[Let's Play] Fighting Fantazine Adventure 5: Bones of the Banished

[Beroli]

Default Fighting Fantasy rules:

You have three stats: Skill, Stamina, and Luck. Initial Skill is generated by rolling 1d6+6. Initial Stamina is generated by rolling 2d6+12. And Initial Luck is generated by rolling 1d6+6. Your Skill, Stamina, and Luck start out equal to their Initial values, and can never exceed their Initial values; some rare bonuses will increase the Initial value as well as or instead of the current value.

When told to Test your Skill, roll 2d6. If the result is lower than or equal to your current Skill, you succeed; if it is higher, you fail.

When told to Test your Luck, roll 2d6. If the result is lower than or equal to your current Luck, you succeed; if it is higher, you fail. Either way, reduce your current Luck by 1 afterward. For obvious reasons, it is advantageous to only Test your Luck if you have to.

Most enemies you encounter will have their own Skill and Stamina scores. One-on-one combat works like this:

Each round, you roll 2d6 and add the result to your Skill to get your Attack Strength. The enemy rolls 2d6 and adds the result to their Skill to get their Attack Strength. If one of you has higher Attack Strength, the other one loses two Stamina. If both Attack Strengths are the same, both of you have avoided damage. When one reaches 0 Stamina, that one is dead.

Immediately after you win an Attack Round, you may choose to Test your Luck. If you succeed, you do a further 2 points of damage to the enemy. If you fail, the enemy gets one point of Stamina back (it turns out your hit was just a graze).

Immediately after you lose an Attack Round (before you die, if the Attack Round brought you to 0 Stamina), you may choose to Test your Luck. If you succeed, you get one point of Stamina back (the wound was just a graze). If you fail, you take 1 more point of damage.

Combat against multiple opponents works like this:

Each round, you designate which opponent you are attacking. Then you roll for your Attack Strength as if you were fighting single combats with each of however many opponents you are facing (so if you are fighting five enemies, you generate five separate Attack Strengths for yourself). Each of them rolls for their Attack Strength normally.

If your Attack Strength is higher than your chosen target’s, they lose 2 Stamina (can be increased by Luck as normal). You have no chance of wounding any other opponent that round.

For each Attack Strength higher than yours, you lose 2 Stamina (can be decreased by Luck as normal).

PROVISIONS

By default, the PC starts with ten Meals worth of unspecified Provisions. Eating a Meal without being told it’s a requirement will cure 4 Stamina points worth of damage. If a gamebook says “you must eat a Meal now,” that Meal heals no damage, and if the PC is out of Provisions and cannot eat, they take damage instead. Whether eating Provisions is at will or only when a gamebook specifies that the PC can eat if they wish to varies from gamebook to gamebook.

POTIONS

By default, the PC starts with one of three potions. A Potion of Dexterity will restore Skill to its Initial score. A Potion of Strength will restore Stamina to its Initial score. A Potion of Fortune will increase Initial Luck by 1 and then restore Luck to its new Initial score.

Individual Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks may change any of those rules.

SPECIFIC RULES FOR THIS BOOK

You begin with a rucksack which will hold a total of 10 items. At the beginning it holds 5 meals (each of which counts as an item). You can eat whenever you are not in battle, but only one meal per section.

You have a sharp flint-tipped dagger, which you wear at your waist when not using it (so it doesn't need a slot in your rucksack).

You have no potions or other items.

This one does have a few bugs, which I will be fixing, one in this first entry.

BACKGROUND

Life is hard on the Plain of Bones, deep in the south-west of Allansia. For as long as anyone can remember, your people have dwelt in the village of Boneridge, battling both the elements and the gigantic beasts that stalk the plains. Despite only just having reached the age of adulthood, you are an experienced hunter and a vital member of the tribe. Each day you must venture out into the unforgiving wilderness to hunt down food for your people. Failure to return with a kill may mean starvation for the tribe. Despite the relentless conditions, the Boneridge tribe has managed to eke out an existence, bound together under the leadership and courage of your warrior-chieftain, Ngodo. It was therefore a devastating blow to your people when a tragic accident claimed his life. Three days ago Ngodo was out on a hunt with his fellow warriors, sitting astride his lifelong companion, the horned beast known as Longspike. The chieftain was tossed from his saddle by his once-faithful mount, tumbling over a cliff to his death. Longspike escaped into the wilderness, leaving the warriors to recover the broken body of their leader and return to the village.

