The Hacker's Encyclopedia 1998/hackers_encyclopedia.iso/pc/softdox/uw_ref.doc

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PLAYER'S GUIDE

 1992 ORIGIN Systems, Inc.
Electronic Form DocumentCreated and Produced by Boba Fet.
Converted to ASCII by Beamer

STARTING THE GAME

1. First, install ULTIMA Underworld on your hard disk.
If you haven't already done this, refer to the Install Guide
included in this package for instructions.

2. Select the drive on which the game is installed. (For
example, if you installed the game on your C-drive, type "C:"
and [ENTER].

3. Select the ULTIMA Underworld directory. (If you selected our
default directory, type "CD \UW" and [Enter]). 4. Start the game
 (by typing "UW" followed by ENTER].

The "ORIGIN Presents" screen appears, followed by another
reading "A Blue Sky Productions Game." As the game finishes
loading, this screen is replaced by a title screen ("ULTIMA
Underworld: The Stygian Abyss"). If you have not played the game
before (or have never "saved" your previous adventures), the
game proceeds to the Introduction. This provides background
information you need to complete your subterranean adventure.

If you are in a hurry, or you have already seen the
Introduction, press [ENTER] to cancel anypreliminary screen and
bring on the following screen. If you have "savedgames" on your
hard disk, the game automatically skips the Introduction and
goes directly to the main menu. (If you do not know what "saved
games" are, see "Save Game," )

Afterward, you are presented with several choices:

Introduction. Repeats the introductory sequence you just saw.

Create Character. Allows you to set up a brand-new
player-character.

Acknowledgments. Lists the names of the people who created the
game.

Journey Onward. When you have a character, select this option to
begin playing. You will not see this option unless you have a
saved game.

Select an option by clicking on the option you want or by using
the cursor keys to change the highlighted selection and pressing
[ENTER]. If this is your first game, you must select "Create
Character" before you can begin play.

CREATING YOUR CHARACTER

Through the choices which you make at this time, you fashion the
type of hero you wish to guide through this adventure. Each
option is represented by button. To make a choice, use the mouse
to move the cursor onto the option button you want to select and
click either mouse-button. (You may also use the cursor keys to
highlight the option you want -- a highlighted option appears
raised -- and then press [ENTER] to select the option.)

In order, the choices you must make are:

Choose Player Sex.

Male or female. Controls whether your Avatar is a man or a
woman, and which portraits you may select later. Gender has no
effect on your character's strength or abilities.

Select Handedness.

Right or left. Determines which hand you use to hold your
primary weapon, and which is your shield-hand.

Class

Fighter. A warrior, trained in the military arts since youth.

Mage. One born with the ability to cast spells.

Bard. A traveling entertainer, perhaps a storyteller or a
musician.

Tinker. A skilled craftsman, particularly with weapons and
armor.

Druid. A guardian of the woodlands, able in both combat and
magic.

Paladin. A warrior who also has some grasp of the art of
spellcasting.

Ranger. A woodsman, skilled at tracking, hunting and fighting.

Shepherd. A resourceful sheep-tender, often a jack-of-all-trades.

Pick Skills.

     Your character description includes several skills -- abilities
you have honed and tasks you have practiced. Many of these
skills come automatically, as a result of the character class
you choose. (For instance, all Mages can use magic so they all
begin with casting and mana skills.)

In addition to innate skills, you are asked to select some
skills unique to your character. For instance, you may give your
Fighter sword skill, or you might choose axe, mace, missile
weapon or the unarmed combat skill. When the skill selection
list appears on the right-hand side of the screen, simply click
on the skill you want for your character.

For now, pick skills that sound useful and interesting. Later,
you can consult the skill list on page 30 and create carefully
honed characters.

Portrait.

     Select the appearance of your character by clicking on one of
the five pictures that appear on the right-hand side of the
screen.

Choose Difficulty.

     Standard or Easy. In easy mode, monsters and hostile characters
are less dangerous and are easier to defeat than in standard
mode. (Note that you can't change this after you begin playing
-- to change the difficulty level, you must begin a new game.)

Name.

     The last step in creating your character is to give him or her
a name. Type in the name of your choice, then press the [Enter}
key when done.

Keep This Character.

     Finally, the game asks you whether or not you want to play the
game with the character you have just designed. If this
character is acceptable, answer "yes." Otherwise, select "no"
and you can design another character.

IN THE UNDERWORLD

(NOTE: This tutorial walks you through the beginning of your
adventure in the Abyss. It assumes you have a mouse. To play
without a mouse, consult your Reference Card for keyboard
equivalents of the commands described.)

Once you finish designing your character, you automatically
begin the game.

The Main Game Screen.

This is the screen you will see most of the time. In the center
is the View Window -- the Stygian Abyss as your character sees
it. To the right of this is a Character Panel which usually
displays a picture of your character and any items he or she is
carrying. At the bottom of the screen is a Message Scroll where
text is displayed. On the left side of the screen are six
Command Icons which allow you to look at and interact with
creatures and objects you encounter in the underworld. Other
elements of the game screen -the Compass, the Rune Shelf, the
Power Gem, the Vitality Flask and the Mana Hask -- will be
explained later.

Try moving your mouse around the screen -- but don't press any
of the buttons yet. As you move the mouse in the view window, an
arrow-shaped cursor mimics your mouse movements. Outside the
view window, the cursor takes the form of a yellow cross.

SAVING YOUR CHARACTER

Before you do anything else, save the game. If you die before
saving, you will have to go through the character creation
process again.

1. First, click on the "O" icon (for "Options") on the left side
of the screen.

2. When the option list appears, click on "Save Game."

3. Click on the roman numeral "I" icon.

4. When the words "<not used yet>" appear in the message scroll,
type in a name for your saved game (something like "Start") and
press [ENTER] or either mouse-button.

5. You return to the game automatically and can now begin
exploring.


LOOKING AROUND
First, examine your surroundings. Move the cursor into the view
window, and notice how the shape of the arrow changes depending
on where it is. Near the middle of the screen, the arrow changes
into cross-hairs. Moving to the right makes the arrow point to
the right; moving to the left makes the arrow point left.

In the view window, the shape of the arrow controls which
direction your character moves. To move, press and hold the left
mouse-button. Your character moves as long as you hold the
button down.

For instance, move the arrow to the right side of the screen,
then move it up or down until the arrow bends and nearly forms a
circle -- this allows you to turn in place, without moving
forward or backward. With your cursor in this position, press
the left mouse-button and hold it down.

The view in the window shows what you see as you turn around. If
you're just starting a game, you see a dark corridor ahead of
you and a bag to your right. Behind you are the closed (and
locked) doors through which you entered the Abyss. To your left
is a skull and, on the wall, a carved message.

As you spin around, note that the compass below the view window
spins too. The compass shows which direction you are facing --
the red-tipped point of the compass indicates north.

Occasionally, looking at or using objects calls up a scene that
temporarily replaces the view window. When you 'refinished
looking at one of these scenes, click either mousebutton or
[ENTER] to return to the view window.

MANEUVERING
Now you're ready to try moving around. Two rules govern movement:

Rule 1. While vour cursor is inside the view window, its shape
determines the direction i'n which you move if you press and
hold down the left mousebutton. If it points right, you'll move
to the right; if it points upward, you'll move forward, and so
forth.

Rule 2. The speed at which you move depends on how far your
cursor is from the center of the view window. When the cursor is
exactly centered, it changes into a cross and you don't move at
all. As you move the cursor closer to any edge of the view
window, you move faster.

To practice setting speeds, turn until you are again facing down
the long corridor leading deeper into the Abyss (the corridor
opposite the huge double doors at the entrance). Remember, you
turn by using the nearly-circular cursor arrows, as you did
before -- this pivots you in place, without moving you forward.
Then release the mouse-button to stop your turning motion. Now,
move the mouse until the cursor turns into an upward-pointing
arrow, and then press and hold the left mouse-button. This moves
you forward. Shift the mouse so that the cursor moves toward the
top of the screen and you will move faster and faster until you
release the mouse-button. When the arrow points downward (toward
the bottom of the view window), you will move backward.

Try clicking the right mouse-button while you're moving forward
-- this causes you to jump. The faster you're moving, the
farther you jump.

Don't worry if you slam into a wall -- you can't hurt yourself
by walking into walls. Flying (or jumping) into a wall will
cause injury.

