Orthanc Labyrinth

Preface

Orthanc was originally written in the 1970s for the PLATO system by three programmers: Paul Resch, Larry Kemp, and Eric "Curly" Hagstrom. The character set used for the monsters and the adventurer (like that above) was designed by Mark Nakada. The original game was inspired by "pedit5".

This Android app is a version of Orthanc written for a smartphone or tablet. The original was played on a PLATO terminal with a keyboard. PLATO terminals used plasma panels that could only show orange or black. Players used the keyboard for all actions in the game. There was no sound. This implementation uses the touchscreen for all gameplay. Arrow buttons show where to touch to move, with thicker border buttons requiring a "long press". You can toggle display of the arrow buttons using the menu. If you have a keyboard attached to your device you can use the arrow keys to move (shifted for doors), 'f' to fight, 'r' to run, '1' to cast a level 1 spell, etc. A table at the end of this page shows the key mappings.

If you get stuck somewhere without spells to get out, you'll have to create a new player and start over.

You can create a new dungeon if you've mapped the entire existing dungeon and want to explore something new. You can revert to the original or create another new one. These new dungeons are randomly generated. If you do this, of course the map will show that you haven't been anywhere yet.

You can "retire". The top three retirees are saved. When you retire, you start again with a new adventurer.

The intent of this Android app is to remain close to the original game.

The following is the "help lesson" (PLATO parlance for "instructions"). It has been kept mostly as it was written when the game was played on PLATO.

Introduction

The setting for the game of dungeon is in the medieval days of the world. You are a knight and you have come across a dungeon known to be full of treasure and, unfortunately, monsters too. You will try to get all the experience you can out of this dungeon so that you can retire with honor near the seat of the king. Remember though, the king doesn't like greedy knights lolling around in his courtyards - he likes fighters.

There are three ways to gain the experience needed to retire. The first way is to fight the monsters you encounter in the dungeon. The monsters will fight back also, so you have to be on your guard at all times, for given the chance they will kill you. The second way is to collect the treasures the monsters have. This means you must kill the monster if it is guarding it. The third, but most infrequent way, is to find a magic item in one of the treasures you happen to collect.

As any well-equipped knight of the time, you have a normal sword to start with. You also have 4 spell units to spend on casting magic spells. You'll need to learn which spells are best for each situation. Some spells are good for fighting, others for preparing to fight. When you make a successful exit from the dungeon, your spell units are replenished. As your experience increases, so do the spell units you have to spend.

Of course this sounds all very simple to you, but beware now, it is harder than you think. Monsters tend to be rather scrappy when you get ideas of taking their treasures. And sometimes you can run across a monster just simply too overwhelming for

you to handle. The game involves a great deal of skill, but there is also an equally large amount of chance.

Monsters normally stay where they are -- a cleared path usually stays clear. However, monsters respawn if most are killed on a level, and there is a chance that a monster may spontaneously appear!

Characteristics

Strength

This characteristic determines your ability to open up doors, chances of hitting a monster, and modifies the amount of damage you will do in combat.

Intelligence

Intelligence gets weighed in when you are "throwing" a spell at a monster. It will help determine if the spell is effective or not.

Constitution

This is a combination of health and endurance. It influences the number of hits a character can take before dying.

Dexterity

Dexterity plays heavily in your speed and reactions in fighting and/or conjuring. It also determines who has the all important "first hit" in the confrontation.

In all of these characteristics, the higher the number rolled, the better off your character is. As a rule of thumb, get a character with all the characteristics with at least two digits.

Character Levels

Character levels are determined from experience through the following rules:

if experience is greater than 128000 then level is 8 plus your experience divided by 128000. If experience is less than 128000, level is the power of 2 greater than your experience divided by 500.

One example:

Your experience is 384200. Level is 11. (8 plus (384200 divided by 128000) equals 11)

Another example::

Your experience is 33260. Level is 6. (26 times 500 equals 32000)

The number of spell units you receive is determined by your level: units = (level+1) ×2.

"Percent kills" shows how much of your experience is from eliminating monsters. It is determined by: (experience minus treasure) divided by experience.

Level only increases on successful exit from the dungeon. When your level increases, spells and hits also increase. Additional hits are determined by the roll of an eight-sided die, modified by your constitution.

Movement

Movement in the dungeon is relatively simple. The character can only move up, down, left, or right. This is done by touching the space in the direction you want to move. Walls and doors block your way, but you can open doors.

