1 === Races, Classes and Personalities ===
3 This file describes about the races, classes and personalities
4 available in Hengband; racial, class, personality tables are provided
11 There are thirty seven different races that you can choose from in
12 Hengband. Each race has various strengths and weaknesses and its own
13 adjustments to a character's stats and abilities. Many races also
14 have intrinsic abilities and powers. Their racial powers can be used
15 by the racial/class power command ("U"/"O").
21 The human is the base character. All other races are compared to
22 them. Humans can choose any class and are average at
23 everything. Humans tend to go up levels faster than most other
24 races because of their shorter life spans. No racial adjustments
25 or intrinsics occur to characters choosing human.
31 Half-elves tend to be smarter and faster than humans, but not as
32 strong. Half-elves are slightly better at searching, disarming,
33 saving throws, stealth, bows, and magic, but they are not as good
34 at hand weapons. Half-elves may choose any class and do not
35 receive any intrinsic abilities.
41 Elves are better magicians then humans, but not as good at
42 fighting. They tend to be smarter and faster than either humans
43 or half-elves and also have better wisdom. Elves are better at
44 searching, disarming, perception, stealth, bows, and magic, but
45 they are not as good at hand weapons. They resist light effects
52 Hobbits, or Halflings, are very good at bows, throwing, and have
53 good saving throws. They also are very good at searching,
54 disarming, perception, and stealth; so they make excellent rogues,
55 but prefer to be called burglars. They are much weaker than
56 humans, and no good at melee fighting. Halflings have fair
57 infravision, so they can detect warm creatures at a distance.
58 They have a strong hold on their life force, and are thus
59 intrinsically resistant to life draining.
65 Gnomes are smaller than dwarves but larger than Halflings. They,
66 like the hobbits, live in the earth in burrow-like homes. Gnomes
67 make excellent mages, and have very good saving throws. They are
68 good at searching, disarming, perception, and stealth. They have
69 lower strength than humans so they are not very good at fighting
70 with hand weapons. Gnomes have fair infra-vision, so they can
71 detect warm-blooded creatures at a distance. Gnomes are
72 intrinsically protected against paralysis.
78 Dwarves are the headstrong miners and fighters of legend. Dwarves
79 tend to be stronger and tougher but slower and less intelligent
80 than humans. Because they are so headstrong and are somewhat
81 wise, they resist spells which are cast on them. They are very
82 good at searching, perception, fighting, and bows. Dwarves have a
83 miserable stealth. They can never be blinded.
89 Half-orcs make excellent warriors, but are terrible at magic.
90 They are as bad as dwarves at stealth, and horrible at searching,
91 disarming, and perception. Half-orcs are quite ugly, and tend to
92 pay more for goods in town. Because of their preference to living
93 underground to on the surface, half-orcs resist darkness attacks.
99 Half-Trolls are incredibly strong, and have more hit points than
100 most other races. They are also very stupid and slow. They are
101 bad at searching, disarming, perception, and stealth. They are so
102 ugly that a Half-Orc grimaces in their presence. They also happen
103 to be fun to run... Half-trolls always have their strength
104 sustained. At higher levels, Half-Trolls regenerate wounds
105 automatically, and if he or her is warrior slowly.
111 The Amberites are a reputedly immortal race, who are endowed with
112 numerous advantages in addition to their longevity. They are very
113 tough and their constitution cannot be reduced, and their ability
114 to heal wounds far surpasses that of any other race. Having seen
115 virtually everything, very little is new to them, and they gain
116 levels much slower than the other races.
122 High-elves are a race of immortal beings dating from the beginning
123 of time. They are masters of all skills, and are strong and
124 intelligent, although their wisdom is sometimes suspect.
125 High-elves begin their lives able to see the unseen, and resist
126 light effects just like regular elves. However, there are few
127 things that they have not seen already, and experience is very
128 hard for them to gain.
134 Barbarians are hardy men of the north. They are fierce in combat,
135 and their wrath is feared throughout the world. Combat is their
136 life: they feel no fear, and they learn to enter battle frenzy at
137 will even sooner than half-trolls. Barbarians are, however,
138 suspicious of magic, which makes magic devices fairly hard for
145 Half-Ogres are like Half-Orcs, only more so. They are big, bad,
146 and stupid. For warriors, they have all the necessary attributes,
147 and they can even become wizards: after all, they are related to
148 Ogre Magi, from whom they have learned the skill of setting
149 trapped runes once their level is high enough. Like Half-Orcs,
150 they resist darkness, and like Half-Trolls, they have their
157 Half-Giants limited intelligence makes it difficult for them to
158 become full spellcasters, but with their huge strength they make
159 excellent warriors. Their thick skin makes them resistant to
160 shards, and like Half-Ogres and Half-Trolls, they have their
167 Half-mortal descendants of the mighty titans, these immensely
168 powerful creatures put almost any other race to shame. They may
169 lack the fascinating special powers of certain other races, but
170 their enhanced attributes more than make up for that. They learn
171 to estimate the strengths of their foes, and their love for law
172 and order makes them resistant to the effects of Chaos.
178 With but one eye, a Cyclops can see more than many with two eyes.
179 They are headstrong, and loud noises bother them very little.
180 They are not quite qualified for the magic using professions, but
181 as a certain Mr. Ulysses can testify, their accuracy with thrown
182 rocks can be deadly...
188 Yeeks are among the most pathetic creatures. Fortunately, their
189 horrible screams can scare away less confident foes, and their
190 skin becomes more and more resistant to acid, as they gain
191 experience. But having said that, even a mediocre monster can
192 wipe the proverbial floor with an unwary Yeek.
198 Klackons are bizarre semi-intelligent ant-like insectoid
199 creatures. They make great fighters, but their mental abilities
200 are severely limited. Obedient and well-ordered, they can never
201 be confused. They are also very nimble, and become faster as they
202 advance levels. They are also very acidic, inherently resisting
203 acid, and capable of spitting acid at higher levels.
209 Kobolds are a weak goblin race. They love poisoned weapons, and
210 can learn to throw poisoned darts (of which they carry an
211 unlimited supply). They are also inherently resistant to poison,
212 although they are not one of the more powerful races.
218 The hated and persecuted race of nocturnal dwarves, these
219 cave-dwellers are not much bothered by darkness. Their natural
220 inclination to magical items has made them immune to effects which
221 could drain away magical energy.
