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Player'sManual
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© 2000 The 3DO Company . All Rights Reserved. 3DO, Might and Magic, Day of the Destroyer, New World Computing, and their respective logos, are trademarks and/or service marks of The 3DO Company in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks belong to their respective owners. New World Computing is a division of The 3DO Company
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Table of Contents |
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Welcome to Might and Magic¨ VIII: Day of the Destroyerª . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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Introduction: The Destroyer Cometh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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Getting Started
Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Beginning Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Main Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Character Creation
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Basic Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Attributes and Their Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Application of Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Class: Spell and Hit Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Starting Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Starting Resistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Menus and Game Screens |
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Adventure Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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Main View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 |
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Character Portraits: YourParty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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Character Info Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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Adding Party Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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Food, Gold and Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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Spell Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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Game Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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Rest and Camp Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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Reference Scrolls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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Exploration |
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Movement and InteractionÉ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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Dealing With Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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Other Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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Interaction With NPCÕs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Towns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Shops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Other Town Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
Combat
Real Time vs. Turn Based Combat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
Damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
Experience and Advancement |
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Experience Points and Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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Rank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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Skills
Weapon Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
Armor Skills. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
Magic Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Monster Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
Miscellaneous Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Magic System |
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Spell Books. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 |
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Scrolls and Wands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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Potions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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Spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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Monster Abilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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Appendices
Quick Reference Sheet: Default Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Trouble Shooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69
Customer Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
Hints and Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
Warranty. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
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Welcome
to Might and Magic® VIII: Day of the Destroyer™
Welcome, and congratulations on your choice of the Might and Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer game! This is a PC Role Playing Game for the Windows¨ 95, 98, and NT 4.0 operating systems.
The world of Enroth has fallen out of balance with the rest of the cosmos, and as a result, the gateways to the elemental planes have been opened on your world, freeing the forces of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water to wreak havoc throughout the land. You must form a party of up to five heroes to unite the human and monster races of the world in time to launch a joint campaign to close the gateways and save Enroth from planetary extinction. As a novice mercenary hired to guard Dark Elven merchantÕs trade caravan, your first concern will be to escape the doomed Dagger Wound Islands to the mainland of Jadame. Next, of course, youÕll need to build up enough experience to elicit the help of others in the greatest adventure the world has ever seen. Allies may be hard to come by in this continent of divided monster kingdoms and tribes, but donÕt be too surprised to find that your closest allies may come in the most monstrous forms. For amongst the usual Knights and Clerics you might also find Trolls, Dragons, Dark Elves, or any number of other unexpected races willing to follow you to the ends of the worldÐ or even further. As you build your party, gain experience and build up your arsenal of weapons, knowledge, artifacts and spells; you will also find your wits and resolve tested to their limits by the traps and puzzles set by your enemies as well as the elementals themselves. Good luck, and Godspeed young adventurer!
Introduction:
The Destroyer Cometh
A mysterious apparition materialized outside the town of Ravenshore, disturbing the calm breeze of another seemingly uneventful day in JadameÕs centerpiece town. The comely man of undeterminable age who eventually took form strode purposefully toward the diverse town of monster races and humans (a common mixture on Jadame). The fair, human appearance of the mysterious stranger in this town of unsightly creatures caused monstrous faces to turn from their business and pleasure alike and stare with open hatred at the seemingly unaffected man. As he passed by a brawling pair of monsters, the larger of the two dropped the smaller to pursue the fair stranger. Such was the normal state of affairs in this factional, often belligerent corner of the worldÐstrangers were more often greeted with hatred and suspicion than with hospitality. Even so, the stranger walked amongst them with an aura of calmness that spoke of his apparent lack of awareness of the peril lurking behind every shadow. The monsterÕs savage attack came without warning. With his fierce muzzle of pointed fangs matching his hideously outstretched claws, he bore down on the unsuspecting visitor. All watched eagerly for the expected demise of this comely man as the enraged beast hurled itself at the manÕs delicate frame. With the expectation of fresh blood still in the creatureÕs eyes, it was paralyzed by a nimbus of energy that briefly shimmered around the strange man. The stranger walked on, however, unfazed and without the attack or the rest of the town around him. He seemed lost in thought and muttered incomprehensibly to himself as he paused and took a few uncertain steps in each direction.
