  The standing and forward power strike is marginally quicker, but its
horizontal, then vertical swing are the hardest to aim.  The backwards power
strike should therefore be used almost exclusively, since the windup is much
quicker and the vertical swing and thrust is less disorienting and easier to
aim.
A power attack with a staff made when the adrenaline bar is full will result in
a flurry of blows with the potential to instantly kill more than one enemy in
your vicinity (ocassionally, you will spin an enemy around with a strike and
snap their neck instead).

WOODEN STAFF - First found in chapter one.  +1 damage.  Wooden staves are
carried by mage/healers in Stonehelm.  Despite the low damage rating, this
weapon can still be very effective, as described above.

COMBAT STAFF - First found in chapter one.  +2 damage, requires melee combat 1.
Officially as powerful as the short sword, it's a shame that the melee combat
requirement means that characters who prioritize magic won't get to use it.
A fine replacement for the wooden staff or even the short sword for anyone with
the skill, though.

STAFF OF REFLECTION - Found in chapter four.  +2 damage, can absorb one magic
attack and turn it into a lightning projectile power attack, requires magic
affinity 1.  The great thing about this weapon is, it's the only thing in the
game that can actually block a magical attack.  Not only that, it absorbs the
energy and unleashes a lightning spell on the next power attack you make.
Apart from that, it's an improved combat staff but the special ability is quite
valuable for fighting the necromancers in chapter four.  Just remember, it can
only absorb one spell, then you start taking damage.

STAFF OF THE FIRELORD - First found in chapter five.  +3 damage, +6 to enemies
vulnerable to lightning, requires melee combat 1.  Another melee-focused staff
that mages might miss out on, the Staff of the Firelord should strongly be
considered as a primary weapon for melee characters to use against spiders,
until they get the Earthfire Sword at least.  Again, very effective as long as
you can temper the wildness of its power attacks.

SHADOWSTEEL STAFF - First found in chapter five.  +5 damage, requires melee
combat 2.  Yes, another combat staff not geared toward mages.  I don't find this
weapon very useful since I'm usually fighting with the Staff of the Firelord for
enemies weak against fire (+6 damage) and a Superior Naga Silksword for
everything else (also +6 damage).  The Shadowsteel Staff is weaker than both in
that context, but if you prefer staves over swords, then there's nothing wrong
with this weapon.

SOULREAVER STAFF - First found in chapter seven.  +2 damage, restores your mana
when you hit, requires magic affinity 3.  This is generally a good replacement
for the Staff of Reflection as a mage's staff since you don't fight that many
spellcasters.  The low damage is forgiveable since mages generally only resort
to melee when they're out of mana and the Soulreaver Staff plays to the mage's
strengths, giving you the mana you need so you won't have to resort to melee
combat for long.

STAFF OF THE DRAGONBONE - Found in chapter nine.  +7 damage, +14 to undead,
requires magic affinity 3.  A holy weapon awarded to those who make a certain
pilgrimage during chapter nine.  Obviously, this is the best staff in the game.
It's especially nice for mages who didn't spend points in melee combat and now
finally have a devastating weapon to go along with their devastating spells.
Too bad they couldn't get something like this sooner.


************
ITEMS - BOWS
************

Bows are the weapons of choice for archers.  You've probably figured out on
your own by now that you'll need to spend points in the archery skill to use the
best bows.  Aim is everything with these weapons because a shot to the head can
be one of the most damaging attacks in the entire game.  You also need to
collect quivers of arrows to keep shooting, which are available in limited
quantities so you don't have the luxury of shooting away without aiming first.
Of course, the equation changes when you get an endless quiver....
There are no power attacks with bows.  The mouse button must be held down to
keep the bow drawn once you nock an arrow.  The only other attack that can be
performed is stabbing an enemy with an arrow, which happens if you have an arrow
in hand when an enemy is close by.  Also of note, if you have an arrow nocked an
approach an open flame (such as a torch or firepit), you will get a fire arrow
that does a little extra damage and can be used to ignite things.
Shooting an enemy when the adrenaline bar is full will result in an instant
kill.  Nothing fancy, but it's quick, effective and generally more versatile
than power attacks made with melee weapons.

BOW - First found in the prologue.  +2 damage.  This weapon, used by Black
Guards, shoots arrows and does little else.  But really, what else do you want
from it?

LONG BOW - First found in chapter three.  +4 damage, requires archery 1.  This
is a more stylish bow that requires some skill and does a little more damage
than the basic Bow.  Used by orcs, so you'll have plenty of chances to get one
in case you miss the one in chapter three.

