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POOL OF RADIANCE
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the official ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS computer
product, Pool Of Radiance, a FORGOTTEN REALMS fantasy role-playing
epic. This adventure game is based on the rules and background created
by TSR, Inc. with a storyline created especially for this game.
The Pool Of Radiance adventure begins in the ruined city of Phlan on
the northern shore of the Moonsea, where adventurers from the civilized
nations are trying to rebuild this once-proud city. Your adventurers
start out as beginning characters at the first level of experience and
can advance to higher levels as they help bring back Phlan to its
former glory.
WHAT COMES WITH THIS GAME:
In addition to the game disks, you should find four other items in
your game.
THE RULE BOOK
This is what you are reading. If you have game play questions during
the course of the game, refer to this book.
THE ADVENTURER'S JOURNAL
This contains background and introduction to the Forgotten Realms
and the scenarios, plus maps, rumors, and stories that may be true or
false. It also contains Appendices, tables and reference information,
to help speed game play. You will confirm the true rumors and expose
the false ones during the game.
THE QUICK START CARD
This explains how to start the game, make menu choices, and indicate
items using your computer. It also lets you get right into the game
without having to read through the rules.
THE TRANSLATION WHEEL (SPHINX NOTE: Wheel not included)
As your characters progress through the Forgotten Realms, they will
occasionally find Dethek (Dwarvish) and Espruar (Elvish) runes. The
wheel is a method of translating those runes into English words so you
can understand them. The Translation Wheel has four parts:
Espruar (Elvish) Runes. Around the outside rim are the elvish runes.
Dethek (Dwarvish) Runes. Just inside the elvish runes are the
dwarvish runes.
Three Paths. Spiraling out from the inside are three parts
identified graphically as:
.....
-..-..-
----
Six Rings. Six numbered rings, each with three holes showing
letters, are located inside of the dwarvish runes.
USING THE WHEEL
You can get many kinds of information from the wheel:
Five or Six Letter Code Words. The computer displays 2 runes and a
path. Match up the two runes and read the letters from rings 1 through
6. If the first character is a number, ignore it and read the letters
from rings 2 through 6.
Three Letter Code Words. The computer displays 2 runes and a ring
number. Match up the two names and read the letters on that ring
clockwise from the ..... Path.
Translate Elvish (Espruar) to English or Dwarvish (Dethek). The
computer displays a list of Elvish runes. Match the Translate Espruar
Tab to each Elvish Rune, one at a time. Read the English letter in Ring
1 of the ..... Path. Read the Dwarvish rune at the Translate Dethek
Tab.
Translate Dwarvish (Dethek) to English or Elvish (Espruar). The
computer displays a list of Dwarvish runes. Match the Translate Dethek
Tab to each Dwarvish Rune, one at a time. Read the English letter in
Ring 1 of the ..... Path. Read the Elvish Rune at the Translate Espruar
Tab. Some Dethek runes have more than one translation; try each when
translating words.
GETTING STARTED QUICKLY:
You can get right into playing Pool Of Radiance by using the
instructions on your Quick Start Card and using the characters
provided. If you have any questions as you play, refer back to these
rules for a complete description.
READING THE RULE BOOK:
This book is divided into sections describing how to manipulate the
game by using the menus on the screen. The menus are lists of commands
that you choose according to the instructions on your Quick Reference
Card.
Central to the game is the concept of the 'active character.' The
active character is highlighted on the character display. Any command
that affects a single character affects the active character. Commands
that affect the whole party do not require an active character.
In combat the active character is picked automatically according to
the characters initiative. From other menus the active character may be
changed before choosing any commands.
All commands are menu based. If a command affects the whole party,
indicate the command as listed in your Quick Reference Card. If the
command affects one character, indicate the character and then the
command.
Example: To look at a character's items, indicate the character,
choose View, and then choose items. The computer displays a list of the
character's items and the items' readied status for combat.
