LOTD Instructions- Finally Complete!
Lord of the Dungeon: Starting Instructions:
Lord of the Dungeon is a fantasy role-playing game,
almost exactly like Dungeons and Dragons, and early
1980s computer games such as Wizardry. The game has
battery backup (1983!), so you can turn off the game
and then pick up where you left off- however, if you
do this in the middle of battle, your party is wiped
out. Any other time is fine, though.
The object of the game is to create an adventuring
party, and then enter the dungeon to do battle, gather
loot, and gain Experience Levels to become stronger. Ultimately, you must be able to defeat all of the more than 100 different kinds of monsters- including the dreaded 8 Dark Lords of Level 8- and then return safely to town.
A party can have from 1 to 6 characters. Now here, for
the first time, step-by-step instructions for getting started! Yae-eth!
Turn on the game as any other. When the title screen
appears, pull DOWN on the joystick. "Select Game
Version" will appear. Press KEYPAD BUTTON 1, 2, 3, or 4:
KEY #: SPECIAL ROOMS/ FAST MESSAGES
KEY 1: NO/ NO
KEY 2: NO/ YES
KEY 3: YES/ NO
KEY 4: YES/ YES
Special Rooms- If you choose this option, there will be one special room (actually, a randomly-chosen place) per level of the dungeon. A special room is a very difficult room to defeat as it contains monsters from deeper parts of the dungeon. If a special room is conquered, a very rare magic item will be found.
Fast Messages- When this option is chosen, the text messages in the combat phase of the game are speeded up.
(Thanks to Postermen for the Special Rooms/Fast Messages information.)
After choosing an option, "Name Your Party" will appear. A name up to 17 letters/spaces can be chosen. Pushing the joystick UP or DOWN runs through the letters; the box skips a space. Press the RIGHT FIRE BUTTON to select the letter. Once you are finished, press the LEFT FIRE BUTTON to conclude. Careful- you cannot undo a
mistake.
"TOWN OPTIONS" will now appear. This is where you create a
party, and prepare them. The KEYPAD BUTTONS do the
following:
1) Enter Diane's Drinking Depot. This is where you
actually create your party.
2) Join A Guild. For Peasants only, it's where they
can become something else. If, when creating a
character, you end up with stats that are just too low
to allow the character to become anything whatsoever,
then the character can only be a Peasant. You can
either re-roll or, in true Dungeons and Dragons
fashion, simply accept the character. A Peasant can
only act as a lesser fighter, with severe restrictions
on weaponry and armor, and no spell ability. However,
as a Peasant gains Experience Levels, certain stats
increase, until the Peasant can become something else.
Once you do this you change from whatever level
Peasant you are to an equal-level Mage, Hirebrand,
Priest, etc.- whatever you can and then choose to
become. Note that you can wait for as long as you wish
before changing. Also note that this method is the only possible way to create certain characters, such as an Ogre Phage. It is possible for a character to be "killed in training," but if resurrected (use the 6th-level Cleric spell OCMORTAVUL, as this does not cost any Constitution points), then the character will be alive and of his chosen class.
3) Sir Justin's Armory. This is where you can
purchase weapons and armor for your characters- if you
can afford it!
4) Rests. After an adventure, you can rest your
characters up in this town to regain spells and lost
hit points. It can take up to several months. Mind
you, your characters do age! If your character(s) have
earned any Experience Levels during an adventure, use
this option to claim them and their benefits.
Note-many new characters do not start out with all of
their Hit Points. If this is the case, you can use
this option. Resting can only be done while in town.
5) Cast Spell. Just that. After pressing KEYPAD
BUTTON 5, use the joystick to choose a character, and
then push EITHER FIRE BUTTON. You are then asked to
choose Mage or Priest spells, if such a choice is
possible. Press KEYPAD BUTTON 1 OR 2 to choose. You
will then be asked what spell level you wish; press
the appropriate KEYPAD BUTTON to choose the level
(check the stats to see if you have any such spells).
Several strange-looking spell names will appear; press
the appropriate KEYPAD BUTTON to cast one of them.
Again, one month of resting will restore all spells.
6) Enter Dungeon. Begins actual adventure. Don't do
this until you are ready!
7) Positions. This determines marching order. Note
that spell casting can be done from any position, but
physical fighting can be done only from the first and
second positions. These two positions also take the
brunt of any enemy attacks.
8) Use Item. Applies only to potions, magic items, and
the like. Weapons, shields, and armor don't count,
except for a few such as a Sword of DIRFLACOG. After
pressing KEYPAD BUTTON 8, use the joystick to choose
the character with the item you want to use, and then
push EITHER FIRE BUTTON. All of the objects and
equipment the character is carrying will appear. Use
the joystick to choose the proper item, and then push
EITHER FIRE BUTTON. If the item hasn't any special
powers, then nothing will happen.
9) Burials. Allows you to, uh, "dispose" of a dead
character. No live burials allowed!
0) Kill A Companion. If a character has any controlled
enemies (by magic or seduction), and you wish to get
rid of them, then, after pressing KEYPAD BUTTON 0,
choose the character whose controlled enemies you wish
to be rid of, and then push EITHER FIRE BUTTON. You
may wish to do this if you decide that a monster(s)
being controlled can do the party more harm than good,
as in the case of Ogre Mages casting NIXFLAG.
*) View Character. After pressing "*" use the joystick
to select a character, and then push EITHER FIRE
BUTTON. The character's statistics will appear. Each
time you push the RIGHT FIRE BUTTON, you view more of
the character's statistics. Push the LEFT FIRE BUTTON
to exit.
