The Bard's Tale 2: The Destiny Knight manual
- The Bard's Tale 2: The Destiny Knight
- manual
THE DESTINY KNIGHT(tm)
The
Bard's Tale(tm)
II
THE MANUAL
Electronic Arts(tm) Interplay Productions
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NOTICE
SOFTWARE (C) 1986 INTERPLAY PRODUCTIONS
MANUAL BY DAVID K. SIMERLY
(C) 1986 ELECTRONIC ARTS
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Contents
GREETINGS HERO!........................................................... 1
QUICK OVERVIEW............................................................ 2
Objective............................................................ 2
Beginning and Experienced Players.................................... 2
Command Summary Card................................................. 3
Adventurers' Guild................................................... 4
Pre-Built Parties.................................................... 4
The Map.............................................................. 4
Combat............................................................... 5
Magic................................................................ 5
The Bard............................................................. 6
The Sage............................................................. 6
Special Members...................................................... 6
Time................................................................. 6
CHARACTER TYPES........................................................... 7
Races................................................................ 7
Classes.............................................................. 7
Special Members...................................................... 9
View Character Attributes............................................ 9
Character Acquisitions............................................... 10
Onscreen Statistics.................................................. 11
Creating a Character................................................. 12
Tips from the Adventurers' Guild: Characters......................... 12
PLACES.................................................................... 13
Maps................................................................. 13
Unmarked Buildings................................................... 13
Adventurers' Guild................................................... 13
Garth's Equipment Shoppe............................................. 14
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Review Board......................................................... 14
Casinos.............................................................. 14
Bedder's Bank for the Bold........................................... 14
Taverns.............................................................. 14
Dungeons............................................................. 14
Roscoe's Energy Emporium............................................. 15
Temples.............................................................. 15
Tips from the Adventurers' Guild: Places............................. 15
COMBAT SYSTEM............................................................. 16
Combat Actions....................................................... 16
Tips from the Adventurers' Guild: Combat............................. 17
MAGIC SYSTEM.............................................................. 17
Residual Spells...................................................... 17
Magic Items.......................................................... 18
Casting Spells....................................................... 18
Magic Users.......................................................... 18
Moving Up in Rank.................................................... 19
THE BOOK OF SPELLS........................................................ 19
Conjurer Spells...................................................... 20
Magician Spells...................................................... 22
Sorcerer Spells...................................................... 24
Wizard Spells........................................................ 25
Archmage Spells...................................................... 26
Bard Songs........................................................... 27
Tips from the Adventurers' Guild: Magic.............................. 28
ITEMS..................................................................... 28
Item Abbreviations................................................... 29
Tips from the Adventurers' Guild: Items.............................. 29
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1
GREETINGS HERO!
My name is Saradon, a wizard of some fame and little fortune. Though you know
me not, and we have never met, I feel that I have known you all my life. For
the story of your deeds, your entanglement with Mangar and his evil horde in
Skara Brae, flows from the lips of every Bard throughout the Realm. For this
reason, for your courage and experience, I have contacted you above all
others. For now we face an evil much greater than Mangar's. An evil that
threatens not the safety and tranquility of but one city, nae... an evil that
threatens the existence of the entire Realm and all the cities and citizens
within!
Recall now the lessons of your childhood. The story of Turin, the archmage who
forged the Destiny Wand in the molten depths of the holy mountain Krontor. The
Destiny Wand, the uniting force which has rallied armies to the aid of the
Realm, and has maintained peace and prosperity for the last 700 years. But
look around you now, where has the power of the Destiny Wand gone? Lawless
mercenaries from the neighboring kingdom of Lestradae have invaded the Realm
and now run rampant through the streets. Even in Tangramayne, our capital! It
is they who have taken the Destiny Wand, with the guidance of an evil Archmage
known as Lagoth Zanta.
Although Lagoth has thwarted each of my attempts to gain knowledge of his
powers and location, I have been able to discover that the Destiny Wand lies
broken in seven pieces, at seven different locations. Lagoth has placed each
fragment of the scepter within a Snare of Death - a puzzle room that will
require all the wisdom and cunning at your disposal in order for you to
survive.
Do you believe in legends? Legend states that, "Unimaginable power is bestowed
upon the one who reforges the Destiny Wand..." Regardless of whether or not
you hold faith in the stuff of legend, you must defeat Lagoth Zanta, regain
the seven fragments, and reforge the Destiny Wand - it is the only way to save
the Realm.
Now I must hurry, for in my attempts to glean knowledge of Lagoth, he has
discovered my prying magic and even now his mercenaries approach. I care not
for my own safety, but I pray that my magic is still strong enough to deliver
this letter and the accompanying booklet into your hands. The booklet contains
powerful quest knowledge which I have gathered using magic and other, more
physical, methods. Use it to help you during your quest. My only regret is
that I cannot personally be there to counsel you during your quest. May fate
smile upon you... and upon me.
Saradon
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OBJECTIVE AND OVERVIEW
This section contains a description of your objective while playing The
Destiny Knight, and an overview of the game for players who want to get
started quickly. The rest of the manual contains reference information on
various game aspects such as building and developing characters, finding and
mapping the many different locations within the game, and using the combat
and magic systems.
Objective
As The Destiny Knight, you must assemble a band of adventurers, track down the
seven pieces of the Destiny Wand, and defeat the evil Archmage, Lagoth Zanta.
Once you have defeated the evil Archmage and have managed to collect all seven
fragments of the Destiny Wand, you must reforge the scepter into a unified
whole, thus reunifying the Realm (and winning the game).
Beginning and Experienced Players
If this is your first time in the Realm of the Bard, you should read the whole
manual carefully, then keep it handy for reference during game play. If you're
a Bard's Tale veteran, the Command Summary Card probably contains all the
information you'll need to get started, but keep the manual nearby for
reference. Because although The Destiny Knight software operates almost
identically to the Bard's Tale, the game itself is more complex.
Beginners:
The adventure starts at the Adventurers' Guild in the Realm's capital city,
Tangramayne (see illustration below). If you are using first level characters
(as new players probably will) proceed immediately to the starter dungeon.
The starter dungeon gives your characters some initial experience points and
helps them prepare for the more perilous adventures that lie outside
Tangramayne's walls. It's very important for beginning players to get to the
starter dungeon as quickly as possible, because characters lower than level 14
aren't likely to survive for very long anywhere else in the game.
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#####################/*\######################## 1 = Starter Dungeon
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Tangramayne
Veterans: If you're an experienced player with a band of strong adventurers
(higher than level 14) transferred from Bard's Tale, Wizardry(tm) or Ultima
III(tm), you can set out in search of the Destiny Wand immediately. The first
step for any player, however, is to start the game using the instructions on
the Command Summary Card. Once you have entered the game and have left
Tangramayne, locate the Sage in the wilderness and ask him about the Tombs.
(See "The Sage" below for more information.)
Command Summary Card
Follow the instructions on the Command Summary Card to start The Destiny
Knight on your computer and to learn the keystroke commands for your machine.
The Command Summary Card also contains instructions for using the disk
utilities and for transferring characters from Bard's Tale, Ultima III(tm) and
Wizardry(tm)* (see "Pre-Built Parties" below).
NOTE: The option to transfer characters may not be available on all computers.
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*Apple versions only.
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Adventurers' Guild
This is where you start each time you begin a new game; i.e., the first time
you play or after all the characters in your party have "expired." The
Adventurers' Guild is the only place in town where you can create characters,
form a party, and save characters to disk.
Pre-Built Parties
When you enter the Adventurers' Guild the first time, you'll find an assembled
band of Adventurers already waiting and ready to go. This is the *ATEAM.
They're all first level characters and are equipped with only the bare
essentials in the way of armor and weapons, but they're quite adequate for
getting your feet wet in the "starter" dungeon. Use the instructions on the
Command Summary Card to help you get the *ATEAM moving, and see the
"Character Types" section for more information about characters and party
selection.
In addition to using the *ATEAM, advanced players can also transfer parties
that have already been assembled in Bard's Tale, Ultima III(tm) or
Wizardry(tm)*. Many of the party's attributes, such as experience points,
weapons, and so on, are transferred to The Destiny Knight. See the Command
Summary Card for step-by-step instructions for transferring characters on your
computer system.
The Map
The map that's included with The Destiny Knight will help you become familiar
with the Realm and the important locations within, but you're on your own
inside forests, buildings, and dungeons. It's a good idea to keep plenty of
graph paper handy while playing so you can create maps of the places you
explore. This is especially important in the puzzle rooms because you may have
to return to these over and over, making a little more progress each time
before you make it all the way through. Keeping a detailed map of your
wanderings makes this process easier. Here's a clue: the mazes are setup on a
22 by 22 grid. North is to the top of the screen, east is to the right, and
so on. Some of the more important locations are:
* Cities -- there are six cities in the Realm: Tangramayne, Ephesus, Philippi,
Colosse, Corinth, and Thessalonica.
