Sinclair User magazine, May 1987


ASSAULT OF THE OGROIDS
A solo fantasy adventure by Gary Chalk


Smoke drifts across the city as the inhuman forces of the Necromancer
ready themselves for their final assault.
For three days Ogroids and lesser Goblins have swarmed over the skeleton
siege-engines toiling under the whips of their overseers. The ominous
shapes are visible from where you stand on the terrace of the temple,
awaiting admittance to the Council of the Archons.
As you pass through the bronze doors, ten haggard faces turn as one as
the Speaker, Orvid Greyrobe, clears his throat ...
"You have been chosen, Deerfoot, from all the warriors of the city for
your skill in running, your clarity of thought and your good fortune in
all your games of chance. Will you try to bring aid to Lendra, the city
of your birth, from our ally of Torvis?
"Our captains estimate that if you can reach Torvis in the next thirty
hours, we can hold out against the enemy until the forces of King Bladon
arrive.
"If not, the city will fall to the assault of the Ogroids!"
Your lips are dry and your skin slick with sweat as you hear your voice
reply: "I will go, my lord, although I do not know the way ..."
"No matter, we have prepared a map for you and readied these for your
journey," replies the Speaker, indicating a small pile of equipment
lying on the marble table in front of you. "Choose as you will ..."


Ogroid's Assault isn't quite like any other game, but it contains strong
elements of Dungeons and Dragons and role-playing games. Although, of
course, it's a slow adventure.
Your task - to get across the board alive and within the time allowed
- requires a mixture of luck and good judgement.
* Should you fight or run?
* What weapon will be of most use?
* Which is the safest route?
And the great thing is you can play the game time and time again and
never exhaust all the possibilities.


STARTING THE GAME

Cut out your character counter from the bottom left-hand corner of the
board and place it on the map in the Lendra square and you are ready to
start your journey. You may move into any adjacent square, but remember
Orvid's parting words:
"Run swiftly, Deerfoot, you have only thirty hours to save our city. I
call down a blessing on you from the Allfather, for of all men, this
day, your need will surely be the greatest ..."
In Ogroid's Assault your Spectrum will do most of the boring work, like
generating random or partly random numbers and keeping track of what
weapons you have and how dead you are.
The listing has been designed to work on any Spectrum. Although it was
written in 48K BASIC there should be no problem entering it into the
128K +2. At any time there are quite a few different elements to be
taken into consideration in the game, but the computer will take care of
all of them, asking relevant questions about where you are, what weapons
you have selected and so on. Helpfully, it will also tell you if you
have died.
Type in the program and SAVE it to tape using the command SAVE "Ogroids".
Then, to play the game, RUN the program and it will prompt you for
weapon selection and thus begin the game.


THE EQUIPMENT

Before you start to play you've got to choose your equipment. The
computer will prompt you, but each option has different advantages.
As your mission calls for speed rather than force of arms you may choose
only one of the following weapons:

SWORD This adds 10% to your Combat Skill and 10% to your Hit Strength,
whenever you engage in combat.

SPEAR This adds 20% to your Combat Skill when you engage in combat in
a Plains or Mountains square on the map. However, in a Marsh or Forest
square the close nature of the terrain deprives the weapon of any
combat advantage. It adds 5% to your Hit Strength wherever you engage
in combat.

DAGGER This adds 20% to your Combat Skill when you engage in combat in
a Marsh or Forest square on the map. However, in a Plains or Mountains
square the open nature of the terrain deprives the weapon of any
combat advantage. It adds 5% to your Hit Strength wherever you engage
in combat.

Also, you may place only one of the following small items in the pouch
hanging from your belt:

20 GOLD PIECES This money completely fills the pouch. At no time during
the forthcoming journey may you have more than 20 gold pieces in your
possession. While you retain one gold piece, nothing else may be put
in the pouch.

BARLEY SPIRIT This small bottle contains enough of the firey liquid
for three draughts. Each draught restores lost Combat Skill percentage
by 5% per draught, and any number of draughts may be taken at any one
time until the bottle is empty. Combat Skill may never be restored to
more than 95%. You may drink from the bottle in an empty square or in
a square containing an encounter which is not hostile, at any time.
In a square in which you choose to engage in combat, you may drink
before or after, but not during a round of combat.

LODESTONE This primitive compass will aid you on your journey. Each 
time you are forced to flee or are led astray, the lodestone increases
your chance of travelling in a direction by 25%.

