TABLE OF CONTENTS THE GENIE’S BLESSING ........................ ...................................... ..................1 ....1 INTRODUCTION ....................................................13 The AL-QADIM � Game World ...............................13 e e ................................15 What Comes Wit h Thi s Gam Gam Copy Protecti on ...................................................15 . ..................................................15 How t o Start Start Playing Now ....................................16 . ...................................16 The Init ial Menu .................................................17 Usin g a Joysti Joysti ck ..................................................17 Using th e Keyboard .............................................17 Using a Mouse ....................................................18 . ...................................................18 The Opti Opti ons Menu ...............................................19 . ..............................................20 YOUR CHARACTER ...............................................20 . ................................................20 Chara cter Basics .................................................20 . ...........................................21 ............................................21 Character Att ribut es Movi ng Your Char Char acter ........................................23 . ............................................................23 .............................................................23 Walking . .............................................................24 ..............................................................24 Talking Pushing Pushing and Pulli ng ............................................25 Breakin Breakin g and Smashing .......................................25 . ...........................................26 ............................................26 Openi Openi ng an d Closing Closing . ..........................................26 Hidi ng and Sneaking Sneaking ...........................................26 . ...............................................................27 COMBAT ................................................................27 . ...............................................27 ................................................27 Using Your Sword Using Your Slin Slin g .................................................29 Dodging . ............................................................29 .............................................................29 Getting Hi t .........................................................29 . ........................................................29 USING ITEMS ........................................................30 Gold and Gems ...................................................31 Potions . .............................................................31 ..............................................................31 Rings ................................................................32 Magi c Shard s ......................................................32 SPELLS CONTAINED IN THE MAGIC SHARDS ....34 BESTIARY ..............................................................37 . .............................................................37 Dangerous Dangerous Inhabitan ts of G ’ ’ S C ENIE URSE ..................38 New Monster Desc Descrip rip ti ons ....................................46 MONSTER AND MAGIC INDEX ............................57
1
2
The Genie’s Blessing
T
he dao burst burst into i nto the th e fiery chambers wi thout being bein g announ ced. T he efree efreeti ti’s ’s servant servant quick ly fl oated to her her on a cushi on of flam e, block block in g the dao’s dao’s path. path.
“ Why, i f it isn’t the magnifi cent Beya Hrampulpishk Hrampulpishk in! She of the D iv ine Countenance Countenance and M ighty M usc uscles! R iv ener ener of Skulls Skull s and Suzerain Suzerain of the Subterrane Subterranean! an! What Wh at a wonderful wonderful pleasure. U nfortunately . . . his h is eminence, eminence, the great great efree efreeti ti M irza G ubishbusk in is, once again, enthralled i n a parti cularly ularl y chall challengin enging g ches chess s matc mat ch and i s not accepting accepting v isitors. isit ors. T hank you for gracin gracing g us wi th your pres presence ence and . . . ” “ Enough of your prattle! prattle! ” T he dao crunched runched her her huge fist into the serv serv ant’ ant ’ s face, sendi sendi ng her spi spinn nnii ng across across the giant gia nt chess chess board. T he geni geni e looked at her fi st: th e hair was w as sin ged by the contact contact with wit h the les lesser genie. genie. “ N ext tim e I’ ll hav e to remember remember to bring bring m y ax e,” she grumbled. T he genie tromped trom ped across the ches chess sboard, k nockin nock in g the inv in v i si ble ches chess s pieces pieces left and ri ght. From across the board came came a v ery formi dable roar. roar. “ Wh o dares in terrupt the pleas pleasure ure of the noble efreeti efreeti G ubishbusk ubishbusk in ! What foolish, impudent, brainless . . . “ T he noble dao walk ed up to the gi gi ant genie lord, pushing pushin g asi asi de the ches hess quee queen. “ It is I, Beya Hrampulpishk Hrampulpishk in, the M ighty Shaker of M ountains! A nd I demand an audienc audience e with hi s great great emi emi nence, nence, the blowhard, soot-s soot-spittin g k ing of cooki ng fi res res! ” T he giant efreeti grew ev ev en redde redderr in the face, face, the flam es around hi m roared roared in anger. anger. “ I should have k nown i t was you, you, you insolent insolent wi tch! tch! Where is my servant?” servant?”
“ I di smi ssed her. her. N ow if you wi ll stop stop rantin rantin g for one one moment, I hav e somethi ng urgent to di di scuss wi th you. ” T he dao flung the sac sackk she carried, arri ed, to the th e ground. T here was a groan as the sac sackk squirm ed, ed, then was still. T he efreeti efreeti folded hi s huge arms acros across s his ches chest. t. “ I hav e put up with wi th your foul pres presence ence on this island island for too long, M ighty R iv ener ener of Pebbles Pebbles, She Who Can Frighten Small A nim als. als. B ut, now you hav e gone too far! I will give you one chance to hold my attention. If you fail I will send my wrath down on the heads of you and your pathetic consorts until not one of you stands!” T he dao stood stood with wi th her hands han ds on her hi ps and her eyes eyes narrowed narrow ed.. T he flames fla mes reflected reflected off her ebony ebony ski n. “ A nother genie wi ll be bles bless sed,” she announc announ ced, allow in g a smal smalll smile smil e to cree creep p to her lips li ps.. T he efreeti’ s eyes eyes opened wider wi der.. H e look ed away from the dao, dao, hi s flam es shriv eling almost im perperceptibly. eptibly. “ N onsens onsense,” e,” he said said softly. “ T hat i s prepos preposterous terous,, and if it were true . . . what concern is it of mine?” mine?”
“ That is prepostero preposterous, us,
and if it were true . . . what concern concern is it of mine?”
“ L et us not play games, games, great efreeti,” efreeti,” she said said m ore gently gently.. “ We both k now th e answer answer to that questi question. on. Would Woul d I come here myself, would I stoop so low as to enter this infernal oven, if this were not urgent?” T he heat ros rose around her her in w aves av es,, tthe he efree efreeti ti’s ’s image im age distorting and dancing behind the curtain of intense heat. G ubishbus ubishbuskk in leaned leaned forward, forward, “ G iv e me proof.” proof.” T he dao bent bent down an d slit slit open open the sack wi th one long nai l. She pinc pin ched its end and yank ed it upw ard. O ut tumbled tum bled a disheveled young woman. She rolled across the chessboard and scrambled to her feet feet in f ront of the giant efreeti. L ook in g up, her eyes eyes wi dened dened wi th terror, terror, “ Your hi ghness, spare me, I . . . I beg beg for mercy! I pray my i ntrusion h as not ov erly disturbed disturbed your most magni fi cent ches chess s match. match. A thousand pard pardons ons,, M ighty M elter lter of A rmies.” rmies.” She fell fell to her knee k nees s trembling. trembli ng.
1
2
The Genie’s Blessing
T
he dao burst burst into i nto the th e fiery chambers wi thout being bein g announ ced. T he efree efreeti ti’s ’s servant servant quick ly fl oated to her her on a cushi on of flam e, block block in g the dao’s dao’s path. path.
“ Why, i f it isn’t the magnifi cent Beya Hrampulpishk Hrampulpishk in! She of the D iv ine Countenance Countenance and M ighty M usc uscles! R iv ener ener of Skulls Skull s and Suzerain Suzerain of the Subterrane Subterranean! an! What Wh at a wonderful wonderful pleasure. U nfortunately . . . his h is eminence, eminence, the great great efree efreeti ti M irza G ubishbusk in is, once again, enthralled i n a parti cularly ularl y chall challengin enging g ches chess s matc mat ch and i s not accepting accepting v isitors. isit ors. T hank you for gracin gracing g us wi th your pres presence ence and . . . ” “ Enough of your prattle! prattle! ” T he dao crunched runched her her huge fist into the serv serv ant’ ant ’ s face, sendi sendi ng her spi spinn nnii ng across across the giant gia nt chess chess board. T he geni geni e looked at her fi st: th e hair was w as sin ged by the contact contact with wit h the les lesser genie. genie. “ N ext tim e I’ ll hav e to remember remember to bring bring m y ax e,” she grumbled. T he genie tromped trom ped across the ches chess sboard, k nockin nock in g the inv in v i si ble ches chess s pieces pieces left and ri ght. From across the board came came a v ery formi dable roar. roar. “ Wh o dares in terrupt the pleas pleasure ure of the noble efreeti efreeti G ubishbusk ubishbusk in ! What foolish, impudent, brainless . . . “ T he noble dao walk ed up to the gi gi ant genie lord, pushing pushin g asi asi de the ches hess quee queen. “ It is I, Beya Hrampulpishk Hrampulpishk in, the M ighty Shaker of M ountains! A nd I demand an audienc audience e with hi s great great emi emi nence, nence, the blowhard, soot-s soot-spittin g k ing of cooki ng fi res res! ” T he giant efreeti grew ev ev en redde redderr in the face, face, the flam es around hi m roared roared in anger. anger. “ I should have k nown i t was you, you, you insolent insolent wi tch! tch! Where is my servant?” servant?”
“ I di smi ssed her. her. N ow if you wi ll stop stop rantin rantin g for one one moment, I hav e somethi ng urgent to di di scuss wi th you. ” T he dao flung the sac sackk she carried, arri ed, to the th e ground. T here was a groan as the sac sackk squirm ed, ed, then was still. T he efreeti efreeti folded hi s huge arms acros across s his ches chest. t. “ I hav e put up with wi th your foul pres presence ence on this island island for too long, M ighty R iv ener ener of Pebbles Pebbles, She Who Can Frighten Small A nim als. als. B ut, now you hav e gone too far! I will give you one chance to hold my attention. If you fail I will send my wrath down on the heads of you and your pathetic consorts until not one of you stands!” T he dao stood stood with wi th her hands han ds on her hi ps and her eyes eyes narrowed narrow ed.. T he flames fla mes reflected reflected off her ebony ebony ski n. “ A nother genie wi ll be bles bless sed,” she announc announ ced, allow in g a smal smalll smile smil e to cree creep p to her lips li ps.. T he efreeti’ s eyes eyes opened wider wi der.. H e look ed away from the dao, dao, hi s flam es shriv eling almost im perperceptibly. eptibly. “ N onsens onsense,” e,” he said said softly. “ T hat i s prepos preposterous terous,, and if it were true . . . what concern is it of mine?” mine?”
