Monsters

All monsters, unless otherwise stated, converge relentlessly on Prince Argonn. If there is no “straight line” to their target, they will remain temporarily stymied, but will eventually move closer. Since they are not very intelligent, it is possible to use their unimaginative movement to your advantage. Remember that all monsters are inactive until they are within 6 squares of Prince Argonn (i.e. they are within the limits of the board rectangle).

Some monsters are generated: certain objects on the level will produce an endless stream of those monsters, until they are destroyed. The major strategic objective of a level is often the destruction of these generators. All generated monsters come in 3 different strengths: they will have 1, 2 or 3 Life points. The stronger types will do more damage when attacking (example: 1-Life Orcs do 3 points, 2-Life Orcs 6 points, and 3-Life Orcs 9 points). Generators likewise have 1, 2, or 3 points. All generated monsters and generators are vulnerable to all forms of weapons, except Poison. Poison does not affect undead, or any type of generator.

Generated monsters

Ghosts are ectoplasms of the evil dead. They arise from Ghost Generators: piles of bones on the floor. A ghost will touch you, deliver damage, and forever vanish, its anti-life force exhausted. Ghosts do 5, 10 or 15 points of damage when they hit you. Ghosts, being undead, are not affected by poison.

Orcs are uncouth humanoids, stupid but strong. They wear shields and carry spears, which they are too incompetent to throw. Orcs are created by Orc Generators, which appear as round thatch-roofed huts. Orcs do 3, 6 or 9 points of damage when they jab you with their spears.

Devils are native to the Hells and possess the power to hurl fireballs at you. If a devil is in clear line of sight, it will cast a ball of fire which unerringly hits and delivers 10 points of damage. Otherwise, it will advance, seeking to get into a straight line of fire. If a devil is next to you, it will instead attack with its great pincers, doing 3, 6 or 9 points of damage. Devils issue from small pagoda-like temples (Devil Generators).

Imps are cousins of devils; they are more dangerous than they look. Imps do not have power over fire, but carry bagfuls of Hellstones, which they will almost constantly (80% of the time) lob at Prince Argonn, passing over any obstruction save the Void. Hellstones do 1, 2 or 3 points of damage. Imps will wander if they are not in a clear line of fire, but are cowardly and will retreat if you approach too closely. They cannot fight hand-to-hand and will let themselves be slain at close quarters. Imps emerge from Imp Generators, which are conical ziggurats.

Bats are relatively minor opponents. Being completely unintelligent, they simply flap about randomly, unless they find themselves next to you, in which case they attack, causing 1, 2 or 3 points. Bat Generators look like caverns in the ground.

Wizards are humans devoted to the forces of darkness. They have the ability to cast spells that behave like devils’ fireballs. However, the damage they do is 4, 8, or 12 points depending on the strength of the wizard casting the spell. In hand-to-hand combat, wizard strike with athames, causing 4 points of damage. Wizard Generators appear as dark castles with lit windows.

Goblins are lesser Orcs. They behave as their larger brethren do, but the damage they cause is only 2, 4 or 6 points. They come out of Goblin Generators, mud-and-wattle dwellings.

Giant Bees, like Bats, fly about randomly. When they find themselves next to Prince Argonn, they will use their huge stingers, causing 5, 7 or 9 points of damage. Bee Generators appear as honeycombs.

Shades are a particularly dangerous form of undead. They arise from desecrated graves (Shade Generators). Being undead, they are immune to poison. But since they are virtually immaterial, they are also immune to arrow shots! This applies to the generators as well. Shades do 3, 5, or 7 points of damage in combat.

More about generators

Generators exist for Ghosts, Orcs, Devils, Imps, Bats, Wizards, Goblins, Giant Bees, and Shades. They all function on the same principle.

When a generator appears on the screen (and ONLY then), it will generate monsters. A given generator has a set frequency, which varies between 0.1 and 2. A frequency of 1/4, for example, means that each turn, there is a one in four chance that a monster will be generated. A frequency of 1.5 means that at least one monster is generated, and there is a 50% chance of a second one.

When a monster is generated, it appears on an empty square directly adjacent to the generator; that is its only action for that turn. This square need NOT be visible on the screen: if the generator is at the outer corner of the board rectangle, as many as 5 adjacent squares will not be visible to the player, but will still be available to create monsters in.

A given generator will always generate the same kind of monster, at the same frequency, regardless of any damage it takes, until it is destroyed. There is no link between the strength of the generator and the strength of monsters it generates. A 1-Life Ghost Generator may generate 3-Life Ghosts, for example.