figure.pcx
Welcome, fellow game-designers, to the seventh issue of the UANL! Within these somewhat sacred pages, you'll find enough tips, reviews, and design ideas to whet even the most ardent of user's appetite. So, without further delay... I give you the Unlimited Adventures NewsLetter!
Art Review: 'Demons Preview' Art Type: Combat Icons Art Format: PCX Artist: Abbot HHere we have 8 different combat icons of Tanar'ri/Demons, with stats included. The icons are for the Molydeus, Alu Fiend, Babau, Mane, Herozu, Chasme, Cambion and Wastrilith.
The Molydeus is one of the best of the collection, I'd say, with good detail and a dynamic action shot (PLUG, PLUG: see Dika Wolf's article!). The snake on the Molydeus does look slightly awkward, but altogether, it is a very impressive icon.
The weakest icons are the Herozu, Cambion and Babau. All still very good, however, and the Mane is a bit cute (though who wants cute demons?!). The best is probably the Molydeus and the Wastrilith.
The stats are included for each monster, which is a relief, since I don't have a Monstrous Compendium for the planes :/
Combat Icons: A Distinctness: A+ Overall: A-Nyx Nightshade-
Author: Peral Full Title: The Halls of Cerix Imported Graphics: No For: IBM Additional Documentation: Yes # Of Dungeons: 2This is a small game, created by a newcomer UA author.
Now, I hate to rag on a mod, but this one is plagued by the classic problem of a weak plot. You start in a small town. There is no intro, no information as to what you're supposed to do until you visit the inn, and the innkeeper says something along the lines of 'I've heard you've come to rid us of Cerix." Up until then, you don't know what your mission is, and even then, you have no idea how to go about completing this mission.
The random combats are a bit tough for low level characters such as you are. However, wander in the woods, where the randoms are, and you're in for some real trouble. On the other hand, the set encounters are reasonably balanced. Still a bit difficult tho :X
Altogether, I can't say I recommend this mod. It has a weak plot, and slightly unbalanced combat, and it tends to remind me of the originallly uploaded FRUA mods, created when we were all unfamiliar with the system.
However, Peral is a first-time designer. Perhaps his work will improve in the future. Don't give up hope!
Story Execution: C Encounters: B+ Bug Control: B+ Innovativity: C- Overall: B-
Art Review: Drow Pics Art Type: Pics Art Format: LBM Artist: Ermac RedThere are 17 pictures here, presumably edited from previous pictures or uploads, as I've seem many of them in non-drow form. The pictures are a variety of male and female drow, their skin recolored to be purple, if a bit lighter than the purple from the standard drow pics... but they're close enough.
The only problem I see with the pictures is that the hair is not recolored, with the possible exception of the first picture, (a drow warrior in full armor unsheathing his sword in front of a raging fire which, IMO, makes up the best of the pictures). The non-colored hair makes for some pretty odd drow, as they are supposed to be silver, copper or white haired. There are blond drow here, which makes for an odd contrast with the purple flesh color.
Other than that, the pictures are very good. I have my doubts as to how valid they are as drow, but the art in and of itself is generally impressive. Ermac has consistantly shown himself as one of the best artists working with UA, and this collection is no exception. However, I'm not sure what one would *do* with purple people if not use them as drow...
Pictures: B+ Distinctness: A Overall: A-*Nyx Nightshade*
Author: KnightHuma@aol.com Full Title: The Beginning of Huma Imported Graphics: No For: IBM/Mac Additional Documentation: no # Of Dungeons: 4This is a very satisfying, if short, module. KnightHuma has gone out of his way to create a playable and enjoyable romp through the war-torn lands of Kyrnn. The quest is simple and very shallow; but then again, there isn't really enough room to develop a 'meaty' quest.
The plot is as follows: with an ogre horde lurking on the borders of Taladas, the Solamnic Knights are forced to recruit troops from all walks of life. The high-level pc party enters the capital city in search of... nothing! They are fighting the war out of the goodness of their hearts' and quite frankly, a boredom with individual exploration. To them, the war is romantic and enticing. They are, of course, set for a let-down.
War is cruel. The overland map is littered with the dead and dying. Battle has become a way of life for many, and it spares none. However, if the pc is expecting a preachy anti-war message, they'd best look elsewhere. Beyond the graphic description of battle-carnage, this mod is hack-and-slash at its best.
The set encounters are well balanced and fun. Yes, that's right: fun. They are not monotonous or frustratingly difficult. The party does not have to worry about being poisoned or toasted by a high-level mage. They simply have to crush through huge hordes of ogres, minotaurs, and kobolds (who, BTW, seem to have taken a dose or two of steroids: their stats are a wee bit high ;) In fact, because I did not have to worry about death lurking around each corner, I could enjoy my hacking much better.
In recent times, I've grown extremely weary of unbalanced combats or too many encounters. Huma has reassured me that yes, there are some author's who are interested in the fun-factor of the game. I wasn't frustrated once in this mod: I always knew exactly where to go and the combats didn't thrash me. This does not mean that the pc is taken in hand and guided through the mod: there are many tough decisions to make (should I have killed the so-called spy? Should I help the shadowy warrior in the wilderness?).
Huma has taken an interesting approach to this mod: there is no imported art. As a result, the d/l time is very short - and I reccomend taking the few seconds to do it. The plot is bare-bones and the monsters are, for the most part, stock. It reminded me a bit of my old days with first-edition AD&D pen-and-paper rules, where the plot and gloss wasn't as important as the fun. IT is a nostalgic trip down memory-lane for many old-timers from Krynn.
This module was created in a short time and is the prequel to an upcoming series by UA Jedi and Huma. The series is promised to be an epic, full of art and plot. Let's just hope that they don't forget the fun.
However, "Huma" does have some problems. There are a few bugs that weren't worked out (Jedi admits that it was rushed out to drum up interest in the epic). There are some doors that will not open, much to the frustration of this designer (until I took a peek at the files and realized that they weren't SUPPOSED to open). Huma should have at least added a little text message saying 'this area is off-limits' to deter frustration at a forever-locked door.
The combats may be a bit TOO easy. Players looking for a challenge had best look elsewhere; I blew through this in less than an hour. It is a good mod for a rainy... hour. There is little to do beyond visiting the stores and leaders of the respective towns, and then going out to the final combat. Don't get me wrong: the quest is painless, but I would've liked something MORE. Had there been more side-quests or character development or areas to visit (as I said before, the towns were about as exciting as a trip to your basement), my score would've been higher.