There are locked doors in the dungeon, and all these doors lead into rooms where the treasure and monsters are hidden. Now, you have to get in somehow. You have to break down the door. This action can be done by "long pressing" the area behind the door when you are at a door.

There are also "secret" doors in the dungeon. These normally appear to be walls, but about one sixth of the time they appear as walls with a box in the middle. Except for that, they are just like regular doors. Note: if you have cast a "light" spell, secret doors will always appear.

As you move around the dungeon, you can show a map of where you have been. This map shows walls and doors, including secret doors if you've "seen" them. Traps (stairs, chutes, pits) show on the map as dots. You appear as a circle.

Monsters

Eight classes of monsters reside in the dungeon: Insect, Man, Goblin, Animal, Undead, Mythical, Magic User, and Animated.

Each monster has two kinds of dice. One kind is used to determine the damage the monster can do to you. The other determines how many hit points the monster has. The tables below show how many and what type each monster uses.

"Hit Dice" is how many dice are used for its hit points. "Hit Dice Type" is how many sides each of those dice has.

"Attack Dice" is how many dice are used for its attack. "Attack Dice Type" is how many sides each of those dice have.

"Experience" is how much experience you will receive if you kill that monster.

"Level" is the monster's level.

Insects: Nasty bugs

Man: Evil fighters and thieves

Goblin: Goblins and other miscellaneous Humanoids

Animals

Undead

Mythicals

Magic Users and Clerics

Animated Monsters

Where are the monsters?

This table shows the chance of meeting a certain level monster on each dungeon level. Read the table by finding the dungeon level across the top, then read down to find the chance for each monster level.

(Note that the columns might not add to exactly 100 percent due to rounding.)

Combat

In combat, you and the monster simply take turns swinging at each other with your swords until one of you is dead. Besides being able to hack away at the monster, you also have the choice of running away, casting a spell on it, or shooting an arrow of mythical slaying (for mythical type monsters, if you have any). If you are in a room, you may not run.

The next sections cover three very important aspects of combat:

• Who swings first;

• Chances of hitting;

• How much damage is given.

Who swings first?

If you have cast a "speed" spell, you will have the choice of what you want to do first. If you don't have "speed" on, but your dexterity is greater than or equal to the monster's dexterity, then you get first choice also.

After the first attempt to kill each other, both you and the monster take turns doing your best to finish each other off. If you are in a corridor, you have the option of running each time it is your turn. Running is not always successful, and its chances of failure increase each time you try to run. This is due to the fact that the monster gets wise to your attempts to escape and is more on guard for it, and also that you tire as the battle wears on. You also have the option of casting a spell when it is your turn. This is more fully discussed in the spells section.

Chances of hitting or getting hit?

This is based on the roll of dice. You and the monster each have a die. Your die has the number of sides corresponding to your dexterity, adjusted for the weight you carry. The monster's die has the same number of sides as its dexterity.

You will hit the monster if:

• you don't use "pray" and the roll of your die is greater than 6.

• you use "pray" when fighting an Undead monster, you will always hit.

• you use "pray" for any other type of monster and the roll of your die is greater than 3.

The monster will roll its die. That roll is:

• decreased by 6 if you use "protection" when fighting an Undead monster

• decreased by 3 if you use "protection" for any other type of monster

The monster will hit you if that adjusted roll is greater than 6.

How much damage is given?

You will give the monster damage based on the roll of an 8-sided die. That roll is increased by your player's level raised to the power of 0.7. That roll is adjusted further by the "plus" value of your sword. The roll is further adjusted based on your strength: -1 for low strength, +1 for high strength.

The monster will give you damage based on its Attack Dice (see the tables). Each of the monster's dice are rolled and the sum is the base attack. This amount is doubled for Magic User type monsters in the first round in order to simulate the use of magic. The "plus" value of your shield and armor is deducted from the attack.

Spells

You are a combination fighter and magic user. There are 4 levels of spells. Some spells can be cast during a fight, others when not fighting. Only level 4 spells affect animated type monsters.

Spells are cast from a stockpile of magic given to each character. To start, one has 4 units of magic. Level 1 spells cost you 1 unit each, level 2 spells cost 2 units each, etc. As the character's level increases, more units of magic are given.

Following is a brief explanation of the spells, level by level.

Level 1 Spells

Charm

Charms a man or goblin type monster so you can kill it without it fighting back. Fails 30% to 50% of the time.

