Let's Play Fighting Fantasy #45: Spectral Stalkers

[Dr_Noface]

I would say wait, because leaving is metagaming.

[Darth Rabbitt]

(You're expected to metagame, but I'll roll to break the tie. Odd we transport, even we stay. Rolled a 4; we stay.)

A whining noise fills the air, and one of the room's metallic walls slides upwards to reveal a vast vaulted hall, ribbed with girders of shining steel and lined with metal cages. Trudging towards you between the lines of cages is a nightmarish monster. It is twice as tall as you, with legs that look like part of a giant's suit of armor, and instead of feet it has, at the end of each leg, a row of wheels that turn a band of metal plates. Its head is a transparent dome within which lights flash and wheels turn and, worst of all, from its torso sprouts a mass of long steel limbs, some flexible and no thicker than a ship's hawser, others jointed and terminating in pincers. 'Grappler reporting from Transporter Bay,' the monster says in a monotone. 'Intruder located.' It advances towards you; you have no choice but to fight.
If you have a weapon named Extinguisher and wish to use it
Otherwise

[Starmaker]

Hm. Let's use the extinguisher then, maybe it's water-based and will short-circuit the 'bot.

(Gentlemen, this dude wrote Portal of Evil, which, while interesting, imaginative, and comparatively fair, resulted in several deaths and ultimately a loss for one of the best characters we ever rolled in these letsplays.)

(Also, there's metagaming and metagaming. I don't think anyone expected us to roleplay curiosity in the world before this one.)

((also x2, judging by how slowly Trail accumulates, the Stalkers are either a severe handicap or an outright game over. Once we write it off, a substantial part of the charm of this book will vanish like whoa.))

[MisterDee]

Nah, it's probably not intended to be used now. Sword the robot instead, keep the Extinguisher for when we inevitably wander into the Fire Level.

[Dr_Noface]

I stick by use the extinguisher, gotta read the DM's mind.

[Darth Rabbitt]

The Grappler is in charge of this survey ship’s wildlife collection. It is programmed to tend the various life-forms that are kept in the cages, and to capture any that escape. As far as it is concerned, you are an escaped animal and must be recaptured. Maneuvering swiftly it blocks your attempts to sidestep and, extending its telescopic limbs, it closes in on you.

You point Extinguisher’s nozzle at the Grappler's head and pull the trigger. Instead of a gout of flame or a blast of explosive pellets, all that emerges from the weapon is a stream of creamy liquid that coats the Grappler's dome but does nothing to slow its attack. Cursing, you dodge its flailing limbs, but as you do so you realize that the creature's movements are becoming less coordinated. You scramble over to one side of the room and watch as the viscous fluid, seeping into the Grappler's mechanical innards, makes it run out of control. It collides with the metal cupboard, its arms windmill wildly for a few seconds, and then, in a shower of sparks, it stops moving. Restore 1 point of LUCK.

(We still have Extinguisher, as it apparently still has some robot-slaying fire-retardant foam left in it.)

The Grappler's limbs hang limply at its sides; the lights in its transparent dome flash more slowly, then fade. As the last light dies, the all-pervasive hum suddenly ceases, the room lurches drunkenly - and in the huge hall of cages every door flies open, releasing the menagerie of bizarre life-forms. Soon hundreds of indescribable creatures are milling together in the hall; some are fighting, others are hunting or fleeing from predators, and all are creating a cacophony of discordant cries. Some of the fiercest looking animals see you in the Transporter Bay and begin to prowl towards you; then, inexplicably, they tum tail and flee. You look behind you: the hideous shape of a Spectral Stalker is forming in the air! Add 1 point to your TRAIL score. You decide to use the Aleph to escape from this place and, feverishly, you pull the glowing sphere from your backpack and cup it in your hands. You feel yourself being enveloped by the Aleph, and transported within it. Roll one die. (6; the result is an even number.)