Menus are displayed either vertically or horizontally. Vertical
menus are used to make a choice of someone to act, such as a member of
an adventuring party, or something to act upon, such as one item out of
several carried. If there are more choices than will fit on the screen
at once you can change pages using Next and Prev commands (or the Pg Up
and Pg Dn keys.)
Horizontal menus are lists of commands giving the options of what
the character can do or what you can do to the character. When space
permits, each horizontal menu is preceded by the menu title. This is
set off by a colon and is not an option on the menu. Menus are shown
with their title and each command in the rules. As an example, the
Encamp Menu contains commands for Save, View, Magic, Rest, Alter, Pool,
and Exit. It is shown as:
Encamp Menu:
ENCAMP: SAVE VIEW MAGIC REST ALTER EXIT
Unless otherwise specified the Exit command on any menu returns you
to the next higher level menu. On many computers the Escape key acts as
an Exit command from any menu.
CHARACTERS AND THE PARTY
WHAT ARE CHARACTERS?
You create characters to accomplish quests in the Forgotten Realms.
Characters are differentiated by their Race, Ability Scores, and Class.
Several characters are needed to accomplish the missions presented
here. These characters make up a Party. For maximum flexibility, you
should have a balanced party with characters of different classes and
races.
THE SIX PLAYER RACES IN Pool Of Radiance
Dwarf. This is a cunning race of sturdy workers and craftsmen. They
have no magic of their own, but are resistant to magic. Dwarves can
advance up to 9th level as fighters, and any level as thieves. They can
be fighters and thieves at the same time. Dwarves can see in the dark
using infravision.
Elf. This is along-lived race. As tall as humans but slimmer, they
can be fighters, magic-users, thieves, fighter/magic-users,
fighter/thieves, magic-user/thieves, and fighter/magic-user/thieves.
They can advance to 7th level as fighters and 11th level as
magic-users, and any level as thieves. Elves also have a better chance
of finding hidden objects and can see in the dark using infravision.
Gnome. Members of this race are shorter and slimmer than their
cousins the dwarves. They can go up to 6th level as fighters, and any
level as thieves. They can be fighter/thieves.
Half-Elf. These hybrids have many of the virtues of both humans and
elves. Like elves, they can be more than one class at once, though they
can advance only to 8th level as magic-users and 8th level as fighters.
Like humans, half-elves can be clerics, and unlike humans, combine that
class with other classes.
Halfling. These folk are about half the size of a human, hence their
name. They have little ability with magic, but are resistant to its
influences. They can be fighters, thieves, and fighter/thieves. They
are limited to becoming 6th level fighters but have no limits as
thieves.
Humans. This is the most common player-race in the Forgotten Realms.
They have unlimited progression as fighters, magic-users, clerics, and
thieves.
ABILITY SCORES
The computer randomly generates the ability scores that every
adventurer has. There are six ability scores; all have some effect on
the play of the character. Ability scores are based on a range from 3
(low) to 18 (high). Each Character Class (see below) has a Prime
Requisite ability score. A Prime Requisite of 15 or more increases the
amount of Experience (see below) the character gets from adventures.
Strength (Str). This is the means of how much a character can carry
and how much damage he can do in a fight. The Prime Requisite for
fighters is strength. Fighters with an 18 strength also have a percent
value from 1 to 100 (listed as 01-00), denoting the highest possible
natural character strength.
Intelligence (Int). This is the measure of how much a character can
ultimately memorize. The Prime Requisite for magic-users is
intelligence.
Wisdom (Wis). This is the measure of a character's ability to
understand the ways of the world and interact with it. The Prime
Requisite for clerics is wisdom.
Dexterity (Dex). This is the measure of the manual dexterity and
agility of the character. The Prime Requisite for thieves is dexterity.
Constitution (Con). This is the measure of the overall health of a
character. It influences both Hit Points (see below) and the
character's chance of surviving the effects of a raise-dead spell.
