The Dungeons	of Doom

			  AT&T Bell Laboratories
			   The Dungeons	of Doom


       1.  INTRODUCTION

	    Rogue is a screen-oriented fantasy game set	in the
       ever-changing Dungeons of Doom.	The game comes complete
       with monsters, spells, weapons, armor, potions, and other
       magical items.  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
       items found in the dungeon.  To make things interesting,	the
       player has a quest to return one	of several unique
       artifacts, rumored to lie deep in the dungeon's bowels.
       Returning with this artifact brings great glory and the
       title of	Complete Winner.  But even after finding the
       artifact, the player may	wish to	continue further to match
       wits with an arch-devil,	demon prince, or even a	deity found
       far down	in the dungeon.	 Defeating such	a creature will
       gain the	player many experience points, the basis for
       scoring in Rogue.

	    It is very difficult to return from	the Dungeons of
       Doom.  Few people ever make it out alive.  Should this
       unlikely	event occur, the player	would be proclaimed a
       complete	winner and handsomely rewarded for any booty
       removed from the	dungeon.


       2.  CHARACTER CLASSES AND ATTRIBUTES

	    Before placing the player in the dungeon, the game
       requests	the player to select a character class:	 a fighter,
       a magic user, a cleric, or a thief.

       2.1  The_Fighter

	    A fighter is very strong and will have a high strength
       rating.	This great strength gives a fighter the	best odds
       of winning a battle with	a monster.  At high experience
       levels the fighter also gets to attack multiple times in	a
       single turn.  This obviously further increases his chances
       at winning battles.  Intrinsic to the fighter class is a
       robustness which	results	in 1 to	10 extra hit points for











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       every new experience level.

       2.2  The_Magician

	    A magician's major attribute is intelligence, which
       enables the magician to cast spells.  The number	and variety
       of spells increases as the magician gains experience and
       intelligence.  Other types of characters	can cast spells,
       but only	if they	manage to gain extraordinarily high
       intelligence.  Magic users are not as hearty as fighters;
       they receive 1 to 8 extra hit points for	every new
       experience level.

       2.3  The_Cleric

	    A cleric has a high	wisdom rating and can thus pray.
       The number and variety of prayers which the gods	are willing
       to grant	to a cleric increase as	the cleric gains experience
       and wisdom.  Other character types can pray only	if they
       manage to gain extraordinary wisdom.

	    Because of their religious nature, clerics can also
       affect the "undead" beings, like	zombies	and ghouls, which
       became monsters after they died.	 If an "undead"	creature is
       next to a cleric, the cleric may	try to turn it and cause it
       to flee.	 If the	cleric is sufficiently powerful	relative to
       the monster, the	cleric will destroy it.	 This ability
       increases as the	character gains	experience levels.

	    Clerics can	gain from 1 to 8 extra hit points on
       reaching	a new experience level.

       2.4  The_Thief

	    A thief is exceptionally dextrous and has a	good chance
       to set a	trap or	rob a monster.	Any type of character can
       try to set a trap or steal from a monster standing next to
       the character, but the chances of success are low compared
       to a thief's chances.

	    By their nature, thieves can automatically detect all
       the gold	on the current level of	the dungeon.  They are also
       good at detecting hidden	traps.	Because	thieves	slink
       along, they are not as likely as	other characters to wake
       sleeping	monsters.  If a	thief manages to sneak up on a
       creature	without	waking it, he will get a chance	to backstab
       the monster. When this is done, the damage done by the thief
       greatly increases based on his experience level.

	    Thieves gain from 1	to 6 extra hit points from a new
       experience level.











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       2.5  Constitution

	    Every character has	a constitution rating.	A character
       with an exceptionally good constitution will gain more than
       the normal amount of hit	points associated with the
       character's class when the character reaches a new
       experience level. Exceptional constitution also provides
       better protection versus	poison-based attacks and diseases.

       2.6  Experience_Levels

	    Characters gain experience for killing monsters,
       stealing	from monsters, and turning monsters.  Each
       character class has a set of thresholds associated with it.
       When a character	reaches	a threshold, the character attains
       the next	experience level.  This	new level brings extra hit
       points and a greater chance of success in performing the
       abilities associated with the character's class.	 Magicians
       receive new spells, and clerics receive new prayers.

	    Thieves have the lowest threshold for gaining
       experience levels, followed by clerics.	Fighters are next,
       and magicians have the highest threshold.


       3.  THE SCREEN

	    During the normal course of	play, the screen consists
       of three	separate sections:  the	top line of the	terminal,
       the bottom two lines of the terminal, and the remaining
       middle lines.  The top line reports actions which occur
       during the game,	the middle section depicts the dungeon,	and
       the bottom lines	describe the player's current condition.