#) Give Item Away. A character- even a dead one- can
give/take an item to/from another character. After
pressing "#," use the joystick to select a character,
and then push EITHER FIRE BUTTON. Now use the joystick
to select an item, and then push EITHER FIRE BUTTON.
You now must use the joystick to choose the character
that will receive the item (you can give it back to
yourself, if you wish), and then push EITHER FIRE
BUTTON. You can now push the RIGHT FIRE BUTTON to give
the character the item, or the LEFT FIRE BUTTON not
to. Note- giving an item to "no one" will cause it to
simply vanish. Certain character classes are forbidden
from receiving certain items. If you want two
characters to trade items, see "Helpful Hints" below.
CREATING THE PARTY.
You'll notice that every new game gives you two
higher-level characters: Sir Clax the Hirebrand
(fighter), and an Elven Versatile
(Hireband/Mage/Priest, better known as
fighter/magic-user/cleric) called Mandrack. You do not
have to include them in your party, but I would advise
you to do so.
First, press KEYPAD BUTTON #1 to enter Diane's
Drinking Depot. At the top of the screen is your
party's name; right under it are the characters in the
actual party. Below "Diane's Drinking Depot" are all
the characters, including any you create. You can
create more than 6 characters, but only a maximum of 6
are allowed in an actual party.
To create new characters, first use the joystick to
choose new members. Push the RIGHT FIRE BUTTON. A
menu with 8 different races- Dwarf, Elf, Human,
Gnoll(!), Ogre(!!), Hobbit, Kobold, and Orc- will
appear. Each has certain advantages and disadvantages:
for example, Ogres can have the greatest Strength, but
are less intelligent; while Elves are the most
intelligent, but have lower Constitutions. Press the
appropriate KEYPAD BUTTON to choose. Now you will see
your character's stats: Race, Gender, Hit Points,
Gold, Armor Class (the lower the better),
Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, Strength,
Constitution, etc. These stats will determine what
class your character can be: a minimum Intelligence of
12 is required to be a Mage, for example (for a Mage,
the higher the better!). If you are unhappy with the
stats then push the RIGHT FIRE BUTTON to "re-roll"
your stats; if you are satisfied, then push the LEFT FIRE BUTTON.
Now use the appropriate KEYPAD BUTTON to choose your
character class (the ones offered). They include Ninja, Monk, and Scout (Fighter-types who can all score deadly "Critical Hits"); "Hirebrand" (basic fighter capable of formidable Double Blows); Mage; Phage; Priest (especially good for healing); "Versatile" (Hirebrand/Mage/Priest); Ranger (similar to Versatile, and can also score a "Critical Hit."); Courtesan (females with high Charisma who are lesser fighters but can Seduce certain enemies); and Peasant. Note that "Versatile" (Ranger is similar) allows you to use both Mage and Priest spells, as well as all weapons and armor, but gaining Experience Levels is done at only 1/3 the rate of any other character class. Note- "Multi-Class" simply means a Character Class that is a combination of two or more classes; "Phage," "Monk," "Ranger," and "Versatile" are such classes.
Finally, name your character. This is exactly like naming your party, except only 10 letters/spaces are allowed. Repeat this process for any other new characters.
Once you have created your new characters, you can decide who will be in the actual adventuring party. To do this, use the joystick to select a character, and then push the RIGHT FIRE BUTTON to include/exclude the character. Again, it would be best to keep Sir Clax
and Mandrack. When you have chosen your party, push the LEFT FIRE BUTTON to leave the tavern.
STATS.
Each character has a set of statistics, which determine how well that character can do things. A character's race is a factor in what sort of stats that character will have. Stats are as follows:
Intelligence- This is important for the use of Magic Spells. The higher the Intelligence, the more Magical spells will be available, sooner.
Wisdom- Vital for Clerical Spells. The higher the Wisdom, the more Clerical spells will be available, and sooner. Wisdom may also help protect against "hypnotic" enemy spells.
Strength- Muscle power, a must for physical combat. Good Strength increases the damage a character can do, as well as increasing the chances to score a hit.
Constitution- Overall "toughness," this helps determine how many Hit Points a character can have, and may aid in saving against poison-based attacks. It is also important when a character is being resurrected by the 5th-level Cleric Spell OCMORTA.
Dexterity- Reflexes and quickness, this determines one's "natural" Armor Class, and aids in evading both melee and certain spell attacks.
Charisma- Attractiveness. Especially important for Courtesans, this is important for Seduction and the use of any spell that summons or controls enemies.
Armor Class- This is the most important factor in determining whether or not a character is struck by an attack, and how much damage is done. It is the result of subtracting the total points given by Armor, Shield, Spell (TERPELT), and Rings of Protection from one's "natural" Armor Class. The lower the Armor Class, the better; it is the only stat that can be a negative number.
Hit Points- This is simply how much damage one can take before being killed, which happens if one's Hit Points drops below zero. RESTING and healing spells/magic items are the only ways of regaining lost Hit Points. Upon gaining Experience Levels, a character gains more Hit Points.
Gender. The character can be male or female (note- Courtesans are always female). A character's gender does affect certain stats: (as a rule) male characters have greater Strength and Constitution, while female characters have higher Charisma and Dexterity. Of course, a female Gnoll or Ogre will usually be stronger than a male Elf or Kobold, just as a male Elf or Human will have better Dexterity and Charisma than a female Ogre!
Gold- Just that; how much money a character has. Once a character has purchased all the "normal" equipment he needs, this is no longer important, unless buying for another character. All characters start out with at least a little gold. More gold is gained if enemies have a treasure chest with them, and they are all defeated. It is divided among party members.
