[Let's Play] Fighting Fantasy 51 - Island of the Undead (Take 2)

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to open the trapdoor.

[Queen of Swords]

Sure, open the trapdoor.

[SGamerz]

The trapdoor opens to reveal a set of stone steps leading down to a cellar. Here, some stored items may be of value to you. There is a rope, a wooden pole and enough food for 4 meals. You return to the main room in the lighthouse; will you:

Climb the stairs, if you haven't done so before?
Leave and make for the wreck?
Leave and find somewhere else to visit?

Nice find, but unfortunately, we can't carry more than 12 meals, and we haven't used any yet, so we can't maximize the gains of this find. We can, however, eat a meal on the spot to restore our STAMINA to max, which I'd assume you do, unless there are objections.

Adventure Sheet:
[spoiler]Name: Fred
SKILL 12/12 (unarmed, 11 in combat)
STAMINA 19/19
LUCK 11/12
PRESENCE: 6
Equipment: Knife, Backpack, Waterskin, Leather Jerkin, Bottle of Olive Oil, Rope, Wooden Pole
Provisions: 12/12
Gold: 0
Extra Lives remaining: 3/3
[/spoiler]

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to climb the stairs, and agree to eat a meal to restore Fred's STAMINA to max.

[Thaluikhain]

May as well.

(And that previous monsters is creepier than it's stats and lack of special abilities deserve)

[SGamerz]

You drag your weary legs up what seems like an endless procession of steps leading to the very top of the lighthouse tower. In a bright, airy chamber at the top there is a spinning glass globe close to the roof, but no light radiates out from it. If you know an Incantation of Light, turn to the paragraph with the same numbers as the flecks of light in the Magic Stone you carry. If you don't have a Magic Stone, you may be able to return here if you find it later. For now, though, there's nothing you can do here, so you leave; you can descend to the wreck in the bay below if you haven't already done so, investigate the trapdoor downstairs if you haven't done so already, or leave here and find somewhere else on the island to visit.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to check out the wreck.

[Thaluikhain]

Makes sense.

[SGamerz]

You descend to the shoreline and discover a small rowing boat, bobbing up and down in the seaweed-choked waters near the shore. You could reach the wreck of the sailing ship, which is already breaking up, using this boat. This venture would certainly be hazardous; the wind is whipping in from the sea and the waves are growing higher. But the wreck may have supplies aboard which you could use, and possibly even some information about what has been happening on the island. If you decide to row out to the wreck, turn to 367. If you think better of it and wish to explore elsewhere, turn to 70.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to row out to the wreck. No point turning back now.

[Thaluikhain]

Yep, full speed ahead, never mind the "are you sure?".

[SGamerz]

Through the squalls and choppy grey waters you struggle to reach the creaking timbers of the sailing ship, its back broken on rocks that you manage to avoid. You grab some ropes hanging down the ship’s side, fasten your own rowing boat safely, and haul yourself up on deck. You see a half-smashed lifeboat lying partly over the railing of the ship, an empty berth from which another lifeboat must have been launched, a large hold with flapping tarpaulin covers, and a set of wooden steps, close to the wheelhouse, leading down below decks. On the main mast, a crow’s nest seems to have a slumped figure of some kind in it. Will you:

Investigate the hold?
Climb to the crow’s nest?
Descend the steps below decks?

[Queen of Swords]

Descend the steps.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to descend the steps below decks as well.

[Thaluikhain]

May as well

[SGamerz]

Below decks you see a door swinging loose. It opens into the seamen’s mess where hammocks swing wildly as the boat rocks in the water; there’s no one there, and nothing to catch your eye. However, there are also two closed main doors and one of them has a strange magical symbol etched on it. Beyond them is a double door, which you guess may open into a large hold at the bow of the ship. Will you:

Open the double door?
Check the magical symbol on one of the cabin doors?
Open the other cabin door?

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to open the double door.

[Thaluikhain]

May as well.

[SGamerz]

The forward hold is partly waterlogged and the timbers are pierced by a sharp rock. You can hear the grinding of wood on stone but, even though the vessel is shipping water, you don’t think it’s about to go down just yet. You can see some useful items here, so you set about gathering them up. You must Test your Skill; if you are successful, turn to 145; but if you fail, turn to 396.

Our maxed out SKILL means we automatically succeed.

You salvage a glass bottle, a rope and a sealed vial containing some gunky green cream (make a note of this paragraph number as the one where you found it). Now, will you:

Check the magical symbol, if you haven’t already? Turn to 97
Open the other cabin door, if you haven’t already? Turn to 114
Leave the ship? Turn to 272

Adventure Sheet:
[spoiler]Name: Fred
SKILL 12/12 (unarmed, 11 in combat)
STAMINA 19/19
LUCK 11/12
PRESENCE: 6
Equipment: Knife, Backpack, Waterskin, Leather Jerkin, Bottle of Olive Oil, Rope (x2), Wooden Pole, Empty Bottle, Vial of Green Cream (found in section 145)
Provisions: 12/12
Gold: 0
Extra Lives remaining: 3/3
[/spoiler]

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to check out the magical symbol.

