Let's Play Fighting Fantasy 41: Master of Chaos

[SlyJohnny]

Ignoring the bird, sticking it straight into Shagrot.

CAPTAIN SHAGROT SKILL 9 STAMINA 11

Combat Log

Huge 19, Shagrot 18. Huge at 16, Shagrot at 9.
Huge 18, Shagrot 18. Huge at 16, Shagrot at 9.
Huge 22, Shagrot 17. Huge at 16, Shagrot at 7.
Huge 15, Shagrot 18. Huge at 14, Shagrot at 7.
Huge 16, Shagrot 19. Huge at 12, Shagrot at 7.
Huge 21, Shagrot 16. Huge at 12, Shagrot at 5.
Huge 18, Shagrot 20. Huge at 10, Shagrot at 5.
Huge 14, Shagrot 15. Huge at 8, Shagrot at 5.
Huge 18, Shagrot 14. Huge at 8, Shagrot at 3.
Huge 19, Shagrot 15. Huge at 8, Shagrot at 1.
Huge 17, Shagrot 14. Huge at 8, Shagrot is dead.

He put up a good fight, but in the end, he went the way of his evil pirate captain forebears. Which is to say, he got stabbed in the face.

The Captain falls to the ground, gasping his last. His scurvy crew - even the Orcs - cheer! You grab the Captain's scimitar and try to stroll away nonchalantly. But people are pointing you out, and you guess that the militia will get to hear about this - add 2 points to your NOTORIETY.

When you are away from the hubbub you realize that the scimitar is a magical weapon! You may add a bonus of 1 to your SKILL when using it -this will allow you to go above your Initial SKILL, provided that Initial score was below 11 (the sword is not that powerfully magical). The sword also casts a bright light in a small radius when you command it to, so in future you will not need a lantern for light. Gain 1 LUCK point for this excellent find, and try somewhere safer in town: tum to 229.

Alas, with this final act of stabbing a dude to death in the middle of the street in broad daylight, we cannot turn to 229 and must instead make a hasty exit from the city. The scimitar won't boost our skill and we already have a lantern, but perhaps it'll be useful anyway.

It is time to leave the city of Ashkyos behind and face the perils ahead. If you have a Silver Whistle, tum to 40. If you do not, turn to 73. (We do.)

You blow the Silver Whistle, and soon your small friend comes scampering towards you. Do you have a mark on your forehead? lf you do, turn to 226. If you do not, turn to 366. (We do not.)

Jesper the mongoose trots up behind you, bright-eyed and frisky. 'Time to go! Wheeee!' he says, dancing a little pirouette in his excitement. You are unsure how useful he is going to be... tum to 73.

If you must leave (because your NOTORIETY is 8 or more), turn to 31. Otherwise, turn to 66. (We must leave.)

You have to leave the city immediately. You cannot purchase any more items or visit any more locations, but you can buy Provisions (1 Gold Piece buys enough for 2 meals) on the way out of Ashkyos.

There's a few paragraphs of travel sequence of our trek to Mount Doom Kabesh before we get an actual choice again, so before I launch into that; are we taking the opportunity to eat provisions up to full STAMINA (or perhaps 16 STAMINA, with one gold's worth of provisions) and buying replacements before we leave, or will we save our gold?

Adventure Sheet

Huge Nuge

SKILL 11/11
STAMINA 8/17
LUCK 11/12

Notoriety: 9/8

Skills: Blindsight, Acute Hearing, Tracking, Move Silently

Equipment: 12/12 Provisions
Boots with hidden coin compartments
8gp (including 2 hidden)
Silver Whistle
Backpack
Waterskin
Leather armour and shield
Lantern
Ring of Endurance
Boots of Stealth
Medicinal herbs, 2 bags
Preservative spices, 2 bags
2x Potion of Healing
Bronze Bracelet
Iron Key
Sword
Crossbow, 5 bolts
Magic Scimitar (+1 SKILL when below 11, sheds light as a lantern)

[MisterDee]

I think heal up to 16, refill provisions.

[Mr Shine]

Swap 1 gold for 8 STAMINA.

