
1 Attacking and Being Attacked
==============================


1.1 Attacking and Being Attacked
================================

      Attacking   is  simple  in  Angband.  If  you  move  into  a
      creature,  you attack him. You can attack from a distance by
      firing  a missile or by magical means such as aiming a wand.
      Creatures  attack  in  the  same way. If they move into you,
      they  attack you. Some creatures can also cast spells from a
      distance,  and others can use various breath weapons such as
      fire on you from a distance.

      Creatures  in  walls  can not be attacked by wands and other
      magic  attacks  normally  stopped by walls. You can attack a
      creature  in a wall normally by trying to move into the wall
      space  containing  the creature. However, if the creature is
      invisible  (such  as a ghost), you must tunnel into the wall
      containing  the  creature.  If you just try to move into the
      wall, you will bump your head and look quite silly.

      If  you  are wielding a weapon, the damage for the weapon is
      used  when  you  hit  a creature. Otherwise you get a single
      punch which does minimal damage.

      You  may wield both a primary weapon for melee combat, and a
      bow  or other missile launcher for launching missiles at the
      same  time  (along  with  a  light,  an amulet, two rings, a
      helmet,  boots,  gloves, a shield, a cloak, and body armor).
      Be  sure  not  to  try  and  kill a dragon with a shovel, it
      makes you look silly and probably won't work...

      Firing  a missile while wielding the appropriate launcher is
      the  only  way  to  get the "full" power out of the missile.
      You  may  of  course  throw  an  arrow  at a monster without
      shooting  it,  but you will find the effects may not be what
      you had hoped.

      Hits  and  misses  are  determined  by ability to hit versus
      armor  class.  A  hit  is  a strike that does some damage; a
      miss  may  in  fact  reach  a  target,  but  fails to do any
      damage.  Higher  armor  classes make it harder to do damage,
      and  so  lead  to  more  misses; they also reduce the damage
      from a strike that actually occurs.


1.2 Monster Memories
====================

      There  are  hundreds  of  different creatures in the pits of
      Angband,  many  of  which  have  the  same letter symbol and
      color  on the screen. The exact species of a creature can be
      discovered  by  looking  at it. It is also very difficult to
      keep   track  of  the  capabilities  of  various  creatures.
      Luckily,   Angband   automatically   keeps   track  of  your
      experiences  with  a  particular  creature.  This feature is
      called  the  monster  memory. You monster memory recalls the
      particular   attacks   of  each  creature  (whether  or  not
      technically  a  monster) which you have suffered, as well as
      recalling  if  you  have  observed  them to multiply or move
      erratically,  or  drop  treasure,  etc.  Otherwise you would
      simply have to take notes, which is an unnecessary bother.

      If  you  have  killed  enough  of  a particular creature, or
      suffered  enough  attacks,  recalling the monster memory may
      also  provide  you with information not otherwise available,
      such  as a armor class or hit dice. These are not explained,
      but  may  be  useful  to  give  the  relative danger of each
      creature.  This  memory  can be passed on to a new character
      even after you die by means of a reduced save file.


1.3 Your Weapon
===============

      Carrying  a  weapon  in  your backpack does you no good. You
      must  wield  a  weapon  before  it can be used in a fight. A
      secondary  weapon can be kept by keeping it in the backpack,
      and switching it with the primary weapon when needed.

      Weapons   have   two  main  magical  characteristics,  their
      enchanted  ability  to hit and their enchanted ability to do
      damage,  expressed  as  `(+#,+#)'.  A normal weapon would be
      `(+0,+0)'.  Many  weapons  in  Angband  have  bonuses to hit
      and/or   do  damage.  Some  weapons  are  cursed,  and  have
      penalties  that  hurt  the  player. Cursed weapons cannot be
      unwielded  until  the  curse is lifted. Identifying a weapon
      will  inform  you  of  the magical bonuses and penalties and
      whether or not it is cursed.

