[Let's Play] Fighting Fantasy 63 - Stormslayer

[SGamerz]

I vote to draw Lisbeth Munoe's warhammer and fight.

The text specified that the weapon we took is Wyrmbiter, so we can only use that for this underwater stretch. In this case, I don't think it's unreasonable, since a bashing weapon isn't as efficient in such environment compared to a piercing one. There's a reason why the classic underwater weapons are tridents and spears. I think there are similar restrictions in DnD too.

[JourneymanN00b]

My mistake. I vote to draw Wyrmbiter and attack then.

[Queen of Swords]

Seconded.

[SGamerz]

The hideous behemoth lurches towards you, its towering mass writing with tentacles and snapping crustacean claws. You now suspect that you know what it is...They are so rarely seen that they have acquired an almost mythical status. They are frightening, intelligent, ten-legged creatures that are found nowhere else on Titan. To some they are the Decapi, to others they are the Old Ones, but to those unlucky few who actually encounter them, it is enough that they are horrors of the abyss!

Once again you are fighting for your life. If you survive your encounter, this will be one battle that you will remember for the rest of your life.

ABYSSAL HORROR SKILL 10 STAMINA 12

If you lose an Attack Round roll one die and then consult the table below to see what damage you suffer. (You may use LUCK to reduce any damage caused in the usual way.)

1-2: Crushing claws - the creature strikes you with one of its snapping pincers. Lose 2 STAMINA points.
3-5: Tentacle twist - the monster grabs you with a rubbery tentacle. The tentacle only inflicts 1 STAMINA point of damage, but for the next Attack Round you must fight with your Attack Strength reduced by 1 as you fight to free yourself from its clutches.
6: Snapping beak - if the horror already has a hold of you it drags you into its beaked mouth and bits down hard; roll one die and lose that many STAMINA points. However, if the monster doesn't already have you in its grasp roll again on the table for damage; if you roll 6 a second time, then the creature bites you as described.

If you manage to defeat this nightmarish monster, you are at last able to make it to the Sunken Temple.

This is bad. I'm actually surprised that the creature doesn't get any further bonus on Seaday, but as it is it's back enough. We're at 2-point SKILL disadvantage due to the underwater environment, and the creature may do extra damage or inflict further AS penalty each round.

Do we use LUCK for this battle?

Adventure Sheet:
[spoiler]Name: Lisbeth Munroe
SKILL 9/9 (8 while underwater)
STAMINA 19/19
LUCK 7/8
Equipment: Backpack, *Leather Armour, Lantern and Tinderbox, *Wyrmbiter (+2 Attack Strength & +1 damage against dragonkind), *Dragon Tattoo, Hunting Horn, Potion of Giant Strength (+2 SKILL and 1 damage when drink before battle), *Rope and Grapple, Potion of Levitation, Warhammer (does +1 damage after hitting an opponent if 5-6 is rolled on 1d6), Clay Statuette ('Arkolith'), *Sun Talisman, *Breathing Helmet (* = items available to us while exploring under the Eelsea)
Provisions: 10/10
Gold: 3
Day of the Week:
Stormsday
Moonsday
Fireday
Earthday
Windsday
Seaday
Highday
Codewords: Mortsleam, Enihcam, Noollab
Time Track:
Damage:
No. of sections spent while exploring seabed: 5/16 (turn to 318 when exceeds 16)
Notes:
1) For as long as Brokk is with you in the Fathomdeep Mine, if you find yourself reading a paragraph that has an asterisk (*) next to the number, subtract 50 from that reference and turn to the new paragraph to see what Brokk has to tell you. Brokk will also join in any battles you face underground. When faced with two opponents, you need only fight the first one to win the battle, as the Dwarf will do away with the other with his battle-axe. His attributes are SKILL 10, STAMINA 8. If you face only one opponent you will gain two Attacks, both of which can injure that opponent. In this case, if injuries are sustained they will only affect you on a dice roll of 1-3.
2) To call on the West Wind, intone his name, Zephyrus - may only be done once
Extra Lives remaining: 6/6
[/spoiler]

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to use Luck to deal extra damage once, and also under the scenario that not doing so would kill our hero.

