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

[Beroli]

Banishing tooth we came out here for contraindicated. Perform dental work with sword instead.

[SGamerz]

Don't use the skill.

[JourneymanN00b]

Apologies for the delay, as things got a little hectic today. I have registered your votes to have Belushi Jackson not use the Banish Spirit Special Skill.

345
Screaming, the ghastly spectre lunges at you with frightening speed and tries to slash you with its clawed hands.

CAILLEACH       SKILL 12       STAMINA 12

The Banshee’s spine-chilling howl proves a very off-putting distraction to you during this combat. At the start of each Attack Round you must Test your Skill. If you fail in the dice roll, the creature’s soul-rending shrieks transfix you with fear and you will automatically lose the Attack Round. If you defeat this grisly undead horror, turn to 383.

The fight:
[spoiler](Since Belushi Jackson has 12 Skill, he will pass all Skill tests at the beginning of each Attack Round.)
Round 1: Cailleach Attack Strength: 18, Player Attack Strength: 19;
Cailleach Stamina: 10, Player Stamina: 19
Round 2: Cailleach Attack Strength: 21, Player Attack Strength: 22;
Cailleach Stamina: 8, Player Stamina: 19
Round 3: Cailleach Attack Strength: 22, Player Attack Strength: 20;
Cailleach Stamina: 8, Player Stamina: 17
Round 4: Cailleach Attack Strength: 15, Player Attack Strength: 19;
Cailleach Stamina: 6, Player Stamina: 17
Round 5: Cailleach Attack Strength: 18, Player Attack Strength: 20;
Cailleach Stamina: 4, Player Stamina: 17
Round 6: Cailleach Attack Strength: 19, Player Attack Strength: 16;
Cailleach Stamina: 4, Player Stamina: 15
Round 7: Cailleach Attack Strength: 19, Player Attack Strength: 17;
Cailleach Stamina: 4, Player Stamina: 13
Round 8: Cailleach Attack Strength: 19, Player Attack Strength: 22;
Cailleach Stamina: 2, Player Stamina: 13
Round 9: Cailleach Attack Strength: 16, Player Attack Strength: 20;
Cailleach Stamina: 0, Player Stamina: 13[/spoiler]

The Cailleach inflicts 6 Stamina worth of damage to Belushi Jackson before it is defeated by Belushi Jackson.

383
Write down the word ‘Eehsnab’ on your Adventure Sheet. Now, if you have the word ‘Enorc’ already written on your Adventure Sheet, turn to 12. If you haven’t and you came here from paragraph 175, turn to 316. If you came here from paragraph 163, turn to 202.

Belushi Jackson has the word “Enorc” already written on his Adventure Sheet.

12
Having removed the Banshee’s tooth, do you want to make your way back to the crone’s cave so that she can concoct your potion (turn to 217) or will you go elsewhere (turn to 202)?

Please make your votes 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: 13 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
Eehsnab
Banshee’s Tooth
RESURRECTIONS: 3[/spoiler]

[Queen of Swords]

Get the potion made.

[Thaluikhain]

Get the potion.

(And a Sk 12, Sta 12 monster that auto hits every round unless you make a SK test? Nasty)

[Beroli]

Go back to the cave.

The banshee is just like the one in Caverns of the Snow Witch.

[SGamerz]

Back to the crone.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Oh, good point. Don’t banish the spirit and hope we can tank (or otherwise counter) its attacks.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes registered, Belushi Jackson will make his way back to the crone’s cave so that she can concoct the potion.

217
Dusk has fallen by the time you leave the burial mounds. You spend the night in peace and the next day set off refreshed (restore 2 STAMINA points and add 1 day to the Time Elapsed). You reach the cave after several hours’ riding, and the crone quickly sets about brewing your potion. In another hour it is ready. Without hesitation you gulp down the foul-smelling, thick, black liquid. The potion makes you feel slightly sick, but at the same time it fills you with renewed confidence and determination. Lose 2 STAMINA points, but restore 1 LUCK point and 1 SKILL point, and cross off any fear you may have recorded on your Adventure Sheet. Thanking the old crone, you mount Firemane and head south. Turn to 332.

