A guide to DrAngband for experienced Angbanders ----------------------------------------------- Last updated for v2.9.4 ----------------------- Most of the stuff that applied to angband will apply to DrAngband but a few fundamental concepts are different: Loading pre-2.9.2 savefiles: ---------------------------- Savefiles from versions of DrAngband prior to Drangband 2.9.2 should load fine, with only the follwing small problems: * Some terrain types will be changed on the current map. Simply leave the level and the next level will be generated correctly. Notes ----- Notes may now be dumped to a file with the ':' command. Refer to /lib/help/command.txt for more detailed instruction. Character dumps may be appended onto the notes files (without wiping what is already there). Big Screen Mode --------------- If your port supports this (and only the DOS, OS/2, and Unix/X11 ones certainly do), activate 50-line mode by starting up drangband with: angband -y or angband -y50 Other screen sizes between 25 and 50 (and ever higher) are also possible. Consult porting.txt for information about this feature. The GCU port requires 'setfont' and a default 8x8 font (with redhat, /usr/lib/kbd/consolefonts/). Currently only in the X11 and GCU port, screen with may also be specified: angband -x100 For a 100 character wide screen (compared to 80 normally). This may be use with -y. Large Inventory --------------- Normally in Angband you may carry 22 items. In DrAngband this has been increased to 52. If you are not using a bigscreen mode large enough to display the entire expanded inventory on screen you may scroll through the inventory by hitting '+'. Resistances ----------- Previously, resistances cut damage to one third regardless of how many of the same were posessed. Temporary resistances cut the damage to one ninth. In drangband each instance of a resistance cuts the damage by a half. For example, a character posessing 2 resistances to fire and a temporary resistance to fire will have fire damage reduced to 12.5%. Immunities cut damage to zero as before. Immunities are shown in the resistances screen as '*' and temporary resistances as '#'. Invisibility is shown as '*' in the INVIS field, and see invisible is shown as '+'. Melee Slays ----------- Slays (eg Slay Orc) and brands are now applied to the entire melee damage rather than just the base dice rolls. They have been reduced from a maximum of three to max 2. This does not apply to ammo, which has slays of the same power as normal and applied the normal way. Dragons & Equipment ------------------- Dragons can only wear: 1 Cloak 1 Crown (no helms) 1 Amulet 1 Lightsource 6 Rings They only fight with their teeth and claws and cannot use melee weapons or bows. Special Racial Powers _____________________ Dragons get breath weapons, usually a bolt/beam and a ball spell. Pixies get a dusting effect, to confuse the enemy. Yeeks can flee from battle. (+10 speed, sets the Afraid flag) These are activated with the 'U' command. Weapon Skills ------------- Weapons skills are now divided into different weapon classes: Stabbing: Daggers, main gauches, short and small swords. Swords: Other swords. Polearms: Axes, lances, etc. Hafted: Maces. Races have different skills for each of these weapon classes. For example priests are great with hafted weapons but poor with edged weapons. Hobbits are good with daggers but poor with the other types. For a complete list see birth.txt. Basically, avoid using weapons that both your race and class are bad at (for example a gnome mage with a polearm). In angband, the character info screen will show something like (+20,+35) for melee. This means when using your hand to hand weapon you get +20 to hit and +35 extra damage per blow. In DrAngband it will look more like this: (+20, 55%). This means the damage dice is increased by 55%. -- Tom Morton. Previous DrAngband maintainer.