Charisma (Cha). This is the measure of how well the character
interacts with other characters. It is sometimes a factor when the
character has an encounter with Non-Player Characters, usually called
NPCs.
Each character also has two other important values: Hit Points and
Experience Points.
Hit Points (HP). This characteristic is derived from a character's
constitution (he gains a bonus to his Hit Points per level if his
constitution is over 14), his level, and his character class (see
below). Every time a character is hit in combat, he loses HP. A
character with many HP can survive far longer in combat than one with
few HP. When a character reaches 0 HP he is Unconscious and may be
Dying or Dead, depending on how much damage he has taken.
Experience Points (XP). As a character has adventures, kills
monsters, and accumulates treasure, he gains Experience Points. When he
has enough XP he can increase in level, becoming more proficient in his
class. The computer keeps track of XP. Every character starts at first
level with 0 XP.
CHARACTER CLASSES
An adventurer must be at least one of the following character
classes. A human adventurer can only be one class, non-humans can
combine classes. A character with combined classes has more playing
options, but he advances more slowly in his profession because he is
doing more than one thing at a time and his XP are divided up among his
classes.
Cleric. The cleric is a holy crusader who fights for the causes of
his religion. Due to religious restrictions, he cannot use a cutting
weapon that draws blood, such as a sword or an arrow, but can use any
form of armor and use crushing weapons, such as a mace. He casts holy
spells that can heal and support his friends and also uses his natural
holy power to drive away undead. Some magic items are actually holy
objects that only a cleric can use. A cleric gains 1-8 HP with every
advance in level to 9th level, plus any constitution bonus. From 10th
level on, he adds 2 HP per level, without constitution bonus.
Fighter. The fighter can use any form of armor or weapon including
magic ones, but most other magical items, and all magical spells, are
beyond him. A fighter gains 1-10 HP plus constitution bonus with each
advance in level through 9th level. With the 10th level, he gains 3 HP
per level without constitution bonus.
Magic-User. The magic-user is potentially the most powerful
character class, but he starts out weak. Initially, he has very few HP.
In addition, he cannot memorize many spells, and must carefully husband
his few spells until he gains more through advancement in level.
The beginning magic-user is given four first-level spells in his
magic book. He can add one additional spell to his magic book every
time he advances a level. He can also scribe spells into his magic book
from scrolls he finds in the course of his adventures.
In this game, magic-users cannot use any form of armor or any weapon
other than a dagger or staff. However, there are many magic items only
a magic-user can use. A magic-user gains 1-4 HP with every advance in
level through 11th level, plus constitution bonus. At 12th level and
beyond he gains only 1 HP per further level.
Thief. This is the thief of the sagas, who uses trickery and
misdirection-instead of brute force-to win his objective. This is the
only profession in which demi-humans may climb as far as any human.
Indeed, halflings and elves are especially adept in this craft. To be a
proficient thief, a character must have a high dexterity.
Thieves must stick to leather-based armor and have a restricted list
of weapons. A thief gains 1-6 HP with every advance in level, plus
constitution bonus, through 10th level. They gain 2 HP, without
constitution bonus, per level thereafter.
Multiple Classes. Non-human races can sometimes be a combination of
classes. When a character is more than one class, his HP per level are
averaged among the classes involved. However, his experience is split
between the two classes even when he cannot further advance in one of
them. He gains all the benefits of both classes in regard to weapons
and equipment.
ALIGNMENTS
Alignment is the philosophy a character lives by. While the actions
of a character are under your control, the character's alignment can
affect how NPCs in the game view him. The computer provides all the
possible Alignments for a character and you can choose any of those you
wish.
Lawful Good. Followers of this alignment strictly interpret law and
order, but they use these principles to bring all the benefits to the
society.
Lawful Neutral. Followers of this alignment view regulation as
all-important, taking a middle road between good and evil.
Lawful Evil. Followers of this alignment believe in the rulership of
the strong and the enslavement of the weak.