* Castles -- there are a number of castles you'll need to visit, including:
Fanskar's Castle, Dargoth's Tower, and Oscon's Fortress.
* Forests -- the forests of the Realm hide a variety of interesting buildings,
huts, and strongholds (as well as a host of evildoers). Crypts can also be
found in the wilderness. The Grey Crypt dungeon is one, in particular, that
you won't want to miss.
* Temples -- for healing wounded party members.
* Taverns -- for food, drink, and more importantly, information.
* Roscoe's -- for more spell energy.
* Casinos -- for gambling types. Be careful, the dealers have been reported to
cheat...
* Bedder's Bank -- for storing your gold for indefinite periods. Bedder
doesn't pay interest, but his banks are never robbed or go bankrupt. You can
make withdrawals at any branch.
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*Apple versions only.
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* The Review Board -- for increasing the level of your characters and learning
new magic. This one's not on the map, you must find it on your own.
For more about mapping and locations in the Realm, see the "Places" section
below.
Combat
Only the first four characters and monsters within melee range can engage in
hand-to-hand combat. The Destiny Knight uses the same combat modes as Bard's
Tale, such as Party Attack, Bard Song, and Hide in Shadows, but distance now
has an effect on combat. Enemies appear within a range of 10 to 90 feet from
your party. Enemies 10 feet away are in melee range and can attack or be
attacked with hand-held weapons. Melee range always begins at 10' unless you
have any type of elongated weapon.
Weapons that are thrown or shot, such as axes, spears, and arrows, are known
as missile weapons and have a range in which they are effective. These weapons
are usually nonrecoverable; they can be used only once. There are, of course,
exceptions to this rule. Some magical missile weapons (such as the Zen arrow)
can be reused, and at least one nonmagical missile weapon (the boomerang) can
be reused because it returns to the one who threw it. To throw or shoot a
weapon, select the "Use" function during combat. And naturally, to use arrows
you must have a bow.... See the "Combat System" section for descriptions of
more weapons and ranges.
Spells (including Dragon Breath) also have effectivity ranges. Shorter ranges
will usually have normal effectiveness, while longer ranges will have
decreased effectiveness; e.g. if a spell range is listed at 30' and you use it
at 60', the spell will not be as effective at the longer range. See the "Magic
System" section for descriptions of all spells and ranges.
Magic
There are five levels of magic user which are described below.
Conjurers: Can create objects such as fireballs or magic compasses out of thin
air, as well as heal wounded party members.
Magicians: Can bestow magical effects on common items. They can make metal
glow, or make the air around an adventurer as strong as a suit of armor.
Sorcerers: Can create illusions, such as additional party members. Or they can
heighten the party's awareness by giving the party members such abilities as
better night vision.
Wizards: Can summon and control supernatural forces, such as summoning
elementals or reanimating the dead.
Archmage: These magic users have learned at least three levels for each of the
previous four magic user classes. The Archmage is one of the most powerful and
important characters in The Destiny Knight because an Archmage can do almost
anything. Remember, Lagoth Zanta is an Archmage ... fight fire with fire.
The Conjurer and Magician levels are interchangeable; you start at either one.
Sorcerer and Wizard classes aren't available to first level adventurers. To
achieve these classes, a magic user must have achieved third level magic
spells in the previous magic user class. This means that a Magician who can
use third level Magician spells is eligible to become a Sorcerer. A Sorcerer
who is using third level Sorcerer Spells is eligible to become a Wizard. But
remember, if you skip a magic user class (e.g., starting at Sorcerer instead
of Magician), you cannot go back and master the lower level. And if you are
striving for Archmagedom, remember that a character can become an
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6
Archmage only by mastering at least three spell levels for each of the magic
user classes, and a true Archmage has mastered all seven spell levels for each
class - Lagoth Zanta did.
The Bard
The Bard's music is his magic. With the proper instrument he can play while
exploring or fighting (with different effects). The Bard has seven tunes to
choose from, and can play as many songs as he or she possesses in experience
levels. But the Bard can play only one tune at a time. Because the Bard makes
a special kind of magic, he or she can often help when normal magic is
ineffective. For instance, if all your light spells are out and you're in
complete darkness because your party is in an anti-magic zone, try Bard song
number seven, "The Watchwood Melody."
The Sage
The Sage lives alone in the wilderness and is a treasure trove of useful
information. You should return to see the Sage after completing every dungeon,
for he provides the clues that will guide you in each step of finding the
fragments of the Destiny Wand and defeating Lagoth Zanta. But you'll find that
the Sage's knowledge isn't given freely. In fact, it's not even cheap. To
begin your first adventure, ask the Sage about The Tombs...
Special Members
In addition to the regular characters you create and add to your party, there
are also characters who you will meet, conjure, or summon, and who will join
your party during the game. Some of these characters are beneficial to your
party (they will help during combat, or while solving a puzzle), others are
hostile to your party (they will join your party in order to start intra-party
combat).
It is essential that you always have one or two empty character slots in your
party so you can add special members. While this leaves the door wide open for
creatures such as the Doppleganger monster to infiltrate your ranks, it also
gives you the ability to enlist the aid of special characters who may bring
you closer to winning the game (or just save your party from a horrendous
death). See the "Character Types" section for more information on special
characters.
Time
Time is definitely not on your side here. It moves inexorably onward whether
or not you touch the computer. And nighttime is not the right time to be
caught outside. Especially since you'll use up spell points faster at night --
they only regenerate in daylight. The Adventurers' Guild is a nice place to
spend your first night in the Realm... it's always daytime when you leave the
Guild.
Other places where time becomes an especially important factor are in the
Snare of Death puzzle rooms. Once you enter a puzzle room, the game converts
to real-time, not game-time. Each puzzle room has its own amount of time in
which you must solve the puzzle and get out alive. And remember, your party
cannot leave a puzzle room until the puzzle is solved. See the "Places"
section for more information about puzzle rooms.
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7
CHARACTER TYPES
Humans are only one of many races that can be found in the Realm of the Bard.
Half the fun of exploring the Realm is learning about and getting to know the
non-human inhabitants. In this chapter we'll take a look at the different
races, classes, and abilities.
Races
Including humans, there are a total of seven races that inhabit the Realm of
the Bard. Each of the races that inhabit the Realm are described briefly in
the following sections.
Human: The people of this race are known for their inventiveness, hardiness,
aggressiveness, and downright stubbornness in the face of adversity. A perfect
set of traits for survival in the Realm of the Bard.
Elf: These fair-haired, fair-skinned people closely resemble humans but are
usually taller, faster, and more agile. The Elven people are highly skilled in
the arts - especially magic and war.
Dwarf: These short, stout people are amazingly strong and healthy, but not
always very bright. All very good reasons to make sure you have the dwarves
on your side in a fight.
Hobbit: These small people are wise, nimble, and usually very patient. It is
said that, if need be, a hobbit can steal the gold-purse from a shadow.
Half-Elf: These people are living proof of the compatibility between humans
and elves. They are fair-haired and light-skinned like elves, but gain some
bulk and strength through their human ancestry.
Half-Orc: Ores are large, semi-intelligent, pig-like creatures that can
usually be found in the employ of evil wizards. Half-orcs, because they are
50% human, aren't quite as despicable as full orcs - but they're sometimes
just as dangerous.
Gnome: These people resemble dwarves, but usually have less hair, shorter
tempers, and are always better at using magic.
Classes
Each of the characters in your party of adventurers must belong to a
particular class, or profession. There isn't a single class that's the best,
your characters must depend on each other and use teamwork to succeed on their
quest.
Class selection is the most important aspect of creating a character in the
Realm of the Bard. There are ten different classes, but only eight to choose
from with a newly generated character. A character's class is shown in View
Character mode, and onscreen at all times by an abbreviation in the CL (Class)
column. Each class has its own set of strengths and limitations which are
described briefly in the following sections.
Warrior (displayed onscreen as WA): Warriors can use nearly every weapon they
come across. For every four levels of experience after the first, warriors get
an extra attack capability during combat.
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Paladin (PA): Paladins are fighters who have sworn to fight all evil and
uphold honor and purity in all places and situations. Paladins can use most
weapons including many that other fighters can't. Paladins get multiple
attacks at higher levels and also have greater resistance to evil magic.
