diff xrogue/README.TXT @ 133:e6179860cb76

Import XRogue 8.0 from the Roguelike Restoration Project (r1490)
author John "Elwin" Edwards
date Tue, 21 Apr 2015 08:55:20 -0400
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+    Welcome to XRogue
+    http://roguelike.sourceforge.net/xrogue
+
+    XRogue: Expeditions into the Dungeons of Doom
+    Copyright (C) 1991 Robert Pietkivitch
+    All rights reserved.
+    
+    Based on "Advanced Rogue"
+    Copyright (C) 1984, 1985 Michael Morgan, Ken Dalka and AT&T
+    All rights reserved.
+
+    Based on "Rogue: Exploring the Dungeons of Doom"
+    Copyright (C) 1980, 1981 Michael Toy, Ken Arnold and Glenn Wichman
+    All rights reserved.
+    
+    See the file LICENSE.TXT for full copyright and licensing information.
+
+
+XRogue: Expeditions into the Dungeons of Doom
+---------------------------------------------
+
+Introduction:
+
+Rogue was introduced at the University of California at Berkeley as a
+screen-oriented fantasy game.  The game had 26 types of monsters that
+the player could meet while exploring a Dungeon generated by the computer.
+Scrolls, potions, rings, wands, staves, armor, and weapons helped the
+player to battle these monsters and to gain gold, the basis for scoring.
+
+The version of rogue described in this guide has been expanded to include
+over 200 monsters with many new capabilities and has been renamed xrogue.
+Many of the monsters are intelligent and they, like the player, must avoid
+traps and decide when it is better to fight or to run.  There are also a
+number of new commands in this version not found in previous versions.
+
+The game contains monsters, spells, weapons, armor, potions, and other
+magical items that you will discover during your quest.  The Dungeon's
+geography changes with every game and although many magical items have
+certain identifiable properties, such as turning the player invisible,
+the physical manifestation of the magic changes each game.  A red potion,
+for example, will cause the same reaction throughout a given game but
+it may be a completely different potion in a new game.
+
+Entering the Dungeon with only a little food, armor, and a weapon, the
+player must develop a good strategy of when to fight, when to run, and
+how to best use any magical item found in the Dungeon.  To make things
+interesting the player has a quest to return one of several unique and
+magical artifacts which are rumored to lie deep within the Dungeon.
+Returning with this artifact to the surface brings great honor.
+
+However, after finding the artifact, the player may wish to continue
+his quest deeper into the Dungeon to match wits with an arch-devil, a
+demon-prince, or perhaps Charon the Boatman.  Defeating such a creature
+will gain the player many experience points which is the basis for
+scoring in xrogue.  It is very difficult to return from the Dungeons
+of Doom alive.  Very few players have won this game.
+
+Character Classes:
+
+Before placing the player in the Dungeon, the game requests that you
+select what type of character they would like to be: Fighter, Paladin,
+Ranger, Magic-User, Cleric, Thief, Assassin, Druid, or Monk.
+
+    The Fighter
+
+A Fighter has the best odds at winning battles with monsters.  At high
+experience levels, the Fighter is able to attack his opponent multiple
+times in a single turn.  Strength is the main attribute of the Fighter.
+
+    The Magic-User
+
+A Magic-User is able to cast spells.  Intelligence is the main attribute.
+The number of spells a Magic-User can cast increases as he gains in
+experience points and in intelligence.  His spell casting ability allows
+him to identify any item in the Dungeon.  16 spells.
+
+    The Cleric
+
+A Cleric is able to pray for assistance in battle.  Wisdom is the main
+attribute.  The number of prayers granted to the Cleric increases as he
+gains in experience points and in wisdom.  Clerics can affect (turn) the
+undead monsters to avoid battle.  Ie., zombies, ghouls, etc.  If the
+Cleric is very powerful relative to the undead monster, turning it will
+utterly destroy it.  16 prayers.
