The Enigma Of Ashrella is a BBS Door, text based, role-playing game. In the world of Daagrung lies the continent of Ashrella. Named after the Goddess of the Harvest, Ashrella is a peaceful and prosperous land or at least it was until the creatures came. No-one knows where they come from but they destroy crops, kill, rob and disappear. It's the player's task to end this plague.

Upon entering the game the player is presented with an outline of the story, they then enter their game-name and are rewarded with another piece of the story and some instructions before choosing their class and setting their player stats. Ashrella is/was an on-line world which had no non playing characters, at least that was the case in version 2.0 beta, so players had to interact with each other in order to make progress and explore the world. Gold is important here, it could be earned by killing creatures, by gambling, or by selling items such as gems or flowers. Alliances could be made and enemies could be destroyed by sending disease, curses or assassins after them.

The game is composed of a several of chapters and it was reckoned that it would take about a week to complete a sub-chapter and defeat its boss, and about a month to complete a whole chapter.

12ARROWBRIDGE II - THE GUARDIANS OF DARKNESS

~13Version 2.20

~11(C)opyright Gargoyle Productions, 1996-99

~10Introduction

~07It has been five thousand years since the Orb of Tabian was reclaimed on
behalf of the kingdom.  During most of this period, the settlements thrived
and the people rejoiced.

However, one hundred and fifty years ago, Zombre Bryan, the evil sorcerer re-
appeared.  His ghostly figure commanded armies of black orcs and undead
creatures that swarmed down upon the land.  All the armies of the people,
along with the castles, were destroyed by Zombre in his attempt to recover the
Orb of Tabian.

The dark armies marched on to the land of Kraete, destroying all in their
path.  They finally reached the tower of the Wizard Merxon, the keeper of the
Orb, high in the Kraete alps.  Merxon fought using all of his magical power,
but the invaders of darkness were too strong.  In a last desperate attempt,
Merxon was forced to break the mystical creation in seven pieces to prevent it
from being captured.  He commanded the great hawks of the land to hide these
fragments so that the power of the Orb could never be used again.

~12THY QUEST

~07Recently, Zombre launched a new campaign to recover the seven Orb
fragments.  From within the depths of his fortress, he created seven creatures
of darkness, Death Guardians, who now roam the new landscape searching for the
fragments.  His grand armies of orcs have been disbanded, but their remnants
still remain on the mainland.

The Wizard Merxon has sent out a desperate plea to all adventurers to stand up
against the orc armies and recover the Orb fragments for the good of all the
people of Arrowbridge.  If Zombre were to reconstruct the Orb, then darkness
would surely reign on the land forever.

~12CHARACTER CLASSES

~07When thou first enters Arrowbridge, thou will choose a character class for
thy self.  It may be a difficult choice, but do not despair.  An adventuring
party may have up to four characters at any one time.  ~14Extra characters~07
may be recruited from the taverns scattered throughout the land.  These
characters will be under thy complete control for all combat routines.

If thou drops a character from the party then he/she will return to the place
where they were found, awaiting later recruitment.  This character will
surrender their possessions to the group before departing.  They will retain
all experience that they have earned.


~10Knight

~13Best Equipment: 2-Handed Sword, Full Plate, God Shield, Heavy Crossbow

~07The knight is a powerful fighter.  They are particularly adept at hand-to-
hand (melee) combat and jousting.  A knight will inflict 30% more damage than
any other player and will possess the greatest amount of HP for a given level.
~15
       +--------------------------+
       |Knight Modifiers:         |
       |                          |
       |Melee Damage       : +20% |
       |Projectile Damage  : +0%  |
       |Health Points      : +30% |
       |Jousting           : +30% |
       |                          |
       |Detect Secrets     : N    |
       |Disarm Traps       : N    |
       |Light Healing      : N    |
       |Magic              : N    |
       |Pick Locks         : N    |
       +--------------------------+

~10Thief

~13Best Equipment: Shortsword, Ring Mail, Small Shield, Short Bow

~07The thief is an invaluable member to thy party, especially when exploring
the underworld.

The thief is able to pick any locks provided that the level of the thief is
greater or equal to the dungeon level.

Similarly, the thief will detect standard secret passages provided that the
level of the thief is greater or equal to the dungeon level.  Detected secret
passages will be shown as a different color to that of the surrounding walls.
One way secret passages will also be detected provided that the level of the
thief is 1.5 times greater than the dungeon level.  Due to the uneven nature
of dungeon floors, trapdoors cannot be detected by a thief.

The thief is adept at stealing and can steal 10 times more gold from a fort or
castle treasury than any other class and have a higher probability of success.

Thieves gain an extra turn per round when fighting with adventurers or
monsters due to their enhanced agility.  Keep in mind that higher level
opponents also get bonus attack rounds as well.
~15
       +--------------------------+
       |Thief Modifiers:          |
       |                          |
       |Melee Damage       : -30% |
       |Projectile Damage  : +0%  |
       |Health Points      : -30% |
       |Jousting           : +0%  |
       |                          |
       |Detect Secrets     : Y    |
       |Disarm Traps       : Y    |
       |Light Healing      : N    |
       |Magic              : N    |
       |Pick Locks         : Y    |
       +--------------------------+


~10Wizard

~13Best Equipment: Cudgel, Hardened Leather, Wooden Shield, Sling

~07The wizard is a master of magic.  Although a very poor melee fighter, a
high level wizard can devastate an enemy with magic.  The wizard possesses the
most powerful projectile spell in the form of the Lightning Bolt.
~15
       +--------------------------+
       |Wizard Modifiers:         |
       |                          |
       |Melee Damage       : -40% |
       |Projectile Damage  : +0%  |
       |Health Points      : -50% |
       |Jousting           : -20% |
       |                          |
       |Detect Secrets     : N    |
       |Disarm Traps       : N    |
       |Light Healing      : N    |
       |Magic              : Y    |
       |Pick Locks         : N    |
       +--------------------------+

~10Ranger

~13Best Equipment: Morning Star, Chain Mail, God Shield, Crossbow

~07The ranger is best described as a master of nature.  The ranger is a strong
fighter, both with melee and projectile combat, but has the advantage of being
able to heal light wounds and guide thy party through the wilderness.

A ranger can be instructed to heal any character in thy party.  Using natural
remedies, a ranger will heal a player 1 hp per 5 turns.

A ranger can also guide thy party through the forest, swamp and hills with a
reduced turn penalty.
~15
       +--------------------------+
       |Ranger Modifiers:         |
       |                          |
       |Melee Damage       : +10% |
       |Projectile Damage  : +0%  |
       |Health Points      : +0%  |
       |Jousting           : +30% |
       |                          |
       |Detect Secrets     : N    |
       |Disarm Traps       : N    |
       |Light Healing      : Y    |
       |Magic              : N    |
       |Pick Locks         : N    |
       +--------------------------+

~10Cleric

~13Best Equipment: Morning Star, Chain Mail, Large Shield, Shortbow

~07The cleric is a master of magic.  Unlike the wizard, the cleric spells tend
to concentrate on the divinities, with spells such as healing, curing, and
turning the dead.  The cleric possesses the most lethal group spell in the
form of an Earthquake.  Additionally, the cleric is a solid melee fighter, but
due to religious beliefs, clerics refuse to use weapons with blades.  Instead
they prefer weapons such as the mace and morning star.
~15
       +--------------------------+
       |Cleric Modifiers:         |
       |                          |
       |Melee Damage       : +0%  |
       |Projectile Damage  : +0%  |
       |Health Points      : -10% |
       |Jousting           : -20% |
       |                          |
       |Detect Secrets     : N    |
       |Disarm Traps       : N    |
       |Light Healing      : N    |
       |Magic              : Y    |
       |Pick Locks         : N    |
       +--------------------------+

