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- The Dungeons of Moria
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- Robert Alan Koeneke
- James E. Wilson
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- Moria may be copied and modified freely, but may
- not be sold or marketed IN ANY FORM without the permis-
- sion and written consent of the authors Robert Alan
- Koeneke and James E. Wilson. We retain all copyrights
- to this program, in either the original or modified
- forms, and no violation, deletion, or change of the
- copyright notice is allowed. Furthermore, we will have
- no liability or responsibility to any user with respect
- to loss or damage caused directly or indirectly by this
- program.
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- September 26, 1990
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- The Dungeons of Moria
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- Robert Alan Koeneke
- James E. Wilson
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- 1. Introduction
-
- The game of moria is a single player dungeon simulation. A
- player may choose from a number of races and classes when creat-
- ing a character, and then `run' that character over a period of
- days, weeks, even months, attempting to win the game by defeating
- the Balrog which lurks in the deeper levels.
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- The player will begin his adventure on the town level where he
- may acquire supplies, weapons, armor, and magical devices by bar-
- tering with various shop owners. After preparing for his adven-
- ture, the player can descend into the dungeons of moria where
- fantastic adventures await his coming!
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- Before beginning your first adventure, you should read this docu-
- ment carefully. The game of moria is a complicated game, and
- will require a dedicated player to win.
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- 2. The Character
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- All characters have six main attributes which modify their basic
- abilities. These six attributes, called stats, are strength,
- intelligence, wisdom, dexterity, constitution, and charisma.
- Stats may vary from a minimum of 3 to a maximum of 18. At the
- highest level, stats are further qualified by a number from zero
- to one hundred, so that the highest value is actually 18/100. A
- value of 18/100 can be thought of as equivalent to 19, and 18/00
- (not actually used) is equivalent to 18. Because adventurers of
- interest tend to be better than average characters, moria stats
- will average about 13, and are further adjusted by race and
- class. Some races are just naturally better at being certain
- classes, as will be shown later.
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- In addition to the more visible stats, each character has certain
- abilities which are mainly determined by his race, class, and
- level, but are also modified by his stats. The abilities are
- fighting, throwing/bows, saving throw, stealth, disarming, magi-
- cal devices, perception, searching, and infravision.
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- Characters will be assigned an early history, with money and a
- social class based on that history. Starting money is assigned
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- The Dungeons of Moria Page 2
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- based on history, charisma, and somewhat upon the average of a
- character's stats. A character with below average stats will
- receive extra money to help him survive the first adventure.
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- Each character will also have physical attributes such as race,
- height, weight, sex, and a physical description. None of these,
- except weight, play any part in the game other than to give the
- player a "feeling" for his character. Weight is used for comput-
- ing carrying capacity and also for bashing.
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- Finally, each character is assigned hit points based on their
- race, class, and constitution. Spell casters will also receive
- mana which is expended when casting spells. Mana is based on
- Wisdom for Priests and Intelligence for Mages.
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- 2.1. Character Stats
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- Strength
- Strength is important in fighting with weapons and hand to
- hand combat. A high strength can improve your chances of
- hitting, and the amount of damage done with each hit. Char-
- acters with low strengths may receive penalties. Strength
- is also useful in tunneling, body and shield bashing, and in
- carrying heavy items.
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- Intelligence
- Intelligence is the prime stat of a mage, or magician. A
- high intelligence increases a mage's chances of learning
- spells, and it also increases the amount of mana a mage has.
- No spell may be learned by mages with intelligences under 8.
- Intelligence also modifies a character's chance of disarming
- traps, picking locks, and using magic devices.
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- Wisdom
- Wisdom is the prime stat of a priest. A high wisdom
- increases the chance of receiving new spells from a priest's
- deity, and it also increases the amount of mana a priest
- has. No spell may be learned by priests with wisdom under
- 8. Wisdom also modifies a character's chance of resisting
- magical spells cast upon his person.
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- 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
- may 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
- pick pockets.
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- Constitution
- Constitution is a character's ability to resist damage to
- his body, and to recover from damage received. Therefore a
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- character with a high constitution will receive more hit
- points, and be more resistant to poisons.
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- Charisma
- Charisma represents a character's personality, as well as
- physical looks. A character with a high charisma will
- receive better prices from store owners, whereas a character
- with a very low charisma will be robbed blind. A high
- charisma will also mean more starting money for the charac-
- ter.
