Table of Contents Introduction 1 What comes with this game 1 Getting started quickly 2 Reading the rule book 2 Characters and the Party 3 What are the characters? 3 Playing the Game 6 Creating a party of characters 6 Non-Player Characters (NPCs) 7 Viewing a Character 8 The character screen 8 View points 9 Missions 10 Points of view 10 Moving around 11 Civilization 11 Adventure Menu 13 Move 13 View 13 Cast 13 Area 13 Encamp 13 Search 13 Look 13 Encamp 14 Save 14 View 14 Magic 14 Rest 14 Alter 14 Encounters 16 Combat 16 Wait 16 Flee 16 Advance 16 Parlay 16 Combat 17 Hitting the target 17 Using missile weapons 17 Beginning combat 18 Executing combat 18 If the party flees 20 If the party dies 20 After Combat 20 Magic 21 How magic works 21 The spells 23 Pool of Radiance Rule Book INTRODUCTION Welcome to the official ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS computer product, POOL OF RADIANCE a FORGOTTEN REALMS fantasy role-playing epic. This adventure game is based on the rules and background created by TSR, Inc., with a storyline created especially for this game. The POOL OF RADIANCE adventure begins in the ruined city of Phlan on the northern shore of the Moonsea, where adventurers from the civilized nations are trying to rebuild this once-proud city. Your adventurers start out as beginning characters at the first level of experience and can advance to higher levels as they help bring back Phlan to its former glory. WHAT COMES WITH THIS GAME: In addition to the game disks, you should find four other items in your game. THE RULE BOOK This is what you are reading. If you have game play questions during the course of the game, refer to this book. THE ADVENTURER'S JOURNAL This contains background and introduction to the Forgotten Realms and the scenarios, plus maps, rumors, and stories that may be true or false. It also contains Appendices, tables and reference information, to help speed game play, You will confirm the true rumors and expose the false ones during the game. THE QUICK START CARD This explains how to start the game, make menu choices, and indicate items using your computer. It also lets you get right into the game without having to read through the rules. THE TRANSLATION WHEEL As your characters progress through the Forgotten Realms, they will occasionally find Dethek (Dwarvish) and Espruar (Elvish) runes. The wheel is a method of translating those runes into English words so you can understand them. The Translation Wheel has four parts: Espruar (Elvish) Runes. Around the outside rim are the elvish runes. Dethek (Dwarvish) Runes. Just inside the elvish runes are the dwarvish runes. Three Paths. Spiralling out from the inside are three paths identified graphically as: ..... _.._.._ ---- Six Rings. Six numbered rings, each with three holes showing letters, are located inside of the dwarvish runes. USING THE WHEEL You can get many kinds of information from the wheel: Five or six letter Code Words. The computer displays 2 runes and a path. Match up the two runes and read the letters from rings 1 through 6. If the first character is a number, ignore it and read the letters from rings 2 through 6. Example: Elvish , Dwarvish , Read along the .....Path. Code word is BEWARE. Three Letter Code Words. The computer display 2 runes and a ring number. Match up the two runes and read the letters on that ring clockwise from the .....Path. Example: Elvish , Dwarvish , Read Around Ring 2. Code word is LUX. Translate Elvish (Espruar) to English or Dwarvish (Dethek). The computer displays a list of Elvish runes. Match the Translate Espruar Tab to each Elvish Rune, one at a time. Read the English letter in Ring 1 of the .....Path. Read the Dwarvish rune at the Translate Dethek Tab. Translate Dwarvish (Dethek) to English or Elvish (Espruar). The computer displays a list of Dwarvish runes. Match the Translate Dethek Tab to each Dwarvish Rune, one at a time. Read the English letter in Ring 1 of the .....Path. Read the Elvish Rune at the Translate Espruar Tab.. Some Dethek runes have more than one translation; try each when translating words. GETTING STARTED QUICKLY: You can get right into playing POOL OF RADIANCE by using the instructions on your Quick Start Card and using the characters provided. Of you have any questions as you play, refer back to these rules for a complete explanation. READING THE RULE BOOK: This book is divided into sections describing how to manipulate the game by using the menus on the screen. The menus are lists of commands that you choose according to the instructions on your Quick Reference Card. Central to the game is the concept of the 'active character.' The active character is highlighted on the character display. Any command that affects a single character affects the active character. commands that affect the whole party do not require an active character. In combat the active character is picked automatically according to the characters initiative. From other menus the active character may be changed before choosing any commands. All commands are menu based. If a command affects the whole party, indicate the command as listed in you Quick Reference Card. If the command affects one character, indicate the character and then the command. Example: To look at a character's items, indicated the character, choose View, and then choose Items. The computer displays a list of the character's items and the items' readied status for combat. Menus are displayed either vertically or horizontally. Vertical menus are used to make a choice of someone to act, such as a member of an adventuring party, or something to act upon, such as one item out of several carried. If there are more choices than will fit on the screen at once you can change pages using Next and Prev commands (or the PG UP and Pg Dn keys.) Horizontal menus are lists of commands giving the options of what the character can do or what you can do to the character. When space permits, each horizontal menu is preceded by the menu title. This is set off by a colon and is not an option on the menu. Menus are shown with their title and each command in the rules. As an example, the Encamp Menu contains commands for Save, View, Magic, Rest, Alter, Pool, and Exit. It is shown as: Encamp Menu ENCAMP: SAVE VIEW MAGIC REST ALTER EXIT Unless otherwise specified the Exit command on any menu returns you to the next higher level menu. On many computers the Escape key acts as an Exit command from any menu. CHARACTERS AND THE PARTY WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERS? You create characters to accomplish quests in the Forgotten Realms. Characters are differentiated by their Race, Ability, Scores, and Class. Several characters are needed to accomplish the missions presented here. These characters make up a Party. For maximum flexibility, you should have a balanced party with characters of different classes and races. THE SIX PLAYER RACES IN POOL OF RADIANCE Dwarf. This is a cunning race of sturdy workers and craftsmen. They have no magic of their own, but are resistant to magic. Dwarves can advance up to 9th level as fighters, and any level as thieves. They can be fighters and thieves at the same time. Dwarves can see in the dark using infravision. Elf. This is a long-lived race. As tall as humans but slimmer, they can be fighters, magic-users, thieves, fighter/magic-users, fighter/thieves, magic-user/thieves, and fighter/magic-user/thieves. They can advance to 7th level as fighters and 11th level as magic-users, and any level as thieves. Elves also have a better chance of finding hidden objects and can see in the dark using infravision. Gnome. Members of this race are shorter and slimmer than their cousins the dwarves. They con go up to 6th level as fighters, and any level as thieves. They can be fighter/thieves. Half-Elf. These hybrids have many of the virtues of both humans and elves. Like elves, they can be more than one class at once, though they can advance only to 8th level as magic-users and 8th level as fighters. Like humans, half-elves can be clerics, and unlike humans, half-elves combine that class with other classes. Halfling. These folk are about half the size of a human, hence their name. They have little ability with magic, but are resistant to its influences. They can be fighters, thieves, and fighter/thieves. They are limited to becoming 6th level fighters, but have no limits as thieves. Humans. This is the most common player-race in the Forgotten Realms. They have unlimited progression as fighters, magic-users, clerics, and thieves. ABILITY SCORES The computer randomly generates the ability scores that every adventurer has. There are six ability scores; all have some effect on the play of the character. Ability scores are based on a range from 3 (low) to 18 (high). Each Character Class (see below) has a Prime Requisite ability score. A Prime Requisite of 15 or more increases the amount of Experience (see below) the character gets from adventures. Strength (Str). This is the measure of how much a character can carry and how much damage he can do in a fight. The Prime Requisite for fighters is strength. Fighters with an 18 strength also have a percent value from 1 to 100 (listed as 01-00), denoting the highest possible natural character strength. Intelligence (Int). This is the measure of how much a character can ultimately memorize. The Prime Requisite for magic-users is intelligence. Wisdom (Wis). This is the measure of a character's ability to understand the ways of the world and interact with it. The Prime Requisite for clerics is wisdom. Dexterity (Dex). This is the measure of the manual dexterity and agility of the character. The Prime Requisite for thieves is dexterity. Constitution (Con). This is the measure of the overall health of a