Playing Might and Magic (Ch. 3)

My ongoing diary of Might And Magic: Secret of the Inner Sanctum:


Chapter 3- Combat and Spells

 

 The Battle Rats were encountered within their locked chamber in the city of Sorpigal, and battle was joined!

The area was cramped. Only Samuel, Betty June and myself had easy access to the rats with our sticks. Finn, Alicia and my brother were too far displaced for easy reach.

Melee range is determined by a '+' visible next to the associated number in the lineup represented in the upper left. We can see a + next to the numbers 1, 2, and 3. Similarly, we can see which monsters are likewise in melee range from their lineup in the upper right. In this case, all of them are in range.

Typically, 1 and 2 will always be in range. And usually either 3 or 4 will be, too. Some monsters have an ability to 'infiltrate ranks' and bring other members of your party into melee range. Being ambushed also typically results in everyone being in range.

Characters equipped with missile weapons can use them on their turn if they are out of range. Archers can use them at long -or- close range. Some monsters come with missile weapons too and will use them if they too are out of melee range.

Alicia was the first among us to react. Before a single blow could be landed, the elf mouthed a word of power and made a slight gesture with her fingers, and from the tips of them an ethereal arrow wreathed in flame shot out and struck the Battle Rat in the front of the squeaking horde, felling him instantly with an impressive display! I was momentarily awed by a show of such power. Magic users truly are a lot to be wary around.


Spells are divided in two categories--Spell level, and spell ID. Both sorceror and clerical spells are spread out among 7 levels. With each level containing 5-8 individual spells. Thus, using the (C)ast command and entering 1-1 would cast the spell in the 1st level and 1st position. There is no ingame detailed reference for spells. They come entirely from the manual and without it, you would never know what each spell was and did except by trial and error.

Alicia is only level 1 and only has access to the spells in Sorceror level 1.  These are...:


Sorceror Spells Level 1:

1-1:  Awaken- Awakens all party members from the "sleep" status effect. Being ambushed while resting typically results in everyone starting combat asleep, with characters being beaten awake as they are meleed. This spell is kind of useless. Since magic users are typically in the back of the party, they are typically the last ones to be awakened. (Costs 1 SP)

1-2: Detect Magic-  Displays the number of charges left on any magic items in your bag. Also detects the presence of magic from locked bags and treasure chests. Relatively useless for the latter since a skilled robber is more important for opening chests anyway. Marginally useful for the former if you want to take care not to use up any magic items prematurely. (Costs 1 SP)

1-3: Energy Blast- Blasts an enemy with arcane energy. Inflicting 1-4 damage per level of the caster. Only useful in the early-to-mid levels. At higher levels, the bonus damage per level is outclassed by the spells that can target multiple enemies. (Costs 1 SP + 1 Gem)

1-4: Flame Arrow- Sends a burning arrow to the enemy, doing 1-6 damage. A -lot- of enemies seem partially resistant to elemental damage, whether it's fire or cold or electric or acid. So typically, it's more realistic to read this spell as doing 0-3 damage, with 4-6 being uncommon. (Costs 1 SP)

1-5: Leather Skin- Toughens the party's skin such that more melee blows bounce off instead of connecting fully. Slightly lowers the chance of being hit in battle. Extremely useful in the early levels where survival is difficult. (Costs 1 SP)

1-6: Light - Conjures a ball of light to provide 1 Light Factor. Can be stacked with multiple casts to make multiple factors. Essential for exploring dark places. 1 Light Factor is sufficient for exploring most places. There are some areas in the game which drain factors as you move from square to square, which is where the necessity for multiple factors comes into play. (Costs 1 SP)

1-7: Location - Divines the precise location and direction of the party on the world of Varn. A necessity for making your own maps. (Costs 1 SP)

1-8: Sleep- Targets up to five enemies and attempts to send them into a magical slumber. Leaving them helpless until attacked. Like most RPGs, status spells are practically useless in Might and Magic. Anything susceptible to them is so weak that it's simpler to just kill them. Anything threatening enough to use it on is likely immune to it. (Costs 1 SP)


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 As the battle waged and Sam, Betty, and I traded blows with the battle rats while Finn stood around uselessly, using us as living shields like a coward. I was nimble enough on my feet that when one of the little beasts stabbed it's knife at me I ducked it easily. Sam was less nimble and took a number of blows and cuts but remained standing. I smashed one of their faces in with my stick and then crushed it's head under my boot while the remaining beasts scurried back and regrouped. Their terror was palpable and I bathed in it! All hail Volkmeir! Rat slayer and rodent-bane!

