[Let's Play] Fighting Fantasy 21 - Trial of Champions

[Queen of Swords]

This looks a bit creepy, so I'm for walking back down the corridor.

[Thaluikhain]

Rescue fellow prisoner.

(And I just realised that Arnie's line about Sub-Zero from The Running Man would have worked reasonably well for when we defeated the Cold Claw)

[Beroli]

Walk back down the corridor. The imp is not trustworthy.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes counted, Ben Richards will walk back down the corridor and return to the tunnel, as that option won over doing what the little man says by a 2-1 vote.

222
Further along the tunnel, you stumble upon a pile of rocks. Something underneath the rocks catches the light and sparkles. Carefully, you remove some of the rocks until you can see what is hidden underneath. It is a broadsword, finely honed and perfectly balanced. If you wish to use it instead of your own sword, turn to 240. If you would rather leave it where it lies and continue your walk, turn to 7.

[spoiler][/spoiler]

Please make your votes before 9:00 AM PDT or a choice gets a 3-vote majority to guarantee that it will be counted.

[Queen of Swords]

Take the broadsword.

[Thaluikhain]

Take sword from the stone, become king.

[Darth Rabbitt]

I feel like removing the sword is going to be a trap that drops boulders on us, so leave it be.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes registered, Ben Richards will use the broadsword.

240
The broadsword is an excellent weapon made by a famous armourer; it is also magical. Cutting the mighty blade through the air, you continue your quest. Turn to 7.

7
You soon arrive at another door in the tunnel wall. The handle turns, but wooden boards have been nailed across the door frame. If you wish to lever the boards off with your sword, turn to 336. If you would rather press on along the tunnel, turn to 45.

Please make your votes before 6:00 PM PDT to guarantee that it will be counted.

Adventure Sheet:
[spoiler]Ben Richards
SKILL: 12 Initial Skill = 12
STAMINA: 3 Initial Stamina = 21
LUCK: 6 Initial Luck = 11
NOTES AND ITEMS:
Leather Pouch
3 Gold Rings
Bone Medallion
Phial of Red Dust (turn to paragraph 238 to use)
Boots of Speed
Magic Broadsword
BOONS:
2 Rewinds
2 Restorations
2 Extra Gold Rings[/spoiler]

[Thaluikhain]

Lever boards off and investigate.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Open the door with our new sword.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes registered, Ben Richards will lever the boards off with his sword.

336
The nails holding the boards in place make a loud creaking noise as you prise the boards away. Test your Luck. If you are Lucky, turn to 122. If you are Unlucky, turn to 76.

The Luck roll yielded a 10, meaning that Ben Richards was Unlucky.

76
Suddenly you hear footsteps coming quickly down the corridor: somebody or something has come to investigate what all the noise is about. With your sword gripped tightly, you turn to face the heavily armoured Mutant Orc guard advancing with its poleaxe.

MUTANT ORC SKILL 7 STAMINA 7

If you win, turn to 341.

Should Luck should be used to improve our hero’s chances of surviving the fight? If so, should we use it to reduce the damage that Ben Richards takes or to inflict additional damage?

The first choice to receive a 2-vote majority will be used to resolve the battle. If no choice has a winning margin before 9:00 AM PDT, I will make the choice based on which votes are cast.

Adventure Sheet:
[spoiler]Ben Richards
SKILL: 12 Initial Skill = 12
STAMINA: 3 Initial Stamina = 21
LUCK: 5 Initial Luck = 11
NOTES AND ITEMS:
Leather Pouch
3 Gold Rings
Bone Medallion
Phial of Red Dust (turn to paragraph 238 to use)
Boots of Speed
Magic Broadsword
BOONS:
2 Rewinds
2 Restorations
2 Extra Gold Rings[/spoiler]

[Queen of Swords]

Hopefully we won't need Luck (down to 5!) but if we do, use it to inflict additional damage.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Yeah, with a luck of 5 we're likely to end up taking more damage and dealing less if we try using it in combat. Just rely on having a skill 5 points higher.

[Thaluikhain]

Pity we can't use our luck to try and do less damage to it, we'd probably do well then.

Just rely of higher Strength and bad incoherent Arnie noises.

[Queen of Swords]

At this point I'd rather find some food than another gold ring.

[JourneymanN00b]

Thank you for your votes. Luck will not be used in this battle.

The fight:
[spoiler]Round 1: Mutant Orc Attack Strength: 11, Player Attack Strength: 20;
Mutant Orc Stamina: 5, Player Stamina: 3
Round 2: Mutant Orc Attack Strength: 12, Player Attack Strength: 17;
Mutant Orc Stamina: 3, Player Stamina: 3
Round 3: Mutant Orc Attack Strength: 11, Player Attack Strength: 17;
Mutant Orc Stamina: 1, Player Stamina: 3
Round 4: Mutant Orc Attack Strength: 11, Player Attack Strength: 14;
Mutant Orc Stamina: -1, Player Stamina: 3[/spoiler]

With great relief, our hero managed to flawlessly kill the Mutant Orc.

