Fountain.txt

FOUNTAIN OF DREAMS




                       TABLE OF CONTENTS

Background...................................................       1
Objective...................................................        3
Getting Started..............................................       4
Florida: No Place For A Vacation-Game Overview...................   4
Characters.......................................................   6
      Attributes.................................................   6
      Using Attributes...........................................   7
      Creating Characters........................................   7
      Constitution, Condition, and Healing......................    10
      Skills.....................................................   11
      Active Skills..............................................   11
      Passive Skills.............................................   12
      Mutations..................................................   13
      Active Mutations...........................................   13
      Passive Mutations..........................................   14
      Level and Advancement......................................   14
      The Party and Recruitment..................................   14
Gameplay.........................................................   15
      Saving and/or Quitting.....................................   15
      Character Options..........................................   16
      Character Roster Options....................................  17
      Encounter Options..........................................   17
      Time and Money.............................................   17
Combat...........................................................   18
      How It Works...............................................   18
      Forcing Combat............................................    18
      Types of Combat............................................   18
      Combat Commands............................................   19
      Weapons and Explosives.....................................   20
      Armor......................................................   21
         Brought to you by means of OCR. Long live the Gifmaster



























                           BACKGROUND
Florida is an island. Direct nuclear hits on Atlanta and several Georgia
military installations triggered a seismic backlash that jarred the peninsula
loose from the mainland just below the panHandle; a line drawn from Daytona
Beach to Ocala roughly describes the line of separation.  Because of the
presence of Cape Canaveral, which America's enemies wished to preserve for
their own use, central Florida was hit with neutron and chemical weapons.
There was thus little physical damage to the region, although life was obliter-
ated from the area.  This cataclysm became known as The Change.

At first, the surviving Floridians tried to re-establish communication with
the  mainland via radio, but their efforts were met with silence followed
quickly by savage attacks from bands of radiation-crazed marauders.  Within a
few years of The Change, the residents of the island's northern coast
constructed a defensive wall and established coastal patrols.  They could see
the mainland from atop the wall, a mere 5 miles away.  But anyone who attempted
to swim across the strait  was  killed  either  by  the  contaminated sea or
the voracious creatures that lurk therein; small boats fared better.  There
has been no communication between the island and  the  mainland  since  the
bombs  fell,  and  the common belief on Florida is that no decent human life
remains off the island.

After The Change, Florida communities withdrew into themselves and became
city-states. Against all odds, this social structure has managed to survive for
almost 50 years.  There is contact and even trade between these "cities," but
all alliances are conducted at arms length. There is some traffic between
communities  by  bands  of  adventurers.  Some  of these bands are survivalists
trying to preserve some semblance of order and civilization on the island.
Others are freebooters such as the Killer Clowns (see below) who want to profit
from the existing disorder.  And there are vigilantes pursuing some private
vendetta against Florida's many two-, four-, or multi-legged predators.

Other than radiation and nature itself, the on y force to be reckoned with
throughout the island is the Killer Clowns.  The Clowns have 1 oerverted the
slapstick humor of their forebearers, taking its feigned violence literally,
and expanding it into the martial  art Slap-Fu.  These predatory Pierrots roam
the island, extending the power of their ancient but still dangerous founder,
Kermit Eli, and his demented family.  The Clowns are extremely secretive, and
their pantomime communication with each other is impenetrable to outsiders.
They are highly skilled in the use any kind of weapon, and unusually fond of
the bizarre, such as steel-toed flap shoes, rubber chickens stuffed with ball
bearings, spike-studded brickbats, and seltzer bottles filled with acid. The
Killer Clowns have fallen strangely silent lately, but it is generally believed
that this is a momentary lull.

Florida's main urban center,Miami,took a secondary nuclear salvo and was reduced
nearly to rubble. The survivors soon split into factions and the former resort
city is now something like a latter-day Beirut, but with  better  dance  music.
In  this  fractious  atmosphere, with its Byzantine assortment of  groups,
sub-groups,  splinter  groups,  gangs,  sects,mobs, cults, cells, associations,
conspiracies, and raiding parties, only  one  force  seeks  to restore law,
order,  and  cohesion:  Miami  Police.  Its  co-chiefs,  Tockett  and  cru6bs,
are known and feared  throughout  the  city.  They  use  informers  and
infiltrators  to  penetrate marauding  gangs,  uncover  their  plans,  and
slaughter  them  In  masses  before   they   are able to carry out nefarious
crimes.  The  chiefs  have  skimmed  a  considerable  layer  of criminal scum
from the streets with these tactics  but  they  have  also  made  themselves
hated  targets.  Tockett  and  Crubbs  are  said  to  have  enormous  bounties
on  their  heads and are now never seen in public.  Talk on the street  has  it
that  the  chiefs  even  have  to hide from some of their own men.


