=== Creating a Character ===

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

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

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

You may start the entire process over at any time.

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


=== Character Characteristics ===

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

=== Races ===

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

     Half-Elf
          Half-elves tend to be smarter and faster than humans, but
          not as strong.  Half-elves are slightly better at searching,
          disarming, perception, stealth, and magic, but they are not
          as good with hand weapons.  Half-elves do not get any
          intrinsic abilities.

     Elf
          Elves are better magicians then humans, but not as good at
          fighting.  They tend to be smarter and faster than either
          humans or half-elves, and also have better wisdom.  Elves
          are better at searching, disarming, perception, stealth, and
          magic, but they are not as good at hand weapons. They resist
          light-based attacks.

     Hobbits
          Hobbits, or Halflings, are very good with bows and thrown
          weapons, and have good saving throws.  They also are very
          good at searching, disarming, perception, and stealth; so
          they make excellent thieves (but prefer to be called
          burglars...).  They will be much weaker than humans, and no
          good at bashing.  Halflings have fair infravision, so they
          can detect warm creatures at a distance.  Hobbits have their
          dexterity sustained.

     Gnome
          Gnomes are smaller than dwarfs, but larger than halflings.
          They, like the halflings, live in the earth in burrow-like
          homes. Gnomes are practical jokers, so if they can kill
          something in a humorous way, so much the better.  Gnomes
          make excellent mages, and have very good saving throws.
          They are good at searching, disarming, perception, and
          stealth.  They are also the luckiest of all the races.  They
          have lower strength than humans so they are not very good at
          fighting with hand weapons.  Gnomes have fair infravision,
          so they can detect warm creatures at a distance.  All gnomes
          have intrinsic free action, which prevents them from being
          slowed or paralyzed by spells cast by their enemies.

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

     Half-Orc
          Half-Orcs make excellent warriors, and decent priests, but
          are terrible at magic.  They are as bad as dwarves at
          stealth, and horrible at searching, disarming, and percep-
          tion.  Half-Orcs are, let's face it, ugly. They tend to pay
          more for goods in town.  Half-Orcs do make good priests and
          rogues, for the simple reason that Half-Orcs tend to have
          great constitutions and lots of hit points. Because of their
          preference to living underground to on the surface, half-
          orcs resist darkness attacks.

     Half-Troll
          Half-Trolls are incredibly strong, and have somw of the
          highest hit points of any character race.  They are also
          very stupid and slow.  They make great warriors and
          iffy priests.  They are bad at searching, disarming,
          perception, and stealth.  They are so ugly that a Half-Orc
          grimaces in their presence.  They also happen to be fun to
          run... Half-trolls always have their strength sustained.

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

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

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

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

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

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

=== Abilities ===

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

Abilities may be adjusted by high or low stats.


     Fighting
          Fighting is the ability to hit and do damage with weapons or
          fists.  Normally a character gets a single blow from any
          weapon, but if his dexterity and strength are high enough,
          he may receive more blows per round with lighter weapons.
          Strength and dexterity both modify the ability to hit an
          opponent.  This skill increases as the character improves
          his skill with the appropriate weapon type.
 
     Shooting Ability
          Using ranged missile weapons (and throwing objects) is
          included in this skill. Different stats apply to different
          weapons, but this ability may modify the distance an object
          is thrown/fired, the amount of damage done, and the ability
          to hit a creature.
 
     Saving Throws
          A Saving Throw is the ability of a character to resist the
          effects of a spell cast on him by another person/creature.
          This does not include spells cast on the player by his own
          stupidity, such as quaffing a nasty potion.  This ability
          increases with the character's Saving Throw skill, but then
          most high level creatures are better at casting spells, so
          it tends to even out.  A high wisdom also increases this
          ability.
 
     Stealth
          The ability to move silently about is very useful.  Charac-
          ters with good stealth can usually surprise their opponents,
          gaining the first blow.  Also, creatures may fail to notice
          a stealthy character entirely, allowing a player to avoid
          certain fights.  This skill is based upon race and your
          Stealth skill, and can also be enhanced by some magical
          equipment.
 
     Disarming
          Disarming is the ability to remove traps (safely), and
          includes picking locks on traps and doors.  A successful
          disarming will gain the character some experience.  A trap
          must be found before it can be disarmed.  Dexterity and
          intelligence both modify the ability to disarm.
 
     Magical Devices
          Using a magical device such as a wand or staff requires
          experience and knowledge.  Characters who find a powerful
          magical device may find themselves unable to use it without
          further study.  This skill is also affected by the
          character's intelligence.
 
     Searching Frequency (Perception)
          Perception is the ability to notice something without
          actively seeking it out.  Characters with high Perception
          can sometimes find traps and secret doors without actively
          searching for them.
 
     Searching Ability (Searching)
          This is the ability to find traps and secret doors when one
          is actively seeking them.  Characters who are skilled at
          Searching waste little time at chests and in dead-ends.
 
     Infra-vision
          Infra-vision is the ability to see heat sources. Since most
          of the dungeon is cool or cold, infra-vision will not allow
          the player to see walls and objects.  Infra-vision will allow
          a character to see any warm-blooded creatures up to a cer-
          tain distance.  This ability works equally well with or with
          out a light source.  The majority of SAngband's creatures are
          cold-blooded, and will not be detected unless lit up by a
          light source.  All-non human races have innate infra-vision
          ability.  Human can gain infra-vision only if it is magically
          enhanced.

=== Skills ===

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

     Magical Power
          This skill is another skill used for casting spells; it
          helps to determine the amount of spell points that a
          character will have.  A character with a high rating in
          magical power will be able to cast many spells consecutively
          without tiring.  This skill also improves a Mage's ability
          at spellcasting.

     Dual Wield
          Dual Wield allows a character to fight with two weapons at
          once, instead of using a shield.  In order to do so, both
          weapons must be of a similar type, the secondary weapon must
          be lighter than the primary, and both must be fairly light.
          Due to their bulk, pole arms and similar weapons ('/')
          cannot be used with this skill.

     Dodging
          Dodging allows a character to dodge attacks when wearing
          light armor, thus increasing his armor class.

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

     Weaponsmithing, Bowmaking, Armor Forging, Alchemy, Magical Infusion     
          These skills are used to determine proficiency in the
          respective talents (see the section on talents).

     Perception
          This skill determines a character's ability to search and to
          notice traps and secret doors without actively searching for
          them.  It also improves a Druid's ability at spellcasting.

     Morality, Hunting, Vampire Hunting
          These skills allow the player to fight more effectively
          against evil, natural, or undead creatures, respectively.
          Morality also improves performance with priest spells,
          as does Vampire Hunting for Necromancers.


=== Talents ===

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

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

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

     Predict Weather
          A character with good perception may attempt to predict the
          weather.  As one's proficiency in perception increases, so
          does the accuracy of the prediction. The current weather
          conditions influence the amount of damage done by druid
          spells.

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

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

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

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

=== Racial Stat Table ===

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

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

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

=== Racial Skill Table ===

Races are ranked on a scale from 2 to 10 in each skill with 2 being the
lowest possible score.  This represents the speed at which the character may
advance the skill.

Humans advance fairly quickly in ALL areas but start with poor skill ratings,
while High Elves and Dunedain advance slowly in ALL areas but start with high
skill ratings.

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

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

