Moria may be copied and modified freely, but may not be sold or marketed IN ANY FORM without the permission and written consent from the author Robert Alan Koeneke. I retain all copyrights to this program, in either the original or modified forms, and no violation, deletion, or change of the copyright notice is allowed. Furthermore, I will have no liability or responsibility to any user with respect to loss or damage caused directly or indirectly by this program.
The Dungeons of Moria
Robert Alan Koeneke
1. Introduction
The game of moria is a single player dungeon simulation. A player may choose from a number of races and classes when creating a character, and then ‘run’ that character over a period of days, weeks, even months, attempting to win the game by defeating the Balrog which lurks in the deeper levels.
The player will begin his adventure on the town level where he may acquire supplies, weapons, armor, and magical devices by bartering with various shop owners. After preparing for his adventure, the player can descend into the dungeons of moria where fantastic adventures await his coming!
Before beginning your first adventure, you should read this document carefully. The game of moria is a complicated game, and will require a dedicated player to win.
2. The Character
All characters have six main attributes which modify their basic abilities. These six attributes, called stats, are strength, intelligence, wisdom, dexterity, constitution, and charisma. Stats may vary from 3 as a minimum to 18/100 as a maximum. Because adventurers of interest tend to be better than average characters, moria stats will average about 12.5, and are further adjusted by race and class. Some races are just naturally better at being certain classes, as will be shown later.
In addition to the more visible stats, each character has certain abilities which are mainly determined by his race and class, but are also modified by his stats. The abilities are fighting, throwing/bows, saving throw, stealth, disarming, magical devices, perception, searching, and infra-vision.
Characters will be assigned an early history, with money and a social class based on that history. Starting money is assigned based on history, charisma, and somewhat upon the average of a character’s stats. A character with below average stats will receive extra money to help him survive the first adventure.
Each character will also have physical attributes such as a race, a height, weight, sex, and a physical description. None of these, except weight, play any part in the game other than to give the player a “feeling” for his character. Weight is used for computing carrying capacity and also for bashing.
Finally each character is assigned hit points based on their race, class, and constitution. Spell casters will also receive mana which is expended when casting spells. Mana is based on Wisdom for Priests and Intelligence for Mages.
2.1. Character Stats
Strength
Strength is important in fighting with weapons, or hand to hand. A high strength can improve your chances of hitting, and the amount of damage done with each hit. Characters with low strengths may receive penalties. Strength is also useful in tunneling, body and shield bashing, and in carrying heavy items.
Intelligence
Intelligence is the prime stat of a mage, or magician. A high intelligence increases a mage’s chances of learning spells, and in gaining mana. No spell may be learned by mages with intelligences under 8. Intelligence also modifies a character’s chance of disarming traps and picking locks.
Wisdom
Wisdom is the prime stat of a priest. A high wisdom increases the chance of receiving new spells from a priest’s diety, and in the gaining of mana. Wisdom also modifies a character’s chance of resisting magical spells cast upon his person.
Dexterity
Dexterity is a combination of agility and quickness. A high dexterity may allow a character to get multiple blows with lighter weapons, thus greatly increasing his kill power, and may increase his chances of hitting with any weapon and dodging blows from enemies. Dexterity is also useful in picking locks and disarming traps.
Constitution
Constitution is a character’s ability to resist damage to his body, and to recover from damage received. Therefore a character with a high constitution will receive more hit points, and be more resistant to poisons.
Charisma
Charisma represents a character’s personality, as well as physical looks. A character with a high charisma will receive better prices from store owners, whereas a character with a very low charisma will be robbed blind. A high charisma will also mean more starting money for the character.
2.2. Character Sex
You may choose to be either a male or a female character. Only height and weight are affected by a character’s sex. Female characters tend to be somewhat smaller and lighter then their male counterparts. No adjustments to stats or abilities are made because of the sex of a character.
2.3. Character Abilities
Characters possess nine different abilities which can help them to survive. The starting abilities of a character are based upon race and class. Abilities may be adjusted by high or low stats, and may increase with the level of the character.
Fighting
Fighting is the ability to hit and do damage with weapons or fists. Normally a character gets a single blow from any weapon, but if his dexterity and strength are high enough, he may receive more blows per round with lighter weapons. Strength and dexterity both modify the ability to hit an opponent. In addition this skill increases with the level of the character.
Throwing/Bows
Using stand-off missile weapons and throwing objects is included in this skill. Different stats apply to different weapons, but may modify the distance an object is thrown/fired, the amount of damage done, and the ability to hit a creature. This skill increases with the level of the character.
Saving Throw
A Saving Throw is the ability of a character to resist the effects of a spell cast on him by another person/creature. Note that this does not include spells cast on the player by his own stupidity, such as quaffing a nasty potion. This ability increases with the level of the character, but then most high level creatures are better at casting spells, so it tends to even out.
Stealth
The ability to move silently about is very useful. Characters with good stealth can usually surprise their opponents, gaining the first blow. Also, creatures may fail to notice a stealthy character entirely, allowing a player to avoid certain fights.
Disarming
Disarming is the ability to remove traps (safely), and includes picking locks on traps and doors. Note that a successful disarming will gain the character some experience. The character must have found a trap before it can be disarmed. Dexterity and intelligence both modify the ability to disarm, and this ability increases with the level of the character.
Using Magical Devices
Using a magical device such as a wand or staff requires experience and knowledge. Spell users such as mages and priests are therefore much better at using a magical device than say a fighter. This skill is modified by intelligence, and increases with the level of the character.
