The Complex User Manual Written by Sean Craig Copyright (c) 1995

[Last revised : 28th July, 1995]

This manual may be distributed freely. Most of the material in this manual is
also available on-line in the 'Help section (quick reference)' from the Main
Menu.

This manual should mainly be used as a reference. Beginners should skim this
manual then read the 'Quick start for beginners' section. Experienced players
should still read this as it contains new material. There is also a FAQ
(frequently asked questions) section at the end of this manual.


Contents * System overview * Character attributes * Character classes *
Experience * Action/Spell points * Combat * Magic * Treasure * Vision and light *
Movement * Food * The game concept * Connecting to the system * Quick start for
beginners * Miscellaneous * Hints, tips and suggestions * Frequently asked
questions (FAQ) * The last bit


System overview The Complex is a fully automated on-line fantasy role-playing
gaming system. You create and control a group of characters to venture forth upon
a chosen quest in a medieval world, fighting monsters and searching for treasure.

Many parties can compete on the same quest. This human element is what makes the
game interesting to play.


Character attributes Strength * Prime requisite for Fighters. * Can affect your
'hit probability' (the chance of hitting someone) and 'damage adjustment'. * Also
affects your ability to swim and dive.

Dexterity * Prime requisite for Thieves. * Can affect your armour class (defence
adjustment). * Also affects your chance of finding/noticing secret things,
picking locks and stealing stuff.

Intelligence * Prime requisite for Wizards. * Affects your chances of learning
new Wizard spells and also the maximum number of spells you can learn every time
you go up an experience level. * Also affects your chances of finding secret
things and stealing stuff.

Piety * The prime requisite for Clerics. * Affects your chances of learning new
Cleric spells. * Also affects your chances of spell failure.

Health * Can affect your hit points every time you go up an experience level (hit
point adjustment). * Also affects your chances of successfully being resurrected,
and your ability to swim and dive.


Character classes Fighter The best class at combat. They can fight well without
weapons and gain 1d10 hit points per level (plus additional hit points if they
have a high health score).

Thief Thieves are skilled at picking locks, detecting secrets and stealing stuff.
They gain 1d6 hit points per level and are naturally harder to hit.

Wizard Wizards are good at casting spells and tend to learn spells quickly due to
their high intelligence. They gain 1d4 hit points per level.

Cleric Clerics are good at casting spells and aren't too bad at combat. They gain
1d8 hit points per level.

Changing class - characters may change class as often as desired. When you change
class, the abilities of the former class are 'remembered', experience level is
reset to one and experience is set to zero - hit points, action points and spell
points are not changed. A character will gain only one hit point and one action
point each level until reaching a level that is higher than any other level of
any other previous class. Normal hit points and action points will be gained from
this level onwards.

Example; "Fred the Hero" starts his life as a Fighter. He advances to level four
and then changes to a Wizard. Fred can now start to learn Wizard spells while
still being able to fight as a level four Fighter, though his weapon selection
may be limited by his new class. He will gain one hit point and one action point
until he reaches level five. Only then will he gain the normal hit points and
action points he is entitled to.


Experience Advancement in experience levels will increase a character's hit
points, action points and attributes. The amount of hit points gained depends on
the class of the character. Spell points are only gained if any new spells were
learned.


Action/Spell points There are two different types of points used : action and
spell. Each character has a certain amount of action points and spell points to
spend each turn. Note that these points cannot go negative.

Action points are used for almost everything, but mainly for movement, combat and
spells. The amount of action points is takes to do something depends on how long
that action should take. Other things may cost action points depending on the
difficulty of the scenario.

Spell points are used for spells only. Note that a character must have enough
spell points and action points to cast a spell.


Combat This is how you can physically attack other characters and monsters. You
do NOT gain any experience points from killing characters, but you do gain
experience points from killing monsters. The allocation of experience points is
based on a 'points' system. These points are known as 'participation points'. The
more damage a character does to a monster, the more experience he will get. Any
characters nearby will also receive a token participation point if they can see
the monster. This is best explained by the example below:

Fred the Hero attacks a goblin and inflicts 10 hit points of damage. Fred
receives 10 participation points for the amount of damage he did, plus another
point for actually doing the damage, for a total of 11. Darius was nearby and saw
the attack. Hence, Darius receives 1 participation point. Then Eric enters the
scene and hits the goblin for 2 hit points of damage. The goblin dies. Eric
receives 3 participation points (2 for the damage and 1 for doing the damage) and
Darius and Fred each receive 1 participation point for being nearby.

The participation points for each character looks like this: Fred - 12 Darius - 2
Eric - 3

Each character receives a share of the experience point total of the monster,
depending on how many participation points each has. In this case, the total
amount of participation points is 17 (12+2+3). If the goblin was worth 100
experience points, Fred would get 70 experience points, Darius would get 11 and
Eric would get 17.

