Amiga Collections: The Best of Public Domain

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*************************************************************************** ** Note: If Moria is crashing, ensure that your stack is at least 30000 ** *************************************************************************** 1. DISCLAIMER Moria is intended for Public Domain, and may not be sold or marketed in any form without the permission and written consent from the original author Robert Alan Koeneke. He retains 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, neither he nor we,as authors of this the Amiga version, have any liability or responsibility to any user with respect to loss or damage caused directly or indirectly by this program. 1.1 Moria... The Amiga Version Moria on the Amiga is BASICALLY the same great game as the one found on mini-computers across the country. The Amiga version is most recently descended from the outstanding UNIX C port by James E. Wilson. We have added pull down menus, a graphics mode, a pickup mode, a continuous move mode, a real time mode and a message wait time mode, as well as other modifications to improve overall playability and to take advantage of the features which make the Amiga unique among microcomputers. Graphics for Moria are found in a file called "MORIA.FNT". This file may be editted with with the Hack icon editting tool found on the Hack Disk. (Note: We employ 16 colors in Moria while the Hack icon editor only displays eight.) The Moria.fnt file must be in the users current directory or on a device (or disk) named "Moria". The game will abort if the Moria.fnt file is not found! Color messages have been added to further assist the adventurer. The following table list the colors added to messsages and their meaning: COLOR MEANING Bright Red Danger - You've been hurt Yellow Caution - A scroll has failed or something is wrong. Green Success - You've hit something or succeeded in an endeavor Blue Creature Death - You've killed a monster or denizen. Dark Red Stat Damage - One of your stats has been decremented Dark Green Stat Gain - One of your stats has been incremented White Normal - Standard information The color messages may be toggled ON or OFF by pressing "k". The default state is color messages ON. Color has also been added to the area of the screen where the character stats are located. The CHP (Current Hit Points) and Mana stats are: GREEN at maximum, WHITE between 50% and 90% of maximum, YELLOW between 25% and 49% of maximum, and RED if less than 25% of the maximum value. All other stats are WHITE if they are "ok" and YELLOW if they have been lowered. Currently pressing "k" does not affect stat color. The continuous move mode allows the player to move in any direction until an event such as a junction of paths, stairs, an item or a monster is encountered. Specifics of how the Continuous Move mode works may be found under the heading of Movement in secton 3. The Continuous Move mode may be toggled on and off from the the Mode Menu or by hitting the colon (:) key. The wait mode allows the player to interject an element of real time play into Moria. After enabling the Wait Mode from the Mode Menu or by hitting "shift w" a prompt appears asking for a number between 0 and 10. The number is the approximate number of seconds between turns. When the Wait Mode is enabled the denizens will move EVEN IF the player has not acted (DO OR DIE)!! The default wait mode is OFF. The message pause mode determines whether messages disappear automatically, or remain until the player hits a key. The message pause mode is toggled on and off by typing a "Control w" (^w) key or by using the message pause option in the mode menu. If the mode is being enabled, a prompt will appear asking for a number between 0 and 10. The number is the approximate number of seconds a message will be displayed before disappearing. The default message pause mode is 'ON' for 1 second. 2. MORIA Instructions The game of MORIA is a single player dungeon simulation. A player may choose from a number of races and classes when creating their 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 deepest levels (rumor has it that the Balrog never gets any closer to the surface than 5000 feet). The player will begin his/her adventure on the town level where he may acquire supplies, weapons, armor, and magical devices by bartering with various shop owners. After preparing for his/her adventure, the player can descend into the dungeons of MORIA where fantastic adventures await his/her coming! Before beginning your first adventure, you should read this document carefully. The game of MORIA is a complicated game, and will require a DEDICATED player to win. 2.1. The Character All characters have six main attributes which modify their basic cabilities. These six attributes, called stats, are strength, intelligence, wisdom, dexterity, constitution, and charisma. Stats may vary from 3 as a minimum to 20 as a maximum. (Stats may actually be higher than 20, but no additional bonuses will be awarded). Because adventurers of interest tend to be better than average characters, MORIA stats will average about 14.5, and are further adjusted by race and class. Some races are just naturally better at being certain classes, as will be shown later. In addition to the more visible stats, each character has certain abilities which are mainly determined by his/her race and class, but are also modified by his/her stats. The abilities are fighting, throwing/bows, saving throw, stealth, disarming, magical devices, perception, searching, and infra-vision. Characters will be assigned an early history, with money and a social class based on that history. Starting money is assigned 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. Each character will also have physical attributes such as race, height, weight, sex, and physical description. Weight and sex play small parts in the game. The other stats are provided to give the player a 'feeling' for his/her character. Weight is used for computing carrying capacity and also for bashing. Sex affects strength and dexterity. (Females are more dexterous while males are stronger.) However, any class, race or sex can win the game. Finally each character is assigned hit points based on his/her 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. Classes which do not recieve mana have higher hit points and get hit points back at a faster rate but will never have the ability to cast spells. STR - Strength Strength is important in fighting with weapons, or hand to hand. A high strength can improve your chances of hitting, and the amount of damage done with each hit. Characters with low strengths may receive penalties. Strength is also useful in tunneling, body and shield bashing, and in the carrying of heavy items. Males have higher strength, in general, than females. INT - Intelligence Intelligence is the prime stat of a Mage, or Magician. A high intelligence increases a Mages chances of learning spells, and in gaining mana. No spell may be learned by Mages with intelligence under 8. Intelligence also modifies a character's chance of disarming traps and picking locks. WIS - 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 in the gaining of mana. Wisdom also modifies a character's chance of resisting magical spells cast upon his/her person. DEX - Dexterity Dexterity is the combination of agility and quickness. A high dexterity may allow a character to get multiple blows with lighter weapons, thus greatly increasing his/her kill power, and may increase his/her chances of hitting with any weapon. Dexterity is also useful in picking locks and disarming traps. In general, females have a higher dexterity than males. CON - Constitution Constitution is a characters ability to resist damage to their body, and to recover from damage received. Therefore a character with a high constitution will receive more hit points, and be more resistant to poisons. CHR - Charisma Charisma represents a character's personality, as well as physical looks. A character with high charisma will receive better prices from store owners, whereas a character with very low charisma will be robbed blind. High charisma will also mean more starting money for the character. 