The Dungeons of Moria Robert Alan Koeneke James E. Wilson Moria may be copied and modified freely, but may not be sold or marketed IN ANY FORM without the permis- sion and written consent of the authors Robert Alan Koeneke and James E. Wilson. We retain all copyrights to this program, in either the original or modified forms, and no violation, deletion, or change of the copyright notice is allowed. Furthermore, we will have no liability or responsibility to any user with respect to loss or damage caused directly or indirectly by this program. September 26, 1990 The Dungeons of Moria Robert Alan Koeneke James E. Wilson 1. Introduction The game of moria is a single player dungeon simulation. A player may choose from a number of races and classes when creat- ing a character, and then `run' that character over a period of days, weeks, even months, attempting to win the game by defeating the Balrog which lurks in the deeper levels. The player will begin his adventure on the town level where he may acquire supplies, weapons, armor, and magical devices by bar- tering with various shop owners. After preparing for his adven- ture, the player can descend into the dungeons of moria where fantastic adventures await his coming! Before beginning your first adventure, you should read this docu- ment carefully. The game of moria is a complicated game, and will require a dedicated player to win. 2. The Character All characters have six main attributes which modify their basic abilities. These six attributes, called stats, are strength, intelligence, wisdom, dexterity, constitution, and charisma. Stats may vary from a minimum of 3 to a maximum of 18. At the highest level, stats are further qualified by a number from zero to one hundred, so that the highest value is actually 18/100. A value of 18/100 can be thought of as equivalent to 19, and 18/00 (not actually used) is equivalent to 18. Because adventurers of interest tend to be better than average characters, moria stats will average about 13, and are further adjusted by race and class. Some races are just naturally better at being certain classes, as will be shown later. In addition to the more visible stats, each character has certain abilities which are mainly determined by his race, class, and level, but are also modified by his stats. The abilities are fighting, throwing/bows, saving throw, stealth, disarming, magi- cal devices, perception, searching, and infravision. Characters will be assigned an early history, with money and a social class based on that history. Starting money is assigned The Dungeons of Moria Page 2 based on history, charisma, and somewhat upon the average of a character's stats. A character with below average stats will receive extra money to help him survive the first adventure. Each character will also have physical attributes such as race, height, weight, sex, and a physical description. None of these, except weight, play any part in the game other than to give the player a "feeling" for his character. Weight is used for comput- ing carrying capacity and also for bashing. Finally, each character is assigned hit points based on their race, class, and constitution. Spell casters will also receive mana which is expended when casting spells. Mana is based on Wisdom for Priests and Intelligence for Mages. 2.1. Character Stats Strength Strength is important in fighting with weapons and hand to hand combat. A high strength can improve your chances of hitting, and the amount of damage done with each hit. Char- acters with low strengths may receive penalties. Strength is also useful in tunneling, body and shield bashing, and in carrying heavy items. Intelligence Intelligence is the prime stat of a mage, or magician. A high intelligence increases a mage's chances of learning spells, and it also increases the amount of mana a mage has. No spell may be learned by mages with intelligences under 8. Intelligence also modifies a character's chance of disarming traps, picking locks, and using magic devices. Wisdom Wisdom is the prime stat of a priest. A high wisdom increases the chance of receiving new spells from a priest's deity, and it also increases the amount of mana a priest has. No spell may be learned by priests with wisdom under 8. Wisdom also modifies a character's chance of resisting magical spells cast upon his person. Dexterity Dexterity is a combination of agility and quickness. A high dexterity may allow a character to get multiple blows with lighter weapons, thus greatly increasing his kill power, and may increase his chances of hitting with any weapon and dodging blows from enemies. Dexterity is also useful in picking locks, disarming traps, and protecting yourself from pick pockets. Constitution Constitution is a character's ability to resist damage to his body, and to recover from