Let's play FF#44 Legend of the Shadow Warriors.

Stories about games that you run and/or have played in.

Moderator: Moderators

User avatar
Sirocco
Knight-Baron
Posts: 909
Joined: Wed May 07, 2014 6:22 am
Location: Club IMF (Formerly Club Med)

Post by Sirocco »

OK, so convert that to numbers using the torn page from the dark elves' book. (I'm not sure whether we got the actual instructions on how to do that?)

Unless someone else has a better idea? Since we have just one shot at this, let's wait for the others to weigh in.
Last edited by Sirocco on Thu Apr 28, 2016 10:36 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Darth Rabbitt
Overlord
Posts: 8869
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 8:31 pm
Location: In "In The Trenches," mostly.
Contact:

Post by Darth Rabbitt »

The graveyard would make the most sense.
Pseudo Stupidity wrote:This Applebees fucking sucks, much like all Applebees. I wanted to go to Femboy Hooters (communism).
SGamerz
King
Posts: 6293
Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2014 11:45 am

Post by SGamerz »

Only one shot? We probably missed some important hint earlier, then.

Graveyard, I guess. And if we fail and have to retconn, my next bet would be No Man's Land or Battle Plains.
Mr Shine
Knight-Baron
Posts: 740
Joined: Tue Jan 07, 2014 9:02 pm

Post by Mr Shine »

Your journey has taken too long. Perhaps you failed to take the threat of Voivod seriously enough, but the Warlord is no paltry dictator. He has already raised an army, ten thousand strong, of shambling undead and through his Shadow Warrior lieutenants, is masterminding an invasion of the living world. The ground writhes beneath your feet as the Earth-mother and the Horned Cod realize that all is lost
Where next?
User avatar
Sirocco
Knight-Baron
Posts: 909
Joined: Wed May 07, 2014 6:22 am
Location: Club IMF (Formerly Club Med)

Post by Sirocco »

Damn. Battle plains next.
User avatar
Darth Rabbitt
Overlord
Posts: 8869
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 8:31 pm
Location: In "In The Trenches," mostly.
Contact:

Post by Darth Rabbitt »

Voivod.

And yeah, battle plains.
Pseudo Stupidity wrote:This Applebees fucking sucks, much like all Applebees. I wanted to go to Femboy Hooters (communism).
User avatar
SlyJohnny
Duke
Posts: 1418
Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2012 4:35 pm

Post by SlyJohnny »

Yep, battle plains of Shabbad, that's where he deported the tribes of Megeiron to exterminate them, and thus where he's double-parked his undead army.
Mr Shine
Knight-Baron
Posts: 740
Joined: Tue Jan 07, 2014 9:02 pm

Post by Mr Shine »

I hadn't noticed that SlyJohnny, good spot. The only other reference to the scale of the battle I can find is in the Ur-Mythicalia, which is obviously incompatible with learning the "science of numbers"
Well done, you have chosen correctly. An ancient battle was once fought here hence the name and the thousands of bodies of the fallen still lie beneath the earth What better place for Voivod to raise an army of the dead? You race to the Battle Plains and see him -the Voivod himself - an incredible force of timeless decay, ringed by his five lieutenants, the Shadow Warriors, who dance in darkest ecstasy. Beside the Voivod is an Iron Bell of Summoning. If Voivod strikes this magic artifact, the dead will rise to do his bidding. He must be stopped, but how? Just looking at Voivod is a shattering experience. If you arrived here early... Otherwise...√
Getting here early is basically impossible on the Hustings path. You can't go via Hustings without searching for the hermit, and the fast-travel option (being taken over the mountains quick march by orcs) available on this route is incompatible with either method to learn the "science of numbers", so if you come via Hustings there's no way to avoid the next paragraph.
Once, twice, three times the low sonorous chiming of the bell rings in your ears. Then the very ground cracks open as the bodies of the fallen rise up from their unmarked graves. Their expressionless, rotted faces await command. So far you can see only a few hundred of them scattered about the arid landscape, but soon they will all be free - all ten thousand of them! The Voivod strikes the bell again and again. Now you rush forward to stop him, but the shambling undead obey their master and bar your way. Roll two dice to see how many of the shambling undead strike you as you fight your way through them. For each hit, deduct 2 points from your STAMINA. Armour and Testing your luck may be used to reduce the amount of damage done to you. If you survive this battering...
We roll a 4, taking Spoopy's STAMINA to 11.
All that stands between you and the Voivod are the Shadow Warriors You must fight each of the Warriors (except any you have already banished by special means) one after the other. If you possess the Ring of Rabbam, remember to ignore the Warriors' special abilities, The paragraph for each Wanior is, [five references listed].
If you defeat all the Warriors, you may then face Voivod. If you do so carrying the Spear of Doom... If you do so without the Spear...
Looking through the paragraphs listed each Shadow Warrior has the same stats: SKILL 9 STAMINA 9, (plus each has a special attack you don't need to care about). We have 11 luck which can be used to mitigate damage to ourself at -1LU/+1UNLU or do extra damage at +2LU/-1UNLU.

