Sinclair User magazine, May 1987 ASSAULT OF THE OGROIDS A solo fantasy adventure by Gary Chalk Smoke drifts across the city as the inhuman forces of the Necromancer ready themselves for their final assault. For three days Ogroids and lesser Goblins have swarmed over the skeleton siege-engines toiling under the whips of their overseers. The ominous shapes are visible from where you stand on the terrace of the temple, awaiting admittance to the Council of the Archons. As you pass through the bronze doors, ten haggard faces turn as one as the Speaker, Orvid Greyrobe, clears his throat ... "You have been chosen, Deerfoot, from all the warriors of the city for your skill in running, your clarity of thought and your good fortune in all your games of chance. Will you try to bring aid to Lendra, the city of your birth, from our ally of Torvis? "Our captains estimate that if you can reach Torvis in the next thirty hours, we can hold out against the enemy until the forces of King Bladon arrive. "If not, the city will fall to the assault of the Ogroids!" Your lips are dry and your skin slick with sweat as you hear your voice reply: "I will go, my lord, although I do not know the way ..." "No matter, we have prepared a map for you and readied these for your journey," replies the Speaker, indicating a small pile of equipment lying on the marble table in front of you. "Choose as you will ..." Ogroid's Assault isn't quite like any other game, but it contains strong elements of Dungeons and Dragons and role-playing games. Although, of course, it's a slow adventure. Your task - to get across the board alive and within the time allowed - requires a mixture of luck and good judgement. * Should you fight or run? * What weapon will be of most use? * Which is the safest route? And the great thing is you can play the game time and time again and never exhaust all the possibilities. STARTING THE GAME Cut out your character counter from the bottom left-hand corner of the board and place it on the map in the Lendra square and you are ready to start your journey. You may move into any adjacent square, but remember Orvid's parting words: "Run swiftly, Deerfoot, you have only thirty hours to save our city. I call down a blessing on you from the Allfather, for of all men, this day, your need will surely be the greatest ..." In Ogroid's Assault your Spectrum will do most of the boring work, like generating random or partly random numbers and keeping track of what weapons you have and how dead you are. The listing has been designed to work on any Spectrum. Although it was written in 48K BASIC there should be no problem entering it into the 128K +2. At any time there are quite a few different elements to be taken into consideration in the game, but the computer will take care of all of them, asking relevant questions about where you are, what weapons you have selected and so on. Helpfully, it will also tell you if you have died. Type in the program and SAVE it to tape using the command SAVE "Ogroids". Then, to play the game, RUN the program and it will prompt you for weapon selection and thus begin the game. THE EQUIPMENT Before you start to play you've got to choose your equipment. The computer will prompt you, but each option has different advantages. As your mission calls for speed rather than force of arms you may choose only one of the following weapons: SWORD This adds 10% to your Combat Skill and 10% to your Hit Strength, whenever you engage in combat. SPEAR This adds 20% to your Combat Skill when you engage in combat in a Plains or Mountains square on the map. However, in a Marsh or Forest square the close nature of the terrain deprives the weapon of any combat advantage. It adds 5% to your Hit Strength wherever you engage in combat. DAGGER This adds 20% to your Combat Skill when you engage in combat in a Marsh or Forest square on the map. However, in a Plains or Mountains square the open nature of the terrain deprives the weapon of any combat advantage. It adds 5% to your Hit Strength wherever you engage in combat. Also, you may place only one of the following small items in the pouch hanging from your belt: 20 GOLD PIECES This money completely fills the pouch. At no time during the forthcoming journey may you have more than 20 gold pieces in your possession. While you retain one gold piece, nothing else may be put in the pouch. BARLEY SPIRIT This small bottle contains enough of the firey liquid for three draughts. Each draught restores lost Combat Skill percentage by 5% per draught, and any number of draughts may be taken at any one time until the bottle is empty. Combat Skill may never be restored to more than 95%. You may drink from the bottle in an empty square or in a square containing an encounter which is not hostile, at any time. In a square in which you choose to engage in combat, you may drink before or after, but not during a round of combat. LODESTONE This primitive compass will aid you on your journey. Each time you are forced to