Abandonware DOS title

Drakkhen manual

                                DRAKKHEN

Typed in by SCOTT of ORACLE. Edited by PARASITE.


 I - BEGINNING OF THE ADVENTURE

IN DRAKKHEN TERRITORY
Your four characters appear in the action zone .
You are in CHARACTER mode . It is the most often used mode; you can move your
characters individually and let them act, fight, take objects, speak to
creatures ,meet etc.... it is also the mode which is used inside the dungeons.

Press RETURN; they will dissapear and you can move your team through the world
with the arrow keys or with a joystick . Beware of obstacles !!!!
this movement and visualization is called the GROUP mode (you move your team).
Direct yourself to the dungeon, you enter automatically CHARACTER mode.
To switch back to GROUP mode, press the RETURN key and keep on exploring.

 II - CONVENTIONS
For easy understanding of these instructions, there are a few regulary used
 terms which are explained here.
- To SELECT something, simply place the cursor on it and then confirm your
selection by pressing the left or right mouse button or an equivalent key.

 III - MOVEMENT COMMANDS

IN GROUP MODE
You see what your characters see. They dont appear on the screen. The
environment around you moves.
Use cursor keys or a joystick for movement of your characters. This mode of
movement is available only in exteriors, not inside castles and dungeons.

IN CHARACTER MODE
You are in this mode :
-When having pressed RETURN in GROUP mode,
-Automatically when you meet somebody,
-Always inside the dungeons.
In this mode the characters are visualized. They move in an unchanging
environment.
With the mouse or the keyboard:
-Select your ACTIVE character,
-Choose where you want the active character to go and confirm (left button).
Inside the dungeons left click on a door to go to another room.

 IV - SCREEN DESCIPTION
           -----------------------------------------------------
          |          |                                          |
          |CHARACTER |                                          |
          |   STATE  |                                          |
          |          |                                          |
          |          |         ACTION ZONE                      |
          |          |                                          |
          |          |                                          |
          |          |                                          |
          |          |                                          |
          |----------|------------------------------------------|
          |WEAPON /  |                            |   COMMAND   |
          |     SPELL|                            |             |
          |          |   DIALOGUE ZONE            |     ZONE    |
          |   ZONE   |                            |             |
          |          |                            |             |
           -----------------------------------------------------

ACTION ZONE
All game events are displayed in this zone.

CHARACTER STATE
This window contains information concerning the condition of each of the
adventurers.

1) Visualization.
 Each is represented visually. You can check what clothes they
are wearing and the weapons they are carrying. The character framed in red is
the ACTIVE character.
2) Level lines.
You can at any time check the general level of a character.
Just look at the three lines situated above above and beneath his picture.
3)Light.
If the light is red, then that character is the group leader.

DIALOLOGUE ZONE
This zone is reserved for specific descriptions and dialogues with creatures
you meet in the game. Some commands also appear in this window.

COMMAND ZONE
All directly accessible commands appear in this zone.

WEAPON/SPELL ZONE
This zone signals to the player that his characters are ready to use either
their weapons (sword symbol) or a magic spell(Drakkhen script). Each symbol
corresponds to a particular player. By placing the cursor on one of the
symbols, you will notice that a red frame is displayed around the
corresponding character (in the CHARACTER STATE zone).

 V - ACTIONS
Activating a command : You have to be in charater mode.
In the COMMAND ZONE, left click on the command character of your choice.
NOTE :The ACTIVE character (framed in red) will carry out the command.

LOOK AT COMMAND ZONE (Bottom right of screen).

     -----------
    | 7 | 8 | 9 |     1 - INSPECT     6 - ACTIVATE
    |-----------|     2 - LEAVE       7 - GREET
    | 4 | 5 | 6 |     3 - DISK        8 - QUESTION
    |-----------|     4 - TAKE        9 - IMPRESS
    | 1 | 2 | 3 |     5 - COMBAT
     -----------

 VI - COMBAT AND SPELL COMMANDS
Remember that your characters will fight with the weapons or spells previously
chosen in the WEAPON/SPELL zone.

WEAPONS/SPELLS
Weapons : If you want to replace a weapon with a spell, move the cursor
corresponding to the chosen character (see red frame) in the Weapon/Spell
zone, and click the right mouse button. The selected weapon is the one the
character is holding in the Character state zone. To change a weapon, see

VII - CHARACTER SHEET.
NOTE : A character can only hold one weapon at a time.
Spells: If the character has a number of spells at his disposal, you can
choose to change the currently ready spell by left clicking on the little
arrow displayed right or left of the spellin the Weapon/Spell zone. To
replace a spell with a weapon, place the cursor on the spell and right click.
NOTE : Spells are also accessible from the keyboard.

INDIVIDUAL ATTACK
The active character will attack the creature you have selected by right
clicking on it. At each click, your character will strike a blow.
NOTE : The Active character will attack with the weapon you have previously
selected . You can change the Active character whenever you like.

