Dungeons of Kairn manual
Table Of Contents
Royal Notice of King Gelfman............................ 2
Book of Travelers and Adventurers....................... 3
Combat.................................................. 4
The Magical Cities of Kairn............................. 7
The Adventurers Guild and Creating Characters.......... 8
Races................................................. 11
Attributes............................................ 11
Professions........................................... 12
Skills................................................ 14
In The Dungeon.......................................... 16
Resting................................................. 17
The Book of Magery...................................... 20
Cleric Spells.......................................... 21
Mage Spells............................................ 23
The Book of Artifacts, Arms, Armor and Treasure......... 25
The Book of Creatures................................... 28
Appendix................................................ 30
System Requirements.................................... 31
Notice
Know ye by all these presents,
Gelfman, King of Hamnlin, Prince of Rengaria and Lord of Korlar sends
greetings and salutations to the five worthy and loyal knights, mages
and other adventurers of Styrtlan assembled this day.
Be it known that the vile and evil Mage Inshanis of the Island of
Mysterion to our south plots the basest and most dangerous of schemes
against our realm and threatens the whole of Kairn by his madness.
Be it also known that Inshanis of Mysterion now holds five of the
fabled Eight Ancient Artifacts and that he intends to gather all eight
of the Artifacts together, and to sacrifice them to the dark gods. By
doing so Inshanis will unleash a great and terrible evil, dooming all
of Kairn. Even now, the minions of Inshanis are about the land
searching for the three remaining Artifacts so that Inshanis may work
his evil.
Be it further known that three Artifacts remain hidden somewhere on
Kairn out of Inshanis' evil grasp, deep in the deepest dungeons,
protected by the most powerful evil in all the land. One is said to
be far to the north in the Catacombs of Losivis, the other two across
the mountains to the west. Only the bravest and most hardy may find
and recover them and use them to destroy Inshanis.
Therefore the King bids you honest and worthy knights and other
adventurers,
Quest forth to recover these three items, and when you have recovered
all three of the remaining Artifacts, venture to the Island of
Mysterion and destroy the Mad Mage Inshanis.
To assist you in your quest you are hereby granted the power to
recruit, to change and alter the roll in any guildhall of the
Adventurer's Guild in the land. You are also hereby granted the use
of The Book of Travelers and Adventurers, the Book of Magic Words, the
Book of Spells, The Book of Artifacts, Arms, Armor and Treasure.
In return for the recovery of the last three Artifacts of Power and
the destruction of Inshanis I, King Gelfman promise you the bounty of
Hamnlin.
Signed this the twenty-fifth year of my reign,
/s/ Gelfman I
The Book of Travelers and Adventurers
Arrows are the keys to direction.
As your quest opens you will find yourself just outside the gate to
Styrtlan. Your group of five adventurers is shown to you by the magic
of Kairn in the form of an icon on a map of Kairn in the upper right
hand corner of the screen. At the bottom of the screen you will see
each adventurer's name, title, present hit points and spells points.
To move about Kairn you must use the eight Magic Words of Movement:
Uparo, Downaro, Home, End, Pgdown, Pgup, Leftaro and Rightaro. With
these words you may move your group icon across the continent of
Kairn, through forests and across fields.
Many ways are impassable to the group. The adventuring group cannot
pass over such obstacles as The Heacliff Mountains, Loch Deop, the
Rengarian River, and the ocean. Only through magic will the group be
able to travel across the ocean to the Island of Mysterion.
magic words of travel
Magic Word of Entrance and Exit - "Ee" may cause the adventurer to
enter or exit a city provided he is at an entrance.
Magic Word of Rest - "Arr" will grant rest to the weary adventuring
party.
Magic Word of Formation - "Eff" will cause an adventuring party to
change its formation. The formations will show on the screen as Eff
is used. You must note the icons for each adventurer. To place a
different party member in a different position in these formations you
must use the Word of Rest and then the Word of Order.
Magic Word of Remembrance - "Ess" will cause the adventurer's
present position to be remembered by the Magic of Kairn.
Magic Word of Exit - "Eks" will cause an adventurer to quit his
quest and leave Kairn.
Whilst traveling, the adventurer in Kairn may use the following
magical words to assist the group in its quest: EE, ARR, EFF, ESS and
EKS. With these Magic Words, the adventurer may enter and leave
cities and dungeons, gain rest from his travels, change his party's
present travel formation, save his present position through the Magic
of Kairn, or leave the world of Kairn altogether.
magic words of movement
Magic Word of Movement "Uparo" will cause an adventuring
group to move north,
Magic Word of Movement "Downaro" will cause an adventuring
group to move south,
Magic Word of Movement "Leftaro" will cause an adventuring
group to move west,
Magic Word of Movement "Rightaro" will cause an
adventuring group to move east,
Magic Word of Movement "Home" will cause an adventurer to
move northwest,
Magic Word of Movement "End" will cause an adventurer to
move southwest,
Magic Word of Movement "Pgup" will cause an adventurer to
move northeast,
Magic Word of Movement "Pgdown" will cause an adventurer
to move southeast.
Magic Word of Movement "Effnine" will change the colors of Kairn,
Magic Word of Movement "Efften" will change the background color
of Kairn.
Combat
The wise man runs in the face of overwhelming odds.
Occasionally, the hardy group of adventurers will be called upon to
fight monsters and other evil creatures which they chance upon in the
wild or within a dungeon. When the group encounters an enemy, you
will first be shown a picture of the enemy, the icon which represents
that enemy, and finally the name of the enemy.
