Ancient Evil Instructions This documentation, and the associated software program, are Copyright (c) by Silver Lightning Software 1998. All rights reserved. Installation and Starting a Game To play Ancient Evil, it must be installed on your computer system. Your operating system must be Windows 95, and your computer must be DirectX compliant. DirectX is a set of drivers used for making games run at high speed with Windows 95. DirectX can be installed at the same time as you install Ancient Evil. To begin the test of Ancient Evil, run the file RPG.EXE The Story So Far... Alaric was always a mischievous child. He used to delight in playing all kinds of practical jokes on his friends in the small village where he lived. His favorite pranks involved petty spells and incantations, taught to him by an old mage who lived in a tower not far from the village. Simple illusions that would scare his friends witless often left him rolling on the ground in fits of laughter. His parents were simple peasants, hard working but poor. From an early age, Alaric decided that he did not want to follow in there footsteps. He aspired to greatness, and hoped one day to be famous and powerful. On the day of his twelfth birthday, Alaric asked the old mage to take him on as an apprentice. Initially, the old mage refused, saying that he was to old to teach magic any more, and that he just wanted to spend his twilight years in peace. But Alaric was persistent. He demonstrated skill with the mystic arts, and an amazing ability to learn new things. Eventually the old mage gave in, and took Alaric on as an apprentice. As promised, Alaric was a diligent and hard working magician. He learnt at a rate the old mage had never seen before. Alaric never lost his twisted sense of humor. One day, after he had been an apprentice for several short years, he decided to set up a prank that would fool the entire village where he used to live. He cast a fairly complex illusion spell, and suddenly the entire village was surrounded by a teeming horde of vile goblins, orcs, and ogres. Immediately, the town guard mobilized to fend off the attackers. As the menfolk of the village rushed at the horde to attack - swords, axes and spears at the ready - the invaders rushed in. However, when the lines met, the menfolk found that they were attacking thin air. Their blows passed right through the holographic images of the foul goblinoids. A moment later, as the confused defenders continued to slash and hack at their foes, a thousand goblins, orcs and ogres turned into a thousand images of Alaric, laughing almost uncontrollably. The menfolk, Alaric's father included, looked dumbly at each other until they realized what had happened. Unfortunately, the villagers did not share Alaric's sense of humor. At a town meeting that night, it was decided unanimously that the old mage was not to teach Alaric any more magic. The town leaders approached the old mage and told him of their resolution. Disappointed in the irresponsible actions of his underling, the old mage complied and sent Alaric away. For 15 years, Alaric made a living as a 'magician for hire', travelling across Olyndsia taking spellcasting work wherever he could get it. Soon, his reputation spread, and his talents became requested. Before long, he could demand exorbitant prices for his spellcasting, be it simple charms spells, or powerful battle magic. Eventually, Alaric stopped travelling, and built a castle not far from his childhood village. He had by this stage amassed a considerable fortune, so the castle he built was quite large. His skills were still very much in demand, so people from all corners of the land continued to pay high prices for Alaric's services. Alaric could be described with just one word, that word would probably be arrogant. He consider all who requested his services to be below him, whether they where simple peasants (who he invariable turned away), or the Queen of Olynsdia herself. To Alaric, all people were merely talking animals, to be pitied and scorned. At the age of seventy, Alaric left his castle to find a new place to live. He wished to escape the vile stench of humanity, to spend time in solitude and get away from the pathetic scum that constantly hounded him for favors. After careful consideration he chose a new home....the Crypt of the Ancients. The Crypt was an old underground catacomb, located deep within the Five Forests. Folklore told that the Ancients where Demigods, responsible for building the world. When the world was constructed, the trees planted, and the animals created, the Ancients built a place to sleep to recover from the great effort spent making the world, and left powerful spirits to guard their resting place. No sane human ventured closer than a league to the Ancient's resting place. Except Alaric. Without a word to anybody, Alaric sealed his castle and left to settle in the forest near the Crypt. For thirty years, no human saw him. When