This method ensures a fair distribution of experience points, giving more
experience points to those who participate more.


Magic Spells are divided into two different categories : Wizard and Cleric. Each
category is divided into eight levels, with four spells per level.

Like combat, spells also use the participation point system described above.


Treasure Treasure can be gained by killing monsters, though some monsters may not
carry any. Some of these items may be magical (eg; scrolls, potions, etc). Magic
items can be used either by simply equipping the item or by Using it (from
ACTION).


Vision and light A character will not be able to see if he is dead, asleep or
blind. Certain types of terrain can restrict your vision. Your vision may also be
restricted if the scenario you're playing has day/night cycles or darkness
underground.

Spells and magical items can aid you in dark places. Note that light will not let
you see past magically dark areas.


Movement Each move will cost action points. The cost depends on the terrain. The
more difficult the terrain is to travel on the more it will cost. For instance,
moving on land is obviously faster than moving in water and thus would take less
action points.

An option available in movement is dragging. A character can drag another
character or monster if they are dead, paralyzed or asleep. You can also drag
characters in your party regardless of what condition they are in. The action
point cost is doubled for dragging.

Movement over water is possible by ship. When a ship is moved, all characters and
items on the ship are moved. Normal action point cost applies but only to the
character that moved the ship. Note that if a character drops an item whilst on a
ship, that item stays on the ship and will move with the ship.


Food If the system is using food, then your characters must have food to stay
healthy. Each character consumes one food unit per gameturn. If a character runs
out of food, then he will start to get hungry. Each successive gameturn without
food causes the character to get hungrier and hit points are lost. A hungry
character will immediately consume food upon receiving some. Note that this does
not restore lost hit points.


The game concept The system is split up into a number of different scenarios.
Each scenario is based upon a quest. Whenever you start a scenario your
characters are placed at a predetermined position on the map. From here you must
make your own decisions on what to do and where to go.

When a quest is completed all the parties participating in that quest will
advance to the next one.

The system is revolves around regular 'gameturns'. A gameturn will happen every
few days (the number of days is determined by the person running the system,
referred to as the 'GameMaster' or 'GM'). During this time the monsters get to
have their turn (ie; movement, combat, cast spells, etc) and between each
gameturn you get to have your turn.


Connecting to the system To use The Complex you will need either a special
terminal program or any communications program that supports Apple's Pascal
Firmware Protocol (PFP 1.1). It is highly recommended that you use one of the
terminal programs (these can be downloaded when you logon).


Quick start for beginners From the logon screen type 'NEW' and follow the
directions (if you already have a party then enter your party's name and
password). After a few bits and pieces of information you will arrive at the
'Main menu'.

Go into the 'Character menu'. Work out what type of character you want, then
select the option 'Create' to create a character. The method used here is based
on points. Each attribute starts on 8. Increasing an attribute past 8 will cost
points, while decreasing an attribute below 8 will give you points (ie; a
negative point cost). Adjust the attributes as desired and press RETURN when
finished (see the sections above on Character attributes and Character classes
for more information). Select a class and enter a name for the character. Repeat
this process to create the number of characters you want.

Return to the Main menu by selecting the option 'Exit'. Then select the option at
the top of the menu, 'System Information'. Take a moment to look at various
things here. You can find out a lot about the system from here such as how many
people are playing, which scenarios they're on, when the next game turn is, and
so on. Return to the Main menu when you have finished here. The are three other
options on this menu, two of which are 'Message base' and 'Filing cabinet'. The
Message base enables you to send messages to other parties. The Filing cabinet is
an area where you can upload and download files. It's not important to
familiarise yourself with these just yet, but you may do so now if you like.
Return to the Main menu when you have finished.

The third option is the most important - 'Go adventuring'. Select it now. In a
moment you should see a screen with a map display at the top left, with the
status of all your characters at the bottom. Press '?' to see a list of the
options available. The top four are the most important - 'Action/Look', 'Combat',
'Movement' and 'Spell'. Each of these four sections has a number of options. Some
of these options may be dimmed, meaning you cannot select them for some reason.
For instance, from MOVEMENT, you could only select the option Up if the selected
character was standing on some stairs up.

Press 'A' to go into Action/Look. Move the flashing cursor around the map and
press ENTER to look at various things. After you've looked around press ESC to
exit, then press 'M' to go into MOVEMENT. Move the flashing cursor to a square
you want to move to and press RETURN. After you've confirmed the movement the map
display will be redrawn to reflect the characters new position. If you look at
the bottom of the display, you will notice that the character's action points
have decreased. Press 'V' and then select another character in your party. The
map display is redrawn each time you select a different character. Note that the
currently selected character will always have a pointer next to their name (at
the bottom of the screen) and is shown on the map by a person with a sword and
shield. All the other characters in your party are shown as persons in a
different colour so you can identify them easily.

