Wizard101

Wizard 101
File:Wizard101 Logo with Transparent Background.gif Wizard 101
Developer(s)	KingsIsle Entertainment
Publisher(s)	KingsIsle Entertainment, Gameforge
Platform(s)	Windows
Genre(s)	MMORPG
Mode(s)	Multiplayer, Online Free

Wizard101 is a massive multiplayer online role-playing game created by KingsIsle Entertainment. Players take on the role of students of Wizardry to save the Spiral, the set of worlds in which the games is played, and battle a variety of creatures by casting spells using a turn-based combat system similar to collectible card games. Players advance in the game by accepting quests to learn new spells, gain equipment, and collect gold. The game holds a rating of "Everyone 10+" from the Entertainment Software Ratings Board for crude humor and mild fantasy violence. Although designed for pre-teens, the game appeals to all ages.

At the beginning the player controls a level 1 novice wizard, who is named by the player using a set of words at the start of the game. That wizard joins the Ravenwood School of Magical Arts, a school of wizardry located in a fictional town called Wizard City. Rather than the traditional character classes, Wizard101 allows players to choose one of seven schools of magic (Fire, Ice, Storm, Life, Death, Myth, and Balance) as their focus school. There are also Astral Schools of magic (Star, Sun, Moon), but these can only be learned as secondary schools at level 50 and higher. See Schools of Magic

In Wizard101, the Spiral is divided into several worlds, each of which has multiple areas. Upon character creation, only a part of Wizard City is opened to access. As the player progresses, more worlds become available. All but the first few areas require payment to access.

Plot

Departing from the relatively open-ended nature of many massively multiplayer online games, Wizard101 follows a relatively linear storyline that revolves around the player's character, a novice wizard joining the Ravenwood School of Magical Arts (it is hinted that the character is from Earth when it is stated by Ambrose that they are "from a world that does not even believe in magic"). Upon arrival, before even beginning with his or her enrollment, the new wizard comes face to face with the main villain in the game, a previous faculty member, Malistaire Drake. Throughout the game, the main storyline involves discovering Malistaire's plans, and trying to foil them.

Malistaire Arc

The plot begins with several problems occurring throughout Wizard City, host to the Ravenwood school of magical arts. The player must aid other wizards in completing dangerous missions. The player begins on Unicorn Way (one of the many streets in Wizard City). The player learns of all the trouble being caused on each of the streets and in time comes face to face with one of Malistaire's Henchmen, Lord Nightshade, a wraith who is responsible for the undead attacks on Wizard City. After defeating Lord Nightshade, the player gains access to the location of Krokotopia, where the Kroks, an ancient race that enslaved the Krokotopian Manders centuries ago, have reawakened from a deep sleep and are now attacking the current residents of Krokotopia. Krokotopia is also the world that holds the ancient book called the Krokonomicon, and is needed by the player before Malistaire can get to it. When the Krokonomicon is later transported to another world, Marleybone, the player follows the lead. The Mayor of Marleybone doesn't allow you to take the Krokonomicon due to recent crimes, and the Krokonomicon is stolen by the master thief Meowiarty on behalf of Malistaire soon after. The player must find Meowiarty's lair, which is at the top of Big Ben. When Meowiarty is returned to prison, Malistaire then travels to Mooshu to get the key to Dragonspyre from Emperor Yoshihito, but when he refuses to hand it over, Malistare severely injures him and steals the key. It is then up to the wizard to heal the Emperor in order to get to Dragonspyre, but you must face the Oni in order to do it, including the Jade Oni who has taken over the Emperor's body. Once healed, the Emperor gives the player the Spiral key and informs him/her that Malistare is now in Dragonspyre, an ancient world destroyed by a giant dragon where he shall put his plan into action. With a little help from Malistare's brother Cyrus Drake, the wizard reaches the top of the volcano. When there, Cyrus tries to reason with his brother but fails. He then conjures a fake Sylvia (Malistaire's wife and former Life Professor of Ravenwood until she caught a severe cold and died) in order to convince Malistaire to stop and accept the fact that she was dead. Malistaire, however, does not fall prey to Cyrus's trick and Cyrus soon flees. Malistaire then dubs himself the necromaster attempting to resurrect his wife using the Krokonomicon to summon the Dragon Titan. When he is eventually defeated by the player, Malistaire's spectre appears talking to Sylvia.

Grizzleheim/Wintertusk Arc

Once you reach level 21, you can begin to quest in the world of Grizzleheim (though it is not recommended until at least level 30), a cold and wintry place populated with fierce Bears, Wolves, and Raven warriors (based on the Viking Era of history). Wizard City is in need of an ally in these dark times, and setting up trade relations with Grizzleheim - and making peace with the King - was the original goal. However, you cannot just waltz in to see the King. With the help of Bjorn Ironclaws, a famous hero of Grizzleheim, you work to make a name for yourself so you can earn enough respect to see the King. Along your travels, you discover the ancient rivalry between the residents in Grizzleheim and monsters called Grendels; you uncover an escalating war between the Bear and Wolf tribes, which was really a plot created by the treacherous Ravens; and you try to stop the Ravens from covering Grizzleheim (and perhaps the Spiral) in a neverending cold called the Everwinter. Eventually, you defeat the Ravens in their home, Ravenscar. Soon, the Ravens return and try to create the Everwinter again. You now travel to a region of Grizzleheim known as Wintertusk. Here, you meet Grandmother Raven, who guides you on a mission to find Golden Seals from each of the four sons of the Frost Giant Ymir - Austri, Vestri, Sudri, and Nordri - which are needed to keep the mighty Frost Giant asleep and stop the Ravens. Among your travels, you prove to each son that you are worthy of their Golden Seals in their lands - Austrilund, Vestrilund, Sudrilund, and Nordrilund. You soon defeat the Ravens for good and keep the Frost Giant asleep in the underground area called Nastrond.