[SGamerz]

Duh, could have saved some gold from lantern and sword if we'd come here first....although I guess we would have had problem beating Shagrot if we'd met him without a sword.

Yeah, eat 2 meals and buy 2 more.....provided we're allowed to eat 2 at one go?

[Dr_Noface]

I second the eating.

[SlyJohnny]

Eating two meals and spending a gold to replace them before we leave, then. My interpretation of the "one meal a time" rule is once per new paragraph, so we can eat two before we get the chance to buy provisions, unless I've misread?

In the journey ahead, remember that when you are instructed that you must eat Provisions, you must deduct the stated number of Provisions from the Adventure Sheet, or lose 2 STAMINA points for every meal you fail to eat.

If you have a riverboat ticket;
If you have bought a camel;
Otherwise, you are leaving on foot.

Your first day of travel is peaceful enough, but you must eat 2 meals during the day. You sleep safely in the open.

Travelling south, the weather grows warmer but light cloud shields you from direct sunlight. Your travels are undisturbed, as will be your sleep tonight, but during the day you must eat 2 meals.

You are well into the deserted lands south of Ashkyos now, travelling through scrubland. The wretchedly poor soil supports only the hardiest of plants, and a few garishly coloured insects buzz round them. You feel sleepy under the hot sun - and perhaps this explains why you are nearly taken unawares by the small, yellow-banded green snake which darts out from a cluster of rocks! Its pearly, venom-dripping fangs are a deadly menace, belying its small size. Do you have Jesper with you? (We do)

Roll two dice. If you roll 2-9, your companion bites the head off the approaching menace before it can get near you. If you roll 10-12, the snake streaks past him. (7; Jesper gots this, yo.)

It is time to make camp for the night again, during this day you must eat 2 meals. Meals eaten to recover STAMINA lost through combat do not count towards this total!

You erect a makeshift camp in this uncovered, open and broken land, and settle down to an uneasy sleep. If you have Jesper with you, (we do!). If you don't have Jesper, but you do have a camel, tum to 235. If you are alone, turn to 152.

Your companion wakes you, alerting you to danger. 'There's something coming,' you are warned. 'Smells like an Orc, but a bit different... not sure what it is.' You grab your weapon in case you need it!

In the moonlight you see your enemy: a horribly mutated Orc, with a broadsword clutched in a claw like a lobster's. Its other arm looks more like a frilled tentacle, with suckers adhering to a membrane. Its head is almost hairless, with just a few clumps of wire-hard fur on its scalp and face. It snarls at you, then attacks viciously!

MUTANT ORC SKILL 7 STAMINA 7

If you reduce the Mutant Orc's STAMINA to 2 points or less, turn at once to 270.

Combat Log

Huge 20, Mutant Orc 14. Huge at 16, Mutant Orc at 5.
Huge 19 Mutant Orc 12. Huge at 16, Mutant Orc at 3.
Huge 17, Mutant Orc 17 Huge at 16, Mutant Orc at 3.
Huge 20, Mutant Orc 10. Huge at 16, Mutant Orc at 1.
Mutant orc at <2 STAMINA, we turn at once to 270.

The Mutant Orc drops its weapon and spreads its arms wide, seemingly surrendering. Can you trust the monster? If you decide to kill the mutant, turn to 354. If you prefer to spare its life, tum to 115

Adventure Sheet

Huge Nuge

SKILL 11/11
STAMINA 16/17
LUCK 11/12

Skills: Blindsight, Acute Hearing, Tracking, Move Silently

Equipment: 6/12 Provisions
Boots with hidden coin compartments
7gp (including 2 hidden)
Silver Whistle
Backpack
Waterskin
Leather armour and shield
Lantern
Ring of Endurance
Boots of Stealth
Medicinal herbs, 2 bags
Preservative spices, 2 bags
2x Potion of Healing
Bronze Bracelet
Iron Key
Sword
Crossbow, 5 bolts
Magic Scimitar (+1 SKILL when below 11, sheds light as a lantern)

[SGamerz]

I'm loving our pet pokemon! Not only has he got Payday, but he also has an awesome upgraded version of Bite that is a OHKO move! Super-effective on that Ekans-wannabe!

