KARKOTH'S KEEP
Created by INDECS SERVICES
(c) Copyright 1983
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Portions of the software contained
herein is owned and copyrighted by
IBM Corporation and redistributed
under license agreement with Indecs
Services.
Indecs Services
9 Pinecrest Drive
Taunton, MA 02780
1-617-822-3173
KARKOTH'S KEEP
Documentation
The Battle of the Long Defeat has been legend for many centuries. Quilan
II, the Miningol, last King of Isgalduin, fought and lost the Battle of the
Long Defeat. The evil witch king Karkoth led his hordes of mindless slaves and
fell creatures over the northern border of Isgalduin, and in three years of
slaughter and destruction, reduced the kingdom to ruin.
In the last stand, Quilan and the few remaining warriors left alive held
out for weeks, defending the massive stone keep built by Quilan's namesake,
Quilan Miningol I, seventeen generations before. Before the dragons finally
drove in the defenders and the ogres plundered the halls, Quilan, alone,
descended into the huge dungeon that lay under his keep. Only the kings of
Isgalduin knew the secrets of the dungeon. With him, Quilan carried all of the
precious relics and heirlooms of his family. Rings there were, magic and
potent, and weapons: swords and armour, each with its own powers. The dungeon
spread out far beyond keep and delved deep into the rock. Ten levels the
dungeon descended from keep to secret vaults.
Quilan was never seen again, and when Karkoth searched the dead the body
could not be found. Some said that Quilan lived and escaped through some
underground way, but that is only legend.
Or is it? You have discovered a parchment hidden among the remains of a
man that you found in a secret burial tomb high in the western mountains. The
language is the high royal tongue used in ancient Isgalduin and the sign at its
base is that of Quilan II, its last king. Here in the hand of that long dead
king you read:
I, Quilan, the second, called the Miningol, last king and ruler
in Isgalduin, leave this writing in the hope that in days to come a
scion of my house will find these words. Only a true descendent of
the house of Quilan may pass the portals of this tomb, though they may
not know of their royal blood.
You who read this script, only you can end the evil realm of
Karkoth. Deep under the keep is hidden the great sword Ramdahl,
Wizard's Bane. Only Ramdahl can harm and defeat the undead king,
Karkoth. The great sword is hidden within the dungeons I know not
where. I tried to find the sword during the last stand and failed.
It was hidden by a traitor. I searched all areas near the Endless
Staircase that connects all of the levels of the dungeon. I know the
Sword is not near the Staircase. I failed in my search. I pray that
you do not fail and that you return the House of Quilan to the people
of Isgalduin.
You must be the royal descendant of Quilan II. It is now up to you to find
the fabled sword, Ramdahl, and save the realm.
So begins the mighty adventure. Good luck to all those who pass down those
steps and brave the terrors of KARKOTH'S KEEP.
Before starting the quest, make sure to backup the software.
Page 2
KARKOTH'S KEEP
Documentation
To start the Quest, type KEEP
The program will initialize and then ask if your player character exists.
If it does, simply enter Y and when asked, enter the character name. If you
are starting for the first time, or need to create a new character enter N and
you will be shown ten sets of numbers, one at a time, that represent the
qualities of your new character. You may select select from any one of ten
sets of numbers. You may not return to an earlier set of numbers once they
have been rejected. Each quality gives special capabilities to certain player
types. The quality quality bonuses are determined by comparing your quality
value to 15. The range of values for any quality is 3-24. Your bonus is the
difference between your quality value and 15, modified for your choice of race
and player type. For example, a player with a 17 strength would have a +2
advantage over someone with a 15 strength. Negative differences are also
possible, but the limit is -1 for any given quality. The bonuses associated
with each quality are:
Strength - Affects the ability to hit and damage opponents. Each bonus
point increases the chance of hitting by 5% and increases damage
by 1 point.
Intelligence- Determines the number of spells that a magic-using player may
have. (One additional spell point per level for each bonus
point.) Intelligence also affects the probability that certain
spells work.
Wisdom - Modifies the number of spells a Cleric may have. (One additional
spell point for each bonus point.) Wisdom also affects the
probability that certain spells will work.
Constitution- Increases the number of hit points that a character may take
before being killed. (One additional hit point per level for each
bonus point.)
Dexterity - Makes it harder for an opponent to hit the character. (Increases
difficulty for opponent to strike character by 5% for each
point.)
Charm - Affects the way in which charm spells affect monsters. Only
helps characters that have charm spells. Increases the chance of
charming monsters by 5% for each bonus point.