2.1.2. Character Sex You may choose to be either a male or a female character. Height, weight, dexterity and strength are affected by a character's sex. Female characters tend to be somewhat smaller and lighter then their male counterparts and as a consequence have greater dexterity but less strength. 2.1.3. Character Abilities 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. 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/her 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. In addition this skill increases with the level of the character. Throwing/Bows Using stand-off missile weapons and throwing objects is included in this skill. Different stats apply to different weapons, but may modify the distance an object is thrown/fired, the amount of damage done, and the ability to hit a creature. Just as in real life, weapons of this sort are lethal. This skill increases with the level of the character. 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. Note that this does not include spells cast on the player by his/her own stupidity, such as quaffing a nasty potion. This ability increases with the level of the character, then again, most high level creatures are better at casting spells, so it tends to even out. Stealth The ability to move about silently 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. Disarming Disarming is the ability to remove traps (safely), and includes picking locks on chests and doors. Note, a successful disarming will gain the character some experience. The character must find a trap before it can be disarmed. Dexterity and intelligence both modify the ability to disarm an object. This ability increases with the level of the character. 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. 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. 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 good at it. Intelligence modifies the character's searching ability. This ability will also increase with character level. 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. Note that the majority of MORIA's creatures are cold blooded, and will not be detected unless illuminated by a light source. 2.1.4. Choosing A Race In MORIA, there are eight different races from which the player may select. Some races are restricted as to the professions they may pursue. Each race has its own adjustments to the character's stats and abilities. Human The Human is the base character race, and upon which, all other races are compared. 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 (they don't have time to frolic in the woods). No racial adjustments occur to characters choosing human. Half-Elf Half-Elves tend to be smarter and faster than a human, but not as strong. Half-Elves, when compared to humans, are slightly better at searching, disarming, perception, stealth, and magic, but they are not as good at fighting with hand weapons. Half-Elves may choose any class. Elf Elves are better magicians than 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 fighting with hand weapons. Elves may choose any class except Paladin. Halfling Halflings, or Hobbits, 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 thieves (but prefer to be called burglars...). They are much weaker than humans, and no good at bashing. Halflings have fair infra-vision, so they can detect warm blooded creatures at a distance. Halflings can choose among the Warrior, Mage or Rogue classes. Gnome Gnomes are smaller than Dwarves, 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 strengths and constitutions than humans so they are not very good at fighting with hand weapons. Gnomes have fair infra-vision, so can detect warm creatures at a distance. A gnome may choose to be a Warrior, Mage, Priest, or Rogue. Dwarf Dwarves are the headstrong miners and fighters of legend. Since dungeons are the natural home of Dwarves, they are an excellent choice for a Warrior or Priest. Dwarves tend to be stronger, have higher constitutions, but be 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 good infra-vision because they live underground. They do have one big drawback though. Dwarves are loud-mouthed and proud, often singing in loud voices, or arguing with themselves for no good reason, sometimes screaming out challenges at imagined foes. In other words, Dwarves have miserable stealth. 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 Priests and Rogues for the simple reason that Half-Orcs tend to have great constitutions and lots of hit points. 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 even a Half-Orc grimaces in their presence. They also happen to be fun to run... 2.1.4.1. Chart 1: Race vs Skills And Stats Stat Modifications due to race: Race Str Int Wis Dex Con Chr Hit Die Required Exp/level 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% 2.1.5. Choosing A Class 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. 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. his/her prime stats are strength and constitution; also, a good dexterity can really help at times. A Warrior will be good at fighting and throwing/bows, but bad at most other skills. Mage A Mage must live by his/her wits. He cannot hope to simply hack his way through the dungeon, and so must therefore use his/her magic to defeat, deceive, confuse, and escape. A Mage is not really complete without a golf-cart of magical devices to use in addition to his/her spells. He can master the higher level magical devices far more easily than anyone else, and has the best saving throw to resist effects of spells cast at him. Intelligence and dexterity are his/her primary stats. There is no rule that says a mage cannot become a good Warrior, but spells are his/her true realm. Priest A Priest is a character of holy devotion. He explores the dungeon only to destroy the evil that lurks within, and if treasure just happens to fall into his/her pack, well, so much more to the glory of his/her church! A Priest receives spells from a deity, and therefore can not choose which spell he will learn. He is familiar with magical devices, preferring to call them instruments of God, but is not as good as a Mage in their use. Priests have good saving throws, and make decent Warriors, preferring blunt weapons over edged ones. Wisdom and charisma are the Priest's primary stats. Rogue A Rogue is Warrior/Mage. He prefers to live by his/her cunning, but is capable of fighting and/or casting his/her 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 to 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 a dual class character; it takes him much longer to advance than all other classes with the exception of Rangers. Rogues are better at hand to hand fighting than Rangers but not as good with missle weapons. A Rogue is better than a Warrior or a Paladin with magical devices , but still can not rely on their performance. Rogue's may learn some, but not all magic spells. A Rogue's primary stats are strength, intelligence and dexterity. Ranger A Ranger is also a Warrior/Mage. He is a good Warrior, and the best of the classes with a missile weapon such as a bow. Like the Rogue, the Ranger is also a multiple class character who learns spells much more slowly than a Mage. Rangers, however, can learn more spells than Rogues and are capable of learning all but the most powerful magic spells. The primary stats of a Ranger are intelligence and dexterity. Paladin A Paladin is a Warrior/Priest. He is a very good fighter, second only to the Warrior class, but not very good at missile weapons. "Holy weapons" were created specifically for Paladins and with one a Paladin becomes truly an awesome force. He receives prayers at a slower pace then the Priest, and can receive all but the most powerful prayers. 