[Let's Play] Fighting Fantazine Adventure 11: Ascent of Darkness

[Beroli]

You are one of Carsepolis’s foremost warriors and have won many a victory in battle against the forces of Chaos. You are currently fighting the Caarth on the northern border of the Desert of Skulls, when a shocking message recalls you home…

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

Provisions do not restore Stamina here, nor do you begin with any potions. The stat generation method is changed such that your ability scores cannot be either terribly high or terribly low. Because your character is supposed to be a legendary hero, I will be overriding that: Your beginning stats are Skill 12, Stamina 24, Luck 12.

Heroic Powers and Heroic Flaws

Being a mighty warrior, you have great power which you have honed to almost inhuman levels. However, like all mighty legends, you have a flaw, a weakness which may bring your downfall. You need to select one Heroic Power and add it to your Adventure Sheet. Your Heroic Power also modifies one of your Initial scores.

You also need to choose one Heroic Flaw and enter it in your Adventure Sheet.

Heroic Powers

Strength of Telak

It is as if the god of war blessed you himself. You have proved your strength and endurance to your comrades by fighting a battle that lasted for three days without stopping, even for sleep. You also smashed the gates of an Orc mountain city so that your soldiers could enter it and slaughter all of the foul beasts. No man has challenged you to a wrestling match for a decade now as you crushed the last one by accident.

Speed of Pangara

Your agility and running ability is legendary. You have been told that the god of winds has blessed you. Tales of your exploits have travelled far. You once ran so fast that you managed to run across the sea to apprehend a pirate captain who was trying to escape Carsepolis by boat. You also managed to leap across a chasm to slay Goblin archers who had tried to ambush your men. No galloping horse can match your pace or your endurance, and your quickness makes you more deadly in combat.

Cunning of Logaan

They say that you were blessed by the tricksters themselves. Your rhetoric convinces even the most stubborn of men and your quick wits surprise even the most prepared of your foes. You defeated a mighty hydra without laying a single blow on it. You weaved and ducked until its seven heads were all knotted together and it suffocated to death, unable to draw air into its lungs. When you were captured by the Orcs, you told them that your name was Nobody. Upon escaping from your cell, you walked unmolested to the exit of the city as the soldiers sat around because your jailer was frantically shouting ‘Nobody has escaped!’ An idea of yours also ended the siege of Castle Dracos, a fortress ruled over by a cruel warlord. You left a hollow wooden dragon outside the castle, with soldiers inside it. When your foe’s men brought the dragon in, your soldiers opened the gates at night, allowing your army to sneak into the castle and slay all of its inhabitants.

If you choose the Strength of Telak, your Initial Stamina is 30. If you choose the Speed of Pangara, your Initial Skill is 13. If you choose the Cunning of Logaan, your Initial Luck is 14. However, this is far from the only effect your Heroic Power will have, so choose wisely.

Heroic Flaws

Hubris

Your abilities are outmatched only by your arrogance. On too many occasions, your reach has exceeded your grasp, leading you to place yourself and your friends in danger. Many men have lost their lives because of your desire for even greater glory. You also have a tendency for boastfulness at banquets which can disgust your fellow diners or lead you into duels. Fortunately for you, you have won them all so far, but you have to be careful that you do not one day pick a foe who outmatches you in skill.

Rage

You harbour a great anger within you. Most of the time, with your heroic will, you keep it in check. But sometimes, when you are weaker from wine or from taunts, it will arise in you. The red mist will descend and you lose control of yourself, attacking both friend and foe. Even your allies fear you for your berserk rages and some refuse to march with you into battle. This has made finding friends a lot harder, and some lesser men may flee at the sight of you. A cunning foe may be able to use your rage against you by making you lose control and therefore making you more vulnerable.

Achilles’ Heel

It was prophesised that one day, the Gods will guide a blow that will fell you, even if it is the weakest blow that will merely give a lesser man a flesh wound. This has not caused you to shirk battle; rather you figure that it makes you more invulnerable to danger. You don’t really care much for the gods, but if it is true and they have prepared a special death for you, they will spare you until then.

In the published version of this mini-adventure, due to a bug, one of these Heroic Flaws is far less dangerous than the others. Consider that bug fixed here. It is possible to complete the adventure with any of the three, and any of the three may kill you.

