[LP] Lesser-Known Gamebooks: The Cretan Chronicles.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Tue Jun 17, 2014 1:50 pm

Help them out, and go kick some bandit ass with our (non-shiny, not new) helmet and general badassery.

angelfromanotherpin · Post by **angelfromanotherpin** » Tue Jun 17, 2014 6:02 pm

We were just directed to reference five hundred and eight. This book has a lot of references (620), though many are quite short.

You are travelling along a road, deeply rutted by the carts of pilgrims bringing sick ones or gifts to the temple of the healer. Beside the road the trees and bushes rustle menacingly. The wind whips up spirals of dust from the track, which further obscure the way ahead.

• Proceed?
• Take a hint?

Mr Shine · Post by **Mr Shine** » Tue Jun 17, 2014 7:10 pm

Take a hint.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Tue Jun 17, 2014 7:14 pm

The last hint was quite nice, but some of them are apparently quite bad. Whatever, let's hint again for now; I can't see much going wrong here.

angelfromanotherpin · Post by **angelfromanotherpin** » Tue Jun 17, 2014 8:02 pm

As the path narrows, the rustling of the trees seems less natural. You dive into the undergrowth and, as your creep stealthily, you find that your fears are well founded, for two swarthy-looking men armed with long knives lie in wait for unwary passers-by.

• Challenge them to fight?
• Attack them without warning?

Mr Shine · Post by **Mr Shine** » Tue Jun 17, 2014 8:35 pm

Attacking without warning will probably give us an Honour or Shame penalty, but there are 2 of them and we don't have a good weapon yet, and we got this info from a successful hint. I say attack.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Tue Jun 17, 2014 10:01 pm

Yeah, but they rely on surprise, which we have taken from them already. So they're probably kind of wimps in a straight-up fight. I'm in favor of calling out to them to not risk any Honor penalties, but I'll agree to just jump them if need be.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Wed Jun 18, 2014 12:57 am

Tough choice here. I agree with Mr Shine. The dilemma is whether to risk the likely Honor loss/Shame points in case the 2-on-1 fight is too hard. The way combat is structured in these books, Altheus always has the exact same "hit points" as all his enemies, so 2-on-1 is never good as they effectively have double the life we have and they get bonus points for each ally present. I say take the surprise advantage here (and the Honor penalty) in the hopes of taking out one of them quickly.

angelfromanotherpin · Post by **angelfromanotherpin** » Wed Jun 18, 2014 2:50 am

You lose 1 Honour point for attacking an opponent from behind, but in the time you gain you manage to inflict a Wound on one of the brigands.

Yeah, ambushing ambushers is a pretty edge case of dishonorable.

The two bandits have Might 4, Protection 10, but carry long knives (Might 2, Protection 0). Remember the bonus to the first bandit's Might, because he has one companion (his Might is 7: 4+2+1)

Well, that's not good. These guys are baseline as badass as Altehus. Each. And they have something closer to actual weapons than he does. Al's only advantages are his helmet and his meager Honour reserve.

Altheus: 5+8 hits! Bandit 1 is Seriously Wounded and falls back.
Bandit 2: 6+5 misses.
Altheus: 5+4 misses.
Bandit 2: 6+8 hits! Altheus is Wounded. Fuck!
Altheus: 5+9 hits! Bandit 2 is Wounded.
Altheus spends 3 honour to pump his Protection.
Bandit 2: 6+6 misses.
Altheus: 5+11 hits! Bandit 2 is Seriously Wounded.

We will never surrender,' says the leader, and as he does, they impale themselves on their knives. You may have 5 Honour points, and you carry on towards the temple, wondering at the ways of men.

• Proceed?
• Take a hint?

Altheus the Amicable, son of Aegeus
MIGHT: 5 (4 Natural +1 Club)
PROTECTION: 12 (10 Natural +2 Rusty Helmet)
HONOUR: 8
SHAME: 0

Possessions
Club (Might 1)
Mother's Gem
Rusty Helmet (Protection 2)

The Gods
Zeus (Listening)

Sirocco · Post by **Sirocco** » Wed Jun 18, 2014 5:03 am

I think we should take a hint, which in this case SHOULD mean "search the bodies"...

