THE BARD'S TALE GETTING STARTED: Note: Make sure your shift lock is off, and there are no joysticks or cartridges plugged into your system. If you have a C-64, insert the boot disk and type load"EA",8,1. If you have a 128 insert disk and turn on computer. To leave the title page press the space bar. MAKING A CHARACTER DISK: Before you begin playing, you will need to create your own character disk, a disk the computer can write as you play, to keep track of your fortunes and misfortunes. Use the following steps to make a character disk which contains a completely outfitted and ready to go banned of adventures named "ATEAM"". Get a blank disk or one that contains information you no longer need. Select M)ake a disk and follow the instructions to make a copy of your Character disk, which you will find on the flip side of your boot disk. This process can be time consuming. If you wish, you may use another copy utility instead of M)ake a disk. After copying the character disk, reboot the system following the steps outlined above. When the prompt appears asking for your character disk, insert the copy you made, then press any key. (Again, make sure your joysticks are unplugged). The Utilities menu which appears contains 3 choices. To enter the Adventure's Guild so you can start playing, just press "S" for start game. For information about the other two choices, see utilities menu below. The ATEAM: the character disk you made in step one already contains a good beginning party of adventurers who are equipt and ready to go. To use them, just type "A" to add a character, and then type "*ATEAM" to load the entire party. Type "E" to exit the Guild and enter the town of Skara Brae. To learn how to create your own characters, form your own parties, remove characters or rearrange their order, see below. HINT: The first dungeon is the wine cellar in the only tavern in town which serves wine. It's on Rakhir Street. SAFETY AND DEATH Face it. The sort of streets where you run into wandering Kobolds, Werewolves and Orcs are dangerous. And the streets of Skara Brae are especially dangerous at night. Beginning parties, therefore, should not be shy about spending the night in the Adventures Guild. When you leave the Adventures Guild the clock is always set ahead to the next morning. Don't dispair if you lose a favorite ATEAM member. First delete him from your character disk (with the delete command from the disk menu in the Adventurers Guild). Then use the copy characters command in the Utilities menu (described below) to copy the original from the back of the boot disk or the most recently saved version from a backup of your character disk. Finally, add him to your party. MOVING`ABOUT I or Return - move forward K - Kick a door open J or Left Arrow - turn left L or Right Arrow - turn right VIEWING CHARACTERS Press the number (1-6) of the character whose statistics you want to view. In the sub-menu, press: E to E(quip) a character with an item. You will be prompted for the item number (1-8). Press O to unequip all of a character's items. T to T(rade) an item. Type the item number at the prompt. To trade gold, type G. Then type the number of the character you want to give the item to. D to D(rop) an item. Type the item number at the prompt. P to P(ool) all gold. This gives all the party's gold to the character being viewed. Press the SPACEBAR to leave the View Character mode. UTILITIES`MENU To produce this menu, start you system with the Bard's Tale Boot Disk and insert a Character Disk when prompted to do so. When the menu appears, press: S to S(tart) playing the game. C to C(opy) characters from one character disk to another. Just follow the prompts as they appear. The disk you are copying from is the source disk, the one you are copying to is the target disk. M to M(ake) a new Character disk. COMBAT`COMMANDS If monsters attack, press F to F(ight) or R to R(un). `(Note, you don't always get to run just because you want to.) Or you can press P for Party attack at any time to voluntarily enter intra-party combat. In combat, press: A to Attack monsters in first 2 ranks, hand-to-hand. Available to the first 3 party members. D to Defend. This lessens the chance of damage from a monster in that round. U to Use a magical item. The character must have been equipped with the item in advance. B to sing on of the 6 Bard's tunes for one combat round. Available only to Bards. C to Cast a spell. Type in the code letters for the spell at the prompt. Available to magic users only. H to Hide in the shadows. Available only to rogues. Left Arrow and Right Arrow to speed up or slow down the combat message scrolling rate. OTHER`ADVENTURING COMMANDS C to Cast a spell when not in combat. At the prompt, type the number of the character who will cast the spell, then type the code letters for the spell. P to start intra-party combat at any time with a Party Attack. B to sing one of the 6 Bard's tunes while wandering. Available only to Bards. E to go up a portal. The party must have a levitation spell in operation. Works in dungeons only. D to go down a portal. Works in dungeons only. ? to learn the name of the street your party is on, and the time of day. N to establish a New Order for the party