The Gaming Den

I had intended to say that we should've taken the path of least resistance to it but I didn't make that clear at all.

It's nappy time now.

Yeah, should try out sleeping.

Darth Rabbitt wrote:I had intended to say that we should've taken the path of least resistance to it but I didn't make that clear at all.

Actually, my mistake, I realize there's no door between 148 and 170, so we are going by the most straightforward route. Although that still means we bypass a lot of rooms on the way, which means we'd have to do a lot of walking to backtrack to them if we want to explore them later.

Pip tries Sleeping....

Die roll = 4!

We only get to heal on 5 or 6, so Pip enters Dreamtime for the very first time.....

.....and maybe you can see why I usually advise against Sleeping unless we have no real good options to heal.

Dream roll = 11 (if only we roll that well on our healing attempt...)

You have been knocked unconscious during combat, but Merlin, who's a bit short-sighted, decides you are dead and arranges a decent burial. You come to in an extremely comfortable coffin as it is being lowered into the grave. You have only a very short time to attract their attention by throwing 6 on a single die. But unless you manage to throw that six in five or fewer attempts, you're dead from suffocation. Take up your die......

1st attempt: die roll = 2 (fail)
2nd attempt: die roll = 6 (success)

We escape dying in the dream, but don't get to restore any LP.

Pip continues towards 170....and continues making Wandering Monster rolls....

7) Dice roll = 9 (Spike trap!)

Pip's spell saves him from the poison, but he still takes damage from the spikes:

Damage roll = 8. Pip is at 20 now.

8) 7 (Them)

"Them" roll 3, Pip rolls 5. Pip goes go first!

COMBAT LOG:

Pip rolls 6 and hits for 2+5+5 (magic coin) = 12 damage. Them is at 8.
Them roll 5 and hits for 0+5-4 = 1 damage. Pip is at 19.
Pip rolls 11 and hits for 7+5 = 12 damage. Them is killed.

9) 4 (no encounter)

10) 7 (Them again)

"Them" roll 8, Pip rolls 9. Pip goes go first!

COMBAT LOG:

Pip rolls 6 and hits for 2+5+5 (magic coin) = 12 damage. Them is at 8.
Them roll 5 and hits for 0+5-4 = 1 damage. Pip is at 18.
Pip rolls 12 and hits for 8+5 = 13 damage. Them is killed.

Yes, the rolls are almost identical with the last encounter!

11) 6 (Pit trap)

Damage roll = 6. Pip is at 12.

I think Pip better try Sleeping again....

Sleep roll = 6! Success!

Healing roll = 7. Pip is restored to 19 LP.

12) 4 (no encounter)

One more....

13) 8 (Vampire Bats!)

Bats roll 9, Pip rolls 6. Bats go first!

COMBAT LOG:

Bat#1 rolls 6 and hits for 3+1-4 = no damage.
Pip rolls 6 and hits for 2+5 = 7 damage. Bat#1 is killed.
Bat#2 rolls 7 and hits for 4+1-4 = 1 damage. Pip is at 18.
Pip rolls 11 and hits for 7+5 = 12 damage. Bat#2 is killed.
Bat#3 rolls 6 and hits....but Pip's collapsible shield blocks it!
Pip rolls 11 and hits for 7+5 = 12 damage. Bat#3 is killed.
Bat#4 rolls 5 and hits for 2+1-4 = no damage.
Pip rolls 11 and hits for 7+5 = 12 damage. Bat#4 is killed.
Bat#5 rolls 7 and hits for 4+1-4 = 1 damage. Pip is at 17.
Pip rolls 12 and hits for 8+5 = 13 damage. Bat#5 is killed.

And Pip finally makes it to 170.....

If you've studied your map, it will come as no surprise to you to learn the floor of this chamber is laid out in alternating black and white flagstones, like a chessboard. (A very small chessboard, admittedly, since it only has four squares to a side, but still....)

And if you have any sense at all (which you have, since you've survived this far) you would be inclined to think the layout means something. Probably something nasty. Like stepping on the black squares kills you. Or stepping on the white squares turns your brains to mould.

So which squares do you step on? Maybe the scrap of parchment pinned to the ceiling would help. You can just about fish it down with EJ without stepping on either coloured squares.

The parchment has just one word scrawled across it: Aaaaaahhhhhh!' Which is apparently the death rattle of some poor adventurer who stepped on the wrong colour. You are just about to throw it away in disgust, when you notice something written on the back:

'Avoid that which begins with the second. Use that which begins with the twenty-third. It's a long lane that has no turning and a nod is as good as a wink to a blind horse.'

