RPG Gamebooks

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

Down Among the Dead Men Alternate Paths:  Buying a Ship with Diamonds



If you want to spend your Diamonds in CHOICE #25 to get a vessel, you have the CHOICE #138 options of spending 3, 2, or 1.  The cheap option is the Lady of Shalott, the same * vessel you get from using the Deed of Ownership.  From there you'll have to try piracy, El Draque, or looking for the frozen Octavius.


2 Diamonds gets you the *** Queen's Ransom, which is somehow a distinct ship from the downgraded Meteor here.  


Your reward for all 3 Diamonds is the Meteor, complete with the CHOICE #137 decision of whether to change its name or not.  We know the Diamond-Emerald exchange rate in Down Among the Dead Men's world now.


This is a short post, but I thought I'd get it out of the way here before tomorrow.

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

Down Among the Dead Men Alternate Paths:  El Draque


If you asked Timmy Mortice about himself in CHOICE #61, you get the Raven codeword to search for El Draque in CHOICE #26.  CHOICE #139's options after that are to sail to Tortoise Island, Port Leshand, or Crossbones Island.  Paying attention to the conversation where you got the codeword should tell you Tortoise Island is correct.  But let's try the wrong options first.


Revisiting Port Leshand gives you no clues about El Draque's treasure, but many rumors about how scary the undead pirate is.  You can then look for his loot anyway, or abandon the quest and take up piracy instead.  If you try to continue in CHOICE #140, you get no leads from even the "roughest taverns" because the pirates are too afraid of him.  You're then forced to take on Skarvench in the Lady of Shalott and a crew of "old men, cripples and drunks" in CHOICE #29.


Crossbones Island turns up nothing at all, and you're railroaded into CHOICE #29 with the Lady of Shalott again.


On Tortoise Island, you discover a corpse in a crate that has a "strong smell of tobacco and tar" and "formaldehyde".  The body hasn't decayed, and it's lying on silver ingots.  On its chest are the words "Dethly is fear".  CHOICE #141 is whether to open the other boxes, wait until night, or leave the island now.


Sailing away is not as easy as it seems because of the fog and lack of wind.  CHOICE #142's checks are CHARMS, SPELLS, and SEAFARING.  Other options include anchoring your ship until morning, or leaving the island without SEAFARING.


CHARMS casts a blessing that prevents harm from "evil spirits or creatures of the night", and then you'll have to fight Skarvench with the Lady of Shalott in CHOICE #29.  SPELLS summons a favorable wind which has the same consequences as CHARMS.  SEAFARING does the same thing by "kedging" with the anchor to pull the ship forward.  


Remaining anchored until morning and trying to sail without SEAFARING have the same effect.  CHOICE #143 asks whether you or Blutz should handle the midnight watch.  If you let Blutz do it, you'll soon see a bony corpse covered in seaweed.  The book isn't coy about it; the attackers are vampires.  A harsh Life Point penalty comes after the battle:  4 with SWORDPLAY, 6 with MARKSMANSHIP or BRAWLING, or 8 with nothing. 


The remaining vampires including El Draque agree to let you leave without the "treasure in our coffins", and if you disobey, you'll be cursed.  CHOICE #144 is whether to take the treasure anyway or not.  El Draque may not be bluffing, because you'll receive the Malefic codeword if you defy his warning.


Refusing the treasure is another CHOICE #29 path with the Lady of Shalott.  Accepting the treasure means you buy the *** Faerie Queen ship in Port Selenice. 


If you take responsibility for the midnight watch in CHOICE #143, a figure with "cobalt blue" eyes approaches and asks for permission to come aboard the Lady of Shalott.  CHOICE #145 is whether to fall for an obvious vampire trap or not.  ("Cobalt blue eyes"?  Really?  That's so common in bad writing that How Not to Write a Novel constantly made fun of it. . .)


Refusing permission to El Draque makes him say "Davy Jones's teeth!  This one's will is too strong".  He warns you not to take his treasure, and you move on to CHOICE #144 without a fight.  Allowing El Draque to board the Lady of Shalott forces you into the same fight that would have occurred if Blutz were the night watch.  (Evidently he doesn't have FOLKLORE. . .)