227 Another dark, cave-dwelling race, likewise unhampered by darkness
228 attacks, the Dark Elves have a long tradition and knowledge of
229 magic. They have an inherent magic missile attack available to
230 them at a low level. With their keen sight, they also learn to
231 see invisible things as their relatives High-Elves do, but at a
238 A humanoid race with dragon-like attributes. As they advance
239 levels, they gain new elemental resistances (up to Poison
240 Resistance), and they also have a breath weapon, which becomes
241 more powerful with experience. The exact type of the breath
242 weapon depends on the Draconian's class and level. With their
243 wings, they can easily escape any pit trap unharmed.
249 A secretive and mysterious ancient race. Their civilization may
250 well be older than any other on our planet, and their intelligence
251 and wisdom are naturally sustained, and are so great that they
252 enable Mind Flayers to become more powerful spellcasters than any
253 other race, even if their physical attributes are a good deal less
254 admirable. As they advance levels, they gain the powers of See
255 Invisible and Telepathy.
261 A demon-creature from the nether-world, naturally resistant to
262 fire attacks, and capable of learning fire bolt and fire ball
263 attacks. They are little loved by other races, but can perform
264 fairly well in most professions. As they advance levels, they
265 gain the powers of See Invisible.
271 A Golem is an artificial creature, built from a lifeless raw
272 material like clay, and awakened to life. They are nearly
273 mindless, making them useless for professions which rely on magic,
274 but as warriors they are very tough. They are resistant to
275 poison, they can see invisible things, and move freely. At higher
276 levels, they also become resistant to attacks which threaten to
277 drain away their life force. Golems gain very little nutrition
278 from ordinary food, but can absorb mana from staves and wands as
279 their power source. Golems also gain a natural armor class bonus
280 from their tough body.
286 There are two types of skeletons: the ordinary, warrior-like
287 skeletons, and the spell-using skeletons, which are also called
288 liches. As undead beings, skeletons need to worry very little
289 about poison or attacks that can drain life. They do not really
290 use eyes for perceiving things, and are thus not fooled by
291 invisibility. Their bones are resistant to sharp shrapnel, and
292 they will quickly become resistant to cold. Although the magical
293 effects of these will affect the skeleton even without entering
294 the skeleton's (non-existent) belly, the potion or food itself
295 will fall through the skeleton's jaws, giving no nutritional
296 benefit. They can absorb mana from staves and wands as their
303 Much like Skeletons, Zombies too are undead horrors: they are
304 resistant to life-draining attacks, and can learn to restore their
305 life-force. Like skeletons, they become resistant to cold-based
306 attacks (actually earlier than skeletons), resist poison and can
307 see invisible. While still vulnerable to cuts (unlike skeletons),
308 Zombies are resistant to Nether. Like Golems, they gain very
309 little nutrition from the food of mortals, but can absorb mana
310 from staves and wands as their energy source.
316 One of the mightier undead creatures, the Vampire is an
317 awe-inspiring sight. Yet this dread creature has a serious
318 weakness: the bright rays of sun are its bane, and it will need to
319 flee the surface to the deep recesses of earth until the sun
320 finally sets. Darkness, on the other hand, only makes the Vampire
321 stronger. As undead, the Vampire has a firm hold on its life
322 force, and resists nether attacks. The Vampire also resists cold
323 and poison based attacks. It is, however, susceptible to its
324 perpetual hunger for fresh blood, which can only be satiated by
325 sucking the blood from a nearby monster.
331 Another powerful undead creature: the Spectre is a ghastly
332 apparition, surrounded by an unearthly green glow. They exist
333 only partially on our plane of existence: half-corporeal, they can
334 pass through walls, although the density of the wall will hurt
335 them in the process of doing this. As undead, they have a firm
336 hold on their life force, see invisible, and resist poison and
337 cold. They also resist nether. At higher levels they develop
338 telepathic abilities. Spectres make superb spellcasters, but
339 their physical form is very weak. They gain very little nutrition
340 from the food of mortals, but can absorb mana from staves and
341 wands as their energy source.
347 One of the several fairy races, Sprites are very small. They have
348 tiny wings and can fly over traps that may open up beneath them.
349 They enjoy sunlight intensely, and need worry little about light
350 based attacks. Although physically among the weakest races,
351 Sprites are very talented in magic, and can become highly skilled
352 wizards. Sprites have the special power of spraying Sleeping
353 Dust, and at higher levels they learn to fly faster.
359 "This race is a blasphemous abomination produced by Chaos. It is
360 not an independent race but rather a humanoid creature, most often
361 a human, twisted by the Chaos, or a nightmarish crossbreed of a
362 human and a beast. All Beastmen are accustomed to Chaos so much
363 that they are untroubled by confusion and sound, although raw
364 logrus can still have effects on them. Beastmen revel in chaos,
365 as it twists them more and more. Beastmen are subject to
366 mutations: when they have been created, they receive a random
367 mutation. After that, every time they advance a level they have a
368 small chance of gaining yet another mutation.
374 The Ents are a powerful race dating from the beginning of the
375 world, oldest of all animals or plants who inhabit Arda. Spirits
376 of the land, they were summoned to guard the forests of
377 Middle-earth. Being much like trees they are very clumsy but
378 strong, and very susceptible to fire. They gain very little
379 nutrition from the food of mortals, but they can absorb water from
380 potions as their nutrition.
386 Archons are a higher class of angels. They are good at all
387 skills, and are strong, wise, and are a favorite with any people.
388 They are able to see the unseen, and their wings allow them to
389 safely fly over traps and other dangerous places. However,
390 belonging to a higher plane as they do, the experiences of this
391 world do not leave a strong impression on them and they gain
398 Balrogs are a higher class of demons. They are strong,
399 intelligent and tough. They do not believe in gods, and are not
400 suitable for priest at all. Balrog are resistant to fire and
401 nether, and have a firm hold on their life force. They also
402 eventually learn to see invisible things. They are good at almost
403 all skills except stealth. They gain very little nutrition from
404 the food of mortals, and need human corpses as sacrifices to
405 regain their vitality.
411 Dunedain are a race of hardy men from the West. This elder race
412 surpasses human abilities in every field, especially constitution.
413 However, being men of the world, very little is new to them, and
414 levels are very hard for them to gain. Their constitution cannot
421 Shadow Fairies are one of the several fairy races. They have
422 wings, and can fly over traps that may open up beneath them.
