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SHADOW SORCERER - DRAGONLANCE ROLE PLAYING ADVENTURE Vol 1 Strategic Simualtions Inc US Gold An Official AD&D Computer Product 1991 TSR Inc Docs typed in by Wolverine of The Likely Lads on 20/11/91. TABLE OF CONTENTS ----------------- Background................................................. 1 Introduction............................................... 3 Winning the Game........................................... 3 Selecting Your Characters.................................. 4 Exploring the Wilderness................................... 4 The Refugees............................................... 5 Terrain.................................................... 6 The Player Character (PC) Party............................ 6 Controlling the Companions................................. 7 Encounters................................................. 8 Combat.....................................................10 Equipment & Other Goodies..................................11 Magic......................................................11 Spells.....................................................13 The Refugees...............................................13 Time.......................................................14 Miscellany.................................................14 The Companions.............................................15 Krynn - The Dragonlance World..............................20 AD&D Game Heroes...........................................21 Bestiary...................................................22 Glossary...................................................24 -1- BACKGROUND ---------- As the celebrations continued, it was Tanis Half-Elven whose keen eye noticed Raistlin slipquietly from the tent. He followed, stepping out into the chill of the night. The mage had stepped far from the welcoming light of the tent, and the many fires dotted on the hill-side where the refugees had pitched camp. He was gazing up into the heavens, a grim smile playing on his lips. 'Raistlin, are you well?' The mage made no reply, but pulled his red cloak tighter about his shoulders as Tanis came closer. 'These celebrations are premature, Tanis,'the mage whispered, his voice almost lost amidst the sounds of laughter coming from the camp. 'The forces of evil are not yet defeated, the Dark Queen still rules in the heavens. These people think they are safe-'he swept his arm back towards the Refugees, seemingly dismissing them for their ignorance '-but they are not.' 'Don't be so hard on them, Raistlin. Until a few days ago they were slaves of the draconians, back there in Pax Tharkas. Now we have freed them - you, me, Caramon and all the other companions....We freed them, and closed the gates of Pax Tharkas so that the draconians will never get through. They can start a new life down here, or head for the coast and take ship to-' 'You are not so naive, Tanis, after all your adventures, to think that Verminaard and all his draconian hordes will be kept captive by those gates forever. They will break out of Pax Tharkas, and they will come looking for us and for their former slaves. Their lives - and ours - were never in such danger as they are in now.' Tanis rubbed his hand through his beard, feeling the grime of battle. Had they really come through so much, and not yet saved themselves? 'You're right, Raistlin, we can't stay here. Sooner or later Verminaard will come looking for us again, and the refugees will be helpless. But i don't know what else to suggest....' -2- 'Perhaps i do.' The gruff, rumbling old voice caught both men by surprise, though they recognised it at once. Flint, the dwarf, was sitting on a fallen trunk, whittling away at a hollow stick, almost hidden in the shadows. He must have left the party before either of them.... 'These are Dwarven lands,'he continued,'or were once. The Hill Dwarves lived here, kin to the Gully Dwarves we saw in Pax Tharkas and to the Mountain Dwarves of legend. They ruled the lands between Pax Tharkas and the mountains to the south, but retreated when times were bad. According to what i've heard, they found their way to Thorbardin, the Kingdom of the Mountain Dwarves. Perhaps that is where we should head.' 'What welcome could we expect there?' snorted Raistlin. 'The Mountain Dwarves have ever kept themselves to themselves. I don't see how we can turn up with wagon-loads of Refugees and expect them to provide shelter.' 'Maybe not,'nodded Flint, holding up his carved stick to the light,'but have you a better idea.....?' 'I don't think there's any point arguing about it,'Tanis interjected.'We can't stay here - we have to move on. Either we find a ship at the coast, or we find someplace else we can safely settle these people. Either way, we don't have much time.' 'We should go ahead,'Flint added.'The Refugees move slowly, and they don't have the craft to look for sign. We should scout ahead of them and...' 'And leave them to Verminaard when he breaks loose of Pax Tharkas,'laughed Raistlin, derisively.'You know what the Refugees are like, they'll argue amongst themselves, they'll stop to look for food they can't hope to find... we have to stay with them, just to keep them moving.' Tanis broke in before the argument could truly start. 'You're both right. We have to stay with the Refugees, for their own protection. We have to find them food and shelter. But we must also scout ahead andfind somewhere permanent for them to settle, or we'll just be dragging them across country to perish somewhere.' 'I propose we send four of the companions ahead as scouts. Their job will be to see what hope this land offers us. When they find shelter, they'll let us know. Then, the rest of us can bring the Refugees along.' Raistlin and Flint found themselves unable to disagree. The Dwarf gave an experimental peep on his whistle. 'Fine plan, Tanis. Now....have you considered just who these four scouts are going to be?' -3- INTRODUCTION ------------ Welcome to Shadow Sorcerer, an official Advanced Dungeons & Dragons action role-play adventure computer game. Shadow Sorcerer is based on the rules for the AD&D roleplaying game by TSR inc, and features part of the epic DRAGONLANCE story. In this game, you control the destinies of the companions of the lance, the characters featured throughout the DRAGONLANCE cycle, and follow an episode from the original DRAGONLANCE adventure. The DRAGONLANCE companions have just rescued 500 Refugees from the city of Pax Tharkas, inthe face of the determined, deadly Draconians, under the command of Verminaard, the evil Dragonlord. Now, you must find a safe place for the Refugees, far away from the murderous Draconians. But where? That is something only you can decide as you play this game. Your goal, as the guiding force of the DRAGONLANCE Companions, is to steer the Refugees to safety, defeating any obstacles placed in your path. The choices you make, and your skill in combat, will determine success. Your success depends on your ability to deal with several conflicting requirements. You must: * Scout ahead to find a safe haven