Perception
Perception is the ability to notice something without actively seeking it out. This skill is based entirely upon race and class, and will never improve unless magically enhanced.
Searching
To search is to actively look for secret doors, floor traps, and traps on chests. Rogues are the best at searching, but mages, rangers, and priests are also good at it. Intelligence modifies your searching ability.
Infra Vision
Infra-vision is the ability to see heat sources. Since most of the dungeon is cool or cold, infra-vision will not allow the player to see walls and objects. Infra-vision will allow a character to see any warm-blooded creatures up to a certain distance. This ability works equally well with or with out a light source. Note that the majority of moria’s creatures are cold blooded, and will not be detected unless lit up by a light source.
2.4. Choosing A Race
There are eight different races that you can choose from in moria. Some races are restricted as to what profession they may be, and each race has its own adjustments to a character’s stats and abilities.
Human
The human is the base character, all other races are compared to him. Humans can choose any class, and are average at everything. Humans tend to go up levels faster than any other race, because of their shorter life-spans. No racial adjustments occur to characters choosing human.
Half-Elf
Half-elves tend to be smarter and faster than a human, but not as strong. Half-elves are slightly better at searching, disarming, perception, stealth, and magic, but they are not as good at hand weapons. Half-elves may choose any class.
Elf
Elves are better magicians then humans, but not as good at fighting. They tend to be smarter and faster than either humans or half-elves, and also have better wisdom. Elves are better at searching, disarming, perception, stealth, and magic, but they are not as good at hand weapons. Elves may choose any class except Paladin.
Halfling
Halflings, or Hobbits, are very good at bows, throwing, and have good saving throws. They also are very good at searching, disarming, perception, and stealth; so they make excellent thieves (but prefer to be called burglars…). They will be much weaker than humans, and no good at bashing. Halflings have fair infra-vision, so can detect warm creatures at a distance. Halflings can choose between being a fighter, mage, or rogue.
Gnome
Gnomes are smaller than dwarfs, but larger than halflings. They, like the halflings, live in the earth in burrow-like homes. Gnomes are practical jokers, so if they can kill something in a humorous way, so much the better. Gnomes make excellent mages, and have very good saving throws. They are good at searching, disarming, perception, and stealth. They have lower strength than humans so they are not very good at fighting with hand weapons. Gnomes have fair infra-vision, so can detect warm creatures at a distance. A gnome may choose between being a fighter, mage, priest, or rogue.
Dwarf
Dwarves are the headstrong miners and fighters of legend. Since dungeons are the natural home of a dwarf, they are excellent choices for a warrior or priest. Dwarves tend to be stronger, have higher constitutions, but are slower and less intelligent than humans. Because they are so headstrong and are somewhat wise, they resist spells which are cast on them. Dwarves also have good infra-vision because they live underground. They do have one big draw-back though. Dwarves are loud-mouthed and proud, singing in loud voices, arguing with themselves for no good reason, screaming out challenges at imagined foes. In other words, dwarves have a miserable stealth.
Half-Orc
Half-Orcs make excellent fighters, and decent priests, but are terrible at magic. They are as bad as dwarves at stealth, and horrible at searching, disarming, and perception. Half-Orcs are, let’s face it, ugly. They tend to pay more for goods in town. Half-Orcs do make good priests and rogues, for the simple reason that Half-Orcs tend to have great constitutions and lots of hit points.
Half-Troll
Half-Trolls are incredibly strong, and have the highest hit points of any character race. They are also very stupid and slow. They will make great fighters and iffy priests. They are bad at searching, disarming, perception, and stealth. They are so ugly that a Half-Orc grimaces in their presence. They also happen to be fun to run…
Once a race has been chosen, you will need to pick a class. Some classes will not be available to certain races, for instance a Half-Troll cannot become a Paladin. For the first few adventures it is suggested that you run a warrior or rogue. Spell casting generally requires a more experienced player that is familiar with survival techniques.
Warrior
A Warrior is a hack-and-slash character, who solves most of his problems by cutting them to pieces, but will occasionally fall back on the help of a magical device. His prime stats are Strength and Constitution, and a good Dexterity can really help at times. A Warrior will be good at Fighting and Throwing/Bows, but bad at most other skills.
Mage
A Mage must live by his wits. He cannot hope to simply hack his way through the dungeon, and so must therefore use his magic to defeat, deceive, confuse, and to escape with. A mage is not really complete without a golf-cart of magical devices to use in addition to his spells. He can master the higher level magical devices far easier than anyone else, and has the best saving throw to resist effects of spells cast at him. Intelligence and Dexterity are his primary stats. There is no rule that says a mage cannot become a good fighter, but spells are his true realm.
Priest
A Priest is a character of holy devotion. They explore the dungeon only to destroy the evil that lurks within, and if treasure just happens to fall into their packs, well, so much more to the glory of their church! Priests receive their spells from a diety, and therefore do not choose which spells they will learn. They are familiar with magical devices, preferring to call them instruments of god, but are not as good as a mage in their use. Priests have good saving throws, and make decent fighters, preferring blunt weapons over edged ones. Wisdom and Charisma are the priest’s primary stats.
Rogue
A Rogue is a character that prefers to live by his cunning, but is capable of fighting his way out of a tight spot. He is the master of traps and locks, no device being impossible for him to over-come. A rogue has a high stealth allowing him to sneak around many creatures without having to fight, or sneak up and get the first blow. A rogue’s perception is higher than any other class, and many times he will notice a trap or secret door before having to search. A rogue is better than warriors or paladins with magical devices, but still can not rely on their performance. Rogues can also learn a few spells, but not the powerful offensive spells mages can use. A rogue’s primary stats are Intelligence and Dexterity.
