Intro[]
By using special spells, ethereal potions, remote grasp, and visiting dungeons out of order, it is possible to complete TaskMaker in less than an hour. TaskMaker is a great game and I encourage you to fully explore every dungeon, but it can be fun to play a complete game in one sitting, or to use these methods for help if you are stuck.
Here are some special Other Spells which can prove useful (note that these are not "cheating" since they can all be discovered in-game by bestowing gifts in the right NPCs.)
Danilaniloudoff - turns off movement sounds, including the annoying Uh! when you walk into a wall or person. This allows you to move much faster.
Home - takes you to the docks. Acts just like an Escape to Outer Terra except it costs nothing. Always use it to leave a dungeon.
Wavy Davy - creates a ship. This spell works anywhere except Castle Hall.
Heal - exchanges 1/2 of food for health. If you follow it by eating Spinach, the result is almost as good as an Instant Vacation.
Pronto - a magical key shop appears, but keys cost twice as much as in the hidden key shop at the north end of the food court at Castle Hall.
Faux Pas - a magical food shop appears, again twice as expensive as other shops.
Headoff- turns off a force field.
Some regular spells on the magic pull down menu include:
Grasp - This spell is very useful, especially for the quick game, but requires Level 7 and a fair amount of Spirit and Agility.
Haste - Doubles your speed. Actually, you seem to move at the same speed but everyone else moves twice as slow. This gives you two hits for every time an opponent can hit you. Also, it helps you move around enemies and chase them when they flee. Midway through the game you can get Boots O' Speed which make you hasty all the time, but this will deplete your food bar very quickly. For a short game it may not be a problem, but if you plan to spend a lot of time using Boots O' Speed you may wish to find or purchase a Food Ring (9,000 credits at the food shop in Quietwater.)
Magic Map - works just like the scroll. Once you get it, you can just sell your Magic Map scrolls.
You will need about 150,000 credits to prepare for the final boss battle. You can get most of this money by selling high-end items found in dungeons. Treasure like "gold bars" and "jewels" sound enticing, but these items are mostly worth less than 100 credits each, whereas high end weapons sell for hundreds or thousands of credits, so it really isn't worth your time to run around picking up treasure and putting it into auto-tellers. To finish the game quickly, ignore the treasure and just go for the valuable hardware items.
Tutorial[]
Time: 1 minute
Pickups: 1 Shovel, 1 Rations, 1 Magic Map, 1 Ethereal Potion.
Start a new game with the tutorial. The main reason for starting a game with the tutorial is to get the Ethereal Potion which will enable you to get eight very high level items worth about 80,000 credits that are hidden in Castle Hall, in the first five minutes of play. The fastest way to get the Ethereal Potion is to start at the end of the tutorial and work back. Begin by immediately using the Other Spell: Danilaniloudoff to turn off movement sound effect. From the tutorial start room, go to the center of the next room, then head southeast. The corner block is a passwall that leads to a teleporter that takes you to the next-to-final room of the tutorial. Quickly run backwards through the tutorial, skipping all the worthless weapon and armor pickups. Do pick up the shovel, wield it, and dig in the center of the sand pit to get the gold pieces. Run through several more rooms to get the Ethereal Potion. Optionally, you can get the Magic Map in the next room, and the rations in the following room. If you keep going, you can bypass the locked doors using the passwalls at (16,45) and (75,49), collect treasure, and get up to 16 keys. But you only need one key to get to the secret areas of Castle Hall and five minutes from now you will have enough cash to buy all the keys you want, so I suggest exiting now. Once you pick up the Ethereal Potion and other three items, exit the tutorial by using the Other Spell: Home to go straight to the docks (this also avoids the lengthy ocean voyage.)