for the Refugees. * Keep them supplied with food. * Keep them moving in the right direction. * Defeat the many obstacles in your path. * Fight off the Draconians once they break out of Pax Tharkas. If you think that you are capable of meeting this challenge, then get ready to play... WINNING THE GAME ---------------- Shadow Sorcerer is a mouse/keyboard driven game, played in a real-time enviroment. Make sure you are locked away in a sound proof room or time- stasis field, and you'll be fine. If unavoidable interruptions do occur, you can save the game to disk. However, repetitive saving is not encouraged - take your losses like a man....you can always start again from the beggining if things go really wrong... Success is judged by two criteria. First, the number of Monsters you defeat and the obstacles you overcome. Second, the number of Refugees you have kept alive by the end of the game. How will you know when you have finished? Suffice it to say that you will know when you are close to the finish, and what you have to do to complete the game. At the end, a screen will give you a success rating - that can be your target to beat when you play the game again. Shadow Sorcerer features a unique Command structure, allowing you to control four heroes in a real-time enviroment. You can have the computer control some or all of these heroes, leaving you free to make important decisions on behalf of a smaller number. Your role in this game is to make those timely decisions in split seconds which are the difference between life and death... -4- SELECTING YOUR CHARACTERS ------------------------- After the main title screens have cleared, you are presented with a map of part of Krynn - the world of the DRAGONLANCE adventures. This map has little detail; only the main mountain ranges are shown. You will reveal more of the map as you explore. You begin the game near the top of the map. The Companions are represented by an icon of a sword-wielding adventurer. The hex that icon occupies and those immediately adjacent are presented in greater detail, showing the terrain type. As you move the Companions, more of the map is revealed. You control four of the DRAGONLANCE Companions, who are referred to throughout this manual as the PC's (Player Characters)or as the PC Party. You may end up playing with a PC Party of less than four heroes, but it isn't recommended. Things are dangerous enough, without you making life impossible ...By reuniting the PC Party with the Refugees you can replace characters who have been disabled durong play. At the beginning of the game, the four PC's are Tanis, Caramon, Goldmoon and Raistlin. You can chage this line-up using the Menu Bar option PARTY. When you click on this option, a menu pops down with the names of all the available characters. Click on any two names to swap their positions; the top four names make up the PC Party. Not all of the characters listed are actual DRAGONLANCE Companions, and you ought to be very close to defeat before you use some of those listed. Details of the characters can be found in the heroes section. The option to change the party during the game can only be taken when the PC Party and the Refugees are in the same hex. EXPLORING THE WILDERNESS ------------------------ A great deal of your planning and game-play takes place on the Wilderness Map. As you have already discovered, this starts off largely blank at the beginning of the game, except for a few hexes around the PC Party. The rest of the Map is revealed as the PC's move around. To order the PCs to move, simply click on any revealed part of the Map; the PC Party will move towards that hex. Initially, of course, this has to be an adjacent hex, since most of the Map is blank, but you can order longer moves later on. If you order a Move towards a new target hex before they have reached the last one, the PCs will change course. To scout a hex before you move the PC Party, click the RIGHT mouse button when the cursor is over the desired hex. The time it takes to survey a hex relates to the number of clicks required before a view is revealed. Each click advances the game clock by 1/2 an hour. The PCs move as soon as you have clicked on the target hex. The game-time it takes them to actually reach their destination is determined by the terrain through which they pass - basically, moving through Mountain hexes takes up more game-time -5- than moving through Open country. The length of time it takes to make a move plays an important part in the game; you can watch the passage of time on the Time bar at the top right of your screen. Movement can be interrupted at any time by an Encounter, after which you have to give them fresh movement orders - they can't remember every little thing you tell them when they are up to their necks in Draconians. Encounters can be of many different types - but most of them will lead to combat, as covered later. THE REFUGEES ------------ In SHADOW SORCERER, your quest centres on finding a safe haven for the Refugees away from the vengeance of Verminaard. This means that, in addition to moving the PC Party, you need to get the Refugees away from Pax Tharkas and to a place of safety. The Refugees are represented by one or more icons, which start the game in the same hex as the PC Party. At the start of the game, the Refugees are all together, but they can divide into smaller groups if they aren't looked after carefully. Different factions are shown by different coloured icons. In normal circumstances, the Refugees are happy enough to follow the PCs (at a slower speed) wherever they lead. However, you might think it better to send them somewhere less hazardous to wait while you explore a little. You can check the status of a Refugee group, and give them orders to move, whenever your PC Party occupies the same hex as that group (including at the start of the game). Click on the Refugees heading on the Menu Bar, and select STATUS - this tells you how many Refugees are in that group, how much Food they have, how many wagons, and who their leader is (if they have moved away from the main group). Alternatively, click on MOVE, and then select any revealed hex on the map; the Refugees then set out towards that hex and wait there for fresh orders when they arrive. Or, at least, they might do. Unfortunately, the Refugees are an argumentative bunch, and don't do anything until their leaders' council has had a meeting to discuss the pros and cons. When you give them a Move order, they have to be convinced of the merits of your decision. There are more details about this in the section on the Refugees. TERRAIN ------- On the Wilderness map, every hex is classified as one of 6 types (along with 2 special sub-types), namely Lake, Open, Marsh, Forest, Hills or Mountains. Additionally, amy of the latter six may also be Road or River hexes - that is, have a Road or River running through them. Lakes cannot be entered. THE PLAYER CHARACTER (PC) PARTY -------------------- As outlined above, the four members of the PC Party are selected from a larger list of Companions, and can be changed round whenever the PC