Games PC MIGHT AND MAGIC I-SECRET OF THE INNER SANCTUM User Manual

Might and Magic

Book One

Secret of the Inner Sanctum

A Fantasy Role-Playing Simulation

By Jon Van Caneghem

©1987 JON VAN CANEGHEM
SECOND EDITION
The enclosed software program and this book are copyrighted. All rights are reserved. This book may not be copied,
photographed, reproduced, or translated or reduced to any electrical medium or machine-readable form, in whole or in part,
without prior written consent from New World Computing, Inc. Portions of the program accompanying this book may be
copied, by the original purchaser only, as necessary for use on the computer for which it was purchased.

CREDITS

Designed and Created by: Jon and Michaela Van Caneghem
Programming: Jon Van Caneghem
Computer Graphics: Joe Ferreira (Pendragon Studios), Vincent DeQuattro, Jr., Jon and Michaela Van Caneghem
Graphic Art Designed and Produced by: Focus On Design
Book Illustrations: Vincent DeQuattro, Jr.
Map Illustration: Jim Krogel (West End Studios)
Technical Writing: Marie Butler-Knight and Jon Van Caneghem
Special thanks to our playtesters and everyone else who made this project possible.

90-DAY LIMITED WARRANTY

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materials and workmanship under normal use and service for a period of ninety (90) days from the date of purchase. If such a
defect should occur during this 90-day period, you may return the diskette to New World Computing, Inc. for a free
replacement diskette.
After 90 days, enclose $5.00 to cover costs of media replacement and shipping charges.
This warranty is only effective if you have previously returned the Product Registration Card for this program or include a copy
of your receipt for the program.
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Might and Magic

is an ongoing journey that can last up to hundreds of hours. As you begin, let Chapters 1-4 of this book guide you
through the first steps of your journey. If you are new to fantasy games, Chapter 5 will help acquaint you with the
terms and conventions of this new world. As you gain in experience, your primary guide will become your
computer screen. Even then you will find important reference information, on game options and spells, in the
appendixes of this book.

Happy Adventuring

Prepare for Adventure

Copy Game Disks

Your Might and Magic disks are write-protected (unnotched). In order to play the game, you must be able to write
information onto disk side B. Therefore, YOU MUST COPY AT LEAST SIDE B TO A NOTCHED DISK.
We strongly recommend that you also copy sides C and D, as these may be used extensively during game play.
Side A, which is used solely to start the game, is the only side that is copy protected.

Start The Game

Insert DISK SIDE A in DRIVE 1 and turn the computer ON. The game title will be displayed, followed by a
series of scenes from the game. Press the SPACE BAR to advance immediately to the next game scene.
Press ESC to stop the game scene display and proceed with the game. At the prompt, remove DISK SIDE A and
insert your COPY OF DISK SIDE B in DRIVE 1. Then press RETURN. After disk side B is loaded, the Main
Options Menu will appear. Throughout the game, screen prompts will inform you when it is necessary to change
disks.

The Main Options Menu

The Main Options menu offers you 3 choices of activity:
CREATE NEW CHARACTERS. You must do this before piaying the game, unless you use the pre­programmed characters provided on disk B. TYPE C.
VIEW ALL CHARACTERS stored on that disk (including pre-programmed characters).
From the list displayed you can view individual character profiles. TYPE V.
GO TO TOWN and set out on your adventure. TYPE THE NUMBER OF THE TOWN (1-5).

CREATE NEW CHARACTERS

If you decide to play Might and Magic using the pre-programmed characters provided, you can skip this section.
Much of the fun of any fantasy game, however, lies in the creation of the characters with whom you go
adventuring. If you are creating characters for the first time, or need to refresh your memory on character options,
read Appendix A before continuing. The information in that appendix will help you create more varied and
interesting characters, who have a greater chance of succeeding in their quest.
To create a new character, display the Main Options Menu and TYPE C.

Select Class

A character can belong to one of 6 possible classes.
KNIGHT
PALADIN
ARCHER
CLERIC
SORCERER
ROBBER

A character's class is determined by 7 vital statistics.
INTELLECT
MIGHT
PERSONALITY
ENDURANCE
SPEED
ACCURACY
LUCK

Each statistic is randomly assigned a rating between 3 and 18, with 18 being the highest. To generate a new set of
random ratings, press RETURN.
To the right of the statistics are the eligible classes for the ratings given. These are the classes from which you
may choose. Notice how the eligible classes change as you generate different sets of statistic ratings.
To choose a class, type the NUMBER next to the desired class. At any time before selecting a class, you can
return to the Main Options Menu by pressing ESC.