Castle Hall[]
Time: 4 minutes
Pickups: Gold Long Sword, Guided Bow, Vorpal Blade, Guardian Boomerang, (total 48,701 credits) and possibly Gold Plate Mail, Javelin O' Pierce, Spiked Devil's Fork, and Guiding Gloves (30,462 credits). Not bad for 5 minutes into the game!From the docks, proceed to Castle Hall. Head north then northeast to the auto teller. You should already have 100 credits from the tutorial, and you can cash in the gold pieces for another 100 credits, which gives you 200 credits. Use Pronto to purchase one key. Enter the narrow corridors north of the brewery that leads to the switch room. Turn all switches OFF and grab and wear the Leather Armor and Wand O' Frost. Visit the TaskMaker, then go west down the garden path. Pick up the broad sword and go south through the white passwall and curtain. If you run into the snake, use the Wand O' Frost, and if necessary melee fight him with the sword. Head north and get on the Ship. Follow the moat north about 20 squares, then east about 35 squares. [It may be worthwhile sailing the ship east another 20 squares and then back and forth four or five times to move the enemies in the East Catacombs into a better position.] Bring the ship south to shore and use the Ethereal Potion. Walk south into the crevice in the castle wall and go through the one square break in the black wall at (19,53). Rest until you are solid, then throw the switch. This switch adds a tile in the main hall which lets you get to a stone vault in the center fountain. It contains a Guardian Boomerang (15,500 credits) which is one of the best weapons in the game. The Guardian Boomerang (80,80) is a slightly weaker weapon that the Vorpal Blade (90,80), but it is the only single-handed distance weapon that doesn't have to be picked up after using. Also, if it misses, it can still hit an enemy behind the first one, or hit someone on the way back.
Now head south into the West Catacombs. The only creature here is the "Ooze" who won't bother you. Follow the corridor west about 20 squares, dodging pillars as necessary. Grab the Gold Long Sword (8,700 credits) at square [23,33]. A few squares southwest is a Guided Bow (10,001 credits). (They may be a little hard to see on the TaskMaker flooring.) A few squares southwest of that is a passwall that leads to steps to the East Catacombs.
The East Catacombs are home to several monsters that can kill you with a single blow, so be careful and use Home if they get too close. If you move west quickly you should always be able to pick up the Vorpal Blade (14,500 credits). There is Gold Plate Mail (12,000 credits) and a Javelin O' Pierce (12,656) about 6 squares west of the Vorpal Blade, which you may be able to get. [The odds improve if you sailed the ship back and forth in the moat as mentioned above. Use the Magic Map from the tutorial to check the enemy locations. Sometimes you can dodge the enemies by running around a corner.] If you are able to get the Gold Plate Mail and Javelin O' Pierce, then head north to pick up the Spiked Devil's Fork (4,556 credits) but don't wield it as it will constantly decrease your spirit. If there still are not any monsters nearby, head back to where you got the Vorpal Blade and head north to get the Guiding Gloves (+3 armor, 1,250 credits.) Go Home to exit the Catacombs.
If you got the Gold Plate Mail and the Javelin O' Pierce, then go back to Castle Hall, get the Guardian Boomerang from the vault in the center fountain, and sell everything except the Gold Plate Mail, Vorpal Blade, Guiding Gloves, and Guardian Boomerang. Buy three Increase Health scrolls (5,000 credits each) and use them. You are now powerful enough to quickly beat any enemy in the first several levels. Go Home, and head to Skysail Village.
Dripstone[]
Time: 3 minutes
Pickups: Javelin O' Pierce, Ethereal Potion, Reaper's Scythe, Gold Plate Mail (29,336 credits.)
If you didn't get the Gold Plate Mail in the East Catacombs, instead head to Fierce Folds / Dripstone to get few more items.
You should be able to get through Fierce Folds in about 30 seconds without any fighting. If you are having trouble, here is one method: SW, SE, SE, NE, SE, E, E, W, W, S, S, SE, E, SE, NE, SE, SE, SW, S, SE, NE, E. If you come back a second time, you will need to move forward - back - forward in several places to reset the floor traps.
Don't bother looking for pickups in Fierce Folds, it has nothing of value.
Once in Dripstone, head west and enter the first building to the north through the western opening. Do NOT open the first door, but keep on going east along the corridor. Pick up the Javelin O' Pierce (12,656 credits). Enter the door and grab the Ethereal Potion. Go back to where you started and head east then north. Grab the Reaper's Scythe (4,680 credits) but don't wield it as it will drain your Spirit. Go through the north door and head east to the passwall and get the Gold Plate Mail (12,000 credits). Go Home to the Docks, and head to Castle Hall. Get the Guardian Boomerang and sell stuff you don't need and buy three Increase Health scrolls and use them. Go Home, and head to Skysail Village.
Skysail Village[]
Time: 2 minutes
Pickups: Halt Time scroll, Stealth Boomerang, Silver Sword, Blow Gun, Silver Bracers, Potion O' Plenty (~16,200 credits total.)