       3.1  The_Top_Line

	    Whenever anything happens to the player, such as
       finding a scroll	or hitting or being hit	by a monster, a
       short report of the occurrence appears on the top line of
       the screen.  When such reports occur quickly, one right
       after another, the game displays	the notice followed by the
       prompt '--More--.'  After reading this notice, the player
       can press a space to display the	next message.  At such a
       point, the game ignores all commands until the player
       presses a space.

















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       3.2  The_Dungeon_Section

	    The	large middle section of	the screen displays the
       player's	surroundings using the following symbols:

       |	 A wall	of a room.

       -	 A wall	of a room.

       *	 A pile	of gold.

       %	 A way to the next level.

       +	 A doorway.

       .	 The floor in a	room.

       @	 The player.

       _	 The player, when invisible.

       #	 The floor in a	passageway.

       !	 A flask containing a potion.

       ?	 A sealed scroll.

       :	 Some food.

       )	 A weapon.

		 Solid rock (denoted by	a space).

       ]	 Some armor.

       ;	 A miscellaneous magic item

       ,	 An artifact

       =	 A ring.

       /	 A wand	or a staff.

       ^	 The entrance to a trading post

       >	 A trapdoor leading to the next	level

       {	 An arrow trap

       $	 A sleeping gas	trap












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       }	 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)

       A letter	 A monster.  Note that a given letter may signify
		 multiple monsters, depending on the level of the
		 dungeon.  The player can always identify a current
		 monster by using the identify command ('/').

       3.3  The_Status_Section

	    The	bottom two lines of the	screen describe	the
       player's	current	status.	 The first line	gives the player's
       characteristics:

	  o Intelligence (Int)

	  o Strength (Str)

	  o Wisdom (Wis)

	  o Dexterity (Dxt)

	  o Constitution (Const)

	  o Encumbrance (Carry)

	    Intelligence, strength, wisdom, dexterity, and
       constitution have a normal maximum of 25, but can be higher
       when augmented by a ring.  Encumbrance 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 causes you to use more food.

	    The	second status line provides the	following
       information:

	  o The	current	level (Lvl) in the dungeon.  This number
	    increases as the player goes further down.











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	  o How	much gold (Au) the player is carrying.

	  o The	player's current number	of hit points (Hp),
	    followed in	parentheses by the player's current maximum
	    number of hit points.  Hit points express the player's
	    health.  As	a player heals by resting, the player's
	    current hit	points gradually increase until	reaching
	    the	current	maximum.  This maximum increases each time
	    a player attains a new experience level.  If the
	    player's current hit points	reach 0, the player dies.

	  o The	player's armor class (Ac).  This number	describes
	    the	amount of protection provided by the armor and
	    rings currently worn by the	player.	 Wearing no armor
	    is equivalent to an	armor class of 10.  The	protection
	    level increases as the armor class decreases.

	  o The	player's current experience level (Exp)	followed by
	    the	player's experience points.  The player	can gain
	    experience points by killing monsters, successfully
	    stealing from monsters, and	turning	monsters.  When	a
	    player gains enough	experience points to surpass a
	    threshold that depends on the player's character type,
	    the	player reaches a new experience	level.	A new
	    experience level brings extra hit points and possibly
	    added abilities, such as a new spell for a magician	or
	    a new prayer for a cleric.

	  o A description of the player's character.  This
	    description	depends	on the player's	character type and
	    experience level.


       4.  COMMANDS

	    A player can invoke	most Rogue commands by typing a
       single character.  Some commands, however, require a
       direction, in which case	the player types the command
       character followed by a directional command.  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 should	then type the
       letter associated with the item,	as displayed by	the
       inventory command.  Typing a '*'	at this	point produces a
       list of the eligible items.

	    Rogue understands the following commands:












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       ?   Preceding a command by a '?'	produces a brief
	   explanation of the command.	The command '?*' gives an
	   explanation of all the commands.

       /   Preceding a symbol by a '/' identifies the symbol.

       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.

       t   This	command, followed by a directional command, prompts
	   for an object from the players pack.	 The player then
	   throws the object in	the specified direction.

       f   When	this command precedes a	directional command, the
	   player moves	in the specified direction until passing
	   something interesting.













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       z   This	command	must be	followed by a directional command.
	   Rogue then prompts for a wand or staff from the player's
	   pack	and zaps it in the specified direction.

       >   Go down to the next level.

       <   Go up to the	next level.

       s   Search for a	secret door or a trap in the circle
	   surrounding the player.