The Miami Police have been so effective  that  only  three  organized  factions
remain  in  the Miami  underworld:  The  Desoto  family,  the  obeah  Orders,
and   the   Bahia   Mafia.   The DeSotos are bootleggers, distilling and
bottling potent rum in  their  fortress-like  compound, and distributing it
throughout the island.  While it is rumored that there is dissension within the
family itself, clan patriarch Irwin DeSoto still maintains  rigid  control over
his  dynasty's  illicit  potables.  Another  longstanding  rumor  concerns  the
purported salubrious properties of the family brew, that it may even  contain
the  rare  curative  liquid known as  Water  of  Dreams.  Whatever  the  exact
truth  may  be,  those  who  associate  with the DeSotos or their product seem
to have little to fear from mutation.

The mysterious Obeah Orders is a transplanted Caribbean voodoo cult. The Obeahs,
known  locally  as  the  OhOhs,  may  seem  a  benign  though  eccentric  clique
to  the  uninformed.  Indeed, their readiness to share their  healing  skills
may  even  make  them  seem  to be a force for good.  But those who ally
themselves  to  the  OhOhs  are  said  to  have  access to powerful, arcane, and
not altogether innocent concoctions full of "magic." And it is whispered that
dark and bloody rituals are practiced in their guarded temple, while subtle yet
deadly curses afflict those who defy or oppose the Obeahs.

The Bahia Mafia is a more traditional criminal gang, relegating their felonious
activities to good old-fashioned thuggery.  They are a mere shadow of the
organized crime families that existed in Miami  before  The  Change.
Nevertheless, Bahia thugs are able to channel their larcenous instincts into
prosperous  commerce, specializing in gunrunning and fencing.  The fact that
they are so open,  even  blatant,  in  these  activities  lends  some credence
to the rumors of police corruption in the Sunshine City.


Sandwiched between the Obeahs, DeSotos, Bahia Mafia, and Police, are the Beach-
combers, a disorganized scavenging rabble living on the city's ragged margins
and the island's rough-and-ready backwaters.  The 'Combers are ready to do
anything for a price, often at a discount, Even the police are able to do little
to stop their nocturnal predations and rarely venture into the Comber
neighborhood in northeast Miami.  They are particularly hated by the OhOhs, who
suspect the 'Combers of being behind the occasional lynchings of lone Obeahs.

Compared to this social insanity, Florida's biological disorder seems reasonably
tome. Mutation is a fact of life, and a constant threat, but the presence of
Dream Water keeps mutation in check in the human population.  Among Florida's
wildlife, natural selection keeps mutation at a constant level.  Most mutated
animals and plants simply aren't viable in Florida's wild areas, while those
that do survive are hunted down if they intrude into settled areas.  A few
mutations, however, are quite hardy and far more dangerous than their ancestors
ever were.  Hypnotic Dreamsnakes, huge Mutarantulas, and other abominations
crawl and prowl through the steaming Florida night.  And there are strange
stories of communities of animals mutated to the point of human intelligence and
physiology.  It is said that they dwell in the nearly impenetrable depths of the
vast marsh known as The Glades, fearing outsiders, following their own hidden
agenda, and guarding a mysterious secret.

This world is crazy.  Too bad you're sane.









                              OBJECTIVE

Who knows why you want to clean up this crazy island? Maybe your parents were
eaten alive by a pack of mutant rats; maybe rampaging Clowns put your humble
village to the torch and destroyed thke lives of the plain honest folk you grew
up with; maybe radioactivity gives you the low down lonesome blues; or maybe you
just want to end the chaos so you can lead a safer, saner life.  The real
question is, how do you do it?

In this "After The Change' world of swamp, surf, and savannah, you need to be
well armed and stoutly armored to live to see another dawn, or another
lunchtime.  You've heard thkat the mean streets of Miami are a good place to
start.
The local police there are always looking for a little help, and, as an
incentive,
they're willing to equip mercenaries with a little firepower.  Whether you can
still trust them later is another matter.

On your way to Miami, you notice that things are starting to get worse.  People
seem to be mutating faster than ever before.  Mutated animals, vastly increased
in number, are

penetrating deeper and deeper into settled lands.  Precious Dream Water, the
only reagent that has any effect in slowing mutations, has become even scarcer.
What is the source of the Dream Water, and what has turned off the tap? Who
would want mutants to overwhelm the island entirely? In the midst of this chaos,
one ancient Floridian myth persists: The Fountain of Youth is somewhere on the
island.  It is said to be a spring of fresh, crystalline water that has
remarkable curative and purifying powers. Legend has it that a course of
treatment in the Fountain, including long baths and plenty to drink, can cure
any disease, even radiation sickness and mutations.  Is it the source of the
Dream Water? If the spring exists and can be found, and if its waters can be
made generally available, then Florida's long mutant-haunted fever dream con be
brought to a close.  You con take 4 friends with you as you look for the answers
you need, and there's a good chance you'll pick up a few more swamp warriors
along the way.

You may have decided to fight the madness just in time.  Then again, maybe
you're too late.

