Gold Box Wiki
Register
Advertisement
FANSTASY EMPIRES MANUAL

--Index--

TABLE OF CONTENTS

THE DUNGEON MASTER'S CHALLENGE	                                1

INTRODUCTION                                                    3
        Winning the Dungeon Master's Challenge         	        3
        Game Types                                              3

SETTING UP A CAMPAIGN			                                4
        Creating a Character                                   	4
        Selecting a Character                                   6

STRATEGY SECTION                                            	7

Overview of the Strategy Screen                                	7
     Controlling the Game                                       7
     Game Sequence                                              8
     Navigating the World of Mystara                         	8
     Viewing Units and Heroes                                   9
     Region Status                                              9
     Map Information Options                                   	10
     Assaying Regions                                          	12
     Founding an Empire                                        	12
     Constructing Buildings                                    	13
     Training Troops                                           	14
     Moving Troops                                             	16
     Traveling by Sea                                          	17
     Conquering Other Regions                                  	17
     Viewing Your Empire' s Worth                             	18
     Quests                                                    	19
     Communication in Mystara                                  	20
     Using Spells                                              	21
     Using Magic Items                                         	22
     Role Playing in FANTASY EMPIRES               	            23
     Optional Extras                                           	24
     Loading, Saving, and Quitting                             	25
     Ending the Turn and Turn Sequence                   	    25

        Experience in FANTASY EMPIRES                	        26
        Magic in Mystara                                       	27
        Magical Items                                          	31
        Game Options                                           	35

TACTICAL (ARCADE) SECTION                   	                35
        Overview                                               	35
        Setting Up a Battle (Placement and Orders)     	        36
        Controlling Units and Heroes in Combat           	    37
        Orders During Battle                                   	38
        Spells in the Action Sequence                          	38
        Game Controls                                          	39

REFERENCE                                                      	43
        Character Classes and Troop Races                  	    43
        Alignment                                              	46
        Character Ability Scores                               	47
        Troop Types                                            	48

MYSTARA                                                        	49
        Playground of the Immortals                            	49
        The Countries of Mystara                               	50

TABLES                                                         	55
        Bonus/Penalties for Character Ability Scores	        55
        Spell Effects Summary                                  	55
        Troop Data Table                                       	56
        Building Data Table                                    	56

HINTS AND TIPS                                                 	56

DESIGNER NOTES                                                 	57

--Index--
--Page 1--

THE DUNGEON MASTER'S CHALLENGE,

The tower is wreathed by dark clouds and iced with sheet lightning.
Distant thunder roars as the Challenger is swept forward. Coruscating
energy arcs from cloud to cloud, etching bright jagged lines across the
sky.

The tower itself is a product of many architectural styles, some built by
human hands, others magicked into existence by otherworldly powers. Dark
struts and buttresses support parts of the structure, while others 
mysteriously hover above the abyss, kept aloft by unseen forces.

The Challenger is unfazed by the awesome display -- he has seen too many
great sorcerers and mighty warriors in his time. None have bested him. He
has plundered many dungeons and slain dragons, proud warlord that he is, 
and none of them has even made him nervous. The sights he has seen have
deadened Iris perceptions. This sight would have struck ordinary mortals
silent, numb with awe. But not him.

Deep inside his heart, though, a slight, nagging doubt lurks. This is no
foreign king that has summoned him. The being he is about to meet has n
mortal roots, no human foibles. He is a power among gods -- a shaper of
worlds. He is the Dungeon Master.

The Challenger is borne on the Dungeon Master's magical wind, carried
toward a tiny portal in the side of the tower. The window opens as he is
brought closer to it, revealing a dimly-lit interior furnished only by a
simple round table.

An invisible light source illuminates a delicate crystal ball, perched on
an engraved golden trestle. Images swirl within its glassy depths, each
one disappearing almost as quickly as it is formed, darting into shadow
or obscurity.

The Challenger comes to rest upon what may be a floor. It is difficult to
say for sure, as its texture shifts, becoming solid then slipping away
into liquidity. He calls it a floor because it prevents him from falling
to his death.

For a while the crystal ball captures his attention. Never has he seen 
anything quite like it. The tiny figures rampaging across deserts and 
forests, miniature castles sieged by orcish hordes -- these pictures of 
war he has seen before, but here they are reduced to a scale only the gods
themselves are able to imagine.

In the moment that the Challenger's attention is focused on the ball, a
figure solidifies on the opposite side of the table. The shape draws
itself from the air, quickly, silently, details forming and shifting. A
beard, a hooded cloak, and

--Page 1--
--Page 2--

finally a gaunt, chiseled face become visible. The cloak is edged with
pure gold, finely embroidered with intricate runic designs. The face is 
that of an ancient, wizened character, Dignity and concentration are
evident in the lines of this face, yet no air of fragility can be sensed.
The being who wears this visage is a noble, wise and powerful creature,
bound by no law, physical or metaphysical.

He is the Dungeon Master.

His voice reverberates as he speaks. "Welcome! It has been many moons
since I last had a visitor."

Suddenly, the Challenger feels unimportant, a pawn in an otherworldly
game of chess. He wonders if he isn't the first to receive the Dungeon
Master's summons, but just another in a long line. He wonders what
happened to the others. Were they successful! Or have they been folded
into obscurity, now merely pages in tile Dungeon Master's book of
adversaries!

Before the Challenger can reply, the wizened old man continues, his words
carefully chosen and enunciated perfectly. "1 have prepared a formidable
challenge for you -- a test of wit, nerve, and strategic guile." He pauses
for a moment, as if to let the effect of these words sink in. "You must
demonstrate your skill powerfully if you are to become the supreme ruler
of Mystara."

The activity within the transparent globe on the table intensifies, the
images shifting more quickly, violently, as the picture resolves into a
frantic battle between humanoid troops: agile elves loosing arrows at the
approaching dark hordes of orcs, stout dwarves in close combat with
heavily armored men as fireballs scorch the sky overhead.

The Challenger is held in rapt attention by this display. His senses are
overwhelmed with the illusion of the battle, so much so that he feels as
though he is being drawn into the confines of the orb. The battle rages
closer, bringing with it the clash of steel against steel, the bite of
blade in flesh, the frenzied battle cries of a thousand orcs. Now, the
Challenger stands amidst the battle. He can taste the heat of victory and
the anguish of defeat.

He reaches for his sword, instinctively, but suddenly the battle
disappears and once again he stands before the Dungeon Master. His heart
races, driven by the sight and sounds of conflict. Slowly he relaxes,
relinquishing his grip on the hilt of his sword.

The Dungeon Master grins smugly, seeing that his demonstration has had its
intended effect,

"Now," he says, "are you ready to accept the Challenge!"

--Page 2--
--Page 3--
FEM003A
INTRODUCTION

"FANTASY EMPIRES" is a game which incorporates fast-paced combat with
intricate planning and strategy. To be victorious in the Dungeon Master's
challenge you will have to master the art of fantasy war, through cunning
and nerve, reflex and forethought. Only a select few will be able to meet
the Dungeon Master's Challenge and take possession of the throne of
Mystara.

Winning the Dungeon Master's Challenge

The objective of "FANTASY EMPIRES" is to reunite the world of Mystara by
conquering each of its 98 different territories. Build an empire that
spans the world; train troops, wizards and clerics; send your heroes on
quests for magical artifacts, and use them to vanquish your enemies!

Game Types

You can play two types of games in "FANTASY EMPIRES" – scenario and
campaign.

Scenario games depict certain historical and fictitious battles as well as
situations with pre-defined startup conditions. This lets you get deep
into a game without having to go through a detailed startup process.

Campaign games allow you to play a character over a succession of games,
keeping the experience and power gained from game to game. In a campaign
game you begin as a low-level character, and with each game accumulate
experience and leadership.

When the game has loaded you are presented with a screen depicting the
Dungeon Master and five buttons. Click on the type of game you wish to
play, or "Exit to DOS" to quit the game.

Alternatively, you can load a previously saved game (see "Loading, Saving
and Quitting" on page 25) by clicking on "Load", or watch the game
introduction and demonstration by clicking "View Intro".

--Page 3--
--Page 4--
FEM004A
CAMPAIGN SET UP SCREEN

SETTING UP A CAMPAIGN

Creating a Character

In order to play a campaign game, you need to create at least one
character.

Clicking on the "Create Character" button at the Set-Up screen takes you
to the Character Generation screen. This screen is divided into three 
parts. To the left is a vertical strip of boxes, displaying portraits of
characters. In the middle of the screen is an information box. This is
where all information about the character you are generating is displayed.
To the right of this box is a small bank of buttons.

To create a character, click once on the "Dice" icon. When you are
prompted for the character's name, type in a name of no more than 11
characters and press Enter/Return. You are next asked to choose the
character's class.

Clicking the up/down buttons cycles through the available options: elf,
magic-user, cleric, fighter and dwarf. After the class has been chosen,
click the gold arrow button. You are now asked for the character's
alignment. There are three choices: Lawful, Neutral, and Chaotic. You are
finally asked for the character's background, which is entirely optional.
However, it is nice to add a little color to your character by writing
some background information. For example,

"Hrothgar, a young and ambitious barbarian from the Northern Wastes, plans
to bring Mystara to its knees through his many valorous deeds."

If nothing else, typing a background often acts as a rallying pep talk!
Type in your character's background and press Return. The computer then
generates random statistics for your character's Strength, Intelligence,

--Page 4--
--Page 5--

FEM005A
Dexterity, and so forth. Clicking on the "Dice" button again re-rolls your
character's statistics.

If you prefer, you may also edit your character's ability scores by left-
clicking on the score you wish to modify. This brings up an edit box with
the current score displayed. Clicking on the up or down arrows above the
score raises or lowers the score respectively. When the ability score
reaches the level you desire, click on the gold arrow button below the
score to keep the modification.

After all this is done, and you are happy with the character, add the
character to the character list by clicking the "+" button. This allows
you to use the character in future campaigns.

The character list can hold 10 characters. If you wish, or need, to get
rid of a character to make room for a new one, or to get rid of a
character you no longer wish to use, click on the "-" button, select the
character you wish to delete, then click on the "OK" button.

The "Start Over" button clears the information in the currently selected
character, allowing you to regenerate the character from scratch.

Finally, the "View" button displays statistics and background information
about all the characters. This is useful for reviewing the progress of
your own characters as well as the past deeds of your opponents! Take
note, this information may be very helpful in the Dungeon Master's
Challenge.

--Page 5--
--Page 6--

Selecting a Character

After selecting the type of game you wish to play, you are presented with
the Set Up screen. Here you choose or create your own character and also
choose your opponents for the campaign.

Across the top of the screen are boxes representing each of the five
possible characters that will be taking part in the Dungeon Master's
Challenge. Beneath each of these boxes are two arrows which allow you to
cycle through all of the available characters that you may choose from.
The shield symbol beneath the two arrows represents the character
appearing above in the game.

After clicking on a player box (marked 1 through 5), use the up and down
arrows to cycle through the available characters. Clicking on a
character's portrait allows you to view the ability scores, campaign
history, and background information of that character.

