The Dungeons & Dragons Rules; Character Actions; Movement; Dialogue - Black Isle ICEWIND DALE 2 Manual

About the Dungeons & Dragons® Game
The Dungeons & Dragons game is a role playing system that allows players to explore worlds of fantasy and
high adventure - one of the D&D worlds is the Forgotten Realms, the world in which Icewind Dale II takes
place. This section outlines some of the major features of the new rules and how they may have been inter-
preted for the sake of computer gameplay.
You don't have to know the D&D rules to play Icewind Dale II (the computer takes care of that for you), but
it can be helpful. Accordingly, the D&D rules are summarized here, and in places explained how they may
have been revised to work in Icewind Dale II.
If you want to know more about the Dungeons & Dragons game or the world of the Forgotten Realms, visit
the Official Dungeons & Dragons website at: http://www.wizards.com/dnd.
Icewind Dale II uses a weighting system for spells and weapons to approximate the turn-based nature of the
Dungeons & Dragons game in real-time. Instead of a group-based turn, when first one side then the other
performs all actions, everyone is always in real time mode, but on a personal initiative round. The personal
initiative round is equal to the time of the round in D&D.
Most importantly, you can pause (or un-pause) the action at any time. This is achieved by hitting the space
bar or by L-clicking on the rotating globe in the lower right hand side of the screen. When you are paused
you can assign any action to any character, and then resume the game by un-pausing. This pause feature
allows fans of turn-based combat to effectively play the game that way.
Note: You can set the game to pause automatically when certain events occur in order that you don't miss
them. See the Options Screen on page 22.
You can perform a number of basic actions in Icewind Dale II. You can wander the landscape, speak with the
denizens, and, if you want, put an axe in their skull. The basic actions you can perform are described below,
along with any effects that may modify the actions.
Most player characters, except for monks and barbarians, move at the same rate in Icewind Dale II - this is
approximately equivalent to 30' per round in D&D game terms. Your characters can move faster if you cast a
Haste spell on them. Some monsters may move faster and slower than your characters, so be warned before
you flee an encounter - you may not get far. You can group select characters and easily move them into vari-
ous formations (this is discussed in more detail earlier under the interface descriptions. See page 14)
The general rule is this: even if you are an evil character, it's better to talk to someone who's not immediately
hostile to you rather than jumping the gun and attacking them first. It may even prevent you from continuing
the game (especially if you kill people in Targos or in other towns in the game). Not everything you meet,
human or otherwise, is out to kill your character. Help often appears in the most surprising forms. Thus it
often pays to take the time to talk to people or creatures... what they have to say may save your life.
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