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 sepa-
ration.  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 dam-
age 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 mar-
auders.  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 be-
came city-states. Against all odds, this social structure has managed 
to survive for almost 50 years.  There is contact and even trade be-
tween 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 per-
verted 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 com-
munication 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 fac-
tions 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 distribu-
ting it throughout the island.  While it is rumored that there is dis-
sension 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 eccen-
tric 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 power-
ful, 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 activ-
ities 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 pre-
dations 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 vi-
able 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 intel-
ligence and physiology.  It is said that they dwell in the nearly impen-
etrable 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. 

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

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 any-
one 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 de-
scribed 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 poten-
tially add 1 level to his Passive Skills.

Aptitude (AP): Mental flexibility.  AP determines how adept you can be-
come 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, 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 Attri-
    bute 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 distri-
    bute.  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 high-
    light 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 can take before going uncon-
scious, 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. 

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 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 con-
coctions 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. 

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 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, 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 corre-
sponding to the item you wish to Trade, and Press F1 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 correspon-
ding to the item you wish to drop.  Note that when an item is dropped, 
it is dropped from the game permanently.
< The manual pages originally numbered 17 and 18, covering 
 "Character Roster Options",
 "Encounter Options",
 "Time and Money",
 "COMBAT",
 "How It Works",
 "Forcing Combat",
 and most of "Types of Combat"
 are missing. >
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 
             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:     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 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                 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.

                     AC          MIN         MAX
     HELMETS
  Leather Cap         1           1           2
  Riot Helmet         2           2           4
  Kevlar Derby        2           2           4

                     AC          MIN         MAX
     VESTS
  Leather Vest        1           1           2
  Shagreen Vest       2           2           4
  Flak Vest           3           3           6
  Kevlar Vest         4           4           8

                     AC          MIN         MAX
   BODY ARMOR
  Leather Suit        2           2           4
  Shagreen Suit       3           3           6
  Kevlar Suit         4           4          12
  Radsuit             5           5          15


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. 

COMMAND SUMMARY

 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.

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 
        return 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 return 
        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 
        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. <PRE>


'''General Gameplay Commands'''
<PRE> Party Movement is controlled by the Arrow keys (^ <- v ->) 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 
        available 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 (F1-F5) corresponding to 
the PC or NPC of your choice.  Press the first letter of the Attribute, 
then press the appropriate Arrow key (^ <- v ->) 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 NPC to use the attribute in the space 
he's in.

Items
Press F1 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 (^ v) 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 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.

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

I       Ingest (drink or eat) 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 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 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 (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.

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      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.

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 within party; press F1-F5 to indicate which mem-
        ber of the party you want to give the item to.

R       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.

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

---

 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.