Games PC MIGHT AND MAGIC VIII-DAY OF THE DESTROYER User Manual
™
Player's Manual
®
®
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Table of Contents
Welcome to Might and Magic
®
VIII: Day of the Destroyer™ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Interaction With NPC’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Towns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Shops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Other Town Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
Introduction: The Destroyer Cometh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
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
Adventure Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Main View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Character Portraits: Your Party . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Character Info Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Adding Party Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Food, Gold and Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Spell Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Game Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Rest and Camp Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Reference Scrolls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Combat
Real Time vs. Turn Based Combat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
Damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
Experience and Advancement
Experience Points and Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Rank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Skills
Weapon Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
Armor Skills. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
Magic Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Monster Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
Miscellaneous Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Magic System
Spell Books. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Scrolls and Wands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Potions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Monster Abilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
Appendices
Quick Reference Sheet: Default Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Trouble Shooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69
Customer Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
Exploration
Movement and Interaction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Dealing With Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Other Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
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Hints and Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
3
Welcome
Introduction:
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 gat eways to the eleme ntal 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 merchant’s trade caravan, your first concern will be to escape the doomed
Dagger Wound Islands to the mainland of Jadame. Next, of course, you’ll 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
don’t 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 world– 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!
™
The Destroyer Cometh
A mysterious apparition materialized outside the town of Ravenshore, disturbing the calm
breeze of another seemingly uneventful day in Jadame’s 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 world–strangers 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 monster’s savage attack came
without wa r ni ng. With his fierce muzzle of pointed fangs mat c h i ng 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 man’s delicate frame. With the
expectation of fresh blood still in the creature’s 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 mu t t e r e d
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 at t e nd i ng – r ather strictly now–to their business. In the center of the
t own square, he inscribed a glow i ng 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 crys t a l – awe inscribed
on their faces–it shimmered with a resound i ng, thunderous clap and the strange mo nolith sparke d
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 Ja d a me, a great deluge gushed forth from the Wat e r
gateway as it emerged into existence, engulfing an entire valley in a tidal wave that buried a
Mi no t a ur lair under a lake of wat e r. Mi no t aur society was broken by the aqueous eve nt, leav i ng
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 eleme ntal plane of Fire, burni ng the desert itself for lack of any t h i ng else to consume. Seve r a l
Trolls briefly ran in terror from the adva nc i ng firestorm before they were consumed in screams
of tortured desperation and agony. A wave of fire rolled over the Trolls and swa l l o wed up mo s t
of their village.
Completing the deadly quartet, the gateway to the elemental plane of Air burst into an
ex p a nd i ng vo r t ex ab ove a vast, anc i e nt 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 anc i e nt forest in recognition of their bondage to the ex p a nd i ng
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 uni verse, an une nd i ng 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 “Day of the Destroyer” passage
foretells a time when disunity and upheaval would prevail in the world following the age of
peace (“Aege of Shefar”):
“A tyme of stryfe and woe shall follow the ‘Aege of Shefar,’ 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 –
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, ‘the Aege of Purification.’ Once this Aege hath begun, there shalt be
no recourse. For lo’ 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 ‘Aege of Shefar’ to enjoy a prolonged era of peace.”
Unfortunately, those who forget their history are inevitably doomed to repeat it, just as in
the prophecies–an unending cycle of purging and regeneration. Should any of the warring
factions of monster races have the presence of mi nd to solve the anc i e nt conu ndrum, disaster could
possibly be averted. Once, many ages ago, the Dark Elven prophecy was a part of every race’s
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 wives’ tales or point l e s s
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!
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
N e w: The New option allows you to start a new game from the very beginni ng. 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.
L o a d: The Load option allows you to load a previously saved game so that you can cont i nue yo u r
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. Sing l e clicking 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.
Good luck in your many business dealings,Uncle, may fortune shine favorably
on your house.
Farewell.
8
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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 Adventurer’s Inn during the course of the game. To exit this
screen back to the Main Menu, press the Esc key or Cancel button.
