
1 Creating a Character
======================


1.1 Creating a Character
========================

      Angband  is  a  roleplaying  game, in which you, the player,
      control  a  character  in  the world of Angband. Perhaps the
      most  important  thing  you  control  is  the  birth of your
      character,  in  which  you  choose  or  allow  to  be chosen
      various  attributes that will affect the future life of your
      character.

      Character  creation,  or  birth,  is  controlled  through  a
      variety  of  choices  as  to  constraints  on  the  type  of
      character  you  wish to play, followed by a series of random
      calculations  to  generate  ("roll  up")  a random character
      matching the appropriate constraints.

      Once  your  character  has been generated, you will be given
      the  choice  to  generate  a  new character obeying the same
      constraints,  and  once  you  have  generated  more than one
      character,  you  can  switch  back and forth between the two
      most  recent  characters,  until  you  are  presented with a
      personality that you feel comfortable with.

      You may start the entire process over at any time.

      Once  you  have  accepted  a  character  you  will  asked to
      provide  a  name  for  the character. In general, the actual
      choice  of a name is not important, but do keep in mind that
      it  may have some effect on the game itself. For example, on
      some  machines,  the  chatacter name determines the filename
      that  will be used to save the character to disk. On others,
      the  character  name specifies special "pref" files. And the
      character name is used on the high score list.


1.2 Character Characteristics
=============================

      Each  character has three primary attributes, sex, race, and
      class,  that  are  chosen before the character is generated,
      and  which  will  stay  fixed  for  the  entire life of that
      character.  These  attributes  have many effects, which will
      be  mentioned  as  they  come  up.  Keep in mind that in the
      current   version  of  Angband,  your  choice  of  race  may
      restrict your choice of class.

      Each  character  has  a  few  secondary  attributes, height,
      weight,  social  class,  and  background  history, which are
      randomly  determined,  but which are affected by the sex and
      race  of  the  character.  In  general, these attributes are
      only  used  to  provide "flavor" to the character, to assist
      in  the  roll  playing, but they do have a few minor effects
      on  the game. For example, background history affects social
      class,  which affects the amount of money the character will
      start   with.  And  weight  affects  carrying  capacity  and
      bashing ability.

      Each  character  also  has  six  primary  "stats", strength,
      intelligence,    wisdom,    dexterity,   constitution,   and
      charisma,  which  modify the abilities of the character in a
      variety  of  ways. Every stat has a numerical value, ranging
      from  a minimum of 3, up to a normal maximum of 18, and even
      higher,  into the "percentile" range, represented as "18/01"
      through  "18/100".  Actually,  every stat can be raised even
      above  18/100  by  magical  means,  up  to a pure maximum of
      18/220,  which  is represented as "18/***". Traditionally, a
      percentile  stat  such  as  "18/50"  has  been  though of as
      representing  a  value  part way between 18 and 19, and this
      is  one  way  to think of them. However, often, the best way
      to  view  the  "bonus"  values after the "18/" is as "tenth"
      points,  since it often takes the same magic to raise a stat
      from,  say, 4 to 5, or 16 to 17, as it does from, say, 18/40
      to  18/50.  The  important  thing to remember is that almost
      all  internal  calculations  "ignore" the final digit of any
      "bonus",  so  that,  for  example,  "18/40"  and "18/49" are
      always  have  the same effects. During character generation,
      each  stat  is  rolled  out as a number from 8 to 17, with a
      normal  distribution, and is then immediately modified based
      on the race and class of the character.

      Each   character   also   has   several   primary  "skills",
      disarming,  magic devices, saving throws, stealth, searching
      ability,  searching  frequency, fighting skill, and shooting
      skill,  which  are derived from the character's race, class,
      level,  stats,  and  current  equipment.  These  skills have
      rather   obvious   effects,   but  will  be  described  more
      completely below.

      Each  character  may  have  one  or more "racially intrinsic
      skills",  based  on  the  race  of  the character. These may
      include  special  resistances,  or  even  abilities  such as
      infravision.

