Games PC DARKLANDS User Manual

4 (2)
The
Fantasy
Role-Playing Game of Medieval Germany
MPS Labs USA
.
MicroProse Software
Hunt Valley, MD 21030
(410) 771-1151
All
rights reserved
Copyright (c) 1992 by MicroProse Software, Inc.
This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part,
by
mimeo-
graph or
xerox
or
any other means withinout permission, with the
exception of quoting brief passages for the purposes of reviews.
Printing: 9 8 7 6
5
4
3
2 1
Darklands is a trademark of
MicroProse
Software, Inc.
IBM is a registered trademark of
International
Business Machines, Inc.
Tandy is a registered trademark of Tandy Corporation
,
Amiga is a registered trademark of Commodore Business Machines, Inc.
Atari is a registered trademark of Atari Carp.
Apple and Macintosh are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.
&&+&TABLEOFCONTENTS
e
. .
Introduction
Quickstart
Tutorial
Playing Darklands
Initial Options
Creating Characters 13
Universal Controls and Menu Bar
Party Information
Character Information
Travel and Interaction
Battle 31
About Alchemy
About Religion
Goals and Rewards
Gothic
Germany
Introduction 51
Life in the Holy Roman Empire
Germanic Encounters 64
Medieval Battle
Medieval Alchemy
The Universal Church
Miscellany.
Abbreviations
Lexicon
Designer's
Notes
Bibliography
Credits 104
Index
Warranty
11
11
.
ii
27
41
45
48
51
53
72
81
86
93
.
94
96
100
Welcome to
Darklands,
a fantastic land where knights in
plate armor rule from soaring, turreted castles; where an
ordinary journey becomes a
dangerous adventure;
and where
clerics can command miraculous powers while wizardly al-
chemists concoct awesome potions.
This realm is chaotic and violent. The roads and rivers
are unsafe. Justice is uncertain. Bribery and corruption are
commonplace. People's darkest fears are real: awful dragons
ravage thecountryside, strange creatures infest underground
mines, loathsome witches dispense crippling curses, and
satanic’cults seek to ensnare the unwary.
Darklands
is based on a
real
time
and
place: Greater
Germany in the 15th Century. The strange, miraculous and
magical elements simply reflect popular beliefs, supersti-
tions and myths. This is an era before logic or science, a time
when anything is possible. In short, if medieval Germans
believed something might be true, in
Darklands
it
may
ac-
tually
be true.
Darklands
is a fantasy
role-playing game.
You direct
a
band of heroes (your “party”) in search of immortal fame.
You can actually create the type of heroes
you
desire, using
the character generation system,
or
you can use pre-gener-
ated
characters.
You travel across the Holy Roman Empire, as the realm
was then called. The Emperor is weak, while the Princes
constantly war among themselves. You can visit more than 90
different cities, as
well as
innumerable castles, hamlets and
monasteries. You’ will find unique dangers and surprising
terrors.
There are many opportunities to perform heroic
deeds--actions that people will remember long
after you
pass. Someday your fame might rival that of Beowulf, Roland,
and other great medieval heroes whose stories are still re-
membered today.
We invite
you
to enter the
Darklands,
a place where re-
ality is fantasy, and fantasy
reality.
Begin
now
a lifetime of
quests and adventures...
7$4@%*
This is a fast, casual overview
of Darklands.
It is designed to
get you
playing quickly. For specific questions, details and
special options,
or
step-by-step instructions, refer
to
the
appropriate section in “Playing Darklands.” On the back
cover of this booklet is a quick summary of all keyboard com-
mands.
You may find it handy, especially if
you
lack a
mouse.
options may not be on the screen (especially in Character
Information); here you must refer to the back manual cover
for appropriate “action” keys.
The cursor keys include not just the traditional arrow
keys, but also the numeric keypad. This
means that 1, 3, 7
and 9 can be used for diagonal movement on the map or in battle.
W~Keyboard
and
Mouse~w
MOUSE:
Darklands
can be operated with mouse and/or
keyboard. With the mouse, you “left-click” (click the left
button)
to
select items,
or
occasionally “left-down” (hold
down the left button) to “drag” items from one spot
to
another on the screen.
To use the
menu
bar, tap F10, move
the highlight
with
the cursor keys, then tap Return
to
make your selection. To
leave the menu
bar
without making a selection, tap F10
again. Note that most menu bar actions
include the
names of
a keyboard shortcut.
r-o.Installation’,
Setup and Loading
w
Most selectable options highlight
as
you move
over
them.
Scrolling
lists of
items
have a “scroll bar” at the top and bottom;
Left-clicking on this bar moves the
highlight
up
or
down.
The right button activates the hidden menu bar. Right-
down reveals the menu bar and allows you to select
menu
items.
To choose options,
move
the
mouse (with
the button
still down)
to
the item desired, then
release
the
button.
KEYBOARD:
All mouse selections
have
keyboard
equivalents. This allows you
to
mix and
match
mouse and/or
keyboard commands in whatever way you feel is most
eff-
See the accompanying "Installation & Supplement”
booklet for details on installing, configuring (setup) and
loading the game.
After you
load,
when the
animated
opening ends, Select
the “Quickstart” option. This bypasses the character genera-
tion
sequence
(if you’re interested in that, see “Creating
Characters," pp13, for details).
cient.
In general, the design concept is as implification of that
used in MicroSoft Windows and the Apple Macintosh.
Some options have a highlight, movable
by
cursor keys;
tap the Return key
to
make your selection. Other options
have a crimson
letter
(the first capital letter, if you’re color-
blind). Tap that character (on the
keyboard) for
that action.
. Complex situations include both:
move
the highlight-first,
then
tap
the appropriate crimson 'letter.' In a few cases, the
.-Party
and
Goalsw,
Your goal
is fame.
The more you get, the longer
you'll
be
remembered. Accomplishing great tasks, rightingwrongs,
or
just participating in significant activities can improve your fame.
To see your current fame, ‘money,' and other inform-
ation, tap F6 for party information.
,MCharact&
Inforniatlon
p
You may be curious about the characters in your party. To see
information about a character, left-click on the appropriate
.
7
character box (along the left side of she screen)
or
tap
F1
through F5. Incidentally, these character boxes have bar
graphs
showing
the
character's
current
endurance,
strength
and DF (divine favor), with the numeric value beneath. In
Darklands
these three values fluctuate the most, hence their
constant
visibility.
This screen
presents
full information about a character,
You can left-click
on
a board (or move the highlight box and
tap Return) for more information. Equipment, Formulae,
and Saints open up scrolling lists.
To use a
specific
weapon or
wear
specific armor, high-,
light the item and tap “a.” To use a specific potion, tap "p."
To try to use a relic’s special powers, tap
"r."
To discard an
item forever (i.e.,
just get
rid of it), tap “d.” To transfer an
item to another character, tap "1" through “5” to indicate the
character. If using a mouse; you can left-drag an item to
another character box, or onto the armament board
(which
lists current weapons and armor). You must still use the
keyboard
for
discards.
The formulae list is for
reference.
Selecting
a formula
gives
you
information, nothing
more.
The
saint
list not only describes what a saint can do, but
also allows you to pray for miraculous aid at that
instant.
Of
course, the character’s divine favor (DF) will be-reduced.
Fortunately, elsewhere in
Darklands
you can regain this.
To
exit
character
information,
left-click or press the
function key that matches the highlighted character box (the
small box on the left side of rhc screen).