Some idiots get very garrulous when they're dying. But the message may contain some clue if you can figure it out.

Take your time, then make your decision.

Step on the black squares and go to 163.

Stepping on the white takes you to 195.

Solving the puzzle successfully will gain Pip another Exp point.

Black or white?

QUEST JOURNAL:

Pip's LIFE POINTS: 17/54
Permanent Life Points: 10

SPEED: 11/22

EQUIPMENT CARRIED:
1. Excalibur Jr. (hits on 4, damage +5)
2. Dragonskin Jacket (damage taken -4)
3. Double-headed Copper Coin (can be used to win any gambling games)
4. Talisman of Wandering Monster Protection (1 charge remaining)
5. Poison Antidote (6 doses)
6. Lamp
7. Key to the Gateway of the Ghastly Kingdom of the Dead
8. Magic coin (+5 damage to successful physical attack or spell, once per combat)
9. Magic coin (+5 damage to successful physical attack or spell, once per combat)
10.
11.
12. Collapsible Shield (negates every third blow; does not affect SPEED)

MONEY: 1638 GP

MAGIC:
PANIC 3/3
POW 3/3
PILL 3/3
PAD 3/3
PIP 1/3
PIN 3/3
PiR2 3/3
INVISIBILITY 1/1
Firefingers 19/21 (must spend 3 LP to re-cast the spell to use the last 10)
Fireballs 2/2
PLoP 3/3
PID 3/3
PALS 2/3
PIL 1/3
POPS 3/3

EXPERIENCE POINTS: 12
ENEMIES DEFEATED:
Giant Danish Spider
3 Ghouls
110 Ants
4 Nerds
Creeping Jello
4 Orcs
Shark
Little Old Lady Monster
5 Animated Skeletons
4 Kobolds
2 Guards
Treasure Room Nerd
Twisted Mirror Image
Giant Poisonous Spider
2 Poison Dwarves
2 Medusas
2 Colls
Magic Zapper
3 Manticores
2 Golls
Winzig
15 Vampire Bats
3 "Them"s
PUZZLES SOLVES: 2

No. of Deaths:
1. Suffocated in smoke-filled room

"Black" begins with the second letter of the alphabet, while "white" begins with the twenty-third one. So avoid black and step on the white.

Agreed.

That seems safe enough. Furthermore, there's a healing potion worth a die roll of LIFE POINTS on one of the safe squares. Take it with you when you leave by either the western or the southern door.

Using the potion now unless there are objections:

Healing roll = 6! Pip is now at 23 LP. He also gains an Exp point for solving the "puzzle".

Which section do we head for next?

QUEST JOURNAL:

Pip's LIFE POINTS: 23/54
Permanent Life Points: 10

SPEED: 11/22

EQUIPMENT CARRIED:
1. Excalibur Jr. (hits on 4, damage +5)
2. Dragonskin Jacket (damage taken -4)
3. Double-headed Copper Coin (can be used to win any gambling games)
4. Talisman of Wandering Monster Protection (1 charge remaining)
5. Poison Antidote (6 doses)
6. Lamp
7. Key to the Gateway of the Ghastly Kingdom of the Dead
8. Magic coin (+5 damage to successful physical attack or spell, once per combat)
9. Magic coin (+5 damage to successful physical attack or spell, once per combat)
10.
11.
12. Collapsible Shield (negates every third blow; does not affect SPEED)

MONEY: 1638 GP

MAGIC:
PANIC 3/3
POW 3/3
PILL 3/3
PAD 3/3
PIP 1/3
PIN 3/3
PiR2 3/3
INVISIBILITY 1/1
Firefingers 19/21 (must spend 3 LP to re-cast the spell to use the last 10)
Fireballs 2/2
PLoP 3/3
PID 3/3
PALS 2/3
PIL 1/3
POPS 3/3

EXPERIENCE POINTS: 13
ENEMIES DEFEATED:
Giant Danish Spider
3 Ghouls
110 Ants
4 Nerds
Creeping Jello
4 Orcs
Shark
Little Old Lady Monster
5 Animated Skeletons
4 Kobolds
2 Guards
Treasure Room Nerd
Twisted Mirror Image
Giant Poisonous Spider
2 Poison Dwarves
2 Medusas
2 Colls
Magic Zapper
3 Manticores
2 Golls
Winzig
15 Vampire Bats
3 "Them"s
PUZZLES SOLVES: 3

No. of Deaths:
1. Suffocated in smoke-filled room

164 'cause I believe in a thing called love.

