
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                   The Dungeons of Moria 
 
 
                    Robert Alan Koeneke 
 
 
 
 
       Moria may be copied and modified freely,  but  may 
     not be sold or marketed IN ANY FORM without the permis- 
     sion and written consent from the  author  Robert  Alan 
     Koeneke.  I  retain  all copyrights to this program, in 
     either the original or modified forms,  and  no  viola- 
     tion,  deletion,  or  change of the copyright notice is 
     allowed. Furthermore,  I  will  have  no  liability  or 
     responsibility to any user with respect to loss or dam- 
     age caused directly or indirectly by this program. 
 
 
 
Aug 1, 1988 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
       Copyright                                Robert Alan Koeneke 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                             The Dungeons of Moria 
 
 
                              Robert Alan Koeneke 
 
 
 
 
       1.  Introduction 
       ---------------- 
       The game of MORIA is  a  single  player  dungeon  simulation.   A 
       player  may choose from a number of races and classes when creat- 
       ing a character, and then `run' that character over a  period  of 
       days, weeks, even months, attempting to win the game by defeating 
       the Balrog which lurks in the deeper levels. 
 
       The player will begin his adventure on the town  level  where  he 
       may acquire supplies, weapons, armor, and magical devices by bar- 
       tering with various shop owners.  After preparing for his  adven- 
       ture,  the  player  can  descend into the dungeons of MORIA where 
       fantastic adventures await his coming! 
 
       Before beginning your first adventure, you should read this docu- 
ment  carefully.   The  game  of MORIA is a complicated game, and will
require a dedicated player to win. 
 
 
       2.  The Character 
       ----------------- 
       All characters have six main attributes which modify their  basic 
       abilities.   These  six  attributes,  called STATS, are STRENGTH, 
       INTELLIGENCE,  WISDOM,  DEXTERITY,  CONSTITUTION,  and  CHARISMA. 
       Stats  may  vary  from  3  as  a  minimum to 18/100 as a maximum. 
       Because adventurers of interest tend to be  better  than  average 
       characters,  MORIA stats will average about 12.5, and are further 
       adjusted by race and class.  Some races are just naturally better 
       at being certain classes, as will be shown later. 
 
       In addition to the more visible stats, each character has certain 
       abilities  which are mainly determined by his race and class, but 
       are also modified by his  stats.   The  abilities  are  FIGHTING, 
       THROWING/BOWS, SAVING THROW, STEALTH, DISARMING, MAGICAL DEVICES, 
       PERCEPTION, SEARCHING, and INFRA-VISION. 
 
       Characters will be assigned an early history, with  money  and  a 
       social  class  based on that history.  Starting money is assigned 
       based on history, charisma, and somewhat upon the  average  of  a 
       character's  stats.   A  character  with below average stats will 
       receive extra money to help him survive the first adventure. 
 
       Each character will also have physical attributes such as a race, 
 
 
       Copyright                                Robert Alan Koeneke 
 
 
 
 
 
       The Dungeons of Moria                                 Page 2 
 
 
       a  height,  weight,  sex,  and  a  physical description.  None of 
       these, except weight, play any part in the  game  other  than  to 
       give  the  player  a "feeling" for his character.  Weight is used 
       for computing carrying capacity and also for BASHING. 
 
       Finally each character is assigned  HIT  POINTS  based  on  their 
       race,  class,  and constitution.  Spell casters will also receive 
       MANA which is expended when casting spells.   Mana  is  based  on 
       Wisdom for Priests and Intelligence for Mages. 
 
 
       2.1.  Character Stats 
       --------------------- 
       Strength 
            Strength is important in fighting with weapons, or  hand  to 
            hand.   A high strength can improve your chances of hitting, 
            and the amount of damage done  with  each  hit.   Characters 
            with  low strengths may receive penalties.  Strength is also 
            useful in tunneling, body and shield bashing, and in  carry- 
            ing heavy items. 
 
       Intelligence 
            Intelligence is the prime stat of a mage,  or  magician.   A 
            high  intelligence  increases  a  mage's chances of learning 
            spells, and in gaining mana.  No spell  may  be  learned  by 
            mages  with  intelligences under 8.  Intelligence also modi- 
            fies a character's chance of  disarming  traps  and  picking 
            locks. 
 
       Wisdom 
            Wisdom is the  prime  stat  of  a  priest.   A  high  wisdom 
            increases the chance of receiving new spells from a priest's 
            diety, and in the gaining of mana.  Wisdom also  modifies  a 
            character's chance of resisting magical spells cast upon his 
            person. 
 
       Dexterity 
            Dexterity is the combination of agility  and  quickness.   A 
            high  dexterity  may allow a character to get multiple blows 
            with lighter  weapons,  thus  greatly  increasing  his  kill 
            power,  and  may  increase  his  chances of hitting with any 
            weapon.  Dexterity is  also  useful  in  picking  locks  and 
            disarming traps. 
 
       Constitution 
            Constitution is a character's ability to  resist  damage  to 
            their  body, and to recover from damage received.  Therefore 
            a character with a high constitution will receive  more  hit 
            points, and be more resistant to poisons. 
 
       Charisma 
            Charisma represents a character's personality,  as  well  as 
            physical  looks.   A  character  with  a  high charisma will 
            receive better prices from store owners, whereas a character 
 
 
       Copyright                                Robert Alan Koeneke 
 
 
 
 
 
       The Dungeons of Moria                                 Page 3 
 
 
            with  a  very  low  charisma  will  be robbed blind.  A high 
            charisma will also mean more starting money for the  charac- 
            ter. 
 
 
       2.2.  Character Sex 
       ------------------- 
       You may choose to be either a male or a female  character.   Only 
       height  and  weight  are  affected  by a character's sex.  Female 
       characters tend to be somewhat smaller  and  lighter  then  their 
       male counterparts.  No adjustments to stats or abilities are made 
       because of the sex of a character. 
 
 
       2.3.  Character Abilities 
       ------------------------- 
       Characters possess nine different abilities which can  help  them 
       to  survive. The starting abilities of a character are based upon 
       race and class. Abilities may be adjusted by high or  low  stats, 
       and may increase with the level of the character. 
 
       Fighting 
            Fighting is the ability to hit and do damage with weapons or 
            fists.  Normally  a  character  gets  a single blow from any 
            weapon, but if his dexterity and strength are  high  enough, 
            he  may  receive  more blows per round with lighter weapons. 
            Strength and dexterity both modify the  ability  to  hit  an 
            opponent. In addition this skill increases with the level of 
            the character. 
 
       Throwing/Bows 
            Using stand-off missile  weapons  and  throwing  objects  is 
            included  in  this skill. Different stats apply to different 
            weapons,  but  may  modify  the  distance   an   object   is 
            thrown/fired,  the amount of damage done, and the ability to 
            hit a creature.  This skill increases with the level of  the 
            character. 
 
       Saving Throw 
            A Saving Throw is the ability of a character to  resist  the 
            effects  of  a spell cast on him by another person/creature. 
            Note that this does not include spells cast on the player by 
            his  own  stupidity,  such  as quaffing a nasty potion. This 
            ability increases with the level of the character, but  then 
            most  high  level creatures are better at casting spells, so 
            it tends to even out. 
 
       Stealth 
            The ability to move silently about is very useful.   Charac- 
            ters with good stealth can usually surprise their opponents, 
            gaining the first blow. Also, creatures may fail to notice a 
            stealthy character entirely, allowing a player to avoid cer- 
            tain fights. 
 
 
 
       Copyright                                Robert Alan Koeneke 
 
 
 
 
 
       The Dungeons of Moria                                 Page 4 
 
 
       Disarming 
            Disarming is the  ability  to  remove  traps  (safely),  and 
            includes  picking locks on traps and doors. Note that a suc- 
            cessful disarming will gain the character  some  experience. 
            The  character  must  have  found  a  trap  before it can be 
            disarmed.  Dexterity and intelligence both modify the  abil- 
            ity  to disarm, and this ability increases with the level of 
            the character. 
 
       Using Magical Devices 
            Using a magical device such as  a  wand  or  staff  requires 
            experience and knowledge. Spell users such as mages and pri- 
            ests are therefore much better at  using  a  magical  device 
            than  say a fighter. This skill is modified by intelligence, 
            and increases with the level of the character. 
 
       Perception 
            Perception  is  the  ability  to  notice  something  without 
            actively  seeking  it out. This skill is based entirely upon 
            race and class, and  will  never  improve  unless  magically 
            enhanced. 
 
       Searching 
            To search is to actively look for secret doors, floor traps, 
            and  traps  on chests. Rogues are the best at searching, but 
            mages, rangers, and priests are also good  at  it.  Intelli- 
            gence modifies your searching ability, and your ability will 
            also increase with your level. 
 