Rogue (RO): Rogues are professional thieves with mediocre combat skills.
However, rogues are experts at skulking in the shadows, as well as searching
for traps and disarming them. Without a rogue in your ranks, your party's
booty will come at an unusually high price.
Bard (BA): Bards are colorful characters. Most Bards are warriors who have
given up the art of war for the art of magical music. This doesn't mean,
however, that they've forgotten how to handle warrior weapons. But because
they're not true warriors, Bards don't the advantage of extra attacks during
combat.
Because of their unique form of musical magic, it's nearly impossible to
survive in the Realm without a Bard in your party. Most Bards always have a
repertoire of seven songs, but must also have an instrument in order to
perform. A Bard song played while exploring is long lasting and will resume
after combat; even if other tunes were played during the fight. Songs
performed during combat are brief -- lasting only one round -- and their
effects differ from the noncombat versions.
Only one Bard tune can play at a time, and the tunes vary according to the
difficulty of the dungeon. If a second tune is started by the same or a
different Bard, the first song will end. A Bard can play as many tunes as he
has experience levels before his throat dries; e.g., if your Bard has four
experience levels, he'll be able to play four tunes from his repertoire. The
only cure for a Bard's dry throat is a large tankard of ale from the nearest
tavern. This is the source of one of the Realm's popular sayings, "When the
going gets tough, the Bard goes drinking..."
Hunter (HU): Hunters are often known by other titles; assassin, mercenary,
ninja. Hunters can use most weapons and can often instantly kill an opponent
by striking a nerve center or other vital area during an attack (a handy skill
that increases in accuracy as the hunter accrues experience points).
Monk (MO): Monks are inhuman fighting machines trained in all aspects of the
martial arts. Monks can use traditional weapons, but usually (especially at
the higher experience levels) are more effective using their bare hands.
Conjurer (CO): Conjurers are the first of the five levels of magic users. They
can heal the wounded and create physical phenomena such as fire and light.
Magician (MA): Magicians are the second level of magic users and use their
magic to change the properties of physical objects; i.e., enchanting a sword,
making armor stronger, or making a dungeon wall disappear.
Sorcerer (SO): Sorcerers are the third level and deal in the creation and
manipulation of illusions. The level is very powerful and isn't available to
new characters.
Wizard (WI): Wizards are the fourth level and can summon and bind supernatural
creatures. These creatures don't like our plane of existence and aren't very
friendly. Trying to control these creatures is extremely hazardous and
therefore the Wizard level isn't available to newly created characters.
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Archmage (AR): Archmages have mastered at least three levels of magic spells
for the previous four magic user classes. Needless to say an Archmage can
pretty much do as he pleases, and new characters cannot immediately proceed
to the Archmage level. If you have an Archmage in your party, you probably
don't need to read any further.
For more information on the magic classes and using magic, see the "Magic
System" section later in this manual.
Special Members (MN or IL)
Special members (generically called "monsters") are characters who meet and
join your party during its travels. Special members can be either monster (MN)
or illusion (IL). There are two ways for special members to join your party:
1. By being summoned, created as an illusion, or using some other magical
artifice.
2. By introducing themselves to the party and offering their services as a
comrade in arms.
Your party can have up to six special members. They can even be renamed and
saved to disk when you return to the Adventurers' Guild. However, you can't
control special members during combat. Special members pick their own forms
of attack and usually go after the first group of monsters your party is
facing. Likewise, special members can carry items for your party, but cannot
find or use items -- only characters you create can use the items they find
or purchase in the game. Illusionary members disappear from the party ranks
when they are killed. An illusionary special member is killed if a foe
disbelieves in its existence. Any items that an illusionary special member is
carrying (such as gold) are lost if the illusionary character is killed.
If a nonillusionary special member is attacked by another party member for any
reason, the special member immediately turns hostile and fights until
defeated. Dead special members can be resurrected and healed just like your
regular Destiny Knight characters. You can remove special members from your
party with the "Drop Character" command (see your Command Summary Card).
View Character Attributes
Each character possesses six attributes that define the physical and mental
abilities for the character, as well as the character's race, class, and
possessions. Each of the character's attributes is randomly assigned a value
from 1 to 18 -- the higher the number, the greater the capability. The
following five attributes are found in the View Character mode. (See the
Command Summary Card for the key sequence that enters View Character mode.)
Strength (displayed in View Character as ST): Pure, physical power that
determines the amount of damage a character can inflict on an opponent in
hand-to-hand combat. Make sure your fighting characters are strong.
Intelligence (IQ): Mental power. A magic user gets bonus spell points for a
high intelligence score.
Dexterity (DX): Agility and nimbleness. A high score in this area makes your
characters harder to hit and helps them land the first blow during combat.
Constitution (CN): Healthiness and survivability. It takes more damage to kill
characters with strong constitution. Strong constitution is usually reflected
with bonus hit points (see "Hit Points" below).
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Luck (LK): As always, luck is ambiguous, unpredictable, and has a number of
unforeseen effects on your characters' lives. Lucky characters are more likely
to resist evil magic and avoid traps.
Spell Levels (SORC, MAGI, CONJ, WIZD): These four attributes in View Character
mode show the spell level for the character. This rating determines the
highest group of spells a magic user can use in their class. For instance, a
Conjurer with a rating of 3 can only use Conjurer spells up to the third level
-- higher levels can't be accessed without a higher rating. There are seven
spell levels per magic user class. Like other attributes, the ability to learn
new spell levels increases with experience points (but you must pay to learn
new spells). The table below lists the progression.
Experience Level Spell Level
1 1
2 1
3 2
4 2
5 3
6 3
7 4
8 4
9 5
10 5
11 6
12 6
13+ 7
Character Acquisitions
Also found in the View Character mode are skills or items that your characters
acquire during the course of the adventure. There are four categories
altogether.
Experience Points (EXPER): Measures the character's abilities that have been
gained by experience. The higher the experience points, the greater the
character's abilities. Characters earn experience after every battle, relative
to the success or failure of the battle (success or failure being determined
by the number of survivors in your party).
Gold: Gold is as precious in the Realm of the Bard as it is in your own world.
Your characters start out with just enough gold to buy them the bare
essentials in armor and weapons to start the quest. Your party can earn more
gold from the monsters they defeat in battle, or by selling the things they
find in dungeons -- the overall strength and armament of your party should
determine which method you use in the beginning.
Level (LVL): Reflects the level of achievement within a character's class. For
example, Level 1 is a Novice, while Level 13 is needed to become a Master of a
magic user class.
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Based on experience points, the Review Board promotes characters to higher
levels within their class -- but only if the character requests promotion in-
person; i.e., you must find the Review Board. Advancing levels is important
because it usually means increases in attribute scores such as hit points,
spell points, and so on.
Items (1-8): Up to eight items can be carried at one time. Items fall into ten
categories; weapons, shields, armor, helms, gloves, musical instruments,
figurines, rings, wands, and miscellaneous. You must Equip the character with
the item in order to use it (see your Command Summary Card for the Equip
command). Only one item from each type can be equipped at one time. This means
that your character can't use two shields at once, even though there may be
two shown in the inventory.
Certain items can be used only by specific characters. For example, only Bards
can use musical instruments. An item that can't be used by a character is
marked with a é in View Character mode or the Equipment Shoppe. An item that
has been equipped (so the character call use it) is marked with a * symbol.
Onscreen Statistics
In addition to the ten basic attributes shown in View Character mode, there
are an additional five characteristics that determine your characters'
attributes in other areas such as health, experience, armor class, and so on.
The next five attributes are listed in onscreen columns at all times.
Armor Class (AC): Reflects the level of protection a character has against
physical attack. Armor class starts at 10 for a totally unprotected character
with low dexterity. As the character's protection improves through armor,
spells, and other means, the armor class drops to -10, and eventually all the
way to L+ (the equivalent of a -21 armor class). Once your character's armor
class reaches L+, the display doesn't change even thought the armor class may
continue to go lower than -21.
Hit Points (HIT PTS): The two columns that show hit points reflect the amount
of damage a character can take before dying and the character's current
condition. The HIT column shows the character's total number of hit points,
or the character's potential at full health. The PTS column shows the actual
current condition of the character. For example, if a character has an HIT
column that contains 20 and a PTS column that contains 20, the character is
at full health. If the character takes 3 points of damage during battle,
however, the HIT column remains at 20 while the PTS column drops to 17; thus
showing you the character's total potential hit points, and the current
actual status.
