Tele-Arena
Tele-Arena is a multiplayer fantasy role-playing door game developed in the 1990s by Sean Ferrell for the MajorBBS bulletin board system. Tele-Arena is a BBS Game Module similar to a MUD. This module can only be played on MajorBBS or Worldgroup BBS software. The game uses a text-based interface whereby the player enters text commands for their character to execute and receives a text response of the outcome.
The rights to Tele-Arena's gameplay, descriptions, and source code for Major BBS/Worldgroup were sold by Sean Ferrell to Elwynor Technologies in 2005. If the game is ported to other platforms without substantial additions or changes, Sean Ferrell would receive additional royalties. However, Sean Ferrell does not control rights to the intellectual property any longer.
Character Creation
Upon entering Tele-Arena for the first time players are asked to create their character. Under normal configuration, only one Tele-Arena character can be created for each MajorBBS account.
Races
There are six races of denizens in Tele-Arena.
Elves
Elves are a long lived, attractive and intelligent race. Because of this, they make the best choice for a spell caster.
Dwarves
Dwarves are small, hardy, tough and skilled in combat. They make pretty good fighters and can also hold their own as a spellcaster. Dwarfves are slightly more resistant to poisoning than are the other classes.
Gnomes
Gnomes are somewhat agile, much more heartier than elves, and make fair spellcasters. They are a sort of ‘middle man’ as far as the races go. They do equally well as spellcasters or as fighters.
Humans
Humans are the real ‘average’, and are equally suited to any of the classes. Unlike any of the other classes, humans get a ‘luck’ bonus that works erratically. Sometimes their ‘luck’ means an easy kill, sometimes it means more vitality when training for a higher level.
Goblins
Goblins are quite cunning and agile, making the best rogues. They are also shunned by the other races because of their sneaky nature and ugliness. Goblin rogues are the only characters in Tele-Arena that may have six attacks before promoting. They are also the only characters that may have three attacks at level one with the appropriate stats. Goblins make slightly inferior warriors than half-ogres until they receive their sixth attack. The sixth attack a goblin receives more than makes up for the extra physical power of the half-ogre.
Half-Ogres
Half-Ogres are the toughest of the lot. They are also the dumbest. What they lack in brain power, they easily make up for in sheer physical force and brute strength. They make the very best warriors until promotion.
Classes
There are sixteen classes in original Tele-Arena: eight starting classes and eight advanced classes. Each class can be promoted to an advanced class when the user has reached a high enough level and pays the required fee of 1000 gold crowns. After the player is promoted, their level goes back to one and experience to zero. The player is given a new title as well as an increase in statistics making leveling the promoting class a dozen levels or so quite easy after the initial promotion.[1]
More recent versions of Tele-Arena add an additional eight doubly promoted classes for a total of twenty four classes.[2]
Warrior / Knight / Champion
Warriors are the ‘tough’ guys of Tele-Arena. They may wear any armor and wield any melee weapons in the game. The only weapons a warrior cannot use are ranged weapons; weapons that fire from a distance. A Warrior may be promoted to a Knight, and doubly promoted to a Champion.
Sorcerer / Arch Magus / Celestial Magus
Sorcerers cast very powerful offensive spells at high levels, but are extremely vulnerable to attack at low levels. They may only wear robes and wield a staff. Sorcerers also get several ‘utility’ spells such as magical armor, raising or lowering ability stats and summoning various types of creatures. Sorcerers, because of their low physical attributes and poor choice of weapons and armor, are the hardest class to play. A Sorcerer may be promoted to an Arch Magus, and doubly promoted to a Celestial Magus.
Acolyte / High Priest / Avatar
Acolytes, or ‘ackies’ as they are known, are fairly adept at physical combat. They have the advantage of being able to cast healing and curative spells on themselves and others. An acolyte may only wear up to platemail armor and wield only weapons that have no edges such as maces, morningstars, flails, etc. An acolyte may be promoted to a High Priest, and doubly promoted to an Avatar.