damage received. Therefore a The Dungeons of Moria Page 3 character with a high constitution will receive more hit points, and be more resistant to poisons. Charisma Charisma represents a character's personality, as well as physical looks. A character with a high charisma will receive better prices from store owners, whereas a character with a very low charisma will be robbed blind. A high charisma will also mean more starting money for the charac- ter. 2.2. Character Sex You may choose to be either a male or a female character. Only height and weight are affected by a character's sex. Female characters tend to be somewhat smaller and lighter than their male counterparts. No adjustments to stats or abilities are made because of the sex of a character. Female characters start out with slightly more money than male characters to help offset the weight penalty. 2.3. Character Abilities Characters possess nine different abilities which can help them to survive. The starting abilities of a character are based upon race and class. Abilities may be adjusted by high or low stats, and may increase with the level of the character. Fighting Fighting is the ability to hit and do damage with weapons or fists. Normally a character gets a single blow from any weapon, but if his dexterity and strength are high enough, he may receive more blows per round with lighter weapons. Strength and dexterity both modify the ability to hit an opponent. This skill increases with the level of the char- acter. Throwing/Bows Using ranged missile weapons and throwing objects is included in this skill. Different stats apply to different weapons, but this ability may modify the distance an object is thrown/fired, the amount of damage done, and the ability to hit a creature. This skill increases with the level of the character. Saving Throw A Saving Throw is the ability of a character to resist the effects of a spell cast on him by another person/creature. This does not include spells cast on the player by his own stupidity, such as quaffing a nasty potion. This ability increases with the level of the character, but then most high level creatures are better at casting spells, so it The Dungeons of Moria Page 4 tends to even out. A high wisdom also increases this abil- ity. Stealth The ability to move silently about is very useful. Charac- ters with good stealth can usually surprise their opponents, gaining the first blow. Also, creatures may fail to notice a stealthy character entirely, allowing a player to avoid certain fights. This skill is based entirely upon race and class, and will never improve unless magically enhanced. Disarming Disarming is the ability to remove traps (safely), and includes picking locks on traps and doors. A successful disarming will gain the character some experience. A trap must be found before it can be disarmed. Dexterity and intelligence both modify the ability to disarm, and this ability increases with the level of the character. Using Magical Devices Using a magical device such as a wand or staff requires experience and knowledge. Spell users such as mages and priests are therefore much better at using a magical device than say a warrior. This skill is modified by intelligence, and increases with the level of the character. Perception Perception is the ability to notice something without actively seeking it out. This skill is based entirely upon race and class, and will never improve unless magically enhanced. Searching To search is to actively look for secret doors, floor traps, and traps on chests. Rogues are the best at searching, but mages, rangers, and priests are also good at it. This skill is based entirely upon race and class, and will never improve unless magically enhanced. Infravision Infravision is the ability to see heat sources. Since most of the dungeon is cool or cold, infravision will not allow the player to see walls and objects. Infravision will allow a character to see any warm-blooded creatures up to a cer- tain distance. This ability works equally well with or with out a light source. The majority of moria's creatures are cold-blooded, and will not be detected unless lit up by a light source. All non human races have innate infravision ability. Human can gain infravision only if it is magically enhanced. The Dungeons of Moria Page 5 2.4. Choosing A Race There are eight different races that you can choose from in moria. Some races are restricted as to what profession they may be, and each race has its own adjustments to a character's stats and abilities. Human The human is the base character, all other races are com- pared to him. Humans can choose any class, and are average at everything. Humans tend to go up levels faster than any other race, because of their shorter life spans. No racial adjustments occur to characters choosing