Waiting until nightfall in CHOICE #141 generates another El Draque confrontation in CHOICE #146.  The options are CHARMS/Crucifix, SWORDPLAY, or nothing.  The first option makes you draw a circle in the sand and chant an anti-vampire prayer.  The CHOICE #144 debate about taking the treasure ensues.  SWORDPLAY pierces El Draque's heart and turns the vampires into ash, but costs you your Sword.  You do get the silver ingots to buy the Faerie Queen without the Malefic curse, though.


If you fail every CHOICE #146 check, you'll get an ending that defies my existing categories.  Does it really count as a Bad "Non"-Death Ending if you become a vampire yourself?


"El Draque clutches you to him.  You are powerless to resist; you feel like a sleepwalker.  He presses his lips against your throat, and a moment of cold pain is followed by a spreading glow of warmth.  Drowsiness clouds your mind as you spiral down into a whirlpool of dark oblivion.  You will awaken into the half living world of the undead, cursed to roam the seas without a soul in search of human blood.  You failed to save the Queen.  You failed to slay Skarvench.  You failed even to earn yourself a clean quick death".


Bella Swan would consider that a Good Ending.


If you look in more boxes in CHOICE #141, you have just enough time before sunset to stake one of three corpses in CHOICE #147:  one with "blood on its lips", one with a "skull tattoo", or one with "ice-blue eyes".  Blutz came prepared, and made sure to sharpen a broken stool leg for you.  Picking any corpse except for the one with blue eyes leads to the CHOICE #146 El Draque confrontation, and staking El Draque himself gives you the Faerie Queen without a fight.


Results So Far


2 Good Endings

8 Deaths

3 Bad Non-Death Endings

0 Neutral Endings

0 Inconclusive Endings

1 Undeaths

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

Down Among the Dead Men Alternate Paths:  Ship in an Iceberg


On my first attempt at Down Among the Dead Men, my ship in the final battle was the frozen Octavius.  There are still a few branches I haven't taken in that sidequest, mostly because I had the easy path with SEAFARING.  If you don't have that Skill, you're forced to pick south, southwest, southeast, or a life of piracy.


Southwest is correct and moves you to the iceberg in CHOICE #28.  If you try southeast instead, you fail to find the Octavius and have CHOICE #148:  Abandon the search and fight the final battle with the Lady of Shalott, or continue despite the increasingly discontent crew.  Due south goes to the iceberg if you then turn west, or fails the quest if you go east.  Some of my readers have probably been looking forward to a Death like this since the beginning of the playthrough. . .


"With your every thought focused on the goal of finding the iceberg, you are blinded to the stirrings of mutiny.  Oakley, Grimes and Blutz come to your cabin.  Although you are all old comrades, they seem nervous in the face of your driving obsession.  'Skipper', begins Oakley, 'the crew are discontent.  They fear you'll sail us off the edge of the world.'


'The edge of the world?  Pah!' you fling your charts down and take a swig of rum.  'It's a thousand leagues from here, at least.'  'I don't care for the looks on their faces, Cap'n', presses Grimes.  'They look like mourners at a funeral-our funeral, if you won't turn back.'  You give a sour scowl.  'And you, Mister Blutz?  Are you party to this insubordination too?'  'I'll sail with you to hell, skipper, if you asked me', replies Blutz.  'It's just. . .well, I never till now thought you'd ask!'


Suddenly the door crashes in.  The crew stand there with drawn swords, the bo'sun at their head.  'Out on deck', he growls.  'Tis time we settled this.'  You and your comrades are hauled up and tied.  A plank is fixed out over the side of the ship.  Even now, it is a livid rage rather than fear that consumes you.  You curse them for their perfidy, but to no avail.  With a sword at your back, you are forced to climb over the rail and walk until you are out of plank. . ."


Would a pirate story be complete without a "walk the plank" scene?


Results So Far


2 Good Endings

9 Deaths

3 Bad Non-Death Endings

0 Neutral Endings

0 Inconclusive Endings

1 Undeaths

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

Down Among the Dead Men Alternate Paths:  A Pirate's Life for You


If you don't have any other option to get a better ship than the Lady of Shalott for the final battle, there's always piracy.  At first you only attack Spanish Sidonian ships, but they don't have enough booty to get you a suitable vessel in time.  Blutz suggests preying on English Gloriannic boats too, but the whole point of the story is to save the Queen of Glorianne, so it's likely nothing good will come of that in the final battle.  Another lousy CHOICE #149 option is to cut the crew's share of plunder.  It's also possible to continue to attack only Sidonia.