members. At the prompt, type the numbers of the members in the order you want them to march. U to Use an item. Some items, like torches, must be activated with this command in order to work. Type the character number who has the item at the prompt, then pick the item (by typing its number) from the list which will appear. Some items run out of power after only one use. V to turn sound on/off. ESC to pause/resume the game. HOW TO FORM PARTIES AND CREATE NEW CHARACTERS Characters can be created and parties formed only in the Adventurer's Guild. When you're ready to leave the Guild, type E for Exit. Here are the other commands available to you there. Press: C to Check the roster of characters and party names contained on the Character disk. Party names are indicated with an *. The characters that belong to a party may be anywhere in the list. A to load a party or Add a character to an already loaded party. Type either a character name or a party name at the prompt. Party names must begin with an * (e.g., *ATEAM). A party can contain up to 6 adventurers and must contain at least one adventurer to use the Exit command. R to Remove a character from a party. This saves all current character status information to disk. N to establish a New marching order for a party. D to bring up a set of additional Disk options so you can create a new character, save a party name, delete a character from the disk or leave the game, saving the current character status to disk. After pressing D to bring up the disk options, press: C to create a new character. Select the race and class for the character as prompted, then type in a character name up to 15 letters and spaces. Press Return to enter the name. A disk can hold up to 30 characters. S to Save a party name. IMPORTANT: This command does not save the characters themselves. It only saves a roster of the currently loaded characters under the name you type in. When you use this command, the program will automatically add an asterisk to the name to mark it as the name of a party. You must type the asterisk first when you want to load the party again. D to Delete a character from a character disk to make room for another character. L to Leave the game, saving all current character status information to disk. E to Exit the disk options menu and return to the Guild. ADDENDA The higher the intelligence of your magic user, the faster the rate of increase in spell points through experience. But the beginning number of spell points is randomly bestowed at creation. The words Save and Exit in connections with the game were meant as common verbs rather than command names. The save command in the Guild disk menu only does one thing: It saves a Roster of Currently loaded Characters under a Party name. To write the current status of a single character to disk, use the REMOVE command to remove him from the party. To write the current status of all loaded characters to disk, use the LEAVE GAME command in the Main Guild Menu. If you turn off the power without using the Leave Command, all currently loaded characters will lose all their gold regardless of when they acquired it. THE MANUAL Your most important goal is to complete the quest built into the game. In Bard's Tale the city of Skara Brae is threatened by an evil mage called 'MANGAR'. You must find Mangar and Persuade him to release the once-harmonious city from his evil control. But Mangar is protected by layers of obstacles, mazes and evil henchmen. Your second goal is to develop characters capable of survoiving these barriers. These characters are your alter ego in Bard's Tale. They act according to your commands, but over the course of the game they change, much as real people do over a lifetime. They improve their skills in magic, combat, stealth, etc. They amass wealth and treasured objects. And they worry about dying too soon. Your third goal is to explore the entire world of Bard's Tale. There are numberous goodies, puzzles, and special places in Skara Brae. Part of the fun is finding them, and discovering the layout of this fantasy world. How do you get into the walled off towers? What's in the castle? Where are the legendary catacombs of Skara Brae? Skara Brae awaits you!!!!!! A QUICK OVERVIEW An Orientation for beginners, a quick start guide for experts!!!! HOW TO USE THIS DOCUMENTATION: This documentation has three parts. This overview is designed to give first-time adventure gamers a quick sense of the overall gameplay and give experienced fantasy role-players all they need to know to start quickly. The rest of the docs is reference material about how various parts of Bard's Tale operates, including character building and development, places and mapping, the combat system and the magic system. There is also a listing and description of all the magic spells and the beginning items available in the Bard's Tale. Finally, there are hints and clues interspersed throughout the manual. 1. Command Summary Docs This is Part 1 of the Bard's Tale Documentation, which lists keystroke commands, disk utilities and step-by-step instructions for starting up. If you are an experienced adventurer, part 1 gives you most of what you need to know; the rest is covered in this section. 