They're using ninja chivalry for some reason this time despite being happy to group attack and auto win earlier.

We have the Spear with 4 charges left, any of which could kill a Shadow Warrior if you were to choose this option.

Strategies?
Last edited by Mr Shine on Fri Apr 29, 2016 7:12 pm, edited 2 times in total.
User avatar
Sirocco
Knight-Baron
Posts: 909
Joined: Wed May 07, 2014 6:22 am
Location: Club IMF (Formerly Club Med)

Post by Sirocco »

Leave at least 1 charge for Voivod. Spend 3 charges on the Shadow Warriors. No opinion on LUCK use.
User avatar
Darth Rabbitt
Overlord
Posts: 8869
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 8:31 pm
Location: In "In The Trenches," mostly.
Contact:

Post by Darth Rabbitt »

Agreed on the use of the spear. I'd blow a point or two of LUCK attacking the remaining Shadow Warriors.
Pseudo Stupidity wrote:This Applebees fucking sucks, much like all Applebees. I wanted to go to Femboy Hooters (communism).
SGamerz
King
Posts: 6293
Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2014 11:45 am

Post by SGamerz »

Agreed.
Omegonthesane
Prince
Posts: 3680
Joined: Sat Sep 26, 2009 3:55 pm

Post by Omegonthesane »

We, er, don't know the spear will work properly on Voivod. Save it for if the Shadow Warriors fights get really, really bad.
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.

Zak S, Zak Smith, Dndwithpornstars, Zak Sabbath, Justin Bieber, shitmuffin
Mr Shine
Knight-Baron
Posts: 740
Joined: Tue Jan 07, 2014 9:02 pm

Post by Mr Shine »

Omegonthesane wrote:We, er, don't know the spear will work properly on Voivod. Save it for if the Shadow Warriors fights get really, really bad.
Since everybody seems agreed on the need for at least one charge for Voivod that means Spoopy has to fight at least 2 Shadow Warriors on his own, so I'll do that and then see how everybody wants to proceed.
The Shadow Warrior you face carries no weapon; it is a master of the martial arts, and its deadly, rotted hands move with blurring speed. Each Attack Round, the Warrior has two attacks. Treat this combat as if you are fighting two opponents with identical ratings at the same time

First SHADOW WARRIOR SKILL 9 STAMINA 9
Spoopy 20 Shadow Warrior 14 lucky Shadow Warrior at 5 luck at 10
Spoopy 19 Shadow Warrior 16 lucky Shadow Warrior at 1 luck at 9
Spoopy 20 Shadow Warrior 13 Shadow Warrior dead
This Shadow Warrior carries a multitude of finely crafted daggers, slung in bandoleers across its chest. At the start of each round of combat, the Warrior throws a blade at you. Roll one die, if you roll 1-4 4, the dagger misses; but if you roll 5 or 6, it thuds into your flesh and you mu deduct 2 points from your STAMINA. Armour or Testing your Luck will not reduce this damage. Whether the dagger hits you or nor, you must then fight a normal Attack Round of combat


Second SHADOW WARRIOR SKILL 9 STAMINA 9
Spoopy 19 Shadow Warrior 16 lucky Shadow Warrior at 5 luck at 8
Spoopy 21 Shadow Warrior 11 lucky Shadow Warrior at 1 luck at 7
Spoopy 14 Shadow Warrior 14 no change
Spoopy 17 Shadow Warrior 12 Shadow Warrior dead.
Double Flawless!

How should we deal with the next Shadow Warriors? All spear, all sword or play it by ear one at a time?
Omegonthesane
Prince
Posts: 3680
Joined: Sat Sep 26, 2009 3:55 pm

Post by Omegonthesane »

Sword until sword stops being a valid option.
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.

