# Spellcast - The manual.

    NAME
         spellcast  -  a game of duelling wizards

    SYNOPSIS
         spellcast remotedisplay [ remotedisplay ... ]

         One game window will appear on the default  display  (deter-
         mined  by the contents of the DISPLAY environment variable.)
         The second will appear on  remotedisplay,  which  should  be
         either  an  internet host name or a complete X display iden-
         tifier (host:0.0, for example.) (If  just  a  host  name  is
         given,  display  0  and  screen  0  are  assumed.)  If  more
         remotedisplay arguments  are  supplied,  additional  windows
         will  appear on those screens, and you will have a game with
         three or more players.

         All other machines must add your machine to their  X  access
         lists, using xhost +.

         There is a maximum of seven remotedisplay arguments  --  ie,
         an eight-player game.

    RESOURCES
         The game makes use of two X resources:

         spellcast*name: namestring
         Sets the name used for your wizard. If you do not  set  this
         resource,  the  game  assigns  the  names  "White", "Black",
         "Red", and so forth.
         By default, each character is male. You can specify a gender
         by giving a namestring of the form
             name:f for a female character,
             name:m for a male,
             name:n for a character whose gender is ambiguous or  not
             well-defined in human terms, and
             name:x for a genderless character.

         spellcast*font: fontname
         The font used for all text and labels in  the  game  window.
         This  should  not  be  larger than about 12-point, or things
         will start to overflow their boundaries.

    INTRODUCTION
         This is a game concerning the imaginary conflict between two
         or more powerful wizards in a duel of sorcery. The opponents
         perform magical gestures with their hands  to  create  their
         supernatural  weapons -- spells. Some are so potent as to be
         able to blind a man, call  forth  terrifying  creatures,  or
         even  kill  the  unfortunate victim instantly.  Consequently
         each wizard must rely on his own cunning to be able to  time
         enough   defensive   spells   to  avoid  the  brunt  of  his
         adversary's attack, yet force in sufficient offensive spells
         of  his own to crack the magical armour of his opponent, and
         kill the wizard outright. The inventor wishes to state  that
         he  has  never  been involved in a magical duel but would be
         interested to discover how realistic the game is  for  those
         who have...

    THE TURN
         In a turn, each wizard can either gesture with his hands for
         part  of  a  spell, stab with his knife, or do nothing. They
         use both hands, and the hands can act  either  independently
         or  in  concert.  Monsters  cannot make magical gestures but
         will obey their masters' commands exactly  --  although  the
         identity  of the master could change as a result of enchant-
         ment. Since wizards are trained intelligent humans, they are
         able  to  gesture and attack, using both hands independently
         or in conjunction. Each monster, being an  untrained,  unin-
         telligent  biped,  attacks the same way every time and picks
         whichever victim its  master  decides.  As  a  result,  only
         wizards  can  gesture  and  cast spells.  Players personally
         acquainted with monsters who wish to vouch for their ability
         to cast spells are requested to keep quiet.

         After choosing his or her gestures, each wizard must make  a
         certain  number  of  decisions  --  choosing targets for his
         spells, ordering his monsters to attack particular  targets,
         deciding  the effects of certain spells, and so forth. After
         all players have chosen their gestures and made  any  neces-
         sary  decisions,  the  effects of all spells and attacks are
         resolved simultaneously. The next turn then begins.

    THE GAME WINDOW
         The spellcast window is divided into seven sections.

         The text window
         This is a large rectangle in the upper left side of the win-
         dow.   It  describes what happens in the duel, blow by blow.
         There is a scroll bar on the left side of the text window.

         The gesture history list
         This is several columns of small squares in the upper  right
         side  of  the window -- one pair of columns for each player.
         The player's names are listed at the tops of the columns.

         Each column lists the recent gestures made by each  player's
         left  and  right  hands. The most recent gestures are at the
         bottom; as more turns pass, the columns scroll upwards. Each
         square may show a spell-gesture, a knife stab, or no gesture
         (an empty square).  There may also be a  'disruption'  icon,
         indicating   that   an  'anti-spell'  has  interrupted  that
         wizard's gestures at that point, or a 'fog' icon, indicating
         that  you  could not see that gesture (because of blindness,
         for example.)
         Note that everyone's columns in  the  history  list  do  not
         necessarily  scroll  at  the  same rate. If one player makes
         extra gestures (because of a 'time-stop'  or  'haste'),  his
         column will scroll up extra spaces.  Do not assume that ges-
         tures that appear to be lined up actually were performed  at
         the same time.