PARTY LEADERSHIP: Any of your characters can be the
party
leader and spokesperson.
You
can assign a new leader
by going to their Character Information and left-clicking on
“Not Leader.”
However,
a faster way is simply to hold down
the Control (ctrl) key and tap a function key,
from
Fl
to F5.
-From
Recreation to Travel
CA--J
AT
THE
INN: When you leave character information, you’re
back at the initial gathering of your
party,
planning your
adventure. The options available here are
typical
of many
interactions throughout the game. Select “...spend some
time here...” to stay
at
the local inn.
Incidentally, on
screens
with these menu options, you
can get hints and help
by
holding down the
shift
key while
you
move the highlight over the options. The amount of help
depends on the difficulty level selected.
At the inn,
select
the “...take up residence...” (staying
here) option. It allows you to
select
different daily activities
for each of your characters, including prayer (to regain divine
favor), regaining strength (to recover from wounds), study
and
training
(if you've found any teachers), earning money
(useful if there’s nothing better happening), and alchemy
work. To operate this
screen,
move the highlight to a char-
acter name, then left-click or tap the crimson letter to select
his or her activity. When you’re finished, pick one of the two
options at the bottom (“Spend a day...”
or
“Leave”).
The “Alchemy work” option allows a character to create
specific potions. First you select a formula. Next you see your
chances of success and the ingredients required. If you have
sufficient ingredients and skill, you can make one or more
potions of that type.
All
this is just planning
-
the actual
work only
occurs
after you return to the original staying here
options and select “Spend a day...”
T
RAVEL: To leave the city, go from the inn to the main
street, and from there go to a main gate and just walk out. You
now see yourself on the travel map. To travel, either use
cursor keys
or
left-click on a destination.
mBattlecw
Just to learn more, let’s provoke a tight. The easiest way is to
return to the city you just left, go up to the main gate during
daylight, and attack the guards there.
Battles have, two states: an. "orders pause” and
"real-
time action.” During the orders pause you can give orders to
each character in your party. During real-time action, you
watch the battle occur.
You
can
stop
the action for more
orders as frequently as you wish.
Battle starts in “orders pause,” waiting for you to give
orders to characters.
In
fact,
the party leader is already
selected,
is
a reminder that you are in orders pause.
Finally, to select a target
or destination, hold down the
left mouse button. Then
mouse pointer changes
shape. When you release the
button. the point of release
becomes the new target or
destination. When using the
keyboard,
use the cursor keys
to
move the target symbol,
then tap Return.
Once orders to a
charac-
ter are finished, you can give
orders to another character,
or start real-time action.
Feel free to select vari-
ous orders. For a quick battle,
give each character orders to
attackadifferentguardsman.
REAL-TIME ACTION:
To start up the battle and simply watch the action, tap
To start real-time action, tap the Space bar.
the Space
bar.
COMBAT: When a character targets an
enemy,
the char-
O
RDERS: In general, to issue orders, you (1) select a acter box bar graphs double up, showing endurance, strength
character, (2) select an order, and sometimes (3) select a and DF for both the character (on the left) and the opponent
target
or
destination.
(on the right).
To select ,a character,
either
left-click
on
one of your
When a character scores a hit on the enemy, the amount’
characters,
or
tap a number key from “1” to “5” (Use the of endurance damage appears in red atop the target. When
number keys across the top of the keyboard, not the the enemy hits one of your characters, the endurance damage
numeric keypad). This immediately, puts the battle
appears in white over the character's head.
You'll also see
the
into “orders pause.” bar graphs change appropriately.
You can also tap the Space bar to create an orders pause,
R
ESULTS: When endurance teaches zero, the character
‘then select a character (or simply give orders to the party
collapses.
When strength reaches zero, the character is dead.
leader, who is automatically selected in this’case). Most characters and enemies collapse before they die, but it
To select an order, use the pull-down “Orders”
or
“At- is possible
for
bot h to happen simultaneously, or for an
tack” menus. The
most
useful options are “Move toward,”
especially weak character to die quickly.
“Attack,” “Use Missile” (if the character has a missile weapon) LOOTING: If you are victorious, you can pick
over the
and “Throw Potion” (if- the character carries potions). If bodies of the fallen,. When this occurs,
you
see
the “Item
ordered, to attack, a character will move toward the enemy
Exchange Scrolls.” When using the keyboard, the right/left
until, within weapon range, then start attacking.
cursor Keys shift between the scrolls; with the mouse an
9
appropriate left-click does
the job. One of the actions
across the
top changes which
Well, now that you’ve thoroughly infuriated the govemment
character’s items are shown
at this city by trying to turn guardmen into dogmeat, it migh
alongside the
available
loot.
be wise to travel elsewhere, or at least stick to the side streets
Another moves items be-
Darklands gives explore, with
tween the scrolls.
a wide variety
tasks,
Actually, this type of
Although there
not
screen is used many places, in-
expect everything
com-
cluding
most business
trans-
mon
sense"
be your guide. Don’t be afraid to be altruistic.
actions.
For detailed
instruc-
but don’t let your either!
tions
about
using “Item
Ex-
change Scrolls,” see page 28.
it migh
you all of Greater Germany to
of potential encounters and rewards
are large plots afoot, as in real life, do
to be interrelated. Let “medieval
be your guide. Don’t be to be altruistic.
down guard
Use the mouse or tap the appropriate letter key to select one
of the four options described below.
GG Quickstart
(“q”
key)
w
MZJ
Create a New World (“c” key) CH
This also begins
Darklands,
but there is no default party of
characters. Instead, you can create your own, new characters
This immediately begins your adventures in Darklands with
to form the party of your choice. As in the “Quickstart” each
four default characters:
G
RETCHEN
, G
UNTHER
,
H
ANS
,
and
time this option is chosen the
Darklands world
is reorganized
EBHARD.
With
these
adventurers, you can begin
Darklands
and
reset. Characters created for other worlds are
not
&ail-
without spending the time to create new characters.
able in this new world. This allows you
to have
completely
“Gretch” and her friends are a typical, balanced group of
different games (each in its
own
"world”)
running simulta-
adventurers. They have no special
abilities
or
possessions
neously, without one game “poaching” on another.
that make them
a
recommended choice, nor do they have
Many of the options can be used on any available character
any special
weaknesses
or disadvantages.
(listed
to
the right on the screen). Therefore, first select a
Although the party is always the same in the “Quickstart,”
character by left-clicking the mouse on
a
name,
or
by tapping
random elements in
Darklands
are reset
each time.
There-,
the cursor (“arrow”) keys to move the highlight. Then select
fore, secret locations and upcoming
events
will be different
an action by left-clicking on the word with the
crimson letter,
or
each time
you select this option.
tapping that crimson letter on the keyboard,
E XAMINE A
CHARAC-
TER:
Here
you
can see infor-
mationaboutthe highlighted
character. See “Character In-
formation," pp22, for details.
ADD
TO
THE
PARTY:
This adds the highlighted
character to the party, and
marks the name on the list.
Note that your party can have
one to four characters, no more.
In some
battle
situations,
party
leadership
defaults to
the first character added to the party. Bear this in mind when
selecting the first character to join the party. For more
information, see pp31.
D
ELETE FROM THE PARTY: This removes the high-
lighted character from the party. The character is still
“alive,”
available for
use
in the future.