Rogue / Blackguard / Assassin
Rogues can fight better the sorcerers, but are a poor match against warriors. They may wear any ‘unrestrictive’ armor and wield staves and one-handed blade weapons. Rogues also have several special abilities like picking locks, avoiding traps and robbing other players of gold. In a fight, the rogue can sometimes score bonus damage doing a ‘skillful’ attack, not unlike a ‘back-stabbing’ attack in other fantasy role-playing games. A Rogue may be promoted to a Blackguard, and doubly promoted to an Assassin.
Hunter / Beast Master / Naturalist
Hunters are as good at physical combat as warriors, however they may only wear ‘unrestrictive’ armors and wield a slightly smaller variety of weapons than the warrior. Hunters have several special abilities such as being able to track others, hunt for food and water, tame wild beasts and ‘mesmerize’ a monster so that it doesn’t attack. A Hunter may be promoted to a Beast Master, and doubly promoted to a Naturalist.
Druid / Arch Druid / Grand Druid
Druids may wield all the same weapons acolytes can, but may only wear up to leather cuirass for armor. They are able to cast spells of the elements, cure hunger and thirst, charm creatures and cast small heal spells. The druid is a very nice ‘all around’ character but at lower levels they are extremely vulnerable to attack. A Druid may be promoted to an Arch Druid, and doubly promoted to a Grand Druid.
Archer / Master Archer / Elite Archer
Archers may wear ‘unrestrictive’ armors and wield only a limited range of melee weapons. The only special ability of this class is its ability to use ranged weapons such as bows, crossbows, slings, etc. When an attacker closes the range, an archer must unequip his/her ranged weapon and equip a melee weapon. This tends to make this class rather awkward in combat situations. An Archer may be promoted to a Master Archer, and doubly promoted to an Elite Archer.
Necrolyte / Necromancer / Heretic
Necrolytes are the exact opposites of acolytes. They practice the darkest forms of magic. They get the same choices of armor and weapons as do sorcerers, but are not very skilled in physical combat. A Necrolyte’s strength lies in his/her ability to cast powerful attack spells at low levels. They also have the ability to heal themselves which lets them solo whereas a sorceror cannot. Necrolytes were not part of the original Tele-Arena release but were added in later updates. A Necrolyte may be promoted to a Necromancer, and doubly promoted to a Heretic.
Arenas
Each town contains a battle arena where players can summon a monster by ringing a bell.
Runes
Players can collect permanent items called Runes, each with a different color, that allow them to access advanced parts of the game. Each rune is collected in a specific order, with each new rune replacing the previous one. Runes are collected in a variety of ways. Oftentimes, the player (or someone in the group) must kill a monster to gain access to a treasure room where the rune can be obtained. Also, some runes may only be collected by one person on the BBS per day.[3][4]
| Rune Type | Area Opened | Notes | Found |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Rune | Second Town, Town Sewers, Stoneworks, Desert | First of the runes. Defeat Stygian Dragon. Once this rune has been obtained, the dungeon below the first town becomes inaccessible. Only one per day. | Dungeon below 1st town |
| Yellow Rune | Flagstones Underground Areas | Intermediate Rune. Only one per day. | Stoneworks. Received at the end of the stoneworks, right before the entrance to the third town. |
| Green Rune | 3rd Town, Labyrinth | Requires Runestaff. Received by defeating 8 monsters in order. You must deal the final blow to each monster. Once all 8 have been defeated, you use the runestaff in the ruined temple above the Flagstones. You must not drop or lose your runestaff at any point, which makes walking difficult due to the possibility of tripping and dropping the item. Only the first instance of the 8 monsters will charge the runestaff. Therefore only one runestaff may be fully charged each day, but multiple runes can be received by separate players each using a previously obtained fully charged runestaff. | Flagstones |
| Blue Rune | Volcano, Ledge, Swelts, Other Areas | Answer Riddle. Only available to promoted classes. Only one per day. | Labyrinth |
| Violet Rune | Dwarfven Kingdom | Group required. Defeat the Demon King and use the Rod of Power with 4 promoted players in your group. Only the first instance of the Demon King will drop the rod, but multiple runes can be received by separate players each using a previously obtained rod. | Caverns |
| Red Rune | Fire Catacombs | Person needing the rune must lead into the Flame Elementals room. Only one per day. | Fire Catacombs |
| Orange Rune | Ice Labynyth and Dwarven Forest | Get the orarunstaff from ice labs, needs to be used in the Dwarven Temple, Group of promos must be with you. Multiple runes can be received by separate players each using a previously obtained staff. | Dwarven Forest Temple |
| Gold Rune | Mystic Island | Mysticrunestaff is found on the island, used in mystic temple, Group of promos must be with you. Multiple runes can be received by separate players each using a previously obtained staff. | Mystic Island Temple |
Spells
Magic users have the ability to cast spells. There is a separate physical attack delay and a magic casting delay. A player may cast a spell every round depending on his or her level. In order to cast a spell of a specified mana X every round, use the equation: required_level = (X - 1) * 5.