“ That is prepostero preposterous, us,
and if it were true . . . what concern concern is it of mine?”
“ L et us not play games, games, great efreeti,” efreeti,” she said said m ore gently gently.. “ We both k now th e answer answer to that questi question. on. Would Woul d I come here myself, would I stoop so low as to enter this infernal oven, if this were not urgent?” T he heat ros rose around her her in w aves av es,, tthe he efree efreeti ti’s ’s image im age distorting and dancing behind the curtain of intense heat. G ubishbus ubishbuskk in leaned leaned forward, forward, “ G iv e me proof.” proof.” T he dao bent bent down an d slit slit open open the sack wi th one long nai l. She pinc pin ched its end and yank ed it upw ard. O ut tumbled tum bled a disheveled young woman. She rolled across the chessboard and scrambled to her feet feet in f ront of the giant efreeti. L ook in g up, her eyes eyes wi dened dened wi th terror, terror, “ Your hi ghness, spare me, I . . . I beg beg for mercy! I pray my i ntrusion h as not ov erly disturbed disturbed your most magni fi cent ches chess s match. match. A thousand pard pardons ons,, M ighty M elter lter of A rmies.” rmies.” She fell fell to her knee k nees s trembling. trembli ng.
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4
T he efree efreeti ti smiled, a whif f of blac black smok e drifti ng from his mouth, “ I love groveling.” H e ex ex tended tended hi s little fi nger nger and a tiny spec speck of flam e fli ck ed off and landed at the woman’ s feet. feet. Suddenly, th e flame shot shot up and in a fl ash ash encircled encircled her. her. “ Pl Pleas ease, e, mercy, mercy, mi ghty lord, you r highness highness, your emi emi nence nence . . . pleas please!” e!” A tiny fi re eleme elemental ntal leapt leapt onto her robe and began began spreadin spreading g rapidly. H er face face contorted contorted in horror, she flailed desperately at the flame.
“ What need is there
to see the past? What was was, and is no longer of concern.”
“ Enough of these these games! games! ” T he dao dao steppe tepped d forward and fi lling lli ng her lungs wi th th e hot ai r, blew ac a cross the ches chess board. board. T he flames around the woman were instantly extinguished . . . as well as a few of the flames surrounding the efreeti. G ubishbus ubishbuskk in glared glared at the dao, and opened opened his mouth to speak speak..
“ T his is my hakima, ” H rampulp rampulpis ishki hki n sk illfully cut hi m off. “ She is my seer seer,, and she she has shown m e a future that you wi ll be most most in teres terested in. ” “ She is but but a child! child! L ook at me, hum an!” T he frighte frightene ned d woman met the geni geni e’s gaze. gaze. R iv ers of sweat sweat ran down her chee cheekk s. “ Can you really see the future, child?” “ O h, yes yes, most most munifi cent and, ah . . . handsome, ome, genie genie lord. lord. A nd I can see the past as well.” “ W hat nee n eed d is there to see see the past? past? What W hat w as was, was, and i s no longer lon ger of concern. oncern. T he future, future, n ow that is another story. tory. B ut, a child lik li k e you you . . . “ “ She is not a chil chil d,” the dao interrupte interrupted. d. “ She is over over four hundred years years old. old. I believe believe that i s quite quite mature by human standards tandards.” T he dao towered towered over over the woman and strok strok ed her her hai r clumsily. clumsily. T he woman shuddered huddered.. “ H er name is Kh atariana. She has been been in m y employ for many years. She has never failed to predict correctly, although some things are closed to her. Show us your vision, woman. Show his eminence what was and what is no longer of any concern.” “ Wi th your permi permi ssion, your emi emi nence.” nence.” T he efreeti efreeti nodde n odded. d.
K hatariana wi thdrew thdrew a small sack ack from h er robe robe and remov remov ed a handful of sand sand from it. “ T he Sand Sand of Sight, the Dust of Destiny Destiny . . . each grain comes from a different land. From the deepest south of Zak hara to the frozen frozen north. Each grain tells a tale.” She spre spread ad the sand out before her, her, i ts grai grains ns reflecting reflecting the th e flam e before before them. “ Sand of Sight! Sight! D ust ust of Destiny! Destiny! H ow absurd!” absurd!” T he efre efreeti eti roared roared with laughter laughter.” D o you ex ex pec pect me to believe believe that . . . “ T he woman wav ed her her hand ov er the sand and an im age appe appeared ared,, dazzling i n i ts clarity. A town bustled bustled before before them, them, childre hi ldren n danced danced in the streets, mages ma ges practiced practiced their trade t rade with wi th m uch spark spark le and explosion s. “ By the Loregiv Loregiv er’s big toe, I can even smell smell the camels camels!! ” T he efre efreeti eti stared in amazement. “ I t is a town unlik e any other. other. M agic bubbles bubbles up from the very earth. earth. T he sick sick are healed, healed, old walk erec erect, chi ldren grow up to be mi ghty warri ors. ors. B ut, as has bee been n the truth since geni geni e and man fi rst rst walk ed thi s world, there are those those who will wi ll steal steal what wha t is not theirs. A nd, so a great great sha’ sha’ ir and an d his magni fi cent geni geni e protec protectt the town. T heirs is the tas taskk to . . . “ “ Wai t,” the efree efreeti ti bellowed. bellowed. “ T his town is Zaratan. T he Sorc Sorcere erer’s r’s I sle that I am all too famili ar with. Why show show me this drivel? drivel? I k now the tale! I do not need it repeated.” “ You k now only part part of the tale, tale, great one.” H rampulpishki n said. said. “ Wh at was was, was, but what w ill be will be as as it was . . . “ “ Enough double double talk! If I m ust ust endure endure this thi s, continue and get get it over with! ” T he town i n th the e sand sand continued contin ued to bustle. bustle. Suddenly, t he peac peace e was in terrupte terrupted d by a cry, cry, “ To arms! To arms! M onster onsters s at the gate gate!! ” T he people people froze in horror, horror, then brok brok e into mad runs. M en and women came from their houses houses brandi brandi shi ng weapons. T he elderly elderly gathere gath ered d the children, and soldiers and m ages prepared prepared for battle. T here on the beach before the town gate, m onsters onsters materiali zed zed out of thin th in air. O grim as, ettins, etti ns, and an d strange strange creature creatures s no man had seen seen before, before, suddenly descended on the soldiers. “ N o one k new where these these horrors came from. T here was no warnin warn in g. T hey struck struck fearle f earles ssly, cutting cutti ng down the t he soldiers soldiers and townsfolk that stood in their w ay. Ev eryone eryone kn ew that the town had only one hope.” hope.”
5 T he woman wav ed her hand across the im age and another form appeared. I t was a sha’ ir, standi ng in shock as people rushed by him . “ H ow can thi s be? Who would dare?” he mumbled. A man suddenly grabbed him by the front of the robe, “ Farid! Farid alM utan! Y ou must help us! Q uickly, summ on the genie, before all is lost!” Screams of death and horror fi lled the air. A n ogrim a strode through the town gates, holdi ng a li mp soldier by the neck . It tossed the man away and began swinging his club. “ Yes, A l-Jurat . . . yes . . . of course . . . th e genie! I just don’t understand. . . . “ “ Now, Farid! Summon the genie now.” T he man implored. T he sha’ ir snapped out of his daze and quick ly rai sed hi s arms. “ Great genie efreeti, m y honored servant, come at my comm and, ai d your master Farid al-M utan.” A fi ery whi rlwi nd appeared before the Sha’ ir. I t grew, gathering sand and debris, th en it burst apart as a thi ck column of flame exploded from the earth. O ut of the flam es a vast im age formed. T he great efreeti towered above the man , its arms crossed, a half-smile on its face. T he geni e stared at the image in the magi cal sand before hi m and chuck led. “ I was wrong. T his little display is most entertaini ng. L ook at me, do I n ot look handsome and fearsome? A nd that entrance! H a! No one could do it better. Continue, little woman, this is the best part.” T he image in the sand grew m ore vi vi d. “ M ighty genie, your presence here is most appreciated. I hope my call did not disturb you. But, the situati on is urgent.” T he sha’ ir bowed politely before the huge efreeti. “ Your call always disturbs me! But, never have I had a choice but to obey m y m aster.” T he geni e spat out the words wi th contempt. “ Wh at is it that you need?” “ O genie, th e town i s under siege by an army of monsters. U se your magnifi cent power to blow them off thi s isle. T hi s would be such a sim ple thing to one as powerful as you. ”
6 “ H mm m, I see you have a problem,” the genie smi rk ed. Tw o townsfolk struggled by, carrying a body. “ I hav e an answer for you, my slavemaster.” T he genie glanced casually at the scene of carnage by the town gates. “ Please, great one, your humble master begs that you n ot hesitate in helping us!” N earby, a scream cuts the air. “ Please, efreeti, do thi s now! ” the sha’ ir begged. T he geni e slowly allowed his gaze to return to the sha’ ir. H e cock ed his head to one side and said one word very slowly, “ N o.” K hatariana i nterrupted the vi sion. “ Such a small word. B ut, a word that carries more power than any other. A word that no genie has ever said to his master.” In the im age, Fari d al-M utan fell to his knees in shock . “ No?” T he genie only stared at him. T he sha’ ir rose to hi s feet and clenched his fists. “ Genie, you will rid this town of our enemy!” T he stench of burning flesh drifted by.
“ No, no, no!” the genie laughed. “ I
no longer will obey you. You are no longer my master!”
T he efreeti leaned far forward so that h is face was a mere foot from th e man. “ N O ! ” he bellowed. T he gust of heat kn ock ed the old man back ward to the ground, “ G enie, I comman d you! Y ou can not disobey me! You will feel my wrath if you . . . “ “ No, no, no! ” the genie laughed. “ I no longer will obey you. You are no longer my m aster! I have been blessed! I am free, free! ” T he giant soared high into the air, ov er the town wall. “ G ood-bye, old man. M ay you and your wretched town perish as you deserve! A nd may all genies be blessed by the same magi c that has freed me! H a! ” T he im ages in the sand began to jump from one scene to another. T he old man m ounted a steed, and weavi ng hi s way through the battle, chased after the efreeti. T he geni e taunted him , always stayi ng just out of his reach, until fi nally disappearing i n a ball of flame. T he sha’ ir look ed back at hi s ravaged town an d wept. Flam es began to ri se above the town walls.