Lost without a clear leader, your people turned to Valgrek, the village shaman, for guidance. The aged soothsayer retired to his tent to seek counsel with the spirits of your ancestors. For an entire day and night the village echoed with the unearthly chatter of the dead as Valgrek communed with the spirit world. Finally he emerged from his tent and declared to the gathered crowd that a new chieftain must be selected from among the tribesfolk. The ancient Rite of Banishment must be performed.

Gasps ripple through the crowd; the ancient rite has not been invoked for many generations. But since Ngodo died without leaving an heir, there can be no other way. All eligible adults, including you, gather your weapons and provisions and assemble at the edge of the village. Valgrek silences the crowd with a wave of his gnarled hand.

‘Our beloved ancestors have spoken the truth – the Rite of Banishment must commence. Each of you has been tasked with proving yourself worthy of leading our people, but only one will succeed. Strength, bravery, and resilience – these are the virtues by which you will be judged. Go now into the wild and seek the mightiest trophy; be it horn, claw, eye or tail; and return within one moon. The one who returns with the greatest prize will be proven worthy. Until then, you are hereby exiled from the tribe!’

The candidates begin to depart the village. Your duty is clear – venture out into the wilderness, track and kill the most fearsome creature you can find, and return with a trophy worthy of a chieftain. As the Plain of Bones is infamous for its colossal lizards and bloodthirsty monsters, finding such a beast should prove no problem!

Before you leave, you make a quick check of your belongings. Tucked into your belt is a flint-tipped Dagger. Your rucksack holds five Provisions, more than enough to last you the two days of banishment. Make a note of these items on your Adventure Sheet. You also have the choice of taking either a Rope, a Torch, or a Javelin with you (but not more than one). The Rope will be useful should you do any climbing, the Torch will be invaluable at night or in a cave, and the Javelin will be useful should you need to throw a weapon at an enemy.

A few warriors remain, still finalising their preparation. The women, children and the elderly have gathered a short distance away, tearfully waving off their partners, fathers and sons.

So, as you can see, your tribe is sexist enough that a potential chieftain can only be male, but vote on name, whether to take a rope, a torch, or a javelin, and where to distribute dice for your three stats: 5, 4, 2, 1. Then vote on whether to start off by:

Waste no time and head off immediately?
Talk to Paru, your childhood friend?
Talk to Wanushu, the tribe's greatest hunter?
Talk to Ogmil, Valgrek's apprentice?
Talk to Kuwi, a close friend?

Adventure Sheet
Name: ??
Sex: Male
Skill: ?/?
Stamina: ??/??
Luck: ?/?
Weapon: Dagger
Rucksack contents: 5 provisions
Trophies:
Deaths:

[Queen of Swords]

I vote to assign the 5 to Skill, 4 to Luck and the rest to Stamina. Also, take the torch.

As for how to start, the tribe's greatest hunter seems the reasonable choice, but I wonder if this is too obvious and it won't actually benefit us. So... only half a vote for this.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to name our hero George, give him 11 Skill, 10 Luck,15 Stamina, and a rope, and to talk to Wanushu.

[Thaluikhain]

I like those stats, and vote for the rope.

[Beroli]

Taking the rope wins 2-1. Talking to Wanushu wins 1.5-0. The name George wins 1-0. Stats win 3-0.

You find Wanushu sharpening the edge of his huge metal axe, a wondrous weapon he acquired on one of his adventures in the World-Beyond-the-Plains. He acknowledges you with the slightest of nods. You ask him if he has any advice for you.