[Thaluikhain]

Second that.

[pragma]

From the peanut gallery: This might be an ok time to pop the potion of giant strength

Edit: Though, upon reflection, it's not one of our two items. Ignore me!

[SGamerz]

COMBAT LOG:
Abyssal Horror 19, Lisbeth Munroe 13. Die roll = 4. LM is at 18 STAMINA, but -1 Attack Strength next round.
AH 20, LM 15. Die roll = 4. LM is at 17 STAMINA, but -1 Attack Strength next round.
AH 17, LM 14. Die roll = 1. LM is at 15 STAMINA.
AH 15, LM 17. AH is at 10.
AH 15, LM 14. Die roll = 4. LM is at 14 STAMINA, but -1 Attack Strength next round.
AH 14, LM 16. AH is at 8.
AH 16, LM 16. Tie.
AH 15, LM 13. Die roll = 5. LM is at 13 STAMINA, but -1 Attack Strength next round.
AH 18, LM 18. Tie.
AH 16, LM 13. Die roll = 6! But LM is not held by monster. Roll again = 6 (again)! Damage roll = 4. LM is at 9 STAMINA.
AH 18, LM 15. Die roll = 1. LM is at 7 STAMINA.
AH 22, LM 18. Die roll = 2. LM is at 5 STAMINA.
AH 16, LM 17. AH is at 6.
AH 20, LM 15. Die roll = 1. LM is at 3 STAMINA.
AH 15, LM 17. AH is at 4.
AH 18, LM 13. Die roll = 5. LM is at 2 STAMINA, but -1 Attack Strength next round.
AH 17, LM 15. Die roll = 5. LM is at 1 STAMINA, but -1 Attack Strength next round.
AH 18, LM 15. LM is dead no matter what the damage roll is.

I did consider testing for LUCK when we scored a hit after Lisbeth is at 3 STAMINA (although she's still one blow away from "not doing so would kill our hero"), but looking at what I rolled after, she would have failed that test anyway!

What do we do now? Spend a life and redo the fight (still low chance, but not impossible, since the tentacle twist actually makes the killing a slow process and gives us some chance to get lucky on the dice). Or do we spend 2 lives and rewind further back to see if we can get some help against this fight (or take a different path altogether)? Please indicate where you wish to rewind if you choose the latter.

[JourneymanN00b]

I half vote to go back to the cave and enter it this time.

[Queen of Swords]

I agree with that plan.

[Thaluikhain]

That's an idea, let's try that.

[SGamerz]

*Sorry I posted an update earlier, but deleted it and reposted because I saw a stupid error.

Rewinding back to the rift, where we bypass it this time and head for the cave:

As you enter the narrow pass, you enter the domain of the creatures that make the reef their home - creatures that are always on the lookout for food. Large-clawed crustaceans and needle-fanged eels strike at you from holes in the rock, while grotesquely large starfish and anemones sting you, intent on feasting on what the other Reef Dwellers leave behind. Fight the Reef Dwellers as if they were all one creature.

REEF DWELLERS SKILL 7 STAMINA 10

You may escape from the Reef Dwellers after 3 Attack Rounds, if you wish, by backing out of the narrow pass and entering the fissure. If you persist in fighting your way through and win, turn to 76.

COMBAT LOG:
Reef Dwellers 13, Lisbeth Munroe 18. RD are at 8.
RD 14, LM 19. RD are at 6.
RD 16, LM 14. LM is at 17.
RD 10, LM 10. Tie.
RD 14, LM 14. Tie.
RD 14, LM 19. RD are at 4.
RD 13, LM 13. Tie.
RD 14, LM 16. RD are at 2.
RD 14, LM 14. Tie.
RD 14, LM 16. RD are defeated.

