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 Tunnels & Trolls 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
Every spell can be used in one specific room. If you use a spell in a different room, it will be wasted and your final score will be lower than the maximum.
| Letter | Name | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| B | What a Blast | 400 |
| W | Where Art Thou[1] | 200 |
| S | Seal Shut | 100 |
| D | Detect Magic | 100 |
- ↑ The game includes plenty of typos and grammar errors. "Where for" means "why", but the "Where(for) Art Thou" spell is used to locate things.
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.