HEROES OF THE LANCE ------------------- BACKGROUND ---------- It is now more than three hundred years since the Cataclysm when the wrath of the gods descended upon Krynn. With the only direct access portal denied her, The Queen of Darkness spreads her power across the land by awakening the evil dragons and creating the Draconians. Once in control of Krynn, whe will be free to force entry to the world. Only the 'Companions of the Lance' (they aren't 'Heroes' until they succeed) can stop her final victory. Should they fail, the Queen of Darkness will be free to come through from the Abyss into the world and darkness will cover Krynn for all eternity, as she and her Draconians will control the largest, most evil empire ever created. The only threat to her awesome power is the possibility of a revival of the worship of the old golds. In the years since the Cataclysm, the inhabitants of Krynn have lost their belief in the gods. Before opposition to Takhisis canb be united, you must restore faith in the old gods by recovering the Disks of Mishakal from the ruins of Xak Tsaroth. Use of their knowledge will bring True Healing back to Krynn and restore faith in the old gods, allowing them to intervene in the fate of their worshippers. More importantly, it allows them to confront the Queen of Darkness directly and restore the balance between Good, Evil and Neutrality. This mighty relic is the only hope for Krynn and you must aid the Companions in their quest to retrieve the Disks. Unfortunately, the Disks aren't just lying in the ruins but are actively guarded by Khisanth, an ancient, huge, black dragon, served by Draconians who have enslaved the local Aghar (gully dwarves). PREPARING FOR PLAY ------------------ Copying your disks - Before beginning to play the game, you MUST make a copy of your game disks. Set aside the original disks and play off the copies. The original disks do not have any physical copy protection on them. ST users will have to use a special format command, contained on Disk B (2). Insert that disk and start your system. Double click on FORMAT.TOS and follow the prompts on screen. Because all versions will periodically write to disk, yoiu should not write protect your copies. Saving Your Game - Before beginning to play, you will also need to format a blank disk to use as a saved game disk. You can save your game during play by selecting SAVE from the Main Menu and then following the screen prompts. These prompts will instruct you to insert the formatted sidk at the proper time. Copy Protection - After you load the game but before any action starts, you will be asked a question. This question can be answered by referring to the Character Game Statistics. Enter the correct answer to the question and you will be able to proceed. Contrast - Due to the wide variety of monitors available, some adjustments may be necessary to the contrast and brightness controls of your monitor in order to get the best picture. B. LOADING THE GAME: -------------------- AMIGA - Plug your joystick into Port 2. Turn on your system and boot with Kickstart 1.2 or greater (either built in as ROM or by disk, depending on model number). When the computer asks for the Workbench disk, insert Disk A (1) into your disk drive. The game will auto boot and load into the computer. Follow the screen prompts which tell you when to swap Disk A (1) for Disk B (2) and vice versa. AMSTRAD Cassette - Plug joystick into Port 1. Press CTRL and small ENTER keys then PLAY on the cassette recorder. Follow the screen prompts. ATARI ST - Plug your joystick into Port 2. Insert Disk A (1) into your disk drive. Turn on the computer. The game will load and run automatically. Follow the screen prompts which will tell you when to swap disks. C 128 Cassette - Plug joystick into Port 2 (C 128, as above for C64 mode). Press SHIFT and RUN/STOP keys together, then RETURN. Press PLAY on the cassette recorder. Follow screen prompts. IBM PC and Compatibles - Start your computer with DOS2.0 or greater. If you don't see the A prompt (A>) first time or if you wish to change a previous set-up, type HINSTALL and press ENTER. You will then be given a range of choices allowing you to customise the game for your machine. These cover graphics mode, control (IBM Joystick or keypad) and hard disk installation. When you are satisfied with your selections and accept them, they will be written to disk. After this installation and in the future just type START and press ENTER. Follow the screen prompts. You do not need to use HINSTALL again unless you wish to change your current set-up. SPECTRUM 48K/128K & +2 Cassette - Connect joystick interfaces before switching on. 128K or +2 use Tape Loader option. 