Spell Points (SPL PTS): These two columns show the total possible and current
actual spell point status. Spell points are used with each spell the character
casts. The amount of spell points used is determined by the spell itself. For
instance, if a Conjurer's SPL and PTS columns both contain 18, he is at full
power. If the Conjurer casts a Mage Flame spell that costs 2 spell points, the
PTS column value drops to 16. The character's maximum spell points are listed
in the SPL column, while the spell point remaining are shown in the PTS
column.
Class (CL): Shows the character's class in abbreviated form. See "Classes" to
learn the onscreen abbreviation for each class.
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Creating a Character
If you decide that you want to create your own characters for your quest
party, you can use the Create Character mode. Create Character mode only works
in the Adventurers' Guild. Use the command shown on your Command Summary Card
to enter Create Character mode, then use the following procedures to build
your characters one-by-one:
1. Select a race for the character.
2. Next the computer displays a set of attribute values for the character
which are like a combination of genes and luck. There is a lowest possible
value for each attribute of each race -- these are the genes. The computer
then "rolls the dice" and adds the random number to each of the attributes --
this is the luck. The sum of the gene and luck values are then displayed as
the attribute values for the character.
3. If you're satisfied with the computer's "dice roll," choose a character
class, then name the character. If you want to try for a better set of
attributes, use the command listed on the Command Summary Card to make the
computer "re-roll the dice."
4. After the character's name is assigned, the character is saved to your
character disk.
5. To use the character, you must add him or her to your party with the Add
command shown on the Command Summary Card.
Tips from the Adventurers' Guild: Characters
1. Don't be too concerned about losing a level 1 character; just make another.
When your characters reach level 3, however, backup your character disk
regularly with your favorite disk copy utility.
2. You have several options if your favorite character is killed. You can
spend spell points to resurrect the character with magic, or gold to resurrect
the character in a temple. You can turn off the computer, reboot, and reload
your party from the point where you last saved them to disk (meaning all the
characters lose all the gold and experience points they may have earned since
the last time they were saved). Or you can delete the dead character from your
main character disk, and replace the character from your backup disk.
3. 16's, 17's, and 18's can often make a big difference when "rolling" for a
character's attributes. For example, Dexterity gives everyone bonus armor
protection and first strike capabilities; Strength enables you to do extra
damage in combat; Luck often allows you to survive even if you accidentally
spring a trap; and Constitution provides all characters with extra hit points.
Although it makes no difference in the first allotment, magic users with high
intelligence ratings get bonus spell points in later turns.
4. Many races have a specific attribute they excel in. Pay close attention to
the starting attributes when designing your party.
5. Develop a Sorcerer fast -- they're quite useful in dungeons. Wizards are
very important at advanced levels because they can summon extremely powerful
special members. Work toward Archmagedom. You'll need at least one, and wish
you had many more.
6. The *ATEAM, while excellent for the starter dungeon, may not last long at
the advanced levels. Experiment with a hunter: because of their "critical hit"
capability, a hunter can often vanquish superior monsters. And don't overlook
monks -- after the sixth level they are probably the best fighters of all.
7. Warriors and other fighters are often less effective against the higher
level, magic-using monsters, but without their protection your magic users
won't survive long enough to learn the higher level magic spells.
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8. Keep a slot open for special members. There will be times when you need to
temporarily enlist the services of a special member to help your party through
certain portions of the game. If all the Member slots in your Party are
filled, you won't be able to add a special member.
9. You can save special members with your party, but you must either rename
the party, or save the special members separately.
10. Beware of the Doppleganger monster. It enters your party and looks just
like one of your characters. Dealing with one Doppleganger isn't so bad, but
if you have a number of empty member slots and multiple Dopplegangers enter
your party, things can get pretty confusing.
11. The first character in your party is the group leader. Having a high
level, high luck character in that slot can help you avoid a lot of trouble.
A Paladin is the most effective group leader.
12. Pay close attention to character statistics while exploring. If you see
that your character's spell or hit points draining for no apparent reason, you
may be in a special square -- move immediately. There are many special squares
in The Destiny Knight that can affect your party in various (and lethal) ways
-- watch out for them.
13. Always leave open slots for new items in your inventory. Some puzzles
require you to take or possess a certain item in order to solve the puzzle.
Having no room in your inventory prevents you from solving these types of
puzzles.
PLACES
With six cities, 25 dungeon levels, and wilderness that you can fully explore,
there are a lot of places you can visit in your travels through the Realm.
Even characters with really high intelligence attributes are bound to get lost
without some diligence on your part.
Maps
A map of the Realm, that shows main routes and general locations, is included
with The Destiny Knight. Use this map to help find your way around the Realm,
but beware, the Realm is a big place and not all places have been explored and
mapped. If you find that your party is going where no man, or elf, has gone
before, make a map. Also, if you ever become lost, press "?" and The Destiny
Knight displays your location and the time of day.
Unmarked Buildings
Most of the buildings in the Realm are unmarked and can be entered by moving
the party Forward (see the Command Summary Card for the Forward command)
through the building's door. Often, however, an unmarked building will be
inhabited by group of the vicious invaders and your party will have to fight
for their lives. Other times, an unmarked building may house the entrance to
a dungeon.
If you suspect that a building houses the enemy, a dungeon entrance, or if
you're just out looking for a good fight, use the Kick command (see the
Command Summary Card) to kick in the door and get the drop on the cretins.
Remember: Fighting is good for your party - it builds experience points.
Adventurers' Guild
The Adventurers' Guild is the "union hall" where unemployed characters hang
out, hoping to join a quest party. The Adventurers' Guild is the only place
you can create and add new characters to your party. There is an Adventurers'
Guild in every city.
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Garth's Equipment Shoppe
Garth is a retired hero whose deeds are recalled in many a Bard song, so his
knowledge of weaponry and other artifacts is vast. You can buy, sell, or
identify armor, weapons, and other items at Garth's chain of equipment shoppes
in almost every city throughout the Realm. You can also pool all of the
party's gold for purchasing those special (but expensive) items. Garth's
success as a hero and businessman are known throughout the Realm and the
blacksmiths of the Realm gladly provide his shoppes with an endless supply of
basic armor and weapons.
Unique items brought back from the dungeons can be sold to Garth, but they
won't be resupplied if they're sold to other adventurers (other residents of
the Realm do purchase equipment from Garth's shoppes). Occasionally you may
find an object that you suspect is special. Although you may be able to
identify the object's general purpose (i.e., ring, shield, sword), you may not
be able to identify its specific type (i.e., Ring of Power, Dragon Shield,
Sword of Zar). Garth can probably identify these objects for you, but Garth
doesn't work cheap.
Review Board
The Review Board is composed of representatives for the ten different classes
from all over the Realm. Based upon your accumulated experience points, the
Review Board will consider your in-person request for advancement to higher
levels. The Review Board also teaches new spells (for a nominal fee) to magic
users who qualify for advancement.
There is a Review Board in almost every city of the Realm, but you'll need to
do a bit of searching in order to find them -- and it's important that you
find them. Your success in the Realm depends upon the ability to progress to
higher character levels. By the way, the Review Board is closed at night and
on all government proclaimed holidays.
Casinos
Casino gambling is a favorite way to relax after a hard day of battling orcs,
and casinos are found in almost all of the Realm's cities. The casinos play a
game whose closest equivalent is blackjack, and it's reported (but not
substantiated) that many of the dealers cheat through their teeth when they're
stiffed for a tip.
Bedder's Bank for the Bold
Bedder -- an old half-elf who reportedly sold his mother to a band of lonely
orcs in order to finance his first branch -- will deposit your gold for
safekeeping at any of his bank's branches throughout the Realm. Although
stingy old Bedder doesn't pay interest on your deposits, his bank is never
robbed and you can withdraw your gold at any time, at any branch. When you
withdraw your gold, you must withdraw the entire amount. You can, however,
make partial deposits. Another nice feature of Bedder's Bank is that the gold
you deposited will still be there if you quit and restart the game (even if
you're using a new set of characters).
Taverns
Taverns are favorite places to obtain refreshment and gossip. Watch out for
your Bard in taverns -- he has a tendency to overtip the bartender and tip
over the barmaid.
Dungeons
Dungeons take a variety of forms such as towers, catacombs, or tombs and each
can have a varied number of levels. You can go up to higher or down to lower
levels by using stairways, portals, or teleportation; whichever is more
convenient or readily available.
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Stairways are not visible from afar, but you're asked whether you want to
ascend or descend when your party steps onto one. Dungeons also contain plenty
of special squares that may affect your party in varied, and sometimes deadly,
ways. If you suddenly see that your characters' spell or hit points are
draining away, you may be in a special square. Move your party to safety as
quickly as possible.