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, perception, searching, and magical devices. He has a decent saving throw due to his/her divine alliance. His/her primary stats are strength and charisma. 2.1.5.1. Chart 2 : Race vs Class CLASS Race Warrior Mage Priest Rogue Ranger Paladin Human Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Half-Elf Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No 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 2.1.5.2. Chart 3 : Class vs Skills Abilities as compared to each other: 1 is lowest, or worst; 10 is highest, or best. Save Magic Req. Race Fight Bows Throw Stlth Disarm Device Percep Search Exp. Warrior 10 6 3 2 3 3 2 2 +0% Mage 2 1 10 5 8 10 8 5 +20% Priest 4 3 7 5 4 7 4 4 +10% Rogue 8 9 7 10 10 7 10 10 +15% Ranger 6 10 7 7 6 7 6 6 +50% Paladin 10 5 4 2 2 4 4 2 +40% 3. Adventuring After you have created your character, you will begin your MORIA adventure. Symbols appearing on your screen will represent the dungeon's walls and floor, objects and features, and creatures lurking about. In order to direct your character through his/her adventure, you will enter single character commands. 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. 3.1. Symbols On Your Map 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 Monsters which may or may not move about the dungeon, and are mostly harmful to your character's well being. Note that 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. It will not be necessary to remember all of the symbols and their meanings. Utilizing the slash command ("/") and clicking on the object in question with the mouse, will identify that character appearing on your map. A list of commands and monsters is always available by hitting the "?" or the "h" keys. See the section on commands for further help. 3.1.1. Commands All commands are entered by pressing a single key, a control sequence (holding down the control key while pressing a key) or by selecting a command from the pull down menus. If a particular command requires additional action, a prompt will appear. 3.1.1.1. Note On <Dir> In the following instructions, the symbol <Dir> refers to a numeric direction based on your keypad. It is not valid to use the number "5" in this context. One exception to this is with movement, in which case "5" will rest the character for one turn. Commands which require a direction will not prompt you for one, unless you input an illegal direction. Just enter a direction after the entering the command. 3.1.1.2. Movement Movement is accomplished by using your numeric keypad. Simply press a number and your character will move one step in that direction. Pressing a "5" is equivalent to waiting for one round (more efficient resting over long periods of time is accomplished by using the Rest command). You can only move onto and through floor spots, and only if they contain no creatures or obstructing objects such as a closed door. Moving your character one step at a time can be time consuming and boring, so a faster method has been supplied. By using the Move command "." (period), you may move in a direction until something interesting happens. For instance, by pressing the period key "." followed by the direction 8, your character would continue to move up the screen, only coming to a stop after at least one of the following conditions is satisified. These conditions are: 1) A creature appears upon the screen, or a creature already on the screen moves. 2) You move next to an object, or feature such as a door,staircase, or trap. 3) You come to a wall, and have more than one choice of directions from which to continue, or are in a deadend passage. 4) You come to a junction of several passages. - Movement Directions - 7 8 9 \ | / 4 - - 6 5 rests the character for one turn. / | \ 1 2 3 The Continuous Move Mode, activated from either the Mode Menu or by hitting a colon (:), is simply an extension of the move mode. Once the Continous Move Mode is activated the period (.) key does not have to be depressed each time the player decides to move more than one space in any direction. 3.1.1.2.1 The following section describes each of the commands that are available to MORIA players. Also note that all these commands have a menu item equivalent and that they are case sensitive: B <Dir> - Bash The Bash command includes breaking open doors and chests, or bashing an opponent. Two main factors determine the ability of a character to bash, their weight and their 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 the character 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. Note that bashing a door open will permanently break it. Bashing a creature has effects on both the player and his/her opponent. Depending on a character's dexterity, he may or may not be thrown off-balance allowing free moves to his/her opponents. If the bash is successful, the opponent will be thrown off-balance for 1 to 3 turns, thus allowing the character free hits or a chance to run. A player automatically performs a shield bash instead of a body bash if he is currently weilding a shield. A shield bash adds damage caused by shield to that of the bash, so it is more effective than just a body bash. Note that size and material both affect the damage that a shield will do. A chest may also be bashed open. There is, however, a good chance that the chest along with its contents will be destroyed in the attempt. C - Print character (to the screen or to a file) This command allows the player to display his/her character on the screen or to print an entire character info listing to a file. If printed to a file, history, equipment list, and an inventory list are included. 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 disarm a trap after finding it with the Search command. (If you are perseptive enough, traps may be found by simply looking at the object in question.) E - Eat some food. A character must eat occasionally to remain effective. As a character grows hungry, a message will appear in yellow at the bottom left hand corner of the screen saying `Hungry'. If a character remains hungry long enough, he will become weak and start fainting. Eventually a character can starve to death 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 7199 turns of light, and each flask has approximately 3600 turns of oil contained in it. G - Grovel When all else fails Grovel! Throw yourself at the mercy of the gods. Any character class or race may grovel in dire situations, but remember, it sometimes takes a while for the gods to hear your whimpering and when they do...well...let's just say the gods aren't overly fond of whining, cowards. However, it's better to be a live coward than a dead hero - right? L - Display map coordinates. The Location command will display your character's current coordinates as shown on a printed map (printed with the "P" command). Sectors contain up to 44 rows by 99 columns each. The Location command will display the character's current row and column map coordinates, as well as the sector number. P - Print map to file. The Print command will write an entire map of the dungeon floor explored to a file. Since the dungeon floor is large, the map is broken up into sectors, each containing up to 