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Book of Knowledge
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Set forth upon these pages is a brief account of the
knowledge that all wise adventurers should carry with them as
they venture forth into the realms. Your quest begins at the
Tree of Life. From the tree your path can go many
directions, to limbo for the foolish and to vast wealth and
treasures for those who are well prepared and knowledgeable
from the beginning. You will begin at level one, and your
goal is to rise in level and status, until you have traveled
the farthest reaches, gained the highest treasures, and
defeated the most powerful of monsters. Very few will reach
this height, so good luck to you. Here is some information
you should know and use about the Land of Isengard, and the classes
and races within.
The classes:
Assassin
An assassin is one who lurks in shadows, waiting to
backstab his or her victim. Assassins are noted for their
ability to deal quick death; a single attack being capable of
doing incredible amounts of damage. The assassin can hide
better than most classes.
Skills:
Sneak
Backstab
Prime Requisites:
Dexterity
Strength
Suggested Races:
Halfling
Human
Dwarf
Barbarian
Raised in the harsh lands of tribal villages, barbarians
are hearty warriors capable of sustaining blow after blow from opponents.
The barbarian can bash its opponent, rendering them stunned for a while
and unable to attack. The barbarian can circle an opponent, an excellent
tactic used while fighting.
Skills:
Bash
Circle
Prime Requisites:
Strength
Constitution
Dexterity
Suggested Races:
Half-Giant
Human
Dwarf
Orc
Cleric
The cleric is the most powerful of the classes in the arts of
healing. In addition to the ability to heal, the cleric can turn the
undead. Clerics can also achieve magical powers only bested by a mage,
and in some cases can cast spells that even a mage cannot achieve.
Skills:
Turn
Pray
Prime Requisites:
Piety
Suggested Races:
Human
Half-Elf
Gnome
Fighter
The fighter is a master of the fighting arts. As the fighter
advances he will achieve great proficiency in the use of weapons.
The fighter is able to bash and circle opponents like a barbarian.
Skills:
Bash
Circle
Prime Requisites:
Strength
Dexterity
Suggested Races:
Human
Half-Giant
Dwarf
Orc
Mage
A master of the magic arts, the mage will gain the power to
unleash incredible amounts of damage by means of spells, but magic
alone cannot overcome all enemies. A mage can teach low level spells
to other players, once the mage has learned them. In addition, the mage
is the only class that is able to enchant things.
Skills:
Teach
Enchant
Prime Requisites:
Intelligence
Suggested Races:
Human
Elf
Half-Elf
Paladin
The paladin is a brave warrior of faith, and must continue to
be good aligned in order to inflict damage. An evil paladin suffers greatly.
The paladin is a powerful warrior and healer, and like clerics, can turn the
undead. A paladin suffers a small loss if he flees from a fight. The
paladin is also required to spend a term serving in the militia to show
their interest in benefitting society.
Skills:
Turn
Pray
Prime Requisites:
Strength
Piety
Suggested Races:
Human
Dwarf
Gnome
Orc
Ranger
The ranger is a skillful fighter with the abilities to
track opponents, to search for hidden exits, monsters, and
treasures, and to hide from enemies very well. A ranger can
hasten, and thus be allowed to attack faster than other
classes. Rangers are necessary for some of the quests, as
tracking can be required in some areas. Parties without a
ranger can become hopelessly lost.
Skills:
Track
Haste
Prime Requisites:
Dexterity
Suggested Races:
Human
Halfling
Thief
A thief is a very valuable player in any group of
adventurers, and in some cases, necessary. A thief is
capable of picking locks and stealing from opponents, and
has the ability to sneak undetected from place to place.
Like the assassin, a thief can backstab.
Skills:
Steal
Pick
Peek
Backstab
Sneak
Prime Requisites:
Dexterity
Suggested Races:
Human
Halfling
These suggestions are of course only guidelines, since a player
of any race can become any class. Isengard has seen many a
powerful Halfling Barbarian, Half-Giant Cleric, or Elven
Ranger. Be wise to the fact that all classes have their
strengths and weaknesses, and that a group of warriors will
get no further than a group of mages, since cooperation between
classes is vital to success. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
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The Races:
Dwarf
A dwarf is a stocky and short demihuman, standing about
4 feet tall. Dwarves are sturdy fighters, and are known to be
stubborn and practical.
Adjustments:
Strength +1
Piety -1
Elf
Somewhat shorter than humans, the elf is of weaker
constitution and higher intelligence.
Adjustments:
Intelligence +2
Strength -1
Constitution -1
Gnome
A cousin of the dwarf, gnomes are small demihumans which
can become very capable clerics and paladins.
Adjustments:
Piety +1
Strength -1
Half-Giant
A cross between the giant and human races, a half-giant
is brutally strong and makes a very good warrior.
Adjustments:
Strength +2
Intelligence -1
Piety -1
Half-Elf
A cross between the elven and human races, a half-elf
can become a master in any class.
Adjustments:
Intelligence +1
Constitution -1
Halfling
Small and agile, the halfling specializes in dexterity,
and thus makes a good thief, assassin, or ranger. They are also
known to other races as hobbits, but they prefer to be called by
their chosen name of halfling.
Adjustments:
Dexterity +1
Strength -1
Human
What is man? Who knows? And if you are actually reading
this, perhaps you should stop mudding for about a week, and
read philosophy.
Adjustments:
Constitution +1
Orc
Orcs are fierce warriors, who in their homelands
prefer banding together for hunting and raiding. Orcs are
strong and make good warriors.
Adjustments:
Strength +1
Constitution +1
Dexterity -1
A note on chaos:
Those who choose to be chaotic be forewarned: you will
be able to attack and steal from other players, but also can be
attacked and stolen from. From time to time, a powerful
chaotic character may decide to wreak havoc upon anyone of a lower
level, and thus vulnerable to him or her. Remember then, that if you
chose to be chaotic, you must accept both its benefits and its
penalties.
The Dungeonmasters, being the kind and sensitive people
they are, will allow you to change from chaotic to lawful once in your
life, if you have seen the light and wish to mend your sinful ways.
A lawful player may never become chaotic.
Where to begin:
There are several areas designed for beginning
adventurers, look for these in the areas surrounding the Tree
of Life. You will find plenty of areas to get you started.
You should also read the Guide to Isengard, and download the map of
Isengard via anonymous ftp from darwin.bio.uci.edu as the file
/pub/work/ISENGARD.BMP. This anonymous ftp server is also available via
gopher. If you are still unable to get the map, send mail to Bahamut.
A note on quests and quest items:
Once you have attained your third title, you may want to
begin looking for quest items and begin completing the quests.
To begin on your first quests, try talking to some of the permanent
monsters scattered around the land. Of course, be sure to look at it
before talking to it, or else you might find yourself in a battle you
cannot win.
Personnel:
Currently the following persons are invloved in bringing you
Isengard:
Caretakers
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Legolas, Styx and Thoth.
DMs
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Alice, Bahamut, Boromir, Eldritch, Garth, Melkor, and Tesseract.
You may contact them via any of the Isengard post offices.