When you feel comfortable walking, running, turning and jumping,
turn around and walk back to the double doors.

Easy Move Mode. If you have difficulty maneuvering in 3-D space,
try using the arrow keys on the base of the compass below the
view window. The curving left and right arrows turn you 45
degrees in the direction of the arrow you click. The up arrow in
the center of the compass moves you forward four feet. Press [X]
to move back (two feet with each keypress). There is no mouse
equivalent for the [X] command. Though less realistic than
"normal" movement through the dungeon, using the arrows might
make it easier to maneuver through the dungeons.

INTERACTING WITH THE WORLD

The first thing to do when beginning the game is to find some
equipment a weapon, armor, food and so forth. Fortunately the
bag close at hand holds several useful items. To find out what's
in the bag, use the command icons on the left side of the
screen. In order from the top of the screen, these icons are:

Options

Talk

Get

Look

Fight

Use

Selecting these various icons (only one of which can be active
at a time) allows your right mouse-button to perform different
tasks. We'll address each of these as the need arises. (For an
explanation of the "Options" icon, see page 16.)

Advanced tip: The icons are easy to use and give you a good
understanding of the way ULTIMA Underworld works, but if you are
an experienced game-player and mouse-user, you can access many
commands without using the icons! If none of the icons are
highlighted, you enter a very useful shortcut mode called
"Default Mode."

If you're just learning to play ULTIMA Underworld, we recommend
using the icons for a while (and this tutorial assumes you will
do so). Eventually, however, perhaps even before you complete
this tutorial, you will want to try the icon-less default
interface. For an explanation of Default Mode, see page 16.

LOOKING AT THINGS

Click on the Look icon with either button, then move the cursor
over the bag, and click the right mouse-button. (Don't press the
left mouse-button -- that will cause your character to move.)
Pressing the right button in Look Mode causes your character to
Look at an object -- what you see is printed on the message
scroll. Turn until you are facing the bag and Look at it. The
words on your message scroll read, "You see a bag."

Looking Up and Down. You might have trouble seeing the bag on
the floor, unless you tilt your character's head and look down.
To do this, press [1] at the top of your keyboard -- each time
you press this key, your character's head tilts a little further
downward, until it finally reaches its maximum. To look up
again, you can either press [3] (which lets you look up a little
more, every time it is pressed) or [2] (which returns your head
to its normal viewing angle).

Note that [1], [2] and [3] on the numeric keypad control cursor
movement and can't be used to look up or down.

GETTING THINGS

Now, pick up the bag and examine its contents. First, make sure
that the inventory side of your character panel is displayed.
This is the side with your character's picture on it. (If this
picture isn't visible, click either button on the chain below
the right-hand panel.)

The circles at the bottom of the character panel are for
inventory -- objects your character is carrying but which aren't
necessarily ready for immediate use. The circles surrounding the
picture of your character are for objects your character is
wearing or holding -- armor, weapons, rings, lit torches and so
on.

To pick up the bag, change to Get Mode by clicking on the Get
icon (the third one from the top) and move your cursor until it
is on the bag. (Look down, using if you have trouble seeing the
bag.) Now, press and hold the right mousebutton and move the
mouse. You now have the bag "in-hand." The cursor assumes the
shape of the bag and, as long as you keep the right mouse-button
pressed, moves around the screen as you move the mouse.

Move the bag over to one of the empty circles at the bottom of
your character panel. Release the right mouse-button and the bag
settles into place in your inventory.

Manipulating Your Inventory. To open the bag, click on it with
the left mouse-button. The contents are now displayed on the
inventory panel. If you don't recognize any of the items, you
can find out what they are by Looking at them. For instance,
click on the Look icon, then move the cursor over the object
that looks like a stick and press the right mouse-button -- the
message scroll now reads, "You see a somewhat used torch."

Looking at a n object may tell you the nature and condition of
the item you are looking at. Right-clicking the sword-like
object, for instance, reveals that it is a dagger, and that it
is in "badly worn" condition. However, it is the only weapon you
have, so place it in your weapon hand. If your character is
right-handed, your weapon hand is your right hand - otherwise,
it is your left hand. (Note that your character's "right" hand
is not the hand to the right on the screen, but thefigure's
right hand.) To move the dagger from the bag in your inventory
to your weapon hand, place the cursor on the dagger, press and
hold down either mouse-button, and drag the dagger to the
inventory circle nearest your weapon hand. When you release the
button, the object will settle into place.

The torch will make the Abyss a much brighter place. You already
know how to move items within your inventory, so move the torch
to the circle above your character's right shoulder. Now you
want to light it. Click on the Use icon and then on the torch.
Notice the difference this makes in the view window. (If you Use
a lit torch, you snuff it out.)

The food in this bag -- an apple, a fish and a loaf of bread --
can be ignored for now, but your character will eventually
become hungry. Always make sure you have food available.

Perhaps the most important item in the bag is the square
parchment, which a Look will tell you is a map. The game
automatically updates this map as you move about the Abyss.
Place the cursor on the parchment and click the left
mouse-button -- a full-screen map appears.

The Auto-Map. There isn't much on your map at this point, since
you haven't gone anywhere yet -- the wails of your current room
and the bit of corridor you explored are sketched in brown ink,
your position is noted by the yellow pushpin, and the cursor is
a quill pen. If you want, you can write notes to yourself
directly on the map.

For instance, mark your starting location for future reference:
Move the quillpen cursor to your current location on the map and
press either mouse-button. The quill pen shifts into writing
position - whatever you type will now be added to the map. (Try
typing, "START.") When you are done with the comment, click
either mouse-button (or press either [Enter] or [ESC] to return
the quill pen to its non-writing position.

To erase a remark, click on the eraser symbol in the lower right
corner of the map. This turns your cursor into an eraser. Move
the eraser to the comment and click either mouse-button. The
comment goes away.

To call up maps of levels other than the first, click on the
dog-eared corners on the right-hand side of the map. The upper
corner allows you to examine higher levels while the lower
corner allows you to examine deeper levels. Since you haven't
explored any levels other than the first yet, you will have to
wait to experiment with this feature.

To return from the map to the game, press [ESC] or move your
cursor to the "Close" symbol at the lower right, and click
either mouse-button.

You'll want to use the map often, so you shouldn't keep it
inside a bag. Rightclick-and-hold on the map symbol on your
character panel, drag it over the bag symbol above the lower
inventory circles, and release the button. (This takes the map
out of the bag, but keeps it on your person.) Now left-click the
bag symbol to close the bag and return to the main inventory
screen. The closed bag and the map should be side-by-side.

(Note that if you had all of your inventory slots full, dragging
the map to the bag symbol would have had no effect -- to move
the map out of the bag, you would have had to empty an inventory
slot to make room for it.)

You can click on the map any time you want to get a fix on your
location.

Dropping Objects. Now, you know how to pick things up and
manipulate your inventory, but what if you want to get rid of
something? At this point, you want to keep everything you've
found, so we'll have to fudge a little -- there's a skull around
here somewhere. It'll do.

Turn until you are facing the wall to the west -- the wall with
the carved message on it. (When the red "North-point" on the
compass below the view window points to the three o'clock
position, you are facing west.) Now, move forward. You may
accelerate right into the wall, but don't worry -- running into
walls doesn't hurt you in ULTIMA Underworld. Back up a bit so
you can see the message carved into the wall. (Read the message
by clicking on the Look icon and right-clicking on the carving.)

The skull is just below the graffiti on the wall. Click on the
Get icon, then use the right mouse-button to click and drag the
object into your inventory. (If you are too far away to get the
skull, move closer.)

You certainly don't need to carry this skull around, so drag it
out of your inventory and put it back on the ground. (Remember,
when you drag an item, the cursor assumes the shape of that
item.) To rid yourself of the skull, you can either drop it or
throw it.

To drop the skull on the ground, drag the skull-shaped cursor to
anywhere in the bottom third of the view window, and then
release the button.

To throw the skull, release the button while the skull is in the
top two-thirds of the view window. (The skull is pretty tough,
but some objects break or bounce upon impact.) If there is an
obstacle in front of you, a thrown object falls to the ground in
front of you.

If you're too close to an obstacle (the wall, for example), you
may not be able to drop the skull at all. Any time you find you
are unable to drop or throw an object because you are too close
to a wall or door, try backing up a bit.