48K type LOAD"" and press ENTER then PLAY on the cassette recorder. Follow the screen prompts. IBM VERSION DIFFERENCES ----------------------- The IBM PC and Compatibles version can be played using either a joystick or the numeric keypad. If you play with the joystick, follow the general joystick directions given. If you play using the numeric keypad you will control your character using the numbers on the keypad and the letters on the keyboard. Read the rules so as to understand how the commands work. A section at the end of the rules details the keyboard commands which you should read thoroughly before beginning to play. CASSETTE/DISK VERSION DIFFERENCES --------------------------------- The major differences between cassette and disk concern the availability of a variety of monsters, disk access is needed during a game, for additional information. This is not possible with cassette so, although the game has the same variety of monsters, in any given location the nmber of different types is limited. It requires additional loads as you go deeper into the ruins but, whilst different monsters are added, it is at the expense of creature types already met. PLAYING THE GAME ---------------- This game has been designed to give you the feel of adventuring in the world of Krynn, a strange and dangerous place full of monsters and treasure. There are many things you can do during the course of the game, from movement and fighting to casting magic and collecting potions. To enable you to engage in all of these things, we have set up methods to control everything as simply as possible. Movement and physical combat are entirely controlled from the joystick (or keypad on the IBM PC and compatibles), and everything else is dealt with by a mixture of Icon and Menu selection. These methods have been designed to minimise interference in the flow of the game by never requiring you to let go of the joystick during the course of play. While playing, simply pressing the space bar will bring up the Main Menu and pause the game as you make your selection, and then restart when you quit the menus. The easiest way to get to the menus is press the space bar with the side of your hand as you hold the joystick. The menus can be accessed at any time during the game. The two methods of controlling action are: 1. Joystick (and fire button) for movement, Close Combat (sword, staff, etc.) and Ranged Combat (bow and arrows, spears, etc.). Close Combat is possible when a character and monster approach each other within a quarter of the screen width. 2. Menu selection is for spell choice, character selection, picking objects up etc. and you can use it at any time by pressing the space bar to activate the Main Menu. Use the Joystick to select an option which will either give your further choices from a sub-menu or carry out the specified action. MOVEMENT -------- All movement on screen is controlledby the joystick as shown here, including movement towards or away from the player - into or out from the screen. Moving the joystick in the various directions will move your character accordingly (e.g. if you are walking left at normal speed and you move the joystick to the upper right diagonal then your character turns around and starts running at double speed.) The IN (joystick pushed forward) and OUT (joystick pulled back) directions are active only at certain times. Whenever a corridor crosses or joins the corridor you're in, the compass direction, that your character can travel down that corridor, is highlighted. You will notice that if you choose to go down a cross-corrdor, the compass direction will change. The Joystick screen always shows your character moving left and right. IN /\ /||\ LEFT ___ || ___ RIGHT DOUBLE SPEED |\ || /| DOUBLE SPEED | \\ || // | \\ || // \\ || // \\ || // / \\||// \ LEFT /--------------- ---------------\ RIGHT Normal Movement \--------------- ---------------/ Normal Movement \ || / || || || || || || \||/ \/ OUT On the other hand, the compass is oriented to maintain the same absolute direction, just as a real compass. As an example, if your character were to be travelling along an east west corridor, the compass would show north as being up. If the character then entered a corridor that went north, the compass would change. Nort would then be on the right of the compass since that is the direction the character is facing. This is not as complicated as it sounds and is easily mastered when you play the game. Pressing the fire button will cause one