Chapter 1: 
    The Royal Soldiers 

As Captain of the Royal Soldiers, Ragnar risks his life daily in the service of the King of Burland. Recently, children from all over the land have been disappearing. Anxious to know what tragedy has struck his kingdom, the King sends forth Ragnar. The mighty warrior knows no fear as he sets off. 

Chapter 2: 
    Princess Alena's Adventure 

The young Princess Alena possesses a strong and clever spirit. She wishes only to leave the sheltered castle of her father, the King of Santeem, so that she can taste the adventure of a free life. The King has refused to let her go, but his will cannot bind Alena. Dreaming of danger and excitement, she plans to escape. 

Chapter 3: 
    Taloon the Arms Merchant 

An ambitious man, whose greatest dream is to be independent, lives with his wife and child in the town of Lakanaba. Taloon works at the shop of a weapons merchant, and he has learned everything about the weapons trade. Unfortunately, Taloon does not have enough money to buy his own shop. So he sets off to find or earn a great fortune. 

Chapter 4: 
    The Sisters of Monbaraba 

When Loro, the world-renowned blacksmith, dies of mysterious causes, he left behind two daughters. Nara has studied the magic of fortune-telling and acquired great power. Mara began training as a dancer, in the ancient style, at a very young age. Her skill is unequaled. They are determined to find the cause of their father's tragic fate, no matter the peril. 

Chapter 5: 
    The Chosen Ones 

In Chapter 5, you, our Hero, arrive to lead the characters from earlier chapters. As a team of experienced and highly trained adventurers, you will challenge the enemy. He is a fierce demon who has secretly tracked the characters through Chapters 1-4. Now he will make a dramatic appearance. 
 

a  a  Reading the Chapters As with a good book, you cannot start this game from the middle or at the end. You will begin with Chapter 1, and work through Chapters 2, 3, and 4 in order. At last, you will reach the greatest challenge of all, Chapter 5.   Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5

A Button: Push A to make the Command Window appear on screen. Once you have made a selection in one of the option windows, press A to enter. When the Cursor is flashing in the Text Window, it means there is more information. To read on, push the A Button. 

B Button: When you have made an incorrect selection, pushing B will cancel it. Also, press B to return to the previous window or screen. 

Start: Push Start at the Title Screen to skip the opening scene. 

Select: To change the message speed on a battle screen, push Select. 
 

Read the NES control deck manual (included with the NES) for instructions on inserting Game Paks. Following the directions, load the Dragon Warrior IV game. The Title Screen will appear, followed by the Opening Scene. To bring up the Option Screen, push Start or A. If this is the first time the Dragon Warrior IV game has been played, only "BEGIN A NEW QUEST" will appear on the Option Screen. 
 

When the Title Screen appears, push Start to access the Adventure Logs. The options listed below will then be available for you to choose from. Move the Cursor next to the option you would like, and push A. Push the B Button to cancel a choice.

Begin a New Quest  Use this to start a new game. You can save three games in the Adventure Log. Once three games are saved, the option to Begin A New Quest will not appear. You would have to erase an existing quest in the Adventure Log to begin a new one.

Erase a Quest 
When you have finished a game, or all Adventure Logs are full and you want to start a new quest, use Erase to delete a Log. 

Caution: 
You cannot retrieve a Log once it has been erased. 
 

Change Message Speed  If you would like the text in the game to move faster or slower, go into this option. The fastest message speed is 1, while the slowest is 8.

Move the Cursor to BEGIN A NEW QUEST and push A. Select an Adventure Log and use the next window to enter the Hero's name. Only the first four letters will appear on the screen. Use BACK to erase a letter. When done, select END and push A. Choose Male or Female and the message speed. Push B to start over.

As Captain of the Royal Soldiers of Burland, you are the King's right hand man. That is why he asks you to explore the mystery of the vanishing children, you vow to solve it. No one else has the skills or experience to track these alarming disappearances -- but the mission will push you to your farthest limits.