Ranger
A Ranger is a fighter/mage. He is a good fighter, and the best of the classes with a missile weapon such as a bow. The ranger learns spells much more slowly than a mage, but is capable of learning all but the most powerful spell. Because a ranger is really a dual class character, it requires more experience to advance him. A ranger has a good stealth, good perception, good searching, a good saving throw, and is good with magical devices. His primary stats are Intelligence and Dexterity.
Paladin
A Paladin is a fighter/priest. He is a very good fighter, second only to the warrior class, but not very good at missile weapons. He receives prayers at a slower pace then the priest, and can receive all but the most powerful prayer. Because a paladin is really a dual class character, it requires more experience to advance him. A paladin lacks much in the way of abilities. He is poor at stealth, perception, searching, and magical devices. He has a decent saving throw due to his divine alliance. His primary stats are Strength and Charisma.
After you have created your character, you will begin your moria adventure. Symbols appearing on your screen will represent the dungeon’s walls and floor, objects and features, and creatures lurking about. In order to direct your character through his adventure, you will enter single character commands.
Moria symbols and commands each have a help section devoted to them. You should review these sections before attempting an adventure. Finally, a description of the town level and some general help on adventuring are included.
3.1. Symbols On Your Map
Symbols on your map can be broken down into three categories: Features of the dungeon such as walls, floor, doors, and traps; Objects which can be picked up such as treasure, weapons, magical devices, etc; and Monsters which may or may not move about the dungeon, but are mostly harmful to your character’s well being.
Note that some symbols can be in more than one category. Also note that treasure may be embedded in a wall, and the wall must be removed before the treasure can be picked up.
It will not be necessary to remember all of the symbols and their meanings. A simple command, the ‘/’, will identify any character appearing on your map. See the section on commands for further help.
All commands are entered by pressing a single key, or control sequence (holding down the control key while pressing a key). If a particular command requires additional action, it will be prompted for, with one exception. When a direction is required, no prompt is given unless and until an illegal response is given.
For each command, the characters used by the original style option are listed first, followed by the characters used by the rogue-like option in braces, if different.
3.2.1. Note On <Dir>
For the original style option, in the following instructions, the symbol <Dir> refers to a numeric direction based on your keypad. For the rogue-like option, the symbol <Dir> refers to one of the following letters ‘hykulnjb’, or to a numeric direction based on your keypad. It is not valid to use the number ‘5’ in this context. One exception to this is with movement, in which case ‘5’ will rest the character for one turn. For the rogue-like option, ‘.’ will also rest the character for one turn.
Commands which require a direction will not prompt you for one, unless you input an illegal direction. Just enter a direction after the entering the command.
Original Directions
\ | /
7 8 9
– 4 6 –
1 2 3
/ | \
Rogue-like Directions
\ | /
y k u
– h l –
b j n
/ | \
For the original style option, movement is accomplished by using your numeric keypad. Simply press a number and your character will move one step in that direction. For the rogue-like option, movement is accomplished by using the numeric keypad, or one of the directional characters mentioned above. Pressing a ‘5’ is equivalent to waiting for one round (More efficient resting over long periods of time is accomplished by using the Rest command). You can only move onto and through floor spots, and only if they contain no creatures or obstructing objects such as a closed door.
Moving your character one step at a time can be time consuming and boring, so a faster method has been supplied. For the original style option, by using the Move command ‘.’, you may move in a direction until something interesting happens. For instance, by pressing the period key ‘.’ followed by the direction 8, your character would continue to move up the screen, only coming to a stop after at least one condition is satisfied. For the rogue-like option, typing a shifted directional letter will move you in that direction until something interesting happens. These stopping conditions are:
[1] A creature appears upon the screen, a creature already on the screen moves, or a creature attacks you or casts a spell at you.
[2] You move next to an object, or feature such as a door, staircase, or trap.
[3] You come to a wall, and have more than one choice of directions from which to continue, or are in a dead end passage.
[4] You come to a junction of several passages.
3.2.2. Command Descriptions
B <Dir> - Bash. {f - force}
The Bash command includes breaking open doors and chests, or bashing an opponent. Two main factors determine the ability of a character to bash, their weight and their strength. In addition, when bashing an opponent, you will either perform a body bash, or, if wielding a shield, perform a shield bash which is more effective.
Bashing a door can throw the character off-balance, but this will not generally be a problem. Doors that have been jammed closed with spikes can only be opened by bashing. Locked doors may also be bashed open. Note that bashing a door open will permanently break it.
Bashing a creature has effects on both the player and his opponent. Depending on a character’s dexterity, he may or may not be thrown off-balance allowing free moves to his opponents.
If the bash is successful, the opponent may be thrown off-balance for 1 or 2 turns, thus allowing the character free hits or a chance to run. Huge creatures such as ancient dragons will be difficult or impossible to bash successfully.
A player automatically performs a shield bash instead of a body bash, if he is currently wearing a shield. A shield bash adds the damage of a shield to that of the bash, so it is more effective. Note that size and material both affect the damage that a shield will do.
C - Print character (to screen or file).
This command allows the player to either display his character on the terminal screen, or to print an entire character info listing to a file. If printed to a file, history, equipment list, and an inventory list are included.
D <Dir> - Disarm a trap.
