.........+.........+.........+........ ........+.........+.........+.........+ NOTE: The instruction booklet included with the Spectrum version of Bloodwych was not updated to match the Spectrum version of the program. Some of the program functions work differently, and the screen diagrams in the booklet do not match the Spectrum screen layouts. I've included some notes in [] where I've spotted differences, and the screen diagrams I've included are taken from actual Spectrum screenshots. JimG .........+.........+.........+........ ........+.........+.........+.........+ BLOODWYCH (Image Works) BLOODWYCH - AN INTRODUCTION BLOODWYCH is a sophisticated role playing adventure game which utilises all the advanced features of your computer. A lot of time and effort has gone into making BLOODWYCH a unique experience in computer adventure games, featuring: * An advanced character interaction system, enabling you to communicate fully with all the creatures and people in the game. * Sophisticated spell-casting and combat systems, enhancing the realistic gameplay. * An easy to use icon-based control system. * Stunning three-dimensional views. * And a whole lot more besides ... This booklet contains background information and full instructions for playing BLOODWYCH. This will allow you to quickly begin playing and enjoying the game. At the end of this booklet you will also find some hints and tips on getting the most out of BLOODWYCH. These will help you get easily into the more advanced aspects of the game. Now turn the page and let the adventure begin ... CONTENTS Loading Instructions ............................. Page 4 The Legend of Bloodwych .......................... Page 4 How to Play Bloodwych ............................ Page 7 Hints and Tips ................................... Page 17 .........+.........+.........+........ 3 ........+.........+.........+.........+ LOADING INSTRUCTIONS Commodore C64 (128 in 64 Mode) Disk - Type LOAD "*",8,1 press RETURN Tape - Press the SHIFT + RUN/STOP keys together. Amstrad CPC Disk - Type RUN"DISC Tape - Type 1 TAPE (on disk based machines) Press the CONTROL + ENTER keys together. Spectrum Disk + Tape (128k) - Select LOADER from the title menu; game will auto-run. (48k) - Type LOAD ""; press ENTER The Legend of The Bloodwych ... It has long been the custom among the people of Trazere to tell the most ancient of legends; that of The Bloodwych, secret order of psychic mages. It is said that many eons ago The Bloodwych ruled over the ancient and power- ful city of Treihadwyl. There they secretly presided over the affairs of the land of Trazere, meting out punishment and reward to its citizens, and communing with the elements on their behalf. For many centuries the people of Trazere lived in respectful awe of The Bloodwych, but while they rules the land was safe. Safe, that is, until one black morn long before your grand- father's great grandfather was conceived. For there was among The Bloodwych one Zendick, second in power and mystic arts to the Grand Dragon alone. But for all his power and wisdom, Zendick was a creature driven by greed and ambition. He was no longer satisfied with living in the shadow of the master mage, so he rejected the ways of The Bloodwych and courted black and evil arts. After many years of devious plotting Zendick was finally ready to deal the blow he had long dreamt of, and that very day he called the powers of darkness to him and destroyed the Grand Dragon, leader of The Bloodwych. His Bloodwych brothers were unprepared for this onslaught, and thus were unable to resist Zendick before he banished them forever to the astral plane. It is said that Zendick's evil laughter could be heard resounding across the whole land on that morn. All day and all night was his laughter heard, and on the following day the skies darkened, and rained blood, and the land opened up, and many good citizens of Trazere were heard of no more. .........+.........+.........+........ 4 ........+.........+.........+.........+ It is then told how in the many moons that followed Zendick called to Treihadwyl many creatures of the night, and the goodly folk of the land dared not walk forth after sunset. And slowly the city of mages was trans- formed. There appeared above its ramparts forbidding towers and within them lay great crystals of storing, slowly sucking energy and life from the land. With this energy Zendick intended to summon a Lord of Entropy, incarnation of pure chaos, who would dissolve the fabric of the Universe into the elements from which it was forged. Then, Zendick alone would be free to recreate the world in his own image. He was, of course, quite mad. Chaos would leave nothing but the crystals from which it was born. With each passing year the land about Treihadwyl became bleaker and colder. The city