Witchaven Item Mechanics     10-25-2020  Release 1    © RTCM ETTiNGRiNDER

INTRODUCTION

WEAPONS | POTIONS AND SPELLS | ARMOR AND MISC.

 

INTRODUCTION

All the collectable items in Witchaven and Witchaven II, including weapons, potions, spells, armor, artifacts and treasures.

I have attempted to be accurate by referencing the source code, but it is possible that some data is still incomplete or mistaken. There are several instances where the descriptions in the manuals do not correspond to what the code is actually doing.

 

WEAPONS

In Witchaven I, the attack animation a weapon does makes a difference to how much damage it does. In Witchaven II it doesn't.

Enchanted weapon upgrades exist only in Witchaven II, and are acquired by visiting a shrine (usually built with a particular wall decoration, and you will be able to tell if the shrine has been used or not by the blue magical sparkles which disappear once the enchantment has been collected.) All enchanted weapons get a bonus that doubles their damage (stacking with strength potions and Hero Time); some of them get other bonuses as well.

Enchanted weapons are given 25 charges on easy skill, 20 on medium, and 10 on hard or very hard; after these are used up, they revert to normal. (The vanilla code treats each difficulty as if it were one higher due to a bug. This causes the weapon's enchantment charges on very hard to equal whatever the weapon's remaining durability points had been.)

When a "Weapon is damaged" message appears, that means you can deal only ten more blows with it before it breaks, regardless of weapon type. Once the weapon has reached this point, you can pick up a replacement if you find one, otherwise used weapons will not be discarded. However, there is an issue in vanilla Witchaven II that causes you to throw away enchanted weapons if you run over a pickup for a normal one of the same type.

The lowest difficulty setting of Witchaven I allows you to keep your weapons after you die.

Fists
Damage roll: 1-5 Durability: N/A Reach: 1024
You can punch enemies as a last resort. Very weak, and low reach, but they do hit faster than other weapons and can potentially stunlock enemies. Punching a wall will cause you to hurt yourself. In Witchaven I, also the weapon readied when casting spells. You always have this weapon.
Dagger
WH1 damage roll A: 10-15
WH1 damage roll B: 5-8
WH2 damage roll: 5-9 		Durability: 45 Reach: 1024
Both games start you with one. Weak weapon, but superior to the fist. Can sometimes be found in treasure chests. In Witchaven II, the enchanted version looks different and does double damage.
Short Sword
WH1 damage roll A: 10-20
WH1 damage roll B: 10-16
WH2 damage roll: 5-14 		Durability: 55 Reach: 1536
Better than the dagger, but still not very good. Can sometimes be found in treasure chests. In Witchaven II, you start with one in your inventory and the enchanted version has a flaming blade with double damage. Witchaven I starts you with one on the easiest skill level only.
Morning Star
WH1 damage roll A: 10-18
WH1 damage roll B: 15-23
WH2 damage roll: 5-19 × 2 		Durability: 50 Reach: 1536
An OK weapon. During damage calculation in Witchaven II, the damage rate is doubled after adding the level bonus, making it more powerful than its WH1 version. Can sometimes be found in treasure chests. The enchanted version shoots fireballs making it one of the better enchantments to have, as long as the autoaim bug doesn't spoil it. The easiest skill level of Witchaven I and all skill levels of Witchaven II start you with one.
Dual wielding the enchanted morning star with your broad sword will produce a fiery impact, but doesn't shoot the projectile fireballs.
Broad Sword
WH1 damage roll A: 20-25
WH1 damage roll B: 15-20
WH2 damage roll: 5-24 		Durability: 80 Reach: 1536
The best one-handed weapon, at least without enchantments, with ok durability and a relatively quick attack. If you're not using a shield, you can dual wield another one-handed weapon (dagger or morning star) but this feature is a bit buggy and might not trigger. In Witchaven II, or the easiest skill on Witchaven I, you start with it selected. Can be tagged as enchanted in vanilla WH2, but with no special effects (beyond possibly the damage doubling.)