OPENING DOORS

Turn until you are facing north (i.e., until the red point on
the compass is in the 12 o'clock position) and walk down the
corridor again. This time, stop and look at all the objects you
see. As you walk, you come across an axe (a Look will reveal
that it is broken), ashes, bones and other rubbish. Mid-way down
the corridor, in a recess in the right-hand wall, you'll find a
door. Right-click to look at it and read the description on the
screen's message scroll.

Click the Use icon and then the door to try to open it. You'll
discover that it is locked, and you don't have a key. But
there's another way to open this door-turn to face the door and
back up a bit. There, on your right, is a pull-chain. Right
click on the chain to Use the chain to pull it and open the door.

Walk through the doorway and bear a little to the left --
there's another bag! Using the bag spills the contents onto the
ground so you can examine the items without adding them all to
your inventory.

In this bag, you find a cudgel, a mushroom and a candle. First,
pick up the now empty bag. Leave the candle, for the moment, and
pick up the mushroom and the cudgel. (Click the Get icon,
right-click and drag each object into your inventory and release
the button over an inventory circle.)

SELECTING WEAPONS

Now you have a decision to make -- should you leave the dagger
in your hand or move that out of the ready position and replace
it with the cudgel? To make this decision, you need to know more
about your skills. Click on the chain below the character panel
and the panel flips around to your statistics panel.

This panel contains a great deal of information about your
character, but right now we're concerned with the skill list at
the bottom of the panel. To scroll through the list, click on
the up- or down-arrows below the skill list.

If your character has the mace skill, you probably want to use
the cudgel rather than the dagger. If your character's mace
score is zero, check the sword skill. If you have that skill,
stick with the dagger (and go looking for a better dagger or
sword D. If you have neither skill, ready whichever weapon you
prefer -- the dagger does less damage than the cudgel, but you
will be able to attack more frequently with it.

Now click the chain below the stat panel to flip back to the
character panel. Move whichever weapon you want into your
character's weapon hand.

DEALING WITH GROUPED ITEMS

There is still a candle on the ground. Since your torch won't
last forever, you should pick it up. (Candles don't provide as
much light as torches, but they burn longer and some light is
better than none at all...)

When you try to pick up the candle you find there's something
different about it -- it's actually several candles! When you
click the Get icon and then the candle, the message "Move how
many? 1" appears in the message scroll. To take just one of the
candles, click with the left button. The right button would take
all of them if clicked, or you could type in a number from the
keyboard, then press [ENTER]. Now you can move the candle(s)
just as you would any other object.

Items of the same type can usually be stacked within a single
circle on your inventory panel -- for instance, five torches are
generally shown as one torch symbol, with the numeral "5" above
it. The only time you can't stack identical objects is if their
"quality" is different. For instance, you can't stack a
"somewhat used" candle in the same circle with "halfway used"
candles.

FURTHER EXPLORATION

Turning left and right, you see two doors in this room. Trying
to open them (by clicking the Use icon and then right-clicking
the door), you find that they're both locked -- and this time,
there are no pull-chains. Without a key, there's nothing more
you can do here short of "attacking" the door repeatedly to
batter it down. This is possible, but it takes time and could
damage or destroy your weapon. For now, go back out into the
main corridor and head west.

Keep going until the east-west corridor ends, then turn to the
right (north). Here, in an alcove, you find a torch, a bowl and
an axe. Look at each of these items, note their condition, and
get them. (If you have the axe skill, put the axe in your weapon
hand.)

Now check the compass and head south. Beyond the east-west
corridor that brought you here, you'll pass the remains of an
adventurer and come upon some strange blue and gold objects.
These are rune stones -- the stuff of magic. Pick these up and
put them in your inventory. There isn't much you can do with
them right now, but they'll come in handy later.

Continue on until the corridor tums to the right (west again)
and you enter a room with a large stone block in the center. Go
around the block -- it doesn't matter whether you go to the
north or the south.

Past the block, you find a pack. Put it in your inventory and
click on it to examine its contents. Inside, you find a scroll,
a red key, a rune bag and some runes.

Read the scroll (by right-clicking it in Look mode) and then
leave it behind or carry it, at your discretion (it doesn't
weigh much). The red key should open some of the locked doors
you've encountered. The magic items are very important. The rune
bag allows you to cast magic, but only if you have the proper
rune stones inside. Pick up each rune stone and drag it on top
of the rune bag -- this actually puts the stone inside the bag.
(You can use this method to place anything inside of any bag or
pack.) Be sure to put in the stones you found earlier, too.

You want your rune bag to be accessible, especially if you're a
mage, so drag the rune bag onto the pack symbol above the lower
inventory circles, moving it to a more convenient inventory
location.

MAGIC

With a rune bag and some rune stones, you may be able to cast
spells -- even if you aren't a mage. The amount of Mana you have
and your casting skill level determine how successful you can be
with magic.

Preparing a Spell. Before you can cast a spell, you must prepare
it. Try to anticipate your needs and have a spell (like Resist
Blows) ready for use in an emergency or keep a common spell
(perhaps Light) ready simply because you expect to use it
repeatedly.

To prepare a spell, open your rune bag. Go to the inventory
section of your character panel, and left-click the rune bag --
this causes the character panel to flip, revealing the Rune
Panel. The rune stones are shown here in alphabetical order,
with empty squares representing stones you haven't yet collected.

Now take note of the empty rectangle just to the right of your
compass -- this is the Rune Shelf, where your readied spell is
displayed. Left-clicking on any stone on the rune panel causes
that stone to appear on the shelf. When all of the stones
necessary to cast a spell are on the rune shelf, the spell is
considered prepared.

Necessary Rune Stones. The rune stones you find in the pack are
Bet, In, Lor and Sanct (B, I, L and S). The spell tables in this
guide reveal that these stones can be used to cast three spells:
Light (using I and L), Resist Blows (B, I and S), and Conceal
(B, S and L). However, Conceal is a spell of the Third Circle,
so it is beyond the ability of a beginning mage -- the other two
spells, being of the First Circle, are possible.

In addition to the Bet, In, Lor and Sanct runes, you already had
Ort and Jux (O and J). With these, you may also be able to cast
the Magic Arrow spell (OJ) and, when you reach a higher level,
the Rune of Warding spell (IJ) and the Strengthen Door spell
(SJ).

Casting a Spell. All that is necessary to cast a prepared spell
is to left-click on the runes on the rune shelf, regardless of
whether your rune bag is open or closed. If you have the
required Mana, and the correct runes on the shelf, the spell
will eventually work -- but the number of attempts required will
depend on your character's casting skill level. The higher your
level, the better your chance of succeeding at a spell.
Characters with lower casting ratings may have to try over and
over in order to get a spell to work. Fortunately, there is no
penalty for a casting failure unless the spell backfires -- a
rare occurrence.

(If you make a mistake in laying out your runes, you can erase
the rune shelf by clicking on the symbol at the bottom of the
rune panel. This represents the rune stones being replaced in
the rune bag.)

Once a spell is successfully cast, the blue Mana Flask drains to
reflect the amount of Mana used up.

PLAYING IT SAFE

You're about to embark on a journey -- it may seem like you're
going out of your way and retracing your steps, but it will pay
off in the long run.

First, go to your auto-map and write yourself a note indicating
your current location. Then, go back to the main corridor and
the door you opened by pulling the chain. It's to the east --
refer to your automap, if you lose your way. Go through the door
and find the locked door to the south in the room beyond.

Now use the red key you found in the pack. First, approach the
locked door. Then open the pack in your inventory, click on the
Use icon and then click on the key to put the key in-hand. You
will be asked what you want to use the key on. Move the
key-shaped cursor to the door and right-click. Since the key
fits the lock, it unlocks the door. Use the door and it will
swing open.

(Many usable objects -- keys, anvils, poles, lockpicks, rock
hammers, even bones you wish to bury -- require specific
targets. All are used in the manner described above.)

Proceed straight ahead through the door. On your right is a
message carved in the wall. Look at the message to read it. Now,
turn to face the plant at the far end of the room -- this is the
Silver Sapling. Get the plant and it will wither, leaving you
with a seed. Plant the seed somewhere in this room. To plant the
seed, place it in your inventory, then click on the Use icon and
then the seed. If there is floor space in front of you, the seed
will take root. (If you have trouble planting the seed, back up
or turn around until there is more room in front of you and try
again. Make sure there is dirt ahead of you or the seed won't
grow.)

