THE BARD'S TALE

The Manual

About Fantasy Role Playing GamesThe Bard's Tale is a fantasy role-playing game.First in a series of Tales of the Unknown, this one isset in the city of Skara Brae.

Like other fantasy role-playing games, there arethree objectives you will be trying to accomplish.How you do this is up to you...

Your most important goal is to complete the questbuilt into the game. In The Bard's Tale the city ofSkara Brae is threatened by an evil mage calledMangar. You must find Mangar and "persuade"him to release the once-harmonious city from hisevil control.

So turn the page and get started. Skara Braeawaits.

But Mangar is protected by layers of obstacles,mazes and evil henchmen. Your second goal is todevelop characters capable of surviving thesebarriers. These characters are your alter ego inThe Bard's Tale. They act according to yourcommands, but over the course of the game theychange, much as real people do over a lifetime.They improve their skills in magic, combat, stealth,etc. They amass wealth and treasured objects.And they worry about dying too soon.

Your third goal is to explore the entire world ofThe Bard's Tale. There are numerous goodies,puzzles, and special places in Skara Brae. Part ofthe fun is finding them, and discovering the layoutof this fantasy world. How do you get into thewalled off towers? What's in the castle? Where arethe legendary catacombs of Skara Brae?

Table of ContentsA Quick OverviewCharcdersPlacesThe Combat SystemThe Magic SystemConjurer SpellsMagician SpellsSorceror SpellsWIZard SpellsBardSorgsSpell Key GlossaryTips from the Undergroundttems

page 1page 3page 7page 9page 11page 13page 15page 17page 19page 20page 20pp. 8,10,21,22page 22

A QUICK OVERVIEWAn orientation for beginners,a quick start guide for experts.How to Use This ManualThis manual has three parts. This overview isdesigned to give first-time adventure gamers aquick sense of the overall gameplay and giveexperienced fantasy role-players all they need toknow to start quickly.

The rest of the manual is reference material about~ow various parts ofThe Bard's Tale operate,Including character building and development,places and mapping, the combat system and themagic system. There is also a listing anddescription of all the magic spells and thebeginning items available in The Bard's Tale.Finally, there are hints and clues interspersedthroughout the manual.

1. Command Summary CardInside the front flap of your album cover is aCommand Summary Card, which lists keystrokecommands, disk utilities and step-by-stepinstructions for starting up. If you are anexperienced adventurer, this card gives you mostof what you need to know; the rest is covered inthis section.

2. Adventurer's GuildThe ADVENTURER'S GUILD is where you starteach time. This is the ONLY spot a party can beformed, characters created, or characters saved todisk.

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3. Use the Pre-Built PartyFor your convenience, you will find a pre-built partyalready waiting for you when you enter the Guildfor the first time. The party is called *A Team. Theyare even outfitted with weapons and armoraffordable to characters of their humble stations.For more about characters and party selection seepages 3-6.

4. Use City Map on the PackageOn the inside of your "album cover" is a map ofSkara Brae. You'll need it. Notice:-2 walled-off towers (wonder what's in there?).-A castle protected by Guardian Statues.-Temples for healing, Equipment Shop

for purchasing more weapons, Taverns for drinkand gossip, Roscoe's for more spell energy.

-You'll have to find the Review Board (where levelsare awarded and magic is taught) on your own.

Mapping the dungeons and mazes is up to you.You even have to figure out how to get into themazes on your own. One clue: each of the 16mazes is set up on a 22 by 22 grid. North is to thetop of the screen, East is to the right. Be sure togo to every square; there are lots of specials.For more about the City of Skara Brae see"Places" on pages 7-8.

5. CombatOnly your first 3 characters and the first 2 rows ofmonsters can attack in hand-to-hand combat.

There are several new combat commands,including Party Attack, for fighting betweenparty members; Bard Song, for making magic byplaying music; Hide in Shadows, to avoidcombat.

For more information see "The Combat System"on pages 9-10.

6. MagicThere are 4 classes of Magic Users, each withunique magical capabilities:

Co nj u re rs can create objects and healadventurers;Magicians can bestow magical effects oncommon items;Sorcerors can create illusions and heightenawareness;Wizards can summon and control supernaturalcreatures.

Sorceror and Wizard classes are not available tofirst level adventurers. To create one of these, youmust change class of a Magic User who hasachieved 3rd level magic spells in one (forSorceror) or two (for Wizard) other magical arts.Class change takes place in the Review Board. AMagic User who successfully learns all 7 levels ofspells for each of the 4 Magic Classes is anArchmage, one of the most powerful character inThe Bard's Tale. Once a Magic User leaves aclass, he can never return to it.

Magic Users qualify to learn next level spells basedon their experience levels, but it takes gold toactually learn the new spells.

Casting spells uses spell points in differentamounts depending on the spell. Spell points areregenerated automatically when a Magic User is in

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the City in the daytime, and may also beregenerated in Roscoe's Energy Emporium, orspecial "Regen" squares in some dungeons.

For more information see "The Magic System onpage 11. Magic spells are listed on pages 13-20.

7. The BardThe Bard makes magic by playing music. Heneeds an instrument, of course. He can play incombat or during exploration, with different effect.Only one tune at a time. And one tune for everyexperience level. Then he needs to get a drinkfrom any nearby tavern.

You can listen to his music or not. See theCOMMAND SUMMARY card for details.

By the way, the Bard is not too shabby as a fighter.

8. TimeTime waits for no one. Even without keystrokes,time passes, from day to night and back again.

Nighttime is especially nasty. The really evilmonsters hit the city streets at night, looking forcharacters just like you. And, what's worse, youuse up spell points faster, because spell pointsonly regenerate in daylight.

Now you know enough to get started, if you are anexperienced adventurer. By the way, the tavernon Rakhir Street is the only tavern that serveswine. And that wine "goes down" easily. You maywish to drop by to wet the whistle of your Bard.Good luck!