Pip needs to make one Wandering Monster roll before he reaches 164:

Dice roll = 8! More vampire bats!

Bats roll 6, Pip rolls 7. Pip goes first!

COMBAT LOG:

Pip rolls 6 and hits for 2+5 = 7 damage. Bat#1 is killed.
Bat#2 rolls 8 and hits for 5+1-4 = 2 damage. Pip is at 21.
Pip rolls 9 and hits for 5+5 = 10 damage. Bat#2 is killed.
Bat#3 rolls 6 and hits for 3+1-4 = no damage.
Pip rolls 10 and hits for 6+5 = 11 damage. Bat#3 is killed.
Bat#4 rolls 8 and hits....but Pip's collapsible shield blocks it!
Pip rolls 9 and hits for 5+5 = 10 damage. Bat#4 is killed.
Bat#5 rolls 9 and hits for 6+1-4 = 3 damage. Pip is at 18.
Pip rolls 6 and hits for 2+5 = 7 damage. Bat#5 is killed.

As you may have noticed from your map, there is a darkness zone in this chamber. It starts 50 feet away from the door you've just entered and it looks like trouble.

It also looks like it might be hiding a door into 200. Torches, lamos, even light spells won't dispel this darkness, but if you want to fumble your way in, you should go to 155. If not, your only other option is to go back out the door you came in.

Yeah, as you can tell from the map, there's no doors shown around the room 200 at all. Do we think the entrance is in the darkness zone? Do we want to find out?

QUEST JOURNAL:

Pip's LIFE POINTS: 23/54
Permanent Life Points: 10

SPEED: 18/22

EQUIPMENT CARRIED:
1. Excalibur Jr. (hits on 4, damage +5)
2. Dragonskin Jacket (damage taken -4)
3. Double-headed Copper Coin (can be used to win any gambling games)
4. Talisman of Wandering Monster Protection (1 charge remaining)
5. Poison Antidote (6 doses)
6. Lamp
7. Key to the Gateway of the Ghastly Kingdom of the Dead
8. Magic coin (+5 damage to successful physical attack or spell, once per combat)
9. Magic coin (+5 damage to successful physical attack or spell, once per combat)
10.
11.
12. Collapsible Shield (negates every third blow; does not affect SPEED)

MONEY: 1638 GP

MAGIC:
PANIC 3/3
POW 3/3
PILL 3/3
PAD 3/3
PIP 1/3
PIN 3/3
PiR2 3/3
INVISIBILITY 1/1
Firefingers 19/21 (must spend 3 LP to re-cast the spell to use the last 10)
Fireballs 2/2
PLoP 3/3
PID 3/3
PALS 2/3
PIL 1/3
POPS 3/3

EXPERIENCE POINTS: 18
ENEMIES DEFEATED:
Giant Danish Spider
3 Ghouls
110 Ants
4 Nerds
Creeping Jello
4 Orcs
Shark
Little Old Lady Monster
5 Animated Skeletons
4 Kobolds
2 Guards
Treasure Room Nerd
Twisted Mirror Image
Giant Poisonous Spider
2 Poison Dwarves
2 Medusas
2 Colls
Magic Zapper
3 Manticores
2 Golls
Winzig
20 Vampire Bats
3 "Them"s
PUZZLES SOLVES: 3

No. of Deaths:
1. Suffocated in smoke-filled room

Yeah, investigate the scary dark room.

Enter the dark room.

Deep into the darkness peer.

Dark in here.

Very dark, in fact.

So dark you can hear yourself breathing.

That is you breathing, isn't it?

Hold your breath a minute and listen.

How unpleasant. You're holding your breath, but you can still hear breathing.

Yeeek! Something nasty is hacking at you with a bladed instrument.

Forget surprise, Pip, this Thing (whatever it is) has the first strike against you and no mistake. It also has 40 LIFE POINTS and a +3 blade of some sort. Fortunately it requires a 7 or better to hit because of the darkness. Unfortunately, so do you.

If you kill it, go to 159. If not, try 14.

Are we using any spells against this thing? Right now, we have the same odds of hitting, we do slightly more damage (although we have magic coins to improve that), and it's quite a bit tougher than us.

We're wearing armour and it is not. We'll be fine so long as we remember to use both magic coins at first reasonable opportunity.

Omegon's probably right, but let's cast a PILL spell beforehand as a safety strat.