2. Adventurer's Guild The Guild is where you start each time. This is the ONLY spot a party can be formed, characters created, or characters saved to disk. 3. Use The Pre-Built Party For your convenience, you will find a pre-built party already waiting for you when you enter the Guild for the first time. The party is called '*ATEAM'. They are even outfitted with weapons and armor affordable to characters of their humble stations. For more about characters and party selections see 'CHARACTERS' listed further on in this socumentation. 4. Use City Map Mapping the dungeons and mazes is up to you. You even have to figure out how to get into the mazes on your own. One clue: each of the 16 mazes is set up on a 22 by 22 grid. North is to the top of the screen, East is to the right. Be sure to go to every square; there are lots of specials. For more about the City of Skara Brae see 'Places'. 5. Combat Only your first 3 characters and the first 2 rows of monsters can attack in hand-to-hand combat. There are several new combat commands including PARTY ATTACK, for gighting between party members; BARD SONG, for making magic by playing music; HIDE IN SHADOWS, to avoid combat. For more information see the 'Combat System'. 6. Magic There are 4 classes of Magic Users, each with unique magical capabilities: CONJURERS: can create objects and head adventurers. MAGICIANS: can bestow magical effects on comman items. SORCERORS: can create illusions and heighten awareness. WIZARDS: can summon and control supernatural creatures. Sorceror and Wizard classes are not abailable to first level adventurers. To create one of these, you must change class of a Magic User who has achieved 3rd level magic spells in one [for Sorceror] or two [for Wizard] other magical arts. Class change takes place in the Review Board. A Magic User who successfully learns all 7 levels of spells for each of the 4 Magic Classes is an ARCHMAGE, one of the most powerful characters in Bard's Tale. Once a Magic User leaves a class, he can never return to it. Magic Users qualify to learn next level spells based on their experience levels, but it takes gold to actually learn the new spells. Casting spells uses SPELL POINTS in different amounts depending on the spell. Spell points are regenerated automatically when a Magic User is in the City in the daytime, and may also be regenerated in ROSCOE'S ENERGY EMPORIUM, or special 'REGEN' squares in some dungeons. For more informations see 'THE MAGIC SYSTEM & MAGIC SPELLS'. 7. The Bard The Bard makes magic by playing music. He needs an instrument, of course. He can play in combat or during exploration, with different effect. Only one tune at a time. And one tune for every experience level. Then he needs to get a drink from any nearby tavern. You may listen to the music or not. See docs part 1. 8. Time Time waits for no one. Even without keystrokes, time passes, from day to night and back again. Nighttime is especially nasty. The really evil monsters hit the city streets at night, looking for characters just like you! And, what's worse, you use up spell points faster, because spell points only regenerate in daylight. Now you know enough to get started, if you are an experienced adventurer. By the way, the tavern on Rakhir Street is the only tavern that serves wine. And that wine 'goes down' easily. You may wish to drop by to wet the whistle of your Bard. Good Luck!!! CHARACTERS Races Humans are not the only race in the world of the Bard's Tale. Others are more magically inclined, stronger and smarter. Part of the fun of a fantasy rol-playing game is getting to know these different races, and forming your party accordingly. The races and their descriptions are: Human: While possibly being of hardier stock, this charact- er is nonetheless like you or me. Elf: Patterned after the Tolkien elf, the elf is slight of build, frequently taller than a human, and very inclined to magic. Dwarf: The Dwarven people are short and stout, extremely strong and healthy, but not amazingly intelligent [i.e. excellent fighters]. Hobbit: Hobbits are slightly smaller than Dwarves but are nimble and desterous. Just the right make-up for a rogue. Half-Elf: These crossbreeds are usually blond and fair skinned, like elves, and get some added size and strength from their human ancestry. Half Orc: An orc is a large, goblin-like creature often found working for evil wizards. The Half Orc, being half human, is not quite as despicable as his orc parent, but you wouldn't want to date one. Gnome: Gnomes closely resemble dwarves, but have less hair and even shorter tempers. They are also more magically inclined, as a rule. Character Classes In fantasy role-playing games, characters choose different 'Classes' or professions. There is no single best class; each has its own strengths. Your characters must use teamwork to succeed. Class selection is the most important aspect of creating a character in Bard's Tale. There are 10 different classes of characters, but only 8 can be selected for a newly generated character. Class types carry with them different abilities and limitations, as are roughly covered below: Warrior: The base fighter-type in Bard's Tale, warriors can use nearly every weapon there is. For every 4 