Neutral Good. The follower of this alignment believes there must be
some regulation in combination with freedoms if the best is to be
brought to the world.
True Neutral. A follower of this alignment believes that everything
must be kept in balance-law and chaos, and good and evil-to maintain
world harmony.
Neutral Evil. The follow of this alignment considers law and chaos
to be minor considerations as long as evil is brought to the world.
Chaotic Good. Followers of this alignment value randomness and
freedom, but also value life and individual welfare.
Chaotic Neutral. Followers of this alignment value randomness and
disorder over either evil or good.
Chaotic Evil. The Chaotic Evil character disdains laws and order,
kindness and good deeds. He seeks positions of power, glory, and
prestige in a system ruled by his own whims.
STARTING EQUIPMENT
Each character is assumed to have starting equipment including
clothes, boots, backpack, money pouch, food, water, tinderbox, and
flint and steel. The character's on-screen list of items only includes
important items such as weapons, armor and magic items.
PLAYING THE GAME
To play Pool of Radiance you need a party of characters. You can use
the party of characters provided or you can create your own.
CREATING A PARTY OF CHARACTERS:
A party is a group of characters you have generated and saved to the
save game disk for use in missions. You may have up to 6 Player
Characters (called PCs or characters) in your party at a time. You can
control up to 8 characters in a game, but the remaining two slots are
left open for NPCs your characters may hire or meet along the way.
When starting a game, the first screen you see is one with positions
for the vital information about the characters in the party and a menu
with all the ways of putting together an adventuring party. This is the
Party Creation Menu.
Party Creation Menu:
Create New Character
Drop Character
Modify Character
Train Character
View Character
Add Character To Party
Remove Character From Party
Load Saved Game
Save Current Game
Begin Adventuring
Exit to DOS
The following describes the results of using each command.
CREATE NEW CHARACTER
This is the opportunity to build an adventurer from scratch. This
leads you through a series of menus to help you define the character.
Pick Race Menu. This gives you the choice of the six races a
player-character can be in the Forgotten Realms.
Pick Gender. After you pick a character's race, you pick their
gender. Gender affects the possible strength of a character and what
sort of portraits you will have to choose from to represent the
character.
The computer randomly generates the ability scores that every
adventurer has. Once you have seen the ability scores, you may have the
computer roll again and it will randomly generate a different
character. Otherwise, you may accept the rolls, and take the character
as generated.
If you accept the rolls, you still have the opportunity to alter the
character to match your own character from the AD&D game by using the
Modify Character command described later.
Pick Character Class. This gives you the choice of the class or
classes your character is qualified for based on his race and ability
scores.
Pick Alignment. From this menu the computer provides all the
possible Alignments for a character. You can choose the one you wish.
Name Character. Your choice of name for a character is entirely up
to you. You cannot use more than 15 letters in a name.
The computer displays the complete character screen and gives you a
chance to save the character. If you save the character, it is written
to the save game disk to become one of the regular characters you play.
At this time the computer generates a portrait of your character.
You can choose both the head and body of your characters portrait. You
then choose the weapon, head, and colors for your character's combat
icon (the figure that represents the character in combat). Refer to the
Encamp section for instructions on how to alter combat icons.
Exit. From any of these menus this command brings you back to the
Party Creation Menu.
DROP CHARACTER
This command is only used when you never want to play with a
particular character again. It eliminates the character's record from
the save game disk and leaves a space in which you can create a new
character to fit.
MODIFY CHARACTER
You may bring your favorite beginning AD&D character into the Pool
Of Radiance. Create a character of the proper race and class and then
modify it to match your non-computer AD&D character. You can adjust the
created character's ability scores and HP. The character must start at
0 XP and with no items beyond those he can buy with his initial gold
allowance.
TRAIN CHARACTER
Use this command when a character has attained enough experience to
advance a level (see Appendices). This is available at the start of an
adventure and when the party travels to the Guild to get training.