Enter the village and head east, then northeast to the lake. Use Wavy Davy to create a Ship and sail to the small island. Grab the Halt Time Scroll (7,500 credits) and a silver sword (1,000 credits.) Then sail west to another island and get the Stealth Boomerang (7,500 credits.) There is a Bronze Dagger (175 credits) further east along the shore and a Bronze Sword (156 credits) behind the END sign, but they are hardly worth your time. There are a few other pickups in the buildings but nothing worth taking time to get.
Now head to the building southwest of the town center, skirt around the north and east sides to enter at the southeast corner. Kill the two monsters and pick up the Blow Gun (380 credits.) Throw the switch to open the door and follow the TaskMaker flooring to the mission item. Make sure to get and use the Potion O' Plenty and the Silver Bracers. Exit using the Home spell.
Return to the TaskMaker and receive 5 Instant Vacations. That is probably all the healing spells you will need for the whole game, along with some Spinach that you will pick up along the way. Sell excess stuff at the Weapon Shop and the Magic Shop.
Quietwater[]
Time: 12 minutes
Pickups: Various armor and weapons worth about 9,000 credits.
The standard way to complete this mission requires throwing three switches which are widely separated across the map, with two being fairly well protected by monsters. By conjuring a Ship to take you to the TaskMaker's island, you can bypass two of the draw bridges but you still need to turn off the blue star switch, which unfortunately is the furthest away and best protected.
From the starting location, head north almost to the edge of the map and open the stone compartment on your left to get a Silver Helmet (525 credits.) Head back to the start and go west across the slotted bridge until you see a forest to the north. Walk north into the second column of trees to get the Gold Protection Ring (+3 armor) (750 credits.) Go west two squares and north four squares to get the Silver Helmet (525 credits.) Don't bother wearing either helmet as you will get a better one shortly. Go back to the path and go west, stopping to pick up the Poison Darts (1,500 credits) on the counter. Keep going west but don't bother to flip the Heart Switch. Just west of the Heart Switch are two Silver Shields (500 credits each.) Head north through the black passwall, open the safe and get the Gold Shield (1,000 credits.) Head north across the bridge and wield the Shovel in the sandy area to get two keys and a Gold Helmet (750 credits) (wear it, and put weapons back in your hands.) Head east and open the switch on the south side, kill the monster and get the Silver Axe (900 credits) and a scroll.
Head back to the forest area and head south next to the shops. Across from the healing shop, enter through the door and take the southern passage, to pick up the passwall and the Spinach. Don't bother to throw the club switch, just back out to the shops and get the Potion of Speed behind the shops. Go south then east across two bridges and to your north see three potions worth getting. Head south almost to the end of the map and go west to enter a stone maze. Use the teleport to go to a second stone maze. Open the door and kill several monsters. Proceed west then south and throw the blue star switch. Be sure to pick up the key which is actually a whole stack of keys. Use the teleport to exit the maze. Go north then east to pick up an Escape to Outer Terra and then proceeed to the TaskMaker's Island. Conjure a Ship to give you a shortcut. Do NOT throw the switch at the building entrance, and proceed to the second room, open the stone compartment and get the chess board. Get the Spinach, and some treasure if you feel like it.
Note: if you did NOT visit Dripstone yet, then purchase a passwall from the northernmost of the row of shops. You will need either two Passwalls (which you now have) or an Ethereal Potion (which you could have gotten at Dripstone) to take a shortcut in Arbalest Catacombs.
Go Home to the docks.
Visit the TaskMaker and receive a Silver Broad Sword (1,500 credits.)
For a real speed-run, ignore all the pickups and purchase three passwall scrolls from the northernmost of the row of shops. Head to the stone labyrinth housing the Blue Star switch and use the passwall scroll at the left hand wall to go directly to the switch. Throw the switch, grab the stack of keys, and fight your way to the teleport. Head to the lake, conjure a Ship, and bypass the drawbridge. Head into the TaskMaker's lair and get the Task Item, then go Home. Total time: 2 minutes.
Rob the Bank[]
Time: 8 minutes
Pickups: 8,000 credits from the bank.