SELECT CHARACTER
IMAGE:
Here you select new im-
ages and colors for the highlighted
character.
You can
change
the entire image, or certain colors within
the
image. Select
“Finished” when you are done:
You can only select images for characters in the party.’
Therefore, add the character
to
the party before you try to
,
select an image!
CREATE A CHARACTER:
Here you can create a new
character, regardless of which
characters (if any) are cur-
rently in your party. See
“Creating Characters" for
more about this.
KILL
A CHARACTER: This eliminates
the
highlighted
character from the list of possible characters in the game. If
the character is in the party, it also eliminates the character
from the party.
BEGIN
THE ADVENTURE: This endsparty selection
ac-
tivities and begins the game.
Make sure you are happy
with your
party before choosing
this
option.
This actually creates the
new
“world,” with random elements reset, secret locations se-
lected, etc. To begin, the party is placed in a city somewhere in
Greater Germany, known then as
the
Holy Roman Empire.
Important: To save the characters you have created,
you must “Add to
the
Party” one or more characters,
then save the game.
RETURN
TO
MAIN
MENU: This menu returns
you
to the
initial options.
-The
Story Continues
("t"
key)
cxt
This allows
you
to
manage previously saved games.
LOAD
SAVED GAME: Use
the
mouse
or cursor keys to
select a previously saved game and load it.
DELETE SAVED GAME:
Use
the mouse or cursor keys to
delete any previously saved game. Warning: deletions cannot
be “undone.” Make sure you have no further use for that
saved game before selecting this option.
R
ETURN TO MAIN MENU: This menu returns you to the
initial options.
nonheroes
of
Darklands
("h"
key) 4--’
This allows
you
to
view
the
“Hall of Fame,” where the
exploits of the most famous Darklands heroes are recorded.
You can either erase the
existing names
in the Hall of Fame,
or
simply leave, returning to the initial options.
Darklands
allows you
to
create your
own
characters. You can
raise
each
character from infancy. You
can
“live” 20
to
65
years of “normal” life
for
that character, acquiring various
.
attributes and
skills.
At any
time duringthis period you
can
end character creation and make the character an adventurer,
ready to join your party.
Character creation has many sophisticated options. Be-
ginners are
urged to
use the default “Quickstart” characters
in their
first
game,
or
at least skip forward and read the
“Character Information"
section (pp22),
which explains the
various attribute and skill categories.
WJnitial
Options csc,
The recommended procedure is
to
select your gender, gen-
erate a name randomly, and then
adjust
it and/or the nick-
name With manual entries. Then begin childhood.
MAKE
HIM/HER A-WOMAN/MAN: This toggles
the
character's gender between male and female. Not&that
gender slightly affects some starting attributes. :
SELECT
A
NEW NAME:
Tis option randomly generates
a male
or
female name, as appropriate, from a list of actual
personal and family names used in this era. Nicknames are
generated automatically. Both appear on the metal informa-
tion strip at the top.
ENTER
A
NEW
NAME: This option allows you to type a
full name for your character. Tap the Return key when done.
The
nickname
is enteredseparately (see below), The new
full name appears across the top.
C
REATE A NEW NICKNAME: This option allows you
to
type a short nickname
for
your character. Tap the Return key
when done: The character should also have a full name. The
new nickname appears across the
top.
BEGIN CHILDHOOD: This begins the next step of char-
acter
creation
Be sure your character has both a name and
nickname before selecting this option.
RETURN To GAME
OPTIONS:
This &mediately exits
character
creation.
All
entries made on this screen are forgotten.
WEJ
Family Background
e+
When a character is “born,” you select one of six family
backgrounds,. tanging from the nobility
to a
rural commoner
(i.e., a peasant). Different backgrounds adjust the character's
initial attributes
and
skills in minor
ways.
More importantly,
these backgrounds provide a large amount of childhood.
experience, points (EPs), which are used to increase the
initial attributes. Finally, family background affects the
ini-
tial occupations that are available
to
the
character., Each
-background has certain advantages and disadvantages. There
is no
"best"
or
"worst" choice.
As
you
move the highlight
over
various
options,
the
character’s
attributes,
skills,
and
EPs change, showing the
results of each choice.
To choose an option, left-click with the mouse, or press
the appropriate keyboard letter.
Note: after a certain
level,
attribute
increases cost
more
than
one EP per
point
Also
note
that
there
are
absolute
limits
to
human
attributes.
The
normal range
for human
attributes. is 10 to 40, with 25 the average.
.
.
DONE
CHANGING ATTR: When
you
are
finished
with all
attribute
increases,
left-click on the "Done" option or
tap
“d” on the
keyboard.
This ends childhood arid begins
life
as
an adult. Unlike the
modern
world, in the Middle Ages
most
people began adult pursuits in their middle teens.
Selecting an Occupation
Childhood
Experience
(EPs)
Starting at age 15, every five years a character can select a new
occupation. There
are
over three dozen possible
occupa-
tions,
but only a
few
are available at any
one
time.
Initially, family background determines the available
occupations. Thereafter
prior occupations
and/or
attributes
are the
main determining factors.
In some cases a
character
must follow a specific sequential “chain” of occupations
to
reach
a certain
pinnacle of
success.
HIGHLIGHT:
As
you
move
the highlight over
various
occupations,
the skill increases and experience pbints
(EPs),
automatically change,
showing what is possible
in each. Charac-
ters get bonus experience during their first two occupations:
This represents
the
first
15 years
of a character’s life. De-
P
OSSIBLE
SKILL
INCREASES: Beside
each skill are two
pending on the family selected, a character
has
varying
numbers. The first number is the amount a skill automati-
amounts of experience points (EPs). This experience is used
cally
increases
or decreases in that occupation.
The second
to increase
attributes.
Skills
cannot
be modified by
number is the additional increase possible, should you de-
childhood experience.
cide
to
use
experience points (EPs) there.
For example, the
number
"2:04"
beside a skill means
To
INCREASE
AN ATTRIBUTE
with EPs, simply left-click
on that attribute. If using the keyboard, use the
cursor
to
that occupation automatically increases the skill by
two (2)
highlight the attribute, then tap the
"+"
key.
points. In addition, you
can spend
EPs
to increase the skill up
TO
UNDO
AN
ATTRIBUTE
INCREASE
with the mouse,
to
four
(4)
more
points.
If you spent the requisite
EPs,
the
left-clickon the bar gauge showing the remaining
EPs.
Each
total increase would be six.
click "undoes" an increase to that attribute. To undo an
S
ELECTION: When you left-click the
mouse
or
press
increase to
some
other attribute, first
left-click
on the at-
tribute, then
left-click
multiple times
on
the bar-gauge.
If using a keyboard, simply
cursor
the
highlight
to the
attribute and tap the
"-"
key.
Occupation
.GCI
Experience (EPs)
&
For every five years spent
in
an occupation,
a
character
improves
in certain
skills.
In
addition, the character’s expe-
rience points (EPs) can be used for a variety of additional skill
improvements.
IMPROVING
SKILLS: To improve a skill by one point,
either left-click on
the
name
of that skill, or use the cursor keys
to move
the
highlight
to
the skill
and
then tap the
"+"
key.
Skill improvement
is
limited by the number of EPs you
have available. Normally each skill increase
(of one) costs
one EP. However,
when skills reach a high level,
two or more
EPs
may be required. Each improvement automatically
adjusts the remaining
EPs.