With a sudden squaring of his shoulders, he turned and headed determinedly back, toward the town square. He now received a respectfully wide berth, and he moved unmolested through the chaotic mass of bodies attendingÐrather strictly nowÐto their business. In the center of the town square, he inscribed a glowing circular line on the ground around where he stood. When the circle was complete, the earth trembled briefly as an immense crystal monolith grew up out of the circle, engulfing the mysterious stranger. Several of the inhabiting monsters approached the crystal, their fear replaced by a dreadful curiosity. As they reached the crystalÐawe inscribed on their facesÐit shimmered with a resounding, thunderous clap and the strange monolith sparked into blinding illumination. The piercing light was accompanied by a spherical explosion of energy from the crystal that hurled monsters away from the epicenter like rag dolls.
Seemingly in response to the explosive pulse from the monolith, the air in the four corners of the continent of Jadame shimmered briefly. Following a moment of dreadful silence, chaos
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was loosed upon the unsuspecting continent. Four gateways, one to each of the planes: Earth, Air, Fire and Water, thrust their way into the world with cataclysmic force.
There was a sudden, violent eruption from the previously calm and featureless seas near the Dagger Wound Islands as the gate to the elemental plane of Earth burst into Jadame. Searing clouds of volcanic ash and molten rock rained down on the island, destroying the network of bridges that connected the islands to one another and to the mainland. As the earth trembled and wantonly spewed jagged shards of rock into the air, the fortified Lizardmen town of Blood Drop was sent into a panicked throng of reptilian bodies.
At the same time at an opposite corner of Jadame, a great deluge gushed forth from the Water gateway as it emerged into existence, engulfing an entire valley in a tidal wave that buried a Minotaur lair under a lake of water. Minotaur society was broken by the aqueous event, leaving one of their most important sites forever drowned in a new inland sea.
In another corner of Jadame, a vast wall of fire exploded from the mouth of the gateway to the elemental plane of Fire, burning the desert itself for lack of anything else to consume. Several Trolls briefly ran in terror from the advancing firestorm before they were consumed in screams of tortured desperation and agony. A wave of fire rolled over the Trolls and swallowed up most of their village.
Completing the deadly quartet, the gateway to the elemental plane of Air burst into an expanding vortex above a vast, ancient forest, tearing out the age old trees by their immense roots and hurling them about like toothpicks. As the swirling vortex stopped its advance, a solitary, crazed Air elemental rushed out of the gateway. He was joined by others, similarly insane, and as one, they turned to face the source of their consuming madness. A dreadful, soulless howl echoed in chorus throughout the ancient forest in recognition of their bondage to the expanding energy pulse on the far horizon. Though their task was ages old, the elementals had never gone willingly. Slowly, however, they were mastered, and their madness was set on its destructive course. They would eventually arrive at the crystal on Ravenshore they always did.
