Reversal

Karma's a beast

Reversal, full name Kirkov's Cosmic Karma Cookies, is a defensive Spell. Casting it will protect the Hero in a field that reflects magic spells cast directly at him. It first appears in Quest for Glory I when you encounter Kobold in a cave and that is the first spell he casts. However you cannot learn this spell until Quest for Glory 2 and the spell is available in all subsequent games.

Reversal requires 8 MP to cast in all games.

Learning

Reversal is learned after completing the WIT Initiation Test and refusing to join the Institute full-time. Erasmus will give the spell to the Hero as a graduation present.

A Magic User created in a game after Quest for Glory II will already have the knowledge of Reversal when he begins.

Function

When cast, the Hero is protected by a field that will reflect magic cast directly at him. Spells cast at him will bounce off, either directly back at the caster or sometimes at an angle, depending on the situation.

Certain spells are considered indirect or "area-effect". These spells cannot be reflected by Reversal and will damage the Hero.

Practical Uses

Here are the situations where Reversal is useful:

​Quest for Glory II

• During the final battle in the Ritual Chamber in the Emir's Palace, having Reversal cast will reflect Ad Avis' initial spells.

Quest for Glory III

• When fighting random Leopardmen, having Reversal cast will nullify the effects of their Lightning Balls, but the reflected spells will not hurt them.
• When dueling with the Leopardman Shaman, the Hero should cast Reversal right after summoning his Staff in order to reflect the Shaman's staff-burning spell.
• When facing the Demon Wizard, having Reversal cast will allow the Hero to reflect the Wizard's initial spells.

Quest for Glory IV

• As a pure Wizard (see Class Quests) while fighting with Tatiana and her Faerie Folk entourage, the Hero should first cast Reversal so he doesn't fall under their initial onslaught.
• Although it leads to the same conclusion as not having it cast, having Reversal cast during the Hero's second visit to Baba Yaga's Hut will prevent him from being momentarily turned into a hedgehog.
• When encountering Tomb of the Mad Monk in the swamp, the Hero should cast Reversal to send the Chernovys' spells back at them.

Quest for Glory V

• While Reversal is not required to be used at any point, it will be useful when fighting a Shade, a Triton, a Mane, or a Centaur Wizard, as all use direct attack spells.

Impractical Uses

In story-related encounters, an initial casting of Reversal is always wise, but most intelligent foes will recognize the spell and quickly change tactics, so the Hero should be prepared to react to those.

Attacks by a Wyvern, a Chernovy, and a Wraith in close-quarters combat screens cannot be reflected by Reversal. Also, a Mane, in addition to its Lightning Ball spell, has a breath attack which cannot be reflected.

Training

The spell is trained by being cast repeatedly. In Quest for Glory 3, the spell can only be trained when it is cast in a savannah or jungle screen.

Importing/Hybrid

If a Magic User is imported and didn't learn Reversal, he will be given the spell in the new game. This applies for all three games after Quest for Glory 2.

If a Hybrid character is created or imported and didn't learn Reversal, and is given Magic, he will not be given Reversal, but may learn it in Quest for Glory 2 through the usual channels.

Trivia

• Several enemies also use Reversal, including the Kobold Wizard, Ad Avis, the Faerie Folk, the Chernovy, and the Centaur Wizard.
• It is likely that Erasmus's Magic Mirror in Quest for Glory 1 has a long-standing Reversal enchantment upon it. The Mirror is used by all classes as no Magic skills are needed, and even the Magic User doesn't possess the Reversal yet.
• Unfortunately, it is not possible to use Reversal to prevent Ad Avis from controlling the hero during their first encounter in Raseir. The duration of the spell will prematurely and rapidly run out before the encounter begins.