423 Shadow Fairies must beware of sunlight, as they are vulnerable to
424 bright light. They are physically weak, but have advantages in
425 using magic and are amazingly stealthy. Shadow Fairies have a
426 wonderful advantage in that they never aggravate monsters (If
427 their equipment normally aggravates monsters, they only suffer a
428 penalty to stealth, but if they aggravate by their personality
429 itself, the advantage will be lost).
435 A Kutar is an expressionless animal-like living creature. The
436 word 'kuta' means 'absentmindedly' or 'vacantly'. Their
437 absentmindedness hurts their searching and perception skills, but
438 renders them incapable of being confused. Their unearthly
439 calmness and serenity make them among the most stealthy of any
440 race. Kutars, although expressionless, are beautiful and so have
441 a high charisma. Members of this race can learn to expand their
442 body horizontally. This increases armour class, but renders them
443 vulnerable to magical attacks.
449 An android is a artificial creation with a body of machinery.
450 They are poor at spell casting, but they make excellent warriors.
451 They don't acquire experience like other races, but rather gain in
452 power as they attach new equipment to their frame. Rings,
453 amulets, and lights do not influence growth. Androids are
454 resistant to poison, can move freely, and are immune to
455 life-draining attacks. Moreover, because of their hard metallic
456 bodies, they get a bonus to AC. Androids have electronic circuits
457 throughout their body and must beware of electric shocks. They
458 gain very little nutrition from the food of mortals, but they can
459 use flasks of oil as their energy source.
465 There are twenty seven different classes that you can choose from in
466 Hengband. Each class has various strengths and weaknesses and its own
467 adjustments to a character's stats and abilities. Many classes also
468 have intrinsic abilities and powers. These are often linked to the
469 character's experience level and only become available later in the
470 game. Their class powers can be used by the racial/class power
477 A Warrior is a hack-and-slash character, who solves most of his
478 problems by cutting them to pieces, but will occasionally fall
479 back on the help of a magical device. Unfortunately, many
480 high-level devices may be forever beyond their use.
482 Warriors cast no spells. They hate magic. In fact, they even
483 gain experience for destroying high level spellbooks. They have a
484 class power - 'Sword Dancing' - which allows them to conduct a
485 melee attack in six random directions.
491 A Mage is a spell caster that must live by his wits as he cannot
492 hope to simply hack his way through the dungeon like a warrior.
493 In addition to his spellbooks, a Mage should carry a range of
494 magical devices to help him in his endeavors which he can master
495 far more easily than anyone else. A Mage's prime statistic is
496 Intelligence as this determines his spell casting ability.
498 Mages have the least restrictions in choosing and learning spells.
499 They can freely choose any two realms when a character is created.
500 Their natural inclination makes Life magic fairly hard to learn.
501 Otherwise, a mage tends to learn and cast all the spells in his or
502 her realms better than any other character. The ability to choose
503 second realm of magic has a special meaning in Hengband; only
504 second realm can be changed in the middle of the game. You can
505 change second realm by studying ("G") from a spellbook of new
506 realm. They have a class power - 'Eat Magic' - which absorbs mana
507 from wands, staves or rods.
513 A Priest is a character devoted to serving a higher power. They
514 explore the dungeon in the service of their God. Since Priests
515 receive new prayers as gifts from their patron deity, they cannot
516 choose which ones they will learn. Priests are familiar with
517 magical devices which they believe act as foci for divine
518 intervention in the natural order of things. A priest wielding an
519 edged weapon will be so uncomfortable with it that his fighting
520 ability. A Priest's primary stat is Wisdom since this determine
521 his success at praying to his deity.
523 Priest can select from Life, Death, Daemon, or Crusade as a first
524 realm, and choose second realm almost freely. But pairs of a good
525 magic and an evil magic from these four realms are not allowed.
526 Priests can learn all spells in the selected realms, even if not
527 as efficiently as mages. However, when learning spells, priests
528 cannot voluntarily decide which spells to study: they are rewarded
529 with new prayers by their patron deities, with no money-back
530 satisfaction guarantee. Priests which select Life realm or
531 Crusade realm have a class power - 'Bless Weapon' - which blesses
532 any edged weapon to be suitable for priests to wield. Every
533 priest which select Death realm or Daemon realm have a class power
534 - 'Evocation' - which damages, scares and banish all monsters in
541 A Rogue is a character that prefers to live by his cunning, but is
542 capable of fighting his way out of a tight spot. Rogues are good
543 at locating hidden traps and doors and are the masters of
544 disarming traps and picking locks. A rogue has a high stealth
545 allowing him to sneak around many creatures without having to
546 fight, or to get in a telling first blow. A rogue may also
547 backstab a fleeing monster. Intelligence determines a Rogue's
548 spell casting ability.
550 Rogues can select one realm from Sorcery, Death, Trump, Arcane, or
551 Craft. All Rogues have certain limitations on which spells they
552 can learn, and they do not learn new spells very quickly. They
553 have a class power - 'Hit and Away' - which allows them to attack
554 in melee and teleport away from there at once.
560 A Ranger is a combination of a warrior and a mage who has
561 developed a special affinity for the natural world around him. He
562 is a good fighter and also good about a missile weapon such as a
563 bow. A ranger has a good stealth, good perception, good
564 searching, a good saving throw and is good with magical devices.
565 Intelligence determines a Ranger's spell casting ability.
567 All rangers are trained in Nature magic, and all Nature spells are
568 available to them. They even learn these spells almost as fast as
569 mages. They can also select a secondary realm (from Sorcery,
570 Chaos, Death, Trump, Arcane, and Daemon), but they are slow
571 learners here, and may find themselves unable to learn some of the
572 highest level spells. They have a class power - 'Probe Monster' -
573 which allows them to know a monster's HP, speed, and experience
580 A Paladin is a combination of a warrior and a priest. Paladins
581 are very good fighters, but not very good at missile weapons. A
582 paladin lacks much in the way of abilities. He is poor at
583 stealth, perception, searching, and magical devices but has a
584 decent saving throw due to his divine alliance. Wisdom determines
585 a Paladin's success at praying to his deity.