Gasps of astonishment, then laughter, cheers and finally applause! You have appeared on stage, in front of an audience, inside an open-fronted cabinet like a sentry-box. You step forward and are greeted with another burst of applause. The stage is in fact a roofed wagon, open along one side. Standing next to you is the Conjuror, a tall, saturnine figure in a black cloak, and his assistant, a young woman dressed as a cat. Before you is the audience, a crowd of peasants still open-mouthed in amazement at your appearance. At the back of the throng stands an open carriage containing a plump nobleman who is staring, not at you, but at the empty seat beside him. Even the Conjuror seems surprised to see you, but he recovers and addresses his audience. 'Ladies and gentlemen! A double miracle! Not only have I spirited the Baron's beautiful daughter from her seat in his coach; I have also caused this warrior to appear in the magic cabinet! Have no fear, my Lord, your daughter will be restored to you in just a few moments. Meanwhile my assistant will escort this warrior backstage. Felice, take our visitor away!' His assistant, as graceful as the animal she resembles, draws aside the curtain at the rear of the stage and beckons to you—and in that moment you glimpse her long furry tail, and realize that it is not part of her costume. Felice is not a woman—perhaps she is a Were-cat. Will you accompany her backstage, or will you jump from the stage and try to escape into the crowd?

Adventure Sheet
G.I. Average Joe
SKILL 10/10
STAMINA 19/19
LUCK 9/9
TRAIL: 2
Equipment: Trusty Sword, Silver Dagger, Extinguisher
Provisions: 2 (+4 STAMINA each)
Gold Pieces: 12
Items: Jewel of Sleep, Blue Gem of Healing (restores 6 STAMINA at any time, one use), 2 Glowcandles
Signs: Rune-Inscribed Wheel Hub, Circular Inn Sign, Clay Ball

[Dr_Noface]

Accompany her backstage and don our fursuit.

[Starmaker]

Sure, accompany her backstage. "Felice, do you have anything round?"

On a personal note, YAY I BOUGHT SPECTRAL STALKERS!

[Darth Rabbitt]

(Congratulations! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. I won't say any more yet to avoid spoilers.)

You step through the curtain and into a dark, narrow passage that runs along the length of the wagon. You overhear the Conjuror, on the other side of the curtain, whispering instructions to his assistant. 'Felice!' he hisses. 'Put the warrior in the back room with the girl, then get to the front. I'll keep this bunch of peasants guessing with some spiel or other. Then, when I shout, lash the horses and we'll make a break for it.' The cat-woman purrs in agreement, and brushes aside the curtain to join you in the passage. She points to a door at one end, and pushes you towards it.
Decide to let yourself be shoved into the back room
Stand your ground and defend yourself against the cat-woman
Try to escape by running through the curtain, across the stage and into the crowd

[Starmaker]

Sure, go to the back room. No sense to hack people up when they aren't attacking, no sense to run away from where the action is.

(I was thinking how sad it was that we didn't get to chat up Drawenna the not!chess goddess and came to the conclusion that with Spectral Stalkers the art of the gamebook is pretty much "finished" for realz in a good way; it's the Citizen Kane Spider and Web of gamebooks.)

[Darth Rabbitt]

(Yeah, that is definitely one of the most memorable bits from a gamebook.)

The cramped cabin at the back of the wagon is full of magician's props and theatrical costumes, jumbled boxes and crates- and imprisoned in a cage suspended from the ceiling, a young woman who must be the Baron's missing daughter. You hear the crack of a whip and the whinnying of horses, and with a jolt the wagon begins to move, accelerating rapidly over the cobblestones as the Conjuror and his assistant make good their escape from the town. You unstrap your backpack and search for something to help you force open the cage's sturdy lock, but without success. 'The Conjuror has the key,' the Baron's daughter says in an excited voice, 'and I expect he'll come soon to check that I 'm still a prisoner!' You fear she is correct. Will you wait for the Conjuror's entrance, or use the Aleph to transport you away from this place?

[MisterDee]

We can probably afford to take one more Trail point in exchange for additionnal catgirl content. We stay.

[Starmaker]

Trail seems to only accumulate when we fight, sitting around and even sleeping is okay.

(It's not even the episode in particular; the book's premise and execution turn the peculiarities of the gamebook as a medium into genuine advantages. This is in contrast to eg Citadel of Chaos, the letsplay of which is pure gold (WE FUCKING KILLED A HYDRA etc), the book itself, not so much.)

(Working definition of high art: at least passably good, and cannot be improved by being another type of art. Most of these books want to be videogames.)

(Midterms are of the devil.)

[Darth Rabbitt]

(Agreed both on the artistic merit of the book and on midterms being the devil.)

A nervous squeal from the Baron's daughter alerts you to the silent opening of the cabin's inner door. The black-cloaked Conjuror stands on the threshold, his malevolent grin revealing a set of sharp teeth. His sibilant words confirm your fear that he is a Vampire. 'A very successful expedition,' he whispers. 'Not only have I captured the Baron's daughter—you, my dear, will come to my castle and become one of the loveliest of my undead brides—but I have snared an intruder whose blood will sustain me on my journey. Approach me, warrior. Look into my eyes!'

