Games PC MIGHT AND MAGIC-SWORDS OF XEEN User Manual

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 1

©1995 New World Computing Inc.
First Edition

The enclosed software program and this manual are copyrighted. All rights are
reserved. This manual 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.

90-Day Limited Warranty

New World Computing, Inc., warrants the original compact disc on which this
program is recorded to be free from defects in 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 compact
disc to New World Computing, Inc., for a free replacement disc. After 90 days,
enclose $10.00 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 product or include a copy of your receipt for the program.

New World Computing, Inc., makes no warranties, either expressed or implied,
with respect to this manual or with respect to the software described in this manual,
its quality, performance, merchantability, or fitness for any particular purpose. New
World Computing, Inc. shall not be liable for any loss or damage, direct or indirect
(including but not limited to any interruption of service, loss of business and
anticipatory profits or consequential damages), resulting from the use or operation
of this product. (Some states do not allow these exclusions, so they may not apply
to you.)

Technical Support [phone] 9am-Noon 2pm-5pm PST
New World Computing P.O. Box 4302 Hollywood, CA 90078

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 2

SWORDS OF XEEN

Published by New World Computing, Inc.

Developed by CATware

Design and Direction

Bill Fawcett

Story Contributions

Ellen Guon of Illusion Machine

Programming and Ideas

Dave Potter
Rod Retterath

Manual Illustrations

Todd Cameron Hamilton
James Clouse

Sound Programming

Todd Hendrix

Quality Assurance Manager

Peter Ryu

Testers

Walter Johnson Bryan Farina David Botan Jack Nalls

Based upon the series created by

Jon Van Caneghem

Producer and Manual

Deane Rettig

Original Programming

Mark Caldwell
Dave Hathaway

Graphic Artists

Jonathan P. Gwyn
Bonnie Long-Hemsath
Julia Ulano
Ricardo Barrera

Music

Tim Tully

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 3

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction to Swords of Xeen ................................................. 5

A New Defender ...................................................................................7

A Beginner’s Guide to Computer Role-Playing ....................... 9

Creating Your Characters.........................................................13

Character Classes and Races.....................................................17

Reviewing and Assembling Your Party.................................... 23

Adventuring............................................................................ 25

Control Panel........................................................................... 29

Character Screen...................................................................... 31

Quests, Items, and Notes ..........................................................33

Inventory Screen...................................................................... 35

Secondary Skills....................................................................... 37

Combat ....................................................................................39

Spells .......................................................................................43

Cleric Spells............................................................................. 45

Sorcerer Spells ......................................................................... 52

Reaching New World Computing Customer Support..................60

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 4

INTRODUCTION TO SWORDS OF XEEN

This game reprises the popular game system of World of Xeen
with a new and challenging adventure. The structure of the
world of Havec is a flat rectangle. It is connected to a small city
actually in the world of Xeen, Greyhaven, by a recently discov­ered magical pyramid. Through it you will be able to return to
the safe environment of Greyhaven to purchase items, get
healed or trained, and learn spells. Nothing is known about
Havec, the world on the other side of the pyramid, except that
the evil Lord Xeen, who nearly destroyed two worlds, regu­larly travelled through the pyramid for unknown purposes.

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 5

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 6

A NEW DEFENDER

The Dragon Pharoh looks tired. The scaled lids over his saddened
eyes sag. Around the throne room stand the many of the greatest
heroes in Xeen. It is impossible to not feel previliged to just stand
among them. Nervously you notice that not one has been spared
the cost of their deeds. Every man here sports a debilitating
wound. Even magical healing can only do so much.

When the Dragon Pharoh speaks, his voice is as sad his expression.
“My heroes, you have fought well to free our land. Look about you.

The greatest of us have suffered greviously and need time to heal.
Yet the remanants of Lord Xeen’s creatures continue to want only
to destroy our homes and must be dealt with immediately. I have
already dispatched nearly every other hero able to bear arms on
this mission.”

There is a pause and you realize how few heroes are present... and
how few remain alive at all after the great conflict. Before you can
think of a reply the Pharoh continues.

“Now an even greater threat has arisen. Amid the ruins near
Greyhaven was found a ancient gate. Already terrible beasts have
emerged from it.” A warrior in silver armor rubs three terrible scars
that slice across his entire face and nods his agreement. Nothing
short of a dragon could have made such wounds.

“I shudder to think what lies beyond that gate.” The Dragon
Pharoh’s voice hardens as he adds, “Yet we must know. Some say
it is the land where Lord Xeen was spawned. If so, it must be a truly
evil place. One that threatens our badly weakened world.”

Now the great dragon’s voice fills the pyramid, yet beneath it
remains an undercurrent of regret that warns you the Pharoh has
little hope of your success.

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 7

“You are the strongest and least wounded of all the heroes. I ask
you to enter this gate and make sure what lies beyond can never
threaten our fair land. Even if you can gain us a year’s respite, we
will be once more storng enough to defend our world. I wish I
could grant you more than a small purse to equip in Greyahven
with, but you must complete this quest without further aide... for
there is none.”

There is a pause ling enough to be uncomfortable. Then without
even a glance at each other you and your companions step
forward and accept the mission. Pledging your life once more in
the defense of your world and to the destruction of evil in another.

The next morning you arrive in Greyhaven and warily examine the
pyramid shaped portal.

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 8

PAGE 8

A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO COMPUTER

ROLE-PLAYING

When you begin Swords of Xeen, you will be presented with a
choice of playing the game in Warrior mode or Adventuring
mode. The game will be less combat intensive in Adventuring
mode. Once you make this decision you will be unable to
change it until you start a completely new game.