Very closely-matched in terms of rolls, but Lisbeth wins out most rounds with her slight advantage in SKILL.

Cautiously you enter the gaping cave mouth, glancing up at the long, curving stalactites above you - trailing weed and alive with albino bottom feeders - as you do so. The floor of the cave has a curious, springy quality to it, as if you are treading on a bed of sponges. Suddenly the ground lurches beneath you, concussive waves within the water sending you whirling. And then the cave opening starts to close - only it's not a cave. It is really a mouth! Turning, you pull at the water with your arms, desperately kicking with your legs, as you try to stop yourself becoming a meal for some monstrous leviathan of the oceans. Roll three dice. If the total rolled is less than or equal to your STAMINA score, turn to 116. If the total is greater, turn to 96.

Good thing this is not a SKILL or LUCK test (I actually tested the wrong stat initially). STAMINA is our best stat, even if it's not quite at max.

Dice roll = 5+4+2 = 11 (Pass)

Forcing yourself through the water, fighting the great sucking draw of the current, you kick free of the monster's mouth just before its jaws close completely. You are lucky to have escaped with your life. Hoping that the leviathan hasn't actually realised that you've escaped, you swim towards the relative safety of the rift. Add the codeword Retsnom to your Adventure Sheet and turn to 146.

Back to a familiar section...

As you descend into the rift the surrounding light levels lower still further until you see everything through a twilit gloom. It is hard to make out much that isn't quite close already and everything else just appears as formless stygian shapes. You have not gone far when you find yourself approaching one of these silhouettes and see that it is in fact the carcass of a huge Bullwhale. Half of it has already been consumed by whatever killed it and the submarine carrion-feeders that have been picking at it since. Curved white ribs, the size of roof-beams, protrude from the rotting grey flesh of the whale's side. You have heard legends told of monsters such as this swallowing ships whole, and so having vast hoards of treasure hidden inside their bellies. It is just possible that there might be something worth having still lying in the guys of this decomposing brute. If you want to brave the innards of the Bullwhate, turn to 31. If you would rather push on with your quest to find the Sunken Temple of Hydana, turn to 179.

Do we check the Bullwhale's innards this time?

Adventure Sheet:
[spoiler]Name: Lisbeth Munroe
SKILL 9/9 (8 while underwater)
STAMINA 17/19
LUCK 7/8
Equipment: Backpack, *Leather Armour, Lantern and Tinderbox, *Wyrmbiter (+2 Attack Strength & +1 damage against dragonkind), *Dragon Tattoo, Hunting Horn, Potion of Giant Strength (+2 SKILL and 1 damage when drink before battle), *Rope and Grapple, Potion of Levitation, Warhammer (does +1 damage after hitting an opponent if 5-6 is rolled on 1d6), Clay Statuette ('Arkolith'), *Sun Talisman, *Breathing Helmet (* = items available to us while exploring under the Eelsea)
Provisions: 10/10
Gold: 3
Day of the Week:
Stormsday
Moonsday
Fireday
Earthday
Windsday
Seaday
Highday
Codewords: Mortsleam, Enihcam, Noollab,
Time Track:
Damage:
No. of sections spent while exploring seabed: 6/16 (turn to 318 when exceeds 16)
Notes:
1) For as long as Brokk is with you in the Fathomdeep Mine, if you find yourself reading a paragraph that has an asterisk (*) next to the number, subtract 50 from that reference and turn to the new paragraph to see what Brokk has to tell you. Brokk will also join in any battles you face underground. When faced with two opponents, you need only fight the first one to win the battle, as the Dwarf will do away with the other with his battle-axe. His attributes are SKILL 10, STAMINA 8. If you face only one opponent you will gain two Attacks, both of which can injure that opponent. In this case, if injuries are sustained they will only affect you on a dice roll of 1-3.
2) To call on the West Wind, intone his name, Zephyrus - may only be done once
Extra Lives remaining: 4/6
[/spoiler]

[Queen of Swords]

Sure, into the innards.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to check out the innards this time.