of two options to be available, depending on whether your character is running or stationary when the button is actually pressed: STATIONARY - Pressing and holding the fire button puts the character in to one of two Combat mades. The character will enter Ranged Combat Mode (see details below) if the character is more than a quarter of a screen width from a monster. If within this distance, the character will enter Close Combat mode. You will see the word COMBAT displayed below the compass when your character comes within the quarter screen width. RUNNING - Pressing the fire button while you are running causes the character to JUMP in the direction of movement. This allows the character to pass over certain types of obstacles. RANGED COMBAT/DODGE ------------------- ___ FIRE High /| // | // // // // \ ---------------\ ---------------/ FIRE Centre ||\\ / || \\ || \\ || \\ || \\ | || \| || ¬¬¬ FIRE Low \||/ \/ DODGE Character Facing right FIRE High ___ |\ | \\ \\ \\ \\ / \\ /--------------- FIRE Centre \--------------- \ //|| // || // || // || | // || |/ || FIRE Low ¬¬¬ || \||/ \/ DODGE Character Facing left This mode is used for two purposes: dodging and using a ranged weapon (one that fires over a distance such as a bow and arrows or a throwing axe). It can only be used by a stationary character and requires pressing the fire button to begin operating. With the fire button depressed, moving the joystick in the appropriate direction will cause your character to perform the indicated action. The character's weapon is automatically selected when you move the joystick into a firing position. For the bows and the hoopak, you must first select the Use command from the Main Menu and choose either a pouch or a quiver before the ranged weapon can be used. The moves are reversed depending on the screen facing of the character (see dieagrams). As long as the joystick is held in position, the weapon will continue to fire until it runs out of ammunition or until a Low monster moves within Close Combat range. If you push the stick into a firing position and release it, the weapon will only fire once. Fire CENTRE lets you shoot parallel to the ground at about shoulder height and is the most likely choice to use when firing at monsters. Fire LOW and fire HIGH allow your character to fire below or above the centre line. DODGE allows the character to take avoiding action from an attack and is also available in Close Combat. All Ranged Combat selections are cancelled, changing to Close Combat, if the player's character and a monster move within the 1/4 screen trigger distance. At the same time, the character's weapon changes to the Close Combat weapon. CLOSE COMBAT ------------ _ ___ ___ THRUST High | |\ /| | | \\ // | | \\ // | \\ // | \\ // | / \\ // \ | /--------------- ---------------\ MOVE BACKWARD | \--------------- ---------------/ THRUST Centre | \ //||\\ / | // || \\ | // || \\ | // || \\ | | // || \\ | | |/ || \| |_ ¬¬¬ || ¬¬¬ THRUST Low \||/ \/ DODGE Character Facing right THRUST High ___ ___ _ |\ /| | | \\ // | | \\ // | \\ // | \\ // | / \\ // \ | /--------------- ---------------\ | THRUST Centre \--------------- ---------------/ | MOVE BACKWARD \ //||\\ / | // || \\ | // || \\ | // || \\ | | // || \\ | | |/ || \| | THRUST Low ¬¬¬ || ¬¬¬ _| \||/ \/ DODGE Character Facing left The computer allows you to enter Close Combat mode whenever a monste and a character move within one quarter of a screen of each other. You will see the word COMBAT below the compass pass when you can enter Close Combat mode. To enter this mode, keep the fire button depressed. This mode stays in force until one of the combatants is dead, they move away from each other until seperated by more than a quarter of a screen or you release the fire button. When in Close Combat, joystick moves change to those shown here and the character automatically uses his or her Close Combat weapon. In this mode, the player selects the indicated combat moves, for close (melee) fighting by moving the joystick in the relevant direction. The terminology used applies to sword fighting but the physical moves apply equally to whatever weapon the character is using whether sword, staff, axe etc. MOVE BACKWARDS means the character keep the current facing and walks backwards. The character will back up (still holding his or her weapon), moving to the edge of the screen or until reaching an impassable barrier. If this allows the character to move beyond the combat trigger threshold (quarter screen), movement reverts to normal joystick mode. DODGE is available and the character behaves the same as in