itself seemed to radiate evil, infecting all who strayed within its influence. Trazere and its people became but a shadow of all they had been before, and the birth of each child, and the harvesting of the crops, became times for weeping, not rejoicing. Once a great mob, armed with little more than their wits, marched on the city, determined to end the blight that had ruined their lives. Only one man returned, half-starved, his flesh scorched and bare. He barely had time to utter the horrors he had seen before his final breath shuddered through his body and his soul mercifully joined those of his fallen comrades. Now, as I write this infernal record, there seems little more to live for. Disease and despair pervade the land, and the lust for life our forefathers had will never be enjoyed by their children. All that remains is to pray. Pray that some day The Bloodwych will return and avenge us. Helveth Sharpquill, Scribe. Written by his own hand this 13th day of Seth, in the four thousand and eighty first year of the dark. ... somewhere, deep in the Realm of Souls, a mind was reaching out, calling its companions towards it. Unseen like the wind, the spirits of many came together. Formless though they were, each mind linked, sharing its thoughts with the others. No word was uttered, no sound made, but within the astral void a thought took shape. .........+.........+.........+........ 5 ........+.........+.........+.........+ "Bloodwych are we, immortal mages, seekers of light. We must not be defeated, brothers. The black art of Zendick has thrived for too long. He must be destroyed, and the right time is now. Zendick's influence is grown too strong. The Lord of Entropy is gathering his power, and will soon begin his plague of destruction. If we do not banish him to the realm of chaos then all will be lost ... "Saldar and Vestryl, you are charged with the most important task any of the Bloodwych have ever undertaken. You must find the last sixteen champions of Trazere, and link your minds with the worthiest two. Then, if the Universe is to be saved, you must lead them into the heart of Treihadwyl, and once there, find and destroy the crystals of storing. Go now, and may the spirit of the Bloodwych be with you ..." Murlock Darkheart awoke to find himself in the gloom of a cold stone passage- way. He groaned as he sat up, his eyes misting over with pain. Immediately he remembered the previous night. Strange that so many adventurers should have arrived at the same lonely tavern in one evening. That, he promised himself, would be the very last time that a drop of mead passed his lips. How was it possible that a powerful and dignified mage like himself could have ended up carousing with common fighters? He would never again be able to look his fellow spell-casters in the eye. Right now, though, his main concern was getting out of the filthy hole he had wandered into in his drunken stupor. As he walked on, Murlock's heart began to sink. The corridors seemed to go on for ever, winding about each other like an enormous maze. He was beginning to wonder if he was destined to become rat fodder in this godless place, when he thought he caught a glimpse of something moving ahead of him. And surely enough, as he rounded a corner he saw a figure heading off into the darkness. If his eyes did not mistake him, it was one of the adventurers he had encountered in the tavern the night before. Darkheart was about to give chase when a sudden nausea came over him and he fell to the ground retching. His head seemed about to explode, and he become confused by strange visions of things unknown to him. But his pain was not long-lived. The sickness soon subsided and was replaced by a comforting presence. As he recovered, Darkheart realised that something very strange had happened to him, but he was not afraid ... the Bloodwych were with him. .........+.........+.........+........ 6 ........+.........+.........+.........+ HOW TO PLAY BLOODWYCH You are one of the Bloodwych. You must take the persona of one of the last sixteen champions of Trazere. You must first explore Treihadwyl, recruiting more champions, and gathering items to aid you in your task. Once you are prepared you must get the four crystals of storing from the towers. Take them to the fifth tower and there destroy Zendick, and banish the Lord of Entropy to the realm of chaos. To do this you will have to defeat the agents of Zendick. The Lord of Entropy has transformed many of the citizens of Trazere into weird monsters, and twisted the minds of many into those of psychotic killers. Some of these citizens may aid you, but many will try to destroy you. Good luck in your mission, and remember, the spirit of the Bloodwych is always with you. BLOODWYCH is played using keyboard or joystick, which mimic the functions of your