Classic Games Revisited
Ultima VIII: Pagan Walkthrough
Stone Cove
7.9. Reagent Rampage
Stone Cove is full of all the necromancy reagents you will ever need. All of them reappear once you pick them up, walk away and return, so you can farm this region as much as you wish. I dare say you will not require more than 20 of each reagent and even that is overkill, unless you want to Grant Peace to every undead creature you come across.
Walk all the way east from where you emerge along the north wall to find executioner’s hood (there’s another one right next to the large doors). Along the western edge as well as the eastern edge of the muddy patch just south of you are piles of wood. To their east, where the eastern wall bends you can find bone shards. Directly south from the bone shards in the next muddy patch is dirt (there are four separate dirt piles in this patch). Directly east of the dirt piles you will come across a vial of blood among the skeletons. Finally, blackmoor is to the west and south of the dirt next to some stalagmites, in proximity of a weird ice-cube-like structure. The same reagents are scattered elsewhere too.
If enemies are hovering around any item you wish to pick up, ignore them and run to the next item. When you return the monsters should be gone. Go around the map until you are satisfied you have enough, and even create whatever spells you wish to create. You will require one Create Golem (vial of blood, bone shards, wood, dirt, blackmoor) quite soon.
Note that piled ingredients don’t weigh much, but each spell focus weighs 1 unit. So don’t go overboard in preparing spells. You will require 4 more Open Ground until the end of the game. You will also require another Create Golem much later, as well as one Mask of Death.
7.10. The Deceiver
You need to go all the way to the south-center of the map, at the edge of the water. You will know you are in the right place if you are standing on an outcrop over the water that looks like a cross (directly south of the patch with the dirt piles). Jump south-eastwards along three stepping stones (be careful, some stones disappear) on to an island with a raised platform.
Walk around the eastern and southern edges of this platform to more stepping stones. You need to jump west across two stepping stones to another island with a raised platform patrolled by a skeleton. If you choose to kill the skeleton, drag its body into the water so that it will no longer bother you. Otherwise simply evade it and pick up the Deceiver, a powerful magical axe, from the altar. Of all the magical weapons, the Deceiver inflicts the most overall damage, and also grants you 2AC. Personally I feel the Slayer is better because of its vorpal hit chance, and if you want an AC setup The Protector grants you 5AC but does slightly lesser damage than the Deceiver. Equip whichever weapon best suits your style.
You need to return to mainland the same way: step down east from the ledge (save first and do this in the vicinity of the stepping stone so that you land on the stone instead of water), jump east across to the island, and then north-northwest-ish across the three stones. Go all the way north, back to where we started on this map.