Now, if you die in combat, you will be resurrected in the spot
where you planted the seed. If you die without having done this,
you return to the main menu and must create a character from
scratch and start all over (or restore a saved game, if you have
one).

Retrace your steps, using the auto-map if necessary, and go back
to the room where you found the pack. You're about to pick a
fight, and the Silver Sapling may prove your salvation.

(At some point you will want to Look around the Silver Sapling
room carefully, examining walls, objects and everything else --
there is a secret door in the area, but you'll have to look
carefully tofind it. This secret door can be seen on-screen if
you keep your eyes open. Others are too well-hidden to be
spotted by the naked eye. You're unlikely to find these unless a
character tells you about them in conversation. Even then, you
must click on the Look icon and look at the walls. Your search
skill takes over at this point and, if you're observant, a
secret door will be revealed.)

COMBAT

Once you're back in the room where you found the stone block and
the pack, take a look around. There are two doors -- when you
try to open them you will find that one is locked and the other
is unlocked. You can try your red key in the locked door, but
first open the unlocked door -- a Use click will do the job.

Enter and use the Look icon to examine everything in the room --
the first thing you'll probably notice is a giant rat. The rat
is agitated, but it's not actively hostile (which means it won't
leap to the attack). You'll also see some food and some armor.

If you want to, you can just try to take the items (probably
starting with the armor). If the rat sees you take its food, it
will get more angry, and since it is already upset, it will
attack. If, however, you can grab the items while the rat is
looking the other way, it won't notice, and you can saunter off
with your newfound goods, none the worse for the experience.

However, in order to find out what combat is like in this game,
you are about to attack the giant rat.

First, make sure you have your best weapon readied -- the one in
the best condition and with which you have the highest level of
skill -- then click on the Fight icon (the sword) on the left
side of the screen. This readies your weapon. The tip of the
weapon appears at the bottom of your view window.

(If your weapon does not come into view, and you see your fist
instead, you may not have the weapon in your weapon hand. The
large circles near your hands, on the inventory panel, are the
only places from which you can use a weapon -- the circle to the
left if your character is righ t-handed, and the right circle if
your character is left-handed.)

Attacking. To attack, position the cursor over your target, then
press and hold down the right mouse-button. This causes your
weapon to disappear from the view window as you pull it back
into the ready position. Releasing the button launches the blow.
The location you're attacking is determined by where you start
your attack -- where the cursor is when you first press the
button -- not by where you release the mouse-button to unleash
the attack.

Be sure to hold down the right mouse-button long enough for the
power gem just left of the compass to begin glowing yellow or
green -- otherwise, you haven't drawn your arm back yet, and the
blow automatically fails.

You will quickly notice that you can make several different
kinds of attack -positioning the cursor high in the view window
causes a bash, starting the attack in the middle of the window
causes a slash, a low cursor unleashes a thrust. Some attacks
prove more effective against certain foes -- in this case,
you're fighting a rat, and you want to swing middle and low (or
look down and bash), as high swings go over the rat's head.

If the rat dodges, maneuver to keep it in view, using the left
mouse-button as you would during normal movement. (You can move
and attack simultaneously.) You might also want to look down
(with

Doing Damage (and Taking It). If your attack is successful, you
will see a splatter of blood -- the bigger the splatter, the
more damage you did to your foe. (Not all enemies bleed, but
giant rats do -- if your attack strikes home, you'll know it.)
If you are lucky, or if your character is particularly skilled
in attack or if you are skilled with the weapon you are using,
you might even kill the rat with a single blow -- if so, you'll
see a puddle of blood on the ground.

You will know if the rat injures you, because the view window
rocks (as the attack knocks you back). If the attack seriously
damages you, a sudden flash of red fills the entire window. To
keep track of your health during combat, watch the red flask --
if its level falls too low, this may be a good time to run for
it!

If you defeat the rat, check your character panel -- you will
find that you've been given several experience points. When you
have more, your character will grow in skills and attributes.

Collecting Booty. If you vanquish an enemy, his goods -- his
weapon, armor and other treasures -- automatically fall to the
ground, and you can claim them. Unfortunately, this rat has no
treasure, but he does have his hoard: The cheese and the piece
of meat are probably worth carrying until you need them. As for
the leggings (armor for your legs), you should put them on.

To don the leggings (or any article of clothing or piece of
armor), pick them up and release them over your character's legs
on the inventory panel -- in addition to the inventory circles
surrounding the picture of your character (which represent
things your character holds), the picture itself includes
inventory slots for items you wear on your head, torso, hands,
legs and feet. Select the Get icon and then drag the leggings
onto the picture's legs. When you release the mouse-button, the
armor settles into place there -- your character is then wearing
them.

And Should You Die  ....  If you die, you are resurrected where
you planted the Silver Sapling seed. You can then try to defeat
the rat again or continue exploring elsewhere.

CONVERSATION

Now that you've engaged in combat, try a little peaceful
interaction. Use the red key on the west door and venture on.
After you enter this room, turn to the left and collect the
bedroll you see. This will help you sleep better. In addition to
the bedroll, there's a person in the room. Look at him and you
will find that he is friendly. Click on the Talk icon and then
position the cursor over the man and press the right
mouse-button to strike up a conversation.

The Conversation Screen. When you do this, a large conversation
scroll appears in the middle of the screen. Below the large
scroll is your message scroll. Above and to the left of the
large scroll is a portrait of the man with whom you are speaking
and, above that, the man's name -- Bragit. To the right of
Bragit's portrait is his "barter area." To the right of that is
your barter area and your character's portrait and name.

Selecting Responses. Bragit greets you with the words, "Hail,
stranger! What be thy business? I have not seen thee in this
place before." (His comments are printed in dark brown on the
conversation scroll.) Below, on your message scroll, a menu of
three possible responses appears:

1.   I am merely exploring the Abyss.

2.   I am attempting to rescue an innocent girl.

3.   I was thrown in here as punishment for a crime I did not
commit.

These are the things you can say to Bragit. The choice you make
may determine how Bragit feels about you (friendly, angry,
actively hostile, etc.) and what he says next, if anything. To
select one of these responses, press the keyboard number of the
option you want or move the yellow cross onto the option and
click either button. Select the option you want now.

The response appears in light brown below Bragit's greeting,
followed by his response to you. (The "[MORE]" at the end of his
comment is a signal that he has more to say -- click either
mouse-button or press any key to see the rest of his
conversation. )

Notice that you now have new response options in the message
scroll. Continue selecting response options and reading Bragit's
text until he says, "Good luck in thy travels." This is the
response he gives when he is ready to end the conversation and
go about his business. (Other people and creatures will have
different closing lines... )

To leave conversation and return to the main game screen, click
either mouse-button or any key.

CONTINUING TO PLAY

These pages have provided enough tips to get you started in the
underworld. At some point, you should read the Advanced Playing
Tips for more information about the game.

Now you can venture forth on your own, using your native wits
and sharp sword to cleave a route through the Abyss. Remember,
there are plenty of locked doors to unlock and a secret door
somewhere in the Silver Sapling room, and the man you talked
with told you things you may want to investigate.

As you play, don't feel like you have to explore levels or solve
puzzles and quests in any predetermined order. If a puzzle or
quest has you stumped (or you just want to move on to a new
level), go ahead -- ULTIMA Underworld is a nonlinear game. You
can move freely from level to level, solve puzzles in any order
you want and finish quests whenever you feel you're ready.

Now, if you want to stop playing, exit the game by selecting the
Options icon, and then choosing the "Quit Game" option. Before
doing this, however, save your game (see page 17) -- otherwise,
your progress to this point will be lost.

ADVANCED PLAYING TIPS

DEFAULT MODE

In the tutorial above, you used the command icons to control the
function of the right mouse-button and interact with the world.
However, experienced players can perform almost all of the
functions while in Default Mode -- that is, with no icons
selected. Any time none of the icons is highlighted, you are in
default mode. (To "un-select" a highlighted icon, click on it.)
In default mode, you can:

Look. To Look at a creature or object (whether in the view
window or in your inventory), right-click on the thing you want
to examine. In default mode, you can tell what an object is, but
no more. To search something carefully, you must click on the
Look icon to enter Look mode.