         You also use the gesture history list  to  enter  your  ges-
         tures.  At  the  beginning  of  each  turn, the bottom (most
         recent) gestures in your column will be empty.  (The  bottom
         gestures in your opponent's column will be fogged, since you
         cannot see his gestures until you both finish choosing.)  If
         you  move the mouse into one of your bottom gesture squares,
         and hold down the left mouse  button,  a  pop-up  menu  will
         appear,  listing  the possible gestures with that hand. When
         you have chosen gestures for  both  hands,  press  the  "End
         Move" button.

         The status window
         This is the small window just below the gesture columns.  It
         lists  the  name  and  status  of  every living being in the
         arena. Your name is at the top; your opponent's names are on
         successive lines. Names of monsters are indented, and listed
         below the wizards who control them. (Monsters who are uncon-
         trolled  are  indented  and  listed at the top of the status
         window -- this occurs mostly in three-player  game  where  a
         wizard  has  summoned  a  monster and then died.) There is a
         scroll bar on the window, in case you manage  to  have  more
         beings than will fit.

         After each name is the number of hit points that  being  has
         left.  After that, there may be some letters indicating that
         certain spells are in effect:
                 I: invisible
                 H: resistant to heat
                 C: resistant to cold
                 P: protection from evil
                 b: blind
                 d: diseased
                 p: poisoned

         Speech window
         This is a narrow window, one line  tall,  below  the  status
         window.  Anything you type will appear here (the cursor need
         not be in the speech window.) When you hit Return, the  mes-
         sage  you  have typed will appear in each player's text win-
         dow.

         The common Emacs editing keys  will  work:  ctrl-F,  ctrl-B,
         Delete, ctrl-A, ctrl-E, ctrl-K.

         Spell List button
         This is a button labelled "Spell List", underneath the  text
         window.  If you press and hold the mouse button on this but-
         ton, a pop-up window will appear, listing all the spells and
         the gestures that produce them.

         If you use the left mouse button, the  spell  list  will  be
         sorted  by  gesture. If you use the middle mouse button, the
         list will be sorted alphabetically by spell name. If you use
         the  right  mouse  button,  the  list  will be sorted by the
         reversed gesture sequence -- all the spells that end with  a
         clap,  then  all  the  spells  that end with a digit, and so
         forth.  This is useful for looking up your  opponent's  ges-
         tures to see what he might be producing.

         End Move / End Answers button
         This is a button labelled "End Move",  underneath  the  text
         window.   You should click it when you are finished entering
         your gestures at the  start  of  the  turn.  If  the  button
         changes  to read "Move ENDED", then you should wait for your
         opponent to finish entering his gestures.

         When the last player presses the "End Move" button, the game
         will  determine  which players need to make decisions (about
         spell targets or other matters.) The decisions you  need  to
         make  will  be listed in the questions window below, and the
         "End Move" button will change to read  "End  Answers".  When
         you  are  finished  answering, press the button, and it will
         change to "Answers ENDED".

         If at any time the button reads "please wait...",  then  you
         have  nothing to do but wait. (This may be because there are
         no decisions you have to make this  turn,  or  because  your
         opponent is taking an extra turn because of a 'time stop' or
         something similar.) When your opponent is finished, he  will
         click his "End" button and the game will proceed.

         When the duel is  over,  this  button  will  change  to  say
         "Quit".  When  all players have pressed it, the windows will
         be removed and the program will exit.

         Question window
         This is the wide rectangle at  the  bottom  of  the  screen.
         Whenever the game has decisions for you to make, it will put
         them in this window, one per line. (There is a  scroll  bar,
         in  case there are more questions than lines.) Move the cur-
         sor onto a question and hold down the mouse button to get  a
         pop-up menu listing the possible answers.

         You must have answers to all the questions before you  click
         the  "End  Answers"  button.  In  some  cases, there will be
         default answers already listed. You may change the answer or
         leave it alone.

    GAME TRANSCRIPTS
         At the end of the game, in addition to  his  "Quit"  button,
         the  player  who  started the game will see the question "Do
         you want to save a transcript of this game?" If  he  answers
         "yes"  before  hitting "Quit", the program will store a text
         transcript of the game in  a  temporary  directory  (usually
         /tmp, unless your environment is configured otherwise.) This
         transcript will show all gestures made by  each  player,  as
         well  as  all  the  text  of the game, as seen by an outside
         observer. Everything said by any of the players will also be
         in  the transcript, including comments made after the end of
         the game. The filename of the transcript will be printed  on
         the standard output when all players have quit.

