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Bronze Dragon Manual - Public Domain
Converted from html to text
5/14/97
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Non-Warranty
This warranty is in place of all warranties, either expressed or implied.
Commonwealth Software no longer warrants anything concerning this software which
is provided "as is."
Notice
BRONZE DRAGON WAS COPYRIGHTED 1985 BY ADAM WEST AND DAN SCHNAKE, WHO ARE ALSO
KNOWN AS "COMMONWEALTH SOFTWARE" Copying any of the Bronze Dragon programs was
against the law, but it has now been placed into the public domain.
Ourselves
We're Adam West, Dan Schnake, and Dale King. People we owe thanks to include Ray
West, Tim Young, Doug Rollison, Dan Graves, Mr. Robert Shaw, Tom Truden, David
Hall, Gary Walker, our families, and everyone at the Game Preserve. Geez, this
list sounds like an academy award acceptance speech....
Commonwealth Software no longer has an address, but we can be reached by email at
adamw@iquest.net or KingD@rnd1.indy.tce.com
Table Of Contents
Introduction
Overview
Mechanics
BD Expansion Stuff
The Disks
Disk One
Bronze Side
Dragon Side
Disk Two
Character Disk
Module Side
Disk Three
Castle Disk
For Those With Two Drives
Beginning Play
Main Menu
How to Create a Character
Name
Race
Class
Alignment
Dragon Village
Dragon Village Menu
Copying Modules
Constructing Castles
Gathering a Party
Going on an Adventure
The Screen
Turns
Areas
Exits
Monsters
Traps
The Controls
Regular Commands
Special Commands
Range
How to Fight
How to Eat
Saving a Game
Mapping
Solving Plots
The Crossroads
Skill Levels and Skill Points
Glossary
Appendices
1.The Plots
2.Monster Attacks
3.Martial Arts
4.Weapons
5.Armor
6.Equipment
7.Spells Explained
8.Skill Levels
9.Three Formulas
10.Multiple Attacks
Tips
Introduction
You've just entered another world. A world with fabulous riches, unbridled
sorcery, and no end. Over 200 types of monsters are waiting for a chance to kill
your characters in dozens of exotic ways. Even if the monsters don't get you, the
traps lurking around every corner most certainly will.
You say you're a veteran of many types of role-playing games? You've seen it all?
You'll find Bronze Dragon is an easy game to play, yet creates an infinite
variety of situations. Even beginners can enjoy hours of adventuring without
having the frustration of losing their characters every 5 minutes.
Overview
This manual is as short and simple as possible. If you find a term that you don't
recognize, check the glossary. We strongly recommend that you read the entire
manual at some time, although it isn't necessary to know everything about BD
before beginning play. The information contained in the appendices will be a
useful reference for a long time.
Mechanics
Every option in BD is represented by a number. Hit the number representing your
choice, then hit the RETURN key. In some places, such as the provisioner's in
Dragon Village, the SPACE bar will access another menu. If any other keys are
needed, the screen will show them.
To abort most things, hit the RETURN key by itself (without typing a number
first). While out on an adventure, the ESCAPE key will abort most commands.
BD Expansion Stuff
The Dragon's Tale: The Bronze Dragon newsletter was a free newsletter sent when
you sent in your warranty card. It had contests, info on new stuff, articles,
etc. Seekers of the Storm solution: Are you stuck on the first module? If you
want a hint or three check out the Seekers of the Storm solution manual for
complete maps and solution. Dragon Side II (The Twisted Speare): Available now.
Contains 10 new plots and a pub that sets new standards for intrigue and
complexity along with new types of characters and a new dungeon maker. The
Burning Storm: The second part of the Seekers of the Storm series. Enthralling.
Stupendous. Alas, it was never finished.
The Disks
Bronze Dragon consists of two disks that we provide and one that you must
provide. Whenever you're prompted to insert a new disk, do so and press RETURN.
To abort a procedure, press the SPACE bar at the disk prompt.
Disk One
Bronze Side - The Main Menu and Dragon Village are on this side. You must boot
the Bronze Side to begin play.
Dragon Side - This side contains the monsters, the plots, and generates the castles.
Disk Two
Character Disk - This side contains up to 40 of your characters. Module Side -
Our first module, Seekers of the Storm, is contained in its magnificent entirety
on this side. The monsters and the dastardly plot are already there, waiting for
you. You must copy the module onto the Castle Disk before you can explore it. See
"Copying a Module"
Disk Three
Castle Disk - Use one of your blank disks for this. You'll copy the module and
castles onto it. Instructions on how to copy castles and modules are under
"Constructing Castles" and "Copying a Module"
For Those With Two Drives
BD can be configured for two drives quite easily. Instead of switching disks and
pressing RETURN when the program prompts you, just put the required disk in drive
two and press "2".
From then on, the program will know to access drive two for that disk. The
Character Disk should be put in drive two when you're in Dragon Village. The
Castle Disk should be put in drive two when you're copying a module or creating a
castle.
Beginning Play
Boot the Bronze Side to begin playing Bronze Dragon. The first screen you'll see
after the BD logo clears is the Main Menu. The choices on that menu are
summarized below, then explained in detail later.
Main Menu
1.Create a CHARACTER: You can actually make a flesh and blood being! You can
determine the name, race, class and alignment of each character.
2.Enter DRAGON VILLAGE: Dragon Village is a mystical town where characters
resupply themselves. They can buy or sell goods, learn spells or Martial Arts,
mingle in the Boar's Head Pub, pay for healing, consult the Wizard, raise the
dead, or exchange money in the Bank.
3.Copy a MODULE: Seekers of the Storm cannot be played on the original disk. This
will copy it onto your Castle Disk.
4.Construct a CASTLE: BD can generate castles of immense complexity, full of
wonderful surprises. You can choose the size, difficulty and story.
5.Gather a PARTY: This assigns a group of characters to an adventure. Up to 5
characters must be gathered before they can go on an adventure.
6.Go on an ADVENTURE: Once you've equipped and gathered your party, it's time for
the thrill of adventure. This takes your party into a castle or module.
7.Go to the CROSSROADS: After the adventure is over, your group of characters may
travel to the Kingdom of King Leopold or the Pit of Lord Usul to gain skill
points and skill levels.
8.Use Character UTILITIES: There are two options here. You can either check a
character's status or delete a character. The status listing here is the most
complete - you may even print characters out on hardcopy if you have a printer
card in slot one. Also, this is the only place you can check a dead character's
status.
How to Create a Character
Before going on an adventure, you must create at least one character. It is best
to create a full party of 5 characters with a variety of classes and races. Up to
40 characters may be created and stored on the Character Disk.
You may specify the name, race, class, and alignment of each character. Each
character starts with 75 bronze pieces and five ability scores. These are a
function of race and class. See ability scores in the glossary for details.
Name: Up to 16 letters. Enter "R" to see the roster.
Race: This determines the basic abilities and characteristics of each character.
Humans are an odd race, one that isn't very well liked by more advanced beings.
They stand about 6 feet in height and seem to regard this mutation as an
advantage somehow. Special Command: Humans can approximate the value of any
object. Elves are the fairest of all races and never hesitate to point this out
to others. "Arrogance" and "Vanity" are currently the two most popular elven
children's names. Special Command: Elves can detect evil in characters or
monsters. Dwarves are generally sullen and ill-tempered. Many scholars attribute
this to their incredible ugliness. In fact, most female dwarves possess beards,
which is why so many males go on adventures. Special Command: Dwarves are always
aware of their position above or below ground. Halflings are short. Reeeaaally
short. They even look up to Dwarves. To be fair, they're humble about their deeds
of valor. Well, they would be if they had any valor. Special Command: Halflings
hurl weapons with startling accuracy. However, Halfling Knights (a strange
combination) lose their hurling ability in favor of swordplay. It is replaced
with Detect Evil. Check Appendix 6 to see which weapons may be hurled.
Human
Elf
Dwarf
Halfling
Strength
13
8
12
10
Agility
10
13
9
12
Intelligence
11
14
8
9
Constitution
10
8
14
12
Endurance
11
8
13
11
"+ To Hit" in light
1
-2
0
-1
"+ To Hit" in darkness
-1
2
0
1
Base Hit Point Modifier
0
-3
6
3
Ability Scores and Racial Modifiers
Class: This is the profession of a character. Each class is beneficial to a party
and has at least two special commands.
Knights are fightin' strong, blood 'n guts, here's mud in yer eye type
characters. They can wear any armor and use any weapon. Special Commands:
Swordplay and Rage. Assassins are shifty, underhanded, and incredibly dangerous.
They can use almost as much armor and weaponry as Knights. Special Commands:
Assassinate and Sneak. Ninjas are mysterious masters of the oriental fighting
arts. They can wear very little armor, but may wield most weapons. Special
Commands: Martial Arts, Imitate Dead, and Leap.
Elders are spell-casters especially adept at healing and conjuring. They can wear
average armor and use few weapons. Special Commands: Sorcery, Destroy, and Innate
Heal. Wizards are spell-casters who can dish out massive amounts of damage or
alter reality at whim. They use almost no armor or weapons. Special Commands:
Sorcery, Cast Energy.
