Contents

Technical Documentation - Dungeon Master and Chaos Strikes Back - Creature Details

Overview

This page is the result of the work of several people. It contains the data extracted from the creature descriptors found in graphics.dat item 559.
Please go to Technical Documentation - Dungeon Master and Chaos Strikes Back Graphics.dat: Item 559 for the documentation of these descriptors and credits for people who helped decoding the data.

Definitions

Index of graphic definition
This is an index in a table from item 558 (Bytes 0833-1156 - Creatures graphics definitions). The values are identical to the creature numbers, but this is not mandatory.
This value uniquely identifies a creature type.
Index of attack sound definition
If this value is 0, the creature does not have an attack sound. Otherwise, the value - 1 is used as an index in the 'Creature attack sound definitions' table.
Size
Defines the size of the creature on the floor. Value 0 means there can be 4 creatures per tile (like Screamers), value 1 means there can be 2 creatures per tile (like Worms) and value 2 means there can be only one creature per tile (like Dragon). Value 3 is not used.
Side attack
The creature does not need to face the party to attack. This flag is set only for creatures that have the same image for all sides. It affects their attack frequency because they don't need to turn to face the party before attacking.
Prefer back row
The creature will tend to stay in the back row while other creatures will step up to the front row when the party is near and they want to attack.
Attack any champion
If this bit is set to '1', the creature can attack any champion in the party, even the ones in the back.
If both 'Prefer back row' and 'Attack any champion' flags are set to '0', the creature will move to the front row of its tile. In other cases the creature has a 25% chance of moving to the front row.
Levitation
If this bit is set to '1', the creature can pass over pits without falling.
Nonmaterial
If this bit is set to '1', the creature is non material. These creatures ignore normal attacks but take damage from the 'Disrupt' action of the Vorpal Blade. If the creature is not immune to fire, Fireball and Lightning Bolt damage is divided by four. All missiles except 'Weaken Nonmaterial Beings' pass through these creatures (this is hard coded). These creatures can pass through all doors of any type.
Height
These two bits define the height of the creature. This value is also used to define how to animate a door that is closed upon the creature:
  • '0': the door is not animated and stays fully open. The creature still takes damage.
  • '1': the door is animated from the top to 1/4th of its size. This applies to tall creatures like Mummies.
  • '2': the door is animated between 1/4th of its size to half of its size. This applies to medium sized creatures like Screamers.
  • '3': the door is animated from half of its size to 3/4th of its size. This applies to small creatures like the Worm.

Notes: This value is ignored for non material creatures and the door always closes normally without causing any damage to such creatures.
Projectiles cannot fly over creatures, even the small ones.