If you are new to the world of computer role-playing games
(CRPGs), you’ll want to read the rest of this section before
you get started. If you just can’t wait, you can jump right
into the game and use the reference card to help you along.

In Swords of Xeen, you (the player) will be represented by six
characters in a party. You will begin the game with a set of
default characters just outside of the Tavern. The Tavern is the
place you go to when you want to rearrange your party, create
new characters, get rumors and advice, and buy food. If you
want to make your own characters, go to the Tavern.

Each character will have a name, profession, and statistics
assigned to it that represent its capabilities, such as strength
and intelligence. Perhaps the most important statistic for all
characters is hit points. Hit points represent how much
personal damage a character can withstand before falling
unconscious. If your character’s hit points fall below zero, he
will go unconscious. If the character is hit while unconscious,
he will die. A character can start with anywhere from 1 to about
40 hit points. Since the average sword blow will do about 6 hit
points, a weak character could fall with only one or two blows.

The next most important statistic is your character’s level.
As you play the game, your characters will gain experience

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 9

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 10

points through defeating monsters and completing quests.
When you have enough experience points, you will become
eligible to advance to the next level. When your level
increases, your hit points and fighting ability will improve.

While you will spend a lot of time fighting monsters, you
will also have time when you are free to explore the land of
Havec. There are many different kinds of places to visit, but the
places you will frequent the most will be the towns. In the
towns you will be able to find shops and services where you can
buy better equipment, learn spells, and get healed.

For the beginning player, computer role-playing games can
seem confusing at first. We’ve done our best to make sure
Swords of Xeen is easy to learn and play. Once you get the hang
of it, we’re sure you will have a lot of fun.

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 11

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 12

CREATING YOUR CHARACTERS

Swords of Xeen starts you off with a set of six pre-made
characters. These characters have all the equipment and
abilities necessary to begin the game, and are just fine to use
if you don’t want to create your own characters.

Creating a character is easy. Whenever you want to make a
character, just go to any Tavern and check in. Once you have
checked in, select (C)reate a character to get to the character
creation screen.

The character creation screen is where you will make your
characters. There are seven numbers in a column next to some
mysterious letters. These letters are the statistics for your
character, and this is what they mean:

Mgt: Might is a prime statistic for Knights and Paladins.

Might affects the damage your character does when
you hit a monster. Might also is used to break down
doors and lift or destroy certain objects.

Int: Intellect is a prime statistic for Archers, Sorcerers,

Druids, and Rangers. This statistic helps deter­mine how many spell points your character will
get if you are one of these classes.

Per: Personality is a prime statistic for Clerics, Druids,

Rangers, and Paladins. This statistic helps deter­mine how many spell points your character will
get if you are one of these classes.

End: Endurance is a prime statistic for Paladins, Barbar-

ians, and Rangers. Endurance helps determine
how many hit points your character has.

Spd: Speed is a prime statistic for Ninjas and Rangers.

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 13

Everyone, including monsters, has a speed rating.
If your character’s speed is higher than the mon­sters, you will get the first action in combat.

Acy: Accuracy is a prime statistic for Archers and Nin-

jas. Accuracy helps determine whether or not you
hit a monster with a weapon or spell when you
attack.

Lck: Luck is the prime statistic for Robbers. Luck im-

proves your chances of surviving a hostile spell or
avoiding a trap.

In the bottom left corner of the screen you will see a portrait
of your character. If you want a different portrait, use the
UP/DOWN arrow keys to change it. The portrait you choose
determines the race and sex of your character.

To the right of the numbers is a list of the ten classes of
characters. If the prime statistic(s) for one of the classes is high
enough, that class will be highlighted, meaning that you could
pick that class if you wanted.

If the class you want to be isn’t highlighted, you can either
reroll the character or move the statistics around until you
get the class you want. To reroll, type R or click on the reroll
icon. To swap statistics, type the first letters of the statistics you
want to exchange or click on their icons.

Once you are satisfied with your statistics and the class you
want is highlighted, use the LEFT/RIGHT arrows and press
ENTER, or click on your choice to select your class. Now
click on the create icon, or press C on your keyboard. The
computer will now ask you to name your character. Press the
ESCAPE key if you don’t want to make this character,
otherwise get creative and type in a name. That’s all there is
to making a character.

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 14

Character Creation Screen

Character Portrait: Shows the character’s portrait, race,
sex, and class. The two arrow buttons scroll through the
list of available portraits.

Character Statistics: Displays statistics. To change them,
press R or click the Roll icon. To swap statistics, select
the icon of the statistics you want to exchange.

Character Classes: Displays the ten character classes. If
your statistics permit your character to be a particular
class, that class will be highlighted.

Skill List: Displays a list of skills that this character
would start with if you created it.

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 15

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 16

CHARACTER CLASSES AND RACES

All characters have a class and a race. Here is an explanation
of the ten classes:

Knight: Prime statistic (15 or greater): Might

The Knight is the best fighter in the game. Able to
use any kind of weapon or armor, the Knight will
dish out more damage than any other character.
The Knight starts with the Arms Master skill and
gets more hit points than all classes but the
Barbarian. The Knight cannot cast any spells.

Paladin: Prime statistic (13 or greater): Might, Personality, Endurance

The Paladin is a good fighter, but not as good as
the Knight. The Paladin can use any kind of
weapon or armor, but his hit points tend to be
lower than the Knight’s. The Paladin starts with
the Crusader skill and the ability to cast Cleric
spells.

Archer: Prime statistic (13 or greater): Intellect, Accuracy

The Archer is as good a fighter as the Paladin. The
Archer starts with the ability to cast Sorcerer
spells, but is unable to wear armor heavier than
chain mail or use a shield. The Archer starts with no
secondary skills.