[Thaluikhain]

I guess.

[SGamerz]

Stepping warily, you enter the carcass of the dead sea monster through the split in its chest cavity. The creature's ribs rise above you like the vault of some bone cathedral. This really was a mighty behemoth of a beast. Suddenly something moves within, stirring up the sludge of liquefied flesh and rotting fish guts that has collected within the monster's guts. With a ripple of its repulsive body, a giant fluke worm slithers out of the slime towards you, as happy to eat live prey as it is to feast on dead flesh.

WHALE-WORM SKILL 6 STAMINA 6

Flukes are usually tiny creatures, but the parasitic flatworms that inhabit the gut of giant sea creatures are orders of magnitude larger. If you slay the Whale-Worm, you find what you were hoping you might. Lying amongst the mess of the Bullwhale's last meal and its own decomposing flesh, is a shield bearing the image of a Red Dragon. It's not hard to imagine the fate of the previous owner. Taking the shield with you, if you want (adding the Dragon Shield to your Adventure Sheet) you quickly vacate the carcass again and proceed further into the rift.

COMBAT LOG:
Whale-Worm 13, Lisbeth Munroe 11. LM is at 15.
WW 17, LM 13. LM is at 13.
WW 11, LM 13. WW is at 4.
WW 13, LM 13. Tie.
WW 15, LM 19. WW is at 2.
WW 18, LM 15. LM is at 11.
WW 11, LM 13. WW is slain.

That damn parasite did way more damage than it should have. Well, at least we have a nice new shield to show for it. Which apparently doesn't give any combat bonuses.

As you progress further into the rift, so the encroaching gloom increases. As the open ocean appears ahead of you, you find yourself standing at the edge of another underwater precipice. Cautiously you peer over the edge; the continental shelf drops away into abyssal darkness with no sign of ever ending. You dread to think what lives down there. Looking right you can see nothing, but then you look to the left. Could that be a fallen column? Is it just possible that you have reached the Sunken Temple of the Sea God at last?

Just as you're thinking that nothing's ever that easy, you feel a rumbling beneath your feet, a disturbance in the water around you, and then it appears. Rising from the abyssal depths of the ocean is some nightmarish demon of the deep. It looks like a hideous cross between a monstrous crustacean and a giant octopus - and it is huge! The monster pulls itself up onto the shelf with its coiling tentacles and starts to drag itself towards you, two huge pincer-claws snapping menacingly. From the mass of flesh that is its body, looming above you, you fancy you see a watery eye watching you intently. You sense that the monster is intent on devouring you, but how are you going to defend yourself against such a creature?

If you have the Spark of Life and want to use it, multiply the number associated with it by 20 and turn to that paragraph. If not, will you draw your sword, or attempt to flee?

We're actually in worse shape this time. Fight or flee?

Adventure Sheet:
[spoiler]Name: Lisbeth Munroe
SKILL 9/9 (8 while underwater)
STAMINA 11/19
LUCK 7/8
Equipment: Backpack, *Leather Armour, Lantern and Tinderbox, *Wyrmbiter (+2 Attack Strength & +1 damage against dragonkind), *Dragon Tattoo, Hunting Horn, Potion of Giant Strength (+2 SKILL and 1 damage when drink before battle), *Rope and Grapple, Potion of Levitation, Warhammer (does +1 damage after hitting an opponent if 5-6 is rolled on 1d6), Clay Statuette ('Arkolith'), *Sun Talisman, *Breathing Helmet, *Dragon Shield (* = items available to us while exploring under the Eelsea)
Provisions: 10/10
Gold: 3
Day of the Week:
Stormsday
Moonsday
Fireday
Earthday
Windsday
Seaday
Highday
Codewords: Mortsleam, Enihcam, Noollab, Retsnom
Time Track:
Damage:
No. of sections spent while exploring seabed: 8/16 (turn to 318 when exceeds 16)
Notes:
1) For as long as Brokk is with you in the Fathomdeep Mine, if you find yourself reading a paragraph that has an asterisk (*) next to the number, subtract 50 from that reference and turn to the new paragraph to see what Brokk has to tell you. Brokk will also join in any battles you face underground. When faced with two opponents, you need only fight the first one to win the battle, as the Dwarf will do away with the other with his battle-axe. His attributes are SKILL 10, STAMINA 8. If you face only one opponent you will gain two Attacks, both of which can injure that opponent. In this case, if injuries are sustained they will only affect you on a dice roll of 1-3.
2) To call on the West Wind, intone his name, Zephyrus - may only be done once
Extra Lives remaining: 4/6
[/spoiler]