Party and the main Refugee group are in the same hex. You may think it's a good time to swap the PC Party around when the first four volunteers have been thoroughly roughed up. However, this option should not be over-used, because it uses up time. The Heroes you don't select are assumed to be travelling with the Refugees, unless they are lost or detained somewhere else. You have a free choice as to which companions make up the PC Party, and which stay with the Refugees. However, there are hidden modifiers to the game which make certain line-ups more desirable than others. As guidelines, you might want to bear the following in mind: Only Goldmoon and Elistan have Healing powers. Only Raistlin and Gilthanas have non-clerical magic. Tasslehoff has a special ability called 'Kender Yell', the ability to divert monster attacks from others onto himself. Goldmoon and Riverwind are an item, and pine without each other. The same is true of Caramon and Tika. It may even be true of Tanis and Laurana, only this is complicated by the fact, that neither of them is sure about it and Gilthanas, Laurana's brother, is very protective of her and no fan of Tanis. Sturm and Raistlin have opposing philosophies, and will not co-operate. Elistan, Eben, Locar, Briar and Brooklands are not actually DRAGONLANCE Companions; they are just the foremost members of the Refugee Council. Only Elistan has any special abilities, and they should be employed when everyone else is injured. Read through the Companions Section for more details. There is no additional penalty for getting all four PCs trapped. You've suffered enough. In such a terrible circumstance, the game continues with a new PC Party -7- formed from the next four names on the Party list, which starts from the hex occupied by the main Refugee group. It might be worth setting up your reserve PC Party on the list for just such an eventuality.... CONTROLLING THE COMPANIONS --------------- To see the PCs in individual detail, place the mouse cursor over the PC Party icon, and click the left button. This brings up the Tactical View; the same view that is used for all encounters, Dungeon Explorations, etc. In Tactical, the centre of the screen shows the four PCs in a part of the hex they occupy on the main map. Any interesting features in that hex are also visible. There are portraits of the PCs in each of the four corners of the screen, along with a health bar and two other icons. To view a PC in detail, click on the portrait; the view is replaced by the Character View, detailing the attributes of that PC. Attribute Ratings (Strength, Intelligance, Wisdom, Dexterity, Constitution and Charisma) Hit Points Armour Class Hand Weapon Ranged Weapon Memorise (Spell-casters only) Default Orders If you are familiar with the Advabced Dungeon & Dragons roleplaying game, most of this will be familiar to you. If not, you may wish to turn to the Heroes Section. The main character attributes - Strength, Intelligance, Wisdom, Dexterity, Constitution and Charisma - are fixed. Each attribute is shown as a bar rating between the minimum (3) and maximum (18) for a Hero. Hit Points measure the health and endurance of that character; they are expressed as a pair of numbers seperated by a slash. The first number is the Hero's current state of health; the second is his/her maximum rating. Heroes can recover from wounds and other losses of Hit Points by resting, or through healing spells (see spells). Armour Class (AC) is a measure of the protection Heroes enjoy, and is affected by the armour they wear and their Dexterity. Poor protection is shown by a high number (10 is the worst); AC can be expressed as a negative number (which is very good protection indeed!). Certain magic items and armour which your Heroes may find also improve their AC. Experiment with stuff that you find - if the Hero's AC improves, it's worth keeping, but if it gets worse, make sure you swap the armour back! -8- Next are shown the Companion's Melee (close combat) and Ranged Weapons. These are shown by an icon showing the weapon type. In some cases, a Companion may not have a Ranged Weapon (the space will be empty) or will use the same weapon at long and close range (such as with Tass' sling-staff). If the picture is followed by a 'plus number', it is magical, and provides extra hitting potential and power. Magical weapons are very important; always check to see if you have discovered a magical weapon when you find treasure. Bow users also have a separate icon showing the number and type of arrows they carry. Under these pictures is a set of Commands - these are Default Commands, used when the computer controls that Hero in combat. More of that later. You can leave the Character View by clicking on the right mouse button. Looking again at the main view, each Character also has a Backpack, a Health Bar and a Control Button. The Health Bar is a measure of the Companion's remaining Hit Points, as discussed earlier. If this is full, the PC is completely healthy. If it has fallen at all, the Companion could do with some help. If the remaining bar turns red, the Hero is very near to collapse - provide some assistance immediately! The Control Button is used to place a Companion under Computer Control during Combat. We get to that in a moment. The backpack is used to store the Companion's equipment. See Equipment. You can also give orders to a Companion by clicking on the sprite which represents them in the centre of the screen. This bring up a window with up to nine options. These options are covered in the section on Encounters. To exit from the Tactical View, click the right mouse button. Note that this will not work if you are up to your neck in monsters; you'll have to either defeat them or run away. Nor will it work in a Dungeon. In all other circumstances, however, when you leave the Tactical View, you return to the same hex on the Wilderness Map you were in at the start of the Encounter. ENCOUNTERS ---------- Whenever the PC Party moves into a hex, previously visited or otherwise, there may be an Encounter. Encounters take many forms. You may meet friendly creatures or hostile ones. There may be treasure, or useful equipment. There may be any permulation of all the above. When an Encounter occurs, play is automatically switched to the Tactical View In the Wilderness, this is a portion of the hex the PCs occupy; in a Dungeon, the view is a room or a corridor. Encounters are triggered by: The presence of hostile - or friendly - creatures; The presence of treasure; The presence of some interesting artefact. These are not mutually exclusive. During an encounter, or at any time when play is in the Tactical View, you can give individual commands to a PC by clicking on that PC. This opens a window with up -9- to nine icons. By selecting an icon with the left mouse button, you order the Hero to behave in a particular manner. The nine icons are: MELEE - The PC move towards and attacks the nearest opponent, using his melee weapon. RANGED - The PC fires his ranged weapon; a pointer appears to allow you to select the target. CAST - The PC can select a