Cleric: Prime statistic (13 or greater): Personality

The Cleric is a fair fighter, but is not allowed to use
edged weapons or missile weapons. On the bright
side, the Cleric can use splint mail armor or lighter
and has twice as many spell points available for
casting Cleric spells as the Paladin. The Cleric
starts with no secondary skills.

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 17

Sorcerer: Prime statistic (13 or greater): Intellect

The Sorcerer is a poor fighter. Sorcerers are only able
to wear robes and use staves and daggers. Sorcerer
spells are the most destructive in the game, and they
have twice as many spell points as the Archer. The
Sorcerer starts with the Cartography skill.

Robber: Prime statistic (13 or greater): Luck

The Robber is a fair fighter, but is unable to use any
armor heavier than chain mail. Robbers can use
any one-handed weapon and shield, but cannot
cast spells. The Robber begins the game with the
Thievery skill.

Ninja: Prime statistic (13 or greater): Speed, Accuracy

The Ninja is a good fighter, but is limited to ring
mail or lighter armor and cannot use a shield.
Ninjas can use most, but not all, weapons. Two
handed weapons are limited to staff and naginata.
The Ninja starts with the Thievery skill and is
unable to cast spells.

Barbarian: Prime statistic (15 or greater): Endurance

The Barbarian is almost as good a fighter as the
Knight, but is unable to wear armor heavier than
scale mail. Barbarians can use most shields and all
weapons. The Barbarian cannot cast spells and
starts with no secondary skills.

Druid: Prime statistic (15 or greater): Intellect, Personality

The Druid is a poor fighter. Druids are only able to
use light armor and weapons, but they can cast
both Cleric and Sorcerer spells to a limited degree.
Druids start the game with the Direction Sense
skill and twice as many spell points as Rangers.

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 18

Rangers: Prime statistic (12 or greater): Intellect, Personality, Endurance, Speed

The Ranger is a good fighter. Rangers are able to use
most weapons and armor and can cast both Cleric
and Sorcerer spells to a limited degree. Rangers start
the game with the Pathfinder skill.

Below is a chart that shows the specific advantages and
disatvantages of the ten classes.

Class HP* Attacks** Skill Spells

Knight 10 5 Arms Master No
Paladin 8 6 Crusader Yes
Archer 7 6 None Yes
Cleric 5 7 None Yes
Sorcerer 4 8 Cartography Yes
Robber 8 6 Thievery No
Ninja 7 5 Thievery No
Barbarian 12 4 None No
Druid 6 7 Direction Sense Yes
Ranger 9 6 Pathfinding Yes

* HP gained per Level.
** Number of Levels to gain an attack.

And here is an explanation of the races:
Humans: What Humans are is pretty obvious. All Humans

start with the Swimming skill. Humans have a
small resistance to spells.

Elves: Elves are tall, slender people that are unusually

well adapted to using magic. Elves are slightly
resistant to some spells and make very good
Thieves and Sorcerers. They aren’t as tough as
the other races, however, and tend to have less

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 19

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 20

hit points.

Dwarves: Dwarves are short and stocky and tough. Dwarves

are slightly resistant to most spells, but they are
especially resistant to poison. They make fair
Robbers and good Knights. Dwarves begin the
game with the Spot Secret Doors skill.

Gnomes: Gnomes are smaller than dwarves and not near

as tough. Gnomes make good spell casters, but
they tend to have less hit points than all other
races except Elves. Gnomes begin the game with
the Direction Sense skill.

Half-Orc: Half-Orcs are a cross between a Human and an

Orc. Half-Orcs are the toughest of the races
players can choose, but they are also the stupid­est. Half-Orcs make excellent Knights and Barbar­ians, but they are the worst spell casters and Rob­bers.

Below is a chart that explains the advantages and disadvan­tages of the five races.

Race HP Thievery SP/Lvl Skills

Mod Mod

Human 0 0 None Swimming
Elf -2 10 Src +2 None
Dwarf 1 5 Src/Clrc –1 Spot Secret Doors
Gnome -1 10 Src/Clrc +1 Danger Sense
Half–Orc 2 -10 Src/Clrc –2 None

The information listed above will be very helpful in creating
characters and determining which Races and Classes will
make the most effective adventurers. Robbers initially have
a Thievery base of 30 plus 2 points per level. Ninjas initially
have a Thievery base of 15 and gain 2 points per level.

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 21

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 22

REVIEWING AND ASSEMBLING YOUR PARTY

Once you have created your characters, you have to put them
in your party. If you are just starting the game and have created
a custom set of characters, you will need to remove the old
characters. Just hit the R key and type the function key of the
character you want to remove (the first character on the left is
number one) or click on the remove icon and click on the
portrait of the character you want to remove.

You can only have six characters in your party at any time.
You can have some, none, or all of the default characters in
the party. It’s up to you. To add a character to your party,
click on the face of the character or press a number key (1-4).
The character will take the next available slot in your party. If
you don’t see the portrait of the character that you wish to add,
use the UP/ DOWN ARROW KEYS to find it. Don’t worry if
you select the wrong character—just remove the character as
directed above.

If you want to look at a character in your party before you
leave the Tavern, just select the function number of the
character you wish to view. The leftmost portrait is F1, the
second is F2, and so on. Doing this will bring up a full list of all
the character’s abilities and equipment.

Finally, if you make a mistake and create a character you
don’t want, you can delete it. Press the D key and the
number (1-4) of the character that you want to delete, or
click on the delete icon and the portrait of the character you
want to get rid of. Remember that any character deleted like
this is gone forever, including any equipment the character
had in his pack as well.