You should now have a basic understanding of how everything works. If you are
unsure about something, you can refer to this manual or read the help files on
the system. If you're still stuck, you can always leave a message for the GM.
There is also an 'FAQ' (frequently asked questions) section at the end of this
manual.


Miscellaneous Death/Resurrection - sooner or later, one of your characters will
die. A dead character can be resurrected by a spell, a magical item or by paying
a fee at an altar. The health score of a resurrected character is lowered by one.
Once a character has reached a health score of one he cannot be resurrected and
is forever dead.

Aging - a character will start to feel the effects of old age at 60. Upon
reaching 90, a character is likely to die.

Laws and rules - from within 'System information' there is an option called 'Laws
of the realm'. This will tell you what the laws and rules are and what the
punishment is for each. A character that breaks the law is put onto the 'Hot
list' for everyone to see. Any character on this list can be attacked legally
(ie; the attacker is not put on the Hot list).


Hints, tips and suggestions * Swimming - your chances of staying afloat (ie; not
drowning) are much better if you're carrying less equipment.

* Use the 'one-line notepad' in the character stats screen to record the amount
of experience needed to advance to the level.

* Levitation will greatly aid in moving around quickly. Note that levitation does
NOT guarantee safety over ocean water. If you get hit by an ocean wave, the
levitation is cancelled and the you fall into the water and are subject to
drowning.

* Use the 'Inspect' option from within ACTION to search for secret passages and
the like. Thieves are best suited at finding these.

* Use your 'Notepad' to jot down notes that are of interest (eg; scenario
details, what your intentions are, etc).

* When online (to the host) you can redraw the screen at any time by pressing
CONTROL-W.


Frequently asked questions (FAQ) Q : How can I communicate with other parties? A
: Use the 'Message base' from the Main menu. You can send a message to any party
(including the GM).

Q : Can I send a message to everyone using the Message base? A : No. The Message
base only allows one message per party. You can add a comment to 'The Wall' (a
screen you can edit from within 'System information').

Q : How do I know when the next gameturn is? A : Go into 'System information'
from the Main menu or from the 'Go adventuring' screen and select the option
'System status'. The system will also tell you when the next gameturn is when you
logoff.

Q : I have a dead character that I don't want anymore. How do I get rid of him? A
: Go into the Character menu, select the option 'Delete' and choose the character
you don't want anymore.

Q : The sounds are annoying me. How do I turn them off? A : The system will
always send the sound codes regardless. The terminal program you are using should
have an option to disable the sounds.

Q : My characters are going well but they aren't advancing in experience levels.
Why? A : Characters can advance in experience levels by praying at an altar. This
is also the way to find out how much more experience a character needs to advance
to the next level.

Q : Every time I try to trade between characters, it says "too far away". What
gives? A : The two characters you trade between must be no more than one square
apart, otherwise they just aren't close enough.

Q : The map display is blank. Is this a bug? A : No. The selected character isn't
able to see anything because he is dead, asleep or blind. You may also see a
blank display if you are in an area of total darkness, the selected character is
invisible and there are no other characters or monsters in sight (unless they too
are invisible).

Q : I try to select some options from within ACTION and nothing happens. What's
going on? A : Some options may be dimmed because, for some reason, you are
currently unable to perform that option. For instance, you could only select the
option to 'Pray' if you were standing on an altar. Similarly, you could only
select the option 'Shop' if you were standing next to a shoppe.

Q : None of my characters can do anything. I keep getting the message "not enough
action points". A : There is only so much each character can do each gameturn.
You will have to wait until the next one.

Q : How do I know what scenario I'm on and who else is playing it? A : From
within 'System information' select the option 'System status'. This will tell you
what scenario you're on. Also from here, select the option 'Party list'. This
will show you a list of all the parties playing and which scenario each is
playing.

Q : How do I know what to do in this scenario? A : You will have to find 'The
King' (somewhere on the map). He will tell you exactly what to do.

Q : Who is the GameMaster or GM person? A : The GameMaster (or GM) is the person
who runs the system. Other systems may refer to this person as a System Operator
(or SysOp for short).


The last bit If you have any questions or comments, I can be reached on the
following:

* The Complex 'home' site on +61-2-417-2729 * Internet address -
complex@ozemail.com.au

Also, check out the latest information on the World Wide Web at
<http://www.ozemail.com.au/~complex>.

The Complex host software is freeware and is available for downloading from the
'home' site. Terminal programs are also available.

It has taken me a number of years to write The Complex, which has evolved through
a number of versions. I hope you enjoy it.

Sean Craig


[End of manual]