[Let's Play] Fighting Fantasy 11 - Talisman of Death

Sirocco · Post by **Sirocco** » Sat Dec 06, 2014 6:34 am

Investigate the interesting thing.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Sun Dec 07, 2014 12:44 am

You thread your way through the moss-covered tombs and headstones. As you approach the light, it shimmers and moves towards you, floating in the darkness. You are entranced. The will-o'-the-wisp draws you, mesmerized, towards a large grey tomb. A withered hand thrusts through the earth beneath your feet and grabs your ankle. You hack at it but yet another mouldering arm grips you. There is a grating noise as a fiendish GHOUL staggers from the tomb before you. Other zombies erupt from their graves around you. In your panic, you find the strength to rip yourself out of the ghastly grasp of the zombies - but the ghoul is almost upon you! You must fight it.

GHOUL SKILL 7 STAMINA 8

If you defeat the Ghoul within five combat rounds, turn to 343. If it is still alive after five rounds, turn to 298.

Hey, this Ghoul doesn't have the classic FF "paralyse you is it hits you 3-4 times" ability! Looks like that only applies to Ghouls in Titan.

Nevertheless, that time limit look dangerous....

COMBAT LOG:

Ghoul 13, Double D 22. Ghoul is at 6.
Ghoul 13, DD 20. Ghoul is at 4.
Ghoul 17, DD 20. Ghoul is at 2.
Ghoul 13, DD 21. Ghoul is destroyed.

With a mighty slash, your sword bites into the pale, slimy neck of the Ghoul, decapitating it. It slumps to the floor truly dead at last. As fast as you can, you spring past the questing arms of the lumbering zombies and dash back to the wall, knowing that you must find the postern gate as soon as possible.

Another flawless, which is just as well, because

having the combat last more than 5 rounds is an insta-death as the zombies reach us and literally drag us into the grave, in true horror-movie-style.

You continue along the wall and, to your relief, find the postern gate. You duck through and out into the night beyond. Gain 1 LUCK point for escaping the city.

Back to full LUCK......and with this we finally made it past the "mid-point" of this book, meaning

we won't have to almost start from scratch again if we die after this point, due to a newer second "resurrection save point".

You put several miles between yourself and Greyguilds and sleep the night in a hayrick. You awake refreshed. Gain 2 STAMINA points. Which direction will you take towards the plateau? You could take the direct route, south-east, across rough moorland; continue along the old trade road, due south for a while and then strike east; or head east across the heath to the hills before turning south.

South-east?
South, then east?
East, then south?

That STAMINA restore is very welcome, since we'd been running low for a while.....

Adventure Sheet:

Name: Captain Double D
SKILL 12/12
STAMINA 9/21
LUCK 12/12
Equipment: Sword, Leather Armor, Shield, Golden Apple (+4 STAMINA), Chaimail (+1 SKILL), Apothecus' Ring (+1 SKILL) , Jade Rose, Talisman of Death
Gold: 14
Provisions: 9 Meals (+4 STAMINA)
Potion: Potion of Fortune (restore Luck to Initial value, +1 to Initial Luck)
Misc Notes: At time of greatest need, cry: "All-Mother, nature herself, preserve me."
No. of Re-boots in this playthrough: 1

Dr_Noface · Post by **Dr_Noface** » Sun Dec 07, 2014 6:49 pm

I vote eat to eat a meal and half a vote for east then south.

Sirocco · Post by **Sirocco** » Sun Dec 07, 2014 8:46 pm

+1 on the meal. Let's avoid the obvious route (road) and the direct but difficult route (moorlands), and RUN HEAD FOR THE HILLS!

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Sun Dec 07, 2014 8:51 pm

Agreed with everything. Eat, and go east then south.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Mon Dec 08, 2014 1:25 am

Captain Double D consumes a meal and brings her STAMINA up to 13.

As you walk across the barren heath, the sky turns grey and specks of rain interrupt your thoughts. You press on as the rain becomes heavier, head bowed to keep your face dry. You fail to notice a winged monsterswooping down towards you. You are knocked to the ground - lose 2 STAMINA points. If you are still alive, you pick yourself up and find yourself face to face with a winged lion with the head of an eagle. It is bent on making a meal of you. You must fight the GRIFFIN.

GRIFFIN SKILL 8 STAMINA 14

If you reduce its STAMINA to 6 or less, turn to 94.

Damn, back down to 11 STAMINA. However, the GRIFFIN effectively only has a STAMINA of 8 for this combat.