The Magic of Kairn will then present the relative positions of the
group and the enemy. Each group member and enemy will be represented
by an icon. As the battle progresses each member of the surprizing
group will be called upon one at a time by the Magic of Kairn to take
some action, followed by each member of the surprised group. Beware
of those enemies who surprise you because they will all take some
action before any member of your group can move. Their actions and
the results will be shown by messages from the Magic of Kairn, and by
the damage inflicted upon the group as revealed at the bottom of the
screen.
When it is the group's turn to act the group member in the first
position will have a chance to act, followed by the group member
in the second position and so on until all members of the group have
had a chance to act. You may chose one of the following actions: you
can use an item which a chosen adventurer is carrying, strike an enemy
with a handheld weapon, use a bow to shoot an arrow at a chosen enemy,
strike an enemy with an empty hand, retreat from combat, parry an
enemy's blow, cast a spell, cancel a previous Magic Word, or chose a
target for a spell or arrow, or if no action is chosen for that
character, pass that adventurer's turn in combat. To take these
actions you must use one or more of the following Magic Words: IYE,
DUBU, BEA, ESS, ARR, PEA, AYCH, EKS, RETURN/ENTER. Combat will
continue until all of the enemy are killed or chased away, or all of
the group are killed or retreat.
Magic words of combat
Magic Word of Use - "Iye" will allow an adventurer to use an item.
When this Word is used you will be shown a list of items the presently
chosen adventurer is carrying, and asked to chose which item to use.
Some items are not useable in combat.
Magic Word of Arms - "Dubuaro" will allow the adventurer
to use a handheld weapon when his turn comes to strike a blow. You
must use one of the Magic Words of Movement to strike in that
direction. Note that the chosen adventurer must have equipped himself
with a weapon while the group rested before he may strike an enemy in
combat with a weapon.
Magic Word of Bows - "Bearo" will allow an adventurer to
shoot his bow. When this word is used, the target creature will
blink. You must use the Magic Words of Movement to change targets,
and ENTER that target for the Magic of Kairn. As with Dubuaro, the
chosen adventurer must have equipped himself with a bow while the
group rested before he may use it in battle.
Magic Word of Fists - "Aycharo" will allow an adventurer to strike
an opponent with his unarmed fists. You must use one of the Magic
Words of Movement to strike in that direction. Unlike Dubuaro or
Bearo, you need not equip an adventurer to strike with an unarmed
fist.
Magic Word of Retreat - "Arr" will allow an adventurer to flee
danger to fight again another day. If the retreat is successful, the
Magic of Kairn will return to the normal travel view. If the retreat
is not successful, the combat will continue.
Magic Word of Parry - "Pea" will allow an adventurer to parry one
of his opponent's blows. A parry may or may not stop an opponents
blows.
Magic Word of Casting - "Seeh" will allow an adventurer with the
ability to cast a spell. When this word is used a listing of spells
the caster knows will be displayed. You must move the highlight with
one of the arrow keys and ENTER it into the Magic of Kairn. Spells
are listed according to spell point costs. If the present adventurer
does not have enough spell points to cast the chosen spell he may try
again without losing the chance to act in combat.
Magic Word of Cancellation - "Eks" will cancel most magic words.
When used immediately after another Word of Combat it will cancel that
Word without causing the adventurer to lose his chance to act in
combat.
Magic Word of Selection - "RETURN or ENTER" will chose a
target for a spell or if no action is chosen for an adventurer, will
pass that adventurer's chance to act in combat to the next adventurer
or to the enemy.
The Magic Words of Travel, Uparo, Downaro, Leftaro and Rightaro will
move an adventurer or targeting crosshairs to move up, down, left, or
right. The Magic Words of Travel Home, End, Pgup, Pgdown will cause
an adventurer to move diagonally up to the left, down to the left, up
to the right, and down to the right. When the Magic Word CONTROL is
used with Uparo, Downaro, Leftaro or Rightaro the crosshairs will move
at twice its normal rate. Note that an adventurer may move several
steps and then use an item, fire a bow or cast a spell.
magic words of combat movement
Magic Word of Movement "Uparo" will cause an adventurer or
the target crosshairs to move up one place,
Magic Word of Movement "Downaro" will cause an adventurer
or the target crosshairs to move down one place,
Magic Word of Movement "Leftaro" will cause an adventurer
or the target crosshairs to move left one place,
Magic Word of Movement "Rightaro" will cause an
adventurer or the target crosshairs to move right one place,
Magic Word of Movement "Home" will cause an adventurer
to move diagonally up to the left,
Magic Word of Movement "End" will cause an adventurer to
move diagonally down and to the left,
Magic Word of Movement "Pgup" will cause an adventurer
to move diagonally up and to the right,
Magic Word of Movement "Pgdown" will cause an adventurer
to move diagonally down and to the right.
Magic Word of Movement "CONTROL" when used with Uparo, Downaro,
Leftaro or Rightaro will double the movement rate for the crosshairs.
Note that with each combat the group members who survive will become
more experienced and more powerful. This change will be reflected in
their increased power after they use the Magic Word of Training in an
Adventurer's Guildhall. Group members who do not survive encounters
do not share in the experience gained by an encounter, and will not
increase in power. Dead group members are not lost altogether
however. They are carried along with the remaining living group
member(s) on their quest, even if only one group member survives an
encounter.
The Magical Cities of Kairn
One may enter only through the main gate, not by the postern door.