7 “ D o you k now what happened after this?” H rampulpishki n ask ed gently. “ N o,” the efreeti replied, “ T hat was the last I ever saw of that worm, or that forsak en island.” “ You call him a worm. W as Farid al-M utan ever unki nd to you?” “ I was his slave, ” the efreeti grumbled. “ Was he ever . . . hmm m, in considerate?” the dao probed gently. “ I w as his slave! ” “ Could you not hav e sav ed those poor inn ocent people, who only treated you with the utmost respect and love?” “ I w as a slave, H rampulpishk in ! A respected slave! A loved slave! Y ou hav e never been under a sha’ ir’ s control, you do not k now wh at it is lik e!” Black smok e belched from h is nostrils. “ M any genies are honored to serve a . . . “ “ M any genies are fools! O n wi th this tale, I long to get back to my chess match! ” I n the sand at their feet, the sha’ ir buri ed hi s face in hi s hands, “ I hav e failed, I have let my people down. I must never return. Never! I am a disgrace! M ay the Loregiv er forgiv e me! ” T he image faded and w as replaced by a scene of the rav aged town. Smok e curled from ruined buildin gs, survi vors stumbled among the bodies of their friends. “ T he battle was long and hard,” the hak im a interrupted, “ but the magi c of the isle was enough to let its defenders triumph. T he toll was heavy, Sorcerer’s I sle never fully recovered from the disaster. Years later a new sha’ ir w as appointed to guard the town w ith hi s genie. Zubi n A l-Hazrad, an honorable man, and his family wi eld the power of M uliban, a djinn . I t is their duty, now, to protect the innocent.” “ What of th e old Sha’i r, what became of him ?” the dao ask ed. T he sands swi rled and revealed a lofty palace, standing lik e a sentinel over the town of Zaratan. In its dungeon was a treacherous maze, built to k eep vi sitors out.
8 T he hak im a continued. “ H e liv ed in seclusion for many years, refusing company or the pleading of the townsfolk for him to return. H e took a bride, a woman of the sea, who loves him dearly. But, alas, he i s so afrai d to lose her, as he already has lost so much, that h e k eeps her confi ned. Such are the ways of love.” T he efreeti look ed strangely thoughtful for a moment, “ H arumph! So much for him ! H e got what he deserved!” the efreeti growled. “ Is this why you have broken into my house? To tell me things I already k now or do not care about?” “ Patience, mi ghty efreeti, now look into the future.” T he dao squatted next to the sand and peered intently into its depths. A n image appeared, unclear and foggy. A mighty djinn rode the wind; from his hand rose a hurricane that smashed a ship. T he sail snapped as crew men were flung into the sea. A beauti ful young woman gasped as she was pluck ed from the ship’s deck by a whirlwi nd. T im e passed. A n old man lay in a cold cell, a rat nibbling on his untouched food. “ Wh at is this nonsense?” the efreeti ask ed. “ So, a genie ki lls a few humans? Was he ordered to do this?” “ Yes, your fiery mi ghtiness,” the hak ima answered. “ So be it! I f his master orders him to k ill some . . . “ the efreeti stopped hi mself as his eyes met those of the dao. “ Gubishbusk in, I think there is more for you to see,” she said.
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I n the sand could be seen a small island, all but deserted. A group of dark fi gures paced around a glowi ng stone. T he power of the stone could be felt rising from the magic sand. A genie rose over a huge gleaming city; fi re leapt from hi s fi ngers, rain in g death on those below. A dao clapped his hands together and the earth opened at hi s feet. A city was swallowed. O n hi s shoulder sat a black fi gure cack ling wi th delight. In a cave of ice another shadowy fi gure spok e; hi s words came out with steam. H e picked up a thick chain and v iciously yank ed it. H e pulled the chai n towards him . T he chai n was tied around the neck of the noble efreeti, M irza Gubi shbusk in. “ I hav e seen enough! I do not claim to understand all I ’ ve seen. W hat is the meaning of all this? What can be done?” “ I am afrai d another geni e is about to be ‘ blessed,’ as you call it, then another and another. T hi s time, though, these geni es wi ll not be merely freed, but they will fi nd themselv es wi th a new master. I believe that the same force that freed you years ago is at work here. I don’t thi nk that they intended to free you at all. T hey wanted to control you, but they were too weak then. T hey wanted you to fi ght at the side of the monsters, ” the dao replied. “ I hav e suspected the same. A nd now they fin ally hav e the power to capture our k in d. I have dreaded this day. T he day the . . . “ “ D o not speak their name! We kn ow who is behi nd this, that is enough! ” H rampulpishki n screamed. “ Wh at can we do? If a geni e were to interfere . . . come too close, he too may fall un der their i nfluence!” T he efreeti shook his head in disbeli ef. “ I can hardly believe it ! W e the genie lords . . . powerless!” “ Pardon my i nterruption, mi ghty ones,” the hak ima said humbly. “ I believe there may be one who can help.” “ Speak up, woman! ” the dao urged. A gain the woman w aved her hand over the sand and an i mage appeared. A young man was traini ng in the ways of the sword. H e was strong and handsome, and he showed the hard-earned scars of experience. H e was wearing the garb of a corsair, a warri or trained in the ways of the sea. H is sk in was dark from the sun, his muscles hard from adv enturing. “ H mmm ,” the dao purred. “ H e look s positiv ely delicious.”
“ Wh at? Do you actually fi nd that puny human attractive?” the efreeti rumbled. “ I didn’ t say I thought he look ed attractiv e. I said he looked delicious.” the dao replied, li ck ing her lips.
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“ H e is the son of A l-Hazrad, the protector of Sorcerer’s Isle. H e will be drawn into this dilemma. It will be up to him to put an end to the Genie’s Curse,” the hak im a catches herself. “ I mean the Genie’s Blessing.” She wav ed her hand across the sand and the image changed. T he young man was battli ng the undead before a beached wreck . H e disappeared into a doorway as an automaton marched by. H e rode a magical flyi ng carpet. H e stood before the mi ghty geni e lords themselves.
“ It will be up to him
to put an end to the Genie’s Curse . . . I mean the Genie’s Blessing.”
“ H mmm , he will come here? How interesting. ” T he dao stroked the stubble on her chi n. “ M aybe we should help him.” “ N onsense! I am not convi nced a human can change the future and rid this land of those shadowy demons who shall remain unnamed.” “ Still, M irza, i f he is clever enough to come here. . . . “
“ Bah! T here is no proof to any of this. T hese things you have shown me hav e not even happened yet! L et Fate tak e its course.” “ You burnt-out bag of hot air! D id you not see yourself in chains! D id you not . . . “ the dao screeched. “ A nd what are we to do about it? H mm m? Can there be a power greater than w e? If there is, then so be it! If thi s is just this wi tch’s li es, then both of you be gone and let me enj oy my m atch!” Flam es leapt powerfully around the genie. T he dao clenched her teeth and let her anger pass. She look ed away from the efreeti. “ Perhaps you are correct. P erhaps none of thi s wi ll happen. We shall see. But, if the hak ima i s correct, thi s could mean the end of Zak hara.” “ Enough talk , be gone, I wi sh to return to my chess match.” T he hak im a scrambled to pick up the magi cal sand. She quick ly began to pour handfuls of the enchanted alluv ium back i nto her pouch. “ M irza, we must do something. We can not i gnore this prophecy! ”
“ No, w e shall not i gnore it. It seems our fate may be in the hands of that mortal. ” T he efreeti bent forward and pluck ed a pinch of sand with hi s huge fingers. “ T he risk to our safety is too great, if we become directly involved. M ay Fate steer this young man down the path to vi ctory.” T he geni e held the pinch of sand to hi s eye and squeezed it. “ T hi s is for you, hak im a.” H e tossed the diamond to the woman. “ M ay your prophecy prove untrue.” T he woman gleefully clutched the gem. “ T he future is as mysterious as Fate. Th ank you, great genie.” “ Come, K hatariana. Let us leave his fi erin ess to his games.” T he dao roughly pushed the woman toward the door. “ I’ m sure we will speak of this again. Tak e care, M irza; the next tim e I see you, you m ay be wearing that chain around your neck .” “ Yes, yes. I k now, I k now. D ust of Destiny, and all that! I will believe it when I see it. ” H e dismissed them wi th a wav e of hi s hand. T he two wom en walk ed back across the chess board, th e hak im a tryi ng to k eep up with the dao’s giant strides. “ A nd one more thin g, H rampulpishk in. ” the efreeti called after them. “ T he next tim e you want to drop by, please mak e an appointment fi rst.” T he dao stopped, clenched her fists and left the cham bers of the great genie lord M irza Gubishbusk in.
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14
3
1
4
2
5 10
9 8 6
7 14 12
11
15
13
16
18
17
19
20
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INTRODUCTION The AL-QADIM� Game World The A L-QA DIM � game world is a land of desert sands, scattered islands, and powerful genies. I t i s a place where some devote themselves to honor while others tread upon it. A n in sult to one’s fami ly is more lik ely to provok e a duel than the slash of a scimitar. “ Powerful” and “unpredictable” describes the genies of this world. T hose wi th some element of control over these mighty creatures are often rulers, but many genies have no masters — save their own whim s. M ost inhabitants of this land fear the greatest genies and refer to them as gods.
M uch of thi s world is coloni zed and bereft of monsters. H owever, the region k nown as the Crowded Sea is an area with little civilization and fraught with danger, where only the strong dare to tread. In these dangerous waters rests the mysterious Sorcerer’s Isle, fam ed for its intense magi cal energies and for the sorcerers that have inhabited the isle from ages past. T he only settlement on the isle is the small but thriving town of Zaratan. This is the home of your character.