Battle Axe
WH1 damage roll A: 25-30
WH1 damage roll B: 20-25
WH2 damage roll: 5-29 		Durability: 100 Reach: 1536
Strong, but slow two-handed weapon. Can sometimes be found in treasure chests. Once you get the timing down, a good tactic is to begin your swing from out of range, then charge the enemy in time for the blow to connect. Also appears to get a +50% bonus to damage when used on human enemies (Midian, Ciraean, Argothonian, Giryon) in Witchaven II. The enchanted version has a blue aura and can be swung faster as well as doubling the damage, making it quite formidable.
Magic Bow / Long Bow
WH1 damage roll: ? (Not outside 15-30)
WH2 damage roll: ? (Not outside 15-45)
 		 Ammo limit: 100 Reach: Unlimited
A bow & arrows that lets you shoot enemies from afar, but doesn't do a lot of damage. You can stand on arrows that have been shot into the wall, and even use this weapon to create "ladders" and "bridges" using multiple arrows. The enchanted version fires flaming arrows. Arrows travel to their target instantly when fired, so there is no possibility of dodging if your aim is true.
Damage appears to be unaffected by powerups (possibly intentional for Strength Potion and/or Hero Time, a bug where enchantment is concerned.)
The bow can run out of arrows, but it never breaks. You can carry a maximum of 100 arrows at a time, and a quiver of them gives you 20 arrows in Witchaven I or 25 in Witchaven II.
Tip: if you have trouble aiming, try targeting by looking at whether the enemy is centered above the spine of your spellbook on the status bar.
Pike Axe
WH1 damage roll A: 10-25
WH1 damage roll B: 5-20
WH2 damage roll: 5-39
Thrown damage: 30 		Durability: 30 or 40? (Melee) Reach: 1024 (Melee)
A two-handed weapon that you can throw or, if you only have one left, use in melee. Can sometimes be found in treasure chests. As a ranged weapon, it lacks the instant hit potential of the bow but deals consistent rather than randomized damage. In Witchaven I can never be exceeded by the bow in damage output, but bow damage rolls in Witchaven II can go higher as well as lower. Missed throws can stick in walls and be retrieved. The enchanted version shoots three axes at once but does not allow you to collect more spares until the enchantment wears off. When collecting a set of pike axes, you get 10 in Witchaven I or 25 in Witchaven II, with no set maximum in the vanilla EXEs.
As a melee weapon, the pike axe is largely inferior to the battle axe, being similarly cumbersome and having poorer reach, although in Witchaven II it's passable against monstrous creatures.
There appears to be no limit to how many you can carry for throwing.
Magic Sword / Two-handed Sword
WH1 damage roll A: 45-60
WH1 damage roll B: 40-55
WH2 damage roll: 5-44 		Durability: 250 Reach: 2048
An all-round good weapon that you'll use a lot once you have it: does plenty of damage, has a long reach and good attack rate, and is very durable (more than twice the lasting power of any other weapon). Probably the best melee weapon (and arguably best weapon overall) in Witchaven I, though in Witchaven II the halberd's damage potential is a touch higher. All around, the main downside of this weapon is that you can't use your shield with it. The enchanted version, AKA Ice Razor, has a 75% chance to freeze enemies that it strikes, with effects identical to the freeze spell, which sometimes allows for an instant kill, however, if you're using a strength potion freeze chance drops to 50% for some reason.
Halberd
WH1 damage roll A: 25-40
WH1 damage roll B: 15-30
WH2 damage roll: 5-49 		Durability: 50 Reach: 2048
Two-handed weapon with great reach and damage, but it breaks easily. Most damaging melee weapon in Witchaven II, in the original it is inferior to the magic sword. Midian Warriors can throw it, and you can pull their missed throws from the wall, but for you it's melee only. In Witchaven II, the enchanted version glows orange and deals double damage.