COMBAT LOG:

Griffin 19, Double D 21. Griffin is at 12.
Griffin 15, DD 18. Griffin is at 10.
Griffin 19, DD 16. Double D is at 9.
Griffin 16, DD 22. Griffin is at 8.
Griffin 15, DD 20. Griffin is at 6.

It literally gave us a scratch. We're back down to the level before we ate the meal.

You have subdued the Griffin, which crouches on the ground before you. You are surprised to hear it speak. 'Spare me, and I will bear you whither you will.' Will you tell it to carry you to the plateau, or leave it and head south-east, away from the hills?

Do we accept the ride?

Adventure Sheet:

Name: Captain Double D
SKILL 12/12
STAMINA 9/21
LUCK 12/12
Equipment: Sword, Leather Armor, Shield, Golden Apple (+4 STAMINA), Chaimail (+1 SKILL), Apothecus' Ring (+1 SKILL) , Jade Rose, Talisman of Death
Gold: 14
Provisions: 9 Meals (+4 STAMINA)
Potion: Potion of Fortune (restore Luck to Initial value, +1 to Initial Luck)
Misc Notes: At time of greatest need, cry: "All-Mother, nature herself, preserve me."
No. of Re-boots in this playthrough: 1

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Mon Dec 08, 2014 1:59 am

Captain Double D just caught herself a Pokemon!

Tell GRIFFIN to use FLY!

Sirocco · Post by **Sirocco** » Mon Dec 08, 2014 8:03 am

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Mon Dec 08, 2014 3:43 pm

You straddle the Griffin's back. It leaps into the air and takes flight towards the plateau. It flies strongly, higher and higher. The rush of the wind and the sensation of flight is exhilarating. After a few hours the plateau gives way to thick prehistoric rain forest. Suddenly the Griffin caws a warning. A giant flying reptile is diving to the attack. It crashes into the Griffin, forcing you to lose your grip. You drop some twelve metres but, luckily, a giant fern breaks your fall. You are up to your waist in a pool of water which has collected in the centre of the fern's giant fronds. The flying reptile, a Pteranodon, leaves the Griffin and flies towards you. You must fight it.

PTERANODON SKILL 7 STAMINA 15

If you win, turn to 4.

Wild Aerodactyl-wannabe attacks!

Wild Aerodactyl-wannabe uses SKY ATTACK!

It is super-effective!

Griffin runs!

COMBAT LOG:

Pteranodon 14, Double D 23. Pteranodon is at 13.
Pteranodon 11, DD 16. Pteranodon is at 11.
Pteranodon 12, DD 15. Pteranodon is at 9.
Pteranodon 16, DD 17. Pteranodon is at 7.
Pteranodon 13, DD 17. Pteranodon is at 5.
Pteranodon 14, DD 17. Pteranodon is at 3.
Pteranodon 18, DD 15. Double D is at 7.
Pteranodon 16, DD 20. Pteranodon is at 1.
Pteranodon 12, DD 17. Pteranodon is at defeated.

Captain Double D uses STAB-YOU-INNA-FACE!

Wild Aerodactyl-wannabe has fainted!

The Pteranodon, mortally wounded, crashes into the undergrowth. You struggle on; the heat is oppressive and you are plagued by flies, which circle between the tall straight conifers. Creepers trail from the overhanging branches and great fens cover the ground. The air is alive with strange noises, and huge dragonflies, vibrantly coloured, him from flower to giant flower. Suddenly, with a report like a rifle, a tree-trunk snaps. The ground shakes as a huge prehistoric monster charges at you. Three long horns project from the bony carapace which protects its neck. You must fight...

TRICERATOPS SKILL 8 STAMINA 30

After three rounds of combat you hear shrill cries of alarm as another great beast thunders towards you. Test your Luck. If you are Lucky, turn to 40. If you are Unlucky, turn to 25.

Wild Rhyhorn-wannabe attacks!

Wild Rhyhorn-wannabe uses EARTHQUAKE!

COMBAT LOG:

Triceratops 15, Double D 18. Triceratops is at 28 (Round 1).
Triceratops 13, DD 17. Triceratops is at 26 (Round 2).
Triceratops 12, DD 17. Triceratops is at 24 (Round 3).

With our LUCK at full score, we can't fail the Luck Test....

As you step back to lunge again at the wild monster you see a huge carnivore appear behind it. This must be what the Triceratops was running from. Now it shuffles round to face the TYRANNOSAURUS and a gargantuan battle ensues. Finally, the torn and bleeding Triceratops thrusts forward, goring the Tyrannosaurus, which then crashes to the ground, fatally wounded. The Triceratops limps away and breathing a sigh of relief, you move on towards the mountain.

