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=== Creating a Character ===
Gumband is a roleplaying game, in which you, the player, control a character
in the world of Gumband. Perhaps the most important thing you control is
the birth of your character, in which you choose or allow to be chosen
various attributes that will affect the future life of your character.
Character creation, or birth, is controlled through a variety of choices
as to constraints on the type of character you wish to play, followed by
a series of random calculations to generate ("roll up") a random character
matching the appropriate constraints.
If you choose to play in "maximize" mode, the race and class stat bonuses
are applied as "equipment" bonuses. This usually makes the character harder
at the beginning of the game, but easier later on, since the stats are no
longer limited to a "natural" value of "18/100".
If you choose to play in "preserve" mode, all level feelings (granted when
you enter a new dungeon level) of the "special" variety are canceled, but
artifacts that are generated on a level, but not identified by you, to be
"found" by wandering monsters and dropped elsewhere in the dungeon.
If you choose to have a "quick start" to your game, your character will
begin with their armour (if any) enchanted to resist Electricity, Fire or
Cold, and their weapon enchanted with a minor Slay or elemental Brand. The
only penalty for taking this option is that your final score will be cut in
half.
If you choose to start your life as an astral being, your character will be
deposited at level 97 in the dungeon with a pile of Scrolls of Identify. He
or she will then have to make their way up, on foot, to the town in order to
become solid again - then they'll have to walk all the way back down in
order to fight the Sword Rulers. This may seem impossible, but until you
enter the town for the first time, your character will have telepathy, they
will be able to see invisible creatures, their digestion is slowed to a
managable rate, will be able to see in the dungeon as if it were as light as
day, and move at +10 speed and can pass through walls as if they were the
lightest of fogs, so all is not lost.
Once your character has been generated, you will be given the choice to
generate a new character obeying the same constraints, and once you have
generated more than one character, you can switch back and forth between
the two most recent characters, until you are presented with a personality
that you feel comfortable with.
You may start the entire process over at any time.
Once you have accepted a character you will asked to provide a name for the
character. In general, the actual choice of a name is not important, but do
keep in mind that it may have some effect on the game itself. For example,
on some machines, the chatacter name determines the filename that will be
used to save the character to disk. On others, the character name specifies
special "pref" files. And the character name is used on the high score list.
=== Character Characteristics ===
Each character has three primary attributes, sex, race, and class, that
are chosen before the character is generated, and which will stay fixed
for the entire life of that character. These attributes have many effects,
which will be mentioned as they come up. Please note that there are no
restrictions on which classes you can choose with which races.
Each character has a few secondary attributes, height, weight, social class,
and background history, which are randomly determined, but which are affected
by the sex and race of the character. In general, these attributes are only
used to provide "flavor" to the character, to assist in the roll playing, but
they do have a few minor effects on the game. For example, background history
affects social class, which affects the amount of money the character will
start with. And weight affects carrying capacity and bashing ability.
Each character also has six primary "stats", strength, intelligence, wisdom,
dexterity, constitution, and charisma, which modify the abilities of the
character in a variety of ways. Every stat has a numerical value, ranging
from a minimum of 3, up to a normal maximum of 18, and even higher, into
the "percentile" range, represented as "18/01" through "18/100". Actually,
every stat can be raised even above 18/100 by magical means, up to a pure
maximum of 18/220, which is represented as "18/***". Traditionally, a
percentile stat such as "18/50" has been though of as representing a value
part way between 18 and 19, and this is one way to think of them. However,
often, the best way to view the "bonus" values after the "18/" is as "tenth"
points, since it often takes the same magic to raise a stat from, say, 4 to 5,
or 16 to 17, as it does from, say, 18/40 to 18/50. The important thing to
remember is that almost all internal calculations "ignore" the final digit
of any "bonus", so that, for example, "18/40" and "18/49" are always have
the same effects. During character generation, each stat is rolled out as
a number from 8 to 17, with a normal distribution, and is then immediately
modified based on the race and class of the character.
Each character also has several primary "skills", disarming, magic devices,
saving throws, stealth, searching ability, searching frequency, fighting skill,
and shooting skill, which are derived from the character's race, class, level,
stats, and current equipment. These skills have rather obvious effects, but
will be described more completely below.
Each character may have one or more "racially intrinsic skills", based on
the race of the character. These may include special resistances, or even
abilities such as infravision.
Each character has experience, which increases as the character becomes more
experienced, and a level, which is based on experience, and also on race and
class. As the experience rises, so does the level, and as the level rises,
certain other abilities and characteristics rise as well. Deep down inside,
the real objective of the game is to increase your experience, and certain
other characteristics, and also to collect useful items, to give you a decent
chance against the great Serpent of Chaos. Certain monsters can "drain" your
experience, and thus your level, which will cause you to lose all of the
effects of the higher level. Luckily, you can restore drained experience
through magical means, or by simply regaining the experience all over again.