Mr Shine · Post by **Mr Shine** » Wed Jun 18, 2014 11:55 am

Agreed lets take the hint (to get a better weapon?)

angelfromanotherpin · Post by **angelfromanotherpin** » Wed Jun 18, 2014 2:17 pm

Kindly wonder at the ways of men in private, and don't bother the gods. Their death is enough. Have 1 Shame point.

Yep, there it is. Did you do anything shameful? No. Did you even have wrong thoughts? No. And yet, the stick.

A mountain lion roars in the distance, and you hurry onwards, anxious to accomplish the task. The temple is much closer now, and you can see the statue of the god, its face convulsed, as if in mortal pain. The fountain of Asclepius flows red with blood.

Amazed at this sacrilege, your limbs tremble, and you are filled with a divine fury. Onwards you rush into the temple precinct, bellowing strange words as you go, words which come from the gods, like a boar, speared in the frenzied chase, cries out its defiance against the high-hearted hunters: 'Desecrating curs, the god will punish you for your pitiful pride, thinking that you could defile his temple, and escape the price.'

i

At this, two bandits step forward from the gloom, where once Asclepius' light shone, saying nothing; you know that you must retreat or fight.

• Attempt to retreat now (you may not do so later)?
• Attack?

Starmaker · Post by **Starmaker** » Wed Jun 18, 2014 2:29 pm

Attack.

Sirocco · Post by **Sirocco** » Wed Jun 18, 2014 4:13 pm

Starmaker wrote:Attack.

^

Mr Shine · Post by **Mr Shine** » Wed Jun 18, 2014 4:39 pm

Attack. (Can we assume we took the knife, as they did give stats for it?)

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Wed Jun 18, 2014 4:44 pm

If we get a shame penalty for what I think is looting the bodies, I think it's only fair that we get the knife from their bodies.

Also, attack the bandits.

angelfromanotherpin · Post by **angelfromanotherpin** » Wed Jun 18, 2014 4:57 pm

You step into the attack. The bandits have basic Might 4, Protection 10, but are armed with greaves (Might 0, Protection 1) and long knives (Might 2, Protection 0), making Might 6, Protection 11 (but Might 7 for the first bandit). They will continue fighting even if Seriously Wounded, fired on by fear of the god. Remember that you may not retreat as the temple is too enclosed.

Ugh. I don't like those odds, and I suspect tweaking them in Al's favor is going to be costly. It's odd that Altheus' natural abilities are only equal to those of 'random bandit.'

Altheus: 5+7 hits! Bandit 1 is Wounded.
Altheus spends 3 Honour to pump his Protection.
Bandit 1: 7+4 misses.
Altheus: 5+7 hits! Bandit 1 is Seriously Wounded (now rolling 1d6).
Bandit 1: 7+4 misses.
Altheus: 5+4 misses.
Bandit 1: 7+2 misses.
Altheus: 5+4 misses.
Bandit 1: 7+3 misses.
Altheus: 5+11 hits (finally)! Bandit 1 is dead!
Altheus spends 2 Honour to pump his protection.
Bandit 2: 6+7 misses (barely).
Altheus: 5+7 hits (barely). Bandit 2 is Wounded.
Bandit 2: 6+7 hits. Altheus is Wounded.
Altheus: 5+7 hits. Bandit 2 is Seriously Wounded.
Bandit 2: 6+1 misses.
Altheus: 5+9 hits! Bandit 2 is dead!

Victory was costly, and a near thing.

As the second strong-greaved foeman falls, you see the fountain flowing in healing water once more, clear and sparkling with the god's favour. The face of the statue, no longer twisted, smiles and seems to look at you in thanks. You are clearly now a Favoured one of Asclepius. You may also have 6 Honour points for your victory in combat.