As you'd expect, withholding treasure from your crew causes another "walk the plank" Death.


"Blutz reluctantly goes to inform the crew of their captain's decree:  that their own share of spoils will be reduced from now on.  It is hardly surprising that they greet this news with a chorus of jeers and snarls.  However, your desire for revenge on Skarvench blinds you to more immediate dangers until it is too late.  In the dead of night, you are suddenly woken by a hand across your mouth and a knife at your throat.  A voice says harshly, 'Up on deck with ye' and you are dragged from your cabin.


The moonlight reveals a throng of grim faces, pale as ghosts at the thought of the dread deed they are about to do.  But you see they are determined.  Grimes and your other stalwart friends are shoved forward, bound head to foot.  'You broke the Brethren's code', hisses the ringleader of the mutineers.  'We're entitled to our just share of treasure, see.'  'You damned fools', you growl back at them.  'Release me now; that's an order.'


'Give yer orders to the sharks!' they say, pushing you out along a plank.  Prodded with cutlasses, you have nowhere to go but the end of the plank-and then far down, into the fathomless depths".



Both the "attack only Sidonia" and "attack both nations" options go to CHOICE #150 where you meet a Glorianne warship after collecting loot from several treasure fleet galleons, but the latter also includes the foreboding codeword Icarus.  


In CHOICE #150, the options are to drop sail and let the warship approach, try to outrun it, or attack.  Attempting to flee from the warship is CHOICE #151, and only succeeds with SEAFARING.  If you pass that Skill check, you enter CHOICE #29 and the final battle with the Faerie Queen.  Without that Skill, you'll have to either fight like in CHOICE #150 or be boarded.


The methods of ship-to-ship combat in CHOICE #152 include SPELLS, AGILITY, the Thundercloud Fan, the Bronze Helmet, or fighting boarders.  SPELLS conjures an illusion of Sidonian ships to distract the Gloriannic navy, allowing you to get the CHOICE #29 Faerie Queen unscathed.  AGILITY is a more cinematic way of getting the CHOICE #29 Faerie Queen, because you jump on the Gloriannic ship and cut the mainsail from top to bottom with a knife.  


Using the Thundercloud Fan is another CHOICE #29 Faerie Queen solution because a storm carries the Gloriannic warship far away from you.  It's not recommended because the item is consumed before the final battle when you really want the Thundercloud Fan.  The Bronze Helmet gives your character BRAWLING and SWORDPLAY for the duration of the boarding battle, but does not sacrifice any permanent Skills.  


The fight on the Lady of Shalott's deck costs 2 Life Points with SWORDPLAY or MARKSMANSHIP, 3 with BRAWLING, and 6 with no battle Skills.  The page after that has a decision that isn't a CHOICE, but rather an unusual ending of the sort seen in Space and Beyond.  One crew member suggests abandoning the quest to save Queen Titania, and instead become dedicated pirates.


"If you consent to this, it means the adventure ends here.  But if you still envisage yourself as the Queen's saviour and Skarvench's nemesis, you'll have to cut the warship adrift and sail the Lady of Shalott back to Selenice:  turn to 16".


Being boarded before a fight in either CHOICE #150 or #151 results in a conversation with a snobbish captain.  He calls your crew "rabble" and attempts to commandeer your ship.  CHOICE #153 is a Letter of Marque check.  If you pass it, CHOICE #154 is an Icarus codeword check which you want to fail.  Lacking the Letter of Marque or having the Icarus codeword in this scene causes the following summary execution.


"A rope is slung over the yardarm.  The warship captain personally ties the end into a noose.  As he puts it over your head, you cannot resist a few futile words of defiance.  'You enjoy your job, don't you?' you snarl at him.  He gazes back at you coolly.  'I serve my Queen and country.  That is all; there's nothing personal about this.'