CHARACTERS

RACESHumans are not the only race in the world of TheBard's Tale. Others are more magically inclined,stronger and smarter. Part of the fun of a fantasyrole-playing game is getting to know thesedifferent races, and forming your party accordingly.The races and their descriptions are:

HUMAN: While possibly being of hardier stock,this character is nonetheless like you or me.

ELF: Patterned after the Tolkien elf, the elf isslight of build, frequently taller than a human, andvery inclined to magic.

DWARF: The Dwarven people are short and stout,extremely strong and healthy, but not amazinglyintelligent (i.e. ,excellent fighters).

HOBBIT: Hobbits are slightly smaller than Dwarvesbut are nimble and dexterous. Just the rightmake-up for a rogue.

HALF-ELF: These crossbreeds are usually blondand fair-skinned, like elves, and get some addedsize and strength from their human ancestry.

HALF-ORC: An orc is a large, goblin-like creatureoften found working for evil wizards. The Half-orc,being half human, is not quite as despicable as hisorc parent, but you wouldn't want to date one.

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GNOME: Gnomes closely resemble dwarves, buthave less hair and even shorter tempers. They arealso more magically inclined, as a rule.

CHARACTER CLASSESIn fantasy role-playing games. characters choosedifferent "Classes" or professions. There is nosingle best class; each has its own strengths. Yourcharacters must use teamwork to succeed.

Class selection is the most important aspect ofcreating a character inThe Bard's Tale. There areten different classes of characters, but only 8 canbe selected for a newly generated character. Classtypes carry with them different abilities andlimitations. as are roughly covered below:

WARRIOR: the base fighter-type in The Bard'sTale, warriors can use nearly every weapon thereis. For every 4 levels of experience after the 1stWarriors get an extra attack ability in combat.

PALADIN: Paladins are fighters who have sworn toabstain from all evil and to uphold honor and purityin all places. They can use most weapons andeven some that no other fighters can. They getmultiple attacks at higher levels. They also have agreatly increased resistance to evil magic.

ROGUE: a professional thief with so-so combatability, the rogue can hide in shadows. search fortraps and disarm them. Without a rogue your partywill pay very dearly for the booty it wins.

BARD: The Bard is a wandering minstrel. You'llsee him with a tankard of ale in front of him in theless reputable taverns--the rowdier the better.

Bards were once warriors, and can still use mostwarrior weapons. But they turned to music insteadand now play songs with an almost magical effecton other characters. Bards don't get the warrior'sadvantage of extra attacks in combat anymore--buttheir magic is so unique, it is almost impossible tosurvive in Skara Brae without one.

Any true Bard has 6 tunes on his lips, though toplay them he must have an instrument equipped.A song played as the party is exploring islong-lasting and continues even after the partyreturns from combat mode, even if other songswere played during combat. Any songs playedduring combat are abbreviated and so createdifferent magical effects than the full non-combatversions. The shorter combat versions don'tendure as long either, only one round of fighting.

Only one Bard tune can be played at a time. If asecond one is played while the first is still playing(by the same or a different Bard), the first will end.A Bard can playas many tunes as he hasexperience levels before his throat gets dry. Thenit's off to a tavern for a drink to rejuvenate his voice.Tough duty, but someone has to do it.

Bard songs vary according to the difficulty of thedungeon. When the going gets tough. the Bardgoes drinking.

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HUNTER: an assassin, a mercenary, a ninja. Thehunter can use most weapons, and has the ability(which grows with experience) to do critical hits incombat (Le.,to attack a nerve center or other vitalarea and instantly kill an opponent). A good skill.

MONK: a martial artist, an almost inhuman fightingmachine trained to fight without weapons or armor.The monk can use them, but, at higher levelsparticularly, often does better without.

CONJURER: one of the 4 classes of Magic Users,Conjurers deal in the physical creation andmanifestation of real things (like fire, light, healing).

MAGICIAN: another of the 4 classes of MagicUsers. Magicians deal with magic as it affectsphysical objects (Le., enchanting a sword. makingarmor stronger, making a dungeon wall disappear).

SORCERER: Sorcerers are Magic Users who dealwith the creation and manipulation of illusion. Dueto the power of sorcerer spells, this class is notavailable to newly created characters.

WIZARD: Wizards are Magic Users who arededicated to the summoning and binding ofvarious supernatural creatures. These creaturesare not friendly to humankind and trying to controlthem is extremely hazardous. The Wizard-class isnot available to new characters either.For more on magic classes, see page 11.

CHARACTER ATTRIBUTESEach character you create has five basic attributeswhich define his physical and mental prowess.When you create a character each attribute israndomly assigned a value from 1 to 18, with thehigher number reflecting higher capability.

STRENGTH (Shown as "ST" on the screen):Strength is physical power and chiefly affects theamount of damage a character can do to anopponent in hand-to-hand combat. Make sureyour fighting characters are strong.

INTELLIGENCE ("10"): Intelligence is mentalpower. A high intelligence rating will enable yourMagic Users to get bonus spell points.

DEXTERITY ("OX"): Measures agil~y & nimbleness.A high score makes your characters harder to hitand helps them strike the first blow in combat.

CONSTITUTION ("CN"): Measures healthiness. Ittakes more damage to kill a character with a highconstitution score. This is reflected in bonus "hitpoints," the character's life span.

LUCK ("LK"): Luck is an ambiguous attribute, as ithas a number of unseen effects on gameplay. Forexample, lucky characters are more likely to resistevil magic and avoid nasty traps.

OTHER CHARACTER STATISTICSARMOR CLASS ("AC"): This statistic reflects thelevel of protection a character has from physicalattack. In classic fantasy role-playing style, the

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armor class starts at 10 for a totally unprotected,unarmored character with low dexterity, and goesdown to -10 (called LO) as his protection improvesby armor, spells, or other means.

HIT POINTS ("HITS"): Hit Points measure thedamage a character can take before he is killed.The "Hits" statistic shows his potential at fullesthealth, rather than current status.

CONDITION ("CONDN): Condition shows thecharacter's present number of hit points. Forexample, if a character with 10 Hit Points iswounded for 7 hit points, his Condition will drop to3. Another wound of 3 or more hit points will killhim. If he is fully healed, his Condition will return tothe full 10 again. (Even though his Conditionscore changes, his Hit Points stay at 10.)