The King's many spies have learned nothing, but gossip is always useful. So talk to people in the castle, then go into the city of Burland and speak to the townsfolk. You may get some good ideas about how and where to start this quest. Also explore the Shops for weapons and tools you will need to accomplish this mission.

Once you have enough information, you should leave town. Beware, for the countryside has become very dangerous. While you are exploring, practicing, and fighting monsters, stay close to town. Then, when you need to recover your Hit Points, try Medical Herbs or return to Burland and visit the Inn.

Shops, Weapons Stores, Houses of Healing, and Inns manage somehow to stay open. Look for them in towns and villages, and in a few odd places. Visit every Shop and Store to find necessary items. 
 

Item Shops

Weapon Stores

Inns

Houses of Healing

The Vault  In Endor, you will find the Vault in Neta's place. If you have at least 1000 Gold pieces, you can store them and any other belongings. Use the Control Pad to select the quantity of Gold you wish to leave. You will be charged for storing items. Depositing Gold is free.

When you wish to save your current quest, find a House of Healing. Once there, see the Healer. That character has access to the Imperial Scrolls of Honor and will be able to save the game. You may discover that other characters can also record your game on the Scrolls. Keep in mind that saving the game periodically gives you the option of returning to the last saved point. This is a helpful option if your team is defeated. 
 

How to Save a Quest  Stand beside the healer and select TALK. You will be told how many Experience Points each team member must earn to reach the next Level. Ask that your quest be recorded on the Scrolls, then choose to continue or not.

Important: How to Turn Off the POWER Properly  If you choose not to continue after saving your quest, the Ending Instructions appear. Follow these instructions carefully, or you could lose your game. Turn off the POWER on the NES while holding tin the RESET button. Later, to return to a saved game, select CONTINUE A QUEST on the Option Screen.

a  a  Copy Your Quest   If you have a spare Log, you may want to copy your game onto it before quitting. That way, should you forget to push RESET while turning off the POWER, or the Game Pak is removed with the POWER on, you will have an extra copy saved.

The Windows you will see and use most often in the game, besides the Text Window, are the Command Window and the Status Window. 

The Command Window 

This window will display the commands that are currently available to you. Read Commands in the Walkabout Mode to learn about them. You will use the Command Window to give your team orders when you are not engaged in battle. 

The Status Window 

On this information screen, H stands for hit Points, and M for Magic Power. The numbers in the bottom row indicate a character's level. Beside Level, the character's class is shown. 

Pay Attention to the Color of Windows 
 

White: Everything is normal.

Green: A member is seriously injured.

Orange: A member is deceased.

Blue: Night has fallen.

What are DE, PO, CR, SL, and CF? 

These are unusual conditions that can strike a team member. They will appear in place of the character's Level number. 

DE: The character is deceased. 

Rush this teammate to a House of Healing and ask for REVIVE to bring him/her back. Or you may cast a revive spell, if a team member knows one.

If you do not treat the poisoned person, each step will reduce his/her number of Hit Points. Traveling to a House of Healing might be too costly, so use an Antidote Herb or cast a spell, if possible.

Some weapons and armor carry a curse. A terrible fate may befall the character equipped with such an item. Only a visit to a House of Healing will expel the curse.

If you are in the middle of a battle, you must either defeat the enemies or disengage and escape before you can help the sleeping character. No known herb can cure this condition, but there is a spell that can awaken the dreamer.

This condition is very similar to battle fatigue. The team should completely defeat the enemies in the current fight, or else escape.

Talk 

Surprisingly, there is no place in the world gossip cannot reach. So speak with everyone you meet to gather important information. Stand next to a person, facing him/her, and push the A Button to begin a conversation.  

At Stores or Inns, TALK to the proprietors across the counter.

When visiting someone in jail, you can speak through the iron bars.

Status 

By selecting STATUS, you will be able to read INFO (information) about each character (see Character Status), review their current CONDITION, and change the team's FORMATION. 