~10Archer

~13Best Equipment: Sword, Scale Mail, Medium Shield, Heavy Crossbow

~07The archer is a master of projectiles.  An archer will inflict twice the
projectile damage on any target due to mastery of the projectile weapon.
~15
       +--------------------------+
       |Archer Modifiers:         |
       |                          |
       |Melee Damage       : -10% |
       |Projectile Damage  : +100%|
       |Health Points      : -10% |
       |Jousting           : +0%  |
       |                          |
       |Detect Secrets     : N    |
       |Disarm Traps       : N    |
       |Light Healing      : N    |
       |Magic              : N    |
       |Pick Locks         : N    |
       +--------------------------+


~12TRAVELLING THE LAND

~10Turns

~07One turn is deducted for each move a party makes except in the following
terrains where more turns will be deducted:
~11
            Party without      Party with
            a Ranger           a Ranger
~10---------------------------------------
~13Forest~09        3                  2
~13Hills ~09        4                  3
~13Swamp ~09        3                  2

~10Encumbrance~07 will be calculated based on the number of characters in the
party and the amount of equipment carried.  Each character in the party will
be able to carry more equipment based on their level.  Higher level characters
can carry much more than low level characters.  Additionally, each piece of
equipment has an associated encumbrance factor with bigger weapons and armor
particularly heavy and cumbersome

If the encumbrance exceeds 100%, penalty turns will be deducted for movement.

~10Adventurer Encounters

~07Encountering other adventuring parties provides a forum for different types
of interaction.  The following rules apply for such encounters:

~09Both adventurers have an army

~07If both adventurers have an army and if one of them has the other listed as
an enemy, then an army battle will take place.  If neither are listed as an
enemy then the active player will have the option of leaving in peace or
attacking.

~09One adventurer has an army

~07If only one adventurer has an army then this player may attack the other
party in melee combat, take all the gold and possessions (and orb fragments)
or leave the non-army party in peace.

If the army adventurer is controlled by the computer and this adventurer does
not have the non-army party listed as an enemy then the non-army party will be
left in peace, otherwise the non-army part will have their gold and orb
fragments taken.

~09Neither adventurer has an army

~07If neither adventuring party has an army then the active player will have
the choice of attacking the party or leaving them in peace.


~12WILDERNESS/DUNGEON COMMANDS

~10[A]rrange Equipment

~07Weapons, Armor, Shields and Projectiles are arranged using this command.
Note that purchasing items does not automatically ensure their use, and this
command must be used to allocate items to adventurers.

~10[B]uilding an Outpost

~07An outpost may be constructed in any 3x3 patch of open country.  The
outpost cannot be build if it is within 20 moves of another outpost, fort or
castle.  The outpost can be upgraded to a fort and then a castle.  Outposts
can only be build by adventurers that are level 9 or greater.  See the section
on ~09Housing an army~07 for more information on outposts.

~10[C]ast a spell

~07This command allows Wizards and Clerics to cast wilderness spells.

~10[D]eploying an Army

~07This option allows thee to leave thy army at any location.  Adventuring
parties without armies will be able to sneak pass any deployed army without
engaging in combat.  Note that armies cannot be taken into settlements, lairs
or dungeons.

~10[E]xamine Treasure Map

~07This command will display the treasure map.  Treasure maps can be purchased
from travelling pirates.  The map can be viewed when desired and only one map
may be held at any time.  When thou reaches the treasure location, hit 5 to
look for the treasure.

~10[H]ealing Potions

~07Healing potions are a valuable asset for an adventuring party, especially
those that do not contain a Cleric.  Healing potions cost 100 gp and they heal
approximately 70hp and cure all poison.  Make sure thy party carries many
healing potions before embarking on an exploration mission.

~10[I]gnite Torch

~07Torches may be ignited using this command.  See ~09Illumination~07 in the
dungeon section for more information on torches.

~10[M]ap display

~07A map of the local area can be displayed by viewing a map gem.  Map gems
are particularly rare and can only be found in dungeons.  Gems are a single
use item and will degenerate within minutes after being exposed to light.
Gems require sunlight to operate.  Consequently, gems cannot be used in
dungeons or lairs.

~10[N]atural Healing

~07An adventuring party with a ranger will be able to instruct the Ranger to
heal a nominated member of thy party.  The Ranger will use natural medicine to
slowly heal the player back to full strength.  Those parties with two rangers
will heal any one character at twice the normal rate.

~10[O]pen items

~07Armories and treasure chests must be opened so that their contents may be
claimed.

~10[P]arty Fight Order

~07This command allows the party combat order to be nominated.

~10[R]etire

~07The retire function will allow thy party to make camp and sleep.  Note that
parties that sleep outdoors or in a dungeon/lair will be visible to other
players and will often be encountered.

~10[S]end Online Message

~07Other adventurers who are currently travelling through Arrowbridge II can
be contacted by sending them an online message, carried by a pigeon.

~10[T]oggle Auto Gold Collect

~07The auto gold collect function, when ON, will automatically collect gold
when found in the wilderness or in a dungeon.  When OFF, the adventurer will
be asked to indicate how much gold should be collected.

~10[V]iew statistics

~07The statistics of the adventuring party are displayed using this command.

~10[W]ho is in Arrowbridge II

~07This command will list the current adventuring parties that are active in
Arrowbridge II and show their current status (travelling, combat, settlement,
dungeon).


~12COMBAT

~10The number of actions per round

~07The number of actions per round depends upon several factors.

1. If the level of the enemy is greater than the level of the main character
in thy party then the enemy will receive bonus moves each round.  The converse
is true for party members.

2. If the enemy is fleeing due to poor health then the adventuring party will
receive bonus rounds due to the slowness of the damaged enemy.  The converse
is true for party members.

3. If the enemy is a flying creature (eg. bat, eagle), a dragon, or a mammal
(eg. dog, wolf, boar), then the creature will receive bonus moves.

~10Melee (Hand-to-Hand) Combat

~07The chance of hitting an opponent during melee combat depends upon thy
weapon factor, thy level, the level of thy enemy and the armour factor of thy
enemy.  The higher the weapon factor and the higher thy level, the higher
chance thou has of striking thy opponent.

The damage inflicted is proportional to the weapon factor, thy level and thy
class.

~10Projectile Combat

~07The chance of hitting an opponent with a projectile weapon (other than
magical spells) depends upon the distance the projectile will travel and the
shield factor of thy enemy.  The shorter the distance and the lower the shield
factor of thy enemy, the higher chance thou has of striking thy opponent.

The damage inflicted is proportional to the weapon factor.

~10Weapon and Armor Life

~07Weapons and armor may shatter during combat, especially when high levels of
damage are inflicted.  The chance of an item breaking is reduced for the more
expensive items.  Note that magical items (+1, +2, +3 items) will never
shatter.

~12LEVEL ADVANCEMENT

~10----------------------------
~11   Level     Experience
~10----------------------------
~09    1         0
    2         10
    3         60
    4         140
    5         290
    6         550
    7         1020
    8         1860
    9         3360
    10        6040
    11        10840
    12        19440
    13        34840
    14        62390
    15        111710
    16        200000
    17        400000
    18        600000
    19        800000
    20        1000000
~10----------------------------

~12SETTLEMENTS

~10[A]rmy

~07Guards, Knights, Bowmen and Catapults may be purchased at any city by any
adventurer level 9 or greater.

~10[B]ank

~07A branch of Arrowbank can be found in any city.  Each branch will allow
thee to withdraw gold from thy own account, deposit gold to thy account,
transfer gold to the account of another adventurer or apply for a loan.