+
+    The Paladin
+
+A Paladin is a type of holy warrior, being a cross between a Cleric
+and a Fighter.  He is able to pray and affect the undead like the Cleric
+and fight like the Fighter, but both to a lesser extent.  He is on the
+side of all that is righteous and good and would never attack a monster
+that has not attacked him first.  If he happens to kill such a monster,
+inadvertantly or otherwise, he will begin to feel increasingly uneasy.
+If he kills too many such monsters, he will face karmic retaliation and
+be reduced to a mere Fighter, minus all of the Cleric's ability.
+Charisma is the main attribute with Wisdom second.
+
+    The Ranger
+
+A Ranger is a type of mystical warrior, being a cross between the
+Magic-User and Fighter.  Like the Paladin, he is on the side of all
+that is righteous and good and would never attack a monster that
+has not attacked him first.  A Ranger is able to cast spells like the
+Magic-User and fight like the Fighter, but both to a lesser extent.
+Charisma is the main attribute with Intelligence second.
+
+    The Thief
+
+A Thief is exceptionally dexterous and has great skill at being able
+to set a traps for and/or rob (steal) items from monsters.  Thieves have
+the ability to detect all the gold and hidden traps on each level of
+the Dungeon.  Their dexterous nature gives Thieves the ability to move
+very quietly, so they are not as likely as to wake up sleeping monsters
+as are the other character types.  If a Thief manages to sneak up on a
+creature without waking it he may be able to backstab the monster.  The
+damage from a backstab is greatly increased based upon the experience
+level.  Dexterity is the main attribute.
+
+    The Assassin
+
+An Assassin is a person trained in the art of killing monsters by
+surprise.  He has some of the abilities of the Thief, but he cannot
+sense traps or backstab.  Instead, the Assassin has the chance to kill
+an opponent outright with one deadly blow.  He can recognize and use
+poison found in the Dungeon on his weapon, thereby, making his next
+attack exceptionally lethal.  Dexterity is the main attribute.
+
+    The Druid
+
+A Druid is a type of magical warrior, being a cross between the Cleric
+and the Magic-User.  A Druid can chant both spells and prayers plus a
+few of his own.  The number of chants available to the Druid increases
+as he gains in experience points and in Wisdom.  Wisdom is the main
+attribute.  16 chants.
+
+    The Monk
+
+A Monk is trained in the martial arts.  He wears no armor and does not
+need a weapon (although using them is not forbidden).  As the Monk gains
+in experience points his natural defense or ability to dodge attackers
+increases.  The Mong is a cross between the Druid and Fighter, so he
+can chant and also fight like the Fighter, but both to a lesser extent.
+Constitution is the main attribute, with wisdom second.
+
+Attributes Of The Charaters:
+
+Strength - The primary attribute for encumberance.
+
+Intelligence - The primary attribute for casting spells.
+
+Wisdom - The primary attribute for prayers and chanting.
+
+Dexterity - The primary attribute for stealthiness.
+
+Charisma - The primary attribute for good will.  High Charisma also
+           affects the cost of objects when making transactions.
+
+Constitution - The primary attribute for health.  High Constitution
+               affects the amount of hit points you receive when
+               moving up in experience levels.
+
+Note: The Ranger, Paladin, and Monk do not receive their "special"
+magical abilities until they have advanced a few experience levels.
+
+Experience Levels:
+
+Characters gain experience points mostly from killing monsters.  Other
+actions, such as stealing items from monsters, backstabbing, and turning
+monsters, also add extra experience points.  Each character type gains
+experience points and moves up in experience levels at different rates.
+Moving up in experience levels adds extra hit points to the character
+which determines how many "hits" he can take before being killed.
+
+Allocating Attribute Points To The Characters:
+
+A player starts with 75 attribute points to distribute in to the character
+he has chosen to play.  When you are prompted to distribute the attribute
+points, the screen displays the minimum and maximum allowable values for
+that particular attribute.  The player can type a backspace (Ctrl-H) to go
+back and change a previous value and typing an escape (ESC) sets all the
+remaining attributes to the maximum value possible, given the number of
+remaining attribute points to be distributed.