Each character has some gold, which can be used to buy items from the shops
in the town, and which can be obtained not only from selling items to the
shops, but also by taking it from dead monsters and by finding it hidden in
the dungeon. Each character starts out with some gold, the amount of which
is based on the characters social class (higher is better), charisma (higher
is better), sex (female characters start with more gold), and other stats
(less powerful characters start with more gold). Each character also starts
out with a few useful items, which may be kept, or sold to a shop-keeper for
more gold.
Each character has an armor class, representing how well the character can
avoid damage. The armor class is affected by dexterity and the equipment.
Each character has hit points, representing how much damage the character can
sustain before he dies. Your hit points are derived from your race, class,
level, and constitution, and can be temporarily boosted by magical means.
Hit points may be regained by resting, or by a variety of magical means.
Each character has spell points, or mana, which represents how many spells
(or prayers) a character can cast (or pray). Your spell points are derived
from your class, level, and intelligence (for spells) or wisdom (for prayers).
Spell points may be regained by resting, or by a few magical means.
=== Races ===
There are thirty different races that you can choose from in Gumband. Each
race has its own adjustments to a character's stats and abilities. Most
races also have intrinsic abilities.
Human
The human is the base character. All other races are com-
pared to them. Humans can choose any class and are average
at everything. Humans tend to go up levels faster than any
other race because of their shorter life spans. At level 15,
Humans are able to understand their own capabilities and
limits.
Half-Elf
Half-elves tend to be smarter and faster than a human, but
not as strong. Half-elves are slightly better at searching,
disarming, saving throws, stealth, bows, and magic, but they
are not as good at hand weapons. Half-elves may choose any
class. Starting at level 15, Half-elves are able to spot any
animals that may be nearby.
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, bows,
and magic, but they are not as good at hand weapons. Elves
may choose any class except Paladin. They resist light
effects intrinsically and, like Half-elves, are able to spot
nearby animals after they reach level 10.
Hobbits
Hobbits, or Halflings, 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 rogues, but prefer to be called burglars. They will be
much weaker than humans, and no good at melee fighting.
Halflings have fair infravision, so they can detect warm
creatures at a distance. Hobbits can choose between being a
warrior, mage, or rogue. They have their dexterity sustained.
They are very fond of food, and learn, in due time, to cook
a delicious meal from available ingredients.
Gnome
Gnomes are smaller than dwarves but larger than halflings.
They, like the halflings, live in the earth in burrow-like
homes. Gnomes make excellent mages, and have very good saving
throws. They are good at searching, disarming, perception,
and stealth. They have lower strength than humans so they
are not very good at fighting with hand weapons. Gnomes have
fair infra-vision, so they can detect warm-blooded creatures
at a distance. A gnome may choose between being a warrior,
mage, priest, or rogue. Gnomes are intrinsically protected
against paralysis and some slowing effects. At higher levels,
Gnomes learn to teleport at will.
Dwarf
Dwarves are the headstrong miners and fighters of legend.
Since dungeons are the natural home of a dwarf, they are
excellent choices for a warrior or priest. Dwarves tend to
be stronger and tougher but slower and less intelligent than
humans. Because they are so headstrong and are somewhat wise,
they resist spells which are cast on them. Dwarves also have
very good infra-vision because they live underground. They
do have one big drawback, though. Dwarves are loudmouthed and
proud, singing in loud voices, arguing with themselves for no
good reason, screaming out challenges at imagined foes. In
other words, dwarves have a miserable stealth. They can never
be blinded. Dwarves also learn to study the structure of a
dungeon, and can spot things that go unseen by the other races.
Half-Orc
Half-Orcs make excellent warriors and decent priests, but
are terrible at magic. They are as bad as dwarves at stealth,
and horrible at searching, disarming, and perception.
Half-Orcs are, let's face it, ugly. They tend to pay more for
goods in town. Half-Orcs do make good warriors and rogues,
for the simple reason that Half-Orcs tend to have great
constitutions and lots of hit points. Because of their
preference to living underground to on the surface, half-orcs
resist darkness attacks. Upon reaching experience level 3, a
half-orc learns to dispel any fear that may be upon him or her.
Half-Troll
Half-Trolls are incredibly strong, and have more hit points
than any other 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... Half-trolls always have
their strength sustained. At higher levels, Half-Trolls learn
to enter a berserk fury, and regenerate wounds automatically.
Gambolts
Gambolts are humanoids descended from felines, but I'd resist
the urge to rub its tummy or scratch it behind the ears, if I
were you. That doesn't amuse them. And wiggling a line of
string in front of their face or saying things like "Here,
pussy, pussy, pussy!" to one will really get a Gambolt angry
at you. Even though Gambolts as a species are rather stand-
offish, even among themselves, you just can't help but like
them. They are quite fast compared to most other races, are
very stealthy, and are easily the most agile and dexterous of
the known sentient races. They are competent at almost any
task they put a paw to. With their high Saving Throw, they
sometimes seem to have nine lives... Gambolts tend to be
extremely self-assured, some say excessively, and never had
much need for gods or those professions that cater to them,
such as Priests, Paladins, Chaos Warriors or Monks. At
higher levels Gambolts learn to actively charm other beings,
instead of just relying on their natural charisma.
