TABLE OF CONTENTS

THE GENIE’S BLESSING..........................................1INTRODUCTION....................................................13

The AL-QADIM Game World ...............................13What Comes With This Game ................................15Copy Protection...................................................15How to Start Playing Now ....................................16The Initial Menu .................................................17Using a Joystick ..................................................17Using the Keyboard .............................................17Using a Mouse ....................................................18The Options Menu ...............................................19

YOUR CHARACTER...............................................20Character Basics .................................................20Character Attributes ............................................21Moving Your Character ........................................23Walking.............................................................23Talking..............................................................24Pushing and Pulling ............................................25Breaking and Smashing .......................................25Opening and Closing ............................................26Hiding and Sneaking ...........................................26

COMBAT................................................................27Using Your Sword................................................27Using Your Sling .................................................29Dodging.............................................................29Getting Hit.........................................................29

USING ITEMS........................................................30Gold and Gems ...................................................31Potions ..............................................................31Rings ................................................................32Magic Shards......................................................32

SPELLS CONTAINED IN THE MAGIC SHARDS ....34BESTIARY..............................................................37

Dangerous Inhabitants of GENIE’S CURSE ..................38New Monster Descriptions ....................................46

MONSTER AND MAGIC INDEX............................57

“I dismissed her. Now if you will stop ranting for one moment, I havesomething urgent to discuss with you.” The dao flung the sack shecarried, to the ground. There was a groan as the sack squirmed, thenwas still.

The efreeti folded his huge arms across his chest. “I have put up withyour foul presence on this island for too long, Mighty Rivener ofPebbles, She Who Can Frighten Small Animals. But, now you havegone too far! I will give you one chance to hold my attention. If youfail I will send my wrath down on the heads of you and your patheticconsorts until not one of you stands!”

The dao stood with her hands on her hips and her eyes narrowed. Theflames reflected off her ebony skin. “Another genie will be blessed,”she announced, allowing a small smile to creep to her lips.

The efreeti’s eyes opened wider.He looked away from the dao, hisflames shriveling almost imper-ceptibly. “Nonsense,” he saidsoftly. “That is preposterous, andif it were true . . . what concern isit of mine?”

“Let us not play games, greatefreeti,” she said more gently. “Weboth know the answer to that question. Would I come here myself,would I stoop so low as to enter this infernal oven, if this were noturgent?” The heat rose around her in waves, the efreeti’s imagedistorting and dancing behind the curtain of intense heat.

Gubishbuskin leaned forward, “Give me proof.”

The dao bent down and slit open the sack with one long nail. Shepinched its end and yanked it upward. Out tumbled a disheveledyoung woman. She rolled across the chessboard and scrambled to her feet in front of the giant efreeti. Looking up, her eyes widened with terror, “Your highness, spare me, I . . . I beg for mercy! I pray my intrusion has not overly disturbed your most magnificent chessmatch. A thousand pardons, Mighty Melter of Armies.” She fell to her knees trembling.

The dao burst into the fiery chambers without being announced.The efreeti’s servant quickly floated to her on a cushion offlame, blocking the dao’s path.

“Why, if it isn’t the magnificent Beya Hrampulpishkin! She of the DivineCountenance and Mighty Muscles! Rivener of Skulls and Suzerain of the Subterranean! What a wonderful pleasure. Unfortunately . . . hiseminence, the great efreeti Mirza Gubishbuskin is, once again, enthralledin a particularly challenging chess match and is not accepting visitors.Thank you for gracing us with your presence and . . .”

“Enough of your prattle!” The dao crunched her huge fist into theservant’s face, sending her spinning across the giant chess board. The genie looked at her fist: the hair was singed by the contact withthe lesser genie. “Next time I’ll have to remember to bring my axe,”she grumbled.

The genie tromped across the chessboard, knocking the invisible chesspieces left and right. From across the board came a very formidable roar.

“Who dares interrupt the pleasure of the noble efreeti Gubishbuskin!What foolish, impudent, brainless . . . “

The noble dao walked up to the giant genie lord, pushing aside thechess queen. “It is I, Beya Hrampulpishkin, the Mighty Shaker ofMountains! And I demand an audience with his great eminence, theblowhard, soot-spitting king of cooking fires!”

The giant efreeti grew even redder in the face, the flames around himroared in anger. “I should have known it was you, you insolent witch!Where is my servant?”

21

The Genie’s Blessing

“That is preposterous,

and if it were true . . .

what concern is it

of mine?”

r

Khatariana withdrew a small sack from her robe and removed ahandful of sand from it. “The Sand of Sight, the Dust of Destiny . . .each grain comes from a different land. From the deepest south ofZakhara to the frozen north. Each grain tells a tale.” She spread thesand out before her, its grains reflecting the flame before them.

“Sand of Sight! Dust of Destiny! How absurd!” The efreeti roared withlaughter.” Do you expect me to believe that . . . “

The woman waved her hand over the sand and an image appeared, daz-zling in its clarity. A town bustled before them, children danced in thestreets, mages practiced their trade with much sparkle and explosions.

“By the Loregiver’s big toe, I can even smell the camels!” The efreetistared in amazement.

“It is a town unlike any other. Magic bubbles up from the very earth.The sick are healed, old walk erect, children grow up to be mightywarriors. But, as has been the truth since genie and man first walkedthis world, there are those who will steal what is not theirs. And, so a great sha’ir and his magnificent genie protect the town. Theirs is the task to . . . “

“Wait,” the efreeti bellowed. “This town is Zaratan. The Sorcerer’s Islethat I am all too familiar with. Why show me this drivel? I know thetale! I do not need it repeated.”

“You know only part of the tale, great one.” Hrampulpishkin said.“What was was, but what will be will be as it was . . . “

“Enough double talk! If I must endure this, continue and get it over with!”

The town in the sand continued to bustle. Suddenly, the peace wasinterrupted by a cry, “To arms! To arms! Monsters at the gate!” Thepeople froze in horror, then broke into mad runs. Men and womencame from their houses brandishing weapons. The elderly gathered the children, and soldiers and mages prepared for battle. There on thebeach before the town gate, monsters materialized out of thin air.Ogrimas, ettins, and strange creatures no man had seen before,suddenly descended on the soldiers.

“No one knew where these horrors came from. There was no warning.They struck fearlessly, cutting down the soldiers and townsfolk thatstood in their way. Everyone knew that the town had only one hope.”

The efreeti smiled, a whiff of black smoke drifting from his mouth, “Ilove groveling.” He extended his little finger and a tiny speck of flameflicked off and landed at the woman’s feet. Suddenly, the flame shot upand in a flash encircled her. “Please, mercy, mighty lord, yourhighness, your eminence . . . please!” A tiny fire elemental leapt ontoher robe and began spreading rapidly. Her face contorted in horror, sheflailed desperately at the flame.

“Enough of these games!” The daostepped forward and filling her lungswith the hot air, blew across the chessboard. The flames around the womanwere instantly extinguished . . . aswell as a few of the flamessurrounding the efreeti.

Gubishbuskin glared at the dao, andopened his mouth to speak.

“This is my hakima,” Hrampulpishkinskillfully cut him off. “She is my seer, and she has shown me a futurethat you will be most interested in.”

“She is but a child! Look at me, human!” The frightened woman metthe genie’s gaze. Rivers of sweat ran down her cheeks. “Can you reallysee the future, child?”

“Oh, yes, most munificent and, ah . . . handsome, genie lord. And Ican see the past as well.”

“What need is there to see the past? What was was, and is no longer ofconcern. The future, now that is another story. But, a child like you . . . “

“She is not a child,” the dao interrupted. “She is over four hundredyears old. I believe that is quite mature by human standards.” The daotowered over the woman and stroked her hair clumsily. The womanshuddered. “Her name is Khatariana. She has been in my employ formany years. She has never failed to predict correctly, although somethings are closed to her. Show us your vision, woman. Show hiseminence what was and what is no longer of any concern.”

“With your permission, your eminence.”

The efreeti nodded.

43

“What need is there

to see the past?

What was was,

and is no longer

of concern.”

“Hmmm, I see you have a problem,” the genie smirked. Two townsfolkstruggled by, carrying a body. “I have an answer for you, myslavemaster.” The genie glanced casually at the scene of carnage bythe town gates.

“Please, great one, your humble master begs that you not hesitate inhelping us!” Nearby, a scream cuts the air. “Please, efreeti, do thisnow!” the sha’ir begged.

The genie slowly allowed his gaze to return to the sha’ir. He cocked hishead to one side and said one word very slowly, “No.”

Khatariana interrupted the vision.“Such a small word. But, a word thatcarries more power than any other.A word that no genie has ever saidto his master.”

In the image, Farid al-Mutan fell tohis knees in shock. “No?” The genieonly stared at him. The sha’ir rose tohis feet and clenched his fists. “Genie,you will rid this town of our enemy!”The stench of burning flesh drifted by.

The efreeti leaned far forward so that his face was a mere foot from theman. “NO!” he bellowed. The gust of heat knocked the old manbackward to the ground, “Genie, I command you! You can not disobeyme! You will feel my wrath if you . . . “

“No, no, no!” the genie laughed. “I no longer will obey you. You areno longer my master! I have been blessed! I am free, free!” The giantsoared high into the air, over the town wall. “Good-bye, old man. Mayyou and your wretched town perish as you deserve! And may allgenies be blessed by the same magic that has freed me! Ha!”