Magic Spell to Cast. A window appears with the complete list of the spells that character knows: click on the spell name you wish to employ. See the Spells. Naturally, only spell-casters have this option. LOOK - The PC inspects his or her immediate surroundings. This can provide useful information. If you are standing close to some equipment, this will identify it for you. GET - If a PC is adjacent to some equipment or an artefact which the Party has discovered, this command is used to pick it up. A window appears containing a picture of the object: use the left mouse button to drag the item to the PCs backpack. TALK - Not all creatures are hostile! If you use this command before Combat takes place, a neutral creature can be prevented from attacking you - it might also have vital information to give you. If you command Tasslehoff to talk while in combat, you will activate his 'Kender Yell'. MOVE - Once you have clicked on this icon, a pointer appears. Use this to select a target square; once you click on this, the PC starts moving towards that spot. You can leave an encounter by clicking off the edge of the Tactical View. Underground, this only applies if you click on the space immediately behind a door. Once you have given this command, you can continue to select new target squares for the PC to move to - this helps steer round obstacles. -10- GROUP MOVE - As Move, only all four PCs will head for the target square. CONTROL BUTTON - This works in exactly the same manner as the Control Button beside each PC portrait. Click on to toggle computer control on/off for that PC in Combat. At certain points, animated graphics sequences appear. Hold down the LEFT MOUSE BUTTON until the screen returns to Tactical View. COMBAT ------ The presence of other creatures in a hex often - but not always - leads to a fight! Combat is fast and furious in Shadow Sorcerer, and demands quick decisions; remember, everything happens on a real-time basis. You can take complete control of all or some of the Companions in the PC party. Others can be set to switch to Computer (Default) Control automatically at the beginning of a combat. Beforehand though, you must give these characters Default Commands, which define their tactics. Because PCs with Default Commands go directly to Computer Control once a Combat begins, it is wise to have set the Defaults before you start having Encounters, such as at the beginning of the game. In the Tactical View (remember, you can reach this by putting the cursor on the PC Party and clicking the left mouse button), click on a Companions portrait to bring up their Character View. At the bottom of the window, there is a heading - Default - and a number of options with 'buttons'. These options include Attack, Ranged, Flee and Cast. The latter only appears for spell-casting characters, along with a non- Default option (Memorise). More about Magic later. By clicking on the relevant button, you can order a Companion to adopt agressive or cowardly tactics while under computer control. You can switch on as many Defaults as you desire. These are the normal effects each Default action: ATTACK - The character moves towards and attacks the nearest opponent, using his melee weapon. RANGED - The character fires his ranged weapon at a random opponent. CAST - The character casts combat spells. -11- Naturally, only spell-casters have this option. FLEE - The character attempts to withdraw from combat if his/her hit points fall below 25% of their starting value. Remember, you can toggle a character between personal and computer control during a combat using their Control Button. The more PCs you have under Computer Control, the easier the game is to play, but you are restricting your tactics in a fight. In particular, spell-casting characters might not operate as you would wish them to. Clocking on a character under computer control switches them back to manual and also makes them leader of the party. So take care where you click the LEFT MOUSE BUTTON, as you could steer the character into all sorts of trouble. During Combat, the boxes at the bottom of the screen will contain hit point bars for each of your opponents, providing you with a rough guide to their strength. EQUIPMENT AND OTHER GOODIES ------------- As you explore, you will discover various pieces of Equipment, Treasure, Artefacts etc. Naturally, the PCs begin with armour and weapons, a limited supply of food and a few other useful items. PCs carry most of their gear in backpacks, which can be accessed through the backpack icon beside each PCs portrait. Click on the icon, and a window appears which you use to view the items that PC carries. The arrow buttons on the bottom edge of the window can be used to scroll through the items (they turn blue when you reach the end of the list). Each PC can also carry one Melee weapon and one Ranged weapon ready for use. These are shown on the main Character View. Moving equipment around is very simple. When the item you wish to move is in the window, click on and drag it to the target location - this can be another PCs backpack (for storage) or any PCs portrait (which makes that piece of Equipment Active), or you can discard that item by placing it on the floor. ACTIVE ITEMS When an Equipment item is dropped into a PCs portrait, it becomes Active. This means it will be used by that Companion in the appropriate manner; Potions will be drunk, Armour will be put on, Food will be consumed. In the case of Melee or Ranged weapons, these will be swapped for the previously active weapon (which will go into the backpack). Some weapons have magical power built in, whcih is most commonly expressed as a 'plus' - a bonus to the wielders chance of hitting and doing damage. The 'plus' of the magic weapon is revealed through the Character View; the greater the plus value, the better the weapon. MAGIC ----- Goldmoon, Elistan, Raistlin and Gilthanas - and several monsters - can cast spells from on of two disciplines, Clerical or Magic. Goldmoon and Elistan are Clerics; Raistlin and Gilthanas can cast Mage Spells. All spellcasters have to memorise spells from their Spell Books before they can cast them. Their capacity to memorise spells depends on their level (how advanced they are as Clerics or Mages). Memorising spells is handled through the Character View. Click on the Memorise button, and a menu of spells appears. Spells are ranked by their level; these are shown in parentheses before the spell name. A spellcaster can only memorise a certain number of spells at each level - it is easier to learn simple spells than more difficult (and potent!) ones. The numbers on the left show how many of each Spell are currently memorised. To Memorise additional Spells, left click on the name of the Spell you require. If the PC has the capacity to learn that Spell, it is added to their memory. You can also discard already-memorised Spells using the right-mouse button. Above the spell list, there is a graphic showing the hours of the day (see Time). Memorising spells can take up a lot of time, and is best done at Night, when you don't have other things to worry