[Let's Play] Fighting Fantasy 56 – Knights of Doom

[Beroli]

Eat two meals and then find shelter.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes registered; Belushi Jackson will try to find shelter in the hills, and will also eat 2 Provisions.

327
Not far into the hills, you find the entrance to a large cave: the perfect place to shelter. As you lead Firemane towards it, however, you see that the cave mouth has been crudely decorated by someone, or something, with animal skulls and skins. Then an old hag appears at the opening; she is wearing ragged robes and necklaces of teeth and is yelling at you angrily and waving her arms frantically. Do you want to attack the crone (turn to 292), or do you prefer to speak to her and calm her down (turn to 135)?

Please make your votes before 6:00 PM PST to be sure that they will be counted.

Adventure Sheet
[spoiler]Belushi Jackson
SKILL: 12 Initial Skill = 12
STAMINA: 21 Initial Stamina = 24
LUCK: 9 Initial Luck = 12
SPECIAL SKILLS:
Battle Tactics
Ride
Tracking
Arcane Lore
Banish Spirit
HONOUR: 8
TIME ELAPSED: 3 days
WEAPON: Assassin’s Dagger
GOLD PIECES: 17
EQUIPMENT AND NOTES:
Chainmail Coat
Horse named Firemane
Backpack
5 Provisions
Lantern
Tinderbox
Purse
Aranandus’s Restorative Potion (two tots, restores STAMINA to Initial level)
Griffin Shield (-1 to enemy Attack Strength)
Helmet of Ventarc
Ironbane (Roll 1 die against armored opponent before combat, 1-2 destroys enemy armor, 3-4 reduces enemy SKILL by 3 if enemy has an iron weapon, 5-6 destroys enemy armor and reduces enemy SKILL by 3 if enemy has an iron weapon)
Great Boar’s Tusks
Nroht
Ecrof
Cleric’s Talisman
Raven Charm
Ecrof
Fear of Snakes
Twisted Staff
RESURRECTIONS: 3[/spoiler]

[Beroli]

Speak to her.

[Queen of Swords]

Try to calm her down.

[SGamerz]

I recall a scene in Howl of the Werewolf (written by the same author) where every decision to not kill a witch leads to a penalty or outright insta-fail, so I vote to attack the witch.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes counted; Belushi Jackson will speak to her and calm her down, as that won over attacking the crone by a 2-1 vote.

135
You explain to the old woman that you mean her no harm, and she soon calms down. ‘I thought you’d come ‘ere to turn me out of me ‘ome,’ she says, ‘but seeing as ‘ow you ‘aven’t, perhaps you’d take shelter for the night.’ You gratefully accept the crone’s invitation, and she provides you with a meal of spit-roast rabbit (regain up to 3 STAMINA points). As you eat, the old woman rambles on about her life in these lonely hills and tells you that she can concoct potions to cure almost anything. ‘I could rid you of your worst fears even, although for that I’d need special ingredients: the moss from a dead man’s scalp taken by moonlight, the tongue of a Cockatrice and a Banshee’s tooth.’ If you suffer from a fear and want to take the old crone up on this offer, turn to 51. If you do not, you turn in for the night and, at dawn, leave the cave and its strange occupant (add 1 day to the Time Elapsed and turn to 379).

[spoiler][/spoiler]

Please make your votes before 9:00 AM PST or a 4-vote majority is reach to be sure that they will be counted.

Adventure Sheet
[spoiler]Belushi Jackson
SKILL: 12 Initial Skill = 12
STAMINA: 24 Initial Stamina = 24
LUCK: 9 Initial Luck = 12
SPECIAL SKILLS:
Battle Tactics
Ride
Tracking
Arcane Lore
Banish Spirit
HONOUR: 8
TIME ELAPSED: 3 days
WEAPON: Assassin’s Dagger
GOLD PIECES: 17
EQUIPMENT AND NOTES:
Chainmail Coat
Horse named Firemane
Backpack
5 Provisions
Lantern
Tinderbox
Purse
Aranandus’s Restorative Potion (two tots, restores STAMINA to Initial level)
Griffin Shield (-1 to enemy Attack Strength)
Helmet of Ventarc
Ironbane (Roll 1 die against armored opponent before combat, 1-2 destroys enemy armor, 3-4 reduces enemy SKILL by 3 if enemy has an iron weapon, 5-6 destroys enemy armor and reduces enemy SKILL by 3 if enemy has an iron weapon)
Great Boar’s Tusks
Nroht
Ecrof
Cleric’s Talisman
Raven Charm
Ecrof
Fear of Snakes
Twisted Staff
RESURRECTIONS: 3[/spoiler]

[Beroli]

We don't have those things, but since it's not asking if we do presumably this is a side quest to go get them. Take her up on the offer. Continuing with Fear of Snakes sounds like a bad idea if we don't have to.

