Wasteland manual
- Wasteland
- manual
WASTELAND
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION 2
OBJECTIVE 3
THE PARTY 3
CREATING CHARACTERS 4
CHARACTER PROFILE 4
Attributes and Personal Statistics 4
Items 6
Skills 7
ONSCREEN STATISTICS 10
GETTING PROMOTED 11
RECRUITING ALLIES 11
COMMANDS 12
COMBAT 14
Hand-to-Hand Combat 15
Missile Weapon Combat 15
Selective Fire 16
Explosives 16
WEAPONS LIST 16
Long Range Weapons 16
Medium Range Weapons 17
Short Range Weapons 17
INJURIES AND DEATH 18
TIME AND DISTANCE 18
SPECIAL PLACES 19
Little Old Quartz 19
Xenophobic Needles 19
Lovely Vegas 19
Deadly Deserts 20
PARAGRAPHS 20
COMMAND SUMMARY 46
CREDITS 51
INTRODUCTION
The following is an excerpt from The History of the Desert Rangers,
The Early Years, by Karl Allard, 2087, Allard Press, Ranger Center
Hardbound pp. 293, $20 gold.
Tensions grew with the coming of 1998. The United States' Citadel
Starstation was slated to be fully operational by March, Soviet
charges that the space station was merely a military launching
platform alarmed a number of nonaligned nations. The right wing
governments in the South and Central Americas, many of them set up by
the U.S. during the Drug Wars (1987-1993), pledged their support to
the U.S. The NATO nations, including the new African members also
declared their alliance with the U.S. That move forced most of the
remaining neutral powers to join the Soviet protest. In six short
weeks, only Switzerland, Sweden, and Ireland continued to declare
themselves neutral nations.
Two weeks before Citadel was due for full operation, the station
transmitted a distress signal. Immediately after the message was
sent, most of the satellites orbiting the planet were swept clean from
the sky, leaving the great powers blind. In military panic, each sent
90 percent of their nuclear arsenals skyward. Although the
destruction was tremendous, it was not complete. Pockets of
civilization remained, some even oblivious to the military exchange.
On the same day that the U.S. and Soviet Union were attempting to
extinguish each other, a company of U.S. Army Engineers were in the
southwestern deserts building transportation bridges over dry
riverbeds. They worked deep in the inhospitable desert valleys,
surrounded by a number of survivalist communities. Located directly
south of their position on that day was a newly-constructed federal
prison. In addition to housing the nation's criminals condemned to
death, the prison contained light industrial manufacturing facilities.
Shortly after the nuclear attack began, the Engineers, seeking
shelter, took over the federal prison and expelled the prisoners into
the desolate desert to complete their sentences. As the weeks passed,
they invited the nearby survivalist communities to join them and to
help them build a new society. Because of each communities'
suspicions towards one another, times were difficult at first. But as
time nurtured trust, this settlement -- which came to be known as
Ranger Center -- grew to be one of the strongest outposts. Ranger
Center even proved powerful enough to repel the hands of rancorous
criminals who repeatedly attached in attempts to reclaim what was once
"rightfully theirs."
The citizens of Ranger Center, after first believing that they were
the only ones who survived the nuclear malestrom, soon realized that
communities beyond the desert's grip had also survived, Because they
had such success in constructing a new community, they felt compelled
to help other survivors rebuild and live in peace.
Toward this end, the Desert Rangers, in the great tradition of the
Texas and Arizona Rangers a century before, were born.
OBJECTIVE
Wasteland is a post-nuclear holocaust adventure. Your party, the
famed Desert Rangers, have been assigned to investigate a series of
disturbances in the desert. After several strategy meetings, you've
decided to search for clues in Highpool, the Agricultural Center, and
the Rail Nomads' Camp, all of which are located to the west of Ranger
Center.
The first thing you need to do is read the Command Summary section
(page 46). It tells you how to get Wasteland up and running on your
computer. It also contains a summary of the keystroke commands that
you'll be using. Once you load the game, you'll find a party waiting
by the Ranger Center.
THE PARTY
A party can have up to seven characters, four of whom you can create.
The four that you can create are called Player Characters (PCs). The
other three spaces are reserved for Non-Player Characters (NPCs), whom
you'll meet during the course of your adventure (see "Recruiting
Allies" for more details on NPCs). It you don't use all of the four
slots for your player characters, you can fill them with NPCs.
A party of four awaits your command: Hell Razor, Angela Deth,
Thrasher, and Snake Vargas. This is a well-balanced party quite
capable of seeing you through the entire game. You can use them or
create your own characters.
There are no special advantages to the characters in the original
party -- no divine insight, no super luck, no outrageous skills. You
could easily create characters who are just as -- or even more --
effective. If you prefer to make your own characters, enter the
Ranger Center to do this. You'll have to delete one or more of the
existing characters to create your own. But before you wipe out the
existing party, take a look at their profiles first by pressing keys
1-4 to see each one.
At any time during the journey you can view your party roster by
pressing the space bar.
CREATING CHARACTERS
Follow these steps to create a Desert Ranger.
1. Enter the Ranger Center. If this is your first time in the game,
you're already at the Ranger Center.
2. If the current party already contains four PCs, press D to delete
one and make room for your new character.
3. Press C to create a character. At the top of the screen you'll see
"Create a character." Below are the character's attributes -- the
higher these values are, the better (see "Attributes and Personal
Statistics" for details). If you're not satisfied with these values,
press the spacebar to "reroll" the values. When you're satisfied,
press .
4. Name your character (up to 13 letters).
5. Choose a sex.
6. Select a nationality.
7. Select the skills you want your character to have (see "Skills" for
complete details). Press when you're done. If you make a
mistake while allocating skills, press -R to re-allocate
them.
8. Press Y if you want to keep this character. Press N if you don't
want to keep him or her.
9. Press S to leave the Ranger Center and start the game.
CHARACTER PROFILE
To view any character's profile -- personal statistics, possessions,
and skills -- enter the character's roster number. When you're done
viewing each screen, press the spacebar to go to the next
screen, or to return to the previous screen.
Attributes and Personal Statistics
The first screen lists your character's attributes and other
miscellaneous personal statistics.
Strength (ST): The ability to overpower enemies or to lift, move, and
break items. This is important in hand-to-hand combat and in physical
tasks such as breaking down doors.
Intelligence (IQ): How well a character thinks and solves problems.
This is probably the mot important attribute because it determines
which and how many skills a character may master. Certain skills can
only be master by characters with an IQ of a certain level or above.
Characters start with skill points equal to their IQ. During the
course of the game, you'll definitely want to raise your IQ.
Luck (LK): Lucky characters tend to find more things and avoid more
damage then unlucky ones. Luck also improves your odds in
hand-to-hand combat.
Speed (SP): How quickly you move, which helps you escape tight
situations.
Agility (AGL): How deftly you move. High agility enhances your
acrobatic ability, so you can do things like dodge blows and jump on
tables The higher this value, the better you'll perform in
hand-to-hand combat.
Dexterity (DEX): Ability to master fine movements like picking locks
or aiming weapons. Dexterity is very important in combat, and
extremely useful in mastering the "thiefly" arts.
Charisma (CHR): This attribute lets you know how likeable or
persuasive a character is. Although it may seem like a trivial trait.
it might well make the difference between life and death as you try to
convince someone that you're trustworthy. Charisma also affects how
an NPC will react to you when you want to hire him or trade equipment.
Skill Points (SKP): When you first create a character, this value is
identical to IQ. The more skill points you have, the more skills you
can learn. You can acquire more skill points during the game (see
"Skills" for more details).
Rank: Each character starts out as a private. As you acquire
experience points, you can radio back to Ranger Center for a field
promotion. Each time you're promoted, your rank changes, your maximum
constitution goes up by two points, and you get an additional two
points to invest in any attribute. Rank does not affect how orders
are given or taken since your characters are equal member of a team.
A high rank, however could impress civilians enough so you can get
into places where regular folks can't go.
Maximum Constitution (MAXCON): The higher this is, the more of a
beating you can take before you die. This value is the same as MAX on
the onscreen statistics.
$: The total cash this character is carrying.
Sex: Sex only affects what bathroom he or she has access to
Nationality: Choose from U.S., Russian, Mexican, Indian, or Chinese.
P)ool: Press P to command all the party members to pool their cash
and give it to this character.
D)iv cash: Press D to have this character evenly distribute his cash
among all the party members. If you have disbanded into several
groups, only those in the same group as the character who is dividing
his cash will share in the wealth.
ITEMS.
The second screen lists what items your character owns. You can carry
up to 30 items that you find or buy during your travels. Don't
immediately toss away items that seem useless. It can actually be an
important fragment from a greater, more powerful item. Many items can
be sold for cash at various stores.
A precaution about picking up items: once you pick something up, you
have to keep it or drop it. If you drop it, it will vanish into the
depths of Wasteland, never to be seen again. If you have no intention
of picking up an item to keep (maybe because you're already carrying
the maximum amount and you don't want to drop anything) you should
leave it where it is. That way, you can come back for it later (and
you better remember too, or you may miss out on some loot hidden
beneath the item.)
To give or show something to someone who is not a party member, use
the item on the space that you're on by pressing the spacebar.
Press the number that represents the item you'd like to use, and
you'll get the following choices:
Reload: If you select an ammo clip that fits your currently-equipped
weapon, you're asked it you want to Reload.
Unjam: If you choose a jammed weapon, you'll be asked if you want to
unjam it. If you successfully unjam the weapon, you'll lose the clip
that was in it, leaving you with an unloaded weapon. Don't forget to
reload before you're ambushed by a bunch of bikers.
Drop: Drop removes something from your list forever. You'll probably
only use this command if you're carrying a full load, and need to drop
something in order to pick up another item. You can also use this
command to drop something that's broken (but keep in mind that broken
items can be repaired or sold).
Trade: Trade lets you give items to another character. Enter the
number of the intended recipient and the trade will be made. NPCs
have a mind of their own and may not always want to give their items
away.
unEquip: To equip an item so it's ready to use, press E. If you use
this while you're already equipped, the chosen item will replace the
previously-equipped item. You can only have one type of armor and one
type of weapon equipped at any given time. The weapon you equip shows
up in the onscreen statistics below WEAPON. When a piece of armor is
properly equipped, your armor class reflects the change.
Skills
The third screen shows this character's skills and skill levels. The
skills you posses weigh heavily in your success. Each character
should have a slightly different repertoire, so the whole party
benefits from a greater variety of skills. One character could
specialize in gambling, lockpicking and forgery, while another could
excel in demolition, brawling, and climbing.
Medical skills are something that more than one character should
possess. All the skills in the world don't amount to anything if a
character's flat on his back, too weak to use them. The more
characters who possess medical savvy, the safer the party is.
Since you must have a minimum IQ to be able to learn certain skills,
the higher you IQ, the more skills you get to choose from. You simply
can't learn the more technical skills if you're not smart enough.
LVL: The level of your skill. The higher this is, the better you
are. You can invest skill points in any skill as many times as you
like, each time you invest in a skill, the skill level goes up Skills
also improve as you use them. Since the cost of each successive skill
level rises dramatically, improving a skill by using it is a cheap,
effective method of gaining skill levels.
NOTE: When creating a character or when visiting a library, you'll
see the total available skill points at the top of the screen. (Your
skill point value is the same as your initial I Q value). To select a
skill, enter its number. If you make an error, you can start your
selecting over again by pressing R. Press to exit
this character profile entirely.
IQ: The minimum IQ you must have to use this skill.
PTS: How many skill points it will cost to acquire this skill.
Initially, you can select a skill more than once; in fact, this is how
you become more adept (or advance in levels) at this skill. Once you
select a skill, the point cost doubles as each successive skill level
becomes more costly.
Don't be stingy with your skill points when you're creating your
characters. You'll have the chance to acquire more skill points as
you move up in the ranks (see "Getting Promoted" for details on how
you can accumulate skill points). You can save a few, if you'd like,
since there are several special places outside of the Ranger Center
where you can learn more skills. But keep in mind that picking skills
at the Ranger Center is a one-shot deal; once you leave, you can't
come back to pick more.
Below are descriptions of the skills grouped according to their
minimum IQ requirement. After each skill name is a number in
parentheses; this is the number of skill points needed to buy the
first level for that skill. Each successive level doubles in cost.