Equip 

Because you never know when your team will need a specific weapon, each team member should collect a variety of swords, armor, shields, and items. To arm a character with a specific weapon, choose EQUIP. Once you select  a character, the windows for Weapon, Armor, Shield, and Helmet will appear consecutively. Pick one item from each window, (a tiny "E" appears beside the selected item). Some of your teammates do not know how to use certain weapons or items. 

Door 
To open unlocked doors, use this command. Unfortunately, doors are often locked and require a specific key. As long as one member of your team is carrying the key, the door will open to you.  

To open a door, stand facing it and then choose the DOOR command. Remember, locked doors will not open for you.

Item 
With this option, you can review the items a character is carrying and then USE, TRANSFER, or DISCARD any of them. Choose the character, then select the item you want and pick one of these options. For Merchants another option, APPRAISE, is available. 

Tactics 
In Chapters 1-4, TACTICS can only be used to change the order of your team members. The front character is in the best position to attack and to be attacked. In the Command Window, select TACTICS, then choose CHANGE ORDER. Next select characters in the order you'd like. 

Search 
You'd be amazed at what falls onto the ground -- things dropped by monsters, enemies, your own teammates. Use SEARCH to check around you. Or when you find a treasure chest, move onto it and select SEARCH. Your team is automatically given the treasure. Since each character can only carry eight items, when your arms are full the treasure is passed on to other members. If everyone is full, you'll have to decide whether to DISCARD something or to leave the treasure behind. 

Level 

As the number of Experience Points increases, so will the character's Level. Experience Points are gained by defeating enemies. The maximum possible HP and MP increases according to Level. A character's Level and class will determine what magic spells he/she can learn.

The number of Hit Points decreases whenever a character is injured in battle. HP also decrease if a character tries to walk while poisoned, or is moving through harmful terrain. When HP reach zero, a character is defeated.

Magic Power will decrease each time a character casts a spell.

This shows many Gold pieces you have. As a team, you all pool your Gold.

This is a measure of the character's Attack Power in battle.

The more agile the character, the faster he/she is. Agility influences battle action.

High vitality means a character can rapidly increase his/her HP.

It takes brains rather than brawn to work magic and learn new spells.

In this troubled land, everyone needs a least a little Luck to survive. A good dose of Luck can help a character successfully flee an enemy or escape the effects of a magic spell.

This indicates how many Hit Points a character can have at his/her current Level. Visiting an inn will restore everyone's HP to maximum.

Each character's maximum Magic Power will also be restored at an inn.

This indicates the amount of damage a character can inflict upon enemies with each attack. The Attack Power is the sum of a character's Strength plus the Attack Power of all equipped weapons.

Take half the amount of a character's Agility and add that to the total Attack Power of all equipped defensive weaponry to figure the Defense Power. This indicates how well a character can withstand injury.

A character will earn Experience Points every time he/she defeats enemies. The number of points gained depends on the enemies' strength and whether the character defeated these enemies alone or with help. If the character received help, he/she will earn fewer points then if he/she had conquered the foe alone. Once a character wins a certain number of EXP, he/she will be promoted to the next Level.

Many times you will want to switch weapons among your team members. For example, you have found a new item, the Broad Sword, and want to give your old weapon, the Iron Spear, to another teammate. To perform this action: 
 

Transfer the Iron Spear  Bring up the Command WIndow, select ITEM, and push the A Button. The names of all the team members will appear. Choose your own name and press A. Now pick the item you wish to TRANSFER. In this case, move the Cursor next to Iron Spear and push A.

The next window offers the options USE, TRANSFER,, and DISCARD. Select TRANSFER and push A. Again, the name of the team members appears. Pick the name of the character to whom you want to give the spear and push A. The spear is transferred.

Equip the Iron Spear 

The character is not yet able to use the Iron Spear, he/she is just holding it. You will need to EQUIP this character with the spear. Bring up the window with the team members' names and select the appropriate character. When that character's items appear, move the Cursor next to the spear. Now he/she can wield the spear. This is the way you will equip all characters with whatever  weaponry you choose. 
 

 

Ever eager, your team is constantly on the lookout for a chance to defeat enemies and gain enough Experience Points to advance to higher Levels. Therefore, when enemies approach, the team leaps into the Fighting Mode.

