Games - Iter Vehemens ad Necem

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	Games - Iter Vehemens ad Necem

Iter Vehemens ad Necem (IVAN) is a free graphical roguelike game, which currently runs in Windows, DOS and Linux. IVAN is licensed under the GPL. The latest version, 0.50 was published on 2004-12-10.

The game is notable in that its graphics are integrated with the experience; for example, it is possible to track a wounded monster by following a trail of blood across the dungeon. Also, some of the tougher monsters cover 4 map squares instead of 1 as is typical in IVAN (and almost universal in other roguelikes). This alters the tactics of fighting and running from these monsters.

The most significant differences from other Roguelikes are the materials and bodypart system utilized by IVAN. In battle, it is possible to take damage to individual limbs and 'critical bodyparts' (head, torso, groin), even to the extent that one may be severed, in which case you may need to carry it back to a priest for reattachment or else drink from a bottle of healing fluid or troll blood.

Additionally, almost every item has a material attached to it, each with their own attributes. For example, a hardened leather body armour may become significantly stronger if transmuted into a meteoric iron one. This applies even to the player character himself: you might harden a severed limb into stone or metal before reattaching it, thereby gaining a massive strength boost at the cost of dexterity.

This game is designed to be notoriously difficult. There are many traps scattered about the lower levels, such as land mines, which can easily cripple or kill the player. Additionally, the monsters are considered much tougher than most other roguelikes (especially the named monsters). In this spirit, any possibility of defeating the final boss is usually treated as a bug by the developers, hence the name, which translates from Latin as 'Violent road to death'.

A very noteable feature of the game is the ungodly difficulty, which increases as the player gains power. Unlike most games, where lesser enemies become easier to overcome as the player gains superior weapons and equipment, IVAN actively compensates for player advancement by advancing the basic monsters so that even a carniverous mutant bunny is still a threat to a high-power character.

Plot

The game starts with you being a slave, working at a banana plantation in New Attnam. You are asked one day to deliver a message to the high priest, and the game starts with you and your dog on a small island where New Attnam is. You must then make your way to Attnam, where the high priest lives, and deliver the message. After you deliver the message, you will be asked by the high priest Petrus, to kill a monster named Elpuri (who is a huge frog) and bring back his head.

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