IQ 3
Brawling (1): Any fighter who can wander through a full-fledged bar
fight without getting much more than a scratch is either very lucky or
highly skilled in brawling. The higher your skill in brawling, the
more attacks you get per round in hand-to-hand combat.
Climb (1): Gives you the ability to climb over fences, up sheer cliff
faces, and out of pits.
Clip Pistol (1): A must-have skill since your initial weapon issue
will be either the M1911A1 .45 caliber or a VP91Z 9 mm automatic clip
pistol. Without this skill, you won't be very accurate with the
weapon or have much luck fixing it if it breaks.
Knife Fighting (1): When fighting with knives, this give an advantage
to a skilled fighter over an unskilled one.
Pugilism (1): One of the oldest forms of fighting, it teaches you how
to dish out punches as well as avoid them. Handy for those close-up
battles where the fists start flying.
Rifle (1): A good basic skill to have since many of the weapons sold
by raiders are serviceable M19 rifles. You'll rue the day you didn't
pick up this skill as you look helplessly at the rifle you can't shoot
accurately.
Swim (1): The desert sands don't blanket the entire earth. This will
come in hand in those spots where you have to swim.
IQ 6
Knife Throwing (1): A tricky skill that comes in handy when fighting
gets heavy. You use up all your ammo and resort to throwing knives.
Perception (1): Helps the character find concealed items and notice
when things are out of the ordinary. No one should be without it.
IQ 9
Assault Rifle (1): If you're using an AK-97 or M1089A1 assault rifle,
this skill helps you fire, load, and unjam it quickly. A skill that
ranks up there in importance with walking and breathing.
AT Weapon (1): Helps you recognize and use anti-tank weapons like LAW
rockets. A handy skill to have should you encounter something far
tougher than your Ranger instructors ever told you about.
SMG (1): Lets a character control basic submachine guns like the Uzi
or Mac 17. May make a big difference when you're outnumbered three to
one by bandits who've decided that they want the gold from your teeth.
IQ 10
Acrobat (1): This skill for the agile can get you out of a tough
situation -- like leaping off of bar counters while you're surrounded
by a hostile crowd.
Gamble (1): The skill that built Vegas, you'll do well in all games
of chance, and you'll; also be able to spot a crooked game from a mile
away.
Picklock (1): This can get you into places where you want to go, but
where other don't want you to go.,
Silent Movement (1): This helps you move unnoticed past a guard post;
making it tough for enemies to catch up with you.
IQ 11
Confidence (1): For an already charismatic person, good confidence
can enable one to talk to a miser out of his fortune. It's
particularly useful for getting information from people who are
suspicious of you.
IQ 12
Sleight of Hand (1): A thieving skill that lets you perform
sleight-of-hand tricks -- perfect when you need to amaze those you
meet.
IQ 13
Demolition (1): Teaches you how much of an explosive substance you
can use without blowing yourself up.
Forgery (1): Helps you recognize or create a forged document.
Someday you my just need to whip up a security pass to get by some
vigilant guards.
IQ 14
Alarm Disarm (1): Trains you to recognize and disable alarms. If you
want to get into a place without getting caught, this a good skill to
have.
Bureaucracy (1): Even though most of civilization ended with the
bomb, an inordinate number of petty bureaucrats managed to survive.
This helps you deal with them so you can get when you want.
IQ 15
Bomb Disarm (2): Allows you to defuse most explosive devices.
Medic (2): A vital skill that lets a character stabilize a
badly-wounded comrade so he or she has a chance to recover.
Safecrack (2): An experience practitioner of this art can open safes
sealed even before the holocaust.
IQ 16
Cryptology (2): Gives you the talent to encode and decode messages.
Useful in helping you determine what a password might be.
IQ 17
Metallurgy (2): Increases your ability to spot, identify, and work
with some basic metals.
To reorder your skills, view them and press R. Enter the
number of he skill that you want at the top of the list, the skill
that you want second, and so on until you've selected all the skills.
The new list won't appear until you've selected all the skills.
Onscreen Statistics
In addition to the information that you can call up by entering the
character's number, the following character statistics are always
displayed on the party roster.
Armor class (AC): The level of protection a character has against
weapons, physical attack, and other forms of damage. The higher the
armor class, the better.
Ammunition (AMM): The amount of ammunition you have left in you
equipped weapon. When it's down to zero, it's time to reload.
Reloading takes a full combat round, so establish a healthy habit of
reloading after each battle.
Maximum Constitution (MAX): The maximum "health" points that your
character can have (see "Constitution" below for more details). This
is the same as MAXCON. If this number is highlighted, then your
character has picked up a life-threatening illness. like radiation
poisoning. This illness won't go away with the passing of time, so
get this character medical help as soon as you can.
Constitution (CON): This shows the character's current condition.
Compare this value to MAX to determine your character's relative
health. The closer this value is to MAX, the closer your character is
to full strength. When CON drops below 1, the character becomes
UNConscious. If the character's condition becomes SERious,
constitution continues to drop and the character will die unless he
get medical assistance soon.
Weapon: This shows the weapon that your character is currently armed
with. FIST means the character is unarmed.
Getting Promoted
You're awarded experience points each time you accomplish a difficult
task or win a difficult battle. When you think you're accumulated
enough experience points to warrant a promotion, you should radio back
to Ranger Center to have your instructors review your accomplishments.
Since it doesn't cost you anything to radio in, you can do it as often
as you like. If you've progressed enough (and only your instructors
know when this is), you're given a field promotion.
As a promotion reward, two points are automatically added to your
maximum constitution (MAX, MAXCON). You're also awarded an additional
two points that you can add to any attribute your choose Put both
points on the same attribute or put one point on two separate
attributes. If you'd like, add them to maximum constitution to boost
that value even higher.
If you wish to use these two points to acquire a new skill, you must
apply them to IQ. Remember, IQ points translate into skill points.
If you don't increase your skill points via IQ points, you won't be
able to add new skills.
Recruiting Allies
Wasteland is populated with people who have, like you, survived the
nuclear holocaust. From time to time you'll run into non-player
characters (NPCs) whom you can hire. You may wish to enlist their
services to add skill, strength, or intelligence to your party. Refer
to the Encounter command below on how to hire an NPC
NPCs are not robots who obey your every command. They don't always do
as told in combat. They don't always trade something when you ask
them to. While you may not like their autonomy, and think that
they're more trouble than they're worth, remember that they may be
able to get you things that you can't get for yourself or get you into
places where you can't normally go.
To dismiss an NPC, use the disband command.
Commands
During normal play, a menu of commands are listed across the button of
the screen:
Use: This lets a character use an Item, Skill, or Attribute to
accomplish a task. Enter a character number and select an Item, Skill
or Attribute. Then, enter a direction in which the character will use
the Item, Skill, or Attribute (press the spacebar if you want to use
something right where you're standing). Certain skills offer
additional prompts. For example, when you use a medical skill, you
will be asked which character you want to heal.
After you use something you may get the message "That doesn't seem to
work." This suggests that this particular item or method doesn't
work, but that another might. Also, if you use a skill or attribute
and it doesn't seem to work -- but you're really sure it should --
keep trying. Sometimes persistence pays off.
Enc: Encounter calls up the same commands that are available to the
party during combat. You may want to use Encounter to attract
someone's attention, so you can get information or try to hire them.
You can also use this command as a short cut to perform certain
actions on several characters.. For instance, you could have a couple
characters reload, while another uses an item. In this case, using
Encounter would be faster than calling up each character individually.
Order: This changes the marching order of your party. There are
times when you'll want to change the order to maximize your party's
talents. For instance, if you're travelling through a dangerous area,
a character with high perception or silent movement would make an
excellent point man. In another situation, a character carrying an
item that could forestall an attack should be in the lead.
NOTE: When you select Order, you're shown the current marching order.
Select the number of the character you want in front, then second,
then third, and so on until the whole party has been reordered. Being
placed in the back of the ranks does not shield a character from
combat.
Disband: Disband lets you break your party into separate, smaller
parties (up to four). This enables each party to travel independently
of the other parties. The parties can be spread apart as far as you'd
like. Disband also offers many tactical advantages in combat.
Disband has a number of important uses. If you have dead party
members, use disband to bury them. You could also use disband when
you're under attack; one person could split off to distract the
attackers. Some places can only be passed through by one character at
a time, so each person will have to split off into their own party.
CAUTION: Before you can disband NPCs, you're asked if you want them
permanently dismissed. If you answer "yes," then they are gone
forever -- you'll never , ever see them again. If you want them
disbanded -- and not dismissed -- answer "no."
When you select Disband, enter the numbers for those characters who
wish to split off from the main party, and press . Next,
indicate the direction that the disbanded party will move. Use View
to shift control between parties.
To reunite separate parties into a single band, move them onto the
same spot and they will automatically regroup.
View: View lets you shift control between parties. If you have more
than two parties, and you're not in control of the party you want,
keep entering V until you reach the right one. If the party is on
another map, you're asked to confirm if you want to shift to them.
Save: Saves the game.
Use this command anytime you find something you don't want to lose.
Even before the great nuclear war, computers were known to shut down
at inopportune moments. See the Command Summary section for more
important details on the Save command.
Radio: Contacts your instructors at Ranger Center so they can
evaluate your performance. If you're done well, you're given a field
promotion. When you select Radio, you're asked to confirm your
choice. If you choose to continue, all your characters are evaluated
at the same time and are apprised of any changes in rank. Because a
Ranger once slept through his promotion, the instructors now require
that all characters be conscious for this procedure; consequently, any
injured, unconscious Rangers will be passed over. Promoted characters
get a chance to modify attributes at this point (see "Getting
Promoted" for more details).
Combat
Often, when somebody or something comes into your range, you will
enter the Encounter mode. An encounter is frequently the precursor to
a fight. Your party roster and a text window will appear. The text
window will contain a short description of the encounter; press
when you're done reading it. (If you want to temporarily
remove the party roster and text window to see where the encounter is
located, press the spacebar. To return to the party roster and text
window, press any key.)
Your options during an encounter are:
Run: This lets the entire party or a single character run towards or
away from an encounter. Enter the direction that you want the party
or character to move. If a single character successfully runs away,
the he's disbanded from the party (This is impossible if there are
four separate parties already).
Use: This lets a character use an Item, Skill or Attribute to
accomplish a task. Depending on which you choose a list will appear.
You're then asked to enter a direction in which the Item, Skill, or
Attribute will be executed.
Hire: Not everybody you meet has turned hostile under the hot desert
sun. Some are quite pleasant, and may even offer you valuable
services. If you meet an NPC that you would like to try to hire,
enter the number of the desired recruit.
Evade: This makes you much harder to hit in combat. Use this command
when your comrades initiate a firefight, and you don't have a missile
weapon, or when you're injured and wish to minimize the risk of
further physical abuse.
Attack: In the battle-ridden wastelands, this is a command you'll
often use. When you select it, you're given a choice of targets. If
your weapon is an automatic weapon capable of selective fire, your're
asked if you want to fire Single, Burst or Autofire. If the encounter
is at an extended range, and you have no missile weapons, you're told
that there are no attackers within your range. If there's only one
group of attackers, they're targeted automatically.
Weapon: Lets you ready a new weapon, which is useful when your gun
jams in the heat of the battle and you don't want to fix it. Or, once
you assess the current battle situation, you may want to use a weapon
that's more effective.
Load/unjam: Loads or unjams a weapon. This command takes a full
combat round, so it's a good idea to keep your weapon loaded at all
times, otherwise you'll have to reload in the first round of a
firefight. (You can load or unjam at any time by selecting Enc from
the Main Menu, or by choosing the weapon or appropriate ammo.) When a
weapon jams, you lose the ammo that was in the weapon at the time.
Unjamming a weapon during combat automatically reloads it.
Press if you wish to return to a previous character's options.
Once you've made all your combat selections you're asked if you want
to execute the commands you chose. Press N to abandon your choices
and start the procedure over again. Press Y if you're satisfied.
You'll then see a rundown on the effects of the encounter in the text
window. Use K or the up arrow to speed up text scrolling.
Use J or the down arrow to slow down text scrolling.
Since parties can disband and more to different maps, there will be
times when one party is locked in combat while another party is on an
entirely different map. In these instances, the game asks if you want
the other parties to enter into an encounter. If you answer "yes,"
you'll get one combat round for each disbanded party. This is a slow
and time consuming process, so you should only run combats on multiple
maps in emergencies. If you decline the invitation to have combat on
multiple maps, the party you are currently viewing will execute their
combat round before you can view the other parties.
