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=== Character Attributes ===
During the process of Character Generation (see birth.txt [1]), you
will select your character's three primary attributes - its sex, race
and class. If you select a spellcasting class, you will also make a
choice of magic realms at that time. Your character will be randomly
assigned a number of other attributes such as height, weight, social
class, and background history
Your choices as to sex, race, class and realm are irrevocable and will
remain fixed for the entire life of that character. The only exception
to this, is that the Chaos spell 'Polymorh Self' (and the mutation of
the same name) may cause your race to change as one of its possible
effects.
In addition to these attributes, there are several statistics which are
used to determine your character's relative skills and abilities as
follows:
--- Primary Statistics ---
Each character has six primary statistics or 'stats'. These are
strength, intelligence, wisdom, dexterity, constitution and charisma,
which modify the abilities of the character in a variety of ways. For
example, strength affects your carrying capacity, the amount of damage
you to a monster when you hit it and the number of blows per round you
get with a weapon. A more complete discussion of the primary statistics
is contained later in this document (see below [2]).
--- Experience ---
Experience affects almost everything else about your character.
Experience can be gained as your character kills monsters, casts spells
or prays for the first time, learns about an object kind by using it,
disarms traps and unlocks doors. Certain classes may also gain
experience by destroying specific dungeon spell books and there are
potions in the dungeon that will boost your experience if you quaff
them.
When your character's experience crosses certain fixed boundaries, you
will attain a new experience level (up to a maximum of 50). When this
happens, your hitpoints, mana (if any), certain skills such as melee
fighting and bows and throws will all increase. Some races and classes
will also gain new powers and abilities when crossing certain
experience threshholds.
Deep down inside, the real objective of the game is to increase your
experience, and certain other characteristics, and also to collect
useful items, to give you a decent chance against the great Serpent of
Chaos. Certain monsters can "drain" your experience, and thus your
level, which will cause you to lose all of the effects of the higher
level. Luckily, you can restore drained experience through magical
means, or by simply regaining the experience all over again.
--- Gold (AU) ---
Each character has some gold, which can be used to buy items and
services from the shops and other buildings on the town level. Gold
can be obtained by selling items to the shops, taking it from the
corpses of dead monsters, mining it and by finding it lying on the
dungeon floor.
Each character starts out with some gold, the amount of which is
based on the character's social class, charisma, sex (female
characters start with more gold), and other stats (less powerful
characters start with more gold). Each character also starts out
with a few useful items, which may be kept, or sold to a
shop-keeper for more gold.
--- Armor Class ---
Each character has an armor class, representing how well the character
can avoid damage. Your armor class is affected by your dexterity and
your equipment. A more detailed discussion of Armor Class can be found
in the Combat section (see attack.txt#Armor [3]).
--- Hit Points ---
Each character has hit points, representing how much damage the
character can sustain before he dies. Your hit points are derived
from your race, class, level, and constitution, and can be boosted
by magical means. Hit points may be regained by resting, or by a
variety of magical means.
--- Spell Points (Mana) ---
Each character has spell points, or mana, which represents how many
spells (or prayers) a character can cast (or pray). Your spell
points (sometimes called mana) are derived from your class, level
and intelligence (for spells) or wisdom (for prayers). Spell points
may be regained by resting, or by a few magical means.
--- Character Skills ---
Each character also has several primary skills: disarming, magic
devices, saving throws, stealth, searching, perception, melee and bows
and throws, which are derived from the character's race, class,
experience level, stats and their current equipment. These skills have
fairly obvious effects, but will be described more completely below.
The starting abilities of a character are based upon race and class.
Abilities may be adjusted by high or low stats, and may increase with
the level of the character (see below for details [4]).
Each character may have one or more racially intrinsic skills and
racial abilities, which may also include special resistances and
activations.
***** <TheRaces>
=== Races ===
There are thirty different races that you can choose from in Zangband.
Each race has various strengths and weaknesses and its own adjustments
to a character's stats and abilities. Many races also have intrinsic
abilities and powers.
Human
The human is the base character. All other races are compared
to them. Humans can choose any class and are average at
everything. Humans tend to go up levels faster than any other
race because of their shorter life spans. No racial adjustments or
intrinsics occur to characters choosing human.
Half-Elf
Half-elves tend to be smarter and faster than a human, but not as
strong. Half-elves are slightly better at searching, disarming,
saving throws, stealth, bows, and magic, but they are not as good
at hand weapons. Half-elves may choose any class and do not
receive any intrinsic abilities.
Elf
Elves are better magicians then humans, but not as good at
fighting. They tend to be smarter than either humans or half-elves
and also have better wisdom. Elves are better at searching,
disarming, perception, stealth, bows, and magic, but they are not
as good at hand weapons. They resist light effects intrinsically.
Hobbits
Hobbits, or Halflings, are very good at bows, throwing, and have
good saving throws. They also are very good at searching,
disarming, perception, and stealth; so they make excellent rogues
(but prefer to be called burglars). They will be much weaker than
humans, and no good at melee fighting. Halflings have fair
infravision, so they can detect warm creatures at a distance.