He turns to the marines holding the end of the rope and gives a curt nod.  You are hauled aloft to kick out your life under the shadow of your own ship's yardarm.  It is a fate that awaits many pirates, and a far cry from the glorious destiny you dreamed of".


Passing the Letter of Marque check and failing the Icarus check creates CHOICE #155 when the Gloriannic captain demands 3/4 of your treasure as the "Queen's share".  To deal with him, you can try CUNNING, giving him what he wants, or starting a fight.


CUNNING makes your crew give barrels mostly filled with salt to the Gloriannic navy, with only a thin layer of gold coins to make the ruse convincing.  CHOICE #29 and the Faerie Queen ensue.  Giving up the Queen's Share is another CHOICE #29 route, but you're forced to accept the only ** ship in the game, the Shivered Timber.


A battle with the Gloriannic marines in CHOICE #155 brings a penalty of 2 Life Points with MARKSMANSHIP/SWORDPLAY, 4 with BRAWLING, or 8 with no Skill.  You have the same opportunity to end the book early and become pirates, or gain the Faerie Queen and fight the final battle starting in CHOICE #29.


And that's the end of the last sidequest in Down Among the Dead Men!  All that remains is the final battle, and my readers will find out what the ship star rating is for.


(When I do RPG gamebooks in the future, don't expect full Alternate Path walkthroughs.  This subgenre tends to be much longer than the Ultimate Endings, You Say Which Ways, Spanish miscellany, or Choose Your Own Adventures I chronicle in the other thread.)


Results So Far


2 Good Endings

11 Deaths

3 Bad Non-Death Endings

0 Neutral Endings

0 Inconclusive Endings

1 Undeaths

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

Down Among the Dead Men Alternate Paths:  Final Battle Variations Part 1


CHOICE #29 begins the final battle when the traitorous court wizard summons a storm for Skarvench.  In my custom class playthrough, I succeeded by using CHARMS.  But there are also checks for the Thundercloud Fan, SEAFARING, or nothing.


The Thundercloud Fan functions as a substitute for CHARMS if you don't have that Skill.  Instead of creating a storm to sink Skarvench's ship, it clears a path for your ship through the enemy's tempest.  Like all previous Thundercloud Fan checks, the item is consumed after using it.  With SEAFARING, you don't suffer any penalty because you survive the storm by "seizing the whipstaff and steering the prow deftly against the oncoming wind".


If you fail every check in CHOICE #29, CHOICE #156 offers hope of salvaging your playthrough.  The options are to turn the whipstaff to port or starboard.  Starboard advances to CHOICE #30 unscathed.  Turning to port introduces the ship star rating mechanic for the first time. . .by removing 2 **s.  Think of them as Life Points for your boat.  CHOICE #157 checks whether you have any *s remaining.  If you pass, you move on to CHOICE #30.  If you have the Lady of Shalott or the Shivered Timber. . .


"Your poor ship has taken all the damage she can stand.  Listing hard over, her prow begins to sink beneath the waves.  'Man the lifeboats!' shouts Oakley.  'Abandon ship!'  Grimes takes your arm.  'Skipper, all's lost now.  There's nothing left for us but to save ourselves.'


You hesitate.  Honour demands that a captain go down with his ship, but that is not what roots you to the spot.  Instead it is your bitter disappointment at failing to scupper your foe.  Who knows what wickedness he will now wreak, and you are powerless to stop him.  Whether or not you flee the sinking ship, your bid for glory ends here".


Given how many Deaths are in this book, I'm surprised Dave Morris went with an Inconclusive Ending here.  


CHOICE #30 is a difficult Possession check that ended my first character.  To win, I eventually used the Black Kite from Ejada in the Smoking Islands.  Other options include the Bat-Shaped Simbol from Mortice the vampire, or the Horal codeword from the scholar in the bar combined with the Pocket Watch from Port Selenice's shop.


The Bat-Shaped Talisman blots out the moonlight and advances to CHOICE #50, just like the Black Kite.  With Horal and the Pocket Watch, you take advantage of a lunar eclipse that comes sooner than Skarvench anticipated and move to CHOICE #50.  You do have to shout at your superstitious bo'sun because he believes a "dragon devours the moon".


