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Текущая версия на 12:07, 3 марта 2009
# This is the encyclopedia of POWDER
# "# " prefixed lines are comments.
#
# Entries should be of the form:
#
# MOB::FIREBEETLE fire beetle
# The fire beetle spits two streams of liquid which, when
# combined, ignite.
GOD::AGNOSTIC - no one god
Gods? Let them come to me!
Adventurers worship no one god. This leaves them safe from their
meddlings, but also unable to reap the gifts that fall to the
faithful.
Followers have no special conducts.
Followers receive +5/+5 per level.
GOD::FIGHTER - Klaskov
Klaskov the Ironclad is the patron deity of fighters. He is best
known for the burnished set of full plate he wears into any
battle.
Followers are encouraged to kill, and dress well.
Followers are discouraged from casting spells.
Followers receive +15/+0 per level.
GOD::WIZARD - Belweir
Belweir the Near Sighted is the patron deity of Wizards. Belweir
incorporates in the form of a large rock mole. Belweir's
knowledge of mystical matters exceeds all other beings.
`Know what is in front of you before seeking that afar.'
Followers are encouraged to cast spells, identify things, and dress well.
Followers are discouraged from melee combat.
Followers receive +0/+15 per level.
GOD::ROGUE - Quizar
Quizar the Black is the patron deity of rogues. On the mortal
plane, Quizar takes the form of a large black squirrel.
Followers are encouraged to attack from afar, identify items, find
secrets, dress well, and strike the helpless.
Followers are discouraged from making a lot of noise.
Followers gain +10/+5 per level.
GOD::NECRO - Tlosh
The Arch-Lich Tlosh is the patron deity of necromancers. Though
not technically a god, Tlosh's power is such that few argue the
point.
Followers are encouraged to kill at a distance, practice death
magic, dress well, and strike at the helpless.
Followers are discouraged from all forms of healing and melee
combat.
Followers are forbidden from using healing spells.
Followers gain +5/+10 per level.
GOD::BARB - H'ruth
The Horselord H'ruth is the patron deity of true warriors. To
those who measure civilization by cloth or scratches on parchment,
H'ruth's followers are called barbarians.
Followers are encouraged to kill and wade into the thick of
battle, ideally whilst properly garbed.
Followers are discouraged from attacking from afar.
Followers are forbidden from using any spells.
Followers gain +20/0 per level.
GOD::CLERIC - Pax
The Principle of Pax guides every move of would-be clerics.
Violence is the last resort of the incompetent.
Followers are encouraged to heal, wear appropriate attire, and to destroy
the undead.
Followers are discouraged from initiating combat, feasting on the
fallen when not hungry, and striking the helpless.
Followers are forbidden from using death magic or harming those
who are friendly.
Followers gain +10/+10 per level.
GOD::CULTIST - ><0|V|
Few are so foolish as to be a cultist of ><0|V|.
Their fate is either to be envied or pitied.
ITEM::KNIFE - knife
A stout knife suitable for carving meat or throwing.
ITEM::DAGGER - dagger
A short blade well weighted for flight.
ITEM::SILVERDAGGER - silver dagger
A short blade made of silver. Pretty to look at, but likely annoying
to keep clean.
ITEM::WARHAMMER - warhammer
A finely crafted block of steel tops the stout handle. This weapon
can easily smash through the strongest of armour.
ITEM::SPEAR - spear
An iron-tipped wooden spear.
ITEM::SILVERSPEAR - silver spear
A silver-tipped wooden spear.
ITEM::CLUB - club
Nothing more than a short piece of wood. Still, it can get the
job done.
ITEM::SILVERSWORD - silver sword
Some pompous prince thought it fit to make a long sword out of pure
silver. Surely the prince knew it would dull easily and likely
break in real combat?
ITEM::SHORTSWORD - short sword
The smaller cousin of the eternally popular long sword.
ITEM::LONGSWORD - long sword
The staple of any stylish fighter, the long sword makes an effective
weapon. Critics denounce the trend for everyone to wield a long sword,
citing that it leads to boring battle scenes and little originality
in battle gear. Said critics likely don't have to wander dangerous
dungeons, however, so are best ignored.
ITEM::RAPIER - rapier
Swashbuckling adventurers would feel naked without this sword at
their side. The rapier is a long, thin, blade designed for
thrusting rather than cutting. Its popularity among civilian
duels has led some to hold the weapon in contempt, but in more
practical combat it can hold its own against less stylish blades.
ITEM::FLAMESWORD - flaming sword
This long sword has been coated with a substance that allows it
to burn brightly. If the steel does not slay them, the flame will.
ITEM::LIGHTNINGRAPIER - lightning rapier
This rapier crackles with powerful electric currents. The
suppressed lightning makes the blade feel light and nimble - as if
it were eager to ground against a foe.
ITEM::ICEMACE - ice mace
The metal of this mace has been chilled to the point where the
very air seems to condense on to its surface. You need to be
careful to hold only by the leather grip or fear suffering
frostbite yourself.
ITEM::EARTHHAMMER - earth hammer
Forged from living stone, this hammer seems to glow yellow in the dungeon
light. It feels very heavy in your hands, but when you try swinging it you
find it moves swiftly and accurately. The only odd behaviour is a slight
pull towards the walls, as if the hammer were eager to reunite with the
stone from which it was forged.
ITEM::MACE - mace
What maces lack in subtlety, they make up for in brute power. The mace
is a club which is fashioned of iron rather than mere wood. This
gives it greater power in a more compact form factor.
ITEM::BOW - bow
Fine yew wood has been placed under strain by the bowstring. Wise
warriors stick their foes with arrows before they can close.
ITEM::ARROW - arrow
A wooden arrow with a stone head. The arrow shaft is straight
and true. You have only your lack of skill to account for missing
with this arrow.
ITEM::FIREARROW - fire arrow
This arrow has been dipped in some form of thick naptha. The burning
liquid will splash on contact, setting any victim aflame. This powerful
secondary damage is why archers are willing to tolerate both the
corresponding reduction in piercing damage and higher breaking rate of
these arrows.
ITEM::HAT - floppy hat
A felt cap dyed a gaudy blue. It would offer only the most meager of
protection to your head.
ITEM::LEATHERCAP - leather cap
Boiled leather shaped into a head piece provides some protection against
having your brains spilled by an unfortunate blow.
ITEM::HELM - iron helm
A sturdy iron helm provides excellent protection against hits to
the head. Unfortunately, the sound of rain on it would soon drive
you mad. It is good there is no rain in the dungeon.
ITEM::SANDALS - sandals
Mere scraps of leather with leather thongs, sandals nonetheless
keep your feet from being cut by the jagged rocks of less traveled
passages.
ITEM::HIKINGBOOTS - hiking boots
Sturdy leather boots which provide excellent ankle support. These
would help keep your balance when negotiating tough terrain.
ITEM::IRONSHOES - iron shoes
Iron plates placed over the toes and along the sole ensure that
your feet will be safe from most common mishaps.
ITEM::WINGEDBOOTS - winged boots
These leather shoes have decorative wings made of pigeon feathers
attached to them.
ITEM::RIDINGBOOTS - riding boots
These calf length leather boots would seem better suited to riding
a horse than clomping about a dungeon.
ITEM::POINTEDSLIPPERS - pointed slippers
These soft cloth slippers would be excellent for lounging about
the fire while recounting the glory of your adventures. Too bad
you are currently *in* the adventure!
ITEM::WOODENSHIELD - wooden shield
Constructed of several pieces of wood cleverly joined, the wooden
shield is intended as disposable protection.
ITEM::BUCKLER - buckler
A small iron shield designed to be strapped to the arm, the buckler
has the notable advantage of not encumbering your off hand.
ITEM::ROUNDSHIELD - round shield
A medium sized iron shield.
ITEM::KITESHIELD - kite shield
The distinctively shaped kite shield provides effective defence
against attack.
ITEM::TOWERSHIELD - tower shield
The tower shield provides the best defence against attack.
ITEM::REFLECTSHIELD - mirror shield
This silver shield has been shined to a high polish. You can
easily see your reflection in its surface.
ITEM::TORCH - torch
A torch will brightly light the dungeon around you when equipped.
ITEM::BLUEPOTION - blue potion
The bottle is filled with a viscous blue fluid.
ITEM::REDPOTION - red potion
The red fluid in the bottle looks disconcertingly like blood.
ITEM::PURPLEPOTION - purple potion
While the alliteration is tempting, you cannot bring your self to call this
a "pleasing purple potion". Maybe "peculiar purple potion"?
ITEM::YELLOWPOTION - yellow potion
Everyone on the surface world knows that yellow potions are Heal potions.
Everyone cannot be wrong! Drink up!
ITEM::GREYPOTION - grey potion
The grey coloured sludge in this potion bottle seems to stick to the sides
of the bottle. And seems to contain fibres. Ugh!
ITEM::WHITEPOTION - white potion
This bottle seems to contain some colloid whose sub-surface scattering
reflects evenly all wavelengths of visible light.
ITEM::BLACKPOTION - black potion
While the general colour of this potion must be called black, looking at
the surface reveals an iridescent rainbow of colours. It is really a
rather pretty effect.
ITEM::CYANPOTION - cyan potion
Even though the bottle is tightly stoppered, you can smell something like
the tang of metal.
ITEM::GLOWINGPOTION - glowing potion
"Never eat anything that glows of its own accord" - Wise Saying.
ITEM::WATER - bottle of water
The importance of potable water is not to be underestimated. Not
only does water have obvious practical use, but it is also able to
to bless and curse items if it is itself so imbued.
ITEM::BOTTLE - empty bottle
The logical consequence of emptying a bottle is this: an empty
bottle. You have heard in some realms the glass blowing guild is
so powerful that adventurers are required by law to destroy their
bottles immediately after consuming the contents. You are glad
you are in a realm that encourages recycling, even if that might
mean cluttering your backpack.
ITEM::ROBE - plain robe
Flowing cloth robes may hide your figure, but aren't very effective
at blocking blows. These robes have been dyed a gaudy blue.
ITEM::LEATHERTUNIC - leather tunic
A boiled leather tunic deflects most edged weapons, and softens the
blow of blunt weapons.
ITEM::STUDDEDLEATHER - studded leather tunic
This boiled leather tunic has had numerous metal studs riveted to
its surface for added protection.
ITEM::CHAINMAIL - chainmail
Composed of many tiny loops of metal linked and riveted together,
chainmail provides a flexible and effective form of protection.
ITEM::MITHRILMAIL - mithril chainmail
This chain mail is composed not of mundane iron, but of the
very rare metal known as mithril.
ITEM::BANDEDMAIL - banded mail
Long strips of metal are riveted on top of a leather tunic to provide
more consistent protection than that afforded by studded leather
tunics.
ITEM::SPLINTMAIL - splint mail
Long strips of metal are riveted on top of a leather tunic to provide
more consistent protection than that afforded by studded leather
tunics.
ITEM::PLATEMAIL - plate mail
Composed of solid plates of iron, platemail provides an effective,
if heavy, armour.