Knight
Assassin
Ninja
Elder
Wizard
Strength
---
---
-1
---
-1
Agility
---
+1
+2
---
---
Intelligence
-1
---
-1
---
+1
Constitution
+1
---
---
---
---
Hit Point Base
45
42
40
35
31
Max # of Objects
15
13
10
9
8
Skill Point Base
2000
1850
1850
2150
2500
Class Modifiers
Alignment: Ah, "the shadow of one's soul." It can be virtuous, lawful, chaotic,
or vile. Good characters are virtuous or lawful. Evil ones are chaotic or vile.
Good characters will go to King Leopold to gain skill levels, while evil ones
must meet with Lord Usul. See "The Crossroads."
During an adventure, a character's alignment will change according to the
player's actions. Striking good monsters makes one vile. Attacking evil monsters
makes one a little more virtuous. The trip down is much faster than up. If you're
not sure about the alignment of a monster, have an elf detect evil.
It is worth mentioning that characters can change their alignments by attacking
themselves! If a good character attacks himself, he'll become evil. By the same
token, an evil character will become a little less evil by attacking himself.
Sure, it's a radical way of doing things, but BD inspires such lunacy.
Dragon Village
After creating a party of characters, they need to prepare themselves for the
rigors of adventuring. To enter Dragon Village, enter the character's name at the
prompt (Hit "R" for the roster).
Dragon Village Menu:
1.Purchase Equipment: The provisioner brings out objects in 4 groups: weapons,
armor, equipment, and magic items. To purchase an object, enter the number of the
object. SPACE bar brings the next group up. RETURN brings back the Dragon Village
Menu. Appendices 4, 5, and 6 have details.
2.Haggle with Merchants: Want to sell something? Johan, Bernard and Herbert will
buy anything except cursed objects. First, pick a merchant. To sell an object,
enter the number of the object. They haggle, so don't accept their first offer or
you'll be ripped off. To cut short a bargaining session, press 1Return 2 instead
of making a counter-offer.
3.Learn Spells: Elders and Wizards must learn a spell before they can cast it.
The number of spells a Wizard or Elder may learn is limited by their spell
points. A level 2 spell requires 2 spell points, a level 6 spell requires 6 spell
points, etc. To learn a spell, enter the number of the spell. To forget a spell
and regain the spell points, press "F" and enter the number of the spell. For
characters above 2nd level, SPACE bar will access the next available spell
level. Elders can learn up to 6 spells; Wizards can learn 7. See Appendix 7.
4.Learn Martial Arts: Ninjas can learn Martial Arts if they have enough money for
training. To learn a certain move, just enter its number. A Ninja can learn a
maximum of 6 moves. As Ninjas gain access to more Martial Arts, they can replace
old moves with more powerful ones. SPACE bar accesses new Martial Arts for higher
level Ninjas. See Appendix 3 and Ninja Special Commands.
5.Mingle in the Pub: You'll probably need help to solve the plots, and who better
to turn to than the drunkards of Boarshead Pub? Some ask for money, some don't.
Some tell the truth, some don't. Nobody said an adventurer's life would be easy.
6.Visit Healers: The Healers can cure anybody of anything except death (for
death, see option 8). If you pay less than the amount asked for, they won't work
quite so hard. Paying 25 BP will cure illusion, berserk, poison, etc.
7.Consult Wizard: The Tower Wizard loves to examine rare and wonderful goodies.
Ask him about any object which seems magical or unusual. For no charge, he will
tell you all he can. The Wizard can also uncurse objects, but he charges a fee
for this service.
8.Resurrect a Character: Aw... did a monster snuff one of your characters? Well,
who said death was permanent? The Tower Wizard can resurrect any character whose
constitution is above 3. If you give him the recommended fee, he has a 50-50
chance. Giving more or less money will adjust the chances accordingly. Characters
lose 3 points of constitution if the process is successful.
9.Look at Status: This shows the current status of the character in Dragon
Village.
10.Visit the Bank: First Federal Dragon is the world's only socialistic bank.
Characters may leave bronze pieces here for other characters to pick up. Alas, an
ancient enchantment on the vault prevents characters with no skill points from
entering the bank. WARNING: When you turn your computer off, the merchants will
snaffle up any leftover change in the bank (capitalistic greed, that's what it
is)! It's a good idea to have a character remove the money before going on an
adventure.
"S" will save your character in Dragon Village. "B" will bring a new character
in. Return by itself will return you to the Main Menu.
Copying Modules
Copying a module should take about 2 minutes. After you've done so, you're ready
to go adventuring.
The first module, Seekers of the Storm, is a complex adventure of tremendous
scope. If you find it too difficult, try solving a castle or two to make your
characters more powerful. If you get stuck in the module, just send for the hints
(see page 1).
WARNING #1: As you've probably guessed, copying a module onto another disk
destroys the data on that disk. Our monsters can eat your spreadsheets, so use a
blank disk and the labels we provide.
WARNING #2: After your characters have cleaned out a castle, you can copy a new
castle onto your Castle Disk. But before you do, make sure the characters have
returned to Dragon Village. You can check this under Character Utilities on the
Main Menu. If any characters are "away," do not overwrite the castle they are on.
Constructing Castles
Important: The two warnings under Copying a Module (page 7) also apply to
Creating a Castle.
BD can generate adventure settings (castles) for each of its 12 plots. You can
customize these castles to your liking. A few limitations apply: a castle must
have 10-100 rooms. For a castle to contain an entire plot, it should have over 50
rooms. If the castle does not contain the entire plot, there will be a message
telling you so.
Some inputs are limited by others. For example, if you choose 25 rooms per level,
you cannot have over 3 levels below ground.
1.Rooms Per Level: (10-30) This is the number of areas on each level of the
castle. "Areas" include hallways, chambers, etc.
2.Levels Below Ground: (0-10) The number of floors below ground level.
3.Levels Above Ground: (1-10) The number of levels above ground. Level 1 is where
you enter.
4.Starting Monster Level: (1-10) High level monsters are nastier than low level
ones. On your first adventure, choose 1. Some plots have a minimum starting
monster level.
5.Difficulty: (1-10) The higher the difficulty, the more monsters, traps, and
treasure the castle contains. On your first adventure, choose 3 or less.
6.Plot Number: (1-12) Refer to Appendix 1 to choose the appropriate plot. Do not
choose a sequel unless you've successfully completed the preceding plot.
Your castle will be built from the bottom up. When the word "making" is in the
upper left corner, the map is created. When "filling" is there, rooms are being
jam packed with monsters, traps, and treasure. A 60 room castle takes about 15
minutes to generate.
We recommend that you construct a castle with 17-20 rooms per level, 0 levels
below ground and 3 levels above ground.
An appropriate monster level is half the skill level of the most powerful
character in your party (5th level characters should fight 2nd or 3rd level
monsters).
Difficulty is a matter of preference, but difficulty 1 gives little treasure
while difficulty 10 gives many mean monsters. Also, castles are always more
difficult the farther above or below ground level.
The higher numbered plots are more complex, but offer greater rewards.
Gathering a Party
If you have created and equipped up to 5 characters, and either Copied a Module
or Created a Castle, you are ready to gather your party.
Characters are gathered by entering the numbers next to their names. "R" will
remove a character from the party and place him on the list of available
characters. However, if you remove a character who is on an adventure, that
character will be lost if you save the party. The only way to recover a lost
character is resurrection in Dragon Village.
When the last character has joined, hit Return. Each is now listed as "away"
under Character Utilities. Your party is now ready to Go on an Adventure. You
will not have to regather your party again until you enter a new castle or
module.
IMPORTANT: To abort Gather a Party, remove everyone from the party and hit Return.
Everything is as before.
Go on an Adventure
The Screen
During play, there is a four line menu window at the top of the screen that
contains a lot of information. The top line shows which character and which menu
are up. The numbers represent the commands which are highlighted on the right.
The bottom line shows the character's current hit points, armor rank, and
endurance.
SIR LANCELITTLE %[REGULAR COMMANDS]%%%%
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
1 2 3 4 5 SEARCH
6 7 8 9 0 %(HP 100)%%(AR 4)%%%(END 12)%
Don't be put off by the complicated looks of this window. Before long, you'll be
able to access any command with only a few keystrokes.
The arrow keys (or number keys) will move from number to number in the menu
window. Return will then do what is shown in the window. For example, hitting
Return while on number 4 will Look. Some commands will access a sub-menu such as
Search, Use and Inventory. Other commands ask for more information. For example,
Fight asks whom you wish to attack, Leave needs to know which exit, etc.
Space bar is used to access other menus or offer further choices. For example,
while on Regular Commands, it will access Special Commands and vice versa.
Commands affecting creatures will usually show monsters on one menu and
characters on another. Space bar will switch between the two.
Turns
Bronze Dragon is a game of individuals. Each character has an opportunity to
decide on a course of action. This is called a turn. After every party member has
completed a turn, the first character in the party begins a new turn.
During each turn, a character chooses a command which is immediately executed.
Some commands do not take a turn, such as New in Hand, Sneak and Detect Evil. The
commands are explained on the following pages.
