=== Creating a Character ===

Angband is a roleplaying game, in which you, the player, control a character
in the world of Angband.  Perhaps the most important thing you control is the
birth of your character, in which you choose or allow to be chosen various
attributes that will affect the future life of your character.

Character creation, or birth, is controlled through a variety of choices
as to constraints on the type of character you wish to play, followed by
a series of random calculations to generate ("roll up") a random character
matching the appropriate constraints.

Once your character has been generated, you will be given the choice to
generate a new character obeying the same constraints, and once you have
generated more than one character, you can switch back and forth between
the two most recent characters, until you are presented with a personality
that you feel comfortable with.

You may start the entire process over at any time.

Once you have accepted a character you will asked to provide a name for the
character.  In general, the actual choice of a name is not important, but do
keep in mind that it may have some effect on the game itself.  For example,
on some machines, the chatacter name determines the filename that will be
used to save the character to disk.  On others, the character name specifies
special "pref" files.  And the character name is used on the high score list.


=== Character Characteristics ===

Each character has two primary attributes, sex and race, that are chosen
before the character is generated, and which will stay fixed for the entire
life of that character.  These attributes have many effects, which will be
mentioned as they come up.

Each character has a few secondary attributes, height, weight, social class,
and background history, which are randomly determined, but which are affected
by the sex and race of the character.  In general, these attributes are only
used to provide "flavor" to the character, to assist in the roll playing, but
they do have a few minor effects on the game.  For example, background
history
affects social class, which affects the amount of money the character will
start with.  And weight affects carrying capacity and bashing ability.

Each character also has seven primary "stats", strength, intelligence,
wisdom,
dexterity, constitution, charisma, and luck, which modify the abilities of
the character in a variety of ways.  Every stat has a numerical value,
ranging from a minimum of 3, up to a normal maximum of 18, and even higher,
into the "percentile" range, represented as "18/01" through "18/100". 
Actually, every stat can be raised even above 18/100 by magical means, up to
a pure maximum of 18/220, which is represented as "18/***".  Traditionally, a
percentile stat such as "18/50" has been though of as representing a value
part way between 18 and 19, and this is one way to think of them.  However,
often, the best way to view the "bonus" values after the "18/" is as "tenth"
points, since it often takes the same magic to raise a stat from, say, 4 to
5,
or 16 to 17, as it does from, say, 18/40 to 18/50.  The important thing to
remember is that almost all internal calculations "ignore" the final digit
of any "bonus", so that, for example, "18/40" and "18/49" usually have
the same effects.  During character generation, each stat is rolled out as
a number from 8 to 17, with a normal distribution, and is then immediately
modified based on the race and class of the character.

Each character also has several primary "abilities", disarming, magic
devices, saving throws, stealth, searching ability, searching frequency,
fighting ability, and shooting ability, which are derived from the
character's race, skills, stats, and current equipment.  These abilities have
rather obvious effects, but will be described more completely below.

Each character may have one or more "racially intrinsic abilities", based on
the race of the character.  These may include special resistances, or even
abilities such as infravision.

Each character has experience, which increases as the character becomes more
experienced.  Experience is used to advance the character's "skills" which
will be explained later.  Deep down inside, the real objective of the game is
to increase your experience, and certain other characteristics, and also to
collect useful items, to give you a decent chance against Morgoth.  Certain
monsters can "drain" your experience and skills.  Luckily, you can restore
drained experience through magical means, or by simply regaining the
experience all over again.

Each character has some gold, which can be used to buy items from the shops
in the town, and which can be obtained not only from selling items to the
shops, but also by taking it from dead monsters and by finding it hidden in
the dungeon.  Each character starts out with some gold, the amount of which
is based on the characters social class (higher is better), charisma (higher
is better), sex (female characters start with more gold), and other stats
(less powerful characters start with more gold).  Each character also starts
out with a few useful items, which may be kept, or sold to a shop-keeper for
more gold.

Each character has an armor class, representing how well the character can
avoid damage.  The armor class is affected by dexterity and the equipment.

Each character has hit points, representing how much damage the character can
sustain before he dies.  Your hit points are derived from your race,
endurance skill, and constitution, and can be temporarily boosted by magical
means.  Hit points may be regained by resting, or by a variety of magical
means.