CHARACTER RACES:
Each of the 8 character races has certain advantages and disadvantages. Keep in mind that the following information deals with "typical" attributes; since the stats are all at least partially randomly determined, it is possible to get, for example, an unusually weak Ogre or an unusually intelligent Orc.
DWARF- Dwarfs generally have good Constitution, Strength, and Wisdom; but are lacking in Intelligence, Charisma, and Dexterity. Their Hit Points are usually good, and they have the longest life spans (120 years) of the mortal races. It is uncommon to roll up a Dwarf that is multi-classed.
ELF- The single most significant attribute of the Elves is that they and they alone are ageless; they neither suffer from nor die because of old age. Elves tend to have the highest Intelligence, good Charisma and Dexterity; but are lacking in Strength, Constitution, and Wisdom; and they tend to have the fewest Hit Points. It is not difficult to roll up almost any of the Character Classes for the Elves. Elves tend to take the longest in gaining Experience Levels.
GNOLL- Gnolls are good all-round characters, with good Strength, Constitution, and Dexterity; decent Intelligence; they are usually somewhat lacking in Charisma and Wisdom. Hit Points are usually quite good. It is not overly difficult to roll up many of the Character Classes for Gnolls, but with the emphasis on physical abilities. Their life spans, about 50 years, are something of a problem.
HOBBIT- In some ways Hobbits are not unlike Dwarfs, only they are not as sturdy and more Character Classes are usually more readily available to them. Strength and Intelligence are somewhat lacking, but their Constitution, Charisma, Dexterity, and, to a lesser degree, Wisdom, are quite good. Hit Points are a bit low. They tend to have a better "natural" Armor Class than most others, and their life spans are quite good (90 years).
HUMAN- Obviously, Humans are the yardstick by which all races are measured. As a result, Humans tend to be "average" in most things- not especially good, but not usually badly lacking, either. Charisma is often good, especially with female Humans. It isn't too difficult to roll up multi-classed Character Classes, although players are usually presented with a variety of single-classed options. Their life spans of 60 years are, again, somewhat "average."
KOBOLD- Kobolds usually have low Strength, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma, along with decent Dexterity and Constitution. As a result, "Peasant" is often the only Character Class available to Kobolds; less often are Hirebrand and Mage. The only things to recommend about this race are an above-average resistance to enemy enchantments ("hypnotic"), decent life spans (69 years), an often decent "natural" Armor Class, and the fact that they have faster-than-usual advancement in Experience Levels. Hit Points are fairly good.
OGRE- As you might expect, Ogres are indeed "big, strong, and somewhat stupid." They have excellent Strength and Constitution; but Intelligence, Charisma, Dexterity, and Wisdom are low. Hit Points are usually the best of all Character Races, especially if the Ogre is a Hirebrand. It is extremely difficult to roll up multi-class options for Ogres; indeed, Peasant and Hirebrand are usually the only classes one can roll up. However, if the "Peasant-to-(Whatever)" method is used and is successful, as in the case of creating an Ogre Phage, the good Hit Points that character will usually have is excellent for surviving strong enemy attacks. Unfortunately, their life spans of 46 years are a disadvantage.
ORC- Orcs are actually similar to Humans in regard to their stats, but with somewhat greater Strength, Constitution, and Hit Points; but lower Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma (as you might expect). Peasant and Hirebrand are the classes usually available to Orcs, with the other classes being fairly difficult to roll up, multi-class often not being available. They tend to gain Experience Levels very rapidly, but this is offset by their life spans of only 40 years, which are the shortest of any of the Character Races.
CHARACTER CLASSES:
MAGE- Magical Spells. Cloak. Dagger. The most effective user of Magic Spells, the Mage is strongest in magical attacks (although there are problems with this, as explained in the spell listings). Unfortunately, Mages are also the weakest in physical combat, and usually have the fewest Hit Points. They can cast from any position in the line. (AD&D=Magic User).
PHAGE- Magical Spells. Cloak, Leather Armor. All Weapons. This character starts out as a sort of lesser fighter, but after gaining enough Experience Levels he can also cast Magic Spells. While not as strong in magic as a Mage, he is much better in physical combat, and has more Hit Points. (AD&D=Fighter/Magic User).
PRIEST- Clerical Spells. Cloak, Leather Armor, Chain Mail. Shield. Club, Mace, Quarterstaff. Dispel. This class is able to heal, cure, and generally strengthen the party; 5th and 6th level spells can even resurrect dead characters. Offensive spells, while not as strong as Magical Spells, do not harm party members. They are fairly good fighters, and their healing powers are vital to any party. Priests are especially useful against the undead. (AD&D=Cleric).
MONK- Clerical Spells. Cloak. All Weapons, except for Dagger. Critical Hit (2/Round, as a rule). Dispel. Starting out as fighters unable to wear armor, Monks eventually gain the ability to use Clerical Spells.
Their ability to score Critical Hits make them quite formidable. As they gain in experience, their Armor Class is lowered, and once they have attained the higher levels of experience Monks are among the
deadliest characters. Like Priests, they are effective against the undead. (AD&D=Fighter/Cleric).
HIREBRAND- All Armor. Shield. All Weapons, except for Dagger. Double Blow. The basic fighter, Hirebrands are the strongest in overall physical combat. They cannot use most magic items, except for armor, shields, weaponry, and those magic items that can be used by
all (such as a Gem of OCVULEN). At higher levels they are the most resistant to enemy enchantments, and they usually have the most Hit Points. When all spells have been depleted, fighters may mean the difference between a safe return or death. (AD&D=Fighter).
