Playing the Game

(click on image to enlarge)

As you can see in the screenshot, Hephaestus is divided into three areas. To the right is the map display around your party's position. Top left is the scrolling output area. Bottom left is the stats display - the current character is shown in full, all others are summarized.

Hephaestus can be entirely keyboard-controlled, or you can use the action buttons and menus.

Ctrl-O = Open Game

Loads a saved game (".sav") or a new adventure (".adv"). You will be shown a file dialog, and can choose any ".sav" or ".adv" file. Your current game will be lost unless you save it!

Ctrl-S = Save Game

Saves your current game. You will be shown a file dialog, and can select a new ".sav" save file to create, or write over an old one.

Ctrl-Q = Quit Game

Quits the current game.

Ctrl-A = About

Shows a dialog with copyright information and the URL of the Hephaestus home page.

F1

Lists all of the gameplay keys below in the text panel.

k, UP = North

h, RIGHT = East

j, DOWN = South

l, LEFT = West

You can move in four directions with the arrow keys or the Rogue keys hjkl.

• Move into a creature to talk to it.
• Move into a stationary object to trigger it, if it can be triggered.
• Hold down shift along with a move key to turn to face in that direction. The sprites for North and East are the same, as are those for South and West, but you do have four facings. Facing only matters for ranged and magic attacks.

a = Attack

You can attack anything ahead of you within range; your Range stat shows the number of squares ahead you can attack (if it's "0", you can still make melee attacks at range 1). You must be facing in the correct direction, either by last moving that direction or by hitting shift and a move key together.

When you attack, you will be prompted for an action for each player - Attack, Use, Magic, or Pass. The turn ends when everyone has chosen an action or passed.

d = Drop Item

Allows you to select a single item from your inventory and drop it in your current square.

e = Equip Item

Allows you to select a single equippable item from your inventory and ready it; if you already have an item of the same type equipped, it will be removed automatically. Equipment increases your stats as long as you have it ready - weapons increase your Attack stat, armor increases your Defense stat, and so on. There are five equipment positions:

• Weapon
• Shield
• Armor
• Hat
• Accessory

g = Get Item

Picks up all items in your current square. You have an unlimited inventory.

i = Inventory

Lists all items and equipment carried in the text panel.

m = Magic

Allows you to select one of your known magic spells and activate it if you have enough MagicPoints (MP). If the spell is ranged, you must be facing in the correct direction, either by last moving that direction or by hitting shift and a move key together. Magic spells are defined by the adventure writer, and they can have almost any effect imaginable.

r = Remove Equip

Allows you to select one of your equipped items and remove it - you lose the stat bonuses from that item, but now you can drop the item or equip another item there instead.

t = Trigger (item on ground)

Triggers a non-blocking item that you are standing over. If there are multiple items, the top-most item that can be triggered will be chosen - be careful! Trigger is most often used to close doors - stand over the door, trigger it, and move off to either side; you can open doors by just running into them.

u = Use Item

Allows you to select one of your items and trigger it. This is most often used to use food, potions, wands, and the like. The effects are defined by the adventure writer, and anything can happen.

w = Wait

Stand still for a turn.

Character

Statistics

There are 4 primary stats and 9 secondary stats. Each stat ranges from 1 to 20 for "normal people" at level 1, but there is no upper limit. Each stat has two scores: a current value and a maximum value, usually written "current / maximum".

Experience

Your Level indicates how experienced you are. You will start at Level 1, and there is no upper limit - it's quite plausible to have over a hundred levels after a long adventure.

By killing enemies and completing quests, you gain experience. Typically you will earn 10-100 experience points (XP) per level equivalent of the enemy depending on the challenge, 1% of that per HP damage done to an enemy, or up to half your level's worth for a quest (any adventure writer who gives you more than that is Monty Hall...).

When you have 1000×(current level) XP, those XP are spent, your level increases by 1, one of your primary stats, all of the secondary stats based on it, your HitPoints and MagicPoints increase by 1, and you are fully healed. Note that if your Body improves, your HitPoints increase by 2, and if your Mind improves, your MagicPoints increase by 2.

Experience may also be used in an adventure to purchase magic spells or for special training. Levels have no other standard effect, but might be used as a requirement for a quest.