character. It influences both Hit Points (see below) and the character's chance of surviving the effects of a raise-dead spell. Charisma (Cha). This is the measure of how well the character interacts with other characters. It is sometimes a factor when the character has an encounter with Non-Player Characters, usually called NPCs. Each character also has two other important values: Hit Points and Experience Points. Hit Points (HP). This characteristic is derived from a character's constitution (he gains a bonus to his Hit Points per level if his constitution is over 14), his level, and his character class (see below). Every time a character is hit in combat, he loses HP. A character with many HP can survive far longer in combat than one with few HP. When a character reaches 0 HP he is Unconscious and may be Dying or Dead, depending on how much damage he has taken. Experience Points (XP). As a character has adventures, kills monsters, and accumulated treasure, he gains Experience Points. When he has enough XP he can increase in level, becoming more proficient in his class. The computer keeps track of XP. Every character starts at first level with 0 XP. CHARACTER CLASSES An adventurer must be at least one of the following character classes. A human adventurer can only be one class, nonhumans can combine classes. A character with combined classes has more playing options, but he advances more slowly in his professions because he is doing more that one thing at a time and his XP are divided up among his classes. Cleric. The cleric is a holy crusader who fights for the causes of his religion. Due to religious restrictions, he cannot use a cutting weapon that draws blood, such as a sword or an arrow, but he can use any form of armor and use crushing weapons, such as a mace. He casts holy spells that can heal and support his friends and also uses his natural holy power to drive away undead. Some magic items are actually holy objects that only a cleric can use. A cleric gains 1-8 HP with every advance in level to 9th level, plus any constitution bonus. From 10th level on, he adds 2 HP per level, without constitution bonus. Fighter. The fighter can use any form of armor or weapon including magic ones, but most other magical items, and all magical spells, are beyond him. A fighter gains 1-10 HP plus constitution bonus with each advance in level through 9th level. With the 10th level, he gains 3 HP per level without constitution bonus. Magic-user. The magic-user is potentially the most powerful character class, but he starts out weak. Initially, he has very few HP. In addition, he cannot memorize many spells, and must carefully husband his few spells until he gains more through advancement in level. The beginning magic-user is given four first-level spells in his magic book. He can add one additional spell to his magic book every time he advances a level. He can also scribe spells into his magic book from scrolls he finds in the course of his adventures. In this game, magic-users cannot use any form of armor or any weapon other than a dagger or staff. However, there are many magic items only a magic-user can use. A magic-user gains 1-4 HP with every advance in level through 11th level, plus constitution bonus. At 12th level and beyond he gains only 1 HP per further level. Thief. This is the thief of the sagas, who uses trickery and misdirection - instead of brute force - to win his objective. This is the only professions in which demi-humans may climb as far as any human. Indeed, halflings and elves are especially adept in this craft. To be a proficient thief, a character must have a high dexterity. Thieves must stick to leather-based armor and have a restricted list of weapons. A thief gains 1-6 HP with every advance in level, plus constitution bonus, through 10th level. They gain 2 HP, without constitution bonus, per level thereafter. Multiple Classes. Non-human races can sometimes be a combination of classes. When a character is more than one class, his HP per level are averaged among the classes involved. However, his experience is split between the two classes even when he cannot further advance in one of them. He gains all the benefits of both classes in regard to weapons and equipment. ALIGNMENTS Alignment is the philosophy a character lives by. While the actions of a character are under your control, the character's alignment can affect how NPC's in the game view him. The computer provides all the possible Alignments for a character and you can choose any of those you wish. Lawful Good. Followers of this alignment strictly interpret law and order, but they use these principles to bring all the benefits to the society. Lawful Neutral. Followers of this alignment view regulation as all-important, taking a middle road between good and evil. Lawful Evil. Followers of this alignment believe in the rulership of the strong and the enslavement of the weak. Neutral Good. The follower of this alignment believes there must be some regulation in combination with freedoms if the best is to be brought to the world. True Neutral. A follower of this alignment believes that everything must be kept in balance - law and chaos - and good and evil - to maintain world harmony. Neutral Evil. The follower of this alignment considers law and chaos to be minor considerations as long as evil is brought to the world. Chaotic Good. Followers of this alignment value randomness and freedom, but also value life and individual welfare. Chaotic Neutral. Followers of this alignment value randomness and disorder over either evil or good. Chaotic Evil. The Chaotic Evil character disdains laws and order, kindness and good deeds. He seeks positions of power, glory, and prestige in a system ruled by his own whims. STARTING EQUIPMENT Each character is assumed to have starting equipment including clothes, boots, backpack, money pouch, food, water, tinderbox, and flint and steel. The character's on-screen list of items only includes important items such as weapons, armor and magic items. PLAYING THE GAME To play POOL OF RADIANCE you need a party of characters. You can use the party of characters provided or you can create your own. CREATING A PARTY OF CHARACTERS; A party is a group of characters you have generated and saved to the save game disk for use in missions. you may have up to 6 Player Characters (called PCs or characters) in your party at a time. You can control up to 8 characters in a game, but the remaining two slots are left open for NPCs your characters may fire or meet along the way. When starting a game, the first screen you see is one with positions for the vital information about the characters in the party and a menu with all the ways of putting together an adventuring party. This is the Party Creation Menu. Party Creation Menu: Create New Character Drop Character Modify Character Train Character View Character Add Character To Party Remove Character From Party Load Saved Game Save Current Game Begin Adventuring Exit to DOS The following describes the results of using each command. CREATE NEW CHARACTER This is the opportunity to build an adventurer from scratch. This leads you through a series of menus to help you define the character. Pick Race Menu. This gives you the choice of the six races a player-character can be in the Forgotten Realms. Pick Gender. After you pick a character's race, you pick their gender. Gender affects the possible strength of a character and what sort of portraits you will have to choose from to represent the character. The computer then randomly generates the ability scores that every adventurer has. Once you have seen the ability scores, you may have the computer roll again and it will randomly generate a different character. Otherwise, you may accept the rolls, and take the character as generated. If you accept the rolls. you still have the opportunity to alter the character to match your own character from the AD&D game by using the Modify Character command described later. Pick Character Class. This gives you the choice of the class or classes you character is qualified for based on his race and ability scores. Pick Alignment. From this menu the computer provides all the possible Alignments for a character. You can choose the one you wish. Name Character. Your choice of name for a character is entirely up to you. You cannot use more than 15 letters in a name. The computer displays the complete character screen and gives you a chance to save the character. If you save the character, it is written to the save game disk to become one of the regular characters you play. At this time the computer generates a portrait of your character. You can choose both the head and the body of your character's portrait. You then choose the weapon, head, and colors for you character's combat icon (the figure that represents the character in combat). Refer to the Encamp section for instructions on how to alter combat icons. Exit. From any of these menus this command brings you back to the Party Creation Menu. DROP CHARACTER This command is only used when you never want to play with a particular character again. It eliminates the character's record from the save game disk and leaves a space in which you can create a new character to fill. MODIFY CHARACTER You may bring you favorite beginning AD&D character into the POOL OF RADIANCE. Create a character of the proper race and class and then modify it to match your non-computer AD&D character. You can adjust the created character's ability scores and HP. The character must start at 0 XP and with no items beyond those he can buy with his initial gold allowance. TRAIN CHARACTER Use this command when a character had attained enough experience to advance a level (see Appendices). This is available at the start of