Pigswick School Tournament Arc

After reaching Level 25 you are sent a message from Merle Ambrose to compete in a magical Tournament to win the Spiral Cup. You face Bleys FlameRender at the start to show you are worthy to compete for the Spiral cup. As a Pigswick student tells you before the start of this battle, (and many other battles) the Pigswick students cheat. After defeating several contestants, you learn that the precious Spiral Cup has been stolen. You are soon blamed and have to prove you are innocent.You do some investigation and eventually, learn that Pigswick's own Chester Droors, the Earth (counterpart of Ravenwood's Life) Professor, stole it under Lord Bramble's, the Sub-Main Boss in the game, control. After the player regains the Spiral Cup, he/she has to defeat Randolf SpellShine. After the player defeats him, you win the tournament and the Spiral Cup. For level 60 wizards, Belladonna Crisp permits them to enter a difficult dungeon, The Tower of the Helephant, with cheating bosses. However, you do not gain a world when you win the tournament.

Morganthe Arc

Merle Ambrose calls on you to travel to the sunken world of Celestia to check on an expedition from Marleybone. You soon unravel a plot where agents of Morganthe and Morganthe herself - a vile sorceress - is planning to take the secrets of the Astral Magic in Celestia - the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars. First you journey through Servery camp, next Grotto, then The District of stars, next The Floating Land, then finally Stormriven. Celestia both helping the Marleybonian Expedition and discovering Morganthe's intentions in the world. You meet her after collecting the Star, Moon, and Sun relics in the Solarium, where she has you face one of her minions, Big Salgio, and then leaves you with a warning: "The Mirror will break, the Horn will call. From the Shadows I strike, and the Skies will fall."

Your journey continues when you journey to the African-themed world of Zafaria. You and Inyanga Whitestripes, a friendly Zebra witch-doctor, try to search for a missing group of Ravenwood students studying in Zafaria. You soon realize that this is no normal disappearance - Morganthe is back! You first travel to the Savannah and resolve the issues involving the Lion tribes there. You then travel to the Zebra land of Zamunda where you meet Tse-Tse Snaketail, the supporting antagonist in this world. You also uncover a war that has broken out between the Zebras and the Elephants because the Elephants believe the Zebras are responsible for the disappearance of their prince, Tiziri Silvertusk. You then go to Stone Town and the Waterfront to find that Rasik Pridefall, the Zafarian council member for Elephants, is really an agent of Morganthe. Finally, you go to the Drum Jungle where you find the Prince and Morganthe. You track her to Mirror Lake and Shining Mountain where she escapes with her Deck of Shadows. She again repeats her riddle: "The Mirror will break, the Horn will call. From the Shadows I strike, and the Skies will fall. This implies that Mirror Lake was the "mirror" in the prophecy.

Afterwards, Merle calls you again to recover the Sword of Kings in the world of Avalon, the home of Merle Ambrose and Morganthe. You go around Avalon rallying the knights of an organization known as the Silver Rose and meditating upon the shrines, a requirement to wielding the Sword of Kings, find the Lady of the Lake and defeat the evil Pendragon, Lord of the Wild Hunt a creature who has caused much havoc in Avalon. The quest of finding the knights and the shrines takes you to the village of Caer Lyon, the forests of the Weirwood, the yard of Castle Avalon, Lake Nimue, the Catacombs and Crystal Caves beneath Castle Avalon and the past of Castle Avalon itself where you confront a young version of Morganthe. Then you are deemed worthy to hold the Sword of Kings, which you get at Castle Avalon (also known as the Keep of Ganelon) in the present and use to slay the Pendragon, who then reveals to be King Artorius mutated by the Horned Crown (which Morganthe tricked him into wearing) and who you heal by obtaining the venom of two dragons. After you heal Artorius, he leads Avalon into a new golden age. Later The Lady of the Lake foresees a shadow washing across the Spiral and tells you to report back to Merle.

Once you complete the world of Avalon and save the king, Cyrus Drake gives your character a call to come to his office, and he sends you to Marleybone to collect a Spiral Key to the world of Azteca. The Umbra Queen, who did not appear in the present form of Avalon, is once more creating havoc in her quest to rewrite the Spiral. She has resurrected somebody from your wizard's past to assist her. Your wizard serves 2, not 1, but 2 purposes in Azteca. To stop Morganthe, and save the world from the dread comet Xibalba. At the end, your wizard teleports ONTO the comet and finds both Morganthe and an undead Malistaire working together. Your wizard is then required to defeat Malistaire the Undying and tell Merle Ambrose that the world of Azteca will be destroyed as the comet cannot be destroyed OR its course altered courtesy of Morganthe. The comet implies that it was meant as the fourth part of prophecy; "And the skies will fall," being the comet is falling from the sky to destroy Azteca.

In the world after Azteca (no one knows yet), the player will most likely encounter Morganthe in the final battle of the arc and the final part of the prophecy "From the Shadows I Strike" will commence.

Schools

All wizards, enemies, and spells have a school, which determines many of their properties.

Every wizard has a school of focus, chosen during character creation. A short quiz can be taken at character creation, which will suggest a school of focus. The possible focus schools are Fire, Ice, Storm, Life, Myth, Death, and Balance. The three astral schools of Star, Moon, and Sun, cannot be chosen as focus schools, but rather are learned as secondary schools. A wizard's focus schools determines which spells they will learn, what equipment they can use, and their base stats.

Wizards receive training points every 4 levels until level 20, and every 5 levels thereafter, and from some quests. These training points are used to learn spells outside of one's school of focus. All except the astral schools have spells that can only be learned by wizards of that school, and cannot be purchased with training points.

All enemies in Wizard101 have a school, which determines their spells, as well as their resistances and weaknesses. All but the lowest rank monsters have resistance to spells of their own school, meaning that any incoming spell of their type will be weakened by a certain percentage. To balance this out, monsters have a weakness to their opposite school (Fire<->Ice,Death<->Life,Storm<->Myth), and balance enemies have a weakness to the spirit schools (Death, Life, and Myth). The weakness exactly balances out the resistance, so if a Fire enemy has 30% fire resistance, they have a 30% ice weakness. Resistance can be overcome by using prisms. Prisms change the next incoming move of a certain type to its opposite.

Elemental

The Elemental schools are Fire, Ice and Storm. They were created by the rulers of the Days Before, Dragons, Ice Giants, and Tritons.

Fire

Fire is the opposite school of Ice. The Professor is Dalia Falmea, a woman with flame-like hair. Fire is notable for having the most spells that damage foes over time.