I realized I forgot to factor in our Vampire Carrot friend in a lot of battles. However, looking back, almost all of our fights ended with us getting OHKOs on our opponents, so his attacks wouldn't have made any differences. Even for those where we had to hit twice to win, the Carrot's damage wasn't enough to have shortened the fight further. The only one that went on long enough for it to make a difference was the one against the Manticore family. After inserting its attack in that fight, the Manticore Mother would have died one round earlier and saved us 2 LP. So Pip actually has 2 extra LP.

Since there's no tiebreaker, I guess by default we don't use spells.

It doesn't say whether the Vampire Carrot is affected by the darkness, but I'm going to rule that it doesn't. Vampires are supposed to be creatures of darkness after all!

COMBAT LOG:

The Thing rolls 8 and hits for 1+3-4 = no damage.
Pip rolls 7 and hits for 0+5+5 (magic coin) = 10 damage. The Thing is at 30.
Vampire Carrot rolls 5 and misses.
The Thing rolls 12 and hits for 5+3-4 = 4 damage. Pip is at 21.
Pip rolls 10 and hits for 3+5+5 (magic coin) = 13 damage. The Thing is at 17.
Vampire Carrot rolls 10 and hits for 4 damage. The Thing is at 13.
The Thing rolls 10 and hits for 3+3-4 = 2 damage. Pip is at 19.
Pip rolls 7 and hits for 0+5 = 15 damage. The Thing is at 8.
Vampire Carrot rolls 7 and hits for 1 damage. The Thing is at 7.
The Thing rolls 5 and misses.
Pip rolls 8 and hits for 1+5 = 6 damage. The Thing is at 1.
The Thing is knocked out.

With the Guardian of the Darkness, or whatever it was, safely dispatched, you feel your way carefully along the wall that separates this section from 200, but there is no door. There is, however, a leather bag--presumably dropped by the Thing--which contains 300 gold pieces, so the booty is still mounting up.

You may leave 164 by either of the two northern doors.

Unfortunately there's no entrance to 200 to be found, so we're still in 164.

Where do we head for next?

Note: I won't have internet access for the next 3 day, so the next update will come on Friday. Unless there're no votes, of course. Or if we're stuck in another tie.

QUEST JOURNAL:

Pip's LIFE POINTS: 19/54
Permanent Life Points: 10

SPEED: 13/22

EQUIPMENT CARRIED:
1. Excalibur Jr. (hits on 4, damage +5)
2. Dragonskin Jacket (damage taken -4)
3. Double-headed Copper Coin (can be used to win any gambling games)
4. Talisman of Wandering Monster Protection (1 charge remaining)
5. Poison Antidote (6 doses)
6. Lamp
7. Key to the Gateway of the Ghastly Kingdom of the Dead
8. Magic coin (+5 damage to successful physical attack or spell, once per combat)
9. Magic coin (+5 damage to successful physical attack or spell, once per combat)
10.
11.
12. Collapsible Shield (negates every third blow; does not affect SPEED)

MONEY: 1938 GP

MAGIC:
PANIC 3/3
POW 3/3
PILL 3/3
PAD 3/3
PIP 1/3
PIN 3/3
PiR2 3/3
INVISIBILITY 1/1
Firefingers 19/21 (must spend 3 LP to re-cast the spell to use the last 10)
Fireballs 2/2
PLoP 3/3
PID 3/3
PALS 2/3
PIL 1/3
POPS 3/3

EXPERIENCE POINTS: 19
ENEMIES DEFEATED:
Giant Danish Spider
3 Ghouls
110 Ants
4 Nerds
Creeping Jello
4 Orcs
Shark
Little Old Lady Monster
5 Animated Skeletons
4 Kobolds
2 Guards
Treasure Room Nerd
Twisted Mirror Image
Giant Poisonous Spider
2 Poison Dwarves
2 Medusas
2 Colls
Magic Zapper
3 Manticores
2 Golls
Winzig
20 Vampire Bats
3 "Them"s
A Thing
PUZZLES SOLVES: 3

No. of Deaths:
1. Suffocated in smoke-filled room

Ding the wandering monster amulet and go to 160.

Sounds like a plan to me.

Yeah, it does indeed sound like a plan.

Pip uses the remaining charge in the amulet and walks to 160 without any encounters:

A whirlwind envelopes you the second you step through this doorway, blackening you out momentarily and teleporting you straight to 147.

Isn't that irritating?

Yes, it is.

