Starting Banquet for Fools for the first time can feel overwhelming. The game throws you into a complex world where combat, party management, magic systems, and survival mechanics all interact with each other. It is very easy to make early mistakes that slow your progress or get your party wiped out.
This guide gathers practical advice to help new players survive their early adventures on Invimona while keeping things simple and manageable.
Good luck out there. And may Vol forgive us.
Banquet for Fools Beginner Guide Wiki
Before anything else, there are a few habits that will save you a lot of frustration.
The game already includes a built-in guide inside the Settings tab. It is worth reading through at least once because many mechanics are not explained during normal gameplay.
Another extremely important habit is saving often. Combat can quickly turn against you, and losing progress hurts far more than pressing quicksave regularly.
When exploring towns and settlements, make sure to talk to every friendly NPC at least once. Many quests, rumors, and opportunities are easy to miss if you ignore people.
Finally, when you receive your starting money, buy armor immediately. Early protection can make the difference between surviving a fight and losing a guard permanently.
Character Creation
The game provides several premade parties and archetypes, and studying them is a great way to understand how builds work. Even if you prefer making your own team, looking at these examples helps reveal how skills and attributes interact.
A strong party is not just a group of good fighters. The best teams cover each other’s weaknesses and finish battles without suffering major injuries.
Every guard should have a weapon and enough training to use it effectively. Invest at least one Gold or Silver skill point into their chosen weapon type and assign Gold attribute points to attributes that improve their damage and accuracy.
Accuracy is extremely important. Hit-Chance affects Severity, meaning the bigger the difference between your Hit-Chance and an enemy’s Evasion, the more damage your attacks deal.
Frontline fighters should also invest in defensive skills like armor or shields. These provide two major defensive benefits: Damage Reduction (Armor) and Evasion.
Different armor types favor different attributes:
- Shields and Crimscale armor scale well with Agility and provide higher evasion.
- Pearl and Stonewood armor scale with Aura and provide stronger damage reduction.
Unarmored guards rely on Dexterity, Aura, and Sensory for evasion. While possible, running unarmored guards is risky unless they are ranged specialists or controlled directly by the player.
Dedicated Pagan casters follow different rules. They rely primarily on Aura and Pagan attributes instead of weapons. Still, teaching them a simple weapon like a Scepter, Sling, or Elyxir is helpful when they run out of Spirit.
A balanced party often includes:
- One two-handed weapon user for breaking armor
- One archer for high damage at range
- One Pagan caster for powerful magic and utility
This combination handles most encounters effectively.
Guards
In the early game, invest Technique points into Rally, Dodge, and either Kick or Charge. These abilities provide strong early combat control and mobility. Later you should work toward unlocking Form-Up.
Trying to tank enemies is rarely effective. Enemies will not focus on a single target, so relying on one heavily armored guard does not work well. Instead, prioritize aggressive offense and crowd control.
Knocking enemies down is extremely powerful. When enemies are on the ground, their Evasion drops to zero, making them easy targets for heavy damage.
Abilities like Kick or Charge can knock enemies into each other, dealing extra damage and disrupting groups.
Another important ability is Rally Attack. Properly timed Rally attacks can massively increase your damage and apply powerful weapon effects.
Enemy spellcasters and ranged enemies should always be disrupted first, as they can quickly cause chaos if left alone.
Also keep an eye on enemy armor. Breaking the small blue shield icon removes damage reduction and allows your attacks to hit much harder.
Battles
During combat you may notice red and green orbs appearing. These provide health and spirit energy, so collect them quickly before they disappear.
The most reliable healing method is resting in a barracks or tavern. When exploring far from towns, carry blankets so your strongest guard can rest the party in the wilderness.
Consumable healing options include:
- Mead and mulled mead, which stack and provide small healing.
- Amphoras of Food, which fully heal most guards and grant long buffs.
- Berries, commonly found in forests and useful for quick healing.
Be careful when exploring haunted areas. Ghosts apply curses that reduce maximum health for long periods.
To counter them, equip Incense Globes. These create an aura that scares ghosts away. Carry at least two per guard when entering tombs.
Lanterns are not required, but they make exploring dark caves much easier.
Lastly, always keep your equipment repaired using hammers or local stonesmiths. Damaged gear reduces both offense and defense.
Magic
There are three schools of magic in Banquet for Fools.
Fauna focuses on area damage and includes a powerful bee summon.
Vines provides strong utility spells and reliable crowd control.
Spores specializes in disabling enemies but lacks summons.
Many spells affect both allies and enemies, so positioning matters. Fauna magic is the only school that avoids friendly fire.
The spells given at the start of the game are intentionally weak. More powerful spells can be purchased from Vol Trees using minerals created by grinding gems with a mortar and pestle.
Every Vol Tree sells a different set of spells. One tree can be found in Forten Lazure, but others exist in the wild.
A useful early spell to acquire is Vine Rug, which can create bridges across streams and reach hidden treasures.
When crafting spells, focus on strengthening one main aspect such as duration or damage rather than spreading upgrades across everything.
Early spells should cost only one Spirit, as stronger spells become practical later.
Music, Binding, and Intercessions
Music functions almost like passive magic. Songs activate automatically when their conditions are met, allowing musicians to fight while performing.
Different instruments trigger songs differently:
- Flute songs trigger after dodging or being hit several times.
- Horn and Pipe songs trigger after landing hits on enemies.
Binding is similar to creature taming. Using Charm Bells, binders can capture weakened creatures and turn them into allies. Stronger creatures take up more control capacity.
Intercessions are special item enchantments granted by shrines once you earn the favor of a deity. These can provide powerful bonuses, especially if equipped by your party’s zealot.