Below is a list of all the known Tele-Arena spells.
Sorceror Spells
| Spell | Mana | Cost | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| komiza | 1 | 10 | Ice Dart | |
| toduza | 2 | 20 | Flame Dart | |
| muda | 2 | 25 | Minor Summons | |
| yari | 3 | 28 | Protection | |
| komizuma | 3 | 30 | Ice Shower | |
| igatok | 3 | 35 | Stamina Boost | |
| rotok | 3 | 35 | Strength Boost | |
| tsutok | 3 | 35 | Stamina Boost | |
| igadani | 4 | 60 | Agility Drain | |
| rodani | 4 | 60 | Strength Drain | |
| tsudani | 4 | 60 | Stamina Drain | |
| kamuda | 4 | 60 | Summons | |
| toduzuma | 4 | 50 | Flame Shower | |
| komidaku | 5 | 75 | Ice Storm | |
| komizadaku | 5 | 100 | Ice Dart Storm | |
| yarimaru | 5 | 125 | Protective Mist | |
| novadi | 5 | 100 | Invisibility | |
| todukar | 6 | 120 | Flame Burst | |
| gimuda | 6 | 150 | Greater Summons | |
| todudaku | 6 | 200 | Flame Storm | |
| komasidaku | 7 | 250 | Elemental Storm | |
| poradani | 7 | 280 | Body Drain | |
| jinasutok | 7 | 260 | Mind Boost | |
| poratok | 7 | 260 | Body Boost | |
| jinasudani | 7 | 280 | Mind Drain | |
| kusamuda | 8 | 300 | Deific Summons | |
| novadimaru | 8 | 300 | Invisibility Mist | |
| dumoti | 9 | 350 | Maelstrom |
Acolyte Spells
| Spell | Mana | Cost | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| motu | 1 | 5 | Minor healing spell | Heals 4-8 damage |
| kamotu | 2 | 20 | Healing spell | Heals 8-24 damage |
| tami | 2 | 25 | Attack spell. A weak beam of bright energy | Deals 2-16 damage to a single target |
| takumi | 3 | 125 | Curative spell | Cures paralysis |
| dobudani | 3 | 30 | Curative spell | Cures poison |
| katami | 4 | 50 | Attack spell. A beam of bright energy | Deals 8-48 damage to a single target |
| dobudanimaru | 4 | 60 | Curative spell | Cures poison for all group members |
| motumaru | 4 | 40 | Minor group healing spell | Heals 8-16 damage for all group members |
| gimotu | 4 | 35 | Greater group healing spell | Heals 32-64 damage for all group members |
| gitami | 5 | 100 | Attack spell. A beam of brilliant energy | Deals 16-64 damage to a single target |
| kamotumaru | 5 | 80 | Group healing spell | Heals 16-32 damage for all group members |
| kusamotu | 5 | 75 | Deific healing spell | Heals 6-12 (effective 9x) damage per level of caster. |
| kusatami | 6 | 150 | Attack spell. A devastating beam of brilliant energy | Deals 20-80 damage to a single target |
| gimotumaru | 7 | 180 | Greater group healing spell | Heals 32-64 damage for all group members |
| ganazi | 8 | 220 | Curative spell | Cures all known ailments, including reversing effects of status modifiers |
| kusamotumaru | 9 | 270 | Deific group healing spell | Heals 4-8 (effective 6x) damage per level of caster for all group members. |
Druid Spells
| Spell | Mana | Cost | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| pakaza | 1 | 10 | Attack spell. Fires a thorn | Deals 4-8 damage to a single target |
| fadi | 1 | 15 | Healing spell | Heals 2 damage per level of caster |
| toraza | 2 | 15 | Attack spell. Fires a stone shard | Deals 4-20 damage to a single target |
| kotari | 2 | 20 | Restorative spell. | Provides sustenance. Provides between 2000–4000 seconds of food and 1000–2000 seconds of water |
| modoki | 3 | 30 | Attack spell. Fires a bolt of lightning | Deals 5-40 damage to a single target |