Zak S, Zak Smith, Dndwithpornstars, Zak Sabbath, Justin Bieber, shitmuffin
User avatar
Darth Rabbitt
Overlord
Posts: 8869
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 8:31 pm
Location: In "In The Trenches," mostly.
Contact:

Post by Darth Rabbitt »

Yeah, agreed. Voivod might require multiple spearings.
Pseudo Stupidity wrote:This Applebees fucking sucks, much like all Applebees. I wanted to go to Femboy Hooters (communism).
SGamerz
King
Posts: 6293
Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2014 11:45 am

Post by SGamerz »

Yes, sword until the fights go really bad for us.
Mr Shine
Knight-Baron
Posts: 740
Joined: Tue Jan 07, 2014 9:02 pm

Post by Mr Shine »

This Shadow Warrior is a master swordsman, wielding with consummate ease a pair of razor edged broadswords, one in each hand. Each time you lose an Attack Round against this foe, you must deduct 4 points from your STAMINA instead of the usual 2. Armour or Testing Your Luck may not 6e used to reduce this damage

Third SHADOW WARRIOR
Spoopy 18 Shadow Warrior 13 unlucky Shadow Warrior at 8 luck at 6
Spoopy 17 Shadow Warrior 19 Spoopy at 9
Spoopy 18 Shadow Warrior 15 Shadow Warrior at 6
Spoopy 21 Shadow Warrior 13 Shadow Warrior at 4
Spoopy 15 Shadow Warrior 20 Spoopy at 7
Spoopy 20 Shadow Warrior 14 Shadow Warrior at 2
Spoopy 17 Shadow Warrior 18 Spoopy at 5
Spoopy 19 Shadow Warrior 18 Shadow Warrior dead
This Shadow Warrior welds a mighty, multi-headed mace, each of its steel faces is covered with pyramid shaped spikes. In the Warrior's hands. the mace is a devastating weapon. At the start of the battle, Test your Luck If you are Lucky, nothing untoward happens; if you are Unlucky, however, the mace smashes your weapon and you must fight without it (cross the weapon off your Adventure Sheet). If you have no weapon the mace cashes into your body and you must deduct 6 points from your STAMINA and 1 Point from your skill-. Armour or Testing Your Luck may not be used to reduce this damage.

Fourth SHADOW WARRIOR SKILL 9 STAMINA 9
Spoopy 18 Shadow Warrior 14 unlucky Shadow Warrior at 8 luck at 5
Spoopy 18 Shadow Warrior 20 Spoopy at 3
Spoopy 15 Shadow Warrior 13 Shadow Warrior at 6
Spoopy 19 Shadow Warrior 16 Shadow Warrior at 4
Spoopy 16 Shadow Warrior 11 Shadow Warrior at 2
Spoopy 16 Shadow Warrior 17 Spoopy at 1
Spoopy 17 Shadow Warrior 17 no change
Spoopy 16 Shadow Warrior 19 Spoopy dead
Well the first battle didn't go great but Spoopy still had some reserves. Second battle went poorly too and can't use the spear in midcombat so RIP Spoopy


Let's try that again..
Third SHADOW WARRIOR SKILL 9 STAMINA 9
Spoopy 17 Spoopy 14 lucky Shadow Warrior at 5 luck at 6
Spoopy 20 Shadow Warrior 20 no change
Spoopy 16 Shadow Warrior 15 lucky Shadow Warrior at 4 luck at 5
Spoopy 15 Shadow Warrior 15 no change
Spoopy 18 Shadow Warrior 17 Shadow Warrior at 2
Spoopy 17 Shadow Warrior 13 Shadow Warrior dead
Fourth SHADOW WARRIOR SKILL 9 STAMINA 9
Spoopy 13 Shadow Warrior 14 Spoopy at 9
Spoopy 15 Shadow Warrior 12 unlucky Shadow Warrior at 8 luck at 4
Spoopy 17 Shadow Warrior 16 Shadow Warrior at 6
Spoopy 20 Shadow Warrior 17 Shadow Warrior at 4
Spoopy 18 Shadow Warrior 15 Shadow Warrior at 2
Spoopy 19 Shadow Warrior 19 no change
Spoopy 18 Shadow Warrior 19 Spoopy at 7
Spoopy 20 Shadow Warrior 15 Shadow Warrior dead
This Shadow Warrior carries a number of deadly throwing stars which are cast in a magical substance called Cruel-meta1. Any wounds caused by the metal keep growing - tearing and splitting the body until the victim suffers a slow and painful death.. At the start of your battle, the Warrior will have time lo spin one such missile in your direction Test Your Skill If you succeed,you dodge the star and begin combat as normal; but if you fail, the star embeds itself deep within your body,and you die in seconds.