587 Paladins can select a realm from Crusade and Death. Like priests,
588 they cannot select which prayers to learn, but are rewarded with
589 new prayers by their deities. They can learn all spells, but not
590 as fast as priests. They detest paganism so strongly that they
591 will even gain experience for destroying high-level pagan spell-
592 books: 'pagan' means Life or Crusade spellbooks for a Death
593 Paladin and all spellbooks other than Life and Crusade for a
594 Crusade Paladin. Depending on their realm, they have a class
595 power - 'Holy Lance' or 'Hell Lance'.
601 A Warrior-Mage is precisely what the name suggests: a cross
602 between the warrior and mage classes. While their brothers, the
603 rangers, specialize in Nature magic and survival skills, true
604 Warrior-Mages attempt to reach the best of both worlds. As
605 warriors they are much superior to the usual Mage class.
606 Intelligence determines a Warrior-Mage's spell casting ability.
608 Warrior-mages begin the game with Arcane magic, and they can
609 freely select another realm of magic. Although they do not gain
610 new spells as fast as regular mages, they will eventually learn
611 every spell in both realms, thus making them a very competitive
612 choice for players who appreciate Arcane magic. They have two
613 class powers - 'Convert HP to SP' and 'Convert SP to HP' - which
614 allow them to heal HP using mana or gain mana using HP.
617 ***** <Chaos-Warrior>
618 --- Chaos-Warrior ---
620 Chaos Warriors are the feared servants of the terrible Demon Lords
621 of Chaos. Every Chaos Warrior has a Patron Demon and, when
622 gaining a level, may receive a reward from his Patron. He might
623 be healed or polymorphed, his stats could be increased, or he
624 might be rewarded with an awesome weapon. On the other hand, the
625 Patrons might surround him with monsters, drain his stats or wreck
626 his equipment or they might simply ignore him. The Demon Lords of
627 Chaos are chaotic and unpredictable indeed. The exact type of
628 reward depends on both the Patron Demon (different Demons give
629 different rewards) and chance.
631 Chaos Warriors can select a realm from Chaos and Daemon. They are
632 not interested in any other form of magic. They can learn every
633 spell. They have a class power - 'Confusing Light' - which stuns,
634 confuses, and scares all monsters in sight.
640 The Monk character class is very different from all other classes.
641 Their training in martial arts makes them much more powerful with
642 no armor or weapons. To gain the resistances necessary for
643 survival a monk may need to wear some kind of armor, but if the
644 armor he wears is too heavy, it will severely disturb his martial
645 arts maneuvers. As the monk advances levels, new, powerful forms
646 of attack become available. Their defensive capabilities increase
647 likewise, but if armour is being worn, this effect decreases.
648 Wisdom determines a Monk's spell casting ability.
650 The different sects of monks are devoted to different areas of
651 magic. They select a realm from Life, Nature, Craft, and Death.
652 They will eventually learn all prayers in the discipline of their
653 choice. They have two class powers - 'Assume a Posture' and
654 'Double Attack'. They can choose different forms of postures in
655 different situations, and use powerful combinations of attacks for
662 The Mindcrafter is a unique class that uses the powers of the mind
663 instead of magic. These powers are unique to Mindcrafters, and
664 vary from simple extrasensory powers to mental domination of
665 others. Since these powers are developed by the practice of
666 certain disciplines, a Mindcrafter requires no spellbooks to use
667 them. The available powers are simply determined by the
668 character's level. Wisdom determines a Mindcrafter's ability to
671 Mindcrafters gain new mindcrafting powers and their existing ones
672 become stronger as they gain levels. They can use their power
673 even when blinded. They have a class power - 'Clear Mind' - which
674 allows them to rapidly regenerate their mana.
680 High-mages are mages who specialize in one particular field of
681 magic and learn it very well - much better than the ordinary mage.
682 A high mage's prime statistic is intelligence as this determines
683 his spell casting ability.
685 For the price of giving up a second realm of magic, High-mages
686 gain substantial benefits in the mana costs, minimum levels, and
687 failure rates of the spells in their speciality realm. They have
688 a class power - 'Eat Magic' - which absorbs mana from wands,
695 Tourists have visited this world for the purpose of sightseeing.
696 Their fighting skills is bad, and they cannot cast powerful
697 spells. They are the most difficult class to win the game with.
698 Intelligence determines a tourist's spell casting ability.
700 Tourists are always seeing more of the world to add to their stock
701 of information; no other class can compete with their
702 identification skills. They have two class powers - 'Take a
703 Photograph' and 'Identify True'. Their magic is based on Arcane,
704 and - aside from identify - is very weak indeed.
710 Imitators have enough fighting skills to survive, but rely on
711 their unique technique - 'Imitation' - which imitates monster
712 spells/techniques include whose damage/duration value. Dexterity
713 determines general imitation ability, but a stat related to the
714 specific action is often also taken into account.
716 To use imitation, Imitators must see monster's spell at first.
717 When monsters in view use spells, they are added to a temporary
718 spell list which the imitator can choose among. Spells should be
719 imitated quickly, because timing and situation are everything. An
720 imitator can only repeat a spell once each time he observes it.
721 They only have a small long-term memory for spells, which ranges
722 from one to three, depending on their level. When they memorize
723 more spells than this, they will forget the oldest spell in the
724 list. They have a class power - 'Double Revenge' - which allows
725 them to imitate spells at double damage or duration.
731 Beastmasters are in tune with the minds of the creatures of the
732 world of Hengband. They are very good at riding, and have enough
733 fighting ability. They use monsters which summoned or dominated
734 by him as his hands and feet. Beastmasters can cast trump magic,
735 and very good at summoning spell, but they can not summon
736 non-living creatures. Charisma determines a Beastmaster's spell
739 Beastmasters use Trump magic to make good use of their monster
740 domination and riding abilities. They are very good at summoning
741 living creatures, and they learn summoning spells quicker than
742 Mages. However, they cannot summon non-living creatures. They
743 have two class powers - 'Dominate a Living Thing' and 'Dominate
750 Sorcerers are the all-around best magicians, being able to cast
751 any spell from most magic realms without having to learn it. On
752 the downside, they are the worst fighters in the dungeon, being
753 unable to use any weapon but a Wizardstaff.
755 Sorcerers can cast any spell from any spellbooks of all nine magic
756 realms with 'Master' proficiency level without having to learn it.
757 They have a class power - 'Eat Magic' - which absorbs mana from
758 wands, staves or rods.
