FFV NINMNFNCM Challenge Part 1: A Rocky Start

FFV NINMNFNCM Challenge:
No Items, No Money, No Freelancer, No Class Mastering

Bartz dispatched the early goblins easily, no need to heal there.  The Pirate Cave was a non-event, with only 1 encounter dealing any damage via an ambush.  The first couple areas before you're supposed to have access to equipment are just too easy, even without items.

The Wind Shrine was a bit easier than anticipated, though Lenna was brought to precarious health by WingRaptor.  I picked up a Broad Sword before the fight and ignored the Tent, using a secret passage to get to the fight quicker.  After getting job classes, I turned everyone into Blue Mages, healed at the pot inside the shrine and picked up Goblin Punch and Aero for use later.  Then I went back to the Pirate Cave for the most valuable spell in these early stages: Vampire, learned from a Steel Bat.  This is the first access to in-battle healing I get, period, healing me for 1/2 of my missing HP, draining from an enemy.  This came in handy in the Torna Canal, as the video below shows.  I won't show most dungeons, just the ones where something interesting happens/it was difficult.



Of course, you have to stop by Tule before entering the Canal, which normally opens up armor, weapons and spells for the party-not this team, who aren't allowed to spend anything.  No Cure and first level Black Magic for me, so I can't attack Karlabos's elemtnal weakness of Lightning...but he's level 5.  My characters are level 5, not by a coincidence.  Karlabos attacked, and was wiped out in 3 8x damage Goblin Punches.  Vampire made this fight a non-threat anyway, but how often am I going to get to play with 4 Blue Mages :P

Then, the encounters in the Ship Graveyard packed a punch, and Lenna and Galuf fell in subsequent encounters.  Ummmm...don't trust my chances too well with half the party down 2 encounters in...this could be a bit of a problem, getting through this early dungeon where everything is undead!

My second attempt had Blue Mages in the back row slinging Aero spells-dishing out equal or more damage while taking much less.  This worked a million times better, easily dispatching every encounter and even picking up a 2nd Dagger-now I don't have to use that dumb Knife any more!

In contrast, Siren fell to a flurry of Goblin Punches and Aeros, in the human and undead forms respectively.  No difficulty there.  Unfortunately Faris got posioned, and within the rules of the challenge I have no way to reverse that yet-I think I have to deal with it all the way to Galura, or have Faris lag really far behind!  I've barely started and this challenge is already pretty interesting.

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