                      GETTING STARTED

About This Manual
This manual was written for IBM or IBM-compatible computers.  If you're using
another type of computer, some commands and features described in this manual
may be different or even unavailable on your computer system.  If you're using
a computer other than an IBM or IBM-compatible, please read the Command Summary
Card for information specific to your computer.

  FLORIDA: NO PLACE FOR A VACATION

Lock down, move out, stock up.  You're armed, you're mobile, and you want some
loot. Use the cursor keys or keypad to cruise around the island.

Resource man be an adventurer's nightmare.  Keep careful track of your skill
levels and what sort of supplies you've got.  Press F1 through F5 to check
the character summaries of party members.

That third sleeve is always a dead giveaway. You bump into normals sometimes,
too.  Press the letter of the encounter option you want to use, or the number
of the topic you want to discuss.

Press A and see at a glance how healthy everyone is, their armor class, what
kind of heat they're packing &'Present ammo level, and whether anyone has gone
and gotten himself mutated.

Some fights are real mob scenes on this tight little island.  Press the first
letter of tHe combat option you want to use, and the number of the monster or
monsters you want to fight.

                                 CHARACTERS

Attributes
Characters are the sum of their attributes; their fate will in part be decided
by their muscles, smarts, reflexes, and other factors as described below:

Strength (ST): Raw physical power.  The kigher your ST is, the more damage you
will do with handheld weapons other than firearms.

Dexterity (DX): Quickness and agility.  If your DX is high, you will be hard to
hit in combat, you will have an improved chance of hitting first in combat, and
you will be more accurate with missile weapons.

Charisma (CH): Personal appeal.  If your CH is high, strangers will be more
inclined to react positively toward you, and you will have a better chance of
recruiting NPCs into your party.

Will Power (WP): Mental toughness.  WP is the ability to exert mind over matter,
even to the point of remaining able to fight after you have been rendered
unconscious.

IQ: Mental capacity.  IQ determines how adept you can become in Passive Skills.
For every point of IQ above 15 a PC or NPC has, he can potentially add 1 level
to his Passive Skills.

Aptitude (AP): Mental flexibility. AP determines how adept you can become at
Active Skills. For every point of AP above 1 5 a PC or NPC has, he can
potentially add 1 level maximum to his Passive Skills.

Luck (LK): The intangibles, whether you beat the odds or they beat up on you.
If you have enough LK, things just work out for you; but if you have too
little, you won't be able to hit the broad side of a bomb crater, while the
monsters will beat the gamma radiation out of you with their eyes membraned.

                             Using Attributes
When you want a PC or NPC to try to use one of his Attributes:

1. Press the Function key, F1 - F5, that corresponds to that character.
2. Press the first letter of the Attribute you want him to use.
3. Press the appropriate Arrow key (^ > v < ) to indicate the direction  in
   which  you want him to use the Attribute, or press the Spacebar if you want
   him to use the Attribute in the space where he or she is standing.












                           Creating Characters

You will begin the game with an adventuring party of up to three characters to
create your stalwart band, follow these steps:


 1. When the opening screen
    appears, press any key to go to
    the Character Creation screen.

 2. You have four options on the
    Character Creation Option screen:
          A)dd member
          E)dit member
          R)emove member
          P)lay the game
 To create the first Player Character
 (PC), press A for A)dd Member.

 3. Now choose from the five character professions in Fountain of Dreams: 1)
    Survivalist,
    2) Vigilante, 3) Medic, 4) Hood, and 5) Mechanic.
       Press the number corresponding to the character profession you want your
       first PC to follow.  This will bring up the Character Creation screen.

  4. The Character Creation screen displays the chosen profession's Active and
     Passive
     Skills, Attributes, the number of Bonus Attribute points you con distribute
     among the PC's Attributes, and the PC's beginning Constitution (CON).  Note
     that different Professions have different starting Attributes, Skills, and
     beginning CONS:

                            CON

 PROF.      (Attributes)  MIN/MAX   ACTIVE SKILLS/PASSIVE SKILLS
Survivalist (IQ,AP,16)    20-25     Pharmacy,mechanics,stealth,handgun,gunsmith
Vigilante   (10,16)       20-25     Demolition, brawling, handgun, gunsmith
Medic       (IQ,16,AP,17) 15-20     Medic,perception,blades
Hood        (IQ,AP,16)    15-25     Lockpick,stealth,handgun
Mechanic    (IQ,AP,16)    15-25     Bomb/alarm disarm,mechanic,demolition,brawln

Medics beginning Medic skill and Hoods beginning Lockpick skill are at level 2.
All other beginning Active and Passive Skills are level 1.

 5. A PC's CON can be adjusted by pressing the number corresponding to his
profession, this will generate a new CON.  You can continue generating new
numbers until one you like (a high one, presumably) appears.