[Thaluikhain]

Half vote for other cabin door, as the symbol seems a bit scary and I don't remember this adventure.

[SGamerz]

Study the symbol carefully. Unless you can decode the number concealed within it you won’t be able to enter the room beyond. If you think you know what the number is, turn to the paragraph with that number. If you can’t decipher the number, you must find somewhere else to go, so turn to 356.

Although the symbol itself doesn't actually fill the whole page, it's still an entire page that shows only this and nothing else, so it counts as another extra life unlocked.

Adventure Sheet:
[spoiler]Name: Fred
SKILL 12/12 (unarmed, 11 in combat)
STAMINA 19/19
LUCK 11/12
PRESENCE: 6
Equipment: Knife, Backpack, Waterskin, Leather Jerkin, Bottle of Olive Oil, Rope (x2), Wooden Pole, Empty Bottle, Vial of Green Cream (found in section 145)
Provisions: 12/12
Gold: 0
Extra Lives remaining: 4/4
[/spoiler]

[JourneymanN00b]

This is a really poorly designed puzzle, as it requires the reader to have previously read Vault of the Vampire, which is definitely asking too much. Also, public errata also notes that the inscription on the top right part of the circle should read “BJQDKF”, not “BJQDNF”.

In Vault of the Vampire, there was a "forward and back" code that had to be applied to solve a puzzle there. The transcription of the letters is as follows, if the errata is applied and we start from the left: TPVZSD UGF BJQDNF BCE Z TPVZSD.

Applying the code yields: SQUARE THE CIRCLE ADD A SQUARE.

Given there are 6 parts to the circle, squaring 6 yields 36. A square has 4 sides, so the puzzle is asking us to add 4 to 36, which gives us 40.

Therefore, I vote to turn to paragraph 40.

When I ran the first take of this book, I actually considered allowing Shaggy to bypass this puzzle for free if nobody got it, as the puzzle was far too unfair to solve for someone with zero knowledge of other Fighting Fantasy books. But fortunately, the players managed to solve this without any external interference on my part.

[SGamerz]

Alright, I usually wait for at least 2 votes before proceeding, but there's no point here once the puzzle has been solved, especially when it was done before in the previous LP (I did forget to add note about the existent error, thanks to JourneymanN00b for pointing it out).

You tap gently the indicated number of times and the door swings open. The cabin behind the door is clean and tidy. A small book lies open on a desk, a half-eaten meal some days old rests on a table and a set of robes is laid out on the bunk bed. A small wooden coffer is wedged under the bunk bed. There is no sign of the person who occupied this cabin. Checking carefully first, you then drag the coffer out from under the bunk. You force it open and find a small Gold Key (make a note of this paragraph number as the one where you found this key) and a Potion of Stamina. This Potion can be drunk at any time, except during combat, and will restore lost STAMINA points up to one-half of your Initial STAMINA (round fractions up). You also find a vellum scroll secured with a black ribbon; you untie it and read with interest:

Dear Shantizair,

Your Work in tracking down the Elementalists is much appreciated. Take great Care if you plan more direct Investigations! Consult Brother Kendris at the Monastery of Hamaskis before you contemplate entering the Circle of Summoning itself – if you can reach it! Indeed, a Spirit there might serve you, but practise Caution! Kendris may have found a Truename which will give you Power over one of the Wizards. And he will have the Crystals which will protect you against their Magic. Almost certainly the Shrine will be used to safeguard at least some of them. Old Father Honorton has a Key to the old Crypt below the Tower, which might also be important if you decide to investigate the Wizards directly.

The scrawled signature is illegible. Pondering the meaning of the information in the note, it’s time for you to go elsewhere.

Where will you go now? Will you:

Search the forward hold, if you haven’t done so before?
Study the magical symbol, if you haven’t done this already?
Open the other cabin door, if you haven’t before?
Leave the ship and return to shore?

Adventure Sheet:
[spoiler]Name: Fred
SKILL 12/12 (unarmed, 11 in combat)
STAMINA 19/19
LUCK 11/12
PRESENCE: 6
Equipment: Knife, Backpack, Waterskin, Leather Jerkin, Bottle of Olive Oil, Rope (x2), Wooden Pole, Empty Bottle, Vial of Green Cream (found in section 145), Gold Key (found in section 40), Potion of Stamina (restores half of Initial STAMINA when drunk)
Provisions: 12/12
Gold: 0
Extra Lives remaining: 4/4
[/spoiler]

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to open the other cabin door.