Heroic Stunts

You are a mighty warrior who has learnt many techniques in the art of combat. This means that during a combat round, you may perform one heroic stunt in order to gain an extra advantage. You perform a stunt after Attack Strengths have been calculated and damage has been dealt. If you do, decide which stunt you want to perform and roll one die. If you roll the number needed (see below), you have performed the stunt and you may follow the instructions in the text. If you do not, then the stunt has gone wrong, your opponent gets a strike in and you must lose 2 Stamina points (regardless of what damage your opponent normally deals).

You are able to perform three stunts. You will be better at one of them depending on your heroic power. They are:

Shield Bash

Works on a roll of 4~6 or 3~6 if you have the Strength of Telak.

You may only perform this stunt if you are using your shield in combat. If it works, you strike your opponent with your shield, throwing them off balance. Your opponent loses 2 stamina points and must reduce their Attack Strength by 1 for the next combat round.

Flurry of Blows

Works on a roll of 4~6 or 3~6 if you have the Speed of Pangara.

If you perform this stunt, you strike all of your opponents with a swift unblockable flurry of blows. Each opponent you are fighting loses 3 stamina points.

Exploit Weakness

Works on a roll of 4~6 or 3~6 if you have the Cunning of Logaan.

If you perform this stunt, you are able to detect a chink in an opponent’s armour or weakness in their guard and get some quick blows in. One opponent loses 1 Stamina point in this combat round and every combat round for the remainder of the combat. Using this stunt is cumulative. For example, if you manage to do this stunt three times while fighting two opponents, you can decide that one of them is automatically losing 2 Stamina per round and the other is automatically losing 1 Stamina per round for the rest of the fight.

Equipment

You will start this adventure with a bare minimum of equipment, but you may acquire other items on your travels. You are armed with a sword and a spear. You carry a shield which you can use not only to block blows, but also offensively, by bashing your opponent. While you carry a shield in combat, you may reduce each opponents’ Attack Strength by 1. You also wear a steel helmet. You do not wear body armour as you feel it restricts your movement. You carry a purse containing 50 Gold Pieces. At the beginning of your adventure, you are in command of an army which has many porters and wagons full of other supplies. You have plenty of food and water and access to other equipment, but you do not need to keep track of this equipment.

BACKGROUND
Time: 1997 years since the creation of Titan.
Location: The northern edge of the Desert of Skulls, Allansia.

The air is dry and scorches your throat with every breath you take. The bloodstained sand matches the pink of the sunset over the Desert of Skulls. You stare over the horizon, anxious to see if any more Caarth will assault your men today. Your soldiers stand behind you on the brink of exhaustion, for today has been a hard day of constant combat against strong and cunning opponents with the advantage of knowing the terrain. Your prowess and tactical knowledge brought you victory, but at a great cost. Each Caarth warrior is strong and quick and bears poisonous fangs. Despite being outnumbered, each snake man slew at least two of your fine, highly trained soldiers. Your army of a thousand now numbers three hundred.

There is no sign of another assault, so you give the signal to return to Karnak Tor. With exhausted relief, your soldiers obey.

You remember visiting the frontier town of Karnak Tor in your youth. Despite being near the Desert of Skulls, its surrounding countryside was verdant grassland, suitable for many crops and grazing animals. Since then, however, the soil has grown dryer and dustier and many harvests of crops have failed. It is as if the desert itself is marching northwards and invading your lands. The townsfolk have been suffering from Caarth raids and attacks from other unnatural desert beasts over the years and have so become battle-hardened and grim. However, four months ago, a messenger arrived in Carsepolis begging for aid as the Caarth were attacking them on a daily basis. As well as sending warriors, their sorcerers summoned sandstorms that buffeted the town and choked the animals. This is why you and your legion were sent.

When you arrive in the town, there is no welcome to herald your victory. The townspeople have grown too used to conflict to care about the result of one of the many battles they have had to deal with. Your men need no prompt to rest. They place their weapons and armour near their beds, eat their rations in silence and collapse in their bunks, exhausted.

You, however, are always mindful of forming a new strategy. You climb the tallest tower on the town wall and look across the desert with your spyglass, taking advantage of the last light of the sun. That is when you see the shapes.

The Caarth don’t need tents. They sleep under the sand dunes, but you have learnt to spot the S shapes in the sand to stop them ambushing you. You see a lot of those shapes now. They are about an hour’s march away. You thank your lucky stars that you have a few hours rest from the assault. The Caarth, being cold blooded, do not travel or fight at night, for the coldness of the desert makes them slow and dozy. You have eight hours before dawn; enough time to rest your men and then ambush this raiding party. It is a big force, but you have proved to the people of Allansia that you can overcome great odds.