 6. Members of each profession have Bonus Attribute points to distribute.
    Vigilantes have 28 points to distribute, Survivalists and Mechanics both
    have 21 Bonus points, and Medics and Hoods have 20 Bonus points each. You
    may distribute these points any way you choose among a character's
    Attributes, although no Attribute can exceed 20 at the beginning of the game
    And all the Bonus points must be distributed when creating the character,
    undistributed points are lost.  To scroll through the Attributes, press the
    dwn or up Arrow keys to increase an attribute, highlight it using the up or
    dwn Arrow keys and press the right Arrow key, and to decrease it press the
    left Arrow key.

 7. After you have distributed all the bonus Attribute points, enter a name for
    the character.  Use the Backspace to erase "Oinab Bob" and type in the name
    of your choice.  Names cannot include numbers or punctuation; post-Holocaust
     Floridians are lousy at math, and hyphens and apostrophes only confuse
     them.

 8.  After you have chosen a name, or maybe even before, choose a sex for the
     character.  This is a delicate matter that's best decided between the two
     of you.  Use the up or dwn Arrow keys to highlight SEX on the character
     creation screen just below the Attributes,and use the right or left Arrow
     keys to toggle between male and female.  Attributes are the same for male
     and female characters.  So to speak.

 9.  Press ESC to return to the Character Creation Option screen when you are
     through creating your first character. Press A if you want to create
     another character, E if you want to edit your first character, or P if you
     want to begin playing the game. If you press A, repeat the steps above.

 10. After you finish creating a character,if you are feeling especially
     arbitrary and you want to change the character's name, profession, and sex,
     or redistribute bonus Attribute points, press E to Edit the character.
     Follow steps 1-8 above to choose a new name, profession, etc.

 11. If you wish to remove any of the PCs you have created,press the Function
     key  (F1 - F5) that corresponds to the character, this will bring up that
     PC's Character Creation screen. Press Esc to return to the Character
     Creation Option screen, and then press R. Press y if you still want to
     delete this PC, or press n if you don't.

 12. After you have created the characters you want,press P to begin playing the
     game.

Except during combat and encounters, the names and Function keys of your party
members will appear across the top of the screen.

        Constitution, Condition, and Healing
PC's  and  NPC's  health  is  indicated  by  two  numbers,  Constitution  (CON)
and MAXCON.

CON is the amount of damage your character con take before going unconscious,for
example, if  your  CON  is  20,  you  will  crumple  to  the  ground  when  you
absorb  damage of 21 or more.  But you're  not  dead  yet,  just  Unconscious
(UNC)  and  you'll  be  back  on your feet in no time.  But tkere are things
worse  than  being  UNC,  such  as  Serious(SER), Critical(CRT), Comatose(COM),
and  Dead  (DED).  You'll  bounce  right  back  from  being UNC, but you'll need
medical attention if you're SER, and your condition will begin to deteriorate if
you don't get it. CRT and COM are tke next two steps below SER and also require
intervention by a kealth professional.  DED sort of  speaks  for  itself.  DED
is  bad.

While  CON  is  the  current  number  of  a  ckaracter's  hit  points,  maxccon
is the maximum number of hit points he can have at kis  current level.That is,
MaxCON  is  the  number  of hit points he possesses when not wounded, diseased,
poisoned, or mutated.

Condition is separate from CON, but still affects it.  It comes in two  flavors,
Afflicted  and Unafflicted.  Unafflicted means you're as  normal  as  you  ever
were;  Afflicted  means  you're poisoned, envenomed, mutated, irradiated,  or
diseased,  and  you  should  get  to  a  Doctor. Otherwise, your CON will  just
leak  away;  being  Afflicted  drains  CON  at  a  steady  rate until you are
DED.  When a party member is Afflicted, his name and Function key number at the
top of the main screen will be kigHlighted, and on the Combat or Encounter
screens his MAX CON will be highlighted.  To see what a party member's
Affliction is, press f1 - F5 to call up his Character Screen and then press V
to view the Affliction.
If you want to speed-up the process of healing when one or more characters are
wounded or unconscious, press and hold down the ESC key to make time pass more
rapidly. Remember, characters or NPC's who are Afflicted or whose condition is
SER or worse do not heal normally.

                                  Skills
ACTIVE SKILLS
Active Skills are player initiated and require concentration to use.The more
these skills are used successfully, the more highly developed they will become.

Active skill levels Usually begin at 1, and can increase by 1 level for each
point of IQ over 15 a PC or NPC has.

Medic:
Perform simple medical procedures, suck as dressing wounds and reviving fallen
comrades to consciousness.  This skill does not enable you to cure diseases or
neutralize poison.

Lockpick:
One of the most useful skills, Lockpick lets you open any lock, if you're adept
enough. You'll have to leave a lot of treasure behind closed doors, drawers, and
lids if you aren't highly proficient in this skill.

Climb:
Climb any surface.  Simple as that.

Pharmacy:
Identify/analyze drugs and medicines, as well as the mysterious concoctions of
the Obeah Orders.  Possessors of this skill con also treat victims of poison and
venomous bites or stings.

