XRogue

Expeditions into the Dungeons of Doom · the last Advanced Rogue

Date of birth1989–92 8.0.3 in 1997–2005

CreatorRobert Pietkivitch

LanguageC ~36,500 lines

PlatformAT&T UNIX PC curses

Lineage

XRogue is based on Advanced Rogue 7.7 (and through it Super-Rogue and Rogue 3.6). Robert Pietkivitch wrote it between 1989 and 1992 for the AT&T UNIX PC. His later enhancements from 2000 were lost after his death in 2002; the Roguelike Restoration Project kept 8.0.3, and a new maintainer released 8.0.5 in 2015. See the family tree.

Credits

Robert Pietkivitch	Author (copyright 1991)
Michael Morgan, Ken Dalka	Advanced Rogue
Michael Toy, Ken Arnold, Glenn Wichman	Rogue
Roguelike Restoration Project	Kept and maintained 8.0.3

Screenshots

Choosing one of nine classes — The start: nine classes, then points for six abilities.

The starting trading post — First steps: Friendly Fiend’s Equipage, and the quest (here the Morning Star of Hruggek).

Fighting flying bats — A fight: a flock of flying bats in the first room.

An empty pack — Inventory: an XRogue hero starts with gold, not gear — “You aren’t carrying anything.” Shop first!

Trivia

Pietkivitch wrote XRogue for the AT&T UNIX PC between 1989 and 1992. (RogueBasin)
His enhanced version from 2000 was lost after he died in 2002; version 8.0.5 came out in 2015 from a new maintainer. (RogueBasin)
The README admits it: “I’m afraid there is little documentation for this version.” (source: README.TXT)
While you are still in the first trading post you can press A and pick your own quest relic. After that: “You can no longer select a quest item.” (source: wizard.c, command.c)
XRogue adds a 17th relic to Advanced Rogue's list: the Card of Alteran. (source)

What's unique

Nine classes with spells, prayers and chants (16 of each).
211 monsters, far more than Advanced Rogue 7.7.
Shop first: you start with gold and an empty pack, and choose your own gear.
A quest you can choose and must carry back to the surface.

Code dive

Language: C, about 36,500 lines, grown from the Advanced Rogue 7.7 code.
Environment: the AT&T UNIX PC (3B1) with curses; later DOS, Windows and Linux.
This port: explore.c adds auto-explore and stair-walking; X11 and WebAssembly frontends. Source: memmaker/xrogue.

Stats

Thing	Count	Notable ones
Classes	9	Fighter, ranger, paladin, magician, cleric, thief, assassin, druid, monk.
Monsters	211
Spells	16
Prayers	16
Chants	16
Relics	17	Everything from Advanced Rogue plus the Card of Alteran.
Potions	18
Scrolls	20
Rings	26
Wands & staffs	20
Weapons	19
Armour	10

Manual

No manual exists for XRogue; its README says so. The Advanced Rogue guide mostly applies: Advanced Rogue 7.7 manual. The in-game help (?) lists XRogue’s own commands.

Getting started

Open the game, choose a class, press Escape at the ability points, then y.
You are in a trading post with gold and nothing else. Stand on an item: $ prices, # buys. Get armour and a weapon.
Optional: A chooses your quest relic.
> leaves for the dungeon; x explores; Enter lists every command.
All keys: the in-game guide.

Help

No walkthrough exists. Tips:

Never leave the first shop empty-handed: a naked fighter dies to bats.
Pick a relic you like with A before leaving.
More: RogueBasin.

Cheats

A in the starting shop picks the quest relic (normally a wizard-mode feature, left open for new characters).
Wizard mode itself needs a password: not reachable here.
Save scumming: Export save / Import save.