SPELL POINTS ("SP PT"): This shows currentspell point status. Points are used up with eachcast of a magic spell. If a Conjurer has 20 spellpoints and casts a Mage Flame spell at a cost of 2spell points, his new total would be 18. Acharacter's maximum spell points are listed in hisview-eharacter mode.

EXPERIENCE POINTS: This measures abilitiesgained by experience, the higher the number, thebetter the character. Characters get experiencepoints for successful combat, according to thedifficulty of the fight and the number of characterswho survive. The amount is indicated after everysuccessful combat. A character's running total ofexperience points is indicated in view -mode.

GOLD: Gold is the unit of currency in this world.Your characters start with just barely enough goldto buy the armor and weapons they need tosurvive. There are two ways to get rich enough tobuy better equipment: taking gold from themonsters you defeat in combat or selling itemsyou find in dungeons. The first way is more fun.

LEVEL ("LV 1"): Level is a general measure ofachievement within a character's class. Level 1 is anovice, Level 13, for example, is required tobecome a Master of a Magic User class.

The Review Board will promote a character tohigher levels based on his experience points, butonly upon the character's in-person request. Anadvance in level is very important because itgenerally means an increase in attribute scores, hitpoints, spell points and other abilities.

SPELL LEVELS (e.g., "MAGI 1"): This shows thehighest group of magic spells a character can usein any of the 4 classes of Magic Users. There are 7groups of magic spells for each different class.

To learn a new group of magic spells (a "spelllevel"), a Magic User must advance two experiencelevels. (NOTE: spell levels and experience levelsare not the same thing!) For any of the four magicclasses, a Magic User advances as follows:

Experience Leyel Spell Leyel1 12 13 25 37 49 5

11 613 714 and up 7 maximum 6

To change class to Sorceror, a Magic User mustfirst have learned Spell Level 3 (or higher) in atleast one magical art. To change to Wizard, a MagicUser must first have learned Spell Level 3 (orhigher) in two other magical arts.

ITEMS: Items fall into 10 categories: Weapons,shields, armor, helms, gloves, musical instruments,figurines, rings, wands, and miscellaneous. Onlyone item of each type can be equipped for useat anyone time. For example, two different shieldscannot be used at once to protect a character,though the spare shield could be toted around.

Some items can only be used by specificcharacters. For example, only Bards can usemusical instruments. An item which can never beused by a character is marked with a 9 when heexamines it in his view mode or in the EquipmentShoppe. An item which has been equipped ismar1<ed w~h a/;).

A character can carry up to 8 different items.

How To Create a Character1. While in the Adventurer's Guild, select a race.2. Character attribute numbers displayed are acombination of genes and luck. For each differentrace there is a lowest possible number for eachattribute (the "genes"). The computer then adds arandom number (the "luck") to each attribute.3. If you are satisfied with the "roll of the dice",choose a character class, then name thischaracter. If you aren't satisfied "reroll the dice."3. After being named, the character will be savedto disk, ready to adventure.

PLACES

THE CITY MAPThere is a map of Skara Brae on the inside of thealbum cover your program disk came in. Noticethat there are several important looking places thatare blocked off. Like the castle, and the twotowers protected by locked gates. There must bea way to get in there, wouldn't you think?

Use your map to guide you in Skara Brae. If youever get lost just press the "?" key and the programwill tell you where you are and what time of day it is.

UNMARKED BUILDINGSMost buildings in Skara Brae are unmarked. Butsome of them are inhabited by the corruptcreatures who have skulked into Skara Brae. Sokick in a few doors and find them. Remember thatfighting is good for you; it's the only way to build upenough experience to challenge Mangar. Youshould be disappointed when you kick in a door,screaming a battle cry, and find it empty. No fun.

When you exit a building and enter the street, thebuilding will be behind you, and you will be facingthe building or landmark across the street.

THE ADVENTURER'S GUILDThe Guild is like a union hall where adventurers"hang out" hoping to join a party. This is whereyou form a party, and where all adventures begin.

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GARTH'S EQUIPMENT SHOPPEGarth is one of yesterday's almost forgottenheroes, now retired from active adventuring tosupply tomorrow's would-be greats. At Garth'sShoppe characters can buy armor and weapons,sell items, have items identified, or pool all theparty's gold for buying expensive items. Due to adeal with the city blacksmith, Garth has an infinitesupply of basic armor and supplies. But uniqueitems found in labyrinths, even if sold to Garth,remain in his inventory only until they are sold.

Occasionally an item won in combat will remainunidentified. This means that its general typemight be apparent (e.g.,shield, ring), but not whichexact type (e.g.,Dragon shield, Ring of Power).Garth can identify this item for you...for a price.

THE REVIEW BOARDThe Review Board is a group of high levelrepresentatives from all ten different classes.Upon your request in person, the Board willdetermine whether a character has accumulatedenough experience points for advancement tohigher levels. The Board teaches new spells toMagic Users who qualify for higher spell levels,too,but charges for this training. It pays the rent.

You may have to do a bit of exploring to locate theReview Board. And it's closed at night.

TAVERNSTaverns are the Bard's favorite places for gossipand refreshment. There's even a tavern namedafter him. Watch him carefully though; the Bardhas a tendency to overtip the bartender.

DUNGEON DELVINGThe term "dungeon" refers to any indoor labyrinth,designed for mapping, combat and puzzleinteraction. They take a variety of forms, fromtowers to catacombs, and have a varied number oflevels for each. You can go up or down to levelshigher and lower than the one you're on viastairways, portals, and teleportation.

Stairways are not visible from a distance. But whenyou move onto one you will be asked if you wish toascend or descend.

Portals are holes in the floors and ceilings, and arevisible from a distance. You will not go through aportal merely by standing on . ; you must firstcommand your character to do so. If he jumpsdown through a portal, he will be damaged fromthe fall unless he is using a levitation spell. Theonly way to go up through a portal is by levitation.