Areas
Castles and modules consist of many areas. An area can be a room, hallway,
courtyard, narrow path, section of woods, etc. Each has a description and at
least one exit. An area can be filled with objects, monsters, and traps.
An adventure always begins "outside." This is the only area from which your party
can return to Dragon Village and is always free from monsters.
Exits
An exit is a door, path or archway which leads to another area. To move from area
to area, a character Leaves through an exit. This is not to be confused with
Advance and Retreat which allow movement within an area. See "Range."
Some exits may be hidden, but can be found by Searching for Secret Doors. Some
exits may be blocked by a group of monsters.
Monsters
Any creature that is not a character is a monster. Monsters attack in a variety
of ways and can be found anywhere. Some monsters may be good. These you should
bribe with objects or bronze pieces rather than kill. Like characters, monsters
take turns and may have multiple attacks.
Wandering monsters are monsters that roam from area to area. Each castle or
module has a unique wandering monster related to the story. In some plots, it may
be possible to eliminate all of the wandering monsters.
Traps
Castles and modules often contain traps. Picture a sliding panel springing open,
spraying toxic gas all over your favorite Knight. Not a pretty sight. Traps are
usually triggered by attempting to take an object, but other blunders sometimes
set them off. Traps are often avoided by searching for them.
The Controls
The number, arrow, and letter keys all perform the same function, highlighting
commands. Choose the method of input which suits you best.
0-9: Pressing a number will highlight a command.
Arrow Keys: The arrow keys will highlight commands by moving from number to number
Letter Keys: While on the regular commands menu, you can highlight a command by
pressing the first letter of the command. The two exceptions are "V" for Look and
"Z" for retreat.
Return: Implements the highlighted command.
Space bar: Does one of two things:
1.If you haven't hit Return, Space will switch between Regular and
Special Commands.
2.If you've chosen a command that affects a monster or character, Space
will switch between the name groups.
Escape Key:
(or /) Aborts a command.
Control-G:
Toggles group move on or off. Must be on in the module.
Control-T:
Sets the time delay, the delay after something prints out.
The lower the number,
the shorter the delay. Zero delay is press a key mode.
Control-Q:
Saves the game (on the 1st character's turn only).
Control-R:
Reorders the party (on the 1st character's turn only).
Control-D:
Toggles area descriptions on or off. This allows for faster play
when leaving
through several areas already mapped.
Control-X:
Lists all characters in the party, their hit points, armor rank,
and turns without
food. This lets you know who to feed or heal.
The Regular Commands
The following commands are available to any character.
The numbers correspond to those in the
menu window.
1.Rest: The pause that refreshes and regains endurance.
2.Fight: Fighting is attempting to hit a monster or character with a weapon. You
must be in the proper range to have a chance at success. High level characters
will have multiple attacks. See "How to Fight" and "Range."
3.Search: There are 4 ways to search.
1.Search for Objects: You can pick up an object with this command. It is also
used to read a scroll, flip a switch or just fiddle with an object on the ground. You
cannot do this in the dark.
2.Search Creature: This allows you to take an object from a dead character or
monster.
3.Search for Secret Doors: You can attempt to locate a secret door with this
command. You will not find any in the dark. Repeated searches and high
intelligence will help.
4.Search for Traps: Paranoid? You may check for traps, but the search itself may
set one off. Again, several attempts and intelligent characters will help.
4.Look: If there's enough light, this will show the dimensions, a description, all visible
door locations, an object, and any monsters in the area. This is automatically done when
you enter a room, unless description is turned off.
5.Diversion: This gives every character in the area a +1 on their next to hit roll. It also
allows low-level Assassins to assassinate. IMPORTANT: The diverter draws attention
from monsters.
6.Advance: Advance is moving within an area toward a certain character or monster. It's
usually used to get in the proper range for combat. See "Range."
7.Retreat: The opposite of advance, retreat is often used when a short range weapon isn't
available. See "Range."
8.Use Object: There are 5 ways to use an object.
1.Unlock Item: This command is used to try to unlock an object on the floor such
as a chest or coffer with the object in hand (thieve's tools work best). This
command won't unlock doors.
2.Use on Creature: Using the object in hand on a monster or character is done
with this command. Food, elixir, and many magic items are used this way. While
food and elixir are beneficial, most characters don't appreciate a "Rod of Death"
being used on them.
3.Examine Object: You can look closely at any object you're carrying by
examining it. It is a good idea to check out anything suspicious, confusing or
interesting.
4.Use on your Possessions: This is using the object in hand on another object.
You can connect two rods together, put poison on a dagger and complete many
plots and modules with this command.
5.Use in Room: This is using the object in hand in a way other than on a creature
or your possessions. Unlocking doors with keys, waving wands, tying ropes to
windows and all sorts of magical feats are covered here.
9.Inventory: There are 5 commands under Inventory.
1.New in Hand: This puts an object you're carrying in hand so you can use it or
fight with it. Putting a candle or lantern in hand will immediately light up the area.
New in Hand does not take a turn.
2.Status: Here's where you can see a detailed status of the character. It does not
take a turn.
3.Get Rid Of: This is used to erase the object of your choice. This does not affect
the object in hand, unless you choose it for disposal. Get Rid of does not take a
turn. Warning: Get Rid Of works as advertised. It's permanent, so be careful.
4.Give Object: Give Object transfers an object from one character to another
character or monster. It often bribes non-vile creatures into leaving peacefully.
5.Give Money: This works like Give Object, except bronze pieces are exchanged.
10.Leave: After conquering one piece of turf, it's time to move on to another. This command
will take your party to the next frontier. Characters travel in a pack unless you turn group
move off. Exits appear at numbers 1-4. If you're outside a castle, "Return to Dragon
Village" will be at 5.
Special Commands
Hitting the SPACE bar on the Regular Commands menu will bring up a second menu, the Special
Commands. These commands are different for each character, depending on one's class and race.
Knights have two special commands:
Swordplay: This adds +1 to hit for every two skill levels and maximizes the sword's
damage. This command only works when a sword is in hand and only allows one attack
per turn. See Appendix 4 for a list of swords.
Rage: This doubles the number of attacks in one round, but reduces endurance to 0.
Assassins have two special commands:
Assassinate: This instantly kills most monsters or characters if the Assassin hits.
However, a dagger or garrote must be in hand and until the Assassin reaches 10th level,
the area must be dark or someone must divert.
Sneak: This works like the regular command Advance, but it does not take your turn.
Assassins sneak better at higher skill levels.
Ninjas have three special commands:
Martial Arts: There are 10 disciplines of Martial Arts. Each discipline has 3 moves:
Attack, Strike, and Defense. A Ninja can learn up to 6 moves. See Appendix 3 for details
on disciplines.
Attacks: An Attack is a special method of fighting creatures in short range. It will
do double the maximum damage if the creature is affected by that discipline.
Example: A Yeti Attack will do 1-10 damage against most monsters, but against
monsters with a freeze attack it does 20 damage.
Strikes: Unlike Attacks, a Strike only affects monsters under that discipline and
may affect more than one monster simultaneously. The actual effect depends on
the discipline (Yeti Strike freezes for 2 turns). Example: Tiger Strike, which only
affects monsters that claw or bite, is useless against ghosts, but can severely
cripple tigers or goblins.
Defenses: Defenses improve your armor rank and make you immune to attacks
under that discipline. The effects are cumulative. Example: Having both Bear
Defense (-1) and Eagle Defense (-2) would lower your armor rank by three and
make you immune to encircle and drain level attacks.
Leap: This works like the regular command Advance, but doesn't take your turn. Ninjas
must leap toward a creature, but only a martial arts Attack or Strike is allowed following
the leap. First level Ninjas have a 25% chance of leaping with bonuses for agility and skill
level.
Imitate Dead: Imitate Dead regains hit points; cures illusion, berserk, and poison; and
prevents creatures from attacking the Ninja for 3-6 turns. Attempting to enter this
trance-like state is a risky maneuver. If unsuccessful, the Ninja will suffer damage.
Elders have 3 special commands:
Sorcery: Sorcery is the act of casting a spell. Spells work at any range. Each spell has a
certain number of charges or times it may be used. If the charges are used up, the spell is
gone and the caster regains the spell points used to learn the spell. See Appendix 7 for all
the details.
Destroy: Undead creatures less powerful than the Elder using this will be turned to dust.
Undead creatures are those who have lived and died, yet still walk the earth. Typical
undead include ghosts, demons, zombies, lethal deadlies, etc. Alas, characters gain no
skill points for disposing of monsters in this way.
Innate Heal: This will heal characters whose hit points now have fallen below half their
hit points max, but will also lower their hit points max. Example: Sir Lancelittle, a
Knight, begins an adventure with 100 hit points now and 100 hit points max. His hit
points now were reduced to 40 by a group of tempermental fire beetles. Guinevere, an
Elder, uses Innate Heal on Sir Lancelittle, which puts both his hit points now and hit
points max at 90.
Sir Lancelittle's hit points aren't permanently lowered. The Healers will restore them for a
price and King Leopold will do it for the return of an unusual plot object.