NINJA- Cloak, Leather Armor. Shield. All Weapons except for Dagger and Quarterstaff. Critical Hit. A sort of fighter, these agile characters differ mainly because of their Critical Hits and agility (lessens damage). Overall, their Armor Class is not as good, but they are better attackers. (AD&D=Maybe Thief).
SCOUT- Cloak, Leather Armor. All Weapons except Dagger. Critical Hit (possibly). As the name implies, this sub-class of fighter is good for increasing the chances of spotting secret doors and, more importantly, increasing your party's chances of surprising enemies (or at least not being surprised by enemies). If the enemy is surprised and the Scout is in position #1 in the line, then and only then does he
get a Critical Hit, and only in the first round of battle. This is a difficult character to play, but he gains Experience Levels fairly rapidly.
(AD&D=Assassin, but non-evil).
COURTESAN- Cloak, Leather Armor. Shield. All Weapons except (oddly enough) Dagger. Seduce. A class limited to females, Courtesans are lesser fighters with the unique ability to Seduce enemies. This allows her to control a single enemy. This can be done every time and from anywhere in line, but note that any attempt
will allow an enemy already controlled to flee, and it is ineffective against many kinds of enemies (jelly stings, wolves, rats, pseudo-dragons, undead, etc.). Intelligence tends to be low. An unusual character class with no AD&D equivalent.
VERSATILE- Magical and Clerical Spells. All Armor, Shield, and Weapons. Dispel. This character class is 3-in-1, and is able to do more than any other class. Versatiles can use any item. A great character class, but the advantages are offset by the fact that Versatiles gain Experience Levels at only 1/3 the rate of any other class (maybe even not that quickly), and they are not as good at doing something as a class which specializes in that something; for example, a 10th Level Versatile is not as effective with magic as a 10th Level Mage, even if the Mage has a somewhat lower Intelligence. (AD&D=Fighter/Cleric/Magic User).
RANGER- Magical and Clerical Spells. Cloak, Leather Armor. All Weapons. Dispel. Critical Hit (possibly). Rangers are not unlike Versatiles, except for restrictions on armor, their inability to carry shields, and the fact that they do not start out with the ability to cast Magical or Clerical Spells- they gain these abilities only after earning enough Experience Levels, and they do not gain them at the same time. As a result, they have a difficult time surviving at first, but they have the advantage of gaining Experience Levels more quickly than Versatiles, and they have a better chance of surprising enemies. They can also score a Critical Hit, but, just like Scouts, only if the enemy is surprised, the Ranger is in Position #1, and only in the first round of combat. (AD&D=Ranger).
PEASANT- Cloak, Leather Armor. Club, Mace, Quarterstaff. As mentioned before, if all stats rolled for a character are low, then the character can only be a Peasant, although this option is always available even if the stats are high. This is by far the weakest of all character classes, since they do not have any special abilities, and are severely restricted in what items, armor, and weapons they may use. However, if a Peasant actually manages to survive and gain Experience Levels, they also gain points in their stats. Once these stats are high enough they can become something else; this is done in town by "Joining A Guild." What a Peasant can become depends
on which stats have increased, same as any other character at the beginning. If a desired choice appears, simply choose that class; note that you become that class at whatever level the Peasant was
(e.g. 17th Level Peasant would become a 17th Level Phage). If you roll up a character who is strong in most things, but is just short of something which would enable him to become what you want (such as a Monk or Versatile), you can choose to be a Peasant in order to first build up your stats, later becoming the desired class, but this is risky. However, this method is, as mentioned before, the only way to create certain kinds of characters, such as an Ogre Phage. (AD&D=None, really).
Now it is time to equip your party members. Sir Clax and Mandrack already have weapons and armor, but newly created characters do not. Note- spell-using characters already have their spells. Even so, buying weapons and armor for them is a good idea. Press KEYPAD BUTTON 3. Use the joystick to choose a character, and then push EITHER FIRE BUTTON. That character is now in Sir Justin's Armory. Use the joystick to select an item, and then push the RIGHT FIRE BUTTON to buy it. You must be able to afford it, and certain classes are not allowed certain weapons, shield, and armor (details on Armor and Shield are given later on). You can carry one weapon (note that short swords are the only kind of "normal" weapon that allows 2 strikes/round). Push the LEFT FIRE BUTTON to exit. Repeat this for the other characters.
Now decide on the marching order. Press KEYPAD BUTTON 7, and then use the joystick to pick the character that will be in front. Push EITHER FIRE BUTTON. You then select the character that will be in the second position, push EITHER FIRE BUTTON, etc., until the order is set. Again, only the first two characters can physically fight, but magic can be used from any position.
Now it is time for the adventure!
Press KEYPAD BUTTON 6 to enter the dungeon. This is
the place where you both enter and exit the dungeon,
so you should make a map in order to find your way
back (graph paper will do nicely). You push the LEFT
FIRE BUTTON to climb the stairs out of the dungeon and
the RIGHT FIRE BUTTON to bypass them. Note- you must
take at least one step forward before you can turn
around and find the steps again.
You move about using the joystick: UP moves you
forward; DOWN moves you backwards; LEFT turns you
left; and RIGHT turns you right. The KEYPAD BUTTONS
act much as they did in town; KEYPAD BUTTON 5, for
example, still lets a character cast spells, which can
be done at any time.
