Like most role-playing games, Nethergate can seem rather complicated at first. In fact, it is extremely easy to play, and the interface is designed to be learned very quickly. To get a quick start, read this chapter. It will give you simple, step-by-step instructions to get started, teaching you, along the way, about all of the most important features.
To begin this tutorial, select New Game on the title screen and choose to play a Roman party. Accept the prefabricated party without changing anything. You can always go back and start over later (perhaps as the Celts). Follow these instructions step by step, and you’ll find out everything you need to know to get started in Shadowvale.
The Roman Tutorial
After you start the game, you will be standing inside your quarters in Shadow Valley Fort. First, move around a little bit. Move the cursor onto the terrain area. It will turn into an arrow. Click the mouse button a few times to move around. Try pressing the keys on the keypad. The keypad can move you around, too (as can the arrow keys). Some people find it much easier to walk around using the keyboard.
Notice that your characters are moving in a line behind the lead character. If you move the leader into someone else, they’ll switch places, thus preventing you from getting trapped in a dead end.
 
Roman Starting Quarters
Notice that there is a scroll sitting on the table. Press the Get Items button (It looks like a hand. You can also type ‘g’.). When the Getting screen comes up, click on the scroll to pick it up and press the Done button. You will now see the scroll in your item list. Click on it to read it. Interesting.
The scroll mentioned that there were supplies in the dresser. You should look inside it. Walk up to the dresser. Press the Look button (It looks like an eye. You can also type ‘l’.), and click on the dresser. Get everything inside. One of the things inside is a healing potion. When you’re damaged, click on it to drink it and get some health back. Don’t do this right now.
Now you’re ready to go look around. First, you need to get out of your quarters. Walk up to the door and walk into it. It will open, and you can walk outside. Walk to the south a little bit (south is to the lower left), and you will see a door in the south wall of the building to the right. There is a sign by the door. Walk next to the sign and look at it (press the Look button and click on the sign). It says you’re outside a Storeroom. Walk into the door to open it and walk inside. Press the Get button. Now try clicking on one of your character’s portraits before picking up any of the items. That character will now be the one picking up items. You can help yourself to all of the supplies (don’t forget to look inside the barrel and the crate).
One of the things in the supply room is a pair of boots. You should put them on. Switch to the character who got the boots (by clicking on that character’s portrait). Put on the boots by clicking on them. That character now has more protection! The boots will appear to the left. Click on them again to remove them. Try clicking on your suit of armor. It will appear to the right, and you aren’t wearing it anymore. Click the armor again to put it back on.
You should also learn how to manipulate items. Click on the boots to take them off. They will now be in your item list. Notice that there are three small buttons to the right. Press the button with the ‘G’ (for give), and then click on a different character’s portrait. That character now has the boots. Click on that character’s portrait again to make him active, and click on the ‘I’ button by the boots. You will see a full description of the item. The third button (marked with a D) would drop the boots, but you don’t need to do that. Put the boots back on. You’re ready to go look around.
Talking and Getting Your Mission
Now it’s time to find your commander and get your first mission. Wander to the middle of town and look for the Headquarters (there’s a sign in front which says “Headquarters”). Walk inside and enter all of the rooms until you meet Commander Vibius. A window will come up describing him and the first job you need to do. Afterwards, you should talk to him. Click the Talk button (or type ‘t’) and click on the commander, sitting peacefully at his desk.
You will now be looking at the talk window. Select Look, Name, and Job at the bottom to get the basic information about Commander Vibius. When a word appears in bright blue, that signifies something you can ask about. Click on it to get more information. Talk to Vibius until you think that you’ve learned everything he has to say. In particular, be sure to ask about 'mission.'
The Character Info Screen
The next important thing to learn is how to train your characters. If you started with the prefabricated characters and didn’t edit them in any way, each of your characters will start with five skill points. You can spend these to improve your characters’ skills. First, though, you need to find the training hall. It’s at the northwest corner of the fortress (i.e. to the upper left), right next to headquarters. Walk inside the training hall and bring up the Character Info screen, where you do training. To see this screen, click on the question mark beneath one of your character’s portraits. Select one of the skills at the left side of the screen and arrow buttons will appear to its right. Press the up button to spend skill points to increase a skill. For Roman characters just starting out, weapons skills and Roman Training are very good investments.
Before leaving the Character Info screen, try clicking on “Character Traits”, “Potions”, and the other topics at the lower right corner of the screen. You can use this screen to find out just about anything about your characters. Select something (like a spell or recipe) and a full description will appear to the upper right. When you’re through, press the Done button.
You probably couldn’t buy very many skills. Five skill points doesn’t go far. To get more skill points, you need to get more experience by going out on adventures. Looks like it’s time to go out on the mission Vibius gave you.
Your First Mission
Walk around Shadow Valley Fort, talking to people and picking up any item that isn’t marked with a NY on the Getting screen (NY means Not Yours). In particular, be sure to find Quintus. He can identify an item if you don’t know what it is. He also can buy your excess goods, sells supplies, and sometimes gives you free items. Eventually, it will be time to go to the Abandoned Mine, your first mission. Walk out of one of the gates and you will be outdoors.
 
Outside Shadow Valley Fort
Walk west (to the upper left) and look around until you find the Abandoned Mine. Walk into the dark entrance to go inside.
 
Outside Abandoned Mine
It’s time for your first combat. Once you’re inside, walk into the room to the south (to the lower left). You will soon be attacked by three goblins. Press the Start Combat button (it looks like a sword, you can also type ‘f’).
When you’re in combat mode, all four of your characters will act separately. The active character (who you’re currently moving) will glow blue. Walk into a goblin to attack it with your weapon. You and they will take turns attacking.
When you’re fighting, there are two other special attacks you can use. Each of your characters starts out with three javelins. Press the Fire Missile button (it looks like a sling) and then click on a goblin to throw a missile.
Your fourth character (Aulus) also starts out knowing some druid spells. When he is active, press the Cast Spell button (it looks like a stone structure from Stonehenge, you can also type ‘c’). You will see all of the spells Aulus can cast. Select Lance of Fire, and click on one of the goblins. You will sear it with fire!
Watch your health as you fight. Keep an eye on the blue bars under your characters’ portraits. When a bar is almost gone, have Aulus heal him. When Aulus is active, press the Cast Spell button, select Mild Healing, and click on the portrait of the wounded character (to select a character using the keyboard, type ‘1’-’6’). When playing Romans, you should also read about the First Aid skill in the chapter titled About Your Characters.
When the goblins are dead, you may need to rest. (If one of your characters is killed, you should probably start over and try again.) Press the End Combat button and walk out the way you came. When you’re outside, press the Rest button (it looks like a tent) to regain your health.
Finally, now that you’ve made some progress, you should record it. Select Save from the File menu, and save your game. Later, to pick up where you left off, select Open from the File menu and select your saved game.
And that was a good start! You can now move around, get and equip items, talk to people, train, fight, cast spells, and save your progress! There is more to learn, but these basic skills will get you through the vast majority of Nethergate. To learn the other details, read on. But first, play a while. And have fun!