Once you have found a character that is to your liking, you must select
your opponents. At least two characters must be selected before you are
able to start your game -- your own Player Character (PC) and an opponent.
Non-Player Characters (computer-controlled players) have the word 'NPC'
beneath their portraits. They may be placed in any of the five boxes; it
makes no difference which boxes they occupy.

The difficulty of the game you are about to play is determined by the
opponents you choose. A general indication of how powerful your opponents
are is given by the character's Experience Level on the statistics screen.
A level I character is much easier to defeat than a 35th  level one, so
you should keep this in mind while you choose opponents. A first or second
level character is a good choice for a beginner. Taking on a high-level
opponent can be a humbling experience.

"Random world" uses the Mystara map, but the territories have different
properties -- each region's income and the types of troop units it can 
produce change from game to game.

The second option governs limited intelligence options. The switch toggles
between "Show All" and "Fog of War". With the fog of war option selected,
enemy troops not directly adjacent to your occupied regions are not shown.

The "Main Menu" button takes you back to the game selection screen.

When you have selected all the characters you wish to play against, click
on the OK icon to begin the campaign.

--Page 6--
--Page 7--

FEM007A
STRATEGY SECTION

Overview of the Strategy Screen

The destinies of your empire and the empires you face are controlled
through the Strategy screen. The screen is centered around a map window --
directions given to your troop units and so on are executed by pointing
and clicking at regions shown on the map display. Beneath the map window
are two banks of buttons, separated by a smaller map window. And, watching
over all, and perhaps even advising you in your task, is the Dungeon
Master himself. He is surrounded by his assistants who bear the Orbs of
Power and a platter of gold coins: your gold coins. The power is yours
to command and you must use it wisely if you are to rule over Mystara.

The different features of the strategy screen will be described to you in
the following guided tour.

Controlling the Game

"FANTASY EMPIRES" is an intuitive game. Interaction between the game and
player is conducted through the use of the mouse as much as possible. Most
of the control devices in the game are based on the same mouse controls
and are reused throughout the game. The different control devices are:
buttons, cycle buttons, scrolls, and books.

Buttons are common user gadgets. Clicking on one activates whatever
function is described on its top. Cycle buttons, as opposed to normal
ones, are mounted in pairs and have up and

--Page 7--
--Page 8--

down arrows on their surfaces. Clicking these allows you to scroll through
a list of options available to you.

The scroll devices function in basically the same way as the cycle
buttons. By clicking on the rolls of a scroll you can move through the
list the scroll is displaying. You can also select different items on the
list for whatever actions the scroll is being used for. The scroll has one
line highlighted by means of a gold rectangle. If the scroll is full, you
can cycle through the available options by clicking on the ends of the
scroll to move through the display. If the scroll is full, an arrow
appears on one of the ends of the scroll, indicating which way you should
move through the scroll to view the extra entries.

Books are very much like scrolls, except that they look different and have
two extra buttons. To cycle through the available selections, click on the
pages to turn them. Pictures and text appear on the pages to describe that
particular option. Hanging from the pages of the book are two colored
ribbons, one red and one green. If you click on the red ribbon, your
choice is canceled and the book disappears, leaving you to go back to the
game. Clicking the green ribbon confirms your action, allowing it to take
place.

During the game, these control devices fulfill many different purposes,
but their functions are always the same.


Game Sequence

"FANTASY EMPIRES" is played on a turn-by-turn basis. When all the orders
on one turn are complete, the "End Turn" button is clicked and another
turn commences.

Each player plays a turn commanding his or her troops before the next
player begins their turn. After every player has done their turn, the
order of play changes with the first player becoming the last, the second
player first, and so on.


Navigating the World of Mystara

The main feature of the Strategy screen is the map window. This main map
window shows a small portion of the entire world. Centered below the map
window is a smaller map view, showing the complete realm of Mystara. The
section visible in the main map window is highlighted on the smaller one
by means of a yellow box.

Moving around the map is as easy as moving the mouse. Move the mouse into
the border of the map window, and the map scrolls accordingly. Clicking
the smaller map window instantly moves the main map window to that
location.

The main map is divided into 98 different regions. Each region is able to
support or create a variety of troops. Needless to say, some locations
offer distinct advantages over others.

You have no doubt noticed the colored shields dotting the landscape. These
symbols represent the different

--Page 8--
--Page 9--

FEM009A
competing empires in the game. Your own symbol will be centered on the
screen when you first begin the campaign. As you gain regions, your shield
symbol appears within the regions under your control. The shields also
serve as information panels (see "Map Information Options" on page 10).


Viewing Units and Heroes

Click on the "Region Status" or "View Empire" buttons on the Strategy
Screen to find general information about units and heroes. Right-clicking
on any given troop type or hero list allows you to view the unit/hero
type, level, weapon used, and maintenance cost. In addition, the hero's
magic item is shown.


Region Status

You can view the statistics of each region by using the "Region Status"
button. Clicking on this and then on a region slides a screen over the map
window describing the various aspects of the selected region. This func-
tion only works on your own regions -- in order to view an enemy region
you must use the "true sight" spell, or the "crystal ball", both of which
are detailed later.

The screen is headed in the top left with the region's name and its owner.
To the right is a list of information containing the region type (inland,
coastal, island, etc.), the region's worth, terrain type (desert, moun-
tain, etc.), and how many regular and hero troops there are. There is also
a list of what buildings have been built in the region and a picture of
the current castle defenses, if any.

The bottom left contains a scroll listing all of the troops types and how
many of each are present in the area.

--Page 9--
--Page 10--

Map Information Options

As mentioned before, the shield symbols that appear on the map also serve
as display boxes for information about the regions. Clicking on the "Map
Information" button brings up an information box. By clicking on the up
and down cycle buttons you can view the available map information styles.
The default setting for map information is the ruling banner, which shows
the playing character's shield.

The other options include viewing the different types of troops, magic-
users, and siege engines present in each of your regions. Cycle through
the options until the option you want is visible, then select "OK". After
the selection has been made, the shield symbols change to reflect your
choice.

FEM010A
The "Banner" shield display shows each player's Imperial crest. The shield
itself is in the color of all the troops of that particular empire. If the
"Fog of War" option (see "Game Options" on page 35) is in effect, other
players' Shield icons are not visible until you are adjacent to them.

FEM010B
This information option shows items that are present in a friendly region,
including (from left to right, top to bottom) armories, keeps, regular
troops, heroes, towers, temples, and castles.

FEM010C
The Regulars shield display depicts the warrior types in a friendly reg-
ion. From left to right, top to bottom it displays: elves, humans, shadow
elves, dwarves, orcs, halflings, and undead.

--Page 10--
--Page 11--

FEM011A
This option displays the different hero characters present in a friendly
region. From left to right, top to bottom it displays: magic-users,
fighters, clerics, elves, druids, and dwarves.

FEM011B
This option shows the siege engines present within the territory it
represents. From top to bottom: catapults, ballistas, and battering rams.

FEM011C
Each one of these options shows you if that particular type of spell-
caster is present within the region. If there are none, then no symbol
appears within the shield.

FEM011D
This option shows which of your regions have been attacked. From top to
bottom, it shows combat damage and spell damage.

--Page 11--
--Page 12--

Assaying Regions

Clicking the right mouse button on a region displays the income and the 
different troop types it can produce. It also tells you what historical
kingdom the region is in. This is useful because each can only produce
certain troop units depending on what sort of terrain it contains. Elves,
for example, require forests and woods, whereas dwarves require mountains.
The troops listed can be acquired by means of the "Train" button (see
"Training Troops" on page 14). This function works on friendly, neutral,
and enemy regions.

If no mode ("Train", "Move", "Quest", "Build", etc.) is selected. then
clicking the left mouse button also calls up the region assay function.


Founding an Empire

When you start a campaign your empire consists of one region with a
castle, keep, two armories, and some gold pieces you can use to train
troops or construct new buildings. In the upper right-hand comer of the
screen, supported by one of the Dungeon Master's assistants, is a plate
depicting the amount of gold pieces (GP) you have in your coffers.

The keep is a very important building, for it provides stability and law
within the region. A region without a keep will soon fail into anarchy and
be lost to chaos. Building a keep in any region you conquer is a very high
priority if you intend to retain control of it the next turn.

--Page 12--
--Page 13--
FEM013A
Constructing Buildings

Clicking on the "BUILD" button brings up the book of buildings. If you
click on the pages, they turn allowing you to view the other buildings
available to you. When you arrive at the building you wish to construct,
click on the green ribbon dangling from the pages. The shields of the
regions which you can build in will be highlighted. Click on the region
in which you wish to construct the building and the Dungeon Master builds
it. If you wish to cancel, click the red ribbon.

When you click on either the red or green ribbon, the book disappears. If
you click on the green ribbon and then decide that you do not wish to
construct a new building, clicking on any other button at the bottom of
the Strategy screen exits construction mode.

In addition to castle walls and one keep, you can build up to 8 buildings
in a region, comprising of armories, temples, and towers:


Keeps (7,500 GP)

Keeps are vital to the welfare of a region. Through the presence of a
keep, law and order are preserved within the region. If a keep is absent
from a region it loses between 50 and 100 troops per turn until a keep is
built. If there are no occupying troops in the region, it reverts to
neutrality. You must build a keep if you wish to retain control of a
region.


Armories ( 15,000 GP)

Armories allow troops to be trained and created. Depending on which region
the armory is located in, different troop types can be created. For
example, if an armory is built in Rockhome, then dwarves can be trained,
and if it is built

--Page 13--
--Page 14--
FEM014A
in Alfheim, elves can be trained. Each armory allows you to train up to
three units of troops.


Temples ( 12,000 GP)

Temples train clerics. A temple may train only one cleric at a time, and
his training takes four turns to complete. Of course, you may build multi-
ple temples.


Towers ( 10,000 GP)

Towers train magic-users. As with a temple, towers may only train one
magic-user at a time, and the process takes four turns to complete.


Castle Walls (Variable)

The walls of a castle provide security and defenses against foreign
intrusion. Walls come in four sizes: small, medium, large, and extra-
large. There are only three ways into a castle. You can break the doors
down with battering rams, break the walls down with catapults, or, use a
wizard or druid's magic. A small breach in the wall or door is enough to
allow your troops access inside. An extra-large castle has several sets of
doors, so it is more difficult to break in with battering rams.


Training Troops

Troop units are the backbone of your empire. Without troops you would not
be able to hold any regions under your sway. They defend regions, perform
peacekeeping duties, and are able to invade other regions.

To train troops, click on the "Train" button and then on the region which
will train them. All the regions which have available troop training 
buildings (armories, temples, and towers) will be highlighted. Remember
that to create regular and non-magical units the region must have an
armory. When the region has been selected, the Training screen slides in
to cover the map.

The Training screen consists of a picture of the troop type with a price
and the number of turns it will take to train that troop type on the left
side of the menu. The right side contains a scroll of all the troop types
that region can generate, a thumbnail sketch of the buildings in the
region, and a small bank of buttons to control the training process.

--Page 14--
--Page 15--
FEM015A
Click on the desired unit type, then click on the "Train Troops" button.
This purchases the highlighted unit.