Hand-to-Hand Combat
Because the Rangers are trained soldiers, they have an advantage over
the citizens in hand-to-hand combat. In general, hand-to-hand combat
is not as deadly as a firefight, but you can still easily die from a
good throttling or from a dead-on punch. Hand-to-hand combat can only
take place at a distance of 14 feet or less.
Missile Weapon Combat
Missile weapon combat is combat that takes place with weapons capable
of range fire. From guns to grenades, there are numerous missile
weapons at your disposal. Area-effect weapons, like TNT, plastic
explosives, and grenades, are auto-loading, which means that each time
you use one, you automatically get another until your supply runs out,
so you won't be unarmed in the middle of a fight. Anti-tank weapons
such as LAW rockets must be re-equipped after firing Automatic weapons
-- assault rifles and submachine guns -- can shoot Single, Burst, or
Autofire. All guns are clip fed and come in .45, 9mm, or 7.62mm
calibers. Always carry the proper ammo unless you want to pistol-whip
your enemies.
Keep in mind that all missile combat is simultaneous. Sure, it's
exciting when you burn a clip of AK-97 ammo into an onrushing horde of
mutant bikers, but your excitement may diminish somewhat when you find
that the mutants are returning fire with equal fervor. You shoot,
they shoot.
Selective Fire
Single, Burst and Autofire have different effects. Single uses one
bullet per round, which is great if you're low on ammo, but not so
great if you need to hit your target with the first shot. Burst
consumes three bullets per round and gives the shooter a slight
advantage in hitting and killing his target. Autofire uses up all the
bullets in the clip, which greatly increases the chance of hitting a
particular target and others in close proximity. A good choice if you
really need to kill somebody, but not so good if you're looking at
your last clip.
Explosives
If you want to do a great deal of damage over a wide area, go with
explosives. You get more impact per target area, which can be a
lifesaver when being eyed hungrily by a pack of nuke pooches.
Remember, ammo doesn't rain from the heavens. Running your gun on
full auto all the time may kill the bad guns in a hurry, but you're
likely to run out of ammo just as the last nuke pooch lunges for your
throat.
Weapons List
Missile weapons come in three range categories : short, medium, and
long. You'll find that using a clip pistol to hit a target 80 feet
away is not too effective. Be sure to choose the appropriate weapon
for the appropriate distance. Here are some of the more common
weapons and their characteristics.
Long Range Weapons
AK-97 Assault Rifle: Created in the image of the legendary AK-47, the
AK-97 is the latest in the assault rifle line. It was created for the
Comintern Combine nations of Europe and Africa, but saw large
distribution throughout the world before the war. It is chambered for
7.62mm ammo and fires from a 30-bullet clip. This highly-respected
weapon is fairly commonplace.
M1989A1 NATO Assault Rifle: The M1989A1 is big brother to the
original M16A1. It was rechambered to accept the same 7.62mm ammo
that the AK series of rifles uses so troops could use captured Soviet
ammo. Although assault rifle users greatly preferred the American
ammo for its damage capabilities, the military implemented this change
in anticipation of front-line ammo shortages. With this arrangement,
a solider could kill an enemy and replenish his supply at the same
time.
M19 Rifle: The M19 rifle is a single-shot weapon firing an 8-shot
clip of 7.62mm ammo. When rumors of a Soviet invasion of the U.S.
spread through the states, survivalists demanded a weapon that could
use Soviet ammo (necessary, said the survivalists, if Americans were
to be able to use captured ammo). The invasion never took place, but
the M19 remains a high-profile weapon. Although it can't fire more
than one bullet at a time, it does have greater range than pistols.
M17 Carbine: The M17 Carbine is a lighter, short-barreled version of
the M19 rifle. Its 10-shot clip of 7.62mm ammo gives it a faster fire
rate than its big brother, but the barrel length makes it slightly
less accurate at a maximum range.
LAW Rocket: The LAW rocket is a small, armor-piercing explosive
rocket contained in a disposable firing tube. It was first developed
to destroy tanks. The mass of the tip (made from depleted uranium)
enables the rocket to blast through the armor so the explosive shell
can burst, once inside. Some knowledge or skill in anti-tank weaponry
is useful when employing rocket.
Medium Range Weapons
MAC 17 SMG: The Mac 17 is the sturdiest of the compact submachine
guns developed in the early 1990s. It shoots .45 Caliber slugs from a
30-shot clip and is known for its man-stopping capabilities. This
small weapon is well-suited for close-up firefights.
UZI 27 SMG: The Uzi comes from the highly-skilled gunsmiths of
Trans-Palestine. Its magazine holds 40 9mm bullets and is capable of
burning a full clip in five seconds. This weapon was built
specifically for fighting terrorists has has proven very effective on
mutant bikers or religious fanatics.
Short Range Weapons
1911A1 .45 Pistol: The 1911A1 was the standard sidearm of the
previous two world wars. The .45 slug, held in an 8-shot clip, was
first developed to stop Moro rebels in the Phillipines. In its
current role, it has no trouble slowing down desert raiders or the
occasional mutant cactus. Many Desert Rangers find this a perfect
weapon to take with them when they first head into the wastelands.
VP91Z 9mm Pistol: As well liked as the .45 pistol by Desert Rangers,
the VP91Z is a variation on the West German design, featuring an
18-shot capacity of this weapon reduces the need to reload, making it
ideal for extended firefights.
Grenades: Grenades are small, hand-tossed explosive devices useful
for inflicting damage on an entire group of foes at one time.
Grenades have a wide area of effect, so be sure your character has a
good throwing arm!
INJURIES AND DEATH
Death is permanent. If your characters get seriously injured, get
them medical attention quickly or kiss them goodbye.
If a character is lightly wounded, they've taken a few hits, but are
still awake and functional. A few points have been knocked off his
constitution.
Characters become unconscious when their constitution dips below 1.
While unconscious, they are unable to move. Over time, an unconscious
character will regain consciousness and heal to full health. An
alternative to waiting is to find a hospital and pay for a quick heal.
Seriously-wounded characters are in a whole different class of medical
trouble. Like unconscious characters, whey can do nothing, but unlike
unconscious characters, they don't heal with time -- they worsen.
Without medical help, seriously-wounded characters deteriorate to
critical, to mortal, to comatose, and then to dead. Another
character with medical skills may be able to stabilize the wounded
character enough so he can improve to the unconsciousness category.
If this happens, the character will recover with time.
Remember that time waits for no one. Disbanding one character and
sending him off across the desert to find a doctor will not freeze
time for a seriously-wounded character. When that character finally
returns with a doctor, they may be back in time to bury the body.
(This is why your party should contain somebody -- preferably two --
with medical skills.) Should the worst happen, you can bury a dead
character by using the Disband command.
TIME AND DISTANCE
The maps in Wasteland vary in scale. The large desert map contains
the various city maps, which, in turn, contain building maps or whole
underground levels of sewers and hideouts. In combat, distances may
seem a bit off for the map you're on, but these are tactical distances
and are valid in combat only.
Because of the difference in scale of the maps, time passes
differently on them. Though a single keystroke on the computer will
move you one space north in both the desert and in a building, the
amount of time that each move takes is different.
If you want time to pass without moving, press .
SPECIAL PLACES
You begin your adventure in the desert along the California-Arizona
border. The area you'll cover extends from the Ranger Center in the
south up to the Grand Canyon in the north. The towns of Quartz,
Needles and Las Vegas are three places you'll surely want to visit.
Little Old Quartz
Quartz is a small town that suffered extensive damage from the nuclear
attacks, yet managed to survive. Although located far from the large
military targets, this tiny community was affected by earthquakes and
low-level nuclear fallout. But in its feisty, small town way, Quartz
quickly resumed normal life. About the only trouble Quarts has these
days is with bandits.
Xenophobic Needles
Needles is bigger than Quartz. Aside from the flood that resulted
when Hoover Dam was hit, life has not changed much in Needles.
Needles is big enough to defend itself from roving bandits. However,
it has become home to a couple of odd cults. The folks in Needles
don't really like strangers that much, but they've welcomed Desert
Rangers in the past and are always willing to trade goods with them.
Lovely Vegas
Vegas is the city of Las Vegas. No one is quite sure how the Soviet
missiles managed to miss the city, but most folks figure it was
because the "house" was betting against a missile landing -- and no
one wins against the house. There was an international rumor about
some Russian general's markers being torn up after the attack, but
that has yet to be confirmed.
Undaunted by its brush with perdition, Vegas is still open for
business and does very well for itself. The city is large enough to
avoid conquest, and many elements of the desert rabble have even found
gainful employment as enforcers or casino employees. Despite the
relative success of the city, however, there are dark rumors about
horrors descending from the north to taking up residence in the city
sewers. All may not be extremely well in the jewel of the Desert.
Deadly Deserts
The desert is just as formidable as it was before the holocaust. In
addition to the lack of water and the fierce heat, there are reports
of radiation zones that have melted the flesh of unwary travellers.
Along with the irradiated human element -- left-over biker gangs,
rabid survivalists, crazed religious zealots -- all sorts of mutant
animals make their home in the desert. Some say that travelling in
the desert nowadays without an experienced guide is plain suicidal.
PARAGRPAHS
While you're playing Wasteland, you'll be referring to paragraphs in
this book. We know that as a Desert Ranger who enjoys the bet of
challengers, you wouldn't randomly read these paragraphs in search of
clues. But intense radiation, coupled with the blazing sun, can
impair your good judgment, rendering you totally unable to resist.
Fight your best fight here -- try not to read a paragraph until you're
instructed to. You'll get a lot more out of Wasteland this way. Once
you successfully complete Wasteland, you can then kick back in your
best lounge chair under a shady cactus and read the rest of the
fictional vignettes.
1) You creep up to the window and, in the soft, muted lights, you see
a tall woman with long, blond hair. She sits before a mirror and
brushes her hair, then stands and walks over to the sunken tub off to
her left. She kneels and her blue, silken robe drops to the floor.
She turns the water on and steam slowly fills the air.
You watch in fascination as she reaches down into the tub, whirls, and
points an Uzi in your direction. "Stop reading paragraphs you're not
supposed to read, creeps." She sighs deeply. "Next time I'm going to
demand they put me in a Bard's Tale game, this Wasteland duty is
dangerous."
2) You have come upon the rail-nomads' camp. Ornery looking longhorn
cattle wander among dusty tents, from which sullen faces peer. I the
background, a ramshackle collection of railroad cars patched with
wood, hide, and an odd piece of corrugated aluminum sits on a rail
siding. Two of the cars, the locomotive at the front and the caboose
at the rear, appear to be in better condition than the others. As you
approach, a strained silence falls over the camp and you grow
uncomfortable under the collective gaze of the assembled nomads.
Finally, one of the nomads steps forward. "Welcome, Rangers. I am
the Brakeman of this train. I would be honored if you would visit
with me in the caboose before leaving our camp. In the meantime,
please accept our hospitality." The Brakeman turns and strides back
into the camp.
3) The Hobo nods to you, and then drains the bottle of Snake
Squeezins. "Twins born by the same hands" he intones solemnly, "are
twins no more. Wake the sleeper to cure the sick."
4) "We have four clans here: the Chattanoogans, the Amtraks, the
Conrails and the Hiders. You may acquire provisions for your party at
our trading car or amuse yourselves in the casino car. You may, of
course, avail yourselves of the services of our Hobo oracle. If you
dare, you can try to reason with the Hiders, through finding them is
difficult. I am told that you have already met our Brakeman." At the
mention of the Brakeman, a brief scowl crosses the Engineer's fact,
but his smile quickly returns and he adds, "We feel safer with Rangers
here, so stay as long as you like!"
5) You study the torn piece of paper in your hand. Originally
written in red ink, the text has turned into large fuzzy blotches of
pink. Though mostly unreadable, you make out the word MORTAL followed
by HIDEOUT: TYRANNOSAURUS, but TYRANNOSAURUS has been scratched out
and AZRAEL has been written under it.
6) The diary talks about the last days during which the satellite
facility was operating. "Las Vegas is still intact. Needles wasn't
damaged by bombs, but some flooding occurred when the river level
rose. Quartz suffered a lot of damage." In hurried script, the last
diary entry reads, "We're abandoning the satellite installation so we
can join the farmers out at the Ag Station. We've deactivated the
alarms and electronic countermeasures that protect this place."
