Playing Darklands

 

Character Information

 

SEEING CHARACTER INFORMATION: You can view information on any of your characters at any time in the game. The game is automatically paused while you view the information.

To do this, left-click on the appropriate character box on the left side of the screen, or tap F1 through F5 (for the appropriate character).

Once you are viewing character information, you can jump from one character to another with appropriate left-clicks or function keys.

LEAVING CHARACTER INFORMATION: To leave character information, you must left-click on the highlighted character box (on the left side of the screen), or tap the function key that matches the currently highlighted box. Doing this returns you to the game.

 

Character Information Boards

Character information is given on a series of boards, some with scrolls attached. To see more detail on a board (or reveal its scroll), left-click the mouse on it, or use the cursor keys to move the highlight box, and press Return.

NAME BOARD: This shows the full name of the character. "Leader" indicates the character is the leader of the party, "Not Leader" indicates the character is not the leader.

AGE AND GENDER BOARD: This shows the current age of the character in years, and his or her gender: male (M) or female (F).

ATTRIBUTES BOARD: This shows the current and maximum attributes of the character. Normally the board just shows the abbreviations, but selecting this board expands it to show the full names. See below for a detailed explanation of each attribute.

SKILLS BOARDS: These three boards list the various skills of the character. As with attributes, selecting a board expands it to show the full names. See below for a detailed explanation of each skill.

IN-USE BOARD: This board shows the weapons and armor the character is ready to use in battle. It includes both hand-to-hand and missile weapons where appropriate. As above, selecting this board expands it to show full names, rather than abbreviations.

"V:" indicates armor for the character's vitals (head and torso).

"L:" indicates armor for the character's limbs (arms and legs).

This board also shows if any potions or saintly aid are affecting the character and/or equipment.

"Enhc" (Enhanced) indicates that one or more potions are currently improving either the character, the equipment, or both.

"Bless" (Blessed) indicates that aid from one or more saints is currently improving either the character, the equipment, or both.

"None" normally means nothing. However, a character without weapons is assumed to have a small knife.

EQUIPMENT, FORMULAE AND SAINTS SCROLLS: Selecting these boards opens a scroll that lists the equipment currently carried.

Left-clicking on the top or bottom of the scroll moves the highlight up and down to scroll the list. Similarly, the up-down cursor keys move the highlight up or down.

Left-clicking on the board closes the list. When using the keyboard, move the highlight back to the board (using the right-arrow key) and press Return.

For more details about information contained on the various scrolls, see the appropriate section below.

ENCUMBRANCE BOARD: This shows the current weight of items "in use," and their effect on the character's performance:

Light characters carry 50% or less of their capacity.

Normal characters carry 51-100% of their capacity. Normally laden characters suffer a moderate agility loss.

Laden characters carry 101-150% of their capacity. They suffer a large agility loss, and lose endurance faster in combat.

Overloaded characters have over 150% of their capacity. They have virtually no agility, and in combat both lose endurance quickly and have much reduced weapons skill.

Additional items carried, but not in use, do not count toward encumbrance.

ARMAMENT ILLUSTRATION: This picture shows the armor and weapons currently in use. Any outer garments worn on top of the armor are removed, to help clarify the armor worn. This means the picture may not correspond to the character's appearance in battle (where outer garments are shown to help distinguish one character from another).

 

Changing Leadership

If the character is currently "Not Leader," you can make this character the party leader by left-clicking on "Not Leader." The label changes to "Leader" and the text colors change in the appropriate character boxes to the left.

Also see "Party Information, Party Leadership," {** "pp20,"} for other methods.

 

About Attributes

All attributes use a 0 to 99 scale. However, adult human norms run from 10 to 40, with the average being 25. All attributes show the current value and the maximum value for that character.

ENDURANCE (End): This represents how quickly a character is exhausted. It is very important in battle, since endurance is reduced faster than any other attribute. When endurance reaches zero (0) the character collapses. Characters regain endurance very quickly (within a few days, or less).

STRENGTH (Str): This represents physical strength. It is important when using weapons in battle. It also represents physical damage and wounds. As wounds heal a character slowly regains lost strength.

AGILITY (Agl): This represents the speed and quickness of the character. It is important for many activities, including climbing and avoiding missiles. Agility is adjusted downward if the character is more than lightly loaded.