       Infra Vision 
            Infra-vision is the ability to see heat sources. Since  most 
            of  the dungeon is cool or cold, infra-vision will not allow 
            the player to see walls and objects. Infra-vision will allow 
            a  character  to see any warm-blooded creatures up to a cer- 
            tain distance. This ability works equally well with or  with 
            out  a  light  source.  Note  that  the  majority of MORIA's 
            creatures are cold blooded, and will not be detected  unless 
            lit up by a light source. 
 
 
       2.4.  Choosing A Race 
       --------------------- 
       There are eight different races  that  you  can  choose  from  in 
       MORIA.  Some  races are restricted as to what profession they may 
       be, and each race has its own adjustments to a character's  stats 
       and abilities. 
 
       Human 
            The human is the base character, all other  races  are  com- 
            pared  to  him. Humans can choose any class, and are average 
            at everything. Humans tend to go up levels faster  than  any 
            other  race,  because of their shorter life-spans. No racial 
            adjustments occur to characters choosing human. 
 
 
 
       Copyright                                Robert Alan Koeneke 
 
 
 
 
 
       The Dungeons of Moria                                 Page 5 
 
 
       Half-Elf 
            Half-elves tend to be smarter and faster than a  human,  but 
            not  as strong. Half-elves are slightly better at searching, 
            disarming, perception, stealth, and magic, but they are  not 
            as good at hand weapons. Half-elves may choose any class. 
 
       Elf 
            Elves are better magicians then humans, but not as  good  at 
            fighting.  They  tend  to  be smarter and faster than either 
            humans or half-elves, and also have better wisdom. Elves are 
            better  at  searching,  disarming,  perception, stealth, and 
            magic, but they are not as good at hand weapons.  Elves  may 
            choose any class except Paladin. 
 
       Halfling 
            Halflings, or Hobbits, are very good at bows, throwing,  and 
            have  good saving throws. They also are very good at search- 
            ing, disarming, perception, and stealth; so they make excel- 
            lent  thieves  (but  prefer  to be called burglars...). They 
            will be much weaker than humans, and  no  good  at  bashing. 
            Halflings   have  fair  infra-vision,  so  can  detect  warm 
            creatures at a distance.  Halflings can choose between being 
            a fighter, mage, or rogue. 
 
       Gnome 
            Gnomes are smaller than dwarfs, but larger  than  halflings. 
            They,  like  the halflings, live in the earth in burrow-like 
            homes.  Gnomes are practical jokers, so  if  they  can  kill 
            something in a humorous way, so much the better. Gnomes make 
            excellent mages, and have very good saving throws. They  are 
            good  at searching, disarming, perception, and stealth. They 
            have lower strength than humans so they are not very good at 
            fighting  with  hand weapons. Gnomes have fair infra-vision, 
            so can detect warm creatures at  a  distance.  A  gnome  may 
            choose between being a fighter, mage, priest, or rogue. 
 
       Dwarf 
            Dwarves are the headstrong miners and  fighters  of  legend. 
            Since  dungeons  are  the  natural home of a dwarf, they are 
            excellent choices for a warrior or priest. Dwarves  tend  to 
            be  stronger,  have higher constitutions, but are slower and 
            less intelligent than humans. Because they are so headstrong 
            and  are somewhat wise, they resist spells which are cast on 
            them.  Dwarves also have good infra-vision because they live 
            underground.  They do have one big draw-back though. Dwarves 
            are loud-mouthed and proud, singing in loud voices,  arguing 
            with themselves for no good reason, screaming out challenges 
            at imagined foes. In other words, dwarves have  a  miserable 
            stealth. 
 
       Half-Orc 
            Half-Orcs make excellent fighters, and decent  priests,  but 
            are  terrible  at  magic.  They  are  as  bad  as dwarves at 
            stealth,  and  horrible   at   searching,   disarming,   and 
 
 
       Copyright                                Robert Alan Koeneke 
 
 
 
 
 
       The Dungeons of Moria                                 Page 6 
 
 
            perception. Half-Orcs are, let's face it, ugly. They tend to 
            pay more for goods in town. Half-Orcs do make  good  priests 
            and  rogues,  for  the  simple reason that Half-Orcs tend to 
            have great constitutions and lots of hit points. 
 
       Half-Troll 
            Half-Trolls are incredibly strong, and have the highest  hit 
            points  of any character race. They are also very stupid and 
            slow. They will make great fighters and iffy  priests.  They 
            are  bad  at  searching, disarming, perception, and stealth. 
            They are so ugly that a Half-Orc grimaces in their presence. 
            They also happen to be fun to run... 
 
 
       2.4.1.  Race VS Skills And Stats 
       -------------------------------- 
       Stat Modifications due to race. 
       ___________________________________________________________________ 
                                                         Hit    Required 
        Race         Str   Int   Wis   Dex   Con   Chr   Dice   EXP/level 
       ___________________________________________________________________ 
        Human         0     0     0     0     0     0     10       +0% 
        Half-Elf     -1    +1     0    +1    -1    +1      9      +10% 
        Elf          -1    +2    +1    +1    -2    +1      8      +20% 
        Halfling     -2    +2    +1    +3    +1    +1      6      +10% 
        Gnome        -1    +2     0    +2    +1    -2      7      +25% 
        Dwarf        +2    -3    +1    -2    +2    -3      9      +20% 
        Half-Orc     +2    -1     0     0    +1    -4     10      +10% 
        Half-Troll   +4    -4    -2    -4    +3    -6     12      +20% 
       ___________________________________________________________________ 
 
 
       Abilities as compared to each other: 1 is lowest, or worst; 10 is 
       highest, or best. 
 
      
______________________________________________________________________ 
        Race     Disarm  Search  Stealt  Percep  Fight  Bows  Save   Infra 
      
______________________________________________________________________ 
        Human       5       5       5       5      5      5     5    None 
        Half-Elf    6       7       7       6      4      6     6    None 
        Elf         8       9       7       7      3      9     7    None 
        Halfling   10      10      10      10      1     10    10    40 feet 
        Gnome       9       7       9       9      2      8     9    30 feet 
        Dwarf       6       8       3       5      9      5     8    50 feet 
        Half-Orc    2       5       3       2      8      2     3    30 feet 
        Half-Troll  1       1       1       1     10      1     1    30 feet 
      
______________________________________________________________________ 
 
       2.5.  Choosing A Class 
       ---------------------- 
       Once a race has been chosen, you will need to pick a class.  Some 
       classes  will  not  be available to certain races, for instance a 
       Half-Troll cannot become a Paladin. For the first few  adventures 
       it  is  suggested that you run a warrior or rogue.  Spell casting 
 
 
       Copyright                                Robert Alan Koeneke 
 
 
 
 
 
       The Dungeons of Moria                                 Page 7 
 
 
       generally requires a more experienced  player  that  is  familiar 
       with survival techniques. 
 
       Warrior 
            A Warrior is a hack-and-slash character, who solves most  of 
            his  problems  by cutting them to pieces, but will occasion- 
            ally fall back on the help of a magical  device.  His  prime 
            stats  are  Strength  and Constitution, and a good Dexterity 
            can really help at times. A Warrior will be good at Fighting 
            and Throwing/Bows, but bad at most other skills. 
 
       Mage 
            A Mage must live by his wits. He cannot hope to simply  hack 
            his  way  through the dungeon, and so must therefore use his 
            magic to defeat, deceive, confuse, and  to  escape  with.  A 
            mage  is  not really complete without a golf-cart of magical 
            devices to use in addition to his spells. He can master  the 
            higher  level  magical  devices far easier than anyone else, 
            and has the best saving throw to resist  effects  of  spells 
            cast  at  him.  Intelligence  and  Dexterity are his primary 
            stats. There is no rule that says a  mage  cannot  become  a 
            good fighter, but spells are his true realm. 
 
       Priest 
            A Priest is a character of holy devotion. They  explore  the 
            dungeon  only  to destroy the evil that lurks within, and if 
            treasure just happens to fall into  their  packs,  well,  so 
            much  more  to  the  glory  of their church! Priests receive 
            their spells from a diety, and therefore do not choose which 
            spells they will learn. He is familiar with magical devices, 
            preferring to call them instruments of god, but  is  not  as 
            good  as  a  mage  in  their  use.  Priests have good saving 
            throws, and make decent fighters, preferring  blunt  weapons 
            over  edged  ones. Wisdom and Charisma are the priest's pri- 
            mary stats. 
 
       Rogue 
            A Rogue is a character that prefers to live by his  cunning, 
            but  is  capable of fighting his way out of a tight spot. He 
            is the master of traps and locks, no device being impossible 
            for  him  to  over-come. A rogue has a high stealth allowing 
            him to sneak around many creatures without having to  fight, 
            or  sneak up and get the first blow. A rogue's perception is 
            higher than any other class, and many times he will notice a 
            trap  or  secret  door  before  having to search. A rogue is 
            better than warriors or paladins with magical  devices,  but 
            still  can  not rely on their performance. A rogue's primary 
            stats are Intelligence and Dexterity. 
 
