[Let's Play] Fighting Fantasy 23 - Masks of Mayhem!
Posted: Tue Dec 15, 2020 10:30 am
COVER:
Finally, the renovation work at my place is done, and I can run this LP which apparently received some interest from players, judging by the votes in my poll topic. I hope the interest is still there!
Back cover blurb:
And by generic rules, I mean it. This is one of the books without any additional mechanics, so everything is just your Standard FF Boilerplate Rules:
Skill, Stamina, & Luck
As the last few LPs I've run, I'm going to retain my policy of rolling 4 dice and allowing players to assign the values to our stats by their votes.
Combat:
There's pretty much no new stuff at all in the rules. Even the Equipment section goes back to the old school tradition of basic starting equipment and the choice of a magical potion out of 3:
We start with a sword, a leather armour, a backpack, enough Provisions for 10 meals, and 1 potion - either of Skill, Strength or Fortune. They each restore one of our stats, SKILL, STAMINA and LUCK to max score respectively. The Potion of Fortune also adds 1 to our Initial score before the restoration (again, as is traditional in FF).
Yes, despite being the ruler of our own kingdom, we don't start with any gold for travelling expenses. You gotta wonder how impoverished our kingdom must be. It'll probably self-destruct soon without Morgana having to do anything.
So, that's it, not much to add except to go straight into the Background:
Hell, even the wizards in Master of Chaos (FF41) gave their sucker PC 2 pathetic gold pieces stored in his boots to start him off! The ruler of Arion begins his quest poorer than a galley slave!
And can we at least bring a couple of non-magical personnel as retainers and (if required) meatshields. Spoilers: no we don't!
So, before we proceed further, let's at least determine exactly how skilled/fit/lucky the "boldest fighter of the land" (which we apparently are, although I guess Tynin may just be lying to the gullible ruler to get him to agree to the quest).
Rolling 4 dice, we get:
6, 2, 3 and 1!
How do we assign the stats?
And which of the 3 potions (Skill, Strength, and Fortune) do we bring with us?
Back cover blurb:
For some reason, there's zero mention of the PC actually being the king of his own kingdom. Even the introduction texts at the front (which sometimes add some further background to the PC character or the plot) adds absolutely nothing for this book and just jumps straight into the generic rules."Morgana, the fell sorceress of Krill Garnash, is poised to let loose her dreaded Golems, which none will be able to resist. For she has equipped them with the Masks of Mayhem, which give them power over all things. Only YOU can end her evil designs - but beware: peril and treachery await you at every turn, and help is hard to find."
And by generic rules, I mean it. This is one of the books without any additional mechanics, so everything is just your Standard FF Boilerplate Rules:
Skill, Stamina, & Luck
SKILL score: Roll one die. Add 6 to the result.
STAMINA score: Roll two dice. Add 12 points to the result.
LUCK score: Roll one die. Add 6 to the result.
SKILL score reflects your expertise in combat, your ability with weapons, and your dexterity. STAMINA is your general constitution and "Life points" . LUCK score shows how lucky you are. None of them may exceed their Initial score unless specifically stated.
Eating a meal restores up to 4 points of STAMINA; you may only eat one meal at a time.
Testing your Luck: When instructed by the book to Test your Luck, roll two dice. If the result is equal to or less than your current LUCK score, you are Lucky. If the result exceeds your current LUCK score, you are Unlucky. Whatever the outcome, you must deduct one point from your current LUCK score every time you Test your Luck. The more you use your LUCK, the less likely you are to be Lucky.
STAMINA score: Roll two dice. Add 12 points to the result.
LUCK score: Roll one die. Add 6 to the result.
SKILL score reflects your expertise in combat, your ability with weapons, and your dexterity. STAMINA is your general constitution and "Life points" . LUCK score shows how lucky you are. None of them may exceed their Initial score unless specifically stated.
Eating a meal restores up to 4 points of STAMINA; you may only eat one meal at a time.
Testing your Luck: When instructed by the book to Test your Luck, roll two dice. If the result is equal to or less than your current LUCK score, you are Lucky. If the result exceeds your current LUCK score, you are Unlucky. Whatever the outcome, you must deduct one point from your current LUCK score every time you Test your Luck. The more you use your LUCK, the less likely you are to be Lucky.
Combat:
SKILL and STAMINA scores are given in the text for each adversary that you face.
The combat sequence is then:
1. Roll two dice for your opponent. Add the total rolled to its SKILL score. This is the Attack Strength of your enemy.
2. Roll two dice and add the total to your own current SKILL score. This is your Attack Strength.
3. If your Attack Strength is the higher, you have wounded your opponent: deduct 2 points from your opponent's STAMINA..
If your opponent's Attack Strength is higher, it has wounded you: deduct 2 points from your own STAMINA.
If both Attack Strengths are equal, you have avoided each other's blows.
4. Begin the next Combat Round, starting again at step 1. This procedure continues until either you or your opponent has a STAMINA score of zero. If your opponent's STAMINA score reaches zero, you have killed it and can continue with your adventure. If your own STAMINA score reaches zero, you are dead.
Using Luck in Combat
You can use your LUCK in combat to inflict a particularly serious wound, or to minimize a wound that has been inflicted on you.