Sleep

Puts monster to sleep. Works on any monster up to level 4, except for undead types.

Cure

Non-combat type spell. Heals wounds. Replenishes hits in doses of 2-7, modified by your intelligence.

Levitation

Allows you to levitate over traps in the dungeon, such as pits and chutes.  You are given the choice of using a chute, however. Lasts 12 turns.

Depth

Determines how many levels down in the dungeon you are.  Useful if you have just fallen down a chute.

Light

Casts a light about you.  You are able to see all secret doors and detect monsters and treasures (which appear as shadows). Lasts 24 turns.

Magic Missile

Shoots a magic arrow at the monster, giving it from 2 to 20 hits. Double on Undead.

Level 2 Spells

Hold Person

Similar to Charm, but has a failure rate of only 10% to 30%.

Speed

Gives you first hit in combat, and takes less time to move. Lasts 18 turns.

Pray

Gives you a 83% chance of hitting a monster. 100% for undead. Lasts one full combat.

Find Traps

Tells you what traps are around you, if any. Lasts 6 turns.

Protection

Gives you a 1/6 better chance of not being hit. 1/3 for undead. Lasts 24 turns.

Level 3 Spells

ESP

Allows you to "see" through walls. You are able to detect monsters and treasures. You choose the direction in which to "look".

Continuous Light

Same as Light, but lasts the entire trip.

Hold Monster

Like Hold Person, but for animal or insect types. Failure rate 10-30%.

Pass Wall

Allows you to pass through any wall.

Blastbolt

Similar to Magic Missile, but delivers 5 to 60 hits. Double on undead.

Level 4 Spells

Pass floor or ceiling

Allows you to pass either up or down to the next level.

Dimension Door

Teleports the monster you are fighting outside of the room you are in. Failure rate = 20% to 40%. You may encounter the monster again, since you did not kill it but simply moved it away.  If it fails, then the monster gets its turn.

Invisibility

Allows you to become invisible. You are safe from attack. It is useful if you are low on hits.  Lasts 36 turns.

Teleport

Teleports the monster somewhere else in the level. It has a higher failure rate (40-60%), but fails by teleporting you (guaranteeing survival).

Treasure

There are  many treasure types in Orthanc. Besides the usual  Silver,  Gold, Gems, Jewelry, Magic  Sword & Shields, there are also, for your playing pleasure, such wonders of the dark as Platinum, Electrum, several types of Boots, Magic Armor, Arrows of Slaying, Rings, and Magic Manuals.

WARNING: After a battle, any magic item may be lost.  You will not be able to restore it except by finding another item like it.

Equipment

Swords

Add the "plus" level of the sword (1, 2, or 3) to the number of hits that you can give per round.

Shield & Armor

These subtract the "plus" level from the number of hits the monster can give you per round.

Arrows of Mythical Slaying

These are found in a quiver, you can have up to 31 arrows at one time. Arrows automatically kill any mythical type monster. They do not work on any other monster.

Boots

You must wear boots to have an effect. Touch them to wear or remove them.

Speed

When you wear them, they work like a continuous Speed spell.

Levitation

When you wear them, they work like a continuous Levitation spell.

Rings

You must wear rings to have an effect. Touch them to wear or remove them.

Of Light

When worn, this ring works like a Continuous Light spell.

Of Protection

When worn, this ring works like a continuous Protection spell.

Of Invisibility

When worn, this ring works like a continuous Invisibility spell.

Of Regeneration

When worn, this ring replaces 1 hit and spell unit for every 25 moves.

Manuals

Of Bodily Health

Reading this adds 1 point to your constitution rating.

Of Gainful Exercise

Reading this adds 1 point to your strength rating.

Of Quickness of Action

Reading this adds 1 point to your dexterity rating.

Of Philosophy

Reading this adds 1 point to your intelligence rating.

Of Vile Darkness

Reading this takes away half of your available hit points (just to keep you honest).

Keyboard Use

If you have a keyboard attached to your device, you can use it as well as the touchscreen.

Key mapping:

Key...Function

f.....fight

r.....run

s.....shoot arrow

o.....options

h.....help

y.....reply "yes"

n.....reply "no"

c.....continue or cancel

1.....Cast level 1 spell (or use the first button)

2.....Cast level 2 spell (or use the second button)

3.....Cast level 3 spell (or use the third button)

4.....Cast level 4 spell (or use the fourth button)