Tentacles are evil. Don't trust it, stab it to death!

[Sirocco]

Usually, when given a chance to spare an opponent's life there's a good reason. Spare it.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Sparing evil dudes in this book has given us rewards in the past. Since this isn't UK Steve I doubt this'll change for the Orc.

[SlyJohnny]

You pick up the sword (you can add this to your Possessions if you do not already have one) and bind the arms of the whimpering Mutant Orc. Orcs may be evil and vicious, but it is hard not to feel at least a little pity for this pathetic creature, once you have mastered your revulsion at its appearance. Then, surprisingly, the Orc manages to utter a few words that you can just about understand. It thanks you for sparing it and explains that it is starving, having found no food on its flight from the horrors of Kabesh. Kabesh! This creature has been there... If you are prepared to give it some food, tum to 99. Otherwise, tum to 200.

Adventure Sheet

Huge Nuge

SKILL 11/11
STAMINA 16/17
LUCK 11/12

Skills: Blindsight, Acute Hearing, Tracking, Move Silently

Equipment: 6/12 Provisions
Boots with hidden coin compartments
7gp (including 2 hidden)
Silver Whistle
Backpack
Waterskin
Leather armour and shield
Lantern
Ring of Endurance
Boots of Stealth
Medicinal herbs, 2 bags
Preservative spices, 2 bags
2x Potion of Healing
Bronze Bracelet
Iron Key
Sword
Crossbow, 5 bolts
Magic Scimitar (+1 SKILL when below 11, sheds light as a lantern)

[Darth Rabbitt]

Feed the mutant Orc; Huge Nuge has a huge heart.

[Sirocco]

We might as well go all the way.

[SlyJohnny]

You feed the ravenous Mutant Orc (deduct 1 meal from your Provisions). It gives an appreciative belch, and is now only too happy to tell you what it knows of Kabesh. While still in it's original, Orcish condition, it was captured by mutant servants of a foul Wizard and taken to the Chaos Pits below the ruins; it was dragged there unconscious, so it does not know where the enhance is. The Wizard is spawning mutant abominations of many kinds, and over some weeks the Orc's arms and head were mutated from normal Orcish form. It managed to escape and has fled north, just trying to get as far from Kabesh as possible. The Orc can tell you little else, but it does know that a party of nomads is heading for the ruins on some kind of sacred pilgrimage, looking for a magic item of some sort. You have talked so long that now it is nearly dawn. Deduct 1 point from your STAMINA through loss of sleep. You bind the Mutant Orc's limbs fairly loosely so that it can work them free in a while- but not before you are well away from here! You continue your journey.

It is an especially hot day today. Roll one die and halve the number rolled (rounding fractions up); this is the number of your Provisions which spoil in the heat. You must throw them away (reduce your Provisions by this amount). (We roll a 6; three provisions lost. Down to only two meals now.)

However, you notice a group of small deer in the distance; and you halt and stay still, quietly dismounting if you are not already on foot. Fresh meat would be a real pleasure, and you need extra food!

If you have a crossbow, (we do!) turn to 65.
If you haven't, but you do have the Animal Wisdom Skill;
If you have neither of these, but you possess the Move Silently Skill;
If you have none of these.

You have time to loose off up to 3 crossbow bolts at one target. For each shot, roll two dice. If the total rolled is less than or equal to your SKILL, you have hit the target. If the total rolled is greater than your SKILL, you have missed. If you hit with at least two shots, you have killed a deer, and you can get some meat, and your bolls back; if you did not hit with at least two shots, the deer escapes and you will not be swift enough to track and catch it; cross off the crossbow bolts you use from your Possessions.

Shot 1: 4 vs 11, HIT.
Shot 2: 12 vs 11, MISS.
Shot 3: 3 vs 11, HIT.

If you killed a deer, (We have!)

You now have some delicious raw meat! However, you may eat it only if you have a lantern with some oil in it for cooking; if you do, (We do!). If you do not possess a lantern with some oil, the meat is useless to you.