Portals appear as holes in the floor or ceiling and are only visible from a
distance. Your character won't go through a portal simply by standing on it,
you must give the command to do so (see the Command Summary Card). If a
character jumps down a portal, the character will be damaged by the fall
unless a levitation spell is used. A levitation spell is the only way to
travel up through a portal.
The location of dungeon entrances are well-kept secrets, but there are plenty
of clues throughout the Realm -- if you look hard enough.
Roscoe's Energy Emporium
Roscoe's a cagey old mage who opened his chain of Energy Emporiums hoping to
cash in on the sorceral energy crisis of '27. Even after the evil archdemon
was destroyed and the sorceral energy continuum was restored, Roscoe found
that his Energy Emporiums could still turn a healthy profit. They're still
around today, serving the energy needs of all magic users. Spell points aren't
recharging fast enough? Go see Roscoe... but be sure to bring plenty of gold.
Temples
As divine institutions of resurrection and complete healing, temples are the
only places that can cure characters who have been withered or turned to
stone. A resurrected character still has the same item, gold, and experience
points, but is resurrected with only one hit point. Although a dead character
can be brought back to life, he may have to sell his soul in order to do it.
Tips from the Adventurers' Guild: Places
1. Your first adventure should be in the starter dungeon in Tangramayne. The
starter dungeon is at the opposite end of town from the Adventurers' Guild.
Instructions and details about this dungeon are presented when your party
enters. Any party is allowed in the starter dungeon, but only characters less
than level 12 receive the maximum reward for completing the starter dungeon.
2. Explore and map every square in every maze. There are "Magic Mouths" that
give hints. Mazes also contain one-of-a-kind magic items and spell
regeneration zones. In addition to keeping you alive, carefully drawn maps
will show the logical places for secret doors and rooms.
3. Avoid potential traps. High level rogues can easily open chests, but use
the "Trapzap" spell when in doubt. TRZP is guaranteed to protect the party
from harm. TRZP will disarm any trap you encounter, including the innocuous
Gas Cloud traps -- which have doomed many brave (but foolish) heroes.
4. Make sure all members of your party are fully healed before entering a new
dungeon.
5. When finding your bearings in a labyrinth, remember that each successive
level goes up in a tower or castle, and down in a dungeon or tomb.
6. The segments of the Destiny Wand are hidden within real-time puzzle rooms
known as Snares of Death. The game will alert you when your party has entered
one. Once inside, you have a limited amount of time to complete the various
tasks, puzzles, and riddles within the room and retrieve the segment. In some
rooms the tasks must be
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completed in a specific order, in other rooms the order isn't important. In
any case, if you take too long in a puzzle room, your entire party will
instantly perish. There is a Snare of Death in every dungeon with the
exception of the starter.
COMBAT SYSTEM
You're going to have to fight to become The Destiny Knight. There's no
avoiding it (except temporarily); it's the only way to build experience points
and win the game. But don't worry, most of the monsters you'll meet during the
game will give you plenty of incentive to fight -- and you won't always be
able to run.
Combating "monsters" (a generic term for all opponents) occurs randomly and at
set locations. You can also use intra-party combat should one of your
characters turn to the dark side. A list of foes (broken down by the number
of foes in each group) is given at the beginning of the battle. The maximum
number of foes is up to four groups of monsters. Any group of monsters within
10' of your party is within melee range and can physically attack your party.
Some monsters, however, begin attacking far away and may throw illusionary or
summoned foes into your path to keep your party from advancing. This tactic is
difficult to defeat, but with the right combination of magic and missile
weapons, your party can fight back.
Combat Actions
Like a boxing match, combat is divided into a series of rounds. You must
decide what action each of your characters will take in the upcoming melee at
the beginning of each round -- unless you decide you want your party to run
away or advance. A menu of battle options appears for each member of your
party at the beginning of the round. Each menu option is described below.
(A)ttack Foes: Tells the character to physically assault members of any group
of monsters within 10'.
(P)arty Attack: Tells the character to physically assault another member of
the party, including special members. (See "Special Members" in the "Character
Types" section above.)
(D)efend: Tells the character to simply defend during the round, thus reducing
the chance of being hit.
(U)se an Item: Tells the character to use a magic item or missile weapon from
the inventory that's currently equipped for use. You may be required to
specify a target for the effect.
(B)ard Song: Tells the Bard to play a short tune that will affect the party in
some fashion.
(C)ast a Spell: Tells a magic user to cast a spell at the party or a group of
foes. You must enter the spell code and specify a target.
(H)ide in Shadows: Tells a rogue to try and avoid combat by hiding in the
shadows. If successful, the rogue is skipped as a target when the combat round
begins.
Your first four party members (0-3) can be physically attacked by monsters and
can also retaliate. The last three characters can be attacked with magic only,
and can retaliate with magic only. Using this method puts your first four
characters on the front line of attack, and holds the others in reserve in
case the front four don't fare too well. Monsters within melee range operate
similarly; they're the only groups that can attack or be attacked physically.
When the battle commands for all your party members have been entered, the
round begins. The most dexterous and powerful characters and monsters usually
strike first, but luck, character level, and character class also play a role
in the combat. The outcome of evenly matched battles, however, often depends
on getting in the first blow.
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The scrolling speed of the combat messages can be increased or decreased
according to your taste. See the Command Summary Card for details on this
option.
Dead monsters are removed from the ranks of your foes, and dead characters
(including nonillusionary special members) are moved to the end of your party
list at the end of every combat round. When combat ends -- when either your
party or the monsters are destroyed -- treasure and experience points are
distributed among the survivors.
Tips from the Adventurers' Guild: Combat
1. The character with the highest dexterity rating and level number usually
attacks first. Use the character with the highest dexterity rating to attack
especially fearsome creatures such as Dragons. Less dexterous characters
might not survive long enough to get in the first strike.
2. Use spells and Bard song to lower the armor class of your entire party.
Remember, the lower the armor class rating the better.
3. If attacked by more than two groups of monsters, concentrate your efforts
on the magic users first. If you can't kill all the magic-using monsters,
cast magic-repellent spells to protect your party from illusions, possessions,
and other spells.
4. As a general rule, attack groups containing only one monster last, unless
it contains a particularly deadly monster, then attack it while your party is
strong.
5. Many undead monsters (monsters who have returned from the dead; i.e.,
zombies) can drain experience levels, rapidly age characters, critically hit,
or even turn characters to stone. Treat the undead with respect -- kill them
quickly.
6. Be prepared to lose a lot of level one and two characters; especially at
night and when you're walking unarmed to Garth's Equipment Shoppe. In fact,
it's a good idea to stay close to temples at night so you can heal wounds
quickly.
7. Remember that you cannot physically attack a group of monsters that are
more than 20' away. You can't advance up to them either, if there is another
group already within melee range. For this reason, keep a well-stocked supply
of missile weapons (i.e., arrows, spears, axes, etc.) -- they allow you to
attack monsters who hide behind others.
MAGIC SYSTEM
Magic is power. But although magic often means the difference between success
and failure in the Realm of the Bard, it isn't always necessary or wise to
rely on magic. There are places in the Realm where magic doesn't work, and
certain monsters who are highly resistant to magic. Sometimes your characters
will just have to work up a sweat using good old brute force.
Residual Spells
The best way to tell if your party is in an anti-magic zone is to watch your
residual spells. Residual spells are magic spells that work for long periods
of time, such as light spells, trap detection, secret door detection, and
magical armor. Most residual spells display a symbol above the main message
box onscreen to tell you that the spell is still active. If one symbol
disappears, the spell has expired. If all but a magic light spell disappears,
you are probably in an anti-magic zone. All spells except magic light are
cancelled in anti-magic zones.
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Spells have a point cost. Each spell costs the casting mage a small amount of
sorceral energy. A mage can recharge his sorceral energy in three ways:
1. Enter direct sunlight. Sorceral energy recharges automatically in direct
sunlight.
2. Regenerate at Roscoe's Energy Emporium. Roscoe has prices that would make
OPEC blush.
3. Find one of the special regeneration zones scattered throughout the Realm.
Regeneration zones can be anywhere in dungeons.
Magic Items
Inanimate objects can possess magical powers also. Magical weapons, for
instance, inflict extra damage, while magical armor provides extra protection.
Other magical items radiate special energy that is beneficial to your party.
You may even need to find magic keys or talismans that will give you access
to secret or protected areas in the Realm. Magical items are often hidden in
dungeons or carried by monsters.
The general rule is: the more powerful the item, the harder it is to obtain.
The most powerful magic items are usually found in the most challenging
dungeons, guarded by the fiercest monsters. When you obtain one of these
important items, be sure to guard it well -- it may be the key to becoming
The Destiny Knight.