       Ranger 
            A Ranger is a fighter/mage. He is a good  fighter,  and  the 
            best of the classes with a missile weapon such as a bow. The 
            ranger learns spells much more slowly than a  mage,  but  is 
            capable of learning all but the most powerful spell. Because 
 
 
       Copyright                                Robert Alan Koeneke 
 
 
 
 
 
       The Dungeons of Moria                                 Page 8 
 
 
            a ranger is really a dual class character, it requires  more 
            experience to advance him. A ranger has a good stealth, good 
            perception, good searching, a good saving throw, and is good 
            with  magical  devices.   His primary stats are Intelligence 
            and Dexterity. 
 
       Paladin 
            A Paladin is a fighter/priest. He is a  very  good  fighter, 
            second  only to the warrior class, but not very good at mis- 
            sile weapons. He receives prayers at a slower pace then  the 
            priest,  and  can  receive all but the most powerful prayer. 
            Because a paladin is  really  a  dual  class  character,  it 
            requires  more  experience  to  advance him. A paladin lacks 
            much in the way of abilities. He is poor at stealth, percep- 
            tion, searching, and magical devices. He has a decent saving 
            throw due to his divine  alliance.  His  primary  stats  are 
            Strength and Charisma. 
 
 
       2.5.1.  Race VS Class 
       --------------------- 
 
       __________________________________________________________________ 
           Race   Warrior    Mage    Priest   Rogue    Ranger  Paladin 
       __________________________________________________________________ 
          Human     Yes      Yes      Yes      Yes      Yes      Yes 
         Half-Elf   Yes      Yes      Yes      Yes      Yes      Yes 
           Elf      Yes      Yes      Yes      Yes      Yes       No 
         Halfling   Yes      Yes       No      Yes       No       No 
          Gnome     Yes      Yes      Yes      Yes       No       No 
          Dwarf     Yes       No      Yes       No       No       No 
         Half-Orc   Yes       No      Yes      Yes       No       No 
        Half-Troll  Yes       No      Yes       No       No       No 
       __________________________________________________________________ 
 
 
       2.5.2.  Class VS Skills 
       ----------------------- 
       Abilities as compared to each other: 1 is lowest, or worst; 10 is 
       highest, or best. 
 
       _____________________________________________________________________ 
                           Save               Magic                Required 
        Race    Fight Bows Throw Stlth Disarm Device Percep Search   Exp. 
       _____________________________________________________________________ 
        Warrior  10     6    3     2      4      3      2      2        +0% 
        Mage      2     1   10     5      8     10      8      5       +30% 
        Priest    4     3    6     5      3      8      4      4       +10% 
        Rogue     8     9    7    10     10      6     10     10        +0% 
        Ranger    6    10    8     7      6      7      6      6       +40% 
        Paladin  10     5    4     2      2      4      2      2       +35% 
       _____________________________________________________________________ 
 
 
 
 
       Copyright                                Robert Alan Koeneke 
 
 
 
 
 
       The Dungeons of Moria                                 Page 9 
 
 
       3.  Adventuring 
       --------------- 
       After you have created your character, you will begin your  MORIA 
       adventure.  Symbols  appearing  on your screen will represent the 
       dungeon's walls and floor, objects and  features,  and  creatures 
       lurking  about.  In  order  to  direct your character through his 
       adventure, you will enter single character commands. 
 
       MORIA symbols and commands each have a help  section  devoted  to 
       them.  You  should  review  these  sections  before attempting an 
       adventure. Finally, a description of the town level and some gen- 
       eral help on adventuring are included. 
 
 
       3.1.  Symbols On Your Map 
       ------------------------- 
       Symbols on your map can be broken  down  into  three  categories: 
       Features  of  the dungeon such as walls, floor, doors, and traps; 
       Objects which can be picked up such as treasure, weapons, magical 
       devices,  etc;  and  Monsters which may or may not move about the 
       dungeon, but are mostly harmful to your character's well being. 
 
       Note that some symbols can be in more than  one  category.   Also 
       note  that  treasure may be imbedded in a wall, and the wall must 
       be removed before the treasure can be picked up. 
 
       It will not be necessary to remember all of the symbols and their 
       meanings.  A simple command, the `/', will identify any character 
       appearing on your map. See the section on  commands  for  further 
       help. 
 
 
       ___________________________________________________________________ 
                                  Features 
       ___________________________________________________________________ 
        .   A floor space, or hidden trap   1   Entrance to General Store 
        #   A wall                          2   Entrance to Armory 
        '   An open door                    3   Entrance to Weapon Smith 
        +   A closed door                   4   Entrance to Temple 
        ^   A trap                          5   Entrance to Alchemy Shop 
        <   A staircase up                  6   Entrance to Magic Shop 
        >   A staircase down                :   Obstructing rubble 
        ;   A loose floor stone                 An open pit (Blank) 
       ___________________________________________________________________ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
       Copyright                                Robert Alan Koeneke 
 
 
 
 
 
       The Dungeons of Moria                                Page 10 
 
 
 
       ___________________________________________________________________ 
                                     Objects 
       ___________________________________________________________________ 
        !   A flask or potion         ?   A scroll 
        "   An amulet                 [   Hard armor 
        $   Money (Can be imbedded)   \   A hafted weapon 
        &   A chest                   ]   Misc. armor 
        (   Soft armor                _   A staff 
        )   A shield                  {   Missile (arrow, bolt, pebble) 
        *   Gems (Can be imbedded)    |   Sword or dagger 
        -   A wand                    }   Missile arm (Bow, X-bow, sling) 
        /   A pole-arm                ~   Misc 
        =   A ring                    ,   Food 
        s   A skeleton 
       ___________________________________________________________________ 
 
                _______________________________________________ 
                                   Monsters 
                _______________________________________________ 
                 a   Giant Ant           A   Giant Ant Lion 
                 b   Giant Bat           B   The Balrog 
                 c   Giant Centipede     C   Gelatinous Cube 
                 d   Dragon              D   Ancient Dragon 
                 e   Floating Eye        E   Elemental 
                 f   Giant Frog          F   Fly 
                 g   Golem               G   Ghost 
                 h   Harpy               H   Hob-Goblin 
                 i   Icky-Thing          I   Invisible Stalker 
                 j   Jackal              J   Jelly 
                 k   Kobold              K   Killer Beetle 
                 l   Giant Lice          L   Lich 
                 m   Mold                M   Mummy 
                 n   Naga                N 
                 o   Orc or Ogre         O   Ooze 
                 p   Human(oid)          P   Giant Human(oid) 
                 q   Quasit              Q   Quylthulg 
                 r   Rodent              R   Reptile 
                 s   Skeleton            S   Scorpion 
                 t   Giant Tick          T   Troll 
                 u                       U   Umber Hulk 
                 v                       V   Vampire 
                 w   Worm or Worm Mass   W   Wight or Wraith. 
                 x                       X   Xorn 
                 y   Yeek                Y   Yeti 
                 z   Zombie              Z 
                 $   Creeping Coins      ,   Mushroom Patch 
                _______________________________________________ 
 
 
       3.2.  Commands 
       -------------- 
       All commands are entered by pressing a  single  key,  or  control 
       sequence  (holding down the control key while pressing a key). If 
 
 
       Copyright                                Robert Alan Koeneke 
 
 
 
 
 
       The Dungeons of Moria                                Page 11 
 
 
       a particular command  requires  additional  action,  it  will  be 
       prompted  for,  with one exception. When a direction is required, 
       no prompt is given unless and until an illegal response is given. 
 
       For each command, the  characters  used  by  the  original  style 
       option  are  listed first, followed by the characters used by the 
       rogue-like option in braces, if different. 
 
 
       3.2.1.  Note On <Dir> 
       --------------------- 
       For the original style option, in the following instructions, the 
       symbol  <Dir> refers to a numeric direction based on your keypad. 
       For the rogue-like option, the symbol <Dir> refers to one of  the 
       following  letters `hykulnjb', or to a numeric direction based on 
       your keypad.  It is not valid to use the number `5' in this  con- 
       text.  One  exception to this is with movement, in which case `5' 
       will rest the character for one turn.  For the rogue-like option, 
       `.' will also rest the character for one turn. 
 
       Commands which require a direction will not prompt you  for  one, 
       unless  you  input  an  illegal direction. Just enter a direction 
       after the entering the command. 
 