The next several dungeons are much easier with the remote Grasp spell which requires Level 7. At this point you are probably Level 5. I recommend leveling up at this point by killing the Castle Hall guard force. You will need to do this eventually, or else they will be a nuisance during the final boss battle. First, purchase and use two Increase Spirit and one Increase Agility spells from the Magic Shop. Then buff up with a Haste spell and attack a guard in a niche near the front entrance to Castle Hall. This will give you a protected area to retreat to where only one enemy can attack you at once. Try to avoid fighting guards in view of a townsperson as they will get angry and join in the fight. If that happens, it is best to bribe the townsperson with a small gift (an instant vacation should work) as some are quite strong and if you do kill a good person it will decrease your Spirit. If after killing all the guards you are still not level 7, you can level up by repeatedly casting spells such as Haste, Map, or Illuminate.
Once you have remote Grasp, it will be even more useful if you also have X-ray vision. You can purchase a Holy Light at the weapon shop for 15,000 credits, or take a quick trip to Quagmire and get the Sight Lantern in the northwest corner of that map, or Tshida's Club further east. Any of these items will give you X-ray vision, but only when wielding it in one of your hands which takes away one weapon slot. But from this point on you will be doing very little fighting and can switch weapons if necessary. Eventually you will get a Vision Cloak which provides X-ray vision without using a weapon slot, but it isn't easy to get just yet.
With X-ray vision and remote Grasp you can now rob the bank. Empty your entire pouch and move close enough to see the contents of the bank vault to remote grab it. You will get about 8,000 credits. Behind the bartender in the bar are several potions including a Potion O' Plenty.
Note: to proceed beyond this point you will need a genuine TaskMaker registration code. I'm not going to post one here because David Cook has not given up his copyright on the game and he still offers registration codes on his website at robotroom.com for $10, but you can probably find a code on the web if you look hard enough.
Silver Creek[]
Time: 3 minutes
Pickups: four items worth 16,925 credits.
Front the starting point head west, ignoring your train of angry followers. When you get to the lake, conjure a Ship and sail across to the island. Get the Silver Helmet (525 credits) and the Gold Sword (3,200 credits) and go into the Cave. Use remote Grasp to get the Zoom Shield (7,500 credits). Go back up the ladder and re-board your Ship. Sail northeast then east to enter the narrow channel. One square before the bridge, bring your Ship to the south shore and make sure you are Hasted. Dodge around the enemies and head south, jogging slightly west at one point. As soon as you see the Task Item use remote Grasp to get it and then go Home to the docks. Visit the TaskMaker and receive a Bronze Chainmail (5,700 credits.)
Arbalest Catacombs[]
Time: 4 minutes
Pickups: Three items worth 6,200 credits, one Wand, 17 keys.
Several weak Centipedes will attack. Swat them away and head southeast to the Key Shop. Don't enter the key shop, but instead use remote Grasp to gather the four piles of keys in the west side of the shop (17 keys total.) That is all the keys you should need for the rest of the game, but if you do run short you can buy keys for 100 credits each in the hidden key shop in Castle Hall, or for 200 credits each using the Pronto spell.
Head northeast to the lake and conjure a Ship. Head due east and ignore any hits from the Crab-Claws. On the last raft get the wand and the Two Handed Sword (450 credits). Head southeast to shore - your path will probably be blocked by a bug swarm. Swat it out of the way and head east. Take a detour to the south or use remote Grasp to get the metal Boomerang (3,750 credits). Continue east until you come to a rock wall. You will need to get through eight squares of rock, which can be done either with two passwall scrolls or one ethereal potion. Your objective is the ladder at (61,74). Go up the ladder to find yourself on TaskMaker flooring. Head south then west, then throw the switch. Move through the newly open passageway to the graveyard. Use your shovel to open the grave just south of the northeast corner. Get the Task Item and go home. Visit the TaskMaker and receive an Elven Cloak (2,000 credits).
Quagmire[]
Time: 5 minutes
Pickups: various items worth 43,700 credits
Quagmire is just a passageway leading to Poet's Nightmare, but there is quite a bit of loot to be had so take your time. From the starting point, head north. Inside the fence near the pond get the Belt O' Strength (+2 armor, 1,000 credits.) To the west is a room with a Gold Helmet (750 credits) and a Bronze Sword (156 credits.) Use remote Grasp to avoid fighting the enemies in this room. Just to the north, in the northwest corner of the map, is a room with the Sight Lantern (2,250 credits). This item provides X-ray vision when worn. Now go back to your starting point and head south. Get the Gold Shield (1,000 credits) visible to the east. If the Cut-Purse attacks just smack him a couple of times and he will go away. Now head south past the three green beasties, past a transparent rectangle with a skeleton, to a second transparent rectangle with a skeleton. This rectangle has a Shake Spear (4,556 credits) and a two handed axe (2,500 credits) that you can get by remote Grasp. Just to the east is another transparent rectangle with a Golem and Strip Mail (4,500 credits) and a Metal Boomerang (1,750 credits.) Now go north to the first transparent rectangle with a skeleton and explore to the east. You will find an Extra Etherealness potion which you will use shortly.