Each character has spell points, or mana, which represents how many spells
(or prayers) a character can cast (or pray).  Your spell points are derived
from your level, magical power skill, and your magical realm's "prime stat"
(intelligence for wizards, wisdom for priests and druids, and constitution
for necromancers).  Spell points may be regained by resting, or by a few
magical means.
=== Races ===

There are twelve different races that you can choose from in Angband.  The
race that you choose will affect your character's development; each race has
its own strengths and weaknesses in reguard to skills.  Most races also
have intrinsic abilities.
 
          Human
          The human is the base character, all other  races  are  com-
          pared  to him.  Humans start out with poor skill ratings in
          all areas, but they can advance their skills quickly.  No
          racial adjustments or intrinsics occur to characters choosing
          human.

     Half-Elf
          Half-elves tend to be smarter and faster than humans,  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 do not get any intrinsic abilities.

     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.  They
resistlight effects.

Hobbits
          Hobbits, or Halflings, 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  infravision,  so they can detect warm
          creatures at a distance.  Hobbits  have their dexterity
          sustained.

     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 are also the luckiest of all the races.
          They have lower strength than humans so they are not very goo
          at fighting with hand weapons.  Gnomes have fair infravision,    
so they can detect  warm  creatures  at  a distance.  All gnomes           
have intrinsic free action, which prevents them from being
          slowed or paralyzed by spells cast by their enemies.

     Dwarf
          Dwarves are the headstrong miners and  fighters  of  legend.
          Since  dungeons  are  the  natural homes of dwarves, they are
          excellent choices for a warrior or priest.  Dwarves tend  to
          be  stronger  and  have higher constitutions, but are slower
          and less intelligent than humans.  Because they are so head-
          strong  and  are somewhat wise, they resist spells which are
          cast on them.  Dwarves also have  good  infravision  because
          they  live  underground.   They  do  have  one  big drawback
          though.  Dwarves are loudmouthed and proud, singing in  loud
          voices,  arguing with themselves for no good reason, scream-
          ing out  challenges  at  imagined  foes.   In  other  words,
          dwarves  have  a  miserable  stealth.  Dwarves make excellent
          weaponsmiths, and they are good at forging armor.  They can
          never be blinded. 

     Half-Orc
          Half-Orcs make excellent warriors, and decent  priests,  but
          are  terrible  at  magic.   They  are  as  bad as dwarves at
          stealth, and horrible at searching, disarming,  and  percep-
          tion.  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. Because of their
          preference  to  living underground to on the  surface, half-
          orcs resist darkness attacks.

     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 warriors 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... Half-trolls always have
          their strength sustained.

     Dunedan
          Dunedain are a race of hardy men from the  west.  This  elder
          race surpasses human abilities in  every  field,  especially
          constitution. Their starting abilities greatly surpass humans
          in all areas.  However being men of the world, very little is
          new to them, so they are slow to advance their skills beyond
          their starting ratings...  Their  constitution  can  never be
          reduced.

     High-Elf
          High-elves are a race of immortal  beings  dating  from  the 
          beginning of time,  and find experience  extremely  hard  to
          gain.  They  are  masters  of  skills,  and are  strong  and 
          intelligent,  although their  wisdom  is  sometimes suspect. 
          High-elves begin their lives with see invisible, and they
          cannot be harmed  by  falling  small distances.

     Dark-elf
          Dark-elves make very good magicians; they are experts in
          casting spells, resisting harmful spells cast on them, and
          creating wands and staffs.  Dark-elves are the most
          intelligent of all races, and no monsters can get  at their
          minds to make them less intelligent.  However, dark-elves are
          not very good with endurance so they usually don't have very
          many hit  points.  They fight well with swords and bows, and
          are ok with pole  weapons, but they do not fight well
          barehanded or with clubs.

     Giant
          Giants make excellent wrestlers, and have the highest hit
          points of any race.  They are great fighters, especially with
          clubs, and they are also  good
          at magic.  Giants are bad at most other skills, however.  They
          resist fire and cold, taking only 1/3 damage from enemie
          who try to  burn or freeze them.
 