There are four cities on Kairn: Styrtlan in Hamnlin where the group
starts out, Gravis in Cullvania near the Catacombs of Losivis, Korlar
in Derago west of the Dwergon Mountains, and Kryllian in Northern
Rengaria on Loch Deop. In each of these cities, the group may buy or
sell equipment, call forth additional hardy adventurers, heal members
of the group, or wager their gold in a gambling house.
To enter a city, the group must journey first to the main gate. Once
before the main gate, you must use the Magic Word of Entrance and Exit
to enter the city. Once inside the city the traveler is confronted by
a list of the many places to go: The Adventurer's Guild, the Trading
House, the Temple, the Gambling House and the Apothecary. As the wise
men in Rengaria say, "Arrows are the keys to both up and down when you
wish to get around the City." To enter one of these fabulous places
the weary traveler need only highlight the name of the place he
desires to see and ENTER it, and he will be whisked there by the Magic
of Kairn. magic words of the city
Magic Word of Movement "Uparo" will select the next place in
the city or the next adventurer above the present selection,
Magic Word of Movement "Downaro" will select the next
place in the city or the next adventurer below the present selection,
Magic Word of Entrance and Exit - "Ee" will cause the party to
enter a city if the party is at gate, or to exit the city once it is
inside,
Magic Word of Rest - "Arr" will cause the party to rest,
Magic Word of Selection - "ENTER" or "RETURN" will select the
presently highlighted person thing or place in the city.
the adventurer's guild
Variety is the spice of life.
To form or disband a party one must first ENTER the Adventurers Guild.
Upon ENTERing the Guildhall you will be shown the present guildhall
roll of adventurers. One may gather and shape a group from the
Guildhall rolls by one or more of the following magical words, ARR,
PEA, DEEH, TEE, ENNH, EE.
magic words of the Adventurers Guild
Magic Word of Calling - "Seeh" will call forth a new adventurer for
your quest. You must specify the name, race, attribute, profession
and skills of the adventurer you seek and he will be called forth.
Magic Word of Review - "Arr" will allow one to review an
adventurer's present condition to see if he is fit for your quest.
The Magic Word of Review will reveal an adventurer's attributes,
experience, skills and belongings. You may wish to make a copy of
this information for each adventurer
Magic Word of Formation - "Pea" will form or disband a party of
hardy chosen adventurers. Injured, unfit or even deceased party
members may be left in the Adventurer's Guildhall until a later date.
Magic Word of Deletion - "Deeh" will delete an adventurer from the
Guildhall rolls forever. All items on that character will be lost,
and that particular character cannot be recalled for service to the
King.
Magic Word of "Tee" will cause a chosen adventurer with experience
in the quest to train to become more powerful, an action required of
all Guild members after they have quested. The Guildmaster will
inform you when a character has advanced to the next level of power
and expertise.
Magic Word of Naming - "Ennh" will cause the adventurer to assume a
new name. The Guildmaster will prompt you for the new name. It
cannot be over twelve characters.
Magic Word of Entrance and Exit - "Ee" will cause the group to
leave the Guildhall and return to the city.
Magic Word of Switching and Swapping - "Ess" will cause two chosen
adventurers to swap items and gold. You must highlight and ENTER the
two adventurers to swap items. You must then ENTER the items to be
swapped from those displayed.
The Magic Word of Calling
If no listed adventurer is worthy of your quest, you may use the magic
word SEEH to call forth an adventurer not listed in the guild rolls.
In summoning another adventurer you must know the following things and
make the following choices:
Name
A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.
As ordained by gods long ago on Kairn, and required by the
Adventurer's Guild, ever creature must have a name. You must
therefore choose a name to be entered upon the Guildhall rolls for
your adventurer. His name may be no longer than twelve letters. Note
that if you wish to change his name on the rolls you may do so at a
later date with the Magic Word of Naming.
Races
Only through each of the five may the quest be won.
The worthy which you summon forth may be one of the five races upon
Kairn: human, elven, half-elven, dwarven or hobbit. You must
therefore chose which race your adventurer should be.
Human, by far the most common of races, said to be slightly resistant
to magic, humans are generally strong and hearty.
Elf, though not so rare on Kairn as Half-elves, Elves too are said to
be slightly susceptible to magic, elves are generally agile and
intelligent.
Half-Elf, a rarity on Kairn, said to be slightly susceptible to magic,
half-elves are generally strong and agile.
Dwarf, this diminutive race is one of the hardiest upon Kairn and is
said to be very resistant to magic, dwarves are generally strong but
clumsy. It is said that only a dwarf wielding the dwarven amulet can
find his way through the Dwergon Mountains.
Hobbit, the most diminutive, but the hardiest of races, Hobbits are
said to be extremely resistant to magic and are generally agile but
weak.
Attributes
To each profession its own.
The worthy which you summon forth will have the following attributes;
note them well for they bear on his skills and his chosen profession:
Strength, which is might in arms.
Agility, which is the facility with tools, the suresightedness of the
bowman, the quickness of the man in battle.
Intuition, which is the ability to understand without thought, to
grasp the workings of items, machines or magery.
Memory, which is the ability to remember the way or the last throw of
the dice.
Reasoning, which the ability to figure the odds or size up the
situation.
Presence, which is the ability to influence others.
Wisdom, which is the benefit of knowledge from god.
These attributes will be generated by the Magic of Kairn and presented
to you in the form of a number from 1 to 100 across from an
abbreviation of the attribute. The greater the number, the greater
the corresponding attribute. You may add to one or more of these
attributes according to the number shown to you at the bottom of the
attribute list. This additional number will vary according to the
race and the individual.