Alaric's castle was found deserted, various rumors spread about his disappearance. Most thought he had died. Some believed he had been slain by demons he had tried to summon, others thought he had suddenly succumbed to old age. After a few short years, Alaric became a part of folklore, a memory from the past, one of the most powerful mages ever to have lived, but now gone. Such was Alaric's arrogance, he believed that he would be quite safe in the Crypt, because his magic skill made him as powerful as any demi-god. What transpired during the thirty years of Alaric's absence was never known, however one day, he simply reappeared. Again rumours spread across Olyndsia. The fact that this legend of the past should suddenly reappear was unusual in itself, however the fact he looked not a day over seventy, instead of a century as he really was attracted the most comment. Many didn't trust Alaric, and suspected that something foul and evil was afoot, particularly when they found out where Alaric had been. During his absence, Alaric had changed considerable. He lost his contempt for humanity, and approached all people as equals. Again, he offered his spellcasting services, however now at a greatly reduced price. No job was too petty or menial and all that could pay were accepted. Alaric's fortune soon grew immeasurably larger. Then one day, without warning a notice appeared on the public notice board in Keyle, the capital city and Olyndsia's seat of power. Alaric wanted construction workers to help him built a new extension...to the Crypt of the Ancients. Alaric guaranteed the safety of the workers, and offered to pay very well. It took many months to find people who would venture near the Crypt, but eventually the workforce was amassed, and construction began. All of the workers took an oath not to tell of the work they did. This oath was not really necessary, as Alaric cast spells on the workers so that they wouldn't remember what they had built. It did help explain why no information was available about what the extensions were or there purpose. After 60 years had passed, and Alaric had spent the majority of his fortune, the extensions were complete. Alaric sealed the entrance so that none could enter the underground world he had created. Soon afterwards, another notice was placed on the public notice board in Keyle, and the nature of the Crypt extensions became clear. Alaric offered a prize of 10000 gold coins for anybody who could discover 'Alaric's Secret'. The challenge was simple...enter the Crypt, discover the secret Alaric had hidden within the Crypt, and find the teleporter that would return them to the forest. Alaric stated that the challenge was quite difficult and gave no clue as to the nature of his secret. He merely stated that the Crypt would prove lethal to those not suitably prepared. Immediately, dozens of adventurers signed up for the challenge. Skilled warriors, mages and rogues alike all accepted the challenge in the hope of being the first to uncover the ancient arch-mages secret. In the early days, great crowds would gather to watch as contestants were teleported into the Crypt. Much to everybody's surprise, none that entered the Crypt were ever seen alive again. The Secret quickly gained a notorious reputation, and the Crypt was again feared and talked about in hushed tones in taverns and households across Olyndsia. Again the stories of evil spirits became popular, and the supply of contests dried up. Alaric increased the reward to 20000, and then 50000 gold coins, but still only a few brave souls let greed override fear, and attempted to defy the odds by living to tell of what was located in the Crypt. For over a century, the Secret remained undiscovered. During that time, Alaric lived to see 290 years of age, yet didn't appear to age a day. Challengers continued to die in the Crypt and the people continued to invent ever wilder stories about what was located under the forest. That was until the day a veteran soldier named Jetraal made history by discovering the Secret. Although he was missing for about a week he was eventually found in the forest bleeding and near death by a passing traveler. Once nursed back to health, Jetraal claimed his reward, and became a celebrity across all of Olyndsia. Great crowds would gather to ask him of his adventure, but he would always refuse to answer such questions. He explained that the reward still stood, and that Alaric still wished for adventurers to attempt to discover the Secret. Alaric and Jetraal became friends (a first for Alaric ), and the Challenge again became a popular event. Jetraal's birthday became an annual day of celebration, and potential contestants would compete in a series of games to determine a winner who would then be allowed to take the challenge. For the next fifteen years this continued, until Jetraal mysteriously died. Thousands attended his funeral, including Alaric, who still looked just 70, despite