Ranged Combat, with the ability to avoid things. You can still make selections from the menu if required and the computer will pause the game, making the necessary combat adjustments while any changes and selections are made. The menus allow you to change the lead character. SCREEN DISPLAYS --------------- There are two main screen displays used during the course of play: 1 - STANDARD SCREEN - The main section of the screen shows the actual views of the area being explored with a double row of character icons along the right-bottom of the screen and a compass indicating viewpoint and exits. Next to the second display - the Main Menu. 2. - MAIN MENU - The main section is overlayed with a scroll of selections with the top selection highlighted and the lower section of the screen continuing to hold the same information. Selection is either by moving the highlight with the joystick or the Up/Down cursor keys. When the required selection has been made, pressing the fire button or the Return/Enter key (Insert on the ST) will activate the selection. An error message is displayed if you attempt a selection that is not available. There is a third type of screen - The animation sequence. Return to normal game action by pressing the space bar. Choosing the Main Menu can also be used as a pause during gameplay should you require a short break and not wish to quit the game. MENUS & SUB-MENUS ----------------- 1. Hero select: The order in which the characters appear on the screen has an effect on play. The top left character is first in the party and is theactive character. The character immediately to the right of that character is second and so on. The bottom right character is the last one. The icon of the first character will appear on the screen and represents the entire party. Spells can only be cast if the character casting the spell is one of the first four. Characters in the bottom row cannot cast any spells. The active character will suffer the most damage in combat, but all of the top 4 characters may suffer some damage. You can change the order of the characters in your party by selecting Hero Select from the Main Menu. When you have done this, a white box will appear around the active character. You can use the joystick or the cursor keys to move this box over one of the characters that you want to move to a different position. When the box is on the desired character, press the fire button or hit the Return/Enter key (Insert on the ST). You will then get a second white box. Move this white box over the character you wish the first character to switch positions with. Once again hit the Return/Enter key (Insert on the ST) or press the fire button. The characters will switch positions. If you wish to change the order of more than one pair of characters, re-select this option for each swap you wish to perform. Should Goldmoon's hit points fall to a low level and she is the active character, Riverwind will switch positions with ehr in order to protect her. Once she is revitalised, she can once again assume the lead. 2. Magic User/The Staff of Magius Spells: The number in parentheses (brackets) is the number of charges used per spell when Raistlin uses the staff of Magius. This staff holds up to 100 charges. Using scrolls and potions does not take charges. Wands use these charges. Charm - each use takes 1 charge (1). Sleep - uses one charge (1). Magic Missile - each use takes one charge (1). Web - entangles an opponent for a limited amount of time (2). Detect Magic - shows location of magic items (1). Detect Invisible - shows location of anything invisible (2). Final Strike - destroys staff & causes intense damage when it explodes; provides option to cancel in case selected by mistake (uses all remaining charges). Burning Hands - each use takes one charge (1). Exit - return to Main Menu 3. Clerical Staff Spells: This selects one of two sub-menus depending on who is using the staff. Only Goldmoon can use the staff unless she is incapacitated or dead. In that case, Riverwind, Caramon or Sturm can use it at a reduced capacity. The number in parentheses (brackets) is the number of charges used per spell when using the clerical staff. This staff holds up to 200 charges but will absorb energy if attacked by energy-using monsters. When you select Clerical Staff Spells, a different sub-menu is displayed depending on whether Goldmoon is alive and conscious or one of the other characters is controlling the staff. 