 
            Original Directions 
 
              \      |      / 
               7     8     9 
 
            -  4           6 - 
 
               1     2     3 
              /      |      \ 
 
 
            Rogue-like Directions 
 
             \        |       / 
              y       k       u 
 
             -  h            l - 
 
              b       j       n 
             /        |       \ 
 
       For the original style option, movement is accomplished by  using 
       your  numeric  keypad.   Simply press a number and your character 
       will move one step in that direction.  For the rogue-like option, 
       movement  is  accomplished by using the numeric keypad, or one of 
       the directional characters mentioned above.  Pressing  a  `5'  is 
       equivalent  to waiting for one round (More efficient resting over 
       long periods of time is accomplished by using the Rest  command). 
       You  can only move onto and through floor spots, and only if they 
 
 
       Copyright                                Robert Alan Koeneke 
 
 
 
 
 
       The Dungeons of Moria                                Page 12 
 
 
       contain no creatures or obstructing  objects  such  as  a  closed 
       door. 
 
       Moving your character one step at a time can  be  time  consuming 
       and boring, so a faster method has been supplied.  For the origi- 
       nal style option, by using the Move command `.', you may move  in 
       a direction until something interesting happens. For instance, by 
       pressing the period key `.' followed by  the  direction  8,  your 
       character  would continue to move up the screen, only coming to a 
       stop after at least one condition is satisfied.  For  the  rogue- 
       like option, typing a shifted directional letter will move you in 
       that direction until something interesting happens.  These  stop- 
       ping conditions are: 
 
       [1]  A creature appears upon the screen, or a creature already on 
            the screen moves. 
 
       [2]  You move next to an object,  or  feature  such  as  a  door, 
            staircase, or trap. 
 
       [3]  You come to a wall, and have more than one choice of  direc- 
            tions from which to continue, or are in a dead end passage. 
 
       [4]  You come to a junction of several passages. 
 
 
       B <Dir> - Bash {f - force} 
            The Bash command includes breaking open doors and chests, or 
            bashing  an opponent. Two main factors determine the ability 
            of a character to bash, their weight and their strength.  In 
            addition,  when bashing an opponent, you will either perform 
            a body bash, or, if wielding a shield, perform a shield bash 
            which is more effective. 
 
            Bashing a door can throw the character off-balance, but this 
            will not generally be a problem. Doors that have been jammed 
            closed with spikes can only be  opened  by  bashing.  Locked 
            doors may also be bashed open. Note that bashing a door open 
            will permanently break it. 
 
            Bashing a creature has effects on both the  player  and  his 
            opponent.  Depending  on  a character's dexterity, he may or 
            may not be thrown off-balance allowing  free  moves  to  his 
            opponents. 
 
            If the bash is successful, the opponent will be thrown  off- 
            balance  for  1 or 2 turns, thus allowing the character free 
            hits or a chance to run. 
 
            A player automatically performs a shield bash instead  of  a 
            body  bash,  if  he  is currently wearing a shield. A shield 
            bash adds the damage of a shield to that of the bash, so  is 
            more  effective. Note that size and material both affect the 
            damage that a shield will do. 
 
 
       Copyright                                Robert Alan Koeneke 
 
 
 
 
 
       The Dungeons of Moria                                Page 13 
 
 
       C  - Print character (to screen or file) 
            This command allows the player to either display his charac- 
            ter  on the terminal screen, or to print an entire character 
            info listing to a file.  If  printed  to  a  file,  history, 
            equipment list, and an inventory list are included. 
 
       D <Dir> - Disarm a trap. 
            You can attempt to disarm floor traps,  or  trapped  chests. 
            If  you  fail  to  disarm a trap, there is a chance that you 
            blunder and set it off. You can only  disarm  a  trap  on  a 
            chest after finding it with the search command. 
 
       E  - Eat some food. 
            A character must eat occasionally to remain effective. As  a 
            character  grows hungry, a message will appear at the bottom 
            of the screen saying "Hungry". If a character remains hungry 
            long enough, he will become weak and eventually start faint- 
            ing. 
 
       F  - Fill a lamp or lantern with oil. 
            If your character is currently using a lamp for  light,  and 
            if  he  has  a  flask of oil in inventory, he may refill the 
            lamp by using this command. A lamp is capable of  a  maximum 
            of 5500 turns of light, and each flask has 5000 turns of oil 
            contained in it. 
 
       L  - Display map co-ordinates. {W - where} 
            The Location command will display your  character's  current 
            co-ordinates as shown on a printed map (printed with the `P' 
            command). Sectors contain up to 44 rows by 99 columns  each. 
            The  Location  command  will display the character's current 
            row and column map  co-ordinates,  as  well  as  the  sector 
            number. 
 
       P  - Print map to file. {M - map} 
            The Print command will write an entire map  of  the  dungeon 
            floor  explored to a file. Since the dungeon floor is large, 
            the map is broken up into sectors, each containing up to  44 
            rows by 99 columns. 
 
       R  - Rest for a number of turns. 
            You may rest one turn by pressing the `5' key.  Resting  for 
            longer  periods  of  time  is accomplished by using the Rest 
            command, followed by the number of turns you  want  to  rest 
            your  character.   Resting will continue until the specified 
            duration has expired, or something  to  wake  the  character 
            happens,  such as a creature wandering by. It is sometimes a 
            good idea to rest a beat-up character until he regains  some 
            of his hit points, but be sure to have plenty of food if you 
            rest often. 
 
            If you have accidently entered in a rest period  too  large, 
            or  change  your mind about the resting period, you may wake 
            your character up by typing control-C. 
 
 
       Copyright                                Robert Alan Koeneke 
 
 
 
 
 
       The Dungeons of Moria                                Page 14 
 
 
       S  - Search mode toggle. {#} 
            The Searching toggle will take the character into and out of 
            searching  mode. When first pressed, the message "Searching" 
            will appear at the bottom of the screen.  The  character  is 
            now  taking  two turns for each command, one for the command 
            and one turn to search about him. Note that this means he is 
            taking  twice the time to move about the dungeon, and there- 
            fore twice the food. If  a  creature  should  happen  by  or 
            attack  you, search mode will automatically shut off. Other- 
            wise you may turn off search mode by again pressing the  `S' 
            key. 
 
       T <Dir> - Tunnel through rock. {control-<Dir>} 
            Tunneling (Mining) is a very  useful  art.  There  are  four 
            kinds  of  rock  present in the dungeons of MORIA: Permanent 
            Rock, Granite Rock, Magma Intrusion, and Quartz Veins.  Per- 
            manent  Rock  is  exactly  that,  permanent. Granite is very 
            hard, therefore hard to dig through, and contains  no  valu- 
            able metals. Magma and Quartz veins are softer and sometimes 
            bare valuable metals and gems, shown as a `$' or a `*' char- 
            acter.  You  can tell if the metal or gems are embedded into 
            the wall by trying to move onto them. If you can't move over 
            them, you'll have to dig them out. 
 
            Tunneling can be VERY difficult by hand, so when you dig  be 
            sure to wield either a shovel or a pick. Magical shovels and 
            picks can be found which allow the wielder to dig much  fas- 
            ter than normal, and a good strength also helps. 
 
            It is sometimes possible to get a character  trapped  within 
            the dungeon by using various magical spells and items. So it 
            is a very good idea to always carry  some  kind  of  digging 
            tool, even when you are not planning on tunneling for treas- 
            ure. 
 
       a <Dir> - Aim a wand. {z - zap} 
            Wands must be aimed in a direction to be used. Wands  are  a 
            magical device and therefore use the Magical Devices ability 
            of  the  player.  They  will   either   affect   the   first 
            object/creature  encountered,  or affect anything in a given 
            direction, depending upon the wand. An obstruction  such  as 
            door  or wall will generally stop the effects of a wand from 
            traveling further. 
 
       b  - Browse a book. {P - peruse} 
            You can only read a book if you are of its realm.  Therefore 
            a  magic  user could read a magic book, but not a holy book. 
            Fighters will not be able to read either kind of book.  When 
            the  browse  command  is  used, all of the spells or prayers 
            contained in the book along with information about it,  such 
            as  its level, the amount of mana used up in casting it, and 
            whether or not  you  know  the  spell  or  prayer,  will  be 
            displayed.  There are a total of 31 different magical spells 
            in four books, and 31 different prayers in four books. 
 