The locations of dungeon entrances are well-keptsecrets, but there are plenty of hints in Skara Brae.

ROSCOE'S ENERGY EMPORIUMIf your spell points aren't recharging fast enough,go see Roscoe. But be prepared for electrifyinglyhigh fees.

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TEMPLESTemples are divine places of resurrection andcomplete healing. In fact, this is the only place tocure characters who have been withered or turnedto stone. A resurrected character retains all theitems, gold and experience points he had beforedying, but he comes to life with only 1 hit point.When he finds out how much it costs to beresurrected, he may tum over in his grave.

Tips from the Underground: Places1. Your first three dungeons should be thesewers, the catacombs and the castle (in thatorder). Each is progressively tougher. Don'tattempt the catacombs without a party of level 9 orhigher characters.2. Explore and map every square in every maze.There are "Magic Mouths" that give hints. Thereare 1-of-a-kind magic "ems and spell regenerationzones. Good maps will show you the logical spotsfor secret doors and secret rooms, too.3. Avoid traps. Higher level rogues are excellentat opening chests, but when in doubt use the"Trapzap" spell. TRZP is guaranteed to work withno harm to the party, unless, of course, the trap isprotected by even more powerful magic. In fact,you can use TRZP to disarm any traps youencounter. Gas Cloud traps have doomed manybrave but foolish adventurers. If you set off a trapand nothing happens. you were lucky not good.You could have been killed.4. Be sure that your party is fully healed beforeentering a new dungeon.5. When you are finding your bearings in a maze,remember that each succeeding level goes UP in atower or castle and DOWN in a dungeon.

THE COMBAT SYSTEM

The Bard's Tale is a game of fighting. It's the onlyway to build experience. Fortunately, Mangar andhis gruesome creatures are very evil, so don'tworry about their feelings. Kill them, if you can.

Combat with "monsters" (the generic term for allopponents) occurs both randomly and at setlocations. You can also initiate intra-party combat atalmost any time, in case ORe of your members isturned to the dark side. At the outset of combat alist of foes will be given, broken down into thenumber of foes in each group. The maximum is 99monsters per group, with up to four groups.

Combat is divided into a series of "rounds," like aboxing match. At the start of each round, each ofyour characters must decide what action he willundertake in the upcoming melee, unless, ofcourse, your party decides to run away. A menu ofpossible selections will appear for each character.These options are as follows.

Attack foes: To physically assault foes in thefirst or second group of monsters.

Party attack: To assault another member of theparty, including special members.

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Defe nd: Do not interact this round - reduceschance of being hit.

Use an item: Make use of a magical item held inthe character's inventory and currently equipped.This may require specifying a target for the effect.

Bard Song: Bards can playa short tune toaffect the party or the foremost group of monstersin some fashion.

Cast a spell: Cast a spell at the party or a groupof foes. The spell code must be entered, and atarget identified.

Hide in shadows: A rogue can try to avoidcombat altogether by hiding and, if successful, willbe skipped as a target of attack in the upcomingcombat round.

The first three characters in your party can beattacked physically by monsters, and can attackback. The last three characters can only be struckby magical attacks, and can only attack back withmagic. This simulates your first three charactersbeing up on the front line of attack, with the lastthree characters acting as backup in case one ofthe first three is killed. The first two groups ofmonsters are in a similar position; they are the onlymonsters who can attack or be attacked physically.

Once all the choices for your characters have beenentered, the round begins. The most dexterouscharacters or monsters usually make the first strike,but luck, character level and character class alsoaffect this. In evenly matched fights, the outcomeoften depends on which side gets in the first blow.

The rate of scrolling of the combat messages canbe speeded or slowed. See the CommandSummary list of keystrokes for details.

At the end of a combat round, dead monsters willbe removed from the ranks of your foes, and deadcharacters will be shuffled back to the end of yourparty. A fresh group of monsters may also advanceinto the first two ranks to give their fellow monstersa breather.

At the end of combat, treasure and experiencepoints will be split among the battle's survivors.

SPECIAL MEMBERSThe special slot (marked "S") is for monsterswho can become part of your party. They can joinby:1) Being summoned or created as an illusion, orsome other artifice related to a cast spell, or2) Introducing themselves to the party andoffering their services as a comrade.

Specials cannot be controlled in battle; theychoose their own attack mode and generally goafter the primary group of monsters the party isfacing. Specials are cleared out of the S slot whenkilled. Illusionary specials (created by a sorcerer)are cleared out if any foes disbelieve them.

If a non-illusionary special is attacked by anothermember of the party for any reason, it will turnimmediately hostile and fight until defeated!

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Tips from the Underground: Combat1. Usually the highest dexterity character attacksfirst. For particularly nasty monsters (like bluedragons) attack with your highest dexteritycharacters first. Your less dexterous charactersmay not survive long enough to get in a first strike.2. Use your spells and Bard songs to lower thearmor class of your entire party. The lower thebetter.3.lf you are attacked by more than 2 groups ofmonsters, concentrate on Magic Users first. If youcannot kill off all the magic-using monsters, youmay want to cast anti-magic spells to protectagainst illusions, possessions and other spells.4. You can minimize damage by killing off all butone monster in either of the first two attackinggroups. As a general rule, attack groups with onlyone monster last, unless it is a deadly monster.5. Many of the undead monsters are capable ofdraining experience levels, turning characters oldand gray or even turning characters to stone. Treatthe undead with respect. In other words, kill themquickly.6. Be prepared to die a lot with level 1 and 2characters. Especially at night. Especially whenyou don't have any weapons and are just walkingto Garth's Shoppe. It might even be a good idea tostay close to a Temple at night, so you can quicklyheal any wounds.7. Fill the special slot quickly. Conjure or summona monster or create an illusion, if necessary. Thespecial member will take a lot of heat off yourfighters. Monsters tend to attack special membersfirst.8. Monsters are smart. They usually attack yourmost vulnerable characters first, unless one of yourmembers represents a significant threat.

THE MAGIC SYSTEM

Magic is power. It can make the differencebetween success and failure in The Bard's Tale.

