
============================ Character Attributes =============================

     This file describes your character.  It discusses the attributes shown on 
the left side of the main window, the basic skills characters possess, and the 
various special immunities and qualities that characters may acquire in their 
adventures.  It also tells you how to keep track of all this information.
     Your character may view your race, class, and "specialty" abilties
(described in the file "specialt.txt") or learn new specialty abilities using
the 'O' command.


=== Character Attributes Shown on the Left Side of the Main Window ===

     Experience:
         Experience affects almost everything else about your character.  As he 
         kills monsters, casts spells and prays prayers for the first time, 
         learns about an object kind by using it, disarms traps, and unlocks 
         doors (listed in descending order of importance), he gains experience.  
         Every so often, he will attain a new experience level.  This:
              -increases hit points (HPs)
              -increases magical power (mana)
              -improves every skill except searching, perception, and stealth.
              -makes it possible to use more powerful magical devices, wield 
               heavier weapons, learn more effective spells and improve spells 
               already learnt.
              -adds entirely new abilities or benefits.
         The maximum experience level is 50.

     Gold:
         Gold is amazingly handy, because everything the town can sell can be 
         yours with enough of the stuff.  Characters start out with an amount 
         of gold determined by ability scores (lower is better) and sex (female 
	 characters start with more gold - In FAangband, males and females are 
         clones, so take advantage of this!).  If the character is being
	 'rolled' with random atributes, social class also influences starting
	 gold (higher is better).

         Inside the dungeon lies more gold than you will ever find, more seams 
         of treasure than you will ever dig, and more monsters carrying loot 
         than you will ever kill.

     Vital Statistics:
         Your character has six primary statistics, or stats.  Each of them has 
         important effects, and how you juggle equipment to boost some stats at 
         the expense of others can greatly help or hinder your character's ad-
         venturing.  Because stats are so important, you will want to keep a 
         sharp eye out for potions of Strength, Wisdom, etc.  They may start 
         appearing at level 25 and don't become at all common until well 
         past level 40.
              The lowest any stat can go is 3, a level which greatly reduces any
         abilities that stat influences.  The lowest "safe" figure for most 
         stats is 7, but you can't expect any significant bonuses until the stat 
         reaches 18 or higher.  Once you get a stat that high, further increases 
         will greatly enhance your character's skills, eventually making it pos-
         sible to slay some truly formidable monsters.  Stats max out at 18/220.
         More information on individual stats is available below.

     Armor Class:
         Armor class helps prevent you getting killed.  It may be increased by 
         equipping more and better armor, and by increasing your Dexterity.  As 
         time passes, you will find this value rising past 100, even to 150 and 
         above at very high levels.  More information is available in the help 
         file "defence.txt".

     Hit Points:
         Each character has hit points, representing how much damage he can 
         sustain before he dies.  The maximum number of hit points is derived 
         from your race, class, level, and constitution.  Hit points may be 
         regained by resting, or by a variety of magical means.

     Mana:
         Each character has spell points, or mana, which represents how many 
         spells (or prayers) a character can cast (or pray).  The maximum number 
         of spell points is derived from your class, level, and intelligence 
         (for classes using sorcery and necromancy) or wisdom (for classes using 
         natural or holy magics).  Spell points may be regained by resting, or 
         (very rarely) by magical means.

     Be warned:  Every one of the above can be lowered by monster attacks or
by traps.  On the plus side, every character has means of repairing the
damage or hunting down the thief.  See the help file "defence.txt".


=== Stats ===

     Strength:
         Strength is critical to fighting effectively in melee and with missile 
         weapons.  Increases in Strength increase damage, allows players to 
         get more blows with heavier weapons, and boost the effectiveness of 
         shield bashes.  Strength is also useful in tunneling and for carrying 
         heavy items without being slowed down.
 
     Intelligence:
         Intelligence affects the spellcasting abilities of mages, rogues, 
         necromancers, and assassins.  For these classes, this stat will affect 
         the number of spells they may learn each level, the number of spell 
         points they receive, and the chance for spells to fail.  These classes 
         cannot learn spells if their intelligence is 6 or lower.  Intelligent 
         characters also use magic devices, pick locks, and disarm traps more 
         effectively.
 
     Wisdom:
          Wisdom affects the spellcasting abilities of priests, druids, rangers,
          and paladins. For these classes, this stat will affect the number of 
          prayers or spells they may learn each level, the number of spell 
          points they receive, and the chance for prayers or spells to fail.  
          These classes cannot learn spells if their wisdom is 6 or lower.  Wise 
          characters also have a better chance of resisting magical spells cast 
          upon them 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, get 
          in slightly more shield bashes, and will significantly increase his 
          chances of hitting with any weapon and dodging blows from enemies. 
          Dexterity is also useful in picking locks, disarming traps, and pro-
          tecting yourself from some of the thieves that inhabit the dungeon.
 
     Constitution:
          Constitution is a character's ability to resist damage to his body, 
          and to recover from stuns, poison, cuts, and pure damage.  Therefore a 
          character with a high constitution will receive more hit points and 
          also recover them faster while resting.
 
     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.
 

=== Abilities ===

Characters possess various abilities which help them to survive and prosper.  
The starting abilities of a character are based upon race and class.  Abilities 
may be adjusted by high or low stats, and some increase with experience level.
 
