[Let's Play] Fighting Fantasy 31 - Battleblade Warrior

[Queen of Swords]

We have the bow, let's use it.

[Beroli]

Sneak away again.

[JourneymanN00b]

After some rest, my coughing has gone down a bit. However, it will still be at least a couple of more days before I can go back to consistent updating. In the meantime, I will break the 1-1 tie in favor of sneaking away again.

363
You hurry along between the tents, keeping your head down. As you come to a well-worn path through the camp, you hear the sound of marching feet coming along it. You must not be caught out here in the open. Will you duck into a tent (turn to 8) or look for somewhere else to hide (turn to 316)?

Please vote before 8:00 AM PDT or a 2-vote majority is reached to guarantee that it will be counted.

[Queen of Swords]

Look for somewhere else to hide. There might be someone in the tent.

[Thaluikhain]

Yeah, try somewhere else.

[JourneymanN00b]

Since there are already 2 votes to look for somewhere else to hide, I will have Alexandros the Third do this.

316
You hastily dive down behind a convenient pile of barrels. There is a clamour of voices very near by: a high-pitched squeaking and a deep growling, both speaking the guttural Lizard Man language. Will you keep your head down (turn to 134), or give in to your curiosity and have a peep (tum to 86)?

Please vote before 9:00 AM PDT or a 2-vote majority is reached to guarantee that it will be counted.

[Beroli]

Keep your head down.

[Thaluikhain]

Yeah, stay down.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes registered, Alexandros the Third will keep his head down.

134
Keeping your head down very low, you wait for the noise to die away, before peering out again. The coast is clear and you may move on. Tum to 319.

319
Shuddering at your close shave, you pick your way through the maze of tents, baggage carts and piles of stores, which make up the Lizard Men’s camp. You’re nearing its edge and, with luck, will soon be free of the siege. Now if only you had a mount, you could put a great distance between yourself and the enemy in a very short time. Just as you are thinking this, you notice a set of pens up ahead holding a variety of animal mounts! Do you want to investigate further (turn to 148), or would you rather creep around it (tum to 237)?

[spoiler][/spoiler]

Please vote before 6:00 PM PDT or a 2-vote majority is reached to guarantee that it will be counted.

[JourneymanN00b]

Since nobody voted, I will have Alexandros the Third investigate further.

148
You creep round the animal pens, noticing with delight that apparently they are not guarded. It should be an easy task to steal one of the riding lizards (turn to 350). Or would you rather continue on your way out of the Lizard Men’s camp (turn to 237)?

Please vote before 8:00 AM PDT or a 2-vote majority is reached to guarantee that it will be counted.

[Queen of Swords]

I'd rather not take the risk of the riding lizards being accustomed to Lizard Men and reacting badly to us. Let's keep moving.

[Thaluikhain]

Yeah, and do we know how to ride a lizard anyway? Walk on.

[Beroli]

Steal a lizard.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes counted, Alexandros the Third will continue on his way out of the Lizard Men’s camp, since that option won over stealing one of the riding lizards by a 2-1 vote.

237
Sneaking around the pen between the fence and some ramshackle tents, you come across a small Lizard Man sitting near a tethered Pterodactyl, snoozing in the hot sun. Obviously the pilot of the beast, he is dressed in supple leathers and wears a peculiar hat like a skull-cap on his head. You must creep past him if you are to continue. Roll two dice. If you roll less than or equal to your SKILL score, turn to 121. If you roll higher then your SKILL score, turn to 37.

[spoiler][/spoiler]

Rolling the dice yielded a 7, which is less than Alexandros the Third’s Skill score.

Important Note: According to publicly available errata for this book, the reference numbers are swapped, as we are supposed to go to section 37 if we pass the Skill test instead of section 121.

37
[spoiler][/spoiler]

You sneak up to the dozing aviator – and hit him across the head with the flat of your sword! He falls to the floor and lies still. Your troubles aren’t over yet, though, as the Pterodactyl saw what happened and has taken fright. It’s squawking and screeching fit to bust. Shouts come from the tents behind you. You must escape quickly. Will you leap on to the Pterodactyl and fly out of the camp (turn to 387)? Or would you rather put your trust in a riding lizard (turn to 146)?

Please vote before 6:00 PM PDT or a 2-vote majority is reached to guarantee that it will be counted.

[Thaluikhain]

Oh, we have to ride a lizard then, and it gave us the riding lizard option before, so that's probably safe to try (though it goes to a different reference number). To the riding lizard.

[Beroli]

Grab the lizard; it's likely to be a lot more dangerous now, but trying to ride the pterodactyl sounds nearly suicidal.

[JourneymanN00b]

Putting his trust in a riding lizard received two votes, so Alexandros the Third will do just that.

146
The riding lizard is very sure-footed and is soon striding off through open country on its strong hind legs. With your heart still pounding in your chest with excitement, you realize you are free of the city! Add 1 LUCK point, and turn to 53.

[spoiler][/spoiler]

53
But you will need more than luck now that you are being chased by half a dozen Lizard Men, all mounted on riding lizards very much like yours. You spur your steed, and race away from the enemy lines. The chase is on! Turn to 177.

[spoiler][/spoiler]

177
[spoiler][/spoiler]

The grassy plain across which you are riding stretches on for an eternity, with no help in sight. You race on, wondering how long your panting mount can keep up this furious pace. You crane your head around and look behind you: the Lizard Men are gaining on you! Test your Luck. If you are Lucky, turn to 347. If you are Unlucky, turn to 399.

The Luck roll yielded a 5, meaning that Alexandros the Third was Lucky.

