The English in-game help files (lib/help/*.txt and *.hlp, the ? command) of Hengband 3.0.2.4-Beta, colour markup kept. Copied under the Hengband licence (notice).
help.hlpWelcome to the Hengband Online Help System.
Please choose one of the following online help files:
(a) General Information (general.hlp)
(b) Creating a Character (birth.hlp)
(c) Races, Classes and Personalities (raceclas.hlp)
(d) The Town and Wilderness (town.hlp)
(e) The Dungeon (dungeon.hlp)
(f) Hengband Objects (objects.hlp)
(g) Monsters and Pets (monster.hlp)
(h) Attacking and Weapons (attack.hlp)
(i) Defending and Armor (defend.hlp)
(j) Hengband Magic System (magic.hlp)
(k) Hengband Commands (command.hlp)
(l) Hengband Options (option.hlp)
(m) User Preference Files (pref.hlp)
(n) Auto-picker/destroyer (editor.txt)
(?) Help System Commands (helpinfo.txt)general.hlpAn Introduction to Hengband and general information.
Please choose one of the following online help files:
(a) General Information (general.txt)
(b) First Place to Go (general.txt#First)
(c) Winning the Game (general.txt#Winning)
(d) Upon Death and Dying (general.txt#UponDeath)
(e) Hengband on the Web (general.txt#Web)
(f) The Hengband Newbie Guide (tang.txt)
(g) Frequency Asked Questions (faq.txt)
(h) Version History (version.txt)
(?) Help System Commands (helpinfo.txt)general.txt=== General Information === This document gives a brief introduction to Hengband. You will probably want to browse through all the "help files", especially the sections on available commands (see command.txt [b] and commdesc.txt [c]), before beginning any serious adventuring... The game of Hengband is a single player dungeon simulation. A player may choose from a number of races, classes and magic realms when creating a character (see birth.hlp [d]), and then "run" that character over a period of days, weeks, even months. Deep down inside, the real objective of the game is to increase your experience, and certain other characteristics, and also to collect useful items, to give you a decent chance against the great Serpent of Chaos, who lurks somewhere in the depths of the dungeon. --- First Place to Go --- The player will begin his adventure on the town level where he may acquire supplies, weapons, armor, and magical devices by bartering with various shop owners. After preparing for his adventure, the player can descend into the dungeon where fantastic adventures await his coming! We recommend that you go to the Yeek cave next to your starting position in the town of Outpost. Although the King of Yeeks at the lowest level is a fierce enemy, the rest of the cave should be fairly safe. Once you complete this dungeon, you will be strong enough to leave Outpost in search of greater adventures. Carry lots of food and fuel, for the journey can be a long one. --- The Global Map --- Press the '<' key, and you see all of the world! Since this world is very large, it is convenient to go into global map mode by pressing the '<' key, and then return to local map mode by '>' key when you are at the destination. When in the wilderness, stay in safe grids such as roads or plains; seas and lava fields are best avoided for a while. Many towns and dungeons await you; good ones to explore early on include the orc caves and the Labyrinth. To the northeast of the town of Morivant, near the center of the map, is the dread dungeon of Angband. It is home to the Serpent of Chaos, whom you must kill in order to win the game. (see town.txt [f]) --- Winning The Game --- Once your character has killed Oberon, who lives on level 99 (4950') in the dungeon, a magical staircase will appear that will finally allow you to reach level 100. The Serpent of Chaos lurks on this level of his dungeon, and you will not be able to go below his level until you have killed him. Try to avoid wandering around on level 100 unless you are ready for him, since it has a habit of coming at you across the dungeon, to slay you for your impudence. The Serpent of Chaos cannot be killed by some of the easier methods used on normal creatures. The Serpent of Chaos, like all other "Unique" monsters, will simply teleport away to another region of the level if you attempt to use a spell such as destruction is upon it. The Serpent of Chaos, like some other monsters, cannot be polymorphed, slept, charmed, or genocided. Magical spells like Mana Storm and Orb of Draining are effective against it, as are some of the more powerful weapons, but it is difficult to kill and if allowed to escape for a time it will heal itself rapidly. If you should actually survive the attempt of killing the Serpent of Chaos, you will receive the status of WINNER. You may continue to explore, and may even save the game and play more later, but since you have defeated the toughest creature alive, there is really not much point. Unless you wish to listen to the rumors of a powerful ring buried somewhere in the dungeon... When you are ready to retire, simply "commit suicide" ("^K") to have your character entered into the high score list as a winner. Note that until you retire, you can still be killed, so you may want to retire before wandering into a hoard of Cyberdemons... --- Upon Death and Dying --- If your character falls below 0 hit points, he has died and cannot be restored. You can write last word for the World Score Board on the Internet. And then, tombstone showing information about your character will be displayed. You are also permitted to get a record of your character, and all your equipment (identified) either on the screen or in a file. If you wish, the record of your character will be send to the World Score Board. Whether your character is killed or you retire victorious, it will leave behind a reduced save file, which contains only the monster memory (see attack.txt#MonsterMemory [e]) and your option choices. It may be restored, in which case the new character is generated exactly as if the file was not there, but the new player will find his monster memory containing all the experience of past incarnations. === Hengband on the Web === --- The official Hengband website --- (https://hengband.github.io/) https://hengband.github.io/ is the official Hengband website. It includes information on where to download the Hengband source code and current executables for most popular operating systems as well as information on current development issues. --- Hengband World Score Board --- (https://hengband.github.io/score.html) The official Hengband website includes this score board. You can see hundreds of character records at here. And there is translated version of Japanese score board which includes over 5000 records already! --- The Newsgroup (rec.games.roguelike.angband) --- The newsgroup is a forum for the discussion of all things relating to Angband and its variants (including Hengband) and is a good place to ask various questions about both game play and game design. Be sure to include '[Heng]' in your subject heading so people know your question is about Hengband. -- Original : (??) Updated : (??) Updated : Zangband DevTeam Updated : Hengband 1.5.4 Updated : Hengband 3.0.0Alpha71
birth.hlpCreating a Character.
Please choose one of the following online help files:
(a) Creating a Character (birth.txt)
(b) Character Attributes (birth.txt#CharAttributes)
(c) Start-Up Options (birth.txt#BirthOptions)
(d) The Auto-Roller (birth.txt#AutoRoller)
(e) Background Edit-Mode (birth.txt#BackgroundEditor)
(f) Quick Start (birth.txt#QuickStart)
(g) Primary Statistics (birth.txt#PrimaryStats)
(h) Primary Skills (birth.txt#PrimarySkills)
(i) Proficiency Levels (birth.txt#Proficiency)
(?) Help System Commands (helpinfo.txt)birth.txt=== Creating a Character ===
Hengband is a role playing game, in which you, the player, control a
character in the world of Hengband. Perhaps the most important thing
you control is the birth of your character, in which you choose or
allow to be chosen various attributes that will affect the future life
of your character.
Character creation, or birth, is controlled through a variety of
choices as to constraints on the type of character you wish to play,
followed by a series of random calculations to generate ("roll up") a
random character matching the appropriate constraints.
Once your character has been generated, you will be given the choice
to generate a new character obeying the same constraints, and once you
have generated more than one character, you can switch back and forth
between the two most recent characters, until you are presented with a
character that you feel comfortable with.
You may start the entire process over at any time by pressing 'S' at
any prompt.
=== Character Attributes ===
Once you begin character generation you will be asked to choose your
character's four primary attributes - its sex, race, class and
personality. If you have selected a spellcasting class, you will also
be prompted for your choice of magic realm(s). Your character's sex
has a minimal effect on game play, but some personalities are
restricted to male only or female only. More details of attributes
are found in the Races, Classes and Personalities section (see
raceclas.hlp [a]) and the Magic System section (see magic.hlp [b]).
Each character has a few secondary attributes, height, weight, social
class, and background history, which are randomly determined, but
which are affected by the sex and race of the character. In general,
these attributes are only used to provide "flavor" to the character,
to assist in role playing, but they do have a few minor effects on
the game. For example, background history affects social class, which
affects the amount of money the character will start with.
In addition to these attributes, there are several statistics which
are used to determine your character's relative skills and abilities
as follows:
--- Primary Statistics ---
Each character has six primary statistics or 'stats'. These are
strength, intelligence, wisdom, dexterity, constitution and charisma,
which modify the abilities of the character in a variety of ways. For
example, strength affects your carrying capacity, the amount of damage
you to a monster when you hit it and the number of blows per round you
get with a weapon. A more complete discussion of the primary
statistics is contained later in this document (see below [c]).
--- Experience ---
Experience affects almost everything else about your character.
Experience can be gained as your character kills monsters, casts
spells or prays for the first time, learns about an object kind by
using it, disarms traps and unlocks doors. Certain classes may also
gain experience by destroying specific dungeon spell books and there
are potions in the dungeon that will boost your experience if you
quaff them.
When your character's experience crosses certain fixed boundaries, you
will attain a new experience level (up to a maximum of 50). When this
happens, your hitpoints, mana (if any), certain skills such as melee
fighting and bows and throws will all increase. Some races and
classes will also gain new powers and abilities when crossing certain
experience thresholds.
Deep down inside, the real objective of the game is to increase your
experience, and certain other characteristics, and also to collect
useful items, to give you a decent chance against the great Serpent of
Chaos. Certain monsters can "drain" your experience, and thus your
level, which will cause you to lose all of the effects of the higher
level. Luckily, you can restore drained experience through magical
means, or by simply regaining the experience all over again.
--- Gold (AU) ---
Each character has some gold, which can be used to buy items and
services from the shops and other buildings on the town level. Gold
can be obtained by selling items to the shops, taking it from the
corpses of dead monsters, mining it and by finding it lying on the
dungeon floor.
Each character starts out with some gold, the amount of which is based
on the character's social class, charisma, and other stats (less
powerful characters start with more gold). Each character also starts
out with a few useful items, which may be kept, or sold to a
shop-keeper for more gold.
--- Hit Points ---
Each character has hit points, representing how much damage the
character can sustain before he dies. Your hit points are derived
from your race, class, level, and constitution, and can be boosted by
magical means. Hit points may be regained by resting, or by a variety
of magical means.
--- Spell Points (Mana) ---
Each character has spell points, or mana, which represents how many
spells a character can cast. Your spell points (sometimes called
mana) are derived from your class, level, a primary stat of your
class, and race modifier of that stat. Spell points may be regained
by resting, or by a few magical means.
--- Character Skills ---
Each character also has several primary skills: disarming, magic
devices, saving throws, stealth, searching, perception, melee and bows
and throws, which are derived from the character's race, class,
experience level, stats and their current equipment. These skills
have fairly obvious effects, but will be described more completely
below. The starting abilities of a character are based upon race and
class. Abilities may be adjusted by high or low stats, and may
increase with the level of the character (see below for details [d]).
=== Birth Options ===
During character generation you may press '=' at any time to access
the birth options. A more detailed description of the various birth
options can be found in the section on the Options Page (see
option.txt#Birth [e]). Some options have "(*)" mark that means
these options effect to the difficulty of the game and effect to
estimation of your score.
Perhaps one of the most important features of the birth options is the
ability to decide what type of town level you want. The various town
options are discussed on the Town page (see dungeon.txt#TownLevel
[f]).
=== The Auto-Roller ===
The auto-roller is a quick means of generating start-up characters
based on a set of user-selected criteria. If you choose to use the
auto-roller, you will be presented with a column giving the maximum
possible statistics (see below [c]) for your choice of race, class and
personality (see raceclas.hlp [a]). Then you can specify your desired
statistics using keypad or cursor keys.
Once you have specified your desired statistics, the computer will
then randomly roll successive start-up characters and compare them to
your specified criteria. Each stat is rolled as a number from 8 to
17, with a normal distribution, and is then immediately modified based
upon the race, class and personality which you have chosen. The exact
quantum of this modification can be found in the stat bonus table (see
raceclas.txt#StatBonusTable [h]).
Once a character that matches or exceeds your expectations has been
rolled, Hengband stops to ask you whether you accept or not. If you
accept the rolled character (by pressing Enter), you will be asked for
its name. If not, you may press 'r' to resume rolling and searching
for the next match or, if this is not your first match, 'p' to return
to the previous character which met your criteria.
Note: The statistics are not independent of each other and trying to
maximize each one using the auto-roller will not work. A good idea is
to specify statistics close to maximum that are critical for your
class (for example, high wisdom for priests, intelligence for mages
and strength and dexterity for warriors). You should set minimum
acceptable levels for the remaining statistics rather than looking for
high rolls.
If you select not to use the auto-roller, the computer will roll one
random character at a time and then display it for you to either
accept or reject. The 'r', 'p' and Enter keys will work as outlined
above.
=== Background Edit-Mode ===
The computer will randomly generate background information text of the
character for you. After rolling up the character, you can modify or
rewrite that text in Background edit-mode. Use key-pad or cursor keys
to move the cursor. Use the Enter key to finish edit-mode and save any
changes. Use the Escape key to finish edit-mode and discard any
changes. Use Ctrl-A to load the background information text from
"histpref-<<playername>>.prf" or "histpref.prf" in lib/user.
Background information text can be supplied in the background
information pref files as lines of the form "H:<str>". You can use
conditional expressions as in other pref files. When displayed, the
background information will be cropped to fit the area available for
display, which is not very large.
=== Quick Start ===
If you have already generated a character and that character died or
quit, you will be asked whether you want to use quick start or not at
start up. If you choose to use quick start, you get a new character
with exactly same race, class, stat, background and etc. as your last
character.
=== Primary Statistics ===
Each character has six primary "stats", strength, intelligence,
wisdom, dexterity, constitution, and charisma, which modify the
abilities of the character in a variety of ways. Every stat has a
numerical value, ranging from a minimum of 3, up to a normal maximum
of 18, and even higher, into the "percentile" range, represented as
"18/01" through "18/130". True maximum of each base stat is randomly
ranging from 18/70 to 18/130, and average of all your stat maximums
are always 18/100. These maximums are chosen randomly when your
character is created or your character quaffs a Potion of New Life.
Actually, every stat can be raised even above these maximum of base
stat by modification from race, class, personality and magical
equipment, up to a pure maximum of 18/220, which is represented as
"18/***".
Traditionally, a percentile stat such as "18/50" has been thought of as
representing a value part way between 18 and 19, and this is one way to
think of them. However, often, the best way to view the "bonus" values
after the "18/" is as "tenth" points, since it often takes the same
magic to raise a stat from, say, 4 to 5, or 16 to 17, as it does from,
say, 18/40 to 18/50. The important thing to remember is that almost all
internal calculations "ignore" the final digit of any "bonus", so that,
for example, "18/40" and "18/49" always have the same effects.
--- The Primary Statistics ---
Strength
Strength is critical to fighting effectively in melee combat and
with missile weapons. A high strength will improve your chances
of getting multiple blows with your melee weapon and, in
addition, will dramatically increase the amount of damage done
with each hit. Strength also has a marginal effect on your
chance to hit your opponent. Characters with low strength may
receive penalties. Strength is also useful in tunneling, bashing
and in carrying heavy items without being slowed down.
Intelligence
Intelligence affects the spellcasting abilities of mage-like
spellcasters (high mages, mages, warrior-mages, rangers, chaos
warriors and rogues). Intelligence will affect the number of
spells these classes may learn each level, the number of spell
points they receive and their spell fail rates. These classes
cannot learn spells if their intelligence is 7 or lower. Also,
intelligent characters are better at using magic devices, picking
locks and disarming traps.
Wisdom
Wisdom affects the ability of priest-like spellcasters (priests,
paladins and monks) to use prayers. WIS will affect the number
of spells these classes may learn each level, the number of spell
points they receive and their spell fail rates. In addition, WIS
is also used to determine a Mindcrafter's ability to use his or
her mental powers. These classes cannot learn spells if their
wisdom is 7 or lower. Wise character's will have better chances
of resisting magical spells cast upon them by monsters.
Dexterity
Dexterity is a combination of agility and quickness. A high
dexterity may allow a character to get multiple blows with
lighter weapons, thus greatly increasing his kill power, and will
increase his chances of hitting with any weapon and dodging blows
from enemies. Dexterity is also useful in picking locks,
disarming traps, and protecting yourself from some of the thieves
that inhabit the dungeons.
Constitution
Constitution is a character's ability to resist damage to his
body, and to recover from damage received. Therefore a character
with a high constitution will receive more hit points and also
recover them faster while resting.
Charisma
Charisma represents a character's personality and physical
appearance. A character with a high charisma will receive better
prices from store owners, whereas a character with a very low
charisma may be robbed blind. A high charisma will also mean
more starting money for the character. Charisma is also used
when calculating the success of a Mindcrafter at dominating a
monster.
=== Primary Skills ===
Characters possess some different abilities which can help them to
survive. The starting abilities of a character are based upon race
and class. Abilities may be adjusted by high or low stats, and may
increase with the level of the character with the rate of increase
dependent upon the level of the character.
Melee
Melee is the ability to hit and do damage with weapons or fists.
Normally a character gets a single blow from any weapon, but if
his dexterity and strength are high enough, he may receive more
blows per round with lighter weapons. Strength and dexterity
both modify the ability to hit an opponent. This skill increases
with the level of the character.
Bows and Throws
Using ranged missile weapons (and throwing objects) is included in
this skill. Different stats apply to different weapons, but this
ability may modify the distance an object is thrown/fired, the
amount of damage done, and the ability to hit a creature. This
skill increases with the level of the character.
Saving Throws
A Saving Throw is the ability of a character to resist the
effects of a spell cast on him by another person/creature. This
does not include spells cast on the player by his own stupidity,
such as quaffing a nasty potion. This ability increases with the
level of the character, but then most high level creatures are
better at casting spells, so it tends to even out. A high wisdom
also increases this ability.
Stealth
The ability to move silently about is very useful. Characters
with good stealth can usually surprise their opponents, gaining
the first blow. Also, creatures may fail to notice a stealthy
character entirely, allowing a player to avoid certain fights.
This skill is based entirely upon race and class, and will never
improve unless magically enhanced.
Disarming
Disarming is the ability to remove traps (safely), and includes
picking locks on traps and doors. A successful disarming will
gain the character some experience. A trap must be found before
it can be disarmed. Dexterity and intelligence both modify the
ability to disarm, and this ability increases with the level of
the character.
Magical Devices
Using a magical device such as a wand or staff requires
experience and knowledge. Spell users such as magi and priests
are therefore much better at using a magical device than say a
warrior. This skill is modified by intelligence, and increases
with the level of the character.
Perception (Searching Frequency)
Perception is the ability to notice something without actively
seeking it out. This skill is based entirely upon race and
class, and will never improve unless magically enhanced.
Searching (Searching Ability)
To search is to actively look for secret doors, floor traps, and
traps on chests. Rogues are the best at searching, but magi,
rangers, and priests are also good at it. This skill is based
entirely upon race and class, and will never improve unless
magically enhanced.
Infravision
Infravision is the ability to see heat sources. Since most of
the dungeon is cool or cold, infravision will not allow the
player to see walls and objects. Infravision will allow a
character to see any warm-blooded creatures up to a certain
distance. This ability works equally well with or with out a
light source. The majority of Hengband's creatures are
cold-blooded, and will not be detected unless lit up by a light
source. Most non-human races have innate infravision ability.
Humans can gain infravision only if it is magically enhanced.
=== Proficiency Levels ===
In Hengband, characters possess different proficiency levels or
experiences for each weapon type, spells, and a few other skills. The
starting proficiency levels and the maximum proficiency levels of a
character are based upon class. Each proficiency level may increase
when you practice with it, and can be checked by the 'Check various
information' command (~).
For weapon proficiency, you need to hit monsters many times with a
weapon of that type to practice. And your to-hit bonus of the weapon
will increases with the proficiency level of it. The rate of increase
is dependent upon the level of the character and the level of the
opponents.
For spell proficiency, you need to cast the spell many times in a deep
level of the dungeon to practice. And the fail-rate and mana
consumption rate of the spell decreases when the proficiency level
increases. The level of the dungeon you need is dependent upon the
level of the character and the level of the spell.
The effect of the proficiency level of the Dual Wielding and the
Martial Arts is almost same as the weapon proficiency; These will
effect upon your to-hit bonus of dual wielding combat or bare handed
combat.
For the proficiency level of the Riding, you need to attack in melee
or shoot with missile weapon when riding. And your speed increases up
to the mount's speed when the proficiency level increases. (see
monster.txt#Pets [i])
--
Original : (??)
Updated : (??)
Updated : Zangband DevTeam
Updated : Hengband 1.5.2raceclas.hlpRaces, Classes and Personalities
Please choose one of the following online help files:
(a) The Races (raceclas.txt#TheRaces)
(b) The Classes (raceclas.txt#TheClasses)
(c) The Personalities (raceclas.txt#ThePersonalities)
(d) Stat Bonus Tables (raceclas.txt#StatBonusTable)
(e) Ability Tables (raceclas.txt#SkillBonusTable)
(?) Help System Commands (helpinfo.txt)raceclas.txt=== Races, Classes and Personalities === This file describes about the races, classes and personalities available in Hengband; racial, class, personality tables are provided at the bottom. === The Races === There are thirty seven different races that you can choose from in Hengband. Each race has various strengths and weaknesses and its own adjustments to a character's stats and abilities. Many races also have intrinsic abilities and powers. Their racial powers can be used by the racial/class power command ("U"/"O"). --- Human --- The human is the base character. All other races are compared to them. Humans can choose any class and are average at everything. Humans tend to go up levels faster than most other races because of their shorter life spans. No racial adjustments or intrinsics occur to characters choosing human. --- Half-Elf --- Half-elves tend to be smarter and faster than humans, but not as strong. Half-elves are slightly better at searching, disarming, saving throws, stealth, bows, and magic, but they are not as good at hand weapons. Half-elves may choose any class and do not receive any intrinsic abilities. --- Elf --- Elves are better magicians then humans, but not as good at fighting. They tend to be smarter and faster than either humans or half-elves and also have better wisdom. Elves are better at searching, disarming, perception, stealth, bows, and magic, but they are not as good at hand weapons. They resist light effects intrinsically. --- Hobbits --- Hobbits, or Halflings, are very good at bows, throwing, and have good saving throws. They also are very good at searching, disarming, perception, and stealth; so they make excellent rogues, but prefer to be called burglars. They are much weaker than humans and no good at melee fighting. Halflings have fair infravision, so they can detect warm creatures at a distance. They have a strong hold on their life force and are thus intrinsically resistant to life draining. --- Gnome --- Gnomes are smaller than dwarves but larger than Halflings. They, like the hobbits, live in the earth in burrow-like homes. Gnomes make excellent mages and have very good saving throws. They are good at searching, disarming, perception, and stealth. They have lower strength than humans so they are not very good at fighting with hand weapons. Gnomes have fair infravision, so they can detect warm-blooded creatures at a distance. Gnomes are intrinsically protected against paralysis. --- Dwarf --- Dwarves are the headstrong miners and fighters of legend. Dwarves tend to be stronger and tougher but slower and less intelligent than humans. Because they are so headstrong and are somewhat wise, they resist spells which are cast on them. They are very good at searching, perception, fighting, and bows. Dwarves have miserable stealth. They can never be blinded. --- Half-Orc --- Half-orcs make excellent warriors, but are terrible at magic. They are as bad as dwarves at stealth, and horrible at searching, disarming, and perception. Half-orcs are quite ugly and tend to pay more for goods in town. Because of their preference to living underground to on the surface, half-orcs resist darkness attacks. --- Half-Troll --- Half-Trolls are incredibly strong and have more hit points than most other races. They are also very stupid and slow. They are bad at searching, disarming, perception, and stealth. They are so ugly that a Half-Orc grimaces in their presence. They also happen to be fun to run... Half-trolls always have their strength sustained. At higher levels, Half-Trolls regenerate wounds automatically and, if a warrior, require food less often. --- Amberites --- The Amberites are a reputedly immortal race, who are endowed with numerous advantages in addition to their longevity. They are very tough and their constitution cannot be reduced. Their ability to heal wounds far surpasses that of any other race. Having seen virtually everything, very little is new to them, and they gain levels much slower than the other races. --- High-Elf --- High-elves are a race of immortal beings dating from the beginning of time. They are masters of all skills, and are strong and intelligent, although their wisdom is sometimes suspect. High-elves begin their lives able to see the unseen, and resist light effects just like regular elves. However, there are few things that they have not seen already, and experience is very hard for them to gain. --- Barbarian --- Barbarians are hardy men of the north. They are fierce in combat, and their wrath is feared throughout the world. Combat is their life: they feel no fear, and they learn to enter battle frenzy at will even sooner than half-trolls. Barbarians are, however, suspicious of magic, which makes magic devices fairly hard for them to use. --- Half-Ogre --- Half-Ogres are like Half-Orcs, only more so. They are big, bad, and stupid. For warriors, they have all the necessary attributes, and they can even become wizards: after all, they are related to Ogre Magi, from whom they have learned the skill of setting trapped runes once their level is high enough. Like Half-Orcs, they resist darkness, and like Half-Trolls, they have their strength sustained. --- Half-Giant --- Half-Giants' limited intelligence makes it difficult for them to become full spellcasters, but, with their great strength, they make excellent warriors. Their thick skin makes them resistant to shards, and, like Half-Ogres and Half-Trolls, they have their strength sustained. --- Half-Titan --- Half-mortal descendants of the mighty titans, these immensely powerful creatures put almost any other race to shame. They may lack the fascinating special powers of certain other races, but their enhanced attributes more than make up for that. They learn to estimate the strengths of their foes, and their love for law and order makes them resistant to the effects of Chaos. --- Cyclops --- With but one eye, a Cyclops can see more than many with two eyes. They are headstrong, and loud noises bother them very little. They are not quite qualified for the magic using professions, but as a certain Mr. Ulysses can testify, their accuracy with thrown rocks can be deadly... --- Yeek --- Yeeks are among the most pathetic creatures. Fortunately, their horrible screams can scare away less confident foes, and their skin becomes more and more resistant to acid, as they gain experience. But having said that, even a mediocre monster can wipe the proverbial floor with an unwary Yeek. --- Klackon --- Klackons are bizarre semi-intelligent ant-like insectoid creatures. They make great fighters, but their mental abilities are severely limited. Obedient and well-ordered, they can never be confused. They are also very nimble, and become faster as they advance levels. They are also very acidic, inherently resisting acid, and capable of spitting acid at higher levels. --- Kobold --- Kobolds are a weak goblin race. They love poisoned weapons, and can learn to throw poisoned darts (of which they carry an unlimited supply). They are also inherently resistant to poison, although they are not one of the more powerful races. --- Nibelung --- The hated and persecuted race of nocturnal dwarves, these cave-dwellers are not much bothered by darkness. Their natural inclination to magical items has made them immune to effects which could drain away magical energy. --- Dark Elf --- Another dark, cave-dwelling race, likewise unhampered by darkness attacks, the Dark Elves have a long tradition and knowledge of magic. They have an inherent magic missile attack available to them at a low level. With their keen sight, they also learn to see invisible things as their relatives High-Elves do, but at a higher level. --- Draconian --- A humanoid race with dragon-like attributes. As they advance levels, they gain new elemental resistances (up to Poison Resistance), and they also have a breath weapon, which becomes more powerful with experience. The exact type of the breath weapon depends on the Draconian's class and level. With their wings, they can easily escape any pit trap unharmed. --- Mind Flayer --- A secretive and mysterious ancient race. Their civilization may well be older than any other on our planet, and their intelligence and wisdom are naturally sustained, and are so great that they enable Mind Flayers to become more powerful spellcasters than any other race, even if their physical attributes are a good deal less admirable. As they advance levels, they gain the powers of See Invisible and Telepathy. --- Imp --- Demon-creatures from the nether-world, imps are naturally resistant to fire attacks and capable of learning fire bolt and fire ball attacks. They are little loved by other races but can perform fairly well in most professions. As they advance levels, they gain the powers of See Invisible. --- Golem --- A Golem is an artificial creature, built from a lifeless raw material like clay, and awakened to life. They are nearly mindless, making them useless for professions which rely on magic, but as warriors they are very tough. They are resistant to poison, they can see invisible things, and move freely. At higher levels, they also become resistant to attacks which threaten to drain away their life force. Golems gain very little nutrition from ordinary food, but can absorb mana from staffs and wands as their power source. Golems also gain a natural armor class bonus from their tough body. --- Skeleton --- There are two types of skeletons: the ordinary, warrior-like skeletons, and the spell-using skeletons, which are also called liches. As undead beings, skeletons need to worry very little about poison or attacks that can drain life. They do not really use eyes for perceiving things, and are thus not fooled by invisibility. Their bones are resistant to sharp shrapnel, and they will quickly become resistant to cold. Although the magical effects of these will affect the skeleton even without entering the skeleton's (non-existent) belly, the potion or food itself will fall through the skeleton's jaws, giving no nutritional benefit. They can absorb mana from staffs and wands as their energy source. --- Zombie --- Much like Skeletons, Zombies too are undead horrors: they are resistant to life-draining attacks, and can learn to restore their life-force. Like skeletons, they become resistant to cold-based attacks (actually earlier than skeletons), resist poison and can see invisible. While still vulnerable to cuts (unlike skeletons), Zombies are resistant to Nether. Like Golems, they gain very little nutrition from the food of mortals, but can absorb mana from staffs and wands as their energy source. --- Vampire --- One of the mightier undead creatures, the Vampire is an awe-inspiring sight. Yet this dread creature has a serious weakness: the bright rays of sun are its bane, and it will need to flee the surface to the deep recesses of earth until the sun finally sets. Darkness, on the other hand, only makes the Vampire stronger. As undead, the Vampire has a firm hold on its life force, and resists nether attacks. The Vampire also resists cold and poison based attacks. It is, however, susceptible to its perpetual hunger for fresh blood, which can only be satiated by sucking the blood from a nearby monster. --- Spectre --- Another powerful undead creature: the Spectre is a ghastly apparition, surrounded by an unearthly green glow. They exist only partially on our plane of existence: half-corporeal, they can pass through walls, although the density of the wall will hurt them in the process of doing this. As undead, they have a firm hold on their life force, see invisible, and resist poison and cold. They also resist nether. At higher levels they develop telepathic abilities. Spectres make superb spellcasters, but their physical form is very weak. They gain very little nutrition from the food of mortals, but can absorb mana from staffs and wands as their energy source. --- Sprite --- One of several fairy races, Sprites are very small. They have tiny wings and can fly over traps that may open up beneath them. They enjoy sunlight intensely, and need worry little about light based attacks. Although physically among the weakest races, Sprites are very talented in magic, and can become highly skilled wizards. Sprites have the special power of spraying Sleeping Dust, and at higher levels they learn to fly faster. --- Beastman --- This race is a blasphemous abomination produced by Chaos. It is not an independent race but rather a humanoid creature, most often a human, twisted by the Chaos, or a nightmarish crossbreed of a human and a beast. All Beastmen are accustomed to Chaos so much that they are untroubled by confusion and sound, although raw logrus can still have effects on them. Beastmen revel in chaos, as it twists them more and more. Beastmen are subject to mutations: when they have been created, they receive a random mutation. After that, every time they advance a level they have a small chance of gaining yet another mutation. --- Ent --- The Ents are a powerful race dating from the beginning of the world, oldest of all animals or plants who inhabit Arda. Spirits of the land, they were summoned to guard the forests of Middle-earth. Being much like trees they are very clumsy but strong, and very susceptible to fire. They gain very little nutrition from the food of mortals, but they can absorb water from potions as their nutrition. --- Archon --- Archons are a higher class of angels. They are good at all skills, and are strong, wise, and are a favorite with any people. They are able to see the unseen, and their wings allow them to safely fly over traps and other dangerous places. However, belonging to a higher plane as they do, the experiences of this world do not leave a strong impression on them and they gain levels slowly. --- Balrog --- Balrogs are a higher class of demons. They are strong, intelligent and tough. They do not believe in gods, and are not suitable for priest at all. Balrog are resistant to fire and nether, and have a firm hold on their life force. They also eventually learn to see invisible things. They are good at almost all skills except stealth. They gain very little nutrition from the food of mortals, and need human corpses as sacrifices to regain their vitality. --- Dunadan --- Dunedain are a race of hardy men from the West. This elder race surpasses human abilities in every field, especially constitution. However, being men of the world, very little is new to them, and levels are very hard for them to gain. Their constitution cannot be reduced. --- Shadow Fairy --- Shadow Fairies are one of several fairy races. They have wings, and can fly over traps that may open up beneath them. Shadow Fairies must beware of sunlight, as they are vulnerable to bright light. They are physically weak, but have advantages in using magic and are amazingly stealthy. Shadow Fairies have a wonderful advantage in that they never aggravate monsters (If their equipment normally aggravates monsters, they only suffer a penalty to stealth, but if they aggravate by their personality itself, the advantage will be lost). --- Kutar --- A Kutar is an expressionless animal-like living creature. The word 'kuta' means 'absentmindedly' or 'vacantly'. Their absentmindedness hurts their searching and perception skills, but renders them incapable of being confused. Their unearthly calmness and serenity make them among the most stealthy of any race. Kutars, although expressionless, are beautiful and so have a high charisma. Members of this race can learn to expand their body horizontally. This increases armour class, but renders them vulnerable to magical attacks. --- Android --- An android is a artificial creation with a body of machinery. They are poor at spell casting, but they make excellent warriors. They don't acquire experience like other races, but rather gain in power as they attach new equipment to their frame. Rings, amulets, and lights do not influence growth. Androids are resistant to poison, can move freely, and are immune to life-draining attacks. Moreover, because of their hard metallic bodies, they get a bonus to AC. Androids have electronic circuits throughout their body and must beware of electric shocks. They gain very little nutrition from the food of mortals, but they can use flasks of oil as their energy source. === The Classes === There are twenty seven different classes that you can choose from in Hengband. Each class has various strengths and weaknesses and its own adjustments to a character's stats and abilities. Many classes also have intrinsic abilities and powers. These are often linked to the character's experience level and only become available later in the game. Their class powers can be used by the racial/class power command("U"/"O"). --- Warrior --- A Warrior is a hack-and-slash character, who solves most of his or her problems by cutting them to pieces, but will occasionally fall back on the help of a magical device. Unfortunately, many high-level devices may be forever beyond their use. Warriors cast no spells. They hate magic. In fact, they even gain experience for destroying high level spellbooks. They have a class power - 'Sword Dancing' - which allows them to conduct a melee attack in six random directions. --- Mage --- A Mage is a spell caster that must live by his or her wits as a mage cannot hope to simply hack his or her way through the dungeon like a warrior. In addition to spellbooks, a