HARRR Fresh Meat ! - Skills, Stats, Interface

CHARACTER SKILLS

Each character class has a skill it can perform. For most classes, the skill improves as they gain levels. The various skills are summarized below.

Repairing

All warriors, in their close relationship with weapons, have learned some smithing and armor fabrication. This allows them to quickly patch up or bend into shape worn-out armor and weapons.

Of course, since it is a rushed job without the benefit of proper tools and a forge, the weapons or armor will be damaged, and will never be quite the same. Usually, this ability is used only as a last-ditch attempt, when a strong weapon is needed quickly, and the blacksmith's shop is nowhere in sight.

The Repair skill works in the following way:

Trap Disarming

Rogues, with their sharp eyes and quick fingers, are often able to detect and disarm deadly traps without harm. Whenever you, as a rogue, select a trapped item, its name will show up in red type, rather than white. To disarm a trap, you simply 'cast' the disarm skill, and activate the trapped item. There is always the chance that you will muff the attempt, and set off the trap, but it's better safe than sorry. Disarming a trapped container also opens it.

The Trap Disarm skill works in the following way:
1. x = 2·Dex - 5·dlvl | 2. if x > Rnd[100], trap is disarmed

Staff Recharging

Sorcerers, with their detailed knowledge of magical devices, are able to recharge their magical staves. Of course, field work can never be quite as precise as that conducted in a laboratory, so the intricate magical fabric of the staff will be slightly warped. Often this is not too large a price to pay for the ability to recharge a staff without the witch's aid.

The Staff Recharge skill works in the following way:
1. if current charges is equal to max charges or max charges is equal to 0, exit | 2. x = Rnd[clvl/qlvl(book)] + 1 | 3. decrease MaxChrg by 1 | 4. add x to CurChrg | 5. if CurChrg < MaxChrg, goto 3. | 6. CurChrg = MaxChrg

CHARACTER STATISTICS

When you pull up the character window, you will see a set of statistics representing your character.

At the top, your name is listed, and beside it are boxes with your experience information, as well as your gold counter. Further down, on the left, you will see your ability stats, with base values and current values. To the right are your combat stats. At the bottom, you will see your power statistics on the left, and your resistances on the right.

Experience Points/Levels
As you play the game, your character gains experience. The most common way to do this is by defeating creatures. Each creature you kill gives you a few experience points. These points add up, and eventually you reach a new experience level. Each time you gain a level, your life points and mana points increase, based on your vitality and magic, respectively. You also get five points to distribute among your abilities. As you keep gaining levels, the next level gets progressively more difficult to attain.

Gold
This one is pretty self-explanatory. It is simply a counter of the gold your character is carrying. Gold takes up one inventory square per 5000 g.p., and is the only item that can be 'stacked' or combined with others of its kind.

Abilities
Each character has four statistics which represent his or her physical and mental aptitudes. Strength represents sheer muscle-power and hugeness of the body. It allows you to wield heavier weapons, and inflict extra damage with each swing. Warriors have the best initial strength. Magic is a combination of brains and cosmic in-tune-ness. It lets you comprehend more complex magical spells and gives you better mana. Sorcerers have the best initial magic rating. Dexterity is quickness; lightness of foot, nimbleness of fingers. High dexterity allows you to use better bows and increases your accuracy (to-hit). Rogues are the leaders in the dexterity stat. Vitality indicates health and general hardiness. It governs the amount of life points you get. Vitality is generally higher in warriors and lower in sorcerers.

Combat Statistics
There are three statistics which affect what happens when you engage in combat. These statistics can be affected by equipment or abilities. Armor class determines how easy it is to hit you. Higher armor classes are generally better. Armor class is simply a summation of the AC values of your armor, with magical modifiers taken into account. The to-hit field represents your accuracy with weapons. You get a basic to-hit value based on your dexterity. Your to-hit can be augmented (or dulled) by various enchanted items. Your damage rating reflects the amount of destruction you can inflict on enemies.

It is given as a range of values, determined by your weapon, your strength, and any magical modifiers, as well as your dexterity, to a certain extent.

Power Ratings
All characters have two forces flowing through them; life force and mana. Life points represent the amount of blood in your system, or how much damage you can take before dying. Mana is the magical power which is drawn upon to cast spells. As you gain experience, each of these forces grows stronger in your character. When each force runs low, it may be replenished by potions or magical spells.

Resistances
Your character has three resistance values: resist general magic, resist fire, and resist lightning. Normally, these are all at zero, meaning that your character is at the mercy of these hazards. Certain magical items can grant resistances to some or all of the aforementioned things. A resistance of 75% means that you are almost immune to whatever the resistance is against.

THE INVENTORY

When you click the INV button, or press I, the inventory window comes up in the left half of your screen. The inventory screen consists of pack locations and body locations.

Pack Locations
The pack is divided into a 10 x 4 grid of squares. Each inventory item takes up a certain number of squares. Gold takes up one square per 5000 pieces. Potions, scrolls, and rings all take up one square apiece. Other items, such as armor and weapons, take up varying amounts of room.

Body Locations
Above the pack area is a representation of your character's body. There are several boxes, showing where you can put certain items. The main body area in the center is for body armor, and the head is for helmets. The two larger boxes to the sides can hold weapons or shields. If a weapon takes up both hands, the off-hand will be filled with a shaded image of the weapon. The small boxes near the hands and neck are for magical rings and amulets.