<s>
Avencast	B-Application
:	I-Application
Rise	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Mage	I-Application
is	O
an	O
action	B-Application
role-playing	I-Application
game	I-Application
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
developed	O
by	O
ClockStone	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Lighthouse	O
Interactive	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
heavily	O
borrows	O
elements	O
of	O
beat	B-Application
'	I-Application
em	I-Application
ups	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
is	O
apparent	O
from	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
cast	O
spells	B-Application
by	O
rapidly	O
combining	O
movement	O
inputs	O
with	O
mouse	O
buttons	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Alternatively	O
short	O
cuts	O
can	O
be	O
assigned	O
for	O
easy	O
access	O
of	O
spells	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
magic	O
and	O
combat	O
system	O
features	O
more	O
than	O
50	O
spells	B-Application
and	O
about	O
150	O
unique	O
items	O
can	O
be	O
found	O
or	O
bought	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
world	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
tells	O
the	O
story	O
of	O
a	O
young	O
male	O
apprentice	O
who	O
was	O
raised	O
by	O
an	O
old	O
mage	O
and	O
sent	O
to	O
the	O
Academy	O
of	O
Avencast	B-Application
to	O
finish	O
his	O
studies	O
of	O
the	O
arts	O
of	O
magic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
gameplay	O
comprises	O
killing	O
monsters	O
to	O
gain	O
experience	O
points	O
which	O
in	O
turn	O
can	O
be	O
spent	O
on	O
raising	O
characters	O
stats	O
or	O
acquiring	O
spells	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
the	O
purpose	O
of	O
carrying	O
equipment	O
the	O
game	O
provides	O
the	O
character	O
with	O
an	O
inventory	O
and	O
also	O
a	O
belt	O
for	O
healing	O
and	O
mana	B-Application
potions	O
and	O
spells	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
the	O
game	O
features	O
potions	O
for	O
healing	O
and	O
refilling	O
mana	B-Application
,	O
the	O
character	O
automatically	O
recovers	O
and	O
gains	O
both	O
health	O
and	O
mana	B-Application
over	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
character	O
sheet	O
contains	O
entries	O
for	O
health	O
,	O
mana	B-Application
,	O
Soul	O
Magic	O
and	O
Blood	O
Magic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
can	O
divide	O
the	O
level-up	O
points	O
between	O
attributes	O
and	O
spells	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
new	O
spell	B-Application
can	O
be	O
acquired	O
in	O
exchange	O
for	O
level-up	O
points	O
if	O
the	O
required	O
level	O
for	O
that	O
spell	B-Application
has	O
been	O
reached	O
and	O
optional	O
prerequired	O
spells	B-Application
have	O
been	O
acquired	O
earlier	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Spells	B-Application
are	O
distributed	O
in	O
three	O
spell	B-Application
trees	O
,	O
namely	O
Soul	O
Magic	O
,	O
Blood	O
Magic	O
and	O
Summoning	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Soul	O
Magic	O
spells	B-Application
are	O
primarily	O
ranged	O
spells	B-Application
like	O
projectiles	O
or	O
walls	O
of	O
fire	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Blood	O
Magic	O
refers	O
to	O
spells	B-Application
that	O
primarily	O
increase	O
or	O
cause	O
close	O
combat	O
damage	O
with	O
the	O
staff	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Spells	B-Application
include	O
common	O
ones	O
for	O
poisoning	O
,	O
inflaming	O
or	O
freezing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Less	O
common	O
spells	B-Application
like	O
leeching	O
life	O
or	O
tossing	O
the	O
opponent	O
backwards	O
,	O
who	O
in	O
turn	O
will	O
knock	O
other	O
opponents	O
he	O
collides	O
with	O
over	O
,	O
are	O
also	O
included	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Summoning	O
tree	O
features	O
spells	B-Application
for	O
summoning	O
creatures	O
that	O
will	O
fight	O
on	O
the	O
players	O
side	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
attributes	O
Soul	O
Magic	O
and	O
Blood	O
Magic	O
increase	O
the	O
effectiveness	O
of	O
the	O
spells	B-Application
in	O
the	O
corresponding	O
spell	B-Application
trees	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additionally	O
the	O
Summoning	O
spell	B-Application
tree	O
is	O
split	O
in	O
half	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
shield	O
spell	B-Application
,	O
which	O
is	O
also	O
listed	O
in	O
the	O
Summoning	O
spell	B-Application
tree	O
,	O
is	O
unaffected	O
by	O
those	O
attributes	O
and	O
can	O
be	O
used	O
for	O
blocking	O
the	O
attacks	O
of	O
opponents	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
provides	O
two	O
different	O
interface	O
methods	O
for	O
spell	B-Application
casting	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
can	O
either	O
rapidly	O
enter	O
a	O
combination	O
of	O
movement	O
key	O
and	O
mouse	O
button	O
presses	O
or	O
alternatively	O
map	O
spells	B-Application
to	O
short-cut	O
keys	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
key	O
combinations	O
necessary	O
to	O
cast	O
a	O
spell	B-Application
are	O
indicated	O
by	O
arrows	O
and	O
symbols	O
for	O
the	O
corresponding	O
mouse	O
button	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additionally	O
a	O
colour	O
key	O
helps	O
to	O
distinguish	O
between	O
Soul	O
Magic	O
(	O
purple	O
)	O
and	O
Blood	O
Magic	O
(	O
red	O
)	O
spells	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Soul	O
Magic	O
spells	B-Application
are	O
always	O
finished	O
with	O
a	O
right-click	O
while	O
Blood	O
Magic	O
spells	B-Application
are	O
completed	O
with	O
left-clicks	O
on	O
the	O
mouse	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Spells	B-Application
can	O
be	O
placed	O
in	O
what	O
are	O
called	O
spellcaster	O
's	O
assists	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
are	O
slots	O
on	O
the	O
sides	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
screen	O
where	O
spells	B-Application
can	O
be	O
positioned	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additionally	O
the	O
icon	O
for	O
a	O
spell	B-Application
changes	O
its	O
colour	O
if	O
the	O
character	O
currently	O
does	O
not	O
have	O
enough	O
mana	B-Application
to	O
cast	O
that	O
spell	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
can	O
perform	O
evasive	O
rolls	O
by	O
hitting	O
the	O
directional	O
movement	O
keys	O
twice	O
in	O
fast	O
succession	O
but	O
the	O
character	O
will	O
not	O
regenerate	O
mana	B-Application
or	O
health	O
while	O
doing	O
so	O
for	O
an	O
extended	O
amount	O
of	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Avencast	B-Application
began	O
as	O
a	O
hobby	O
project	O
to	O
create	O
a	O
Diablo	B-Application
clone	I-Application
that	O
incorporated	O
elements	O
of	O
other	O
popular	O
past	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Avencast	B-Application
,	O
ClockStone	O
has	O
released	O
the	O
development	B-Application
tools	I-Application
,	O
allowing	O
fans	O
to	O
build	O
levels	O
or	O
modify	O
the	O
game	O
content	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
spell	B-Application
effects	O
and	O
interactive	O
combat	O
system	O
,	O
which	O
departed	O
from	O
the	O
usual	O
point-and-click	O
interfaces	O
of	O
contemporary	O
RPGs	O
,	O
gained	O
recognition	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
RPGFan	O
rewarded	O
Avencast	B-Application
with	O
81%	O
.	O
</s>