Get. To Get an object you see in the view window, put the cursor
on the object, press and hold the right mouse-button and drag
the object wherever you want. The game detects whether an object
is "get-able." If the object is one you can't get,
right-dragging will generally try to Use it. If it is
"get-able," it will be put in-hand, and you can throw it, drop
it or move it into your inventory (simply release the right
button). In default mode the cursor is always arrow-shaped, so
if you need to Get a small item it may be more convenient to
enter Get mode (which gives you a cross-shaped cursor).

Use To Use an object in your inventory, left-click it. To use an
object in the view e.window, position the cursor on the object
and right-drag it. If the object is "usable," you automatically
Use it, as you would if you had clicked the Use icon. Note,
however, that in default mode, the Get command takes a higher
priority than the Use command, so you can only Use objects you
can't Get (doors or levers, for instance). To Use a "get-able"
object, click the Use icon and then the object.

Talk. To Talk to a person or creature, position the cursor on
the person or creature and briefly right-drag the mouse. The
game detects whether the person or creature is interested in
conversation. If so, the conversation screen appears (as
described in the tutorial above) and you proceed normally. If
the person or creature isn't interested in conversation, you are
informed of that fact and can proceed as you wish.

Fight. To toggle in or out of Fight mode, simply click on the
weapon in your weapon-hand.

THE OPTIONS ICON

Default mode allows you to do almost everything you will ever
need to do within the game. However, to access the save or
restore game features, toggle sound and music on or off,
increase or decrease the level of graphic detail, or quit the
game, you must use the Options icon. (For a list of the keyboard
equivalents of these options, consult your Reference Card).

When you click the Options icon, boxes appear on the left side
of your screen, replacing the icons usually found there. Text in
the boxes describes what each box does. To select an option,
click on the appropriate box.

Save Game. Whenever you consider doing something you might
regret later, it is a good idea to save your game. "Saving the
game" is like placing a bookmark in something that you are
reading, except that in this case it causes the game to store
your current position and status. Once this has been saved, you
can always go back and start again from the position you saved.

If for example, you're about to begin combat and there is a
possibility your foe will kill you, save the game and you can
always start over from the point at which you chose to fight.
Then you can fight him again, hoping for a better outcome, or
this time make the decision to leave him alone!

To save your game, click with either mouse-button on the Options
icon (the uppermost icon). Click on the "Save Game" box, and new
options will appear in boxes: I, II, III or IV. Each of these is
a possible save-game, or bookmark, from which you can resume
playing the game. The message scroll provides a description of
each of the save-games. (The description for an unused saved
game slot reads "<not used yet>."

It makes no difference which save-game you select. Click on any
empty box (or a box representing a saved game you don't mind
replacing). Now the game asks you to type a description of this
save-game. You want to enter something that will remind you
where this bookmark is, and you can write as much as there is
room for in the message scroll. When you are done, click either
mouse-button (or press [ENTER], and your game is saved.

Note that you can't save a game when you have an item "in-hand,"
or you're in the middle of some action (casting a spell, for
example).

Restore Game. During the course of play, your character may die
or you may do something you wish you hadn't. You may just want
to pick up where you left off in an earlier play session. This
can be accomplished by restoring the game to a point at which
you saved it.

Do this by clicking the "Restore Game" box, then the roman
numeral which matches the save-game you wish to restore. When
the game is ready, a notice appears on the message scroll, and
you can resume play.

You can also restore a game from the main menu by selecting
"Journey Onward" and then clicking on the name of the saved game
you wish to play.

Music. This toggles music on and off, but has no effect unless
you installed the game with music and sound effects.

Sound. This toggles sound on and off, but also has no effect
unless you installed the game with music and sound effects.

Detail. The level of graphic detail in ULTIMA Underworld has a
direct effect on game speed. If your game seems to be running
too slowly, click on the Options icon and then on the Detail
box. The default detail level is "Very High." To speed up game
play, decrease that to "High," "Medium" or "Low." The game won't
look quite as good, but it will run more smoothly, and faster.
Experiment with this option until you achieve a pleasing balance
of speed and graphic appeal.

Return to Game. When you click on the Options icon, the game
pauses (combat stops, creatures freeze, time stops). When you
want to exit the Options menu and restart the game, click on
this box.

Quit Game. This returns you to DOS. Be sure to save your game
before you do this, or anything you accomplished after your last
save will be lost.

YOUR CHARACTER

To the right of the view window is your Character Panel.
Generally, this displays a picture of your character surrounded
by small circles. Each circle is a place you can store or carry
an object.

Encumbrance. At the right center of the panel, look for the gray
circle with glowing yellow numbers -- this number represents how
much more weight (in stones) your character can carry. This
weight-limit number (in the gray circle) changes when you pick
up an object, to reflect the fact that you now are carrying
something.

The more you carry, the slower you move. Encumbrance also
affects how far you can jump, and how long you can swim before
you begin to drown.

If the weight-limit number ever reaches zero, then you are
carrying your maximum load, and must drop something before
picking up something new.

The Statistics Panel. Note the chain hanging from the bottom of
the panel. Move the cursor to the chain, then click either
mouse-button. This causes the character panel to flip over (or
to flip back, when you click again). The side of the character
panel which you are now viewing lists your character's stats:
his or her name, class and level ("lst" for beginning
characters, and higher numbers for more experienced
adventurers), and other measurements which you previously saw
when creating your character.

To become a more powerful character in the game -- and thus,
more capable in combat or with magic, for instance -- you must
accumulate EXP (experience points). These points are scored for
exploring the Abyss, for slaying creatures which oppose you, and
for accomplishing other noble tasks. When you start, your EXP
score is very low, but this will change as you play.

Two other important measurements are your VIT (Vitality) and
MANA. (Mana is like health, except that it is a measure of your
magical energy. When you are out of Mana points, you can't cast
spells.)

Both Vitality and Mana are represented by two numbers -- the
first is your current score, and the second is your maximum
score at the present time. These scores will be different for
every character, but if your Vitality score is 34 / 34, this
means that you have 34 points out of 34 possible (in other
words, you are in perfect health).

Attributes. The three primary measurements on every character
panel are ST (your strength), DX (your dexterity or quickness),
and INT (how smart your character is). The maximum score for any
attribute is 30, and the minimum (for player characters) is 12.

Each character class (fighter, mage, etc.) has its own level for
each attribute. For example, the scores for a fighter are a high
Strength, medium Dexterity and low Intelligence. In addition,
each character class has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Try creating characters of various classes to determine which
combination of attributes and skills suits you.

Skills. Each class comes with its own required skills (which you
receive automatically), and most also have optional skills (from
which you may select a limited number).

YOUR CHARACTER'S CONDITION

As you explore the underworld, you will grow hungry and tired.
To learn your character's condition, get a status report. To do
this, move the cursor until it is over the compass below the
view window, and then click the right mousebutton. Your
character's status appears on the message scroll.

At the start of the game, the message reads something like this:

"You are currently well-fed and wide awake.

You are on the first level of the Abyss.

It is the first day of your imprisonment.

You guess that it is currently early evening."

Being "well fed" means that you are not hungry; therefore, you
don't need to eat anything right away. The second sentence clues
you in to your location -the Abyss is divided into levels in
much the same way a building is divided into stories. The first
level is the uppermost portion of the Abyss. The last sentences
give you an idea of what time it is -- your first day, early
evening.

Eating and Sleeping. If the message tells you your character is
hungry or tired, you should consider sleeping or eating. When
you sleep, you regain lost Vitality and Mana points. However, if
you sleep on an empty stomach, your rest will be uneasy and you
will recover fewer points. Therefore, it is wise to check your
condition before sleeping -- and if you are hungry, eat
something (Use a piece of food in your inventory, or simply drag
it over to your character's mouth on the character panel and
release the mouse-button). You will also sleep poorly if too
close to the lairs of beasts, and they might surprise you in
your sleep.

To sleep, press [F10] or better yet, Use a bedroll (your sleep
will be more restful). Extinguish light sources when you go to
sleep. Otherwise, they may burn out and be useless to you when
you awaken. Remember that spells fade after a time and may have
to be re-cast when you wake up.

The Vitality and Mana Flasks. To determine your current Vitality
and Mana, check the score on your stat panel or click on the
flasks on the right, below the character panel portion of the
screen. One flask holds a red fluid -- the amount of fluid in
the flask represents the fraction of Vitality which you possess.
At the start of the game, the red flask is full; if you fight a
battle and lose half your Vitality points, the red flask will
then show half-full. The flask with blue liquid serves the same
purpose, except that it is a measure of how much Mana you have.
Clicking on either flask will cause the message scroll to
display the exact number of points you have remaining.