You may add to the currently highlighted attribute by pressing the
plus key. You may subtract added points by pressing the minus key.
You may advance to the next attribute by pressing ENTER. The prudent
adventurer will call forth group members whose attributes for their
professions are high.
Through the Magic Word of Quitting you will proceed to the next
step. You may proceed only when you have added all the points
available.
Professions
Only by the skills of all may one succeed.
The worthy you summon may follow any one of the ten professions on
Kairn: fighter, rogue, thief, ranger, bard, cleric, magician,
sorceror, monk or ninja. You must therefore chose one of these
professions for your adventurer.
Fighter, one who works his way through life by might of arms and the
martial arts. Fighters may use any armor, up to and including full
plate armor. Fighters advance in training and power fastest of all
the professions.
Rogue, one whose primary endeavors lie in discovery and disarming
traps, opening locks, and recovering items for use or sale, but who
also has studied the use of arms. Rogues may wear full chain mail and
a great helm for armor. Rogues advance slower than clerics and faster
than magicians.
Thief, one who may work with mage spells which alter the elements of
Kairn, to an extent, but whose primary endeavors lie in discovery and
disarming traps, opening locks, and recovering items for use or sale.
Thieves advance in training and power equal to the fighter. Thieves
may wear chain shirts and bracers for armor.
Ranger, one who works with cleric spells from a god, though he does
not follow the full path of cleric. A Ranger may have other skills
and pursuits than a Cleric such fighting armed and armored. Rangers
advance slowest of all the professions. Rangers may wear armor up to
and including full chain mail. It is said that only a Ranger wielding
the rangers amulet can find his way through the Forest of Afyle.
Bard, one who works with mage spells altering the elements of Kairn,
but not to the extent of a Mage. A Bard may have other skills and
pursuits than a Mage. For instance, Bards train in the martial arts
and may wear a chain vest and bracers for armor while retaining the
ability to cast spells. Bards advance in training and power equal to
the ranger.
Cleric, one who works with cleric spells from a god, usually offering
protection and healing in times of need. Those who follow the magical
way of the gods must have the greatest wisdom to use their powers for
good. Clerics are sometimes schooled in the martial arts and may wear
armor as a fighter does, up to and including full plate armor.
Clerics advance in training and power more slowly than fighters and
thieves, but faster than Rogues, Magicians, Rangers or Bards.
Magician, one who works with mage spells altering the very elements of
Kairn. Those who practice Magery must have the intuition to
understand the magics they cast. Magicians are not adept at the use
of arms or the wearing of armor, which tends to interfere with their
spell casting abilities. Consequently, Magicians may only wear cloaks
or leather vests as protection. Magicians advance in training and
power more slowly than fighters, thieves, clerics or rogues, but
faster than rangers or bards.
Sorcerer, one who works with mage spells which alter the elements of
Kairn, and also with cleric spells from a god, but not to the extent
of either a Mage or a Cleric. Sorcerers, like Magicians, cannot wear
more than a leather vest for armor. Sorcerers advance equal to the
Rangers.
Monk, one who works with cleric spells from a god, but who also
studies the martial arts. Monks excel at unarmed combat. Because of
their peculiar training, Monks may only wear a cloak or leather vest
as armor. Monks advance equal to the Ranger.
Ninja, one who may work with mage spells which alter the elements of
Kairn, but who also studies the martial arts. Ninja excel at unarmed
combat. Because of their peculiar training, Ninja may only wear a
cloak or leather vest as armor. Ninja advance equal to the Ranger.
Skills
To each individual his own skills shared amongst all.
The worthy which you summon forth will develop certain skills
according to their profession, additionally they may specialize in
certain skills or develop skills not available to their profession.
The number of additional skills you may choose for him is shown to you
in parenthesis, this number will vary according to the individual and
his race. You may choose:
Picking Locks, which is the skill to open the locked door or chest.
The agile and intelligent adventurer will excel at the skill of
picking locks.
Disarming Traps, which is the skill to disarm the traps that one may
find on treasure chests. The agile and intelligent adventurer will
excel at the skill disarming traps.
Gambling, which is the skill to win at games of chance. The
adventurer with a good memory and reasoning powers will excel at the
skill of gambling.
Trading, which is the skill to bargain over a purchase or sale. The
adventurer with a fine presence will excel at trading.
Fighting unarmed, which is the skill to fight with one's bare hands.
The strong adventurer will excel at fighting unarmed.
Fighting with handheld arms, which is the skill to fight armed with
sword, axe, dagger, staff or mace. The strong adventurer will excel
at fighting with handheld arms.
Shooting bows, which is the skill to shoot the bow. The agile
adventurer will excel at shooting a bow.
Identifying items, which is the skill of deducing the type of potion,
scroll or item one has found. The wise and intuitive adventurer will
excel at identifying items.
Reading Runes, which is the skill of translating a scroll into a
useable spell. The intuitive and retentive adventurer will excel at
reading runes.
Adventurer's Record
Once you have chosen a worthy adventurer for your party, you will be
shown his final credentials. Note these credentials well for they
show the adventurer's attributes, his present offensive and defensive
abilities, his present skill abilities and the amount of gold he shall
start with. All of this information is shown in the form of a number
of from 1 to 100 next to the attribute, skill etc.
After reviewing an adventurer you must determine whether you will
enter the adventurer on the Guildhall rolls through the Magic Word of
Saving , call another adventurer through the Magic Word of Recall
, or quit trying to call an adventurer through the Magic Word of
Ceasing . Entering the adventurer on the Guildhall Rolls will only
make the adventurer available to you when you are in the Guildhall.