[Queen of Swords]

Agreed, take her up on the offer.

[Thaluikhain]

Side quest time again, take her up on her offer.

[SGamerz]

Accept side quest.

[JourneymanN00b]

Taking the old crone up on this offer received 4 votes, so Belushi Jackson will do this.

51
Make a note of the word ‘Enorc’ on your Adventure Sheet. You tell the hag about your encounter with the Lich. ‘Good,’ she says, ‘then you can collect the first ingredient, but you must do it now, by moonlight.’ Returning to the scaffold, you get the grisly job over and done with as quickly as possible. Fortunately the Lich remains dead while you carry out the task.

At dawn (add 1 day to the Time Elapsed) you leave the cave and, following the crone’s directions, set off in search of a Cockatrice that has been terrorizing the local area recently. At the end of a steep rocky gorge you find the entrance to the network of caves in which the monster has its lair. Tethering your mount to a rock, you light your lantern and enter the gloomy hole. Your footsteps echo round the walls as you step warily down the tunnel, and water drips from the ceiling into pools on the floor with an eerie plopping sound. A few metres further on, you come to a T-junction. Do you want to go to the left (turn to 182) or to the right (turn to 126)?

Please make your votes before 9:00 AM PST or a 4-vote majority is reach to be sure that they will be counted.

Adventure Sheet
[spoiler]Belushi Jackson
SKILL: 12 Initial Skill = 12
STAMINA: 24 Initial Stamina = 24
LUCK: 9 Initial Luck = 12
SPECIAL SKILLS:
Battle Tactics
Ride
Tracking
Arcane Lore
Banish Spirit
HONOUR: 8
TIME ELAPSED: 4 days
WEAPON: Assassin’s Dagger
GOLD PIECES: 17
EQUIPMENT AND NOTES:
Chainmail Coat
Horse named Firemane
Backpack
5 Provisions
Lantern
Tinderbox
Purse
Aranandus’s Restorative Potion (two tots, restores STAMINA to Initial level)
Griffin Shield (-1 to enemy Attack Strength)
Helmet of Ventarc
Ironbane (Roll 1 die against armored opponent before combat, 1-2 destroys enemy armor, 3-4 reduces enemy SKILL by 3 if enemy has an iron weapon, 5-6 destroys enemy armor and reduces enemy SKILL by 3 if enemy has an iron weapon)
Great Boar’s Tusks
Nroht
Ecrof
Cleric’s Talisman
Raven Charm
Ecrof
Fear of Snakes
Twisted Staff
Enorc
Dead Man's Scalp Moss
RESURRECTIONS: 3[/spoiler]

[SGamerz]

In the absence of any clues I know of, might as well go left.

[Queen of Swords]

Sure, try left.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Left works fine by me.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes registered; Belushi Jackson will go to the left.

182
You walk for several kilometres along the uneven tunnel floors until you reach a large cave chamber with no other exits: a dead-end. By the time you have trudged back to the junction, you are quite tired (lose 1 STAMINA point). Having rested briefly, you take the right-hand passage (turn to 126).

126
Following the tunnel into the caves, eventually you enter a low cavern. As you make your way across it, you hear a loud hissing sound and your lantern illuminates a mass of slithering bodies. Dozens of snakes cover the chamber floor and many look as if they could be poisonous. Do you suffer from the Fear of Snakes? If you do, turn to 252; otherwise, turn to 300.

Belushi Jackson does suffer from the Fear of Snakes.

252
[spoiler][/spoiler]

At the sight of all these snakes you start to panic. Test your Skill, adding 2 to the dice roll. If you succeed, you manage to overcome your phobia and face the serpents, but while you are fighting them you must reduce your Attack Strength by 2 points (turn to 300). If you fail, you run out of the caves in terror and, remounting Firemane, ride away from Ennox (lose 1 HONOUR and 1 LUCK point for your cowardly behaviour, and turn to 332).