       .   This	command	(a dot)	causes the player to rest a turn.

       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.

       q   Quaff a potion from the player's pack.

       r   Read	a scroll from the player's pack.

       e   Eat some food from the player's pack.

       w   Wield a weapon from the player's pack.

       W   Wear	some armor or miscellaneous magic item from the
	   player's pack.

       T   Take	off whatever the player	is wearing.

       P   Put on a ring from the player's pack.  The player can
	   wear	a maximum of eight rings.

       R   Remove a ring from the player's hand.

       ^U  Uuse	a miscellaneous	magic item in the player's pack.

       d   Drop	an item	from the player's pack.

       c   When	the player types this command, Rogue prompts for an
	   item	from the player's pack and a one-line name.  Rogue
	   then	calls all similar items	(such as all the blue
	   potions) by the specified name.

       m   When	the player types this command, Rogue prompts for an
	   item	from the player's pack and a one-line name.  Rogue
	   then	marks the specified item with the given	name.

       o   Typing this command causes Rogue to display all the
	   settable options.  The player can then merely examine











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	   the options or change any or	all of them.

       C   This	command, restricted to magicians and characters
	   with	exceptionally high intelligence, produces a listing
	   of the magician's current supply of 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
	   takes.

       p   This	command, restricted to clerics and characters with
	   exceptionally high wisdom, produces a listing of the
	   cleric's known prayers.  The	player can then	offer one
	   of these prayers to the character's deity.  Deities are
	   not known for favoring characters which continually pray
	   to them, and	they are most likely to	answer the least
	   "ambitious" prayers.

       a   This	command	is restricted to clerics and characters
	   with	exceptionally high wisdom and must be followed by a
	   directional command.	 If there is an	"undead" monster
	   standing next to the	player in the specified	direction,
	   there is a chance the player	will affect the	monster	by
	   causing it to flee or possibly even destroying it.

       ^   This	command	sets a trap and	is most	likely to succeed
	   for a character with	a high dexterity, such as a thief.
	   If the character is successful, Rogue prompts the player
	   for a type of trap and sets it where	the player is
	   standing.

       G   This	command	is restricted to thieves.  It causes Rogue
	   to display all the gold on the current level.

       D   Dip something into a	magic pool.

       ^T  This	command	is most	likely to succeed for a	character
	   with	a high dexterity, such as a thief, and it must be
	   followed by a directional command.  If there	is a
	   monster standing next to the	player in the specified
	   direction, the player tries to steal	an item	from the
	   monster's pack.  If the player is successful, the
	   monster does	not notice anything, but if the	player is
	   unsuccessful, there is a chance the monster will wake
	   up.

       ^L  Redraw the screen.

       ^R  Repeat the last message that	was displayed on the top
	   line	of the screen.












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       ^[  Typing an escape will usually cause Rogue to	cancel the
	   current command.

       v   Print the current Rogue version number.

       !   Escape to the shell.

       S   Quit	and save the game for resumption at a later time.

       Q   Quit	without	saving the game.


       5.  IMPLICIT COMMANDS

	    There is no	"attack" command.  If a	player wishes to
       attack a	monster, the player simply tries to move onto the
       spot where the monster is standing.  The	game then assumes
       that the	player wishes to attack	the monster with whatever
       weapon the player is wielding.

	    When the player moves onto an item,	the game
       automatically places the	object into the	player's pack.	If
       there is	no room	left in	the pack, the game announces that
       fact and	leaves the item	on the floor.


       6.  LIGHT

	    Some rooms in the dungeon possess a	natural	light
       source.	In other rooms and in corridors	the player can see
       only those things within	a one space radius from	the player.
       These dark rooms	can be lit with	magical	light or by a fire
       beetle.


       7.  WEAPONS AND ARMOR

	    The	player can wield exactly one weapon at a time.
       When the	player attacks a monster, the amount of	damage
       depends on the particular weapon	the player 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, affecting the
       likelihood of hitting a monster with the	weapon and the
       damage the weapon will inflict on the monster.  If the
       player has identified a weapon, the "to hit" and	"to damage"
       bonuses appear in that order before the weapon's	name in	an
       inventory listing.  A positive bonus indicates a	blessed
       weapon, and a negative bonus usually indicates a	cursed











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       weapon.	The player cannot release a cursed weapon.

	    Without any	armor the player has an	armor class of 10.
       The lower the player's armor class, the harder it is for	a
       monster to hit the player, so wearing armor can improve the
       player's	armor class.  A	cursed suit of armor, however,
       offers poor protection and may sometimes	be worse than no
       armor at	all.