+
+THE SCREEN
+
+During the normal course of play, the screen consists of three separate
+sections:  the top line, the bottom two lines, and the remaining screen
+in the middle.  The top line reports actions which occur during the game,
+the middle section depicts the Dungeon, and the bottom two lines describe
+the player's current condition.
+
+Whenever anything happens to the player, such as finding a scroll, hitting
+a monster, or being hit by a monster, a short report appears on the top
+line of the screen.  When you see the word 'More' on the top line, that
+means you must press the space key to continue.
+
+The following items may be found within the Dungeon. Some of them have
+more than one interpretation, depending upon whether your character
+recognizes them or not.
+
+|  A wall of a room.
+-  A wall of a room.
+*  A pile of gold.
+%  A way to another level.
++  A doorway.
+.  The floor in a room.
+#  The floor in a passageway.
+    Solid rock (denoted by a space).
+^  The entrance to a Trading Post
+@  The player.
+_  The player, when invisible.
+:  Some food.
+!  A flask containing a potion.
+?  A sealed scroll.
+=  A ring.
+)  A weapon.
+]  Some armor.
+;  A miscellaneous magic item
+,  An artifact
+/  A wand or a staff.
+ >  A trapdoor leading to the next level
+{  An arrow trap
+$  A sleeping gas trap
+}  A beartrap
+~  A trap that teleports you somewhere else
+`  A poison dart trap
+"  A shimmering magic pool
+'  An entrance to a maze
+$  Any magical item. (During magic detection)
+ >  A blessed magical item. (During magic detection)
+<  A cursed magical item. (During magic detection)
+
+Monsters are depicted as letters of the alphabet.  Note that all letters
+denote multiple monsters, depending on which level of the Dungeon you are
+on.  The player may identify a current monster by using the identify
+command ('/') or the clarify command ('=').
+
+The bottom two lines of the screen describe the player's current status.
+The first line gives the player's characteristics:
+
+Intelligence, Strength, Wisdom, Dexterity, Charisma, and Constitution
+all have a normal maximum value of 50 points, but they can go higher if
+augmented by a ring.  Encumberance is a measurement of how much the player
+can carry versus how much he is currently carrying. The more you carry
+relative to your maximum encumberance causes you to use more food.  The
+attribute of Strength fortifies one's encumberance.
+
+The player's current number of hit points are denoted as (Hp) and it is
+followed in parentheses by the player's current maximum hit points.  Hit
+points express the player's survivability.  As a player heals by resting,
+using potions, or spells, the player's current hit points gradually increase
+until they reach the current maximum.  This maximum number will be increased
+each time a player goes up an experience level.  If the player's current hit
+points reach 0, the player becomes "metabolically challenged".
+
+The player's armor class is denoted as (Ac).  This number describes the
+amount of protection provided by the armor, cloaks, and/or rings currently
+worn by the player. It is also affected by high or low dexterity.  Wearing
+no armor is equivalent to an armor class of 10 (Monk excepted).  The lower
+the armor class number, the better.
+
+The player's current experience level is denoted as (Exp), followed by
+the player's experience points.  A new experience level brings extra hit
+points and possibly added abilities, such as new spells for a Magic-user,
+new prayers for a Cleric, and new chants for a Druid.  There are a total
+of 26 experience levels per character.
+
+Commands:
+
+A player can invoke most commands by typing in a single character.
+Some commands, however, require a direction, in which case the player
+types the command character followed by a directional letter.  Many
+commands can be prefaced by a number, indicating how many times the
+command should be executed.
+
+When the player invokes a command referring to an item in the player's
+pack (such as reading a scroll), the game prompts for the item.  The
+player can then type the letter associated with the item.  Typing a '*'
+will produce a list of eligible items.
+
+A list of basic games commands:
+
+?  Preceding a command by a '?' produces a brief explanation of the
+    command.  The command '?*' gives an explanation of all the commands.
+    A '?@' gives information on things you encounter (rock, forest, etc).
+/  Preceding a symbol by a '/' identifies the symbol.
