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The Isle of Four Winds: Rune War 1 Basic Stuff 1.1 System Requirements 1.2 Introduction 1.3 Quick Start 2 Mah Jong Rules 2.1 The Rune Set 2.2 The Compass 2.3 Playing the Game 2.4 Scoring 3 Playing the Rune War 3.1 Selecting a Character 3.2 Casting Spells 3.2.1 Shimmering Runes 3.2.2 The Spell Menu 3.2.3 Summonning 3.2.4 Spell Targets 3.3 Map View 3.4 The Info Screen 4 Movement and Combat (Rune War Only) 4.1 Getting Information 4.2 Moving Your Creatures 4.3 Combat 4.4 Claiming Land 5 Vital Statistics 5.1 Characters 5.2 Creatures 5.3 Spells 5.4 Special Abilities Appendix A Summary of Commands Copyright c1997 Arcanium Productions. All Rights Reserved. This Documentation is an unpublished work fully protected by the Canada Copyright Act and is considered a trade secret belonging to the copyright holder. 1.1 System Requirements The Isle of Four Winds: Rune War,(Version 1.1 Beta Demo) has the following minimum system requirements: A system running Windows 95. DirectX 3.0 or greater. Supported screen resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels in 256 colors.(SVGA) 1.2 Introduction Isle of Four Winds: The Rune War is a strategy game with smooth, fast gameplay. The game consists of two parts, a tile (rune) game, and a combat map. It can be played by 1 to 4 players via LAN or Internet, two players via modem. A full game takes from two to four hours. The goal is to control as much of the map as possible by the end of the game by summoning creatures to take over territories, and by taking land outright through winning rune battles. The game can also be played as MahJong with 1 to 4 human players networked in the same way. In the shareware version, Mah Jong can be played in multiplayer mode, Rune War can not. 1.3 Menus The Cursor: Left click on an option to bring the active cursor on it, or use the up and down arrow keys to cycle through the selections. Left click again on the active selection, or press ENTER, to choose it. Starting a Game: First, go to the setup menu to customize your game. Setup: Name: You can input a name here that you will be known as in the game. Use backspace and the letters to customize your name. (In the Demo, your player name is set to DEMO). Music: Toggle midi music (On/Off). Sound: Toggle sound effects (On/Off). Tutorial Mode: Toggle Tutorial Mode (On/Off). Server Name: Name your game for network, modem play. Save Settings: Save your current configuration. From the Main Menu choose New Game. Choose Solo Play or Multiplayer Game. Solo Play options: Start Mah Jong Start a single player game of Mah Jong. Start Rune War Start a single player game of Rune War. Load Mah Jong Game Loads your autosave game of MJ Load Rune War Game Loads your autosave game of RW Multiplayer options: Choose the type of connection from the menu. One player must act as host. This player selects Host Game. The host selects the game configuration. Other players select Join Game. In a Modem game, the joining player must dial up the host. Saved Games: Games are autosaved after each round, and you can only have one game of each type (MahJong and RuneWar) saved. MahJong games are saved after each hand is completed. RuneWar games are saved after each map phase is completed. In the full version, you will be able to save multiple games. Change Timer: Set the timer to 5,10,15,20, or 30 seconds per turn. 2 MahJong and Rune War 2.1 Mah Jong Rules These rules are just the basics needed in order to play the rune(tile) game. Visit your local bookstore or library to find a more in depth treatment to learning the game of Mah Jong. 2.1.1 The Rune Set: The Mah Jong tile set has 34 different runes, of which there are four each. A complete set contains 136 runes. There are two types of runes, suits and honors. Suit Runes: There are 3 different suits of runes; skulls, swords, and characters (in place of the dots, bamboos, and characters of a normal MahJong tile set). Each suit contains runes numbered from 1 to 9, and there are four of each of these, making 36 tiles of each suit, and 108 suit tiles in all. The 1 and 9 runes are referred to as terminals, as they terminate the suit. The runes 2 through 8 are referred to as simples. The designations terminal and simple are used for scoring purposes. Honor Runes: There are 7 different honor runes, four winds, and three dragons. There are four of each of these runes, making 28 honor tiles in all. The winds include the four wind directions, east, south, west, and north. The dragons are classified by color. There are white, green, and red dragons. Dragons are "lucky" runes, and sets of them are termed "lucky sets". 2.1.2 The Compass As you start, you and your three opponents are seated above the Tower of Four Winds, looking down into its hollow depths onto the central summoning circle far below. Across the bottom of the screen is your hand. Your opponents are seated at the other three edges of the screen. Their hands are concealed, and hidden from you. To the left of center is a round orb encircled by a floating green disc. On the disc are the four compass directions, E, S, W, and N. The acting dealer is always East, and goes first for that hand. The other three players' winds correspond to their seated position. Player 2 is on the right, South: Player 3 is across the top, West; Player 4 is to the left, North. On the disc, the wind of the current player is yellow, all others are blue. The wind for your seat (bottom wind on the compass) is your lucky wind for that round. The wind in the middle of the compass is the prevailing wind. This is a lucky wind for all players for this round. 