being over 310 years old. After a period of mourning all across Olyndsia, life continued as before. The Jetraal Day games, as they became known, continued for the next 300 years, and during that time would-be heros continued to gamble there lives within Alarics Crypt. They all lost. It was two weeks before Jetraal Day. Disturbing rumors had began to circulate about the ghost of the ancient hero Jetraal appearing in the Five Forests, warning travelers of impending doom. Most who saw this apparition fled in terror before hearing what it had to say, however the few sketchy reports seem to indicate the same message 'Beware the ancient evil is rising...he cannot be trusted'. Of course, anybody foolish enough to admit to having seen this ghost was labeled insane, and cast out from society. You were sitting in a tavern, counting your money after doing a bit of 'sword-for-hire' work for the local villagers. The bandits who had been raiding the outlying farmsteads were know being picked over by crows, and the mayor of the village had paid you the money he had promised. After a few ales, and a solid meal, you were feeling decidedly contented. Then your mind started to wander, as you thought about what you would do when the reward money ran out. At a nearby table, a group of villagers were discussing the upcoming celebrations for Jetraal Day. Suddenly it was obvious...you would discover Alaric's Secret. You had thought about it enough times, and were considered by many to be one of the finest 'swords-for-hire' in the land, not to mention your growing skills with the Mystic Arts. With renewed purpose, you headed for your room to get some sleep, before making an early start for the Five Forests in the morning. A week later, you reached the edge of the First Forest. The Jetraal Day games, and the Crypt of the Ancients, lay two days further south. You nudged your horse into a canter, and soon were enveloped by the forests thick leafy canopy. About an hour later, the sun was beginning to set so you decided to make camp for the night. Despite the cacophony of forest sounds surrounding you, sleep came easily that night. You dreamt of your upcoming adventure, of the many traps and pitfalls you would overcome, and the reward you would receive as you become a hero. Suddenly, a face appeared in your vision, a stern face, weathered and old. It spoke, 'Wake up'. With a start, you awoke and sat bolt upright. As you instinctively reached for your sword, a swirling mist morphed into a human shape. It was a man, tall and muscular. His eyes were sad, his face lined with grief. Transfixed and paralysd you watched at the ghostly figure stepped forward. He then spoke to you, 'Greeting traveler, fear me not, I mean you no harm. When I lived, I was known as Jetraal. I have seen the horrors you now go to face. Be warned...an ancient evil is stirring. You must enter the Crypt, and stop Alaric before it is too late, else Olyndsia is doomed.' As quickly as it appeared, the ghost of Jetraal vanished in a swirl of gray mist. It was then you realized you were shaking, and not from the cold. Character Generation Before entering the Crypt, you must generate a character. Your character is your persona for the quest you are about to undertake. A character has four main attributes. These are, - Strength. A measure of physical strength, it determines damage caused to foes in combat. - Dexterity. A measure manual dexterity, it determines accuracy in combat and with ranged weapons. - Toughness. A measure of resistance to blows in combat. Toughness is a combination of the ability to ignore pain, and to take blows without being injured. - Intellect. A measure of mental ability, it determines the success and power of spells. These attributes are represented as numbers. The higher the number is the better the attributes. E.g. A strength score of 4 is a relative weak human, whereas a strength score of 20 is incredible strong. When you generate your character, the attributes will range from 4 to 7. Your first decision is to select a career specialization. You have four choices, - Warriors are specialists at hand-to-hand combat. Warriors require high strength to seriously maim foes, and high toughness to withstand the onslaught of a savage battle. - Spellcasters are adept at casting spells. A spellcaster requires high intelligence to memorize and control their incantations. - Rangers are good at healing and using ranged weapons (i.e. crossbows). A ranger needs above average intelligence for healing and dexterity to shoot straight. - Thieves are skilful at picking locks and hiding in shadows. They require high dexterity to manipulate locks and sneak around in shadows. A character's specialization is a guide to what they are best at. For example, a spellcaster is best at casting spells, however that does not mean they can only cast spells. They may, with practice, be able to pick locks, or fight with an axe. Whilst a character generated as a