Once you are satisfied with your party, hit the ESC key to
begin your adventures!

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 23

Adventuring Screen

Display Window: This is where the action of the game
takes place. All monsters, objects, and scenery appear
here.

View Window: Displays the overhead view of the area
you are in if you have the Wizard Eye spell or the
Cartography skill. Click on the View Window or press
the = key to switch between the View Window and the
automap.

Options Icons: Clicking on these icons or pressing their
keyboard equivalents will activate them. For a complete
description, see the Adventuring topic.

Character Portraits: Displays the portraits of your char­acters. Clicking on a character portrait or pressing a
function key will bring up the character screen.

Direction Icons: Click on these icons to move around.
You can also use the arrow keys on your keyboard to
move.

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 24

ADVENTURING

The game screen has five parts to it. They are the Display
window, the View window, the Option icons, the Character
Portraits, and the Direction icons. Here is an explanation of
each:

Display window: The Display window is where you see all
of the action of the game take place. At the edges of the
screen are several “party’s little helpers”. Each of these
gargoyles will move in some way when activated to let you
know that something is happening. The gargoyle with the
wings on the left side of the screen flaps when the Levitate spell
is on. The gargoyle on the right side of the screen waves its arm
when you are in front of a thin wall and have the Spot Secret
Doors skill. The bat on top of the screen will move its mouth
when monsters can see you and one of your characters has the
Danger Sense skill.

The two gargoyle heads on the left and right of the Display
window will shake and nod their heads every time you are
confronted with a yes/no or “who will” question and you
have the Clairvoyance spell active. If answering the yes/no
question will get you treasure and there is no trap, both of the
heads will nod. If there is treasure and there is a trap, one of the
heads will nod and the other will shake its head. If there is a trap
with no treasure, both will shake their heads.

There are also four small gems in the corners of the Display
window and a large gem on the bottom of the display. The
corner gems will turn green if you have certain protection
spells active. The upper left is for fire, the upper right is for
electricity, the bottom left is for cold, and the bottom right
is for poison. The center gem can be clicked on to bring up
the control panel. See the section on the control panel for more
information on that subject.

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 25

View window: If you don’t have the Cartography skill or the
Wizard Eye spell, the Swords of Xeen logo will be displayed
here. If you have the Cartography skill, and click on the logo,
you will see a miniature version of the full automap displayed.
If you have the Wizard Eye spell active, you will see a map of
the area around you, including places you haven’t been to yet.
You will be able to toggle between your automap (showing
only the places you have been to) and the Wizard Eye spell by
clicking on the automap or pressing the = key.

Option icons: There are nine icons just below the View
window. These icons will be available for you to click on
during normal adventuring, or you can use their keyboard
equivalents. Here is a list of what they do:

Shoot (S): All party members equipped with a
missile weapon fire in the direction the party is
facing.

Cast (C): Brings up the Cast Spell window. Click
on this icon again or type C to cast the readied
spell of the spell caster selected. You can change
the selected character by clicking on the portrait
of the one you want or selecting his function key.
You can change the readied spell by clicking on the
‘new’ button or pressing the N key. This will bring
up a list of spells available to the selected character.
Click on the spell you want to cast or use the arrow
keys to select it and press ENTER. The spell is now
ready to be cast.

Rest (R): Restores the party’s hit points and spell
points, provided there is at least one unit of food
for every member of the party. Resting will turn
off most active spells and advance the time by
eight hours. Resting where monsters can see you is
hazardous to your health.

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 26

Bash (B): This command is used when you want to
try to break down a locked door or break through a
thin wall. The Might of your first two conscious
characters is combined and tested against the strength
of the door or wall. If yours is higher, the obstacle
will bash in. Your characters will take a small amount
of damage for doing this.

Dismiss (D): Sends a party member back to the
Tavern in Greyhaven and Hart. At least one charac­ter must remain in the party.

View Quests (V): Displays the Quest window. See
the section on Quests, Items, and Notes for more
information.

Automap (M): Displays the map of the area you are
currently in. The automap records all the places you
have been since you got the Cartography skill.

Information (I): Displays the Game Information
window. This window lists the time, date, year, and
day of the week. It also shows which spells the party
has active, such as Light or Protection From Fire.

Quick Reference (Q): Displays the Quick Reference
chart. This chart lists the party’s vital statistics, gold,
gems, and food.

IMPORTANT

Press the SPACE BAR or click on the display window to
interact with an object. You must be in the same square as the
object.

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 27

Character Portraits: The character portraits show pictures
of all the characters in the party. You can tell at a glance the
current condition of your characters. If they look like they
are asleep, they probably are unconscious or asleep. If they
look sick, they probably are poisoned or diseased. Each
character has a gem below his portrait. This gem will be
green if the character is at full hit points. The gem will be
yellow if the character is below maximum, red if the char­acter has 25% or less of his hit points left, and blue if the
character has zero or less. If the character’s hit points have
magically increased beyond his maximum, the gem will be
silver.

If you click on a character portrait or select a character’s
function key (the first character on the left uses function key
F1) you will see a detailed list of the character’s statistics.
You can find more information about this screen in the
Character Screen section.

Direction icons: The direction icons are in the bottom right
corner of the screen. If you are using the mouse to get
around, click on these to move. The curved arrows will make
your party stand still and turn 90˚ in the direction indicated.
The side arrows will make you slide left or right without
changing your facing. The direction arrows on the keyboard
work the same way. To slide left or right with the keyboard,
you must hold the CONTROL key down while you press the
LEFT or RIGHT arrow.