It is not always necessary or wise to rely on magic,though, because magic is by no means foolproof.There are some places where magic neverfunctions, and some monsters who are highlyresistant to spells. Sometimes you just have towade in with fists flying and get dirty.

The best way to tell that your party has wanderedinto an anti-magic zone is that all residual spellsexcept light spells are cancelled.

Residual spells are magic spells that keep workingfor more than just an instant. Light spells, trapdetection, secret door detection and magical armorare some examples. Most residual spells cause agraphic symbol to appear in the central blank stripon the screen, to keep the player aware that theduration hasn't yet expired.

All spells have a point cost. In other words, allspells cost the mage casting them a bit of hisinternal energy. This energy is returnedautomatically in direct sunlight, and may beregenerated at Roscoe's Energy Emporium or inspecial regeneration zones you have to discover.

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There are magical items hidden in the dungeonsand carried by the monsters of The Bard's Tale.Magical weapons do extra damage. Magical armorgives extra protection. Other magical items radiatespecial energies. There are even magic keys andtalismans necessary to get into certain importantparts of the game. The most powerful magic itemsare secreted in the most challenging dungeonsand are guarded by ferocious monsters. Whenyou win one, you should be very proud and veryhappy. They can be the key to success againstthe wickedest opponents.

To cast a spell, you type in 4-letter codes whichare a rough abbreviation of the spell name. Theentire list of spells, codes and spell points requiredbegins on page 13.

All Magic Users, even Level 1 novices, start thegame with knowledge of all level 1 spells in theirmagical art. Rather than learning one spell at atime, Magic Users always learn whole groups("spell levels") of spells at once. It's the closestthing to mass production in Skara Brae. Here is adescription of the four magical arts.

CONJURING

Conjuring deals with the instantaneous creation ofobjects and effects through the channeling of amage's power. Conjurer spells are potent, but notunlimited in effect, since the exercise of creationtakes a large amount of energy to produce even amoderate effect.

A conjurer can also produce effects that distortnon-solid things to produce new effects, like thedistortion of space and time required to teleporthuman bodies to a new location.

MAGIC

Magic (meaning the art practiced by a magician)deals with bestowing magical effects on commonobjects. The items do not become magical, butradiate fields of power for the duration of a spell(which is usually the length of combat).

The gist of Magic is that it can increase an item'scapability, give it a totally new capability, or changeits form to something totally different.

Some examples: making a sword do greaterdamage, making dungeon walls glow with a magicallight, or causing a wall to totally vanish for 1 move.

SORCERY

The byword of sorcery is, "seeing is believing."Sorcery does not deal with a physicalmanifestation, but rather a creation of illusion and atapping into a heightenend sense of awareness.

An illusion is an image envisioned by the spellcaster, which he then lays over the retinas of allwho watch, augmenting this with appropriatestimulation of nerve endings to fool the other foursenses. The human mind, believing an illusionarycreation to be real, can be hurt or even killed by it, .unless it is somehow disbelieved.

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A sorcerer, with the aid of his art, can also perceivecertain special things hidden from view.

WIZARDRY

Wizardry deals with the summoning and control ofsupernatural creatures. The wizard has fewerspells than the other three classes, but his are byfar the most potent.

The creatures he can summon come from anotherplane of existence, called the Negative plane.They join the special slot in the party, and will fightuntil defeated.

The wizard has some ability to trap and controlnormal monsters, as well.

Mages who have learned at least 3 spell levels inan art may elect to change to another mage class atany time. Thus, a levelS conjurer could choose tobecome a level 1 magician. His experience pointswould be reset to 0, but he would retain hisprevious attributes, hit points, spell points, and allknowledge of his conjurer spells. He would beunable to learn any higher conjurer spells,however; once a mage leaves a magic art, hecannot return to it.

A mage can become a conjurer, magician, orsorcerer as a second class. A mage can become aconjurer, magician, sorcerer, or wizard as a thirdclass. A mage who has knowledge of all 7 levels ofspells in all 4 classes is called an Archmage, and isone of the most powerful personages in the worldof The Bard's Tale.

CONJURER SPELLS

KEY (see page 20 for glossary)

ISPEll NAME/DescriptionI1 _

CONJURER SPELLSLevel 1

CODEPt. CostRangeDuration

MAGE FLAME A small, mobile''torch" will appear, and float abovethe spell caster as he travels.

ARC FIRE A fan of blue flames willshoot from the caster's fingers.doing 1-4 hits of damage to a selectopponent, times caster's level.

SORCERER SHIELD The mage isprotected by an invisible "shield"of magic. that turns aside manyblows that would otherwise hit him.

TRAP ZAP This spell will disarmany trap within 30 feet, in thedirection the party is facing. Itwill also disarm traps on chests.

Level 2

FREEZE FOES This spell bindsyour enemies with a magical force,slowing their movements andmaking them easier to hit.

MAFL2 KIEl'S MAGIC COMPASS A MACOView Compass of shimmering magelight 3Medium appears above the party. telling

the direction they face. MediumARFI3 BATTlESKlll This spell increases BASK1 Foe one of your party member's skill 4

with weapons, increasing the Characcuracy and ferocity of his attacks. Combat

SOSH3 WORD OF HEALING With the WOHlSelf utterance of a single word the 4Combat spell caster can cure a party Char

member of minor wounds,TRZP healing 2-8 points of damage.230' Level 3

ARCYNE'S MAGESTAR A bright MASTflare will ignite in front of a group 5of your enemies, temporarily Group

FRFO blinding them and causing them

3 to miss the next combat round.

GroupCombat

13

LESSER REVELATION This is an LERE WRATH OF VALHALLA Makes a WROVextended "Mage Flame" spell 5 member of your party fight with the 7which also reveals secret doors. View strength and accuracy of ancient Char

Long Norse heroes for the entire combat. Combat

LEVITATION Partially negates the LEVI SHOCK-SPHERE A large glove SHSPeffect of gravity on the party, 4 of intense electrical energy 7causing them to float over traps Party envelops a group of enemies, Groupor up through portals. Short doing 8-32 hits of damage.

