Frequently Asked Questions

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Please email enquiries@heroicfantasygames.com if you are still having problems downloading. Thank you.

What are the hardware requirements?

Any PC with DirectX 9 and Windows XP/Vista/7/8 should be able to run the game. It might work with other operating systems, you just have to try the demo. If the demo works, then the full game will work.

How long did you work on the game?

Around three years on a part time basis.

Is it freeware?

No, the demo will be free and the full game will be priced around £10. It will be available for download on this site.

What is the resolution/number of colours?

The resolution is 320x240 and the maximum number of colours is 2^24=16777216.

But I hate low-resolution graphics.

Even low-resolution graphics can be beautiful. Have a look at these (click to enlarge).

Dungeons & Dragons Tower of Doom (arcade game)

Aladdin (SNES) and Defender of the Crown (Amiga)

When will the game be released?

It has been released, please click here to download.

What programming language did you use?

It's written in C++ using Visual Studio 2005. It looks more like C than C++, though.

Can we play in windowed mode? full screen?

You can play in full screen, windowed mode 640x480 or windowed mode 960x720. You switch between full screen and windowed mode by pushing ALT+ENTER.

Is this an action-RPG? I like action-RPGs.

Then you’re looking at the wrong game. This is an RPG-orientated RPG, where hand-eye coordination and quick reflexes are of no particular help. It’s a fact that most PC RPGs nowadays are first-person action-RPGs. I say most because independent developers like Spiderweb Software and Basilisk are still making RPGs that are not action-RPGs.

What combat system does the game use?

A turn-based, grid-based system rather similar to the combat systems of Temple of Elemental Evil and Dark Sun 1 The Shattered Lands. See the How to play section for more information on how the combat system works.

Does the game allow non-fighting solutions to situations?

Not as a general principle, but yes on a case-by-case basis. Many low-intelligence monsters just won't talk to the party. Others will talk, but only in an attempt to deceive the party. Lastly, some creatures are open to diplomacy, allowing a non-fighting resolution through dialogue. When this happens, the party is suitably rewarded in terms of experience points.

Why have four player characters?

Having less characters would mean less tactical possibilities, and having more characters would slow down combat with little gain.

What are the player races and classes?

The player characters can be human, mul or half-elf and they can be knight, wizard or cleric. They can also be male or female. The character sprite is determined by the class and gender. In the game, half-elves are immune to sleep effects and they have the following ability score adjustments: -2 strength, +2 dexterity, -2 constitution and +2 intelligence. Humans start with an extra feat. Muls start with the Toughness feat and have the following ability score adjustments: +2 strength and -2 dexterity.

Why use these player races?

Player characters can be human, half-elf or mul (half-dwarf). The main reason for using only these races is economy. The more exotic races require different graphics, while these three look very alike. This allows to represent characters according to their class and gender rather than their race. Also, more races means more racial abilities and differences must be taken account in the game. Otherwise, I do like the idea of allowing more player races, especially the standard ones, but unfortunately that won't happen in this game.

Why use these character classes?

The game features three character classes, Fighter (Knight), Cleric and Wizard. These are the only classes that appeared in the Original Dungeons & Dragons (see Gary Gygax's Men & Magic). It would be nice to have more classes and powers, such as psionics, barbarian rage, sneak attack damage, or druidic spells. However, it is much simpler to make a game with just these three main classes. Also, I think the only fundamental classes in D&D are the fighter, cleric, wizard and thief. The fighter is good at melee combat, the cleric can heal, the wizard has offensive spells and the thief spots traps and opens locks. I have not seen very good adaptations of the thief class in video games. The focus is usually on combat, making the thief lackluster.

Are creatures animated or still pictures?

They are animated whenever they walk or attack. The game also features smooth-scrolling.

Are the characters required to eat?

No. The characters will never die from starvation.

Are the dungeons hand crafted or generated by computer?

They are all carefully hand crafted.

Do monsters appear in cleaned-out areas?

That depends on what area we're talking about. In many areas, yes, random groups of monsters do appear after you have "cleaned" the area.

How does travel between locations take place?

Similar to Fallout 1 or Champions of Krynn, the party is represented by a dot on the world map. While traveling on the world map, there is a chance of random encounter. When the party reaches a specific location, the world map is closed and the party can explore that specific location.

Can we skip world-map random encounters?

Yes. You are given the option to run away. This applies only to world-map encounters.

Are there restrictions on when to save the game?

There are indeed restrictions on when you can save. You may not save while traveling on the world map, and you may not save while engaged in combat. Otherwise, you can save up to five distinct games.

Are there puzzles in the game?

Yes, there are some “puzzly” situations in the game. They include: finding secret doors, finding the right key, finding the right combination, choosing the right dialogue options. However, there are no “type your answer” riddles such as “What animal has four legs the morning, two legs at noon and three in the evening? Type your answer>”.

What spells are in the game?

Please check out the list of spells.

What skills are in the game?

None, I'm afraid. I consider that the OGL skills are more useful for a pen-and-paper game than for a computer game. In Temple of Elemental Evil, I thought skills were cumbersome and mostly without use.

What feats are in the game?

Please check out the list of feats.

What monsters are in the game?

Please check out the list of races.

What is this OGL 3.5 I've heard about?