When you select the "List" button, the picture side of the training screen
is replaced by the troop list. The troop list has two columns, each divid-
ed into two further columns, marked Type and ETA. When you order a unit it
is queued for training, and appears in the list something like this:

                Type            ETA
        -----------------------------------------
                Fighter         1

The ETA column indicates how long you must wait before that unit becomes
active. This is important because some units require more time to be pro-
duced than others and armories can only work on 3 units at any one time.

If, after you have selected a troop type to train, you decide that you do
not wish to train that troop type, fight-click on the troop type in the
troop list to cancel its training. This can only be done on the turn the
troop type is purchased.

Each armory has 3 training areas with which to produce troop units. This
means that the armory can work on 3 different units at a time. If the ar-
mory's areas are full, then you must wait for a unit to be completed be-
fore ordering more troops. However, you can have more than one armory in a
region producing troops.

--Page 15--
--Page 16--
FEM016A
Moving Troops

To be able to attack other regions and maneuver your troops into defensive
positions you need to be able to give your troops movement orders. Do this
with the "Move" button.

To move troops from one region to another, first click the "Move" button.
This highlights the regions which have troops in them available for move-
ment. Click on the source region; all adjacent regions become highlighted
signifying legal moves. Finally, select the destination region. When this
is done, the Troop Movement panel appears.

Troops may only move into adjacent regions or move by sea. If you inad-
vertently select an illegal move, you are asked to start another move.

The screen has two scrolls on it. The scroll on the left lists the troops
in the source region and the one on the right lists destinations. Between
the two scrolls is a "Transfer" button. Clicking on a scroll highlights
the glass orbs on the scroll's rollers. When you push the "transfer" but-
ton, the selected troop types transfer from the highlighted scroll to the
other scroll, one at a time. Keeping the "transfer" button pushed down re-
sults in a quicker transfer rate. If you transfer too many and wish to put
some back, click the other scroll and then "Transfer" to return them.

Simply clicking on a hero character's name is sufficient to transfer him
or her to the destination region.

Note: Clicking the right mouse button on the transfer button with a troop
type selected causes all troops of that type to be moved into the desti-
nation region.

When you are done transferring troops, click the "OK" button to confirm
the action. This sends your troops off on their long journey. They will
arrive at their destination in the next turn if they moved by land. See
"Traveling by Sea" on the next page for details on moving by sea.

--Page 16--
--Page 17--

Travelling by Sea

You can also move your troops by sea. If you select a region bordered by a
sea as your source, you are told how long it will take to travel by sea.
At this point you can either confirm or cancel the order by clicking on
the appropriate buttons. Clicking on "OK" brings up the troop transfer
screen as usual, while "Cancel" returns you to the map window.

Sea travel allows you to move troops across great distances as opposed to
adjacent regions. Of course, the greater the distance between start and
finish, the longer the journey. In addition, sea travel costs one gold
piece per turn, for every person you send on the journey. Heroes cost
their level times 2 gold pieces per turn of the journey.


Conquering Other Regions

Hostilities occur when two opposing forces meet within the same region.
So, if you wish to take over a region, all you have to do is move your
troops into a region already occupied by another character.

Near the start of the game, most of the regions are controlled by neutral
native groups who oppose conquering forces. You should keep in mind that
when trying to take over a neutral region, you will lose between 50 and
100 troops per turn until you build a keep to restore order. This means
that if you move too few troops into a region, they could all be lost
before you are able to build a keep in the next turn.

The level of the troops attempting to take over a neutral region has an
effect on the amount of casualties they sustain. Regular troops suffer
the normal amount of casualties, i.e., 50-100 troops per turn until a keep
is built. Veteran troops lose 25-50 per turn, and Elite troops suffer
16-33 casualties per turn until a keep is established in the region.

--Page 17--
--Page 18--
FEM018A
Viewing Your Empire's Worth

A complete listing of statistics for your entire empire can be obtained by
clicking the "View Empire" button. This screen shows the total number of
buildings and troops of each type, total income and expense for your em-
pire, and a scroll containing a list of heroes (along with their levels of
experience), troops, and siege engines throughout the empire.

--Page 18--
--Page 19--
FEM019A
Quests

Campaigns can often be won by more than military might and planning. Some-
times, ancient artifacts can be used against a more powerful enemy, either
as a battlefield tool, or to gather intelligence about your opponents.

Acquisition of magical items involves sending your hero characters on dan-
gerous quests. If you are lucky, they return with some magical item in
their possession; if not, they perish deep in the heart of Mystara.

Quests also enable your hero characters to gain experience and thus in-
crease their fighting and leadership skills.

When you send a hero on a quest he disappears into the world for a while,
then re-appears later -- if he doesn't get killed along the way! During
this time, he is not actually present in any of your controlled regions
and is unable to participate in any battles which occur. If a hero returns
to a source country that has been taken over, the hero will die.

To send a character on a quest, click on the "Quest" button and then on
the country containing a hero – these countries will be highlighted -- and
a screen appears bearing a list of available heroes on the left and a list
of possible quests on the right. The quests range in difficulty, with the
easiest (Veteran's) being at the top and the most dangerous (Forbidding)
at the bottom. Just click on a quest from the buttons on the right and
then select a hero or heroes from the list on the left. When you have as-
signed quests for all the heroes you want, click on the hero to send them
on their way. Once you click on the hero, there is no way to get him back
before he has finished the quest or has been slain while on it.

The more dangerous quests reap greater rewards. The most powerful magical
items can only be gained through the most difficult quests.

--Page 19--
--Page 20--
FEM020A
Communication in Mystara

Throughout the game you will need to communicate with the other charac-
ters, either to request aid, offer treaties, or just to give a word of
warning to them. For this purpose, clicking the "Message" button brings up
the Message screen.

In this screen there are four spaces reserved for the portraits of the
characters who are playing against you. Beneath these are their corres-
ponding shield symbols.

To send a message, click on the character you wish to send the message to
and then click on the message type you wish to send. There are three dif-
ferent message types: Message, Aid, and Treaty.

The first of these, Message, allows you to send a text message to another
player character. Aid allows you to send monetary aid to any of your
allies, perhaps in the hopes that one day they will return the favor. Be-
ware, though, for some of the characters are less than trustworthy. Trea-
ties can be offered to other characters as well. If accepted, the treaty
allows peace between two neighboring empires for a certain amount of time.

When you have selected the type of message to send, you are asked for the
message text. Type it in and press Enter/Return.

If you were sending a normal Message, that is all you would be asked to
do. In the cases of Aid and Treaty, you are asked for further information.
For Aid messages, you must set the amount of gold pieces you are sending
to the other character. Treaty messages ask for the amount of turns you
wish the treaty to last, and then the amount of gold pieces you wish to
send as a peace offering.

Whether treaties are accepted or not depends on many factors. The trust-
worthiness of the receiving character, the amount of money you offer, the
length of the term, and the overall military situation all affect the
outcome.

Be warned, Treaty and Aid messages can greatly affect the course of the
game. Broken treaties and accepted or offered aid can have other effects
beside their intended purpose.

--Page 20--
--Page 21--
FEM021A
Using Spells

Casting spells is much like constructing buildings. Clicking on the
"Spell” button at the strategy screen brings up the spell book. Depending
on your current level of magic and which types of spellcasters you have in
your empire, different spells will be available to you. To cast a spell,
turn to the appropriate spell page, click on the green ribbon, and then on
the region you wish the spell to affect.

When you click on either the red or green ribbon, the book disappears. If
you click on the green dbbon and then decide that you do not wish to cast
a spell, clicking on any other button at the bottom of the Strategy screen
exits spellcasting mode.

After this is done, the Dungeon Master directs the magical power to its
target and the spell takes effect following a small animated sequence.

The number of spells you can cast per turn depends on how much magical
power is at your disposal. Your spell power increases through the accumu-
lation of certain magical items (staff of holiness, staff of wizardry,
etc.), the number of spellcasters under your control, and their experience
levels. The level of magical power is displayed to you by means of three
colored orbs being held by the Dungeon Master's assistants. The red orb is
magic-user power, the green, cleric, and the blue, druid. The stronger a
certain magic power becomes, the more intense the light within its orb.
Range has no effect on a spell's power. Any region on the map can be
affected by a spell. Magic accumulates from turn to turn and is generated
by the amount of magic-using characters under your control. Magical power
increases every turn.

--Page 21--
--Page 22--
FEM022A
Using Magic Items

Pressing the "Imperial Vault" button allows you to enter the Imperial
Vault and view the potent magical artifacts contained within (if you have
any). The cycle buttons on the Vault screen scroll through the different
items in your possession, showing you a picture of each item as you move
through the list. A small description of the objects is also shown.

As mentioned above, some objects placed within the magical vault immedi-
ately come into use as soon as they are discovered. Others, however, have
to be activated and then targeted. To use these items, simply click on the
"Use Item" button. The Magic screen dissolves to reveal the map. Now
select the target region for the item and the item will take effect.

You should use magic items with care and forethought. The number of times
you can use an item, or the number of charges it holds, is unknown, so it
may run out at any time!

--Page 22--
--Page 23--

Role Playing in "FANTASY EMPIRES"

Although "FANTASY EMPIRES" is primarily a strategic war game, role-playing
plays a large part in how the other computer players react to your
actions.

It is advisable to play the game in accordance with your alignment, other-
wise bad things might happen. Lawful player characters should, for ex-
ample, honor treaties, should not use many undead troops, etc. Conversely,
Chaotic characters can break treaties whenever they please. Neutral char-
acters should try to find a balance between the two.

Alignment is a major motivator for characters. Each alignment grants ben-
efits and imposes restrictions on that character which define how that
character should go about playing the game.  A character can also change
alignment, but not without penalty. A shift in alignment for a player
character means a drop in experience level and also a substantial amount
of loot taken from the player's coffers.

How the player treats non-player characters is also a major concern. If a
player breaks treaties often, other characters will regard him as untrust-
worthy and will act accordingly. If a player sends aid to other charac-
ters, his actions will be remembered in times of need.

--Page 23--
--Page 24--
FEM024A
Optional Extras

The Game Preferences screen, accessible through the "Preferences" button
on the strategy screen, allows you to control some presentation features
of the game. Through this screen you can adjust the music, sound effects,
DM effects, and advice in order to speed up the game. Click on the appro-
priate buttons to toggle them on and off, or drag the meter levels to the
desired positions.

The "DETAIL LEVEL" button toggles the ratio that each combat figure rep-
resents. For example, a 20:1 ratio would mean that each figure on the
screen represents twenty men. This option does not effect hero represent-
ation. Note: A high ratio may increase your game speed during combat.

Additionally, you can modify the keyboard control settings here by click-
ing on the "CONFIGURE KEYS" button. You can toggle between joystick and
keyboard control with the "ATT. CONTROL" and "DEF. CONTROL" buttons here.
The current control is listed on the appropriate button. The "CALIBRATE
JOYSTICKS" button is also available, just cick and follow the on-screen
prompts.

