The FAQ for Forgotten Realms Unlimited Adventures

Note: Items with new or corrected information are denoted with an "*" in front of the subject.

1. What is FRUA, and why does this list exist?
2. Is there a list of events?
3. How do events and event chains work?
4. What are quest items, keys, and special items for?
5. How can I create an NPC?
6. What drawing programs can I use with FRUA?
7. What games are available for FRUA?
8. What FRUA developers can I communicate with?
9. Can I differentiate between combats the party has won and combats they ran away from?
10. What cursed items exist?
11. Can I create my own items?
12. How can I make secret doors, 1 way doors, and simulate collapsing walls?
13. The combat icons .PCX template is misaligned, is there a way to fix it?
14. What additional art is available?
15. What are in the mage and cleric scrolls listed in the scroll item list?
16. What happens if I copy a simple monster into an NPC slot?
17. What happens if I try and look at the spells a dead mage has?
18. Can I create a mage NPC?
19. Can I make stairs/teleporters reference an entry point rather than a specific grid point?
20. Can I make the starting point anything other than entry point 1?
21. Is there a true "random encounter" in the game?
22. I'm having problems in test mode, are there things that don't work right in test mode that work ok when playing the game?
23. Can you import new sounds into the game?
24. How can I implement an armory?
25. Can I add new pictures without replacing old ones?
26. How can I go about capturing art for FRUA?
27. Why can't I make self standing adventures?
28. When working with art, can I change the color palette?
29. When I import art into one design and then switch to a different one, the imported art shows up in the other design. Does the art import into all designs?
30. Can I move a party from adventure to adventure?
31. How do I keep a party from using the overhead view in a module?
32. When I try and create a party for a module I picked up, it keep asking for a save disk. What is going on?
33. My NPC runs from combat. What's going on?
34. Where can I get the updates to FRUA?
35. What are the "ten commandments" of module design?
36. Backdrops don't behave the way I would expect, what's going on?
37. How can I calculate THAC0?
38. How should I determine hit points for monsters?
39. How do I create a Monster NPC?

Misc:

Kudos to the following FRUA developers for providing information for most of the answers below. This FAQ would not be as full if not for them:

Mason Reed (jmr5125@tamaix.tamu.edu)
Chet Tidwell (tidwell@susan.cs.andrews.edu)
John Sandoval (sandoval@stsci.edu)
Robert Trifts (E2KP@UNB.CA)
Wray (W.) Ferrell (ferrell@bnr.ca)
Joe Colleran (jnc4p@virginia.)
Alan S. Estenson (este0005@gold.tc.umn.edu)
R. S. Pylman (RazerRed@aol.com)
Evan Malsbury (malsbury@play.psych.mun.ca)
Matthew Wood (mwood@merc.rx.uga.edu)

Also, to all who have read this FAQ and provided comments, corrections, and general advice, thanks!

Forgotten Realms Unlimited Adventures (FRUA for short) is, for all practical purposes, a dungeon builder and simulator. It allows people to build their own adventure game, and play it with characters that they create, in a style taken from the AD&D gaming system.

Unfortunately, while the game itself is quite rich, the manual is more of a tutorial than a reference manual. Because of this, this FAQ was created to store as many of the general questions as could be captured about module building. While all of the information in this FAQ could be figured out given enough experimenting with the system, we hope the FAQ will save people some time in creating games.

If you find any problems with this FAQ, or have something you think should be added, please, Please, PLEASE, let us know. Currently, John Kochmar (kochmar@sei.cmu.edu) is maintaining the FAQ. Forward any comments on to him about it.

Also, if you currently own the system, drop us a line. John is keeping a list of players & developers, and as always, the more the merrier.

Understanding events and how to use them is crucial to designing a game in Unlimited Adventures. When you place an event, several pages of choices are brought up. All events have the same first page. This gives you control over:

• whether an event happens only once or multiple times
• when an event happens:
  • Always
  • If party does/doesn't have a special item (see SPECIAL ITEM)
  • Daytime/Nighttime
  • Random Percent
  • Party is/isn't searching
  • Facing certain position (or combination there of)
  • Quest Completed/Failed/In Progress
  • Party is/isn't detecting traps
  • Party can/cannot see invisible
  • Specific race/class in party
• Chain Control
  • When to chain:
    • always
    • if event happens
    • if event doesn't happen
  • List of events to go to next (See CHAIN)

The following is a list of the types of evens, with what can be found on the pages of questions that come with each event.

1. ADD NPC
   • page 2:
     • graphics the player sees & their distance
     • text box
     • name of npc to add
     • percentage of max hitpoints