about....Naturally, you can't Memorise spells in the middle of a Combat. You cast Spells in the Tactical View. Click on the PC, and then the Cast icon The spell list appears, and you can select the name of the Spell you wish to Cast. Some Spells may require you to select a target. Read Spells for the effects of different Spells when Cast. -13- SPELLS ------ The following spells are available to your spell-casters: CLERICS: CURE LIGHT WOUNDS - restores 1-8 lost Hit Points to a wounded PC. After selecting the spell, click on the portrait of the PC you wish to treat. PROTECTION FROM EVIL - inhibits the attacks of evil creatures. TURN UNDEAD - can repel skeletons, mummies and spectres. BLESS - improves the attacking abilities of the PC Party. DETECT MAGIC - reveals the presence of magic. FIND TRAPS - reveals the presence of mechanical traps, making them easier to disarm. HOLD PERSON - freezes a humanoid in its tracks. RESIST FIRE - gives limited protection against all fire-based attacks. Lasts for 70 minutes (game time). PRAYER - is a more substantial version of Bless. DISPEL MAGIC - can destroy the effects of enemy magic. CURE SERIOUS WOUNDS - is a more powerful version of Cure Light Wounds. MAGES: SLEEP - causes weak creatures to keel over. MAGIC MISSILE - fires a burst of magical energy at the enemy. After slecting this spell, use the pointer to select the target. CHARM - makes an enemy less hostile. BURNING HANDS - transforms a feeble wizard into a fighting machine. WEB - creates a sticky barrier which is hard to break through; use the pointer to select a target square. DETECT INVISIBLE - reveals secret doors or hidden items. FIREBALL - fires a ball of plasma which explodes violently; make sure you are out of the range of this one! DETECT MAGIC - reveals the presence of magical traps. THE REFUGEES ------------ As you will discover, the Refugees are difficult people to keep alive. They may follow your orders implicitly. They may not. They may trail after the PCs they may sit still (usually a sign when they have ran out of food). They may split into smaller groups. They may even decide that life in Pax Tharkas wasn't so bad, and start back-tracking towards a touching reunion with Verminaard. No matter how irritating they become, it is your job to keep them healthy. That means steering them away from unfortunate encounters until you can find your goal. In particular, it means moving them far and fast enough away from Pax Tharkas to keep them out of reach of the Draconians once they break out. If they have food and their morale is OK, the Refugees will follow whatever path the PCs take. However, they might not always do what you want them to do It is possible to give them alternative orders - which is when you run into the full majesty of the Refugees Council. Since their escape, the Refugees have organised themselves. The Council consists of five leaders, who represent the different factions with the Refugees. Elistan, the cleric, is one such leader, a logical man of even temperament, who admires Goldmoon enormously, and with whom Laurana also has a close friendship; another is Briar, a plainsman like Riverwind and Goldmoom a man of plain talking and simple motivation who has fallen under the influence of Locar; Locar is himself the third leader, a former priest of the false religion of the Seekers, who works actively against Elistan; the fourth is Eben Shatterstone, a friendly and approachable man who played an important part in the escape from Pax Tharkas; the last is Brookland, leader of -14- the Woodfolk, a friend to the Elves, and a solid leader of his people who cannot be pushed into a decision. Each night at eight o'clock, or at any time when you attempt to give them a Movement order, the Council will convene to consider matters. If the PCs are present in the same hex, you are given the opportunity to address them. Your advice will be weighed carefully, but it is as much how you say it as what you say which will sway their decision. It also matters who is doing the speaking; the composition of the PC Party at this time will influence the result of the Council meeting. The five leaders have their own view as to how things should proceed. You can try reasoning with them, threatening them or get down on your knees and beg; each leader will react in a different way to each approach. Get used to the character of the five leaders - the right approach will be vital to keeping the Refugees as a united group. TIME ---- Shadow Sorcerer's real-time enviroment places the emphasis on quick thinking and astute planning. In the top right of the screen, a graphic shows the passing of time through each day - the advances from left to right, returning to the extreme left at midnight. The darker areas represent the hours of night. Many functions of the game are controlled by the passage of game-time. The most important of these is the escape of the dragonarmies from Pax Tharkas. Almost every action you undertake eats up your lead time, and planning has to take account of this. To give two examples, you have to avoid crossing the mountains whenever you can, and you should be careful with your spellcasters, who take time to re-memorise their magicks. You can't halt the passage of time, but you might want to tweak it a little, particularly the first time you play. If you press the +(plus)key on your keyboard, game time pauses relatively more quickly - all functions of the game are speeded up. Alternatively, press the -(minus)key to allow you more time to think. MISCELLANY ---------- You can save and restart games through the Options Menu. Click on save, and follow the on-screen instructions to save. Similarly, clicking on Load will restart a previously-saved game. There are two other options on this Menu. Heal provides a fast-track method of restoring all the lost hit points of your PC Party. Your Cleric spell- casters continue to heal wounded characters and re-memorising healing spells until everyone is fixed up. Regroup allows you to reform th PC Party if it splits up fro any reason, such as when a character flees off the edge of the Tactical View during Combat. -15- THE COMPANIONS -------------- TANIS 7th Level Half-Elf Fighter Str 16 Wis 13 Con 12 Int 12 Dex 16 Chr 15 AL NG Hp 55 AC 4 Armour: Leather Armour +2 and Shield Weapons: Longsword (Wyrmslayer), Long Bow & Arrows Tanis is torn between the human and elven parts of his heritage. Though he was brought up by the Elves, he was always aware of many differences that marked him seperate. So, as a young man, he left the Elven homelands and became a wandering adventurer. Tanis is the natural leader of the Dragonlance Companions. He is a formidable fighter, but also a sensible negotiator. His magical sword - WYRMSLAYER - is a recent aquisition. Its power against draconians (and maybe even dragons themselves)is potent, but unproven. Laurana has loved Tanis for many years, but the Half-Elf is torn between her and the half-sister of Caramon and Raistlin, Kitiara. Her whereabouts are unknown. RAISTLIN 5th Level Human Magic-User Str 10 Wis 14 Con 10 Int 17 Dex 16 Chr 10 AL N Hp 15 