Doors
League Games:
-BRE - 000
-BRE - 069
-BRE - 169
-BRE - 267
-BRE - 555
-BRE - 666
-BRE - 769
-BRE - 10
-BRE - 77
-Clans - 10
-FE - 77
-FE - 000
-FE - 555
-BRE - 777
-BRE - 701
-BRE - 444
-BRE - 610
-BRE - 0130
-FE - 777
-IntrLORD - 10
-IntrLORD - 77
-BRE - 046
-BRE - 460
-BRE - 461
-FE - 046
-FE - 460
-FE - 461
Local Games:
-Ambroshia 4.5
-Advanced Xoru
-Aladdin
-Arcadian Legends
-Arena Of The Ancients
-Arena Warrior
-AOTD3
-Arrowbridge 1
-Arrowbridge 2
-Artillery
-Assassin
-AOD
-AOTGG
-Atlantis
-Avalon
-Axe & Fang
-BBS Crash
-BRE
-Battlefield
-Battle Quest
-Camptown Races
-Card Sharx
-Clans
-Colonies
-DoorMUD
-Drakeville
-Empires At War
-Escape
-Evangelist Wars
-Exitilus
-Food Fite
-FE
-FH
-Forbidden Planet
-Freshwater Fishing Sim
-Ghost Town 3
-Global War
-GOC
-Gopher Hunt
-Gruntfest
-Iron War
-Jet Combat
-Junkyard
-KNK
-Kylon's World
-LOD
-Legion
-LORD
-LORD Tourn
-LORD 2
-LORE
-Mille Borne
-Net Runner
-Operation Overkill II
-Pimp Wars
-The Pit
-Rise To Power
-Romans At War
-SAGE
-Scavenger Hunt
-SOTL
-SRE
-Star Force Commander
-F-14 Thunder Cat
-TEOS
-TFB
-TW2002
-Ultimate Universe
-Usurper Classic
-Usurper .2
-Way Freight
LORE
=========================================================================
ù ú Üú ú úÜÜú úÜÜÜ ùÜÜÜÜ ú ú ù úÜÛÛÜ ú úÜÜÜÜÜù ÜÜ ú ú
ú ÛÛÝù úÞÛßßÛú Ûß ßÛ ÞÛß ßß ú ú ú Ûß ßÛÛ ú Û úß ÛßßÛ ú ù
ú úÞÛÛ ú ÞÛÝ úÞÛÞÛ úÜÛÝÛÛÜÜ ù ú ú ú úÜÛß ú ÛÜÜÜ ÞÝúÝÞÝ ú
ù ÛÛÝú ÜÞÛú ÛÝÞÛßÛÛß ÞÛ ßß ú ÞÝ úÞÝúÜÛß ù ú úßÛÞÝÞúÞÝú ú
ú ÞÛÛÜÜÛÛÝÛÜÜÛÛùÛÛú ÛÜ ÛÛÜ ÜÜ ú ÛÜ Û ÛÛÜÜÜÜ ÜÜ ÛÜ ÜÛ ÛÜÜÛ ù ú
ú ú ßßßßß úßßß ß ú ßß ßßßßú ù ßß úßßßßßß ßß ßßßú ßß ú ú
Fantasy Role-Playing in the Lands of Crusonia
A user's guide to LORE version 2.50
=========================================================================
=========================================================================
CONTENTS
=========================================================================
SECTION I: General Information
1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
2. Crusonia: Geography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
3. Crusonia: A History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
4. Creating Your Character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
5. Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
6. Tips on Wilderness Travelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
7. Underground Adventuring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
SECTION II: Statistics & Tables
1. Race Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2. Profession Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
3. Stat Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
4. Skill Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
5. Item Listings/Bonuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
=========================================================================
SECTION I: General Information
=========================================================================
1. Introduction
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi there! This document will help you get started with playing LORE. It
covers some basics of how the game works, as well as some strategies and
ideas to get you started. It's a good idea to print a hard copy of this
document before you log in to a BBS and play. Then you can have it on
hand so that you may try things out.
LORE version 2.50 USER'S GUIDE Page 01
2. Crusonia: Geography
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Crusonia is a relatively small continent on the world of Avidus. It is
home to several races (described in detail later), similar in some ways,
radically different in others. Each race lives in their own area of the
continent; the humans live primarily in the northwest (Crusonia Province),
Bird Men in the north-central Zhal Mountain range (Adnastras), Elves in the forests of the north-east
(Minoldain) and Dwarves in the central mountain/valley ranges (Naugrim).
The Stone Men live underground, the entryway being along the east coast;
The Spirit Folk live in two areas; in the templar city of Tealas not far
south of the human city of Shaal, and on a large, segregated island known
only to outsiders as "Turovikan". Nothing is known about this island as
they do not allow anyone on or off the island. The island is located
near the east coast.
The observant reader would notice that nothing has been mentioned about
the southern areas of Crusonia, and with good reason. South of Naugrim
(the province of the dwarves), is a wild, untamed region of forests,
plains and mountains. Along the western coast in this area, lies the
port city of Taurion, a hotbed of activity for the more unscrupulous folk.
As the trade market increased over time, so did the prosperity of this
area. But further east, and southeast of this area, the land becomes
very unforgiving and is sparsely populated. A wall of mountains divides
the land from the east coast to the west, all but barring the way to the
vast desert regions beyond. The desert itself is a lonely, empty place
with the exception of the few lizard men who travel in these areas.
Oh yes, the lizard men... a race about which very little is known. By
most accounts, they are a race more advanced than any other on Crusonia,
and it is said that they sailed here from a faraway land across the seas.
The first sightings of lizard men was less than 500 years ago, when a
small group adventured near Taurion on a mission of exploration. Until
about 50 years ago, the lizard men made regular visits to cities in
central Crusonia... since that time, not a single one has been seen.