2. CAMP
   • page 2:
     • which camp picture to display
     • choice to back up when done (See CHAIN)
     • text box

3. CHAIN
   Chaining events allows several different events to follow in sequence. This chain command allows more control of the trigger that starts a chain than in the typical page one chain by using the page one "when event happens"
   • page 2:
     • event to chain to
4. COMBAT
   • page 2:
     • graphics the play sees
     • text box
     • location of monsters relative to party
     • surprised (neither/party/monster)
     • choice for auto-approach
     • choice for combat being outdoors
   • page 3:
     • 3 choices for monsters which include
       • type
       • number
   • page 4:
     • 3 more choices, but with an option for them to be friendly and fight with the party
   • page 5:
     • choice for no treasure from monsters
     • choice for party never dies
     • choice for magic doesn't work
     • monster moral percent
     • difficulty of turning
     • none(0)
     • harder(2)
     • difficult(10)
     • impossible(100)
5. COMBAT TREASURE
   • page 2:
     • amount of platinum
     • amount of gems
     • amount of jewelry
     • list of 8 items
     • choice for whether items are identified.
   • page 3:
     • note that combat treasure event must be chained directly before the combat event in which the party is to get the treasure.
6. DAMAGE
   • page 2:
     • art the player sees, and the distance it is from party
     • text box
     • number of complete attacks
     • who is attacked
       • party
       • active player
       • one random party member
       • each on has a percent chance to get damage
   • page 3:
     • how many dice of how many sides plus _____ damage
     • saving throw/save for half/save for no damage/hits based on THAC0
     • saving throw type
     • modifier to throw
     • THAC0 of attack
7. ENCOUNTER
   This is more like what happens when you meet monsters and do not go into combat right away. What gets done depend on what you set the options for and where the chain choices go.
   • page 2:
     • graphics the player sees
     • text box
     • where monsters are relative to party
     • monster speed
     • chain choices for
       • combat
       • talk
       • escape
   • page 3:
     • approach
       • whether choice is available
       • whether it is allowed closeup
       • choosing it will
         • decrease range
         • combat chain, no surprise
         • combat chain, surprise if party is slow.
         • combat chain, monsters surprised if party is fast
         • talk chain
         • escape chain if party is fast
         • no effect
     • retreat
       • whether choice is available
       • choosing it will
         • same options
     • fight
       • whether choice is available
       • whether it will only be allowed closeup
       • choosing it will
         • same options
   • page 4:
     • wait
       • whether choice is available
       • choosing it will
         • same options
     • talk
       • whether choice is available
       • whether it will only be allowed closeup
       • choosing it will
         • same options
     • if range goes to zero
       • same options minus no effect and decreasing the range
8. ENTER PASSWORD
   • page 2:
     • graphics the party sees
     • text box
     • password
     • number of tries
     • teleport destination (see TELEPORT)
     • whether to execute event at destination
   • page 3:
     • text for correctly entered password
     • after displaying text
       • chain
       • do nothing
       • teleport
       • back up one step in the chain
   • page 4:
     • same as page 3, but for incorrect password
9. GAIN EXPERIENCE
   • page 2:
     • sound
     • graphics the party sees
     • text box
     • who receives experience (party/active member)
     • amount
10. GIVE TREASURE
    This is the same as COMBAT TREASURE, but will work at any time.
11. GUIDED TOUR
    Note long guided tours can be accomplished by chaining several guided tours and using an option on the page two. Note, guided tours do not work in overland.
    • page 2:
      • number of steps (max 24)
      • whether to use starting location
      • location to start, and facing
      • whether to execute event at destination
    • page 3:
      • first eight steps
        • forward/right/left/pause
    • page 4:
      • steps 9-16
    • page 5:
      • steps 17-24
    • page 6:
      • two text boxes
      • choices when to display text
12. NPC SAYS
    • page 2:
      • say if ________ is in party
      • graphics party sees (w/ distance)
      • sound
      • text box
      • whether return must be pressed
      • whether text is highlighted
    • page 3:
      • two more text boxes
      • two more whether return must be pressed
      • two more whether text is highlighted
    • page 4:
      • same as page 3
13. PASS TIME
    I have used this event w/ zero time passing to help in chaining w/ multiple event triggers necessary to start the chain (for example: 50 percent chance if party is searching)
    • page 2:
      • text box
      • how much time passes
14. PICK ONE COMBAT
    This is the same as combat, except that the monster group is randomly chosen from one of the groups on pages 4 and 5.
15. QUEST STAGE
    Quests are useful and can often be used like an if/then statement. Each quest (a total of 44) can have values between 1 and 100. These events should only happen if the quest is at a value (stage)-1 and will become (stage) when accepted. This is useful when giving the party a choice. You can also use utilities to directly manipulate quests.
    • page 2:
      • graphics the party sees
      • text box
      • accept quest on:
        • impossible
        • yes/no/both
        • impossible, no question
        • automatic, no question
      • whether quest is completed on acceptance
      • whether quest fails upon rejection
      • which quest
      • which stage
    • page 3:
      • chain for accepting
      • chain for rejection
16. QUESTION-BUTTON
    • page 2:
      • what graphics the party sees
      • text box
      • button 1:
        • label
        • chain if choose
        • whether to return to question when does
        • whether to back up one step when done
    • page 3:
      • button 2 and 3
    • page 4:
      • button 4 and 5
17. QUESTION-LIST
    • page 2:
      • what graphics the party sees
      • small text box
      • answer 1:
        • small text box
        • chain if choose
        • whether to return to question when done
        • whether to go back on step when done
    • page 3:
      • answer 2 and 3
    • page 4:
      • answer 4 and 5
18. QUESTION-YES/NO
    • page 2:
      • what the player sees
      • text box
    • page 3:
      • text box for yes
      • where to chain
      • what to do after chain is done
    • page 4:
      • same as page 3, but for no
19. REMOVE NPC
    • page 2:
      • what the players sees (and distance)
      • text box
      • who to remove
20. SHOP
    • page 2:
      • what the players see
      • cost factor (from free to 100 times)
      • whether to back up one step when leaving store
      • up to four types of items
    • pages 3-6
      • which items of the 4 types selected are available
21. SMALL TOWN
    Small Towns have simplified versions of things (for example, the shop in a small town has only two types of items). For more detail on each type, see each places separate entries.
    • page 2:
      • what graphics the player sees
      • text box
      • what is in the town:
        • temple
        • training hall
        • shop
        • inn
        • tavern
        • vault
    • rest of the pages are for what is in the town
22. SOUNDS
    • page 2:
      • first 5 sounds to be played
    • page 3:
      • second 5 sounds to be played
23. SPECIAL ITEM
    You can use this option to reset quests by taking them from the player
    • page 2:
      • what graphics the player sees
      • text box
      • whether to give or take item from party
      • which item
24. STAIRS
    • page 2:
      • what graphics the player sees before entering
      • whether to ask a yes or no question
      • whether to transfer on yes or no
      • text box for question
    • page 3:
      • where on map to go when entering stairs
      • text box
      • whether to execute event at destination
25. TAVERN
    • page 2:
      • what graphics the player sees
      • text box
      • whether to allow fights
      • where to chain on a fight
      • whether to back up a step on leaving
    • page 3:
      • show tales in order/random
      • tale one and two
    • page 4:
      • tale three and four
    • page 5:
      • whether to allow drinks
      • where to chain when too much is drunk
      • names of five drinks
26. TAVERN TALES
    This is place in a chain before a SMALL TOWN or TAVERN and includes six tales.
27. TELEPORTER
    This is like a stairs, but can transfer without question
28. TEMPLE
    • page 2:
      • what graphics the player sees
      • text box
      • spell level offered
      • cost
      • whether to allow donations
        • how much must be donated
        • where to chain when enough is donated
    • page 3:
      • what text read in the temple
      • whether to go back one step when leaving
29. TEXT STATEMENT
    • page 2:
      • what graphics the player sees
      • sound
      • distance
      • whether to back up one step when leaving
      • text box 1:
        • text box
        • whether you must press return
        • whether text is highlighted
    • pages 3 and 4 : Text boxes 2 - 5
30. TRAINING HALL
    • page 2:
      • who may train
      • cost
      • what graphics the player sees
      • text box
      • whether to back up one step
31. TRANSFER MODULE
    This is like TELEPORT, but can be between modules
32. UTILITIES
    This event is useful for manually effecting quests and can be used to keep track of many things. For example, if you wanted to have certain events happen only if an alarm has been set off, you can use quest one for the alarm. It starts at zero. If the alarm is set off, add one to quest one. Then in page one of each event you want to happen only in this special case, set the event to happen only if you have quest one.
    • page 2:
      • how much is stored in/added/subtracted from quest/item
      • whether to exit play now
    • page 3:
      • check up to six items/quest and put result in item/quest if all/any of six items are present
33. VAULT
    This is a place where items can be dropped and retrieved later
    • page 2:
      • what graphics the party sees
      • text box
      • whether to back up one when leaving
34. WHO PAYS
    • page 2:
      • what graphics the party sees
      • text box
      • what is need for success (enough platinum/ gems/jewelry/impossible)
      • where to teleport if necessary
      • whether to execute event at location
    • page 3:
      • text box for success
      • after text: chain/teleport/back up one step
    • page 4:
      • same as page 3, but for failure
35. WHO TRIES
    • page 2:
      • what graphics the party sees
      • text box
      • what check is based on (stat or thief skill)
      • whether compared to die/must have at least
      • number of tries
      • teleport destination if needed
      • whether to execute event at location
    • page 3:
      • text box for success
      • after text: chain/teleport.back up on step
    • page 4:
      • same as page 3, but for failure

An event is evaluated for execution when the party enters a square that the event is attached to. If the party meets the criteria for the event, then the event occurs. There are many different types of criteria, outlined above, that affect the events.

Events can be defined to happen only once during the game, or happen every time the event's criteria is met. Planned combat events and traps tend to fall into the former category, while random encounters and informational items tend to fall into the latter, though there are exceptions. The defaults tend to be pretty good for creation of events that don't lead to a party's being able to milk lucrative events.

2 or more events in a single square can be connected through a "chain" that allows for creating rich events or modifying what happens to the party based on previous actions.

A chain between 2 events can take one of 3 forms: always, follow on success, follow on failure. Once the chain stops, subsequent events do not happen. However, failure of an event *does not* break the chain, only the logic of whether to follow the chain can do that. Also, do once is considered a *failure* after the first time, so a subsequent always event will be evaluated, and if it is not a do once event, it can happen again.

For example, if event A is a do once event (like, get a message if they search and keep them from entering the square) and you want event B, which is supposed to happen only if event A fails, to be evaluated for happening only once, you must set the only done once field, or it will happen every time the party crosses the square and meets the success criteria.