      Each  character  has  experience,  which  increases  as  the
      character  becomes  more  experienced, and a level, which is
      based  on  experience,  and  also  on race and class. As the
      experience  rises,  so  does  the  level,  and  as the level
      rises,  certain  other abilities and characteristics rise as
      well.  Deep  down  inside, the real objective of the game is
      to    increase    your   experience,   and   certain   other
      characteristics,  and  also to collect useful items, to give
      you  a  decent  chance against Morgoth. Certain monsters can
      "drain"  your  experience,  and  thus your level, which will
      cause  you  to  lose all of the effects of the higher level.
      Luckily,  you can restore drained experience through magical
      means,  or  by  simply  regaining  the  experience  all over
      again.

      Each  character  has  some  gold,  which  can be used to buy
      items  from the shops in the town, and which can be obtained
      not  only  from  selling  items  to  the  shops, but also by
      taking  it  from  dead  monsters and by finding it hidden in
      the  dungeon.  Each character starts out with some gold, the
      amount  of  which  is  based  on the characters social class
      (higher   is  better),  charisma  (higher  is  better),  sex
      (female  characters  start  with more gold), and other stats
      (less  powerful  characters  start  with  more  gold).  Each
      character  also  starts  out  with a few useful items, which
      may be kept, or sold to a shop-keeper for more gold.

      Each  character  has  an  armor class, representing how well
      the  character can avoid damage. The armor class is affected
      by dexterity and the equipment.

      Each  character has hit points, representing how much damage
      the  character  can  sustain before he dies. Your hit points
      are  derived from your race, class, level, and constitution,
      and  can be temporarily boosted by magical means. Hit points
      may  be  regained  by  resting,  or  by a variety of magical
      means.

      Each  character  has spell points, or mana, which represents
      how  many  spells  (or  prayers)  a  character  can cast (or
      pray).  Your  spell  points  are  derived  from  your class,
      level,   and   intelligence  (for  spells)  or  wisdom  (for
      prayers).  Spell  points may be regained by resting, or by a
      few magical means.


1.3 Races
=========

      There  are  ten  different races that you can choose from in
      Angband.  Some  races  are  restricted as to what profession
      they  may  be,  and  each  race has its own adjustments to a
      character's  stats  and  abilities.  Most  races  also  have
      intrinsic abilities.

      Human
          The  human  is  the  base character. All other races are
          com-  pared to them. Humans can choose any class and are
          average  at  everything.  Humans  tend  to  go up levels
          faster  than  any  other  race  because of their shorter
          life  spans.  No  racial adjustments or intrinsics occur
          to characters choosing human.

      Half-Elf
          Half-elves  tend  to be smarter and faster than a human,
          but  not  as  strong.  Half-elves are slightly better at
          searching,  disarming, saving throws, stealth, bows, and
          magic,  but  they  are  not  as  good  at  hand weapons.
          Half-elves  may  choose any class and do not receive any
          intrinsic abilities.

      Elf
          Elves  are better magicians then humans, but not as good
          at  fighting.  They  tend  to be smarter and faster than
          either   humans  or  half-elves  and  also  have  better
          wisdom.   Elves  are  better  at  searching,  disarming,
          perception,  stealth,  bows, and magic, but they are not
          as  good  at  hand  weapons.  Elves may choose any class
          except Paladin. They resist light effects
          intrinsically.

      Hobbits
          Hobbits,  or Halflings, are very good at bows, throwing,
          and  have good saving throws. They also are very good at
          search-  ing,  disarming,  perception,  and  stealth; so
          they  make  excel-  lent rogues, but prefer to be called
          burglars.  They  will be much weaker than humans, and no
          good    at   melee   fighting.   Halflings   have   fair
          infravision,  so  they  can  detect  warm creatures at a
          distance.  Hobbits  can  choose between being a warrior,
          mage, or rogue. They have their dexterity sustained.