 
       Copyright                                Robert Alan Koeneke 
 
 
 
 
 
       The Dungeons of Moria                                Page 15 
 
 
       c <Dir> - Close a door. 
            Non-intelligent and certain other creatures will not be able 
            to  open  a  door.  Therefore  shutting  doors can be a life 
            saver.  You must be adjacent to an open door, and you cannot 
            close broken doors. Note that bashing a door open will break 
            it. 
 
       d  - Drop an object from your inventory. 
            You can drop a single object onto the floor beneath  you  if 
            that  floor  spot  does  not already contain an object. Note 
            that doors and traps are considered objects in  this  sense. 
            If  you  drop an object such as a potion or scroll, a single 
            one is dropped onto the floor at a time. Group objects  such 
            as arrows are all dropped at once onto the floor. 
 
       e  - Display a list of equipment being used. 
            Use the Equipment command  to  display  a  list  of  objects 
            currently  being  used  by  your  character.  Note that each 
            object has a specific place where it  is  placed,  and  that 
            only  one  object  of each type may be used at any one time, 
            excepting rings of which two can be worn, one on each hand. 
 
       f <Dir> - Fire/Throw an object/Use a missile weapon. {t - throw} 
            You may throw any object carried by your character.  Depend- 
            ing  upon  the  weight  of an object, it may travel across a 
            room or drop down beside you. If you throw an object such as 
            an arrow, only one will be used at a time. 
 
            If you throw at a  creature,  your  chance  of  hitting  the 
            creature  is  determined by your pluses to hit, your ability 
            at throwing, and  the  object's  pluses  to  hit.  Once  the 
            creature  is  hit,  the  object may or may not do any actual 
            damage to it.  Certain objects in the dungeon can  do  great 
            amounts  of  damage  when thrown, but it's for you to figure 
            out the obscure ones.  Oil flasks are considered to  be  lit 
            before  thrown,  therefore  they  will  do  fire damage to a 
            creature if they hit it. 
 
            To use a bow with arrows, simply wield the bow and throw the 
            arrows.  Extra  pluses  to  damage and hitting are gained by 
            wielding the proper weapon and  throwing  the  corresponding 
            ammo.   A  heavy  crossbow  with  bolts  for  example,  is a 
            killer... 
 
       h  - Enter the MORIA help library 
            A subprocess is spawned and the HELP utility  entered.  Help 
            on  individual  commands  may  be displayed without actually 
            exiting your game.  This is currently unimplemented. 
 
       i  - Display a list of objects being carried. 
            The Inventory command displays a list of all  objects  being 
            carried,  but are not in current use. You may carry up to 22 
            different kinds of objects,  not  including  those  in  your 
            equipment  list.  Depending  upon your strength, you will be 
 
 
       Copyright                                Robert Alan Koeneke 
 
 
 
 
 
       The Dungeons of Moria                                Page 16 
 
 
            able carry many identical objects before hitting your weight 
            limit. 
 
       j <Dir> - Jam a door with an iron spike. {S - spike} 
            Most humanoid and many intelligent creatures can simply open 
            a closed door, and can eventually get through a locked door. 
            Therefore you may spike a door in  order  to  jam  it.  Each 
            spike  used on a door will increase its strength. It is very 
            easy to jam a door so much as to make it impossible for your 
            character  to bash it down, so spike doors wisely. Note that 
            the bigger a creature is, the easier  it  can  bash  a  door 
            down.  Therefore  four  or more spikes might be necessary to 
            slow down a dragon,  where  one  spike  would  slow  down  a 
            kobold. 
 
       m  - Cast a magic spell. 
            First, a character must have learned a spell before  he  can 
            cast  it. Next, when casting a spell, he must read the spell 
            from a book, so a book containing the spell must be  in  his 
            inventory.   Each spell has a chance of failure which starts 
            out fairly large but decreases as a character gains  levels. 
            If  a  character  does  not  have  the  available  mana,  he 
            increases his chance of failure, and  gambles  on  losing  a 
            point of constitution. Note that since a character must read 
            the spell from a book, he cannot be blind or  confused  when 
            casting a spell, and there must be some light present. 
 
       l <Dir> - Look in a direction. {x - examine} 
            The Look command is useful in identifying the exact type  of 
            object  or creature shown on the screen. Also, if a creature 
            is on top of an object, the look command will describe both. 
            You  can  see  creatures and objects up to 200 feet away (20 
            units).  Note that you  may  freely  use  the  Look  command 
            without the creatures getting a move on you. 
 
       o <Dir> - Open a door, chest, or lock. 
            To open an object such as a door or chest you must  use  the 
            Open command. If the object is locked, the Open command will 
            attempt to pick the lock, based on your ability  at  disarm- 
            ing.  Note that if an object is trapped and you open it, the 
            trap will be set off. 
 
       p  - Read a prayer. 
            First, a character must have learned a prayer before he  can 
            read  it. Next, when reading a prayer, he must have the book 
            containing the prayer in his inventory. Each  prayer  has  a 
            chance   of  failure  which  starts  out  fairly  large  but 
            decreases as a character gains levels. If a  character  does 
            not  have  the  available  mana,  he increases his chance of 
            failure, and gambles on losing a point of constitution. Note 
            that  since a character must read the prayer from a book, he 
            cannot be blind or confused and there  must  be  some  light 
            present. 
 
 
 
       Copyright                                Robert Alan Koeneke 
 
 
 
 
 
       The Dungeons of Moria                                Page 17 
 
 
       q  - Quaff a potion. 
            To drink a potion use the Quaff command.  A  potion  affects 
            the  player in some manner. The effects of the potion may be 
            immediately noticed, or they may be subtle and unnoticed. 
 
       r  - Read a scroll. 
            To read a scroll use the Read command. A scroll spell has an 
            area  affect, except in a few cases such as identify scrolls 
            which act on other objects. Note that two scrolls, the iden- 
            tify  scroll  and the recharge scroll, have titles which can 
            be read without setting them off, and by  pressing  <ESCAPE> 
            can be saved for future use. 
 
       s  - Search general area one turn. 
            The Search command can be used to locate  hidden  traps  and 
            secret  doors about the player. Note that more than a single 
            turn of searching will be required in most cases. You should 
            always  search a chest before trying to open it because they 
            are generally trapped. 
 
       t  - Take off a piece of equipment. {T} 
            Use the Take-Off command to remove an object from  use,  and 
            return  it to your inventory. Occasionally you will run into 
            a cursed item which cannot  be  removed.  Cursed  items  are 
            always  bad,  and  can  only be taken off after removing the 
            curse. 
 
       u  - Use a staff. {Z - Zap} 
            The Use command will activate a staff.  Like  scrolls,  most 
            staffs  have  an  area  affect. Because staffs are generally 
            more powerful than most other items, they are also harder to 
            use correctly. 
 
       v  - Display current version of game. 
            The Version command displays the  credits  for  the  current 
            version of MORIA. 
 
       w  - Wear or wield an item being carried. 
            To wear or wield  an  object  in  your  inventory,  use  the 
            Wear/Wield  command.  If an object is already in use for the 
            same function, it is automatically removed first. Note  that 
            an  object's  bonuses  cannot  be gained until it is worn or 
            wielded. 
 
       x  - Exchange primary and secondary weapons. {X} 
            A secondary weapon is any weapon which may be needed  often. 
            Instead of searching through your inventory, you may use the 
            exchange command to keep the weapon ready. For instance,  if 
            you  wanted  to  use your bow most of the time, but needed a 
            sword for close combat, you could wield your sword, use  the 
            exchange command to make it the secondary weapon, then wield 
            your bow. If the sword was suddenly needed, simply  use  the 
            exchange command to switch between the bow and the sword. 
 
 
 
       Copyright                                Robert Alan Koeneke 
 
 
 
 
 
       The Dungeons of Moria                                Page 18 
 
 
       /  - Identify a character shown on screen. 
            Use the identify  command  to  find  out  what  a  character 
            displayed  on the screen stands for. For instance, by press- 
            ing `/.', you can find out that the `.' stands for  a  floor 
            spot.   When used with a creature, the identify command will 
            tell you only what class of creature the symbol stands  for, 
            not  the  specific  creature, therefore use the look command 
            for this information. 
 
       ?  - Display a list of commands. 
            The ? command displays a one page quick reference help  page 
            on the screen. 
 
       ^P  - Repeat last message. 
            The <Control>-P command will  re-display  the  last  message 
            printed  on the message line at the top of your screen.  You 
            can read the last twenty messages by repeatedly typing ^P. 
 
       ^R  - Redraw the screen. 
            To redraw the entire screen, use the <Control>-R command. 
 
       ^K  - Quit the game without saving. {Q} 
            To exit the game without saving your  character  (i.e.  kill 
            him/her)  use  the  <Control>-K command. Once exited in this 
            manner, your character is non-recoverable. 
 
       ^X  - Save your character and exit the game. 
            To save your game so that it can be restarted later, use the 
            <Control>-X command. The save file cannot be moved, or read. 
            Do not try to tamper with it.  Note that a copy of  a  saved 
            character will not work after that character has died. 
 
       $  - Shell out of game. {!} 
            Use the Shell command `$' to temporarily exit  the  game  to 
            execute  UNIX  commands. You may re-enter the game by typing 
            exit to end the spawned process. 
 