Because events can be specified to occur only in the presence of quest items, keys, and special items, information can be carried from event to event through the use of these items. Keys and items can be seen in the party's inventory (which is separate from the individual party member's inventory), while quest items cannot. This provides a boolean variable for setting off specific events given the results of previous events.

For example, you might have the party get a quest item if they are not searching when entering a building (having them trip an alarm), and include a few more combat events (with monster's advantage) if the party has that quest item. Key's and special items work similarly, and can also be used to limit a party's advance into certain areas of the dungeon if they have not completed certain tasks.

NPC's are created in the monster creation screen. This is actually documented, but some people missed it, so it is here for completeness.

With the update patch (v1.1 or v1.2), you can now update NPC's so that they won't run away in a fight. The new screen has a morale indicator, and a morale of 50 will keep the character around in a fight.

FRUA lists PC Paintbrush and Deluxe Paint as supported paint programs. In addition, Corel PhotoPaint, Deluxe Paint II Enhanced, and Neopaint work well with the .PCX files, but Draw (I forget who produced it) does not.

PhotoPaint supports .PCX files by default, and works nicely with the FRUA templates. The cost for the Corel package is a little steep, but it comes with other tools and fonts people might like.

Deluxe Paint II Enhanced supports both .PCX and .LBM files. It supports most video cards and is the only package that will allow you to create cycling colors. It's published by EA and runs around $80.

Neopaint will do 1024x768 for most popular cards in 256. 320x200 is also possible by specifying the image size within the video mode. It also supports TIFFS and GIFs in addition to .pcx files. It sells for around $45.00, and is available to 30 day evaluation via anonymous ftp (consult archie -- search for neopaint.zip.) The commercial version has even more features than the anonymous ftp version (which is quite good in its own right.)

Draw, which is has support for .PCX format files through import & export commands, does not work properly with the FRUA art. Exported .PCX files from Draw give a bad header message when you try to import them into FRUA.

Note: For a number of modules, both PC and MAC versions exist. The PC versions will end with .zip, and the MAC versions will end with .sit. Shortly, we hope to have a MAC and PC version for each module available.

While the information below refers only to the PC version of each module, the modules are translated mechanically, and thus should be identical to the PC counterpart. If you find that a MAC module that you wish to download is not available, please contact John Kochmar (kochmar@sei.cmu.edu or jkochmar@aol.com) for information about availability.

Standard Info.
==============
This is the current listing of all FRUA modules known to be available
by anonymous FTP.  Authors of new modules are encouraged to contact
the author of this list (see address below) so that this list may
contain the most accurate information possible.  If you can fill in
any of the gaps in this list, or have any suggestions, please
contact the author.

Explanation of ratings: the 1-10 ratings (10 being the best, etc.) are
based on the _average_ of the ratings for each module that are sent in
by e-mail.  The author's opinion is _not_ reflected in these ratings.
Send in YOUR ratings today! (example: filename.zip 6.5)
=============================
Mycroft's Modules List for Forgotten Realms Unlimited Adventures (FRUA)
FRUA is a commercial software product by SSI for PC's and Mac's.
This list explicitly contains only PC versions of modules.
Last modified on 03-18-1994
Number of Modules Listed:  83 
Compiled by Alan S. Estenson (Mycroft)
Direct comments to este0005@gold.tc.umn.edu
            -or-   mycroft@aem.umn.edu
            -or-   mycroft@aol.com

Modules are available for anonymous ftp from:
soda.berkeley.edu     /pub/frua/modules
wuarchive.wustl.edu   /pub/msdos_uploads/games/UA/Modules
ccosun.caltech.edu    /pub//UA/Modules

KEY  (U indicates unknown)
000============================================================================
filename.zip * Module Title                  * file size  * Author's Name
  X.X (XX) * Char Levels * * *       * Author's e-mail address
  |    |-# of ratings     | |-custom art (Y/N/U)
  |-rating                |---custom monsters (Y/N/U)
 Three Line Description