In the one area with random combat, the thugs attack MUCH too frequently. While they're push-overs for such a powerful party, combat every 8 steps tends to get annoying.
All in all, I'd say that "The Beginning of Huma" is a fun, if flawed and over-simplistic, shortie. I'd recommend it for an enjoyable set of combats & an easy to follow plot for novices, mostly. There is a lot of promise here, though: the epic Huma story looks very interesting!
Story Execution: C Encounters: A Bug Control: A- Innovativity: C- Overall: BCoric-<C>
With the UA version 1.2 patch disk, many of the original bugs in FRUA were fixed, but it's evident from the discussion area in AOL that people are still having problems. Likewise, even in the newer uploaded games, the authors seem to be missing bugs as well. This is just to inform those of you who might be interested of some of the ones I've found. The list isn't all inclusive, but you're welcome to e-mail me (or send additional comments to the NL) regarding any others. Likewise, if anyone (esp. hackers) finds a way to fix them, please let me know:
The first type of scene I wish to talk about is the one person scene or portrait. This is the most common type of picture in UA, as it is the mainly used in NPC pics. A one person scene does not have to be a static picture, or a posed picture. In the pen & paper game, an NPC has character and feeling, and so should it be in a UA game. What I find in many UA modules as well as professional games is that the text gives the character life, while the NPC's portrait remains devoid of it, serving only to show what the character looks like. We've got to change this; by stimulating the user visually, the fantasy becomes that much more real. And total immersion, as we all know, is what every game designer strives for.
The picture should set the mood of the text, not the other way around. To give the picture life, the figure should be given emotions and be shown performing actions. It is a visual snapshot of the text, and should be dealt with in that matter. A 'static' pic devoid of life and energy grows tiring quickly. The fantasy is lost. This is bad, very bad.
Consider the following example: "Caravass hustles you quickly to his side, growing tense with each clink of your armor and every shuffle in your step. 'Guardians are approaching; be ready in case they heard your clamor," he snaps at you, as his dagger vibrates in sync with his quaking hands. 'Lead-footed fighters... who needs 'em? If ya ask me, they jes get in the way of a good job," he mumbles under his breath.
I imagine Caravass is a thief against a wall of a building in the city, as he becomes irritated by the party's lack of ability to move quietly, and his talk of guardians. So Figure.pcx is how I drew this picture.
figure.pcx
Note how he is in action; his movements can be imagined, taut and irrate. Had I not included the text, no doubt you would've gotten the basic idea of his mood. His pic shows the reader that yes, this is a foul-tempered thief with a chip on his shoulder. He is not willing to take crap from a party of wet-behind-the-ear first level warriors and mages. To him, the party is just another 'job'. And not a particularly interesting or fun job, either.
The character's state is key: should Caravass appear later in the game, another pic. might be necessary. Perhaps, after the party has proven themselves, he has a miraculous change of heart. He may smile. He may laugh. He may scowl and feign anger. All the while, he could be picking a lock or the purse of an unsuspecting noble.
Whatever his emotion and action-state, the visual representation only drives home the underlying message of the text. It helps the pc imagine, helps the pc immerse him/herself. Screen after screen of text is just as monotonous as a static pic. Always remember to keep the player involved and interested.
We all know how visual images form our own opinions and hold us rapt in interest. There are some people, I must admit, that I disliked on sight. But there were others that I felt enamoured by, that held my attention and would hold my attention in the middle of a blizzard or hurricane. And believe it or not, people will have the same reaction to characters in your game. But only if there's a pic. Text can only TELL what the author believes and knows is true. But with a well-drawn picture and only a bit of text, a pc is able to form his OWN opinions, seperate from those of the author.
Next time around I'll talk about two person scenes or conversations. Until then, this is....
-DIKA WOLF (with a bit of help from BRYAN SM <C>)
This article will attempt to explain those mysterious events called "quests." Later on, we'll briefly touch on the Utilities event as well.
There are (at least) two helpful references for using the various game events. First, if you've updated your game to version 1.2 (available in the updates, etc, section of UA@AOL), there's an extensive help file called UAHELP.TXT. Print this out. It's 61 pages long, but well worth having as a reference. There's also the UFAQ, created by fellow game designers as a guide to using the more difficult events and settings in the Unlimited Adventures game. The hints provided within are invaluable.
Quests can be very confusing at first -- not so much from what they're supposed to do, but from the difficulty of getting them to work in FRUA. Assuming that you're having the same problems I did, we'll go into the very basics of the quest event and work up from there.
A quest event consists of 3 pages. By default, when you first place it, you'll be on page 2. You can make several choices on this page, the most important being the quest number and quest stage (you should keep track of these two items on a separate sheet of paper for reference). The other choices determine in what ways the party gets the quest (if any) and whether the quest will be failed or completed through this stage. Some choices may seem redundant at first, but you'll find many uses for them later on.
For now, we'll do a walk-through, accepting all of the default choices -- Ie, this is quest one, stage one, and the party accepts on 'yes.' Later in the text, choices such as these will be surrounded by charets (< and >).
At the first stage, the party is simply being allowed the option of taking the quest. Thus, it's probably best to place the quest event in the town hall, the mayor's townhouse, or wherever else you've decided the characters should go to get their quest. We'll use the town hall as the starting point of the sample quest. Here, using a text event, you can have the councillors speak:
A group of men and women look up as the party enters the room, exhaustion and hopelessness briefly giving way to hope at your approach. After a moment, the eldest speaks.<<chained immediately after the text event, place the quest:>>"Greetings, brave warriors. You have come at a sad time in our town's history, but at an opportune time if, by offering your formidable skills, you would have the gratitude and respect of our people.
"For months, we have been plagued by horrid monsters and bands of evil thugs. We have done our best to find the source of this evil plague, but to no avail.
"Our people are a simple, peace-loving folk who would no more harm a stranger than their own children. But our gentle ways have left us easy prey to villainy. The evil must be stopped and, if you are truly the heroes I believe you to be, your strength and wisdom are the means of doing so."
<Quest 1, stage 1, accept on yes> "Will you aid us in our time of need?"This is one of the simplest ways to offer the quest. If the party says 'yes,' the quest stage will advance to one. This can be checked by simply testing the event, then doing an 'inventory' after saying yes to the question. Saying no will not advance the quest stage.