Rolling the dice and applying the modification yielded a 9, which means that Belushi Jackson overcomes his phobia and faces the serpents.

300
Drawing your weapon, you defend yourself against these venomous adversaries. Fight them as if they were a single opponent.

SNAKES       SKILL 8       STAMINA 11

Unless you are able to drink the potion Antitoxin, each time the snakes strike you successfully, you must lose 4 STAMINA points because of their poisonous bites. If you win, you have managed to clear yourself a way across the cavern. Turn to 27.

The fight:
[spoiler]Round 1: Snakes Attack Strength: 15, Player Attack Strength: 15;
Snakes Stamina: 11, Player Stamina: 23
Round 2: Snakes Attack Strength: 17, Player Attack Strength: 15;
Snakes Stamina: 11, Player Stamina: 19
Round 3: Snakes Attack Strength: 16, Player Attack Strength: 22;
Snakes Stamina: 9, Player Stamina: 19
Round 4: Snakes Attack Strength: 14, Player Attack Strength: 18;
Snakes Stamina: 7, Player Stamina: 19
Round 5: Snakes Attack Strength: 18, Player Attack Strength: 12;
Snakes Stamina: 7, Player Stamina: 15
Round 6: Snakes Attack Strength: 14, Player Attack Strength: 14;
Snakes Stamina: 7, Player Stamina: 15
Round 7: Snakes Attack Strength: 18, Player Attack Strength: 16;
Snakes Stamina: 7, Player Stamina: 11
Round 8: Snakes Attack Strength: 11, Player Attack Strength: 17;
Snakes Stamina: 5, Player Stamina: 11
Round 9: Snakes Attack Strength: 11, Player Attack Strength: 19;
Snakes Stamina: 3, Player Stamina: 11
Round 10: Snakes Attack Strength: 14, Player Attack Strength: 18;
Snakes Stamina: 1, Player Stamina: 11
Round 11: Snakes Attack Strength: 12, Player Attack Strength: 15;
Snakes Stamina: -1, Player Stamina: 11[/spoiler]

The Snakes manage to deliver quite a few lucky blows on Belushi Jackson, who is suffering from his fear of them. Since our hero does not have the Antitoxin potion, he loses 12 Stamina from the poisonous bites before he kills them all.

27
[spoiler][/spoiler]

Passing through another opening, you enter a small cave. There in front of you is the Cockatrice. The creature has the head and body of a large cockerel, while a long snake-bite tail lashes behind it. The thing half struts and half flies towards you on large, leathery bat-wings. The Cockatrice is a fearless carnivore and has no qualms about taking you on! If you have read about this monster in a bestiary or have the Arcane Lore Special Skill, turn to 90. Otherwise you will have to fight the creature.

COCKATRICE       SKILL 7       STAMINA 7

If the Cockatrice wins an Attack Round, as well as pecking you and causing 2 STAMINA points of damage, the creature has poisonous breath which may well paralyse part of your body, and this could be fatal! Roll one die to determine what the effect is.

Dice Roll       Effect
1-2       Nothing happens
3       Lose 1 SKILL point
4       Lose 2 SKILL points
5       Lose 3 SKILL points
6       Death

If you manage to kill the Cockatrice and you have the word ‘Enorc’ written on your Adventure Sheet, turn to 221; if you haven’t, turn to 168.

Belushi Jackson has read about this monster in a bestiary and has the Arcane Lore Special Skill.

90
You remember that, if the Cockatrice catches sight of its reflection in a mirror, it will die … Easier said than done! If you do not have a mirror or if you do not want to try this plan of attack, return to 27, otherwise, Test your Luck twice. If you are Unlucky on either occasion, the beast attacks you (return to 27 and fight the monster, remembering that it has automatically won the first Attack Round already); if you are Lucky both times, the Cockatrice looks into the mirror and, seeing its reflection, drops dead. If you have the word ‘Enorc’ written on your Adventure Sheet, turn to 221; if you haven’t, turn to 168.

Belushi Jackson does not have a mirror, so he will be fighting the creature.