001============================================================================
0TOCAT.ZIP   * To Catch A Thief               *  53 Kb * 
  7.5 ( 2) * 2-4         *Y*Y*       * Geoffk7513@aol.com
Lead your party through the town of Dysteri. Unravel the secrets
surrounding the condemned town hall and a long-dead thief.
002============================================================================
3PARTKEY.ZIP * The Three Part Key             * 248 Kb * RWBarfoot
  X.X ( 0) *             *Y*Y*       * RWBarfoot@aol.com
003============================================================================
ARENA.ZIP    * Arena Adventure                *  14 Kb * Mark Grant
  3.0 ( 1) *             *Y*N*       * 
You are in the town of Sarena. Wealth lures you towards the Wizard the
Pyro-Maniac and the Beastmaster. Can you Survive?
004============================================================================
BIGSHOW.ZIP  * The Big Show                   * 123 Kb * D.W. Gilbert
  6.5 ( 2) *             *Y*Y*       * 
High level adventure in the Underworld! Can you defeat the green demon and
his undead poodles?
005============================================================================
BROHAND.ZIP  * The Brotherhood of the Hand    * 282 Kb * Peter Delaney
  X.X ( 0) * 1-8         *Y*Y*       * pd1x+@andrew.cmu.edu
The Carpenter's Guild controls local politics around Carap.  Now a new
group has appeared to challenge that.  You're called in to stop this new
brotherhood - but will you switch sides?
006============================================================================
CASTLE.ZIP   * Castle of Pain                 *  84 Kb * Gregg Abbott
  X.X ( 0) *             *Y*Y*       * Lutrian@aol.com
You are called to the hamlet of Hapswood to investigate a stationary
storm and a castle filled with things that go bump (not necessarily in
the night.)  Will you survive?
007============================================================================
CAVES.ZIP    * Caves of Chaos                 * 216 Kb * BrettE1
  X.X ( 0) * 1-4         *Y*Y*       * BrettE1@aol.com
Rid an area of various tribes of monsters and discover the forces behind
them. An adaption of Keep on the Borderlands.
008============================================================================
CITYGOLD.ZIP * City of Gold                   * 203 Kb * C.A. Schaefer
  8.0 ( 1) * 1-3         *Y*Y*       * 
A voyage to the legendary City of Gold becomes a nightmare as you are
imprisoned under a tyrants reign. Escape the dungeons..join the
resistance and free a trading port before an ancient evil is unleashed.
009============================================================================
CONTEST#.ZIP * Haunted House                  * 117 Kb * ITB Wyvern
  X.X ( 0) *             *Y*Y*       * 
Your party is drowning in gambling debts and beseiged by collectors. As a
last resort..you decide to visit the old haunted mansion. (2nd place
winner in the AOL Halloween contest.)
010============================================================================
CROWNV.ZIP   * Crown of Venus                 * 197 Kb * 
  X.X ( 0) * 15-30       *Y*Y*       * 
011============================================================================
CURSEOFT.ZIP * Curse of the Lich              *  77 Kb * Tyson2412
  4.5 ( 2) * 3-          *Y*Y*       * Tyson2412@aol.com
A big and lengthy adventure.
012============================================================================
DARKSUN.ZIP  * Warriors of Athas              *  22 Kb * Syrek
  X.X ( 0) *             *Y*N*       * Syrek@delphi.com
First module to take place on Athas the world of the Dark Sun.
Small but challengining module has good storyline..several new innovations
and 3 ways to win.
013============================================================================
DEMISE.ZIP   * Demise of the Dragon           *  35 Kb * GB Freeman
  X.X ( 0) *             *Y*Y*       * GBFreeman@aol.com
Rescue towns from evil dragons.
014============================================================================
DENIZENS.ZIP * Denizens of Darkwood           *   6 Kb * The Louminator
  X.X ( 0) *             *N*N*       * 
The drow have imprisoned the elven princess Shandrea in her crystal tower.
It is up to the party to free her and save the village of Sansafar from the
Denizens of Darkwood.
015============================================================================
DRAGON.ZIP   * Evil Dragonlord                *  18 Kb * DragnSlar
  X.X ( 0) *             *Y*N*       * DragnSlar@aol.com
016============================================================================
DRAGONGU.ZIP * Treasure o Dragonguard         * 103 Kb * Mordred
  X.X ( 0) *             *Y*Y*       * Mordred99@aol.com
A peaceful dragon loses its treasure and the party must recover it.
017============================================================================
DREAD.ZIP    * In the Dread of Night          *  29 Kb * Chet Tidwell
  X.X ( 0) * 1-3         *Y*N*       * tidwell@susan.cs.andrew.edu
The party finds itself in a small rural town that has more than its
fair share of wizard troubles. It is up to the party to figure out what
is going on.
018============================================================================
DROW.ZIP     * The Drow of Augris             *  38 Kb * NealeD
  5.0 ( 1) * -15         *N*Y*       * NealeD@aol.com
The second adventure based in the city of Augris. This is a fairly
small and straight-forward adventure but not so simple to solve.
019============================================================================
EARLY.ZIP    * Early Retirement               *  21 Kb * Ted Kury
  X.X ( 0) * 1-          *Y*N*       * v085f2wd@ubvms.cc.buffalo.edu
Ramsay the hero of Unger has been murdered. The small town is
threatening to tear itself apart. Can your party catch the killer?
020============================================================================
ELVES.ZIP    * Elves' Vengeance               *  58 Kb * NealeD
  X.X ( 0) * 10-15       *Y*Y*       * NealeD@aol.com
Blue dragons are attacking the city of Augris and only YOU can stop them!
Lots of unique traps and even a level in the Underdark.
The fourth module in the Augris series which started with Kobold Uprising.
021============================================================================
EVENING.ZIP  * EveningStar                    *   0 Kb * Kai Hortmann
  7.0 ( 1) * 1-          *Y*Y*       * chbrin5@nyx.uni-konstanz.de
A very short adventure for 1st level characters.
022============================================================================
FOREST.ZIP   * The Evergrowing Forest         * 110 Kb * Glen DeBiasa
  8.0 ( 2) * 6-7         *Y*Y*       * GlenDB@aol.com
The Evergrowing Forest has stopped growing and it's up to the party to
find out why.  The fate of the land of Drym is in your hands.  The
sequel to Mystery at Nightvale.
023============================================================================
FRIENDS.ZIP  * What are Friends For           *  37 Kb * Roy Osborn
  6.0 ( 1) * 5-7         *Y*N*       * Rosborn@tiamat.umd.umich.edu
Travelling a great distance to help a friend..you find that a great evil
is starting to take over the land. You must find some artifacts of great
power to rescue your friend.
024============================================================================
GHAMMER.ZIP  * Encounters of Golden Hammer    * 122 Kb * 
  3.0 ( 1) *             *Y*Y*       * 
025============================================================================
GOBLINS.ZIP  * Goblin Adventure               *   5 Kb * LrdPhoenix
  2.0 ( 3) *             *Y*N*       * LrdPhoenix@aol.com
An interesting adventure with the fun goblins.
026============================================================================
HACKEM.ZIP   * Hack-a-Rama                    *  57 Kb * D.W. Gilbert
  X.X ( 0) * 10-         *Y*Y*       * 
Clear out the Long Road for the Duke! Play Russian Roulette! Win the
No-Win-Scenario!  Fight huge monsters in huge numbers! And destroy Aldo
the Vile and his poisonous minions.
027============================================================================
HAUNT.ZIP    * The Haunted Chapel             *  26 Kb * John Kochmar
  6.0 ( 2) *             *Y*Y*       * Kochmar@sei.cmu.edu
A 3 module adventure in which your party is tasked with eliminating
the evil that has taken over a small chapel. (Designed for Halloween
contest on AOL.)
028============================================================================
HAUNTEDH.ZIP * Ghost of Greyhawk Manor        * 237 Kb * Rellikk
  8.0 ( 2) * 9           *Y*Y*       * Rellikk@aol.com
(1st place winner in the AOL Halloween contest.)
029============================================================================
HELL.ZIP     * Hell Dungeon                   *  55 Kb * 
  X.X ( 0) *             *Y*Y*       * 
030============================================================================
HOLHERT2.ZIP * Assault on Holy Heart          *  82 Kb * Evan Malsbury
  6.4 ( 7) *             *Y*Y*       * malsbury@play.psych.mun.ca
Former students of Holy Heart of Mary High School..you are called upon by
a teacher to help after the school is taken over by evil forces.
(version 2)
031============================================================================
KAAOS.EXE    * The Wanna-Be Quest             * 167 Kb * Malhavok
  7.0 ( 3) *             *Y*Y*       * Malhavok@aol.com
A tough tongue-in-cheek adventure that takes you through the Soul-Less
Forest..the strange volcano..the Drow Tower Caverns..KOY City.. and
even the KAAOS Citadel.
032============================================================================
KHALAD.ZIP   * Dwarves of Moria               * 292 Kb * BrettE1
 10.0 ( 1) *             *Y*Y*       * BrettE1@aol.com
Join with a Dwarven King and his army in an effort to liberate Khazad-dum
(Moria) from the creatures living there.
033============================================================================
KING1.ZIP    *                                * 131 Kb * Chris Bowen
  8.0 ( 1) *             *Y*N*       * chrisbowen@delphi.com
A mini adventure - clear a town of goblins..remove an evil lord..destroy
a necromancer..and finally enter the Dread Gate to battle the evil there.
034============================================================================
KINGSRA.ZIP  * King's Ransom                  *  39 Kb * Rommel
  4.0 ( 1) * 11-         *Y*Y*       * Rommel@aol.com
035============================================================================
KOBOLD2.ZIP  * Kobold Uprising                *  56 Kb * Neale Davidson
  6.2 ( 6) * 0-2         *Y*Y*       * NealeD@aol.com
Kobolds and thieves are on the rampage in the little town of Augris.
A starting band of adventurers is need to rid the town of these
dreaded Kobolds. DREADED KOBOLDS? (version 2)
036============================================================================
LOVE.ZIP     * The Search for Love            *  49 Kb * Stookey
  X.X ( 0) * -12         *Y*N*       * Stookey@aol.com
A followup to The Search for Truth in which you must find out what is
happening to the multiverse and who is responsible.
037============================================================================
LOYAN.ZIP    * Loyarn Caverns                 * 380 Kb * Shan
  X.X ( 0) *             *Y*Y*       * Shan@aol.com
Dropped into the dark world of Loyarn..you must battle hostile monsters
sentient drow and drow allies as you struggle to reach the surface.
038============================================================================
LSL.ZIP      * Lost Love                      *  59 Kb * Redman5
  2.0 ( 2) *             *Y*N*       * Redman5@aol.com
You have just returned to Espar and are going to visit your special someone
in the village south of town.
039============================================================================
MALL.ZIP     * Adventurers Mall               *  44 Kb * Jesse
  X.X ( 0) *             *Y*N*       * Jesses625@aol.com
A module for building experience and gaining equipment.
040============================================================================
MALTRIAL.ZIP * Trial of Champions             *  13 Kb * Wraithstar
  6.0 ( 1) *             *Y*N*       * Wraithstar@aol.com
A short..midlevel..one town..one dungeon adventure.
041============================================================================
MOLOCH.ZIP   * Shadow of Moloch               * 352 Kb * Skarsol
  X.X ( 0) *             *Y*Y*       * Skarsol@aol.com
The world of Lanetorn is being slowly overtaken by the Bestreans who