AC 5 Armour: Robes Only Weapons: Staff of Magius Caramon's twin, Raistlin has grown to be very different to his brother. Having once seen a simple Illusionist, he proved able to copy those tricks. His half-sister , Kitiara, encouraged him to develop his talents and he astounded his tutors at Magic School by his prowess and the depth of his ambition. Raistlin left to seek a greater tutor. In the Tower of Sorcery, he was put to terrible tests which wrecked his health, turned his skin a golden hue, and gave him eyes that could only see death. Raistlin is surly and unpredictable. Even his attachment to his brother is ill-balanced. He has great power, however, and may yet prove to be the most influential of the Companions. CARAMON 8th Level Human Fighter Str 18/63 Wis 10 Con 17 Int 12 Dex 11 Chr 15 AL LG Hp 52 Armour: Ring Mail and Shield Weapons: Longsword, Spear Caramon is Raistlin's twin and has a strong sense of loyalty towards his more sickly brother. Being extremely strong and robust himself, he protects Raistlin from physical harm whenever he can, even though he recognises that his twin is not easily understood. -16- Always cheerful, Caramon is also close to Tika Waylan, and is deeply loyal to all the other Companions. Above all, Caramon is decent, dependable and a stout fighting man. GOLDMOON 7th Level Human Cleric Str 12 Wis 16 Con 12 Int 12 Dex 14 Chr 17 AL LG Hp 29 AC 8 Armour: Leather Weapons: Sling +1 Goldmoon, a princess of a plainsfolk tribe, has become a true Cleric following the discovery of a magical crystal staff. Exiled for both proclaiming this, and for her love for Riverwind, the son of a poor man, Goldmoon found a new home amongst the Dragonlance Companions. Goldmoon is pure-hearted, brave, dutiful and deeply devoted to Mishakal,the Goddess of Healing. Her Clerical skills are vital to the success of the PCs quest, as are her qualities of trustworthiness and loyalty. STURM BRIGHTBLADE 8th Level Human Fighter Str 17 Wis 11 Con 16 Int 14 Dex 12 Chr 12 AL LG Hp 47 AC 5 Armour: Chain Mail Weapons: Two-handed sword +3 Sturm is the son of a Solamnic Knight, and adheres to their strict code, even though he has not been knighted himself. In fact, throughout his many long journeys, Sturm has never found a trace of the Order, only bitter memories of their fall from grace. Sturm carries his father's sword and follows the Solamnic creed "Obedience Unto Death". He is dignified, fearless and humane. In Sturm, the Companions exhibit their greatest concern for the victims of the perils which face Krynn. TASSLEHOFF BURRFOOT 6th Level Kender Thief Str 13 Wis 12 Con 14 Int 9 Dex 16 Chr 11 AL N Hp 24 AC 5 Armour: Studded Leather Weapons: Hoopak Tass is a victim to the habitual wanderlust of the Kender race. Novelty excites a Kender like no other, and Tass' curiosity comes in full measure. He collects old maps, and is forever seeking ways to add new knowledge to them. The other characteristic of the Kender that Tas has inherited in full is their concept of "handling". Tass always seems to have possessions which he is keeping for someone else. He first met Flint after removing his armband for safe-keeping. Full of fun and utterly fearless, Tass has brightened the lives of the Companions, even if he sometimes exasperates them. In -17- particular, they value his skill with languages, and his ability to disarm traps and open doors. RIVERWIND 7th Level Human Ranger Str 18/35 Wis 14 Con 13 Int 13 Dex 16 Chr 13 AL LG Hp 42 AC 5 Armour: Studded Leather Weapons: Longsword +2, Short Bow, Arrows Once a simple hunter, Riverwind's fate has been determined by his love for the princess, Goldmoon. It was the quest he undertook to prove his love for her that found the Crystal Staff, and that made her a Cleric of the True Gods Goldmoon and Riverwind are the only survivors of their people, who were massacred by the draconians. Riverwind is strong, but extremely reserved. He believes in plain words and decisive action. The people of the other plain tribes respect him, and their acceptance of the guidance of the Companions is in no small part because of him. Riverwind and Goldmoon together are a formidable team. FLINT FIREFORGE 6th Level Dwarf Fighter Str 16 Wis 12 Con 18 Int 7 Dex 10 Chr 13 AL NG Hp 60 AC 6 Armour: Studded Leather Weapons: 2 Hand Axes Flint is a Hill Dwarf, on of those left behind when the Mountain Dwarves retreated into Thorbardin. This, tehn, is a very personal quest for him. Brave, but very cynical, Flint is old, even by Dwarven standards. He remains with the Companions because of a deep personal bond to Tanis, and his grudging affection for Tass, with whom he squabbles all the time. Flint has a very strong sense of mission, and an equally strong sense of tradition. He has little trust for other Dwarven cultures, and his quick temper makes him an unlikely candidate as a diplomat..... GILTHANAS 5th Level Elf Fighter/4th Level Magic-User Str 12 Wis 10 Con 12 Int 14 Dex 16 Chr 13 AL CG Hp 19 AC 2 Armour: Chain Mail Weapons: Longsword +1, Longbow and Arrows Gilthanas is the son of the Speaker of Suns, a major leader of the Elven people. He is nimble, optimistic and quietly confident in his many skills. He has chosen to ally himself with the Companions, partly because he can see that they represent the heart of the struggle with the draconians, partly because he is concerned for his sister, Laurana, and her imperfect relationship with Tanis. -18- LAURANA 4th Level Elf Fighter Str 13 Wis 12 Con 14 Int 15 Dex 17 Chr 16 AL CG Hp 24 AC 2 Armour: Chaim Mail +1 Weapons: Short sword Laurana, as the daughter of the Speaker of Suns, has enjoyed greta privelege. She grew used to getting her own way, but she is charming enough, and has the good sense not to be undiplomatic. She was pledged to Tanis while still almost a child, and loves him still. Her inner strength and optimism have carried her through the dissapointment of his seeming indifference. She has chosen to prove herself through her service to the Cleric, Elistan. Laurana is a warrior, a leader and a woman of great nobility of mind. She has a great future ahead of her. EBEN SHATTERSTONE 5th Level Elf Fighter Str 14 Wis 7 Con 8 Int 15 Dex 13 Chr 15 AL CN Hp 28 AC5 Armour: Chain Mail Weapons: Longsword Eben is a proud man, fighting to restore the wealth and prestige of his family name. Though both handsome and charming, Eben has a tendency to want to be in control of everything, even though he rarely shows himself to be a wise leader. As the foremost among one of the factions of the Refugees, Eben has an unsettling influence on the quest, often expressing his philosophy as "Lets Live To Fight Another Day". TIKA WAYLAN 5th Level Human Fighter Str 14 Wis 12 Con 13 Int 9 Dex 16 Chr 14 AL NG Hp 30 AC 6 Armour: Leather Weapon: Shortsword Tika's father was a Thief, and she learned much of his trade. In fact, other than Tass, only Tika has the skill to find and disarm traps and open locked doors. Since the destruction of the only real home she knew, she has possessed a deep hatred of the draconians. Acquiring scraps of armour wherever she could find it, Tika has fought as hard