Once you have chosen your equipment, you should record both items. 
During the course of play you should record the loss, acquisition, 
exchange or consumption of any weapon or pouch item in your possession.
You may only have one weapon and one pouch item in your possession at
any one time.
You start the play with a Combat Skill and Hit Strength of 95%.
Percentages lost during the course of play, as a result of combat or
attrition, should be deducted from both Combat Skill and Hit Strength
and recorded. Once these percentages reach zero you are dead from
exhaustion and blood loss! And the game ends!!
Whatever weapon you are using, and whatever percentage modification it
makes to your Combat Skill, you may never enter combat with a Combat
Skill rating of greater than 95%.


HOW TO MOVE

Unless directed otherwise by an encounter, you may move only one square
at a time. You may move straight ahead or back, from side to side or
diagonally into any adjacent square.
As you move out of the square you are occupying, you must add the time
it took to cross it to the total time taken for your journey. Also you
must deduct the attrition percentage for that square from your Combat
Skill and Hit Strength. These statistics vary with the type of terrain
crossed. See Table 1.

Table 1: Terrain Statistics
TERRAIN TYPE        COST IN     ATTRITION 
CROSSED             HOURS       COST
Plain               1           1%
Siegeworks          2           2%
Forest              2           2%
Marsh               2           3%
Mountains           3           3%
To enter Torvis     1           1%
It costs nothing to leave the Lendra square that you start from.


RANDOM MOVEMENT

Certain encounters in the course of your journey will cause you to
"randomise movement". Use the computer to randomise a number and refer
the result to the diagram below.

.---.---.---.
| 7 | 8 | 6 |
.---.---.---.
| 5 | x | 4 |
.---.---.---.
| 2 | 1 | 2 |
.---.---.---.

Your next move must be to move your counter into the square on the map
which corresponds to the random number generated.
If you possess a lodestone you may, if you wish, add 1 or 2 to the
random number received and then move in the new direction indicated.
If at any time randomised movement would take you off-board, generate a
new random number which will keep your counter in play.


ENCOUNTERS

On entering a new square, you will not know what perils await you. Use
the computer to generate a percentage and refer it to the relevant table
for the terrain type you are in. If you are in a mountain square, you
would refer to the Mountain Encounters table, etc.
You may encounter someone who talks to you, a useful (or useless) item
that you can exchange for one already in your possession, or you may
meet an enemy and be given the option "fight or flee". If you decide to
flee, simply randomise movement as shown above and move into the square
selected. If you decide to fight your foe, follow the procedure outlined
below.


COMBAT

The encounter table will give you the Combat Skill and Hit Strength of
your opponent. It will also inform you who strikes the first blow.
Whoever strikes the first blow, the following procedure is followed:
* The attacker uses the computer to generate a percentage. If that
percentage is equal to or less than the attacker's Combat Skill, then he
has scored a hit on his opponent. If the percentage is greater than the
attacker's combat Skill, then the blow has missed.
* The damage done to the defender is equal to the Hit Strength of the
blow. Subtract the damage from the defender's Combat Skill percentage
and ONLY if you are the defender, from your Hit Strength as well. Record
the new totals.
* Combat continues with the defender then trying to land a blow on his
attacker and recording the damage done (if any). When the attacker and
defender have traded a blow on each other, this constitutes a round of
combat.
* After the first round and subsequent rounds, you may elect to flee
from combat. This is done by moving in a random direction as outlined
above.

NB Do not forget to record the cost in time and attrition of the square
in which you have been engaged in combat.
If you elect to continue in combat, you and your foe may continue to
swap blows until one of your Combat Skill ratings reaches zero - in
which case that particular person or creature is dead.