3a) Clerical Staff Spells (for Goldmoon): Cure Light Wounds - heals minor damage to a character (1). Protection from Evil - helps you against evil opponents (1). Find Traps - indicates the location of a trap (2). Hold Person - stops a monster in its tracks (most of the time) (2). Spiritual Hammer - just like a warhammer but no hands (2). Prayer - a little extra help from on high (3). Cure Critical Wounds - more powerful healing (5). Raise Dead - resurrects dead characters whose bodies are available (5). Deflect Dragon Breath - very useful if you meet a dragon (10). Exit - return to main menu. 3b) Clerical Staff Spells for Riverwind, Caramon or Sturm: Cure Light Wounds - heals minor damage to a character (1). Find Traps - indicates the location of a trap (2). Cure Critical Wounds - more powerful healing (5). Deflect Dragon Breath - very useful if you meet a dragon (10). Exit - return to main menu. 4. USE: This displays a list of the active character's possessions with the exception of his/her initial equipment (i.e. personal weapons and items won). It includes anything acquired during the course of play such as potions, scrolls, rings etc. Any weapons in excess of the two usable by the character are listed here. Excess weapons can't be used by the character although they will contribute towards the experience points total at the end of the game. A character's carry limit is affected by quivers of arrows and pouches of bullets. 5. TAKE: This command applies to the currently occupied area and lists any item that can be readily picked up as well as any magic or invisible items that have been found. Due to the limited number of items that any one character can carry, it may be necessary to select a different character to pick up an item or have the current character drop or give away an item first. Note that a dropped item will appear under this command when it is reselected. Should this list include one of the staffs (due to the death of Raistlin or Goldmoon) there are restrictions on picking them up and using them: The Staff of Magius - Nobody can pick it up apart from Raistlin as they are all of the wrong alignment and will take damage if they attempt it. Blue Crystal Staff - Apart from Goldmoon, Riverwind, Caramon and Sturm, anybody else will take damage from this clerical staff. Only Goldmoon can use the staff unless she is dead or incapacitated, in which case one of the others may use the staff. 6. GIVE: This lists all of the items owned by the lead character which can be transferred to another character. It does not include personal weapons or (for Goldmoon and Raistlin) the staffs but does not include items such as potions, arrows etc. To GIVE an item, choose it on this sub-menu and press the fire button (or equivalent) to initiate the transfer. The highlight will then appear on the character icons. Move it to the character you wish to receive the item and press the fire button to complete the transfer. A character's carry limit cannot be exceeded by this procedure and the game will not allow the transfer to be completed. If you attempt it, you will return to the start of the GIVE menu. 7. DROP: Drop shows all of a character's possessions which can be dropped to the floor. As with the other sub-menus, this option does not list personal weapons (including Raistlin's and Goldmoon's staffs). 8. SAVE: Choosing Save allows you to save a game for completion at a later date. Before you perform this operation, you must have a blank cassette or an already formatted disk as mentioned earlier, depending upon which machine you are using. Once Save is selected follow the prompts provided to complete the save procedure. 9. RESTORE: Use of this selection allows you to restart a previously saved game at any time. If you are already playing a game, it will be cancelled and replaced by the saved game which you reload. If you select it by mistake, you have the option to return to the Main Menu before any damage is done. If you proceed then you will be asked for the disk or cassette containing the saved game and prompted as to the correct procedure. 