follow a Master fanatically.  A beginning level adventure.
042============================================================================
MYSTERIO.ZIP * Mysterious Island              *  44 Kb * LordTyrian
  X.X ( 0) * 5-          *Y*Y*       * LordTyrian@aol.com
Shipwrecked on a cold..windy and barren island.  Your party enters a
stone door set in the ground in hopes of finding shelter...
043============================================================================
MYSTERY.ZIP  * Mystery at Claystone           * 112 Kb * Lane Foulk
  7.0 ( 2) * 1-6         *Y*Y*       * troubador@aol.com
044============================================================================
NIGHTSTO.ZIP * Cult of the Night              *  31 Kb * Larry Fewell
  4.5 ( 2) *             *Y*N*       * 
045============================================================================
NIGHTVAL.ZIP * Mystery at Nightvale           *  62 Kb * Glen DeBiasa
  7.2 ( 5) * 2-4         *Y*Y*       * GlenDB@aol.com
The children of Nightvale have disappeared and it is up to you and your
heroes to find out why.
046============================================================================
OUTPOST.ZIP  * Borderland Invasion            *  88 Kb * Visionary Production
  X.X ( 0) *             *Y*Y*       * Coric@aol.com
Fight to stop an evil invasion while endangered by traitors
from within.
047============================================================================
PALADIN1.EXE * Restoration of Gundahab        * 116 Kb * RhysH
  7.5 ( 2) * 1-6         *Y*U*       * RhysH@aol.com
As the paladin leader of a group of adventurers..you must restore the
city of Gundahab to its former greatness.  Journal text file included.
048============================================================================
PRISONER.ZIP * Prisoners of the Slave Island  *  44 Kb * 
  2.0 ( 1) *             *Y*Y*       * 
049============================================================================
QQ1.ZIP      * Dracolich Encounter            *  10 Kb * Castrator
  5.0 ( 2) *             *Y*N*       * Castrator@aol.com
A challenging 1 level dungeon in which you must seek out the all-knowing
dracolich to save your ever-depleting kingdom.
050============================================================================
QUEST1.EXE   * The Sacred Tomes               * 119 Kb * Rocker X
  X.X ( 0) *             *Y*Y*       * 
The Five Sacred Tomes of Mystos Village have been taken by evil spirits.
Can you recover the Tomes before the evil spirit Emikrol has regained his
power and escaped the Cave of Souls?
051============================================================================
RAVEN.ZIP    * Ravenloft Adventure            *  11 Kb * Curtis Morris
  3.0 ( 2) *             *Y*N*       * Loathar@aol.com
A short module..it begins with your party in a strange realm and a small
village. Features an extra tough final castle.
052============================================================================
REDDRAGO.ZIP * Red Dragon Adventure           *  16 Kb * Rommel
  3.0 ( 1) *             *Y*N*       * Rommel@aol.com
Find and kill the red dragon.
053============================================================================
RESCUE.ZIP   * Rescue at Druidshome           *  21 Kb * Bard Dalen
  X.X ( 0) *             *N*Y*       * 
Hoping for a little rest..relaxation and training..the group has decided to
go to Druidshome Keep..located on the Moonshae Isles. Unfortunately
nothing is ever so easy in the Forgotten Realms!
054============================================================================
SAVEKING.ZIP * To Save A King                 *  26 Kb * Peter Durso
  7.0 ( 1) * 1-7         *Y*N*       * 
First module in a series of six.
055============================================================================
SAVGNOL2.ZIP * Save the Gnolls                *  59 Kb * Martin Snow
  7.0 ( 4) * 1-          *Y*Y*       * Snow@lyrae.colorado.edu
The gnoll village is under attack by human bandits and they need to find out
why. A humorous adventure for 1st level characters..including the
exploration of the fearsome Pizza dungeon! (Rated R) (version 2)
056============================================================================
SEAR22.ZIP   * Search for Prince Sean         *  74 Kb * Kalibre
  6.0 ( 1) * 1-6         *Y*N*       * Kalibre@aol.com
Take your party from 1st level upwards in search of the Heir to the
Realm. A good weekend's adventure for those who enjoy thoughtful and
balanced campaigns.  (version 2.2)
057============================================================================
SINS.ZIP     * Sins of Our Fathers            *  13 Kb * Pashka
  X.X ( 0) * 8-12        *Y*N*       * Pashka@aol.com
The children of a small town are disappearing..and Dark Elves are implicated.
Can you solve the mystery and return the children to freedom?
058============================================================================
SOMETHIN.ZIP * Amnesia - A Nice Start!        *   6 Kb * Kerensky
  X.X ( 0) *             *N*N*       * Kerensky@aol.com
059============================================================================
SRV11.ZIP    * Sword & Romance                * 300 Kb * Uranus Seto
  5.0 ( 3) * 4-12        *Y*Y*       * hyseto1@ie.cuhk.hk
Challenge an evil enemy even more powerful than the famous archmage
Elminster..and find a perfect and romantic lover in a totally unexpected
circumstance.
060============================================================================
STRANGE.ZIP  * Dimension of the Strange       *  87 Kb * D.W. Gilbert
  X.X ( 0) *             *Y*Y*       * 
Sir Roderick has been abducted by a powerful demon. Unholy weapons of
destruction will wreak havoc upon the populace unless you can rescue him
from the underworld.  (sequel to Hack-a-rama)
061============================================================================
SUMMERFI.ZIP * Challenge Beneath Summerfield  *  13 Kb * JWQuinn
  3.0 ( 2) * 1-4         *N*N*       * jwquinn@aol.com
Takes place in and below the town of Summerfield.
062============================================================================
SWAMP.ZIP    * Dead Swamp Destiny             *  61 Kb * Robert Schmitz
  6.2 ( 5) * 12-20       *Y*Y*       * 
This module is for the experienced player..and is intended to be played at
CHAMPION level. Your characters will attempt to thwart the plans of an
evil god.
063============================================================================
TASS1V11.ZIP * Tass Times in Troll Town       *  61 Kb * Erik Novales
  4.0 ( 2) *             *Y*Y*       * 
A small town is threatened by trolls..and only your band of semi-heroic
adventurers can save it! A humorous (some would say corny) adventure
by Erik Novales of Schizophrenic Penguin Productions.
064============================================================================
TEMPLE.ZIP   * Temple of Snakes               *  57 Kb * NealeD
  X.X ( 0) * 1-15        *Y*Y*       * NealeD@aol.com
A good-sized adventure spanning several maps and taking 1st level characters
up to 15th level. A challenge for anyone ('cept of course Monty Hall fans.)
065============================================================================
THEBEGIN.ZIP * The Beginning                  *  22 Kb * Rommel
  0.0 ( 1) *             *Y*Y*       * Rommel@aol.com
066============================================================================
THEBELLT.ZIP * The Belltower                  * 107 Kb * Steve9000
  X.X ( 0) *             *Y*Y*       * Steve9000@aol.com
Travel through a mansion with your brothers and sisters..trying to
unravel a mystery.
067============================================================================
THEKEEP.ZIP  * The Keep of Saltmarsh          * 104 Kb * Larry B. Fewell
  5.0 ( 1) * 1-7         *Y*Y*       * LaFew@aol.com
This adventure comes from the compilation of two TSR game modules..
The Keep on the Borderlands and The Funal Enemy.
068============================================================================
TRAINING.ZIP * Training Camp                  *   3 Kb * D.W. Gilbert
  X.X ( 0) *             *N*N*       * 
A one-dungeon module intended as - a nice place to keep your characters
between adventures (quote).
069============================================================================
TRAVEL.ZIP   * Travelers and Thieves          *  46 Kb * Turbo007
  0.0 ( 1) *             *Y*Y*       * Turbo007@aol.com
070============================================================================
TRUTH.ZIP    * The Search for Truth           *  20 Kb * Stookey
  X.X ( 0) * 8-          *Y*N*       * Stookey@aol.com
Find the Book of Pure Forms.
071============================================================================
UAKEEP.ZIP   * Keep on the Borderlands        *  23 Kb * David J. Teta
  X.X ( 0) *             *Y*N*       * 
An adaptation of The Keep on the Borderlands module originally published in
1980 and written by Gary Gygax
072============================================================================
UASALT.ZIP   * Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh   *  23 Kb * James Depaul
  X.X ( 0) * 1-4         *Y*N*       * Depaulja@aol.com
Based on AD&D Dungeon Module 01: Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh.
073============================================================================
UATAIMON.ZIP * Bounty Taimon                  *  68 Kb * NealeD
  6.0 ( 1) * 6-8         *Y*Y*       * NealeD@aol.com
Your party must capture several criminals..including the renegade
Taimon from Kobold Uprising!  The third module in NealeD's Augris series.
074============================================================================
UNDER.ZIP    * Inner World                    *  37 Kb * Jeros Lightfoot
  X.X ( 0) * 1-          *Y*N*       * 
A free-form adventure featuring 19 dungeons with plenty of lairs..tasks..
and excitement.
075============================================================================
URGENT.ZIP   * Help! Help! Urgent! Urgent!    *  52 Kb * David Sugar
  5.0 ( 1) * 1-          *Y*N*       * dsugar@neumann.uwaterloo.ca
Can you save a village from the fierce attack of a dragon?
076============================================================================
VILLAIN.ZIP  * Unexpected Villain             *  23 Kb * Uranus Seto
  3.0 ( 1) * 1-3         *Y*N*       * hyseto1@ie.cuhk.hk
You are a novice party in a very small village..preparing to cross the
Dragonspine Mountain to find adventure and glory.  However..although you do
not realize it..the adventure HAS begun.
077============================================================================
VOLCANO.ZIP  * Rescue the Princess            *  11 Kb * Dave C
  X.X ( 0) *             *N*N*       * CarnalDave@aol.com
Rescue the king's daughter from a volcano stronghold.
078============================================================================
WIZARD.ZIP   * Duel of the Wizards            *  18 Kb * Thorrin
  X.X ( 0) * 9-          *Y*Y*       * Thorrin@aol.com
Your party is hired by a wizard to infiltrate another's stronghold.
079============================================================================
WIZCIRCL.ZIP * The Wizard's Circle            *  28 Kb * Brody Koga
  3.0 ( 2) * 7-20        *Y*N*       * BrodyKoga@aol.com
Work your way through several towns and 5 major dungeons.
080============================================================================
XPMONTY.ZIP  * Monty Haul Adventure           *  76 Kb * D.W. Gilbert
  X.X ( 0) * 1-11        *Y*N*       * 
Possibly the Monty Haul adventure of all time.
081============================================================================
YEZU.ZIP     * Curse of Yezukriis             * 145 Kb * Steve Gustafson
  7.5 ( 4) * 2-7         *Y*Y*       * steve.gustafson@tfd.coplex.com
Combat the designs of an evil cult that wishes to destroy all the beer
in the Realms.
082============================================================================
YEZU2.ZIP    * Goosed by the Geas             * 307 Kb * Steve Gustafson
  X.X ( 0) * 6-9         *Y*Y*       * steve.gustafson@tfd.coplex.com
Fulfill a bizarre Geas while you foil the Yezuite scheme to
enslave the realms with Zombie Zucchini.  (Sequel to Curse of
Yezukriis)
083============================================================================
ZORLIM.ZIP   * The Zorlim Conspiracy          *  69 Kb * Jon Quinn
  5.0 ( 1) * 8-          *N*N*       * 
Your party's damaged ship docks in the land of Elysia during the second
Zorlim invasion and is thrust into the middle of the conflict.