They now say that you were blessed by the gods, but you scoff at such claims. Your victories are all your own. You have become powerful through suffering excruciating pains only to come out stronger. You have shirked no challenge and shrunk from no exertion. Only this way have you risen to such legendary heights.

You descend the tower and head to your own quarters in order to get a few hours sleep yourself before your onslaught begins anew. Once you have checked your weapons and armour, you slip Into your bed and fall asleep instantly. However, the gods do not want you to rest tonight as they plague your slumber with all kinds of strange dreams…

Vote on your character's name, sex, Heroic Power and Heroic Flaw.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to make our hero male with the name Hermes, and give him Speed of Pangara with Hubris.

[Queen of Swords]

I think Cunning is a more interesting skill. Other than that, I'm in agreement.

[pragma]

I also like Cunning/Hubris, and propose a slight modification of the name to Hermes Conrad.

[Beroli]

Hubris wins 3-0. Cunning of Logann wins 2-1.

You dream that you are in a rocky valley, somewhere near your home. A figure approaches you, hovering above the ground. As it gets closer you realise that it is your father, his face sallow and gaunt. He says nothing, but watches you intently. Then comes the thud and the sharp pain in your arm. You look at it to see an arrow protruding from your shoulder. Fire courses through your veins. The agony is unbearable.

You awake. You are in your quarters, lying on your bed. It is dark. You gather your equipment, leave your room and stride out into the courtyard of the castle that you are staying in.

‘Dilios!’ you shout to an armed guard standing near a water clock. ‘What hour is it?’

‘Two hours to the dawn, my liege,’ replies Dilios.

‘Then gather the men. We march in thirty minutes.’

After a frenzy of activity, your squad of three hundred handpicked elite soldiers is standing to attention before you, prepared to face the Caarth horde that awaits them. You march out silently across the desert, always keeping a watchful eye out for strange patterns in the sand. When you approach where the Caarth are sleeping, you stop the men. You have the upper hand - the Caarth will still be sluggish, but how will you take advantage of their vulnerability?

Assault the Caarth now?
Maneuver your men into a more advantageous position?

Name: Hermes Conrad
Sex: Male
Skill: 12/12
Stamina: 24/24
Luck: 14/14
Cunning of Logann
Hubris
Inventory: Sword, spear, shield (-1 to enemy Attack Strength), Steel helmet, 50 Gold Pieces

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to maneuver the men to a more advantageous position, in order to reduce losses.

[Queen of Swords]

Agreed.

[pragma]

I think assault now so they don't wake up.

[Beroli]

Silently, you signal your men to take up positions ready for an ambush.

You do have the Cunning of Logann.

Your men lay nets over the sand where the Caarth are sleeping. You then signal your soldiers to raise their spears. Then, when they are ready, poised for your order, you scream your battle cry. As one, your soldiers plunge their spears into the sand. The silence of the desert is broken by the agonised hisses of Caarth and the gleeful bloodthirsty war cries of men. Caarth burst out from the sand but they hiss in dismay as they are held back by the nets. Your men pick off the helpless Caarth with ease as they writhe and struggle under the weight of the nets. However, the battle is far from over as more Caarth burst out from the sand brandishing wicked curved swords. Your men draw their swords and engage them in a desperate struggle.

Despite being outnumbered, your men hold their own against the Caarth warriors who seem to be faltering under your soldiers’ relentless assault. Then you spot something. A robed Caarth is standing some distance away. It is waving a crystal tipped staff around. As it does, a glow forms around the crystal and gradually gets brighter. However, nearby, another group of Caarth have risen up from the sand, and your men seem hard pressed to defend themselves against such numbers.

Attack the robed Caarth wielding the staff?
Help your men against the Caarth warriors?

Name: Hermes Conrad
Sex: Male
Skill: 12/12
Stamina: 24/24
Luck: 14/14
Cunning of Logann
Hubris
Inventory: Sword, spear, shield (-1 to enemy Attack Strength), Steel helmet, 50 Gold Pieces

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to attack the staff wielding Caarth, as magic should definitely be removed from the equation.

[Queen of Swords]

Always attack the magician first. We learned that in Creature of Havoc.

[Thaluikhain]

Attack the magician first.