ELVEN BOW - First found in chapter four.  +5 damage, +3% chance of critical hit,
requires critical hit 2.  The strongest non-magical bow.  It's more damaging
than a Long Bow, is equipped with a (redundant) sight and surprisingly it
requires the critical hit skill and not archery as a prerequisite.  I found this
to be an excellent companion to the Superior Naga Silksword for my warrior, and
archers who take the critical hit skill will probably like it too.

POISON BOW - First found in chapter four.  +2 damage, magic attack: poison
cloud, requires archery 2.  This is a good bow for poisoning and weakening
groups of enemies, but the fact that its damage is only as high as a regular Bow
is frustrating.  It means that in order to maximize the effectiveness of your
shooting, you need to fire your first arrow with the Poison Bow, then switch to
the Long or Elven Bow for the rest of your shots.  I usually go with the Elven
Bow exclusively instead.

ROPE BOW - Found in chapter five.  +1 damage, unlimited ammo, creates a rope
when an arrow is fired into a wooden surface.  Technically, it's a weapon, but 
its main purpose in the game is to create ropes.  The only good thing is that
this bow still allows you to shoot enemies if you're out of normal arrows, but
by chapter five you're not far from the endless quiver so this bow's
effectiveness as a weapon is pretty limited.

BOW OF WINTER'S BREATH - Found in chapter five.  +2 damage, magic attack:
freezes enemy, requires archery 2.  Like the Poison Bow, the low damage of this
weapon hinders its effectiveness despite its magical property.  It's probably
best used on lone enemies... freeze them, switch bows, and take the time to aim
for a head shot.

BOW OF FIERY RAGE - Found in chapter nine.  +7 damage, +14 to enemies vulnerable
to fire, requires archery 3.  So much better than all of the previous bows.
This weapon is actually a little more versatile than the Bow of the Dragonhorn,
since its damage bonus will help you against not just undead but humans and
animals as well.  Definitely worth tracking down and using if you're an archer.

BOW OF THE DRAGONHORN - Found in chapter nine.  +8 damage, +16 to undead,
requires archery 3.  A holy weapon awarded to those who make a certain
pilgrimage during chapter nine.  The Bow of Fiery Rage comes close, but this is
still the best bow in the game and incredibly useful if you have opportunity to
take down ghouls from a distance.  By the time you get it, most of what you're
fighting is undead so the fact that it doesn't do double damage to as many
enemies isn't a big deal.


*****************************
ITEMS - MISCELLANEOUS WEAPONS
*****************************

There are a few random weapons in this game that don't fit into any of the above
categories.  For the most part, they aren't very useful but here they are
anyway.

RANDOM ITEMS - Dark Messiah's designers seem to pride themselves on the fact
that you can pick up barrels, crates, jars and a slew of other items and throw
them at your enemies.  Unless you kick some weak planks and drop these items on
your enemies, it generally isn't worth the effort to make use of this feature,
though.  Throwing objects depletes stamina, usually doesn't do much damage and
the fact that the item takes up most of your view makes aiming these throws
difficult.  This could be an effective strategy if your enemies aren't in range
of your melee weapons yet and you have no other ranged attacks, but other than
that unlikely scenario, I wouldn't recommend this tactic except for early in the
game when all your attacks do relatively low damage.

HAMMER - First found in chapter three.  Probably deals +1 damage, but not
specified in-game.  This hammer can be used to smash enemies, but that's not
its real purpose.  If you read the swords section, you'll know this item is
necessary to hammer an unfinished blade into shape when using a forge.  However,
there's no need to carry the hammer around when you find it since there's one
available at every forge and they're no good as weapons.

PICKAXE - First found in chapter three.  +2 damage.  The inclusion of a pickaxe
while you're exploring a mine seems like an obligatory, atmospheric addition to
the game.  The only reason you'd use it as a weapon though, is if you're sick of
the Short Sword and don't have the skill to use any of the superior weapons
available.  The only other possibility is that you use it to uncover something
secret in the level, and I missed it.

CLUB - First found in chapter four.  +3 damage.  Clubs are carried by the
goblins in this game.  It's a crude weapon with only one kind of power attack,
but it's also one of the strongest weapons you'll find that doesn't have a skill
requirement.  This might make it valuable for characters who haven't learned
melee combat or stealth, like mages looking for a quicker weapon than a staff or
archers looking for a backup weapon if they run out of arrows.  Beyond those
possibilities, it doesn't have much use, though.