Well, at the moment, there are about 130 people who are part of an active list of developers/players/owners of FRUA.

The list, frua-dev@andrew.cmu.edu, can be mailed to, and it will reach all of the developers. To get onto the list, send mail to frua-dev-request@andrew.cmu.edu, and request to be added to the list (all administrivia should be sent to the request address, such as adds and deletions.)

All mail sent to the list will be rerouted to all of the people on the list as soon as it is recieved at the routing machine. There is no longer a daemon that creates digests of the messages.

Second, some FRUA discussions happen on the netnews newsgroup comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.rpg. Some discussions had taken place on rec.games.design, but they have died out there. You should note, however, that any post made to comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.rpg about FRUA should have the string "FRUA" in the subject. This allows for easy identification of FRUA articles.

There is apparently no way to differentiate between a combat that the party won (killed all the monsters) and one which they simply survived (all members either fled or where immobilized.) In other words, if the party runs from your super duper combat, the chain continues down through the next events, giving them quest points, etc. just as if they had won!

In addition, if at least one party member is held, charmed, or otherwise being affected by a temporary spell that removes the character from players control, and all other friendly creatures are dead or down, the combat ends as if the held/controlled players had fled. Keep this in mind while designing your combats [although it isn't something you can do something about, its interesting].

There appears to be only 2 cursed items in the game: a cursed crossbow, and a ring of vulnerability. So, players can safely use items without having them identified if they are not rings or crossbows.

No, and yes.

No, you cannot create items like swords with special abilities, or make your own spells. The following is from James Young, who worked on the development of FRUA:

Again this has to do with our license agreements with TSR as these items, spells are essentially owned by TSR. We were lucky that they allowed us to edit monsters (or did we get away with it:>). Also by allowing users to edit spells and items would have created an immense headache for the programers.

However, you can tailor events based on the existence of an item in the party's inventory, so with a little work, you can special create items like "the bandage of St Skywiler" that reduces the damages inflicted by certain traps, or "the Scepter of Lord Kickbutt" that reduces the morale of monsters by 25% on combat events.

In FRUA, walls have properties that can create not only standard walls, but be used to create secret doors, 1 way doors, and even simulate collapsing walls. The properties that allow this are that you are allowed to select whether a wall is solid or passible, and select art (with no art allowing the player to see past the wall), and that you can set these properties independent of what is on the other side of the wall.

Secret doors take advantage of the fact that a wall with no door picture can be set so that the player can pass through it. A text event found when searching can indicate the direction of the secret door to the players.

A one-way door is created by making one side of a wall have a door picture and allowing the person to walk through, and have a solid wall piture on the other side and not allow the party to pass back through.

Collapsing walls are created by having a wall with one side that has no wall art, and the other side having a wall, with a damage/text event on the square adjacent to the wall art. When the player passes through the wall from the no-art side, they hit the damage trap saying that the wall has collapsed. Upon turning around, the player will notice that the wall is now in place, and they cannot return that way.

Note: to place 1/2 of a wall, go into 3-D view mode (not area mode), and use the cursor keys and wall placing commands to place the wall based on where the cursor is pointing. If you use the mouse and the mouse pointer, it will place both sides of the wall using the same wall art and passibility.

This was fixed in update 1.2

Currently, there is a large number of pics in the Art subdirectory on soda.berkeley.edu, wuarchive and ccosun.caltech.edu. Too many, in fact, to list them all here. There are text indexes of the pictures under the Art directory.

