History VideoGame / Wizardry

The Dark Savant Trilogy (composed of ''Wizardry'' ''6'', ''7'' and ''8''), can be purchased on UsefulNotes/{{Steam}} and Website/GogDotCom.

* TropeCodifier: This series was the codifier for [=RPGs=] back in [[UsefulNotes/WesternRPG the Golden Age]] (before the WesternRPG and EasternRPG split). For a variety of reasons, the majority of [=RPGs=] made nowadays follow other codifiers.

* {{Bishounen}}: Werdna's attendant vampire lord.

Starfish released ''Wizardry Empire'' and ''Wizardry Asterisk'' and, shortly afterwards, moved this work into the ''Elminage'' series. ''Elminage'' continued the same gothic art style of the original ''Wizardry'' games while absorbing the "beast" races from ''Asterisk'' and ''Empire''[[note]]Were-Beast, Dragonnewt, Fairy, and Devilkin[[/note]], as well as three additional classes from ''Empire'', ''Asterisk'', and ''Wizardry: Summoner'': Brawler, a hand to hand melee specialist, Alchemist, a combination crafting and spellcaster class, and Summoner, a spellcaster that focuses on taming and summoning monsters. These expanded mechanics would be re-used in other ''Wizardy'' descendants such as ''Class of Heroes'' and ''Wizardry Xth.''

Michaelsoft released ''Wizardry Xth Generation'', which swapped the gothic fantasy elements for a modern military school; it spawned a direct sequel, ''Xth 2''. When Michaelsoft dissolved, developers took ''Xth 2'' and removed the modern military elements for a high fantasy anime theme while keeping the school aspects, resulting in ''Class of Heroes''.

* BonusLevelOfHell: In Wiz V. Contains a BonusBoss with the best item drops in the game.

* AxCrazy: The characters with Chaotic personalities in ''8''.

*

* BonusBoss: The Chamber of Gorrors in ''Crusaders'', containing six bosses ranging from surprisingly easy (in fact the very first boss you fought) to two [[ThatOneBoss incredibly difficult]], all with NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast.

** The Munk also fit the Dwarf archetype, but are more oriental in style than most examples.

* OurOrcsAreDifferent: The Gorn are militant, xenophobic - and happen to live right between two mortal enemies...

** Vi Domina in ''7''. Despite that she is the decendant of Phoonzang (and thus the only person who can unlock the final resting place of the Astral Dominae) and is explicitly stated to be a warrior, she does ''nothing'' but get kidnapped by the Dark Savant (more than once) and used as a bargaining chip.

* {{Fanservice}}: The Amazulus of ''VI'' are, as the name would suggest, dark-skinned warrior women who fight completely topless, complete with visible nipples. They were at least given bikini tops on the art cards that came with the Japanese release. There are a number of other bare-breasted female creatures in the game, such as mermaids and a topless demoness. In ''8'' Sprites are [[FairySexy tiny, winged and stark naked women]], while Al-Sedexus is bare-breasted and buxom.

* HornedHumanoid: Rapax and some demons in ''8''.

* InterfaceSpoiler: A bit more hidden than usual, but if you look at the in game data of enemies in Wizardry 7, the Dark Savant's type/class is [[spoiler: Cosmic Lord]].
* IzchaksWrath: Shopkeepers in ''8'' don't like if you try to sell back their own items. In fact they have special dialogue just for this occasion.

* KnightTemplar: Subverted somewhat ''8''. While there are literal templar rapax in the game, there is no serious indication that they think they are serving the cause of righteousness, only that they are serving the will of their goddess Al-Sedexus.

* LevelUpAtIntimacy5: Level down in this case.

* LockAndKeyPuzzle. You do have the Phoenix egg / Bone comb and brushes / King's Diary with you, don't you?

* LudicrousGibs: In ''8''.

* MadeOfExplodium: In all games of this trilogy the enemies seem to explode upon defeat. 6 they would turn into a burst of smoke, 7 was more literal in which they actually leave a tiny explosion upon defeat, and 8 they would burst into a pile of gore.