7) Once the introductions have been made, the Big Boss pulls out a
box of cigars and passes them around, explaining that it is his
special blend, grown somewhere further north. When everyone is
comfortable, and the bodyguards have taken up unobtrusive positions
behind you, he begins to talk.
"You must be the Rangers sent to help."
"What do you mean? you cautiously ask.
"One of my men is missing. We don't think he's dead, because he's too
valuable to kill. We think some other group in town has grabbed him.
If we don't get him back, the whole town will probably be overrun by
these damn death machines that have started to appear, because he's
the only one in town with the scientific know-how to fight them. He's
the one who thought of the landmines, and they've destroyed more
robots than anything else in town."
Brygo reaches into his desk and brings out a drawing of a rather
ordinary looking man. "This is Max,": he explains. "He came to us
about a year ago from the Wasteland to the east. He was the greatest
hand-to-hand fighter we'd ever seen and he also seemed to know a lot
about the science from before the War. He didn't remember where he
came from -- at least, that's what he told us. I quickly made him my
right hand man."
"When we began to hear rumors of death machines coming out of the
west, and especially when the first of them reached the Vegas borders
several weeks ago, Max grew frantic. He began to talk crazy, about
how all life was in peril, and how only he could save us. He said he
needed special equipment, and that someone near Vegas should have it.
I should have put a guard on him then, but instead, I decided to send
Ace out to look for help. One night Max disappeared. We've been
looking for him ever since without success. Now I've lost my best
man, and things are getting worse. Newer and stronger robotic death
machines are appearing all the time. If we don't find Max soon, even
a fortress like this may not be able to hold out against the death
machines. Go see Charmaine in the Mushroom Church. Tell her I sent
you and she may be able to help."
"You non your head. "Yeah. We've tangled with some of these death
machines before, and we gotta stop whoever's making them. Any clues?"
"There are two other power groups here in Vegas that we know of. Fat
Freddy runs the criminal element. He's like to take over my position.
There's also the Servants of the Mushroom Cloud -- religious fanatics
who won't be happy until every person in Vegas has been converted to
their own poisonous religion. There may be others. Vegas is a big
town. But those are the ones we suspect most. I need you to go find
Max. What do you say? Will you do it?"
The Desert Rangers huddle for a few minutes. You decide that taking
on this mission could be quite an adventure and decide to go for it.
Besides, your curiosity has been aroused. You are sure that Max knows
a lot more than he has told Brygo. If you want explanations, he's the
man you'll need to see.
"All right," you tell the Boss, "we'll find him if he's findable. In
the meantime, you try to hold out here."
The Big Boss stands up, shakes your hands, and wishes you all luck.
Then he shows you the way out.
8) Fat Freddy has long since forgotten the concept of personal
hygiene. His dirty black hair clings to his face like dead ebony
vines. A thin, scraggly beard barely conceals deep red pock marks.
Effluvium that scrapes your nasal passages raw seeps from every one of
the fat man's pores.
"I am so glad to meet you. I've always admired the Rangers and I
consider you the only people I can trust with some secret
information." The fat man's yellow eyes slip slide to side in his
obese face. "Faran Brygo is trying to get $100,000,000 in diamonds to
York Isle on the east cost of the continent, and he needs someone like
you to make the journey. If he succeeds, he will destroy the economy
of the world and we will all be thralls in his new empire."
Freddie produces a handkerchief and wipes the sweat from his brow. "I
will let you keep the diamonds if you can stop his mad plan. Find
him, kill him, and you will save the world."
9) The battered pewter ID bracelet on Dewey's wrist has had several
legends engraved and scratched out, but one remains clear. It reads
"27," and, judging from the lack of corrosion on the number, it was
recently inscribed.
10) "Everyone is worried about Mayor Pedros but other are held
hostage too. Felicia Pedros, his wife, is our friend. We think she
has been moved to the outlaw hideout. We hope you will try to rescue
her. And remember what Ellen said when you go to the Stagecoach Inn."
They smile and leave.
11) "Yeah, some of the guys working in the base took sick. Mad Dog
Fargo and Metal Maniac are still in the back rooms, sicker than dogs."
12) A man sits up in his cell and stretches. "Rangers -- great. I
should have known. I need you guys here like I need a hole in the
head." He stares at your for a second, then sighs, "Look, I guess I
could use your help. I need some capable fighters in Las Vegas to
help me with a shipment back east. Are you guys up for it?"
13) The book you find is a slim volume written in a light delicate
hand. The work is titled, "Love Slave in Santa Fe." It reads:
I recall the first time the invader chieftain called my name.
"Diana," he said softly, "are you not yet finished chewing the leather
to make soft moccasins for me? A man has needs."
I hung my head in shame. "Forgive me, beloved Red Hawk, but I am the
lowest of your 30 wives. How can you even think of me when you have
so many women more beautiful than me?"
Red Hawk smiled. "Yes, I have 30 wives, each more beautiful than the
last, and each of them is insatiable. If I could find other men to
help me take care of my wives, I would, but no one except for the
bravest warriors of Wasteland could satisfy them. You, my newest
wife, are the only comfort I have in my life...."
The account ends abruptly here, the last few pages of the book torn
out by a previous reader.
14) The Director, a handsome, slender man, waves you to chairs that
face his desk. Beyond his desk you see a window into an alien
landscape. Through the window you see a red world with
strangely-shaped plants. You see animals slinking through the shadows
and crawling across massive rock outcroppings. You shudder. It just
doesn't feel right.
The Director, Irwin John Finster, notices you stare and smiles like a
snake oil salesman. "I see you've noticed my pet project. This is
how the world will be when all men are gone. It will once again
return to the pristine paradise it was before man rose up and
destroyed it."
He turns away from the window and smiles at you.. "By the very fact
that you are here, I know you have recovered certain items of a
technical nature. Whatever prompted you to violate this base's
security, I do not know , but I am willing to forgive it." He sits,
leans back and steeples his fingers. "Because of the delicate nature
of our work here -- all very hush-hush, you know -- I must ask you to
leave."
Suddenly he leans forward and scowls. "If you do not want to go,
well, we are not without means to deal with even the likes of dreaded
Desert Rangers."
15) Max reaches up and give his head a bit of a twist. You hear a
click and the android smiles. "I cam down here to negotiate a peace
with the cyborgs and what do they do? They rip me up and start using
me for spare parts. Ingrates!"
He stretches and stands. "I have to get back up to Vegas and help
prepare for the next assault, but I've got a mission of great
importance for you. Head northeast from here and across the bridge,
you'll find a hidden base. It is a journey you must succeed at.
There, you will find lost technology and information that you can use
to stop Cochise before it's too late."
A secret passage slides open in the room's sough wall. AT the same
time, a blast-proof security door slides down in front of the entrance
to the room. It short circuits, preventing exit. "Go through the
secret passage to get out of here. One thing," Max adds, "It is
possible you'll need to recover some equipment from Project Darwin
before you can complete the rebuilding of the sleeper base. Be
careful, though, and rebuild as much of the base as you can before you
venture off to Darwin. I don't like the things I've heard about it at
all."
16) The old man stands in the shadow of the satellite dish and sighs
loudly. "Rangers, thank the gods you have come here." He thrusts a
bony finger at the red planet hanging low over the horizon. "The
Space Pirates from Phobos come daily to steal our food. They carry it
off to their goddess, a harsh, cruel woman who has no appreciation for
artwork and will tolerate no illumination or visual symbols in her
edicts to subjects. You must find the rocket ship and travel to that
malevolent star. Trail the death bunny to its lair and you will save
the earth from this horrid invasion."
17) "We have three clans here: the Atchisons, the Topekas, and the
Sante Fes. You may acquire provisions for your party at our trading
car or amuse yourselves in the casino car. You may, of course, avail
yourselves of the services of Hobo oracle. I am told that you have
already met our Brakeman." AT the mention of the Brakeman a brief
scowl crosses the Engineer's face, but his smile quickly returns and
he adds, "We feel safer with Rangers here, so stay as long as you
like!"
18) "Faran must have sent you to look for Ma. Last I knew he was
headed for the sewers. He built a special key to get down there.
It's called a Sonic Key. Max made a few of them and told me that he
was hiding one somewhere in the old golf course. Didn't tell me
where, though. Didn't do him any good, either. The Newmen grabbed
him before he could do anything. If you return to me the Bloodstaff
from the Mushroom Church in Needles, I can show you the way . Tell
the bishop BUZZARD."
19) The screen flashes to life with Capt. Phil Thomas's personnel
file. Aside from test scores and other nonsense you read, "Capt.
Thomas's performance is the village, strafing runs was admirable. The
AH-6503 attach helicopter performed at the height of technical specs
and destroyed two snail Mexican villages before having to return to
base and reload. The AH-6503 is the ultimate weapon."
20) The Premacorin Mural is a work of art which you have only heard
rumors about It records all human history in one vast display of
gaudy colors. AT the beginning of the display you see the image of
Charles Darwin walking arm-in-arm with an ape in a wedding dress.
Next to that you see a youthful Egyptian pharaoh in mummy wrappings
and a gold mask dancing o the stage of a place called (according to
the neon lights behind him) Radio City Museum of Unnatural History.
Proceeding along, you see a masked man brandishing silver six-shooters
on the back of a silver Tyrannosaurus, hot on the trail of a
mustachioed man wearing a swastika. A fat man in red uniform with
white trim flies through the sky in a sleight pulled by eight F-19
Stealth bombers. He has bags full of guns, ammo and bombs, which he
is freely dropping down to King Arthur and his knights so they can
battle Genghis Khan and the Yellow Peril. Yet further on, a man in a
green and gold uniform (with the number 12 emblazoned on it and a G on
the helmet) has just thrown a missile to a man vanishing in the white
glow of an atomic mushroom cloud. Finally, at the far end of the
wall, you see the ape in its tattered wedding dress, squatting and
studying the fire-blackened helmet.
21) Fat Freddy is a genetic nightmare -- a squamous mass of slimy
flesh shuddering and twitching before you like some animated blob of
flesh-colored jello. He smells like a swamp, a foul, choking miasma
of rotting mastodonian flesh left to putrefy. His presence is
overwhelming -- perhaps he has some mutant ability to control men's
minds. While in his presence, you have to sternly control an urge to
salute or kneel. There is no doubt that he is a leader of men.
When he speaks, his voice sounds like bubbles of carbon dioxide
burbling up out of a morass. It is difficult to understand him, but
after the first few phrases of introduction, you begin to get the hang
of it. Fat Freddy is a man driven by ambition, and he has an offer to
make.
"Brygo thinks he controls Vegas," burbles Freddy, "but he isn't half
the man I am. Haw! Haw! Haw! This should be my town, and it will
be. I've had your men watched since you got to Vegas. They tell me
you are the best fighters ever seen in these parts. Well, then, I
shouldn't be too tough for you to do me a favor. Kill Faran Brygo,
and bring me the onyx ring he always wears. When you do that I'll
give you $25,000 and anything else you want in this town."
You tell him that you need a few minutes to think things over, and go
into a corner to confer among yourselves. You have a very strong
feeling that Freddy doesn't want to hear any negatives out of you..
22) If you read any further, Wasteland Thought Police will appear at
your door within three hours to conduct you to a cell in Needles where
your fingernails will be systematically removed. You have not been
instructed to read this paragraph anywhere, hence so dire a
punishment.
23) "Things have been rather nasty in Quartz." you are told. "One of
the larger desert banks, led by a guy called Ugly, has taken an
intense interest in, ah, civic affairs. Normally a town of our size
could drive them off because the bandits don't try all that hard when
attacking, but this time they hit us with a vengeance. It's almost
like they don't want to remain in the desert."
24) The bartender smiles at you. "Which one," he asks, "Hotspur or
Falstaff?"
25) Charmaine takes the Bloodstaff and smiles. She begins to twirl
it and you hear the acolytes hidden in the shadows behind her being to
hum ":On Wisconsin" as she marches back and forth. "Now we'll win the
big game. If you help Faran Brygo get his diamonds to Yorktown back
east, we'll be able to place some big bets there on the next World
Series. We have a four-armed pitcher who's guaranteed to win for us."
Charmaine smiles and points back the way you came. You must travel
back to Cooperstown and get us the blessed Bat of the Sultan of Swat.
Then you will be ready for the trip with Faran."