computer's mouse controller. Amstrad and Spectrum offer the opportunity to define keyboard functions. If you wish to use the joystick select this option and push your stick as prompted. Most of the functions of BLOODWYCH are activated by using the joystick to move a pointer (in the shape of a small arrow) over an icon and then pressing the fire button to activate that icon. Player one's pointer is blue, player two's is red. [Neither the instruction booklet or cassette inlay say what the initial ] [keyboard control settings are, so it's essential to select the "define ] [keyboard" option first. ] [As far as I can see, the only joysticks which can be used with the ] [Spectrum version of Bloodwych are those which map to keyboard characters,] [such as the Cursor joystick. JimG] ABOUT CHARACTERS The character selection page (see Figure One - BLOODWY1.GIF) shows the sixteen available champions. To inspect a champion click on the Shield representing that character. The champion will then appear in one of the Player Boxes to the right of the screen, together with their attributes displayed in the Character Scroll. Click on the Bag icon to view the character's inventory. The Bag icon will now become a Book icon. Click on this to view the character's Spell Book. The Book icon will become a Scroll icon. Click on this to return to the Character Scroll. See sections on spells and the inventory for an explanation of these displays. If you now wish to view another champion you can do so by clicking on the appropriate Shield. You may view as many champions as you wish in this way. When you have chosen a suitable champion, click on the Suit icon (the playing cards) to confirm your choice. When both players (in a two player game) have selected their champions the game will begin. Ensure you select all the champions you wish to take as you will not meet them again. Each player may select up to four champions to make up a party. [In the Spectrum version, clicking on the Suit icon finishes character ] [selection, even if there are still selection slots available. To select ] [more than one champion, click on an empty selection slot in the middle of] [the screen and then click on a champion to be assigned to that position. ] Psyche Types There are four psyche types, each indicated by a different suit of cards. Each psyche type has different strengths and weaknesses. The types are: Fighters, good in combat Spades Mages, excellent at casting spells Clubs Adventurers, all-rounders and diplomats Hearts Archers / Assassins Diamonds .........+.........+.........+........ 7 ........+.........+.........+.........+ [BLOODWY1.GIF here] FIGURE ONE - SELECTING A CHAMPION Any psyche type can attempt and perform actions normally associated with another type. They may, however, not be very adept at it. Character Attributes Clicking on the Scroll icon (Figure Two - BLOODWY2.GIF) will call up the Character Scroll for the currently selected leader. This shows the following character attributes: LEVEL This is an indication of your character's experience. This affects all of your basic skills and speciality skills. The higher your Level is, the more competent you are at everything. STRENGTH This affects how easily you hit during combat and how much damage you will inflict on your opponent. AGILITY This also affects your skill in combat, as well as your ability to dodge attacks. .........+.........+.........+........ 8 ........+.........+.........+.........+ CHARISMA This is an indication of how much influence you have over other characters. HIT POINTS This shows how much damage you can take before dying. Hit Points can be restored with appropriate potions, spells, or by resting. The first figure shows your current Hit Points, while the second figure shows the maximum number of Hit Points you can reach. VITALITY This is an indication of how much energy you have. If your Vitality drops to zero you will start to take damage. Potions and spells may be used to assist in recovering your Vitality. As with Hit Points, the first figure shows your current Vitality while the second shows your maximum Vitality. FOOD This bar shows how well-fed a character is. If the bar is short, a character is hungry and will soon require food. The Food level influences the speed at which Vitality is recovered. Click once anywhere on the screen to revert to the main control display. The important attributes for the current leader are also displayed in the statistics box situated to the right of the leader icon. The three bars in the box show, from top to bottom: hit points, vitality, and spell points. MOVING CHARACTERS When moving or performing any other significant action in BLOODWYCH it is the currently selected party leader who performs the action. The other members of the party respond on their own initiative. The