OGL is the open game licence created by Wizards of the Coast to allow third-parties to use their open game content. The open game content is a set of rules that constitutes the foundation of the pen-and-paper role playing game Dungeons & Dragons 3.5. Thus, the open content is distinct from D&D, but very closely related. If you like one, you like the other. Follow this link for more considerations about the open game content. You can read the game rules in question there. You can read the terms of the licence there, and you can read Wizards of the Coast's software FAQ there.

How is the game different from the Open Content 3.5?

Please check out the list of differences.

Did you tweak experience awards compared to the OGL?

No. You get the same experience as set in the original rules for each challenge rating.

Is there a maximum level?

Yes. The maximum level for player characters is 20. Monsters can have any level.

Can you cast any spell outside combat?

Most spells make sense only in the context of a fight, so you are not allowed to cast these spells outside combat. This way neither the party, nor the computer-controlled enemies, can stack spells in anticipation of an encounter (such as Bless + Stoneskin + Haste even before the fight has started). The only spells that you can cast outside combat are Mage Armor (because the effect goes on until the party rests), all the healing spells, and spells that remove permanent afflictions (for example: Remove Curse, Remove Negative Levels and Stone to Flesh).

How many hours does the game take to finish?

This is not easy to estimate. I would say as long as Baldur's Gate 1.

Can we play evil characters?

No. You're supposed to play the good guys. As a direct result, you are not allowed to attack friendly creatures. However, even honourable knights sometimes have to take decisions that might bring them to the "grey" area of morality.

Does the game track alignment?

Alignment is not tracked by the game. It stays the same from start to finish.

Does the game include area-specific music?

Yes, many areas have their own music track.

Are there unique artefacts (weapons, etc) in the game?

There are many magic weapons and other magic items to be found in the game. The most powerful items have a unique description of how they came to be. However, due to the crafting system no weapon or armour is really unique; the player could always craft an identical item.

Is time significant in the game, are there timed quests?

No. There are no timed quests, and no way to know exactly what the gameworld time is.

What about day and night and weather?

Yes, there is a smooth transition between night and day. It does not affect gameplay, so any store will remain open even during the night hours. Rain has been implemented too. When a combat happens outside and it is raining, all range attacks suffer a -4 penalty.

Do you need to rest when not wounded? Can you sleep anywhere or only in some places?

The only purpose of resting is to recover hit points and spell slots. The party can roam for as long as it wants, it will not become fatigued from lack of sleep. The only place where the party can rest is at a campfire. There are campfires here and there in the game. It should be one of the party's priorities to find a campfire (a proper place to rest) when exploring a new area.

Are there background animations?

There are a few, including lights, butterflies, crawling bugs and so on.

Does the game allow multiplayer on Internet?

No. This is a single-player game.

What weapons and armour are in the game?

Please check out the list of weapons and armour.

What rings and wondrous items are in the game?

Please check out the list of magic items.

What enchantments are allowed for weapons and armour?

Please check out the list of enchantments.

How are the ability scores generated?

During character creation, each ability score (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Wisdom, Intelligence and Charisma) is determined by throwing four six-sided dice (4D6), removing the lowest dice result and totaling the remaining dice. All the abilities are automatically re-rolled if the rolls were exceptionally poor.

You may re-roll one (and only one) ability and you may switch two abilities once. For example, say you rolled 13 for Strength. Then you re-rolled Strength and obtained 12. You keep the higher result of 13. You are still allowed to switch two abilities. Say you had a 17 in intelligence. You wanted Strength to have the highest score, so you switch Intelligence with Strength, leaving you with the final ability scores of 17 Strength and 13 Intelligence.

Can I play with the maximum ability scores possible?

The game has options to specify that you want each character to have from one to six 18s in the ability scores. So if you set the number of 18s to six, your characters will have the maximum ability scores (18 in each ability). There is also an option to specify that you want the maximum hit point increase at each level-up.

Specifying maximum ability scores and maximum hit points makes the game easier. However, certain fights and situations are challenging even with the maximum ability scores and hit points.

The game is too hard! Do you want to frustrate players?

I did not intend to make the game too hard – only epic and challenging. You can make the game much easier by setting all the ability scores at 18 and setting Hit Point increases per level to the maximum. You set these things in the options screen. Regardless of these options, some fights just have to be played through several times before you can find an effective tactic.

What are the recommended Player Character parties?

One mul knight wielding a greatsword, or a longsword and shield, and one human knight wielding two short swords or two light hammers. Plus one human cleric and one half-elf wizard. With two knights, you always have the best in terms of melee firepower. The cleric helps the knights with Prayer and Bless, and the wizard helps the party deal with large groups of enemies with spells like Stinking Burst, Web, etc.

Alternatively, go with two clerics and two wizards. With this party, each character is able to craft magic items and cast spells. The two wizards can clear entire rooms full of enemies with one or two Fireballs. When faced with a strong, single enemy that also has spell resistance, the two clerics can cast their “power” spells such as Righteous Might and Divine Favour, allowing them to fight in melee nearly as well as knights.

Does the game feature a copy protection scheme?

No. There is no protection against copy.

What's the benefit of being a buyer, then?

Only people who have bought the game will have access to updates, if any are released. Forum participants will also be described as ‘Demo user’ until they buy the game. Lastly, your karma and happiness will increase when you buy the game, knowing that you support an independent game developer.

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