    GESTURES

         Spells are created by sequences of gestures  made  with  the
         hands.   There  are five single-handed gestures: the fingers
         spread , the palm facing forward,, the snap , the
         wave  and  the pointing digit . Some spells use two-
         handed gestures, which must be done simultaneously with both
         hands to be valid. The most common two-handed gesture is the
         clap , but the double digit , double wave ,  and
         double  snap  are also used.  The other things which can
         be done with the hand are the non-gestures: the  knife  stab
         "k" and nothing " ".
         (In the game, the gestures are represented by images of  the
         hands  in  the  various  positions.  The  single-letter  and
         parenthesis-letter abbreviations are used only to make  this
         man page readable.)

         To cast a spell, gestures are put in an order characteristic
         of  a spell. A list of spells (including the gestures needed
         for them) is given later.  For example, 3 finger gestures on
         consecutive turns  initiates a 'paralysis' spell.The
         uniqueness of the game, however, is  that  gestures  can  be
         made to operate in more than one spell, provided that:
             a) the gestures have been made in the  correct  sequence
             without interruption;
             b) not more than one spell is created per gesture;
             c) all gestures for one spell are  made  with  the  same
             hand.

         For instance, the left hand could cast the above and
         could be followed byin the next 4 turns to finish
         off a 'fireball' spell  as the last 5 gestures
         are those associated with that spell. Another alternative is
         to simply perform another F for a second paralysis spell, as
         the last 3 gestures are still . Thus, it is apparent
         that if spells are used in a wise manner and overlap a  lot,
         the  overall  number  of gestures needed to cast them can be
         cut quite dramatically.

         If a gesture can be construed to create two or  more  spells
         then  the  caster must choose which one he wants to use. For
         example, the last two gestures of a 'finger  of  death'  are
         the  same  as 'missile', yet only on odd occasions would the
         latter be used. Another example of the one-spell-per-gesture
         concept is the following:

         Right hand:   Last 4 gestures form 'invisibility'
         Left hand:    Last 3 gestures form 'counter-spell'

         The trouble here is  the  'invisibility'  spell  needs  both
         hands  to perform certain gestures. However, since the final
         S of the left hand cannot complete two spells  it  is  clear
         that a  choice  must be made  between  the   of the
         'counter-spell' and the  of the invisibility. The
         caster  must  choose one spell if the gestures are completed
         in the correct sequence. Most spells  can  be  shot  off  to
         nowhere  if  not  required, but some cannot be; for example,
         'fire storm', which gets you no matter where it is released.
         Some  of  the  larger  spells have smaller ones incorporated
         within.

         Spells can be aborted any way along their development simply
         by  performing a gesture with the hand doing the spell which
         is not one needed for that spell. There is no penalty,  save
         having wasted some time. Note that no spells contain "stab",
         "nothing", (half of a clap)  and  consequently  after
         pursuing  one  of  these  alternatives, any spell must start
         from scratch. Note also that wizards only  have  one  dagger
         each,  so  they cannot stab with both hands at the same time
         (although they can change hands for stabbing without wasting
         time.) Such are the disadvantages of physical violence...

         Certain spells cancel each other if they take effect  simul-
         taneously.  An  obvious  example  is  'finger  of death' and
         'raise dead'. Cancellation occurs when the subject  for  the
         spells concerned is the same person, although there are some
         of the heat versus cold variety which don't care who is  the
         subject. Other spells which cancel harmlessly are mostly the
         enchantments, which direct that something be done which  may
         be  impossible  to obey due to some contradiction (e.g.  you
         cannot both repeat last turn's gestures and  give  a  random
         gesture  with  one  hand, as you would if the subject of the
         spells 'amnesia' and 'confusion' at once).

         Since spells detonate simultaneously, there is  occasionally
         confusion  over spells which don't cancel, yet which seem to
         depend on which happened first. The best example is  when  a
         monster  is  created  and, on the same turn, hit by a 'fire-
         ball', or something else sufficient to kill it.  Since  both
         are  simultaneous,  the monster will attack that turn whilst
         being destroyed. (There are some exceptions explicitly  men-
         tioned,  for  example  ice  elementals  in  'ice  storm', or
         'counter-spell' / 'dispel magic' against all other spells.)

         Another example of a seeming conflict is when someone who is
         resistant  to fire is the subject of both a 'remove enchant-
         ment' and 'fireball'; the  enchantment  is  removed  as  the
         fireball  explodes  (since  they are simultaneous) hence the
         poor victim is fried. If, instead, he were not resistant  to
         fire  and was hit by a 'resist fire' and 'fireball' at once,
         then he would start to resist fire as the fireball  exploded
         and thus be saved.

         Before the battle commences, the  referee  casts  a  'dispel
         magic'  followed  by an 'anti-spell' at each of the wizards.
         This is so that they cannot commence gesturing  prematurely.
         Thus  being resistant to fire in your last battle doesn't do
         you any good in the next.