You pour a little oil over some scrubby brushwood to start a fire, and soon the fragrant smell of roasting venison fills the air. You may gobble down all your stomach can take - which is plenty. Restore your STAMINA to its Initial level! Do you have any Preservative Spices? We do. If you haven't,.

You can use the spices to preserve what remains of the cooked meat, and you may add up to 6 to your Provisions Box. (You cannot carry more than 12 Provisions in all, of course unless you are riding a camel, in which case you can carry up to 24 Provisions.) You journey on.

Today is very hot indeed, and you sweat heavily under the baking sun. If you have a Ring of Endurance, turn to 158. Yes, yes we do. Fortune favours the prepared once more. If you don't,

Although it is hot, because of the Ring you suffer no ill-effects.

During a long, exhausting day, you must eat 2 meals, before you settle down to sleep. Are you riding a camel? If you are, turn to 122. If you are on foot, turn to 35.

A new day brings more heat and discomfort as you march wearily along. You are past the half-distance on your journey, but it is a desperately hard grind. Again, you must eat 2 meals today.

A rare rock outcrop offers blessed relief as you rest in its shade; but unfortunately it also allows a cunning enemy to sneak up behind you - which is exactly what happens. You glimpse a looming shadow in the brilliant sunshine and stumble to your feet, in time to see a huge green Troll advancing on you with raking claws outstretched! Worse still, this is a Mutant - it has two heads, a scaly tail, and horrid, hard protuberances all over its body; and its legs and shoulders are abnormally strong and muscled, with thick-corded veins and sinews bulging underneath the livid green skin of the snarling monster!

Fighting this brute - which you must do - is not easy. Each time the Troll hits you, roll one die. On a roll of 1 or 2, the Troll has caused double normal damage - 4 points - because of the sheer weight of its claws and fangs bearing down on you!

TWO'HEADED TROLL SKILL 8 STAMINA 10

Combat Log

Huge 20, Two-headed Troll 20. Huge at 17, Troll at 8.
Huge 18, Two-headed Troll 14. Huge at 17, Troll at 6.
Huge 22, Two-headed Troll 14. Troll rolls 4: normal damage. Huge at 15, Troll at 6.
Huge 13, Two-headed Troll 19. Troll rolls 4: normal damage. Huge at 13, Troll at 6.
Huge 22, Two-headed Troll 13. Huge at 13, Troll at 4.
Huge 16, Two-headed Troll 18. Troll rolls 2: double damage. Huge at 9, Troll at 4.
Huge 21, Two-headed Troll 16. Huge at 9, Troll at 2.
Huge 16, Two-headed Troll 16. Huge at 9, Troll at 2.
Huge 19, Two-headed Troll 13. Huge at 9, Troll is dead.

If you have the Tracking Skill, (we do).

The Troll has left visible tracks during its meanderings. If you want to follow them, even though this means taking a diversion westwards, turn to 174. If you decide not to bother, turn to 6.

Buying the lantern wasn't a waste, after all! In addition to the choice listed, are we going to dig into some of our remaining 4 provisions to fix what damage the troll did?

Adventure Sheet

Huge Nuge

SKILL 11/11
STAMINA 9/17
LUCK 11/12

Skills: Blindsight, Acute Hearing, Tracking, Move Silently

Equipment: 4/12 Provisions
Boots with hidden coin compartments
7gp (including 2 hidden)
Silver Whistle
Backpack
Waterskin
Leather armour and shield
Lantern
Ring of Endurance
Boots of Stealth
Medicinal herbs, 2 bags
Preservative spices, 1 bag
2x Potion of Healing
Bronze Bracelet
Iron Key
Sword
Crossbow, 5 bolts
Magic Scimitar (+1 SKILL when below 11, sheds light as a lantern)

[Dr_Noface]

I vote we avid using provisions to heal until we're clear of the desert and instead dip into one of the healing potions. And I say follow the tracks.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Agreed on both points.

[Sirocco]

Thirded.