levels of experience after the 1st Warriors get an extra attack ability in combat. Paladin: Paladins are fighters who have sworn to abstain from all evil, and to uphold honor and purity in all places. They can use most weapons and even some that no other fighters can. They get multiple attacks at higher levels. They also have a greatly increased resistance to evil magic. Rogue: A professional thief with so-so combat ability, the rogue can hide in shadows, search for traps and disarm them. Without a rogue your party will pay very dearly for the booty it wins. Bard: The Bard is a wandering minstrel. You'll see him with a tankard of ale in front of him in the less reputable taverns-the rowdier the better. Bards were once warriors, and can still use most warrior weapons. But they turned to music instead and now play songs with an almost magical effect on other characters. Bards don't get the warrior's advantage of extra attacks in combat anymore-but their magic is so unique, it is almost impossible to survive in Skara Brae without one. Any true Bard has 6 tunes on his lips, though to play them he must have an instrument equipped. A song played as the part is exploring is long-lasting and continues even after the party returns from combat mode, even if other songs were played during combat. Any songs played during combat are abbreviated and so create different magical effects than the full non-combat versions. The shorter combat versions don't endure as long either, only one round of fighting. Only one Bard tune can be played at a time. If a second one is played while the first is still playing (by the same or a different Bard), the first will end. A bard can play as many tunes as he has experience levels before his throat gets dry. Then it's off to a tavern for a drink to rejuvenate his voice. Tough duty, but someone has to do it! Bard songs vary according to the difficulty of the dungeon. When the going gets tough, the Bard goes drinking. Hunter: An assassin, a mercenary, a ninja. The hunter can use most weapons, and has the ability [which grows with experience] to do critical hits in combat [i.e. to attack a nerve center or other vital area and instantly kill an opponent]. A good skill. Monk: A martial artist, an almost inhuman fighting machine trained to fight without weapons or armor. The monk can use them, but, at higher levels particularly, often does better without. Conjurer: One of the 4 classes of Magic Users, Magicians deal with magic as it affects physical objects [i.e enchanting a sword, making armor stronger, making a dungeon wall disappear]. Sorcerer: Sorcerers are Magic Users who deal with the creation and manipulation of illusion. Due to the power of sorcerer spells, this class is not available to newly created characters. Wizard: Wizards are Magic Users who are dedicated to the summoning and binding of various supernatural creatures. These creatures are not friendly to humankind and trying tocontrol them is extremely hazardous. The Wizard-class is not available to new characters either. For more on magic classes see further below. Character Attributes Each character you create has 5 basic attributes which define his physical and mental prowess. When you create a character each attribute is randomly assigned a value from 1 to 18, with the higher number reflecting higher capability. Strength: [Shown as 'ST' on the screen] This is a physical power and chiefly affects the amount of damage a character can do to an opponent in hand-to-hand combat. Make sure your fighting characters are strong. Intelligence [IQ]: Intelligence is mental power. A high intelligence rating will enable your Magic Users to get bonus spell points. Dexterity [DX]: Measures agility & nimbleness. A high score makes your characters harder to hit and helps them strike the first blow in combat. Constitution [CN]: Measures healthiness. It takes more damage to kill a character with a high constitution score. This is reflected in bonus 'hit points', the characters life span. Luck [LK]: Luck is an ambiguous attribute, as it has a number of unseen effects on gameplay. For example, lucky characters are more likely to resist evil magic and avoid nasty traps. Other Character Statistics Armor Class [AC]: This statistic reflects the level of protection a character has from physical attack. In classic fantasy rol-playing style, the armor class starts at 10 for a totally unprotected, unarmored character with low dexterity, and goes down to '-10' [called LO] as his protection improves by armor, spells or other means. Hit Points [HITS]: Hit points measure the damage a character can take before he is killed. The 'HITS' statistic shows his potential at fullest helath, rather than current status. Condition [COND]: Condition shows the characters present number of hit points. For example, if a character with 10 hit points is wounded for 7 hit points, his Condition will drop to 3. Another wound of 3 or more hit points will kill him. If he is fully healed, his Condition will return to the full 10 again. [Even though his Condition score changes, his Hit Points stay at 10]. Spell Points [SP PT]: This shows current spell point status Points are used up with each cast of a magic spell. If a Conjurer