High-Elf
High-elves are a race of immortal beings dating from the
beginning of time. They are masters of all skills, and are
strong and intelligent, although their wisdom is sometimes
suspect. They can play all classes except Paladin, and very
well at that. High-elves begin their lives able to see the
unseen, and resist light effects just like regular elves.
However, there are few things that they have not seen
already, and experience is very hard for them to gain.
Barbarian
Barbarians are hardy men of the north. They are fierce in
combat, and their wrath is feared throughout the world.
Combat is their life: they feel no fear, and they learn
to enter battle frenzy at will even sooner than half-trolls.
Barbarians are, however, suspicious of magic, which makes
magic devices fairly hard for them to use, and also makes
it impossible for them to play Mages. They cannot play
Paladins, either, because their wild bloodlust is totally
incompatible with the strict discipline of knighthood.
Half-Ogre
Half-Ogres are like Half-Orcs, but only more so. They
are big, bad, and stupid. For warriors, they have all
the necessary attributes, and they can even become
wizards: after all, they are related to Ogre Magi,
from whom they have learned the skill of setting
trapped runes once their level is high enough. Like Half-
Orcs, they resist darkness, and like Half-Trolls, they
have their strength sustained.
Half-Giant
Half-Giants are not too unusual, as there has been a
tradition according to which it is a noble and brave thing
to do to consort a giant (especially a giant-maid). Never-
theless, the poor offspring of such a union is seldom very
popular in the world of men. Their limited intelligence
makes it impossible for them to become full spellcasters,
but with their huge strength they make excellent warriors.
They also love to wander in the wilderness, and can become
rangers. No ordinary wall can withstand the fury of a giant,
or a half-giant, and at higher levels they can learn the
power of magical digging. Their thick skin makes them
resistant to shards, and like Half-Ogres and Half-Trolls,
they have their strength sustained.
Half-Titan
Half-mortal descendants of the mighty titans, these
immensely powerful creatures put almost any other race
to shame. They may lack the fascinating special powers
of certain other races, but their enhanced attributes
more than make up for that. They learn to estimate the
strengths of their foes, and their love for law and
order makes them resistant to the effects of Chaos.
Cyclops
With but one eye, a cyclops can see more than many
with two eyes. They are headstrong, and loud noises
bother them very little. They are not quite qualified
for the magic using professions, and due to a lack of depth
perception, they are rather bad marksmen.
Yeek
Yeeks are among the most pathetic creatures. Fortunately,
their horrible screams can scare away less confident foes,
and their skin becomes more and more resistant to acid,
as they gain experience. But having said that, even a
mediocre monster can proverbially wipe the floor with
an unwary yeek.
Klackon
Klackons are bizarre semi-intelligent ant-like insectoid
creatures. They make great servants and warriors, but
their mental abilities are severely limited. Obedient
and well-ordered, they can never be confused. They are
also very nimble, and become faster as they advance
levels. They are also very acidic, inherently resisting
acid, and capable of spitting acid at higher levels.
Kobold
Kobolds are a weak goblin race. They love poisoned weapons,
and can learn to throw poisoned darts (of which they carry
an unlimited supply). They are also inherently resistant to
poison, and can become adequate fighters, although they are
not one of the more powerful races.
Nibelung
The hated and persecuted race of nocturnal dwarves, these
cave-dwellers are not much bothered by darkness. Their
natural inclination to magical items has made them immune
to effects which could drain away magical energy, and like
ordinary dwarves, they can examine the dungeon to discover
traps and secret doors.
Dark Elf
Another dark, cave-dwelling race, likewise unhampered by
darkness attacks, the Dark Elves have a long tradition
and knowledge of magic. With their intelligence they can
become superb mages or priests, and they have an inherent
magic missile attack available to them at a low level. With
their keen sight, they also learn to see invisible things
as their relatives High-Elves do, but at a higher level.
Draconian
A humanoid race with dragon-like attributes. As they advance
levels, they gain new elemental resistances (up to Poison
Resistance), and they also have a breath weapon, which
becomes more powerful with experience. The exact type of
the breath weapon depends on the draconian's class and
level. With their wings, they can easily escape any pit
trap unharmed.
Mind Flayer
A secretive and mysterious ancient race. Their civilization
may well be older than any other on our planet, and their
intelligence and wisdom are naturally sustained, and are so
great that they enable Mind Flayers to become more powerful
spellcasters than any other race, even if their physical
attributes are a good deal less admirable. As they advance
levels, they gain the powers of See Invisible, Telepathy
and a mind blast attack.
