Sorcery Saga (2): Tips and tricks for a smooth roam

Here we are, back for my second post about Sorcery Saga. This post will be all tips and tricks, and I was not planning to write about such a matter at first; however, reading reviews about the game promptly convinced me that it wouldn't be such a bad idea after all. I was quite surprised to come across numerous reviews complaining that Sorcery Saga was too difficult overall and mourning the fact that you lose your equipment every time you die in a dungeon. Such complaints denoted not only a lack of awareness of the general gameplay mechanics of roguelikes, but also a lack of awareness of the gameplay mechanics of that particular roguelike. For, like I hinted in my first post, it is perfectly possible to hold onto your equipment in Sorcery Saga, and quite easily at that. Without further ado, let’s see how this can be done!

Kuu is the key

The key to success, that is. Despite its modest looks, Kuu is much more than a mere pet tagging along: the little creature can basically make the difference between a smooth and a rocky run of Sorcery Saga. Yes, that’s how tremendously important Kuu is. The little chap has many virtues that can come in handy; but for now, let’s concentrate on its most stellar one, which—you guessed it—is none other than being the safekeeper of your precious equipment.

Here’s how things work in practice. The dungeon crawling comes to an end as soon as Pupuru is taken down, regardless of whether Kuu is still standing or not; you are then sent back to town empty-handed, in classic roguelike fashion. However, there is a twist to these mechanics: if Kuu is indeed still conscious when Pupuru faints from enemies’ blows, he will take your equipment back to town for you, where it can be donned and used again right away. This works at all times, regardless of whether your equipment is tagged with an ID Scroll or not, and this is basically the supreme trick to progress smoothly in Sorcery Saga. 

From what I’ve read, most Sorcery Saga players seem to be unaware that Kuu can save your equipment—and the day—in such a way. And this is not so surprising given the nature of the gameplay mechanics involved: since Kuu can lose consciousness without ending the roaming and be reanimated at all times with all sorts of items, it can be really tempting to use the little chap as a convenient shield and let him take blows instead of Pupuru. However, by a vertiginous and highly ironic twist of gameplay mechanics, the safest way to play is actually the other way around. If anything, Pupuru herself should be used as a shield for Kuu when the going gets tough in order to ensure that all the hard work you put into upgrading of your equipment will not be lost when defeat strikes. And don’t even think of letting Kuu starve in order to spare items: the fuller the ever-hungry creature is, the further you are from losing your equipment at defeat’s doors. “Keep Kuu full at all times” should be a cardinal rule in Sorcery Saga, indeed: as long as the little chap has a shred of satiety in him, your equipment is as safe as it were tucked away in your room. Remember this and act accordingly, and losing your finely honed equipment should be only a distant nightmare. For the record, I didn’t lose my sword and shield a single time through the whole game despite dying a good number of times, sometimes in entirely stupid ways. (The most stupid death was probably when I pressed the wrong button and accidentally lashed my sword at a Dungeon Merchant instead of paying him, after which he head-butted me to death. But I digress.) I remember once being cornered in a Monster House with no Healing Items or Spells and no Transport Book, and monsters so numerous around us that it was pretty obvious that we were headed for a defeat. Instead of flailing about and delivering useless blows, I used my last turns to throw items at Kuu in order to keep him alive and well; and when the last blow fell on Pupuru, the deed was done and the conveniently sated Kuu dutifully brought my precious equipment back to town. 

Overall, Pupuru and Kuu are really two sides of the same coin: you cannot separate them and treat Kuu as a convenient extra shield. This is actually a very interesting and rather original gameplay feature: allies controlled by the CPU are usually mere commodities that can be used at will with no dire consequences, but not so in that game. Kuu is more than a useful ally or even a part of your team: he is actually you, although this may not be obvious at first sight. You incarnate Kuu as much as Pupuru in Sorcery Saga, and taking them both equally into account is the key to smooth progression. 

Extra treats for the road

To complete the exposition of this very important gameplay mechanic, here are a couple of tips that should definitely prove handy and make your dungeon-crawling easier. Enjoy those yummy side dishes!

—Cursed items have no effect whatsoever on Kuu and will fill him all the same, so don’t hesitate to feed him any cursed item that you don’t want to hold onto.

—If your attempt at cooking curry fails and produces an inedible plate of curry, do not despair! Cursed Curry, as it is called, can be thrown at enemies to paralyse them. Incredibly handy during boss fights, as you’d expect.

—As a whole, all cursed items can deal various amounts of damage to enemies, so don’t hesitate to experiment with such items. I once disposed of a boss solely by throwing a cursed item at him; the thing dealt 300 points of damage, and the boss instantly became history. Too bad I cannot remember what this amazing item was. Oh, well. 

—The game rewards the continuous use of weapons and shields in the most pleasant way: as you cleave your way through dungeons while relying faithfully on the same equipment, said equipment will somehow level up. Not only will it become stronger, but special slots will also become available: these slots are visible in the item’s description and can accommodate a variety of so-called Seals with awesome effects, from protection against thievery to stats bonuses, without forgetting the good ol' elemental immunities—and many, many more. To help you make your choice, an exhaustive list of all Seals and their effects is available in town at the Library. Each piece of gear can hold up to five Seals and some of these Seals can really turn the tables, so stick to your weapon and shield!

—The fusion process has some limitations but can still be played to your advantage. There are two types of weapons available, namely Swords and Staves. If you decide to a fuse together, say, a Sword +5 and a Staff +2, you will obtain neither a Sword +7 nor a Staff +7, as extra points/ranks can only be transferred between similar weapons. Classic, shall we say. However, if you fuse together a Sword with an X Seal and a Staff with a Y Seal, you will indeed obtain either a Sword or a Staff with both Seals—providing that the base weapon holds enough empty slots, of course. This is a neat trick to obtain the Seals you want more easily and it should be used and abused without the slightest hint of shame, especially since some of the Seals are pretty rare. 

This addendum dedicated solely to tips and tricks is now coming to an end, and I hope that its content will prove useful to any player wishing to ease their way through Sorcery Saga. There are certainly more gameplay mechanics to uncover, as is usually the case in roguelikes; but they will have to wait for my next run. If you are aware of a secret that I didn’t mention, feel free to expose it in the comment section; and if you are planning to play Sorcery Saga, I wish you tons of fun and bon appétit! Thanks for reading, and be my guest anytime!