You can attempt to disarm floor traps, or trapped chests. If you fail to disarm a trap, there is a chance that you blunder and set it off. You can only disarm a trap on a chest after finding it with the search command.
E - Eat some food.
A character must eat occasionally to remain effective. As a character grows hungry, a message will appear at the bottom of the screen saying “Hungry”. If a character remains hungry long enough, he will become weak and eventually start fainting.
F - Fill a lamp or lantern with oil.
If your character is currently using a lamp for light, and if he has a flask of oil in inventory, he may refill the lamp by using this command. A lamp is capable of a maximum of 15000 turns of light, and each flask has 7500 turns of oil contained in it.
L - Display map co-ordinates. {W - where}
The Location command will display your character’s current co-ordinates as shown on a printed map (printed with the ‘P’ command). Sectors contain up to 44 rows by 99 columns each. The Location command will display the character’s current row and column map co-ordinates, as well as the sector number.
P - Print map to file. {M - map}
The Print command will write an entire map of the dungeon floor explored to a file. Since the dungeon floor is large, the map is broken up into sectors, each containing up to 44 rows by 99 columns.
R - Rest for a number of turns.
You may rest one turn by pressing the ‘5’ key. Resting for longer periods of time is accomplished by using the Rest command, followed by the number of turns you want to rest your character. Resting will continue until the specified duration has expired, or something to wake the character happens, such as a creature wandering by. It is sometimes a good idea to rest a beat-up character until he regains some of his hit points, but be sure to have plenty of food if you rest often.
If you have accidently entered in a rest period too large, or change your mind about the resting period, you may wake your character up by typing control-C.
S - Search mode toggle. {#}
The Searching toggle will take the character into and out of searching mode. When first pressed, the message “Searching” will appear at the bottom of the screen. The character is now taking two turns for each command, one for the command and one turn to search about him. Note that this means he is taking twice the time to move about the dungeon, and therefore twice the food. If a creature should happen by or attack you, search mode will automatically shut off. Otherwise, you may turn off search mode by again pressing the ‘S’ {or #} key.
T <Dir> - Tunnel through rock. {control-<Dir>}
Tunneling (Mining) is a very useful art. There are four kinds of rock present in the dungeons of moria : Permanent Rock, Granite Rock, Magma Intrusion, and Quartz Veins. Permanent Rock is exactly that, permanent. Granite is very hard, therefore hard to dig through, and contains no valuable metals. Magma and Quartz veins are softer and sometimes bear valuable metals and gems, shown as a ‘$’ or a ‘*’ character. You can tell if the metal or gems are embedded into the wall by trying to move onto them. If you can’t move over them, you’ll have to dig them out.
Tunneling can be VERY difficult by hand, so when you dig be sure to wield either a shovel or a pick. Magical shovels and picks can be found which allow the wielder to dig much faster than normal, and a good strength also helps.
It is sometimes possible to get a character trapped within the dungeon by using various magical spells and items. So it is a very good idea to always carry some kind of digging tool, even when you are not planning on tunneling for treasure.
a <Dir> - Aim a wand. {z - zap}
Wands must be aimed in a direction to be used. Wands are a magical device and therefore use the Magical Devices ability of the player. They will either affect the first object/creature encountered, or affect anything in a given direction, depending upon the wand. An obstruction such as door or wall will generally stop the effects of a wand from traveling further.
b - Browse a book. {P - peruse}
You can only read a book if you are of its realm. Therefore a magic user could read a magic book, but not a holy book. Fighters will not be able to read either kind of book. When the browse command is used, all of the spells or prayers contained in the book along with information about it, such as its level, the amount of mana used up in casting it, and whether or not you know the spell or prayer, will be displayed. There are a total of 31 different magical spells in four books, and 31 different prayers in four books.
c <Dir> - Close a door.
Non-intelligent and certain other creatures will not be able to open a door. Therefore shutting doors can be a life saver. You must be adjacent to an open door, and you cannot close broken doors. Note that bashing a door open will break it.
d - Drop an object from your inventory.
You can drop a single object onto the floor beneath you if that floor spot does not already contain an object. Note that doors and traps are considered objects in this sense. If you drop an object such as a potion or scroll, a single one is dropped onto the floor at a time. Group objects such as arrows are all dropped at once onto the floor.
e - Display a list of equipment being used.
Use the Equipment command to display a list of objects currently being used by your character. Note that each object has a specific place where it is placed, and that only one object of each type may be used at any one time, excepting rings of which two can be worn, one on each hand.
f <Dir> - Fire/Throw an object; use a missile weapon. {t - throw}
You may throw any object carried by your character. Depending upon the weight of an object, it may travel across a room or drop down beside you. If you throw an object such as an arrow, only one will be used at a time.
If you throw at a creature, your chance of hitting the creature is determined by your pluses to hit, your ability at throwing, and the object’s pluses to hit. Once the creature is hit, the object may or may not do any actual damage to it. Certain objects in the dungeon can do great amounts of damage when thrown, but it’s for you to figure out the obscure ones. Oil flasks are considered to be lit before thrown, therefore they will do fire damage to a creature if they hit it.
To use a bow with arrows, simply wield the bow and throw the arrows. Extra pluses to damage and hitting are gained by wielding the proper weapon and throwing the corresponding ammo. A heavy crossbow with bolts for example, is a killer…
h - Enter the moria help library.
Help on individual commands may be displayed without actually exiting your game. This is currently unimplemented.
i - Display a list of objects being carried.