44 rows by 99 columns. R - Rest for a number of turns. You may rest one turn by pressing the "5" key. Resting 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 specified duration has expired, until the character's mana, hit points, and "state" (confused, blind, afraid, etc.) are returned to normal or until something to wake the character occurs, such as a creature wandering by. It is sometimes a good idea to rest a beat-up character until he regains some of his/her hit points and/or mana, but be sure to have plenty of food if you rest often. S - Searching. There are two types of searches available to characters. The first, initiated by pressing "shift S" or the minus sign "-" from the keypad toggles the general searching mode on and off. This mode allows the character to do a general search as he moves for such things as secret doors and/or traps. When in this mode the message "Searching" will appear at the bottom of the screen in the middle. The character is now taking two turns for each command, one for the command and one turn to search about him. Note that this means he is 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. Otherwise you may turn off search mode by again pressing the "shift S" key or by pressing the minus sign "-" on the keypad.) T <Dir> - Tunnel through rock. 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. Permanent Rock is exactly that, permanent and it can not be tunneled through. Granite is very hard, therefore hard to dig through, and contains novaluable metals. Magma and quartz veins are softer and sometimes bear valuable metals and gems. You can tell if the metal or gems are embedded into the wall by trying to move into them. If you can't move over them, you'll have to dig them out. Quartz veins are indicated by white flecks in the wall while magma is composed of black flecks. Tunneling is very difficult with most weapons and is impossible by hand, so when you dig be sure to wield either a shovel or a pick. Magical shovels and picks can be found which allow the wielder to dig much faster than normal, and a good strength also helps. It is sometimes possible to get a character trapped within the dungeon by using various magical spells and items. So it is a very good idea to always carry some kind of digging tool, even when you are not planning on tunneling for treasure. a <Dir> - Aim a wand. Wands must be aimed in a direction to be used. Wands are a magical device and therefore use the Magical Devices ability of the player. They will either affect the first object/creature encountered, or affect anything in a given direction, depending upon the wand. An obstruction such as door or wall will general stop the effects of a wand from traveling further. b - Browse a book. You can only browse (read) a book if you are of its realm. Therefore a Magic User could read a magic book, but not a holy (Priest's) book. Warrior's are unable to read either kind of book. When the Browse command is used, all of the spells or prayers contained in the book along with information about them, such as the level required, the amount of mana required, and whether or not a given spell or prayer is known, will be displayed. Currently there are a total of 31 different magical spells in four books, and 31 different prayers in four books. c <dir> - Close a door. Non-intelligent and certain other creatures are unable to open doors. Therefore shutting doors can be a life saver. You must be adjacent to an open door to close it, and you cannot close broken doors. Note that bashing a door enough times will break it down forever rendering it impossible to close. d - Drop an object from you inventory. You can drop a single object onto the floor beneath you provided that spot does not already contain another object. Note that doors and traps are considered objects in this sense. If you drop an object such as a potion or scroll, a single one is dropped onto the floor at a time. Group objects such as arrows are all dropped at once onto the floor. e - Display a list of equipment being used. Use the <e>quipment command to display a list of objects currently being used by your character. Note that each object has a specific place where it is placed, and that only one object of each type may be used at anyone time, except rings of which two can be worn, one on each hand. f <Dir> - Fire an object/Use a missile weapon. You may throw any object carried by your character. Depending uponthe weight of an object, it may travel across a room or drop down beside you. If you fire an object such as an arrow, only one can be thrown at a time. If you throw at a creature, your chance of hitting the creature is determined by your bonus to hit, your ability at throwing, and the object's bonus to hit. Once the creature is hit, the object may or may not do any actual damage to it. (Sometimes a thrown object will only serve to irritate a creature.) Certain objects in the dungeon can do great amounts of damage when thrown, but it's for you to figure out the obscure ones. Oil flasks are considered to be lit before thrown, therefore they will do fire damage to a creature if they hit it. To use a bow with arrows, simply wield the bow and throw the arrows. Extra bonus to hit and damage are gained by wielding the proper weapon and throwing the correct ammunition. A heavy crossbow with bolts, for example, is a killer. Thrown objects may disappear, never to return, so be careful what you throw. h - help screens The "h" command displays a quick reference help page of all the commands used in the game as well as a listing of what each of the creatures looks like. i - Inventory of objects being carried. The Inventory command displays a list of all objects being carried, but not in current use. You may carry up to 22 different kinds of objects, not including those in your equipment list. Depending upon your strength, you will be able carry many identical objects before hitting your weight limit. j <Dir> - Jam a door with an iron spike. Most humanoid and many intelligent creatures can simply open a closed door, and can eventually get through a locked door. Therefore you may spike a door in order to jam it. Each spike used on a door will increase it's strength. It is very easy to jam a door so much as to make it impossible for your character to bash it down, so spike doors wisely. Note that the bigger a creature is, the more easily it can bash a door down. Therefore four or more spikes might be necessary to slow down a small dragon, where one spike would slow down a kobold. k - Color messages ON/OFF toggle The "k" command toggles the color messages option ON and OFF. The default state for the color messages option is ON. If the "k" is pressed while the color messages are ON all succeeding messages will be in WHITE. If the "k" command is selected while the color messages are OFF all succeding messages will be in color. l <Dir> - Look in a direction. The Look command is useful in identifying the exact type of object or creature shown on the screen. Also, if a creature is on top of an object, the Look command will describe both. You can see creatures and objects up to 200 feet away (20 units). Note that you may freely use the Look command without the creatures getting a move on you. m - Cast a magic spell. First, a character must have learned a spell before he can cast it. Next, when casting a spell, he must read the spell from a book, so a book containing that spell must be in his/her inventory. Each spell has a chance of failure which starts out fairly large but decreases as a character gains levels. If a character does not have the available mana, he increases his/her chance of failure, and gambles on losing a point of constitution. Note that since a character must read the spell from a