Well, since the question yesterday didn't get any looks, I'm guessing this forum is dead, but I don't know where else to look so I'll ask here anyway.

How the heck do you cast spells and use potions while in combat??? I can see how to do it when you're on the main map, but what good is a bunch of healing potions there when you can go to a city and get healed??? I don't get it, the only way the potions make sense is if you can use them in combat and I can't figure out how. Same with spells. The manual even mentions something about casting spells in combat on page 57 where it says under Combat "When a unit casts a healing or other helpful spell, such as Boost, on it's own units, the eligible units that are targets for the spell will be highlighted. Sometimes the entire party is eligible to receive the benefits of a spell. In such cases, the whole party will be highlighted."

Yet I click on things, double click on things, I've read the friggin manual front to back TWICE now (although I admit I STILL might've missed it because I've done that before) and I simply CANNOT figure out how to cast spells and/or use potions in combat.

Please help me.

EDIT: The other reason it doesn't make sense that you can't use spells/potions in combat is then there is no way to cast any spells on parties/units defending cities. I just must be missing how to do it. I think if there's no way to do it though, I'm probably done with the game since that's just dumb, so if that's the answer simply not answering my question here will be fine, since I'm done with it until I get one anyway. If I never do, I'll assume it is because you can't use these things in combat.

LOL, never heard of a game before with combat and magic and potions where you couldn't use magic and potions in combat. This would be a first, so there is that!!! LOL

Hero can cast / use potion while in combat but: 1. he need to have req skills 2. he need to have it in proper place in inventory 3. max 2 item's 4. Can't attack / def after he used it.

Thank you!!!!

Could you tell me HOW though??

And by Hero do you mean any leader or do you mean that 900HP dood that protects my capital??? I hope it's not just him, that doesn't make sense either.

I've got a leader right now with the ability to use spell scrolls, but I don't see how to use them when he's active....

WAIT A MINUTE?!?!?!?!

When you say equipped in inventory, do you mean it has to be in one of the boxes with the hands in them??? Maybe THAT's what I've been doing wrong. I thought those boxes were for special items only (like banners and stuff). I can put potions in there too??

I'm gonna try it and see what happens. Maybe that's been my whole problem

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HELPING!!!!! I hope this answers it. I'm gonna give it a try right now!

EDIT ADDED: No, that's not it. Whenever I try to move an item from the 4 lower boxes to either an empty box or one with a hand in it, it gives me a big red X, so that's not it.

If anyone knows what I'm doing wrong PLEASE help me. This really looks like a fun game, I've enjoyed it so far, but I'm just too frustrated to continue if I can't use spells and potions in combat because it turns into a war of attrition basically. You hope you have the last guy standing and then go either resurrect the rest of your party or buy new ones.

Kinda hard to level up that way. There simply must be a way to use potions in combat. Otherwise they really seem pointless to me. If you're not in combat, why would you pay 3 gold for each hit point of healing that a potion supplies when you can go into any of your cities and pay 1 gold for each hit point. The only real advantage to cause them to cost three times more would be if you could use them in combat. Otherwise, once the battle is over, you can just move into a city and heal that way.

I've just GOT to be missing something here.

Sorry, it's Disciples, Sacred Lands. I guess that's 1.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!

At least now I know. I sure appreciate it, cause I thought I must be missing something and I end up clicking, double clicking, and right clicking on every inch of every combat screen trying to figure out how to use potions in combat.

If you still have your copy of Disciples and have the manual, take a look at the page I cited above though. It clearly talks about casting spells while in combat. I'm guessing it's just a manual error, and one of those cases where I should've read the READ ME file and didn't.

Anyway, I see your point about potions. To each his own. To me, it's just a not very fun game of attrition without using potions in combat, so I'll likely be done with this. Glad it was only $5.00.

To me, that's one of the great things about GOG. If you're not sure you'll like it, at most you'll be out is about $10.00. I read all the reviews to this one and thought I'd give it a go, and don't mind at all that I did. Like I said, I don't much like it, others do, and that's all good.

THANK YOU AGAIN very much for clarifying. And if you have a copy of the manual, take a look at the combat section on page 55. Maybe they included it in beta's but decided against it as a balancing issue or something.

I just reinstalled the game and checked and yup, you're right, that's precisely what it says. However, as Boost is the power of the Mountain Clan Tenderfoot, it means a unit's special ability. I think the whole problem could have been resolved easier if they had exchanged "spell" for "ability".

I will definitely agree that Disciples isn't for everyone, and it lacks the strategic depth of the Heroes games, but it's simplicity makes for a quick coffee break game when I'm supposed to be doing more important things. Plus, for me, the rose-tinted lens of nostalgia makes me overlook some of the lesser flaws. ;)

Still, I'm happy to help. And I'm also glad that you, unlike far too many people, don't mind a little disappointment when buying a game you're uncertain about. I know I've made worse decisions for $50 at retail stores than for $10 here at GOG. :)