Ice

Ice is the opposite school of Fire. The Professor is Lydia Greyrose, a fairy. Ice is notable for having the highest base health of any school and their defences and the lest mana.

Storm

Storm is the opposite school of Myth. The Professor is Halston Balestrom, a frog. Storm is notable for having the lowest base health. Its spells have the lowest accuracy, but the highest power.

Spirit

The Spirit Schools are Life, Death, and Myth. They draw on the elemental schools, and specialize in different areas.

Life

Life is the opposite of Death. The Professor is Moolinda Wu, a cow from MooShu. Life specializes in healing, both themselves and allies. They also have the highest accuracy spells.

Death

Death is the opposite of Life. The Professor was Malistaire, but his assistant Dworgyn took over after he left. Death specializes in lifestealing (attacks that heal the user by 50% of the damage dealt).

Myth

Myth is the opposite of Storm. The Professor is Cyrus Drake, Malistaire's brother. Myth specializes in summoning and powering up minions.

Balance

Balance is the combination of all other magics, illustrated by moves such as Hydra (three-headed beast, each head deals damage from one of the elemental schools). It has power-ups that affect all elemental spells, all spirit spells, or just all spells in general.

Astral

Astral spells can only be learned as secondary spells once the player has reached level 50 and reached Celestia.

Star

The Star school is made up of Auras that affect one wizard for four or six continuous rounds. Auras include bonuses such as additional outgoing damage, or additional resistance to incoming damage.

Moon

The Moon school is all about Polymorphs, or Transformations, that affect nearly all of a wizard's attributes for 6 rounds. The wizard is transformed into a creature based off of various enemy types, such as draconian, gobbler, etc.

Sun

The Sun school consists of Mutations and Enchantments. Mutations change the school of a spell, and enchanting a card can increase its accuracy or damage.

Characters

The Professors

• Merle Ambrose - The headmaster of Ravenwood, Merle Ambrose hails from the world of Avalon. He is the one the main player typically goes to at both the beginning and completion of a world. He is also a member of the Council of Light. His backstory begins when he helped King Artorius to become king of Avalon, he then worked for him and lived in his castle with his owl Gamma and his apprentice Morganthe. However, Morganthe's brother Malory infiltrates the castle and sabotages the King's battle with a knight wishing to join the Knights of the Silver Rose by weakening his armor. Artorious then learns of his betrayal and this leads to a battle with him. While at his weakest, Morganthe has mastered the power of the Horned Crown and tricks the king into wearing it, which turns him into the Pendragon. Believing the king to be dead, Ambrose leaves Avalon and meets Bartleby and opens up The Ravenwood School of Magical Arts in Wizard City Merle Ambrose is seen as kind, humble and even humorous at times, but he is serious when necessary. His character is heavily based on the characters Merlin from the legend of King Arthur, Gandalf from the The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit, and Albus Dumbledore from the Harry Potter series.

• Dalia Falmea - The Fire Professor at Ravenwood, Dalia Falmea is seen as very suave and polite towards her students. On occasion, she is called "The Fire Lady" by Manders and Water Moles. She can also become very serious, especially with issues in the Spiral. It is currently unknown where she is from, but it is possible she is from the world of Darkmoor as she addresses herself as "Madame" in the beginning and there is a character in the upcoming Pirate 101 game who goes by Madame Vadima who is from Darkmoor and bears a similar appearance to Falmea. In other theories she is an elf from Avalon (considered by her ears) but still is not known how she gained her height. She is loosely based on Minerva McGonagall from the Harry Potter series.

• Lydia Greyrose - The Ice Professor at Ravenwood, Professor Lydia Greyrose has a very cheerful and sweet personality but is also stern at times. She is a fairy from Candyworld and has two half sisters who are not fairies and are evil because they eat the children inhabiting the world (which is similar to the story of Hansel and Gretel). Her half blood was what made her good-hearted and learned the art of Ice magic through extinguishing the flames under the pots where the children were being cooked. At one point, she left her homeworld and went into teaching at Ravenwood. She so far plays a minor role in the plot, being one of the members of the Council of Light.

• Halston Balestrom - Hailing from Marleybone, Professor Halston Balestrom is a frog and the Professor of Storm magic. He is seen as rather eccentric but does care about his students. His old friend is Sir Thurston Plunkett who went missing on an expedition to Celestia which gives Balestrom his important role in the Morganthe storyline. As well as teaching Storm magic, Balestrom also instructs the students in science (As some Storm students have a reputation for being great inventors) and potions. He also gives players a quest to go to a place and defeat a tower of monster and creatures. He is based on Professor Flitwick from the Harry Potter Series.

• Moolinda Wu - A cow from Mooshu, Professor Moolinda Wu is the Professor for Life Magic or Theurgy. She is very calm, cheerful, and positive which probably landed her the job as Life Professor in place of Sylvia Drake. She is what you expect out of a Theurgist, loves flowers, very softhearted, and cares about nature, she so far has played no significant role in the story but might in the future. She is based on Professor Sprout from the Harry Potter Series.

• Cyrus Drake - Brother to Malistare, Professor Cyrus Drake teaches Myth magic. Very cruel, Professor Drake rarely teaches the students and instead has them do his bidding, such as fetching his laundry. He also looks for excuses to fail or punish students and shows and especially strong hatred toward the player, this was all caused by his brother leaving him after Sylvia's death. However, toward the end of the Malistare storyline, Professor Drake softens up, he then challenges the player to a duel to see if he/she is strong enough to face his brother. He then helps you to reach the Crown of Fire and attempts to convince his brother to stop his plan by casting an illusion of Sylvia begging him to stop, but it doesn't work and he is forced to abandon the player. After the player defeats Malistare and goes back to Headmaster Ambrose's office, Cyrus admits he should have shown more respect to the player when he first met him/her. Cyrus is based on Severus Snape from the Harry Potter series.