2.1.3 Playing the Game: The turn time ("X" seconds) is variable, and can be set from the Change Timer options of the Main Menu. Dealing: Each player is dealt 13 runes. Players have "X" seconds (whatever the turn time is set to) to look over their hand, and Kong any concealed foursomes thay have been dealt. The first player, East, draws to start the game. Playing procedure: Once they have drawn, each player has "X" seconds to select a rune to discard. To select a rune, left click on it, or press the left or right arrow keys to bring the rune-demon cursor over the rune. The rune with the grey rune-demon cursor on it is the selected rune. To discard the selected rune, left click on it, or press ENTER. When a rune is discarded, it appears above the discard pile, and is active for "X" seconds. If no one makes a play on it, it falls to the discard pile. Play proceeds with the player to the right drawing a rune. Making a Special Play: Game, Kong, Pung and Chow Whenever a player claims an active discard with Kong, Pung, or Chow, the set is melded (placed in front of the concealed hand, and made visible to all players), and that player must discard. Play then continues to the right of that player. Game: Winning Hands A winning hand consists of four sets and a pair. Sets can be: Three consecutive runes of the same suit (sequence), Three identical runes (triplet), or four identical runes (foursome). Sets can be either melded or concealed. Runes in the hand can be used in any combination to make concealed sets. Concealed sets contain only drawn runes. Melded sets are fixed, the runes can't be used to form other sets. Melded sets contain one claimed rune. To declare 'Game', press 'G', or left-click on the Game button. Game may be declared on any opponent's discard. Game can also be declared on a rune drawn into the hand. Kong: Making a Foursome In order to make a foursome and still have the right number of runes to make a winning hand, a supplemental rune is automatically drawn into your hand. Treat the supplemental rune as if it were a normal drawn rune. You will have 5 seconds to choose a discard. To declare 'Kong', press 'K', or click on the Kong button. There are four ways to make a foursome. Kong: Triplet plus Discard If a player's concealed hand contains a triplet, and another player discards the fourth rune of that type, the player may declare 'Kong' to make a melded foursome. Kong: Melded Triplet plus Draw If a player has previously melded a triplet and draws the fourth rune of that type, the player may declare 'Kong' to make a melded foursome. A supplemental rune is brought into the player's hand, and play continues as if the supplemental rune had been drawn. Kong: Triplet plus Draw If a player's concealed hand contains a triplet, and that player draws in the fourth rune of that type, the player may immediately declare 'Kong' to make a concealed foursome. Once the rune has been incorporated into the hand, 'Kong' may not be declared, and the foursome will not be recognized as a set. A concealed foursome appears in front of the player's hand as if it were a melded set, except that the outer two runes of the set are face down. A concealed foursome is considered as concealed for scoring purposes. Knog: Foursome on Deal You have 5 seconds before the dealer draws to declare 'Kong' to make a concealed foursome. Pung: Making a Melded Triple If a player's concealed hand contains a pair or better of a certain rune, and another player discards that rune, the player may declare 'Pung' to make a melded triplet. The melded triplet appears in front of the player's hand, and the player must discard. Play continues to the right of the player who declared 'Pung'. To declare 'Pung', press 'P', or click the Pung button. Chow: Making a Melded Sequence If the player to your left discards a rune, and you can use it to complete a sequence, you may declare chow. To declare 'Chow, press 'C', or click the Chow button. The rune is brought into your hand, and a cursor appears over the first rune of the highest ranking sequence which contains the claimed rune. If the rune can be used to complete more than one sequence, the lower portion of the selection cursor will appear on other runes that begin a sequence containing the rune just taken in. You have "X" seconds to select, either by left and right arrows and enter key, or by left-click of the mouse. Example: Your hand contains 2,3,5,6 of swords. The player to your left discards 4 of swords. You declare 'Chow'. The 4 of swords appears in your hand. The possible sequences containing this rune are 4,5,6 or 3,4,5 or 2,3,4. The highest ranking of these sequences is 4,5,6. The first rune of this sequence is 4. Thus, the cursor appears over the 4 of swords. Other runes that begin a sequence which contain the 4 of swords are the 2 and 3. With the cursor or mouse, you can cycle the cursor between the 2,3 and 4. You have the normal 5 seconds to select which sequence to meld once the rune is brought into your hand. Selecting the 4 melds the 4,5,6 set. Selecting the 3 melds the 3,4,5 set Selecting the 2 melds the 2,3,4 set. The default set is the highest ranking set, so 4,5,6 is melded if none is selected within 5 seconds. After melding the sequence, you have 5 seconds to discard, and play continues to your right. Melded vs. Concealed Sets There have already been several mentions of melded and concealed sets. There is a distinct difference between the two. Melded runes appear in front of a player's hand in the set they were melded as. All players can see your melded sets. Melded runes can no longer be used for any other purpose, be it as components for casting spells or as runes to complete other sets. However, a melded set does count as a set towards completing a winning hand. Concealed runes are much more versatile. They can be used in any combination to make sets, although each rune can only be part of one set. The Guardians The guardians each serve a function corresponding to the four gameplay options 'Game', 'Kong', 'Pung', and 'Chow'. When you declare one of these, the appropriate guardian checks to see if the declaration is legal, and bellows out your claim if it is. It is possible that another player's claim will supercede yours. The guardian will animate after it has melded the set. Here are the guardians in order of priority, along with their color and function. Wizard: Game (Violet) Demon: Kong (Blue) Hydra: Pung (Green) Titan: Chow (Red) There is no penalty for a false declaration. The guardians will simply not acknowledge your claim. 