flee or are led astray, the lodestone increases your chance of travelling in a direction by 25%. Once you have chosen your equipment, you should record both items. During the course of play you should record the loss, acquisition, exchange or consumption of any weapon or pouch item in your possession. You may only have one weapon and one pouch item in your possession at any one time. You start the play with a Combat Skill and Hit Strength of 95%. Percentages lost during the course of play, as a result of combat or attrition, should be deducted from both Combat Skill and Hit Strength and recorded. Once these percentages reach zero you are dead from exhaustion and blood loss! And the game ends!! Whatever weapon you are using, and whatever percentage modification it makes to your Combat Skill, you may never enter combat with a Combat Skill rating of greater than 95%. HOW TO MOVE Unless directed otherwise by an encounter, you may move only one square at a time. You may move straight ahead or back, from side to side or diagonally into any adjacent square. As you move out of the square you are occupying, you must add the time it took to cross it to the total time taken for your journey. Also you must deduct the attrition percentage for that square from your Combat Skill and Hit Strength. These statistics vary with the type of terrain crossed. See Table 1. Table 1: Terrain Statistics TERRAIN TYPE COST IN ATTRITION CROSSED HOURS COST Plain 1 1% Siegeworks 2 2% Forest 2 2% Marsh 2 3% Mountains 3 3% To enter Torvis 1 1% It costs nothing to leave the Lendra square that you start from. RANDOM MOVEMENT Certain encounters in the course of your journey will cause you to "randomise movement". Use the computer to randomise a number and refer the result to the diagram below. .---.---.---. | 7 | 8 | 6 | .---.---.---. | 5 | x | 4 | .---.---.---. | 2 | 1 | 2 | .---.---.---. Your next move must be to move your counter into the square on the map which corresponds to the random number generated. If you possess a lodestone you may, if you wish, add 1 or 2 to the random number received and then move in the new direction indicated. If at any time randomised movement would take you off-board, generate a new random number which will keep your counter in play. ENCOUNTERS On entering a new square, you will not know what perils await you. Use the computer to generate a percentage and refer it to the relevant table for the terrain type you are in. If you are in a mountain square, you would refer to the Mountain Encounters table, etc. You may encounter someone who talks to you, a useful (or useless) item that you can exchange for one already in your possession, or you may meet an enemy and be given the option "fight or flee". If you decide to flee, simply randomise movement as shown above and move into the square selected. If you decide to fight your foe, follow the procedure outlined below. COMBAT The encounter table will give you the Combat Skill and Hit Strength of your opponent. It will also inform you who strikes the first blow. Whoever strikes the first blow, the following procedure is followed: * The attacker uses the computer to generate a percentage. If that percentage is equal to or less than the attacker's Combat Skill, then he has scored a hit on his opponent. If the percentage is greater than the attacker's combat Skill, then the blow has missed. * The damage done to the defender is equal to the Hit Strength of the blow. Subtract the damage from the defender's Combat Skill percentage and ONLY if you are the defender, from your Hit Strength as well. Record the new totals. * Combat continues with the defender then trying to land a blow on his attacker and recording the damage done (if any). When the attacker and defender have traded a blow on each other, this constitutes a round of combat. * After the first round and subsequent rounds, you may elect to flee from combat. This is done by moving in a random direction as outlined above. NB Do not forget to record the cost in time and attrition of the square in which you have been engaged in combat. If you elect to continue in combat, you and your foe may continue to swap blows until one of your Combat Skill ratings reaches zero - in which case that particular person or creature is dead. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Encounter Table 1: Mountains Percentage Result 1-30 The square is empty. 31-35 You meet with a Dwarven Shield maiden. Good Heavens! It's Gilda Bearsbreath. She has a long blond beard and her lovely white tooth gleams in the sunlight. Gilda takes a shine to you and offers you a dagger. The blade has poison on it and will automatically kill your opponent next time you engage in combat, thereafter functioning as a normal dagger. You may substitute this dagger for your own weapon if you wish. 36-50 The stones beneath your feet suddenly give way and you tumble down into an ancient tomb. Generate a percentage and compare to the table below. You find: 1-20 Nothing. 