You cannot
increase
a skill beyond the amount allowed
by the skill increase values. When you add to a skill, the right
number is reduced to show the amount of increase remaining.
REVERSING
INCREASES: TO
“undo” an increase, either
left-click
on
the EP bar-gauge (as in attributes), or position
rhe highlight with the
cursor
keys and tap the
"-"
key.
Go T
O
NEXT
OCCUPATION: Only
select this when
you
have finished spending EPs. You do not accumulate unused
EPs.
Therefore,
“spend” them
all on skill increases before
selecting this option.
i
This option returns you to “Selecting an Occupation”
where you can choose an occupation for the next five years.
B
EGIN
ADVENTURING: Again,
only select this when you
--
Occupations and Experience Points
have consumed all your EPs.
This
option
places the character in ‘the
available
adven-
Accumulated
turers”
file,
for possible inclusion in the party. It then returns
you to the various “Create A New World” options.
-Knoyled&
&
Equipment
KILL THE
CHARACTER: This
kills the character, erasing
As characters live through various occupations,’ they may
all the
work
spent on him or her. This is a convenient
acquire alchemical and/or saintly knowledge. You can left-
“delete” for experiments that turn out poorly.
clickonthe “Formulae” or “Saints”
box to view the character's
current
knowledge. Left-click again
to
close the
scrolls
of
information. If
using
a keyboard, tap the f or s key to open
a scroll of this information; tap the same key again to close it.
Characters also acquire wealth and equipment through-
out their life. Equipment
is only
visible if you examine the
characrer after creation. Money is included
only
when the
initial members of a party pool their funds at the start of the
game. Characters who join the party later do not bring any
additional money with them.
1-s3
Saving
Your
Characters
.&
When you have finished creating the
characters
you desire
(you may create more than four!), you must organize an initial
party (of one to four characters), select “Begin the
Adven-
ture” from the screen options, and then select “Save Game”
from the “Game” options on the menu bar
(hold
down the
right mouse button, or tap F10, to see this menubar). Doing
this saves not only
the
characters of the party, but also any other
characters
you created for this
“world.”
-Mice
in Darklands
0~
Darklands
is designed for use with a
mouse.
It
has keyboard
equivalents for all operations, for those who lack
a
mouse or
prefer using keys.
When using a mouse with two or more buttons, the
standard button is the left button for clicking
and
dragging. If
your mouse
also has
a
right button,
hold
down
that button to
show the menu bar; keep it down to select
options from
the
menus.
When
you release the right button, the selection
occurs and the menu bar disappears.
-Keyboard
Cursors in
Darklandsw
The
arrow
(cursor) keys are almost always enabled in
Darklands. You
can use them to move the highlight or target
pointer, instead of the mouse.
In addition to the left, tight, up and down arrow keys on
most keyboards,
Darklands
also supports cursor movement
from the numeric keypad. The advantage here is that not
only do
2, 4, 6
and 8 correspond to down, left, right and up,
but 1, 3, 7 and 9 correspond to the various diagonal directions,
which is very useful in movement.
Character Access &
,wInforination
Controk+w,
In
Darklands
you can examine
the
“Character information”
for any character, at any
time. See
pp22
for
a detailed
explanation of the character information.
CHARACTER
BOXES: The left side of the screen shows
five boxes. In the
top
of each is the character’s nickname.’
Below,
on the left, is An illustration of the character as he
or
she appears in battle, and beneath that a single
letter indicat-
ing the current combat orders or attack, if
any.
The remainder of the box has three bar graphs, with
numbers beneath. The left
bar
and number represents the
character’s current endurance (End). The center bar is the
character’s current strength (Str). The right bar is the
character’s current divine favor (DF). The bar
graphs show
the current value
as
a percentage of the maximum; the
numbers
below
show the current absolute value.
If potions or saintly miracles raise a character’s current
endurance or strength above the normal maximum, a small
“+” appears above the appropriate bar graph.
The party leader is denoted by special colored text in the
character box.
MOUSE: To see information about a character, left-click
anywhere within the character's box. To leave the informa-
tion and return to play, left-click again
in the
box.
K
EYBOARD:
Functions
keys
Fl
through F5 select one of
the five
possible
characters in your party. Tap the key once
for information.
Fl
selects the topmost character,
F2
the
Character
Boxes and Universal Controls
-
Character Box
Nickname
next character down, etc. F5 Selects the character at the the desired game and either
bottom. To leave character information and return to the left-click or press Return.
game, tap the same function key again.
D
IFFICULTY: There are
-The-Universal
Menu
Bar,-
three levels of difficulty,
Once you begin Darklands, a hidden
"Universal
Menu
Bar"
which control many aspects
is always available
across
the top of the screen. To see this
of the game, including the
menu bar, either hold down
the
right
mouse button or tap F10.
amount
of
help available.
The three levels are shown
To “pull down” a menu from the various options on this
bv
a
sub-menu. Nith a
bar, simply move the mouse (with the right button still down) checkmark showing which
is
or
move the highlight (with the left/right cursor keys). currently operating.
In either case, the appropriate pull-down
menu
appears
.
Basic provides
the great-
under
that
title.
est
help, but character im-
To select an item from
the pull-down
menu, move the provement and fame rewards are
somewhat
smaller. This is’
mouse
to that item (with the right button still down) and
release
the right
button. With a keyboard,
move
the high-
recommended if Darklands is your first fantasy role-playing game.
light with the
cursor
keys to the desired option and tap the
Standard provides modest help, with average character
Return key.
improvement and fame
rewards.
This is recommended if you
MENU B
AR SHORTCUTS: Some menu options have
are familiar with fantasy role-playing
games.
special key combinations for shortcuts. These are listed after
Expert provides almost no help, but your character im-
provement and fame rewards are larger than normal. This is
the menu item. A menu bar shortcut is used instead, of
highlighting the menu
option.
These shortcuts are also listed
recommended if you want greater challenges,
or
seek the
on the back of the
manual.
Standard shortcut abbreviations
best characters and highest
fame,
regardless of risk
or
cost.
used on the menu bar include:
See "Help and Difficulty Levels,” below, for a more
alt: Hold down the ALT key while tapping
detailed discussion of these options.
the letter.
S
HOW CHANCES
(alt c):
This turns on and off messages
spc:
Tap the Space bar.
about temporary skill and attribute changes caused by
al-
Rtn:
Tap the
Return key.
chemical potions or prayersto
saints.
By default this is “on,”
Esc:
Tap the Escape key.
and all changes appear. However,
a
few saints can cause so
many changes that you may wish to turn if off temporarily.
-The
“Game”
Pull-down Menu
w
Permanent changes are always shown (sycg
as
skill
SAVEGAME (alt s): This allows you to save the current game.
increases caused by experience), regardless of this setting.
You can type a short remark about the game. In addition, for
MUSIC: This option toggle: background
music
on and
off. If you see a check mark, then the music is currently on.
general
identification purposes the saved game always
ap-
SOUND Fx: This option toggles sound effects on and
off,
If
pends the date and general location. At some points saving
is piohibited. In
these
situations “Save
game”
is faded
you see
a check
mark, then the sound effects are currently on.
VISUALS: There are three levels of visual presentation,
and unavailable.
L
OAD SAVED GAME
(alt
1): This allows you to reload
a
with the current selection shown
by
a check mark. This
choice affects the way pictures are shown with various menus
j
previously
saved game. Simply move the highlight to select and messages.
c-oThe
“Party” Pull-down Menu
cw
Full
visuals are the default selection and strongly
re-
commended.