current leader is indicated by a box around their Suit icon (Figure Two - BLOODWY2.GIF). To change the current leader simply click twice on the appropriate Suit icon. Note that the leader does not necessarily have to be at the front of the party. It is possible at any stage to change the marching order of the party. To do this simply click once on a member's Suit icon. This will now become grey. Now click once on the new position and the marching order will change appropriately. Movement is achieved by clicking on the appropriate movement icon (Figure Two - BLOODWY2.GIF). Note that Turn Left or Right makes your character turn through ninety degrees on the spot, whereas Step Left or Right makes your character move left or right without facing in that direction. .........+.........+.........+........ 9 ........+.........+.........+.........+ [BLOODWY2.GIF here] FIGURE TWO - THE MAIN SCREEN When a movement icon is activated it will flash briefly and your character will move appropriately. If you attempt to move into a space that is already occupied, by a pillar or another character for instance, the icon will flash but no movement will occur. Stairways To ascend or descend a stairway merely step onto it. It is not necessary to be facing the stairway to do this. If you turn on a stairway you will move up or down depending on whether you were initially at the top or the bottom. Doors Doors can be opened or closed by clicking on the Door icon (Figure Two - BLOODWY2.GIF), or by clicking on the door in the 3D display. If you have previously cast a continuous spell, or there is a spell waiting to be cast, then the Door icon will be concealed by the Spell icon. In order to use the Door icon it is necessary to first cancel the spell. Attempting to open a locked door will result in the word "LOCKED" appearing. Locked doors can be unlocked with an appropriate key or spell. See the sections on spells and the inventory for an explanation of how to do this. .........+.........+.........+....... 10 ........+.........+.........+.........+ SPELLS Clicking on the Book icon calls up the Spell Book display (Figure Three - BLOODWY3.GIF). Clicking on the arrows above the book will turn the pages of the book forward or backward. Clicking on the central double arrow will close the book and return to the main control display. Preparing spells To prepare a spell you must first click on one of the four runes on each page. Only known spells may be selected, and these are coloured after their magical alignments (green, blue, red, or yellow). A spell not yet known will be in grey and cannot be selected. The currently selected spell is identified below the spell book by its name, colour, and present cost. If no spell is currently prepared the area below the book will have grey stars and there will be no spell named there. The [BLOODWY3.GIF here] FIGURE THREE - THE SPELL BOOK .........+.........+.........+....... 11 ........+.........+.........+.........+ cost of the spell selected may be altered by clicking on the arrows either side of the current value. Raising the cost of a spell will improve its power and cast percentage, but also the size of the drain on your spell points. Lowering the cost of the spell will make it use less spell points but will decrease its power or cast percentage. Your current maximum spell points are shown beneath the spell. Successful use of a spell will increase your proficiency at that spell which will make the spell cheaper and/or more powerful for future casts. A spell which has been prepared will remain so until it is cast or another spell is selected or the party sleeps. Casting spells A spell is cast by clicking on the Star icons either side of the spell name. If the spell book is closed before a prepared spell is cast then the Door icon will be replace by a Star icon, which may also be used to cast the spell. If a character has a spell prepared when entering combat, then the spell will be automatically cast first. It is not possible for a character to cast a spell which requires more spell points than they currently have available. A spell with a low cast percentage may fail and this will be indicated by an approp- riate message. After casting a spell the caster will endure a temporary penalty on all spells while he recovers from the effort of casting. This recovery time is longer for higher level spells. Spell Effect All spells have a variable effect which is a combination of your ability as a magic user, the energy you expend on a spell, your experience in the spell being cast, and luck. The cast percentage bar gives a clear indication of whether you are likely to cast the spell successfully. Once your ability to cast a spell reaches 100% the effect of the spell begins to grow stronger. Continuing spells Some spells have a continuing