21-30 Some very interesting wall carvings. 31-40 A bear has been using the tomb as a den. You have woken up the creature and it starts to shamble towards you. You may fight or flee. If you fight, you may strike the first blow. The bear has a Combat Skill of 15% and a Hit Strength of 30%. 41-50 A clay pot containing a funerary offering of five gold pieces. You may put some or all of these in your pouch if there is room. 51-60 The occupant of the tomb stands before you - a Mummy! You may fight or flee. If you decide to fight, the Mummy will strike the first blow. Its Combat Skill is 25% and its Hit Strength is 8%. 61-70 A small limestone statuette - it's a votive figure of a hamster. 71-80 Two giant rats are gnawing some old bones. You may fight or flee. If you fight, you will strike the first blow. The rats have a combined Combat Skill of 16% and Hit Strength of 10%. If you do not flee, and survive the combat, you will find a lodestone lodged amongst the old bones. You may substitute this for the contents of your pouch if you wish. 81-90 A map showing you four tunnels leading directly north, south, east and west from your present position. If you follow a tunnel, you may travel under the next square without encountering anything. When you have surfaced in the subsequent square, you should add one hour to the total time of your journey irrespective of the terrain you travelled under. There has been no terrain attrition loss. You may now proceed as normal. 91-100 The roof of the tomb starts to collapse about you! You have a 20% chance of fleeing. Generate a percent- age. If you score 20% or less, you may flee in the normal manner. If you score 21% or more, then you are, sadly, crushed to death by the falling masonry. 51-70 Blizzard. Howling winds and driving snow make you numb with cold. Lose 10% from both your Combat Skill and your Hit Strength. Randomise direction. 71-75 What you took to be a rocky outcrop is in fact the seated figure of a Mountain Giant. He thumps the ground meaning- fully with his club. You cannot fight him, and you only have a 30% chance of fleeing. Generate a percentage. If you score 30% or less, you may flee in the normal manner. If you score 31% or more, then your mission ends here in a red smear on the mountainside. 76-90 You find your way blocked by a deep ravine. It costs you an extra hour to make your way around the obstacle. 91-95 You meet a hermit. He offers you a bowl of stew. The warm food restores your Combat Skill and Hit Strength by 15%. 96-100 Stuck into the trunk of a pine tree, you discover a spear - lost, no doubt by a hunter. You may substitute this spear for your own weapon if you wish. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Encounter Table 2: Plains Percentage Result 1-30 The square is empty. 31-35 You discover the body of a royal messenger. In his pouch is a bottle of potion inscribed with a rune of speed. When drunk, it allows you to totally ignore the time and attrition costs of the next square you pass through. You may drink this now or put it in your pouch if it is empty. 36-40 A highwayman appears from the bushes. "This road carries a toll of 10 gold pieces. Pay up or die!" You can pay, fight or flee. If you fight, the highwayman strikes the first blow. He has a Combat Skill of 30% and a Hit Strength of 15%. 41-60 You enter a ransacked village. Generate a percentage and compare to the table below. You find: 1-20 Nothing. 21-30 Nogo Gripmuffin - a hobbit who has drunk everything the Ogroids left in the tavern. He detains you for one extra hour and misdirects you. Randomise direction. 31-50 A dead dog. 51-60 A purse containing 10 gold pieces. You may put some or all of these in your pouch if there is room. 61-70 A tatty copy of Playdwarf magazine. Gilda Bearsbreath is really something! 71-80 An Ogroid looter. You may fight or flee. If you fight, you have the first blow. The Ogroid attacks with a Combat Skill of 20% and a Hit Strength of 20%. 81-90 A sword. On the blade are runes of power. In all other respects the sword is normal, but when using it against an Ogroid, you may add 10% to both your Combat Skill and Hit Strength. You may substitute this sword for your own weapon if you wish. 91-100 A Goblin straggler leaps out of the ruins. You may fight or flee. He has the first blow. The Goblin's Combat Skill is 12% and his Hit Strength is 10%. 61-80 Refugees from the fighting. They block your progress and hold you up for an additional hour. 81-90 You meet a friendly Centaur. He offers you a lift on his back to aid your mission. You may travel across the next two squares in any direction on the Centaur's back, regardless of the type of terrain. You will add only one hour to your total for the journey, you will suffer no attrition cost at all and encounter nothing in the two squares you cross. The Centaur will leave you in the third square, where you will proceed as normal. 