You move about until you encounter enemies. Enemies can be in up to 3 groups, each group possibly having a different kind of enemy, and each with up to 15 enemies. Only the enemies in the nearest group can/can be physically attacked (group #1, then 2, then finally 3). These encounters can happen in one of three ways: Your party
surprises the enemy and strikes first; neither side is
surprised but your party can still strike first; or
your party is surprised and is attacked first (a very
bad thing in some cases). When this happens, each
character is given several choices as to what to do
(unless incapacitated). These choices depend on
position, character abilities, etc. You use the
appropriate KEYPAD BUTTON to make your choice. "Fight"
is pretty obvious. "Double Blow" has less chance of
hitting, but does more damage if it does. "CrHit" is
an attack Ninjas, Monks, Scouts, and Rangers can do and is
instantly lethal/very damaging if it hits. "Evade"
means you will try to dodge the enemies' attacks and
go to the end of the line. "Pass" means you'll do
nothing. "Seduce" is something Courtesans can do to
control an enemy (use common sense- nobody can seduce
a giant centipede!). "Dispel" can be used by certain
character classes to destroy certain kinds of
supernatural creatures (such as skeletons), "Use Item"
allows you to use a magic item, and KEYPAD BUTTON 5
casts spells.
In a non-combat situation, after pressing KEYPAD BUTTON 5, you first use the joystick to choose which character will be casting a spell and then push EITHER FIRE BUTTON. (In a combat situation this is not done; characters are asked what they want to do one after the other). Then, you are asked what form of spell (if a choice is possible) you want to use: Magic or Cleric- use the appropriate KEYPAD BUTTON (1 or 2) to choose. You are then asked what level spell you want to use; use the appropriate KEYPAD BUTTON to choose.
Several odd-sounding spells will be presented; use the appropriate KEYPAD BUTTON to cast it. To see how many spells of what form and level you may have, just check your character stats in the upper-right portion of the screen (pressing KEYPAD BUTTON *, choosing a
character, and then pushing EITHER FIRE BUTTON allows you to see this without being asked to cast any spells.). Note- if you see *, it means that 10 or more spells of that type are available.
MAGIC SPELLS:
LEVEL ONE
DIRFLACOG= Controls one (lesser) humanoid enemy. Enemy does not run away, as they do with the Clerical versions of this spell. Does not affect undead.
LUFDOR= "Magic Missile." Damages/kills a single enemy.
NIXCOG= Sleep spell for one or more lesser enemies. Does not affect undead.
TERPELT= Lowers caster's Armor Class down to 4. If caster's Armor Class is already 4 or less, then this spell lowers it by 1 point. Important for Mages and Phages. Can be cast in advance.
LEVEL TWO
LUFCOG= Confuses one or more lesser enemies. Does not affect undead. Can affect multiple groups.
LUFTORE= This spell prevents the caster from being harmed by falling into a pit. Thus, such a protected character can go through pits as a sort of shortcut, if desired. Can be cast in advance.
NIXLUX= Destroys all lesser enemies and any treasure. Does not affect undead. Can affect multiple groups.
VIRATER= Adds strength to a chosen character. Confusing to use.
LEVEL THREE
DIRTERCOG= Stronger control enemy spell, even capable of controlling a "beast"-type enemy, such as a Hades Hare. Such a controlled enemy will not run away. Does not affect undead.
FLATERPELT= Offers caster protection against fire ("FLA") attacks; caster takes only half the damage. Can be cast in advance. Note that once this spell does protect the caster, it will wear off.
FLAVULEN= Highly effective attack against enemies, but can harm fellow party members. Affects all enemies in an encounter.
IPSENIXSPI= Turns caster invisible. If caster is alone or with others who are all invisible, it allows him to avoid most encounters; otherwise, it simply lessens the chances of him being harmed. If the caster either fights or cast spells, then this spell instantly wears off.
LUXLUFVULEN= Fairly powerful attack, but can fail and can harm fellow adventurers. Can affect multiple groups.
LEVEL FOUR
ACIREFLAG= Conjures up one or more random allies, such as Pit Panthers and Basilisks. Unlike Magic spell-controlled enemies, they may run away. Can fail, but can be cast in advance.
COGVULEN= Extremely potent fear spell. Drives enemies away. Does not affect undead. Can affect multiple groups.
GREXNIXSPI= This spell turns the entire party invisible. Can be cast during combat, and is helpful in making an escape. If a character fights or casts any spells, then that character becomes visible, and enemy encounters cannot be avoided.
NIXFLAG= Effective cold-based ("ice") attack, but can harm the party, including the caster. FLATERPELT offers no protection against it. Affects all enemies in an encounter.
LEVEL FIVE
ACIREWAT= A more potent spell for conjuring controlled monsters, this spell can bring monsters such as Hill Giants, Clay Golems, Ogre Mages, and Thaumaturgists. As with ACIREFLAG-controlled monsters, they may run away upon an enemy encounter. Be warned: some, such as the Ogre Mages, will sometimes cast spells such as NIXFLAG, which can harm party members as well as enemies. Can be cast in advance.
FINILUX= Very powerful but unpredictable fiery spell, this usually harms only several enemies, and can badly harm party members. A character with FLATERPELT takes only half damage. Can affect multiple groups.
FLAPELT= A more effective fear spell. Causes more enemies to run away. Does not affect undead. Can affect multiple groups.
GREXLUFTORE= This spell causes all party members to be protected by LUFTORE. As a result, the entire party can safely cross over pits. Can be cast in advance.
LEVEL SIX
ACIRETER= The most potent spell for summoning monsters, this can conjure such creatures as Manticores, Lama, and Watthings. As with other monsters called by this sort of spell, they may flee, and some have potentially dangerous spells. Can be cast in advance.
FLAVULEDIR= Deadly fiery disintegration spell, capable of destroying most- if not all- enemies in an encounter. Unlike other such magical spells, however, this one does not harm party members, making it
exceptionally useful. Can affect multiple groups.
MORTA= Death spell, capable of killing at least several enemies at once. Does not harm party members. Does not affect undead.