2.1.4 Scoring Points Winning Hand 20 Sets Sequences 0 Melded triplets Simple 2 Terminal and Honor 4 Concealed triplets Simple 4 Terminal and Honor 8 Melded fours Simple 8 Terminal and Honor 16 Concealed fours Simples 16 Terminal and Honor 32 Pairs Suit runes 0 Ordinary winds 0 Lucky runes 2 Double wind 4 Concealed hand with discarded tile 10 One Chance Hand** 2 Self-Drawn Hand** 2 ** 2 points for "One Chance" and "Self Drawn" are not counted if the hand would otherwise be "No Points". Doubles Lucky Sets Lucky triplet or foursome 1 Double Wind triplet or foursome 2 Four triplets or foursomes 0, 1, or 2 concealed 1 3 concealed 2 4 concealed Limit Three concealed triplets, one sequence 1 Three concsecutive sequences (1,2,3 4,5,6 7,8,9 of same suit) 1 No Points 1 All Simples 1 All Terminals and Honors 1 Terminal or honor in each set * 1 One suit with honors 1 One suit only 4 Little three dragons (3 dragon sets, one being a pair) 1 Ways of Going Out Supplemental Tile 1 Last Tile of Wall 1 * Double for "Terminal or Honor in each set" only applies if the hand contains at least one sequence. To calculate score, add the 20 points for the winning hand to the points for each set. If this score is 20, the double for no points applies. Now add the 10 points for "concealed hand with discarded tile" if applicable. Add up the doubles that apply to the hand and multiply by the score by the proper factor. 1 double -> Score X 2 2 doubles -> Score X 4 3 doubles -> Score X 8 4 doubles -> Score X 16 5 doubles -> 500 pts. (Limit) The maximum score of any hand is 500 points. Payment When a hand is won, the following guidelines determine who pays the winner, in terms of the score of the winning hand. If dealer wins self-drawn: Receives x2 from each player. If dealer wins from discard: Receives x6 from discarder. If non-dealer wins self drawn: Receives x2 from dealer, Receives x1 from other players. If non-dealer wins from discard: Receives x4 from discarder. Limit Hands Certain hands, due their consistency automatically receive a limit score of 500 points. These hands still require four sets and a pair. Here is the list of automatic limit hands. All Honors: Winning hand contains only honor runes. All Terminals: Winning hand contains only 1's and 9's. Big Four Winds: Winning hand contains a triple or better of each wind. Little Four Winds: Winning hand contains three triples or better of winds and a pair of the last wind. Big Three Dragons: Winning hand contains a triple or better of each Dragon. Four Concealed Triplets: A hand containing 4 concealed triplets. Heavenly Hand: A winning hand won on a player's first self-drawn rune, or on the dealer's first discard. Nine Gates: A concealed hand containing the following tiles, all of the same suit: 1,1,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,9,9. Any rune of the same suit will complete a winning hand with four sets and a pair. Thirteen Orphans: This is a special hand, and does not have the usual form of a winning hand. This hand contains one of each honor rune, N,E,S,W, Red, Green, and White Dragon. Plus it has 1 of each terminal rune(1 and 9 of each suit). It contains a pair of any one of these 13 runes. This hand is concealed, because there are no actual sets. *** Some of these limit hands are rumored to grant the winner a BONUS, either as a special ability, supplemental effect, creature, or some map effect. As none of these have ever been achieved in previous Rune Wars, their effects, if any, are a mystery. 3 Playing the Rune War This section applies only to playing the game in Rune War mode. 3.1 Selecting a Character Each wizard is limited as far as which clans he or she can play for. You may select any of the available wizards by left-click on their portrait. The flags of the clans that this character can play for remain bright once a character is selected, the others become grayed out. Left-click on the flag of the clan you wish to represent. Clan determines your starting territories on the Isle Map. You may also select a clan first, by selecting the flag. Wizards who will not play for this clan will be grayed out. If you do not select a wizard or clan, it will be randomly determined by the computer. The next screen informs you of your opponents, their clans, and their playing position for the first hand of MahJong. Demos: You can only choose from Orachi, Lahkkho and Dayla. 3.2 Casting Spells Spell casting brings the Isle of Four Winds to life. Wizards must take care in casting, because in many cases, casting a spell alerts opponents to the runes you have. 3.2.1 Shimmering Runes You will notice when playing in Rune War mode that your runes have a shimmering outline. This denotes the presence of magic within the rune. At the start of each hand, all the runes are recharged by the Mages of the Tower and possess magic. There are many ways to use this magic: Discard: Discarding a magical rune yields 10 spell points. Melding: Whenever you meld a rune which contains magic you receive 10 spell points for each such runr melded. (Note: The discard used in melding the set has no magic since another player has already discarded it) Casting Spells: Most spells require components as well as spell points to cast. Any runes used as components have their magic depleted and do not contribute any spell points. Winning: Any runes with magic left in them will give you 20 spell points each if you win the hand. 3.2.2 The Spell Menu Press 'S'. (button is the blue orb with glowing staff beside the compass) This gives you a menu of spells you know in two columns. Spells in white text cannot be cast due to a lack of spell points or components. Spells in yellow text can be cast. Those in red cannot be cast because they summon unique creatures that are currently on the map. To cast a spell, left-click on any part of the spell info, including components, cost, or name. When you cast a spell, the appropriate screen comes up to allow you to choose a target. To leave the spell menu without casting, left-click outside of the spell box, or press 'S' again. 3.2.3 Summoning Once you have summoned a creature from the spell menu, the map comes up to allow you to place your creature. You can only summon creatures into one of your territories containing a summoning circle, or into the middle territory (Tower of Four Winds) where no combat can take place. The territories you can summon into have animated summoning circles. You have "X" seconds to place your creature. Each wizard can only have 5 creatures in play at a time, with as many as three in any one territory. You can use the dismiss option during the map phase if you want to make room for a new creature. You cannot dismiss creatures from the map view screen while playing the MahJong plase. 