They have their dexterity sustained. They are very fond of food,
and learn, in due time, to cook a delicious meal from available
ingredients.
Gnome
Gnomes are smaller than dwarves but larger than Halflings. They,
like the Halflings, live in the earth in burrow-like homes. Gnomes
make excellent mages, and have very good saving throws. They are
good at searching, disarming, perception, and stealth. They have
lower strength than humans so they are not very good at fighting
with hand weapons. Gnomes have fair infra-vision, so they can
detect warm-blooded creatures at a distance. Gnomes are protected
intrinsically against paralysis and some slowing effects. At
higher levels, Gnomes learn to teleport at will.
Dwarf
Dwarves are the headstrong miners and fighters of legend. They
tend to be stronger and tougher but slower and less intelligent
than humans. Because they are so headstrong and are somewhat wise,
they resist spells which are cast on them. Dwarves also have very
good infra-vision because they live underground. They do have one
big drawback, though. Dwarves are loudmouthed and proud, singing
in loud voices, arguing with themselves for no good reason,
screaming out challenges at imagined foes. In other words, dwarves
have miserable stealth. They can never be blinded. Dwarves also
learn to study the structure of a dungeon, and can spot things
that go unseen by the other races.
Half-Orc
Half-Orcs make excellent warriors and decent priests, but are
terrible at magic. They are as bad as dwarves at stealth, and
horrible at searching, disarming, and perception. Half-Orcs are,
let's face it, ugly. They tend to pay more for goods in town.
Half-Orcs do make good warriors and rogues, for the simple reason
that Half-Orcs tend to have great constitutions and lots of hit
points. Because of their preference to living underground to on
the surface, Half-Orcs resist darkness attacks. A Half-Orc will
learn to dispel any fear that may be upon him or her.
Half-Troll
Half-Trolls are incredibly strong, and have more hit points than
most other races. They are also very stupid and slow. They will
make great warriors and iffy priests. They are bad at searching,
disarming, perception, and stealth. They are so ugly that a
Half-Orc grimaces in their presence. They also happen to be fun to
run... Half-trolls always have their strength sustained. At higher
levels, Half-Trolls learn to enter a berserk fury, and regenerate
wounds automatically.
Amberites
The Amberites are a reputedly immortal race, who are endowed with
numerous advantages in addition to their longevity. They are very
tough and their constitution cannot be reduced, and their ability
to heal wounds far surpasses that of any other race. Having seen
virtually everything, very little is new to them, and they gain
levels much slower than the other races. But should they advance
high enough, they will learn the innate Amberite powers of Pattern
Mindwalking and Shadow Shifting.
High-Elf
High-elves are a race of immortal beings dating from the beginning
of time. They are masters of all skills, and are strong and
intelligent, although their wisdom is sometimes suspect. They can
play most classes very well. High-elves begin their lives able to
see the unseen, and resist light effects just like regular elves.
However, there are few things that they have not seen already, and
experience is very hard for them to gain.
Barbarian
Barbarians are hardy men of the north. They are fierce in combat,
and their wrath is feared throughout the world. Combat is their
life: they feel no fear, and they learn to enter battle frenzy at
will even sooner than half-trolls. Barbarians are, however,
suspicious of magic, which makes magic devices fairly hard for
them to use and they are thus poorly suited to the spellcasting
classes.
Half-Ogre
Half-Ogres are like Half-Orcs, only more so. They are big, bad,
and stupid. For warriors, they have all the necessary attributes,
and they can even become wizards: after all, they are related to
Ogre Magi, from whom they have learned the skill of setting
trapped runes once their level is high enough. Like Half-Orcs,
they resist darkness, and like Half-Trolls, they have their
strength sustained.
Half-Giant
Half-Giants are not too unusual, as there has been a tradition
according to which it is a noble and brave thing to do to consort
a giant (especially a giant-maid). Nevertheless, the poor
offspring of such a union is seldom very popular in the world of
men. Their limited intelligence makes it difficult for them to
become full spellcasters, but with their huge strength they make
excellent warriors. No ordinary wall can withstand the fury of a
giant, or a half-giant, and at higher levels they can learn the
power of magical digging. Their thick skin makes them resistant to
shards, and like Half-Ogres and Half-Trolls, they have their
strength sustained.
Half-Titan
Half-mortal descendants of the mighty titans, these immensely
powerful creatures put almost any other race to shame. They may
lack the fascinating special powers of certain other races, but
their enhanced attributes more than make up for that. They learn
to estimate the strengths of their foes, and their love for law
and order makes them resistant to the effects of Chaos.
Cyclops
With but one eye, a Cyclops can see more than many with two eyes.
They are headstrong, and loud noises bother them very little. They
are not quite qualified for the magic using professions, but as a
certain Mr. Ulysses can testify, their accuracy with thrown rocks
can be deadly...
Yeek
Yeeks are among the most pathetic creatures. Fortunately, their
horrible screams can scare away less confident foes, and their
skin becomes more and more resistant to acid, as they gain
experience. But having said that, even a mediocre monster can wipe
the proverbial floor with an unwary Yeek.
