[Let's Play] Fighting Fantasy 72 – The Dungeon on Blood Island

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes counted; looking at the helmet won over looking at the shield by a 2-1.5 vote.

139
Picking a passage through the candles, you walk over to the shelf and see that the helmet is finely crafted and has a full face guard. If you want to try the helmet on for size, turn to 210. If you want to put it back on the shelf, and if you have not done so already, you can examine the shield (turn to 325) or, if you want to leave the room and continue walking up the tunnel, turn to 86.

X Pectopa Tronum has not already examined the shield. Please make your votes before 7:00 PM PDT or a choice receives 3 votes to guarantee that they will be counted.

[Dogopolis]

If we examine (and possibly take) the shield and it gives us the option to examine the helmet if we have not done so already, I guess we can come back even though we've technically examined it, just not used it?

If so I vote to move onto the shield. This seems a classic 1 bad 1 good situation and in Livingstone books helmets tend to be bad most of the time but I can't remember a bad shield.

[deaddmwalking]

Things that go around your head can constrict and cause your noggin to explode (like a crown we found in an earlier adventure). I vote examine the shield (325).

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes registered; examining the shield.

325
Picking your way through the candles, you walk over to the shield and lift it off the wall. It is sturdy and incredibly well made and looks like it will give you good protection in combat. You are holding a Sentinel Shield that has magic powers. Add 1 LUCK point. Add 1 point to your Attack Strength when using the shield in combat. If you have not done so already, you can take look at the helmet (turn to 139) or, if you want to leave the room and continue walking up the tunnel, turn to 86.

86
The tunnel continues on until you reach a narrow ravine that descends into the murky depths below. A narrow rope bridge crosses the ravine. If you want to walk across the bridge, turn to 200. If you want to try jumping across the ravine, turn to 352.

Please make your votes before 9:00 AM PDT or a choice receives 3 votes to guarantee that they will be counted.

Adventure Sheet
X Pectopa Tronum
SKILL: 8 Initial: 10
STAMINA: 23 Initial: 23
LUCK: 10 Initial: 10
EQUIPMENT:
Doom Sword
Backpack
Craggen Knife
2 Throwing Daggers
Brass Button
Small Bottle of Mullweed Oil
Rabbit’s-foot Charm
Hand Axe
Sentinel Shield (+1 Attack Strength)
GOLD PIECES: 3
TREASURE:
Silver Ring (etched with ‘111’)
Copper Dragon Ball
Brass Dragon Ball
2 Bone Dice
Copper Bracelet (Worn, -1 Skill)
PROVISIONS: 8
RESURRECTIONS: 2

[SGamerz]

We've received clear advice on this. Jump.

[Thaluikhain]

Jump.

[Dogopolis]

jump

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes recognized; jumping across the ravine.

352
The ravine is no more than two metres across. You throw your backpack and sword over the ravine and step back, ready to jump. You breathe in hard and run as fast as you can to jump over the ravine. You land safely on the other side and gather your belongings to carry on up the tunnel. Add 1 LUCK point. Turn to 174.

174
You pass by a water fountain in the left-hand wall. It is in the shape of large fish head from which water is gushing out of its mouth into a stone bowl. If you want to drink at the fountain, turn to 302. If you want to press on, turn to 365.

Please make your votes before 7:00 PM PDT or a choice receives 3 votes to guarantee that they will be counted.

[Beroli]

Drink.

[Dogopolis]

Don't drink

[deaddmwalking]

I'm with don’t drink. If it's beneficial it's probably very small like a bonus to stamina, which we could get by eating rations. If it is bar, it's probably very bad like instant death. Even if the probability of something good is high, the expected value still seems negative. Press on (365)

[Thaluikhain]

Even though drinking is more interesting than not, we are in a position where we don't need random help so much, but can always be randomly harmed.

EDIT: Um, by which I mean don't drink.

[SGamerz]

It could turn out to be some essential magical protection for a later encounter for all we know. My instinct when playing a Livingstone book is to try everything because there's always too much potential for can't-miss essential stuff. I vote drink. Yeah, it's probably also got a 50/50 chance of being either something deadly or something essential, but that's what his players always have to deal with.

[JourneymanN00b]

Even though drinking is more interesting than not, we are in a position where we don't need random help so much, but can always be randomly harmed.

Is this a vote not to drink from the fountain? As of now, you are the deciding vote.

[JourneymanN00b]

Alright, so I counted the votes, and it looks like pressing on won over not drinking at the fountain by a 3-2 vote.