The fight:
[spoiler]Round 1: Cockatrice Attack Strength: 13, Player Attack Strength: 17;
Cockatrice Stamina: 5, Player Stamina: 11
Round 2: Cockatrice Attack Strength: 16, Player Attack Strength: 19;
Cockatrice Stamina: 3, Player Stamina: 11
Round 3: Cockatrice Attack Strength: 14, Player Attack Strength: 23;
Cockatrice Stamina: 1, Player Stamina: 11
Round 4: Cockatrice Attack Strength: 11, Player Attack Strength: 18;
Cockatrice Stamina: -1, Player Stamina: 11[/spoiler]

Thankfully, Belushi Jackson flawlessly kills the Cockatrice. Since he has the word “Enorc” written on his Adventure Sheet, we will next turn to 221.

221
Cutting out the Cockatrice’s tongue, you return to the crone’s cave. ‘A terrible Banshee, called the Cailleach, haunts the Cairns of Dunar, half a day’s ride southwest of here across the moors. You’ll have to kill it in the flesh and get the last ingredient for yer potion,’ the old hag cackles. If you want to go after the Banshee and its tooth, turn to 323. If you would rather forget the whole idea now, you decide to waste no more time in this area and to head southwards again; turn to 332.

Please make your votes before 6:00 PM PST to be sure that they will be counted.

Adventure Sheet
[spoiler]Belushi Jackson
SKILL: 12 Initial Skill = 12
STAMINA: 11 Initial Stamina = 24
LUCK: 9 Initial Luck = 12
SPECIAL SKILLS:
Battle Tactics
Ride
Tracking
Arcane Lore
Banish Spirit
HONOUR: 8
TIME ELAPSED: 4 days
WEAPON: Assassin’s Dagger
GOLD PIECES: 17
EQUIPMENT AND NOTES:
Chainmail Coat
Horse named Firemane
Backpack
5 Provisions
Lantern
Tinderbox
Purse
Aranandus’s Restorative Potion (two tots, restores STAMINA to Initial level)
Griffin Shield (-1 to enemy Attack Strength)
Helmet of Ventarc
Ironbane (Roll 1 die against armored opponent before combat, 1-2 destroys enemy armor, 3-4 reduces enemy SKILL by 3 if enemy has an iron weapon, 5-6 destroys enemy armor and reduces enemy SKILL by 3 if enemy has an iron weapon)
Great Boar’s Tusks
Nroht
Ecrof
Cleric’s Talisman
Raven Charm
Ecrof
Fear of Snakes
Twisted Staff
Enorc
Dead Man’s Scalp Moss
Cockatrice Tongue
RESURRECTIONS: 3[/spoiler]

[Queen of Swords]

We've come this far, so we might as well finish the side quest. But let's eat two Provisions first.

[Beroli]

Yes, eat two Meals and chase down the toothy banshee.

[SGamerz]

Hunt banshee.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes registered; Belushi Jackson will eat two Provisions and go after the Banshee and its tooth.

323
A bitterly cold wind is howling over the moors as you and Firemane journey across the desolate heath. After two hours’ ride you see a single standing stone rising up out of the otherwise featureless landscape. Known as the Maiden, the stone once had the carving of a young woman on it, but this has been almost completely eroded by time and the weather. If you have the Commune Special Skill, turn to 380. If you haven’t, Test your Luck: if you are Lucky, turn to 380; if you are not, turn to 263.

[spoiler][/spoiler]

Belushi Jackson does not have the Commune Special Skill, so we will test his Luck and hope there are no whammies.

Rolling the dice yielded a 10, meaning that Belushi Jackson was Unlucky.

263
The sun is low in the sky by the time you reach the Cairns of Dunar, and you can sense the presence of evil in the area. The site is made up of four tumuli constructed round a central ring of stones with one at roughly each point of the compass. A dark hole in the side of each mound provides access to whatever is waiting inside. If you do not want to search in the barrows – which you can do only if you have a lantern – you can leave the Cairns of Dunar by turning to 202. If you have the Tracking Special Skill, turn to 137. If you do not, having lit your lantern, which mound will you enter first? The one to the:

North? Turn to 95
South? Turn to 175
East? Turn to 339
West? Turn to 350

[spoiler][/spoiler]

Belushi Jackson has a lantern and the Tracking Special Skill.

137
The track that leads into the southern mound looks both well used and as if something has travelled along it recently. Now, having lit your lantern, will you enter the mound to the:

North? Turn to 95
South? Turn to 175
East? Turn to 339
West? Turn to 350

Please make your votes on whether to search in the barrows and if so, which mound to enter before 9:00 AM PST or a 4-vote majority is reached to be sure that they will be counted.