      Gnome
          Gnomes   are   smaller  than  dwarves  but  larger  than
          halflings.  They,  like the halflings, live in the earth
          in  burrow-like  homes. Gnomes make excellent mages, and
          have   very   good  saving  throws.  They  are  good  at
          searching,  disarming,  perception,  and  stealth.  They
          have  lower  strength  than  humans so they are not very
          good  at  fighting  with  hand weapons. Gnomes have fair
          infra-vision,  so they can detect warm-blooded creatures
          at  a  distance.  A  gnome  may  choose  between being a
          warrior,    mage,   priest,   or   rogue.   Gnomes   are
          intrinsically   protected  against  paralysis  and  some
          slowing effects.

      Dwarf
          Dwarves  are  the  headstrong  miners  and  fighters  of
          legend.  Since dungeons are the natural home of a dwarf,
          they  are  excellent  choices  for  a warrior or priest.
          Dwarves  tend  to be stronger and tougher but slower and
          less  intelligent  than  humans.  Because  they  are  so
          headstrong  and  are  somewhat  wise, they resist spells
          which  are  cast  on  them.  Dwarves also have very good
          infra-vision  because  they  live  underground.  They do
          have  one  big drawback, though. Dwarves are loudmouthed
          and   proud,   singing  in  loud  voices,  arguing  with
          themselves  for no good reason, screaming out challenges
          at  imagined  foes.  In  other  words,  dwarves  have  a
          miserable stealth. They can never be blinded.

      Half-Orc
          Half-Orcs  make  excellent  warriors and decent priests,
          but  are  terrible  at magic. They are as bad as dwarves
          at  stealth,  and  horrible at searching, disarming, and
          perception.  Half-Orcs  are,  let's  face it, ugly. They
          tend  to  pay  more for goods in town. Half-Orcs do make
          good  warriors  and  rogues,  for the simple reason that
          Half-Orcs  tend  to have great constitutions and lots of
          hit  points.  Because  of  their  preference  to  living
          underground   to   on   the  surface,  half-orcs  resist
          darkness attacks.

      Half-Troll
          Half-Trolls  are  incredibly  strong,  and have more hit
          points  than  any  other  character  race. They are also
          very  stupid and slow. They will make great warriors and
          iffy  priests.  They  are  bad  at searching, disarming,
          perception,  and  stealth.  They  are  so  ugly  that  a
          Half-Orc  grimaces  in  their presence. They also happen
          to  be  fun  to  run...  Half-trolls  always  have their
          strength sustained.

      Dunadan
          Dunedain  are  a  race  of hardy men from the West. This
          elder  race  surpasses  human  abilities in every field,
          especially  constitution.  However,  being  men  of  the
          world,  very  little is new to them, and levels are very
          hard  to  gain...  They  can  play  all  classes.  Their
          constitution cannot be reduced.

      High-Elf
          High-elves  are  a  race  of immortal beings dating from
          the  beginning  of time. Levels are even harder for them
          to  gain  than  to  Dunedain.  They  are  masters of all
          skills,  and  are strong and intelligent, although their
          wisdom  is  sometimes suspect. They can play all classes
          except  Paladin, and very well at that. High-elves begin
          their  lives  able  to  see the unseen, and resist light
          effects just like regular elves.


1.4 Classes (outdated)
======================

      Once  a race has been chosen, you will need to pick a class.
      Some  classes  will  not  be available to certain races, for
      instance,  a  Half-Troll  cannot  become  a Paladin. For the
      first  few adventures it is suggested that you run a warrior
      or   rogue.   Spell   casting   generally  requires  a  more
      experienced   player   that   is   familiar   with  survival
      techniques.

      Warrior
          A  Warrior  is  a  hack-and-slash  character, who solves
          most  of  his  problems  by  cutting them to pieces, but
          will  occasion-  ally fall back on the help of a magical
          device.  His  prime stats are Strength and Constitution,
          and  a  good  Dexterity  can  really  help  at  times. A
          Warrior  will  be  good at Fight- ing and Throwing/Bows,
          but bad at most other skills.