764 Archers are to bows what warriors are to melee. They are the best
765 class around with any bow, crossbow, or sling. They need a lot of
766 ammunition, but will learn how to make it from junk found in the
767 dungeon. An archer is better than a warrior at stealth,
768 perception, searching and magical devices.
770 Archers have a class power - 'Create Ammo' - which creates stones
771 or shots from pile of rubble, and arrows and crossbow bolts from
778 Magic-Eaters can absorb magic devices, and use these magics as
779 their spells. They are middling-poor at fighting. A
780 Magic-Eater's prime statistic is intelligence.
782 Magic-Eaters can absorb the energy of wands, staffs, and rods, and
783 can then use these magics as if they were carrying all of these
784 absorbed devices. Mana and changes of absorbed devices are
785 regenerated naturally by a Magic-Eater's power, and speed of
786 regeneration is influenced by their intelligence. They have a
787 class power - 'Absorb Magic' - which is used to absorb magic
794 Bards are something like traditional musicians. Their magical
795 attacks are sound-based, and last as long as the Bard has mana.
796 Although a bard cannot sing two or more songs at the same time, he
797 or she does have the advantage that many songs affect all areas in
798 sight. A bard's prime statistic is charisma.
800 The songs are found in four songbooks, of which two are sold in
801 town. There is a special feature of music; many songs continue to
802 be sung until either the Bard chooses to stop, or he runs out of
803 the energy required to sing that type of song. Bards have a class
804 power - 'Stop Singing'.
810 Red Mages are similar to Warrior-Mage; they are decent fighters
811 and spellcasters. Red-Mages can use almost all spells from lower
812 rank spellbooks of all realms, but they cannot cast spells from
813 higher rank spellbooks, and they are extremely slow learners in
814 them. They are not bad at using magical devices and magic
815 resistance, but are bad at other skills. A red-mage's prime
816 statistic is intelligence.
818 Red-Mages can use almost all spells from lower rank spellbooks of
819 all realms: first and second spellbooks of all realms and third
820 and fourth Arcane spellbooks, without having to learn it, but they
821 cannot cast spells from higher rank spellbooks; third and fourth
822 spellbooks for all realms other than Arcane. Since they use all
823 realms at once, they have large penalties in the mana costs,
824 minimum levels, and failure rates of spells. They have a class
825 power - 'Double Magic' - which allows them to cast two spells at
832 Samurai, masters of the art of the blade, are the next strongest
833 fighters after Warriors, and can use various special combat
834 techniques. Samurai are not good at most other skills, and many
835 magical devices may be too difficult for them to use. Wisdom
836 determines a Samurai's ability to use the special combat
837 techniques available to him.
839 Samurai use the art of the blade called Kendo (or Bugei). Books
840 of Kendo are similar to spellbooks, but Samurai don't need to
841 carry them around; the books are needed only when they study new
842 combat techniques. Samurai need a weapon wielded to use the
843 techniques of Kendo, and most techniques will add powerful special
844 properties to their blows; such as flaming, poisoning, vampiric,
845 etc... Their maximum spellpoints don't depend on their level but
846 solely on wisdom, and they can use the class power 'Concentration'
847 to temporarily increase SP beyond its usual maximum value. They
848 have one more class power - 'Assume a Posture'. They can choose
849 different forms of posture in different situations.
855 A ForceTrainer is a master of the spiritual Force. They prefer
856 fighting with neither weapon nor armor. They are not as good
857 fighters as are Monks, but they can use both magic and the
858 spiritual Force. Wielding weapons or wearing heavy armor disturbs
859 use of the Force. Wisdom is a ForceTrainer's primary stat.
861 ForceTrainer use both spellbook magic and the special spiritual
862 power called the Force. They can select a realm from Life,
863 Nature, Craft, Death, and Crusade. To use The Force, you select
864 it just as if it were spellbook 'w'; which means you need to press
865 'm' and then 'w' to select the Force. The most important spell of
866 the Force is 'Improve Force'; each time a ForceTrainer activates
867 it, their Force power becomes more powerful, and their attack
868 power in bare-handed melee fighting is increased temporarily. The
869 strengthened Force can be released at one stroke when a
870 ForceTrainer activates some other Force spell, typically an attack
871 spell. They have a class power - 'Clear Mind' - which allows them
872 to rapidly regenerate their mana.
878 A Blue-Mage is a spell caster that must live by his wits, as he
879 cannot hope to simply hack his way through the dungeon like a
880 warrior. A major difference between the Mage and the Blue-Mage is
881 the method of learning spells: Blue-Mages may learn spells from
882 monsters. A Blue-Mage's prime statistic is Intelligence as this
883 determines his spell casting ability.
885 A Blue-Mage can learn and cast monster ranged attacks, spells, or
886 summons as their own spells; this technique is called Blue magic.
887 Unlike Imitators, Blue-Mages remember their spells permanently,
888 but they must get hit by a monster's spell while their class power
889 'Learning' is active to learn spells. Because of this
890 requirement, they do not learn spells, like healing, that affect
897 Cavalry ride on horses into battle. Although they cannot cast
898 spells, they are proud of their overwhelming offensive strength on
899 horseback. They are good at shooting. At high levels, they learn
900 to forcibly saddle and tame wild monsters. Since they take pride
901 in the body and the soul, they don't use magical devices well.
903 Like Warriors and Archers, the cavalry don't use magic. Since
904 they are very good at riding, they have a class power - 'Rodeo' -
905 which allows them to forcibly saddle and tame wild monsters.
911 A Berserker is a fearful fighter indeed, immune to fear and
912 paralysis. At high levels, Berserkers can reflect bolt spells
913 with their tough flesh. Furthermore, they can fight without
914 weapons, can remove cursed equipment by force, and can even use
915 their special combat techniques when surrounded by an anti-magic
916 barrier. Berserkers, however, cannot use any magical devices or
917 read any scrolls, and are hopeless at all non-combat skills.