mage should carry a range of magical devices to help his or her endeavors. A mage can master those devices far more easily than anyone else. A Mage's prime statistic is Intelligence as this determines his or her spell casting ability. Mages have the least restrictions in choosing and learning spells. They can freely choose any two realms when a character is created. Their natural inclination makes Life magic fairly hard to learn. Otherwise, a mage tends to learn and cast all the spells in his or her realms better than any other character. The ability to choose second realm of magic has a special meaning in Hengband; only second realm can be changed in the middle of the game. You can change second realm by studying ("G") from a spellbook of new realm. They have a class power - 'Eat Magic' - which absorbs mana from wands, staffs or rods. --- Priest --- A Priest is a character devoted to serving a higher power. He or she explores the dungeon in the service of a God. Since Priests receive new prayers as gifts from their patron deity, they cannot choose which ones they will learn. Priests are familiar with magical devices which they believe act as foci for divine intervention in the natural order of things. A priest wielding an edged weapon will be so uncomfortable with it that his or her fighting ability decreases. A Priest's primary stat is Wisdom since this determines the success of the prayers to his or her deity. Priest can select from Life, Death, Daemon, or Crusade as a first realm, and choose a second realm almost freely. But pairs of a good magic and an evil magic from these four realms are not allowed. Priests can learn all spells in the selected realms, even if not as efficiently as mages. However, when learning spells, priests cannot voluntarily decide which spells to study: they are rewarded with new prayers by their patron deities, with no money-back satisfaction guarantee. Priests which select Life realm or Crusade realm have a class power - 'Bless Weapon' - which blesses any edged weapon to be suitable for priests to wield. Every priest which select Death realm or Daemon realm have a class power - 'Evocation' - which damages, scares and banish all monsters in sight. --- Rogue --- A Rogue is a character that prefers to live by his or her cunning, but is capable of fighting out of a tight spot. Rogues are good at locating hidden traps and doors and are the masters of disarming traps and picking locks. A rogue is very stealthy, allowing him or her to sneak around many creatures without having to fight or to get in a telling first blow. A rogue may also backstab a fleeing monster. Intelligence determines a Rogue's spell casting ability. Rogues can select one realm from Sorcery, Death, Trump, Arcane, or Craft. All Rogues have certain limitations on which spells they can learn, and they do not learn new spells very quickly. They have a class power - 'Hit and Away' - which allows them to attack in melee and teleport away from there at once. --- Ranger --- A Ranger is a combination of a warrior and a mage who has developed a special affinity for the natural world. He or she is a good fighter and also good with missile weapons such as bows. A ranger has good stealth, good perception, good searching, good saving throws and is good with magical devices. Intelligence determines a Ranger's spell casting ability. All rangers are trained in Nature magic, and all Nature spells are available to them. They even learn these spells almost as fast as mages. They can also select a secondary realm (from Sorcery, Chaos, Death, Trump, Arcane, and Daemon), but they are slow learners here, and may find themselves unable to learn some of the highest level spells. They have a class power - 'Probe Monster' - which allows them to know a monster's HP, speed, and experience required to evolve. --- Paladin --- A Paladin is a combination of a warrior and a priest. Paladins are very good fighters, but not very good at missile weapons. A paladin lacks much in the way of abilities. He or she is poor at stealth, perception, searching, and magical devices but has a decent saving throw due to his divine alliance. Wisdom determines a Paladin's success at praying to his or her deity. Paladins can select a realm from Crusade and Death. Like priests, they cannot select which prayers to learn, but are rewarded with new prayers by their deities. They can learn all spells, but not as fast as priests. They detest paganism so strongly that they will even gain experience for destroying high-level pagan spell- books: 'pagan' means Life or Crusade spellbooks for a Death Paladin and all spellbooks other than Life and Crusade for a Crusade Paladin. Depending on their realm, they have a class power - 'Holy Lance' or 'Hell Lance'. --- Warrior-Mage --- A Warrior-Mage is precisely what the name suggests: a cross between the warrior and mage classes. Unlike rangers, who specialize in Nature magic and survival skills, true Warrior- Mages attempt to reach the best of both worlds. As warriors they are much superior to the usual Mage class. Intelligence determines a Warrior-Mage's spell casting ability. Warrior-mages begin the game with Arcane magic, and they can freely select another realm of magic. Although they do not gain new spells as fast as regular mages, they will eventually learn every spell in both realms, thus making them a very competitive choice for players who appreciate Arcane magic. They have two class powers - 'Convert HP to SP' and 'Convert SP to HP' - which allow them to heal HP using mana or gain mana using HP. --- Chaos-Warrior --- Chaos Warriors are the feared servants of the terrible Demon Lords of Chaos. Every Chaos Warrior has a Patron Demon and, when gaining a level, may receive a reward from his or her Patron. He or she might be healed or polymorphed, given an awesome weapon, or have his or her stats increased. On the other hand, the Patron might surround the Chaos Warrior with monsters, drain his or her stats, wreck his or her equipment, or simply ignore the Chaos Warrior. The Demon Lords of Chaos are chaotic and unpredictable indeed. The exact type of reward depends on both the Patron Demon (different Demons give different rewards) and chance. Chaos Warriors can select a realm from Chaos and Daemon. They are not interested in any other form of magic. They can learn every spell. They have a class power - 'Confusing Light' - which stuns, confuses, and scares all monsters in sight. --- Monk --- The Monk character class is very different from all other classes. Their training in martial arts makes them much more powerful with no armor or weapons. To gain the resistances necessary for survival a monk may need to wear some kind of armor, but if the armor he or she wears is too heavy, it will severely disturb his or her martial arts maneuvers. As the monk advances levels, new, powerful forms of attack become available. Their defensive capabilities increase likewise, but if armour is being worn, this effect decreases. Wisdom determines a Monk's spell casting ability. The different sects of monks are devoted to different areas of magic. They select a realm from Life, Nature, Craft, and Death. They will eventually learn all prayers in the discipline of their choice. They have two class powers - 'Assume a Posture' and 'Double Attack'. They can choose different forms of postures in different situations, and use powerful combinations of attacks for the finishing blow. --- Mindcrafter --- The Mindcrafter is a unique class that uses the powers of the mind instead of magic. These powers are unique to Mindcrafters, and vary from simple extrasensory powers to mental domination of others. Since these powers are developed by the practice of certain disciplines, a Mindcrafter requires no spellbooks to use them. The available powers are simply determined by the character's level. Wisdom determines a Mindcrafter's ability to use mind powers, Mindcrafters gain new mindcrafting powers and their existing ones become stronger as they gain levels. They can use their power even when blinded. They have a class power - 'Clear Mind' - which allows them to rapidly regenerate their mana. --- High-Mage --- High-mages are mages who specialize in one particular field of magic and learn it very well - much better than the ordinary mage. A high mage's prime statistic is intelligence as this determines his or her spell casting ability. For the price of giving up a second realm of magic, High-mages gain substantial benefits in the mana costs, minimum levels, and failure rates of the spells in their speciality realm. They have a class power - 'Eat Magic' - which absorbs mana from wands, staffs, or rods. And then, only High-Mages are able to cast Hex spells. --- Tourist --- Tourists have visited this world for the purpose of sightseeing. Their fighting skills are bad, and they cannot cast powerful spells. They are the most difficult class to win the game with. Intelligence determines a tourist's spell casting ability. Tourists are always seeing more of the world to add to their stock of information; no other class can compete with their identification skills. They have two class powers - 'Take a Photograph' and 'Identify True'. Their magic is based on Arcane, and - aside from identify - is very weak indeed. --- Imitator --- Imitators have enough fighting skills to survive, but rely on their unique technique - 'Imitation' - which imitates monster spells/techniques include whose damage/duration value. Dexterity determines general imitation ability, but a stat related to the specific action is often also taken into account. To use imitation, Imitators must see monster's spell at first. When monsters in view use spells, they are added to a temporary spell list which the imitator can choose among. Spells should be imitated quickly, because timing and situation are everything. An imitator can only repeat a spell once each time he or she observes it. They only have a small long-term memory for spells, which ranges from one to three, depending on their level. When they memorize more spells than this, they will forget the oldest spell in the list. They have a class power - 'Double Revenge' - which allows them to imitate spells at double damage or duration. --- BeastMaster --- Beastmasters are in tune with the minds of the creatures of the world of Hengband. They are very good at riding, and have enough fighting ability. The monsters that a beastmaster summons or dominates become the beastmaster's hands and feet. Beastmasters can cast trump magic and are very good at summoning spells, but they can not summon non-living creatures. Charisma determines a Beastmaster's spell casting ability. Beastmasters use Trump magic to make good use of their monster domination and riding abilities. They are very good at summoning living creatures, and they learn summoning spells quicker than Mages. However, they cannot summon non-living creatures. They have two class powers - 'Dominate a Living Thing' and 'Dominate Living Things'. --- Sorcerer --- Sorcerers are the all-around best magicians, being able to cast any spell from most magic realms without having to learn it. On the downside, they are the worst fighters in the dungeon, being unable to use any weapon but a Wizardstaff. Sorcerers can cast any spell from any spellbooks of all nine magic realms with 'Master' proficiency level without having to learn it. They have a class power - 'Eat Magic' - which absorbs mana from wands, staffs or rods. --- Archer --- Archers are to bows what warriors are to melee. They are the best class around with any bow, crossbow, or sling. They need a lot of ammunition, but will learn how to make it from junk found in the dungeon. An archer is better than a warrior at stealth, perception, searching and magical devices. Archers have a class power - 'Create Ammo' - which creates stones or shots from pile of rubble, and arrows and crossbow bolts from bones. --- Magic-Eater --- Magic-Eaters can absorb magic devices, and use these magics as their spells. They are middling-poor at fighting. A Magic-Eater's prime statistic is intelligence. Magic-Eaters can absorb the energy of wands, staffs, and rods, and can then use these magics as if they were carrying all of these absorbed devices. Mana and changes of absorbed devices are regenerated naturally by a Magic-Eater's power, and speed of regeneration is influenced by their intelligence. They have a class power - 'Absorb Magic' - which is used to absorb magic devices. --- Bard --- Bards are something like traditional musicians. Their magical attacks are sound-based, and last as long as the Bard has mana. Although a bard cannot sing two or more songs at the same time, he or she does have the advantage that many songs affect all areas in sight. A bard's prime statistic is charisma. The songs are found in four songbooks, of which two are sold in town. There is a special feature of music; many songs continue to be sung until either the Bard chooses to stop, or he runs out of the energy required to sing that type of song. Bards have a class power - 'Stop Singing'. --- Red-Mage --- Red Mages are similar to Warrior-Mage; they are decent fighters and spellcasters. Red-Mages can use almost all spells from lower rank spellbooks of all realms, but they cannot cast spells from higher rank spellbooks, and they are extremely slow learners in them. They are not bad at using magical devices and magic resistance, but are bad at other skills. A red-mage's prime statistic is intelligence. Red-Mages can use almost all spells from lower rank spellbooks of all realms: first and second spellbooks of all realms and third and fourth Arcane spellbooks, without having to learn it, but they cannot cast spells from higher rank spellbooks; third and fourth spellbooks for all realms other than Arcane. Since they use all realms at once, they have large penalties in the mana costs, minimum levels, and failure rates of spells. They have a class power - 'Double Magic' - which allows them to cast two spells at once. --- Samurai --- Samurai, masters of the art of the blade, are the next strongest fighters after Warriors, and can use various special combat techniques. Samurai are not good at most other skills, and many magical devices may be too difficult for them to use. Wisdom determines a Samurai's ability to use the special combat techniques available to him or her. Samurai use the art of the blade called Kendo (or Bugei). Books of Kendo are similar to spellbooks, but Samurai don't need to carry them around; the books are needed only when they study new combat techniques. Samurai need a weapon wielded to use the techniques of Kendo, and most techniques will add powerful special properties to their blows; such as flaming, poisoning, vampiric, etc... Their maximum spellpoints don't depend on their level but solely on wisdom, and they can use the class power 'Concentration' to temporarily increase SP beyond its usual maximum value. They have one more class power - 'Assume a Posture'. They can choose different forms of posture in different situations. --- ForceTrainer --- A ForceTrainer is a master of the spiritual Force. They prefer fighting with neither weapons nor armor. They are not as good fighters as are Monks, but they can use both magic and the spiritual Force. Wielding weapons or wearing heavy armor disturbs use of the Force. Wisdom is a ForceTrainer's primary stat. ForceTrainer use both spellbook magic and the special spiritual power called the Force. They can select a realm from Life, Nature, Craft, Death, and Crusade. To use The Force, you select it just as if it were spellbook 'w'; which means you need to press 'm' and then 'w' to select the Force. The most important spell of the Force is 'Improve Force'; each time a ForceTrainer activates it, their Force power becomes more powerful, and their attack power in bare-handed melee fighting is increased temporarily. The strengthened Force can be released at one stroke when a ForceTrainer activates some other Force spell, typically an attack spell. They have a class power - 'Clear Mind' - which allows them to rapidly regenerate their mana. --- Blue-Mage --- A Blue-Mage is a spell caster that must live by his or her wits, as a Blue-Mage cannot hope to simply hack his or her way through the dungeon like a warrior. A major difference between the Mage and the Blue-Mage is the method of learning spells: Blue-Mages may learn spells from monsters. A Blue-Mage's prime statistic is Intelligence as this determines his or her spell casting ability. A Blue-Mage can learn and cast monster ranged attacks, spells, or summons as their own spells; this technique is called Blue magic. Unlike Imitators, Blue-Mages remember their spells permanently, but they must get hit by a monster's spell while their class power 'Learning' is active to learn spells. Because of this requirement, they do not learn spells, like healing, that affect the monster itself. --- Cavalry --- Cavalry ride on horses into battle. Although they cannot cast spells, they are proud of their overwhelming offensive strength on horseback. They are good at shooting. At high levels, they learn to forcibly saddle and tame wild monsters. Since they take pride in the body and the soul, they don't use magical devices well. Like Warriors and Archers, the cavalry don't use magic. Since they are very good at riding, they have a class power - 'Rodeo' - which allows them to forcibly saddle and tame wild monsters. --- Berserker --- A Berserker is a fearful fighter indeed, immune to fear and paralysis. At high levels, Berserkers can reflect bolt spells with their tough flesh. Furthermore, they can fight without weapons, can remove cursed equipment by force, and can even use their special combat techniques when surrounded by an anti-magic barrier. Berserkers, however, cannot use any magical devices or read any scrolls, and are hopeless at all non-combat skills. Since Berserker Spectres are quite easy to *win* with, their scores are lowered. Berserkers use a unique system of techniques called 'Rage'. They gain more techniques as they gain levels. They use no magic: indeed, they cannot use any magic devices or activate any artifacts, and cannot read scrolls. To offset these great disadvantages, Berserkers are allowed to have an important class power - 'Recall'. --- Weaponsmith --- A Weaponsmith can improve weapons and armor for him or herself. They are good at fighting, and they have potential ability to become even better than Warriors using improved equipment. They cannot cast spells, and are poor at skills such as stealth or magic defense. A Weaponsmith extract the essences of special effects from weapons or armor which have various special abilities, and can add these essences to another weapon or armor. Normally, each item can be improved only once, but they can remove a previously added essence from improved equipment to improve it with another essence. To-hit, to-damage bonus, and AC can be improved freely up to a maximum value depending on level. Weaponsmiths have a class power - 'Judgment' - which allows them to identify (later *identify*) weapons and armor. --- Mirror-Master --- Mirror-Masters are spell casters; like other mages, they must live by their wits. They can create magical mirrors, and employ them in the casting of Mirror-Magic spells. Intelligence determines a Mirror-Master's spell casting ability. Mirror-Masters gain more spells and each spell becomes more powerful as they gain levels. They can use their spells even when blinded. For Mirror-Masters, the arrangement of mirrors is very important: Some attack spells reflect from mirrors, and some other spells are effective only against monsters standing on a mirror. A Mirror-Master standing on a mirror has greater ability and, for example, can perform quick teleports. The maximum number of magical Mirrors which can be controlled simultaneously depends on the level, and breaking unnecessary mirrors is important work for them. They have two class powers - 'Break Mirrors', which breaks all mirrors in current dungeon level and 'Mirror Concentration', which allows them to rapidly regenerate their mana on a mirror. --- Ninja --- A Ninja is a fearful assassin lurking in darkness. He or she can navigate effectively with no light source, catch enemies unawares, and kill with a single blow. Ninjas can use Ninjutsu, and are good at locating hidden traps and doors, disarming traps and picking locks. Since heavy armor, heavy weapons, or shields will restrict their motion greatly, they prefer light clothes, and become faster and more stealthy as they gain levels. A Ninja knows no fear and, at high level, becomes almost immune to poison and able to see invisible things. Dexterity determines a Ninja's ability to use Ninjutsu. A Ninja can use Ninjutsu for lurking and surprise attacks. They gain more Ninjutsu techniques as they gain levels. They have a class power - 'Quick Walk' - which makes their walking speed extremely fast. --- Sniper --- Snipers are specialists in marksmanship, but not like archers who fire off arrow after arrow in swift succession. They don't just increase accuracy and power of shots by concentration, they can use fearsome archery techniques. What they require is powerful bows or crossbows, good quality ammunition and the fortitude to bear up without flinching under any situation. Snipers know their enemies well and can shoot them from the shadows. They have no time for magic. === The Personality === There are twelve different personality that you can choose from in Hengband. Each personality has various strengths and weaknesses and its own adjustments to a character's stats and abilities. --- Ordinary --- "Ordinary" is a personality with no special skills or talents, with unmodified stats and skills. --- Mighty --- "Mighty" raises your physical stats and skills, but reduces stats and skills which influence magic. It makes your stats suitable for a warrior. Also it directly influences your hit-points and spell fail rate. --- Shrewd --- "Shrewd" reduces your physical stats, and raises your intelligence and magical skills. It makes your stats suitable for a mage. Also it directly influences your hit-points and spell fail rate. --- Pious --- "Pious" deepens your faith in your God. It makes your physical ability average, and your stats suitable for priest. --- Nimble --- "Nimble" improves most skills except for melee combat. --- Fearless --- "Fearless" raises both your melee and magical ability. Stats such as magic defense and constitution are reduced. Also it has a direct bad influence on your hit-points. --- Combat --- "Combat" gives you comparatively high melee and shooting abilities, and average constitution. Other skills such as stealth, magic defense, and magical devices are weakened. All "Combat" people have great respect for the legendary "Combat Echizen". (See "Death Crimson" / Ecole Software Corp.) --- Lazy --- A "Lazy" person has no good stats and can do no action well. Also it has a direct bad influence on your spell fail rate. --- Sexy --- "Sexy" rises all of your abilities, but your haughty attitude will aggravate all monsters. Only females can choose this personality. --- Lucky --- A "Lucky" man has poor stats, equivalent to a "Lazy" person. Mysteriously, however, he can do all things well. Only males can choose this personality. --- Patient --- A "Patient" person does things carefully. Patient people have high constitution, and high resilience, but poor abilities in most other skills. Also it directly influences your hit-points. --- Munchkin --- "Munchkin" is a personality for beginners. It raises all your stats and skills. With this personality, you can win the game easily, but gain little honor in doing so. === Stat Bonus Tables === Each of the races, classes, and personalities has certain modifications to their starting statistics an experience penalty. The experience penalty is designed to 'balance' the races with better starting statistics and abilities by requiring them to earn more experience before advancing a level. --- Table 1 - Race Statistic Bonus Table --- STR INT WIS DEX CON CHR Hit Dice Exp Penalty Human +0 +0 +0 +0 +0 +0 10 +0% Half-Elf -1 +1 +1 +1 -1 +1 9 +10% Elf -1 +2 +0 +1 -2 +2 8 +20% Hobbit -2 +1 +1 +3 +2 +1 7 +10% Gnome -1 +2 +0 +2 +1 -1 8 +20% Dwarf +2 -2 +2 -2 +2 -1 11 +25% Half-Orc +2 -1 +0 +0 +1 -2 10 +10% Half-Troll +4 -4 -1 -3 +3 -3 12 +25% Amberite +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +2 10 +125% High-Elf +1 +3 -1 +3 +1 +3 10 +100% Barbarian +3 -2 -1 +1 +2 +0 11 +20% Half-Ogre +3 -2 +0 -1 +3 -2 12 +45% Half-Giant +4 -2 -2 -2 +3 -2 13 +60% Half-Titan +5 +1 +2 -2 +3 +1 14 +155% Cyclops +4 -3 -2 -3 +4 -3 13 +50% Yeek -2 +1 +1 +1 -2 -4 7 +0% Klackon +2 -1 -1 +1 +2 -1 12 +90% Kobold +1 -1 +0 +1 +0 -2 9 +25% Nibelung +1 -1 +2 +0 +2 -2 11 +70% Dark-Elf -1 +3 +2 +2 -2 +1 9 +50% Draconian +2 +1 +1 +1 +2 -1 11 +120% Mindflayer -3 +4 +4 +0 -2 -3 9 +40% Imp +0 -1 -1 +1 +2 -1 10 +15% Golem +4 -5 -5 -2 +4 -2 12 +100% Skeleton +0 +1 -2 +0 +1 -2 10 +45% Zombie +2 -6 -6 +1 +4 -3 13 +50% Vampire +3 +3 -1 -1 +1 +2 11 +100% Spectre -5 +4 -1 +2 +0 -3 7 +110% Sprite -4 +3 +3 +3 -2 +2 7 +45% Beastman +2 -2 -1 -1 +2 -2 11 +40% Ent +2 +0 +2 -3 +2 +0 12 +40% Archon +2 +0 +4 +1 +2 +3 11 +135% Balrog +4 +2 -10 +2 +3 -5 12 +150% Dunadan +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +2 10 +80% Shadow-Fairy -2 +2 +2 +1 -1 +0 7 +20% Kutar +0 -1 -1 +1 +2 +3 11 +40% Android +4 -5 -5 +0 +4 -2 13 +100% --- Table 2 - Class Statistic Bonus Table --- STR INT WIS DEX CON CHR Hit Dice Exp Penalty Warrior +4 -2 -2 +2 +2 -1 +9 +0% Mage -4 +3 +0 +1 -2 +1 +0 +30% Priest -1 -3 +3 -1 +0 +2 +2 +20% Rogue +2 +1 -2 +3 +1 -1 +6 +25% Ranger +2 +2 +0 +1 +1 +1 +4 +40% Paladin +3 -3 +1 +0 +2 +2 +6 +35% Warrior-Mage +2 +2 +0 +1 +0 +1 +4 +40% Chaos-Warrior +2 +1 -1 +0 +2 -2 +6 +25% Monk +2 -1 +1 +3 +2 +1 +6 +30% Mindcrafter -1 +0 +3 -1 -1 +2 +2 +25% High-Mage -4 +4 +0 +0 -2 +1 +0 +30% Tourist -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 +0 -30% Imitator +0 +1 -1 +2 +0 +1 +5 +10% BeastMaster +1 -1 -1 +1 +0 +2 +3 +20% Sorcerer -5 +6 -2 +2 +0 -2 +4 +60% Archer +2 -1 -1 +2 +1 +0 +6 +10% Magic-Eater -1 +2 +1 +2 -2 +1 +3 +30% Bard -2 +1 +2 -1 -2 +4 +2 +40% Red-Mage +2 +2 -1 +1 +0 -1 +4 +40% Samurai +3 -2 +1 +2 +1 +0 +6 +30% ForceTrainer +0 -1 +3 +2 +1 +1 +2 +35% Blue-Mage -4 +4 -1 +1 -2 -1 +2 +30% Cavalry +2 -2 -2 +2 +2 +0 +5 +20% Berserker +8 -20 -20 +4 +4 -5 +11 +60% Weaponsmith +3 -1 -1 +1 +0 -1 +6 +30% Mirror-Master -2 +3 +1 -1 -2 +1 +2 +30% Ninja +0 -1 -1 +3 +2 -1 +2 +20% Sniper +2 -1 -1 +2 +1 +0 +2 +20% --- Table 3 - Personality Statistic Bonus Table --- STR INT WIS DEX CON CHR Hit Dice Ordinary +0 +0 +0 +0 +0 +0 +0 Mighty +2 -2 -1 +0 +1 +0 +1 Shrewd -2 +2 +0 +1 -1 -1 -1 Pious +0 -1 +2 -1 +0 +1 +0 Nimble -1 +1 -1 +2 -1 -1 +0 Fearless +2 +1 +1 -1 -1 +0 -1 Combat +1 -1 -2 +2 +0 +1 +0 Lazy -2 -2 -2 -2 -2 -2 -1 Sexy +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +3 +0 Lucky -2 -2 -2 -2 -2 +2 +0 Patient -1 -1 +1 -2 +2 +0 +1 Munchkin +10 +10 +10 +10 +10 +10 +15 === Ability Tables === Each of the races, classes, and personalities has certain modifications to their starting abilities. Players may also receive an additional level-based bonus to certain skills which is based on their class. For example mages improve their magical device skill more rapidly than warriors. As noted above, some skills will not improve unless magically enhanced. --- Table 4 - Race Skill Bonus Table --- Dsrm Dvce Save Stlh Srch Prcp Melee Bows Infra Human +0 +0 +0 +0 +0 +10 +0 +0 None Half-Elf +2 +3 +2 +1 +6 +11 -1 +5 20 feet Elf +5 +6 +4 +2 +8 +12 -5 +15 30 feet Hobbit +15 +12 +10 +5 +12 +15 -10 +20 40 feet Gnome +10 +8 +7 +3 +6 +13 -8 +12 40 feet Dwarf +2 +7 +6 -1 +7 +10 +15 +0 50 feet Half-Orc -3 -3 -2 -1 +0 +7 +12 -5 30 feet Half-Troll -5 -8 -5 -2 -1 +5 +20 -10 30 feet Amberite +4 +5 +3 +2 +3 +13 +15 +10 None High-Elf +4 +13 +12 +4 +3 +14 +10 +25 40 feet Barbarian -2 -10 +2 -1 +1 +7 +12 +10 None Half-Ogre -3 -5 -3 -2 -1 +5 +20 +0 30 feet Half-Giant -6 -8 -3 -2 -1 +5 +25 +5 30 feet Half-Titan -5 +5 +1 -2 +1 +8 +25 +0 None Cyclops -4 -5 -3 -2 -2 +5 +20 +12 10 feet Yeek +2 +4 +6 +3 +5 +15 -5 -5 20 feet Klackon +10 +5 +3 +0 -1 +10 +5 +5 20 feet Kobold -2 -3 -1 -1 +1 +8 +10 -8 30 feet Nibelung +3 +5 +6 +1 +5 +10 +9 +0 50 feet Dark-Elf +5 +10 +12 +3 +8 +12 -5 +10 50 feet Draconian -2 +5 +2 +0 +1 +10 +5 +5 20 feet Mindflayer +10 +15 +9 +2 +5 +12 -10 -5 40 feet Imp -3 +2 -1 +1 -1 +10 +5 -5 30 feet Golem -5 -5 +6 -1 -1 +8 +20 +0 40 feet Skeleton -5 +0 +3 -1 -1 +8 +10 +0 20 feet Zombie -5 -5 +5 -1 -1 +5 +15 +0 20 feet Vampire +4 +8 +6 +4 +1 +8 +5 +0 50 feet Spectre +10 +15 +12 +5 +5 +14 -15 -5 50 feet Sprite +10 +8 +6 +4 +10 +10 -12 +0 40 feet Beastman -5 -2 -1 -1 -1 +5 +12 +5 None Ent -5 +2 +5 -1 +0 +9 +15 -5 None Archon +0 +12 +8 +2 +2 +11 +10 +10 30 feet Balrog -3 +12 +15 -2 +1 +8 +20 +0 50 feet Dunadan +4 +5 +3 +2 +3 +13 +15 +10 None Shadow-Fairy +7 +8 +0 +6 +12 +15 -10 -5 40 feet Kutar -2 +5 +5 +5 -2 +6 +0 -5 None Android +0 -5 +0 -2 +3 +14 +20 +10 None --- Table 5 - Class Skill Bonus Table --- Dsrm Dvce Save Stlh Srch Prcp Melee Bows Warrior 25+12 18+7 31+10 1 14 2 70+30 55+30 Mage 30+7 40+15 38+11 3 16 20 34+6 20+7 Priest 25+7 35+11 40+12 2 16 8 48+13 35+11 Rogue 45+15 37+12 36+10 5 32 24 60+21 66+18 Ranger 30+8 37+11 36+10 3 24 16 56+18 72+28 Paladin 20+7 24+10 34+11 1 12 2 68+21 40+18 Warrior-Mage 30+7 35+10 36+10 2 18 16 50+15 25+11 Chaos-Warrior 20+7 25+11 34+10 1 14 12 65+20 40+17 Monk 45+15 34+11 36+10 5 32 24 64+18 60+18 Mindcrafter 30+10 33+11 38+10 3 22 16 50+14 40+18 High-Mage 30+7 40+15 38+11 3 16 20 34+6 20+7 Tourist 15+5 18+7 28+9 1 12 2 40+11 20+11 Imitator 25+7 30+10 36+10 2 18 16 60+18 50+20 BeastMaster 20+7 25+10 32+10 2 18 16 52+14 63+25 Sorcerer 30+7 48+18 75+13 2 12 22 0+0 0+0 Archer 38+12 24+10 35+10 4 24 16 56+18 82+36 Magic-Eater 25+7 42+16 36+10 2 20 16 48+13 35+11 Bard 20+8 33+13 34+11 -5 16 20 34+10 20+8 Red-Mage 20+7 34+11 34+11 1 16 10 56+18 25+11 Samurai 25+12 18+7 32+10 2 16 6 70+23 40+18 ForceTrainer 30+10 34+11 38+11 4 32 24 50+14 40+15 Blue-Mage 30+7 40+16 36+11 3 20 16 40+6 25+7 Cavalry 20+10 18+7 32+10 1 16 10 60+22 66+26 Berserker -inf -inf -inf -inf -inf -inf 120+50 -inf Weaponsmith 30+10 28+10 28+10 1 20 10 60+21 45+15 Mirror-Master 30+10 33+11 40+12 3 14 16 34+6 30+10 Ninja 45+15 24+10 36+10 8 48 32 70+25 66+18 Sniper 25+12 24+10 28+10 5 32 18 35+12 72+28 For character classes, there are two figures: the first figure is the base level of the ability, while the second figure is the bonus that the character gains to this skill every ten levels. So, to find out the total skill value of any character's skills, add the "race" value to the "class" value, and then the bonus once for every ten levels that the character has. --- Table 6 - Personality Skill Bonus Table --- Dsrm Dvce Save Stlh Srch Prcp Melee Bows Ordinary +0 +0 +0 +0 +0 +0 +0 +0 Mighty -5 -5 -3 -1 -2 -2 +10 +0 Shrewd +3 +8 +2 +0 -2 +5 -8 -5 Pious -5 +2 +4 -1 +3 -2 -3 -6 Nimble +7 +2 -1 +1 +5 +5 +0 +10 Fearless -5 +5 -2 +0 +2 -2 +10 +10 Combat -2 -3 -3 +0 -1 +2 +5 +5 Lazy -5 -5 -3 -1 -4 -2 -8 -8 Sexy +10 +5 +3 +0 +4 +2 +10 +10 Lucky +10 +7 +3 +2 +10 +8 +15 +15 Patient -5 -3 +3 +1 +0 -3 -6 -6 Munchkin +20 +40 +30 +10 +40 +40 +80 +80 For character personalities, each figure has two meanings; base level of the ability and the bonus that the character gains to this skill at the 50th level. -- Updated : Hengband 1.7.2
magic.hlpHengband Magic System.
Please choose one of the following online help files:
(a) Hengband Magic System (magic.txt)
(b) The Magic Realms (magic.txt#MagicRealms)
(c) On Casting Spells ... (magic.txt#CastingSpells)
(d) Spell Types (magic.txt#SpellTypes)
(e) Hints and Tips (magic.txt#Hints)
(?) Help System Commands (helpinfo.txt)magic.txt=== Hengband Magic System ===
The magic system of Hengband is a modified version of Zangband's, with many
new features added. There are two kind of magic in Hengband: Spellbook
magic, similar to the normal magic system of Zangband, and class-specific
magic, similar to Zangband's mindcrafting.
You might not be able to understand the function of every magic spell
by reading its name or casting it a few times. In Hengband, spells
have descriptions. Use the browse command ("b"/"P") and choose a
spell from the list to see its description.
--- Spellbook magic ---
There are nine different realms of spellbook magic; Life, Sorcery,
Nature, Chaos, Death, Trump, Arcane, Craft, and Daemon. Players of
each class can study and cast spells from spellbooks using one stat;
intelligence, wisdom, or charisma. For spellcasting, you must always
carry spellbooks which include spells which you want to cast. You can
choose either one or two realms, depending on class.
In Hengband, you cannot be as proficient in the second realm as in
the first realm. But you can change the second realm to another realm
of magic even in the middle of the game. For that, you must choose a
spellbook of the new realm in the study command ('G'). But beware!
After changing realms, you will forget all spells of the old realm,
moreover the forgotten spells still count towards the total number of
spells you can learn, limiting the number of new spells you'll be
able to study.
Note that certain realms may be prohibited for some classes. In the
table below, '1' indicates that the realm may only be the first
choice, '2' indicates that the realm may only be the second choice and
'1/2' indicates that it can be either. Classes that only have '1'
options do not get a second realm. Classes with only one '1' option
must choose this option as their first realm. Sorcerers and Red Mages
are exceptions. They can use all magic realms and they don't need to
study spells.
--- Class/Realm Restrictions table ---
Life Nature Death Arcane Daemon
Class Sorcery Chaos Trump Craft Crusade
--------------+-----+---+---+---+-----+---+---+---+-----+-----+--
Mage |1/2 |1/2|1/2|1/2|1/2 |1/2|1/2|1/2|1/2 |1/2 |
Priest |1/(2)| 2 | 2 | 2 |1/(2)| 2 | 2 | 2 |1/(2)|1/(2)|
Rogue | | 1 | | | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | | |
Ranger | | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | | 2 | |
Paladin | | | | | 1 | | | | | 1 |
Warrior-Mage | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Chaos Warrior | | | | 1 | | | | | 1 | |
Monk | 1 | | 1 | | 1 | | | 1 | | |
High Mage | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Tourist | | | | | | | 1 | | | |
BeastMaster | | | | | | 1 | | | | |
ForceTrainer | 1 | | 1 | | 1 | | | 1 | | 1 |
Sorcerer | All realms
Red Mage | All realms (Lower rank spellbooks only)
--- Class-Specific Magics ---
There are eleven class-specific magics (or techniques):
- Mindcraft (for Mindcrafter)
- Imitation (for Imitator)
- Device-Eating-Magic (for Magic-Eater)
- Music (for Bard)
- Kendo (for Samurai)
- The Force (for ForceTrainer)
- Blue-Magic (for Blue Mage)
- Rage (for Berserker)
- Smithery (for Weaponsmith)
- Mirror-magic (for Mirror Master)
- Ninjutsu (for Ninja)
- Shooting (for Sniper)
- Hex (for High-Mage)
See raceclas.txt#TheClasses [a] for more details.
=== The Realms of Spellbook Magic ===
--- Life ---
Life magic is very good for healing; it relies mostly on healing,
protection and detection spells. Also life magic has a few
attack spells as well. It's said that some high level spells of life
magic can disintegrate Undead monsters into ash. The fail rate
of Life spells goes up if the caster's alignment tends towards
evil.
--- Sorcery ---
Sorcery is a `meta` realm, including enchantment and general
spells. It provides superb protection spells (such as Teleport
spells for fleeing and even Globe of Invulnerability), spells to
enhance your odds in combat (Slow Monster, Haste Self, Confuse
Monster) and, most importantly, a vast selection of spells for
gathering information: in addition to the usual detection and
identify spells, one of the standard spellbooks has a spell
called Identify True, which gives you full knowledge of a given
object! In the rare books, there are spells with which you can
enchant your items or turn unwanted items to gold. However,
Sorcery has one weakness: it has no spells to deal direct damage
to your enemies.
--- Nature ---
Nature magic makes you a master of the elements; it provides
protection, detection, curing and attack spells, and most
importantly, spells that change surrounding geographical
features. Nature also has offers Herbal Healing, which is the
only powerful healing spell outside the realm of Life magic.
Fail rate of Nature spells goes up when the caster's alignment
becomes very good or evil.
--- Chaos ---
Chaos is the very element of unmaking, and Chaos spells are the
most terrible weapons of destruction imaginable. From Magic
Missile and Acid Bolt to the medium level Fire Ball and Doom
Bolt, and finally to the awesome spells of Invoke Logrus, Mana
Storm and Call the Void, Chaos offers an unsurpassable arsenal of
attack spells. Chaos is the only realm which provides the
*Destruction* spell. The caster can also call on the primal
forces of Chaos to induce mutations in his/her opponents and even
him/herself, but otherwise, Chaos has no protective spells.
Beware! Chaos spells are known to backfire easily and produce
undesired effects.
--- Death ---
There is no fouler nor more evil category of spells than the
necromantic spells of Death Magic. These spells are relatively
hard to learn, but at higher levels the spells give the caster
power over living and the (un)dead. Poison, vampirism, death
spells, and even hellfire can be directed by the caster, but the
most powerful spells need his/her own blood as the focus, often
hurting the caster in the process of casting. Should a Death
wizard find the legendary tome Necronomicon, he can expect to
gain very great powers indeed, but at a cost: few that have
studied that accursed tome have retained their sanity. The Fail
rate of Death spells goes up for casters aligned to good.
--- Trump ---
Trump magic seems an independent source of power, although its
supposed association with Chaos magic has been mentioned in
several places. Although it lacks the unpredictable chaotic
side-effects of Chaos magic, it has a few spells whose exact
effects seem more or less random. One such spell is Shuffle: the
Trump spellbooks actually consist of decks of trumps, and the
Shuffle spell allows the caster to shuffle the deck and pick one
card at random. The effect depends on the card picked, and is
not always pleasant. In the Amber universe, the Trump gateways
are also a major method of transportation: Trump magic has an
admirable selection of teleportation spells. Since the Trump
gateways can also be used to summon other creatures, Trump magic
has an equally impressive selection of summoning spells.
However, not all monsters appreciate being drawn to another place
by a Trump user. The only summoned creatures whose loyalty is
guaranteed are the Phantasmal Servants, who lack a will of their
own (but can develop one, if you treat them badly).
--- Arcane ---
Even more than Sorcery, Arcane magic is a general purpose realm
of magic. It attempts to encompass all 'useful' spells from all
realms, and almost succeeds, with the probable exception of
*Identify*. This is the downside of Arcane magic: while Arcane
does have all the necessary 'tool' spells for a dungeon delver,
it has no ultra-powerful high level spells. As a consequence,
all Arcane spellbooks can be bought in town. It should also be
noted that the 'specialized' realms (i.e. other than Arcane)
usually offer the same spell at a lower level and cost. Arcane
magic is therefore not usually recommended as one's only realm of
magic, but it should be a very nice addition to fill up the gaps
in the selection of utility spells in another realm.
--- Craft ---
Craft magic is an original realm in Hengband. It provides spells
which reinforce the casters physical abilities, including
offensive power, defensive power, speed, regeneration,
infravision, etc.. The 'Regeneration' and 'Walk through Wall'
spells are especially powerful for their spell levels. Craft
magic doesn't provide detection spells, but does offer a
temporary telepathy spell.
--- Daemon ---
Daemon magic is an original realm in Hengband. It offers
powerful attack spells with the properties of Fire or Nether.
There are a few detection spells which provide a map of the
nearby area or temporary telepathy. Daemon magic also provides
temporary transformation spells which allow caster to become a
Demon or a Demon Lord. The fail rate of Daemon spells goes up
for casters aligned towards good.
--- Crusade ---
Crusade is a realm of 'Justice'; It does have many attack spells
which are mostly used for harming and banishing foul minions of
evil, and these spells are not so effective for good monsters.
The fail rate of Crusade spells goes up if the caster's alignment
tends towards evil.
--- Hex ---
Hex is an abomination of magic, closer to swordsmanship than
spell casting. Some of the spells can be cast continuously,
like songs, for more powerful effects. Hex spells are good
at obstructing opponents and returning damage to those who
have damaged the caster. The fail rate of Hex spells goes
up for casters aligned towards good.
=== On Casting Spells ... ===
Players who select spellcasting characters may notice a few unusual
phenomena during the course of the game. Here are a few hints and
hints on what may be happening.
--- Armor and Spell Casting ---
All spellcasting classes are penalized for wielding armor above a
certain total combined weight. The threshold varies between 30lbs
for a mage and 40lbs for a paladin. Typically, the more reliant on
spells/prayers your class is deemed to be, the lower your weight
allowance. If you exceed your weight limit, your mana will drop.
This penalty is fairly stiff for low level characters but can
generally be ignored by high level ones.
--- Mage-Types and Gloves ---
Spellcasters who cast spells from spellbooks using INT as the stat
determining their spellcasting ability, or Blue-Mages, will be penalized
heavily for wielding armor on their hands. The exception to this is
that wielding gloves, gauntlets or cesti which boost DEX or which
grant Free Action will result in no penalty. The rationale behind this
is that the hands are needed to perform intricate gestures that
accompany the casting of the spell and anything encumbering the hands
would interfere with this. The priest-type classes (priest, paladin
and monk) do not have the same restrictions as they are viewed as
invoking the power of their deity directly through prayer.
--- Casting Spells With Insufficient Mana ---
Occasionally, you may try (either by accident or in desperation) to
cast a spell when you have insufficient mana to do so. In these
circumstances you will be told by the game that you do not have
enough mana to cast the spell and then asked if you want to anyway.
Casting the spell under these conditions has a drastically reduced
chance of success and may also result in your constitution being
damaged. It may also cause you to faint from the effort which will
effectively paralyze you for several turns (even with free action).
The CON drain and the paralyzation may happen regardless of whether
the casting was successful or not.
--- Spell Durations ---
Some spells such as Haste-Self or Resistance grant an effect which
wears off after a certain period of time. With very few exceptions,
multiple castings of such spells are not cumulative in terms of the
duration of the spell. In other words, casting a spell which has a
duration of 20 turns three times will not result in a duration of 60
turns. Typically, subsequent castings will add only a small amount
to the total duration.