You are in a desperate plight. Do you want to throw open the exterior door of the cabin and leap from the careening wagon? If you have a silver dagger in your backpack, you may use it to attack the Vampire. Otherwise, you will have to defend yourself as best you can.

[MisterDee]

Stabbity stab stab with the silver stabstick!

[Omegonthesane]

Blue option, because fuck this guy.

[Starmaker]

Yep, stab him. Reaction faces:

His sibilant words confirm your fear that he is a Vampire.
"Not only have I captured the Baron's daughter—"
"—you, my dear..."
"...will come to my castle and become one of the loveliest of my undead brides—"
"—but I have snared an intruder whose blood will sustain me on my journey."	:hehehe::facepalm:

[Darth Rabbitt]

The Conjuror snarls as you produce the silver blade. This weapon can harm him; he will have to fight you.

VAMPIRE SKILL 9 STAMINA 12

Combat Log:

Vampire 17, Joe 14. Joe is at 17.
Vampire 16, Joe 17. Vampire is at 10.
Vampire 14, Joe 19. Vampire is at 8.
Vampire 20, Joe 19. Joe is at 15.
Vampire 12, Joe 13. Vampire is at 6.
Vampire 20, Joe 17. Joe is at 13.
Vampire 14, Joe 14. Tie.
Vampire 14, Joe 14. Tie.
Vampire 16, Joe 15. Joe is at 11.
Vampire 17, Joe 19. Vampire is at 4.
Vampire 14, Joe 20. Test Luck: 7, Lucky! Vampire is dead.

(Nasty fight, actually, which is why I blew the LUCK point. Do we want to pop the healing gem or wait it out for another chance to eat Provisions?)

If you win, a large bat flies from the Vampire's corpse which then crumbles to dust. In the dust is the key to the hanging cage. You release the Baron's daughter and, despite her urging, you decide not to tackle the Were-cat who is driving the wagon Instead you open the door, grab your backpack in one hand and the girl’s wrist in the other, and jump from the wagon.

You crawl into the shade of a hedge to inspect your pack. Amazingly, nothing is broken—restore 1 point of LUCK—and you find that you have collected one of the Conjuror’s circular calling cards. It displays the words Marvip the Magician above a picture of a tall figure with a black cloak and a glowing wand. The shape of the card reminds you of the Aleph and you decide to keep it.

The Baron's daughter has been watching you for some time. 'Are you going to sit there all day?' she complains. 'That Magician was much more exciting than you. He was going to take me to his castle. Now I suppose I have to go home to boring old Daddy. Goodbye and good riddance!' With that she strides off towards town. You decide to use the Aleph to go elsewhere.

(Bitch. Well, at least we got another round thing, and our LUCK point back.)

You pull the glowing sphere from your backpack and cup it in your hands. Instantly you are mesmerized by the myriad visions, so tiny and yet so detailed, that swarm within the Aleph. The longer you gaze, the more you can see: strange creatures, alien peoples, towns, continents, planets, swirling stars. You feel yourself being enveloped by the Aleph and transported within it. Roll one die. (5; the result is an odd number.)

Under a cloudless blue sky, the park extends to the horizon in every direction. The lush grass is dotted with spinneys of oaks and elms and there are larger patches of woodland that cover the gently rolling hills. Not a branch stirs; no bird's song disturbs the silence. As you approach the edge of the wood, the undergrowth is thrown into a turmoil of movement as a bizarre assortment of wildlife bursts from the cover of the trees. Deer, rabbits, hares, foxes, badgers, boar and even brown bears, and with them are horned goat-legged Satyrs, green-skinned nymphs, Centaurs and a unicorn. All are running, fleeing from the woods, scattering in panic across the park, open-mouthed with fear but as silent as shadows. They run past, barely noticing you in their headlong flight. You look again towards the wood and see their terrible pursuers. Armored giants on horned war-beasts emerge from between the trees, galloping relentlessly but as silently as their prey. The giants, noble and cruel-featured, are clothed in ornate bejeweled costumes, their weapons sparkling in the sunlight. Their red eyed steeds seem to skim the grass. Do you want to stand in the path of these hunters and try to attract their attention? Or do you decide to stand well clear?