The computer asks who is to train, and checks the current XP of the
character. If he has sufficient points, the computer subtracts the cost
of the training from the character's current money and the character
advances a level. This takes no game time.
A character can only advance as high as the highest level character
willing to train him. In the Training Hall of Phlan, the maximum limits
are 8th level fighter, 9th level thief, and 6th level cleric and
magic-user.
VIEW CHARACTER
This allows you to View a Character, as described under that heading
below.
ADD CHARACTERS TO PARTY
This command allows you to pick party members from previously used
characters that are on a save game disk.
REMOVE CHARACTER FROM PARTY
Since a party may only include 6 player characters, you can use this
command to write a character to the save game disk and then substitute
another with the Add Character To Party command. The Saved character
will replace the previous entry for that character on the save game
disk.
LOAD SAVED GAME
This command brings up a previous adventuring party from the save
game disk.
SAVE CURRENT GAME
This command puts the group you are currently constructing onto the
save game disk for future reference. Then some versions will allow you
to exit the game.
BEGIN ADVENTURING
When your party is ready to go, use this command to return to the
game. Follow the on-screen messages to get back into the game and you
are ready to go with your new party of adventurers.
NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS (NPCs):
In the course of a game, the party can run into many characters
controlled by the computer. They may talk to the party, attack the
party, and even offer to join the party. These are known as Non-Player
Characters, or NPCs.
There are three kinds of NPCs: those you can hire at the Training
Hall to adventure with your party, filling in the two slots possible in
a party that you cannot fill with player characteristics; those who
volunteer to join the party for a specific mission or quest; and those
who won't join the party but will give either information or a fight.
WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH NPCS
NPCs that want to join you are treated like your player characters,
with a few differences. Remember that you can only have room for 2 NPCs
if you have a party of 6 player characters. During an adventure you may
find NPCs that you want to add to your party. You should seldom have
more than 7 characters in your party so there is room to add the NPC.
The computer commands NPCs in battle. They have Morale. If things
are going badly for the party, they may run, even if you don't want
them to.
You can give NPCs treasure, which may help their morale, but you
cannot trade their items to other characters. If they die, however, you
can use the Trade Items function to take their items.
LOYALTY
NPCs can also be traitors insinuated into your party, depending on
the way the adventure goes. They can spy on you and give information to
your enemies, and even turn on you in battle. NPCs can be a big help,
but don't trust them in every situation.
VIEWING A CHARACTER
THE CHARACTER SCREEN:
The character screen appears whenever you use the View command. The
character screen displays the character's name, race, and age. It also
displays his alignment, character class, and ability score. The current
wealth of the character is also shown. Initially, the computer
generates a random number between 30 and 180 in gold pieces, which the
character can use in buying his equipment. Later, as the character
accumulates wealth through his adventuring, there are several entries
on the screen showing the copper pieces (cp), silver pieces (sp),
electrum pieces (ep), gold pieces (gp), platinum pieces (pp), gems, and
jewelry. The value of coins are listed in the Appendices, the value of
gems and jewelry vary and are found when they are appraised.
The screen also shows the character's current level, his earned XP,
and his current HP. If the HP are highlighted, the character has taken
damage, that has not been healed. The number shown is his current HP,
not his normal HP. Once the character has healed all the damage, the
number reverts to normal.
The Armor Class is shown as AC; the lower the AC number, the better
the armor. Then it shows the character's Ready weapon and what armor he
is wearing. This is followed by the character's To Hit AC 0 (THAC0) The
lower the character's THAC0, the better fighter he is. This is followed
by the damage the character does, which depends on his strength and the
weapon he has ready.
The last entry is the Character Status. This is an indication of the
current health of the character. The Character Status can be:
OK
The character has positive HP and can move and fight normally.
UNCONSCIOUS
The character has exactly 0 HP. He cannot move or fight, but is in
no danger of dying.
