From: utzoo!decvax!watmath!watarts!fhcluk Newsgroups: net.test Title: test Article-I.D.: watarts.1342 Posted: Sun Jun 20 23:41:32 1982 Received: Tue Jun 22 02:52:05 1982 DragonQuest (tm SPI) is a fantasy role playing system that incoporates skills, experience points, and learning into one. Skills includes weapon skills, magic, and skill skills. A character acquire skills or improve in skills by expending experience points, money, and/or time. Only skills that have been used during pervious adventuring can be improved, and the possibly of such improvment is limited (mostly) by the amount of money, x.p., and time one has under his belt. Experience points can only be accumulated through play- ing one's character, not by blowing up everything insight. This has the effect of encouraging the use of different skills and prevent the characters from slaughtering. There are several 'levels' of skill a character can achive. Officially there are two levels: adventurer and hero. Attending one of this levels increases the gain in experience points. Of course, various higher levels can be added, just like other FRPGs. Not only ranks of skills can be improved but so as the attributes and a variety of other 'skills'. As opposed to RQ!, there is no generic skill bounises, thougth execptional attributes gains different adventages (like higher chances of casting spells). DQ has a rather detailed combat system, which makes any combat goes on slow. A character execute allowed movements before attack, during which one's strike chance is sub- tracted from the opponents defense, and % is rolled to see if a hit lands. Armor does not count into one's defence, though it functions as a device that absorbs damage. There are also different critial hits, like does direct damage to one's body and cutting off various body parts. There is one type of combat that is (still) unique to DQ: close combat. This reflects the two opposition tear each other apart by using natural weapon, bare hands, and/or short weapons. Probably magic is one of the biggest differences between DQ and any other FRPG. There are different Col- leges, which have different magic. There are also three (generic) kinds of magic: talents, spells, and rituals. Talents operate automatically, spells takes < 1 minute to cast, while rituals reqiures more than 1 hour. Magic doesn't not automatically work, as there is a cast chance for each talents, spells, and rituals. It may work, fail, or even (yuk!) backfire. The cast chance of a talent, spell, or ritual is based on the potency of it, which is then modified by various other things. The target of a talent, spell, or ritual will not get a (rather silly) sav- ing throw, but may be able to resist it. It works the same way as a saving throw: if resistance is seccessful, than the talent, spell, or ritual dissipates; otherwise it takes effect.