 
=== Stats ===

          Strength
          Strength is important in fighting with weapons and in melee
          combat.  A high strength can improve your chances of hitting
          as well as the amount of damage done with each hit.  Char-
          acters with low strengths may receive penalties.  Strength
          is also useful in tunneling and in carrying heavy items.  A
          high strength is a necessity for a person wishing to wrestle.
 
     Intelligence
          Intelligence affects the spellcasting abilities of sorcerers;
          it will affect the number of spells they may learn as well as
          the number of spell points you receive.  A high intelligence
          may also improve your chances of successfully casting a spell.
          You cannot learn spells if your intelligence is 7 or lower.  A
          good intelligence can also help with using magic devices,
          picking locks, and disarming traps.
 
     Wisdom
          The primary function of wisdom is to determine the ability
          of a priest or druid to use prayers, just like intelligence
          affects spellcasting.  Again, high wisdom will increase the
          number of spell points you have and increase the number of
          prayers you can learn, while improving the chance that a
          prayer will be successful.  A good wisdom can also help to
          improve your chances of resisting magical spells cast upon you
          by monsters.
 
     Dexterity
          Dexterity is a 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
          will increase his chances of hitting with any weapon and
          dodging blows from enemies.  Dexterity is also useful in
          picking locks, disarming traps, and protecting yourself from
          some of the thieves that inhabit the dungeons.
 
     Constitution
          Constitution is a character's ability to resist damage to his
          body, and to recover from damage received.  Therefore a
          character with a high constitution will receive more hit
          points and also recover them faster while resting.  Constitution
also affects the spell-casting ability of necromancers, increasing the number
of spells and spell points that they may have.
 
     Charisma
          Charisma represents a character's personality and physical
          appearance.  A character with a high charisma will receive
          better prices from store owners, whereas a character with a
          very low charisma may be robbed blind.  A high charisma will
          also mean more starting money for the character.

     Luck
          Luck is used in various ways; a lucky character is more likely to
          have things go his way.  Unlike all other stats, luck cannot be
          increased or decreased by magical means.

=== Abilities ===

Characters possess eight different abilities which can  help  them to
survive.  The abilities of a character are based upon the character's skills.

Abilities may be adjusted by high or low  stats.


          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.  This skill increases  with the level of the char-
          acter.
 
     Shooting Ability
          Using  ranged  missile  weapons  (and  throwing  objects) is
          included  in this skill.  Different stats apply to different
          weapons, but this ability 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 Throws
          A Saving Throw is the ability of a character to  resist  the
          effects  of  a spell cast on him by another person/creature.
          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.  A high wisdom also increases this  abil-
          ity.
 
     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
          certain fights.  This skill is based entirely upon race  and
          class, and will never improve unless magically enhanced.
 
     Disarming
          Disarming is the  ability  to  remove  traps  (safely),  and
          includes  picking  locks  on  traps and doors.  A successful
          disarming will gain the character  some experience.  A  trap
          must  be  found  before  it  can be disarmed.  Dexterity and
          intelligence both modify the ability  to  disarm,  and  this
          ability increases with the level of the character.
 
     Magical Devices
          Using a magical device such as  a  wand  or  staff  requires
          experience  and  knowledge.  Spell  users such as  magi  and
          priests are therefore much better at using a magical  device
          than say a warrior.  This skill is modified by intelligence,
          and increases with the level of the character.
 
     Searching Frequency (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 Ability (Searching)
          To search is to actively look for secret doors, floor traps,
          and  traps on chests.  Rogues are the best at searching, but
          magi,  rangers, and priests are also good at it.  This skill
          is  based  entirely  upon  race  and  class,  and will never
          improve unless magically enhanced.
 
     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.  The majority of Angband's creatures are
          cold-blooded, and will not be detected unless lit  up  by  a
          light  source.  All non human races have innate  infra-vision
          ability.  Human can gain infra-vision only if it is magically
          enhanced.

=== Skills ===

The character's skill ratings are the primary factors in determining his
abilities.  Starting skill ratings are somewhat random but based on race.
The most important difference between Angband and SAngband is that there are
no "character classes" in SAngband.  Instead, abilities are determined by
skills which the character advances.