3. Crusonia: A History
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
When a game of Lore begins on a BBS, is is year 2187 of the Second Age of
Crusonia. Much of what was known about the First Age was destroyed long
ago, and only the final years of that time are known. We will start our
chronology at that point:
~ = Circa (exact year unknown)
End of the First Age of Crusonia
3440 - The Council of the Five begins construction of the Libraries of
Lore, which would contain vast amounts of magical knowledge.
Ten such libraries located on and around Crusonia each containing
the most complete knowledge of different branches of magic were
built; the locations of many of the libraries are unknown.
3447 - The Second, Fourth, Fifth and Ninth Libraries are completed;
it is assumed that the others are also completed at this time.
3450 - The port city of J'evnaros is completed, located along the eastern
coast of Crusonia. Trade routes are established with the Elves of
Valorien Isle not far to the south.
LORE version 2.50 USER'S GUIDE Page 02
3452 - (Early Spring) A necromancer known only as Zhal appears outside
J'evnaros, and within a minute the entire city was in ruins. Many
were killed. In the two weeks following, the cities of Nauguros,
Ztharxas, Taurion, Bjinkar, and Castle Crusonia were all in near
ruin. (It is quite fortunate that most of these cities had mages
present to defend against the onslaught of fire and lightning).
(Late Spring) Zhal possesses the entire Bird Man race, and sends
them on a spree of destruction, causing even greater damage to the
Humans, Dwarves, and Spirit Folk who live around them.
(Early Summer) Dragons appear from the Danar Mountains, and attack
the city of Valorien, the ElvenHome. The elves that survived flee
far to the north and west; some to join the Humans and Dwarves in
their war with the Bird Men, others into hiding in the dark forest
of Minoldain. Valorien is left in complete ruins.
(Mid-Summer) The Council of the Five appear to the war leaders and
provide only enough guidance in the ways of magic to protect
themselves from being enslaved by Zhal, just as the Bird Men were.
At about the same time, during a skirmish with some Stone Men, one
of the Bird Men realized that he could control his instinct to do
battle by inflicting (or receiving) great pain. The only Bird Man
to survive that combat took this news back to their leader.
(Late Summer) With Bird Men busy finding ways to inflict pain upon
themselves, the war fairly much ends. Eventually enough Bird Men
are able to totally free themselves from Zhal's spell of control,
that they declare surrender and try to make amends with the other
races. A number of Bird Men disappear at this time, using their
freedom to escape to somewhere far away from the conflicts. The
Dwarven Army travels south to the Danar Mountains in search of the
dragons who destroyed Valorien. Velas, a mighty Dwarven warrior
and leader of the army, slays the massive Bone Dragon that all
other dragons looked upon as their leader. The few remaining
dragons flee in all directions.
(Autumn) Zhal, in a fit of rage, appeared before all the Bird Men
and cursed them so that they could no longer fly. Stricken, the
Bird Men flee in shame to the depths of the Zala mountains, not to
be seen again for many years.
3453 - (Winter) Zhal renews his attacks on several cities across Crusonia.
Towards the end of Winter, Zhal attacks the island home of the
Council of the Five in an attempt to wipe out the only force that
could possibly oppose him. Unknown to Zhal, the Council had been
preparing a spell of unimaginable power that would destroy Zhal
forever. The spell had not been completely stabilized, but when
Zhal attacked, the Council had no choice but to cast it. The
effects were unexpected; Zhal was defeated, and his essence was
banished from this plane of existence, but the resulting chaos
caused as a result of Zhal's collective spell casting ability
destroyed the island, and all the Council members.
(Spring) Upon learning of these events, the leaders of the now
closely allied races (Humans, Dwarves, Stone Men, and the few
Elves that had assisted) declared the beginning of:
The Second Age of Crusonia
1 - (continuation of F.A. 3453)
(Autumn) Velas, the leader of the Dwarven army, dies as a result
of his brother's ambitions of power. Soon afterwards, Velas'
brother was brought before the king, and executed.
2 - A shrine is built near the spot where Velas killed the Bone
Dragon. Velas' body is placed in a tomb under the shrine.
LORE version 2.50 USER'S GUIDE Page 03
~ 129 - Taurion, after it's destruction by Zhal, was not inhabited or
rebuilt afterwards until this point; when some merchants, looking
to make a profit, rebuilt the shipyards and started some trade
routes with province Crusonia.
327 - Most of the elves living in Crusonia, Adnastras, and Ztharxas
disappear. The few that remained knew nothing of where the rest
of their kind went.
~ 500 - A new port city, Thistledale, is built along the northeastern
shores of Crusonia, not far north of the Minol forest. This
brought sea trading a lot closer to those living in Adnastras.
~ 570 - Taurion is now Crusonia's largest port city, with established
trade routes with Crusonia, Thistledale, and Ztharxas.
~ 640 - Humans begin populating Adnastras in larger numbers, many of them
are scouts and rangers by profession.
~ 670 - A small city called Adnastir is established, nestled into a valley
along the edge of the Zala mountains.
672 - The Nirhan Guild, the first organization for specific professions,
forms in the newly built city of Adnastir.
~ 800 - A group of Magicians form a guild known as the Paltiras Guild.
Their leader, unknown to non-members, is an Elf by the name of
Gourasan. A few Necromancers join the guild as well.
~ 850 - A thieves guild is formed in the city of Taurion.
904 - A solitary Bird Man visits Adnastir, bearing a message from his
leaders that they want to again be a friend of the allied races.