=== Spell Types ===
--- Bolts and Beams ---
A bolt spell is aimed in a direction or at a target but will hit the
first monster or obstruction in its targeted direction. This may or
may not be the intended target. Occasionally, you may note that your
bolt spell hits multiple targets along the line of fire. This is
because some bolt spells are granted a chance of 'beaming' which may
be either fixed or level-dependent. A beam will hit every target
within range along a 'straight' line in the direction in which it was
aimed.
--- Balls ---
There are two things to remember about ball spells. Firstly, unlike
bolt spells, they can be aimed at a specific target which allows you
to target a specific monster as opposed to the first one in the
direction you are aiming. Secondly, they have a radius (which varies
from spell to spell). A radius value of one or more will result in the
spell affecting monsters (and possibly objects, etc) around the target
in addition to the target itself. When ball spells are directed at
monsters in walls, the ball will blow up at the front of the wall, and
the monster will take only half damage.
--- Line-of-Sight ---
Line-of-sight spells affect all monsters that that are currently in
sight of your character. This includes monsters that may not currently
be visible due to darkness but would be if it was light.
--- Area ---
Area spells affect an area around the player. The size of the area can
vary considerably. For example, Light Area lights a single room while
Detect Traps and Mass Genocide affects within a circle of a specific
radius and normal Genocide affects the entire level.
=== Hints and Tips ===
If you miss the `old` magic user, try picking Sorcery and Chaos magic
to get the most commonly used mage spells early on (Magic Missile,
Detect Monsters + Traps + etc, Identify).
It is generally a good idea to pick one defensive realm and one
offensive realm. For example try using life or sorcery with chaos or
death magic. Nature is somewhat neutral: it has both offensive and
defensive spells, but is not very generous with either, not at least
early in the game. Nature should work best with characters who can use
other means to survive until they get the more powerful high level
spells.
If you pick the realms always in the same order (e.g. nature as your
first realm and chaos as your second realm, not the other way around)
you will be less confused when trying to pick the correct spellbook to
use in the game. If you still get confused trying to select the
correct spellbook, try using macros (either the 'full' macros or
inscriptions).
--
Original : (??)
Updated : (??)
Updated : Zangband DevTeam
Updated : Hengband 1.7.2option.txt=== Options and Effects === Most of the "options" are accessible through the '=' command, which provides an interface to the various "sets" of options available to the player. In the descriptions below, each option is listed as the textual summary which is shown on the "options" screen, plus the internal name of the option in brackets, followed by a textual description of the option. Note that the internal name of the option can be used in user pref files to force the option to a given setting (see "command.txt" for more info). Various concepts are mentioned in the descriptions below, including "disturb", (cancel any running, resting, or repeated commands, which are in progress), "flush" (forget any keypresses waiting in the keypress queue, including any macros in progress), "fresh" (dump any pending output to the screen). === Option Set 1 -- Input from keyboard === Rogue-like commands [rogue_like_commands] Selects the "roguelike" command set (see "command.txt" for info). Pick things up by default [always_pickup] Tells the game that walking onto an item should attempt to pick it up. Otherwise, you must use the "g" command, or the "-" command while walking. Combined with "carry_query_flag", allows you to selectively pick up all items which you step on. Prompt before picking things up [carry_query_flag] Forces the game to ask you if you want to pick something up when you do something that would normally cause the item to be picked up. Activate quick messages [quick_messages] Allows the use of any keypress as a response to the "-more-" prompt (useful for monster farming). Allows most keys to mean "no" to any "[y/n]" prompt. Automatically clear '-more-' prompts [auto_more] The game does not wait for a keypress when it comes to a -more- prompt and automatically displays the next message. Enable command selection menu [command_menu] Prompt for floor item selection [other_query_flag] Forces the game to ask you before select an item on floor. Use old target by default [use_old_target] Forces all commands which normally ask for a "direction" to use the current "target" if there is one. Use of this option can be dangerous if you target locations on the ground, unless you clear them when done. Repeat obvious commands [always_repeat] Tells the game that when you attempt to "open" a door or chest, "bash" a door, "tunnel" through walls, or "disarm" traps or chests, that you wish to "repeat" the command 99 times (see "command.txt"). Prompt for destruction of known worthless items [confirm_destroy] Normally, no confirmation will be asked if you attempt to destroy an object which you know to be worthless. If this option is set, the Destroy command always asks for confirmation. Confirm to wear/wield known cursed items [confirm_wear] Some players may occasionally, due to a typing mistake, find themselves wearing an item which they knew was cursed. If this option is set, you should be safe from such typing mistakes: you will be prompted if you attempt to wear or wield an item if your character knows it is cursed. Prompt before exiting a quest level [confirm_quest] In the dungeon, you can freely climb up/down stairs and can return to former floors normally. But in some quest level, including the random quest, you can not return once you escaped from the level. If this option is set, the program asks for confirmation before you go up the stairs from such quest levels. Allow targeting pets [target_pet] Normally, the program doesn't automatically choose pets as target in the targeting mode of attack spells. If this option is set, the program always chooses every monster in sight as target. Automatically open doors [easy_open] Makes it easy for your character to open a door: simply by walking into it! Also the open command will automatically select one direction if only one door is near you. Automatically disarm traps [easy_disarm] Makes it easy for your character disarms a trap: simply by walking into it! Also the disarm command will automatically select one direction if only one known trap is near you. Display floor stacks in a list [easy_floor] Lets you select an item from a stack on the floor by browsing a list. Also the look command will describe floor stack as "You see a stack of n items.", when there is more than one item on a floor grid, and display a list of items when you press 'x' at that time. Allow unified use command [use_command] Unifies the item commands like "zap a rod", "use a staff", "eat food", "aim a wand", ... into a general "use object" command. The command in the original keymap is "u", and "a" in the roguelike mode. The standard commands for eat, quaff, read, zap, aim, ... are still available, but can be used for macros. Allow casting spells when short of mana [over_exert] Normally, Hengband restricts you from casting spells when you don't have enough mana. If this option is set, the program allow you to cast spells at such dangerous situation. Use numpad keys as cursor keys in editor mode [numpad_as_cursorkey] This option makes numpad keys work as cursor movement keys while text editing mode. Which include auto-picker editor, inputing an inscription, a macro action, and etc. === Option set 2 -- Map Screen === Center map while walking (*slow*) [center_player] The map always centers on the player with this option on. With it off, it is divided into 25 sections, with coordinates (0,0) to (4,4), and will show one section at a time. Centering even while running [center_running] Normally, the map does not center on the player if the player moves with the "run" command, only when the running finishes. If this option is set, the map always centers on the player. Use special colors for torch-lit grids [view_yellow_lite] This option causes special colors to be used for "torch-lit" grids in certain situations (see the entries for"view_granite_lite" and "view_special_lite"). Turning this option off will slightly improve game speed. Use special colors for 'viewable' grids [view_bright_lite] This option causes special colors to be used for non "viewable" grids in certain situations (see "view_granite_lite" and "view_special_lite"). When this option is set, floor grids which are normally drawn in "white" but which are not currently "viewable" by the player are instead drawn in "dark gray". This makes the "viewable" grids to appear "brighter" than the others, allowing the player to easily determine which floor grids are in "line of sight". Turning this option off will probably increase the speed of the game. Use special colors for wall grids (slow) [view_granite_lite] This option activates a special color scheme for all "wall" grids which are normally drawn in "white" (as walls and rubble normally are). When the player is blind, we use "dark gray", else if the grid is torch-lit, we use "yellow" (or "white") depending on the "view_yellow_lite" option, else if the "view_bright_lite" option is set, and the grid is not in line of sight, or the grid is dark, or the grid is only "partially" lit, then we use "gray", otherwise we use the normal "white". Turning this option off will probably increase the speed of the game. This option may not work well if the attr/char codes for walls/veins have been changed. Use special colors for floor grids (slow) [view_special_lite] This option activates a special color scheme for all "floor" grids which are normally drawn in "white" (as they normally are). When the player is blind, we use "dark gray", else if the grid is torch-lit, we use "yellow" (or "white") depending on the "view_yellow_lite" option, else if the grid is "dark", we use "dark gray", else if the "view_bright_lite" option is set, and the grid is not in line of sight, we use "gray", otherwise we use the normal "white". Turning this option off will probably increase the speed of the game. This option may not work well if the attr/char codes for walls/veins have been changed Map remembers all perma-lit grids [view_perma_grids] Memorize all perma-lit floor grids which are seen by the player. This option allows you to keep track of which explored floor grids were perma-lit, but does not distinguish between dark floor grids, unexplored floor grids, and unknown grids. Turning off this option allows the player to always know which lit floor grids are in line of sight, but this is better accomplished by the "view_bright_lite" option. Note that any non-floor grids which is seen by the player are always memorized, and "object" which is seen by the player is memorized independently from the memorization of the grid itself. Map remembers all torch-lit grids [view_torch_grids] Memorize all (torch-lit) floor grids which are seen by the player. This option not only allows you to keep track of which floor grids have been explored, but also which ones are "dark", because the use of this option activates a special "color scheme" for the display of floor grids, in which "dark" grids are drawn in "dark gray", "lit" grids are drawn in "white", and (if the "view_bright_lite" option is set) "lit" grids which are also in line of sight are drawn in "orange". Note that grids which are currently "torch-lit" are considered to be "lit", and are thus drawn in "white", unless the "view_yellow_lite" option is set, in which case they are drawn in "yellow". Map marked by detect traps [view_unsafe_grids] Unknown grids that have not been traversed previously, or had a detect trap spell cast on them are marked with a grey 'x'. This allows you to determine where in the dungeon you have cast detect traps, but does not ensure that grids not marked with a grey 'x' are trap free. This option has no effect on surface grids, but outdoor locations cannot be trapped. Reduce view-radius in town [view_reduce_view] Reduce the "radius" of the player's "view" by half when the player is in town. This makes running faster in town, and also allows the player to ignore monsters in town which are more than ten grids away, which is usually safe, since none have distance attacks. Flush output while continuous command [fresh_before] This option forces the game to flush all output before every command. This will give you maximal information, but may slow down the game somewhat. Note that this option is only useful when using macros, resting, running, or repeating commands, since the output is always flushed when the game is waiting for a keypress from the user. Flush output after monster's move [fresh_after] This option forces the game to flush all output after not only every player command, but also after every round of processing monsters and objects, which will give you maximal information, but may slow down the game a lot, especially on slower machines, and on faster machines you normally do not have a chance to see the results anyway. Flush output after every message [fresh_message] This option forces the game to flush all output after every message displayed by the game. This will give you maximal information, but may slow down the game somewhat. Hilite the player with the cursor [hilite_player] Place the visible cursor on the player. This looks fine on some Unix machines, but horrible on most graphics machines. Note that only some machines are able to *not* show the cursor, but on those machines, hiding the cursor often speeds up the game and looks better. Display actual path before shooting [display_path] When this option is set, the targeting mode will show path from you to current target point continuously. === Option set 3 -- Text Display === Plain object descriptions [plain_descriptions] This option disables "full" names for identified 'flavored' objects, in other words, if this option is not in use, an identified Potion of Speed could be listed (for example) as a Blue Potion of Speed. If you prefer simpler, less verbose descriptions, set this option. Always show list when choosing items [always_show_list] When this option is set, all commands which lets you to choose an item from inventory or equipment list will automatically show the list when activated. Show dungeon level in feet [depth_in_feet] Display the dungeon depth in "feet" instead of as an actual level. This also affects the monster memory display. Show labels in object listings [show_labels] Display the "labels" for objects in the "equipment" list, and in any "special" window which is displaying the "equipment". These labels indicate what the player is "using" the object for, such as "wielding" or "wearing" (in a given location). After you have played for a while, this information is no longer useful, and can be annoying. Show weights in object listings [show_weights] Display the weights of objects in the "inventory" and "equipment" lists, and in "stores", and in any "special" window which is displaying any of these lists. Show items graphics [show_item_graph] Displays small icons of the items in your "inventory" list, "equipment" list and "stores". Display 'equippy' chars [equippy_chars] This option will show you a graphical representation of your worn equipment on the main screen. The 'equippy' chars will use the standard symbols of the respective items. Display mutations in 'C'haracter Display [display_mutations] Normally, if your character has gained mutations, they will be displayed in an extra 'h' mode window under the 'C'haracter Description command. Some players may wish to view mutations only via the knowledge command ('~' or '|') and do not want any extra screens in the Character Description: they should set this option. Compress messages in savefiles [compress_savefile] Compress the savefile, by only saving the most recent "messages" that the player has received. This can cut the size of the savefile by a drastic amount, but will result in the loss of message information. Describe obj's extra resistances by abbreviation [abbrev_extra] When an *identified* equipment is displayed, an abbreviation string for the object's extra resitances and extra abilities are added as fake inscriptions of the object. A word "EXTRA" means that the ability must not be obvious from the objects name. For example, a pair of boots of Levitation sometimes has EXTRA shard resistance. But fire resistance of an armor of Resist Fire is not an EXTRA resistance. The list of abbreviations for each resistances and abilities are described in (objects.txt#AbbrevList [b]) Describe obj's all resistances by abbreviation [abbrev_all] When an *identified* equipment is displayed, an abbreviation string for all the object's resitances and abilities are added as fake inscriptions of the object. The list of abbreviations for each resistances and abilities are described in (objects.txt#AbbrevList [b]) Show the experience needed for the next level [exp_need] Setting this option to yes alters the display of experience on the left of the main screen to the experience needed to reach the next character level, instead of the character's current total experience. === Option set 4 -- Game playing === Merge inscriptions when stacking [stack_force_notes] Force otherwise identical objects to merge, even if one has an empty inscription and the other does not. The resulting stack keeps the non-empty inscription. Merge discounts when stacking [stack_force_costs] Force otherwise identical objects to merge, even if they have different discounts. The resulting stack keeps the largest discount. This option may cause you to lose "value", but will give you optimal pack usage. Expand the power of the list commands [expand_list] Expand the "listing" commands so that they "wrap" at the "edges" of the appropriate list. This allows the "look" and "target" commands to "cycle" through all appropriate grids forever, and the "identify symbol" to browse through all of the monsters of a given type. Allow extremely small dungeon floors [allow_smallest_floor] This option allows the normal floor size selection to include the smallest size. In dungeons where small floors can be generated, it may also generate a floor as small as the town level (i.e. 1 'screen'). Such floors can be dangerous, especially for a low level character. This option also enables the generation of some 'destroyed' levels. If 'Always generate large dungeon floors' is enabled, the random smallest-floor generation from this option is suppressed. Allow extremely large dungeon floors [allow_largest_floor] This option allows the normal floor size selection to include the largest size. In dungeons where large floors can be generated, it may also randomly generate the largest floor. If 'Always generate small dungeon floors' is enabled, the random largest-floor generation from this option is suppressed. Always generate small dungeon floors [always_small_floor] If this option is enabled, ordinary dungeons choose their floor sizes from the smaller range. If 'Always generate large dungeon floors' is also enabled, this option takes precedence. Dungeon-specific small/large flags and beginner dungeon size rules take precedence over gameplay options. See the 'Allow extremely small dungeon floors' option above. Always generate large dungeon floors [always_large_floor] If this option is enabled, ordinary dungeons choose their floor sizes from the larger range. If 'Always generate small dungeon floors' is also enabled, this option is ignored. Dungeon-specific small/large flags and beginner dungeon size rules take precedence over gameplay options. See the 'Allow extremely large dungeon floors' option above. Allow empty 'arena' levels [empty_levels] Normal dungeon levels consist mostly of rock. If this option is in use, levels which have empty floor instead of solid rock may also be created (somewhat reminiscent of Nethack's "big-room" levels). These levels can be extremely deadly, especially with breathing monsters (since there are few obstructions to shield). Arena levels may have vaults, nests and pits in them like normal levels. Some arena levels are dark when they are created, but most are lit. Boundary walls become 'permanent wall' [bound_walls_perm] If this option is set, boundaries of dungeon floors will explicitly look like permanent walls. If unset, those will look like normal walls, but still behave as permanent walls. Leave last words when your character dies [last_words] Display a random line from the "death.txt" file when your character dies and then allow you to rewrite this last words. If this option is not selected, the "You die." message is displayed instead. Send score dump to the world score server [send_score] If this option is set, Hengband will allow you to send the score record of your character to the world score board on the Internet when your character dies. Allow use of debug/cheat options [allow_debug_opts] Since use of debug command(^A), wizard mode(^W), and Cheating options ('C' in options panel) mark the player as a "Cheater" who can't register their score, these debug/cheat options are forbidden to use on default. The allow_debug_opts option removes these restrictions, and allow the player to become a "Cheater". === Option set 5 -- Disturbance === Run past stairs [find_ignore_stairs] Ignore stairs when running. Run through open doors [find_ignore_doors] Ignore open doors when running. Run past known corners [find_cut] Cut sharply around "known" corners when running. This will result in "faster" running, but may cause you to run into a "lurking" monster. Check for user abort while continuous command [check_abort] Avoid checking to see if the user has pressed a key during resting or running or repeated commands. This not only makes the game much more efficient (on many systems), but also allows the use of certain obscure macro sequences, such as turning this option on, resting until done, turning this option off, and casting a spell. Note that the use of this option may be dangerous on certain "graphic" machines. Resting for long periods of time with this option set is dangerous since the resting may not stop until the user takes damage from starvation. Flush input on various failures [flush_failure] This option forces the game to flush all pending input whenever various "failures" occur, such as failure to cast a spell, failure to use a wand, etc. This is very useful if you use macros which include "directional" components with commands that can fail, since it will prevent you from walking towards monsters when your spells fail. Flush input whenever disturbed [flush_disturb] This option forces the game to flush all pending input whenever the character is "disturbed". This is useful if you use macros which take time, since it will prevent you from continuing your macro while being attacked by a monster. Disturb whenever any monster moves [disturb_move] Disturb the player when any monster moves, appears, or disappears. This includes monsters which are only visible due to telepathy, so you should probably turn this option off if you want to "rest" near such monsters. Disturb whenever high-level monster moves [disturb_high] Disturb the player when any monster whose level is higher than the player moves, appears, or disappears. This includes monsters which are only visible due to telepathy. Disturb whenever viewable monster moves [disturb_near] Disturb the player when any viewable monster moves, whenever any monster becomes viewable for the first time, and also whenever any viewable monster becomes no longer viewable. This option ignores the existence of "telepathy" for the purpose of determining whether a monster is "viewable". See also the "view_reduce_view" option. Disturb when visible pets move [disturb_pets] The player may wish that some of the disturbance options do not apply to pets: for example, it can be annoying if your rest is always disturbed by a pet dog who pops in every now and then. By default, pets do not disturb you even if full monster disturbance options are set. If you want your pets to disturb you like normal monsters, set this option. Disturb whenever map panel changes [disturb_panel] This option causes you to be disturbed by the screen "scrolling", as it does when you get close to the "edge" of the screen. Disturb whenever player state changes [disturb_state] This option causes you to be disturbed whenever the player state changes, including changes in hunger, resistance, confusion, etc. Disturb whenever boring things happen [disturb_minor] This option causes you to be disturbed by various boring things, including monsters bashing down doors, inventory feelings, and beginning to run out of fuel. Audible bell (on errors, etc) [ring_bell] Attempt to make a "bell" noise when various "errors" occur. Disturb when leaving trap detected area [disturb_trap_detect] This option causes you to be disturbed when the player is running out of trap-detected area. Alert when leaving trap detected area [alert_trap_detect] This option alerts you with message when the player is moving out of the trap-detected area. === Option set 6 -- Easy Auto-Destroyer === Use easy auto-destroyer [destroy_items] If this option is set, Hengband will automatically destroy all objects which you touch unless the object is protected by various 'leave_...' options below. Apply auto-destroy as sense feeling [destroy_feeling] If this option is set, Hengband will apply auto-destroyer on an item just when you sensed its feeling. Typically it will destroy {cursed} items just after the sensing. Apply auto-destroy as identify an item [destroy_identify] If this option is set, Hengband will apply auto-destroyer on an item just when you identified it using magical items or spells. Typically it will destroy {cursed} items and other useless items which you set up to be auto-destroyed. Auto-destroyer leaves known worthy items [leave_worth] This option protects known objects that can be sold in stores from auto-destruction by the destroy_items option. Auto-destroyer leaves weapons and armour [leave_equip] This option protects all weapons and armour from auto-destruction by the destroy_items option. Auto-destroyer leaves closed chests [leave_chest] This option protects all chests which are not yet opened from auto-destruction by the destroy_items option. Auto-destroyer leaves wanted corpses [leave_wanted] This option protects corpses of monsters wanted at the Hunter's office from auto-destruction by the destroy_items option. Auto-destroyer leaves corpses and skeletons [leave_corpse] This option protects all corpses and skeletons from auto-destruction by the destroy_items option. Auto-destroyer leaves junk [leave_junk] This option protects all 'junk', such as Shards of Pottery or Broken Stick, from auto-destruction by the destroy_items option. This is especially helpful for Archers. Auto-destroyer leaves items your race/class needs [leave_special] This option protects specific items which are normally worthless, but very important for specific classes or races. These include bones for Archers, ego light sources of darkness for Ninja, Wands of Heal Monster for BeastMaster and Cavalry, and humanoid corpses for Balrogs, etc... === Option set R -- Play-record === Record fixed artifacts [record_fix_art] If this option is set, names of fixed artifacts you discover will be written in the Play-record. Record random artifacts [record_rand_art] If this option is set, names of random artifacts you discover will be written in the Play-record. Record when destroy unique monster [record_destroy_uniq] If this option is set, names of unique monsters you defeated will be written in the Play-record. Record fixed quests [record_fix_quest] If this option is set, result of every fixed quest will be written in the Play-record. Record random quests [record_rand_quest] If this option is set, result of every random quest will be written in the Play-record. Record movements to deepest level [record_maxdepth] If this option is set, deepest level will be written in the Play-record when you reached new deepest level. Record recall and stair movements [record_stair] If this option is set, every move using stairs will be written in the Play-record. Record purchased items [record_buy] If this option is set, names and numbers of every items you purchased will be written in the Play-record. Record sold items [record_sell] If this option is set, names and numbers of every item you sold will be written in the Play-record. Record hitpoint warning [record_danger] If this option is set, a record of hitpoint warnings will be written in the Play-record when you take major hitpoint damage. Record arena victories [record_arena] If this option is set, every victory and defeated game will be written in the Play-record. Record first identified items [record_ident] If this option is set, names of objects identified for the first time will be written in the Play-record. Record informations of named pets [record_named_pet] If this option is set, every action with your pets which are given their own name will be written in the Play-record. === Option D -- Base Delay Factor === The "delay_factor" value, if non-zero, is used to "slow down" the game, which is useful to allow you to "observe" the temporal effects of bolt, beam, and ball attacks. The actual delay is equal to "delay_factor" cubed, in milliseconds. === Option H -- Hitpoint Warning === The "hitpoint_warn" value, if non-zero, is the percentage of maximal hitpoints at which the player is warned that he may die. It is also used as the cut-off for using red to display both hitpoints and mana. === Option A -- Autosave Options === Ideally, the game should be so stable that these options are not needed at all. However, even if the game were 100% reliable (which it, to be frank, probably is not), the user might forget to and his hardware could fail him. For all of these reasons, you may want to use these options: Autosave when entering new levels [autosave_l] If this option is set, the program will attempt to save your character every time before creating a new dungeon level. Useful if you experience hangups in level generation (although these should have been eliminated in 2.1.0). Timed autosave [autosave_t] If this option is set, the program will attempt to save your character every n game turns, where n is the "frequency". To set frequency press n: it will increase the frequency to the next category (and from 25000 to 0), the categories being every 50, 100, 250, 500, 1000, 2500, 5000, 10000 and 25000 turns. Note that the frequency must be higher than 0 and the "Timed autosave" set to "yes" for timed autosaves to take place. === Option W - Window Flags === Selects what kind of information is displayed in which window. Some platforms support "sub-windows", which are windows which can be used to display useful information generally available through other means. The best thing about these windows is that they are updated automatically (usually) to reflect the current state of the world. The "window options" can be used to specify what should be displayed in each window. The possible choices should be pretty obvious. Display inven/equip Display the player inventory (and sometimes the equipment). Display equip/inven Display the player equipment (and sometimes the inventory). Display spell list Display a spell list of your magic realm. Display character Display a brief description of the character, including a breakdown of the current player "skills" (including attacks/shots per round). Display messages Display the most recently generated "messages". Display overhead view Display an overhead view of the entire dungeon. This is very slow and does not even look very good. Display monster recall Display a description of the monster which has been most recently attacked, targeted, or examined in some way. Display object recall Display a description of the most recently selected object. Currently this only affects spellbooks and prayerbooks. This window flag may be usefully combined with others, such as "monster recall". Display dungeon view Display a copy of dungeon map. Display snap-shot This window flag is currently unused. Display borg messages This window flag is currently used only by the Borg which is not currently supported. Display borg status This window flag is currently used only by the Borg which is not currently supported. === Option C - Cheating Options === Using the cheating options marks your character as a "Cheater" and you won't get into the high-score list. Turning off the cheating options later does NOT allow your character to get a highscore entry, so think twice before using any cheat. Peek into object creation [cheat_peek] Cheaters never win. But they can peek at object creation. Peek into monster creation [cheat_hear] Cheaters never win. But they can peek at monster creation. Peek into dungeon creation [cheat_room] Cheaters never win. But they can peek at room creation. Peek into something else [cheat_xtra] Cheaters never win. But they can see debugging messages. Know complete monster info [cheat_know] Cheaters never win. But they can know all about monsters. Allow player to avoid death [cheat_live] Cheaters never win. But they can cheat death. Ask for saving death [cheat_save] Cheaters never win. But they can choose whether they save dead character data or not when they die. === Birth options === While cheating makes the game easier, the following options can make Hengband harder or easier. So if you think the game is too easy or too hard, or if you want to impress your friends, then switch on the following options. The birth options can only be accessed while creating a new character (press '=' while creating the character). There is no way to turn them off after the creation is finished! Indicators "(*)" after the name of options means that options effect estimation of your score. Manually haggle in stores [manual_haggle] Usually, auto-haggle is used in stores, resulting in a ten percent sales tax on items which you would have otherwise been forced to haggle for. If this option is set, auto-haggle is disabled. Monsters learn from their mistakes (*) [smart_learn] Allow monsters to learn what spell attacks you are resistant to, and to use this information to choose the best attacks. Monsters exploit players weaknesses (*) [smart_cheat] Allow monsters to know what spell attacks you are resistant to, and to use this information to choose the best attacks. Use 'vanilla' town without quests and wilderness [vanilla_town] Uses the basic town known from the standard Angband. This town is only one screen in size and contains only the 8 stores, your home, and the stairs to the dungeon. If you use the 'vanilla' town, then there is no wilderness, no special buildings and no set quests (but you can still use the random quests). This also speeds up the game on slower machines, since the wilderness doesn't need to be created. Use 'lite' town without a wilderness [lite_town] Uses a special town with all stores, your home, all buildings, most quests, and a dungeon, but without the wilderness and without other towns, and other dungeons. This also speeds up the game on slower machines, since the wilderness doesn't need to be created. This option will have no effect, if the 'vanilla_town' option is active. Stores are permanently closed (*) [ironman_shops] This option closes all shops. Try to survive in the deeps of the dungeon without supplies from town. Always generate the smallest dungeon floors (*) [ironman_smallest_floor] If this option is enabled, every dungeon floor uses the smallest size regardless of dungeon-specific size flags. If 'Always generate very unusual rooms' is also enabled, dungeons that can generate vaults instead use a 2x1-block floor. See the 'Allow extremely small dungeon floors' option above. Disable recall and use of up stairs (*) [ironman_downward] You are not allowed to climb upwards, or recall to town. All stairs are downstairs and every time you teleport level, you'll teleport to a deeper level. Always create empty 'arena' levels (*) [ironman_empty_levels] If this option is enabled, then every level will be empty 'arena' level. See the "Allow empty 'arena' levels" option above. Always generate very unusual rooms (*) [ironman_rooms] If this option is enabled, every room becomes a vault. Nightmare mode(it isn't even remotely fair!)(*) [ironman_nightmare] If this option is enabled, all monsters become unusually powerful, and fast. And there will be various unbelievable happenings from time to time. Furthermore, at 12:00 every night, you will have a real nightmare. Left-Hander [left_hander] Normally, you wield a weapon on the right hand and a shield on the left hand. If this option is enabled, you will wield a weapon on the left hand. Preserve artifacts (*) [preserve_mode] In non-preserve mode, once a fixed artifact is generated (either on the dungeon floor or in a monster drop), it will never be generated again during that game. This means that if you miss the artifact by leaving the level before you pick it up it is gone forever. On the other hand, in preserve mode this behavior is only exhibited once you have identified the artifact. It is therefor safer to leave a level before it is completely explored as any fixed artifact can be regenerated in subsequent levels. Allow use of autoroller for stats (*) [autoroller] If you choose to use the auto-roller, you can specify minimum limit of each stat. Once you have specified your desired statistics, the computer will then randomly roll successive start-up characters and compare them to your specified criteria. Each stat is rolled as a number from 8 to 17, with a normal distribution, and is then immediately modified based upon the race and class which you have chosen. Once a character that matches or exceeds your expectations has been rolled, the computer will display the character for you to look at, and asks you whether you accept or not. You may press Enter to accept. If you do not accept, you may press 'r' to resume rolling and searching for the next match or, if this is not your first match, 'p' to return to the previous character which met your criteria. Autoroll for weight, height and social status [autochara] If this option is enabled, you can specify weight, height and social status for auto-roller. Increase capacity of your home (*) [powerup_home] If this option is enabled, the capacity of your home will be expanded to 20 pages. If not, capacity is only 2 pages. -- Original : Ben Harrison Updated : Zangband 2.1.* by Topi Ylinen Updated : Zangband 2.2.0 through 2.2.6c by Robert Ruehlmann Updated : Zangband DevTeam Updated : Hengband 1.5.2
objects.txt=== Hengband Objects === The Hengband dungeons are full of objects and many monsters you meet will be carrying one or more items about their person which you may retrieve from their corpse should you be skillful enough to defeat them. You may pick up objects by moving on top of them. By setting various options (see option.txt#UserInterface [b]) you may choose to pick up items automatically or to be prompted before picking up objects. Many objects found within the dungeon have special commands for their use. Wands must be 'a'imed, staffs must be 'u'sed, scrolls must be 'r'ead, and potions must be 'q'uaffed. You may, in general, not only use items in your pack, but also items on the ground, if you are standing on top of them. === Object Symbols === ! A potion (or flask) / A pole-arm ? A scroll (or book) | An edged weapon , A mushroom (or food) \ A hafted weapon - A wand or rod } A sling, bow, or x-bow _ A staff { A shot, arrow, or bolt = A ring ( Soft armor " An amulet [ Hard armor $ Gold or gems ] Misc. armor ~ Lites, Tools, Chests, etc ) A shield ~ Junk, Sticks, Skeletons, etc & Chests ` Statues or Figurines === Equipment and Inventory === You can carry up to 23 different objects in your backpack while wearing and wielding up to 12 others. Items you wear and wield are referred to as your 'equipment' while items contained in your backpack are referred to as your 'inventory'. You may view a list of your current inventory and equipment at any time by using the 'i' and 'e' commands respectively. Although you are limited to 23 different items in your inventory, each item may actually be a 'pile' of up to 99 similar items. This allows you to carry multiple spell books, rations of food and other essential items while not using up all your inventory slots. If you somehow manage to stuff 24 items into your pack, for example, by removing an item from your head while your pack is full, then your pack will 'overflow' and the most recently added item will fall out and onto the ground. You will be warned about any command that seems likely to induce this behavior. In addition to the number of different items you may carry, you are also limited in the total amount of weight that you can carry. As you approach this value, you become slower, making it easier for monsters to chase you. Note that there is no upper bound on how much you can carry, if you do not mind being slow. The amount you may carry before becoming slowed is determined by your strength. For this purpose, the weight of both your equipment and your inventory is taken into consideration. Because of these space and weight constraints, it is important that a player learns to manage his inventory efficiently. You must juggle carefully the need for carrying essential items such as food, fuel for your light source, spellbooks (if applicable), healing items, escaping items, and the 101 other things necessary for your survival while at the same time maintaining space to carry back treasure from the dungeon for sale in the town and ensuring that you do not exceed your weight limit. Note that the additional powers and abilities some objects can grant the player are only effective when they are wielded. A Shield of Resist Acid, for example, will not protect you from the effects of acid while it is in your backpack. === Object Generation === Objects are generated by Hengband when you enter a dungeon level and spread liberally around the dungeon floor. They may also be generated when a monster is killed (assuming the monster is capable of carrying objects). Each object has a 'native' depth or a depth at which it begins to be commonly found in the dungeon. It is unusual, though not impossible, to find objects significantly shallower in the dungeon than their native depths. Note that although items generated on the floor may be in 'piles', they will never be in 'stacks'. Which items are generated at the creation of the level or by the death of a monster is determined by a number of factors including the current dungeon level, the monster's native level and the native depth of the object being considered for generation. The quality of the object, in the case of monster drops, is also affected by the guaranteed quality level (if any) of that monster's drop. Monster drops are either normal, 'good' or 'great'. While these terms generally refer to equipment such as weapons and armor (for example, a 'good' drop means that any equipment generated is guaranteed to have magical pluses and a 'great' drop means that any equipment generated is guaranteed to be either an ego item or an artifact), they also encompass certain other objects. For example, Amulets of the Magi, the dungeon-only spellbooks and Rings of Speed are all considered as being 'great' objects and may therefore be dropped by a monster with a 'great' drop. Note that some monsters may drop treasure rather than objects. === Object Compaction === Hengband can track a large, but finite, number of objects at any one time. If, as you kill monsters, the number of objects dropped together with the number of objects already lying on the floor exceeds this limit you will be told that the game is 'compacting objects'. When Hengband compacts objects it first attempts to combine similar objects into piles and, if this does not create sufficient space, will delete already existing items to create space for new ones. To the extent possible the compacting is performed on objects some distance away from the players current position. During compaction, items are removed in order of increasing quality with the least useful items removed first. Ego items are rarely removed from the level during the compaction process while artifacts (see below [d]) are never removed. === Cursed Objects === A goodly percentage of the items generated in the dungeon or dropped by monsters will be cursed. Most cursed items will have penalties to various things such as your skill and deadliness or your armor class. They may also have other undesirable attributes. Shopkeepers will refuse to buy cursed items. Should you wield a cursed item, you will be prompted by the message "Oops, it feels deathly cold!" and the item will be automatically inscribed as being {cursed}. Once wielded, a cursed item may not be taken off until it has been uncursed. Uncursing an object will allow it to be removed but will not remove the negative effects such as the penalties mentioned above. There are several ways to uncurse objects. The Life realm contains two spells (one stronger than the other) for the purpose. There are also scrolls that you may find or purchase from the Temple which are similar to these prayers in their effect. It is also possible that in the course of enchanting an item you may lift a curse as a side-effect the enchanting process although this is not guaranteed to happen. --- The Curses --- There are several different types of curse and more than one may be present on a single object although this is rare. Light Curse A lightly cursed item will typically have penalties to armor class, skill and deadliness, and various other things as appropriate. It may be uncursed reading a Scroll of Remove Curse or by the weaker Life realm prayer. Heavy Curse A heavily cursed item will typically have penalties to armor class, skill and deadliness, and various other things as appropriate. It may be uncursed reading a Scroll of *Remove Curse*. or by the stronger Life realm prayer. Permanent Curse Items that are permanently cursed may not be uncursed and so may not be removed once worn. You may occasionally find objects that are permanently cursed and which you are tempted to wield. Think carefully before you do so because you probably won't get a chance to change your mind. === The Ancient and Foul Curse === The Ancient and Foul Curse is sometimes referred to incorrectly as 'The Curse of Topi Ylinen' after the person who first created it. Unlike the other curses discussed above, an object with the Ancient and Foul Curse can be removed at any time and as a result you will not get the "Oops, it feels deathly cold!" prompt when wielding it (unless, of course, it also has one of the other curses in which case both these behaviors will be present as a consequence of the secondary curse(s)). While the item is wielded, the curse will be randomly invoked every so often. When invoked, the curse may have one or more of several possible effects in various combinations. Fortunately, some of the worst of such combinations such as being paralyzed while Cyberdemons are summoned around you are prevented from happening. Some possible effects of the curse include: summoning monsters, summoning Cyberdemons, paralyzation (even with Free Action), teleporting the player, removing the walls around the player, amnesia, decreasing one or more primary stats both temporarily and permanently among others. Note: Although the Ancient and Foul Curse is primarily found on objects, there are a number of other occasions where you might fall foul of it. These include as side effects of miss-cast spells, setting off certain traps, as a 'reward' from a chaos-warrior's patron and as the dying curse of an Amberite. === Object Flavors === Some objects (scrolls, potions, wands, rods and staffs) are 'flavored items'. This means that with each game they are given a random flavor. For example, the first time you find a Potion of Heroism it might be described as a 'Dark Blue Potion'. Once you have identified it, the potion will be described as a 'Dark Blue Potion of Heroism'. Flavors vary from game to game so your next character might discover that that same Dark Blue Potion is now something entirely different. This means that each new character must set about learning exactly what each flavored items is. One of the Hengband Options allows the player to switch to 'plain' object descriptions which removes the flavored description from known flavored items so that the potion above, once identified, would be described simply as a 'Potion of Heroism'. === Pseudo-ID === Occasionally, as you wander around the dungeon you will sense something about the quality of an item or items you are wielding or carrying in your backpack. This sensing ability is called 'pseudo-id'. The speed and accuracy of your pseudo-id ability depends on a number of factors but the primary considerations are your class and level. Pseudo-id speed can be 'slow', 'medium' or 'fast'. Pseudo-id method of weapons and armor can be 'strong' or 'weak'. Pseudo-id method of others is always 'strong'. Table 1 - Pseudo-Id ability of the Classes Weapons and Armor Others Class Method Speed Speed -------------------------------------------------------- Warrior Strong Very Fast Impossible Mage Weak Slow Very Fast Priest Weak Very Fast Fast Rogue Strong Fast Fast Ranger Strong Medium Medium Paladin Strong Medium Slow Warrior-Mage Weak Medium Medium Chaos-Warrior Strong Medium Slow Monk Weak Fast Medium Mindcrafter Weak Medium Fast High-Mage Weak Slow Very Fast Tourist Strong Extr. Fast Extr. Fast Imitator Weak Medium Slow BeastMaster Weak Medium Slow Sorcerer Weak Slow Very Fast Archer Strong Very Fast Impossible Magic-Eater Weak Slow Very Fast Bard Weak Very Fast Fast Red-Mage Weak Medium Medium Samurai Strong Very Fast Impossible ForceTrainer Weak Fast Fast Blue-Mage Weak Medium Very Fast Cavalry Strong Very Fast Impossible Berserker Strong Extr. Fast Impossible Weaponsmith Strong Very Fast Slow Mirror-Master Weak Medium Very Fast Ninja Strong Fast Slow Sniper Strong Medium Impossible When you pseudo-id an item, it will be inscribed (see below [e]) with the quality level you have determined it to be of. This inscription will remain until you identify it (see below [f]) at which time it will be removed. The various inscriptions and their meanings are as follows: Table 2 - Strong Pseudo-Id Inscription Meaning ------------------------------------------------- terrible a cursed artifact worthless a cursed ego item cursed a cursed item average an average item good an enchanted item excellent a good ego item special an non-cursed artifact Table 3 - Weak Pseudo-Id Inscription Meaning ------------------------------------------------ cursed a cursed item (includes bad ego items and artifacts) uncursed an enchanted item (includes good ego items and artifacts) === Identifying Objects === Although each player may, to a lessor or greater extent, rely on their pseudo-id ability to ascertain the quality of some items. For the most part you will need to identify them before you can ascertain how much use they will be to you. There are several methods of identifying items available to you. These include Scrolls of Identify and *Identify*, Staffs and Rods of Perception, spells and prayers and services from town buildings among others. There is an important difference between 'identify'ing an object and '*identify*'ing an object. 