Wizardry 1: The Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord is the first game in a long running and popular series of Wizardry games. It was the original that spawned roughly a dozen sequels and add-ons over the course of many years. This initial version of Wizardry was both developed and published by Sir-Tech Software, as were most of the series games that followed. This installment of the series was released in the late eighties. It is a classic role playing game and one of the first to display the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons system.
Wizardry 1: The Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord is the first game in a long running and popular series of Wizardry games. It was the original that spawned roughly a dozen sequels and add-ons over the course of many years. This initial version of Wizardry was both developed and published by Sir-Tech Software, as were most of the series games that followed. This installment of the series was released in the late eighties. It is a classic role playing game and one of the first to display the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons system. It is similar to the Might and Magic series or the long-running and unusual Ultima series as forerunners in the genre of classic role playing games.
The games early in the Wizardry
series, beginning with Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord were special in that they built upon one another. A gamer had to own and complete the previous title in order to import characters into the following title. For example, Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord’s characters, upon completion, could be imported into Wizardry II: The Knight of Diamonds.
Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord, features the ruler of the land, Trebor, as an dictator who went insane after the acquisition of an enchanted amulet. He has become power hungry and evil and is also at war with the evil wizard Werdna, who has taken the magical amulet from him. Werdna, despite his title of archmage, does not understand how to use the amulet’s power, and bad things begin to happen. He inadvertently creates an earthquake, which opens a huge chasm beneath Trebor’s castle. In an effort to cover up his blunder, Werdna moves his minions into the caverns created by the rift and sets up his home base beneath Trebor’s castle as if he meant to do it all along. This not only presents a problem for Trebor, it also rubs the overlord the absolute wrong way…as if Werdna is dangling the amulet under his nose but beyond his reach. In an effort to eradicate Werdna and his vermin minions from beneath his castle, and also to reclaim his pilfered amulet, Trebor creates a competition. He labels the catacombs beneath his palaces the “Proving Grounds” and devises a tournament for warriors who wish to become members of his elite guard. Any who want to be involved in the honor guard must descend into the catacombs and return with the amulet. The user will play one of these hapless souls.
Wizardry plays out like a standard role playing game, and the user will have to amass experience points to build his skills and power. He will have a party of six adventurers to take with him into the nest of evil, and will have the opportunity to fend off many of Werdna’s weird minions. Overall, this was the great start to a great series, and fans of the RPG will certainly enjoy this one.