book, he cannot be blind or confused when casting a spell, and there must be some light present. o <Dir> - Open a door, chest, or lock. To open an object such as a door or chest you must use the Open command. If the object is locked, the Open command will attempt to pick the lock, based on your ability at disarming. If an object is trapped and you open it, the trap will be set off. p - Read a prayer. First, a character must have learned a prayer before he can read it. Next, when reading a prayer, he must have the book containing the prayer in his/her inventory. Each prayer has a chance of failure which starts out fairly large but decreases as a character gains levels. If a character does not have the available mana, he increases his/her chance of failure and gambles on losing a point of constitution. Note that since a character must read the prayer from a book he cannot be blind or confused and there must be some light present. q - Quaff a potion. To drink a potion use the Quaff command. Each potion affects the player in some manner. The effects of the potion may be immediately noticed, or they may be subtle and go unnoticed. r - Read a scroll. To read a scroll use the Read command. A scroll spell has an area affect, except in a few cases such as identify scrolls which act on other objects. Note that two scrolls, the identify scroll and the recharge scroll, have titles which can be read without setting them off, and by pressing <ESCAPE> can be saved for future use. s - Search specific area for one turn. This is the second type of Search mode. The Search command can be used to locate hidden traps and secret doors about the player. Note that more than a single turn of searching will be required in most cases. You should always search a chest before trying to open it because they are generally trapped. t - Take off a piece of equipment. Use the Take-off command to remove an object from use, and return it to your inventory. Occasionally you will run into a cursed item which cannot be removed. Cursed items are almost always bad (Riddle: When is a cursed item good?), and can only be taken off after removing the curse with the remove curse spell or by reading the remove curse scroll. u - Use a staff. The Use command will attempt to activate the specified staff. Like scrolls, most staves have an area affect, and have a chance of failure. Because staves are generally more powerful than most other items, they are also harder to use correctly (Warriors have lots of problems). v - Display current version of game. This command displays the credits for the current version of MORIA. w - Wear or wield an item being carried. To wear or wield an object in your inventory, use the Wear/Wield command. If an object is already in use for the same function, it is automatically removed first. Note that an objects bonuses cannot be gained until it is worn or wielded. x - Exchange primary and secondary weapons. A secondary weapon is any weapon which may be needed often. Instead of searching through your inventory, you may use the Exchange command to keep the weapon ready. For instance, if you wanted to use your bow most of the time, but needed a sword for close combat, you could wield your sword, use the Exchange command to make it the secondary weapon, then wield your bow. If the sword was suddenly needed, simply use the Exchange command to switch between the bow and the sword. , - Pickup mode The "," (comma) command toggles the pickup mode ON and OFF. If the pickup mode is enabled when an adventurer steps on an object he will automatically pick it up (or at least attempt to). If the pickup mode is disabled then the adventurer will "step over" objects (not pick them up). However, if the pickup mode is disabled and the adventurer presses "5" (stay in the same place) while over an object he will pick it up. / - Identify a character shown on screen. Use the Identify command to find out what a character displayed on the screen is. The identify command may be used in conjunction with the mouse so that an object or creature may be identified by first presing the "/" (slash) and then clicking on it with the mouse. ? - Display the help screen. The "?" (question mark) command displays a quick reference help page of all the commands used in the game, as well as a listing of what each of the creatures look like. ^k - Quit the game without saving. If you have a character that you no longer wish to play (you want to get rid of the bum) you can simply type a <control>-k and confirm your request. Once you exit in this manner, your character can not be recovered. A prompt is provided to make sure that you really want to quit and did not enter this mode inadvertantly. ^m/^M - Repeat last message. The <control>-m (<Return> and <Enter>), command will sequentially retrieve up to last twenty-six commands, in the reverse order of which they were given. ^r/^R - Redraw the screen. To redraw the entire screen, use the <control>-R command. ^x/^X - Save your character and quit the game. To save your game so that it can be restarted later, use the <control>-X command. The save file can be moved about at will, but can not be edited. The save command allows to view all the files on the disk, so that you can verify that your character file will be saved to the appropriate location. Note that the name of the character is used as the default file name. $ - Shell out of game. (Not implimented - this is why God invented multitasking). < - Go up an up-staircase. If you move onto an up-staircase you may use the "<" (less-than) command to go up one, or more, levels. There is always at least one staircase going up on every level, except for the town level (this does not mean they're easy to find). Going up a staircase will always take you to a new dungeon area, except for the town level, which remains the same, with the exception of shop placement, for the duration of your character. > - Go down a down-staircase. If you are at the top of a down-staircase you may use the ">" (greater-than) command to go down one, or more, level. The dungeon is very dank and dark and sometimes characters, lacking adequate perceptual cues, unknowingly go down multiple levels. There are always two or three staircases going down on each level, except the town level which has only one. Going down will always take you to a new dungeon area, and according to some rumors, there are over 1200 levels, so watch your step. . <Dir> - Move in direction. The Move command "." will move you in the indicated direction until any one of several conditions happen. These conditions include, a creature appearing on the screen, a creature moving, that is already on the screen, an object or feature such as a door, a staircase, or a visible trap is adjacent to the character, the character comes in a junction of passages, or the character comes to a wall with no choice or more than one choice of continuing directions. : - Movement mode The continuous move mode allows the player to move in any direction, without having to press the period key, until one of the conditions, described in the preceeding pargraph, occurs. The default on the continuous move mode is OFF. The continuous move mode is toggled ON and OFF by pressing the ":" (colon) key. MORIA Commands a Aim and fire a wand b Browse a book c<dir> Close a door d Drop an item. e Equipment list f Fire/Throw an item g grovel i Inventory list j<dir> Jam a door with spike k Color message toggle l<dir> Look a given direction m Cast a magic spell o<dir> Open a door/chest p Read a prayer. q Quaff a potion r Read a scroll s Search for hidden t Take off an item doors u Use a staff v Version and credits w Wear/Wield an item x Exchange weapon B<dir> Bash (object/creature) C Display character D<dir> Disarm a trap/chest E Eat some food F Fill lamp with oil L Current location P Print map R Rest for a period S Search Mode T<dir> Tunnel ^M Repeat the last message ^R Redraw the screen ^W Message delay time ^Y Quit the game ^X Save character and quit , Pickup mode / Identify an character ? Display help panel : Movement mode .