Your first line: #!usr/bin/perl -w

should be: #!/usr/bin/perl -w

I was trying to convert this thing so that it can print to a web page, and it took me nearly an hour to work out where the 500 error was coming from :) I'll paste the code when I've finished... I've always wanted a text adventure on my site, didn't know where to start!

UPDATE:
http://www.queenfans.com/games/ogre_battle/wizard.cgi

I think it needs a lot more work though!