Assign A Race

After selecting a class, choose the character's race. Race options will replace class options on the screen.
HUMAN
ELF
DWARF
GNOME
HALF-ORC
To select race, type the NUMBER next to the desired race.
Your choice of race may change the rating given for one or more vital statistics. If the change is not to your
liking, press ESC. All statistics will return to the last ratings shown before you selected class. Re-select class,
then try a different race.

Select Alignment

After assigning race, select the character's alignment. Your choices are:
GOOD
NEUTRAL
EVIL
Select alignment by typing the NUMBER next to the desired alignment. If you change your mind after making
your selection, press ESC. The screen will return to class options. Re-select class and race, then the desired
alignment.
Notice that a character's alignment does not affect any vital statistic ratings. Alignment can be important to game
play, however. For details on alignment, refer to Appendix A.

Choose Character's Sex

Your choices are MALE or FEMALE. Sex does not affect a character's vital statistics, but may restrict certain
activities during game play. See Appendix A for details.
To select sex, type the NUMBER next to Male or Female. If you change your mind, press ESC. The screen will
return to class options.

Name Your Character

The final step in creating a character is to name him/her. Type in ANY NAME, up to 15 characters in length.
Then press RETURN.
It is a good idea to assign different names to each character, to avoid possible confusion during game play.

Save Your Character

After you have created a character, a screen prompt will ask: Save Char (Y/N)?
If you type N, the save operation will be halted. The screen will return to class options, with all statistic ratings
as they were before you selected class for that character.
If you type Y, the character just created will be saved onto disk side B. The screen will return to class options,
with a new set of random statistics displayed. You can now create another character or press ESC to return to the
Main Options Menu.
At any given time, you can store up to 18 characters (including the pre-programmed characters) on any given copy
of disk side B. If you wish to store more than 18 characters, you must first delete one or more existing characters.
This is done from the Character Profile screen which is explained later in this chapter.

VIEW ALL CHARACTERS

From the Main Options Menu you can view a list of all characters stored on the disk B copy which you are using.
This includes the 6 pre-programmed characters, unless you have deleted any of them.

The View All Characters list includes:

KEY LETTER for character
NAME of character
TOWN in which character is currently located
LEVEL OF EXPERIENCE which character has achieved
CLASS of character
From the View All Characters list you can: 1) Press ESC to return to the Main Options Menu; or 2) Type the

KEY LETTER for any character and see a detailed Character Profile.

Character Profile

A Character Profile gives you all the facts and figures on a specific character. It is an invaluable aid in decision
making, when factors of strength, vulnerability, spells and wealth must be considered. Character Profiles are
available at most times during game play. Only from the View All Characters list, however, can you display the
profile of any character on the disk.
All information on the Character Profile screen is in abbreviated form. A detailed description of each item on the
screen is provided in Appendix A. Below is a brief overview of the screen.

LEVEL = Experience Levei
SP = Spell Points
HP = Hit Points
AC = Armour Class
COND = Condition
EXP = Experience Points

Delete A Character

To delete the character displayed by the Character Profile, hold down the CONTROL (CTRL) key and press D.
When asked: Are You Sure (Y/N)? press Y to confirm. The character will then be deieted from the disk B copy
which you are using.

Rename A Character

To rename the character displayed by the Character Profile, hold down the CONTROL key and press N. Then
type the NEW NAME, up to 15 characters, and press RETURN. The new name will replace the old name.

GO TO TOWN

Each time you play Might and Magic, your party of adventurers sets out from the inn in one of five towns:
1 SORPIGAL
2 PORTSMITH
3 ALGARY
4 DUSK
5 ERLIQUIN
The town from which you set out is the town containing the characters in your party. All characters, pre­programmed or created, first start out in Town 1, so this is where you begin the game. Later, as your party travels
to and lodges in other towns, you will set out from Towns 2-5.
From the Main Options Menu, type the NUMBER of the town. The screen will show a list of characters in that
town. If there are no characters in the town you have selected, you will see the message: No Available Characters.
From the list of characters in the town, you can:

1) View the Character Profile for any character on the list. Type the KEY LETTER to the left of the character's
name. Press ESC to return to the list of characters in town.

2) Return to the Main Options Menu by pressing ESC. If you have set up a party but have not left the inn,
your party will be disbanded. You can re-group it or a different party the next time you go to that town.

3) Add a character to or remove a character from your party of adventures.