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 28

Control Panel

CONTROL PANEL

If you press the TAB key or click on the big gem in the middle
of the Display Window, you will bring up the Control Panel
window. Here is a list of the functions available in the
Control Panel:

Effects (E): Turns the sound effects on and off.
Music (M): Turns the music on and off.
Load (L): Allows you to load a previously saved game.
Save (S): Allows you to save the current game in its present

location. Your game is also automatically saved when­ever you enter a Tavern.

Save As (A): Allows you to save the current game in its

present location with a different name.

Quit (Q): Quits the game and exits to DOS.
Help (W): This lets you beg Mr. Wizard to teleport your

party to safety. He will take all the gems the party has
on hand and return the party to Greyhaven. Think
carefully before you use this.

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 29

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 30

CHARACTER SCREEN

If you click on a character portrait or select the function key
of a character, you will find yourself in the Character Screen.
Here you will see an icon for each of your character’s
statistics. Might, Endurance, Speed, Accuracy, Personality,
Intelligence and Luck have already been explained. Click­ing on these icons will tell you what your current and
maximum scores are as well as assigning a rating to your
statistic. The other statistics are listed below:

Age: Every character begins the game at age 18.
Clicking on this icon will show your character’s
birthday, his natural age, and his current age. It is
possible for a character to be older than his natural
age through magical attacks. As your character
grows older, some of his statistics will decline.

Level: Shows your character’s current level, maxi­mum level, and the number of attacks per round
your character receives.

AC: Shows your character’s current and maxi­mum armor class. The higher this number, the
harder it is to hit your character.

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 31

HP: Shows your character’s current and maxi­mum hit points.

SP: Shows your character’s current and maximum
spell points.

Resist: Shows your character’s current resistances
to spells and elemental attacks. The higher the
number, the better the protection. A 100 does not
mean immunity from an attack, but will reduce the
damage your character takes from that attack con­siderably.

Skills: Gives a list of the skills your character has
accumulated.

Awards: Gives a list of the awards your character
has accumulated.

Experience: Shows your current experience points
and the number of experience points your charac­ter will need for the next level.

Party Gold: Shows how much gold your party has
on hand and how much it has in the bank.

Party Gems: Shows how many gems your party
has on hand and how many it has in the bank.

Party Food: Shows how many units of food your
characters have and how many days that it will
last.

Condition: Gives a list of any adverse conditions
your character might have and any active protec­tion spells.

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 32

Items (I): Selecting this option brings up the
inventory screen.

Quick Reference (Q): Displays the Quick Reference
chart. This chart lists the party’s vital statistics, gold,
gems, and food.

Exchange (E): Selecting this option exchanges the
position of the character you are viewing with the
position of the character you select (F1-F6).

Exit (ESC): Brings you back to the Adventure screen.

QUESTS, ITEMS, AND NOTES

If you select the View Quests window from the adventuring
screen, you will be presented with 3 choices: Quests, Notes,
and Items. Selecting quests will display all of the quests the
party is currently involved in. Selecting notes will display all
the significant messages the party has encountered. Selecting
items will display all of the items the party has that are
necessary to complete the game.

There are six Quest items you must have to complete this game.
These are called the “Elder weapons”. In addition to being
Quest items these extremely powerful weapons are also ordi­nary items that can be assigned to and used by a character. Once
wielded by six palladins, they were lost to the forces of evil
as their owners fell. The Elder weapons are now hidden
throughout Havec in that world’s most dangerous loca­tions.

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 33

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 34

Inventory Screen

INVENTORY SCREEN

If you select the inventory screen a list of all the weapons
the character has in his backpack will appear. Here is a list
of your options in the inventory screen:

Equip (E): Readies a weapon, item, or armor for use. You
must equip an item before it will work. You will not be able
to equip an item that your character’s class cannot use. You
also cannot equip three swords or eleven rings, etc.

Remove (R): Unequips an item from your character.
Discard (D): Eliminates an item from your inventory. If you

use this command, you will lose this item for good.

Weapon (W): Presents the weapons inventory.
Armor (A): Presents the armor inventory.
Accessories (C): Presents the accessories inventory.
Miscellaneous (M): Presents the miscellaneous items inventory.

Quests (Q): Presents the quest items inventory.
Use (U): If an item has some sort of special use or can cast

a spell, you can use it with this command.

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 35

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 36

SECONDARY SKILLS

Secondary skills are additional abilities your characters
learn during the game. The skills do many different things
ranging from improving your ability to hit to letting you
detect secret doors. Not all of your characters will start with
secondary skills, but any character can learn as many as they
can find during the game (Except Thievery – only Ninjas and
Thieves may ever have Thievery). Here are a few of the skills
you can find:

Thievery: This skill lets you pick locks on chests and doors.
This is the only skill that has a rating. The higher the skill, the
better your chance of success.

Swimmer: This skill allows your character to swim in water as
long as you are close to land. All characters in the party must
have this skill for it to work.

Pathfinder: This skill allows you to move through a dense
forest. At least two characters must have this skill for it to work.

Mountaineer: Allows you to move over mountains. At least
two characters must have this skill for it to work.

Cartographer: Enables the automapping feature. Only one
character needs to have this skill before it will work.

Direction Sense: This skill makes the large gem in the center
of the adventure screen display your facing. It also will print
an arrow that points in the direction the party is facing in the
automap.

Spot Secret Doors: Causes a gargoyle on the adventuring
screen to wave its arm when the party approaches a thin
wall.

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 37

Danger Sense: This skill causes the bat at the top of adven­turing screen to animate when monsters can see your party.

Arms Master: This skill increases your chance to hit during
combat. The amount of the increase is directly related to the
level of the character.