Wizards have 2 special commands:
Sorcery: See Sorcery under the Elder's special commands.
Cast Energy: This is a special method of fighting which works at any range. The
damage is 10 times the Wizard's level with a +1 to hit for every 2 skill levels, but reduces
endurance to 0.
Humans have one special command:
Jeweler: With this command, a character can approximate the value of any object. Such
knowledge comes in handy when bargaining with the merchants. Jeweler does not take a
turn.
Elves have one special command:
Detect Evil: This enables a character to discern the actual alignment of a creature -
whether evil or not evil. It does not take a turn.
Dwarves have one special command:
Know Level: This allows a character to determine the level he is on. "Level 1" is the
ground level. This does not take a turn.
Halflings have one special command except for Halfing Knights who lose their hurling ability in
favor of swordplay:
Hurling: This adds a +1 to hit for every two skill levels and maximizes the damage of the
weapon. This command only works when the proper weapon is in hand and only allows
one attack per turn. (See Appendix 4).
Range
There are three ranges in Bronze Dragon: short (SR), medium (MR) and long (LR). Characters
must be in the proper range to fight which depends on the weapon used (See Appendix 4). You can
move into proper range with the Advance, Retreat, Sneak or Leap command. Example: Sir
Lancelittle wants to stab a giant rat, but finds he is in long range. This leaves him with two choices.
He may advance toward the helpless rodent or put a long range weapon in hand.
How to Fight
Before you fight, you should put a weapon in hand. This is done with the New in Hand command.
The next step is choosing the proper fight command (Fight, Swordplay, Hurling, Assassinate,
etc.) and a victim. The Space bar will switch between monsters and characters. The Escape key
aborts a fight command.
After selecting a victim, the screen will display the number needed to hit. Below this is a flickering
number ranging from 1-20. To stop the number, press any key. Bonuses to hit will then be added
to your roll. If the resulting number is equal to or greater than the number needed, you hit! If you
roll twice the number needed to hit, you usually do double damage.
How to Eat
After 160 turns without food, your party will begin to complain of being famished. Characters are
fed one at a time. To feed a character, you should put some food in hand with the New in Hand
command. The next step is selecting the Use on Creature command and a character who needs to
be fed. You can monitor turns without food with the Status command or Control-X.
Important: If you do not feed a character within 200 turns, he will drop unconscious.
Unconsciousness can only be cured by a spell or elixir.
Elixir will also feed a character as well as cure illusion, berserk, freeze, etc. Food purchased in
Dragon Village will have more than one meal. Example: Merchant's Meal has 15 meals which can
feed a party of 5 three times.
There are several different types of food that can be found on an adventure. Poison and spoiled
food will severely weaken a character, while magic food will enhance armor rank or hit points. The
Tower Wizard will be able to tell which is beneficial and which is harmful.
Saving a Game
Since it takes hours to complete an adventure, you will probably wish to save the game. You can
save the game in progress at any area in the castle or module; you do not have to go back to
Dragon Village. Simply press Control-Q during the first character's turn. After the game is
saved, you can continue play by entering "Y." Entering "N" will take you back to the Main Menu,
but your characters will remain on the adventure.
You may also save the game by having your party return to Dragon Village for supplies, healing,
etc. The party will remain gathered.
If a character dies, do not leave him alone and save the game. Hungry monsters will come in, find
the body, and... Well, we shan't go into the grisly aspects of adventuring here. If a character has a
Raise Dead spell, cast it. If not, the Tower Wizard can recover dead characters (even gobbled
ones). See Appendix 7, Raise Dead spells.
To restart the game later, boot the Bronze Side and select Go on an Adventure. You'll be back
exactly where you left off.
Mapping
You'll need graph paper and a pencil. In a castle, each level will have exactly the number of rooms
you specified. Also, each level's dimensions are based off the number of rooms it has. Example:
If you made 15 rooms per level, the level would be 150x150 beters (15 blocks high and 15 blocks
wide).
The dimensions of each room will be displayed in the menu window. A 30 NS 50 EW room
would be 3 blocks high and 5 wide. Door locations are indicated by the number in brackets - you
must count over that number of blocks from the north or west wall.
Example 1: The party has just
climbed a staircase and is now on
level 2 according to the dwarf. In the
menu window it says: 40 NS 50
EW. This means the room is 4
blocks high (north-south) and 5
wide (east-west).
The exit description says:
Leading down, there is a huge staircase.
[3] North, there is a blue door.
[1] East, there is a green door.
Count 3 blocks from the left along
the north wall and mark the 1st door. Count 1 block down from the top along the east wall for the
2nd door. The staircase would be denoted with (D) for down. The room should look like the map
on the right:
Example 2: The party leaves
through the green door and enters a
room which is 30 NS 40 EW.
The exit
description
shows:
[2] West, there
is a green door.
[3] South, there
is a double door.
There is a
stairway leading
up.
The room should look like the map on the left:
Example 3: In a module, many
areas do not have exact dimensions.
The party leaves through the double
door and enters a place described
only as a small, circular chamber.
There is a set of double doors on the
north wall and a sliding screen on
the south. It should look something
like the map on the right:
Mazes
Mazes are confusing places; the exits are right, left, forward, and backward instead of "wooden
door" or "beaded tapestry." A description might read: You're in a misty, disorienting section of the
marsh.
Even mazes are mappable. One maze area has three sections: the entrance, the center, and the far
side. Each section has the four directions: right, left, forward, and backward. The party starts at the
entrance, but each character moves individually until someone finds a way out.
Example 4: The party has just entered a twisty, disorienting maze.
The Knight moves right and moves to the far side. (Now
you know that going right at the entrance will take you to
the far side)
The Assassin goes forward and moves to the center
The Ninja goes left and moves to the entrance.
The Knight, who's at the farside, goes forward and
moves to the entrance.
The Assassin, who's in the center, goes backward and
finds a way out.
Solving Plots
A plot is a series of puzzles connected to a specific story. Several objects are needed to solve a plot.
These are called plot objects. Most plots lead to the recovery of an unusual object which is worth
several thousand skill points if returned to King Leopold or Lord Usul. If the final object is needed
to begin a sequel plot, they will not take it, but will award skill points for some other plot object.
See Appendix 1 for a listing of plots and final objects.
The four steps to solving a plot are:
1.Study the Legends: To discover what to look for and how to recover it, you should
visit the pub before setting off on an adventure. Pay attention to what's going on, who
says what and write down anything that seems important. After visiting the pub several
times, you'll know exactly who to listen to and who not to. At the beginning of an
adventure, more legends will be told in the opening story. Again, write down important
information.
2.Find the Objects: You'll encounter hundreds of objects while adventuring; some will be
plot objects. Inaccessible objects are almost always plot objects. Examining objects and
asking the Tower Wizard will also help in determining if an object is a plot object.
Examples: Twine, rags, and broken dishes are garbage. Pots of glue and crimson rods
are probably important. A golden helm affixed to a statue is almost certain to be a plot
object.
3.Use the Objects: To solve a plot, you will need to use plot objects. If something is
inaccessible, think about what you might use to recover it. Example: You find a glowing
iron crown. Sure sounds important, but it's too hot to touch. Maybe that bucket of ice
water will work! (Use in Room)
You may even have to assemble certain objects yourself. Example: You find an axe
handle. You already have an axe blade. If you use the blade on the handle or vice versa,
you'll get an axe of giant slaying! (Use on Possessions)
1.Take It Back: After obtaining the final object, you can take it back to King Leopold or
Lord Usul at the Crossroads. The two rulers treat characters differently and reward
different amounts of skill points to characters. It is generally a good idea to take back all
plot objects, just in case. Some plot objects are valuable magic items and can be sold in
Dragon Village or kept for another adventure.
The Crossroads
After you've completed a plot, your characters should go to the Crossroads. Good characters
should visit King Leopold, while evil characters should go to Lord Usul. Characters are rewarded
with skill points and bonuses to ability scores for the return of unusual plot objects.
King Leopold's Bronze Castle
King Leopold is a benevolent ruler, a champion of truth and justice everywhere. He is an extremely
pleasant man to deal with, although the same cannot be said for his wife, Queen Putrid. He'll look
over a character's possessions in hopes of finding unusual plot objects which he'll naturally want
for himself. He desires the final plot object most of all. In return, King Leopold will grant each
character in the party skill points and, if anyone has enough skill points, skill levels. If he's in a
good mood, the King may even grant bonuses to the ability scores of favored characters.
Incidentally, Leopold also heals party members after they give him an unusual plot object.
Lord Usul's Demonic Fortress
Lord Usul is the evil counterpart to King Leopold. If a character brings anything to Lord Usul that
interests him, he'll just take it - no arguments allowed. He may give more skill points than
Leopold, but he's been known to take skill points away if he's in a really foul mood.
Unsubstantiated rumors have it that Usul becomes very friendly to high level servants, giving
many bonuses to ability scores. Lord Usul does not heal characters.