GROUPED ATTACK
Left click on the COMBAT icon, and all your characters will approach and
attack the creature at the same time. To stop Grouped Combat, left click on
the COMBAT icon.
NOTE : You can, at any moment, select a new weapon or spell.
 
VII - CHARACTER SHEET
Each character is defined by a number of personal characteristics, objects,
weapons and equipment. All these details can be seen in the CHARACTER SHEET.

DESCRIPTION
To access the character's CHARACTER SHEET, place the cursor on the character
in the CHARACTER STATE zone, and right click. To leave the character sheet,
left click outside the character sheet. In the bar at the top of the screen,
from left to right appears : The class of the charater, his name, his level
then his points of experience.
Below are the explanations of the abreviations shown on the screen.
 
 Hpt.......Hit points
 Magic.....Magic points
 Strgt.....Strength points
 Dext......Dexterity points
 Intel.....Intelligence points
 Educ......Education points
 Const.....Constitution points
 Luck......Luck points
 Prot......Protection points

What they all mean :

NAME:- Name of character.

CLASS:- The character will be one of the following : Fighter, Scout, Priest,
Magician. The number of hit points varies from Class to Class.

LEVEL:- The character's level will rise as he gains Experience points.

EXPERIENCE POINTS:- A character wins these when he eliminates a monster or
suceeds with any attempted action.

HIT POINTS:- Any character with zero Hit points has taken more damage than he
could handle and is a dead character. Keep an eye on the current level by
looking at the red line in the CHARACTER STATE ZONE .

MAGIC:- The level of the magic points is indicated on the blue line in the

CHARACTER STATE ZONE .

STRENGTH:- This is a measure of the character's physical strength. Fighters
are supposed to have more than magicians .

DEXTERITY:- This indicates the character's manual dexterity. Scouts should
have plenty .

INTELLIGENCE:- Brainpower. Preists use more of this than fighters .

EDUCATION:- This is a measure of the character's general cultural level.
Magicians are usually well educated people. Not like scouts .

CONSTITUTION:- This is the character's level of health and robustness .

LUCK:- Some actions have a better chance of succeding when luck takes a hand .

PROTECTION:- This depends on the armour and weapons the character has .

TREASURE:- Your characters will be using JADE coins .

OBJECTS:- All the objects the character is carrying .

FACULTIES:- The charater's particular gifts or skills .

PIT:- Throw unwanted objects in to the pit .
    
NOTE : Each character may carry up to 8 items of clothing or weapons and
8 objects (flasks,rings...)COMMANDS ACCESSIBLE THROUGH THE CHARACTER SHEET

TAKE A WEAPON IN HAND OR PUT ON AN ITEM .
Right click on the object in question. You will see the object displayed on
the character in the CHARACTER STATE ZONE.
The objects held by the character are in red, while the objects he's carrying
in his pack are green.

HAND AN OBJECT TO SOMEONE .
Let's suppose the fighter wants to give his shield to the scout.
-For this purpose the characters have to be in the same room of a dungeon.
-Open the Fighter's Character Sheet,-left click on the shield,
-keep the button down and drag the shield to the scout (in the CHARACTER STATE
ZONE),-Relaese the left mouse button .
Now open the Scout's Character Sheet; one of two casses will be true :

1/ You can see the shield .
It's shown in green : The scout is carrying the shield in his pack but he's not
holding it in his hand. If you want the scout to take the shield in his hand,
then right click on it.

2/ You cant see the shield .
This means the Scout is carring a maximum of 8 items and can't carry the
shield. The fighter keeps it.

NOTE: Certain character Classes cannot carry certain objects.

THROW AWAY AN OBJECT .
To get rid of an unwanted object that one of your characters is carrying, open
his character sheet and left click on the object, keeping the button pressed
down. Drag the object in to the pit in the bottom right hand corner of the
character sheet. Release the mouse button ; the object has disappeared down
the bottomless pit.

READ (Parchment,magic book....)
In the Character Sheet right click on the object. The object will appear in
red, which means he's holding it. The text will then be displayed on thescreen.

FILL AN OBJECT (Flask,container....)
Open the character sheet and left click on the object to hold it (it turns to
red). If there's a source of liquid nearby(fountain, lake....), the object
will be filled. The number of doses it contains is displayed in the
character sheet.

EMPTY THE OBJECTS OF AN OBJECT (Flask,container....)
Take the object in hand. Keep the left mouse button down and drag the object
to the pit. The object empties.
Release the button; the empty object re-appears in the Character sheet.

DRINK THE CONTENTS OF A FLASKRight click on the object in the character sheet.
Each time you click, the character drinks a dose.

REMEMBER: what a character's carrying of holding.
The GREEN objects are carried in the character's pack.
The RED objects are what the character's holding in his hand. 