All funds that remain in the account will earn 0.5% interest per day.
Borrowings will incur interest expenses of 2% per day.

~10[C]hurch

~07Churches are found in all cities.  They provide a place for characters to
improve their virtues.

        ~11Donating Gold
        
        ~07Donating gold to a church will have a positive effect on one's
        alignment.  The increase in alignment is proportional to the amount
        of the donation and the main character's level, ie. one alignment
        point will require LV^3 gold pieces.  Note: A level 10 character
        donating 50 gold will not result in any advancement of alignment!
        
        ~11Praying
        
        ~07Thy adventurer may pray for several turns in order to increase thy
        alignment.
        
        ~11Removal of Curses
        
        ~07The church offers curse removal to those unlucky enough to be
        struck by a magical curse.
        
        ~11Resurrection
        
        ~07Resurrection of dead party members can be performed at the
        churches.  Such a service demands a serious contribution to the
        church funds.

~10[G]amble

~07The roulette chamber is a popular place for adventurers to gather.  New
adventuring parties have been known to win small fortunes on the roulette
table.

~10[H]ealing, Curing and Resurrection

~07Healers can be found in all settlements and offer healing, poison curing,
disease curing and healing potions.  In Inter-BBS mode, healers can also be
paid to cast Black Clouds on other systems.  The black cloud will cover the
system in a dark cloud for several days and will cause the monsters on that
system to be more powerful.  The black cloud will also take an additional turn
for player movement.  Zombre has been known to cast black clouds on thy system
from time to time.

~10[I]nn

~07Inns provide safe refuge for adventuring parties and are scattered
throughout the land.  The following commands are available at an Inn.

        ~11Bribe the Inn Keeper - ~07The Inn Keeper may be bribed to provide
        the key of a party sleeping in a ~06compact~07 room.  The keeper will
        only supply the key if the owner of the settlement deems the status
        of those sleeping is that of ~06neutral~07.  All those sleeping in
        solitary inns, towns or cities are considered neutral as there is no
        official owner of these settlements.  If a sleeping party is attacked
        during the night, and they are successful in defeating their
        attackers, then the party that attacked them will not be given the
        key again for a second attempt.  This is usually the result when the
        sleeping party confronts the Inn Keeper, often with a cutlass to his
        throat, inquiring as to how the attacking party managed to get the
        key to their room!
        
        ~11Compact Room - ~07This type of room is cheaper to rent, but prone
        to having people break in while thy party sleeps, unless thou art a
        ~06friend, alliance or partner~07 of the owner of the fort/castle.
        
        ~11Secure Room - ~07Although they cost a ten times more, this room
        cannot be broken into by any other party.  The only exception to this
        is if thou art sleeping in a fort/castle and the ruler decides to pay
        thee a visit.


~10[J]ousts & Duels

~13Jousts

~07The jousting arena permits adventurers to enter into combat in a friendly
environment.

        ~11Buy/Sell a Horse and Lance
        
        ~07Before one can joust, a horse and lance must be purchased.  The
        better the horse and lance, the more chance of striking thy opponent.
        Quality lances will inflict more damage on thy opponent.
        
        ~11Choose representative
        
        ~07Any member of thy party may joust.  However, Knights and Rangers
        are particularly adept at jousting.  High level players are also
        known to out-perform their lower level counterparts.
        
        ~11Joust an opponent
        
        ~07Thou may joust a set amount of different opponents per day.
        Common law states that thou must be no more than 4 levels higher than
        the main character of the jousting opponent.
        
        During competition, thou may aim at thy opponent's:
        
        ~13Head~07 - More difficult to hit, but seriously reduces thy
        opponent's stamina when successful (best attempted when losing the
        competition)
        
        ~13Chest~07 - East to hit, but moderately reduces the stamina of thy
        opponent
        
        The gold prize that is made available is dependant upon spectator
        numbers, which in turn, depends on the level of the jousting
        representatives.
        
        ~11View jousting statistics
        
        ~07This function shows thy current jousting record

~13Duels

~07The stadium provides an audience for ~06duels~07.  Thou may fight any
player in a 1-on-1 battle to the death.  Potions have been banned in duel
competition.  However, great amounts of gold can be won when thou art
successful.  If thou art unlucky enough to be slain, thy corpse will be
revived by the stadium priests for free.  Thou may duel opponents on other
systems where Inter-BBS operation is available.


~10[L]ibrary

~07The library provides the following functions:

        ~11About Arrowbridge II - ~07This provides a list of all new features
        that have been added to Arrowbridge II.
        
        ~11Bounties - ~07Other adventurers may be offering large quantities
        of gold to those that kill a nominated player.  This function shows
        the current bounty offerings and allows a player to add to the
        bounties.  Bounties will also be claimed by thee if thy assassin
        kills a player with a bounty on their head.  Large bounties will also
        attract high level bounty hunters, often in groups with bounties over
        500000gp featuring groups of up to 5 bounty hunters.  The average
        level of the bounty hunters increases with the amount of the bounty,
        up to 1 million gp.
        
        ~11Enemies and Allies - ~07An adventurer may set thy status with all
        other players.  The following describes each status level:
        
               ~06Enemy - ~07Players will not be able to heal or sleep at the
               fort/castle where they have an enemy status.  Additionally,
               enemies that are encountered in the wilderness will
               automatically engage for combat.
               
               ~06Neutral - ~07Neutral players have no advantages.  This is
               the default setting for all adventuring parties.
               
               ~06Friend - ~07Players will be able to sleep in complete safety
               in any castle at which they have been granted friend status.
               When encountering a player in the wilderness that has thou set
               as a friend, they will not engage in combat.
               
               ~06Alliance - ~07Players will be able to heal, cure, resurrect
               and sleep for free in any fort/castle where they have alliance
               status.  Allies encountered in the wilderness will not engage
               in combat.
               
               ~06Partner - ~07Partnerships are very powerful indeed.  A
               partner has all of the abilities of those with an alliance
               status, but can also change the defending army, construct
               defences, send henchmen, change the name & flag and access the
               treasury at any outpost/fort/castle owned by a partner.  This
               status should only be given to those most trusted companions.
               
               ~07When operating in ~06Inter-BBS mode~07, the system leader
               may set the status of other systems in the league.  The
               following describes each status level:
               
               ~06Enemy - ~07Players of a system with an enemy status will not
               be able to heal or sleep at a fort/castle owned by a local
               player.
               
               ~06Neutral - ~07Neutral players have no advantages.  This is
               the default setting for all systems.
               
               ~06Friend - ~07Players of a system with a friend status will be
               able to sleep in complete safety in any castle which is owned
               by a local player.  Tax collectors and patrols will not hinder
               players on systems with Friend status.
               
               ~06Alliance - ~07Players of a system with an alliance status
               will be able to heal, cure, resurrect and sleep for free in any
               fort/castle which is owned by a local player. Tax collectors
               and patrols will not hinder players on systems with Alliance
               status.
               
        ~11Game Configuration - ~07This feature shows the number of turns,
        maximum time, jousts/duels permitted per day and the minimum distance
        between castles.  It also shows the current location of the seven Orb
        fragments.
        
        ~11Leave an item - ~07Any item that has been purchased or discovered
        in a dungeon or any Orb Fragment may be left for another party using
        this command.  This feature also facilitates trading.  Items gained
        on special missions cannot be traded.
        
        ~11Network List - ~07The list of all players is available when
        operating in the Inter-BBS mode.
        
        ~11Obituaries - ~07This shows a list of deaths and how the
        unfortunate souls were slain.
        
        ~11Post a message - ~07Post a message to a one adventurer or all
        adventurers.  Thou can post messages to entire systems when operating
        in Inter-BBS mode.
        