Imp
A demon-creature from the nether-world, naturally resistant
to fire attacks, and capable of learning fire bolt and fire
ball attacks. They are little loved by other races, but
can perform fairly well in most professions.
Golem
A golem is an artificial creature, built from a lifeless
raw material like clay, and awakened to life. They are
nearly mindless, making them useless for professions which
rely on magic, but as warriors they are very tough. They
are resistant to poison and shards. Because of their
'birth' in a kiln or forge, Golems take little notice of
fire. Golems gain very little nutrition from ordinary food.
They need to collect scrolls of satisfy hunger, or perish of
exhaustion when the life force animating their body runs
out. Golems also have a natural armour class bonus, which
gets better as they increase in level and finish hardening,
as befits a creature made of iron, clay or other inorganic
materials. At level 20, and with extreme concentration, a
Golem may temporarily harden its outer surface even further.
Skeleton
There are two types of skeletons: the ordinary, warrior-
like skeletons, and the spell-using skeletons, which are
also called liches. As undead beings, skeletons need to
worry very little about poison or attacks that can drain
life. They do not really use eyes for perceiving things,
and are thus not fooled by invisibility. Their bones are
resistant to sharp shrapnels (not much to cut there),
and they will quickly become resistant to cold. Should
a skeleton be unlucky enough to lose some of his or her
remaining life, he or she will learn to restore it at
will. It is very hard for skeletons to eat food or drink
potions. Although the magical effects of these will affect
the skeleton even without entering the skeleton's (non-
existent) belly, the potion / food itself will fall through
the skeleton's jaws, giving no nutritional benefit.
Zombie
Much like Skeletons, Zombies too are undead horrors: they
are resistant to life-draining attacks, and can learn to
restore their life-force. Like skeletons, they become
resistant to cold-based attacks (actually earlier than
skeletons), resist poison and can see invisible. While
still vulnerable to cuts (unlike skeletons), Zombies are
resistant to Nether. Like golems, they gain very little
nutrition from the food of mortals. However, Zombies are,
as the name implies, practically mindless: in this company,
Groo would seem a genius.
Vampire
One of the mightier undead creatures, the Vampire is an
awe-inspiring sight. Yet this mighty creature has a serious
weakness: the bright rays of sun are its bane, and it will
need to flee the surface to the deep recesses of earth until
the sun finally sets. Darkness, on the other hand, only makes
the Vampire stronger. As undead, the Vampire has a firm hold
on its life force, and resists nether attacks. The Vampire
also resists cold and poison based attacks. It is, however,
susceptible to its perpetual hunger for fresh blood, which
can only be satiated by sucking the blood from a nearby
monster, which is the Vampire's special power. It should be
noted that the vampires are so sensitive to daylight that
wielding any sort of light item, even a lowly torch or
lantern, burns them terribly. Fortunately, the vampires do
not really need these items, since they radiate an aura of
'dark light' of their own. Light resistance will, in any
case, protect the vampire from the adverse effects of bright
light.
Spectre
Another powerful undead creature: the spectre is a ghastly
apparition, surrounded by an unearthly green glow. They exist
only partially on our plane of existence: half-corporeal,
they can pass through walls, although the density of the
wall will hurt them in the process of doing this. The spectre
can scream an eldritch howl, which is enough to scare lesser
monsters witless. As undead, they have a firm hold on their
life force, see invisible, and resist poison and cold. They
also resist nether; in fact, their half-corporeal form
actually grows stronger from the effects of nether. At
higher levels they develop telepathic abilities. Spectres
make superb spellcasters, but their physical form is very
weak. Like Golems and Zombies, Spectres gain almost no
nutrition from ordinary food.
Sprite
One of the several fairy races, sprites are very small.
They have tiny wings, and can fly over traps that may open
up beneath them. They enjoy sunlight intensely, and need
worry little about light based attacks. Although physically
among the weakest races, Sprites are very talented in magic,
and can become highly skilled wizards. Sprites have the
special power of spraying Sleeping Dust, and at higher
levels they learn to fly faster.
Beastman
This race is a blasphemous abomination produced by Chaos.
It is not an independent race but rather a humanoid creature,
most often a human, twisted by the Chaos, or a nightmarsh
crossbreed of a human and a beast. All Beastmen are accustomed
to Chaos so much that they are untroubled by confusion and
sound, although raw Logrus can still have effects on them.
Beastmen revel in Chaos, as it twists them more and more.
Beastmen are subject to mutations: when they have been
created, they receive a random mutation. After that, every
time they advance a level, or just randomly at the whim of
the Lords of Chaos, they have a chance to gain a new mutat-
ion - or lose the ones they already have.