918 Since Berserker Spectres are quite easy to *win* with, their
921 Berserkers use a unique system of techniques called 'Rage'. They
922 gain more techniques as they gain levels. They use no magic:
923 indeed, they cannot use any magic devices or activate any
924 artifacts, and cannot read scrolls. To offset these great
925 disadvantages, Berserkers are allowed to have an important class
932 A Weaponsmith can improve weapons and armors for him or herself.
933 They are good at fighting, and they have potential ability to
934 become even better than Warriors using improved equipments. They
935 cannot cast spells, and are poor at skills such as stealth or
938 A Weaponsmith extract the essences of special effects from weapons
939 or armors which have various special abilities, and can add these
940 essences to another weapon or armor. Normally, each equipment can
941 be improved only once, but they can remove a previously added
942 essence from improved equipment to improve it with another
943 essence. To-hit, to-damage bonus, and AC can be improved freely
944 up to a maximum value depending on level. Weaponsmiths have a
945 class power - 'Judgment' - which allows them to identify (later
946 *identify*) weapons and armor.
949 ***** <Mirror-Master>
950 --- Mirror-Master ---
952 Mirror-Masters are spell casters; like other mages, they must live
953 by their wits. They can create magical mirrors, and employ them
954 in the casting of Mirror-Magic spells. Intelligence determines a
955 Mirror-Master's spell casting ability.
957 Mirror-Masters gain more spells and each spell becomes more
958 powerful as they gain levels. They can use their spells even when
959 blinded. For Mirror-Masters, the arrangement of mirrors is very
960 important: Some attack spells reflect from mirrors, and some other
961 spells are effective only against monsters standing on a mirror.
962 A Mirror-Master standing on a mirror has greater ability and, for
963 example, can perform quick teleports. The maximum number of
964 magical Mirrors which can be controlled simultaneously depends on
965 the level, and breaking unnecessary mirrors is important work for
966 them. They have two class powers - 'Break Mirrors', which breaks
967 all mirrors in current dungeon level and 'Mirror Concentration',
968 which allows them to rapidly regenerate their mana on a mirror.
974 A Ninja is a fearful assassin lurking in darkness. He or she can
975 navigate effectively with no light source, catch enemies unawares,
976 and kill with a single blow. Ninjas can use Ninjutsu, and are
977 good at locating hidden traps and doors, disarming traps and
978 picking locks. Since heavy armors, heavy weapons, or shields will
979 restrict their motion greatly, they prefer light clothes, and
980 become faster and more stealthy as they gain levels. A Ninja
981 knows no fear and, at high level, becomes almost immune to poison
982 and able to see invisible things. Dexterity determines a Ninja's
983 ability to use Ninjutsu.
985 A Ninja can use Ninjutsu for lurking and surprise attacks. They
986 gain more Ninjutsu techniques as they gain levels. They have a
987 class power - 'Quick Walk' - which makes their walking speed
992 ***** <ThePersonalities>
993 === The Personality ===
996 There are twelve different personality that you can choose from in
997 Hengband. Each personality has various strengths and weaknesses and
998 its own adjustments to a character's stats and abilities.
1004 "Ordinary" is a personality with no special skills or talents,
1005 with unmodified stats and skills.
1011 "Mighty" raises your physical stats and skills, but reduces stats
1012 and skills which influence magic. It makes your stats suitable
1013 for a warrior. Also it directly influences your hit-points and
1020 "Shrewd" reduces your physical stats, and raises your intelligence
1021 and magical skills. It makes your stats suitable for a mage.
1022 Also it directly influences your hit-points and spell fail rate.
1028 "Pious" deepens your faith in your God. It makes your physical
1029 ability average, and your stats suitable for priest.
1035 "Nimble" renders you highly skilled comparatively well, but
1036 reduces your physical ability.
1042 "Fearless" raises both your melee and magical ability. Stats such
1043 as magic defense and constitution are reduced. Also it has a
1044 direct bad influence on your hit-points.
1050 "Combat" gives you comparatively high melee and shooting
1051 abilities, and average constitution. Other skills such as
1052 stealth, magic defense, and magical devices are weakened. All
1053 "Combat" people have great respect for the legendary "Combat
1054 Echizen". (See "Death Crimson" / Ecole Software Corp.)
1060 A "Lazy" person has no good stats and can do no action well. Also
1061 it has a direct bad influence on your spell fail rate.
1067 "Sexy" rises all of your abilities, but your haughty attitude will
1068 aggravate all monsters. Only females can choose this personality.
1074 A "Lucky" man has poor stats, equivalent to a "Lazy" person.
1075 Mysteriously, however, he can do all things well. Only males can
1076 choose this personality.
1082 A "Patient" person does things carefully. Patient people have
1083 high constitution, and high resilience, but poor abilities in most
1084 other skills. Also it directly influences your hit-points.
1090 "munchkin" is a personality for beginners. It raises all your
1091 stats and skills. With this personality, you can win the game
1092 easily, but gain little honor in doing so.
1096 ***** <StatBonusTable>
1097 === Stat Bonus Tables ===
1099 Each of the races, classes, and personalities has certain
1100 modifications to their starting statistics an experience penalty. The
1101 experience penalty is designed to 'balance' the races with better
1102 starting statistics and abilities by requiring them to earn more
1103 experience before advancing a level.