ITEM::CRYSTALPLATE - crystal platemail
Fashioned in the manner of platemail, but with some form of hardened
crystal rather than iron. One would expect it to shatter at the
first hit, but it seems more resilient than its nature would
suggest.
ITEM::BOULDER - boulder
An immense granite boulder that practically fills the dungeon corridors.
Conveniently, its shape is spherical enough to permit a sufficiently strong
shove to roll it a few feet.
ITEM::MOUNDFLESH - mound of flesh
A disgusting ten-foot diameter mound of unspecified-flesh. You can only
hope it never belonged to a living creature.
ITEM::STATUE - statue
It would look very pretty in your garden. Too bad you are in a
dungeon.
ITEM::CORPSE - corpse
The main form of sustenance for adventurers deep in the dungeons.
Many have asked why one would eat a steaming pile of raw flesh,
but you will soon acquire a taste for it. It can be quite delicious
once you pick the gristle out. Or so you keep telling yourself.
ITEM::BONES - bones
Not as filling as corpses, but just as tasty. Be careful you
don't get bone slivers stuck in your teeth!
ITEM::ROCK - rock
A small stone. Unlike most small stones that you find in a dungeon, this
one has the right heft and size to make an excellent missile weapon.
ITEM::MEATBALL - meatball
Small spheroid of meat products. One is cautioned not to investigate too
closely what sort of meat went into its construction.
You mouth waters briefly at the thought of Kobe-style meat balls mixed with
havarti cheese in a bowl of rice. Sadly, this meatball promises to be a
tasteless morsel.
ITEM::PEARLNECKLACE - pearl necklace
Numerous pearls have been threaded together to form a continuous chain.
While there is no catch to open the chain, the necklace is large enough to
fit over your head as is.
ITEM::GOLDNECKLACE - gold necklace
A thick gold chain has one of the links engineered as a simple clasp.
Styling!
ITEM::RUBYNECKLACE - ruby necklace
A clear ruby is in a delicate gold setting. The thin gold chain that
supports the setting looks equally delicate, but feeling it you get the
impression it could withstand a stronger pull than you'd suspect.
ITEM::IRONTORC - iron torc
A close fitting neck-piece which is composed of heavy, inflexible, pieces.
The clasp closes with a solid KCHUNK. With all the creatures seeking your
head, the idea of applying armour to your neck suddenly seems like a good
idea.
ITEM::STUDDEDGORGET - studded gorget
A boiled leather collar studded with metal spikes. You are considering
wearing it for its protective value. Not to match your spurred boots.
Right?
ITEM::FEATHERHELM - feathered helm
An iron helm with a large feather stuck in it.
ITEM::SILVERCIRCLET - silver circlet
A circlet composed of solid silver.
ITEM::BLACKHEART
This is the black heart of Baezl'bub, carved from his still bleeding
corpse. This is what the entire quest was about - now that you
have it, you merely must take it to the surface.
ITEM::YRUNE
A stone the size of your hand. On the stone's surface glows a blue
Y. Like any good adventurer, you recognize something so unique
must have a purpose later in the dungeon, so resolve to carry it
with you.
HELM::DRAIN
Experiments with trying to produce the fabled Helm of Brilliance often
result in creating a Helm of Draining. Rather than amplifying the
wearers magic, they instead drain it, leaving the magician bereft of
their usual magic regeneration.
Sadly, most people do not use spells, so enamoured by the obviously
magical nature of these helms, purchase them from deceptive merchants.
This results in Helms of Draining accumulating in the dungeons wherever
their last wearer died (or more hopefully, discarded it when they
learned the true nature).
HELM::TELEPATHY
Treska of the Seven Alphabets is often credited with the invention
of these handy helms. It is rumoured her goal was to be able to read
the thoughts of her servants and thus dispatch of any with carnal
thoughts. Thankfully for the rest of us, her attempt failed. However,
the helm does allow one to detect the general type of thought, letting
one distinguish orc from troll through closed doors.
The thoughts presented are weak, however, and often overwhelmed by visual
sensory data. This limitation can be overcome if the broadcaster is
willing. It is an interesting footnote that Treska never discovered
this fact as apparently none of her servants were inclined to cooperate.
HELM::WARNING
Helms of Warning work on an ingenious principle. Unlike Helms of
Telepathy, which seek to detect the thoughts of others, and hence
are prone to sensory overload or failure to read mindless creatures,
helms of warning instead read *your* innermost thoughts. They reach
into your innate inner self, the seat of your intuition. Here they
sense those tremulous fears which the presence of foes invokes, amplify
them, and present them to your conscious mind.
HELP::POWDER
Welcome to POWDER!
Your goal is simple: dive to level 25 of the dungeon to reach Baezl'bub,
slay him, and return to the surface with his black heart. Plenty of
nasty monsters stand in your way, however. Fortunately, the dungeon
is littered with useful equipment.
Check for updates at www.zincland.com/powder.
HELP::KEYBOARD
If you are using a computer to play POWDER, you will be using the keyboard
entry method.
Use the arrow keys to move around. Bumping into things will perform
the most likely action. For example, bumping into a monster will
attack it with your weapon. Bumping into a door will attempt to
open it. You can also use hjkl or 4826 to move around. If you press
control you will toggle your safe-walk options and thus not attack
creatures even if you step into them.
Cancel menus with Escape. Select menu entries with Enter or Space.
Hitting i will bring up your inventory screen. You can hit enter
or space on an item to get a context sensitive menu of what you
can do with that item. Sometimes you will have to specify a
second target. For example, if you Equip a sword, you need to
specify you want to put it in your right hand. You can also hit a
quick key to directly choose a menu item.
Hitting O (note the capital!) will bring up the Options menu. This
is where saving, loading, selecting tilesets, etc, is done.
Other key definitions are:
o - Open
c - Close
e - Eat
B - Breathe
W - Move
<, > - Climb
,, g - Pick up an item
S - Swap
q - Release
R - Rest
s - search
., w, 5 - Wait
r - Run
x - Look
z - Cast a spell
J - Jump
m, X - Mini-map
N - Name a creature
C - Command a creature
_ - Pray
O - Options
? - Help
F - Forget something
f - Fire Quivered Item
p - Previous message
v - View Message History
V - Command Menu
& - Make a wish
Inventory quick keys are:
w - Wear or Wield
T - Take off
d - Drop
e - Eat or Quaff
r - Read
! - Dip
z - Zap
f - Mark as Favorite
q - Put in Quiver
t - Throw
n - Name
s - Sort Inventory
S - Split Stack
x - Examine
HELP::GAMEBOY
If you are using a Gameboy Advance to play POWDER, you are using the
button input method.
Use the directional pad to move around. Bumping into things will
do the most appropriate action. Bumping into a monster will attack it,
bumping into a door will open it.
Cancel menus with the B button. Select menu entries with the A button.
When wandering the world, the A, B, L, and R (and X and Y on the DS)
buttons act according to their current mappings. You can remap them by
hitting Start, selecting the desired action, hitting Select to activate
binding, and then hitting the button you want mapped there. The status
line will update to reflect the new mapping. Note you can bind immediately
to L and R without hitting the Select button.
Start brings up the Command Menu. The Options... selection is special
as it does not create a mapping, but rather brings up another menu.
Here you can load and save and set the tilesets. (And get to this help)
A will immediately perform the selected action and B will cancel this menu.
Select brings up your inventory. By hitting A on an item, you will
get a context sensitive menu which allows you to use the item.
HELP::STYLUS
POWDER can be played entirely using only a stylus, or, equivalently, the
left mouse button. This method is available in the SDL and DS versions.
When wandering the dungeon, click on the screen to move in that direction.
If you click more than one tile away from yourself, you will do a "safe"
move that won't open doors or attack creatures. Clicking on an adjacent
tile will attack the creature or open the door.
You can search by clicking on yourself.
The bottom of the screen has an Action Bar. This is a series of buttons
that do different actions. An important one is the brown bag that brings
up the inventory menu. When the inventory is on screen, clicking on an
item will give a one line description. The action bar will update showing
what are valid things to do with this item. Clicking the inventory button
again will close it.
The command menu (>) button brings up a very long menu. This is a list of
every action that is possible. You can scroll it by clicking outside to
the top or bottom. Clicking on an action name will perform that action.
An important action on the verb list is the Options... action. This brings
up the configuration menu and has the Save & Quit option.
HELP::STATUSLINE
The status line is across the bottom of the screen. It reads:
A shield icon followed by a two digit number. This is your AC, or armour
class. A higher number makes you harder to hit.
A heart followed by a three digit number, slash, and two digit number. The
three digit number is your current number of hit points. The two digit
number is your physical level. You usually have ten times your physical
level in max hitpoints. Hitpoints regenerate slowly over time.
A wizard hat (Yes, that is what that is!) followed by a three digit number,
a slash, and a two digit number. The three digit number is your current
magic points. The two digit number is your magic level. You usually have a
max magic of ten times the magic level. Magic points regenerate over time.
An X followed by a three digit number. This lists your experience. As soon
as it gets to one thousand, it resets, and you gain a level. On gaining a
level, you choose which god you wish to worship for your next level. The
choice of god determines what class you gain for that level. The number of
experience you get per monster is a function of the difficulty of the
monster and your character level (the sum of physical and magic levels)
A ladder followed by a two digit number. This gives the current dungeon
level you are on.
A single space.
Two character symbols. These give the current mappings of the [L] and [R]
buttons. The first is [L] and second [R]. If this is the SDL version,
instead of these mappings you will have the helpful word "Zinc". If this
is the DS version, the mappings for [Y] and [X] are presented here.
A single space.
Two character symbols. These give the current mappings of the [A] and [B]
buttons. The first is [B] and second [A] (This may seem backwards, but [B]
is to the left of [A], so it makes sense in practice)
HELP::DEATH
You have died.
You will get used to this.
In other games, you may have saved & reloaded your character to
get past tough battles. This is not recommended in POWDER. Most
likely, you will get yourself in a situation where no saving and
restoring can save you and end up frustrated.
Instead, die often and try to learn from your deaths. Whether it
is to avoid attacking some otherwise peaceful dungeon inhabitants
or exercising restraint in identifying items, there is a lesson in
almost every death.
The good news is that the random nature of the levels makes every
game a new adventure.
SPELL::FLASH
A blinding white light sears the optic nerve of any unfortunates
targeted by this spell. If the light doesn't kill them, their
temporary blindness will likely nonetheless make them easy
pickings.
SPELL::STICKYFLAMES
The secret alchemy of Greek Fire is scoffed at by advanced
wizards. They instead point to the ease with which they achieve
the same effect through sorcery.
SPELL::MAGICMISSILE
The first attempt to project one's will at a distance is always the
hardest. The Magic Missile spell is most novices first experience
with summoning kinetic energy, so is often scoffed at by higher
level mages as a cantrip for newbies. Wise wizards learn well the
lessons that it teaches, and are always watching for a chance to
use it.
SPELL::CHILL
The cold of the abyss is channeled into the wizard's hands. On
touching a foe, this fearsome chill is transferred to it, freezing
flesh and draining vitality.