In the Fighting Mode, the number of enemies and their species is displayed. The Fighting Command Window also appears. This is the moment to decide how you're going to handle the situation, using one of these options:

Run 
A wise soldier knows when to fight and when to RUN. If you've reviewed your Hit Points and feel they are too low to risk attacking, try running. Beware however, the enemy is extremely persistent, and may block your escape attempts. 

Parry 
If a character's Hit Points drop dangerously low in the middle of a heated battle, use PARRY. This option allows the character to fight defensively so he/she can reduce the number of Hit Points lost. 

Item 
In battle, it is possible to USE a weapon or spell (instead of equipping or casting), against an enemy. To do this, choose ITEM from the Command Window, pick an item, then select USE. For example, if you USE the Sword of Malice, which normally has the same effect as the Fireball spell, you will be able to cast that spell at the enemy. Or if you USE the Medical Herb, you can restore Hit Points to a team member. You never know what an item will do until you USE it in battle -- the results may be astounding. 

Spell 
A number of spells are quite effective in combat. Some are good for attacking the enemy; others will defend members of your team. To review the list of spells available to a character, choose SPELL. Move the Cursor next to the spell you'd like to use, and push A. If the character has more spells than can be displayed on the screen, mover the Cursor up to the arrow in the upper left corner of the window and push A. Continue pushing A to scroll through all of the spell windows. When you decide to cast a spell in battle, select one and then indicate which enemies you wish to attack with this spell. 
 

If you are going to use a defensive spell, you must specify which member of the team should be protected., Do this by moving the Cursor to the arrow and pushing the A Button. The name of the team members will appear. Select one.  NOTE: For some spells you will not need to choose a target.

Once you decide to fight, and make all of your command decisions, the enemy is engaged. The Agility of your characters will determine the order in which they fight. The battle continues until one side is completely vanquished. However, a round of battle may end before either side has won. In this case, the Fighting Command Window will reappear, and you can enter new commands for the next round of battle, The rounds of battle will continue until there is a complete victory for your team or the enemy. 

In Chapters 1-4, you will directly control each of the team members before and during battle. However, by Chapter 5 they have learned enough to act alone. Each will follow the strategy you choose, but in his/her own way. You will then control your character, the Hero. The other characters take whatever action is possible to win battles. 

Tactics 

When you select TACTICS from the Command Window, then choose STRATEGY, you have a choice of six possible strategies for the team members to follow. Be willing to change your strategy in a battle, for example, if the characters are losing too much MP. The name of the strategy you are currently using will be displayed in the upper left corner.

This command is used to change the order in which the team members fight. Or, if you have the Wagon, use CHANGE ORDER to switch a team member outside with one inside. For example, if someone were severely wounded or if you needed a spell caster, you could switch an appropriate outside character with an inside character. You can only make a change once during the Fighting Mode.

aa  a  Artificial Intelligence (AI)   Unlike the earlier games, Dragon Warrior IV offers you the chance to learn from your experiences in Chapter 5. Each time you try one of the six strategies, it improves. The internal AI planes each strategy based on information gained from the last time it was used.

Tactics 

In battle, the characters act independently according to the strategy you've selected. Therefore it is important that you monitor their condition. When the survival of your team is threatened, you may want to retreat. Or, if you have a Wagon, you could switch a wounded character for a healthy one. Remember, you can only switch characters once. Sometimes you may be better off using a spell later to revive an injured or defeated member. Whatever the case, be aware that flexibility is crucial in the midst of a tough battle. 
 

If the OFFENSIVE strategy is causing your team damage, try something else.

Change your strategy or bring a team member like Cristo out of the Wagon to help.

SUCCESS! Trying different strategies and methods in a battle is the way to win.

Switching Characters 
 

To switch characters between A and B, choose TACTICS in the Command Window. In TACTICS, select SWITCH, then pick up to four characters in the Wagon. The characters you choose will move outside the Wagon, and those that were outside will go in. During the switch, all outside characters must into the Wagon.