** The Bard is a hybrid rogue / caster. His gimmick are the various instruments, which he can use to casts various buffs and debuffs, at no mana cost (using stamina instead). With status effects being very dangerous in those games, it makes the bard a valuable asset.
** ''Wizardry 8'' adds the Gadgeteer, a rogue / ranged combatant whose gimmick includes the crafting of gadgets (who function like bard instruments, only needing prior assembly) and the Omnigun, a gun that they upgrade with each level up, granting it new abilities and the ability to fire a wider range of AbnormalAmmo.

** All the Higardi raiders/bandits/cutthroats/etc in ''8'' are male.
** Although the Higardi roustabouts look a bit different from the other rogues.

* MoreDakka: The gadgeteer's omnigun in ''8'' will provide the ability to send increasing amounts of bullets [[AbnormalAmmo or what have you]] downrange at your foes.

* NonhumansLackAttributes: Surprisingly averted. Sprites appear as entirely naked flying women with butterfly wings, a demoness fights your party while topless and carrying a whip, and a recruitable female character (Private Sparkle) wears nothing but a pair of pants. It should be noted that in this last case, Sparkle can be given more clothes and there isn't much to see on her chest, due to her white fur. The fact that she sounds like a saccharine seven year old while wielding a small hand axe and spouting semi-fascist military slogans (duty! power! victory!) while having a propensity for petty thievery (a common trait among her species in the game) is a bit disconcerting.

* OldSaveBonus: Characters could be imported from any of the previous games [[MultipleEndings non-bad endings]] to the next one, keeping some really useful items and alliances. (Although BagOfSpilling was used harshly between seven and eight, it was averted for items between six and seven: you could begin ''Crusaders'' with the Muramasa Blade and multiple Rod of Sprites.) You could save even at the end of 8, although a sequel was never planned in the first place and [[spoiler: the characters are gods.]]

''Wizardry Online'' was part of an intentional attempt by several Japanese companies to perform a {{Reconstruction}} of ''Wizardry'' as a whole in 2009, called the ''Wizardry Renaissance,'' it was an attempt to define specific tropes and quality assurance levels for games with the Wizardry title. More than 11 games were released during this effort, including ''VideoGame/WizardryLabyrinthOfLostSouls'', and ''[=WizRogue=]''. The latest game release being the PC re-release of ''VideoGame/WizardryLabyrinthOfLostSouls'' in 2020.

** Vi Domina is the only remaining descendent of Phoonzang, outcast of the Cosmic Circle, who set the entire plot of ''7'' and ''8'' into motion.

* DeadMansChest: In Wizardry 7 there's a chest with someone's remnants and personal possessions. Players may also learn the cause of death... ones too careless to learn Identify spell may learn this by demonstration.

** Vi Domina in ''7''. Despite that she is the decendent of Phoonzang (and thus the only person who can unlock the final resting place of the Astral Dominae) and is explicitly stated to be a warrior, she does ''nothing'' but get kidnapped by the Dark Savant (more than once) and used as a bargaining chip.
** Defied in ''8''. Though Vi Domina starts off (again) as a captive of the Dark Savant's forces, she can join your party once you rescue her, and - belonging to the respectable Valkyrie class - is even one of the stronger [=NPCs=] you can recruit.

* SwampsAreEvil: The swamp in ''8'' is home to some of the more evil enemies in the game.

The first three games are very hard. The BigBad can deal 100 damage to your party with one [[TotalPartyKill spell]], and your SquishyWizard characters rarely get more than 60hp, so he can kill half your party in the first round of combat and the other half in the next. Random high level encounters can be similarly deadly. For instance, ninjas can kill party members instantly with a critical hit. Resurrection spells don't always work, and come with a stat penalty when they do. Your mages have a limited supply of spells, especially early on, which can only be restored by returning to town at the top of the dungeon. StatusEffects are crippling and often deadly if you don't have the magic to cure them. The dungeons are confusing non-euclidean mazes with dark zones, antimagic zones, spinners, teleporters, and generally defy efforts to map out. And your characters can die of old age.