SPELL::SPARK
The wild, uncontrolled nature of galvanic magic is best shown
with this spell. No target is required, just cast and watch as
your opponents are jolted. Not recommended for those who have
many friends.
SPELL::FROSTBOLT
A chilling blast of supercooled air flies forward from the mage's
hands. As it flies forward, both water and CO2 sublimate into a
ghostly frost which gives this spell its name.
SPELL::LIVINGFROST
Once in a thousand years a confluence of hurricanes can result in an
uber-storm. The mammoth downdraft so generated can bring super-chilled air
down from the stratosphere. Unwitting ground creatures can find the
ambient air temperature dropping a hundred degrees within seconds, flash
freezing them into grisly popsicles.
The Living Frost spell seeks to mimic these horrific effects with
mundane magic. Early experiments with flash freezing found a freaky
phenomenon. At sufficiently low temperatures, the air seemed to acquire a
malignant intelligence of its own!
It was the renowned summoner Kratsbury who first added a simple compulsion
cantrip to the frozen air spell, thus creating the first documented
wizard-controlled Living Frost.
SPELL::BLIZZARD
The power barely contained in a Living Frost can be unraveled. The
resulting explosion of ice and sleet affects all in a large radius,
so the caster is cautioned to ensure he has retreated to a safe
distance first.
SPELL::FIREBALL
The mainstay of any mage worth his salt. What would a mage be if
he cannot fling balls of fire? One is forewarned not to get too
carried away, or the person crisped might be oneself.
SPELL::FLAMESTRIKE
The most holy and devout can request a special favour from their
deity. A giant pillar of flame engulfs any chosen foe within
sight of the mage-priest. Study the effect well, for if you were
to displease your deity, you may be at the receiving end.
SPELL::LIGHTNINGBOLT
The actinic glare of a lightning bolt searing through a darkened
corridor would be enough to strike terror in the most stout of
warrior. One can only imagine their fear when the bolt, which
seemed to just miss them, bounces off a wall to strike them
straight on!
SPELL::CHAINLIGHTNING
The wild-mage R'tar was said to be particularly fond of this
destructive spell. While he had found a secret method to avoid
being hit by the resulting chain reaction, his friends had not.
The natural consequence is that R'tar is now friendless.
SPELL::SUNFIRE
Some magic is just too potent for mere mortals. None should have
learned the words for this spell. If any had learned it, none
should have written them down. The High Kingdom of Qwar places
the penalty for speaking of the spell at death by fire.
Needless to say, it is quite readily available in any well stocked
library.
SPELL::ACIDSPLASH
A thick spray of highly corrosive acid is shot forth. The massive
damage inflicted by this spell attracts many mages. They soon
learn that the risk of backsplash hitting them tempers the
usefulness of this otherwise potent spell.
SPELL::ACIDICMIST
A knowledgeable mage can combine the water droplets in the air with
the naturally occurring nitrogen. By condensing the resulting nitric
acid into large enough particles, it forms a dense acidic mist
that wreaks havoc on those who breathe the noxious fumes.
SPELL::CORROSIVEEXPLOSION
The Plane of Acid is not uninhabited. The skilled mage can bring
forth one of the denizens of this plane. The semi-living blob of
acid will instantly consume any items it touches. However, it
doesn't last long - within moments it destabilizes and
explodes. The strength and size of the explosion depends
on the number of items it fed on, so this spell is best cast on
a stack of unwanted equipment. And best cast if you already have
acid resistance.
SPELL::ACIDPOOL
A fountain of acid is summoned from the Plane of Acid and directed
at a specific point. So corrosive is this acid that it almost
always dissolves the location entirely; leaving in its wake a
fuming pool of acid.
SPELL::MINDACID
A powerful psychoactive acid is synthesized from the outer layers
of the skin of your hands. By touching a foe with this acid, you
can disrupt their mental processes with confusing effects. Be
careful you apply the acid quickly, because in time it will be
absorbed into your own skin, making you the victim!
SPELL::DISINTEGRATE
The effects of disintegration care not for your strength. All victims
are treated equally before the powerful magic of this spell. The very
atoms of the victim's being are ripped apart, leaving behind ghastly
wounds. The larger the victim, the larger the wounds.
SPELL::REGENERATE
Some warriors scoff at this spell. They claim it is better to
have the instant-gratification of a heal spell. Wise fighters,
however, know that it is often easier to cast a spell before a
battle than during it! Further, this spell has been specially
formulated to require minimal magic to cast. It instead draws
power from magic the mage *would* have regenerated. Being able to
borrow magic points from the future can make the difference of
life or death.
SPELL::SLOWPOISON
Vile serpents and bloated spiders lurk under every rock. It is
only a matter of time before one receives a sting which poisons
one's flesh. While no substitute for a cure, this spell can
provide temporary immunity for the ongoing damage to tissue and
organ. Some warriors swear by casting this spell prior to
becoming poisoned - they then need not worry about curing during
combat.
SPELL::HEAL
The mainstay of any would-be cleric, this simple spell closes
wounds and restores vitality.
SPELL::CUREPOISON
There is a reason why some poisons are called "Deadly". Those
poisons are the reason why it is foolish to not have some way to
cure. This simple spell instantly flushes all toxins from the
body, preventing any further damage.
SPELL::MAJORHEAL
Designed for more serious wounds than Heal, the Major Heal spell
also boasts greater mana to health efficiency. It does have a
higher base mana cost, so clerics are recommended to keep Heal
well practiced.
SPELL::RESURRECT
The ultimate power for any cleric is not that of death, but that
of life. This complicated ritual can, at great cost to the
cleric, revive any fallen creature. The creature so restored from
death will be loyal to the cleric. Be warned that one so raised
is very weak, and should be healed forthwith.
SPELL::LIGHT
Let dark and dank dungeons be well-lit and dank dungeons! The
light spell makes dangerous corridors into mundane hallways.
SPELL::DARKNESS
There are certain people who prefer their deeds not be witnessed.
For them, it can be convenient to ensure the light of day does not
shine where they choose.
SPELL::KNOCK
A sticky door giving you problems? A locked chest won't budge?
The simple Knock spell can effortless open any object capable of
being opened. A second application will then equally swiftly return the
object to a closed state. Open. Close. Open. Close. You could do this
all day. Indeed, a common punishment for misbehaving apprentices is to
open and close a door two hundred times.
SPELL::TRACK
The track spell builds up a standing magic field around the target.
This standing wave is attached and powered by the life-essence of
the target, so moves with the target wherever they go. Creatures so
marked can be sensed by anyone, not just the original caster.
Treska of the Seven Alphabets is said to have demanded that her
students submit to a Track spell. Only then could she be satisfied
that her students were not going to less reputable parts of town.
Fortunately for Treska's students, the standing field does dissipate
over time if not renewed.
SPELL::WIZARDSEYE
What better way to scout the passage ahead than a floating eyeball
that can move easily though stone? The Wizard's Eye is a
phase-shifted version of the common floating eye summoned to do
the mage's spying. It is important to remember that while one is
peeping in the form of the wizard's eye, one's body is lying
helpless where you left it.
SPELL::POSSESS
Casters of this spell have no need to impose their will through
clever dialogue or the brandishing of weapons. Instead, they
confront their foe on the mental plane. If successful, they
subsume their target's will to their own, granting them control of
every action. Note that one's own body is left defenceless during
the possession so it is wise to plan ahead. If your possessed
creature dies you will return to your own body - but be warned the
shock exacts a price, so you might consider Releasing your spirit
before the final blow is dealt.
SPELL::DIAGNOSE
The first step in any treatment should be to discover what the ailment is.
This powerful piece of divinition magic seeks to remove the guess work from
triage. A quick cast will let you know not just the relative health of the
creature, but what its absolute health is.
SPELL::PRESERVE
The dungeon is filled with worms, insects, and bacteria. All of these
are eager to consume any fresh carrion that falls to the floor.
First time dungeon explorers are often shocked at how quickly a
dead foe is stripped to the bones, and then the bones themselves are
carried off.
Before he became an Arch-Lich, Tlosh was often aggravated by how
quickly his research subjects decomposed. His research resulted
in a localised stasis field that can arrest the decay process. Preserve
has become a staple among necromancers for whom the fallen is
a fuel.
SPELL::MAGICMAP
Dungeons can be twisty, turny places. Often one *knows* there is
something nearby, but cannot figure out how to get there. This
spell provides a magic vision of the surroundings to the mage.
This vision is an accurate portrayal of the local area, including
areas completely inaccessible to normal travel.
SPELL::DETECTCURSE
It is a foolish and short lived adventurer that tries on whatever is found
in the dungeon. While this can serve to identify items, some items are
cursed so will not be so easy to take off. In the case of certain amulets
that may spell certain doom.
For those not willing to go to the effort or expense to fully identify
every item, it is often sufficient to just separate the cursed from the
blessed. This simple spell attunes the caster to their possessions;
allowing them to detect the status of each of their items.
SPELL::IDENTIFY
Items found on a dungeon floor may contain great power. The
trouble with great power is that it can be for both good and evil.
Often, even things which are made with the best of intentions, can
cause great harm when an ignorant Barbarian starts to toy with it.
This spell lets you determine the functionality and nature of one
item.
SPELL::BLINK
A quick get away is 9/10ths of the law. Blink lets you do a
controlled teleport anywhere in sight for a small cost. A few
quick Blinks can confuse the chasers and get one to safety.
SPELL::FETCH
Nowhere is the laziness of wizards better exemplified than in this spell.
Not content with being able to move mountains or burn forests with an
incantation, the modern mage must also be able to summon his minions or
retrieve his fallen pen without stirring from his desk.
SPELL::TELEPORT
With the proper incantation and skilled direction of magical energies,
one can increase the similarity of two different locations. When the
two locations become the same up to 2^-20 cm, the universe itself no
longer can tell them apart. The net effect is that, while to outsiders
the wizard has seemingly teleported from one location to the other,
what has actually happened is that the source location became the
destination location!
One must be forewarned that if an area has sufficiently high magical flux,
it cannot be stabilized sufficiently to achieve such levels of
similarity! Also, some items, due to their essentially unique nature,
prevent the space around them from being similarized.
SPELL::TELEWITHCONTROL
To choose your location for teleportation requires not only greater
focus, but greater power as well. While the normal teleport spell
finds a location whose gradients make it easy to achieve similarity,
the teleport with control spell seeks to bend the gradients at
*any* location.
There are still limitations, however. One cannot teleport into
something one can't move in normally.
SPELL::DIRECTWIND
The power of the air is yours! You can command a stiff breeze to blow
in the direction of your choosing!
Most mages discount this spell as entirely useless. They only learn
it when it is forced upon them to achieve more powerful effects.
Wise mages, however, treasure this innocuous seeming spell.
SPELL::FORCEBOLT
A bolt of pure force is created and slammed forward with devastating
effect. While the range is very short, it is more than made up for
with the power. Many objects are instantly shattered by the
strength of this spell.
SPELL::SUMMON_FAMILIAR
More than just a faithful companion, a familiar can be thought of as an
extension of oneself. Much like one's own heart, if well tended the
familiar will grow and be a valuable ally. Neglected, more than just the
familiar will suffer.