Also available on this screen is the option to view character statistics
and backgrounds. Clicking on "View Character" brings up the Character
Sheet screen, which functions exactly the same as the one mentioned in
"Selecting a Character" on page 6.

The "Simulate Battles" button allows you to toggle the action sequences on
and off. The button cycles through three different options: "Always",
"Prompt", and "Never". "Never" is the default and means that you will al-
ways play out the action sequences. If you have "Prompt" selected and a
battle involving your countries occurs you will be asked if you want to
play the action sequence or not. "Always" leaves the computer to abstract-
ly handle the battles without any player intervention. Using the "Always"
option can greatly speed up a campaign.

--Page 24--
--Page 25--
FEM025A
Loading, Saving, and Quitting

To save the game, click on the "Load/Save" button at the main strategy
screen. The map window is covered by the Load/Save screen.

The three buttons placed in a small bank to the right of the scroll cont-
rol which action you wish to do: loading, saving, or exiting to the Main
Menu. Clicking on either "Load" or "Save" causes the scroll to unravel,
displaying a list of game slots. Any previously saved game names appear on
this list, and any untilled slots appear as "Empty Slot".

To load a game, simply click on "Load" and then on the game you wish to
load.

Saving the game requires you to enter a descriptive name for the game you
are about to save, but follows the same format as "Load". Click on "Save",
select the slot you wish to save to, and then follow the instructions. If
you are saving over a previously saved game slot, you will be asked for
confirmation -- click "OK" if you are sure, then enter the new game name
and hit Enter/Return. Your game will then be saved to disk for later use.

The "EXIT" button allows you to quit the game and returns you to the main
menu screen without saving the game. Remember that this ends the game you
are currently playing -- if you wish to continue at a later date you must
"Save" the game before exiting.


Ending the Turn and Turn Sequence
FEM025B
When you have done everything you wish to do on a particular turn, click
on the "End Turn" button to progress to the next turn.

--Page 25--
--Page 26--

Experience in "FANTASY EMPIRES"

Experience plays a large role in the game, defining everyone's abilities
and powers.

Experience is measured in "levels," with each successive level of experi-
ence being harder to attain. By performing certain actions, characters
gain "experience points," and when they get enough points they advance to
the next level.

Levels range between one and thirty-six, with first-level characters rep-
resenting normal civilians and the highest levels representing the epitome
of power. As experience levels rise, characters gain more hit points, at-
tacks, and other abilities.

Every character in "FANTASY EMPIRES" can gain experience, although it is
done in different ways.

First of all, your player character gains experience with each completed
campaign. After you have won a game, you receive experience points and un-
doubtedly will advance a level. This change will be visible in the next
game, where you will have increased income and other benefits granted to
you by the next level. As stated, higher experience levels are harder to
obtain, so as you rise higher you will have to complete more games in or-
der to continue advancing.

Taking on higher-level opponents grants you more experience points should
you defeat them, but of course, the risks are greater. Conversely, defeat-
ing characters whose experience levels are lower than your own will not
afford you much experience.

Secondly, your heroes gain experience by questing and fighting in battles.
If a hero returns from a quest, even if empty-handed, he will generally
advance a level. The more challenging the quest, the more experience the
hero gets out of it. This means that a relatively tame quest will not give
a high-level hero much experience.

If a hero participates in a battle and survives, he gains a level. Battles
usually have high mortality rates and surviving them is quite a feat. In
fact, if you only have low-level heroes it would be best to keep them out
of front line combat until their experience improves.

Regular troops gain experience by participating in several battles. If a 
certain unit of troops survives at least two battles, it is classified as
Veteran. If Veteran troops survive another battle, they become Elite. Note
that for troops and heroes to gain experience, more than 50 enemies must
be killed in battle.

--Page 26--
--Page 27--

Magic in Mystara

Magic and magical items are potent tools. They can be used for offense,
defense, and intelligence-gathering. Beware, though; however strong you
might think you are as a wielder of magic, it can also be used against
you.


Spellcaster Magic

To be able to cast magic spells, you must train magic-users and cleric
characters from the countries you control. Not every country is capable of
producing clerics or magic-users, so you must seek one out if you do not
possess one.

When you do have a region that can produce spellcasters, build a temple
(clerics) or tower (magic-users) and begin training your spellcasters. As
magic is a particularly difficult thing to master, whether it is through
a deity or by the power of the mind, spellcasters take four turns to pro-
duce. However, the wait is worthwhile.


Clerics

Clerics derive their power from the deity they worship. Their spells are
granted by their patrons and they absorb magical power by praying to them.
Clerical spells include "true sight" and "earthquake". Clerics also have
the ability to turn or destroy undead creatures like skeletons. Because of
their religious and ethical beliefs, clerics are unable to use edged wea-
pons or any weapons which draw blood.


Druids

If a cleric reaches the 9th level of experience, he or she is offered the
chance to become a druid. Druids are priests of nature, able to command
the elements with spells like "weather control", "call lightning", and
"creeping doom".


Magic-Users

Magic-users rely on their intelligence and knowledge of magic in order to
cast spells. They gain magical power by casting spells from books. Magic-
user spells include "meteor storm", "animate dead", and "death spell".

Creating spellcasting character classes is the same as training regular
and hero troop types. Simply build the appropriate building, temples for
clerics and towers for magic-users, and then use the "Train" button to
create them.

Like heroes, spellcasters can be sent on quests for magical items and to
gain experience.

--Page 27--
--Page 28--

Cleric Spells and Abilities


Earthquake

Casting this spell causes the affected region's ground to shake violently,
with the intention of destroying enemy buildings. This spell affects 20-
50% of buildings and 10-20% of enemy troops. Also, there is a 10-25%
chance of any castle walls in the target region being destroyed.


True Sight

"True sight" provides you with complete information about an enemy region.
Casting this is effectively the same as using the "View" button, but
allows you to view enemy regions.


Turn Undead

Using this ability allows the cleric to 'turn' or destroy enemy undead
troops. It costs no spell power, unlike the other spells, but can only
be used one time per game turn. Typically between 30 and 60 undead troops
can be destroyed every time "turn undead" is used.


Druid Spells


Call Lightning

"Call lightning" is a relatively weak spell that damages buildings and
troops by means of summoning an electrical storm. It damages roughly 20%
of the target region's buildings and about 10% of its troops by creating a
thunderstorm over its stronghold.


Weather Control

This spell is similar to the "call lightning" spell except that it creates
a raging whirlwind which wreaks havoc on 25-55% of enemy buildings and be-
tween 10-25% of enemy troops in its target region.


Creeping Doom

With this spell, the druid summons a tremendous plague of insects to rav-
age his enemy's regions. This spell is one of the most powerful spells and
should definitely not be underestimated. It will damage 20-60% of enemy
buildings and 40-70% of troops.


Magic-User Spells


Death Spell

The "death spell" is potent anti-personnel magic. It has no effect on
buildings at all and has a 20-60% mortality rate among enemy troops.


Meteor Swarm

"Meteor swarm" causes fiery rocks to fall from the sky upon your chosen
target. It can damage 40-80% of buildings and 20-40% of troops in the tar-
get region.


Animate Dead

Using this spell, the magic-user can create armies of undead warriors,
loyal to your command. Each use of the spell creates between 30 and 60 un-
dead troops in the region of your choice.

--Page 28--
--Page 29--

FEM029
--Page 29--
--Page 30--

FEM030
--Page 30--
--Page 31--

Magical Items

Magical items are acquired by heroes who have been sent on quests and
lived to tell about it. There are many different magic items; they come in
two different flavors. The first group are magical items which are re-
tained and used by the heroes who found them and the second are those
which are kept in the Imperial Vault of the empire which found them.

Hero items include things like magic swords, rings, and items of clothing
(boots, for example), which can be carried or worn by the hero himself.
These items enhance the abilities of the hero in combat and other duties.
A hero can only use one hero item at a time. If he is sent on a quest and
he finds another hero item he must discard one for the other. This does
not affect whether Imperial Vault items can be kept.

Magical artifacts that are kept within the Imperial Vault after the hero
has returned are often of incredible power and have their own unique ef-
fects. Some may increase magical power, whereas others only have a limited
amount of charges, becoming useless after so many uses.


Hero Items


Magic Weapons and Defenses

The most prolific of the hero items are basic weapons and defenses. Among
these are the magical swords, bows, axes, and maces. The number following
the item name (e.g.: +2) is an indicator of how effective or powerful the
weapon or defense is. Magic weapons enable the user (in this case, a hero
character) to be more capable in combat, hitting more often and doing more
damage with each hit.

Each magic item has a four-letter abbreviation following its name in the
descriptions below. This abbreviation appears next to the hero when he is
listed in the game. Imperial Vault items do not have a four-letter abbrev-
iation as they are not carried by heroes into battle. For magic weapons
the abbreviations are as follows:

        Sword+ 1     SW+1
        Axe+ 1       AX+1
        Sword+2      SW+2
        Axe+2        AX+2
        Sword+3      SW+3
        Axe+3        AX+3
        Bow+ 1       BW+l
        Mace+ 1      MC+1
        Bow+2        BW+2
        Mace+2       MC+2
        Bow+3        BW+3
        Mace+3       MC+3

Some magical weapons, like the "sword of slowing", have special effects
which are experienced during combat. A brief description of each follows:

--Page 31--
--Page 32--

MAGIC WEAPONS AND DEFENSES


Arrows of Teleportation (ARRW)
Any target struck by one of these arrows is instantly transported away
from the battlefield, with no means of getting back. These items have an
infinite amount of uses.


Sword of Extra Damage (SW-X)
A potent weapon, the sword of extra damage inflicts grievous wounds on any
target.


Sword of Slowing (SWSL)
When this weapon hits an opponent, the victim's movements are slowed down
drastically, making him extremely vulnerable to further attacks. This
sword affects any troop type: regular or hero.


MISCELLANEOUS MAGICAL HERO ITEMS


Boots of Speed (BTSP)
When a hero is wearing these he is able to travel at double speed, allow-
ing him to chase his enemies around the battlefield.


Elven Cloak (EC)
The elven cloak renders its wearer invisible to other players and troops
on the battlefield. This invisibility improves the armor class of the
hero.


Gauntlets of Ogre Power (GAUT)
Gauntlets of ogre power grant the strength of an ogre to the wearer.

Girdle of Giant Strength (GIRD)
The girdle of giant strength increases the wearers strength to that of a
hill giant, enabling him to cause more damage on the battlefield.


Ring of Fire Resistance (FRES)
This artifact defends the wearer against an enemy magic-user's fire
attacks. Once warn, this effect lasts until the item is replaced by anoth-
er.

--Page 32--
--Page 33--

Ring of Protection +1 (RP+I)
While a hero wears this magic ring, his armor class is improved by 1. Im-
proved versions of this item may be found.


Medallion of Protection (MPRO)
While a hero wears this medallion, his armor class is improved by 2.


Displacer Cloak (DC)
The displacer cloak causes the wearer to become displaced, appearing 2-3
feet from his actual position. This displacement improves the hero's armor
class. The controlling character is able to see the hero's actual position
at all times, however.


Ring of Teleportation (TELE)
Any hero wearing this ring is instantly teleported to safety should the
Retreat order ever need to be given to his force.


