1. This level is for the novice player and can be played in 2-6 hours. At this level, only a few treasures are hidden, the creatures are easy to defeat and only a few special tricks are active. It is recommended you play the first few games at this level in order to familiarise yourself with the various commands etc., at your disposal.
2. For the intermediate player and can be played in 4-10 hours. At this level, more treasures are hidden, the creatures are slightly more dangerous and more of the special tricks and traps are active.
3. Only for the advanced player, and can take 10 hours or more to play. All the treasures are hidden, the creatures are very dangerous and all the special tricks and traps are active. When the prompt for skill levels is displayed, press the appropriate number from 1 to 3 and the game will automatically start.
All the commands are two word (one verb and one noun) commands with the exception of the following:
| NORTH | N |
| SOUTH | S |
| EAST | E |
| WEST | W |
| UP | U |
| DOWN | D |
| QUIET | Q |
| UNCLE | U |
| REST | R |
| INVENTORY | INV |
Just press N, S, E, W, U or D to go in the appropriate direction. The instructions will tell you which directions are available at any time during the game.
This will tell you what you are carrying at any time during the game.
This will temporarily halt the action of the adventure to allow the player to take a break. Current game status may be saved from this mode by pressing the "!" key. (See "Saving game to tape"). Pressing "W" will resume the current adventure. Pressing "$" or typing "UNCLE" will start a new game.
When you die, you will automatically go into the "QUIET" mode and then the status of the game can be saved to tape. Ensure a blank cassette is inserted into your tape recorder and that is is wound past the red leader and that the "Play" and "Record" buttons are depressed before pressing the "!" key.
This is used to prepare a weapon for combat. Readying a weapon will force you to drop everything except the weapon and won't allow you to "get" anything until you "un-ready" it. During the time that a weapon is "ready", creature attacks will not be so severe. Type "READY (name of weapon)".
This is used to help rebuild your physical strength. It also causes the creatures to move at 60 times their normal speed and to recuperate at 12 times that of normal. Creatures will also do twice as much damage to you if they attack while you're resting.
This is used two ways:
Type "DROP (name of weaon/object)".
This is used to quit a game at any time. You must type "$" after typing "UNCLE" to start a new game.
Will show the current location.
| BASH | BURY | DROP | DIG | DRINK | EAT | EXAMINE | FILL |
| GET | HACK | INV(entory) | JUMP | KICK | LEAP | LOAD | |
| LOOK | OPEN | PLAY | PUSH | QUIET | READ | READY | REST |
| RUB | SPRINKLE | SHOOT | STAB | TOSS | UNCLE | UNLOCK |
| CYCLOPS | Deadly |
| ORC | Deadly, will follow you if he enters a room that you have been in recently |
| DRAGON | Deadly, will also follow you |
| BAT | Dangerous |
| TROLL | Dangerous |
| WIZARD | Dangerous |
| JESTER | Plays practical jokes |
| UNICORN | Friendly, can give clues to help you get special objects: "RUB HORN" |
PLECTRUM - Used to play a certain musical instrument.
MATTOCK - an axe-like tool with a point on one side of the head and a blade on the other.
SCIMITAR - a large curved sword.
There are three objects which will wake you out of a rest before a creature attacks you if one should enter the room while you are resting. These are:
At the beginning of an adventure one of these objects is chosen at random and will be used during the entire adventure. Once the object is used to rouse you from a rest, it may not rouse you again for 10, 20 or 30 minutes, depending on skill level.
Keys of the Wizard is equipped with two viewing screens. One is the main screen which is the screen you will normally be viewing. The second screen is used to view any messages that may have scrolled off of the top of the main screen. Use the "up" and "down" arrows to scroll between the two screens.
NOTE. If you inadvertantly touch the "up" arrow key whilst typing in your replies, you will find that you are unable to enter any information into the programme and the screen will appear to "scroll". To correct this, press the "down" arrow key.
At the top of the main screen are three protected rows of information that never scroll off of the screen. The following are contained in this are for your convenience.
COND - This shows your current physical strength. 255 is the maximum, if it reaches 0 you die.
SCORE - Displays current score. A maximum score of 662 points is possible.
L - This shows the current skill level.
: This is the real-time clock. At the start of the adventure, no numbers will be displayed. Minutes are displayed to the right of the colon and hours to the left.
* This is the rest indicator. It is displayed to the right of the unicorn (UNI) abbreviation. Reverse video means that you may rest. Normal video means that you may not rest.
All of the creatures have intelligence and personalities. Some will chase you, some will fight to the death and others will fight until they are weak and then run away.
The amount of damage done to a creature during an attack is based on the following:
The amount of damage that a creature can inflict on you is based on the following:
There are 32 treasures and a total of 662 points possible. Dropping all the treasures in the Sanctuary (if you can find it) will give you the required 662 points.
When the maximum score has been reached, music will be played and "Win" message will be displayed. The game will then automatically enter the "Quiet" mode so that your winning status may be saved to tape if you wish. To exit the quiet mode after winning, press the "$" (shifted 4) key which will start a new game.
Type "QUIET", insert a blank cassette into your tape-recorder, making sure it is wound past the leader. Press the "Play" and "Record" buttons and then press the "!" (shifted 1) keys. You will hear the game being saved to tape.
Load in "Keys of the Wizard" as above and enter the skill level of the previously saved game. When the game starts, type "QUIET", press the "Enter" key and then type ")" (shifted "9" key). The game will now start from where you left it.
Tandy Colour Computer 16K
Type "CLOADM". The game will start automatically.
© Copyright 1984 Microdeal Limited