• Dworgyn - Originally the assistant Death Teacher, Dworgyn takes charge as main Death teacher after he and most of the Death students were transported to NightSide by Malistare. He is a hunchback with a lantern and has been working as a servant practically his whole life, including his job as the assistant Professor. He even revealed that he used to work for Dr. Katzenstein as an apprentice since he began working for him after he graduated from "Hench School" which also reveals his original homeworld was Marleybone. His personality is a Stereotype of a Death wizard, loves very little light, can get offended easily, and, even as a henchman, very intelligent. He is based on Igor from Frankenstein.

• Alzhared - An old Krok in Krokotopia, Alzhared is the Balance teacher. He is seen as very wise and kind do to his age, he is also the leader of The Order of The Fang, a society of purehearted Kroks who owned the Krokomicon. The main player helps him reunite the members of the Order of the Fang, excluding Krokhotep since after they're all reunited, Alzhared reveals Krokhotep betrayed them by giving the Krokonomicon to Queen Krokopatra. Besides this role in the Malistare storyline, he teaches Balance students and is the only professor who does not have a schoolhouse in Wizard City. He teaches many types of spells and there opposites.

• Harold Argleston - The librarian at Ravenwood, Harold is from Marleybone and is seen as very booksmart and polite. However, he is very strict when he needs to be which is stereotypical for a librarian. He also is a vendor for treasure cards and mainly helps the player in quests involving books. Also, just like in the Harry Potter series, his library has a restricted area where students can only enter with special permission, the restricted archives has not become an area so far in the game. He so far plays no big role in the plot. Harold Argleston is loosely based on Irma Pince the librarian in the Harry Potter series.

• Diego Santiago Quariquez Ramirez III - Diego Santiago Quariquez Ramirez III (or simply known as Diego the Duelmaster) is the Swordsmaster of Ravenwood who teaches students about dueling. A unicorn hailing from Valencia, Diego is a very talented fencer but still has proper manners. He seems to be related to the Swordsmaster at Pigswick, Benedict Glendemming, as they both hail from the same worlds. He is a member of the Council of Light and so far plays no significant role in the plot. He does indeed teach a few spells though, if you buy them with training points.

• Mr. Lincoln - The registrar at Ravenwood. He is a stork who registers the students into Ravenwood. The students can also go to him to refund Training points. He enjoys The Tempest and peanut butter on toast and it is currently unknown where he is from although he might be from Cool Ranch due to his accent. Mr. Lincoln so far plays no major role in the plot.

• Arthur Wethersfield - The Balance instructor at Ravenwood, Arthur comes from Marleybone and seems to be very experienced in Balance magic as he revealed he has spent ten years in Krokotopia which is home to Balance magic and since Marleybonians are not practitioners of magic. He so far shows no significance to the plot.

Villains

• Malistaire Drake - Malistare is the final boss and the main antagonist of the Malistare Storyline, the former professor of the School of Death at Ravenwood, brother to the Myth professor Cyrus Drake and husband to the former Life professor Sylvia Drake, forming the trio of Spirit School professors. When Sylvia caught a severe cold and died, the heartbroken Malistare parted from his brother and uprooted the Death School from the ground, landed it in Nightside and left Wizard City in grief. He then returns just when the player is accepted into Ravenwood, he/she then fights his minions and Malistare leaves. After helping out with several issues in Wizard City that are all connected to Malistare, the player defeats one of his biggest minions, Lord Nightshade. Merle Ambrose then explains that Malistare has been using these issues as a distraction so he can carry out his true plans, retrieve an ancient book known as the Krokonomicon which holds the secrets to Life and Death magic. He has traveled to Krokotopia to achieve this but when he awakens Krokopatra for the book, she reveals it was taken. Malistare travels to Marleybone where the Marleybonian Archaeologists took the Sarcophagus of Souls(Which contains the Krokonomicon) he helps the O' Leary gang break their leader, Meowiarty, out of prison to help him steal the Krokonomicon. Eventually, the player enters Big Ben to stop him but Meowiarty has already given the Krokonomicon to Malistare who reveals he's going to Dragonspyre and leaves Meowiarty to get rid of him/her. Malistare first goes to Mooshu to get the key to Dragonspyre from Emperor Yoshihito but when he refuses to hand it over, Malistare severely injures him, steals the key, and leaves for Dragonspyre. Cyrus Drake later reveals Malistare's plan is to use the Krokonomicon to reawaken the Dragon Titan and command it to bring Sylvia back to life. You make your way up to the Crown of Fire where Malistare has already begun the first part of the ritual. Cyrus tries to reason with him which fails, he then tries to cast an illusion of Sylvia which tries to convince him to stop which also fails and Cyrus abandons the player. The player then duels Malistare to the point of killing him, he then tells Sylvia he's failed her but Sylvia assures him she's in a better place and coaxes him to rest, the two then vanish, officially at rest. Malistare is later resurrected by Morganthe when it comes to your encounter with Morganthe on Azteca.

• Morganthe - Morganthe is the second main boss in the story line who is also known as the Umbra Queen and the Shadow Queen as mentioned frequently in Azteca. Morganthe is originally from the world of Zafaria. Later she moved to Avalon where she apprenticed under Merle Ambrose. When she was denied access to greater power, and stealing it was foiled by Gamma, she fleed Avalon after toying with the fate of King Artorius. Some time later, Morganthe became ruler of the Shadow Web and commanded over Zafaria in its earlier days; however, Ambrose and the Council of Light drove her out and locked away her powers. During her reign, she sought after Celestia to learn the powers of Astral magic, even going as far as to start a war with the Celestians. She and her Shadow Web army fell when the Storm Titan betrayed the Celestians and sanked the world far below the seas, putting her to a long rest for centuries. Morganthe reawoke when the Marleybonians came to Celestia to understand its secrets. It is not quite understandable what her true intentions are, but it would seem that they linger around Power, Recreation of the Spiral, and Revenge against Merle Ambrose. After a player has defeated Malistare Drake and the Great Spyre, he/she will have access to Celestia. After completing all main quests throughout Celestia, players will gain access into the Chancel where he/she meets with Morganthe for the first time, only for her to escape and leave behind a burly minion to defeat. Wizards travel to Zafaria, where Morganthe tries (and succeeds with) to take the four sacred, golden relics from the Lions (the Crown), Zebras (the Shield), Elephants (the Swords), and Gorillas (the Amulet). Morganthe reclaims her Deck of Shadows while summoning multiple minions in her wake. Morganthe escapes Zafaria to further work on her ritual. In Avalon, a melting pot of Irish, British, and Scottish cultures and Celtic mythology, Morganthe does not make a major impact or appears, in her current state, at all, but instead, Wizards learn of her past and the history of Merle Ambrose and Avalon. While Wizards ventured through Avalon, Morganthe works tirelessly in Azteca. There she searches through the four pyramids of Azteca for the final pieces of her ritual, the Horn where it turns out to be an ancient Aztecosaur. She also, early on, resurrects the previously fallen Malistaire Drake from the dead to aid her in her plans. Morganthe makes her way to the comet, Xibalba, to rise the nine Lords of Night, so she may hear the Song of Creation. Morganthe locks the souls of the Lords of Night in a box and flees to her home, the Shadow Web, in a world we do not yet know. Behind her, Malistaire the Undying tries to distract you and defeat his old enemy. After overcoming him, he is flung into space before he can turn you into a "wretched thing." Morganthe will try to complete her plan of Spiral-domination in the next world, but forever Light shall shine over Shadow and drive it out.