SPELL::TRANSFER_KNOWLEDGE
It is often said that there are no shortcuts to the hard-won lessons of
real world experience. This sort of thing is said by those who lack access
to this powerful spell.
Converting the mage's raw experience into a form of intermediary magical
particles, this spell then applies those particles to the designated
target. As the particles decay they release the experience in the
recipient.
SPELL::FORCEWALL
A wall of pure force is created and projected outwards from the caster
with devastating force. Creatures struck by the wall are knocked
backwards, only to be hit again as the wall continues its inexorable
motion. The final radius of the wall is dependent on the perimeter,
so wise mages note that this spell has greater range in a corridor
than in an open room.
SPELL::DIG
The spell of Dig carefully controls its energies in the Plane of
Earth. It focuses on the removal of dirt and stone from ones
path, allowing one to fashion dungeon complexes of one's own
design.
SPELL::CREATEPIT
The excavating powers of the Dig spell need not be directed at walls.
One may instead direct them at the floor. Ideally, the floor beneath
your enemies. Even if they are not killed when they fall into the
resulting pit, the time it takes them to climb out of the pit is
time not spent attacking you!
SPELL::GROWFOREST
When the Druids of Estan discovered that Tlosh had been funding their
research into this spell, they should have stopped their inquiries at once.
Instead they convinced themselves that this showed a change in Tlosh's
heart - after all, what possible ill purpose could a spell to create a
forest have?
The Druids of Estan have regretted their choice ever since.
SPELL::ANIMATEFOREST
When the Druids of Estan were sent into hiding by Tlosh's undead army of
archers, they faced the difficuly prospect of transplanting their sacred
groves. Unearthing a tree and replanting it is a delicate task which can
often shock the tree in ways it will never recover. It was the Druid Bazz
who made the breakthrough that solved this issue: why not have the trees
transplant themselves? By accelerating the trees metabolism and imbuing it
with a simple goal seeking mentality, the tree is able to lift itself out
of its soil, walk on its roots to its new location, and safely replant
itself there.
It is a sad commentary on the rest of "civilization" that this spell is
best known, not for its horticulture purposes, but merely as an efficient
way to acquire giant fighting trees for warfare.
SPELL::DOWNPOUR
Originally formulated to deal with the crippling droughts that faced the
Western Pederbar region, downpour was never successfully used in that
capacity. The intensity of the deluge ensures any parched soil targeted
will be washed away, defeating its use as a direct rain replacement.
Attempts to use it to replenish resevoirs for irrigations systems were
abandoned when it was realized that, unlike the version used by Water
Elementals, this spell actually acquires its water from the surrounding air
instead of the Plane of Water. As such, it will only worsen drought
conditions.
Downpour is now only learned by wizards who appreciate the ability to use
the threat of a good soaking to keep unruly apprentices in line.
SPELL::ROLLINGBOULDER
Rather than disintegrate all of the rock in a section of wall, one
may instead crudely shape it into a large spherical boulder. Add
to this a large jolt of pure force, and you can have the boulder
rolling towards your enemies.
Unfortunately, this spell was designed by none other than Prakal the Earth
mage, who is at least as renowned for his short-sightedness as his
skill at deriving new earth-related spells. Do not be too surprised when
the resulting boulders all start rolling in your direction.
SPELL::PETRIFY
The dread power of the Cockatrice can be yours. Zapping a foe with this
spell starts a process of petrification, wherein their flesh is
replaced by solid stone! Cruel mages take advantage of the high
black market value for such art.
SPELL::STONETOFLESH
The grisly reversal of the Petrify Spell is not for the faint of heart.
While it is essential for restoring those who have become statues,
the process is not something one should watch closely. Equally
disturbing is the effect of applying it to stone which was never
living.
SPELL::ENTOMB
It is said that Prakal, the Earth Mage, perfected a version of this
spell which does not require Dig as a prerequisite. We can only
guess what it was. Prakal's mummified remains, found buried in solid rock,
have told us nothing.
SPELL::RAISE_UNDEAD
If bringing the dead to life is the ultimate goal of the cleric,
the ultimate goal of a necromancer is to bring the dead to
undeath. Raise Undead allows a necromancer to infuse the fallen
bodies of foes with a sick parody of life. Fresh corpses yield
shambling zombies, whilst a necromancer willing to wait for bones
will gain fleeter moving skeletons.
SPELL::RECLAIM_SOUL
While Tlosh disapproves of all forms of healing, necromancers have found in
practice it is important that they keep their still-mortal frame intact.
The soul reclamation spell fulfills this in a Tlosh friendly way by using
the life energy of another to power the recuperation, thereby avoiding any
contact with the positive energies that traditional healing spells tap
into. This spell, when targeted at an undead under one's control,
recovers the negative energy used to power the undead and repurposes it to
close one's own wounds.
SPELL::DARK_RITUAL
One's minions can be consumed for more than just a quick heal.
The negative energy of undead under your control can be
transformed into a powerful attack to destroy your foes. On the
completion of this dark ritual any adjacent undead will be so
converted.
It is rumoured that this spell is the first step in transforming
into a lich.
SPELL::GHASTIFY
This ghastly spell does not wait for the foe to die. Any creature
at death's gate can be the target of this cruel magic. The
remaining life force is used to power a grisly transformation from
life into unlife. The resulting ghast makes an excellent addition
to any necromancers undead army.
SPELL::BINDSOUL
With greater control over the powers of death, necromancers can
extract the souls from dead corpses and use them as fuel. This
can be used to transform innocent creatures into sinister pets.
It is also believed the soul can be consumed with this spell and
used to construct animated golems. While most golems made in
this way soon vanish, it is rumoured that more complicated rituals
can make stone golems that are permanent.
SPELL::SOULSUCK
No matter how healthy the opponent, they have no defence against
this vile magic. Their inner essence is ripped out and bound to
yourself. You acquire their skills and spells while they are left
in an amnesic daze. The one downside is that the binding isn't
permanent.
SPELL::POISONITEM
Reaching into the Plane of Decay, this spell brings forth vile
fluids and binds them into a viscous mass. This is then applied
to your wielded weapon, ready for you to apply to the foe of your
choice.
SPELL::POISONBOLT
A physical bolt of solidified poison is shaped and then sent forth
with great speed. Those struck take both the physical damage of
the bolt and suffer the harsh poison that it is composed of.
SPELL::SUMMON_IMP
Why anyone would want more of these troublemakers is a question
often asked when this spell is taught. However, one advantage of
this spell is that the imp is only summoned temporarily. This
means the necromancer need not worry about conserving the imps
life. Many necromancers thus swear by this spell as their
replacement for Fireball.
SPELL::SUMMON_DEMON
Nine out of ten necromancers agree that daemons make much more
suitable companions than their smaller imps. The tenth
necromancer, however, was Tlosh. They are still finding pieces of
the other nine necromancers in the astral plane.
Summoned for much longer than imps, daemons have correspondingly
greater strength. As a bonus, even if you like imps, you can let
the daemon deal with summoning such underlings for you.
SPELL::CLOUDKILL
A truly ferocious spell. You begin by spitting at a chosen foe.
As the spittle flies from your mouth, it transforms into a
venomous ball of green poison. If it successfully strikes your
foe, it will explode into a cloud of choking poisonous fumes.
These will linger long after your foe has succumbed, killing
mercilessly any who stray within.
SPELL::FINGEROFDEATH
When one considers the years of study required to learn this most
potent spell, one would think the users would be wise.
The rules of reflection governing spell bounces should be well known by
anyone who has cast the pre-requisite, Magic Missile.
Nonetheless, careless Finger of Death accidents claim dozens of
necromancers every year! Do not become another statistic!
SKILL::DODGE
Careful study has allowed you to predict most foes' moves. Long
hours of practice has trained your reflexes. You can now
occasionally evade enemy attacks, regardless of how skilled the
enemy might be.
SKILL::MOVINGTARGET
Let the barbarians charge in straight lines. You know the folly of
such bravado. While you waste no time in closing with the enemy,
you wisely seek cover and sudden changes in your direction. By
presenting a moving target to foes, you have a high chance of avoiding
ranged attacks so long as you are moving.
SKILL::SEARCH
Diligent observation combined with experience has led you to be
able to readily identify secret doors and hidden traps. A quick
glance around will reveal to you what others must spend many turns
looking for.
SKILL::EVADETRAP
Fast reflexes and nimble feet allow you to leap safely to the pits
edge before falling into the spikes below. The only way for you
to fall down a hole is to climb into it willingly.
SKILL::ENDUREHUNGER
Years on the open plain have taught your body how to conserve its energy
in times of short ration. Not only are you able to continue functioning
while hungry long after others have collapsed, but your extensive
knowledge of plants, animals, and fungi, ensure you can see a rich
banquet where others see only an empty field.
SKILL::BUTCHERY
While city-dwellers may believe that Barbarians eat their prey like wild
animals, Barbarians know that there is a lot to be gained by a more careful
separation of meat from sinew. Wise Barbarians learn butchery skills so
they can make the most of their meals. Knowledge of the key organs allow
them to extract the most out of any corpse they decide to eat.
Careful dressing of the kill does more than provide more
sustenance. The separation of organ's humours allows one to avoid
poisonous portions, either native to the creature or inflicted
prior to death. Further, any special virtues of the corpse can be
acquired without relying on chance ingestion of the proper
portions.
SKILL::CLEANKILL
Barbarians hunting on the steppes have learned that it does not suffice to
defeat one's prey. One must defeat them in a manner that leaves their
corpse still salvageable, or one faces hunger as surely as if one did not
hunt at all. The Clean Kill Skill represents the study of these
techniques. Once mastered, creatures slain in melee combat will be much
more likely to leave behind a tasty corpse.
SKILL::LEAPATTACK
It takes more than courage to leap into the middle of a heated
melee, What it takes is a certain suicidal disregard for self
preservation.
Would be leaping barbarians are cautioned that while the lessons
taught with this skill let one attack when landing from a leap, it
is of little help if one cannot make the heroic leap in the first
place.
SKILL::CHARGE
Weapon set, blood-curdling scream on lips, the valiant warrior
charges into the battle! The momentum, both physical and
emotional, generated by a swift charge can be translated into
crushing damage.
SKILL::ARMOUR_HELMET
You realize well that your head is the most valuable location.
You know how to properly adjust the myriad straps and belts which
are used to secure a helmet in place. Because you correctly put
on, and properly adjust for the size of, your helms, you derive
additional protection from them.
SKILL::ARMOUR_SHIELD
It might be fine for a Barbarian to strap a shield to an arm and
consider training complete. You know, however, that correctly
parrying attacks is an art onto itself. You derive additional
protection from shields.
SKILL::ARMOUR_BODY
Most of one's vitals lie within the torso, so it is wise indeed to
know how to properly protect them. Many a fool has felt secure in
plate only to receive a dirk to the kidneys which ended his day.
You derive additional protection from body armour.
SKILL::ARMOUR_BOOTS
Dungeon floors are uneven at best, and littered with sharp-pointy
things at worst. A good pair of boots is a must, but so is
proper usage of the boots. One's laces must be tight, one's
shoes must be adjusted to fit one's own feet, the requirements go
on. From this skill, you derive additional protection from boots.