      Mage
          A  Mage  must live by his wits. He cannot hope to simply
          hack  his way through the dungeon, and so must therefore
          use  his  magic to defeat, deceive, confuse, and escape.
          A  mage  is not really complete without an assortment of
          magical  devices  to  use  in addition to his spells. He
          can  master  the higher level magical devices far easier
          than  anyone  else,  and  has  the  best saving throw to
          resist  effects  of spells cast at him. Intelligence and
          Dexterity  are  his primary stats. There is no rule that
          says  a  mage  cannot  become a good fighter, but spells
          are his true realm.

      Priest
          A  Priest  is a character of holy devotion. They explore
          the  dungeon only to destroy the evil that lurks within,
          and  if  treasure just happens to fall into their packs,
          well,  so  much  more  to  the  glory  of  their church!
          Priests   receive   their   spells  from  a  deity,  and
          therefore  do  not  choose which spells they will learn.
          They  are familiar with magical dev- ices, preferring to
          call  them  instruments of god, but are not as good as a
          mage  in  their  use. Priests have good sav- ing throws,
          and  make decent fighters, preferring blunt weapons over
          edged   ones.  Wisdom  and  Charisma  are  the  priest's
          primary stats.

      Rogue
          A  Rogue  is  a  character  that  prefers to live by his
          cunning,  but  is  capable  of fighting his way out of a
          tight  spot.  He  is  the  master of traps and locks, no
          device  being  impossible  for  him to overcome. A rogue
          has  a  high  stealth  allowing him to sneak around many
          creatures  without  having to fight, or sneak up and get
          the  first blow. A rogue's perception is higher than any
          other  class,  and  many  times he will notice a trap or
          secret  door  before having to search. A rogue is better
          than  warriors  or  paladins  with  magical devices, but
          still  can  not  rely  on  their performance. Rogues can
          also  learn a few spells, but not the powerful offensive
          spells  magi  can  use.  A  rogue's  primary  stats  are
          Intelligence and Dexterity.

      Ranger
          A  Ranger  is  a warrior/mage. He is a good fighter, and
          the  best of the classes with a missile weapon such as a
          bow.  The  ranger  learns spells much more slowly than a
          mage,  but  is  capable  of  learning  all  but the most
          powerful  spells.  Because  a  ranger  is  really a dual
          class  character, more experience is required for him to
          advance.  A  ranger has a good stealth, good perception,
          good  searching,  a  good saving throw, and is good with
          magical  devices. His primary stats are Intelligence and
          Dexterity.

      Paladin
          A  Paladin  is  a  warrior/priest.  He  is  a  very good
          fighter,  second only to the warrior class, but not very
          good  at  mis-  sile  weapons.  He receives prayers at a
          slower  pace  then  the priest, but can even receive the
          most  powerful  prayers.  Because  a paladin is really a
          dual  class  character,  it  requires more experience to
          advance  him.  A  paladin  lacks  much  in  the  way  of
          abilities.   He   is  poor  at  stealth,  per-  ception,
          searching,  and  magical devices. He has a decent saving
          throw  due to his divine alliance. His primary stats are
          Strength and Charisma.


1.5 Stats
=========

      Strength
          Strength  is  important  in fighting with weapons and in
          melee  combat.  A high strength can improve your chances
          of  hitting  as  well  as the amount of damage done with
          each  hit.  Char-  acters with low strengths may receive
          penalties.  Strength  is also useful in tunneling and in
          carrying heavy items.

      Intelligence
          Intelligence   affects  the  spellcasting  abilities  of
          mage-like  spellcasters,  mages,  rangers,  and  rogues.
          Intelligence  will  affect  the number of spells you may
          learn  each  level as well as the number of spell points
          you  receive.  A high intelligence may also improve your
          chances  of  successfully  casting  a  spell. You cannot
          learn  spells if your intelligence is 7 or lower. A good
          intelligence  can  also  help  with using magic devices,
          picking locks, and disarming traps.

      Wisdom
          The  primary  function  of  wisdom  is  to determine the
          ability  of  a  priest  or  paladin to use prayers, just
          like  intelligence  affects  spellcasting.  Again,  high
          wisdom  will  increase  the  number  of spell points you
          have  and  increase  the number of prayers you can learn
          each  level,  while  improving  the chance that a prayer
          will  be  successful.  A  good  wisdom  can also help to
          improve  your  chances  of resisting magical spells cast
          upon you by monsters.

