
=== Introduction to the Zangband (2.1.0) Magic System ===

In the official releases of Angband there are only two types magic
spells:  Magic spells and priestly prayers.  If the character is a
mage, ranger or a rogue  (s)he can learn magic spells; if (s)he is
a priest  or  a paladin,  (s)he  can learn prayers.  All mages can 
learn the same spells and all priests can learn the same spells.

Zangband uses  a more complex "realms of magic" system inspired by
the commercial fantasy strategy game Master of Magic (Microprose),
which in turn  has supposedly borrowed it from the card game Magic
the Gathering  (by  Wizards of the Coast).  The  magic system,  as 
implemented in Zangband,  consists of seven realms:  Life, Sorcery,
Nature,  Chaos  and Death.  In Zangband 2.1.0, two new realms have
been added: Arcane and Trump magic. (See later for details.)

In standard Angband,  the type of a character's spell ability was
determined  solely by  the  character  class.  In Zangband,   all
classes can select one  (or even two)  types  from  the realms of
magic available. (See  later  for available realms / class.)

Since a character can have (at most) two realms of magic, and the
old  spells  have been split between the existing realms,  on the 
first glance  it may seem that this system makes spell-users less
powerful.  However, the opposite holds true.  While a given realm 
of magic  typically includes spells of a certain type,  new ultra
powerful rare high-level  spells have been added  to many realms.
Any spell realm should have enough high-level spells even for the
later stages  of the game.  The main difference  lies in how they
support your playing strategy:  some offer  "weapon" spells which
let you  directly hurt your enemy,  while others offer spells for
protection, healing and gathering information.

In standard Angband, there were  9  spellbooks for all spell-
casters. In Zangband, there are  4  spellbooks per realm. Two
of them can be bought in a store (Life spellbooks in the town
temple,  the rest  in  the  magic shop;  of  course the Black 
market  may  stock   _any_  spellbook).  The new Arcane realm
is an exception to this rule:  Arcane magic has no high level
spellbooks;  all Arcane spellbooks can be bought in the magic
shop. Just as one might expect, Arcane magic lacks the really
powerful high level spells.
A character  with two realms of magic will thus need to carry
a maximum of 8 spellbooks  while  a  character with only  one
realm  of magic (paladins and rogues) will only need to carry
a maximum of 4 spellbooks.   All realms have  32  spells, and
each book has 8 spells.



=== Character Classes and Spell Ability  ===

WARRIORS: Warriors cast no spells. They hate magic. In fact, they
even gain experience for destroying high level spellbooks.

MAGES: Mages have the least restrictions  in choosing and learning
spells. They can freely choose any  two realms when a character is
created: in the current version, all seven realms are available to
them,  although their natural inclination makes Life magic  fairly
hard for them.  Otherwise, a mage tends to learn and cast all  the
spells  in his / her realms better than any  other  character. The
ability   select  both realms  of  magic (which no other character
class can do)  allows  the  best  support  for  experimenting  and
combining  different  realms,  and, thus,  for  different  playing
strategies as well.

PRIESTS: There are two types of priests in Zangband:   the  
'ordinary' priests who, select Life magic as their primary
realm,  and the  'dark' priests,  who  select  Death magic 
instead  of  Life magic.  No  priest  can have both realms
(unless (s)he was created  in  Zangband 2.0.0  or  2.0.1). 
Priests can also select a secondary realm from  the  other 
five  realms, and should be able to learn all spells in it
as well,  even if not  as  efficiently as mages.  However, 
when  learning spells,  priests cannot  voluntarily decide 
which spells to study: they are rewarded with new  prayers 
by their patron deities, with  no  money-back satisfaction 
guarantee.  It should also be noted that since the natural 
inclination of a priest is towards Life magic, priests who 
select Life magic  will  be  able to  learn  their prayers 
faster and better than  their evil colleagues  with  Death 
magic.