Skill Levels and Skill Points
A skill level is a measure of a character's ability in fighting, spell casting, etc. All characters begin
at 1st skill level. Skill points are a measure of how experienced a character is and are gained
through slaying monsters and recovering plot objects. Having the correct number of skill points
does not instantly result in increasing a character's skill level. Skill levels are awarded by King
Leopold or Lord Usul. They can also be gained upon entering Dragon Village at a skill point base
of 2,700. See Appendix 8.
Example: Sir Lancelittle, a 3rd level human Knight with 7,500 skill points, brings the wonderous
Lore Stone of Acalon to King Leopold. Leopold rewards him with 5,700 skill points (for a
total of 13,200) and increases his skill level to 4th. The King also grants an additional strength
point and increases Lancelittle's hit points now and hit points max to 180.
The Glossary
Ability Scores - Ability scores are numbers which represent how strong, smart, agile and hardy
an individual character is. An average ability score is 10. High ability scores will add bonuses in
fighting, searching, spell points, etc. Low scores can penalize a character. Each character has five
ability scores: Strength, Agility, Intelligence, Constitution and Endurance.
Adventure - Any castle or module in which characters find monsters, treasure and surprises.
Agility - Agility is an ability score measuring how quick and nimble a character is. Special traits
such as Leap and Sneak are affected by agility. High agility can give bonuses to hit and added
protection from attacks.
Armor - Objects which protect characters from damage are called armor. Any armor carried is
automatically worn. Armor is classified by types such as body, shield, boot, belt, etc. Characters
can wear more than one piece of armor, but no more than one of each type. Not all armor may be
worn by all character classes. See Appendix 5.
Armor Rank - Armor rank or AR is a measure of how vulnerable a creature is to physical attacks.
Low numbers are better than high ones. A creature with no armor has an armor rank of 10, which
means an unlucky dart-throwing blind man could strike him at 500 beters.
Attack - This is a special method of fighting without weapons. It is short range and available only
to Ninjas. See "Martial Arts" (page 14). Attack also refers to the method a creature uses to
damage another creature.
Base Hit Points - A number of hit points from which hit points are calculated. Base hit points
are determined by race and class.
Base Skill Points - A number of skill points from which skill levels are determined. See
Appendix 8.
Berserk - An insane state in which a character lashes out at fellow party members in an
unthinking rage. The effects will eventually subside or can be cured with spells or elixir.
Beter - The standard unit of length in Bronze Dragon. It's the length between the tip of King
Leopold's nose and his outstretched hand (approximately 2.92 feet).
Bilo - The standard unit of weight in Bronze Dragon. It's the weight of one bronze coin
(approximately 1.55 ounces).
Bronze Pieces - Otherwise known as BP or bronpies, bronze pieces are the standard unit of
money in Bronze Dragon. Fifty-five BP is a good day's wage. Castle - Castle is a general term
used for a place to adventure. Every castle is filled with monsters and treasures.
Character - The role played by an individual is called a character. Up to five characters may
adventure together in a castle or module.
Charges - This number measures the amount of times a spell can be cast or an object can be used.
When all charges are gone, a spell will be forgotten and an object will lose its power or disappear
completely.
Class - This is the profession of a character. There are currently five classes: Knight, Assassin,
Ninja, Elder and Wizard.
Constitution - This is an ability score measuring the hardiness of a character. Constitution
determines maximum endurance and how quickly endurance is regained by resting. Three points of
constitution are taken away if a character is resurrected in Dragon Village.
Creature - This generally refers to a monster or character.
Cursed Object - This is any object which cannot be dropped, given away or sold. The Tower
Wizard or the remove curse spell can remove a curse from any object.
Damage - Anytime hit points are taken away from a creature, damage has occurred. Damage also
refers to the present condition of an object such as a lantern after it has been used to hit a troll.
Death - This is the condition of a creature when they lose all their hit points or skill levels. A dead
creature will no longer have a turn.
Defense - A Defense improves a character's armor rank and gives immunity to certain monster
attacks. See "Martial Arts" (page 14).
Difficulty - Difficulty is a measure of how tough a castle is. High difficulty also means greater
treasure.
Discipline - A level of martial arts which affects a certain type of monster attack. There are 3
moves in each of the 10 disciplines.
Double Damage - This means twice normal damage.
Elixir - A special substance which is used to feed and cure a character of berserk, illusion, freeze,
etc.
Endurance - This is the ability score which measures how tired a character is. Fighting and
Sorcery lower endurance and Resting will regain endurance. If a character fights or casts a spell
while at zero endurance, he will suffer damage. Maximum endurance is the average of a character's
strength and constitution.
Familiar - This is a conjured or created creature that defends and fights for the spell caster.
Fight - A command used to damage a creature.
Food - Any object which is edible is food. Food can be poisonous, spoiled, magical, or typical.
Frozen - A state of immobility in which a creature cannot do anything. This will eventually wear
off or can be cured by elixir.
Group Move - This is a command which determines if a party moves together or separately.
Haggling - The merchants in Dragon Village will bargain for your treasures. You will ask for a
high price, they will offer a low price. This process is called haggling.
Heal - Raising hit points is called healing.
Hit Points - A measure of how much life a creature has. When a creature is damaged, hit points
are lost. When hit points fall below 1, the creature is dead.
Hit Points Max - Hit points max is the maximum number of hit points a character should have at
their present skill level. Hit points max is lowered when an Elder uses Innate Heal on a character.
Hit Points Now - This is the number of hit points a character currently has.
Illusion - A confused state in which a character flops on the floor, smashes objects, goes beserk,
etc. The effects will eventually wear off or can be cured by elixir.
Intelligence - This is the ability score which measures how smart a character is. High intelligence
helps in detecting secret doors and detecting traps. Intelligence also determines the number of spell
points a character has and the chance for spell failure.
Level - This is the term used for the floor of a castle. Level 1 is ground level, -1 is one level
below ground, etc.
Light - Light affects how well a character can see in an area. Objects, secret doors, and creatures
not in short range are impossible to see in the dark.
Magic Item - An item with a special power is a magic item. Magic items usually have a limited
number of charges and can be used a number of different ways.
Martial Arts - These are special forms of open hand combat and defense available to Ninjas.
There a 10 disciplines and 3 moves per discipline.
Maze - An area with exits leading left, right, forward and backward. Mazes are always found at
the bottom of castles and are normally very difficult to map.
Menu Window - This is the four line information box at the top of the screen which is used to
select commands while a party is on an adventure. The top line shows which character and menu
are currently up.
Module - This is a complete adventure designed by Commonwealth Software. It contains new
monsters and magic items, several puzzles, and an immensely entertaining story.
Monster Level - This indicates how mean and nasty a monster is. There are currently 10 levels
of monsters. Level 1 monsters are geared toward low level characters; Level 10 is geared toward
level 20 characters.
Monster - Any creature which is not a character is a monster. They can be good or evil.
Move - There are 3 types of moves in each martial arts discipline: attack, strike and defense. A
Ninja can know up to 6 moves at one time.
Multiple Attacks - High level creatures can attack more than one time per turn. See Appendix 2
and 10.
Object - Any item or thing which can be taken or purchased by a character is called an object.
Party - A group of up to 5 characters who adventure together is called a party.
Plot - A series of puzzles and objects related to a specific story.
Plot Object - Any object used to solve a plot is called a plot object. Each plot has a final plot
object which is usually worth several thousand skill points. See Appendix 1.
Poison - Poison normally refers to the weakening condition of a character. Each turn a character
remains poisoned, he will suffer damage. The effects of poison will eventually wear off or kill the
character, but can be diluted by using elixir. Poison can also be purchased in Dragon Village and
used on weapons to increase the damage they do when fighting. However, doing this will negate
the magical ability of some weapons. Poison on a weapon will eventually wear off.
Race - The race is the type of creature a character can be. Race determines ability scores and the
number of hit points a character has. The four available races are: Human, Elf, Dwarf and Halfling.
Range - The distance between two creatures is the range. Short range is close enough for hand to
hand combat, medium range is about 2 - 4 beters away and long range is over 4 beters away.
Regular Commands - These are the commands available to any character.
Room - A general term used to describe an area within a castle.
Roster - The roster is a list of up to 40 characters saved on the Character Disk.
Skill Level - This is a number representing the measure of a character's ability in fighting, spell
casting, and general adventuring. Higher skill levels mean greater hit points, better ability scores,
bonuses in fighting, multiple attacks, more martial arts disciplines and more spell levels. See
Appendix 10.
Skill Points - This is a number representing how experienced a character is in his class. Skill
points are awarded for slaying monsters and recovering unusual plot objects. See Appendix 10.
Special Commands - These are the commands available only to certain classes and races. Some
special commands are Detect Evil, Swordplay, Assassinate, Know Level, Sorcery, etc.
Spell - A spell is a method of harnessing and directing magical energies. Spells are learned in
Dragon Village and cast using the Sorcery command.
Spell Level - A measure of spell difficulty and power. There are 10 levels of spells for Elders
and Wizards. High spell levels are only available to high level characters.
Spell Points - Spell points limit the number of spells a Wizard or Elder may learn. Spell points
are expended by learning a spell and regained by forgetting or dispelling it. Two spell points are
gained for every skill level and extra points are gained for intelligence greater than 14. See
"Dragon Village" (page 6).