91-95 You are surprised by a regiment of Ogroid reinforcements. You cannot fight them all, and you only have a 20% chance of fleeing. Generate a percentage. If you score 20% or less, you may flee in the normal manner; unfortunately, leaving any weapon you posses behind. If you score 21% or more, then you have been overwhelmed and your mission ends very pain- fully at this point. 96-100 You meet a friendly pilgrim. He gives you a cordial that restores your Combat Skill and Hit Strength by 20%. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Encounter Table 3: Forest Percentage Result 1-50 The square is empty. 51-55 As you enter this forest glade, you notice some extremely large and brightly coloured fungi. When you run your hand over one, it releases a cloud of spores which make you feel curiously light-headed. Dazed, you stumble around for some time before the effect wears off. Lose an extra two hours and randomise direction. 56-60 Ahead of you is a large area of ruins, almost hidden by ivy and other forest growth. You are shocked to realise that this is a settlement of the outcast Chaos-worshipping mutants. As you turn to flee your foot catches in a cleverly concealed noose. As you hang upside-down you can see the hideous forms of mutant guards approaching ... They take you before the Chief Mutant, who tells you that his name is Zinclare Yuzer and judging by his tentacles this may be only too true. Generate a percentage and compare it to the table below to discover his reaction. You find: 1-33 Oh dear - Zinclare is having one of his "bad days". Foaming at the mouth he orders you to be cast into the snake-pit as a sacrifice to the Chaos Gods. As you die, writhing in agony, with your quest in ruins, you may like to know that Zinclare feels much better for a little of what he calls "therapy". 34-66 Zinclare is not enraged, but he isn't overjoyed to see you either. He orders that your weapon and the contents of your pouch are taken from you. You are blindfolded, taken a short distance through the forest and released. You have no idea where you are, so you must randomise direction. 67-100 The Chief Mutant lets you speak. When you tell him of your mission to defeat the Necromancer, he swears a mighty oath. With tears in all his eyes, Zinclare tells you that he used to be normal until the Necromancer himself introduced him to the worship of the dark Chaos Gods. Zinclare vows to help you! A mutant tracker, Derek, will guide you for the next five squares. You may travel in any direction, and for five squares you will have no encounters. You suffer normal attrition loss for the terrain you will travel through, but each square will only cost one hour to cross. Derek will leave you at the beginning of the sixth square where you will continue as normal. 61-70 You discover a forest tree covered with lush fruit. After eating some of them you feel refreshed. Add 10% to both your Combat Skill and your Hit Strength. 71-80 You realise that your are being followed by a pack of wolves. You may fight or flee. You may strike the first blow against the wolves which have a combined Combat Skill of 35% and a Hit Strength of 15%. 81-90 Almost hidden amongst the trees, you discover a shrine to the Allfather. Pausing to mutter a brief prayer, you are almost blinded by a brilliant ray of sunlight which suddenly strikes the altar. It illuminates the most wonderful sword you have ever seen. Normal in all other respects, when the sword has been used to kill an Ogroid, it allows you to add the creature's Hit Strength percentage to both your Combat Skill and your own Hit Strength. You may substitute this sword, "Strength Stealer", for your own weapon if you wish. 91-100 Unknowingly, you have wandered into a faery ring. You are suddenly surrounded by a horde of the fair folk, crying "Pay up, or dance till you drop!" Their leader, King Doombladder, informs you that you must pay a fine of 15 gold pieces as a fine for trespassing on their territory. If you do not have money or you do not wish to pay, you must join in the wild dance that is even now beginning to swirl about you. The dance will cost an extra three hours and reduce both your Combat Skill and Hit Strength by 10%. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Encounter Table 4: Marsh Percentage Result 1-30 The square is empty. 31-50 Ahead of you is a group of small flickering lights. As you make your way towards them, you realise that they are shifting and moving away from you. You have been led astray by a group of Werelights. Randomise direction. 51-60 You meet a fisherman of the marshes. He is not overly impressed by the importance of your mission, but for 10 gold pieces he will give you a lift in his boat. If you do not have the money you must continue on foot. If you decide to pay for a lift, the fisherman will take you across the next 1 to 4 marsh squares. You may choose both the number of squares and the direction. For each square you cross in the boat, add one hour to your journey. As you are resting, there will be no attrition cost. You will have no encounters in any of the squares. 