NOTE: You do not need to use a utilities event to advance the quest stage.
To improve this scenario, go to page 1 of the previous Text Event and set it to happen if "party doesn't have quest 1." By doing this, you allow the party a chance to refuse (for now) and come back later to hear the explanation again. Alternately, you could make the text 'do only once,' meaning that the only question they'll see when they come back will be "Will you aid us in our time of need?"
As mentioned earlier, when the party says 'yes' to this quest event, its quest advances to stage 1; since a quest must be one stage higher than what's currently stored in the party's quest number, the event will no longer happen. That's fine. Once they've accepted the quest, the characters shouldn't have to answer the question again.
On page 3 of the quest event are two chains -- one for accept, the other for reject. On the accept chain, place a text event, acknowledging the party's help and giving some idea of where the heroes should go next:
"Thank you, my friends. I only wish there were more people like you. As I've said, we've little idea of the cause of these evil attacks, or if there is a guiding force behind them. Perhaps your best course would be to investigate the taverns after dark -- the most recent attacks have come from that area."Characters (via the human at the computer console) like to be rewarded for doing things, but this needn't be through magic or treasure. Too much of either in the game can cheapen the whole. A simple thank you and the implication of an entire town's respect are valuable rewards in themselves. Of course, a variety of rewards, like quests and adventures, add spice to any game.
Having a clear course of action, on the other hand, is probably the most important aspect of a game. Even something vague, like "find the yellow-robed wizard in the town of Oz" is better than "search the entire kingdom until you find that dragon..." But even that is better than "find out what's causing all these problems -- your guess is as good as mine on where to begin."
Also, in the quest example, you're allowing a chance to refuse. Characters should feel as if they have free choice (sometimes, at least), even if they don't. So, on the 'reject' chain of the quest, put in another text statement:
The man sighs wearily. "We understand and respect your decision. But should you change your mind, we will be here."The next stages in the quest are the meat of the adventure -- what the party needs to do to reach the final stage of this particular quest. There can be up to 100 stages in any one quest, but many authors use relatively few of these, relying upon multiple quests instead, as one huge quest for an adventure is both difficult to plan and somewhat restricting for players.
In our example, the town is plagued by bands of evil thugs, operating from the basement of a deserted mansion. We've decided that the party should encounter a set of 5 combats with the thugs before it discovers their hideout. Assuming we want the combats done in order, we'll run through a brief scenario of the first encounter. Later, we'll try an alternate method, using the utilities event to "count" the number of encounters so the first five can be done in any order, but must be completed to encounter the last.
Assuming there's an alley beside our tavern, put a quest event <quest 1, stage 2> at its entrance. On page 2, change the art to 'no art' and set "accept on..." to "automatic, no question." On page one, select "event happens if...night time." Back on page 2, change the text to read:
Stealthy footsteps are heard in the darkened alley, followed quickly by muffled thumps and a man crying out in pain.The party's quest stage is now set to 2. One or two steps into the alley, place the following quest event:
<Quest 1, stage 3, accept on yes or no> "Near the back of the alley, you discover a group of darkly-clad thugs. An elderly man lies crumpled upon the ground before them, the victim of a recent attack, while a woman huddles defiantly beside him, trying to staunch the bloody wounds he's received. Will the party come to the couple's aid?"On the accept chain, we'd place a combat with the thieves, but use the following in the combat description: Before the party can react, a startled curse comes from the alley. You've been discovered!"
In this instance, you've created what seems like a choice, but really isn't. Even if the party decides not to help the couple, it ends up fighting. The remaining quest stages would continue in a similar manner, the guild seeking revenge and a way to stop the meddling heroes from interfering, progressing as stage 4, stage 5, stage 6, and stage 7. Chained after the latter, a text statement (from a cowering thug) can clue the party to where they'll find the hideout (and the final battle):
"Please don't hurt me. It weren't my fault...just following orders. Noramahs is the one you want. He's too busy hiding out in the haunted mansion to fight -- or so he says. But I knows the truth...he's afraid of you."This is one of the purest forms of a linear adventure. Ie., a series of events must be followed or completed in a specific order to complete the quest. To allow a little variation, you could use the utilities event instead of the quest stages. The scenario could be set up something like this:
At the beginning of the alley, use a text statement instead of a quest event. The actual wording would remain the same, but page one of the text event should be set to <do only once> and <event happens if...quest in progress (quest 1)>.
Likewise, instead of a quest event in the alley, use a "yes or no question." If you don't put anything on the yes chain or no chain, choosing either will default to the normal chain (thus duplicating the lack of choice given above). On page 1, set the event to <do only once, event happens if...quest in progress (quest 1), and chain...if event happens>. In the question, use the same text as given for the alley above, and on the normal chain, use the same combat sequence. On the chain following the combat, place a utilities event. Within it, select <add one> to <quest 1>.
In this case, the utilities event acts as a simple counter. It will add one each time a major combat takes place (assuming you use one after each combat). By chaining "only if an event happens," and setting that event to happen only once, you make the entire chain happen only once. To be safe, though, it might be best to set each utilities event to 'do only once' as well. Otherwise, if you forget to set the other events correctly, 1 will be added to the quest each time the party walks across that area.
Since 5 quest stages are used for the lesser combats, the final combat's quest stage should be set to 8 (using the utilities as shown above, it would be stage 7). Stage 1 was given in the council chamber, stage 2 was used to alert the party of something in the alley, and stages 3 thru 7 will be the five lesser combats (stage 2 wasn't used with the utilities example). We'll use one more variation for the sixth battle:
<Quest 1, stage 8, accept...automatic, no question, quest completed upon acceptance>On the 'accept chain,' page 3, place the combat: The thieves look up, surprise and shock evident upon their faces. "It's them!" shouts the guildmaster. "Kill them all or face my wrath!"The party bursts through the door into the thieves' hideout. A wall quickly slides shut behind you.
After the combat, put in a text statement: With the bulk of the guild wiped out and its leader, Noramahs, destroyed, the town is free of its evil grip at last.
This is the basic quest setup, from start to finish. Now let's add the other details. Near the town entrance, where the party is sure to run into it, place a text statement: "Wanted...Noble Heroes to protect the citizens of <<our town>>. Please enquire at the Town Hall."
Alternately, use this as a step event and place it at several locations. On page 1 of the event, set it to <happen if...party doesn't have Quest 1>. Create a zone block labeled 'signs' and then put down these blocks on the grid. Whenever the party enters these areas (without quest 1) the text will be called up.