• Proceed?
• Take a hint?

Something that's coming up is that while armour and weapons are explicitly gained or lost through surrender, the book is silent on the matter of taking the gear of dead enemies. Some people you kill come with explicit permission to take their stuff, but no one Al has dropped so far has. Should we bend the rules and claim their equipment?

Altheus the Amicable, son of Aegeus
MIGHT: 5 (4 Natural +1 Club)
PROTECTION: 12 (10 Natural +2 Rusty Helmet)
HONOUR: 9
SHAME: 1

Possessions
Club (Might 1)
Mother's Gem
Rusty Helmet (Protection 2)

The Gods
Zeus (Listening)
Aphrodite (Patron)
Asclepius (Favour)

Starmaker · Post by **Starmaker** » Wed Jun 18, 2014 5:14 pm

I suppose the whole starting out in underpants and armed with a sharp stick business, combined with enemies fighting to the death being disdvantageous as per the combat example of page 13, means we can loot the bodies.

Also, take a hint.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Wed Jun 18, 2014 5:16 pm

The hint will probably be to drink some healing water, so let's do that.

I kind of feel like we should be able to take the specially statted knives, as we've been given no reason why we can't and we know they're better than normal weapons. But it's your LP so it's your call, angel.

angelfromanotherpin · Post by **angelfromanotherpin** » Wed Jun 18, 2014 5:29 pm

(I'll keep taking opinions on not-specifically-authorized looting until it comes up.)

You should drink from the fountain of the healer god. If you do drink, then for the next combat only, the god will aid you. Instead of being Wounded when an opponent hits you in combat the first time, you will remain Healthy. Only the second hit will move you to Wounded, and so on.

The sun, saffron-robed, has climbed high above you to your left, and now begins her long descent, as you come to the River Cleonae, its waters reflecting her life-giving rays. In the distance you see Cleonae itself, and woods wreathe the banks and the way to the town.

The deep-whirling river is spring-swollen with the melting snow from the mountains, and a shallow ford is the only crossing. An aged crone stands despairing, unable to cross, staring at the muddy waters. 'Pity me,' she pleads, 'for I am old and weak. If you would carry me, I could cross the river. Otherwise I must stay here and stony-hearted Hunger will take me, and it will be you who has killed me.'

• Attack the woman and beat stony-hearted Hunger to it?
• Throw her in the river and tell her to swim?
• Cross the river without her?
• Carry her across the river?

Those first two options are... unusually harsh. Whatever happened to asking for payment?

Starmaker · Post by **Starmaker** » Wed Jun 18, 2014 5:39 pm

Oh shit, being honorable is hard work. Carry her across.

Mr Shine · Post by **Mr Shine** » Wed Jun 18, 2014 5:42 pm

Carry the goddess over the water.

angelfromanotherpin · Post by **angelfromanotherpin** » Wed Jun 18, 2014 5:56 pm

You pick the woman up and carry her into the water. The current is strong, but you find yourself pushing ahead quickly against it. Soon you are approaching the other bank, and the crone speaks, but her appearance is altered, and not you recognize her as Hera, the divine queen.

'Altheus,' she cries above the rush of the water, 'you have done well. Although you did not recognize me, you have done me a favour.'

• Is Hera is your patron? x

Yeah, knowing the myths is very useful, because there's a lot of straight rips from them. Also, if you picked Hera as your patron, this is the first time you see her. She plays really hard-to-get.

You are in Favour with Hera. You may have 2 Honour points.

You struggle across the rest of the river, your tired legs shaking with the cold. You hear something drop in the churning water; perhaps you have dislodged a pebble. At length you struggle up the other bank.

• Proceed?
• Take a hint?

Starmaker · Post by **Starmaker** » Wed Jun 18, 2014 6:01 pm

We dropped mom's gem. Ask Hera to pretty please help us find it.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Wed Jun 18, 2014 7:01 pm

Yup, hint time.