=== Classes ===
Once a race has been chosen, you will need to pick a class. Some
classes will be shown in ()'s for certain races. These classes
are considered unthematic for that race. For example, Half-Trolls
tend not to be accepted by the world at large as Paladins. For
the first few adventures it is suggested that you run a warrior or
rogue. Spellcasting 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 prime stats
are Strength and Constitution, and a good Dexterity can
really help at times. A Warrior will be good at Fighting and
Throwing/Bows, but bad at most other skills. Since a Warrior
never spent any time learning magic, he or she had the time
to learn how to use their body armour to its fullest
potential (how to wear it so that it fits properly, where to
try and turn to catch blows on it so that they are less
likely to be hurt, etc.), and so gain a bonus to their Armour
Class equal to half of their body armour's natural AC.
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.
A mage can choose any two realms of magic in which he wishes
to specialize.
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
priest's primary stats.
There are two types of priests: the 'good' Priests who are
trained in Life magic, and the 'evil' dark Priests who have
chosen to study Death magic instead. In addition to their
primary realm of magic (Life or Death magic), they can
select a secondary realm from Trump, Nature, and Chaos.
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
magi can use. A rogue's primary stats are Intelligence and
Dexterity.
Rogues who wish to specialize as burglars can choose to
study Sorcery while Death magic is available to rogues who
wish to become Assassins. Rogues who study Trump magic are
known as card sharps.
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 spells.
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.
All rangers are trained in Nature magic.
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, but can even receive 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, per-
ception, searching, and magical devices. He has a decent
saving throw due to his divine alliance. His primary stats
are Strength and Charisma.
All paladins are trained in Life magic, and they regard the
realms of magic as the Devil's work. The variant class, the
"Death Knight", is trained in Death magic instead of Life
magic.
Warrior-Mage
A Warrior-Mage is precisely what the name suggests: a cross
between the warrior and mage classes. While their brothers,
the Rangers, specialize in Nature magic and survival skills,
true Warrior-Mages attempt to reach the best of both worlds:
as magicians, they are trained in Arcane magic, as warriors
they are much superior to the usual Mage class. The Warrior-
Mage is a fairly powerful class, which is recommended for the
players who want to cast spells but whose mages tend to die
too quickly. However, the power does not come without a
price: in spending so much time honing their fighting
abilities, Warrior-Magi are unable to channel as much mana as
the other spellcasting classes, and suffer a 25% penalty to
their available SP.
Chaos Warrior
Chaos Warriors are the feared servants of the terrible Demon
Lords of Chaos. Every Chaos Warrior has a Patron Demon, such
as Arioch, Mabelode or Balaan. Whenever a Chaos Warrior
advances a level, his Patron Demon may reward him with a
Gift of Chaos: he might be healed or polymorphed, his stats
could be increased, or he might be rewarded with an awesome
weapon. Or his Patron Demon might, for some reason, get
annoyed with him and do something fairly nasty to him, like
surround him with monsters, drain his stats or wreck his
equipment. Or they might simply ignore him. The Demon Lords
of Chaos are chaotic and unpredictable indeed. The exact
type of reward depends on the Patron Demon Lord (different
Demons give different rewards) and chance.
Chaos Warriors are very good fighters, but they are also
trained in Chaos magic, and can learn every Chaos spell.
Monk
The Monk character class is very different from all other
classes. Although they can use weapons and armour just like
any other class, their training in martial arts makes them
much more powerful with no armour nor weapons. To gain the
resistances necessary for survival at higher levels a monk
may need to wear some kind of armour, but if the armour he
wears is too heavy, it will severely disturb his martial
arts maneuvers. As the monk advances levels, new, powerful
forms of attack become available. His defensive capabilities
(blocking and dodging) increase likewise, but if armour is
being worn, their effect decreases. It is rumoured that the
monastic training even makes monks faster than any other
character class! Fortunately, also the amount of armour a
monk can wear, while still fighting efficiently, also
increases with experience.
There are three kinds of monasteries: those devoted to Life,
those devoted to Nature, and those devoted to Death. These
are the three possible realms of magic avaiilable to a monk,
who can learn every prayer in the realm of his choice.
Mindcrafter
The Mindcrafter is character who uses the powers of mind
instead of magic. These powers are unique to the Mindcrafter
class, and vary from simple extrasensory powers to mental
domination of others. Since these powers are developed by
the practice of certain disciplines, a Mindcrafter requires
no spellbooks to use them. The available powers are simply
determined by the character level. The Mindcrafter uses the
wisdom score to determine how well he / she can perform the
psychic powers, and in combat a Mindcrafter is roughly the
equivalent of a priest, although a Mindcrafter is never
penalized for wielding an edged weapon (unlike a priest).
High Mage
High Mages are specialist Mages of the highest order. In most
respects they are exactly like ordinary Mages, although their
spell stat is slightly higher. Instead of selecting two
realms of magic, a High Mage selects only one realm of magic
and studies it extremely well, gaining substantial benefits
in mana costs, minimum levels and failure rates. Since his or
her mind and body are not filled to capacity with spells due
to the lack of a second realm, they are able to store that
much more magical energy for casting spells and receive a 50%
bonus to their SP/mana.