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Encounter Table 1: Mountains
Percentage Result
 1-30      The square is empty.
31-35      You meet with a Dwarven Shield maiden. Good Heavens! It's
           Gilda Bearsbreath. She has a long blond beard and her lovely
           white tooth gleams in the sunlight. Gilda takes a shine to
           you and offers you a dagger. The blade has poison on it and
           will automatically kill your opponent next time you engage
           in combat, thereafter functioning as a normal dagger. You
           may substitute this dagger for your own weapon if you wish.
36-50      The stones beneath your feet suddenly give way and you 
           tumble down into an ancient tomb. Generate a percentage and
           compare to the table below. You find:
            1-20  Nothing.
           21-30  Some very interesting wall carvings.
           31-40  A bear has been using the tomb as a den. You have
                  woken up the creature and it starts to shamble
                  towards you. You may fight or flee. If you fight, you
                  may strike the first blow. The bear has a Combat Skill
                  of 15% and a Hit Strength of 30%.
           41-50  A clay pot containing a funerary offering of five gold
                  pieces. You may put some or all of these in your pouch
                  if there is room.
           51-60  The occupant of the tomb stands before you - a Mummy!
                  You may fight or flee. If you decide to fight, the
                  Mummy will strike the first blow. Its Combat Skill is
                  25% and its Hit Strength is 8%.
           61-70  A small limestone statuette - it's a votive figure of
                  a hamster.
           71-80  Two giant rats are gnawing some old bones. You may
                  fight or flee. If you fight, you will strike the first
                  blow. The rats have a combined Combat Skill of 16%
                  and Hit Strength of 10%. If you do not flee, and
                  survive the combat, you will find a lodestone lodged
                  amongst the old bones. You may substitute this for the
                  contents of your pouch if you wish.
           81-90  A map showing you four tunnels leading directly north,
                  south, east and west from your present position. If
                  you follow a tunnel, you may travel under the next
                  square without encountering anything. When you have
                  surfaced in the subsequent square, you should add one
                  hour to the total time of your journey irrespective
                  of the terrain you travelled under. There has been no
                  terrain attrition loss. You may now proceed as normal.
           91-100 The roof of the tomb starts to collapse about you!
                  You have a 20% chance of fleeing. Generate a percent-
                  age. If you score 20% or less, you may flee in the
                  normal manner. If you score 21% or more, then you are,
                  sadly, crushed to death by the falling masonry.
51-70      Blizzard. Howling winds and driving snow make you numb with
           cold. Lose 10% from both your Combat Skill and your Hit
           Strength. Randomise direction.
71-75      What you took to be a rocky outcrop is in fact the seated
           figure of a Mountain Giant. He thumps the ground meaning-
           fully with his club. You cannot fight him, and you only have
           a 30% chance of fleeing. Generate a percentage. If you score
           30% or less, you may flee in the normal manner. If you score
           31% or more, then your mission ends here in a red smear on
           the mountainside.
76-90      You find your way blocked by a deep ravine. It costs you an
           extra hour to make your way around the obstacle.
91-95      You meet a hermit. He offers you a bowl of stew. The warm
           food restores your Combat Skill and Hit Strength by 15%.
96-100     Stuck into the trunk of a pine tree, you discover a spear -
           lost, no doubt by a hunter. You may substitute this spear
           for your own weapon if you wish.


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Encounter Table 2: Plains
Percentage Result
 1-30      The square is empty.
31-35      You discover the body of a royal messenger. In his pouch is
           a bottle of potion inscribed with a rune of speed. When
           drunk, it allows you to totally ignore the time and
           attrition costs of the next square you pass through. You may
           drink this now or put it in your pouch if it is empty.
36-40      A highwayman appears from the bushes. "This road carries a
           toll of 10 gold pieces. Pay up or die!" You can pay, fight
           or flee. If you fight, the highwayman strikes the first
           blow. He has a Combat Skill of 30% and a Hit Strength of 15%.
41-60      You enter a ransacked village. Generate a percentage and
           compare to the table below. You find:
            1-20  Nothing.
           21-30  Nogo Gripmuffin - a hobbit who has drunk everything
                  the Ogroids left in the tavern. He detains you for
                  one extra hour and misdirects you. Randomise direction.
           31-50  A dead dog.
           51-60  A purse containing 10 gold pieces. You may put some or
                  all of these in your pouch if there is room.
           61-70  A tatty copy of Playdwarf magazine. Gilda Bearsbreath
                  is really something!
           71-80  An Ogroid looter. You may fight or flee. If you fight,
                  you have the first blow. The Ogroid attacks with a
                  Combat Skill of 20% and a Hit Strength of 20%.
           81-90  A sword. On the blade are runes of power. In all other
                  respects the sword is normal, but when using it against
                  an Ogroid, you may add 10% to both your Combat Skill
                  and Hit Strength. You may substitute this sword for
                  your own weapon if you wish.
           91-100 A Goblin straggler leaps out of the ruins. You may
                  fight or flee. He has the first blow. The Goblin's 
                  Combat Skill is 12% and his Hit Strength is 10%.
61-80      Refugees from the fighting. They block your progress and hold
           you up for an additional hour.
81-90      You meet a friendly Centaur. He offers you a lift on his back
           to aid your mission. You may travel across the next two
           squares in any direction on the Centaur's back, regardless
           of the type of terrain. You will add only one hour to your
           total for the journey, you will suffer no attrition cost at
           all and encounter nothing in the two squares you cross. The
           Centaur will leave you in the third square, where you will
           proceed as normal.
91-95      You are surprised by a regiment of Ogroid reinforcements.
           You cannot fight them all, and you only have a 20% chance of
           fleeing. Generate a percentage. If you score 20% or less,
           you may flee in the normal manner; unfortunately, leaving
           any weapon you posses behind. If you score 21% or more, then
           you have been overwhelmed and your mission ends very pain-
           fully at this point.
96-100     You meet a friendly pilgrim. He gives you a cordial that
           restores your Combat Skill and Hit Strength by 20%.