Ring of Regeneration (RGEN)
Wearing this magic ring slowly regenerates the hero's hit points.


IMPERIAL VAULT ITEMS


Crystal Ball
This item functions in the same manner as the "View Empire" function on
the strategy screen, except that it can be used to view one of your oppo-
nents' empires.


Lightning Rod
A lightning rod allows the owner to cast call lightning spells without ex-
pending any power from the druid's blue Orb of Power; instead, the magical
energy is taken from the rod's charges.


Mirror of Life Trapping
The mirror of life trapping is a device which draws in your enemy, trap-
ping him in a featureless plane within the mirror itself. When you use it,
one hero in your opponent's forces is drawn inside the mirror, lost beyond
all hope. The mirror, however, can only hold so many heroes.

--Page 33--
--Page 34--

Mirror of Protection
When the mirror of protection is in your possession, enemy empires are un-
able to use true sight spells and crystal bails to spy on your regions.
This item is in continuous effect from the time of its discovery.


Rod of Dominion
With this item in your possession, all income from your empire is increas-
ed.


Rod of the Earth
This item allows the user to create earthquakes without using any power
from the clerical Orb of Power. Instead, a charge of power is taken from
the rod.


Rod of Necromancy
The bearer of this artifact is able to cast animate dead spells without any
magic-users and without expending any magical power from the magic-user's
red Orb of Power. Between 30 and 60 undead warriors appear within the tar-
get region.

Rod of True Sight
Essentially the same as the cleric's true sight spell, but spell power is
taken from the rod instead of the green Orb.


Rod of the Winds
Allows the user of the object to create tornadoes, as per the druid weather
control spell, in the target region. No magical energy is expended, except
a single charge from the rod.

Staffs: of Holiness, Wizardry, and Druids
These three items are active all the time when placed in the Imperial
Vault. Each one increases the amount of power to one particular sphere of
power: Holiness represents clerics, Wizardry, magic-users, and Druids,
druids (of course).

--Page 34--
--Page 35--

Game Options


Campaign Options

After you have familiarized yourself with the game controls, you may wish
to experiment with different variations of "FANTASY EMPIRES" by playing
the game with different options.

On the "Set Up" screen two buttons, "Random World" and "Show All"/"Fog of
War", display different options for how the campaign will be played.

"Random world" uses the Mystara map, but the territories have different
properties -- each region's income and the types of troop units it can
produce change from game to game.

The second option governs limited intelligence options. The switch toggles
between "Show All" and "Fog of War". With the "fog of war" option 
selected, enemy troops not directly adjacent to your occupied regions are
not shown.

The "Main Menu" button takes you back to the game selection screen.


TACTICAL (ARCADE) SECTION


Overview

Whenever an army invades a region which is held by another player, a
battle results. Battles are resolved through a fast-paced combat sequence,
where you take control of your forces in order to defend or break through
the castle walls.

Battle segments may be skipped altogether if you have selected the "Simu-
late Always" option at the campaign screen.

During a battle, both sides place their troop units on the battle map and
give general orders affecting all of their units. The troops then fight by
themselves, while you control any one of the heroes or units you have de-
ployed on the battlefield.

You participate only in battles which involve you. All computer versus
computer battles are simulated by the computer.

--Page 35--
--Page 36--
FEM036A
Setting Up a Battle (Placement and Orders)

When a battle occurs you are presented with a screen depicting the scene
of the battle. The map on the fight of the screen is divided into two
sections. The attacking player places his or her units in the top section,
while the defender places his or hers in the lower section. The left side
of the screen contains a scroll with a list of troop types and their re-
spective numbers in it.

The attacking player places his units first, by selecting a unit on the
scroll, then positioning the cursor over the map display and clicking the
left mouse button. At this point, a small icon representing that unit is
displayed on the map. Each icon depicts a unit of 20 troops; in the case
of heroes and siege engines, the icon represents

one character or weapon. When all troop placement has been done, clicking
on the "OK/AUTO" icon allows the defender to place troops.

If the "OK/AUTO" icon is pressed and there are still troops left over to
be deployed, the computer automatically selects positions for the rest.
Clicking "UNDO" removes the last unit to be placed on the map. If you
click "UNDO" more than once the computer keeps removing units in the order
you placed them. This is useful if you wish to reposition large amounts of
troops.

When the units have been placed you can choose starting orders by clicking
on the order bar, situated beneath the "OK/AUTO" and "UNDO" buttons. When
you click on the button, it will cycle through the available options, as
described in the section "Orders During Battle" on page 38. When you are
satisfied with your battle plans, click on "OK/AUTO". You

--Page 36--
--Page 37--

may then choose to support your troops with spells. See the section
"Spells in the Action Sequence" also on page 38.

You may place up to 25 groups of soldiers (20 per group) per side in a
single "round." Note: individual heroes and siege engines count as one
entire group. If there are more than 25 groups on each side participating
in the battle, the extra groups are left for reinforcements. When one
group is destroyed, a reinforcement group immediately replaces it. This
procedure continues until one side retreats, or is decimated.

The defender then places his troops in the same manner. If either one of
the participating players is the computer, one of the placement screens
will be omitted depending on whether the computer is the attacker or the
defender.

When all troop placement has been done, battle commences.


Controlling Units and Heroes in Combat

After you have placed your units and heroes, given your orders, and cast
spells (if available), combat begins. You may, at this time, move individ-
ual units to any locations you desire on the battlefield.

In the case of units, you gain control of an individual trooper who be-
comes the unit leader. You may move and attack with this unit leader as
you desire. The remainder of the unit follows the leader and attacks any
enemies they come in contact with. When the unit leader dies, control

jumps to another trooper in that unit who becomes its leader. In this way
you can effectively control an entire unit until it is slain to a man.

In the case of heroes, you gain control of one of the heroes participating
in the battle. Just like units, you may move and attack with this hero as
you desire. When the hero is slain, your control jumps to another hero on
the battlefield and combat continues. Another feature of hero control is
the hero's ability to lead nearby units. Pressing the F4 key (attacker) or
the F7 key (defender) enables the hero's leadership. Pressing these keys
again disables this ability.

While hero leadership is enabled, the hero under your control acts as a
unit leader and leads nearby units to whatever location you desire on the
field. This allows you to maneuver units more quickly and easily. Once you
have moved the hero and his accompanying units to your desired location,
press the leadership key so that the hero may move away without the units
following him. This way you can have him reach other units to maneuver.
Hero leadership is only granted to the hero under your control. Computer-
controlled heroes are not able to lead units.

Pressing the F1 key (attacker) or the F10 key (defender) passes your con-
trol to another hero or unit leader.

--Page 37--
--Page 38--

Orders During Battle

While a battle is in progress, you may issue orders which will govern the
overall behavior of your troops. These orders apply to all of your troops,
not just individual units. There are four general orders: Assault, Harass,
Barrage, and Retreat.


Assault
Assault causes all of your troops to move toward the enemy and engage them
with their weapons as soon as they are in range. Assault is an all-out
attack.


Harass
Issuing the Harass order causes all friendly elf, shadow elf, and halfling
units to move to firing range and engage the enemy. All other units stay
where they are until further orders are given.


Barrage
Barrage instructs catapult, ballista, and missile units to open fire on
any target within range, without moving toward the enemy. Since the range
of the catapults and ballistas spans the battlefield, they do not have to
move at all.


Retreat
Retreat causes every unit to retreat at top speed toward the outside of
the battlefield. If a soldier reaches the edge of the battlefield, he is
assumed to have escaped the battle -- he is still alive and able to fight
again, but not in the same battle he has just escaped from. Only heroes,
regular troops, and battering rams retreat.


Spells in the Action Sequence

If you have spellcasting heroes (cleric, druid, and magic-user) on your
side in a battle, they will be able to cast spells to affect the outcome
of the battle. To get your heroes casting spells, click on the "Spell"
icon in the Action set-up screen. A panel appears with the available
choices for spells depending on what sort of spellcasting heroes are pre-
sent.


Bless
If you have any clerics present you will be able to "bless" your troops.
"Bless" enables your warriors to fight at an advantage against the enemy.
Through divine power their weapons will strike true, causing more damage
than normal.


Control Winds
Druids can cast the "control winds" spell. Magical winds envelop the
battlefield, disrupting missile fire of any kind. "Control winds" affects
both sides, and thus can be a great equalizer in a battle.


Confusion
"Confusion" spells destroy the enemy's discipline and order. Soldiers will
totter about aimlessly and mindlessly attack anyone, even on their own
side. Although this "confusion" only lasts a short while, a lot of damage
can be done.

--Page 38--
--Page 39--

Game Controls

The action sequences of the "FANTASY EMPIRES" game can be controlled by 
either joystick or keyboard, though the joystick option is recommended.

Keyboard controls are as follows:

FEM039A

FEM039B
Whichever method you choose, there are some functions of the game which
are always assigned to the keyboard function keys.

FEM039C
"Jump to Next Unit/Hero" passes player control to another unit or hero
character.

"Toggle Hero Leadership" is described on page 37.

"Toggle Orders" cycles through the available orders: Assault, Barrage,
Harass, and Retreat.

"Battle Overview" allows you to see what each battle group or hero is up
to. While you are viewing a hero with this feature you will not be able to
control him. To control the hero you must select him with F1 or F10.

"Toggle Battering Rams" activates battering ram units. They will begin to
attack the doors of an enemy stronghold. If they are already active,
pressing the toggle button again causes the battering rams to retreat away
from the doors. (Applicable only to attackers.)


Joystick and Keyboard Controls

All hero attacks and defenses are controlled through the joystick fire
buttons (or their keyboard equivalents).

Fire button 1 initiates attack sequences, while fire button 2 initiates
defense sequences.

The stick itself controls the hero's movements. Also, when no hero is sel-
ected, you can use your joystick to scroll around the battlefield in order
to observe your forces in action.

--Page 39--
--Page 40--
FEM040A
FEM040B

The Action Screen

The action screen, whether playing against the computer or another human
player, contains the same information displays. Some of these displays are
duplicated on the two player screen but function exactly the same as the
single player display.

--Page 40--
--Page 41--

Current Orders

This icon displays whatever orders your troops are currently under: As-
sault, Barrage, Harass, or Retreat.

Local Radar (Crystal Ball)
The Crystal Ball displays the objects and troops surrounding the currently
visible location. Keep in mind that this display has a short range. Troops
are depicted as dots, colored the same as the side they represent. Arrows
and other missiles appear as yellow dots streaking across the battlefield.

Battlefield Map
This display shows the entire battlefield and the troop units present in
it. Each dot represents a single group of up to 20 troops. The section of
the map currently visible in your viewport is shown on the map as a yellow
dot.

Hit Points Scale
The amount of damage that the currently selected hero can take is repre-
sented by the sword. When damage is sustained by the hero, the sword
slides a little further into its scabbard. When the sword is fully
sheathed your hero has died.

Army Status
The Army Status icon is similar to the Hit Points scale, except that it
displays the condition of your entire army. As casualties on your side in-
crease, the shield becomes progressively more damaged. When the shield is
in tatters, you have lost the battle.