The images in the sand began to jump from one scene to another. Theold man mounted a steed, and weaving his way through the battle,chased after the efreeti. The genie taunted him, always staying just outof his reach, until finally disappearing in a ball of flame. The sha’irlooked back at his ravaged town and wept. Flames began to rise abovethe town walls.

The woman waved her hand across the image and another formappeared. It was a sha’ir, standing in shock as people rushed by him.

“How can this be? Who would dare?” he mumbled.

A man suddenly grabbed him by the front of the robe, “Farid! Farid al-Mutan! You must help us! Quickly, summon the genie, before all islost!”

Screams of death and horror filled the air. An ogrima strode throughthe town gates, holding a limp soldier by the neck. It tossed the manaway and began swinging his club.

“Yes, Al-Jurat . . . yes . . . of course . . . the genie! I just don’tunderstand. . . . “

“Now, Farid! Summon the genie now.” The man implored.

The sha’ir snapped out of his daze and quickly raised his arms. “Greatgenie efreeti, my honored servant, come at my command, aid yourmaster Farid al-Mutan.”

A fiery whirlwind appeared before the Sha’ir. It grew, gathering sandand debris, then it burst apart as a thick column of flame exploded fromthe earth. Out of the flames a vast image formed. The great efreetitowered above the man, its arms crossed, a half-smile on its face.

The genie stared at the image in the magical sand before him andchuckled. “I was wrong. This little display is most entertaining. Lookat me, do I not look handsome and fearsome? And that entrance! Ha!No one could do it better. Continue, little woman, this is the best part.”

The image in the sand grew more vivid.

“Mighty genie, your presence here is most appreciated. I hope my calldid not disturb you. But, the situation is urgent.” The sha’ir bowedpolitely before the huge efreeti.

“Your call always disturbs me! But, never have I had a choice but toobey my master.” The genie spat out the words with contempt. “Whatis it that you need?”

“O genie, the town is under siege by an army of monsters. Use yourmagnificent power to blow them off this isle. This would be such asimple thing to one as powerful as you.”

65

“No, no, no!” the

genie laughed. “I

no longer will obey

you. You are no

longer my master!”

The hakima continued. “He lived inseclusion for many years, refusingcompany or the pleading of the townsfolkfor him to return. He took a bride, awoman of the sea, who loves him dearly.But, alas, he is so afraid to lose her, as healready has lost so much, that he keepsher confined. Such are the ways of love.”

The efreeti looked strangely thoughtful fora moment, “Harumph! So much for him!He got what he deserved!” the efreetigrowled. “Is this why you have brokeninto my house? To tell me things I alreadyknow or do not care about?”

“Patience, mighty efreeti, now look intothe future.” The dao squatted next to thesand and peered intently into its depths.

An image appeared, unclear and foggy. Amighty djinn rode the wind; from his handrose a hurricane that smashed a ship. Thesail snapped as crew men were flung intothe sea. A beautiful young woman gaspedas she was plucked from the ship’s deckby a whirlwind. Time passed. An old manlay in a cold cell, a rat nibbling on hisuntouched food.

“What is this nonsense?” the efreeti asked.“So, a genie kills a few humans? Was heordered to do this?”

“Yes, your fiery mightiness,” the hakimaanswered.

“So be it! If his master orders him to killsome . . . “ the efreeti stopped himself ashis eyes met those of the dao.

“Gubishbuskin, I think there is more foryou to see,” she said.

“Do you know what happened after this?” Hrampulpishkin asked gently.

“No,” the efreeti replied, “That was the last I ever saw of that worm, orthat forsaken island.”

“You call him a worm. Was Farid al-Mutan ever unkind to you?”

“I was his slave,” the efreeti grumbled.

“Was he ever . . . hmmm, inconsiderate?” the dao probed gently.

“I was his slave!”

“Could you not have saved those poor innocent people, who onlytreated you with the utmost respect and love?”

“I was a slave, Hrampulpishkin! A respected slave! A loved slave! Youhave never been under a sha’ir’s control, you do not know what it islike!” Black smoke belched from his nostrils.

“Many genies are honored to serve a . . . “

“Many genies are fools! On with this tale, I long to get back to mychess match!”

In the sand at their feet, the sha’ir buried his face in his hands, “I havefailed, I have let my people down. I must never return. Never! I am adisgrace! May the Loregiver forgive me!”

The image faded and was replaced by a scene of the ravaged town.Smoke curled from ruined buildings, survivors stumbled among thebodies of their friends.

“The battle was long and hard,” the hakima interrupted, “but themagic of the isle was enough to let its defenders triumph. The toll washeavy, Sorcerer’s Isle never fully recovered from the disaster. Yearslater a new sha’ir was appointed to guard the town with his genie.Zubin Al-Hazrad, an honorable man, and his family wield the power ofMuliban, a djinn. It is their duty, now, to protect the innocent.”

“What of the old Sha’ir, what became of him?” the dao asked.

The sands swirled and revealed a lofty palace, standing like a sentinelover the town of Zaratan. In its dungeon was a treacherous maze, builtto keep visitors out.

87

“What? Do you actually find that puny human attractive?” the efreetirumbled.

“I didn’t say I thought he looked attractive. I said he looked delicious.”the dao replied, licking her lips.

In the sand could be seen a small island, all but deserted. A group ofdark figures paced around a glowing stone. The power of the stonecould be felt rising from the magic sand. A genie rose over a hugegleaming city; fire leapt from his fingers, raining death on those below.A dao clapped his hands together and the earth opened at his feet. Acity was swallowed. On his shoulder sat a black figure cackling withdelight. In a cave of ice another shadowy figure spoke; his words cameout with steam. He picked up a thick chain and viciously yanked it. Hepulled the chain towards him. The chain was tied around the neck ofthe noble efreeti, Mirza Gubishbuskin.

“I have seen enough! I do not claim to understand all I’ve seen. Whatis the meaning of all this? What can be done?”

“I am afraid another genie is about to be ‘blessed,’ as you call it, thenanother and another. This time, though, these genies will not bemerely freed, but they will find themselves with a new master. Ibelieve that the same force that freed you years ago is at work here. Idon’t think that they intended to free you at all. They wanted tocontrol you, but they were too weak then. They wanted you to fight atthe side of the monsters,” the dao replied.

“I have suspected the same. And now they finally have the power tocapture our kind. I have dreaded this day. The day the . . . “

“Do not speak their name! We know who is behind this, that isenough!” Hrampulpishkin screamed.

“What can we do? If a genie were to interfere . . . come too close, hetoo may fall under their influence!” The efreeti shook his head indisbelief. “I can hardly believe it! We the genie lords . . . powerless!”

“Pardon my interruption, mighty ones,” the hakima said humbly. “Ibelieve there may be one who can help.”

“Speak up, woman!” the dao urged.

Again the woman waved her hand over the sand and an image appeared.A young man was training in the ways of the sword. He was strong andhandsome, and he showed the hard-earned scars of experience. He waswearing the garb of a corsair, a warrior trained in the ways of the sea. Hisskin was dark from the sun, his muscles hard from adventuring.

“Hmmm,” the dao purred. “He looks positively delicious.”

109

“No, we shall not ignore it. It seems our fate may be in the hands of thatmortal.” The efreeti bent forward and plucked a pinch of sand with hishuge fingers. “The risk to our safety is too great, if we become directlyinvolved. May Fate steer this young man down the path to victory.”

The genie held the pinch of sand to his eye and squeezed it. “This isfor you, hakima.” He tossed the diamond to the woman. “May yourprophecy prove untrue.”

The woman gleefully clutched the gem. “The future is as mysterious asFate. Thank you, great genie.”

“Come, Khatariana. Let us leave his fieriness to his games.” The daoroughly pushed the woman toward the door. “I’m sure we will speakof this again. Take care, Mirza; the next time I see you, you may bewearing that chain around your neck.”

“Yes, yes. I know, I know. Dust of Destiny, and all that! I will believe itwhen I see it.” He dismissed them with a wave of his hand.

The two women walked back across the chess board, the hakimatrying to keep up with the dao’s giant strides.

“And one more thing, Hrampulpishkin.” the efreeti called after them.“The next time you want to drop by, please make an appointment first.”

The dao stopped, clenched her fists and left the chambers of the greatgenie lord Mirza Gubishbuskin.

“He is the son of Al-Hazrad, the protector of Sorcerer’s Isle. He will bedrawn into this dilemma. It will be up to him to put an end to the Genie’sCurse,” the hakima catches herself. “I mean the Genie’s Blessing.”

She waved her hand across the sand and the image changed. The youngman was battling the undead before a beached wreck. He disappearedinto a doorway as an automaton marched by. He rode a magical flyingcarpet. He stood before the mighty genie lords themselves.

“Hmmm, he will come here? Howinteresting.” The dao stroked thestubble on her chin. “Maybe weshould help him.”

“Nonsense! I am not convinced ahuman can change the future and ridthis land of those shadowy demonswho shall remain unnamed.”

“Still, Mirza, if he is clever enough tocome here. . . . “

“Bah! There is no proof to any of this. These things you have shownme have not even happened yet! Let Fate take its course.”

“You burnt-out bag of hot air! Did you not see yourself in chains! Didyou not . . . “ the dao screeched.

“And what are we to do about it? Hmmm? Can there be a powergreater than we? If there is, then so be it! If this is just this witch’s lies,then both of you be gone and let me enjoy my match!” Flames leaptpowerfully around the genie.

The dao clenched her teeth and let her anger pass. She looked awayfrom the efreeti. “Perhaps you are correct. Perhaps none of this willhappen. We shall see. But, if the hakima is correct, this could mean theend of Zakhara.”