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Encounter Table 3: Forest
Percentage Result
 1-50      The square is empty.
51-55      As you enter this forest glade, you notice some extremely
           large and brightly coloured fungi. When you run your hand
           over one, it releases a cloud of spores which make you feel
           curiously light-headed. Dazed, you stumble around for some
           time before the effect wears off. Lose an extra two hours
           and randomise direction.
56-60      Ahead of you is a large area of ruins, almost hidden by ivy
           and other forest growth. You are shocked to realise that 
           this is a settlement of the outcast Chaos-worshipping mutants.
           As you turn to flee your foot catches in a cleverly concealed
           noose. As you hang upside-down you can see the hideous forms
           of mutant guards approaching ... They take you before the
           Chief Mutant, who tells you that his name is Zinclare Yuzer
           and judging by his tentacles this may be only too true. 
           Generate a percentage and compare it to the table below to
           discover his reaction. You find:
            1-33  Oh dear - Zinclare is having one of his "bad days".
                  Foaming at the mouth he orders you to be cast into the
                  snake-pit as a sacrifice to the Chaos Gods. As you die,
                  writhing in agony, with your quest in ruins, you may
                  like to know that Zinclare feels much better for a
                  little of what he calls "therapy".
           34-66  Zinclare is not enraged, but he isn't overjoyed to see
                  you either. He orders that your weapon and the contents
                  of your pouch are taken from you. You are blindfolded,
                  taken a short distance through the forest and released.
                  You have no idea where you are, so you must randomise
                  direction.
           67-100 The Chief Mutant lets you speak. When you tell him of
                  your mission to defeat the Necromancer, he swears a
                  mighty oath. With tears in all his eyes, Zinclare tells
                  you that he used to be normal until the Necromancer
                  himself introduced him to the worship of the dark
                  Chaos Gods. Zinclare vows to help you! A mutant tracker,
                  Derek, will guide you for the next five squares. You
                  may travel in any direction, and for five squares you
                  will have no encounters. You suffer normal attrition
                  loss for the terrain you will travel through, but each
                  square will only cost one hour to cross. Derek will
                  leave you at the beginning of the sixth square where
                  you will continue as normal.
61-70      You discover a forest tree covered with lush fruit. After
           eating some of them you feel refreshed. Add 10% to both your
           Combat Skill and your Hit Strength.
71-80      You realise that your are being followed by a pack of wolves.
           You may fight or flee. You may strike the first blow against
           the wolves which have a combined Combat Skill of 35% and a
           Hit Strength of 15%.
81-90      Almost hidden amongst the trees, you discover a shrine to the
           Allfather. Pausing to mutter a brief prayer, you are almost
           blinded by a brilliant ray of sunlight which suddenly strikes
           the altar. It illuminates the most wonderful sword you have
           ever seen. Normal in all other respects, when the sword has
           been used to kill an Ogroid, it allows you to add the
           creature's Hit Strength percentage to both your Combat Skill
           and your own Hit Strength. You may substitute this sword,
           "Strength Stealer", for your own weapon if you wish.
91-100     Unknowingly, you have wandered into a faery ring. You are
           suddenly surrounded by a horde of the fair folk, crying "Pay
           up, or dance till you drop!" Their leader, King Doombladder,
           informs you that you must pay a fine of 15 gold pieces as a
           fine for trespassing on their territory. If you do not have
           money or you do not wish to pay, you must join in the wild
           dance that is even now beginning to swirl about you. The dance
           will cost an extra three hours and reduce both your Combat
           Skill and Hit Strength by 10%.