Alicia mouthed another word and suddenly a tight, magical skin seemed to creep over us. Her 'leather skin' spell left my flesh crawling with tension but would soon prove it's worth. My brother began a low, calm chant as he prostrated himself on the ground and made an appeal to whatever Almighty would hear us for their beneficient aid. Sam found his wounds beginning to close slightly and the invisible, but enthusiastic air of divine blessings came over us as his prayer was heard and answered.

Clerical spells are organized in levels just like Sorceror spells. The ones Faulkner knows right now are...:

Clerical Level 1

1-1: Awaken - Same as the Sorceror's 'Awaken' spell. (Costs 1 SP)

1-2: Bless - Improves the party's to-hit chances for the duration of combat. Extremely useful in the early game especially when it's easier to miss. (Costs 1 SP)

1-3: Blind - Attempts to blot out the sight of a monster for the duration of combat, drastically reducing its chance to hit. Like most status magic in RPGs, it's practically useless. (Costs 1 SP)

1-4: First Aid - Heals the most minor of wounds. Restores 8 HP to a single character. This spell is absolutely essential to surviving the early game. (Costs 1 SP)

1-5: Light - Same as Sorceror's 'Light' spell. (Costs 1 SP)

1-6: Power Cure - A cleric makes a prayer of healing for a single character using all their accumulated focus. Restores 1-10 HP per level of caster. In the early game, it is vastly more cost effective to use other healing spells like First Aid. In the later game though, it becomes one of your most powerful single-target heals. (Costs 1 SP per level of caster + 1 Gem)

1-7: Protection From Fear - Protects the party from monsters that use fear or intimidation attacks to paralyze or make party members flee. Not very useful. I cant even think of any enemies off the top of my head that use such abilities. (Costs 1 SP)

1-8: Turn Undead - An appeal to the Almighties to banish and destroy the abomination that is the undead. It's effect varies based on both the undead and the cleric's level. Its use is limited to once per battle, but it is actually quite useful and tends to destroy at least one or two undead at the very least and more if you are at a higher level. Clerics can turn undead regardless of their alignment. However, Clerics that have -changed- alignment can not cast Turn Undead again until their original alignment is restored. (Costs 1 SP)

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 Standing around like a fool, the remaining Battle Rats picked Finn as a perfect stationary target and began pelting him with thrown stones. With moments, the Dwarf had taken a few too many rocks to the head and collapsed in a heap. Fortunately, the three of us in melee range at the front prevented them from gnawing on his still-breathing body. We drove them back into their corner and rained blows down upon them with our sticks. Faulkner looked on the prone body of the dwarf with a look of disgust but resigned himself to make a prayer of first aid for him regardless. He was more valuable to us alive than dead.

Being reduced to 0 hit points very often does not kill a character right away but renders them unconscious and able to be restored to fighting condition right away again through rest or spells. However, unconscious characters that are damaged again through traps or spells or attacks are typically killed and become dead weight until they can be brought back to life either through a high level cleric spell or through the temples in each city.

Being revived at a temple is much more expensive than a new party can typically afford. If you get a character who dies in the very beginning it is typically more time and cost effective to either just quit and reload, or to just delete the dead character and make a new one at the Inn. 

We had the remaining Battle Rats right where we wanted them, and within moments, it was over. Most of us carried our fair share of cuts and bruises, but the sight of carnage on our foes was revitalizing in itself!

Searching our surroundings after the battle was over, our prize was found. The meager trash that makes trouble around town typically only carries simple leather bags. But fortune was on our side today and we found that these Battle Rats instead were guarding an iron lockbox among their possessions. Finn was eager to prove himself after the debacle with the electric trap in the door and set about checking the box for traps immediately. In his eagerness, he set the damned thing off immediately and we all had a shower of weak acid to rub into our fresh battle wounds. After we all recovered from the shock and stopped writhing in agony, we once again all stared daggers at our invaluable robber 'friend'.