Weaponmaster
The Weaponmaster is a Warrior who specializes in *ONE* class
of weapons, chosen by his or her Masters when the future
Weaponmaster begins training, based on a percieved need to
balance the number of specialists out there with each weapon
type. The training is so intense and specific that Weapon-
masters gain huge bonuses when fighting with their chosen
weapon, bonuses that increase with level. With any other
weapon, however, they are quite inept and never get more than
one extra blow (regardless of any other factors) with such
weapons. They aren't much good with bows or magical items,
either, since their training focused so intently upon their
specialty weapon. In most other respects they perform about
as well as a generalist Warrior.
=== Stats ===
Strength
Strength is important in fighting with weapons and in melee
combat. A high strength can improve your chances of hitting
as well as the amount of damage done with each hit. Char-
acters with low strengths may receive penalties. Strength
is also useful in tunneling and in carrying heavy items.
Intelligence
Intelligence affects the spellcasting abilities of mage-like
spellcasters, mages, rangers, and rogues. Intelligence
will affect the number of spells you may learn each level as
well as the number of spell points you receive. A high
intelligence may also improve your chances of successfully
casting a spell. You cannot learn spells if your intelligence
is 7 or lower. A good intelligence can also help with using
magic devices, picking locks, and disarming traps.
Wisdom
The primary function of wisdom is to determine the ability
of a priest or paladin to use prayers, just like intelligence
affects spellcasting. Again, high wisdom will increase the
number of spell points you have and increase the number of
prayers you can learn each level, while improving the chance
that a prayer will be successful. A good wisdom can also
help to improve your chances of resisting magical spells cast
upon you by monsters.
Dexterity
Dexterity is a combination of agility and quickness. A high
dexterity may allow a character to get multiple blows with
lighter weapons, thus greatly increasing his kill power, and
will increase his chances of hitting with any weapon and
dodging blows from enemies. Dexterity is also useful in
picking locks, disarming traps, and protecting yourself from
some of the thieves that inhabit the dungeons.
Constitution
Constitution is a character's ability to resist damage to his
body, and to recover from damage received. Therefore a
character with a high constitution will receive more hit
points and also recover them faster while resting.
Charisma
Charisma represents a character's personality and physical
appearance. A character with a high charisma will receive
better prices from store owners, whereas a character with a
very low charisma may be robbed blind. A high charisma will
also mean more starting money for the character.
=== Abilities (outdated) ===
Characters possess some different abilities which can help them
to survive. The starting abilities of a character are based upon
race and class. Abilities may be adjusted by high or low stats,
and may increase with the level of the character.
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.
Shooting Ability
Using ranged missile weapons (and throwing objects) is
included in this skill. Different stats apply to different
weapons, but this ability may modify the distance an object
is thrown/fired, the amount of damage done, and the ability
to hit a creature. This skill increases with the level of
the character.
Saving Throws
A Saving Throw is the ability of a character to resist the
effects of a spell cast on him by another person/creature.
This does not include spells cast on the player by his own
stupidity, such as quaffing a nasty potion. This ability
increases with the level of the character, but then most
high level creatures are better at casting spells, so it
tends to even out. A high wisdom also increases this abil-
ity.
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.
Disarming
Disarming is the ability to remove traps (safely), and
includes picking locks on traps and doors. A successful
disarming will gain the character some experience. A trap
must be found before it can be disarmed. Dexterity and
intelligence both modify the ability to disarm, and this
ability increases with the level of the character.
Magical Devices
Using a magical device such as a wand or staff requires
experience and knowledge. Spell users such as magi and
priests are therefore much better at using a magical device
than say a warrior. This skill is modified by intelligence,
and increases with the level of the character.
Searching Frequency (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 Ability (Searching)
To search is to actively look for secret doors, floor traps,
and traps on chests. Rogues are the best at searching, but
magi, rangers, and priests are also good at it. This skill
is based entirely upon race and class, and will never
improve unless magically enhanced.
=== Combinations of Race and Class (updated for Gumband 2.1.4) ===
These are the classes that are recommended for different races. You can
still select a race that is not in the chart, but these combinations are
either rather poor (like a zombie mage) or as a concept so silly that they
are not recommended. If you pick a combination that is not on the chart,
don't complain if things don't turn out as you expected them to.