Battle Simulation

If a particular battle takes a long time, it can be resolved abstractly by
the computer without any player intervention. Press the Esc key when you
wish the computer to take over.


Breaking into Castles

In order to battle troops hiding within a stronghold you will have to get
your troops inside the castle walls.

Castle walls may be breached by three methods -- you can use catapults to
punch holes in them, you can use battering rams to break down the gates
allowing your troops to run inside, or, you can cause huge breaches in the
walls with the magic of your druids and magic users.

Battering rams must be ordered to attack the gates -- they don't attack
the gates in an "Assault" or any other general order. Press F3/F8 whenever
you want your battering rams to attempt to break down the gates.

--Page 41--
--Page 42--
FEM042A
After the Battle

When the battle is over, you will be presented with two consecutive Battle
Summary screens, showing how many casualties were lost on each side and
what types they were and what buildings, if any, were destroyed. To dis-
miss each screen and get back to the game, click on the "OK" button.


Experience for Troops

If your Regular troops survive two battles, they will advance to the next
level, Veteran. After another battle your Veterans become Elite. For com-
parison, Veteran troops are roughly equivalent to heroes of level 3 and E-
lites equal to heroes of level 7.

These troops are distinguished on the Action Set-up screen by their
colors; inexperienced Regulars are dark gray, Veterans are medium gray,
and Elite are white.

--Page 43--
--Page 44--

REFERENCE


Character Classes and Troop Races

The following is a list of the character types available in the game. The
words directly under each heading state how this character is featured in
the game. "Player character" means that you may use this class for your
player character, "hero" means that you can purchase or train hero troops
from this class or race and "regular" means that this class can be trained
in quantity as troops to fight for your worthy cause.


Elf

PLAYER CHARACTER, HERO, AND REGULAR
-------------------------------------------------------
Elves are beings of slight physical form, tall yet thin, with pointed ears
and pale complexions. However, they are very dexterous, particularly with
bow weapons, and have an aptitude for magic.  Player character elves are
able to train better archers and more effective spellcasters.

Hero and regular elves use longbows but in close combat the hero makes use
of a short sword.


Magic-User

PLAYER CHARACTER AND HERO
-------------------------------------------------------
Magic-users are practitioners of the ways of magic and thaumaturgy They
are scholars and scientists, To this end, they are less inclined to phys-
ical matters, and are highly developed mentally. Magic-users can be very
difficult opponents. Magic-users controlled by a magic-user player char-
acter are able to cast more effective spells.

Magic-user heroes use concentrated blasts of fireballs to destroy their
enemies and are able to cast "confusion" spells to wreak havoc within
enemy ranks.

--Page 43--
--Page 44--

Cleric

PLAYER CHARACTER AND HERO
-------------------------------------------------------
A cleric is a human character who is dedicated to sewing a great and
worthy cause. This cause can be an immortal being, dedicated goal, or at-
tribute; sometimes the cleric is serving only his alignment, and has no
interest in immortal beings.

The abilities of a cleric include "turning undead" and casting the cleric-
al spells of "true sight" and "earthquake". In addition, a cleric hero can
cast the "bless" spell to aid troops on his side during a battle.

Clerics under the control of a cleric player character are able to cast
more effective spells and turn away more undead on average.


Druid

HERO
-------------------------------------------------------
When a cleric attains the 9th level of experience, he may opt to become a
druid; a cleric of nature. Druids concern themselves with the workings of
nature, and are thus able to cast "lightning", "tornado", and "creeping
doom" spells.

Druids throw magical acorns in battle and are also able to cast the "con-
trol winds" spell, which prohibits the use of missile weapons in battle.


Fighter

PLAYER CHARACTER, HERO, AND REGULAR
-------------------------------------------------------
The fighter is the most basic of all character classes. Fighters are well-
adapted to the martial arts – tactics, training, and leadership. Because
of this, troops under a fighter's control are able to fight at an advant-
age because of better tactics.

Regular fighters use long swords and shields in battle, whereas heroes use
two-handed swords.


Dwarf

PLAYER CHARACTER, HERO, AND REGULAR
-------------------------------------------------------
The dwarven people are short, but heavy-set; they are proud warriors with
an affinity for the earth and stone. They are resilient folks and as such
make excellent fighters.  Dwarven fighters under the control of of a
dwarven player character fight at a bonus.

Dwarven heroes fight their battles with double-handed battle axes and reg-
ulars use hand-axes and shields.

--Page 44--
--Page 45--

Halfling

REGULAR
-------------------------------------------------------
Halflings are a peaceful folk. They like nothing more than to relax by the
hearth of their home and tell tall tales of the wee folk. But sometimes,
the state of affairs of the world places their homes in jeopardy and they
are forced to take to arms. When they do, it is invariably with their
slings, with which they are very adept.

Physically, the halflings are dexterous and short, ranging between 3 and 4
feet tall, with hairy feet. Due to their relaxed lifestyles many develop
pot bellies and a chubby appearance.


Shadow Elf

REGULAR
-------------------------------------------------------
Some 2,700 years ago, elves living in what is now the Broken Lands discov-
ered and accidentally triggered a powerful explosive device. Survivors of
these elven tribes were irradiated by the explosion's fallout, and were
driven underground to seek shelter from climactic changes. These surviving
elves lived in the caverns beneath the earth for centuries, developing in-
to the present day Shadow Elves.

They are much like the surface elves, but of paler complexions and hair
colors. Shadow elves prefer the use of the crossbow to any other weapon.

Orc

REGULAR
-------------------------------------------------------
Orcs are large humanoids with pig-like faces. They are extremely brutish
and have a great disdain for order. Authority in orcish society is asser-
ted by force, and because of this morale is low.

Orcs make good warriors, both because of their large size and their temp-
er. In battle, many orcs use heavy scimitars and shields.


Undead

REGULAR
-------------------------------------------------------
Undead warriors are feared by all. These creatures are brought to life
with powerful enchantments. Warriors killed in an ancient battle, peasants
who have perished in the wilderness -- all hear the beckoning call of the
"animate dead" spell.

Although the weapons and appearances of the undead are varied and many,
the undead in the game use long swords and shields.

--Page 45--
--Page 46--

Alignment

Alignment defines the way a character thinks and what he or she places
value on. A player character's alignment is in many ways the character's
code of ethics.

Lawfulness
The lawful character places a high value on the order and rigidity of
life. The character believes that the needs of the many outweigh the needs
of the few. Lawful player characters receive more income from their re-
gions than any other alignment; however, they are not able to break treat-
ies whenever they want to without invoking the wrath of the Dungeon Mas-
ter.

Neutrality
Neutral characters' motives change on the spur of the moment, reflecting
their needs of the time. This means that the character's morals may be
broken for the purposes of self-preservation. Characters do not gain any
advantages for being neutral, nor do they suffer any disadvantages.

Chaos
Chaotic characters believe that they are more important than anything
else. They will do whatever has to be done for their own profit. Ethics
enter into the matter only rarely, depending completely on the character's
current disposition. Chaotic characters may freely break any treaties they
make or agree to and are able to raise more dead through the "animate
dead" spell than any other alignment, but they do not receive as much in-
come from their regions.

--Page 46--
--Page 47--

Character Ability Scores

A character's ability scores reflect his or her physical and mental char-
acteristics. They provide a basis for visualization of the character and a
way of determining how capable the character is. These statistics are num-
bers between 3 and 18, with 18 representing the best possible ability for
that attribute. The ability scores are broken down into six categories.

Strength
A measure of how strong the character is physically. This ability affects
such things as how much damage the character can do in combat and how eas-
ily the character can lift heavy objects. A player character's Strength
also directly affects how its heroes strike in combat. If Strength is
high, then more damage and more frequent hits result.

Intelligence
The character's mental power is defined by his or her Intelligence rating.
This is an indication of how knowledgeable the character is and how cap-
able the character is at figuring out problems and understanding concepts.
A player character's Intelligence alters the effectiveness of magic-user
spells. An intelligence score greater than 12 is an advantageous bonus,
while a score of less than 9 is a penalty.

Wisdom
This score defines how wise the character is. A character who is very in-
telligent may not be very wise. The difference between Wisdom and Intelli-
gence is that the character may know how to do things, but might not have
the foresight to think about the consequences of his or her actions. Wis-
dom affects clerics' spellcasting in the same way that Intelligence af-
fects magic-user spells.

Dexterity
Dexterity describes the physical prowess and hand-eye coordination of the
character. A low Dexterity means the character is a klutz; a high Dexteri-
ty means that the character might be a gymnast. A player character's Dex-
terity affects how well heroes defend themselves on the battlefield. A
high Dexterity means they will be hit less frequently.

Constitution
Whereas Strength governs how strong a character is, Constitution reflects
health and endurance. A character with a high Constitution could take a
lot of punishment in battle, or run for long periods of time without get-
ting tired.

Constitution affects the general health of the player character's heroes.
High constitution modifies the hero's hit points with every level of the
hero. For example, a player character with a Constitution of 15 increas-
es its hero's hit points by + 1 for every level of the hero.

Charisma
Charisma determines the affability of the character and also the presence
of his or her personality. Characters with high Charisma scores are likely
to be great leaders, commanding a lot of respect from their followers.
Charisma adjusts the income accumulated from regions under the player
character's control. A score greater than 12 increases income, while a
score lower than 9 decreases it.

--Page 47--
--Page 48--

Troop Types

There are three different types of troops: regular, hero, and siege en-
gines. Regular troops may be of human, elf, shadow elf, halfling, dwarf,
and orc races, while only humans, elves, and dwarves may be heroes.

Regular
The regulars are your average front line soldiers. They are armed with
different weapons depending on their race. Human regulars, for example,
wield swords and shields, while the elves are armed only with bows, and
halfling carry slings. Regulars are trained in groups of twenty, so that
when you order them on the troop list you are actually ordering 20 regu-
lars. Regulars have rather weak defense skills and absorb the most losses
during combat.

Heroes
Heroes represent the leaders and champions of your empire. They are excel-
lent fighters and as such, can only be produced by a few races. As they
are skilled in the ways of fighting, they get a few more defenses and at-
tacks in combats. Heroes can also be sent on quests to discover magical
items (see "Quests" on page 19).


Siege Engines

Siege engines are vital to "FANTASY EMPIRE" They are the artillery pieces
in the game and must be used to breach castle walls, so that the regular
and hero troops can attack them. They also play a large part in castle de-
fense.

There are three types of siege engine: catapult, ballista, and battering
ram.

Catapult
Catapults are large machines designed to hurl boulders great distances.
They are used to knock down the walls of enemy strongholds.

Ballista
Ballistas are essentially oversized crossbows. They fire huge, meter-long
javelins and can kill many troops at a time.

Battering Ram
Battering rams are the primary way of breaking into an enemy stronghold.
They consist of a long wooden pole with a reinforced cap at one end.
Troops carry this device to the castle gates and ram it against the doors,
hopefully opening them and allowing the troops access inside.