      Angband  assumes  that  your  youth in the rough environment
      near  the  dungeons  has  taught  you the relative merits of
      different   weapons,   and   displays   as   part  of  their
      description    the    damage   dice   which   define   their
      capabilities.  Any  damage  enchantment is added to the dice
      roll  for  that  weapon. The dice used for a given weapon is
      displayed  as  "#d#".  The  first  number indicates how many
      dice  to  roll, and the second indicates how many sides they
      have.  A  "2d6"  weapon  will give damage from 2 to 12, plus
      any  damage  bonus.  The  weight  of  a  weapon  is  also  a
      consideration.  Heavy  weapons  may hit harder, but they are
      also  harder  to use. Depending on your strength, dexterity,
      character  class,  and  weapon  weight,  you may get several
      attacks per turn.

      Missile   booster   weapons,   such   as  bows,  have  their
      characteristics  added  to those of the missile used, if the
      proper  weapon/missile  combination  is  used,  and  the the
      launcher  multiplier  is applied to the total damage, making
      missile  weapons  very  powerful  given the proper missiles,
      especially if they are enchanted.

      Although  you  receive  any  magical bonuses an unidentified
      weapon  may  possess  when  you wield it, those bonuses will
      not  be  added  in  to  the  displayed  values of to-hit and
      to-dam  on  your  character  sheet.  You  must  identify the
      weapon  before  the displayed values reflect the real values
      used.

      Finally,  some  rare  weapons  have special abilities. These
      are  called  ego  weapons, and are feared by great and meek.
      An  ego weapon must be wielded to receive the benefit of its
      abilities.

      Ego  weapons  are  denoted by the following "names": (note -
      these descriptions are very out of date)

      (Defender)
          A  magical weapon that actually helps the wielder defend
          himself,  thus  increasing  his/her  armour  class,  and
          protecting  him/her  against  damage  from  fire,  cold,
          acid,  lightning,  and  falls.  This  weapon  also  will
          increase  your stealth, let you see invisible creatures,
          protect  you from paralyzation and some slowing attacks,
          and  help  you regenerate hit points and mana faster. As
          a  result  of  the regeneration ability, you will use up
          food  somewhat  faster than normal while wielding such a
          weapon.

      (Holy Avenger)
          A  Holy  Avenger is one of the more powerful of weapons.
          A  Holy  Avenger  will  increase  your  wisdom  and your
          armour  class.  This  weapon  will  do extra damage when
          used  against  evil,  demonic  and undead creatures, and
          will   also  give  you  the  ability  to  see  invisible
          creatures.   These   weapons   are  basically  extremely
          powerful  versions  of Blessed Blades and can be wielded
          by priests with no penalty.

      (Blessed Blade)
          A  blessed blade will increase your wisdom. If you are a
          priest,  wielding  a non-blessed sword or polearm causes
          a  small  penalty while attacking and may infuriate your
          god,  decreasing  the  chances  that he will accept your
          prayers.

      Weapon of Frost
          A  magical  weapon  of ice that delivers a cold critical
          to  creatures  not  resistant  to  cold. It will inflict
          thrice  the  normal  damage  when  used  against  such a
          creature.  It  also  defends  you against cold and frost
          attacks.

      Weapon of Flame
          A  magical  weapon of fire that delivers a heat critical
          to  creatures  not  resistant  to  fire. It will inflict
          thrice  the  normal  damage  when  used  against  such a
          creature.  It  also  defends  you  against fire and heat
          attacks.

      Weapon of Westernesse
          A  Weapon  of  Westernesse  is  one of the more powerful
          weapons.  It  slays orcs while increasing your strength,
          dexterity,  and  constitution.  It  also  lets  you  see
          invisible  creatures  and protects from paralyzation and
          some  slowing  attacks.  These  blades  were made by the
          Dunedain.

      Weapon of Slay Dragon
          A  Slay  Dragon weapon is a special purpose weapon whose
          sole  intent  is to destroy dragon-kind. Therefore, when
          used  against  a  dragon,  the  amount of damage done is
          three times the normal amount.