A long-forgotten Dark Elven prophecy tells of a cycle to the universe, an unending circular chain of events in which the world has been created, destroyed and recreated at the whim of the elemental forces of order and chaos. Within the prophecy, the ÒDay of the DestroyerÓ passage foretells a time when disunity and upheaval would prevail in the world following the age of peace (ÒAege of ShefarÓ):
ÒA tyme of stryfe and woe shall follow the ÔAege of Shefar,Õ and in this Aege, all shall fall to naught as the gates of chaos are opened unto Enroth. And this shall be a sygn unto ye Ð when the elemental forces of the Earth, the Wind, the Fyre and the Water shall freely roam your lands, to usher death and destruction upon theyr wings, ye shall have entered the fynale Aege, Ôthe Aege of Purification.Õ Once this Aege hath begun, there shalt be no recourse. For loÕ the lords of the Earth, the Wind, the Fyre and the Water both giveth lyfe unto thee and stryketh lyfe from thee. In tymes of stryfe the cycle of destruction cannot be avoided and thyne only repose shall be death. However, in tymes of harmony those that gather in allyance shall stand the possibility of surviving the purification and warding off the end of the ÔAege of ShefarÕ to enjoy a prolonged era of peace.Ó
Unfortunately, those who forget their history are inevitably doomed to repeat it, just as in the propheciesÐan unending cycle of purging and regeneration. Should any of the warring factions of monster races have the presence of mind to solve the ancient conundrum, disaster could possibly be averted. Once, many ages ago, the Dark Elven prophecy was a part of every raceÕs folklore. But, the Dark Elves are presently preoccupied with the strife and woe prophesied for this age, and the legends have long been forgotten and dismissed as old wivesÕ tales or pointless elven foolishness. Will this time around be any different from the last, or will all of Enroth simply be recycled in another incarnation of the prophetic wheel? Only the coming days can tell the ultimate outcome. For, if truth be known, not all has been preordained...
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26 November 1172
My esteemed Uncle Alystör,
I regret the necessity of writing to you under these circumstances. I know that
my leaving without notice must have come as a surprise. For that I apologize, but
as I know that what I am doing will not meet with your approval, I felt it necessary
to leave unnoticed.
As you know, in the absence of any major war to fight in, I have been forced
into the position of a simple mercenary, hiring myself out as a guard, henchman,
brawler, and occasionally bodyguard.
I know you hate to hear it, Uncle, but I sometimes long for the days of the
succession wars. At least back then we were all united in the common scramble
for the throne. I never had any grand hopes of taking the crown for myself, but
it at least gave me something to fight for! Anyway, recently I was approached
at the alehouse by a member of the Dark Elven Merchants of Alvar looking for
mercenaries willing to hire on as guards for an important trade caravan to Dagger
Wound Island. Though I know that you are wary of the Alvar Merchants Guild,
and even more so of the Lizardmen, the price was right; and I couldn’t in good
conscience continue to dwindle your earnings with my lack of prosperity.
I hope you will understand, Uncle, I couldn’t speak with you regarding this
matter in person as I knew that you would forbid me to go. Thank you for your
many kindnesses following Mother’s death. I will never be able to fully repay
you for all that you have done for me.
I will write further after my mission is complete…I hear tell that there are
many opportunities for mercenaries in the multi-racial conflicts of the outlying
regions. Perhaps I will yet know prosperity and bring honor to the family name!
Good luck in your many business dealings,Uncle, may fortune shine favorably
on your house.
Farewell.
Getting Started
Installation
To install your copy of Might and Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer onto your hard drive, please see the enclosed Installation Card, or the Read Me file on the Install CD.
Beginning Play
After installation is complete, double-click on the MM8 icon to launch the game program. After the initial logo screens, you will arrive at the Might and Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer main menu screen where you may select from the four main game options.
Main Menu
New: The New option allows you to start a new game from the very beginning. After selecting this option, you will be taken to the Create Character screen where you will select the class, skills and abilities of your main character. After selecting the settings for your main character, press OK to begin the game.
Load: The Load option allows you to load a previously saved game so that you can continue your quest from the last point in the game, which you previously saved. Selecting this option leads to the Load Game screen where a list of your previously saved games will be displayed. Singleclicking on any of the saved games will show a thumbnail image captured from the adventuring window at the moment the game was saved. Below the picture will be a time and date stamp. To accept the selected game and begin playing, click the Load button. To return to the Main Menu, click Cancel.
Credits: Clicking on the Credits option displays a list of those responsible for bringing you the Might and Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer game.
Exit: This option closes the program.