 

 

POTIONS AND SPELLS

There are two kinds of inventory items that may be carried for later use in Witchaven and Witchaven II: potions and spell scrolls. The means to activate them are different but otherwise the distinction is a bit fuzzy; only potions have healing properties and only scrolls can be used to attack, but both categories have some varieties that act as timed power-ups.

You can carry 10 potions of each type, and 9 spells of each type. In Witchaven II, a single scroll pickup gives 5 spell charges instead of just one. Also, in Witchaven II, you no longer need to be using your fists to cast spells as was the case in the first game.

Timed spells can increase in duration as Grondoval gains experience levels.

Breaking the barrels scattered around the dungeon will sometimes reveal a random potion bottle.

Health potion
Color: Blue Instant
Restores 25 points of health. It's usually a good idea to keep your health near to maximum, especially if you start to have a surplus of these. In Witchaven II, they will be used automatically if Grondoval is about to die. Witchaven II also starts you with a supply of three.
Strength potion
Color: Green Duration: About 30 seconds
Temporary power-up that causes melee attacks to do 150% of their normal damage (not double as the Witchaven I manual states). This stacks with the Hero Time strength bonus, and is applied after it. The strength powerup helps preserve both health and armor, by giving enemies less time to live while fighting them, and also your weapon durability, since they'll take fewer blows to kill.
Fire Resistance potion
Color: Red Duration: About 30 seconds
Temporary power-up that grants immunity to lava damage and most projectiles, making it invaluable in levels with a lot of lava zones, as well as when fighting fire-based enemies like the lava fiend and the dragon. Due to the way it's coded, even many non-fire projectiles are resisted and some dungeons are designed around this being the case. Witchaven II starts you with a supply of one.
Cure Poison potion
Color: Yellow Instant
If Grondoval is poisoned, drinking this will remove the effect. It cannot be used otherwise. Poison damage triggers slowly, so you have plenty of time to clean up whatever situation got you poisoned before you take the antidote.
Invisibility potion
Color: Tan Duration: About 30 seconds
Temporarily turns Grondoval invisible so that enemies will have trouble noticing him. Swinging a weapon may negate the invisibility. This can be handy for scouting areas that you suspect might have some of the harder enemies lying in wait.
Scare spell
Icon: Demon face Duration: About 16 × level seconds
Monsters will attempt to flee, allowing them to be picked off more easily, but will still fight back if cornered. Some might resist the effect. Grondoval's hands become a black silhouette when this is active. Pairs well with ranged attacks.
Night Vision spell
Icon: Glowing eyes Duration: About 30 + (level - 1) seconds
Temporarily makes areas appear brighter so it is easier to see.
Freeze spell
Icon: Blue orb Instant Attack
Turns nearby enemies to ice; they can then be shattered with a single blow. If killed this way, they will not drop any bonus items like weapons or armor. Effective distance increases with every XP level, from a base of 8192. Enemies do not get a saving throw, but can thaw out after a while if they are not destroyed while frozen.
In Witchaven I, requires a minimum experience level of 2 to cast.
Magic Arrow spell
Icon: Arrow Projectile Attack
Fires a scatter of ten magical projectiles that do 40 damage each (Yes, seemingly stronger than Fireball which is 3 × 40 in vanilla).
In Witchaven I, requires a minimum experience level of 2 to cast.
In Witchaven II, the projectiles will auto-target if they detect enemies nearby, rather than scattering.
Fly spell
Icon: Winged figure Duration: About 30 + (level - 1) seconds
Temporarily allows Grondoval to fly, allowing him to reach high areas or cross lava and spike pits without taking damage. A very useful spell.
In Witchaven I, requires a minimum experience level of 3 to cast.
Open Doors spell
Icon: Door Instant
When used on (most) doors, causes them to open, even if you don't have the key or they are meant to be activated by pull chain. Occasionally required for entry into certain areas, but usually acts as a shortcut. Certain types of doors might not respond to the spell (ones that swing as opposed to raising, in my experience.)
In Witchaven I, requires a minimum experience level of 3 to cast.
Fireball spell
Icon: Fireball Projectile Attack
Throws three fireballs that do 40 HP worth of damage each. Auto-targets enemies.
Seems to actually be weaker than the Magic Arrow spell, which also impacts for 40 HP damage but throws a lot more projectiles. Manual says that the fireball impact is "resist or die" but there is no evidence of that being the case.
In Witchaven I, requires a minimum experience level of 4 to cast. (Possibly also explode for more damage in WH1?)
Nuke spell
Icon: Mushroom Instant Attack
Witchaven's superweapon. Checks for any enemy nearby to you, and everyone it hits, dies, no questions asked. Only the bosses are immune to being nuked. The manual describes its range as 30 feet, and also claims it destroys items as well as monsters, which I haven't observed to be the case.
In Witchaven I, requires a minimum experience level of 5 to cast.

 

 

ARMOR AND MISC.
For an in-depth analysis of how armor and shields work, check the Game Mechanics Document.

Value is how much treasure XP you get for collecting this item.

Duration is how long the item lasts. For timed items, I've used the internal duration value in game time units, for now, until I'm certain of the real time values. I believe the conversion is 120 game time units = one second.

These have only been checked against Witchaven II currently.

Tile # indicates which tile should be assigned to a sprite in BUILD to make the sprite function as a collectible item.