VIII - LEADERSHIP
The group has a leader. The others follow him when the group moves from room
to room inside dungeons (assuming they're in the same room as the leader).
A red light shines above or beneath him in the CHARACTER STATE ZONE .

CHANGING THE LEADER
Left click on the black (switched off) light of the character you wish to
designate as leader . 

IX - THE ACTIVE CHARACTER
The active character is framed in red in the CHARACTER STATE ZONE.
He's the character you command at any given moment. If the active player is
not the leader, he can leave the group without being followed.

CHANGING THE ACTIVE CHARACTER
Left click on the character of your choice in the CHARACTER STATE ZONE or in
the ACTIVE ZONE . 

X - CREATING A CHARACTER DISK
When playing with a CHARACTERS disk you can save your games. This disk will
contain all the information concerning a group of four characters. If you
want to play with another team or start the adventure all over again, you
will have to prepare a CHARACTERS disk.

1/ PREPARING THE CHARACTERS DISK
The first thing to do is format a blank disk .

2/ CREATING A TEAM OF CHARACTERS
Switch off your computer for 30 seconds before following the instructions
beneath :

-Insert Disk 2 in the DF0 drive
-switch on your computer .
AMIGA 1000 users should first load KICKSTART.

NOTE THE CHARACTERS DISK SHOULD ALWAYS BE WRITE ENABLED .

You will play with a group of four adventurers, men or women. Each of the
four characters will have a number of qualities or characteristics: strength,
dexterity, intelligence, constitution and education. These qualties will be at
difering levels , represented by acertain number of points ; you will decide
on the verious levels when you create the adventurers.

A/ First choose the characters sex . Click (left button or equivalent) on MAN
or WOMAN in the bottom left of the screen window .

B/ Select the character's class . Left click on one of the available choices :
Fighter, Scout, Magician or Preist.

C/ Name the character. Type on the name on the keyboard (Max 11 chars), then
press the RETURN key to confirm.

D/ Distribute the available points among the characteristics . The dice throw
gives you five figures (visable in the centre bottom screen). You decide which
figure is attributed to which characteristic. Do that by pressing and keeping
down the left mouse button on the figure of you choice, then dragging the
figure (score) to the chosen characteristic zone.
ANOTE: It is a good idea to bear the character's clas in mind when deciding
his characteristics.

E/ SATISFIED ?
If the adventurer you've just created doesn't satisfy you, left click on NO.
The dice are thrown once again. Remember, though, that you can only restart
two times. If you a dice throw for a second time, the program will
automatically choose the version with the last dice throw .
Now create the other characters the same way.
You can check the characteristics of one adventurer while creating another;
just click on the character you want to check. Keep the button down to see
all his scores. Release the button to return to the character you are
already creating .
You can choose to scrap the group you have created, and start again. When the
following message is displayed : "Group Completed. Do you want thesecharacters
? ",Left click on NO to start again .

3/ SAVING THE GROUP ON THE CHARACTERS DISK
Insert the CHARACTERS disk in the drive :
When the following message is displayed : "Group completed. Do you want to
keep these characters ?",left click on YES . 

XI - AT THE WEAPONSMITH'S
If you go to the weaponsmith's the playing system alters a little .

1/SELL SOMETHING-Open the selling character's character sheet (right click).
-Place the cursor on the object to sell in the opened Character Sheet.
-Press and keep the left button down as you drag the object onto the
weaponsmith's head (beside the pit).-Release the mouse button.
-The weaponsmith will make you an offer (in the Dialougue Window).
-Right click on YES OR NO to accept accept or refuse the offer 

2/BUY SOMETHING
-Move the cursor round the Action Zone. Whenever into a magnifying glass, you
can obtain information about the object on sale:-Left Click.
-You will see a catalougue. Each page contains an object your chcracter can
buy. There's a little arrow on the book which changes direction as you move
the mouse (or joystick); turn to a page, right click when the arrow is in
the desired direction.
-Each time you turn a page, you can read information on the object in the
Dialougue Window .TO BUY the displayed object, click on the TAKE icon .
TO LEAVE the weaponsmith's, click on the LEAVE icon .

XII - POWERKEYS
Here are some of the keyboard shortcuts .

Choosing a character in the CHARACTER STATE ZONE :
  
F1 - selects the top left character.  F2 - selects the bottom left character.
  F3 - selects the top right character.
  F4 - selects the bottom right character.

Each command represented by an icon can be transmitted through the numeric
keypad :
 1 - INSPECT     5 - COMBAT           -----------
 2 - LEAVE       6 - ACTIVATE        | 7 | 8 | 9 |
 3 - DISK        7 - GREET            -----------
 4 - COMBAT      8 - QUESTION        | 4 | 5 | 6 |
         9 - IMPRESS                  -----------
                                     | 1 | 2 | 3 |
                                      -----------