You may want to save your Thundercloud Fan for CHOICE #50 if you have CHARMS/SEAFARING but not SPELLS.  That's because the Thundercloud Fan can defog the area and take you to CHOICE #51.  It isn't mentioned to be consumed, so maybe it's the last check for that item?


Having neither the Thundercloud Fan nor SPELLS forces you into CHOICE #158, a Bronze Helmet check.  Both options turn to CHOICE #159, though the Bronze Helmet provides BRAWLING and SWORDPLAY for players who don't already have those Skills.  CHOICE #159 occurs when you reach the deck of the Rose and find it deserted, only to see the Moon Dog pirates about to board.  Pass either an AGILITY or a CUNNING check, or face the consequences.


With AGILITY, you pull yourself up with the help of a rope and reach Skarvench on the Moon Dog.  To survive the duel, you need to spare 2 Life Points with SWORDPLAY/MARKSMANSHIP, 3 with BRAWLING, or 5 with no Skill.  Proceed to the Good Ending where you meet Queen Titania.  CUNNING is the comic relief option because you put on Queen Titania's heavy dress and Skarvench comments on how you're a "weighty lass" when he tries to pick you up.  His idea of fitness for "Titania" is "biscuit an' water" and "the cat".  When the disguise has served its purpose, you have the same duel as the AGILITY route.


Failing the AGILITY and CUNNING checks leads to a scene with Dr. Wild, Skarvench's brother and the Glorianne court wizard.  He conjures a "phantasmal green harpoon" which is an automatic 3 Life Point penalty without CHARMS.  CHOICE #160 is a basic SPELLS check.  With your own magic, you can burn Dr. Wild's robes and cause him to fall into the ocean, then proceed to the usual Skarvench duel and hopefully beat the game.  Without SPELLS, the same final battle begins, but Lord Calidor shoots Dr. Wild's wand.  You lose 1 more Life Point because Dr. Wild throws a dagger at you as a parting shot.


  
Results So Far


2 Good Endings

11 Deaths

3 Bad Non-Death Endings

0 Neutral Endings

1 Inconclusive Endings

1 Undeaths

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

Down Among the Dead Men Alternate Paths:  Final Battle Variations Part 2


In CHOICE #51 after passing the Thundercloud Fan or SPELLS fog removal check, you can either try to board or unlimber the cannons.  Attempting to board costs you * and advances to CHOICE #161.  From there, you'll have to select between the windward and leeward side of the Moon Dog.  With the windward option, CHOICE #162 presents the paths of ramming the Moon Dog at full sail, or boarding.


Ramming has a * and 1 Life Point penalty, but is a method of reaching CHOICE #53.  More "cautious" boarding techniques also reach CHOICE #53, but at the cost of 3 Life Points.  Ramming is safer if you have one of the higher tier ships.


The leeward path subtracts * unless you have SEAFARING, and moves to CHOICE #163.  You can either steer towards the Moon Dog or let the wind carry the enemy ship beyond you.  The former costs * and 3 Life Points, so it's not recommended.  The latter is also a bad option because you still have the 3 Life Points penalty, but without any damage to your ship.  Both move you to CHOICE #53.


Back in CHOICE #52 after unlimbering the cannons, I pulled out of range of the Moon Dog's cannons when I beat the game.  But the options of taking hits or trying to board still remain.  Trying to endure the cannonfire costs 2 Life Points and moves to CHOICE #53.  Boarding subtracts * without SEAFARING and 3 Life Points as you reach CHOICE #53.


When Skarvench is about to fire his basilisk CANNON (Sorry, FOLKLORE players, it isn't a monster!), you have CHOICE #53 as to what to do next.  I threw a Weasel at the pirate, but you can also try MARKSMANSHIP, CHARMS, AGILITY, or nothing.  MARKSMANSHIP shoots "the end off the taper" of the basilisk and saves your life, but prevents you from using it in the duel because you can't reload in time.  CHARMS prevents the basilisk from firing because you cast a "cantrip".  AGILITY dodges the basilisk shot, but you are hit by a wooden splinter and lose 1 Life Point.  If you fail every CHOICE #53 check, the basilisk shot rips 5 Life Points away from you.