3.2.4 Spell Targets Enchantment spells must be cast on a target. To target a creature with a supplemental spell, click on the territory. This will bring up any visible creatures in the army boxes at the top-right part of the screen (your own invisible creatures can be targeted by you). Now left-click on the creature you wish to target. You can see the information on the creature before you cast the spell by right clicking on the creature. Friendly spells can only be cast on your own creatures. Enemy spells can only be cast on your opponents' creatures. Spells that affect a party are cast on any member of the party. 3.3 Map View Press 'V' . This allows you to look at the map as you would during the map phase. Right or left-click on a territory for information on it. The territory info and visible creatures will appear in the top right portion of the screen. Right-click on a creature for information on it. 3.4 The Info Screen Available during both the Mah Jong phase of the game and during the map phase, the info screen gives a summary of the four wizards' progress in the Rune War. Press 'I'. (button is blue orb with ?). Shows the four players in original play order from top to bottom. Left click on the "Close" button, or press 'I' to toggle the screen off. For each player, the following info is given: Left to Right The Wizard's Portrait Icons for Name, Clan, and Spell Points Name, Clan name, and Spell Points. Clan flag and current creatures on the map. Icons for number of territories, total value of territories, and number of summoning circles. Number of territories, total value of territories, and number of summoning circles. Flags of the other 3 clans. Land claim points you have against each of the other clans. 4 Movement and Combat (Rune War Only) After each hand of MahJong is finished, the game moves to the map phase. Duting the map phase, players may move any creatures they have summoned, and claim land from their opponents. The map is a full overhead view of the Isle of Four Winds 4.1 Getting Information The East player of the last MahJong round moves first, followed by South, West, and North, just as in the MahJong phase. When it is your turn to move, you will see your wizard's picture on the right. Also, you will see yellow dots moving from the center territory to the center of all adjacent territories. To the right of the map are several information boxes and buttons. The top information box is reserved for the name of the current territory. Below this are the stats for this territory, including combat values, land value, and whether or not the territory contains a summoning circle. The 8 square boxes below the territory info are for army viewing and manipulation. The top set of 4 is reserved for defending armies, and the bottom set for attackers. Note: The Tower of Four Winds can contain armies from all four clans. You can view all four clans by left-click on a flag to cycle through the flags. The large framed window is the view window. This shows a portrait of anything you are viewing. The space just outside the frame of this window is reserved for enchantment icons (if you are viewing a creature). Right-click on an icon to see information on the spell it represents. Below the view window is an information box giving the mname of the object in the view window. Buttons for Chat, Info, and Menu options, plus Dismiss, Undo, and Done. To see information on a territory, simply left or right-click on it. On the map you will see a castle in each territory. This castle identifies the clan ownership. To see which player represents this clan, either: check the info screen (Press"I" or the Info button), or bring up the territory info and right-click on the clan flag. (This brings up the wizard's portrait in the view window, and the clan name below that.) 4.2 Moving Your Creatures To move your creatures, first bring up the territory. Units selected for movement will have a bright green outline. To toggle a unit for movement, left-click, this will toggle the green outline. Now drag and drop from your current territory to the one you wish to move to (must be an adjacent territory). All units which were highlighted are now in the new territory. 4.3 Combat Combat Statistics: All creatures have four combat stats, (Melee\Ranged\Defense\Loyalty). Melee: Attack strength of the creature in melee combat. This is pitted against the defense strength of the opposing creature. The difference (if positive) is the amount by which the opponent's loyalty is reduced. Ranged: Attack value of the creature or territory in ranged combat, does direct damage to loyalty with no defense adjustment. Ranged attack is used only for one round, before the melee combat begins, and does not affect creatures that have the special ability Ignore Missiles. Territories cannot be targeted by ranged attacks. Defense: Defensive strength of the creature. Specifies the amount of melee attack strength the creature can negate in melee combat. Loyalty: The amount of damage a creature will take before abandoning its summoner. Combat takes place anytime a creature ends its turn in an enemy territory. The first round of combat is ranged combat. Ranged combat is simultaneous, and includes the territory ranged attack. The territory does ranged damage to one of the enemy creatures, and all creatures (attacking and defending) with a ranged attack rating of one or better shoot missiles at the enemy. Damage is then resolved for this round. Territories and creatures that ignore missiles are not targeted by ranged attacks. Apart from this, targets are chosen randomly by each creature. Target creature loyalty is reduced by the ranged attack strength of the opponent, with no defensive adjustment. After the ranged combat round, melee combat commences. In melee combat, the team that holds the territory goes first. The first battle pits the leading creatures of the two parties. Melee attack value of a creature is raised by one for each additional creature in the party behind the one currently attacking. (Thus, a party of maximum size, 3 creatures, confers a bonus of 2 to the melee value of the leading creature.) There is no such bonus to the defense or loyalty values, except for parties containing 2 or more creatures with the merge special ability. In combat, if the melee strength of a combatant is less than or equal to the defense of the creature it is in combat with, the following table applies: Defense - Melee % chance