Whenever you wound an opponent, you may Test your Luck. If you are Lucky, you have inflicted a severe wound: deduct an extra 2 points from your opponent's STAMINA. If you are Unlucky, you have merely grazed it, and you deduct 1 point less than normal from its STAMINA.
If you have been wounded, you can Test your Luck in exactly the same way. If you are Lucky, the wound upon you was only a glancing blow and you can deduct 1 less point of STAMINA than usual. If you are Unlucky, the wound is serious: deduct 1 extra point from your STAMINA.
The combat sequence is then:
1. Roll two dice for your opponent. Add the total rolled to its SKILL score. This is the Attack Strength of your enemy.
2. Roll two dice and add the total to your own current SKILL score. This is your Attack Strength.
3. If your Attack Strength is the higher, you have wounded your opponent: deduct 2 points from your opponent's STAMINA..
If your opponent's Attack Strength is higher, it has wounded you: deduct 2 points from your own STAMINA.
If both Attack Strengths are equal, you have avoided each other's blows.
4. Begin the next Combat Round, starting again at step 1. This procedure continues until either you or your opponent has a STAMINA score of zero. If your opponent's STAMINA score reaches zero, you have killed it and can continue with your adventure. If your own STAMINA score reaches zero, you are dead.
Using Luck in Combat
You can use your LUCK in combat to inflict a particularly serious wound, or to minimize a wound that has been inflicted on you.
Whenever you wound an opponent, you may Test your Luck. If you are Lucky, you have inflicted a severe wound: deduct an extra 2 points from your opponent's STAMINA. If you are Unlucky, you have merely grazed it, and you deduct 1 point less than normal from its STAMINA.
If you have been wounded, you can Test your Luck in exactly the same way. If you are Lucky, the wound upon you was only a glancing blow and you can deduct 1 less point of STAMINA than usual. If you are Unlucky, the wound is serious: deduct 1 extra point from your STAMINA.
We start with a sword, a leather armour, a backpack, enough Provisions for 10 meals, and 1 potion - either of Skill, Strength or Fortune. They each restore one of our stats, SKILL, STAMINA and LUCK to max score respectively. The Potion of Fortune also adds 1 to our Initial score before the restoration (again, as is traditional in FF).
Yes, despite being the ruler of our own kingdom, we don't start with any gold for travelling expenses. You gotta wonder how impoverished our kingdom must be. It'll probably self-destruct soon without Morgana having to do anything.
So, that's it, not much to add except to go straight into the Background:
Even the quest background gives a pretty generic reason for why a wizard sets a warrior on a quest and declares why he can't be doing it himself (standard stock answers include: 1) the enemy wizard will easily detect the presence of a wizard in his territory, and 2) a clash between wizards will cause too much damage to the world, the balance, the existence, blah blah blah..., 3) the enemy is in some zone where magic doesn't work except his own...) At least Yaztromo would have given us the chance to buy some magic trinkets. Can't Tynin give us some magical protection even if he can't do the quest himself?You are the just and noble ruler of Arion in northeast Khul. Your people prosper and the land flourishes, but trouble is brewing.
One day your court wizard Ifor Tynin summons you. Though you are the ruler, he is your equal, because of his knowledge of sorcery. Each of you relies on the other for the governing of the land. But you can never quite overcome a suspicion of anyone involved in the sorcerous arts.
Ifor Tynin comes straight to the point: "You have heard, of course, of Morgana, the sorceress whose abode is the five peaks of Krill Garnash in the northern mountains. I have travelled in my astral body to her lair to watch over her evil designs.
"There are twelve forms, the sigils which hold the keys of power over all things. This has long been known to those who pursue the righteous side of my ancient art; without this knowledge we would be unable to assist the thriving of the world.
Morgana has acquired this knowledge, though the Council of Elders bands such as her from it. She has made masks of eleven of the sigils, and fitted them on undead Golems, creatures of stone. She lacks only the twelfth, which binds the others together and makes them effective; then power over all creation will be hers, to do what she will - and she will unleash her Golems over all the world. They will be irresistible, because they will be the essence of all things, and nothing can resist its essence. She plans to create havoc with her undead creatures, and has imbued the masks with the power of mayhem, which awaits only the twelfth to be made actual.
"You must slay Morgana. You are the noblest ruler and the boldest fighter of the land. Only you can succeed."
You interrupt: "But why can't your Council do something about her?"
His reply is grim: "Because in such a magical battle, the forces that would be released may cause almost as much damage as the full set of twelve Golems. Only one such as yourself, armed with purity of purpose, is impervious to most of our magical arts, whether good or evil. Yes, it must be you for our plan to succeed."
His words have filled you with dread and eagerness. Your preparations are swift, and you depart early the next morning.
Hell, even the wizards in Master of Chaos (FF41) gave their sucker PC 2 pathetic gold pieces stored in his boots to start him off! The ruler of Arion begins his quest poorer than a galley slave!
And can we at least bring a couple of non-magical personnel as retainers and (if required) meatshields. Spoilers: no we don't!
So, before we proceed further, let's at least determine exactly how skilled/fit/lucky the "boldest fighter of the land" (which we apparently are, although I guess Tynin may just be lying to the gullible ruler to get him to agree to the quest).
Rolling 4 dice, we get:
6, 2, 3 and 1!
How do we assign the stats?
And which of the 3 potions (Skill, Strength, and Fortune) do we bring with us?