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Encounter Table 4: Marsh
Percentage Result
 1-30      The square is empty.
31-50      Ahead of you is a group of small flickering lights. As you
           make your way towards them, you realise that they are shifting
           and moving away from you. You have been led astray by a group
           of Werelights. Randomise direction.
51-60      You meet a fisherman of the marshes. He is not overly
           impressed by the importance of your mission, but for 10 gold
           pieces he will give you a lift in his boat. If you do not have
           the money you must continue on foot. If you decide to pay for
           a lift, the fisherman will take you across the next 1 to 4
           marsh squares. You may choose both the number of squares and
           the direction. For each square you cross in the boat, add  one
           hour to your journey. As you are resting, there will be no
           attrition cost. You will have no encounters in any of the
           squares.
61-70      As you splash your way out of a slimy pool, you look down and
           see that your legs are covered with leeches. You lose 5% from
           both your Combat Skill and Hit Strength. In addition you lose
           an extra hour removing them from your legs.
71-80      In the midst of a great reed bed you discover an ancient,
           rotting hulk. Generate a percentage and compare to the table
           below. You find:
            1-20  Nothing.
           21-30  The rotting deck gives way beneath you and you fall
                  into the hold below and find yourself in the lair of
                  a clan of Meremen. There are at least 20 of them, all
                  with tridents clasped in their webbed fingers. You
                  cannot fight them all and you have only a 25% chance
                  of fleeing. Generate a percentage. If you score 25% or
                  less, you may flee in the normal manner. If you score
                  26% or more, you have become a main course for the
                  Meremen. As your mission ends here, it may be of some
                  comfort to know that you will be delicious.
           31-40  The hulk proves to be the treasure ship of some long-
                  forgotten pirate. From the booty of a hundred raids,
                  you may fill your purse with gold pieces. From the
                  weapon racks you may choose either a dagger, a sword
                  or a spear and substitute it for your own weapon if
                  you wish.
           41-50  Three tons of very overripe haddock ...
           51-60  Two Marsh Goblins in residence. You may fight or flee.
                  The Goblins strike the first blow. They have a combined
                  Combat Skill of 20% and a Hit Strength of 16%.
           61-70  The wreck used to belong to a travelling alchemist.
                  He left behind a pot of Goblin repellant. You smear
                  the foul smelling goo all over yourself. During your
                  next three encounters with Goblins they will simply
                  vomit and run screaming for the horizon. The encounter
                  will then be over and you may move on to the next square.
           71-80  A stuffed owl.
           81-90  As you explore the ship, you crack your head on a deck
                  beam and knock yourself unconscious. Lose an extra hour
                  and 3% from both your Combat Skill and Hit Strength.
           91-100 A bottle of vintage barley spirit. There is enough in
                  the bottle to provide you with three draughts. You may
                  drink some or all of it now, or drink some now and top
                  up your existing bottle, if you have one. You may
                  substitute the bottle for the contents of your pouch
                  if it is not already empty.
81-90      You have wandered into a patch of quicksand. You only have a
           50% chance of clawing your way out. Generate a percentage. If
           you score 50% or less, then you have succeeded, but you have
           lost your weapon in the process. If 51% or more, then the
           quest is over and you have ... glub, glub, glub ...
91-100     You meet one of the King's Marsh Wardens. He will give you a
           lodestone to help you on your journey. You may substitute it
           for the contents of your pouch if you wish. In addition he
           gives you some dried meat to chew on which restores your
           Combat Skill and Hit Strength by 10%.


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Encounter Table 5: Siegeworks
Percentage Result
 1-20      The square is empty.
21-30      You almost stumble across a dozing Ogroid sentry. You may
           fight or flee. If you decide to fight, you will strike the
           first blow. The sleepy Ogroid only has a Combat Skill of 15%
           and a Hit Strength of 10%.
31-40      You discover an abandoned trench which leads directly north
           to the nearest square of Plains terrain. No matter how many
           squares of Siegeworks you cross before you reach the Plains,
           this part of your journey will only take one hour although
           the attrition cost will be normal.
41-50      A cowardly Ogroid shaman appears. Before you can react, he
           casts a Tanglefoot spell on you and vanishes. This spell
           seriously hampers your movement, and you must count the time
           cost of this square as four hours.
51-70      You are spotted by an alert Ogroid warrior. You may fight or
           flee. If you choose to fight, the Ogroid will strike the first
           blow. He has a Combat Skill of 25% and a Hit Strength of 20%.
71-75      In your path is the body of one of the Royal Guards. He has a
           spear which you may substitute for your own weapon if you
           wish. In his pouch are seven gold pieces, some or all of
           which you may put in your pouch if there is room.
76-80      A shape seems to materialise out of the air in front of you.
           It coalesces into the form of the Necromancer himself! Before
           you can flee, he raises his hand and a burst of Demonfire
           erupts from his fingertips. You die in hideous agony and your
           rescue mission ends here.
81-90      You tumble down into a pit in the middle of the enemy trenches.
           Landing safely at the bottom of the pit, you discover an old
           mineshaft which, although it twists and turns, seems to head
           north. You travel due north from the pit, under the next three
           square, and come to the surface in the fourth square, where
           you will continue your journey as normal. Add three hours to
           your time total and deduct 3% from your Combat Skill and your
           Hit Strength for the time spent underground. During your
           subterranean trip you will encounter nothing at all.
91-100     You become lost in a maze of disused trenches. Lose an extra
           hour and randomise direction.

** END **