       <  - Go up an up-staircase. 
            If you move onto an up-staircase you may use the `<' command 
            to  go  up one level. There is always one staircase going up 
            on every level except for the town level (this does not mean 
            it's  easy  to  find). Going up a staircase will always take 
            you to a new dungeon area except for the town  level,  which 
            remains the same for the duration of your character. 
 
       >  - Go down a down-staircase. 
            If you are on top of a down-staircase you may  use  the  `>' 
            command  to go down one level. There are always two or three 
            staircases going down on each level, except the  town  level 
            which has only one. Going down will always take you to a new 
            dungeon area. 
 
       . <Dir> - Move in direction. {shift<Dir>} 
            The  Move  command  `.'  will  move  you  in  the  indicated 
 
 
       Copyright                                Robert Alan Koeneke 
 
 
 
 
 
       The Dungeons of Moria                                Page 19 
 
 
            direction until one of several conditions happen. These con- 
            ditions include: a  creature  appearing  on  the  screen,  a 
            creature  already on the screen moving, an object or feature 
            such as a door, a staircase, or a trap is  adjacent  to  the 
            character,  character  comes into a junction of passages, or 
            character comes to a wall with no choice or  more  than  one 
            choice of continuing directions. 
 
 
       3.2.2.  Quick Reference Page. 
       ----------------------------- 
 
      
______________________________________________________________________ 
                                 Original Commands 
      
______________________________________________________________________ 
        B <Dir>   Bash (object/creature)  q         Quaff a potion 
        C         Display character       r         Read a scroll 
        D <Dir>   Disarm a trap/chest     s         Search for hidden doors 
        E         Eat some food           t         Take off an item 
        F         Fill lamp with oil      u         Use a staff 
        L         Current location        v         Version and credits 
        P         Print map               w         Wear/Wield an item 
        R         Rest for a period       x         Exchange weapon 
        S         Search Mode             /         Identify an character 
        T <Dir>   Tunnel                  ?         Display this panel 
        a         Aim and fire a wand 
        b         Browse a book           CTRL/P    Repeat the last message 
        c <Dir>   Close a door            CTRL/R    Redraw the screen 
        d         Drop an item            CTRL/K    Quit the game 
        e         Equipment list          CTRL/X    Save character and quit 
        f         Fire/Throw an item      $         Shell out of game 
        h         MORIA Help 
        i         Inventory list          <         Go up an up-staircase 
        j <Dir>   Jam a door with spike   >         Go down a down-staircase 
        l <Dir>   Look given direction    . <Dir>   Move in direction 
        m         Cast a magic spell      Move:     7 8 9 
        o <Dir>   Open a door/chest                 4   6  (5 = Rest) 
        p         Read a prayer                     1 2 3 
      
______________________________________________________________________ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
       Copyright                                Robert Alan Koeneke 
 
 
 
 
 
       The Dungeons of Moria                                Page 20 
 
 
 
       _____________________________________________________________________ 
                                   Rogue-like Commands 
       _____________________________________________________________________ 
        f <Dir>   Bash (object/creature) q          Quaff a potion 
        C         Display character      r          Read a scroll 
        D <Dir>   Disarm a trap/chest    s          Search for hidden doors 
        E         Eat some food          T          Take off an item 
        F         Fill lamp with oil     Z          Use a staff 
        W         Current location       v          Version and credits 
        M         Print map              w          Wear/Wield an item 
        R         Rest for a period      X          Exchange weapon 
        #         Search Mode            /          Identify an character 
        CTRL<Dir> Tunnel                 ?          Display this panel 
        z         Aim and fire a wand 
        P         Browse a book          CTRL/P     Repeat the last message 
        c <Dir>   Close a door           CTRL/R     Redraw the screen 
        d         Drop an item           Q          Quit the game 
        e         Equipment list         CTRL/X     Save character and quit 
        t         Fire/Throw an item     !          Shell out of game 
        h         MORIA Help 
        i         Inventory list         <          Go up an up-staircase 
        S <Dir>   Jam a door with spike  >          Go down a down-staircase 
        x <Dir>   Look given direction   shift<Dir> Move in direction 
        m         Cast a magic spell     Move:      y k u 
        o <Dir>   Open a door/chest                 h   l  (. = Rest) 
        p         Read a prayer                     b j n 
       _____________________________________________________________________ 
 
 
       3.3.  The Town Level 
       -------------------- 
       The town level is where you will begin your adventure.  The  town 
       consists of six buildings each with an entrance, some towns `peo- 
       ple', and a wall which surrounds the town. The first time you are 
       in town it will be daytime, but you may return to find that dark- 
       ness has fallen. (Note that some spells may  act  differently  in 
       the town level.) 
 
 
       3.3.1.  Townspeople 
       ------------------- 
       The town contains many different kinds of people. There  are  the 
       street  urchins,  young  children  who will mob an adventurer for 
       money, and seem  to  come  out  of  the  woodwork  when  excited. 
       Blubbering  Idiots  are  a  constant  annoyance, but not harmful. 
       Public drunks wander about the town singing, and are of no threat 
       to  anyone. Sneaky rogues hang about watching for a likely victim 
       to mug. And finally, what town would be complete without a  swarm 
       of  half  drunk warriors, who take offense or become annoyed just 
       for the fun of it. 
 
       Most of the towns people should be avoided by the largest  possi- 
       ble  distance  when  you  wander from store to store. Fights will 
       break out though, so be prepared. Since your character grew up in 
 
       Copyright                                Robert Alan Koeneke 
 
 
 
 
 
       The Dungeons of Moria                                Page 21 
 
 
       this  world  of intrigue, no experience is awarded for killing on 
       the town level. 
 
 
       3.3.2.  Supplies 
       ---------------- 
       Your character  will  begin  his  adventure  with  some  supplies 
       already on him. Use the Inventory `i' command to check what these 
       supplies are. It will be necessary to buy other  supplies  before 
       continuing into the dungeon, however, so be sure to enter each of 
       the stores. 
 
 
       3.3.3.  Town Buildings 
       ---------------------- 
       You may enter any of the stores, if they  are  open,  and  barter 
       with  the  owner for items you can afford. But be warned that the 
       owners can easily be insulted, and may even throw you out  for  a 
       while if you insult them too often. To enter a store, simply move 
       onto the entrance represented by the numbers 1 through 6. 
 
       Once inside a store, his inventory  will  appear  on  the  screen 
       along  with  a  set of options for your character. You may browse 
       the store's inventory if it takes more than one page to  display, 
       and you may sell or purchase items in his inventory. You can exe- 
       cute your inventory and equipment commands to see  what  you  are 
       carrying.  Not shown with the options are the wear, take-off, and 
       exchange commands which will also work, but were excluded to keep 
       the options simple. 
 
       Stores do not always  have  everything  in  stock.  As  the  game 
       progresses,  they  may  get new items so check from time to time. 
       Also, if you sell them an item, it may get  sold  to  a  customer 
       while  you  are  adventuring so don't always expect to be able to 
       get back anything you have sold. 
 
       Store owners will not buy harmful or useless items. If an  object 
       is  unidentified, they will pay you some base price for it.  Once 
       they have bought it they will immediately identify the object. If 
       it  is  a good object, they will add it to their inventory. If it 
       was a bad bargain, they simply throw the item away. In any  case, 
       you  may receive some knowledge of the item if another is encoun- 
       tered. 
 
       The General Store 
            The  General  Store  sells  foods,  drinks,  some  clothing, 
            torches,  lamps,  oil,  and  spikes. All of these items, and 
            others, can be sold back to the General store for money. The 
            entrance to the General Store is a `1'. 
 
       The Armory 
            The Armory is where the town's armor is fashioned. All sorts 
            of protective gear may be bought and sold here. The entrance 
            to the Armory is a `2'. 
 
 
       Copyright                                Robert Alan Koeneke 
 
 
 
 
 
       The Dungeons of Moria                                Page 22 
 
 
       The Weaponsmith's Shop 
            The Weaponsmith's Shop  is  where  the  town's  weapons  are 
            fashioned.  Hand  and  missile  weapons may be purchased and 
            sold here, along with arrows, bolts, and shots. The entrance 
            to the Weaponsmith's is a `3'. 
 
       The Temple 
            The Temple deals in healing and restoration potions, as well 
            as bless scrolls, word-of-recall scrolls, some approved pri- 
            estly weapons, etc. The entrance to the Temple is a `4'. 
 
       The Alchemy shop 
            The Alchemy Shop deals in all manner of potions and scrolls. 
            The entrance to the Alchemy Shop is a `5'. 
 
       The Magic User's Shop 
            The Magic User's Shop is  the  most  expensive  of  all  the 
            stores.  It deals in all sorts of rings, wands, amulets, and 
            staves. The entrance to the Magic Shop is a `6'. 
 