Back at the town hall, put a "Gain Experience" event (or any other event you wish) on top of the original quest and text chain. On page 1, set the event to happen if...quest completed (quest one):
After hearing of the party's victory, the councillor smiles warmly. "We are all in your debt. If you ever need employment, or are looking for noble deeds to be done, come back here. You are the first we shall trust in such matters."The text acknowledges the party's victory, rewards them, and gives the party a place to look if searching for adventure in the future. The next quest could even be given right away, simply by doing something similar to the events in quest 1. The only difference would be that, on page 1, you'd need to set the <event happens if...quest complete (quest 1)>, so the following quest wouldn't begin until the former was complete. Further quests could be offered after a totally different quest is completed, after the party receives a certain item, and so on.
The random combats are fairly simple for this particular quest. We want a chance for the party to encounter up to four groups of thugs while wandering through the city. This acts as an incentive (so the party knows it's not forgotten), but has the added element of realism (the villains aren't unlimited).
We'll start by setting up a step event that includes all areas where the encounters might be had. On step 10 (or whatever number you choose) have the event checked. Within the step event, put a Chain Event <event happens if...random percent chance...16%> On the chain itself, put your four combats. Assuming we want each to happen in order and that they're all different (say, from easy to difficult), on page 1 of each Combat, set the following <do only once, event happens if...quest 1 in progress, chain...if event doesn't happen>.
Depending on how long the party takes to complete the quest, the percentages and/or number of steps you use for the step event, and the luck of the dice, the party can run into some, all, or none of the groups. If, instead, you require the party to fight all four battles to continue the quest, things get much more complicated. You could do the step event this way, however:
<Quest 1, stage 2, impossible, no question> Erase the text and select 'no art.' On page one, choose whatever random chance you desire for the event to happen (or select happens if...night time, etc) On the reject chain, put in the four combats exactly as described above, followed by a utilities event that adds one to Quest 1.
Explanation: Since the quest is automatically rejected, the quest stage doesn't advance. After a predetermined number of steps, provided the party has accepted the quest, this event will be triggered. If the percentage is met, the first event in the chain will occur and the chain will stop there (since the other items in the chain will only activate if this event "doesn't happen"). This will continue until the 5th time the quest chain is activated, which triggers the Utilities event. This, in turn, moves the party's quest stage to 2, prevents this step event from happening again, and allows the fixed quest events to continue.
Note that this replaces one of the earlier quest stages, requiring the numbers of the other quest events (2 and up) to be incremented by one.
As can be seen, there are many alternatives to using a quest event. Unfortunately, a written description can only take a person so far; the best way to learn is in doing, testing, correcting mistakes, and experimentation. Eventually, Grasshopper, you will be the master, and I the student.
Good luck in your modules :)
Autery
Thanks to JGB4907 for his helpful leads.
Code Effect 0 No Effect 1 Blessed 2 Cursed 3 (Harrassed by Snakes) 4 Dispelling Evil 5 Detecting Magic 6 Immune to Electricity 7 Gnome THAC0 8 Protection from Evil 9 Protection from Good 10 Resistant to Cold 11 (Charmed) 12 Enlarged 13 Barkskin 14 Friendly 15 Slowed Poison 16 Reading Magic 17 Shielded 18 Half-Elf MR 19 Finding Traps 20 Resistant to Fire 21 Silenced 22 ??? 23 Has Spiritual Hammer 24 See Invisible 25 Invisible 26 Dwarf THAC0 27 (Befuddled) 28 Duplicated 29 Weakened 30 (Nauseated) 31 (Helpless) 32 ??? 33 Blind 34 Diseased 35 Confused 36 Accursed 37 Blinking 38 Strengthened 39 Hasted 40 Rakshasa MR 41 Protected from Normal Missiles 42 Slowed 43-44 ??? 45 Protection vs. Evil 10' 46 Protection vs. Good 10' 47 Dwarf AC Bonus 48 Gnome AC Bonus 49 Affected by Prayer 50 Fire Shield, Hot Flames 51 (Held) 52 (Asleep) 53 ??? 54 Fire Shield, Cold Flames 55 Poisoned 56 Invisible (Ring) 57 Globe of Invulnerability 58 Petrifying Gaze 59 Reflectable Gaze 60 +3 or better weapon to hit 61 Resistant to Fire (Ring) 62 Regenerates 1 hp per hour 63 Minor Globe of Invulnerability 64 Lethal Poison 65 Petrify Attack 66 Half Damage from Cutting Weapons 67 Half Damage from Blunt Weapons 68 Mentally Enfeebled 69 Invisible to Animals 70 Umber Hulk Gaze 71 Magically Highlighted 72 Mirror Readied 73 Immune to Dragon Breath 74 Wearing Boots of Speed 75 Giant Slaying Sword 76 Immune to Disease 77 ??? 78 Wearing Stone of Good Luck 79 Iron Golem MR 80 Half Damage from Weapon of +2 or less 81 Half Damage from Weapon of +3 or less 82 Slain by Blessed Bolts 83 ??? 84 Dragon Fire Breath 85 Dragon Cold Breath 86 Phase Spider Poison 87 ??? 88 Paralyzing Attack 89 Wearing Cloak of Displacement 90 Dragon Poison Breath 91 Dragon Lightning Breath 92 Immune to Fear 93 Immune to Fire 94 ??? 95 Elf MR 96 Dragon Acid Breath 97 Short Guy MR 98 Immune to Cold 99 Random Bonus Attacks 100 Dragon Fear Attack 101 Drain 1 Level 102 Drain 2 Level2 103 +1 or better weapon to hit 104 +4d6 fire damage 105 Ranger Damage Bonus 106-107 ??? 108 +2d6 fire damage 109 ??? 110 (Paladin Cure Disease ability used up) 111-112 ??? 113 (Strengthened by Potion of Giant Strength) 114 Paralyzing Gaze 115 Vorpal Weapon 116 Marilith Attack 117 Beholder Attack 118 ??? 119 Resist Fire (Druid) 120 ??? 121 Fire Touch 122 Iron Skin 123 Shielded by Mind Blank 124 Charm Gaze 125 +2 or better weapon to hit 126 Protected vs. Gaze Attack 127-131 ??? 132 Paralyze on Hit 133-136 ??? 137 Carrion Stench 138-139 ??? 140 (Paladin Lay Hands ability used up) 141 Immune to Sleep/Charm 142 ??? 143 Immune to Poison/Paralysis 144-157 ??? 158 Immune to Paralysis 159-167 ??? 168 Vulnerable to Fire 169 Half Damage from Magic Weapons 170 Inflicts Mummy Disease 171 Mummy Fear Aura 172 ??? 173 Grows from Electricity 174 Resistant to Fire/Cold 175 Half Damage from All Weapons 176 Shambling Mound Engulf 177-185 ??? 186 Black Pudding Attack 187-192 ??? 193 Immune to All Weapons 194 ??? 195 Gorgon Attack 196-215 ??? 216 Troll Get Up 217 Troll Regeneration 218 ??? 219 Efreet Fire Resistance 220 Owl Bear Hug 221-222 ??? 223 Hell Hound Breath 224 Ghoul Paralysis Attack 225-255 ???-Compiled by Kaviyd
by David Knott (Kaviyd)
I am listing the features of the Unlimited Adventures game files that I currently believe for two reasons:
The following abilities require the character to have levels in the class in question:
THAC0: Level 21 Saving Throws: Level 21 Thieving Skills: Level 18 Spells: Level 29Given these limitations, you can see that levels 31-40 are virtually meaningless; I would limit characters to level 30 if I had my druthers.