Crusader: Allows entrance to certain areas of the game. All
party members who wish to enter these areas must possess
this skill.

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 38

COMBAT

As you adventure, you will encounter lots of monsters who you
will need to defeat. If you begin fighting with some monsters, the
combat icons will replace the normal adventuring icons. Here is a
list of these new icons, reading from top left to bottom right:

Quick Fight (F): Battles the opponent(s) using the
current Quick Fight option settings. Holding down
the mouse button while the pointer is on the
Quick Fight icon will rapidly run through the
party’s attacks.

Cast (C): Same as in adventuring mode.
Attack (A): Attacks the targeted opponent with what-

ever weapon the character has equipped.
Use (U): Brings up the character’s inventory win-

dow, where he can equip, remove, or use an item.
Run (R): If successful, the character will run to a

safe location nearby and rejoin the party after the
battle.

Block (B): Directs your character to try to block the
next attack against him.

Quick Fight Option (O): Sets your quick fight
option. You can direct a party member to attack, cast
a readied spell, block, or run when the quick fight
option is selected.

Information (I): Same as in adventuring mode.
Quick Reference (Q): Same as in adventuring

mode.

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 39

When the fight begins, your fastest character will be high­lighted. You will have the opportunity to select any of the
options listed above by clicking on their icons or pressing
their keyboard equivalents. After you have finished select­ing the option for the highlighted character, a different
character will become highlighted.

Whenever you hit a monster, a red splat will appear briefly on
the screen. The bigger the splat, the more damage you did to the
monster. If you used a spell or an item that does a different kind
of damage, the splat may appear as a fire burst, or an electrical
charge, or something else.

If there is more than one monster, you can choose which
monster you want a character to fight by pressing 1, 2, or 3. This
will highlight the name of the monster, letting you know which
monster is targeted.

Note that it is possible to trade and equip weapons and armor
during combat. Occasionally the need to exchange items be­tween players will arise when faced with adversaries who
cannot be harmed by the weapons they are currently equipped
with. To accomplish this during combat, simply press the
character’s function key or click on the character’s portrait to
call up the Character Screen. Then select the Items option to
bring up the Inventory Screen. It is possible to have both a
missile weapon and a melee weapon equipped at the same
time.

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 40

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 41

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 42

SPELLS

Clerics, Druids, Sorcerers, Paladins, Rangers, and Archers are
able to cast spells. The most powerful spell casters are Sorcerers
and Clerics. Druids are next, then Paladins, Archers, and
Rangers.

All spells require spell points to cast, and some require gems
as well. A character’s spell points are partly determined by
one of their statistics: Intellect for Sorcerers and Archers, Per­sonality for Clerics and Paladins. Druids and Rangers use both
Intellect and Personality to determine spell points. The other
factor that determines spell points is the level of the character.

There are two kinds of spells: Cleric and Sorcerer. Most
Cleric spells involve healing and protection. Most Sorcerer
spells are offensive or utilitarian. Sorcerers and Archers may
only cast Sorcerer spells. Clerics and Paladins may only cast
Cleric spells. Druids and Rangers may cast both to a limited
degree.

Many spells that increase statistics or change your environ­ment, such as Bless or Light, have a limited duration. Such
spells will expire when your party rests or with the coming
of dawn. You can get the most out of these spells by casting
them just after dawn, thus maximizing their duration.

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 43

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 44

CLERIC SPELLS

Acid Spray

Cost: 8 Spell Points
Object: All Visible Monsters
Caster sprays a fine acid mist on all the monsters in front of
him, inflicting 15 points of Poison damage on each mon­ster.

Awaken

Cost: 1 Spell Point
Object: Party
Pulls all sleeping party members from their slumber, cancel­ling the SLEEP condition.

Beast Master

Cost: 5 Spell Points and 2 Gems
Object: 1 Group of Animals
Hypnotizes a group of animals into stillness until they
overcome the spell.

Bless

Cost: 2 Spell Points per Level & 1 Gem
Object: 1 Party Member
Improves the armor class of a character by 1 per level of the
caster.

Cold Ray

Cost: 2 Spell Points per Level & 4 Gems
Object: All visible monsters
A cone of absolute zero springs from the caster’s hand momen­tarily, inflicting 2-4 points of Cold damage per level of the
caster on all visible monsters.

Create Food

Cost: 20 Spell Points and 5 Gems
Object: Party
Creates one unit of food for each living party member.

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 45

Cure Disease

Cost: 10 Spell Points
Object: 1 Party Member
Removes the DISEASED condition from a character.

Cure Paralysis

Cost: 12 Spell Points
Object: 1 Party Member
Removes the PARALYZED condition from a character.

Cure Poison

Cost: 8 Spell Points
Object: 1 Party Member
Removes the POISONED condition from a character.

Cure Wounds

Cost: 3 Spell Points
Object: 1 Party Member
Magically cures one character of 15 points of damage.

Day of Protection

Cost: 75 Spell Points and 10 Gems
Object: Party
Simultaneously casts Light, Protection from all elements, Hero­ism, Holy Bonus, and Bless for the bargain basement price of 75
spell points.

Deadly Swarm

Cost: 12 Spell Points
Object: Group
Surrounds a group of monsters with biting, stinging, bur­rowing, gouging, and chewing insects, inflicting 40 points
of Physical damage on each monster.

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 46

Divine Intervention

Cost: 200 Spell Points and 20 Gems
Object: Party
Heals the entire party of all damage short of ERADICATION.

Fiery Flail

Cost: 25 Spell Points and 5 Gems
Object: 1 Monster
Caster fires a jet of flame at one monster, inflicting 100 points of
Fire damage.

