1. The World of Fate
2. The Attributes
3. The Encounter
4. The Main Menu
5. The Magic System
6. Armament and Items
The world of the game Fate, in which the player takes on the personality of Winwood, is composed of a great wilderness which is surrounded by an impenetrable mountain range in the north and west and by a great sea in the south and east.
In the wilderness the player will find 4 big cities (Larvin, Valvice, Cassida and the mysterious Katloch) as well as 5 small villages (Laronnes, Fainvil, Perdida, Pirate Rock and Mernoc). The cities are interconnected by a wide network of roads. Numerous signposts serve to guide the traveller so he is not hopelessly lost in these foreign parts.
A more comfortable way of travel is by an underground railway, the Cavetrain, which connects almost all cities with each other as well as with a few locations in the wilderness. However, it´s not always safe to use this railway.
The wilderness is full of ominous dangers which await the lonely traveller. One should always be on the lookout there and be prepared for anything.
At the beginning of the game it´s a good idea to seek out the protection of a city as fast as possible and leave it only after finding a few companion and gaining some experience. But even then the dangerous swamps and thick forests should be avoided for some time to come and travel only on relatively safe roads.
Most cities are relatively safe. But one should nevertheless be careful since even there treacherous thieves hide behind corners and vicious murderers lurk in the shadows. But one should also be careful with his own actions. You should not simply slaughter every person you meet. The city guards will severely punish such behavior. While exploring the cities one will come across various public buildings whose services are essential to the adventurer:
Pubs and Taverns
The destitute traveller can satisfy his hunger quench his thirst here. He can also stock up supplies of nourishment and drink and so be prepared for a long journey. After a long trip one should treat his character now and then to the cozy atmosphere of a noisy pub so that the character does not get bored.
Furthermore, the pubs always offer the opportunity of eavesdropping on this or that conversation and so obtain valuable information. Drunk guys are often very talkative. You can also find many adventures which are willing to join your party.
Inns and Hotels
After a long and exhausting trip the tired traveller can rest here. One should spend the night in one of the numerous inns whenever possible. Admittedly, you can rest almost anywhere, even in the wilderness or in the dungeons, but the character will not like it very much in the long run.
The Blacksmiths
Each town has several blacksmith shops that offer a wide range of weapons and armor to the mobile adventurer. Here, one can find everything required to survive in the wilderness: gleaming swords, comfortable armor, gloves and shoes of all types, but also spells for the Mage and arrows for the archer.
Each blacksmith shop has a different assortment of items in stock. But just as diverse as the wares are also the prices. While most blacksmith shops can be described as fair, there are also black sheep in the guild. And they´re out to get the unsuspecting adventurers. As a greenhorn one should never reveal that he´s not very familiar with the prices.
The Shops
Beside blacksmiths the towns also have a whole range of other traders which specialize exclusively in magical items. The adventurer will find many useful things there to make his life easier. The selection range from magic potions and magic lamps to all imaginable magic wands for all purposes. But watch out, some traders hiding behind fancy sounding names will also try to sell you garbage at outrageous prices. Otherwise, everything else is the same as in blacksmith shops. Careful window shopping can save the adventurer a lot of money and frustration.
The Banks
The banks found in cities are just as helpful. Since the number of thieves and robbers is always on the rise it´s a good idea not to carry too much cash around. A common thief can be hiding behind any corner poised to relieve the adventurer of his hard earned Piasters.
There is a whole range of various accounts which the adventurer can open. But keep in mind that the deposits and withdrawals can only be made at one´s own bank. The only exception to this is a general account to which all characters have access and which allows transfers between cities.
There are also savings and investment accounts. The interest on saving accounts is higher but the money must be deposited for a longer period of time. You can speculate with the investment accounts but you should be extremely careful. Some adventures have already lost all their fortune in dubious speculations.
The Temples
Since certain areas can be quite dangerous and one can get caught up in bloody battles, there are temples almost around every other corner where the wounded and dead adventurers can be taken care of for a fee.
This has turned into a profitable undertaking for the clerics and healers particularly since Thardans henchmen started making even the cities unsafe. The inexperienced adventurer will surely be a frequent visitor to the temples.