'Identify'ing an object will reveal its correct description (including ego type where applicable), any plusses to combat or armor class and its bonus to stats and abilities (its 'pval') if it has one. '*Identify*'ing an item will reveal all information about an object including its additional fixed and random abilities if any. Once *Identified*, you may review the full abilities of an object by using the 'I'nspect command. Another means of identifying flavored items it to sell them to a shop. Having purchased the item, the shopkeeper will inform you what it is that you have sold. This can be a useful technique in the early game but exposes you to the risk of selling an unidentified item that had been generated out of depth and which you might have preferred to keep for yourself. Note: you will automatically have full knowledge about any item that you purchase in the town. === Ego Objects === In addition to the ordinary weapons and armor your character may find in the dungeon, some of them may be endowed with additional powers. These objects fall into three types: (b) artifacts which are dealt with below and can be identified by their name; (c) Ego Weapons which are described more fully in Attacking Monsters (see attack.txt#EgoArtifact [g]); and (d) pieces of Ego Armor which are discussed more fully in Defending Yourself (see defend.txt#EgoArtifact [h]). Unlike artifacts which are unique and may only be found once in each game, it is not unusual to find several Ego Weapons or pieces of Ego Armor of the same type during the course of a character's adventures. Note that some Ego Armor types are limited to only certain types of armor. For example, you can find a Shield of Elvenkind but not Boots of Elvenkind. === Artifacts === Of all the objects in Hengband that you might find, by far the most important group are artifacts. Artifacts are unique items with additional properties such as increasing or sustaining one or more of your stats and granting resistances or abilities. Often an artifact can be 'A'ctivated for a magical effect. These can be Extremely useful - especially for classes that are weak in magic. There are two types of artifacts - fixed and random. The fixed artifacts each have entries in the lib/edit/a_info.txt file and consequently have a chance of appearing in each game you play. On the other hand, random artifacts are created by the game and have both random names and random properties. Once created, there is only a vanishingly small chance you will ever see one exactly the same again. --- (Non-) Preserve Mode --- One important thing to note when considering artifacts is your initial choice of (non-)preserve mode. in non-preserve mode, once a fixed artifact is generated (either on the dungeon floor or in a monster drop), it will never be generated again during that game. This means that if you miss the artifact by leaving the level before you pick it up it is gone forever. On the other hand, in preserve mode this behavior is only exhibited once you have identified the artifact. It is therefor safer to leave a level before it is completely explored as any fixed artifact can be regenerated in subsequent levels. --- Special feelings --- If you have stayed on the previous level long enough, on entering a new level you will receive a 'feeling' which reflects the quality of the monsters and objects on the level. Feelings are discussed in more detail in the Town and Dungeon section. One possible feeling is 'You have a special feeling about this level'. This message is only given when playing in non-preserve mode and is an indicator that you have either a monster pit, vault or artifact on the level. Artifacts always cause special feelings but pits and vaults are increasingly less likely to do so as you get deeper in the dungeon. At very deep levels, special feelings are almost always artifacts. Note: In non-preserve mode, you can still find artifacts on levels that did not give a special feeling but these will always be the result of a monster dropping them. --- The '~' Command --- By pressing '~' and choosing the option for artifacts, you can see what fixed (but not random) artifacts you have found so far. In non-preserve mode, this option will also show which fixed (but not random) artifacts you have missed. However, in this case, it will show nothing about fixed artifacts on the current dungeon level but not yet found and as a result is often best used on the town level. === Random Abilities of Objects === In addition to the ordinary weapons, armor and other equipment your character may find in the dungeon, some such items may be endowed with additional powers such as sustains, resistances and abilities. Such items fall into three categories: (b) artifacts; (c) ego items; and (d) ordinary items which grant additional powers. In addition to their fixed powers, some of these objects may also be granted an additional power (or powers) in a random fashion. The random powers of objects may be either guaranteed (so that objects of that type will always have an additional random power) or may have a varying chance of being granted (so that only some of the objects of that type will have an additional random power). A few rare objects have the possibility of having multiple random powers. Random powers fall into three categories as follows: Extra Sustains -------------- Sustain Strength Sustain Intelligence Sustain Wisdom Sustain Dexterity Sustain Constitution Sustain Charisma Extra Resistances ----------------- Resist Blindness Resist Confusion Resist Sound Resist Shards Resist Nether Resist Nexus Resist Chaos Resist Disenchantment Resist Poison Resist Light Resist Dark Extra Powers ------------ Levitation Permanent Light See Invisible Warning Slow Digestion Regeneration Free Action Hold Life === Object Inscriptions === You may "inscribe" any object with a textual inscription of your choice. These inscriptions are not limited in length, though you may not be able to see the whole inscription on the item. The game applies special meaning to inscriptions containing any text of the form "@#" or "@x#" or "!x" or "!*" (see command.txt#ObjectSelection [i]) . The game provides some "fake" inscriptions to help you keep track of your possessions. Wands and staffs which are known to be empty will be inscribed with "empty". Objects which have been tried at least once but haven't been identified yet will be inscribed with "tried". Cursed objects are inscribed with "cursed". Broken objects may be inscribed with "broken". Also, any item which was purchased at a discount, implying that it is slightly "sub-standard", will be inscribed with the appropriate "discount", such as "25% off". Note that these inscriptions are fake, and cannot be removed, though they can be covered up by a real inscription if you so desire. Try "_" as a nice short one. --- Making use of Inscriptions --- Some players use the inscription feature to record useful and/or interesting facts about an object such as where and how it was acquired or what its abilities and powers are. Hengband have a feature to automatically inscribe abilities of items for you. In addition to this, inscriptions can be used in far more powerful ways. Many commands in Hengband require you to specify an object from your inventory such as which potion you wish to 'q'uaff or which staff you wish to 'u'se. Inscriptions offer a powerful way of managing this and provide a useful labor saving tool. Auto Inscription of Resistances and Powers ------------------------------------------ When you inscribe {%all} on an *identified* object, the '%all' will automatically transforms and changes into a string which describe its resistances and powers. For example, when you inscribe {%all} on a robe of Resistance which has resistance to four elements and an extra resistance to Nether, the inscription will change into {AcElFiClNt}. The 'Ac' is abbreviation of resistance to ACid, while El, Fi, Cl and Nt are resistances to ELectricity, FIre, CoLd and NeTher. On the other hand, when you inscribe {%} on an *identified* object, the {%} will transform to a string which describes only its extra resistances. In the example above, the inscription will become {Nt}, meaning the extra resistance of Nether. List of abbreviations: At : extra blows Ac : resistance to acid Sp : affects speed El : resistance to electricity St : affects strength Fi : resistance to fire In : affects intelligence Co : resistance to cold Wi : affects wisdom Po : resistance to poison Dx : affects dexterity Li : resistance to light Cn : affects constitution Dk : resistance to darkness Ch : affects charisma Sh : resistance to shards Md : affects magic devices Bl : resistance to blindness Sl : affects stealth Cf : resistance to confusion Sr : affects searching ability So : resistance to sound If : affects infravision Nt : resistance to nether Dg : affects tunneling ability Nx : resistance to nexus *Ac : immune to acid Ca : resistance to chaos *El : immune to electricity Di : resistance to disenchantment *Fi : immune to fire Fe : resistance to fear *Co : immune to cold Ma : decreases mana consumption (F : fiery sheath Th : suitable for throwing (E : electric sheath Rf : reflection (C : cold sheath Fa : free action (M : anti-magic shell Si : see invisible (T : prevent teleportation Hl : hold life |A : brand acid Sd : slow digestion |E : brand electricity Rg : regeneration |F : brand fire Lv : levitation |Co : brand cold Lu : extra light |P : brand pois Wr : provides warning |Ca : chaotic effects Xm : xtra might when shooting |V : vampiric weapon Xs : xtra number of shots |Q : weapon of quake Te : random teleportaion |S : vorpal hit Ag : aggravate monsters |M : weapon of the force Bs : blessed weapon /* : slay evil /X* : *slay* evil /p : slay human /Xp : *slay* human /D : slay dragon /XD : *slay* dragon /o : slay orc /Xo : *slay* orc /T : slay troll /XT : *slay* troll /P : slay giant /XP : *slay* giant /U : slay demon /XU : *slay* demon /L : slay undead /XL : *slay* undead /Z : slay animal /XZ : *slay* animal ~Tele : telepathy (St : sustain strength ~Evil : ESP evil (In : sustain intelligence ~Good : ESP good (Wi : sustain wisdom ~Nolv : ESP non-living (Dx : sustain dexterity ~p : ESP human (Cn : sustain constitution ~D : ESP dragon (Ch : sustain charisma ~o : ESP orc ~T : ESP troll ~P : ESP giant ~U : ESP demon ~L : ESP undead ~Z : ESP animal The {@x#} Inscription --------------------- The {@x#} inscription (where 'x' is the key to activate a specific command and '#' is an object tag (number or alphabet)) is, perhaps the most commonly used inscription. When you select command 'x', followed by the tag '#', the game searches for an object with the inscription {@x#} and performs that command upon it. Thus if the player inscribes a Potion of Healing as {@q1}, then pressing 'q1' will quaff it automatically. This feature is useful because as items are added or removed from your inventory, the actual slot that they are in changes. However, the inscription will work regardless of the position. Note that you can inscribe multiple different objects with the same inscription {@x#}. If you do so, the command 'x#' will act on the first appropriately inscribed object in your inventory list and not on each of them. Also note that you can place multiple such inscriptions on a single object. So that a spell book might be inscribed {@ma@ba@Ga} since the cast spell, browse book, and gain spell commands each require a spell book reference as an argument. You can also inscribe the same command more than one so that food item might be inscribed {@E1@E2} Example 1: You have a primary weapon and a shovel. You normally use the weapon but want to use the shovel for mining treasure. Inscribe your primary weapon with {@w0} and your shovel with {@w1}. Then, when you want to wield your shovel, you can press 'w1' and to re-wield your sword you can press 'w0' regardless of where in the inventory they are located at the time. Note: you can also inscribe both weapons with {@w0} and just press 'w0' whenever you want to exchange weapon and shovel. Example 2: To cast the first spell from your first spell book, you would normally type 'maa' and to cast the first spell from the second book, you would type 'mba'. However, if your first book is stolen or destroyed, pressing 'mba' would no longer cast the spell you wanted. People often cast the wrong spells in such situation. To prevent such mistake, you can inscribe your first spellbook with {@ma}, second spellbook with {@mb}, etc. Cast spells by typing 'maa', 'mba', etc. Even if your other spell books are lost, you will never need to worry about casting the wrong spell. Example 3: You are carrying some Rations of Food and some Elvish Waybread. You wish to use up the Rations first before eating the Waybread, but also want to be able to use the healing/curing properties of the Waybread in an emergency. You would inscribe the Rations with {@E1} and the Waybread with {@E1@E2}. Since the Rations appear before the Waybread on the inventory listing, typing 'E1' will ensure you eat all the Rations first before touching the Waybread but that you only ever have to press E1 to eat. But, pressing 'E2' will bypass the Rations and jump to the Waybread. Some players also do similar things with cure and healing potions. The {@#} Inscription --------------------- The {@#} inscription (where '#' is a number from 0 to 9) is similar to the {@x#} inscription, but it works for any command, and any alphabet letters cannot be used as a tag. The {!x} Inscription -------------------- The {!x} inscription (where 'x' is the key to activate a specific command) will induce "verification" whenever that object is "selected". Thus, inscribing {!v!k!d} on an object will greatly reduce the odds of you "losing" it by accident. This is because any attempt to throw it ('f'), destroy it ('k') or drop it ('d') will prompt Hengband to verify whether or not you really wish to take that action. Note that inscribing {!*} on an object will prompt Hengband to verify any action thus you allowing you to be very paranoid about the object. Also note that "selling" and "dropping" both use the "d" command so that inscribing an item with {!d} will also prevent you from selling it by accident. The {^x} Inscription -------------------- The {^x} inscription (where 'x' is the key to activate a specific command) will induce verification before taking that action. One common example of its usage is to inscribe boots with {^<^>} which will verify the user's command to leave the level via the staircases before actually doing so. The {=g} Inscription -------------------- The {=g} inscription on an object prompts Hengband to automatically pick it up. This instruction overrides any auto-pickup options chosen chosen by the player (if necessary). The primary purpose is to allow easy retrieval of missiles such as arrows and bolts once they have been fired at a target. The {#anystring} Inscription -------------------- The {#anystring} inscription is used to make an item look like an artifact. For example, a Long Sword (2d5) (+10,+10) which is inscribed as {#of Hoge} is displayed as 'a Long Sword of Hoge (2d5) (+10,+10)'. The {!!} Inscription -------------------- The {!!} Inscription on a rod or artifact tells the game to report you when the object is recharged and became activatable again. The {.} Inscription -------------------- The {.} Inscription on a equipment which has ability of random teleportaion prevents the game from asking you whether you want to teleport or not on random chance, and the game automatically decide not to teleport. But the ability of random teleportation has another function which allows you to follow a teleporting monster; this function will not be disabled. The {$} Inscription -------------------- The {$} Inscription on a equipment which has ability of warning completely disables the warning ability. === The Object Types === Ammunition ('{') Ammunition of various types and quality is a frequent find in the dungeon and is usually found in 'piles'. In order to get the full benefit from ammunition it must be 'f'ired from the appropriate missile launcher but me also be thrown. Slings fire pebbles and shots, bows fire arrows and crossbows fire bolts. Missile Launchers ('}') There are several types of missile launchers from slings to heavy crossbows. Each type of launcher has its own ammunition (see above). Missile launchers must be 'w'ielded before they can be used and will be placed in the 'b' equipment slot. Weapons ('|', '/', '\') There are numerous types of weapons in the dungeons. Each weapon varies in terms of its weight and based damage dice. Weapons must be 'w'ielded before they can be used and will be placed in the 'a' equipment slot. Armor ('[', '(', ')', ']') Armor may be worn on your body (the 'g' equipment slot), cloaks may worn about your body (the 'h' equipment slot), shields may be worn on your arm (the 'i' equipment slot), head gear (caps, helms and crowns) are worn on your head (the 'j' equipment slot), gloves and gauntlets and cesti are worn on your hands (the 'k' equipment slot) and boots are worn on your feet (the 'l' equipment slot). Armor of any kind must be 'w'ielded before it can be used. worn on your Amulets ('"') Amulets are flavored items and are worn around your neck (the 'e' equipment slot) and must be 'w'ielded before they can be used. Rings ('=') Rings are flavored items. You may wear one ring each of your left and your right hand (the 'c' and 'd' equipment slot) and must be 'w'ielded before they can be used. Scrolls ('?') Scrolls are flavored items which must be 'r'ead to benefit from their effect. Most scrolls serve utility purposes. Potions ('!') Potions are flavored items and must be 'q'uaffed before they have an effect on you. Some potions may be thrown at monsters and will have an effect on them when the potion shatters. Similarly, you may occasionally be carrying a potion which shatters during combat and thus spreading its effects on the monsters around you. Food (',') Various food items are scattered throughout the dungeons and must be 'E'aten for the player to gain nutritional value. If you do not eat regularly you will become hungry and then weak. Eventually, you will begin to faint from hunger and will finally die of starvation. Note: undead races gain little or no nutritional value from food and must therefore obtain nourishment in some other manner. Mushrooms (',') Mushrooms are a flavored food item that grant nutritional value and also have a magical effect on the player. As you might expect, not all of these are beneficial. They must be 'E'aten. Note: undead races will get little or no nutritional value from eating mushrooms but will experience any magical effects. Wands ('-') Wands are flavored, magical devices containing a finite number of 'charges'. Each charge represents a single use of the wand and using the wand reduces the number of charges available by one. Once empty, the wand must be 'recharged' before it can be used again. In general, wands will fire a bolt, beam or ball rather than have an area affect. Wands do not normally affect the player directly and are generally useful for attacking purposes. Wands must be 'a'imed and most wands will require a target. Staffs ('_') Staffs are a flavored item and are made of various types of wood. Like wands, they contain a limited number of charges and must be recharged when empty. In general, staffs have an area affect or act on the player. Unlike wands, few staffs may be used directly for offense. Staffs must be 'u'sed and do not require a target. Rods ('-') Rods are similar to both wands and staffs in that many magical effects available from wands and staffs are also available from rods. The main difference is that a rod carries a single charge but over time will recharge itself. Typically, the better the rod, the longer it will take to recharge itself. This means you have an unlimited supply of the magical effect but can only use it infrequently compared to a wand or staff which can be used each turn until it is empty. Rods must be 'z'apped and many rods will require a target. Spellbooks ('?') There are four spell books for each of the magic realms and which are found either in the shops or at varying depths in the dungeons. If you are a spellcaster, you may 'b'rowse any book which belonging to your chosen realm(s) to see what spells it contains. You may not browse books from realms other than those that your character has chosen. You may learn new spells with the 'g' command and cast them with the '*' command. Chests ('&') Chests are complex objects, containing traps, locks, and possibly treasure or other objects inside them once they are opened. Many of the commands that apply to traps or doors also apply to chests and, like traps and doors, these commands do not work if you are carrying the chest. Magical Figurines ('`') A figurine is a small. magical replica of a monster from the dungeon. When a figurine is thrown, a pet of the figurine's monster type will be generated. Statues (''') Statues made of various materials can be found throughout the dungeon. Unlike figurines, they have no magical attributes but may be worth selling depending upon the material from which they are made. Corpses ('~') You may sometimes find the corpses and skeletons of monsters and other adventurers that have died in the dungeons. Various Junk ('~') Like any dungeon, you should expect to find various junk items like broken sticks, empty bottles, etc. lying around. While most of this junk is useless, iron spikes can be used to 'j'am doors to prevent a monster from chasing you. Light Sources ('~') Various light sources and their fuel may also be found in the dungeon. You may refill your light source if you are carrying the appropriate items by using the 'F' command. Lanterns can be filled with flasks of oil and torches combined with other torches. -- Original : (??) Updated : (??) Updated : Zangband DevTeam Updated : Hengband 1.3.0
attack.txt=== Attacking and Weapons=== Attacking is simple in Hengband. If you move into a creature, you attack it. If you are wielding a weapon (including digging implements which are considered to be weapons) when you do so, the damage for the weapon is used when you hit a creature. Otherwise, you will attack with your bare hands which does minimal damage (unless you are playing a monk). Melee can do more damage per turn than any other form of attack, and the basic equipment (a weapon) is easy to find. On the other hand, melee only works against adjacent monsters and takes a great deal of training and equipment to come into its own deeper in the dungeon. Upgrading to weapons with higher base damage is vital but heavy weapons are harder to master. You will have to find a compromise, depending on class, experience level, and available equipment (use the 'C'haracter screen to see how various weapons affect your melee skill). You may wield both a primary weapon for melee combat, and a bow or other missile launcher for launching missiles at the same time. Most classes will also benefit from carrying an assortment of magical devices for attack. --- Attacking from a Distance --- You can attack creatures from a distance by firing a missile from a bow or other missile launcher, by throwing an object or by using magical items such as wands, rods and staffs. If you have chosen to play a spell casting class, you may be able to learn some spells which allow you to attack a creature from a distance. You can use distance attacks even when your target is next to you. Whenever you give a command to fire a weapon, cast a spell, or use an attacking magical device (unless the spell or device has an area effect), you will be prompted for a direction. You may choose any of the eight movement directions or press '*' to enter targeting mode. A detailed explanation of targeting mode can be found in the section on Command Descriptions (see commdesc.txt#ThrowFire [b]). You may also wish to make use of the use_old_target option which automatically selects the last target. This prevents you from having to target the same monster every time you attack it. An explanation of this option is found the section on User Interface Options (see option.txt#UserInterface [c]). --- Attacking Monsters in Walls --- You should note that some creatures, for example ghosts, can pass through the dungeon walls. You can attack a creature in a wall with your weapon by trying to move into the wall space which contains the creature. If the creature is invisible and you do not have the ability to see invisible creatures, you must tunnel into the wall space containing the creature. Bolt spells do full damage to a creature in a wall, but ball spells will be stopped and blow up just in front of a wall and do only half damage. Inversely, when you have ghost like form and are in a wall, you will take only half damage from ball spells and breaths of monsters, which is a very important privilege. === Melee Weapons === Carrying a weapon in your backpack does you no good. You must wield a weapon before it can be used in a fight. A secondary weapon can be kept by keeping it in the backpack, and switching it with the primary weapon when needed. Weapons have two main magical characteristics, their enchanted ability to hit and their enchanted ability to do damage, expressed as `(+#,+#)'. A normal weapon would be `(+0,+0)'. Many weapons in Hengband have bonuses to hit and/or do damage. Some weapons are cursed, and have penalties that hurt the player. Cursed weapons cannot be unwielded until the curse is lifted. Identifying a weapon will inform you of the magical bonuses and penalties and whether or not it is cursed. Hengband assumes that your youth in the rough environment near the dungeons has taught you the relative merits of different weapons. Hengband displays as part of their description the damage dice which define their capabilities. Any damage enchantment is added to the dice roll for that weapon. The dice used for a given weapon is displayed as "#d#". The first number indicates how many dice to roll, and the second indicates how many sides they have. A "2d6" weapon will give damage from 2 to 12, plus any damage bonus. The weight of a weapon is also a consideration. Heavy weapons may hit harder, but they are also harder to use. Depending on your strength, dexterity, character class, and weapon weight, you may get several attacks per turn. === Missile Launchers === Firing a missile while wielding the appropriate launcher is the only way to get the "full" power out of the missile. You may of course throw an arrow at a monster without firing it from a bow, but you will find the effects may not be what you had hoped. Slings will fire pebbles or shots, bows will fire arrows and crossbows will fire bolts. Missiles of varying type and quality can be bought in the town and may be found throughout the dungeon. Missile launchers, have their characteristics added to those of the missile used, if the proper weapon/missile combination is used, and the launcher multiplier is applied to the total damage, making missile weapons very powerful given the proper missiles. This is especially true if both the launcher and the missile are enchanted. Hits and misses are determined by your ability to hit versus your target's armor class. A hit is a strike that does some damage; a miss may in fact reach a target, but fails to do any damage. Higher armor class makes it harder to do damage, and so leads to more misses; it will also reduce the damage from a strike that actually occurs. The varying types of missile launchers each have their own strengths and weaknesses. Which can be summarized as follows: Shots per turn Multiplier Sling: 1.25 2 Short Bow: 1.00 2 Long Bow: 1.00 3 Light Crossbow: 0.83 3 Heavy Crossbow: 0.75 4 Bows tend to be good at dealing constant streams of damage. A sling is good for killing many small monsters - it even does more damage per round than a short bow if you can carry enough ammunition. Crossbows deal enormous amounts of damage in one shot. However, the reload time is such that a longbow will deal more damage over time. Certain classes automatically receive additional shots as they become more experienced. Rangers and Cavalry receive some additional shots with a bow. Rogues receive some extra shots with a sling. Archers and Warriors receive some additional shots with any missile launcher. == Ego Weapons and Artifacts === In addition to the ordinary weapons your character may find in the dungeon, some of them may be endowed with additional powers. These weapons fall into two types: (1) artifacts; and (2) ego weapons. Unlike artifacts which are unique and may only be found once in each game, it is not unusual to find several ego weapons of the same type during the course of a character's adventures. In general, artifacts and ego weapons may boost one or more of your primary statistics, may confer certain abilities upon your character, may grant resistance to certain forms of attack and may be especially deadly against certain types of creature. Take note that if your weapon has two attributes that make it deadly to your opponent (for example you are fighting a demon and your weapon slays both evil and demons (demons are evil)), only the most effective slay will apply. (Defender) A magical weapon that actually helps defend the wielder by increasing his/her armor class and providing resistance against damage from fire, cold, acid and lightning attacks. It also grants levitation, increases your stealth, let you see invisible creatures and protects you from paralyzation and some slowing attacks. It also helps you regenerate hit-points and mana faster. It has a randomly chosen ability to sustain a key statistic and to provide additional resistance. (Holy Avenger) A Holy Avenger is one of the more powerful of weapons. It will increase your wisdom and your armor class and prevent you from becoming afraid. This weapon will do extra damage when used against evil, demonic and undead creatures, and will also give you the ability to see invisible creatures. These weapons are also blessed and so can be wielded by priests with no penalty. Weapon of Westernesse A Weapon of Westernesse is one of the more powerful weapons. It slays orcs, trolls and giants while increasing your strength, dexterity, and constitution. It allows you to sense the presence of nearby orcs, trolls, and giants. It also allows you to see invisible creatures and protects you from paralyzation and some slowing attacks. (Trump Weapon) A Trump Weapon is especially deadly against evil creatures and will increase your ability to discover hidden dungeon features. It will help you regenerate hit-points and mana faster and at the same time will reduce your rate of food consumption. It provides resistance to nexus and protects you from paralyzation and some slowing attacks. It may have an additional resistance. In addition, it can be activated for teleport once every 50+1d50 turns. A Trump Weapon can cause you to teleport randomly. Random teleports can be annoying when you don't need them, but, unless the weapon is cursed, you may prevent them by inscribing the weapon with the '{' command. (Pattern Weapon) A Pattern Weapon has been embedded with a fragment of the Pattern. It will increase your strength and constitution and also has a chance of increasing your dexterity. It is especially effective when used against evil, undead and demonic creatures. It will allow you to see invisible creatures and protects you from paralyzation and some slowing attacks. It has an additional, random, resistance. (Blessed Blade) A blessed weapon will increase your wisdom and can be wielded by priests with no penalty. It allows you to sense the presence of nearby good creatures. It may have some other special abilities. Weapon of Extra Attacks These weapons will grant the user additional attacks per round. Weapon of Sharpness (edged weapon only) These are known to occasionally score vorpal hits (see below) and will also increase your ability to tunnel through the dungeon walls. Weapon of Earthquakes (hafted weapon only) These weapons may cause an earthquake when they strike an opponent which potentially may cause other monsters in the area to take damage from falling rocks and will destroy a small portion of the surrounding dungeon. They also increase your ability to tunnel through the dungeon walls. Some weapons of this type found deep in the dungeon may grant extra attacks per round. Weapon of Slaying These weapons have a chance of being granted unusually high damage dice. Some weapons of this type deal poison damage or cause vorpal hits. Implement of Digging These digging implements increase your ability to tunnel through the dungeon walls, and have the acid brand (see below). --- The Elemental and Other Brands --- For players of Angband, Zangband and older versions of Hengband, keep in mind that activations have been added to the weapons with the acid, electric, cold, fire or poison brands. Enjoy this new power to your heart's content! (Chaotic) These bizarre, feared weapons have been manufactured in the Courts of Chaos, and are very unpredictable in combat often producing chaotic effects when they strike your opponent. Effects include *destruction*, teleport away and vampiric drain among others. A Chaotic weapon grants resistance to chaos attacks and cannot be damaged by acid, fire and electricity. It may have an additional, random, resistance. (Vampiric) These foul weapons have been created by Death magic. They lust for blood, and if such a weapon scores a hit, it greedily sucks life from the hapless victim, transferring the life energy to its master and healing them in the process. Some of these weapons are especially effective against human-type opponents, dealing 2.5 times the normal dice against those creatures. Weapon of Melting A magical weapon of acid that will inflict damage with 2.5 times the normal dice when used against a creature that is not resistant to acid. It also provides resistance against acid attacks. It may be activated every 12 turns to attack with a ball of acid. Weapon of Shocking A magical weapon of lightning that will inflict damage with 2.5 times the normal dice when used against a creature that is not resistant to electricity. It also provides resistance against lightning attacks. It may be activated every 12 turns to attack with a ball of electricity. Weapon of Freezing A magical weapon of ice that will inflict damage with 2.5 the normal dice when used against a creature that is not resistant to cold. It also provides resistance against cold attacks. It may be activated every 12 turns to attack with a ball of cold air. Weapon of Burning A magical weapon of fire that will inflict damage with 2.5 the normal dice when used against a creature that is not resistant to fire. It also provides resistance against fire attacks. It may be activated every 12 turns to attack with a ball of fire. Weapon of Poisoning A magical weapon, coated with poison, that will inflict damage with 2.5 times the normal dice to creatures not resistant to poison. It also provides resistance against toxic and poisonous attacks. It may be activated every 12 turns to attack with a ball of radioactive waste. Weapon of Force This weapon will attack monsters with your mana power and will inflict damage with 3.5 times the normal dice. It also increases your intelligence and wisdom and allows you to see invisible creatures. --- Weapons of Slay {Monster-Type} --- For players of Angband, Zangband and older version of Hengband, keep in mind that the old weapons of Slay {Monster-Type} have been discontinued since they weren't particularly useful. The old *Slay* {Monster-Type} weapons are now Slay {Monster-Type}, and some of those that still seemed weak have been tweaked further. Weapon of Slay Animal This weapon is especially effective against natural creatures and will inflict damage with 4 times the normal dice against such creatures. It allows you to always sense the presence of nearby animals. It also raises your intelligence and helps you regenerate hit-points and mana faster. Weapon of Slay Evil This weapon is especially effective against evil creatures and will inflict damage with two times the normal dice against such creatures. It allows you to always sense the presence of nearby evil creatures. It also increases your wisdom. Weapon of Slay Human This weapon is especially effective against human-type beings and will inflict damage with 4 times the normal dice against such beings. It allows you to always sense the presence of nearby human-type creatures. It also increases your dexterity and provides resistance to fear. Weapon of Slay Undead This weapon is especially effective against undead creatures and will inflict 5 times the normal dice against such creatures. It allows you to always sense the presence of nearby undead. It will also increase your wisdom, allow you to see invisible creatures and provide resistance against nether. Weapon of Slay Demon This weapon is especially effective against demonic creatures and will inflict damage with 5 times the normal dice against such creatures. It allows you to always sense the presence of nearby demons. It will also increase your intelligence and provide resistance against fire. Weapon of Slay Orc This weapon is especially effective against orcs and will inflict damage with 5 times the normal dice against such creatures. It allows you to always sense the presence of nearby orcs. It will also increase your dexterity and provide darkness resistance. Weapon of Slay Troll This weapon is especially effective against trolls and will inflict damage with 5 times the normal dice against such creatures. It allows you to always sense the presence of nearby trolls. It also increases your strength and accelerates how rapidly you recover hit-points and mana. Weapon of Slay Giant This weapon is especially effective against giant humanoids and will inflict damage with 5 times the normal dice against such creatures. It allows you to always sense the presence of nearby giants. It also increases your strength and protects you from paralyzation and some slowing attacks. Weapon of Slay Dragon This weapon is especially effective against dragons and will inflict damage with 5 times the normal dice against such creatures. It allows you to always sense the presence of nearby dragons. It also increases your constitution and provides additional, random, resistances. --- Cursed Weapons --- Equipment that is simply cursed brings only disadvantages, but you may find weapons with horrifying and powerful powers. Here, we'll introduce the weapons with such powers. Morgul Weapon A Morgul weapon was made by Sauron or one of his magicians. It has larger than normal damage dice, poisons enemies, and is especially effective against undead or human-type creatures. It allows the wielder to always sense the presence of nearby undead. It also grants resistance to cold and nether, allows the wielder to see invisible creatures, and surrounds the wielder with a sheath of cold air that damages those who attack the wielder. However, it has a penalty to AC, aggravates nearby monsters and is randomly and powerfully cursed. For players of Angband, Zangband or older versions of Hengband, keep in mind that Morgul weapons have become more powerful. It seems that some maintainers have been corrupted by Morgoth, and the dark powers that lie to the free people of Middle-earth are becoming stronger. (Demonic) A weapon of this type has larger than normal damage dice, deals flame damage and allows the wielder to always sense the presence of nearby demons. It also increases the wielder's intelligence, grants resistance to fire and nether and allows the wielder to see invisible creatures. It may have a bonus to the number of attacks or cause a random effect, like that of a Chaotic weapon, on a successful attack. A Demonic weapon has a penalty to AC and also has a random unpleasant effect. (Weird Weapon) (edged weapons only) A weapon of this type has larger than normal damage dice, produces vorpal hits, absorbs the vitality of enemies and restores the wielder and also causes extra damage to orcs, trolls, giants, natural animals, humans and dragons. However, it is always strongly cursed, reduces intelligence and wisdom, drains your experience points from time to time and aggravates nearby monsters. --- Missile Launchers --- Launcher of Accuracy These missile launchers have an unusually high bonus to hit. Launcher of Velocity These missile launchers have an unusually high bonus to dam. Launcher of Extra Might These missile launchers have an unusually high damage multiplier. They also provide some resistance. Launcher of Extra Shots These missile launchers grant additional shots per round. --- Ammunition --- Ammunition of Hurt Animal This ammunition is especially effective against natural creatures and will do 1.7 times the normal damage against such creatures. Ammunition of Hurt Evil This ammunition is especially effective against evil creatures and will do 1.5 times the normal damage against such creatures. Ammunition of Hurt Dragon This ammunition is especially effective against dragons and will do 2 times the normal damage against such creatures. Ammunition of Shocking This ammunition will inflict 1.7 times the normal damage when used against a creature that is not resistant to electricity. Ammunition of Flame This ammunition will inflict 1.7 times the normal damage when used against a creature that is not resistant to fire. Ammunition of Frost This ammunition will inflict 1.7 times the normal damage when used against a creature that is not resistant to cold. Ammunition of Slaying This ammunition will have unusually large damage dice. Ammunition of Wounding This ammunition will have unusually large bonuses +to-hit and +to-dam. --- Other Items --- Apart from these there are some very rare and well made weapons in the dungeon. These include Blades of Chaos (which grant resistance to chaos), Maces of Disruption (which are especially effective against undead creatures) and Scythes of Slicing (which may score vorpal hits). You may also find a strange weapon called a Poison Needle which has a chance to find an opponent's weakness and kill that opponent with a single blow. Also, legendary weapons (artifacts) are similar to ego items but usually have more abilities and are very powerful. Artifacts never break. However, they may deteriorate and, if caught in the effect range of *destruction*, may disappear forever. In Hengband, there are two types of artifacts: fixed and random. A fixed artifact has a predetermined name and attributes, so, if you play the game many times, you may encounter the same fixed artifact. The name and attributes of a random artifact are determined when it is generated, so it is extremely unlikely that you would see that artifact again in another game. By the way, the rare weapons mentioned above can also become ego items at the same time. A Blade of Chaos (Holy Avenger) will have a more powerful attack than many artifacts. Note on Vorpal Weapons: A weapon with the vorpal flag will have a 1-in-6 chance of doing additional damage each time it strikes. If it passes the roll it has a chance of doing it again. This continues until a roll is failed. The calculations are nasty but the net effect is an average 22% increase in damage output. === Magical Aids to Physical Combat === There are several magical means of increasing your physical combat ability. The most common of these are potions of heroism and berserk strength and various scrolls (blessing, holy prayer, etc.). Typically, these grant small cumulative bonuses to your combat skill. Some magic realms contain equivalent spells. Be aware that you can't cast spells while berserk, for instance from drinking a potion of berserk strength. Using a healing potion (or some staffs or rods with healing effects) will clear your head, cancel the berserk effect (if you're not a berserker), and allow you to cast spells. === Monk Attacks === A Monk or a ForceTrainer prefer to fight barehanded rather than use a weapon like other characters in Hengband. As a Monk's level increases, the number of attacks he or she gets per round increases and new, increasingly powerful attacks become available. Higher level attacks have a chance to stun the Monk's opponent. While the type of attack that a Monk uses for each blow is chosen at random from the list of available attacks, at higher levels there is a bias towards the attacks which do greater damage. This is because at these levels, the game will roll several times for each blow with the highest attack type chosen. --- Monks Attack Types --- Attack Name Min.lvl Damage Stun Notes ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Punch 1 1d5 - Kick 2 1d7 - Strike 3 1d9 - Knee 5 2d4 * Likely to stun male opponents Elbow 7 1d12 - Butt 9 2d6 - Ankle Kick 11 3d6 - May slow down the opponent Uppercut 13 5d5 6 Double-kick 16 5d6 8 Cat's Claw 20 5d8 - Jump Kick 24 6d8 10 Eagle's Claw 28 7d9 - Circle Kick 32 8d10 10 Iron Fist 35 8d11 10 Flying Kick 39 8d12 12 Dragon Fist 43 9d12 16 Crushing Blow 48 10d13 18 === Basic Tactics === Pillardancing ------------- This tactic uses an isolated wall surrounded by eight empty spaces, i.e. a pillar, so you can avoid an opponent's attacks while you prepare for an attack or escape. If you are the same speed or faster than the enemy, you lure it so it is at one face of the pillar while you are one square away diagonally on another face. You then back away diagonally to another face of the pillar, out of its line of sight. You then repeat that procedure when the opponent moves into your field of view. In Hengband, that tactic is not recommended. Movement has a randomized component so you won't be able to avoid all of the opponent's attacks with pillardancing. Shoot'n Scoot ------------- Requires a large room, Phase Door, and some type of ranged attack. Stand at one end of the room while your enemy is at the other end. Repeat your ranged attack until it gets close, then Phase Door. Keep doing that until you can safely finish off the enemy with melee attacks (or until you can't continue your ranged attack and need to escape). Wail'n Bail ----------- Requires Teleport items. Fight the monster until you're almost dead, teleport out, find him, and resume fighting. This is dangerous, because you could teleport right next to some nasty that will kill you. Also, it is not generally useful for killing unique monsters, as they regenerate damage very quickly, and by the time you find them again, they will have healed what you did to them. The Anti-Summoning Corridor --------------------------- Requires a little time to set up. This can be done just about anywhere. Dig a twisting corridor into the rock, and station yourself at one end of it. When your opponent arrives, he won't be able to summon any monsters next to you. This is a very important technique for fighting many higher-end monsters which very quickly bring in a horde of other monsters. -- Original : (??) Chris Weisiger and Leon Marrick Updated : (??) Updated : Zangband DevTeam Updated : Hengband 1.5.2 Updated : Hengband 3.0.0, English translation backwardsEric
commdesc.txt=== Command Descriptions === The following command descriptions are listed as the command name plus the "underlying command" key. This is followed by the command name and "roguelike" keyset key, if different from the underlying command key. Then comes a brief description of the command, including information about alternative methods of specifying the command in each keyset, when needed. Several commands (tunnel, disarm, bash, open) are repeated 99 times if the "always_repeat" option is set and no repeat count is given. Some commands use the "repeat count" to automatically repeat the command several times, while others use the "repeat count" as an "argument", for example, commands which need a "quantity" will use the "repeat count" instead of asking for a quantity, allowing the use of "0d" for "drop all". Commands which ask for a quantity will convert any "letters" into the maximal legal value. --- Inventory Commands --- Inventory list (i) Displays a list of objects being carried but not equipped. You can carry up to 23 different items, not counting those in your equipment. Often, many identical objects can be "stacked" into a "pile" which will count as a single item. This is always true of things like potions, scrolls, and food, but you may have to set options to allow wands, staffs, and other such objects to stack. Each object has a weight, and if you carry more objects than your strength permits, you will begin to slow down. Equipment list (e) Use this command to display a list of the objects currently being used by your character. Your character has 12 slots for equipment, each corresponding to a different location on the body, and each of which may contain only a single object at a time, and each of which may only contain objects of the proper "type", and which include WIELD (weapon), BOW (missile launcher), LEFT (ring), RIGHT (ring), NECK (amulet), LITE (light source), BODY (armor), OUTER (cloak), ARM (shield), HEAD (helmet), HANDS (gloves), FEET (boots). You must be using an object to receive any of its special powers. Drop an item (d) This drops an item from your inventory or equipment onto the dungeon floor. If the floor spot you are standing on already has an object in it, Hengband will attempt to drop the item onto an adjacent space. Be warned that if the floor is full and you attempt to drop something, it may disappear and be destroyed. Doors and traps are considered objects for the purpose of determining if the space is occupied. If the selected pile contains multiple items, you may specify a quantity. Destroy an item (k) or Destroy an item (^D) This destroys an item in your inventory or on the dungeon floor. If the selected pile contains multiple objects, you may specify a quantity. You must always (currently) verify this command. Wear/Wield equipment (w) To wear or wield an object in your inventory, use this command. Since only one object can be in each slot at a time, if you wear or wield an item into a slot which is already occupied, the old item will be first be taken off, and may in fact be dropped if there is no room for it in your inventory. Take off equipment (t) or Take off equipment (T) Use this command to take off a piece of equipment and return it to your inventory. Occasionally, you will run into a cursed item which cannot be removed. These items normally penalize you in some way and cannot be taken off until the curse is removed. If there is no room in your inventory for the item, your pack will overflow and you will drop the item after taking it off. --- Movement Commands --- Walk (with pickup) (;) Moves one step in the given direction. The square you are moving into must not be blocked by walls or doors. You will pick up any items in the destination grid if the "always_pickup" option is set, or if the "query_pickup" option is set and you respond correctly. This command can take a count and requires a direction. You may also use the "original" direction keys (both keysets) or the "roguelike" direction keys (roguelike keyset) to walk in a direction. If object auto-picker/destroyer is set up, specified objects will be picked up or destroyed. Walk (flip pickup) (-) This is just like normal move, except that the "Pick things up" option is inverted. In other words, if you normally pick up anything you encounter (the default), you will not pick things up when using this command. If you normally do not pick things up, you will when using this command. This command can take a count and requires a direction. If object auto-picker/destroyer is set up, specified objects will be picked up or destroyed. Run (.) or Run (,) This command will move in the given direction, following any bends in the corridor, until you either have to make a "choice" between two directions or you are disturbed. You can configure what will disturb you by setting the disturbance options. Run requires a direction. You may also use shift plus the "roguelike" direction keys (roguelike keyset), or shift plus the "original" direction keys on the keypad (both keysets, some machines) to run in a direction. If object auto-picker/destroyer is set up, specified objects will be picked up or destroyed. Auto-explore (X) Walks, one step per turn, towards the nearest unexplored place or unvisited item you know of. Opens doors, digs through rubble, and avoids known traps, shops, lava and deep water. Stops on any message, a visible monster, a key press, or when nothing is left (it tells you when only locked doors or known traps are in the way). Original keyset only. Go up staircase (<) Climbs up when you are standing on an up staircase. When you are not, walks to the nearest up staircase you know of and takes it (a disturbance stops the walk; press again to resume). In the wilderness, enter global map mode which grants you a view of all the world unless there are some monsters in the nearby area. There is always at least one staircase going up on every level except for the town level (this doesn't mean it's easy to find). Going up a staircase will take you to a new dungeon level unless you are at 50 feet (dungeon level 1), in which case you will return to the town level. Note that whenever you leave a level (not the town), you will never find it again. This means that for all intents and purposes, any objects on that level are destroyed. This includes artifacts unless the "Create characters in preserve mode" option was set when your character was created, in which case the artifacts may show up again later. Go down staircase (>) Descends when you are standing on a down staircase. When you are not, walks to the nearest down staircase you know of (in town: the dungeon entrance) and takes it. In the wilderness, return from global map mode to normal mode. There are always at least two staircases going down on each level, except for the town which has only one, and "quest" levels, which have none until the quest monster is killed. Going down a staircase will take you to a new dungeon level. See "Go Up Staircase" for more info. --- Resting Commands --- Stay still (with pickup) (,) or Stay still (with pickup) (.) Stays in the same square for one move. If you normally pick up objects you encounter, you will pick up whatever you are standing on. This command can take a count. You may also use the "5" key (both keysets). If object auto-picker/destroyer is set up, specified objects will be picked up or destroyed. Stay still (flip pickup) (g) Stays in the same square for one move. If you normally pick up objects you encounter, you will not pick up whatever you are standing on. If you normally do not pick up objects, you will pick up what you are standing on. This command is normally only used when the "always_pickup" option is false. This command can take a count. If object auto-picker/destroyer is set up, specified objects will be picked up or destroyed. Rest (R) Resting is better for you than repeatedly staying still, and can be told to automatically stop after a certain amount of time, or when various conditions are met. In any case, you always wake up when anything disturbing happens, or when you press any key. To rest, enter the Rest command, followed by the number of turns you want to rest, or "*" to rest until your hitpoints and mana are restored, or "&" to rest until you are fully "healed". This command can take a count, which is used for the number of turns to rest. --- Searching Commands --- Search (s) This command can be used to locate hidden traps and secret doors in the spaces adjacent to the player. More than a single turn of searching will be required in most cases. You should always search a chest before trying to open it, since they are generally trapped. This command can take a count, which is useful if you are fairly sure of finding something eventually, since the command stops as soon as anything is found. This command can take a count. Toggle search mode (S) or Toggle search mode (#) This command will take you into and out of search mode. When first pressed, the message "Searching" will appear at the bottom of the screen. You are now taking two turns for each command, one for the command and one turn to search. This means that you are taking