“Enough talk, be gone, I wish to return to my chess match.”

The hakima scrambled to pick up the magical sand. She quickly beganto pour handfuls of the enchanted alluvium back into her pouch.

“Mirza, we must do something. We can not ignore this prophecy!”

1211

“It will be up to him

to put an end to

the Genie’s Curse . . .

I mean the Genie’s

Blessing.”

r

1.........Temple2.........Qadi’s Hall3.........Weapon’s Master4.........The Inn5.........Qadi’s House6.........Shopkeeper’s House7.........Haroom & Merwani abi

Wassab’s House8.........Poor Resident’s House9.........Babazar the Merchant’s

House10.......Tarik Al-Hazrad’s House11.......Storage Shed

12.......Mamoon & Latifah abiWassab’s House

13.......Ru’tan Al-Hazrad’s House

14.......Zubin & Jessamin Al-Hazrad’s House

15.......Aliya’s House16.......Under Construction17.......Store18.......Barracks19.......Sorcerer’s Guild20.......Town Gates21.......Towards Western Desert

The AL-QADIM game world is aland of desert sands, scatteredislands, and powerful genies. It isa place where some devotethemselves to honor while otherstread upon it. An insult to one’sfamily is more likely to provoke aduel than the slash of a scimitar.

“Powerful” and “unpredictable”describes the genies of this world.Those with some element ofcontrol over these mighty creaturesare often rulers, but many genieshave no masters — save their ownwhims. Most inhabitants of thisland fear the greatest genies andrefer to them as gods.

Much of this world is colonizedand bereft of monsters. However,the region known as the CrowdedSea is an area with little civiliza-tion and fraught with danger,where only the strong dare totread. In these dangerous watersrests the mysterious Sorcerer’sIsle, famed for its intense magicalenergies and for the sorcerers thathave inhabited the isle from agespast. The only settlement on theisle is the small but thriving townof Zaratan. This is the home ofyour character.

1413

INTRODUCTION

The AL-QADIM Game World

12

34

5

6 78

910

1112 13

14

15 16 1718 19

20

21

Table One: Locations in Zaratan

Zaratan

r

How to Start Playing Now

If you are an experienced playerand you want to jump right intothe game before reading the rulebook, here are the absolute basics.

In GENIE’S CURSE you control amale corsair, a warrior in a dan-gerous land. Your character canperform a number of differenttasks, and the controls are easy tomaster. Move your character byholding down the right mousebutton, while moving the mousein the desired direction. When heis adjacent to something that youwould like him to act upon, left-

click. Your character will then dowhatever is appropriate, whether it is: talking to a noble, slashing at a zombie, opening a door, orpulling a switch. For keyboard andjoystick controls see the followingsections, “Using a Joystick” and“Using the Keyboard.”

To use an item in your character’spossession, click on the genie’slamp, located at the top of thescreen. A menu will appear. SelectINVENTORY and click on the itemtwice. If you desire to ready thesling or a magic shard, similar to awand, select READY WEAPON andclick on the weapon twice. To firethe weapon, press the space bar.

You see the world from an over-head view. This game takes placein real time. There are no turnsfor you to perform an actionbefore the monster acts. If youwant your character to strike at acreature, then be quick on attackand equally quick to dodge awayfrom its blow.

In GENIE’S CURSE your characterwill talk with scores of people andfight dangerous monsters and evilminions as he ventures acrossoceans and through deserts,dungeons, towns, villages, andthe Great Palace of the Caliph. Hewill sneak past patrolling guards,slash at vicious enemies, fireexplosive spells, avoid brutaltraps, and solve mystifyingpuzzles as he strives to upholdhonor and strike blows of justice.

What Comes With This Game

In addition to this rule book, thebox should hold the diskscontaining the game and a datacard. This rule book explains howto play the game, detailsmonsters and spells, and containsa story which sets the scene forthe drama on the computer.Install the game from the disksonto your computer using thedata card instructions.

Copy Protection

There is no physical copy pro-tection on your GENIE’S CURSE

disks. Please duplicate them andset the originals aside for safekeeping. To assure that you havea legitimate copy of the game youwill be asked a verificationquestion after the credits. Theanswer will be a word from thisrule book. Please see the datacard for help if you have anytrouble finding the correct word.

1615

Adventure Screen

r

GENIE’S LAMP

SPELLICON

ACTIONCIRCLES

YOUR CHARACTER

HEALTHBAR GEMS GOLD

POTIONEFFECTS

18

The Initial Menu

After you have correctly enteredthe answer to the verificationquestion, the initial game menuappears. LOAD GAME allows you toload a previously saved game.NEW GAME starts the game fromthe beginning. VIEW CREDITS andQUIT TO DOS are self-explanatory.Click on the desired option usingthe sword cursor.

Using a Joystick

To move your character, just movethe joystick. You can move him inall eight of the major compassdirections. To perform an actionupon anything adjacent to yourcharacter, press the first button.This is referred to as “pressing theaction button” or “clicking.”

To fire a readied missile weaponor spell, press the second button.

To access the menu, press theescape key. This also pauses the game.

To chose a selection from a list, ormove between areas in the menu,push the joystick up or down andthen press the action button whenyour choice is highlighted. To viewan item which your character iscarrying, choose INVENTORY orREADY WEAPON from the menu andmove the joystick until the desireditem is highlighted. Press theaction button to use it.

You may not use both the mouseand joystick at the same time, butyou can use the keyboard whilethe joystick is active. This ishelpful when you are making avery tight or exact maneuver.

Using the Keyboard

To move your character, press thearrow keys. You can move him inall eight of the major compassdirections. To move him diagonal-ly, hold down the two appropriatekeys simultaneously, or use thediagonal keys (1, 3, 7, and 9) onthe numeric keypad. To performan action upon anything in yourcharacter’s path, press the “Ctrl”key. This is referred to as “pressingthe action button” or “clicking.”

To fire a readied missile weaponor spell, press the space bar.

To access the menu, press the Esckey. To chose a selection from alist, use the up or down arrowkeys and then press the actionbutton when your choice ishighlighted. To see an item whichyour character is carrying, chooseINVENTORY or READY WEAPON fromthe menu and press the arrowkeys until the desired item ishighlighted. Press the actionbutton to then use it.

You may use either the mouse orjoystick while still using thekeyboard controls.

17

Using a Mouse

When your character is notmoving, your mouse cursor is a sword. When your character is moving, the sword changes to an arrow.

There are two different mousemodes which allow you to moveyour character according to yourpreference. In the mouse normalmode, hold down the right button:an arrow cursor (a pointer)appears, pointing in the directionyou want to move. If you have aproblem moving, move the swordcursor away from your character inthe direction you want him totravel. You can move in all eight ofthe major compass directions. Thisis the default method of move-ment; see “Input Device” on page19 to change the mouse mode.

Mouse travel mode is theoptional mouse control. It doesnot require that you hold downthe right button. To move youradventurer, click the right buttononce. From that point until theright button is clicked again, yourhero walks in the direction of thearrow pointer. If he reaches thepointer, he stops traveling untilthe mouse is moved again. Tomake him stop walking, click theright button.

Regardless of which mode youuse, your character can performan action upon anything adjacentto him and in front of him, simplyby left-clicking. It is not essentialto place the sword cursor pre-cisely on the item or object, onlythat your character be adjacent to the target. This is referred to as “pressing the action button” or “clicking.”

To fire a readied missile weaponor spell, press the space bar.

To access the menu, click on thegenie’s lamp at the top of thescreen using the sword cursor. To choose a selection from a list or select a menu item, placethe cursor over the selection and then press the action but-ton. To see an item which yourcharacter is carrying, chooseINVENTORY or READY WEAPON fromthe menu, move the cursor overthe desired item and click once tohighlight it. Press the actionbutton again to use it.

You may not use the mouse andjoystick at the same time, but youcan use the mouse and keyboardtogether. This is helpful whenyou are making a very tight orexact maneuver.

YOUR CHARACTER

Character Basics

In GENIE’S CURSE you control asingle adventurer striving tomaintain his family’s honor andfoil the plots of evil forces. Whenthe game begins, your characterhas already completed both histraining and several previousadventures. In one of these adven-tures, his charisma and daringwon him the love of a princess.Now, after a final test, your char-acter will be ready to return home,marry, and become a prince.

By profession, your character is asecond-level human corsair (see“Experience Points” on page 22 for information on levels).Corsairs are seafaring warriors inthis world. They are known forbold explorations and daringexploits across rough waterswhere few would dare to go.

The corsair is a freer spirit thanmost others, cares little for socialstatus or grace, and may seemrough around the edges to morecivilized beings. Often the envy ofthose in less glamorous occupa-tions, the corsair embodiesbravery, leadership, and honestyamong allies. Corsairs followingan ignoble path usually becomepirates and scalawags, whilethose who have a firm grasp on

honor are the rough and readyheroes of the bard’s tales mostfrequently requested at local pubs.

Sailing the Crowded Seas

While the corsair scorns armorbecause it hinders movement and encumbers swimming, this is made up for with weapon skill.Both hands are available forwielding weapons, and this isimportant in GENIE’S CURSE asyour character can performstunning feats with the scimitarin the right hand, while firingspells from magic items, or stonesfrom a sling, with the left.

Attacking with the Scimitar

The Options Menu

Saving Your Game

You may have up to nine savedgames at one time. To save agame, select OPTIONS from themenu. Click on SAVE GAME, selectthe file slot you wish to fill, typein a descriptive name, and pressEnter/Return. You may save atany point in the game.