human. Half-Elf Half-elves tend to be smarter and faster than a human, but not as strong. Half-elves are slightly better at searching, disarming, perception, stealth, and magic, but they are not as good at hand weapons. Half-elves may choose any class. Elf Elves are better magicians then humans, but not as good at fighting. They tend to be smarter and faster than either humans or half-elves, and also have better wisdom. Elves are better at searching, disarming, perception, stealth, and magic, but they are not as good at hand weapons. Elves may choose any class except Paladin. Halfling Halflings, or Hobbits, are very good at bows, throwing, and have good saving throws. They also are very good at search- ing, disarming, perception, and stealth; so they make excel- lent thieves (but prefer to be called burglars...). They will be much weaker than humans, and no good at bashing. Halflings have fair infravision, so they can detect warm creatures at a distance. Halflings can choose between being a warrior, mage, or rogue. Gnome Gnomes are smaller than dwarfs, but larger than halflings. They, like the halflings, live in the earth in burrow-like homes. Gnomes are practical jokers, so if they can kill something in a humorous way, so much the better. Gnomes make excellent mages, and have very good saving throws. They are good at searching, disarming, perception, and stealth. They have lower strength than humans so they are not very good at fighting with hand weapons. Gnomes have fair infravision, so they can detect warm creatures at a distance. A gnome may choose between being a warrior, mage, priest, or rogue. Dwarf Dwarves are the headstrong miners and fighters of legend. Since dungeons are the natural home of a dwarf, they are The Dungeons of Moria Page 6 excellent choices for a warrior or priest. Dwarves tend to be stronger and have higher constitutions, but are slower and less intelligent than humans. Because they are so head- strong and are somewhat wise, they resist spells which are cast on them. Dwarves also have good infravision because they live underground. They do have one big drawback though. Dwarves are loudmouthed and proud, singing in loud voices, arguing with themselves for no good reason, scream- ing out challenges at imagined foes. In other words, dwarves have a miserable stealth. Half-Orc Half-Orcs make excellent warriors, and decent priests, but are terrible at magic. They are as bad as dwarves at stealth, and horrible at searching, disarming, and percep- tion. Half-Orcs are, let's face it, ugly. They tend to pay more for goods in town. Half-Orcs do make good priests and rogues, for the simple reason that Half-Orcs tend to have great constitutions and lots of hit points. Half-Troll Half-Trolls are incredibly strong, and have the highest hit points of any character race. They are also very stupid and slow. They will make great warriors and iffy priests. They are bad at searching, disarming, perception, and stealth. They are so ugly that a Half-Orc grimaces in their presence. They also happen to be fun to run... 2.4.1. Race Versus Skills and Stats Stat, hit dice, and experience points per level modifications due to race are listed in the following table. Str Int Wis Dex Con Chr Hit Dice Rqd Exp/level Human 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 +0% Half-Elf -1 +1 0 +1 -1 +1 9 +10% Elf -1 +2 +1 +1 -2 +1 8 +20% Halfling -2 +2 +1 +3 +1 +1 6 +10% Gnome -1 +2 0 +2 +1 -2 7 +25% Dwarf +2 -3 +1 -2 +2 -3 9 +20% Half-Orc +2 -1 0 0 +1 -4 10 +10% Half-Troll +4 -4 -2 -4 +3 -6 12 +20% Racial abilities as compared to each other, with 1 the lowest, or worst, and 10 the highest, or best, are listed in the following table. The Dungeons of Moria Page 7 Disarm Search Stealth Percep Fight Bows Save Infra Human 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 None Half-Elf 6 7 7 6 4 6 6 20 feet Elf 8 9 7 7 3 9 7 30 feet Halfling 10 10 10 10 1 10 10 40 feet Gnome 9 7 9 9 2 8 9 30 feet Dwarf 6 8 3 5 9 5 8 50 feet Half-Orc 3 5 3 2 8 3 3 30 feet Half-Troll 1 1 1 1 10 1 1 30 feet 2.5. Choosing A Class Once a race has been chosen, you will need to pick a class. Some classes will not be available to certain races, for instance, a Half-Troll cannot become a Paladin. For the first few adventures it is suggested that you run a warrior or rogue. Spell casting generally requires a more experienced player that is familiar with survival techniques. Warrior A Warrior is a hack-and-slash character, who solves most of his problems by cutting them to pieces, but will occasion- ally fall back on the help of a magical device. His prime stats are Strength and Constitution, and a good Dexterity can really help at times. A Warrior will be good at Fight- ing and Throwing/Bows, but bad at most other skills. Mage A Mage must live by his wits. He cannot hope to simply hack