61-70 As you splash your way out of a slimy pool, you look down and see that your legs are covered with leeches. You lose 5% from both your Combat Skill and Hit Strength. In addition you lose an extra hour removing them from your legs. 71-80 In the midst of a great reed bed you discover an ancient, rotting hulk. Generate a percentage and compare to the table below. You find: 1-20 Nothing. 21-30 The rotting deck gives way beneath you and you fall into the hold below and find yourself in the lair of a clan of Meremen. There are at least 20 of them, all with tridents clasped in their webbed fingers. You cannot fight them all and you have only a 25% chance of fleeing. Generate a percentage. If you score 25% or less, you may flee in the normal manner. If you score 26% or more, you have become a main course for the Meremen. As your mission ends here, it may be of some comfort to know that you will be delicious. 31-40 The hulk proves to be the treasure ship of some long- forgotten pirate. From the booty of a hundred raids, you may fill your purse with gold pieces. From the weapon racks you may choose either a dagger, a sword or a spear and substitute it for your own weapon if you wish. 41-50 Three tons of very overripe haddock ... 51-60 Two Marsh Goblins in residence. You may fight or flee. The Goblins strike the first blow. They have a combined Combat Skill of 20% and a Hit Strength of 16%. 61-70 The wreck used to belong to a travelling alchemist. He left behind a pot of Goblin repellant. You smear the foul smelling goo all over yourself. During your next three encounters with Goblins they will simply vomit and run screaming for the horizon. The encounter will then be over and you may move on to the next square. 71-80 A stuffed owl. 81-90 As you explore the ship, you crack your head on a deck beam and knock yourself unconscious. Lose an extra hour and 3% from both your Combat Skill and Hit Strength. 91-100 A bottle of vintage barley spirit. There is enough in the bottle to provide you with three draughts. You may drink some or all of it now, or drink some now and top up your existing bottle, if you have one. You may substitute the bottle for the contents of your pouch if it is not already empty. 81-90 You have wandered into a patch of quicksand. You only have a 50% chance of clawing your way out. Generate a percentage. If you score 50% or less, then you have succeeded, but you have lost your weapon in the process. If 51% or more, then the quest is over and you have ... glub, glub, glub ... 91-100 You meet one of the King's Marsh Wardens. He will give you a lodestone to help you on your journey. You may substitute it for the contents of your pouch if you wish. In addition he gives you some dried meat to chew on which restores your Combat Skill and Hit Strength by 10%. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Encounter Table 5: Siegeworks Percentage Result 1-20 The square is empty. 21-30 You almost stumble across a dozing Ogroid sentry. You may fight or flee. If you decide to fight, you will strike the first blow. The sleepy Ogroid only has a Combat Skill of 15% and a Hit Strength of 10%. 31-40 You discover an abandoned trench which leads directly north to the nearest square of Plains terrain. No matter how many squares of Siegeworks you cross before you reach the Plains, this part of your journey will only take one hour although the attrition cost will be normal. 41-50 A cowardly Ogroid shaman appears. Before you can react, he casts a Tanglefoot spell on you and vanishes. This spell seriously hampers your movement, and you must count the time cost of this square as four hours. 51-70 You are spotted by an alert Ogroid warrior. You may fight or flee. If you choose to fight, the Ogroid will strike the first blow. He has a Combat Skill of 25% and a Hit Strength of 20%. 71-75 In your path is the body of one of the Royal Guards. He has a spear which you may substitute for your own weapon if you wish. In his pouch are seven gold pieces, some or all of which you may put in your pouch if there is room. 76-80 A shape seems to materialise out of the air in front of you. It coalesces into the form of the Necromancer himself! Before you can flee, he raises his hand and a burst of Demonfire erupts from his fingertips. You die in hideous agony and your rescue mission ends here. 81-90 You tumble down into a pit in the middle of the enemy trenches. Landing safely at the bottom of the pit, you discover an old mineshaft which, although it twists and turns, seems to head north. You travel due north from the pit, under the next three square, and come to the surface in the fourth square, where you will continue your journey as normal. Add three hours to your time total and deduct 3% from your Combat Skill and your Hit Strength for the time spent underground. During your subterranean trip you will encounter nothing at all. 91-100 You become lost in a maze of disused trenches. Lose an extra hour and randomise direction. ** END **