 
       3.4.  Within The Dungeon 
       ------------------------ 
       Once your character is  adequately  supplied  with  food,  light, 
       armor, and weapons, he is ready to enter the dungeon. Move on top 
       of the `>' symbol and use the down `>'  command.  Your  character 
       enters  a  maze  of interconnecting staircases and finally passes 
       through a one-way door. He is now  on  the  first  level  of  the 
       dungeon (50 feet), and must survive many horrible and challenging 
       encounters to find the treasure lying about. 
 
 
       3.4.1.  Light 
       ------------- 
       There are two sources for light once inside  the  dungeon.   Per- 
       manent  light which has been magically placed within rooms, and a 
       light source carried by the player. If neither  is  present,  the 
       character  will  be  unable  to map or see any attackers. Lack of 
       light will also affect searching, picking locks, and disarming. 
 
       A character must wield a torch or lamp in order to supply his own 
       light. Once a torch or lamp has only 50 or less turns left before 
       burning out, the message "Your light  is  getting  low"  will  be 
       displayed  at  random intervals. Once a torch is burnt out, it is 
       useless and can be dropped. A lamp or  lantern  can  be  refilled 
       with  oil  by  using  the Fill `F' command. You must of course be 
       carrying extra oil to refill a lantern. 
 
 
       3.4.2.  Attacking And Being Attacked 
       ------------------------------------ 
       Attacking is simple in MORIA. If you move into  a  creature,  you 
       attack  him.  You can attack from a distance by firing a missile, 
       or by magical means such as aiming a wand.  Creatures  attack  in 
 
 
       Copyright                                Robert Alan Koeneke 
 
 
 
 
 
       The Dungeons of Moria                                Page 23 
 
 
       the  same  way,  if  they  move  into you, they attack you.  Some 
       creatures can cast  spells  from  a  distance,  and  dragon  type 
       creatures  can  breath  from  a  distance, but these are the only 
       exceptions. 
 
       If you are wielding a weapon, the damage for the weapon  is  used 
       when  you  hit  the creature. If you are wielding no weapons, you 
       get two fist strikes. Note that very strong creatures  can  do  a 
       lot  of damage with their fists... A character may have a primary 
       and secondary weapon. A secondary weapon is kept on the belt,  or 
       on  the  shoulder  for immediate use. You can switch between your 
       primary and secondary weapons by using the exchange  command.  Be 
       sure  you are wielding the proper weapon when fighting. Hitting a 
       dragon over the head with a bow will simply make him mad, and get 
       you killed. 
 
       Missile weapons, such as bows,  can  be  wielded,  and  then  the 
       proper  missile,  in  this case an arrow, can be fired across the 
       room into a target. Missiles can be used without the proper  mis- 
       sile  weapon,  but used together they have a greater range and do 
       far more damage. 
 
       Hits and misses are determined by ability to hit vs. armor class. 
       A miss doesn't necessarily mean you failed to hit the target, but 
       only that you failed to do any damage. Therefore  a  `hit'  is  a 
       strike that does some damage. Higher armor classes make it harder 
       to do damage, therefore more misses. 
 
 
       3.4.2.1.  Your Weapon 
       --------------------- 
       Carrying a weapon in your backpack does you  no  good.  You  must 
       wield  a  weapon  before  it  can be used in a fight. Note that a 
       secondary weapon can be kept by wielding it and  then  using  the 
       exchange  command. A secondary weapon is not in use, simply ready 
       to be switched with the current weapon if needed. 
 
       Weapons have two main characteristics, their ability to  hit  and 
       their  ability  to  do  damage,  expressed as `(+ ,+ )'. A normal 
       weapon would be `(+0,+0)'. Many weapons  in  MORIA  have  magical 
       bonuses  to  hit  and/or  do damage. Some weapons are cursed, and 
       have penalties that hurt the player. Note that cursed swords can- 
       not be un-wielded until the curse is lifted. 
 
       Missile weapons, such as bows, have only one major characteristic 
       which  is  to hit, expressed `(+ )'. This plus to hit is added to 
       that of the missile used, if the proper weapon/missiles  combina- 
       tion are used. 
 
       Although you receive any magical bonuses an  unidentified  weapon 
       may possess when you wield it, those bonuses will not be added in 
       to the displayed values of to-hit and to-dam  on  your  character 
       sheet.  You  must identify the weapon before the displayed values 
       reflect the real values used. 
 
 
       Copyright                                Robert Alan Koeneke 
 
 
 
 
 
       The Dungeons of Moria                                Page 24 
 
 
       Finally, some rare weapons  have  special  abilities.  These  are 
       called  ego  weapons,  and  are  feared by great and meek. An ego 
       sword must be wielded to receive benefit of its abilities. 
 
       Special weapons are denoted by the following abbreviations: 
 
       DF - Defender. 
            A magical weapon that actually helps the wielder defend him- 
            self, thus increasing his/her armor class. 
 
       FB - Frost Brand. 
            A magical weapon of ice that delivers  a  cold  critical  to 
            heat based creatures. 
 
       FT - Flame Tongue. 
            A magical weapon of flame that delivers a heat  critical  to 
            cold based creatures. 
 
       HA - Holy Avenger. 
            A Holy Avenger is by far the most powerful of weapons.  Holy 
            Avengers   have  been  known  to  increase  several  of  the 
            wielder's stats, to actually increase  the  wielder's  armor 
            class (because of the terror the weapon spawns in its foes), 
            and to actually help the wielder to fight more effectively. 
 
       SD - Slay Dragon. 
            A Slay Dragon weapon is a special purpose weapon whose  sole 
            intent  is  to  destroy  dragon-kind.  Therefore,  when used 
            against a dragon, the  amount  of  damage  done  is  greatly 
            increased. 
 
       SE - Slay Evil. 
            A Slay Evil weapon is a special purpose  weapon  whose  sole 
            intent is to destroy all forms of evil. When used against an 
            evil creature, either alive or undead, the  damage  done  is 
            greatly increased. 
 
       SM - Slay Monster. 
            A Slay Monster weapon is a special purpose weapon whose sole 
            intent  is to destroy all the vile monsters of the world.  A 
            monster is any creature not natural to the world.  Therefore 
            an orc would be a monster, but a giant snake would not be. 
 
       SU - Slay Undead. 
            A Slay Undead weapon is a special purpose weapon whose  sole 
            intent  is  to  destroy  all forms of undead. This weapon is 
            hated and feared by the intelligent  undead,  for  a  single 
            blow from this weapon is capable of destroying them. 
 
 
       3.4.2.2.  Body And Shield Bashes 
       -------------------------------- 
       Weight is the primary factor in being able to bash something, but 
       strength  plays a role too. After bashing, a character may be off 
 
 
       Copyright                                Robert Alan Koeneke 
 
 
 
 
 
       The Dungeons of Moria                                Page 25 
 
 
       balance for several rounds depending upon his dexterity. 
 
       Doors can be broken down by bashing them. Once a door  is  bashed 
       open, it is forever useless and cannot be closed. 
 
       Chests too may be bashed open, but be warned  that  the  careless 
       smashing  of  a  chest  often  ruins the contents. Bashing open a 
       chest will not disarm any traps it may contain,  but  does  allow 
       the strong and ignorant to see what is inside. 
 
       Finally, a creature may be bashed. If a shield is currently being 
       worn,  the  bash  is  a  shield bash and will do more damage.  In 
       either case, a bash may throw  an  opponent  off  balance  for  a 
       number of rounds, allowing a player to get in a free hit or more. 
       If the player is thrown off-balance, his opponent  may  get  free 
       hits on him. This is a risky attack. 
 
 
       3.4.2.3.  Your Armor Class 
       -------------------------- 
       Armor class is a number that describes the amount and the quality 
       of  armor being worn. Armor class will generally run from about 0 
       to 40, but could become negative  or  greater  than  40  in  rare 
       cases. 
 
       The larger your armor class, the more protective it is.  A  nega- 
       tive  armor class would actually help get you hit. Armor protects 
       you in three manners. One, it makes you harder to be hit for dam- 
       age.  A  hit for no damage is the same as a miss. Two, good armor 
       will absorb some of the damage that  your  character  would  have 
       taken.  An armor class of 30 would absorb 30% of any damage meant 
       for him. Three, fire and acid damage are reduced by wearing  body 
       armor.  It  is obvious that a high armor class is a must for sur- 
       viving the lower levels of MORIA. 
 
       Each piece of armor has an armor class adjustment, and a  magical 
       bonus. Armor bought in town will have these values displayed with 
       their description. Armor that is found within the dungeon must be 
       identified  before  these  values will be displayed.  Armor class 
       values are always displayed between a set of brackets `[  ,+  ]'. 
       The first value is the armor class of the item. The second number 
       is the magical bonus of the item, and will  always  have  a  sign 
       preceding  the value. There are a few cases where the form `[+ ]' 
       is used, meaning the object has no armor class,  only  a  magical 
       armor bonus if worn. 
 