PERCEPTION (Per): This represents a character's alertness; his or her ability to sense the current situation. It is an instinct that helps characters anticipate danger or surprise, as well as understand other people on an intuitive level.

INTELLIGENCE (Int): This represents the mental abilities of a character. It is very important to alchemists, and whenever the party is dealing with intellectuals or intellectual situations.

CHARISMA (Chr): This represents the appearance and physical "presence" of the character. It is extremely useful when interacting with people, especially when trying to convince them of something. Therefore charisma is very useful for a party leader.

DIVINE FAVOR (DF): This represents the amount of "credit" the character has when praying for saintly-miracles. It is lost in such prayers, but can be regained. See "About Religion, Divine Favor," for more information.

 

About Skills

All skills use a 0 to 99 scale. Adult humans use the entire range, from 0 (totally-incompetent) to 99 (nobody better). Most ordinary people achieve 35-60 in important skills, less in secondary skills. Recognized masters or experts achieve 65-90 in their chosen field.

EDGED WEAPONS (wEdg): This represents a character's ability to handle swords, daggers and axes in hand-to-hand (melee) combat.

IMPACT WEAPONS (wImp): This represents a character's ability to handle clubs, hammers, mauls and maces in hand-to-hand (melee) combat.

FLAIL WEAPONS (wFll): This represents a character's ability to handle flailing weapons in hand-to-hand combat. These are weapons whose damage-producing "head" is attached to a handle by a chain or pivots.

POLEARM WEAPONS (wPol): This represents a character's ability to handle spears, pikes, halberds, and staffs in hand-to-hand combat.

THROWN WEAPONS (wThr): This represents a character's ability to throw axes, javelins, darts or knives at the enemy in combat.

BOW WEAPONS (wBow): This represents a character's skill at firing drawn bows in combat, including regular "short" bows, longbows, and Asiatic composite bows.

MISSILE DEVICE WEAPONS (wMsD): This represents a character's skill at firing crossbows and handguns in combat.

ALCHEMY (Alch): This represents a character's knowledge of alchemy, including various experimental methods and techniques. It is general knowledge, independent of knowing specific formulas.

RELIGIOUS TRAINING (Relg): This represents a character's knowledge of the Church, its institutions, organization, and procedures. It also indicates a growing knowledge of various prayers and observances. This is general knowledge, independent of any specific saint.

VIRTUE (Virt): This represents the acceptability of a character's actions, based on the norms of the age and the general structures of the Church.

SPEAK COMMON (SpkC): This represents a character's skill in speaking, including the ability to "fast-talk" someone, as well as the ability to say things diplomatically. For simplicity, characters are assumed to know the local, everyday language (in Darklands this is usually German).

SPEAK LATIN (SpkL): This represents a character's knowledge of Church Latin, the universal European language for both religious and intellectual activity.

READ AND WRITE (R&W): This represents a character's ability to read and write whatever languages he or she speaks. Literacy was a separate and not altogether common skill in this era.

HEALING (Heal): This represents a character's skill at treating and dressing wounds. This is everyday, practical knowledge, not a "magical" healing power. The rate at which characters regain strength while resting depends on the single highest healing skill in the party.

ARTIFICE (Artf): This represents a character's understanding of fine devices, including the ability to assemble, disassemble and manipulate them. Such fine devices include locks, trap mechanisms, etc.

STEALTH (Stlh): This represents a character's ability to move quickly and almost invisibly, taking advantage of every shadow while avoiding actions that make loud noises.

STREETWISE (StrW): This represents a character's familiarity with city life, and the expectations of city citizens. It makes interaction easier and more effective with city residents.

RIDING (Ride): This represents a character's skill at riding a mount, usually a horse. Riding skill and horse quality combined yield a character's ability to catch or escape someone (or something).

WOODWISE (WdWs): This represents a character's familiarity with country life, woodlore, the habits of wildlife, and the ability to "read" the ground for tracks or danger.

 

About Equipment

Equipment is listed by its name, quality ("q") and how many are carried.

Quality is rated on a 1 to 100 scale, with 0 being worthless. Normal, everyday quality is 25. Quality over 40 to 50 is so outstanding that most people would feel an item had special religious or magical powers. Such quality is extremely rare and valuable. All potions are rated quality 25, 35 or 45, depending on the sophistication of the formula used.

Equipment also has a weight (not shown) that includes a bulk factor. By changing which items are "in use" and observing the encumbrance effect, if any, you can decide which items to use.

