The Black Sage/Before entering the castle

Character creation
When you start the game, the first character is always the same. When this characetr dies and a new ones are generated, they will actually be random.

Attributes
Adventure attributes are use to check the outcome of different events.
 * Intelligence quotient (IQ): check if you can read or interpret what you see.
 * Luck: some events purely depend on it.
 * Dexterity: check if you can do some action that requires coordination.
 * Charisma: check how you interact with others.

Combat attributes are used only if you are attacked by an enemy.
 * Strength: it determines which weapons and shields can be equipped.
 * Constitution: whenever your character gets injured, he/she loses some consitution

Role-playing a class
The general rules of  includes three classes, but The Black Sage includes none.
 * If your character's highest attribute is strength, he/she can be considered a fighter.
 * If your character's highest attribute is intelligence quotient, he/she can be considered a wizard.
 * If your character's highest attribute is dexterity, he/she can be considered a thief.

You can imagine that your character is a thief who wants to rob the Black Sage's castle, or an adventurer on a trial to prove his/her worth.

Getting equipped
You start the game with 900 Gold Pieces to spend in equipment. You should better spend as much as you can: any unspent gold is ignored when the final score is calculated. That is, only the riches you actually found inside the castle contribute to your final score.

Magic spells
Once you learn a spell, you can cast it every time the game allows you, without using it up.

Weapons and armour
Most combats are the consequence of choosing the wrong action in a room. You can visit all the 36 castle rooms in one go without fighting any battle.

Default sorting is by minimum required strength, then by price.

It is wise to purchase at least the cheapest armour: in case you are attacked, you can survive one round, and then run from combat with no penalty.