SKILL::ARMOUR_CLOTH
You understand the care and maintenance of cloth based armours.
This allows you to properly wear them and use them for maximum
defence.
SKILL::ARMOUR_LEATHER
You are familiar with medium weight armours, such as those made
from leather or wood. You can properly care for the items and
thus use them to full effect.
SKILL::ARMOUR_IRON
This is the Iron Age, after all. While you may not be able to smelt
raw ore and fashion a suit of mail from scratch, you do know enough
to fix the dings and scratches of a suit of iron mail. By properly
repairing these items, you gain better protection value from them.
SKILL::ARMOUR_EXOTIC
Suits of plate mail made of gold. Helmets formed of the skull case
of giant beetles. The deeps have many odd and wonderful types of
armour. You have devoted yourself to researching the myriad methods
of building armour from sundry scraps, and now reap the benefits
with your ability to properly use even the oddest of defensive
accruements.
SKILL::WEAPON_SMALL
Small, light weight, weapons have their own code of usage. One
cannot rely on the weight of the weapon to do your work, but
instead must practice finesse and precision. This skill improves
your ability with all weapons sized Small and lower.
SKILL::WEAPON_MEDIUM
Medium weapons are the mainstay of most armouries. They require a
balance of finesse and brute force to wield. This skill improves
your ability with all weapons sized Medium.
SKILL::WEAPON_LARGE
Large weapons are favoured by Barbarian hordes. Their massive
size means crushing damages, and also means great strength is
required to wield them. Subtlety is definitely not a requirement.
This skill improves your ability with all weapons sized Large and
higher.
SKILL::WEAPON_RANGED
Ranged weapons require you to judge distances and properly aim.
This skill improves your ability with all weapons that are thrown.
SKILL::WEAPON_EDGED
Edged weapons, such as swords, rely on slashing attacks to perform
their damage. As such, one must adjust one's style to gain the
best effect. This skill improves your ability with all edged
weapons.
SKILL::WEAPON_BLUNT
Blunt weapons cause damage by brute force. One's targeted area
tends to be bigger, so different vitals may be chosen. This skill
improves your ability with all blunt weapons.
SKILL::WEAPON_POINTED
Pointed weapons, such as spears, are designed to be stabbed at
one's foes. This can allow force to be applied to a
small area, which, provided the area is chosen correctly, can have
devastating results. This skill improves your ability with all
pointed weapons.
SKILL::WEAPON_IMPROVISE
To the knowledgeable assassin, anything is a weapon. This skill
improves your ability to wield non-weapon objects as a weapon.
SKILL::TWOWEAPON
Many naive warriors learn this skill thinking double the weapons
means double the damage. They then learn that it is important to
become skilled with both weapons that they wish to wield. Even then,
one may only get an extra attack with the offhand for every two
attacks with the primary hand.
Those harbouring fantasies of entering battle with twin longswords should
be cautioned that when the weapon in the off hand is not smaller than the
one in the main hand it is even harder to wield.
SKILL::AMBIDEXTROUS
Instead of concentrating on your strengths, you focused on your weaknesses.
Your so-called "off hand" is no longer distinguishable from your primary
hand. You can use either hand equally effectively. This means it is no
longer important that the second weapon be lighter than the first.
SKILL::WEAPON_KNOCKOUT
The more light weight blunt weapons should not be discounted.
The increased control they afford allows a precision blow to knock
an enemy unconscious. This gives the chance to escape, or for the
less sporting, the chance for some free hits.
SKILL::WEAPON_STUN
While blunt weapons may not produce severed arteries, the
concussive force of a well placed blow can leave an opponent
dazed. A stunned foe will flail randomly, as likely to hurt an
ally as an enemy.
SKILL::WEAPON_KNOCKBACK
Using the momentum of large weapons to the best advantage, you can
send enemies flying backwards with a single hit. The time they
spend regaining their ground is time you can spend readying the
next devastating blow.
SKILL::WEAPON_BLEEDINGWOUND
The skilled rogue knows the weak points of any enemy. A quick
dagger thrust in the right artery can inflict a heavily bleeding wound.
The resulting bloodloss can bring down all but the strongest of foes.
SKILL::WEAPON_DISARM
Fencing masters can lift their opponent's weapons out of their grasp and
send them clattering to the floor. Where no weapon is present, they can
opt instead to trip up their opponent, leaving them unable to attack
successfully until they regain their footing.
SKILL::WEAPON_IMPALE
Many tales speak of strong warriors who can drive a spear right through an
opponent. Fewer tales tell of the barbarians who can continue the
stroke with enough strength and precision to strike the next rank of foes.
Tales of the Horselord H'ruth, before he ascended to godhood, say that
he was known to skewer a half dozen hill orcs with a single thrust of
his silver spear Relattrey.
SKILL::WEAPON_RICOCHET
Flying arrows do not need to stop when they first hit a wall. The
skilled (and, if possessing allies nearby, foolhardy) archer can
bounce the arrows off the walls to strike those not in a clear line
of fire.
SKILL::WEAPON_TRUEAIM
With sufficient practice throwing knives the skilled rogue
achieves uncanny abilities. It is said that they cannot miss a
target that they choose.
SKILL::WEAPON_RIPOSTE
When an adversary strikes is the best time to counterstrike.
Light weapons allow the practiced fighter to use the opportunity
of an attack to gain the chance of a counter attack.
SKILL::WEAPON_PARRY
The skilled fighter does not rely on his armour alone to absorb
the blows of an enemy. Instead, by meeting blade with blade, one
can stop many attacks from falling true.
MOB::AVATAR - you
Adventurers may start off soft and tasty, but dungeon denizens are
warned that they can quickly become obscenely powerful. Single
adventurers have been known to slaughter every living creature in
a dungeon for no more reason than "because they were there".
MOB::GREENDRAGON - green dragon
The scales of this ferocious beast are coated with a thin veneer
of greenish slime. This gives more than just the name to the
beast - it is also the source of the green dragons feared poison.
MOB::WHITEDRAGON - white dragon
Unlike most cold blooded creatures, which merely maintain the
ambient temperature, white dragons are truly cold blooded. A
refrigerant process chills their blood to well below the freezing
point of most liquids.
MOB::REDDRAGON - red dragon
Red dragons are the best known example of the myriad draconian
species. As such, their fireball breath need not be mentioned,
no?
MOB::BLUEDRAGON - blue dragon
A nimbus of electrical arcs surrounds this fearsome beast. The
crackling of these bursts of electricity can be heard for quite
some distance. Be careful lest they discharge through you!
MOB::YELLOWDRAGON - yellow dragon
Yellow dragons normally live on desolate wastelands. There they
hollow out complicated lairs through the use of powerful acids
created in their gizzard. Adventurers have reported that when
threatened, this acid can be spit to devastating effect!
MOB::COCKATRICE - cockatrice
The odd appearance of the cockatrice - half rooster, half lizard -
would be a source of jokes, if it were not for its devastating
ability. So deadly is this attack that most adventurers suggest
avoiding cockatrices at all costs.
The renowned half-thief Parkdat claims to have survived an
encounter with a cockatrice by clever application of items she had
on hand. While she has not revealed what technique she used,
spies report she has been making inquiries about rings of acid
resistance.
MOB::DAEMON - daemon
Hailing from the pits of hell, this minor daemon has been brought
to the surface to give the living a taste of what they have in
store.
MOB::ICEDAEMON - ice daemon
Those who are waiting for hell to freeze may be shocked to learn
large portions of it are already frozen. From these bitter
ice expanses come the dreaded ice daemons.
MOB::BAEZLBUB - Baezl'bub
Known also as "He whose name cannot be spelt correctly", Baezl'bub
has left his stygian abyss to lay some smack down on the surface
world. You guessed it: You are the only hope to stop his
nefarious scheme. The task is simple: Kill him, take his heart,
take it to the surface. The devil, as they say, is in the
details. This is one *big* detail.
MOB::CRETAN_MINOTAUR - Cretan Minotaur
The Minotaur, a fearsome monster half human and half bull, resides
at the center of a twisted maze. Daedelus was clever to ensure
the passages of the maze were too narrow for the minotaur to
escape. Hopefully you are equally clever and stick to small
passages.
MOB::TRIDUDE - tridude
Exhibiting rare trilateral symmetry, some speculate that the
green skinned tridudes are not native to our plane. This doesn't
stop the tridudes from killing unwary adventurers, however, so
save the philosophy until you have escaped the dungeon.
MOB::REDTRIDUDE - red tridude
If you learned anything from dragons, it is that a creature in a
new colour skin likely has some new abilities.
MOB::BLUETRIDUDE - blue tridude
This blue-hued representative of the three-legged tridude kind
zaps and crackles with latent electricity.
MOB::PURPLETRIDUDE - purple tridude
If Wpark the Wonderful had encountered the purple tridude he
likely would have dropped his studies on kobolds entirely. Not
only are they a more pleasing shade of lavender, but the glint of
the three eyes shows considerable intelligence.
Do not let the three stubby legs fool you - the purple tridude is
an avid tool user who has also mastered control of the forces that
hold the universe together.
MOB::GOLDTRIDUDE - Golden Tridude
A massive representative of tridude-kind towers above you. Its
skin is a blinding gold that presents a shimmering mirror of the
surrounding dungeon. You feverently hope that this is as big as
tridudes come.
MOB::FIREBEETLE - fire beetle
The fire beetle gains its name from the self-igniting fluid it can
spray on those that threaten it. Those who do not want to get
burned should let these beetles be.
MOB::GOLDBEETLE - gold beetle
When the Deeper Depths Mining Company contracted Prakal the Earth
Mage to increase the profitability of their gold mines, they had
envisioned some new variant of the Dig spell that would extract
gold from baser metals. What they did not expect was for Prakal
to instead design a living creature!
The Gold Beetle is wondrously designed. Living on a diet of gold,
it is little surprise that it has a 24 carat body. Prakal's
intention was that Deeper Depths could release a population of
beetles in their mines, wait, and then harvest the fully grown
beetles.
The presence of this beetle in front of you tells you that not
everything went according to plan. The released beetles showed
little interest in hanging around the low yield gold mines - they
quickly migrated to dangerous dungeons where tasty golden nuggets
abound. Worse yet, the mechanism used to digest gold triggers a
powerful allergy in flesh and blood creatures, one that makes them
unable to stand the presence of gold.
MOB::ICESNAKE - ice snake
This small serpent is more at home in glaciers than a dungeon.
Its bite can still inflict frostbite reminiscent of such
glaciers, so be warned.
MOB::GREENSNAKE - green snake
This small snake usually has smaller prey in mind than humans.
Nonetheless, one should be wary of its poisonous bite, and leave
it to live by its own whim.
MOB::FIRESNAKE - fire snake
A snake measuring 30 to 50 centimeters in length with scales
coloured in an impressive red and yellow pattern. Many people in
the surface world value the scales for the creation of
fancy-looking boots. If it weren't for the snake's fiery bite,
this demand could have spelt its extinction.