Wild Rhyhorn-wannabe uses HORN DRILL!

Wild Kangaskhan-wannabe has fainted!

Which is a good thing for us, since if the T-Rex had won (Unlucky), it'll attack us with SKILL 11 STAMINA 18, which might have given us a lot of trouble considering our STAMINA is at 7.

Even though we don't gain anything from this, I've always thought this whole rapid sequence of dinosaur encounters is one of the coolest parts of this book.

You camp for the night, but some black flies, which had just seemed a nuisance, re now objects of fear, since their eggs have hatched and you are food for their larvae. You get no rest, and don't regain any STAMINA as a result. At dawn you plunge into an algae-covered pool and the larvae fall from you. Feeling better you begin the march towards the foothills of Mount Star-reach. Soon you are climbing the mountain itself, grasping at the stunted bushes which grow on its slopes. You notice that the air is becoming thinner, and you are short of breath when you reach a wide cave mouth, which smells faintly of sulphur. Intrigued, you decide to enter the cave.

Can we have a choice now......?

You light a torch and enter the cavern, which stretches away into blackness. You scramble across the cavern floor until you see a small smooth-walled tunnel branching off from the main tunnel. The strong smell of sulphur seems to pervade both. Will you walk down the wide and rocky main tunnel, or investigate the narrow tunnel?

Finally!

Adventure Sheet:

Name: Captain Double D
SKILL 12/12
STAMINA 7/21
LUCK 11/12
Equipment: Sword, Leather Armor, Shield, Golden Apple (+4 STAMINA), Chaimail (+1 SKILL), Apothecus' Ring (+1 SKILL) , Jade Rose, Talisman of Death
Gold: 14
Provisions: 8 Meals (+4 STAMINA)
Potion: Potion of Fortune (restore Luck to Initial value, +1 to Initial Luck)
Misc Notes: At time of greatest need, cry: "All-Mother, nature herself, preserve me."
No. of Re-boots in this playthrough: 1

Dr_Noface · Post by **Dr_Noface** » Mon Dec 08, 2014 6:41 pm

Eat a meal and the narrow tunnel.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Mon Dec 08, 2014 8:44 pm

Captain Double D can penetrate tight spaces as well as any Dirk or Dick. Go through the narrow passage.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Tue Dec 09, 2014 12:42 am

Captain Double D likes them nice and tight.

But not before she swallows a mouthful.....of Provisions. (back to 11 STAMINA)

You walk down the winding tunnel for some time, until it opens out into a large cavern . In front of you is the ridged back of an immense Dragon. It is about eighteen metres long and is covered in thick red scales. Its long tail is curled round a vast hoard of treasure - gems, gold, goblets and vases - which lies higgledy-piggledy beneath its bulk. A few of its old scales are littered around. Will you:

Thrust your spear, if you have one, into its scaly back?
Try to grab some of its scales?
Try to grab some of the Dragon's treasure?
Leave the cavern?

Even though we don't have the option of attacking it without a spear, in light of the fact we just met a friggin' Dragon (even if it hadn't seen us), I think it prudent of Captain D to gulp down another mouthful, bringing STAMINA back to 15.

Adventure Sheet:

Name: Captain Double D
SKILL 12/12
STAMINA 15/21
LUCK 11/12
Equipment: Sword, Leather Armor, Shield, Golden Apple (+4 STAMINA), Chaimail (+1 SKILL), Apothecus' Ring (+1 SKILL) , Jade Rose, Talisman of Death
Gold: 14
Provisions: 6 Meals (+4 STAMINA)
Potion: Potion of Fortune (restore Luck to Initial value, +1 to Initial Luck)
Misc Notes: At time of greatest need, cry: "All-Mother, nature herself, preserve me."
No. of Re-boots in this playthrough: 1

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Tue Dec 09, 2014 1:21 am

Go for the scales; they strike me as being easier to loot and more likely to be useful.

Sirocco · Post by **Sirocco** » Tue Dec 09, 2014 5:19 am

My first instinct is to GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!!!11!

But hey, fortune favors the bold. I don't think we need treasure so badly, so yeah, go for the scales.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Tue Dec 09, 2014 6:38 am

You tiptoe forward stealthily and pick up three of the scales which the dragon has shed. Each is as long as a man's forearm. Cautiously, you tiptoe out of the cave and continue up the mountain.

That looked too easy.....

