Weapons and Equipment
Weapons
They are essential for effective combat. Melee weapons come into effect in close combat, i.e. when front line heroes battle against monsters in the front row. Most weapons, such as swords and daggers, allow a character to wield a second weapon (Samurai and Banshee only) or shield. Two handed-weapons, obviously, do not permit a character to carry anything in the other hand.
Ranged weapons, such as daggers (when thrown) or arrows may be lost when used or remain in the characters possession like bows and slings. The number of uses from bows and slings depends on the amount of ammunition carried. In order to use a permanent ranged weapon, just equip them. It is not necessary to equip the ammunition. You will get a message when all ammunition for a weapon has been spent.
Armour
Armour is vital to surviving combat (yet there is no visible armor class telling you how protected you are). It protects against physical attacks and reduce the amount of damage a character takes when hit. Exceptionally good armour often prevents the character from sustaining any injuries when hit. Which leads to the second most vital skill in the game, Armor. Increases the armor class of the entire party. Great for beginning adventurers.
Magic Items
Magic items provide a way of using magic without casting a spell.
Valuables
As the name indicates, valuables are items that will earn you a large amount of gold when you sell them. Most of them are of no use to the party, so you can calmly sell them for money for rations and equipment.
Miscellaneous
Sometimes you will need special items to solve a puzzle or gain access to a locked room. To quote the obvious, a key might unlock that massive wooden door you are desperately trying to open. These items need not be marked with a diamond, i.e. equipped, to be used. As long as they are in the party's inventory, they will be used automatically.
Search
After vanquishing a horde of monsters, the party searches their belongings. Any items are picked up by the leader of the party. You should then search the surroundings, Ctrl+S, for lost, hidden, or barely visible items.
Please note you can search your surroundings at any time on the overland map. Who knows what you party may discover here and there.
Identify Items
Your party will find all kinds of items while exploring Lamarge. Some of these may be of everyday use and easily identifiable, others may be of doubtful origin or significance. When a character identifies an item thanks to their iontelligence and knowledge the item will be displayed with its full name in the leaders inventory. If no one can identify it, it will show up as simply item. Some shopkeepers can identify an item for you - at a price of course.
Using Magic Items
Magic items can be used to cast spells. Press Ctrl+U to obtain a list of your characters. Choose one by clicking or typing the line number and hitting Enter. A list of readied items (those marked by diamonds in the status screen) will be displayed. Type the relevant line number or click on the item to use it.
Special Items
There is a plethora of items to be found on Lamarge. Here are some you must know in order to complete you adventure.
a) Land Crystals
Lamargians do not use maps to orientate themselves on the continent. They use land crystals instead. These consist of extremely rare quartz rocks created by the explosion of Mount Melfur. This crystal has the rather useful property of showing a map of the land when magically loaded. Once magical energy has flown into the crystal, it depicts plains, mountains, grasslands, swamps, rivers, and woodlands. Any settlements or particular places you have visited will also be shown. Over time, the magical energy in the land crystal will be expended. You will not be allowed to leave a settlement if your land crystal is exhausted, to prevent foolhardy adventurers from getting lost and starving in the wilderness of Lamarge. If your land crystal has lost most of its energy you should visit a crystal mage.
b) Scrolls
A scroll found by your party will automatically be transferred to your backpack. You can also study, examine, or read a scroll. Do this be equipping it and then using Ctrl+U to use it.