26) Ugly's smile makes you uneasy, as uneasy as staring down the bore
of his weapon. "It's really very simple," he laughs. "The bomb's
disarm code is 11-27-57-04-30."
27) You unsnap the ID bracelet from Louis' limp wrist and run your
thumb over the worn silver surface. The number "99" is etched into
its tarnished face.
28) As you board the locomotive you are met by a short, but solid
looking fellow. He is dressed in garishly striped overalls and wears
a rather battered and much patched engineer's cap. "Greetings, I am
theEngineer of this train." The Engineer makes a sweeping gesture
that encompasses the entire camp. "I hope your stay will us will be a
pleasant one."
29) Going back to his work, Sam says, "I suppose you wanna know about
the Bloodstaff." He wipes his hands on a greasy rag and sighs.
"Don't mind telling you the murders have lots of folks worried.
People just up and vanish. Then, when we find them again, they've
been drained of blood -- every drop." He squints at you and his voice
drops to a tense whisper. "I seen one of the bodies and it had a cut
in the neck, just like a scar my grandmother had on her neck. She
said once, when she was little, a priest used the Bloodstaff on her
after she got snakebit. I think the Bloodstaff is involved, and that
means trouble.:
30) The Junk Master speaks and tells you how to find Base Cochise,
home of the Deadly Robots. He sniffs and takes a pull on a small
bottle of Snake Squeezins. "Out in the middle of nowhere, that's
where it is. Way up in the northwest. We've tried to scavenge things
out there, but the robots are deadly, so we backed off." He looks at
your rather strangely. "If you want to venture out into those
mountains up there, fine, but don't expect any of our people to go
with you. We got more sense than you Rangers."
31) The guardians, as you have heard, are very friendly people who
are great admirers of the Rangers. They have planted fluorescent
orange flags to mark the outer edges of their mine fields. You've
been told by a Guardian that the only safe passage is to walk with
feet straight and breath held between the flags and the Citadel wall.
32) The bartender smiles at your question. "Which one, Cretian or
Proteus?"
33) "Hi. They call me Crumb," he purrs as he moves closer to you and
starts to stroke your nametag. You jerk him violently by the collar,
and he squeals with delight at your show of might. "See Faran Brygo!
He's my boss!" As you throw him down onto a table and head for the
door, he yells, "Use the password PHOENIX." Before you can get out
the door, he puckers his lips and blows a kiss your way.
34) "Darwin was a science base a long time ago. Supposed to be
hush-hush, but I grew up in its shadow, so..."
35) A man sits up in the cell and stretches his arms. He squints at
you as if you're brighter than the desert sum, then allows a small
smile to grace his tan, weathered face. "Rangers, I should have
known. Listen, I've been sent down from Vegas to recruit folks who
know the right end of a gun from the wrong. Bandits ain't the only
thing crawling out of the desert, and we've got a war on our hands.
Interested in heading back with me?"
36) Capt. Andrea Mills's personnel file flashes up onto the screen.
Aside from a large amount of test scores and other data, an occasional
paragraph of interest slides by. One that catches your eye reads, in
pat, "Despite her having won the Nobel last year, Andrea's been unable
to finish work on the clone pods. She is unsure they are safe, and
the chances of a clone surviving production is not thought to be that
great."
37) You appear on what seems to be the lower half of a large
chessboard. A booming voice echoes through the game grid. "Do not
stray from the path if you value your health." Spectators fill the
dark galleries to hoot derisive jeers at you and wager against your
success.
38) "Everyone is worried about Mayor Pedros but other are held
hostage too. Felicia Pedros, his wife, is our friend. We think she
has been moved to the Temple of Blood in Needles. We hope you will
try to rescue her. Remember what Matilda said when you go to the
Whiplash Inn." They smile and leave laughing.
39) The guard looks you over closely and then tells you to wait
outside as he disappears into the tent. You hear a brief muffled
conversation and the guard returns with another man. The newcomer
introduces himself as the headman of the Atchison clan. He
understands that you have done a great favor for his brother. He
dismisses the guard and motions you closer. He explains that they
keep no treasure here, but he will give you directions to a secret
cache. "Here, take this shovel," he instructs you. "Stand on the
south rail, west end. Take twelve paces to the south. Dig and you
shall be rewarded." The guard returns and the headman bids you good
day.
40) Maj. Harrison Edsel's personnel file flashes up onto the screen.
Aside from a large amount of test scores and other data, an occasional
paragraph of interest slides by. One that catches your eye reads, in
part, "The discipline problem with Edsel has resolved itself. Once he
learned he would be transferred to Base Cochise to program that
computer with his new artificial intelligence routines, he stopped
complaining about the primitive rules restricting his creativity on
this project."
41) "I think Finster has something to do with the strange creatures
here-abouts."
42) The Director, a slender, handsome man, stands as you enter the
room. "Rangers, thank the heavens." He follows your gaze as you
stare out the window behind his desk and study the alien landscape
below. The Director smiles. "As you can see, that lurid, red
landscape is the closest approximation we have to the surface of Mars.
We have Martian raiders coming to our world here and stealing animals
and slaves. We hope, by breeding hunter-killer animals we can take
the Martian starships and mount a counter offensive against the
extra-terrestrial raiders." He nods. "Will you Rangers join our
effort?"
43) As you pass the open doorway of this car you are almost overcome
by the strong odor of fermented cactus fruit. As your eyes become
accustomed to the darkness of the car you can make out a straw-covered
floor littered with numerous bottles of Dr. B. Bilious Balfour's Snake
Squeezins. At the back of the car lolls a rotund bearded figure
rocking back and forth as if the mere act of sitting offered a
difficult feat of balance. Finally, seeming to take notice of you,
the shadowy figure issues an invitation. "Welcome to my humble abode,
gentlefolk. Step on in."
44) The fetid, musky scent of a dead animal oozed from the car in a
miasmal cloud. Within, mummified by the overpowering heat, you see
the dried remains of a flower-strewn old bum. This is the oracle the
railroaders have referred to, and he's obviously long been dead. You
notice a large quantity of empty Snake Squeezins bottle, and you
suspect that that vile liquor is the author of many of the oracle's
pronouncements.
45) The faded map on the wall shows the world well before the war.
You notice a star that roughly corresponds to your current location.
On a long, southeast diagonal you see another star. A third star, to
the west and out from Needles, forms a shallow triangle out of the
three stars. Obviously other bases are hidden at these sites.
46) You star with utter disbelief as the Snake Squeezins vanishes
down his throat. The Hobo smiles, his eyes glaze over, and he burps.
"Beware the man who has lived longer than the Wasteland." Your
oracle's eyes clear and he smiles drunkenly.
47) As you scan over the large, messy room you think to yourself,
"Early American pig-sty." Piles of dirt cover the long-lost floor.
The earthen smell of compost hangs heavy in the air. In the far
corner of this indoor barnyard you spot a square-shaped room.
48) Lt. Russel Heller's personnel file flashes up onto the screen.
Aside from a large amount of test scores and other data, an occasional
paragraph of interest slides by. One that catches your eye reads, in
part, "I thought Heller would be a discipline problem, but I grossly
underestimated the situation. He does not get along with the other
workers and considers the AI work being done in Project Haskell the
ultimate work. He even considered the move to Needles to finish
Haskell a blessing."
49) You study the torn piece of paper in your hand. Originally
written in red ink, the text has turned into large fuzzy blotches of
pink. Though mostly unreadable, you make out the word MUERTE followed
by HIDEOUT:THANATOS, but THANATOS has been scratched out and KAPUT has
been written under it.
50) Carved into the weathered hardwood you see, "The launch code is
MORTAR>"
51) The game High/Low is played with two nuclear warheads. Both
players toss a nuclear warhead into the air and the one whose bomb
explodes higher in the air wins. This game is usually played by
people of low intelligence, hence the name High/Low.
52) Col. John Smith's personnel file flashes up onto the screen.
Aside from a large amount of test scores and other data, an occasional
paragraph of interest slides by. One that catches your eye reads, in
part, "After the confrontation with Finster concerning the shift of
Darwin's focus, Smith requested and got a transfer to the Base 2
operation. He remained acting commander until the project's
completion in 1995."
53) "Finster forced all the sick ones out, to prevent the spread he
said, but it just leaves them to die without help."
54) The Brakeman tells you, "Take this visa card and give it to Head
Crusher in Quartz." As the Brakeman passes you the card, the sunlight
catches the dove hologram and glints brightly You slide it into your
breast pocket as he turns and leaves without another word.
55) After years of searching you've finally found it. You unfold the
piece of parchment paper and read, "When you reach the Martian Base,
quickly access the Navigational Laser Center on the left of the
entryway and type GWCD."
56) Closer now, you can hear the conversation of the men you saw when
you cam in. There is a short silence after each man voices his
thoughts. They speak of varmints who are impossible to kill. The
varmints are stealing their food faster than ever before and they seem
to be massing for a major attack. The simple weapons of the farmers
are not enough to stop them. They have no idea what to do. One of
them jumps as he notices you and they all turn to face you. A stock
man they call Miguel approaches.
57) Head Crusher says, "Thank you. Go to the Atchison's tent and
tell them CATERPILLAR."
58) The Martian Commander slithers forward on his coppery-scaled
stomach. "So, Rangers, you have found our secret starport." His
laughter, hissed quietly and malevolently, crackles through the
speaker on his helmet. "It matter not. Our robot warriors have
conquered your world. You will now come and be our slaves..."
You smell the sweet odor of flowers as your sight dims and you fall
unconscious...
59) The thin Martian atmosphere saps your strength, but you dash
across the maroon landscape and dive at the Slavemaster. He raises a
pseudo-pod and crashes it down upon your head. A sucker tears your
flesh, but you strike out and smash his writhing purple lips back into
his needle-sharp teeth. The Slavemaster reels back, but you give him
no pause, no chance to recover. You wrap your hands around a rock
and, as your tortured lungs labor to pull in enough of the oxygen-poor
air to keep you conscious, you crush the Slavemaster's head.
You cast the green, gore-spattered rock aside and look at the other
slaves. "Come." you growl breathlessly, "Now we fight for our freedom
and for our world!"
60) As you might expect from his surroundings, the demon-priest is an
utterly corrupt individual. A flowing blue robe covers his diseased
body, and a foul smirk twists his face askew. He smiles and teeth
blacker than ebony glint in the half-light. Palsey-wracked hands
grasp the Bloodstaff tightly and threaten you with it. "You will not
have it," he whispers harshly. "You cannot take my life!"
61) This detective reminds you of Humphrey Bogart. As you approach,
he snicks a match with his thumbnail and lights a cigarette. An
overflowing ashtray sits on is desk beside an open bottle of Scotch.
His eyes are cold and hard as he watches you.. You note the lump of a
roscoe in a shoulder holster under his gray suit coat. He introduces
himself as Spam Shade and points out that he will not play the sap for
you or anybody else. That settled, he asks what you want.
62) Torn and battered, your party drags itself through the
subterranean Martian titanium mines. Your lungs burn from the thin
air, and you'd give your right arms to be back on earth. Then,
suddenly, a vision of female loveliness appears to you.
Tall and slender, with golden hair cascading down over her diaphanous
gown of shimmering green and gray, she smiles and your hearth
quickens. "Do not believe the Serpioids are the Martians because they
are not. They conquered us a century ago to turn our beloved world
into a staging area for their conquest of your home. Please join with
us and help repulse these invaders."
She gestures and a secret opening appears in the south wall of the
tunnel.
63) Capt. Phil Thomas's personnel file flashes up onto the screen.
Aside from a large amount of test scores and other data, an occasional
paragraph of interest slides by. One that catches your eye reads, in
part, "Thomas, a recent transfer from Project Darwin, has expressed
reservations about Finster's experiments. He voiced some of the same
objections to them that prompted me to leave Darwin. I don't know if
he's on the level, or if this is some trap set by Finster...."
64) Your Martian guide leads you through a twisting pathway of
long-abandoned tunnels that finally leads into a beautifully-sculpted
city. The artistry, though alien, makes harmonious symbols that give
you a warm feeling when you look at the buildings. The architecture
almost sings, and you hear a pleasant symphony of echoes as your
booted feet click against the city streets.
Your guide, her golden hair riding unfelt breezes, leads you to a
massive door. You feel the power and you could swear the patterns
change, but you cannot put your finger on any particular change at any
one time. At about the time it hits you, the door speaks -- it's
alive!
