Uncovering the Best Knight Paths in Volcano Princess: Tips, Tasks, and Endings

In Volcano Princess, players are tasked with raising and educating their daughter in a medieval-themed world, with the ultimate goal of achieving career and romantic success. Upon reaching twelve years old, the daughter is recruited as a Knight and must choose one of three Lords to pledge loyalty to. These Lords represent the game's three Knight Paths, each requiring players to build up a particular set of skills: Mind for academia and religion, Charisma for social and artistic abilities, and Stamina for combat and exploration. Completing tasks within each Knight Path yields monetary rewards and unlocks Career Endings, as well as exclusive opportunities for the daughter to seduce her chosen Lord. With so many possibilities, players must carefully consider which Knight Path to pursue and how to excel in each one.

The Bryan Family Knight Path

Principal Claude Bryan

The Bryan Family Knight Path is dedicated to gaining knowledge, practicing religion, exploring alchemy, and even horseback riding. The Path is led by the serious-minded Principal Claude and places a strong emphasis on the Mind stat and Intelligence skill. While this approach can lead to great intellectual growth, it can also feel like a joyless and difficult journey, as reflected in-game by the daughter's low Mood bar.

Tips for Early Gameplay

To excel on the Knight Path, it's advisable to save up Action Points and gold before attempting Alchemy and Horse Catching. It's recommended to wait until players have reached a Mind Stat of 10, as this will make completing tasks much easier. Patient players can level up their Mind stats, build their Intelligence skill, and collect Talent points for ‘Friend of Horses’ and ‘Master of Alchemy’ to gain an advantage. One of the highest achievements on this path is winning the Horse Racing Sea Breeze Competition. Additionally, players will need to repair at least 5 items using Alchemy to ascend above Level 2.

Advised Monthly Tasks

While many activities in the Map focus on building Stamina and Charisma, there are also opportunities to enhance Intelligence while exploring the Volcano Kingdom. Working as an Accountant at the Bath House provides daily chances to improve Intelligence skills and earn funds for Alchemy studies and Horse Racing competitions. The most significant progress in Intelligence can be achieved by taking Ritual and Literature courses. Additionally, players can exchange Fame points for tutoring at the Altar to accelerate their studying progress.

Make sure to incorporate challenging locals to debates as a daily routine, with the added bonus of rewards for winning against skilled opponents like Kenneth and Sister. It's important to maintain a well-rounded skillset, so don't forget to also focus on improving your Sketching and Combat abilities, as they too can lead to rewards in the game.

Romance and Career Endings

The Forgotten Valley is where players can visit their chosen Lord and build their affection. However, Claude may not be the most romantic of the Lords with his perfunctory dating style and unremarkable character design. It's best to steer clear of personal topics during your hangouts with him. Instead, focus on conversations about laws, studying, and protecting monsters - these are the topics that will help you succeed with him. If Claude isn't your cup of tea, don't worry - there are plenty of other eligible suitors in the Volcano Kingdom that won't impact your progress on the Bryan Family Knight Path.

Maxing out this Knight Path will result in religious, academic and judicial Career Endings.

The Royal Family Knight Path

Princess Gwyneth

Players who appreciate the finer things in life, such as lavish feasts, mingling with peers, expressing themselves through art, and indulging in music, will excel in the Knight Path that emphasizes charisma. Princess Gwyneth, the epitome of royalty, exudes grace and poise while adhering to the highest standards of etiquette. It goes without saying that she expects nothing less from her knights.

Tips for Early Gameplay

Start budgeting for high-end clothing, especially during sales. To advance in the game, players need to purchase 5 clothing items from the Costume shop (excluding found or gifted items). Upgrading wardrobe with new perfume and dresses can improve Charisma, leading to greater dating success. It's important to focus on increasing Charisma early, so that players can secure jobs in the Bath House and participate in plays, rather than spending Fame Points on tutoring at the Altar.

Advised Monthly Tasks

To complete the Knight Path, players must deliver flawless performances at least three times out of 20 attempts. Since performances are only available once a month, players must possess high Charisma and Emotional skills to increase their chances of being selected. Attending banquets is a great way to socialize and build Charisma, as well as earn rewards.

Unlike other paths, debating and dueling are not necessary for success in this one. Instead, players should focus on building relationships with Gwyneth and other locals. Spending Action Points on activities like painting, story time, and games with Father will help boost Imagination and Emotional skills. Harvesting and cooking certain recipes can also earn Action Points and improve various skills. It's recommended to take literature, etiquette, painting, and music courses to further enhance abilities needed for the Knight Path.