This is a chart to show what monsters have been modified in a MOD. It also shows what Custom Art is being replaced, if any.
Monster ID# = XXX in the following files:
MONSTXXX.DAT CPIC1XXX.TLB SPRI0XXX.TLBThe Monster ID# is the number you find in the Custom Monster files. Example MONST062.dat is a Modification to a Bugbear. It may be a whole new monster or just a simple Hit Point or Name change. CPIC1062.TLB is new combat art for the Bugbear. If there is no associated MONST062.DAT then it is probally just a new picture of a Bugbear. If there is, then it is probally a new monster or a New Type of Bugbear.
This is the same chart sorted 2 ways. By the # the name appears in the list in UA(Name Slot #), and by the # that appears on the file if you edit it. (Monster ID #)
Name Monster Monster Name Slot # Name ID # ID # Name Slot # 1 Baskilisk 42 1 Kobold 46 2 Boring Beetle 32 2 Goblin 38 3 Beholder 45 3 Orc 58 4 Black Pudding 52 4 Hobgoblin 42 5 Bugbear 62 5 *Orc Chieftain 59 6 Bulette 47 6 *Hobgoblin Chief 43 7 Carrian Crawler 16 7 Gnoll 37 8 Cockatrice 44 8 Ogre 55 9 Displacer Beast 31 9 Troll 74 10 *Dracolich 41 10 Hill Giant 32 11 Dracilisk 50 11 Fire Giant 30 12 Black Dragon 36 12 Frost Giant 31 13 Blue Dragon 37 13 Cloud Giant 29 14 Green Dragon 38 14 Storm Giant 34 15 Red Dragon 39 15 Giant Rat 36 16 White Dragon 40 16 Carrian Crawler 7 17 Drider 69 17 Enormous Spider 71 18 Drow Amaxon 109 18 Skeleton 69 19 Drow Champion 73 19 Zombie 84 20 Drow Priest 74 20 Ghoul 28 21 Drow Priestess 76 21 Ghast 27 22 *Drow Sorceress 75 22 Wight 81 23 Efreeti 56 23 Wraith 82 24 Earth Elemental 57 24 *Mummy 54 25 Fire Elemental 58 25 Spectre 70 26 Ettin 60 26 *Vampire 76 27 Ghast 21 27 Lich 47 28 Ghoul 20 28 Lizard Man 48 29 Cloud Giant 13 29 Lizard Man King 49 30 Fire Giant 11 30 Minotaur 52 31 Frost Giant 12 31 Displacer Beast 9 32 Hill Giant 10 32 Boring Beetle 2 33 Hill Gt Shaman 107 33 Griffon 40 34 Storm Giant 14 34 Hydra 44 35 Giant Crocodile 68 35 Wyvern 83 36 Giant Rat 15 36 Black Dragon 12 37 Gnoll 7 37 Blue Dragon 13 38 Goblin 2 38 Green Dragon 14 39 Gorgon 43 39 Red Dragon 15 40 Griffon 33 40 White Dragon 16 41 Hell Hound 67 41 *Dracolich 10 42 Hobgoblin 4 42 Baskilisk 1 43 *Hobgoblin Chief 6 43 Gorgon 39 44 Hydra 34 44 Cockatrice 8 45 Iron Golem 70 45 Beholder 3 46 Kobold 1 46 Ogre Mage 56 47 Lich 27 47 Bulette 6 48 Lizard Man 28 48 Shambling Mound 68 49 Lizard Man King 29 49 Margoyle 50 50 Margoyle 49 50 Dracilisk 11 51 Medusa 63 51 Mobat 53 52 Minotaur 30 52 Black Pudding 4 53 Mobat 51 53 Otyugh 60 54 *Mummy 24 54 Neo-Otyugh 61 55 Ogre 8 55 Salamander 67 56 Ogre Mage 46 56 Efreeti 23 57 Ogre Shaman 104 57 Earth Elemental 24 58 Orc 3 58 Fire Elemental 25 59 *Orc Chieftain 5 59 Umber Hulk 75 60 Otyugh 53 60 Ettin 26 61 Neo-Otyugh 54 61 Owl Bear 62 62 Owl Bear 61 62 Bugbear 5 63 Poisonous Snake 66 63 Medusa 51 64 Purple Worm 72 64 Giant Spider 72 65 Rakshasa 71 65 Phaze Spider 73 66 *Rakahasa Rukh 110 66 Poisonous Snake 63 67 Salamander 55 67 Hell Hound 41 68 Shambling Mound 48 68 Giant Crocodile 35 69 Skeleton 18 69 Drider 17 70 Spectre 25 70 Iron Golem 45 71 Enormous Spider 17 71 Rakshasa 65 72 Giant Spider 64 72 Purple Worm 64 73 Phaze Spider 65 73 Drow Champion 19 74 Troll 9 74 Drow Priest 20 75 Umber Hulk 59 75 *Drow Sorceress 22 76 *Vampire 26 76 Drow Priestess 21 77 *Vampire Lord 101 77 Warrior 111 78 *Vampire Priest102 78 Conjurer 112 79 *Vampiress 108 79 #Kallithrea 85 80 *Vidruand 106 80 Goon 122 81 Wight 22 81 *Archer 98 82 Wraith 23 82 Theurgist 116 83 Wyvern 35 83 *High Priest 90 84 Zombie 19 84 Thug 127 85 #Kallithrea 79 85 *Evil Champion 105 86 Acolyte 112 86 Magician 113 87 *Arch Priest 95 87 Dark Cleric 88 88 Dark Cleric 87 88 *Master Thief 124 89 *Dark Deciple 99 89 *Dark Knight 101 90 *High Priest 83 90 *Necromancer 115 91 *Priest 91 91 *Priest 91 92 #Alias 117 92 *Rogue 125 93 #Grunschka 124 93 *Dark Warlord 103 94 #Shal 126 94 *Wizard 117 95 #Tornilee 116 95 *Arch Priest 87 96 #Vala 113 96 Thief 126 97 #Yemandra 121 97 *Dark Overlord 102 98 *Archer 81 98 *Master Wizard 114 99 #Arderiel 115 99 *Dark Deciple 89 100 #Captain Daenor123 100 *High Thief 123 101 *Dark Knight 89 101 *Vampire Lord 77 102 *Dark Overlord 97 102 *Vampire Priest 78 103 *Dark Warlord 93 103 *Dazmilar 121 104 #Dragonbait 118 104 Ogre Shaman 57 105 *Evil Champion 85 105 *Sir Dutiocs 109 106 #Krondazz 114 106 *Vidruand 80 107 #Priam 111 107 Hill Gt. Shaman 33 108 Road Guard 120 108 *Vampiress 79 109 *Sir Dutiocs 105 109 Drow Amaxon 18 110 #Storm 125 110 *Rakahasa Rukh 66 111 Warrior 77 111 #Priam 107 112 Conjurer 78 112 Acolyte 86 113 Magician 86 113 #Vala 96 114 *Master Wizard 98 114 #Krondazz 106 115 *Necromancer 90 115 #Arderiel 99 116 Theurgist 82 116 #Tornilee 95 117 *Wizard 94 117 #Alias 92 118 #Nacacia 119 118 #Dragonbait 104 119 #Raizel 127 119 #Nacacia 118 120 #Silk 122 120 Road Guard 108 121 *Dazmilar 103 121 #Yemandra 97 122 Goon 80 122 #Silk 120 123 *High Thief 100 123 #Captain Daenor100 124 *Master Thief 88 124 #Grunschka 93 125 *Rogue 92 125 #Storm 110 126 Thief 96 126 #Shal 94 127 Thug 84 127 #Raizel 119