1106 --- Table 1 - Race Statistic Bonus Table ---
1108 STR INT WIS DEX CON CHR Hit Dice Exp Penalty
1109 Human +0 +0 +0 +0 +0 +0 10 +0%
1110 Half-Elf -1 +1 +1 +1 -1 +1 9 +10%
1111 Elf -1 +2 +0 +1 -2 +2 8 +20%
1112 Hobbit -2 +1 +1 +3 +2 +1 7 +10%
1113 Gnome -1 +2 +0 +2 +1 -1 8 +20%
1114 Dwarf +2 -2 +2 -2 +2 -1 11 +25%
1115 Half-Orc +2 -1 +0 +0 +1 -2 10 +10%
1116 Half-Troll +4 -4 -1 -3 +3 -3 12 +25%
1117 Amberite +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +2 10 +125%
1118 High-Elf +1 +3 -1 +3 +1 +3 10 +100%
1119 Barbarian +3 -2 -1 +1 +2 +0 11 +20%
1120 Half-Ogre +3 -2 +0 -1 +3 -2 12 +45%
1121 Half-Giant +4 -2 -2 -2 +3 -2 13 +60%
1122 Half-Titan +5 +1 +2 -2 +3 +1 14 +155%
1123 Cyclops +4 -3 -2 -3 +4 -3 13 +50%
1124 Yeek -2 +1 +1 +1 -2 -4 7 +0%
1125 Klackon +2 -1 -1 +1 +2 -1 12 +90%
1126 Kobold +1 -1 +0 +1 +0 -2 9 +25%
1127 Nibelung +1 -1 +2 +0 +2 -2 11 +70%
1128 Dark-Elf -1 +3 +2 +2 -2 +1 9 +50%
1129 Draconian +2 +1 +1 +1 +2 -1 11 +120%
1130 Mindflayer -3 +4 +4 +0 -2 -3 9 +40%
1131 Imp +0 -1 -1 +1 +2 -1 10 +15%
1132 Golem +4 -5 -5 -2 +4 -2 12 +100%
1133 Skeleton +0 +1 -2 +0 +1 -2 10 +45%
1134 Zombie +2 -6 -6 +1 +4 -3 13 +50%
1135 Vampire +3 +3 -1 -1 +1 +2 11 +100%
1136 Spectre -5 +4 -1 +2 +0 -3 7 +110%
1137 Sprite -4 +3 +3 +3 -2 +2 7 +45%
1138 Beastman +2 -2 -1 -1 +2 -2 11 +40%
1139 Ent +2 +0 +2 -3 +2 +0 12 +40%
1140 Archon +2 +0 +4 +1 +2 +3 11 +135%
1141 Balrog +4 +2 -10 +2 +3 -5 12 +150%
1142 Dunadan +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +2 10 +80%
1143 Shadow-Fairy -2 +2 +2 +1 -1 +0 7 +20%
1144 Kutar +0 -1 -1 +1 +2 +3 11 +40%
1145 Android +4 -5 -5 +0 +4 -2 13 +100%
1148 --- Table 2 - Class Statistic Bonus Table ---
1150 STR INT WIS DEX CON CHR Hit Dice Exp Penalty
1151 Warrior +4 -2 -2 +2 +2 -1 +9 +0%
1152 Mage -4 +3 +0 +1 -2 +1 +0 +30%
1153 Priest -1 -3 +3 -1 +0 +2 +2 +20%
1154 Rogue +2 +1 -2 +3 +1 -1 +6 +25%
1155 Ranger +2 +2 +0 +1 +1 +1 +4 +40%
1156 Paladin +3 -3 +1 +0 +2 +2 +6 +35%
1157 Warrior-Mage +2 +2 +0 +1 +0 +1 +4 +40%
1158 Chaos-Warrior +2 +1 -1 +0 +2 -2 +6 +25%
1159 Monk +2 -1 +1 +3 +2 +1 +6 +30%
1160 Mindcrafter -1 +0 +3 -1 -1 +2 +2 +25%
1161 High-Mage -4 +4 +0 +0 -2 +1 +0 +30%
1162 Tourist -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 +0 -30%
1163 Imitator +0 +1 -1 +2 +0 +1 +5 +10%
1164 BeastMaster +1 -1 -1 +1 +0 +2 +3 +20%
1165 Sorcerer -5 +6 -2 +2 +0 -2 +4 +60%
1166 Archer +2 -1 -1 +2 +1 +0 +6 +10%
1167 Magic-Eater -1 +2 +1 +2 -2 +1 +3 +30%
1168 Bard -2 +1 +2 -1 -2 +4 +2 +40%
1169 Red-Mage +2 +2 -1 +1 +0 -1 +4 +40%
1170 Samurai +3 -2 +1 +2 +1 +0 +6 +30%
1171 ForceTrainer +0 -1 +3 +2 +1 +1 +2 +35%
1172 Blue-Mage -4 +4 -1 +1 -2 -1 +2 +30%
1173 Cavalry +2 -2 -2 +2 +2 +0 +5 +20%
1174 Berserker +8 -20 -20 +4 +4 -5 +11 +60%
1175 Weaponsmith +3 -1 -1 +1 +0 -1 +6 +30%
1176 Mirror-Master -2 +3 +1 -1 -2 +1 +2 +30%
1177 Ninja +0 -1 -1 +3 +2 -1 +2 +20%
1180 --- Table 3 - Personality Statistic Bonus Table ---
1182 STR INT WIS DEX CON CHR Hit Dice
1183 Ordinary +0 +0 +0 +0 +0 +0 +0
1184 Mighty +2 -2 -1 +0 +1 +0 +1
1185 Shrewd -2 +2 +0 +1 -1 -1 -1
1186 Pious +0 -1 +2 -1 +0 +1 +0
1187 Nimble -1 +1 -1 +2 -1 -1 +0
1188 Fearless +2 +1 +1 -1 -1 +0 -1
1189 Combat +1 -1 -2 +2 +0 +1 +0
1190 Lazy -2 -2 -2 -2 -2 -2 -1
1191 Sexy +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +3 +0
1192 Lucky -2 -2 -2 -2 -2 +2 +0
1193 Patient -1 -1 +1 -2 +2 +0 +1
1194 Munchkin +10 +10 +10 +10 +10 +10 +15
1197 ***** <SkillBonusTable>
1198 === Ability Tables ===
1200 Each of the races, classes, and personalities has certain
1201 modifications to their starting abilities. Players may also receive an
1202 additional level-based bonus to certain skills which is based on their
1203 class. For example mages improve their magical device skill more
1204 rapidly than warriors. As noted above, some skills will not improve
1205 unless magically enhanced.