The player may be any of the following recial types.
Greyelf, Dwarf, Human, Halfelf, or Highelf
The special abilities and restriction associated with each race are as follows:
Race Special Abilities Restrictions
------------------------------------------------------
Greyelf Can see 60 feet in the dark, Cannot be a Monk
receives a +2 on Wisdom,
Page 3
KARKOTH'S KEEP
Documentation
+1 on Constitution, +1 on
Dexterity, and +1 on Charm
Dwarf Can see 60 feet in the dark, Cannot be a Cleric,Ranger or Monk.
receives +2 on Constitution,
and a -1 on Charm and Wisdom.
Human Receives a +2 on Intelligence None.
+1 on Wisdom and +2 on Charm.
Sees 40 feet in the dark.
Halfelf Receives a +1 on everything. Cannot be a monk
Sees 60 feet in the dark.
Highelf Receives a +1 on Strength, a Can only be a Gedi or Magic User
+2 on Intelligence, +2 on
Wisdom, +1 on Dexterity, is
impossible to surprise. Can
see 80 feet in the dark.
Players, depending upon which race they choose, can be one of the following
professional types:
Ranger, Fighter, Cleric, Magic-User, Gedi, or Monk
The abilities associated with these professions are:
Ranger - May use sword, shields, and armour. Also uses some spells ( see
spell table.) Rangers receive the following bonuses: +1 on
Strength, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Constitution. Receives +2 on
Charm.
Fighter - May use any weapon, shield, and armor. May not use spells but
can, as all players can, use scrolls. Fighters receive the
following bonuses: +3 on Strength, Constitution, and Dexterity.
Cleric - May use shields, armour, and maces. Has the ability to use
spells as well as weapons. Clerical spells are primarily defense
spells. Can turn undead automatically in some cases depending
upon the cleric's level. Clerics recieve the following bonuses:
+3 on Intelligence, +1 on Constitution, and Charm.
Magic-User May only use daggers. Has many offensive and defensive spells.
(See spell table.) Magic Users receive the following bonuses: +3
on Intelligence and +1 on Charm.
Gedi - May use swords, shields and armour. Has limited spell
abilities. Player must have a combined Intelligence, Wisdom, and
Charm of 45 points to be a Gedi. Gedi have the following
bonuses: +2 on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charm. +1 on Dexterity.
Monk - May use swords, maces, daggers, and some spells. A player must
have a combined Intelligence and Dexterity score of at least 32
points to be a Monk. Monks do considerable damage with their
hands. Monks have the following bonuses: +1 on Strength,
Page 4
KARKOTH'S KEEP
Documentation
Intelligence, and Wisdom, +2 on Constitution, and +3 on
Dexterity.
The list of available spells and their users is:
Spell Name Cleric Magic Gedi Monk Ranger
---------------------------------------------------
Detect Invisible no yes yes yes no
Detect Magic no yes yes no no
Fireball no yes no no no
Lightning Bolt yes yes yes no no
Cure Light Wound yes no yes yes yes
Charm Monster yes yes yes no yes
Teleport no yes yes no no
Invoke Deity yes no no no no
Sleep no yes yes yes yes
Magic Missle no yes no no no
Go Invisible no yes no yes no
Spell Explanations and Uses
---------------------------
Detect Invisible - Allows player to see the hidden teleportation locations in
the dungeon. The hidden teleporter shows up as a small square of dots when
this spell is used. Otherwise the teleporters are not visible on the computer
screen. (Costs 1 spell point)
Detect Magic - Allows player to detect magical hidden traps associated with
treasure chests. If a trap is successfully detected then there is only a 25%
chance that the trap will explode. (Costs 2 spell points)
Fireball - An offensive spell that does variable damage depending on the
players level. (Costs 3 spell points)
Lightning Bolt - An offensive spell that does variable damage depending upon
the players level. (Costs 5 spell points)
Cure Light Wound - Heals partially or totally a player and returns lost hit
points (Costs 2 spell points)
Charm Monster - When successful this spell places a monster totally under the
player's control. The player receives the same experience points for charming
a monster as for slaying a monster. The success of the spell depends upon both
the player's level and the monster's level. (Costs 3 spell points)
Teleport - This spell moves the player to some location in the dungeon that can
be on any chosen level. Note - if you are carrying the magic sword Ramdahl
(also called The Sword of Karkoth or Karkoth's Bane), then a Teleport spell
will only move you one level at a time, but not above the 8th level. If you
are above the 8th level and have the Sword, casting a teleport spell will send
you to the 8th level or below. (Costs 4 spell points)
Page 5
KARKOTH'S KEEP
Documentation
Invoke - This spell, when successful,will invoke the local deity and, if in a
good mood, the deity will move the player to one of the entrances to the
Laughing Elf Inn. (Costs 6 spell points)
Turn Undead - This spell will, when successful, destroy undead creatures such
as Vampires, Spectres, Wraiths and Ghosts, but not Zombies or Liches. (Costs 3
spell points)
Sleep - When successful, this spell puts a monster to sleep. The player
receives the experience points for the monster as in the Charm Monster spell.