as any of the others. Her fast-thinking and toughness are her greatest assets. She also admires Caramon deeply, while also being fascinated by anything magical. -19- ELISTAN 7th Level Human Cleric Str 13 Wis 17 Con 12 Int 14 Dex 12 Chr 13 AL NG Hp 40 AC 5 Armour: Chain Mail Weapon: War Hammer Elistan leads one of the Refugee factions, but his importance goes far beyond that. Having been a Seeker, servant to the False Gods, Elistan is now a true Cleric. Goldmoon managed to show him what had happened to her, and the same change was wrought in him. With Laurana's assistance, he ministers to the needs of the Refugees during the quest. Elistan is devoted to peace and the welfare of the Refugees. He does not, however, shrink from doing whatever must be done to escape the wrath fo Verminaard's legions. He does, after all, have first- hand knowledge of the evil the dragonarmies can do. BROOKLAND 5th Level Human Fighter Str 12 Wis 9 Con 15 Int 10 Dex 10 Chr 6 AL NG hp 27 AC 8 Armour: Leather Weapon: Longsword Brookland is the leader of the Woodfolk, a human faction among the Refugees friendly to Elves. He shares the simplicity and the good-heartedness of his people, but also has a stubborn streak. Brookland cannot be rushed or pushed into a decision. His prime concern is the safety of the Woodfolk, but he is as confused as any about how this can be best achieved. Laurana seems to have his ear. BRIAR 5th Level Human Fighter Str 14 Wis 10 Con 15 Int 13 Dex 15 Chr 11 AL LN Hp 28 AC 7 Armour: Leather Weapons: Longsword Not unlike Riverwind, Briar is a suspicious and cautious Plainsman, and leads the faction among the Refugees which centres on his tribe. He prefers to make decisions based on simple criteria, and it is easy to overwhelm Briar with clever talk, so that he just rebels for the sake of it. He has a working understanding with Locar. LOCAR 5th Level Human Fighter Str 14 Wis 16 Con 10 Int 9 Dex 10 Chr 14 AL LN Hp 19 Armour: Leather Weapons: Longsword Locar leads the rump of humans who still follow the Seekers, despite the success Elistan has had in enticing followers away from them. Locar hates Elistan and everything he stands for, and will be obstructive to any suggestion which Elistan agrees with. He is, fortunately, a coward, and can be easily rough-handled into line. -20- KRYNN THE DRAGONLANCE WORLD --------------------- The events of Shadow Sorcerer take place on Krynn, the imaginary ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS world. This section is for those players unfamiliar with AD&D roleplaying, or with the particular circumstances of the DRAGONLANCE epic. For almost 1000 years, Krynn prospered during the Age of Might. Virtually all the kingdoms on the main continent - Ansalon - were united in the Empire of Istar. The High Kingpriest was the most powerful ruler ever known, and sought to complete the glory of his reign by summoning the gods to do his bidding. From that moment, the story of Krynn takes a downward turn. Angered, the gods threw down a firey mountain, which destroyed the Capital- City of Istar, and caused convulsion and cataclysm across the whole world. The survivors, shocked and dismayed, hardly knew what to make of it. They turned from the deities who had turned on them, and started to worship false gods. They turned their anger inward also; many blamed the Knights of Solamnia, who had once been their protectors. The Dwarves blamed anyone but themselves, and sought to shut off the mountain Kingdom of Thorbardin. They were challenged by the wizard Fistandantilus, who led an alliance of humans and hill dwarves against them. When he failed, he caused a mighty explosion which destroyed both armies, and left only Skullcap as a testimony to his fury. Thorbardin was shut off once and for all. For the other races, only poverty and misery remained. Without the power of true clerics, many suffered and died unnecessarily. And then, finally, there came the terrible news that an army was gathering to the north, and embarking on a terrible campaign of enslavement. The draconians were on the march - and their Highlords had forged an awesome alliance with the evil dragons! Dragons were scorned as myths, beasts of fantasy. But before the Age of Might there had been three great wars against the evildragons, before the great hero Huma, riding a silver dragon and weilding the dragonlance, had defeated them and the evil Queen of Darkness, Takhisis. Following the banishment of the evil dragons, the good dragons had withdrawn also, to maintain the balance of the world. Now, that balance is threatened, more completely than ever before. The draconian Highlords, including the all-conquering Verminaard, have swept aside all resistance with the aid of their dragon allies. How can they be defeated? -21- AD&D GAME HEROES ---------------- The Heroes of this DRAGONLANCE epic are based on the heroic archtypes of the ADVANCED DUNGEON & DRAGONS roleplaying game. They come in many shapes and sizes, but all are delineated by their race, abilities and character class. Among the DRAGONLANCE Companions, there are five races. Dwarves, like Flint, belong to a race of sturdy craftsmen-warriors. They are exceptionally resistant to magic, and can see in the dark with their infravision. Elves are tall, charismatic creatures, with some immunity to certain types of magic, infravision and natural proficiences with many weapons. Gilthanas and Laurana are Elves. Tanis is a Half-Elf, sharing some of the characteristics of the Human race, including Infravision. The ever curious Kender, like Tass, are curious, nimble and skilled with their hands. This talent is most often expressed through their ability to look after other people's goods without them knowing about it! Finally, there are the many Human cultures. Humans have no special talents, but they are the most adaptable race of all. The abilities of all characters are expressed by six attributes, each rated from 3 (awful) to 18 (excellent). Strength (STR) is the measure of brute power. It determines how much a character can carry, and is an important factor in combat. Fighters and Rangers can have exceptional strength, which measures above 18 (such as 18/63; the 63 being a "percentage" rating above 18). Intelligance (INT) is the measure of learning power - it is particularly important to Mages. Wisdom (WIS) measures a characters ability to understand the ways of the world; Clerics require high Wisdom scores. Dexterity (DEX) meaures manual skills and agility. Constitution (CON) rates the characters robustness. Charisma (CHR) quantifies a character's ability to interact with others. The third defining factor for all characters is their Character Class. This is a broadly-defined career or profession. The warriors include Fighters, such as Caramon, Flint and Sturm and Rangers like Riverwind, Clerics, like Goldmoon and Elistan, have spells bestowed on them by their deities, while Magic-Users memorise their magics from Spell Books and accumulated practice. Thieves, such as Tass, live by their wits, dexterity and through specialised skills such as lock-picking, trap-disarming and moving