[Let's Play] GrailQuest 1: The Castle of Darkness

[ashimbabbar]

north, at random

[Darth Rabbitt]

Sure, North is fine by me.

[SGamerz]

The northern corridor ends in a door, which is slightly ajar. Carefully, quietly, you push it open.

A Guard Room! It's obviously a Guard Room since there is all sorts of military equipment--swords, shields, daggers, spears--stacked along the walls; not to mention tables, chairs, plates, goblets, even dice, which you would normally associate with large numbers of Guards. The only thing is--it's empty. Something suspicious here, Pip.

There are two exit doors to the room: one in the east wall, the other in the north wall.

If you decide to enter the room, go to 122.
If not, return to any available Section you haven't explored.

Check out the seemingly empty guard room? If not, please specify where you want to go next!

[Omegonthesane]

Trigger the obvious trap.

[ashimbabbar]

Yeah, let's !

[Thaluikhain]

Yeah, then we'll find out what sort of trap it is.

[SGamerz]

**** B

You're halfway across the room, tiptoeing, when a soft voice whispers in your ear: 'He doesn't need guards, Pip--he's got me...'

You freeze, then turn. You are staring into the cold eyes and smiling fangs of a fully-fledged, dyed-in-the-wool, real-life

VAMPIRE!

Do you still have that garlic, by any chance?

If you still have your garlic (no cheating now: if you ate it, it's gone) then go to 132.
If you don't, go to 147.

There's actual some ambiguity on this part. When the adventure began, the text says that we have some garlic in our provisions. The thing is, if we were to assume that those garlic can be used in this encounter, then this option is pointless because there's never any option/opportunity to eat any of our provisions during the adventure, much less any garlic.

More importantly, it's actually possible to find garlic during the adventure. The room where got trapped and had to solve a puzzle to get out.....there was a chest and a lever in that room. The lever was a deathtrap, and the chest has a trap too (poison gas). BUT if we survive the chest's trap, we can actually loot some gold and a clove of garlic from it. So it makes more sense to assume that that's the garlic the book is referring to for this encounter....which we never found. So we don't have the garlic to repel the vampire (unless you guys object and think we can use the garlic in our food?).

Here's what happens if we don't have the garlic:

****B

Greedy pig - fancy munching all that garlic. Now you're going to have to fight him.

The Vampire has 35 LIFE POINTS (or in his case, DEATH POINTS). He carries no weapons, but that hardly matters since his fangs are poison. If he manages to hit you twice in a row, you're dead and that's all there is to it.

Roll to see who has the first strike. And don't worry about becoming a Vampire yourself if be kills you — that's only an old wives' tale. Probably

If the Vampire kills you, go to 14.
If you kill the Vampire, you have a choice:
Eastern door go to 136.
Northern door go to 127.

He can be bribed with 10000 GP.....which we can actually afford now.

How do we deal with this? Fight him directly? Use some magic/item (like the wand we just found) to make sure he doesn't poison us? Bribe him? Or do most of you think we should be able to use the garlic in our provisions?

[SlyJohnny]

I think the book is just being cute, like when it asked us if we had our sword drawn or not. Use the provision garlic.

[Thaluikhain]

This ambiguity is best solved with stabbing, I think.

[Omegonthesane]

The way it says "do you still have that garlic" implies you're meant to have started with it.

[ashimbabbar]

bribe

[SGamerz]

Alright, 2 of the 4 voters think Pip should already have the garlic (and the other 2 voted differently), so he does!

Aarrrghhhh!'

The scream of the Vampire as he sees the garlic in your hand. He clutches his throat and writhes. 'Aaarrghhh!'

His knees buckle slowly. His eyes cross. His face goes pale (well, paler). His entire body begins to convulse. His fangs fall out. He drops in a heap on the floor. He begins to shrivel, growing smaller and smaller until all that's left is a tiny heap of dust, some mouldering clothes and a jewelled ring (worth 500 Gold Pieces of anybody's money). Lucky you had that garlic, Pip.

If you want to try the door on the east wall, go to 136.
If you want to try the door on the north wall, go to 127.

North or east door from here? Or we can leave this room and try the other corridor in the east? Or try the magic circle after all.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Try going east, I guess.