ROGUES: There are several subtypes of Rogues  in  Zangband:
the exact 'type' is determined by the realm of magic chosen
by  the Rogue.  The common Thief,  agent of the underworld,
will  probably  be  content with  Arcane magic and its wide
applicability.  The Burglar,  on  the other hand,  is  more
interested in the Sorcery spells, which allow him or her to
do the job fast and efficiently.  The Assassins' partiality
for Death magic is well known,  and they are feared for it.
Finally, there is the Card Shark,  who will  opt for  Trump
magic, and shuffles the decks with amazing proficiency. All
Rogues have  certain limitations on which spells they   can
learn, and they are not too fast to learn new spells.

RANGERS: All rangers are trained in Nature magic, and  all
Nature spells are available to them. They even learn these
spells  almost as  fast as  mages.  They can also select a 
secondary  realm  (from Sorcery,  Arcane,  Trump,  Nature,
Chaos and Death), but they are slow learners  in them, and
may  find  themselves unable  to learn some of the highest
level spells.

PALADINS: Paladins are trained in Life magic (only), and they
despise the other realms of magic (which they regard  as  the
Devil's work). Like priests, they cannot select which prayers
to learn but are rewarded  with new prayers by their deities.
They can learn all Life spells, but not  as fast  as priests.
In  the  most recent versions,  there is a new subtype of the
paladins: the Death Knight.  Death Knights study Death  magic
instead of Life magic, but in other respects they are similar
to normal paladins. Death Knights can learn all Death spells.
The endless enmity between these two subtypes is most evident
in their attitudes  to other realms of magic:  an  'ordinary'
detests  the other realms  of magic  (than Life)  so strongly
that he or she will even gain experience for destroying their
high-level spellbooks.  A Death Knight, on the other hand, is
very  tolerant  of the  other  realms  --  to annoy Paladins,
perhaps,  if  for  no  other  reason.  A  Death Knight  will,
however, be very offended by the sight of Life spellbook, and
will do anything to destroy it;  and this will even  give him
or  her experience,  if  the Life spellbook in question  is a
high-level one.

WARRIOR-MAGES: Warrior-mages begin the game with Arcane magic,
and they can freely select  another  realm of magic.  Although
they do not  gain  new spells as fast  as regular mages,  they
will  eventually  learn  every  spell  in  both  realms,  thus
making  a very competitive choice  for players  who appreciate
Arcane magic.

CHAOS WARRIORS: Chaos Warriors are, as one might expect,
trained in Chaos magic.  They are not interested in  any
other form of magic. They can learn every Chaos spell.

MONKS:   The different sects of monks are  devoted to different
areas  of magic.  The typical monk is interested in the harmony
of the nature, and studies Nature magic. An idealist monk would
select Life magic,  and try work to benefit his neighbour.  But
there also are dark monks, who specialize in Death magic.
A monk can thus select any one of these three Realms. They will
eventually learn all prayers in the discipline of their choice.

MINDCRAFTER: Although the powers of a Mindcrafter may seem like
magic, this is not -- strictly speaking --  the case.  They are
mental powers,  independent of  the ordinary sources  of magic.
Consequently,  Mindcrafters are not  interested in 'magic'  and
learn no spells.

HIGH MAGE: High mages are mages who specialize in one particular
field of magic  and learn it  very well --  much better than the
ordinary mage.  For  the price of giving up a  second  realm  of
magic, they gain substantial benefits in the mana costs, minimum
levels,  and failure rates  in the spells of  the realm of their
specialty.
          

=== The Realms of Magic ===

LIFE: Life is magic is 'good' magic; it relies mostly on healing
and protective spells. It does have a few attack spells as well,
but these are mostly used for harming and banishing foul minions
of evil. It is rumoured that there is a secret high level prayer
which will make the  priest  (or paladin)  completely impervious
to all forms of hostile action.

SORCERY:  Sorcery is a  `meta`  realm, including enchantment and
general spells.  It provides  superb protection spells  (such as
Teleport spells for fleeing and even  Globe of Invulnerability),
spells to enhance your odds in combat (Slow Monster, Haste Self,
Confuse  Monster) and,  most  importantly,  a vast selection  of
spells for  gathering information:  in  addition  to  the  usual
detection and identify spells, one of  the  standard  spellbooks
has a spell called Identify True, which gives you full knowledge
of a given object!  In  the  rare  books,  there are spells with
which  you  can  enchant  your  items  or turn unwanted items to
gold.  However,  Sorcery  has  one  weakness:  it  has no spells 
to deal direct damage to your enemies.