You still must use the Magic Word of Formation to join this adventurer
to your group if you so wish. Calling another adventurer will take
you through the Magic Word of Calling again, dismissing the presently
called adventurer from service. Ceasing to call adventurers returns
you to the
Adventurer's Guildhall.
the trading house
Only a snake oil salesman will fare well with a trader.
Now only the most foolish adventurers would dare venture into the wild
without the proper equipment. Therefore the wise adventurers will
seek first to buy themselves weapons, armor, equipment and magic to
protect them on their quest. To this end the adventurer may wish to
visit a Trading House. The group may ENTER such establishments as
with any other place in the city. After ENTERing the Trading House
the group will be asked which one will enter to deal with the
proprietor. Only one customer will be served at a time. One
adventurer must be chosen from the group to enter and deal with the
proprietor or priest. The one chosen will be asked whether he wishes
to buy or sell something or whether another will enter in his place.
Upon speaking the Magic Word to Buy , or the Magic Word to Sell
, the worthy customer shall be shown a list of goods, scrolls or
other items to be bought or sold. He shall select his choice and
ENTER it on the bill, and will be automatically charged or paid for
that item. Those with skill in trading may fare well in the Trading
houses particularly.
Trading houses typically have such items as are listed in the Book of
Artifacts, Arms, Armor and Treasure.
the temple
A place where adventurers may purchase magical scrolls and potions of
healing. In these halls may one purchase the scroll of Lifegiving to
restore the spirit to a lifeless adventurer.
the gambling house
Now upon a time the worthy adventurer may have extra gold from his
quests. In every city on Kairn there is a Gambling House. Some it is
said win at games of chance far more than they wager in the Gambling
Houses, others lose. If one wishes to take a chance, he may enter the
Gambling House and play the games therein. It is said that those with
skill at such things may be more successful.
Upon entering a Gambling House the adventurer is shown who in the
group is gambling and how much gold that adventurer has. The gambling
adventurer is then asked for a wager, and must enter an amount to bet
on the game. The game is Black Jack.
The gambler is dealt two cards face up, the dealer is dealt one card
face up, one card face down. The gambler is then asked to whether he
will stand on his deal or whether he wants to be hit with another
card. The dealer deals, if the gambler's hand is greater than the
dealer's and less than or equal to twenty-one, the player wins.
the apothecary
A place where adventures may purchase or sell magical potions, scrolls
and maybe even wands and rings of power.
In the Dungeon
Now upon a time, the adventurer must enter the darkest of dungeons on
Kairn in pursuit of his goal. Whilst in the dungeon, the hardy
adventurer can use the following magic words: IYE, EUU, DEEH, ARR,
EFF, PEA, SEEH, EKS, ESS, Home, 5, Uparo, Downaro, Leftaro and
Rightaro. With these Magic Words, the adventurer can identify items,
use an item, go down a ladder, gain rest, attempt to pick the lock on
a door, cast a spell to open a door, leave Kairn altogether, save the
group's present position through the Magic of Kairn, open a door, go
forward, turn around, turn left, or turn right.
Magic words for Dungeons
Magic Word of Use - "Iye" will allow an adventurer to use an item.
When this Word is used you will be shown a list of items the presently
chosen adventurer is carrying, and asked to chose which item to use.
Some items are not useable while traveling around a dungeon.
Magic Word of Ascension - "Euu" will cause an adventuring party to
go up a ladder.
Magic Word of Descent - "Deeh" will cause an adventuring party to
go down a ladder.
Magic Word of Rest - "Arr" will grant rest to the weary adventuring
party.
Magic Word of Formation - "Eff" will cause an adventuring party to
change its formation. The formations will show on the screen as Eff
is used. You must note the icons for each adventurer. To place a
different party member in a different position in these formations you
must use the Word of Rest and then the Word of Formation.
Magic Word of Picking - "Pea" will cause an adventurer to attempt
to pick a lock on a door. You must specify which adventurer will
attempt to pick the lock.
Magic Word of Casting - "Seeh" will allow an adventurer with the
ability to cast a spell. When this word is used a listing of spells
the caster knows will be displayed. You must move the highlight with
one of the arrow keys and ENTER it into the Magic of Kairn. Spells
are listed according to spell point costs. If the present adventurer
does not have enough spell points to cast the chosen spell he may try
again without losing the chance to act in combat.
Magic Word of Leaving - "Eks" will cause an adventurer to quit his
quest and leave Kairn.
Magic Word of Remembrance - "Ess" will cause the adventurer's
present position to be remembered by the Magic of Kairn.
Magic Word of Opening - "HOME" or "NUMFIVE"
will cause one of the adventuring party to open a closed door in the
dungeon.
Magic Word of Movement "Uparo" will cause an adventuring
group to move forward, or move north.
Magic Word of Movement "Downaro" will cause an adventuring
group to turn around, or move south
Magic Word of Movement "Leftaro" will cause an adventuring
group to turn left, or move west
Magic Word of Movement "Rightaro" will cause an
adventuring group to turn right or move east.
Mapping a Dungeon
Ordinarily, when adventurers are traveling in a dungeon they must rely
upon their own memory to find their way. However, should an
adventurer find or buy vellum and a quill, and that item is used
through the Magic Word for using an item, then a map shall magically
be made. The vellum and quill will magically map out the dungeon as
it is explored and be displayed by the Magic of Kairn. Once mapped,
explored regions remain mapped, and will be presented by the Magi of
Kairn. Speaking the Magic Word for using an item again will turn off
the mapping if the adventurer so desires.