Success depends upon the player's level and the level of the monster. (Costs 4
spell points)
Magic Missle - An offensive spell that does variable points of damage depending
upon the player's level. (Costs 1 spell point)
Go Invisible - Makes it impossible for a character to be hit by a surprise
attack. Always gives the character the choice of hiving the first swing in a
fight or to run away. Also, because the character is invisible, it allows the
character to see invisible objects like teleporters. Characters are harder to
hit and damage when invisible. (Costs 2 spell points)
*** Note *** - The number of spell points in parentheses represents the cost in
spell points to use that spell.
Starting the Game
-----------------
New players always come into the game from the Town of Nosar. There is an
entrance to the Keep somewhere in the town. To find it the player must move
around the town and talk to the residents. Also, it is a good idea to find out
where the hospital is, as that is the only place to be healed. (Hospital fees
are steep!) Also, buy some food before you go into the Keep. Some players
have been known to starve to death in there. You're on your own now. Remember
to use your head!
Once in the Keep, a player may reenter Nosar at any location marked * on the
first level. A player need only to move onto the * to return to the entrance
tunnel. You can get your spell points back by just returning as far as the
tunnel, you need not go into Nosar.
The movement commands are:
N - move North (up screen) one space.
S - move South one space.
E,E1,E2 or E3 - Move East a number of spaces equal to the number.
W,W1,W2 or W3 - Move West one to three spaces.
< - Move down the down staircase. The staircase looks like this symbol
with a line under it. You must move onto the down stair symbol and type
the < command to move down the stairs.
Page 6
KARKOTH'S KEEP
Documentation
> - move up stairs. Similar to the down stair command except that the
upstair symbol in the dungeon is a > with a line under it.
There are other commands that the player may use at any time (except Quit
during a fight.) They are:
Q or Quit - After saving the character data this command stops the game.
SC or Scroll - Allows the player to use any of the scrolls that the player
has found.
M or Magic - Allows the player to use any magic spell available to the
character.
? or Help - Gives you a list of all available commands.
C or Center - Allows you to center the screen around the character. This
is useful when you are near the edge of the screen, for example.
Wa or Wait - Allows you to stay in one spot without doing anything. You
will heal, if needed, your food will be consumed, and monsters may show up.
Magic Scrolls
-------------
There are 6 types of magic scrolls. Scrolls may be used by any character
at any time. The scrolls are:
Cure Serious - Similar to a Cure Light Wound spell except that it may
restore more hit points.
Levitate - When used this scroll stops characters from being teleported by
an invisible teleporter.
Invisibility - Makes it impossible for a character to be hit by a surprise
attack. Always gives the character the choice of having the first swing in
a fight or to run away. Also, because the character is invisible, it
allows the character to see invisible objects like teleporters. Characters
are harder to hit and damage when invisible.
Strength - Adds +4 to the character's hitting and damage capabilities.
Turn Undead - Similar to Turn Undead spell, except that the scroll never
fails.
Transport - Similar to an Invoke spell except that the scroll never fails.
The transport scroll has a hard time transporting gold, so some of the
character's gold will be lost whenever this scroll is used. Note - the
Transport Scroll's functions are limited to levels 8-10 if you are carrying
the Sword of Karkoth.
Page 7
KARKOTH'S KEEP
Documentation
General comments about scrolls and spells. Certain scrolls and spells are
duration oriented. That is, once invoked they last for some indefinite period
of time. During play a list is maintained on the right-hand side of the screen
of all weapons, spell points, hit points, scrolls, and other player data. For
any of the duration spells and scrolls, the name will be black on a white
background, rather than the typical white on black. Thus, you will always know
if a spell or scroll is still in effect.
Fighting
--------
Fights occur whenever the character encounters a wandering or fixed
monster. Sometimes the monster will surprise the character and therefore will
have the first attack. Once a fight has started you have four choices of
action.