HOOK - First found in chapter four.  +3 damage.  Hooks are carried by the
necromancers in this game.  They're very similar to clubs in damage, performance
and lack of requirements and you find your first hook around the same time as
your first club.  So, if you really want to use one of these weapons, the
decision is really a stylistic one.

AXE - Found in chapter five.  +2 damage.  A lone axe, seemingly put into the
game as an afterthought, can be found in chapter five.  It's weaker than a club
or hook and why anyone would want to use it is beyond me.  Maybe, like the pick-
axe, it has some minor puzzle-solving role somewhere in the level that I over-
looked?  It's hard to say, but I suspect this axe is just a useless curiousity.


***************
ITEMS - SHIELDS
***************

We're finally done with weapons.  Shields are just as important to warriors
though, but not so much for any other kind of character since using one requires
at least melee combat 2 (higher where noted).  Most shields are pretty standard
with no special qualities, though some are better than others... especially the
magic, indestructible shields found later in the game.  The normal shields, how-
ever, have a durability rating and break when they absorb too much damage for
you.  This means that, until you find an indestructible shield, any shield user
should have a backup shield in their inventory for when the one they're using
breaks.
But what's the point of using shields when you can just parry with weapon?
There are a few advantages.  First, only shields can block incoming arrows from
enemy archers.  They're also able to block a cyclops' attacks, which makes
killing them far less challenging for any melee-focused character.  Also, if you
click the left mouse button while blocking, you'll perform a shield bash.  This
attack knocks back enemies about half as well as the kick, but it won't drain
your stamina and won't leave you as open to attack.
One last thing to remember: when enemies block with their own shields, it
decreases the durability.  This can work in your favor because you can smash the
shield if they're blocking a lot, but it's bad news if you're hoping to use the
shield yourself.  If your shield is about to break and you need a replacement,
try taking out an enemy shield holder with a well-placed bash from your own
shield (preferably into spikes), magic (from a scroll, perhaps), an arrow to the
head or with well-aimed sword thrusts to the legs.

STONEHELM GUARD SHIELD - First found in chapter one.  Durability 180.  These
small kite shields are carried by the city guards in Stonehelm but luckily, they
can also be found without an owner.  A good shield that doesn't obstruct your
view much when carried or while blocking.

BLACK GUARD SHIELD - First found in chapter two.  Durability 180.  Carried by
Black Guards (obviously), this shield is identical to the Stonehelm Guard Shield
in every way except the design on the front.

WOODEN SHIELD - First found in chapter four.  Durability 120.  Carried by
goblins, this round shield isn't nearly as durable as the two previous shields
and should only be picked up if you have no backup, then replaced when you find
something better.

ORC SHIELD - First found in chapter five.  Durability 60.  The worst shield in
the game.  Size matters, but not in the way you'd think.  This large kite shield
will obstruct your view even when you're not blocking and is weaker than any
other shield in the game.  Given a choice between this and no shield at all, I
would go with no shield unless I'm surrounded by archers.

ORC BUCKLER - First found in chapter five.  Durability 240, requires melee
combat 3.  In contrast to the other orcish shield, this small one is the best
non-magical shields available.  It might even be worth your while to pick up
more than one of these as a backup, if you have the inventory space for it.

EARTHFIRE SHIELD - First found in chapter seven.  Indestructible, increases your
protection from fire-based attacks, requires melee combat 3.  The first of the
indestructible shields, the Earthfire Shield eliminates the need to worry about
shields breaking and does little else.  True, it will protect you from fire, but
that's a kind of attack you'll only have to worry about from necromancers and
liches, unless you like to stand in firepits.  Anyway, it's better than any
normal shield and only blocks your view as much as a Stonehelm or Black Guard
shield, so it's definitely worth using.

VAMPIRE KNIGHT SHIELD - First found in chapter eight.  Durability 240, requires
melee combat 3.  Larger than the Black Guard or Stonehelm Guard shields, this
shield blocks your view a little but nowhere near as much as the giant orc
shield.  If you found the Earthfire Shield though, the pros and cons of these
shields won't really be an issue when you find them.

LIGHTNING SHIELD - Found in chapter nine (but I know it can be found earlier,
just not sure when).  Indestructible, electrifies opponent on a successful
block, requires melee combat 3.  When you find this shield, you can forget about
any other shield in the game.  Not only is it indestructible, but its ability to
shock attacking enemies practically makes melee combat unbalanced in your favor.
Why?  Not only does it stun them and leave them open to a power attack, but it
actually does damage, too.  You could conceivably do nothing but block to weaken
your enemies with lightning damage, then finish them off when they're down to
almost no health.  Best shield in the game... almost too good.