     Swordsmanship, Clubbing, Jousting
          These skills allow the character to fight effectively using swords,
          blunt weapons, and pole weapons, respectively.  A character who has
          a high skill rating in one of these skills and is using an
          appropriate weapon will have a better chance of hitting his
          opponent, do more damage with each attack, and get more attacks per
          round.

     Endurance
          Endurance increases the number of hit points a character has, so a
          character with a high endurance will have many more hit
          points than a character with low endurance.

     Archery
          Archery allows a character to effectively use missile weapons.  A
          character proficient in archery will have a good chance of hitting
          an opponent, will do more damage, and will be able to shoot several
          arrows each round.  Note that bows require special training to use
          so it is harder to learn archery than to fight with a melee weapon
          such as a sword or mace.

     Magical devices
          This skill allows a character to use magical wands, staffs, and
rods.  These items have a wide variety of effects.  A character poor in this
          skill will have difficulty using these items, especially the more
          powerful ones, and may not be able to use some at all.

     Spell-casting
          This skill allows the character to learn either spells or prayers,
          depending on his magical realm.  If he has not yet chosen a realm,
          the character will be asked to make a choice when advancing this
          skill.  Advancing it will allow the character to learn more spells
          and will give him access to more powerful ones.

     Spell Resistance, disarming, sneaking:
          These skills are used to determine the player's saving throw,
          disarming ability, and stealth.

     Backstabbing
          Backstabbing is an ability which allows a trained character to do
          extra damage to a sleeping monster on the first attack.  The
          probability of a successful backstab increases with proficiency in
          the skill.

     Magical Power
          This skill is another skill used for casting spells; it
          determines the amount of spell points that a character will have. 
          A    character with a high rating in magical power will be able to
          cast many spells consecutively without tiring.
     Dodging
          Dodging allows a character to dodge attacks when wearing light
          armor, thus increasing his armor class.

     Karate, wrestling
          These skills allow a character to effectively fight barehanded. 
          If a character is wielding no weapon, one of these skills will be
          used.  The "'" command is used to toggle between karate and
          wrestling; if the user never entered this command, karate will be
          used.  Make sure that you are using the desired skill when
          barehanded; fighting without training is not very effective.  Stats
          also play a significant role in determining proficiency in these
          skills; strength is used for wrestling and dexterity for karate.

     Weaponsmithing, Bowmaking, armor Forging, Alchemy, Magical Infusion     

          These skills are used to determine proficiency in the respective
          talents (see the section on talents).

     Perception
          This skill determines a character's ability to search and to notice
          traps and secret doors without actively searching for them.

     Morality, Hunting, Vampire Hunting
          These skills allow the player to fight more effectively against
          evil, natural, or undead creatures, respectively.  Morality also
          improves performance with priest spells, perception improves druid
          spells, vampire hunting improves necromancer spells, and magical
          power improves sorcerer spells.

=== Talents ===

As a character's skill ratings increase, he will gain certain "talents" based
on ratings of specific skills.  The '_' command is used to activate them.

     Fennling
          Fennling is the ability to merge two items in an effort to make a
          more powerful item.  Merging rings and amulets will create new
          rings and amulets with the magical properties of each of the
          original rings or amulets.  Merging wands or staffs will create new
          wands or staffs with the charges from each original wand or staff. 
          Weapons and armor can also be merged.  The ability to use this
          talent is determined by proficiency in magical devices and magical
          infusion, but the character is also required to be proficient in
          the skill relating to the items being merged.  Note that each time
          items are fennled, the character may screw up and destroy both
          items, so fennling is risky.  The chance of failure decreases with
          proficiency in magical devices.

     Weapon Forging, Armor Forging, Bowmaking, Alchemy, Infusion
          These talents permit the character to create his own weapons, bows,
          armor, scrolls/potions, and wands/staffs, respectively.  A
          character may be able to create a special weapon or piece of armor
          with special        abilities.  Note that a component is needed to
          forge an item; chunks           of metal can be found scattered
          throughout the dungeon.  A more         valuable metal will allow
          the character to forge better items.

     Predict Weather
          A character with good perception may attempt to predict the
          weather.  Proficiency in perception increases the accuracy of the
          prediction.  Weather affects the amount of damage done by druid
          spells.

     Sense Evil, Sense Animals, Find Traps
          These talents allow the player to detect evil monsters, animals,
          and traps; they depend on proficiency in morality,
          hunting, and disarming, respectively.