1. Fight - in which case both you and the monster make attacks on each
other.
2. Run - in which case the character dodges in some direction for some
indefinite distance hoping to escape the monster.
3. Magic - Allows the character to use a spell.
4. Scroll - Allows the character to use a scroll.
During a fight, certain monsters can do additional damage besides what they
do with tooth or claw. These other abilities are:
Sticky pudding, Salamander, Snake, Spider, Quivering Jelly, Basilisk,
Naga and Crawler - may also poison character for various points of
damage.
Spectre, Vampire, Wraith, or Ghost - may reduce the character's level
by one. For a 1st level character this results in death.
Gazer, Fire Devil, Demons, Spell Lizard, Wyvern, Dragons (6 types),
Lich or Evil Magic User - can use fireballs, Lightnng Bolts, or Hold
Person spell. Hold person spell stops a character in his or her
tracks and prevents the character from running. Any of the above
thirteen monsters may be able to paralyze a character and keep them
from running away.
Treasure
--------
Treasure comes in various forms:
Gold and Gems - stored as gold points.
Scrolls - a tally is kept of the type and number.
Weapons & Armor - Aplayer is given the choice of taking a magic weapon when
found if that type of weapon may be used by the players profession. If the
weapon cannot be used, then its value is converted into gold points. Same
for armour. If it can be used and you want it, then the object is listed
and any existing weapon or armor currently held is exchanged for gold
points. Magic weapons & armour increase the ability to do and take damage
Page 8
KARKOTH'S KEEP
Documentation
respectively. If your character can take more than one type of weapon,
damage will be done by the most powerful weapon.
Ring of Regeneration - They may be used by all characters. The ring adds
hit points back to a character, if any have been lost, at the rate of the
ring per turn, except during fights.
Sword of Karkoth (Karkoth's Bane, Ramdahl) The Sword can only be found on
the lower four levels of the dungeon and not near the Endless Staircase.
Character Levels and Experience Points
All characters go up in levels as they play. Experience points are given
for all monsters killed. Experience points are also given on a one-for-one
basis for gold points when the character enters the Laughing Elf Inn. All
characters increase their level at the same rate. The required points for any
level can be found from this progression:
Level Required Experience points
-------------------------------------
1 0
2 2000
3 4000
4 8000
5 16000
6 32000
7 64000
8 128000
9 256000
etc. etc.
There is no limit to levels.
To WIN
------
To win you must find the Sword of Karkoth and successfully bring it back to
the City of Nosar where you began. When you find the Sword strange things
happen. You seem to attract more and bigger monsters, and Transport Scrolls
and Teleport Spells are limited. When you bring the Sword to Nosar you receive
additional experience points and come face to face with the Lord of the Keep.
You have several choices when you face the Lord of the Keep. First, surrender
the sword to the Lord (and whatever else the Lord decides to ask for), (2)
Fight the present Lord and if you win you become the Lord of the Keep; if you
lose, your character may die. If you become Lord of the Keep then you must
fight whichever character next finds the Sword and comes to challenge you.
If you are KILLED
-----------------
If your character is killed, then the disk file for that character is
erased. Threfore, you cannot use a character over once it has been killed -
there are no second chances!
Page 9
KARKOTH'S KEEP
Documentation
The Endless Staircase
---------------------
Somewhere in the dungeon is an alternating series of up and down staircases
that connect all ten levels of the dungeon. The staircase may be entered or
exited from any level in the dungeon. It is the fastest way to walk up from
the lower dungeons.
Opening Doors
-------------
The doors in the dungeon are old and often have rusty hinges. Therefore,
sometimes you must try many times to open a door. The number of times it takes
to open a door depends upon your strength. If you are told that DOOR DOES NOT
OPEN you may retry opening it. Eventually it will open. (Note - the exception
to this is the character without food. This character's strength will
eventually deteriorate to the point he cannot open any door, but it rarely
matters since such fools feed the lesser dungeon creatures!
Mapping
-------
It is a good idea to map the dungeon as you progrss further and further
into it. The location of staircases, teleport platforms, and tavern entrances
may be of vital interest to a wounded, or dying character. The features of the
dungeon are displayed on the screen as you move around. The amount or distance
that you can see depends upon your character type. The walls of the dungeon
are seen as lines. Doorways are displayed as an '\' or backslash character.
You may not pass through a wall but you may pass through any door. Note
however, that doors may not always open on the first or even the third try.
The ease of opening doors depends upon your strength.