936 - After years of work, a road from the Bird Men's home deep in the
Zala Mountains is connected to Adnastir. Many Bird Men spread
through the northern areas of Crusonia, making new friends and
learning what has happened since the war with Zhal. (We should
note that some Bird Men live for over 1000 years. An aged Bird
Man by the name of Sinta Burky who was one of the war generals
actually met an old drinking friend of his, an elven warrior by
the name of Elrond; their finding each other was an event so
joyous that friends, family, and many others held a celebration
that lasted for over two weeks.)
997 - Elrond and Sinta Burky build a villa along the northern shores of
Crusonia. Several others come to the villa to live as well.
~1000 - About this time a faction of the thieves guild runs off with all
the money the guild had 'acquired', and escaped by ship to sea.
This faction would eventually become known as the Pirates, a band
of crafty thieves and scouts that attacked trade ships and took
all the booty they could find.
1018 - The Spirit Folk, a race of spiritualists and worshippers establish
a city to the south of province Crusonia known as Tealas. All
travellers and traders were treated with the utmost kindness, but
very little could be learned about their race other than the
religions they followed. What is known, is that the Spirit Folk
originate on an island to the northeast of Crusonia, not far off
the shores of Minoldain.
~1200 - The dwarves begin mining the Zala mountains for ores and minerals
(they have always been fond of making items of supreme beauty and
usability, so the search for raw materials took them underground.)
1245 - The beginning of the Great Plague. Famine and disease run rampant
and soon sweeps across western and northern Crusonia, killing many.
1247 - The Plague claims Sinta Burky's life. Elrond disappears a few days
later, and is found standing on a precipice in the Zala, ready to
take his own life. He was followed by Armen, a young elven maiden,
who manages to bring him back to his senses and takes him back to
his home. Sinta Burky is buried in the gardens around the villa.
LORE version 2.50 USER'S GUIDE Page 04
1248 - The plague ends. Almost 45% of the population of northern and
western Crusonia was killed.
1299 - A large band of pirates invade Taurion, stealing much of the gold,
weapons, armour, and young women for their own use.. (uhh...)
1451 - (Spring) Strange happenings begin in Ztharxas City; children
disappear, large footprints are seen on the ground not far outside
the city, and some even swear they could hear the flapping of
wings at night. It is soon discovered that a Red Dragon lives in
the forests near the city.
(Summer) An adventurer by the name of Halder succeeds in killing
the Red Dragon; he becomes a most revered warrior across Eastern
Crusonia, and his story is told by able-minded bards everywhere.
1453 - Halder marries a barmaid, and has children....
(Ok, this LORD analogy has gone far enough... ;-)
1502 - Crusonia province sends several ships equipped with cannons and
archers in an effort to end the continual pirate threat. None of
the ships come back, but there are no more pirate attacks for many
years to come.
~1650 - A small travelling party of Lizard Men arrive in Taurion. Their
story tells of their travels across the vast oceans in an attempt
to find a new place to live. When asked how many make up their
kind, the Lizard Men looked at each other, and after a moment, and
said "many thousands". This was an utter surprise to everyone
listening to their story. "A new race of lizard folk have arrived
on Crusonia from somewhere far across the oceans!" was the message
sent to the rulers of all the races. Although the lizard men
didn't seem too interested in an alliance of any sort, they would
make frequent visits to Taurion for many years to come.
1685 - An outpost city, Soeswev, is established to the south of Taurion,
the southern-most known establishment. The Lizard Men apparently
came through a pass through the mountains that separate central
Crusonia from the desert lands to the south. No one ventured any
further south than this.
~1750 - Trade ships starting coming from the Lizard Men, but only a few
times a year; they brought many exotic goods not found elsewhere
on Crusonia. In exchange, the Lizard Men were given goods they
found to be 'exotic', in particular, many Dwarven creations.
1886 - Heavy rain in northern Crusonia turns much of the coast-lines into
dense swap. Elrond's villa was ruined as a result, and another
villa was built.
~1950 - Since the early 1700's, the Libraries of Lore were being used less
often; by the 1950's, the paths leading to the known libraries
became overgrown and untravelled. Eventually, the Libraries (other
than the Second Library situated close to Castle Crusonia) were
considered to be no more than a myth.
~2000 - The Paltiras Guild ceases to exist around this time. The few
publicly known Guild members didn't offer any sort of explanation.
Some speculate that the requirements for joining the guild were far
beyond the capabilities of most people, and the lack of fresh
members caused the Guild to stagnate and eventually die out.
2004 - An earthquake strikes in southern Adnastras. Most of the mines
throughout the Zala mountains caved in, killing many people and
severely affecting the Dwarves' supply of raw materials.
2077 - A group of adventurers heading northeast from Ztharxas City have
a most interesting encounter; three Bird Men drop down from the
sky! They are quite dead upon impact with the ground. Looking
upwards, the adventurers could see nothing but clear skies.
~2120 - No Lizard Men are seen after this point; nobody seems to knows why.
LORE version 2.50 USER'S GUIDE Page 05
2166 - Pirates raze a fishing city near Taurion; those few that escaped
told terrifying tales of the weapons that the pirates used; swords
that danced with fire, and crossbows that shot bolts of lightning.
2170 - The first Crusonian Olympics is held near Adnastir. Many people
from cities around Crusonia came to compete in tests of skill,
strength, and stamina.
2172 - Ships sent from Crusonia Province in an attempt to find the source
of the pirate threat don't return.
2180 - The ability to resurrect one who has died unnaturally is
discovered by Savoir, a prominent healer who lives near J'evnaros.
2186 - Brigands invade the areas around Kharte, Kharanate, Adnastir,
Thistledale and Ztharxas; the Nirhan Guild becomes very active and
begins regular watches across all of Adnastras.
2187 - Now.