Other characters

• Nick Jonas - Like his real life counterpart, he is a musician. He is stationed in Grizzleheim near the Wintertusk ship by the plants. He is seen teaching a choir or orchestra of plants to play the themes shown in Wizard101. He wishes you enjoy Wintertusk. He helped to make Wizard101.

• Selena Gomez - For a brief period of time, Selena Gomez appeared in the once promotional area of Crab Alley in celebration of the first release of her newest album at the time. A few of the quests within her short story line where named after her songs, "Round and Round" and "A Year without Rain." Selena's songs could also be heard during the quest. She even played a concert for you! She is no longer a part of the game; however, the area she appeared in was readded to the game.

World access

Players can play for free or obtain a subscription. Free to Play Players can purchase different areas of the Spiral with the In-Game currency called Crowns (like the Danish money currency is called in English). When a player approaches a street or area they cannot access as a Free to Play player, they will be asked if they want to enter this Premium Area. The player can purchase the Premium Area with Crowns. Once a player has purchased an area, it's accessible to all the characters on that account who have completed the quests to enter that area.

The areas of Wizard City that are free to play are: Commons, Pet Pavilion, Ravenwood and it's schools and towers plus Dorm Rooms (dormitory), Shopping District and the shops, Fairgrounds and game hostels, Golem Court and Golem Tower, Unicorn Way and Arena (though only Practice duels), Triton Avenue (both areas), Haunted Cave, and Nightside plus Death School. Dark Cave is only free with the purchase of Firecat Alley and/or Cyclops Lane. The rest of Wizard City must be purchased for 750 crowns each.

The other worlds have slightly higher prices than the last one. For example: All the areas in Marleybone are 1200 crowns each and the areas in Krokotopia are only 915 crowns each.

If a player decides to begin a subscription they are not only free to roam about the whole during their timed subscription days but are also able to: participate in ranked PvP matches, Ranked Derby races, buying Castles and Lands (or after reaching Level 15), advanced Crafting, Gifting capabilities, True Friends, faster Energy regeneration, larger backpack, larger friends list and faster Crafting timers. Also outside of the game, players will gain the power to post on the Wizard101 Message Board.

The 12 worlds of the spiral are Wizard City, Krokotopia, Marleybone, Mooshu, Dragonspyre, Celestia, Grizzleheim, Wintertusk (part of Grizzleheim), Wysteria, Zafaria, Avalon, and Azteca. Each world has a hub, them being:

• Wizard City: The Commons
• Krokotopia: The Oasis
• Marleybone: Regent's Square
• MooShu: Jade Palace
• Dragonspyre: The Basilica
• Grizzleheim & Wintertusk: Northguard
• Wysteria: Pigswick Academy
• Celestia: Celestia Base Camp
• Zafaria: Baobab Crossroads
• Avalon: Caliburn
• Azteca: The Zocalo

The Spiral is the universe where all the worlds are.

Wizard City, Wizard City is the first world in the game of Wizard101. It is also where all new wizards go in the game. Here is where we are introduced to the Malistaire Arc of the story, and it is home to the Ravenwood School of Magic.This is also where many locations not present in other worlds, such as the Pet Pavilion and Arena, are located. All of the streets are each based on one school of magic with the exception of Balance.

The Commons, Olde Town, Golem Court, Unicorn Way, Tritons Avenue, Shopping Discrit, Pet Pavilon, and Ravenwood. Pets: Dragon:Fire Unicorn:Life Fire Cat:Fire Blood Bat:Myth Flying Pig:Life Imp:Life Note:There are also "Very Rare" pets like Arctic Ninja Pig, Cyclops, Raven, and Indian Elephants.

Krokotopia

Krokotopia is an ancient land of forgotten treasures that evokes that atmosphere of Egypt. In this place, deserts surround the life-giving oasis in the shadow of towering pyramids. Krokotopia was once home to the Kroks (a race of humanoid crocodiles), and it is rumored the Kroks have awakened and enslaved the Manders. Its hub is the Oasis. Krokotopia is based on ancient Egyptian culture and architecture. Its inhabitants are particularly interested in Balance magic and the three elemental schools: Fire, Ice, and Storm.

In order to gain access to Krokotopia, you must have completed the previous world, Wizard City.

Marleybone

Marleybone is the home of Dogs, Cats, and proper manners. Marleybone is based on 19th to 20th century London as well as having a 19th-20th century English "steampunk" theme. The city has all the trappings of a modern society built upon scientific foundations. However, the swift robber Meowiarty has escaped prison and you have to help catch him at the very top of Big Ben. Big Ben, Scotland Yard, and the Royal Museum are some of the most famous sights in Marleybone. Its hub is Regent's Square.

In order to play in Marleybone,you must have defeated Krokopatra successfully.