       Some pieces of armor will possess special  abilities  denoted  by 
       the following abbreviations: 
 
       RA - Resist Acid. 
            This magical ability is usually enchanted  into  armor,  but 
            may occasionally be found as an ability of a weapon. A char- 
            acter using such an object will  take  only  quarter  damage 
            from  any  acid  thrown  upon  him.  In  addition,  armor so 
 
 
       Copyright                                Robert Alan Koeneke 
 
 
 
 
 
       The Dungeons of Moria                                Page 26 
 
 
            enchanted will resist the acid's effects and not be  damaged 
            by it. 
 
       RC - Resist Cold. 
            This magical ability is  also  found  in  both  weapons  and 
            armor. A character using a resist cold object will take only 
            one third damage from frost and cold. 
 
       RF - Resist Fire. 
            This magical ability is found in both weapons and armor.   A 
            character  using  a  resist  fire  object will take only one 
            third damage from heat and fire. 
 
       RL - Resist Lightning. 
            This magical ability is found in both weapons and armor.   A 
            character using a resist lightning object will take only one 
            third damage from electrical attacks. 
 
       R - Resistance. 
            This magical ability is found only  in  armor.  A  character 
            wearing  armor  with  this  ability  will have resistance to 
            Acid, Cold, Fire, and Lightning as explained  in  each  part 
            above. 
 
 
       3.4.3.  Objects Found In The Dungeon 
       ------------------------------------ 
       The mines are full of objects just waiting to be  picked  up  and 
       used.  How  did  they get there? Well, the main source for useful 
       items are all the foolish adventurers  that  proceeded  into  the 
       dungeon  before  you.  They  get killed, and the helpful monsters 
       scatter the various treasure throughout the dungeon.  Most cursed 
       items  are placed there by the joyful evil sorcerers, who enjoy a 
       good joke when it gets you killed. 
 
       You pick up objects by moving on top of them. You can carry up to 
       22  different  items  in your backpack while wearing and wielding 
       many others. Note that although you are limited to  22  different 
       items,  you  may be carrying several of each item restricted only 
       by  the  amount  of  weight  your  character  can  carry.    Your 
       character's weight limit is determined by his strength.  Only one 
       object may occupy any one given floor location, which may or  may 
       not  also contain one monster. Note that doors, traps, and stair- 
       cases are considered objects for this purpose. 
 
       Many objects found within the dungeon have special  commands  for 
       their use. Wands must be Aimed, staves must be Used, scrolls must 
       be Read, and potions must be Quaffed. In any case, you must first 
       be  able  to carry an object before you can use it. Some objects, 
       such as chests, are very complex. Chests  contain  other  objects 
       and  may  be trapped, and/or locked. Read the list of player com- 
       mands carefully for a further understanding of chests. 
 
       One item in particular will be  discussed  here.  The  scroll  of 
 
 
       Copyright                                Robert Alan Koeneke 
 
 
 
 
 
       The Dungeons of Moria                                Page 27 
 
 
       "Word  of  Recall"  can be found within the dungeon, or bought at 
       the temple in town. It acts in two manners, depending  upon  your 
       current  location.  If  read within the dungeon, it will teleport 
       you back to town. If read in town, it will teleport you back down 
       to  the deepest level of the dungeon one which your character has 
       previously been. This makes the scroll very  useful  for  getting 
       back to the deeper levels of MORIA. Once the scroll has been read 
       it takes a while for the spell to act, so don't expect it to save 
       you in a crisis. 
 
       And lastly, a final warning. Not all objects are what they  seem. 
       Skeletons  lying  peacefully about the dungeon have been known to 
       get up... 
 
 
       3.4.4.  Cursed Objects 
       ---------------------- 
       Some objects, mainly armor and weapons, have had curses laid upon 
       them.  These  horrible  objects  will  look like any other normal 
       item, but will detract from your character's stats  or  abilities 
       if  worn.  They  will also be impossible to remove until a remove 
       curse is done. 
 
       When a cursed item has been  identified,  an  asterisk  `*'  will 
       appear  next  to  the inventory letter of the item. If you should 
       wear a cursed item, you will immediately know it  is  cursed  and 
       again the asterisk will appear. 
 
 
       3.4.5.  Mining 
       -------------- 
       Much of the treasure within the dungeon can be found only by min- 
       ing  it  out  of  the  walls. Many rich strikes exist within each 
       level, but must be found and mined. Quartz veins are the richest, 
       yielding the most metals and gems, but magma veins will have some 
       hordes hidden within. 
 
       Mining is virtually impossible without a pick or  shovel.   Picks 
       and  shovels  have an additional magical ability expressed as `(+ 
       )'.  The higher the number, the better the magical digging  abil- 
       ity  of  the  tool. Note that a pick or shovel also has pluses to 
       hit and damage, and can be used as a weapon. 
 
       When a vein of quartz or magma is located, the  character  should 
       wield  his  pick or shovel and begin digging out a section.  When 
       that section is removed, he should locate another section of  the 
       vein,  and  begin  the  process again. Since granite rock is much 
       harder to dig through, it is  much  faster  to  follow  the  vein 
       exactly and dig around the granite. 
 
       If the character has a scroll or staff of treasure  location,  he 
       can  immediately  locate  all  strikes  of treasure within a vein 
       shown on the screen. This makes mining much easier and more  pro- 
       fitable. 
 
 
       Copyright                                Robert Alan Koeneke 
 
 
 
 
 
       The Dungeons of Moria                                Page 28 
 
 
       3.4.6.  Staircases 
       ------------------ 
       Staircases are the manner in which you get deeper, or  climb  out 
       of  the  dungeon.  The symbols for the up and down staircases are 
       the same as the commands to use them.  A  `<'  represents  an  up 
       staircase  and  a  `>' represents a down staircase. You must move 
       your character over the staircase before you can use them. 
 
       Each level has at least one up staircase, and at least  two  down 
       staircases.  There  are  no exceptions to this rule. You may have 
       trouble finding some well hidden secret doors, but the stairs are 
       there. 
 
 
       3.4.7.  Secret Doors, Passages, And Rooms 
       ----------------------------------------- 
       Many secret doors are used within  the  dungeon  to  confuse  and 
       demoralize  adventurers  foolish  enough  to enter. But with some 
       luck, and lots of concentration, you can find these secret doors. 
 
       Secret doors will sometimes hide  rooms  or  corridors,  or  even 
       entire sections of that level of the dungeon. Sometimes they sim- 
       ply hide small empty closets or even dead ends. 
 
       Creatures in the dungeon will generally know and use this  secret 
       doors.  If  they  leave  one  open,  you will be able to go right 
       through it. If they close it behind them you will have to  search 
       for  the  catch  first. Once a secret door has been discovered by 
       you, it is drawn as a known door and no more  searching  will  be 
       required to use it. 
 
 
       3.4.8.  Winning The Game 
       ------------------------ 
       Once your character has progressed into killing dragons with  but 
       a mean glance and snap of his fingers, he may be ready to take on 
       the Balrog. The Balrog will appear on every level after level 49, 
       so don't go down there until you are ready for him. 
 
       The Balrog cannot be killed in some of the easier methods used on 
       normal  creatures.  Because  of  the  Balrog's  cunning,  he will 
       teleport away to another level if a spell  such  as  genocide  is 
       used  upon  him,  and the Balrog cannot be polymorphed, slept, or 
       charmed. Magical spells like coldball are effective  against  him 
       as  are  weapons,  but  he is difficult to kill and if allowed to 
       escape for a time can heal himself. 
 
       If you should actually survive the attempt of killing the Balrog, 
       you  will  receive  the status of WINNER. Since you have defeated 
       the toughest monster alive, your character is ready to retire and 
       cannot  be saved. When you quit the game, your character receives 
       a surprise bonus score and is entered into the toptwenty file. 
 
 
 
 
       Copyright                                Robert Alan Koeneke 
 
 
 
 
 
       The Dungeons of Moria                                Page 29 
 
 
       3.4.9.  Upon Death And Dying 
       ---------------------------- 
       If your character falls below 0 hit points, he has died and  can- 
       not be restored. A tombstone showing information about your char- 
       acter will be displayed with the option to print the  information 
       to a file. 
 
       After the tombstone, the toptwenty list of heroes  is  displayed. 
       If  your  score  beats  any of the toptwenty, your character will 
       join this elite rank of heroes. Otherwise, well, there is  always 
       next time... 
 
 
       3.4.10.  Wizards 
       ---------------- 
       There are rumors of MORIA Wizards which,  if  asked  nicely,  can 
       explain  details  of  the  MORIA  game  that  seem complicated to 
       beginners. In  addition,  they  have  special  spells  which  can 
       restore characters lost by accident, such as power-outs and such. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
       Copyright                                Robert Alan Koeneke 
 
 