4. Creating Your Character
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Upon entering Lore for the first time, you will create a character which
you will take into the world of Crusonia. This is where you will need to
make the big decisions about what kind of game you want to play. Do you
want to become the greatest swordsman of all time? How about a prominent
minstrel? Does the idea of blowing your opponents away with fire bolts
interest you? What about fading into the darkness, and attacking,
unbeknownst to your opponent, from behind?
You probably have some idea of what kind of character interests you most.
Lore will let you design that character from the ground up. If you have
not done so already, read about the six races and the seven professions
that you may choose from. Make note of the modifiers that apply to both,
and try to find a good balance for the character you want to create.
After selecting which Race and Profession you wish to play, you will
need to "roll" your stats. The seven stats are Strength, Agility,
Constitution, Intelligence, Intuition, Presence, and Appearance. Each stat
is a number between 20-95, modified by racial and professional bonuses, as
well as a 're-roll' modifier (see next paragraph). Stone Men, for example
get large positive modifiers to their strength and constitution, but large
negative modifiers to their agility and presence.
If you do not like your stats, you may re-roll them as many times as you
wish. Beware! Every time you re-roll, you are penalized by a reduction
of this modifier to all stats. For the first roll, you get a modifier of
+3. Each subsequent roll will decrease that modifier by 1. After 20
re-rolls, you will see that your stats will become quite unsatisfactory,
so remember this when deciding to re-roll.
After you have selected your stats, you will be prompted for your name,
nick-name, and a gender.
Once this is done, you will be put into Apprenticeship Skill development.
This is where you begin your development of the various skills that your
character will be using for the rest of their life. Skills are divided
into four groups: Weapon Skills, General Skills, Subterfuge Skills and
Armour Skills. Based on your profession, you will receive development
points (every level) to allocate to your skills. For example, fighters
will receive many development points in Weapon Skills and Armour Skills,
but very few in Subterfuge. On the other hand, Necromancers receive NO
points in Weapon Skills, but they receive lots in spell-casting (see
below) and in other areas.
LORE version 2.50 USER'S GUIDE Page 06
Every time you allocate a development point to a skill, you increase the
points for that skill. As you become more proficient with that skill,
the number of skill points you receive will decrease. Generally you will
receive +5 for the first 10 development points allocated, +3 for the next
5 development points, and +2 afterwards. (Note: This is a change from
pre-1.30 versions of LORE, where the values were +5/+2/+1)
You will be allocated development points every time you advance a level.
You can use these development points when you next visit a training hall.
Although spells are in many ways like skills (you receive development
points every level to expend on learning/improving spells), they will be
explained separately. For professions that are able to cast spells, you
will need to select some spells to start off with. Each profession can
learn certain spells at the start of the game, and afterwards you will
need to find libraries which will teach you new (or higher level) spells.
Levels of power are represented in roman numerals: I, II, III, IV, V etc.
In order to learn a new spell, you allocate one development point which
will bring you to the first level of power with that spell. To increase
your skill in that spell, you must allocate a number of development points
equal to the level which you wish to learn to. For example, if you wish
to advance a spell from level 1 to level 2, it will cost two development
points. To advance another level (to level 3), it will cost 3 MORE
development points.
Some libraries can only teach up to a certain level of a spell; you must
seek out the ancient Libraries of Lore, each of which contain texts on
casting spells up to very high levels.
After you have finished your skill and spell development, you are given a
final opportunity to look at your character sheet before confirming that
you wish to keep this character. If it isn't to your satisfaction, you
may recreate your character from scratch as many times as is necessary
to get the character you want.
5. Getting Started
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
When you begin play, you are placed outside Castle Crusonia, the home of
King Daltorak and capital of the united human-controlled provinces of
Crusonia Province, Adnastras and Taurion. A short distance to the south-
west is the town of Bartanus.
In the Castle, you will find the following stores:
Weapons Shoppe, Armour Shoppe, Adventurer's Guild, Arena, Library,
Inn & Tavern, Healer's Sanctuary, and a Treasury.
In Bartanus, you will find:
Travel Supplies & Items, an Inn, Bows and Bolts (a missile weapons
shop), Treasury, and the Training Grounds.
You will want to take some time to explore the Castle and Bartanus, and
get used to how the game works. Be sure to READ everything that is shown
to you, as most of it is important information that you will need to know
down the road. Also, take the time to TALK to those around you. Many can
help direct you to where you want to go.
LORE version 2.50 USER'S GUIDE Page 07
To get you started, we have included the following section. This is your
reward for reading this file. :-)
1) Enter the Castle, and buy a weapon and some armour from the shoppes
just north of the fountains in the courtyard. Try to save about
250-300 gold, you'll need it a bit later. If you plan to buy a
missile weapon allow at least an additional 550 gold.
2) Find King Daltorak in his throne room. To get to the throne room, go
through the triple doors in the northwest corner of the courtyard, and
follow the hallway north until you reach an intersection. Go north,
and enter the triple doors to the west.
3) Talk to King Daltorak, and ask him for a "QUEST". You may also want
to ask him about CRUSONIA. Try to pick out some key words from what
he says, to find other things you can ask him about.
4) Leave the Castle, and go to Bartanus (the city to the southwest of the
castle). Enter the city, and go to the Travel Supplies Shoppe. Buy a
"Map of Province Crusonia", and check it out. This will explain to
you how you can get to various places in the province. This might be
a good time to purchase a torch or two as well.
5) As directed by King Daltorak, head over to Shaal (it's a trip of about
2-game-days). See the next section for some tips on travelling in the
wilderness.
6) Find T'revor. His house is far to the southwest of the entrance of the
city. Tell him the "secret word" as directed by King Daltorak.
7) By now you've probably obtained some cash. Check out the Fine Weapons
shoppe in Shaal. If you want to put your money in a safe place, there
is a Treasury here as well.