It provides the full flavor of the game, and
helps you
envision medieval reality.
Quick visuals instantly fade into the background, without
requiring a left-click or
return.
This option is provided as a
convenience for impatient “high-speed” players.
None means that the pictures are suppressed. This op-
tion is intended
for
extremely slow computers or hard disks.
Suppressing the pictures significantly increases game speed,
but also damages the game's appeal and
"flavor."
PAUSE
(alt
p): This instantly pauses the game, stopping
any and all action. This is only useful in battle. Tap any key
to resume.
Q
UIT (alt q): This option exits
Darklands,
and returns
you to the operating system. The game is not saved. Be sure
to select "Save
game"
before you quit.
the
entire
party.
Tap any key or left-click the mouse to leave.
See “Party Information," pp20, for
additional
details.
S
ET AMBUSH
(F7):
This option sets
or
removes an am-
bush. When an ambush is set, your party will wait in ambush
for an enemy. See “Travel and
Interaction,"
pp27, for details.
CAMP
(F8):
This option is available only when traveling
through the countryside. It allows your
party
to make a semi-
permanent camp. See
"Travel
and Interaction,” pp27, for details.
-Help
and
Difficulty
Levels-
Darklands difficulty level controls the amount of help
available. The easier the game, the more help that is avail-
able. However, as ,a reward for selecting
then
more difficult
levels, character improvement occurs somewhat faster, and
fame rewards are larger. Of course, with less help, your risks
grow
larger
too.
Frequent changes in help level are ignored
in Darklands.
Advancement and rewards are based on the easiest level se-
lected
over
the past few days or weeks (the exact time period
varies, depending on how fast your party achieves certain
goals).
Just
a b&f “peek” at an easier difficulty level penal-
izes you for the entire period.
The “help” provided
mainly occurs during interaction.
When you hold down the Shift key, appropriate help infor-
mation appears. See "Travel and
Interaction,
I&action
Menus,” pp27, for details.
-The
“Orders”
Pull-down
Menu-
This menu is only used in battle, to give orders to individuals
or
lLi3%.-
the
party as a whole. See “Battle” for more information.
aThe
“Attack” Pull-down Menu
w
This menu is only used
in
battle, to tell specific characters
.q
about which fighting tactic they should use. See "battle" for
‘cLi.3
more information.
.
19
Party information is available on the “Party” menu of
the
.
menu bar (hold down the right
mouse
button),
or
by tapping
L
OCATION:
This
indicates the nearest major city to
you
the F6 key. It displays general
information
about your party.
party, and is a general aid
for
finding your location on the map
Party information is not available during battle..
Local
REPUTATION: This indicates your reputation
in
To leave Party information, tap any key or left-click
the neatest city. Local reputation influences the attitude
of
the mouse.
people
in
the city, and to a lesser degree those living in
the
F
AME
: This displays your party’s fame in Greater Ger-
surrounding countryside.
many
(the
Holy Roman
Empire). Fame is an open-ended
WEALTH:
This
indicates
the amount of cash carried by
scale starting at 0. Every important
success
in
Darklands
your party. The amount shown does not include money stored
increases your fame. Your
goal
is to achieve the highest
elsewhere in Germany,
nor
does it
include
the
value
of you
possible fame.
Letter of Credit. See "Medieval Money” below for informa-
TIME
AND
DATE:
This
displays the
current hour,
day
tion about florins,
groschen
and pfenniges.
and month. The year is sometime in the 15th Century (1400-
NO
TES: If you
carry
a
letter
of
credit
(Ltr Credit), a
1499).
See “Medieval Timekeeping” below for information
medieval “bank note,”
this indicates the value of
then
letter.
abbot medieval “hours” and calendar.
Money
carried
as a
Letter
of
Credit
is
easily
concealed, but
normally
you
can’t use it until
you reach
a banker and
exchange it for “real”
money.
Party Information .
The
“PStone”
notation
indicates
the current quality of
the philosopher’s stone carried by
the
party. See “Alchemy”
Reputation
at
Current
Location
(pp 41) for details.
MAP
INFORMATION:
The small
map
of
Greater
Ger-
many
highlights
your current location with a white
circle.
With a
mouse,
you can
move
the pointer around the map
for
information. With the keyboard, tap the Tab key to cycle
through all the cities.
.-Party
Legdershipti,
One character is always the leader
of
the
party.
The leader
acts as spokesperson for the group. Charisma and Speaking
ability are frequently important to the leader. Other skills
or
attributes may be important in specific situations. For ex-
ample, alchemical knowledge might
be useful when
talking
to
an alchemist, while
religious training
and knowledge of
Latin
could
be
useful when
talking
to priests,
monks or nuns.
The party leader is indicated by different-colored text in his
or
her
character box. In
the
character
information,
“Leader” or
"Not Leader" is noted after each character's name (see Character
Information, Character Information Boards," pp22, for details).
HOW TO CHANGE LEADERS: To change party leadership
quickly,
simply hold down the
Control
(ctrl) key and
either
left-click
on
the appropriate character box
or
tap the appro-
priate function key (ctrl
F1
for the first or top-left character
box,
ctrl
F2
for the second, etc.;
to ctrl
F5 for the bottom
character
box and
character). You cannot transfer leadership
to a non-existent
character.
You can
alsochange leadership
in the
character informa-
tion
screen
by left-clicking on
a
character box, then left-
clickingon "Not Leader." This changes that character to the
leader (see “Character Information," the
next
section).
In battle
you
can change leadership by holding down
Control (ctrl)
and clicking
on the
animating character on the
battlefield.
Also
note that in battle, whenever the party
enters “group” mode leadership automatically switches
to the first (top left character box) character.
w&fedi&val
Timekeeping
w
HOURS:
The standard "clock" used
in the
Middle Ages was
based
on
the routine of prayers in monasteries. There were
eight of these
“hours,”
or
"offices,"
during the day. In
addition, the system of 24 hours was beginning to become
common as craftsmen
built
large mechanical clocks into
various
public buildings, For simplicity, Darklands
assigns
three “modern” hours to each monastic
"hours,"
as
follows:
Matins: Midnight
Latins: 3 AM
Prime: 6AM
Terce: 9 AM
Sexts:
Noon
Nones: 3PM
The year is always sometime during the 15th Century
(which
never ends).
wzMedieva;j
Money
cx,
Money is counted in three
denominations:
gold
florins,
silver
groschen, and silver pfenniges. Because distribution of wealth
and wages were so different, comparisons to modern cur-
rency
are impossible. In general, florins are very valuable,
but are used only in large transactions;
groschen
are fairly
valuable and are in daily use; pfenniges are “small
change,"
important only to the very poor.
Conversion between denominations, follows the classic
medieval pattern of “a dozen and a gross,!’ namely:
12 pfenniges (pf
) = 1 groschen
(gr)
20 groschen (gr)
=
1 florin (fl)
240
pfenniges (pf)
=
1
florin (fl)
Vespers: 6PM
Compline: 9 PM
C
ALENDAR: The old
Julian calendar
was in
effect dur-.
ing
this era.
This
used
the
same
days
and months as the
modern Gregorian calendar, although due to
poor
leap year
accounting, the Julian was slightly inaccurate. For simplicity,
all
festivals
and holidays always fall
on
the
same
day every
year, and there are no leap years.