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- 2.2. Character Sex
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- You may choose to be either a male or a female character. Only
- height and weight are affected by a character's sex. Female
- characters tend to be somewhat smaller and lighter than their
- male counterparts. No adjustments to stats or abilities are made
- because of the sex of a character. Female characters start out
- with slightly more money than male characters to help offset the
- weight penalty.
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- 2.3. Character Abilities
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- Characters possess nine 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.
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- Fighting
- Fighting 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 char-
- acter.
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- Throwing/Bows
- 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.
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- Saving Throw
- 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
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- The Dungeons of Moria Page 4
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- tends to even out. A high wisdom also increases this abil-
- ity.
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- Stealth
- The ability to move silently about is very useful. Charac-
- ters 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.
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- 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.
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- Using Magical Devices
- Using a magical device such as a wand or staff requires
- experience and knowledge. Spell users such as mages 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.
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- Perception
- 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.
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- Searching
- To search is to actively look for secret doors, floor traps,
- and traps on chests. Rogues are the best at searching, but
- mages, rangers, and priests are also good at it. This skill
- is based entirely upon race and class, and will never
- improve unless magically enhanced.
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- Infravision
- Infravision is the ability to see heat sources. Since most
- of the dungeon is cool or cold, infravision will not allow
- the player to see walls and objects. Infravision will allow
- a character to see any warm-blooded creatures up to a cer-
- tain distance. This ability works equally well with or with
- out a light source. The majority of moria's creatures are
- cold-blooded, and will not be detected unless lit up by a
- light source. All non human races have innate infravision
- ability. Human can gain infravision only if it is magically
- enhanced.
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- The Dungeons of Moria Page 5
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- 2.4. Choosing A Race
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- There are eight different races that you can choose from in
- moria. Some races are restricted as to what profession they may
- be, and each race has its own adjustments to a character's stats
- and abilities.
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- Human
- The human is the base character, all other races are com-
- pared to him. 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 occur to characters choosing human.
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- 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, perception, stealth, and magic, but they are not
- as good at hand weapons. Half-elves may choose any class.
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- Elf
- Elves are better magicians then humans, but not as good at
- fighting. They tend to be smarter and faster than either
- humans or half-elves, and also have better wisdom. Elves
- are better at searching, disarming, perception, stealth, and
- magic, but they are not as good at hand weapons. Elves may
- choose any class except Paladin.
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- Halfling
- Halflings, or Hobbits, are very good at bows, throwing, and
- have good saving throws. They also are very good at search-
- ing, disarming, perception, and stealth; so they make excel-
- lent thieves (but prefer to be called burglars...). They
- will be much weaker than humans, and no good at bashing.
- Halflings have fair infravision, so they can detect warm
- creatures at a distance. Halflings can choose between being
- a warrior, mage, or rogue.
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- Gnome
- Gnomes are smaller than dwarfs, but larger than halflings.
- They, like the halflings, live in the earth in burrow-like
- homes. Gnomes are practical jokers, so if they can kill
- something in a humorous way, so much the better. 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 infravision, so they can detect warm creatures at a
- distance. A gnome may choose between being a warrior, mage,
- priest, or rogue.
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- Dwarf
- Dwarves are the headstrong miners and fighters of legend.
- Since dungeons are the natural home of a dwarf, they are
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- excellent choices for a warrior or priest. Dwarves tend to
- be stronger and have higher constitutions, but are slower
- and less intelligent than humans. Because they are so head-
- strong and are somewhat wise, they resist spells which are
- cast on them. Dwarves also have good infravision 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, scream-
- ing out challenges at imagined foes. In other words,
- dwarves have a miserable stealth.
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- 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 percep-
- tion. Half-Orcs are, let's face it, ugly. They tend to pay
- more for goods in town. Half-Orcs do make good priests and
- rogues, for the simple reason that Half-Orcs tend to have
- great constitutions and lots of hit points.
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- Half-Troll
- Half-Trolls are incredibly strong, and have the highest hit
- points of any character race. 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...
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- 2.4.1. Race Versus Skills and Stats
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- Stat, hit dice, and experience points per level modifications due
- to race are listed in the following table.