8) Head back to Castle Crusonia. Return to the King and tell him "QUEST"
again to complete the task. He will then send you on your next quest...
6. Tips on Wilderness Travelling
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stay on the roads! There are much more dangerous and numerous monsters
in the forests and brushlands. When you've gotten used to combat, then
go adventuring further off the path.
Don't be afraid to run from combat! The bane of many a fine adventurer
is the false impression that they are better than anything they will ever
face... by Grond, that's not true at all! If you are badly outnumbered,
you should retreat. You will find that you get to know which monsters
are easy to kill, and which ones should be avoided at all costs.
You will get tired, so don't forget to "S"et-up camp when the 'Status:'
indicator shows "Tired", "Very Tired", or "EXHAUSTED!". You can also
rest at Inns in the cities.
As time goes by, you will notice that your field of vision will 'shrink'
to the point where you will only be able to see one or two squares around
you. It's night-time! Either take this chance to rest up for the next
day, or light a torch and carry on. Spell casters can use Light Lore.
After you receive enough experience points, the game will announce that
you have advanced a level. Head to a training area as soon as possible,
and expend your development points. The monsters are always getting
harder, and you have to keep up with the pace. If you advance more than
one level before visiting a training area, don't worry. Your development
points will accumulate until you expend them. If your profession is a
spell casting one you should visit a library to advance your spells too.
LORE version 2.50 USER'S GUIDE Page 08
As you get more money, you will want to purchase better weapons and armor.
You can also buy shields and helmets which provide a lot of additional
protection. Other cities sell different weapons and armor which may be
better than the stuff at Crusonia Castle.
If you die, you will be resurrected at the nearest healer. You will also
lose about half of all the gold you had on you at the time. So don't
carry around lots of money with you; use the treasury!
Lastly, you get a total of 7 game days (one game week) every real day.
You lose about 2 game days when you die, meaning that you can die more
than once a day without being kicked out of the game. If you do well,
you will end up using your 7 game days fully without dying.
7. Underground Adventuring
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
During the course of the game, you may find yourself heading underground
into caves and labyrinths. Take plenty of torches, as there is NO light
down there. And, be sure to draw out a map as you go along. Even the
hardiest of adventurers can't possibly remember which paths they need to
take to get back from a long expedition deep underground.
=========================================================================
SECTION II: Statistics & Tables
=========================================================================
1. Race Descriptions
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bird Men
A race of humanoid creatures that were born and raised in the mountainous
areas of northern Crusonia. They closely resemble a human with very sharp,
hawk-like facial features. Feathers cover their body in place of hair;
however, these feathers are no help when it comes to flight. All Bird Men
have been cursed with the inability to fly by a long-gone archmage. This
race has been bred mainly for combat, but many have also dabbled in the
mystical arts. The Bird Men are are very honour-bound race; you will
never encounter an Bird Man thief.
Possible Professions: Fighter, Magician, Ranger, Scout.
Stat Bonuses : Strength +4 Constitution -2
Intelligence -5 Intuition -5
Skill Bonuses: Missile Weapon +5 Pole-Arm +5
Track +5 Perception +10
LORE version 2.50 USER'S GUIDE Page 09
Elves
Many of the few remaining Elves on Crusonia will tell you great stories of
times long past when Elves were everywhere... and of the great wars that
nearly brought an end to this most noble of inhabitants. Harkening from
the great forests of eastern and northern Crusonia, they are excellent
scholars, and do very well for themselves when pursuing the mystical arts.
In fact, they are the most adept race to magic that Crusonia contains.
The Elves, like the Bird Men, are a very noble race thus one will never
find a thief among them. A faction of this race, known as the Dark Elves,
lives in the far south of Crusonia, and has remained separate from the
rest of the world for many generations.
Possible Professions: Bard, Fighter, Magician, Ranger, Scout.
Stat Bonuses : Agility +10 Intelligence +10 Presence +5
Constitution -5 Intuition +5 Appearance +5
Skill Bonuses: Ride +4 Swim +4 Track +5 Stalk/Hide +5
Read Runes +5 Identify Item +5 Perception +5
Humans
Humans are the most common inhabitants of Crusonia today, and can be
found in most regions. They are a very neutral and diverse people who
don't have any restrictions on professions due to religious beliefs or
other circumstances. Being a rather plain race, they are not especially
skilled in any profession; the epitome of balance.
Possible Professions: Bard, Fighter, Magician, Warrior Monk, Necromancer
Ranger, Scout, Thief.
Stat Bonuses : Constitution +3 Intelligence -2 Presence +1
Skill Bonuses: 1-Hand Edged +3 Swim +4 Climb +3
1-Hand Concussion +3 Disarm Trap +3 Track +1
2-Hand +3 Identify Item +1 Pick Lock +3
Missile +3
Stone Men
Stone Men are quite possibly the most different race in Crusonia. They
are living stone. Due to their makeup, Stone Men are the most feared
warriors in the lands because their constitution and strength rivals that
of giants. This makes them ideal Fighters and Rangers; in fact, that is
all they can be! Being men of stone, they are one of the slowest races in
Crusonia. Stone Men are a fairly intellectually limited race thus they
cannot practice mystical arts, bardism, or thievery. Despite their
individual strengths, Stone Men are rather solitary, and they only
congregate in large groups when necessary.
Possible Professions: Fighter, Ranger.
Stat Bonuses : Strength +10 Constitution +15 Intuition -5
Agility -20 Intelligence -5 Presence +5
Skill Bonuses: Soft Leather -10 1-Hand Edged +5 Pole-Arm +5
Rigid Leather -20 1-Hand Concussion +5 Ride -10
Chain -30 2-Hand +5 Swim -10
Plate -40 Missile +5 Track -10.