The Inventory command displays a list of all objects being carried, but are not in current use. You may carry up to 22 different kinds of objects, not including those in your equipment list. Depending upon your strength, you will be able carry many identical objects before hitting your weight limit.
j <Dir> - Jam a door with an iron spike. {S - spike}
Most humanoid and many intelligent creatures can simply open a closed door, and can eventually get through a locked door. Therefore you may spike a door in order to jam it. Each spike used on a door will increase its strength. It is very easy to jam a door so much as to make it impossible for your character to bash it down, so spike doors wisely. Note that the bigger a creature is, the easier it can bash a door down. Therefore four or more spikes might be necessary to slow down a dragon, where one spike would slow down a kobold.
m - Cast a magic spell.
First, a character must have learned a spell before he can cast it. Next, when casting a spell, he must read the spell from a book, so a book containing the spell must be in his inventory. Each spell has a chance of failure which starts out fairly large but decreases as a character gains levels. If a character does not have the available mana, he increases his chance of failure, and gambles on losing a point of constitution. Note that since a character must read the spell from a book, he cannot be blind or confused when casting a spell, and there must be some light present.
l <Dir> - Look in a direction. {x - examine}
The Look command is useful in identifying the exact type of object or creature shown on the screen. Also, if a creature is on top of an object, the look command will describe both. You can see creatures and objects up to 200 feet away (20 units). Note that you may freely use the Look command without the creatures getting a move on you.
o <Dir> - Open a door, chest, or lock.
To open an object such as a door or chest you must use the Open command. If the object is locked, the Open command will attempt to pick the lock, based on your ability at disarming. Note that if an object is trapped and you open it, the trap will be set off.
.p - Read a prayer.
First, a character must have learned a prayer before he can read it. Next, when reading a prayer, he must have the book containing the prayer in his inventory. Each prayer has a chance of failure which starts out fairly large but decreases as a character gains levels. If a character does not have the available mana, he increases his chance of failure, and gambles on losing a point of constitution. Note that since a character must read the prayer from a book, he cannot be blind or confused and there must be some light present.
q - Quaff a potion.
To drink a potion use the Quaff command. A potion affects the player in some manner. The effects of the potion may be immediately noticed, or they may be subtle and unnoticed.
r - Read a scroll.
To read a scroll use the Read command. A scroll spell has an area affect, except in a few cases such as identify scrolls which act on other objects. Note that two scrolls, the identify scroll and the recharge scroll, have titles which can be read without setting them off, and by pressing <ESCAPE> can be saved for future use.
s - Search general area one turn.
The Search command can be used to locate hidden traps and secret doors about the player. Note that more than a single turn of searching will be required in most cases. You should always search a chest before trying to open it because they are generally trapped.
t - Take off a piece of equipment. {T}
Use the Take-Off command to remove an object from use, and return it to your inventory. Occasionally you will run into a cursed item which cannot be removed. Cursed items are always bad, and can only be taken off after removing the curse.
u - Use a staff. {Z - Zap}
The Use command will activate a staff. Like scrolls, most staffs have an area affect. Because staffs are generally more powerful than most other items, they are also harder to use correctly.
v - Display current version of game.
The Version command displays the credits for the current version of moria.
w - Wear or wield an item being carried.
To wear or wield an object in your inventory, use the Wear/Wield command. If an object is already in use for the same function, it is automatically removed first. Note that an object’s bonuses cannot be gained until it is worn or wielded.
x - Exchange primary and secondary weapons. {X}
A secondary weapon is any weapon which may be needed often. Instead of searching through your inventory, you may use the exchange command to keep the weapon ready. For instance, if you wanted to use your bow most of the time, but needed a sword for close combat, you could wield your sword, use the exchange command to make it the secondary weapon, then wield your bow. If the sword was suddenly needed, simply use the exchange command to switch between the bow and the sword.
/ - Identify a character shown on screen.
Use the identify command to find out what a character displayed on the screen stands for. For instance, by pressing ‘/.’, you can find out that the ‘.’ stands for a floor spot. When used with a creature, the identify command will tell you only what class of creature the symbol stands for, not the specific creature, therefore use the look command for this information.
? - Display a list of commands.
The ? command displays a one page quick reference help page on the screen.
^P - Repeat last message.
The <Control>-P command will re-display the last message printed on the message line at the top of your screen. You can read the last twenty messages by repeatedly typing ^P.
^R - Redraw the screen.
To redraw the entire screen, use the <Control>-R command.
^K - Quit the game without saving. {Q}
To exit the game without saving your character (i.e. kill him/her) use the <Control>-K command. Once exited in this manner, your character is non-recoverable.
^X - Save your character and exit the game.
To save your game so that it can be restarted later, use the <Control>-X command. The save file cannot be moved, or read. Do not try to tamper with it. Note that a copy of a saved character will not work after that character has died.
$ - Shell out of game. {!}
Use the Shell command ‘$’ to temporarily exit the game to execute UNIX commands. You may re-enter the game by typing exit to end the spawned process. The command is not implemented in the Macintosh version.
< - Go up an up-staircase.
If you move onto an up-staircase you may use the ‘<’ command to go up one level. There is always one staircase going up on every level except for the town level (this does not mean it’s easy to find). Going up a staircase will always take you to a new dungeon area except for the town level, which remains the same for the duration of your character.
> - Go down a down-staircase.
If you are on top of a down-staircase you may use the ‘>’ command to go down one level. There are always two or three staircases going down on each level, except the town level which has only one. Going down will always take you to a new dungeon area.