        ~11Show Outstanding Attacks - ~07This shows a list of the attacks
        that you have sent to other systems and which have not yet reached
        their destination.  These attacks will be returned to thee after a 14
        day period has elapsed.  (Inter-BBS mode only)
        
        ~11Top Adventurers - ~07This shows a list of the top adventurers
        throughout the history of the game.
        
        ~11Vote for Leader - ~07This allow thee to set thy preference for
        leader of the system. (Inter-BBS mode only)
        

~10[M]arine Equipment

~07Ketches (10000gp), frigates (50000gp) and sextants may be purchased from
selected seaside settlements.  Ketches are smaller and cheaper versions of a
frigate.  Ketches have a weaker hull and they will certainly sink if they
strike a reef whereas a frigate has a 2 in 3 chance of surviving a reef
crossing.  Also ketches, due to their smaller size, cannot carry any form of
army.

~10[R]uler Commands

~07See the section on ~13armies, outposts, forts and castles~07 for
information on the ruler commands.

~10[S]tore

~07Weapons, armor, shields, projectiles and torches may be purchased from the
store.

~10[T]ravel

~07In any city, thou can arrange travel to another city for 1000 gold.  This
feature is only available in the cities of the land.

~10[W]izard's Portal

~07In order to remove all evidence of law and order, Zombre Bryan banished the
Wizard Merxon to a parallel plane of existence.  Recently, loyal followers
have set up portals in all major cities so that the Wizard may be contacted.

An adventurer should contact the Wizard regularly to be granted any special
missions that Merxon may offer.

~10[Y]e Old Tavern

~07The tavern is a major source of important information.  Those that visit
the tavern may get the chance to converse with the locals, even possibly
encouraging members to join their adventuring party.  Tipping the barman 1 or
2 gold can also yield valuable information.

Assassins and destructors can be hired in the taverns of the major cities of
the land. Assassins can be sent to assassinate any player.  Assassins will
attack their target one-on-one.  Destructors are available for Inter-BBS
operation and will attack all players on a given system.  Assassins and
destructors use poison on all their weapons.  Assassins level 10 or greater
have mastered advanced poison which can paralyse their target for several
rounds.


~12DUNGEONS & LAIRS

~07There are nine dungeons scattered throughout the land and several lairs.
The dungeons and lairs have been classified according to their complexity.  A
Class 1 dungeon is fairly simple, with few, if any, secret passages.  A Class
6 dungeon will feature hundreds of secret passages, one-way secret passages
and trapdoors.  Such dungeons are for the experienced adventurer only.

Dungeons and lairs are the primary source of collecting gold.  All new
adventurers are best served if they enter a dungeon immediately.

Each dungeon or lair may feature the following:

~10Altars

~07Enscribed on the altar of the dungeon is one of the nine secret runes.
These runes are the key to unlocking Zombre's fortress. In order to protect
them, Zombre has placed evil beasts at each altar.  Note that only dungeons
contain altars that are inscribed with runes.

~10Armories

~07Armories contain weapons, armor, shields, projectiles, gems, potions and
torches.  It has been reported that some lucky adventurers have found magical
items in armories, found in the bottom of dungeons/lairs.

~10Fountains

~07Fountains found in dungeons and lairs are very beneficial to a party of
adventurers.  These fountains are always pure as poisons quickly fade in the
darkness.

~10Illumination

~07Dungeons and lairs are places of damp and darkness.  In order to explore
these evil places, an adventuring party needs to provide their own source of
illumination.  The most popular form comes from torches, which can be
purchased at any settlement for 10gp.

If thy party has a wizard, then light can be provided using the torchlight
spell.  However, it is still recommended to always carry spare torches in case
the wizard perishes in battle.

Additionally, Orb fragment 3 will provide constant illumination when it is in
thy possession.

~10Locked Doors

~07Locked doors can be opened either by using a key or using a thief to pick
the lock.  Thieves can pick locked doors provided that their level is greater
than or equal to the dungeon level.

~10Secret Passages

~07Secret passages may take the form of one-way and two-way secret passages.
A thief is the only player that can detect secret passages.  Other adventurers
may find secret passages by attempting to walk-through walls.

~10Trapdoors

~07Trapdoors are hidden in the floor of dungeons.  When a trapdoor is crossed
by thy party, thou will be dropped to a lower floor in the dungeon.

~10Treasure Chests

~07Treasure chests provide adventuring parties with precious gold.  However,
around 15% of all chests feature traps that will cause instant damage to the
adventurer opening the chest and minor damage to the party.  Only two methods
will overcome these hazards:

(i) Thieves will automatically disarm traps provided that their level is
greater than the current dungeon level or

(ii) Wizards that cast an Open Chest spell will not activate the trap


~12ARMIES, OUTPOSTS, FORTS AND CASTLES

~10Building Armies

~07Armies can be purchased from any city.  Three types of men and projectiles
can be purchased:

        ~11Guards - ~07Guards make up the bulk of an army.
        
        ~11Knights (1 Knight is equal to 6 Guards when attacking and 3 Guards
        when defending) - ~07Knights are very effective when laying siege to
        a fortress or when attacking another army.
        
        ~11Bowmen (1 Bowman is equal to 2 Guards when attacking, 2 Guards
        when defending and 6 Guards when defending an outpost, fort or
        castle) - ~07Bowmen provide a very effective defence.  Bowmen will
        remain at the rear of the battle, firing on the enemy.  Bowmen are
        not well suited when attacking another army or fortress.

        ~11Catapults - ~07Catapults are only used when laying siege to an
        outpost, fort or castle.  The catapults fire on the structure,
        causing structural damage and destroying walls and cannon turrets.
        The defending army bonus decreases as the structure damage increases.
        Catapults can be controlled during a battle and can be either
        actively engaged or unused.  Due to their cumbersome size, 1 extra
        turn will be deducted for each catapult when travelling the
        wilderness.  ~09Catapults have no value in attacking an army.

~10Army battles

~07Army battles occur when two armies meet in the wilderness or when laying
siege to a castle.

~10Housing an army

~07An outpost, fort or castle makes an effective place to house thy army due
to the defence bonus.  An outpost may be constructed in any 3x3 patch of open
country.  The outpost cannot be constructed within a certain distance from
another outpost, fort or castle.  This distance is shown as the ~15Distance
Between Castles ~07in the [G]ame configuration in the [L]ibrary.

Outposts that are constructed in Inter-BBS mode must be granted building
approval from the co-ordinating system (BBS #1).  In such an event, it may
take several days before construction will be approved and completed.

The outpost can then be upgraded to a fort and eventually a castle.

The following shows the services available at each:

~11            Outpost     Fort       Castle
~03------------------------------------------
~09 Army Bonus  ~13+10%        +20%       +30%
~09 Healer      ~13No          Yes        Yes
~09 Inn         ~13Yes         Yes        Yes
~09 Store       ~13No          No         Yes
~09 Treasury    ~13Yes         Yes        Yes
~09 Henchmen    ~13No          No         Yes
~09 Patrols     ~13No          No         Yes
~09 Tavern      ~13No          No         Yes
~09 Tax Revenue ~13none        1k-2k      2k-5k
~03------------------------------------------

~07The army bonus is only valid for a structure with no damage.  This bonus
will reduce proportionally to 0 when the structure is 100% damaged.  When 100%
damaged is reached, the structure will be destroyed.  Damage is repaired
automatically at a rate of 10% per day.

Armies will cost 0.2 gold per man per day to be fed and housed in an outpost,
fort or castle.  This will be deducted from the treasury.  If there are
insufficient funds in the treasury then approximately 5% of the army per day
will abandon their post.

