Sorcerer Transcript

This Transcript is not from Sorcerer, but it does show most of the usual things you can do in the story. It contains several simple puzzles and their solutions, and it will give you a good idea of how Infocom's interactive fiction works. The player's sentences appear in capital letters after each prompt (>). The map represents the terrain in the sample transcript as you might have drawn it.

[Picture of a map with 6 rooms. It can be drawn from the transcript so I won't include it.]

Tavern

This is a dimly lit tavern, in fairly shabby condition, smelling of strong spirits and unbathed men. A swinging door leads out to the east. A drunk is sitting at a table, watching you through half-closed eyes.

>INVENTORY

You are carrying:

a spell book
a silver coin
a pouch

The drunk stands and lurches over to you. "Spare a coin for a hungry man?" he asks, his ale-laden breath fouling the air around you.

>GIVE THE SILVER COIN TO THE DRUNK

"Thanks, chum." The drunk reaches into his tattered cloak. "Here, take this magic scroll. I used to be a magic user, but I couldn't make the grade. Hope you'll have more luck than me." He hands you the scroll.

>READ IT

The scroll reads "bozbar spell: cause an animal to sprout wings."

"Another pint of ale!" cries the drunk, flipping the silver coin to the bartender.

>GNUSTO THE BOZBAR SPELL

Your spell book begins to glow softly. Slowly, ornately, the words of the bozbar spell are inscribed, glowing even more brightly then the book itself. The book's brightness fades, but the spell remains! However, the scroll on which it was written vanishes as the last word is copied.

>DRUNK, WHERE IS THE WARLOCK?

"He lives in the castle beyond the wide chasm to the south. At least, that's what I've heard." He looks about furtively, a great fear blazing in his eyes.

>OPEN THE DOOR

Being swinging doors, they swing open and then immediately close again.

>EAST

Road Outside Tavern

There is a horse here, munching on a pile of oats.

>GET ON THE HORSE

You are now on the horse, holding the reins.

>LOOK

Road Outside Tavern, on the horse

The road winds here, leading northeast and southeast. A seedy tavern lies to the west. There is a pile of oats here.

>TAKE PILE OF OATS

You can't reach them from the horse!

>STEER HORSE SOUTH

Using the reins, you bring the horse about to face the south.

>KICK THE HORSE

The horse is too well trained to gallop off the road into the thick woods. It rears back on its hind legs, whinnying in confusion.

>STEER HORSE SOUTHEAST

Using the reins, you bring the horse about to face the southeast.

>KICK HOSE

You can't see any hose here.

>KICK HORS

I don't know the word "hors."

>KICK HORSE

The horse begins trotting along the road at a brisk trot. A new section of road comes into view...

Crest of Hill, on the horse.

The road crosses the top of a ridge here, sloping downwards to the south and the northwest.

>STEER HORSE SOUTH

The horse turns southward, still traveling at a brisk trot. A new section of road comes into view...

Edge of Chasm, on the horse.

The road ends suddenly at a wide chasm. The road leads upward to the north, and you can see it continuing on the southern side of the chasm. Lying in a tight coil at the edge of the chasm is a hissing snake.

>HORSE, WHOA

The horse pulls to a stop, scant feet from the edge of the chasm!

>READ THE SPELL BOOK

My Spell Book

gnusto spell: write a magic spell into your spell book
frotz spell: cause an object to give off light
urbzig spell: turn a dangerous object into a harmless one
lobal spell: sharpen hearing
bozbar spell: cause an animal to sprout wings

>SPELLS

The gnusto spell is yours forever. Other than that, you have no spells memorized.

>LEARN BOZBAR AND URBZIG

bozbar spell: Using your best study habits, you commit the bozbar spell to memory.

urbzig spell: Using your best study habits, you commit the urbzig spell to memory.

"Hsssss!!!" The snake coils tighter, as though preparing to strike the horse.

>CAST THE URBZIG SPELL ON THE SNAKE

The snake is replaced by a clump of daffodils.

>BOZBAR THE HORSE

A pair of handsome brown wings suddenly appears on the horse's powerful shoulders. The horse turns in a complete circle, a look of puzzlement on its face.

>KICK THE HORSE

The horse gallops toward the chasm and over the edge! It begins plummeting into the chasm, toward sharp rocks below! Then, slowly at first but with increasing sureness, the horse begins beating its powerful wings. You rise majestically through the air, sailing gracefully across the chasm. The horse lands gently of the far side, resuming its brisk trot...

Road to Castle, on the horse.

You are at the southern edge of a wide chasm. A road leads southward toward a castle of black stone.

>WAIT

Time passes...

The horse continues trotting briskly along the road...

Edge of Moat, on the horse.

The black castle looms on the other side of the moat. The drawbridge is closed, and the moat looks unswimmable.

A green plant is growing near the edge of the moat.

A red plant is growing near the edge of the moat.

The horse, sensing the evil ahead, halts at the moat and snorts wildly.

>GET OFF THE HORSE

You are now on your own feet.

>I

You are carrying:

a spell book
a pouch

>EXAMINE THE POUCH

The pouch has some writing on it and is currently closed.

>OPEN IT

Opening the pouch reveals a quantity of magic dust.

>READ IT

You can't read a quantity of magic dust!

>READ THE POUCH

The pouch reads "magic dust: world's most potent fertilizer."

>EXAMINE PLANT

Which plant do you mean, the green plant or the red plant?

>GREEN

It looks like a barnibus viltus, a simple and harmless vine.

It appears to be newly sprouted.

>SPRINKLE MAGIC DUST ON THE GREEN PLANT

The green plant begins growing at a tremendous rate, shooting long grasping tendrils across the moat, and growing right up the side of the castle. The plant has now become a living bridge, which you can climb up to cross the moat.

>EXAMINE THE RED PLANT

It looks like a speciman of flombus digestus, the dangerous man-eating plant. Fortunately, this is a very tiny specimen.

>SPRINKLE MAGIC DUST ON THE RED PLANT

The red plant begins growing at a tremendous rate. It sprouts giant red pods, large enough to engulf you!

(They do so.)

*** You have died ***

You awake to see Haffibar, the Guild physician, bending over you. "You'd better be more careful," she admonishes. "This is the second time you've gotten killed. I overheard some members of the Circle say that if you die once more, they won't waste another magic spell reviving you." You slip back into unconsciousness again, and when you awake you find yourself outdoors...

Beginning of Road

>SOUTHWEST

Road Outside Tavern

There is a pile of oats here.

A drunk is sleeping at the edge of the road.

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This page was freely adapted from Peter Scheyen's excellent Infocom Site