[SlyJohnny]

Drinking a healing potion, following the tracks.

You follow the Troll's tracks for a mile or so until you reach the entrance to an underground cavern. Having come so far, you decide to investigate. Entering, you can see, from the sunlight filtering in to parts of the cavern, that there is a small Troll here- it springs to the attack at once!

SMALL TROLL SKILL 6 STAMINA 5

Combat log

Huge 18, Troll 11. Huge at 14, Troll at 3.
Huge 17, Troll 17. Huge at 14, Troll at 3.
Huge 19, Troll 11. Huge at 14, Troll at 1.
Huge 15, Troll 12. Huge at 14, Troll is dead.

Exploring the cavern, you find some Treasure: 5 Gold Pieces scattered about. You also find the half-dismembered body of a man and, lying close to him, a hip-flask of strong brandy. This contains two good nips; each will restore 4 STAMINA points. If you want to keep some (or all) of it for later, add it to your Possessions. You can drink this at any time except during a combat. You also find a scrap of parchment which seems to be part of a message or letter; the legible part reads: ...across the wretched land, with the aid I provide. We shall meet close by the camp of the foolish dervishes. Beware Naas the Dark One; he too seeks the Staff of Power. His kind are silent, dangerous, and strike swiftly and with deadliness. Remember that the Sacred relic is within the Pilla... Clearly several other people are after the Staff which you have come to take! Shanzikuul has many enemies, but are they your enemies too? You have little time to ponder, for you must continue your journey.

Carrying on until nightfall, you finally stumble upon a hollow where a small pool of fresh water is fed by an underground spring. You sip down all you can; regain 2 STAMINA Points. However, during this day you must eat two meals. Your next day is uneventful, but the vultures circling above you in the skies are looking increasingly hopeful. If you have the Ring of Endurance, the heat will not harm you; but if you do not, you must deduct 3 points from your STAMINA because of the harsh and oppressive heat. During the day, you must again eat two meals. You settle down to a weary sleep.

A heavy dew falls just before a searing sun rises in the sky, and you are able to collect enough moisture to keep going. Tonight should see you in Rahasta, where you will be able to rest and buy food for the last leg of the journey to Kabesh. You set off wearily, squinting into the heat-haze in the distance.

Your hopes for an undisturbed day are suddenly dashed: just as you are rounding a ridge, a weird shape lumbers into the air in front of you. The Chaos creature has a lion's body covered in mottled black fur, huge leathery wings, an almost human head, and a long, green, scaly tail, covered in knobbled spines. The Chaos Manticore fires a volley of spines straight at you!

You must deduct 4 points of damage from your STAMINA, as the flying manticore aims some tails spikes at you, and two strike home. If you have a crossbow and at least 1 bolt (We do)

Seeing the crossbow, the cunning Manticore realizes that it will gain no advantage by staying in the air, so it lands to fight. You have time to draw a sword (if you have one) before it gets to you.

The Chaos Manticore is younger than most of its race and is not of full adult size, but it is still a frightening enemy with its razor-sharp, great cat's claws!

CHAOS MANTICORE SKILL 8 STAMINA 10

Combat Log

Huge 17, Manticore 17. Huge at 12, Manticore at 10.
Huge 20, Manticore 13 Huge at 12, Manticore at 8.
Huge 16, Manticore 12 Huge at 12, Manticore at 6.
Huge 18, Manticore 16 Huge at 12, Manticore at 4.
Huge 15, Manticore 18 Huge at 10, Manticore at 4.
Huge 18, Manticore 13 Huge at 10, Manticore at 2.
Huge 20, Manticore 16 Huge at 10, Manticore is dead.

Panting with exertion after your fight, you look around. The Manticore was in the middle of eating a body and must have been angry at being disturbed! You don't want to look too closely at its half-eaten victim, but the corpse might have something of value on it if you search - and anything he has will be of no further use to him. Checking, you discover a strange silver amulet: from a central disc asymmetric rays are set at irregular angles. Counting these, you find the amulet has twenty-nine rays. This number means nothing to you. Take the Silver Amulet and note the number of its rays (add it to your Possessions). The body also has 3 Gold Pieces on it (add this to your Treasure).