Drop items
If this bit is set to '1', the creature will drop some items when it is killed.
Absorb items
When this bit is set to '1', the creature can absorb some items when they are thrown at the creature (like the Mummy). The list of items that can be absorbed is hard coded in the program (Arrow, Slayer, Poison Dart, Throwing Star and Dagger). If a thrown item is not absorbed by the creature, it falls on the floor (it is never destroyed).
This is not linked to the ability of the Giggler to steal items in champion hands which is hard coded.
See invisible
When this bit is set to '1', the creature can see the party even if it is under the effect of the 'Invisibility' spell.
Night vision
When this bit is set to '1', the creature can see the party in darkness because it ignores the sight range reduction caused by low light levels in the dungeon.
Archenemy
When this bit is set, the creature never takes any damage (health is not decreased), it can teleport up to two tiles away, it ignores the effect of 'Freeze Life' and it cannot move to a tile containing a Fluxcage.
Additional front image graphics
This value is used to define if new mirrored and scaled images should be generated for the creature.
Mirror front image
When this bit is set, the creature front image is periodically mirrored horizontally for animation. This bit is also used in the code that manages creatures behavior.
Side graphic
The creature has a side graphic.
Back graphic
The creature has a back graphic.
Attack graphic
The creature has an attack graphic.
Mirror and shift front image at distance 2
A value of 3 means that the game will mirror and horizontally shift the front image of the creature when it is exactly 2 tiles away from the party (with 1 empty tile between the party and the creature). This only applies to the front image.
Mirror attack image
When enabled, for each attack, the attack image is displayed either normally or mirrored. '0': Disabled, '1': Enabled
Mirror attack image during attack
When enabled the attack image is displayed both normally and then mirrored during a single attack. '0': Enabled, '1': Disabled.
Maximum Horizontal Offset
Defines the maximum horizontal offset range to display the creature graphics. The exact value is randomly chosen in the range.
Maximum Vertical Offset
Defines the maximum vertical offset range to display the creature graphics. The exact value is randomly chosen in the range.
Movement duration
This is the number of clock ticks (1/6th of a second) per movement, defining the movement speed of the creature. This is the minimum of time required between two movements. If the value is FFh then the creature cannot move at all.
Attack duration
This is the number of clock ticks (1/6th of a second) per attack, defining the attack speed of the creature. This is the minimum amount of time required between two attacks.
Armor
This is the resistance to damage including Dispell on non material creatures.
Base Health
This value is used to compute the health of a new creatures as detailed on Technical Documentation - Dungeon Master and Chaos Strikes Back - Creature Generators.
Attack power
The base value for computing how much damage a creature's attack will inflict.
Poison
The amount of poison inflicted when the creature successfully hits a character.
Defense
This value represents the difficulty for champions to hit the creature.
Sight range
Maximum number of tiles between creature and party needed to see the party. This applies only if the creature is facing the party. This value is affected by the current light level in the dungeon (the value is halved for each level of darkness).
Detection range
Maximum number of tiles between creature and party needed to detect and "turn" towards the party, perhaps to shoot a projectile. This applies even if the creature is not facing the party.
Spell casting range
Maximum number of tiles between creature and party needed to perform a distance attack (cast a spell).
Bravery
Resistance to War Cry, Calm, Brandish and Blow Horn (maybe also Confuse). With a value of 15, the creature is never afraid.
Experience class
This value is used as a multiplier to compute the experience earned by champions when killing the creature.
Suicidal
If this value is greater than or equal to 10, then the creature will not step into a teleporter if its destination is on a level where that kind of creature is not allowed. If the value is less then 10, the creature may enter such a teleporter and would then be instantly killed upon arrival at the destination.
Note: the developers probably designed something more complex with this value, but it is only used as a flag in the code (by comparing the value with 10).
Fire resistance
Resistance to Fireball and Lightning Bolt explosions. Value 15 means the creature is immune.
Poison resistance
Resistance to magical spells involving poison. Value 15 means the creature is immune.
Attack display duration
The amount of time while the attack graphic is displayed.
Animation speed
Used for creature graphics animation. Probability of left/right mirroring and slightly changing its screen position when the creature is in front of the party and not attacking. Value 15 means there is no animation.
Attack animation speed
Used for creature graphics animation. Probability of left/right mirroring and slightly changing its screen position when the creature is attacking the party. Value 15 means there is no animation.
Wound Feet
Wound Legs
Wound torso
Wound head
Damage type
See Technical Documentation - Dungeon Master and Chaos Strikes Back - Attacks and Defenses
Word0EBits7-4
Unknown range value that is only used in Dungeon Master for PC and Amiga 3.6, and in all Chaos Strikes Back versions except the Atari ST one.
Word02Bits15-14, Word04Bit6, Word04Bit11, Byte0D, Word12Bits15-12, Word14Bits15-12, Byte19
These data are not used in the game and they are always set to 0.
Word10Bits3-0, Word12Bits3-0
These data are not used in the game but they have non zero values.