Plagues may affect some outposts, forts or castles.  Plagues will be carried
into the castle at random and will cause a percentage of men to perish.
Nothing can be done to prevent plagues.

~12CASTLE COMMANDS

~10[B]attle Adviser

~07A battle adviser is available for castle owners.  The adviser will allow
battles to be simulated prior to committing thy troops.

~10[C]onstructions

~07The following facilities can be constructed:

        ~11Wall - ~07A wall increases the defence factor of a castle by 5%
        
        ~11Moat - ~07A moat increases the defence factor of a castle by 10%
        
        ~11Cannon Turrets - ~07Cannon turrets fire on armies that are laying
        siege to thy castle.  Cannons are very effective defence mechanisms
        and thy enemy will suffer heavy losses.  Cannons will first fire on
        the catapults of thy enemy, then on the bowmen and finally on the
        guards. (Castles Only)
        
        ~11Barracks - ~07Barracks will automatically train peasants to be
        Guards, Knights and Bowmen for thy castle army. (Castles Only)
        
        ~11Patrols - ~07A Patrol Centre will allow groups of guards to patrol
        the immediate area around thy castle.  Any adventurer that enters
        within a given distance from the castle may encounter the patrol.
        The size of the patrol will be determined by the [P]atrol centre
        settings. If the patrol encounters an adventurer without an army, and
        if the adventurer is not a ~06friend, alliance or partner~07, then
        the adventurer will have all of their gold taken as a tribute.  If
        the patrol encounters an unfriendly army then they will immediately
        engage the army. (Castles Only)
        
~10[D]efending Army

~07The defending army is the army that will defend when the fortress is
attacked.

Note that any party with a ~06partner~07 status can remove men from the
defending army.

~10[E]vent Log

~07The event log shows castle army costs, treasury interest, taxation,
training results and a list of adventurers that have visited thy castle.

~10[F]lag design

~07The flag design of the fortress can be changed at any time using this
command. Note that any party with a ~06partner~07 status can change the flag
design.

~10[H]enchman

~07A henchman can be sent after any player for 20000gp.  This henchman is
equivalent to a level 13 assassin. Note that any party with a ~06partner~07
status can send a henchman from thy castle.

~10[N]ame

~07The fortress name can be changed using this command.  Note that any party
with a ~06partner~07 status can change the name of the fortress.

~10[P]atrol Centre

~07The size and number of guards assigned to patrols can be changed using this
command.  Guards need to be added to the patrol pool before the patrols will
be activated.  Note that any party with a ~06partner~07 status can change the
patrols.

~10[S]teal from treasury

~07Any party may attempt to steal from a castle treasury.  The maximum amount
of gold that can be stolen successfully is LV^2 * 10.  A thief can steal 10
times this amount.  Each attempt to steal will take 50 turns.

The success of the stealing depends upon the type of creature that has been
employed by the owner to protect the treasury.  See ~06Treasury Guard~07
below.

Note that any attempt to steal greater than this amount or to try to steal
more than the contents of the treasury will result in guaranteed imprisonment
for 500 turns.  After spending time in the dungeon, the thieving party will be
kicked out of the castle into the wilderness.  The castle owner will also be
notified of thy failed attempt to steal.

~10[T]reasury

~07The treasury provides 1% interest on all funds invested.  The treasury
capacity is limited to 1 million gold pieces.  Note that any adventurer with a
~06partner~07 status can add/remove gold from the treasury.
        
        ~11Treasury Guard - ~07There are several treasury guards (listed
        below) that can be posted to protect the treasury from thieves.
        These guards will not attack any adventurer attempting to steal, but
        will notify the castle guard.  Adventurers caught stealing will lose
        500 turns.

         ~03Detection Chances (Probability of Failure) :-

        ~12Creature     Normal   L10 Thief  L20 Thief
        ~03-------------------------------------------
        ~11none         ~135%       0%         0%
        ~11Troll        ~1320%      0%         0%
        ~11Elf          ~1340%      0%         0%
        ~11Wolf         ~1360%      20%        0%
        ~11Gargoyle     ~1380%      60%        40%
        ~11Baby Dragon  ~1395%      90%        85%
        ~03-------------------------------------------
        
        ~11Tax Rate - ~07A tax collector may be hired at forts and castles to
        collect funds from both the peasants of the land and other
        adventurers.  The tax income from the peasants will be proportional
        to the type of structure that has been constructed and credited to
        the treasury on a daily basis.  Tax will be collected from any
        adventurer that stumbles within the domain of thy fort or castle and
        will be taxed at the rate set by the ruler.  If the tax rate is 20%
        then the adventurers will be asked to pay 20% of the gold that they
        are carrying at the time.  If the adventurer pays, then this income
        will be credited to the treasury.  If the adventurer chooses to fight
        then the tax collector and his six treasury guards will engage in
        combat.  It is recommended to keep the tax rate to 15%-20% since folk
        will often pay taxes at this rate rather than killing thy collector.
        Tax collectors will not collect gold from those that are ~06friends,
        allies~07 or ~06partners~07 of the ruler, nor will they attempt to
        collect gold from adventurers over level 13.  However, there is a
        slight chance that an adventurer of high level may stumble across a
        tax collector engaged in the tax collection of peasants.
        
        Note that any adventurer with a ~06partner~07 status can hire tax
        collectors and set tax rates.

~10[W]here's thy castle?

~07This function lists all outposts, forts and castles owned by thee.  It also
lists their type, coordinates, current tax rate and patrol pool.

~10[*] Give Away Structure

~07This function allows the Outpost, Fort or Castle to be given to any other
player. Note that any adventurer with a ~06partner~07 status can hire tax
collectors and set tax rates.


~12MAGIC

~10Wizard Spells

~11Torchlight            MP: 5     [Wilderness]

~07The torchlight spell provides a convenient way of illuminating the dungeons
and lairs.

~11Open Chest            MP: 7     [Wilderness]

~07The open chest spell will shield the party from any chest trap.

~11Magic Missile         MP: 7     [Combat]

~07The magic missile is the Wizard's main combat spell.  It is inexpensive to
cast and never misses.  The damage incurred by a magic missile spell is
proportional to the Wizard's level.

~11Sleep                 MP: 8     [Combat]

~07The sleep spell, fired as a projectile, will bind thy enemy in slumber.
Thy enemy has a 1 in (thy level - enemy level + 2) chance to break the sleep
spell per round.  This spell is very useful for 1-on-1 combat, especially
during duels.

~11Fireflash             MP: 50    [Combat]

~07The fireflash spell is a group spell which will damage all enemies in the
combat area.  This spell is particularly effective against high numbers of
lower level monsters.

~11Lightning Bolt        MP: 50    [Combat]

~07The lightning bolt is the most powerful projectile in the land.  When cast,
it will cause significant damage to the recipient.

~11Mystic Shield         MP: 70    [Combat]

~07The Mystic Shield will double the effectiveness of thy defense against
melee attack.  The Mystic Shield can only be cast on thy self.

~11Disease               MP: 100   [Wilderness]

~07The disease spell, when cast on thy opponent, will reduce the maximum
health points of each party member by 30%.  The disease can be cured by a
~06Dispel Magic~07 or by the healers located in settlements.  A potion will
not cure any diseased character.

~11Dispel Magic          MP: 130   [Wilderness]

~07The Dispel Magic will remove all curses and diseases cast on thy party
members.

~11Wizard's Eye          MP: 160   [Wilderness]

~07The wizard's eye spell provides a map of the surrounding area in the same
way a map gem does.  The wizard's eye spell uses most of the magical power of
the wizard as he/she is required to leave their own body and make an ghostly
transition to survey the surrounding areas.