Strength - Strength is an ability score measuring the physical power of a character. High strength
adds bonuses to hit and damage. It also determines maximum endurance and how many bilos a
character can carry.
Strike - A strike is a special martial arts move which only affects monsters in its discipline. See
"Martial Arts" (page 14).
Time Delay - This determines the speed at which the game plays and ranges from 0 to 50. More
specifically, it is the amount of time text remains on the screen. A time delay of zero will wait until
a key is pressed.
To Hit - This is the number needed to successfully hit a creature. An average to hit value is 10.
Lower to hit numbers mean an easy hit, while higher numbers are more difficult.
Treasure - An object of great value.
Turns Without Food - This number represents the total turns a character has not eaten. After
200 turns without food, the character will drop unconscious.
Unconscious - A character in this state will continually lose hit points until death occurs. Elixir
and some spells may revive an unconscious character.
Uncurse - This simply means removing the curse an object may have. A cursed object must be
uncursed before dropping, giving, or selling it.
Undead - Any monster which has died, but doesn't quite accept that fact is an undead. Undead
can be destroyed instantly by a powerful Elder.
Weapon - An object used in combat is a weapon.
Weight - This is a measurement of how heavy an object is in bilos. Each character can carry a
number of bilos equal to their base hit points times their strength. Carrying a heavy load does not
inhibit a character at all.
Appendix 1: The Plots
Castle
Final Object
Skill Level
Seekers of the Storm
Who knows?
1st-3rd
Dungeon of the Undead
Parchment of Power
1st only
The Philosopher's Stone
Philosopher's Stone
1st-2nd
Shadowland (Part 1)
Talisman
3rd-4th
Shadowland (Part 2)
Walking Stick
4th-5th
Shadowland (Part 3)
Crown of Everlasting Evil
5th-7th
The Wedding Present
White Fleece
7th-9th
BEWARE the Drek!
Silver and Gold Rings
9th-12th
Tul'Shar (Part 1)
Half Complete Statue
12th-15th
Tul'Shar (Part 2)
Statue of Tul'Shar
15th-18th
Storm Raven (Part 1)
Steel Shaft or Iron Shaft
15th-20th
Storm Raven (Part 2)
Ebony Raven or Storm Bow
18th-24th
The Alchemist's Legacy
Beautiful Emerald
20th-25th
Appendix 2: Monster Attacks
Name of Attack
Explanation
Claw & Bite
Just a straight damage attack.
Poison
This will severely weaken a character for a period of time. Elixir can dilute
the poison.
Breath Weapon
This attack never misses. If the monster fails its to hit roll, the character only
suffers half damage. Most dragons use this attack.
Normal
Weapon
This attack means the monster is using some type of weapon. Weapons
carried by higher level monsters might be worth taking.
Drain Level
This attack removes one or more skill levels from a character. If a character's
level is reduced below 1, death occurs. This attack does not drain skill
points, only levels. If King Leopold or Lord Usul reward you later, they will
raise you to the proper level.
Drain Anything
This could be constitution, intelligence, bronze pieces, or just about anything
a character can possess.
Freeze
Immobilizes characters for a few turns.
Berserk
This makes a character attack his fellow party members in an unthinking
rage.
Encircle
Many gooey monsters use this attack. They immobilize characters by
wrapping themselves around the character.
Flying
This is a defensive tactic, allowing a monster to get in long range by flying
above the characters.
Disappear
This is also a defensive tactic, often used to regain endurance and sneak up
on unsuspecting characters.
Mutate
Some monsters can divide and become two. Each new monster has half the
hit points of the original.
Explode
Some monsters will actually kill themselves in an effort to damage
characters.
Immunity to
Weapons
Immunity to weapons and martial arts.
Immunity to
Spells
Immunity to spells, but not necessarily to magic items.
Illusion
This attack could make a character berserk, paralyzed, imitate dead, or have
many other strange results.
Special
The infinite variety of attacks not covered by the previous attacks.
Appendix 3: Martial Arts
Style
Cost
Damage1
+ to AR2
Type of Monster
Attack
Yeti
20
1-10
1
Freeze
Volcano
40
1-20
1
Explode
Tiger
70
1-30
1
Claw & Bite
Bear
90
1-40
1
Encircle
Snake
200
1-50
2
Poison
Hawk
250
1-60
2
Berserk
Magi
300
1-70
2
Illusion
Eagle
340
1-80
2
Drain Level
Iron
500
1-90
3
Short Range
Weapons
Dragon
900
1-100
4
Breath Weapon
1Only for Attacks
2Only for Defenses
Appendix 4: Weapons
Cost
+ to Hit
Damage
Range
10 Arrows & Bow
20
0
1-8
Medium-Long
Battle Axe
15
0
1-10
Short-Medium
Throwing Axe3
11
6
6-10
Medium-Long
Club
5
0
1-5
Short
Dagger2
5
0
1-6
Short
Dart3
2
0
1-5
Medium-Long
Flail
13
0
1-9
Medium
Halberd
17
0
1-11
Medium
Hammer
10
0
1-8
Short
Javelin3
10
7
5-11
Medium-Long
Mace
11
0
1-9
Short
Morning Star
14
0
1-10
Medium
10 Shaft & Bow
35
4
6-10
Medium-Long
10 Bolt & Bow
43
4
6-12
Medium-Long
Scimitar
7
0
1-6
Short
20 Pellets & Sling3
15
2
3-7
Medium-Long
20 Stones & Sling3
10
0
1-6
Medium-Long
Pole-Arm
15
0
1-9
Short-Medium
Bastard Sword1
15
0
3-10
Short
Broad Sword1
10
0
2-8
Short
Long Sword1
20
0
2-12
Short
Short Sword1
5
0
1-5
Short
Two-Handed Sword1
17
0
5-10
Short
Iron Gloves
9
2
1-6
Short
Throwing Knife3
8
5
6-10
Medium-Long
Quarter Staff
6
0
2-5
Short-Medium
Knight Weapons
Cost
+ to Hit
Damage
Range
Curved Sabre
13
0
2-11
Short
Rapier
10
0
2-9
Short
Bastard Sword1
15
0
3-10
Short
Broad Sword1
10
0
2-8
Short
Short Sword1
5
0
1-5
Short
Throwing Knife3
8
5
6-10
Medium-Long
Dagger2
5
0
1-6
Short
Long Dagger2
8
0
1-7
Short
Dart3
2
0
1-5
Medium-Long
Hand Axe
6
0
1-6
Short
Quarter Staff
6
0
2-5
Short-Medium
20 Pellets & Sling3
15
2
3-7
Medium-Long
20 Stones & Sling3
10
0
1-6
Medium-Long
Garrote2
11
0
5-8
Short
Bullwhip
12
0
4-8
Medium
Assassin Weapons
Cost
+ to Hit
Damage
Range
10 Darts & Blowgun
32
2
5-8
Medium-Long
Blackjack
10
0
2-7
Short
Bola3
10
7
8-11
Medium-Long
Spiked Bola3
15
8
11-14
Medium-Long
Bullwhip
12
0
4-8
Medium
5 Throwing Stars3
25
3
9-12
Medium-Long
Garrote2
11
0
5-8
Short
Iron Fan
10
0
2-5
Short
Spearwhip
10
0
3-6
Medium
Nunchakus
20
2
5-9
Short
Battle Scythe
11
0
4-7
Medium
Tri-Staff
15
0
5-9
Short-Medium
Throwing Knife3
8
5
6-10
Medium-Long
Ninja Weapons
Cost
+ to Hit
Damage
Range
Club
5
0
1-5
Short
Lucern Hammer
10
0
4-7
Short
20 Pellets & Sling3
15
2
3-7
Medium-Long
20 Stones & Sling3
10
0
1-6
Medium-Long
Flail
13
0
1-9
Medium
Knotted Whip
10
0
1-8
Medium
Quarter Staff
6
0
2-5
Short-Medium
Elder Weapons
Cost
+ to Hit
Damage
Range
5 Orbs3
50
2
11-25
Medium-Long
Dagger2
5
0
1-6
Short
Crooked Staff
12
1
2-5
Short-Medium
Gnarled Staff
15
1
3-7
Short-Medium
Wizard Weapons
1Can be used for Swordplay
2Can be used for Assassination
3Can be used for Hurling
Note: Weapons that work in Medium-Long Range have a limited number of uses. Example: 5
Orbs have 5 uses, but a Bola can only be used once.
These lists are a result of the Provisioner's prejudice regarding which weapons are proper for each
class. Your characters should not feel constrained by this list. Feel free to exchange weapons and
experiment with new ones found on adventures.
