[Let's Play] Fighting Fantasy 23 - Masks of Mayhem!

JourneymanN00b · Post by **JourneymanN00b** » Sat Dec 26, 2020 4:46 am

My vote is to the investigate the hut, and also to eat a Provision.

Queen of Swords · Post by **Queen of Swords** » Sat Dec 26, 2020 5:47 am

Sure, let's go for the hut.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Sun Dec 27, 2020 12:41 am

It takes your eyes a few moments to adjust to the gloom after the bright sunshine outside. Then you see that, although the ceiling is festooned with cobwebs, the floor is fairly free of dust. There is a table with a wooden bowl and spoon on it, and a crudely made stool tucked underneath. Will you leave before the occupant of the hut appears, or look around?

Keep looking here?

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Sun Dec 27, 2020 12:51 am

I’d keep searching; Arthur is king of the Britons so we can just be like “I’m your king and trying to save you, can you help?” if anyone shows up.

Thaluikhain · Post by **Thaluikhain** » Sun Dec 27, 2020 2:12 am

Look around.

angelfromanotherpin · Post by **angelfromanotherpin** » Sun Dec 27, 2020 4:02 am

I didn't come into this hut to do nuthin' before leaving.

JourneymanN00b · Post by **JourneymanN00b** » Sun Dec 27, 2020 5:05 am

I again vote to take a look around.

Queen of Swords · Post by **Queen of Swords** » Sun Dec 27, 2020 5:41 am

Yes, let's look around.

pragma · Post by **pragma** » Mon Dec 28, 2020 6:21 am

Agree, Look Around

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Mon Dec 28, 2020 9:26 am

When you move further into the hut, a shape detaches itself from the deep shadows of one of the corners and shuffles towards you. At that moment a beam of light, which is pouring through a small hole in the roof, illuminates your helmet. Immediately, the shape stops its shuffling, and you can now see that it is a human hermit or beggar or some kind, and he appears to be fascinated by your helmet.

The next instant, the hermit drops to the floor and grovels at your feet, like an abject servant before his master or mistress. "They told me," he whimpers, half in ecstasy, half in fear. "They told me you would come." This is a bit alarming. "Who told you?" you ask. "The voices, the voices," is all the reply you get.

The poor man is obviously crazy. Will you leave before the owners of 'the voices' find you there, or question the hermit further?

Do we want to find out more about the mysterious voices, or avoid them?

Thaluikhain · Post by **Thaluikhain** » Mon Dec 28, 2020 9:51 am

Question further.

pragma · Post by **pragma** » Mon Dec 28, 2020 2:35 pm

Question further

angelfromanotherpin · Post by **angelfromanotherpin** » Mon Dec 28, 2020 5:26 pm

'Obviously crazy,' what kind of judgy crap is that? This is an unusual environment, the guy's behavior could be a perfectly sane response to it. Keep talking to him, we still haven't actually gotten anything out of coming in here.

JourneymanN00b · Post by **JourneymanN00b** » Mon Dec 28, 2020 6:13 pm

My vote is to question the hermit further.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Mon Dec 28, 2020 11:13 pm

Yeah, question him further.

Queen of Swords · Post by **Queen of Swords** » Tue Dec 29, 2020 6:32 am

I played this book a long time ago and don't remember these mysterious voices at all, so now I really want to find out who or what they are. Question him.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Tue Dec 29, 2020 9:04 am

You can get nothing more out of him, but while you question him, he sidles off to the side of the room and, cringing, brings back a bundle of rags, which he offers to you. When you unwrap them, you discover a magnificent scepter. It is made only of iron, but is clearly of great age and has an aura of regal authority. You want to ask the old man about it, but he has collapsed unconscious on the floor. As you are stowing the scepter safely in your pack, you notice that it is inscribed with runes, which you translate as 'There should be just one ruler.' Then you leave.

Will you investigate the main shaft or, if you haven't already done so, the collapsed hut? Or will you leave the area altogether?

Where next?

Adventure Sheet:

SKILL 12/12
STAMINA 11/15
LUCK 9/9
Equipment: Sword, Leather Armor, Backpack, Potion of Fortune (+1 to Initial LUCK, restores LUCK to new Initial value), Helmet, sorrels, Iron Sceptre ("There should be just one ruler")
Provisions: 10 (only restores 3 STAMINA each until new water flask is found)
Notes: 1) When allowed to call on Galrin's help, turn to section 100.

Whatever · Post by **Whatever** » Tue Dec 29, 2020 11:26 am

Last time it was an outhouse, but I like the sound of "if you haven't already done so". Hut again!

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Tue Dec 29, 2020 5:11 pm

Check out the hut because it's survivable (not clear if it's beneficial, but it's not a game over), and then if we can the shaft because working the shaft is part of the grand tradition of FF dick jokes.

Queen of Swords · Post by **Queen of Swords** » Tue Dec 29, 2020 5:46 pm

The scepter is one of the items we need to collect, so that's good.

I'm not sure there's more beneficial stuff for us, but sure, check out the hut.

JourneymanN00b · Post by **JourneymanN00b** » Wed Dec 30, 2020 12:21 am

My vote is to look at the collapsed hut, and to eat a Provision.

EDIT: Changed my vote since I didn't fully read the passage.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Wed Dec 30, 2020 10:05 am

JourneymanN00b wrote:and to eat a Provision.

I just want to be sure...you do remember that we won't be reaping the full benefits of Provisions until we find a new water flask, right?

Not only has the roof collapsed, but, as soon as you step inside the hut, the floor collapses too, rotted away by years of damp and deathwatch beetle. And creatures worse than beetles occupy the cellar into which you have fallen. Rats and gigantic millipedes scutter and writhe when you land with a crash on the ground. Then the are all over you, before you can get to your feet. You brush them off, but will have to fight to make enough space to reach the joists and haul yourself back up. Treat them as a single opponent.

VERMIN SKILL 5 STAMINA 6

If you win, you pull yourself out of this hell-hole, but a rat bites your dangling ankle for 1 STAMINA point of injury. Will you now investigate the main shaft or the more solid hut, or will you leave the site altogether?

COMBAT LOG:

Vermin 12, Arthur 16. Vermin is at 4.
Vermin 12, Arthur 16. Vermin is at 2.
Vermin 12, Arthur 21. Vermin is defeated.

We emerge from this short fight unscathed, but lose a STAMINA from a rat-bite as we climb out, leaving us at STAMINA 10...

Do we still want to get check the shaft?

Adventure Sheet:

Name: King Arthur Anric
SKILL 12/12
STAMINA 10/15
LUCK 9/9
Equipment: Sword, Leather Armor, Backpack, Potion of Fortune (+1 to Initial LUCK, restores LUCK to new Initial value), Helmet, sorrels, Iron Sceptre ("There should be just one ruler")
Provisions: 10 (only restores 3 STAMINA each until new water flask is found)
Notes: 1) When allowed to call on Galrin's help, turn to section 100.

Thaluikhain · Post by **Thaluikhain** » Wed Dec 30, 2020 10:30 am

To the shaft, whilst making references to Richard Roundtree.

Queen of Swords · Post by **Queen of Swords** » Wed Dec 30, 2020 3:51 pm

And now we might have rabies from the rat-bite. Or did that happen in a different FF book?

Check out the shaft.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Wed Dec 30, 2020 4:34 pm

I stand by checking out the shaft.