The game does not provide any info on how the various stats affect gameplay.

Tha manual is not in extras nor in the installation directory.

(Assuming you're referring to the remaster of the original game and not the 2004 game with the title.)

Don't know (as I don't have my backer key yet), but I can at least tell you what the stats do, at least in classic versions of the games. Note that a stat of 15 or less provides no bonus, while each point above that (up to 18) gives a +1 bonus. (In Bard's Tale 3, stats can go up to 30, but the bonus only increases at 21 and 26.)

Strength: Gives a bonus to physical damage; I believe it also affects your chance to hit.

Dexterity: Lowers your AC (remember, lower AC is better), and I *think* it affects initiative. (Note that level plays a
major role in initiative in this game.)

Constitution: When you level up, the bonus is added to your HP; very useful for low HP classes like Monks. Note that this bonus is not retroactive, but there isn't a level cap that you're likely to ever hit. (In some classic versions, HP will overflow before your level maxes out or overflow, I believe.)

Intelligence: Affects spell points the same way that Constitution affects HP. Note that non-casters don't get SP, so this stat is useless for non-casters (though, in BT3 it starts mattering if you change a character into a Geomancer).

Luck: Affects saving throws. (Note that level plays a major role here as well, and that Paladins get extra saving throw bonuses at high levels.) This, in turn, affects your chance of resisting enemy spells and breath attacks, affects the chance of enemies resisting your spells and breath attacks (so it helps to get high Luck on a Bard or spellcaster), and (at least in BT1) your lead character's luck affects your chance of running away. (One unusual strategy I've read about is to put a Conjurer or Magician at the front of the party at the start; they get slightly better saves than non-spellcasters and when combined with high Luck can make it easy to run from the more dangerous encounters early on.)

One more thing: The Old status ailment reduces all stats to 1, and (in BT1) can only be cured at a temple.

There is no manual. According to the a review/guide posted by one of the Bard's Tale Trilogy beta-testers:

"There is no physical game manual! That means many of the information you found in the manual and had to keep referring to on your computer desk is now available in the game - find hints and tips throughout the game to help you start out."

bardstaleonline.com/bards-tale-remastered/getting-started

However, the original BT1 manual didn't tell you the exact effects of stats either. So, its the same as in 1985. ;-)

In case you're curious, here's the original manual text about attributes:

[i]STRENGTH (Shown as "ST" on the screen): Strength is physical
power and chiefly affects the amount of damage a character can do to an
opponent in hand-to-hand combat. Make sure your fighting characters are
strong.

INTELLIGENCE ("IQ"): Intelligence is mental power. A high
intelligence will enable your Magic Users to get bonus spell points.

DEXTERITY ("DX"): Measures agility & nimbleness. A high score
makes your characters harder to hit and helps them strike the first blow
in combat.

CONSTITUTION ("CN"): Measures healthiness. It takes more damage to
kill a character with a high constitution score. This is reflected in bonus
"hit points," the character's life span.

LUCK ("LK"): Luck is an ambiguous attribute, as it has a number of
unseen effects on gameplay. For example, lucky characters are more likely
to resist evil magic and avoid nasty traps.[/i]

bardstale.brotherhood.de/talefiles/1/docs/bt1-manual.pdf

Stats are not that important in the Bard's Tale game, since after some leveling up they will all be 18.

No manual? That's extremely sloppy and disappointing. The original game had vast written material explaining the ingame mechanisms as well as the lore.

Well, looks like another nostalgia cash grab. So sad.

A manual wouldn't hurt, as apparently they did change some mechanics and knowing what each class can do is always a good thing when picking a party.

I bought bard 4 on GOG and with it came the original 1,2 and 3 plus manuals I assume that the remastered versions vary from the originals and the old manuals are not helpful.
Maybe the old manuals are available on line

I've got the game--got it this morning with my GOG key--the guy who said the game has no manual was correct only if you mean "paper manual"--as when you begin the game there's a new character in the AG--the "Guildmaster" who is available for game instructions--and possibly even hints if you call him up--and I think most people will by far find the online manual *in the game* via this route entirely sufficient--it is included as part of the game itself now--which I like. This is a very simple game to play. If you need the original manual it can be found in several spots on the Internet--but you really shouldn't.