10. SCORE: You can view your accumulated experience points during play by choosing this option. The number shown as a total is a summary of all points accumulated by characters that are still alive. The number of monsters killed is a running total of all monsters of the given type killed to that point in the game. 11. EXIT MENU: This selection provides the means of returning to the main game display and continuing the game. WINNING THE GAME ---------------- You accumulate experience points during the play of the game. You get experience points for killing monsters, for gathering treasures or for surviving to the end of the game. The current total score for the party can be viewed at any time from the Main Menu. Detailed scores (character by character as well as total) are provided at the end of a game. At this time, scores are listed for each character and two party scores are given. One score is the total number of points of all surviving characters and the second is the total of all characters whether dead or alive at the end. These scores allow you to compare games as well as giving a numerical value as a measure of success in any one game. IBM PC & COMPATIBLES VERSION: USING THE KEYBOARD ------------------------------------------------ Introduction - As mentioned earlier in the rules, the IBM PC and Compatibles version can also be played using the numeric keypad and the keyboard. This section describes how playing this way differs from playing with a joystick. Using Menus - To access the Main Menu, press Insert. To select an option from a menu, press the first letter or number of that option. You may also select an option by using the cursor keys to move the highlight bar to the option and then pressing Enter. You can exit any menu either by using the Exit Menu option or by pressing the Escape key. Selecting Heroes - To move a character to a different position, use the cursor keys to select the character you wish to move and press Enter. Use the cursor keys again to move the character to the desired position and press Enter. A NOTE TO ST HARD DISK USERS ---------------------------- Heroes of the Lance can be played from a hard disk provided your machine has at least 1 megabyte of RAM. Copy all of the files over to the hard disk, and then remove the EXEC.PRG file from the AUTO folder. Double click on EXEC.PRG and the game will begin. CHARACTER CONTROL USING THE KEYPAD: ----------------------------------- The following diagrams illustrate how the numeric keypad is used to control your character during Movement, Close Combat and Ranged Combat. Use the Return key in place of the fire button. (...snip! Use keypad 8-directional arrow keys as joystick movements above. ENTER key is fire button.) CHARACTERS ---------- *************** (Picture of light-haired beardy bloke) Tanis: ------ AD&D® Game Statistics: Strength 16 (Damage +1) Intelligence 12 Wisdom 13 Dexterity 16 Constitution 12 Charisma 15 Alignment - Neutral Good Hit Points 35 Armour Class 4 EQUIPMENT: Leather armour +2 Longsword +2 (damage 1-8/1-12 vs. Giants) Bow & quiver of 20 arrows (damage 1-6) *************** (Picture of dark-haired man with winged helmet) Caramon Majere: --------------- AD&D® Game Statistics: Strength 18/63 (Damage +3) Intelligence 12 Wisdom 10 Dexerity 11 Constitution 17 Charisma 15 Alignment - Lawful Good Hit Points 36 Armour Class 6 EQUIPMENT: Ring mail armour Longsword (damage 1-8) Spear (damage 1-6) *************** (Picture of light-haired man wearing a robe) Raistlin Majere: ---------------- AD&D® Game Statistics: Strength 10 Intelligence 17 Wisdom 14 Dexterity 16 Constitution 10 Charisma 10 Alignment - Neutral Hit Points 8 Armour Class 5 EQUIPMENT: Staff of the Magius (+3 protection; +2 to hit - damage 1-8) Close combat with Staff as weapon Ranged combat - see spell list *************** (Picture of dark-haired man with a droopy moustache) Sturm Brightblade: ------------------ AD&D® Game Statistics: Strength 17 (Damage +1) Intelligence 14 Wisdom 11 Dexterity 12 Constitution 16 Charisma 12 Alignment - Lawful Good Hit Points 29 Armour Class 5 EQUIPMENT: Chainmail armour Two Handed sword +3 (damage 1-10) No ranged weapon *************** (Picture of light-haired woman with pleated hair) Goldmoon, Chieftain's Daughter: ------------------------------- AD&D® Game Statistics: Strength 12 Intelligence 12 Wisdom 16 Dexterity 14 Constitution 12 Charisma 17 Alignment - Lawful Good Hit Points 19 Armour Class 6 EQUIPMENT: Leather armour Blue Crystal Staff (damage 4-9, 7-12 or 10-15) Clerical magic from Staff, see sub-menu *************** (Picture of dark-haired man with a headband) Riverwind: ---------- AD&D® Game Statistics: Strength 18/35 (Damage +3) Intelligence 13 Wisdom 14 Dexterity 16 Constitution 13 Charisma 13 Alignment - Lawful Good Hit Points 34 Armour Class 5 EQUIPMENT: Leather armour & Shield Longsword +2 (damage 1-8) Bow & quiver of 20 arrows (damage 1-6) *************** (Picture of dark-haired Kender with pointy ears) Tasslehoff Burrfoot: -------------------- AD&D® Game Statistics: Strength 13 Intelligence 9 Wisdom 12 Dexterity 16 Constitution 14 Charisma 11 Alignment - Neutral Hit Points 15 Armour Class 6 EQUIPMENT: Leather armour Hoopak +2 (damage 3-8) Sling +1 with a pouch of 20 bullets (damage 2-7) *************** (Picture of dark-haired beardy dwarf with horned helmet) Flint Fireforge: ---------------- AD&D® Game Statistics: Strength 16 (Damage +1) Intelligence 7 Wisdom 12 Dexterity 10 Constitution 18 Charisma 13 Alignment - Neutral Good Hit Points 42 Armour Class 6 EQUIPMENT: Studded leather armour & Shield Battle-axe +1 (damage 1-8) Throwing axes (damage 1-6) *************** MONSTERS -------- During your travels through the ruins of Xak Tsaroth, you will meet many different beings, from ferocious animals to the evil and intelligent followers of Takhsis. The best response you can expect is indifference but the most usual is active hostility because you are enemies or look like food. All opposition is described as monsters. If you meet anything, remember that it is safer to defend yourself by Ranged Combat than to wait until within Close Combat range. You can more easily retreat from Ranged Combat than from Close Combat. MEN: Any humans whom you meet, if they are moving around freely, are going to be in the employ of the Dragon Highlords. BAAZ DRACONIANS: These Draconians are the smallest and most plentiful kind. Used as common ground troops, they are at the bottom of the social order. GIANT SPIDERS: Not being intelligent, giant spiders conclude "If it moves then it must be food." They are tough opponents and will take a large amount of damage before dying. They attack by biting. TROLLS: They make very tough opponents as they are difficult to injure and, when finally wounded, their injuries start healing automatically. HATCHLING BLACK DRAGONS: They will breathe acid whenever you come across them. Like all young dragons, they can take punishment without serious injury and, although newly hatched, make vicious little killers since they aren't averse to a little fresh human now and then. SPECTRAL MINIONS: The spirits of humans or demihumans who died before they could complete powerful quests or vows. They use the weapons they died with, usually swords and are intelligent opponents not to be taken lightly. BOZAK DRACONIANS: These Draconians are slightly larger and less plentiful than their lesser Baaz kin. They are the magic users of the dragonmen, dedicated to the purposes of the Dragonloards. When killed, the flesh dries and crumbles from their bones which will then explode causing injury to anyone too close. AGHAR (GULLY DWARVES): The lowest class of dwarf. Their strongest instinct is survival and they see cowardice as a virtue and raise grovelling to the status of an art form. WRAITHS: The spirits of evil beings, condemned or determined to stay in our world, these undead are amongst the most deadly opponents you could ever meet. KHISANTH: The guardian of the 'Disks of Mishakal' is probably the only thing deadlier than the wraiths. She is the final obstacle to be overcome before completing your task in the ruins of Xak Tsaroth. LOST & FOUND - OBJECTS IN THE RUINS: ------------------------------------ While the more obvious items have been looted over the centuries, there remain many useful things simply overlooked, lost or abandoned by looters or later inhabitants of the ruins. While you have the ability to find magic items, remember that even detect spells use energy which may be more useful elsewhere. Using too many detect spells may attract magic-sensitive monsters. Also, searching for things takes time and may allow you to be found by things you'd rather not meet. You must balance your actions accordingly. SCROLLS These items contain pre-prepared spells that are ready for instant use by Raistlin. Any character may pick up a scroll but only Raistlin can use it. You must select the required scroll from the USE sub-menu and, the next time Raistlin enters Ranged Combat Mode, it will be the first spell used. SWORDS Although the characters cannot use weapons found within the ruins, they can gain experience points from picking up such items to improve their standing at the end of the game. Acquired weapons cannot be used as they are unfamiliar to the characters who would lose their skill bonuses for their normal weapons. OTHER WEAPONS & AMMUNITION There are some other items around such as bows and daggers but they are subject to the same usage limitation as swords. Ammunition available includes quivers of arrows and pouches of bullets for the sling users. These should be picked up whenever they are found as combat uses up large quantities of such things. Where possible, try to use single shots in Ranged Combat rather than rapid fire as it will considerably reduce the expenditure of arrows and bullets. A bullet is a small