"Welcome, Earthmen," it booms, "Speak the name of your beloved and
enter as friends."
65) The binding threatens to splinter apart as you take the book in
your hands. The pages have warped into stiff yellow curves through
contact with liquids. Some pages at the beginning have been torn out.
Where the writing begins, it is a crude scrawl, with some letters
written backwards. Deciphering it is no easy task. Luckily it is
fairly short, so you persevere.
"The Secrits of Las Vegas.
My name is Dave Dawkins, I found this old empty book, and I'm gonna
rite down all my secrits case I fegit them.
I'm a gard for Fat Freedy. He is #2 is Vegas and he wants to be #1.
There is a big reward for anywun who can kill Faran Brygo, the Big
Boss. Brygo stays hidden most of the time.
My hare is starting to fall out. I wunner if its bucuz I joind the
Servants of the Mushrum Cloud. It gives me a good feelin to be with
my new frends in the Temple. They tole me the secrit password. It is
3 letters -- NRC. Nurk! A lot of the Servants are bald. Maybe I
will be 2.
Lately there has bin a lot of fitin. I try to hide, but ware is it
safe? Robot Deth Masheens are the wurst. Ar guns don't always fill
them sukkers. Freddy sez we need better wepuns and that why we gotta
find this Max guy. I dint say nothin. Im afraid to tell him that the
Servants say Max is kapchurd by the Siborgs.
I am lookin at my words in this book and I am proud. I dint no I cud
rite so good till I tride it. I will rite agin later."
Here the writing breaks off. From what you know of the Vegas
situation, the diary can't be more than a week or two old, but Dave
apparently don't come back.
66) Although you do not recognize it at first, the object before you
is massive and sends shivers up your spines. You study it, splitting
up to explore both slides at the same time. From the other side
someone yells, "It's a missile -- but the insides have been removed!"
67) The guard looks you over closely and then disappears into the
tent. You hear a brief muffled conversation and the guard returns
with another man. The newcomer introduces himself as the headman of
the Atchison clan. He understands that you have done a great favor
for his brother. He dismisses the guard and motions you closer. He
explains that they keep no treasure here but he will give you
directions to a secret cache. "Here, take this shovel," he instructs
you. "Stand on the north rail, west end Take four paces to the east
and seven south. Dig and you shall be rewarded." The guard returns
and the headman bids you good day.
68) Closer now, you can hear the conversation of the men you saw when
you came in. There is a short silence after each man voices his
thoughts. They speak of Martians who are impossible to kill. The
Martians are stealing their food faster than ever before and they seem
to be massing for a major attack. The simple weapons of the farmers
are not enough to stop them. They have no idea what to do about it.
One of them jumps as he notices you and they all turn to face you. A
stocky man they call Miguel appraoches.
69) "He's an inhuman monster. Just cuz he don't get sick he figures
no one else should."
70) Capt. Andrea Mills's personnel file flashes up onto the screen.
Aside from a large amount of test scores and other data, an occasional
paragraph of interest slides by. One that catches your eye reads, in
part, "Despite her having won the Nobel last year, Andrea's
relationships with the other project members have not changed. She's
still her affable self, and she's made other feel through their work
on the clone pods, they've each earned a piece of that Nobel
themselves."
71) "Hi. They call me Crumb," he says with a nod of his head. After
he exchanges handshakes with everybody, he tells you "See Faran Brygo.
He's my boss. Be sure to use the password KESTREL." As you leave, he
yells, "Tell him I sent you!"
72) You bow deeply out of respect for the Martian Emperor, and he
smiles graciously. He nods toward your guide and looks upon her with
love in his eyes. "I thank you Alandriana. Once again, my beloved
daughter, you have serve me well."
He turns back to you. "I need your help to rid our world of the
Serpioids. We need to destroy their base on Phobos and can only do it
with a device you call a 'plasma coupler.' Your scientists developed
it after we sent them telepathic transmissions that instructed them in
its construction. We need to get it into the heart of the Serpioid
base, then detonate it. Our problem is that none of us Martians can
withstand the radiation the Serpioids need to live." His voice drops.
"You, on the other hand, can live for a while in that radiation bath.
Will you help us?"
73) "Faran must have sent you to look for Max. Last I knew he was
headed for the sewers. He built a special key to get down there.
It's called a Sonic Key. Max made a couple of them and told me that
he was hiding one somewhere in the old gold curse. Didn't tell me
where, though. Didn't do him any good, either. The Newmen grabbed
him before he could do anything. If you return to me the Bloodstaff
from the Mushroom Church in Needles I can show you the way. Tell the
bishop PASTEL."
74) The Martian Warlord hands you a Firelance and some Verchitin
armor. "I realize this is not as good as having a Red Ryder Range
Model Air Rifle with a compass in the stock, but it's the best we can
do." He leads you out to the Ornijetcopter and you board the strange
craft. "Good luck," he says. "Alway nasci korliri das."
You frown and ask him what that last bit means.
He smiles. "It's an old Martian warning. It means, "Keep your powder
dry'."
75) Head Crusher says, "Thank you. Go to the Atchisons tent and tell
them LADYBUG."
76) Charmaine takes the Bloodstaff from you and her face lights up.
You clear your throat. "We've done our part," you say, "now do yours.
We need to find this character Max before all of Vegas is overrun by
these killer robots."
"Ah, yes, Max" she croons, "that strange flunky for Faran Brygo. You
probably don't know that he is a robot."
The news hits you hard. "Things keep going from bad to worse," you
mutter. "Outlaws, Blood Cultists, Killer Robots, Bomb Worshippers,
and now Cyborg Robotnappers! What Next?"
She inserts the Bloodstaff into a secret compartment and turns it.
You hear a low groan, as if some new doors were opening up. "The way
is now clear for you," says Charmaine. "If you survive your encounter
with the Newmen, look me up in a couple of months. I might have
another mission for you."
You can only grumble and take your leave.
77) A part of Blood Guardians flank a complex control panel, the
likes of which you've not seen before in the Wasteland. One of the
guards looks at you and you hear him mutter "infidels' under this
breath. Beyond them you see a large area of painted floor that looks
very much like a giant chessboard, but you can't begin to guess at
what it might be for, or what it's doing in the middle of a temple.
78) The Martian Warlord hands you a Firelance and Verchitin armor.
"I know you'd much prefer a Red Ryder Range Model Air Rifle with a
compass in the stock, but this is the best we can do." He waves you
toward the Ornijetcopter and says, "Wodpre rashi Karna das."
You frown, "What?"
He blushes purple. "It's an old Martian wish from one warrior to
another. It means, "Keep your powder dry."
79) You've entered a room where dozens of drills and saws are singing
an earpiercing song. Blue and white sparks jump from welders and
cutters, dropping to the ground to bounce out their brief lives. A
robot torso passes before you as it lumbers its way across the room on
one of the countless conveyor belts. Event the robot repair area
looks in need of repair, with the roof and wall supports laying
exposed. In the far corner you notice a square-shaped room.
80) "Irwin John Finster, he runs Project Darwin. He still thinks the
world's like it was before, you know?"
81) The Ornijetcopter takes off on an azure tongue of flame and
shoots toward Phobos. Suddenly, out of the brown shadow of Deimos,
three Serpioid fighters stoop on your craft and fire their missiles.
Your craft shudders under the impact. The blast rips the cockpit away
and shreds the controls beyond any chance of repair. With black,
choking smoke pouring from the cockpit, the OrnijetCopter spirals into
the dense Phobosian jungle!
82) The impact of craft hitting planet jars everyone aboard and, if
not for your Verchitin armor, all of you would surely have perished.
Suddenly the door to your craft opens. Standing there, dressed in a
spotless white suit, is Irwin John Finster. "I suppose, " he begins,
"I owe you an explanation."
83) The pit boss sends a stream of brown saliva from between his
front teeth to the tip of your boots. He slowly sucks on the tobacco
pocketed between his cheek and gum as he continues to eye you.
Working a finger into his mouth, he scoots the chew around and finally
breaks the silence. "See Crumb, the manager," he says with a long
drawl.
84) In the shadow of an enormous satellite tracking dish stands the
old man. Over 100 years old, he is still vigorous and bright of eye,
although he rambles incoherently at times. The farmers remove their
hats as they approach and wait for him to speak. Frowning, deep in
thought, he stares at what appear to be the remains of a 15-foot tall
carrot. He holds a long shaft of broken metal in one hand and mumbles
something abut wascally wabbits that he had to beat away with this
best rake.
Miguel explains that you have come to help. The old man studies your
weapons, and tell you that he doesn't think your peashooters will do
any good against the armored varmints, but that you're welcome to try.
If you succeed, he wants you to come back and see him. There is
something he would like to show you.
Free to roam the veggie field, you head towards the carrot patch.
From a distance, you hear the old man warn you, "Watch out for Harry,
the Bunny Master!"
85) You know the Guardians to be strange collectors of old items and
as xenophobic fools who would not hesitate to kill strangers without
ever seeing the whites of their eyes. You've learned that the flags
are in place to mark the closest an outsider may approach the wells
without being attacked.
86) "The Head Crusher likes visa cards." The man smiles. "He
slathers peanut butter on them and eats them." He shakes his head.
"Weird, but then, most everything is weird out here -- present company
excepted, of course."
87) The room is empty except for a small, square room in the corner.
There is an oval pattern on the floor that reminds you of alien eggs
just waiting for you to examine them too closely so they could explode
in your face. You hesitate, but then get on all fours to study the
pattern more closely.
88) "Finster forced all the sick ones out, to prevent the spread he
said, but it just leaves them to die without help." grumbles the
bartender.
89) Finster sits down on a Phobosian tree. "At birth the Serpioids
captured me and educated me to be a spy against my fellow humans. I
rebelled, but I cannot strike them directly." His hands shake. "You
have to understand. Their queen is my sister!"
90) Faded but still visible, you see a map tacked on the well of the
area before the war. You see a small star that roughly corresponds,
as nearly as you can tell, to the base you now stand inside. Almost
directly south you see a second star, and directly west, at the map's
far edge, you see a third star.
91) Dr. Franklin Beams's personnel file flashes up onto the screen.
Aside from a large amount of test scores and other data, an occasional
paragraph of interest slides by. One that catches your eye reads, in
part, "Dr. Beams's assessment of Edsel's obsessive behavior concerning
the computer and Al just works as another mail in Edsel's coffin. The
faster I can get him out of here, the better. Let Cochise's boss deal
with a fully-aware computer."
92) Head Crusher says, "Thank you. Go to the Atchison's tent and
tell them LIZARD."
93) The diary talks about the last days during which the satellite
facility was operating. "Las Vegas is still intact. Needles wasn't
damaged by bombs, but some flooding occurred when the river level
rose. Quartz suffered some damage." In hurried script, the last
diary entry reads, "We're abandoning the satellite installations so we
can join the farmers out at the Ag Station and defend the world
against the newest threat...the invasion from Mars!"
94) A speaker crackles. After a flourish of trumpets you hear: "You
have the privilege of an audience with His Brightness, the Supreme
Commander of Mushroom Forces, Western Sector. Unfortunately, our
Great Leader is away on urgent business. Aware that you will require
aid in your holy assault on the infidel Temple of Blood to steal the
Blood Staff, he has opened our armory for your use. Take all you
need. If you fail in your quest, you may return here to commit ritual
suicide."
95) "Things have been rather nasty in Quartz," you are told. "One of
the larger desert banks, led by a guy called Pedros has taken an
intense interest in, ah, civic affairs. He even calls himself 'Major.'
Normally a town of our size could drive them off because the bandits
don't try all that hard when attacking, but this time they hit us with
a vengeance. It's almost like they don't want to remain in the
desert."
96) Three Card Monty is played with three cards; one is a queen and
the other are 10's. The dealer shuffles the cards and places them
face down on the table. The player then has one guess to pick out the
queen. The bet is $10.
97) You leave the weeping Finster behind at the crash site. You can
sympathize with him, and would have preferred to have him helping you,
but you can understand his reluctance to face his own flesh and
blood. Still, his heart is in the right place. Onward you trek to
destroy the Serpioid base, and try to redeem Finster's soul.
98) The Brakeman tells you, "Take this visa card and give it to Head
Crusher in Quartz." As the Brakeman passes you the card, the sunlight
catches the skull and crossbone hologram and glints brightly. You
slide it into you breast pocket as he turns and leaves without another
word.