twice the time to move around the dungeon, and therefore twice the food. Search mode will automatically turn off if you are disturbed. You may also turn off search mode by entering the Search Mode command again. --- Alter Commands --- Tunnel (T) or Tunnel (^T) Tunneling or mining is a very useful art. There are many kinds of rock, with varying hardness, including permanent rock (permanent), granite (very hard), quartz veins (hard), magma veins (soft), and rubble (very soft). Quartz and Magma veins may be displayed in a special way, and may sometimes contain treasure, in which case they will be displayed in a different way. Rubble sometimes covers an object. It is hard to tunnel unless you are wielding a heavy weapon or a shovel or a pick. Tunneling ability increases with strength and weapon weight. This command can take a count, requires a direction, and is affected by the "always_repeat" option. Open a door or chest (o) To open an object such as a door or chest, you must use this command. If the object is locked, you will attempt to pick the lock based on your disarming ability. If you open a trapped chest without disarming the traps first, the trap will be set off. Some doors will be jammed shut and may have to be forced open. You may need several tries to open a door or chest. Open can take a count, requires a direction, and is affected by the "always_repeat" option. Close a door (c) Non-intelligent and some other creatures cannot open doors, so shutting doors can be quite valuable. Broken doors cannot be closed. Bashing a door open may break it. Close can take a count, requires a direction, and is affected by the "always_repeat" option. Jam a door (j) or Spike a door (S) Many monsters can simply open closed doors, and can eventually get through a locked door. You may therefore occasionally want to jam a door shut with iron spikes. Each spike used on the door will make it harder to bash down the door, up to a certain limit. Smaller monsters are less able to bash down doors. In order to use this command, you must be carrying iron spikes. Jam or Spike requires a direction. Bash a door (B) or Force a door (f) This command allows you to bash down jammed doors. Your bashing ability increases with strength. Bashing open a door can (briefly) throw you off balance. Doors that are stuck, or which have been jammed closed with spikes can only be opened by bashing, and all closed doors can be bashed open if desired. Bashing a door open may permanently break it so that it can never be closed. Bash or Force can take a count, requires a direction, and is affected by the "always_repeat" option. Disarm a trap or chest (D) You can attempt to disarm traps on the floor or on chests. If you fail, there is a chance that you will blunder and set it off. You can only disarm a trap after you have found it (usually with the Search command). Disarm can take a count, requires a direction, and is affected by the "always_repeat" option. Alter (+) This special command allows the use of a single keypress to select any of the "obvious" commands above (attack, tunnel, bash, open, disarm, close), and, by using macros or keymaps, to combine this keypress with directions. In general, this allows the use of the "control" key plus the appropriate "direction" key (including the roguelike direction keys in roguelike mode) as a kind of generic "alter the terrain feature of an adjacent grid" command. Alter can take a count, requires a direction, and is affected by the "always_repeat" option. --- Spell and Prayer Commands --- Browse magic list (b) or Peruse magic list (P) All characters which can cast spells can use this command. When this command is used, all of the spells contained in the selected magic are displayed, along with such information as their level, the amount of mana required to cast them, and whether or not you know the spell. And when you select a spell from the list, description text of selected spell will be displayed. Gain new spells or prayers (G) Use this command to actually learn new spells or prayers. When you are able to learn new spells or prayers, the word "Study" will appear on the status line at the bottom of the screen. If you have a book in your possession, containing spells or prayers which you may learn, then you may choose to study that book. If you are a mage, rogue, or ranger, you may actually choose which spell to study. If you are a priest or paladin, your gods will choose a prayer for you. There are nine books of each type, some normally found only in the dungeon. Cast a spell (m) To cast a spell, you must have previously learned the spell and must have in your inventory a book from which the spell can be read. Each spell has a chance of failure which starts out fairly large but decreases as you gain levels. If you don't have enough mana to cast a spell, you will be prompted for confirmation. If you decide to go ahead, the chance of failure is greatly increased, and you may lose a point of constitution. Since you must read the spell from a book, you cannot be blind or confused while casting, and there must be some light present. To pray effectively, you must have previously learned the prayer and must have in your inventory a book from which the prayer can be read. Each prayer has a chance of being ignored which starts out fairly large but decreases as you gain levels. If you don't have enough mana to cast a spell, you will be prompted for confirmation. If you decide to go ahead, the chance of failure is greatly increased, and you may lose a point of constitution. Since you must read the prayer from a book, you cannot be blind or confused while praying, and there must be some light present. Use bonus power (if any) (U) or (O) Some races and classes have special natural abilities. All of these possible abilities are listed in an index under the U (or O) command. --- Object Manipulation Commands --- Eat some food (E) You must eat regularly to prevent starvation. As you grow hungry, a message will appear at the bottom of the screen saying "Hungry". If you go hungry long enough, you will become weak, then start fainting, and eventually, you may will die of starvation. You may use this command to eat food in your inventory. Note that you can sometimes find food in the dungeon, but it is not always wise to eat strange food. Fuel your lantern/torch (F) If you are using a torch and have more torches in your pack, or you are using a lantern and have flasks of oil in your pack, then your can "refuel" them with this command. Torches and Lanterns are limited in their maximal fuel. In general, two flasks will fully fuel a lantern and two torches will fully fuel a torch. Quaff a potion (q) Use this command to drink a potion. Potions affect the player in various ways, but the effects are not always immediately obvious. Read a scroll (r) Use this command to read a scroll. Scroll spells usually have an area effect, except for a few cases where they act on other objects. Reading a scroll causes the parchment to disintegrate as the scroll takes effect. Most scrolls which prompt for more information can be aborted (by pressing escape), which will stop reading the scroll before it disintegrates. Inscribe an object ({) This command inscribes a string on an object. The inscription is displayed inside curly braces after the object description. The inscription is limited to the particular object (or pile) and is not automatically transferred to all similar objects. Under certain circumstances, Hengband will display "fake" inscriptions on certain objects ("cursed", "broken", "tried", "empty", "NN% off") when appropriate. These "fake" inscriptions are "covered up" by real inscriptions, but will re-appear if the real inscription is removed. In addition, Hengband will occasionally place a "real" inscription on an object for you, normally as the result of your character getting a "feeling" about the item. All characters will get "feelings" about weapons and armor after carrying them for a while. Warriors get the most detailed feelings, and get them quicker than any other class. An item labeled as "{empty}" was found to be out of charges, and an item labeled as "{tried}" is a "flavored" item which the character has used, but whose effects are unknown. Certain inscriptions have a meaning to the game, see "@#", "@x#", "!*", and "!x", in the section on inventory object selection. Uninscribe an object (}) This command removes the inscription on an object. This command will have no effect on "fake" inscriptions added by the game itself. --- Magical Object Commands --- Activate equipped item (A) You have heard rumors of special weapons and armor deep in the Pits, items that can let you breath fire like a dragon or light rooms with just a thought. Should you ever be lucky enough to find such an item, this command will let you activate its special ability. Special abilities can only be used if you are wearing or wielding the item. Aim a wand (a) or Zap a wand (z) Wands must be aimed in a direction to be used. Wands are magical devices, and therefore there is a chance you will not be able to figure out how to use them if you aren't good with magical devices. They will fire a shot that affects the first object or creature encountered or fire a beam that affects anything in a given direction, depending on the wand. An obstruction such as a door or wall will generally stop the effects from traveling any farther. This command requires a direction and can use a target. Use a staff (u) or Zap a staff (Z) This command will use a staff. A staff is normally very similar to a scroll, in that they normally either have an area effect or affect a specific object. Staffs are magical devices, and there is a chance you will not be able to figure out how to use them. Zap a rod (z) or Activate a rod (a) Rods are extremely powerful magical items, which cannot be burnt or shattered, and which can have either staff-like or wand-like effects, but unlike staffs and wands, they don't have charges. Instead, they draw on the ambient magical energy to recharge themselves, and therefore can only be activated once every few turns. The recharging time varies depending on the type of rod. This command may require a direction (depending on the type of rod, and whether you are aware of its type) and can use a target. --- Throwing and Missile Weapons --- Fire an item (f) or Fire an item (t) You may throw any object carried by your character. Depending on the weight, it may travel across the room or drop down beside you. Only one object from a pile will be thrown at a time. Note that throwing an object will often cause it to break, so be careful! If you throw something at a creature, your chances of hitting it are determined by your pluses to hit, your ability at throwing, and the object's pluses to hit. Once the creature is hit, the object may or may not do any damage to it. You've heard rumors that some objects found in the dungeon can do huge amounts of damage when thrown, but you're not sure which objects those are.... Note that flasks of oil will do a fairly large chunk of damage to a monster on impact, supposedly representing fire damage, but it works against fire elementals too... If you are wielding a missile launcher compatible with the object you are throwing, then you automatically use the launcher to fire the missile with much higher range, accuracy, and damage, then you would get by just throwing the missile. Fire or Throw requires a direction. Targeting mode (see the next command) can be invoked with "*" at the "Direction?" prompt. Throw an item (v) You may throw any object carried by your character. The lighter the object, the farther you can throw it. Only one object from a stack may be thrown at a time. Throwing an object may break it. If you throw something at a monster, your chances of hitting it are determined by your pluses to hit, your ability at throwing, and the object's pluses to hit. If the object hits the monster, it may or may not do damage. Some objects, such as weapons, or flasks of oil, can do a substantial amount of damage. This command requires a direction, and can take a target. Targeting Mode (*) This will allow you to aim your spells and such at a specific monster or grid, so that you can point directly towards that monster or grid (even if this is not a "compass" direction) when you are asked for a direction. You can set a target using this command, or you can set a new target at the "Direction?" prompt when appropriate. At the targeting prompt, you have many options. First of all, targeting mode starts targeting nearby monsters which can be reached by "projectable" spells and thrown objects. In this mode, you can press "t" (or "5" or ".") to select the current monster, space to advance to the next monster, "-" to back up to the previous monster, direction keys to advance to a monster more or less in that direction, "r" to "recall" the current monster, "q" to exit targeting mode, and "p" (or "o") to stop targeting monsters and enter the mode for targeting a location on the floor or in a wall. Note that if there are no nearby monsters, you will automatically enter this mode. Note that hitting "o" is just like "p", except that the location cursor starts on the last examined monster instead of on the player. In this mode, you use the "direction" keys to move around, and the "q" key to quit, and the "t" (or "5" or ".") key to target the cursor location. Note that targeting a location is slightly "dangerous", as the target is maintained even if you are far away. To cancel an old target, simply hit "*" and then ESCAPE (or "q"). Note that when you cast a spell or throw an object at the target location, the path chosen is the "optimal" path towards that location, which may or may not be the path you want. Sometimes, by clever choice of a location on the floor for your target, you may be able to convince a thrown object or cast spell to squeeze through a hole or corridor that is blocking direct access to a different grid. Launching a ball spell or breath weapon at a location in the middle of a group of monsters can often improve the effects of that attack, since ball attacks are not stopped by interposed monsters if the ball is launched at a target. This command takes no time. --- Looking Commands --- Full screen map (M) This command will show a map of the entire dungeon, reduced by a factor of nine, on the screen. Only the major dungeon features will be visible because of the scale, so even some important objects may not show up on the map. This is particularly useful in locating where the stairs are relative to your current position, or for identifying unexplored areas of the dungeon. This command takes no time. If object auto-picker/destroyer is set up, specified objects can be displayed in this command, when you press the M, N, K or D. The M displays 'auto-pickup' items, while the N displays 'leave', the K displays 'auto-destroy'. And the D is same as the M plus the N. You can press any other key to quit this map command. Locate player on map (L) or Where is the player (W) This command lets you scroll your map around, looking at all sectors of the current dungeon level, until you press escape, at which point the map will be re-centered on the player if necessary. To scroll the map around, simply press any of the "direction" keys. The top line will display the sector location, and the offset from your current sector. This command takes no time. Look around (l) or Examine things (x) This command is used to look around at nearby monsters (to determine their type and health) and objects (to determine their type). It is also used to find out what objects (if any) are under monsters, and if a monster is currently inside a wall. This command takes no time. When you are looking at something, you may hit space for more details, or to advance to the next interesting monster or object, or minus ("-") to go back to the previous monster or object, or a direction key to advance to the nearest interesting monster or object (if any) in that general direction, or "r" to recall information about the current monster race, or "q" or escape to stop looking around. You always start out looking at the "nearest" interesting monster or object. Observe an item (I) This command lets you observe a previously *identified* item. This will tell you things about the special powers of the object. Currently, it only makes sense for artifacts and ego-items. --- Message Commands --- Repeat level feeling (^F) Repeats the feeling about the dungeon level that you got when you first entered the level. View previous messages (^P) This command shows you all the recent messages. You can scroll through them, or exit with ESCAPE. This command takes no time. Take notes (:) This command allows you to take notes, which will then appear in your message list (prefixed with "Note:"). This command takes no time. --- Game Status Commands --- Character Description (C) Brings up a full description of your character, including your skill levels, your current and potential stats, and various other information. From this screen, you can change your name or use the file character description command to save your character status to a file. That command saves additional information, including your background, your inventory, and the contents of your house. Check various information (~) The command opens a menu from which you can select information about seen Artifacts, Unique monsters, identified objects, and etc. Display known artifacts This selection lists all of the artifacts that you've encountered. Any artifact that appears in this list, which you cannot seem to find, has been lost forever. The "preserve" mode will prevent you from accidentally losing any artifacts, but will also prevent you from ever getting a "special" level feeling. This command can only be used on the town level, not inside the dungeon. Display known uniques Brings up a list of known unique monsters, plus their current status. Once killed, unique monsters never show up again. Display known objects This list all 'flavored' objects (such as rings, scrolls, wands, potions, etc.) which you have identified. Check play record (|) This command opens a menu from which you can check/delete play record of your current character. This command shows you all the recent messages. You can scroll through them, or exit with ESCAPE. This command takes no time. Display game time (^T) or (') This command shows you current date and time in the game. --- Saving and Exiting Commands --- Save and Quit (Ctrl-X) To save your game so that you can return to it later, use this command. Save files will also be generated (hopefully) if the game crashes due to a system error. After you die, you can use your savefile to play again with the same options and such. Save (Ctrl-S) This command saves the game but doesn't exit Hengband. Use this frequently if you are paranoid about having the computer crash while you are playing. Quit (commit suicide) (Q) Kills your character and exits Hengband. You will be prompted to make sure you really want to do this, and then asked to verify that choice. Note that dead characters are dead forever. --- User pref file commands --- See the file pref.hlp for a description of the user preference commands together with a detailed description of this function. Interact with options (=) Allow you to interact with options. Note that using the "cheat" options may mark your savefile as unsuitable for the high score list. You may change normal options using the "X" and "Y" user pref commands. You must use the "redraw" command (^R) after changing certain options. Interact with macros (@) Allow you to interact with macros. You may load or save macros from user pref files, create macros of various types, or define keymaps. You must define a "current action", shown at the bottom of the screen, before you attempt to use any of the "create macro" commands, which use that "current action" as their action. This is a horrible interface, and will be fixed eventually. Interact with visuals (%) Allow you to interact with visuals. You may load or save visuals from user pref files, or modify the attr/char mappings for the monsters, objects, and terrain features. Interact with colors (&) Allow the user to interact with colors. This command only works on some systems. Reload auto-picker/destroyer preference ($) This command will reload "pickpref.prf" and "pickpref-<<playername>>.prf" for object auto-picker/destroyer after you edit these files with your text editor. Edit auto-picker/destroyer pref (_) Allow the user to edit the pickpref.prf in the user directry. The ESC key will open the menu in this editor. You can see and use all edit commands from the command menu. Press ^Q or ^W to quit the editor. --- Help --- Help (?) Brings up the Hengband on-line help system. Note that the help files are just text files in a particular format, and that other help files may be available on the Net. In particular, there are a variety of spoiler files which do not come with the standard distribution. Check the place you got Hengband from or ask on the newsgroup rec.games.roguelike.angband about them. Identify Symbol (/) Use this command to find out what a character stands for. For instance, by pressing "/.", you can find out that the "." symbol stands for a floor spot. When used with a symbol that represents creatures, the this command will tell you only what class of creature the symbol stands for, not give you specific information about a creature you can see. To get that, use the Look command. There are four special symbols you can use with the Identify Symbol command to access specific parts of your monster memory. Typing Ctrl-A when asked for a symbol will recall details about all monsters, typing Ctrl-U will recall details about all unique monsters, typing Ctrl-N will recall details about all non-unique monsters, and typing Ctrl-M will let you enter a name and recall details about monsters which have the specified name as part of its name. If the character stands for a creature, you are asked if you want to recall details. If you answer yes, information about the creatures you have encountered with that symbol is shown in the Recall window if available, or on the screen if not. You can also answer "k" to see the list sorted by number of kills, or "p" to see the list sorted by dungeon level the monster is normally found on. Pressing ESCAPE at any point will exit this command. Game Version (V) This command will tell you what version of Hengband you are using. For more information, see the "version.txt" help file. --- Extra Commands --- Repeat last command (n) or ([) This command repeat previously executed command with all its arguments. Very useful to repeat casting, for example, magic missile to same opponent. Toggle Choice Window (^E) Toggles the display in the choice window (if available) between your inventory and your equipment. This command only applies if you are running Hengband under a windowing environment and the choice window is available. This also redraws the choice window. Redraw Screen (^R) This command adapts to various changes in global options, and redraws all of the windows. This command should be used after changing various global properties (options, attr/char mappings, color definitions, etc). When in doubt, use it. Load screen dump (left-paren) This command loads a "snap-shot" of the current screen from the file "dump.txt", and displays it on the screen. Save screen dump (right-paren) This command dumps a "snap-shot" of the current screen to the file "dump.txt", including encoded color information. Command your pets (p) If you have pets then this command allows you to give orders to your pets. You can call them to you, send them out to kill other monsters, dismiss them, and allow/disallow opening of door and picking up items. Your pets will drop all picked up items when you disallow them to pick up anything. Output list of random artifacts (^V) This command writes file named "randifact.txt" to your user directory with list of all random artifact you have. -- Original : Alexander Cutler and Andy Astrand Updated : (2.7.6) by Russ Allbery (rra@cs.stanford.edu) Updated : (2.7.9) by Ben Harrison (benh@phial.com) Updated : Zangband 2.2.0 through 2.2.6c by Robert Ruehlmann Updated : Zangband DevTeam Updated : Hengband 1.7.0
defend.txt=== Defending and Armor === In Hengband, monsters may damage and otherwise harm you in a number of ways: in direct melee combat, by exploding next to you, by breathing on you and by casting spells. Some monsters referred to as "summoners" may not directly harm you but may summon other monsters to do their dirty work for them. Creatures will attack you in the same manner in which you attack them. If they move into you, they attack you. Virtually all monsters can lower your hit points by means of a melee attack, and, if you lose too many, you die. Fortunately, this is also the attack most easily guarded against (by wearing armor). Each monster has a maximum of four melee attacks which may be of varying type, power and effect. In addition to pure damage, there can be a number of side effects from a monster hitting you. For example, an especially powerful attack may stun or wound you. Stunning is cumulative and, if not addressed, may eventually result in you becoming knocked out which allows your opponent to continue attacking while you lie helpless. Wounds will cause you to lose hit points each round until you either die or your wound heals. You will slowly recover from any wound except a Mortal Wound with time and all wounds can be healed magically. In addition to wouds and stunning, some monsters melee attacks may have other consequences. These include causing you to become blind, scared, confused, poisoned or paralyzed. There are many others less common effects. More information about monsters' melee attacks may be found in the section on Monsters (see monster.txt). Many monsters also have an array of magical spells or breath attacks which they may use against you from a distance. For example, a red dragon might breathe fire at you. You can defend yourself from the side effects of melee attacks, monster spells and breath attacks by searching for armor that is resistant to that form of attack. As you descend deeper into the dungeon in search of better items, you will need to steadily improve your defenses against pure damage, wounds, stunning, bolts, balls, breaths of various kinds, reductions of exp and stats, theft and a variety of miscellaneous magical attacks. === Armor Class === Your armor class (or AC) is a number that describes the amount and quality of armor being worn. Armor class will generally run from about 0 to 150, but could become negative or greater than 150 with rarer armor or by magical means. Note that spell casters receive a penalty to their maximum mana for wearing armor that is too heavy. In addition, monks lose much of their barehanded fighting skill if their armor becomes too heavy. The larger your armor class, the more protective it is. A negative armor class would actually help get you hit. Armor protects you in three ways. First, it makes you harder to hit for damage. A hit for no damage is the same as a miss. Second, good armor will absorb some of the damage that your character would have taken from normal attacks. Third, acid damage is reduced by wearing body armor (but the armor will be damaged instead). It is obvious that a high armor class is a must for surviving the deeper levels of Hengband. Note, however, that armor class by itself will not protect you from the side effects of monster melee attacks mentioned above. Each piece of armor has a base armor value, which, like the damage from weapons, is assumed known by the player and a magic bonus, which will not be displayed unless the armor has been identified or was bought in a store. Armor class values are always displayed between a set of brackets as '[#]' or '[#,+#]'. The first value is the armor class of the item. The second number is the magical bonus of the item which is only displayed if known and will always have a sign preceding the value. Note: a few rings, amulets and weapons also have the '[+#]' notation, indicating that they provide an armor bonus. Many pieces of heavy body armor will also have a '(-#)' before the '[#,+#]', which indicates that the weight of the armor decreases your chances of hitting monsters. This can range from nonexistent for very light armor to (-8) for the very heaviest armor! === Resisting Magical Attacks === Against some magical attacks (such as cause wounds, cause blindness or cause fear) the player will first get a saving throw (see the Skills page). However, against attacks such as bolts and ball spells this does not apply. Also, there is no saving throw against breath attacks. For these types of attacks, your only recourse it to find items or other means which grant you 'resistance' to that type of attack. In Hengband there are many forms of resistance which may be obtained either as bonuses from your equipment, as the result of casting a magical spell, activating certain artifacts or as the result of a mutation. Unfortunately, not all attacks available to monsters can be resisted, and most can only be partially resisted. Each resistance has one or more corresponding monster attacks which it 'resists'. By this we mean that it reduces the amount of damage that your character will take as a result of an attack of that kind. For example, fire resistance will reduce the damage to your character resulting from fire attacks such as a fire bolt or being breathed upon by a red dragon. Note that appropriate resistances will also negate or reduce some side effects of monster melee attacks. There are two categories of resistances: (1) the low (or elemental) resistances - acid, fire, cold and electricity; and (2) the high resistances - poison, confusion, light, dark, blindness, sound, fear, shards, nexus, chaos, nether, gravity, disenchantment and time. In general, the low resistances are more commonly available, they can be double-resisted and the corresponding attacks have a higher maximum damage potential. A common misconception amongst new players is that having multiple sources of a particular resistance will increase your character's resistance to attacks of that form. This is not true. You will get the same benefit from wielding a single Amulet of Resist Acid as wielding a Shield of Resist Acid, body armor that grants acid resistance and an artifact weapon which grants acid resistance all at the same time. As stated above, however, it is possible to get double resistance for the low resists (and also poison). This is because these resistances are also available on a temporary basis by casting certain spells or by quaffing a Potion of Resistance. Some items may also activate for temporary resistance. The temporary effect is cumulative with the permanent effect and will increase your protection against these kinds of attacks. It also prevents damage to your belongings by the doubly-resisted element. (Warning 1) Double resistance prevents an item from being destroyed, but it does not prevent equipment from being damaged by acid. It is necessary to obtain acid immunity to prevent that form of damage. (Warning 2) The magical spells in some realms can temporarily add a resistance, like nether, which is not a resistance to one of the basic four elements nor poison resistance. Currently, that kind of temporary resistance does not combine with a permanent resistance to become a double resistance. === Ego Armor and Artifacts === In addition to the ordinary armor items your character may find in the dungeon, your character may find armor endowed with additional powers. Those fall into two types: (1) artifacts and (2) ego armor. Unlike artifacts which are unique and may only be found once in each game, it is not unusual to find several pieces of ego armor of the same type during the course of a character's adventures. In general, artifacts and ego armor may boost one or more of your primary statistics, may confer certain abilities upon your character and may grant resistance to certain forms of attack. Each Ego type may only be found on certain types of armor - for example, you can find a Shield of Elvenkind but not Boots of Elvenkind. --- Shields --- of Resist Acid A character using a shield of this type will take only one third the normal damage from acid. The shield can be activated every 20+d20 turns to gain temporary resistance to acid. In addition, the shield is not damaged by acid. of Resist Lightning A character using a shield of this type will take only one third the normal damage from electricity. The shield can be activated every 20+d20 turns to gain temporary resistance to electricity. of Resist Fire A character using a shield of this type will take only one third the normal damage from fire. The shield can be activated every 20+d20 turns to gain temporary resistance to fire. of Resist Cold A character using a shield of this type will take only one third the normal damage from cold. The shield can be activated every 20+d20 turns to gain temporary resistance to cold. of Resistance A character using a shield of this type gains resistance to acid, cold, fire and electricity. It may also have another, random, resistance or resistance to poison. of Reflection A shield of this type can cause bolt spells to bounce off, preventing damage from the spell and often damaging the caster. The bounce effect happens most, but not all, of the time. of Night and Day A shield of this type protects against damage from light and darkness attacks and prevents the blinding effect of those attacks. of Protection A shield of this type is not affected by acid, fire, cold or electricity, but it does not provide resistance to them. It usually provides a larger than normal bonus to AC. of the Dwarves A shield of this type has a larger bonus to AC than a normal shield, increases the consitution of the wielder and provides a random resistance to one of the four basic elements. Furthermore, it is lighter than a normal shield. --- Armor --- of Resistance Armor of this type provides resistance to acid, cold, fire and electricity. It also provides another, random, resistance and may provide resistance to poison. of Elvenkind Armor of this type provides resistance to acid, cold, fire and electricity. It enhances the stealth of the wearer and provides another, random, resistance. of Uruk-hai Armor of this type gives attack bonuses for to-hit and to-damage. It also provides resistance to acid, cold, fire, electricity and one other, random, resistance. of the Dwarves Armor of this type has a larger bonus to AC than normal armor, increases the constitution of the wearer and provides a random resistance to one of the four basic elements. Furthermore, it is lighter than normal armor. of Olog-hai Armor of this type gives attack bonuses for to-hit and to-damage. It also increases the strength of the wearer and provides a random resistance to one of the four basic elements. of Druid Armor of this type increases the wisdom of the wearer. It also provides a random resistance to one of the four basic elements and another, random, resistance. Robe of Permanence A robe of this type provides resistance to fire, cold, acid and electricity. It sustains all the primary statistics of the wearer and provides resistance to experience draining attacks. It also provides one additional, random, resistance. Robe of The Twilight A robe of this type has a very wide range of abilities. It provides resistance to the four basic elements and almost all of the higher resistances. It sustains all the primary statistics of the wearer and provides resistance to experience draining attacks. It also can protect against paralyzation and reflect bolt spells. The wearer can levitate and see invisible creatures. However, the price is that the wearer's armor class is set to zero. of Morgul Armor of this type provides resistance to cold, poison and nether and may provide an additional, random, resistance. Furthermore, it surrounds the wearer with a sheath of cold air which can damage those that attack the wearer. It also allows the wearer to always sense the presence of nearby undead. However, this armor will drain experience from time to time, spreads curses to equipped items, and has a random, unpleasant, effect. of Demon Armor of this type increases the strength, intelligence and consitition of the wearer. If provides resistance to fire and nether and may provide an additional, random resistance. It allows the wearer to always sense the presence of nearby demons and envelops the wearer in a fiery aura. However, it has a random, unpleasant, effect. --- Caps/Helms/Crowns --- of Brilliance This item will increase and sustain your intelligence, wisdom, and charisma. of the Magi This item will increase and sustain your intelligence. It grants resistance to fire, cold, acid and electricity. It also has an additional, random, ability and provides another, random, resistance. of Might This item will increase and sustain your strength, dexterity, and constitution. It will protect you from paralyzation and some slowing attacks. It provides one, random, resistance. of Lordliness This item will increase and sustain your wisdom and charisma. It provides one, random, resistance. of Seeing This item will grant the ability to see invisible creatures and will also increase your ability to locate traps and secret doors. In addition, it will prevent you from being blinded. Some items of this type confer telepathic abilities. of Infravision This item will increase the range of your infravision and grants infravision if you are a race which does not get it intrinsically. of Light This item provides a permanent light source. It also provides resistance against light attacks. of Darkness This item provides resistance to darkness but also decreases the radius or your light source. of Telepathy This item grants its wielder telepathy. of Regeneration This item will help you regenerate hit points and mana more quickly than normal, allowing you to fight longer before needing to rest. You will use food faster than normal while wearing this headgear because of the regenerative effects. of Basilisk This item will increase the range of your infravision. It also provides resistance to poison and protects you from paralyzation and some slowing attacks. of Demon This item will increase your intelligence. It also provides resistance to fire and nether and may provide an additional, random resistance. It allows you to always sense the presence of nearby demons and surrounds you with an aura of fire. However, it has a random, unpleasant, effect. --- Cloaks --- of Protection These cloaks cannot be harmed by acid, fire, cold or lightning attacks but do not grant resistance to those elements. They usually have a larger than normal bonus to AC. of Stealth These cloaks will make your character more stealthy. of Aman These cloaks cannot be harmed by acid, fire, cold or lightning attacks but do not grant resistance to these elements. They also make your character more stealthy and provide one random resistance. of Immolation These cloaks cannot be harmed by acid or fire attacks. They also grant resistance to fire and give out a fiery aura. of Electricity These cloaks cannot be harmed by acid or electricity attacks. They also grant resistance to electricity and give out an electric aura. of the Bat These very powerful cloaks grant speed, stealth, infravision, levitation, the ability to see invisible and resistance to darkness. However, in return for those abilities, you will have large penalties to to-hit and to-damage. --- Gloves/Gauntlets/Sets of Cesti --- of Free Action This item will protect you from paralyzation and some slowing attacks. A mage-type spellcaster who wears them will not have his or her mana penalized. of Slaying In addition to its armor bonus, this item will grant a bonus to your to-hit and to-damage. of Agility This item will increase your dexterity. A mage-type spellcaster who wears them will not have his or her mana penalized. of Power This item will increase your strength and will also grant a bonus to your to-hit and to-damage. It also provides one random resistance. of Genji This item will increase your dexterity and grant a bonus to your to-hit. It can decrease the penalty for wielding two weapons at once, one in each hand. of Magic Mastery This item will increase your ability to use magical devices. A mage-type spellcaster who wears them will not have his or her mana penalized. --- Boots --- of Levitation These boots will grant you levitation. Some provide one random resistance. of Stealth These boots will make your character more stealthy. of Free Action These boots will protect you from paralyzation and some slowing attacks. of Jumping These boots can be activated to instantly teleport you a short distance. of Speed These boots will make your character more speedy. --- Special Items --- Dragon Scale Mails. These extremely rare pieces of armor come in many different colors, each protecting you against the dragons of that color. They can not be damaged by acid, fire, cold or electricity. They also occasionally allow you to breathe as a dragon would! Dragon Shields, Helms, Boots and Gloves These items have a chance of granting one or more random resistances. They all can not be damaged by acid, fire, cold or electricity. --- Other items --- Apart from these there are some very rare, and well made, pieces of armor in the dungeon. Adamantite Plate Mail, Mithril Plate Mail, and Mithril Chain Mail are not damaged by acid because of the quality metals they contain. Mirror Shields have the ability to reflect bolt spells. Elven Cloaks make the wearer more stealthy and make it easier to find traps or secret doors. Shadow Cloaks provide resistance to light and darkness attacks. All of those could also be ego items or artifacts. There are also legendary pieces of armor (artifacts) which are similar to ego items but usually have more abilities and are very powerful. Artifacts never break. However, they may deteriorate and, if caught in the effect range of *destruction, may disappear forever. In Hengband, there are two types of artifacts: fixed and random. A fixed artifact has a predetermined name and attributes, so, if you play the game many times, you may encounter the same fixed artifact. The name and attributes of a random artifact are determined when it is generated, so it is extremely unlikely that you would see that artifact again in another game. === The Resistances === This section describes the various types of attack available to monsters and how they may be resisted. Acid Acid resistance will cut damage from acid attacks by two-thirds. Temporary resistance will also reduce damage by two-thirds. This means that a character with both permanent and temporary resistance will only take one-ninth of the original damage. Double resistance prevents the destruction of acid-sensitive belongings. Fire Fire resistance will cut damage from fire attacks by two-thirds. Temporary resistance will also reduce damage by two-thirds. This means that a character with both permanent and temporary resistance will only take one-ninth of the original damage. Fire resistance helps protect belongings from fire damage; double resistance prevents the destruction of fire-sensitive belongings. Cold Cold resistance will cut damage from cold attacks by two-thirds. Temporary resistance will also reduce damage by two-thirds. This means that a character with both permanent and temporary resistance will only take one-ninth of the original damage. Cold resistance helps protect belongings from cold damage; double resistance prevents the destruction of cold-sensitive belongings. Electricity Electricity resistance will cut damage from electric attacks by two-thirds. Temporary resistance will also reduce damage by two-thirds. This means that a character with both permanent and temporary resistance will only take one-ninth of the original damage. Electricity resistance helps protect belongings from damage due to electricity; double resistance prevents the destruction of electricity-sensitive belongings. Poison Poison resistance will cut damage from poison attacks by two-thirds. Temporary resistance will also reduce damage by two-thirds. This means that a character with both permanent and temporary resistance will only take one-ninth of the original damage. Poison resistance will also protect you from becoming 'poisoned' but characters will not be healed of their 'poisoned' status if they become resistant to poison after already being poisoned. This must be cured by other means. Confusion Confusion resistance will reduce the damage taken from confusion attacks and breaths. It will also prevent your character from becoming 'Confused' (if you are confused you will be unable to read scrolls, cast spells or prayers and will have a dramatically reduced ability to use magical devices). In particular, water attacks may confuse as a side effect. That can be prevented if you have confusion resistance. Light Light attacks damage the player and cause blindness as a side effect. Light resistance reduces the damage and also prevents blindness caused from light attacks (but not from other attacks). Darkness Darkness attacks damage the player and cause blindness as a side effect. Darkness resistance reduces the damage and also prevents blindness caused from darkness attacks (but not from other attacks). In addition, some high-level monsters can cast Darkness Storms. Those are a particularly dangerous form of attack but are resisted if you have darkness resistance. Blindness Resist blindness will protect you from spells which blind and from being "hit to blind" (a few monsters can do this) as well as from the blindness (but not the damage) caused by light and darkness attacks. Sound Sound resistance reduces damage from sound attacks and also the stunning side effects of sound and some other attacks. (Sound, plasma, water, force, gravity and shards attacks may all stun the player as may ice bolt attacks). Sound resistance does not protect against stunning from melee attacks. Fear Fear resistance gives immunity to attacks which make your character 'Afraid' (being afraid prevents your character from participating in melee combat but does not otherwise affect you). Shards Shards resistance will reduce the damage taken from shards attacks (this includes a Cyberdemon's Rocket Launchers). It also prevents the cuts that come from these attacks (and also ice bolts). Some shards attacks may also stun the player, this is prevented if you have sound resistance and not by shard resistance. Nexus Nexus attacks are one of the most annoying attacks in Hengband but will rarely kill you directly. A Nexus attack will damage the player and may teleport the player, teleport-level the player or swap two of your primary statistics around. Nexus resistance will reduce the damage taken from such attacks and prevent the side effects but will not prevent you from being teleported by non-nexus attacks (for that you will need an item granting anti-teleportation). Chaos Chaos attacks are one of the most dangerous attack types in Hengband. They have a relatively high maximum damage and may also confuse the player, cause hallucinations, reduce your character's experience and cause you to mutate. Chaos resistance will the damage taken from such attacks and negate all side effects. Nether Nether is another dangerous attack type. Nether attacks are common deeper in the dungeon, have a high maximum damage and will also cause your character's experience to be drained. Nether resistance will reduce the damage taken and the experience loss. It will not reduce the experience loss from non-nether attacks (for this you need hold-life). Gravity Gravity attacks damage the player and also cause you (and monsters they hit) to be teleported a short distance. A side effect of this is that since the effect is calculated on each spot in turn, it is possible to be blinked into a spot which hasn't been calculated yet but is in line to be affected by the breath - the net result is to be hit twice, blinked twice and damaged twice by the same breath. Gravity attacks may also stun your character. Levitation provides resistance to the damaging effect of gravity, resist teleportation prevents the blinking around and resistance to sound prevents you from becoming stunned. Disenchantment Disenchantment attacks damage the player and may result in the to-hit, to-dam, to-AC, pval bonuses on your wielded equipment being reduced. Disenchantment resistance will reduce the damage you take and will prevent the disenchantment of your equipment. Toxic Waste Resist poison will resist the damage and side effects from Toxic Waste attacks. Otherwise, you will suffer fearful side effects include reducing stats and changing your race. --- Unresistable Attacks --- There is no resistance to the following types of attacks although some of their side effects may be resisted. Time Time attacks damage the player, drain experience and may reduce one or more of your primary statistics. Some kinds of magic or very rare items grant resistance to time attacks, but you usually won't have any resistance. Plasma Plasma can damage you, stun you and burn your equipment. Fire immunity (not resistance) prevents burning of equipment, sound resistance prevents the stunning, but there is no resistance to the damage. Inertia Inertia will damage you and slow you down by -10 speed. There is no resistance to the damage or the slowing. Mana There is no resistance to this attack. It also destroys all items on the ground. Disintegration There is no resistance this attack. It also destroys all non-permanent walls and any items on the ground. --- Immunities --- It is also possible that you may find items which grant immunity to one or (very occasionally) more of the low resistances, i.e. acid, fire, cold and electricity. In this case, when wielded, you will take no damage from attacks of the relevant kind and, in addition, your equipment and inventory are safe from being damaged or destroyed by the attack. In addition, free action, fear and blindness resistance may be thought of as immunities since having they protect totally from the respective form of attack. (Warning) Even if you have free action, you may be paralyzed in special circumstances. It can be caused by hunger, casting a spell when you have insufficient mana or, more importantly, the blood curse cast by an Amberite. --- Miscellaneous --- The following are not properly resistances but may be sensibly included on this page. Free Action Free action is immunity to paralysis: this is foolproof except in the special case of the Ancient and Foul Curse which requires a successful saving throw as well as free action to avoid should it attempt to paralyze you. Spells, potions of paralysis and being hit-to-paralyze are completely protected against. Hold-life Hold Life is protection from experience draining. It is 90% foolproof: 10% of draining attacks will still drain you, but by less than would otherwise have been the case. === Recovering from Attacks === You cannot combat with the creatures in Hengband and expect to come out unscathed every time. When a monster inflicts damage on you, you will need to take steps to recover from the damage as soon as possible. --- Healing Items --- Healing is available in multiple forms including, from weakest to strongest: Potions and Staffs of Cure Light Wounds, Potions of Cure Serious Wounds, Potions of Cure Critical Wounds, Potions of Curing, Potions, Staffs and Rods of Healing, Potions of *Healing* and Potions of Life. Both the Life and Nature realms contain spells to heal the player. Cure Light Wounds Restores 2d8 hitpoints and removes cuts, blindness and berserk. Cure Serious Wounds Restores 4d8 hitpoints and removes cuts, blindness, confusion and berserk. Cure Critical Wounds Restores 6d8 hitpoints and removes cuts, blindness, confusion, stun, poison and berserk. Curing Restores 50 hitpoints and removes cuts, blindness, confusion, stun, poison and hallucination. Healing Restores 300 hitpoints and removes cuts, blindness, confusion, stun, poison and berserk. *Healing* Restores 1200 hitpoints and removes cuts, blindness, confusion, stun, poison and berserk. Potions of Life Restores 5000 hitpoints (about 5 times more than you'll ever have), restores all drained stats and experience, and removes all bad effects except hunger. These are very rare; save them in your home for a dangerous fight. --- Restoring Items --- From time to time your primary statistics and/or experience may be drained. Statistics can be restored by quaffing a Potion of Restore {name of stat} or a Potion of {Name of stat} or by eating a Mushroom of Restoring. Some towns may provide this service for a fee. Experience may be restored by quaffing a Potion of Restore Life Levels or using a Rod of Restoration. You may also regain it in the normal course of your adventuring or by quaffing a Potion of Experience. Some spells regain lost experience points. --- Other --- There are also other items in the dungeon which may help you to recover from various things that monsters may do to you. For example, some mushrooms may help you recover from confusion, a Potion of Heroism will prevent you from becoming afraid, a Potion of Slow Poison will reduce the effects of becoming poisoned, etc. Most objects' names give a clear idea of the benefits and dangers of using them and so an exhaustive list is not provided in this document. -- Original : (??), Leon Marrick and Chris Weisiger Updated : (??) Updated : Zangband DevTeam Updated : Hengband 1.0.11 Updated : Hengband 3.0.0, English translation backwardsEric
command.txt=== Hengband Commands ===
Hengband commands are entered as an "underlying command" (a single key)
plus a variety of optional or required arguments. You may choose how
the "keyboard keys" are mapped to the "underlying commands" by choosing
one of two standard "keynotes", the "original" keyset or the "roguelike"
keyset.