[Beroli]

You sprint towards the Caarth sorcerer, blocking flailing Caarth blows with your shield. You see a Caarth warrior running in your direction, trying to head you off.

You do not have the Speed of Pangara.

You realise that the warrior is going to head you off before you can attack the sorcerer.

Throw your spear at the sorcerer?
Fight the warrior?

Name: Hermes Conrad
Sex: Male
Skill: 12/12
Stamina: 24/24
Luck: 14/14
Cunning of Logann
Hubris
Inventory: Sword, spear, shield (-1 to enemy Attack Strength), Steel helmet, 50 Gold Pieces

[Thaluikhain]

Throw spear!

[Queen of Swords]

<—-

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote for Hermes to throw his spear.

[Beroli]

You hurl your spear at the sorcerer’s head, dealing what should be a fatal blow. However, the spear stops inches away from the sorcerer’s head and shatters into a million pieces, leaving the sorcerer unharmed. You curse as you realise that the sorcerer has magical protection. However, you don’t have time to attack the sorcerer, as the warrior is upon you! Green blood seeps from a gash on its face, but it does not stop its relentless assault.

CAARTH WARRIOR Skill 10 Stamina 7

Something will happen if you are still fighting the warrior after 4 rounds, so vote on how/whether to use Luck and/or Heroic Stunts.

Name: Hermes Conrad
Sex: Male
Skill: 12/12
Stamina: 24/24
Luck: 14/14
Cunning of Logann
Hubris
Inventory: Sword, shield (-1 to enemy Attack Strength), Steel helmet, 50 Gold Pieces

[Thaluikhain]

Use exploit weakness, though it's unlikely that we'll need it.

[JourneymanN00b]

I also vote to use exploit weakness.

[Beroli]

Reading that as using Exploit Weakness in every round:

Hermes Conrad Attack Strength: 15, CAARTH WARRIOR Attack Strength: 21. Stunt result 3: Success. Hermes Conrad's Stamina is 22, CAARTH WARRIOR's Stamina is 6 and bleeding for 1.
Hermes Conrad Attack Strength: 21, CAARTH WARRIOR Attack Strength: 14. Stunt result 3: Success. CAARTH WARRIOR's Stamina is 2 and bleeding for 2.
Hermes Conrad Attack Strength: 16, CAARTH WARRIOR Attack Strength: 17. Stunt result 6: Success. Hermes Conrad's Stamina is 20. CAARTH WARRIOR bleeds to death.

Before the warrior’s body hits the ground, you run up to the sorcerer and plunge your sword into them. The sorcerer collapses into a heap on the ground.

There is a deafening scream and the Caarth fall back, leaving only one warrior before your men. This Caarth stands three metres tall, wears no armour and carries a huge sword and shield. It screams for one warrior to face it in single combat.

Accept the challenge?
Throw your spear at the Caarth Champion?
Take advantage of the distraction and order your men to rush the Caarth?

Name: Hermes Conrad
Sex: Male
Skill: 12/12
Stamina: 20/24
Luck: 14/14
Cunning of Logann
Hubris
Inventory: Sword, shield (-1 to enemy Attack Strength), Steel helmet, 50 Gold Pieces

[pragma]

Accept the challenge to avoid triggering hubris and to spare our men

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to accept the challenge.

[Thaluikhain]

Accept

[Queen of Swords]

Accept, and hope our cunning overcomes the disadvantage in our size.

[Beroli]

You run at the huge Caarth, who bares its teeth in joy at the thought of crushing you. When you get within striking distance, the Caarth lashes out at you with its foot. You are too close to dodge it and you must block it with your shield.

You do not have the Strength of Telak.

The champion’s blow sends you sprawling backwards. Lose 1 Stamina point. It grins as it advances upon you, brandishing its double-headed sword. You must now fight the Caarth champion, who will perform a stunt in every combat round as long as its stamina is 10 or more. Its stunt succeeds on a 3-6 and does 2 damage.

CAARTH CHAMPION Skill 11 Stamina 16

Vote on how and whether to use Luck and/or any Heroic Stunts yourself. You might also want to vote on a general policy for Heroic Stunts (or for Luck, for that matter) to save time.

Name: Hermes Conrad
Sex: Male
Skill: 12/12
Stamina: 19/24
Luck: 14/14
Cunning of Logann
Hubris
Inventory: Sword, shield (-1 to enemy Attack Strength), Steel helmet, 50 Gold Pieces