LORE version 2.50 USER'S GUIDE Page 10
Spirit Folk
Spirit Folk are quite similar to humans in appearance, with some notable
differences. They have much darker skin and body hair, and have an
eye-shaped scar on their foreheads that was placed there at birth
representing their 'third eye', the eye that sees things not perceived by
other races. Spirit Folk are highly religious, and are firm believers
and worshippers of various god-figures representing different aspects of
their way of life. Spirit Folk are almost solely magic users, though
Warrior Monks, excel in unarmed combat where they use special hand-to-hand
techniques to inflict damage. Otherwise, Magicians and Rangers are the
most common professions.
Possible Professions: Bard, Magician, Warrior Monk, Necromancer, Ranger.
Stat Bonuses : Strength -3 Intelligence +5 Presence +4
Constitution +4 Intuition +5 Appearance -7
Skill Bonuses: No Armour +5 Missile -5 Ride +5
Soft Leather +5 Pole-Arm -5 Perception +5
Identify Item +5
Dwarves
Dwarves are the shortest of the races of Crusonia; the largest being up
to a mere 5 feet high. They are skilled craftsmen and miners, and their
abilities as a warrior class are second only to Stone Men. Hailing from
the mountainous areas of central Crusonia, the Dwarves have their own
kingdom surrounded by mountains and water. Dwarves are also well-known
for their fierce loyalty and make most excellent comrades and companions
on journeys. No dwarves take up magic as a primary profession, though
some will learn some utility spells during the course of their life.
Possible Professions: Fighter, Ranger, Scout, Thief.
Stat Bonuses : Strength +5 Constitution +10
Skill Bonuses: No-Armour +5 1-Hand Edged +5 Pick Lock +5
Soft Leather +5 1-Hand Concussion +5 Track +5
Rigid Leather+5 2-Hand +15 Stalk/Hide +5
Chain +5 Missile +5
Plate +10 Disarm Trap +5
2. Profession Descriptions
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bards
A bard is someone who knows something about everything. The are excellent
public speakers, and can be found entertaining bar-rooms with music or
storytelling. Their ability in all the general skills is augmented by a
fairly solid grasp on weapon skills, as well as minor magical ability.
A jack-of-all trades.
Primary Stat : Presence.
Stat Modifiers : Intelligence +5 Presence +15
Intuition +5 Appearance +2
Skill Modifiers: Read Runes +5 Identify Item +5
LORE version 2.50 USER'S GUIDE Page 11
Fighters
These are the strongmen, the warriors, and the 'doers' of society. They
focus on development of weapon skills, and spend an inordinate amount of
time working on increasing their stamina (resulting in a greater pain
tolerance level). They have no magical ability.
Primary Stat : Strength.
Stat Modifiers : Strength +15 Intelligence -5
Agility +5 Intuition -10
Constitution +10 Appearance +3
Skill Modifiers: Soft Leather +10 1-Hand Edged +10
Rigid Leather +10 1-Hand Concussion +10
Chain +10 Missile Weapon +10
Plate +10 2-Hand +10
Identify Items -10 Pole Arm +10
Read Runes -10
Magicians
These are spell casters that focus more on spells that are 'useful'.
They also learn some offensive spells but not as many as a Necromancer.
Poor in the use of weapons, armour, and subterfuge skills, they must
rely on more spell casting abilities in order to survive.
Primary Stat : Intuition.
Stat Modifiers : Strength -10 Intelligence +5
Constitution -5 Intuition +10
Skill Modifiers: Rigid Leather -10 1-Hand Edged -10
Chain -30 1-Hand Concussion -10
Plate -50 2-Hand -15
Identify Items +10 Missile Weapon -20
Read Runes +10 Pole Arm -15
Perception +5
Necromancers
Necromancers are rather the opposite of Magicians, concentrating their
extensive spell casting abilities on spells of destruction and little
else. This devotion tends not to go over well with the populace, but
hey... if you can blow 'em away with a lightning bolt, who cares?
Necromancers, despite their vast knowledge, could not hold a broadsword
properly if their life depended on it.
Primary Stat : Intelligence.
Stat Modifiers : Strength -10 Intelligence +10
Agility +5 Intuition +5
Constitution -10 Presence -5
Skill Modifiers: Soft Leather -15 1-Hand Edged -10
Rigid Leather -30 1-Hand Concussion -10
Chain -50 2-Hand -20
Plate -80 Missile -25
Climb -5 Pole Arm -15
Stalk/Hide +5 Read Runes +15
Disarm Traps +5 Identify Items +20
Perception +15
LORE version 2.50 USER'S GUIDE Page 12
Warrior Monks
Of sorts, these are kind of a combination of Clerics and Martial Artists.
They are of about average skill in all areas, and also have some spell
casting abilities. They excel in unarmed combat.
Primary Stats : Intelligence and Intuition.
Stat Modifiers : Strength -5 Intelligence +8
Agility +5 Intuition +8
Constitution +5 Presence -2
Skill Modifiers: No-Armour +10 2-Hand Weapon -5
Soft Leather +5 Missile -5
Chain -20 Pole Arm -5
Plate -40 Identify Items +5
Disarm Traps +5 Read Runes +5
Stalk/Hide +5 Perception +5
Rangers
Rangers are a mixture of talents, ranging from above average combat
skills, to spell casting, to subterfuge skills. They are the most
"durable" profession, able to survive alone in the wilderness for weeks
or months at a time. However, their near-segregation from society has
taken it's toll in the form of below-average public-speaking skills.
Primary Stat : Constitution.