347
An arrow whistles past your left ear! Oh, Telak, you think, they’re getting dose enough to hit me! The ground beneath your mount’s sure feet becomes more rolling. As the lizard leaps a small stream you notice a copse just up ahead of you. Will you ride for the copse (tum to 303), or continue on past it (turn to 201)?

[spoiler][/spoiler]

Please vote before 6:00 PM PDT or a 2-vote majority is reached to guarantee that it will be counted.

Adventure Sheet
[spoiler]Alexandros the Third
SKILL: 9 Initial Skill = 9
STAMINA: 22 Initial Stamina = 22
LUCK: 9 Initial Luck = 10
ITEMS OR EQUIPMENT CARRIED:
Cloak
Hunting-knife
Sword
Rucksack
Armour
Bow and 3 silvered arrows
Bottle of healing balm (turn to 42 to use it)
SPECIAL ITEMS:
None
PROVISIONS REMAINING: 4
BOONS:
2 Rewinds
2 Restorations[/spoiler]

[Beroli]

Uh. I am not sure what we're considering doing with the copse...

...but continuing a race which we are already losing sounds like the worse option. Head for the copse and enact a mysterious plan.

[JourneymanN00b]

Vote registered, Alexandros the Third will ride for the copse.

303
You are nearly at the copse, and you seem to be escaping from your pursuers. And then, against all the odds, there’s the rush of an arrow from the trees and your mount falls from under you! You tumble to the ground, cursing your luck. A man appears from behind a tree, a bow in his hand, and peers at you as if working out whether or not you survived. You pick yourself up and dust yourself down, unable to believe what has happened! Will you stand to face the Lizard Men (turn to 189) or run for the trees (turn to 209)?

Please vote before 8:00 AM PDT or a 2-vote majority is reached to guarantee that it will be counted.

[Beroli]

Run for the trees.

[Queen of Swords]

Yes, run. I don't think we can take on six Lizard Men.

[JourneymanN00b]

Running for the trees received two votes, so Alexandros the Third will do this.

209
You reach the trees, shouting appalling curses at the man, who reveals himself to be wild-eyed and tough-looking, dressed in furs and leathers. ‘You stupid son of a bristle-beast, you shot my mount! Now what am I going to do?’ you scream, quite livid with anger. The man calmly peers out at your pursuers, then turns towards you. Turn to 21.

21
[spoiler][/spoiler]

‘Come on!’ shouts the man, pulling you with him as if you had no choice in the matter. You glance back over your shoulder. The Lizard Men have stopped at the edge of the copse, as if afraid to venture into it. A little further in, you come to a clearing. Tethered here are a horse and a small pony, both apparently grazing. As you approach them the pony lifts its head and you halt. It is not a pony at all but a Sabre-toothed Tiger! ‘Easy, Snag,’ says the stranger. ‘Look, fresh lizard!' If you have your father’s bow, turn to 284; otherwise, tum to 98.

[spoiler][/spoiler]

Alexandros the Third does have his father’s bow.

284
[spoiler][/spoiler]

You and the strange man set an ambush for the eight Lizard Men pursuing you. You may use as many arrows as you have left and kill one Lizard Man with each arrow. Your companion picks off two more with his arrows. Then, from the low branch of a nearby tree, the Sabre-toothed Tiger leaps down at the inhuman enemy. The mounts of the remaining Lizard Men shy away, turn and flee. Snag chases after them for a while without catching any, then gives up and returns to the scene of the battle. It sniffs the Lizard Man corpses for a moment before turning up its nose and trotting back to its master. Turn to 240.

240
Make a note on your Adventure Sheet of how many of the eight Lizard Men escaped you. ‘They’ll be back with reinforcements,’ says the man, as you watch them ride away.

‘That’s all very well,’ you reply, ‘but who on Titan are you?’ He introduces himself as ‘the one and only’ Julius Lecarte, adventurer and trader, roaming Southern Allansia with Snag, his pet Sabre-toothed Tiger, in search of his explorer father, Tadeus, who disappeared several years ago. You haven’t heard of his father, you tell him, but go on to relate the tale of your adventures so far. ‘We should really head for Capra, about half a dozen leagues from here,’ he tells you. ‘They’re holding out against the raiders for now and they’re still able to provide a safe haven for a fugitive. When Vymorna falls, though, it’ll take all of the Axehead Plains with it, worse luck. Now, about these Lizard Men of yours ...’ Tum to 79.

[spoiler][/spoiler]

79
‘We’ve got several options,’ Lecarte tells you. ‘We could make a run for Capra, but the Lizard Men might catch us, especially since we have only one horse. Alternatively, we could wait for them to return and fight them off. Or we could try something else; I have a fire-making substance that I acquired from an old trader of Kallamehr. If we could lure the Lizard Men into a trap and set it off we could wipe ‘em off the face of Titan! Now, I’m not sure whether that plan would work at all, so the decision is up to you.’ Will you run for it (tum to 120), stay and fight (turn to 51) or set a trap (turn to 349)?

Please vote on what option to take and how many arrows to use against the Lizard Men before 8:00 AM PDT or a 2-vote majority is reached to guarantee that it will be counted.

[Thaluikhain]

Set a trap

And, we used up all our arrows? Ouch.

[JourneymanN00b]

Set a trap

And, we used up all our arrows? Ouch.

Paragraph 284 says that "You may use as many arrows as you have left and kill one Lizard Man with each arrow." Alexandros the Third can use up to three arrows in that situation.

[Thaluikhain]

Set a trap

And, we used up all our arrows? Ouch.

Paragraph 284 says that "You may use as many arrows as you have left and kill one Lizard Man with each arrow." Alexandros the Third can use up to three arrows in that situation.

Oh, misread that, thought we automatically used all our arrows for one each.

I vote for keeping at least 1 arrow in reserve.