Fifth SHADOW WARRIOR SKILL 9 STAMINA 9
Spoopy 17 Shadow Warrior 15 unlucky Shadow Warrior at 8 luck at 3
Spoopy 14 Shadow Warrior 15 Spoopy at 5
Spoopy 20 Shadow Warrior 18 Shadow Warrior at 6
Spoopy 15 Shadow Warrior 21 Spoopy at 3
Spoopy 16 Shadow Warrior 17Spoopy at 1
Spoopy 17 Shadow Warrior 17 no change
Spoopy 19 Shadow Warrior 15 Shadow Warrior at 4
Spoopy 15 Shadow Warrior 13 Shadow Warrior at 2
Spoopy 17 Shadow Warrior 14 Shadow Warrior dead


Holding the Spear of Doom up high, you shout your war cry and charge. The Spear is not meant to kill Voivod; as the Horned God said, it returns life to the dead. But Voivod is death itself so the Spear may not have enough Life force to affect him Fight each Attack Round of combat as normal, but once, at the end of each round (whether you win the round or not), you can attempt to give Voivod life. Roll two dice: if the total rolled is equal to or less than the Spear's current Life-force, tum to 400 but if the number you roll is higher, you have failed. If you fail, deduct 1 point from the Spear's Life force, then fight another round of combat, and so on Because you are trying to wield the Spear, you fighlt Voivod only in defence, If you win a round, he loses no STAMINA, on the other hand, Voivod thrives on your death, so if you /lose a round, you must add any points of STAMINA that you lose to Voivod's current total. If the Spear expends its Life-force, you must try to defeat the Voivod in normal combat: only then will your telling blows cause him to lose STAMINA points.

VOIVOD SKILL 10 STAMINA 10
Spoopy 12 Voivoid 18 Spoopy dead
Should you win in normal combat...
We got screwed with the spear's original life-force roll and reached Voivod one hit away from death, so this is going to be tricky. How do you want to proceed? Reroll our spear's life-force, just keep plugging away at this battle (We have just over 1/12 chance of winning on the first round, and a vanishingly small chance of winning in 2nd or 3rd round), try from a different save point or just admit Voivod is da man and see the ending Spoopy failed to get?
Omegonthesane
Prince
Posts: 3680
Joined: Sat Sep 26, 2009 3:55 pm

Post by Omegonthesane »

Of all the stupid bullshit design decisions this game made, making you roll for how many times you can use the "you must be this tall to win game" artefact... is one of them.

I vote we pretend the Spear had 11 uses instead of 6.
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.

Zak S, Zak Smith, Dndwithpornstars, Zak Sabbath, Justin Bieber, shitmuffin
MisterDee
Knight-Baron
Posts: 816
Joined: Tue Apr 10, 2012 8:40 pm

Post by MisterDee »

Yeah, I have to say the combination of rolling for Spear charges and having to keep many charges to use against Voivod is Gygaxian-grade bullshit.

I think pretending we rolled max Spear power, and retroactively spearing one of the Shadow Warriors or two just to arrive at the last fight with a bit more HP would be fair. It's pretty much the only way to win that fight anyway.
User avatar
Darth Rabbitt
Overlord
Posts: 8869
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 8:31 pm
Location: In "In The Trenches," mostly.
Contact:

Post by Darth Rabbitt »

Agreed on all counts.
Pseudo Stupidity wrote:This Applebees fucking sucks, much like all Applebees. I wanted to go to Femboy Hooters (communism).
User avatar
Sirocco
Knight-Baron
Posts: 909
Joined: Wed May 07, 2014 6:22 am
Location: Club IMF (Formerly Club Med)

Post by Sirocco »

What they said.
Mr Shine
Knight-Baron
Posts: 740
Joined: Tue Jan 07, 2014 9:02 pm

Post by Mr Shine »