Adventure Sheet
G.I. Average Joe
SKILL 10/10
STAMINA 11/19
LUCK 9/9
TRAIL: 2
Equipment: Trusty Sword, Silver Dagger, Extinguisher
Provisions: 2 (+4 STAMINA each)
Gold Pieces: 12
Items: Jewel of Sleep, Blue Gem of Healing (restores 6 STAMINA at any time, one use), 2 Glowcandles
Signs: Rune-Inscribed Wheel Hub, Circular Inn Sign, Clay Ball, Conjuror's Circular Calling Card

[Dr_Noface]

There's no sound, so I say stand in their path. Might be some kind of illusion.

[Starmaker]

1. The hell, book. I had thought it would be an instawin with the dagger.
2. That was awesome, awesomely contemporary, and awesomely prescient.
3.

You crawl into the shade of a hedge to inspect your pack. Amazingly, nothing is broken—restore 1 point of LUCK

UK Steve Jackson version: Test your Luck, if unlucky, choose an item from your pack, that item is broken, cross it off.
4. Wait to eat Provisions. The healing gem is unique and might come in handy in some other way, like if an NPC gets mortally wounded or whatnot.
4.5 (can we pop the gem mid-battle?)
5. Attract their attention. We're in this place for a Reason with a capital R, and I trust the Aleph enough to think the Reason is something more exciting than "getting trampled".

[Darth Rabbitt]

(You can use it in combat; it's like a Pep Pill from the sci-fi titles.)

You stand in the path of the massive and grotesque war-beasts and wave your arms. The gigantic riders seem to stare straight through you and remain oblivious to you even as their steeds bear down on you. Although the beasts' hoofbeats are still unnervingly noiseless, you can see from their imprints in the turf that their hooves are as heavy and powerful as they look. You are about to be trampled; you cannot stay where you are, so you decide to attempt to grab the harness of one of the animals and pull yourself to safely. Roll two dice. (3; the result is below Joe’s SKILL.)

You catch hold of the harness of the leading war-beast and pull yourself clear of the ground, hanging on grimly as the hunt races across the parkland. You are close to the armored knee of the beast's giant rider and expect him to try to dislodge you from your precarious position, but you look up to find that his face is as unmoving as a statue. Next to you, hanging from a strap, is the giant's hunting horn, fashioned from the spiral horn of an animal and decorated with bands of silver. The hunt has spread out now and you can drop to the ground without fear of being trampled. As you release your hold on the harness, you grab the horn. You hit the grass, roll forward, and then jump to your feet to inspect your new acquisition. It looks valuable (note it on your Adventure Sheet.) Do you want to sound the horn, to find out what noise it makes? If not, you stow it in your backpack.

[Dr_Noface]

Lets save our magic items for later, or at least until we know what it does.

[Starmaker]

(All the more reason to hold off using the gem.)

Sound it, maybe they'll react to the sound. They don't hear (and outright ignore) us, we don't hear them, but they must hear their own hunting horns.

Also, we didn't lose the Extinguisher when we fought that bot, which is eminently more expirable than a hunting horn.

[Darth Rabbitt]

(Odds we don't use the horn, even we do. Rolled 4; we use it.)

You put the Hunting-Horn to your lips and blow. A deep note, like the bellow of a bull, issues forth. What’s more, when you stop blowing the sound continues—and begins to swell! The noise is deafening; the ground itself is resonating with the deep tone of the Horn. The war-beasts rear and buck in confusion and their gigantic riders, shaken from their indifference at last, turn in their saddles to stare at you in amazement. Struggling to keep your balance as the ground vibrates, you see in the distance a group of nymphs and satyrs, the prey of the hunt, jumping with glee at the giants' discomfort. You worry that this disturbance will attract the attention of those that are hunting you—add 1 point to your TRAIL score. The faces of the giants continue to display outrage as they fade, become transparent, and disappear from the park. At last the sound of the Horn begins to diminish. As the noise quietens, the landscape around you darkens, and you feel yourself falling into a pit of blackness. You blink your eyes and find yourself in a cave, standing within a circle of fires. Also within the cave is an old crone, who watches you silently. Will you attack her or question her?

Adventure Sheet
G.I. Average Joe
SKILL 10/10
STAMINA 11/19
LUCK 9/9
TRAIL: 3
Equipment: Trusty Sword, Silver Dagger, Extinguisher
Provisions: 2 (+4 STAMINA each)
Gold Pieces: 12
Items: Jewel of Sleep, Blue Gem of Healing (restores 6 STAMINA at any time, one use), 2 Glowcandles, Hunting-Horn
Signs: Rune-Inscribed Wheel Hub, Circular Inn Sign, Clay Ball, Conjuror's Circular Calling Card

[Dr_Noface]

question