[JourneymanN00b]

Sigh, I vote to run.

[Thaluikhain]

"Attempt" to flee. At least there's a shield.

[SGamerz]

Pulling yourself through the water with powerful strokes, you make for the temple. If you have the codeword Retsnom recorded on your Adventure Sheet, turn to 200 at once. If not, then the horror unfurls a tentacles, grabs you tightly around the ankle and in a flash is dragging you towards its gaping beaked maw. You have no choice but to fight. Turn to 242 and for the first Attack Round you must fight with your Attack Strength reduced by 1 point, as you are still in the grip of the beast.

We have the codeword!

As the creature closes on you, so does another dweller of the deep - this time the sea monster that almost swallowed you whole! Having missed out on a tasty snack, it's been after you ever since. Only now that it's found you, it's also found the Abyssal Horror - which would make a much more satisfying meal! The Leviathan closes on the monster, angler-fish jaws stretching wide as the horror prepares to defend itself as best it can with its constricting tentacles and snapping pincers. As the two sea monsters engage in their titanic struggle, you make for the Sunken Temple. Regain 1 LUCK point, cross the word Retsnom off you Adventure Sheet, and turn to 222.

Visiting the "cave" paid off!

The Sunken Temple is magnificent building that would not look out of place among the sacred buildings that line the Street of Holies in Chalannabrad. It has a grand pillared entrance that supports a pediment carved with mermen riding seahorses engaging in battle with many-tentacled horrors. A grand cupola dome projects from the roof. Not wanting to remain out in the open ocean any longer, you enter the Temple of Hydana, God of the Sea.

There, at the heart of the temple, beneath the golden cupola, inlaid with bejewelled tesserae, stands an imposing statue if the Sea God himself. It looks like it has been carved from jade and depicts Hydana as a four-metre-tall fishman - with a tail, scaly skin, the torso and arms of a man and a face that is somewhere between the two - holding a golden trident. On a plinth in front of the statue, is an innocuous-seeming sea shell. Something tells you that one of these treasures of the temple is the artefact you need to gain power over Sturm's bound Water Elemental, but which one? Will you try taking the golden trident or the shell?