Bomb/Alarm Disarm:
Defuse tense situations, whether caused by explosive devices left carelessly
strewn about or alarm systems somebody was rude enough to leave turned on.

Mechanic:
Know how to maintain and repair Florida's few remaining mechanical relics.
Without the proper tools, this skill isn't good for much.

Electronics:
Know how to keep Florida's patched-up electronics gear humming.  Again, find the
right tools or forget about it.

Doctor:
Perform complicated medical procedures, such as curing rabies and radiation
sickness.

                               PASSIVE SKILLS

Passive Skills activate automatically and require no concentration to use; they
just 'kick in" at appropriate times.  The more often these skills are used
successfully, the more highly developed they will become.  Passive skill levels
usually begin at level 1, and can increase by 1 level for each point of AP over
15 a PC or NPC has.

Gunsmith:
Repair everything from antique shootin' irons to automatic weapons.  Also
necessary to unjam weapons.

Perception:
Awareness of your surroundings.  High Perception makes the smallest detail

obvious:
The locked drawer under the desk, or the crease in the wall that indicates the
presence of a secret door.  You'll always want someone with a high Perception
score in your party unless you think poverty is ennobling.



Stealth:
Move about silently and/or undefected.

Language:
Speak, parlez, sprechen, and habla foreign languages and dialects.

Demolitions:
Knowledge of explosives, how to use them and how to identify them.

Hand to Hand:
Proficiency in unarmed combat.  This skill is modified by ST and DX.  If your ST
and DX are both high, you'll box like a champ; if they are both low, get
yourself a weapon.

Blades:
Fighting skill with the numerous sharp and pointy objects found throughout
Florida, from carving knives to machetes.

Handgun:
Skill in the use of all handguns, automatic and otherwise.

Single Fire Rifle:
Skill with old-fashioned single-chambered long guns.  They're antiques but
they're better than nothing.

Automatic Weapon:
Skill with automatic and semi-automatic firearms other than handguns. (The ban
on them has sort of lapsed.)

Swim:
Treading water in the direction you desire.  In Florida, you better be able to
do this fast if you do it at all.

Evasion:
Getting out of somebody's way in a fight.

Mutations:
Mutations became common in  Florida  after The Change. Since most radioactive
hotspots have cooled down, the majority of mutations result from exposure to
"mutagens"  carried by the bites or stings of mutated predators & scavengers.
Being a mutant entails a balance of advantages and disadvantages. The advantages
are the useful mutations described in this section; the disadvantages are the
impairment of limbs,  sensory  organs, and/or other body parts every mutant
suffers.  These physical impairments result in lowered Attributes; facial
mutations lead to lessened CH, mutated limbs result in lowered DX, etc.

Mutations do increase in level, but not in the way Skills do.  Mutations do not
increase in level with use; rather, a mutated PC or NPC  must  be  re-exposed
to mutagens. This may increase the level of an already present mutation, or it
may cause an altogether different one to emerge.

ACTIVE MUTATIONS
Like Active Skills, Active Mutations are activated by concentration.


Chameleon is a limited form of  shapechanging  whereby  one  or  more  parts  of
the  body can be altered.  Such a change can be as minute  and  intricate  as
changing one's  finger or palmprints.

Corruption makes things break. Any technological or even primitive hand-made
device william, crack, or otherwise become inoperable.

Paralytic Touch brings an opponent to a standstill.  If you touch an enemy
during combat, he will be paralyzed for a few rounds.

Stun/Shriek causes paralysis by word of mouth.  A brief aria from the possessor
of this mutation will cause all hostile creatures within earshot to be stunned
momentarily and effectively paralyzed.  Stun will affect one hostile group in a
combat,Shriek will affect multiple groups.

PASSIVE MUTATION
Camouflage blends in with whatever terrain or background is present.  The blend
is not a perfect match so the user will still be visible, but much harder to
hit.

Level and Advancement
As you adventure throughout Florida, becoming more and more experienced, you
will find that you are becoming hardier and more adept.  This is represented by
increases in Level you will begin at level 1, and gain higher and higher levels
as you do battle and solve problems.  The benefits of higher levels are
increased CON and Max CON and higher Attributes.  With each level you are
awarded 2 points to distribute among your Attributes; you can assign the 2
points to the same Attribute, or divide them.  These 2 points must be used as
you get them; you can't save them up, and you can't continue the game until you
distribute them.

The Party & Recruitment
That corny pre-Change line about safety in numbers is true.  Wandering around
Florida alone, whether strolling down a decaying Miami street or slogging
through a weed choked Glades backwater, is asking for it.  An adventuring party
where each member supports the others is the only sane way to explore the Island
of Florida.

A party can have up to 5 members: The 3 you create at the beginning, called
Player Characters (PCs), and 2 more recruited from the people you'll meet along
the way called Non-Player Characters (NPCs).  Or, 2 members of your party  can
be  PCs  while  3 are NPCs, or your can have 1 PC and 4 NPCs, or if all your PCs
die, your entire party can be NPCs.  But you must have at least 1 PC to begin
the game.