    WINNING
         Each wizard can sustain 14 points of damage, but on the 15th
         or  above  he  dies and the surviving wizard is declared the
         winner.  Simultaneous death is  a  posthumous  draw.  Damage
         given  to  wizards  and monsters is cumulative (so you don't
         have to do it all in one go!) Dead monsters take no  further
         part in the game.

         There is another alternative to  being  killed,  namely  the
         'surrender'.  This  is not a spell, but a pair of P gestures
         made by both hands at the same time.   If  any  wizard  does
         this (accidentally or deliberately), he has surrendered, and
         will be eliminated from the game at the end  of  that  turn.
         See the end of the spell list for details.

    SPELLS
         There now follows, in four sections, a list  of  the  spells
         which may be cast.

         Protection spells

         'Shield':

         This spell protects the subject from all attacks  from  mon-
         sters  (that  is,  creatures  created by a summoning spell),
         from 'missile' spells, and from stabs by wizards. The shield
         lasts for that turn only, but one shield will cover all such
         attacks made against the subject that turn.

         'Remove enchantment':

         If the subject of this spell is currently being affected  by
         any  of  the  spells  in  the  "enchantments" section, or if
         spells from that section are cast at him at the same time as
         the  remove  enchantment,  then  all  such  spells terminate
         immediately (although  their  effect  for  that  turn  might
         already  have  passed.) For example, the victim of a 'blind-
         ness' spell would not be able to  see  what  his  opponent's
         gestures  were  on  the turn that his sight is restored by a
         'remove enchantment'. Note  that  the  'remove  enchantment'
         affects  all  enchantments  whether the caster wants them to
         all go or not. A second effect of the spell  is  to  destroy
         any  monster upon which it is cast, although the monster can
         attack in that turn.

         'Magic mirror':

         Any spell cast at the subject of  this  spell  is  reflected
         back  at  the  caster of that spell for that turn only. This
         includes spells like 'missile' and 'lightning bolt' but does
         not  include  attacks  by  monsters already in existence, or
         stabs from wizards. Note that certain  spells  are  cast  by
         wizards usually upon themselves (e.g.  spells from this sec-
         tion and the "Summons" section); the mirror has no effect on
         these spells.  It is countered totally, with no effect what-
         soever, if the subject is the simultaneous subject of either
         a  'counter-spell'  or  'dispel  magic'. It has no effect on
         spells which affect more than  one  person,  such  as  'fire
         storm'.  Two  mirrors cast at someone simultaneously combine
         to form a single mirror. If a spell is reflected from a mir-
         ror  back  at  a  wizard  who  also  has a mirror, the spell
         bounces back and forth until it falls apart.

         'Counter-spell':  or

         Any other spell cast upon the subject in the same  turn  has
         no  effect  whatever.  In  the  case of blanket-type spells,
         which affect more  than  one  person,  the  subject  of  the
         'counter-spell'  alone  is  protected.  For example, a 'fire
         storm' spell would not affect a wizard if  that  wizard  was
         simultaneously  the subject of a 'counter-spell', but every-
         one else would be affected as usual (unless they  had  their
         own  protection.)  The  'counter-spell'  will cancel all the
         spells cast at the subject for that turn, including  'remove
         enchantment'  and  'magic mirror', but not 'dispel magic' or
         'finger of death'. It will combine with another spell of its
         own  type  for  the  same  effect  as  if it were alone. The
         'counter-spell' will also act as a 'shield' on its  subject,
         in  addition  to  its  other  properties.  The spell has two
         alternative gesture sequences, either of which may  be  used
         at any time.
         'Dispel magic':

         This spell acts as  a  combination  of  'counter-spell'  and
         'remove  enchantment',  but its effects are universal rather
         than limited to the subject of the spell. It will  stop  any
         spell cast in the same turn from working (apart from another
         'dispel magic' spell which combines with  it  for  the  same
         result),  and  will  remove all enchantments from all beings
         before they have effect. In addition, all monsters are  des-
         troyed, although they can attack that turn. 'Counter-spells'
         and 'magic mirrors'  have  no  effect.  Like  the  'counter-
         spell',  it also acts as a 'shield' for its subject. 'Dispel
         magic' will not dispel stabs or surrenders, since  they  are
         not spells (although the 'shield' effect may block a stab.)