Head north again, and then go east to find a Gain Health scroll, a Wand O' Striking, and a heavy crossbow (1,000 credits.) Now head back to your start point and go east as far as possible to find an Ethereal Potion. Go west to the opening and observe the blue curtains but don't open them as that will release a ghost warrior. Use remote Grasp to get Tshida's Club (10,000 credits.) Go further west to the room with the wood flooring and get the Gold Sword (3,250 credits). Now go west then north to find a passageway through a transparent passwall to the TaskMaker flooring. Follow the signs to the teleport. When you appear on the island, a whole lot of folks seem angry. I suggest you just Haste yourself and book on over to the switches in the southeast corner, turn them off, then head for the ships. Sail northeast until you see the VAULT sign. Sail around to the north side and enter the pit.
Poet's Nightmare[]
Time: 1 minute
Pickups: Gold Protection Ring for 3,750 credits
There are some excellent puzzles in this dungeon but we are going to avoid them all and head to the quick exit. Go east until you see the blue curtains open, then head north though the door. Use the Extra Etherealness Potion (an Ethereal Potion will not get you quite far enough) to walk north through a couple of squares of rock wall, then head east. Go past the pond and head south when the black wall ends. Avoid the first steps (at the IF writing) and the Exit square, then take the stairs by the MUST writing. These lead directly to the Task Item. Rest until solid, then grab the Task Item and go Home. The Task Maker will give you a Gold Protection Ring which you can wear for +9 armor, or sell for $3,750 credits.
Enitsirhc[]
Time: 4 minutes
Pickups: various items worth 43,025 credits
Enitsirhc is of course Christine spelled backwards. There is lots of cool loot and puzzles here, but we will take a major shortcut to avoid fighting. Head east past the frowny faces to the last door on the south side before the "slounge." Go through the door, and seven more doors. You will see writing that taunts you for being suckered, but that is just mis-direction, you are still on the short-cut. Step onto the teleport. In the next room, walk left a few squares and look north with X-ray vision and remote Grasp the Boots O' Speed (+5 armor, 12,500 credits.) These boots have the special property of making you hasty all the time, but beware of greatly increased hunger. Step back onto the teleport to bring you back to the first teleport. Now move EAST into the passwall, then south. Remote Grasp a bunch of potions to the east. Follow the passwall south, then west, then south. At some point you will need to kill a Pointy Thing. Cross the corridor into the garden area to the south. Get the Holy Light (3,750 credits), then head south for the Spinach. To the west in a niche in the wall is a Plate Mail (9,250 credits.) A Ferviton may attack but you can just Haste on past him and he will probably get stuck in this room. Exit to the north and head east along the corridor. Pick up the Stealth Boomerang (7,500 credits) and enter the Golem switch room. (You may be able to remote grasp a few more potions from here.) The correct switch to avoid combat is #5, counting from the left. Proceed south through the open doorway and head southwest. Throw the left-most switch. Head east then south and get the Gold Watch (250 credits). Open the blue curtains and dodge past the ghost warrior. Pick up Christina's Spell, open the safe, and get the Task Item. Go Home to the docks, visit the TaskMaker and receive 10 diamonds (10,000 credits.)
Fierce Folds / Dripstone[]
Time: 1 minute
Pickups: none
Go through Fierce Folds using the method I detailed above. If this is your second time through Fierce Folds, you will need to move forward - back - forward in several places to reset the floor traps. Don't bother looking for pickups in Fierce Folds, it has nothing of value.
Dripstone[]
Time: 5 minutes
Pickups: Guided Bow, Spark Chain, Amber Axe, Wand O' Slaying, Lancelot Helm. If you were not here before, you also get the Javelin O' Pierce, the Ethereal Potion, the Devils Fork and the Gold Plate Mail. As much as 55,086 credits.