Leather Armor
Duration: Until destroyed Value: 10
A vest of leather armor. Sets armor points to 50 and armor type to leather. Only picked up if the player has less than 50 armor points.
Chain Mail
Duration: Until destroyed Value: 20
A chainmail vest. Sets armor points to 100 and armor type to chain. Only picked up if the player has less than 100 armor points.
Plate Armor
Duration: Until destroyed Value: 40
A sturdy breastplate. Sets armor points to 150 and armor type to plate. Only picked up if the player has less than 150 armor points.
Helmet / Hero Time
Duration: About one minute for powerup, until destroyed for armor Value: 10
A horned helmet in the style worn by Midian Warriors. Adds 10 armor points without affecting armor type, as well as giving a temporary powerup to Grondoval's attack capabilities. While Hero Time is active, he can swing his weapons faster and every blow does double damage (stacks with strength potion and enchantment bonuses). The manual says the length of the powerup time is 30 seconds, but it appears to actually be a minute.
(Midian) Shield
Duration: Until destroyed Value: 10
The Midian Warrior's ornate shield. Gives 100 shield points which grant additional protection against attack. When the shield is held, it can sometimes block attacks completely.
Ciraean Shield / Magic Shield (Witchaven II only)
Duration: Until destroyed Value: 50
A large, round shield. It has improved durability, with 200 shield points, but protects the same as the regular shield. In vanilla Witchaven II, shields can't be destroyed due to a bug, so the difference doesn't matter.
A small lore oddity with these is that although the manual calls it a Ciraean shield, it's not used or dropped by Ciraean Sentinels, but rather Giryon Knights.
Adamantine Ring
Duration: Life Value: 30
Tile #: 726
A plain ring with no jewel. A protective item, but does NOT affect armor points or armor type in any way, instead it gives the player a a 50% chance to deflect a melee blow without taking damage.
Onyx Ring
Duration: Life Value: 35
Tile #: 730
A ring with a black jewel. "Grants you protection from missiles." says the manual. In vanilla Witchaven (both games), does nothing but grant you the pickup XP.
Sapphire Ring
Duration: According to armor worn Value: 25
Tile #: 373
A ring with a blue jewel. According to the manual, supposed to give resistance to fire attacks for a limited time. According to the code, what it actually does is turn any armor worn into plate armor (without giving any armor points). This was commonly thought to be the function of the Adamantine Ring, but that actually works differently.
Diamond Ring
Duration: Until destroyed Value: 25
Tile #: 694
A ring with a white jewel. Sets armor value to 200 and armor type to plate, making it essentially a slightly better version of the plate armor suit.
Ankh
Duration: Until destroyed Value: 100
Tile #: 714
A large rotating ankh. Sets Grondoval's health to 250 HP in WH1; however at least some versions of WH2 appear to set it to 125 instead (possible bug)?
Crystal Staff
Duration: Until destroyed Value: 150
A large staff with a spherical jewel on the end. Sets health to 250 HP and armor to 300 points of chainmail.
Gold and Silver (Witchaven II only)
Duration: Life Value: Randomized
Stacks and bags of silver or gold coins. Each gives you a random amount of XP from 10 to 109 points. Although there are several different appearances they all offer the same XP range, no matter the sprite displayed.
Glass Skull
Duration: Life Value: Varies according to XP level
Tile #: 706
Changes your XP value to the required value for the next level, plus a little extra. The XP value is set rather than added to, so no matter if you're nearly at the next level or far away, you end up with the same XP score after taking the skull. If you're already at max level, adds a mere 10 XP instead. Broken in Witchaven II (it still uses Witchaven I XP values).
Ornate Horn
Duration: One minute Value: 350
Tile #: 1768 (WH1), 1767 (WH2)
A medieval drinking horn. Temporarily allows you to drain health from enemies when you attack. Each blow dealt in melee while the powerup is active heals you by a random amount from 1 to 10 HP. A bug can cause you to have this power on reloading a saved game.
Amulet of the Mist
Duration: About 30 seconds Value: 75
Works like an invisibility potion, according to the manual for one minute (or until the invisibility is cancelled by attacking) but the value given in the code appears to be slightly under 30 seconds instead (may be an error.)
Shadow Amulet
Duration: About one minute Value: 50
Tile #: 698
Works like a scare scroll, according to the manual for one minute, but may actually be slightly longer.
Water Walk Scepter
Duration: One level Value: 10
Tile #: 718
This blue-jeweled scepter allows you to walk on water as if it were dry land, without slowing down. Lost when you exit the level. As far as I know, this item does not appear in any of the official levels, but is functional (correct me if you've found one and let me know where.)
Fire Walk Scepter
Duration: One level Value: 10
Tile #: 722
The yellow-jeweled scepter allows you to walk on lava as if it were dry land, without slowing down or taking damage. Lost when you exit the level. Quite rare in the official levels, but a few do exist: known locations are levels 15 and 17 in Witchaven I, and level 5 in Witchaven II.
Treasure Chest
Duration: As item found Value: Varies according to contents
Tile #: 260
Treasure chests may have many possible contents, including items, XP bonuses, and traps. Most of the possible outcomes are good, only a few are bad. Since the benefits usually outweigh the risks, it is a good idea to grab chests unless you are too low on health to risk any damage, though if you are in a treasure chamber with many chests you may want to take a fire resistance potion to minimize the risks. For an in-depth look at what can be found in treasure chests and how it's determined, check the Game Mechanics Document.
Keys
Duration: One level Value: 15
There are four different keys that can appear on a map: brass, ivory, glass and black. Each one allows you to open corresponding locked doors. Keys also count as a minor treasure for purposes of XP gain.
Pentagram
Duration: One level Value: 100
The pentagram is a special key that, when taken to the proper place, will teleport you to the next level. Typically maps follow a convention of placing a translucent version of the pentagram sprite on this exit pad. The pentagram also counts as a treasure for purposes of XP gain.
Horned Skull
Duration: N/A Value: N/A
This magical horned skull is a goal item that, when collected, lets you win the game, ending the level and taking you to the outro sequence.