‘I would not tarry here much longer if I were you, young one. Each moment spent here is another moment wasted.’ The broad-shouldered warrior glances at your weapon and rucksack. ‘You travel lightly. Here, take this.’

Wanushu hands you a length of bone topped with flammable material and two stones of flint with which to ignite it. ‘I have no need of fire in the Cauldron.’ You shudder involuntarily at the mention of that cursed place, far to the south of the village. Wanushu grins. ‘I do not believe Valgrek’s ghost stories. Besides, if the legends do happen to be true, then that is where the greatest trophy will be found.’

With that he hefts his axe across his broad shoulders and sets off into the wilderness. You are now the only candidate remaining in Boneridge, but you can talk to a noncandidate if you wish:

Set out?
Talk to Ogmil, Valgrek's apprentice?
Talk to Kuwi, a close friend?

(It at least appears choosing the rope instead of the torch was serendipitous; of course it would be an inappropriate spoiler for me to spell out whether you're likely to need two torches.)

Adventure Sheet
Name: George
Sex: Male
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 15/15
Luck: 10/10
Weapon: Dagger
Rucksack contents: 5 provisions, Rope, Torch
Trophies:
Deaths:

[Queen of Swords]

Oh good, we got a torch.

Talk to Ogmil, we might as well get all the information possible before we leave.

[Thaluikhain]

May as well (unless the sections we'd go to are different, in which case I'd advise leaving now)

[JourneymanN00b]

Sure, I vote to talk to Ogmil.

[Beroli]

Ogmil is a few years older than you and has been training to succeed Valgrek as tribal shaman for years now. You find him lurking near his tent, keeping one eye on the departing candidates and the other fixated on the womenfolk who are seeing them off. He flinches slightly at your approach.

‘I don’t have the time to chat. Master Valgrek requires me for an important ritual.’

He makes to leave but you quickly ask him if he has any advice. He pauses, and then turns back to you. ‘I consulted with the ancestors last night and asked them for an omen. They spoke only of death and despair, a fate I fear awaits many of the candidates this day.’

The apprentice’s grim words fill you with dread; lose 1 Luck point. Ogmil’s gaze involuntarily sweeps across the women, lingering on Kuwi. ‘Do not worry yourself, I will look after things in your absence.’ Smiling a crooked grin, Ogmil turns and walks away.

Talk to Kuwi?
Leave the village?

Adventure Sheet
Name: George
Sex: Male
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 15/15
Luck: 9/10
Weapon: Dagger
Rucksack contents: 5 provisions, Rope, Torch
Trophies:
Deaths:

[Queen of Swords]

I think we need to warn Kuwi about the creeper who just lost us a Luck point.

[Thaluikhain]

Second that.

[Beroli]

Around the same age as you and Paru, Kuwi is widely acknowledged as the most beautiful woman in the village. No one has dared to court her, however, due to her fiercely protective father, the warrior Wanushu! You find her standing amongst the other women who have gathered to see off the candidates.

‘You don’t appear to be in much of a hurry,’ she teases, ‘are you that confident of success?’ You ask if she has any advice for you.

‘Father used to tell me a story when I was younger, about a terrible lizard that lives in the black mountain beyond the northern plains. Supposedly it is a fearsome creature with wings so vast they blot out the sun. If such a monster exists, it would surely yield the mightiest of trophies.’

You thank her and go to leave, but as you do she tugs on your arm. ‘Hurry back,’ she whispers, ‘I don’t feel safe with all the hunters gone.’ You reassure her of a speedy return, then head out of the village.

You walk to the outskirts of the village and decide on your first move. Boneridge sits roughly in the centre of the Plain of Bones. To the west, across the valley, thick grassland stretches almost all the way to the distant jungles of Silur Cha, empire of the Lizard Men. That way will take you near the territory of the Oldbones, your fierce enemies. The lands south of your village have long been off-limits due to the tales of demons and evil spirits that are said to lurk there. You dare not venture in that direction lest you lose your soul to some unholy fiend. To the east, the land dips gently down as it makes its way towards a distant range of hills. It is a barren, sparsely inhabited region that is seldom visited by your folk except when travelling to Courga Rock, a holy site. Finally, the lightly forested plains to the north are known as a prime grazing area for some of the larger plant-eating beasts.