DYING
The character will die in a short period of time unless the
character is bandaged or healing magic is applied. If the character is
bandaged his status changes to Unconscious. Healing magic will make him
OK again. In the course of a combat, a character who is Dying has a
chance of becoming Dead unless he is bandaged (see Combat). A character
who survives a combat in Dying status is automatically assumed to have
his wounds bandaged after combat and becomes Unconscious.
DEAD
The character has died. He will be brought with the party (assume he
is set down during any combat) and can possibly be resurrected with a
raise dead spell from an NPC cleric. The character's actual chance of
being raised when the spell is used depends on his constitution.
FLED
The character fled from the previous battle. After a battle is over,
he can rejoin the party as if nothing had happened, and regain his
previous status.
GONE
The character has been destroyed by dragon flame, a disintegrate
spell, or some other form of total destruction. He cannot be Raised
from the Dead.
VIEW OPTIONS
To inspect the active character choose the View command. This brings
up the View Menu:
View Menu
VIEW:ITEMS SPELLS TRADE DROP EXIT
ITEMS
Using this command allows you to see what items the character is
carrying. The character's items and their combat ready status are
displayed. An item that is not Ready cannot be used. Not all commands
in the Item Menu are always available.
Item Menu
READY USE TRADE DROP HALVE JOIN SELL ID EXIT
Ready. If you want to ready or unready an item, you can use the
Ready command to change the status of the weapon, armor, or other item.
A character has several restrictions on what he can use. Basically, he
cannot use more than two hand-held items at once. Thus, he cannot have
ready a sword, a shield, and a bow at the same time. Arrows are assumed
to be in a quiver and can be Readied at all times, though they cannot
be used unless a bow is Readied as well.
Use. This command means the character is going to use an item. In
Combat, you will be asked to indicate the target (see Combat for
targeting) and proceed back to the Combat Menu.
Trade. If you use this command, the screen switches to the Party
Screen and asks which character you are trading with. Indicate the
character and the screen switches back to the Items Screen. Indicate
which item (you can trade multiple items in one transaction) is to go
to the other character and the item disappears from the trading
character's list and reappears on the item list of the receiving
character. Remember that an NPC, does not give up an item once he has
it, unless he is dead.
Drop. If this command is used on an item, the item is gone. It
cannot be retrieved. Do not use this if you want to give the item to
someone else, that's what the Trade command is for.
Halve. Multiple items such as arrows are often combined onto one
line, such as 42 Arrows. Halve creates two lines, each with half the
number of items; such as two lines each with 21 Arrows. Only items like
arrows, that are shown as several items on one line, can be halved.
Join. This is the opposite of Halve. If you have several lines of
arrows or a similar item on the Items screen, you can use this command
on one line and all similar lines are joined with it. The number of
items shown is the total of the numbers in all the former lines. No
more than 250 of an item can be joined on one line. NOTE: The Ready
status (Yes or No) of the item depends on the line that all the others
are joined with.
Sell. This command is described under the Shop Menu.
ID. This command is described under the Shop Menu.
Spells. This is a listing of what spells a magic-user or cleric has
memorized and is ready to cast (see Magic Menu).
TRADE
This command is used when you want to transfer money from one
character to another. Indicate which character you are trading with,
and then indicate which coins and how much are to go to the other
character. The coins disappear from the trading character's list and
reappear on the money record of the receiving character.
DROP
If this command is used on money, the money is gone. It cannot be
retrieved.
After you create your party, you appear in the civilized section of
Phlan. The party is ready to begin adventuring.
MISSIONS:
Phlan is a very dangerous place. The civilized nations are only now
gaining a foothold. You can either wander around town and run across
dangerous situations, or report to the City Council of Phlan. They will
assign the party missions and give rewards when the missions are
completed. Initial missions are local in nature, later ones are more
ambitious to match both your increased expertise and their opinion of
you. Phlan is split into two sections; the civilized section is
controlled by the settlers and the uncivilized section is controlled by
monsters. After you clear all the monsters from a block, settlers move
in and it becomes civilized.