	    After the player has identified a suit of armor, the
       protection bonus	appears	before the armor's name	in an
       inventory listing.  If the bonus	is positive the	armor is
       blessed,	and if it is negative, the armor is usually cursed.
       The player cannot remove	a cursed suit of armor.

	    Some monsters can corrode armor when they hit it.  If
       such a monster hits the player when the player is wearing
       metal armor, the	armor loses some of its	protection value,
       but the corrosion does not curse	the armor.


       8.  POTIONS AND SCROLLS

	    The	player can frequently find potions and scrolls in
       the dungeon.  In	any given dungeon, the player can
       distinguish among the different types of	potions	by a
       potion's	color and among	the different types of scrolls by a
       scroll's	name.  Quaffing	a potion or reading a scroll
       usually causes some magical occurrence.	Most potions and
       scrolls may be cursed or	blessed.


       9.  RINGS

	    The	player can wear	a maximum of eight rings, and they
       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.  Many	rings can
       be cursed or blessed, and the player cannot remove a cursed
       ring.  The player can distinguish among different types of
       rings by	a ring's jewel.


       10.  WANDS AND STAVES

	    Wands and staves affect the	player's environment.  The
       player can zap a	wand or	staff at something and perhaps
       shoot a bolt of lightning at it or teleport it away.  All
       wands or	staves of the same type	are constructed	with the
       same type of wood.  Some	wands and staves may be	cursed or
       blessed.











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       11.  FOOD

	    The	player must be careful not to run out of food since
       moving through the dungeon fighting monsters consumes a lot
       of energy.  Starving results in the player's fainting for
       increasingly longer periods of time, during which any nearby
       monster can attack the player freely.


       12.  GOLD

	    Gold has one use in	a dungeon:  buying things.  One	can
       buy things in two ways, either in a trading post	or from	a
       quartermaster.  A trading post is a place "between levels"
       of the dungeon and can be entered by stepping on	the
       entrance.  A quartermaster is a person who will sometimes
       appear and will try to sell the player some of his wares.
       These wares are never cursed and	frequently blessed, though
       blessed goods cost more than normal goods.  If the player
       chooses to buy one of the quartermaster's items,	the
       quartermaster trades the	item for the specified amount of
       gold and	disappears.  Attacking a quartermaster causes him
       to vanish without offering a trade.


       13.  MISCELLANEOUS MAGIC	ITEMS

	    Miscellaneous items	such as	a pair of boots	or a book
       may be found within the dungeon.	 These items can usually be
       used to the 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.


       14.  ARTIFACTS

	    Some monsters down in the depths of	the dungeon carry
       unique artifacts.  The game begins as a quest to	retrieve
       one of these items.  Each artifact appears only on its
       owner's person.


       15.  TRAPS

	    A variety of traps,	including trap doors, bear traps,
       and sleeping traps, are hidden in the dungeon.  They remain
       hidden until sprung by a	monster	or the player.	A sprung
       trap continues to function, but since it	is visible, an
       intelligent monster is not likely to tread on it.













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       16.  THE	MONSTERS

	    Each monster except	for the	merchant quartermaster
       appears in a limited range of dungeon levels.  All monsters
       of the same type	share the same abilities; all giant rats,
       for example, can	give the player	a disease, and all
       jackalweres can put the player to sleep.	 Monsters of the
       same type can vary, however, such that one kobold may be
       much more difficult to kill than	another	one.  In general,
       the more	difficult it is	to kill	a monster, the more
       experience points the monster is	worth.

	    Most monsters attack by biting and clawing,	but some
       monsters	carry weapons, including such projectile weapons as
       short bows and crossbows, and some monsters have	breath
       weapons.	 These latter monsters can attack the player from
       across a	room or	down a corridor.

	    Some monsters are more intelligent than others, and	the
       more intelligent	a monster, the more likely that	the monster
       will run	away if	it is about to die.  A fleeing monster will
       not attack the player unless cornered.

	    As the player moves	down in	the dungeon, the monsters
       get more	powerful.  Deep	down in	the dungeon there exist
       some one-of-a-kind monsters.  These monsters are	greatly
       feared.	However, once a	"unique	monster" is killed, the
       player will not find another in the current dungeon.


       17.  OPTIONS

	    Rogue has several options which may	be set by the
       player:

       terse  Setting this Boolean option results in shorter
	      messages appearing on the	top line of the	screen.

       jump   Setting this Boolean option results in waiting until
	      the player has finished running to draw the player's
	      path.  Otherwise the game	always displays	the path
	      one step at a time.

       step   Setting this Boolean option results in most listings,