effect. When these are cast an icon, representing the spell, replaces the Door icon. The spell can be cancelled by clicking on this icon. No other spells can be cast while a continuous spell is in use. If another spell is cast from the spell book while a continuous spell is in use, then this will also cancel the continuous spell. You may have another spell prepared while a continuous spell is running. The prepared spell may either be cast from the spell book, or by cancelling the continuous spell to reveal the Star icon on the main panel. Specialisation All characters are specialised in one of the colours of magic according to their alignment. This is indicated by the colour of the Suit icon and Shield. Spells of your natural colour are easier to cast, easier to develop proficiency in, and more effective than spells of another colour. Each colour of magic represents a different sphere of influence. Green Serpent Magic represents the physical Blue Moon Magic represents the mind and illusion Red Dragon Magic is the use of fire and energy Yellow Chaos Magic effects the very nature of magic and life .........+.........+.........+....... 12 ........+.........+.........+.........+ Spell Acquisition Spades and Diamonds will receive a new spell every second level. Hearts will receive one each level, and Clubs two per level. New spells are learned during sleep, when a character may be visited by the Spell Faeries. One of the Spell Faeries will visit a character during sleep and offer a spell, as long as the character is due a new spell. If you are unhappy with the spell offered then reject it and you will probably be offered a different one the next time your character sleeps. If your choose to pay the Spell Faery then the spell will be added to your spell book ready for use. Here is a short description of the 32 spells: SERPENT SPELLS ARMOUR - wear this spell with pride PARALYZE - a frozen life may well be a short one COMPASS - never get lost again LEVITATE - a genuinely light spell WARPOWER - you can have the strength of ten RENEW - cures everything except cramp ARCBOLT - an electrifying experience FORMWALL - for those who love walls MOON SPELLS BEGUILE - coats thy tongue with silver CONFUSE - they won't know what hit them CONCEAL - what cannot be seen cannot be stolen VANISH - now you see me ... now you don't TRUVIEW - never again lose at hide and seek ILLUSION - real enough to hurt MINDROCK - for those who think they love walls WYCHWIND - just blow them away DRAGON SPELLS MISSILE - one in the eye for archers MAGELOCK - why bother with all those silly keys VITALISE - you'll never feels so good! DISPELL - what magic makes, magic can destroy FIREBALL - a blast at parties RECHARGE - boosts the flattest of rings FIREPATH - lay down the red carpet BLAZE - no one shall pass this fiery blast .........+.........+.........+....... 13 ........+.........+.........+.........+ SHADOW SPELLS TERROR - boo! DEFLECT - a spell a day keeps an arrow away ALCHEMY - the hand of Midas ANTIMAGE - never more worry about magic users SPELLTAP - the bane of all magic users SUMMON - you'll never walk alone VIVIFY - makes death look a minor inconvenience DISRUPT - known to some as "deathstrike" THE INVENTORY AND MANIPULATING OBJECTS [BLOODWY4.GIF here] FIGURE FOUR - THE INVENTORY .........+.........+.........+....... 14 ........+.........+.........+.........+ Clicking on the Inventory icon (Figure Two - BLOODWY2.GIF) will call up the inventory display (Figure Four - BLOODWY4.GIF). The inventory for each character shows 12 (10 on the Spectrum) item slots. The first four of these are for an item held in the left hand, an item held in the right hand, armour worn, and shield. The classes of Clubs and Diamonds may only use small shields. The remaining 8 are backpack slots. Below these slots is the character's current armour rating. This indicates how effective the character's armour is at absorbing blows. The lower the number is, the more effective your armour is. Below this are the party's Suit icons. The character whose inventory is currently displayed is highlighted with a box. The final two icons are the transfer/use slot and the Exit icon. Clicking on this last icon will revert to the main control display. Selecting an Inventory To select a character's inventory for display, simply click on the appropriate Suit icon. The character's name will be shown at the top of the display and their inventory will be revealed. Using the Transfer Slot Clicking on any item in the inventory will cause that item to move into the transfer slot where it can be easily manipulated. Similarly, clicking on an empty slot in the inventory will cause any item currently in the transfer slot to move into the empty slot. Hand slots are for anything, but weapons, rings, wands and staves are only useful when