POINTS OF VIEW:
As you move around the town and the wilderness, there are three
different points of view: 3-D, Area, and Wilderness.
3-D
This appears with the Adventure Menu any time you are in town,
underground, or in any other built-up area. It shows a view of the
surrounding area as seen by the party. It only shows one direction at a
time, so you must rotate the party using the directional controls (see
Adventure Menu) to see in each direction. At the same time, the screen
shows what compass direction the party is facing and the coordinates of
their location in their current block.
AREA
This option is given in the Adventure Menu when the 3-D view is
shown on the screen. This view shows the position of the party and an
overhead view of the surrounding area. It can only be obtained in a 3-D
view, it does not appear in the Wilderness. There is no real detail,
just the position of all major obstructions such as walls, trees,
water, etc. A cursor shows the position of the party.
WILDERNESS
This screen shows when the party is traveling in the Wilderness. It
displays an image of the party moving through a map-like wilderness. It
shows the area around the party for 2 moves in each direction. If there
is an encounter in the wilderness, an image of the encountered monster
appears next to the icon showing the location of the party. You will be
given all the usual options for the encounter (see Encounters).
BLOCKS
Most adventures take place in one or more blocks of 16 squares by 16
squares. The party moves from block to block by moving into a long
corridor with a low ceiling. Stairs and caves with low ceilings may
also move the party from one block to another.
TYPE AND THE PARTY
From the moment the party begins its adventures in Phlan, the clock
is ticking. The longer it takes a party to complete a mission, the
harder it becomes.
MOVING AROUND:
The first thing a new party must do is equip itself from the Shops.
Then it has to get to the scene of its adventures. There are two ways
of doing this.
TOUR TRAVEL
You can walk the party to in-town missions, having encounters along
the way.
WILDERNESS TRAVEL
Some missions involve locations away from Phlan. The party travels
in then Wilderness Point of View until they reach the location of the
mission. The computer keeps track of the time traveled.
CIVILIZATION:
The civilized section of Phlan contains a number of locations of
interest to the party. In the civilized section the party can find out
information, train, rest and heal, and buy and sell equipment.
THE CITY COUNCIL
This is where the characters meet the Council and receive missions
and news.
THE DOCKS
The party may catch a boat at the docks to take them to otherwise
inaccessible blocks and into the wilderness.
THE INNS
These give a safe haven in which to Rest (using the Encamp Menu).
Each stay at an Inn costs money, but once you begin your stay you can
rest as long as you like.
THE TAVERNS
These are rowdy places full of gossip, stories, and information.
THE TRAINING HALL
This is where the characters can receive training from NPCs of
higher level and add starting PCs. This displays the Party Creation
Menu so that you can use the Train Character command.
THE SHOPS
Here the characters can buy their initial equipment and later sell
some of their treasure and upgrade their equipment. When you enter a
Shop, you are presented with the Shop Menu.
Shop Menu
BUY VIEW TAKE POOL SHARE APPRAISE EXIT
Buy. If you use this command, the computer displays a list of items
available and their cost. If you try to buy something you do not have
the money for, the computer tells you so. If you try to buy something
that will overload you, the computer tells you that too.
View. This is the same screen as shown for this command in other
menus with the addition of the Appraise command in the View Menu, and
the Sell and ID commands in the Items Menu.
Sell. Use the cursor to highlight any item you want to sell. The
Shop will make an offer and you can either sell or not. If you decide
to sell, the screen asks you one more time to be sure, then the item is
gone.
The shops in Phlan are very busy; no item sold to a merchant remains
for long. If you sell and item, it won't be there when you go back.
ID. This command is used to get a magical evaluation of a magic
item. The shop charges you for the service of identifying the magic on
an item.