Restoring Your Game

To play from a saved game, selectLOAD GAME from the initial menu,or from OPTIONS during play.Select the game and click on it.WARNING: the game you arecurrently playing will be lost if ithas not been saved.

Sound

Under the OPTIONS menu, selectSETUP. Both the MUSIC and SOUNDEFFECTS in the game can betoggled on and off by clicking theaction button on the appropriatechoice. The volume of both canalso be selected using the slider.Drag the slider with the mouse, orselect it and move the arrow keysor joystick right and left.

Input Device

Click on INPUT on the SETUP menu(under OPTIONS) to toggle between:mouse travel mode, mouse normalmode, joystick, or keyboard only.The keyboard input is valid withthe mouse and the joystick. See“Using a Mouse” on page 18 for adescription of all the mouse modes.

2019

Saving Your Progress

r

SOME SAVE GAME TITLES

UNUSED SAVE GAMES

Experience Points

As you solve puzzles, achievegoals, and kill monsters, yourcharacter will gain experiencepoints. Refer to the “WarriorExperience Levels” table below tosee the point totals needed toincrease in level. When you haveenough experience points forlevel advancement, you willautomatically gain more hitpoints. Your character’s currentexperience point total can beviewed by clicking on the menuselection VIEW STATS. When youare done with the stats screenclick the action button to returnto the menu.

At certain points in the game, yourcharacter becomes eligible to learna new attack move. At this point,you must guide your character tothe Weapons Master. He willquickly give your character thenecessary training.

WARRIOR EXPERIENCE LEVELS

LEVEL POINTS NEEDED

1 0

2 2,000

3 4,000

4 8,000

5 16,000

6 32,000

7 64,000

8 125,000

9 250,000

Character Attributes

When the game first begins, youare shown a full screen picture of your hero and must name him. Your hero’s last name is Al-Hazrad, but his first is up toyou. After typing it in, pressEnter/Return to continue.

Some sample names from theAD&D AL-QADIM ArabianAdventures game are:

Ahmad KerimAziz KhalidFarid NajibHakim RashadJamal Yusuf

After naming your character, youwill be able to select the difficultylevel of the game, which defaultsto Normal and can be changed to Easy or Hard. This does noteffect the puzzles in GENIE’S CURSE,but does effect the strength andvoracity of the monsters.

The two major attributes of yourcharacter which require frequentattention are experience pointsand hit points. Other characterattributes take effect behind thescenes. GENIE’S CURSE is designedto keep you in the action with-out needing to frequently pause and check your character’scurrent statistics.

2221

The Stats Screen

r

Talking

To speak with other people, orperhaps even monsters, click onthe action button when yourcharacter is next to them.Anything that they say is printedat the top of the screen, andanything which your charactermight normally say is displayedin the lower middle of the screen.Click the action button after youhave read the text. If yourcharacter is in the middle ofcombat, or if there are monsterslurking in the immediate vicinity,a person may not say anythinguntil after the threat is dealt with.

If you have a choice of what tosay, a menu will appear. You candefine your approach to the gameby the types of responses thatyou give. Sometimes your choiceof dialogue has great effect on thesuccess or failure of your charac-ter’s mission. Hint: people yourcharacter has talked to may havemore to say later in the game.

Sometimes a person starts aconversation as soon as yourcharacter nears them. Forinstance, a shopkeeper may offerassistance as soon as yourcharacter enters the store. If youend a conversation with theperson and want to talk again,move your character away fromthem and approach once more.

Hit Points

Your character’s health is mea-sured in hit points, and is visuallydepicted by the red health bar atthe top of the screen. The numer-ical maximum value can be seenby clicking on the menu selectionVIEW STATS. As you are hit in com-bat, or injured by a trap, your hitpoints are taken away. If they fallto zero, your character dies. Tocontinue play, either start anothergame or restore a saved game.

To regain hit points, use a healingpotion or find areas in GENIE’SCURSE where healing is available.You may never recover more hitpoints than your current maxi-mum, and that maximum numberis only increased by obtaining ahigher level (see the “WarriorExperience Points” table above).

The health bar is always fullwhen your character is atmaximum hit points, and emptywhen he is dead. If you havegained more hit points byadvancing in level, the bar willdecrease by smaller incrementswhen your character is damaged.

Moving Your Character

This section details the manytypes of maneuvers which yourcharacter can perform and givessome hints for better play. In gen-eral, all you need to know to playGENIE’S CURSE is how to make yourcharacter walk, and that most

actions are performed by pressingthe action button when he is adja-cent to the target of that action.

Walking

See the “Using a Mouse,” “Using aJoystick,” or “Using the Keyboard”sections on pages 17-18 to learnhow to walk.

You will not be able to move yourcharacter into areas of obviouslydeadly nature, such as over a cliffor into a sea of acid. However, tokeep from taking damage, youwill need to deftly maneuver himthrough traps like rising spikesand blowing flame jets.

Adventuring in the Acid Dungeon

On rare occasions your charactermust follow someone else in the game. When this happens,just wait until he reaches thedestination; once the situation isresolved, you will be able to takecontrol again.

2423

Conversing in GENIE’S CURSE

rWATCH OUTFOR SPEARS

CHARACTERWON’T WALK

INTO ACID

OTHER PERSON’SCONVERSATION BOX

YOUR CHARACTER’SCONVERSATION BOX

AND MENU BOX

Opening and Closing

Clicking the action button whenadjacent to items like chests,books, baskets, doors, anddressers opens or closes them. Ifit is a chest, basket, or dresser,you will be informed immediatelyof its contents. If you leave anitem in a chest, it will still beavailable later.

You may need a key to opensome doors. After opening a door,your character can move into thearea beyond, and if it is abuilding with a roof, the roofdisappears once the door is open.

For doorways in vertical walls, orat the top of buildings, the doormay not be visible due to theoverhead perspective. If this is the

case, simply move your characterinto the doorway. If his move-ment appears to be blocked, clickthe action button to open thedoor, even though it is hiddenfrom view. If your character isclose enough to the door, it opens.

To enter a secret door, move yourcharacter into the wall where yoususpect the door to be. If there is one there, he will glide rightthrough it without needing to clickat all, or you will be informed thatthe secret door needs a key. Ifthere is no secret door yourcharacter bumps his nose, butdoes not take any damage.

Hiding and Sneaking

You will encounter situationswhen your character mustachieve goals stealthily. This mayrequire hiding behind bushes tooverhear a conversation,sneaking behind an unsuspectingguard, or dodging around acorner to keep from being seen.These actions are all controlled byhow carefully you move yourcharacter. Hint: If you find yourcharacter getting caught often, tryto play through the area slowlyand steadily, without blindlyrunning across patrolled hallshoping to make it.

Pushing and Pulling

Moving into Push Position

Pushing the Stone Block

Many stone items like blocks andstatues, can be moved. To pushor pull an object, move to thedesired side, face it, and arrangeyour character with his handsnear the top of the object. Thenclick the action button to graspthe object, and move yourcharacter normally to push or pullthe object. To continue movingwithout grasping the object, justclick the action button again.

There are both wall and floorswitches to be pushed or pulled.To move one, just align your char-acter with it as above, and thenclick the action button. Hint: flip-ping a switch may affect an area.

Breaking and Smashing

Smashing a Vase

There are some objects in GENIE’SCURSE which your character cansmash to pieces or otherwisedestroy. Sometimes, other itemscan be found inside them.Breakables are usually wooden,although vases and even wallhangings can sometimes bedestroyed as well. To destroysomething, move next to it andclick the action button, or fire aspell at it. See “Magic Shards” on page 32.

2625

BUREAU CABINET

BOOK

BASKET

SCROLLSCHESTS

refuse to damage anyone of goodalignment. It is also imbued withmagic from the famed Moonstone.This magic enables it to causeadditional damage when it strikesa monster. And, more importantly,there are magic shards of theMoonstone hidden on certainislands in the Crowded Seas whichwill automatically meld into thesword, giving it even moredestructive power!

To makeyour char-acter strikewith hisscimitar,click theactionbutton.

He then swings it in whateverdirection he is facing, or in thedirection the sword cursor lies, ifusing the mouse. This blow can bedone rapidly and for as long asyou keep clicking. It damages anymonster it hits. When a monster ishit, it flashes briefly. There is aWeapons Master in Zaratan withwhom you can spar to practice andlearn combat.

To lock and unlock the directionyour character faces, press the Alt key. (When “locked” a small L appears in the upper left border.)Locking helps when walkingdown narrow corridors, butunlocking helps when surroundedby monsters.

As your character gains in experi-ence levels, and trains with theWeapons Master, he acquires twoadditional sword swings. Thesecond swing damages monstersto the left and right as well as thefront, and the third is a spectacular360 degree swipe, which injuresmonsters on all sides of yourcharacter, including those behind.

Each new swing is more powerfulthan the one before it and willthus inflict more damage on thetarget. And in addition to gainingnew swings, your character willalso be able to use his simplerswings even faster than before. Tosignify the ability to use a newswing, the next action circle lightsup. To use the new swings, holddown the action button for a splitsecond longer. Release it whenthe second or third action circlelights up in orange, depending onwhich blow you desire.

The more damage your characterinflicts on his opponent, the fur-ther the opponent is driven back-wards. After striking a blow, yourcharacter takes a brief moment toready his scimitar again.