      Weapon of Slay Evil
          A  Slay  Evil  weapon  is a special purpose weapon whose
          sole  intent  is to destroy all forms of evil. When used
          against  an  evil  creature, either alive or undead, the
          damage  done  is  twice the normal amount. Some of these
          weapons are also Blessed Blades.

      Weapon of Slay Animal
          A  Slay  Animal weapon is a special purpose weapon whose
          sole  intent  is to destroy all the dangerous animals in
          the  world.  An  animal  is  any creature natural to the
          world.  Therefore  an  orc would not be an animal, but a
          giant  snake  would  be.  This  will  inflict  twice the
          normal amount of damage when used against an animal.

      Weapon of Slay Undead
          A  Slay  Undead weapon is a special purpose weapon whose
          sole  intent  is  to  destroy all forms of undead. These
          weapons  are hated and feared by the intelligent undead,
          for  a  single  blow from this weapon will inflict three
          times  the  normal  amount  of  damage. This weapon also
          gives  you the ability to see invisible creatures, which
          is  especially useful against undead, since many of them
          are  normally  invisible. Some of these weapons have the
          additional  ability to protect against the life-draining
          attacks that many undead creatures possess.

      Weapon of Slay Orc
          A  Slay  Orc  weapon does treble damage against anything
          of orcish-kind. Often these are elvish blades.

      Weapon of Slay Troll
          A  Slay Troll weapon does treble damage against anything
          of troll-kind. Often these are elvish blades.

      Weapon of Slay Giant
          A  Slay Giant weapon does treble damage against anything
          of giant-humanoidal form.

      Weapon of Slay Demon
          A  Slay Demon weapon does treble damage against anything
          of Hellish nature such as the Minor and Major Demons.

      Whips of Fire
          These   are   one  of  the  balrogs'  favorite  weapons,
          delivering heat criticals just like a weapon of Flame.

      Weapon of Morgul.
          These  blades  are  so  foully  cursed  with evil, it is
          rumored that it is impossible to remove them. BEWARE!

      Apart  from  these  there  are  some very rare and well made
      blades  in  the  dungeon  with  not  necessarily any special
      abilities.   These   include   Blades  of  Chaos,  Maces  of
      Disruption,  and  Scythes  of  Slicing. They can also be ego
      weapons  like  the ones above. For example, a Blade of Chaos
      (Holy  Avenger)  is  much  more  powerful than many artifact
      weapons!

      For artifact weapons, see "rumors.hlp".


1.4 Body and Shield Bashes
==========================

      Weight   is  the  primary  factor  in  being  able  to  bash
      something,  but  strength plays a role too. After bashing, a
      character  may  be  off balance for several rounds depending
      upon his dexterity.

      Doors  can  be  broken  down by bashing them. Once a door is
      bashed open, it is forever useless and cannot be closed.

      Finally,  a creature may be bashed. If a shield is currently
      being  worn,  the  bash  is  a  shield bash and will do more
      damage.  In  either  case,  a bash may throw an opponent off
      balance  for a number of rounds, allowing a player to get in
      a  free  hit  or  more. If the player is thrown off balance,
      his  opponent  may  get  free  hits  on him. This is a risky
      attack. It is also a hack. :-)


1.5 Your Armor Class
====================

      Your  armor  class  (or  AC)  is a number that describes the
      amount  and  the  quality  of  armor being worn. Armor class
      will  generally  run  from  about 0 to 150, but could become
      negative  or  greater  than  150  with  rarer  armour  or by
      magical means.

      The  larger  your  armor class, the more protective it is. A
      negative  armor class would actually help get you hit. Armor
      protects  you  in three manners. One, it makes you harder to
      be  hit  for  damage.  A  hit for no damage is the same as a
      miss.  Two,  good  armor will absorb some of the damage that
      your  character would have taken from normal attacks. Three,
      acid  damage is reduced by wearing body armor (but the armor
      will  be  damaged  instead). It is obvious that a high armor
      class is a must for surviving the deeper levels of Angband.