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Character Creation
Overview
When gameplay begins, you will control the actions and movements of your main character (the main character will be part of a group of characters called a party as the game progresses). Each character is a unique individual with different strengths, weaknesses, vocation and skills.
At the start of a new game, you will start at the Character Creation screen (below) where you may either opt to play the default character, or you may choose the class and each attribute for your character individually to better suit it to your own personal tastes. You start the game with the main character, which you will design at this screen; and this will be the only character that may not be exchanged at the AdventurerÕs Inn during the course of the game. To exit this screen back to the Main Menu, press the Esc key or Cancel button.
Character Creation
Screen Skills
Available skills
Name
Doll preview
Class
Portrait
Clear, OK, and Cancel buttons
Portrait selection arrows
Defaults
Bonus development points
Attribute
Basic Operations
Change Your CharacterÕs Portrait, Voice and Class
To change the appearance of your main character, click the topmost Portrait Selection arrows to cycle through the available character portraits. Whatever portrait you choose for a character will control the gender setting automatically as well as determine your character class.
As there will be times in the game when your character will speak, this selection is purely a personal preference for the sound quality of your characterÕs voice. What does your character sound like? You can make that decision here! To adjust this feature, use the arrows at the bottom of the character portrait to cycle through the available voice selections. The Default button reverts to the default voice for the current character portrait.
Choosing your characterÕs class is perhaps the most important choice to make in the Character Creation screen. Here, you will decide between the seven classes available for your main character. As the class that you choose directly affects many of the abilities, strengths, and weaknesses of your character, you must take care to choose the class that you feel best suits how you picture your leading character.
The seven classes available for your main character in the Might and Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer game are: Necromancer, Knight, Cleric, Dark Elf, Troll, Vampire and Minotaur. In addition to these seven classes, Dragons may join your party laterÐthis class cannot be selected as the main character.
As your characters gain experience, expertise and skill, they may each eventually be promoted to a higher rank within their class. When this happens, the promoted character will be able to learn skills that before were unavailable to its character class as well as gaining hit and spell points at higher increments as it gains in experience based levels.
Necromancer: The Necromancer, a magician who has succumbed to the temptations of the dark arts, is the Dark magic specialist and a master of undead. Though Necromancers have no special abilities to speak of, and are limited in choice of weapons and armor, they alone wield the full power of Dark magic. Additionally theyÕre the class best at casting the elemental magics of Earth, Water, Air and Fire. The Necromancer is the closest thing to the pure spell caster on the continent of Jadame.
Lich (Necromancer promotion): In the promotional ritual that attunes a Necromancer more fully to the Dark arts, the character is transformed into a LichÐa powerful form of undead. In exchange for their natural bodies, Liches gain access to the highest level spells and magical abilities.
Cleric: Clerics are adventuring spell casting holy men. Before they leave the sanctity of their orders, Clerics learn basic fighting skills and a smattering of useful healing spells. The Cleric class is the one best at casting Spirit, Body and Mind magic, and is the only class capable of using the extremely powerful Light magic. They are fair fighters, but are limited to the lighter armors and can only melee with blunt weapons.
Priest of the Sun (Cleric promotion): When Clerics are promoted to Priest of the Sun status their heightened piety allows them to wield the most powerful magics of Spirit, Body, Mind and Light.
Knight: Knights are human men and women of arms. They specialize in martial skills, and can become proficient in all weapons and armor. They are only second to the Troll class in
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terms of physical toughness. On the other hand, Knights are incapable of learning any of the magical arts.
Champion (Knight promotion): Champions are Knights who have gained promotion through experience and the completion of knightly quests. Champions are able to Grandmaster in plate, shield and many weapon and other martial skills.
Troll: Trolls are brute fighters of exceptional endurance and are the most physically tough of all the classes. Not only do they start with and gain the most hit points per level, but they are also the best at the regeneration skill. Trolls can use all weapons (though they tend to prefer maces and other blunt instruments, where they can eventually gain grandmastery). Additionally, they are limited to light armors (they can also achieve grandmastery in leather) and have no spell casting abilities.