Zaratan
Table One: Locations in Zaratan 1.........Temple 2..... .... Qadi’s H all 3... ... ... Weapon’s M aster 4.........T he Inn 5.........Qadi’s House 6.. .. .. .. .Shopkeeper’s H ouse 7..... .... H aroom & M erwani abi Wassab’s H ouse 8.. .. .. .. .P oor R esident’s H ouse 9.. .. .. .. .B abazar the M erchant’s H ouse 10.... ... Tarik A l-H azrad’s H ouse 11.. .. .. .Storage Shed
12....... M amoon & Latifah abi Wassab’s H ouse 13.... .. .R u’tan Al-Hazrad’s H ouse 14.. .. .. .Z ubin & Jessamin A l-Hazrad’s H ouse 15.... .. .A liya’s H ouse 16.. .. .. .U nder Construction 17.......Store 18.......Barracks 19.. .. .. .Sorcerer’s Gui ld 20.......Town Gates 21.......Towards Western Desert
15 You see the world from an overhead vi ew. T his game tak es place in real tim e. T here are no turns for you to perform an action before the monster acts. If you want your character to strik e at a creature, then be quick on attack and equally quick to dodge away from its blow. I n G ENIE’ S CURSE your character wi ll talk wi th scores of people and fi ght dangerous monsters and evi l minions as he ventures across oceans and through deserts, dungeons, towns, vi llages, and the Great Palace of the Caliph. H e wi ll sneak past patrolli ng guards, slash at vi cious enemi es, fi re explosiv e spells, avoid brutal traps, and solve m ystifyi ng puzzles as he stri ves to uphold honor and strik e blows of justice.
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What Comes With This Game In additi on to this rule book , the box should hold the disk s containi ng the game and a data card. T his rule book explains how to play the game, details monsters and spells, and contai ns a story which sets the scene for the drama on the computer. In stall the game from the disks onto your computer using the data card i nstructions.
GENIE’S LAMP
SPELL ICON
ACTION CIRCLES
HEALTH BAR
GEM S
GOLD
POTION EFFECTS
YOUR CHA RACTER
Copy Protection T here is no physical copy protection on your G ENIE ’ S CURSE disks. Please duplicate them and set the originals aside for safe k eeping. To assure that you hav e a legitimate copy of the game you wi ll be ask ed a verifi cation question after the credits. T he answer will be a word from this rule book . Pl ease see the data card for help if you have any trouble finding the correct word.
Adventure Screen How to Start Playing Now
I f you are an experienced player and you want to jump right into the game before reading the rule book , here are the absolute basics. In G ENIE ’ S CURSE you control a male corsair, a warrior in a dangerous land. Your character can perform a number of different tasks, and the controls are easy to master. M ove your character by holding down the right mouse button, while mov ing the mouse in the desired direction. When he is adjacent to something that you would lik e him to act upon, left-
click . Your character will then do whatever is appropriate, whether it i s: talk ing to a noble, slashing at a zombie, opening a door, or pulling a swi tch. For k eyboard and joystick controls see the following sections, “ U sing a Joystick” and “ U sing the Keyboard.” To use an item in your character’s possession, cli ck on th e genie’s lamp, located at the top of the screen. A menu w ill appear. Select INVENTORY and click on the item twice. If you desire to ready the sling or a magic shard, similar to a wan d, select READY WEAPON and click on the weapon twi ce. To fi re the weapon, press the space bar.
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The Initial Menu A fter you have correctly entered the answer to the verifi cati on question, the initial game menu appears. LOAD GAME allows you to load a previously saved game. NEW GAME starts the game from the beginning. VIEW CREDITS and QUIT TO DOS are self-ex planatory. Cli ck on the desired option using the sword cursor.
Using a Joystick To move your character, just move the joystick. You can move him in all eight of the major compass directions. To perform an action upon anything adjacent to your character, press the fi rst button. T hi s is referred to as “pressin g the action button” or “click ing.” To fi re a readied mi ssil e weapon or spell, press the second button . To access the menu, press the escape k ey. T hi s also pauses the game. To chose a selection from a list, or move between areas in the menu, push the joystick up or down and then press the action button when your choice is highlighted. To view an item which your character is carryi ng, choose INVENTORY or READY WEAPON from the menu and mov e the joystick until the desired item is highlighted. Press the action button to use it.
18 You may not use both the mouse and joystick at the same tim e, but you can use the k eyboard whi le the joystick i s activ e. T his is helpful when you are mak in g a very tight or exact maneuver.
Using a Mouse
Using the Keyboard
T here are two different mouse modes which allow you to move your character according to your preference. I n the m o u s e n o r m a l m o d e, hold down the right button: an arrow cursor ( a pointer) appears, pointing in the direction you want to move. I f you have a problem moving, move the sword cursor away from your character in the direction you want him to travel. You can move in all eight of the major compass directions. T his is the default method of movement; see “ Input Devi ce” on page 19 to change the mouse mode.
To m ove your character, press the arrow k eys. You can mov e him i n all eight of the major compass directions. To move him diagonally, hold down the two appropriate k eys simultaneously, or use the diagonal keys ( 1, 3, 7, and 9) on the numeric k eypad. T o perform an action upon anything i n your character’s path, press the “ Ctrl” k ey. T hi s is referred to as “ pressing the action button” or “ clicki ng.” To fi re a readied mi ssile weapon or spell, press the space bar. To access the m enu, press the Esc k ey. To chose a selection from a list, use the up or down arrow k eys and th en press the action button when your choice is highlighted. To see an item which your character is carrying, choose INVENTORY or READY WEAPON from the menu and press the arrow k eys unti l the desired item i s highlighted. Press the action button to then use it. You may use either the mouse or joystick whi le still using the k eyboard controls.
When your character is n ot mov ing, your mouse cursor is a sword. When your character is moving, the sword changes to an arrow.
M o u s e t r a v e l m o d e is the optional mouse control. It does not require that you hold down the right button. To move your adventurer, click the right button once. From that point until the right button i s click ed again, your hero walks in the direction of the arrow poi nter. I f he reaches the pointer, h e stops trav eling unti l the mouse is moved again. To mak e him stop walk ing, click the right button.
R egardless of whi ch m ode you use, your character can perform an action upon anyth in g adjacent to him and in front of him, simply by left-cli ck ing. I t is not essential to place the sword cursor precisely on the item or object, only that your character be adjacent to the target. T hi s is referred to as “ pressing the action button” or “ click ing.” To fi re a readied mi ssil e weapon or spell, press the space bar. To access the menu, click on the genie’s lamp at the top of the screen using the sword cursor. To choose a selection from a list or select a menu item, place the cursor ov er the selecti on and then press the action button. To see an item which your character is carrying, choose INVENTORY or READY WEAPON from the menu, mov e the cursor over the desired i tem and cli ck once to highlight it. Press the action button again to use it. You may not use the mouse and joystick at the same tim e, but you can use the mouse and k eyboard together. T hi s is helpful when you are mak ing a v ery tight or exact maneuver.
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YOUR CHARACTER Character Basics
SOME SAVE GAME TITLES
UNUSED SAVE GAMES
Saving Your Progress The Options Menu
Saving Your Game You may have up to nine saved games at one time. To save a game, select OPTIONS from the menu. Click on SAVE GAME, select the file slot you wish to fill, type in a descriptiv e name, and press Enter/Return. Y ou may save at any point in the game.
Restoring Your Game To play from a saved game, select LOAD GAME from the initial m enu, or from OPTIONS during play. Select the game and click on i t. WARNING: the game you are currently playing will be lost if it has not been saved.
Sound U nder the OPTIONS menu, select SETUP. Both the MUSIC and SOUND EFFECTS in the game can be toggled on and off by click in g the action button on the appropriate choi ce. T he volum e of both can also be selected using the slider. Drag the slider with the mouse, or select it and mov e the arrow keys or joystick right and left.
Input Device Click on INPUT on the SETUP menu ( under OPTIONS ) to toggle between: mouse travel mode, mouse normal mode, joystick, or k eyboard only. T he keyboard input is valid w ith the mouse and the joystick. See “ U sing a M ouse” on page 18 for a description of all the mouse modes.
In G ENIE ’ S CURSE you control a single adventurer striving to maintain his family’s honor and foil the plots of evil forces. When the game begins, your character has already completed both his training and several previous adventures. In one of these adventures, his charisma and daring won him the love of a princess. N ow, after a fin al test, your character will be ready to return home, marry, and become a prince. By profession , your character i s a second-level human corsair ( see “ Ex perience Points” on page 22 for informati on on levels) . Corsairs are seafaring warriors in this world. T hey are k nown for bold explorations and daring exploi ts across rough w aters where few would dare to go. T he corsair is a freer spiri t than most others, cares li ttle for social status or grace, and m ay seem rough around the edges to more civ ili zed beings. O ften the envy of those in less glamorous occupations, the corsair embodies bravery, leadershi p, and honesty among allies. Corsairs following an ignoble path usually become pirates and scalawags, while those who have a firm grasp on
honor are the rough and ready heroes of the bard’s tales most frequently requested at local pubs.
Sailing the Crowded Seas While the corsair scorns armor because it hinders movement and encumbers swi mm ing, this is made up for wi th weapon sk ill. Both hands are avai lable for wielding weapons, and this is important in G ENIE’ S CURSE as your character can perform stunning feats with the scimitar in the right hand, while firing spells from magi c items, or stones from a sling, with the left.
Attacking with the Scimitar
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Character Attributes Wh en the game first begins, you are shown a full screen picture of your hero and must name him. Your hero’s last name is A l-Hazrad, but his first is up to you. A fter typing it in , press Enter/Return to continue. Some sample names from the A D & D � A L - Q A D I M � A rabian A dventures game are: A hmad
K erim
A ziz
K halid
Farid
N ajib
H ak im
R ashad
Jamal
Yusuf
A fter naming your character, you wi ll be able to select the di ffi culty level of the game, which defaults to Normal and can be changed to Easy or Hard. T hi s does not effect the puzzles in G ENIE ’ S CURSE, but does effect the strength and voracity of the monsters. T he two major attri butes of your character w hi ch require frequent attention are experience points and hit points. O ther character attri butes tak e effect behind the scenes. G ENIE ’ S CURSE is designed to k eep you in the action w ithout needing to frequently pause and check your character’s current statistics.
The Stats Screen Experience Points
A s you solv e puzzles, achieve goals, and k ill monsters, your character wi ll gai n experience points. R efer to the “ Warrior Ex perience Levels” table below to see the point totals needed to increase in level. When you have enough experience points for level advancement, you will automatically gain more hit points. Your character’s current experience point total can be vi ewed by clicki ng on the menu selection VIEW STATS . When you are done wi th the stats screen cli ck the action button to return to the menu.