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- Str Int Wis Dex Con Chr Hit Dice Rqd Exp/level
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- Human 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 +0%
- Half-Elf -1 +1 0 +1 -1 +1 9 +10%
- Elf -1 +2 +1 +1 -2 +1 8 +20%
- Halfling -2 +2 +1 +3 +1 +1 6 +10%
- Gnome -1 +2 0 +2 +1 -2 7 +25%
- Dwarf +2 -3 +1 -2 +2 -3 9 +20%
- Half-Orc +2 -1 0 0 +1 -4 10 +10%
- Half-Troll +4 -4 -2 -4 +3 -6 12 +20%
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- Racial abilities as compared to each other, with 1 the lowest, or
- worst, and 10 the highest, or best, are listed in the following
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- The Dungeons of Moria Page 7
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- Disarm Search Stealth Percep Fight Bows Save Infra
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- Human 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 None
- Half-Elf 6 7 7 6 4 6 6 20 feet
- Elf 8 9 7 7 3 9 7 30 feet
- Halfling 10 10 10 10 1 10 10 40 feet
- Gnome 9 7 9 9 2 8 9 30 feet
- Dwarf 6 8 3 5 9 5 8 50 feet
- Half-Orc 3 5 3 2 8 3 3 30 feet
- Half-Troll 1 1 1 1 10 1 1 30 feet
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- 2.5. Choosing A Class
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- Once a race has been chosen, you will need to pick a class. Some
- classes will not be available to certain races, for instance, a
- Half-Troll cannot become a Paladin. For the first few adventures
- it is suggested that you run a warrior or rogue. Spell casting
- generally requires a more experienced player that is familiar
- with survival techniques.
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- Warrior
- A Warrior is a hack-and-slash character, who solves most of
- his problems by cutting them to pieces, but will occasion-
- ally fall back on the help of a magical device. His prime
- stats are Strength and Constitution, and a good Dexterity
- can really help at times. A Warrior will be good at Fight-
- ing and Throwing/Bows, but bad at most other skills.
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- Mage
- A Mage must live by his wits. He cannot hope to simply hack
- his way through the dungeon, and so must therefore use his
- magic to defeat, deceive, confuse, and escape. A mage is
- not really complete without an assortment of magical devices
- to use in addition to his spells. He can master the higher
- level magical devices far easier than anyone else, and has
- the best saving throw to resist effects of spells cast at
- him. Intelligence and Dexterity are his primary stats.
- There is no rule that says a mage cannot become a good
- fighter, but spells are his true realm.
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- Priest
- A Priest is a character of holy devotion. They explore the
- dungeon only to destroy the evil that lurks within, and if
- treasure just happens to fall into their packs, well, so
- much more to the glory of their church! Priests receive
- their spells from a deity, and therefore do not choose which
- spells they will learn. They are familiar with magical dev-
- ices, preferring to call them instruments of god, but are
- not as good as a mage in their use. Priests have good sav-
- ing throws, and make decent fighters, preferring blunt
- weapons over edged ones. Wisdom and Charisma are the
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- priest's primary stats.
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- 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. He
- is the master of traps and locks, no device being impossible
- for him to overcome. A rogue has a high stealth allowing
- him to sneak around many creatures without having to fight,
- or sneak up and get the first blow. A rogue's perception is
- higher than any other class, and many times he will notice a
- trap or secret door before having to search. A rogue is
- better than warriors or paladins with magical devices, but
- still can not rely on their performance. Rogues can also
- learn a few spells, but not the powerful offensive spells
- mages can use. A rogue's primary stats are Intelligence and
- Dexterity.
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- Ranger
- A Ranger is a warrior/mage. He is a good fighter, and the
- best of the classes with a missile weapon such as a bow.
- The ranger learns spells much more slowly than a mage, but
- is capable of learning all but the most powerful spell.
- Because a ranger is really a dual class character, more
- experience is required for him to advance. A ranger has a
- good stealth, good perception, good searching, a good saving
- throw, and is good with magical devices. His primary stats
- are Intelligence and Dexterity.
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- Paladin
- A Paladin is a warrior/priest. He is a very good fighter,
- second only to the warrior class, but not very good at mis-
- sile weapons. He receives prayers at a slower pace then the
- priest, and can receive all but the most powerful prayer.
