(for emacs users, this document is best in the -*- outline -*- mode) psttrl --- kill a dragon with your favorite weapon by Oohara Yuuma * what is psttrl psttrl is Professional Sword Tester the Roguelike, a dungeon exploring game where choosing a weapon is very important. Both you and monsters use weapons. See how the combination of monsters and weapons works. You can use the combination for yourself by casting the spell of polymorph self. * system requirement psttrl must be run in a terminal. Its size must be 80x24 or larger. It must support colors. Its size must not be changed during the game. * command line options ** --save-dir _directory_ Save and load the game in this directory. To see what the default save directory is, use the --help option. ** --help Print the help message and exit. ** --version Print the version information and exit. * premise How can you get a weapon of dragon slaying? Pick any weapon and kill a dragon with it. * victory condition You can win in 2 ways: + Kill the Ancient Dragon. + Kill one of the dragons other than the Ancient Dragon and return to the surface floor. There is no time limit. * turn-based move All actions are handled one by one. If it is your turn, monsters don't move until you decide your action. A turn refers to the amount of time taken by one action. The length of a turn in the game time depends on what the action is and who do the action. Usually all actions take the same amount of time and you and monsters move at the same speed. All effects of actions happen immediately. For example, if you decide to climb down a stair, you don't stay in the current floor until your next turn; you enter the next floor now and end your turn. This means that monsters in the next floor will move before your first action in that floor. * statistics The ability of you and monsters is described in numbers: ** hit point (HP) If you take damage, you lose your hit points. If your hit points is negative, you die. Note that you are alive if your hit point is 0. ** max hit point (MHP) You can't have more hit points than your max hit point. ** strength (STR) If you have more strength, your attack is more powerful. ** level Your level is the bonus added to your max hit point and your strength. It is always shown with the name of a character. For example, "+0 sword tester" means a sword tester of level 0. Note that a level can be negative. You gain a level in 2 ways: - descend 2 floors - kill a dragon ** defense point (DEF) If you have more defense points, you can bear attacks to you better. Defense points are calculated in each combat. ** attack point (ATK) Your attack points is the power of your attack. Attack points are calculated in each combat. * weapons You can use one equipment. Since you can change your equipment very quickly, every equipment is called as "weapon" and using an equipment is always called as "wielding". To wield a weapon, you must carry it first. To carry a weapon, you must put it in one of your weapon slot. You have 4 weapon slot. Each slot can have only 1 weapon. Monsters can carry and wield a weapon. Monsters have only 1 weapon slot. ** pick up a weapon You can pick up a weapon by pressing the [g] or [.] key, then choose a weapon slot with the direction keys. If the weapon slot already has a weapon, you can drop the old weapon and pick up the new weapon in the same turn. If there are 2 or more weapons on the floor, you can choose which weapon to pick up by pressing the [+], [space] or [-] key. If there is a weapon at the current position of the player character, its name is shown in the upper-right part of the window (below the depth of the current floor). If there are 2 or more weapons, only one of them is shown. ** drop a weapon You can drop a weapon you are carrying by pressing the [d] key, then choose a weapon with the direction keys. If 2 or more weapon are put in the same grid, they are in a random order. ** wield a weapon To wield a weapon, you must mark one of the weapon slot as "wielding". You automatically wield the weapon in that slot. Press the [w] key, then choose a weapon slot with the direction keys. Changing the wielding weapon slot does not take a turn. * empty slot bonus You get 1 point of bonus added to your defense points and attack points for each empty weapon slot. Monsters get 1 point of this bonus if they don't wield a weapon. * map symbols Your character is shown as an at-sign ('@'). Alphabets are monsters you can see. Question marks ('?') are monsters you can't see but you feel they are there. . floor # wall < up stair > down stair / weapon * command All commands are case-sensitive. Use the shift key as appropriate. b move down-left c (cancel) d drop weapon g pick up weapon h move left j move down k move up l move right m full-screen map n move down-right o (confirm) p message log t throw weapon u move up-right v view player character and weapon description w change wielding weapon slot x examine surroundings y move up-left z cast the spell of polymorph self Q resign the game without saving S save the game and exit 5 stay during 1/2 time of a normal action; stop running . stay during 1/2 time of a normal action; stop running , pick up weapon < climb up/down a stair > climb up/down a stair * cancel a command If a command doesn't decide your action, you can cancel the command by pressing the [c] key. Note that the [escape] key is not supported. * save the game You can save the game by pressing the [S] key. You can save any number of times, but each character can have only one save file; if you save, an old save file is always overwritten. The save file is created in the current directory by default. Saving is only for suspending; each save file can be loaded only once. If you want to quit the game without saving, you must resign the game; press the [Q] key, then press the [o] key to confirm. * move or attack Use the vi-like key binding ([hjklyubn]), the number keys or the cursor keys to move. The numpad can also be used as long as it is configured to enter a number. When you try to move to a position a monster is blocking, you attack the monster instead of moving. You remain at the current position this turn even if the target is killed. Note that the range of an attack is always 1 even if you wield something which looks like a ranged weapon. * post-move attack A post-move attack is an attack