War Troll (Troll promotion): Those Trolls that survive through many battles can be promoted to the rank of War Troll. Now allowed to reach Grandmaster rank in regeneration and other martial skills, the War Troll can train to change from being a formidable opponent into something truly mighty.
Minotaur: The race of Minotaurs has descended from creatures created as magically attuned guardians. Like the Troll, the Minotaur is a powerful melee combatant, but without the TrollÕs extraordinary stamina. Though the Minotaur cannot match the TrollÕs endurance, he can certainly make up for that lack with strength, cunning, and a limited ability to use magic (Body, Spirit, and Mind). Though all weapons are available to them, Minotaurs specialize in using spears, blunt weapons, and, of course, axes. Also, they can use any armor but helmets and shields.
Minotaur Lord (Minotaur promotion): Only those Minotaurs who have exhibited extreme valor are promoted to the rank of Minotaur Lord. At this level, Minotaurs can gain grandmastery in the axe and perception skills.
Dark Elf: Dark Elves are a race of Elves who chose, long ago, to follow the dark paths of enlightenment, ability and magic. Today this race is half warrior and half wizard; capable swordsmen and exceptional archers, they also have special magical abilities exclusive to their race and are capable elemental magic users. Dark Elves also excel at the Disarm Traps and Merchant skills. Though they have studied the dark elements for centuries, Dark Elves cannot learn Dark magic. Nor can they wield spears or axes. Dark Elves are limited to chain armor.
Patriarch (Dark Elf promotion): Dark Elves who pass certain tests become members of the races higher order, achieving the rank of Patriarch. Patriarchs can become warrior mages of extreme power.
Vampire: Few choose to become Vampires, but those that do soon revel in the new powers granted them by their new form. In addition to their racial abilities, Vampires can also become powerful casters of Body, Mind and Spirit magic, and can gain great skill with bladed weapons. On the downside, they are limited in their choice of weapons and armor, and suffer certain specific penalties for being undead.
Nosferatu (Vampire promotion): Nosferatu, the higher level Vampires, gain the strength to cast all but the highest levels of Mind, Spirit, and Body magic. With practice, Nosferatu can learn to transform into mist. They can also Grandmaster in the dagger skill.
Dragon (not available as a starting character): The Dragon is the king of beasts. Dragons have the capacity to breathe fire, fight in melee with their huge claws and fangs, breathe a devastating breath weapon, fly, and repel even the sharpest weapons with their scales. Though Dragons donÕt use armor or weapons, if one joins your party you wonÕt miss the lack of man-made combat materials!
Great Wyrm (Dragon promotion): Because of the enmity between Dragons and much of the rest of the weapon-wielding world, very few dragons live long enough to become Great Wyrms. Those that do, however, are the largest and wisest of their kind. Legends tell of entire armies that have fallen before the might of a single Great Wyrm.
Change Your CharacterÕs Name
If you wish to change your characterÕs name, clicking on the existing name will supply a cursor in the name box. Simply backspace to erase the existing name, and type in whatever name you wish your character to have.
Give Your Character Skills
Your character will begin with four starting skills (you will have the opportunity to learn more during your travels). Two of the four skills are predetermined depending on the class you choose for your character. The two remaining skills may be selected according to the skills available to your characterÕs chosen class (see the following Skill Table for availability). To select a skill, click on it in the available skills list and it will be added to your characterÕs chosen skills. To remove a chosen skill, click on it in your characterÕs skill list and it will be removed. You may not remove the two predetermined skills set by your characterÕs class, and not all skills are available to every class type. (For an explanation of each skill, see the section entitled Skills.)