. <Dir> - Move in direction. {shift<Dir>}
The Move command ‘.’ will move you in the indicated direction until one of several conditions happen. These conditions include: a creature appearing on the screen, a creature already on the screen moving, a creature casting a spell at the player, an object or feature such as a door, a staircase, or a trap is adjacent to the character, character comes into a junction of passages, or character comes to a wall with no choice or more than one choice of continuing directions.
The town level is where you will begin your adventure. The town consists of six buildings each with an entrance, some towns ‘people’, and a wall which surrounds the town. The first time you are in town it will be daytime, but you may return to find that darkness has fallen. (Note that some spells may act differently in the town level.)
3.3.1. Townspeople
The town contains many different kinds of people. There are the street urchins, young children who will mob an adventurer for money, and seem to come out of the woodwork when excited. Blubbering Idiots are a constant annoyance, but not harmful. Public drunks wander about the town singing, and are of no threat to anyone. Sneaky rogues hang about watching for a likely victim to mug. And finally, what town would be complete without a swarm of half drunk warriors, who take offense or become annoyed just for the fun of it.
Most of the towns people should be avoided by the largest possible distance when you wander from store to store. Fights will break out though, so be prepared. Since your character grew up in this world of intrigue, no experience is awarded for killing on the town level.
3.3.2. Supplies
Your character will begin his adventure with some supplies already on him. Use the Inventory ‘i’ command to check what these supplies are. It will be necessary to buy other supplies before continuing into the dungeon, however, so be sure to enter each of the stores.
3.3.3. Town Buildings
You may enter any of the stores, if they are open, and barter with the owner for items you can afford. But be warned that the owners can easily be insulted, and may even throw you out for a while if you insult them too often. To enter a store, simply move onto the entrance represented by the numbers 1 through 6.
Once inside a store, the inventory will appear on the screen along with a set of options for your character. You may browse the store’s inventory if it takes more than one page to display, and you may sell or purchase items in his inventory. You can execute your inventory and equipment commands to see what you are carrying. Not shown with the options are the wear, take-off, and exchange commands which will also work, but were excluded to keep the options simple.
Stores do not always have everything in stock. As the game progresses, they may get new items so check from time to time. Also, if you sell them an item, it may get sold to a customer while you are adventuring, so don’t always expect to be able to get back anything you have sold.
Store owners will not buy harmful or useless items. If an object is unidentified, they will pay you some base price for it. Once they have bought it they will immediately identify the object. If it is a good object, they will add it to their inventory. If it was a bad bargain, they simply throw the item away. In any case, you may receive some knowledge of the item if another is encountered.
The General Store
The General Store sells foods, drinks, some clothing, torches, lamps, oil, and spikes. All of these items, and others, can be sold back to the General store for money. The entrance to the General Store is a ‘1’.
The Armory
The Armory is where the town’s armor is fashioned. All sorts of protective gear may be bought and sold here. The entrance to the Armory is a ‘2’.
The Weaponsmith’s Shop
The Weaponsmith’s Shop is where the town’s weapons are fashioned. Hand and missile weapons may be purchased and sold here, along with arrows, bolts, and shots. The entrance to the Weaponsmith’s is a ‘3’.
The Temple
The Temple deals in healing and restoration potions, as well as bless scrolls, word-of-recall scrolls, some approved priestly weapons, etc. The entrance to the Temple is a ‘4’.
The Alchemy shop
The Alchemy Shop deals in all manner of potions and scrolls. The entrance to the Alchemy Shop is a ‘5’.
The Magic User’s Shop
The Magic User’s Shop is the most expensive of all the stores. It deals in all sorts of rings, wands, amulets, and staves. The entrance to the Magic Shop is a ‘6’.
3.4. Within The Dungeon
Once your character is adequately supplied with food, light, armor, and weapons, he is ready to enter the dungeon. Move on top of the ‘>’ symbol and use the down ‘>’ command. Your character enters a maze of interconnecting staircases and finally passes through a one-way door. He is now on the first level of the dungeon (50 feet), and must survive many horrible and challenging encounters to find the treasure lying about.
3.4.1. Light
There are two sources for light once inside the dungeon. Permanent light which has been magically placed within rooms, and a light source carried by the player. If neither is present, the character will be unable to map or see any attackers. Lack of light will also affect searching, picking locks, and disarming.
A character must wield a torch or lamp in order to supply his own light. Once a torch or lamp has only 50 or less turns left before burning out, the message “Your light is growing faint” will be displayed at random intervals. Once a torch is burnt out, it is useless and can be dropped. A lamp or lantern can be refilled with oil by using the Fill ‘F’ command. You must of course be carrying extra oil to refill a lantern.
3.4.2. Attacking And Being Attacked
Attacking is simple in moria. If you move into a creature, you attack him. You can attack from a distance by firing a missile, or by magical means such as aiming a wand. Creatures attack in the same way, if they move into you, they attack you. Some creatures can cast spells from a distance, and dragon type creatures can breathe from a distance, but these are the only exceptions.
If you are wielding a weapon, the damage for the weapon is used when you hit the creature. If you are wielding no weapons, you get two fist strikes. Note that very strong creatures can do a lot of damage with their fists… A character may have a primary and secondary weapon. A secondary weapon is kept on the belt, or on the shoulder for immediate use. You can switch between your primary and secondary weapons by using the exchange command. Be sure you are wielding the proper weapon when fighting. Hitting a dragon over the head with a bow will simply make him mad, and get you killed.