his way through the dungeon, and so must therefore use his magic to defeat, deceive, confuse, and escape. A mage is not really complete without an assortment of magical devices to use in addition to his spells. He can master the higher level magical devices far easier than anyone else, and has the best saving throw to resist effects of spells cast at him. Intelligence and Dexterity are his primary stats. There is no rule that says a mage cannot become a good fighter, but spells are his true realm. Priest A Priest is a character of holy devotion. They explore the dungeon only to destroy the evil that lurks within, and if treasure just happens to fall into their packs, well, so much more to the glory of their church! Priests receive their spells from a deity, and therefore do not choose which spells they will learn. They are familiar with magical dev- ices, preferring to call them instruments of god, but are not as good as a mage in their use. Priests have good sav- ing throws, and make decent fighters, preferring blunt weapons over edged ones. Wisdom and Charisma are the The Dungeons of Moria Page 8 priest's primary stats. Rogue A Rogue is a character that prefers to live by his cunning, but is capable of fighting his way out of a tight spot. He is the master of traps and locks, no device being impossible for him to overcome. A rogue has a high stealth allowing him to sneak around many creatures without having to fight, or sneak up and get the first blow. A rogue's perception is higher than any other class, and many times he will notice a trap or secret door before having to search. A rogue is better than warriors or paladins with magical devices, but still can not rely on their performance. Rogues can also learn a few spells, but not the powerful offensive spells mages can use. A rogue's primary stats are Intelligence and Dexterity. Ranger A Ranger is a warrior/mage. He is a good fighter, and the best of the classes with a missile weapon such as a bow. The ranger learns spells much more slowly than a mage, but is capable of learning all but the most powerful spell. Because a ranger is really a dual class character, more experience is required for him to advance. A ranger has a good stealth, good perception, good searching, a good saving throw, and is good with magical devices. His primary stats are Intelligence and Dexterity. Paladin A Paladin is a warrior/priest. He is a very good fighter, second only to the warrior class, but not very good at mis- sile weapons. He receives prayers at a slower pace then the priest, and can receive all but the most powerful prayer. Because a paladin is really a dual class character, it requires more experience to advance him. A paladin lacks much in the way of abilities. He is poor at stealth, per- ception, searching, and magical devices. He has a decent saving throw due to his divine alliance. His primary stats are Strength and Charisma. 2.5.1. Race Versus Class The Dungeons of Moria Page 9 Warrior Mage Priest Rogue Ranger Paladin Human Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Half-Elf Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Elf Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Halfling Yes Yes No Yes No No Gnome Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Dwarf Yes No Yes No No No Half-Orc Yes No Yes Yes No No Half-Troll Yes No Yes No No No 2.5.2. Class Versus Skills Class abilities as compared to each other, with 1 as the lowest, or worst, and 10 as the highest, or best are shown in the follow- ing table. Save Stea- Magic Extra Fight Bows Throw lth Disarm Device Percep Search Exp/lev Warrior 10 6 3 2 4 3 2 2 +0% Mage 2 1 10 5 6 10 8 5 +30% Priest 4 3 6 5 3 8 4 4 +20% Rogue 8 9 7 10 10 6 10 10 +0% Ranger 6 10 8 7 6 7 6 6 +40% Paladin 9 5 4 2 2 4 2 2 +35% 3. Adventuring After you have created your character, you will begin your moria adventure. Symbols appearing on your screen will represent the dungeon's walls, floor, objects, features, and creatures lurking about. In order to direct your character through his adventure, you will enter single character commands. Moria symbols and commands each have a help section devoted to them. You should review these sections before attempting an adventure. Finally, a description of the town level and some general help on adventuring are included. 