      Dexterity
          Dexterity  is  a combination of agility and quickness. A
          high  dexterity  may  allow  a character to get multiple
          blows  with lighter weapons, thus greatly increasing his
          kill  power,  and  will  increase his chances of hitting
          with   any   weapon  and  dodging  blows  from  enemies.
          Dexterity  is  also  useful  in picking locks, disarming
          traps,  and protecting yourself from some of the thieves
          that inhabit the dungeons.

      Constitution
          Constitution  is  a character's ability to resist damage
          to  his  body,  and  to  recover  from  damage received.
          Therefore  a  character  with  a  high constitution will
          receive  more  hit  points  and also recover them faster
          while resting.

      Charisma
          Charisma   represents   a  character's  personality  and
          physical  appearance.  A  character with a high charisma
          will  receive better prices from store owners, whereas a
          character  with a very low charisma may be robbed blind.
          A  high  charisma will also mean more starting money for
          the character.


1.6 Abilities (outdated)
========================

      Characters  possess  some different abilities which can help
      them  to  survive. The starting abilities of a character are
      based  upon  race  and  class.  Abilities may be adjusted by
      high  or  low  stats, and may increase with the level of the
      character.

      Fighting
          Fighting  is  the  ability  to  hit  and  do damage with
          weapons  or  fists.  Normally  a character gets a single
          blow  from any weapon, but if his dexterity and strength
          are  high  enough,  he  may receive more blows per round
          with   lighter  weapons.  Strength  and  dexterity  both
          modify  the  ability  to  hit  an  opponent.  This skill
          increases with the level of the char- acter.

      Shooting Ability
          Using  ranged  missile weapons (and throwing objects) is
          included   in  this  skill.  Different  stats  apply  to
          different  weapons,  but  this  ability  may  modify the
          distance  an  object  is  thrown/fired,  the  amount  of
          damage  done,  and  the  ability to hit a creature. This
          skill increases with the level of the character.

      Saving Throws
          A  Saving  Throw is the ability of a character to resist
          the   effects   of  a  spell  cast  on  him  by  another
          person/creature.  This  does  not include spells cast on
          the  player  by  his  own  stupidity, such as quaffing a
          nasty  potion.  This ability increases with the level of
          the  character,  but  then most high level creatures are
          better  at  casting  spells,  so it tends to even out. A
          high wisdom also increases this abil- ity.

      Stealth
          The  ability  to  move  silently  about  is very useful.
          Charac-  ters  with  good  stealth  can usually surprise
          their   opponents,   gaining   the   first  blow.  Also,
          creatures  may  fail  to  notice  a  stealthy  character
          entirely,  allowing  a  player  to avoid certain fights.
          This  skill  is  based entirely upon race and class, and
          will never improve unless magically enhanced.

      Disarming
          Disarming  is  the ability to remove traps (safely), and
          includes  picking locks on traps and doors. A successful
          disarming  will  gain  the  character some experience. A
          trap  must be found before it can be disarmed. Dexterity
          and  intelligence both modify the ability to disarm, and
          this ability increases with the level of the character.

      Magical Devices
          Using  a magical device such as a wand or staff requires
          experience  and  knowledge. Spell users such as magi and
          priests  are  therefore  much  better at using a magical
          device  than  say  a  warrior. This skill is modified by
          intelligence,  and  increases  with  the  level  of  the
          character.

      Searching Frequency (Perception)
          Perception  is  the  ability to notice something without
          actively  seeking  it  out. This skill is based entirely
          upon  race  and  class,  and  will  never improve unless
          magically enhanced.

      Searching Ability (Searching)
          To  search  is  to actively look for secret doors, floor
          traps,  and  traps  on  chests.  Rogues  are the best at
          searching,  but magi, rangers, and priests are also good
          at  it.  This  skill  is  based  entirely  upon race and
          class,   and   will   never   improve  unless  magically
          enhanced.