The flasks are important for another reason -- if you are
poisoned, the red Vitality flask changes from red to bright
green. This might happen if you eat something bad for you, are
struck by a poisoned weapon, drink a poison potion, receive a
bite from a diseased animal, etc. Being poisoned gradually saps
your vitality, so you want to take care of it quickly. One
solution is to find an antidote potion, but the resourceful
adventurer can find other solutions.

IMPROVING YOUR CHARACTER

You are not limited to the abilities with which you start the
game -- they may improve as you advance further into the Abyss.
All of this is controlled by Experience Points. You gain points
for exploring the Abyss, slaying hostile creatures and
performing heroic deeds. Points can be taken from you for
lessthan-heroic actions.

Gaining Levels. The most obvious way in which your character
progresses is through gaining levels. At the start of the game,
you are a first-level character. As you gain experience,
however, you will rise to second level, third level and beyond
(to a maximum of 16th level).

As a higher-level character, you become harder to kill (your
Vitality rises) and you qualify to cast more powerful spells.
Increases in character level are automatic with sufficient
increase in experience points. Notice of the level increase
appears on the message scroll.

Improving Skills. Another way in which you progress is through
raising your skill scores. Such increases only come as the
result of study and deep reflection, and so you must visit an
ankh shrine and recite the proper Mantra. Ankh shrines are
located throughout the Abyss.

Reciting a Mantra is not enough to receive the skill bonus --
you must first qualify for it by having accumulated enough
experience points. You always qualify for a skill bonus after
you gain a new character level, but you can sometimes receive
skill bonuses between level increases.

Whenever you come upon a shrine, Talk to it. The words "Chant
the Mantra:" appear in the message scroll. Type in a Mantra
followed by [ENTER]If you are not yet ready for a skill
increase, the shrine will respond by saying "You are not ready
to advance." If you are ready for an increase, the shrine tells
you which of your skills improves.

The amount and nature of the skill increase is determined by the
Mantra you choose to recite. Three Mantras are commonly known:

Summ Ra   Improves some of your attack skills.
Mu Ahm    Improves some of your magic  skills.
Om Cah    Improves some of your other skills.

Speak one of these Mantras and you increase in a few of the
skills affected by that Mantra. However, as you explore the
dungeon, you will learn Mantras that apply not to categories of
skills, but to specific skills. Chant one of these Mantras and
you will improve dramatically in the skill affected by the
Mantra.

MOVEMENT

Jumping. You climb stairs and mount objects up to two feet tall
by walking onto them. To climb onto an object higher than that,
you must jump (or fly).

To jump, click the right mouse-button while the left
mouse-button is down. If you press both mouse-buttons
simultaneously, you will jump in place. To jump across a chasm
or over an obstacle, make sure you get a running start. Press
the left mouse-button and move the cursor to the upper edge of
the view window. When you've built up speed (and you've reached
the lip of the chasm), press the right button and you'll leap
forward. How far you jump is determined by your forward momentum
when you click the right mouse-button.

As a player convenience, the game will not let you walk off a
precipice if you are moving slowly -- so if you really mean to
jump off a cliff, move swiftly to the edge. Note that you can't
jump while in Fight mode.

Swimming. When you walk (or fall) into water you begin to swim.
In ULTIMA Underworld, swimming is just like walking. However,
you can't jump or attack while swimming. To leave the water, you
must find a bank that is no higher than two feet above the water
level. When you reach such a bank, you can automatically begin
walking (or running) normally.

All characters can swim, but only for a limited time (the actual
amount of time is determined by your character's swimming skill
and encumbrance level). As your character tires, the screen
blinks blue as you sink and begin to drown. Your Vitality level
will begin to drop; when it reaches zero, your character dies.

If you drop an item into the water or onto lava, it will
probably sink out of sight and, since you can't swim underwater,
you won't be able to retrieve it.

Flying. In addition to walking, running, jumping and swimming,
you may learn to fly, either by casting the Fly spell or by
using a magic item that gives you this ability. The direction of
movement is determined by the position of the mouse in the view
window (or the standard keyboard movement keys). Movement up and
down requires the use of the keyboard. To move up, press until
you reach the desired altitude. To move down or land, press

Lava and Movement. The Abyss is a volcano and sooner or later
you will find lava flows. Generally, it is best to leap across
molten lava if you want to cross it. You can walk on lava, but
you take damage while doing so.

INVENTORY

Finger Slots. Notice the two small inventory circles near your
character's hands. These are the finger inventory slots. One
ring can be readied in each of these positions. In general,
magical rings are only effective when worn (i.e., when they are
readied in a finger slot).

The Four Upper Circles. Of the four upper circles, only the one
near your primary hand can be used for your weapon. Only the one
near your "off" hand can be used for a shield. The other two,
your "shoulder" slots, are good places to put torches, your map
or other items you want to carry around while keeping a weapon
ready.

If one of the top four circles is empty and a torch is in one of
the lower circles, clicking to Use the torch automatically
lights it and moves it to an upper slot.

Combining Objects. In general, it is not possible to combine
objects of different types. However, it is sometimes possible to
make a new object by dragging an object in-hand on top of an
object in your inventory. (For instance, you can drag a torch
over an ear of corn to make popcorn.)

Bags and Packs. Keep the bags and packs you find, since you can
use them to keep your goods organized. A typical adventurer
might carry five or more bags -- a food bag, a bag of keys, a
bag of items to barter with, a bag of torches and candles, and a
rune bag. You can also place bags inside of other bags. To take
an item out of your bag but keep it in your inventory, drag it
to the symbol of the opened bag. (Note that you can't take rune
stones out of your rune bag).

COMBAT

The Elements of An Attack. Every time you attack, you must make
three choices: Where to aim, the type of attack and the strength
of the attack.

To aim, place the cursor on the creature or object you wish to
attack. It is not necessary to pin-point a specific part of your
foe -- just pointing at the middle of his body is generally good
enough for the purposes of this game. (But you wouldn't want to
accidentally strike a door or a chest, instead of your enemy.)

Only one type of unarmed attack exists -- the jab. Similarly,
there is only one form of attack for each missile weapon (bow,
sling, etc.). Other weapons -swords, daggers, maces and so on --
can be used in a variety of ways. You determine the type of
attack you make by where the cursor is located when you first
press the right mouse-button.

If you start in the top third of the screen, your attack will be
a bash from overhead. Pressing in the middle third of the screen
will begin a sideways slash, and pressing while in the bottom
third will cause a thrust. The three forms of attack inflict
different amounts of damage, depending on the weapon used.

The power gem on the screen, just below the icons to the left of
the view window, indicates the strength of your attack. When you
press the right mousebutton to begin an attack, the gem
gradually turns red, then yellow and finally green. The longer
you prepare an attack, the more damage it does if it hits its
target. If the gem is still red when you launch your attack, the
attack is aborted. A yellow gem indicates a quick, low-strength
attack. When the gem is green and sparkling, your attack is at
maximum strength.

Your Foe's Condition. This is indicated by the gargoyle at the
top of the view window. When you hit a creature in combat,
glance at the gargoyle's eyes. If they glow green, your opponent
is still in good shape. If they glow yellow, he is injured and
if the eyes glow red, you've injured him badly.

Using Missile Weapons. Bows and similar weapons work differently
than other weapons. Ready a missile weapon by placing it in your
hand on the inventory panel, making sure you have the
appropriate type of ammunition in your inventory. If you don't
have the right type of projectile for the weapon, you can't
attack. (Bows use arrows, crossbows use bolts, and slings use
bullets.)

Press the right mouse-button to initiate an attack (screen
location doesn't matter), then wait for the power gem to glow
green. When it is green, your missile weapon is ready to shoot
-- unlike other attacks, there is no bonus for delaying your
shot further. A red, circular cursor appears. Move the cursor to
your target, and release the mouse-button to unleash the attack.
(Remember you have to lead a moving target... )

Some projectiles are destroyed on impact. You may be able to
recover others after combat.

Attacking Inanimate Objects. In general, inanimate objects are
not worth attacking -- you can't do much damage to stone walls.
However, some objects can be affected by repeated attack -- you
can bash open locked chests and batter down locked doors, for
example. This is time consuming and may damage (or destroy) your
weapon, but if you lack a crucial key or don't feel like taking
the time to find one, it may be worth your while.