4. Symbols On Your Map Symbols on your map can be broken down into three categories: Features of the dungeon such as walls, floor, doors, and traps; Objects which can be picked up such as treasure, weapons, magical devices, etc; and creatures which may or may not move about the dungeon, but are mostly harmful to your character's well being. The Dungeons of Moria Page 10 Some symbols can be in more than one category. Also note that treasure may be embedded in a wall, and the wall must be removed before the treasure can be picked up. It will not be necessary to remember all of the symbols and their meanings. A simple command, the `/', will identify any character appearing on your map. See the section on commands for further help. Features . A floor space, or hidden trap 1 Entrance to General Store # A wall 2 Entrance to Armory ' An open door 3 Entrance to Weapon Smith + A closed door 4 Entrance to Temple ^ A trap 5 Entrance to Alchemy Shop < A staircase up 6 Entrance to Magic Shop > A staircase down : Obstructing rubble ; A loose floor stone An open pit (Blank) % A mineral vein @ The character Objects ! A flask or potion ? A scroll " An amulet [ Hard armor $ Money (Can be embedded) \ A hafted weapon & A chest ] Misc. armor ( Soft armor _ A staff ) A shield { Missile (arrow, bolt, pebble) * Gems (Can be embedded) | Sword or dagger - A wand } Missile arm (Bow, X-bow, sling) / A pole-arm ~ Misc = A ring , Food s A skeleton The Dungeons of Moria Page 11 Creatures a Giant Ant A Giant Ant Lion b Giant Bat B The Balrog c Giant Centipede C Gelatinous Cube d Dragon D Ancient Dragon e Floating Eye E Elemental f Giant Frog F Fly g Golem G Ghost h Harpy H Hobgoblin i Icky-Thing I j Jackal J Jelly k Kobold K Killer Beetle l Giant Louse L Lich m Mold M Mummy n Naga N o Orc or Ogre O Ooze p Human(oid) P Giant Human(oid) q Quasit Q Quylthulg r Rodent R Reptile s Skeleton S Scorpion t Giant Tick T Troll u U Umber Hulk v V Vampire w Worm or Worm Mass W Wight or Wraith. x X Xorn y Yeek Y Yeti z Zombie Z $ Creeping Coins , Mushroom Patch 5. Commands All commands are entered by pressing a single key. Some commands are capital or control characters, which require you to hold down the shift or control key while pressing another key. As a spe- cial feature, control keys may be entered in a single stroke, or in two strokes, with a `^' character first. There are two command sets: the original command set which is the default, and the rogue like command set. The rogue like command is generally more convenient, especially if you don't have a keypad. The following tables summarize the two command sets. Certain commands may be preceded by an optional count, and certain com- mands must be followed by a direction. These conditions are indicated in the tables by `@' for an optional count, and `~' for a direction. If a particular command requires additional key strokes, then they will be prompted for. The Dungeons of Moria Page 12 Original command summary. a Aim and fire a wand @ B ~ Bash (object/creature) b Browse a book C Change name c ~ Close a door @ D ~ Disarm a trap/chest d Drop an item E Eat some food e Equipment list F Fill lamp with oil f Fire/Throw an item G Gain new magic spells i Inventory list L Locate with map @ j ~ Jam a door with spike M Map shown reduced size l ~ Look given direction @ R Rest for a period m Magic spell casting S Search Mode @ o ~ Open a door/chest @ T ~ Tunnel in a direction p Pray V View scoreboard q Quaff a potion = Set options r Read a scroll ? Command quick reference @ s Search for trap or door { Inscribe an object t Take off an item @ - ~ Move without pickup u Use a staff . ~ Run in direction v Version, credits and manual / Identify a character w Wear/Wield an item CTRL-K Quit the game x Exchange weapon @ CTRL-P Repeat the last message < Go up an up staircase CTRL-X Save character and quit > Go down a down staircase @ ~ for movement Rogue like command summary. c ~ Close a door C Character description d Drop an item @ D ~ Disarm a trap/chest e Equipment list E Eat some food @ f ~ Force/bash item/monster F Fill lamp with oil i Inventory list G Gain new magic spells m magic spell casting M Map shown reduced size @ o ~ Open a door/chest P Peruse a book p Pray Q Quit the game q Quaff a potion @ R Rest for a period r Read a scroll @ S ~ Spike a door @ s Search for trap or door T Take off an item t Throw an item V View scores v Version, and manual W Where: locate self w Wear/Wield an item X Exchange weapon x ~ Examine surroundings Z Zap a staff z Zap a wand # Search Mode = Set options < Go up an up staircase / Identify a character > Go down a down stair @ CTRL-P Previous message review { Inscribe an object @ - ~ Move without pickup ? Type this page @ CTRL ~ Tunnel in a direction CTRL-X Save game and exit @ SHFT ~ Run in direction @ ~ for movement The Dungeons of Moria Page 13 5.1. Special keys. Certain commands may be entered at any time input is accepted. The special character control-R, entered as a single key stroke, will always refresh the screen. This may be used at any prompt for input, and is otherwise ignored. If you are playing on a UNIX or similar system, then there are some additional special characters used by moria. The special character control-C will interrupt moria, and ask if you really want to die and quit the game. If you choose not