+=  Clarify.  After typing an '=' sign, the player can use the movement
+    keys to position the cursor anywhere on the current level.  As long
+    as the player can normally see the selected position, the game will
+    identify whatever is there.
+h  Move one position to the left.
+j  Move one position down.
+k  Move one position up.
+l  Move one position to the right.
+y  Move one position to the top left.
+u  Move one position to the top right.
+b  Move one position to the bottom left.
+n  Move one position to the bottom right.
+H  Run to the left until reaching something interesting.
+J  Run down until reaching something interesting.
+K  Run up until reaching something interesting.
+L  Run to the right until reaching something interesting.
+Y  Run to the top left until reaching something interesting.
+U  Run to the top right until reaching something interesting.
+B  Run to the bottom left until reaching something interesting.
+N  Run to the bottom right until reaching something interesting.
+
+ >  Go down the stairs to the next level or enter the outer region if you
+    are standing upon the wormhole trap (must be "flying" for this to work).
+<  Go up the stairs to the next level or enter the outer region if you are
+    standing upon the wormhole trap (must be "flying" for this to work).
+
+*  Count the gold in the player's pack.
+!  Escape to the shell level.
+$  Price an item at the Trading Post.
+#  Buy an item at the Trading Post.
+%  Sell an item at the Trading Post.
+.  This command (a period) causes the player to rest one turn.
+^  This command sets traps and is limited to Thieves and Assassins.  If the
+    command is successful the game will ask the player for the trap type and
+    sets it where the player is standing.
+a  Affect the undead.  This command is restricted to Clerics and Paladins
+    and must be followed by a directional letter.
+A  Choose your quest item (at game startup only!).
+c  This command is restricted to Druids and Monks and it produces a list of
+    available chants.  The player can select one of the displayed chants and
+    if the player's energy level is sufficiently high, "chant" it.  The more
+    complicated the spell, the more energy it will take.
+C  This command is restricted to Magic-Users and Rangers and it produces a
+    list of available spells.  The player can select one of the displayed
+    spells and if the player's energy level is sufficiently high, "cast" it.
+    The more complicated the spell, the more energy it will take.
+d  Drop an item from the player's pack.
+D  Dip something into a magic pool.
+e  Eat some food from the player's pack.
+f  When this command is preceded with a directional command, the player will
+    move in the specified direction until he crosses something interesting.
+F  Frighten a monster.  Not available to all characters.  This command
+    loses it's power at around level 10.
+g  Give away or trade a slime-mold for food with a monster.
+G  This command is restricted to Thieves and Assassins.  It causes the game
+    to display all of the gold on the current level.
+i  Display an inventory of the player's pack.
+I  This command prompts for an item from the player's pack and displays
+    the inventory information for that item.
+m  When the player types this command, you are prompted to mark an item
+    with a one-line name.
+o  Typing this command causes the game to display all the settable options.
+    The player can then examine them or change (some of) them
+O  Display your current character type and quest item.
+p  This command is restricted to Clerics and Paladins and it produces a
+    list of available prayers.  The player can then select one of the
+    displayed prayers and if the player's energy level is sufficiently high,
+    "pray" it.  The more complicated the prayer, the more energy it will 
+take.
+P  Pick up the items currently under the player.
+q  Quaff a potion from the player's pack.
+Q  Quit without saving the game.
+r  Read a scroll from the player's pack.
+s  Search for a secret door or a trap in the circle surrounding the player.
+S  Save your game to play at a later time.
+t  This command prompts for an object from the players pack.  The player
+    then can throw the object in the specified direction.
+T  Take off whatever the player is wearing.
+v  Print the current xrogue version number.
+w  Wield a weapon from the player's pack.
+W  Wear some armor, ring, or a miscellaneous magic item from the player's
+    pack.  The player can wear a maximum of 8 rings.
+X  This command is restricted to Thieves only.  It causes the game to 
+display
+    all of the hidden traps on the current level.
+z  This command prompts for a wand or staff from the player's pack and zaps
+    it in the specified direction.