         'Raise dead':

         The subject of this spell is usually a recently  dead  human
         or  monster  corpse  (it  will not work on elementals, which
         dissipate when destroyed.) When the spell is cast,  life  is
         instilled  back  into the corpse and any damage which it has
         sustained is cured until the owner  is  back  to  his  usual
         state of health.  A 'remove enchantment' effect is also man-
         ifest so any 'diseases' or  'poisons'  will  be  neutralized
         (plus  any  other enchantments). The subject will be able to
         act as normal immediately, so that next turn he can gesture,
         fight,  etc.  If  the subject is a monster, it will be under
         the control of the wizard who raised it, and it will be able
         to attack that turn.
         If the spell is cast on a live  individual,  the  effect  is
         that of a 'cure wounds' recovering 5 points of damage, or as
         many as have been sustained if less than 5.  In  this  case,
         'diseases',   'poisons',  and  other  enchantments  are  not
         removed.
         This is the  only  spell  which  affects  corpses  properly;
         therefore,  it cannot be stopped by a 'counter-spell', since
         'counter-spell' can only be cast on living beings. A 'dispel
         magic'  spell will stop it, since that affects all spells no
         matter what  their  subject.   Once  alive  the  subject  is
         treated as normal.

         'Cure light wounds':

         If the subject has received damage then he  is  cured  by  1
         point  as if that point had not been inflicted. (Recall that
         all spells  are  resolved  simultanously;  if  a  wizard  is
         suffers  his  15th point of damage at the same time as he is
         affected by 'cure light wounds', he will remain  alive  with
         14  points  of damage at the end of the turn.) The effect is
         not removed by a 'dispel magic' or 'remove enchantment'.

         'Cure heavy wounds':

         This spell is the  same  as  'cure  light  wounds'  for  its
         effect,  but  2  points of damage are cured instead of 1, or
         only 1 if only 1 had been sustained. A side effect  is  that
         the  spell will also cure a disease. (Note that 'raise dead'
         on a live individual won't).

         Summons spells

         'Summon Goblin':

         This spell creates a goblin under the control of the  wizard
         upon  whom  the spell is cast. The goblin can attack immedi-
         ately and its victim can be any any wizard or other  monster
         the  controller  desires.  The goblin does 1 point of damage
         to its victim per turn and is destroyed  after  1  point  of
         damage is inflicted upon it.

         'Summon Ogre':

         This spell is the same as  'summon  goblin',  but  the  ogre
         created  inflicts  and  is  destroyed  by 2 points of damage
         rather than 1.

         'Summon Troll':

         This spell is the same as 'summon  goblin',  but  the  troll
         created  inflicts  and  is  destroyed  by 3 points of damage
         rather than 1.

         'Summon Giant':

         This spell is the same as 'summon  goblin',  but  the  giant
         created  inflicts  and  is  destroyed  by 4 points of damage
         rather than 1.

         'Summon Elemental':

         This spell creates either a fire elemental or an ice elemen-
         tal,  at the discretion of the wizard upon whom the spell is
         cast (after he has seen all the gestures made that turn.)

         Elementals must be cast at someone and cannot be "shot  off"
         harmlessly at some inanimate object. The elemental will, for
         that turn and until destroyed,  attack  everyone  (including
         its  owner,  and other monsters), causing 3 points of damage
         per turn. Only wizards and monsters who are resistant to the
         elemental's  element  (heat or cold), or who have a 'shield'
         or a spell with a 'shield' effect, are safe.  The  elemental
         takes  3  points of damage to be killed but may be destroyed
         by spells of the opposite type (e.g. 'fire  storm',  'resist
         cold'  or  'fireball'  will kill an ice elemental), and will
         also neutralize the cancelling spell.  Elementals  will  not
         attack  on  the  turn they are destroyed by such a spell. An
         elemental will also be engulfed and destroyed by a storm  of
         its  own  type  but, in such an event, the storm is not neu-
         tralized although the elemental still  does  not  attack  in
         that  turn.   Two  elementals of the opposite type will also
         destroy each other before attacking, and  two  of  the  same
         type will join together to form a single elemental of normal
         strength. If there are two opposite storms and an elemental,
         or two opposite elementals and one or two storms, all storms
         and elementals cancel each other out.

         Damaging Spells

         'Missile':

         This spell creates a material object of hard substance which
         is  hurled towards the subject of the spell and causes him 1
         point of damage. The spell is  thwarted  by  a  'shield'  in
         addition  to  the  usual 'counter-spell', 'dispel magic' and
         'magic mirror' (the latter causing it to hit whoever cast it
         instead).

         'Finger of Death':

         Kills the subject stone dead. This spell is so powerful that
         it  is  unaffected  by a 'counter-spell', although a 'dispel
         magic' spell cast upon the final gesture will stop  it.  The
         usual  way  to prevent being harmed by this spell is to dis-
         rupt it during casting -- using an 'anti-spell',  for  exam-
         ple.

