textfiles/apple/DOCUMENTATION/standing.stones

               
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               *                                   *
               *      THE STANDING STONES DOCS     *
               *                                   *
               *                 BY                *
               *                                   *
               *             THE PENGUIN           *
               *                                   *
               *             WRITTEN FOR           *
               *                                   *
               *  THE SOUTH POLE   [312] 677-7140  *
               *  THE SAFEHOUSE    [612] 724-7066  *
               *  THE OUTPOST      [312] 441-6957  *
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CREATING A NEW KNIGHT
---------------------

The  five traits - virility, intellect, holiness, agility, and initial
hits - describe a basic character. They signify as follows: 


VIRILITY: 
fighting strength,ability to carry gold and perform tasks that require
strength

INTELLECT: 
effectiveness in casting magical spells and performing other magic. 

HOLINESS: 
your ability to use clerical spells  for  such  matters  as  examining
objects that are unrecognizable. 

AGILITY: 
quickness  and cleverness in getting out of the way of danger,skill at
picking locks and other actions that require nimble feet and fingers. 

INITIAL HITS: 
your life index. As you are injured,your hit index declines  until  it
hits  0.  At  0  you will die. These points can be restored by finding
your way out of the dungeon or using spells. 


COMMANDS USED WHILE EXPLORING
-----------------------------

D)rop: 
Allows you to drop anything you do not want or need. Most things  will
stay  where  you  dropped  them except for gold, which everyone knows,
will most likely be taken by monsters  and  others  that  inhabit  the
dungeon. 

E)nd and save game: 
If  you  wish  to end the game at any point in the dungeon, do so with
this feature. Note: If the machine is  turned  off  your  knight  will
perish.  Perished  knights  may be reincarnated but at a heavy cost in
gold,magic and experience points. Make sure to end the game with  this
command and not the "OFF" switch! 

R)est: 
Allows  your  knight  to  breathe  easy  for  a while, to recover from
temporary blindness or the like. Beware though, monsters do  not  rest
and will still attack you if you are resting. 

T)hrow a spell: 
This  command allows you to use a magic spell, whether it be in combat
or just travelling along. If there is any doubt  of  what  spells  you
have  at your disposal, press [RETURN] to see what spells you can use,
then T)hrow the correct one. 

U)se a scroll or potion: 
This command allows you to use any magical  items  that  you  possess.
Such items may be used but once and if the magic they have is not used
before you come up from the dungeon,it will vanish uselessly. 


MOTION COMMANDS
---------------

I - move forward
J - turn left
K - turn right
L - turn around

[CONTROL]  Combines with any of the above keys will move you through a
door. Be certain to use this command to go  through  doors;  otherwise
you  will hit your nose on the wood and weaken you a small amount. You
can test for hidden doors by using this command on  what  seem  to  be
walls. 


COMMANDS WHEN ENCOUNTERED BY MONSTERS
-------------------------------------

[ESC]: 
Reminds you of the commands at your disposal. 

G)reet: 
This  command shows the monsters that you are friendly and do not want
to fight. It's similar to waving or smiling. A  small  gift  also  may
help to avoid an encounter. 

B)ribe: 
Monster    may    be    bribed    with    gold    or   magical   items
(potions,scrolls...).  Monsters on the higher (upper)  levels  usually
are  satisfied  with gold,but as you trek deeper into the dungeon, the
mosters demand more. 

F)ight: 
When greetings or bribes fail you must fight. Be victorious!! 

You have one more option at your disposal and that is to try and  run.
Since  you  cannot run forward (the monster is blocking your path) you
must turn around or left or right. 


COMBAT SPELLS
-------------

Remember, spells may kill an entire group of monsters or do sufficient
damage to easily kill them with a swordstroke,  but  some  spells  can
also backfire. 


1) Fireburst and 2) Lightning Bolt: 
These  spells  inflict damage in proportion to your experience points.
The fireball is rather potent but can be used but once during a single
adventure trip.  Lightning Bolts are weaker than firebursts but may be
used whenever magic spells are available to you.  Beware: these  bolts
have  a  good  chance  of backfiring! The more experienced you are,the
less chance there is of the spell backfiring. 

3) Sleep, 4) Kitchen Sink,  5)  Charm,  6)  Flaming  Arrow,  7)  Light
Candle, 8) Pray, 9) Hold, 10) Dispell, and 11) Datspell: 

Each  of  these  spells inflict varying amounts of damage depending on
the nature of the enemy. 


PEACEFUL SPELLS
---------------

P)asswall: 
allows you to pass a wall in front of you,but be careful: if there  is
not  a corridor or room beyond the wall, you will be embedded in solid
rock! 

L)ight: 
This spell cures blindness.  The more severe the  blinding,  the  more
L)ight spells will need to be cast before you are cured. 

S)trength: 
This  spell temporarily increases your strength.  This can be good for
carrying more gold or fighting better. 

I)nvisibility: 
This spell allows you to make yourself  invisible  to  most  monsters.
Eventually  this spell wears off.  More than one may be cast if longer
I)nvisibility is desired. 

C)ure Paralysis: 
This spell makes your limbs healthy again. 