- Because a paladin is really a dual class character, it
- requires more experience to advance him. A paladin lacks
- much in the way of abilities. He is poor at stealth, per-
- ception, searching, and magical devices. He has a decent
- saving throw due to his divine alliance. His primary stats
- are Strength and Charisma.
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- Warrior Mage Priest Rogue Ranger Paladin
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- Human Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
- Half-Elf Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
- Elf Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
- Halfling Yes Yes No Yes No No
- Gnome Yes Yes Yes Yes No No
- Dwarf Yes No Yes No No No
- Half-Orc Yes No Yes Yes No No
- Half-Troll Yes No Yes No No No
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- 2.5.2. Class Versus Skills
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- Class abilities as compared to each other, with 1 as the lowest,
- or worst, and 10 as the highest, or best are shown in the follow-
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- Save Stea- Magic Extra
- Fight Bows Throw lth Disarm Device Percep Search Exp/lev
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- Warrior 10 6 3 2 4 3 2 2 +0%
- Mage 2 1 10 5 6 10 8 5 +30%
- Priest 4 3 6 5 3 8 4 4 +20%
- Rogue 8 9 7 10 10 6 10 10 +0%
- Ranger 6 10 8 7 6 7 6 6 +40%
- Paladin 9 5 4 2 2 4 2 2 +35%
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- 3. Adventuring
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- After you have created your character, you will begin your moria
- adventure. Symbols appearing on your screen will represent the
- dungeon's walls, floor, objects, features, and creatures lurking
- about. In order to direct your character through his adventure,
- you will enter single character commands.
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- Moria symbols and commands each have a help section devoted to
- them. You should review these sections before attempting an
- adventure. Finally, a description of the town level and some
- general help on adventuring are included.
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- 4. Symbols On Your Map
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- Symbols on your map can be broken down into three categories:
- Features of the dungeon such as walls, floor, doors, and traps;
- Objects which can be picked up such as treasure, weapons, magical
- devices, etc; and creatures which may or may not move about the
- dungeon, but are mostly harmful to your character's well being.
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- Some symbols can be in more than one category. Also note that
- treasure may be embedded in a wall, and the wall must be removed
- before the treasure can be picked up.
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- It will not be necessary to remember all of the symbols and their
- meanings. A simple command, the `/', will identify any character
- appearing on your map. See the section on commands for further
- help.
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- Features
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- . A floor space, or hidden trap 1 Entrance to General Store
- # A wall 2 Entrance to Armory
- ' An open door 3 Entrance to Weapon Smith
- + A closed door 4 Entrance to Temple
- ^ A trap 5 Entrance to Alchemy Shop
- < A staircase up 6 Entrance to Magic Shop
- > A staircase down : Obstructing rubble
- ; A loose floor stone An open pit (Blank)
- % A mineral vein @ The character
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- Objects
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- ! A flask or potion ? A scroll
- " An amulet [ Hard armor
- $ Money (Can be embedded) \ A hafted weapon
- & A chest ] Misc. armor
- ( Soft armor _ A staff
- ) A shield { Missile (arrow, bolt, pebble)
- * Gems (Can be embedded) | Sword or dagger
- - A wand } Missile arm (Bow, X-bow, sling)
- / A pole-arm ~ Misc
- = A ring , Food
- s A skeleton
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- Creatures
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- a Giant Ant A Giant Ant Lion
- b Giant Bat B The Balrog
- c Giant Centipede C Gelatinous Cube
- d Dragon D Ancient Dragon
- e Floating Eye E Elemental
- f Giant Frog F Fly
- g Golem G Ghost
- h Harpy H Hobgoblin
- i Icky-Thing I
- j Jackal J Jelly
- k Kobold K Killer Beetle
- l Giant Louse L Lich
- m Mold M Mummy
- n Naga N
- o Orc or Ogre O Ooze
- p Human(oid) P Giant Human(oid)
- q Quasit Q Quylthulg
- r Rodent R Reptile
- s Skeleton S Scorpion
- t Giant Tick T Troll
- u U Umber Hulk
- v V Vampire
- w Worm or Worm Mass W Wight or Wraith.
- x X Xorn
- y Yeek Y Yeti
- z Zombie Z
- $ Creeping Coins , Mushroom Patch
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- 5. Commands
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- All commands are entered by pressing a single key. Some commands
- are capital or control characters, which require you to hold down
- the shift or control key while pressing another key. As a spe-
- cial feature, control keys may be entered in a single stroke, or
- in two strokes, with a `^' character first.
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- There are two command sets: the original command set which is the
- default, and the rogue like command set. The rogue like command
- is generally more convenient, especially if you don't have a
- keypad.
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- The following tables summarize the two command sets. Certain
- commands may be preceded by an optional count, and certain com-
- mands must be followed by a direction. These conditions are
- indicated in the tables by `@' for an optional count, and `~' for
- a direction. If a particular command requires additional key
- strokes, then they will be prompted for.
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- Original command summary.
- a Aim and fire a wand @ B ~ Bash (object/creature)
- b Browse a book C Change name
- c ~ Close a door @ D ~ Disarm a trap/chest
- d Drop an item E Eat some food
- e Equipment list F Fill lamp with oil
- f Fire/Throw an item G Gain new magic spells
- i Inventory list L Locate with map
- @ j ~ Jam a door with spike M Map shown reduced size
- l ~ Look given direction @ R Rest for a period
- m Magic spell casting S Search Mode
- @ o ~ Open a door/chest @ T ~ Tunnel in a direction
- p Pray V View scoreboard
- q Quaff a potion = Set options
- r Read a scroll ? Command quick reference
- @ s Search for trap or door { Inscribe an object
- t Take off an item @ - ~ Move without pickup
- u Use a staff . ~ Run in direction
- v Version, credits and manual / Identify a character
- w Wear/Wield an item CTRL-K Quit the game
- x Exchange weapon @ CTRL-P Repeat the last message
- < Go up an up staircase CTRL-X Save character and quit
- > Go down a down staircase @ ~ for movement
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- Rogue like command summary.
- c ~ Close a door C Character description
- d Drop an item @ D ~ Disarm a trap/chest
- e Equipment list E Eat some food
- @ f ~ Force/bash item/monster F Fill lamp with oil
- i Inventory list G Gain new magic spells
- m magic spell casting M Map shown reduced size
- @ o ~ Open a door/chest P Peruse a book
- p Pray Q Quit the game
- q Quaff a potion @ R Rest for a period
- r Read a scroll @ S ~ Spike a door
- @ s Search for trap or door T Take off an item
- t Throw an item V View scores
- v Version, and manual W Where: locate self
- w Wear/Wield an item X Exchange weapon
- x ~ Examine surroundings Z Zap a staff
- z Zap a wand # Search Mode
- = Set options < Go up an up staircase
- / Identify a character > Go down a down stair
- @ CTRL-P Previous message review { Inscribe an object
- @ - ~ Move without pickup ? Type this page
- @ CTRL ~ Tunnel in a direction CTRL-X Save game and exit
- @ SHFT ~ Run in direction @ ~ for movement
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- 5.1. Special keys.
-
- Certain commands may be entered at any time input is accepted.
- The special character control-R, entered as a single key stroke,
- will always refresh the screen. This may be used at any prompt
- for input, and is otherwise ignored.
-
- If you are playing on a UNIX or similar system, then there are
- some additional special characters used by moria. The special
- character control-C will interrupt moria, and ask if you really
- want to die and quit the game. If you choose not to die, moria
- merely continues as before, except that resting, running,
- repeated commands, etc will be terminated. You can suspend the
- game with control-Z, and return to the original command shell.
- In this case, moria is not terminated, and may be restarted at
- any time from the shell. Alternatively, the special command `!'
- is available to run any normal shell command. When it is com-
- plete, moria will restart.
-
- For many input requests or queries, the special character ESCAPE
- will abort the command. For the "-more-" message prompts, any of
- SPACE, ESCAPE, RETURN (control-m), or LINEFEED (control-j) can be
- used to continue after pausing to read the displayed message.
-
- It is possible to give control character commands in two key
- stroke, by typing a `^' followed by the appropriate letter of the
- alphabet. This is useful when running moria in circumstances
- where control characters are intercepted by some external pro-
- cess, or by the operating system.
-
- 5.2. Direction.
-
- For the original style command set, a direction is given by a
- digit which is in the appropriate orientation on your keypad.