     Fighting Ability:
          Melee (hand to hand) combat depends on this skill.  A character with 
          a low fighting skill cannot hope to either hit monsters often or do 
          much damage if he does.  This skill increases with the level of the 
          character. The only stat that affects it is Dexterity.

     Shooting Ability:
          Using ranged missile weapons and throwing objects are both included in 
          this skill.  The higher your character's shooting ability, the more 
          frequently he will hit his target and the more damage he will do when 
          he does.  This skill increases with the level of the character.  The 
          only stat that affects it is Dexterity.

     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 level of the character,  
          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.  Characters with 
          good stealth can usually surprise their opponents, gaining the first 
          blow.  Also, creatures may fail to notice a stealthy character en-
          tirely, allowing a player to avoid certain fights and squash multiply-
          ing monsters before they take over the area.  This skill is 
          based entirely upon race and class, and will never improve unless 
          magically enhanced.  Note that mages slowly lose stealth as they 
          gain levels.
 
     Disarming:  (Warning:  much more important in FAangband)
          Disarming is the ability to safely remove traps and pick locks on 
          chests 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, and this
          ability increases with the level of the character.
 
     Magical Devices:  (Warning:  somewhat more important in FAangband)
          Using a magical device such as a wand, staff, or any activatable 
          object requires experience and knowledge.  Mages have considerably 
          more skill in this field than any other class.  This skill is modified 
          by Intelligence, and increases with the level of the character.
 
     Searching Frequency (Perception):
          Perception is the ability to notice something without actively seeking 
          it out.  Only rogues and assassins can improve this skill naturally, 
          but anyone can magically enhance it.
 
     Searching Ability (Searching):
          To search is to actively look for secret doors, ground traps, and traps 
          on chests.  Rogues are the best at searching, but mages, druids, 
          assassins, rangers, and priests are also good at it.  Only rogues and 
          assassins can improve this skill naturally, but anyone can magically 
          enhance it.

     Infra-vision:
          Infra-vision is the ability to see heat sources.  It will allow a 
          character to see any warm-blooded creature up to a certain distance.  
          This ability works equally well with or without a light source.  Many 
          non-human races have innate infravision, and this skill can be 
          enhanced only by magical means.


=== The Special Qualities and Immunities that your Character may Possess === 

     After your character is born, you may discover what special qualities and 
immunities he has - and that you know about - by displaying the Character Screen 
(type "C"), and then hitting "h" twice to display a list.  This list is amaz-
ingly handy for finding out what you qualities you need and do not yet possess.  
Because it only takes into account your racial intrinsics, shapeshift bonuses, 
and fully known (*Identified*) or obvious items, consulting this list is not 
cheating. A list of displayed qualities and their full names follows.  Consult 
the help file "equip.txt" if you want full details:

     Acid, Elec, Fire, Cold, Pois:
          Acid, electricity, fire, cold, and poison resistance.
     Fear:
          You cannot fight hand-to-hand when panicking.  Some potions remove 
          fear and you may obtain resist fear from various items of equipment.
     Lite, Dark:
          Resistance to light and darkness.
     Blind, Confu:
          Resistance to blindness and confusion can save your life.  Until you 
          get these important survival aids, keep certain potions and mushrooms 
          handy.
     Sound, Shard, Nexus, Nethr, Chaos, Disen:
          Resistance to sound, shards, nexus, nether, chaos, and disenchantment.
     S. Dig:
          Slow Digestion reduces the amount of food you consume.
     PLite:
          Wearing one (or more) objects possessing Permanent Light will increase 
          your light radius by one; very handy for seeing foes before they leap 
          upon you.
     Regen:
          Characters who regenerate regain hit points at twice the normal rate 
          and mana at 1.5x the normal rate.  Characters who regenerate need to 
          eat heartily.
     Telep:
          Try not to randomly teleport.
     Invis:
          Many creatures in the dungeons are invisible, and you will need to 
          keep some source of permanent or temporary see invisible handy if you  
          descend more than a few levels into the dungeon.
     FrAct:
          Some creatures are able to paralyze or slow you with melee attacks or 
          spells.  Free Action is a survival essential in dungeons and the more
	  dangerous wilderness.
     HLife:
          Characters with Hold Life resist experience draining attacks, and may 
          even escape their effects entirely.
     M-Mas:
          Some items increase your magical device skill, allowing you to more 
          easily take advantage of important utility and combat magics.
     Stea :
          Items with this ability decrease the amount of noise your character 
          makes as he moves around the dungeon and performs actions.
     Sear :
          Items with this ability allow your character to find traps and secret 
          doors more easily.
     Infra:
          Some objects increase the range at which you may see warm-blooded 
          creatures, regardless of whether they are illuminated or even visible 
          to the unaided eye.
     Tunn :
          All shovels and picks and certain other weapons grant bonuses to 
          tunnelling skill.
     Speed:
          The faster you move, the fewer dangerous things monsters can do to 
          you before you get to take a turn.  Speed items are rare for all but 
          high-level characters.
     Might:
          Some missile launchers have a higher base damage multiplier than 
          normal.
     Shots:
          Some missile launchers allow you to spend less time firing each shot.