done as an additional action of a turn. In other words, when you do a post-move attack, you move and attack in the same turn. It takes as much time as just moving. Some weapons allow you to do a post-move attack. If you can do a post-move attack, your surroundings are shown in bold fonts. When you move, if a monster is adjacent to you, the game automatically asks you the direction of a post-move attack. You can choose not to do a post-move attack by pressing the [.] key or the [5] key. Note that the move can't be canceled. Monsters can use a post-move attack. Some monsters can do a post-move attack without any weapon. * view your character and your weapon You can view your character and your weapon by pressing the [v] key. Use the direction keys to view other weapons you are carrying. Pressing the [w] key changes the wielding weapon slot so that you wield the weapon you are viewing. * target a monster with the cursor Information about the monster under the cursor is shown in the right side of the map (below information about you). You can move the cursor to a monster near you by pressing the space key. * examine surroundings You can examine monsters and terrains near you by pressing the [x] key. Use the direction keys to move the cursor to what you want to examine. To read a monster description, press the [v] key while the cursor is on the monster. If a stair is in your sight, you can examine its destination by pressing the [<] key or the [>] key while the cursor is on the stair. * climb up/down a stair If you are on a stair, you can use it by pressing the [<] key or the [>] key. Both keys are accepted; you don't have to choose the same key as the symbol of the stair. If the destination of the stair is blocked by a monster, you attack the monster instead of climbing. You remain on the current floor this turn even if the target is killed. Monsters can climb a stair. If you are blocking a stair a monster is climbing, you are attacked and noticed. Using the examine surroundings command ([x]) near a stair will help you (use the [] key). * monster intelligence Monsters are not as smart as you. + Monsters always wield the weapon they are carrying. + Monsters don't pick up or drop a weapon. + The sight range of monsters is slightly shorter than yours. + Monsters get tired if they chase you too long. * throw a weapon You can throw a weapon you are carrying by pressing the [t] key, then pressing one of the direction keys. The range of the throw is 8. If a thrown weapon hits a monster, the current weapon the monster is destroyed. The monster catches the thrown weapon and wields it. Unfortunately, this partially damages the thrown weapon. The thrown weapon is destroyed when its owner (the target monster of the throwing) is killed. You can't attack a monster by throwing a weapon. Throwing a weapon is useful if you want to deal with the weapon of a monster or if you want to put an useless junk in the hand of a monster. * combat sequence A combat is handled in this way: + Calculate the defense points and attack points before the combat begins. These values are shown in the status information. These values are based on: - hit point and strength - level - the modifier of a weapon - empty slot bonus + Check what ability of characters and weapons can affect the combat. If a character or weapon has such an ability, it is always applied even if it is against the owner. If there are 2 or more similar abilities, they are applied in this order: - the attacking character - the attacked character - the weapon of the attacking character - the weapon of the attacked character + Calculate the defense points and attack points in this combat. + Check if the attack is accurate or critical. Check if the attack is reflected, dodged or parried (see below). + If the attack is not reflected or dodged, compare the attack points of the attacking character and the defense points of the attacked character: - If the attack points are equal or greater than the defense points, the attacked character dies. - Otherwise, the attacked character loses 1 hit point. Note that the hit point loss here does _not_ depend on the attack points; the loss is always 1. + If the attack is not reflected, dodged or parried, apply the additional effect of the attack, including critical. * special attack and defense ** reflect If an attack is reflected, the attack points of the attacking character is compared with the defense points of the attacking (not attacked) character. The attacking character dies or loses 1 hit point accordingly. The additional effect of the attack is not applied. ** dodge If an attack is dodged, the attacked character doesn't die or lose hit points. The additional effect of the attack is not applied. ** parry If an attack is parried, its additional effect is not applied. The attacked character can still die or lost 1 hit point. ** accurate If an attack is accurate, it can't be dodged or parried. It can still be reflected. ** critical If an attack is critical, it has an additional effect: the attacked character dies. * kill and heal You and monsters don't regenerate; you don't gain hit points just because time passes. When you kill an enemy, you gain hit points to the maximum. Monsters have no way to heal themselves. * polymorph self Your character can cast a spell of polymorph self. It permanently changes your character into the monsters your character killed last. Press the [z] key to remember the last kill, then press the [o] key to actually cast the spell. The spell of polymorph self costs 1 level and the memory of the last kill. You can't cast it if your level is negative. If you cast it, you must kill another monster to cast it again. * contact information Please send bug reports or comments to Oohara Yuuma . Also check the psttrl webpage: http://www.interq.or.jp/libra/oohara/psttrl/index.html * history The first version of psttrl was released on Sat, 17 Mar 2012. It was written for The 2012 Seven Day Roguelike Challenge (http://roguebasin.roguelikedevelopment.org/index.php/7DRL_Contest_2012), which is held on the rec.games.roguelike.development newsgroup. The game was named after a post on the rec.games.roguelike.development newsgroup (http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.roguelike.development/msg/d84fc34513e4b018). It discussed how to see which weapon is better than others.