It was said before. But to say again:  There are many, many, MANY traps in Might and Magic.

 

 My anger was abated though when just a moment later he popped the lock open with ease! Among the dust and scraps of paper and refuse, we found a small cache of gold. It wasn't much--but it was a little more than I expected the rats to be carrying. It looked as though our plan for raising coin would work out after all!

Note: Each -share- in this case in 7 gold. Among 6 party members, that means we actually received 42 gold total. Gold from treasure is auto-split among the party members, but it's good to remember how much you have total when it comes time to gather all your coins up and shop.

Ugh. Foul carrion eaters. As we carefully tread our path through the winding alleys of Sorpigal looking for more victims, we came across these things. Flesh Eaters are parasites, smaller and weaker than even a Battle Rat. They were blocking our path and we wasted no time in crushing them underheel. Being as wild and simple as they are, they left behind no treasure to take.

 Sprites are a dangerous foe for the unequipped such as we. Although small and wispy, they are capable of casting a curse which disrupts our aim and makes connecting a direct blow in melee much more difficult. I persuaded my newfound allies that it would be wiser for now to retreat until we were better armed.

 The combined tension of the death and destruction that presses on all the living of Varn sometimes manifests as these poltergeists. Shades of the memories and turmoil and stress left behind by the deceased and given form to disrupt and wreak yet more havoc on the living world. These dark shadows are only ethereal in nature and do not carry any valuables on them.




Sometimes we are beset by wild beasts. Although they carry no treasure, this large snake was being directed by a group of Kobolds, who were more than happy to part with their treasure once we'd chased them away.

 Gremlins are a fierce foe for the unwary. They are small and nimble and can easily strike twice in the time it takes one of us to strike but once. They are also skilled at throwing rocks when out of melee range.

Kobolds are slightly more durable than gremlins, but not as fierce in battle. Once we had rested and our magic was restored, we had no problem liberating a few coins from these meager things.





Goblins are no more threatening than Kobolds, but their underworldly nature does render them slightly more resistant to Alicia's fire magic.

Wild jackals, ravenous with disease. They must have wandered in from the mouth of the cave opening to the overworld above. They carried no treasure and the risk of disease was too great to risk in our cash-strapped state. We took and opening and fled immediately.

 Gnomish vandals. Like gremlins, they make swift and troublesome little fighters. And at range they like to throw stones with devilish glee. They gave up their lives and in return we took their treasure.









Faulkner believes that these larva are a younger form of the Flesh Eaters we had seen earlier. The sight of their many limbs mixed with the pustulent gore that followed their slaying was enough to turn even my stomach. Needless to say, there was no treasure to be found here.

Skeletons look frightening to the unprepared traveller. However, being rereft of muscle and sinew makes them flimsy warriors. Whatever meager magic holds them together comes apart just as easily. Faulkner is even able to use an unholy word to banish some of them to dust and ashes immediately. Occasionally, we even find treasure among the scattered mortal remains.




Occasionally, ruffians who styled themselves as the town guard would engage us for 'disturbing the peace'. More often than not they would simply attack first and ask questions later. Although Sam was hesitant at first to engage the guard in battle, he quickly found that they took no quarter and offered none in return.

 With a little coin raised we were able to purchase more rations to fill our dwindling sacks. With the coin left over, we visited the town blacksmith near the inn to see about getting some proper adventuring gear. Sam, Betty, Finn, and myself traded our sticks for short swords. Finn and Betty also took crossbows, which expanded their use in our more cramped battles greatly.

 Our purse could not afford chain mail yet, so we made do with leather armor for all of us except Alicia, who refused to wear anything more restricted than padded cloth armor. The rest of us also took small shields to wield in our off-hands.

Various sundries were also for sale, however most of it would be of no use to us. Alicia bought a bulb of garlic and insisted it would be useful in repelling the undead. I believe no such superstition. We had no use for torches or herbs so long as our magic users could use spells for light and minor healing. We did purchase a set of rope and hooks in case it would be useful in bypassing any minor traps in the travels ahead.



With our new gear, we felt more comfortable taking on some of those beasts which we had avoided earlier such as the sprites and jackals. Our misfortune was finally turning around!