Stat Modifiers : Strength +5 Intelligence +4
Agility +5 Intuition +4
Constitution +15 Presence -10
Skill Modifiers: Rigid Leather +5 1-Hand Edged +5
Ride +5 1-Hand Concussion +5
Climb +5 2-Hand +5
Swim +5 Missile +10
Track +5 Pole Arm +5
Stalk/Hide +5 Read Runes +5
Pick Lock +5 Identify Items +5
Disarm Traps +5 Perception +5
Scouts
Scouts are most commonly seen as messengers or explorers. They excel
in general/utility skills, especially horseback riding. While they have
no magical capabilities, their great speed (being the fastest of all
professions) serves them well.
Primary Stat : Agility.
Stat Modifiers : Strength +5 Intuition +4
Agility +15 Presence -5
Skill Modifiers: No-Armour +10 Chain -5
Soft Leather +5 Plate -15
Rigid Leather +5 Missile +5
Ride +15 Stalk/Hide +15
Climb +10 Pick Lock +5
Swim +10 Disarm Traps +5
Track +10 Perception +10
LORE version 2.50 USER'S GUIDE Page 13
3. Stat Descriptions
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Strength - A measure of your brute physical power. A high Strength
will yield bonuses to all weapon skills (except Missile
weapons), and usage of Chain or Plate armours.
This is the primary stat of Fighters.
Agility - The ability to move swiftly and efficiently. Those with
high Agility will receive bonuses to Missile Weapons,
Leather Armour Movements, Climbing, and Swimming.
This is the primary stat of Scouts.
Constitution - Generally, Constitution measures a person's endurance and
capability of withstanding physical pain. Having a high
Constitution value will result in more hit points.
This is the primary stat of Rangers.
Intelligence - The ability to think and learn. For Warrior Monks and
Necromancers, this also reflects the number of power points
available to cast spells. A high Intelligence will result
in better Tracking, Lock-Picking, and Rune-Reading skills.
This is the primary stat of Warrior Monks and Necromancers.
Intuition - Intuition (aka "gut-feeling" or sixth-sense) gives insight
that may not come automatically to others. It affects
Riding, Disarming Traps, Identifying Items, and Perception.
Magicians and Rangers derive their power points from it.
This is the primary stat of Magicians and Thieves.
Presence - This skill represents a person's ability to communicate
with others effectively. Those with high Presence values
will also receive bonuses to Stalking/Hiding.
This is the primary stat of Bards.
Appearance - A number reflecting one's physical attractiveness.
Notes: - All stats range from 20-100+. It is not possible to achieve a
stat over 95 without some assistance from Racial or Professional
stat-bonuses. You cannot have a total stat value of under 90 in
your primary stat, no matter how bad the modifiers are.
4. Skill Descriptions
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Armour Movement
This group of skills represents your ability to use armour. You can only
use a certain armour type if your total skill in it's movement category
is at least zero. You cannot ride a horse or skiff until your skill is
at least 25. You cannot "fly" until your skill is at least 60. This
also has an effect on how well you are able to run from your opponents in
combat. Note that some races or professions are dead-set against certain
armour types, and it would take a LOT of training to bring yourself to use
that armour type. (eg. A Spirit Man Necromancer would require over 50
development points just to get to +0 skill in Plate Mail armour!)
Note: When "No Armour" is referred to, this simply means your skill in
the above when you are not wearing any protective armour (ie clothing).
LORE version 2.50 USER'S GUIDE Page 14
You automatically start with the following bonuses in armour, regardless
of Race or Profession (those bonuses get added/subtracted afterwards):
+5 to No Armour
-15 to Soft Leather
-30 to Rigid Leather
-45 to Chain and
-60 to Plate
General Skills
Climbing - Represents your ability in climbing mountains, scaling sheer
cliffs, and generally being able to navigate mountainous
terrain. This translates into better movement time when
moving through hilly areas. Untrained climbers will find it
very difficult to get anywhere in a reasonable amount of time.
Riding - Represents your ability to ride horses, mules, camels, etc.
Those with good riding skills can make better time when riding
than those without riding skills.
Swimming - Represents your ability to swim. While swimming is naturally
limited to the shallow waters, it can come in useful if you,
say, fell off of a bridge into a fast-moving river current.
Not like this will ever happen, right? Well...
Tracking - A good tracking skill will be of great help during combat. If
your opponent tries to flee, you can use your tracking skill to
try to catch up with your opponent and continue combat. People
with poor tracking can expect their opponents to frequently get
away from them, resulting in lost experience and money.
Read - For the practitioners of the mystic arts, necessary for anyone
Runes who plans on studying magic at one of the Libraries of Lore.
The tomes at the libraries are in many different, ancient
languages and this skill will aid in reading these.
Identify - Proficiency in this skill allows you to identify items which
Items you have found. Skilled adventurers can pick up an item and
literally know right away whether it is better than their
existing equipment or not. It can also help determine if an
item is cursed.
Weapon Skills
1-Hand Edged - These are "sharp" weapons such as swords, scimitars,
(1HE) daggers, etc. These weapons cut your opponent, resulting
in additional damage compared to other weapon types.
They also allow a shield to be used.
1-Hand Concussion - These are "blunt" weapons such as clubs, staves,
(1HC) hammers, etc. These weapons deliver concussion-style
hits, causing frequent stuns, but generally less
damage than 1-Hand Edged weapons. Of course, if your
opponent is stunned.. who cares! As one-hand weapons,
they allow a shield to be used.
LORE version 2.50 USER'S GUIDE Page 15
2-Hand - These weapons are both "blunt" and "sharp" weapons such as
(2HC) battle-axes, flails, large swords, etc. These weapons are more
powerful than 1HE or 1HC weapons, and can deliver a good amount
of both damage and concussion to opponents. The only problem is
that you cannot use a shield in conjunction with these weapons.
