Let's Play The Gates of Death: Fighting Fantasy (Sch#12)

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Mr Shine
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Let's Play The Gates of Death: Fighting Fantasy (Sch#12)

Post by Mr Shine »

Anybody interested in a Let's Play of The Gates of Death by Charlie Higson (AKA That Fast Show guy)?

It's the most recent Fighting Fantasy, and Scholastic's 2nd original.

Personally I found it a pretty poor offering but would run it if there is interest. I've got it from the library and it didn't impress me enough to actually buy it, this means if someone reserves it it will be gone from my possession. (each renewal gives me an additional 3 weeks, but if someone else reserves it it will be gone. I doubt anyone will though.) As it's a paper copy it means I have to type, so updates will be slower, the other books I ran were PDFs so I merely had to add in and correct when the OCR failed.

The humour of it can be pretty juvenile and depending on your choices there is at least one major plot hole near the end that should have been caught by editing, but the outline story is all right as FF goes.
Last edited by Mr Shine on Tue Dec 04, 2018 6:41 pm, edited 5 times in total.
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Post by Thaluikhain »

I'm always up for FF, even if it's the new stuff. I've heard things about this one, but I don't remember most of them.
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Post by Mr Shine »

Sorry, I got halfway through the background before realising I'd vastly underestimated the slog of typing the entire book. I'm going to bow out. Apologies.

Edit: See below, resurrected by someone more disciplined than me :)
Last edited by Mr Shine on Tue Dec 04, 2018 6:46 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Post by Omegonthesane »

I take it scan + OCR isn't an option or is itself too much of a slog.
Kaelik wrote:Because powerful men get away with terrible shit, and even the public domain ones get ignored, and then, when the floodgates open, it turns out there was a goddam flood behind it.

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Post by Iduno »

Omegonthesane wrote:I take it scan + OCR isn't an option or is itself too much of a slog.
I assume you'd destroy the binding of the book. At least modern OCR is better than the original version.
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Post by Darth Rabbitt »

If y'all are willing to put up with me being even slower with Heart of Fire, then I can run this book. I got it a month or two after I started that LP.
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Post by Omegonthesane »

Unless you think you'll then also be able to run this at full pace while being slower with Heart of Fire, I'd rather finish Heart of Fire first.
Kaelik wrote:Because powerful men get away with terrible shit, and even the public domain ones get ignored, and then, when the floodgates open, it turns out there was a goddam flood behind it.

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Post by Darth Rabbitt »

Even the intro Mr. Shine mentioned is a lot less wordy than Heart of Fire (I'm pretty sure the intro to Gates of Death would be quicker to write than the next stretch of the Boom Mamba quest, and would be a hell of a lot easier than just about any of the intros to quests in DestinyQuest), so I should be able to run it fairly quickly. One of my biggest problems with running Heart of Fire is how long it takes to write up sections. I think the beginning of the current quest (from start to Boom Mamba's introduction) took me like an hour or two to write up, and there are enough fiddly details hidden throughout some of the really long ones that I generally don't think I'd do a good job abridging them.

So I think that's a "yes" vote. Any other takers? I'd ideally like at least two other Denners to be interested before I commit.
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Post by Thaluikhain »

I'd also say yes again.
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Post by Mr Shine »

Darth Rabbitt wrote:Even the intro Mr. Shine mentioned is a lot less wordy than Heart of Fire (I'm pretty sure the intro to Gates of Death would be quicker to write than the next stretch of the Boom Mamba quest, and would be a hell of a lot easier than just about any of the intros to quests in DestinyQuest), so I should be able to run it fairly quickly. One of my biggest problems with running Heart of Fire is how long it takes to write up sections. I think the beginning of the current quest (from start to Boom Mamba's introduction) took me like an hour or two to write up, and there are enough fiddly details hidden throughout some of the really long ones that I generally don't think I'd do a good job abridging them.

So I think that's a "yes" vote. Any other takers? I'd ideally like at least two other Denners to be interested before I commit.
Yep, by gamebooks standards it's not that large, but I'd never attempted to transcribe that amount of text before. Darth is either a much faster typer than me, has a lot more patience, or almost certainly both.
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Post by SlyJohnny »

When I did master of chaos, I think I found some seedy uploaded epub version that I cribbed most of the text off and editted out the mistakes. I only typed the bits that didn't scan properly.
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Post by Darth Rabbitt »

OK, so the usual FF boilerplate is usual. The only really interesting stuff here is that we don't start out with any Provisions or weapons, and are at -2 Attack Strength in combat, and only deal 1 point of damage on a hit, until we find a weapon. Different weapons also have different effects in combat, but I'll just put those up as we find them. I rolled SKILL 11, STAMINA 18, LUCK 11.