Casting Spells
You cast spells by typing a four-letter abbreviation of the spell name when
the computer prompts you to do so. The entire list of spells, codes, and spell
points required for each begins in the "Conjurer Spells" section later in the
manual.
Magic Users
Magic users begin the game with the knowledge of all the spells for their
magic user class and level. Magic users learn new spells by level (in groups),
rather than one spell at a time. Each level can contain from 2 to 4 spells.
For instance, a first level Conjurer will automatically know all the Conjurer
spells for the first level (a total of 3 spells). A third level Conjurer will
know the first, second, and third level Conjurer spells (a total of 9 spells.)
Conjuring: Conjurers perform the instantaneous creation of objects and effects
by channeling their sorceral energy. Conjurer spells are potent, but not
omnipotent because of the enormous amount of energy required to create even a
moderate effect.
Conjurers can also affect natural phenomena to produce new effects. One
example would be distorting the space-time continuum in order to teleport
living creatures to new locations.
Magic: Magicians can bestow magical effects on common objects. This is not to
say that the item becomes magical, it doesn't. But it does radiate magical
energy for the duration of the spell. Spells usually last as long as the
combat continues.
The main purposes of the magic practiced by Magicians are to increase an
item's capabilities, give the item new capabilities, or to transform the item
into something completely different. For example, a magician might cast a
spell that makes a sword inflict more damage, makes dungeon walls glow, or
causes a wall to totally vanish for one move.
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Sorcery: Sorcerers can cast illusions and possess a heightened sense of
awareness. The Sorcerer's motto is, "Seeing is believing." Sorcerers create
illusions by first envisioning an image, then magically projecting that vision
onto the retinas of all who watch.
When supplemented with the appropriate stimulus to the victim's other senses,
the illusion is so real it can hurt, even kill, the victim. Naturally, the
illusions are only effective as long as the victim believes them to be real.
As soon as the victim stops believing in the illusion, the spell is broken.
Because of their heightened senses and precise control of the mind, Sorcerers
can often see things that aren't readily apparent.
Wizardry: Wizards can summon and control supernatural creatures and energies.
The Wizard has fewer spells to choose from than the other classes, but Wizard
spells are by far the most powerful.
The creatures a Wizard summons come from the Negative Plane. As a special
member controlled by your Wizard, these otherworldly creatures will stay in
your party and fight until defeated.
In addition to summoning Negative Plane creatures, the Wizard can often trap
and control normal monsters, and can harness incredible energy sources as
well.
Archmagedom: Archmages are the wise ones who have progressed through at least
three spell levels for each of the four mage classes. This gives the Archmage
the ability to pick and choose from up to 75 of the known spells. The Archmage
is one of the most powerful and well-respected characters in the Realm of the
Bard.
Moving Up in Rank
Mages who know at least three spell levels in an art (a magic user class), can
move up to a new mage class with the blessing of the Review Board. This means
a level 5 Conjurer can become a level 1 Magician.
Moving to the new class resets the character's experience points to 0, but
leaves the other attributes such as hit points, spell points, and gold as they
were. The character also retains knowledge, and can use all the Conjurer
spells - but only through spell level 3.
Once a character moves to a new magic user class, he or she cannot go back and
learn the skipped spell levels.
THE BOOK OF SPELLS
The following sections list and describe all of the spells known to Realm
magic for each of the four mage classes. The sections are organized as
follows:
Mage Class
Level #: CODE PT. COST RANGE DURATION
Spell Name -- a brief description of the spell's effect and any
special instructions for use.
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The range of effectiveness is measured in number of game squares, with each
square equivalent to 10 feet (10'). The range terms are defined below:
View affects line of sight.
1 Foe affects a single monster regardless of the number your party
faces.
1 Wall affects a wall in the direction the spellcaster faces.
All Foes affects all the monsters your party faces.
Group affects 1 of up to 4 monster groups.
Self affects spellcaster only.
##' affects anything in the direction the spellcaster is facing for
the number of feet specified with ##.
Char affects the party member you designate.
Special affects the special member you designate.
ì signifies a spell that hits with full effectiveness up to the
listed range, and at reduced effectiveness when it hits at
double the listed range. For instance, if you use a spell with
a listed range of 30' against a foe who is 60' feet away, the
spell will hit your foe with reduced effectiveness.
N/A provides information, knowledge, or some other effect that
renders a range measurement Not Applicable.
In addition to a range, spells also have a duration or lifetime. The duration
terms are defined below:
Combat lasts until combat ends through party victory, monster victory,
or running away.
1 Move lasts for exactly one move.
1 Round lasts for the entire round of combat.
Short lasts a few minutes only.
Medium lasts several minutes.
Long lasts twice as long as Short spells.
Indef lasts until the party enters the Adventurers' Guild or an anti-
magic zone.
Misc has multiple or variable ranges.
N/A is so short, assigning a duration is Not Applicable. The result
of the spell is immediate.
Conjurer Spells
Level 1: MAFL 2 VIEW MEDIUM
MAGE FLAME -- a small self-propelled "torch" appears and floats
above the spellcaster as he travels.
ARFI 3 1 FOE (10') N/A
ARC FIRE -- a fan of blue flame jets from the spellcaster's
fingers, inflicting 1 to 4 hits of damage, which are multiplied
by the spellcaster's level, on the selected opponent.
TRZP 2 30' N/A
TRAP ZAP -- disarms any trap within 30 feet (3 squares), in the
direction the spellcaster is facing. TRZP also works on chests,
but still costs the same amount of spell points.
Level 2: FRFO 3 GROUP COMBAT
FREEZE FOES -- binds your enemies in magical force, slowing
them down and making them easier to hit.
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MACO 3 N/A MEDIUM
KIEL'S MAGIC COMPASS -- a compass of shimmering magelight
appears above the party and shows the direction they face.
WOHL 4 CHAR N/A
WORD OF HEALING -- lets the spellcaster heal a party member who
suffers from 4 to 16 points of damage by uttering a single
word.
Level 3: LERE 5 VIEW LONG
LESSER REVELATION -- an extended MAGE FLAME spell that also
reveals secret doors.
LEVI 4 PARTY SHORT
LEVITATION -- partially nullifies gravity causing the party to
float over traps, or up or down through portals.
WAST 5 GROUP (20') N/A
WARSTRIKE -- an energy strewn shot from the spellcaster's
finger that sizzles a group of foes for 5 to 20 hits of damage.
Level 4: INWO 6 PARTY N/A
ELIK'S INSTANT WOLF -- summons a giant, extremely fierce wolf
to join your party.
FLRE 6 CHAR N/A
FLESH RESTORE -- a powerful healing spell that restores 10 to
40 hit points to a party member, including those stricken with
insanity or poisoning.
Level 5: GRRE 7 VIEW LONG
GREATER REVELATION -- operates like LESSER REVELATION, but
illuminates a wider area for a longer period of time.
SHSP 7 GROUP (30') N/A
SHOCK-SPHERE -- creates a large globe of intense electrical
energy that envelops a group of enemies and inflicts 10 to 40
hits of damage.
Level 6: INOG 9 PARTY N/A
ELIK'S INSTANT OGRE -- materializes the biggest, meanest ogre
you've ever met to ally with your party.
MALE 8 PARTY INDEF
MAJOR LEVITATION -- operates like LEVI from level 3, but it
lasts until dispelled (i.e., until the spell is terminated by
some event such as activating an anti-magic square).
Level 7: FLAN 12 PARTY N/A
FLESH ANEW -- operates like FLRE, but affects every member of
the party.
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22
APAR 15 PARTY N/A
APPORT ARCANE -- teleports the party within a dungeon to any
location that's not protected by a teleportation shield. Also
teleports the party between cities that are in the range of +1
to 6. Your party always arrives in the city's Adventurers'
Guild.
FAFO 18 GROUP N/A
FAR FOE -- moves a group of foes 40 feet further away from your
party, up to a maximum distance of 90 feet.
INSL 12 PARTY N/A
ELIK'S INSTANT SLAYER -- materializes a slayer that joins your
party. What's a slayer? The name speaks for itself...
Magician Spells
Level 1: VOPL 3 CHAR COMBAT
VORPAL PLATING -- causes the weapon (or hands) of a party
member to emit a magical field that inflicts 2 to 8 points of
additional damage.
QUFI 3 CHAR N/A
QUICK FIX -- regenerates a character for precisely 8 hit points
up to the character's maximum hit point level.
SCSI 2 PARTY N/A
SCRY SITE -- causes a dungeon or wilderness pathway to reveal
the party's location.