You can view your party at any time during the journey by pressing A to call up
the Character Roster screen.  Or you can view individual PCs or NPCs by pressing
F1 - F5.

Keep in mind that not everyone you meet will be enthusiastic about the prospect
of spending an extended amount of time with you  shooting  things.  Some  people
encounter all the adventure they con take just living day to day.  But also keep
in mind that people change their minds.  Just because an NPC turns down your
offer of camaraderie once, or even several times, doesn't mean they always will.
Someone in your party may do, buy, or find something that will make such an
offer more appealing to the offeree.






There are more recruitable NPCs in Fountain of Dreams than there are roster
spots to be filled.  If you meet an NPC whom you want to join the party for a
short time, but you don't want to just kiss off a reliable old NPC or PC for
good, there are several places in the game where you can "store" PCs and NPCS.
You will probably encounter one such place very early in the game; the rest are
harder to find, and become 'storage areas" only after certain conditions are
met. There is no time limit to how long you can store a PC or NPC, except for
one place where ... well, you'll find out.

                               GAMEPLAY

Saving And/Or Quitting
If you want to quit playing or save your game (or both) press Q.
The Quit/Save Option Screen will then appear with these options:

 To Quit the program without saving and return to DOS, press 1.
 To Quit but save your present game and return to DOS, press 3.
 To Save but go on playing Fountain of Dreams, press 5.
 If you just want to go on playing and you're sorry you ever pressed Q in the
 first place, press N for "Nevermind."

Note On Saving
Fountain of Dreams is a very dynamic program and it is important that you
understand how it saves and keep trachs of the game.  The game changes as you
play it and updates changes to the disk permanently.  If you take an item, it
won't be there again when you come back.  If you kill the wrong person, they
won't be resurrected just because you leave and come back.

Fountain of Dreams takes place in many locations.  As you explore, you'll
frequently be asked "Enter New Location (N/Y)?" If you answer "yes," the game
will save any changes to the location where you just were, as well as any
changes to your party's status; it will become your new saved game status.



You should Save your game before ending each session. Then when you recommence
 playing, you can pick up again where you left off.  However, if your computer
was somehow shut down before you could Save, the computer will return to the
last place it saved when you restart the game.

Character Options
Press the first letter of an option to use it.

  up & down Arrow Keys scroll through long inventory lists; an  arrow  will
appear  beside  the inventory list if it is long enough to scroll through.
Press an item's number in the list to select it.

left & right Arrow Keys scroll through a character's or NPC's Inventory and
Active Skills.

Use a a selected item or an Active Skill.  To use an item, use the up & down
Arrow Keys to scroll through a PC's or NPC's Inventory (if necessary) and press
the number corresponding to the item you want to use.  To use an Active Skill,
use the left  or right Arrow Keys to select the Active Skills list, and press
the number corresponding to the Active Skill you want to use.

Ingest (eat or drink ) a selected item; it will then disappear from the game.
Press  the Function key, F1 - F5, that corresponds to the PC or NPC you want to
Ingest the item.

Equip-Unequip Weapon changes weapons; press the number corresponding to the
weapon you want to equip or unequip.

Load/unjam reloads an unloaded weapon or unjams a jammed one.

Trade an item between members of your party.  Press the number corresponding to
the item you wish to Trade, and Press Fl through F5  to  indicate  which  NPC
you want to trade the item to.  If an NPC is Trading an item with your player
character, press F1 when you are asked who you are trading the item to.

Drop a selected item from your inventory.  Press the number corresponding to the
item you wish to drop.  Note that when an item is dropped, it is dropped from
the game permanently.

Missile Combat is combat using ranged weapons, such as rifles or pistols, or
area of effect weapons, including all explosives.

                               Combat Commands
Run:
Try to either Flee from or Get Closer to an opponent.If you choose to Flee,
press  the Arrow key indicating in which direction you wisk to skedaddle.  If
any member of an adventuring party uses a Run command, that command will cancel
all other commands chosen by other members of the party.

Evade:
Try to evade an attack.  This  command  can  also  be  used  when  a  PC  or
NPC  is  out of range to attack opponents while  other  PCs  or  NPC's  are
attacking  with  ranged  or  area effect weapons.

Attack:
Attack an opponent or opponents during combat.  If facing more than one
opponent, or more than one group of opponents, choose who you wisk to attack by
pressing the number corresponding to your selected target(s). You will have
these  options when you use an automatic weapon:

  Single:    Fire a single bullet at your selected target.

  Burst:     Fire a burst of several bullets at your selected target.  It is
             possible you may hit more than one target when using this option,
             including targets you did not select.

  Full Auto: Fire an entire clip at your selected target. it is possible you may
             kit more than one target when using this option, including targets
             you did not select.  Note that this using this option leaves your
             weapon unloaded.