an adventure and when the party travels to the Guild to get training. The computer asks who is to train, and checks the current XP of the character. If he has sufficient points, the computer subtracts the cost of the training from the character's current money and the character advances a level. This takes no game time. A character can only advance as high as the highest level character willing to train him. In the Training Hall of Phlan, the maximum limits are 8th level fighter, 9th level thief, and 6th level cleric and magic-user. VIEW CHARACTER This allows you to View a Character, as described under that heading below. ADD CHARACTER TO PARTY This command allows you to pick party members from previously used characters that are on a save game disk. REMOVE CHARACTER FROM PARTY Since a party may only include 6 player characters, you can use this command to write a character to the save game disk and then substitute another with the Add Character To Party command. The Saved character will replace the previous entry for that character on the save game disk. LOAD SAVED GAME This command brings up a previous adventuring party from the save game disk. SAVE CURRENT GAME This command puts the group you are currently constructing onto the save game disk for future reference. Then some versions will allow you to exit the game. BEGIN ADVENTURING When your party is ready to go, use this command to return to the game. Follow the on-screen messages to get back into the game and you are ready to go with your new party of adventurers. NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS (NPCs) In the course of a game, the party can run into many characters controlled by the computer. They may talk to the party, attack the party, and even offer to join the party. These are known as Non-Player Characters, or NPCs. There are three kinds of NPCs: those you can hire at the Training Hall to adventure with your party, filling in the two slots possible in a party that you cannon fill with player characters; those who volunteer to join the party for a specific mission or quest; and those who won't join the party but will give either information or a fight. WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH NPCs NPCs that want to join you are treated like your player characters, with a few differences. Remember that you only have room for 2 NPCs if you have a full party of 6 player characters. During an adventure you may find NPCs that you want to add to your party. You should seldom have more than 7 characters in your party so there is room to add the NPC. The computer commands NPCs in battle. They have Morale. If things are going badly for the party, they may run, even if you don't want them to. You can give NPCs treasure, which may help their Morale, but you cannot trade their items to other characters. If they die, however, you can use the Trade Items function to take their items. LOYALTY NPCs can also be traitors insinuated into your party, depending on the way the adventure goes. They can spy on you and give information to your enemies, and even turn on you in battle. NPCs can be a big help, but don't trust them in every situation. VIEWING A CHARACTER THE CHARACTER SCREEN: The character screen appears whenever you use the View command. The character screen displays the character's name, race, and age. It also displays his alignment, character class, and ability score. The current wealth of the character is also shown. Initially, the computer generates a random number between 30 and 180 in gold pieces, which the character can use in buying his equipment. Later, as the character accumulates wealth through his adventuring, there are several entries on the screen showing the copper pieces (cp), silver pieces (sp), electrum pieces (ep), gold pieces (gp), platinum pieces (pp), gems and jewelry. The value of coins are listed in the Appendices, the value of gems and jewelry vary and are found when they are appraised. The screen also shows the character's current level, his earned XP, and his current HP. If the HP are highlighted, the character has taken damage that has not been healed. The number shown is his current HP, not his normal HP. Once the character has healed all the damage, the number reverts to normal. The Armor Class is shown as AC; the lower the AC number, the better the armor. Then it shows the character's Ready weapon and what armor he is wearing. This is followed by the character's To Hit AC 0 (THACO). The lower the character's THACO, the better fighter he is. This is followed by the damage the character does, which depends on his strength and the weapon he has ready. The last entry is the Character Status. This is an indication of the current health of the character. The Character Status can be: OK The character has positive HP and can move an fight normally. UNCONSCIOUS The character has exactly 0 HP. He cannot move or fight, but is in no danger of dying. DYING The character will die in a short period of time unless the character is bandaged or healing magic is applied. If the character is bandaged his status changes to Unconscious. Healing magic will make him OK again. In the course of a combat, a character who is Dying has a chance of becoming Dead unless he is bandaged (see Combat). A character who survives a combat in Dying status is automatically assumed to have his wounds bandaged after combat and becomes Unconscious. DEAD The character has died. He will be brought with the party (assume he is set down during any combat) and can possibly be resurrected with a raise dead spell from an NPC cleric. The character's actual chance of being raised when the spell is used depends on his constitution. FLED The character fled from the previous battle. After a battle is over, he can rejoin the party as if nothing had happened, and regain his previous status. GONE The character has been destroyed by dragon flame, a disintegrate spell, or some other form of total destruction. He cannot be Raised from the Dead. VIEW OPTIONS: to inspect the active character choose the View command. This brings up the View Menu. View Menu: VIEW: ITEMS SPELLS TRADE DROP EXIT ITEMS Using this command allows you to see what items the character is carrying. The character's items and their combat ready status are displayed. An item that is not Ready cannot be used. Not all commands in the Item Menu are always available. Item Menu: READY USE TRADE DROP HALVE JOIN SELL ID EXIT Ready. If you want to ready or unready or unready an Item, you can use the Ready command to change the status of the weapon, armor, or other item. A character has several restrictions on what he can use. Basically, he cannot use more than two hand-held items at once. Thus, he cannot have ready a sword, a shield, and a bow at the same time. Arrows are assumed to be in a quiver and can Readied at all times, though they cannot be used unless a bow is Readied as well. Use. This command means the character is going to use an item. In Combat, you will be asked to indicate the target (see Combat for targeting) and proceed back to the Combat Menu. Trade. If you use this command, the screen switched to the Party Screen and asks which character you are trading with. Indicate the character and the screen switches back to the Items Screen. Indicate which item (you can trade multiple items in one transaction) is to go to the other character and the item disappears from the trading character's list and reappears on the item list of the receiving character. Remember that an NPC does not give up an item once he has it, unless he is dead. Drop. If this command is used on an item, the item is gone. It cannot be retrieved. Do not use this if you want to give the item to someone else, that's what the Trade command is for. Halve. Multiple items such as arrows are often combined onto one line, such as 42 Arrows. Halve creates two lines, each with half the number of items; such as two lines each with 21 Arrows. Only items like arrows, that are shown as several items on one line, can be halved. Join. This is the opposite of Halve. If you have several lines of arrows or a similar item on the items screen, you can use this command on one line and all similar lines are joined with it. The number of items shown is the total of the numbers in all the former lines. No more than 250 of an item can be joined on one line. NOTE: The Ready status (Yes or No) of the item depends on the line that all the others are joined with. Sell. This command is described under the Shop Menu. ID. This command is described under the Shop Menu. SPELLS This is a long listing of what spells a magic-user or cleric has memorized and is ready to cast (see Magic Menu). TRADE This command is used when you want to transfer money from one character to another. Indicate which character you are trading with, and then indicate which coins and how much are to go to the other character. The coins disappear from the trading character's list and reappear on the money record of the receiving character. DROP If this command is used on money, the money is gone. It cannot be retrieved. After you create your party, you appear in the civilized section of Phlan. The party is ready to begin adventuring. MISSIONS: Phlan is a very dangerous place. The civilized nations are only now gaining a foothold. You can either wander around town and run across dangerous situations, or report to the City Council of Phlan. They will assign the party missions and give rewards when the missions are completed. Initial missions are local in nature, later ones are more ambitious to match both your increased expertise and their opinion of you. Phlan is split into two sections; the civilized section is controlled by monsters. After you clear all the monsters from a block, settlers move in and it becomes civilized. POINTS OF VIEW: As you move around the town and the wilderness, there are three different points of view: 3-D, Are, and Wilderness. 