has 20 spell points and casts a Mage Flame spell at a cost of 2 spell points, his new total would be 18. A character's maximum spell points are listed in his view-character mode. Experience Points: This measures abilities gained by experience, the higher the number, the better the character. Characters get experience points for successful combat, according to the difficulty of the fight and the number of characters who survive. The amount is indicated after every successful combat. A character's running total of experience points is indicated in view-mode. Gold: Gold is the unit of currency in this world. Your characters start with just barely enough gold to buy the armor and weapons they need to survive. There are two ways to get rich enough to buy better equipment: taking gold from the monsters you defeat in combat or selling items you find in dungeons. The first way is more fun!!! Level [LV 1]: Level is a general measure of achievement within a character's class. Level 1 is a novice, Level 13, for example, is required to become a Master of a Magic User class. The Review Board will promote a character to higher levels based on his experiencepoints, but only upon the character's in-person request. An advance in level is very important because it generally means an increase in attribute scores, hit points, spell points and other abilities. Spell Levels [e.g. MAGI 1]: This shows the highest group of magic spells a character cna use in any of the 4 classes of Magic Users. There are 7 groups of magic spells for each different class. To learn a new group of magic spells [a 'spell level'] a Magic User must advance two experience levels. [Note: spell levels and experience levels are not the same thing]. For any of the 4 magic classes, a Magic User advances as follows Experience Level Spell Level 1 1 2 1 3 2 5 3 7 4 9 5 11 6 13 7 14 [and up] 7 [maximum] To change class to Sorceror, a Magic User must first have learned Spell Level 3 [or higher] in at least one magical art. To change to Wizard, a Maic User must first have learned Spell Level 3 [or higher] in two other magical arts. Items: Items fall into 10 Categories: Weapons, shields, armor, helms, gloves, musical instruments, figurines, rings, wands, and miscellaneous. Only one item of each type can be EQUIPPED for use at one time. For example, two different shields cannot be used at once to protect a character, though the spare shield could be toted around. Some items can only be used by specific characters. For example, only Bard's can use musical instruments. An item which can never be used by a character is marked with an zero with a line thru it when he examines it in his view mode or in the Equipment Shoppe. An item which has been equipped is marked with a half circle with a stem on top. A character can carry up to 8 different items. How To Create A Character 1. While i the Adventurer's Guild, select a race. 2. Character attribute numbers displayed are a combination of genes and luck. For each different race there is a lowest possible number for each attribute [the 'genes']. The computer then adds a random number [the 'luck'] to each attribute. 3. If you are satisified with the 'roll of the dice', choose a character class, then name this character. If you aren't satisified 'reroll the dice.' 4. After being named, the character will be saved to disk, ready to adventure. PLACES If you ever get lost press the '?' key and the program will tell you where you are and what time of day it is!!!! Unmarked Buildings Most buildings in Skara Brae are unmarked. But some of them are inhabited by the corrupt creatures who have skulked into Skara Brae. So kick in a few doors and find them. Remember that fighting is good for you; its the only way to build up enough experience to challenge Mangar. You should be disappointed when you kick in a door, screaming a battle cry, and find it empty. No fun. When you exit a building and enter the street, the building will be behind you, and you will be facing the building or landmark across the street. The Adventurer's Guild The Guild is like a union hall where adventurers 'hang out' hoping to join a party. This is where you form a party, and where all adventures begin. Garth's Equipment Shoppe Garth is one of yesterday's almost forgotten heros, now retired from active adventuring to supply tomorrow's would- be greats. At Garth's Shoppe characters can buy armor and weapons, sell items, have items identified, or pool all the party's gold for buying expensive items. Due to a deal with the city blacksmith, Garth has an infinite supply of basic armor and supplies. But unique items found in labyrinths, even if sold to Garth, remain in his inventory only until they are sold. Occasionally an item won in combat will remain unidentified, this mean that its general type might be apparent [e.g. shield, ring] but not which exact type [e.g. Dragon shield, ring of power]. Garth can identify this item for you for a price!!!!!!!! The Review Board The Review Board is a group of high level representatives from all 10 different classes. Upon your request in person, the Board will determine whether a character has accumulated enough experience points for advancement to higher levels. The Board teaches