[spoiler][/spoiler]

332
Eventually you rejoin the main road heading south, and by late afternoon you come in sight of the edge of the great Forest of Lein. Not far along the track you reach the village of Assart, built in a huge clearing inside the border of the forest. As you ride into the village you see a group of people in fierce debate. ‘But if we don’t do something we’re all as good as dead!’ a young, scholarly-looking man is saying desperately.

‘What can we do?’ a burly forester replies. ‘There are too many of them, and more come each night. There are those who would be willing to fight if we had a strong leader to take us into battle.’

‘Failing that, we need someone who would be prepared to go there alone and kill the Necromancer,’ an old woman declares. She suddenly catches sight of you and adds, ‘Someone like a Templar.’ You ask the group what the problem is, and the old wisewoman tells you about the Necromancer and the ghost village. ‘Not far from here, to the west, lies what’s left of the village of Myrton. It’s been deserted for years and most of it’s in ruins now – but no one’s ever been there because of the stories. A Necromancer lies buried there and people do say that the place is haunted. But now it looks as if the tales are true, for last Moonsday night the dead of Myrton rose from their graves and attacked our village, carrying off three people. They’ve been back every night since, their number increasing all the time, so we have to lock ourselves in our homes. Four more were taken last night. It seems as if the Necromancer is back and is building himself an army of the undead.’ It certainly does, but you cannot help thinking that Belgaroth’s corruption and Chaos may be source of this problem. ‘Everyone in Assart’s afraid,’ the woman continues, ‘and no one dares go to Myrton itself, not even during the day. Will you help us?’ Will you help the people of Assart (turn to 148) or, still having several days’ travel ahead of you, will you go directly for what you think is the root of the problem (turn to 319)?

[spoiler][/spoiler]

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: 13 Initial Stamina = 24
LUCK: 9 Initial Luck = 12
SPECIAL SKILLS:
Battle Tactics
Ride
Tracking
Arcane Lore
Banish Spirit
HONOUR: 8
TIME ELAPSED: 5 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
Twisted Staff
Enorc
Encountered Banshee On Paragraph 175
Eehsnab
RESURRECTIONS: 3[/spoiler]

[Thaluikhain]

Huh, probably didn't spend too much time thinking of how to introduce that sidequest.

Eat a provision and take the sidequest.

(Also, it was quite a bit of mucking round to get rid of our fear, hope it doesn't turn out that it'd have been only a minor problem)

[Queen of Swords]

Agreed, take side quest.

[Beroli]

Half vote to go after Belgaroth instead.

[SGamerz]

Help the people of Assart. Honour is a stat, and not helping them will probably bring it down.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes counted, Belushi Jackson will help the people of Assart, since that won over going directly for what he thinks is the root of the problem by a 3-0.5 vote. He will also eat a Provision, since there was a vote to do that.

148
The villagers cheer at your announcement. You must act tonight so as to save time and protect Assart from the cursed twilight existence of the undead. If you have the Battle Tactics Special Skill and want to try to organize the villagers into a small fighting force, turn to 224. If you do not have that Special Skill, or if you do not want to use it, turn to 5.

Belushi Jackson has the Battle Tactics Special Skill. Please make your votes on whether to use it or not before 9:00 AM PST or a 4-vote majority is reached to be sure that they will be counted.

[SGamerz]

Use the skill.

[Thaluikhain]

Use the skill.

[Queen of Swords]

Yes, let’s make use of that skill.

[Beroli]

Use Battle Tactics.

[JourneymanN00b]

Organizing the villagers into a small fighting force received 4 votes, so Belushi Jackson will do that.