3-D This appears with the Adventure Menu any time you are in town, underground, or in any other built-up area. It shows a view of the surrounding area as seen by the party. It only shows one direction at a time, so you must rotate the party using the directional controls (see Adventure Menu) to see in each direction. At the same time, the screen shows what compass direction the party is facing and the coordinates of their location in their current block. AREA This option is given in the Adventure Menu when the 3-D view is shown on the screen. This view shows the position of the party and an overhead view of the surrounding area. It can only be obtained in a 3-D view. It does not appear in the Wilderness. There is no real detail, just the position of all major obstructions such as walls, trees, water, etc. A cursor shows the position of the party. WILDERNESS This screen shows when the party is traveling in the Wilderness. It displays an image of the party moving through a map-like wilderness. It shows the area around the party for 2 moves in each direction. If there is an encounter in the wilderness, an image of the encountered monster appears next to the icon showing the location of the party. You will be given all the usual options for the encounter (see Encounters). BLOCKS Most adventures take place in one or more blocks of 16 squares by 16 squares. The party moves from block to block by moving into a long corridor with a low ceiling. Stairs and caves with low ceilings may also move the party from one block to another. TIME AND THE PARTY From the moment the party begins its adventures in Phlan, the clock is ticking. The longer it takes a party to complete a mission, the harder it becomes. MOVING AROUND: The first thing a new party must do is equip itself from the Shops. Then it has to get into the scene of its adventures. There are two ways of doing this. TOWN TRAVEL You can walk the party to in-town missions, having encounters along the way. WILDERNESS TRAVEL Some missions involve locations away from Phlan. The party travels in the Wilderness Point of View until they reach the location of the mission. The computer keeps track of the time traveled. CIVILIZATION: The civilized section of Phlan contains a number of locations of interest to the party. In the civilized section the party can find out information, train, rest and heal, and buy and sell equipment. THE CITY COUNCIL This is where the characters meet the Council and receive missions and news. THE DOCKS The party may catch a boat at the docks to take them to otherwise in accessible blocks and into the wilderness. THE INNS Theses give a safe haven in which to Rest (using the Encamp Menu). Each stay at an Inn costs money, but once you begin your stay you can rest as long as you like. THE TAVERNS These are rowdy places full of gossip, stories, and information. THE TRAINING HALL This is where the characters can receive training from NPCs of higher level and add starting PCs. This displays the Party Creation Menu so that you can use the Train Character command. THE SHOPS Here the characters can buy their initial equipment and later sell some of their treasure and upgrade their equipment. When you enter a Shop, you are presented with the Shop Menu. Shop Menu BUY VIEW TAKE POOL SHARE APPRAISE EXIT Buy. If you use this command, the computer displays a list of items available and their cost. Of you try to buy something you do not have the money for, the computer tells you so. If you try to buy something that will overload you, the computer tells you that, too. View. This is the same screen as shown for this command in other menus with the addition of the Appraise command in the View Menu, and the Sell and ID commands in the Items Menu. Sell. Use the cursor to highlight any item you want to sell. The Shop will make an offer and you can either sell or not. If you decide to sell, the screen asks you one more time to be sure, then the item is gone. The shops in Phlan are very busy; no item sold to a merchant remains for long. If you sell an item, it won't be there when you go back. ID. This command is used to get a magical evaluation of a magic item. The shop charges you for the service of identifying the magic on an item. Take. If you have left money through the Pool or Drop commands, you can use this command to pick it up again. Indicate that you want to take money and who will take it. The computer than displays each type of coin available and how many of each coin there are. You indicate how many of the coins the character takes. One character can take all of the coins if he has the strength to do so, or you can allow each character to take a share. If you try to pick up more than the character can carry, the screen displays a message saying "The character is overloaded" and will not let any more coins be put on the character. Remember, carrying lots of coinage slows a character down in combat. Pool. This command makes all the party members drop all of their money into one pool of money. All purchases made at the shop come out of this central pool. Anything left over can be picked up again using the Take Menu. Share. This command picks up all the money in the pool, divides it into shares and distributes it among the characters. Appraise. This is used in Shops to get an appraisal of any gems and jewelry the character has. The computer asks what gems and jewelry are to be appraised, and offers a price on the indicated gem or jewelry. Once you have received a price, you may take it and the item is sold. The money is immediately put in your money record. If you do not want to sell immediately (gems and jewelry are a lot easier to carry than coins), the gems and jewelry become items and go from the money record on the Character Screen to the items list, and can be sold off of that list like any other item. THE TEMPLES The temple will cast clerical healing spells for a price. When you enter the temple, the Temple Menu is presented. Except for Heal, the commands on the Temple Menu are the same as those on the Shop Menu. Temple Menu: HEAL VIEW TAKE POOL SHARE APPRAISE EXIT Heal. This command displays a list of the healing spells the clerics will cast. Indicate the spell you want cast. The computer displays the cost and asks you to confirm that you still want them to cast the spell. The cost of a spell may vary depending on the recipient and circumstances. ADVENTURE MENU The Adventure Menu allows access to all of the main functions in the POOL OF RADIANCE. This menu shows either the current 3-D picture of the area in front of the party and the status of the party (if in a town adventure), or the area around the part (if in the wilderness). If any party members are injured, their hit point numbers (showing how many they have now) are highlighted for easy recognition. There are several commands available to you from this menu. Adventure Menu: MOVE VIEW CAST AREA ENCAMP SEARCH LOOK MOVE: This is the command to move the party. How the party moves is shown on the Quick Reference Card provided with the game for your computer. In 3-D travel, the Party can move forward, move backwards, turn right, or turn left. Normally, each movement forward or back puts the party into another square and takes one minute of game time. Turning keeps the party in the same square and takes no game time. If the party has Search on, moving one square takes 10 minutes. In the Wilderness, the party can move in any of eight directions. Moving one square takes a half a day of game time. Search mode has no effect in the wilderness. VIEW: This displays the Character Screen, as described in Viewing a Character. CAST: This command sends you to the Cast Menu so your active character can throw a magic spell. See the section on Magic for a description of how to cast spells and their effect. AREA: This shows an overhead view of the area around the party. If the party is lost or in unfamiliar territory this command may not be available. ENCAMP: This command sends you to the Encamp Menu. This is a very important part of the game, and is described in detail in its own section. SEARCH: A party can move in Search Mode, which takes 10 minutes of game time per move. This allows the party to carefully search the area they are passing, but also gives wandering monsters a greater chance to find them. You only need to hit the Search command once to start the party moving at Search speed, then hit the command again later to reset them to normal movement. You do not need to hit Search for every move. In Search you are assumed to be checking for secret doors, mapping, moving as silently as possible, hiding in any available shadows, and generally being as careful as possible. If you never go to Search mode, you will run into fewer wandering monsters (because you are moving faster) but have much less chance of finding concealed treasures or traps before they are sprung. LOOK: This command is used to look at a square more closely, as if your party moved into the square again. If the party is moving at normal rate, then a Look command treats that particular square as if they party moved into it in Search mode. ENCAMP This command is used in several menus to take time off and try to rebuild characters and the party. It is used to handle day-to-day functions such as saving the game, resting to heal, or memorize spells (described under Magic Menu), and changing game items such as game speed or party order. Encamp Menu: ENCAMP: SAVE VIEW MAGIC REST ALTER EXIT SAVE: This command saves the characters and game as they are. Check the Quick Reference Card for any system specific details of how to save your game. VIEW: This displays the View Menu, as described under Viewing a Character. In camp, this does not display the Sell Item or ID commands. MAGIC: Magic is a very important part of POOL OF RADIANCE and is described later under its own heading. Magical Spells can only be memorized while the party is in camp. REST: One of the most important aspects of the Encamp Menu is the chance to rest. Characters catch their normal sleep without having to go to camp. However, to memorize spells or heal naturally, specific rest time is necessary/ For every 24 uninterrupted hours of resting in camp, every wounded character regains one hit point above and beyond any recovery gained from healing magics. The initial resting time is established by anyone who is memorizing spells. The screen will show the days, hours, and minutes necessary for the spell-using members of the party to memorize (or pray for) the spells they want to memorize. Memorizing any spells at all takes a minimum of four hours. Third level spells take a minimum of six hours. See the Magic Menu for further description of memorizing spells. Rest can be interrupted by any random encounter. Only take long rests in safe places, such as inns, hideouts, or secure buildings. Rest Menu: REST INCREASE DECREASE EXIT REST Once you have determined the full time you want the party to rest, this command starts them Resting. INCREASE This command adds to the time that the party will stay in camp, usually for resting to regain lost hit points. Every 24 uninterrupted hours in camp restores 1 HP to every injured member of the group. DECREASE This command decreases the time to be spent in camp. This may mean that characters do not memorize all the spells they want or that characters may not recover all their hit points, but sometimes time constraints are part of the adventure, and the party cannot spend all the time it wants resting. ALTER: This command is used to change the basic makeup of both the party and the characters who are part of it. You are given the following menu: Alter Menu: ALTER: ORDER DROP SPEED ICON PICS EXIT ORDER This command allows you to reorganize your characters in the first or second rank. The first four characters are in the first rank, where they will meet enemies hand-to-hand, the rest are in the second rank, where they can use spells and missile weapons. The computer asks who takes position number 1, etc. and reforms the group, with position #1 on top, when all the choices are made. Position of NPCs can be changed with this command. DROP This command allows you to permanently drop a character or NPC from the party. Once dropped, the character is gone from the party and his current version will not be saved if you then use the Save command to save the game. SPEED This command controls the speed of messages presented on the screen. If you are having trouble reading messages before they disappear, use the Slower command. If massages seem to take forever to get off the screen, use the Faster command. Note that once you have used this command, it affects all subsequent messages, and you may have to re-use the command if later massages are too fast or slow. Speed Menu: SPEED: SLOWER/FASTER EXIT ICON When a character is created, he is given a combat icon. When the party is in combat, each party member's icon designates his position and general facing on the screen. The icon command is used to change the character's icon. You can customize this icon to represent the character's favorite weapons, armor, and colors. You may want to do this when the character picks up a new weapon. Icon Menu: ICON: PARTS COLOR SIZE EXIT Parts. you can alter the weapon (which controls the rest of the body shape) or the head of the icon. You are shown both the Ready Icon character and the character's Action Icon (which shows the character attacking). When you are done choosing the weapon and head, you can reject the new form or accept it. The screen shows you the new and old versions of the Ready and Action Icons Parts Menu: PARTS: WEAPON HEAD EXIT Color. You use Color to alter the color of virtually every part of the Icon, as shown on the screen. Some of the areas you can alter on the Icons do not correspond to the terms given in the menu. For instance, changing the shied color for a character with a bow or crossbow actually changes the color of the arrows or quarrels. Play with the Icons commands until you get a feel for how these variables work. Color Menu: WEAPON BODY CAP HAIR SHIELD ARM LEG EXIT Size. Large size Icons are usually used for humans, elves, and half-elves. Small size Icons are usually used for dwarves, gnomes, and halflings. Size Menu: SIZE: LARGE/SMALL EXIT Exit. When you are done, use this command. The computer will ask you to confirm any changes to your icons. Make your choice and the computer returns to the Alter Menu. PICS This command governs when character and encounter pictures will be displayed. Pics Menu: PICS: CHARACTERS ON/OFF MONSTERS ON/OFF EXIT Characters On/Off. This command governs the portraits displayed with the character statistics when you use the View command. Characters On shows the pictures when you view a character; Characters Off hides the pictures. Having the characters hidden slightly speeds up the game since the computer does not have to take the time to load or draw the portrait each time. Monsters On/Off. This command governs the pictures that appear during encounters. Monsters On shows the animated picture when the monsters get to the closest range in an encounter; Monsters Off hides the animated pictures. ENCOUNTERS When a party comes across NPCs of any kind, there is an encounter. The computer provides a quick glimpse of who the party has encountered, then asks what you want to do. The computer determines whether both parties see each other, the NPCs surprise the party, or the party surprises the NPCs. If the party surprised the NPCs, the party can attack immediately, getting a free round to attack in which the NPCs cannot retaliate. This opportunity must be taken at once or surprise is lost. If hostile NPCs surprise the party, the NPCs can attack immediately and get a series of attacks in without retaliation by the party. If the NPCs do not surprise the party, the computer offers these commands. Encounter Menu: ENCOUNTER: COMBAT WAIT FLEE ADVANCE/PARLAY COMBAT: The party attacks the NPCs. Who goes first is decided on the basis of initiative, which is explained in the Combat Section. WAIT: This command allows the NPCs to decide what to do. The may wait, combat, flee, advance (if more than a square away) or parlay (if in the same square). FLEE: If you see NPCs you think your party cannot fight successfully, use this command to run away. If successful, you may flee wildly, risking getting lost. If unsuccessful (because the NPCs can move faster than you do) you go to combat. ADVANCE: If the NPCs are far away use this command to approach them. Once the NPCs are adjacent to the party the Advance command will be replaced with the Parlay command. PARLAY: Use this command to speak with NPCs that are adjacent to the party. Choose a character to speak for the party. Pick the character who you think will make the best impression on the NPCs. Then, choose one of five possible attitudes for dealing with the NPCs. Parlay Menu: PARLAY: HAUGHTY SLY MEEK NICE ABUSIVE HAUGHTY You try to demonstrate your superiority to the inferior creatures you are dealing with. Some encounters only respect an air of superiority and are impresses enough to cooperate; this is also a good way to make them resentful and attack. SLY You try to get information out of the NPCs without them realizing you are doing so. Some NPCs will realize you are trying to get something out of them and will become hostile. MEEK You are mild and unassuming in hopes that the NPCs will think you are not worth attacking. Of course, some NPCs attack meek opponents, because they are easy pickings. NICE You try to be friendly in hopes the NPCs are friendly to you. Some NPCs do not choose to be friendly to anyone. ABUSIVE You try to browbeat information out of the NPCs. It is best not to do this unless you have the power to back up your threat. The computer assumes you are as effective as possible in the attitude you call for. COMBAT In many adventures the party will have to fight to defeat the enemy. In combat the computer determines which characters (both player characters and NPCs) have initiative (i.e., which goes first) and depicts that person and his nearby compatriots. If the character is a PC then the player will control his actions. If the character is an NPC, or a PC under computer control using the Quick command, the computer determines his actions. HITTING THE TARGET: The ability of an attacker to hit a target with a melee weapon (such as a sword, spear, or fist) or a missile weapon (such as a bow or crossbow) depends on the chance the attacker has of hitting the Armor Class of the target. This is represented by a number called the THACO. The lower the THACO the better the chance to hit. A target's defense is his Armor Class, or AC. This is influenced by the armor worn, plus the dexterity of the target and any benefit various magic spells may have. (Magic has another method of hitting a target; see the Magic rules). The lower the Armor Class number, the better the armor. The number needed for an attacker to hit a target is the attacker's THACO minus the target's Armor Class. The attacker hits if a random number from 1-20 is greater than or equal to this number. Thus, a person with a THACO of 18 needs a 14 or more to hit Armor Class 4. Armor classes can go into negative numbers, so the same character trying to his Armor Class -1 would need to get a 19 or better. In a combat, the first and second attackers strike at the