C h o o s i ng your character’s class is perhaps the most imp o r t a nt 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: Ne c r o ma nc e r, Knight, Cleric, Dark Elf, Troll, Va mpire and Mi no t au r .
In addition to these seven classes, Dragons may join your party later–this class cannot be selected
as the main character.
As your characters gain ex p e r i e nce, expertise and skill, they may each eve ntually be promo t e d
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.
Character Creation
Screen
Name
Class
Portrait
Portrait selection
arrows
Defaults
Bonus development
points
Attribute
Skills
Available skills
Doll preview
Clear, OK, and Cancel buttons
Basic Operations
Change Your Character’s Portrait, Voice and Class
To change the ap p e a r a nce of your main character, click the topmost Portrait Selection arrows
to cycle through the ava i l able character portraits. What ever 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 character’s voice. What does your character
s o u nd 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.
N e c r o m a n c e r: The Ne c r o ma nc e r, a magician who has succumbed to the temp t ations of the dark
arts, is the Dark magic specialist and a master of undead. Though Ne c r o ma ncers 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 they’re 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.
L i c h ( Ne c r o ma n cer promotion): In the promo t i o nal ritual that at t u n es a Ne c r o ma ncer more fully
to the Dark arts, the character is transformed into a Lich–a powerful form of undead. In exc h a ng e
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 Mi nd magic, and is the only class cap able of using
the ex t r e mely powerful Light magic. They are fair fighters, but are limited to the lighter armo r s
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
10
11
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 instrume nts, where they can eve ntually gain grand mastery). Ad d i t i o na l l y,
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 ma ny battles can be promo t e d
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 formi d a ble oppone nt into some t h i ng
truly mighty.
Minotaur: The race of Minotaurs has descended from creatures created as magically attuned
guardians. Like the Troll, the Mi no t aur is a powerful melee comb at a nt, but without the Tr o l l ’ s
extraordinary stamina. Though the Minotaur cannot match the Troll’s endurance, he can
certainly make up for that lack with strength, cunni ng, and a limited ability to use magic (Body,
Spirit, and Mind). Though all weapons are available to them, Minotaurs specialize in using
spears, blunt we apons, and, of course, axes. Also, they can use any armor but helmets and shields.
V a m p i r e: Few choose to become Va mpires, but those that do soon revel in the new powers grant e d
them by their new form. In addition to their racial abilities, Va mpires can also become powe r f u l
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 ava i l able as a starting character): The Dragon is the ki ng of beasts. Dragons have
the capacity to breathe fire, fight in melee with their huge claws and fangs, breathe a deva s t at i ng
b r e a th we apon, fly, and repel even the sharpest we apons with their scales. Though Dragons don’t
use armor or we apons, if one joins your party you won’t miss the lack of ma n - m ade comb at mat e r i a l s !
Great Wyrm (Dragon promotion): Because of the enmity between Dragons and much of the
rest of the we ap o n - w i e l d i ng world, very few dragons live long enough to become Great Wy r m s .
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 Character’s Name
If you wish to change your character’s 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.
Minotaur Lord (Minotaur promotion): Only those Minotaurs who have exhibited extreme
valor are promoted to the rank of Mi no t aur Lord. At this level, Mi no t a urs can gain grand ma s t e r y
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
swo r d s men and exc e p t i o nal archers, they also have special magical abilities exc l u s i ve to their race
a nd are cap able eleme ntal magic users. Dark Elves also excel at the Disarm Tr aps and Me r c h a nt
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.
12
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
ava i l able to your character’s chosen class (see the follow i ng Skill Table for ava i l ability). To select
a skill, click on it in the ava i l able skills list and it will be added to your character’s chosen ski l l s .
To remove a chosen skill, click on it in your character’s skill list and it will be removed. You
may not remove the two predetermined skills set by your character’s class, and not all skills are
available to every class type. (For an explanation of each skill, see the section entitled Skills.)