ARCANE: Even more than Sorcery, Arcane magic is a general purpose
realm of magic. It attempts to encompass all 'useful' spells from
all realms, and almost succeeds,  with the probable exception  of
*Identify*.  This is  the downside of Arcane magic:  while Arcane
does have all the necessary  'tool' spells for  a dungeon delver,
it has no ultra-powerful high level spells. As a consequence, all
Arcane spellbooks can be bought in town.  It should also be noted
that  the  'specialized' realms  (i.e. other than Arcane) usually
offer  the same spell at a lower level and cost.  Arcane magic is
therefore perhaps not recommendable as one's only realm of magic,
but it should be a very nice addition to fill up the gaps  in the
selection of tools spells in another realm.

TRUMP: Trump magic seems an independent source of power, although
its supposed association  with Chaos magic  has been mentioned in
several places. Although it lacks the unpredictable chaotic side-
effects of Chaos magic,  it has  a few spells whose exact  effets
seem  more or less random.  One such spell is Shuffle:  the Trump
spellbooks actually consist  of decks of trumps,  and the Shuffle
spell allows the caster to shuffle the deck and pick one card  at
random.  The effect depends on the card picked, and is not always
pleasant.  In the Amber universe,  the Trump gateways are  also a
major  method  of  transportation:  Trump  magic has,  indeed, an
admirable selection  of  teleportation spells.  Since  the  Trump
gateways can also be used to summon other creatures,  Trump magic
has an equally impressive selection of summoning spells. However,
not all monsters appreciate being drawn to another place by Trump
user. The only summoned creatures whose loyalty is guaranteed are
the Phantasmal Servants,  who lack  a will of their own  (but can
develop one, if you treat them badly).

NATURE: Early levels may be  rather difficult  for  a spellcaster
relying on Nature magic, as the early spells offer  only  limited
protection,  detection  and  curing  capabilities.   However,  at 
higher levels there are very useful offensive  spells  available,
especially should the  spellcaster  be  lucky  enough  to find an
extremely rare spellbook  called  "Nature`s Wrath".  Nature  also 
has a spell of Herbal Healing, which is the only powerful healing
spell outside the realm of Life magic.

CHAOS: There are few types of magic more unpredictable and
difficult to control than  Chaos magic.  Chaos is the very 
element of unmaking,  and  the Chaos  spells are  the most 
terrible  weapons  of destruction  imaginable.  From Magic
Missile  and  Acid Bolt to the medium level  Fire Ball and
and Doom Bolt,  and  finally  to  the  awesome  spells  of 
Invoke Logrus, Mana Storm and Call the Void, Chaos  offers 
an unsurpassable arsenal of attack spells.  The caster can 
also  call  on  the  primal  forces  of  Chaos  to  induce 
mutations in his / her opponents and even him/herself, but 
otherwise, Chaos has no protective spells. Beware, though, 
Chaos spells  are  known  to backfire easily  and  product 
undesired effects. This is especially true in the  version
2.1.0 of Zangband and later, where the forces of Chaos can
easily  twist  the  hapless individual  foolish enough  to
invoke them, turning them horrendous spawns of Chaos.

DEATH: There is no fouler nor more evil category of spells
than  the necromantic spells of Death Magic.  These spells 
are  relatively hard to learn,  but  at higher levels  the
spells give the caster power over living and the (un)dead.
Poison, vampirism, death spells  and  even hellfire can be
directed by the caster,  but the most powerful spells need
his / her own blood as the focus, often hurting the caster
in the process of casting.  Should a Death wizard find the
legendary tome Necronomicon,  he can  expect to gain  very
great powers indeed,  but at a cost: few that have studied
the accursed tome have retained their sanity.