At last, Down Among the Dead Men is done!  Playing the book is fun, though the setting isn't as innovative as the world of Heart of Ice.  Skills are less balanced too.  SEAFARING will save both your ship and your Life Points on many occasions.  FOLKLORE is only good for gathering information in a blind playthrough, and you're never forced to use it to win even against vampires, which are explicitly mentioned in the Skill description.  STREETWISE isn't much better; slightly lowering prices and providing 1 of multiple checks for the Horal scholar?  Is that it?


STREETWISE is handled better in Heart of Ice, where it becomes a way to make multiple shopping trips in the same town.  And FOLKLORE's equivalent LORE can block a couple of instant Deaths in the final dungeon even if you aren't using it for anything else.



This thread will probably only include playthroughs from here on out, rather than examining a whole book in great detail.  RPG gamebooks tend to have a much larger scope than the CYOA variety in that other topic.

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

Fighting Fantasy:  The Warlock of Firetop Mountain Prologue


At least one Realms Beyonder has requested a Fighting Fantasy playthrough.  It took a few years, but now I'm finally here!  The Warlock of Firetop Mountain is often reprinted, or even remade into a video game.  The version I'm using is the 2002 edition.


Unlike Dave Morris's RPGs such as Heart of Ice, random numbers are involved in Fighting Fantasy in initial statistics and combat rolls.  To generate a character, roll 2 six-sided dice for each stat, then add 6 for SKILL and LUCK, and 12 for STAMINA.  SKILL seems to work like an accuracy roll:  whichever side has a higher SKILL score that round deals 2 damage and blocks the incoming attack.  STAMINA functions like Hit Points in typical RPGs.  LUCK is used in Test Your Luck events, and can be used to gamble for greater damage on your attacks, or reduced damage for enemy hits.  You can literally run out of LUCK in this book.


The hero starts with 10 Provisions, which restore 4 STAMINA when eaten.  Don't count on the Bethesda game "chug healing items during combat" tactic:  Provisions can only be used if allowed on specific pages.  You also start with a "sword, leather armor, and a shield", and a "lantern".  And one potion with two doses that can be chosen at the beginning:  Skill to restore SKILL, Strength to restore STAMINA, and Fortune to restore LUCK and add 1 to the initial LUCK score.


On the HINTS ON PLAY page, it's established that there is "one true way", so any Alternate Endings are probably Deaths.  It's recommended to make a map since many of the rooms have traps or monsters.  For now, I'll use the CHOICE system as seen in the regular gamebook thread.  But I probably will NOT map out the end of one branch, then methodically work backwards through all endings like in the Choose Your Own Adventure series. Two keys are necessary to unlock the Warlock's treasure chest, so rushing to the end is a bad idea.


The RUMOURS page features the backstory.  I'm a "likeable sort of person" who talks to the villagers near Firetop Mountain.  Few adventurers have returned from this quest, and those who did never wanted to try again.  Little is known about the Warlock.  He may be "old" or "young", and the source of his magic might be an "enchanted deck of cards", or "silky black gloves".  "Warty-faced Goblins, stupid creatures, fond of their food and drink" protect the base of the mountain.  The hint is to keep at least one Gold Piece to pay the ferryman for the end.  Maybe our hero is handsome, since most of the women cried when they were about to set out.

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

Fighting Fantasy:  The Warlock of Firetop Mountain Part 1


Herman Gigglethorpe

SKILL:  14 (6+2+6)
STAMINA:  22 (6+4+12)
LUCK:  17 (6+5+6)

Provisions:  10
Potion:  Fortune, 2 doses


As seen in the dice rolls + static bonus in parentheses, Herman Gigglethorpe's LUCK was close to the maximum, so he brought a Potion of Fortune to ward off as many Test Your Luck events as possible, particularly since Firetop Mountain was still uncharted.


1 The steep face in front of you looks to have been savaged by the claws of some gargantuan beast.


He hiked for two days to Firetop Mountain, and unsheathed his sword and put it on the ground for no reason I could tell.  Wasn't he worried about those "warty-faced Goblins" stealing it?  Herman rested and gazed at Firetop mountain.  The crags "jut out at unnatural angles".  The summit had an "eerie red colouring", which Herman optimistically assumed to be "strange vegetation".  Pyromancy seemed more logical to me, considering Herman was dealing with a Warlock on Firetop Mountain.