A t certain points in the game, your character becomes eligible to learn a new attack move. A t this point, you must guide your character to the Weapons M aster. H e will quickly giv e your character the necessary training. WARRIOR EXPERIENCE LEVELS LEV EL
PO I NT S NEED ED
1
0
2
2, 000
3
4, 000
4
8, 000
5
16, 000
6
32, 000
7
64, 000
8
125, 000
9
250, 000
23 Hit Points Your character’s health is measured in hit points, and is visually depicted by the red health bar at the top of th e screen. T he num erical maximum value can be seen by click ing on th e menu selection VIEW STATS . A s you are hit i n combat, or injured by a trap, your hit points are taken away. I f they fall to zero, your character dies. To continue play, either start anoth er game or restore a saved game. To regain hit points, use a healing potion or fi nd areas in G ENIE ’ S CURSE where healing is available. You may never recover more hit points than your current maximum, and that maximum number is only increased by obtaining a higher level ( see the “ Warrior Ex perience Points” table above).
24 actions are performed by pressing the action button when he is adjacent to the target of that action.
Walking See the “ U sing a M ouse,” “ U sing a Joystick, ” or “ U sing the K eyboard” sections on pages 17-18 to learn how to walk . You will not be able to move your character into areas of obviously deadly nature, such as over a cliff or into a sea of acid. H owever, to k eep from tak ing damage, you will need to deftly maneuver him through traps lik e rising spik es and blowing flame jets.
WATCH OUT FOR SPEARS
CHARACTER WON’T WALK INTO ACID
T he health bar is always full when your character is at maximum hit points, and empty when he is dead. If you have gained more hit points by advancing in level, the bar will decrease by smaller increments when your character is damaged.
Moving Your Character T his section details the man y types of maneuvers which your character can perform and gives some hints for better play. In general, all you need to know to play G ENIE’ S CURSE is how to mak e your character walk , and that most
YOUR CHARACTER’S CONVER SATION BOX AND MENU BOX
OTHER PERSON’ S CONVER SATION BOX
Adventuring in the Acid Dungeon O n rare occasions your character must follow someone else in the game. When this happens, just wait until he reaches the destination; once the situation is resolv ed, you wi ll be able to tak e ontrol again.
Conversing in G ENIE’S CURSE Talking
To speak w ith other people, or perhaps even m onsters, cli ck on the action button when your character i s nex t to th em. A nythi ng that they say is prin ted at the top of the screen, and anything which your character might normally say is displayed in the lower middle of the screen. Click the action button after you have read the text. If your character is in the middle of combat, or if there are monsters lurki ng in the im mediate vicinity, a person may not say anything until after the threat is dealt with.
If you have a choice of what to say, a menu will appear. You can define your approach to the game by the types of responses that you give. Sometimes your choice of dialogue has great effect on the success or failure of your character’s mi ssion. H in t: people your character has talk ed to may h av e more to say later in the game. Sometim es a person starts a conversation as soon as your character nears them. For in stance, a shopkeeper may offer assistance as soon as your character enters the store. If you end a conversation wi th the person and want to talk again, move your character away from them and approach once more.
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Pushing and Pulling
Breaking and Smashing
Opening and Closing BUREAU
CABINET
BASKET
Moving into Push Position
BOOK
Pushing the Stone Block M any stone items lik e block s and statues, can be moved. To push or pull an object, move to the desired side, face it, and arrange your character with his hands near the top of the object. T hen click the action button to grasp the object, and move your character normally to push or pull the object. To continue moving without grasping the object, just click the action button again. T here are both wall and floor switches to be pushed or pulled. To move one, just align your character with it as above, and then click the action button. H int: fli pping a switch may affect an area.
Smashing a Vase T here are some objects in G ENIE ’ S CURSE which your character can smash to pieces or otherwi se destroy. Sometimes, other items can be found inside them. Break ables are usually wooden, although vases and even wall hangings can sometimes be destroyed as well. To destroy something, move next to it and click the action button, or fi re a spell at it. See “M agic Shards” on page 32.
CHESTS
SCROLLS
Clicki ng the action button when adjacent to i tems lik e chests, book s, baskets, doors, and dressers opens or closes them. If it i s a chest, basket, or dresser, you will be informed immediately of its contents. If you leave an item in a chest, it will still be available later. You m ay need a k ey to open some doors. A fter openi ng a door, your character can move into the area beyond, and if it is a building with a roof, the roof disappears once the door is open. For doorways in vertical walls, or at the top of buildings, the door may not be visible due to the overhead perspective. If this is the
case, simply move your character into the doorway. If his movement appears to be block ed, click the action button to open the door, even though it is hidden from view. If your character is close enough to the door, it opens. To enter a secret door, mov e your character into the wall where you suspect the door to be. If th ere is one there, he will glide right through it without needing to click at all, or you will be informed that the secret door needs a k ey. I f there is no secret door your character bumps his nose, but does not tak e any damage.
Hiding and Sneaking You wi ll encounter situati ons when your character must achi eve goals stealthily. T hi s may require hiding behind bushes to overhear a conversation, sneak ing behind an unsuspecting guard, or dodging around a corner to k eep from being seen. T hese action s are all controlled by how carefully you mov e your character. H int: If you fin d your character getting caught often, try to play through the area slowly and steadily, without blindly running across patrolled halls hoping to mak e it.
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COMBAT
Battling monsters is a common experience as you venture wi th your character away from human population centers. It requires you to be quick on the controls and always ready for a sudden onrush of rats and spiders from the hallway beyond. You will be able to ready your character with a scimitar in his right hand and either a sling or magical shard in his left. Wh enever the three attack circles at the top of the screen are visible, your character has entered a dangerous area. I f the attack circles at the top of the screen are hidden, there is no need for your sword. If there are friendly creatures to be found in hostile areas, your character will not be attacked whi le the attack circles are mi ssing.
refuse to damage anyone of good alignment. It is also imbued with magic from the famed Moonstone . T hi s magi c enables it to cause additional damage when it strik es a monster. A nd, m ore im portantly, there are magic shards of the Moonstone hidden on certain islands in the Crowded Seas which will automatically meld into the sword, giving it even more destructive power!
Using Your Sword Your character specializes in the scimitar, using it instead of any other melee weapons. This gives him a great advantage. A t second-lev el h e can already use the scimitar with stunning ability. T he actual sword your character owns was a gift from his father. It is a one-of-a-k in d magical sword wi th its own intelligence. While is does not speak , i t does
To make your character strik e with his scimitar, click the action Attacking button. H e then swings it i n whatever direction he is facing, or in the direction the sword cursor lies, if using the mouse. T his blow can be done rapidly and for as long as you k eep clicki ng. It damages any monster it hits. When a monster is hit, it flashes briefly. T here is a Weapons M aster in Z aratan with whom you can spar to practice and learn combat. To lock and unlock the direction your character faces, press the A lt key. ( When “ lock ed” a small L appears in the upper left border.) Locki ng helps when walki ng down narrow corridors, but unlock ing helps when surrounded by monsters.
A s your character gains in experience levels, and trains with the Weapons M aster, he acquires two additional sword swi ngs. T he second swing damages monsters to the left and right as well as the front, and the thi rd is a spectacular 360 degree swipe, which injures monsters on all sides of your character, including those behind. Each new swing is more powerful than the one before it and will thus inflict more damage on the target. A nd in additi on to gainin g new swings, your character will also be able to use his simpler swings even faster than before. To signify the ability to use a new swing, the next action circle lights up. T o use the new swi ngs, hold down the action button for a split second longer. R elease it w hen the second or third action circle lights up in orange, depending on which blow you desire. T he more damage your character infl icts on hi s opponent, th e further the opponent is driv en back wards. A fter strik ing a blow, your character tak es a brief m oment to ready his scimitar again.
Hint: Even in the thick of fi ghting, k eep an eye on the health bar. Be sure to have your character drink a healing poti on, if you have one, before the bar is gone or he dies. Entering the menu pauses combat.
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Using Your Sling T he slin g your character gains early in the adventure is a rare sling , a of seekin g magical weapon which sends off i ts Slinging stones with a much greater chance of hitting the target. T hey also do more damage than a standard sling stone and even hit creatures only damaged by magical weapons. Your character always seems to have ammunition for the sling. To use the sli ng, cli ck on it after selecting the READY WEAPON menu choice. T hi s causes your character to put away any shard being carried and pull out the sling. T he sling icon appears on the top of the screen, next to the action circles. A ttack wi th the slin g by pressing the space bar or the second joystick button. T he stone then fi res in w hatever direction your character last moved. It is possible to hit enemies which are just off of the v iewi ng screen.
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Dodging Creatures which move slower than your character can often be dodged when they attack . Whether you move your character in to strik e and back to dodge, or run circles around th e monsters, as long as your character’s feet k eep mov in g, h e is harder to hit. If a monster is faster than your character, then you may still be able to dodge, but it might be best to press the attack relentlessly. H int: Try diff erent combat styles against diff erent monsters.
Getting Hit If your character is dealt a blow in combat, h e will be knocked back , wounded, and stunned for a brief moment. M ak e sure you dodge or attack the second he can mov e again, or another strik e will lik ely land. T he monsters you encounter offer no mercy.
USING ITEMS ITEM S CARR IED
HIGHLI GHTED ITEM
ITEM’S NAME QUANTITY OF CARRIED ITEM
EXIT BA CK TO MENU
Inventory
Your character starts the adventure with a very useful magic item, a pouch of accessibi li ty . T hi s pouch holds any num ber of objects, and but a thought bri ngs the desired one immediately to hi s fi ngertips.
I cons are displayed on the i nv entory screen for each item which your character carries in the pouch. A fter selecting an i tem ( see “U sing a Joystick ,” “ U sing the K eyboard,” or “ U sing a M ouse” on pages 17-18) , you see its name and the quantity carried at the bottom of the screen.
T here are a large vari ety of items which your character carries and uses. Some of them are used automati cally w hen he needs them. For example, if your character approaches a door which requires a bone key, and he has one, the k ey automatically opens the lock . T his k eeps the game moving and eliminates redundant decision s. H owever, there are numerous times when you must choose what to use and where.
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32
Gold and Gems G old and gems are the standard currencies in G ENIE ’ S CURSE. One gem is worth about ten gold pieces. M ost merchants fav or gold, but some accept gems and an even smaller number require them. T he amount of gold and gems currently being carried by your character is displayed on the top of the screen. G old and gems are most often found by looting monster’s lairs and receiving pay for the completion of task s. H int: Be careful not to overspend and then have to adventure about trying to fi nd gold.