Well, since the scrolls don't list what spells they contain, here are the spells each has. The scrolls are listed, top to bottom, so that the first scroll in the list of scrolls will have the spells on it described under scroll 1 below.

• Mage Scrolls:
  1. scroll 1
     • hold monster (level 5)
     • fire touch (level 5)
     • iron skin (level 5)
  2. scroll 2
     • death spell (level 6)
     • globe of invulnerability (level 6)
     • stone to flesh (level 6)
  3. scroll 3
     • delayed blast fireball (level 7)
     • monster summoning (level 9)
     • power word kill (level 9)
  4. scroll 4
     • *SPECIAL*
  Note: Scroll 4 above is a random spell scroll. What that means is, every time you get this particular scroll, it will have different spells on it. This can be a bit confusing, as sometimes high level mages will get low level spells, and sometimes low level mages will get very powerful spells. There are always 3 spells on the scroll.

• Cleric Scrolls:
  1. scroll 1 -
     • restoration (level 7)
     • resurrection (level 7)
     • restoration (level 7)
  2. scroll 2 -
     • destruction (level 7)
     • energy drain (level 7)
     • blade barrier (level 6)

Simple monsters (those without an * next to there names) can be copied into NPC slots. the resulting NPC has the stats the monster had and the level(s) that you had set for the monster. On the other hand, the NPC has 0xp (regardless of what level), and (if a Magic-User) has NO spells in his/her spellbook. Not even 1st level spells.

Before version 1.2, doing so would cause the game to hang, and only rebooting the system would free it. Fix version 1.2 corrects this problem.

Yes, with the update 1.1 of FRUA.

With the older version, if you created a mage through the monster editor, the mage would flee at the first sign of combat. This was known as the "cowardly NPC bug", and was one of the things fixed in the update.

Yes, with the updated version of FRUA.

With the older version of FRUA, the GOTO ENTRY POINT option does not seem to work right on either teleport or stair modes. Using GOTO POINT ROW X COLUMN Y works fine, though. When it is set to GOTO ENTRY POINT, it always goes back to entry point 1.

The new version appears to work correctly in both cases.

It doesn't appear so. From what people can tell, the starting point is always entry point 1.

One way to simulate random encounters is use the 'Pick One Combat' event. On the first page of the event, set the random percentage of occurrence to something like 20%. Therefore, after every X steps in Zone Y there will be a 20% chance of encountering a monster and since it is a 'Pick One Combat', the monsters will vary as well. This is how a DM would do it if you were playing the game, every turn roll a d10 and on a 1 or 2 the party encounters some monsters. Go to the monster list and roll a dice to see what group the party faces.

A second way to simulate this is to create N combat encounters, with a random probability that each will occur being 100/N percent for the first N-1 events, where N is the number of events from the end of the chai + 1 For example, a chain of 3 events that should each have a probability of 100/3 or 33%, the first would have a probability of 33%, the 2nd would have a probability of 50%, and the last would always happen. The chaining to the next event is set to occur only if the event failed.

The following table lists the probabilities for the first 10 events:

which event     chance (100/n)
-----------     ------
last            always happens
2nd last        50%
3rd last        33%
4th last        25%
5th last        20%
6th last        17%
7th last	14%
8th last	12%
9th last	11%
10th last	10%

Note: you can create combat events that happen only once with the above random chain. Note, however, that there is a noticable drag as the chain fires, even if nothing appears to happen to the party. This can be disconcerting.

Yes.

1. Contrary to the manual, you cannot go from one module to another while in test mode (i.e. when you try to go from overland to the test dungeon it won't work!). The only way to truly test it is to play the module with a real test party.

2. You do not enter the module in test mode at one of the entry points, but rather at the spot where the yellow arrow is, no matter how it is set. You do enter the module from another module at the preset entry point, though.

Yes, it appears you can. You are limited to the sound types defined by FRUA, and limited in the length of the sounds you can use use, but it does work.

The following is from Evan Malsbury, who used the procedure outlined below to import his own sounds into a module. If you'd like to hear his results, be sure to check out version 2 of "Assault on Holy Heart".

1. Use VEDIT (preferably version 2) that came with your SBLASTER to record YOUR sounds to replace the ones that came with the game. (Listed Below)

2. Once you have 13 respective sounds that you want to use in the game, use JOINTVOC (also comes with your SBLASTER) to put them all together into one VOC file.
   NOTE-The VOC that comes with the game has markers between each sound, including a marker '0'. Since VEDIT2 prevents you from adding a marker named zero, add it with JOINTVOC and then put in the markers 1-12 later with VEDIT2.

   SECOND NOTE-The VOC file that comes with the game is about 30k. If your VOC file to replace it is bigger than 30k, it will mess up and there will be distortion and screw ups in the game.

   Your voc file should look something like this:
   Marker 0
   Cast
   Marker 1
   Flame
   Marker 2
   Sorcery
   Marker 3
   Die
   Marker 4
   Sling
   Marker 5
   Hit
   Marker 6
   Lightning
   Marker 7
   Swing
   Marker 8
   Walk
   Marker 9
   Fireball
   Marker 10
   Bow
   Marker 11
   Sploosh
   Marker 12
   Crackle
   

3. Finally, rename you new VOC file SFXDQ.VOC and put it in the 'disk1' directory in place of the old one and voila, instant new soundfx.

You can create shops that charge nothing. In this way, you can create an armory for your dungeons. You still have to pay to identify items, though, at the fixed cost of 20 pp.

No.

The system works with a fixed number of slots, and adding a new monster means eliminating an old one. However, no one has run into the problem that they didn't have enough monster slots for any one adventure (yet.)

What follows is from John Sandoval (sandoval@stsci.edu). If you need to contact him about any of it, you should just send mail to him directly.

First off, let me say that, while it's easy to do in principal, there are a few tricks to it. Most importantly, you need to have a painting program that will allow you to manipulate the palette easily. This is necessary, since the first 32 colors of the palette are "off-limits" for the small pics and large pics. The best program I've seen is Deluxe Paint II Enhanced. It supports both of the formats that FRUA uses (.PCX and .LBM), and it's got LOTS of tools to make importing easier. I've used DPIIE extensively for the past year for my Jack Nicklaus Signature Edition designs, and it's proven invaluable.

The second trick is to find pictures that will fit in the 88x88 square for small pics, and 300x120 for large pics. This is tougher than it sounds, if you aren't using screen captures from other SSI games. If the picture is much larger, then you are going to lose a lot of the resolution when it shrinks down.

I have finished taking screen captures from the following games: Gateway to the Savage Frontier, Treasures of the Savage Frontier, and Dark Queen of Krynn. These are all available from the Net archives (there's over 200 pictures of all types). I'm currently working on Pools of Darkness.

If anyone else has DPIIE and would like some tips, or if you'd like more details about DPIIE, feel free to ask...

What follows is from James Young, a SSI developer who posted this America Online.

Why no self standing game?

Answer: This was due to the fact that AD&D is owned by TSR and not by SSI. Hence were had to maintain some product control as per our license agreements with TSR. BTC is a generic FRPG system owned by EA and therefore they could do a stand alone system.

For Pictures and Big pictures, the palette can be manipulated. The only constraint is that only certain positions in the palette can't be changed (the first 32 colors for big and small pics).

For Combat Icons, the palete cannot be changed. The reason is that the palette is not stored in the combat icon custom art file once it is incorporated. Instead, the game uses what it believes to be the "correct" colors. What this means is that if you change the color palette, even though it looks OK in the editor, it will look wrong in the game. We believe Sprites behave in the same manner.

The game remembers Art imported for one adventure design when you switch to a different design. To make the game "forget" about the imported art, you must exit the game and restart it with the other design.