Resting
Now upon a time, the adventurer must rest from his wearying travels to
heal himself and take stock of his situation. Whilst the weary
traveler is resting he may use the following magic words, ESS, QUE,
SEEH, EUU, TEE, IYE, ARR, EE and OH. With these words the adventurer
may swap items between adventurers, equip a chosen member of the
group, cast a spell, use an item, translate a scroll into a usable
rune, use an item, review an adventurer's present condition, leave his
place of rest, or reorder the formation of the group.
magic words for Resting
Magic Word of Switching and Swapping - "Ess" will cause two chosen
adventurers to swap items and gold. You must highlight and ENTER the
two adventurers to swap items. You must then ENTER the items to be
swapped from those displayed.
Magic Word of Equipping - "QUE" will cause a chosen adventurer to
equip himself with the chosen items listed. You must first equip
yourself with weapons and some magic items before you may use them.
Magic Word of Casting - "Seeh" will allow an adventurer with the
ability to cast a spell. When this word is used a listing of spells
the caster knows will be displayed. You must move the highlight with
one of the arrow keys and ENTER it into the Magic of Kairn. Spells
are listed according to spell point costs. If the present adventurer
does not have enough spell points to cast the chosen spell he may try
again.
Magic Word of Dropping - "Dee" will cause a chosen adventurer to
drop an item chosen from those listed.
Magic Word of Use - "Iye" will allow an adventurer to use an item.
When this Word is used you will be shown a list of items the presently
chosen adventurer is carrying, and asked to chose which item to use.
Some items are not useable while the group is at rest.
Magic Word of Translation - "Tee" will translate a Scroll into a
usable rune. Scrolls must be translated before they may be used.
Magic Word of Identification - "Iye" will cause a chosen character
to attempt to identify chosen unknown items. After being identified
the item will be listed by its color if it is a potion, by its spell
name if it is a scroll, by its name if it is a special item, and by
its plus if it is a regular enchanted item.
Magic Word of Review - "Arr" will allow one to review an
adventurer's present condition to see if he is fit for your quest.
The Magic Word of Review will reveal an adventurer's attributes,
experience, skills and belongings. You may wish to make a copy of
this information for each adventurer.
Magic Word of Entrance and Exit - "Ee" will cause the adventuring
group to leave its resting place and continue questing.
Magic Word of Order - "Oh" will cause the party of adventurers to
change their formation. You will be prompted for which adventurer
will occupy which position. You must use the Magic Word of Order to
place a particular adventurer in the front or back of any of the
available formations.
the book of Magery
When the world was yet young the Gods passed unto man the
understanding of magic. But fearing man may become too powerful with
such knowledge the Gods created laws governing it use. These laws as
understood by contemporary users of magic are as follows;
I. All spells require power for the casting,
this power is commonly known as Spell Points.
II. To each his power develops with time,
spell points increase with level.
III. Power is related to the understanding,
spell points are determined by the prime attribute,
the higher the attribute the more spell points
developed.
IV. To know all is to use half,
users of both type of magic suffer a decrease in
spell points.
V. The devoted shall gain the most,
classes dedicated to spell casting will develop
spell points the quickest.
VI. The greatest shall require the greatest,
high level spells use much more spell points than
lower level spells. The spell points required to
cast a spell is called it level.
VII. All creatures will resist the workings of magic,
magic will not always work on all creatures.
the book of Spells
Cleric Spells
spells of the first Level
Heal 1-10 - When cast will heal 1-10 points of damage
Repel Undead I - When cast will dispel type I undead creatures such as
skeletons and zombies
spells of the second Level
Protection I - Will give +5 to party defensive bonus for duration of
combat
Light I - Will provide light for 30 rounds
spells of the third Level
Stun I - Will stun monsters for 1-2 rounds
Light Ball - Will cast ball of charged light for 2-16 points of damage
spells of the fourth Level
Protection II - Will give +10 to party defensive bonus for duration of
combat
Open Door - Will open locked doors
spells of the fifth Level
Heal 3-30 - Will heal 3-30 points of damage
Cure Poison - Will neutralize effect of poison on one target
spells of the sixth Level
Silence - When cast on a spellcaster will prevent casting of spells
for 1-5 rounds
Stun III - Will stun monsters for 1-5 rounds
spells of the seventh Level
Light III - Will provide light for 200 rounds
Protection IV - Will give +20 to defensive bonus of party for duration
of combat
spells of the eighth Level
Call Fire - Will call a bolt of fire from the heavens for 7-70 points
of damage on one target
Repel Undead II - Will repel greater forms of undead creatures such as
Ghouls, Wights and Ghost
spells of the ninth Level
Cure Disease - Will heal a diseased character
Lightning Call - Will call a bolt of lightning from the heavens
striking one enemy for 7-70 points of damage
spells of the tenth Level
Heal X - Will heal 50-100 points of damage
spells of the fifteenth Level
Spirit Whip - Will hit enemy with charged spiritual energy doing 10-100
points of damage
spells of the twentieth Level
Protection V - Will give +20 to defensive bonus of party for duration
of descent into the dungeon
spells of the twenty-fifth Level
Holy Shout - Will cause all monster to suffer 10-100 points of damage
spells of the thirtieth Level
Repel undead III - Will repel higher levels of undead creatures such
as vampires
spells of the fortieth Level