new spells to Magic Users who qualify for higher spell levels, too, but charges for this training. It pays to rent. You may have todo a bit of exploring to locate the Review Board. And it's closed at night. Taverns Taverns are the Bard's favorite places for gossip and refreshment. There's even a tavern named after him. Watch him carefully though, the Bard has a tendency to overtip the bartender. Dungeon Delving The term 'dungeon' refers to any indoor labyrinth, designed for mapping, combat and puzzle interaction. They take a variety of forms, from lowers to catacombs, and have a varied number of levels for each. You can go up or down to levels higher and lower than the one you're on via stairways, portals, and teleportation. Stairways are not visible from a distance. But when you move onto one you will be asked if you wish to ascent or descend. Portals are hole in the floors and ceilings, and are visible from a distance. You will not go through a portal merely by standing on it, you must first command your character to do so. If he jumps down through a portal, he will be damaged from the fall unless he is using a levitation spell. The only way to go up through a portal is by levit- ation. The locations of dungeon entrances are well-kept secrets, but there are plenty of hints in Skara Brae. Roscoe's Energy Emporium If your spell points aren't recharging fast enough, go see Roscoe. But be prepared for electrifyingly high fees!!! Temples Temples are divine places of resurrection and complete healing. In fact, this is the only place to cure characters who have been withered or turned to stone. A resurrected character retains all the items, gold and exper- ience points he had before dying, but he comes to life with only 1 hit point. When he finds out how much it costs to be resurrected, he may turn over in his grave. THE COMBAT SYSTEM The Bard's Tale is a game of fighting. It's the only way to build experience. Fortunately, Mangar and his gruesome creatures are very evil, so don't worry about their feelings kill them, if you can!! Combat with 'monsters' [the generic term for all opponents] occurs both randomly and at set locations. You can also initate intra-party combat at almost any time, in case one of your members is turned to the dark side. At th outset of combat a list of foes will be given, broken down into the number of foes in each group. The manimum is 99 monsters per group, with up to 4 groups. Combat is divided into a series of 'rounds', like a boxing match. At the start of each round, each of your characters must decide what action he will undertake in the upcoming melee, unless, of course, your party decides to run away. A menu of possible selections will appear for each character. These options are as follows: Attack Foes: The physically assault foes in the first or second group of monsters. Party Attack: To assault another member of the party, including special members. Defend: Do not interact this round - reduces chance of being hit. Use An Item: Make use of a magical item held in the charact er's inventory and currently equipped. This may require specifying a target for the effect. Bard Song: Bards can play a short tune to affect the party or the foremost group of monsters in some fashion. Cast A Spell: Cast a spell at the party or a group of foes. The spell code must be entered, and a target ident- ified. Hide In Shadows: A rogue can try to avoid combat altogether by hiding and, if successful, will be skipped as a target of attack in the upcoming combat round. The first 3 characters in your party can be attacked physically by monsters, and can attack back. The last 3 characters can only be struck by magical attacks, and can only attack back with magic. This simulates your first 3 characters being up on the front line of attack, with the last 3 characters acting as backup in case one of the first 3 is killed. The first two groups of monsters are in a similar position; they are the only monsters who can attack or be attacked physically. Once all the choices for your characters have been entered, the round begins. The most dexterous characters or monsters usually make the first strike, but luck, character level and character class also affect this. In evenly matched fights, the outcome often depends on which side gets in the first blow. The rate of scrolling of the combat messages can be speeded or slowed. See the Command Summary list of keystrokes for details. At the end of a combat round, dead monsters will be removed from the ranks of your foes, and dead characters will be shuffled back to the end of your party. A fresh group of monsters may also advance into the first two ranks to give their fellow monsters a breather. At the end of combat, treasure and experience points will be split amoung the battle's survivors. SPECIAL MEMBERS The 'special slot' [marked 's'] is for monsters who can become part of your party. They can join by: 1. Being summoned or created as an illusion, or some other artifice related to a cast spell. 