컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Tome of Vast Knowledge, Version 1.12 README - Important Stuff Last Updated September 1993 Douglas P. Webb 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Contents of This File 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� What you get here ................................... 1 Shameless Advertisement ............................. 3 Definition of freeware .............................. 4 Limited Warrant and Disclaimer of Warranty .......... 5 Distribution License ................................ 6 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 What You've Got Here 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 This is a FREEWARE (defined later on in this document) version of the Tome of Vast Knowledge. "What is the Tome of Vast Knowledge?", I hear you ask. Back when I started this program (1988), I was a big fan of Advanced Dungeons and Dragons (I still am for that matter). I had 7 of the hard cover rulebooks, 10-15 modules and about 60 Dragon magazines. As a DM I was having trouble trying to find information that I knew I had, but couldn't remember where I'd read it. So I set out to write a program for keeping track of all the AD&D spells. (Interestingly enough the original version was written in PROLOG). After typing in the entire Players Handbook, Unearthed Arcana, Oriental Adventures and 100 spells from Dragon Mag., it occured to me that the same sort of thing would be useful for tracking monsters and magic items, and to a lesser extent, the piles of other interesting information that I had collected over the years. So I typed in the 3 monster books, and the 250 or so monsters I'd collected elsewhere, and all the magic items I could get my hands on. Then I added psionics, player character descriptions, non-player character descriptions, and many other things. Why, you may ask, am I telling you what I've done instead of directing you to simply examine the product. Ahh, there's the rub. TSR as you know has copyright on almost all of the material which I have compiled, and I need written authorization and some sort of a licensing agreement to distribute it. Alas, TSR has an exclusive licensing agreement with SSI (you know, they make all the "official" AD&D adventure games: Eye of the Beholder, etc.). SSI once upon a time put out some really poor programs that were billed as the "Dungeon Master's Assistant" product line. These programs bombed. SSI lost money. I (and several other individuals, who I do not know personally) subsequently sent SSI products which superceded the DM's Assistant programs and suggested SSI market them. Alas, SSI was gun-shy after their previous failure. They did "market research" and decided they could not make money in this market. There was a hope that independent software developers might be allowed to sub-license from SSI, but this now looks doubtful. So, as a last attempt to get the product out where the public can look at it, I am in the process of "digesting" the various NET.BOOKS which may be freely distributed (so far only the "Great Net Spell Book", 5th Ed. , Great Net Prayer Book, 5th Ed., the "Net Monstrous Compendium" and the "Net Monster Manual" have been digested). I plan on adding more if I get any favorable feedback. NOTE: I am also collecting NET.Magic.Items for the TOME so if you have a unique magic item which is useful, please send it along and I'll try and include it in a upcoming release of the TOME. 1 As you have probably realized by now, none of the copyrighted material is enclosed. This may seem all the more perplexing if you read through the manual, which may still have some references to copyrighted material that is not included (although I have recently revised the manual in a attempt to remove references to material which is not included). The manual was originally written to accompany a version of the Tome, which was to include all the copyrighted material. Excepting only the limitations in what databases I can release, this version is not crippled in any way, and is fully functional. Incidentally, most of the interesting stuff in the manual is in the last 10-11 pages, so if you're going to read any of it, start at the end and work backwards =8-). Even though this program has been under casual development for a long time, it most surely has deficiencies and worse yet, bugs :-). If you find one please send me email describing the deficiency, or the nature of the bug and the exact conditions under which it manifests itself. NOTE: Unlike the keepers of the various books who have bent over backwards to include every spell they get, and leave it exactly as they recieved it, I have made a few changes. I intend to use all these databases in my own games, and I felt that many of the spells had an unreasonable level associated with them. I have changed the level of several spells, and I have left out a few that I think are unworkable, and made minor semantic clarifications in a half dozen or so that I thought were unclear. Flame me if you must, (I'll file your flames appropriately). Alternatively, argue persuasively for changes, and maybe I'll make them. (Or buy the BUILDER and change them yourself.) Until at least Nov. of 1993 you can contact me at: dwebb@binkley.cs.mcgill.ca or send me at letter (until at least March 1994) at: 228 Murray St. Montreal, Quebec Canada H3C 2C7 EEEEE N N JJJJJ OOO Y Y E NN N J O O Y Y EEE N N N J O O Y E N NN J J O O Y EEEEE N N J OOO Y Magus the Black a.k.a. Douglas P. Webb 2 Shameless advertisement for a related product (not found in this archive) follows: 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 The Database BUILDER for the TOME OF VAST KNOWLEDGE 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 When the TOME was originally released with a few public domain databases, it was recieved fairly well. However, everyone agreed that the program would be much more useful if only the standard spell/monster/magic item databases were available. The Database BUILDER, a companion SHAREWARE product (available where you got the TOME?) is a response to this demand. With this toolkit you can build your own databases and integrate them into the TOME of VAST KNOWLEDGE. Email or snail mail me for a copy if you can't find it. It costs me $5 to mail it within North America (and more overseas), be prepared to send me reimbursement upon reciept of the diskettes (specify media type.) The BUILDER should be found in an archive named VBILTxxx.ZIP, where xxx is a number indicative of the version. 