Help

[pseudologist]

I know this is not the best place for this but I just need this question answered sooner than later I noticed that these boards are frequented daily by people who would know.

I just started playing angband 3.1.0, never played this game before. I started a ranger, I've got him to lvl 8 now and 4 floors down. But I can't figure out how to learn spells. The spellbook that came with my ranger (spells for beginners) keeps saying I don't know any spells in the book. I am high enough lvl to learn them but I have no idea how to learn the spells. Browsing the book doesn't seem to work.

I've figured out pretty much everything else in the game well enough to play but it's just the spells. I would assume my ranger can learn the spells from a book that was given to me as part of my starting gear. Also, I am a human ranger, with an INT of 17.

Anyone ?

[Pete Mack]

try 'G'. To cast a spell, try 'm' or 'p'

And there's no need to spam! Also, enchant your longbow. Also, go deeper.

EDIT:
when in doubt, open the command menus with the return key.

[pseudologist]

srry about the spam. I know how to cast a spell. I press m.

When I press m it asks me which book. I select the book my character started with and it says "you do not know any spells in that book.

I asked how to learn spells, not how to cast them.

EDIT: p and m both do the same thing, they say I do not know any of the spells in my book

[The Sparrow]

Like Pete said, you type "G" to "gain" spells. If you can learn spells at that time, and have the appropriate book, it will give you a choice of which spells to learn.

[Pete Mack]

You need to read the my OP a little more carefully. Hint: 'G' or <return>

[pseudologist]

ah thanks.

I read all the help files that came with the game. They alluded to learning spells but did not specify how to do it. I see it now though. Thank you

[pseudologist]

while i'm here, Is there a list somewhere of what kinds of spells I am limited to? I'd hate to spend 900 gold on a book that I cant use as a ranger. Can I do prayers too?

the game is very vague about a lot of details.

"The ranger learns spells much more slowly than a mage, but is capable of learning all but the most powerful spells." I assume this is all types, incantations, illusions, sorcery, evocation etc. But is it? Is a certain class of spells considered more powerful and therefor off limits? Can I save all of my spell slots only for powerful spells, or do they cost more slots? Can you unlearn a spell once you have it?

[Pete Mack]

You can only use Mage (red) books. You can examine (with l or x, depending on what keyset you use) books in the stores to see if you can read them.

[pseudologist]

When something im wearing gets damaged, and it gets a [+#, -1] what exactly does that -1 do to hinder me? Is it allowing more damage through? Can I do something to fix the damage so that I can atleast sell the item later on?

[Mondkalb]

A -# is subtracted from you AC.
You can enchant damaged armor with an "enchant armor" scroll (sometimes available in the alchemy shop). Each scroll will try to add one point to the second value, with increasing failure rate above +8.
With cheap common armor (like boots or caps) this makes usually no sense, since you can buy it in the armory or find it on the dungeon floor.

Regarding the books and spells and other stuff there are some (partly dated) spoiler files at:

http://www.juti.nl/hugo/Angband/Spoiler/

e. g. the books spoiler file tells you, what spell your ranger can learn at what level:

http://www.juti.nl/hugo/Angband/Spoiler/books.spo