Hint: Even in the thick offighting, keep an eye on thehealth bar. Be sure to have yourcharacter drink a healing potion,if you have one, before the bar isgone or he dies. Entering themenu pauses combat.

Battling monsters is a commonexperience as you venture withyour character away from humanpopulation centers. It requiresyou to be quick on the controlsand always ready for a suddenonrush of rats and spiders fromthe hallway beyond.

You will be able to ready yourcharacter with a scimitar in hisright hand and either a sling ormagical shard in his left.

Whenever the three attack circlesat the top of the screen arevisible, your character hasentered a dangerous area. If theattack circles at the top of thescreen are hidden, there is noneed for your sword. If there arefriendly creatures to be found inhostile areas, your character willnot be attacked while the attackcircles are missing.

Using Your Sword

Your characterspecializes in thescimitar, using itinstead of anyother meleeweapons. Thisgives him a greatadvantage. Atsecond-level he can already use the scimitar withstunning ability.

The actual swordyour characterowns was a giftfrom his father. It isa one-of-a-kindmagical sword withits own intelligence.While is does notspeak, it does

2827

COMBAT

Attacking

Your character starts the adven-ture with a very useful magicitem, a pouch of accessibility.This pouch holds any number ofobjects, and but a thought bringsthe desired one immediately tohis fingertips.

Icons are displayed on the inven-tory screen for each item whichyour character carries in thepouch. After selecting an item(see “Using a Joystick,” “Usingthe Keyboard,” or “Using aMouse” on pages 17-18), you seeits name and the quantity carriedat the bottom of the screen.

There are a large variety of itemswhich your character carries anduses. Some of them are usedautomatically when he needsthem. For example, if yourcharacter approaches a door whichrequires a bone key, and he hasone, the key automatically opensthe lock. This keeps the gamemoving and eliminates redundantdecisions. However, there arenumerous times when you mustchoose what to use and where.

Using Your Sling

The sling yourcharactergains early inthe adventureis a rare slingof seeking, amagicalweapon whichsends off itsstones with a

much greater chance of hittingthe target. They also do moredamage than a standard slingstone and even hit creatures onlydamaged by magical weapons.Your character always seems tohave ammunition for the sling.

To use the sling, click on it afterselecting the READY WEAPON menuchoice. This causes your char-acter to put away any shardbeing carried and pull out thesling. The sling icon appears onthe top of the screen, next to theaction circles.

Attack with the sling by pressingthe space bar or the secondjoystick button. The stone thenfires in whatever direction yourcharacter last moved. It ispossible to hit enemies which arejust off of the viewing screen.

Dodging

Creatures which move slowerthan your character can often bedodged when they attack.Whether you move yourcharacter in to strike and back tododge, or run circles around themonsters, as long as yourcharacter’s feet keep moving, heis harder to hit. If a monster isfaster than your character, thenyou may still be able to dodge,but it might be best to press theattack relentlessly. Hint: Trydifferent combat styles againstdifferent monsters.

Getting Hit

If your character is dealt a blowin combat, he will be knockedback, wounded, and stunned fora brief moment. Make sure youdodge or attack the second he canmove again, or another strike willlikely land. The monsters youencounter offer no mercy.

3029

USING ITEMS

Inventory

r

ITEMS CARRIED

HIGHLIGHTED ITEM

QUANTITY OFCARRIED ITEM

ITEM’S NAME

EXIT BACKTO MENU

Slinging

Invulnerability

♦ gray bottle

Weak monsters cannot harm thedrinker of this potion and powerfulcreatures will have a more difficulttime doing damage. The effectsonly last a short amount of timeso it is best used as combat starts.

Oil of ElementalInvulnerability

♦ blue bottle — Air♦ brown bottle — Earth♦ orange bottle — Fire♦ clear bottle — Water

All of these oils give identicalresults, only against differentelementals. The effect only lastsfor a brief time, but when usedyour character is immune todamage from the elemental of the type listed.

Rings

Your character automaticallywears a ring when he finds one.Once in place, a ring’s effects lastcontinually. To see which ringsare currently being worn, selectVIEW STATS from the menu. No twoof the same ring type may beworn at one time, so a +2 ring ofprotection would take the place ofa +1 ring when it is discovered. Ifany rings are found which do notneed to be worn for their magic totake effect, they appear on theINVENTORY screen.

Magic Shards

There are tales told amongst thefolk of the Crowded Sea of a greatstone of magical powers, dubbedthe Moonstone. While none knowwhere the stone now lies, frag-ments of it have been discoveredthroughout Sorcerer’s Isle and thesurrounding islands. Some ofthese fragments contain powerfulspells and, unlike wands oftenusable only by mages, they canbe used by anyone descendedfrom the original settlers ofSorcerer’s Isle. Your character isof that ancient bloodline.

Gold and Gems

Gold and gems are the standardcurrencies in GENIE’S CURSE. Onegem is worth about ten goldpieces. Most merchants favorgold, but some accept gems andan even smaller number requirethem. The amount of gold andgems currently being carried byyour character is displayed on thetop of the screen. Gold and gemsare most often found by lootingmonster’s lairs and receiving payfor the completion of tasks. Hint:Be careful not to overspend andthen have to adventure abouttrying to find gold.

Potions

Some potions last only for shortperiods of time. This is noted in the following potion descrip-tions. When you activate one ofthese, the vial on the top of thescreen fills with liquid. The liquidthen gradually drains from thevial — when it runs out, thepotion’s effects end. If your cha-racter drinks one potion whileanother is in effect, the former’seffects will be lost. Potions, eventhose of the same type, arebrewed with varying potencies sotheir durations are all different.Note: all durations are listed inreal time.

Potion Bottles

There are a number of differentpotions in GENIE’S CURSE. Eachpotion may only be used once.Following are descriptions of thepotions and the types of bottlethey come in.

Extra Healing

♦ large red heart bottle

This is the strongest healingpotion in GENIE’S CURSE. Whenused, it heals the character for 6to 27 hit points.

Giant Strength

♦ green bottle

Upon consumption, the individualgains great strength and when-ever striking a blow in combat, itdoes 8 extra hit points of damage.This potion lasts for only a fewminutes and is best used immed-iately upon entering battle.

Healing

♦ small red heart bottle

This common potion heals for 4to 10 hit points.

3231

SPELLS CONTAINED IN THE MAGIC SHARDS

A Water Blast Spell Hits a Ghoul

These are the spells held in magic shards of the Moonstone, which yourcharacter uses to blast creatures from a distance, even those just off theplaying screen! Each spell operates as though cast by a sixth-level mage.As you delve deeper into GENIE’S CURSE, your character encountersenemies which also cast spells. When hit by a spell, your character’snatural magic resistance may protect him. Hint: Dodge spells. If you arequick, some incantations can be avoided altogether . . . but not always!

The icon pictured here appears when a shard with that spell is readied.

Cone of Cold

When cast, this spell causes a cone-shaped area of extreme cold toextend 10 yards from the caster. It freezes anything it touches for 12to 30 points of damage.

Each shard, resembling a glowingrock, holds a number of charges.Each use consumes one chargeand, once depleted, the shardbreaks apart. Select READY WEAPONfrom the menu to display anyshards currently being carried,and click on one to ready it. Onlyone shard or the sling can beequipped at a time. Whileadventuring, you can tell whichshard is readied by the small iconnext to the attack circles. If theicon area is empty, the one beingused ran out of charges, or onewas never selected to begin with.

The number next to the shard’sname represents the charges ithas remaining.

To fire the readied shard, faceyour character in the directionyou want it to go and press thespace bar. See the “Spell Listings”below for descriptions of theshards you may find.

3433

Ready Weapon Screen

r

SHARDS BEINGCARRIED

READIEDWEAPON SLING

CHARGESREMAINING

READIEDWEAPON’S

NAME

EXIT BACKTO MENU

Sunfire

This spell harnesses the very power of the sun and shoots it up to 70yards where it forms an explosive ball of flame. Those killed by thesunfire are often burned to ash. The spell does 6 to 36 points ofdamage to those directly caught in the blast. The caster is neverdamaged by sunfire.

Sunscorch

When cast, the sunscorch forms into an intense blast of heat whichfocuses into a narrow beam and then fires to the target. It curves andwraps around obstacles up to 60 yards or until it unerringly strikes theprey. The beam does 4 to 24 points of damage plus 2 to 8 points if thetarget is touching any metal item larger than a sword.

Water Blast

A fast moving shot of water springs from the caster and careens to thetarget exactly like a magic missile. The blast does 2 to 12 points ofdamage and travels up to 60 yards.

Flame Arrow

This spell empowers the caster to hurl a fiery bolt 20 yards at anenemy. If it hits, the spell causes 1 to 6 points of damage from theblow and 4 to 24 points of damage to any creature affected by flames.

Lightning Bolt

Upon releasing this spell, a powerful stroke of electric energy shootsfrom the caster, greatly damaging whatever it strikes. The lightningbolt can ricochet off walls, sometimes heading straight back into thecaster. It damages every target that it hits for 6 to 36 points of damagebefore petering out after traveling 100 yards.

Magic Missile

When this spell is cast, a tight group of three missiles shoot towardsany visible target within 120 yards. They strike the enemy closest tothe caster in the direction being faced. The tight ball of missiles cause atotal of 6 to 15 points of damage.

Sundazzle

This spell causes small, multi-colored spheres to dance about the eyesof the target, temporarily blinding it.