MooShu

MooShu is a beautiful land with a rich, deep history. MooShu is based on ancient Japanese culture and architecture, as hinted in some creatures like the Samoorai (as in Samurai Cows), Oni (which resemble Indian Elephant-headed humanoids), and Ninja Pigs. Blooming cherry trees, carefully maintained gardens, and tall mountains can be found everywhere. Although this is a place of knowledge and tradition, there is a great mystery here. Malistaire has attacked and injured the Emperor. The players must defeat the Oni led by the War Oni, the Plague Oni, the Death Oni, and the Jade Oni alongside the Ninja Pigs, Ghosts, Samoorai, and other creatures in order to save the emperor and get the Spiral Key to Dragonspyre. Its hub is the Jade Palace.

In order to get to MooShu, you must have completed Marleybone.

Dragonspyre

Dragonspyre is an ancient, haunted world in which renegade professor Malistaire has recently been spotted. The world is based on the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, as well as Greek and Byzantine architecture, but the humans there all have Russian accents. Once an advanced militant society, Dragonspyre had an esteemed Academy rivaling that of the Ravenwood School of Magical Arts in Wizard City. The inhabitants once held a special interest in Fire Magic. At Dragonspyre, you defeat Malistaire.

• Note: A few months after the arrival of Dragonspyre came the level 48 school spells, as listed below:
  • Fire: Fire Dragon
  • Ice: Frost Giant
  • Storm: Storm Lord
  • Myth: Orthrus
  • Life: Rebirth
  • Death: Scarecrow
  • Balance: Power Nova

• Pets
  • Balance: Hydra
  • Storm: Stormzilla
  • Myth: Orthrus
  • Life: Satyr
  • Death: Wraith
  • Fire: Helephant
  • Ice: Ice Colossus

In order to enter Dragonspyre, you must have completed the world of MooShu.

Celestia

Long ago, the Astral Wizards of Celestia created powerful magic using the energy of the Stars, the Moon, and the Sun. The world is based on the Greek and Roman legend of the underwater civilization of Atlantis. The sorceress Morganthe (a Queen of the Shadow Web) wanted the secrets of the Celestian magic at all costs.

• Note: With the arrival of Celestia, came new rank eight spells, which can be learned at level 58 (the max level was increased to level 60), and the new spells for each school are:
  • Myth: Medusa
  • Life: Forest Lord
  • Death: Skeletal Dragon
  • Fire: Efreet
  • Balance: Ra
  • Ice: Snow Angel
  • Storm: Leviathan
  • Astral: Strong, Keen eyes, Giant, Accurate, Sniper, Monstrous, Unstoppable, Gargantuan, Mutate Sprite, Mutate Swarm, Mutate Banshee, Mutate Wyvern, Mutate Kraken, Mutate Minotaur, Mutate Phoenix, Cloak, Polymorph Gobbler, Polymorph Mander, Polymorph Cat Bandit, Polymorph Ninja Pig, Polymorph Dracon, Polymorph Treant, Polymorph Colossus, Polymorph Elemental (fire), Polymorph Elemental (storm), Fortify, Amplify, Infallible, Vengeance, Empowerment, Conviction

In order to enter Celestia, you must be at least level 48 and have completed the world of Dragonspyre by finishing the quest, "The Final Countdown."

Grizzleheim & Wintertusk

Inspired by Norse mythology, Grizzleheim & Wintertusk are airy, outdoor landscapes of snowy mountains, glacial ridges and towering trees that are home to three Wizard101 tribes – Bears, Wolves, and Ravens. The environment is based on the Scandinavian countries of Norway, Sweden and Finland during the era of the Vikings. With the arrival Wintertusk came new level 35 and 55 spells. The underground area of Nastrond is where a mighty Frost Giant is kept asleep.

Level 35 Spells

• Fire: Fuel
• Ice: Legion Shield
• Storm: Supercharge
• Myth: Shatter
• Life: Triage
• Death: Dark Pact
• Balance: Elemental Defuse & Spirit Defuse

Level 55 Spells

• Fire: Power Link
• Ice: Frozen Armor
• Storm: Insane Bolt
• Myth: Talos
• Life: Brilliant Light
• Death: Virulent Plague
• Balance: Availing Hands

Wysteria

Wysteria was once a trading post and pleasant enough small town in the Wizard City cluster, not too far away but of little consequence in the overall scheme of things, until a magical incident occurred that caused a crawling vine to grow and completely overrun the town. Now it is the home to Pigswick Academy. Your job in Wysteria is to win the Spiral Cup competition and bring fame to Wizard City's own Ravenwood. However, some trouble comes about: the Spiral Cup has been stolen! Here, you will find out who (or what) was responsible for its disappearance.

Zafaria

Zafaria is an African-themed world, home to the Lions, Zebras, Elephants, and Gorillas. Can you stop Morganthe from capturing the Lions' Sacred Crown, Zebras' Sacred Shield, Elephants' Sacred Swords, and Gorillas' Sacred Amulet? Test yourself in this challenging world.

• Note: With the arrival of Zafaria came the level 68 schools spells and a few new Astral spells:
  • Life: Gnomes
  • Myth: Basilisk
  • Death: Dr. Von's Monster
  • Fire: Rain of Fire
  • Ice: Woolly Mammoth
  • Storm: Sirens
  • Balance: Chimera
  • Astral: Colossal, Unstoppable, Berserk, Mend, & Garganutuan

In order to enter Zafaria, you need to successfully beat Celestia by finishing the quest, "Through This Door."

Avalon

Avalon is a world based on the medieval period in Great Britain, Ireland, France, Germany, and Italy. It incorporates many elements from the Arthurian and Celtic myths. It is a land of Knights, Dragons, Fairies, Witches, Goblins, Ogres, Giants, and Spriggans. This is where the wizard learns about the motivations of Merle Ambrose and Morganthe as well as providing back story for them. This eventually leads the wizard on a quest to restore the land and recover a mystical sword known as the Sword of Kings, which was originally wielded by the king of Avalon and is the only thing that can defeat Morganthe's Deck of Shadows and restore the king. In a time forgotten Artorious became King of Avalon but was attacked by Malory, a wicked knight, along with the evil creatures of The Wild (an area within Avalon). Artorious prevailed in the end but was mortally wounded; seeing her chance, Morganthe offered Artorious a chance to escape death, the Horned Crown. Not seeing this trap Arthur accepted the crown and was transformed into the vile creature known as the Pendragon. It was at this time thinking Artorious was dead, that Merle Ambrose left his home in Avalon later to find Bartleby, and create Wizard City and the Ravenwood School for Magical Arts.