224
You give the forester your instructions and by the time dusk is falling you have your makeshift army ready, armed with crude weapons and farm implements – your old commander at the Demonkeep Outpost would have been proud of you! Carrying torches and singing to keep their spirits up, the villagers follow you west to Myrton, while you ride at their head on Firemane, who is excited at the prospect of battle. You soon come in sight of the derelict ruins which are lying under a thick pall of mist. The air is heavy with the smell of death and you can hear the tolling of a bell. Emerging from the enshrouding mist are the bodies of the dead returned to life. With a shout you lead your army against them in an attempt to break through their lines. Roll one dice. If the result is odd, turn to 358; if it is even, turn to 275.

Rolling the dice yielded a 3, so we will turn to paragraph 358.

358
Suddenly you find yourself facing a skeletal warrior, dressed in remnants of chainmail armour and wielding a barbed longsword. The warrior has retained all its fighting knowledge even in death. There is no time to use a crossbow or lance or any mystic skills before you engage in combat.

UNDEAD CHAMPION       SKILL 9       STAMINA 7

If you are using an edged or pointed weapon against the skeleton, a successful strike will be turned by its bones and do only 1 point of damage to its STAMINA. Smashing and crushing weapons, such as an axe, mace or war-hammer, will do normal damage. If you vanquish this opponent, the villagers fight on while you go after the Necromancer. Turn to 31.

[spoiler][/spoiler]

The fight:
[spoiler](Player is using an edged weapon in this fight)
Round 1: Undead Champion Attack Strength: 16, Player Attack Strength: 18;
Undead Champion Stamina: 6, Player Stamina: 17
Round 2: Undead Champion Attack Strength: 16, Player Attack Strength: 17;
Undead Champion Stamina: 5, Player Stamina: 17
Round 3: Undead Champion Attack Strength: 14, Player Attack Strength: 15;
Undead Champion Stamina: 4, Player Stamina: 17
Round 4: Undead Champion Attack Strength: 14, Player Attack Strength: 19;
Undead Champion Stamina: 3, Player Stamina: 17
Round 5: Undead Champion Attack Strength: 15, Player Attack Strength: 16;
Undead Champion Stamina: 2, Player Stamina: 17
Round 6: Undead Champion Attack Strength: 15, Player Attack Strength: 17;
Undead Champion Stamina: 1, Player Stamina: 17
Round 7: Undead Champion Attack Strength: 12, Player Attack Strength: 18;
Undead Champion Stamina: 0, Player Stamina: 17[/spoiler]

Despite fighting with an edged weapon that is the Assassin’s Dagger, Belushi Jackson flawlessly vanquishes the Undead Champion.

31
An unnatural stillness hangs over Myrton and the whole village seems to be deserted. What could have happened here all those years ago? Much of it is in ruins, with only a few stone buildings still standing, enveloped in fog. These include the Elders’ Meeting House to the north-east, the village lock-up to the south-east and a tall bell-tower, which has remained totally intact, to the north. The tolling comes from the bell-tower and a cloud of bats is flitting about its eaves. You can also see an abandoned graveyard lying to the west, on the far side of the village. Where will you begin your search for the Necromancer?

The meeting house? Turn to 215
The lock-up? Turn to 44
The bell-tower? Turn to 195
The graveyard? Turn to 381

[spoiler][/spoiler]

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

[Queen of Swords]

I'm torn between the graveyard and the bell tower, but I suspect that the tolling from the bell tower is what's bringing the dead back. So, go for the bell tower.

[Beroli]

Sounds logical, bell tower it is.

[SGamerz]

Bell tower.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes registered; Belushi Jackson will begin his search for the Necromancer in the bell-tower.

195
You enter the bell-tower through a small door at its base and climb a spiral stone staircase to the top. Here you find a square room with an arched opening in each wall. A large iron bell is swinging on its frame in the centre of the chamber, tolling somberly. The only occupants of the belfry are several large bats, hanging upside down from the rafters. Do you want to try to stop the bell tolling (turn to 234), or would you rather leave the tower and search elsewhere (return to 31 and choose another option)?

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

[SGamerz]

Stop the ringing.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Stop the bell.