Move west around the shop and go north to the auto-teller. Remote Grasp the Guided Bow (10,001 credits) hidden behind the auto-teller. If you were not here before, get the Javelin O' Pierce (12,656 credits), the Ethereal Potion, the Reaper's Scythe (4,680 credits) and the Gold Plate Mail (12,000 credits). In the room west of the Ethereal Potion is a Spark Chain (+8 armor, 2,500 credits.) Use remote Grasp to get it to avoid fighting.
In the east end of the room with the Reaper's Scythe is a button. Press it once, then head north through the room with the Gold Plate Mail, then north into a room with two alcoves behind blue curtains. Open the curtain on the SOUTH side and throw the switch. DON'T open the other curtain as it will unleash a Ferviton, and we don't need to throw the switch he is guarding anyways.
Now head north to the lake and conjure a Ship. Sail up the coast until you see a stone compartment guarded by a bunch of enemies. Use Haste to maneuver around them, or if necessary kill one so you can land and open the stone compartment and get the Amber Axe (11,250 credits.) Now sail west to the island and remote Grasp the Wand O' Slaying. At (999,999) this is the single most powerful weapon in the game, and a good thing to save for the final boss battle. Now sail south to shore and enter the brewery.
Along the east wall is a passwall that leads to a narrow corridor. Occasionally a townsperson will block the corridor and refuse to move. In that case attack him, and retreat so he follows you out. Then either bribe him or just Haste past him until a door closes behind you.
From the narrow corridor, enter a wider north-south corridor. Do not throw the switch which releases a Golem. Go through the door and head south. Using X-ray vision you will see a blue circle switch in a room to the west which is guarded by a Golem. Open the door, Haste past the Golem, throw the blue circle switch, dodge the Golem, exit the room and close the door behind you.
Now head north toward the opening to the west that leads to the Rebel Head. Stepping on any of several floor switches will release enemies, so follow these instructions closely. Move due west until you are just east of the narrow path between two black walls. You can't go any further this way as a floor trap will trigger a block. Instead go one square south, one square southwest, then go west to the end of the black wall. Go northwest and then west until you meet the Rebel Head. Bribe him with some trivial item (a gold bar will do) and he will give you a fake Replacement Head that will satisfy the TaskMaker. Go Home to the docks, visit the TaskMaker and he will give you a Lancelot Helm (6,000 credits)
At this point you probably have enough loot to fight the TaskMaker, but he will not allow you to attack him until you finish two more quests, and you must do them in the proper order and return to him each time as you cannot pick up a Task Item until he has assigned you that task.
Pentamerous[]
Time: 2 minutes
Pickup: Wish for Any Object scroll
Another really cool dungeon with loads of puzzles and treasure, but we will skip most of it. If you look at the map for Pentamerous, the top half is dominated by three structures. From right to left I will call them the "spaghetti area", the "devil face" and the "rib cage." The King's Bones are near the west end of the top most rib of the rib cage. You enter the map at the top of the spaghetti area. Follow the first passageway to the west until, with X-ray vision you see a bunch of enemies to your west. Use an Ethereal Potion to get through the rock wall and move quickly past them, heading towards the left horn of the devil face. Once there, use another Ethereal Potion to get through the rock wall to the top rib, and keep moving west until you get to the King's Bones at square (9,14). Pick them up and head Home. Note that both rock barriers are only 4 square wide so you could use passwalls here instead of Ethereal Potions. However, that will result in a lot of extra fighting, and you most likely have picked up enough Ethereal Potions that you can afford to use to use them here.
The Task Maker will reward you with a Wish for Any Object scroll. I strongly suggest you use this scroll to wish for Wisdom Teeth. When this item is in your pouch, it nullifies the TaskMaker's teleport spell, which makes the final boss battle much easier. You can also find Wisdom Teeth in a stone compartment towards the north end of Arbalest Catacombs, but that is difficult and time consuming to get to.
Vidair's Tower[]
Time: 4 minutes
Pickups: Vidair's Dagger and Chris's Hammer (28,000 credits.)