Warrior Mage Priest Rogue Ranger Paladin Warrior Chaos
-Mage Warrior
Human Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Half-Elf Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Elf Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No
Hobbit Yes Yes No Yes No No No No
Gnome Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Dwarf Yes No Yes No No No No No
Half-Orc Yes No Yes Yes No No No Yes
Half-Troll Yes No Yes No No No No No
Gambolt Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Yes No
High-Elf Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No
Barbarian Yes No Yes Yes Yes No No Yes
Half-Ogre Yes Yes Yes No No No No No
Half-Giant Yes No No No Yes No No No
Half-Titan Yes Yes Yes No No Yes No No
Cyclops Yes No Yes No No No No No
Yeek Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Klackon Yes No No No Yes No No No
Kobold Yes No No Yes No No No No
Nibelung Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Dark Elf Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes
Draconian Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No
Mind Flayer No Yes Yes No No No Yes No
Imp Yes Yes No Yes No No Yes Yes
Golem Yes No No No No No No No
Skeleton Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Zombie Yes No No No No No No No
Vampire Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Spectre No Yes Yes Yes No No Yes No
Sprite No Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No
Beastman Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes
Mind- High
Monk crafter Mage Weaponmaster
Human Yes Yes Yes Yes
Half-Elf Yes Yes Yes Yes
Elf Yes Yes Yes Yes
Hobbit No No Yes Yes
Gnome No Yes Yes Yes
Dwarf No No No Yes
Half-Orc Yes No No Yes
Half-Troll No No No Yes
Gambolt No Yes Yes Yes
High-Elf Yes Yes Yes Yes
Barbarian No No No Yes
Half-Ogre No No Yes Yes
Half-Giant No No No Yes
Half-Titan Yes Yes Yes Yes
Cyclops No No No Yes
Yeek No Yes Yes Yes
Klackon No No No Yes
Kobold No No No Yes
Nibelung No No Yes Yes
Dark Elf Yes Yes Yes Yes
Draconian Yes Yes Yes Yes
Mind Flayer Yes Yes Yes No
Imp Yes Yes Yes Yes
Golem No No No Yes
Skeleton Yes Yes Yes Yes
Zombie No No No Yes
Vampire Yes Yes Yes Yes
Spectre Yes Yes Yes No
Sprite No Yes Yes No
Beastman Yes Yes Yes Yes
=== Miscellaneous ===
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 without a
light source. The majority of Gumband's creatures are cold-
blooded, and will not be detected unless lit up by a light
source. Most non-Human races have innate infra-vision.
Human can gain infra-vision only if it is magically enhanced.
=== Stat Bonus Tables (updated for Gumband 2.1.4) ===
Stat, hit dice, and experience points per level modifications due to race
are listed in the following table.
STR INT WIS DEX CON CHR Hit Dice Rqd Exp/level
Human 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 +0%
Half-Elf 0 +1 +1 +2 -1 +1 9 +10%
Elf -1 +2 +1 +3 -2 +2 8 +20%
Hobbit -2 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 7 +10%
Gnome -1 +2 0 +2 +1 -2 8 +35%
Dwarf +2 -2 +2 -2 +2 -3 11 +35%
Half-Orc +2 -1 0 0 +1 -4 10 +10%
Half-Troll +4 -4 -2 -4 +3 -6 12 +35%
Gambolt -1 0 0 +5 -1 +5 8 +30%
High-Elf +1 +3 +2 +3 +1 +5 10 +75%
Barbarian +3 -2 -1 +1 +2 -2 11 +20%
Half-Ogre +3 -1 -1 -1 +3 -3 12 +30%
Half-Giant +4 -2 -2 -2 +3 -3 13 +25%
Half-Titan +5 +1 +1 -2 +3 +1 14 +125%
Cyclops +4 -3 -3 -3 +4 -6 13 +30%
Yeek -2 +1 +1 +1 -2 -7 7 +0%
Klackon +2 -1 -1 +1 +2 -2 12 +35%
Kobold -1 -1 0 +2 +1 -4 9 +25%
Nibelung +1 -1 +2 0 +2 -4 11 +35%