lead pellet that can inflict severe damage when fired by an experienced sling user. POTIONS There are many potions to be found in the ruins. Mostly concealed by magic. Many date back to teh time of the Cataclysm as few people took the time to recover concealed items while fleeing for their lives. They are not all the same and can help in a variety of ways. The only way to find out the effect of a potion is to try it. While they are different colours, each type is the same colour. If you try one and discover its effect then another of the same colour has the same effect. Any character can pick up a potion but you may have to transfer it to another character to use it. To drink a potion, it must be in the inventory of the character you wish to drink it. If this is the case, select USE from the main menu and the potion from the sub-menu listing usable items. The potion is drunk and its effect applied to the character. If you see no change, the potion may be unsuitable for that character or you may be in the wrong location for its effect. Healing potions cause a permanent change by healing wounds. They are not all of the same strength and their effect varies. They only restore damage taken but can't increase a character's 'Hit Points' beyond the starting value. These potions can be drunk by anyone. Strength and Invulnerability potions both last for a certain amount of time (variable) and only affect Tanis, Riverwind, Caramon, Sturm and Flint. While their effects last, they can be very useful in dangerous situations. Strength potions increase the damage inflicted by the character every time a successful hit is inflicted on an opponent. The amount of this extra damage varies as some potions are stronger than others. Invunerability potions give immunity to non-magical attacks, make it more difficult to be hit by magic and increase resistance to the effects of a magical hit. The minimum length of time for both to be effective is the same but Invulnerability potions are capable of lasting much longer. If you are very lucky you may even find potions that allow you to control monsters for a short time or until you attempt to kill them. Unfortunately, it is difficult to discover the effect of this type of potion as it apparently does nothing unless your characters are in the presence of the target monster-types. However, if you do discover the purpose of such a potion then it will usually allow you to walk right up to a monster and attack it with no initial attempt at defence until a character hits it. RINGS There are several magic rings which may be used by any character. Selecting a ring from the USE sub-menu means it will then be worn and confer its benefit on the wearer. Rings can have many effects but the types you are likely to find will make the wearer more difficult for monsters to hit. Some are more effective than others and once put on, all work indefinitely. Until selected as above, they do nothing and are regarded as being carried around in a pouch or pocket rather than being worn. Once put on, a ring is permanently associated with a character, vanishing from the game in the event of the character's permanent death. WANDS Only usable by Raistlin, wands provide a device to fire a spell. Each one has a limited number of charges and, when used up, the wand crumbles to dust. If you are lucky enough to find a wand, once it is in Raistlin's possession, it can be used by selecting it from the USE sub-menu and it will stay as the active 'Ranged Combat' weapon until discharged or changed by another selection. MISCELLANEOUS There are various other items such as jewellery or other treasure but these, like much of the above, are not just lying around unguarded. They may have monsters with them or your efforts to search for things may attract their attentions. Another possibility is the trap - some items and areas are protected by traps which you may trigger. There may be some indication of a trap, either something obvious or maybe a situation too tempting to be true. Such traps can be triggered from a distance or avoided if a suitable character finds them. You will learn about these, and many other things as you experience the world of the 'Heroes of the Lance.' Good luck... you'll need it! ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, AD&D, DRAGONLANCE and the TSR logo are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc., Lake Geneva, WI, USA and used under licence from Strategic Simulations, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA, USA. ©1988, 1991 TSR, Inc. ©1988, 1991 Strategic Simulations, Inc. All rights reserved.