defender's front. The third attacker strikes at the defender's rear, unless all the attackers are adjacent. The fourth and any additional attackers strike at the defender's rear. The defender's AC is substantially reduced against rear attacks. A thief forms the only exception to the automatic facing rules. If the thief attacks from exactly opposite the first attacker, he can backstab. A backstab has a better chance of hitting the defender, and does additional damage when it does hit. USING MISSILE WEAPONS: A character may not use a missile weapon if he has an opponent next to him. If he has no opponent next to him, he can fire a missile at anyone in his line of sight. The Next and Prev commands will only aim at targets in the attacker's line of sight. BEGINNING COMBAT: Each character can be controlled manually or by the computer. At the beginning of combat each character is controlled the same as he was in the previous combat. Any character under manual control may be turned over to the computer using the Quick command. All characters may also be simultaneously switched to manual control or computer control. Check your Quick Reference Card for the commands used on your system. EXECUTING COMBAT: When a combat begins, the screen shows the area around the character with the highest initiative. The entire party may not be on the screen at the same time, and one can rarely see all of the monsters at one time. The computer indicates the active character and lists his name, current condition, armor class, and current ready weapon. Characters and NPCs move according to each character's dexterity and a random number generated by the computer. This is called an Initiative Number and changes with every combat round. Usually higher dexterity characters move before lower dexterity characters. You may use the following commands to handle your side of the battle. If a character cannot use a command (such as Turn for a non-cleric or Cast for a fighter or thief) it does not appear. The Combat Menu: MOVE VIEW AIM USE CAST TURN QUICK DONE MOVE This is used to move a character and to attack. You attack by moving the character into an enemy's square. You can even attack party members, but the computer gives you a chance to abort such an attack. If you disengage an enemy, he gets a free attack at your back, as do others you move by. Some characters may have multiple attacks in one turn. Bows get two attacks per turn. High level fighters get two attacks every other turn. All of a character's attacks are taken against his first target. If the first target goes down with the first attack, you may aim the remaining attack at another enemy. Fighters may make a special form of multiple attacks called a sweep. A sweep may attack several weak targets with a single blow each. Refer to your Quick Start Cart to find out how to move the character with your particular computer. The number of spaces a character can move is reduced by the weight carried. A character weighted down with coins or extra armor and weapons cannot move as fast as he could without the items. Bulky armor can also reduce movement. A character who is faster than any enemy can run away from the fight, eventually funning from the battlefield. A character who is as fast as the fastest monster, only has a 50% chance of getting away (otherwise he must remain until the end of the fight). A character who is slower than any enemy cannot tun off the edge of the fighting area. A character who has run away is no longer part of the fight. He returns after the fight is over. VIEW This is essentially the same command used any time you wish to see a character. Using this, you can ready appropriate weapons to meet the fight in progress. Some options, such as Trade, are not available in the middle of combat. The Use command shows up under Items to allow you to use an item, such as a wand, in combat. AIM This command is used to aim an attack using the following options. Aim Menu: AIM: NEST PREV MANUAL TARGET EXIT Next. Use this command to look at all possible targets, starting with the one closest then going to the next closest. The computer looks at ALL possible targets, including other party members; don't shoot without looking. (However, the computer confirms you order first, before shooting at a teammate.) Prev (Previous). This is the opposite of the Next command. Use this command to look at the possible targets starting with the one farthest away and working back toward your character. Usually this is a good way to find a good target without working your way through all of your PCs first. Manual. This command lets you aim anywhere on the map. It is especially useful for finding opposing leaders and targeting spells with area effects. Target. If your character has a ready ranged weapon, or an item prepared with the Use command, this command shoots at the target you selected. USE This command allows the character to use any non-weapon item. The command brings up the same screen and menu as the Items command under the View Menu. CAST This is only available to magic-users and clerics when they still have spells available. Using this command brings up the Cast options of the Magic Menu (see that description of the Magic Rules). If hit recently, the character's concentration may be broken and you won't be given the Cast option. TURN Clerics can sometimes destroy undead monsters or turn them away from the party. This has no effect on any other form of monster. See the Appendices for a cleric's minimum level to affect various forms of undead. QUICK This command turns over control of the character to the computer. It is a good way to handle fights against hordes of less powerful opponents. Once you have established computer control for a character, the computer controls him in future fights until you interrupt it. The computer uses ready melee or missile weapons and available spells, switching between them to the most appropriate in the situation. The computer plays a very aggressive game. DONE This command is used when a character has finished his turn. Done Menu: GUARD DELAY QUIT BANDAGE SPEED EXIT Guard. The character can adopt this tactic and simply wait to meet any attacker. This means that he attacks the first foe that moves adjacent to him before the foe attacks him. Delay. This command lets you delay this character's action by reducing his initiative number by 1. If he is the only one to be at the next lowest number, it is his action again. He can continue to delay his actions until all others have had their action for that round and then he must take an action or lose it. Quit. You can signify you are finished with this character by using this Command. Bandage. This command only appears if a member of the party is dying. The character for whom the command appears can use this command to bandage the party member and keep him from dying. Speed. This command is described under the Alter command of the Encamp Menu. IF THE PARTY FLEES: As long as any party member survives to the very end of the combat, the bodies of unconscious or dead party members are assumed to be with the party. If the party flees from combat all unconscious and dead party members are permanently lost. IF THE PARTY DIES: If ALL the party members are slain you will have to go back to your last Saved Game and try again from that point. AFTER COMBAT: When combat is over, the screen will show some congratulatory message, then present a menu of commands. If a command does not apply to this after-combat situation, it will not appear. Treasure Menu: VIEW TAKE POOL SHARE DETECT EXIT VIEW See Inspect a Character. At this time you can use the Drop commands in both the Items menu and in the Character Screen menu. TAKE This command is used to pick up treasure. Take Menu: TAKE: ITEMS MONEY EXIT Items. Use this command to produce a list of items carried by the monsters you have overcome. If more than one had a missile weapon, all of their remaining missiles are lumped into one line (if there are more than 100, 99 are on one line and the rest on another line). Frequently, the weapons and armor used by monsters are substandard and not worth picking up as treasure, so they are not listed. If one character tries to pick up too many items, the computer will say he is overloaded and will not allow the acquisition. Money. The computer displays each type of coin available and how many of each coin there are. You indicate how many of the coins the active character takes. One character can take all of the coins if he has the strength to do so, or you can allow each character to take a share. If you try to pick up more than the character can carry, the screen displays a message saying, "The character is overloaded," and will not let any more coins be put on the character. Remember, carrying lots of coinage slows a character down in combat. POOL This command makes all the party members drop all of their money into one pool of money. It becomes part of the treasure and the party members can use the Take Menu to reapportion their funds. SHARE This command picks up all the money in the treasure, divides it into shares, and distributes it among the characters. DETECT This command casts a detect magic from the current active character. EXIT This command lets you leave the scene of the battle. If there are still items that can be picked up, the machine will remind you that there is still treasure left. You can go back to the Treasure menu or leave the treasure and go to the Adventure Menu. MAGIC Magic is integral to POOL OF ROMANCE. Both magic-users and clerics can use magical spells. HOW MAGIC WORKS: A spell can exist in one of three forms: In Memory, In Spell Book, and On a Scroll. IN MEMORY A magic-user or cleric who has a spell in Memory is said to have memorized the spell. He can