Set Up Your Party

To add a character to your party, hold down CONTROL and press the KEY LETTER next to the character's

name on the list of available characters. A @ will appear next to the character's name, marking him/her as a
member of your party.
A party of adventurers may consist of 1 to 6 characters. When you have marked 6 characters as members of your
party, a message will indicate: Party Is Full. To add a character at this point, another character must be removed
from the party.
To remove a character from your party, hold down CONTROL and press the KEY LETTER next to the
character's name. The @ marking the character as a member of the party will disappear.
As soon as you have marked one character as a member of your party, a new command option -X (Exit) - will
appear on the screen. Pressing X will take you to the 3-D view of the inn, from which you may start out on your
adventure.
NOTE: To stop the game and save information, you must get your party to the inn in one of the five towns, and
sign in. See Chapter Four, Game Over.

The Adventure Begins

MOVING & MAPPING

After you give the X command, you truly enter the world of Might and Magic. The screen shows a 3-D view of
your present position, a list of possible commands, and a list of characters in your party, shown in marching
order. (An * beside a character's name indicates a condition other than good.) Since your view of the world is from
your party's perspective, you do not see the members of your party.

You start out inside the inn, facing the door.
Turn around to sign back in, or simply move your party forward to leave the inn.
To move your party, use the following keys:

(UP ARROW) or RETURN Move fonvard
(DOWN ARROW) or / Move back
(LEFT ARROW) Turn left
(RIGHT ARROW) Turn right

When you press a forward or back movement key, the entire party moves one square forward or backward. When
you press the left or right arrow key, the entire party turns 90 degress in that direction.

Unlocked doors open automatically as you move your party forward through them. However, if a door is locked,
you must unlock it with the UNLOCK or BASH command...or find a way around it. (Warning: many locked
doors are also booby-trapped, with the traps set to go off when you unlock or bash in the door.)
When you come up against an obstacle, such as a wall or mountain, a message will appear (i.e., SOLID,
IMPASSABLE, etc.) These messages are particularly useful when traveling in the dark or testing for secret
passageways.
Remember that you are now in a world of magic and danger, where all is not as it seems.
Doors may lock behind you. Landslides may block mountain passes. Areas may be darkened by spells, requiring
you to "feel" your way through them. Certain squares may teleport you across vast distances, into unmapped
areas. And of course, any square may contain treasure or monsters.

Tips on Mapping

1. Copy and use the blank maps provided. Each blank map is a dot grid, 16 by 16 squares in area. Connect the
dots to indicate walls or other obstructions. Leave dots unconnected to indicate open passageways. Mark the area
and level being mapped.

2. Remember that the 3-D screen always shows what your party sees, as it looks forward. At first, stop each time
your party moves a square, and add the new square shown on the 3-D view to your map.

3. If you have trouble visualizing your orientation, turn the map when you turn your party. If you turn your party
RIGHT, turn your map LEFT. Add the new view shown on the screen to your map, before you move again.

4. Mark locked doors, secret passageways, dark areas, special features (especially outdoors) and messages.

5. Mark areas where you can be sure of encountering monsters (such as a dragon's lair), but don't bother marking
every square in which you encounter monsters or treasure. Chances are, they will appear in a different square next
time.

6. For the exact coordinates of the party's location, see Sorcerer Spell: Location.

GAME COMMANDS WHILE MARCHING

While your party moves through the 3-D view of the world, you may use any of the commands shown on the right
side of the screen. The key used to give the command appears to the left of the command. When the # sign is
given, type the CHARACTER NUMBER from the character list at the bottom of the screen.

FORWARD Up arrow or RET Move entire party one square forward
BACK Down arrow or / Move entire party one square back
LEFT Left arrow Turn entire party 90 degrees left
RIGHT Right arrow Turn entire party 90 degrees right 

ORDER O Rearranges marching order of party. The character list shows the old

marching order. A prompt appears at the bottom of the screen. Type
the character numbers from the old marching order in their new
order.
Example: NEW 123456

OLD 356214
This example moves the character who was formerly in position 3
into position 1, etc.
To stop the command press ESC before entering the last character
number.

PROTECT P Displays currently active spells covering the entire party. Light

spells also show, in parentheses, the currrent number of light units
available to the party. One light unit is needed to light up a dark
square while occupied by the party. Light units are automatically
used when the party steps into a darkened square.