CLERIC SPELLS:
LEVEL ONE
NIXOCGREX= Dispels undead, such as skeletons, ghouls, and shadows. Very effective, but very powerful undead (such as Ghosts and Wights) can only be affected by very high-level casters. Can affect multiple groups.
OCVULEN= Restores some hit points to a chosen character. Can be used during combat.
VULEN= Damages/kills single opponent.
LEVEL TWO
COERFLACOG= Controls up to 4 (lesser) humanoid enemies. Does not affect undead. Controlled enemies can flee upon each new enemy encounter.
GREXPELT= Offers entire party protection against enemy encounters by reducing the enemies' chances of striking at the party. By no means perfect, but it can be cast in advance and is helpful.
IPSEPOITER= Tells which dungeon level party is on.
LEVEL THREE
IPSEPOI= Compass. Tells which direction party is facing. (You start out in the dungeons facing east.)
OCVULEWAT= More potent healing spell for a chosen character. Cannot be used during combat.
VULETER= Damages/kills single opponent. More effective than VULEN.
LEVEL FOUR
COERTERCOG= More effective control enemies spell. Even
affects "beasts," such as giant centipedes. Does not affect undead. Controlled enemies can flee upon each new enemy encounter.
OCVENIN= Cures chosen character of any poisoning; very important! Cannot be cast during combat.
OCVULETER= Very potent healing spell for chosen character. Cannot be used during combat.
VULEDOR= Mildly effective attack against multiple enemies. Will not harm fellow adventurers. Even high-level casters cannot do too much damage with this spell.
LEVEL FIVE
CUTLEVULEN= Effective attack against multiple enemies. Does not harm party members.
OCMORTA= This spell can bring a dead character back to life! It may take several tries to do it, depending on the sort of damage the dead character sustained. Once it works, the character will have but 1 Hit Point, unless healing spells are used afterward. Note that this takes 2 Constitution Points from the resurrected character, and that Constitution can never go below 3. The character will not have any spells. In town resting will restore all spells, so multiple tries are always possible there.
POIMORTA= Extremely deadly attack against a single opponent.
LEVEL SIX
CONDEMNARE= Highly effective attack against multiple enemies, including undead; it "damns" them. Can affect multiple groups.
DOMIPSE= Transports caster safely back to Diane's Drinking Depot in town. Ultimate escape spell, if you get a chance to use it. Caster will be out of the adventure until remaining party returns to town and
picks up the character (in Diane's Drinking Depot); if remaining party is destroyed, then the game continues with the character and anyone else in Diane's Drinking Depot.
OCMORTAVUL= More potent version of OCMORTA, which returns a dead character to life. May require several tries to work; if it succeeds, then not only is the character resurrected, he will have all of his Hit
Points and any spells he had before death. It does not cost the character any Constitution Points. It can even bring back a character who has died of old age, but only once or twice.
Magic Items- Sometimes the treasure chests carried by
monsters not only contain gold, but magic items as
well. These items can be weapons, armor, shields, or
items that mimic spells. In order to take an item, a
character must be allowed to use it. Versatiles are
allowed to use any item, but the same doesn't hold
true for the other classes. If the item is simply a
magic-enhanced version of something found in Sir
Justin's Armory (such as a Dagger +1 or Chain Mail
+3), then a character may claim it only if that
character is allowed to use the normal sort of item.
As a rule, if the item simulates a Magical Spell (such
as a Gem of FLAVULEN), then the character must be able
to use (or have the potential to use) Magical Spells,
such as a Mage, Phage, Ranger, or Versatile. Note that
although FLAVULEN is a third-level spell, even a
first-level Phage may use the item. The same holds
true for items that simulate Clerical Spells. Some
items may be used by any character class, such as a
Ring of Protection, Scroll of Direction, or a Gem of
OCVULEN. A character is only allowed to carry one
magic item of a particular sort at any one time, so
one cannot carry two Gems of FLAVULEN, or a Dagger +1
and a Sword +3. Also note that some magic items
actually count as weapons, so if a character claims a
Rod of Blades (it casts the Cleric Spell CUTLEVULEN), it will take the place of whatever weapon the character was carrying (even if it was a
Sword +4). Magic weapons increase one's chances of
hitting and add damage, while armor, shields, and
Rings of Protection further lower a character's Armor
Class. A Sword of DIRFLACOG can be used as a sword or
as a magic item, and with it even a Hirebrand can cast
the first-level Magical Spell DIRFLACOG (when it "runs
out" of spells, it becomes a Sword +2). Note that many
magic items have more than one charge. Use of a magic
item is similar to casting spells: in a non-combat
situation press KEYPAD BUTTON 8, use the joystick to
select the character with the item you want to use,
and then push EITHER FIRE BUTTON. Everything the
character is carrying will appear; use the joystick to
select the item to be used, and then push EITHER FIRE
BUTTON. In a combat situation, as with spell casting,
this option is used only when it is the character's
turn to act. There is also an additional advantage to certain magical weapons: as mentioned earlier, short swords are the only normal weapons that allow 2 strikes/round, so character classes that are forbidden to use such weapons can only strike once. However, a sword with ANY kind of magical bonus will allow 2 strikes/round, and any other kind of weapon with a bonus of at least +2 or better will also allow 2 strikes/round. Thus, a Priest or Peasant with a Mace +2 can, in physical combat, strike twice each round.