Remove Curse - Will allow cursed items to be removed
spells of the fiftieth Level
Lifegiving - Will restore the spirit to a lifeless companion
spells of the sixtieth Level
Absolution - Will banish all enemies to another plane
Mage Spells
spells of the first Level
Light Bolt - Will shoot bolt of charged light for 1-10 points of damage
Sleep I - Will cause monsters to sleep for 1-2 rounds
spells of the second Level
Fire Bolt - Will shoot bolt of fire for 2-16 points of damage
Detect Trap - Will detect traps on chests
spells of the third Level
Silence - As cleric spell
Disarm Trap - Will disarm traps on chests
spells of the fourth Level
Fear - Will cause enemies to flee from the caster
Sleep II - Will cause monsters to sleep for 1-5 rounds
spells of the fifth Level
Strength - Will increase strength of party members increasing the
chance to hit and damage done
Cancel Magic - If cast will prevent enemy spells from working on the
caster for 2 rounds
spells of the sixth Level
Fireball - Ball of fire will engulf enemies for 4-32 points of damage
Teleport - Will teleport party up or down one level of dungeon
spells of the seventh Level
Awaken - Will awaken characters who are asleep
Haste I - Increase speed of party for one round ie. twice movement and
double attacks
spells of the eighth Level
Lightning Bolt - Create bolt of lightning for 7-70 points of damage
Vigor - Will double a characters hit points for the duration of combat
spells of the ninth Level
Water Bolt - Create a bolt of water doing 7-70 points damage
Ice Ball - Ball Of Ice will engulf enemies for 6-60 Points Damage
spells of the tenth Level
Haste III - Increase party speed for 3 rounds
spells of the fifteenth Level
Firestorm - Storm of fire surrounds enemies for 8-64 points of damage
spells of the twentieth Level
Light III - Will Create Light for 200 rounds
spells of the twenty-fifth Level
Dispel Magic - Protects entire party from the effects of enemy magic
for 2 rounds
spells of the thirtieth Level
Teleport True - Will teleport party out of a dungeon to the outside
spells of the fortieth Level
Ice Storm - Storm of ice surrounds enemies for 10-100 points
spells of the fiftieth Level
Word of death - Will cause one enemy to die if successful
spells of the sixtieth Level
Death fog - Poison fog surrounds all enemies killing all who fail to resist
The Book of Artifact, Arms, Armor and Treasure
i. Artifacts
In all of Kairn there are Eight Ancient Artifacts of Power. Made in
time immemorial, these artifacts embody the very magical essence of
Kairn. It is said that only those who reach the height of their
profession have the power to use them. Each item confers great power
upon the holder. The items are,
The Mace of the Dead - A magical mace usable only by Clerics and
Rangers. The Mace of the Dead Will cast Repel Undead III. It cannot
be broken.
The Axe of Lords - A powerful magical axe usable only by fighters.
The Staff of Mages - A magical staff usable by only Mages and
Sorcerers. The Staff of Mages adds to spell power and hit points.
The Staff of Mages can cast Word of Death spell. It cannot be broken.
The Kings Robe - A magical robe usable by anyone which offers magical
protection from harm.
The Sword of Kings - A magical sword usable by anyone, a powerful
magical weapon.
The Wand of Power - A magical wand usable by Mages and Clerics only.
This wand amplifies the powers of its wielder.
The Cross of Life - A magical cross usable only by clerics and rangers
which has the power to raise the dead.
The Bow of Death - A magical bow usable by anyone who finds it. The
Bow of Death is a powerful magical weapon. An arrow fired from the
Bow of Death is said to strike dead whatever it hits.
ii. arms
Great Sword - Long two handed sword doing much damage.
Battle Axe - Two handed war axe doing very good damage.
Long Sword - Long one handed sword doing good damage.
Mace - One handed weapon doing good damage.
Hammer - One handed war hammer doing very good damage.
Short Sword - One handed sword doing moderate damage.
Hand Axe - More of a tool doing moderate damage.
Dagger - Inexpensive weapon doing some damage.
Short Bow - Missile weapon doing moderate damage.
Long Bow - Missile weapon doing good damage.
iii. Armor
Cloak - A heavy cloak more for warmth than defense.
Leather Vest - A light leather vest providing partial
protection,
Target Shield - A small shield providing some protection.
Full Shield - A full body shield providing good
protection.
Chain Vest - Tightly woven chain mesh covering the torso
providing good protection.
Bracers - Protection for the forearms.
Leather Helm - Light leather helm providing some protection.
Full Chain - Woven chain mesh same as chain vest but
covering most of the body providing very
good protection.
Breast Plate - Same as Full Chain with the addition of
metal plates covering the torso providing
excellent protection.
Full Plate - Same as Breast Plate but using additional
metal plates protecting most of the body
providing the best protection.
iii. Treasure
The hardy and successful adventurer may upon a time encounter chests
of treasure. Although many of these chests are evilly trapped, many
contain treasure beyond the adventurer's wildest imaginings. Among
the other things such treasure chests contain are:
Gold, the common currency of Kairn, good in any of the great and
magical cities of Kairn to buy equipment, magical items or healing.
In addition to gold, the adventurer may find many other items, some of
which can magically protect by increasing one's defensive powers,
protecting partially or wholly against magical attacks. Sometimes
these items may be arms or armor, scrolls or potions. Beware the
items the evilly cursed items among those that protect.
Scrolls are the written forms of magic which can be used by any
adventurer, regardless of his class. Before a scroll can be used by
anyone it must first be translated by one who is skilled at Reading
Runes. Only those who possess a scroll may translate it. Moreover,
one may only attempt to translate a scroll while the group is resting.