You trudge on through the wretched heat. If you were riding a camel until recently, do not forget that you alone cannot carry more than 12 Provisions, any more must be left behind. Again, if you do not have a Ring of Endurance, you must deduct 3 points from your STAMINA because of the heat; if your STAMINA falls below 1, you collapse and die from exhaustion! If you are still alive, you make it to Rahasta and enter the town.

Rahasta is a grim place, where the forces of mutation and Chaos are very apparent. The homes of the locals are hovels, and as for the inhabitants... they seem to be half-human mongrels mostly, some having the features of Orcs or Hobgoblins, and some enduring more dramatic mutations which they sullenly try to keep hidden. You catch glimpses of a chitinous claw concealed beneath a long sleeve, a woman whose head seems to be writhing under her turban as if her scalp bore small tentacles, a dog-faced baby, and worse! Still, you are very tired and need, if possible, to get supplies here.

Will you:
Buy some food?
Try to find somewhere to sleep?
Go to a tavern?
Try to buy a mount for the journey ahead?

Adventure Sheet

Huge Nuge

SKILL 11/11
STAMINA 10/17
LUCK 11/12

Skills: Blindsight, Acute Hearing, Tracking, Move Silently

Equipment: 0/12 Provisions
Boots with hidden coin compartments
15gp (including 2 hidden)
Silver Whistle
Backpack
Waterskin
Leather armour and shield
Lantern
Ring of Endurance
Boots of Stealth
Medicinal herbs, 2 bags
Preservative spices, 1 bag
Potion of Healing
Bronze Bracelet
Iron Key
Sword
Crossbow, 5 bolts
Magic Scimitar (+1 SKILL when below 11, sheds light as a lantern)
Brandy, 2 tots
29-ray Silver Amulet

[Sirocco]

Buy some food, we're fresh out. If we have enough money to buy and gobble down a couple of Provisions after we have filled our backpack, go for it.

[Omegonthesane]

Fill Huge Nuge's huge pack and huge belly.

[Darth Rabbitt]

I'll agree to that.

[SGamerz]

I say tavern first. We were still able to buy food before we leave Ashkyos even at full Notoriety, so I think that buying food is the one option that will still be available as long as we're in the town. The other options may not be.

[Dr_Noface]

I vote fud first.

[SlyJohnny]

Going food shopping and filling our pack, then.

You can buy food in Rahasta from a sullen, disfigured old man whose taloned hands grab eagerly for your money. However, he asks 1 Gold Piece for each set of Provisions you buy. Double the usual rate, but you must pay or go without. If you buy, adjust your Treasure and Provisions accordingly.

Now, will you:
Find somewhere to sleep, if you haven't slept here yet?
Go to a tavern, if you haven't done so before?
Try to buy a mount for the journey ahead?
Leave for Kabesh?

I've deducted 13 gold pieces from our treasure for 13 provisions in accordance with the vote to fill our pack with 12 provisions and eat 1 meal a paragraph until we're at full strength, but if the price is higher than you expected and you think we need to save money, we can change it.

Adventure Sheet

Huge Nuge

SKILL 11/11
STAMINA 14/17
LUCK 11/12

Skills: Blindsight, Acute Hearing, Tracking, Move Silently

Equipment: 12/12 Provisions
Boots with hidden coin compartments
2gp (hidden in boots)
Silver Whistle
Backpack
Waterskin
Leather armour and shield
Lantern
Ring of Endurance
Boots of Stealth
Medicinal herbs, 2 bags
Preservative spices, 1 bag
Potion of Healing
Bronze Bracelet
Iron Key
Sword
Crossbow, 5 bolts
Magic Scimitar (+1 SKILL when below 11, sheds light as a lantern)
Brandy, 2 tots
29-ray Silver Amulet

[Dr_Noface]

Lets hold and buy only 8 provisions and not not eat any. We might need gold for shelter and tavern ale.

[Sirocco]

Agreed, let's save some money for the tavern, where we're going next.