to hit 0 50 1 25 2 12 3 6 n 1/(n+1) Sample Combat: A Wraith(7\0\4\5) and a durlock(6\1\3\5) end their turn in an enemy territory(4\2\3\5) that contains an Adventure Party(5\1\4\5). Ranged combat: The Durlock, the Adventure Party, and the territory all have ranged attacks. The territory targets the Wraith (random choice), doing 2 damage and lowering it's loyalty to 3. The durlock does 1 damage to the Adventure Party (Territories cannot be targeted by ranged attacks) reducing it to 4 loyalty. The Adventure Party ranged attack targets the durlock (random choice), and lowers its loyalty to 4. Territory ranged attack takes place first. Creature ranged attacks are simultaneous. Melee Combat: The Wraith has one supporting creature, raising its melee rating by 1, its statistics are (8\0\4\3). The Adventure Party is (5\1\4\4). The ranged attack values no longer come into play. The defending creature (Adventure Party) attacks first. Its melee is 5, the Wraith's defense is 4, so the Wraith's loyalty is reduced by 1 to 2. The Wraith attacks, melee 8 versus defense 4, doing 4 damage. The Adventure Party's loyalty is now zero, and it flees combat, and it is no longer controlled by its summoner. It is now the defender's turn. The territory now engages in melee combat, summoning all it's native creatures and the power of its elements.(4\2\3\5) With its melee value of 4 against the Wraith's defense of 4, the territory has a 50% chance of doing 1 damage. It is successful, and the Wraith's loyalty is reduced to 1. The Wraith attacks the territory, 8 Melee vs 3 Defense, doing 5 damage and conquering the territory. Note: The "First Strike" special ability affects the combat sequence. Invisible parties, and parties led by Learra the Siren and Carol the Great get this bonus. When such parties attack an enemy territory, only the territory gets a ranged strike. The rest of the ranged combat round is skipped. Also, the attacking team strikes first in the Melee round. 4.4 Claiming Land On your movement turn, any territories that can be claimed will have a deed or scroll over the castle. Left-click on a deed to make the territory yours. You may claim any enemy territory which borders on one of your territories. The enemy territory cannot be occupied, and you must have land claim points against the owner clan equal to or greater than the value of the territory. Remember, some territories might seem to be empty, but could be occupied by invisible creatures. NOTE: The center territory, Tower of Four Winds, is neutral, and is not taken into account when borders are determined. 5 Vital Statistics 5.1 Characters ORACHI: Will accept call from Maitha and marz. Description: Orachi is a master of the Undead. The source of his magic is the dead souls he leaves in his wake. His origins are unknown. Summoning: All Skulls Supplemental: Common, All Skulls Specials: Red Dragon, Fire Elemental LAKKHO: Kartha wizard Description: Lakkho is the first Karthan bred wizard with the magical ability to be competitive in the Rune Wars. He is sure to become a legend among his people. Summoning: All Swords Supplemental: Common, All Swords Specials: Green Dragon, Earth Elemental DAYLA marz wizard Description: Dayla is the next in the long line of capable Marz Rune War mages. Her repertoire of spells focuses on loyalty and mobility. Summoning: All Magic Numbers Supplemental: Common, All Magic Numbers Specials: White Dragon, Water Elemental ZIAG iz wizard Description: Ziag is a master of supplemental spells. This power gives him the ultimate combat flexibility, being able to change the odds quickly in his favor. Summoning: Shadow, Kilor Celsbane, Sand Wraith, Chameleon Supplemental: Common, All Supplemental Specials: Permanent See Invisibility NIANA Will accept iz or Kartha commission. Will accept any call to oppose ORACHI. Description: Niana's pact with the demon lord Maz'ra gives her the dreaded Hellblast. This, combined with a strategic spell list makes her an effective specialist. Summoning: Knight Templar, Minotaur, Adventure Party, Fire Giant, Sand Wraith, Stone Golem, Thunder Bird. Supplemental: Common, Guidance, Blind Ambition, Brilliant Lights Specials: Hellblast, Fire Elemental KIERAC Will accept call from iz or marz. Description: Kierac is a stealthy and resourceful wizard. His uncanny knack for summoning has earned him the title 'Master of Summoning'. Summoning: All Skulls, Swords, and Magic Numbers Supplemental: Common Specials: None LOGUN Bard: Will play for any clan. Description: Logun is friend to all. His charisma and persuasion have garnered him the respect and favour of all three dragons. His ingenuity has garnered him the secret to the Juggernaut. Summoning: Skeleton horde, Durlock, Carol the Great,Adventure Party, Sand Wraith, Juggernaut Supplemental: Common Specials: All Dragons. NUCRUS Maitha wizard Description: Nucrus is a sneaky, underhanded trickster. He can control the game with his elemental tricks. His unscrupulous tactics are more than an annoyance. Summoning: Skeleton horde, Shadow, Minotaur, Adventure Party, Sand Wraith, Stone Golem, Tornado. Supplemental: Common, Teleport. Specials: All Elementals. JAVED Will accept call from Maitha or Kartha. Description: Javed is master of the Air. Being a telepath, he can communicate with the Rune War guardians even when silence has been invoked. This makes him desired despite his inexperience. Summoning: Wraith, Thunder Bird, Ki-Lin, Griffon. Supplemental: Common, All Swords except Battle Fury, Paralyze. Specials: Air Elemental, Telepathic (Can still use game options while Silence spell invoked (ie. Chow, Pung, Kong, Game)) 5.2 Creature Database (U) denotes unique creature Skull Creatures Skeleton Horde: Melee: 4 Ranged: 0 Defense: 1 Loyalty: 3 Move: 1 Value: 80 Runes: 1,4 Special: Swarm Foot soldiers of the skull summoning chain, the skeleton horde provides support. Their sheer numbers allow them to swarm, attacking every member of an opposing army. Shadow: Melee: 5 Ranged: 0 Defense: 2 Loyalty: 3 Move: 1 Value: 120 Runes: 3,7 Special: Merge, Invisibility Shadows are a useful staple in the skull realm. Their ability to merge amongst themselves and maintain invisibility greatly enhances their attacking prowess. Durlock: Melee: 6 Ranged: 1 Defense: 3 Loyalty: 4 Move: 1 Value: 200 Runes 2,8 Special: None A valued member of the skull summoning