341
You quickly rummage through the pockets of the orc guard and find some small glass balls. You place them in your belt pouch and carry on levering off the wooden boards. At last the final board comes free and you are able to open the door. Turn to 13.

13
[spoiler][/spoiler]

You pull the door open and walk into a small room which has not been covered for years. A thick layer of dust covers everything and cobwebs hang down like dirty old curtains. Two skeletons, mouths hanging open, lie half-submerged in the dust, propped up against the far wall. One of the skeletons is pointing at the other. Suddenly the door slams shut behind you and the pointing skeleton starts to speak: ‘Brothers and sisters have I none, but that man’s father is my father’s son. Who is he?’ Will you:

Run for the door? Turn to 207
Reply he is his grandfather? Turn to 84
Reply he is his father? Turn to 302
Reply he is his son? Turn to 371

[spoiler][/spoiler]

Please make your votes before 6:00 PM PDT to guarantee that it will be counted.

Adventure Sheet:
[spoiler]Ben Richards
SKILL: 12 Initial Skill = 12
STAMINA: 3 Initial Stamina = 21
LUCK: 5 Initial Luck = 11
NOTES AND ITEMS:
Leather Pouch
3 Gold Rings
Bone Medallion
Phial of Red Dust (turn to paragraph 238 to use)
Boots of Speed
Magic Broadsword
Glass Balls
BOONS:
2 Rewinds
2 Restorations
2 Extra Gold Rings[/spoiler]

[Thaluikhain]

He's the son.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Yeah, he's his son.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes registered, Ben Richards will reply that he is his son.

371
‘You are a wise challenger,’ the voice from the skeleton states without emotion. ‘Your reward for passing this part of the test is in the drawer of the table.’ The skeleton’s mouth remains open, but no more sound issues from it. You look around the dark room and soon find a small table with a drawer. Carefully you slide the drawer open and find a small iron key inside. You drop it into the pouch on your belt, leave the room and continue along the tunnel. Turn to 45.

45
It is not long before you arrive at yet another door in the left-hand tunnel wall. If you wish to open the door, turn to 235. If you would rather keep on walking, turn to 177.

Please make your votes before 9:00 AM PDT or a choice gets a 3-vote majority to guarantee that it will be counted.

Adventure Sheet:
[spoiler]Ben Richards
SKILL: 12 Initial Skill = 12
STAMINA: 3 Initial Stamina = 21
LUCK: 5 Initial Luck = 11
NOTES AND ITEMS:
Leather Pouch
3 Gold Rings
Bone Medallion
Phial of Red Dust (turn to paragraph 238 to use)
Boots of Speed
Magic Broadsword
Glass Balls
Iron Key
BOONS:
2 Rewinds
2 Restorations
2 Extra Gold Rings[/spoiler]

[Queen of Swords]

Open the door.

[Thaluikhain]

Open the door. Also, I remember Deathtrap dungeon being more interesting before it was refurbished.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Open the door.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes registered, Ben Richards will open the door.

235
The door opens into an empty room. You enter the room cautiously and, as you do so, the door swings slowly shut behind you. You search the room for a secret passageway, but find no sign of one. To you surprise, the door is not locked and you are able to walk out into the tunnel. However, you do not know that you entered a room of teleportation, and are in a different tunnel form the one you were walking along previously. Unaware of your teleportation, you walk on down the tunnel. Turn to 378.

378
You follow the tunnel around a right-hand bend until it ends at a wooden door. You have no choice but to open it and are surprised by what you see inside the room. Turn to 3.

3
[spoiler] [/spoiler]

Sitting cross-legged in the middle of the room is a fat, bald man, eastern in appearance. He sits motionless and holds a bamboo pole between his outstretched hands. Half a dozen coloured wooden blocks are hovering in a circle in mid-air above him. The man’s eyes are grey and blank, and he is obviously blind. The room is sparsely furnished with a slatted wooden bed, a cupboard and a large wooden chest, which has pride of place in the centre of the floor. ‘Welcome, contestant number two. I have been waiting for you. I am Noy, a Trialmaster, and a servant of Baron Sukumvit. My duty is to test you in three ways before allowing you to proceed. Are you ready?’ If you wish to obey the Trialmaster, turn to 369. If you would rather attack him with your sword, turn to 200.

Please make your votes before 6:00 PM PDT to guarantee that it will be counted.

[Thaluikhain]

Hmmm, take the test, and hope it's puzzles rather than roll against stamina or something.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Take the test; attacking Trialmasters is bad news.