<dir> Move in specified direction < Go up an up-staircase > Go down a down-staircase Movement: 7 8 9 4 6 5 = Rest. 1 2 3 3.1.2. The Town Level The town level is where you will begin your adventure. The town consists of six buildings, each with an entrance, some town's people and a wall which surrounds the town. The first time you are in town, it will be daytime, but you may return to find that darkness has fallen. Note that some spells may act differently in the town level. 3.1.2.1. Town's People The town contains many different kinds of people. There are the street urchins, young children who will mob an adventurer for money, and seem to come out of the woodwork when excited. Blubbering Idiots which are a constant annoyance, but not harmful. Public drunks which wander about the town singing, and are of no threat to anyone. Sneaky Rogues, which hang about watching for likely victims to mug. And finally, what town would be complete without a swarm of half drunk Warriors, who take offense or become annoyed just for the fun of it. Most of the towns people should be avoided by the greatest possible distance when you wander from store to store. Fights will break out though, so be prepared. Since your character grew up in this world of intrigue, no experience is awarded for killing on the town level. 3.1.2.2. Supplies Your character will begin his/her adventure already equiped with some supplies. Use the Inventory "i" command to check which supplies he/she has. It will be necessary to buy other supplies before continuing to the dungeon, so be sure to enter each of the stores. 3.1.2.3. Town Buildings You may enter any of the stores, if they are open, and barter with the owner for items you can afford. But be warned, the owners can be easily insulted, and may even throw you out for a while, if you insult them too often. To enter a store, simply move onto the entrance. Once inside a store, its inventory will appear on the screen. You may browse the store's inventory, if it takes more than one page to display, and you may sell, or purchase, items in its inventory. You can execute your <I>nventory and <E>quipment commands to see what you are carrying. The <W>ear, <T>ake-off, and E<x>change commands will also work. In order to purchase an item, the player simply enters the <p>urchase command, selects the desired item (type the letter at the beginning of the line). The store owner will state the asking price, and query you for your offer (don't be to greedy, or you may get kicked out). The process is repeated until you and the owner agree on a final price. As the you purchase more and more items, you will notice that the owner will give you increasingly better deals on the items that you wish to purchase, up to a point. Once you have bartered with a store owner a sufficient number of times (it depends on how far you push the deals), the owner will reach a point were he will immediately give you his best price (this saves a LOT of time in the stores). Note that if you wish to terminate the bartering process, you simply enter the <Esc> key at any time. Not only can a player purchase items from a store, he/she may also sell an item to the store. This is accomplished in much the same way as purchasing an item; the player enters the <s>ell command, selects the item in their inventory that they wish to sell, then starts the bartering process. As in the case of player purchases, the store owner will progressively make the player better initial offers, up to the best offer point. As in the case of purchasing, the player may terminate bartering at any time, by using the <Esc> key. Stores do not always have everything in stock. As the game progresses, they may get new items, so check from time to time. Also, if you sell them an item, it may get sold to another customer while you are adventuring, so don't always expect to be able to get back anything you have sold. (Hint: buy items when you see them.) Store owners will not buy harmful or useless items. If an object is unidentified, they will pay you some base price for it. Once they have bought it they will immediately identify the object. If it is a good object, they will add it to their inventory. If it was a bad purchase, they simply throw the item away. In any case, you may receive some knowledge of the item if another is encountered. At sunrise, and sunset, the stores close for a time to renew their inventories. A store can be bought out of an item immediately before it closes and after it reopens it might again have the desired item. In addition, stores renew their inventories from time to time during the day and night to better serve adventurers. The General Store The General Store sells foods, drinks, some clothing, torches, lamps, oil, spikes, and occasionally books. All of these items, and others, with the exception of books, can be sold back to the General store for money. The Armory The Armory is where the town's armor is fashioned. All sorts of protective gear may be bought, and sold, here. The Weaponsmith's Shop The Weaponsmith's Shop is where the town's weapons are fashioned. Hand, and missile weapons, may be purchased and sold here, along with arrows, bolts, and shots. The Temple The Temple deals in healing and restoration potions, as well as blessing scrolls, word-of-recall scrolls, some approved Priestly weapons, holy books, etc. The Alchemy shop The Alchemy Shop deals in all manner of potions and scrolls (this is your basic non-addictive drug dealer). The Magic User's Shop The Magic User's Shop is the most expensive of all the stores. It deals in all sorts of rings, wands, amulets, and staves as well as books of magic spells, scrolls and potions (don't bother with this store unless your have gold just burning a hole in your pouch). 3.1.3. Within The Dungeon Once your character is adequately supplied with food, light, armor, and weapons, he is ready to enter the dungeon. Move on top of the down-staircase and use the Down ">" command. Your character passes through a one-way door, and enters a maze of interconnecting staircases. He/she is now on the first level of the dungeon (50 feet), and must survive many horrible, and challenging, encounters to find the treasures that lie within. 3.1.3.1. Light There are two sources for light once inside the dungeon. Permanent light which has been magically placed within rooms, and a light source carried by the player. If neither is present, the character will be unable to map or see any attackers. Lack of light will also affect searching, picking locks, and disarming. A character must wield a torch or lamp in order to supply his/her own light. Once a torch or lamp has only 50 or less turns left before burning out, the message "Your light is getting low" will be displayed at random intervals. Once a torch is burnt out, it is useless and can be dropped. A lantern can be refilled with oil by using the <F>ill command. You must of course be carrying extra oil to refill a lantern. Don't count on surviving long without light (try walking aroung in a basement with the lights out)! 