 Unjam/Load: Reload or unjam a weapon.  Note that if a weapon is not empty and
             you Load it, the ammunition already in the weapon will be lost.

 Weapon:     Change weapons during combat.  Your weapon inventory list will
             appear after you have chosen this option; press the number
             corresponding to the weapon you want to change to, and it will
             automatically be equipped.  Note that when you change weapons, you
             cannot attack until the next round.



 Use:        Use a skill or an item other than a weapon (except explosives).
             When you Use an item, a submenu of commands appears:
             Use the item or skill; press the appropriate arrow key to indicate
             in which direction you wish to use it, or press the Spacebar to use
             the item or skill in the space where the user is standing. Drop the
             item. Don't try to recover Dropped items later; for purposes of the
             game, a Dropped item ceases to exist.
Trade the item to someone in your party; press Fl -F5 to indicate which member
of the party you want to give the item to.

Pres Esc to cancel any command.
Press , to speed up the text scrolling rate in combat, press .  to slow it down.


                             Weapons and Explosives
Florida is blessed (so to speak) with a wide variety of weapons.  You may (and
probably will) encounter customized weapons that do not adhere to these
specifications.

  Blades                        Damage
  Cane   knife                  7-15
  Carving knife                 6-13
  Machete                       10-18
  Meat cleaver                  7-15
  Scalpel                       9-20

  Miscellaneous
  Pool   Cue                    3-10

  Firearms              Range               Ammo                    Damage
  .22 handgun           short                .22                     6-15
  .38 police special    short                .38                     6-18
  .45 Colt pistol       short                .45                     10-19
  9 mm Browning         short                9mm                     11-21
  Shotgun               medium               Shotgun shells          15-25
  Elephant Gun          medium               .50                     15-25
  Remington 700 rifle   long                 7.62 mm                 8-22
  Uzi                   long                 9mm                     14-23
  Clown MegaUzi         long                 9   mm                  14-23
  MAC10                 long                .45 or 9 mm        12-22 or 14-23
  AK-47                 long                 7.62 mm                 16-28
  M16Al Assault rifle   long                 5.56 mm                 9-24


  Ammunition clips come in these sizes:

  Type                      Bullets/Shells per clip
  .45                       7, 30
  9mm                       13, 30, 40
  5.56                      20, 30
  7.62                      5, 18, 30
  Shotgun Shells            6

  Exlosives                 Range                   Damage
  TNT                       medium                  20-40
  Plastic Explosive         medium                  40-60
  Grenade                   short                   30-50

Armor:
Armor is a precious commodity in the predatory milieu of Florida.  Some of it
you can buy for a reasonable price; acquisition of the more effective varieties
requires long negotiations involving bloodshed, mayhem, and other rhetorical
devices. There are three types of standard armor, as described below.
Additionally there are other modified or unique one-of-a-kind protective
devices. While highly prized, protective gear of the latter sort is rare and
little seen. The only way to ascertain their effectivness and resilience is to
try them on and pick a fight.


Armor Class (AC)  determines the quality of a suit of armor.  The higher the AC,
the stronger and more protective the armor is.

Minimum/Maximum (MIN MAX)  tells how much damage a particular kind of armor will
absorb from any single attack. Any kind of armor vests, suits, caps, and helmets
can absorb some damage every round.

                            AC          MIN         MAX
  HELMETS
  Leather Cop               1           1           2
  Riot Helmet               2           2           4
  Kevlar Derby              2           2           4
  VESTS
  Leather Vest              1           1           2
  Flak Vest                 3           3           6
  Shagreen Vest             2           2           4
  Kevlar  Vest              4           4           8



                     AC         MIN         MAX
     ARMOR
  other Suit          2          2           4
shagreen Suit         3          3           6
 kevlar Suit          4          4           1 2
  adsuit              5          5           1 5


multiple Armor:
one helmet, one vest/jacket, and one type of body armor can all be worn at the
same time.  Wearing multiple armor has cumulative AC and damage absorption
effects.  For example, wearing a Leather Cap, Leather Vest, and Leather Suit
lives the wearer AC 4 and will absorb 6-18 points of damage.

Character Creation
You can create up to 3 Player Characters (PCs) at the beginning of Fountain of
Dreams with the Character Creation Option Screen.  You must create at least 1
PC to begin the game, and you can create PCs only bcfore you have bcgun the
game.  Your PCs, along with any Non-Player Characters (NPCS) you recruit
along the way, will constitute your adventuring party.

A       Add or create a PC.  Choose the PC's profession, name, and sex, and
        have distributed Bonus Attribute Points. (See the Fountain of Dreams
        manual for specific instructions).  Then press ESC to retum to the
        Character Creation Option Screen.

E       Edit an already created PC's Attributes, Profession, Name, or Sex.
        You can Edit PCs only before you have begun to play the game.  When
        you have finished editing a PC, press ESC to retum to the Character
        Creation Option Screen.