by Aneroch (aka Louminator)
If you read the last issue, you may have been expecting to read up on the do-s and don't-s of Underwater design. Well, as you can see there has been a change a plan. But don't worry because the article will be here in the NEXT issue. In fact, it's already written and awaiting my command to upload it from my hard drive. Trust me, you'll know why in the next issue.
In the meantime, I'll be talking to you about designing modules for a beginner. No, not a beginning designer, but a beginning character. Or more likely, a party of beginning characters.
As players, we know how rough it is to survive those first encounters with kobolds (or ogres if you're playing one of those meaner modules) when you have only one or two sleep spells at best. With survival our number one goal (next to gaining levels quickly), plots and storyline don't seem to have the same importance as they would if we weren't so worried about the next random combat. So how can we make an adventure easy, interesting, and challenging at the same time?
Well let's remember some of the basic game mechanics of UA (which are taken from the AD&D game). What is it that makes novice characters so hard to keep alive? First of all, their combat skills are the worst they will ever be. Their THAC0s are high and their armor classes are high. This makes them easy to hit, and they cannot hit so easily in return. And their limited spell selection...well, need I say more?
So what kind of combat can we expect them to have a reasonable chance of surviving in? Well the easiest answer is to let them fight against monsters of equal or lesser strength, of course. In game terms, these creatures would have a fairly high armor class (5 or more) and THAC0s in the high teens (17 or greater). This makes them easier targets and the characters won't be as easy to hit. The monsters should also have only a few hit points, just enough for the characters to kill them in one or two successful hits. This may seem unfair, but it's the player who needs to survive. And if you look at the odds, the monsters would outnumber the player's characters greatly.
When making those tougher encounters, you can easily get carried away and make it too hard for the novice characters. Remember: to make the opponents harder, just increase their armor class to make them almost impossible to hit. Even if they have only a few hit points, what does it matter if the party can't knock them down to zero.
For example: a 1st level fighter has a THAC0 of 20 (no strength bonus for him). If he encounters a goblin (AC 6), he must score at least 14 on d20 (35% chance). Now if he encounters a fighter in plate mail and a shield (AC 2), then he must now score at least 18 on d20 (only 15% chance to hit!). You see the difference?
Now here's the next part of the problem: How can they earn the needed experience for gaining levels to fight those bigger monsters when all they can fight are those little ones which give such meager points at best? Do we just give them massive amounts of money and treasure with enough experience points to give them levels? I think not.
The lowest levels are the BEST times to make adventures which rely on mostly stroyline, plots, and player interaction without heavy combat. This will allow the player to earn rewards for his characters by well played actions instead of combat. Make traps to disarm, characters to talk to and find information, or dungeons with large puzzles that the party must solve to get to the hidden treasure. These are all ways of giving experience without incurring combat.
Along the same lines, monitor the amount of treasure given to novices and even medium level characters. More often than not, characters can gain more experience from the treasure they find than the fights they are involved in. No one should be able to gain levels just by finding a large amount of magic and money, unless it is won after a VERY hard battle (e.g. several dragons, especially 2nd Ed. dragons).
Now you're ready to make that module for first level characters. Take a look at this issue's dungeon, which is the first installment in the 'Beneath the Mines of Tsorjal' series. Characters begin with 0 xp and must search through the 'abandoned' mines. During my playtesting, the characters were only defeated three times. And often, at least one of the characters were unconcious by the end of an encounter. After each possible encounter on the first level (not including random ones), at least three were already second level, but none of them were close to achieving third. I won't spoil the next levels...
Next issue, the long awaited Secrets of the Underwater Realm! (This time, I promise...)
Aneroch (aka Louminator)
BTW - Does anybody know where the level limits in the UA game are stored? If you have located this information, please post that info on the UA message boards. If you are not a subscriber to America On-Line, send e-mail to kaviyd@aol.com.