WEAPONS 8 ARMOR

To make the most of combat, you must understand the benefits and
drawbacks of the various weapons and armor-types found in the
Abyss. You should also pay attention to the condition of your
equipment.

Weapon Types. There are four classes of weapons. Larger weapons
usually do more damage, but take longer to ready between blows
than smaller weapons.

Swords include daggers, shortswords, longswords and broadswords.
Daggers can be readied swiftly, but inflict only light damage.
Daggers are best used as thrusting weapons, while swords excel
at slashing.

Axes include hand axes, pole axes and battle axes. Axes do more
damage than swords, but take longer to ready. They are slashing
weapons -- only the pole axe is effective when thrusting, and no
axe can bash very well. The battle axe is the most damaging
weapon in the game (excluding enchanted or special weapons).

Maces include cudgels, light maces and maces. All maces are best
used as bashing weapons.

Missile Weapons include slings, bows and crossbows. Missile
weapons allow you to attack most creatures before they can
attack you. The problem is that each shot requires ammunition,
and it can be hard to find arrows (for bows) or bolts (for
crossbows). Slings fire projectiles which are slow, easy to
dodge and which don't do much damage...but sling bullets are
easy to find. (You can always make more by breaking a boulder.)

Armor. There are three types of armor: leather (the least
protection), chain and plate. As you find various pieces of
armor, your character might soon be wearing protection of many
kinds (leather leggings, a chain shirt and a plate helm,
perhaps).

Armor degrades in quality as it suffers damage through combat,
and eventually is destroyed (unless a talented smith can be
found or you repair it yourself, using an anvil). Also, note
that armor provides less protection as it deteriorates. Keep
armor in good repair whenever possible.

Armor is also heavy -- a complete set of plate armor may be too
heavy for you to wear, especially if you want to carry anything
else with you!

Shields. These are only effective when carried in the hand
opposite your weapon hand -- if your character is right-handed,
the shield must go in the inventory circle nearest his or her
left hand. From least to most protective, the shields are:
buckler, small shield, wooden shield and tower shield.

CONVERSATION

Many of the people and creatures you meet in the Abyss have
tales to tell. Listening to them and helping them with their
problems is an important part of the game.

Unless a person or creature seems obviously hostile, it is
always in your best interest to try to engage him, her or it in
conversation -- attacking everything in sight will lead to
failure in your mission and, in many cases, quick death.

You can talk to most of the humanoid inhabitants and may hold
conversations with certain creatures in the dungeon. In general,
you cannot speak to someone who is fighting you, but there are
exceptions.

Characters often remember and react to how you treat them in a
conversation. Intimidation may work on some, but may anger
others. An angry creature may attack you.

In some conversations, you will see the response "Other," "What
about..." or something similar. If so, you can type in a name,
word or phrase.

Bartering

Many inhabitants of the underworld have equipment and food they
are willing to part with in exchange for things they need --
bartering is an important skill, one you will want to hone as
you explore the depths.

Barter Areas. Sometimes in a conversation a character may ask to
see items or you may want to show items. This is what the barter
areas are for. The barter areas -- the tables upon which traders
display their wares -- look just like normal inventory slots. If
you want a potential trading partner to see an item you wish to
trade, you must put it in one of the circles in your barter area.

Placing an item in the barter area automatically lights the dot
next to the item. A lit dot indicates an item that is available
for trade. Clicking on the item toggles the lit dot off,
removing the item from consideration in a trade. No character
can see what another has in his or her inventory. Put an item or
items in your barter area and your trading partner will see it.

Procedure. Either you or the person you are talking to may
initiate a barter sessi on. When this occurs a number of items
that the character is offering to trade will appear in his
barter area. You may move any items you wish to trade into your
barter area. Then, click on the items in the character's barter
area that interest you to light their dots, and do the same for
the items you are offering to trade for them in your barter
area. You can then offer this deal to the character by clicking
on a menu line that says something like "I offer you this trade."

If the character accepts your deal, the items you offered will
disappear into his inventory, along with any items of his you
did not bargain for. You may move the items you traded for from
his barter area into your inventory. If he declines, you may
change the highlighted items in either barter area and try again.

Giving and Showing. The same procedure is used to give or show
items. For example, you may want to offer someone a gift. To do
this, you must have a highlighted item in your barter area. When
you click on a menu line like "I wish to give you this gift,"
the character may take the item from your barter area. When a
character decides to give you something, the cursor will become
that item. You should place it into your inventory.

Appraisal. Some characters in the dungeon are patient with
bartering. Others lose interest quickly and may tire of it after
a few unsuccessful offers. Some may require more profit for
themselves before accepting a deal. Characters also may have
different ideas about the values of items than you do. To avoid
making bad offers, or getting a really bad deal, you may wish to
evaluate the relative values of the items being offered. To do
this, click on a line that says something like "I must think
about this deal." A line evaluating the deal will appear in the
big scroll. For instance, you may see the words, "You think you
are getting a good deal." The accuracy of the evaluation depends
upon your appraise skill.

Demands. One final option in bartering is to simply demand items
from the other character. Once the character has agreed to
barter and you can see what he is carrying, you may demand that
he give you certain items, by selecting the appropriate option
in your message scroll. This is a very hostile act. Even if the
character agrees to give you the items, his attitude towards you
will worsen. If he thinks he is stronger than you, he will
refuse, and he will attack you. You must be very careful of whom
you demand things.

Repairing Items

Some characters in the Abyss may offer to repair items as part
of their conversation. To have an item fixed, place the broken
item in your barter area before you select the conversation
option requesting the repair.

You can also try to repair damaged weapons or armor yourself,
but you must first find an anvil. Success depends upon your
repair skill level -- it is possible to ruin something by
attempting to repair it! Repairs also take time, and the noise
attracts attention. To repair an item, you use the anvil as you
would any item. Your cursor tums into a small anvil, which you
then must click on the item you wish to repair. A message
appears in the message scroll telling you how difficult the
repair will be and asking if you want to continue. Select the
"Yes" option and you attempt to repair the item.

Ending Conversations

To end a conversation or bartering session, you must say
"farewell" (or the equivalent) by selecting it from your
conversation options. Any items left in your barter area or in
the character barter area that belong to you at the end of a
conversation appear on the floor in front of you.

MAGIC

Successful Spellcasting. In order to have any chance to cast a
spell successfully, your character must be of high enough level
and you must have sufficient Mana.

Required Mana. The cost of a spell, in Mana points, is equal to
triple the level of the spell -- for example, a spell of the
First Circle costs 3 Mana points to cast. Your character's
current Mana level is the first of the two numbers which follows
"Mana" on the character panel. lf you currently have at least 3
Mana points, you can cast a spell.

Your Level and Spellcasting. To cast a spell, your character
level, halved and rounded up, must equal or exceed the Circle of
the spell. If you successfully cast a spell, your level comes
into play again -- before you can cast another spell, you may
have to wait an amount of time determined by your level and the
level of the spell cast.

Unsuccessful Spellcasting. Whenever you cast a spell, there is a
chance you will fail. The higher your character's casting skill
level, the less likely this is. In general, a failed attempt to
cast a spell has no effect. You don't use up Mana points -you
just waste some time. However, a failed spellcasting attempt may
backfire (especially if your casting level is low). A backfire
damages the caster.

SPELL TYPES

Spells come in three varieties. Some spells are instantaneous,
taking effect as soon as they are cast. Many spells last for a
period of time after they are cast -for instance, the duration
of a Light spell is several minutes. Still other spells must be
targeted -- directed at a specific point. These last two
spell-types require a bit of explanation:

Duration Spells. When you cast a duration spell, its symbol
appears to the left of the compass. It is impossible to maintain
more than three duration spells at the same time. If you want to
cast a fourth duration spell, you must dispel one of the
existing spells (by left-clicking its duration symbol).
Right-clicking on the symbol of a duration spell causes the
message scroll to display the name of the spell, and whether the
spell will continue much longer ("stable" means time remains,
"unstable" means the spell will expire shortly).

If you expect to use magic in a battle, ready a useful spell
prior to combat, not during it. Remember that you can leave a
spell on the rune shelf, to be used at any time. Bear in mind
that powerful spells (such as Flame Wind), may destroy valuable
artifacts near the spell's target.