The Indulgence Traders
Another type of cleric specialize in confession business. Since in certain cities one can be severely punished for his sins, these so-called clergymen can make a pretty profitable business out of it. Such cleric can become one of richest inhabitants in the city since he charges the adventurers who went astray horrendous amounts of money for penance. But for inexperienced adventurers his services can make a difference between life and death.
The Guilds
Various groups of Mages have formed guilds to help educate their younger members. The Mages who advance a level can learn new spells here and get recognition for new Spellclasses. The Mages in the guild will also, for a fee, regenerate the magical and bodily strengths of an exhausted traveller. Furthermore, all characters who have the permission can improve their personal abilities here.
The dungeons in Fate are all huge and full of nooks and crannies. One can very easy get lost in there. It is therefore advisable to either draw one´s own map or take along a large supply of magic Jewels which can be used to create a map of their surrounding area. For those who wish to draw their own map do note that all levels (cities and dungeons) are always 56 by 56 fields and are directly one on top of the other, i.e. your position is not changed when using the stairs. Most dungeons are divided into several large sections which are not connected to each other - i.e. they can be composed of parties in different dungeons.
Many traps and riddles await the adventurer. But valuable treasures and useful items can also be found in certain corners and recesses. One should therefore examine the labyrinths very carefully. Do not despair if you get lost and can´t find the exit anymore. At least in the first two dungeons there are emergency stairs which can be used to exit the dungeons. Each level has numerous clearly marked teleports which lead to these emergency stairs.
A general note: As a rule a dungeon should be entered before the party knows exactly why. Otherwise, one goes in and out of dungeons endless and nothing happens.
Each character has a whole range of different attributes which are very important for their actions. They are character values, magical abilities and battle classes.
Hitpoints
The hitpoints are the most important strength of a character. They determine their vigour. Each time a character is wounded it looses a few hitpoints. When they reach zero the character dies.
Magepoints
The Magepoints determine how many spells a Mage can cast before having a rest. Each spell uses a certain amount of Magepoints. When all are used up the Mage is no longer able to cast spells.
Strength
This is demonstrated most clearly in battle and it determines, together with the weapon, what damage a blow can cause to an opponent. But it´s also very important in special cases, for example when an obstacle is to be overcomed. In addition, it determines how much a character can carry.
Stamina
The stamina is the ability to resist. It determines how quickly the hitpoints of a character can regenerate, how he reacts to illness or poisoning and how quickly will he get tired if under strain.
Skill
This value determines the offensive capabilities of a character. The weapon proficiency, aim and the ability to take the opponent by surprise with clever tricks all belong to skill.
Dexterity
This value encompasses the defensive abilities. It determines the agility with which the character can evade the attacks of an opponent and how fast can he withdraw from battle.
Both dexterity values also influence how quickly can a character get ready in a battle round.
lntelligence
The intelligence influences all actions of a character and is central to it. It´s particularly important for Mages since the effectiveness of the spells depends on it.
Wisdom
This encompasses the attributes such as concentration, talking skills, ability to withstand mental stress, cunning and alertness. Wisdom too is of central importance to the way a character behaves; in particular it determines how quickly the Magepoints of a Mage are regenerated.
Charisma
This describes the personal charisma of a character, that is to say the impression he makes on his fellow men. This gift decides whether someone is sympathetic person or an unpleasant, unfriendly companion. The charisma is particularly important for communication and recruiting.
Experience
The experience points determine what a character achieved while belonging to a party. Each person gets a certain number of experience points for each successful action. When a specific value is reached the player is promoted to next level. Together with this promotion he gets particular number of Hit- and Magepoints as well as the permission to improve his abilities and learn new spells.
Each character is surrounded by a number of invisible magical spheres which protect and aid him in his actions:
Sphere of magical powers
Strengthens the spells of a Mage.
Anti-magic sphere
Protects the character against opponent´s spells.
Anti-stone sphere
Protects against turned into stone.
Anti-critical sphere
Can protect the character so that his weak points are not hit.
Anti-poison sphere
Protects against poisoning.
Anti-infection sphere
Prevents illness.
Anti-fire sphere
Protects against burns of all types.
Anti-shot sphere
Blocks arrows and thrown weapons.
Anti-charisma sphere
Protects the character against enchantments.
Magic Eye
Prevents the character from falling into traps.