[ashimbabbar]

looks like he was the last enemy before Ansalom, so I vote for leaving and trying east corridor before coming back

[SGamerz]

Try going east, I guess.

East door in the vampire room? Or east corridor outside?

[Darth Rabbitt]

I meant the vampire room, but I could be convinced to take the corridor instead. But I'm keeping my vote for east door from the vampire room for now.

[SGamerz]

Since nobody is interested in resolving the tie, let's see where each of those sections go:

First, east door from vampire room:

You are looking into a large chamber set out with rows of bunk beds, each one of which has a small wooden locker placed by the side. Obviously a dormitory, Pip. And empty.

Better try the northern door by going to 127.

The east corridor on the other hand:

You follow the corridor quietly eastwards, noting that this one is rather more dimly lit than the others. The wall torches have been replaced by only a very few lamps. And when you reach the steps downwards, you can see there are fewer still below.

At the bottom of the steps is a stout door, the top half of which comprises bars through which emerges a dull red glow. The door has a huge lock. It also has a Guard. Fortunately, a very tired Guard, since he is asleep at his post.

Looks like you've discovered the dungeons, Pip, or possibly some horrible torture chamber. Is Ansalom keeping the Queen locked away here? Who can tell?

If you decide to try your luck at stealing the Guard's keys and opening the dungeon, go to 124.
Otherwise return to any available Section you haven't explored.

Unfortunately, Pip seems to much of a n00b to even consider taking the easy way, like stabbing the guard in his sleep or even just hitting him over the head to make sure he won't wake up for a while.

1) Try to steal the key?
2) Go back to check the magic circle?
3) Go back to the vampire room and take north door?

[Darth Rabbitt]

Steal the keys. The Luckstone should make that easy.

[SGamerz]

Slowly, gingerly, you steal down the steps. The Guard remains asleep. Carefully, slowly, you reach out to get his keys. Roll dice to see if you make it.

Score 2-6 and go to 142.
Score 7-12 and go to 126.

Dice roll = 6 +3 = 9. Saved by the Luckstone again.

Sneakily done: you've got the keys and the Guard is still snoring soundly. Use them to open the dungeon door quietly, and go to 125.

It's a dungeon all right; and a torture chamber. Just look at the shackles on the walls. And the Iron Maiden - that big coffin-shaped cabinet with iron spikes inside the door. And the rack for stretching people. And the branding irons in the charcoal brazier.

The Wizard Ansalom could do somebody a lot of damage in here. Fortunately there is no one to do damage to. No wonder the Guard was asleep - no tough job guarding an empty dungeon.

There is no other exit from this room.

Better go back to 96 and reconsider your options.

We're left with only one door unexplored: north door from vampire room. Since there's been no interest shown in checking out the magic circle, we'll proceed there:

**** B (Hounds Only)

As you approach, a strange thing happens--the northern door swings open of its own accord!

You are looking into a vast, granite-lined throne room, colonnaded with black, granite pillars. Between each pillar stands a thick two-metre-high, jet-black lighted candle, which gives off a heavy, sickly-sweet smell of incense. Beyond the columns hang heavy maroon velvet drapes.

At the end of the colonnade is a granite dais, stepped to a huge, rough-hewn granite throne. By the foot of the throne are two of the largest, fiercest, jet-black Hounds you have ever seen--Hounds that stare at you malevolently with fiery eyes. And on the throne sits a tall, dark-haired, dark-bearded figure dressed in heavy, flowing black robes. Menace hangs over him like a thundercloud.

'Welcome, little person,' booms the figure on the throne. 'It seems you wish to see me.'

It's him, Pip! It's him!! You are face to face with the Wizard Ansalom Himself!!!

What a fight this is going to be. (You are going to fight him, aren't you, Pip? Not much point in the whole adventure if you don't, eh?)

First the good news. The Wizard Ansalom will make no move to harm you until you have successfully defeated his Black Hounds. Now the bad news. Each Hound has 25 LIFE POINTS and bites with +4 damage. Get the dice rolling, Pip.

If the Hounds kill you, go to 14.
If you kill the Hounds, take a deep breath, use any Healing Potions or Salves you may have and go to 137.