~10Cleric Spells

~11Cure                  MP: 5     [Wilderness]

~07The cure spell removes all traces of poison from the body of an adventurer.

~11Awaken                MP: 8     [Combat]

~07The awaken spell will immediately revive those that have fallen asleep due
to magic.  The awaken spell will not cure paralysis.

~11Heal                  MP: 30    [Wilderness/Combat]

~07The heal spell will regenerate the health points of any character in thy
party.

~11Turn Dead             MP: 10    [Combat]

~07The turn dead spell, when cast on any undead creatures, will cause them
damage and make them flee in terror.  The spell is most effective on those
monsters that are of lower level than the caster.  Damage done is proportional
to the level of the caster.  Undead creatures include skeletons, zombies,
ghouls, banshees, wights, wraiths, vampires and liches.

~11Holy Blast            MP: 16    [Combat]

~07The Holy Blast is the only projectile spell of the Cleric.  It is
inexpensive to cast and never misses.  The damage incurred by a Holy Blast is
proportional to the level of the caster.

~11Earthquake            MP: 70    [Combat]

~07The earthquake spell is the most powerful of all offensive spells.  It
causes huge rifts to open in the ground and swallow up thy enemy.

~11Curse                 MP: 120   [Wilderness]

~07The curse, when cast on thy opponent, will reduce the melee attack defence
and damage inflicted by 30% and will affect each party member.  The curse can
be removed by a ~06Dispel Magic~07 or by the priests in the churches.

~11Dispel Magic          MP: 130   [Wilderness]

~07The Dispel Magic will remove all curses and diseases cast on thy party
members.

~11Resurrect             MP: 140   [Wilderness]

~07The resurrect spell will summon the powers of the gods to revive the life
of a fallen comrade.  This spell drains most of the magical energy from the
cleric due to the intense power required to summon the deities.


~12THE ORB FRAGMENTS

~07Each fragment of the Orb of Tabian has magical powers as discussed below.
There is only one of each Orb fragment in the land. The status of each Orb
Fragment can be seen in the [G]ame Configuration menu of the [L]ibrary.  Lost
Orb Fragments can be found scattered across the land.  If a particular
fragment is owned by another character then they must be slain to obtain it.
If thy party is slain, thy orb fragment will be randomly scattered.

Additionally, any party carrying an Orb fragment will be hunted down by the
Guardians of Darkness.  These foul undead creatures tend to strike when thy
party sleeps, beware!

~10Fragment 1

~07Fragment 1 gives thy party more strength.  This will result in all party
members inflicting 50% more damage on an enemy.

~10Fragment 2

~07Fragment 2 gives thy party 30% more protection.  This will result in all
party members being more difficult to strike.

~10Fragment 3

~07Fragment 3 gives thy party extra perception.  This will lead to all party
members awaking instantly if placed in slumber during combat.  This fragment
will also emit a faint glow in the darkness making the need for torches and
illumination magic unnecessary.

~10Fragment 4

~07Fragment 4 gives thy party 30% extra dexterity.  This enables party members
to strike thy enemy more often and avoid projectiles.  It also assists thieves
in picking locks provided that their level+3 is greater than or equal to the
dungeon level.

~10Fragment 5

~07Fragment 5 assists the magic regeneration of the magic users in thy party.
Magic points will regenerate at twice the normal rate.

~10Fragment 6

~07Fragment 6 increases the effectiveness of thy army by 20%.

~10Fragment 7

~07Fragment 7 provides natural healing for all party members.  Members that
have been injured will gradually heal back to full health as thy party
travels.


~12THE FORTRESS OF ZOMBRE BRYAN

~07The Fortress of Zombre Bryan is usually heavily guarded by his black orc
armies.  These beasts must be defeated before entry into the fortress is
permitted.  Zombre’s orc armies can also be found scouring the land.  Any
player slaying a group of orcs or an orc army will receive 20gp per orc from
the local sheriff.  The Orc armies may attack castles of adventurers.  Those
adventurers that have attacked Zombre or his armies will be prime targets.

The fortress, once owned by King Tabian, has been heavily fortified by Zombre
during his occupation.  Zombre has ensured that entry into the fortress will
be impossible.  However, Merxon is aware of a secret back-door which used by
the Knights of the old King.  This door may be unlocked using the nine secret
runes and the Moonstone.

The nine secret runes can be found in the altars of the nine dungeons.  The
great Abyss is believed to be the final resting place for the Moonstone.  This
artefact is the final key to the fortress.  The location of the Abyss is
uncertain, but it is believed to be located in the mountains of the land.  The
wizard Merxon will alert thee when the Abyss opens.

ARROWBRIDGE I
                           THE QUEST FOR THE ORB

                (C)opyright Gargoyle Productions, 1991-98
                      ANSI Title by Jeffrey Itzstein

*PREFACE

Arrowbridge is a game based on Dungeons & Dragons but is far simpler,
and at the same time far more complicated.  The game is designed to be as
realistic as possible without making it unplayable.  The most enjoyable
aspect of the game is the ability to compete with up to one hundred other
REAL players and other Bulletin Board Systems.  Players that sleep in the
wilderness can be encountered by live players and the program will act on
their behalf.  The game can be played instantly by beginners as it is very
simple for low level players and particularly easy to play even if the user
has never played any form of role playing game.  Once a player has reached
higher levels the game becomes particularly complex as players have to juggle
armies, castles, groups, taxation, assassins, and many other features.  All
in all, there is something for everyone!

Note: Unregistered versions do not permit the purchase of riders & knights
and players will not be able to advance to level 10.  Registration is
inexpensive - see the sysop.doc file for more information.

*HISTORY OF ARROWBRIDGE

Five thousand years ago an evil wizard named Zombre Bryan dominated the
land.  This barbaric ruler was thought to have been incarnated by Lucifer
himself.  His great powers caused lakes and rivers to dry up, crops died
and the land became totally infertile.  Over three quarters of the
villagers perished in less than four years and his great armies murdered
those who would not (and could not) pay their excessively high taxes.

Prince Tabian, son of the murdered king, formed an army of lawless
resolutes, which, with the aid of the mystic orb created by the wizard
Merxon, finally became known as the Legion of Arrowbridge.  The Legion
hunted the armies of Zombre Bryan for several decades and finally destroyed
his empire.  The evil wizard disappeared a few months prior to his armies'
extinction and has never been seen again.

Recently, there has been renewed interest in the realms of Arrowbridge
by the forces of evil.  Mystics all over the land report evidence of
increasing evil presence.  The Orb of Tabian also, has been missing for
over one thousand years and there is growing concern that its mighty power
may cause the destruction of all that reside in the land if it is
discovered.  A call has gone out by the wizard Merxon for a champion to
rid the land of the evil invaders and reclaim the lost Orb!


*CHARACTER CLASSES

There are four classes available to thee.  The capabilities of each class
are shown below:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Class : KNIGHT

Best Weapon : Two-Handed Sword         Best Projectile : Crossbow
Best Armour : Full Plate               Best Shield     : God

Moves Per Day : standard

*Special Abilities -

Strength - A Knight is the strongest character class.  A Knight will
inflict more damage per hit in combat, have a higher maximum
health point count, and will be able to carry more equipment than 
other class of similar level and will defend more effectively.

Powerblow - A Knight will be able to use a special ability called the
Powerblow once every (20-level) combat rounds.  When an enemy is struck
with a Powerblow, double damage will be inflicted.

Army Command - A Knight will receive a 15% bonus on the strength of any
army that they command.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Class : THIEF

Best Weapon : Short-sword              Best Projectile : Crossbow
Best Armour : Ring Mail                Best Shield     : Small

Moves Per Day : (1+level/20) times that of other classes

*Special Abilities -

Concealment - Thieves will not be visible to other players when travelling
in the wilderness unless accompanied by an army.