BACKGROUND

The Crucible Isles lie in the southern stretches of the great Western Ocean, shrouded in mist and ringed by dangerous rocks. Few outsiders venture here, but those that do are welcomed by the ancient Guardians of the Crucible and taught the healing arts. In time they will learn how to create magic potions in the giant stone crucible that gives the islands their name. If they have the skill they might attain the level of Guardian, dedicated to tending the Great Crucible.

The islands are quiet, and very little happens here, but one day the calm is broken by the arrival of a desperate messenger from Allansia.

'I bring terrible news,' he says when he is taken to the Great High Guardian in the Chapter Hall. 'A plague has broken out in Allansia. People who are struck down by the darkness are turning into hideous, demonic monsters.'

'So,' says the Great High Guardian, her face clouded with worry. 'The demon plague has returned. If it is allowed to spread it will eventually infect every inhabitant of Titan. There is a cure, however: smoke-oil, distilled from the roots of the Asura Lily. We have a small supply here, not enough to cure more than a hundred people, but if we were to take some of it to the Temple of Throff in Allansia, the High Priestess there might be able to use her magic skills to produce enough to save everyone. There is one problem, though; for its own protection, the temple is hidden within the Invisible City.'

It is the season of storms and high seas, but there is no time to lose, and so a small band of Guardians sets sail from the Crucible Isles, headed for Allansia with sixty vials of smoke-oil. You are only a humble acolyte, still learning your skills, but it is your duty to sever Brother Tobyn, one of the Guardians, and so you travel with him.

'We will land in Kaynlesh-Ma, in south-west Allansia, where the people are famous for their wisdom,' Brother Tobyn explains as the Crucible Isles disappear over the horizon. 'We are sure that someone there will be able to tell us how to find the Invisible City.'

But the Gods have other plans for you.

The seas are dangerous, lashed by tempests and furious winds, infested with pirates and monsters of the deep. When you finally make land in Allansia, it is not at the peaceful harbor of Kaynlesh-Ma, but somewhere very different indeed.

YOUR ADVENTURE AWAITS!

May your STAMINA never fail!

NOW TURN OVER...

(Curiously, this is one of the few FF books that doesn't have an illustration accompanying the first section.)

You step up on to the gangplank and walk down to the dockside. It feels good to have solid ground beneath your feet after being so long at sea, although you feel wobbly and unstable and are very sick from the voyage. You kneel down, intending to kiss dry land and instead you heave up your last meal on to the cobblestones. (Lose 5 STAMINA points.)

At least you are alive, though. You feared you would not survive the voyage. Your tiny fleet was blown way off course, and six days ago the last surviving ships were wrecked and you were flung into the icy ocean. It was only by some miracle that you and Brother Tobyn were snared in the nets of a fishing boat, whose captain dragged you out of the water and brought you here, to Port Blacksand. Of all the people who set off from the Crucible Isles, you and Brother Tobyn are the only two left.

You turn to help your master down the gangplank. Brother Tobyn, who is old and bald and stopped, is sick from spending so long in the water after the wreck. His legs shake and he holds out an arm so that you can steady him.

'We've made it, then,' he says and offers up a prayer of thanks to Throff. He then passes you the last surviving vials of smoke-oil for safekeeping.

'There are only ten,' he says. 'Guard them well. I wish we had more, but if we can only get one vial to the High Priestess in the Invisible City, we will have succeeded. Now, we must get out of Port Blacksand as quickly as possible. This does not look a friendly place at all...'

He's right. The narrow winding streets that lead away from the harbor are dark and dirty, with crumbling buildings overhanging them, and in some cases meeting at the top. The dockside is crowded with a variety of unwashed people who look like they're adding to the general stink of rotting fish and sewage that hangs in the air. You see traders and sailors, adventurers, pirates, men for hire, beggars and shady characters of all types.

'We must eat before we do anything else,' says Brother Tobyn, and you follow your noses away from the wharf and up Catfish Street to the Fish Market. The market is situated in a busy square, where you find a fishwife grilling sardines over hot coals. The smell of her cooking jabs like a knife at your empty belly.