--Page 48--
--Page 49--

MYSTARA


Playground of the Immortals

Within the depths of the Prime Material Plane lies an astronomical oddity.
Most worlds are spherical shapes of matter. ranging from stone and metal
to globs of water or volumes of gas. While these "normal" worlds are
solid, Mystara is hollow.

Mystara's general shape is a sphere with a hole at each pole. The ground
around each polar opening is rounded, leading into the sphere. The atmo-
sphere follows the ground's surface inside where the Hollow World exists.

There is no doubt that Mystara was created by the Gods. The immortals who
gave form to Mystara also carefully populated it with hundreds of intelli-
gent races, who continue to struggle for supremacy within their ever-
changing world.

Because of the huge distances between the Known World on the surface of
Mystara and the Hollow World within it, a cultural division exists. One is
largely oblivious to the other, save for a select few who dedicate their
lives to journeying between the two.

The immortals also view the Hollow World as a sort of zoo. Mystara is en-
veloped by a powerful enchantment known as the Spell of Preservation which
allows the immortals to move entire cultures from the surface of Mystara
to the Hollow World without the cultures changing due to the difference in
environment. Great cultures on the verge of extinction are often relocated
to the Hollow World, to be preserved.

"FANTASY EMPIRES" concerns itself exclusively with the surface, or Known
World of Mystara. The Known World consists of 98 different countries,
crossing seven different terrains, amongst them deserts, mountains,
swamps, forests and grasslands. The peoples of the Known WorId are many
and varied, and most are bent on world domination.

--Page 49--
--Page 50--

The Countries of Mystara

The 98 separate regions of Mystara are loosely grouped together into the
following 12 countries:

Alfheim

Alfheim is a land renowned for its mysterious forests filled with magic
and for the learning and valor of its elven inhabitants.

Alfheim is centered in the forest of Canolbarth, surrounded on all sides 
by the Republic of Darokin -- a former bitter enemy and now a fast friend.
Other close neighbors include the monster-enfested Broken Lands to the
north and west, Rockhome of the dwarves to the east, and Karameikos and
the Five Shires to the south.

Alfheim is also the target of many Shadow Elf surface raids. The Shadow
Elves wish to reclaim Alfheim for themselves, never forgetting that this
was once their rightful home.


Darokinn, Republic of

One of the wealthliest countries in the Known World is Darokin, but the
nation's wealth is not so obvious as that of countries such as Thyatis.
In Darokin, the wealth is spread a bit more evenly throughout the popula-
tion; Darokin's wealthiest people are not so ostentatious as Thyatis', but
Darokin's peasants are far better off than Thyatis'.

The land itself is rich. The center of the country is dominated by a vast,
flat region called the Streel Plain; this is the heartland of Darokin,
where fully half the country's residents live. The farmers of the Streel
Plain are able to grow enough to feed the whole country twice over. Near
the plain is the mighty Lake Amsorak, a freshwater lake that provides a
bounty of fish.

The people of Darokin, chiefly humans, are a notoriously hard-working lot.
Most are driven by desire for success: each generation wants to live in
better surroundings and educate its children better than the last. The
government is a plutocracy -- rule by the rich -- but a very long-sighted
one. The plutocrats believe that keeping the standard of living high and
keeping laws fair throughout the social levels makes workers enthusiastic;
so far, their approach has been very successful.


Ethengar Khanate

This is a country of vast grasslands and arid steppes, blisteringly hot
in the summer and bitingly cold in winter. Some parts of these steppes are
veritable seas of grass, while others are more arid expanses barely able
to support plant life, unable to sustain herds of animals.

The people of the steppes are Ethengarians. They are stout, yellow-skinned
men and women with slight epicanthic folds to their eyes. They are nomads
who move their herds of yaks, sheep, goats, pigs, and horses across the
grassy plains. They live in yurts, a type of tent, and make no permanent
communities.

They are a warlike people who are proud of their abilities as cavalrymen
and archers. Normally, they vent their warlike natures on one another.
Sometimes they are bound together by a great leader and threaten countries
on all sides.

--Page 50--
--Page 51--

Five Shires, The

The land by the Sea of Dread is rich and green, with pleasant hills,
fields, and valleys. There are large stands of woods here, and most of the
land is fertile. The weather is moist (even in winter) and not particular-
ly harsh; the worst seasons here are usually described as "scenic".

The population of the Five Shires is mostly made up of halflings -- or
"hin" as they call themselves. In human lands, the hin have a reputation
of being happy, roly-poly, inoffensive people with quick reflexes and
self-indulgent habits. It is dangerous for a human traveler to carry that
generalization into the Five Shires. In actuality, the hin are much like
humans, although some do match the stereotype. Some are valiant warriors
who have crushed invasions from the Black Eagle Barony or the Malpheggi
Swamp.


Glantri, Principalities of

Glantri is a secluded land ringed by mountains -- and surrounded by myst-
ery and intrigue. Glantri is separated by thick ranges of mountains from
Wendar to the north; east are the Ethengar Khanates; south and southeast
are the savage Broken Lands; west are the wastes of the desert of Sind.

The country is made up of stretches of hills and pine-forested mountains
separated by long, narrow river valleys thick with farms and pastures. 
Glantri is broken up into many semi-autonomous principalities, each ruled
by a Prince or Princess.

In addition, there are many smaller domains, whose rulers aspire for them
to become full principalities, and other areas -- especially lightly-
settled border areas and mountains -- which are governed by the country's
ruling council.

Glantri is ruled by magic-users, and most laws favor magic-users above all
other classes. Until recently, clerics were illegal; in the wake of the
Wrath of the Immortals events, clerics are permitted in limited numbers 
and under scrutiny and restrictions. Dwarves are still not legal; if found
within Glantri's borders, they may be chased out, killed, or captured and
subjected to ghastly experiments.

The Glantrian population is made up of several different ethnic stocks,
including elves, Flaemish Alphatians, Traladaran Karameikans, Thyatians,
Ethengarians, and others.

--Page 51--
--Page 52--

Ierendi

This is an island archipelago immediately south of the continent of Brun. The islands are volcanic, situated in a warm climate, and largely covered with tropical rain forests; they are known for their beautiful beaches and hospitable people.

The aboriginal inhabitants are known as the Makai; they are a brown-skinned people with friendly dispositions and generous natures. Later settlers, including Thyatians and halflings from the Five Shires, are a minority population, and have largely acquired the Makai attitudes. In spite of the population's mellow cheerfulness, the Ierendians have a history of formidable fighting prowess and have beaten back invasions from the mighty Thyatian Empire.

The Ierendians have a great affection for heroes. Though the islands are actually governed by a tribunal of officials elected from the nation's noble families, they retain a figurehead king and queen. The crown is not hereditary; Ierendi hosts an annual tournament where the new king and queen are chosen.

Karameikos, Grand Duchy of

Karameikos is a deep, dark land, still mostly wilderness although it has been occupied by man throughout recorded history.

Most of Karameikos is covered with thick forests, hardwoods and softwoods, and is largely unexplored. There are broad patches of rich soil, especially beside the Highreach River, so farming is good here.

There are several distinct cultures present in Karameikos.

The Traladarans, a pale, dark-haired people, have lived here for thousands of years. Energetic, romantic, artistic, and superstitious, they are descendants of the heroic bronze-age people called the Traladar.

They are ruled by a conquering class of Thyatians brought here forty years ago by Duke Stefan Karameikos. After the conquest, Karameikos named the old land of Traladara after himself.

There are also three elven clans here: the vigorous Cailarii in the central parts, the secretive and reclusive Vyalia in the north and east, and whole clans from Alfheim, taking refuge after numerous Shadow Elf raids on the surface.

There is much friction between the Thyatians and the Traladarans, but increasingly they are coming to think of themselves as a single country.

--Page 52--
--Page 53--

Minrothad Guilds

Minrothad is an island chain whose inhabitants form a tightly-knit nation of traders, craftsmen, and service guilds.

The people of Minrothad belong to all races, but elves are the most common, with humans only slightly less numerous. No race is proscribed or overtly discriminated against on these islands -- though members of races who have no history of mercantile ability, such as orcs, had best prove their desire to behave like guildsmen before they will be accepted.

Regardless of their race, most citizens of the Minrothad Guilds admire money and trade more than anything else. To most of them, trade is far more important than clerical beliefs.

Rockhome

Rockhome is the homeland of the dwarves of the Known World, the cradle of
their civilization. It is a land where as many people live below-ground
as above-ground, and where a handful of dwarves can hold the passes into
the country against hordes of invaders, where the entire population can
disappear into fortified caverns should Rockhome ever be invaded.

The dwarves are organized into a monarchy much like the governments of
many human lands; the dwarf-king or dwarf-queen has considerable power but
needs the support of the dwarven clan leaders and dwarven senators to ac-
complish much.

Rockhome dwarves value craftsmanship, family ties, personal honor, and
maturity. They hold non-craftsmen, especially farmers (even their own!) in
low esteem.


Thar and the Broken Lands

Covering regions of rugged hills, mountains, and narrow canyons near the 
center of the Known World is an area thought to be abandoned by civiliz-
ation. Few humans or demi-humans ever venture any distance from the
treacherous merchant tracks along the Vesubia and Streel Rivers, but the
Broken Lands are far from deserted.

Although the rugged surface may be baked by the sun of summer and frozen
by the winds of winter, many are its inhabitants. These are denizens of
the depths, nomadic hordes of darkness, and fierce caravan raiders. They
are the Hordes of Thar.

The Broken Lands are a haven for orcs, goblins, trolls and many other foul
beings. They call their country Thar, and the very word makes merchants
tremble and old warriors shiver in the night. Thar is king of the Broken
Lands.

--Page 53--
--Page 54--

Thyatis

The nation of Thyatis, center of the Thyatian Empire, is small in size but
large on influence and population. It occupies the southeast corner of the
continent of Brun, giving it easy access by water to the whole south coast
of Brun, to the islands and continents of the Sea of Dawn, and even to the
southern continent, Davania.

Western Thyatis is dominated by rich flatlands, good for tillage and pas-
turage, as well as horse breeding -- one of the favorite hobbies of the
region's nobles. Central Thyatis also has good farmlands, more hills, and
easy access to all parts of the nation. The Island of Hattias is part
hills, part forested lowlands; it is good land, but notorious for the
racial intolerance and rigidity of its populations. Eastern Thyatis has
good grazing lands for sheep and access to good fishing waters. And the
northland hills, while not agriculturally productive, are rich in minerals
and ores.

The Thyatian people are dark-haired and olive-complexioned. They are noted
for their sophistication – often called decadence by people from other
lands -- and their pragmatism, which often leads to treachery in negotia-
tions.

Ylaruam, Emirates of

The Emirates are thought of as a desert country, but the land is not made
up only of sandy wasteland. The Emirates also contain hilly regions and
arid grasslands.

The Ylari people fall into two categories: nomads, who live in the arid
wastelands as herdsmen (of horses, cattle, camels, goats, and sheep) or
even raiders; and hazan, the city dwellers and farmers. They tend to be
intensely polite in the manner of their people, and are respectful of
scholars, admiring of storytellers and warriors. But life is cheap in the
Emirates, whose warriors are thought to kill too quickly and casually.