99) Faran Brygo's office is modest, yet clean and pleasant. Two
guards, one tall, blond and stern looking, the other shorter and
stockier, flank the desk. Brygo, a dark, handsome man, smiles at you.
"I understand you want to speak with me, gentlemen?"
100) Maj. Peregrine Cite's personnel file flashes up onto the screen.
Aside from a large amount of test scores and other data, an occasional
paragraph of interest slides by. One that catches your eye reads, in
part, "Peregrine accurately assessed the security problems with the
storage area. While the base is not meant to be an armed camp, his
precautions are well noted and should provide a surprise for
unauthorized personnel operating in the base."
101) Lt. Russel Heller's personnel file flashes up onto the screen.
Aside from a large amount of test scores and other data, an occasional
paragraph of interest slides by. One that catches your eye reads, in
part, "I thought Heller would be a discipline problem, but he's not.
His jokes relieve the tension as we work to finish this base. Others
worry about the news that Edsel's new computer is helping to finish
Cochise all by itself, but Heller shrugs it off. 'Who wants to work
with someone who won't sit down for a cold beer after the work's done
anyway? Perhaps mankind does stand a chance against superior
machines."
102) The Serpioid ambush almost takes you by surprise. The Serpioids
rise up from the underbrush, which you ignite with your Flamelances,
but their tactical advantage spells doom for you. Their advantage
evaporates, however. when Finster appears and launches himself at the
Serpioid leader. Finster's kick snaps the Serpioid's head back and
drops him where he stood. The battle begins and energy weapons burn
to life around you...
103) The Mushroom Bishop explains to you, "I sent out my
second-in-command to look into a series of murders." You notice the
bishop nervously twisting a ruby ring around his finger.
104) The pamphlet contains two tips for the wise: "(1) Buy an AK-97
assault rifle. (2) If there's someone hanging around your
neighborhood you don't know, shoot him."
105) "No," Finster shouts. "We can't take any more time to skulk
around. We've got to go straight in. Don't worry. I know the
password. It is TRAITOR!"
106) Your savage attack blasts away the enemy pillbox and you pour
into the heart of the Phobos defense. Finster blasts a control panel.
"Perhaps, with their defense system down, the Emperor can aid us."
107) You lift up Louie's lifeless wrist to look at his gold ID
bracelet. Twisting it over to view the underbelly, you see "27"
etched on the dulled surface.
108) Hidden panels in the walls drop away and Serpioid snipers open
up on you. Your Firelances rake the ambush ports with murderous sheet
after sheet of flames and you hear the screams of Serpioids as they
reel away in death.
"Finster, look out!" one of you screams, but it is in vain. A pit
opens beneath his feet and he vanishes.
A vile, female voice fills the corridor. "Leave now, earthmen. You
cannot save him or your planet. At least save yourselves."
109) The wall map is covered with scribbled remarks that are
virtually unreadable. A star over one building in the southeastern
section of town has the legend "Bar -- trouble spot" scrawled over it.
A skull decorates another building in the central-eastern part of the
town. The word HIDEOUT covers it. An arrow leading from the word
draws attention to another building diagonally to the southwest,
though it has the word SEKRET painstakingly written beside it.
110) The Hobo guzzles Snake Squeezins the way an assault rifle
gobbles bullets. His eyes glaze over and his voice deepens. "Those
who guard the past guard the secret to immortality."
111) "Don't get your hopes up. We have to deal with the Bloodstaff
murders first." You frown. "What murders?"
The robot clerk squints at you. "You mean you're not here about the
murders? People are found dead, drained of blood. We think it's some
mutant vampire or something from the desert." He looks at you very
hard. "How do I know you're really Rangers? Just you keep your noses
clean in my town, hear?"
112) The glowing torchlight flickers across a horrific scene. Men in
torn and blood spattered robes struggle against the ropes binding them
to massive steel tables. The tables slope down at the head and a
catchbasin at the lowest corner is used to collect the dark flow of
blood dripping from the small wounds cut into each writhing victim.
Priests rush fro one table to another, gathering buckets the way a
dairy farmer gathers the bucket of milk from his cows. They pour the
smaller quantities of blood into a hole in the fkoor, but you cannot
tell where the dark fluid drains away to in this dim chamber of
horrors.
113) "Where did you find that? Oh my God, you've found the thief.
Where is he? Tell me, I must know!"
114) "Well, victims get red-faced and all delirious." The bartender
shakes his head. "It's really odd."
115) Without Finster and his knowledge of the Phobosian Citadel you
can only stumble around blindly. You slink through corridors and
around corners, easily avoiding the inattentive Serpioid sentries.
Then you catch a flash of white from a window and, for a half second,
you see Finster.
116) Gunfire rips the Master Geneticist in half. You slit Finster's
bonds. "We must hurry," he urges. "The final invasion begins in an
hour!"
117) The Hobo quickly drains the bottle of Snake Squeezins and drops
into a trance. Then, uttering each work metronomically, he says "A
steel storm threatens the City of Gold."
118) You see an empty room with a small square room in the corner.
On the floor is an intricate diamond pattern. Your remove a
magnifying glass from your back packet, get down on all fours, and
begin to carefully study the pattern of dots.
119) Fat Freedie turns the rink over in his thick hands. A smile
creeps onto his face like scum over stagnant water. "I don't believe
it, you actually were foolish enough to kill him." He stares at you
with piggish eyes. "You are obviously too dangerous to live.."
120) Finster points out the window. "Dive for cover!" he screams.
You look up, then suck tile as a kamikaze Serpioid in a fighter
corkscrews down into the hanger where you have taken over!
121) The bartender frowns. "Not much news since the plague force
Finster to isolate the base."
122) Three Card Monty is played with three WWII generals. One
pretends he's Montgomery, while the other two are Bradley and Patton.
A German player then tries to figure out which one will lead the
invasion. If he guesses right, the Fourth Reich get to start with
bases in Germany, France and England.
123) You peer at him over the top of your sunglasses. As you cock
your fist to counsel him on the error of his reticent ways, he blurts,
"The password is THERMODYNAMISM!"
124) You see written here: "The launch code if MOTEKIM."
125) The explosion rips the hanger apart, but a force shield
projected from Finster's belt holds off the ocean of fire washing
through the hangar. "Quick," he yells, "Get to the fighter over
there. We've got no time to waste."
126) Felicia smiles as you cut her bonds. She nearly falls as she
makes her first attempt to stand up. "Don't worry abut me." she says,
"Ace is being kept in the cells."
127) You unravel the message from the leg of this massively strong
pigeon. "Boss," the note begins, "I've tracked the bum to Needles.
There's lots of ruins and abandoned buildings here, so the search is
not easy. I know he's hiding in one of them, and I hope I can find
him before someone else does. I don't know if we want his information
to fall into the wrong hands. Oh yeah, there's Rangers about, so it
looks like things actually can go from bad to worse."
128) The Hobo finishes the Snake Squeezins in record time and smiles
wisely at you. He burps. "One man's dream is another's nightmare,
but a machine's dream is everyone's nightmare."
129) "Faran must have sent you to look for Max. Last I knew he was
headed for the sewers. He built a special key to get down there.
It's called a Sonic Key. Don't confuse it with the four keys of the
Citadel. Max made a couple of them and told me that he was hiding one
somewhere in the old gold course. Didn't tell me where, though.
Didn't do him any good, either. The Newmen grabbed him before he
could do anything. If you return to me the Bloodstaff from the
Mushroom Church in Needles I can show you the way. Tell the bishop
DIPSTICK."
130) You're drawn into a large room filled from floor to ceiling with
countless computers. The flashing lights and video screen being the
room to an eerie life. Through the glow of colors, you spot a small
square room in the far corner.
131) Once the introductions have been made, the Big Boss pulls out a
box of grenades and passes them around, all the while explaining that
it is his special blend, made somewhere further north. When everyone
is comfortable, and the bodyguards have taken up unobtrusive positions
behind you, he begins to talk.
"One of my men is missing. We don't think he's dead, because he was
too valuable to kill. We think some other group in town has grabbed
him, but if we don't get him back, the whole town will probably be
overrun by these damn death machines that have started to appear.
he's the only one in town with the scientific know how to fight them.
For example, he's the one who thought of the landmines, and they've
destroyed more robots than anything else in town."
Brygo reaches into his desk and brings out a drawing of a rather
ordinary looking man. "This is Finster," he explains. "He came to us
about a year ago from the Wasteland to the east. He was the greatest
hand-to-hand fighter we'd ever seen and he also seemed to know a lot
about the science from before the War. He didn't remember where he
came from -- at least, that's what he told us. I quickly made him my
right hand man.
"When we began to hear rumors of death machines coming out of the
west, and especially when the first of them reached the Vegas borders
several weeks ago, Finster grew frantic. He began to talk crazy,
about how all life was in peril, and how only he could save us. He
said he needed special equipment, and that someone near Vegas should
have it. I should have put a guard on him then, but instead I decided
to send Ace out to look for help. One night Finster disappeared.
We've been looking for him ever since, but without success. Now I've
lost my best man, and things are getting worse. Newer and stronger
robotic death machines are appearing all the time. If we don't find
Finster soon, even a fortress like this may not be able to hold out.
Go see Charmaine in the Mushroom Church. Tell her I sent you and she
may be able to help."
You nod. "Yeah. We've tangled with these death machines before, and
whoever is making them has gotta be stopped. Got any clues?"
"There are two other power groups that we know of here in Vegas. Fat
Freddy runs the criminal element. He's like to take over my position.
Then, there's also the Sevants of the Mushroom Cloud -- religious
fanatics who won't be happy until every person in Vegas has been
converted to their own poisonous religion. There may be other. Vegas
is a big town. But those are the ones we most suspect. You get
Finster back in one piece, and I'll pay you $20,000 and give you
command positions in my special forces. What do you say? Will you do
it?"
The Desert Rangers huddle for a few minutes. From the veiled looks
and secret gestures you've intercepted between Brygo and his men, it's
obvious that the only way you'll get out of this room without a fight,
is to take the assignment. Besides, your curiousity has been aroused.
You are sure that Finster knows a lot more than he has told Brygo If
you want explanations, he's the man you'll need to see.
"All right," you tell the Boss, "we'll find him if he's findable. We
may have to leave Vegas to do it. In the meantime, you try to hold
out here."
The Big Boss stands up, shakes your hands, and wishes you all luck.
Then he shows you the way out.
132) A growl rumbles from the bartender's throat. "The Martians
forced all the sick ones out, to prevent the spread they said, but it
just leaves them to die without help."
133) Each of you mans a gun station as the fighter bursts from the
flaming hanger. Fingers tighten on triggers and massive energy pulses
coax sour, ozone vapors from the atmosphere. You blaze away at the
swarm of enemy fighters whirling around you. Your shots blast the
Serpioid ships apart, but the horde of them looks too great for even
you to defeat.
Suddenly the fighter lurches to a stop as a blue-green light bathes
it. The wings disintegrate and Finster screams, "Tractor beam. Their
command ship has us!"
134) "That's a brilliant plan!" Finster exclaims. "You'll get a
promotion for that one!"
In accordance with your plan, he cuts the engine back and the tractor
beam drags you quickly toward the floating Citadel that is the
Serpioid flagship. Then as you grow close, Finster punches the
afterburners and your ship, a fuel-laden bomb, dives in at the
flagship.
"Hope your force field holds, Irwin," you laugh.
He swallows hard. "My power level is too low. We're going to die!:
135) Finster huddles with the rest of you in the corridors of the
flagship. "If not for your quick thinking and linking my power belt
into the fusion engine on the ship, we would have died. Now we've
crippled the flagship. We have won!"
"No," you remind him. "It won't be over until your sister is dead!"
136) The darkened cell reeks of decay. You take a step inside and
feel something slick on the cell's floor. You stoop and touch it,
then recoil as if burned. The empty cell is full of blood!
137) The bartender sighs. "He was working in the base as a janitor.
Now he's real sick"
138) A squad of Serpioids fills the hallway. "Come, Rangers," the
leader invites, "Come and die."
139) High/Low is a game played with two dice. The player rolls a die
and then the dealer rolls a die. IF the player rolled higher than the
dealer, he wins. The bet is $10 per roll.
140) "He wandered in from the desert to study here. He talked with
Finster but got sick before he got a job."
141) Snake Squeezins drip off the Hobo's chin s he drains the bottle.
His eyes grow distant and his voice drops an octave. "To the mother
who speaks in riddles come a child of promise. Aid her and aid
justice."
