Part 6: McNeil Manor - Courtyard
McNeil Manor
Enemies
- Bat - Steal Berries, Learn Gloom
- Guard - Steal Healing Herb, Drop Iron Helm
- Roach - Steal Healing Herb, Drop Vitamin, Learn Jump
- Volt - Steal Taser, Learn Charge
The kids have successfully invaded McNeil Manor, looking to rob from the rich and give to the poor, only to be separated from one another. Ryu and Teepo will need to make it through a substantial portion of the manor on their own - and their first trial will manifest, quite literally, when you take more than a few steps to the northwest in the main hallway.
Torast
Steal: Magic Shard (can't be stolen)
Drop: Nothing
Skills: Nothing
The first of a number of similar battles in McNeil Manor, Torast is the most dangerous of this dungeon's minibosses. He can use the move Sleep to put both Ryu and Teepo to sleep, giving him room to attack them as they slumber. Otherwise he just shrieks at your party members to deal damage.
If you acquired a Silver Knife by fishing and trading with a Manillo before coming to McNeil Manor you'll slaughter Torast, as he's weak to Holy weapons. Otherwise the best you can likely do is Simoon and smack Torast to un-death. Heal as needed. Torast only has a little over 100 HP, so he won't take that long to defeat.
Once Torast is toast you can explore. If you look to the northeast of the main hall you'll find a room filled with some spooky art. To the side of the art gallery is a bedroom, and if you speak to the butler by the bed he'll let you rest and save. From here you can find a number of items:
- Check the cabinet at the far end of the small, adjoining, northern room from the bedroom to find 120 zenny.
- There's a room to the south of the bedroom with a set of stairs and two cabinets. Check the cabinet on the right for a Vitamin.
- Climb to the second floor of the manor from the stairs in the room to the south of the bedroom. There's a cabinet up here containing a Magic Shard.
- Inspect the stack of crates on the top floor, two sets of stairs up from the bedroom, to find some Eye Drops. The single crate sitting by itself nearby contains a Taser.
There's plenty to see here, but this route is ultimately a dead end. Head back to the main hall.
Go up the northwestern stairs. If you check the east side of the main hall you'll find a library containing several bookshelves' worth of McNeil Family history, though nothing of great interest. Near the library is a bedroom with a fireplace, and if you twist the camera you'll see a cabinet in the corner of the room. Inspect it to receive 40 zenny. Yep, that's all.
Head back to the stairs and go southwest. You'll find a series of bedrooms, some open and some not. Check the partially-hidden cabinet in the southernmost accessible bedroom to discover some Gems. Northwest of this room is another room, and the visible cabinet here contains a Vitamin. There's also an exit to a balcony, where you'll find...
Kassen
Steal: Magic Shard (can't be stolen)
Drop: Nothing
Skills: Nothing
Kassen is a big jump down from Torast. He can steal some of your health with Drain, and... that's it, really. Kassen has very little health and will go down quickly regardless of your strategy.
Head northeast along the balcony to find a door back into the manor. Twist the camera a bit in the next room and you'll see a cabinet on the left wall. It contains a Panacea. Try to go down the stairs, though, and...
Galtel
Steal: Magic Shard (can't be stolen)
Drop: Nothing
Skills: Nothing
Stronger than Kassen but weaker than Torast, Galtel is primarily a nuisance. He knows several debuffs, and will spend most of the battle weakening your attacks. All this means is that it will take a little longer to beat him down. Shrug?
Head downstairs. To the southwest you'll find a line of beds and a few servants. Check the cabinet near the butler for a MultiVitamin. At the end of the hallway you'll find a door leading back to the main hall, and then into a kitchen. The cabinet closest to a cook contains a Healing Herb. In the southwest of the kitchen you'll find stairs another line of beds, and if you check the cabinet at the end of the beds you'll receive 600 zenny.
Head back down to the kitchen and go down the hallway to the southeast of the stairs. Take a guess what happens.
Doksen
Steal: Magic Shard (can't be stolen)
Drop: Nothing
Skill: Nothing
Poor guy didn't even get to say his name. Doksen is more offensively-inclined than the other ghosts, and reacts with Reprisals a lot when hit with normal attacks. Alas, neither his normal strikes nor his Reprisals come close to being dangerous. Use Abilities if you want to avoid the counterattacks; otherwise, just... swat him.
The next room beyond Doksen contains an elevator at the far end. Press the button beside the elevator to climb inside. It will take you to a room with stairs, and at the top of the stairs you'll find an attic space with a bed and a diary. Rest away any injuries you have, then use the ladder near the bed to climb to the roof.
Ignore the incline near the ladder and go up the stairs to the northeast. Head northwest until you run out of stairs to climb, then look to the southwest. Next to the last window sticking out of the rooftop you'll see a coiled Grappling Hook on the incline. Slide down to it to collect it. This will bring Rei out of hiding, and he'll rejoin the group, creating a path to the otherwise of the manor in the process.
Head back to the bedroom and the diary to save and rest, then cross the grappling hook line to the other side of the manor. There's no slime over here, for some reason, and navigation is much more straightforward. There are a few things to find on this side of the rooftop:
- Go down the slope on the far side of the roof and look in the northwest. You'll find a Swallow Eye on the path at the lowest point of the roof.
- Head southeast along the roof until you're stopped, then tilt the camera a bit to find a hidden Broad Sword.
- Go down the ladder near the smoking chimney. You'll find what appears to be a indoor pool (or a very large bath). A cabinet in the room next to the pool contains a Vitamin.
Go down the stairs in the middle of this area. They lead to a spacious bedroom. Make sure your party is ready to fight before you enter the next room to the northwest, 'cause the next enemy you face isn't messing around.
Amalgam
Steal: Magic Shard
Drop: Nothing
Skills: Nothing
The combined irritation of five generations of McNeils, Amalgam is far more powerful than any of the previous ghosts might have suggested. Amalgam uses a few different attacks, to deadly effect:
- A normal, melee scream
- Astral Warp, an enhanced melee strike against one target
- Flare, which does Fire damage to one target
- Frost, which does Ice damage to one target
- Sleep, which can put the whole party to sleep
If you have a Silver Knife then you'll want to equip one on your strongest attacker (likely Rei) and put them at the front of an Attack Formation. If not, put everyone in a Defense formation so they don't take too much damage from Amalgam's attacks. This is especially important if Amalgam puts your team to sleep.
Past that, all you can really do is use your strongest Abilities and normal attacks to demolish the big ghost. Teepo's Simoon Ability typically does the most damage if you don't have a Silver Knife equipped. This fight can take a little while, so make sure you conserve Ryu's AP for healing duty. A bit painful, but straightforward.
The kids will thoroughly humiliate the living McNeil once the battle is over, then proceed to rob him. Alas, things are about to take a terrible turn as a result of their ill-chosen heroics...