1207 --- Table 4 - Race Skill Bonus Table ---
1209 Dsrm Dvce Save Stlh Srch Prcp Melee Bows Infra
1210 Human +0 +0 +0 +0 +0 +10 +0 +0 None
1211 Half-Elf +2 +3 +2 +1 +6 +11 -1 +5 20 feet
1212 Elf +5 +6 +4 +2 +8 +12 -5 +15 30 feet
1213 Hobbit +15 +12 +10 +5 +12 +15 -10 +20 40 feet
1214 Gnome +10 +8 +7 +3 +6 +13 -8 +12 40 feet
1215 Dwarf +2 +7 +6 -1 +7 +10 +15 +0 50 feet
1216 Half-Orc -3 -3 -2 -1 +0 +7 +12 -5 30 feet
1217 Half-Troll -5 -8 -5 -2 -1 +5 +20 -10 30 feet
1218 Amberite +4 +5 +3 +2 +3 +13 +15 +10 None
1219 High-Elf +4 +13 +12 +4 +3 +14 +10 +25 40 feet
1220 Barbarian -2 -10 +2 -1 +1 +7 +12 +10 None
1221 Half-Ogre -3 -5 -3 -2 -1 +5 +20 +0 30 feet
1222 Half-Giant -6 -8 -3 -2 -1 +5 +25 +5 30 feet
1223 Half-Titan -5 +5 +1 -2 +1 +8 +25 +0 None
1224 Cyclops -4 -5 -3 -2 -2 +5 +20 +12 10 feet
1225 Yeek +2 +4 +6 +3 +5 +15 -5 -5 20 feet
1226 Klackon +10 +5 +3 +0 -1 +10 +5 +5 20 feet
1227 Kobold -2 -3 -1 -1 +1 +8 +10 -8 30 feet
1228 Nibelung +3 +5 +6 +1 +5 +10 +9 +0 50 feet
1229 Dark-Elf +5 +10 +12 +3 +8 +12 -5 +10 50 feet
1230 Draconian -2 +5 +2 +0 +1 +10 +5 +5 20 feet
1231 Mindflayer +10 +15 +9 +2 +5 +12 -10 -5 40 feet
1232 Imp -3 +2 -1 +1 -1 +10 +5 -5 30 feet
1233 Golem -5 -5 +6 -1 -1 +8 +20 +0 40 feet
1234 Skeleton -5 +0 +3 -1 -1 +8 +10 +0 20 feet
1235 Zombie -5 -5 +5 -1 -1 +5 +15 +0 20 feet
1236 Vampire +4 +8 +6 +4 +1 +8 +5 +0 50 feet
1237 Spectre +10 +15 +12 +5 +5 +14 -15 -5 50 feet
1238 Sprite +10 +8 +6 +4 +10 +10 -12 +0 40 feet
1239 Beastman -5 -2 -1 -1 -1 +5 +12 +5 None
1240 Ent -5 +2 +5 -1 +0 +9 +15 -5 None
1241 Archon +0 +12 +8 +2 +2 +11 +10 +10 30 feet
1242 Balrog -3 +12 +15 -2 +1 +8 +20 +0 50 feet
1243 Dunadan +4 +5 +3 +2 +3 +13 +15 +10 None
1244 Shadow-Fairy +7 +8 +0 +6 +12 +15 -10 -5 40 feet
1245 Kutar -2 +5 +5 +5 -2 +6 +0 -5 None
1246 Android +0 -5 +0 -2 +3 +14 +20 +10 None
1249 --- Table 5 - Class Skill Bonus Table ---
1251 Dsrm Dvce Save Stlh Srch Prcp Melee Bows
1252 Warrior 25+12 18+7 31+10 1 14 2 70+30 55+30
1253 Mage 30+7 40+15 38+11 3 16 20 34+6 20+7
1254 Priest 25+7 35+11 40+12 2 16 8 48+13 35+11
1255 Rogue 45+15 37+12 36+10 5 32 24 60+21 66+18
1256 Ranger 30+8 37+11 36+10 3 24 16 56+18 72+28
1257 Paladin 20+7 24+10 34+11 1 12 2 68+21 40+18
1258 Warrior-Mage 30+7 35+10 36+10 2 18 16 50+15 25+11
1259 Chaos-Warrior 20+7 25+11 34+10 1 14 12 65+20 40+17
1260 Monk 45+15 34+11 36+10 5 32 24 64+18 60+18
1261 Mindcrafter 30+10 33+11 38+10 3 22 16 50+14 40+18
1262 High-Mage 30+7 40+15 38+11 3 16 20 34+6 20+7
1263 Tourist 15+5 18+7 28+9 1 12 2 40+11 20+11
1264 Imitator 25+7 30+10 36+10 2 18 16 60+18 50+20
1265 BeastMaster 20+7 25+10 32+10 2 18 16 52+14 63+25
1266 Sorcerer 30+7 48+18 75+13 2 12 22 0+0 0+0
1267 Archer 38+12 24+10 35+10 4 24 16 56+18 82+36
1268 Magic-Eater 25+7 42+16 36+10 2 20 16 48+13 35+11
1269 Bard 20+8 33+13 34+11 -5 16 20 34+10 20+8
1270 Red-Mage 20+7 34+11 34+11 1 16 10 56+18 25+11
1271 Samurai 25+12 18+7 32+10 2 16 6 70+23 40+18
1272 ForceTrainer 30+10 34+11 38+11 4 32 24 50+14 40+15
1273 Blue-Mage 30+7 40+16 36+11 3 20 16 40+6 25+7
1274 Cavalry 20+10 18+7 32+10 1 16 10 60+22 66+26
1275 Berserker -inf -inf -inf -inf -inf -inf 120+50 -inf
1276 Weaponsmith 30+10 28+10 28+10 1 20 10 60+21 45+15
1277 Mirror-Master 30+10 33+11 40+12 3 14 16 34+6 30+10
1278 Ninja 45+15 24+10 36+10 8 48 32 70+25 66+18
1280 For character classes, there are two figures: the first figure is the
1281 base level of the ability, while the second figure is the bonus that
1282 the character gains to this skill every ten levels. So, to find out
1283 the total skill value of any character's skills, add the "race" value
1284 to the "class" value, and then the bonus once for every ten levels
1285 that the character has.
1288 --- Table 6 - Personality Skill Bonus Table ---
1290 Dsrm Dvce Save Stlh Srch Prcp Melee Bows
1291 Ordinary +0 +0 +0 +0 +0 +0 +0 +0
1292 Mighty -5 -5 -3 -1 -2 -2 +10 +0
1293 Shrewd +3 +8 +2 +0 -2 +5 -8 -5
1294 Pious -5 +2 +4 -1 +3 -2 -3 -6
1295 Nimble +7 +2 -1 +1 +5 +5 +0 +10
1296 Fearless -5 +5 -2 +0 +2 -2 +10 +10
1297 Combat -2 -3 -3 +0 -1 +2 +5 +5
1298 Lazy -5 -5 -3 -1 -4 -2 -8 -8
1299 Sexy +10 +5 +3 +0 +4 +2 +10 +10
1300 Lucky +10 +7 +3 +2 +10 +8 +15 +15
1301 Patient -5 -3 +3 +1 +0 -3 -6 -6
1302 Munchkin +20 +40 +30 +10 +40 +40 +80 +80
1304 For character personalities, each figure has two meanings; base level
1305 of the ability and the bonus that the character gains to this skill at
1310 Updated : Hengband 1.3.2