3635

Dangerous Inhabitants of GENIE’S CURSE

Acid Blob

See “New Monster Descriptions” on page 47 for a detailed listing of thecreatures new to GENIE’S CURSE.

Ammut

The ammut is the legendary witness at thejudging of the damned who is then called uponto consume the evil souls. The good news isthat they only eat the wicked, and the bad newsis that they enjoy killing the honorable as well.Instead of eating the corpse, however, they justplay with it until a hungry scavenger comesalong. Oily, smelling of decay, and a crossbetween a crocodile, hippopotamus, and lioness,the ammut does not present a pretty picture. Ithas massive claws and jaws to match, oftenroaring deafeningly during combat. Hating thelight, the ammut are usually found undergroundseeking sustenance from amoral beings.

BESTIARY

This is a dangerous land, for behind its honorable facade lies intrigue,treachery, and deceit. In addition to the monsters, there are evilhumans bent upon your character’s destruction, and tremendouslypowerful genies whose actions are always unpredictable. Perhaps inthis section you will find information on your foes to give you agreater chance of success.

3837

Elemental, Miniature (Air, Earth Fire, and Water)

See “New Monster Descriptions” on page 53 for a detailed listing of thecreatures new to GENIE’S CURSE.

Ettin

Ettins are powerful, giant-like creatures withtwo heads. Both heads sit atop the shouldersand give ettins an excellent ability to spot prey.They wear tattered, moth-eaten animal skinsand tend to be quite filthy. In combat, the ettinattacks with massive clubs; this monster is trulya fearsome foe. While their normal skin color isgreenish, there are rumors of even morepowerful albino ettins.

Ghoul

The ghoul is an undead scavenger which feedson the flesh of corpses. It is recognizable by its ghastly skull and decaying body. Ghouls are often encountered in packs and stop atnothing to feed. If one rakes a target with itsfilthy nails there is a chance that paralysis willensue, slowing the target down greatly. Whilethe near-stasis does not last long, it may beenough time for the monsters to finish off theirtarget. Unless consumed, a person killed byghouls becomes a ghoul.

Boar, Giant

This ancestor of the domestic hog is not to betaken lightly. It will charge into and viciouslygore its target. The giant boar is an omnivorewhich will eat anything and everything, and itknows no fear when hunting. The boarresembles a hog, but with a shorter snout,coarser hair, straighter tail, and vicious tusks.

Copper Automaton, Miniature

See “New Monster Descriptions” on page 49 for a detailed listing of thecreatures new to GENIE’S CURSE.

Cyclops, Desert

See “New Monster Descriptions” on page 51 for a detailed listing of thecreatures new to GENIE’S CURSE.

Debbi

The debbi is a hateful and selfish desertscavenger. It is but two feet tall and resembles ahairy creature halfway between a baboon andhyena. Its snout, head, and jaws are those of ascavenger, and its body that of a nimblemonkey. The debbi “cause fear” in many otherdesert animals — this ability occasionally causesmagical sparks to spring from their coats. Whilethe beasts are cowards at heart, locals haverecently reported the debbi in the area beingmore and more fearless. The reasons for thischange are unknown.

4039

Mummy

Mummies are horrific, powerful undead whodestroy all that is living, usually because theireternal rest was disturbed. Clothed in rottingstrips of linen they stand up to seven feet talland strike with an unnatural strength. Anythingthat they kill immediately rots. The mummy hasone major weakness, and that is flame. All fire-based spells cause extra damage to them.

Nas Nas

The nas nas are perhaps the most bizarrecreature in this locale. Created by evil wizardswith depraved and dreadful magic whichrequires their own blood, the nas nas is ahuman sliced in half and is very, very insane.Hopping on one leg, fighting with one arm,unable to speak with but half a vocal cord, andlooking at the world with one crazed eye, thenas nas often finds a way to kill itself beforereaching thirty years of age. Unfortunately, thatoften means throwing itself with wild abandoninto combat, hooting and screaming the onlysounds it can make. Though only on one leg,the nas nas moves rather quickly, and its onemassively muscled arm dexterously wields ascimitar.

Great Ghul

The great ghuls are the undead cousins of thegenies. They are often female, have donkey earsand hooves, and their flesh is rotting and foul.They have the power to shape shift and appearin more appealing forms. They attack withsurprisingly powerful claws and sharp teeth.The victim should not be surprised if ghulsbecome invisible during combat. Although theycannot be seen, they can still cause and takedamage.

Markeen

The markeen is a lesser genie cursed at birth tobe the spitting image of a human baby. Themarkeen then grows of age as the human does,continuing to be an identical twin. However, thegenie is not spiritually linked to the human andcan die earlier or later. The markeen is notnecessarily evil and will rarely encounter itshuman double. Other genies look down upon themarkeen, often exiling them to a life of seclusion.

4241

Rat, Giant Zakharan

See “New Monster Descriptions” on page 55 for a detailed listing of thecreatures new to GENIE’S CURSE.

Sorcerer

The sorcerers of this world derive their arcanepowers from either one or two of the elementalforces. Whether it be a fire, air, earth, water or atwo element sorcerer, at higher levels they aredeadly. Sorcerers rely on powerful spells andalways avoid hand-to-hand combat whenpossible. Fleet of foot, they pose a challenge toany they encounter.

Spider, Huge

The huge spider is an aggressive predator oftenfound dwelling in dungeons. Nearly six feetlong and usually in groups, they scuttle acrossthe floor quickly and attack without remorse.Their dark colors make them difficult to spot inthe shadows of a cavern. The climate hascaused the spiders to have a poison somewhatless potent than their kind normally harbors. Ifbitten by a spider, and affected by the poison,the target merely takes damage instead ofautomatically dying.

Ogrima

The ogrima is a result of breeding between stan-dard ogres and ogre magi. They have limitedspell use, and are quite strong and cunning. Anogrima stands nearly nine feet tall, has sicklyskin, and has a head covered by thick greasyhair which is topped with a nascent horn. Theyattack with weapons, and can hold two-handedswords in just one massive hand. The ogrimatend to disdain armor, relying on their naturalregeneration to carry them through combat.

Pirate

Pirates are evil corsairs.They roam everywhereon the Crowded Sea andno ship is safe from theirmarauding. There aremany different pirates,from lowly one-eyed

buccaneers, to their male sea dog leaders, to the powerful femalerovers, to the dreaded captains. Attacking with scimitars andsometimes missile weapons, the pirates will close quickly with a targetship and then rush to board it. On the plus side, if they can be foughtback and beaten, their ship nearly always carries treasure.

4443

New Monster Descriptions

These monsters are new to the ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS

game. Most of them were created for GENIE’S CURSE. If you would liketo incorporate them into your own campaigns, their statistics follow.

Werehyena

The werehyena is a lycanthrope, able to changefrom human form to that of a giant hyena atwill. In human form, the werehyena is oftenquite friendly and charismatic. However, itusually fights in its hyena form, where it is sixfeet long and has massive jaws with which itrends its prey. The werehyena is somewhatafraid of fire, but if cornered is not daunted by it.

Zombie

Zombies are mindless undead creaturesfollowing simple commands from a master, whomay be long dead. They are known for theirrotting flesh and putrid smells. Zombies movevery slowly and attack the same way, trying topummel their target. Typically, they are foundunderground in charnel places. If encountered inlarge groups, they can pose a threat to aweakened adventurer. Rumors abound aroundthe Crowded Sea of undead pirate shipssomehow controlled by zombies and ghouls.

4645

Miniature Elementals — Air, Earth, Fire & Water

Giant Zakharan Rat

Acid Blob Desert Cyclops

Miniature Copper

Automaton

Combat: The acid blob attacksby striking at prey with its body.The acid is not strong enough tocontinue burning flesh after itsstrike, but metals are in greatdanger. Every non-magical metalweapon which touches the acidblob and every non-magicalpiece of metal armor which theacid blob hits must make asaving throw or be weakened.Any item failing to save has a 5% cumulative chance ofbreaking each time it is struckthereafter. For example, a swordwhich is being used against anacid blob that fails two savingthrows has a 10% chance ofbreaking every time it is used.This corrosion has no effect onmagical items.

Habitat/Society: Acid blobs areusually found in groups, sincenew acid blobs are created byblobs separating from their hostand then joining together. This is apurely instinctual occurrence sincethe blobs have no intelligence.

Ecology: Acid blobs aredungeon scavengers, absorbingnon-stone items they encounterfor whatever nutrients theyrequire. While they can surviveoff of non-living materials, acidblobs prefer living targets and willpursue them until death or lunch.

The acid blob is a small butpotentially deadly creature livingin unkempt underground areas.Its name gives accuratedescription to the monster, amoving glob consisting of an

acidic substance. The acid blobtends to be green, althoughdarker colors have also beensighted. Unlike many of its ilk,the acid blob does not move onthe wall or ceiling, it just hopsalong the ground.

4847

Acid Blob

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Subterranean

FREQUENCY: Rare

ORGANIZATION: Pack

ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any

DIET: Omnivore

INTELLIGENCE: None (0)

TREASURE: Nil

ALIGNMENT: Neutral

NO. APPEARING: 2-8 (1)

ARMOR CLASS: 8

MOVEMENT: 5

HIT DICE: 2

THACØ: 19

NO. OF ATTACKS: 1

DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-6

SPECIAL ATTACKS: See Below

SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil

MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil

SIZE: S (2’-3’)

MORALE: (10)

EXP. POINT VALUE: 65

Combat: Miniature copperautomatons attack with their two metallic hands, clubbing orpinching with fair strength for 1 to 4 points of damage per limb. They do not share the heat-generating abilities of theirlarger versions.