| sivama | 4 | 50 | Attack spell. A powerful gust of wind | Deals 8-32 damage to a single target. Can push an enemy to another room |
| novadidan | 4 | 35 | Charm spell | Can charm monsters up to level 10 and add them to your group |
| pakazuma | 5 | 75 | Attack spell. A shower of wicked thorns | Deals 10-50 damage to a single target |
| kotarimaru | 5 | 60 | Restorative spell. | Provides sustenance to all group members. Provides between 2000–4000 seconds of food and 1000–2000 seconds of water |
| torazuma | 5 | 100 | Attack spell. A shower of stone shards | Deals 16-64 damage to a single target |
| modokidan | 6 | 125 | Area attack spell. Several forked bolts of lightning | Deals 12-72 damage to all monsters in the area |
| sivadaku | 7 | 150 | Area attack spell. A violent windstorm | Deals 32-64 damage to all hostiles in the area. Can push an enemy to another room |
| modokidaku | 8 | 180 | Area attack spell. A lightning storm | Deals 1-8 (effective 4.5x) damage per level of caster to all hostiles in the area |
| toradaku | 9 | 180 | Area attack spell. A hail of huge stone shards | Deals 4-10 (effective 7x) damage per level of caster to all hostiles in the area |
Necrolyte Spells
| Spell | Mana | Cost | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| teka | 1 | 10 | Minor Injury | |
| kamaza | 2 | 15 | Mana Dart | |
| dobuza | 2 | 12 | Poison Dart | |
| kateka | 3 | 20 | Injury | |
| yilazi | 3 | 18 | Life Steal | |
| dakima | 4 | 30 | Acid Stream | |
| tamikar | 4 | 50 | Energy Burst | |
| giteka | 5 | 75 | Greater Injury | |
| dobumaru | 5 | 90 | Poison Mist | |
| kamazadaku | 5 | 120 | Mana Dart Storm | |
| timimaru | 6 | 130 | Fear Mist | |
| kusateka | 6 | 150 | Deific Injury | |
| dakidaku | 7 | 225 | Acid Storm | |
| dobudakidaku | 8 | 325 | Poison Acid Storm |
Maps
A number of ANSI-based maps have been produced for the original Tele-Arena, which together compose the entire world map.
Bugs/Trivia
- In Tele-Arena 4.0, it was possible to have infinite attacks. You could perform all of your attacks sans the last, leave the room, and reenter again with all of your attacks remaining. This was easily exploited to kill monsters and people!
- Earlier versions of Tele-Arena 5.x exhibited an experience integer overflow bug which allowed you to easily gain an additional 2147483648 experience. Once you had gained 2147483647 experience, the next experience point you received would push you to -2147483648 experience. If you were playing on a server which allowed unrestricted resurrections, you could suicide yourself over and over to raise your experience. Assuming you lost 10% experience on each resurrection, you would actually gain experience because you would lose negative experience. The unsigned experience representation would rise from 2147483648 all the way to 4294967295. Once you had experience in the range of -100 to -1, you could then train and receive an additional 20-23 levels! Eventually your experience would return positive again, and at this point you could consider your character truly maxed out. This bug was later fixed by implementing a 2000000000 cap on experience. Any experience gained over this value would disappear.
External links
- Elwynor Technologies, current owner of Tele-Arena
- The MajorBBS Restoration Project forums discussion about Tele-Arena