For beginners, Hengband provides the unified command menu that is very
easy to use, and can do every thing only with cursor keys, enter key
and escape key. Simply press Enter to show up the command menu. The
command menu can be disable/enabled by the option 'command_menu'.
The original keyset is very similar to the "underlying" command set,
with a few additions (such as the ability to use the numeric
"directions" to "walk" or the "5" key to "stay still"). The roguelike
keyset provides similar additions, and also allows the use of the
h/j/k/l/y/u/b/n keys to "walk" (or, in combination with the shift or
control keys, to run or tunnel), which thus requires a variety of key
mappings to allow access to the underlying commands used for walking,
running and tunneling. In particular, the "roguelike" keyset includes
many more "capital" and "control" keys, as shown below.
Note that any keys that are not required for access to the underlying
command set may be used by the user as "command macro" triggers (see
below). You may always specify any "underlying command" directly by
pressing backslash ("\") plus the "underlying command" key. This is
normally only used in "macro" definitions. You may often enter
"control-keys" as a caret ("^") plus the key (so "^" + "p" often
yields "^P").
Some commands allow an optional "repeat count", which allows you to
tell the game that you wish to do the command multiple times, unless
you press a key or are otherwise disturbed. To enter a "repeat count",
type '0', followed by the numerical count, followed by the command. You
must type "space" before entering certain commands. Skipping the
numerical count yields a count of 99. An option allows certain commands
(open, disarm, tunnel, etc) to auto-repeat.
Some commands will prompt for extra information, such as a direction,
an inventory or equipment item, a spell, a textual inscription, the
symbol of a monster race, a sub-command, a verification, an amount of
time, a quantity, a file name, or various other things. Normally you
can hit return to choose the "default" response, or escape to cancel
the command entirely.
Some commands will prompt for a spell or an inventory item. Pressing
space (or '*') will give you a list of choices. Pressing "-" (minus)
selects the item on the floor. Pressing a lowercase letter selects the
given item. Pressing a capital letter selects the given item after
verification. Pressing a numeric digit '#' selects the first item (if
any) whose inscription contains "@#" or "@x#", where "x" is the current
"underlying command". You may only specify items which are "legal" for
the command. Whenever an item inscription contains "!*" or "!x" (with
"x" as above) you must verify its selection.
In Hengband, there are items which occasionally teleport you away,
asking for permission first. The recurring "Teleport (y/n)?" can be
annoying, and this behavior can be eliminated by inscribing the object
which causes the teleportation with "." (or any inscription containing
the character "."). With this inscription, the object will no longer
teleport you around nor keep asking you. If you want to restore the
teleport ability to the object, just remove the "." from its
inscription. Note that cursed items which teleport you are unaffected
by the inscription.
Some commands will prompt for a direction. You may enter a "compass"
direction using any of the "direction keys" shown below. Sometimes,
you may specify that you wish to use the current "target", by pressing
"t" or "5", or that you wish to select a new target, by pressing "*"
(see "Target" below).
Each of the standard keysets provides some short-cuts over the
"underlying commands". For example, both keysets allow you to "walk" by
simply pressing an "original" direction key (or a "roguelike" direction
key if you are using the roguelike keyset), instead of using the "walk"
command plus a direction. The roguelike keyset allows you to "run" or
"tunnel" by simply holding the shift or control modifier key down while
pressing a "roguelike" direction key, instead of using the "run" or
"tunnel" command plus a direction. Both keysets allow the use of the
"5" key to "stand still", which is most convenient when using the
original keyset.
Note that on many systems, it is possible to define "macros" (or
"command macros") to various keys, or key combinations, so that it is
often possible to make macros which, for example, allow the use of the
shift or control modifier keys, plus a numeric keypad key, to specify
the "run" or "tunnel" command, with the given direction, regardless of
any keymap definitions, by using the fact that you can always, for
example, use "\" + "." + "6", to specify "run east".
=== Original Keyset ===
Original Keyset Directions
7 8 9
4 6
1 2 3
a Aim a wand A Activate equipped item
b Browse magic list B Bash a door
c Close a door C Character description
d Drop an item D Disarm a trap
e Equipment list E Eat some food
f Fire an item F Fuel your lantern/torch
g Stay still (flip pickup) G Gain new spells/prayers
h (unused) H (unused)
i Inventory list I Observe an item
j Jam a door J (unused)
k Destroy an item K (unused)
l Look around L Locate player on map
m Cast a spell / use mental power M Full dungeon map
n Repeat last command N (unused)
o Open a door or chest O (unused)
p Command your pets P (unused)
q Quaff a potion Q Quit (commit suicide)
r Read a scroll R Rest for a period
s Search for traps/doors S Toggle search mode
t Take off equipment T Dig a tunnel
u Use a staff U Use bonus power (if any)
v Throw an item V Version info
w Wear/wield equipment W (unused)
x (unused) X Auto-explore
y (unused) Y (unused)
z Zap a rod Z (unused)
! (unused) ^A (special - wizard command)
@ Interact with macros ^B (unused)
# (unused) ^C (special - break)
$ Reload Auto-picker pref ^D (unused)
% Interact with visuals ^E Toggle choice window
^ (special - control key) ^F Repeat level feeling
& Interact with colors ^G (unused)
* Target monster or location ^H (unused)
( Load screen dump ^I (special - tab)
) Dump screen dump ^J (special - linefeed)
{ Inscribe an object ^K (unused)
} Uninscribe an object ^L (unused)
[ (unused) ^M (special - return)
] (unused) ^N (unused)
- Walk (flip pickup) ^O (unused)
_ Edit auto-picker/destroyer pref ^P Show previous messages
+ Alter grid ^Q Display quest info
= Set options ^R Redraw the screen
; Walk (with pickup) ^S Save and don't quit
: Take notes ^T Display game time
' (unused) ^U (unused)
" Enter a user pref command ^V Output rand artifacts list
, Stay still (with pickup) ^W (special - wizard mode)
< Go up staircase (Enter global map) ^X Save and quit
. Run ^Y (unused)
> Go down staircase(Enter normal map) ^Z (special - borg command)
\ (special - bypass keymap) | Check play record
` (special - escape) ~ Check various information
/ Identify symbol ? Help
=== Roguelike Keyset ===
Roguelike Keyset Directions
y k u
h l
b j n
a Zap a rod (Activate) A Activate equipped item
b (walk - south west) B (run - south west)
c Close a door C Character description
d Drop an item D Disarm a trap or chest
e Equipment list E Eat some food
f Bash a door (force) F Fuel your lantern/torch
g Stay still (flip pickup) G Gain new spells/prayers
h (walk - west) H (run - west)
i Inventory list I Observe an item
j (walk - south) J (run - south)
k (walk - north) K (run - north)
l (walk - east) L (run - east)
m Spell casting / mental power M Full dungeon map
n (walk - south east) N (run - south east)
o Open a door or chest O Use bonus power (if any)
p Command your pets P Browse magic list
q Quaff a potion Q Quit (commit suicide)
r Read a scroll R Rest for a period
s Search for traps/doors S Jam a door (Spike)
t Fire an item T Take off equipment
u (walk - north east) U (run - north east)
v Throw an item V Version info
w Wear/wield equipment W Locate player on map
x Look around X (unused)
y (walk - north west) Y (run - north west)
z Aim a wand (Zap) Z Use a staff (Zap)
! (unused) ^A (special - wizard command)
@ Interact with macros ^B (tunnel - south west)
# Toggle search mode ^C (special - break)
$ Reload Auto-picker pref ^D Destroy item
% Interact with visuals ^E Toggle choice window
^ (special - control key) ^F Repeat level feeling
& Interact with colors ^G (unused)
* Target monster or location ^H (tunnel - west)
( Load screen dump ^I (special - tab)
) Dump screen dump ^J (tunnel - south)
{ Inscribe an object ^K (tunnel - north)
} Uninscribe an object ^L (tunnel - east)
[ Repeat last command ^M (tunnel - south)
] (unused) ^N (tunnel - south east)
- Walk (flip pickup) ^O (unused)
_ Edit auto-picker/destroyer pref ^P Show previous messages
+ Alter grid ^Q Display quest info
= Set options ^R Redraw the screen
; Walk (with pickup) ^S Save and don't quit
: Take notes ^T Dig a Tunnel
' Display game time ^U (tunnel - north east)
" Enter a user pref command ^V Output rand artifacts list
, Run ^W (special - wizard mode)
< Go up staircase (Enter global map) ^X Save and quit
. Stay still (with pickup) ^Y (tunnel - north west)
> Go down staircase(Enter normal map) ^Z (unused)
\ (special - bypass keymap) | Check play record
` (special - escape) ~ Check various information
/ Identify symbol ? Help
=== Special Keys ===
Certain special keys may be intercepted by the operating system or
the host machine, causing unexpected results. In general, these special
keys are control keys, and often, you can disable their special
effects.
If you are playing on a UNIX or similar system, then Ctrl-C will
interrupt Hengband. The second and third interrupt will induce a
warning bell, and the fourth will induce both a warning bell and a
special message, since the fifth will quit the game, after killing your
character. Also, Ctrl-Z will suspend the game, and return you to the
original command shell, until you resume the game with the "fg"
command. There is now a compilation option to force the game to prevent
the "double ctrl-z escape death trick". The Ctrl-\ and Ctrl-D and
Ctrl-S keys should not be intercepted.
It is often possible to specify "control-keys" without actually
pressing the control key, by typing a caret ("^") followed by the key.
This is useful for specifying control-key commands which might be
caught by the operating system as explained above.
Pressing backslash ("\") before a command will bypass all keymaps,
and the next keypress will be interpreted as an "underlying command"
key, unless it is a caret ("^"), in which case the keypress after that
will be turned into a control-key and interpreted as a command in the
underlying Hengband keyset. The backslash key is useful for creating
macro actions which are not affected by any keymap definitions that may
be in force, for example, the sequence "\" + "." + "6" will always mean
"run east", even if the "." key has been mapped to a different
underlying command.
The "0" and "^" and "\" keys all have special meaning when entered
at the command prompt, and there is no "useful" way to specify any of
them as an "underlying command", which is okay, since they would have
no effect.
For many input requests or queries, the special character ESCAPE will
abort the command. The "[y/n]" prompts may be answered with "y" or
"n", or escape. The "-more-" message prompts may be cleared (after
reading the displayed message) by pressing ESCAPE, SPACE, RETURN,
LINEFEED, or by any keypress, if the "quick_messages" option is turned
on.
=== Command Counts ===
Some commands can be executed a fixed number of times by preceding
them with a count. Counted commands will execute until the count
expires, until you type any character, or until something significant
happens, such as being attacked. Thus, a counted command doesn't work
to attack another creature. While the command is being repeated, the
number of times left to be repeated will flash by on the line at the
bottom of the screen.
To give a count to a command, type 0, the repeat count, and then the
command. If you want to give a movement command and you are using the
original command set (where the movement commands are digits), press
space after the count and you will be prompted for the command.
Counted commands are very useful for searching or tunneling, as they
automatically terminate on success, or if you are attacked. You may
also terminate any counted command (or resting or running), by typing
any character. This character is ignored, but it is safest to use a
SPACE or ESCAPE which are always ignored as commands in case you type
the command just after the count expires.
You can tell Hengband to automatically use a repeat count of 99 with
commands you normally want to repeat (open, disarm, tunnel, bash,
alter, etc) by setting the "always_repeat" option.
=== Selection of Objects ===
Many commands will also prompt for a particular object to be used. For
example, the command to read a scroll will ask you which of the scrolls
that you are carrying that you wish to read. In such cases, the
selection is made by typing a letter of the alphabet. The prompt will
indicate the possible letters, and will also allow you to type the key
"*", which causes all of the available options to be described. The
list of choices will also be shown in the Choice window, if you are
using a windows environment and windows are turned on. Often you will
be able to press "/" to select an object from your equipment instead of
your inventory. Pressing space once will have the same effect as "*",
and the second time will cancel the command and run the "i" or "e"
command.
The particular object may be selected by an upper case or a lower case
letter. If lower case is used, the selection takes place immediately.
If upper case is used, then the particular option is described, and you
are given the option of confirming or retracting that choice. Upper
case selection is thus safer, but requires an extra key stroke.
Also see the "!*" and "!x" inscriptions, below.
For many commands, you can also use "-" to select an object on the
floor where you are standing. This lets you read scrolls or quaff
potions, for example, off the dungeon floor without picking them up.
If you enter a number between 0 and 9, the first item engraved with
"@#" where "#" is the number you entered will be selected. For example,
if you have a shovel engraved with "@0" and you type "w" (for wield)
and then 0, you will wield the shovel. This is very useful for macros
(see below), since you can use this to select an object regardless of
its location in your pack. For example, Hengband automatically defines
a macro for the key "X" to do "w0" (roguelike keyset only; in the
original keyset X is Auto-explore). If you then engrave both your
digging instrument and your primary weapon with @0, pressing X will
wield whichever one is not being currently wielded (letting you quickly
switch between them). Multiple numbers can be engraved on the same
object; for example, if a sword is engraved with @1@0, then either "w1"
or "w0" will wield it. Normally, you inscribe "@1@0" on your primary
weapon, and "@2@0" on your digger or secondary weapon. Note that an
inscription containing "@x#" will act like "@#" but only when the
current "Hengband command" is "x". Thus you can put "@z4" on a rod and
"@u4" on a staff, and then use both "z4" and "u4" as desired.
Note that any object containing "!x" in its inscription, where "x" is
the current "Hengband command" (or containing "!*" ever) will induce
"verification" whenever that object is "selected". Thus, inscribing,
say, "!f!k!d" on an object will greatly reduce the odds of you "losing"
it by accident, and inscribing "!*" on an object will allow you to be
very paranoid about the object. Note that "selling" and "dropping" both
use the "d" command.
--
Original : Alexander Cutler and Andy Astrand
Updated : (2.7.6) by Russ Allbery (rra@cs.stanford.edu)
Updated : (2.7.9) by Ben Harrison (benh@phial.com)
Updated : Zangband 2.2.0 through 2.2.6c by Robert Ruehlmann
Updated : Zangband DevTeam
Updated : Hengband 1.0.11town.txt=== The Town and Wilderness === After you have created your character, you will begin your Hengband adventure in the town called Outpost. Symbols appearing on your screen will represent the walls, floor, objects, features, and creatures lurking about. In order to direct your character through his adventure, you will enter single character commands (see command.txt [b]). We recommend that you go to the Yeek cave next to your starting position in the town of Outpost. Although the King of Yeeks at the lowest level is a fierce enemy, the rest of the cave should be fairly safe. Once you complete this dungeon, you will be strong enough to leave Outpost in search of greater adventures. Carry lots of food and fuel, for the journey can be a long one. --- The Global Map ( Press the '<' at first! ) --- Since this world is very large, it is convenient to go into global map mode by pressing the '<' key, and then return to local map mode by '>' key when you are at the destination. When in the wilderness, stay in safe grids such as roads or plains; seas and lava fields are best avoided for a while. Many towns and dungeons await you; good ones to explore early on include the orc caves and the Labyrinth. To the northeast of the town of Morivant, near the center of the map, is the dread dungeon of Angband. It is home to the Serpent of Chaos, whom you must kill in order to win the game. === Town and Wilderness Symbols === Symbols on your map can be broken down into three categories: terrain features such as walls, floor and doors, and trees, water and lava; objects which can be picked up such as treasure, weapons, magical devices, etc; and creatures which may or may not move about, but are mostly harmful to your character's well being. Symbols specific to the town and wilderness are shown below. Note that many creatures and objects from the dungeon may also appear in town and you should also review the comprehensive listing of all the various symbols which can be found in the dungeon section (see dungeon.txt#MapSymbols [c]). Terrain Shops ------- ----- # (Green) A Tree 1 Entrance to General Store ~ (Light Blue) Shallow Water 2 Entrance to Armory ~ (Dark Blue) Deep Water 3 Entrance to Weapon Smith ~ (Orange) Shallow Lava 4 Entrance to Temple ~ (Red) Deep Lava 5 Entrance to Alchemy Shop ^ (Brown) Mountains 6 Entrance to Magic Shop . (White) Floor / Road 7 Entrance to the Black Market . (Brown) Dirt 8 Entrance to your Home . (Green) Grass 9 Entrance to Bookstore > (White) Dungeon Entrance 0 Entrance to the Museum > (Yellow) Quest Entrance < (Yellow) Quest Exit Note that trees, water (deep and shallow) and lava (deep and shallow) may also appear in the dungeon. === The Town Level === The town level is where you will begin your adventure. The first time you are in town it will be daytime (unless you are playing an undead race who start at night), but note that the sun rises and falls as time passes and if you enter the town at night, the town will be dark. Fortunately, the various shops and the other special buildings are open on a 24-hour basis. The world of Hengband includes five towns separated by a wilderness and many dungeons. Fixed quests (see below [d]) could be begun by entering certain buildings in the towns. While most people welcome this large world, they are not for everyone and consequently, there are three possible town options in Hengband - the 'Standard' town(s), the 'Lite' town and the 'Vanilla' town. The default is the standard town and the lite town and the vanilla town options can be selected by pressing '=' during character generation. (see option.txt#Birth [e]) Your choice of town is fixed for the duration of your character's life and will be the new default for future characters created with that savefile. This of course may be changed by again pressing '=' during the creation of your next character. --- The 'Standard' Town --- The 'standard' town consists of a 97x62 square world. Each square (actually a rectangle) is the size of a standard Hengband dungeon level and contains themed wilderness terrain (mountainous areas, oceans, plains, etc). There are several towns located in various parts of the world and each town is situated in its own wilderness square. The wilderness is not uninhabited and can be dangerous indeed for the unwary. As a general rule, the further your character gets from civilization the more cautious he or she should be. Since this world is very large, it is convenient to go into global map mode by pressing the '<' key, and then return to local map mode by '>' key when you are at the destination. In the global map, however, you might suddenly get assault from monsters. In such situation, you cannot run away using the '<' key, you might go to the border of the screen to run away. Each of the towns contains the standard nine shops where you can purchase your supplies for your trips into the dungeon and sell the items you have collected. There are also special buildings offering services for a fee. The services available and the prices charged may vary from town to town so it can be worth hunting around for the best prices. Selection of the standard option also allows the creation of the buildings from which the various fixed quests begin. --- The 'Lite' Town --- The 'Lite' town option creates a 1x1 wilderness square containing a single town. This town contains the nine standard shops, the special buildings and access to a limited wilderness. The fixed quests are also available. This option is intended to be used by players who want to take advantage of the special buildings and fixed quests but don't want the large wilderness and by players who need a smaller wilderness for computer efficiency reasons. --- The 'Vanilla' Town --- The vanilla town consists of the nine standard shops only and an impenetrable wall which surrounds the town. There is no other embellishments. The special buildings and the fixed quests are unavailable if you select this option as is the wilderness. === Townspeople === The town contains many different kinds of people. There are the street urchins, young children who will mob an adventurer for money, and seem to come out of the woodwork when excited. Blubbering idiots are a constant annoyance, but not harmful. Public drunks wander about the town singing, and are of no threat to anyone. Sneaky rogues who work for the black market are always greedily eyeing your backpack for potential new 'purchases'... And finally, what town would be complete without a swarm of half drunk warriors, who take offense or become annoyed just for the fun of it. Most of the townspeople should be avoided by the largest possible distance when you wander from store to store. Fights will break out, though, so be prepared. Since your character grew up in this world of intrigue, no experience is awarded for killing the town inhabitants, though you may acquire treasure. One word of warning however, occasionally a creature who normally would inhabit only the wilderness and dungeons may wander into the town. These should generally be handled with much more caution than the ordinary townspeople. === Shopping in Town === Your character will begin his adventure with some basic supplies, and some extra gold with which to purchase more supplies at the town stores. You may enter any open store and barter with the owner for items you can afford by simply moving onto the entrance, which is represented by a number from 1 to 9. Once inside a store, you will see the name and race of the store owner, the name of the store, the maximum amount of cash that the store owner will pay for any one item, and the store inventory, listed along with tentative prices, which will become "fixed" (at the "final offer") should you ever manage to haggle a store owner down to his final offer (see below [f]). You will also see an (incomplete) list of available commands. Note that many of the commands which work in the dungeon work in the stores as well, but some do not, especially those which involve "using" objects. Stores do not always have everything in stock. As the game progresses, they may get new items so check from time to time. Also, if you sell them an item, it may get sold to a customer while you are adventuring, so don't always expect to be able to get back everything you have sold. Note that the inventory of a store will not change while you are in town, even if you save the game and return. You must spend time in the dungeon if you wish the store owner to clear out his stock and acquire new items. If you have a lot of spare gold, you can purchase every item in a store, which will induce the store owner to bring out new stock, and perhaps even retire. Store owners will not buy harmful or useless items. If an object is unidentified, they will pay you some base price for it. Once they have bought it they will immediately identify the object. If it is a good object, they will add it to their inventory. If it was a bad bargain, they simply throw the item away. In any case, you may receive some knowledge of the item if another is encountered. --- Bartering --- When bartering, you enter prices you will pay (or accept) for some object. You can either enter the absolute amount, or precede a number with a plus or minus sign to give a positive or negative increment on your previous offer. But be warned that the owners can easily be insulted, and may even throw you out for a while if you insult them too often. If you consistently bargain well in a store, that is, you reach the final offer much more often than not, then the store owner will eventually recognize that you are a superb haggler, and will go directly to the final offer instead of haggling with you. Items which cost less than 10 gold pieces do not count, as haggling well with these items is usually either very easy or almost impossible. The more expensive the item is, the less likely the store owner is to assume that you are a good haggler. Note that you may disable haggling with a software option, though this will inflict a 10% "sales tax" on all purchases for which the store owner would have required you to haggle. (See option.txt for details). ---- Object Pricing --- Each store owner has three primary attributes: the maximum amount they will pay for an object, their race and how greedy they are. Each of these affects how much a store owner will charge for an object and how much they are prepared to pay for something. Only the first two attributes can be known by the player. The final factors affecting pricing are the race and charisma of the player. Each object has a base value which is contained in the game's source code. This value is modified based on the store owner's greed (greedy store owners charge more and will pay less), your charisma (charismatic players pay less and can charge more) and whether or not the shopkeeper is friendly to your race (dwarves dislike elves so a dwarf shopkeeper will charge an elf player more and pay less for items the player is selling). Finally, when selling objects, the cap on the store owner's purse is applied so that even a favored race with a high charisma can not sell an item for more than that amount. This cap applies only to single items so it is possible to sell a stack of similar items for more than the cap on the store owner's purse. === List of Shops === The General Store ("1") The General Store sells foods, drinks, some clothing, torches, lamps, oil, shovels, picks, and spikes. All of these items and some others can be sold back to the General store for money. The Armoury ("2") The Armoury is where the town's armor is fashioned. All sorts of protective gear may be bought and sold here. The Weaponsmith's Shop ("3") The Weaponsmith's Shop is where the town's weapons are fashioned. Hand and missile weapons may be purchased and sold here, along with arrows, bolts, and shots. The Temple ("4") The Temple deals in healing and restoration potions, as well as bless scrolls, word of recall scrolls, some approved priestly weapons, as well as books of Life magic for priests and paladins. The Alchemy Shop ("5") The Alchemy Shop deals in all types of potions and scrolls. The Magic Shop ("6") The Magic Shop deals in all sorts of rings, wands, amulets, and staffs, as well as some magic books. The Black Market ("7") The Black Market will sell and buy anything at extortionate prices. However, it occasionally has VERY good items in it. The shopkeepers are not known for their tolerance... Your Home ("8") This is your house where you can store objects that you cannot carry on your travels, or will need at a later date. The Bookstore ("9") The Bookstore deals in all sorts of magical books. You can purchase and sell spellbooks for the spellcasters here. The Museum ("0") This is a place where you can donate any item to display. Use it when you find interesting but needless items and you want to leave it in memory. === Special Buildings === In addition to the shops, the Standard and Lite town options will cause special buildings to be generated. The buildings vary from town to town significantly both in terms of their name and the services they offer. Each town contains an Inn where the player may obtain food (assuming food does them any good) and rest for the night. Each town also contains a building which houses the local ruler. In addition to the inn and the ruler's house or castle, other buildings might include libraries where you can research objects and monsters, guilds for the various classes and magic realms, gambling dens and casinos, temples, healers and more. Note that some buildings such as guilds may offer preferential prices to members of their guild or offer services which are only available to their guild. Some building owners may offer preferential treatment to their own race or to a group of races. === Fixed Quests === At least one building in each town available in the Standard and Lite towns will offer the player the opportunity to undertake a quest. Such quests typically fall under the following categories: kill a certain number of a certain type of monster (for example kill 10 orcs), kill all the monsters in the quest level, retrieve a certain object, and escape from the quest level. When you request a quest, you will be given a brief description of the quest and your objective and also an indication of its danger level (a number which represents the dungeon level equivalence of the quest). Note that the danger indication can be somewhat misleading since the fixed nature of the quests allows you to apply tactics learned through several attempts to the same situation often making successive attempts easier. It also allows the quest designers to set up some particularly nasty ambushes! Once you have accepted a quest an quest entrance will appear and you may enter the quest level. Note that you do not have to enter the quest at that time and can delay entering until much later in the game should you wish. Many of the quests only allow you to attempt them once per game and you should therefore not enter them until you are confident in your ability to succeed. Whether you complete a quest or fail it, upon leaving the quest level return to the person who assigned the quest and report. If you were successful you may receive a reward which will normally be waiting for you outside the building when you leave however the rewards may take other forms. If you failed, you will receive a damning review of your performance. Note that you may not request another quest from that person until you have collected your reward or reported your failure. Note: You can not use Genocide, Mass Genocide and *Destruction* in a quest. -- Original : (??) Updated : (??) Updated : Zangband DevTeam Updated : Hengband 1.0.11
dungeon.txt=== The Dungeon === Although Hengband contains an extensive town level featuring multiple towns and a large wilderness area, the bulk of your adventuring will take place in the dungeon. Symbols appearing on your screen will represent the dungeon's walls, floor, objects, features, and creatures lurking about. In order to direct your character, you will enter single character commands (see command.txt [b]). === Symbols On Your Map === Symbols on your map can be broken down into three categories: features of the dungeon such as walls, floor, doors, and traps; objects which can be picked up such as treasure, weapons, magical devices, etc; and creatures which may or may not move about the dungeon, but are mostly harmful to your character's well being. Some symbols are used to represent more than one type of entity, and some symbols are used to represent entities in more than one category. The "@" symbol (by default) is used to represent the character. It will not be necessary to remember all of the symbols and their meanings. The "slash" command ("/") will identify any character appearing on your map Note that you can use a "user pref file" to change any of these symbols to something you are more comfortable with. --- Features that do not block line of sight --- . Floor ' Open curtain . A trap (hidden) < A staircase up ^ A trap (known) > A staircase down . Dirt < A shaft up . Patch of grass > A shaft down : Flower > Dungeon entrance : Brake > Quest entrance . Swamp * Mirror ~ Shallow water ; A rune of protection ~ Deep water ; An explosive rune ~ Shallow lava * Section of the Pattern ~ Deep lava * Section of the Pattern ^ Cold zone 1 General Store ^ Heavy cold zone 2 Armoury ^ Electrical zone 3 Weaponsmith's Shop ^ Heavy electrical zone 4 Temple ~ Shallow acid puddle 5 Alchemy Shop ~ Deep acid puddle 6 Magic Shop ~ Shallow poisonous puddle 7 Black Market ~ Deep poisonous puddle 8 Home # Dark pit 9 Bookstore ' An open door 0 Museum ' A broken door + Other building + Closed glass door + Other building # Glass wall --- Features that block line of sight --- # A granite wall # A tree % A magma vein ^ Mountain chain % A quartz vein + A door # A secret door ' Curtain * Treasure in wall : A pile of rubble === Within The Dungeon === Once your character is adequately supplied with food, light, armor, and weapons, he or she is ready to enter the dungeon. Move on top of the '>' symbol and use the "Down" command (">"). Your character will enter a maze of interconnecting staircases and finally arrive somewhere on the first level of the dungeon. Each level of the dungeon is fifty feet high (thus dungeon level "Lev 1" is often called "50 ft"), and is divided into (large) rectangular regions (several times larger than the screen) by titanium walls. Once you leave a level by a staircase, you will never again find your way back to that region of that level, but there are an infinite number of other regions at that same "depth" that you can explore later. So be careful that you have found all the treasure before you leave a level, or you may never find it again! The monsters, of course, can use the stairs, and you may eventually encounter them again. In the dungeon, there are many things to find, but your character must survive many horrible and challenging encounters to find the treasure lying about and take it safely back to the town to sell. There are two sources for light once inside the dungeon. One is permanent light which has been magically placed within rooms. The other is light sources carried by the player or monsters. If neither is present, the character will be unable to see. This will affect searching, picking locks, disarming traps, reading scrolls, casting spells, browsing books and more. So be very careful not to run out of light! A character must wield a torch or lamp in order to supply his or her own light. A torch or lamp burns fuel as it is used, and once it is out of fuel, it stops supplying light. You will be warned as the light approaches this point. You may use the "Fuel" command ("F") to refuel your lantern (with flasks of oil) or your torch (with other torches), so it is a good idea to carry extra torches or flasks of oil, as appropriate. There are rumors of objects of exceptional power which glow with their own never-ending light. === Objects In The Dungeon === The dungeons are full of objects just waiting to be picked up and used. How did they get there? Well, the main sources for useful items are all the foolish adventurers that proceeded into the dungeon before you. They get killed, and the helpful creatures scatter the various treasure throughout the dungeon. Most cursed items are placed there by the joyful evil sorcerers, who enjoy a good joke when it gets you killed. One item in particular will be discussed here. The scroll of "Word of Recall" can be found within the dungeon, or bought at the temple in town. It acts in two manners, depending upon your current location. If read within the dungeon, it will teleport you back to town. If read in town, it will teleport you back down to the deepest level (usually) of the dungeon which your character has previously been on. This makes the scroll very useful for getting back to the deeper levels of Hengband. The return floor is usually the deepest floor you've been to, but you can change the return floor by going back to a shallower floor and reading a scroll of "Word of Recall". A scroll of "Word of Recall" will take some time to take effect after your character reads it, so don't expect to use it as an instant escape from a crisis. If your character reads another such scroll before the first has taken effect, the second cancels the first and your character will not be teleported. A more complete description of Hengband objects is found elsewhere in the documentation (see object.txt [c]). === Mining === Much of the treasure within the dungeon can be found only by mining it out of the walls. Many rich strikes exist within each level, but must be found and mined. Quartz veins are the richest, yielding the most metals and gems, but magma veins will have some hordes hidden within. Mining is rather difficult without a pick or shovel. Picks and shovels have an additional magical ability expressed as '(+#)'. The higher the number, the better the magical digging ability of the tool. A pick or shovel also has plusses to hit and damage, and can be used as a weapon, because, in fact, it is one. When a vein of quartz or magma is located, the character may wield his pick or shovel and begin digging out a section. When that section is removed, he can locate another section of the vein and begin the process again. Since granite rock is much harder to dig through, it is much faster to follow the vein exactly and dig around the granite. At a certain point, it becomes more cumbersome to dig out treasure than to simply kill monsters and discover items in the dungeon to sell. Early on, however, mineral veins can be a wonderful source of easy treasure. If the character has a scroll, staff, or spell of treasure location, he or she can immediately locate all strikes of treasure within the veins shown on the screen. This makes mining much easier and more profitable. Note that a character with high strength and/or a heavy weapon does not need a shovel/pick to dig, but even the strongest character will benefit from a pick or shovel if trying to dig through a granite wall. It is sometimes possible to get a character trapped within the dungeon by using various magical spells and items. So it can be a good idea to always carry some kind of digging tool, even when you are not planning on tunneling for treasure. There are rumors of certain incredibly profitable rooms buried deep in the dungeon and completely surrounded by titanium and granite walls, requiring a digging implement or magical means to enter. The same rumors imply that these rooms are guarded by incredibly powerful monsters, so beware! === Staircases, Secret Doors, Passages, and Rooms === Staircases are the manner in which you get deeper or climb out of the dungeon. The symbols for the up and down staircases are the same as the commands to use them. A "<" represents an up staircase and a ">" represents a down staircase. You must move your character over the staircase before you can use it. In Hengband, stairs will go up or down one level. Shafts will go up or down two levels at a time. Each level has at least one up staircase and at least two down staircases. There are no exceptions to this rule. You may have trouble finding some well hidden secret doors, or you may have to dig through obstructions to get to them, but you can always find the stairs if you look hard enough. Stairs, like titanium walls, and the doors into shops, cannot be destroyed by any means. Many secret doors are used within the dungeon to confuse and demoralize adventurers foolish enough to enter. But with some luck, and lots of concentration, you can find these secret doors. Secret doors will sometimes hide rooms or corridors, or even entire sections of that level of the dungeon. Sometimes they simply hide small empty closets or even dead ends. Secret doors always look like granite walls, just like traps always look like normal floors. Creatures in the dungeon will generally know and use these secret doors, and can often be counted on to leave them open behind them when they pass through. Doors can be broken down by bashing them. Once a door is bashed open, it is forever useless and cannot be closed. === Dangerous Terrain === While all of the dungeon can be dangerous, there is some terrain that will harm an adventurer just by standing upon it. While an adventurer may have a source of resistance or immunity to limit or entirely avoid that damage, another way to deal with that terrain is to magically levitate over it. Shallow or deep water is more common and is usually safe to enter, but entering deep water while carrying too much can lead the character to flounder, losing hit points until the character either leaves the deep water or dies from drowning. Shallow or deep lava flows often appear deep in the dungeon and can be found in some mountainous parts of the wilderness. Even a brief foray into a lava flow can be deadly for an ill-prepared adventurer. Moreover, deep lava flows can cause drowning if the character is carrying too much. The harmful effects from lava can be relieved or avoided by wearing a source of fire resistance, fire immunity or levitation. Cold or extremely ("heavy") cold zones are rarely seen in the dungeon, but they'll cause damage by freezing to any adventurer who enters or remains upon them. The damage can be alleviated by wearing a source of cold resistance or levitation. Electrical or high voltage ("heavy") electrical zones are also rarely seen, but they'll cause electrical damage to characters who enter or remain upon them. The damage can be alleviated by wearing a source of electrical resistance or levitation. Shallow or deep acid puddles often appear deep in the dungeon. Entering or remaining in them will cause acid damage. In deep puddles, a character can drown if carrying too much. Wearing a source of acid resistance, acid immunity, or levitation can alleviate the harmful effects of the puddles. Shallow or deep poisonous puddles often appear deep in the dungeon. Entering or remaining in them will cause immediate poison damage as well as lingering poison damage even after leaving the puddle. In addition, a character carrying too much can drown in a deep puddle. Wearing a source of poison resistance or levitation can alleviate the harmful effects of the puddles. === Level Feelings === Once you have been on a particular dungeon level for a while, you will receive a 'feeling' prompt representing what your intuition tells you about the quality of objects and the difficulty of the monsters found on that level. You may check this prompt again at any time after receiving it by pressing 'Ctrl-F'. The actual 'feeling' prompt is generated based on a number of factors. Things which increase the feeling level include the presence of vaults and certain other special rooms, out of depth objects and monsters and objects of a certain quality (for example, ego items, artifacts and other objects that are considered 'great' (see objects.txt)). The feeling may change, with more perceptive adventurers picking up the change earlier. Defeating powerful monsters of picking up powerful items can calm the feeling for a level. In Hengband, the nastier the feeling prompt, the better the level. From worst to best, the prompts are as follows: 'What a boring place...' 