Fountain of Dreams manual

FOUNTAIN OF DREAMS

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Background.....................................................1 Objective........................................................ 3 Getting Started.................................................. 4 Florida: No Place For A Vacation-Game Overview................... 4 Characters....................................................... 4     Attributes................................................. 4     Using Attributes........................................... 5     Creating Characters........................................ 5     Constitution, Condition, and Healing....................... 7     Skills..................................................... 8     Active Skills.............................................. 8     Passive Skills............................................. 9     Mutations.................................................. 10     Active Mutations........................................... 10     Passive Mutations.......................................... 10     Level and Advancement...................................... 11     The Party and Recruitment.................................. 11 Gameplay......................................................... 12     Saving and/or Quitting..................................... 12     Character Options.......................................... 12     Character Roster Options................................... **     Encounter Options.......................................... **     Time and Money............................................. ** Combat........................................................... **     How It Works............................................... **     Forcing Combat............................................. **     Types of Combat............................................ **     Combat Commands............................................ 15     Weapons and Explosives..................................... 16     Armor...................................................... 17

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 obliterated 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 no 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 only force to be reckoned with throughout the island is the Killer Clowns. The Clowns have perverted the slapstick humor of their forefathers, 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 Crubbs, 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 Beachcombers, 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 tame. 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 the 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 that 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, crystal-line 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 can be brought to a close. You can 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.

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.

Game Overview
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.

Resources can 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.

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 higher 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 15 a PC or NPC has, he can potentially add 1 level maximum to his Active 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,  -, that corresponds to that character.
 * 2) Press the first letter of the Attribute you want him to use.
 * 3) Press the appropriate Arrow key  to indicate the direction in which you want him to use the Attribute, or press the  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:


 * )dd member
 * )dit member
 * )emove member
 * )lay the game To create the first Player Character (PC), press 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 can 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  (IQ=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, mechanics, demolition, brawling

Medic's beginning Medic skill and Hood's 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 down or up Arrow keys to increase an attribute, highlight it using the up or down 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 "Ojnab 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 down 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 to return to the Character Creation Option screen when you are through creating your first character. Press if you want to create another character,  if you want to edit your first character, or  if you want to begin playing the game. If you press, 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 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 ( - ) that corresponds to the character, this will bring up that PC's Character Creation screen. Press to return to the Character Creation Option screen, and then press R. Press  if you still want to delete this PC, or press  if you don't.

12. After you have created the characters you want, press 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 can 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 there 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 the next two steps below SER and also require intervention by a health professional. DED sort of speaks for itself. DED is bad.

While CON is the current number of a character's hit points, MaxCON is the maximum number of hit points he can have at his 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 highlighted, 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.

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 AP over 15 a PC or NPC has.

Medic: Perform simple medical procedures, such 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 can 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 IQ 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 undetected.

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 will jam, 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 Mutations
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 and 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 you 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 can 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.

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


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

Note On Saving
Fountain of Dreams is a very dynamic program and it is important that you understand how it saves and keeps track 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 or Passive Skills.

Use 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, -, 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 through  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 wish 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 wish 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 hit 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 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: Trade the item to someone in your party; press F1-F5 to indicate which member of the party you want to give the item to.

Press 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                Damage 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           9 mm                   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            9 mm                   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

Explosives               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 effectiveness 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.

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 gives 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 before you have begun the game. Your PCs, along with any Non-Player Characters (NPCs) you recruit along the way, will constitute your adventuring party.

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 to return to the Character Creation Option Screen.

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 to return to the Character Creation Option Screen.

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

Begin playing Fountain of Dreams.

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 corresponding 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 on the keypad. These keys control all movement, including overland travel, swimming, and climbing.

Call up the Character Roster Screen.

Call up individual PC and NPC Character Screens.

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

Cancel text messages.

Character Commands
Attributes

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

Items

Press through  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 to scroll through the PC's or NPC's inventory, and then press the number of an item to select it.

Use the item. Indicate in which direction you want to Use the item by pressing the appropriate Arrow key, or press the spacebar 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 Return to use the item.

Trade the item. Press the number, F1-F5, corresponding to the party member to whom you want to Trade the item.

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

Equip or unequip armor or a weapon.

Load or unjam a weapon.

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

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 corresponds 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 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.

Reorder the character roster. Press the Function key (F1-F5) corresponding 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.

Banish a PC or NPC. Once a character is discarded in this way, he is gone forever.

Leave the Character Roster Screen and return to the game.

Encounter Options

Hire. Ask an NPC to join your party.

Leave an encounter.

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

Use an item. Press F1 through F5 to select which party member you want to use an item; then use the Up and Down Arrow keys (^ v) to scroll through that character's Inventory. Press the number next to an item to select it to Use.

Cancel any command.

Combat Commands

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

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

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

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

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.

Load an empty weapon or unjam a jammed one.

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.

Use an item, Skill, or Mutation.

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

Trade an item within party; press F1-F5 to indicate which member of the party you want to give the item to.

Run, to either Flee from or Get Closer to an opponent. If you choose to Flee, press the Arrow key indicating in which direction you wish 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.

Cancel any individual party member's command.

Use all selected commands

Cancel all selected commands

Speed up message scrolling

Slow down message scrolling

Known errors in the above:


 * "Brawling" is the name for the "Hand to Hand" skill in the game.
 * "Rifle" is the name for the "Single Fire Rifle" skill in the game.
 * The "Equip - Unequip Weapon" command is used for armor too; it's correct in the Command Summary, but not in the Character Options.
 * The "E" (force encounter) command doesn't work in the game.
 * The "R" (reorder character roster) command in the game requires that you use the number keys instead of the function keys.