to die, moria merely continues as before, except that resting, running, repeated commands, etc will be terminated. You can suspend the game with control-Z, and return to the original command shell. In this case, moria is not terminated, and may be restarted at any time from the shell. Alternatively, the special command `!' is available to run any normal shell command. When it is com- plete, moria will restart. For many input requests or queries, the special character ESCAPE will abort the command. For the "-more-" message prompts, any of SPACE, ESCAPE, RETURN (control-m), or LINEFEED (control-j) can be used to continue after pausing to read the displayed message. It is possible to give control character commands in two key stroke, by typing a `^' followed by the appropriate letter of the alphabet. This is useful when running moria in circumstances where control characters are intercepted by some external pro- cess, or by the operating system. 5.2. Direction. For the original style command set, a direction is given by a digit which is in the appropriate orientation on your keypad. For the rogue like command set, a direction is given by one of the letters `hykulnjb'. Again, the relative position of the keys on the keyboard gives a clue as to the direction. The digit `5' for the original commands, and the period `.' for rogue like com- mands, is a null direction indicator. This is only allowed in a movement command (to stay in one place) or in a look command (to look in all directions). Original Directions | / 7 8 9 - 4 6 - 1 2 3 / | The Dungeons of Moria Page 14 Rogue-like Directions | / y k u - h l - b j n / | Movement is accomplished by specifying a direction immediately. Simply press the appropriate key and you character will move one step in that direction. You can only move onto and through floor spots, and only if they contain no creatures or obstructing objects such as a closed door. Other commands that require a direction will prompt for it. Moving your character one step at a time can be time consuming and boring, so a faster method has been supplied. For the origi- nal style command set, by using the Run command `.', you may move in a direction until something interesting happens. For instance, by pressing the period key `.' followed by the direc- tion 8, your character would continue to move up the screen, only coming to a stop after at least one condition is satisfied. For the rogue like command set, typing a shifted directional letter will move you in that direction until something interesting hap- pens. The stopping conditions are described more completely in the run command description below. 5.3. Command counts. Some commands can be executed a fixed number of times by preced- ing them with a count. Counted commands will execute until the count expires, or until you type any character, or until some- thing significant happens, such as being attacked. Thus, a counted command doesn't work to attack another creature. While the command is being repeated, the number of times left to be repeated will flash by on the command line at the bottom of the screen. To give a count to a command in the rogue like mode, type the number in digits, then the command. A count of zero defaults to a count of 99. To give a count to a command in the original mode, type a `#', followed by the digits. To count a movement command (which is itself a digit), type a space after the number, and you will then be prompted for the command. Counted commands are very useful for searching or tunneling, as The Dungeons of Moria Page 15 they automatically terminate on success, or if you are attacked. You may also terminate a counted command, or a Run command, by typing any character. This character is ignored, but it is safest to use a SPACE or ESCAPE which are always ignored as com- mands. 5.4. Selection of objects. Many commands will also prompt for a particular object to be used. For example, the command to read a scroll will ask you which of the scrolls that you are carrying that you wish to read. In such cases, the selection is made by typing a letter of the alphabet. The prompt will indicate the possible letters, and will also allow you to type the key `*', which causes all of the available options to be described. The particular object may be selected by an upper case or a lower case letter. If lower case is used, the selection takes place immediately. If upper case is used, then the particular option is described, and you are given the option of confirming or retracting that choice. Upper case selection is thus safer, but requires an extra key stroke. 5.5. Command descriptions In the following command descriptions, the original style key is given. If the rogue like key for that command is different, then it will be shown inside the braces following the command name. B