13
Adjust Your Character Attributes
Personality
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 – 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 character’s starting statistics.
Attributes and Their Effects
Might
Might is a measure of how physically powerful a character is–how 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 dama g e
i nflicted with melee we apons (such as sword, axe, spear, etc.). There is no damage bonus to rang e d
weapons since the impact of such weapons is dependent not on a character’s physical strength,
but on the apparatus which fires the projectile.
Intellect
As Might refers to the measure of physical powe r, Intellect refers to your characters’ me nt a l
p owe r s – h ow smart they are. This attribute will affect your characters’ problem solving ab i l i t i e s
a nd their und e r s t a nd i ng of simple to abstract concepts. Also, as Intellect determi nes the max i mu m
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 measures your characters’ personal resolve. The Personality attribute reflects a
character’s willpowe r. Wi l l p ower is the force which ene r g i zes the Spirit, Mi nd 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 bonus–meaning 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 character’s 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 character–how 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
a nd react more quickly to counter the attacks of ene mies than a slower character. A high Speed
also makes your character harder to hit, which is reflected as a bonus to your character’s Ar mo r
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 chanc e
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 character’s resistance to magical attacks, and
d a mage 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.
14
15
Application of Skills
The class you have chosen for your character affects the skills that your character is cap ab l e
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 ava i l able to. Within each cross-reference, you will find
a letter denoting the level of expertise available according to the legend below:
Magic Skills
Skill Table Legend
N Characters of this class and rank can learn the skill up to a No r mal level of ex p e r t i s e .
E The skill can be learned up to Expert level.
M The skill can be learned up to Master level.
GM The skill can be learned up to Grandmaster level (the highest level of expertise).
Combat Skills
Class
Necromancer
Lich
Cleric
Priest of Light
Knight
Champion
Troll
War Troll
Minotaur
Minotaur Lord
Dark Elf
Patriarch
Vampire
Nosferatu
Sword
–
–
–
–
M
GM
M
M
E
E
M
M
M
M
Axe
–
–
–
–
M
M
M
M
M
GM
–
–
E
E
Staff
M
M
E
E
E
E
M
GM
M
M
–
–
–
–
Spear
–
–
–
–
M
GM
E
E
M
M
–
–
–
–
D a g g e r
E
E
–
–
E
E
E
E
E
E
M
M
M
G M
Bow
N
N
N
N
E
E
N
N
E
E
M
GM
N
N
Mace
–
–
M
M
M
M
M
GM
M
M
N
N
E
E
L e at h e r
E
E
E
E
E
E
M
G M
E
E
M
M
M
M
Chain
–
–
E
E
M
M
E
E
M
M
M
GM
E
E
Plate
–
–
–
–
M
GM
–
–
M
M
–
–
–
–
Shield
–
–
M
M
M
GM
–
–
–
–
E
E
M
M
Class
Necromancer
Lich
Cleric
Priest of Light
Knight
Champion
Troll
War Troll
Minotaur
Minotaur Lord
Dark Elf
Patriarch
Vampire
Nosferatu
Dragon
Great Wyrm
Fire
M
GM
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
E
M
–
–
–
–
Air
M
GM
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
E
M
–
–
–
–
Water
M
GM
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
E
M
–
–
–
–
Earth
M
GM
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
E
M
–
–
–
–
Spirit
–
–
M
GM
–
–
–
–
N
E
–
–
E
M
–
–
Mind
–
–
M
GM
–
–
–
–
N
E
–
–
E
M
–
–
Body
–
–
M
GM
–
–
–
–
N
E
–
–
E
M
–
–
Light
–
–
M
GM
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Dark
M
GM