After examining the peak, Herman picked up his sword and sheathed it again, and entered the cave.  The walls were "dark, slimy" and much of the floor was drenched with pools of water.  The air was "cold and dank", as expected for a cave.  He lit his lantern rather than stumbling to death in the darkness like a Shadowgate character, and rubbed the spiderwebs off his face.  He heard footfalls in the distance, possibly rats.  CHOICE #1 was to turn West on Section 71, or East on Section 278.


(Instead of Pages, Fighting Fantasy uses what I'll call Sections.  A Section may be the length of a whole page, or there may be multiple Sections on a single page with a few sentences each.)


Herman suddenly felt the urge to "go west, young man", even though he was from another world and couldn't have heard of Horace Greeley. He was rewarded with a sleeping "strange Goblin-like creature" at a sentry.  Test Your Luck in CHOICE #2.  Success would let Herman tiptoe by him in Section 301, and failure would awaken him in Section 248.  The illustration showed the creature reclining in the alcove in the cave, wearing leather armor, a belt, and a horned helmet.


Now I have to roll 2d6, and Herman wins if he scores equal to or greater than this number with his LUCK.  Success drains one LUCK point.


Test Your Luck roll:  4+2=6


With a 17 initial LUCK stat, Herman was guaranteed to pass even if the goblin rolled 2 sixes.  He heard a "rasping sound" that sounded like a snoring monster behind a door to the west.  In CHOICE #3, he could open it in Section 82, or continue north in Section 208.   


Stats after tiptoeing by Goblin

SKILL:  14
STAMINA:  22
LUCK:  16


Herman knew it was pointless to reach the treasure chest without acquiring the keys first, and for all he knew the "small, smelly" western room could have one of them.  He noticed a "small wooden box" under a wooden table.  The candle was lit, so chances are someone was awake in this room not long ago.  He could either turn back the way he came and walk north in CHOICE #4 in Section 208, or Test Your Luck to steal the box in Section 147, or fail and awaken the guard in Section 33.



Test Your Luck roll:  4+5=9


The guard was probably a Goblin, or at least the same species as the sentry from CHOICE #2.  He still didn't have LUCK that was greater than 12!  Herman was initially disappointed at not finding a key, but was happy to obtain a Piece of Gold for the ferryman.  Another "prize" was a mouse, which he released.  Mice must have been auspicious animals in Fighting Fantasy land:  HERMAN restored 2 LUCK!  He then set out for Section 208.


(Stats can't be added above initial values unless specifically stated, but it didn't matter this time since Herman used up 2 LUCK in this part.)

 
Stats after stealing wooden box

SKILL:  14
STAMINA:  22
LUCK:  17


Section 208's northern route had another side door, but the room behind it was silent.  CHOICE #5 was to either open the door in Section 397, or walk north in Section 363.  But that will wait until the next post. . .

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

Fighting Fantasy:  The Warlock of Firetop Mountain Part 2


Like any character in a horror story, Herman's curiosity got the best of him.  He opened the door to the silent room in CHOICE #5. . .and found it really was empty of guards!  It had "a stone floor and dirty walls", and a "stale smell" reached Herman's nose.  "Stale" was probably the best he could hope for in a Goblin cavern run by a wizard with poor hygiene.  A straw mattress was at one side of the room, and the rest of the decor was the customary "candle on top of table with box underneath".  CHOICE #6 was to open the box in Section 240, or ignore it and leave in Section 363.


Herman would have appreciated having Cedric the Owl as his companion at this moment. . .


"The box is light, but something rattles within.  You open the lid and a small SNAKE darts out to bite at your wrist!  You must fight the Snake."


SNAKE

SKILL 5
STAMINA 2


How flattering that the first battle has an illustration of a snake glaring at the reader!  Herman knew he could bisect the SNAKE in one swing, and it didn't have the finesse of a trained adventurer.  Still, formalities had to be observed.


ROUND 1

SNAKE rolls 5+6+5=16
Herman rolls 4+2+14=20


After hacking the SNAKE to pieces, Herman advanced to Section 145 and picked up a "bronze-coloured key with the number 99 carved into it".  He would have gained 1 LUCK, but he was already so fortunate that it was irrelevant to him.  Then he continued his journey in Section 363.