- For the rogue like command set, a direction is given by one of
- the letters `hykulnjb'. Again, the relative position of the keys
- on the keyboard gives a clue as to the direction. The digit `5'
- for the original commands, and the period `.' for rogue like com-
- mands, is a null direction indicator. This is only allowed in a
- movement command (to stay in one place) or in a look command (to
- look in all directions).
-
- Original Directions
-
- \ | /
- 7 8 9
-
- - 4 6 -
-
- 1 2 3
- / | \
-
-
-
-
-
-
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-
-
-
- Rogue-like Directions
-
- \ | /
- y k u
-
- - h l -
-
- b j n
- / | \
-
-
- Movement is accomplished by specifying a direction immediately.
- Simply press the appropriate key and you character will move one
- step in that direction. You can only move onto and through floor
- spots, and only if they contain no creatures or obstructing
- objects such as a closed door.
-
- Other commands that require a direction will prompt for it.
-
- Moving your character one step at a time can be time consuming
- and boring, so a faster method has been supplied. For the origi-
- nal style command set, by using the Run command `.', you may move
- in a direction until something interesting happens. For
- instance, by pressing the period key `.' followed by the direc-
- tion 8, your character would continue to move up the screen, only
- coming to a stop after at least one condition is satisfied. For
- the rogue like command set, typing a shifted directional letter
- will move you in that direction until something interesting hap-
- pens. The stopping conditions are described more completely in
- the run command description below.
-
-
- 5.3. Command counts.
-
- Some commands can be executed a fixed number of times by preced-
- ing them with a count. Counted commands will execute until the
- count expires, or until you type any character, or until some-
- thing significant happens, such as being attacked. Thus, a
- counted command doesn't work to attack another creature. While
- the command is being repeated, the number of times left to be
- repeated will flash by on the command line at the bottom of the
- screen.
-
- To give a count to a command in the rogue like mode, type the
- number in digits, then the command. A count of zero defaults to
- a count of 99.
-
- To give a count to a command in the original mode, type a `#',
- followed by the digits. To count a movement command (which is
- itself a digit), type a space after the number, and you will then
- be prompted for the command.
-
- Counted commands are very useful for searching or tunneling, as
-
-
-
-
-
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- The Dungeons of Moria Page 15
-
-
- they automatically terminate on success, or if you are attacked.
- You may also terminate a counted command, or a Run command, by
- typing any character. This character is ignored, but it is
- safest to use a SPACE or ESCAPE which are always ignored as com-
- mands.
-
-
- 5.4. Selection of objects.
-
- Many commands will also prompt for a particular object to be
- used. For example, the command to read a scroll will ask you
- which of the scrolls that you are carrying that you wish to read.
- In such cases, the selection is made by typing a letter of the
- alphabet. The prompt will indicate the possible letters, and
- will also allow you to type the key `*', which causes all of the
- available options to be described.
-
- The particular object may be selected by an upper case or a lower
- case letter. If lower case is used, the selection takes place
- immediately. If upper case is used, then the particular option
- is described, and you are given the option of confirming or
- retracting that choice. Upper case selection is thus safer, but
- requires an extra key stroke.
-
-
- 5.5. Command descriptions
-
- In the following command descriptions, the original style key is
- given. If the rogue like key for that command is different, then
- it will be shown inside the braces following the command name.
-
- B <Dir> - Bash. {f - force}
- The bash command includes breaking open doors and chests, or
- bashing an opponent. Your bashing ability increases with
- weight and strength. In addition, when bashing an opponent,
- you will either perform a body bash, or, if wielding a
- shield, perform a shield bash which is more effective.
-
- Bashing a door can throw you off balance, but this will not
- generally be a problem. Doors that have been jammed closed
- with spikes can only be opened by bashing. Locked doors may
- also be bashed open. Bashing a door open will permanently
- break it.
-
- Bashing a creature affects both you and the opponent.
- Depending on your dexterity, you may or may not be thrown
- off balance allowing free moves to your opponent. If the
- bash is successful, your opponent may be thrown off balance,
- thus giving you some free hits or a chance to run. Huge
- creatures such as ancient dragons will be difficult or
- impossible to bash successfully.