This picture shows the characters that are positioned outside the Wagon. You can enter commands for each character starting with the one in front and going to the one in back, as the numbers indicate. This is also the order in which the characters line up for battle. Those in front, of course, are most vulnerable to enemy attack.

Riding inside the Wagon doesn't relieve the characters of certain duties. Each understands the need to be constantly preparing for whatever trouble may arise. Because the characters inside the Wagon are practicing while they await their turn outside, they also earn Experience Points. When enough experience Points are earned, all characters move up to the next Level.

Since they are working hard, those riding in the Wagon cannot restore their Hit Points. On the other hand, they will not lose Hit Points. The characters know their trade well enough to avoid harming each other while they practice magic, swordsmanship, dagger throwing, or whatever else their skill might be.

Switching Items 
 

Nothing prevents the characters from handing weapons, armor, or any other items to each other through the back flap of the Wagon. You can switch items from one character to another in the same method described in Transfer and Equip. Review each character's items by selecting TACTICS and SEE SPARES.

The town streets are narrow and filled with holes and other hazards. The Wagon must be parked at the entrance, and the characters must remain inside. You can buy items for these characters, though, as long as you have Gold and they have room to carry more things. The Wagon rejoins you when you leave town.

The Wagon is far too large and heavy to drive into most caves, so you will have to park it at the entrances. Some caves will be wide enough to admit the Wagon. If you leave the Wagon at an entrance, be sure to exit from the same place or you will lose the Wagon. Use the Return spell to recover a missing Wagon.

You must buy tokens to play the Casino games. These coins can only be used in the Casino to bet for to buy rare items not available anywhere else. 
 

Poker Double-Up  After the five cards are dealt, you have one chance to exchange your hand for an entirely new one. The kind of cards you're holding will determine the payout ratio. You can double the amount of your winnings by choosing the DOUBLE-UP option.

Slot Machine Payoff  To win the slot machine, you need to get three pictures of a straight horizontal line or three pictures of a straight diagonal line at the same time. Lots of people put big money into the slot machines. You could win up to 5,000 coins.

Coliseum  In this arena, you'll be watching two monsters battle it out. Bet on the creature you think has the best chance of surviving. If you guess right, you win coins which you can spend on another fight or use to buy unique items in the Casino Shop.

a  a  Poker Score   You can keep track of how much you are winning and losing in Poker. After talking to the dealer, stay where you are and push the B, Start, and Select Buttons all at the same time. The Score Screen will appear. This is a back-door trick, since the management of the Casino frowns on giving away this kind of information to customers.

Your team, unfortunately, is not invincible. A number of monsters and ugly situations exist which could wipe out every character. To minimize your chances of being wiped out, be aware of the following dangers. 

Zero HP 
 

One type of danger to your team is a ferocious enemy who will destroy each member one by one. Then everyone's HP will be wiped out. This can also happen when you are traveling through the Damage Zone, where all characters could be lost. In either case, you'll have to go back to where you last saved this quest.

In stressful situations of hard battle or high magic, confusion and paralysis can strike the entire team. Though they are still alive, they cannot take any action. You must return to the last saved version. 

Protective Measures 

Learn the locations of the strong, dangerous monsters, so that you may avoid them or seek them out when you are ready. Also keep a close watch on everyone's HP to make better battle decisions. 

All Members Lost 
 

When you've lost all of your characters, you must go back to the last House of Healing where you saved your game. The Hero will be revived by the time you get there.

a  a  Save Frequently   It will cost you half the Gold you possess to get your teammates revived at the House of Healing. But if you save often, at least you will not have lost much ground. You can quickly regain the wasted time. This is why you should visit Houses of Healing whenever possible and have the quest recorded on the Imperial Scrolls of Honor.

Single - Minded 

The UCs prefer to hunt for and collect their own kinds of items. They don't appreciate being told what to carry, and will not accept anything you try to give them. Nor can you take anything from them to give another member of your team. They are extremely stubborn, and nothing you do will change their minds. 