And it's Boss-fight time....well, almost, since we have to deal with the hounds first.

The hounds can be bribed by 10000 GP. Do we want to try for that?

Since we still have to take on Ansalom after this, do we want to use anything to make this fight easier?

QUEST JOURNAL:

Pip's LIFE POINTS: 31/29
Permanent Life Points: 1

EQUIPMENT CARRIED:
Excalibur Jr. (hits on 4, damage +5)
Dragonskin Jacket (damage taken -4)
Dagger (hits on 6, damage +2)
Healing Potions (heals 2d6 LP) 10 doses
Healing Salve (heals 3 LP) 3 applications
Bully-beef sandwiches, two apples & some garlic
Parchment, quill and ink for mapping
Mirror made from polished metal
Hammer, nails and a saw.
Lodestone & twine to make a compass
Diamond Ring (heals 25 LP OR +1 Firefinger, worth 170 GP)
Tingling Silver Ring
Magic Wooden Duck (turn to 119 when used, best used when in danger from evil magic)
Luckstone (modifies all of Pip's dice rolls by 3 in his favour)
Double-headed Copper Coin
Scroll of Teleportation Spell (sends Pip to section 14 without losing LP or equipment)
Globule Wand (roll 6+ during combat to hit, allows 4 free strikes before foe gets free), 8 charges remaining.

MONEY: 648 GP
25 emeralds, each worth 500 Gold Pieces.
61 rubies, each worth 200 Gold Pieces.
77 diamonds, each worth 1,000 Gold Pieces.
Jewelled Ring, worth 500 Gold PIeces

MAGIC:
Firefinger Lightning Bolts (10 damage) - 8/10
Fireballs (6 to hit, 75 damage) 2/2

EXPERIENCE POINTS: 20 2
ENEMIES DEFEATED:
Wild Boar
Not-Friendly Animated Skeleton
2 Hounds
Old Watchman
Compost Heap
6 Zombies
Giant Spider
Poisonous Snake
2 3 5 Guards
PUZZLES SOLVES: 3

No. of Deaths:
1. Pecked to death by Ansalom's Savage Chickens

[Thaluikhain]

Yeah, why not bribe the hounds?

[angelfromanotherpin]

I don't think we get to take any excess treasure home with us, so set up the dogs with solid gold kennels and rocket bones for life.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Bribe the doggos.

[SGamerz]

We try to bribe the dogs with 10 of our diamonds.

Dice roll = 10! Success! The hounds leave to enjoy their status as the world's wealthiest canines.

'My Hounds!' screams the Wizard Ansalom. 'You've killed my Hounds!' And he leaps to his feet, hands outstretched, muttering a savage spell.

Are you ready for this, Pip? The Wizard Ansalom has 150 LIFE POINTS. You want that again? 150 LIFE POINTS. What's more, he is equipped with 10 Firefinger Lightning Bolts exactly like the ones Merlin gave you. (With one important difference: Ansalom's Lightning Bolts do not hit their target automatically. You must roll dice each time he uses one. Unless he scores 5 or better, the bolt misses you.)

Let the magical battle commence, Pip. And may the best Wizard win!

If the Wizard Ansalom kills you, go to 14.
If you kill the Wizard Ansalom, lick your wounds and go to 135.

Uh, what? We didn't kill your Hounds! They dropped you for diamonds. Clearly, he's either lost his mind due to being grief-stricken at his pets walking out on him, or he's just senile.

Anyway....apparently, farmhand-turned adventurer Pip has better magic than the great evil wizard, but evil wizard is 5 times tougher physically than the farmhand. That makes complete sense, of course.

How do we handle this fight? The obvious thing is to chuck our Fireballs, but if we don't? Or what if we miss with either one of them?

Also, do you want to try using our magic duck if he manages to hit us with one of his lightning bolts?

[Darth Rabbitt]

I'd blow our two Fireballs on this old fool with (presumably) shaky hands. Assuming they both hit (and the Luckstone makes that quite likely) we deep fry him before he can use enough Firefingers to actually kill us.

[Thaluikhain]

Yeah, open with fireballs. What happens if he runs out of firefingers before killing us, if they were to all miss, say?

Can we use our teleportation scroll if we are losing, then heal up for another go?