realm, the Durlock provides an initial foundation for a strong force with its missile fire and robust attack. Kilor Celsbane(U): Melee: 6 Ranged: 0 Defense: 4 Loyalty: 5 Move: 1 Value: 240 Runes 1,4,7 Special: Invisibility The invisible undead knight is a formidable adversary to any mid-range unit. With the addition of supplemental enchantments, Kilor becomes a potent foe to any opponent. Wraith: Melee: 7 Ranged: 0 Defense: 4 Loyalty: 5 Move: 2 Value: 300 Runes 3,5,9 Special: Regeneration Wraiths provide the most bang for the buck in the skull regime. Regeneration supplies durability in combat allowing the wraith to clean up any low to mid-range enemies and territories. Maz'Ra(U): Melee: 8 Ranged: 0 Defense: 5 Loyalty: 6 Move: 2 Value: 500 Runes 6,6,6 Special: Hellblast, 25% Magic Resistence The Demon Lord known as Maz'Ra may well be the most fearsome creature available to summoners. It can single handedly dispatch many capable armies with its overwhelming attack strength and intimidating Hellblast ability. Sword Creatures Knight Templar: Melee: 2 Ranged: 0 Defense: 3 Loyalty: 3 Move: 1 Value: 100 Runes: 1,4 Special: Mighty Blow The Knight Templar is a solid low range summoning. He has the ability to combat any low to mid-range opponent with his impressive mighty blow. Carol the Great(U): Melee: 3 Ranged: 0 Defense: 4 Loyalty: 4 Move: 1 Value: 160 Runes: 3,7 Special: Gate, First Strike Carol is a versatile addition to any summoner that can call her to battle. Her pendant allows her to gate to friendly summoning circles and gives her army first strike if she leads them into battle by using the short range displacement ability of her pendant. Minotaur: Melee: 4 Ranged: 0 Defense: 4 Loyalty: 5 Move: 1 Value: 200 Runes 2,6,8 Special: None Extremely resilient, the minotaur is an excellent choice for summoners. It possesses solid battle attributes at a reasonable cost. Adventure Party: Melee: 5 Ranged: 1 Defense: 4 Loyalty: 5 Move: 1 Value: 250 Runes 1,4,7 Special: See Invisible The adventure party is a wise magical investment. It combines a formidable ground and air assault with a stalwart defense. Its ability to see the invisible can foil enemy plans. Fire Giant: Melee: 5 Ranged: 2 Defense: 5 Loyalty: 6 Move: 1 Value: 300 Runes 3,6,9 Special: None This high range creature is strong in all facets of combat like most sword creatures. Its initial ranged strike is followed by a potent melee attack. King Drago(U): Melee: 6 Ranged: 1 Defense: 6 Loyalty: 6 Move: 1 Value: 400 Runes 2,5,5,8 Special :90% Magic Resistance, Mighty Blow King Drago is the jewel of the realm of swords. His consistencies in the art of war are bolstered by his resistance to magic. Add his mastery of the fearsome mighty blow and you have an awesome fighting machine. Unfortunately he is difficult to heal. Number Creatures Sand Wraith: Melee: 4 Ranged: 0 Defense: 1 Loyalty: 4 Move: 1 Value: 100 Runes: 1,4 Special: Invisibility The sand wraith is an exceptional strategic unit because of its invisibility. Pair off a sand wraith or two with a mid range creature and watch the overconfident big ones fall. Stone Golem: Melee: 4 Ranged: 0 Defense: 2 Loyalty: 5 Move: 1 Value: 140 Runes: 3,7 Special: Regeneration With its exceptional resilience and regeneration, the stone golem makes for a solid low range creature ideal for support. Learra the Siren(U): Melee: 5 Ranged: 0 Defense: 3 Loyalty: 6 Move: 1 Value: 220 Runes 2,6,8 Special: First Strike A hauntingly gorgeous individual, Learra's hypnotic song freezes opponents in combat when she leads an attacking party, providing her with the first strike. A good melee property makes this strike quite nasty. Thunder Bird: Melee: 5 Ranged: 1 Defense: 3 Loyalty: 6 Move: 2 Value: 260 Runes 1,4,7 Special: None The thunder bird introduces a ranged attack to the number realm. Couple this with hearty melee and loyalty values and you have a powerful mid-range unit. Ki-Lin: Melee: 6 Ranged: 0 Defense: 4 Loyalty: 7 Move: 2 Value: 350 Runes 3,6,9 Special: Ignore Missiles This fearsome serpent like beast has no visible weaknesses. Its lack of a ranged attack is offset by its ability to ignore missiles while its other abilities are very impressive. Shanahan(U): Melee: 7 Ranged: 2 Defense: 4 Loyalty: 8 Move: 2 Value: 450 Runes 2,5,5,8 Special: None Shanahan the Cloud Giant is the pinnacle of the number realm. There are many options available to the commander of this big boy. Overwhelm most anything by itself, or attach it to a party and wreak havoc across the Isle. Dragons White Dragon(U): Melee: 7 Ranged: 1 Defense: 5 Loyalty: 8 Move: 2 Value: 500 Runes: 3 Wh. Dragon(WD) Special: Cast draw char.(50 pts) The White Dragon is extremely resilient and loyal by nature. Factor in its ability to allow the summoner to draw a character rune and its consistent battle characteristics and you have a top notch unit at your command. Green Dragon(U): Melee: 9 Ranged: 0 Defense: 4 Loyalty: 7 Move: 2 Value: 500 Runes: 3 Gr. Dragon(GD) Special: Cast draw sword.(40 pts) The Green Dragon is a very hostile and aggressive beast. Its lack of a missile strike is supplemented by a fearsome attack strength and a high loyalty. When in play, this Dragon grants its controller the ability to draw a sword rune. Red Dragon(U): Melee: 7 Ranged: 3 Defense: 5 Loyalty: 6 Move: 2 Value: 500 Runes: 3 Red Dragon(RD) Special: Cast draw skull.(40 pts) The Red Dragon has a particular affinity to the skull realm, allowing its summoner the ability to draw a rune of skulls. It has an intense ranged breath attack and a capable defense making it another powerful minion to do your bidding . Special Creatures Juggernaut (U): Melee: 7 Ranged: 0 Defense: 4 Loyalty: 6 Move: 1 Value: 320 Runes:4SK,4S,4N Special: Regeneration This creature leads its category on the battlefield. It combines strength, resilience, and broad movement. The Juggernaut is indeed a powerful summons. Tornado: Melee: 5 Ranged: 0 Defense: 5 Loyalty: 5 Move: 2 Value: 240 Runes: N,E,S,W. Special: Ignore Missiles A wizard must draw upon the power of the winds to summon a tornado. A stronge mid-ranged being, the tornado offers immunity to missile attacks and consistent battle attributes. Griffon: Melee: 4 Ranged: 0 Defense: 3 Loyalty: 4 Move: 2 Value: 170 Runes: E,1N,9N Special: Merge, See Invisible The griffon is a credible strategic unit. Its ability to merge and see the invisible along with its capable combat properties makes it a useful low range creature. An excellent scout with its high movement. Chameleon: Melee: 3 Ranged: 1 Defense: 3 Loyalty: 3 Move: 1 Value: 150 Runes: 8 Sw, GD Special: Invisible, Regeneration Chameleons are stealthy archers of the lizard persuasion. Their hearty nature and loyalty to Ziag allow them to recuperate quickly. This is the only invisible unit with ranged attack capability. Elements Fire Elemental(U): Melee: 5 Ranged: 2 Defense: 3 Loyalty: 5 Move: 1 Value: 300 Runes: Pair S Special: Cast random discard.