=== Notes on Summoned / Charmed Creatures ===

A friendly creature can be a mixed blessing. At first sight,
one might  think that  they can  make the game  much easier.
It is of course highly satisfying to send your pet Hell Wyrm
into  a Troll pit and wait outside,  listening for the howls
of agony and terror,  the sounds of  guts splattering, bones
crunching and so on.  But one should not expect  to gain any
experience for such a combat:  you will only gain experience
for creatures  to whom you  deliver the death blow yourself.
New experiences require hazards,  nobody gains experience by
sitting home watching the TV.
Secondly,  friendly monsters  are often so eager  to destroy
your opponents  they may  forget all about you,  and you get
trampled under their feet as they charge at  your foe.  They
are not  as smart as  the regular monsters,  since they have
given  up their free will to serve you.  So don't stand next
to that Snaga when your pet Cyberdemon brandishes its rocket
launcher!  Pets are also  rather easily irritable.  Once you
do something  which causes the slightest discomfort to them,
they will revert  to their normal behaviour and consider you
their main target.  This is something to think about  before
lighting up a room  if you have  pet orcs.  Needless to say,
nobody wants to be your friend if you are aggravating them.
Finally,  it takes  a lot of  mental energy  to maintain the
control over the charmed monsters.  The first monster or the
first few are 'free', but after that maintaining the control
will start taxing your mana regain rate.  The higher the sum
of the levels of your pets the less mana you will be able to
regain. Keep this in mind if you have a pet which can summon
or otherwise produce more pets...


=== Hints and Tips ===

If you miss the `old` magic user, try picking Sorcery and Chaos
magic to get the most commonly used mage spells early on (Magic
Missile, Detect Monsters + Traps + etc, Identify).

It is generally a good idea to pick one defensive realm and one 
offensive  realm.  For example try using  life or  sorcery with
chaos or death magic.  Nature is somewhat neutral:  it has both
offensive and defensive spells,  but is not very generous  with
either, not at least early in the game. Nature should work best
with characters who can use other  means to survive until  they
get the more powerful high level spells. 

If you pick the realms always in the same order (e.g. nature
as  your first realm and chaos as your second realm, not the
other way around)  you will be less confused  when trying to
pick the correct spellbook to use in the game.

If you still get confused trying to select the correct spellbook,
try using macros (either the 'full' macros or inscriptions).



=== Spell Lists ===


LIFE: Standard Spellbooks

Book of Common Prayer           1. Detect Evil
                                2. Cure Light Wounds
                                3. Bless
                                4. Remove Fear
                                5. Call Light
                                6. Detect Traps and Secret Doors
                                7. Cure Medium Wounds
                                8. Satisfy Hunger

High Mass                       1. Remove Curse
                                2. Cure Poison
                                3. Cure Critical Wounds
                                4. Sense Unseen
                                5. Holy Orb
                                6. Protection from Evil
                                7. Healing
                                8. Glyph of Warding


LIFE: Rare Spellbooks

Book of the Unicorn             This book has powerful prayers to ward off,
                                banish and destroy the forces of evil.

Blessings of the Grail          This book has the most powerful prayers of
                                protection and healing, as well as prayers
                                of holy visions.


SORCERY: Standard Spellbooks

Beginner's Handbook             1. Detect Monsters
                                2. Phase Door
                                3. Detect Doors and Traps
                                4. Light Area
                                5. Confuse Monster
                                6. Teleport
                                7. Sleep Monster
                                8. Recharging

Master Sorcerer's Handbook      1. Magic Mapping
                                2. Identify
                                3. Slow Monster
                                4. Mass Sleep
                                5. Teleport Away
                                6. Haste Self
                                7. Detection True
                                8. Identify True


SORCERY: Rare Spellbooks

Pattern Sorcery                 More powerful spells of detection, 
                                information and transportation.

Grimoire of Power               More powerful enchantments against monsters,
                                spells  to enchant items,  and  the Globe of 
                                Invulnerability.


