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