At 20' x 50' this is a pretty big room for a rubbish tip. Everything seems to have been thrown in here... tables, chairs, old pots and pans, lamps, clocks, urns, candlesticks, geroflas, crocks, old boo--

Geroflas?

There's nothing worse than meeting a Gerofla when all you want is a bit of peace. These six feet long, two-headed reptiles have a meaner disposition than Emperor Ming of Mongo. This particular Gerofla, lurking in the junk, has 40 LIFE POINTS, strikes on 6 or better and gets two hits for your one on account of its second head. Fortunately both heads score only dice damage with no pluses.

If you survive this encounter, go to 152. If not, lick your wounds (a filthy habit) in 14.

Geroflas rolls 8, Pip rolls 4. Geroflas goes first:

COMBAT LOG:

Geroflas rolls 8 and hits for 2-4 = no damage.
Geroflas rolls 8 and hits for 2-4 = no damage.
Pip rolls 7 and hits for 3+5+5 (magic coin) = 13 damage. Geroflas is at 27.
Vampire Carrot rolls 7 and hits for 1 damage. Geroflas is at 26.
Geroflas rolls 3 and misses.
Geroflas rolls 5 and misses.
Pip rolls 4 and hits for 0+5+5 (magic coin) = 10 damage. Geroflas is at 16.
Vampire Carrot rolls 4 and misses.
Geroflas rolls 11 and hits for 5-4 = 1 damage. Pip is at 18.
Geroflas rolls 4 and misses.
Pip rolls 5 and hits for 0+5 = 5 damage. Geroflas is at 11.
Vampire Carrot rolls 12 and hits for 6 damage. Geroflas is at 5 and is knocked out.

Our Carrot friend helped knock out this lizard! I'm not sure if we're supposed to get Exp point for an opponent that Pip didn't take down himself.....but I rule that we do, which means Pip just gained another Permanent LP!

Nice bit of survival that. Geroflas are monsters to be reckoned with. What a sturdy young adventurer you turned out to be. What a sterling slaughterer of monsters. What an intrepid seeker after loot and booty. What a--

Enough of this flattery. You might as well rummage in this junk heap now you've got rid of the Gerofla. That brass lamp looks interesting, for instance. A bit battered and very old, but interesting.

Now you've found the interesting lamp, what do you do with it?

If you rub it, go to 177.

If you try to open it up, go to 186.

If you try to light it, go to 199.

What do we do with the lamp?

QUEST JOURNAL:

Pip's LIFE POINTS: 19/55
Permanent Life Points: 11

SPEED: 13/22

EQUIPMENT CARRIED:
1. Excalibur Jr. (hits on 4, damage +5)
2. Dragonskin Jacket (damage taken -4)
3. Double-headed Copper Coin (can be used to win any gambling games)
4. Talisman of Wandering Monster Protection (1 charge remaining)
5. Poison Antidote (6 doses)
6. Lamp
7. Key to the Gateway of the Ghastly Kingdom of the Dead
8. Magic coin (+5 damage to successful physical attack or spell, once per combat)
9. Magic coin (+5 damage to successful physical attack or spell, once per combat)
10.
11.
12. Collapsible Shield (negates every third blow; does not affect SPEED)

MONEY: 1938 GP

MAGIC:
PANIC 3/3
POW 3/3
PILL 3/3
PAD 3/3
PIP 1/3
PIN 3/3
PiR2 3/3
INVISIBILITY 1/1
Firefingers 19/21 (must spend 3 LP to re-cast the spell to use the last 10)
Fireballs 2/2
PLoP 3/3
PID 3/3
PALS 2/3
PIL 1/3
POPS 3/3

EXPERIENCE POINTS: 200
ENEMIES DEFEATED:
Giant Danish Spider
3 Ghouls
110 Ants
4 Nerds
Creeping Jello
4 Orcs
Shark
Little Old Lady Monster
5 Animated Skeletons
4 Kobolds
2 Guards
Treasure Room Nerd
Twisted Mirror Image
Giant Poisonous Spider
2 Poison Dwarves
2 Medusas
2 Colls
Magic Zapper
3 Manticores
2 Golls
Winzig
20 Vampire Bats
3 "Them"s
A Thing
Geroflas
PUZZLES SOLVES: 3

No. of Deaths:
1. Suffocated in smoke-filled room

Rub it.

Rub the thing that has an option specifically for rubbing.

Your name's Pip, not Aladdin. Go back to 152 and stop messing about.

And we're left with lighting the lamp or opening it (strangely the text gives no option to not do anything with the lamp).

Open it, if nothing else to check what the fuel is.

Open it.