Armor, Shield, etc.- All characters start out with a "natural" Armor Class, which is determined mostly by Dexterity. To lower this, a character can obtain certain kinds of protection in the form of armor, shields, and other forms of extra protection. What a character can use is subject to that character's class; some are forbidden to use certain kinds of armor and shields. The following types of protection lower one's Armor Class as follows: Cloak -1; Leather Armor -2; Chain Mail -4; Plate Mail -8; Shield -2. Magical versions of these will lower Armor Class by as many extra points as indicated, so Chain Mail +2 will lower one's Armor Class by 6 points. TERPELT lowers the caster's Armor Class down to 4; if it is already at 4 or less, then it lowers it by one point. A Ring of Protection will lower a character's Armor Class by as many points as indicated by its bonus. So, a Versatile with a "natural" Armor Class of 7 has Chain Mail +3 (7-7=0), a Shield +1 (0-3=-3), and a Ring of Protection +3 (-3-3=-6). In addition, he casts TERPELT, which lowers it by one more point, so his overall Armor Class is now -7. Note that Leather Armor +3 (-5) is better than normal Chain Mail (-4). Also note that if, by the acquisition of Experience Levels, that Versatile's Dexterity increases enough for his "natural" Armor Class to drop by another point, his overall Armor Class will be -8.
Experience Levels- As characters fight, Seduce, heal,
cast spells, Dispel, gather loot, and even just take
damage, they gain potential Experience Levels, which
make them stronger. Next to each character name is
(Current Level + Levels Earned). In order to actually
claim any extra levels earned, the party must return
to town and REST. This grants extra Hit Points, more
spells, better fighting ability, etc. Note that after
gaining the level(s) you may have to REST one more
month to get the benefits. Check the stats to be
certain. It is only possible to gain 2 Experience Levels before RESTing.
Energy Drain- Certain of the undead, such as Mummies and Ghosts, as well as the dreaded Dark Lords(!!), are actually capable of draining Experience Levels from characters in marching positions 1 and 2. This causes the character to become a lower-level character, and upon any attempt at RESTing, certain kinds of healing, or being resurrected, there will be a corresponding loss of Hit Points, fighting ability, stats, spell ability (if any), etc. The only way to regain lost levels is by earning them again.
Poison and Petrification- Certain enemies, such as the Were-beasts, Ghouls, Jelly Stings, and Giant Centipedes, are able to poison enemies in marching positions 1 and 2. The effect of the poison depends upon the monster: some paralyze a character so he is unable to do anything in combat (they can use items and cast spells when not in combat, however); the other kind causes one Hit Point of damage every time the character takes a step (it does not do damage during combat). A dose from a Flask of Antivenin or the 4th-level Cleric Spell OCVENIN are the only cures for poison. Petrification is rare, and can be done by Medusas and the like; it turns a character "to stone;" that character is dead. This makes it more deadly than poison, since a single successful attack of this sort can kill a character. Only the successful use of the Cleric spells OCMORTA, OCMORTAVUL (better), or the use of a Scroll of Life can restore a petrified character.
Aging and Time- In this game, characters do age. Different character races have different life spans, except for Elves, who are ageless. As a character reaches old age, he begins to lose points in Strength,
Charisma, Intelligence, Wisdom, etc.; this of course affects any abilities connected with these things. Lower Intelligence/Wisdom causes a Mage/Priest to lose spell ability, etc. In the case of a Versatile, he may lose one of his 3 abilities altogether. A single-class character never completely loses his abilities, even if his stats drop below the minimum level normally required. Races with longer life spans tend to take much longer to advance in Experience Levels. Character race life spans are as follows (on average and in years): Dwarf=120; Elf=Ageless; Gnoll=50; Hobbit=99; Kobold=69; Human=60; Ogre=46; Orc=40. Note that a character that is unusually weak or low in some respect (such as Strength or Intelligence) will have a
shorter life span. Also note that a character in Diane's Drinking Depot does not age, REST, or regain spells, regardless of what is happening "outside;" it acts as a sort of Limbo.
Dead Characters- When a character is killed in the course of an adventure, that character is put to the back of the line. However, if the remaining party moves around, the dead characters "move along" with the surviving party members. They can even be put anywhere in the marching order, but note that upon encountering enemies dead characters are instantly put in the back of the line. Dead characters can be restored by successful use of the Cleric Spells OCMORTA, OCMORTAVUL, or by use of a Scroll of Life. If all characters in a party are killed, then they and all that they carried are lost forever, and only the characters (if any) in Diane's Drinking Depot will be able to continue the game. Dead characters can both accept and give items from/to another character.
Controlled Enemies- Enemies can be made to serve the
adventuring party by way of certain spells, seduction,
or by use of the "ACI-" spells, which summons random
creatures. Creatures only capable of physical attacks
can only attack if under the control of characters in
the first or second positions, while spell-casting
creatures can attack from anywhere. The advantages to
having controlled creatures are 1) they damage/kill
enemies, 2) if such creatures accomplish anything the
character controlling them gets the credit, and 3)
they will often take the damage intended for the
party. Unfortunately, there is one disadvantage:
certain powerful enemies, such as Ogre Mages, can use
spells capable of damaging the party as well as
enemies, such as NIXFLAG. If you decide that
controlled creatures are more trouble than they're
worth, you can get rid of them by pressing KEYPAD
BUTTON 0, using the joystick to choose the controlling
character, and then pushing EITHER FIRE BUTTON.
Pits and Teleportation- Scattered throughout the levels of the dungeon are pits, and teleportation "spaces." Pits will usually cause damage to one or more characters not protected by the Magic Spell LUFTORE, this damage being worse and worse as the party goes deeper and deeper into the dungeon. Teleportation spaces are activated the instant they are entered, and will always transport the entire party to a different part of the dungeon level it is on, or even to an entirely different level! These two things are always in the same places, and teleportation rooms will always transport the party to the same exact places; it's never random.
