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Dwarf Mountain (a contradiction in terms if you ask me... oh, you didn't) has stood in the land of Anrea since the beginning of time and is the source of evil forces that plague the surrounding countryside with war and famine. The mountain's pinnacle holds the secret of immortality, a secret craved by three Anrean dragonmasters. For a spot of amusement (and 'cause there's only snooker on the telly) the Great Lords of Anrea permit these three to fight for entry to Dwarf Mountain.

Scattered across the land are three sections of a talisman which, when joined, form a key to the mountain. The first dragonmaster to successfully manipulate his dragons to find and keep all the sections will gain immortality.

Before play commences choose which dragonmaster you want to be; the remaining two are controlled by other humans (if you know any) or computer.

Each dragonmaster begins with a single dragon, hence the basis of Dragon's Breath is to breed sufficient dragons to search, fight for, and guard the talisman pieces.

However, things aren't that easy: not only are you harassed by the other dragonmasters but also be monetary problems. You need dosh to finance the building of your dragon forces and to maintain a good supply of spell ingredients (more about spells in a mo). You can carry out tasks for needy villages to gain financial rewards but most of your money comes from taxes on villages you own.

Once you've chosen a dragonmaster the Castle Screen is displayed, through which are accessed a detailed and very informative map of the countryside, your library, your dragons' lair, spell laboratory, egg incubator, and back door.

The map permits a detailed study of areas and villages across Anrea and is the means by which you select targets for your dragons to attack, destroy, overthrow or search.

The library provides info on your financial situation (overdrafts are not allowed), news of happenings in Anrea (even dragonmasters like a bit of gossip) and your current stock of spell ingredients.

Your incubator allows development of up to four dragon eggs at a time. Temperatures - set at your discretion - at which they incubate influence the strength of new-born dragons: the longer its incubation period the stronger the beast will be... and the more expensive to hatch.

Trademen appear from time to time to sell spell ingredients. The door flashes when someone's knocking.

Your dragons's lair has cells for up to eight dragons although you may have more spread throughout Anrea, guarding villages or pieces of the talisman. Selecting a dragon's cell allows close study of the creature, informing you of its health, strength, wisdom, eyesight and whether it's diseased or not.

As you sit in the relative safety of your castle you dispatch dragons to perform your dirty work. Dragon missions are either undertaken by computer or, if you're feeling particularly dexterous, grab the joystick and control the fire-breathing ferocity yourself as he tackles tasks given. However, until you become proficient with control methods, personally directing dragons greatly improves their chances of dying.

Your spell laboratory is the nub of the game. The manual states that you can play Dragon's Breath without ever having to use a spell, but as your opponents (especially those of the computer kind) will definitely use them against you it's best to at least dabble in the mystic arts. Spells are used to improve your dragons' powers, to affect villages (increase population of those in your control and decrease the population of those not), to enhance egg incubation, to increase your supply of eggs, and aid your financial position. They are prepared for casting by mixing ingredients from stock in your spell room. Each ingredient affects the spell in a positive or negative way, as does the method of adding it to a spell mixture (a fairly complex template helps you to sort out which does what).

Each player takes a turn doing whatever deeds he sees fit for success: raiding villages, buying spell ingredients, incubating, and so on. And when all three are satisfied you're returned to the start screen where time is moved forward one month. Now you sit and watch the outcome of players' deeds, unless you decided to control your dragon's exploits yourself - then it's waggle-that-joystick time.

Throughout the game highly detailed graphics and an extraordinary soundtrack accompany your efforts to gain entry to Dwarf Mountain. And although spells are quite complex and take some time to master they add excitement and adventure to what is otherwise a basic, if very pretty, strategic game. So ignore the idea that you can play Dragon's Breath without using magic and get casting; you'll get the hang of it... after a spell.