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Adjust Your Character Attributes
Character attributes fill out the rest of who your character is. From a pool of fifteen bonus attribute points, you may adjust the attributes of your character for their particular strengths and weaknesses of physical and mental prowess, personality and luck (see the following section for a full list and descriptions of attribute effects). To change an attribute, click on the desired trait and then raise or lower its value by clicking the + and Ð buttons to either side of it. By lowering a pre-set value, a point is added to your pool of available points to distribute to other attributes.
Finish
When you have finished designing your character to your satisfaction, click on the OK button to accept your character settings and begin the game. Once you click OK, no further changes may be made to your main characterÕs starting statistics.
Attributes and Their Effects
Might
Might is a measure of how physically powerful a character isÐhow strong they are. A character with a high Might attribute will do more damage in physical combat than a character with a low Might attribute. Because the attribute affects physical strength, it only affects damage inflicted with melee weapons (such as sword, axe, spear, etc.). There is no damage bonus to ranged weapons since the impact of such weapons is dependent not on a characterÕs physical strength, but on the apparatus which fires the projectile.
Intellect
As Might refers to the measure of physical power, Intellect refers to your charactersÕ mental powersÐhow smart they are. This attribute will affect your charactersÕ problem solving abilities and their understanding of simple to abstract concepts. Also, as Intellect determines the maximum spell points for Necromancers and Dark Elves, these characters (with a high Intellect) will be able to cast more spells before running out of spell points, as well as be able to figure out more complex and abstract problems than a character with a low Intellect.
Personality
Personality measures your charactersÕ personal resolve. The Personality attribute reflects a characterÕs willpower. Willpower is the force which energizes the Spirit, Mind and Body spells cast by Clerics, Vampires and Minotaurs. The Personality attribute determines the maximum spell points for characters of these classes.
Endurance
Endurance is another physical attribute. Playing the counterpart to the Might attribute, Endurance measures how tough your character is. Characters with a high Endurance get a hit point bonusÐmeaning that if a normal character received 5 hit points, a character with a high Endurance might get as many as 8 (see the combat section for an explanation of hit points).
Accuracy
The Accuracy attribute reflects a characterÕs hand/eye coordination. A high Accuracy attribute will give your character a better chance of hitting an enemy with both melee and ranged weapons in combat.
Speed
The Speed attribute is a measure of the overall quickness of your characterÐhow fast they move, react, recover, etc. A character with a high Speed attribute will be able to complete more actions in a shorter amount of time than a character with a slower Speed attribute. In regard to combat, this means that the character with a higher Speed will be able to attack more times and react more quickly to counter the attacks of enemies than a slower character. A high Speed also makes your character harder to hit, which is reflected as a bonus to your characterÕs Armor Class. (Armor Class is a measure of how difficult it is for a monster to hit a character; the higher the Armor Class, the better the chance of avoiding an attack.)
Luck
Perhaps the most underrated of the attributes, Luck has a subtle effect on many actions that characters perform. In general, your character is just lucky! Any situation that relies on chance as its outcome is more likely to come out in favor of the character with higher Luck. More specifically, its most visible effects apply to your characterÕs resistance to magical attacks, and damage taken from surprise attacks and traps. In all three cases, the character with a high Luck attribute will most likely take less damage than the character with a low Luck attribute.
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Application of Skills
The class you have chosen for your character affects the skills that your character is capable of learning, as well as the level of expertise of those skills. As your character gains experience (see the table of promotions), it will learn to perfect the skills that it is capable of learning up to the highest capacity available to the class you have chosen. In the following table, each skill is listed with reference to the classes it is available to. Within each cross-reference, you will find a letter denoting the level of expertise available according to the legend below:
Magic Skills
CombatSkills
Miscellaneous Skills
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Class: Spell and Hit Points
A characterÕs class affects how many hit points and spell points it will have at the beginning of the game, as well as how many of each they will gain as they accrue experience and rise in levels. A hit point is a basic life unit for your character, therefore, hit points indicate how much damage your character can sustain before falling unconscious or dying. A character is unconscious at 0 hit points or less, and dies when hit points reach -10. All hit points are restored after 8 hours of uninterrupted rest. Similarly, spell points are the units of magic available to your character. Each spell takes a certain number of spell points to cast; so if you have fewer spell points than a spell requires, you canÕt cast that particular spell. If your character has zero spell points, the character will no longer be able to cast any spells until the character gains back some spell points (you cannot have negative spell points). Eight hours of uninterrupted rest will also restore all spell points. A characterÕs rank within its class will also affect the number of points gained per level (as shown in the table below). Remember that starting values fluctuate depending on bonus points for Endurance, Intellect and Personality.