Romance and Career Endings

When it comes to pleasing Princess Gwyneth, loyalty and respect are key, as she tends to be critical of gifts unless they hold cultural significance, such as the Volcano Goddess Sculpture or Marigold Light. She enjoys spending time in the Royal Garden and values kindness towards her brother Kenneth. Pursuing a Knight Path that prioritizes charisma can lead to artistic and romantic career opportunities, ranging from Countess to Courtesan. Additionally, players who build a strong relationship with Gwyneth can unlock the 'Volcano Queen' Career and Gwyn Romantic Ending, while pursuing relationships with both Gwyneth and Kenneth can result in a 'Kite of the Royal Family' ending.

The Handel Family Knight Path

Knight Lebsa

The Handel Knight Path is the ultimate choice for players seeking the True Ending and conquering all four realms in Volcano Princess. Knight Lebsa, the daring, humorous and vibrant character, is a fan favorite among adventure and danger-seekers in the gaming community.

Tips for Early Gameplay

In order to advance to Level 4, players must engage in 50 duels with the locals to earn rewards. It's important to start early as players are limited to only 2-3 duels per month and time can quickly run out. It's worth noting that the Martial Arts Contest at the Volcano Festival won't count towards this goal. To succeed, players should focus on building relationships with highly skilled fighters like Ze, Hackett, and Kenneth, who have Combat Levels of 9+. Inviting them to explore together will give players access to their powerful damage-dealing attacks and defenses. Additionally, players should take advantage of gambling with Dice to earn money for weapon upgrades, which can significantly boost their Combat Attributes.

Advised Monthly Tasks

In order to attain the Knighthood, players are required to vanquish more than 200 monsters and conquer the treacherous Hell Beach. Volcano Princess's combat system is turn-based and utilizes an energy quota, enabling players to restore their health between battles using their inventory. To progress further into the game, players must strike a balance between defensive maneuvers and high-damage attacks, allowing them to defeat their foes and survive the next wave of attacks.

Players must engage in monthly harvesting and cooking to produce Action Points, boost their strength, attack, and defense, as well as recover their HP. In addition to winning meat from battles with monsters, players can also access more ingredients by going fishing.

Romance and Career Endings

Lebsa is known for her laid-back attitude and aversion to work, preferring to seek out thrills instead. Hanging out with her is always a breeze. However, as players progress in the game, they will be called upon to help Lord Lebsa, only to find her in a frenzied and bloodied state. It is then revealed that Lebsa is struggling with trauma from her past adventures and appreciates the care and attention despite her unpredictable nature. Once players have maxed out Lebsa's affection bar, they can unlock the playful romantic ending with her.

Players can access the game's True Ending by triumphing over all four main bosses in the Realms of the Volcano Kingdom. To achieve this, it's recommended to take Lebsa's Knight Path. However, even if players are unable to defeat all the bosses, their high Stamina and Strength stats can still prove useful for defending the Volcano Kingdom with the help of Warriors and Hunters.

For those who prefer to embrace their dark side, there is no designated Knight Path to follow. However, players can still maximize their Darkness by choosing any available Knight Path. Opting for the Handel Knight Path is a more viable option for accumulating Darkness than the religious and low-fame Bryan Knight Path.

Tips for Early Gameplay

Players can boost their daughter's Darkness level by ignoring her requests for guidance and instead criticizing her. Additionally, the daughter can opt to make promises to unsavory individuals in order to gain more Darkness.

Advised Monthly Tasks

To enhance their Darkness level, players are required to work as a Private Maid or engage in even more degrading tasks at the Bath House on a monthly basis. In addition, regular visits to the Dark Alley in the Abandoned Harbor are necessary, where players must fight off a multitude of foes. Successful players are rewarded with stolen items that they can return to their rightful owners for Fame and advancement within the enigmatic Paradise Society.

Career Endings

To have an advantage in every fight that takes place in the Dark Alley, it is crucial to enter with sufficient Action Points. By paying the Mystery Man thrice, players can avail the opportunity to Steal from a local once a month, which ultimately increases their Darkness rating.

Revisiting the Dark Alley on multiple occasions can lead to obtaining various low-level criminal endings such as Cultist and Fraudster. However, to achieve the ultimate goal of becoming a Mafia Boss, players must acquire a Paradise Society Badge and maintain a Darkness Level of at least 80. For those seeking an even more sinister outcome, conquering the Realms and encountering the Hell Beach Boss with a Darkness Level of 100 will unlock the coveted Demon Queen Ending.