      Each  piece  of  armour  has a base armor value, which, like
      the  damage  from  weapons,  is assumed known by the player,
      and  a  magic  bonus, which will not be displayed unless the
      armor has been identified or was bought in a store.

      Armor  class  values  are  always displayed between a set of
      brackets  as "[#]" or "[#,+#]". The first value is the armor
      class  of  the  item. The second number is the magical bonus
      of  the  item  which  is  only  displayed if known, and will
      always  have  a  sign  preceding  the value. Note that a few
      rings,  amulets,  and weapons also have the "[+#]" notation,
      indicating  that they provide an armor bonus. Many pieces of
      heavy  body  armor  will  also  have  a  "(-#)"  before  the
      "[#,+#]",  which  indicates  that  the  weight  of the armor
      decreases  your  chances of hitting monsters. This can range
      from  nonexistent  for very light armor to (-8) for the very
      heaviest armor!

      Some  pieces of armor will possess special abilities denoted
      by the following names: (these are very out of date!)

      of Resist Acid.
          A  character  using  such  an  object will take only one
          third  normal  damage  from any acid thrown upon him. In
          addition,  armor  so  enchanted  will  resist the acid's
          effects and not be damaged by it.

      of Resist Lightning.
          A  character  using  a resist lightning object will take
          only one third damage from electrical attacks.

      of Resist Fire.
          A  character  using  a resist fire object will take only
          one third damage from heat and fire.

      of Resist Cold.
          A  character  using  a resist cold object will take only
          one third damage from frost and cold.

      of Resistance.
          A  character  wearing  armor with this ability will have
          resistance   to  Acid,  Cold,  Fire,  and  Lightning  as
          explained in each part above.

      of Elvenkind.
          This  is  the  same as Resistance armour, only generally
          better  enchanted.  It will make you more stealthy. This
          armor  can  also  possess  extra  resistances beyond the
          four basic elemental ones.

      Robes of the Magi.
          These  robes  are  designed especially for wizards. Just
          like  Elvenkind  armor, they provide resistance to fire,
          cold,  acid,  and  electricity  and cannot be damaged by
          acid.  They  sustain  all  of your stats and protect you
          from  a  good deal of all experience draining. Also like
          Elvenkind   armor,  they  can  have  additional  special
          resistances.  These  robes are so good that their owners
          are  rarely  killed,  perhaps  explaining the incredible
          rarity.

      Crown of Might
          This  is  the  great  crown  of the warriors. The wearer
          will   have   an   increased  strength,  dexterity,  and
          constituion,  and  will  also  be  immune  to  any foe's
          attempt to slow or paralyze him or her.

      Crown of the Magi
          This  is the great crown of the wizards. The wearer will
          have  an  increased intelligence, and will also be given
          resistance against fire, frost, acid, and lightning.

      Crown of Lordliness
          This  is the great crown of the priests. The wearer will
          have an increased wisdom and charisma.

      Crown of Seeing
          This  is  the great crown of the rogues. The wearer will
          be  able  to see even invisible creatures, and will have
          an increased ability to locate traps and secret doors.

      Crown of Regeneration
          This  crown will help you regenerate hit points and mana
          more  quickly  than normal, allowing you to fight longer
          before  needing  to  rest. You will use food faster than
          normal   while   wearing   this  crown  because  of  the
          regenerative effects.

      Crown of Beauty
          This  crown  looks  impressive  and  will  increase your
          charisma, but is otherwise not useful.

      Dragon Scale Mails.
          These  extremely  rare  pieces  of  armour  come in many
          different   colors,  each  protecting  you  against  the
          relevent  dragons.  Naturally  they are all resistant to
          acid   damage.  They  also  occasionally  allow  you  to
          breathe as a dragon would!

      Apart  from  these  there  are some very rare, and well made
      armours  in  the  dungeon  with  not necessarily any special
      abilities.  These  include Shields of Deflection, Adamantite
      Plate  Mail,  Mithril  Plate  Mail,  Mithril Chain Mail, and
      Shadow  Cloaks.  The  first  four  cannot be damaged by acid
      because of the quality metals they contain.