SEEING
CHARACTER
INFORMATION:
You
can
view infor-
mation on any of your characters at any time in
the game.
The
game is
automatically paused while you
view
the information
To do
this, left-click on
the appropriate
character box on
the left. side of the screen,
or
tap
F1
through
F5
(for
the
appropriate
character).
Once
you
are viewing
character
information, you
can
jump, from one, character
to
another with appropriate
left-clicks or function keys.
LEAVING
CHARACTER
I
NFORMATION
: To leave char-
acter
information, you must left-click
on
the highlighted
character
box
(on the left side of the screen),
or
tap the
function, key that matches the currently highlighted box.
Doing this returns to you to the
game.
c-oCharac,ter Information BcqIds’c&
Character
information is given on a
series
of
boards;
some
with scrolls attached. To see more detail
on a
board (or reveal
its scroll),
left-click
the
mouse
on it, or use
the
cursor keys to
move the, highlight box, and press Return.
NAME BOARD: This shows
the full
name of the charac-
ter.
“Leader” indicates the
character
is
the
leader of the
party, “Not Leader” indicates the character is not the leader.
ACE
AND
GENDER BOARD: This shows the current
age of the character in years,
and his
or her gender: male
(M)
or
female
(F).
ATTRIBUTES
BOARD
: This
shows
the
current
and maxi-
mum attributes of the
character.
Normally the board just
shows the
abbreviations, but selecting this board expands it
to show the full names. See below for a detailed explanation
of each attribute.
SKILLS
BOARDS: These
three
boards
list the various
skills of the character. As with attributes, selecting a board
expands it to show the full names. See below for a
detailed
explanations of
each skill.
IN-USE
BOARD: This board shows the weapons and
armor the character is ready to use in battle. It includes both
hand-to-hand and missile
weapons
wwhere appropriate. As
above,
selecting this
board
expands
it to
show full
names,
rather than abbreviations.
“V:” indicates
armor
for the character's vitals (head
and torso): .
“L:” indicates armor for the character’s limbs (arms
and
legs).
This board also shows if any potions or saintly aid are
affecting the character and/or equipment.
“Enhc” (Enhanced)
indicates that one
or
mote potions
are currently improving either the character, the equipment,
or both.
“Bless” (Blessed) indicates
that
aid from
one
or
more
saints is currently
improving
either the character,
the equip-
ment, or both.
22
“None” normally means nothing However, a character
without weapons is assumed to have a small knife.
EQUIPMENT , FORMULAE AND
SAINTS
SCROLLS : Se-
lecting these boards opens a scroll that lists the equipment
currently carried.
.
Left-clicking on the top
or
bottom of the scroll moves
the highlight up and down to scroll the list. Similarly, the up-
down cursor keys move the highlight up
or
down.
Left-clicking on the board closes the list. When using
the
keyboard,
move
the highlight back to the board (using
the right-arrow key) and press Return.
For mote details about information contained on the
various scrolls, see the appropriate section below.
ENCUMBRANCE
BOARD:
This shows the current
weight of items “in
use,"
and their effect on the
charac-
ter’s
performance:
Light
characters carry 50% or less of theircapacity.
Normal characters carry 51 - 100% of their capacity. Nor-
mally laden
characters
suffer a moderate agility loss.
Laden characters
carry
101 - 150%
oftheircapacity. They
suffer a large agility loss, and
lose endurance faster in combat.
Overloaded characters have over 150% of their capacity.
They have virtually no agility, and in combat both
lose
endurance
quickly and
have much reduced weapons skill.
Additional items carried, but
not
in use, do not count
toward encumbrance.
ARMAMENT
ILLUSTRATION: This picture
shows
the
armor
and
weapons
currently in use. Any outer garments
worn
on top
of
the armor are
removed,
to help clarify the
armor
worn.
This means the picture may not correspond
to
the
character's
appearance in battle
(where
outer garments
are shown to
help distinguish one
character
from another).,
c-o’C,h$nging Leadership
c+
If the character is currently “Not Leader,” you can make this
character
the party lender by left-clicking
on "Not
Leader."
The label changes
to
"Leader" and
the text
colors change
in
the
appropriate
character boxes to the left.
Also
see
"Party
Information,
Patty Leadership,”
pp20,
for
other methods.
-About
Attributes
cw
All attributes use
a
0
to 99 scale. However, adult human
norms run from 10 to 40, with the, average being
25.
All
attrjbutes
show the current value and the maximum value for
that character.
ENDURANCE (End): This represents how quickly
a
character
is exhausted. It is very important in battle, since
endurance is reduced faster than any orher attribute. When
endurance teaches zero
(0)
the character collapses.
Charac-
ters regain endurance very quickly (within a few days, or less).
STRENGTH (Str):
This represents physical strength.
It
is
important when using weapons in battle. It alsorepresents
physical damage and wounds. As wounds heal a character
slowly regains lost strength.
AGILITY
(Agl):
This
represents
the speed and quick-
ness of the character.
It
is
important for many activities,
includingclimbingand avoiding missiles. Agility is adjusted
downward
if the
character is
more
than lightly loaded.
PERCEPTION (Per):
This
represents a character’s alert-
ness; his or her ability to sense
the current situation. It is an
instinct that helps charac-
ters anticipate danger
or
surprise, as well as
under-
stand other people on an
intuitive level.
INTELLIGENCE
(Int):
This represents the
mental
abilities of
a character.
It is
very important to alchemists,
intellectual situations.
CHARISMA
(Chr): This
represents the
appearance
and physical “presence” of
the
character.
It
is
extremely
useful when
interacting
with
people, especially when
try-
dealing with intellectuals
or
ing to convince them of something, Therefore charisma
is
very useful for a party leader.
FLAIL
WEAPONS
(wF11):
This represents a character’s
ability to handle flailing weapons in hand-to-hand combat.
DIVINE FAVOR (DF): This represents the
amount
of
These are weapons whose damage-producing “head”
is
“credit” the character has when praying for saintly-miracles.
It is lost in such prayers., but can be regained. See “About
attached
to a handle
by
a chain or pivots.
Religion, Divine Favor,”
pp46,
for more information.
POLEARM
WEAPONS (wPoI): This represents
a
character’s ability
to
handle spears, pikes,
halberds,
and
-About
Skills
cw
staffs in hand-to-hand combat.
All skills
use
a
0 to 99
scale.
Adult humans use the entire
T
HROWN WEAPONS (wThr): This represents
a
range,
from
0 (totally-incompetent)
to
99 (nobody better).
character’s
ability to throw axes, javelins, darts
or
knives
Most ordinary people achieve
35-60
in important skills, less
at the enemy in combat.
Bow W
EAPONS (wBow): This represents a
character's
in Secondary skills. Recognized masters or experts achieve skill at firing drawn bows in combat, including regular "short"
65-90 in their chosen field.
EDGED
WEAPONS
(wEdg): This represents
a
bows,
longbows, and Asiatic composite bow.
character’s, ability to handle
swords,
daggers and axes in
MISSILE
DEVICE WEAPONS (wMsD): This repre-
‘hand-to-hand (melee) combat.
sents a character’s
skill at
firing crossbows
and
hand-
guns in combat.
I MPACT
WEAPONS
(wImp):
This represents
ALCHEMY
(Alch): This
represents
a character’s
knowI-
character’s ability
to
handle clubs, hammers, mauls and edge of, alchemy, including various experimental methods
maces
in
hand-to-hand (melee) combat,
and techniques. It is general knowledge,-independent of
knowing
specific formulas.