REST R Rests party overn•ht in square currently occupied. Rest restores all

characters' Hit Points and/or Spell Points, unless inhibited by
special conditions. Rest requires and uses 1 food unit from each
character's food supply. All protection spells wear off during rest and
must be re-cast upon awakening. Party may encounter monsters
during rest. If so, some members of the party will enter the
encounter with their condition listed as asleep. If the area is too
dangerous, the party will not be allowed to rest in that square.

SEARCH S Finds treasure or other items hidden in square occupied by party.

You should alulays search after defeating a monster and before
moving off the square in which the encounter occurred. However,
you do not need to search immediately after combat. You may want
to rest, cure wounds, etc. first.

BASH B Attempts to knock down a locked door. If successful, the party

moves forward throuph the door. If the attempt fails, the party does
not move. In either case, bashing a trapped door is likely to set off
the trap.

UNLOCK U Allows one character an attempt to pick the lock on a door. Only a

robber has any real chance of success. If the attempt succeeds, the
door will be unlocked and any traps will be disarmed, so the party
may move forward. If the attempt fails, the door will remain locked
and any existing traps may be set off. The attempt may be made
again, but each subsequent failure increases the likelihood of
setting off traps.

QUICKREF Q Display a brief overview of all party member's Hit Points, Spell

Points, Armor Class and Condition. From his list, you can view an
individual Character Proftle, by pressing his/her CHARACTER
NUMBER. To return to the 3-D screen, press ESC.

VIEW CHAR # Displays the Character Profile for that character. (See Chapter Two

for a description of the Character Profile.) At the bottom of the
Character Profile is a set of options which may be exercised only
while adventuring.

Cast (press C). Casts a non-combat spell, providing the character may cast spells at
that level and has the required number of spell points and magical gems. Prompts ask
for spell level and number, and other information if needed. See Appendix B for spell
descriptions.

Discard (press D). Permanently removes item from
character's back pack. Follow screen prompts.

Equip (press E). Shifts an item from character's back pack to equipped area so
character may use it. A maximum of 6 items may be equipped at any given time. Not
all items must be equipped in order to be used (i.e., a potion may be used from the
back pack). Items which must be equipped include armor and other clothing,
weapons, and shields. Restrictions follow the laws of logic. A character can only
wear one suit of armor at a time; can only be equipped with one hand-to hand
weapon and one missile weapon simultaneously; cannot be equipped with a shield if
equipped with a two-handed weapon; and so on.
NOTE: Equipping a character with armor may affect his/her Armor Class.

Gather (press G). Transfers all gold, gems and food carried by other party members
to that character, up to the maximum amount of each item which the character can
carry.

Remove (press R). Shifts item from equipped list to back pack, if there is room in
the character's back pack for the item. Follow the screen prompts.

Share (press S). Evenly distributes all gems, gold or food in the party's possession
among all party members. Follow the screen prompts.

Trade (press T). Transfers an amount of gems, gold or food, or a particular item,
from viewed character to another character. Follow screen prompts.

Use (press U). Activates an item that has special powers. Items may or may not
also need to be equipped for use. Follow the screen prompts. If an item has limited
power, a spell can be cast to reveal the number of chages remaining. See Appendix
B for spell descriptions.

VOLUME V Turn game sound off and on. This command does not appear on the

command list.

Encounter with Danger

During your explorations, your party will encounter many creatures, characters and special places. Encounters,
while often filled with danger, are necessary if your characters are to accumulate experience points. Encounters,
therefore, should not be avoided. Of course, if an encounter appears to be more than your party can handle, do
whatever is necessary to survive - run, bribe, surrender, etc.
Most creatures that you encounter will be monsters. Monsters usually travel in groups of up to 15. A group may
be homogenous or include a mixture of different types.
There are hundreds of different monsters, some timid, some highly dangerous. Different monsters have different
powers, capabilities, speeds and armor classes. You will learn about each type of monster as you encounter and
(frequently) battle it.
When an encounter occurs, the screen will change. The command list will be replaced with a list of creatures
encountered. A picture of the most powerful creature will appear in the center of the 3-D view. A set of options will
appear below the character list.
Your encounter options will vary, depending on whether the monster(s) surprises you, you surprise them, or neither
party is surprised.

If the monster(s) surprises your party, you go directly into combat. There are no other options. Combat is
covered in this chapter, beginning on page 15.
If your party surprises the monster(s), you have the option to advance or not. If you choose to avoid the
monsler(s), nothing further occurs. The encounter is over. If you do advance, you are given the same options as
when neither party is surprised.
If neither party is surprised, you have several encounter options. Note that the option you choose may affect
your character's alignments.