         'Lightning Bolt':  or

         The subject of this spell is hit by a bolt of lightning  and
         sustains  5  points of damage. Resistance to heat or cold is
         irrelevant. There  are  two  gesture  combinations  for  the
         spell,  but the shorter one may be used only once per battle
         by any wizard. The longer one may be used  without  restric-
         tion. A 'shield' spell offers no defence.

         'Cause Light Wounds':

         The subject of this spell is inflicted with 2 points of dam-
         age.  Resistance to heat or cold offers no defence. A simul-
         taneous 'cure light wounds' does not cancel  the  spell;  it
         only  heals  one  of the points of damage. A 'shield' has no
         effect.

         'Cause Heavy Wounds':

         This has  the  same  effect  as  'cause  light  wounds'  but
         inflicts 3 points of damage instead of 2.

         'Fireball':

         The subject of this spell is hit by a ball of fire, and sus-
         tains  5 points of damage unless he is resistant to fire. If
         at the same time an 'ice storm' prevails, the subject of the
         'fireball'  is  instead not harmed by either spell, although
         the storm will affect others as normal. If  directed  at  an
         ice  elemental,  the  fireball will destroy it before it can
         attack.

         'Fire storm':

         Everything not resistant to heat sustains 5 points of damage
         that turn. The spell cancels wholly, causing no damage, with
         either an 'ice storm' or an ice elemental. It  will  destroy
         but  not be destroyed by a fire elemental. Two 'fire storms'
         act as one.

         'Ice storm':

         Everything not resistant to cold sustains 5 points of damage
         that turn. The spell cancels wholly, causing no damage, with
         either a 'fire storm' or a fire elemental;  it  will  cancel
         locally with a 'fireball', sparing the subject of the 'fire-
         ball' but nobody else.  It will destroy but not be destroyed
         by an ice elemental. Two 'ice storms' act as one.

         Enchantments

         'Amnesia':

         If the subject of this spell is a wizard, next turn he  must
         repeat identically the gestures he made in the current turn,
         including "nothing" and "stab" gestures.  If the subject  is
         a  monster  it will attack whoever it attacked this turn. If
         the subject is simultaneously the subject of any of  'confu-
         sion',  'charm  person',  'charm  monster',  'paralysis'  or
         'fear' then none of the spells work.

         'Confusion':

         If the subject of this spell is a wizard, next turn  one  of
         his  gestures  will  be changed randomly. Either his left or
         his right hand (50% chance of either) will perform  a  half-
         clap,  palm,  digit,  fingers, snap, or wave (chosen at ran-
         dom). (Recall that a one-handed clap is useless  unless  the
         other  hand  also  attempts  to clap.) If the subject of the
         spell is a monster, it attacks at random that turn.  If  the
         subject  is  also  the  subject  of any of 'amnesia', 'charm
         person', 'charm monster', 'paralysis' or 'fear', none of the
         spells work.

         'Charm Person':

         Except for cancellation with other enchantments, this  spell
         only  affects  wizards.  When  the spell is cast, the caster
         tells the subject which of his hands will be controlled;  in
         the  following turn, the caster chooses the gesture he wants
         the subject's chosen hand to perform. This could be  a  stab
         or  nothing.  If  the  'charm  person' spell reflects from a
         'magic mirror' back at its caster, the subject of the mirror
         assumes  the role of caster and controls down his opponent's
         gesture. If the subject  is  also  the  subject  of  any  of
         'amnesia',  'confusion',  'charm  monster',  'paralysis'  or
         'fear', none of the spells work.

         'Charm Monster':

         Except for cancellation with other enchantments, this  spell
         only  affects  monsters (but not elementals). Control of the
         monster is transferred  to  the  caster  of  the  spell  (or
         retained  by  him)  as  of this turn; i.e., the monster will
         attack whosoever its new controller dictates from that  turn
         onwards  including that turn. Further charms are, of course,
         possible, transferring as before.  If  the  subject  of  the
         charm is also the subject of any of: 'amnesia', 'confusion',
         'charm person', 'fear' or 'paralysis', none  of  the  spells
         work.