cast the spell as shown in the Cast command description. IN SPELL BOOK Magic- users write their spells into a Spell Book. They can only write those spells into the book of which they have the ability to cast. The books are compendiums of spells among which they choose the ones they want to memorize. Clerics do not keep a spell book, they simply pray each day to get their spells. ON A SCROLL A spell written on an extended scroll can be read by a cleric or magic-user, depending on the kind of spells on the scroll. A magic-user must cast the spell read magic to understand the spells a scroll contains. Once he has done that, he can read the spell aloud at any time to cast it. A cleric does not need a read magic spell to read a clerical spell on a scroll, but only a cleric can read the spell. Once any kind of spell has been cast or scribed from a scroll, the spell disappears. A magic-user may scribe the scroll spell into his spell books for future memorization. This erases the spell from the scroll. Spellcasters can get a list of their memorized spells from the Cast option of the Magic Menu or from the Spells option of the View Menu. They can get a list of their spells on scrolls from the Scribe option of the Magic Menu. If all you want is a list of available spells, be sure to exit before you actually cast or scribe the spell. The Magic Menu: CAST MEMORIZE SCRIBE DISPLAY REST EXIT Cast. Use these commands to cast spells. In combat the spellcaster is the current character. In camp the spellcaster is the current active character. Cast Menu: CAST NEXT PREV EXIT The Cast Menu appears in both the Magic Menu, and the Combat Menu. It shows all the spells available to the active character. Find the page with the spell you want to cast. Select the Cast command. Then select the spell to cast it. If necessary, indicate the target of the spell. If you do not find the spell you want, you can Exit. In combat, the character can take another option. Otherwise the character returns to the Magic Menu. Once cast, a spell is gone until it is memorized again. Memorize. For a character to learn a spell, use this command, which only appears in the Encamp Menu. The computer displays a page from the active character's spell book (or a list of possible clerical spells) and you are offered the following commands. Remember that if a magic-user or cleric has the ability to learn more than one spell of a level, he can learn the same spell more than once. Memorize Menu: MEMORIZE NEXT PREV EXIT Find the page with the spell you want to memorize. Select the memorize command. Then select the spell to memorize it. The 'pages' here are pages of the magic spell book, rather than just the list of already memorized spells. Picking a spell to memorize does not mean that a spell is memorized. Learning a spell takes 15 minutes (game time) per level of spell, plus a period of relaxation before starting to memorize one or more spells. See the REST command in the Magic Menu. Only one spell may be learned at a time, though the spellcaster need only relax once before learning several spells. The learning time must be uninterrupted. You have to go to the Rest command and spent the time to memorize the spell. If you have only been in camp long enough to memorize some spells, those are learned and the others are lost. The spells are memorized in the order you pick them. Example: A magic-user decides to memorize 2 uses of magic missile (a first level spell) and 1 use of invisibility (a second level spell). This is a total of 1 hour of time for memorization, plus 4 hours relaxation time. If the party is attacked before the first 4 hours are up, no spells are learned. If the party is attacked after 4 hours and 15 minutes in camp, the magic-user has learned 1 magic missile spell. After 4 hours and 30 minutes he has learned both magic missile spells, and after 5 hours he has learned the invisibility spell as well. Once you have picked all the spells for one character, you EXIT the menu. The computer displays the spells you have chosen and asks you to confirm the choices. If you confirm the choice, you go back to the Magic Menu and can select spells for the next character who needs to memorize them. If you cancel the choice, all the choices are ignored and you must re-select all the character's spells. Scribe. Use this command to inscribe spells the character finds on a scroll into his spell book. Scribe Menu: SCRIBE NEXT PREV EXIT The computer displays all the spells on scrolls that the magic-user has cast read magic on. Find the page with the spell you wish to scribe. Select the Scribe command. Then select the spell to scribe it from the scroll into your spellbook. If a spell is of too high a level for the character to scribe, the computer tells you so. Scribing the spell erases it from the scroll. Scribing takes the same time as Memorizing a spell, and is unsuccessful if the total time is not taken. Display. Use this command to find out what magic spells are currently working on the party in camp. This serves as a reminder of obvious spell working on the entire party, such as bless or light, and on individual members of the party, such as protection from evil or invisibility. This also reveals subtle curses (though not the nature of the curse) on the party or individuals in the party. Rest. to memorize spells, one must Rest. This takes you to the Rest Menu described in the Encamp Menu description. Spells are not memorized until the character has rested the necessary time. The Exit command in this use of the Rest Menu returns you to the Magic Menu, not the Encamp Menu. SPELLS AVAILABLE A beginning magic-user is given four first-level spells when he leaves his master to adventure on his own. These are shown in the spell book for the magic-user. Each time the magic-user gains a level of experience, he gains one spell, even though the rise in level may give him the ability to learn more than one new spell at a time. To gain further spells, he must find scrolls in treasures and copy spells he is capable of casting into his spell book, using the Scribe command in the Magic Menu. CLERICAL MAGIC Clerical magic is very similar to magic-user magic, but a cleric needs no spell books. All spells possible to his level are always available to a cleric, he need only memorize them. Just what spells are available depend solely on the level of the cleric. Therefore, when a cleric finds scrolls with clerical spells on them, he can simply use them straight off the scroll, since they are mot something he needs to Scribe into a spell book. SAVING THROWS Magic is a chancy business. Many spells do not necessarily affect their targets. This is simulated with saving throws. In POOL OF RADIANCE the saving throw is the chance that the spell has no effect or a lesser effect on the character it is cast on. As a character gains levels, his saving throws improve, and the chance that magic affects him is decreased. The final results of any spell are shown on the computer screen. Magic-users have better saving throws against cast magic or magic from items, clerics have better saving throws against death and poison, and dwarves and halflings have better saving throws versus any form of magic. THE SPELLS: Some spells are quick and can be cast in combat, and some take an extra long time to cast. Those that take extra time can only be cast when using the Magic Menu from the Encamp Menu. TIME AND MAGIC The duration of magic spells is important. A spell's duration is either: instantaneous, as with most damage spells; measured in rounds, as with most other combat spells; measured in turns, as with many detection and protective spells; or permanent. When planning use of spells to use in movement (such as a find traps), remember that one round equals one minute of game time and one turn equals 10 minutes of game time. THE SPELL LIST The spells available for characters in the POOL OF RADIANCE are: FIRST LEVEL CLERICAL SPELLS Bless. This spell can only be used in camp or combat, and it only affects those characters not in melee. It gives a bonus of one to their THACO for six rounds and raises the morale of friendly NPCs by 1. Use it in camp only if you know you are going into combat immediately afterward. Curse. This reversal of bless affects enemies not in melee and modifies their THACO and their morale by 1. Usable only in combat and lasts 6 rounds. Cure Light Wounds. This can be used any time. The caster must be next to the target. It heals 1-8 points of damage. Cause Light Wounds. This combat-only spell causes 1-8 points of damage to one adjacent target touched by the caster. Detect Magic. This is similar to detect evil, but only lasts 1 turn. It detects the presence of magic in a 1 square by 3 square area, but gives no details on the type of magic. Protection from Evil. This spell can be used in combat or in camp when you expect to go into combat shortly. It adds 2 to the AC of the character against evil attackers. Any saving throws caused by attacks of such monsters are at +2. This spell lasts 3 rounds per level. The caster must touch the target (which can be himself). Protection from Good. This is essentially the same as protection from evil, but it protects against the attacks of good creatures. Resist Cold. This spell protects the recipient against cold, providing absolute protection against cold up to 0 Fahrenheit and an additional saving throw against cold-based attacks. The duration is 1 turn per level of the caster, and the caster must touch the target. SECOND LEVEL CLERICAL SPELLS Find Traps. This must be cast in camp. It makes any traps in the direction the character is facing visible to the character. The spell lasts for 3 turns. Hold Person. This combat only spell holds immobile from 1-3 (cleric's choice) creatures of roughly