Items

An item is an object existant inside a roguelike world, which has one or more uses triggered by the smart characters actions.

Classic Roguelike Theme Categories

The item categories are closely related to the game theme, and serve different functionalities. The following are some empiric categories based on the classic roguelike theme:

• Potions

Symbolizes a liquid that can be drunk, normally only once, provoking special effects on the entity that drank from it; in this aspect, it is similar to the scroll, but its effects are commonly more direct on the performer.

Some games allow different uses of potions, including throwing them to cause different kinds of damage or special effects on the world, like explotions and gas spread.

Also, the alchemy skill or its equivalent may allow a character to generate potions with different effects based on other items and/or recipes that can be found inside the game.

• Scrolls

Denotes an item that contains a magical effect. Uppon reading the scroll an effect in the reader or the world around him is invoked and it commonly disappears after its first (or more) uses.

• Books

Books are main sources of magical knowledge and spells.

• Weapons

Weapons enchance battling capabilities of wielder. Often an appropriate skill is needed to use them effectively.

• Armor

Armor protects body of creature wearing it from damage. Heavy armor may hinder maneuverability to some extent.

• Jewelry

Most common items belonging to jewelry catergory are rings and amulets. They may modify character's attributes, grant various powers, special ability or resistance. Also they can allow magical power or spell to be activated. Some these items have been known to contain souls or creatures within.

Main difference between amulets and rings is that former often are better and more valuable but sometimes they offer different advantages.

• Wands

A wand is a kind of item that invokes certain power which is commonly unknown at first place, the wands have a limited number of charges or uses, and can be recharged using other actions.

• Rods

Rod is an item similar to wand but employs different power source. Rods use energy of wielder to create desired effect or absorb it slowly from environment effectively being usable only once per certain period of time.

• Staves

A long Pole-like weapon with no cutting edge, often appear in games as magic staves, similar in function to wands, though often possessing more than ability and often being inexhustable.

Sci-Fi Roguelike Theme Categories

Following item categories are often found in Science Fiction games.

• Guns

When combined with right type of ammunition these deal damage over distance. High technology firearms may have additional effects on targets.

• Armor

Armor protects wearer from various injuries.

• Canisters

Canisters contain various liqid substances. Not all of them are intended to be drunk.

• Floppy disks

These carry useful programs to be executed. Running them will create an effect depending on type of program contained on floppy. Usable several times until licence expires. However, clever hackers have been known to crack disks and use them whenever they want to do so.

• Ray guns

Ray guns contain a special beam generator of unknown properties. Power depletes after a few uses.

• Brain implants

Small electronic devices designed to perform certain function. Must be installed in brain to work. Behavior similar to rings but their number is limited by brain lobes.

• Electronic devices

Highly specialized tools. Their usage has to be discovered but they often come handy in many situations.

• Standard tools

Commonly seen tools not requiring identification. Still useful despite not being based on newest technology.