Appendix 5: Armor
Name
Cost (BP)
Weight
Armor Rank
Improvement
Who Can
Wear It
Type1
Belt
5
2
0.2
K A E N W
Belt
Low Boots
5
2
0.1
K A E N W
Boot
High Boots
15
2
0.2
K A E N W
Boot
Cape
20
6
0.6
K A E N W
Cape
Cloak
25
7
0.7
K A E N W
Cloak
Hooded Cloak
35
8
0.8
K A E N W
Cloak
Robe
45
9
0.9
K A E N W
Cloak
Wristlets
10
3
0.3
K A E N -
Arm
Copper Wristlets
20
4
0.5
K A E N -
Arm
Padded Armor
10
40
1
K A E - -
Body
Ringed Armor
30
100
2
K A E - -
Body
Leather Armor
50
70
3
K A E - -
Body
Studded Armor
100
90
4
K A E - -
Body
Wooden Shield
25
50
0.3
K A - - -
Shield
Small Shield
40
20
0.4
K A - - -
Shield
Round Shield
55
18
0.8
K A - - -
Shield
Large Shield
75
50
1
K A - - -
Shield
Face Plate
20
10
0.3
K - - - -
Face
Light Helm
35
40
0.4
K - - - -
Head
Great Helm
75
80
0.7
K - - - -
Head
Chain Armor
300
160
5
K - - - -
Body
Plate Armor
1000
190
6
K - - - -
Body
Field Armor
2500
250
7
K - - - -
Body
1Characters may only wear one from each type.
Appendix 6: Equipment
Name
Cost (BP)
Notes
Candle
5
2 charges, lights the area when put in hand
Torch
15
6 charges, lights the area when put in hand
Lantern
40
20 charges, lights the area when put in hand
Rope
17
1 use, allows party to escape through windows
Thieve's Tools
14
+75% chance to open chests
Oxalic Poison
15
+10% damage (see poison in glossary)
Vitriol Poison
60
+50% damage (see poison in glossary)
Aconite Poison
150
+100% damage (see poison in glossary)
Flask of Elixir
20
2 drinks; cures illusion, freeze, berserk etc.
Skin of Elixir
50
6 drinks; cures illusion, freeze, berserk etc.
Standard Rations
15
food, 5 meals
Iron Rations
20
food, 10 meals
Merchant's Meal
25
food, 15 meals
Rod of Detection
30
3 charges; finds and removes traps
Healing Potion
50
3 charges; +50% to hit points now
Healing Amulet
150
4 charges; +100% to hit points now
Appendix 7: Spells
Spells are learned in Dragon Village and cast using the Sorcery command on the special commands
menu. Spells have a limited number of charges or times they can be cast. Each time a spell is cast, a
charge is removed and when there are no charges left, the spell is forgotten or dispelled.
There is a chance to fail casting a spell. If this happens, the caster's endurance will be reduced to 0,
but a charge will not be removed. Character Utilities will display the exact chance of failing. The
formula is listed in Appendix 9.
Spells are explained on the following pages. If a spell has a number by its name, it belongs to one
of the following categories:
1.Familiars are conjured or summoned creatures that will defend and fight for the spell
caster. You cannot cast a long-term spell or another familiar spell while your familiar is
still alive. Familiar spells always have two charges, one to summon the familiar and one to
dispell (forget) it.
Once a familiar is summoned, it can either fight (choose a creature) or rest (hit ESCAPE)
if there are monsters in the area. It can attack creatures at any range and will automatically
rest if there are no monsters to attack.
A familiar will also intercept blows aimed at the spell caster, taking the damage itself.
However, if a familiar dies, the caster suffers triple damage from the killing blow. It is
wise to dispell a familiar if its hit points become low. You can monitor a familiar's hit
points in the menu window when monsters are in the area or with the Sorcery command.
2.Multiple Damage spells can damage more than one monster simultaneously. However,
characters receive no skill points if a monster is killed this way. To use a multiple damage
spell effectively, it should be cast on the first monster appearing in the menu window.
3.Raise Dead spells bring a character back from the dead. If successful, the resurrected
character will have 1 hit point. If Raise Dead V doesn't work, the best resort is to go back
to Dragon Village and pay the Tower Wizard.
Important: If a character dies, it is a good idea to leave someone in the room to guard the
body if the Elder needs to return to Dragon Village for a Raise Dead spell. See "Saving a
Game."
4.Long-Term spells last 1 turn for each charge. You cannot cast a familiar spell or another
long-term spell while a long-term spell is still active. Like familiars, long-term spells can
be dispelled (forgotten) at any time.
Elder Spells
Level 1
Level 2
Zombie1
(2 charges) This creates a familiar that has 20 hit
points and does about 9 damage.
Stave Off Evil4
(8 charges) Evil monsters cannot attack the
caster at all
Heal Wounds
(5 charges) Heals 10 hit points when cast on a
wounded character.
Scintillating Lights
(5 charges) Lights the room in a way that
slightly baffles monsters.
Sanctuary4
(17 charges) This confuses monsters so they
don't know whom to attack and probably will not
attack the caster.
Tomb Acid
(5 charges) This will only affect monsters that
use short range weapons. It will cripple one
and take all but 1 of its hit points.
Inflict Wounds
(5 charges) Does about 5 damage to a monster or
character.
Thunder Storm2
(1 charge) Does about 40 damage to 1-3
monsters.
Create Food
(5 charges) Will turn an object carried by the
caster into food.
Mending Touch
(3 charges) Heals 35 hit points when cast on a
character who has lost at least 35 hit points.
Level 3
Level 4
Wolverine1
(2 charges) This creates a familiar that has 100 hit
points and does about 18 damage.
Trip4
(11 charges) This causes any monster that
attacks the caster to trip and injure itself.
Protection
(3 charges) Makes the caster's armor rank 0 for a
number of turns equal to his current endurance.
Flying Fist
(3 charges) Does about 50 damage to a monster
or character.
Undead Acid
(5 charges) This removes all but 1 hit point and
cripples a monster that claws or bites.
Fire Acid
(4 charges) Will cripple a monster using a
breath weapon and leave it with only 1 hit
point.
Hurricane2
(1 charge) This will do about 80 damage to to 1-3
monsters.
Earthquake2
(1 charge) Does around 120 in damage to to
1-3 monsters.
Exorcise
(7 charges) Will instantly kill any undead in the
area.
Paralyzation
(3 charges) Freezes a monster or character for 5
turns.
Level 5
Level 6
Blade Barrier4
(7 charges) Monsters who attack the caster from
short range suffer 50 damage.
Stone Golem1
(2 charges) This creates a familiar that has 700
hit points and does about 90 damage.
Restore
(5 charges) Heals 250 hit points when cast on a
wounded character.
Blight
(4 charges) Does about 85 damage to a monster
or character.
Necro Acid
(5 charges) Reduces a drain level monster to 1 hit
point and cripples it.
Raise Dead3
(3 charges) This will resurrect a dead character
that still has at least -50 hit points.
Push
(6 charges) Puts a monster in long range and
stuns it for 1 turn.
Orb of Healing4
(10 charges) Heals 35 hit points each turn for
every character in the area.
Elderblast
(5 charges) Does about 60 damage to a monster
or character.
Spirit Wrack
(2 charges) Does about 150 damage to a
monster or character.
Level 7
Level 8
Reflection4
(9 charges) A monster suffers the damage it
would have inflicted on the caster. The caster
suffers half damage.
Neutralize
(5 charges) This cures every character in the the
area of illusion, berserk, poison, etc.
Flamestrike
(6 charges) Does about 100 damage to a monster
or character.
Fire Fiend1
(2 charges) This creates a familiar that has 1000
hit points and does about 150 damage.
Raise Dead II3
(3 charges) This will resurrect a dead character
that still has at least -100 hit points.
Raise Dead III3
(3 charges) This will resurrect a dead character
that still has at least -150 hit points.
Vitalize
(5 charges) This heals 400 hit points when cast
on a wounded character.
Insect Horde
(4 charges) Does around 175 in damage to a
monster or character.
Enslave1
(2 charges) This will turn a monster into your
familiar with its hit points and damage.
Regeneration
(2 charges) Completely heals a character's hit
points.
Level 9
Level 10
Thunderstrike2
(2 charges) Does about 200 damage to 1-3
monsters.
Earth Dragon1
(2 charges) This creates a familiar that has 2000
hit points and does about 200 damage.
Creeping Plague4
(10 charges) Any monster that attacks the caster
is engulfed. All others suffer 5 damage.
Elemental Wrath2
(3 charges) Does about 300 damage to 1-3
monsters.
Raise Dead IV3
(3 charges) This will resurrect a dead character
that still has at least -200 hit points.
Raise Dead V3
(3 charges) This will resurrect a dead character
that still has at least -300 hit points.
Haste
(5 charges) Gives every character in the area an
extra turn.
Power Kill
(4 charges) This will severely weaken or
possibly kill a monster
Crystalize
(5 charges) Freezes a monster or character for 10
turns.
Phantom Force
(3 charges) This removes two attacks from a
monster.
Wizard Spells
Level 1
Level 2
Find Traps
(25 charges) This spell locates and removes
traps.
Energize
(10 charges) This gives everyone in the party
their maximum endurance.
Shatterglass
(4 charges) Does about 12 damage to a monster
or character.
Double Image
(4 charges) Improves the caster's armor rank by
4 for a number of turns equal to his level.
Snare
(4 charges) Freezes a monster or character for 2
turns.
Wizard Shock
(2 charges) Does about 50 damage to a character
or monster.