Adventure Sheet:
[spoiler]Name: Lisbeth Munroe
SKILL 9/9 (8 while underwater)
STAMINA 11/19
LUCK 8/8
Equipment: Backpack, *Leather Armour, Lantern and Tinderbox, *Wyrmbiter (+2 Attack Strength & +1 damage against dragonkind), *Dragon Tattoo, Hunting Horn, Potion of Giant Strength (+2 SKILL and 1 damage when drink before battle), *Rope and Grapple, Potion of Levitation, Warhammer (does +1 damage after hitting an opponent if 5-6 is rolled on 1d6), Clay Statuette ('Arkolith'), *Sun Talisman, *Breathing Helmet, *Dragon Shield (* = items available to us while exploring under the Eelsea)
Provisions: 10/10
Gold: 3
Day of the Week:
Stormsday
Moonsday
Fireday
Earthday
Windsday
Seaday
Highday
Codewords: Mortsleam, Enihcam, Noollab
Time Track:
Damage:
No. of sections spent while exploring seabed: 11/16 (turn to 318 when exceeds 16)
Notes:
1) For as long as Brokk is with you in the Fathomdeep Mine, if you find yourself reading a paragraph that has an asterisk (*) next to the number, subtract 50 from that reference and turn to the new paragraph to see what Brokk has to tell you. Brokk will also join in any battles you face underground. When faced with two opponents, you need only fight the first one to win the battle, as the Dwarf will do away with the other with his battle-axe. His attributes are SKILL 10, STAMINA 8. If you face only one opponent you will gain two Attacks, both of which can injure that opponent. In this case, if injuries are sustained they will only affect you on a dice roll of 1-3.
2) To call on the West Wind, intone his name, Zephyrus - may only be done once
Extra Lives remaining: 4/6
[/spoiler]

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to get the shell, as innocuous looking items are usually the most valuable items in fantasy adventures such as this.

[Thaluikhain]

Innocuous item, yeah.

(And, oh, like being chased by the other sea monster to get rid of that one, didn't see that one coming, and that was cool)

[Queen of Swords]

Glad there's a clever way to deal with the tentacled thing.

And yes, take the shell.

[SGamerz]

The instant you lift the shell from the plinth, you feel a commotion in the water around you and three figures appear in front of the statue of the Sea God. They look loke women, although it is also quite clear that they are formed from seawater themselves. They watch you intently with eyes that glimmer like mother of pearl, and you hear them speak inside your mind.

"Why do you defile this sacred place?" the first one asks.

"Who would dare profane the temple of the divine Sea himself?" asks the second.

"Speak now or forfeit your life to Hydana!" demands the third.

Do you want to try to explain your reasons for seeking the Sea God's aid, or will you simply draw your sword against them, so that you might take what it is you need?

Adventure Sheet:
[spoiler]Name: Lisbeth Munroe
SKILL 9/9 (8 while underwater)
STAMINA 11/19
LUCK 8/8
Equipment: Backpack, *Leather Armour, Lantern and Tinderbox, *Wyrmbiter (+2 Attack Strength & +1 damage against dragonkind), *Dragon Tattoo, Hunting Horn, Potion of Giant Strength (+2 SKILL and 1 damage when drink before battle), *Rope and Grapple, Potion of Levitation, Warhammer (does +1 damage after hitting an opponent if 5-6 is rolled on 1d6), Clay Statuette ('Arkolith'), *Sun Talisman, *Breathing Helmet, *Dragon Shield (* = items available to us while exploring under the Eelsea)
Provisions: 10/10
Gold: 3
Day of the Week:
Stormsday
Moonsday
Fireday
Earthday
Windsday
Seaday
Highday
Codewords: Mortsleam, Enihcam, Noollab
Time Track:
Damage:
No. of sections spent while exploring seabed: 12/16 (turn to 318 when exceeds 16)
Notes:
1) For as long as Brokk is with you in the Fathomdeep Mine, if you find yourself reading a paragraph that has an asterisk (*) next to the number, subtract 50 from that reference and turn to the new paragraph to see what Brokk has to tell you. Brokk will also join in any battles you face underground. When faced with two opponents, you need only fight the first one to win the battle, as the Dwarf will do away with the other with his battle-axe. His attributes are SKILL 10, STAMINA 8. If you face only one opponent you will gain two Attacks, both of which can injure that opponent. In this case, if injuries are sustained they will only affect you on a dice roll of 1-3.
2) To call on the West Wind, intone his name, Zephyrus - may only be done once
Extra Lives remaining: 4/6
[/spoiler]

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to explain Lisbeth Munroe's reasons for seeking the Sea God's aid.

[Thaluikhain]

Explain...and it's nice that they are telepathic, otherwise talking would be a bit hard.