As you make your way over to the fishwife, you pass a stall selling fishing equipment, hooks and anchors, nets, belaying pins and even a couple of whaling harpoons.

The fishwife tells you it will be 1 Gold Piece for a meal. Making sure nobody is looking, you pull your purse out from where it's hidden in the folds of your tunic and count your money. You only have 10 Gold Pieces and the price is criminal, but you're desperate to eat.

Pay the woman?
Refuse her price?

Also come up with a (probably silly) name for our character.

Adventure Sheet
[Name to be determined]
SKILL: 11/11
STAMINA: 13/18
LUCK: 11/11
Equipment: Traveling Clothes
Vials of Smoke-Oil: 10
Gold Pieces: 10
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Post by Mr Shine »

Given the author, I might suggest Colin Hunt or similar.
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Post by Omegonthesane »

No objections to the name here. Just buy the damn meal, 1 GP is not that much.
Kaelik wrote:Because powerful men get away with terrible shit, and even the public domain ones get ignored, and then, when the floodgates open, it turns out there was a goddam flood behind it.

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Post by Thaluikhain »

Seconding buying the meal.
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Post by Darth Rabbitt »

The fishwife takes your money and you and Brother Tobyn share some sardines.

Add 2 STAMINA points and deduct 1 gold piece from your total.

(There's an illustration here that I'll add later.)

'Put your purse away,' says Brother Tobyn, pushing your hand back inside your tunic. You wonder what the problem is and then see that two men are arguing nearby. One of them is Heathcote, the captain of the fishing boat that rescued you. He's still dressed in his waterproof, weather-beaten leathers. The other man is a local merchant, wealthy, by the look of him, with jeweled rings on his fingers and a large gold medallion hanging on his chest.

'You're no better than the thieves and cutthroats who infest this place,' Heathcote shouts, grabbing a handful of the merchant's file silk robes. 'The price you're offering me for my catch is robbery, plain and simple.'

'It's the best price you'll get in Port Blacksand,' says the merchant. 'Believe me.'

'I nearly died catching those fish,' says Captain Heathcote. 'I was warned about this place. But, because of the storms, it was the only place we could put in.'

People are starting to gather round, some taking Captain Heathcote's side, some taking the side of the merchant, who is shaking and getting very red in the face. You see that foam is forming around his mouth and his eyes are losing their focus. And then suddenly he snarls and tries to bite Captain Heathcote, who jumps back in surprise.

The next moment the merchant bends over double, his back cracking and popping. When he straightens up, you see that the whites of his eyes have gone dark and his teeth appear to have grown bigger and sharper. Even as you watch, his skin turns rough and warty and his fingernails grow into long claws. There are screams as people back away.

'It's the plague!' someone shouts. 'The plague has come to Port Blacksand. He has the demon curse!'

The thing that was once the merchant lashes out with awful strength, sending Captain Heathcote flying.

'Stop!' Brother Tobyn cries out, raising both arms. 'I command you to stop!'

But now the DEMON MERCHANT has seen him. It turns his dark eyes on him and advances. Before you can do anything, it strikes Brother Tobyn down. You see that he has been wounded but is mercifully still alive. A group of locals draw their weapons, but they hang back, scared. If you don't do something fast, the demon is going to attack your master again.

'Remember,' gasps Brother Tobyn, 'our mission is to help the people of Allansia and rid them of the demon plague...'

Will you:
Grab the Guardian and try to make a run for it?
Try to attack the Demon Merchant?
Use one of the precious vials of smoke-oil to try to cure the Demon Merchant?

Adventure Sheet
Colin Hunt
SKILL: 11/11
STAMINA: 15/18
LUCK: 11/11
Equipment: Traveling Clothes
Vials of Smoke-Oil: 10
Gold Pieces: 9
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Post by Thaluikhain »

Run away!
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Post by Omegonthesane »

Run towards! (attack)
Kaelik wrote:Because powerful men get away with terrible shit, and even the public domain ones get ignored, and then, when the floodgates open, it turns out there was a goddam flood behind it.

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Post by MisterDee »

Fight! We're a courageous adventurer unarmed clerk, we have nothing to fear!
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Post by Darth Rabbitt »

Image
(This should go in the previous post but this is easier than just editing that in).
You go to grab a harpoon from the nearby stall, but the stallholder whips out a dagger and holds it to your throat.