WARSTRIKE Causes a spray of WAST Level 6energy to spring from the caster's 5extended finger, sizzling a group Group ELlK'S INSTANT OGRE This INOGof opponents for 4-16 hits damage. incantation will cause a real ogre 9

to appear and join the party. SpecialLevel 4

ELlK'S INSTANT WOLF W~h this INWO MAJOR LEVITATION This will MALEspell the caster can make a real wolf 6 make the party lev~ate as does 8appear and join the party, fighting Special the level 3 spell. but its effects Partyin its defense. will last until dispelled. Indef.

FLESH RESTORE This powerful FLRE Level 7healing spell will restore 6-24 hit 6points to a party member and cure Char FLESH ANEW This spell behaves FLANpoisoning and insanity. like the "Flesh Restore" spell, 12

except that it will affect every PartyPOISON STRIKE This spell hurls POST member of the party.porcupine-sharp needles from the 6mages finger into a selected Foe APPORT ARCANE Allows the APARmonster, poisoning it. party to teleport anywhere within a 15

dungeon, except for places PartyLevel 5 protected by teleportation shields.

GREATER REVELATION This GRREspell functions like a "Lesser 7Revelation" spell, only l View

illuminates a wider area. Long

14

MAGICIAN SPELLS

Level 1

VORPAl PLATING This spellcauses the weapon (or hands) of aparty member to be covered with amagical field, which causes him todo an additional 2-8 points of damage

AIR ARMOR This spell will makethe air around the spell casterbind itself into a weightless suitof "armor."

SABHAR'S STEEUGHT SPEllCauses all metal near the partyto glow with a magical light, illum­inating the surrounding area.

SCRY SITE The walls themselveswill speak, under direction of thisspell, revealing to the spell casterhis location in the labyrinth.

Level 2

HOLY WATER A spray of waterwill emanate from the mage'sfingers, doing 6-24 points ofdamage to any undead foe( e.g. skeleton, zombie, vampire)

WITHER STRIKE Any foe at whomthis spell is cast is likely to be tumedold, thus reducing his ability toattack and defend in combat.

VOPl3CharCombat

AlAR3SelfCombat

STU2ViewShort

SCSI2Party

HOWA41 Foe

WIST51 Foe

15

MAGE GAUNTLETS Makes a partymember's hands (or weapon) moredeadly, adding 4-16 points ofdamage to every wound he inflicts.

AREA ENCHANT This spell willcause the dungeon walls within30 feet of a stairway to call out,if the party is travelling toward it.

Level 3

YBARRA'S MYSTIC SHIELDThe air in front of the party willbind itself into metallic hardness,and will accompany the party whenit moves, as a sort of invisible "shield."

OSCON'S OGRESTRENGTHAllows a member of your party todamage monsters as if he wereas incredibly strong as an ogre.

MAGA5CharCombat

AREN530'Short

MYSH6PartyMedium

OGST6CharCombat

MITHRIL MIGHT Increases the MIMI AKER'S ANIMATED SWORD ANSWarmor protection of each party 7 A magical sword will appear and 8member by enhancing their armor's Party fight like a summoned monster Specnatural strength by magic. Combat in defense of the party. Combat

STARFLARE The air surrounding STFL STONE TOUCH This spell will often STTOa group of your enemies will 6 turn an enemy to stone, or a stone 8instantly ignite, causing them to Group monster from living stone to dead 1 Foebe burnt for 6 to 24 damage points. stone. But it doesn't always work.

Level 4 Level 6

SPECTRE TOUCH This spell will SPTO PHASE DOOR This incantation PHDOdrain a single enemy of 12 to 48 8 will atter the structure of almost any 9points of damage, as if touched 1 Foe wall directly in front of the party, 1 Wallby a spectre. turning it to air for exactly 1 move. 1 Move

DRAGON BREATH Allows the DRBR YBARRA'S MYSTICAL COAT OF YMCAmage to breathe fire at a group of 7 ARMOR Causes an effect like 10foes, doing 8 to 32 points of Group "Air Armor" to cover every member Partydamage to each. of the party, lasting indefinitely. Indef.

SABHAR'S STONELIGHT SPELL STSI Level 7Makes all stone and earth within 7range of the party glow with magical View RESTORATION Makes all wounds RESTlight, revealing even secret doors Medium disappear as your entire party is 12

reforged into unflawed bodies. PartyLevel 5 Also cures poisoning and insanity.

ANTI-MAGIC Causes the ANMA DEATHSTRIKE This incantation DESTground to absorb a portion of the 8 is very likely to instantly kill one 14magical energies cast at the Party selected enemy, big or small. 1 Foeparty, frequently allowing the Combatmembers to escape all damage.Also aids in disbelieving illusions and in turningback magical fire, like a dragon's breath.

16

MANGAR'S MIND JAB The mage MIJAcasts a concentrated blast of 3psychic energy at one opponent 1 Foedoing 2-8 hits of damage for eachexperience level of the mage.

SORCEROR SPELLS

Level 1

PHASE BLUR The entire partywill seem to waver and blur in thesight of the monsters, making theparty very difficult to strike.

LOCATE TRAPS In a state ofmagically-heightened awareness,the spell caster will be able to sensea trap within 30 feet, if he faces it.

HYPNOTIC IMAGE If successfullycast, this spell will make a group ofyour enemies miss the followingattack round.

Level 2

DISBELIEVE This spell will revealthe true nature of any illusionattacking the party, causing it toinstantly vanish.

TARGET-DUMMY A magical illusionappears in the party's special slot.Unable to attack, it will serve todraw enemy attacks to himself.

PHBL2Party MANGAR'S MIND FIST A higher MIFICombat power "Mind Jab," does 3-12 hits 4

of damage to one foe, times the 1 FoeLOTR experience level of the mage.230' WORD OF FEAR This incantation FEARShort will make a group of your enemies 4

shake in fear, reducing their ability GroupHYIM to attack and do damage. Combat3Group Level 3

WIND WOLF This spell creates an WIWOillusionary wolf to join the party. 5This and other illusions are only Spec

DISB effective as long as an enemy4 "believes" them. Depending onParty power and location, the monster may

see through the illusion, and cause itto vanish.