Starting Attributes
As is the case with basic skills, class also affects the starting levels of your characterÕs attributes, as well as how high (or low). Each attribute may be set using your fifteen attribute bonus points. Additionally as seen below, an attribute that would be uncommon to a particular class (such as Intellect in a Minotaur) will cost twice as many bonus points to raise whereas an attribute that is highly common to a class (such as Might to a Minotaur) will cost half as much to raise the level (i.e. 1 bonus point raises the level by 2).
* Costs 2 points to increase the stat 1 point ** Costs 1 point to increase the stat 2 points
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StartingResistance
In addition to skills, attributes, hit points, and spell points, each character class also has a unique set of resistance qualities. These qualities reflect the natural abilities of each class to resist the ill affects of magic. For example, if your character is a Vampire, it will be completely immune to Mind magic. In this case, your characterÕs resistance nullifies any affects of a Mind magic spell used against it. Though this resistance is unique to Vampires, each class has its own special resistances.
Menus and Game Screens
Adventure Screen: Main View
Once you have finished creating your character, you are ready to start adventuring! After an opening cinematic, you will enter gameplay mode in which you will have the ability to move about freely. Almost all gameplay takes place on the Adventure screen. The main view (pictured on page 21) consists of your view of the surrounding world, your charactersÕ portraits, and a panel of features. The main part of this view is the window through which you will view the world around you. In this window, you will see people moving about, enemies approaching to attack you, items lying on the ground or elsewhere, as well as the surrounding countryside youÕll even see clouds moving across the sky. You will see everything as it is actually occurring in the game. This is what is meant by real-time; time passes in the world around you regardless of whether or not you choose to interact with it. To move around in the world, use the arrow keys on your keyboard. To look around without moving, use the new mouse-control feature by holding down the right mouse button and moving the mouse pointer in whatever direction (from center screen) you wish to look. As you move through new territory, your progress is automatically
mapped out. On the Automap, you can view your progress as well as your partyÕs location (marked with an arrow pointing in the direction the party is travelling/facing).
Adventure Screen
Combat Spell
Icons
Food
Gold
Compass
Adventure Window
Empty Party Slots
Character Portrait
Spell Book button and Protective Party Spells
Options
Quick Ref
Rest Screen
Books
Zoom In
Automap
Zoom Out
Character Portraits: Your Party
These pictures are the portraits of your party members (ranging from 1 up to as many as 5). While they are all travelling together, they perform certain actions such as travelling,eating,
sleeping, entering and exiting dungeons and towns and facing enemies as a group. Other actions, such as swinging a sword, opening a door, talking to a stranger or casting a spell are performed individually. Individual actions are performed by the active character, which is denoted by a highlight around that characterÕs portrait. The active character is important, since it will
be that characterÕs skills and abilities which will be applied to any action performed. Therefore, it is important to remember to select your active character before performing a task, because some can do a job better than
Active Spell Icon (R)
Stone Skin |
Day of the Gods |
Protection from Magic |
Torch Light |
Detect Life |
Wizard Eye |
Feather Fall |
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others. Select the active character by clicking on its portrait.