1.7 Combinations of Race and Class
==================================

                  Warrior   Mage    Priest    Rogue   Ranger   Paladin
      
      Human         Yes      Yes      Yes      Yes      Yes      Yes
      Half-Elf      Yes      Yes      Yes      Yes      Yes      Yes
      Elf           Yes      Yes      Yes      Yes      Yes      No
      Hobbit        Yes      Yes      No       Yes      No       No
      Gnome         Yes      Yes      Yes      Yes      No       No
      Dwarf         Yes      No       Yes      No       No       No
      Half-Orc      Yes      No       Yes      Yes      No       No
      Half-Troll    Yes      No       Yes      No       No       No
      Dunadan       Yes      Yes      Yes      Yes      Yes      Yes
      High-Elf      Yes      Yes      Yes      Yes      Yes      No


1.8 Miscellaneous (outdated)
============================

      Infra-vision
          Infra-vision  is  the ability to see heat sources. Since
          most  of  the dungeon is cool or cold, infra-vision will
          not   allow   the  player  to  see  walls  and  objects.
          Infra-vision   will   allow   a  character  to  see  any
          warm-blooded  creatures up to a cer- tain distance. This
          ability  works  equally  well  with  or with out a light
          source.   The   majority   of  Angband's  creatures  are
          cold-blooded,  and will not be detected unless lit up by
          a   light  source.  All  non  human  races  have  innate
          infra-vision  ability.  Human can gain infra-vision only
          if it is magically enhanced.


1.9 Stat Bonus Tables (outdated)
================================

      Stat,   hit   dice,   and   experience   points   per  level
      modifications  due  to  race  are  listed  in  the following
      table.

                  STR  INT  WIS  DEX  CON  CHR  Hit Dice  Rqd Exp/level
      Human        0    0    0    0    0    0      10          +0%
      Half-Elf    -1   +1    0   +1   -1   +1       9         +10%
      Elf         -1   +2   +1   +1   -2   +1       8         +20%
      Hobbit      -2   +2   +1   +3   +2   +1       7         +10%
      Gnome       -1   +2    0   +2   +1   -2       8         +25%
      Dwarf       +2   -3   +2   -2   +2   -3      11         +20%
      Half-Orc    +2   -1    0    0   +1   -4      10         +10%
      Half-Troll  +4   -4   -2   -4   +3   -6      12         +20%
      Dunadan     +1   +2   +2   +2   +3   +2      10         +80%
      High-Elf    +1   +3   -1   +3   +1   +5      10        +100%

                    STR     INT     WIS     DEX     CON     CHR
      Warrior       +5      -2      -2      +2      +2      -1
      Mage          -5      +3       0      +1      -2      +1
      Priest        -1      -3      +3      -1       0      +2
      Rogue         +2      +1      -2      +3      +1      -1
      Ranger        +2      +2       0      +1      +1      +1
      Paladin       +3      -3      +1       0      +2      +2


1.10 Ability Tables (outdated)
==============================

                 Disarm Search Stealth Percep Fight Bows Save Infra
      
      Human         5      5      5       5     5     5    5  None
      Half-Elf      6      7      7       6     4     6    6  20 feet
      Elf           8      9      7       7     3     9    7  30 feet
      Hobbit       10     10     10      10     1    10   10  40 feet
      Gnome         9      7      9       9     2     8    9  40 feet
      Dwarf         6      8      3       5     9     5    8  50 feet
      Half-Orc      3      5      3       2     8     3    3  30 feet
      Half-Troll    1      1      1       1    10     1    1  30 feet
      Dunadan       9      8      7       8     7     8    7  None
      High-Elf      9      8      8       9     7    10   10  40 feet

                         Save  Stea-        Magic                 Extra
              Fight Bows Throw  lth  Disarm Device Percep Search Exp/lev
      
      Warrior  10     6    3     2      4      3      2      2       +0%
      Mage      2     1   10     5      6     10      8      5      +30%
      Priest    4     3    6     5      3      8      4      4      +20%
      Rogue     8     9    7    10     10      6     10     10      +25%
      Ranger    6    10    8     7      6      7      6      6      +30%
      Paladin   9     5    4     2      2      4      2      2      +35%