         'Paralysis':

         If the subject of the spell is a wizard, then  on  the  turn
         the  spell  is  cast, after gestures have been revealed, the
         caster selects one of the wizard's hands; on the  next  turn
         that hand is paralyzed into the position it is in this turn.
         If the wizard already had a paralyzed hand, it must  be  the
         same hand which is paralyzed again. Most gestures remain the
         same (including "stab" and "nothing"), but if the hand being
         paralyzed is performing a C, S, or W it is instead paralyzed
         into F, D, or P respectively.  A favourite ploy is  to  con-
         tinually  paralyze  a  hand  (F-F-F-F-F-F etc.) into a non-P
         gesture and then set a monster on the subject so that he has
         to  use  his  other hand to protect himself, but then has no
         defence against other magical attacks. If the subject of the
         spell  is  a  monster, it simply does not attack in the turn
         following the one in which the spell  was  cast.  Elementals
         are  unaffected.   If  the  subject of the spell is also the
         subject of any of 'amnesia',  'confusion',  'charm  person',
         'charm monster' or 'fear', none of the spells work.

         'Fear':

         In the turn following the casting of this spell, the subject
         cannot  perform a C, D, F or S gesture with either hand. (He
         can stab, however.) This obviously has  no  effect  on  mon-
         sters.   If  the  subject  is also the subject of 'amnesia',
         'confusion', 'charm person', 'charm monster' or 'paralysis',
         then none of the spells work.

         'Anti-spell':

         On the turn following the casting of this spell, the subject
         cannot include any gestures made on or before this turn in a
         spell sequence and must restart a new spell from the  begin-
         ning  of  that  spell sequence. (This is marked by a special
         'disruption' icon interrupting the  subject's  gesture  his-
         tory.)  The  spell  does not affect spells which are cast on
         the same turn; nor does it affect monsters.

         'Protection from Evil':

         For this turn and the following three turns, the subject  of
         this  spell  is protected as if using a 'shield' spell, thus
         leaving both hands free.  Concurrent 'shield'  spells  offer
         no  further  protection, and compound 'protection from evil'
         spells merely overlap offering no extra cover.

         'Resist Heat':

         The subject of this spell becomes permanently  resistant  to
         all  forms of heat attack ('fireball', 'fire storm' and fire
         elementals). Only 'dispel  magic'  or  'remove  enchantment'
         will  terminate  this  resistance  once  started (although a
         'counter-spell' will prevent it from working if cast at  the
         subject  at  the  same  time as this spell). A 'resist heat'
         cast directly on a fire elemental will destroy it before  it
         can  attack that turn, but there is no effect on ice elemen-
         tals.

         'Resist Cold':

         The effects of this spell are identical to 'resist heat' but
         resistance  is  to cold ('ice storm' and ice elementals). It
         destroys ice elementals if  they  are  the  subject  of  the
         spell, but doesn't affect fire elementals.

         'Disease':

         The subject of this spell  immediately  contracts  a  deadly
         (non-contagious) disease which will kill him at the end of 6
         turns counting from the one upon which the  spell  is  cast.
         The  malady  is  cured  by 'remove enchantment', 'cure heavy
         wounds' or 'dispel magic' in the meantime.

         'Poison':

         This is similar to the 'disease' spell,  except  that  'cure
         heavy wounds' does not stop its effects.

         'Blindness':

         For the next three turns (not including the one in which the
         spell  was  cast),  the subject is unable to see. If he is a
         wizard, he cannot tell what  his  opponent's  gestures  are,
         although  he will sense what spells are cast. If he tries to
         cast spells (or stab) at other beings, he will miss. Blinded
         monsters  are  instantly destroyed and cannot attack in that
         turn.

         'Invisibility':

         This spell is similar to 'blindness';  the  subject  of  the
         spell  becomes  invisible  to his opponent and his monsters.
         His gestures cannot be seen, although  his  spells  can.  No
         other  being  can  attack  or  cast  spells at him, with the
         exception of elementals.  Any monster made invisible is des-
         troyed  due to the unstable nature of such magically created
         creatures.

         'Haste':

         For the next three turns, the subject is speeded up; wizards
         can  make an extra set of gestures, and monsters can make an
         extra attack.  For wizards, the effects of both sets of ges-
         tures are taken simultaneously at the end of the turn.  Thus
         a single 'counter-spell' from his adversary could cancel two
         spells  cast by the hastened wizard on two half-turns if the
         phasing is right. Non-hastened wizards and monsters can  see
         everything  the hastened individual is doing.  Hastened mon-
         sters can change target in the extra turns if desired.

         'Time stop':

         The subject of this spell immediately takes an  extra  turn,
         on  which  no-one  can  see  or  know  about unless they are
         harmed. All non-affected beings have no  resistance  to  any
         form  of  attack, e.g. a wizard halfway through the duration
         of a 'protection from evil' spell can be harmed by a monster
         which has had its time stopped. Time-stopped monsters attack
         whoever their controller instructs, and time-stopped elemen-
         tals affect everyone, resistance to heat or cold being imma-
         terial in that turn.