Potions Some potions last only for short periods of tim e. T hi s is noted in the following potion descriptions. When you activate one of these, the v ial on the top of the screen fills with li quid. T he liquid then gradually drains from the vi al — when it runs out, the potion’s effects end. I f your character drink s one potion whi le another is in effect, the former’s effects will be lost. Potions, even those of the same type, are brewed with varying potencies so their durations are all different. Note: all durations are listed in real ti me.
Invulnerability ♦
Potion Bottles T here are a number of different potions in G ENIE ’ S CURSE. Each potion may only be used once. Following are descriptions of the potions and the types of bottle they come in.
gray bott le
Weak monsters cannot harm the drink er of thi s potion and powerful creatures will have a more diffi cult tim e doing damage. T he effects only last a short amount of time so it is best used as combat starts.
Extra Healing ♦
large red heart bott le
Giant Strength green bot tle
U pon consumption, the indiv idual gains great strength and whenever strik ing a blow i n combat, i t does 8 ex tra hi t points of damage. T hi s potion lasts for only a few minutes and is best used immediately upon entering battle.
Healing ♦
small red heart bottl e
T his comm on potion h eals for 4 to 10 hit points.
Your character automatically wears a ring wh en he fin ds one. O nce in place, a rin g’s effects last continually. To see which rings are currently bein g worn, select VIEW STATS from the menu. N o two of the same ring type may be worn at one time, so a +2 ring of protection would tak e the place of a +1 ring when it is discovered. If any rings are found which do not need to be worn for their magic to tak e effect, they appear on the INVENTORY screen.
Magic Shards
T hi s is the strongest healing potion in G ENIE’ S CURSE . When used, i t heals the character for 6 to 27 hit points.
♦
Rings
Oil of Elemental Invulnerability ♦
blu e bott le — A ir
♦
brown bott le — Earth
♦
oran ge bot tl e — Fire
♦
clear bott le — Water
A ll of th ese oils giv e identical results, only agai nst different elementals. T he effect only lasts for a brief ti me, but when used your character is immune to damage from the elemental of the type listed.
T here are tales told am ongst the folk of the Crowded Sea of a great stone of magi cal powers, dubbed the Moonstone . While none know where the stone now lies, fragments of it have been discovered throughout Sorcerer’s I sle and th e surrounding islands. Some of these fragments contain powerful spells and, unli k e wands often usable only by mages, they can be used by anyone descended from the original settlers of Sorcerer’s Isle. Your character is of that ancient bloodline.
33
34 SHARDS BEING CARRIED
READIED WEAPON
SPELLS CONTAINED IN THE MAGIC SHARDS
SLING
READIED WEAPON’S NAME EXIT BA CK TO MENU CHARGES REMAINING
A Water Blast Spell Hits a Ghoul
Ready Weapon Screen
Each shard, resemblin g a glowing rock , holds a num ber of charges. Each use consumes one charge and, once depleted, the shard breaks apart. Select READY WEAPON from the menu to display any shards currently being carried, and click on one to ready it. O nly one shard or the sling can be equipped at a time. While adventuring, you can tell which shard is readied by the small icon next to the attack circles. I f the icon area is empty, the one being used ran out of charges, or one was never selected to begin with.
T he number nex t to the shard’s name represents the charges it has remaining. To fi re the readied shard, face your character in the direction you want it to go and press the space bar. See the “ Spell L istin gs” below for descriptions of the shards you may fi nd.
T hese are the spells held i n m agic shards of the Moonstone , which your character uses to blast creatures from a di stance, ev en those just off the playi ng screen! Each spell operates as though cast by a six th-level mage. A s you delve deeper into G ENIE ’ S CURSE, your character encounters enemies which also cast spells. When hit by a spell, your character’s natural m agic resistance may protect hi m. H int: Dodge spells. I f you are quick, some incantations can be avoided altogether . . . but not always! T he icon pictured here appears when a shard wi th th at spell i s readied.
Con e of Cold
When cast, thi s spell causes a cone-shaped area of extreme cold to extend 10 yards from the caster. I t freezes anythin g it touches for 12 to 30 points of damage.
35
36
Flame Arrow
T hi s spell empowers the caster to hurl a fi ery bolt 20 yards at an enemy. I f i t hi ts, the spell causes 1 to 6 poi nts of damage from the blow and 4 to 24 points of damage to any creature affected by flames.
Sunfire
T hi s spell h arnesses the v ery power of the sun and shoots it up to 70 yards where it forms an explosiv e ball of flam e. T hose k illed by the sunfi re are often burned to ash. T he spell does 6 to 36 poi nts of damage to those directly caught i n th e blast. T he caster is never damaged by sunfire .
Lightning Bolt
U pon releasin g thi s spell, a powerful strok e of electric energy shoots from the caster, greatly damagi ng whatev er it strik es. T he l i g h t n i n g bolt can ri cochet off walls, someti mes heading straight back i nto the caster. It damages every target that it hits for 6 to 36 points of damage before petering out after traveling 100 yards.
Sunscorch
Wh en cast, the sunscorch forms into an intense blast of heat which focuses in to a narrow beam and then fi res to the target. I t curves and wraps around obstacles up to 60 yards or unti l i t unerrin gly strik es the prey. T he beam does 4 to 24 points of damage plus 2 to 8 poin ts if the target is touching any metal item larger than a sword.
Magic Missile
When this spell is cast, a tight group of three missiles shoot towards any v isible target wi thi n 120 yards. T hey strik e the enemy closest to the caster in th e direction being faced. T he tight ball of m issiles cause a total of 6 to 15 points of damage.
Sundazzle
T hi s spell causes small, multi -colored spheres to dance about the eyes of the target, temporarily blinding it.
Water Blast
A fast mov ing shot of water springs from the caster and careens to the target exactly lik e a magic missile . T he blast does 2 to 12 poi nts of damage and travels up to 60 yards.
37
38
BESTIARY T hi s is a dangerous land, for behind i ts honorable facade li es in trigue, treachery, and deceit. In addition to the monsters, there are evi l humans bent upon your character’s destruction, and tremendously powerful genies whose actions are always unpredictable. Perhaps in this section you wi ll fi nd inf ormation on your foes to giv e you a greater chance of success.
Dangerous Inhabitants of G ENIE’S CURSE
Acid Blob See “ N ew M onster D escriptions” on page 47 for a detailed listing of the creatures new to G ENIE ’ S CURSE.
Ammut T he amm ut is the legendary wi tness at the judging of the damned who is then called upon to consume the evi l souls. T he good news is that they only eat the wick ed, and the bad news is that they enjoy k illi ng the honorable as well. I nstead of eating the corpse, however, th ey just play with it until a hungry scavenger comes along. O ily, smelling of decay, and a cross between a crocodile, hippopotamus, and lioness, the ammut does not present a pretty picture. It has massive claws and jaws to match, often roaring deafeningly during combat. H ating the light, the ammut are usually found underground seek ing sustenance from am oral bein gs.
39
40
B o a r , Gi a n t
E l em e n t a l , M i n i a t u r e ( A i r , E a r t h F i r e , a n d W a t e r ) T hi s ancestor of th e domestic hog i s not to be tak en lightly. It wi ll charge in to and viciously gore its target. T he giant boar is an omni vore which will eat anything and everything, and it k nows no fear when huntin g. T he boar resembles a hog, but wi th a shorter snout, coarser hair, straighter tai l, and vicious tusk s.
See “ N ew M onster D escriptions” on page 53 for a detailed listing of the creatures new to G ENIE ’ S CURSE.
Ettin Etti ns are powerful, gi ant-li k e creatures wi th two heads. Both heads sit atop the shoulders and give ettins an excellent ability to spot prey. T hey wear tattered, moth-eaten anim al sk ins and tend to be quite fi lthy. I n combat, the ettin attacks wi th m assiv e clubs; th is monster is truly a fearsome foe. Whi le their n ormal ski n color is greenish, there are rumors of even more powerful albi no ettins.
Co p p er A u t o m a t o n , M i n i a t u r e See “ N ew M onster Descriptions” on page 49 for a detailed listing of the creatures new to G ENIE’ S CURSE .
Cy c l o p s , D e s e r t See “ N ew M onster Descriptions” on page 51 for a detailed listing of the creatures new to G ENIE’ S CURSE .
Debbi T he debbi i s a hateful and selfish desert scavenger. It is but two feet tall and resembles a hairy creature halfway between a baboon and hyena. I ts snout, head, and jaws are those of a scavenger, and its body that of a nimble monk ey. T he debbi “ cause fear” in many other desert anim als — thi s ability occasionally causes magi cal spark s to spring from their coats. W hi le the beasts are cowards at heart, locals have recently reported the debbi in the area being more and m ore fearless. T he reasons for thi s change are unknow n.
Ghoul T he ghoul i s an undead scav enger wh ich feeds on th e flesh of corpses. It is recogni zable by its ghastly sk ull and decayi ng body. Ghouls are often encountered in packs and stop at nothin g to feed. I f one rakes a target wi th i ts fi lthy n ails there is a chance that paralysis wi ll ensue, slowing the target down greatly. While the near-stasis does not last long, it may be enough tim e for the monsters to fi ni sh off thei r target. U nless consumed, a person k illed by ghouls becomes a ghoul.
41
42
Gr e a t Gh u l
Mummy T he great ghuls are the undead cousins of the genies. T hey are often female, hav e donk ey ears and hooves, and their fl esh i s rotting and foul. T hey hav e the power to shape shi ft and appear in m ore appealing forms. T hey attack wi th surprisingly powerful claws and sharp teeth. T he vi ctim should not be surprised if ghuls become inv isible during combat. A lthough they cannot be seen, they can still cause and tak e damage.
M umm ies are horrifi c, powerful undead who destroy all that is livin g, usually because their eternal rest was disturbed. Clothed in rotting strips of linen they stand up to seven feet tall and strik e wi th an unnatural strength. A nythi ng that they k ill i mmediately rots. T he mummy has one major weakness, an d that is flam e. A ll fi rebased spells cause extra dam age to them.
Nas Nas Markeen T he mark een i s a lesser geni e cursed at birth to be the spitti ng im age of a human baby. T he mark een then grows of age as the hum an does, continuin g to be an identical twi n. H owever, the genie is not spiritually link ed to the human and can die earlier or later. T he mark een i s not necessarily evil and will rarely encounter its human double. O ther genies look down upon the mark een, often ex ili ng them to a life of seclusion.