Level 2: HOWA 4 1 FOE (10') N/A
HOLY WATER -- holy water sprays from the spellcaster's fingers,
inflicting 6 to 24 points of damage on any foe of evil or
supernatural origin.
MAGA 5 CHAR COMBAT
MAGE GAUNTLETS -- makes the hands (or weapon) of a party member
more deadly by adding 4 to 16 points of damage to every wound
it inflicts on a foe.
AREN 5 30' SHORT
AREA ENCHANT -- causes the dungeon walls within 30 feet (3
squares) of a stairway to call out if the party is headed
toward the stairs.
Level 3: MYSH 6 PARTY MEDIUM
YBARRA'S MYSTIC SHIELD -- causes the air in front of the party
to form an invisible shield that's as hard as metal and
precedes the party as they move.
OGST 6 CHAR COMBAT
OSCON'S OGRESTRENGTH -- endows a specific party member with the
strength of Elik's ogre for the duration of the battle.
-=[oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo]=-
23
STFL 6 GROUP (40') ì N/A
STARFLARE -- ignites the air around your enemies, scorching
them for 10 to 40 damage points.
Level 4: SPTO 8 1 FOE (70') N/A
SPECTRE TOUCH -- drains a single enemy of 15 to 60 hit points;
like a touch from death itself.
DRBR 7 GROUP (30') N/A
DRAGON BREATH -- lets the spellcaster breathe fire at a group
of monsters, inflicting 11 to 44 points of damage on each
monster.
Level 5: ANMA 8 PARTY COMBAT
ANTI-MAGIC -- causes the ground to absorb a portion of the
spells cast at the party by monsters. Often allows the party
to escape unharmed. This spell also aids in disbelieving
illusions and shielding against magical fire such as Dragon
Breath.
STTO 8 1 FOE (10') N/A
STONE TOUCH -- usually turns an enemy to stone (except those
already made of stone), instantly killing the enemy.
Level 6: PHDO 9 1 WALL 1 MOVE
PHASE DOOR -- turns almost any wall to air for exactly one
move.
YMCA 10 PARTY INDEF
YBARRA'S MYSTICAL COAT OF ARMOR -- operates like YBARRA'S
MYSTIC SHIELD, but lasts indefinitely.
Level 7: REST 12 PARTY N/A
RESTORATION -- regenerates the body of every party member to
perfect condition; it even cures insanity or poisoning.
DEST 14 1 FOE (10') N/A
DEATHSTRIKE -- very likely to instantly kill one selected
enemy.
WZWA 11 PARTY N/A
WIZARD WALL -- creates a wall of force that travels with the
party and absorbs many of the enemy's attacks.
SASP 30 PARTY N/A
SAFETY SPELL -- teleports your entire party to the Adventurers'
Guild in Tangramayne, minus all gold. Use this spell only in
dire emergencies because it is not 100% reliable.
-=[oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo]=-
24
Sorcerer Spells
Level 1: MIJA 3 1 FOE (40') ì N/A
MANGAR'S MIND JAB -- casts a concentrated blast of energy at
one opponent, inflicting 2 to 8 points of damage for each
experience level of the spellcaster.
PHBL 2 PARTY COMBAT
PHASE BLUR -- causes the entire party to waver and blur in the
sight of the enemy, rendering your party difficult to strike.
LOTR 2 30' SHORT
LOCATE TRAPS -- heightens the spellcaster's awareness in order
to detect traps within 30' along the direction the spellcaster
is facing.
Level 2: DISB 4 PARTY N/A
DISBELIEVE -- reveals the true nature of any attacking
illusion, causing it to vanish.
WIWA 5 PARTY N/A
WIND WARRIOR -- creates the illusion of a battle-ready ninja
among the ranks of your party. The illusionary ninja will fight
until defeated or disbelieved.
FEAR 4 GROUP COMBAT
WORD OF FEAR -- an incantation that causes a group of enemies
to quake in fear, thus reducing their ability to attack and
inflict damage.
Level 3: WIOG 6 PARTY N/A
WIND OGRE -- similar to ELIK'S OGRE, but the WIOG is an
illusion.
INVI 6 PARTY N/A
KYLEARAN'S INVISIBILITY SPELL -- an invocation that renders
the entire party nearly invisible to the enemy.
SESI 6 30' MEDIUM
SECOND SIGHT -- heightens the awareness of the spellcaster in
order to detect all manner of traps and tricks that lie
directly ahead.
Level 4: CAEY 7 VIEW INDEF
CAT EYES -- endows the entire party with perfect night vision
for an indefinite period of time.
WIDR 12 PARTY N/A
WIND DRAGON -- creates an illusionary red dragon to join the
ranks of your party.
Level 5: DIIL 8 ALL FOES COMBAT
DISRUPT ILLUSION -- destroys any illusions among the ranks of
the enemy and prevents new illusions from appearing. This spell
also exposes any Dopplegangers within the party.
-=[oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo]=-
25
MIBL 10 ALL FOES (30') ì N/A
MANGAR'S MIND BLADE -- strikes every opposing group within
range with an explosion of energy capable of inflicting 25 to
100 points of damage.
Level 6: WIGI 13 PARTY N/A
WIND GIANT -- creates an illusionary storm giant that joins and
fights for your party.
SOSI 11 30' INDEF
SORCERER SIGHT -- operates like the SECOND SIGHT spell, but
lasts indefinitely.
Level 7: WIMA 14 PARTY N/A
WIND MAGE -- creates an illusionary Archmage to join your
party.
WIHE 16 PARTY N/A
WIND HERO -- creates an illusionary hero to join your party.
MAGM 40 GROUP (90') N/A
MAGE MAELSTROM -- assaults a group of spellcasters and may do
one of the following: inflict 60 to 240 points of damage, turn
them to stone, or kill them outright. However, because the
maelstrom is illusionary in nature, a disbelieving monster can
totally disarm it.
???? 100 UNKNOWN UNKNOWN
???? -- known only as "The Dreamspell," it is the subject of
myth and speculation and no one knows this spell's code. Legend
has it that this is a spell of such magnitude that it can
actually rip the fabric of reality in half.
Wizard Spells
Level 1: SUEL 10 PARTY N/A
SUMMON ELEMENTAL -- creates a fire-being from the raw elements
of the universe to join and fight for your party.
FOFO 11 GROUP (10') N/A
FANSKAR'S FORCE FOCUS -- lands a cone of gravitational energy
on a group of your foes, inflicting 25 to 100 points of damage.
Level 2: GATE 12 PARTY N/A
GATE -- bids a shadowy wraith to unwillingly join your party.
DEBA 11 1 FOE (30') N/A
DEMON BANE -- inflicts 100 to 400 points of damage on a single
creature of evil or supernatural origin.
-=[oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo]=-
26
Level 3: FLCO 14 GROUP (30') N/A
FLAME COLUMN -- creates a cyclone of flame that lashes out and
delivers 22 to 88 points of damage to a group of your foes.
DISP 12 CHAR N/A
DISPOSSESS -- returns a possessed party member to the normal
state of consciousness.
Level 4: PRSU 15 PARTY N/A
PRIME SUMMONING -- forces a powerful undead creature to join
and fight for your party.
ANDE 14 CHAR COMBAT
ANIMATE DEAD -- reanimates a dead character with living
strength so he or she attacks enemies as if truly alive --
combat only spell.
Level 5: SPBI 16 1 FOE N/A
BAYLOR'S SPELL BIND -- if successful, this spell possesses the
mind of an enemy and forces him to join and fight for your
party.
SOWH 13 1 FOE (70') N/A
STORAL'S SOUL WHIP -- whips out a tendril of psionic (mind)
power to strike a selected foe, inflicting 50 to 200 damage
points.
Level 6: GRSU 22 PARTY N/A
GREATER SUMMONING -- operates like PRIME SUMMONING but causes
a powerful elemental creature to appear and fight for the
party.
BEDE 18 CHAR N/A
BEYOND DEATH -- restores life and one hit point to a deceased
character.
Level 7: WIZW 16 GROUP (50') N/A
WACUM'S WIZARD WAR -- creates a pyrotechnical storm over a
group of monsters, inflicting 50 to 200 damage points.
HERB 25 PARTY N/A
SUMMON HERB -- summons Herb to join your party. Herb is really
busy, but he'll hang out with your party for a while if you
need him.
Archmage Spells
Level 1: HAFO 15 ALL FOES 1 ROUND
OSCON'S HALTFOE -- if successful, this spell causes every
attacking group to do nothing during the next round.
MEME 20 GROUP N/A
MELEE MEN -- pulls an attacking group into melee range (10')
regardless of how far they were when they began attacking.