Yes, you can copy the saved adventure files from the first design directory to the second design directory. The players will begin with their old saved experience points, and not get the experience points that you set for that design. They'll also bring with the all of their old equipment.

Note: You must remove the characters from their previous party before you can copy them to the new adventure.

Turning off the overhead (area) view is available through the global information editor. It can be turned off on a module by module basis (some areas can have it, while other do not) within the same adventure design.

What the game wants is a directory named "Save" in the design directory for that particular game. Creating the directory will clear up the problem, and allow you to create and save players for the adventure.

Dubbed the cowardly NPC problem, an NPC who's stats are modified will run from every combat encounter.

This was fixed in the first update to FRUA. If you are still experiencing this problem, you will need to grab the update patch. It fixes other problems as well, so you are well advised to get the update.

A list of NPC stats can be picked up from the Misc archive areas. The file is named default_npc.list, it was not included here to save space.

There are currently 2 updates to FRUA, ua-v11ud and frua12. You can pick up the updates from the following archive areas:

• soda.berkeley.edu in /pub/frua/modules
• ccosun.caltech.edu in /pub/adnd/inbound/UA/Misc
• wuarchive.wustl.edu in /pub/msdos_uploads/games/UA/Misc

The problems fixed are outlined below:

Unlimited Adventures IBM V1.1 Changes:
=====================================

1. The use of entry points now works for stairs and teleporters.
2. NPC morale has been corrected. (This will prevent them from running away in combat.)
3. NPCs that had been recreated could not be modified, unless they had the starting experience points for the selected adventure. This has been corrected.
4. Animated Pics now work properly in the shops.
5. If you imported a PIC or SPRIT and then imported a BIGPIC or MAP, the list of art would be incorrect. This has been corrected.
6. If you set a destination for a transfer/stair/teleporter event which was off of the map, the destination would be truncated to the edge of the map, but the 3D art may have appeared incorrect until the screen is redrawn. This has been corrected.

Unlimited Adventures IBM V1.2 Changes:
=====================================

1. Strength-affecting items no longer allow characters to train over their maximum level (by race and requisite statistic) Only natural strength counts towards these limitations.
2. Trolls now regenerate.
3. Execute Event At Destination now works properly.
4. The game will no longer hang when a friendly, spell-casting monster is hit, and the player uses the 'view spells' for that creature.
5. The 'Who Pays' event now works properly.

What follows are R. S. Pylman's (RazerRed on AOL) 10 Commandments of dungeon design. Think of them as general guidlines for creating enjoyable FRUA modules.

Razer's 10 commandments of Dungeon Design:
=========================================

1. A Dungeon should be Challenging

   In any dungeon there should be the possibility of failure - this is, of course, an entirely different thing from the certainty of failure.

2. A Dungeon should Make Players Think

   Don't lead players down the garden path of adventure; if there is only one way to get through the adventure, or if it can be solved by brute force or dumb luck, why bother playing? I could write a program to play for me.

3. A Dungeon should not be Tedious

   If I'm attacked by a group of one hit monsters every 6 steps, I'm gonna get bored. If I get bored, I may not finish the adventure.

4. A Dungeon should have A Plot

   Good dungeons share some elements with good writing: plot, character development, pacing, drama. The players should be given an introduction to the story, provided with a clear motive, and given clues on what they should be doing.

5. A Dungeon should be Logically Consistant

   If a party cleans out an area, they should not continue to encounter wandering monsters there.

   If a monster has been set up as the major villain of the piece, there should not be more powerful monsters around unless A) the less powerful monster is serving the more powerful (not neccesarily discovered by the party until the less powerful monster is defeated), or B) the two are in direct competition (in which case, one monster may recruit the party to fight the other).

   If an area has been described as unpleasant, there must be a reason for people being there. Remember, most AD&D monsters are thinking beings who want the same things as you or I - food, safety, comfort. The worse the environment, the more powerful the motive for being there must be.

6. A Dungeon should not be Restrictive

   One of the advantages of role-playing over reading is the opportunity to influence, if not outright decide, the outcome. The more choices a player has, the involved they get in the game; the more involved a player is in a game, the more they will enjoy it.

7. A Dungeon should be Balanced

   If you design your dungeon for first level characters, don't expect them to defeat a dragon. The other side of this is that if you design your adventure for 20th level characters, dont waste their time fighting something like kobolds - a kobold CAN'T hit the average 20th level character, and at that level, even Magi can kill one in a single blow.

8. A Dungeon should be Rewarding

   The PC's need a motive for risking their lives. Think about your characters - to them, this is LIFE AND DEATH - what lies at the end of this adventure that makes it worthwhile?

9. A Dungeon should not be Monty Haul

   This is actually a complement to 8, but I felt it important enough to get its own point. Magic is a very powerful thing, and should be rare. The more powerful it is, the rarer it must be. While +1 items are (relatively) plentiful, +5 items should be nearly unheard of - the stuff of legend.

   Think of it this way: The most powerful magic items available in FRUA are +5. Characters can advance to 40th level. If they already have +5 equipment at 10th level, WHAT MOTIVE DO THEY HAVE FOR CONTINUING THEIR CAREERS?

10. A Dungeon should be Enjoyable.

    Following these rules should help achieve that goal. If the other rules need to be bent to achieve this end, do it - but be SURE you know what you are doing.

The game handles backdrops in a way poeple don't really expect. The backdrop you are standing on is copied in the 3D perspective off into the horizon, even if the backdrop changes on subsequent squares.

This is a limitation in the software, and can be confusing in areas where you have outside windows in buildings, or where a backdrop changes around cities, caves, etc, but it is not fatal. Players generally live with the problem as there is no workaround.

For humans, the following will help determine the THAC0:

	Class Bonus:
	=========================================
	Fighter:	Every level: 	+1 THAC0
	Cleric: 	Every 3 levels:	+2 THAC0
	Thief: 		Every 2 levels:	+1 THAC0
	Mage: 		Every 3 levels:	+1 THAC0

	Strength Bonus:
	=========================================
	3-6:		-2
	7-8:		-1
	9-12:		+0
	13-15:		+1
	16-18:		+2
	18(01)-18(50):	+3
	18(51)-18(99):	+4
	18(00):		+5

(These figures are estimated, not exact.)

THAC0 = 20 - (Class Bonus +/- racial adustments) - Strength Bonus.

THAC0 = 20 - ((MonsterLevel DIV 2) + StrengthBonus)

D8 is normal hit Die value for all non-human/demi-humans. So, animals and monsters should average 4.5 HP/dice, to which most people round down.

Human/Demi-human hit dice are determined by class (Warrior=D10, Cleric=D8, Thief=D6, Mage=D4) and the NPC/Monster humans should have Hit Points accordingly.

So, for average wolves, 11 HP for a 2HD+2 wolves and 16HP for a 3HD+3 dire wolves appears right. Combat simulations with 4 dire wolves and 6 wolves, against 3 average 3rd level charaters yields the party winning fairly often when the mage gets off at least 1 sleep spell (often with the mage falling unconscious due to numerous wolf attacks.) On more than one occasion, however, the party of three (ranger, mage, cleric) has been wiped out.

This procedure works for creating a tailored monster NPC with specific stats and abilitities:

1. Make a human character in a normal NPC slot. Make him the classes that your monster will be using. (Dual class him/her if necessary.) Give it the stats (str, int) it will have since if you set these when it's in a monster slot they don't stick.
2. Copy this character into a monster slot.
3. Edit the monster as you like, making it a monster (not human) and giving it appropriate magic resistance and abilities like troll regeneration etc.
4. Copy it back into the NPC slot and give it the items and memorize the spells you want it to have. It should fight on the side of the party.