RELIGIOUS T
RAINING (Relg): This represents a
character’s knowledge of the Church, its institutions, organi-
zation,
and
procedures.
It also indicates a growing know-
ledge of
various
prayers and observances This is general
knowledge,
independent
of any specific saint.
V
IRTUE (Virt): This represents the acceptability of a
character’s actions, based on the
norms
of the age and
the
general
strictures
of the Church.
SPEAK C
OMMON
(SpkC):
This represents a character’s
skill in
speaking,
including
the ability to “fast-talk” some-
one, as well as
the
ability
to say
things diplomatically. For
simplicity, characters are assumed to know the local, everyday
language
(in Darklands this is
usually
German).
SPEAK
LATIN (SpkL): This represents a
character’s
knowledge
of
Church Latin; the universal European lan-
guage for both religious
and intellectual
activity.
READ
AND
WRITE (R&W): This represents a
character’s ability to
read and write whatever languages he
or
she speaks. Literacy
was
a separate and not altogether
common skill in this era.
HEALING (Heal): This represents a character’s skill at
treating and dressing wounds. This is everyday, practical
knowledge,
not a
“magical” healing power. The rate at which
characters regain strength while resting depends on the
single highest healing skill in the party.
A
RTIFICE (Artf): This represents a character’s under-
standing of tine devices, including the ability to assemble,
disassemble and manipulate them. Such fine devices in-
clude locks, trap mechanisms, etc.
STEALTH (Stlh): This represents a character’s ability to
movequicklyand almost invisibly, taking advantage of every
shadow while avoiding actions that make loud noises.
STREETWISE
(StrW): This represents a character’s fa-
miliarity with city life, and’the expectations of city
citizens. It makes interaction easier and
more
effective
with city residents.
R
IDING (Ride): This represents
a character's
skill
at
riding a mount,
usually a horse. Riding skill and horse quality
j
combined yield
a character’s ability to catch or escape some-
one (or some thing).
WOODWISE (WdWs): This represents a character’s fa-
miliarity with country life, woodlore, the habits of wildlife,
and the ability to “read”. the ground for tracks or danger.
w
About Equipment
C=W
Equipment is lited by its name, quality (“q”) and how
many
are carried.
Quality is rated
on
a 1 to 100 scale, with
0
being worth-
less. Normal, everyday quality is 25. Quality over 40 to 50 is
so
outstanding
that
most people would feel an item had
special religious or magical powers. Such quality is extremely
rare
and valuable. All
potions
are
rated
quality 25, 35 or 45,
depending on the sophistication of the formula used.
Equipment also has a weight (not shown) that includes
a bulk factor. By changing which items are “in
use”
and
observing the encumbrance effect, if any, you-can decide
which items to use.
USING EQUIPMENT (a key): When the equipment scroll
is open,
you
can take an item and put it on the in-use
board,
replacing whatever is there. This is how you select (or
“ready”) different arms and armor.
To do this with a mouse, left-drag the item from the
scroll to the in-use board. (That is, move the pointer to the
item desired, hold down the left button, drag the mouse with
the button still down
to
the
in-use
board, then release the
button.) The item now appears on the in-use board, replac-
ing whatever item was there.
To do this with the keyboard, move the highlight
to
the
item desired, then rap the “a” key.
.
UN-ARMING
(u
key): You can remove weapons or armor
from the in-use board. With the mouse, left-drag the item
. .
from the board back to the equipment scroll (which must be
visible). With the keyboard the procedure is different: just
highlight the item on the scroll and
tap
the
“u”
key.
A character without any weapons is assumed to have a
small knife.
USING
POTIONS (p key): You can use some alchcmical
potions to improve your own equipment
or
attributes. To do
this, highlight the potion in your equipment list, then left-
click with the mouse
or
tap
“p”
on the keyboard. An
appro-
priate change will
occur
in
your
character
or
equipment,
depending on the potion, and “Enhd" (Enhanced) appears
‘on the in-use board. Typically this change lasts for one day.
RELICS:
Some relics have special attributes, but you
always receive the advantages automatically. The advan-
tages usually apply to the person carrying the relic. Without
their
special
advantages, some relics are still
useful as
high
quality weapons. For more about relics, see “About Reli-
gion,” pp45.
TRANSFERRING
E.QUIPMENT
(l-5
KEYS): An item can
be transferred from one character to another. However,
temporary additions
to
your party will not “lend” or other-
wise
transfer their equipment to one of your characters.
Equipment
cannot
be transferred to a non-existent character: if
the character box is empty, you cannot
transfer
anything to it
To
transfer
an item with the mouse, left-drag the item
from the scroll
to
the appropriate character box (on the left
side of the screen) and release. The item disappears from the
equipment
list. If you check
character information for that
other character, you’ll see the
item at the bottom of his
or
her equipment list.
To
transfer an item with
the keyboard. move the
highlight
to
the item desired,
then press the appropriate
number key ("1"
for
the char-
acter in the top left box,
"2"
for
the character in the box
next from
the
top, etc. to “5”
Formulas
are used to
create
potions. The formul
scription
includes
a summary
of
that
potion’s effects;
Characters cannot actually create alchemical pot
this time. They
must
camp
or
take up residence
some
first, then spend one
or
more days mixing
potion
“About Alchemy,”
pp41,
for
more
information.
csz
Saints and Prayer,
w
When the “Saints” scroll is open, you see all the saints k
by that character. As with alchemical formulas, to
detailed description, left-click the
mouse
on
a saint’s
n
or
select with
up/down
cursor
keys and tap Return.
PRAYING TO SAINTS: The detailed description of a
for the character in the bottom box. Use the
number keys
across
the top
of the
keyboard, not those on the
numeric
keypad.
D
ISCARDING
EQUIPMENT
(d
key):
Your
character
can
always abandon any item of equipment. To do this, either
left-click on the item
or
move the highlight
to
the item, then
tap the “d” key;
Items discarded
in this fashion
can never
be recovered.
Therefore, be careful before you throw away
an
item. In-
stead, you may wish
to
find a
reliable person
who can
store
items for you.
City or
village innkeepers frequently perform
this service.
wAlcbemica1
Formulas
C--J
Alchemical formula names provide the original inventor and
a general title relating
to
its effect. Each inventor has a
slightly different version of the formula.
Left-click the
mouse
on a formula name (or select
with
up/down
cursor keys and tap. Return) to see a detailed
description of
that
formula.
Left-click
or press Return
again
to
return
to
the information boards.
FORMULA DESCRIPTION: This is a detailed description
of the the formula’s ingredients and mystic number. Mystic
numbers
range approximately from 75
to 200;
higher num-
bers indicate
more
difficult formulas.
includes the miraculous benefits
you
coul
alchemy, you can attempt to pray
to
a sain
The “DF Remaining” value shows ho
would have,
if you
pray
now.
As
this indicates,
prayi
saint reduces your DF (divine
favor),
which may limit
ability
to
pray further. Fortunately, DF can be
recovered.
Left-click the
mouse
or
use
cursor
keys and
Return
select which option you prefer:
More divine
favor
is
spent:
This increases the
amount of
DF (divine favor) the
character “spends”
while praying.
Less divine favor is
spent: This decreases
the
amount of
DF the character
“spends”
while praying.