142) You stoop and recover your African Throwing Knives from the
Serpioid bodies. You grin at Finster. "I'm going to skin one of
these things someday, and make me a pair of boots."
143) You unceremoniously rip the bracelet from Hewey's limp wrist.
Rubbing it against your chest several times to remove the blood, you
see "13" engraved on it.
144) You can hardly believe your eyes. Here, in the middle of the
Guardian Citadel's fourth level, you stand before the object of five
year's search. You remove your gloves and gently run your hand over
her belly, fighting the temptation to throw yourself entirely against
her. Slowly, take several steps back. Unable to resist it any
longer, you blurt triumphantly to the crew, "The Titanic! What a
find!"
145) This paragraph can be reached from no place in the whole
adventure. We know who you are, and we will get you for reading this
paragraph. Expect it most when you expect it least.
146) The bartender leans forward. "Darwin was a science base a long
time ago. Supposed to be hush-hush, but I grew up in its shadow,
so...."
147) You flip the lifeless Hewey onto his back with the toe of your
boot. After you rummage through his pockets, you start removing his
jewelry, having a particularly hard time working the ID bracelet over
his swollen hand. You finally separate it from the dearly departed
with a hard jerk that pops the bracelet off. Flipping over the
bracelet, you read only the etching of "11."
148) The Hobo lowers the now empty bottle of Snake Squeezins and
stares at you with glassy eyes. "Destroy the wombs and destroy the
threat." He then passes out.
149) "Hi. They call me Crumb," he says with a nod of his head.
After he exchanges handshakes with everybody, he tells you "See Faran
Brygo. He's my boss. Be sure to use the password CLOVER." As you
leave, he yells, "Tell him I sent you!"
150) "Where did you find that? Oh my god, he must be dead. The
Bloodstaff was stolen from here and I'll generously reward you if you
find it and bring it back. Last I knew he was going back to downtown
Needles."
151) Your mouth dries instantly. Perched within a weightless bubble
of blood, Finster's sister laughs derisively. "Come so far just to
die. Poor little men. Your world is lost."
152) The hastily inhaled Snake Squeezins dull the Hobo's eyes and
deepen his voice. He tells you, "A body is only a box to keep your
mind in."
153) "Not by a long shot," you scream back at her. You flick the
charging level of the needle rifles you found earlier. "Eat hot
slivers of death, witch." The deafening roar of your assault swallows
any comment she tries to offer.
154) As you gently thumb through the brittle pages of the little
black book, you notice a list of names and phone numbers, some of
which have four stars next to them. At the bottom of the last page
you notice some unusual text: "The launch code is ATOM."
155) You unceremoniously rip the bracelet from Dewey's limp wrist.
Rubbing it against your chest several times to remove the blood, you
see "16" engraved on it.
156) The Snake Squeezins vanish into the Hobo faster than water
evaporates in the desert. The Hobo smiles quizically, his eyes get a
distant look, and he burps. "Trust the one born beneath the
battlefield."
157) Finster and his sister stand over your dead bodies. "The fools
should have realized," she says, "those were my weapons. Having them
explode when used against me is easy."
Finster smiles. "They were more foolish than that, Lucretia. They
actually trusted me." The twins' laughter echoes in your dying ears
for an eternity.
158) "Where'd you get that ring?" the detective demands. "I think
his Holiness is looking for that thing."
159) She beckons you to come nearer, the shining three-inch red nail
on her index finger mesmerizing you closer and closer. Pushing the
hair away from your ear, she whispers, "Ugly's bomb disarm code is
31-17-54-07-99."
160) Snake Squeezins lubricate the Hobo's throat and loosen his mind
to travel places unknown to the sane. "Man before wife, save a life."
161) You study the torn piece of paper in your hand. Originally
written in red ink, the text has turned into large fuzzy blotches of
pink. Though mostly unreadable, you make out the word MUERTE followed
by HIDEOUT:THANATOS, but THANATOS has been scratched out and MORS has
been written under it.
162) The coppery-skinned youth smiles. "I come from the junkyard
Village. My father is the Junkmaster and he'd be very grateful if you
would return me to my home." He looks down at his feet. "I
understand, though, if you do not want to take me home. You are the
mighty Desert Rangers who have destroyed the Guardians of the Old
Order, so you don't need any help. Still, my father knows where your
enemy lairs."
COMMAND SUMMARY
Game Play
IMPORTANT: Wasteland is a dynamic game and it's very important that
you understand how it saves and keeps track of the fame. The game
changes as you play and updates changes to the disk permanently. If
you take an item, it won't be resurrected just because you leave and
return.
The game takes place in many locations. As you explore, you'll often
be asked "Enter New Location (Y/N)?" If you answer "yes" the game
will save any changes to that location, your party's status, and
become your new saved game locations. If you switch to another
location to view a disbanded party, the status's of all parties are
saved. You should save the game before ending each session of play.
Then when you go to play again you can pick u where you left off.
However, if your computer will search for the last place it saved.
This way, you're unlikely to lose any important recent acquisitions.
What can you do if a character dies? DO NOT ENTER A NEW LOCATION OR
SAVE THE GAME! Turn off your computer and reboot, and your character
will live again, but without anything they acquired since you last
saved. If all the characters die in the midst of general carnage and
mayhem, your computer will state the obvious: "Your life in Wasteland
is over." Don't get depressed, just reboot and the game will return
your characters to either the last time you saved or the last time the
game map changed. (This assumes, of course, that three's someplace to
return to.)
Time and Distance
Wasteland's maps vary in scale. The desert map contains the city maps
which in turn contain maps of buildings and underground locations. In
combat, distances may seem a bit off for the map you're on, but these
are tactical distances valid for combat only.
Because the maps differ in scale, time passes differently on them. A
single keystroke will move you one space in both the desert and in a
building, but the amount of time each move takes is different. Time
passes more quickly during overland travel, which the game takes into
account for healing and deterioration purposes. And remember that
time passes for both the main party and disbanded characters. If you
send a disbanded character off to find a doctor for an injured
comrade, that comrade will keep on bleeding.
If you want time to pass without moving your party, press or
place the mouse icon directly on your party and press the mouse
button. If you wish time to pass more quickly, hold down the
key or keep the mouse button depressed.
Reviewing Messages
Wasteland involves a great deal of text. This text includes
descriptions of your surroundings, descriptions of non-player
characters, clues and references to the Wasteland paragraph section
included in this manual. If you wish to refer back to or review a
previous message, press the Pg Up key and keep it depressed until the
desired message appears. To return to the most recent message, press
the Pg Down key and keep it depressed until that message reappears.
Selecting Options
Whenever you need to select an option, press the first letter in that
option (unEquip if the exception; in this case press E) or click on it
with your mouse.
Whenever you need to select an item, skill or attribute from a list,
press its number or click on it with your mouse. To scroll through a
list use the up and down arrows, the right or left arrow, the I key to
scroll up or the K key to scroll down, or use the mouse to click on
the next option or click on the up or down arrows on the right side of
the option window.
Movement Commands
There are three ways to move your party: Use the cursor keys, the
mouse, or type I to move up, J to move left, K to move down or L to
more right. When you use a mouse, a directional arrow will appear on
the screen pointing forward, left, right or backward. Move the mouse
in the direction you want to go until the directional arrow points in
that direction. Then hold down the mouse button to more in that
direction. The Spacebar toggles the view of the party roster on and
off.
Ranger Center
The following options appear at the bottom of the screen when you're
at Ranger Center.
Create Creates a character
Delete Deletes a character
Play Begins Play outside Ranger Center
Non-Combat Commands
Except during combat, you can use the following commands by pressing
the first letter of the command or clicking on it with your mouse.
Use -- Use a skill, item or attribute.
Enc -- Simulate an Encounter. This calls up combat commands, which
you can use to initiate combat or use the Hire command to hire a
non-player character into your party.
Order -- Establish a new party marching Order.
Disband -- Disband the party into two or more groups. This command
can also be used to permanently dismiss a Non-Player Character from
your party.
View -- Alternate the View between two or more groups.
Save -- Save the game. When you use the Save command, the computer
will ask "Save Game(Y/N)?" If you answer "yes" the computer will save
the game at that point and ask "Quite Game (Y/N)?" If you answer
"yes" the computer will return you to the DOS screen and if you answer
"no" the computer will continue the game. If you answer "no" to "Save
Game(Y/N)?" the computer will still ask "Quit Game(Y/N?)" If you
answer "no" the computer will continue the game. If you answer "yes"
the computer will return you to the DOS screen, and the next time you
reboot the game, it will start at the last point you saved.
Radio -- Radio Ranger Center to see if any party members have earned
promotion.
Print -- Prints party information when the roster is displayed.
-# -- Call up the Use command for a specific character.
R -- Reorder items and skills for a selected character
when those menus are displayed.
PgUp & Pg Dn -- Scrolls through the messages at the bottom of the
screen.
Combat Commands
Note: Some weapons have a limited range in combat situations.
Contact weapons, such as knives, axes, fists, etc., are ineffective
against opponents more than 14 feet away. Attacking opponents more
than 14 feet away requires projectile weapons, such as throwing
knives, pistols, rifles, etc.
When you engage in battle, choose from the following options by
pressing the command's first letter or clicking on the command with
your mouse.
Run -- Move party or individual character one space.
Use -- Use a skill, item or attribute.
Hire -- Hire a Non-Player Character to join your party.
Evade -- Evade an enemy.
Attack -- Attack an enemy.
Weapon -- Change Weapons.
Load/Unjam -- Load and/or Unjam a weapon.
-- Show map of immediate area during combat.
A -- Show list of enemy groups and their distance from the
party. This will only work with player characters, not hired NPC's,
and only when your foes are within range of your weapons.
-- Cancels commands.
To speed the combat scrolling rate, press the up arrow key on the
keyboard or click on the "fast" command on the screen with the mouse.
To make it slower, press the down arrow key on the keyboard or click
on the "slow" command on the screen with the mouse.
Viewing Characters
Enter a character's number to view their statistics. The options you
can use in this mode are:
From the first screen
This screen shows a character's attributes:
Pool -- Pool all the party's cash and give it to the character you are
viewing.
Div Cash -- Divide cash evenly among the party.
-- Cancels commands.
(Press to go to the next screen.)
From the second screen
This screen shows what items the character has. Enter an item number
and the following options will appear:
Reload -- Reload weapon, (Only appears if you choose an ammo clip for
the currently Equipped weapon.)
Unjam -- Unjam weapon (Only appears if your currently equipped weapon
is jammed.)
Drop -- Drop an item.
Trade -- Trade an item.
Equip -- Equip or unequip an item.
-R -- Reorder items.
-- Cancels commands.
When prompted Y/N, press Y or to accept the option.
(Press to go to the next screen.)
From the third screen
This screen shows the character's skills.
-R -- Reorder skills.
-- Cancels commands.
Macro Functions
Macro functions condense the several key strokes needed to give
certain commands into one key stroke. To create a macro function,
press and any one of the function keys, F1 to F10,
simultaneously. A message, REC.MAC. (with a number from 01 to 10
corresponding to the number of the function key you are pressing),
will appear in the upper left corner of the screen; when it does,
release the and the function key again, the message in the
upper left corner of the screen will vanish and the macro function
will have been created. Pressing the appropriate function key
thereafter will repeat the entire command or series of commands.
(Example: If you want time to pass more quickly, press and
F1 and then release them when REC.MAC.01 appears in the upper left
corner of the screen. Now press several times, and then press
and F1. Every subsequent time you press F1, time will pass
as if you had pressed several times. A macro function can be
erased by pressing and holding down and pressing the
appropriate function key twice.
CREDITS
IBM version : Michael Quarles
Original program : Alan Pavlish
Design : Brian Fargo, Ken St. Andre, Alan Pavlish, Michael A.
Stackpole
Maps : Bruce Balfour, Elizabeth T. Danforth, Chris Christensen, Jeff
"T.G." Berman, Bill "Weez" Dugan, Nishan Hossepian, Stance Nixon, Alan
Pavlish, Ken St. Andre, Michael Stackpole, Mike Williams, Daniel
Carver
Graphics : Todd J. Camasta, Charles Weidman, Bruce Schlickbernd
Directed by Troy P. Worrell
Playtest and Development : Bruce Schlickbernd, Thomas R. Decker
Moral Support : Susan Quarles