Some actions, like the casting of spells or attacking, cause a character to take a moment to recover. This is
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denoted by the characterÕs ready light, which goes dark while the character recovers. The ready light also indicates the nearness of hostile creatures. When the light is green, none are nearby; when it is yellow, there are enemies nearby; and when the light is red, the enemies are within melee range, and probably attacking.
The blue bar to the right of each portrait indicates how many spell points each character has left. The green bar (alongside the blue bar) does the same for hit points. Right-click on a portrait to show summary information for the character. Double-clicking on a characterÕs portrait accesses its Character Screens as described in the next section.
Character Info Screens
Information about each of your characters is displayed on four Character Screens: Stats, Skills, Inventory and Awards. To display a characterÕs screens, double-click on its portrait. You can switch between character screens by clicking on different character portraits from within the character info screen. When youÕre through with the Character Screens, hit the Esc key or press the Exit button to return to the Adventure screen. If you want to dismiss a character from your party, double-click on the Dismiss button. Dismissed characters return to the AdventurerÕs Inn and will wait there in case you want to hire them again.
Stats Screen
This displays a characterÕs personal statistics. Where two numbers on either side of a slash are shown for the given statistic, the first number is its current value (as affected by damage, spells or other effects) and the second is its current maximum value. For example,ÒHitPoints 20/30Ó would mean that the character currently has 20 hit points out of 30 possible.
Damage is usually shown as a range. ÒDamage 11-18Ó would be interpreted as Òthis weapon will do between 11 and 18 points of damage when it hits in combat.Ó A characterÕs Attack Bonus and Shoot Bonus affects its chance to hit with hand-to-hand (melee) and ranged attacks.
Right-click on a statistic to display information about its effect on gameplay.
Skills Screen
Skills acquired by characters are displayed on their skill screens listed by name, expertise and level. When characters advance levels, they gain skill points to spend, thereby increasing their existing skill levels. To advance a skill to the next level, click on it. As skill levels go up, more points must be spent for each increase. Right-click on a skill listing to display descriptive text. It takes number of skill points equal to the next level in skill to raise the skill to the next level.
Inventory Screen
When your character buys or picks up an item, it ends up in their inventory. Items in loose inventory are things a character is carrying but not using. Items may be looked at by right-clicking on them. If the item has been identified by either a shopkeeper or a character with the Identify Items skill, descriptive information about the item will be displayed. Click on an item to pick it up. Picked up items ÒstickÓ to the mouse cursor and follow it around. Drop the item by clicking again where you want it to go.
The character is displayed on the right, outfitted with the items it is using. To equip a character with an item, pick it up out of the loose inventory and drop it on the characterÕs fullfigure image. Characters may only use items that they have the skill to use, and with the exception of rings, may only use one of each type of item at a time. Click the Accessory Detail toggle to display a characterÕs equipped rings, gauntlets and amulet.
To have the active character give an item to another character, pick up the item and click the item on the receiving characterÕs portrait. To drop an item on the ground: select it, hit the Esc key to return to the Adventure screen, then drop the item into the main view. To use an item like a scroll, learning book, or potion; right-click it over a characterÕs portrait or left-click it over the characterÕs full-figure image.
Awards Screen
As characters accomplish deeds or win ranks or other awards, they are listed in the award screen. These can include the simple event of delivering goods to the correct person or the highly prized gaining of a promotion. All awards are displayed in this section.
Adding Party Members
Whereas in the Might and Magic VI and VII games, you could hire random wandering NPCÕs as followers, in the Might and Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer game, party members must either offer to join your party in the world, or you may hire some party members at the AdventurerÕs Inn. Whichever method is used, party members can be switched out at the AdventurerÕs Inn, allowing you to adapt your party as you gain acquaintances and possible party members. Each time you meet another character that becomes eligible as a party member, that characterÕs name will be added to the roster at the AdventurerÕs Inn. Whenever you enter the AdventurerÕs Inn, you can switch out current members of your party with those characters appearing on the roster (all except for the starting character).
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