MOB::MOUSE - mouse
Small mice scurry anywhere that food scraps may be found. To the
novice, their movement may seem chaotic and random. The skilled
mouser learns to anticipate their every move.
As a Hero on a Great Quest, you surely don't care about becoming a
better mouser.
MOB::RAT - rat
Rats live where humans live. That doesn't stop humans from hating
them. While excuses like "spreaders of filth and disease" are
usually provided, the cynical point out that if rats had nice
bushy tails rather than ugly naked tails, the cohabitation may
have been more peaceful.
MOB::GIANTRAT - giant rat
This is a BIG rat. It likely weighs as much as you do!
Giant rats generally hate humans. While excuses like "spreaders of
filth and disease" are usually provided, the cynical point out that
if humans had nice fur covering their bodies rather than being
almost entirely naked, the cohabitation may have been more
peaceful.
MOB::GRIDBUG - grid bug
*kzzap*
The grid bug is dismissed by most as just another type of vermin.
However, scholars often have wondered at the origins of these
purple xs. Why is it that they crackle with electric power? Are
they some form of electric elemental? What grants them the
ability to move in directions unavailable to anyone else? Do they
come from some higher dimension where more degrees of freedom are
present? Barbarians report that the corpses are spicy if eaten
fresh.
MOB::SHITOMI - shitomi
The friendly shitomi is a large rat with lavender fur. The
shitomi's pleasant disposition endears most dungeon goers and only
the most rabid would seek to do battle.
MOB::LUX - lux
Rheo the Book Eater was named after his voracious appetite for
books. He would read an entire library in a fortnight. He soon,
however, became frustrated with the poor lighting afforded by
torches. Light spells tended to be static to an area, not at all
helpful to a wandering mage like Rheo.
Being a mage of no little power, he felt there must be a better
solution. He first constructed what he called a desk lamp - a
metal stand with an articulated arm holding a permanent light
source. This could be carried about and adjusted to illuminate
any book. Not satisfied, he continued tinkering. First, he
granted the lamp locomotive ability so it could hop behind him and
carrying would no longer be necessary. He next provided the
ability for the lamp to reproduce itself (thus saving on eventual
manufacturing costs). Finally, he added the ability for the lamp
to orient itself to its master's eyes.
Sadly, a bright light oriented at your eyes tends to blind you.
Too late, he realized he should have had it point itself to what
its master was looking at. He never got the chance to correct
the mistake since his only sample blinded him and hopped away
before he recovered.
Since then, the lux, as it has come to be known, has eked out an
existence in the underworld. Despite its rather aggressive
nature, it is largely tolerated as a good source of light.
MOB::PURPLESLUG - purple slug
The purple slug is both bigger and more ferocious than the brown
slug. Its acid is stronger so unprepared adventurers should take
advantage of its slow speed and run away.
MOB::BROWNSLUG - brown slug
The lowest of the giant slugs is the brown slug. It uses a mild
acid to defeat its foes and then scrapes up the partially digested
remains with its radula.
MOB::DEATHSLUG - death slug
The dreaded Death Slug is the next stage of the Purple Slug's
growth. A hideous horn has grown from its forehead with which it
can impale attackers. Those who think their acid resistance means
they can ignore all slugs end up unpleasantly surprised.
MOB::FLOATINGEYE - floating eye
A floating eye is aptly named. It is a 50 centimeter diameter
floating eyeball. Thankfully, it has lids that cover the back
half, so it is not too disgusting to see.
Some theorize the first floating eye was a Distance Seeing spell
that went awry. This does not explain why those that try to hit
the eye in melee often find themselves paralysed by its gaze.
MOB::WIZARDSEYE - wizard's eye
While it is generally believed that the floating eye is a result
of a magic experiment, it wasn't until Pqar the Prudent developed
the wizard's eye spell that there was any proof. Her spell was
created by studying the existent floating eyes so possess the same
unusual attack ability. She further augmented the summoned
creatures by shifting their phase so they can float through solid
stone - all the better for spying.
MOB::GELATINOUSCUBE - gelatinous cube
The gelatinous cube is a large cube of semi-transparent jelly.
One can often see the shape of incompletely dissolved items inside
the cube.
Cubes blindly scour the dungeon, eating anything metallic. When
they grow to sufficient size, they split into two smaller cubes.
Attackers should be wary of the paralyzing nature of the acid
splash that is produced by piercing their skin.
MOB::SCORPION - scorpion
The scorpion is renowned for its powerful sting. Crushing the
scorpion does no good if you die shortly after from the poison of
its bite.
MOB::CAVESPIDER - cave spider
The small inoffensive cave spider is often targeted by adventurers
for the nutritious and tasty meat it provides. Care is advised that
a hungry adventurer not mistake it for its giant kin.
MOB::GIANTSPIDER - giant spider
This spider is bloated with the unmentionable contents of its previous
meals. Care is cautioned lest you be the next victim to be liquified
and sucked into its gullet.
MOB::KIWI - kiwi
The kiwi, native to New Zealand, is peculiar in that it is not just a
flightless bird, but a wingless bird as well. Its nocturnal habit
allows it to live peacefully in the depths, feasting on insects
snuffled out with its long beak. Antagonizing the kiwi is strongly
discouraged for that same snout can inflict a devastating piercing
attack.
MOB::BAT - bat
Explorers of dungeon depths should be thankful for bats for their part
in minimizing the buzzing insects that would otherwise mar the
spelunking adventure. Naysayers point out that bats do most of their
hunting outside of the cave and leave more than enough guano within
the cave to mitigate any beneficial effect they might have.
It is said that only by carefully sifting through and washing bat
guano can one acquire enough mosquito eyes to make the famed mosquito
eye soup. This tidbit of knowledge leaves unanswered the question
of why one would desire such a soup in the first place.
MOB::LARGEBAT - large bat
Unsurprising, where there are bats, there will be bigger bats.
Those who have grown accustomed to feasting on bats are warned that
while there is more meat on these bones, there is also more fight.
MOB::VAMPIREBAT - vampire bat
Blood sucking vampire bats traditionally acquire their nutrients from
sleeping cattle. You may have noticed the lack of bovines in the
dungeons. Sleep tight!
MOB::STALKER - invisible stalker
Ever have the feeling that someone was watching you? And turned around
suddenly to confront the watcher only to see no one? Someone may still
be watching you. Someone invisible. With fangs. That drip acid.
MOB::FROG - frog
The large cave frog swiftly hops through the tunnels looking for a pond to
call its own. A wise adventurer will not try to get in its way. An unwise
adventurer will form the frog's next snack.
MOB::SKELETON - skeleton
What is dead should stay dead! Why then do these bones move? No
ligaments connect the joints. No muscles power the motion. Yet
these facts do not prevent the skeleton from clacking inexorably
forward.
MOB::ZOMBIE - zombie
The dead bloated corpse twitches. An effect of rigor mortis setting in?
No. It is the vile necromantic art animating the corpse, transforming
the decaying meat into a shambling undead monstrosity.
MOB::GHAST - ghast
Twisted hunchbacked bipeds, ghasts are dreadful undead that swipe at
foes with their noxious claws. Some warriors have been known to leave
weapons for ghasts to pick up in the hope that they can face a mere
sword rather than the claws.
MOB::LICH - lich
Powerful necromancers dissatisfied with the limitations of mortality
can perform a complicated ritual to transform themselves into
the undead lich. In their new form they fear not the concerns
that once plagued them.
MOB::SOULSUCKER - soul sucker
Adventurers who escape the deepest levels of the dungeon report of
hideously powerful creatures. One that haunts the memory of any
who hears of it is the dreaded soul sucker. Most creatures
imperil only your physical body, but the soul sucker can use
necromantic magic to absorb your soul!
If you are so unfortunate as to suffer this fate, you will find
yourself without memory of any of the hard-earned skills or spells
that you had acquired. Worse yet, the soul sucker will have
gained those spells in turn and will show no hesitation in using
them against you!
MOB::IMP - imp
Much like cockroaches infest all human habitations, imps infest
all infernal habitations. From the slightly-balmy upper circles
of hell where the merely slightly-not-good dwell, down to the
fiery deeps where dwell the truly evil, explorers have reported the
presence of imps.
Rather than try and exterminate imps directly, the daemons instead have
devised summoning spells to bring imps in as cannon fodder.
MOB::KOBOLD - kobold
Kobolds are a small purple-furred race of bipedal dogs. Their
pack-like tendencies and cunning nature compensates for their weak
stature.
MOB::KOBOLDMAGE - kobold mage
In Wpark the Wonderful's youth he believed that the kobold species
held great promise. It was only their lack of higher knowledge
that prevented them from being accepted as equals among civilized
nations. He set out on a pilgrimage to teach the kobolds the
wisdom of the world.
While Wpark has refused to ever speak of his experiences, it was
only after then that blue-robed kobold mages began to terrorize
the underworld. Their use of modern magic spells and wearing of
the signature blue wizard robe suggest Wpark may have been at
least partly successful.
MOB::KOBOLDASSASSIN - kobold assassin
"There are many scurrilous lies spread about the noble kobold race.
The most ridiculous is surely that of the so-called Kobold
Assassin. Every so often, I hear reports of one of these kobold
subtypes. The report usually describes them as black clad members
of a secret kobold organization that will stop at nothing to
defend kobold kind and keep themselves secret.
"Every time I try and track down the originators of these reports,
the primary witness is always conveniently away on some long term
business trip, or has gotten himself killed in some tragic
accident. The lack of any first hand accounts proves that the
Kobold Assassin is nothing more than hearsay spread to discredit
kobold kind."
From an early journal of Wpark the Wonderful.
MOB::KOBOLDFIGHTER - kobold fighter
While any kobold is willing to pick up a sword to take what they
desire, kobold fighters are more likely to be already be properly
equipped and trained in such weapons. Many adventurers that had
come to scorn kobolds received a harsh lesson in manners from an
affronted kobold fighter.
MOB::KOBOLDTHIEF - kobold thief
The highest caste in kobold society belongs not to the warriors who bravely
defend the warrens against intrusion, but to the thieves that use sneaky
subterfuge to extract treasure from other civilizations for the benefit of
kobold-kind. Those encountering the kobold thief should keep a close eye
on their valuables or they may win the fight only to lose their wallet.
MOB::TROLL - troll
The brutish nature of a troll cannot be understated. They attack
with clumsy, but devastating, force. They have thick skins able
to withstand the sharpest barbs. And the worst part? When you
finally think you have killed them... they come back!
MOB::CAVETROLL
When Prakal the Earth Mage was faced with a large band of trolls,
he did what seemed reasonable to him at the time. A few quick
casts of petrify would, he thought, result in a nice addition to
his museum of curiosities. Unfortunately, the powerful
regenerative nature of trolls prevailed over even Prakal's potent
magics. The trolls were petrified into stone. Being made of
stone didn't make them any less pleasant, however.
Unfortunately for the world at large, Prakal took the better part
of valour and ran away. This left the stone trolls to breed and
multiply into what are now properly termed as Cave Trolls.
MOB::LIZARDMAN - lizardman
The cold blood of a lizardman seems to lead to cool thinking.