Invulnerability sphere
Protects against injuries and limits the damage.
The fighting power of a character is composed of many values: character value, magic spheres, weapons, the effectiveness of spells and magic potions and many other values. To give the player a good overview of all these values they are combined in 4 battle classes which are permanently shown in the status display.
The Weapon Class (WC)
WC describes the effectiveness of weapons belonging to a character. It´s mainly composed of weapon and character values.
The Armor Class (AC)
This is determined from the values for the armaments (suit of armor, the helmet, gloves and shoes) and character stamina.
The Skill Class (SC)
SC is basically calculated from the armament values and skill.
The Dexterity Class (DC)
It shows the defensive strength which is obtained from the values for armor and dexterity.
All classes include the active magic (spells and potions) and the character level. In addition, certain races and character classes get particular bonus which is added in during battle class calculation.
To score a hit in battle the character must first overcome the opponent´s DC with his SC or he will miss. Second, he must surpass the opponent´s AC with his WC. Only when both of these conditions are met the opponent is hurt. When the opponent attacks he tries to achieve the opposite.
There is a number of other values which influence the actions of a character such as his bravery and loyalty. However, these values are not displayed; they are only demonstrated in actions a character remarks.
The world of Fate is swarming with various life forms, so it is only to be expected that one constantly comes across them during these encounters an abundance of different positions is available to the player. For best results one should know these options very well so as to be able to always choose the right move.
At the start of an encounter one is in the so-called encounter mode, i.e. it´s not yet clear whether this is friendly or a hostile encounter. In most cases the player himself has the control over this.
The "Fight" option should be selected only in the last resort since it´s always better to have a peaceful encounter. The "Talk" option is particulary recommended. If an opponent refuse to respond but you, nevertheless, wish to avoid a confrontation select "Disengage".
Converts a hostile encounter into a peaceful one. If the opponent is a peaceful person or being using this option does not make much sense. The following explanations apply only to adversaries with hostile intentions.
Run Away
Not exactly a heroic solution. Running away in panic should only be done in utmost emergencies since in the mayhem of the withdrawal the party can often loose items or have them stolen. If running away fails the opponent starts fighting right away.
Ignore
Wait and see what happens. Sometimes the opponent will reconsider whether it would be better to avoid fighting.
Hide
An attempt to avoid battle by hiding quickly. The assumption is that the members of a party are highly skilled. As a rule, running away is preferable because if it fails the opponents may not start fighting right away.
Pray
An extremely unlikely cause of getting away without a scratch. However, sometimes the prayers are heard and the party can escape unseen and unhurt. But this requires a very strong priest or cleric in the party.
Bribe
A relatively sure way of avoiding battles. The rule is: the more you give the better the chance of the bribe being accepted. A sizeable offer will make even the cutthroat henchman ready to talk. However, there are also a number of beings to whom the money doesn´t mean anything.
Chant
Recommended only for musically gifted characters. Trying to get a horde of barbarians and warriors to chant will only make even the most peaceful opponent start fight. But if there is a Fairy or a Nymph in the party the chanting can be successful and lull the opponent to sleep so that the party can leave unnoticed.
Joke
Requires a lot of intelligence and wisdom but is often rewarded by achieving success. If it doesn´t work right away you should try this option several times. If you have a Jester in your party almost all hostile can be calmed down so that they agree to peaceful solution.
Can sometimes end an encounter quickly.
Mock
A double edged sword. If you´re lucky and mock the opponent in a right way it can happen that he gets so confused he taken leave of his senses. But if you´re unlucky, the opponent can get even more mad and hostile than before. Here too a professional jester is very valuable.
Warcry
Scream loudly and the battle is half won. But this works only if you have loud warriors in your party who can let out a fearsome battle cry.
Scroll
A holy Scroll can always be read but you must get one first. It performs the same as a Holy Mortar only it´s fatal.
All other actions require no further explanation.
If the opponents maintain a distance from the party, the party will advance 2 yards forward.
An attempt to engage in a conversation is normally the best solution for everything. Most information is obtained this way.
During a conversation you don´t have to type things in. Everything can be chosen quite comfortably by using the mouse. You only need to choose between a question and a remark. A remark relevant to the situation or a question based on the knowledge of the party is automatically selected.