Perception - Thieves will be able to use their acute sense of perception
to detect most secret passages automatically in dungeons.

Agility - Thieves can avoid projectiles with greater ease and are typically
very difficult to strike.  A thief can also travel far greater distances
in a single day.  Thieves begin combat rounds at greater distances from
the enemy and will often have extra combat rounds.

Backstab - The first attack of a thief will incur in excess of double the
usual damage due to the backstab ability.

Steal - Thieves can steal gold from castle treasuries.  The amount they are
capable of stealing is (level^2)*20 but if funds are insufficient or if
the guards are particularly alert then they will be caught.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Class : WIZARD

Best Weapon : Mace                     Best Projectile : Sling   
Best Armour : Hardened Leather         Best Shield     : Wooden

Moves Per Day : standard

*Special Abilities -

Magic - Wizards are masters of magic and can cast many powerful spells.  A
high level wizard is a very powerful adversary!  The ability to heal makes
a wizard difficult to defeat.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Class : RANGER

Best Weapon : Two-Handed Sword         Best Projectile : Crossbow
Best Armour : Full Plate               Best Shield     : Dragon

Moves Per Day : standard

*Special Abilities -

Non-offensive magic - Rangers have mastered some non-offensive spells to
assist them in their adventures.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*LEVEL AND EXPERIENCE

Experience is accumulated by killing monsters that threaten thee or through
army battles.  Thy level will be promoted automatically when thy experience
is sufficient.  However, once level eight is reached, further advancement
will only be granted after completion of a special mission.


*GOLD

Gold can be found scattered around the land, by killing monsters or by
raiding the burial chambers located in graveyards.


*SETTLEMENT COMMANDS

Within each settlement the following options will be available:

[A]rmy - Armies may be purchased by adventurers of any level.  Riders and
Knights can be purchased only from special settlements.

[B]ank - Which Bank?  Arrowbank!  Options include:

  [C]urrent Balance - Shows thy bank balance (gains 1% interest per day)
  [D]eposit         - Deposit into thine account or another's.
  [L]oans           - Borrow gold for purchases (5% interest per day)
  [W]ithdraw        - Withdraw from thy account.

[C]astle Commands - Access the commands for castle owners or when
laying seige to a castle.  [See "Castle Commands" for more information]

[G]amble - Enter the roulette chamber and gamble thy gold!  Note: The
maximum amount of gold that can be gambled in any one bet is 20000 gp.

[H]eal - Heal thy wounds and cure thy poison.

[L]ibrary - The library contains valuable information, past and present.
The library functions are as follows:

   [I]nstructions - This document!

   [L]ist of Adventurers - Displays a ranked list of adventurers in this
   land of Arrowbridge.

   [N]etwork List - Displays a sorted list of networked adventurers.

   [P]ost Message - Send another adventurer a message on the noticeboard.
   Messages may be posted to other systems when operating in an
   Inter-BBS mode.

   [T]op Adventurers - Displays a list of adventurers who have advanced
   considerably in the history of the game.

   [W]ho is in Arrowbridge - Shows adventurers currently in the land
   of Arrowbridge and their activity.

[P]otions - Healing potions are available from towns.  They can be
particularly helpful when travelling far from a settlement.  At least
one potion should be carried at all times.  Potions will also cure thy
poison.

[R]etire to Inn - Sleep in safety.  An inn is 100% safe from intruders.

[S]tore - Purchase weapons, armour, projectiles, shields and torches.

[T]avern - Important information can be gained from those in the tavern!
Not only do taverns produce some of the finest ale in the land, but many
interesting characters can be found in the taverns dotted throughout the 
realm.  Visit taverns often.  Beware: thou must not drink too much.

*The Noticeboard

A noticeboard will be displayed upon entry into any settlement if 
there are any messages for thee.


*COMBAT COMMANDS

Combat takes place when an enemy is encountered.  It is performed on a
round-by-round basis.  As thy level increases, thou will be able to perform
more attacks in a single round when attacking lower level enemies.

[A]ttack - Attack thine enemy with thy melee weapon.

[C]ast - Allows wizards and rangers to cast combat spells.

[D]rink - Drink a healing potion for extra health and poison curing.

[F]ire - Fires a projectile at thine enemy.  The chance of a standard
projectile missing is proportional to the distance that the projectile
must travel.  Projectiles cannot be fired when adjacent to thy enemy.
Projectiles may occasionally strike thy opponent as a critical hit - for
example, penetrating an eye, and in such cases much more damage will be
inflicted.

[1-9] - Movement commands.  Use thy keypad and ensure Num Lock is ON!

Note that melee and projectile weapons may only be used if they have been
previously arranged by the [A]rrange command in the movement menu.


*MOVEMENT COMMANDS

[N,E,S,W] Direction commands

[A]rrange/Drop - Change or drop thy weapon, armour, shield or projectile.
This must be done if a new item is to be used in combat. 

[C]ast - Allows Wizards and Rangers to cast a spell

[D]rink - Drink thy healing potion.  This will both heal thee and cure thy
poison.

[L]ook - Search the surrounding area for other adventurers, dragon lairs,
burial chambers, etc.

[P]eer - Peer into a gem to view a map of the surrounding countryside.  Gems
are only usable in direct sunlight, and as such, do not function in the
underworld.

[R]etire - Retire in the wilderness.  Note that other adventurers WILL be
able to encounter thee!

[V]iew - View thy statistics


*THE ENVIRONMENT

Seasons - The seasons will change as the year progresses.

Weather - The weather changes hour by hour.  The bridges in the land may be
flooded during stormy weather and nastier monsters may appear as the weather
degenerates.  Beware!

Time - The time of day will progress as thou move through the game.  The time
of day depends on the number of moves thou hast made.  Make haste to an Inn
when twilight strikes as sleeping outdoors gives thy enemies a chance to
attack thee.


*ARMIES

Armies may be purchased from any city.  There are three types of men that 
can be purchased and the prices vary according to the number available.  The
equivalent strengths of the type of men are shown below:

                1 Guard  = 1  Guard
                1 Rider  = 5  Guards
                1 Knight = 12 Guards

Knight adventurers will automatically receive a +15% bonus on the army strength
due to their ability to command armies.

*CASTLES

Castles provide a store for all thy accumulated wealth, earning great
interest.  Castles are also a protective environment for thy army.

Castles may be taken by any player with an army.  Protection of a castle 
incurs bonuses on thine army strength as follows:

                +10% when defending thy castle
                +10% if thou art sleeping in the castle with thy men

If the KING of Arrowbridge is sleeping in a castle then his personal
escort of 200 Royal Knights will be on guard and "The Royal Guard is Posted"
message will be presented when thou enter the castle.

Options available to castle owners are:

[B]uild personal army - Take men from the castle for thy own campaigne.

[C]astle Treasury - Deposit or withdraw funds from thy castle treasury.
Interest is calculated at 2% per day but the treasury will be available
to any army that captures the castle.

[F]lag - Set thy flag design.

[H]enchman - Send a henchman after any adventurer that thou chooseth.  Castle
henchment are far cheaper than standard assassins.  The KING will be able to
send a higher level henchman than any other castle owner.

[L]eave men on guard - Post the castle guard.

[S]teal gold - Thieves may steal from the treasury.  If caught, a message
will be sent to the castle owner reporting the incident and the player will
be thrown into a cell for the remainder of the game and will not be released
until the following day.