Lizardmen show no mercy to the weak. Their native habitat is the
swamplands of the surface world, but they have adapted well to the
underground depths.
MOB::TURTLOID - turtloid
The thick armour shell of these turtle people makes them
formidable opponents in a fight.
MOB::LARGETURTLOID - large turtloid
It is said that turtloids never die of old age, but instead just
keep growing to ever larger sizes. Perhaps it is a good idea to
slay them when they are still only this small?
MOB::ORC - orc
The filthy orcs are disdained by all species that have developed a
language sophisticated enough to include the word "disdain".
MOB::HILLORC - hill orc
Native to the hills of Abr'po, the vicious hill orc is often used
as a scape goat for any local problems. Indeed, most army leaders
of Abr'po enlist a token hill orc squad. At the end of combat,
the hill orc squad is accused of all the various war crimes that
occurred and summarily executed. Scholars debate if the fact that
hill orcs still eagerly apply for such positions is a sign of
their lack of mental acuity or overriding desire to commit war
crimes.
MOB::HEADLESS - headless
The origin of these abominations is unknown. Well, it is pretty
clear that some mad wizard was responsible, but WHICH mad wizard
remains in doubt. Rheo the Book Eater certainly wouldn't have had
the foresight to provide them with a crude form of telepathy to
compensate for their lack of eyes. Wpark the Wonderful's
fascination with the colour puce rules him out - he'd have surely
dyed their hide. And Treska of the Seven Alphabets? Her prudish
nature would have ensured there was no second generation of
headlesses to terrorize the world.
MOB::CHAMELEON - chameleon
This rather large lizard is a distant cousin of the more familiar
desert dwelling chameleon. Exposure to powerful magic forces
seems to have amplified its colour shifting ability into the
ability to adopt the form of almost any creature! Be warned it
gains the creature's special powers when it transforms. A large
number of dungeoneers thus advocate destroying chameleons before
they have a chance to change into something even more frightening.
MOB::LIVINGTREE - animated tree
While pedants are quick to point out that all trees are animate - one
glance at the destruction wrought by the roots of an oak should settle the
skeptical - those who have witnessed a true animate tree feel there is an
important distinction between the slow inexorable growth of normal trees
and these creatures. The most obvious difference is that it is a lot
harder to run away from an animate tree!
There is good news for adventurers beset by tree problems. The animate
trees are the result of a spell that hastens the natural life forces. When
the spell's power is used up the trees will revert once again to the
pleasant shade-giving plants one is used to.
MOB::EARTHELEMENTAL - earth elemental
Hailing from the elemental plane of Earth, these fearsome foes
threaten all but the strongest adventurers. Their bodies, made
from the very dirt animated, can absorb tremendous damage. Their
attacks will shock the most stalwart.
MOB::AIRELEMENTAL - air elemental
We often take the air for granted. We breathe and walk through
this fluid without thinking of the force it represents. The
destructive power of air elementals swiftly remind adventurers
that the most insubstantial of things still hurts if it hits you
hard enough.
By controlling the movement of airborne dust, and hence the
friction between the airborne dust, air elementals can create
massive charge disparities. These ground themselves with
devastating lightning bolts.
MOB::FIREELEMENTAL - fire elemental
Staring into the flame of a candle can grant you enlightenment.
Staring into the flame of an fire elemental can grant you a swift
death.
MOB::WATERELEMENTAL - water elemental
One of the most feared elementals, water elementals combine an
extraordinary strength with a truly sinister attack. When hit by
a water elemental, one takes little direct damage. A part of the
elemental dislodges itself, however, and blocks your trachea. Many
a brave adventurer has met a miserable death by drowning despite
having slain the elemental.
MOB::FLESHGOLEM - flesh golem
Anyone can take a mound of flesh and fashion it in a crude mockery
of a biped. The trick is to get it to walk under its own power.
While golems themselves possess no soul or life, it is said that
necromancers who make them require a soul of a creature to power
the animation process.
MOB::STONEGOLEM - stone golem
A stone golem consists of a collection of ten to twenty boulders.
Strange magics can be seen flickering between the boulders,
holding them into a vaguely man like shape. No soul or life is
detectable in the resulting creation, but it is rumoured that one
was consumed to power their creation.
MOB::IRONGOLEM - iron golem
The grinding of gears and clanking of metal precedes the arrival
of an iron golem. Wise adventurers use the warning to flee.
Unwise adventurers die.
MOB::GHOST - ghost
Death, they say, is but the start of a new journey. Some, it
would seem, are not yet interested in that new journey, but remain
in this world to plague the living.
Ghosts are the incorporeal souls of the restless dead. They
possess a hatred of those who still enjoy the feel of fresh air.
Warriors tell of trying to fight ghosts, but being overcome by
fright at their hideous appearance, or finding that their weapons
seemed to have no effect.
MOB::LIVINGFROST - living frost
A cloud of super cooled air glares at you menacingly. You are not
sure how a mere cloud of ice crystals can glare. And you are equally
unsure how said cloud keeps moving relentlessly towards you. These
are not the questions you should be asking yourself, however. You
should instead be wondering how you will survive long enough to
see the frost dissipate.
MAGICDOOR::NOTENOUGHDOORS - not enough doors
The magical door radiates a sense of loss. You have the eerie
feeling that the local dungeon is incomplete. It seems unlikely
you will be opening this door on this adventure.
MAGICDOOR::NOITEMS - no items to consume
As you try to open the magical door, a verse suddenly enters your
mind. "Wands, Rings, Scrolls, and Potions. Four of each and no
more. Place with utmost symmetry. And much knowledge will be
thine." You mutter under your breath at the appalling lack of
meter.
MAGICDOOR::INSUFFICIENTITEMS - not enough items consumed
As you watch your magical items disappear into the aether, you
wonder if what is hidden by this door is worth the trouble?
Hopefully a pattern emerges before you must sacrifice your useful
items.
MAGICDOOR::SUCCESS - door opens
As the last item vibrates, the purple glow fades from the door.
Tentatively, you try the handle. The door, it seems, is no longer
magical, and easily opens to your push. You hope Belweir has not
sent you on a wild goose chase.
SIGNPOST_GBA::WELCOME
Welcome to the Tutorial!
Press up and down to scroll through this message. Faster scrolling can
be done by [R] and [L]. You've read it all when the arrows
disappear at the bottom.
Buttons on the Gameboy Advance (GBA) are placed in [Square]
brackets. [A] and [B] are on the front and labelled. [L] and [R]
are the shoulder buttons on the far side of the GBA. [Start] and
[Select] are the small buttons labelled as such. On the DS, [X]
and [Y] can be used instead of [Start] and [Select]. The DS also supports
the touch screen - POWDER can be played with the stylus only. Special
stylus hints will be provided at the end of these help descriptions.
When you have menus visible you can select the current entry with
[A]. To cancel the menu hit [B].
The first task is to move! You can move in four directions, up,
down, left, and right by pressing the directional pad.
Stylus: Clicking on the screen will also cause you to move in that
direction. You can hold down the stylus to keep moving in the desired
direction. You do not need to hit the adjacent tile either.
Now move down the hallway to the next signpost!
SIGNPOST_GBA::MINIMAP
Help and Minimap
----------------
While playing you can get help. Hit [Start] to bring up the
Command menu. Choose Options... The Options... menu has a Help
choice.
As you explore the dungeon you reveal more of the map. You can
press and hold [R] to view a minimap to see what you have
explored. Your location is a white square. Up and down stair
cases are green squares.
Stylus: The bottom of the screen has a row of action buttons. There are
buttons for Help and Minimap there.
SIGNPOST_GBA::LOOK
Look and History
----------------
Hit [Start] and choose Look. This puts you in look mode that lets
you scroll around. Selecting a monster with [A] will provide
detailed information about that monster.
Hit [Start] and choose History. This brings up the history of
messages you have received.
Stylus: The eyeball engages look mode. To stop looking, select the current
cursor position. The history on the DS is in the top window.
SIGNPOST_GBA::BOULDER
Boulders
--------
Boulders are too large to pick up but can be pushed through the
dungeon. If you get yourself stuck behind a boulder, you can Swap
places with it. First, remove your equipped items using the
inventory screen. Hit [Start] and choose Swap. After choosing the
direction of the boulder, you will swap places with it.
Note you can also swap with friendly monsters.
Stylus: The Swap command is on the action bar. Note that to push a boulder
you must click on the tile adjacent to you - it will not be pushed in run
mode.
SIGNPOST_GBA::MELEE
Combat
------
Behind this door is a fearsome foe!
Attacking an enemy with your equipped weapon is simple. Just walk
into it! Note that tame or friendly creatures won't be attacked
this way - you will instead swap positions.
Adventuring can make one hungry. If a corpse is left you will be
prompted to eat it when you walk over it. Be warned that you are
what you eat.
Stylus: You need to click on the creature when it is adjacent to attack -
if you click past the creature you will just stop moving.
SIGNPOST_GBA::INVENTORY
Inventory
---------
While you start the adventure not wearing anything, that doesn't
mean you are empty handed. You have some equipment in your
inventory!
Hit [Select] to bring up the inventory screen. Use the cursor to
target the chain mail. Hit [A] to bring up the context menu.
Select Equip. Target the body slot and hit [A] to put the
chainmail on your body.
Stylus: The brown bag action bar icon brings up the inventory screen. When
you select an item, the action bar reflects things you can do with it. The
fully dressed person means equip.
SIGNPOST_GBA::PICKUP
Pick Up
-------
Look! Some earlier adventurer has left an item on the dungeon
floor! All the better to equip yourself with!
Walk over the longsword. You will be prompted to pick it up.
Then use [Select] to bring up your inventory and to equip it in
your Main Hand.
SIGNPOST_GBA::DOOR
Doors
-----
Passages in the dungeon can be blocked by simple wooden doors.
Opening is straightforward: walk into the door and you will try
and open it. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again!
Stylus: You need to click on the door when standing beside it - clicking
past the door will have you stop at the door.
SIGNPOST_GBA::USE
Item Use
--------
Three different items are here. What sort of items is a mystery.
They could be beneficial or dangerous. The easiest way to learn
is by trial!
Pick up the items by walking over them. Use [Select] to bring up
your inventory and select the items with [A]. Try to Drink the
potion, to Zap the wand, and to Read the scroll.
SIGNPOST_GBA::WATER
Water
-----
Your way forward is blocked by a large pool of water. Without
some magical assistance, you will likely sink in the water if you
walk on it. When underwater you will take drowning damage until
you resurface. You can try and return to the surface by walking
back onto land.
You can explicitly climb out of water or up an down staircases
with [Start] followed by Climb.
Stylus: The ladder action bar icon performs Climb.
SIGNPOST_GBA::SEARCH
Secret Doors
------------
This room would seem to be a dead end. However, not everything is
as it seems.
Press [Start] to bring up the Command menu. You could hit [A] on
Search to search once. Instead, hit [L] on Search. This will
bind [L] to Search. Then repeatedly press [L] while standing by
the walls of this room to search for secret doors.