Wait
This will make the opponent take the initiative. You just simply wait and see if he says anything by himself.
Join
An attempt to convince the person you´re talking to, to join the party. But before this happens you must, as a rule, first negotiate a little and try to befriend the opponent. Since this is a very important option, which is also used very often, a few tips to help recognize at an early stage if the person you´re talking to can at all join your party:
- The characters who can join usually travel alone
- At the start of an encounter they are always immediately in front of the party
- Monsters can never join a party
Bye
Ends a conversation. An encounter should always be terminated using the option and not just by clicking away since the character will then not get experience points.
Give Alms
A quick, although expensive, method to make friends with the opponent. But be careful, there are people who might be offended by it.
Trade
An attempt to buy something from the people you talk with.
Threaten
Not very nice but lucrative if you have a strong party. You face your opponent with: "Your money or your life!".
Profession
The opponent is asked about his occupation.
Help
The opponent is asked for help. The help which is eventually given can be quite varied. Sometimes the help can only be obtained after giving alms.
Hint
General hints are requested here, that is to say, the party already has some incomplete information. An appropriate question is then formulated. For example, if the party has a hint about an island a more detailed question about the island is then asked.
Items
Either a general question about items or a specific question depending on that you already know.
Person
Asking about a person.
Beings
Asking about one or more beings.
Name
Asking the person you´re talking with for his name.
Self
The opponent is asked to say something about himself. If he responds positively to this question, the probability that he wants to join the party is greater.
More
Appears only after the person you´re talking with has already answered to the question "Self". Normally, the opponent is asked about his special abilities.
Insult
If the conversation does not lead anywhere this menu item can be used to force a fight.
Adulate
You shower the opponent with praise trying to get on his good side. Not very honorable but it works.
Enchant
Trying to flirt. This option can only succeed if the character has a high charisma value.
Curse
As with insults there are beings who consider swearing a friendly greeting.
Joke
A good joke sometimes works wonders in loosening up a conversation. But you should be careful not to select a character who tells stale jokes.
Brag
It´s well known that immodesty stinks, but if a character can really proclaim his enormous abilities, an accomplished boaster can thoroughly impress the opponent.
Tell Fibs
Invent totally wild stories to impress the opponent. But you should be careful to whom you tell these fairytales. A highly intelligent Mage will notice right away that you´re putting him on.
Introduce
You say a greeting and introduce yourself.
You should familiarize yourself with the complex battle system in case a fight can´t be avoided.
The fighting runs in rounds. In each round everyone involved gets one turn. This applies every character and every opponent. Everyone then takes only one action. The order is based on character values, experience and on the race and class of the character. It should be the best if a character were to face the opponent in one line but at the start of the game and in most other cases this occurs only rarely.
If it does and he´s strong enough, the character who is first in line then has the opportunity to eliminate the fastest or the most dangerous opponent.
The commands are issued only when the character is next in line. This has the advantage that you can adapt to the current state of affairs. In older role playing games there are always a problem in that all actions must be specified in advance so by the time the character attacks the opponent - they may not longer exist. When a character is ready for action one can see his picture and the main battle menu. In addition, the current opponent is also shown on the scroll.
Attack
A direct blow with a primary weapon. If a character has no weapon in hand he tries to punch or kick. The range for this attack is determined by the weapon used. Most weapons or a punch or kick have a range of zero, i.e. they can only be used against opponents immediately in front of the party.
In most cases only one opponent is hit. If there are more groups they must be selected for attack separately. The following also goes for all other options. If a character has a so-called Melee Weapon a whole group or in case of a Greater Melee Weapon all opponents are attacked.
Spell
The most important battle option there is. When casting a spell the Spellclass is determined first and only then the desired spell. As in case of attack, the spell as for all of the following options, the target group is chosen next. When all this is done the effect of the spell is displayed on the scroll.
You shouldn´t only limit yourself to destructive spells. Often it makes much more sense or make even be necessary to weaken the opponent first and only then attack in earnest. Since the enemy Mages have the same spells as the party you should normally fight them first.
Item
Using items is another indispensable martial art. Since some character classes may not use effective weapons and have only few or no battle spells at all, the items are a good alternative.
Each item can be used by all characters without limitations. For example, a Fairy with a Masterwand can become an extremely strong warrior.