ARCANE: All Spellbooks

Cantrips for Beginners          1. Zap
                                2. Wizard Lock
                                3. Detect Invisibility
                                4. Detect Monsters
                                5. Blink
                                6. Light Area
                                7. Trap & Door Destruction
                                8. Cure Light Wounds

Minor Arcana                    1. Detect Doors & Traps
                                2. Phlogiston
                                3. Detect Treasure
                                4. Detect Enchantment
                                5. Detect Objects
                                6. Cure Poison
                                7. Resist Cold
                                8. Resist Fire

Major Arcana                    1. Resist Lightning
                                2. Resist Acid
                                3. Cure Medium Wounds
                                4. Teleport
                                5. Stone to Mud
                                6. Ray of Light
                                7. Satisfy Hunger
                                8. See Invisible

Manual of Mastery               1. Recharging
                                2. Teleport Level
                                3. Identify
                                4. Teleport Away
                                5. Elemental Ball
                                6. Detection
                                7. Word of Recall
                                8. Clairvoyance



TRUMP: Standard Spellbooks

Conjurings & Tricks             1, Phase Door
                                2. Mind Blast
                                3. Shuffle
                                4. Reset Recall
                                5. Teleport
                                6. Dimension Door
                                7. Trump Spying
                                8. Teleport Away

Deck of Many Things             1. Trump Reach
                                2. Trump Animal
                                3. Phantasmal Servant
                                4. Trump Monster
                                5. Conjure Elemental
                                6. Teleport Level
                                7. Word of Recall
                                8. Banish


TRUMP: Rare Spellbooks

Trumps of Doom                  This tome tells you the secrets of the Living
                                Trump treatment, as well how to deal the Joker
                                card and how to deal death. It also has rather
                                powerful summoning Trumps which may yet prove
                                your own Doom...

Five Aces                       A superb collection of the most classic
                                summoning Trumps ever crafted.


NATURE: Standard Spellbooks

Call of the Wild                1. Detect Creatures
                                2. First Aid
                                3. Detect Doors and Traps
                                4. Foraging
                                5. Daylight
                                6. Animal Taming
                                7. Resist Environment
                                8. Cure Wounds & Poison

Nature Mastery                  1. Stone to Mud
                                2. Lightning Bolt
                                3. Nature Awareness
                                4. Frost Bolt
                                5. Ray of Sunlight
                                6. Entangle
                                7. Summon Animal
                                8. Herbal Healing


NATURE: Rare Spellbooks

Nature's Gifts                  Nature's Gifts for protection against 
                                the forces of nature and hostiles.

Nature's Wrath                  Nature's destructive force harnessed for your
                                use against your enemies.


CHAOS: Standard Spellbooks

Sign of Chaos                   1. Magic Missile
                                2. Trap / Door Destruction
                                3. Flash of Light
                                4. Touch of Confusion
                                5. Mana Burst
                                6. Fire Bolt
                                7. Fist of Force
                                8. Teleport Self

Chaos Mastery                   1. Wonder
                                2. Chaos Bolt
                                3. Sonic Boom
                                4. Doom Bolt
                                5. Fire Ball
                                6. Teleport Other
                                7. Word of Destruction
                                8. Invoke Logrus


CHAOS: Rare Spellbooks

Chaos Channels                  Unusual spells that allow  you to call on the
                                forces of chaos  to induce  changes  in  your
                                possessions, in your enemies and in yourself.

Armageddon Tome                 The rarest of all spellbooks, filled with the
                                most devastating spells.


DEATH: Standard Spellbooks

Black Prayers                   1. Detect Unlife
                                2. Malediction
                                3. Detect Evil
                                4. Stinking Cloud
                                5. Black Sleep
                                6. Resist Poison
                                7. Horrify
                                8. Enslave Undead

Black Mass                      1. Orb of Entropy
                                2. Nether Bolt
                                3. Terror
                                4. Vampiric Drain
                                5. Poison Branding
                                6. Dispel Good
                                7. Genocide
                                8. Restore Life


DEATH: Rare Spellbooks

Black Channels                  Spells that turn you into a bloodthirsty 
                                killing machine, and which enable you to
                                call upon the nether forces of  darkness  
                                to wreak havoc upon your foes.

Necronomicon                    The  legendary  tome  of unholy visions,
                                death and destruction.