human shape and size. The duration is 4 rounds plus 1 round per level. Resist Fire. This is identical to resist cold, but it works against heat and heat attacks. Silence 15' Radius. This is a combat spell. It silences any spell casting or discussion in the radius. If cast on a person, the radius follows him around for the duration of the spell unless he makes a saving throw. If cast on an area, the spell affects everything in that area for the duration of 2 rounds per level of the caster. Slow Poison. This spell can be used in camp or combat. It revives a poisoned person for 1 hour per level of the caster. The target of the spell then dies unless a neutralize poison (a high-level spell only used by NPCs) is cast on him. Snake Charm. This spell can be cast in combat only. It influences as many hit points of snakes as the cleric has hit points. The snakes cease all activity for 5-8 rounds. Spiritual Hammer. This is a combat spell which creates a temporary magic item, automatically Readied. It can strike at range and does normal hammer damage. It strikes monsters that only magical weapons can affect. This lasts for 1 round per level of caster. THIRD LEVEL CLERICAL SPELLS Animate Dead. This spell can be used in combat or camp. It turns a dead human person into a zombie to help the spellcaster. In combat, the zombie fights for the spellcaster, though controlled by the computer. This spell is permanent until the zombie is destroyed. If created to work with the party, a zombie becomes an NPC and there must be room for him in the party (remember, the limit is 8 characters) or he cannot be taken along. Cure Blindness. This touch-only spell is used in combat or camp to cure the blinding effects of the cause blindness spell. Cause Blindness. This touch-only spell can only be used in combat. The victim gets a saving throw. The duration is permanent until negated by cure blindness or dispel magic. Cure Disease. This spell can be used in camp only. It cures the diseases caused by mummies and the cause disease spell. Cause Disease. This is combat spell with a touch range. There is a saving throw. If a character is afflicted with a disease, over time he loses HP and Strength Points until he is down to 10 percent of his normal values. This disease is cured by a cure disease or dispel magic spell. Dispel Magic. This spell can be used either in combat or camp. In combat, it affects every magic spell and item in an area. In camp it affects every person and item you select. There is a percentage chance of success with this spell depending on the level of the caster and level of the originator of the spell to be dispelled. If successful, the target magic is permanently eradicated. Prayer. This is a combat spell that lowers all THACO's and saving throws for friendly combatants by 1 and raises them by 1 for all unfriendly combatants. It has a 60' radius and lasts 1 round for each level of the character. Remove Curse. This can be used in camp or combat and allows the target to be rid of a curse (as from a curse or bestow curse spell) or put down a cursed object. The range is touch. Bestow Curse. This spell has a duration of 1 turn per level and is used in combat. It has variable effects determined by the computer. FIRST LEVEL MAGIC-USER SPELLS Burning Hands. This touch-range combat spell causes fire damage of 1 point per level of the caster. There is no saving throw. Charm Person. This spell makes a humanoid creature the caster's friend and ally. Any action of the caster will be seen in the most favorable light possible. The target gets a saving throw when the spell is thrown and again days or weeks later, depending on its Intelligence. You can never be sure the effect is permanent. For the moment, the charmed creature can become an NPC (if there is room in the party roster) under the command of the caster. Detect Magic. This spell is the same as the clerical spell: its duration is 2 rounds per level of the caster. Enlarge. This spell can be used in camp or combat and lasts for 1 turn per level of the caster. The living target increases in size by 20% per level of the caster. It makes the humanoid target into an ogre or giant in size and strength for combat purposes. A target can only be under the effect of 1 enlarge spell at a time. Unwilling targets get a saving throw against this effect. Reduce. This is the opposite of enlarge, and can be used to negate enlarge. Unwilling targets get a saving throw against its affect. If the saving throw is unsuccessful, the target is reduced in size and loses effective strength and movement. Friends. This combat only spell affects everyone in a sphere that increases with the level of the magic-user. Everyone with that sphere failing a saving throw thinks the caster has 2-8 more points of Charisma. Those who make their saving throw think he has 1-4 less points of Charisma. The effects last 1 round per level of caster. Magic Missile. This a combat spell that does 2-5 points of damage to the target, no saving throw. For every 2 levels, the magic-user gets 1 missile, so magic-users of the 3rd and 4th levels get 2 missiles, and those of the 5th and 6th levels get 3 missiles. All must be fired at once. Protection from Evil. Like the clerical spell of the same name, but is lasts for 2 rounds per level of caster. Protection from Good. Like the clerical spell of the same name, but it lasts for 2 rounds per level of caster. Read Magic. This is only used in camp and allows the user to read any magical (not clerical) writing. It lasts for 2 rounds per level of caster. Once you use this spell to read a scroll you can cast the spells of the scroll. Shield. This spell is a combat spell that improves the targets armor class and saving throw, and negates the effect of the magic missile. The spell lasts for 5 rounds per level of caster. Shocking Grasp. This combat spell does 1-8, +1 point per level of caster, electrical damage to a target the caster touches. Sleep. This spell puts up to 16 targets to sleep for 5 rounds per level of caster. The least powerful targets are affected first, and the bigger the monster, the fewer of them are affected. Monsters above a certain power are not affected at all. No saving throw. SECOND LEVEL MAGIC-USER SPELLS Detect Invisibility. This can be used in camp or combat and lasts for 5 rounds per level of caster. This has a range of 20 feet per level of caster. Invisibility. This makes the target (touch range) invisible to normal and infravision until he ends the effect or attacks someone. Knock. This spell is used to open locked doors or chests. It can be used in camp or while moving. Mirror Image. This combat spell creates 1-4 illusory duplicates of the magic-user. If a duplicate is attacked, it disappears. The spell lasts 2 rounds per level of caster. Ray of Enfeeblement. This combat spell has a saving throw. If the target does not make the saving throw, he is weakened (he does less damage for 1 round per level of caster). Stinking Cloud. This affects a 2 square by 2 square area. Anyone in the cloud gets a saving throw. If unsuccessful, he is helpless for 2-5 turns. He can move out of the cloud, but he is still helpless only as long as he is in the cloud and for 1 round afterwards. The cloud lasts 1 round per level of caster. Strength. This spell is only used in camp. It raises the strength of the target by a variable amount depending on the class of the target. The duration is 6 turns per level of caster. THIRD LEVEL MAGIC-USER SPELLS Blink. After casting this spell, the caster can seldom be targeted because he is blinking in and out of the area. The spell lasts for 1 round per level of caster. Dispel Magic. This is just like the clerical spell of the same name. Fireball. This area effect spell does 1-6 points of fire damage per level of caster to each target in the area. A successful saving throw cuts the damage in half. Outdoors, a fireball has a 2 square radius. Indoors, in a constrained area, it has a 3 square radius. Haste. This combat spell affects 1 person per level of caster. Everyone affected moves twice as far and attacks twice with melee and missile weapons, but they do not throw any additional spells per round. It lasts for 3 rounds plus 1 round per level of caster. Hold Person. This is like the clerical spell, but 1-4 people can be affected. The duration is 2 rounds per level of caster. Invisibility, 10' Radius. This is like invisibility but affects everyone within 10 feet of the caster when it is cast. Everyone affected stays invisible, and comes out of it normally, but if the caster ends his invisibility, it ends for everyone. Lightning Bolt. This affects everyone in its path. It does 1-6 damage points per level of caster, a successful saving throw cuts this damage in half. A lightning bolt is 4 or 8 squares long in a line away from the caster. The bolt will rebound off walls to reach its full length. Protection From Evil, 10' Radius. This is just like protection from evil, but it affects everyone within 1 square of the target, as long as they stay there. Protection From Good, 10' Radius. This is just like protection from good, but it affects everyone within 1 square of the target as long as they stay there. Protection from Normal Missiles. This keeps the target (touch range) from being harmed by non-magical missiles for 1 turn per level of caster. Slow. This combat spell affects 1 person per level of caster. Unwilling targets get a saving throw. Targets move a 1/2 their normal distance each round and their number of attacks per round is halved. If they only have 1 attack, then they have 1 attack per every other round. This can be used to negate haste. Its duration is 3 rounds plus 1 round per level of caster. ********* End of the Project 64 etext of the Pool of Radiance Rule Book. *********