Saturday, June 11, 2016

MagiQuest at Great Wolf Lodge New England (Fitchburg, MA)

Location: Great Wolf Lodge New England (Fitchburg, Massachusetts)

This location is sometimes referred to alternately as Great Wolf Lodge Boston, but is a fairly significant travel distance from the city proper.

https://www.greatwolf.com/new-england

Physical Address: 150 Great Wolf Drive, Fitchburg, MA 01420

Due to a change in street address, some older GPS devices may have difficulty locating the Lodge using that information. If you are having this problem, please redirect your device to 150 Royal Plaza Drive, Fitchburg, MA 01420.

Realm Type: Forest Realm

Chronicle: Guardians of the Realm Portals

Primary Landmarks: Whispering Woods, Tangled Woods, Highforge Peaks, Tempest Islands, Dragon/Goblin Lair, Princess/Pixie Home, Forgotten Hallway

Magi Runes Available: Lightning, Enchant Creature, Healing, Portal, Freezing, Dazzle, Protection, Ice Arrow, Master Magi

Adventures Available: Red Dragon, Pixie, Goblin

Magi who have completed the Runes of the Quest Master versions of these adventures will find some differences here. Pay careful attention to ensure you are doing what the Guardians of the Realm Portals versions require!

Personally, I found the quests and adventures here were shorter and did not take up as much time as they do at other locations. Your mileage may vary on that. If you complete everything - which is doable in one visit if you are efficient - you will earn a reward. See below for more details.

A couple of little oddities about this location: If you are not careful, you will run out of gold, as quite a few quests require it! Be sure you are collecting as many treasure chests as you can as you go along. (Updated to add: Stars and jewels give out gold too, so cast on them as often as you can!) If you find that you are short on the gold you need to advance, and are stuck as a result, don't worry - you can simply repeat a few quick lower level quests,since most of these give a gold reward. Also, even if you complete all the runes and adventures, including Master Magi, you still will have not gained enough XP to be officially recorded as a Master Magi in the computer system; if you want to make sure you are recognized as a Master Magi, repeat a few quests until you get the Master Magi scroll graphic on your quest screen.

At this venue, MagiQuest is played exclusively on the main level of the Lodge. There is a central area past the waterpark where you will find the Quest Stones, Whispering Woods, Tangled Woods, Pixie/Princess, and Dragon/Goblin. There are also some freestanding structures in the play area that you will need to visit, comprising the Tempest Islands and Highforge Peaks. Some quests will send you to the Forgotten Hallway, back past the waterpark and on the other side of the main lobby.

The MagiQuest Store (where you purchase magi equipment and set up your game time) is just off the main lobby. As one would expect, quests are given at the Quest Stones. It kind of feels like a hike from the store to the main MagiQuest gameplay area, which may cause some magi to think they have gotten lost. Nope, it's just a long way! :) There's really only one direction to head in, and once you pass the waterpark, you're almost there.

As with other Great Wolf Lodge locations, it is not necessary to be an overnight guest at the Lodge to play MagiQuest at GWL New England. There are other accommodations available within a reasonable driving distance.

My visit to this location happened to be during the month of October, and the Lodge was decorated for Halloween. The spiders, cobwebs, pumpkins, etc. are seasonal decorations and will not be present if you visit at a different time of year.










If you complete all the rune quests and all three adventures, be sure you go to the MagiQuest store and let them know. They will declare you a Knight of the Realm and will have a little knighting ceremony, during which you can select your MagiQuest clan. (I chose World Singers - they're similar to my Woodsy clan from Runes of the Quest Master.) 


You will also be given a free button declaring you are a Master Magi!


As you can see in the picture above, this location uses a booklet called the Guide Book - similar to ShadowQuest - instead of the Ancient Book of Wisdom that magi are probably used to. It's a little bit of an adjustment, but Guide is easy to follow and should still have all the information you need to complete your quests. (Updated to add: It seems that the Guide Book was just a temporary thing. On our return visit they had Ancient Books of Wisdom like the other locations. This is a newer location so the books may not have been ready yet the first time I went.)

If you need any additional information about this location, please leave us a comment and we'll do our best to answer! :)

~Annacat

MagiQuest at the Funplex (East Hanover, NJ)

Update: This realm closed in September 2016 and is no longer available to visit.


