Character Profile
The character profile in Dragon Wars is similar to many other role-playing games, like AD&D. A set of statistics determine certain traits and power. In addition to these core attributes, characters can also designate points toward special skills and abilities. Read below for more information on each.
Character Attributes
STRENGTH (STR)
The most immediate effect of great strength is the ability to cause additional damage to foes. Strength is also useful for breaking things, lifting heavy objects, and opening stubborn pop bottles. High strength is required to use certain weapons; strength in excess of what a weapon requires provides additional damage. Inquiring at a weapons shop will sometimes tell you the strength requiring to use certain weapons.
DEXTERITY (DEX)
A high dexterity makes you light on your feet, improves your chance of hitting the bad guys, and diminishes the chance of getting nailed yourself. Dexterity also determines the order in which a character acts in combat, starting with the highest dexterity and moving down to the lowest. Consider designing some magic-users with low dexterity, so they can cast healing spells at the end of a combat round.
INTELLIGENCE (INT)
Ultimately, your characters are only as intelligent as you are. This statistic measures a character’s abstract intelligence; it is important for learning spells and solving puzzles. Intelligence also affects your chance of successfully hitting an opponent with a spell.
SPIRIT (SPR)
On Oceana, the mundane realm is just one part of life. Spirit reflects the strength of a person’s soul, and is important for casting spells and resisting evil spirits. Spirit also determines the number of power points retained by magic users.
POWER (POW)
Power is derived from spirit, and represents spell points used for energizing magic spells. Once spent on a spell, power points do not naturally regenerate… you will need to use a Dragonstone or find some other means of regenerating Power. For this reason, power points should be used with discretion. Power is twice your Spirit. HEALTH: Health is terrifically important, for when health is reduced to zero, the character dies. Health can be restored only by certain spells, retaining the services of a healer, or through the use of the BANDAGE skill.
Skills and Abilities
BANDAGE
A very important skill, as healing services are scarce in Dilmun. With greater skill, more health can be restored to an injured character.
CAVE LORE
Many of Dimun's dangerous and exciting places are found underground, and having this skill may yield important information at appropriate moments.
CLIMB
Use this skill to climb over rocks, up into trees, and down to certain doom. Some obstacles require high levels of skill to overcome.
FOREST LORE
Dilmun is largely a wild place, and this skill yields knowledge on how to operate in a wooded environment. This skill is important to the Druids, who inhabit the forest lands of Dilmun's wilderness.
HIDING
If you can't kill something, and you can't outrun it, your only hope is to hide. Note that once you're in combat, it's too late.
TRACKER
While your characters' mundane eating and sleeping concerns are invisibly maintained by the game, you might find it useful to hunt every now and then. Using this skill allows you to track various creatures, be they men or beasts.
LOCKPICK
Valuable objects are usually locked within chests or behind doors. Seeing as how Namtar robbed you of all your worldly goods, you'll doubtless want to engage in a little first hand social reform by robbing from the rich (everyone else) to give to the poor (yourself). Knowing how to pick a lock is important to resolving your quest.
MAGIC SKILLS
The skills of LOW MAGIC, HIGH MAGIC, DRUID MAGIC, & SUN MAGIC are required to learn spells of a specific type. Furthermore, you must have the LOW MAGIC skill before you can learn any of the others. High levels of magic skill are useful, as they determine the maximum number of power points you can invest when casting a spell - the higher your applicable magic skill level, the greater the potential of your spells. A higher level of magic skill also increases the chance your spells will accurately hit their targets.
MOUNTAIN LORE
Fabulous treasures and fearsome beasts reside in Oceana's mountainous climes. Knowledge of the world's high mountain places might save your life.
FISTFIGHTING
Adds to your ability to hit when using fists. Useful only in the early game (avoid using points on this skill)
ARCANE LORE
Dilmun is a magical place, and it's important to know about the world's magic, mysticism, and gods. A well-rounded sorcerer will combine magical might with arcane lore.
BUREAUCRACY
To liberate Dilmun from Namtar's foul grip, you will need to sway hearts and minds. To this end, skill in public speaking is important, as represented by the BUREAUCRACY skill. You might also have success using this skill on stubborn guards and petty officials.
SWIM
While it is generally not possible to swim between the islands of Dilmun, this skill with help you should you find yourself unexpectedly underwater. A character who can't swim could find himself in deep water.
TOWN LORE
You will visit many of the towns of Dilmun in the course of your adventures - this skill will provide you with local legends and history.
PICKPOCKET
Times are hard in Dilmun, but there may still be a few unwary folk that you can practice this age-old skill on.
WEAPON SKILLS
You need not have the relevant skill to use a weapon, but doing so will improve your performance with the weapon in question. Each level of weapon skill adds 1 to your AV when you use that type of weapon. Note that the effects of weapon skills are not shown on the display of your AV, but rest assured the additional effects of your weapons skills are invisibly maintained by the computer.
For example, if Muskels the Barbarian has a 20 Dexterity, he'll have a base AV or 5. Armed with a flail and a Flail skill of 1, his AV with the flail will be 6, but Dragon Wars will only display his AV as 5, because the effects of weapon skills are not shown on the display.
When creating characters, there are several ways to get your AV up. You can either have a high Dexterity, which will increase both your AV and DV, or you can choose to add to your weapon skills, which will increase only your AV at a cheaper cost. Adding to weapon skills also restricts you to a certain weapon if you want the additional AV.