Do you have a gourd filled with Gum of an Amber Pine?

Nope.

You climb on, gasping for breath in the thin air. At last you reach the flat summit. The panorama is incredible. The whole plateau lies below you like a table, a college of tropical forests, mountains and huge lakes, which glisten in the sun. Thirty metres away is a rectangle of shimmering silver, handing in the air, unsupported. You realize that this is the portal. As you step towards it, you hear the rushing of wind. Looking up you see the ancient Red Dragon. It lands beside the portal. Outside its lair the Dragon is even more impressive and fearsome. Warmth and power seem to radiate from its body. 'I am bound by the Gods to guard the portal. I will live until the day that somebody passes through. It is a shame, but I cannot allow you to pass,' he says with relish. You step forward to do battle, as he draws a deep breath. With a bellow he empties his cavernous lungs. Rolling jets of flame engulf you, before you can attack him. You are charred to a cinder. Your quest ends in sight of your goal.

Seems like the general fate of the Champions who carry the Talisman of Death is to be fried by magic fire in various ways.

Your spirit floats gently towards the Valley of Death. The featureless, wind-blasted plain stretches away endlessly, beyond the horizon. The souls of the dead wander there aimlessly, in solitude. Just as you approach the edge of the valley, an ethereal wind gets up and your soul is wafted away. Soon you feel yourself in the presence of the two who summoned you to this fantastic world of magic. The eyeless being in robes of shifting hues says, "All is not yet lost." You understand the words without hearing them. "If your spirit is willing, we will reunite it with your body and turn back the wheels of time." The other being offers you a choice: "If you wish it, I will send you back in time. You will be leaving Greyguilds." Do you wish to go back in time to attempt the quest again? If you do, the being lays a hand on your shoulder. They disappear. You have 15 STAMINA points and all of the equipment you carried with you when you died, apart from the following, if you had picked them up: the Gum of an Amber Pine, the Feather of a Roc, the Spear, or the Scales of a Dragon. Cross these off your Adventure Sheet. You find yourself outside the city of Greyguilds.

The only additional item we had are the Scales, which we literally only just picked up. STAMINA is at the level when we died anyway.

And yes, that paragraph looked familiar. They didn't bother to change most of the text between the 2 "save points", besides the rule about equipment and stats.

We are then directed back to the below paragraph:

You put several miles between yourself and Greyguilds and sleep the night in a hayrick. You awake refreshed. Gain 2 STAMINA points. Which direction will you take towards the plateau? You could take the direct route, south-east, across rough moorland; continue along the old trade road, due south for a while and then strike east; or head east across the heath to the hills before turning south.

South-east?
South, then east?
East, then south?

I'm not sure if we're supposed to get that 2 STAMINA bonus again.....what do you think?

And which way do we go this time?

Adventure Sheet:

Name: Captain Double D
SKILL 12/12
STAMINA 15/21
LUCK 11/12
Equipment: Sword, Leather Armor, Shield, Golden Apple (+4 STAMINA), Chaimail (+1 SKILL), Apothecus' Ring (+1 SKILL) , Jade Rose, Talisman of Death
Gold: 14
Provisions: 6 Meals (+4 STAMINA)
Potion: Potion of Fortune (restore Luck to Initial value, +1 to Initial Luck)
Misc Notes: At time of greatest need, cry: "All-Mother, nature herself, preserve me."
No. of Re-boots in this playthrough: 2

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Tue Dec 09, 2014 6:43 am

Here's something funny I forgot to mention about that last save point:

Because the minimum possible STAMINA score for any adventurer to start with is 14, it is potentially possible for an adventurer to get his Initial STAMINA boosted by 1 point just for dying.

Sirocco · Post by **Sirocco** » Tue Dec 09, 2014 7:47 am

I don't see why we shouldn't get it. It's explicitly stated in the paragraph, our STAMINA is below its Initial level... why not?

This time around I say we follow the road. More potential enemies, but more possibilities for loot.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Tue Dec 09, 2014 3:21 pm

As you walk on down the road, leaving all human habitation behind, it begins to rain heavily, transforming the dirt road into a morass of mud. By afternoon you decide to leave the road and head east, through the wilderness. After a hard day's trek, you camp for the night. Your sleep is fitful. You dream of Hawkana, clad in a funeral robe, her wounds still bleeding. She is standing at the edge of the Valley of Death, her hair streaming in a howling wind. She beckons you to follow, then turns and walks down into the blasted desolation of the valley. You wake up feeling on edge ad drained of energy. Lose 2 STAMINA points and turn to 116.