The automatons can only behealed, or repaired, by the com-bined efforts of a wizard of atleast 6th-level and a well-trainedsmith. With this team, theautomaton recovers 1 to 8 hitpoints per day. Once killed, ordestroyed, the automaton maynot be rebuilt.

Habitat/Society: Miniaturecopper automatons are thecreations of wizards not power-ful enough to create largerautomatons, or not desiring topay the additional expenses forthem. Upon inception, andchangeable at any time thereafter,the mage gives the mass ofclinking parts a simple task tocarry out. Some are used to standguard over the tombs of theirdead masters, others patroldungeons warding againstintruders, and some are used asslave labor doing the mostsimple, but laborious work. Theyperform any service within theirlimited mental grasp.

The method of forming aminiature automaton is not awell-kept secret. Any wizard of atleast 6th-level with 2,000 goldpieces can build one. The wholeprocess takes about two weeks,and requires copper ore, irongears, lead counterweights and agemstone worth at least 500 goldpieces to center the wizard’smagical energies. Also needed ishalf of an oil of slipperiness vialto keep the gears turning.

Ecology: Miniature CopperAutomatons need no food, no rest, no external energysource and no loving encour-agement. They are completelyunnatural, with no niche in theecological balance.

Miniature copper automatons are very similar to their largercounterpart, the copper automaton.They are magical statues of copper and bronze with numerouslevers and gears churning inside of them all held together bymagical enchantments.

As they are creations,automatons look quite differentfrom one another. Some have

blocky bodies and long armswhile others look more like smallhuman knights. All of them arecorroding and have blank eyes.

The miniature versions are not as well made as the largerautomatons and thus cannotmanipulate objects very well.However, a simple task likepulling a switch or turning a door knob is possible.

5049

Copper Automaton,Miniature

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Any/Ruins

FREQUENCY: Rare

ORGANIZATION: Solitary

ACTIVITY CYCLE: Constant

DIET: None

INTELLIGENCE: Low (5)

TREASURE: Nil

ALIGNMENT: Neutral

NO. APPEARING: 1 (20%) 3-18 (80%)

ARMOR CLASS: 5

MOVEMENT: 7

HIT DICE: 3 + 3

THACØ: 17

NO. OF ATTACKS: 2

DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-4 / 1-4

SPECIAL ATTACKS: None

SPECIAL DEFENSES: Spell Immunities

MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil

SIZE: M (3’-5’)

MORALE: Fearless (20)

EXP. POINT VALUE: 120

Combat: Once angered orattacked, the desert cyclops is avicious foe. A long history ofpersecution has left them easy toanger and very dangerous whentheir ire does arise. They attackby punching with their strongarms, or with a large two-handedweapon with which they get astrength bonus of +6 on each hit.The cyclops are not agile enoughto use two weapons at one time.

Occasionally the desert cyclopsare seen in armor, which needs tobe specially made for their oddly-shaped bodies. However, most donot wear armor, since theirnaturally tough skin is often asgood as any but the best metals.

Habitat/Society: It is difficultto pin down the desert cyclops toany one type, as they live inmany different ways. The mostcommon arrangement is thedesert clan. This is a small group,not usually more than six,excluding children, living ashunters and gatherers in thedesert sands. They will move withthe weather or as water suppliesdiminish. These clans are fiercelydefensive and usually attack anyintruder who does not obey theirorders to leave immediately. Somekill anyone for just seeing wheretheir clan is living. These actionshelp to fuel human anti-cyclopstendencies, which are otherwiselargely built upon fallacies.

Other desert cyclops are loners,who live a solitary existence in a rocky cave or in a small build-ing they have pieced together inthe middle of some wasteland.These cyclops are also defensive,but some of them begin to cravecontact to such a degree that they will talk with strangersinstead of attacking or hiding. All desert cyclops speak in thecommon tongue.

A very few number of desertcyclops have managed to findacceptance in human society, andhave pursued careers as any otherhuman would. This is always atenuous existence which often endswith the cyclops being blamed forsome tragedy or murder withwhich they had no connection.However, there are also stories ofCaliphs or other nobles hiringcyclops’ to help determine if theirsubjects are speaking the truth.

Ecology: The cyclops has verysimilar dietary needs to that of ahuman, with one major difference.Cyclops will sprinkle sand on theirfood in the same manner ashumans would use a seasoningsuch as salt. No studies have beendone to ascertain how the sand isdigested or if it benefits the cyclopsin any manner, although commontheory states that it aids indigestion. There are no records ofa desert cyclops actually living offof sand, but it is a popular garnish.

The desert cyclops is slightly tallerthan a human and has rough,sand-colored skin. They aresecretive creatures, often perse-cuted by humans who fear theirsize and the one large eye whichseems to peer into their very soul.

The upper body of the desertcyclops is usually quite muscular,sometimes out of proportion tothe rest of their frame. Dependingon its chosen lifestyle andhabitat, desert cyclops can lookextremely different from oneanother. Some wear animal hidesand are covered with combatscars and sandpaper skin, whileothers dress normally, and do notlook like fighters at all.

The only facet nearly identical inevery desert cyclops is the largeeye. It is unblinking, virtuallyalways sky-blue, and is both thepride and shame of its owner. Theeye is considered very beautifulamong the cyclops themselves,but others use it as a rallyingpoint for vilification.

The cyclops do indeed have aspecial ability with their eye.While looking at a person who isspeaking, they can ascertain ifthere are any lies being told. Ifthe speaker knows of this power,he or she can try to block it andmake the cyclops think that theyare telling the truth by making asaving throw against magic.

5251

Cyclops, Desert

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Any land

FREQUENCY: Rare

ORGANIZATION: Clan

ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any

DIET: Omnivore

INTELLIGENCE: Average (8-10)

TREASURE: M (Q, D)

ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Neutral

NO. APPEARING: 1-6

ARMOR CLASS: 4

MOVEMENT: 10

HIT DICE: 6 + 6

THACØ: 15

NO. OF ATTACKS: 2

DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-8 x 2 or Weapon

SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil

SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil

MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil

SIZE: L (8’ - 10’)

MORALE: Steady (12)

EXP. POINT VALUE: 420

It is not known how miniatureelementals came into existence.They used to be extremely rare,and were considered to be mythby most scholars, but recentreports of sightings and attacksby the elementals have increased.Some conjecture that they aresmall bits of larger elementalswhich broke free, and now roamof their own accord.

The miniature elementals are all less than two feet tall and look like their element. Fireelementals are small moving balls of flame, air elementals are little whirlwinds, earthelementals are moving rocks, and water elementals are bounc-ing blobs of cohesive water.

Whatever their origin, theminiature elementals havebecome a large nuisance in someareas. Although seldom powerfulenough to kill an alert warrior,and not intelligent enough to planattacks against weak opponents,the elementals are not to beignored. Often traveling in packs,they can be dangerous whensurrounding a lone target.Rumors are also circulating aboutlarger versions of the miniaturewater elemental attackingmerchant ships, though this isyet to be confirmed.

As of the date of this writing, no mage has been able to pur-posely conjure a miniatureelemental. Perhaps they are too small to be grabbed from their respective elemental planesby magical snares.

Combat: All miniature elementalsattack by launching their body attheir targets. In addition, earthelementals launch bits of stone atthe target. None of them arepowerful enough to cause anyextra damage — for instance, ablow by the fire elemental does not require any saving throw tokeep items from burning.

All of the elementals have special defenses against certaintypes of attacks. Water-basedspells do 1 point less of damageper die (minimum 1 point per die) against miniature waterelementals and fire-based spellshave the same damage reductionagainst miniature fire elementals.Attacks by cutting weapons doone-half damage to miniatureearth elementals and lastly,magical weapons (or spells) areneeded to damage the miniatureair elemental.

Elemental, Miniature

TYPE: Air Earth Fire Water

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Any Land Any Land Any Land Any Water/Shore

FREQUENCY: Uncommon Uncommon Uncommon Uncommon

ORGANIZATION: Pack Pack Pack Pack

ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any Any Any Any

DIET: Air Earth, Any Any Metal, Com- LiquidGem bustible

INTELLIGENCE: Animal (1) Animal (1) Animal (1) Animal (1)

TREASURE: Nil Nil Nil Nil

ALIGNMENT: Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral

NO. APPEARING 2-12 2-8 2-12 3-18

ARMOR CLASS: 6 6 7 7

MOVEMENT: 14 6 12 10

HIT DICE: 1 1+3 1+2 1+1

THACØ: 19 19 19 19

NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 1 1 1

DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-3 1-4 2-5 1-4

SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil Nil Nil Nil

SPECIAL DEFENSES: See Below See Below See Below See Below

MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil Nil Nil Nil

SIZE: S (2’) S (2’) S (2’) S (2’)

MORALE: Average (10) Average (10) Average (10) Average (10)

EXP. POINT VALUE: 35 65 35 35

5453

Combat: Giant Zakharan ratsare annoying creatures whichrush into a fight with extremequickness and then maddeninglygnaw and claw until they arekilled. It is rare to find a singlerat; they tend to roam in packs.While generally easy to kill, thereare stories of giant rats closing in and killing a hero weakenedafter the hero has just defeated a major foe.

Unlike other rats, this variety isnot particularly afraid of flames.Many tales exist of adventurersexpecting torches or bonfires to keep them safe from the ratsonly to be viciously attackedwhile unprepared.