-KH
As LucasArts has forbade me to upload the mod., I will be distributing it through private mail. E-mail me ASAP if you are interested.
With 36 full modules, it'll take me some time to complete this one. Anybody out there interested in helping?
+++ Tall Cool One
Character Type: Villain
World:Forgotten Realms
F/MU Vampire
Special Abilities: Standard Vampire, Spell Casting, also, immune to fire,
regeneration
History sypnosis: Mordere was once a normal man. he was once an aristocrat. He had a beautiful wife and a successful life. But once, while he was touring a new city with his wife, Talya, their carriage was overturned by a group of outlaws and robbed. They ran into the forest. When they returned to the land of the living 2 years later, they had become the living dead. Vampyre. They never accounted for how, exactly, they became undead, but have stated that it was not in the standard fashion. Since then, they have existed in the shadows, manipulating and destroying to accomplish their goals.
Motivations: Power. Mordere has been seduced by power and now seeks more, forever. He also revels in the fear his power creates. He nearly feeds on fear - he thrives on it. His other motive, therefore, is to generate fear. He also seeks to please his beloved Talya as a lesser goal.
Possible Encounters: Perhaps Mordere's search for power takes him into contact with the party, or perhaps the party was involved in the 'creation' of Malaki and Talya in some way, and now they seek vengeance. Mordere could be in pursuit of something to please his Talya, and this would negatively affect the party.
World: Forgotten Realms
Class: Cl/Mu
Special Abilities: Vampire standard and spellcasting, also, immune to
fire.
History sypnosis: Talya was an aristocrat, born to a life of luxary. She never knew work. Eventually, she wed her most socially important suitor - a man known as Mordere. One night, however, as they were riding home on horseback, their carriage was attacked by robbers. They barely escaped with their lives, money stolen, bruised and battered, into the forest. When they reappered, they had become undead. They do not speak of what exactly happened, but they have said that their transformance was not the standard.
Motivations: Talya primarily wants to regain her wealth and luxury. Her current existance, one of death, coffins, and dead bodies, is not for her. She wants mansions, carriages, and silk gowns. And she knows how to play Mordere just right so that she can get these things. Her secondary goal involves her desire to gain power. She, like Mordere, desires the collection of power and fear.
Possible Encounters: Perhaps the party comes into conflict with one of Talya's schemes to regain her luxurious lifestyle. Talya and Mordere's origins are unknown.. perhaps the party was involved in this in some way and now, they seek vengeance?
Submissions for the Gallery are welcome and encouraged (the more fiends, friends, and creatures, the better). Send them to UANL@aol.com
The Big Picture: Part I - Setting
[Excerpt from The Third Dream of Primion]I decided to discuss setting first for a few reasons. The plot I have in mind for our ongoing "project" is very dependant upon setting (mainly because it is not set in the Forgotten Realms(tm)). Therefore, the setting must be developed beyond what we would normally create for the comfortably familiar world of TSR's design. Further, scope will be heavily dependant upon the size and capacity of our setting. Finally, our plot is intimately tied to the setting. A similar story would not be possible in the Forgotten Realms, Krynn(tm), or Ravenloft(tm). Too many differences exist in the worlds' basic philosophies. We are exploring a new relationship between man and monster, and their gods.First there was only Primion. Within him was everything, and without him there was nothing. In the darkness of boundless time Primion slept, and time passed. In time Primion dreamed and his dream was of water and air, of earth and of fire. His dream was of Rothon.
While Primion slept a curious thing occurred. A growth appeared upon his head and another in his gut. As Rothon grew and took form, so too did the growths upon the body of Primion grow and take form. Eventually, the growths were nearly the size of Primion himself. Then the growths split open and from each sprang Primion's children, Solestra from his head, and Malbech from his gut.
Solestra, delighted with her creation, immediately went off to explore existence and the dream Rothon, while Malbech brooded over the cruelty of his birth. Thus it was that Malbech was sole witness to a third birth, one unknown to Solestra to this very day, the birth of Primion's third child Triamon, who sprang from the mouth of the sleeping, dreaming god.
Perhaps the first thing you should decide about your setting is how the laws of physics work. Does water always flow downwards? If not, why? Are the stars far away balls of burning gases, or are they creatures swimming in the upper atmosphere? Do certain combinations of chemicals have the same properties as in our world? Does gunpowder explode? Is gravity a constant force, or does it fluctuate? How long are the days and nights?
In our game world, called Rothon by its inhabitants, physics work much the same as in our own world. Objects fall when dropped. Gunpowder would work if anyone had invented it. The differences, while few, have a major impact upon our world. Magic is real. Clerical magic is granted directly by the gods. Wizard magic is drawn from the very fabric of the world. The sky is a great magic worked by the two major Gods worshipped on Rothon: Solestra Lady of Light, and Malbech Creator of Darkness, Lord of the Abyss. The reason for this is that Rothon is a pocket dimension, much like the dark domains of Ravenloft. It has finite boundaries, and is not a "globe" floating in space. In fact, Rothon is nothing more than the dream of an even greater god - Primion.
Now we get to the "excerpt" that I'm sure you are all wondering about. The Third Dream of Primion is my "creation myth" for the world of Rothon. This tale describes the creation of Rothon and all of its creatures. It also describes many of the basic "heroic" struggles up until the present "age". It is to be used as a reference for the PC's; with it, they will be able to understand the inner-workings of the world and its mythos.
The 'Third Dream of Primion' does not actually exist. I'll be adding to it monthly to illustrate my subject matter. Such a text would be useful to supply hints and information to the player of our adventure, fed to them over a period of time. This month's installment illustrates the very framework of our setting: a pocket dimension ruled by two warring gods (namely Solestra and Malbech). What about Triamon? Well, he is more intimately tied to our plot, and he will be discussed later.
Now that we know the physics of the world and its basic theology, we can begin to worry about the actual physical aspects. Where will our adventure take place on this world called Rothon? Will we need a detailed wilderness? How many cities will we need to map out? Are there going to be any dungeon-crawling segments?
Keeping in mind that we already have a basic idea of the plot, and with the development we have already gone through, these questions should be easily answered.
Our adventure will take place all over the only continent on Rothon, and some of the surrounding islands. So, we will need at least one detailed wilderness map. We will need to map out at least the capital cities of each nation on the map. Smaller towns can be done without maps. And yes, there will be at least one dungeon-crawl. The only specific one I have in mind at this point is the climax to the adventure.