3.1.3.2. Attacking And Being Attacked Attacking is simple in MORIA. If you move into a creature, you attack him. You can attack from a distance by firing a missile, or by magical means, such as aiming a wand. Creatures attack in the same way, if they move into you, they attack you. Some creatures can cast spells from a distance, and dragon type creatures can breath from a distance, but these are the only exceptions. Note that a creature does not have to be visible on the screen to attack you (I don't mean to spook you). If you are wielding a weapon, the damage for the weapon is used when you hit the creature. If you are wielding no weapons, you get two fist strikes. Note that very strong creatures can do a lot of damage with their fists. A character may have a primary and secondary weapon. A secondary weapon is kept on the belt, or on the shoulder for immediate use. You can switch between your primary and secondary weapons by using the e<x>change command. Be sure you are wielding the proper weapon when fighting, hitting a dragon over the head with a bow, or shovel, will simply make him mad, and you dead. Missile weapons, such as bows, can be wielded, and then the proper missile, in this case an arrow, can be fired across the room into a target. Missiles can be used without the proper missile weapon, but used together they have a greater range and do far more damage. Hits and misses are determined by ability to hit vs the creatures armor class. A miss doesn't necessarily mean you failed to hit the target, but only that you failed to do any damage. Therefore, a "hit" is a strike that does some damage. Higher armor classes make it harder to do damage, therefore more misses occur. 3.1.3.2.1. Your Weapon Carrying a weapon in your backpack does you no good. You must wield a weapon before it can be used in a fight. Note that a secondary weapon can be kept by wielding it and then using the e<x>change command. A secondary weapon is not in use, simply ready to be switched with the current weapon if needed. Weapons have two main characteristics; their ability to hit and their ability to do damage, expressed as "(+#,+#)". A normal weapon would be "(+0,+0)". Many weapons in MORIA have magical bonuses to hit and/or to damage. Some weapons are cursed, and have penalties that hurt the player. Note that cursed weapons can not be "unweilded" or exchanged until the curse is lifted. Missile weapons, such as bows, have only one major characteristic which is to hit, expressed "(+#)". This bonus to hit is added to that of the missile used, if the proper weapon-missiles combination are used. Although you receive any magical bonuses an unidentified weapon may possess when you wield it, those bonuses will not be added in to the displayed values of to-hit and to-damage on your character sheet. You must identify the weapon before the displayed values reflect the real values used. Finally, some rare weapons have special abilities. This are called ego weapons, and are feared by great and meek. An ego sword must be wielded to receive benefit of it's abilities. The special weapons are shown below: 1. Frost Brand - A magical weapon of ice that delivers a cold critical to heat-based creatures. 2. Flame Tongue - A magical weapon of flame that delivers a heat critical to cold-based creatures. 3. Slay Dragon - A Slay Dragon weapon is a special purpose weapon whose sole intent is to destroy dragon-kind. Therefore, when used against a dragon, the amount of damage done is greatly increased. 4. Slay Evil - A Slay Evil weapon is a special purpose weapon whose sole intent is to destoy all forms of evil. When used against an evil creature, either alive or undead, the damage done is greatly increased. 5. Slay Monster - A Slay Monster weapon is a special purpose weapon whose sole intent is to destroy all the vile monsters of the world. A monster is any creature not natural to the world. Therefore an Orc would be a monster, but a giant snake would not be. 6. Slay Undead - A Slay Undead weapon is a special purpose weapon whose sole intent is to destroy all forms of undead. This weapon is hated and feared by the intelligent undead, for a single blow from this weapon is capable of destroying them. 7. Defender - A magical weapon that actually helps the wielder defend himself, thus increasing his/her armor class. 8. Holy Avenger - A Holy Avenger is a very powerful weapon, especially in the hands of a Paladin. Holy Avengers have been known to increase several of the wielder's stats, to actually increase the wielder's armor class (because of the terror the weapon spawns in its foes), and to actually help the wielder to fight more effectively. 9. Holy Defender - A Holy Defender is weapon combining the attributes of a Defender, and a Holy Avenger. In the hands of any character, especially those of a Paladin, it provides near god like abilities. 10. Godly Might - Rumor has it that in a long ago time, far, far down in the dungeons beneath your little village, the gods created the most fearsome of all weapons to aid the hardest adventures in their noble quest. While these weapons were incredibly rare, perhaps found only once in every million weapons, they were capable of making the wielderinto a demi-god. A power so great, that even the Balrog feared them. But much time has passed since the gods saw fit to walk among men... and the Balrog shares his memories with no one... no one alive, at least. 3.1.3.2.2. Body And Shield Bashes Weight is the primary factor in being able to bash something, but strength plays a role, too. After bashing, a character may be off balance for several rounds depending upon his/her dexterity. Doors can be broken down by bashing them. Once a door is bashed open, it is forever useless and cannot be closed. Chests too may be bashed open, but be warned that the careless smashing of a chest often ruins the contents. Bashing open a chest will not disarm any traps it may contain, but does allow the strong and ignorant to see what is inside. Finally, a creature may be bashed. If a shield is being wielded, the bash is a shield bash and will do more damage. In either case, a bash may throw an opponent off balance for a number of rounds, allowing a player to get in a free hit or more. If the player is thrown off-balance, his/her opponent may get free hits on him. This is a risky attack. 3.1.3.2.3. Your Armor Class Armor class is a number that describes the amount and the quality of armor being worn. Non-magical armor types will generally run from about 1 to 40, but could become negative. Magical armor may confer upon the weilder an armor class greater than 40. The larger your armor class, the more protective it is. A negative armor class would actually help get you hit. Armor protects you in three manners. One, it makes you harder to be hit for damage. A hit for no damage is the same as a miss. Two, good armor will absorb some of the damage that your character would have taken. An armor class of 30 would absorb 30% of any damage meant for him. Cold, fire and acid damage are reduced by wearing body armor. It is obvious that a high armor class is a must for surviving the lower levels of MORIA. Each piece of armor has an armor class adjustment, and a magical bonus. Armor bought in town will have these values displayed with their description. Armor that is found within the dungeon must be identified before these values will be displayed. Armor class values are always displayed between a set of brackets "[x, +#]". The first value (x) is the armor class of the item. The second number is the magical bonus of the item, and will always have a sign preceding the value. There are a few cases where the form "[+#]" is used, meaning the object has no armor class, only a magical armor bonus if worn. The armor shown below possess special abilities: 1. Resist Acid - This magical ability is usually enchanted into armor, but may occasionally be found as an ability of a weapon. A character using such an object will take only a quarter damage from any acid thrown upon him. In addition, armor so enchanted will resist the acid's effects and not be damaged by it. 2. Resist Cold - This magical ability is also found in both weapons and armor. A character using a resist cold object will take only half damage from frost and cold. 3. Resist Fire - This magical ability is found in both weapons and armor. A character using a resist fire object will take only one quarter damage from heat and fire. 4. Resist Lightning - This magical ability is found in both weapons and armor. A character using a resist lightning object will take only one quarter damage from electrical attacks. 