-=[oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo]=-
27
Level 2: BASP 28 PARTY MISC.
BATCHSPELL -- performs the following multiple spells: GREATER
REVELATION, YBARRA'S MYSTICAL COAT OF ARMOR, SORCERER SIGHT,
MAJOR LEVITATION, and KIEL'S MAGIC COMPASS.
Level 3: CAMR 26 PARTY N/A
CAMARADERIE -- has a 50% chance of calming any or all monsters
in your party that have turned hostile.
Level 4: NILA 30 GROUP (60') N/A
FANSKAR'S NIGHT LANCE -- launches a chilling missile against a
group of foes, inflicting 100 to 400 damage points.
Level 5: HEAL 50 PARTY N/A
HEAL ALL -- a Beyond Death spell that resurrects every dead
party member and heals all wounds, paralysis, and insanity.
Level 6: BRKR 60 PARTY N/A
THE BROTHERS KRINGLE -- the brothers are always ready to help
friends in trouble. Enough brothers appear to fill the empty
slots in your party.
Level 7: MAMA 80 ALL FOES (90') N/A
MANGAR'S MALLET -- inflicts 200 to 800 bone-crushing damage
points against every monster group you face.
Bard Songs
The Bard has seven tunes that he can sing one at a time while exploring or
during combat.
1. The Archer's Tune: Doubles the party's missile damage, and cuts the missile
damage inflicted by a foe in half. Missile weapons are those weapons that are
thrown or shot such as arrows, spears, and axes.
2. Spellsong: Bonus to saving roll. This means the party is less likely to be
damaged by magic and traps.
3. Sanctuary Score: Lowers the Armor Class for all party members.
4. The Melee March: Increases the party's hit points for extra protection and
also increase the damage points inflicted on enemies.
5. Zanduvar Carack: Protection from traps when played under normal conditions,
but heals during combat.
6. Rhyme of Duotime: Regenerates spell points at twice the normal speed when
played under normal conditions, and provides extra attacks during combat.
7. The Watchwood Melody: Creates light. May work even in anti-magic zones.
-=[oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo]=-
28
Tips from the Adventurers' Guild: Magic
1. Don't venture too far into dungeons without your maximum spell points. It's
a good rule to leave a dungeon when you're down to one quarter of your maximum
spell points.
2. Carefully manage your spell points. Don't use a magic light spell when a
torch will work just as well. But don't be shy about using magic in combat. If
you've got it, flaunt it... rock 'n' roll.
3. Locate traps. Second Sight and other sorcerer sight spells can identify
traps within 30 feet (3 squares). The Trapzap spell disarms all traps within
30 feet.
4. Play a long-lasting Bard song right before entering a tavern -- it's like
getting a free spell.
5. Try using a light spell or singing bard tune number 7 even in anti-magic
zones. Though the spell won't last, it will provide a brief flash of light
that may help you get your bearings. This trick occasionally works with
ordinary torches and lanterns.
6. The screen flashes when your party is teleported. This is handy to know
because many dungeon corridors look alike, and it's sometimes hard to tell
when your party has been teleported to a new location.
ITEMS
The following items are found in Garth's Equipment Shoppe in unlimited
quantities:
Torch -- lights your way in dungeons. Not nearly as precious as
spell points.
Lamp -- longer duration than a torch, but more expensive too.
Broadsword -- most damaging nonmagic sword.
Short Sword -- a lighter sword that can be used by all by mages.
Dagger -- usable by all, but not too effective.
War Axe -- a heavy, damaging weapon that can't be used by rogues or
magic users.
Halbard -- a combination battle axe and pike. The most damaging
nonmagical weapon.
Staff -- a short, heavy club.
Spear -- a javelin-like weapon that must be thrown.
Buckler -- a small round shield.
Tower Shield -- a larger shield.
Leather Armor -- the lightest armor.
Chain Mail -- light, metal-mesh armor. Protects best against light
weapons.
Scale Armor -- stronger than chain mail and difficult to pierce.
Plate Armor -- strongest nonmagical armor.
Robes -- nice around the house but no protection in a dungeon.
Helm -- head protection from all but the fiercest attack.
Leather Gloves -- light protection for the hands.
Gauntlets -- metal gloves.
Mandolin -- the Bard's instrument of war...
Long Bow -- used to launch arrows at your opponents.
Arrows -- missile weapons that must be launched with the long bow.
-=[oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo]=-
29
Item Abbreviations
FGN -- the abbreviation for figurine; a magical statuette that can
come to life.
MTHR -- an abbreviation for Mithril, an elven metal with magical
qualities.
ADMT -- abbreviation for Adamant, another magical metal.
DMND -- abbreviation for diamond; the hardest substance in this
world or the Realm.
SGMT -- a segment of the Destiny Wand.
Tips from the Adventurers' Guild: Items
1. Generally, the more expensive an item is, the better it works. Just like
in your own world.
2. There are no cursed or bad items, but some may be useless.
3. Don't be stingy. Buy the best equipment you can afford -- spend the whole
bank roll. After all, if your party is well-equipped they'll get more gold
from the monsters they defeat, and if your party is killed, the saved gold
won't do you any good anyway.
4. Experiment with the items you find to determine their capabilities. Magic
items are often the key to success, and remember, an item may be magical for
only certain characters or classes, so trade the item between your characters.
5. Make sure that some characters have open space in their inventory, or your
party won't be able to pick up new magical items in their travels.
6. Save your party to disk as soon as they capture a particularly interesting
or powerful magic item. This way, even if disaster strikes, you'll still have
the item.
7. The Sage can answer questions about the purpose behind some of the items
you'll find in the higher level dungeons, but be prepared to pay a steep
price.
8. Destiny Wand segments contain powerful magic. Each segment contains magic
that creates its own specific effect. You will have to experiment with the
segment to learn how to use the magic.
9. The Destiny Knight game disks and manual aren't protected by magic shields
or quick fixes. Don't leave them where little monsters can eat them.
10. Here's a final clue that may (or may not) help you:
1. SSSWNWWWWNEEEENWN Beyond the Bard's Tale, as was told,
2. SSSWWWWWWNNWNEESSEENWNEEN An epic great will now unfold
3. WSESSWWWWWWWWNNNNEEESSEEENN And in the quest, before thy sight,
4. WSWWNEN A mortal man becomes the Knight.
5. SSSWWWWWNEEEENWWWWNEEEN
6. SSWNNWSSWWWWNEEENNEN Of wounds this many can never die;
7. SWWWWWWSSWWNNNEEEEEEN His lips will never, voice the cry
Which doomed another, ages gone
[S = South, N = North Who now is trapped as evil's pawn.
W = West, E = East]
Of puissant might and matchless brawn
The knight's fierce fate is plainly drawn
Upon the tome of life, in fact
And in this power lies the pact.
So seek the wand, and face the snare
Yet in no way can you prepare
For Zanta's wrath and endless guile -
Now try the quest, friend ... for a while.
-=[oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo]=-
Michael Cranford of Interplay Productions has an elegant programmer's touch.
You can't see it in this picture of him, but you can see it in the Bard's Tale
and Destiny Knight. He previously programmed the Apple version of Donkey Kong
and the Commodore 64 version of Super Zaxxon.
-=[oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo]=-
Game Concept, Design, and Program Design: Michael Cranford
Scenario Design: Michael Cranford, Brian Fargo
Graphics: Todd Camasta
Music: Dave Warhol
Producer: Joe Ybarra
Technical Support: David Maynard
Assistant Producer: Chris Wilson
Product Manager: Chris Garske
Art Director: Nancy L. Fong
Package Design: Michael LaBash
Cover Painting: Jonny C. Kwan
Map Art: Don Carson
Playtesters: Philip Ybarra, Caren Edelstein, Tom Norwood
Lagoth Zanta's Name by: Scott Smith
The Bard's Tale, Destiny Knight, and Electronic Arts are trademarks of
Electronic Arts.
Package Design (C) 1986 Electronic Arts
Software (C) 1986 Interplay Productions
Simultaneously published in Canada and the U.S.A.
About our company: We're an association of electronic artists who share a
common goal. We want to fulfill the potential of personal computing. That's a
tall order. But with enough imagination and enthusiasm, we think there's a
good chance for success. Our products, like this one, are evidence of our
intent. If you'd like a product brochure, please send 500 and a stamped, self-
addressed #10 envelope to: Electronic Arts, 1820 Gateway Drive, San Mateo, CA
94404.
-=[oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo]=-
ELECTRONIC ARTS(tm)
1820 Gateway Drive, SanMateo, CA 94404