TADU4 KYLEARAN'S VANISHING SPELL VANISpec The mage casting this spell will turn 6Combat nearly invisible in the eyes of his Self

enemies, who will have great Combatdifficulty in striking him.

17

SECOND SIGHT The mage will SESI DISRUPT ILLUSION This spell will DilLexperience heightened awareness 6 destroy any illusion fighting the 8and be able to sense stairways, 30' party, and any new illusions created Partyspecial encounters, spell negation Medium later in the combat. It will also point Combatzones, and other unusual occurrences. out any dopplegangers in the party.

CURSE Causes a group of your CURS MANGAR'S MIND BLADE A sharp MIBLenemies to fear you greatly, 5 explosion of psychic energy that 8lessening their morale and their Group inflicts10 - 40 hits to each and All Foesability to hit and damage you. Combat every enemy you face.

Level 4 Level 6

CAT EYES The members of the CAEY WIND DRAGON This incantation WIDRmage's party will all receive perfect 7 will create an illusionary red dragon 10night-vision, which will last View to fight with your party. Specindefinitely. Indef

MIND WARP This spell will make a MIWPWIND WARRIOR This spell will WIWA member of your party go totally 9create the illusion of a battle- 6 insaIle. Useful for possessions. Char.ready warrior that joins your party. Spec

Level 7KYLEARAN'S INVISIBILITY SPELL (NVIThis invocation will perform a 7 WIND GIANT This spell will create WIGIVanishing Spell on the entire Party an illusionary storm giant, to join 12party. Combat with, and fight for, your party. Spec

Level 5SORCERER SIGHT This spell SOSI

WIND OGRE This spell will create WIOG functions the same as the Second 11the illusion of an ogre, which will 7 Sight spell, but it will last 30'accompany and fight with your Party indefinitely. Indefparty.

18

WIZARD SPELLS

Level 1

SUMMON DEAD This spell willgate into our universe a zombieor skeleton to fight for the party.

REPEL DEAD This spell will do16 to 80 points of damage to agroup of undead creatures.

Level 2

LESSER SUMMONING This spellwill gate into our universe a lowerpower elemental or demon, whowill (under protest) join the party.

DEMON BANE This spell will do32 to 128 points of damage to asingle demon. The power tosummon is the power to destroy.

Level 3

SUMMON PHANTOM This spellwill bring a medium level undeadcreature into the party.

DISPOSSESS This spell will makeany possessed party memberreturn to his normal state.

SUDE6Spec

REDE4Group

LESU8Spec

DEBA81 Foe

SUPH10Spec

DISP10Char

19

Level 4

PRIME SUMMONING This spellgates in a medium level elementalor demon, to fight with the party.

ANIMATE DEAD Gives a deadcharacter undead strength, makinghim attack your enemies as thoughhe were truly alive.

Level 5

BAYLOR'S SPELL BIND This spellif successful possesses the mind ofany enemy, forcing him to join yourparty and fight in its defense.

DEMON STRIKE This spell workslike Demon Bane, but it will affectan entire group of demons

PRSU12Spec

ANDE11Char

SPBI141 Foe

DMST14Group

Level 6

SPELL SPIRIT This spell will gatein a higher-level undead creatureto fight for the party.

BEYOND DEATH This spell willrestore life and one hit point to acharacter.

SPSP15Spec

BEDE18Char

5. THE TRAVELLER'S TUNEThis melody makes the members of your partymore dexterous and agile, and thus more difficultto hit.

6. LUCKLARANThis song sets up a partial "anti-magic" field, whichgives party members some increased protectionagainst spell casting.

Level 7 SPELL KEY GLOSSARY

3. WAYLAND'SWATCHThis song will sooth your savage foes, makingthem do less damage in combat.

1. FALKENTYNE'S FURYThis tune increases the damage your party will doin combat, by driving them into a berserker rage.

4. BADH'R KILNFESTThis is an ancient Elven melody, which will heal theBard's wounds during traveling, and heal theparty's wounds during combat.

2. THE SEEKER'S BALLADThis song will produce light when exploring,and during combat it will increase the party'schance of hitting a foe with a weapon. Terms

-- spell lasts until all monsters or allparty members are killed, or until

party n.sns aNay- spell lasts only a few minutes

- spell lasts a little longer- spell lasts twice as long as "Short"-- spell lasts until party enters the

Adventurer's Guild or an anti-magiczone

Terms- spell affects line of sight.-- spell affects a single monster,

regardless of how many you face- spell affects all monsters you face- spell affects 1 of 4 monster groups-- spell affects spellcaster only- 3 squares in the direction you face-- one of 6 party members or special- spell affects all 6 party members

and special-- spell affects "S" slot only;

summoned creature enters combatnextrouro

RangeView1 Foe

Special

All FoesGroupself30'CharParty

ShortMediumLongIndef.

DurationCombat

GRSU22Spec

BARD SONGS

GREATER SUMMONING Thisspell will gate a greater demon intoour universe and bind him to theparty.

20

TIPS FROM THEUNDERGROUND

Characters1. Don't be concerned about losing a Level 1character. Just make another one. But when yourcharacters reach the 3rd level, back them upregularly using your favorite disk copy program.2. If your favorite character gets killed, there a~e

several things you can do. You can resurrect himby magic or in a temple by spending spell points orgold. You can turn off the computer and re.boot,and your entire party will be restored, but withoutthe experience, gold and magic items they havewon since the last time you saved game. Or youcan load the character from your back-up disk ontothe main disk, after first deleting the dead characterfrom your main disk. NOTE: you can only restore acharacter by rebooting if you have previouslysaved your party by exiting the game when in theAdventurer's Guild.3. In "rolling" a character's attribute numbers, 17sand 18s can often make a big difference, asfollows: Intelligence gives Magic Users bonusspell points; Dexterity gives fighters (but notBards) bonus armor protection and first strikecapability; Strength allows fighters to do ex~ra

damage in combat; Luck allows Rogues to surviveeven if they accidentally set off a trap; andConstitution gives all characters bonus hit points.4. Most character races have at least one attributethey are particularly high in. Pay close attention tostarting attributes when designing your party.