**********************
ITEMS - ARMOR/CLOTHING
**********************

Let's face it, the studded leather armor you start with gets boring after a
while.  Luckily, you can find new outfits that not only make you look cooler,
but add to your abilities!

WIZARD'S ROBE - First found in chapter two.  +1 to armor, +10 to mana, requires
magic affinity 1.  A predominantly blue robe worn by mage/healers in Stonehelm,
this is an outfit you can't go wrong with to start out as long as you have the
required skill.

ASSASSIN'S GARB - First found in chapter three.  +1 to armor, increases your
stealth, requires stealth 1.  As the name implies, this is an outfit for
assassins.  If you've invested in the prerequisite skill, then chances are
stealth is important to you, so you might consider this instead of the wizard's
robe if you feel like you have enough mana.

CHAINMAIL ARMOR - First found in chapter three.  +2 to armor, requires endurance
1.  Now, of course, we find the warrior's outfit, which only serves to increase
your armor rating.  It's only provides a little more protection than the
wizard's robe or assassin's outfit though, so if you have the skill to use one
of those, you might want to consider wearing that instead of this to keep the
mana or stealth bonus.

ARCANE ROBE - First found in chapter five.  +2 to armor, +20 to mana, requires
magic affinity 3.  An upgraded wizard's robe which gives its wearer even more
mana.  An obvious choice for those with the skill.

PLATE ARMOR - First found in chapter five.  +3 to armor, requires endurance 2.
This armor consists of metal plates and chain mail, and the increase in your
armor rating is more noticeable.  Unless you have the skill for the arcane robe
or master thief's outfit, this is an easy choice for warriors.

MASTER THIEF'S OUTFIT - First found in chapter seven.  +2 to armor, increases
your stealth, requires stealth 3.  The master thief's outfit is to the
assassin's garb as the arcane robe is to the wizard's robe.  Generally the best
armor for those who focus in stealth.

SHADOWSTEEL ARMOR - First found in chapter seven.  +4 to armor, +10 to health,
requires endurance 3.  Finally, warrior's armor that does more than just
increase your armor rating.  The extra protection definitely helps, so warriors
will want to boost their endurance to ensure that they can wear it when they
find it.


*******************
ITEMS - MAGIC RINGS
*******************

Magic rings are another set of items that you can wear to increase certain
abilities and best of all, there are no skill requirements to use them.
Unfortunately, you can only wear one ring at a time and you may have trouble
deciding which one to wear.

RING OF THE WEAPONMASTER - First found in chapter three.  +2% chance of critical
hit with all weapons.  Goes especially well with weapons like the Superior Naga
Silksword, but its appeal is limited.

RING OF ARCANE BRILLIANCE - First found in chapter three.  Adds 10 mana.  If you
use any spells, then this is a pretty good choice, at least until you find some-
thing better.

RING OF REGENERATION - First found in chapter five.  Allows your health to
regenerate.  I usually forsake all other rings except the Ring of the Phoenix
in favor of this one.

RING OF MIGHT - First found in chapter five.  +1 damage to all attacks.
Appealing, but not as much as other rings found around the same time.

RING OF THE PHOENIX - First found in chapter five.  Restores you to full health
when you die, then the ring is destroyed.  Always handy to keep around for tough
battles.

RING OF FIRE PROTECTION - First found in chapter seven.  Not very useful,
especially if you're using the Earthfire Shield.


***************************************
ITEMS - POTIONS, SCROLLS, MISCELLANEOUS
***************************************

HEALTH POTION - Restores 10 health.  Red potions commonly found in crates with a
dragon insignia, among other locations.

MANA POTION - Restores 50 mana.  Blue potions, just as common as healing potions
though their placement is a little less predictable.

ANTIDOTE POTION - Cures poison.  White potions, somewhat uncommon, usually found
in treasure chests.  To be used with discipline... go back to the spiders under
the enemies section for details.

STONESKIN POTION - Reduces damage.  Yellow potions that appear grey when in your
inventory, about as uncommon as antidotes.  It can be difficult to anticipate
when you're going to take damage sometimes, so I don't find myself using them
much.

FULL HEALTH POTION - Restores full health.  Yellow potions that stay yellow in
your inventory, probably the rarest potion in the game.  I often use them when
I've finished killing a swarm of spiders and only have 5 hit points, though
they're quite useful beyond that, of course.

