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PUT ON THE POWER
WHEN YOU NEED IT MOST.
When you get the urge to surge , Frobozz Magic Magic Equipment rings
are your best bet. Attractive and lightweight, these rings are appropriate for
work or play-even Double Fanucci games! And best of all , bui lt-in muffler lets you
completely conceal the flow of magic, no matter how noisy. Ring guard prevents accidental
zapping. Choose from a variety of totemic an imals. To ensure correct size, please enclose
any ring which is safe for transport.
Please specify design
Magic ring ... . .......... . .... . .. . ..... . . . zm27
Deluxe model. . . . .. . .. . . . . .. . ... . .... . .... z11150
"Sell Good Magical Aids . .. "]. B. Frobozz
Our business philosophy has remained the same
since Dimwit Flathead reigned supreme: "Sell
good magical aids at a reasonable profit, treat your
customers like super enchanters, and they'll always
come back for more."
But today's wizards need more than magic; they
need magic they can trust. Dependability and
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for over 200 years.
Our customers can expect only the highest quality
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soon; you won't be disappointed!
2
NO MORE STICKY SPELL
RESIDUE WITH OUR
RE}ECTRON,COATED
CAULDRONS.
Made of 100% metal, these cauldrons are pelfect for
mi xing, brew ing, and bubbl ing any broth or potion . A
wide mouth makes stirring easy, and the broad base distri butes heat slow ly and evenl y. Tip-proof construction,
heavy-d uty handl es , a tight lid, and carved spout make
these the finest kettles at any price .
Available in three sizes: 20 fb , 50 fb, and 100 fb.
20 fb . .. . ..................... zm1 0
50 fb . . . . ............. . .. . .. zm28
100 fb ...... . . . ... ....... . . zm36
Set of 3 ... . . . ..... . ...... zm60
HAND,BLOWN FOR GREATER
LUMINOUS ENERGY
CONDUCTION BY FAMED
GLASSMASTER YIGGAM.
This is not the mass-produced glass you used in thaumaturgical school. We commissioned Yiggam of the Peltoid
Valley, glassmaster of the Antharia Guild, to create laboratory glass so exceptional, it actually improves your
magic up to 25%. Yiggam shapes beakers for optimal
energy conduction; tubes, too. You'll see the difference
immediately. And we've sold over 450,000 pieces without one return!
Beaker .. . ...... .... ..... . ......... ... . ... zm7
Tube ... .. ........ . . . . . . . ....... . . ... ..... zm4
Swizzle Stick ......... . ... . .. ... ...... . ... . zm2
Ordering from the Frobozz Magic Magic Equipment
Catalog is fast and fun . And delivery time is minimal.
Our shipping department uses the most advanced temporal travel techniques so that you get what you want
when you order it.
3
WE BROUGHT BACK
GOOD,OLD,FASHIONED
TRANSPORT BROOMS,
JUST LIKE
GREA~GRANDMOTHER
USED TO FLY.
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!
Our motto, " It's better to be safe than grounded," has
never seemed more apropos. This dependable, economical
form of transportation has been updated to include crystal ball
compartment, pulsar detector, and storm shield . Fully collapsible for
easy carrying. And we've cleverly disguised our transport brooms as ordinary
domestic models to ward off thievery. Fully cushioned wood handle is non-skid.
Nostalgia has never been more practical!
Available in three lengths: 4 np, 9 np, and 12 np.
4 np ............ ... ............ . ... zm19
9 np ............. . ...... .. ... .. .... zm23
12 np ... . ...... .. ... .. ..... ..... . .. zm32
ONLY OUR MAGIC MONITORS ARE MINED
EXCLUSIVELY FROM THE CAVES OF VISION.
Don't be fooled by shortcuts and half-measures. Today, the traditional crystal ball is one
of the wizard 's most important projective dev ices. After years of trying cheaper glass,
discriminating soothsayers are coming back to crystal. We never left. Our crystals
are mined from the legendary Caves of Vision, whose clarity and depth is
world renowned. All our glass is flaw-free, ground to exacting tolerance,
and lovingly polished.
A FLYING CARPET SO RELIABLE,
THE PSYCHIC STORMS OF GOMAR COULDN'T
DEFLECT IT FROM ITS COURSE.
LABORATORY,TESTED.
You can look high and low, but you'll never find a flying carpet better than ours.
Supercharged for quick pick-up and sustained pep. Foot-loomed for strength and
durability. Easy to maneuver with special Contortayarn that lets you squeeze
thro ugh cracks and breeze through even the densest traffic jams. Can hold up to
63,000 rps. Stone washable .
Specify colors and design.
Carpet ........ . . .. ..... . .. . .......... . . zm450
Supercharger ... . .. . ......... . .. .... . ... . . zm 75
MAKEYOURMARK~THOUR
NEW DIAMOND,TIPPED
SCRIBERS.
A FROBOZZ MAGIC
GIC EQUIPMENT EXCWSIVEI
'Engineered for even flow and guaranteed for one life.
Only our bur ins can withstand Frigid River Valley temperatures. And they make even the most ordinary parchment look like Flathead royal stationery. Diamond tip
means toughness and versatility yo u can count on .
Available in a wide range of colors.
Burin .. . . ... ........... . . ... ............ zm19
Diamond Tips (2) ...... . . . . . .. .. ....... . ... zm31
~
-~=----~~
Il
-
-~-
~---
5
OUR MULTI..POCKETED CAPE LETS YOU KEEP
DOZENS OF MAGICAL AIDS WITHIN ARM'S REACH.
Colorful and comfortable, our 100% fugron cape is amply cut for complete neck
and shoulder freedom (order your usual size). All 24 pockets are fully lined
and allow the wary wizard to carry protection against evil without feeling
weighed down. Special creature pocket with vents and waste disposal
slot is a Frobozz Magic Exclusive.
Cape available in most Guild colors.
Enchanter's Cape: Small, Medium, Large .... zm23
Monogram available . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. zm3
TO CONDUCT BETTER MAGIC,
YOU NEED BETTER
WANDS.
Our uncharged
wands are made from the
finest materials zorkmids can
buy. And they're guaranteed free of all
contamination and ready for all your spells.
We,have traditional oak, maple , and dogwood, as
well as sleek, strong new metal wands. All wands available with or without handle, finished or unfinished.
Wands are transported in special magic-resistant packaging to eliminate troublesome spell intrusion. For special
woods and other materials, write or call. We've been
making wands to order for over 200 years.
Oak, unfinished (specify with or without handle) . . zm44
Maple, unfinished
(specify with or without handle) ............. zm49
Dogwood, unfinished
(specify with or without handle) . . ........... zm52
Finished wands add . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. zm8
6
QOC,Q-(()Ol<lnQ you'd never guess it's functional too. First, our laboradeveloped a special impenetrable material we call Rayresistor.
Then,
designers integrated this thin , flexible fabr ic into a cap that makes
a fashion statement about you every time yo u wear it. Has been coated to be
water-resistant.
Available in three colors: Elderberry, Midnight Moss, and Basic Black.
Please include head tracing for correct fit.
Wizard Cap .. . . .. .... ..... . . . .. ........ .................. zmll
Also available with brim .............. .. . .... .. .. .... ..... .. zm13
UNIQUE ION..REVERSING TIPS MAKE THESE OUR
MOST ENERGY..EFFICIENT, INVIGORATING BOOTS.
You wouldn't expect boots this attractive to be
practical-but they are! As your body sloughs
off energy (and you know it will), our unique
ion-reversing tips capture and recycle it. And
the process is so subtle, you'll feel nothing but
great. You'll wonder how you ever got along
without them . Exceptionally comfortable with
flexible all-rubber soles and soft, rounded lugs.
Fits like a glove . These are our best-selling
boots ever. Please measure feet carefully, as all
boots are made to order and cannot be
returned .
Boots .. ........ ..... .. ... . ....... zm85
IF MAGIC FAILS TO
PROTECT YOU,
TURN TO THE BLADES
THAT WILL.
Ensure your safety an y t ime, any pl ace,
by carrying a super sharp blade fro m the
Frobozz Magic Sword division. Sure,
magic is a more sophisticated means of
protection . But wouldn't you rather look
a little behind the times than risk getting
munched by an unfriendly Dornbeast ? All
blades are hand-honed for balance and symmetry.
Choose from three blade sizes: Regular, Heavy, and
Very H eavy.
Regular . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . zm 11
Heavy ... . . .. . . .. . . . .. . .... . ....... . ... zm21
Very Heavy ....... . .. . .. .. .. . . . .... . ... . zm29
OUR FULL LINE OF SCROLLS
OFFERSPERFO~CE
OPTIONS TO PLEASE EVEN
THE MOST FUSSY
WIZARD.
Beautiful vellum and parchment scrolls, suitable for any
spell. We buy our vellum from a small village in the Flathead Mountains where they really know their sheep.
They've been our exclusive supplier for generations because their vellum is the smoothest and whitest we've
ever en countered. We also have parchment, less costly
than 'ellum and better suited
for those short-term spells.
Blank vellum scrolls,
sheet form ... zm28
Blank parchment
scrolls, sheet
form ..... zm16
There's no need
to get your scrolls
wet or torn .
Store them in
a scroll case. Our
cases are waterproof
and hold up to ten
scrolls.
8
OUR TROPICAL LIZARDS
ARE SENT IN OUR WORLD ..
RENOWNED, TEMPERATURE..
CONTROLLED NEWTPAKS
TO ENSURE FRESHNESS.
What can we say about the wonders of Iizards that
hasn't been said already? You know how essential these little creatures are for complementing spells. But did you know that the
fresher the lizard, the stronger its contri. to your magic? Why not try our firstquality lizards? If you're not delighted (and we
wouldn't make this offer if we weren't sure you
will be) with their performance, simply return unused portion for a full refund . Keep in a warm , damp
place .
6 Pak ...... .. ......... . . .. .... ... . ...... zmll
12 Pak . . . . . ......... . ................... zm17
43 Pak ... . ...... . . . . . ... . ... . .. ......... zm39
:,
. ..
.
- Instruction
Manual for
- -1
SPELLBREAKER
I
I
!
I
Instruction Manual
9
10 Instruction Manual
Instruction Manual for
SPELLBREAKER
Table of Contents
An Overview
• What is interactive fiction?
• Moving around
• Turns and scoring
Page 12
Welcome to the world of the Enchanter saga - a
world founded on magic, where guilds of magicians
Tips for Novices
have mastered the powers of sorcery; a world now
Nine useful pointers about interactive fiction
threatened with destruction.
Communicating with SPELLBREAKER
You distinguished yourself among the young En• Basic sentences
chanters by defeating the evil warlock Krill, whose
• Complex sentences
attempt to subjugate the land was thwarted by your
• Talking to characters in the story
cleverness, as your inexperience allowed you to
•
Vocabulary limitations
succeed where others might have failed. This earned
Spell
Casting
you a place on the Circle of Enchanters, second only
to the great Belboz the Necromancer. Then Belboz
• Using your spell book
himself was nearly destroyed, and your rescue of him • Memorizing spells
from the evil demon Jeearr earned you the ultimate
• Casting spells
honor given a mage, the leadership of the Circle of
Starting and Stopping
Enchanters.
• Starting SPELLBREAKER ("Booting up")
Now, a crisis has befallen the kingdom. Magic
•
Saving and restoring
itself seems to be failing. Spells fail to work or go
• Quitting and restarting
strangely awry, the populace is confused and restive,
Appendix A: Important Commands
and even the Enchanters Guild is baffled. A great
conclave of the Guildmasters is ordained, and it is at . Appendix B: Some Recognized Verbs
this conclave that the final conflict between good and
Appendix C: SPELLBREAKER Complaints
evil begins to unfold.
If you're familiar with Infocom's interactive fiction, Appendix D: Sample Transcript and Map
you may not feel like reading this entire manual.
Appendix E: We're Never Satisfied
However, you should at least read about the use of
magic (on page 16). Also look at the appendix of recAppendix F: If You Have Technical Problems
ognized verbs (on page 19); some of the verbs listed
Appendix G: About the Author
are found in all Infocom stories, while others are
included especially for SPELLBREAKER. All wizAppendix H: Copyright and Warranty
ards will want to familiarize themselves with this list.
Information
Appendix I: Quick Reference Guide
This briefly describes the most important
things to know about interactive fiction. It is
vital that you know all these things before you
begin your adventure.
13
14
16
17
18
19
20
21
23
23
24
24
25
Instruction Manual 11
Interactive fiction is a story in which you are the main
c~aracter. Y~ur own thinking and imagination deterrome the actions of that character and guide the
story from start to finish.
Each work of interactive fiction, such as
SPELLBREAKER, presents you with a series of
locations, items, characters, and events. You can
interact with these in a variety of ways.
Some wizards have the power to transport themselves with a mere twitch of the toes. Most of the
others, alas, must walk. To move from place to
place, type the direction you want to go. When you
find yourself in a new location, it's a good idea to
become familiar with your surroundings by exploring
the nearby rooms and reading each description carefully. (You may notice that SPELLBREAKER occasionally refers to a location as a "room," even if you
are outdoors.) As you explore, it is helpful to make a
map of the geography.
An important element of interactive fiction is puzzle-solving. You should think of a locked door or a
ferocious beast not as a permanent obstacle, but
merely as ~ puzzle to be tackled. Solving puzzles will
frequently mvolve bringing a certain item with you
and then using it in the proper way.
'
In SPELLBREAKER, time passes only in response to your input. You might imagine a clock that
ticks once for each sentence you type, and the story
progresses only at each tick. Nothing happens until
you type a sentence and press the RETURN (or
ENTER) key, so you can plan your turns as slowly
and carefully as you want.
To measure your progress, SPELLBREAKER
keeps track of your score. You may get points for
solving puzzles, performing certain actions or visiting certain locations. A perfect score is to be strived
for, but of course a true Enchanter is above such
mundane considerations and will consult the score
only to measure progress toward more worthy goals.
l
1
12 Instruction Manual
I
_
Tips for Novices
,
I
1. In bygone days, Enchanters could recall even the
tiniest events in their lives and project them upon
the clouds to the great amusement of the populace.
Since you do not currently possess that skill, it's a
good idea to draw a map. It should include each location, the directions connecting it to adjoining locations, and any interesting objects there. (See the
small sample map that goes along with the sample
transcript on page 21.) Note there are 10 possible
directions, plus IN and OUT.
2. Examine all objects you come across. Most objects in the story that you can pick up are important
for solving one or more of the puzzles you'll run into.
3. Save your place often. That way, if you mess up or
get "killed," you won't have to start over from the
beginning. See page 17 for instructions.
4. Read the story carefully. There are often clues in
the descriptions of locations and objects, as well as in
labels, engravings , books, and so on. Even strange
or dangerous actions may provide clues, and might
prove to be fun! You can always save your position
first if you want. Here's a silly example:
> GIVE THE MAGIC GERANIUM TOTHE WOLF
The wolf considers, for a moment, eating the geranium
instead of you . Then he decides the better of it. He
comes closer and closer.
5. Unlike other "adventure games" you may have
played, there are many possible routes to the end of
SPELLBREAKER. Some puzzles have more than
one solution; other puzzles don't need to be solvedat all. Sometimes you will have to solve one puzzle in
order to obtain the item(s) or information you need
to solve another puzzle.
6. You may find it helpful to go through
SPELLBREAKER with another person. Different
people may find different puzzles easy and can often
complement each other.
7. If you really have difficulty, you can order a hint
booklet and a complete map using the order form in
your package. You don't need this booklet to enjoy
the story, but it will make solving the puzzles easier.
8. Read the sample transcript on page 21 to get a feel
for how Infocom's interactive fiction works.
9. You can word a command in many different ways.
For example, if you wanted to pick up a dusty scroll,
you could type in any of the following:
> GET SCROLL
> TAKE THE SCROLL
> PICK UPTHE DUSTY SCROLL
In fact, if the scroll is the only thing in sight that
you can take, just typing TAKE would have been
enough. But more about that in the next section ...
In addition to learning something about the culinary preferences of wolves, you have a clue that
perhaps feeding something else (a steak?) to the wolf
would be more useful.
Instruction Manual 13
. l
.
,
I
Communicating with SPELLBREAKER
In SPELLBREAKER, you type your sentence in
plain English each time you see the prompt (> ).
SPELLBREAKER usually acts as if your sentence
begins "I want to ... ," although you shouldn't actually type those words. You can use words like THE if
you want, and you can use capital letters if you want;
SPELLBREAKER doesn't care either way.
When you have finished typing a sentence, press
the RETURN (or ENTER) key and SPELLBREAKER
will process your request. SPELLBREAKER will
then respond, telling you whether your request is
possible at this point in the story, and what happened
as a result.
SPELLBREAKER recognizes your words by
their first six letters, and all subsequent letters are
ignored. Therefore, SILVER, SILVERsmith, and SILVERware would all be treated as the same word by
SPELLBREAKER.
To move around, just type the desired direction.
You can use the eight compass directions: NORTH,
SOUTH, EAST, WEST, NORTHEAST, NORTHWEST,
SOUTHEAST, and SOUTHWEST. You can abbreviate
these to N, S, E, W, NE, NW, SE, and SW, respectively. You can use UP (or U) and DOWN (or D). IN
and OUT will also work in certain places.
SPELLBREAKER understands many different
kinds of sentences. Here are several examples.
(Note some of these objects do not actually appear in
SPELLBREAKER.)
> WALK NORTH
> DOWN
>NE
>GOUP
> TAKE THE SPELL BOOK
> READTHE SCROLL
> LOOK UNDER THE BED
>GOOUT
> DROPTHE NEWT INTOTHE POT
> EXAMINE THE LARGE RED DEMON
> PUSH THE BLACK BUTTON
> SHOOT THE DEMON WITH THE LOADED GUN
>GIVETHEMAGICWANDTOTHE FROG
> LOOK UNDER THE STATUE
> READ THE CRUMBLY YELLOW SCROLL
14 Instruction Manual
You can use multiple objects with certain verbs if
you separate them by the word AN D or by a comma.
Some examples:
> TAKE SWORDAND MAGIC KNIFE
> DROP THE SPRIG OF IVY, THE MISTLETOE, AND
TH ESPOTTED FROG
> PUT THE BAT'S FEET ANDTHE BLUE BUBBLY
LIQUID IN THE BOWL
You can include several sentences on one input
line if you separate them by the word TH EN or by a
period. (Note that each sentence will still count as a
turn.) You don't need a period at the end of the input
line. For example, you could type all of the following
at once, before pressing the RETURN (or ENTER)
key:
> READ THE SCROLL. WRITE "BROKEN" ON IT.
OPEN THE GARBAGE CAN THEN DROPTHE
SCROLL INTOTHE GARBAGE CAN
If SPELLBREAKER doesn't understand one of the
sentences on your input line, or if something unusual
happens, it will ignore the rest of your input line
(see "SPELLBREAKER Complaints" on page 20).
The words IT and ALL can be very useful. For
example:
> TAKE THE SCROLL. READ IT. PUT IT IN THE BOX
> CLOSE THE HEAVY METAL DOOR. LOCK IT
> TAKE THE SILVER HELMET. SHINE IT. PUT ITON
> TAKE ALL
> EXAMINE ALL THE DUSTY SCROLLS
> TAKE ALL EXCEPT THE WET EGG ANDTHE KEY
> TAKE ALL FROM CABINET
> DROP ALL BUT THE PENCIL
The word ALL refers to every visible object except
those inside something else. If there were an apple
on the ground and an orange inside a cabinet, TAKE
ALL would take the apple but not the orange.
There are three kinds of questions that
SPELLBREAKER understands: WHO IS (someone), WHERE IS (something), and WHAT IS (something). For example:
> WHO IS ORKAN?
> WHERE IS THE SPELL BOOK?
> WHAT ISAGRUE?
You can use quotes to say something "out loud."
For example:
> SAY "HELLO"
You can write a word on an object in the game if
you want:
> WRITE "GARLIC" ON THE BAG
> WRITE "VALUABLE" ON THE ANCIENT SCROLL
~
:
•
I
You will meet other people and creatures in
SPELLBREAKER. You can "talk"to some of these
beings by typing their name , then a comma, then
whatever you want to say to them. Here are some
examples:
> IMP, WHERE IS MY SPELL BOOK?
> HENCHMAN, FOLLOW ME
> ADVENTURER, KILL THE MONSTER THEN GIVE ME
THE SWORD
> SQU IRE, GIVE ME TH EWAN D. CLEAN OFF TH E
SANDALS
Notice that in the last two examples, you are giving a
person more than one command on the same input
line.
SPELLBREAKER tries to guess what you
really mean when you don't give enough information. For example, if you say that you want to do
something, but not what you want to do it to or with,
SPELLBREAKER will sometimes decide that there
is only one possible object you could mean. When it
does so, it will tell you. For example:
> UNLOCKTHE DOOR
SPELLBREAKER uses many words in its descriptions that it will not recognize in your sentences. For example, you might read, " The bright-red
sun sets slowly into the horizon." However, if
SPELLBREAKER doesn't recognize the words
SUN or HORIZON in your input, you can assume
they are not important to your completion of the
story, except to provide you with a more vivid description of where you are or what is going on.
SPELLBREAKER recognizes over 900 words,
nearly all that you are likely to use in your sentences.
If SPELLBREAKER doesn't know a word you used,
or any of its common synonyms, you are almost
certainly trying something that is not important in
continuing your adventure.
(with the key)
The door is now unlocked.
If your sentence is ambiguous, SPELLBREAKER
will ask what you really mean. You can answer most
of these questions briefly by supplying the missing
information, rather than typing the entire input
again. You can do this only at the very next prompt.
For example:
> SLICE TH ESCROLL
What do you want to slice the scroll with?
> THE SCIMITAR
The scroll is reduced to paper dolls.
or
> TAKE THE SCROLL
Which scroll do you mean, the evil enchanted scroll or
the lovely vellum scroll?
> ENCHANTED
The evil in the scroll flows inexorably up your arm. It
seems to be seeking out your heart!
Instruction Manual 15
fj
Spell Casting
Spells are a way of performing magic. Each spell is
known by the one-word name through which the
spell can be used. Magic spells usually have a duration and sometimes a delay before they can be used
again. Remember: Magic spells are dangerous
~~s , ~arti~ularly to wizards. Wizards' heightened
abili~~s .m this realm carry the penalty of heightened
sensIbVlty to spells cast by others. Sometimes a
spell which a mundane person would not even notice
will have a profound effect upon you.
As a certified wizard, you have a personal spell
book, in which you record the spells you are capable of using. Your book contains a few spells before
the story begins; others may be added during
your travels.
You may find spell scrolls here and there. These
~e extremely valuable objects. They may be used
directly to cast spells, but so doing uses up the spell
and scroll permanently, so it is much better to write
them into your spell book. Then, you can use them
many times.
16 Instruction Manual
You may. write newly found spells into your spell
bo~k by usmg the GNUSTO spell ("writes magic"),
~hic~ you .learned early in your career. Once a spell
IS wntt~n m your spell book, it may be used again
and agam. (Some spells are too powerful to be written into a spell book. Such spells may still be used if
they are found on scrolls, but the spell will be gone
after it is used.)
Reading your book lists the spells you have written, along with their meanings. You might experiment with the spells already in your book to learn
their uses.
Before a spell in your book can actually be used
it must be memorized. Only a small number of sp~lls
can actually be memorized at one time, and when
you use a spell you have memorized, you forget it.
You must relearn a spell to use it again. The SPELLS
command lets you know which spells are memorized
and how many times each one has been memorized.
(This is helpful because a spell memorized twice can
be used twice before being forgotten.)
You can use spells either by saying CAST (the
spell's.name) AT/O~ (something) or, more simply,
by saymg: (the spell s name) (something) . Some
spells.are s~ gener~ in application that they require
no object -- Just typmg the spell name is enough.
For example, suppose there were a spell named
BOZBAR that you had written in your spell book or
were carrying on a spell scroll. Both LEARN BOZBAR
and MEMORIZE BOZBAR would make the spell available for immediate use. Then BOZBAR HORSE or
CAST BOZBAR AT HORSE or CAST THE BOZBAR
SPELL AT THE HORSE would all have the same effect:
BOZBAR the poor horse.
Magic takes other forms besides classic spell
casting. Magic potions, for instance, usually found
!n vials, work their magic when ingested. Many
Items throughout the land are imbued with magical
qualities that can be revealed to the brave and
inquisitive wizard.
Starting and Stopping
Starting the story: Now that you know what to expect
in SPELLBREAKER, it's time for you to "boot"
your disk. To load SPELLBREAKER, follow the
instructions on the Reference Card in your package.
The story will begin with a description of the
Council Chamber, the opening location. Then the
prompt (> ) will appear, indicating that
SPELLBREAKER is waiting for your first
command.
Here's a quick exercise to help you get accustomed to interacting with SPELLBREAKER. Try
the following command first:
> GOSOUTH
Then press the RETURN (or ENTER) key.
SPELLBREAKER will respond with:
Annoyed guildmasters make way grudgingly. You hear
muttering about "arrogant enchanters" as you try to
leave the chamber. Finally, Orkan ofThriff, one of your
colleagues, says "Stay. Be quiet. Don't embarrass us."
Then Sneffie of the Guild of Bakers will speak for a
while. Try:
> LOOK AT SN EFFLE
After you press the RETURN (or ENTER) key,
SPELLBREAKER will respond:
Sneffle is a small doughy gentleman whose person is
splotched here and there with flour.
Saving and restoring: It will probably take you many
days to complete SPELLBREAKER. Using the
SAVE feature, you can continue at a later time without having to start over from the beginning, just as
you can place a bookmark in a book you are reading.
SAVE puts a "snapshot" of your place in the story
onto another disk. If you are cautious, you may want
to save your place before (or after) trying something
dangerous or tricky. That way, you can go back to
that position later, even if you have gotten lost or
"killed" since then.
To save your place in the story, type SAVE at the
prompt (», and then press the RETURN (or ENTER)
key. Then follow the instructions for saving and restoring on your Reference Card. Some computers
require a blank disk, initialized and formatted, for
saves. Using a disk with data on it (not counting
other SPELLBREAKER saves) may result in the
loss of that data, depending on your computer. You
can save your position as often as you like by using
additional blank disks.
You can restore a saved position any time you
want. To do so, type RESTORE at the prompt (»,
and press the RETURN (or ENTER) key. Then follow
the instructions on your Reference Card. You can
then continue the story from the point where you
used the SAVE command. You can type LOOK for a
description of where you are.
Quitting and restarting: If you want to start over
from the beginning, type RESTART and press the
RETURN (or ENTER) key. (This is usually faster than
re-booting.) Just to make sure, SPELLBREAKER
will ask if you really want to start over. If you do,
type Yor YES and press the RETURN (or ENTER) key.
If you want to stop entirely, type QU IT and press
the RETURN (or ENTER) key. Once again,
SPELLBREAKER will ask if this is really what you
want to do.
Remember when you RESTART or QUIT: if you
want to be able to return to your current position,
you must first do a SAVE.
Instruction Manual 17
Appendix A
Important Commands
There are a number of one-word commands which
you can type instead of a sentence. You can use them
over and over as needed. Some count as a turn·
others do not. Type the command after the pro~pt
(» and press the RETURN (or ENTER) key.
~GAIN-SPELLBREAKER will usually respond as
if you had repeated your previous sentence. Among
!=he cas~s where AGAI N will not work is if you were
Just talking to another character. You can abbreviate
AGAIN toG.
BRIEF--r:hi~ tells SPEL~BREAKER to give you the
full de~cnption of a location only the first time you
enter It. On subsequent visits SPELLBREAKER
will tell you only the name of the location and the
objects present. This is how SPELLBREAKER will
normally act, unless you tell it otherwise using the
VERBOSE or SUPERBRIEF commands.
DIA~NOSE-SPELLBREAKER will give you a
medical report of your physical condition, and will tell
you whether you're tired, thirsty, or hungry.
INVENTORY -SPELLBREAKER will list what you
are carrying. You can abbreviate INVENTORY to I.
LOOK-This tells SPELLBREAKER to describe
your location in full detail. You can abbreviate LOOK
to L.
18 Instruction Manual
OOPS- If you accidentally mistype a word, such that
SPELLBREAKER doesn't understand the word
you can correct yourself on the next line by typing
OOPS and the correct word. Suppose, for example,
you typed PUT THE BOOJ ON THE DUSTY SHELF and
were told " [I don't know the word 'booj.']" You could
type OOPS BOOK rather than retyping the entire
sentence.
QU.I~ -This lets y?u. stop. If you want to save your
position before qwttIng, follow the instructions in the
"Starting and Stopping" section on page 17. You can
abbreviate QUIT to Q.
RESTART -This stops the story and starts over from
the beginning.
RESTORE-This restores a position made using the
SAVE command. See "Starting and Stopping" on
page 17 for more details.
SAy~-This makes a "snapshot" of your current
position onto your storage disk. You can return to a
saved position in the future using the RESTORE command. See "Starting and Stopping" on page 17 for
more details.
SCORE-SPELLBREAKER will show your current
score and a ranking which is based on that score.
SCRIPT -This command tells your printer to begin
making a transcript of the story as you venture onwards. A transcript may aid your memory but is not
necessary. It will work only on certain computers;
read your Reference Card for details.
SPELLS-This command lists the spells you currently
have memorized from your spell book.
E . ,,.,,,,.!,.
,-I
........;.. '.-.
..
I
II
'"
l
'_,
•
.' ,
•
SUPERBRIEF-This commands SPELLBREAKER
to display only the name of a place you have entered,
even if you have never been there before. In this
mode , SPELLBREAKER will not even mention
which objects are present. Of course, you can always
get a description of your location, and the items
there, by typing LOOK. In SUPERBRIEF mode, the
blank line between turns will be eliminated. This
mode is meant for players who are already very familiar with the geography. Also see VERBOSE and
BRIEF.
TIME-This gives you the current time of day in the
story. You can abbreviate TIME to T.
UNSCRIPT -This commands your printer to stop
making a transcript.
VERBOSE-This tells SPELLBREAKER that you
want a complete description of each location, and the
objects in it, every time you enter a location, even
if you've been there before. Also see BRIEF and
SUPERBRIEF.
VERSION-SPELLBREAKER responds by showing you the release number and the serial number of
your copy of the story. Please include this information if you ever report a "bug" in the story.
WAIT -This will cause time in the story to pass.
Normally, between turns, nothing happens in the
story. You could leave your computer, take a nap, and
return to the story to find that nothing has changed.
You can use WAIT to make time pass in the story
without doing anything. For example, you can wait
for a specific time, or wait for an event to happen,
etc. You can abbreviate WAIT to Z.
·1
..',
. .'
AppendixB
Some Recognized Verbs
This is only a partial list of the verbs that
SPELLBREAKER understands. There are many
more. Remember you can use a variety of prepositions with them. For example, LOOK can become
LOOK INSIDE, LOOK BEHIND, LOOK UNDER,
LOOK THROUGH , LOOK AT, and so on.
ASK
EXIT
MEMORIZE STAND
ATTACK
EXTINGUISH MOVE
SWIM
BOARD
FILL
OFFER
TAKE
BURN
FIND
OPEN
TELL
CAST
FLY
POINT
THROW
CLIMB
FOLLOW
POUR
TIE
CLOSE
GIVE
PULL
TOUCH
COUNT
JUMP
PUSH
TURN
CROSS
KICK
PUT
UNLOCK
CUT
KILL
RAISE
UNTIE
DESTROY
KISS
READ
WAKE
DIG
KNOCK
SEARCH
WALK
DISEMBARK LAUNCH
SHAKE
WAVE
DRINK
LIE
SHOUT
WRITE
DROP
LIGHT
SHOW
EAT
LISTEN
SLEEP
ENTER
LOCK
SLIDE
EXAMINE
LOOK
SMELL
Instruction Manual 19
,
.'
....
."
;,,"....
•
••
,
._"._' '-.
--'~--
• :.- •
--'-,
---
I
.~'.,
',., • ',I~.,rI'
_
-
_......"..
AppendixC
SPELLBREAKER Complaints
SPELLBREAKER will complain if you type a sentence that confuses it completely.
SPELLBREAKER will then ignore the rest of the
input line. (Unusual events, such as being attacked,
may also cause SPELLBREAKER to ignore the rest
of the sentences you typed, since the event may
have changed your situation drastically.) Some of
SPELLBREAKER's complaints:
I DON'T KNOW THE WORD " _ _ ". The word you
typed is not in the story's vocabulary. Sometimes
using a synonym or rephrasing will help. If not,
SPELLBREAKER probably doesn't know the idea
you were trying to get across.
......
.::
rI'.' I.
THERE WERE TOO MANY NOUNS IN THAT SENTENCE. An example is PUT TH ESOU PIN TH E BOWL
WITH THE LADLE, which has three noun "phrases,"
one more than SPELLBREAKER can digest in a
single action.
I BEG YOUR PARDON? You pressed the RETURN
(or ENTER) key without typing anything.
IT'S TOO DARK TO SEE! In the story, there is not
enough light for you to perform your action.
YOU CAN'T SEE ANY _ _ HERE. The object you
referred to was not accessible to you. It may be
somewhere else, inside a closed container, and
soon.
YOU USEDTHE WORD " _ " IN AWAY THAT I
DON'T UNDERSTAND. SPELLBREAKER knows
THE OTHER OBJECT(S) THAT YOU MENTIONED
ISN'T (AREN'T) HERE. You referred to one or more
the word you typed, but couldn't use it in that sense.
Usually this is because SPELLBREAKER knows
the word as a different part of speech. For example,
if you typed GIVE ME A KISS, you are using KISS as a
noun, but SPELLBREAKER might know KISS only
as a verb, as in KISS THE FROG.
objects in the same sentence, some of which aren't
present or accessible .
THERE WAS NO VERB IN THAT SENTENCE! Unless
you are answering a question, each sentence must
have a verb (or a command) in it somewhere.
THERE SEEMS TO BE A NOUN MISSING IN THAT
SENTENCE. This usually means your sentence was
incomplete, such as EAT THE BLUE or PUT THE
BOOKINTHE.
I CAN'T USE MULTIPLE (IN)DIRECTOBJECTS WITH
" _ _ " You can use multiple objects (that is, nouns
or noun phrases separated by AND or a comma) or
the word ALL only with certain verbs. Among the
more useful of these verbs are TAKE, DROP, and
PUT. An example of a verb that will not work with
multiple objects is EXAMINE; you couldn't say EXAMINE ALL or EXAMINE THE BOWL ANDTHE SWORD.
YOU CAN'T GO THAT WAY. There is no passage or
exit in the direction you want to move.
I DON'T UNDERSTANDTHATSENTENCE. The sentence you typed may have been gibberish, such
as TAKE ROPE WITH READ. Or, you may have typed
a reasonable sentence but used a syntax that
SPELLBREAKER does not recognize, such as
WAVE OVER THE MOUNTAIN. Try rephrasing
the sentence.
20
Instruction Manual
.I
•
I
~,
~~
.
AppendixD
Sample Transcript and Map
This transcript is not from SPELLBREAKER, but it
does show most of the usual things you can do in the
story. It contains several simple puzzles and their
solutions, and it will give you a good idea of how Infocom's interactive fiction works. The player's sentences appear in capital letters after each prompt (> ) .
Th~ map repre?ents the terrain in the sample transcnpt as you nught have drawn it.
GREENER.
~?M~~?
BRIOO£
r-B-1RoAVl
BR/D&E
NEAR
SR/ D&£
SIGN
Road Near Brook
You 're standing on a wide, bumpy north-south road .
An impenetrable forest lies to the east, and a babbling
brook runs along the road to the west. A sign is leaning
against a pile of pebbles and small stones.
> READTHE SIGN
The sign has two arrows: one pointing north marked " To
Greener Pastures," and one pointing south marked "To
Gornforb's Grocery."
> GONORTH
Road Near Bridge
A small wooden bridge to the west spans the brook and
I~ads (you can see) to sunny, open pastures, where birds
sing and swoop playfully. A wide road leading south
runs parallel with the brook and disappears into the dark
shadows. An impenetrable forest lies to the east, and
north of here is a marsh .
On the far side of the bridge is a troll, either dead or
slee ping.
Guarding the bridge here is a buck-toothed cyclops
wielding a mace. He scowls as you approach .
> WEST
The cyclops roars at you, swings his mace, and tries to
bite you. You jump out ofthe way.
> INVENTORY
You are carrying:
your spell book
a pouch containing several gold nuggets
The cyclops spits out a horrible a ssortment of syllables
that you barely decipher as a demand for all your
valuables.
> READTHE SPELL BOOK
My Spell Book
gnusto spell: write a magic spell into your spell book
frotz spell: cause an object to give off light
urbzig spell: turn a dangerous object into a harmless one
The cyclops again utters some threatening sounds this
time louder.
'
> SPELLS
The gnusto spell is yours forever. Other than that, you
have the urbzig spell committed to memory once and
the frotz spell committed to memory once.
The cyclops raises his mace above his head and leans
back, preparing to leap at you and strike you full force
with the mace!
Instruction Manual
21
· ----~~---------------------------
I
I
> CAST THE URBllG SPELL ON THE CYCLOPS
The cyclops is replaced by a moth, which flutters away.
The mace falls to the ground.
> TAKE TH E MAXE
I don't know the word "maxe".
> OOPSMACE
The mace is much too heavy for you to lift, let alone
carry.
> WEST
Bridge
You're standing on a small wooden bridge spanning a
babbling brook. You can see sunny, open pastures west
of here, where birds sing and swoop playfully. As you
cross the bridge, the boards creak loudly.
The troll wakes up and pulls a long nasty knife out of his
shabby clothes. He points the knife in your direction as
he hisses, "Gold! Give me your gold!"
>MEMORllE URBllG
urbzig spell: Using your best study habits, you commit
the urbzig spell to memory.
The troll jabs the knife in your direction, his blood-red
eyes dripping with greed. "Give me your gold, and
maybe you'll live!" he hisses.
> URBllG TROLL
You speak the words of the spell perfectly, but nothing
happens!
The troll seems surprised. "Your magic fails you, eh?
Ha!" He adjusts his grip on the long nasty knife and
walks slowly toward you, looking for the most vulnerable
part of your throat.
> GO EAST THEN SOUTH
Road Near Bridge
There is a mace here.
Road Near Brook
A sign is leaning against a pile of pebbles and small
stones.
> WEST
Just as you're about to step into the babbling brook, you
see giant electric eels light up in anticipation of electrocuting and devouring you . You step back away from the
brook.
22 Instruction Manual
""i
-
-
-".'
.
,.
_
, -
> SOUTH
Road Outside Gornforb's
The wide, bumpy road continues north and south here.
Nestled among the thick forest foliage is a stone building
with a closed black door and no windows. Above the
door is a sign.
> READTHE SIGN
"Gornforb's Grocery
Open Every Day
(Proprietor May be Napping-Knock Several Times)"
> KNOCK ON TH E DOOR
You knock on the door.
> AGAIN
You knock again on the door.
> AGAIN
You knock again on the door.
Suddenly the door opens, and you hear a voice inside
say "Come in, come in!"
> GO INTOTHE HUT
As you step into the hut, the door shuts quickly behind
you, leaving you in total darkness. You can't see a thing .
Darkness
A voice in the dark mumbles something about not being
able to find a match.
> FROTl THE SPELL BOOK
There is an almost blinding flash of light as the spell book
begins to glow! It slowly fades to a less painful level, but
the spell book is now quite usable as a light source.
Gornforb's Grocery
You're standing in a nearly empty store. A closed black
door leads west. Several empty glass jars, an empty
bag, and a pencil are all you see on the dusty shelves.
Gornforb, the storekeeper, continues to look in all
the empty jars. "I think there's a match in here
somewhere."
> TAKE THE EMPTY BAG
"No, no," says Gornforb. "No bag unless you buy
something." Gornforb looks about and picks up the
pencil. "Here. This will cost you 100 gold nuggets."
> OFFER 1 GOLD NUGGET
"2 gold nuggets, and not a zorkmid cheaper!" says
Gornforb sternly.
> BUY THE PENCIL
Gornforb takes 2 gold nuggets from you, hands you the
pencil, and opens the door. "Thank you, come again,
come again ."
•
II
~~'.-,
I
I
•
'",
> GORNFORB, GIVE ME THE PAPER BAG
"Help yourself, take it if you want it, thank you, come
again, come again." He stands by the door, impatiently
waiting for you to leave.
> TAKE TH E BAG
Taken.
"Good day, good day," says Gornforb impatiently.
> LEAVE THE STORE
As you step outside, the black door slams shut behind
you.
Road Outside Gornforb's
> NORTH
Road Near Brook
A sign is leaning against a pile of pebbles and small
stones.
> TAKE PEBBLES THEN PUT THE PEBBLES IN THE BAG
Taken.
Okay, the pebbles are now in the bag.
> WRITE "GOLD" ON THE BAG
Okay, the bag now has "gold" written on it.
> N.W
Road Near Bridge
There is a mace here.
Bridge
As you cross the bridge, the boards creak loudly. The
troll hears you coming and quickly puts his long nasty
knife to your throat. "This time you shall not live!"
> SHOW TH E BAG TO TH ETROLL
The troll's blood-red eyes bulge disgustingly when he
sees the word "gold" on the bag. He drops his knife and
reaches for the bag.
> PUTTHE BAG INTOTHE BROOK
"Gold!" shrieks the troll with pleasure, as he dives into
the brook after the bag. Suddenly you hear another
shriek, this time of agony; some thrashing in the water
below you; and then all is quiet, save for the singing of
the birds to the west.
> GO WEST
Greener Pastures, Near the Bridge
This is the edge of one of the most idyllic spots in the
land. Rare and beautiful birds quickly encircle you, sensing no maliciousness in your heart. They look at you with
curiosity and wonder, and then hundreds of them grab
hold of your clothes and lift you up up up over magnificent fields of green and gold to a destination not discussed in this sample transcript.
AppendixE
We're Never Satisfied
Here at the Cambridge-by-the-Sea chapter of the
Infocom Game Writers Guild, we take great pride in
the quality of our stories. Even after they're "out the
door," we're constantly improving, honing, and perfecting them.
Your input is important. No matter how much
testing we do, it seems some "bugs" never crawl
into view until thousands of you begin doing all those
wild and crazy things to the story. If you find a bug,
or if you think a certain puzzle was too hard or too
easy, or if you have some other suggestion, or if
you'd just like to tell us your opinion of the story,
drop us a note! We love every excuse to stop working, and a letter from you is just such an excuse!
Write to:
Infocom, Inc.
125 Cambridge Park Drive
Cambridge, MA 02140
Attn: ORKAN
AppendixF
If You Have Technical Problems
You can call the Infocom Technical Support Team to
report "bugs" and technical problems, but not for
hints to solve puzzles, at (617) 576-3190. If your disk
develops a problem within ninety (90) days after
purchase, we will replace it at no charge. Otherwise,
there is a replacement fee of $5 (U.S. currency). If
you call to report a bug, please provide your release
number, which you can find by typing VERSION.
Please return your registration card if you'd like to
be on our mailing list and receive our newsletter,
The New Zork Times.
Instruction Manual
23
.;d" :.
------
I ...
AppendixG
About the Author
AppendixH
Copyright and Warranty Information
Dave Lebling was born in Washington, D. C. and
grew up in suburban Maryland. He attended the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and worked
at MIT's Laboratory for Computer Science, where
he developed an interest in computer entertainments. He was a co-author of the original mainframe
ZORK. He has co-authored ZORK I, ZORK II,
ZORK III, and ENCHANTER, and written
Limited Warranty
STARCROSS,SUSPEC~andSPELLBREAKER
on his own. He is married and lives in a suburb of
Boston, where his appetite for the printed word is
restrained only by the volume of his house.
This software product and the attached instructional materials are
sold " AS IS," without warranty as to their performance. The entire
risk as to the quality and performance of the computer software program is assumed by the user.
However, to the original purchaser of a disk prepared by Infocom
and carrying the Infocom label on the disk jacket, Infocom, Inc. warrants the medium on which the program is recorded to be free from
defects in materials and faulty workmanship under normal use and
service for a period of ninety (90) days from the date of purchase . If
during this period a defect on the medium should occur, the medium
may be returned to Infocom, Inc. or to an authorized Infocom, Inc.
dealer, and Infocom, Inc. will replace the medium without charge to
you. Your sole and exclusive remedy in the event of a defect is expressly limited to replacement of the medium as provided above . This
warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may also have other
rights which var y from state to state .
T HE ABOVE WARRANTIES FOR GOODS ARE IN LIEU OF
ALL WARRANTIES , EXPRESS, IMPLIED , OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND OF ANY OTHER WARRANTY OBLIGATION ON THE PART OF INFOCOM , INC . SOME STATES
DO NOT ALLOW LIMITATIONS ON HOW LONG AN IMPLIED
WARRANTY LASTS , SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION MAY NOT
APPLY TO YOU. IN NO EVENT SHALL INFO COM, INC. OR
ANYONE ELSE WHO HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE CREAT ION
AND PRODUCTION OF THIS COMPUTER SOFTWARE PROGRAM BE LIABLE FOR INDIRECT, SPECIAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SUCH AS , BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS
OF ANTICIPATED PROFITS OR BENEFITS RESULTING FROM
THE USE OF THIS PROGRAM, OR ARISING OUT OF ANY
BREAC H OF THIS WARRANTY. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW
THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION MAY
NOT APPLY TO YOU.
N.B. After the warranty period, a defective Infocom disk may be
re turned to Infocom, Inc . with a check or money order for $5.00 U .S.
currency for replacement.
Copyright
The enclosed software product is copyrighted and all rights are reserved by Infocom, Inc. It is published exclusively by Infocom, Inc.
The distribution and sale of this product are intended for the use of
the original purchaser only and for use only on the computer system
specified. Lawful users of this program are hereby licensed only to
read the program from its medium into memory of a computer solely
for the purpose of executing the program. Copying (except for one
backup copy on those systems which provide for it-see Reference
Card), duplicating, selling, or otherwise distributing this product is a
violation of the law.
This manual and all other documentation contained herein are copyrighted and all rights reserved by Infocom, Inc. These documents
may not, in whole or in part, be copied, photocopied, reproduced,
translated, or reduced to any electronic medium or machine-readable
form without prior consent, in writing, from Infocom, Inc.
Willful violations of the Copyright Law of the United States can result
in civil damages of up to $50,000 in addition to actual damages, plus
criminal penalties of up to one year imprisonment and/or $10 ,000 fine.
ZORK is a registered trademark ofInfocom , Inc.
SPELLBREAKER, ENCHANTER,STARCROSS, and SUSPECT
are trademarks ofInfocom, Inc.
@) 1985 Infocom, Inc .
Printed in U.S .A.
24
Instruction Manual
Appendix I
Quick Reference Guide
1. To start the story ("boot up"), see the separate
Reference Card in your SPELLBREAKER package.
2. When you see the prompt (» on your screen,
SPELLBREAKER is waiting for your input. There
are four kinds of sentences or commands that
SPELLBREAKER understands:
A. Direction commands: To move from place to
place, just type the direction you want to go: N
(or NORTH), E, S, W, NE, SE, NW, SW, U
(or UP), D, IN, OUT.
B. Actions: Just type whatever you want to do.
Some examples: READ THE BOOK or OPEN THE
DOOR or LOOKTHROUGH THE WINDOW or
MEMORIZE THE BOZBAR SPELL. Once you're
familiar with simple commands, you'll want to use
more complex ones as described in "Communicating with SPELLBREAKER" on page 14.
C. Commands given to other characters: To talk
to characters in the story, type their name, then a
comma, then what you want to say to them. For
example: ADVENTURER, GIVE ME THE AXE or
3. Important! After typing your sentence or command, you must press the RETURN (or ENTER) key
before SPELLBREAKER will respond.
4: O~ most computers, your screen will have a speclalline called the status line. It tells you the name of
your current location, your score, and the number of
turns you have taken.
5. Y~u can pick up and carry many of the items you'll
find ill the story. For example, if you type TAKE THE
FLASK, you will be carrying it. Type INVENTORY to
see a list of the items you are carrying.
6. When you want to stop, save your place for later,
~r start over, read the "S~arting and Stopping" sectIon on page 17.
7. If you have trouble, refer to the specific section of
the manual for more detailed instructions.
OLDMAN, GOWEST.
D. Special one-word commands: Some one-word
commands, such as INVENTORY or DIAGNOSE
give you specific information or affect your outp~t.
A list of these appears in the "Important Commands" appendix on page 18.
Instruction Manual
25