The Ylari are devout followers of the philosophies of Al-Kalim. Some are
fanatics who oppose clerics of any other philosophies. Even those who are
tolerant of other philosophies do not tolerate the presence of magic-users
within the Emirates.

--Page 54--
--Page 55--

TABLES

Bonus/Penalties for Character Ability Scores

SCORE        STR   INT   WIS  DEX  CON  CHA
---------------------------------------------
2-3          -3    -3    -3   -3   -3   -3
4-5          -2    -2    -2   -2   -2   -2
6-8          -1    -1    -1   -1   -1   -1
9-12         +0    +0    +0   +0   +0   +0
13-15        +1    +1    +1   +1   +1   +1
16-17        +2    +2    +2   +2   +2   +2
18           +3    +3    +3   +3   +3   +3


Strength (Str) affects the amount of damage inflicted by heroes.

Intelligence (Int) affects the effectiveness of magic-user spells cast.

Wisdom (Wis) affects the effectiveness of cleric and druid spells cast.

Dexterity (Dex) determines how fast a hero can attack on the action
screen.

Constitution (Con) determines the number of extra hit points gained by
heroes per experience level.

Charisma (Cha) alters the amount of income gained from owned countries.


Spell Effects Summary

                          % BUILDING  % TROOPS       OTHER
                DRAIN      DAMAGED     DAMAGED       EFFECTS
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Earthquake      150        20-50        5-20                   
True Sight       20                                  View enemy land
Turn Undead       -                    30-60         Undead Killed
Death Spell     100                    20-60
Meteor Storm    200        40-80       20-40                   
Animate Dead    100                   +30-60         Undead
Lightning        50        10-20        5-10
Tornado         100        25-55       10-25
Creeping Doom   100        40-70

--Page 55--
--Page 56--

Troop Data Table


TROOP TYPE      TROOP COST (GP)           TRAINING TIME (TURNS)
---------------------------------------------------------------
Regulars(per 20 troops)

Human             500                     1
Orc               550                     1
Elf             3,000                     2
Dwarf             600                     1
Halfling          400                     1
Shadow Elf      2,500                     2

Heroes

Human             500                     3
Elf               750                     3
Dwarf             600                     3
Cleric            900                     4
Magic-User      1,000                     4


Siege Engines

Battering Ram   1,000                     2
Ballista          750                     3
Catapult        2,500                     4

Building Data Table

BUILDING TYPE                   BUILDING COST (GP)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Keep                             7,500
Armory                          15,000
Temple (Cleric)                 12,000
Tower (Magic-User)              10,000
Castle, Small                   20,000
Castle, Medium                  30,000
Castle, Large                   40,000
Castle, Extra Large             50,000



HINTS AND TIPS

It is often advantageous to send heroes on progressively more dangerous quests as they accumulate experience.

Try to recruit elves as soon as possible. Elven archers can often be a deciding factor in any battle. If you have them, keep them back from the main battle and try not to let enemy troops get near them. Elves don't have any staying power in a hand-to-hand fight.

If you have a lot of lower-level heroes participating in a battle, keep them away from the action. Inexperienced heroes are easy targets and won't last very long.

Chaotic troop types (Shadow Elves, Orcs, and Undead) are suited to fighting in places like the Broken Lands and the Lands of the Black Sands and receive bonuses for doing so.

--Page 56--
--Page 57--

DESIGNER NOTES

Silicon Knights

Silicon Knights is a new group of software developers situated in Ontario,
Canada. Silicon Knights intends to set new standards in the game develop-
ment industry through strong educational backgrounds, professionalism, and
commitment to quality of product.

Rick Goertz (programmer/designer) has a degree in Computer Science and
Education. Rick has extensive knowledge of many computer languages and
databases. Denis Dyack (programmer/designer) holds degrees in Physical
Education and Computer Science. In addition, Denis is currenfiy in the
final stages of finishing a Masters thesis in Computer Science focusing
on User Interface and Artificial Intelligence. Denis also has an extensive
knowledge of many computer languages as well as Artificial Neural Net-
works, Parallel Systems, and User Interfaces. As consumers you can be as-
sured that we know our field very well.

However, more than programming ability is needed to design good games. At
Silicon Knights, we design games that we like to play. We are very crea-
tive and do not hesitate to research our product designs. Scott Collie
(head artist) who has worked on major animated film productions as well as
various animated television series and commercials, has put a great deal
of work into making the Dungeon Master and other graphics the best they
can be. We believe that he has succeeded in bringing the Dungeon Master
to life. Ken McCulloch (supporting artist) is responsible for supporting
art, the manual, and the voice of the Dungeon Master. Again, you can be
assured of the quality of the art and animation. We believe that we have
put together a winning team and we let this product speak for itself.

--Page 57--
--Page 58--

The Dungeon Master and "FANTASY EMPIRES" Game:

In the realms of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), interfaces get a great
deal of attention. Currently, one of the hottest topics in the field is A-
gents. The Dungeon Master is an agent. The Dungeon Master was developed in
the hope of designing an interface different from all others. He was de-
signed to act as a Dungeon Master would act in an actual game of D&D. He
is both referee and consultant.

A common pitfall in designing agents is to try to make the computer agent
"truly intelligent". Instead our goal was to make the agent seem intelli-
gent as an actor plays a role in a movie. If users can distinguish the
Dungeon Master as a separate entity from the rest of the game then we have
succeeded in our task. The actions of the Dungeon Master are dictated by
something called a reaction matrix. This reaction matrix is a neural net-
work that dictates how the Dungeon Master will act. This feature allows
the Dungeon Master to be consistent yet unpredictable.

"FANTASY EMPIRES" is the second release from Silicon Knights, the first
being Cyber Empires. In "FANTASY EMPIRES" we want to simulate large-scale battles in realtime. We believe that we are the first to truly do this. In
"FANTASY EMPIRES" it is possible to have 1,000 characters in a battle at
once, and more as reinforcements come in. We hope you enjoy this game.

--Page 58--
--Credits--

RULE BOOK CREDITS

"FANTASY EMPIRES" Developed by Silicon Knights

Silicon Knights

             Original Concept   Denis Dyack and Rick Goertz

                  Game Design   Denis Dyack, Rick Goertz, Scott Come

                  Programmers   Denis Dyack and Rick Goertz

                  Lead Artist   Scott Collie

            Supporting Artist   Ken McCulloch

                Manual Author   Ken McCuHoch

       Dungeon Master's Voice   Ken McCulloch

      Music and Sound Effects   Denis Dyack

                      Support   Andrew Summerfield, Dave Dunn,
                                Andy Brownbill

                      Testers   Dave Dunn, Dave Collie, Brian Kilroy,
                                John Trafananko

            Special Thanks to   Robert DePetris, Joanne Dyack,
                                Tracy Goertz





Strategic Simulations, Inc.


            Rule Book Editors   Al Brown, Andre Vrignaud,
                                Eileen Matsumi

                    Producers   Chuck Kroegel and Nicholas BeHaeff

          Associate Producers   David A. Lucca and Rick White

        Digital Sound Effects   Cooksey

              FM Sound Design   The Fatman

            Music Composition
              and Performance   Eric Heberling

          Lead Product Tester   Joshua Cloud

              Product Testers   Steven Okano, Brian Lowe,
                                ForTeSt Elam, Jeff Shotwell,
                                Tom MacDevitt, John Kirk

                 Test Support   Kym Goyer, Annette Grove,
                                Rene Steiner

        Compatibility Testing   Top Star Computing Services, Inc.

       Graphic Design and DTP   Louis Saekow Design:
                                David Boudreau, Leedara Sears

                     Printing   A&a Printers and Lithographers, Inc.

                Real Printing   Paul A. Weier, power EMACS formatter
                                John Barton, high-speed scanner

--Credits--
--Warranty--

STRATEGIC SIMULATIONS, INC. LIMITED WARRANTY
Strategic Simulations, Inc. ("SSI") warrants that the diskette(s) on which
the enclosed program is recorded will be free from defects in materials
and workmanship for a period of 30 days from the date of purchase. If with
in 30 days of purchase the diskette(s) prove defective in any way, you may
return the diskette(s) to Strategic Simulations, Inc., 675 Almanor Avenue,
Suite 201, Sunnyvale, CA 94086-2901 and SSI will replace the diskette(s)
free of charge. In addition, if the diskette(s) prove defective at any
time after the first 30 days, return the diskette(s) to SSI and SSI will
replace the diskette(s) for a charge of $10.00 (each disk) plus $4.00 for
shipping and handling. California residents, add applicable sales tax.

SSI MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, WITH RESPECT TO THE
SOFTWARE PROGRAM RECORDED ON THE DISKETTE OR THE GAME DESCRIBED IN THIS
RULE BOOK, THEIR QUALITY, PERFORMANCE, MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY
PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE PROGRAM AND GAME ARE SOLD "AS IS." THE ENTIRE RISK
AS TO THEIR QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE IS WITH THE BUYER. IN NO EVENT WILL
SSI BE LIABLE FOR DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES
RESULTING FROM ANY DEFECT IN THE PROGRAM OR GAME EVEN IF SSI HAS BEEN AD-
VISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. (SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE
EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL
OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION MAY NOT AP-
PLY TO YOU.)


The enclosed software program and this rule book are copyrighted. All
rights are reserved. This rule book may not be copied, photographed, re-
produced, or translated or reduced to any electrical medium or machine-
readable form, in whole or in part, without prior written consent from
SSI. The program accompanying this rule book may be copied, by the origi-
nal purchaser only, as necessary for use on the computer for which it was
purchased. Any persons reproducing any portion of this book for any rea-
son, in any media, shall be guilty of copyright violation and subject to
the appropriate civil or criminal action at the discretion of the copy
right holder(s).

ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, AD&D and the TSR logo are trademarks owned by
and used under license from TSR, Inc., Lake Geneva WI, USA. All TSR char-
acters, character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trade-
marks owned by and used under license from TSR, Inc.

Copyright 1993 TSR, Inc. Copyright 1993 Strategic Simulations, Inc. All
Rights Reserved.


WHAT TO DO IF YOU HAVE A DEFECTIVE DISK
Each of our games undergoes extensive playtesting prior to its release.
Through this process we hope to uncover and correct any errors in program-
ming. However, due to the complex nature of our simulations, some program
errors may go undetected until after publication. In addition to errors in
the program, there are occasionally problems with the disk itself. We ex-
perience the industry standard of approximately a 3 to 5% failure rate of
duplicated disks. Before assuming that a disk is defective, make sure to
check your disk drive. Up to 95% of the disks returned to us as defective
will run fine on our computer systems. Often the problem is with a disk
drive that needs servicing for alignment, speed, or cleaning.

Should you have a defective disk, please return the disk only (keep all
other parts of the game) to our Customer Support Department, along with a
note describing the problem you have encountered. A replacement disk will
be provided upon our receipt of the defective disk.

Should you uncover an error in the program, return both your game disk and
any "save game" disks to our Customer Support Department. Please enclose a
description of what was taking place in the game when the error occurred.
Upon correction of the program error, we will return an updated disk to
you.

--Warranty--
Advertisement