Missile weapons, such as bows, can be wielded, and then the proper missile, in this case an arrow, can be fired across the room into a target. Missiles can be used without the proper missile weapon, but used together they have a greater range and do far more damage.
Hits and misses are determined by ability to hit versus armor class. A miss doesn’t necessarily mean you failed to hit the target, but only that you failed to do any damage. Therefore a ‘hit’ is a strike that does some damage. Higher armor classes make it harder to do damage, therefore more misses.
3.4.2.1 Your Weapon
Carrying a weapon in your backpack does you no good. You must wield a weapon before it can be used in a fight. Note that a secondary weapon can be kept by wielding it and then using the exchange command. A secondary weapon is not in use, simply ready to be switched with the current weapon if needed.
Weapons have two main characteristics, their ability to hit and their ability to do damage, expressed as ‘(+ ,+ )’. A normal weapon would be ‘(+0,+0)’. Many weapons in moria have magical bonuses to hit and/or do damage. Some weapons are cursed, and have penalties that hurt the player. Note that cursed weapons
cannot be un-wielded until the curse is lifted.
Missile weapons, such as bows, have only one major characteristic which is to hit, expressed ‘(+ )’. This plus to hit is added to that of the missile used, if the proper weapon/missiles combination are used.
Although you receive any magical bonuses an unidentified weapon may possess when you wield it, those bonuses will not be added in to the displayed values of to-hit and to-dam on your character sheet. You must identify the weapon before the displayed values reflect the real values used.
Finally, some rare weapons have special abilities. These are called ego weapons, and are feared by great and meek. An ego sword must be wielded to receive benefit of its abilities.
Special weapons are denoted by the following abbreviations:
DF - Defender.
A magical weapon that actually helps the wielder defend himself, thus increasing his/her armor class, and protecting him/her against damage from fire, frost, acid, and lightning.
FB - Frost Brand.
A magical weapon of ice that delivers a cold critical to heat based creatures.
FT - Flame Tongue.
A magical weapon of flame that delivers a heat critical to cold based creatures.
HA - Holy Avenger.
A Holy Avenger is by far the most powerful of weapons. Holy Avengers have been known to increase several of the wielder’s stats, to actually increase the wielder’s armor class (because of the terror the weapon spawns in its foes), and to actually help the wielder to fight more effectively.
SD - Slay Dragon.
A Slay Dragon weapon is a special purpose weapon whose sole intent is to destroy dragon-kind. Therefore, when used against a dragon, the amount of damage done is greatly increased.
SE - Slay Evil.
A Slay Evil weapon is a special purpose weapon whose sole intent is to destroy all forms of evil. When used against an evil creature, either alive or undead, the damage done is greatly increased.
SM - Slay Monster.
A Slay Monster weapon is a special purpose weapon whose sole intent is to destroy all the vile monsters of the world. A monster is any creature not natural to the world. Therefore an orc would be a monster, but a giant snake would not be.
SU - Slay Undead.
A Slay Undead weapon is a special purpose weapon whose sole intent is to destroy all forms of undead. This weapon is hated and feared by the intelligent undead, for a single blow from this weapon is capable of destroying them.
3.4.2.2. Body And Shield Bashes
Weight is the primary factor in being able to bash something, but strength plays a role too. After bashing, a character may be off balance for several rounds depending upon his dexterity.
Doors can be broken down by bashing them. Once a door is bashed open, it is forever useless and cannot be closed.
Chests too may be bashed open, but be warned that the careless smashing of a chest often ruins the contents. Bashing open a chest will not disarm any traps it may contain, but does allow the strong and ignorant to see what is inside.
Finally, a creature may be bashed. If a shield is currently being worn, the bash is a shield bash and will do more damage. In either case, a bash may throw an opponent off balance for a number of rounds, allowing a player to get in a free hit or more. If the player is thrown off-balance, his opponent may get free hits on him. This is a risky attack.
3.4.2.3. Your Armor Class
Armor class is a number that describes the amount and the quality of armor being worn. Armor class will generally run from about 0 to 60, but could become negative or greater than 60 in rare cases.
The larger your armor class, the more protective it is. A negative armor class would actually help get you hit. Armor protects you in three manners. One, it makes you harder to be hit for damage. A hit for no damage is the same as a miss. Two, good armor will absorb some of the damage that your character would have taken. An armor class of 30 would absorb 15% of any damage meant for him. Three, acid damage is reduced by wearing body armor. It is obvious that a high armor class is a must for surviving the lower levels of moria.
Each piece of armor has an armor class adjustment, and a magical bonus. Armor bought in town will have these values displayed with their description. Armor that is found within the dungeon must be identified before these values will be displayed. Armor class values are always displayed between a set of brackets ‘[ ,+ ]’. The first value is the armor class of the item. The second number is the magical bonus of the item, and will always have a sign preceding the value. There are a few cases where the form ‘[+ ]’ is used, meaning the object has no armor class, only a magical armor bonus if worn.
Some pieces of armor will possess special abilities denoted by the following abbreviations:
RA - Resist Acid.
A character using such an object will take only quarter damage from any acid thrown upon him. In addition, armor so enchanted will resist the acid’s effects and not be damaged by it.
RC - Resist Cold.
A character using a resist cold object will take only one third damage from frost and cold.
RF - Resist Fire.
A character using a resist fire object will take only one third damage from heat and fire.
RL - Resist Lightning.
A character using a resist lightning object will take only one third damage from electrical attacks.