Go east?
Go west?
Go north?

Adventure Sheet
Name: George
Sex: Male
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 15/15
Luck: 9/10
Weapon: Dagger
Rucksack contents: 5 provisions, Rope, Torch
Trophies:
Deaths:

[Queen of Swords]

Sounds like there's a dragon in the north, so go north.

[JourneymanN00b]

Sure, I vote to go north, since the information we have now indicates that the greatest benefits lie there.

[Thaluikhain]

That makes sense.

[Beroli]

A couple of hours of hard trekking finds you wandering through some light woodland. The trees loom over the track, their branches lined with hard thorns that you must carefully pick your way through. Test your Skill; a 7 succeeds.

You leave the thorntrees behind you having suffered only a few minor scratches. The woods thin out and give way to lush green grasslands. In the distance you spot the glint of sunlight upon water.

The morning finds you strolling across the plains, still seeking a trophy suitable for the leader of your people. You arrive at a large watering hole that is teeming with life; herds of Buffalo and Antelope, flocks of wading birds and a pair of Threehorns are amongst the creatures enjoying the life-giving water.

Drink from the watering hole?
Press on west?

Adventure Sheet
Name: George
Sex: Male
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 15/15
Luck: 9/10
Weapon: Dagger
Rucksack contents: 5 provisions, Rope, Torch
Trophies:
Deaths:

[Thaluikhain]

Water looks safe, unless there are monsters, and we are looking for monsters, though probably not water hole ones...so drink.

[Queen of Swords]

Yes, drink from the watering hole.

[Beroli]

You approach the water’s edge, spooking a group of scaly, ostrich-like creatures that scatter before you. You kneel down, and scoop a handful of cool water to your mouth and drink deeply; restore 1 Stamina point. Roll 1d3; if you roll a 2 something happens. Your result is a 1.

You drink your fill and set off once more. Evening is approaching, and it will soon be time to seek shelter for the night.

Night is fast approaching as you cross the savannah far to the north of your village. The vast grasslands stretch out as far as you can see; small collections of trees lie scattered about them like islands in a sea of green. Between them roam fleets of animals; Antelope, Buffalo and spike-tailed Shinglebacks among them. Each herd is settling down for the evening, and it is time that you did too.

Sleep out in the open?
Sleep in the branches of a tree?

Adventure Sheet
Name: George
Sex: Male
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 15/15
Luck: 9/10
Weapon: Dagger
Rucksack contents: 5 provisions, Rope, Torch
Trophies:
Deaths:

[Queen of Swords]

Sleep in the branches. I was wondering if we could make a fire before we sleep out in the open, but given that these are grasslands, a fire could get out of hand.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to sleep in the branches of a tree for additional safety, just like Lone Wolf did in the Wildlands after being shipwrecked.

[Thaluikhain]

In a tree would be the better choice.

[Beroli]

You scan your surroundings for the tallest tree you can find. It turns out to be a baobab, its fat trunk stretching into the evening sky before sprouting into a handful of squat branches. You nimbly clamber up the tree, pulling yourself into the top branches just as the sun vanishes over the horizon. You are greeted by a deep, savage growl--that of the BLACK LION that already calls the tree home! The deadly mix between a black panther and a lion pads towards you, teeth bared. It has just woken up, and it wants you for breakfast!

BLACK LION Skill 8 Stamina 11

Should the Black Lion ever roll a double when rolling for its Attack Strength, it has pushed you out of the tree and you fall to your death.

Pausing for votes on how to use Luck here.

Adventure Sheet
Name: George
Sex: Male
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 15/15
Luck: 9/10
Weapon: Dagger
Rucksack contents: 5 provisions, Rope, Torch
Trophies:
Deaths:

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote not to use luck for this fight.

[Thaluikhain]

It has a 1 in 6 chance of an instakill, I half vote to use luck twice to increase damage