[T]ax Level - Set the tax level that will be collected by thy tax collector.
A tax collector (LV 13) must be first hired before any taxes will be collected.
The tax collector will only tax players of level 11 and below so that he will
not place himself at any extreme risk.  The tax collector will collect taxes
from those that wander into the particular shire that the castle governs.

Note that all taxes gathered by the tax collector will be automatically
placed into thy castle treasury.  Also, each day the treasury will
accumulate interest at 2% but 1 gold per man in thy castle army will be
subtracted to cover army expenses.  If thy treasury funds are insufficient
to support thy castle army then army members will gradually leave thine
army!


*KING OF ARROWBRIDGE

The King of Arrowbridge shall be the adventurer that captures the
Castle of Arrowbridge.  The King shall be awarded a personal escort, The 
Royal Guard, which is the equivalent of two hundred knights.  The name of
the current King will be displayed when each new day is begun.


*SPELL LIST

[A] Torchlight - Provides illumination in the darkest of places. [WR]

[B] Cure - Cure thy poison.  This spell may have to be cast several times
to totally cure thee when thou art severely poisoned.  [WR]

[C] Detect Traps - This spell will permit thee to detect traps when opening
treasure chests before they are discovered by accident.  Note that there
is a 20% chance of failure.  [WR]

[D] Magic Missile - The main offensive spell of the Wizard.  This spell is
cast as a projectile and will damage thine enemy according to thy level. 
This spell will never miss thy target. [W]

[E] Turn Dead - This spell will cause damage to any undead creature. Note
that it is effective only once per encounter. [W]

[F] Strength - Added strength will permit thee to inflict more damage and
have a greater chance of penetrating thy enemy's defenses during melee 
combat.  Missile combat is unaffected by this spell. [W]

[G] Heal - Heal thy wounds.  This spell may have to be cast several times
in order to fully heal a seriously wounded adventurer. [WR]

[H] Protection - This will increase thine armour and shielding strength,
decreasing the chance of an enemy strike against thee. [W]

[I] Enslave - When cast on a Black Orc, the enemy will be transformed into
a Rider in thy army. [W]

[J] Perception - This will enable the caster to have an increased
perceptive ability, resulting in detection of characters in the wilderness
and secret passages in the underworld. [WR]

[K] Raise Dead - When cast in a Graveyard during twilight, this necromantic
spell will raise several corpses per casting and add them, as guards, 
to thine army. [W]

[L] Lightning - Perhaps the most powerful of all combat spells.  This
spell will project a bolt of lightning causing severe damage to thine
enemy.  It does, however, drain thy magic points quickly. [W]

Key: [W]=Wizard Only, [WR]=Wizard & Ranger


*EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

The following table shows the experience required for all character
classes.

*   ----------------------------
   Level     Experience
*   ----------------------------
    1         0
    2         10 
    3         60 
    4         140 
    5         290 
    6         550 
    7         1020 
    8         1860 
    9         3360 
    10        6040 
    11        10840 
    12        19440 
    13        34840 
    14        62390 
    15        111710
    16        200000
*   ----------------------------


*EQUIPMENT MASSES

All equipment carried has a mass that adds to thy encumberance as listed
in the table below:

*Weapons

Dagger                 1
Cudgel                 3
Whip                   4
Mace                   6
Short-Sword           12
Sword                 19
Morning Star          30
Battleaxe             31
Two-Handed Sword      50

*Armour

Cloth                  4
Padded Leather         9
Hardened Leather      12
Ring mail             15
Scale mail            22
Chain mail            33
Full Plate            50

*Shields

Wooden                 5
Small                  8
Medium                13
Large                 20
Dragon                36
God                   43

*Projectile Weapons

Sling                   2
Short Bow               5
Long Bow                10
Cross Bow               40

*Other Items

1000 gold pieces        1
Torch                   2
Healing Potion          8
Gem                     1

Most of you know what LORD is - a BBS door over 8 years old I originally
wrote on a Commodore Amiga.  It was funny and strange and did very well.

This is the sequel - some will be suprised to find it plays completly
different, although it contains many of the same characters.

Here is why:

   This game is FREAKIN' huge.

   It is a large zelda type world that lets players roam about as enemies or
   friends.

The entire game runs under a nifty engine - this gaming engine is what
is special - it allows people run walk around in the same world.  It uses
clock based timing to communicate by HD through tiny, tiny files.  For
instance, the locations of all players are in one tiny file.

This tiny file is read and written very quickly using advanced file
locking techniques.  It is recommended you use a disk cache such as
Smartdrv.exe or things will run entirely too slow.

The engine is smart enough to NOT draw every single movement other players
are making - if a player is moving quickly, it will still draw him at the
same rate, making the game playable, even at 2400 baud.  And of course,
the engine will not redraw players unless they have moved.

You can CHANGE how quicky it 'polls' the HD from the Game Options in
L2CFG.EXE.  (100 is one second, which is standard.  Set to 50 to poll
twice as fast, player movement will be more acurate, but require more
computer muscle)

  Some of LORD2 many features:

  * It's an ANSI graphical MUD
  * It gives a new meaning to the word multi-player
  * People can SEE other people moving around the map in realtime
  * People can travel in packs, follow each other around, show people
    hidden stuff, ect
  * Players can pickup/buy/sell and use items
  * Smart data recovery after dropped carriers and even lockups.
  * Swear checking
  * Players can GIVE items/money to other players offline or online
  * Players can 1 on 1 chat in realtime, or use globals so everyone can see
  * NPC's can travel with you (sort of), and you can talk to them
  * It is possible to do things like buy a castle or hold and live in it!
  * IGM support with drop in maps
  * A huge and interesting world filled with lots of story and uniqueness
  * Sort of sick and twisted
  * Regular and adventure mode (unlimited lives, no turn limits)
  * Turns per day, clean mode and more can be set by editting RULES.REF with
    a text editor
  * Unlimited worlds and quests can be added, either by you or you can
    download other peoples work
  * Creates bulletin outputs as SCORE.ANS and SCORE.TXT each time someone
    'lists players'.
  * 1000 levels
  * Only $15 to register

  Features creative people with time would be interested in:

  * Complete easy to use map editor, up to 2 million locations
  * LORD II's innards are completely built with the the .REF system, this
    means you can edit them in any way you want
  * The RTREADER .REF system has had a major overhaul and is inside the engine
  * Item editor
  * Add as many quests and characters as you want
  * EVERYTHING can be changed, even the player ranking format or stat screen
  * You can distribute your own 'world' to other LORD II users
  * You could make your own addon pack that is a different game completely
    (get 'The Brady Bunch Adventure' from somewhere, it is an example of
    what this .ref system can do working as a whole different game)


  Until you register, you can only access only a small portion of the game.

  (this file contains the registered version too, you can unlock it by
  purchasing a registration code - in minutes over the phone even!)

  REGISTERED FEATURES:

   * Can use more items, weapons and armour.
   * Over 300 new map screens
   * Will work with larger IGM's
   * PortTown
   * Flagcity
   * Sosen Village
   * Arrisville
   * Quest2000 random quest engine
   * The Lodge
   * Bounty hunting, players and NPC bounty hunters
   * Slots and craps at the Bonetown casino
   * Several brothels, woo! (unless in clean mode)
   * Game can be won 2 ways, good and evil.  Or even both...
   * When someone wins, the game is NOT reset - instead they get special
     powers and can continue to rule the game
   * Polar regions, mountain areas, ect.
   * Sleep at many different inns
   * 4 ownable landmarks some with special abilities - unregistered only
     one.
   * All future upgrades to DOS LORD2: New World will be FREE for you!
   * Everyone will be mailed a hardcopy with their code on it for safe
     keeping
   * You'll be supporting shareware - this means we will love you, and
     will keep adding to the game.