But compared to weapons the items have a big drawback. Since they are all magical in nature, they often disappear in thin air after being used. Whether they do disappear depends first of all on the item themselves; a magical Pearl disappears almost always after usage, while a Lightwand can sometimes be used more than 100 times. On the other hand it also depends on the character who uses the item. A Barbarian given a Flamewand makes it disappear every time, sometimes even before he uses it.
Shoot
An effective way to do battle at a distance. Although it requires that a weapon (bow or crossbow) be placed as the 2´nd weapon of the character who is about to shoot.
Of course, one also needs arrows which can be purchased from any blacksmith. Do pay attention to their quality though. Simple wooden arrows can at best be used to shoot a rat. A giant would surely use such an arrow as a toothpick. But there is a sufficient variety of arrows to kill even the strongest of opponents.
The professional archers are a special case. If an archer has enough experience he can sometimes shoot two arrows in the same round.
Throw
If you have no shooting weapons but still wish to attack an opponent from a distance, the only thing you can do is hurl at him the weapon you have in your hands. The big drawback here is that the weapon which is thrown is then lost for the duration of this battle. There are certain magic weapons which return after being thrown. The primary weapon is thrown first and the secondary weapon is thrown after that.
If one is victorious in battle the characters automatically gather all their thrown weapons. This does not apply to any arrows that were shot.
Throwing at sea from a ship is definitely not advisable.
Weapon
When this option is selected you can change the weapons in your hands during battle. This is very useful when you´ve already thrown your primary and secondary weapons.
Defend
In principle this means you wish to do nothing. It should only be selected when there are no useful alternatives or if you engage in battle by mistake.
Enchant
An attempt to distract or confuse the opponent. It should only be used when charisma value of a character is well above 20. If an attempt to enchant is successful the opponent becomes very confused. This can be used mercilessly by the next character in line. Not very honorable but extremely effective.
When enchanting you can choose between attacking all opponents or concentrating on a single group. The effect is stronger in the second case.
Warcry
A battle cry by a Warrior or a Barbarian can be very effective. An opponent who until then appears fearless can easily wet his pants in panic. His attack is then considerably weakened. Sometimes he can even be scared out of damage points. A battle cry is basically directed at all opponents.
Steal
Trying to steal gold pieces out of opponent´s pockets. It should only be attempted by experienced thieves since if the opponent catches the thief he will become considerably more aggressive and will attack more forcefully. If stealing goes unnoticed you get a bonus of extra cash.
Mock
It does require a bit of courage to ridicule an opponent during battle, but it can be very effective. However, you should be very careful in choosing which opponents you mock. An irritated opponent will as a rule become exposed somewhat in order to attack more forcefully. In addition he will not attack carefully but will allow himself to be carried away be instinct. Also, it makes no sense to ridicule a barbarian since his actions are already influenced by his feelings. Mocking can be used very successfully on Mages and other equally intelligent people since they will then loose their concentration.
Grope
Grabbing an opponent is a special type of fighting which only a few very experienced characters can perform. Some creatures, mainly Errins and Laurins, over time get so powerful in magic that they can hurt an opponent badly by simply touching. This can paralyse, age or even turn him to stone.
Dupe
A very sneaky trick. The character makes the skilful manoeuvre and tries to strike the opponent from behind with a decisive blow. It should only be attempted by characters who are very swift and experienced in battle.
If the attempt fails the character is momentarily exposed and is then very vulnerable. You should therefore think carefully before trying this manoeuvre.
Hide
This is an option for characters in grave danger who have no great battle strength, such as magic beings like Fairies or Nymphs which have been struck more than once. To avoid a fight by hiding a character most possess necessary amount of hiding skill as well as be intelligent.
Special
This is only available to characters who possesses special abilities. The player must find out for himself how this works.
Certain actions and functions can be performed even when a party is not in a confrontation. To do this click on the picture of a character.
All objects can be made ready, dropped, examined, used or transferred to another member of the party. If the clicked character has a magic jewel you can use this function to create a map of the surrounding area.
Using this submenu a character can eat, drink or take a magic potion. The whole party can eat/drink together or the nourishment can be divided among all members of the party.
If a character has magic powers (Magepoints) a spell can be cast here.