**********Helpful Hints!**********
Characters have a "percent chance" of spotting secret
doors. When they do, it will appear as a broken
outline. Some are better at this than others.
Map! Use a piece of graph paper to map your progress;
since the dungeon mazes are always the same, you will
be able to find your way around and back. Remember-you
always start out facing east in dungeon level 1.
Since Mages cannot wear armor or carry shields, they
have a poor Armor Class. At the beginning of an
expedition, all Mages should cast TERPELT to lower
their Armor Classes to 4.
If a Priest is in the party, then at the beginning of
an expedition he should cast GREXPELT, which will help
protect the entire party from enemy attacks.
Always take control of enemies whenever possible! Not
only will the ones under the control of the first two
members fight for the party (spell-using enemies can
cast spells from any position), they will also absorb
much of the damage meant for your characters!
Offer all characters opportunities to advance in
Experience Levels, especially Mages and Priests. Not
only will there be more spells available for the
party, they will all have more Hit Points, which are
vital if they want to cast spells such as FLAVULEN-and
survive.
Courtesans' ability to seduce works much like a
limited form of magic control over enemies. They can
do this once per round without limit, but it does not
work on certain enemies.
Characters with short swords can strike
twice per round! With a broad sword they can do more
damage, but can only strike once.
If you create a great character that is poor, then you
can create an extra character that is rich. This extra
character can buy things and then give them to the
poor one. Just make sure the rich one is allowed to
buy the items!
The more time that goes by, the more your characters
will age and the more dangerous the dungeon becomes.
When RESTing, only one month is needed to regain all
spells, so most of the time is taken restoring Hit
Points. To shorten the time needed, before RESTing,
have all characters with healing spells use them on
the injured, then REST. Also do this if gaining
Experience Levels increases character Hit Points by
more than one.
It is a good idea to roll up 2 or 3 Priests with high
Wisdom and Intelligence scores (so they start with the
third-level OCVULEWAT Cleric Spell), and use them only
for in-town healers. This way, if your party returns
depleted of healing spells, you can shuffle characters
in and out of Diane's Drinking Depot and use the
Healer characters to bring up an adventurer's Hit Points.
Remember- only one month of resting will restore all
spells, and characters in Diane's Drinking Depot do
not REST or age. Start by healing those who themselves
have healing spells, so that they in turn can heal. It
can take quite a bit of shuffling, but this method can
actually reduce resting time by many months or even
several years!
Once your party becomes powerful and well-equipped, you
may want to take one of those Healer characters
(Gnolls are best) along for some short-range, Dungeon
Level 1 mini-adventures, while under the protection of
one or two strong fighter-types. One of the other
adventurers could even loan him any useable magic
items (such as Chain Mail +3 or a Mace +2) for added
safety. The idea is to bring him up so he can cast a
sixth-level Cleric spell (this includes OCMORTAVUL, of
course), and then return him to Diane's Drinking
Depot. Why do this? Because, aside from him now having
more healing spells, including OCVENIN and OCVULETER,
he can now bring back dead characters. This means that
as long as any one character (even a Hirebrand)
survives long enough to return to town, then all of
the characters can be brought back to life. Start with
a character capable of casting the superior
OCMORTAVUL.
Unlike Gateway to Apshai, characters here can only
have one weapon, one shield, one kind of armor, and
one type of magical item at any one time. For example,
if Sir Clax has chain mail and then purchases or
accepts plate mail from someone, the chain mail
vanishes forever. This makes trading items between two
characters impossible. To get around this, in town
create a Versatile character (they can accept
anything) and call him "Holder." Now say that Sir Clax
has a broad sword and Gus Gnoll has a sword +1. You
want them to trade. Here's how to do it: first, have
Sir Clax give "Holder" the broad sword. Then, have Gus
Gnoll give Sir Clax the sword +1. Finally, have
"Holder" give the broad sword to Gus Gnoll. Done!
Waste not, want not! If one of your characters has
enough gold to purchase superior armor or weaponry,
first see if another character can use whatever the
first character is going to replace. If Sir Clax is
about to purchase plate mail, and Grimdar the Priest
Dwarf only has leather armor or a cloak, first have
Grimdar give his armor to a "Holder" character (you
may want another character to have it later), and then
have Sir Clax give his chain mail to Grimdar. Now Sir
Clax can purchase the plate mail without wasting the
chain mail (everything is one size fits all)!
If you notice that, during combat, the enemy monsters
are shown as several red horizontal lines, then a
glitch with the RAM has occurred. This is usually
caused by a faulty connection in the power supply
(where it connects to the ColecoVision console) or
where the cartridge itself plugs in. Although
sometimes jiggling these things a bit will fix the
problem (you'll see it no longer happening), there is
a serious side effect here: turning the game off even
when combat is not taking place or your characters are
back in town can cause them to be wiped out! As a
safeguard, create an extra character and call him RAM
TESTER. After returning to town, enter Diane's
Drinking Depot, and remove your characters from the
actual active adventuring party. Put RAM TESTER in,
and leave Diane's Drinking Depot, so he is the only
character shown. Turn off the game. If, later on, when
you do turn the game back on and after "Selecting Game
Version" the message "Your Party Has Been Wiped Out!"
appears, then the glitch has occurred and you may have
to enter your party's name again. However, this glitch
does not affect anyone who is out of the actual,
active party and safely in Diane's Drinking Depot.
Only RAM TESTER will be gone. Simply put your actual
characters back in the adventuring party, and play on.
It is a good idea to do this in any case, as a
precaution.
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Originally Posted by slapdash