'This level looks reasonably safe.' 'You don't like the look of this place.' 'You feel your luck is turning...' 'You feel nervous.' 'You have a bad feeling...' 'You have a very bad feeling...' 'This level looks very dangerous.' 'You nearly faint as horrible visions of death fill your mind!' If your personality is 'Lucky' or you have the mutation of 'white aura', the prompts will be changed as follows: 'What a boring place...' 'This level can't be all bad...' 'You like the look of this place...' 'You feel your luck is turning...' 'You feel strangely lucky...' 'You have a good feeling...' 'You have a very good feeling...' 'You have an excellent feeling...' 'You have a superb feeling about this level.' Hengband also uses two other feeling prompts to denote special things. If you have not yet been on a level long enough to qualify for a prompt and press 'Ctrl-F', you will be given the prompt: 'Looks like any other level.' If you are playing in non-preserve mode, you may also occasionally receive the following prompt: 'You feel there is something special about this level.' A special feeling means one of two things, there is either a special room or vault on the level or there is an artifact on the level. As you get deeper on the dungeon, special feelings become increasingly less common for special room and vaults and are only commonly given when an artifact has been generated. Note it is possible that there could be both a vault and an artifact or more than one artifact on a special level so you should never leave a special level without fully exploring it unless your character's continued survival is in question. === Random Quests === During character generation, you will be asked to input the number of random quests you wish to participate in. You may choose any number from 0 to 10. Random quests are always of the type 'Kill an out-of depth unique monster'. There is a limit to the number of levels a random quest monster may be out-of-depth, but these quests can still be very dangerous. Random quests appear on level 6, 12, 24, 38, 44, 50, 56, 62, 76 and 88. On entering a random quest level you will be told what the quest monster is (for example, 'Beware, this level is protected by Gachapin'). On random quest levels, no down staircases are generated until the last monster is killed which means that you cannot continue further into the dungeon until you have completed your quests. When you kill the quest monster, the down staircase will be created and the monster will drop an item of 'excellent' quality or above. This is true even of monsters that do not normally drop items. If the quest monster is too strong for you, simply run away using up staircase or recall. In such case, the quest will be treated as 'failed' and you cannot challenge that quest never again. -- Original : (??) Updated : (??) Updated : Zangband DevTeam Updated : Hengband 1.0.11 Updated : Hengband 3.0.0Alpha15, English translation backwardsEric
monster.txt=== Hengband Monsters === There are hundreds of different creatures in Hengband each of which poses a unique challenge to the adventurer. As you progress deeper into the dungeon, the creatures will become progressively more difficult to defeat. === Monster Symbols === Many monsters have the same letter symbol and sometimes color on the screen. The exact species or type of creature can be discovered by 'l'ooking at it (see commdesc.txt#Looking [b]). a Giant Ant A Angelic being b Giant Bat B Bird c Giant Centipede C Canine d Dragon D Ancient Dragon e Floating Eye E Elemental f Feline F Dragon Fly g Golem G Ghost h Humanoids H Hybrid i Icky-Thing I Insect j Jelly J Snake k Kobold K Killer Beetle l Aquatic monster L Lich m Mold M Multi-Headed Hydra n Naga N Shadower o Orc O Ogre p Human P Giant Human(oid) q Quadruped Q Quylthulg r Rodent R Reptile/Amphibian s Skeleton S Spider/Scorpion/Tick t Townsperson T Troll u Minor demon U Major demon v Vortex V Vampire w Worm or Worm Mass W Wight/Wraith x (unused) X Xorn/Xaren y Yeek Y Yeti z Zombie/Mummy Z Zephyr Hound $ Creeping Coins , Mushroom Patch # Ent, Huorn, Fumes Note that some monsters disguise themselves by assuming the shape (ie. symbol) of common objects found in the dungeon. These include the |, ), ?, !, &, =, #, $ and * symbols. === Monster Colors === You can often determine some information about a monster based solely on the color it is described as having, like 'a White Dragon'. In general, 'White' monsters are cold-based, 'Red' are fire-based, 'Blue' are electrical, 'Black' are acidic, and 'Green' are poisonous and a 'Multi-Hued' monster is all of these. By being cold-based, we mean that the monster has either melee, magical or breath attacks that are cold based. Unfortunately this rule is applied somewhat inconsistently and there are several notable exceptions so don't be surprised if that 'Green' monster spits acid at you. Note that this rule cannot be applied to the actual color a creature is displayed as but only to a color in its name. Other color and attack-type relationships are 'Bronze' and confusion and 'Gold' and sound. Over time the inconsistencies referred to above will probably get cleaned up. === Monster Memories === Because there are so many monsters and because often different monsters share similar colors and symbols; it is very difficult to keep track of the capabilities of various creatures. Luckily, Hengband automatically keeps track of your experiences with a particular creature. This feature is called the monster memory. Your monster memory recalls the particular attacks of each creature (whether or not technically a monster) which you have suffered, as well as recalling if you have observed them to multiply or move erratically, or drop treasure, etc. Similarly if you attack a creature with a magical attack and it resists, that fact is noted. If you have killed enough of a particular creature, or suffered enough attacks, recalling the monster memory may also provide you with information not otherwise available, such as an armor class or hit dice. These are not explained, but may be useful to give the relative danger of each creature. Your monster memory may be accessed by pressing '/' and then entering the symbol you wish to research. Each monster with that symbol of which you have some knowledge will displayed in turn beginning with the deepest. Alternatively, you may enter targeting mode by pressing '*' and, with the cursor over the creature in question, press 'r' to recall details. The best feature about your monster memory is that it can be passed on to a new character even after you die by means of a reduced save file. Simply use your old savefile as the base for creating your new character. === Unique Monsters === The monsters in Hengband are unique in that each variety of monsters has its own set of physical and, where applicable, magical abilities. However, some monsters in Hengband are truly unique and this group of monsters are often referred to as "Uniques". The Unique monsters are made unique for several reasons. Primarily, their name derives from the fact that unlike regular monsters which can appear numerous times during the course of a game, the Unique monsters will never be regenerated once they have been killed and the game will never generate two copies of the same Unique monster at a time so that effectively there is only one of each Unique monster. Unique monsters are typically based on a normal monster. For example, Tom the Stone Troll is based on the Stone Troll monster. However, Unique monsters usually have more hitpoints, hit harder and cast spells more effectively than the monster on which they are based. Unique monsters are often a different color from other monsters of their type to allow the player to more easily distinguish them but this is not always true. --- Uniques' Resistance to Magic --- Unique monsters tend to be more resistant to magic than the other dungeon inhabitants. Thus, slowing, confusing, sleeping and scaring will be less effective and may not work at all. In addition, Genocide and Mass-Genocide spells will never work on Uniques and *Destruction* will teleport them from a level but will not kill them. --- Keeping Track of Uniques --- Since Unique monsters are often very difficult to defeat, most players will attempt to kill them all before attempting to battle the Serpent of Chaos (itself a Unique monster). This avoids the need to battle two very difficult opponents at the same time. Each time your character happens upon a new Unique, this is recorded in your monster memory. Under the knowledge command ('~') is a menu item which allows you to look at which Uniques you have met and which of these have been defeated. It is a good idea to check this periodically to gauge your progress. --- Speaking Uniques --- Occasionally, you will find that a Unique monster will speak to you as it approaches. Typically, a monster will shout obscenities and challenges to combat but they may also refer to events relating to themselves. Hengband has no mechanism to allow you to respond to the monsters (other than with violence). You may prevent Unique monsters from speaking by changing the appropriate option under the options menus. --- Rewards for Killing Uniques --- You may also find that occasionally after killing a Unique monster that the game will tell you that the Unique was wanted. And you will be rewarded for killing it when you take the Unique's corpse to the Hunter's office at the Outpost. The amount of the reward is dependent upon how deep in the dungeon the relevant Unique is normally found. === Eldritch Horrors === Some of the monsters in the dungeons of Hengband are so fearsome to look upon that doing so can have serious repercussions. When you meet one of these sanity blasting monsters, one of several nasty things may happen to you. These include having your intelligence and/or your wisdom temporarily reduced, becoming scared or confused, or suffering an attack of amnesia. === Pets and Riding === In Hengband, pets are very useful. In other variants (such as Zangband), your pets are often so eager to destroy your opponents that they may forget all about you, and you get trampled under their feet as they charge at your foe. In Hengband, however, pets will never attack you by mistake; you can walk around in safety even as your pet Great Hell Wyrm breathes. Pets will also never be irritated with you; their will is perfectly dominated by you, and all pets are permanently your pets. One might think that they can make the game much easier. It is of course highly satisfying to send your pet Great Hell Wyrm into a Troll pit and wait outside listening for the howls of agony and terror, the sounds of guts splattering, bones crunching and so on. But one should not expect to gain any experience and item drops for such a combat: you will only gain experience and items for creatures to whom you deliver the death blow yourself. Monsters which get killed by a pet don't drop items. This feature of Hengband is unique and severe, and you might complain about it because this feature is not very realistic, but this is a well-thought-out result of weighing game balance with reality. Finally, it takes a lot of mental energy to maintain your control over charmed monsters, and start taxing your mana regain rate. The higher the sum of the levels of your pets the less mana you will be able to regain. And after the upkeep became more then 100% mana, you begin to lose mana rather than regain. Keep this in mind if you have a pet which can summon or otherwise produce more pets... --- Obtaining a pet --- You may obtain pets in several different ways. Some magic realms offer the ability to summon pets magically or to charm the creatures you meet. Mindcrafters may 'dominate' their opponents. Chaos patrons may grant pets as a gift to their devotees. Magical figurines can be thrown to create a pet and wands of charm monster may be used as their name suggests. The Capture Ball is very useful tool and any player can use it. You can easily get this tool at a General Store. To use it, you must wield it on your hand, then 'A'ctivate it, and choose a target monster to capture the monster. And then you can 'A'ctivate it again to release the monster as your pet. Hostile monsters will attempt to resist from capturing. You must make the monster critically injured status before capture. BeastMasters are very good at using Capture Balls, and these limitation are relaxed for them. --- Commanding Your Pets --- Your pets are fairly well trained and will respond to a variety of commands such as following you closely, staying nearby and searching out your enemies. You can command your pets using the pet command menu which can be found be pressing 'p'. List of pet commands: dismiss pets Dismiss specified pets. Dismissed pets will immediately disappear from the current level. Hengband asks you whether you want to dismiss each pet in order from high level named pets to low level unnamed pets. You can press 'U' to dismiss all unnamed pets. specify a target of pet Choose a target monster, then all your pets will begin to chase the target. stay close Command your pets to slay as close as they can. follow me Command your pets to keep some distance to you. seek and destroy Command your pets to chase monsters near you. give me space Command your pets to go away from your line of sight. stay away Command your pets to go away as far as they can. pets open doors Toggle permission of pets to open doors. pets pick up items Toggle permission of pets to pick up items. allow teleport Toggle permission of pets to cast teleport spell and teleport away spell. allow cast attack spell Toggle permission of pets to use attack spells and breath. allow cast summon spell Toggle permission of pets to cast summoning spells. allow involve player in area spell Toggle permission of pets to use ball spells or breath involving player in the area of effect. ride a pet Ride on a specified pet. get off a pet Get off from a riding pet. name pets Specify a target pet and name it. use both hands for a weapon. use one hand to control a riding pet Toggle use of your left hand when you are riding. You can wield a weapon two-handed for maximum damage in melee, and command the riding pet to chase your target using the 'specify a target of pet' command. --- Riding --- In Hengband, the player can ride on pet horses or dragons, etc. To control your mount, you must keep one hand free for holding the reins. But your pet will attack your target together with you, and enemy's attack will be dispersed. As a result of these, player's damage in combat will get reduced in total. The most important feature of riding is speed. When you are riding on a pet, your speed doesn't depend on your original speed but depends only on the speed of your mount and your skill at riding. Quaffing a potion of speed has no effect on your mount's speed, but throwing it at a wall will hasten your pet if it is nearby. You can use a wand or a spell of haste monster too. Note that your proficiency level for riding is very low at first (see 'e' Miscellaneous Proficiency' using the information command '~'). When your proficiency level is low, you cannot make good use of riding, and your speed is also very low. You need to practice riding to gain the full speed of the creature you ride. Proficiency level will increase a little when you attack in melee or shoot with missile weapon when riding. Ride on low level creatures at first, and then switch to higher level mounts little by little. === Friendly Monsters === You will occasionally find a monster in the dungeon that isn't out to get you. Such monsters are described in game messages as being 'friendly'. A friendly monster will not attempt to hurt you but neither will it necessarily attack your enemies. Unlike pets, if you annoy a friendly monster it will turn against you. Like pets, any monsters a friendly monster summons will also be friendly. Unlike pets, friendly monsters require no mana upkeep and can not be commanded using the pet commands. -- Original : (??) Updated : (??) Updated : Zangband DevTeam Updated : Hengband 1.0.11
tang.txt=== The Hengband Newbie Guide ===
Note: This guide has been adapted from The Angband Newbie Guide by
Chris Weisiger and has undergone certain revisions to conform more
closely to Hengband.
=== Basic Training ===
When you load the game, select "Start a new character." Go through the
step-by-step instructions for picking a gender, race, and class. For
your first time, we recommend choosing a Golem Warrior. Avoid the
spellcaster types; they're much more difficult to play. If you want
basic information about races and classes, go to the on-line help
(type "?") and read "Character Attributes". You should probably read
most of the help files here; the commands list is especially important
to someone new to Hengband.
After naming your character, you'll start in the town. The various
numbers represent stores, where you can buy new equipment and sell
stuff you've found in the dungeon. The little ">" is a staircase, the
entrance to the dungeon. Stand on the entrance to the dungeon, and
type ">", and you enters into the dungeon, and then type "<", and you
return to the surface.
Next, type "<" again on the surface. If there are no hostile monsters
near you, you will enters the Global Map mode which displays all the
world of Hengband. Type ">" to return from global map mode to normal
map mode.
If you want to know what a specific symbol stands for, type "/", and
then the symbol. For instance, if you're wondering what all the t's
are, type "/t", and the game will tell you that these are
townspeople. You can also "l"ook at an item, feature, or
monster. While looking, pressing space or enter will cycle through the
different "interesting" things in view. There is also a full map
function: type "M". It will bring up a map of the entire area (just a
single screen in the case of the town, but useful later on in the
dungeon). Finally, if you type "L", you can scroll the (full-zoom) map
around the dungeon. In general, you can use "M" to find areas that
look interesting and "L" to look at them in detail.
Take a look around the town, but avoid the Mean-Looking Mercenaries and
Battle-Scarred Veterans; they can kill you fairly easily. A note on
shop #7; it's the black market, where very powerful items are sold for
an absolutely ridiculous price. Any good item can show up in this store
(barring standard artifacts), so look here for those items that don't
show up in other stores.
Be sure to visit shops #1 and #2, the General Store and Armoury,
respectively. At the General Store, buy a cloak and a Brass Lantern,
and a flask of oil or two. Sell your torches. At the Armoury, buy some
of the light armor. Suggested: Hard Leather Boots, a Leather Cap,
Leather Gloves. If a Small Leather Shield is on sale and you can afford
it, buy it.
This should have cleaned out your money. However, if it hasn't, it is
strongly recommended that you go to the Alchemy Shop (#5) and
purchase a scroll of Phase Door. If you get surrounded by monsters,
read it, and you'll be teleported a short distance away.
Of course, it's possible that these items will not be available in the
stores. The stores will "refresh" themselves every 1000 turns, getting
rid of old items and buying new ones. If you ever find that there's
something you need which the stores don't currently have, you can wait
a while for the stores to refresh.
Hengband's not actually all that difficult to learn to play. You should
get the hang of it fairly quickly.
From here on we'll be giving detailed dungeon survival information.
Some of it is intuitive, and some of it you aren't likely to find out
without a lot of deaths first. If you want to experience the painful
learning process in all it's glory, don't read further. If, however,
you're sick and tired of dying, read ahead.
=== On weapons and multiple blows ===
Most characters will start the game being able to get two blows per
round with their weapon when attacking. Whether or not you get more
blows than this later in the game will be determined by your class,
your weapon weight, your Strength, and your Dexterity. Check your
Character display (type "C"). Somewhere on this page, there is a number
that is your number of blows/round.
Multiple blows become very important later in the dungeon since the
more times you hit, the more damage your weapon does (obviously).
=== On important magical items ===
You might think that you can get by without magical items. If so,
you're bound for an interesting, but short, stay in the dungeon. It'll
probably be one-way, too.
--- Teleportation Items ---
The most important items have be those of teleportation. There are many
basic types:
Phase Door
teleports you up to 10 squares away. Useful for the Shoot 'n Scoot
maneuver; more on this later.
Teleport
teleports you across the dungeon, sometimes landing you in more
trouble than you started in. Better than certain death, though.
Teleport Away
teleports a monster (or several monsters) away from you. Safer
than Teleport, but you might not be able to get them all in one
strike.
Teleport Level
moves you up or down one level. If the level you're on is full of
dangerous monsters and you need to teleport, this could be your
ticket to safety.
*Destruction*
this powerful spell removes everything (including artifacts!)
from the area around you, blasting the surroundings and causing
rock to fall from the ceiling. If you're ever in deep trouble,
this is the safest way to escape.
--- Healing Items ---
The second most important items are those of healing. Healing, in this
case, covers Cure Light/Serious/Critical Wounds, Healing, *Healing*,
and Life Potions, from weakest to strongest.
Cure Light Wounds
restores 2d8 hitpoints and removes cuts, blindness and berserk.
Cure Serious Wounds
restores 4d8 hitpoints and removes cuts, blindness, confusion and
berserk.
Cure Critical Wounds
restores 6d8 hitpoints and removes cuts, blindness, confusion,
stun, poison and berserk.
Curing
restores 50 hitpoints and removes cuts, blindness, confusion,
stun, poison and hallucination.
Healing
restores 300 hitpoints and removes cuts, blindness, confusion,
stun, poison and berserk.
*Healing*
restores 1200 hitpoints and removes cuts, blindness, confusion,
stun, poison and berserk.
Potions of Life
restores 5000 hitpoints (about 5 times more than you'll ever
have), restores all drained stats and experience, and removes all
bad effects except hunger. These are very rare; save them in your
home for a dangerous fight.
--- Items for Identifying Objects ---
There are various methods of Identify which you *need*. Identify comes
in the form of scrolls, Staffs of Perception, Rods of Perception, the
spell Identify, and the prayer Perception. These will tell you any
magical properties of the item, like magical bonuses to hit and to
damage, and magical bonuses to stats. It also tells you if the item is
cursed. It tells you what a wand/rod/staff/potion/scroll/mushroom/etc.
does, and this is very important. There are nasty potions deep in the
dungeon that you *do not* want to drink! Sometimes, the descriptions of
the items are a little obscure; things like Staffs of Holiness and
Power, Mushrooms of Unhealth, and others. You may have to experiment a
bit to determine their powers.
There is also an advanced form of Identify, called *Identify*. This is
available primarily as a Scroll of *Identify* but certain magic realms
contain a similar spell although it may be called something different.
In addition, some towns may provide a shop offering *identify* as a
service. Identifying an item by one of these means tells you every
single property of the item, like whether or not it lets you see
invisible monsters, sustains stats, gives you regeneration, and so on.
You should only use *identify* on artifacts and certain powerful
ego-items some of which may have random abilities which can only be
discovered by this method.
--- Items for Lighting the Dungeon ---
Notes on lighting: You can't do much without light. You won't be able
to see most monsters, cast spells or read scrolls, or, in general, see
the dungeon. You should carry a light source of which torches and brass
lanterns are the most common and this will light up the area which is
immediately around you. There are items which will light up the
dungeon, but only parts of it. Any item/spell of Light or Illumination
will light up the room you are standing it (or part of the corridor). A
potion of Enlightenment/the prayer Clairvoyance will light up the
entire level.
--- Word of Recall ---
Finally, the most useful magical item in general is a Scroll of
Word-of-Recall (often abbreviated WoR). When you are in the town and
read it, you are teleported to the lowest level you have been to in the
dungeon. When read in the dungeon, you are teleported to the town. The
activation takes place about 50 turns after reading the scroll, so it's
not a perfect escape method.
=== On Resistances ====
There are many different kinds of attacks in Hengband, generally
falling under physical, magical, and breath attacks. They can all cause
specialized kinds of damage, which can kill a character if he/she does
not have resistance to that attack. The majority of attack types have a
corresponding resistance. These resistances include: acid, electricity,
fire, and cold (often collectively referred to as "low" or "elemental"
resists) and poison, light, dark, shards, confusion, sound, nether,
nexus, chaos, disenchantment, blindness and fear (often collectively
referred to as "high" resists). Two other abilities - free action, and
hold life, can be considered as resists in some sense since they
provide resistance to paralyzing/slowing attacks and to experience
draining attacks respectively.
Resistances can be provided by certain items and also may be part of
your racial characteristics. There are certain types of items that
provide all four elemental resistances. These include Defender weapons,
Robes of Permanence, armor or shields of Resistance, armor of Elvenkind,
and Helms/Crowns of the Magi. Many artifacts also provide some or all
of the basic resistances, and also perhaps one or two "high"
resistances.
Resistances generally chop off a significant amount of damage, ranging
from 1/5 to 2/3. Also, it is possible to doubly resist the basic four
resistances and poison. When you doubly resist these, damage is chopped
to 1/9. Double resistance is NOT having two permanent sources of the
same resist! Double resistance is having both a permanent source and a
temporary source. Multiple permanent sources do nothing for you.
Resistances are vital to survival in the dungeon. For instance, the
most powerful of fire dragons, the Great Hell Wyrm, can breath fire
(big surprise). Unresisted, the damage caused is 1600 HPs worth; more
than enough to kill the mightiest of warriors (if he's lucky, a warrior
might top out at about 1200 HPs at level 50). However, if you have fire
resistance, this is chopped to 1/3-533 damage. If you doubly resist the
breath, the damage is a paltry 178 HP.
=== On Important Depths ===
There are certain depths in the dungeon beyond which it is important to
have a certain resist or attribute. The depths given here are
guidelines, and should not be taken literally. However, if you decide
to go past the depth without the attribute, be very careful and don't
complain if you get the dreaded "It breathes -more- You are dead"
message.
20 (1000'): Free Action, See Invisible, Fire resistance
25 (1250'): Basic four Resistances
30 (1500'): Confusion Res, Blindness Res(Magician only), (Nexus Res)
35 (1750'): Poison Resistance, Blindness Resistance (for all)
40 (2000'): Nether Res, Chaos Res, (Darkness Res; sometimes)
50 (2500'): Hold Life, Telepathy
60 (3000'): Permanent Speed of +10 or greater
70 (3500'): Permanent Speed of +15 or greater, Shard Res, Darkness Res
90 (4500'): Permanent Speed of +25 or greater
99 (4950'): As much as you can get. Sustains, Speed, every resistance,
Notes: If you have high infravision, you can probably hold off on See
Invisible for a few levels. Not very many, however; Ghosts start
showing up soon, and they're cold-blooded.
Without Free Action you are very dead. Some monsters have a melee
paralyzation attack, which can keep you immobile until death. Also,
monsters start getting the paralyze spell about here. Nothing is more
aggravating than watching a puny monster slowly kill your character as
you watch, helpless.
Confusion and Blindness resistance are vital. If you have these, you
can rely on scrolls of Teleportation to get you out of any situation.
Before this, you need Staffs of Teleportation which can be activated
when blinded or confused, although with a decent failure rate. Scrolls
are fail-safe.
Poison Resistance is necessary because two monsters, Ancient
Multi-Hued Dragons, and Drolems, start showing up at about depth. Both
of these monsters breath poison for huge amounts of damage (700 and
800 points, respectively). Moreover Poison Resistance is necessary
to prevent fearful side effect of Toxic waste.
Hold Life is very nice, but not important. If you can't get it, carry
lots of Potions of Restore Life Levels.
Chaos Resistance is *vital* since it not only does significant damage
but can also have nasty side effects like causing hallucinations or
mutating your character.
Nether Resistance is also very important since there are a fairly large
number of monsters with attacks of this type and because it can do
significant damage.
=== On Secret Doors ===
Throughout the dungeon, many doors are hidden from view. To find them,
use the (S)earch command, which toggles on and off the Searching mode.
However, it is often difficult enough just knowing where to search.
Usually, situations like this will have secret doors (walls containing
secret doors are marked by *s):
#*### ###'### ####*# ###*###
*@... ..'@'.. ..@'.* ..'@...
#*### ###*### ####'# #######
In general, if you see a door by itself in a corridor, there are
usually others nearby. If you find a corner in a corridor with two
doors, look for more. Intersections often have some secret doors.
Finally, secret doors will never be in a situation where you have to
move diagonally to open them. The dead-end situation (the first one)
usually does have a secret door, but not always. If you search for a
while and don't find anything, just give up and move on. Sometimes a
dead end will occur near the end of a map, where there is no room to
have a continuing corridor, and so no secret door is generated.
=== On the Maximize/Preserve modes ===
These are selected on or off at character creation, and cannot be
changed after that.
Maximize mode: with Maximize mode off, your statistics max out at
18/100, without outside magical effects, like a Ring of Strength. When
Maximize mode is on, where your stats max out at is determined by your
race and class. For instance, any Mage has -5 to Strength. A Human
Mage's strength (Humans have no racial stat differences), therefore,
could max out at 18/50, instead of 18/100. However, Mages also have +3
to Intelligence. A Human Mage's Intelligence would max out at 18/130.
When Maximize mode is off, it is possible to achieve higher starting
stats for characters; a Gnomish Mage might be able to start with 18/80
Intelligence. However, since your stats can't reach as high levels,
the end game is harder than with Maximize mode on.
Preserve mode: with Preserve mode off, if a level is created with an
artifact on it, and you don't get that artifact, it is gone forever.
When Preserve mode is on, you always can find the artifact again unless
you have already identified it and then leave it behind. However, in
preserve mode you lose the "special" level feeling (more below).
=== On Level Feelings ===
When you enter a level, you receive a feeling giving you a vague idea
how good the level is. In general, the more scary the feeling sounds,
the better the items on the level, and the more difficult the monsters.
Each unusual item or monster bumps up the rating of the level a bit. An
item or monster is considered unusual if it is out of depth [normally
occurs at a lower depth; for instance, a Longsword has a base level of
20, and would be considered unusual anywhere above that level (although
not below it)]. Items can be out of depth without necessarily being
anything special; a normal, non-magical katana could provoke a high
level feeling at low depths, because it is so unusual. Also, pits
(large rooms filled with a single type of monster) and vaults (dense,
dangerous rooms with many out of depth monsters and items) can cause
high level feelings. There is also a Special feeling, available only to
players with Preserve mode off, which tells the player that there is an
artifact on the level (most of the time. Sometimes, especially in the
earlier levels, a monster pit or a vault will often trigger a special
feeling). Also, if you have not spent enough time on the previous level
before entering the new one, you get the feeling "Looks like any other
level" which gives you no information whatsoever.
=== On weapons and armor ===
Your equipment will always carry around little numbers that tell you
how effective it is. Pieces of armor take this form:
A Robe (+x,+y) [a,+b] (+c)
Weapons take this form:
A Long Sword (XdY) (+x,+y) [+b] (+c)
When unidentified, pieces of armor will show just this:
A Robe [a]
Weapons will show this:
A Long Sword (XdY)
(+x,+y). This is the item's magical bonuses to your to-hit and
to-damage bonus respectively. These are added to whatever other
bonuses you have when you attack. Some pieces of armor have
similar bonuses to your to-hit and to-damage, but they are mostly
artifacts, the exceptions being Gloves/Gauntlets/Cesti of Slaying
and Power. Many pieces of body armor have a small negative number
before the base armor bonus (see below); this is a penalty to your
skill (the armor is so heavy that you have trouble moving around
in it). However, this penalty is small enough for all but the
youngest of characters to ignore.
Rings of Combat or Skill have a single (+y) or (+x). When worn, they
affect your to-damage and to-hit bonus in melee battle respectively.
[a,+b]. This is the item's base armor class and magical bonus to
armor. The higher, the better. While theoretically, a weapon could
provide a base armor bonus, none of them do, and only a few weapons
have a magical bonus to armor.
Rings of Protection have a single [+b], which increases your AC. They
are also practically worthless; the valuable ring slot is almost
certainly better off being used for something else.
(+c). This is the item's magical bonus to other statistics: Strength,
Intelligence, Wisdom, Constitution, Dexterity, Charisma, Speed,
Stealth, Searching, Infravision, Attacks, and Tunneling. Not on every
item, it is generally a good reason to choose the item. [Note that it
does not affect every stat in this list! Most items that have a +c only
affect one or two of these stats. Some items affect more (A Weapon of
Westernesse affects Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution)].
As a side note for the above: Hengband follows the parenthesis for any
item. If you see a number in brackets, like this: [b], it is a bonus to
AC. If it is in parenthesis, like this: (+x), it is either a bonus to a
stat or to hit/damage (and which should normally be obvious by the name
of the item). For instance, a Holy Avenger (a powerful ego-item), looks
like this:
A Mace (Holy Avenger) (2d4) (+7, +5) [+4] (+1)
Thus, it rolls 2 four-sided dice when attacking, has +7 bonus to hit
and +5 bonus to damage, increases your AC by 4, and increases a stat
(In this case Wisdom) by 1.
XdY. This is the weapon's base damage. When you successfully hit a
monster, X number of Y-sided dice are rolled. This number represents
the amount of damage you do to the monster before magical bonuses,
slays, brands, criticals, etc are applied. A Longsword, for example,
rolls 2 five-sided dice (2d5) when you hit a monster.
Ammunition, as well as having the normal weapon information, also
shows how much damage they will do per shot and per round. This
information will only be displayed if you have the proper shooting
weapon. (Your melee weapon's average damage is displayed on the info-
screen.) The format of this is:
An arrow (1d5) (+0, +0) (26/26)
The first number is the average damage per shot, and the second is
average damage per round. The two numbers can differ because the
shooting weapons have different energy requirements per shot (unlike
melee weapons.)
=== On Slays ===
Many weapons you find in the dungeon are considered to be particularly
deadly against a type of creature. These qualities are collectively
known as slays. They multiply *the damage done by the damage dice* by
a value between two and five, depending on the specific quality. They
DO NOT affect bonuses to damage. Thus, while slays may play an
important part in the early game (especially if you find a weapon
of Slay Orc), in the later part of the game, where magical bonuses
to damage all but take over combat, slays play a very minor role. The
rundown on slays:
Slay (or *Slay*) Evil: x2 (x3.5 for *Slay*) damage dice against
evil monsters
Slay (or *Slay*) Animal, Human: x2.5 (x4.0 for *Slay*) against
the relevant monster type
Slay (or *Slay*) Undead, Demon, Orc, Troll, Giant, Dragon: x3
(x5 for *Slay*) damage dice against the relevant monster type
The brands ("of Melting", "of Burning", "of Freezing", "of Shocking",
and "of Poisoning") all do x2.5 damage dice to those monsters not
resistant to the relevant element. There is also a "(Vampiric)" brand
which will suck life from your foes and heal you at the same time and
a "(Chaotic)" brand which can cause some unexpected results when using
it!