A failure can mean the destruction of the scroll. After the magic of
a scroll is used up it is destroyed.
A scroll, and any other item may only be identified while the
adventurer possesses that item and the group is resting. Potions are
the liquid forms of magic. When a potion is found it is known only as
a 'potion' until identified. A potion must be identified to discover
what type of potion it is such as Red, Clear, or Smelly. Identifying
a potion will not reveal what a potion does, the brave explorer must
discover this by trial and error.
the book of Creatures
Now upon a time whilst traveling about the wilds of Kairn the brave
adventures will surely happen upon many strange and wondrous
creatures. While it may be new and exciting to discover these
creatures the brave adventurers must be cautious for these creatures
will surely not be friendly and will probably attack on sight.
Creatures of the wild:
Wolves, Wargs and Wild dogs - These creatures always hunt in large
packs and are to be feared.
Large bats - can be found in the dark
recesses of many dungeons, while not usually capable of killing a man
they do carry diseases.
Griffins - A ferocious hybrid creature, the
most dangerous creature of the wild.
Humanoid creatures, foul and evil abominations of mankind:
Orcs - Stupid but fierce fighters.
Gnolls - A larger cousin of the Orc.
Goblin - A smaller cousin of the Orc.
Harpies - An aviarian cross with man, quick an fierce.
Kobolds - A cross between dog and man, a fierce creature with a deep
hatred of all creatures.
Minotaur - The legendary creature, a cross
between a bull and man, a deadly fighter.
Werewolves and Wereboars - Men who are capable of changing into
horrible creatures of the night.
The Undead, the touch of the undead is to be feared it is said that
the merest touch of an undead creature to human flesh can cause
disease or worse:
Skeleton - The animated skeleton of dead creatures.
Zombies - An animated body with flesh.
Ghouls - An evil creature needing the flesh of the living to sustain
itself.
Mummies - The preserved remains of the dead that has somehow
hung on to an evil half life.
Wraiths & Ghosts - Powerful evil spirits that seek to destroy all
living creatures.
Wights - A creature animated by its own greed to protect its burial
place from all intruders.
Vampires - The most powerful undead creature, its touch is
said to drain the very life from ones body.
The Worms spawn, children of the great worm:
Vipers - Poisonous snakes.
Lizard Men - Humanoid reptiles using arms and armor.
Man Drakes - Large reptiles with the torso of a man.
Gribbons - A larger and quicker cousin of the Lizard men.
Draggards - A small but poisonous dragon.
Earth Drake - A small ferocious dragon.
Fire & Ice Drake - Small dragons capable of using breath weapons.
Viprous Magi - Lager vipers capable of using spells.
Wyverns - Larger than the drakes but not quite a true dragon, capable
of breathing fire.
Gargoyles - A humanoid lizard, very quick and strong.
Basilisk - Small lizard like creature whose gaze can kill a man.
Hydra - Multi headed creature of lore.
Graygarns and Dragon worms - Cousins of the dragon but without wings
and unable to fly. Very adept users of magic.
Dragon - The true dragon, the most dangerous of the Worms children. All
intelligent creatures fear them with good reason.
Constructs and Giants:
Flesh Golems - Created from the body parts of the recently deceased,
stupid but strong and hard to kill.
Stone Goliaths - Animated stone creatures used to guard valuable
treasures, incredibly strong and very difficult to kill.
Kralls & Trolls - Large fearsome creatures who fear the sunlight.
Ogres - Large humanoid creatures 8-10 ft tall, crafty and strong.
The giants are a large humanoid race ranging from 10-20 ft in height
they are very strong and capable of dealing great damage. Some are
even said to be resistant to magic. The following giants are know to
exist on Kairn; Hill Giants, Stone Giants, Frost Giants, Fire Giants
and the one eyed Cyclops.
Demons and Devils; Creatures summoned from the nether world, they are
some of the most powerful evil creatures throughout the land. They are
said to be immune to many forms of magic and capable of wielding great
magic themselves. A brief list of many of the various type are as
follows: Green Devils, Night Devils, Horned Devils, Fire Hounds,
Succubi, Equis Demons, Lesser Demons, Night Shades, Ice Demons, Fire
Demons, Great Demons and the dread Demon Lord.
APPENDIX
Professional Names
Fighter: Hireling, Soldier, Fighter, Warrior, Defender, Knight
Magician: Apprentice, Trickster, Enchanter, Conjuror, Magician, Archmage
Cleric: Blesser, Advocate, Cleric, Priest, Protector, Avatar
Bard: Shill, Shyster, Minstrel, Troubadour, Jongleur, Bard
Ranger: Scout, Tracker, Escort, Gallant, Warder, Ranger
Sorcerer: Initiate, Channeler, Wizard, Diabolic, Sorcerer, Necromancer
Monk: Competitor, Monk, Master, Grandmaster, Highmaster, Dragon
Thief: Snitch, Swindler, Cutpurse, Prowler, Bungler, Thief
Rogue: Rascal, Scoundrel, Knave, Brigand, Mercenary, Rogue
Ninja: Nightwalker, Nightkiller, Skulker, Stalker, Assassin, Ninja
Levels associated with profession names:
1-5, 6-8, 9-11, 12-14, 15-17, 18-up
The Dungeons of Kairn program requires the following;
* IBM compatible system with a minimum of 256K of RAM
if more memory is available the program will use it
and require less disk accessing.
* 2-Floppy drives or a Hard Disk Drive
* A CGA monitor and graphics card
* Config.Sys files needs to have the minimum of
Files=20 as one of the lines