Adventure Sheet
[spoiler]Belushi Jackson
SKILL: 12 Initial Skill = 12
STAMINA: 19 Initial Stamina = 24
LUCK: 8 Initial Luck = 12
SPECIAL SKILLS:
Battle Tactics
Ride
Tracking
Arcane Lore
Banish Spirit
HONOUR: 8
TIME ELAPSED: 4 days
WEAPON: Assassin’s Dagger
GOLD PIECES: 17
EQUIPMENT AND NOTES:
Chainmail Coat
Horse named Firemane
Backpack
3 Provisions
Lantern
Tinderbox
Purse
Aranandus’s Restorative Potion (two tots, restores STAMINA to Initial level)
Griffin Shield (-1 to enemy Attack Strength)
Helmet of Ventarc
Ironbane (Roll 1 die against armored opponent before combat, 1-2 destroys enemy armor, 3-4 reduces enemy SKILL by 3 if enemy has an iron weapon, 5-6 destroys enemy armor and reduces enemy SKILL by 3 if enemy has an iron weapon)
Great Boar’s Tusks
Nroht
Ecrof
Cleric’s Talisman
Raven Charm
Ecrof
Fear of Snakes
Twisted Staff
Enorc
Dead Man’s Scalp Moss
Cockatrice Tongue
RESURRECTIONS: 3[/spoiler]

[Beroli]

The south one is the only one that stands out to us in any way, so that one.

[Queen of Swords]

Agreed, south.

[Thaluikhain]

Makes sense, go south.

[SGamerz]

Our skill gave us a hint, so let's take it. South.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes registered; Belushi Jackson will search in the barrows and enter the south mound.

175
[spoiler][/spoiler]

Creeping into the darkened passage, you are assailed by a stench of decay and putrefaction. Following the tunnel a little further, you round a bend and come upon a circular chamber littered with bones and filth, and smelling like an animal’s den. Hearing your approach, the inhabitant of the mound turns, dropping the human arm it was gnawing when you arrived, and lets out a soul-shredding wail. The grotesque thing standing before you looks like a shrivelled and stooped old woman with long matted hair and, strangely, only one large nostril and a single tooth. As the hideous creature howls mournfully, you look into a pair of red-rimmed eyes filled with blazing fury and indescribable sorrow. You are now facing the terrible Banshee, known as the Cailleach, that haunts the Cairns of Dunar. (Make a note of the number of this paragraph.) If you have the Banish Spirit Special Skill and wish to try to use it now, turn to 103. If you do not have it, turn to 345.

Belushi Jackson has the Banish Spirit Special Skill. Please make your votes on whether to use it or not before 6:00 PM PST to be sure that they will be counted.

Adventure Sheet
[spoiler]Belushi Jackson
SKILL: 12 Initial Skill = 12
STAMINA: 19 Initial Stamina = 24
LUCK: 8 Initial Luck = 12
SPECIAL SKILLS:
Battle Tactics
Ride
Tracking
Arcane Lore
Banish Spirit
HONOUR: 8
TIME ELAPSED: 4 days
WEAPON: Assassin’s Dagger
GOLD PIECES: 17
EQUIPMENT AND NOTES:
Chainmail Coat
Horse named Firemane
Backpack
3 Provisions
Lantern
Tinderbox
Purse
Aranandus’s Restorative Potion (two tots, restores STAMINA to Initial level)
Griffin Shield (-1 to enemy Attack Strength)
Helmet of Ventarc
Ironbane (Roll 1 die against armored opponent before combat, 1-2 destroys enemy armor, 3-4 reduces enemy SKILL by 3 if enemy has an iron weapon, 5-6 destroys enemy armor and reduces enemy SKILL by 3 if enemy has an iron weapon)
Great Boar’s Tusks
Nroht
Ecrof
Cleric’s Talisman
Raven Charm
Ecrof
Fear of Snakes
Twisted Staff
Enorc
Dead Man’s Scalp Moss
Cockatrice Tongue
Encountered Banshee On Paragraph 175
RESURRECTIONS: 3[/spoiler]

[Queen of Swords]

If we banish it, will we be able to get the tooth? Half vote for not using this skill.