-
- A player automatically performs a shield bash instead of a
- body bash, if he is currently wearing a shield. A shield
-
-
-
-
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-
-
- bash adds the damage of a shield to that of the bash, so it
- is more effective. Size and material both affect the damage
- that a shield will do.
-
- You can apply a count to this command, but if you are thrown
- off balance, the count will be reset straight away.
-
- C - Print character (to screen or file).
- This command allows the player to either display his charac-
- ter on the terminal screen, or to print an entire character
- info listing to a file. The character's history, equipment,
- and inventory list are also included if you chose to print
- it to a file.
-
- D <Dir> - Disarm a trap.
- You can attempt to disarm floor traps, or trapped chests.
- If you fail to disarm a trap, there is a chance that you
- blunder and set it off. You can only disarm a trap on a
- chest after finding it with the search command. This com-
- mand can have a count.
-
- E - Eat some food.
- A character must eat occasionally to remain effective. As a
- character grows hungry, a message will appear at the bottom
- of the screen saying "Hungry". If a character remains
- hungry long enough, he will become weak and eventually start
- fainting. Eventually, you will die of starvation if you do
- not eat.
-
- F - Fill a lamp or lantern with oil.
- If your character is currently using a lamp for light, and
- if he has a flask of oil in inventory, he may refill the
- lamp by using this command. A lamp is capable of a maximum
- of 15000 turns of light, and each flask has 7500 turns of
- oil contained in it.
-
- G - Gain new spells.
- To actually learn new spells, you must use this command.
- When you are able to learn some spells, the word "Study"
- will appear on the status line at the bottom of the screen.
- Mages, rogues, and rangers must have the magic books con-
- taining new spells to be able to learn them. Priests and
- Paladins are given their prayers by their gods, and hence do
- not need a holy book before learning the spells in it.
-
- L - Location on map. {W - where}
- The location command allows you to look at all parts of the
- current dungeon level. The displayed view of the dungeon is
- shifted to bring your current position as close to the
- center as possible. You may then shift the displayed map in
- any of the eight possible directions. Each shift moves your
- view point by one half screen. The top line displays a map
- section number, each map section having a height and width
- one half that of the display, and indicates the direction of
-
-
-
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-
-
- the display from your current position. If you exit this
- command while you are not on the display, then the display
- is centered again.
-
- M - Map shown reduced size.
- This command will show the entire map, reduced by a factor
- of nine, on the screen. Since nine places map into every
- character on the screen, only the major dungeon features
- will be visible. This is especially useful for finding
- where the stairs are in relation to your current position.
- It is also useful for identifying unexplored areas.
-
- R - Rest for a number of turns.
- You may rest one turn with the null movement command. Rest-
- ing for longer periods of time is accomplished by using the
- Rest command, followed by the number of turns you want to
- rest your character. Resting will continue until the speci-
- fied duration has expired, or something to wake the charac-
- ter happens, such as a creature wandering by, or getting
- hungry, or some disability like blindness expiring. It is
- sometimes a good idea to rest a beat up character until he
- regains some of his hit points, but be sure to have plenty
- of food if you rest often.
-
- If you have accidentally entered in a rest period too large,
- or change your mind about the resting period, you may wake
- your character up by typing any character. Space is best,
- since if the rest ends just before the character is typed,
- the space is ignored as a command.
-
- It is also possible to rest by typing the count first, and
- using either the Rest or the null movement command.
-
- If you type `*' for the rest count, your character will rest
- until both hp and mana reach their maximum values. As
- above, you will immediately stop resting if anything
- interesting happens.
-
- S - Search mode toggle. {#}
- The Searching toggle will take you into and out of search
- mode. When first pressed, the message "Searching" will
- appear at the bottom of the screen. You are now taking two
- turns for each command, one for the command and one turn to
- search. This means that you are taking twice the time to
- move about the dungeon, and therefore twice the food. If a
- creature should happen by or attack you, search mode will
- automatically shut off. You may also turn off search mode
- by again pressing the `S' {or #} key.
-
- T <Dir> - Tunnel through rock. {control-<Dir>}
- Tunneling (Mining) is a very useful art. There are four
- kinds of rock present in the dungeons of moria: Permanent
- Rock, Granite Rock, Magma Intrusion, and Quartz Veins. Per-
- manent Rock is exactly that, permanent. Granite is very
-
-
-
-
-
-
-