2. Introducing themselves to the party and offering their services as a comrade. Specials cannot be controlled in battle, they choose their own attack mode and generally go after the primary group of monsters the party is facing. Specials are cleared out of the S slot when killed. Illusionary specials [created by a sorcerer] are cleared out if any foes disbelieve them. If a non-illusionary special is attacked by another member of the party for any reason, it will turn immediately hostile and fight until defeated!!!! THE MAGIC SYSTEM Magic is power. It can make the difference between success and failure in the Bard's Tale. It is not necessary or wise to rely on magic, though, because magic is by no means foolproof. There are some places where magic never functions, and some monsters who are highly resistant to spells. Sometimes you just have to wade in with fists flying and get dirty. The Best way to tell that your party has wandered into an anti-magic zone is that all residual spells except light spells are cancelled. Residual spells are magic spells that keep working for more than just an instant. Light spells, trap detection, secret door detection and magical armor are some examples. Most residual spells cause a graphic symbol to appear in the central blank strip on the screen, to keep the player aware that the duration hasn't yet expired. All spells have a point cost. In other words, al spells cost the mage casting them a bit of his internal energy. This energy is returned automatically in direct sunlight, and may be regenerated at Roscoe's Energy Emporium or in special regeneration zones you have to discover. There are magical items hidden in the dungeons and carried by the monsters of Bard's Tale. Magical weapons do extra damage. Magical armor gives extra protection. Other magical items radiate special energies. There are even magic keys and talismans necessary to get into certain im- portant parts of the game. The most powerful magic items are secreted in the most challenging dungeons and are guard- ed by ferocious monsters. When you win one, you should be very proud and very happy. They can be the key to success against the wickedest opponents. To cast a spell, you type in 4-letter codes which are a rough abbreviation of the spell name. The entire list of spells, codes and spell points required are listed below. All Magic Users, even level 1 novices, start the game with knowledge of all level 1 spells in their magical art. Rather than learning one spell at a time, Magic Users always learn whole groups [spell levels] of spells at once. Its the closest thing to mass production in Skara Brae. Here is a description of the 4 magical arts: Conjuring Conjuring deals with the instantaneous creation of objects and effects through the channeling of a mage's power. Con- jurer spells are potent, but not unlimited in effect, since the exercise of creation takes a large amount of energy toproduce even a moderate effect. A conjurer can also produce effects that distort non-solid things to produce new effects, like the distortion of space and time required to teleport human bodies toa new location. Magic Magic [meaning the art practiced by a magician] deals with bestowing magical effects on common objects. The items do not become magical, but radiate fields of power for the duration of a spell [which is usually the length of combat]. The gist of Magic is that it can increase an item's capability, or change its form to something totally different. Some examples: making a sword do greater damage, making dungeon walls glow with a magical light, or causing a wall to totally vanish for 1 move. Sorcery The byword of sorcery is 'seeing is believing'. Sorcery does not deal with a physical manifestation, but rather a creation of illusion and a tapping into a heightened sense of awareness. An illusion is an image envisioned by the spell caster, which he then lays over the retinas of all who watch, augmenting this with appropriate stimulation of nerve endings to fool the other 4 senses. The human mind, believing an illusionary creation to be real, can be hurt or even killed by it, unless it is somehow disbelieved. A sorcerer, with the aid of his art, can also perceeive certain special things hidden from view. Wizdardry Wizardry deals with the summoning and control of supernatura l creatures. The wizard has fewer spells than the other three classes, but his are by far the most potent. The creatures he can summon come from another plane of existance, called the 'negative plane'. They join the special slot in the party, and will fight until defeated. The wizard has some ability to trap and control normal monsters, as well Mages who have learned at least 3 spell levels in an art may elect to change to another mage class at any time. Thus, a level 5 conjurer could choose to become a level 1 magician. His experience points would be reset to 0, but he would re- tain his previous attributes, hit points, spell points, and all knowledge of his conjurer spells. He would be unable to learn any higher conjurer spells, however, once a mage leaves a magic art, he cannot return to it. A mage can become a conjurer, magician, or corcerer as a second class. A mage can become a conjurer, magician, sorc- erer, or wizard as a third class. A mage who has knowledge of all 7 levels of spells in all 4 classes is called an Archmage, and is one of the most powerful personages in the world of the Bard's Tale.