

=== Stats ===
***** <Str>
          Strength
               Strength is important in fighting with weapons and in melee
               combat.  A high strength can improve the amount of damage
               done with each hit.  Characters with low strengths may
               receive penalties.  Strength is also useful in tunnelling
               and in carrying heavy items.  You may find some weapons
               too hard to use if your strength is not equal to or greater
               than the weapon weight in pounds.  Finally, strength improves
               the range of thrown weapons and firing from slings and bows.
               The firing speed from crossbows can be improved with a
               sufficiently high strength.

***** <Int> 
          Intelligence
               Intelligence is important in improving your accuracy with
               weapons both in melee combat and fired or thrown attacks as
               well. A high intelligence can also reduce the chance of
               breaking thrown weapons or fired ammunition, so is very
               useful for archers and particularly for thrown weapon
               specialists.
               Intelligence also affects the spellcasting abilities of many
               spellcasters.  Intelligence will affect the number of spells
               you may learn each level. A good intelligence can also help
               with using magic devices, picking locks, and disarming traps.
 
***** <Wis>
          Wisdom
               Wisdom is important in both physical and magical defense. 
               A high wisdom will increase your overall armour class, whilst
               a low wisdom will penalise it.  A good wisdom can also help
               to improve your chances of resisting magical spells cast upon
               you by monsters.  A high wisdom will increase the number of
               spell points you earn at each level for the majority of spell
               casting classes.
 
***** <Dex>
          Dexterity
               Dexterity represents your manual dexterity and coordination.
               A high dexterity may allow a character to get multiple blows
               with lighter weapons, thus greatly increasing his kill power,
               and will increase his chances of hitting with any weapon, both
               in melee combat and at range.  Dexterity is also useful in
               picking locks and disarming traps.
               Magical spell casters, such as mages, artisans, rangers and
               warrior mages require dexterity to assist in the casting of
               their spells - a high dexterity will decrease the overall
               failure chance of spell casting for these classes.  Wearing
               gloves will however penalize magical spell casters however.
 
***** <Con>
          Constitution
               Constitution is a character's ability to resist damage to his
               body, and to recover from damage received.  Therefore a
               character with a high constitution will receive more hit
               points and also recover them faster while resting.  Spell
               casters will also notice their mana increase with increasing
               constitution.  This mana reserve can be drawn on in times of
               danger to allow the caster to cast additional spells.  This
               extra reserve of mana poses the risk of temporarily draining
               or damaging the caster's overall health, so should not be
               used too often.
 
***** <Chr>
          Charisma
               Charisma represents a character's personality and physical
               magnetism.  A character with a high charisma will receive
               better prices from store owners, whereas a character with a
               very low charisma may be robbed blind.  A high charisma
               character will cause monsters to flee from him sooner, and
               makes it less likely for monsters to use their ranged attacks
               or to summon their fellow monsters - this makes charisma an
               ideal 'crowd control' ability.  Finally, charisma assists in
               the control of summoned monsters and in the use of magics
               that charm or influence monsters, whether the magic is from
               a spell or magical device that the player uses, or from
               the abilities of their allies.
               Priestly spell casters, such as priests and paladins require
               charisma to assist in the casting of their spells - a high
               charisma will decrease the overall failure chance of spell
               casting for these classes.
               
***** <Agi>
          Agility
               Agility is a measure of your quickness and overall altheticism.
               A high agility will increase your overall speed, and a very low
               agility will slow you down, even if you are not currently
               encumbered. Agility also increases your overall defence against
               physical attacks and helps greatly with protecting yourself from
               some of the thieves that inhabit the dungeons. Indeed, if 
               the character has a high enough agility, thieves will
               never be successful in stealing from the player.

***** <Siz>
          Size
               Size is a numeric representation of the character's height and
               weight.  It directly influences these two abilities, and the
               resulting benefit of larger height and weight also increases
               the character's overall hit points.  Size also greatly benefits
               your ability to charge with heavy weapons, and can allow you
               to achieve large amounts of damage with the heaviest of weapons.
               Note: size cannot exceed your strength without slowing you down.
               For every 2 points your size is over your strength, your agility
               is lowered by one.

=== Abilities ===

          Characters possess some different abilities which can help them
          to survive.  The starting abilities of a character are based upon
          race and class.  Abilities may be adjusted by high or low stats,
          and may increase with the level of the character.

          Infra-vision
               Infra-vision is the ability to see heat sources. Since  most
               of the dungeon is cool or cold, infra-vision will not allow
               the player to see walls and objects.  Infra-vision will allow
               a  character  to see any warm-blooded creatures up to a cer-
               tain distance.  This ability works equally well with or with
               out a light source.  However, many of Angband's creatures are
               cold-blooded, and will not be detected unless lit up by a
               light source. All non human races have innate infra-vision
               ability.  Humans (including Dunedain) cannot gain infra-vision 
               unless it is magically enhanced. Infravision does not increase
               with character level, and is purely dependent on race and on 
               magical equipment.
 
          Fighting
               Fighting is the ability to hit and do damage with weapons or
               fists.  Normally a character gets a single blow from any
               weapon, but if his dexterity and strength are high enough,
               he may receive more blows per round with lighter weapons.
               Strength and dexterity both modify the ability to hit an
               opponent.  This skill increases with the level of the char-
               acter.
 
          Shooting Ability
               Using ranged missile weapons such as bows, slings and cross-
               bows is included in this skill.  Different stats apply to
               different weapons, but this ability may modify the distance an
               object is fired, the amount of damage done, and the ability
               to hit a creature.  This skill increases with the level of
               the character.
 
          Throwing Ability
               Pretty much every object in the dungeon can be thrown and this
               ability governs the skill, number of hurls and damage that can
               be achieved.  Well-balanced throwing weapons are preferable -
               such as daggers, spears and potions.  The effects of thrown
               weapons vary wildly - from exploding flasks, potions and spores
               to trick throws of well-balanced weapons from the main weapon 
               equipment slot that take a whole turn but hit multiple targets.
               This skill increases with the level of the character.
 
          Saving Throws
               A Saving Throw is the ability of a character to resist the
               effects of a spell cast on him by another person/creature.
               This does not include spells cast on the player by his own
               stupidity, such as quaffing a nasty potion.  This ability
               increases with the level of the character, but then most
               high level creatures are better at casting spells, so it
               tends to even out.  A high wisdom also increases this abil-
               ity.
 
          Stealth
               The ability to move silently about is very useful.  Charac-
               ters with good stealth can usually surprise their opponents,
               gaining the first blow.  Also, creatures may fail to notice
               a stealthy character entirely, allowing a player to avoid
               certain fights.  This skill is based entirely upon race and
               class, and will never improve unless magically enhanced.
 
          Disarming
               Disarming is the ability to remove traps safely, and also
               includes picking locks on traps and doors.  A successful
               disarming will gain the character some experience.  A trap
               must be found before it can be disarmed.  Dexterity and
               intelligence both modify the ability to disarm, and this
               ability increases with the level of the character.
 
          Magical Devices
               Using a magical device such as a wand or staff  requires
               experience and knowledge.  Spell users such as mages and
               priests are therefore much better at using a magical device
               than say a warrior.  This skill is modified by intelligence,
               and increases with the level of the character.

          Searching Ability
               To search is to actively look for secret doors, floor traps,
               and traps on chests, as well as notice many other secrets in
               the dungeon.  This skill is modified by intelligence,
               and increases with the level of the character.

          Digging Ability
               This allows you to tunnel out sections of the dungeon, which
               can reward you with buried treasure, and a safe place to hide.
               This skill is modified by strength, but does not increase
               with the level of the character.