'You want something, you pay for it', he snarls. 'Three Gold Pieces for that harpoon.'
Weapons section wrote:The harpoon causes 2 STAMINA points of damage at a successful strike.
Pay him?
Save your money and attack the demon with your bare hands?
Make a run for it?
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Post by MisterDee »

Pay.
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Post by Omegonthesane »

Murder the stallholder and steal the harpoon
Shove the stallholder towards the demon to fight it and steal the harpoon
Grab your master and run so that the demon attacks the locals instead

WHY ARE ALL THE LOGICAL OPTIONS NOT THERE

Attack bare handed like we thought was going to happen the first time
Kaelik wrote:Because powerful men get away with terrible shit, and even the public domain ones get ignored, and then, when the floodgates open, it turns out there was a goddam flood behind it.

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Post by SlyJohnny »

3 gold pieces is a decent price for a sword-equivalent weapon. If we don't buy it now, we're only going to have to buy one later. Buy it.
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Post by Darth Rabbitt »

Omegonthesane wrote:Grab your master and run so that the demon attacks the locals instead
That's what "run for it" was in this case.

Desperately, you pay the man 3 Gold Pieces.

'I'm no crook,' he says. 'Just trying to make a living. Take a couple of small items as well, if you like.'

You snatch up some items at random before grabbing the harpoon. Add a fishhook, a brass compass and a jar of healing ointment to the Equipment box on your Adventure Sheet. You also put a lucky anchor charm around your neck. Finally, add a harpoon to your Weapons List. You are ready.

(Healing Ointment is also mentioned in the intro, and this is what I get for not thoroughly going over the new rules.)
Restoring Stamina wrote:You may also restore STAMINA points by treating your wounds using the contents of jars of healing ointment. If you have been wounded in battle, and you have some healing ointment, you may use one jar to restore up to 4 STAMINA points. You may use only one jar of healing ointment at a time, which must then be discarded.
(Provisions have the same restrictions of being eaten one at a time, but it's also worth noting that nothing says you can't eat one meal and use one jar of ointment at the same time.)

Prepare to fight the slavering Demon Merchant.

DEMON MERCHANT SKILL 8 STAMINA 10

Combat Log:
Round 1: Demon 19, Colin 18. Colin is at 13.
Round 2: Demon 20, Colin 19. Colin is at 11.
Round 3: Demon 14, Colin 16. Demon is at 8.
Round 4: Demon 14, Colin 20. Demon is at 6.
Round 5: Demon 17, Colin 19. Demon is at 4.
Round 6: Demon 13, Colin 19. Demon is at 2.
Round 7: Demon 12, Colin 18. Demon is dead!
That demon got in 2 really good hits at the beginning of the fight.

The Demon Merchant lets out a hideous shriek and falls to the ground where he thrashes around like a fish out of water. At last he rolls over on to his front and lies still in a growing pool of blood.

'So, what have we here, then?' You turn round to see a unit of the city guard approaching, dressed all in black, with black chainmail. One of them appears to be an Ogre, twice the height of the other guards, and twice as stupid looking. The officer in charge is a huge, beefy man with a thick black beard and a ring through his nose.

'It's a demon,' you explain. 'It was going to kill Brother Tobyn.'

'A demon, you say?' The captain rolls the dead body on to its back with the tip of his boot. Everyone around you gasps and an icy chill runs down your spine...The demon has turned back into a merchant. A dead merchant.

'Don't look like no demon to me,' says the captain. 'Lord Azzur will want to talk to you two. Take 'em, my lads!'

The guards confiscate any weapons you may have. (Remove them from your Weapons List.)

Go quietly?
Attack the guards?

Adventure Sheet
Colin Hunt
SKILL: 11/11
STAMINA: 11/18
LUCK: 11/11
Equipment: Traveling Clothes, Lucky Anchor Charm
Vials of Smoke-Oil: 10
Gold Pieces: 6
Weapons: None
Items: Jar of Healing Ointment (+4 STAMINA), Fishhook, Brass Compass
Last edited by Darth Rabbitt on Thu Dec 06, 2018 5:58 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Omegonthesane »

Throw the Fighting Fantasy book into a house fire for the insult
Literally fucking anyone vouches for what they just saw happen
Throw the fucking book into a god damn fire

...Fight. And if fighting is an autodeath, then rewind back and run away. We are NOT surrendering a weapon and accepting the GP loss for it.
Kaelik wrote:Because powerful men get away with terrible shit, and even the public domain ones get ignored, and then, when the floodgates open, it turns out there was a goddam flood behind it.

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