T he nas nas are perhaps the most bizarre creature in this locale. Created by evil wizards with depraved and dreadful magic which requires their own blood, the nas nas is a human sliced in half and is very, very insane. H opping on one leg, fi ghting wi th one arm, unable to speak wi th but half a v ocal cord, and look in g at the world with on e crazed eye, th e nas nas often fi nds a way to k ill itself before reachin g thi rty years of age. U nfortunately, that often means throwing itself with wild abandon in to combat, hooting an d screami ng the only sounds it can m ak e. T hough only on one leg, the nas nas mov es rather quick ly, and its one massiv ely muscled arm dexterously w ields a scimitar.
43
44
Ogrima
R a t , Gi a n t Z a k h a r a n
T he ogrim a is a result of breeding between standard ogres and ogre magi. T hey have li mi ted spell use, and are quite strong and cunning. A n ogrim a stands nearly ni ne feet tall, has sick ly sk in , and has a head covered by thi ck greasy hair whi ch i s topped wi th a n ascent horn. T hey attack with weapons, an d can hold two-handed swords in j ust one massiv e hand. T he ogrim a tend to disdain armor, relying on their natural regeneration to carry them through combat.
See “ N ew M onster D escriptions” on page 55 for a detailed listing of the creatures new to G ENIE ’ S CURSE.
Sorcerer T he sorcerers of this world derive their arcane powers from either one or two of the elemental forces. W hether it be a fi re, ai r, earth, water or a two element sorcerer, at higher levels they are deadly. Sorcerers rely on powerful spells and always avoid hand-to-hand combat when possible. Fl eet of foot, they pose a challenge to any they encounter.
Pirate Pirates are evil corsairs. T hey roam everywhere on the Crowded Sea and no ship is safe from their marauding. T here are many different pirates, from lowly one-eyed buccaneers, to thei r male sea dog leaders, to the powerful f emale rovers, to the dreaded captains. A ttacki ng with scimi tars and sometimes missile weapons, the pirates will close quick ly wi th a target shi p and then rush to board it. O n the plus side, if they can be fought back and beaten, their shi p nearly always carries treasure.
Sp i d e r , H u g e T he huge spider is an aggressive predator often found dwelling in dungeons. Nearly six feet long an d usually i n groups, they scuttle across the floor quickly and attack wi thout remorse. T heir dark colors mak e them di ffi cult to spot in the shadows of a cavern. T he cli mate has caused the spiders to have a poison somewhat less potent than their k in d normally h arbors. I f bitten by a spider, and affected by the poison, the target merely tak es damage instead of automatically dying.
45
46
New Monster Descriptions
Werehyena T he werehyena i s a lycanthrope, able to change from human form to that of a giant hyena at will. In human form, the werehyena is often quite friendly and charismatic. H owever, it usually fi ghts in its hyena form, where it is six feet long and has massive jaws with which it rends its prey. T he werehyena is somewhat afrai d of fire, but if cornered is not daunted by it.
T hese monsters are new to the A DVA NCED D U NG EO NS & DR A GO NS� game. M ost of them w ere created for G ENIE’ S CURSE . If you would like to in corporate them i nto your own campai gns, their statistics follow.
Zombie Zombies are mindless undead creatures followin g sim ple comman ds from a master, who may be long dead. T hey are k nown for their rotting fl esh and putrid smells. Zom bies mov e very slowly an d attack the same way, tryin g to pummel their target. Typically, they are found underground in charnel places. I f encountered in large groups, they can pose a threat to a weak ened adventurer. R umors abound around the Crowded Sea of undead pirate ships somehow controlled by zombies and ghouls.
Acid Blob
Desert Cyclops
Miniature Copper Automaton
Miniature Elementals — Air, Earth, Fire & Water
Giant Zakharan Rat
47
48 Combat:
Acid Blob NO. APPEARING:
2-8 ( 1)
ARMOR CLASS:
8
MOVEMENT:
5
HIT DICE:
2
THACØ:
19
CLIMATE/TERRAIN:
Subterranean
NO. OF ATTA CKS:
1
FREQUENCY:
Rare
DAMAGE/ATTACK:
1-6
ORGANIZATION:
Pack
SPECIAL ATTACKS:
See Below
ACTIVITY CYCLE:
A ny
SPECIAL DEFENSES:
N il
DIET:
Omnivore
MAGIC RESISTANCE:
N il
INTELLIGENCE:
None ( 0)
SIZE:
S (2’ -3’)
TREASURE:
N il
MORALE:
( 10)
ALIGNMENT:
Neutral
EXP. POINT VALUE:
65
T he acid blob is a small but potentially deadly creature living in unk empt underground areas. I ts name gives accurate description to the m onster, a moving glob consisting of an
acidi c substance. T he acid blob tends to be green, although dark er colors hav e also been sighted. U nlik e many of its ilk , the acid blob does not move on the wall or ceiling, it just hops along the ground.
T he acid blob attack s by strik ing at prey wi th i ts body. T he acid is not strong enough to continue burning flesh after its strik e, but metals are in great danger. Every non-magical metal weapon which touches the acid blob and every non-magical piece of metal armor which the acid blob hi ts must mak e a sav in g throw or be weak ened. A ny item fai ling to save has a 5% cumulati ve chance of breaki ng each ti me it is struck thereafter. F or exam ple, a sword which is being used against an acid blob that fails two saving throws has a 10% chance of breaki ng every tim e it is used. T hi s corrosion has no effect on magical items.
Habitat/Society:
A cid blobs are usually found in groups, since new acid blobs are created by blobs separating from their host and then joinin g together. T his is a purely i nstinctual occurrence since the blobs have no intelligence.
Ecology:
A cid blobs are dungeon scav engers, absorbin g non-stone items they encounter for whatever nutrients they require. While they can survive off of non-living materials, acid blobs prefer living targets and will pursue them until death or lunch.
49
50
Copper Automaton, Miniature
Combat: NO. APPEARING:
1 ( 20% ) 3-18 (80% )
ARMOR CLASS:
5
MOVEMENT:
7
HIT DICE:
3+ 3
THACØ:
17
NO. OF ATTA CKS:
2
CLIMATE/TERRAIN:
A ny/Ruins
DAMAGE/ATTACK:
1-4 / 1-4
FREQUENCY:
Rare
SPECIAL ATTACKS:
None
ORGANIZATION:
Solitary
SPECIAL DEFENSES:
ACTIVITY CYCLE:
Constant
Spell Immunities
DIET:
None
MAGIC RESISTANCE:
N il
INTELLIGENCE:
Low (5)
SIZE:
M (3’-5’)
TREASURE:
N il
MORALE:
Fearless ( 20)
ALIGNMENT:
Neutral
EXP. POINT VALUE:
120
M ini ature copper automatons are very similar to their larger counterpart, the copper autom aton. T hey are magi cal statues of copper and bronze with numerous levers and gears churning inside of them all held together by magical enchantments. A s they are creations, automatons look quite different from one another. Some have
block y bodies and long arm s whi le others look more lik e small human k nights. A ll of them are corroding and hav e blank eyes. T he mi ni ature versions are not as well made as the larger automatons and thus cannot manipulate objects very well. H owever, a simple task lik e pulling a switch or turning a door k nob i s possible.
M ini ature copper automatons attack wi th their two metalli c hands, clubbing or pinching with fair strength for 1 to 4 points of damage per lim b. T hey do not share the heat-generating abilities of their larger v ersions. T he automatons can only be healed, or repaired, by t he combined efforts of a wizard of at least 6th-level and a well-trained smith. With this team, the automaton recovers 1 to 8 hit points per day. O nce ki lled, or destroyed, the automaton may not be rebuilt.
Habitat/Society:
M iniature copper automatons are the creations of wizards not powerful enough to create larger automatons, or not desiri ng to pay the addition al ex penses for them. U pon inception, and changeable at any time thereafter, the mage gives the mass of clin k in g parts a simple task to carry out. Some are used to stand guard over the tombs of their dead masters, others patrol dungeons warding against intruders, and some are used as slave labor doing the most sim ple, but laborious work . T hey perform any service within their lim ited mental grasp.
T he method of formi ng a miniature automaton is not a well-k ept secret. A ny w izard of at least 6th-level with 2, 000 gold pieces can bui ld one. T he whole process tak es about two w eek s, and requi res copper ore, i ron gears, lead counterweights and a gemstone worth at least 500 gold pieces to center the wizard’s magi cal energies. A lso needed is half of an oil of slipperin ess vial to k eep the gears turnin g.
Ecology:
M ini ature Copper A utomatons need no food, no rest, no external energy source and no loving encouragement. T hey are completely unnatural, w ith no ni che in the ecological balance.
51
52
Cyclops, Desert NO. APPEARING:
1-6
ARMOR CLASS:
4
MOVEMENT:
10
HIT DICE:
6+ 6
THACØ:
15
NO. OF ATTA CKS:
2
DAMAGE/ATTACK:
1-8 x 2 or Weapon
CLIMATE/TERRAIN:
A ny land
FREQUENCY:
Rare
ORGANIZATION:
Clan
SPECIAL ATTACKS:
N il
ACTIVITY CYCLE:
A ny
SPECIAL DEFENSES:
N il
DIET:
Omnivore
MAGIC RESISTANCE:
N il
INTELLIGENCE:
A verage (8-10)
SIZE:
L ( 8’ - 10’)
TREASURE:
M ( Q , D)
MORALE:
Steady (1 2)
ALIGNMENT:
Chaotic Neutral
EXP. POINT VALUE:
420
Combat:
O nce angered or attacked, the desert cyclops is a vi cious foe. A long history of persecuti on has left them easy to anger and very dangerous when their i re does arise. T hey attack by punching with their strong arms, or wi th a large two-handed weapon with which they get a strength bonus of +6 on each hit. T he cyclops are not agi le enough to use two weapons at one time.
O ther desert cyclops are loners, who live a solitary existence in a rock y cave or in a small bui lding they have pieced together in the middle of some wasteland. T hese cyclops are also defensive, but some of them begin to crave contact to such a degree that they will talk wi th strangers instead of attack ing or hi ding. A ll desert cyclops speak in the common tongue.
O ccasionally the desert cyclops are seen i n arm or, whi ch needs to be specially made for their oddlyshaped bodies. H owever, m ost do not wear armor, since their naturally tough sk in is often as good as any but the best metals.