Klackon
Klackons are bizarre semi-intelligent ant-like insectoid
creatures. They make great fighters, but their mental abilities
are severely limited. Obedient and well-ordered, they can never be
confused. They are also very nimble, and become faster as they
advance levels. They are also very acidic, inherently resisting
acid, and capable of spitting acid at higher levels.
Kobold
Kobolds are a weak goblin race. They love poisoned weapons, and
can learn to throw poisoned darts (of which they carry an
unlimited supply). They are also inherently resistant to poison,
and can become adequate fighters, although they are not one of the
more powerful races.
Nibelung
The hated and persecuted race of nocturnal dwarves, these
cave-dwellers are not much bothered by darkness. Their natural
inclination to magical items has made them immune to effects which
could drain away magical energy, and like ordinary dwarves, they
can examine the dungeon to discover traps and secret doors.
Dark Elf
Another dark, cave-dwelling race, likewise unhampered by darkness
attacks, the Dark Elves have a long tradition and knowledge of
magic. With their intelligence they can become superb mages or
priests, and they have an inherent magic missile attack available
to them at a low level. With their keen sight, they also learn to
see invisible things as their relatives High-Elves do, but at a
higher level.
Draconian
A humanoid race with dragon-like attributes. As they advance
levels, they gain new elemental resistances (up to Poison
Resistance), and they also have a breath weapon, which becomes
more powerful with experience. The exact type of the breath
weapon depends on the Draconian's class and level. With their
wings, they can easily escape any pit trap unharmed.
Mind Flayer
A secretive and mysterious ancient race. Their civilization may
well be older than any other on our planet, and their intelligence
and wisdom are naturally sustained, and are so great that they
enable Mind Flayers to become more powerful spellcasters than any
other race, even if their physical attributes are a good deal less
admirable. As they advance levels, they gain the powers of See
Invisible, Telepathy and a mind blast attack.
Imp
A demon-creature from the nether-world, naturally resistant to
fire attacks, and capable of learning fire bolt and fire ball
attacks. They are little loved by other races, but can perform
fairly well in most professions.
Golem
A Golem is an artificial creature, built from a lifeless raw
material like clay, and awakened to life. They are nearly
mindless, making them useless for professions which rely on magic,
but as warriors they are very tough. They are resistant to poison,
they can see invisible things, and move freely. At higher levels,
they also become resistant to attacks which threaten to drain away
their life force. They also learn to temporarily turn their skin
into a very hard, stonelike substance. In the most recent version,
Golems gain very little nutrition from ordinary food. They need to
collect scrolls of satisfy hunger, or perish of exhaustion when
the life force animating their body runs out. In the most recent
version Golems also gain natural armor class bonus from their
tough body.
Skeleton
There are two types of skeletons: the ordinary, warrior-like
skeletons, and the spell-using skeletons, which are also called
liches. As undead beings, skeletons need to worry very little about
poison or attacks that can drain life. They do not really use eyes
for perceiving things, and are thus not fooled by invisibility.
Their bones are resistant to sharp shrapnels (not much to cut
there), and they will quickly become resistant to cold. Should a
skeleton be unlucky enough to lose some of his or her remaining
life, he or she will learn to restore it at will. It is very hard
for skeletons to eat food or drink potions. Although the magical
effects of these will affect the skeleton even without entering the
skeleton's (non-existent) belly, the potion or food itself will
fall through the skeleton's jaws, giving no nutritional benefit.
Zombie
Much like Skeletons, Zombies too are undead horrors: they are
resistant to life-draining attacks, and can learn to restore their
life-force. Like skeletons, they become resistant to cold-based
attacks (actually earlier than skeletons), resist poison and can
see invisible. While still vulnerable to cuts (unlike skeletons),
Zombies are resistant to Nether. Like Golems, they gain very little
nutrition from the food of mortals. However, Zombies are, as the
name implies, practically mindless: in this company, Groo would
seem a genius.
Vampire
One of the mightier undead creatures, the Vampire is an
awe-inspiring sight. Yet this mighty creature has a serious
weakness: the bright rays of sun are its bane, and it will need to
flee the surface to the deep recesses of earth until the sun
finally sets. Darkness, on the other hand, only makes the Vampire
stronger. As undead, the Vampire has a firm hold on its life force,
and resists nether attacks. The Vampire also resists cold and
poison based attacks. It is, however, susceptible to its perpetual
hunger for fresh blood, which can only be satiated by sucking the
blood from a nearby monster, which is the Vampire's special power.
It should be noted that the vampires are so sensitive to daylight
that even certain artifact light items which are filled with
daylight will hurt them if they try to wield the items.
Fortunately, the vampires do not really need these items, since
they radiate an aura of 'dark light' of their own. Light resistance
will, in any case, protect the vampire from the adverse effects of
sunlight.
Spectre
Another powerful undead creature: the Spectre is a ghastly
apparition, surrounded by an unearthly green glow. They exist only
partially on our plane of existence: half-corporeal, they can pass
through walls, although the density of the wall will hurt them in
the process of doing this. The Spectre can scream an eldritch howl,
which is enough to scare lesser monsters witless. As undead, they
have a firm hold on their life force, see invisible, and resist
poison and cold. They also resist nether; in fact, their
half-corporeal form actually grows stronger from the effects of
nether. At higher levels they develop telepathic abilities.