++  Fortune cookie! (Note: if you play xrogue over a modem, typing three
+    consecutive '+' will tell your modem to enter "command" mode.  See your
+    modem manual on how to return from this mode).
+
+Escape  Pressing the Escape key will cancel the current command.
+Ctrl-B  Check your current score.  Scoring is based on experience points
+         and gold.  However, gold is not that important and 10% is hacked
+         off if a player is killed.
+Ctrl-E  Check your current food level.  This command is used when you want
+         to see just how much food you have remaining in your stomach.  A
+         full stomach is measured to be about 2000(2100).  As you play the
+         game, this level drops until you become hungry at about 200(2100).
+         A food level over 2000(2100) makes the character satiated, and a
+         level under 200(2100) makes the character hungry, then weak, and
+         finally fainting.  A level of 2000(2100) is the most the character
+         can eat, a full, satisfied stomach!
+Ctrl-L  Redraw the screen.
+Ctrl-N  When the player types this command, the game prompts you to type a
+         one-line name for a monster or for an item in the player's pack
+         To name a monster, position the cursor over the desired monster and
+         rename it.
+Ctrl-O  Display the current "affects" on the player (such as slow, phased,
+         confused, extra sight, flying, dancing, etc.).
+Ctrl-R  Repeat last message displayed on the top line of the screen.
+Ctrl-T  This command is restricted to Thieves and Assassins.  It must be
+         followed by a directional letter.  If a monster is standing next to
+         the player in the specified direction, the effect is to steal an
+         item from the monster's pack.  If successful, the monster does not
+         notice anything, but if the player is unsuccessful, there is a 
+chance
+         the monster will suddenly wake up and attack.
+Ctrl-U  Use a magic item in the player's pack.
+
+There is no explicit attack command.  If a player wishes to do battle with a
+monster, the player simply moves onto the spot where the monster is 
+standing.
+Whatever the player is wielding will be used as the player's weapon.
+
+As the player moves across items, the game automatically picks them up and
+places them into the player's pack.  If there is no room left in the pack,
+the item is left on the floor.  Setting the "pickup" option to "NO" will
+allow the player to pick up items at will using the 'P' command.
+
+All actions except for bookkeeping commands, such as taking an inventory,
+take time.  The amount of time varies with the command.  Swinging a weapon,
+for example, takes more time than simply moving; so a monster could move
+several spaces in the time it takes the player to make one attack.  The
+time it takes to swing a weapon also varies based on the bulk of the weapon,
+and the time it takes to simply move one space varies with the type of armor
+worn and the player's level of encumberance.  Movement is always faster when
+the player is "flying".
+
+Actions also take time and some of them can be disrupted.  If the player is
+casting a spell for example, and gets hit before finishing it, the spell is
+lost.  Similarly, the player might choke if hit while trying to eat.  These
+same rules apply to monsters as well.
+
+Some of the rooms in the Dungeon possess a natural light source.  In most
+other rooms and in corridors, the player can see only those things within
+a one-space radius around the player.  Dark rooms can be lit with magical
+light or by fire beetles and other monsters.
+
+The player can wield only one weapon at a time.  When a player attacks
+a monster, the amount of damage depends on the particular weapon he is
+wielding.  To fire a projectile weapon, such as a crossbow or a short bow,
+the player should wield the bow and throw the bolt or arrow at the monster.
+
+A weapon may be cursed or blessed which will affect the likelihood of you
+hitting a monster with it and the damage that it will inflict on the 
+monster.
+If the player has identified the weapon he is using, the "to hit" and the
+"to damage" bonuses appear (in that order) before the weapons name in the
+inventory listing.  A positive bonus indicates a blessed weapon, and a
+negative bonus usually indicates a cursed or misguided weapon.  A player
+cannot release a cursed weapon until a remove curse scroll is read or cast
+by magical means.
+
+After the player has identified a suit of armor, the protection bonus 
+appears
+before the armors name in the inventory listing.  If the bonus is positive
+the armor is blessed but if it is negative, the armor is probably cursed.