spellcaster will always have an advantage when casting spells, the development of that character is entirely up to the player. If they choose to pick up a sword and use it more than they cast spells, then the characters combat ability may eventually exceed there spellcasting ability. Each character has a number of other scores, - Health is a measure of how 'alive' your character is. The higher this score is, the more vital and alive you character is. If your character's health falls below zero, they will die, and the game will end. Health is depleted by being hit in combat, and replenished by healing, resting, or eating. - Spell Energy is a measure of how much magical force your character has available to channel. When this score reaches zero, they are unable to cast spells. Each spell uses spell energy when it is cast. - Experience Level is a measure of how much adventuring a character has done. The more experience a character has, the more effective they are as an adventurer. As your characters Experience Level increases, so too will their Attribute Scores and maximum Health score. - Spell Experience is a measure of your character's spell casting ability. Each spell has a level, or degree of difficulty. E.g. an Unlock spell is level 3. You can only cast spells of the same or lower level as your Spell Experience. Therefore, you cannot cast an Unlock spell until your Spell Experience reaches 3. - Maximum Weight is a measure of the weight of items your character can carry. This score is directly related to you characters strength. Gameplay Using the Mouse to Move : To move to a particular location, you should be looking to where you wish to move to. Click once to look in the correct direction, then click again to start walking. You can select a new location to move to whilst walking by clicking on the new location. To turn and face a different direction when standing still, left- click on the floor location you wish to look at. If you are already looking in that direction, you will walk to that location. Hold down the ALT key whilst you left-click to override the walking action. You can run to a new location by holding down the SHIFT key when you click on a destination. If you have turned on the `Always Run' feature via the Options Menu, you do not need to hold down the SHIFT key. To stop walking before reaching the target location, click the right mouse button. Using the Keyboard to Move : Use the LEFT or RIGHT CURSOR keys to turn left or right, respectively. Hold down the CURSOR UP key to walk forward, or the CURSOR DOWN key to walk backwards. ( Note : It is only possible walk backward using the keyboard ). As with the mouse, use the SHIFT key to run, unless the `Always Run' option is on. Interacting with the environment : The Use Icon is the means to interact with almost everything in the dungeon. To open a door, click on Use Icon, then the door. To sleep, click in the Use Icon, and a bed, or your bedroll. To eat something, click on Use, then the food. Items such as food, keys, etc. must be in your inventory to be used. If an item is worn or carried, such as boots or weapons, your character portrait screen will be displayed. The cursor will change to a hand holding a stick. The shortcut key for Use is 'U', or 'O' to open a door your character is facing. Character Portrait screen : When you click on the Character Icon the Character Portrait screen will be displayed. The shortcut key to display the Character Portrait screen is the SPACE BAR. To use an item that is in your inventory, click on it. If it is a weapon, it will be put in your weapon hand, gloves will go on your hands, boots will go on your feet, etc. To remove items you are wearing, click on them and they will be returned to your inventory. To scroll through your inventory, click on the arrows to the right of the last inventory position or use the LEFT and RIGHT cursor keys. Below your character is a layout of all of the rune stones you are holding. Runes stones are used to cast spells. See the Spell Casting section for more information. To identify what something is, click on it with the right mouse button. A description will be displayed just below the rune panel. Click in the small red cross, or press ESCAPE to exit the Character Portrait screen and return to the game. (Note : The game is paused while the Character Portrait screen is displayed.) Picking things up : To pick up an object, click on the Get Icon, then left click on the item you wish to pick up. Your inventory will be displayed in place of the icons. Items in the dungeon will be highlighted as the mouse cursor passes over them. The mouse cursor will change to a hand. The shortcut key to Get/Drop items is 'G'. You can scroll through your inventory by left clicking on the small arrows to the right of the items, or by pressing the LEFT or RIGHT CURSOR keys. Right-click or press ESCAPE to cancel the Get operation. If the mouse cursor is over more than one item when you