User Guide

trouble fighting, and will use lots of stamina just to move their girth around.
When your character is encumbered in such a way, Wizardry will let you
know. In the character’s review screen you will see Carrying Capacity’s
color has changed to:
light blue - 66% to 74% of the total capacity
yellow - 75% to 89% of the total capacity
red - 90% or more of the total capacity
Characters can carry more than their CC, though it’s likely to result in
exhaustion.
Armor Class
The suit of armor on the right side of a character’s review screen shows you how well
protected he or she is against a physical or magical attack. This protection is known
generally as armor class (AC)
There are three different armor classes: Body, Natural, and Modifier. Armor classes
range from a +10 (naked and vulnerable to attack) to a -10 (covered with enough plate
mail to cover a small building). The lower your character’s armor class, the better.
BODY AC: Each part of a character’s body has its own armor class: head chest,
hands, legs, and feet. These armor classes show you how well a particular body is
protected against penetration by a monster’s weapon once the character has
already been hit. Even if a monster hits your character, its weapon might not
penetrate the armor on that body part.
NATURAL AC: Shows the character’s ability to avoid being hit by
a monster. Races such as the Faerie, whose small size and lightning
movements make it difficult to target, have a naturally low armor
class. Other races who are fast and dexterous share a similar ability.
Characters who are skilled in Ninjutsu also have a naturally low
armor class.
AC MODIFIER: Offsets the Natural AC and is consulted by Wizardry each time
your character is hit. There are three parts to the AC modifier.
ENCUMBRANCE PENALTY: If your character’s carrying capacity (CC) is
overloaded from hauling 40 potions, 10 shields, and a pack full of helms around,
he’s not going to move too well, and therefore he’s easier to hit. In this case, you
will see a positive number showing an increase in AC.
SHIELD BONUS: When characters protect themselves from a blow by using a
shield, they are harder for monsters to hit. Characters who use a shield in battle
will see a negative number reflecting a decrease in AC.
MAGICAL PENALTY/BONUS: Some magical items within Wizardry have the
power to lower a character’s overall armor class. Others can raise it. Magical
modifiers cover the entire body.
Should your character be both encumbered and wearing a shield, Wizardry would
display the average of the two. Its a good bet to periodically check the modifiers
individually, just to make certain they aren’t overloaded or otherwise encumbered.
193
Wizardry Gold