Take. If you have left money through the Pool or Drop commands, you
can use this command to pick it up again. Indicate that you want to
take money and who will take it. The computer then displays each type
of coin available and how many of the coins take all the character
takes. One character can take all of the coins if he has the strength
to do so, or you can allow each character to take a share.
If you try to pick up more than the character can carry, the screen
displays a message saying 'The character is overloaded' and will not
let any more coins be put on the character. Remember, carrying lots of
coinage slows a character down in combat.
Pool. This command makes all the party members drop all of their
money into one pool of money. All purchases made at the shop come out
of this central pool. Anything left over can be picked up again using
the Take Menu.
Share. This command picks up all the money in the pool, divides it
into shares, and distributes it among the characters.
Appraise. This is used in Shops to get an appraisal of any gems and
jewelry the character has. The computer asks what gems and jewelry are
to be appraised, and offers a price on the indicated gem or jewelry.
Once you have received a price, you may take it and the item is sold.
The money is immediately put in your money record. If you do not want
to sell immediately (gems and jewelry are a lot easier to carry then
coins), the gems and jewelry become items and go from the money record
on the Character Screen to the Items list, and can be sold off of that
list like any other item.
THE TEMPLES
The temple will cast clerical healing spells for a price. When you
enter the temple, the Temple Menu is presented. Except for Heal, the
commands on the Temple Menu are the same as those on the Shop Menu.
Temple Menu
HEAL VIEW TAKE POOL SHARE APPRAISE EXIT
Heal. This command displays a list of the healing spells the clerics
will cast. Indicate the spell you want cast. The computer displays the
cost and asks you to confirm that you still want them to cast the
spell. The cost of a spell may vary depending on the recipient and
circumstances.
ADVENTURE MENU
The Adventure Menu allows access to all of the main functions in the
Pool Of Radiance. This menu shows either the current 3-D picture of the
area in front of the party and the status of the party (if in a town
adventure), or the area around the party (if in the wilderness). If any
party members are injured, their hit point numbers (showing how many
they have now) are highlighted for easy recognition. There are several
commands available to you from this menu.
Adventure Menu
MOVE VIEW CAST AREA ENCAMP SEARCH LOOK
MOVE:
This is the command to move the party. How the party moves is shown
on the Quick Reference Card provided with the game for your computer.
In 3-D travel, the Party can move forward, move backwards, turn
right, or turn left. Normally, each movement forward or back puts the
party into another square and takes one minute of game time. Turning
keeps the party in the same square and takes no game time. If the party
has Search on, moving one square takes 10 minutes.
In the Wilderness, the party can move in any of eight directions.
Moving one square takes a half a day of game time. Search mode has no
effect in the wilderness.
VIEW:
This displays the Character Screen, as described in Viewing a
Character.
CAST: This command sends you to the Cast Menu so your active
character can throw a magic spell. See the section on Magic for a
description of how to cast spells and their effect.
AREA:
This shows an overhead view of the area around the party. If the
party is lost or in unfamiliar territory this command may not be
available.
ENCAMP:
This command sends you to the Encamp Menu. This is a very important
part of the game, and is described in detail in its own section.
SEARCH:
A party can move in Search Mode, which takes 10 minutes of game time
per move. This allows the party to carefully search the area they are
passing, but also gives wandering monsters a greater chance to find
them. You only need to hit the Search command once to start the party
moving at Search speed, then hit the command again later to reset them
to normal movement. You do not need to hit Search for every move.
In Search you are assumed to be checking for secret doors, mapping,
moving as silently as possible, hiding in any available shadows, and
generally being as careful as possible.
If you never go to Search mode, you will run into fewer wandering
monsters (because you are moving faster) but have much less chance of
finding concealed treasures or traps before they are sprung.
LOOK:
This command is used to look at a square more closely, as if your
party moved into the square again. If the party is moving at normal
rate, then a Look command treats that particular square as if the party
moved into it in Search mode.