(There's no unique Death for the SNAKE, only a victory page if you win.  Maybe only "boss" fights or traps have those?)


Herman listened to yet another door on the western wall, hearing an off-key tune.  CHOICE #8 was whether to enter the room in Section 370 and almost certainly fight another monster, or take the more prudent option in Section 42 and continue following the west wall.  That story will have to wait until tomorrow.


Current Stats for Herman


SKILL:  14
STAMINA:  22
LUCK:  17

Provisions:  10
Potion:  Fortune, 2 doses

Items:  Piece of Gold, "Bronze-Coloured" #99 Key

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

Fighting Fantasy:  The Warlock of Firetop Mountain Part 3


370 Seated around the table are two small creatures with warty skin, dressed in leather armour.


Herman entered yet another western door.  If he had brought any alcohol, he would have played a drinking game:  take a sip for every room with a straw mattress, a candle, a wooden table, and a nondescript box.  The monsters could supply him with "grog", if he dared to attack in CHOICE #9 in Section 116.  The alternative was to slam the door and retreat in Section 42, as if he had ignored the room in CHOICE #8.


Our hero wanted his key and any remaining grog, that is if the enemies weren't chugging it straight from the bottle.  But first Herman would have to fight. . .


First ORC

SKILL 5
STAMINA 4

Second ORC

SKILL 5
STAMINA 5


. . .with a +1 die roll bonus to SKILL because he was sober.


Round 1

Herman rolls 2+3+14+1=20
First ORC rolls 4+5+5=14


Herman cuts the First ORC.  First ORC STAMINA=2


Round 2

Herman rolls 4+5+14+1=24
Second ORC rolls 3+4+5=12

Herman slashes the Second ORC.  Second ORC STAMINA=3


Round 3

Herman rolls 6+6+14+1=27
First ORC rolls 6+5+5=16


Herman eviscerates the First ORC!


Round 4

Herman rolls 2+6+14+1=23
Second ORC rolls 3+6+5=14


Herman parries the Second ORC.  Second ORC STAMINA=1


Round 5

Herman rolls 3+2+14+1=20
Second ORC rolls 4+2+5=11


Herman decapitates the Second ORC for a flawless victory!


Our "hero", after killing the ORCs in cold "green blood", cleaned his weapon on their mattress.  He ransacked the room and found a wooden box labeled "Farrigo Di Maggio".  Herman thought for a moment that Farrigo Di Maggio was one of the ORCs he had butchered.  On second thought he decided the name must have belonged to the second-rate brother of a baseball player.  He considered opening the box in Section 296 in CHOICE #11.  Abandoning it in Section 42 was not an option after that fight, however trivial it was.


Farrigo Di Maggio was in fact the author of the spellbook The Making and Casting of Dragonfire.  Supposedly he had made a spell to counter Dragons, but had become too decrepit in his old age to cast it.  He locked his book in an unassuming wooden chest to keep it away from Warlocks and other foes.  It was written in English, and apparently ORCs did not typically understand English.  The relevant page is transcribed in bold.


And so, you who now hold this book, you have my life's work in your hands.  The power of destruction is yours if you wish it, but do not waste it.  Unless you use the spell for the purpose for which it was intended, you shall be consumed by evil itself and die by the fire from your own hands.  Remember, only when the Dragon breathes its fire at you should you raise your arms and say:


Ekil Erif
Ekam Erif
Erif Erif
Di Maggio


Herman turned out not to be the barely literate barbarian that I had assumed at first.  At this moment, he suspected Farrigo Di Maggio must have been trained in Castle Shadowgate, home of the EPOR spell.  At least he did not have to become an Anagramancer.  The words faded from the spellbook, or possibly had been converted into invisible ink.  At last he was to advance to Page 42.  This was a 3-way intersection, where Herman could turn West in Section 257, or East in Section 113.  But that adventure will wait until the next post.


 

Current Stats for Herman


SKILL:  14
STAMINA:  22
LUCK:  17

Provisions:  10
Potion:  Fortune, 2 doses
Items:  Piece of Gold, "Bronze-Coloured" #99 Key

Spells:  Dragonfire