Note that almost any entry of the Command menu can be bound to [L]
or [R] in this way. To bind to [A] or [B] hit [Select] over the
command and then [A] or [B]. The bottom of the status line
provides hints as to the currently bound commands. After binding
search, the far left will change from M to s.
Stylus: Click on yourself to search.
SIGNPOST_GBA::SPELLS
Spells and Skills
-----------------
As you explore the dungeons of POWDER you will encounter books
that hold powerful skills and arcane spells. To unlock these,
first pick up the book by walking on it. Then raise your inventory
with [Select]. Select the book and choose the Read option to
learn what skills and spells are possible.
When you are reading a book you can hit [A] to try and learn the
current skill or spell. It may have prerequisites that prevent
you from learning it just yet. [B] will stop reading. [Select]
will bring up help on that specific spell.
There is a maximum number of skills you can know based on your
physical level and a maximum number of spells based on your
mental level. These levels increase when you gain 1000
experience. The amount they increase depends on the god you pick.
You can free up spells and skills by the Forget command. [Start]
for the Command menu and select Forget.
Skills take effect automatically so you do not need to explicitly
invoke them.
Spells can be cast by hitting [B] provided you have enough magic
points for the spell.
Stylus: The lightning bolt icon casts a spell. The Forget command can be
found on the Command menu which is the > icon on the action bar.
SIGNPOST_GBA::DIP
Dipping Items
-------------
You can dip items into potions. This can be useful to discover
the property of the potion or to apply some effect to the item.
Pick up the long sword and potion. [Select] for the inventory screen,
and then select the long sword with [A]. Choose the Dip from the
menu. Then pick the potion and select it as the target. Most
likely, nothing will happen.
SIGNPOST_GBA::QUIVER
Quivering Ammo
--------------
You can throw individual items by [Select] to the inventory
screen, selecting the item with [A], and choosing the Throw
command from the menu. You will then pick a direction. You can
throw in 10 directions. In addition to the movement directions,
you can throw along the four diagonals. You can also throw up and
down by selecting the square two squares up or two squares down
from you. Be warned that things that are thrown upwards tend to
fall back down.
This process can get tedious, however. Instead you can quiver
items that you want to throw often. [Select] to inventory, select
your item, and pick Quiver. A q will appear beside the item to
mark it as quivered. Quivered items have the dequiver option to
undo this.
To throw a quivered item hit [A] and choose a direction.
Note that when you walk over items that were quivered you will
automatically pick them up without taking a turn.
SIGNPOST_GBA::DARK
Darkness
--------
Not all of POWDER is well lit. Many areas are dark, only allowing
you to see your immediate surroundings. Light sources can be
invaluable in mapping these areas faster and ensuring you get the
jump on foes, rather than the other way around.
SIGNPOST_GBA::DRAGONS
Dragons
-------
Here be dragons!
SIGNPOST_GBA::WONTUTORIAL
The whole point of those dragons was to ensure you would die. I
had thought I had put enough in there. Clearly, I underestimated
either your skill or persistence. Or maybe both.
It is not recommended that you let me know you read this. I will
probably just respond by adding more dragons.
- Jeff Lait
SIGNPOST_GBA::KIWI
Down this corridor is one of the most feared of creatures: the
kiwi! This fear is misfounded as the kiwi is a peaceable sort that
will only attack if provoked.
Sometimes you may find your way blocked by a kiwi. If waiting
isn't an option, you can try and swap places. Hit [Start] and
choose Swap. Then select the direction of the kiwi to switch
places peacefully.
SIGNPOST_SDL::WELCOME
Welcome to the Tutorial!
Press up and down to scroll through this message. Faster scrolling can
be done with [Page Up] and [Page Down]. You've read it all when
the arrows disappear at the bottom.
Keypresses are written inside square brackets. Note that the case
matters - to hit [S] for swap you must use shift-s. POWDER can also be
played entirely with the mouse. Special mouse hints are at the end of
these help sections.
When you have menus visible you can select the current entry with
[Enter]. To cancel the menu hit [Escape].
The first task is to move! You can move in four directions, up,
down, left, and right by pressing the cursor keys.
Mouse: Clicking on the screen will also cause you to move in that
direction. You can hold down the stylus to keep moving in the desired
direction. You do not need to hit the adjacent tile either.
Now move down the hallway to the next signpost!
SIGNPOST_SDL::MINIMAP
Help and Minimap
----------------
While playing you can get help. Hit [?] to bring up the help menu.
As you explore the dungeon you reveal more of the map. You can
hit [m] to view a minimap to see what you have explored. Your
location is a white square. Up and down staircases are green
squares.
Mouse: The bottom of the screen has a row of action buttons. There are
buttons for Help and Minimap there.
SIGNPOST_SDL::LOOK
Look and History
----------------
Hit [x]. This puts you in look mode that lets you scroll around.
Selecting a monster with [Enter] will provide detailed information
about that monster. Select yourself to see your current state.
Hit [v]. This brings up the history of messages you have received.
Mouse: The eyeball engages look mode. To stop looking, select the current
cursor position.
SIGNPOST_SDL::BOULDER
Boulders
--------
Boulders are too large to pick up but can be pushed through the
dungeon. If you get yourself stuck behind a boulder, you can Swap
places with it. First, remove your equipped items using the
inventory screen. Hit [S] (shift-s). After choosing the direction
of the boulder, you will swap places with it.
Note you can also swap with friendly monsters.
Mouse: The Swap command is on the action bar. Note that to push a boulder
you must click on the tile adjacent to you - it will not be pushed in run
mode.
SIGNPOST_SDL::MELEE
Combat
------
Behind this door is a fearsome foe!
Attacking an enemy with your equipped weapon is simple. Just walk
into it! Note that tame or friendly creatures won't be attacked
this way - you will instead swap positions.
Adventuring can make one hungry. If a corpse is left you can hit
[e] to eat it. Be warned that you are what you eat.
Mouse: You need to click on the creature when it is adjacent to attack -
if you click past the creature you will just stop moving.
SIGNPOST_SDL::INVENTORY
Inventory
---------
While you start the adventure not wearing anything, that doesn't
mean you are empty handed. You have some equipment in your
inventory!
Hit [i] to bring up the inventory screen. Use the cursor to
target the chain mail. Hit [Enter] to bring up the context menu.
Select Equip. Target the body slot and hit [Enter] to put the
chainmail on your body.
Mouse: The brown bag action bar icon brings up the inventory screen. When
you select an item, the action bar reflects things you can do with it. The
fully dressed person means equip.
SIGNPOST_SDL::PICKUP
Pick Up
-------
Look! Some earlier adventurer has left an item on the dungeon
floor! All the better to equip yourself with!
Walk over the longsword. Hit [g] to pick up the sword.
Then use [i] to bring up your inventory and to equip it in
your Main Hand.
Mouse: The action bar has a pickup command.
SIGNPOST_SDL::DOOR
Doors
-----
Passages in the dungeon can be blocked by simple wooden doors.
Opening is straightforward: walk into the door and you will try
and open it. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again!
Mouse: You need to click on the door when standing beside it - clicking
past the door will have you stop at the door.
SIGNPOST_SDL::USE
Item Use
--------
Three different items are here. What sort of items is a mystery.
They could be beneficial or dangerous. The easiest way to learn
is by trial!
Pick up the items by walking over them and hitting [g]. Use [i]
for your inventory and select the items with [Enter]. Try to
Drink the potion, to Zap the wand, and to Read the scroll.
SIGNPOST_SDL::WATER
Water
-----
Your way forward is blocked by a large pool of water. Without
some magical assistance, you will likely sink in the water if you
walk on it. When underwater you will take drowning damage until
you resurface. You can try and return to the surface by walking
back onto land.
You can also climb out of water or up and down staircases with [>]
and [<].
Mouse: The ladder action bar icon performs Climb.
SIGNPOST_SDL::SEARCH
Secret Doors
------------
This room would seem to be a dead end. However, not everything is
as it seems.
Repeatedly press [s] while standing by the walls of this room to
search for secret doors.
Mouse: Click on yourself to search.
SIGNPOST_SDL::SPELLS
Spells and Skills
-----------------
As you explore the dungeons of POWDER you will encounter books
that hold powerful skills and arcane spells. To unlock these,
first pick up the book by walking on it and hitting [g]. Then
raise your inventory with [i]. Select the book and choose the
Read option to learn what skills and spells are possible.
When you are reading a book you can hit [Enter] to try and learn the
current skill or spell. It may have prerequisites that prevent
you from learning it just yet. [Escape] will stop reading. [i]
will bring up help on that specific spell.
There is a maximum number of skills you can know based on your
physical level and a maximum number of spells based on your
mental level. These levels increase when you gain 1000
experience. The amount they increase depends on the god you pick.
You can free up spells and skills by hitting [F] (shift-f) for the
Forget command.
Skills take effect automatically so you do not need to explicitly
invoke them.
Spells can be cast by hitting [z] provided you have enough magic
points for the spell.
Mouse: The lightning bolt icon casts a spell. The Forget command can be
found on the Command menu which is the > icon on the action bar.
SIGNPOST_SDL::DIP
Dipping Items
-------------
You can dip items into potions. This can be useful to discover
the property of the potion or to apply some effect to the item.
Pick up the long sword and potion. Hit [i] for the inventory
screen and select the long sword with [Enter]. Choose the Dip
command from the menu. Then pick the potion and select it as the
target. Most likely, nothing will happen.
SIGNPOST_SDL::QUIVER
Quivering Ammo
--------------
You can throw individual items by [i] to the inventory
screen, selecting the item with [Enter], and choosing the Throw
command from the menu. You will then pick a direction. You can
throw in 10 directions. In addition to the movement directions,
you can throw along the four diagonals. You can also throw up and
down by selecting the square two squares up or two squares down
from you. Be warned that things that are thrown upwards tend to
fall back down.
This process can get tedious, however. Instead you can quiver
items that you want to throw often. [i] to inventory, select
your item, and pick Quiver. A q will appear beside the item to
mark it as quivered. Quivered items have the dequiver option to
undo this.
To throw a quivered item hit [f] and choose a direction.
Note that when you walk over items that were quivered you will
automatically pick them up without taking a turn.
SIGNPOST_SDL::DARK
Darkness
--------
Not all of POWDER is well lit. Many areas are dark, only allowing
you to see your immediate surroundings. Light sources can be
invaluable in mapping these areas faster and ensuring you get the
jump on foes, rather than the other way around.
SIGNPOST_SDL::DRAGONS
Dragons
-------
Here be dragons!
SIGNPOST_SDL::WONTUTORIAL
The whole point of those dragons was to ensure you would die. I
had thought I had put enough in there. Clearly, I underestimated
either your skill or persistence. Or maybe both.
It is not recommended that you let me know you read this. I will
probably just respond by adding more dragons.
- Jeff Lait
SIGNPOST_SDL::KIWI
Down this corridor is one of the most feared of creatures: the
kiwi! This fear is misfounded as the kiwi is a peaceable sort that
will only attack if provoked.
Sometimes you may find your way blocked by a kiwi. If waiting
isn't an option, you can try and swap places. Hit [S] (shift-s)
and select the direction of the kiwi to switch places peacefully.