placed there. The Armour slot is for worn items, the Shield slot is for shields, and the backpack slots are for anything. To swap an item in the inventory with an item in the transfer slot, simply click on the item in the inventory and they will be swapped. To drop an item in the transfer slot simply click on the place in the 3D display where you wish to leave it. Similarly, to pick up an object, click on the object and it will be moved to the transfer slot. If there is already something in the transfer slot it will be dropped. Arrows, Common Keys and Coins These objects are shown with a number which indicates how many there are. One click will move one object to the transfer slot. If you then make subsequent clicks on the transfer slot you will move more. Moving items between characters To transfer items from one character to another, move the item to the transfer slot then select the receiving character and move the item to an empty space on their inventory. Using an item To use an item, like food, drink, or potions, put the item in the transfer slot and then click on it. They will be consumed by the character whose inventory is currently being viewed. When a food or drink item is in the transfer slot the current food level of the character is displayed in the message window underneath the 3D display for easy reference. .........+.........+.........+....... 15 ........+.........+.........+.........+ Swords and other weaponry must be carried by a character in a Hand slot if they are to be used. This is also true of staves, wands and rings. An item can be in either hand slot but if both hand slots contain melee weapons the one in the left hand will be used. If a character wishes to use a bow in combat the bow and arrows must be in the hand. Rifling dead characters If a party member is with the party at the time of their death, then their inventory will still be available for access. If the party member was away from the party at the time of death then the body must first be retrieved before the inventory can be accessed. You may not access the inventory of dead characters who were not members of your party. COMBAT Combat occurs either when your party encounters a hostile creature, or when your party initiates an attack on a creature. In combat you can take one of six possible courses of action: 1. DO NOTHING (this is not recommended) 2. RETREAT by moving rapidly away from your adversary 3. ATTACK by clicking on the Strike icon 4. DEFEND by clicking on the Defend icon (this is useful if you need to perform an action such as rearranging marching order) 5. CAST SPELL (see section on SPELLS) 6. FIRE A MISSILE by clicking on the Strike icon while you have bow and arrows in your hands During combat characters will follow the lead of your combat instruction and generally act on their own initiative. You then have control only over the inventories and spell books of your party's characters. The party leader will not participate in the attack while you are examining an inventory or select- ing a spell. You may change the party leader and marching order at will during combat, and you can always try to run away. The party will continue to fight until either all your characters die, or your foes die or flee. During melee, missile weapons can only be shot by characters who occupy the rear two marching positions. Blows can only be landed by characters who occupy the front two marching positions. Spells can be cast from any position. Combat status display At any time that the part suffers damage, the damage done is flashed across the hit character's Shield icon, and the status display will become a set of vertical colour coded bars showing the current hit point level of each member of the party. This display can also be seen at any time during play by clicking on the party leader's image. The damage inflicted by the party is shown in the two message windows along with a miniature Suit icon to aid identification. The damage done by the party leader is shown in the small message window beneath the 3D display. .........+.........+.........+....... 16 ........+.........+.........+.........