365
You hear muffled cries for help coming from down the tunnel. You walk quickly on and soon arrive at an open doorway in the left-hand wall from where you can hear a female voice screaming, ‘Help! Help!’ It is a voice you have heard before! Turn to 29.

29

A Warrior woman is battling huge Spiders at the bottom of the pit

You walk through the doorway into a large room that has a silver chalice on a shelf on the far wall. A section of the stone floor in front of it has given way to reveal a deep pit. You walk to the edge of the pit and see a Warrior woman in leather armour at the bottom, It’s Azurra Xang, the Assassin. She is frantically stabbing huge black SPIDERS with bodies the size of coconuts with her spear as they pour out of a large pipe protruding from the pit wall. She looks up and glowers at you without saying a word. If you want to help her out climb out of the pit, turn to 260. If you would rather leave her to fend for herself and take the silver chalice, turn to 396. If you would prefer to leave the room immediately and walk on, turn to 124.



Please make your votes before 9:00 AM PDT or a choice receives 3 votes to guarantee that they will be counted.

[Beroli]

Help her.

All moral and reciprocity considerations aside (because relying on those is always a crapshoot in a Fighting Fantasy gamebook), how did she get into the pit? Did she jump in for a good fight and then remember she's arachnophobic? No, clearly she reached for the chalice; if we do the same, we're likely to wind up in the pit with the spiders and an assassin who knows we just tried to leave her there.

[Thaluikhain]

Help, but expect to be betrayed cause Assassin.

[Dogopolis]

Help the assassin.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes registered; helping her climb out of the pit.

260
There is a coil of rope hanging on a nail on the back of the door. You throw one end of the rope down to the Assassin who catches it with her outstretched hands. You pull her out of the pit and watch her wipe the Spider blood off the tip of her spear. She stands there silently for a few moments before saying coldly, ‘I am an Assassin, and we are competitors. But I owe you now, and if we meet again I will give you my help should you need it. But only once. What you find in this room is yours in payment for saving my life.’ With that, she turns and leave the room, slamming the door behind her. You coil up the rope and sling it over your shoulder before looking at the chalice. Inside, you find a small solid silver ball that is etched with a dragon motif and a small tin labelled Worm Paste. You put the items in your backpack and leave the room to carry on up the tunnel. Turn to 124.

124
The tunnel finally comes to an end at a T-junction. There is a drawing on the wall in white chalk of a treasure chest and an arrow above it pointing east. Suddenly you hear high-pitched laughter coming from the left-hand tunnel. If you want to turn left and head west, turn to 181. If you want to turn right and head east, turn to 340.

Please make your votes before 7:00 PM PDT or a choice receives 3 votes to guarantee that they will be counted.

Adventure Sheet
X Pectopa Tronum
SKILL: 8 Initial: 10
STAMINA: 23 Initial: 23
LUCK: 10 Initial: 10
EQUIPMENT:
Doom Sword
Backpack
Craggen Knife
2 Throwing Daggers
Brass Button
Small Bottle of Mullweed Oil
Rabbit’s-foot Charm
Hand Axe
Sentinel Shield (+1 Attack Strength)
Rope
Worm Paste Tin
GOLD PIECES: 3
TREASURE:
Silver Ring (etched with ‘111’)
Copper Dragon Ball
Brass Dragon Ball
Silver Dragon Ball
2 Bone Dice
Copper Bracelet (Worn, -1 Skill)
PROVISIONS: 8
RESURRECTIONS: 2

[Dogopolis]

Laughter sounds like Juggler Jak, and as our host said it was unoptimal to get the bell that deals with him, go east.

[deaddmwalking]

Head east (340).

Maniacal laughter just seems like drama we don't need in our life right now.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes recognized; turning right and heading east.

340
You pass by several more arrows chalked on the wall until the tunnel comes to a dead end. There is one more arrow on the end wall pointing down to a large wooden chest on the floor. If you want to open the chest, turn to 135. If would rather walk back down the tunnel to the T-junction, turn to 33.



Please make your votes before 9:00 AM PDT or a choice receives 3 votes to guarantee that they will be counted.

[Thaluikhain]

Open the box.

[deaddmwalking]

I have a bad feeling. I don’t think this is the right way, but ultimately there's a certain amount of luck and sometimes you have to make a bad choice just to understand the module. So knowing we have a resurrection I'll put a half vote for opening the box.

[Dogopolis]

Walk back.