Independent 

Though it may appear that Artificial Intelligence controls UCs, it does not. They behave entirely as they please, refusing to accept any strategy commands. They hang around because they like you or because you have something that attracts them,, or because they're just bored. 

Healie: He can't protect members, but he does know the Heal spell. 

Laurent: Uses a Venomous Dagger and casts Sleep and Firebal spells. 

Strom: He has no magic skills, but is a mighty fighter with good weapons. 

Orin: This strong man can use his huge muscles to break open some locked doors. 

Hector: He is building up power to use in a later battle. 

Panon: She is a brilliant star and is good to have with you in dark places. 

Lucia: A beautiful celestial woman with wondrous magic skills and power. 

Doran: This monster is deceptively powerful when it comes to attacking. 
 

Itinerary For Chapter 1   Ragnar should be sure to visit everywhere in the town of Izmit to collect clues. Also, he should look for his first UC, Healie, at the well.

Burland

Izmit

Loch Tower

Itinerary For Chapter 2   Now you'll be commanding three team members. To plot good strategy, learn what each character's special talent is and use it in battle.

Itinerary For Chapter 3

Lakanaba

Bonmalmo

Foxville

Endor

Itinerary For Chapter 4

Monbaraba

Kievs

Haville

Keeleon

A: Take the woman, Flora, back to her husband. Out of gratitude, she will tell you where to find the well. 
 

A: Deep down in the damp, dark and awfully smelly well, you'll find an ancient and mysterious cave. Walk around this cave carefully. While exploring, watch for some valuable items and a familiar face. 

A: The first thing Alena should do is visit the people who live and work in the castle. They love good gossip and can give her some useful information. After talking to as many people as possible, Alena should return to her room and search the walls. She is resourceful and can probably find a good way out. 
 

A: First you must find and assist the King who lost his voice. To do this you will need a particular item. Once the forlorn King has regained his voice, you should return to the Shrine. You may find your good deed has benefited you.

A: The first thing you should do is find Tom's missing son. When you return the boy, Tom will introduce you to a powerful ally. Go with this ally to the village in the woods of north Bonmalmo. 
 

A: You must try to get in to speak with the Prince of Endor - at night. Once you succeed, you will find that the unhappy prince desperately needs your help. After you have fulfilled his dearest wishes, you may go to see the King once again. You will find his attitude has changed. 
 

A: Have you found the Sphere of Silence? Obtain the Sphere, then try talking to the people once more. You may find that the Sphere loosens their tongues. Listen for a rumor about someone. 
 

A: After you blew up the Gunpowder Jar and frightened the Minister, did you follow him until he disappeared? He may have been spooked, but it takes more than that to make him lose his head. Go back to where he vanished and search the area carefully. 
 

Open doors without a key: 
Monsters and other enemies can be pretty careless. Try every door, even if you have no key. A surprising number are unlocked. 

Visit the same people after dark: 
Nightfall does strange things to people. Someone you spoke to in the day might have something very different to say in the quiet night. 

A way out can always be found: 
Persistence is the important thing to remember when you're trapped or puzzled. Think hard and search carefully to find the solution. 

Clues are hidden in may things: 
Writing down what the people say can help. A notebook of possible clues will come in handy when you reach tricky spots. 

Use the keys everywhere: 
When you get possession of a key, return to all the doors you couldn't open before. This is the way to find wondrous items and weapons. 

Learn to geography of this world: 
The Dragon Warrior IV Map is very useful because you'll be visiting the same lands in several chapters. Knowing what to look for will help. 
 

Born in a small mountain village, the child grew strong on the wild crags and played in the echoing valleys. Now, trained in the arts of a magician and gifted with the skills of a warrior, this child is ready to become a Hero. The time has come for our untried Hero to begin an incredible journey of peril and glory.  The world of Dragon Warrior IV has four continents. These vast lands are composed of mountains, valleys, rushing streams, oceans, and countless dangers. The young Hero is inexperienced, but many allies will join the Hero's cause and lend their knowledge and assistance. Eventually, our Hero will bring a new order to this chaotic world.