In order to enter Avalon, you must be at least level 70 and have completed the world of Zafaria by finishing the quest, "Through Glass, Darkly."

In Avalon you get new school pets, and new skills at 70, 72, 75, and 80. However, there are no level 78 spells, as there commonly would be.

• Fire:
  • Pet - Efreet
  • Spells: Mass Fire Prism, Backdraft, Detonate, Firespear

• Ice:
  • Pet: Woolly Mammoth
  • Spells: Mass ice Prism, Snow Drift, Cooldown, Icespear

• Storm:
  • Pet: Triton
  • Spells: Mass Storm Prism, Healing Current, Enfeeble, Stormspear

• Life:
  • Pet: Gnome
  • Spells: Mass Life Prism, Mass Triage, Guardian Spirit, Lifespear

• Death:
  • Pet: Bone Dragon
  • Spells: Mass Death Prism, Mass Infection, Bad JuJu, Deathspear

• Myth:
  • Pet: Basilisk
  • Spells: Mass Myth Prism, Shift, Dimensional Shift, Mythspear

• Balance:
  • Pet: Chimera
• Spells: Mana Burn, Supernova, Spiritspear, Elementalspear

Azteca

Azteca is an Aztec and Mayan-themed world that is inhabited by three tribes: the Aztecosaurs, the Jaguars, and the Avions. Ten years ago, a great comet called Xibalba came into the sky over Azteca, forcing the Aztecosaurs to seek refuge in their underground mines. Many believed this world came to its end as the comet cut it off from the rest of the Spiral. But Merle Ambrose thought differently.

This world is still very alive and well, ...for the mean time. Morganthe has wormed her way into Azteca to find the last pieces to her dark ritual, the Horn. She also must find and master the ancient magic of Azteca, the "primal Spiral", so she can recreate the Spiral in her own image. But she must, first, seek out the nine Lords of Night to hear the Song of Creation. Morganthe will need a little help to raise these old Aztecosaurs from their graves. She'll need help from an old friend...

Wizards must be a minimum of level 80 and have completed the quest "A Great Storm Coming" in Avalon to enter Azteca.

In the beginning, Wizards must speak to Cyrus Drake, not Merle Ambrose. Young Wizards, then, flock to Marlybone to seek out Edward Halley, an Aztecosaurologist. After a nasty fight with some surprise guests, you receive a message from a Quetzal (KET-zul) that speaks of dire news. Finally, Wizards speak to Merle Ambrose. Upon entering Azteca, you find Pacal Redmask in need of assistance.

Azteca is the fourth world to Morganthe's Arc. This is also Wizard101's greatest strive (and toughness) as far as graphics, challenges, and plenty more go. With Azteca's upbringing, and because of Wizard101's leap of graphics, comes new, school spells based upon the world at level 88 listed below:

• Fire: Sun Serpent
• Ice: Lord of Winter
• Storm: Storm Owl
• Life: Spinysaur
• Death: Avenging Fossil
• Myth: Celestial Calendar
• Balance: Sabertooth

These are based on Prehistoric creatures and the cultural beliefs of the Aztecs and Mayans

Azteca also brings new Astral spells:

• Star: Galvanic Field, Furnace, Sleet Storm, Cycle of Life, Virulence, Reliquary, Chastisement, Punishment
• Sun: Sharpened Blade, Potent Trap, Primordial
• Moon: Polymorph Ptera, Polymorph Jaguar, Polymorph Icehorn

Combat

Combat is a battle between your wizard and Malistaire's or Morganthe's minions. You have to use spells from your deck to defeat them. Combatants are assigned a rank from 1 to 12. After you defeat them you receive experience and any combination of the following: Equipment/Gear (Hats, Robes, Wands, etc.), Treasure Cards, Pet Snacks, Plant Seeds (for Gardening only), Pets or Reagents (Used for Crafting). These items can be dropped in combat from bosses or even regular 'mob monsters' wandering about the various streets in the 8 worlds.

Characters in Wizard101 who are defeated in combat are sent back to the common area of the world they were currently fighting to regain their vital characteristics (The Commons, The Oasis, Regent's Square, Jade Palace, the Basilica, Northguard, Celestia Base Camp, Pigswick Academy, Baobob Crossroads and Caliburn). A wizard may also play mini-games to help restore health and mana quickly. The minigames also give a wizard gold and other valuable items to be used throughout the game.

If the player has a 2-D combat opened, there will be a little circle on the display with the school of the monster inside of it.

Player housing

KingsIsle released a player housing feature named "Castles" on May 6, 2009, enabling players to edit and customize their own virtual space. Items such as desks, lamps, carpets, plaques and more can be obtained through enemy drops from battle or purchases at the bazaar. Three tiers of housing are available: dorm, modest castles and luxury castles. Each wizard can equip up to three residences (four with a Special Elixir found only on Epic and Mega Gift Cards) at one time; however, houses cannot be traded between characters on the same account. A player starts with a small dorm room, a student's basic room, which can be found in Ravenwood, Boy on one side girls on the other. Once a player increasing their level to 15, he or she can buy a modest castle or a land. To obtain these houses, a player must go to the house shopkeeper or the crown shop. There have been a few additions like school-themed houses, with one for each school, though players can buy any of these houses. Others, like an underwater ship and a Wizard's Watchtower are not attributed to one school. School houses cost 10,000 Crowns, (which equates to US$20). Most houses found in the Crown Shop can also be paid using in-game gold.

Players can also Craft a house if they so choose. There are currently two, found in Grizzleheim and Celestia. Houses can be found in areas such as the crown shop and housing shops throughout the spiral. Some cost coins, some cost crowns.