(30 pts and S), Fire Shield. The Fire Elemental is a particularly volatile creature. A potent attack force that employs a solid melee and ranged attack, its ability to grant the random discard spell is its real burn. Earth Elemental(U): Melee: 5 Ranged: 0 Defense: 5 Loyalty: 5 Move: 1 Value: 300 Runes: Pair E Special: Cast scry runes.(30 pts and E), Regeneration. Born from the ground beneath, the Earth Elemental is another consistent battle force. The one who controls it receives the ability to peek at his or her opponents hands with the scry runes spell. Air Elemental(U): Melee: 5 Ranged: 1 Defense: 3 Loyalty: 7 Move: 2 Value: 300 Runes: Pair N Special: Cast silence.(30 pts and N, duration: 3 rounds.), Immune to missiles. The Air Elemental proves to be the greatest combatant af all the elements. Summoners calling upon this element gain the favor of the silence spell, an annoyance to all wizards who are stricken with it. Water Elemental(U): Melee: 4 Ranged: 0 Defense: 4 Loyalty: 7 Move: 2 Value: 300 Runes: Tr W Special: Cast fog.(30 points and W, duration: 3 rounds.), Swarm. The Water Elemental is a powerful force on the Isle, and in the Rune Game. Fog is the strategic annoyance granted to the commander of this element. 5.3 Supplemental Spells Common Spells Dispel Magic Runes: None Target: Any unit Effect: Remove enchantments Cost: 100 Removes all enchantments from the target creature. Does not affect any special abilities. Lightning Bolt Runes: None Target: 1 enemy Effect: -1 Loyalty Cost: 80 The caster of this spell summons the power of the skies to strike an enemy creature with a lightning bolt. Shocking! Heal Runes: None Target: 1 friendly Effect: +2 Loyalty, up to max Cost: 100 Description: An important supplementary spell, healing restores two loyalty to a friendly unit.. Loyalty will be added up to the target's maximum. Special Spell This spell is only available to Niana, and also a special ability of Maz'Ra. Hellblast Runes: 6Sk,1RD Target: 1 enemy party Effect:-2 Loyalty Cost: 80 Description: The most destructive spell in the lands, hellblast surrounds a targeted enemy army with a searing hot firestorm causing some major damage. ------------------------------------------------------------- Skull Realm All the components required for these spells are skull runes. Demonic Compulsion Runes: None Target: 1 friendly Effect:+1 Loyalty Cost: 20 Description: The caster draws upon the power of the demons to bolster the loyalty of one of his minions. Mass Panic Runes: 7,9 Target: 1 enemy party Effect:-1 Loyalty Cost: 50 Description: The summoner directs the face of fear at an enemy army group, sending them into panic and reducing their loyalty. Paralyze Runes: 5,8 Target: 1 enemy Effect: Freeze creature Cost: 40 Description: Another mind altering spell, paralyzing fear ceases the movement of one enemy creature for one turn as it becomes wracked with terror. Reduction Runes: 4,9 Target: 1 enemy Effect:-1 Defense, -1 Melee Cost: 60 Description: With this spell the summoner is able to harness the power of the skull realm to drain the will of one enemy creature, reducing its combat characteristics. Magical Aura Runes: 2,5 Target: 1 friendly Effect:+1 Defense Cost: 40 Description: The magic of this enchantment consumes its target, making it feel more confident in its abilities. As a result, the creature touched by this gains in defense. ------------------------------------------------------------- Sword Realm All the components required for these spells are sword runes. Guidance Runes: 6 Target: 1 friendly Effect:+1 Ranged Cost: 20 Description: This spell sharpens the vision of one friendly creature with ranged combat ability, enabling it to pinpoint its ranged attack. Battle Fury Runes: None Target: 1 friendly Effect:+1 Melee Cost: 30 Description: An intense bloodlust flows through the veins of the recipient of this spell, making it a more fierce attacker. Force Shield Runes: 7,9 Target: 1 friendly Effect: Missile Damage -1 Cost: 30 Description: The caster of this spell is able to conjure a shield of energy around a single friendly creature, reducing the effectiveness of missile and territory fire against it. Dust Cloud Runes: 5,8 Target: 1 enemy Effect:-1 Melee Cost: 30 Description: Swirling winds surround the target of this spell kicking up dust and other debris. The target becomes distracted and unable to fully defend itself. Heroism Runes: 4,9 Target: 1 friendly Effect:+1 Melee ,+1 Loyalty Cost: 50 Description: The target of this spell becomes inspired by visions of mighty warriors cutting down their enemies. This greatly enhances the combat ability of the enchanted. ------------------------------------------------------------- Character Realm All the components required for these spells are character runes. Mystical Fountain Runes: None Target: 1 friendly Effect: Random Cost: 30 Description: The waters of a great mystical fountain are sprinkled upon the recipient of this spell giving it a random bonus. The target receives +1Melee, +1Loyalty or +1Ranged. Blind Ambition Runes: 6 Target: 1 friendly Effect: Mel+1, Rngd+1, Loy-2 Cost: 20 Description: When a friendly creature is enchanted with this spell it becomes extremely eager for battle, sacrificing loyalty for the lust of battle. Smoke Runes: 8 Target: 1 enemy Effect:-1 Ranged Cost: 20 Description: A cloud of billowing smoke surrounds one enemy creature limiting its visibility. This will reduce or negate the target's ability to make a ranged attack. Brilliant Lights Runes: 7,9 Target: 1 enemy Effect:-1 Defense Cost: 40 Description: Extremely bright lights appear and dance around the target of this spell, distracting it from battle and reducing its ability to defend itself. Teleport Runes: 4,9 Target: 1 friendly Effect: Special Cost: 50 Description: An excellent utility spell, teleport allows the caster to call upon the gates of travel to shift any one of his or her minions to any friendly territory. ------------------------------------------------------------- 5.4 Creature Special Abilities Hellblast Users: Maz'Ra the Demon Lord Description: The presence of the possessor of this ability sends even the bravest of souls into panic. This is reflected by the loss of 2 loyalty points to all that combat it. Fire Shield Users: Fire Elemental. Description: The fire shield reduces the loyalty of any creature that strikes its bearer in melee combat by one. First Strike Users: Carol the Great, Learra the Siren. Description: Those who possess this ability and lead their party into combat forego ranged combat, and are granted first strike in melee combat. This only applies to attacking parties. Gate Users: Carol the Great Description: This ability allows the unit to teleport into any friendly territory containing a summoning circle by calling on the portals of travel. Ignore Missiles Users: Ki-Lin, Tornado. Description: Creatures with this ability can avoid the effects of missile fire when in combat. Invisibility Users: Sand Wraith, Shadow, Kilor Celsbane, Air Elemental. Description: Invisible creatures may move across the isle free from detection, only to appear in combat. Surprise! See Invisible Users: Adventure Party, Griffon Description: Those blessed with this ability can see invisible units in adjacent territories. Magic Resistence Major Users: King Drago Description: Those possessing Major Magic Resistence receive a %90 chance to ignore the effects of spells directed at them by any wizard. Magic Resistence Minor Users: Maz'Ra the Demon Lord Description: Those possessing Minor Magic Resistence receive a %25 chance to ignore the effects of spells directed at them by any wizard. Merge Users: Shadow, Griffon Description: This ability allows creatures of the same type to link together in battle, instilling a +1 melee and +1 defense to each of these creatures, instead of just the +1 melee usually granted for supporting creatures. Mighty Blow Users: Knight Templar, King Drago Description: This fearsome ability gives the possessor a %25 chance to strike a devastating blow in combat. A succesful mighty blow boosts melee strength by 3, and guarantees that at least one damage is done, regardless of the opponents defense rating. Regeneration Users: Stone Golem, Wraith, Juggernaut, Chameleon, Earth Elemental. Description: Regenerating creatures are restored to maximum loyalty at the beginning of the map phase. Swarm Users: Skeleton Horde, Water Elemental. Description: Creatures employing the ability to swarm may attack a full party instead of just the leader, overwhelming them with sheer numbers. ------------------------------------------------------------- Appendix A: Summary of Commands: Hotkeys and Functions Reference Sheet Press ESC at any time to return to the Main Menu. MahJong Phase Hotkeys: i: Toggles the information screen on or off. (Rune War only) v: Toggles the map on and off. (Rune War only) s: Toggles the spell casting box on and off. (Rune War only) p: Will pong the current discarded rune. c: Will chow the current discarded rune. k: Will kong the current discarded rune or a foursome in your hand. g: Will call game and claim victory assuming you have a winning hand. pause: Will pause the game.(functional in any phase) alt+tab:Will pause and minimize the game.(functional in any phase) arrows: 1/Using thaese keys on your turn will cycle the cursor through your rune hand. 2/Using these keys when chowing a discard will cycle through the chowing options in your hand, assuming you have multiple choices. You must select the first rune of the sequence you wish to meld. space: Will pass on the current discard, and bypass the timer. pause: Brings up the pause screen. Map Phase Functions: (Rune War only) view: Right click on any territory or creature and its information will appear in the information box at the far right side of the map. Right clicking on a flag that is situated at the front of any player's army line will display the wizard controlling that clan. toggle move: When a creature is able to move it is outlined by a green cursor. You may toggle this on or off by left clicking on the creature. This will allow you to move creatures that sit in the same army line to different destinations. If you wish to move the entire army line then each creature's movement cursor must be active. movement: A creature or creatures in the same army line outlined by a green movement cursor may be moved. This is done by left clicking and holding on the territory the creature or creatures are contained in, then dragging and releasing the mouse when at the desired destination. Note: you may only move into an adjacent territory. Therefore creatures with two movement must repeat the above process. swap: Left click and hold on the desired target, then drag on top of creature you wish to swap positions with and release the mouse button. This is to organize the order of your army within a territory. dismiss: Left click on the dismiss button located at the bottom-right corner of the map screen to activate the dismiss function. Select a target to dismiss and double left click on it. It will be removed from your forces. If you decide this is a mistake, simply left click on the undo button and that creature will return. Note: this will also undo all that you have done that turn. undo: Left click on this button to reset the map phase of that turn. All movement and land claims done on this turn will be undone, and you can do them over. Note: this will not reset the timer. gate: Gate is a power unique to Carol the Great. It functions as follows: Carol can teleport herself and or units in her territory to any friendly territory containing a summoning circle including the tower territory. To move the entire line simply left click and hold, making sure the green movement cursors are active, then move the cursor to the desired destination, remembering it must contain a friendly summoning circle, and release. You may select a creature from an army line to gate by toggling their movement cursor on and off. Note: Carol does not have to move herself, and gating a creature requires one movement point for that creature.