Ecology: The giant Zakharanrat tends to live in dank under-ground areas like dungeons. Itcan slip through tight openings as the creature’s skeletal systemcompresses drastically. The ratsare usually found in groups, but it is very rare to find more than a dozen in any one place. Theirdiet is anything and everythingwhich they encounter that is, orwas once, living

The giant Zakharan rat is acousin to the giant rat with themain difference being size.Zakharan rats are huge, withlengths of up to seven feet (notincluding the tail). They are just

as filthy, disease ridden, fero-cious, and fleet of foot as theirsmaller cousins. Their fur isgenerally brownish and their eyes a deep red.

5655

Rat, Giant Zakharan

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Subterranean

FREQUENCY: Uncommon

ORGANIZATION: Pack

ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any

DIET: Omnivore

INTELLIGENCE: Animal- (1)

TREASURE: Nil

ALIGNMENT: Neutral

NO. APPEARING: 1-12

ARMOR CLASS: 6

MOVEMENT: 14

HIT DICE: 4

THACØ: 17

NO. OF ATTACKS: 1

DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-8

SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil

SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil

MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil

SIZE: M (4’-7’)

MORALE: (10)

EXP. POINT VALUE: 175

DESIGNER’S NOTES

Creating Genie’s Curse presented some unique challenges to us here at Cyberlore Studios. We strove to create a game that was completely unique from other role-playing games.

First we wanted our game to be easily accessible to all thoseplayers who are frustrated by the complex combat, spell andinventory systems that so many other games employ. We’vealways thought it was more fun casting a spell than memorizing it.The real-time combat adds an element of danger and immediacymissing in phased combat systems.

We wanted the player character to be a pre-rolled character with aspecific background and history. This presents you with a newchallenge: non-player characters in the game expect your characterto act like an honorable young prince. But, we give you a widechoice of actions. Your prince can be anything you want him to be;honorable, impatient, or down right rude. Of course, being rude tothe wrong person can land your character in jail pretty fast.

The AL-QADIM™ game world presented its own challenges to theCyberlore designers as well as players. This is not the medievalhack and slash world we’re all used to playing in. This is acarefully structured society where honor is more important thanmuscle. The player who plans on hacking his way through thisgame had better save the game often.

The look of the game is also unique. We wanted it to have the feel ofthe “Technicolor” Sinbad and Arabian Nights movies we grew upwith. We never pictured the game locations as real places. Instead,we pictured them as movie sets on neatly swept sound stages, andwe filled the areas with decorative props and dressed the actors incostumes from the “Arabian” section of the costume department.

In a market filled with fantasy role-playing games we hope GENIE’SCURSE stands out and gives you a unique and fun adventure. Enjoy!

Monsters

Acid Blob................................47

Ammut...................................38

Boar, Giant ............................39

Copper Automaton, Miniature ...49

Cyclops, Desert .......................51

Debbi .....................................39

Elemental, Miniature (Air, Earth, Fire or Water)......53

Ettin ......................................40

Ghoul .....................................40

Great Ghul..............................41

Markeen.................................41

Mummy..................................42

Nas Nas .................................42

Ogrima...................................43

Pirate .....................................43

Rat, Giant Zakharan ..............55

Sorcerer ..................................44

Spider, Huge...........................44

Werehyena .............................45

Zombie...................................45

Spells and Potions

Cone of Cold............................34

Extra Healing.........................31

Flame Arrow...........................35

Giant Strength........................31

Healing ..................................31

Invulnerability........................32

Lightning Bolt ........................35

Magic Missile .........................35

Oil of Elemental Invulnerability(Air, Earth, Fire and Water).....32

Sundazzle...............................35

Sunfire....................................36

Sunscorch...............................36

Water Blast ............................36

57

MONSTER AND MAGIC INDEX

CREDITS

Cyberlore Studios, Inc. Credits

Game Design Herb PerezProducer Lester Humphreys

Lead Programmer Ken GreyArt Garrett McCarthy, Herb Perez

Writers Herb Perez, Joseph Minton, Ken Eklund, Dan Greenberg

Additional Programmers Lester Humphreys, Joseph Minton, Ken Eklund, Dan Greenberg, Steven Wolf

Rule Book Author Joseph MintonLead Playtester Jim DuBois

Strategic Simulations, Inc. Credits

Producer: Bret BerryAdditional Producers: Nicholas Beliaeff, Chuck Kroegel,

George MacDonaldAssociate Producer: William DunnRule Book Editors: Eileen Matsumi, André Vrignaud

Musical Director: CookseyTest Supervisor: Glen Cureton

Lead Product Tester: Joshua CloudProduct Testers: John Cloud, Cyrus Harris, Jeff Peña

Test Support: Annette Grove, Rose RamosCompatibility Testing: Top Star Computing Services, Inc.

Graphic Design and DTP: LOUIS SAEKOW DESIGN: David Boudreau, Leedara Zola

Printing: A&a Printers and Lithographers, Inc.Special thanks to: Jim Ward and Tom Wahl

Other Credits

Music: Eric Heberling, Rob Wallace, Nada Lewis

FM Voice Design: The Fatman

QUESTIONS OR PROBLEMS?Our main business number is (408) 737-6800. If you encounter disk or system related problems you can callour Technical Support Staff at (408) 737-6850 between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., Pacific Time, Mondaythrough Friday, holidays excluded. NO GAME PLAYING HINTS WILL BE GIVEN THROUGH THIS NUMBER. Youcan write to us for hints at: Hints, Strategic Simulations, Inc., 675 Almanor Avenue, Suite 201, Sunnyvale, CA 94086(include a self-addressed, stamped envelope for reply).

IBM COMPATIBLE COMPUTER INFORMATION:Many of our games will work on IBM compatible computers. If you own an IBM compatible computer we suggest thatyou consult with our Technical Support Staff at (408) 737-6850 between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., Pacific Time,Monday through Friday, (holidays excluded) to see if an SSI game you're considering purchasing is compatible withyour computer. If we have insufficient data to determine compatibility, you may wish to purchase the game and test forcompatibility yourself. If the game proves to be incompatible, you may return it within 14 days with your dated receiptand we will refund your money. Or, if you return the game within 30 days, you may exchange the game for another.

Always make sure to include your name, address, and daytime telephone number with anycorrespondence. We will do our best to see that any problems are corrected as soon as possible.

STRATEGIC SIMULATIONS, INC. LIMITED WARRANTY Strategic Simulations, Inc. (“SSI”) warrants that the diskette(s) on which the enclosed program is recorded will be free fromdefects in materials and workmanship for a period of 30 days from the date of purchase. If within 30 days of purchase thediskette(s) prove defective in any way, you may return the diskette(s) to Strategic Simulations, Inc., 675 Almanor Avenue,Suite 201, Sunnyvale, CA 94086-2901 and SSI will replace the diskette(s) free of charge. In addition, if the diskette(s) provedefective at any time after the first 30 days, return the diskette(s) to SSI and SSI will replace the diskette(s) for a charge of $10.00(each disk) plus $4.00 for shipping and handling. California residents, add applicable sales tax.SSI MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, WITH RESPECT TO THE SOFTWARE PROGRAM RECORDED ON THEDISKETTE OR THE GAME DESCRIBED IN THIS RULE BOOK, THEIR QUALITY, PERFORMANCE, MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FORANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE PROGRAM AND GAME ARE SOLD “AS IS.” THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THEIR QUALITY ANDPERFORMANCE IS WITH THE BUYER. IN NO EVENT WILL SSI BE LIABLE FOR DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, ORCONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES RESULTING FROM ANY DEFECT IN THE PROGRAM OR GAME EVEN IF SSI HAS BEEN ADVISED OFTHE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. (SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF IMPLIEDWARRANTIES OR LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION MAYNOT APPLY TO YOU.)The enclosed software program and this rule book are copyrighted. All rights are reserved. This rule book may not be copied,photographed, reproduced, or translated or reduced to any electrical medium or machine-readable form, in whole or in part,without prior written consent from SSI. The program accompanying this rule book may be copied, by the original purchaser only,as necessary for use on the computer for which it was purchased. Any persons reproducing any portion of this book for any reason, in any media, shall be guilty of copyright violation andsubject to the appropriate civil or criminal action at the discretion of the copyright holder(s).ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, AD&D, AL-QADIM and the TSR logo are trademarks owned by and used under licensefrom TSR, Inc., Lake Geneva WI, USA. All TSR characters, character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof aretrademarks owned by and used under license from TSR, Inc. 1994 TSR, Inc. 1994 Strategic Simulations, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU HAVE A DEFECTIVE DISKEach of our games undergoes extensive playtesting prior to its release. Through this process we hope to uncover and correct anyerrors in programming. However, due to the complex nature of our simulations, some program errors may go undetected untilafter publication. In addition to errors in the program, there are occasionally problems with the disk itself. We experience theindustry standard of approximately a 3 to 5% failure rate of duplicated disks. Before assuming that a disk is defective, make sureto check your disk drive. Up to 95% of the disks returned to us as defective will run fine on our computer systems. Often theproblem is with a disk drive that needs servicing for alignment, speed, or cleaning.Should you have a defective disk, please return the disk only (keep all other parts of the game) to our Customer SupportDepartment, along with a note describing the problem you have encountered. A replacement disk will be provided upon ourreceipt of the defective disk.Should you uncover an error in the program, return both your game disk and any “save game” disks to our Customer SupportDepartment. Please enclose a description of what was taking place in the game when the error occurred. Upon correction of theprogram error, we will return an updated disk to you.