Attraction
(15 charges) Pulls a monster into short range of
the caster.
Bright Light
(25 charges) Lights the area.
Protect
(5 charges) Improves a creature's armor rank by
3 for 4 turns.
True Seeing
(15 charges) This will automatically detect one
secret door.
Level 3
Level 4
Gelity
(5 charges) This raises a creature's armor rank
by 4 for 3 turns. Usually used to weaken a
monster.
Black Cat1
(2 charges) This creates a familiar that has 150
hit points and does about 25 damage.
Remove Curse
(5 charges) This will uncurse the object in any
character's hand.
Screen
(5 charges) This improves a creature's armor
rank by 6 for 5 turns.
Imminent Doom
(12 charges) This will prevent a monster from
using multiple attacks.
ESP
(3 charges) This spell might tell you what object
is need to recover an inaccessible plot object.
Flame Sphere2
(2 charges) Does about 60 damage to 1-3
monsters.
Smite
(4 charges) Does about 75 damage to a monster
or character.
Detect Magic
(25 charges) This will detect if an object in the
room is cursed, has a + to hit, or is a magic
item.
Death Gaze2
(2 charges) Caster's intelligence and hit points
determine damage and number of monsters
affected.
Level 5
Level 6
Raven1
(2 charges) This creates a familiar that has 200
hit points and does about 30 damage.
Absorption Wall
(3 charges) This improves a creature's armor
rank by 7 for 9 turns.
Fighter's Hold
(6 charges) This immobilizes a character or
monster for 3 turns.
Scare
(2 charges) This causes all monsters in an area
to flee for their lives.
Sorcerer's Blade
(6 charges) Creates a magical sword the caster
can wield for 1 turn.
Nerve Shock
(2 charges) Does about 120 damage to a
character or monster.
Heatshot2
(1 charge) Does about 150 damage to 1-5
monsters.
Stop
(9 charges) This will freeze a monster or
character for 4 turns.
Dimension Door
(2 charges) Teleports all characters outside the
castle or module to allow a quick trip to Dragon
Village.
Transmute to Bronze
(3 charges) Turns an object carried by the caster
into a number of bronze pieces equal to its
weight.
Level 7
Level 8
Time Stop
(3 charges) Freezes all creatures except the
caster for a number of turns equal to the caster's
skill level divided by 4.
Fireblast
(7 charges) Does about 200 damage to a
monster or character.
Force Once2
(1 charge) This does about 350 damage to 1-3
monsters.
Force Twice2
(2 charges) Does about 350 damage to 1-6
monsters.
Djinni1
(2 charges) This creates a familiar that has 500
hit points and does about 80 damage.
Ethereal Keep
(13 charges) Freezes a monster or character for
5 turns.
Repel4
(15 charges) This will toss any monster
attacking the caster across the area doing 100
damage.
Illusory Army
(10 charges) When cast on a monster that
attacks with a weapon, it reduces its damage to
5.
Cripple
(4 charges) Takes away 2 of the ways a monster
can attack
Interchange
(5 charges) Exchanges the caster's armor rank
and endurance with a monster temporarily.
Level 9
Level 10
Random
(6 charges) 75% chance it kills a monster, 25%
chance it doubles its hit points.
Imprison
(7 charges) Freezes a monster forever.
Force Thrice2
(3 charges) Does about 350 damage to 1-9
monsters.
Starfall
(3 charges) Does about 900 damage to a
monster or character.
Apprentice1
(2 charges) This creates a familiar that has 950
hit points and does about 140 damage.
Summon Chaos
(5 charges) Kills all monsters in the area but
there is a 10% chance that the caster is also
killed.
Eradicate
(1 charge) Does 2000 damage to a monster or
character.
Thought Fortress
(3 charges) Improves the armor rank of all
characters in the area by 12 for 4 turns.
Polymorph
(3 charges) Turns a monster into a newt.
Armornil
(8 charges) Adds 20 to a creature's armor rank
for 5 turns. Makes a monster almost
defenseless.
Appendix 8: Skill Levels
This table shows the number of skill points necessary to obtain a given skill level. The formula is
in Appendix 9.
Level
Knights
Assassins
Ninjas
Elders
Wizards
In DV1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
2,000
1,850
1,850
2,150
2,500
2,700
3
6,000
5,550
5,550
6,450
7,500
8,100
4
12,000
11,100
11,100
12,900
15,000
16,200
5
20,000
18,500
18,500
21,500
25,000
27,000
6
30,000
27,750
27,750
32,250
37,500
40,500
7
42,000
38,850
38,850
45,150
52,500
56,700
8
56,000
51,800
51,800
60,200
70,000
75,600
9
72,000
66,600
66,600
77,400
90,000
97,200
10
90,000
83,250
83,250
96,750
112,500
121,500
11
110,000
101,750
101,750
118,250
137,500
148,500
12
132,000
122,100
122,100
141,900
165,000
178,200
13
156,000
144,300
144,300
167,700
195,000
210,600
14
182,000
168,350
168,350
195,650
227,500
245,700
15
210,000
194,250
194,250
225,750
262,500
283,500
16
240,000
222,000
222,000
258,000
300,000
324,000
17
272,000
251,600
251,600
292,400
340,000
367,200
18
306,000
283,050
283,050
328,950
382,500
413,100
19
342,000
316,350
316,350
367,650
427,500
461,700
20
380,000
351,500
351,500
408,500
475,000
513,000
1Skill points necessary when entering Dragon Village.
Appendix 9: Three Formulas
Maximum Hit Points
Level 1-5: Max hit pts. = (Skill level X Base Hit Pts.)
Level 6-10: Max hit pts. = ((Skill level X 2)-5) X Base Hit Pts.
Level 11-15: Max hit pts. = ((Skill level X 3)-15) X Base Hit Pts.
Level 16-20: Max hit pts. = ((Skill level X 4)-30) X Base Hit Pts.
Example: Fafnir Gudrun is a 9th level elven Knight. ((9 X 2)-5) X 5) X 42 = 546 Hit Points
Max.
Chance of Spell Failure
% Chance = (Spell level X 10)-(Skill level X 2)-Intelligence+10
Example: Guinevere is a 12th level Elder with 21 intelligence casting the 6th level spell, Orb of
Healing. (6 X 10)-(12 X 2)-21+10 = 25% chance of failure.
Skill Level
This is the number of skill points necessary for a given skill level. It is tabulated in Appendix 8.
Skill points = Level X (Level-1) X Base Skill Points ÷ 2
Appendix 10: Multiple Attacks
This represents the number of times a character can attack when using the Fight command or
Martial Arts unless endurance reaches 0.
Level
Knight
Assassin
Ninja
Elder
Wizard
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
1
1
3
1
1
1
1
1
4
1
1
1
1
1
5
1
1
2
1
1
6
2
2
2
1
1
7
2
2
3
1
1
8
2
2
3
1
1
9
3
3
3
1
1
10
3
3
4
1
1
11
3
3
4
1
1
12
4
4
5
1
1
13
4
4
5
1
1
14
4
4
5
1
1
15
5
4
6
1
1
16
5
4
6
1
2
17
5
4
7
1
2
18
5
4
7
1
2
19
5
4
7
1
2
20
5
4
8
2
2
No more attacks are gained after 20th level.
Tips
Bargaining: Start with a price that's nearly double the object's true value.
Boarshead Pub: Talk to everyone. Remember their personalities and take into account
what's going on when you enter.
Sorcery: Conserve your spells, but not at the cost of a character's life. Recommended
spells are: Find Traps, Energize, Dimension Door and Orb of Healing.
Equipment: Everyone should buy a weapon. Wizards usually have extra BP so have them
buy the equipment. Recommended equipment is a torch, merchant's meal, flask of elixir,
and thieve's tools.
The Tower Wizard: Consult the Wizard about every object you bring back. After all, it is
free.
The Module: Read every description carefully taking note of changes and unusual
happenings.
Dead Characters: If a character dies and is beyond resurrecting, don't be afraid to strip him
clean.
Parties: Create a party of characters with a variety of special commands - one of each class
and race.
Diversion: Have the character with the lowest armor rank or an Elder with a long-term
spell divert in difficult fights.
Fighting: Concentrate on killing one monster at a time. Less monsters do less damage.
Reorder Party: The first character in a party always suffers the most damage. Reorder and
give the rear guard a chance to experience pain.
Where?: If you still can't find the final plot object, search for secret doors, map every
staircase and come in through different outside exits.
Monsters: Learn how monsters attack and how to best counter attack. Remember
alignments. Ninjas have a special way of dealing with certain monsters.
Special Commands: Use your special commands for they are your ultimate advantage.
Resting: Go back to Dragon Village when you run low on hit points and supplies. Never
fight with zero endurance.
Valor: Who needs it? Be a coward - those who fight and run away live to fight another
day.
What is It?: Examine anything which may be a plot object. And why not appraise it, too?
How?: Where you use an object is just as important as how. Some objects can be used in
more than one way. And most plot objects are actually useful too.
Traps: Search for them.
While you're standing there: Try putting objects together. Feed the hungry. Heal the sick.
Rest the weary. Examine objects. Comb the sheep.