click the left mouse button, a menu is displayed showing the items you can pick up. To drop an item you are carrying, left-click on the Get Icon, then the item in you inventory to wish to drop. Identifying objects in the dungeon : To see what something is, click in the Identify Icon, then click on the object. The mouse cursor will change to a magnifying glass. As you move the mouse cursor around the screen, a short description of objects you can see will appear. Click either mouse button or press ESCAPE to stop identifying items. The shortcut key to identify objects is 'I'. Searching for secret doors : To search for a secret door, stand near a wall, then click on the Search Icon. If a secret door is found, you will be asked if your wish to open it. The shortcut key to search for secret doors is 'S'. Action Modes : There are three action modes. They are Attack Mode, Cast Mode and Jump Mode. The right mouse button enacts the current action mode. If you are in Attack Mode, clicking the right mouse button will swing/fire your current weapon. In Cast Mode, the right mouse button will cast your current spell. To change action mode, click on the Action Mode Icon. The Action Button will reflect the current action. If you are in combat mode the weapon you currently hold will be displayed. If you are in Cast Mode, your current spell will be displayed. If you have not memorized a spell, or your action is jumping, the Action Button will be blank. To change your current weapon or spell, click on the Action Button. This will either display the Character Portrait, or spell menu. If you are in Cast Mode, and do not have a spell memorized, right-clicking will display the spell menu. For more information about spell, see the Casting Spell section. The shortcut keys to quickly set a different action mode are 'A' for Attack Mode, 'C' for Cast Mode, and 'J' for Jump Mode. Combat : Before you fight beasts, arm a weapon at the Character Portrait screen. Click in the Action Button until a sword is displayed, or press 'A' to set your action mode to Attack Mode. Click with the right mouse button to swing/fire your current weapon. If you are using a hand-to-hand weapon (e.g. a sword) your character will turn to face the nearest creature within striking range. If no creatures are within striking range, your character will swing in the direction they are facing. If you are using a crossbow, position the mouse cursor over the monster you wish to fire at. The monster must be standing roughly in front of the direction you are currently facing. If the monster is too far to the side of your position, or behind you, the crossbow will fire in the direction you are facing. Jumping : Hold down the right mouse button to charge the jump Power Bar. The longer you hold down the right mouse button, the longer the jump will be. Automap : Your Automap is contained within your inventory. To use it, click on the Use Icon, then the Automap. The shortcut key to use your Automap is TAB You can scroll through levels using the arrows in the bottom right corner of the map. Click on the red cross to return to the game. Sleeping : To sleep, use a bed or your bedroll. Sleeping restores health and spell energy, but you may be attacked if you are not careful about where you sleep. Always put your torch away before sleeping. Eating : To eat, use the food you are carrying. If you are starving, you cannot cast spells, so eat regularly. Eating also helps keep your strength up, and increases health. To see how hungry you are, left-click on the Health Bar, or press `H'. Opening and Closing Doors : You open or close a door by Using it. If you are facing a doors, pressing `O' will open or close it also. In some case, a door may be locked. In this case you will need to find a key. Keys are generally color-coded. Once a key has been used to open a door, it is discarded. Other doors may require the operation of devices such as switches, levers or pressure plates to open and close. Chests : You may occasionally come across treasure chests during your travels. To open a chest, Use it. Chests may be locked, in which case you will need lock picks to open it. Other chests may be trapped. You can search for traps and disarm them before you open the chest. You can left-click on items in the chest to take them, left-click on items in your inventory to place them in the chest. Right- click on items to identify them Options Menu : - Saving/Restoring games To save a game, click on the Options Icon. Select `Save Game' from the menu. Next, select a save position. Finally, type in a save name. - To restore a game, select `Restore Game' from menu, them the game you wish to restore. - Sound Use the sound menu to change the volume of digital sound effects, and CD audio music. (Note : Setting the volume of music or sound effects is equivalent to turning them off) - Shadows Use the Shadows Menu to change 3D shadow rendering options. Shadows take up a large amount of