A very few number of desert cyclops have managed to find acceptance in hum an society, and have pursued careers as any other human would. T his is always a tenuous existence which often ends with the cyclops being blamed for some tragedy or murder with which they had no connection. H owever, there are also stories of Caliphs or other nobles hiring cyclops’ to help determi ne if their subjects are speaking the truth.
Habitat/Society: T he desert cyclops is slightly taller than a human and has rough, sand-colored sk in. T hey are secretive creatures, often persecuted by humans who fear their size and the one large eye which seems to peer into their very soul. T he upper body of th e desert cyclops is usually quite muscular, sometimes out of proportion to the rest of their frame. Depending on its chosen lifestyle and habi tat, desert cyclops can look extremely di fferent f rom one another. Some wear animal hides and are covered with combat scars and sandpaper sk in , whi le others dress normally, and do not look li k e fighters at all.
T he only facet nearly i dentical in every desert cyclops is the large eye. I t is unblink ing, v irtually always sk y-blue, and is both the pride and sham e of its owner. T he eye is considered very beautiful among th e cyclops themselv es, but others use it as a rallying point for vilification. T he cyclops do in deed hav e a special ability with their eye. Whi le look ing at a person who i s speak in g, they can ascertain i f there are any lies being told. If the speaker k nows of this power, he or she can try to block it and mak e the cyclops thin k that they are telling the truth by mak in g a saving throw against magic.
It is difficult to pin down the desert cyclops to any one type, as they liv e in many different w ays. T he most common arrangement is the desert clan. T his is a small group, not usually more than six, excluding children, living as hunters and gatherers in the desert sands. T hey will mov e with the weather or as water supplies dim inish. T hese clans are fiercely defensive and usually attack any intruder who does not obey their orders to leave immediately. Some k ill anyone for just seein g where their clan i s livi ng. T hese actions help to fuel human anti-cyclops tendencies, whi ch are otherwise largely built upon fallacies.
Ecology:
T he cyclops has very similar dietary needs to that of a human, with one major difference. Cyclops wi ll sprink le sand on their food in the same manner as humans would use a seasoning such as salt. No studies have been done to ascertain how the sand is digested or if it benefits the cyclops in any manner, although common theory states that it aids in digestion. T here are no records of a desert cyclops actually living off of sand, but it is a popular garnish.
53
54
Elemental, Miniature
Earth
Fire
Water
CLIMATE/ TERRAIN: A ny Land
A ny Land
A ny Land
A ny Water/ Shore
FREQUENCY :
U ncommon
U ncommon
U ncommon
U ncommon
ORGANIZATION:
Pack
Pack
Pack
Pack
ACTIVITY CYCLE:
A ny
A ny
A ny
A ny
DIET:
A ir
Earth, M etal, Gem
A ny Combustible
A ny Liquid
INTELLIGENCE:
A nimal ( 1)
A nimal ( 1)
A nimal ( 1)
A nimal ( 1)
TREASURE:
Nil
N il
N il
N il
ALIGNMENT:
Neutral
N eutral
Neutral
N eutral
NO. APPEARING
2-12
2-8
2-12
3-18
ARMOR CLASS:
6
6
7
7
MOVEMENT:
14
6
12
10
HIT DICE:
1
1+ 3
1+ 2
1+ 1
THACØ:
19
19
19
19
NO. OF ATTA CKS:
1
1
1
1
DAMAGE / ATTACK :
1-3
1-4
2-5
1-4
SPECIAL ATTACKS:
Nil
N il
N il
N il
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See Below
See Below
See Below
See Below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
N il
N il
N il
SIZE:
S ( 2’ )
S ( 2’ )
S ( 2’ )
S ( 2’ )
MORALE:
A v erage ( 10)
A v erage ( 1 0)
A v erage ( 1 0)
A v erage ( 1 0)
65
35
35
TYPE:
Air
EXP. POINT VAL UE: 35
It i s not known how mini ature elementals came into ex istence. T hey used to be ex tremely rare, and were considered to be myth by most scholars, but recent reports of sighti ngs and attack s by the elementals have increased. Some conjecture that they are small bits of larger elementals whi ch brok e free, and now roam of their own accord. T he min iature elementals are all less than two feet tall and look li k e their element. Fi re elementals are small moving balls of flame, air elementals are little whirlwinds, earth elementals are mov ing rock s, and water elementals are bouncing blobs of cohesive water. Whatever their origin, the miniature elementals have become a large nuisance in some areas. A lthough seldom powerful enough to k ill an alert warrior, and not i ntelligent enough to plan attacks again st weak opponents, the elementals are not to be ignored. O ften traveling in packs, they can be dangerous when surrounding a lone target. R umors are also circulati ng about larger versions of the miniature water elemental attacki ng merchant shi ps, th ough thi s is yet to be confi rmed.
A s of the date of thi s writi ng, no mage has been able to purposely conjure a miniature elemental. Perhaps they are too small to be grabbed from their respective elemental planes by magical snares.
Combat:
A ll mini ature elementals attack by launching their body at their targets. In addition, earth elementals launch bits of stone at the target. None of them are powerful enough to cause any extra damage — for instance, a blow by the fi re elemental does not require any saving throw to k eep items from burning. A ll of the elementals hav e special defenses against certain types of attacks. Water-based spells do 1 point less of damage per die ( mi nim um 1 point per die) against mi niature water elementals and fi re-based spells have the same damage reduction against mi ni ature fire elementals. A ttacks by cutti ng weapons do one-half damage to miniature earth elementals and lastly, magi cal weapons (or spells) are needed to damage the miniature air elemental.
55
56 Combat:
Rat, Giant Zakharan NO. APPEARING:
1-12
ARMOR CLASS:
6
MOVEMENT:
14
HIT DICE:
4
THACØ:
17
CLIMATE/TERRAIN:
Subterranean
NO. OF ATTA CKS:
1
FREQUENCY:
U ncommon
DAMAGE/ATTACK:
1-8
ORGANIZATION:
Pack
SPECIAL ATTACKS:
N il
ACTIVITY CYCLE:
A ny
SPECIAL DEFENSES:
N il
DIET:
Omnivore
MAGIC RESISTANCE:
N il
INTELLIGENCE:
A nimal- (1)
SIZE:
M (4’-7’)
TREASURE:
N il
MORALE:
( 10)
ALIGNMENT:
Neutral
EXP. POINT VALUE:
175
T he giant Z akharan rat is a cousin to the giant rat with the main difference being size. Zak haran rats are huge, w ith lengths of up to seven feet ( not including the tail) . T hey are just
as filth y, di sease ridden, ferocious, and fl eet of foot as their smaller cousins. T heir fur is generally brownish and their eyes a deep red.
Gi ant Zakharan rats are annoying creatures which rush into a fi ght with extreme quick ness and then maddeni ngly gnaw and claw until they are k illed. I t is rare to fin d a sin gle rat; they tend to roam i n pack s. Wh ile generally easy to k ill, there are stories of giant rats closing in and k illi ng a hero weak ened after the hero has just defeated a major foe. U nli k e other rats, thi s vari ety is not particularly afraid of flames. M any tales exist of adventurers expectin g torches or bonfi res to k eep them safe from the rats only to be viciously attacked while unprepared.
Ecology:
T he giant Zakharan rat tends to live in dank underground areas li k e dungeons. I t can slip through tight openings as the creature’s skeletal system compresses drastically. T he rats are usually found in groups, but it i s very rare to find more than a dozen i n any one place. T heir diet is anything and everything whi ch they encounter that is, or was once, living
57
DESIGNER’S NOTES
MONSTER AND MAGIC INDEX Monsters
Spells and Potions
Acid Blob................................ 47
Cone of Cold............................ 34
Am mut ................................... 38
Extra Healing ......................... 31
Boar, Gian t ............................ 39
Flame Arrow........................... 35
Copper Automaton, Min iatu re ...49
Giant Strength........................ 31
Cyclop s, Desert ......... ...... ...... .. 51
Heali ng .................................. 31
Debbi ..................................... 39
Invulnerability........................ 32
Elementa l, Min iat ure ( Air , Earth, Fire or Water) ......53
Ligh tn in g Bolt ........................ 35
Ettin ...................................... 40
Magi c Missile ......................... 35
Ghoul ..................................... 40
Oil of Elemental Invulnerability (Ai r, Earth, Fire and Water).....32
Great Ghul .............................. 41
Sundazzle............................... 35
Ma rk een ................................. 41
Sunfire.................................... 36
Mummy.................................. 42
Sunscorch............................... 36
Nas Na s ................................. 42
Wat er Blast ............................ 36
Ogrima................................... 43 Pirate..................................... 43 Rat, Giant Zakhar an ..............55 Sorcerer .................................. 44 Spid er, Huge........................... 44 Werehyena ............................. 45 Zombie................................... 45
C
reat in g Geni e’s Curse present ed some uni que chall enges to us here at Cyberl ore Stu dios. We str ove to create a game tha t wa s completely uni que from other role-playi ng games. First w e want ed our game to be easily accessible to al l t hose players who are frustra ted by th e complex combat , spell an d inv entory systems that so man y other games employ. We’ve always thought i t w as more fun casting a spell t han m emorizing it . The real-t ime combat adds an element of danger and imm ediacy missing i n ph ased combat systems. We want ed the player character to be a pre-roll ed character wi th a specific background and history. This presents you wi th a n ew challenge: non-pla yer characters in t he game expect your character to act li ke an honorabl e young pri nce. But, we give you a wi de choice of actions. Your prin ce can be anythi ng you wan t hi m to be; honorab le, impati ent, or down ri ght ru de. Of course, being rude to the wrong person can land your character in jail pretty fast. The AL-QADIM™ game world present ed it s own chal lenges to the Cyberlor e designers as well a s pla yers. This is not t he medieval hack and slash worl d we’re all used to playi ng in . This is a carefully structur ed society where honor is more imp ortan t th an muscle. The player w ho plans on hacking hi s way t hrough this game had bett er save the game often. The look of t he game is also unique. We want ed it t o have the feel of the “Technicolor” Sinba d and A rabi an Ni ghts movies we grew u p wi th. We never pi ctured the game locations as real places. Instead, we pictur ed them as movie sets on n eatly swept sound stages, and we filled th e areas wi th decorat ive props and dressed the actors in costum es from t he “Arabia n” secti on of t he costume department. In a market filled wit h fant asy role-playi ng games we hope G ’ S ENIE C URSE stands out and gives you a uni que and funadventure. Enjoy!