OK, we rewind back to the point we're given the spear. We tell the Horned God we don't want any of his bargain basement crap and demand a better one. Fast Forward and SW#5 gets a spear to the face. Spoopy now has 7 STAMINA and the spear has 8 charges.
VOIVOD SKILL 10 STAMINA 10
Spoopy 13 Voivod 18 spear 12 Spoopy at 5 Voivod at 12 spear at 7
Spoopy 12 Voivod 16 spear 6 Spoopy at 3
Image

You dodge Voivod's bone-crushing gauntlets and thrust the Spear of Doom deep into his armoured body. He cries aloud with shock, and you are flung back by an explosion of Life-force. Astonishment numbs your mind as you Lie there in the dirt and witness events almost beyond your comprehension. The shambling undead fall back into their graves, and all five Shadow Warriors reappear, only to be pulled skywards in a whirl of Lifeforce.

The five fleeting shadows are scattered, howling on the wind, never to return You look back towards Voivod and see that his armour has dissolved, revealing an emaciated old man He stumbles forward, crying 'Life! I had forgotten. The smell of the flowers, the feel of the breeze. I... I...' The Sisters of Time, the Homed God and Jack-in-the-Green all appear before you. As one, they say, You have done well, forsaking the hand of vengeful death for that of forgiving life By this act you have righted all the wrongs and made whole all the corruptions. Voivod, Warlord of the Apocalypse, is human once more. Take him and reacquaint him with the ways of life-' Then they are gone. You stand there on the windswept battle plains, and put your arm round the old man who is crying with the simple joy of being alive.
Final Adventure Sheet.
Spoopy Cojones, Saviour of the Old World
SK 10/10 ST 3/19 LU 4/12
Loaded Die
Chameleon Cloak
9 Provisions
2 gold pieces
Long Dagger
Ring of Rabbam

Non optimal game overs:
1. Trapped in an endless nightmare by the Nightmare Master
2. Ganked by the final Dark Elf guard on the way out of their lair
3. Allowed Voivod to gather his army
4. Killed by a Shadow Warrior
5. Killed by Voivod
Well that's it. Stephen Hand seems to have a habit of not killing the major antagonist. The demon in Dead of Night was just banished and the warmonger in Moonrunner was taken to stand trial. I'll go through some stuff we missed later, but if anybody has any questions, ask away.
Omegonthesane
Prince
Posts: 3680
Joined: Sat Sep 26, 2009 3:55 pm

Post by Omegonthesane »

What happens if we cheat at dice to defeat Voivod in normal combat?
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.

Zak S, Zak Smith, Dndwithpornstars, Zak Sabbath, Justin Bieber, shitmuffin
Mr Shine
Knight-Baron
Posts: 740
Joined: Tue Jan 07, 2014 9:02 pm

Post by Mr Shine »

Omegonthesane wrote:What happens if we cheat at dice to defeat Voivod in normal combat?
You beat him down but "Voivod is death and death can't be killed" :roll:

Whatever that actually means in practice, the immediate result for Spoopy is to be murderized by a horde of undead.
Mr Shine
Knight-Baron
Posts: 740
Joined: Tue Jan 07, 2014 9:02 pm

Post by Mr Shine »

Some stuff we missed:

There's a female Frankenstein expy we could have seen if we'd gone right after getting the spear. There are varius ways to get knocked out and be forced to free yourself and fight her creation. She gets a mention in Moonrunner when she becomes the "Frankenstein's Monster" and her son takes on the Frankenstein role.

The basic path to victory is gain favour of Horned God, get spear, learn numbers, beat Voivod. One way to gain favour is back in the city, you can come acrosss a temple but someone playing it the first time is unlikely to get it as there are 2 nature questions. Getting the first one right means you can just go on your way. To get the brooch you need to answer the first question wrong then you get transported to some other plane where if you get the second wrong they kill you but if you get it right they give you the brooch. The other way to get a brooch is along the road taking a diversion to the inn and unmasking an Orc stirring up hatred amongst War of the Five Kingdoms veterans.

Along the road path you go through a town that you discover is taken over my plant based shapechangers "Mandrakes", You escape the first town, then can get a lift from a circus who turn out to also be Mandrakes, going around infecting towns. If you defeat them you can go searching for the man of numbers who is trapped in a gorgon's cave.

It's impossible to get both the ring and arrive early so with a low spear roll you're pretty much screwed.
Post Reply