21

5. Develop a Sorceror fast. They are very useful indungeons. Wizards are extremely important inadvanced levels; they can summon demons,extremely powerful specials. Develop anArchmage, too. You'll need one; you'll want ~o~e.6. Your pre-built party, excellent for beginninglevels, may not be the best group for advancedlevels. You may want to experiment with a hunter,because his "critical hit" capability can vanquishsuperior monsters, and the monk, who is perhapsthe best fighter of all after he reaches the 6th level.7. Warriors and other fighters often play less of arole against higher level, magic-using monsters.But without the protection of their armor andstrong arms, your Magic Users would not survivelong enough to leam the higher level magic spells.8. Beware the Doppelganger monster. It entersyour party and looks just like one of your members.

Magic1. Don't venture too far into any dungeon withoutyour maximum spell points. A good rule is to leavea dungeon when you are down to one quarter ofyour maximum spell points.2. Manage your spell points carefully. Don't wastea spell if you can accomplish the same thingwithout magic. Torches, for example, often workas well as magic light spells. On the other hand,don't be shy about using magic in combat. Whenin doubt, blast 'em with magic.3. Locate traps, second sight and sorceror sightspells all identify traps within 30 feet. Trapzap spelldisarms all traps within 30 feet.4. Cast a long-lasting Bard spell right beforeentering a tavern. It's like getting a free spell.

Mace

Halbard

Chain Mail

Short Sword

Item AbbreviationsFGN is an abbreviation for Figurine, a magicalstatuette which can come to life.MTHR is an abbreviation for Mithril, an elven metalwith magical qualities.ADMT is an abbreviation for Adamant, anothermagical metal.DMND is an abbreviation for Diamond, one of thehardest substances known to man or monster.

Tips from the Underground: Items1. Generally, the more expensive the item is, thebetter it works. Almost like real life.2. There are no cursed or bad items, unlike real life.3. Don't be stingy. Equip your fighters with thebest armor, weapon, shield, helmet and gauntletsmoney can buy. After all, he can~ take it with him.4. Experiment with all items you find to determinetheir capabilities. Magical items are key to success.Remember that an item may only be magical forcertain characters and classes, so trade itemsaround if you have to.5. Make sure some of your characters carry lessthan 8 items, or else the party will never be able topick up new magical items in the dungeons.6. Whenever your party captures an especiallyinteresting or powerful magic item, save the party assoon as possible. That way, even if disaster strikes,you will never lose that powerful armor, weapon,talisman or whatever.7. This manual is not protected by magic shields orair armor. Don't let your dog eat it.

TorchLampBroadsword

ITEMSThese are the basic items found in Garth'sEquipment Shoppe in unlimited quantity:

DaggerWar Axe

StaffBucklerTower ShieldLeather Armor

Scale ArmorPlate ArmorRobesHelm

-- for light in dungeons-- longer duration than a torch-- most damaging non-magicsword, only usable by fighters

-- a lighter sword, usable by all butmages

-- usable by all, not too effective-- a heavy, damaging weapon, not

usable by bards, rogues, ormagic users

-- a combination battle axe andpike, the most damagingnon-magical weapon

-- the most powerful weapon arogue can use; an armor crusher

- a simple, non-magical cudgel-- a small round shield-- a larger shield-- the lightest armor, wearable byall but magicians and conjurers

- light metal mesh armor, bestagainst light weapons

-- better still, difficult to pierce-- strongest non-magical armor-- will dull old knives, but that's it-- covers the head and saves the

adventurer's good looksLeather Gloves -- some protection for the handsGauntlets -- metal glovesMandolin, Harp, Flute -- musical instruments for use

by Bards

22

109705

NOTICE

ELECTRONIC ARTS RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS IN THEPRODUCT DESCRIBED IN THIS MANUAL AT ANY TIME AND WITHOUT NOTICE.

THIS MANUAL IS COPYRIGHTED. ALL RIGHTS ARE RESERVED. NO PART OF THISMANUAL MAY BE COPIED, REPRODUCED, TRANSLATED OR REDUCED TO ANYELECTRONIC MEDIUM OR MACHINE READABLE FORM WITHOUT THE PRIOR WRITIENCONSENT OF ELECTRONIC ARTS, 2755 CAMPUS DRIVE, SAN MATEO, CALIFORNIA94403.

ELECTRONIC ARTS MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, WITHRESPECT TO THIS MANUAL OR WITH RESPECT TO THE SOFTWARE DESCRIBED INTHIS MANUAL, ITS QUALITY, PERFORMANCE, MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FORANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE PROGRAMS ARE PROVIDED "AS IS".ELECTRONIC ARTS MAKES CERTAIN LIMITED WARRANTIES WITH REGARD TODEFECTIVE RECORDING MEDIA. PLEASE SEE THE ELECTRONIC ARTS LIMITEDWARRANTY ENCLOSED WITH THIS PRODUCT.

SOFTWARE © 1985 INTERPLAY PRODUCTIONS.

MANUAL BY MICHAEL CRANFORD AND BING GORDON, © 1985 ELECTRONIC ARTS.

MANUAL ILLUSTRATIONS BY AVRIL HARRISON.

Michael Cranford wishes to acknowledge:the great illustrator David Lowery, for fantastic monster pictures, city buildings anddungeon walls; my buddy Lawrence Holland, for such great music; the devious BrianFargo, for the treacherous design of Harkyn's Castle and Mangar's worst two levels; BillHeineman, for data compression routines that allowed me to pack so much graphics andanimation; and the following play-testers who helped this program be its very best: CarenEdelstein, Jay Patel, Philip Ybarra, Ayman Adham, Carl Ybarra, Mike Easting.

i1If&ELECTRONIC ARTS'·

2755 CAMPUS DRIVE SAN MATEO. CA 94403 (415) 571-7171