Pets system

Pets are obtained throughout play. A wizard can receive a pet egg from shops, boss drops, playing mini-games, purchasing a gift card or even the Crown Shop. All pets have a variety of hatch times; which range from 5 minutes to 24 Hours. A wizard can see the remaining hatch time by checking on his/her pet egg in their backpack. Once the pet is hatched they may equip it. KingsIsle released the advanced pets system May 26, 2010, enabling players level 7+ to enter The Pet Pavilion in the Commons. In this area players can train their pets in various pet mini-games. After each mini-game, players are allowed to feed their pet snacks which further increase their skills. These snacks can be bought in the shops around the Spiral, found as drops from various creatures, or crafted from reagents. The 6 Pet levels are as follows: baby, teen, adult, ancient, epic, and mega. After a pet has increased to the next stage of progression, they will become more helpful to the wizard in battle. They can increase the wizards defenses, giving additional cards and maybe assist with healing. Wizards can have their pets participate in Ranked Pet Derby matches (Pet PvP) and compete with other wizards' pets for Arena Tickets or gold. As a pet's PvP rank increases, the wizard has more options for PvP level specific items.

Another addition to the pets system is the ability to hatch pets within your own backpack and with other players. This is done in the Hatchery which is located in the central area of the Pet Pavilion. A pet must be an adult to hatch pets for new powers and abilities. When it hatches, a new pet will have a combination of the powers and stats of both pets. Each pet can hatch as many times as the player wants. Each hatch costs in-game gold.

The pets that the player can buy include Imps, Bloodbats, Firecats, Piggles, Unicorns, Dragons, Hounds, Fairies, Cyclopses, Banshees, Sunbirds, Ghouls, Giant Spiders, Leprechauns, and many more. Some pets obtained from foes may improve a wizard by giving it access to a spell card or increasing his or her stats. Players can also pick up special pets from the Crown Shop and Holiday Vendors. Players can also gain them from their teachers at level 48, 58, and 68. Some level 48 pets include Satyrs, Colossi, and Wraiths.

There are several Pet Games available to all players, which can be used to train your pet to the next level. With each game, depending on how well you perform, you will gain a certain amount of experience. More experience can be added at the end of the game if you feed your pet Pet Snacks, which can be purchased in a variety of places all over the Spiral and also received from battles.

Player interaction

Due to its young core audience, Wizard101 restricts player interaction when compared to other games in the massively multiplayer online genre. There are three different types of chat: Menu Chat, Open chat and Text Chat. In Menu chat, what a player types can be seen by every other wizard in the area either from a word bubble on top of the speakers head or in the chat box. Text Chat is when a wizard wishes to speak in private to another wizard. This appears on the screen in a transparent box to the left. The age of the player directly correlates to the communication allowable. When typed, words that appear in white are words that everyone is able to view. Yellow words can only be seen by players who have their account set to "Open Chat". Open chat is obtained when you have a credit card and you are 18+. Red words are not allowed and can be seen by no one, not even the player themselves. If an adult chatter types yellow words, young wizards will see dots (...) in place on the word.

Aside from the different levels of chat filters available depending on player age, duels between players are available only in a special player versus player arena designated for the purpose. The PvP arena can be found upon entry to Unicorn Way from the Commons in Wizard City. The PVP arenas are also found in SOME crowns houses and all of the Bundle houses. (This is your private arena, and can only be used when you and other players are in your home.)

Rewards for combat or completing a quest are distributed equally among the party, so players need not fight for spoils. Players may trade a special type of spell card called a treasure card, which is a spell card that can be rearranged by clicking the golden card icon in your spellbook and then can be used in battle when you delete cards (right click) and then click draw.These cards can only be used once, and can be used by any school of Magic. Be warned, this spell will disappear from your treasure deck once it is used. So far they are currently unable to trade items between one another (it is possible, however, to trade items to one's other wizards on the same account, through the use of a shared bank).

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Online safety features

Several features have been implemented to protect younger players in the online world. Parents must activate controls for players under 13, including setting levels for interaction with other players in the world. Three different levels of chat are available. At the most restricted level, players select from a menu of pre-defined phrases, and players using this option can only see menu chat from other players. At the next level, players may type what they want, as long as the words are available in the game’s dictionary. If a word is not present in the dictionary, or part of a forbidden phrase, such as asking another player’s age, it will not be visible. If players know each other outside the game, they can use a true friend code to allow looser chat inside the game, however it is subject to some restrictions. Additionally, players choose names for their characters from a list that allows selection of a first name and a one- or two-part surname. You can also choose to not have a surname, and just have a first name. Names for in-game pets can also be selected from a list, though dropped pets start with names you don't get to choose, you must pay gold to change their names. The official game forums are filtered and moderated. Finally, at player request, KingIsle Entertainment added open chat for players aged 18 years and above, an age limit verified through credit cards, which allows everything except profanities.

Other features have been designed with a pre-teens audience in mind, for example opponents in combat disintegrate or vanish, and there is no blood.

History

According to a press release published in May 2008, the development of Wizard101 began in 2005, upon the founding of KingsIsle Entertainment under the creative direction of J. Todd Coleman. The game entered open beta on August 6, 2008, and it launched successfully on September 2, 2008. On August 25, 2010, it was announced that Wizard101 would be released in foreign territories later that year.

Wizard101 launched a European Beta version on December 15, 2010 and then released the game on February 15, 2011, in partnership with Gameforge. This eventually included releases of the game in English, French, Italian, Spanish, German, Polish, Greek and Turkish.

It was announced on August 17, 2011 that KingsIsle and Taomee Holdings Limited had an agreement to launch Wizard101 in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau. This has been the company's biggest move since launching the game in Europe. Wizard101 Taiwan officially launched on April 27, 2012, with the others to follow.

Reception

Reception

Aggregate score

Aggregator	Score
GameRankings	77.50%

Review scores

Publication	Score
GameShark	A+
About.com	10/10

According to KingIsle Entertainment's press releases, the game has experienced a steady growth in the number of players: 2 million in April 2009, 5 million in September 2009, ten million players by June 2010, 15 million by January 2011, and 20 million by July 2011. In terms of reception, the game currently scores an average of 10 (out of 10) from ratings on IGN.com's GameStats. GameShark reviewer Toni Dimayuga noted the game's overall ambiance and graphic setting as well as the overall fun nature of Wizard101 in the pro column, while the combat (in particular defeats) and the restrictive (at the time of the review) nature of chat were seen as the major minus points.

External links

• Official website
• Wizard101 Central
• Wizard101 Wiki
• Ravenwood Radio
• Petnome Project