What would a role playing game be without statistics? In "FATE - Gates of Dawn" you can practically invoke all information about the party and its members.
The numerous party functions and so-called party-switching are the icing on the cake. The following functions are available:
Split
Given that there are no more than 3 parties a party can be divided here.
Transfer
If two parties are on the same playing field one or more characters can be transferred to the other party.
Release
A member of the party is let go.
Info
Using this function general party information such as level, statistics, position, tickets and abilities can be invoked.
Switch to
If one wishes to continue playing in another party the player can change over. The party (or parties) remain at their current position(s). The name of the first character is always given as the party name.
Exchange
This is similar to the Transfer command; two characters from different parties are swapped. Here too, both parties must be located on the same playing field.
Rest
Even the strongest parties need to rest from time to time. Invoking this function creates a place to rest and the player decides how long the party will rest.
Board
If a party is near a ship this command can be used embark the ship.
Ashore
If a party is already on board a ship this function can be used to disembark.
The functions listed here relate to somewhat "technical" settings and options:
Save
The current state of the game including all data and settings are saved. You can only save to a separate floppy disk or to a hard disk. On Amiga you can even use unformatted disks (in any case the previous contents of the disk are destroyed!!!). On other systems the disks must be formatted before the game starts. Up to eight games can be saved on one disk.
New Game
If everything has gone wrong for you the game can be restarted.
Quit
This will also save the game. However, the game will then be terminated.
Freeze
There are no ridges in "FATE - Gates of Dawn". The game normally operates in real time. This option here is the only possibility to stop the time (this is particularly handy for coffee breaks).
Load
Reloads a previously saved game. The current game state is thereby destroyed.
Delays
To guarantee a comfortable game operation you can set a variable pause after each text output. The CLICKS parameter is particularly handy for beginners because it waits for a mouse click after each text output.
Pics / No Pics
On computers with very little RAM this option is selectable. Frequently used graphics such as room interiors can be activated and deactivated.
You can invoke the general actions like touch, dig, search or - well, this is a reLINE game - kiss, at any time.
No, not the current time of your internal clock but the time and date in the world of FATE.
In contrast to other worlds, the magic in Fate is something quite normal. Admittedly, not everyone can use it but it belongs to the normal everyday life just as much as various physical items. Due to the constant presence of magic, several new unique races have been developed such as the eerie Laurins and Errins.
Some classes of Mages can use magic already from birth (Witches and Fairies, for example), while others must first acquire these abilities by studying (such as Sorcerers and Wizards). In theory, any being can learn the art of magic but some professions have decided to renounce it. All in all, there are 15 non-Mage and 17 Mage classes.
The 200 known spells are divided into 20 Spellclasses. Each Spellclass has its own unique properties. There are for example purely defensive Spellclasses such as Elementary or Enchanter, healing Spellclasses such as Clerics or Fairies and naturally the fighting Spellclasses such as Banshee or Warlock.
At the start of his career each Mage has only one Spellclass. Later, as he advances he can require additional Spellclasses. But the order of this advancement is fixed for each profession. A healing Mage must first get all of the healing Spellclasses before he can require a fighting Spellclass.
The number of armament items is considerably greater than even the number of spells. In all options they are divided into 7 groups:
1. Weapons
Swords, daggers, shields etc.
2. Armor
Robes, breastplates, capes etc.
3. Headgear
Caps, helmets, bandannas etc.
4. Gloves
Gloves of all sorts
5. Footwear
Shoes, boots etc.
6. Arrows
Arrows and projectiles of all sorts
7. Items
Magic wands, magic pearls etc.
In each category the player can experiment with numerous items. How much a character can carry is limited to prevent one from lugging about an infinite number of things.
Even the number of items of the same kind cannot exceed a certain value regardless of weight. For example Weapons, Armor, Headgear, Gloves and Footwear are always limited to 9, while items and potions are limited to 20 items per character. An archer can carry a maximum of five different quivers with up to 99 arrows.
Note: A character must make his weapon or armor ready before he can use it.
As is common in role playing games not every character class can pick up every weapon. There are set rules as to who can use what. Mages cannot, as a rule, use heavy armor or weapons, while most warriors cannot use magic equipment. An exception are magic items which can be used by all characters.
In the equipment menus prohibited items are shown in red and all allowed items in white.