R       Remove a PC.  You can Remove a PC only before the game has begun.
        A removed PC cannot be recovered.

p       Begin playing Fountain of Dreams.

1-5     Adjust a PC's CON.  A PC's CON (Constitution) is the amount of
        damage a PC can take before becoming unconscious.  You can adjust
        this to a higher or lower number by pressing the number correspond-
        ing to the PC's Profession (1 for a Survivalist, 2 for a Vigilante, 3
        for a Medic, 4 for a Hood, and 5 for a Mechanic).  You can continue
        adjusting a PC's CON until you get the CON you want.




General Gameplay Commands
Party Movement is controlled by the Arrow keys (T c- I ->) on the keypad.
These keys control all movement, including overland travel, swimming, and
climbing.

A       Call up the Character Roster Screen.

F1-F5  Call up individual PC and NPC Character Screens.

E       Force an Encounter with an NPC  or  monster.  This  command  is  avail
        able when there is an NPC or monster visible on the screen that is not
        currently involved in an Encounter with the adventuring party.

Esc     Cancel text messages.

Character Commands

Attributes
To use an Attribute, press the Function key (Fl-F5) corresponding to the PC or
NPC of your choice.  Press the first letter of the Attribute, then prcss the
appropriate Arrow key              to indicate in which direction you want the
PC or NPC to use the attribute, or press the Spacebar if you want the PC or
NPCs to use the attribute in the space he's in.

Items
Press Fl through F5 to call up the Character Screen of the PC or NPC you want
to use an item in his inventory.  Use the Up and Down arrow keys (TI ) to
scroll through the PC's or NPC's inventory, and then press the  number  of  an
item to select it.

U       Use the item.  Indicate in which direction you want to Use the item by
        pressing the appropriate Arrow key, or press thespacebar if you want
        the character to use the item in the space where he is standing.  Some
        items that operate at a distance use a crosshair for aiming.  Position
        the crosshair with the cursor keys and press Retum to use the item.

T       Trade the item.  Press the number, FI-F5, corresponding  to  the  party
        member to whom you want to Trade the item.

I       Ingest (drink or cat) an item.  This command is available only for items
        that are edible.

E       Equip or unequip armor or a weapon.

L       Load or unjam a weapon.

D       Discard an item.  Once an item is discarded, it is gone forever.

Esc    Cancel a command.

Skills & Mutations
Use the Left or Right Arrow keys to select the AcTive Skills & Mutations list.
Press the number of the Active Skill or Mutation that you want to use.If you are
using the skill or mutation on a party member, press the Function key (F1-F5)
that corresponding to that party member. If you are using a skill or mutation on
an object or area, press the Arrow key (left,right,up,down) indicating in which
direction you want the party member to use the skill or mutation. Press the
Spacebar if you want the party member to use the skill or mutation in the space
where he is standing.



Character Roster Options
These options are available when the Character Roster Screen is up; press A to
bring up this screen.

R      Reorder the character roster.  Press the Function key (Fl-F5) corre-
       sponding to the PC or NPC you want to be first in order, then the
       Function key of the PC or NPC you want to be second, then third, etc.
B      Banish a PC or NPC.  Once a character is discarded in this way, he is
       gone forever.
L      Leave the Character Roster Screen and return to the game.

Encounter Options
H      Hire.  Ask an NPC to join your party.

L      Leave an encounter.

A      Attack.  Initiate combat.  This will bring up the Combat screen.

U      Useanitem.PressFlthroughF5toselectwhichparty  memberyou
       want to use an item; then use the Up and Down Arrow keys ( TI) to
       scroll through that character's Inventory.  Press the number next to an
       item to select it to Use.

ESC    Cancel any command.

Combat Commands
E       Evade opponent(s) during combat; this decreases your chances of
        being hit.

A       Attack an opponent.  Choose the opponent or group you wish to attack
        by pressing the number that corresponds  to  that  opponent  or  group.

S       Single fire from an automatic weapon; this uses one bullet.  This
        command is  available  only  when  an  automatic  weapon  is  equipped.

B       Burst of fire from an automatic weapon; this uses several bullets.  This
        command is  available  only  when  an  automatic  weapon  is  equipped.

F       Full automatic fire from an automatic weapon; this uses an  entire  clip
        of bullets.  This command is available only when an automatic weapon
        is equipped.

L       Load an empty weapon or unjam a jammed one.

W       Switch Weapons.  Press  the  number  corresponding  to  the  weapon  you
        want the PC or NPC to switch  to;  the  new  weapon  will  automatically
        be equipped.

U       Use an item, Skill, or Mutation.

D       Drop an item.  Don't try to recover Dropped items  later;  for  purposes
        of the game, a Dropped item ceases to exist.

T       Trade an item to between party;  press  Fl-F5  to  indicate  which  mem
        ber of the party you want to give the item to.

Esc     Cancel any individual party member's command.

Y       Use all selected commands

N       Cancel all selected commands
        Speed up message scrolling
        Slow down message scrolling