     Find Traps
          This talent allows the player to find hidden traps around him, and
requires proficiency in disarming.

     Restore Experience
          This talent depends on proficiency in vampire hunting and allows
          the character to regain drained experience.

     Meditation
          A character trained in karate is able to meditate, removing fear,
          confusion, and blindness.

=== Racial Stat Table ===

The lower the Stat Rank, the lower the stat will tend to be for that race. 
The scale is from 0 to 10, with 0 being the lowest.
Base Hit Dice is an indicator of the number of Hit Points a character of a
given race will have, excluding constitution and endurance modifiers.

Hum = Human    Hob = Hobbit   HlO = Half Orc   HiE = High Elf
HlE = Half Elf Gno = Gnome    HlT = Half Troll  DkE = Dark Elf
Elf = Elf Dwa = Dwarf    Dun = Dunedian   Gia = Giant

               Hum HlE Elf Hob Gno Dwa HlO HlT Dun HiE DkE Gia
Str            6   5   5   4   5   8   8   10  7   7   5   8
Int            6   7   8   8   7   3   5   4   8   9   10  5
Wis            6   6   7   3   6   10  7   6   7   5   6   8
Dex            6   7   8   10  8   4   6   1   8   9   8   3
Con            6   5   4   7   7   8   7   9   9   7   3   10
Chr            6   7   8   7   4   3   2   0   8   10  4   4
Luc            6   7   8   8   10  6   5   4   7   9   5   7
Base Hit Dice       10  9   8   7   9   11  12  13  10  9   8   15

=== Racial Skill Table ===

Races are ranked on a scale from 2 to 10 in each skill with 2 being the
lowest possible score.  This represents the speed at which the character may
advance the skill.
Humans advance fairly quickly in ALL areas but start with poor skill ratings,
while High Elves and Dunedain advance slowly in ALL areas but start with high
skill ratings.

Hum = Human    Hob = Hobbit   HlO = Half Orc   HiE = High Elf
HlE = Half Elf Gno = Gnome    HlT = Half Troll  DkE = Dark Elf
Elf = Elf Dwa = Dwarf    Dun = Dunedian   Gia = Giant

               Hum HlE Elf Hob Gno Dwa HlO HlT Dun HiE DkE Gia
Swordsmanship       7   6   4   3   3   8   10  9   4   5   8   7
Clubbing       7   5   3   3   3   8   8   10  4   4   2   10
Jousting       7   5   5   8   7   6   8   4   4   4   6   3
Endurance      7   5   3   8   3   8   9   10  4   4   3   10
Archery             7   7   8   10  7   6   4   4   4   5   8   3
Magical Devices          7   7   8   4   7   6   4   4   4   5   9   6
Spellcasting        7   8   8   6   7   7   4   4   4   5   10  8
Spell Resistance    7   7   8   10  8   7   4   6   4   5   10  6
Disarming      7   8   8   10  7   4   3   4   4   4   6   3
Backstabbing        7   7   7   6   7   4   3   4   4   4   8   3
Sneaking       7   8   9   10  7   4   3   4   4   4   8   3
Magical Power       7   8   8   7   7   7   4   6   4   4   10  8
Dodging             7   7   7   10  8   4   3   4   4   5   6   3
Karate              7   6   4   10  7   4   4   4   4   4   3   3
Weaponsmithing      7   8   7   6   3   10  8   6   4   5   2   6
Armor Forging       7   8   9   6   3   8   8   6   4   5   2   6
Perception          7   7   7   10  7   4   3   4   4   4   9   3
Morality       7   8   7   7   8   9   4   4   4   4   2   3
Hunting             7   8   8   7   8   9   7   9   4   7   8   10
Vampire Hunting          7   8   8   7   8   9   7   8   4   7   8   8
Precognition        7   6   7   8   7   8   7   8   4   6   8   8
Wrestling      7   4   2   4   3   9   6   8   4   3   2   10
Bow Making          7   7   7   10  7   4   7   8   4   3   4   4
Alchemy             7   6   4   8   9   3   4   7   4   5   7   3
Magical Infusion    7   8   9   5   7   6   4   4   4   5   10  5