5. Resist - This magical ability is found only in armor. A character wearing armor with this ability will have resistance to Acid, Cold, Fire, and Lightning as explained in each part above. Armor has weight and encumberance. Armor heavier that soft leather affects the ability to hit other creatures because of its encumberance. The higher a player's armor class the less other items he can carry. 3.1.3.3. Objects Found In The Dungeon The mines are full of objects just waiting to be picked up and used. How did they get there? Well, the main source for useful items are all the foolish adventurers that proceeded into the dungeon before you. They get killed, and the helpful monsters scatter the various treasure throughout the dungeon. Most cursed items are placed there by the joyful evil sorcerers, who enjoy a good joke when it gets you killed. You pick up objects by moving on top of them. You can carry up to 22 different items in your backpack while wearing and wielding many others. Note that although you are limited to 22 different items, you may be carrying several of each item restricted only by the amount of weight your character can carry. Your character's weight limit is determined by his/her strength. Only one object may occupy any one given floor location, which may or may not also contain one monster. Note that doors, traps, and staircases are considered objects for this purpose. Many objects found within the dungeon have special commands for their use. Wands must be Aimed, staves must be Used, scrolls must be Read, and potions must be Quaffed. In any case, you must first be able to carry an object before you can use it. Some objects, such as chests, are very complex. Chests contain other objects, and may be trapped and/or locked, as well as having hidden compartments. Read the list of player commands carefully for a further understanding of chests. One item in particular will be discussed here. The scroll of "Word of Recall" can be found within the dungeon, or bought at the Temple and Alchemy shop. It acts in two manners, depending upon your current location. If read while within the dungeon, it will teleport you back to town. If read while in town, it will teleport you back down to the deepest level of the dungeon that your character has previously been. This makes the scroll very useful for getting back to the deeper levels of MORIA. Once the scroll has been read, it takes a while for the spell to act, so don't expect it to save you in a crisis (try groveling in emergencies). And lastly, a final warning. Not all objects are what they seem. Skeletons lying peacefully about the dungeon have been known to get up... 3.1.3.4. Cursed Objects Some objects, mainly armor and weapons, have had curses laid upon them. These horrible objects will look like any other normal item, but will detract from your characters stats or abilities if worn. They will also be impossible to remove until a remove curse is done. When a cursed item has been identified, an asterisk "*" will appear next to the inventory letter of the item. If you should wear a cursed item, you will immediately know it is cursed and again the asterisk will appear. 3.1.3.5. Mining Much of the treasure within the dungeon can be found only by mining it out of the walls. Many rich strikes exist within each level, but must be found and mined. Quartz veins are the richest, yielding the most metals and gems, but magma veins will have some hordes hidden within. Mining is virtually impossible without a pick or shovel. Picks and shovels have an additional magical ability expressed as "(+#)". The higher the number, the better the magical digging ability of the tool. Note that a pick or shovel also has bonus to hit and damage, and can be used as a weapon if need be. When a vein of quartz or magma is located, the character should wield his/her pick or shovel and begin digging out a section. When that section is removed, he should locate another section of the vein, and begin the process again. Since granite rock is much harder to dig through, it is much faster to follow the vein exactly and dig around the granite. If the character has a scroll or staff of treasure location, he can immediately locate all strikes of treasure within a vein shown on the screen. This makes mining much easier and more profitable. 3.1.3.6. Staircases Staircases are the manner in which you get deeper, or climb out of the dungeon. An upstaircase is a stair with an arrow pointing up and a downstaircase is a stair with an arrow pointing down. You must move your character over the proper staircase before you can utilize it by pressing either the "<" or ">" key. Each level has at least one up staircase, and at least two downstaircases. There are no exceptions to this rule. You may have trouble finding some well hidden secret doors, but the stairs are there. (Warning: staircases may be destroyed by powerful weapons or magic!) 3.1.3.7. Secret Doors, Passages, And Rooms Many secret doors are used within the dungeon to confuse and demoralize adventurers foolish enough to enter. But with some luck, and lots of concentration, you can find these secret doors. Secret doors will sometimes hide rooms or corridors, or even entire sections of that level of the dungeon. Sometimes they simply hide small empty closets or even dead ends. Remember if worse comes to worse you can always Grovel (wimp). Creatures in the dungeon will generally know and use these secret doors. If they leave one open, you will be able to go right through it. If they close it behind them you will have to search for the catch first. Once a secret door has been discovered by you, it is drawn as a known door and no more searching will be required to use it. 3.1.3.8. Winning The Game Once your character has progressed into killing ancient dragons with but a mean glance and snap of his/her fingers, he MAY be ready to take on the Balrog. The Balrog will appear on every level after level 100 (5000 feet), so don't go down there until you are ready for him. The Balrog cannot be killed by some of the easier methods used on normal creatures. Because of the Balrog's cunning, he will teleport away to another level if a spell such as genocide is used upon him, and the Balrog cannot be polymorphed, slept, or charmed. Magical spells like coldball are effective against him as are weapons, but he is difficult to kill and if allowed to escape for a time can heal himself. Don't forget the Balrog is invisible! IF you should actually survive the attempt of killing the Balrog, you will receive the status of winner. (Yes, miracles can happen) Since you have defeated the toughest monster alive, your character is ready to retire and cannot be saved. When you quit the game, your character receives a surprise bonus score and is entered into the top-twenty file. Please let us know if you manage to defeat the Balrog. 3.1.3.9. Upon Death And Dying If your character falls below 0 hit points, he has died and cannot be restored. A tombstone showing information about your character will be displayed with the option to print the information to a file. After the tombstone, the top-twenty list of heroes is displayed. If your score beats any of the top-twenty, your character will join this elite rank of heroes. Otherwise, well, there is always next time...