From the docks, conjure a Ship and head west almost to the end of Outer Terra, then north to find Vidair's Tower. The TaskMaker Manual states that "Vidair's Tower consists of over 100 rooms. Avoid as many as possible." That is really good advice. Many of the rooms are connected by a very complex set of stairs and teleports. However, there is a path leading from the entry to the Task Item that consists entirely of rooms connected in the regular way, so I recommend using it. From the entry, move around the tower to get the Magic Missile Wand. Now go through the black passwall in the southwest corner of the room, and travel along a corridor. Go south two rooms to a room to the east that has a safe in the north end. Open the safe and get Vidair's Dagger (15,500 credits.) Exit this room through a black passwall in the southwest corner and travel south down the corridor two more rooms, then head east. Proceed through about 5 more rooms until you come to an impenetrable black wall with Chris's Hammer on the other side. Use remote Grasp to get Chris's Hammer (12,500 credits), then head south one room, east two rooms, north one room, east one room, then south until you see the King's Crown. You will likely encounter a ghost warrior, but you can dodge him and lock a door behind you, or just keep moving fast. When you see the King's Crown, remote Grasp it and go Home.
If you are short on cash and need more loot, there are a couple more items that are easy to get. From the entry room, go up the stairs, and up the stairs again. Look south with X-ray vision and remote Grasp a Guardian Armor (+65 armor, 15,250 credits.) Use a passwall or Ethereal Potion to go through the rock wall, then head east, then south. To the west you will find a Vision Cloak (+9 armor, 10,000 credits.) If you are using an emulator to run TaskMaker I don't recommend this route as the stairs in Vidair's Tower tend to glitch when using an emulator.
Island Prison[]
Your final reward is a useless "Drugs!" which you should discard. TaskMaker will now demand that you travel to the Island Prison and kill the prisoner. Needless to say you don't want to do that since it will cause you to lose the game. There is nothing worth picking up at Prison Island, so don't bother even going there, just prepare for the boss battle which you can now trigger by attacking the TaskMaker. In addition giving you Drugs!, TaskMaker will also open the doors to the Catacombs. If you were not able to get the Gold Plate Mail, Javelin O' Pierce, and Spiked Devil's Fork earlier, you can go get them now, although it may not be worth your time if you already have enough loot. You can also get the Vision Cloak (+9 armor, 10,000 credits) by entering the room to the TaskMaker's east and avoiding the ghost warrior, or by remote Grasping it from the East Catacomb.
The Final Boss Battle[]
Sell everything you don't need. Buy a few Instant Vacations, although you probably won't use them. If you don't have an Ethereal or Extra Etherealness Potion left then buy one so you can fight the TaskMaker while ethereal. This will prevent him from hitting you, although he can still cast spells on you. Purchase as many Magic Missile Wands as you can while leaving 20,000 credits to buy 10 Wands O' Lightning.
The TaskMaker starts with 7,500 health points. Begin by using the Wand O' Slaying from Dripstone which is very powerful and will take down a lot of his health, then use the Magic Missile Wands. Each Magic Missile Wand will reduce his health by about 400 to 500 points, while each Wand O' Lightning will lose him 150 to 200 health points. If you have 15 Magic Missile Wands, that may be enough to kill him. If not, then continue with the Wands O' Lightning. TaskMaker is probably dead by this point, but if not then let yourself become solid and fight him with regular weapons. If he makes you drunk or blind, use the Healing spell on the pull-down menu. Once he is dead, you can use the Master menu to fully explore all the dungeons.
Ultra-fast speed run[]
1. While in the East Catacombs, make sure you get the Gold Plate Mail, Javelin O' Pierce, and Spiked Devil's Fork so you don't need to make an extra trip to Dripstone. 2. Use the 2 minute speed run version of the Quietwater walk through, and purchase 3 passwall scrolls (one to use in Quietwater and two to use in Arbalest Catacombs.) 3. Kill the Castle Hall guards quickly by using any wands you have handy, plus buy a few Wands O' Lightning with any cash you have left at that point. 4. Don't bother picking up any scrolls other than the Halt Time in Skysail Village. 5. Don't bother picking up any potions other than the Ethereal potion in the Tutorial, Ethereal and Extra Etherealness in Quagmire, and Ethereal potions in Enitsirhc and Dripstone. Use one potion to get to the catacombs, one in Poet's Nightmare, two in Pentamerous, and one for the final boss battle. 6. Don't bother getting anything that is really out of the way or time consuming like the Amber Axe in Dripstone. 7. Visiting the shops is time consuming. You will only need to visit the weapon shop three times: right after visiting the catacombs, after visiting Quagmire, and right before the boss battle. You should visit the magic shop twice, once after Quietwater, and again before the boss battle. 7. Before the final boss battle, dump your entire pouch onto the floor and pickup items in the order you will use them. That will make the final battle go faster.
My personal best time: 45 minutes from the start of the tutorial to the end of the boss battle.