R - Resistance.
A character wearing armor with this ability will have resistance to Acid, Cold, Fire, and Lightning as explained in each part above.
3.4.3. Objects Found In The Dungeon
The mines are full of objects just waiting to be picked up and used. How did they get there? Well, the main source for useful items are all the foolish adventurers that proceeded into the dungeon before you. They get killed, and the helpful monsters scatter the various treasure throughout the dungeon. Most cursed items are placed there by the joyful evil sorcerers, who enjoy a good joke when it gets you killed.
You pick up objects by moving on top of them. You can carry up to 22 different items in your backpack while wearing and wielding many others. Note that although you are limited to 22 different items, you may be carrying several of each item restricted only by the amount of weight your character can carry. Your character’s weight limit is determined by his strength. Only one object may occupy any one given floor location, which may or may not also contain one monster. Note that doors, traps, and staircases are considered objects for this purpose.
Many objects found within the dungeon have special commands for their use. Wands must be Aimed, staves must be Used, scrolls must be Read, and potions must be Quaffed. In any case, you must first be able to carry an object before you can use it. Some objects, such as chests, are very complex. Chests contain other objects and may be trapped, and/or locked. Read the list of player commands carefully for a further understanding of chests.
One item in particular will be discussed here. The scroll of “Word of Recall” can be found within the dungeon, or bought at the temple in town. It acts in two manners, depending upon your current location. If read within the dungeon, it will teleport you back to town. If read in town, it will teleport you back down to the deepest level of the dungeon one which your character has previously been. This makes the scroll very useful for getting back to the deeper levels of moria. Once the scroll has been read it takes a while for the spell to act, so don’t expect it to save you in a crisis.
And lastly, a final warning. Not all objects are what they seem. Skeletons lying peacefully about the dungeon have been known to get up…
3.4.4. Cursed Objects
Some objects, mainly armor and weapons, have had curses laid upon them. These horrible objects will look like any other normal item, but will detract from your character’s stats or abilities if worn. They will also be impossible to remove until a remove curse is done.
When a cursed item has been identified, an asterisk ‘*’ will appear next to the inventory letter of the item. If you should wear a cursed item, you will immediately know it is cursed and again the asterisk will appear.
3.4.5. Mining
Much of the treasure within the dungeon can be found only by mining it out of the walls. Many rich strikes exist within each level, but must be found and mined. Quartz veins are the richest, yielding the most metals and gems, but magma veins will have some hordes hidden within.
Mining is virtually impossible without a pick or shovel. Picks and shovels have an additional magical ability expressed as ‘(+ )’. The higher the number, the better the magical digging ability of the tool. Note that a pick or shovel also has pluses to hit and damage, and can be used as a weapon.
When a vein of quartz or magma is located, the character should wield his pick or shovel and begin digging out a section. When that section is removed, he should locate another section of the vein, and begin the process again. Since granite rock is much harder to dig through, it is much faster to follow the vein exactly and dig around the granite.
If the character has a scroll or staff of treasure location, he can immediately locate all strikes of treasure within a vein shown on the screen. This makes mining much easier and more profitable.
3.4.6. Staircases
Staircases are the manner in which you get deeper, or climb out of the dungeon. The symbols for the up and down staircases are the same as the commands to use them. A ‘<’ represents an up staircase and a ‘>’ represents a down staircase. You must move your character over the staircase before you can use them.
Each level has at least one up staircase, and at least two down staircases. There are no exceptions to this rule. You may have trouble finding some well hidden secret doors, but the stairs are there.
3.4.7. Secret Doors, Passages, And Rooms
Many secret doors are used within the dungeon to confuse and demoralize adventurers foolish enough to enter. But with some luck, and lots of concentration, you can find these secret doors.
Secret doors will sometimes hide rooms or corridors, or even entire sections of that level of the dungeon. Sometimes they simply hide small empty closets or even dead ends.
Creatures in the dungeon will generally know and use these secret doors. If they leave one open, you will be able to go right through it. If they close it behind them you will have to search for the catch first. Once a secret door has been discovered by you, it is drawn as a known door and no more searching will be required to use it.
3.4.8. Winning The Game
Once your character has progressed into killing dragons with but a mean glance and snap of his fingers, he may be ready to take on the Balrog. The Balrog will appear on most levels after level 49, so don’t go down there until you are ready for him.
The Balrog cannot be killed in some of the easier methods used on normal creatures. Because of the Balrog’s cunning, he will teleport away to another level if a spell such as destruction is used upon him, and the Balrog cannot be polymorphed, slept, charmed, or genocided. Magical spells like coldball are effective against him as are weapons, but he is difficult to kill and if allowed to escape for a time can heal himself.
If you should actually survive the attempt of killing the Balrog, you will receive the status of WINNER. Since you have defeated the toughest monster alive, your character is ready to retire and cannot be saved. When you quit the game, your character receives a surprise bonus score and is entered into the toptwenty file.
3.4.9. Upon Death And Dying
If your character falls below 0 hit points, he has died and cannot be restored. A tombstone showing information about your character will be displayed with the option to print the information to a file.
After the tombstone, the toptwenty list of heroes is displayed. If your score beats any of the toptwenty, your
character will join this elite rank of heroes. Otherwise, well, there is always next time…
3.4.10. Wizards
There are rumors of moria Wizards which, if asked nicely, can explain details of the moria game that seem complicated to beginners. In addition, they have special spells which can restore characters lost by accident, such as power-outs and such.