There are two final aspects to our setting. These will be our "twists", or those unusual aspects to make our setting unique. Because Rothon is the dream of Primion, it is rumored in myth that if Primion can be awakened, the world will be destroyed (thus we see one of the aspects of my intended title). Also, Dark Elves exist on this world, but not as they do in many others. They are 'normal' elves who have made a conscious decision to be evil. By bathing in a unicorn's blood, they renounce their immortality, but gain infernal powers in the process. This ritual dedicates them to Malbech. He shows his favor upon them by turning their skin pitch black.
Our setting is now at a point where we can begin to address other concerns. However, it is far from complete. We will continue to return to setting as new or modified ideas come to us. The setting, like the title, will change as we work on other parts of the design.
Next month we will discuss "THE BIG PICTURE: PART II - SCOPE",
Until swords part,
Alex D. Karaczun
-The UANL staff:-) *Editorial staff: Editor-in-chief: Coric <Bryan SM@Aol.Com> Editor (MAC platform): WiredChild <WiredChild@Aol.com> Assistant Editor: Kaviyd <Kaviyd@aol.com> Assistant Editor: Shdwmstr03 <Shdwmstr03@aol.com> *Columnists: Reviews & Previews: Nyx Night, Nyx N1ghts <same :> Art: Dika Wolf <Dika Wolf@aol.com> Beginner's Corner: Autery <Autery@aol.com> 'The Dungeon': Kent Conrad <KentConrad@aol.com> The Writing Workshop: AlexDK The UANL address: <UANL@aol.com>There has been a minor staff change for this issue of the UANL. Ellistar is gone, and Autery has taken his place as the editor of the Beginner's Corner. 'The Dungeon' has also out-grown the original concept designed by myself and Aneroch; under Kent Conrad, it will become a 'seperate' entity (ie - uploaded seperately under the title 'the UANL presents: KentConrad's Dungeon!'). Expect it to be bigger, better, and meaner than anything we could've fit in the UANL zip file.
That's it. Nothing more.
Maybe one thing: *we need more submissions from freelancers! #6 had an incredible number of previews and outside submissions; this issue does not. I LOVE previews. Everyone loves previews - gamers get to salivate over up-coming mods. they might not have know about, and designers get some well-deserved exposure.
More than previews are encouraged, though. If you have a hankering to see your name in print & a relevant article in mind, submit it to 'UANL@aol.com' and I'll see that it gets into the next iss. Thanks for hearing me out...
::chanting - more submissions, more submissions::
Coric-<C> (or Bryan SM; whichever you prefer :)
Submissions are a key part of any hobbyist newsletter; ours is no exception. As I've said time and time again, this is YOUR NL! If you want it to be the best that it possibly can, you need to submit. We, the editors, cannot do it all by ourselves; we need your help (esp. you Internet users!)
(NOTE: all submitted material is subject to editing for clarity, brevity, and/or vulgarity. The UANL staff accepts no responsibility for anything said or implied in the free-lance articles; if you have a gripe, see its author. ;)
Developments in the world of UA have slowed down a bit since last month, but we've seen a gaggle (yes, a gaggle :) of new mods as of late. Moreover, our numbers are increasing, as increadible as it may sound: Just ask any one of the harassed and slightly irate AOL forum-goers who have been gracious enough to field the numerous requests for more information. Because of this new interest, and for our own sanity, I've included some ordering information elsewhere in this issue.
September was a month with an incredible number of uploads; hopefully, they won't slow down again. Many products were very well done, while others introduced us to some novice designers who will, no doubt, get better as time goes on. Our Mac-using friends have even managed to get some more support: an epic mod. or two has been u/l, and the MacUANL is coming very shortly (we hope). Expect to see some of their work in future issues of this NL.
I have only two regrets about this issue: the submissions to the NL kinda died off, and I wasn't able to write as much as I would've liked. You see, I'm doing my best to get MOT out as promised and have spent long hours working on it. So, I couldn't concentate on the NL (though that will change once MOT is released :). By the gods, I'll get it out by the end of October... remember when I promised to have it out last February? :>
Until next month, when the days will be shorter and MOT will be out and I won't have to do so much work in the real world ::hoping::
Coric-<C>
UA was used to create the commercial 'Gold Box' games by SSI. These include such classics like: 'Dark Queen of Krynn' and 'Pools of Darkness'. However, this version of the gold box engine requires no programming skill or technical ability. With it, many would-be game designers, artists, and budding writers have been able to produce the game of their dreams that would not have been possible otherwise. I owe a lot to UA; its given me many hours of design - and playing - enjoyment.
Even if you are not a designer, I would reccomend getting UA. It is one of the most versitile RPG systems on the market: there are hundreds of games to play, games that cost nothing! If you tire of one module or finish it, just download one of the many others available. There are games of all sorts on AOL, Compuserve, and the Internet: traditional dungeon-crawls, epics, hack-and-slashes, and interactive novels. Like the pen and paper AD&D, this system can be enjoyed over and over. There is never an end to the fun; the options truly are Unlimited.
TO ORDER:
Call SSI direct at 1-800-245-4525 or visit your local software retailer. The number of copies of UA are limited; you may have to hunt to find one. You may also check with the mail-order software companies (who usually have a large number of any title and can get you the most obscure of disks with relative ease). The SSI mailing address is as follows:
Electronic Arts/CODE SSI 53 P.O. Box 7530 San Mateo, CA 94403or:
SSI Direct Sales 675 Almanor Ave., Suite 201 Sunnyvale, CA 94086-2901
The actual NL is self-executing; simply type 'UANL7' at the dos prompt. The menus can be navigated with a mouse, the arrow keys, or the mumeric keypad. You may also print out the articles.
Several pics. have been included, too. Autery submitted a whole slew of art pieces; I included some of the smaller ones as a 'sampler'. The complete version is included in the AOL-uploaded 'Newart.Zip' file.
chstspr.pcx
dragonpi.pcx
magipic.pcx
ratcpic.pcx
The icon of the month is called 'c_who.pcx', done by EthanGL. SF fans may recognize the black cloaked warrior with a glowing sword; but due to a copyright and trademark restriction, we cannot print his name and had to alter his likeness a bit. Here's a clue to his identity: 'Dorthe Nailder' - or something close to it :>
c_who.pcx