USING EQUIPMENT (a key): When the equipment scroll is open, you can take an item and put it on the in-use board, replacing whatever is there. This is how you select (or "ready") different arms and armor.

To do this with a mouse, left-drag the item from the scroll to the in-use board. (That is, move the pointer to the item desired, hold down the left button, drag the mouse with the button still down to the in-use board, then release the button.) The item now appears on the in-use board, replacing whatever item was there.

To do this with the keyboard, move the highlight to the item desired, then tap the "a" key.

UN-ARMING (u key): You can remove weapons or armor from the in-use board. With the mouse, left-drag the item from the board back to the equipment scroll (which must be visible). With the keyboard the procedure is different: just highlight the item on the scroll and tap the "u" key.

A character without any weapons is assumed to have a small knife.

USING POTIONS (p key): You can use some alchemical potions to improve your own equipment or attributes. To do this, highlight the potion in your equipment list, then left-click with the mouse or tap "p" on the keyboard. An appropriate change will occur in your character or equipment, depending on the potion, and "Enhc" (Enhanced) appears on the in-use board. Typically this change lasts for one day.

RELICS: Some relics have special attributes, but you always receive the advantages automatically. The advantages usually apply to the person carrying the relic. Without their special advantages, some relics are still useful as high quality weapons. For more about relics, see "About Religion," {** "pp45"}.

TRANSFERRING EQUIPMENT (1-5 KEYS): An item can be transferred from one character to another. However, temporary additions to your party will not "lend" or otherwise transfer their equipment to one of your characters. Equipment cannot be transferred to a non-existent character: if the character box is empty, you cannot transfer anything to it.

To transfer an item with the mouse, left-drag the item from the scroll to the appropriate character box (on the left side of the screen) and release. The item disappears from the equipment list. If you check character information for that other character, you'll see the item at the bottom of his or her equipment list.

To transfer an item with the keyboard, move the highlight to the item desired, then press the appropriate number key ("1" for the character in the top left box, "2" for the character in the box next from the top, etc. to "5" for the character in the bottom box. Use the number keys across the top of the keyboard, not those on the numeric keypad.

DISCARDING EQUIPMENT (d key): Your character can always abandon any item of equipment. To do this, either left-click on the item or move the highlight to the item, then tap the "d" key.

Items discarded in this fashion can never be recovered. Therefore, be careful before you throw away an item. Instead, you may wish to find a reliable person who can store items for you. City or village innkeepers frequently perform this service.

 

Alchemical Formulas

Alchemical formula names provide the original inventor and a general title relating to its effect. Each inventor has a slightly different version of the formula.

Left-click the mouse on a formula name (or select with up/down cursor keys and tap Return) to see a detailed description of that formula. Left-click or press Return again to return to the information boards.

FORMULA DESCRIPTION: This is a detailed description of the formula's ingredients and mystic number. Mystic numbers range approximately from 75 to 200; higher numbers indicate more difficult formulas.

Formulas are used to create potions. The formula description includes a summary of that potion's effects.

Characters cannot actually create alchemical potions at this time. They must camp or take up residence somewhere first, then spend one or more days mixing potions. See "About Alchemy," {** "pp41,"} for more information.

 

Saints and Prayer

When the "Saints" scroll is open, you see all the saints known by that character. As with alchemical formulas, to see a detailed description, left-click the mouse on a saint's name, or select with up/down cursor keys and tap Return.

PRAYING TO SAINTS: The detailed description of a saint includes the miraculous benefits you could expect. Unlike alchemy, you can attempt to pray to a saint at any time.

The "DF Remaining" value shows how much DF you would have, if you pray now. As this indicates, praying to a saint reduces your DF (divine favor), which may limit your ability to pray further. Fortunately, DF can be recovered.

Left-click the mouse or use cursor keys and Return to select which option you prefer:

More divine favor is spent: This increases the amount of DF (divine favor) the character "spends" while praying.

Less divine favor is spent: This decreases the amount of DF the character "spends" while praying.

Pray now...: The character begins praying. The DF is immediately reduced to the appropriate amount. Prayer results occur quickly.

Don't pray right now: This returns you to the information boards.

See "About Saints," {** "pp45,"} for more details about praying to saints. See "The Universal Church, Darklands Saints," for more information about specific saints.

 

 

 

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