Dark Elf -1 +3 +2 +2 -2 +1 9 +50%
Draconian +2 +1 +1 +1 +2 -3 11 +125%
Mind Flayer -3 +4 +4 0 -2 -5 9 +40%
Imp -1 -1 -1 +1 +2 -3 10 +10%
Golem +4 -5 -5 0 +4 -4 13 +125%
Skeleton 0 -2 -2 0 +1 -4 10 +45%
Zombie +2 -6 -6 +1 +4 -5 13 +35%
Vampire +3 +3 -1 -1 +1 +2 11 +100%
Spectre -5 +4 +4 +2 -3 -6 7 +80%
Sprite -4 +3 +3 +3 -2 +2 7 +75%
Beastman +2 -2 -1 -1 +2 -4 11 +40%
Spellcasting
Armour Weight
STR INT WIS DEX CON CHR Limit (pounds)
Warrior +5 -2 -2 +2 +2 -1 N/A
Mage -5 +3* 0 +1 -2 +1 25.0
Priest -1 -3 +3* -1 0 +2 30.0
Rogue +2 +1* -2 +3 +1 -1 30.0
Ranger +2 +2* 0 +1 +1 +1 35.0
Paladin +3 -3 +1* 0 +2 +2 35.0
Warrior-Mage +2 +2* 0 +1 0 +1 35.0
Chaos Warrior +2 0 +1* +1 +2 -2 35.0
Monk +2 -1 +1* +3 +2 +1 25.0
Mindcrafter -1 0 +3* -1 -1 +2 30.0
High Mage -5 +4* 0 0 -2 +1 25.0
Weaponmaster +4 -2 -2 +1 +1 -1 N/A
(a '*' next to a number indicates the spellcasting stat for that class)
=== Ability Tables (updated for Gumband 2.1.4) ===
Dsrm Dvce Save Stlh Srch Prcp HtH Misl Infra
Human +0 +0 +0 +0 +0 +10 +0 +0 None
Half-Elf +2 +3 +3 +2 +6 +11 -1 +5 30 feet
Elf +5 +6 +6 +4 +8 +12 -5 +5 40 feet
Hobbit +15 +18 +18 +4 +12 +15 -10 +20 30 feet
Gnome +10 +12 +12 +3 +6 +13 -8 +12 40 feet
Dwarf +2 +9 +10 -1 +7 +10 +15 +0 50 feet
Half-Orc -3 -3 -3 -1 +0 +7 +12 -5 30 feet
Half-Troll -5 -8 -8 -2 -1 +5 +20 -10 30 feet
Gambolt +0 +0 +20 +5 +20 +30 +10 +0 60 feet
High-Elf +4 +20 +20 +4 +3 +14 +10 +25 40 feet
Barbarian -2 -10 +2 -1 +1 +7 +12 +10 None
Half-Ogre -3 -5 -5 -2 -1 +5 +20 +0 30 feet
Half-Giant -6 -8 -6 -2 -1 +5 +25 +5 30 feet
Half-Titan -5 +5 +2 -2 +1 +8 +25 +0 None
Cyclops -4 -5 -5 -2 -2 +5 +20 -10 10 feet
Yeek +2 +4 +10 +3 +5 +15 -5 -5 20 feet
Klackon +10 +5 +5 +0 -1 +10 +5 +5 20 feet
Kobold -2 -3 -2 -1 +1 +8 +10 -8 30 feet
Nibelung +3 +5 +10 +1 +5 +10 +9 +0 50 feet
Dark Elf +5 +15 +20 +3 +8 +12 -5 +10 50 feet
Draconian -2 +5 +3 +0 +1 +10 +5 +5 20 feet
Mind Flayer +10 +25 +15 +2 +5 +12 -10 -5 40 feet
Imp -3 +2 -1 +1 -1 +10 +5 -5 30 feet
Golem -5 +5 +10 -1 -1 +8 +20 +0 40 feet
Skeleton -5 -5 +5 -1 -1 +8 +10 +0 20 feet
Zombie -5 -5 +8 -1 -1 +5 +15 +0 20 feet
Vampire +4 +10 +10 +4 +1 +8 +5 +0 50 feet
Spectre +10 +25 +20 +5 +5 +14 -15 -5 50 feet
Sprite +10 +10 +10 +4 +10 +10 -12 +0 40 feet
Beastman -5 -2 -1 -1 -1 +5 +12 +5 None
Disarm Device Save Stealth Search Melee Missile XP
Warrior 25+12 18+7 18+10 1 14/2 70+45 55+45 + 0%
Mage 30+7 36+13 30+9 2 15/20 34+15 20+15 +30%
Priest 25+7 30+10 32+12 2 16/8 48+20 35+20 +20%
Rogue 45+15 32+10 28+10 5 32/24 60+40 66+30 +25%
Ranger 30+8 32+10 28+10 3 24/16 56+30 72+45 +30%
Paladin 20+7 24+10 26+11 1 12/2 68+35 40+30 +35%
Warrior-Mage 30+7 30+10 28+9 2 18/16 50+20 25+20 +35%
Chaos Warrior 20+7 25+11 25+10 1 14/12 65+34 40+29 +35%
Monk 45+15 32+11 28+10 4 32/24 64+40 60+30 +40%
Mindcrafter 30+10 30+10 30+10 3 22/16 50+20 40+30 +30%
High Mage 30+7 36+13 30+9 2 15/20 34+15 20+15 +25%
Weaponmaster 23+10 17+6 18+10 1 14/2 70+45 20+15 +30%
=== Monks: Attack Types (Gumband 2.1.4)
Attack Name Min.lvl Damage Stun Notes
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Punch 1 1d4 -
Kick 2 1d6 -
Strike 3 1d7 -
Knee 5 2d3 * Painful to males; likely to stun them
Elbow 7 1d8 -
Butt 9 2d5 -
Ankle Kick 11 3d4 - May slow down the opponent
Uppercut 13 4d4 6
Double-kick 16 5d4 8
Cat's Claw 20 5d5 -
Jump Kick 25 5d6 10
Eagle's Claw 29 6d6 -
Circle Kick 33 6d8 10
Iron Fist 37 8d8 10
Flying Kick 41 8d10 12
Dragon Fist 45 10d10 16
Crushing Blow 48 10d12 18