Targeted Spells. Several of the spells in the game must be
targeted like missile weapons. When you cast a targeted spell by
right-clicking on the rune shelf, your cursor changes to a
targeting cursor. For combat spells (e.g., Fireball), the
targeting cursor is a red circle. For non-combat spells (e.g.,
Strengthen Door), the cursor is a blue cross. Position the
cursor on the target and press the right mouse-button to let the
spell fly. These spells do not require Mana until they are
released. And it may not be possible to release the spell if
there is an object directly in front of you.

Area Spells. In addition to the spell-types described above, be
aware that some spells affect individuals (your character or
another creature) while others may affect entire areas.

Before casting an area effect spell, make sure there is some
open space in front of your character -- obstacles close by can
interfere with the casting.

Some area effect spells affect all creatures and/or objects in
an area; some affect just one creature and/or object; still
others will affect an unpredictable number of creatures and/or
objects. Experiment with area effect spells to learn which ones
have which effect.

Enchanted Items. As you explore the dungeon you will find
powerful magic items. These give the user amazing magical
abilities, unrestricted by level or amount of Mana.

Some enchanted items (crowns and rings, for example) are meant
to be worn. These take effect as soon as you put them on. Other
magic items take effect only when they are Used.

For example, when you put on a Ring of Invisibility the effect
lasts as long you wear the ring. However, to cast a spell
inscribed on a magical scroll, you must Use the scroll.

Note that enchanted items don't look any different than ordinary
ones. If your lore skill is high enough, you may be able to
determine an item's magical function when you Look at it. If you
suspect an item is enchanted, but don't learn much the first
time you Look at it, try again when your lore skill goes up.

THE EIGHT CIRCLES OF RUNIC MAGIC

THE 1ST CIRCLE

Create Food (In Mani Yfern) Causes a fine bounty of food to
appear (permanent spell).

Light (In Lor) Illuminates a darkened area (duration spell).

Magic Arrow (Ort Ju;c) Fires a magic arrow at your opponent
(targeted spell).

Resist Blows (Bet In Sanct) Has the same effect as wearing a
suit of head-to-toe armor (duration spell).


Stealth (Sanct Hur) Briefly prevents you from making any noise,
making it less likely that creatures will notice you (duration
spell).

THE 2ND CIRCLE

Cause Fear (Quas Corp) May cause an opponent to lose heart
and flee (instantaneous spell).

Detect Monster (Wis Mani) Reveals the presence of hidden
or unperceived enemies (instantaneous spell).

Lesser Heal (In Bet Mani) Heals your minor wounds (instan-
taneous spell).

Rune of Warding (In Jux) Places an enchantment in an area which
will report if anything disturbs it (permanent spell, until
disturbed).

Slow Fall (Rel Des Por) Briefly allows you to float in the air
like a feather (duration spell).

THE 3RD CIRCLE
Conceal (Bet Sanct Lor) Briefly obscures you, so you might
remain unseen (duration spell).

Lightning (Ort Grav) Hurls a bolt of arcane energy at your
opponent (targeted spell).

Night Vision (Quas Lor) Allows you to see without benefit
of torch or candle (duration spell).

Speed (Rel Tym Por) Slows down your enemies relative to
your speed (duration spell).

Strengthen Door (Sanct Jux) Spikes a door (permanent spell).

THE 4TH CIRCLE

Heal (In Mani) Heals you of grievous wounds (permanent
spell).

Levirate (Hu r Por) Briefly allows you to rise vertically into
the air (duration spell).

Poison (Nox Mani) Poisons your opponent with toxic venom
(permanent spell).

Remove Trap (An Jux) Negates the targeted snare (targeted
spell).

 Resist Fire (Sanct Flam) Briefly grants a partial resistance to
damage from flame (duration spell).

THE 5TH CIRCLE

Cure Poison (An Nox) Acts as an antidote to any poison
(permanent spell).

Fireball (Por Flam) Hurls a mighty flaming missile at your
opponent (targeted spell).

Missile Protection (Grav Sanct Por) Renders you invul-
nerable to missiles (duration spell).

Name Enchantment (Ort Wis Ylem) Reveals the true nature of the
object on which you cast the spell (permanent spell).

Open (Ex Ylem) Unlocks a locked door or chest (permanent spell).

THE 6TH CIRCLE

Daylight (Vas In Lor) Provides bright illumination for
extended periods of time (duration spell).

Gate Travel (Vas Rel Por) Allows you to travel instantly to a
moonstone (instantaneous spell).

Greater Heal (Vas In Mani) Brings you back to your
original vigor (full Vitality) (permanent spell).

Paralyze (An Ex Por) Prevents target from moving (instan-
taneous spell).

Telekinesis (Ort Por Ylem) Allows you to pick up a single
item and use it from a distance (duration spell).

THE 7TH CIRCLE

Ally (In Mani Rel) Causes the ensorcelled being to fight the
last enemy he or she saw you attack (permanent spell).

Confusion (Vas An Wis) Causes foes to act as if drunk
(instantaneous spell).

Fly (Vas Hur Por) Allows you to fly through the air for a time,
and then glide gently to the ground (duration spell).

Invisibility (Vas Sanct Lor) Causes you to become nearly
impossible to see (duration spell).

Reveal (Ort An Quas) Reveals hidden objects and concealed exits
from current location (instantaneous spell).

THE 8TH CIRCLE

Flame Wind (Flam Hur) Casts multiple flaming missiles
into the area (instantaneous spell).

 Freeze Time (An Tym) Stops the flow of time for all but you
(duration spell).

Iron Flesh (In Vas Sanct) Greatly increases your resistance
to damage (duration spell).

Roaming Sight (Ort Por Wis) Allows you to see the world
from a bird's-eye view (duration spell).

Tremor (Vas Por Ylem) Causes the ground to quake and
rocks to burst (instantaneous spell).

SKILL LIST

Acrobat (DX) The ability to move with grace. This skill reduces
damage taken from falls and collisions.

Appraise (DX) Training in perceiving the value of goods. This
skill aids you in correctly evaluating a deal offered you in
barter. Attack (ST) Your general fighting ability. This skill
provides a bonus to your chance to hit when attacking.

Axe (ST) Training in the use of axes. This skill increases your
ability to defend against attack and provides a bonus to hit
when attacking with any form of axe.

Casting (INT) The study of spells. This skill improves the
likelihood of a spell being successfully cast.

Charm (DX) Knack of making friends. This skill increases your
chances of obtaining a good deal when bartering.

Defense (ST) Your ability to defend yourself in combat. This
skill provides a penalty to foes who are trying to strike you.

Lore (INT) The ability to correctly identify an item. This skill
improves the accuracy of the information gained by Looking at an
object.

Mace (ST) Training in the use of blunt weapons. This skill
increases your defense against attacks, and gives a bonus to hit
when using a mace or cudgel.

Mana (INT) Your ability to manipulate magical energy. This skill
increases your maximum number of Mana points.

Missile (ST) Training in the use of missile weapons. This skill
increases the
damage you inflict in attacks using bows, crossbows, and slings.

Picklock (DX) The ability to use lock-picking tools. This skill
increases your chances of using a lockpick to open a locked door
or chest.

Repair (DX) The ability to fix weapons and armor. This skill
increases your chance of using an anvil to repair items
successfully.

Search (DX) Training which heightens your perceptions. This
skill increases your chance of detecting hidden doors and traps.
This skill is applied automatically whenever you Look at
something.

Sneak (DX) The ability to move quietly. This skill automatically
reduces the noise you make, making it less likely that creatures
will notice you.

Swimming (DX) Training in endurance swimming. This skill
postpones drowning.

Sword (ST) Training in swordsmanship. This skill increases your
chance of defending against attack and provides a bonus to your
chance to hit when striking with swords and daggers.

Track (DX) The ability to perceive animal tracks. This skill
tells you when creatures are near.

Traps (DX) The ability to disable a trap. This skill disarms
traps you find.

Unarmed (ST) Training in unarmed combat. This skill provides a
bonus both to your chance to hit and to damage when attacking
with only your fist.

      Ultima and Lord British are registered trademarks of
Richard Garriott. Underworld, The Stygian

 Abyss, Avatar and the distinctive ORIGIN logo are trademarks of
ORIGIN Systems, Inc.

We Create Worlds is a registered trademark of ORIGIN Systems,
Inc.

             Player's Guide by Boba Fet

1992 ORIGIN Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved.