dragonheart ~ help newbie

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Guide for New Players
=====================

Welcome to Order and Chaos! Before you venture forth, read this
carefully - it could save your character's life.

IMPORTANT: PERMADEATH
---------------------
This game features permanent death. When you die, your character
is gone forever - unless you have a Soul Ember (see: help death).

You receive one Soul Ember by completing the intro quest. Guard it
with your life. If you die without one, you start over from scratch.

Your First Steps
----------------
After character creation, you'll awaken in the intro area. Follow
the path and complete the short tutorial quest. This teaches you
the basics and rewards you with your first Soul Ember.

Essential Commands
------------------
  look            See your surroundings
  look at <thing> Examine something closely
  inventory (i)   What you're carrying
  equipment (eq)  What you're wearing/wielding
  score           Your stats and status
  stats           Detailed stat breakdown
  consider <mon>  Check monster difficulty BEFORE fighting

Movement: north, south, east, west, up, down (or n, s, e, w, u, d)

Positions
---------
Your position affects regeneration and combat:

  stand    Normal movement and combat
  rest     Faster HP/MP/EP recovery, can still fight
  sleep    Fastest recovery, but vulnerable to attack
  kneel    For praying at statues

Use 'rest' between fights to recover faster. Type 'stand' to get up.

Combat Basics
-------------
Type 'kill <monster>' to attack. Combat is automatic from there.
Always use 'consider' first to check if you can handle it:

  Consider says          What it means
  ------------          --------------
  Easy prey             Safe, little reward
  No problem            Safe fight
  Challenging           Fair fight
  Dangerous             Risky - be careful
  Deadly                You might die
  Impossible            You WILL die

Set WIMPY to auto-flee when hurt: type 'set wimpy on'

Tactics
-------
Use 'tactics <style>' to change how you fight:

  offensive  - More damage, required for flurry skill
  defensive  - Bonus AC, good for surviving tough fights
  stealth    - Required for sneak, hide, backstab
  casting    - Better spell concentration

Start with 'tactics defensive' until you learn the ropes.

Survival Tips
-------------
* Complete the intro quest - you need that Soul Ember
* Always consider monsters before attacking
* Keep 'set wimpy on' until you learn the world
* Carry healing potions (buy from shops)
* Don't wander far from safe areas at low levels
* Check your equipment - armour and weapons matter
* Join a party for dangerous areas (see: help party)

Communication
-------------
  say <text>         Speak to people in the room
  tell <who> <text>  Private message to a player
  newbie <text>      Ask on the newbie channel
  who                See who's online

Early Skills & Spells
---------------------
These abilities are available at low levels and help you survive:

  mend       Quick self-heal between fights (20 wisdom)
  kick       Extra damage in combat (15 agility)
  dodge      Temporarily boost AC (15 dexterity)
  defender   Gain max HP and thorns damage (25 constitution)

Type 'skills' and 'spells' to see what you've learned.
Use the ability name to activate it (e.g., 'mend' or 'kick').

Getting Stronger
----------------
* Kill monsters for experience points
* Use 'score' to check experience needed for next level
* Visit the pray statue to spend prays on stats
* Learn new skills and spells as you level (help skills, help spells)
* Find better equipment from monsters and shops
* Use 'rest' between fights to recover HP, mana, and energy

What Next?
----------
Once you complete the intro, explore the world carefully. Start
with easier areas near the main town. Ask other players for help
on the newbie channel if you get stuck.

See also: help death, help combat, help tactics, help classes,
          help alignment, help character stats, help commands