+The player cannot remove a cursed suit of armor until a remove curse scroll
+is read or cast by magical means.
+
+Some monsters can corrode your armor!  If such a monster hits a player
+when the player is wearing metal armor, the armor will lose some of its
+protective value.  This same corrosive property also applies to weapons
+when a player hits a monster with this ability.  Search for a scroll of
+"protection" to guard against corrosion of your armor and weapon.
+
+A player will find many potions and scrolls in the Dungeon.  Reading a
+scroll or quaffing a potion will usually cause some magical occurrence.
+Potions and scrolls may be either cursed or blessed.  In this version of
+xrogue, Monster Confusion scrolls will turn your hands a variety of colors.
+A blessed Magic Mapping scroll shows very detailed maps.  A scroll of
+Genocide works within the dungeon as well as in the outer region.  A
+scroll of blessed Teleportation will teleport you "upward" a few levels.
+Blessed Remove Curse will cause certain monsters to panic if the scroll
+is read near them.  Charm Monster will let you charm several monsters.
+
+The player can wear a maximum of eight rings.  Some of them have a magical
+effect on the player as long as they are worn.  Some rings also speed up
+the player's metabolism, making the player require food more often.  Rings
+can be cursed or blessed and the player cannot remove a cursed ring until
+a remove curse scroll is read or cast.
+
+Wands, rods, and staves help a player in battle and affect the Dungeon.
+A player uses the "z" (zap) command to use a wand either to shoot at a
+monster, teleport, or to light up a dark room.  Wands can be cursed or
+blessed.
+
+A player must be frugal with his food.  Both moving and searching through
+the Dungeon, and fighting monsters, consumes energy.  Starving results in
+the player's fainting for increasingly longer periods of time, during which
+any nearby monster can attack the player at will.  Food comes in the form
+of standard rations and as a variety of berries.  Some berries have side
+effects in addition to satisfying one's hunger.  Slime-Molds are monster
+food and if you have one, you may be able to trade it for a regular food
+ration, if the monster is of "friendly" persuasion.
+
+Gold has a couple of uses in the Dungeon.  The first use of gold is to buy
+things, either at a Trading Post or from a Quartermaster.  The Trading Post
+when found, is entered via the '>' command, like going down a stairway.
+A Quartermaster ('q') is a Dungeon vendor who appears at certain times and
+will try to sell the player some of his wares.  The Quartermaster's wares
+are never cursed but they can be blessed, though blessed goods do cost more
+than normal goods.  If the player chooses to buy something offered by a
+Quartermaster, he will make the transaction for the specified amount of gold
+and then disappear.  Attacking a Quartermaster causes him to vanish in
+haste!  You can sometimes find gold at the bottom of "magic pools".  Use
+the ">" command to dive for the gold, but be careful you don't drown!
+
+When beginning a new game, a player is placed in the Trading Post with
+an allotment of gold based upon the type of character chosen to play.
+There are some restrictions on the use of certain items by character.
+For example, only Fighters, Paladins, and Rangers can wield two-handed
+swords while Thieves and Assassins can not wear certain types of armor.
+However, the Trading Post (and Quartermaster) will happily sell a player
+anything that he can afford, whether you need it or not.
+
+Miscellaneous magical items such as a Pair of Boots or a Book are numerous
+within the Dungeon.  These items are usually used to a player's advantage,
+assuming they are not cursed.  Some of these items can be worn, such as a
+Cloak, while others are to be used, such as a Book, Beaker, or Ointment.
+The Medicine Crystal will heal you, remove all curses, heal you, and may
+cause panic in some monsters.
+
+There are a number of unique monsters deep within the depths of the Dungeon
+that carry very special magical items or artifacts.  When you begin the 
+game,
+you are asked to choose a "quest item" to retrieve from the Dungeon.  Most
+of these items can be used to the player's advantage, even if they are not
+one's own personal quest item during the game.  However, care must be taken
+when handling some of them for they have intelligence and some will reject
+mishandling or abuse.  These items consume your food (and your gold) so
+carrying them around results in increased food use.  Some of these items 
+will