SCROLLS - Allow you to use the indicated spell once, without consuming mana.
Good for non-magic users when they run into enemies who are resistant to
physical damage.  So far, I've found the following spells in scroll form:
Telekinesis, Fire Trap, Freeze, Charm, Fireball, Lightning Bolt and Weakening.

FOOD - Restores 2 health.  Food comes in a variety of forms, but every unit of
food only restores 2 health.  Cured ham?  Roast chicken?  Some cooked ribs?  2
health.  Mashed banana?  Leek?  Raw garlic?  2 health.  I try not to think about
it.

MAGIC MUSHROOM - Fully restores health and mana.  Blue mushrooms usually found
growing in dark places, even rarer than full health potions.  The most powerful
healing item available, these are lifesavers when you've run out of mana to heal
yourself and are in the middle of a fight.

QUIVER - A cylindrical case that holds an average of 10 arrows, though this
number will vary depending on whether you took it off an archer's body or found
it laying around a dungeon.  Since arrows don't take up space in your inventory,
there's no reason not to grab these when you see them until you find....

ENDLESS QUIVER - First found in chapter five.  For any bow user, the endless
quiver is a great find as it frees you from having to track down quivers dropped
by enemy bowmen.  Archers can fire at will, not having to worry about aiming so
much, and everyone else can now pepper enemies with arrows instead of burning
through health or mana via their usual tactics.

KEYS - Come in several varieties, and many are needed to progress in the game.
Others just unlock areas with hidden treasure.  You'll find them either carried
by enemies, or laying around and usually guarded by enemies.  Each key takes up
a spot in your inventory, but will disappear at the end of the chapter you find
them in.


*******************
CONTACT INFORMATION
*******************

Questions, comments, suggestions and corrections can be sent to me at
[email protected]
PLEASE don't e-mail me asking about the multiplayer portion of Dark Messiah.
I only played the multiplayer game once and don't intend to do it again until I
get a better computer.  Even then, I don't anticipate writing any guide for the
multiplayer portion of this game... sorry.


**************
SPECIAL THANKS
**************

To Ubisoft, Arkane Studios and Floodgate Entertainment for developing,
producing, etc. Dark Messiah, and for getting the first patch released so
quickly.  I'm glad to report that the game is no longer more unstable than Tom
Cruise.
To my wife Kate, for indulging me in my video game habit and for keeping herself
busy with Nintendogs while I delved into this PC game.
To Hezz for sending me a bunch of corrections: Undead Commoners, Facehuggers,
Pao-Kai, Gutting Kriss, Combat Staff and Shadowsteel Armor.
To CloudRiderX for posting some corrections on Celestial Heavens regarding the
Facehuggers and Vampire Knights.
Thanks in advance to anyone else who submits positive feedback, and to anyone
who just reads my guide for their unseen support.
To GameSpot for writing a walkthrough so I didn't have to... and for providing
said walkthrough to all of us gamers.
And finally, to GameFAQs for providing such a comprehensive database of
information that makes the games I play less mysterious, and to everyone who
writes the things in the first place!


***************
VERSION HISTORY
***************

0.3, 11 November 2006 - The "skeleton" of the FAQ is finished, though missing
many key bits of information that will eventually distinguish it from the game's
instruction manual.  Sections on basic strategy, skill points with sample
builds, enemies, items and a full single player walkthrough are planned.
0.6, 13 November 2006 - More details are added to the FAQ, and work begins on
the walkthrough.  Several details in the FAQ need to be confirmed before
submission, sample characters are still absent and so is the entire walkthrough
except the prologue.
0.9, 15 November 2006 - Discovery of the GameSpot guide.  Basic strategy, skill
section, and walkthrough abandoned.  FAQ is reinvisioned as a companion to the
GameSpot guide, and work begins on confirming as much information on enemies and
items as possible before submission.
0.95, 19 November 2006 - All but a few details have been confirmed, so the guide
is submitted to GameFAQs.  The question marks will be erased and replaced with
useful data once a technical issue I'm experiencing in chapter eight has been
resolved.
1.0, 23 November 2006 - Working on my master's degree had prevented me from
confirming all the details I wanted to sooner, but I've completed every item and
enemy listing to my satisfaction, made some corrections thanks to Hezz and added
three websites to my approved list for display of this FAQ.  Happy Thanksgiving!
1.1, 29 November 2006 - More minor corrections, most of which typos and
inconsistencies I overlooked in previous updates.  I've also credited
CloudRiderX with some new info in the enemies section.  Thanks again to everyone
for the support!