Well, if we decided to take the 2 bonus STAMINA points in the last section....we just lost them again. :/

You trudge on beneath oppressive grey skies. The Talisman seems to weigh you down, like a millstone round your neck. At last you can see the plateau looming ahead of you, but this does nothing to dispel the nervousness you feel. At dusk you make camp and the dark pall of night engulfs you. Exhausted, you fall asleep. A more vivid dream disturbs your rest. Hawkana appears again, but her outline is hazy and insubstantial. She beckons once more - the void that separates you is neither time nor space. You feel yourself moving towards her and everything around you becomes misty and ethereal. You have been drawn to the edge of the Valley of Death. You must fight her.

HAWKANA'S SPIRIT SKILL 10 STAMINA 12

If you win, turn to 108. If you lose this combat in the spirit world, turn to 23.

COMBAT LOG:

Hawkana 18, Double D 19. Hawkana is at 10.
Hawkana 18, DD 20. Hawkana is at 8.
Hawkana 18, DD 14. Double D is at 13.
Hawkana 18, DD 21. Hawkana is at 6.
Hawkana 19, DD 22. Hawkana is at 4.
Hawkana 12, DD 22. Hawkana is at 2.
Hawkana 15, DD 19. Hawkana is.....killed again?

You wake up with a start. It is dawn. You regain any STAMINA points you lost fighting Hawkana in the spirit world. However, you feel as if you had actually fought her and your sleep has had no restorative powers. You gather up your belongings and trudge onward.

Back to 15 STAMINA.

You are nearing mountains which stretch away in a haze of purple to the south. Ahead of you lies the plateau. Suddenly, a dark shadow falls around you. Looking up you see an enormous bird swooping down towards you. Its break alone is larger than you. Will you:

Stand to fight it?
Kneel to fight it?
Lie prone?

How low do we want to get?

Adventure Sheet:

Name: Captain Double D
SKILL 12/12
STAMINA 15/21
LUCK 11/12
Equipment: Sword, Leather Armor, Shield, Golden Apple (+4 STAMINA), Chaimail (+1 SKILL), Apothecus' Ring (+1 SKILL) , Jade Rose, Talisman of Death
Gold: 14
Provisions: 6 Meals (+4 STAMINA)
Potion: Potion of Fortune (restore Luck to Initial value, +1 to Initial Luck)
Misc Notes: At time of greatest need, cry: "All-Mother, nature herself, preserve me."
No. of Re-boots in this playthrough: 2

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Tue Dec 09, 2014 3:32 pm

if we lie prone, we'll be helpless. Kneel.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Wed Dec 10, 2014 12:47 am

The Roc misses you and soars up into the sky. Luckily, its attention is distracted by a larger prey. The Roc swoops again, with a roar of wind, and carries off a wild horse. Grateful for your luck you hasten on towards the plateau.

Proof that there's definite advantages in a willingness to adapt a subservient posture at times.

Both other options will lead to us being carried off and forced to fight the SK 10 ST 16 creature.

At last the steep cliffs surrounding the plateau tower above you. Steps have been cut into the face of the reddish rock, which you begin to climb. By midday your legs ache abominably and you are glad to reach a ledge where you are welcomed by a cool fine spray rising from a waterfall. It cascades down the side of the plateau, casting small rainbows in the sun, and the thunderous roar is almost deafening. Will you climb on up the steps, or examine the waterfall?

Do we want to get close to the spray?

Sirocco · Post by **Sirocco** » Wed Dec 10, 2014 5:54 am

Sure we do.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Wed Dec 10, 2014 6:03 am

Check out the waterfall.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Wed Dec 10, 2014 6:12 am

You approach the waterfall and within moments are soaked through. Looking closer, you see a dry space behind it, under the jutting cliff-face. When you jump through, a cave entrance is revealed. Will you enter the cave, or leave and continue up the steps?

Does Captain Double D like penetrating random holes as much as any man?

Sirocco · Post by **Sirocco** » Wed Dec 10, 2014 7:48 am

"Yes we're sure."

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Wed Dec 10, 2014 11:18 am

You manage to light a damp torch, which reveals a door at the back of the cave. The door is made of a black word, inlaid with alabaster. A raised frieze in the central panel depicts a red dragon, a great flame shooting from its jaws, and an ivory spear. The door creaks as you open it gingerly. You come to a place where four tunnels cross. Will you:

Advance down the tunnel ahead?
Take the left-hand tunnel?
Take the right-hand tunnel?

Which passage to penetrate?