First Aid

Cost: 1 Spell Point
Object: 1 Party Member
Magically cures light battle wounds and scrapes, restoring 6
Hit Points to an injured Party Member.

Flying Fist

Cost: 2 Spell Points
Object: 1 Monster
Deals a light blow to a monster, inflicting 6 points of
Physical damage.

Frostbite

Cost: 7 Spell Points
Object: 1 Monster
Draws the body heat out of a monster, inflicting 35 points
of Cold damage.

Heroism

Cost: 2 Spell Points per Level & 3 Gems
Object: 1 Party Member
Increases the temporary level of a character by 1 per level of the
caster.

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 47

Holy Bonus

Cost: 2 Spell Points per Level & 1 Gem
Object: 1 Party Member
Increases the damage inflicted by a character when fighting by
1 point per level of the caster.

Holy Word

Cost: 100 Spell Points and 20 Gems
Object: 1 Group of Undead
Completely removes the animating magic of the Undead,
returning them to the dust from whence they came.

Hypnotize

Cost: 15 Spell Points and 4 Gems
Object: Group
Like Beast Master, this spell hypnotizes a group of monsters
into stillness until they overcome the spell, except that it
works on monsters rather than animals.

Light

Cost: 1 Spell Point
Object: Party
Fills a dungeon with a steady, soft light until the party rests.

Mass Distortion

Cost: 75 Spell Points and 10 Gems
Object: Group
Increases the weight of your opponents, effectively remov­ing half of their hit points.

Moon Ray

Cost: 60 Spell Points and 10 Gems
Object: All Visible Monsters and Party
Inflicts 30 points of Energy damage to each monster in sight
and cures each party member of 30 points of damage.

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 48

Nature’s Cure

Cost: 6 Spell Points
Object: 1 Party Member
Heals a character of 25 points of damage.

Pain

Cost: 4 Spell Points
Object: Group
Stimulates the pain centers of your opponent’s brains, inflict­ing 8 points of physical damage.

Power Cure

Cost: 2 Spell Points per Level & 3 Gems
Object: 1 Party Member
Heals a character of 2-12 points of damage per level of the
caster.

Protection From Elements

Cost: 1 Spell Point per Level & 1 Gem
Object: Party
Reduces the damage the party receives from the elements. The
caster can choose which element this applies to when the spell
is cast.

Raise Dead

Cost: 50 Spell Points and 10 Gems
Object: 1 Party Member
Removes the DEAD condition from a character.

Resurrection

Cost: 125 Spell Points and 20 Gems
Object: 1 Party Member
Removes the ERADICATED condition from a character.

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 49

Revitalize

Cost: 2 Spell Points
Object: 1 Party Member
Removes the WEAK condition from a character.

Sparks

Cost: 1 Spell Point per Level & 1 Gem
Object: Group
Envelopes the monsters in an electrically charged gas cloud,
inflicting 2 points of Electrical damage per level of the
caster.

Stone to Flesh

Cost: 35 Spell Points and 5 Gems
Object: 1 Party Member
Removes the STONED condition from a character.

Sun Ray

Cost: 150 Spell Points and 20 Gems
Object: All Visible Monsters
Shines the intensified light of the sun into all monsters in
front of the caster, inflicting 200 points of Energy damage
on each monster.

Suppress Disease

Cost: 5 Spell Points
Object: 1 Party Member
Slows the effect of disease on a character, but does not remove
the DISEASED condition.

Suppress Poison

Cost: 4 Spell Points
Object: 1 Party Member
Slows the effect of poison on a character, but does not remove
the POISONED condition.

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 50

Town Portal

Cost: 30 Spell Points and 5 Gems
Object: Party
Teleports the party to the town of your choice.

Turn Undead

Cost: 5 Spell Points and 2 Gems
Object: 1 Group of Undead
Weakens the evil magic that animates the Undead, inflict­ing 25 points of damage.

Walk on Water

Cost: 7 Spell Points
Object: Party
Allows the party to walk over both shallow and deep water.

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 51

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 52

SORCERER SPELLS

Awaken

Cost: 1 Spell Point
Object: Party
Pulls all sleeping party members from their slumber, cancel­ling the SLEEP condition.

Clairvoyance

Cost: 5 Spell Points and 2 Gems
Object: Party
Causes the two gargoyle heads on the screen to animate and
give advice for certain yes/no decisions, usually chests.

Dancing Sword

Cost: 3 Spell Points per Level & 10 Gems
Object: Group
Similar to Shrapmetal, the dancing sword spell creates
hundreds of razor sharp blades that strip the flesh from your
foes. Dancing Sword inflicts 6 to 14 points of Physical damage
per level of the caster.

Day of Sorcery

Cost: 40 Spell Points and 10 Gems
Object: Party
This spell is a super saver plan that simultaneously casts
Light, Levitate, Wizard Eye, Clairvoyance, and Power Shield
on all party members.

Detect Monster

Cost: 6 Spell Points
Object: Party
Shows the location of all the monsters near the party.

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 53

Dragon Sleep

Cost: 10 Spell Points and 4 Gems
Object: 1 dragon
Puts a dragon to sleep, much the way a sleep spell puts
humans to sleep.

Elemental Storm

Cost: 100 Spell Points and 10 Gems
Object: All Visible Monsters
Pounds all the monsters in front of the party with a storm of
magical energy, inflicting 150 points of a random damage type
to each monster.

Enchant Item

Cost: 30 Spell Points and 20 Gems
Object: 1 Item
Bestows magical power to an item that has none. The more
powerful the spell caster, the better the chance for a powerful
item.