Also, the same guy was expecting something different with the graphics--examining the file structure it is clear inXile has once again tapped the Unity engine--these graphics are far better than even the Amiga's--which were the best of the lot, originally. Same guy complains about the size of the view window--which is actually much bigger than than the original Amiga version windows--and I am playing at 3840x2160--supported by the game. View window is exactly what I would expect--I have a 32" monitor, however, so that probably helps...;)

Cannot figure out that guy's "disappointment", really. Save anywhere/anytime/ minimap, automap, as good a mouse support as in the Amiga version--better, really. When in doubt--hit the ESC key in game--very easy to figure out...;)

This is a Remaster--not a Remake. It's the original game with modern graphics, sound, and resolution enhancements--some of which I have already mentioned. You get three games for $15. What's not to like? Certainly worth it. They also throw in an included "legacy" mode which lets you play exactly as the originals played so that you can see the differences. Great buy, imo--in no way am I disappointed...;)

original Manual :

www.mocagh.org/ea/bt1aus-manual.pdf

These are good questions; I will be interested to see how these are answered.

Bard's Tale 1 (remastered) presents important information from the manual in little driblets across the world. There are "pages" lying around in houses. However, these are largely limited to "Tips from the Underground" from the original manual, not the meat of the manual.

I would prefer the manual simply be accessible within the game via a keystroke, but it currently isn't.

If we keep with the pattern already shown, there would likely be some hints to find that the Dreamspell exists and that the code is secret. If it was faithfully implemented, knowing the code would let you unlock it right away. However many elements have been altered to limit their use to more expected patterns (like party attack), so it might not unlock until you find it.

The final clue also could be located in-game in a note. It would lose a bunch of its mystery if placed near the point where it's used, and if placed far from it would risk players not finding it at all, or not connecting the pieces. I don't think it's really the game's brightest hour, and we aren't manual readers anymore, so I'd prefer it to be found in game not so far from where it's used (like at least around the same town-ish).

Actually, in the DOS version (and probably other versions with mouse support), trying to cast the spell before the game gives you the code will cause it to fizzle. Then again, you can attempt the spell without the code by using the mouse, and clicking the blank slot at the end of the Sorcerer spell list, but it will fizzle if you haven't learned the code. (Hacking a monster party member to cast that spell will also cause it to fizzle when cast.)

It turns out that there is a bit in the character data structure, in a byte that has other quest-related bits (like one related to a special sword, and one that is set only for the Destiny Knight), that is set for the current party when you step on the square that tells you the Dreamspell's code; only after this bit is set will the spell function properly if cast.

Pretty sure on the Amiga I could cast it without learning it properly. All this generalizing from the DOS version is not working. Definitely so on the IIgs, since I played this last year.

Maybe I should try one of those versions.

Between the Amiga version and the Apple 2gs version, which would you say is better?

Also, can you use spell casting items in anti-magic zones in those two versions? (You can in the DOS version, but if you try that in the Commodore 64 version, the spell will fizzle.)

Any other interesting versions (of either BT1 or BT2) to try? I am curious how different they are. I know the Amiga version of BT1, for example, mixed up which classes get extra attacks. (I heard there is at least one version of BT1 that runs from a cassette tape; wondering whether that's worth checking out (if there's an emulator that can run it and has a fast forward feature, as save/load to tape is slow).)

IIgs, hands down, is the better version. I say this as a complete Amiga fanboy. There's no IIgs of Bards' Tale 3, but i really can't stand the graphics used for the 16bit versions for that game anyway.

You could try to get the GS/OS version running which eliminates load times, but I didn't have good luck with it.
I also found the IIgs emulators (Kegs, Sweet16) to be very temperamental, but MAME worked great, though it was a hassle to set up.

There are a lot of minor benefits. There are more unique dungeon wall sets. The music is better. There is smooth scrolling in town movement (Apple IIe had this as well but not nearly as good). I've also found the Amiga version of BT1 a teensy bit crashy. In Bards' Tale 2, there are incidental combat sounds that you can enable or disable. In fact you can set volume levels on stuff in-game (though not so important now.) BT2 IIgs also has rudimentary automap, if you care.

The codebase is obviously close to the Apple II since they could reuse a lot of the assembly so most of the 16bit bugs aren't there from the C-based version. I've been hazy on which versions this works and doesn't work in. I think in some versions a small handful of spells work anyway, like Apport Arcane (for departing, not arriving). It seems more inconsistent than other game features. The Mac version has a very odd UI, if that intrigues you.

There was a tape version for c64 but I've never had luck with tape images and Vice, so haven't tried it. The spectrum only did tapes so I'm sure it's a tape there, but I've not tried that either.

The Atari ST version feels pretty much identical to the Amiga with a few missing colors.

If you have decent japanese skills, the PC-9081 port might be interesting.

The version hacked up to run on the Commodore plus4 is nothing special, feels identical to the C64 version. Not that surprising.