Values

Attribute Giant Scorpion

Scorpion

Swamp Slime

Slime Devil

Giggler Wizard Eye

Flying Eye

Pain Rat

Hellhound

Ruster Screamer Rockpile

Rock pile

Ghost

Rive

Stone Golem Mummy Black Flame Skeleton Couatl Vexirk Magenta Worm

Worm

Trolin

Ant Man

Giant Wasp

Muncher

Animated Armour

Deth Knight

Materializer

Zytaz

Water Elemental Oitu Demon Lord Chaos Red Dragon

Dragon

Lord Order Grey Lord
Index of graphic definition 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
Index of attack sound definition 4 0 6 0 1 0 3 0 2 7 2 0 8 0 0 5 7 0 8 0 0 3 0 0 1 0 0
Size 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 2 2 2 2
Side attack 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Prefer back row 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1
Attack any champion 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Levitation 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 1
Nonmaterial 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Height 1 1 2 1 2 3 2 2 0 1 1 1 1 1 3 3 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Drops items 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
Absorb items 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0
See invisible 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1
Night vision 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 1
Archenemy 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1
Additional front image graphics 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 0
Mirror front image 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 0
Side graphic 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 0 0
Back graphic 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 0 0
Attack graphic 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0
Mirror and shift front image at distance 2 0 0 3 0 3 3 0 0 0 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 3 3 0 3 0 0
Mirror attack image 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 0
Mirror attack image during attack 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
Maximum Horizontal Offset 2 2 2 3 2 1 0 0 1 3 1 0 2 3 1 1 2 3 2 2 0 2 1 0 1 0 0
Maximum Vertical Offset 1 2 1 2 2 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 2 0 1 2 3 2 3 0 2 1 0 2 0 0
Movement duration 8 15 3 10 9 20 120 185 11 21 17 255 7 5 10 18 13 1 14 5 25 7 10 12 13 12 12
Attack duration 20 32 5 21 8 18 10 15 16 14 12 8 7 10 20 19 8 16 6 18 25 15 14 22 28 22 22
Armor 55 20 50 30 45 100 5 170 15 240 25 45 22 42 47 72 28 180 140 15 75 33 68 255 110 255 255
Base Health 150 110 10 40 101 60 165 50 30 120 33 80 20 39 44 70 20 8 60 33 144 77 100 180 255 180 180
Attack power 150 80 10 58 90 30 5 40 55 219 20 105 22 90 75 45 25 28 105 61 66 130 100 210 255 210 210
Poison 240 15 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 35 0 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Defense 55 20 110 80 65 30 5 10 80 35 40 60 80 88 90 35 41 150 70 65 50 60 75 130 70 130 130
Sight range 3 2 6 10 4 2 1 3 3 3 4 4 3 3 5 1 3 2 5 8 1 2 4 9 5 9 9
Detection range 1 1 3 2 5 2 1 4 4 0 2 3 0 3 3 10 3 4 0 2 3 5 3 3 6 3 3
Spell casting range 1 3 1 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 4 1 1 1 1 3 1 1 4 6 2 (a)
3 (b)
6 6
Bravery 9 10 0 10 15 3 15 12 6 15 9 10 9 3 5 10 4 15 15 7 7 6 15 3 7 3 3
Experience class 9 3 1 6 8 3 0 5 6 11 4 5 5 7 9 5 1 9 10 12 6 9 13 15 15 15 15
Suicidal 2 3 7 9 5 4 1 2 4 3 5 5 6 5 13 1 2 1 7 10 7 6 11 15 11 15 15
Fire resistance 7 4 3 3 3 8 6 14 12 15 1 15 6 3 5 9 2 0 15 5 10 5 5 11 12 11 11
Poison resistance 8 14 2 11 10 5 7 6 15 15 15 15 15 6 3 11 3 0 15 15 14 8 10 15 6 15 15
Attack display duration 4 4 2 3 3 5 2 4 6 3 3 4 2 2 4 3 2 2 3 7 5 4 4 4 5 4 4
Animation speed 5 8 2 1 4 6 15 15 1 15 8 1 3 1 6 5 3 1 4 1 4 2 2 6 4 6 6
Attack animation speed 2 3 2 1 1 2 2 1 1 4 4 1 1 1 6 2 3 1 1 1 3 2 1 5 4 5 5
Wound Feet 0 1 0 0 3 6 4 3 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 2 0 2 2
Wound Legs 4 4 2 1 9 13 8 9 3 2 2 9 3 3 6 12 3 1 3 4 9 3 2 5 3 5 5
Wound torso 13 12 13 9 14 15 12 13 11 9 11 13 10 10 13 15 12 7 10 12 13 12 9 11 12 11 11
Wound head 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15
Damage type 4 3 0 5 4 3 6 4 6 3 3 1 4 4 5 4 3 4 4 5 3 4 3 5 4 5 5
Word02Bits15-14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Word04Bit6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Word04Bit11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Byte0D 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Word0EBits7-4 5 3 7 0 5 3 1 6 2 2 2 1 1 4 3 10 4 3 0 5 8 9 4 6 4 6 6
Word10Bits3-0 11 9 10 10 15 8 1 4 4 15 7 5 6 4 2 11 8 13 15 7 9 10 9 7 12 7 7
Word12Bits3-0 6 2 5 12 4 3 4 3 8 7 5 9 3 8 11 3 1 4 10 6 7 9 13 15 13 15 15
Word12Bits15-12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Word14Bits15-12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Byte19 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

(a): Dungeon Master for Atari ST versions 1.0 English (1988-12-08) and 1.0 English (1988-12-11).
(b): Dungeon Master for Atari ST versions 1.1 English, 1.2 English, 1.2 German, 1.3 French, Chaos Strikes Back for Atari ST versions 2.0 English and 2.1 English and Dungeon Master for Amiga v2.0 English.

Hardcoded abilities

Hardcoded abilities are defined in the game engine itself and not in data files. It means that you cannot edit the data files to give these abilities to other creatures or to remove these abilities from the creatures defined in the code. Of course this could be done by hacking the code itself, but this would not be an easy task.

The ability of Gigglers to steal items from champions' hands is hardcoded.

Any creature can walk through illusionary walls if it saw you doing so (depending on its sight range). [Tested by Adamo]