Dungeon Master uses rune combinations in sequence to produce magic spells. They form the magic casting system for all the games in the series: Dungeon Master, Chaos Strikes back, Dungeon Master II the Legend of Skullkeep, Theron's Quest and Dungeon Master Nexus.
Dungeon Master spells are composed of two to four syllables (runes). The first syllable (rune) is the power of the spell (which affects the strength, duration and mana cost). The second syllable (rune) is the elemental influence, the third syllable (rune) is the form, and the last syllable (rune) is the class or alignment. Note that the third, and forth syllable is not used on some spells.
The user interface displays six syllables (runes) at a time from which you may choose one. The four sets of runes each represent a portion of the spell being cast:
| Power | Lo | Um | On | Ee | Pal | Mon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elemental Influence | Ya | Vi | Oh | Ful | Des | Zo |
| Form | Ven | Ew | Kath | Ir | Bro | Gor |
| Class/Alignment | Ku | Ros | Dain | Neta | Ra | Sar |
On any scroll describing a spell, the Power syllable (rune) is not included in the description of the spell. You can therefore choose any power rune, when practicing or using a spell.
Dungeon Master allows casting spells as often as desired, although a character won't be able to attack shortly after casting a spell.
High power spells cannot be cast by low-skilled champions. The spell list below only shows the last one to three runes. You need to add a power syallable (rune) as the first syllable (rune). Each syllable (rune) costs mana points, depending on the selected power. If a champion does not have enough mana points, the syllable (rune) cannot be used. You have to wait, sleep, drink mana potions or equip items that increase your mana.
The game documentation does not come with a list of spells. Rather, the player discovers the spells by finding scrolls in the dungeon. There is nothing in the game to prevent a player from discovering spells through trial-and-error, and of course once you learn the spells you can attempt to cast them before finding the scroll that reveals it.
The Gor syllable (rune) is the most expensive, but it is not used in any spell.
Priest Spells[edit]
| Rune(s) | Spell effect |
|---|---|
| Vi | Health Potion |
| Ya | Stamina Potion |
| Zo Bro Ra | Mana Potion |
| Ful Bro Ku | Strength Potion |
| Oh Bro Ros | Dexterity Potion |
| Ya Bro Dain | Wisdom Potion |
| Ya Bro Neta | Vitality Potion |
| Vi Bro | Cure Poison Potion |
| Ya Bro | Shield Potion |
| Ful Bro Neta | Fire Shield (Party) |
| Ya Ir | Shield (Party) |
| Des Ir Sar | Darkness |
Wizard Spells[edit]
| Rune(s) | Spell effect |
|---|---|
| Ful | Torch |
| Oh Ir Ra | Light |
| Zo | Open Door |
| Ya Bro Ros | Magic Footprints |
| Oh Ew Ra | See Through Walls |
| Oh Ew Sar | Invisibility (Party) |
| Zo Ven | Poison Bomb Potion |
| Des Ven | Poison Bolt |
| Oh Ven | Poison Cloud |
| Des Ew | Weaken Nonmaterial Beings |
| Ful Ir | Fireball |
| Oh Kath Ra | Lightning Bolt |
| Zo Kath Ra | Zokathra Spell |