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Va mp i r e
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
M
GM
–
–
Elf
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
M
GM
–
–
–
–
D r a g o n
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
M
GM
Miscellaneous Skills
Class
Necromancer
Lich
Cleric
Priest of Light
Knight
Champion
Troll
War Troll
Minotaur
Minotaur Lord
Dark Elf
Patriarch
Vampire
Nosferatu
Dragon
Great Wyrm
D i s a r m
Trap
N
N
–
–
E
E
N
N
M
M
M
GM
E
E
–
–
Percep-
tion
N
N
E
E
E
E
N
N
M
GM
M
M
E
E
M
GM
Merchant
E
E
M
M
E
E
N
N
E
E
M
GM
E
E
E
E
Learn-
ing
M
GM
E
E
N
N
N
N
N
N
E
E
N
N
M
GM
Me d i t a -
tion
M
GM
M
M
–
–
–
–
–
–
E
E
–
–
M
M
Body-
b u i l d i ng
–
–
N
N
M
M
M
G M
M
M
–
–
–
–
M
M
I d e nt i f y
Item
M
M
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
M
M
E
E
M
GM
Repair
Item
–
–
E
E
M
GM
M
M
–
–
E
E
–
–
–
–
I d e nt i f y
Mo n s t e r
M
M
–
–
N
N
E
E
–
–
–
–
M
G M
M
M
Armsmaster
–
–
N
N
M
GM
M
M
M
M
E
E
N
N
–
–
Alche-
my
M
GM
E
E
–
–
–
–
N
N
E
E
M
M
M
M
Regeneration
–
E
–
–
–
–
M
GM
–
–
–
–
E
M
E
E
16
17
Class: Spell and Hit Points
A character’s class affects how many hit points and spell points it will have at the beginning
of the game, as well as how ma n y of each they will gain as they accrue ex p e r i e nce and rise in leve l s .
A hit point is a basic life unit for your character, therefore, hit points ind i c ate how much dama g e
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 can’t 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 point s
(you cannot have negative spell points). Eight hours of uninterrupted rest will also restore all
spell points. A character’s rank within its class will also affect the number of points gained per
l evel (as shown in the table below). Re me m ber that starting values fluctuate depend i ng on bonu s
points for Endurance, Intellect and Personality.
Starting Values Hit Points Per Level Spell Points Per Level
Class
Knight
Cleric
Necromancer
Dark Elf
Minotaur
Troll
Vampire
Dragon
Hit
Points
35
30
20
25
30
45
30
40
Spell
Points
0
15
25
10
5
0
10
10
Base
5
2
2
3
4
5
3
4
First
Promotion
8
3
3
4
6
8
4
7
Base
0
3
3
2
1
0
2
2
First
Promotion
0
5
5
4
2
0
4
3
Starting Attributes
As is the case with basic skills, class also affects the starting levels of your character’s
attributes, as well as how high (or low). Each attribute may be set using your fifteen attribute
b o nus points. Ad d i t i o nally as seen below, an attribute that would be unc o m mon 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 Mi no t a ur) will cost half as mu c h
to raise the level (i.e. 1 bonus point raises the level by 2).
Class
Knight
Cleric
Necromancer
Dark Elf
Minotaur
Troll
Vampire
Dragon
Level
Minimum
Starting
Maximum
Minimum
Starting
Maximum
Minimum
Starting
Maximum
Minimum
Starting
Maximum
Minimum
Starting
Maximum
Minimum
Starting
Maximum
Minimum
Starting
Maximum
Minimum
Starting
Maximum
Might
9
11
25
9
11
25
9
11
25
9
11
25
12
14**
30
12
14**
35
9
11
30
N/A
N/A
N/A
Endurance
9
11
25
9
11
25
9
11
25
5
7*
20
9
11
25
12
14**
35
9
11
30
N/A
N/A
N/A
Intellect
9
11
25
9
11
25
9
11
25
9
11
25
5
7*
20
5
7*
15
9
11
30
N/A
N/A
N/A
Personality
9
11
25
9
11
25
9
11
25
9
11
25
9
11
25
5
7*
15
9
11
30
N/A
N/A
N/A
Accuracy
9
11
25
9
11
25
9
11
25
12
14**
30
9
11
25
9
11
25
9
11
30
N/A
N/A
N/A
Speed
9
11
25
9
11
25
9
11
25
9
11
25
9
11
25
9
11
25
9
11
30
N/A
N/A
N/A
Luck
9
11
25
9
11
25
9
11
25
9
11
25
9
11
25
9
11
25
9
11
30
N/A
N/A
N/A
18
* Costs 2 points to increase the stat 1 point ** Costs 1 point to increase the stat 2 points
19
Starting Resistance
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 character’s 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.