Energy Blast

Cost: 1 Spell Point per Level & 1 Gem
Object: 1 Monster
A bolt of pure energy is fired from the caster’s clenched fist,
inflicting 2 to 6 points of Energy damage per level of the
caster.

Etherealize

Cost: 30 Spell Points and 10 Gems
Object: Party
Moves the party one square forward, regardless of barriers.
This spell may succeed in areas where the teleport spell fails.

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 54

Fantastic Freeze

Cost: 15 Spell Points and 5 Gems
Object: Group
Reduces the temperature of the air around a group of monsters
to absolute zero for a moment, inflicting 40 points of Cold
damage on each monster.

Finger of Death

Cost: 10 Spell Points and 4 Gems
Object: Group
Bloodlessly slays the opponents the caster points to.

Fire Ball

Cost: 2 Spell Points per Level & 2 Gems
Object: Group
Sets off a fiery explosion within a group of monsters,
inflicting 3 to 7 points of Fire damage per level of the caster.

Golem Stopper

Cost: 20 Spell Points and 10 Gems
Object: 1 Golem
Golem stopper deprives a golem of the magic that animates
it, inflicting 100 points of damage.

Identify Monster

Cost: 5 Spell Points
Object: Group
Reveals the condition of the monsters the party is fighting.

Implosion

Cost: 100 Spell Points and 20 Gems
Object: 1 Monster
The ultimate in monster killing, Implosion concentrates
local gravity inside the targeted monster, annihilating all
but the most powerful opponents. Implosion inflicts 1000
points of Energy damage.

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 55

Incinerate

Cost: 35 Spell Points and 10 Gems
Object: 1 Monster
Shoots a stream of fire at one monster, inflicting 250 points
of Fire damage.

Inferno

Cost: 75 Spell Points and 10 Gems
Object: Group
Engulfs one group of monsters in magical fire, inflicting 250
points of Fire damage on one group.

Insect Spray

Cost: 5 Spell Points and 1 Gem
Object: Group
Coats a group of monsters with a poison specially designed
to kill insects.

Item to Gold

Cost: 20 Spell Points and 10 Gems
Object: 1 Item
Converts an item into an amount of gold pieces equal to the
value of the item (Merchant skill not included).

Jump

Cost: 4 Spell Points
Object: Party
Puts enough strength into the legs of the party to jump over
one square, provided there are no walls of matter or magic. This
spell cannot be used in combat.

Levitate

Cost: 5 Spell Points
Object: Party
Imparts weightlessness to the party members, preventing them
from falling into pit traps, quagmires, through the clouds, etc.

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 56

Light

Cost: 1 Spell Point
Object: Party
Fills a dungeon with a steady, soft light until the party rests.

Lightning Bolt

Cost: 2 Spell Points per Level & 2 Gems
Object: Group
Lightning flashes from the caster’s hand, electrocuting
monsters for 4 to 6 points of damage per level of the caster.

Lloyd’s Beacon

Cost: 6 Spell Points & 2 Gems
Object: Party
This spell allows you to magically return to a place you have
already been. Cast the spell once to set the beacon, and again
when you wish to return. Each party member may have their
own beacon.

Magic Arrow

Cost: 2 Spell Points
Object: 1 Monster
Fires a magical bolt at one opponent, inflicting 8 points of
damage of Magical damage.

Mega Volts

Cost: 40 Spell Points and 10 Gems
Object: Group
Mega Volts is an improved version of Lightning Bolt,
inflicting 150 points of Electrical damage on a group of mon­sters.

Poison Volley

Cost: 25 Spell Points and 10 Gems
Object: All visible monsters
Fires 6 poison arrows into each square in front of the party.
The arrows do 10 points of Poison damage each.

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 57

Power Shield

Cost: 2 Spell Points per Level & 2 Gems
Object: Party Member
Reduces the damage inflicted on a party member by a
number equal to the level of the caster.

Prismatic Light

Cost: 60 Spell Points and 10 Gems
Object: All Visible Monsters
Mysterious light springs from the caster’s palm, inflicting 80
points of a random damage type.

Recharge Item

Cost: 15 Spell Points and 10 Gems
Object: 1 item
Restores 1 to 6 charges to an item that has at least one charge
remaining. There is a slight risk the spell will destroy the
item.

Shrapmetal

Cost: 1 Spell Point per Level & 1 Gem
Object: Group
Sprays a group of monsters with sharp metal fragments,
inflicting 2 points of Physical damage per level of the caster.

Sleep

Cost: 3 Spell Points and 1 Gem
Object: Group
Puts a group of monsters to sleep until they overcome the
spell or are damaged.

Star Burst

Cost: 200 Spell Points and 20 Gems
Object: All Visible Monsters
Includes all monsters in front of the party in a massive
explosion, inflicting 500 points of Physical damage on each

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 58

monster.

Super Shelter

Cost: 15 Spell Points and 5 Gems
Object: Party
Hides the party from the monsters in unsafe places, permit­ting them to rest without incident.

Teleport

Cost: 10 Spell Points
Object: Party
Moves the party up to 9 squares in the direction the party is
facing, regardless of obstacles.

Time Distortion

Cost: 8 Spell Points
Object: Party
Warps time, giving the party just enough time to run away
from a combat.

Toxic Cloud

Cost: 4 Spell Points and 1 Gem
Object: Group
Surrounds a group of monsters with noxious gasses, inflict­ing 10 points of Poison damage.

Wizard Eye

Cost: 5 Spell Points and 2 Gems
Object: Party
Wizard Eye gives the party a bird’s-eye view of their sur­roundings. The view will appear in the upper right corner of
the game screen.

SWORDS OF XEEN PAGE 59