processor time to calculate, and may slow down the game on lower specification CPU's. You can turn shadows off completely, only render player shadows, or renders shadows for monsters and the player. - Hints This options toggle the blue text hints on and off. It is recommended that you leave hints on until you are familiar with the user interface. - Always Run This options toggle Always Run on and off. When Always Run is on, your character always runs, without the need to hold down the SHIFT key. - Abort Use this option to end the game, and return to the main menu. ( Note : Your game is NOT automatically saved. Save before you abort, if you wish to. ) - Continue Use this option to return to the dungeon. Casting Spells : To cast spells, you must first memorize them. To memorize a spell, you must have the appropriate rune stones. The runes stones you currently possess are displayed on the character portrait screen. There are 26 runes, one for each letter of the alphabet. Each letter represents are power or property. E.g. X means Death. Runes are grouped together to cause an effect. Spells can be memorized before they are required. Click on the rune bag to display the spell memorization screen. For each level of spell, there is a menu listing the spells you can memorize. Click on the spells you wish to memorize. You cannot 'unmemorize' a spell, unless you cast it. The shortcut key to memorize spells is 'R'. The total number of spells you can memorize is displayed at the bottom of the spell memorization panel. This total is based on a combination of your characters Spell Level and Intelligence score. After you have prepared your spells, ensure you action mode is Cast Mode, then click on the Action Button to display a list of spells you have currently memorized. You can choose which spell you wish to make current. To cast the spell which is current set the Action Mode to Cast Mode, and right click. The action that follows will vary depending in the particular spell. Some require you to select a target, others require no action on your part. To cast a projectile spell, such as a fireball, or magic missile, position the cursor over the monster you wish to fire at, them click the right mouse button. Note that wearing armor can cause a spell to fail. Also, if the character does not specialize in spellcasting, the spell might fail. If a spell fails, it does not use any spell energy. If you have cast a spell which lasts for a length of time you can cancel it from the spell menu panel. Select 'Cancel a Spell' then the spell you wish to cancel. Spell Hotkeys : Spells can be associated with special hotkeys to make casting faster and easier. The hotkeys are the number keys at the top of the keyboard. Depending on your character's specialization, up to 10 hotkeys can be set up. To set up spell hot keys, press 'K'. A list of current hotkeys will be displayed. To change a hotkey, press the number key you wish to change, or click on the slot. The spell casting panel will be displayed. Select the spell you wish to associate with the hotkey. The same spell can be assigned to multiple keys, if desired. Once a spell is linked to a hotkey, the connection will remain, even if you do not have the spell memorized. To cast a spell associated with a hotkey, press the appropriate number key. If you have the spell memorized, the Action Mode will be set to Cast Mode, and the spell will be cast. It will also become the current spell. Spells : Here is a list of the spell available in Ancient Evil, with the runes required to memorize it, and a short description of what it does. Runes Description Level One Shock AEH Damages visible creatures. Heal Light Wounds BNT Light healing Identify Magic CHR Identify magic nature of weapons and items Candle Flame CNR Create a small light source Magic Arrow AHQ Fire a magic dart Level Two Fireball AFQ Fire a magic fireball Hold DJM Stops a creature from moving Stone Skin KYT Aids in combat Slow Disease VNT Slow the effects of disease Resist Fire KFT Reduce the effects or fire Level Three Lightning Bolt AGQ Fire a magic lightning bolt Fear CUD Cause a creature to flee in panic See Reality JWE See through magic illusions Shifting Image WTM Create illusion image of self Torch Light COR Medium strength light source Level Four Deaths Door XND Reduces a monsters health to 1-6 points Heal Serious Wounds BOT Strong Healing spell Remove Curse JYT Remove curse from a cursed item Unlock CJM Unlock a door Summon Servant DHN Summon creatures to fight monsters Level Five Firewall FSQ Fires several fireball around player Hold Time KLE Stops time Revitalize BVT Heal, cure poison and feed. Escape MTZ Teleport to nearby location Daylight CSR Powerful light source Level Six Lightning Storm GSQ Fires several lightning bolts around player Magic Wall HZT Create protective field around player Invisible WJT Renders player invisible to dumb creatures Horde DHO Summon several servants Death XOD Kills a single foe Spell Descriptions Level One Spells SHOCK This spell will cause all visible creatures to be damaged. The amount of damage caused varies depending on the casters Spell Level and Intelligence score. A Shock spell will rarely kill monsters, and is sometimes ineffective against tougher creatures, such as minotaurs or demons. LIGHT HEAL This spell will replenish a small number of health points. It does not cure poison or diseases. The spell is more effective for higher level casters. IDENTIFY MAGIC You this spell to see the true nature of magic items e.g. instead of a ring, you might see a Ring of Protection. The length of time this spell lasts for varies, but is longer for higher level casters. CANDLE FLAME The Candle Flame spell causes a small light source to float above the caster head. This eliminates the need for a torch, although the light is not quite as bright. It is especially useful when casting spells in a dark area, as both hands are free, yet the area is still illuminated. Also, it allows your character to carry a shield, and still see what you are fighting. The duration of this spell will be greater for higher level casters. MAGIC MISSILE When cast, this spell causes a ball of magic energy to shoot from the casters hand. It will damage any monster it comes onto contact with. To use this spell, position the mouse cursor over the monster you wish to fire at, then click the right mouse button. The monster you select should be standing roughly in front of your character, otherwise the missile will fire in the direction they are facing. Level Two Spells FIREBALL A large ball of fire is created and thrown from the caster's hand. As with the Magic Missile spell, the mouse cursor should be positioned over the intended victim. A fireball causes more damage than a Magic Missile. HOLD The spell causes a single monster to be held. The monster is completely unable to move until the spell wears off. This is usually a good time to hack the monster to pieces with your sword, or run away. The effect lasts for up to a minute, possible longer for higher level casters. STONE SKIN Whilst this spell is in effect, this spell makes the casters skin tougher and able to resist blows in combat. It is the equivalent to wearing leather armor, and is useful to characters that wish to be protected in combat whilst still able to freely cast spells. SLOW DISEASE This spell will slow the effect of a disease, should the caster become infected. Note that it is not a total cure, and that you are advised to find one immediately. The effect of multiple Slow Disease spells is not cumulative. RESIST FIRE The Resist Fire spell helps to lessen the effect of fire based attacks. If the caster is hit by a fireball, or lava, the damage they take will be reduced while this spell is in effects. Level Three Spells LIGHTNING BOLT Similar to a Fireball or Magic Missile spell, a Lightning Bolt spell hurls a ball of electrical energy at a particular foe. The main difference with a Lightning Bolt is that once it strikes a monster, it passes through and kills others behind. Lightning Bolts, therefore, are especially useful in tight spaces and corridors. FEAR This spell causes a single monster to flee in fear from the caster. The caster selects the target, and watches them run. The effect lasts for several minutes, after which the victim comes back to their senses. Many undead creatures and demons are immune to its effects. SEE REALITY This is an often under-rated spell. When cast, it allows the caster to see the things they normally would not see. Its primary use is to locate secret doors, however it also makes invisible items and monsters visible to the naked eye. SHIFTING IMAGE The Shifting Image spell causes the caster to appear to be moving, even when they are not. This is useful in combat against some monsters, as they may become confused, and thus hit with reduced accuracy. TORCH LIGHT The Torch Light spell is a more powerful version of the Candle Flame spell. The light given off is the same brightness as a normal torch. Level Four Spells DEATHS DOOR This spell is targeted at a single monster. It reduces the monsters Health to 6 points, regardless of what it was previously. Thus the monster is said to be at Deaths Door, and easier to kill with a weapon. A Spellcaster casting the spell will reduce the monsters Health by an extra 1-4 points. GREAT HEAL The Great Heal spell is a more powerful version of the Light Heal spell. REMOVE CURSE This spell will remove the magic from a cursed item (such as a Ring of Degeneration or Wristbands or Bad Luck), thus making it a normal item. Cursed Items are especially dangerous, as they cannot be removed once worn. Only by casting a Remove Curse spell will the curse be removed so that the item can be removed also. UNLOCK This spell will unlock a single door, which your character should be facing. Be warned that some doors can be magically sealed. In this case, your Unlock spell will be deflected, and you should search for a key. An Unlock spell has no effect on doors that are opened by levers and pressure plates. SUMMON SERVANT The Summon Servant spell causes a single creature, known as a Servant, to teleport into the Plane of Material Existance. Servants are magic creatures from the Plane of Mystic which are loyal to their summoner. The Servant will obediently follow the caster around, until such time as the caster is threatened. At this time it will rush to attack the threat, and will continue to attack until the threat is destroyed. Servants are ghost-like creatures, so can pass through solid matter such as walls and doors. Servants will not attack undead creatures (i.e. Zombies and Skeletons, etc.), devils or demons. Servants attack by striking their opponents and when contact is made, are able to drain Health from their victims. Once a Servant has killed the threat to the caster, it will return to its own Plane. Note also that Servants can only stay in the Plane of Material Existence for several minutes at a time. Level Five Spells FIREWALL The Firewall spell produced 8 fireball, which will target up to 8 enemies within visual range. This spell is most useful when used in a large area when monsters are approaching from several directions. HOLD TIME This spell causes time to seem to stand still for all monsters in the same area as the caster. The effect lasts for several minutes. REVITALIZE Revitalize is a powerful healing spell. It restores the caster to full health, and cures poison and hunger. ESCAPE The Escape spell teleports the player to a new random location. The new location is always within visual range of the original. This spell is useful when you are surrounded by a number of creatures, and wish to flee. DAYLIGHT This is the most powerful light spell. It creates a bright light that is approximately twice as powerful as a torch. Level Six Spells LIGHTNING STORM This spell is the Lightning equivalent of a level 5 Firewall spell. Eight Lightning Bolts are cast, which target up to eight creatures. MAGIC SHIELD This spell produces a set of magic energy globes that circle the caster, and create a magic shield against enemy attacks. The shield protects the caster from both monster strikes and projectiles. A Magic Shield is useful when the caster is outnumbered, or walking through an area that contains projectile traps. The duration of the spell is always less that one minute. INVISIBILITY This spell makes the caster invisible to most monsters. Whilst in effect, the spell renders the casters person, and any related items (such as weapons and magic lights) undetectable. The effect lasts for several minutes or until the caster strikes a monster. HORDE This spell opens a gate to the Plane of Mystic. This is the home plane of the Servants. Whilst the gate is open, up to five servants may come through to aid the caster. There is no reason why the caster cannot cast this spell several times in succession, thus creating a small army of loyal servants. DEATH When a Death spell is cast, a single creature is slain. The caster simply selects a target, and casts the spell. The monster will be blown to pieces in a huge explosion. Note that some creatures, such as demons and devils, are immune to this spell. Keyboard Shortcuts At all menus, the highlighted letter acts as a keyboard short cut. Press that letter to select that option. The ESC will quit all screens and menus. During play, these keys are active : SPACE BAR : Display Character Portrait screen U : Set Use Mode. Use objects, such as doors, switches, etc. G : Set Get Mode. Pick up and drop items. I : Identify mode. See a short description of what something is. S : Search for secret doors . (period) : Center screen around character O : Open door directly in front of character ESC : Options menu A : Set Attack Mode. Draw current weapon to attack monsters. C : Set Cast Mode. Prepare to cast spells. J : Set Jump Mode. Prepare to jump obstacles. R : Spell Memorization. Prepare spells for later use K : Setup spell hotkeys. TAB : Display Automap H : Shows current health, hunger and spell energy. E : Use an Elixar of Healing F9 : Adjust mouse sensitivity F11/F12 : Increase/Decrease Gamma Correction level Note : Get, Use and Identify modes are interchangable. I.e. if you are in Get mode, pressing 'U' will change to Use mode immediately. Credits Main Design and Programming Paul Turbett Graphics Alex Radeski Dario Sorbello Music Simon Bennet Painted Artwork Alistair Lockhart Levels Paul Turbett Stephen Handbury Introduction/Endgame Sequence Graphics Stephen Handbury Introduction Design Ashley Wood Playtester Leigh Hamiester Andrew Lockhart Kate Handbury Dale Wright Andrew Mulvey Micheal Galvin Thanks to : Robyn and Paul Handbury; David and Lorraine Turbett; Janine Wood; (Mrs.) Melissa Handbury; Alistair; Tiggah and Banshee; Bella and Othello; Caffeine; Diet Coke; Now to War; Carlton Draught; Pinhead; NMFC; Dan, Poul and Juha at Arise,