Class
Knight
Cleric
Necromancer
Dark Elf
Minotaur
Troll
Vampire
Dragon
Fire
5
Air
5
Water
5
5
Earth
5
Spirit
5
5
5
5
Mind
5
Immune
Body
5
5
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. Al most all game p l ay takes place on the Ad ve nture screen. The main view (pictured
on page 21) consists of your view of the surrounding world, your characters’ 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 surround i ng count r yside yo u ’ l l
even see clouds mov i ng across the sky. You will see eve r y t h i ng 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 mov i ng, use the new mo u s e - c o ntrol 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 party’s 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,
Character Portraits
Selector ring
Health & Mana Bars
PC active spell icon
Ready
Active Spell Icon (L)
Heroism
Air Resistance
Water Resistance
Fire Resistance
Active Spell Icon (R)
Stone Skin
Protection from Magic
Detect Life
Feather Fall
sleeping, entering and exiting dungeons and towns and
f a c i n g ene mies as a group. Other actions, such as sw i ng ing a sword, opening a door, talking to a stranger or
c a s t i ng a spell are performed ind i v i d u a l l y. Ind i v i d u a l
actions are performed by the active character, which
is denoted by a highlight around that character’s portrait. The active character is important, since it will
be that character’s skills and ab i l i t i e s
Earth Resistance
Mind Resistance
Shield
Body Resistance
Haste
which will be applied to any action
performed. Therefore, it is i mp o r t a nt to reme mber to select your active
character before performing a task,
b e c a use some can do a job better than
others. Select the active character
Day of the Gods
Torch Light
Wizard Eye
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
2120
denoted by the character’s 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 character’s
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,
S kills, Inve ntory and Awards. To display a character’s screens, double-click on its portrait. Yo u
can switch between character screens by clicking on different character portraits from within
the character info screen. When you’re 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
Adventurer’s Inn and will wait there in case you want to hire them again.
Stats Screen
This displays a character’s 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, “Hit Points
20/30” would mean that the character currently has 20 hit points out of 30 possible.
Inventory Screen
When your character buys or picks up an item, it ends up in their inve nt o r y. Items in loose
i nve ntory are things a character is carrying but not using. Items may be looked at by right-clicki ng
on them. If the item has been identified by either a shopkeeper or a character with the Ident i f y
Items skill, descriptive inf o r mation about the item will be displayed. Click on an item to pick it
up. Pi c ked up items “stick” to the mouse cursor and follow it around. Drop the item by clicki ng
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 character’s f u l l f i gure image. Characters may only use items that they have the skill to use, and with the exc e p t i o n
of rings, may only use one of each type of item at a time. Click the Accessory Detail toggle to
display a character’s 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 character’s 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 character’s portrait or left-click it
over the character’s 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.
D a mage is usually shown as a range. “Damage 11-18” would be interpreted as “this we ap o n
will do between 11 and 18 points of damage when it hits in combat.” A character’s 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
S kills acquired by characters are displayed on their skill screens listed by na me, 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.
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Adding Party Members
Whereas in the Might and Magic VI and VII games, you could hire random wandering
NPC’s as followers, in the Might and Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer game, party me mb e r s
must either offer to join your party in the world, or you may hire some party members at the
Adventurer’s Inn. Whichever method is used, party members can be switched out at the
Adventurer’s 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,
t h at character’s na me will be added to the roster at the Ad ve nturer’s Inn. Whenever you ent e r
the Adventurer’s 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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