Oh well. You'll just have to kill them faster!
Missile - These weapons are "long-range" weapons such as bows, bolas,
(Mis) slings, etc. They deliver puncturing blows, which are quite
damaging and sometime stun your opponent. Ideal for ambushes
when your opponent doesn't know you are there!
Pole-Arm - These weapons are "speared" weapons, such as spears, javelins,
(PA) etc. Ideal for those who like to puncture their opponents,
they can be quite damaging in the hands of a skilled spearman.
These weapons can be used with a shield.
Subterfuge Skills
Stalk & Hide - Represents your ability to both ambush your opponent, and
flee from your opponent. Those planning on using missile
weapons as a solid first offensive should have a good Stalk
& Hide skill, so that they can more often get a couple of
good solid shots in before going into melee combat.
Pick Locks - Represents your ability to get through locked doors. The
success of any lock-picking attempt is based on both the
difficulty and complexity of the door in question. Picking
store locks is quite easy compared to treasury vaults, for
example.
Disarm Traps - Represents your ability to both detect and disarm traps
before they affect the character. Like Picking Locks,
the success depends on the complexity of the trap.
LORE version 2.50 USER'S GUIDE Page 16
5. Item Listings/Bonuses
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is not a complete list of all the items in the game, but you can
compare items you find in your adventures with the items listed here to
see if the item is useful or not.
This table is separated into groups of items, listed in increasing order
of "effectiveness". Full descriptions of each item can be found by
viewing the item while in the game.
Item Name Type Attack+ Defense+
-------------------------------- ----------------- ------- --------
Whip 1-Hand Edged -5 +0
Dagger 1-Hand Edged +5 +0
Short Sword 1-Hand Edged +10 +5
Handaxe 1-Hand Edged +20 +0
Scimitar 1-Hand Edged +30 +0
Broadsword 1-Hand Edged +40 +0
Stone Man's Broadsword 1-Hand Edged +50 +10
-------------------------------- ----------------- ------- --------
Club 1-Hand Concussion +0 +0
Mace 1-Hand Concussion +10 +5
Morning Star 1-Hand Concussion +20 +0
War Hammer 1-Hand Concussion +30 +0
Stone Man's Morning Star 1-Hand Concussion +30 +7
Stone Man's War Hammer 1-Hand Concussion +40 +10
Staff of Flames 1-Hand Concussion +40 +20
-------------------------------- ----------------- ------- --------
QuarterStaff 2-Handed +5 +0
Trollbane 2-Handed +14 +14
Flail 2-Handed +15 +0
Two-Hand Sword 2-Handed +30 +0
Battle-Axe 2-Handed +45 +0
Stone Man's Battle Axe 2-Handed +60 +15
-------------------------------- ----------------- ------- --------
Spear Pole-Arm +5 +0
Javelin Pole-Arm +15 +0
Halberd Pole-Arm +30 +0
Stone Man's Halberd Pole-Arm +45 +9
Flaming Halberd Pole-Arm +60 +0
-------------------------------- ----------------- ------- --------
Sling Missile +0 +0
Bola Missile +5 +0
Composite Bow Missile +15 +0
Short Bow Missile +25 +0
Long Bow Missile +40 +0
Shortbow of Flame Missile +50 +0
Crossbow Missile +60 +0
Mithril Longbow Missile +60 +4
Longbow of Flame Missile +80 +0
Crossbow of Flame Missile +120 +0
-------------------------------- ----------------- ------- --------
Leather Jerkin Soft Leather +0 +10
Reinforced Leather Jerkin Soft Leather +0 +20
Leather Coat Soft Leather +0 +30
Reinforced Leather Coat Soft Leather +0 +40
Elven Softleather Breastplate Soft Leather +0 +60
Cloak of Defense Soft Leather +0 +75
-------------------------------- ----------------- ------- --------
LORE version 2.50 USER'S GUIDE Page 17
-------------------------------- ----------------- ------- --------
Leather Breastplate Rigid Leather +0 +40
Full-Length Leather Plate Rigid Leather +0 +60
Elven Splinted Leather Rigid Leather +0 +120
-------------------------------- ----------------- ------- --------
Chain Shirt Chain Mail +0 +50
Chain Hauberk Chain Mail +0 +65
Armour of the Rangers Chain Mail +5 +70
Full Chain Chain Mail +0 +75
Mithril Chainmail Chain Mail +0 +100
Dragonskin Breastplate Chain Mail +2 +160
Adamantine Chainmail Chain Mail +0 +250
-------------------------------- ----------------- ------- --------
Breastplate Plate Mail +0 +40
Half Plate Plate Mail +0 +70
Full Plate Plate Mail +0 +110
Mithril Plate Plate Mail +0 +140
Adamantine Plate Plate Mail +0 +350
-------------------------------- ----------------- ------- --------
Small Shield Shield +0 +10
Normal Shield Shield +0 +20
Kite Shield Shield +0 +25
Full Shield Shield +0 +30
Stone Man's Fullshield Shield +5 +40
Wall Shield Shield +0 +45
Shield of Protection Shield +0 +60
Mithril Fullshield Shield +0 +60
Mithril Wallshield Shield +0 +90
Adamantine Fullshield Shield +0 +150
Adamantine Wallshield Shield +0 +225
-------------------------------- ----------------- ------- --------
Leather Helmet Helmet +0 +5
Superior Leather Helmet Helmet +0 +15
Plate Helm Helmet +0 +20
Pot Helm Helmet +0 +30
Full Helm Helmet +0 +40
Visored Helm Helmet +0 +45
Helm of Sight Helmet +10 +45
Helm of Protection Helmet +0 +60
-------------------------------- ----------------- ------- --------
LORE version 2.50 USER'S GUIDE Page 18