silently. Some characters can change class - as did Tika, who was once a Thief and is now a Fighter. Others progress through more than one class at a time, as does Gilthanas. Characters progress through their Character Classes in levels. As they improve their level, they improve the skills relevant to their career. They also gain more Hit-Points, which measure the character's ability to survive in combat. A character's broad outlook on life is summarised by their Alignment. Alignment is categorised along two axes. The Law-Chaos axis measures how the character responds to authority; the Good-Evil axis expresses their general morality. On either axis, it is also possible to be Neutral. So, Lawful Good Goldmoon believes in rules and hierarchy for the good of all, while Lawful Evil Verminaard would prefer to see power used for enslavement. Other combinations place different emphases on character behaviour. -22- BESTIARY -------- These are the more common Monsters among those you will meet in Shadow Sorcerer: DRACONIANS: The draconians are the soldiers and mages if the evil Dragonarmies. Their invasion from the north sparked the crisis that has led to this adventure, and their advance was irresistable until they were bottled up in Pax Tharkas. The majority are BAAZ; simple fighters, savage, but not too dangerous except in numbers. The BOZAK can glide on their leathery wings, but their greatest danger lies in their ability to cast simple magical spells. The KAPAK are tough fighters, who place venom on their weapons. The SIVAK are more dangerous still, being fast and capable fighting machines. Finally, the dreaded AURAK can cast powerful magics - they are the cruellest of a savage race. SPIDERS: Giant Spiders plague parts of Krynn. They are a nuisance, but only pose a threat to weak parties or if they attack in numbers. HOBGOBLINS: Compared to the Draconians, the brutal Hobgoblins are a minor menace, but they have raided the villages of Krynn for centuries, and are flourishing in the chaotic times that have come to the world now. SLIG: The Slig are distantly related to Hobgoblins, and are slightly larger, but even less intelligant. They hate any sign of weakness, and despise all those who show mercy. Their encampments are usualy studded with traps. SKELETONS: The weakest of the Undead. Skeletons have no mind of their own, and attack with no purpose except to kill or be killed. TROLLS: The hills and mountains shelter a few of these dread beasts, who live in caves and come out only to hunt. The greatest danger they pose is that they are starving - and would find a caravan of Refugees extremely appetising Trolls are very difficult to kill, since their flesh regenerates from most wounds extremely quickly. HAUNT: In times like these, it is hardly surprising that so many Undead have returned. Haunt return to inhabit places they were associated with before. They are not always dangerous, but can be provoked to defend their "homes". -23- ZOMBIES: Foul, Undead creatures, reeking of decay and disease. They are not too tough, but wise men shun them. WIGHTS: Creatures of the night, these evil spirits wish only to slay those fortunate enough to still be living.... GHOULS: Ghouls are moderately tough opponents, though they are possessed of a grim cunning lost to their simpler cousins, such as Zombies. GHOSTS: These are among the most feared Undead of all; spirits of humans so evil in life that they remain bound to the world, seeking out the essence of the living to fuel their continued existence. GIANT WASPS: Even though they have grown in fantastic size, these creatures pose no threat individually. Their nests, however, are bound to be heavily guarded. It is rumoured that the Royal Jelly stored within has great healing power. OGRES: Huge, ugly humanoids, these creatures skulk away from settled lands, living by raids and ambushes. They are brutish and cowardly, but their size lends them tremendous power. DEATH KNIGHT: The Knights of Solamnia were once the protectors of Krynn, but their "failure" in the aftermath of the destruction of Istar brought them to ruin. Some Knights failed to live up to the high code of honor the Knights had sworn to abide by.....these have been bound to the world as Death Knights They are unspeakably evil, corrupted by the darkest forces, but their fierce pride means they can never find rest. LIZARD MEN: The marsh-dwelling Lizard Men have always been shunned by the other races, since they are vile and cruel, and indulge in unspeakable rites in their secret shrines. DWARVES: This part of Krynn was once, of course, ruled over by the Mountain Dwarves. Though it has been many centuries since they withdrew into the mountains, they left behind other Dwarven races, some of whom may be friendly others of whom will be hostile. Most notoriously, the Aghar are well-known for being stupid, quick-tempered and cruel. DRAGONS: The greatest threat of all. Now that the evil dragons have returned to Krynn, how can mere mortals stand against them? In the distant past, great wars were fought between the Dragons of Good and Evil, but the last such war seemed to end with the triumph of good. -24- How can the Dragons have returned, and what ties them to the Draconians? The answer may never be known, but the sight of the Dragon Highlord, Verminaard, atop Ember, his red dragon steed, is to be greatly feared. If only the good dragons would return.... GLOSSARY -------- ABILITY SCORES: These scores rate a PC's Strength, Intelligance, Wisdom, Dexterity, Constitution and Charisma on a scale of 3-18. ALIGNMENT: This is a simple assessment of a PC or Monster's core outlook on life. ARMOUR CLASS: This is a rating assessing the defensive capabilities of a PC or Monster. The lower the score, the harder to hit they are. CHARACTER CLASS: The occupation a PC follows. ENCOUNTER: Any meeting between the PC's and a Monster or friendly Character, entering a significant place or discovering treasure is an encounter. EXPERIENCE POINTS: These are awarded during the game for victories in Combat, and count towards your Victory Score. In AD&D games, they also measure your progress through the different levels of your Character Class. HIT POINTS: A measure of a PC or Monster's ability to survive being hit in Combat. ICON: In the Wilderness, there are icons - pictures - to show the whereabouts of the PC Party, the Refugee group(s) and the draconian forces. LEVEL: PC's have Levels; they show how far that PC has progressed through their Character Class. Spells also have Levels, showing how difficult they are to master. MAGIC: Many characters can cast spells. Many pieces of equipment can be enchanted. In AD&D games, all manner of things can be made possible through magic. MELEE: Any combat at close quarters. MONSTER: A catch-all term to describe the PC's opponents. PARTY: A group name for the 4 PC's. PLAYER CHARACTERS (PC's): The four Dragonlance Companions under your control. Any of the other Heroes can be substituted for them. RACE: Characters can be Humans, Dwarves, Elves, Half-Elves or Kenders. SPELL: An incantation that causes a magical effect to occur.