Location: The Funplex (East Hanover, New Jersey)

http://funplexeasthanover.com/attractions/magiquest/

Physical Address: 182 Route 10 West, East Hanover, NJ 07936

Realm Type: Kingdom Realm

Chronicle: Runes of the Quest Master

This location also offers EduQuest for school groups. See the website for more information.

Primary Landmarks: Dark Forest, Enchanted Forest, Castle, Courtyard, Dungeon, Crypt, Silver Dragon Portal

Magi Runes Available: Lightning, Enchant Creature, Healing, Portal, Freezing, Dazzle, Ice Arrow, Distract, Protection, Reveal, Master Magi

There are also Heroic versions of all Magi Runes. These quests can be started after you have completed all the regular quests. Obtaining these runes is much harder, and and the quests have a lot less in the way of hints. Some Heroic quests are timed, and some require pretty clever and out-of-the-box thinking. If you can complete them, though, there's a very cool reward - see below.

Master Magi Runes Available: Potion, Fire, Shield

Magi Adventures Available: Red Dragon, Pixie, Goblin

Master Magi Adventures Available: Ice Dragon, Silver Dragon

At this location, MagiQuest is played in a designated area of The Funplex. Everything is on one level and there is no need to climb stairs. A handful of quests require the magi to venture out into other parts of the building, but play is primarily within the MagiQuest area. Quests are given at the Quest Stones, on the far left near the Dark Forest.

The footprint of the MagiQuest area at this venue is much smaller than those at the Great Wolf Lodges, but don't let that trick you into thinking there isn't as much to do. This location packs a ton of content into their square footage. Most Magi will probably need to make a return trip to complete all the quests; although wand rental is offered at this location, we strongly recommend buying a wand so your progress will be saved.








If you are able to complete absolutely everything - including obtaining all the runes, all the Master Magi Runes, all the Heroic versions, and finishing all five adventures - you will be rewarded with a certificate with your name on it (you can choose whether you want to use your real name or your MagiQuest name) and a free physical copy of the Master Magi Rune made of gold-colored metal. It is not necessary to complete all the requirements in one visit. You can return and work on your quests as many times as you like till you reach your goal.

Magi Lutra (left) and Magi Annacat (right) proudly showing off our achievement.

If you need any additional information about this location, please leave us a comment and we'll do our best to answer! :)

~Annacat

MagiQuest at Great Wolf Lodge Pocono Mountains (Scotrun, PA)

Location: Great Wolf Lodge Pocono Mountains (Scotrun, Pennsylvania)

https://www.greatwolf.com/poconos

Physical Address: 1 Great Wolf Drive, Scotrun, PA 18355

Realm Type: Forest Realm

Chronicles: Runes of the Quest Master, CompassQuest, and ShadowQuest

Primary Landmarks: Enchanted Woods, Whispering Woods, Piney Path, Tangled Woods, Dragon's Lair, Pixie's Perch, Forgotten Hallway, ShadowQuest Portal

Magi Runes Available: Dazzle, Enchant Creature, Healing, Portal, Freezing, Ice Arrow, Protection, Celestial, Wolf, Master Magi

MagiQuest Adventures Available: Red Dragon, Pixie, Ursa Major, Silver Dragon

ShadowQuest Runes Available: Detect Magic, Track Magic, Lock Portal, Banish Creature, Sky Light, Stone, Agon, Snowman, Avalanche, Snow

Adventures on Your ShadowQuest Journey: Investigate the Vanishing Light, The Final Battle

At this location, MagiQuest is played primarily on the upper two floors of the hotel, though a few quests will send you to the Forgotten Hallway on the floor below. The MagiQuest store (where you will purchase your magi equipment and set up your game time) is on the lowest level. Quests are given at the Quest Trees, located one floor above the hotel check-in area and slightly to the left.

It is not necessary to be an overnight guest at Great Wolf Lodge to play.  You can find a variety of hotels and motels, as well as a wide assortment of dining options in many different price ranges within a short driving distance of the Lodge.











If you need any additional information about this location, please leave us a comment and we'll do our best to answer! :)

~Annacat