3 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Definition of Freeware 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Freeware distribution gives users a chance to use software, without having to pay for it. This does not extend the right to sell the software to others or mangle it in any way and then redistribute it. Copyright laws apply to both Freeware and retail software, and the copyright holder retains all rights, with a few specific exceptions as stated below. Freeware authors are accomplished programmers, just like retail authors, and the programs are often of comparable quality. (In both cases, there are good programs and bad ones!) The author grants the right to any and all to distribute this program, so long as you abide by the guidelines appearing in the Distribution License for the Software (which appears below). 4 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� LIMITED WARRANTY AND DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� THIS SOFTWARE AND ACCOMPANYING WRITTEN MATERIALS (INCLUDING INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE) ARE PROVIDES "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. FURTHER, Douglas P. Webb, DOES NOT WARRANT, GUARANTEE, OR MAKE ANY REPRESENTATIONS REGARDING THE USE, OR THE RESULTS OF USE, OF THE SOFTWARE OR WRITTEN MATERIALS IN TERMS OF CORRECTNESS, ACCURACY, RELIABILITY, CURRENTNESS, OR OTHERWISE. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE RESULTS AND PERFORMANCE OF THE SOFTWARE IS ASSUMED BY YOU. IF THE SOFTWARE OR WRITTEN MATERIALS ARE DEFECTIVE YOU, AND NOT Douglas P. Webb OR ITS DEALERS, DISTRIBUTORS, AGENTS, OR EMPLOYEES, ASSUME THE ENTIRE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR, OR CORRECTION. THE ABOVE IS THE ONLY WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, THAT IS MADE BY Douglas P. Webb, ON THIS Douglas P. Webb PRODUCT. NO ORAL OR WRITTEN INFORMATION OR ADVICE GIVEN BY Douglas P. Webb, ITS DEALERS, DISTRIBUTORS, AGENTS OR EMPLOYEES SHALL CREATE A WARRANTY OR IN ANY WAY INCREASE THE SCOPE OF THIS WARRANTY AND YOU MAY NOT RELY ON ANY SUCH INFORMATION OR ADVICE. YOU MAY HAVE OTHER RIGHTS WHICH VARY FROM STATE TO STATE. NEITHER Douglas P. Webb NOR ANYONE ELSE WHO HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE CREATION, PRODUCTION OR DELIVERY OF THIS PRODUCT SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, LOSS OF BUSINESS INFORMATION, AND THE LIKE) ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE SUCH PRODUCT EVEN IF Douglas P. Webb HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� BY USING THE FREEWARE VERSION OF THE TOME OF VAST KNOWLEDGE YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE READ THIS LIMITED WARRANTY, UNDERSTAND IT, AND AGREE TO BE BOUND BY ITS' TERMS AND CONDITIONS. YOU ALSO AGREE THAT THE LIMITED WARRANTY IS THE COMPLETE AND EXCLUSIVE STATEMENT OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE PARTIES AND SUPERSEDE ALL PROPOSALS OR PRIOR AGREEMENTS, ORAL OR WRITTEN, AND ANY OTHER COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN THE PARTIES RELATING TO THE SUBJECT MATTER OF THE THE LIMITED WARRANTY. 5 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Distribution License for this Software 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 I am thrilled that you have chosen to evaluate the Tome of Vast Knowledge. You are encouraged to distribute this software to any and all who are interested in obtaining a copy, including distributing it on BBS's or freeware/shareware distribution libraries. Douglas P. Webb encourages you to freely copy and distribute this freeware version of The Tome of Vast Knowledge subject to the following restrictions: The Tome of Vast Knowledge package is defined as containing all the material listed in the FILES.DOC text file. If any files listed in the FILES.DOC text file, or the FILES.DOC file itself, are missing, then the package is not complete and distribution is forbidden. Please contact me to obtain a complete package suitable for distribution. - The Tome of Vast Knowledge package - including all related program files and documentation files - CANNOT be modified in any way and must be distributed as a complete package, without exception. - You may charge a distribution fee for the package, but you must not represent in any way that you are selling the software itself. Additionally this fee must be limited to less than $10(Canadian). - The PRINTED documentation may not be reproduced in whole or in part, using any means, without written permission from Douglas P. Webb. In other words, the disk-based documentation may not be distributed in PRINTED (hardcopy) form. - You shall not use, copy, rent, lease, sell, modify, decompile, disassemble, otherwise reverse engineer, or transfer the licensed program except as provided in this agreement. Any such unauthorized use shall result in immediate and automatic termination of this distribution license. All rights not expressly granted here are reserved by Douglas P. Webb. 6