+ COMMUNICATING WITH OTHER CHARACTERS Clicking on the communication panel will greet any characters directly in front of you. The options are: OFFER Offer an object in the transfer slot that you wish to exchange or sell. This is also used to offer gold during a purchase. The command may be used more than once during any given transaction. For example, if a monster says no to your offer of gold, then you may offer it more or less. This also works with trading objects when you may offer a different object. If you are not currently buying, selling or trading anything, then the offered object is presented as a gift. PURCHASE Enquire whether a monster or character has anything for sale. EXCHANGE Used to determine what object is being carried by a monster or character, and whether or not they wish to trade. SELL Offer item in your transfer slot for sale. YES & NO These icons are used to respond to questions. MISCELLANEOUS COMMANDS These are accessed, at the same time as the communicate menus, by clicking on the status panel. Exit The Exit icon is used to exit from the current communication menu. Disc operations If the Disc icon is clicked by both players (in a two player game), the current game can be saved or an old game restored. Pause Clicking the Pause icon will cause the game to be suspended for both players until either of the Pause icons is clicked again. Sleep Clicking on the Sleep icon makes the party sleep. This speeds up the party's recovery of hit points, vitality and spell points. Improved sleep can come from facing a bed before clicking on the icon. .........+.........+.........+....... 17 ........+.........+.........+.........+ Sleep is very important. Characters will only gain experience levels during sleep and will only gain new spells while asleep. It is generally a good idea to sleep after a battle. HINTS AND TIPS Starting Up * When you first play BLOODWYCH take time to experiment with the game's controls. Try using the various icons and menus, and see what effect different spells have. If you spend some time getting to know the more advanced features of BLOODWYCH you will find it easier to progress when you play the game in earnest. * Always make a map. You will get hopelessly lost without one. Indicate doors and rooms on it. If you leave an object or character behind, mark the place on your map. It is also a good idea to mark the position of any pits or traps you come across so that you can avoid them in the future. Combat * Keep a close eye on the hit points of your party members and be ready to move someone to the back of the party or run away to recover. It is often a good idea to have your main spellcaster as party leader during combat, and have them at the rear of the party. In this way they can be casting spells while the forward characters do the fighting. Have some appropriate spells prepared before combat begins, because your characters first action will be to cast any spells they have prepared. Magic * Try to have a good balance of colour in your party. As a character will be much better at casting spells of their own alignment, get weaker spellcasters (like Spades and Diamonds) to learn spells in their own colour first. Some particularly useful spells should be learned by everybody. Do not be afraid of using magic - you can only get better. Character Psyche Types * Spades are the warriors of BLOODWYCH. They can use any weapon, armour or shield. They usually have more hit points and strength than other characters, but do not make very good magic users. * Clubs are the mages of BLOODWYCH. Although weak at low levels, they quickly become powerful as they learn spells and gain experience. A high level Clubs character makes a formidable adversary. * Hearts are competent in all skills. They are the Jack-of-all-trades. They also have much nicer personalities than the other psyche types, thus making them far better negotiators. .........+.........+.........+....... 18 ........+.........+.........+.........+ * The abilities of Diamonds lie in the areas of stealth, archery and observ- ation. If they attack a foe from behind they will inflict great damage, providing that they are using a suitable assassin's weapon. You will often notice things that would otherwise be overlooked if your current party leader is a Diamond. General * Do not be too eager to discard an item that is no longer required, as most things can be sold or traded. * Located within the halls are Regeneration Chambers. These magical locations will restore to life a dead character. Try to find these quickly and remember where they are. * Do not be too eager to kill things - it's not easy being a monster, you know! * When trading you will find it necessary to have the inventory displayed. * Try not to be too greedy in a two player game. If you argue about some aspect of play, try to resolve it before you end up killing each other! * BLOODWYCH is a large and sophisticated adventure. You will almost certainly not complete it in one session. You can easily save your position in the game by clicking on the Disc icon. The next time you load BLOODWYCH you will be able to restore your saved position and continue play from that point. You will also find it useful to save the game at regular intervals while you are playing. In this way you will not get caught out by any unforeseen disaster like your whole party being slaughtered or a power cut! END .........+.........+.........+....... 19 ........+.........+.........+.........+ (c) 1989 MIRRORSOFT Ltd.