         'Delayed effect':

         This spell must be cast upon a wizard. The  next  spell  the
         subject  completes,  provided it is in one of the next three
         turns, is "banked" until needed -- i.e.  it  fails  to  work
         until  its caster desires.  (If you have a spell banked, you
         will be asked each turn if you want  to  release  it.)  Note
         that  spells banked are those cast by the subject, not those
         cast at him. If he casts more than one  spell  at  the  same
         time, he chooses which is to be banked. Remember that P is a
         'shield' spell, and surrender is not a spell. A  wizard  may
         only have one spell banked at any one time.

         'Permanency':

         This spell must be upon a wizard. The  next  spell  he  com-
         pletes,  provided  it  is in the next three turns, and which
         falls into the category  of  "Enchantments"  will  have  its
         effect  made permanent. (Exeptions: 'anti-spell', 'disease',
         'poison', 'time-stop', 'delayed  effect',  and  'permanency'
         cannot  be  made  permanent.  Note  that  'resist  heat' and
         'resist cold' are inherently permanent  enchantments.)  This
         means  that  the  effect  of the extended spell on the first
         turn of its duration is repeated eternally. For  example,  a
         'confusion'  spell will produce the same gesture on the same
         hand rather than changing randomly each turn; a 'charm  per-
         son' will mean repetition of the chosen gesture, etc. If the
         subject of the 'permanency' casts more than one spell at the
         same  time eligible for permanency, he chooses which has its
         duration extended. Note that the person who  has  his  spell
         made permanent does not necessarily have to make himself the
         subject of the spell. If both a  'permanency'  and  'delayed
         effect'  are  eligible  for  the  same spell to be banked or
         extended, a choice must be made;  whichever  is  not  chosen
         will affect the next eligible spell instead.

         Non-spells

         'Surrender':

         This is not a spell; consequently, it cannot be cast at any-
         one, nor can it be dispelled, counter-spelled, reflected off
         a mirror, or banked.  A wizard who makes two simultaneous  P
         gestures,  irrespective  of whether they terminate spells or
         not, surrenders and the contest is  over.  The  surrendering
         wizard  is  deemed to have lost unless his gestures complete
         spells which kill his opponent. Two simultaneous  surrenders
         count as a draw. It is a necessary skill for wizards to work
         their spells so that they never accidentally perform  two  P
         gestures  simultaneously.   Wizards  can  be  killed as they
         surrender (if hit with appropriate spells  or  attacks)  but
         the   "referees"  will  cure  any  diseases,  poisons,  etc.
         immediately after the surrender for them.

         'Stab': stab

         This is not a spell, but an attack which can be directed  at
         any  individual  monster or wizard. Unless protected in that
         turn by a 'shield' spell or  another  spell  with  the  same
         effect,  the  target  stabbed suffers 1 point of damage. The
         wizard only has one knife, so can only stab with one hand in
         any  turn, although which hand doesn't matter. The stab can-
         not be reflected, counter-spelled, dispelled, or banked.

    BUGS
         Does not conform exactly to the original Spellcaster  rules.
         Tough. Some points of divergence:

         The choosing of targets for monsters  is  handled  much  too
         late  in  the  round,  and monster attacks are not perfectly
         simultaneous with spell attacks. This results in a number of
         minor  effects  which  are  inconsistent  with  the original
         rules. Since I don't plan to  do  a  major  rewrite  anytime
         soon, you just get to live with it.

         If 'remove enchantment' is cast on a wizard who is also  the
         subject of a summoning spell, the summoned monster should be
         destroyed after attacking.

         If a mind-control spell (paralysis, confusion,  amnesia)  is
         cast on a monster by a time-stopped wizard, the spell should
         take effect on the next turn, rather than (as currently hap-
         pens) the turn after next.

         The 'delayed effect' and 'permanency' spells should be  able
         to  bank or extend spells cast during the same turn, as well
         as those cast during the next three turns.

    HISTORY
         The original paper-and-pencil version of this game, entitled
         Spellbinder,  was  created by Richard Bartle; it was printed
         in his zine Sauce of the Nile. He attempted to have it  com-
         mercially produced, but apparently didn't get very far.
         It was reprinted (with some changes) as Spellcaster  in  the
         fanzine  Duel  Purpose, written by Mike Lean. From there, it
         was scanned  and  posted  to  the  Net  by  Andrew  Buchanan
         (buchanan@heron.enet.dec.com). I grabbed it and wrote this X
         version.
         Undoubtedly, some part of  this  chain  violates  somebody's
         copyright.  However,  Richard Bartle is alleged to have died
         at some point, so the moral problems seem to be minimal.

    AUTHOR
         Andrew Plotkin <ap1i+@andrew.cmu.edu>