Pray
now...:
The character begins praying. The
DF
immediately
reduced
to the appropriate
amount.
Prayer
results
occur
quickly.
Don't pray
right
now:
This returns you ‘to, the
infor
mation
boards:
See
“About Saints,”
pp45, for more
details about praying
to saints. See “The Universal Church,
Darklands
Saints,
pp88 for
more
information about specific saints.
Some options have sub-menus. When these appear, you
must move horizontally (straight across the screen) until the
Expert displays no
hints.
mouse is within the area before you can select and
left-click.
You make your own deci-
Using the keyboard, the right/left cursor keys move the
sions,
based purely on your
judgement of the situation.
highlight into or out of the sub-menu. The up/down cursors
Help messages are posi-
move the highlight within the sub-menu. As before, to select
tioned on the
character
whb
an option tap Return.
will lead or interact. If the
H
ELP: When interaction options exist and “Difficulty”
(in the “Games” menu of the menu bar) is set to "Basic" or
message is
positioned
across
all
five characters, the entire
“Standard,” holding down either shift key displays helpful party Will work together in
remarks about the immediate results of that option.
“Ex-
this task, and success is
pert” difficulty gives no hints.
based on an average of
Basic displays the exact probability of
success.
Of
course,
their abilities.
you must still judge the likely effects of this success or failure.,
Standard displays general comments about your chance of
SAINTS AND POTIONS: During interactions, some menu
success. Again, it only applies
to
the
immediate action, not the
options permit
use
of potions, while others assume prayer to
saints. In order to correctly apply the potion
or
saint to the
Interaction Menus
Help information
(hold down “shift” key)
situation,
you
must select the appropriate option here in
interaction (not in character information).
You can still go to any character information screen and
use
potions or pray to saints normally (see "Character Infor-
mation" for details), but this only provides general aid. To.
apply saintly aid to a specific situation,
you
must select it
from the interaction sub-menu, not character information.
As with saints, some interactionsallow the use
of potions
for special effects. Again, to get the benefit, you must select
the appropriate
interaction
sub-menu.
INTERACTION
RESULTS: A variety of
results
are
pos-
sible. In
some cases you may return
to
the map, while at other
times you may move on to another interaction. You may also
see specific results messages, or become involved in a battle.
-Item
Exchange
Scrolls’b
This special display appears whenever you attempt to buy or
sell goods,
or
if your party stores items or
recovers
them from
storage. It also appears if your party finds items after a battle,
either on a
defeated enemy,
or inside chests and treasure troves.
First use a
left-click
or the left-right
cursor
keys to select
which scroll to use. The upper scroll is thelistofitems found,
stored, or for sale. The lower scroll is the list of items
currently carried by the character.
28
Next, move through the scrolling list to find the specific
item to buy, sell, or move. Left-click
at
the top or bottom of
the scroll to move the highlight,
or
use the up-down cursor keys.
Finally, select one of the actions beginning with a crim-
son
letter, either with a left-click, or by tapping that letter on
the keyboard.
PURCHASE
AN ITEM / GET
AN
ITEM;.. : This is only
available when the upper scroll is active (i.e., an item in that
scroll is highlighted). It causes the character to gain that item,
paying any appropriate cost.
em Exchange Scrolls
SELL AN ITEM
/PUT AN
ITEM... : This is only available
when the
lower
scroll is active (i.e., an item in that scroll is
highlighted). It causes the character to transfer the item
to
the upper scroll,
or
give it to the owner of that scroll. The
party gains any appropriate selling price.
Characters who temporarily join your party cannot use
this option. They insist on keeping their personal posses-
sions! The only way to get rid of items carried by such
characters is to discard them (see “Character Information,
Character Information Boards,”
pp22).
BARTER
FOR
ANOTHER PERSON
/
CACHE ANOTHER
PERSONS ITEMS / DISTRIBUTE LOOT
TO
ANOTHER
PERSON:
This allows you to change which character’s items are dis-
played on the lower scroll. You can buy, sell, or transfer items
with the character of your choice-except, of course, charac-
ters who are just temporary members of your party.
LEAVE: This ends the exchange
session.
w
Staying Here
cw
When
your
party camps in the countryside (see “Camping”
above),
or
rakes up residence at an inn or similar resting
place, you see the “Staying Here” options. These options are
selected and resolved one day
at
a time.
To select options with a mouse, left-click on a character
name, then left-click on the activity desired for that charac-
ter.
The text changes to describe what the
character
will
do
for the day. Continue selecting options and characters until
you are satisfied. Some options may be available
to
some.
characters,
while prohibited to others.
To select options with the keyboard; use the
cursor
keys
to move the highlight and the appropriate letter key to select
the activity.
JUST
RELAX
is a default “do nothing” option that allows
you to recover from Hny exhaustion.
R
EGAIN STRENGTH, is only allowed to wounded
charac-
ters.
It represents a full day
of rest.
The rate of
recovery
is
related to the character with the best healing skill in the
entire party.
29
PRAY FOR DIVINE FAVOR
is allowed
to anyone who:
DF (divine favor) is below maximum. Prayer helps resto
divine favor.
ALCHEMY WORK allows the character to mix new p
tions.
See “About Alchemy,”
pp00,
for details.
EARN A LITTLE
MONEY
allows the character to find
short-term job,
to
earn a little money. You will see the be
job the character
can
find in the city, with the pay per da
Jobs can
be exhausting. Work may
cost a character some endu
ance
daily.
GUARD
THE CAMP only applies when camping in
t
countryside; It helps you
to
conceal and protect your pre
ence,
decreasing the chance that some unpleasant person
thing will find you.
TRAIN AND STUDY allows the character to work to
in
prove a certain skill. Selecting this option produces a list
the possible skills the character
could
attempt
to
improve
Camping
(“Staying
Here")
Left-click on character (in the
left
column),
then
left-click an right column option.
Leave without
spending One day passes, with party doing
a day doing assignments.
the assigned options, as shown above
This option exists only if the parry has already found
someone willing to train or tutor certain people in certain
skills. In other words,
first
you search for instructors,
then
you return to the inn and “take
up
residence” to accomplish
the training.
When you see the list of skills available for training,
select one by left-clicking with a. mouse, or by using the
cursor and Return keys.
S
PEND A DAY,
DOING
THE ABOVE: This option activates
all the selections made. One day passes, and each
character
does his or her appointed tasks. You must select this option
to actually perform the activities.
L
EAVE: Selecting this option means you’ve decided
against spending a whole day on these tasks. You return to
the other available options.
gure
on
the
battlefield.
You can also select a character by
pping the number key for that character of the. party (1
through 5). The character in the top left character box is
number 1, the next down is number
2,
etc. Use the number
keys across the top of the keyboard, not those on the
numeric keypad.
BAITLEFIELD VIEW: Normally the battlefield view tries
How
the party leader. However, you can scroll the entire
field view using the mouse or keyboard.
If using a mouse, move the cursor near the edge of the
battlefield. The pointer will turn into an arrow. Now tap the
Shift key. Each tap scrolls the battlefield a small amount. If you
in the “Orders” pull- hold down the Shift key, the battlefield scrolls
a
large amount
If using the keyboard, just hold down the Shift and tap
is, both sides move and fight the appropriate cursor key.
Giving
Orders in
Battle
-Basic
Battle Controls-
have two states: "orders pause" and
“real-time
ac-
reate an “orders pause”
at
any
le.” If the battle
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