Spectres make superb spellcasters, but their physical form is very
weak. Like Golems and Zombies, Spectres gain almost no nutrition
from ordinary food.
Sprite
One of the several fairy races, Sprites are very small. They have
tiny wings, and can fly over traps that may open up beneath them.
They enjoy sunlight intensely, and need worry little about light
based attacks. Although physically among the weakest races, Sprites
are very talented in magic, and can become highly skilled wizards.
Sprites have the special power of spraying Sleeping Dust, and at
higher levels they learn to fly faster.
Beastman
This race is a blasphemous abomination produced by Chaos. It is not
an independent race but rather a humanoid creature, most often a
human, twisted by the Chaos, or a nightmarsh crossbreed of a human
and a beast. All Beastmen are accustomed to Chaos so much that they
are untroubled by confusion and sound, although raw logrus can
still have effects on them. Beastmen revel in chaos, as it twists
them more and more. Beastmen are subject to mutations: when they
have been created, they receive a random mutation. After that,
every time they advance a level they have a little chance of
gaining yet another mutation.
***** <TheClasses>
=== Classes ===
There are eleven different classes that you can choose from in
ZAngband. Each class has various strengths and weaknesses and its own
adjustments to a character's stats and abilities. Many classes also
have intrinsic abilities and powers. These are often linked to the
character's experience level and only become available later in the
game.
--- The Classes ---
Warrior
A Warrior is a hack-and-slash character, who solves most of his
problems by cutting them to pieces, but will occasionally fall back
on the help of a magical device. Unfortunately, many high-level
devices may be forever beyond their use.
A warrior's prime statistics are his or her Strength, Dexterity and
Constitution. A Warrior will be good at Fighting and Throwing/Bows,
but bad at most other skills. Warriors cannot learn magic and gain
experience for destroying high level spellbooks.
As a warrior's experience increases, he becomes more proficient
with his weapons gaining an additional attack per round with his
missile weapon. As his skill improves, a warrior will become more
confident in his ability to defeat his opponents and eventually
will become resistant to fear attacks.
Mage
A Mage is a spell caster that must live by his wits as he cannot
hope to simply hack his way through the dungeon like a warrior. In
addition to his spellbooks, a mage should carry a range of magical
devices to help him in his endeavors which he can master far more
easily than anyone else. A mage is also better able to resist the
effects of spells cast at him by his enemies.
A mage's prime statistic is Intelligence as this determines his
spell casting ability. Good Wisdom and Dexterity also help. There
is no rule that says a mage cannot become a good fighter, but
spells are the mage's true strength. With two notable exceptions,
mages should avoid wearing armor on their hands as this can
restrict their spell casting ability.
Unlike other spellcasting classes, mages can freely choose any two
magic realms, although they will never be as good at Life magic as
a priest. Otherwise, mages tend to learn and cast all the spells in
their realms better than any other character except the high mage
who has concentrated his efforts so as to excel in a single realm.
Priest
A Priest is a character devoted to serving a higher power. They
explore the dungeon in the service of their God and if treasure
just happens to fall into their packs, well, so much more to the
glory of their religion. A Priest's primary stat is Wisdom since
this determine his success at praying to his deity. Since Priests
receive new prayers as gifts from their patron deity, they cannot
choose which ones they will learn. Priests are familiar with
magical devices which they believe act as foci for divine
intervention in the natural order of things, but are not as good as
a mage in their use.
Priests are good at resisting spells cast at them and make decent
fighters but prefer blunt weapons over edged ones. A priest
wielding an edged weapon will be so uncomfortable with it that his
fighting ability will be affected unless it has first been blessed
by the Gods. High level priests who practice Life magic will learn
to invoke the power of their patron deity to bless such weapons.
There are two types of priests in Zangband: the ordinary priests
who, select Life magic as their primary realm, and the 'dark'
priests, who select Death magic instead. Since the natural
inclination of priests is towards Life Magic, priests who select
Life magic will be able to learn their prayers faster and better
than their evil colleagues. Priests can also select a secondary
realm from the other five realms, and should be able to learn all
spells in it although not as efficiently as mages.
Rogue
A Rogue is a character that prefers to live by his cunning, but is
capable of fighting his way out of a tight spot. Rogues are good at
locating hidden traps and doors and are the masters of disarming
traps and picking locks. A rogue has a high stealth allowing him to
sneak around many creatures without having to fight, or to get in a
telling first blow. A rogue may also backstab a fleeing monster.
A rogue is better than a warrior or paladin with magical devices,
but still cannot rely on their performance. Rogues can also learn a
few spells from a choice of four realms, but not the powerful
offensive spells magi can use. A rogue's primary statistics are
Intelligence and Dexterity but Strength and Constitution are
important too.
There are several subtypes of Rogues in Zangband and the exact type
is determined by the realm of magic chosen. The common Thief, will
probably be content with Arcane magic and its wide applicability.
The Burglar, on the other hand, is more interested in the Sorcery
spells, which allow him or her to do the job fast and efficiently.