=== On the Monster Memory ===
In many other games, you are required to take notes on monster's
weaknesses, strengths, spells, et cetera. Hengband takes care of this
for you, with the handy Monster Memory. Every time you find out
something new about a monster, like that it can breathe fire, this is
added to your knowledge of the monster. To look over this knowledge,
type /, then the symbol of the monster. You may have to scroll through
other monster memories to get to the one you're looking for. [Note: you
can set a window to display the monster memory at the preferences
screen (see below). This window will then automatically update as you
fight monsters].
In the unpleasant event of your character's death, you can create a new
character using your old character's file (instead of simply creating a
new character, open the dead character's savefile, and the Creating a
Character section will come up). This new character will have all of
the old one's monster memories, and some special text for the monster
that killed him.
=== On the Colors of Monsters ===
You can often determine some information about a monster based solely
on it's color. This would be the color it is described as, like "a
White Dragon," not the color of it's image on the screen (you can't
rely on a white "p" to be a cold based monster! It will probably be a
paladin or some such). In general, White monsters are cold-based, Red
are fire-based, Blue are electrical, Black is acidic, and Yellow/Green
are poisonous. A Multi-Hued monster is all of these.
=== On the Preferences ===
The preferences screen is reached by typing "=". It contains many
different preferences that make Hengband more enjoyable. There are a few
that I would recommend. Turn both stacking options ON. This maximizes
your treasure collection. Turn the Low Hitpoint Warning ON, and place
the warning percent at about 50%. You'll see the effects of this
whenever you start to die :). The Delay Factor determines how long it
takes for special effects to "move;" that is: balls exploding, bolts
moving, missile weapons flying, et cetera. This is machine dependant;
I usually set mine at about 3 or 4. The Window Flags screen allows you
to set various windows (assuming your platform supports them) to show
certain things. Using this, you can set some windows to always show
monster memory, your character's inventory and/or equipment, a dungeon
map, and others.
=== On Death ===
Death in Hengband is permanent. Saving in Hengband is meant only to let
you pick up where you left off; if you die, your savefile is marked.
The next time you try to use the savefile, you will get the new
character dialogue. Ancestors of dead characters will retain their
monster memory and preferences. Many people here have characters like
"Yuppy XIV"; people die very often in Hengband.
Some people make backup savefiles; if their character dies, they simply
load the older character, and pick up where they left off. They lose
what happened after making the backup, but they're alive. However, this
is considered cheating of the highest degree. The only really legal
reason to use savefile abuse ("savefile scumming") is if your computer
crashed or some other external problem killed your character.
There is an option in the Cheating menu in the preferences which
allows you to cheat death. However, like all the other cheating
options, it invalidates your high-score and makes it impossible to
truly win the game. It also sets your Social Status to zero, so
everyone knows what a scumbag you are.
=== On Hengband Time ===
If there is one feature of Hengband that tends to confuse people
(especially veterans of other *band), it is how the speed system in
Hengband works.
As in other variants, the energy you and monsters get each turn depends
on speed. Unlike in other variants, this value is only an average; be
watchful for opportunities to get a double move on monsters, and be
aware that they can do the same to you! This rule change has a lot of
consequences; playing the game will teach them to you...
Apart from this, things are pretty familiar. The amount of energy you
can gain each game turn is 10 for an average-speed player or monster,
can be almost 50 for very fast ones, and most actions you take cost 100
energy to perform. The biggest exception is weapons of Extra Shots;
firing one of these takes less energy, making monsters appear to move
in slow motion.
Be aware that speeds increases above about +28 to +35 are much less useful.
=== Advanced techniques for killing monsters ===
Pillardancing.
Not recommended in Hengband: monsters move at irregular speeds.
Shoot'n Scoot.
Requires a large room, Phase Door, and some type of missile
weapon. Stand at one end of the room, your enemy at the other.
Fire your missile weapon at him until he gets close, and then
Phase Door. Fire again, until he gets close, and repeat. By the
time you run out of ammunition, he should be dead or weak enough
for you to finish him HTH (Hand to Hand).
Wail'n Bail.
Requires Teleport items. Fight the monster until you're almost
dead, teleport out, find him, and resume fighting. This is
dangerous, because you could teleport right next to some nasty
that will kill you. Also, it is not generally useful for killing
unique monsters, as they regenerate damage very quickly, and by
the time you find them again, they may have healed the damage you
did to them.
The Anti-Summoning Corridor.
Required a little time to set up. This can be done just about
anywhere. Dig a twisting corridor into the rock, and station
yourself at one end of it. When your opponent arrives, he won't be
able to summon any monsters next to you. This is a very important
technique for fighting many higher-end monsters which very quickly
bring in a horde of other monsters.
--
Original : Chris Weisiger (TANG version 1.6.2)
Updated : Zangband DevTeam
Updated : Hengband 1.0.11faq.txt========= Hengband FAQ ========== Q. I want to play as an Android, Balrog, Golem, Skeleton, Zombie, Spectre, or Ent. But I can't find any scroll of satisfy hunger. And Berserkers no longer have racial ability of satisfy hunger. How do I avoid starvation? A. Scroll of Satisfy Hunger and Berserker's ability of Satisfy Hunger are obsoleted. And races which previously relied on Satisfy Hunger have new sources of nutrition now; Android can quaff oil. Balrogs can sacrifice human corpse using the 'E'at command. Golems, Skeletons, Zombies, and Spectres can absorb mana from staffs and wands using the 'E'at command. Ents can gain enough nutrition from potions. Q. I got through the Yeek cave and I headed into the wilderness... and I'm still there searching endlessly down one road after another looking for a town. Where are other towns and dungeons? A. You need to use the global wilderness map (press the < key on the ground level). This gives you a larger map of the world, where you can travel to other towns and dungeons. By the way, you should read the readme_eng.txt and the on-line help. Q. I'm playing as a berserker, and cannot read scrolls. How do I remove curse? A. You can simply 't'ake off cursed equipments. Since cursed equipments are strongly sticking; you need to try 't'ake off command many times. Q. I know Berserkers cannot use scrolls, and rods. How do I recall from dungeon? Maybe I need to travel completely on foot!? A. Berserkers gain a class power 'Recall' at level 10. Press the 'U'(original keyset) or 'O'(Roguelike keyset) to use class power. Q. Why Ninja have Iron Spikes at the start? A. Ninja can use Iron Spikes as shuriken; they can throw it as good missile weapon. Simply use 'v' command. Q. I'm at normal speed (+0). But normal speed monsters sometimes do double or even triple move! A. On Hengband, amount of energy needed for a move is somewhat randomized. This method of speed system is an important feature of Hengband, and is simulating real fighting. So always expect that your enemy can get two or three move. Don't fight when your HP is low, if you don't want to get instakill! Q. I tried to dual wield two weapons. But I couldn't hit anything! A. You need to practice your dual wielding skill(proficiency level) and your weapon skills. Hitting high level monsters many times will improve your skills. Note that the information command '~' reveals your proficiency levels. Q. How do skills(proficiency levels) work? A. Weapon proficiency levels and dual wielding proficiency levels increase your to-hit bonus. Spell proficiency levels decrease fail rate and mana consumption rate of spells. Riding proficiency level gives you more speed when you are riding on a high speed monster, and decreases risk of falling from your mount. Q. How do I increase proficiency level? A. Proficiency level of a weapon will increase when you hit a monster whose level is high enough compared with your character level. Proficiency level of a spell will increase when you cast the spell at the dungeon level deep enough compared with the spell level. Needed condition to increase riding proficiency level is rather complex; Generally, you need to hit a monster whose level is high enough compared with current riding proficiency level or to shoot a monster when ride on high level mount. Q. How do I ride on a monster? A. At first, summon, charm or capture some suitable monster. Then use pet menu command 'p'. Q. How to use Capture Ball? A. Just equip it and activate 'A' to a dying monster. Q. I cannot hold a weapon and a shield without losing control of my horse. My horse runs aimlessly! A. You cannot directly control your mount unless you use one hand to control your mount. But you can command your mount. Just use 'p' command, and give your mount a target. The horse which was given a target will no longer run around aimlessly. Q. Where is the score server? And how do I register my character dumps? A. Here; 'https://hengband.github.io/score.html'. When you die, Hengband will ask you as 'Do you send score to the world score server?'. And if you answer 'y', Hengband will automatically register your character dump and screen shot. Q. Who wrote Hengband? A. Hengband is mainly based on ZAngband 2.2.8 Japanese version. ZAngband 2.2.8 Japanese version was developed by Mitsuhiro Itakura, based on both ZAngband 2.2.8 and Angband 2.8.3 Japanese version, and has some original features, for example, Auto-picker, in addition to simple translation. Hengband also includes codes from many other variants including ToME, OAngband, etc. Mr.Hoge wrote the first original part of Hengband. And currently, it is maintained by Hengband Development Team including Mr.Hoge, Habu, Henkma, iks, Kuwa, Mogami and nsk. Q. Where is Hengband? A. Here: https://hengband.github.io/ Hengband FAQ written by Mogami -- Updated : Hengband 1.5.4 Updated : Hengband 3.0.0Alpha71
town.hlpThe Town and Wilderness.
Please choose one of the following online help files:
(a) The Town and Wilderness (town.txt)
(b) Town and Wilderness Symbols (town.txt#MapSymbols)
(c) The Town Level (town.txt#TownLevel)
(d) The Standard Town (town.txt#StandardTown)
(e) The 'Lite' Town (town.txt#LiteTown)
(f) The 'Vanilla' Town (town.txt#VanillaTown)
(g) Townspeople (town.txt#Townspeople)
(h) Shopping in Town (town.txt#Shopping)
(i) Bartering (town.txt#Bartering)
(j) Object Pricing (town.txt#ObjectPricing)
(k) List of Shops (town.txt#TheShops)
(l) Special Buildings (town.txt#Buildings)
(m) Fixed Quests (town.txt#FixedQuests)
(?) Help System Commands (helpinfo.txt)dungeon.hlpThe Town and Dungeon.
Please choose one of the following online help files:
(a) Town and Dungeon (dungeon.txt)
(b) Symbols on Your Map (dungeon.txt#MapSymbols)
(c) Within the Dungeon (dungeon.txt#WithinDungeon)
(d) Objects in the Dungeon (dungeon.txt#Objects)
(e) Mining (dungeon.txt#Mining)
(f) Staircases, Doors, Passages & Rooms (dungeon.txt#StairsDoorsEtc)
(g) Dangerous Terrain (dungeon.txt#DangerousTerrain)
(h) Level Feelings (dungeon.txt#Feelings)
(i) Random Quests (dungeon.txt#RandomQuests)
(?) Help System Commands (helpinfo.txt)objects.hlpHengband Objects.
Please choose one of the following online help files:
(a) Hengband Objects (objects.txt)
(b) Object Symbols (objects.txt#ObjectSymbols)
(c) Equipment and Inventory (objects.txt#EquipInvent)
(d) Objects Generation (objects.txt#Generation)
(e) Object Compaction (objects.txt#Compaction)
(f) Cursed Objects (objects.txt#CursedObjects)
(g) The Ancient and Foul Curse (objects.txt#AncientCurse)
(h) Object Flavors (objects.txt#ObjectFlavors)
(i) Pseudo-ID (objects.txt#PseudoID)
(j) Identifying Objects (objects.txt#Identifying)
(k) Ego Objects (objects.txt#EgoObjects)
(l) Artifacts (objects.txt#Artifacts)
(m) Random Abilities of Objects (objects.txt#RandomAbilities)
(n) Object Inscriptions (objects.txt#Inscriptions)
(o) Object Types (objects.txt#ObjectTypes)
(?) Help System Commands (helpinfo.txt)monster.hlpHengband Monsters.
Please choose one of the following online help files:
(a) Hengband Monsters (monster.txt)
(b) Monster Symbols (monster.txt#MonsterSymbols)
(c) Monster Color (monster.txt#MonsterColors)
(d) Monster Memory (monster.txt#MonsterMemory)
(e) Unique Monsters (monster.txt#Uniques)
(f) Eldritch Horrors (monster.txt#EldritchHorror)
(g) Pets and Riding (monster.txt#Pets)
(h) Friendly Monsters (monster.txt#Friendly)
(?) Help System Commands (helpinfo.txt)attack.hlpAttacking and Weapons
Please choose one of the following online help files:
(a) Attacking and Weapons (attack.txt)
(b) Attacking from a Distance (attack.txt#DistanceAttack)
(c) Attacking Monsters in Walls (attack.txt#AttackWalls)
(d) Melee Weapons (attack.txt#MeleeWeapons)
(e) Missile Launchers (attack.txt#MissileLaunch)
(f) Ego Weapons and Artifacts (attack.txt#EgoArtifact)
(g) Magical Aids to Physical Combat (attack.txt#MagicalAids)
(h) Monk Attacks (attack.txt#MonkAttacks)
(i) Basic Tactics (attack.txt#MeleeTactics)
(?) Help System Commands (helpinfo.txt)
defend.hlpDefending and Armor.
Please choose one of the following online help files:
(a) Defending and Armor (defend.txt)
(b) Armor Class (defend.txt#Armor)
(c) Resisting Magical Attacks (defend.txt#ResistingMagic)
(d) Ego Armor and Artifacts (defend.txt#EgoArtifact)
(e) The Resistances (defend.txt#Resistances)
(f) Unresistable Attacks (defend.txt#Unresistable)
(g) Immunities (defend.txt#Immunities)
(h) Miscellaneous Resists (defend.txt#Miscellaneous)
(i) Recovering from Attacks (defend.txt#Recovering)
(?) Help System Commands (helpinfo.txt)
command.hlpHengband Commands.
Please choose one of the following online help files:
(a) Hengband Commands (command.txt)
(b) Original Keyset (command.txt#OriginalKeyset)
(c) Roguelike Keyset (command.txt#RogueKeyset)
(d) Special Keys (command.txt#SpecialKeys)
(e) Command Counts (command.txt#CommandCounts)
(f) Selection of Objects (command.txt#ObjectSelection)
(g) Command Descriptions (commdesc.hlp)
(?) Help System Commands (helpinfo.txt)commdesc.hlpHengband Command Descriptions.
Please choose one of the following online help files:
(a) Command Descriptions (commdesc.txt)
(b) Inventory Commands (commdesc.txt#Inventory)
(c) Movement Commands (commdesc.txt#Movement)
(d) Resting Commands (commdesc.txt#Resting)
(e) Searching Commands (commdesc.txt#Searching)
(f) Alter Commands (commdesc.txt#Alter)
(g) Spell and Prayer Commands (commdesc.txt#SpellPrayer)
(h) Object Manipulation Commands (commdesc.txt#ObjectManip)
(i) Magical Item Commands (commdesc.txt#MagicalObject)
(j) Throwing and Missile Weapons (commdesc.txt#ThrowFire)
(k) Looking Commands (commdesc.txt#Looking)
(l) Message Commands (commdesc.txt#Message)
(m) Game Status Commands (commdesc.txt#GameStatus)
(n) Saving and Exiting Commands (commdesc.txt#SaveExit)
(o) User Preference Commands (commdesc.txt#UserPref)
(p) Help Commands (commdesc.txt#Help)
(r) Extra Commands (commdesc.txt#Extra)
(?) Help System Commands (helpinfo.txt)option.hlpHengband Options.
Please choose one of the following online help files:
(a) Hengband Options (option.txt)
(b) Option Set 1 - Input from keyboard (option.txt#Input)
(c) Option Set 2 - Map Screen (option.txt#MapScreen)
(d) Option set 3 - Text Display (option.txt#TextDisplay)
(e) Option Set 4 - Game Play (option.txt#GamePlay)
(f) Option Set 5 - Disturbance (option.txt#Disturbance)
(g) Option set 6 - Easy Auto-Destroyer (option.txt#AutoDestroyer)
(h) Option set R - Play-record (option.txt#PlayRecord)
(i) Option D - Base Delay Factor (option.txt#BaseDelay)
(j) Option H - Hitpoint Warning (option.txt#Hitpoint)
(k) Option A - Autosave Options (option.txt#Autosave)
(l) Option W - Window Flags (option.txt#Window)
(m) Option C - Cheating Options (option.txt#Cheating)
(n) Start-Up Options (option.txt#Birth)
(?) Help System Commands (helpinfo.txt)pref.hlpUser Preference Files.
Please choose one of the following online help files:
(a) User Preferences (pref.txt)
(b) User Preference File Commands (pref.txt#Commands)
(c) Macros (pref.txt#Macros)
(d) Key Maps (pref.txt#Keymaps)
(e) Visuals (pref.txt#Visuals)
(f) Colors (pref.txt#Colors)
(g) Options (pref.txt#Options)
(?) Help System Commands (helpinfo.txt)pref.txt=== User Pref Files === Hengband allows you to change various aspects of the game to suit your tastes. You may define keymaps (changing the way Hengband maps your keypresses to underlying commands), create macros (allowing you to map a single keypress to a series of keypresses), modify the visuals (allowing you to change the appearance of monsters, objects, or terrain features), change the colors (allowing you to make a given color brighter, darker, or even completely different), or set options (turning them off or on). Hengband stores your preferences in files called "user pref files", which contain comments and "user pref commands", which are simple strings describing one aspect of the system about which the user has a preference. There are many ways to load a user pref file, and in fact, some of these files are automatically loaded for you by the game. All of the files are kept in the user directory, which is "~/.angband/Hengband/" on Unix, otherwise "lib/user/" , though you may have to use one of the command line arguments to redirect this directory, especially on multiuser systems. You may also enter single user pref commands directly, using the special "Enter a user pref command" command, activated by "double quote". You may have to use the "redraw" command (^R) after changing certain of the aspects of the game, to allow Hengband to adapt to your changes. When the game starts up, after you have loaded an old character, or created a new character, some user pref files are loaded automatically. First, the "pref.prf" file is loaded. This file contains some user pref commands which will work on all platforms. Then one of "font-xxx.prf" (for normal usage) or "graf-xxx.prf" (for bitmap usage) is loaded. These files contain attr/char changes to allow the monsters, objects, and/or terrain features to look "better" on your system. Then the "pref-xxx.prf" file is loaded. This file contains pre-defined system specific stuff (macros, color definitions, etc). Then, the "user-xxx.prf" file is loaded. This file contains user-defined system specific stuff. The "user-xxx.prf" file is used as the "default" user pref file in many places. The "xxx" is the "system suffix" for your system, taken from the "main-xxx.c" file which was used to generate your executable. Finally, the "Race.prf", "Class.prf", and "Name.prf" files are loaded, where "Race", "Class", and "Name" are replaced by the actual race, class, and name of the current character. Next, the preference files for object auto-picker/destroyer will be loaded. "pickpref.prf" is for every characters, and "pickpref-<<player's name>>.prf" is for specific player. Several commands allow you to both load existing user pref files, create new user pref files, append information to existing user pref files, and/or interact with various of the user preferences in a more intuitive way than the user pref commands allow. The commands include "Interact with macros" (@), "Interact with visuals" (%), and "Interact with colors" (&), described below. In Hengband, all preferences which will be generated in-game are not simply appended to old files but replace old lines. You don't need to delete old lines with text editor. --- User pref file commands --- Interact with options (=) Allow you to interact with options. Note that using the "cheat" options may mark your savefile as unsuitable for the high score list. You may change normal options using the "X" and "Y" user pref commands. You must use the "redraw" command (^R) after changing certain options. Interact with macros (@) Allow you to interact with macros. You may load or save macros from user pref files, create macros of various types, or define keymaps. You must define a "current action", shown at the bottom of the screen, before you attempt to use any of the "create macro" commands, which use that "current action" as their action. This is a horrible interface, and will be fixed eventually. Interact with visuals (%) Allow you to interact with visuals. You may load or save visuals from user pref files, or modify the attr/char mappings for the monsters, objects, and terrain features. Interact with colors (&) Allow the user to interact with colors. This command only works on some systems. Reload auto-picker/destroyer preference ($) This command will reload "pickpref.prf" and "pickpref-<<playername>>.prf" for object auto-picker/destroyer after you edit these files with your text editor. Edit auto-picker/destroyer pref (_) Allow the user to edit the pickpref.prf in the user directry. The ESC key will open the menu in this editor. You can see and use all edit commands from the command menu. Press ^Q or ^W to quit the editor. --- User Pref Files (Macros) --- The "Interact with macros" command allows you to define or remove "macros", which are mappings from a single logical keypress to a sequence of keypresses, allowing you to use special keys on the keyboard, such as function keys or keypad keys, possibly in conjunction with modifier keys, to "automate" repetitive multi-keypress commands that you use a lot. Since macros represent keypress sequences, and not all keypresses have a printable representation, macro triggers and actions must often be "encoded" into a human readable form. This is done using several types of encoding, including "\xHH" for character number HH in hexadecimal, "\e" for the "escape" code, "\n" for the "newline" code, "\r" for the "return" code, "\s" for the "space" code, "\\" for backslash, "\^" for caret, and "^X" for the code for any "control" key "ctrl-X". In Hengband, name of special keys as macro-trigger is displayed using its real name, for example the Control-key plus the F1-key is displayed as "\[control-F2]", and the Alt-key plus the G is displayed as "\[Alt-G]". In other variant these special keys will be, currently, displayed using its key-code. Note that the "action" of a macro will not be checked against other macro triggers, so you cannot make infinite loops. You may specify extremely long macros, but you are limited in length by the underlying input mechanisms, which in general limit you to about 1024 keys in both triggers and actions. The special "\" command (which must be encoded in macros as "\\") is very useful in macros, since it bypasses all keymaps and allows the next keystroke to be considered a command in the underlying Hengband command set. For a list of the Hengband command set, see the "command.txt" help file. For example, a macro which maps Shift-KP6 to "\" + "." + "6" will induce the "run east" behavior, regardless of what keyset the user has chosen, and regardless of what keymaps have been defined. Macros can be specified in user pref files as a pair of lines, one of the form "A:<str>", which defines the encoded macro action, and one of the form "P:<str>", which defines the encoded macro trigger. --- User Pref Files (Keymaps) --- The "Interact with macros" command also allows you to define "keymaps", which are vaguely related to macros. A keymap maps a single keypress to a series of keypresses, which bypass both other keymaps and any macros. Hengband uses keymaps to map the original and the roguelike keysets to the underlying command set, and allows the user to modify or add keymaps of their own. Note that all keymap actions must be specified using underlying commands, not keypresses from the original or roguelike keysets. The original keyset is almost identical to the underlying keyset, except that "numbers" are mapped to ";" plus a direction, "5" is mapped to ",", and a few control-keys are mapped to various things. See "command.txt" for the full set of underlying commands. Some uses for keymaps include the ability to "disable" a command by mapping it to "\x00". Keymaps can be specified in user pref files as pairs of lines of the form "A:<str>" "C:<T>:<key>", where <str> is the encoded keymap action, <T> is the keyset (0 for original and 1 for roguelike), <key> is the encoded trigger key. --- User Pref Files (Visuals) --- You can use the "Interact with visuals" command to change various visual information, currently including the choice of what attr/char values are used to represent various monsters, objects, or terrain features. Note that in combination appropriate support in "main-xxx.c", and with the use of the "use_graphics" flag, you may be able to specify that "graphic bitmaps" should be used instead of normal "colored characters" for various things. When interactively modifying the attr/char values for monsters, objects, or terrain features, pressing "n" or "N" will change which entry you are changing, pressing "a" or "A" will rotate through the available attr values, and pressing "c" or "C" will rotate though the available char values, and pressing "^N", "^A", and "^C" will let you directly enter a number and set the entry, attr or char value to that number. Note that attr/char values with the "high bit" set may induce the display of special "graphic" pictures if the "use_graphics" flag is set, and your system supports the "use_graphics" flag. Note that this command can be abused in various ways, and if you must do so, remember that you are only cheating yourself. Visuals can be modified in user pref files as lines of the form "R:<N>:<A>/<C>" or "K:<N>:<A>/<C>" or "F:<N>:<A>/<C>". --- User Pref Files (Colors) --- The "Interact with colors" command allows you to change the actual internal values used to display various colors. This command may or may not have any effect on your machine. Advanced machines may allow you to change the actual RGB values used to represent each of the 16 colors used by Hengband, and perhaps even allow you to define new colors which are not currently used by Hengband. Colors can be specified in user pref files as lines of the form "V:<N>:<V>:<R>:<G>:<B>". --- User Pref Files (Options) --- The "Interact with options" command allows you to turn options on or off. You may turn options off or on using the user pref commands of the form "X:<option>" or "Y:<option>" respectively. This method of preference line might be useful in the macro. For example, if you want to cast some spell repeatedly, you can use macro such that; A:"X:avoid_abort\rR\rmbc"Y:avoid_abort\r P:\[F1] When you press the F1 repeatedly, your character cast spell "c" of spellbook "b", and rest to restore mana, and repeat. "X:avoid_abort" is needed because the Rest command will usually be stopped by any key input. An explanation of 'avoid_abort' option is found the section on Efficiency Options (see option.txt#Efficiency [b]) ############################################################ Original : Alexander Cutler and Andy Astrand Updated : (2.7.6) by Russ Allbery (rra@cs.stanford.edu) Updated : (2.7.9) by Ben Harrison (benh@phial.com) Updated : Zangband 2.2.0 through 2.2.6c by Robert Ruehlmann Updated : Zangband DevTeam Updated : Hengband 1.7.0
editor.txt=== Auto-Picker/Destroyer Editor === Please choose one of the following online help files: (a) The Basics of Auto-picker Editor (#Editor) (b) Cut and Paste (#CutAndPaste) (c) Register to Auto-picker (#RegisterName) (d) Insert Name from your Inventory (#InsertObjectName) (e) Insert Fixed Keyword (#InsertKeyword) (f) Change Multiple Lines at Once (#MultiLines) (g) Conditionals (#Conditionals) (h) Auto Register an Item without Editor (#AutoRegister) (i) Format of Auto-picker/destroyer (#AutopickFormat) (j) Format of Conditionals (#ConditionFormat) (k) Sample Preference File (lib/pref/pickpref.prf) --- The Basics of Auto-picker Editor --- The "auto-picker editor" is a special text editor to write preferences for auto-picker/destroyer. To open the editor, you can press the _ key in the game or choose "(P) Auto-picker/destroyer editor" in the options panel (=). Like normal text editor, you can move the cursor by Left, Right, Up, Down arrow keys, and Home, End, PageUp, and PageDown keys. And any letter keys pressed are written as a text. Press ^W to finish the edito. All changes will be saved automatically. Or press ^Q to quit and discard all changes. Press ESC to open a command menu. +---------------------------+ | a) Help | | b) Quit without save ^Q | | c) Save & Quit ^W | | d) Revert all changes ^Z | | e) Edit > | | f) Search > | | g) Move cursor > | | h) Insert... > | | i) Adjective (general) > | | j) Adjective (special) > | | k) Keywords (noun) > | | l) Command letter > | +---------------------------+ Press a-l to choose a command or open a sub-menu. Also you can press ^Q, ^Z, etc. to use commands without opening this menu. --- Cur and Paste Cut and Paste are useful when you want to write many similer lines, or want to swap lines. Open submenu "e) Edit >", +-------------------------+ | a) Cut ^X | | b) Copy ^C | | c) Paste ^V | | d) Select block ^G | | e) Kill rest of line ^K | | f) Delete character ^D | | g) Backspace ^H | | h) Return ^J | | i) Return ^M | +-------------------------+ You can select a segment of the text using shift key + arrow keys. Selected text will be displayed in yellow. You can press ^X to cut the selected text, or press ^C to copy the selected text to the clipboard. Contents of the clipboard will be pasted on pressing ^V. Note that it's possible that Hengband cannot recognize shift+arrow keys on a minor environment. In that case, you can press ^G and then move cursor to select text. --- Register to Auto-picker --- --- Insert Name from your Inventory --- --- Insert Fixed Keyword --- --- Change Multiple Lines at Once --- --- Conditionals --- --- Auto Register an Item without Editor --- --- Format of Auto-picker/destroyer --- Hengband can automatically pick up or destroy specified objects when you write objects name in the file "pickpref.prf" or "pickpref-<<playername>>.prf" in the user directory, this will be ~/.angband/Hengband/ for UNIX, or Hengband\lib\user\ for other operating systems. The game will read the file "pickpref-<<playername>>.prf" first and then read the file "pickpref.prf". The first-read file takes priority. You may use the '$' command within the game to reread auto-picker files. Notes: Maximum number of active lines is 1009. A line with a header '#' is a comment. --- Editing the file --- Command letter: Each line determines the actions taken when you step over a kind of object. Starting a line with '!' indicates that you wish to destroy this kind of object. Starting a line with '~' indicates that you wish to leave this kind of object on the floor. Starting a line with ';' indicates that you wish to force the game to ask you if you want to pick the item up or not. Otherwise, your character will automatically attempt to pick up the object. There is an additional command letter '('. It indicates that you don't wish this item to be displayed in full map. see below. Notes: If you want to disable the effect of the '!' indicator temporally, use 'always_pickup' option. Keywords: After the command letter may come one or more keywords. They are: all : All items match. collecting : Matches if you already have that same item. unaware : Items with unknown effects match. unidentified : Unidentified items match. identified : Identified items match. *identified* : *Identified* items match. dice boosted : Weapons with boosted damage dice match. more than N dice : Weapons with dice (dd * ds) better than +N match. more bonus than N : Items which has more magical bonus than (+N) match. worthless : Items which you cannot sell match. artifact : Artifacts items match. ego : Ego items match. good : {good} items match. nameless : Non ego/non artifact items match. average : {average} items match. rare : Rare equipment such as Dragon armor etc. match. common : Any equipments except 'rare' equipment match. wanted : Wanted monster's corpses or skeletons match. unique monster's : Unique monster's corpses, skeletons or statues match. human : Human corpses or skeletons match. unreadable : Spellbooks other than those you can read match. first realm's : Your first magic realm's spellbooks match. second realm's : Your second magic realm's spellbooks match. first : First one of four spellbooks in each realm match. second : Second one of four spellbooks in each realm match. third : Third one of four spellbooks in each realm match. fourth : Fourth one of four spellbooks in each realm match. items : All items match. Use it with an adjective for readability (i.e. "unaware items"). weapons : All weapons including missile weapons match. armors : Any piece of armor (helm, cloak, body armor, shield, gloves, or boots) matches. missiles : Arrows, bolts, and shots match. magical devices : Wands, staffs, rods and scrolls match. lights : Light sources match. junk : Junk items like Shard of Pottery or etc. match. corpses or skeletons : Corpses or skeletons of monsters match. spellbooks : All books match. favorite weapons : Weapons suitable for your class (for Priest, Monk, BeastMaster, ForceTrainer, Cavalry, and Ninja) You may also use keywords which match specified kinds of equipment: weapons, armors, missiles, magical devices, lights, junk, spellbooks, hafted weapons, shields, bows, rings, amulets, suits, cloaks, helms, gloves, boots. Character strings: After the keywords, you may write a character string. Only items whose name contains this character string as part of their name match. Upper or lower case makes no difference. You must insert a ':' between your special keywords and character string, if both exist in one line. Force start-of-line matching: If the first character in a character string is '^', then the character string must match the beginning of a line. !Mace // Destroy Maces and Lead-Filled Maces. !^Mace // Destroy only Maces. Examples: !worthless items Meaning: "destroy all items that are worthless" unaware potion Meaning: "pick up all unaware potions" ~unidentified lites Meaning: "leave all unidentified light sources on the ground" unidentified more than 25 dice weapons Meaning: "pick up all weapons with dice that total more than 25. A weapon that is 2d13 qualifies, a weapon that is 5d5 does not." Acquirement Meaning: "pick up anything that includes in its name the word 'Acquirement'" potion of Experience Meaning: "pick up anything named 'potion of experience'" Lights:stone Meaning: "Pick up light sources named stone" gloves:slaying Meaning: "Pick up gauntlets of slaying. Not rings of slaying." Special Notes: Lines will be evaluated in order, and first matched line will be applied. So you can write names of specific excellent items to pick up, followed by a general item name with '!' to destroy useless items. ! Tips ! In full map command ('M'), you can press M, N, K, or D to ! display locations of items for auto-pickup, leaving, auto-destroy ! or both auto-pickup and leaving. ! Additional command letter '(' prevents this display. ! If you begin the last string in a line with '#', this string will be automatically inscribed on the item. Strict syntax of each line is below. [! ~ ; (] [[all] [collecting] [unaware] [unidentified] [identified] [*identified*] [artifact] [ego] [good] [nameless] [average] [worthless] [rare] [common] [dice boosted] [more than N dice] [more bonus than N] [wanted] [unique monster's] [human] [unreadable] [first realm's] [second realm's] [first] [second] [third] [fourth] [items | weapons | favorite weapons | armors | missiles | magical devices | lights | junk | corpses or skeletons | spellbooks | hafted weapons | shields | bows | rings | amulets | suits | cloaks | helms | gloves | boots] :] [[^]part-of-item-name] [#auto-inscription-string] --- Format of Conditionals --- The lines of pickpref.prf can be disabled/enabled using conditional expressions. The syntax is the same as that of other preference files. - usage of condition expressions ?:expr If result of expr is "0", all lines below are disabled. If result of expr is "1", all lines below are enabled. Caution:It cannot be nested. - usage to include other file %:filename Read a file named 'filename' as a new pick-pref file. The file must be in the user directory. - usage of operators [EQU arg1 arg2 ...] If all args are the same as arg1, returns "1", or else returns "0". [IOR arg1 arg2 ...] [AND arg1 arg2 ...] IOR evaluates and returns all args' logical OR. IAND is logical AND. [NOT arg] Returns "0" if arg is "1", or else returns "1" [LEQ arg1 arg2 ...] [GEQ arg1 arg2 ...] Compare args as string. LEQ returns "1" if (arg1 <= arg2 <= ...) , GEQ returns "1" if (arg1 >= arg2 >= ...) otherwise returns "0". - Special variables $RACE Returns name of player race. One of below: Human, Half-Elf, Elf, Hobbit, Gnome, Dwarf, Half-Orc, Half-Troll, Amberite, High-Elf, Barbarian, Half-Ogre, Half-Giant, Half-Titan, Cyclops, Yeek, Klackon, Kobold, Nibelung, Dark-Elf, Draconian, Mindflayer, Imp, Golem, Skeleton, Zombie, Vampire, Spectre, Sprite, Beastman, Ent, Archon, Balrog, Dunadan, Shadow-Fairy, Kutar, Android, $CLASS Returns name of player class. One of below: Warrior, Mage, Priest, Rogue, Ranger, Paladin, Warrior-Mage, Chaos-Warrior, Monk, Mindcrafter, High-Mage, Tourist, Imitator, BeastMaster, Sorcerer, Archer, Magic-Eater, Bard, Red-Mage, Samurai, ForceTrainer, Blue-Mage, Cavalry, Berserker, Weaponsmith, Mirror-Master, Ninja, Sniper $PLAYER Returns player name. $REALM1 Returns player's first magic realm none, Life, Sorcery, Nature, Chaos, Death, Trump Arcane, Craft, Daemon, Crusade, Music, Kendo, Hex $REALM2 Returns player's second magic realm $LEVEL Returns player level as two-character string. Ex. "01","09","10","50" etc. $MONEY Returns player money as 9 character string. Ex. "000012345" etc.
bldg.txt=== Functional Town Overview ===
The town is composed of both stores and buildings.
Classical stores:
Magic Shop: buy your wands, staffs, rings and amulets here.
Alchemy Shop: for all sorts of bubbling potions and scrolls.
Weaponsmith's Shop: they deal in anything sharp and to the point.
Armoury: to offer protection from the ravages of the dungeon.
General Store: food, torches, ammo, some necessities.
Temple: those items permitted to the pious in life.
Black Market: the prices are usurious, but may have powerful items!
Home: to store some of your precious treasures.
Zangband additional (if you do not prefer Ironman/Vanilla):
The Fighters' Halls, Order of Paladins, Rangers' Taverns,
Thieves' Guilds, and the diverse Towers of magic realms
are no longer restricted to the professionals involved.
Nevertheless some of the services are exclusive for members.
Look out for ambitious quests!
Buildings that anyone can visit if in need of some diversion:
Gambling Houses: Read the rules before playing. And, the games
are not rigged, just naturally difficult.
Authorities: Ask for quests to gain reputation and rewards.
Libraries: For information indexes of all kinds.
Inns: Resting will refresh, and those ghosts prowl at night...
Rumors will be helpful or just a bit ironic.
All buildings are made of stone and unlikely to move around.
This file is accurate for Zangband 2.2.4gambling.txt=== Gambling Rules ===
Between : Three 12-sided dice rolled; 2 black, 1 red. The red
die must be between both black to win. If the red die.
matches a black die, you lose. Pays 3 to 1
Craps: Two dice are rolled. On first roll, a 7 or 11 wins. A
2,3 or 12 loses. Otherwise roll until the first roll
is matched (win) or a 7 is rolled (loss). Pays 2 to 1
Wheel: Pick a number from 0-9. If the number shows on wheel
after it stops spinning, you win. Pays 10 to 1
Slots: Three dice rolled. Matches win gold. Numbers are:
1=Lemon, 2=Orange, 3=Sword, 4=Shield, 5=Plum, 6=Cherry
Payoffs are as follows:
Cherry Cherry Lemon 2-1 Cherry Cherry Orange 3-1
Cherry Cherry Sword 4-1 Cherry Cherry Shield 5-1
Cherry Cherry Plum 6-1
Lemon Lemon Lemon 4-1 Orange Orange Orange 16-1
Sword Sword Sword 6-1 Shield Shield Shield 25-1
Plum Plum Plum 9-1 Cherry Cherry Cherry 36-1
--
This file was last updated for Kangband 2.8.3i.helpinfo.txt=== Online Help Commands === You can move cursor using the arrow keys. Movement commands Press the indicated letter [a-z] to 'q' (Leave the help system) activate a link. ESC (Return to the prev file) For example, press the j key when you see Home (Go to the top) "(see monster.txt#Pets [j])" etc. PageUp (Go up 1 page) Pressing the ESC key takes you back to Up Arrow (Go up 1 line) the previous location. Down Arrow(Go down 1 line) PageDown (Go down 1 page) End (Go to the bottom) '#' (Jump to a specific line) Other commands '%' (Jump to a specific file) '/' or '^S' (Search for a string) '=' (Highlight lines containing a string) '|' (Save current document to a file) -- Updated : Hengband 1.7.0