H)eal wounds: 
Restores some of your hit points each time this spell is used. 

D)ivine Guidance: 
Similar to praying.  When this spell is invoked,the gods may help  you
or they may not. 

N)eutralize Poison: 
Removes the effects of poison. 

T)eleport: 
This  spell  will  transport  you  from any one location on a level to
another.  Tell the gods exactly where you wish to go. Make sure you do
not teleport into a stone wall. 

J)ump Plane: 
Allows you to move up or down through levels in the dungeon.  You  are
placed randomly on the new level. Also there is a 10% chance that this
spell will put you where you do not want to go. 

E)therealness: 
With  this  spell  you can move through walls and monsters cannot find
you.  Unfortunately you cannot carry any gold with you. And  it  wears
off gradually. 

B)less: 
If  this  spell  is successful, you are given the blessing of the gods
for a short period of time. With the blessing, you are harder to  hurt
and more powerful. 


MAGICAL OBJECTS
---------------

Potions: 
Potions  can  perform  a  variety  of actions such as curing poison or
imparting strength. You have  the  option  to  taste  it  first.   The
effects  of  the  liquids  wear  off gradually,so don't place too much
faith in their long-range power. 

Scrolls: 
Scrolls allow you to cast spells during the dungeon trip in which they
are used. 

Chests: 
Though a chest is not magical itself,it is almost always protected  by
magic.  Chests  should  be  ransacked for their gold and other magical
items. 

Books: 
Books are rare but they have the incredible  ability  to  change  your
basic  characteristics or may give you experience points. Books cannot
be carried. They must be used or not. If  you  do  find  one  and  not
decide  to  use  it,  it  will  stay  where  it's at unless some other
adventurer finds it. Books may be used but once. 

Rings: 
You can only wear 2 rings at once. If a third ring is  found  and  you
wish  to  pick  it  up, one of the other rings must be D)ropped. Rings
bring many things. 

Helmets and Shields: 
These are always lucky finds,for they  are  never  cursed  and  always
protect the wearer. 

Swords and Armor: 
These  can  help you in attacking monsters and defending yourself, but
if they are cursed they shall weaken you sorely. Cursed items may  not
be dropped but they may be exorcised at an Oasis. No expense should be
spared  in  removing  a  cursed  item  from yourself. Be alert for the
famous sword Excalibur and the wondrous Mithril Armor. They  would  be
lucky finds for your quest. 


OASES
-----

Oases  are  refuges  for  weary knights. Here you can heal your wounds
without using precious spells (very  costly)  or  you  may  decide  to
participate in a game of chance or bet on some races. 


EXORCISING A CURSED WEAPON
--------------------------

Whatever  the price is, a weapon that is cursed should be exorcised at
any price. Exorcising is also done at an Oases. 



THE GOAL: THE GRAIL
-------------------

Your ultimate goal is to discover the Grail that the evil Kormath  has
stolen. 


DUNGEON MASTER OPTIONS
----------------------

From  the  main menu, choose P)lay the Dungeon Master and observe your
choices: 

C)lean Up the Knight File: 
Allows you to remove unwanted characters. 

R)e-initialize the Dungeon: 
Completely clean the labyrinth and redistribute magic and monsters  as
it cleans. 

E)dit Password: 
Allows  the  Dungeon  Master  to  keep  his/her own password safe from
prying eyes. 

P)urge Old Messages: 
destroy all old notes that are scattered about the labyrinth which are
not addressed to living characters. 

*** NOTE *** TAKE SPECIAL CARE NOT TO ELIMINATE A KNIGHT CARRYING  THE
GRAIL.    IF   THIS   HAPPENS  THE  GRAIL  WILL  BE  LOST  COMPLETELY.
REINITIALIZING THE DUNGEON WILL BE THE ONLY RECOURSE. 


OTHER OPTIONS
-------------

From the main menu: 

L)ist all the characters: 
useful for recalling who exists and how many  experience  points  each
knight has required. Hall of Fame members will be displayed in inverse
video.  The list may contain up to 16 knights at once. 

D)isplay the Hall of Fame: 
Shows  Kormath's  Hall  of  Fame, containing all who have successfully
retrieved the Grail. 


FROM THE SPECIAL OPTIONS MENU
-----------------------------


Before you enter the dungeon, certain things can be changed: 

R)ename: 
change your character's name

U)pdate password: 
re-disguise your password. 

E)xterminate: 
If the shame of failure has  overwhelmed  you,  you  may  remove  your
character here. 

S)ound: 
toggle  on/off, either play in silence or with the pleasure of hearing
groans and wails. 

C)ontinuous Update: 
toggle on/off; unless you wish to venture forth in ignorance  of  your
condition, do not use this option. 

K)ey: 
changes the I-J-K-M cluster to the W-A-S-Z cluster. 


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DON'T FORGET---> THE SOUTH POLE
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STANDING STONES BY ELECTRONIC ARTS
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WRITTEN BY P. SCHMUCKAL & DAN SOMMERS
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MORE SOFTDOCS SOON FROM THE PENGUIN!
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             THE PENGUIN
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