Assassins' partiality for Death magic is well known, and they are
feared for it. Finally, there is the Card Shark, who will opt for
Trump magic, and shuffles the decks with amazing proficiency.
As a rogue increases in experience, his proficiency with the sling
improves and he will ultimately gain two additional shots per round
with his favorite missile launcher.
Ranger
A Ranger is a combination of a warrior and a mage who has developed
a special affinity for the natural world around him. He is a good
fighter and the best of the classes with a missile weapon such as
a bow. A ranger has a good stealth, good perception, good
searching, a good saving throw and is good with magical devices.
A Ranger's primary stats are Intelligence and Dexterity since these
affect his spell casting ability and his ability with his bow but,
as a fighter, Strength and Constitution are important too. As a
ranger's experience increases, so does his skill with his primary
weapon - the bow and he will learn to notch and loose arrows very
quickly. His ability with a cross bow will similarly increase but
not to the same extent. Unfortunately, because a ranger is really a
dual class character, more experience is required for him to
advance through the levels.
All rangers are trained in Nature magic, and all Nature spells are
available to them. They even learn these spells almost as fast as
mages. They can also select a secondary realm and may choose from
any realm except Life magic, but they are slow learners of the
second realm, and may find themselves unable to learn some of the
highest level spells.
Paladin
A Paladin is a combination of a warrior and a priest. Paladins are
very good fighters, second only to the warrior class, but not very
good at missile weapons. A paladin lacks much in the way of
abilities. He is poor at stealth, perception, searching, and
magical devices but has a decent saving throw due to his divine
alliance.
A paladin's primary stats are Strength, Dexterity, Constitution and
Wisdom since he must both fight and pray for divine intervention.
The paladin receives prayers at a slower pace then the priest, but
can receive even the most powerful prayers although at a higher
cost and fail rate. Unlike priests, Paladins do not learn a second
magic realm. Because a paladin is really a dual class character,
more experience is required for him to advance through the levels.
There are two types of Paladins: those trained in Life magic and
their evil counterparts (the 'Death Knights') who are trained in
Death magic. An 'ordinary' paladin will gain experience for
destroying high-level spellbooks from all the magic realms except
Life. A Death Knight, on the other hand, is very tolerant of the
other realms and will only gain experience for destroying
high-level Life books.
As a Paladin gains in experience he will become more confident in
his abilities to defeat his enemies and in his deity's power to
protect him. As a result, Paladins become resistant to fear at
higher levels.
Warrior-Mage
A Warrior-Mage is precisely what the name suggests: a cross between
the warrior and mage classes. While their brothers, the rangers,
specialize in Nature magic and survival skills, true Warrior-Mages
attempt to reach the best of both worlds. As warriors they are much
superior to the usual Mage class.
The Warrior-Mage is recommended for the players who want to cast
spells but whose mages tend to die too quickly. However, the power
does not come without a price as Warrior-Mages require more
experience to advance levels than any other class.
Warrior-mages begin the game with Arcane magic, and they can freely
select another realm of magic. Although they do not gain new spells
as fast as regular mages, they will eventually learn every spell in
both realms, thus making a very competitive choice for players who
appreciate Arcane magic.
Chaos-Warrior
Chaos Warriors are the feared servants of the terrible Demon Lords
of Chaos. Every Chaos Warrior has a Patron Demon and, when gaining
a level, may receive a reward from his Patron. He might be healed
or polymorphed, his stats could be increased, or he might be
rewarded with an awesome weapon. His Patron Demon might, for some
reason, get annoyed with him and do something fairly nasty like
surround him with monsters, drain his stats or wreck his equipment
or they might simply ignore him. The Demon Lords of Chaos are
chaotic and unpredictable indeed. The exact type of reward depends
on both the Patron Demon (different Demons give different rewards)
and chance.
Chaos Warriors are, as one might expect, trained in Chaos magic.
They are not interested in any other form of magic. They can learn
every Chaos spell.
As a chaos-warrior gains in experience, he becomes more confident
of his ability to defeat his enemies and will learn to resist fear
at higher levels. In addition, as a result of their prolonged
service to the Demon Lords of Chaos, a chaos-warrior will eventually
become resistant to the effects of chaos.
Monk
The Monk character class is very different from all other classes.
Although they can use weapons and armor just like any other class,
their training in martial arts makes them much more powerful with
no armor or weapons. To gain the resistances necessary for
survival at higher levels a monk may need to wear some kind of
armor, but if the armor he wears is too heavy, it will severely
disturb his martial arts maneuvers.
As a monk gains in experience he learns, new, powerful forms of
attack and is able to land more blows per round. His defensive
capabilities increase likewise. Fortunately, the amount of armor a
monk can wear, while still fighting efficiently, also increases
with experience.
In addition, the monk's agility allows him to resist paralyzing
attacks once he reaches a high enough level (but only if his armor
is not restricting his movement). Monk's are able to move quickly
and will become faster and be able to strike more quickly as they
gain experience.
The different sects of monks are devoted to different areas of
magic. The typical monk is interested in the harmony of nature, and
studies Nature magic. An idealist monk would select Life magic, and
try to work to benefit his neighbor. But there are also dark
monks, who practice Death magic. A monk will eventually learn all
prayers in the discipline of their choice.
Mindcrafter
The Mindcrafter is a unique class that uses the powers of the mind
instead of magic. These powers are unique to Mindcrafters, and vary
from simple extrasensory powers to mental domination of others.
Since these powers are developed by the practice of certain
disciplines, a Mindcrafter requires no spellbooks to use them. The
available powers are simply determined by the character's level.
A Mindcrafter's primary stat is Wisdom since this is used to
determine how well he / she can perform the psychic powers, and in
combat a Mindcrafter is roughly the equivalent of a priest. Unlike
the priest, however, a Mindcrafter is never penalized for wielding
an edged weapon.
Although the powers of a Mindcrafter may seem like magic, this is
not strictly speaking the case. They are mental powers, independent
of the ordinary sources of magic. Consequently, Mindcrafters are
not interested in 'magic' and learn no spells or prayers.
As a Mindcrafter's experience increases, so does his ability to
control his body with his mind as do his mental powers. A
mindcrafter will learn to control his fear early in his career and
to resist becoming confused at higher levels. His practice of
mental discipline will mean that eventually his wisdom will be
sustained. Very experienced mindcrafters will gain the power of
telepathy.
High Mage
High mages are mages who specialize in one particular field of
magic and learn it very well - much better than the ordinary mage.
For the price of giving up a second realm of magic, they gain
substantial benefits in the mana costs, minimum levels, and failure
rates in the spells of the realm of their specialty.
A high mage's prime statistic is intelligence as this determines
his spell casting ability. Good wisdom and dexterity also help.
There is no rule that says a high mage cannot become a good
fighter, but spells are the mage's true strength. With two notable
exceptions, high mages should avoid wearing armor on their hands as
this can restrict their spell casting ability.
High mages may freely choose any realm but it should be noted that
a high mage specializing in Life Magic will not learn it as well as
a priest.
***** <PrimaryStats>
=== Primary Statistcs ===
Each character has six primary "stats", strength, intelligence, wisdom,
dexterity, constitution, and charisma, which modify the abilities of
the character in a variety of ways. Every stat has a numerical value,
ranging from a minimum of 3, up to a normal maximum of 18, and even
higher, into the "percentile" range, represented as "18/01" through
"18/100". Actually, every stat can be raised even above 18/100 by
magical means, up to a pure maximum of 18/220, which is represented as
"18/***".
Traditionally, a percentile stat such as "18/50" has been thought of as
representing a value part way between 18 and 19, and this is one way to
think of them. However, often, the best way to view the "bonus" values
after the "18/" is as "tenth" points, since it often takes the same
magic to raise a stat from, say, 4 to 5, or 16 to 17, as it does from,
say, 18/40 to 18/50. The important thing to remember is that almost all
internal calculations "ignore" the final digit of any "bonus", so that,
for example, "18/40" and "18/49" are always have the same effects.
--- The Primary Statistics ---
Strength
Strength is critical to fighting effectively in melee combat and
with missile weapons. A high strength will improve your chances of
getting multiple blows with your melee weapon and, in addition,
will dramatically increase the amount of damage done with each
hit. Strength also has a marginal effect on your chance to hit
your opponent. Characters with low strength may receive penalties.
Strength is also useful in tunneling, bashing and in carrying
heavy items without being slowed down.
Intelligence
Intelligence affects the spellcasting abilities of mage-like
spellcasters (high mages, mages, warrior-mages, rangers, chaos
warriors and rogues). Intelligence will affect the number of
spells these classes may learn each level, the number of spell
points they receive and their spell fail rates. These classes
cannot learn spells if their intelligence is 7 or lower. Also,
intelligent characters are better at using magic devices, picking
locks and disarming traps.
Wisdom
Wisdom affects the ability of priest-like spellcasters (priests,
paladins and monks) to use prayers. WIS will affect the number of
spells these classes may learn each level, the number of spell
points they receive and their spell fail rates. In addition, WIS
is also used to determine a mindcrafter's ability to use his or
her mental powers. These classes cannot learn spells if their
wisdom is 7 or lower. Wise character's will have better chances of
resisting magical spells cast upon them by monsters.
Dexterity
Dexterity is a combination of agility and quickness. A high
dexterity may allow a character to get multiple blows with lighter
weapons, thus greatly increasing his kill power, and will increase
his chances of hitting with any weapon and dodging blows from
enemies. Dexterity is also useful in picking locks, disarming
traps, and protecting yourself from some of the thieves that
inhabit the dungeons.
Constitution
Constitution is a character's ability to resist damage to his
body, and to recover from damage received. Therefore a character
with a high constitution will receive more hit points and also
recover them faster while resting.
Charisma
Charisma represents a character's personality and physical
appearance. A character with a high charisma will receive better
prices from store owners, whereas a character with a very low
charisma may be robbed blind. A high charisma will also mean more
starting money for the character. Charisma is also used when
calculating the success of a mindcrafter at dominating a monster.
***** <PrimarySkills>
=== Primary Skills ===
Characters possess some different abilities which can help them to
survive. The starting abilities of a character are based upon race and
class. Abilities may be adjusted by high or low stats, and may increase
with the level of the character with the rate of increase dependent
upon the level of the character.
Melee
Melee is the ability to hit and do damage with weapons or fists.
Normally a character gets a single blow from any weapon, but if
his dexterity and strength are high enough, he may receive more
blows per round with lighter weapons. Strength and dexterity both
modify the ability to hit an opponent. This skill increases with
the level of the character.
Bows and Throws
Using ranged missile weapons (and throwing objects) is included in
this skill. Different stats apply to different weapons, but this
ability may modify the distance an object is thrown/fired, the
amount of damage done, and the ability to hit a creature. This
skill increases with the level of the character.
Saving Throws
A Saving Throw is the ability of a character to resist the effects
of a spell cast on him by another person/creature. This does not
include spells cast on the player by his own stupidity, such as
quaffing a nasty potion. This ability increases with the level of
the character, but then most high level creatures are better at
casting spells, so it tends to even out. A high wisdom also
increases this ability.
Stealth
The ability to move silently about is very useful. Characters with
good stealth can usually surprise their opponents, gaining the
first blow. Also, creatures may fail to notice a stealthy
character entirely, allowing a player to avoid certain fights.
This skill is based entirely upon race and class, and will never
improve unless magically enhanced.
Disarming
Disarming is the ability to remove traps (safely), and includes
picking locks on traps and doors. A successful disarming will gain
the character some experience. A trap must be found before it can
be disarmed. Dexterity and intelligence both modify the ability to
disarm, and this ability increases with the level of the
character.
Magical Devices
Using a magical device such as a wand or staff requires experience
and knowledge. Spell users such as magi and priests are therefore
much better at using a magical device than say a warrior. This
skill is modified by intelligence, and increases with the level of
the character.
Perception (Searching Frequency)
Perception is the ability to notice something without actively
seeking it out. This skill is based entirely upon race and class,
and will never improve unless magically enhanced.
Searching (Searching Ability)
To search is to actively look for secret doors, floor traps, and
traps on chests. Rogues are the best at searching, but magi,
rangers, and priests are also good at it. This skill is based
entirely upon race and class, and will never improve unless
magically enhanced.
Infra-vision
Infra-vision is the ability to see heat sources. Since most of the
dungeon is cool or cold, infra-vision will not allow the player to
see walls and objects. Infra-vision will allow a character to see
any warm-blooded creatures up to a certain distance. This ability
works equally well with or with out a light source. The majority
of Zangband's creatures are cold-blooded, and will not be detected
unless lit up by a light source. Most non human races have innate
infra-vision ability. Human can gain infra-vision only if it is
magically enhanced.
***** <StatBonusTable>
=== Stat Bonus Tables ===
Each of the races and classes has certain modifications to their
starting statistics an experience penalty. The experience penalty is
designed to 'balance' the races with better starting statistics and
abilities by requiring them to earn more experience before advancing a
level.
--- Table 1 - Race Statistic Bonus Table ---
STR INT WIS DEX CON CHR Hit Dice Exp Penalty
Human 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 +0%
Half-Elf -1 +1 +1 +1 -1 +1 9 +10%
Elf -1 +2 +2 +1 -2 +2 8 +20%
Hobbit -2 +2 +1 +3 +2 +1 7 +10%
Gnome -1 +2 0 +2 +1 -2 8 +35%
Dwarf +2 -2 +2 -2 +2 -3 11 +35%
Half-Orc +2 -1 0 0 +1 -4 10 +10%
Half-Troll +4 -4 -2 -4 +3 -6 12 +37%
Amberite +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +2 10 +125%
High-Elf +1 +3 +2 +3 +1 +5 10 +100%
Barbarian +3 -2 -1 +1 +2 -2 11 +20%
Half-Ogre +3 -1 -1 -1 +3 -3 12 +30%
Half-Giant +4 -2 -2 -2 +3 -3 13 +50%
Half-Titan +5 +1 +1 -2 +3 +1 14 +155%
Cyclops +4 -3 -3 -3 +4 -6 13 +30%
Yeek -2 +1 +1 +1 -2 -7 7 +0%
Klackon +2 -1 -1 +1 +2 -2 12 +35%
Kobold +1 -1 0 +1 0 -4 9 +25%
Nibelung +1 -1 +2 0 +2 -4 11 +35%
Dark Elf -1 +3 +2 +2 -2 +1 9 +50%
Draconian +2 +1 +1 +1 +2 -3 11 +150%
Mind Flayer -3 +4 +4 0 -2 -5 9 +40%
Imp -1 -1 -1 +1 +2 -3 10 +10%
Golem +4 -5 -5 -2 +4 -4 12 +100%
Skeleton 0 -2 -2 0 +1 -4 10 +45%
Zombie +2 -6 -6 +1 +4 -5 13 +35%
Vampire +3 +3 -1 -1 +1 +2 11 +100%
Spectre -5 +4 +4 +2 -3 -6 7 +80%
Sprite -4 +3 +3 +3 -2 +2 7 +75%
Beastman +2 -2 -1 -1 +2 -4 11 +40%
--- Table 2 - Class Statistic Bonus Table ---
STR INT WIS DEX CON CHR Hit Dice Exp Penalty
Warrior +5 -2 -2 +2 +2 -1 +9 +0%
Mage -5 +3 0 +1 -2 +1 0 +30%
Priest -1 -3 +3 -1 0 +2 +2 +20%
Rogue +2 +1 -2 +3 +1 -1 +6 +25%
Ranger +2 +2 0 +1 +1 +1 +4 +30%
Paladin +3 -3 +1 0 +2 +2 +6 +35%
Warrior-Mage +2 +2 0 +1 0 +1 +4 +50%
Chaos Warrior +2 +1 0 +1 +2 -2 +5 +35
Monk +2 -1 +1 +3 +2 +1 +6 +40%
Mindcrafter -1 0 +3 -1 -1 +2 +2 +25%
High Mage -5 +4 0 0 -2 +1 0 +30%
***** <SkillBonusTable>
=== Ability Tables ===
Each of the races and classes has certain modifications to their
starting abilities. Players may also receive an additional level-based
bonus to certain skills which is based on their class. For example
mages improve their magical device skill more rapidly than warriors. As
noted above, some skills will not improve unless magically enhanced.
--- Table 1 - Race Skill Bonus Table ---
Dsrm Dvce Save Stlh Srch Prcp Melee Bows Infra
Human +0 +0 +0 +0 +0 +10 +0 +0 None
Half-Elf +2 +3 +3 +1 +6 +11 -1 +5 20 feet
Elf +5 +6 +6 +2 +8 +12 -5 +5 30 feet
Hobbit +15 +18 +18 +5 +12 +15 -10 +20 40 feet
Gnome +10 +12 +12 +3 +6 +13 -8 +12 40 feet
Dwarf +2 +9 +10 -1 +7 +10 +15 +0 50 feet
Half-Orc -3 -3 -3 -1 +0 +7 +12 -5 30 feet
Half-Troll -5 -8 -8 -2 -1 +5 +20 -10 30 feet
Amberite +4 +5 +5 +2 +3 +13 +15 +10 None
High-Elf +4 +20 +20 +4 +3 +14 +10 +25 40 feet
Barbarian -2 -10 +2 -1 +1 +7 +12 +10 None
Half-Ogre -3 -5 -5 -2 -1 +5 +20 +0 30 feet
Half-Giant -6 -8 -6 -2 -1 +5 +25 +5 30 feet
Half-Titan -5 +5 +2 -2 +1 +8 +25 +0 None
Cyclops -4 -5 -5 -2 -2 +5 +20 +12 10 feet
Yeek +2 +4 +10 +3 +5 +15 -5 -5 20 feet
Klackon +10 +5 +5 +0 -1 +10 +5 +5 20 feet
Kobold -2 -3 -2 -1 +1 +8 +10 -8 30 feet
Nibelung +3 +5 +10 +1 +5 +10 +9 +0 50 feet
Dark Elf +5 +15 +20 +3 +8 +12 -5 +10 50 feet
Draconian -2 +5 +3 +0 +1 +10 +5 +5 20 feet
Mind Flayer +10 +25 +15 +2 +5 +12 -10 -5 40 feet
Imp -3 +2 -1 +1 -1 +10 +5 -5 30 feet
Golem -5 -5 +10 -1 -1 +8 +20 +0 40 feet
Skeleton -5 -5 +5 -1 -1 +8 +10 +0 20 feet
Zombie -5 -5 +8 -1 -1 +5 +15 +0 20 feet
Vampire +4 +10 +10 +4 +1 +8 +5 +0 50 feet
Spectre +10 +25 +20 +5 +5 +14 -15 -5 50 feet
Sprite +10 +10 +10 +4 +10 +10 -12 +0 40 feet
Beastman -5 -2 -1 -1 -1 +5 +12 +5 None
--- Table 2 - Class Skill Bonus Table ---
Dsrm Dvce Save Stlh Srch Prcp Melee Bows
Warrior 25+12 18+7 18+10 1 14/2 25+100 25+80
Mage 30+7 36+13 30+9 2 15/20 10+25 15+20
Priest 25+7 30+10 32+12 2 16/8 16+50 15+25
Rogue 45+15 32+10 28+10 5 32/24 15+70 29+60
Ranger 30+8 32+10 28+10 3 24/16 15+65 30+95
Paladin 20+7 24+10 26+11 1 12/2 19+76 15+20
Warrior-Mage 30+7 30+10 28+9 2 18/16 20+75 30+75
Chaos Warrior 20+7 25+11 25+10 1 14/12 23+90 20+60
Monk 45+15 32+11 28+10 5 32/24 12+30 21+40
Mindcrafter 30+10 30+10 30+10 3 22/16 10+30 15+30
High Mage 30+7 36+13 30+9 2 15/20 10+15 15+15
--
Original : (??)
Updated : (??)
Updated : Zangband DevTeam
Last update: January 13, 2000
***** Begin Hyperlinks
***** [1] birth.txt
***** [2] charattr.txt#PrimaryStats
***** [3] defend.txt#Armor
***** [4] charattr.txt#PrimarySkills