[LP] Sorcery! Now Playing: The Crown of Kings

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Starmaker
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Post by Starmaker »

Darth Rabbitt wrote:We have no idea whether or not Jann's AMF still works. If it was generated by his wings, we're fine, but if not we're dead.
I think it still does, and that's exactly why we're locked up with him (I remember regretting the first book didn't let us take Jann all the way to the Archmage to negate his magic and kick his mundane ass). So it really looks like we should whistle for the Birdmen, except the tower is invisible, and I'm afraid all it'll earn us is another "hur hur" from Steve.

Ask Jann.
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angelfromanotherpin
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Post by angelfromanotherpin »

Starmaker wrote:(I remember regretting the first book didn't let us take Jann all the way to the Archmage to negate his magic and kick his mundane ass).
Well, we actually did bring an AMF to a mage fight, and all it got us was guard'd.
Image

If you want my opinion,' says Jann, 'even the thought of escape is futile. Perhaps we could ambush the guard as he enters the room. But you can bet your worth that the whole company will not be far behind him. An escape plan aided by magic is impossible. As you know, Minimites are protected from most magic with an invisible shroud of protection. Only the most powerful spells will work while I am here – and I'm sure as Courga not going to oblige you by jumping out of the window to get out of your way, if that's what you're thinking! Other than these, the only possibility is to wait to see whether anyone sends for you. Someone is bound to ask for you before long.' You consider his advice.** Will you:

• Plan to ambush the guard?
• Consider a spell to cast?
• Wait to see whether anyone sends for you?
The ** is obviously a trigger for... something. I like to think it's the Renegade option to 'help' Jann jump out the window.
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Post by Starmaker »

angelfromanotherpin wrote: Well, we actually did bring an AMF to a mage fight, and all it got us was guard'd.
Sure, because he's an unsportsmanlike jerk, but it was a logical option which the book not just offhandedly discarded but actively assumed we wouldn't be taking even as a DMF.

Consider a spell to cast and pray to Libra the winds are favorable.
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Darth Rabbitt
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Post by Darth Rabbitt »

Nah, Jann's antimagic field still works so spells are useless (other than ZED, since that's the most powerful spell) unless/until we can get some distance from him.

I think we should wait and see if we get the chance to use the whistle. Given that the Birdmen are elite guards, they probably know about the tower, so we should be fine. I think this is the point where the wizard and DMF options are supposed to be the same, and that seems like the best option for the DMF.

Barring that (i.e. if we need a tie broken), I suggest we jump the guard, and hope we can get far away enough from Jann to cast a spell. We'll need that to deal with the other guards (and assuming the winds of magic give us KID, SUN, GOD, or YAZ, we're probably fine with making it past a crowd of guards.)
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Post by Starmaker »

Darth Rabbitt wrote:Nah, Jann's antimagic field still works so spells are useless (other than ZED, since that's the most powerful spell)
That's what I meant. Now that we've got the scoop on how antimagic works, with a special nod to ZED, check the spell list and see if it's an option.
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Darth Rabbitt
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Post by Darth Rabbitt »

Ah, OK. Look through our magic, and if ZED doesn't show up, then try waiting.
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Post by Sirocco »

Agreed.
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Post by angelfromanotherpin »

You start to concentrate, to prepare a spell. But Jann keeps on breaking your concentration. 'I tell you, you are wasting your time!' he says. 'No spells work when I am around.' You tell him you are trying to find a spell which will not be affected by his defensive aura. 'There are few who know spells which Minimites have not been protected against,' he smiles, 'and I have no wish for you to waste your strength.' Do you have 'strength to waste' as he puts it (STAMINA 8 or more)? √
'Tell me of your strongest spells,' says the Minimite, 'and I will tell you whether or not they will penetrate my defences.' You run through your most tiring spells and the little creature shakes his head at every one until you reach the last. 'The ZED spell!' he shrieks. 'You know the ZED spell! If that is true, then I think we may have our solution. This spell is certainly too powerful for me to stop.' You are astounded. No one knows the powers of the ZED spell. How does the Minimite know so much about it?

• Listen to his story?
• Cast your spell?
I begin to wonder just what that 'pest-repelling' spell the old witch used on this guy before actually was...
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Post by Sirocco »

Listen and learn.
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Post by Starmaker »

Listen, obviously.
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Post by angelfromanotherpin »

'If the truth be known,' Jannbegins, 'we Minimites know much more about the arts of sorcery than most magic-users themselves. We have outlawed the use of magic within our own race, for our experiences were bad. Whether it is the magic itself or our own characters, we do not know. But sorcery and ambitions of power went hand in hand with our people. Eventually, it split us up into a race of nomadic individuals, avoiding each other like the plague. And all because of sorcery.' The Minimite sighs for a moment, then returns to the subject at hand. 'It is thought that the ZED spell originated from Throben. This is not true. It was originally designed here in Mampang by the sorcerer-priests of Chronada, god of time. One of my own race stole the secret and brought it to the Minimites. When our people dispersed, the spell's secret was taken by the thief to Throben, then given to a Necromancer in exchange for... er... favours. It is the ultimate secret of travel – travel across distances, and travel through time! But it carries its own dangers. It demands perfect concentration. If you can achieve this concentration, then you may send yourself forwards and backwards through time and space. But before you cast this spell, you must concentrate hard on wherever you wish to go. You must have the image firmly in your mind, or the spell will work randomly. As with the Throben Necromancer, you may arrive at any place in any time! This is all I know about the ZED spell; how to cast it is a secret I have not learned. Nor have I any wish to do so.'

Image
Oh damn. First, let us note that we just got Dorothy'd. We have been sitting on a miracle transportation spell that would have let us skip at least three books worth of our quest; and we met the person who could have told us the secret about halfway through Book 1. Second: time travel. Game. Changed.
Image

The conversation has been enormously enlightening. You now know the secret of the most powerful spell in your Spell Book and you know how to control it.
There are some reference shenanigans for when you cast the ZED spell to represent the fact that you know what the hell you're doing.
You ignore the Minimite's reservations about using magic and choose your spell to cast:

• ZEN
• NIP
• FAL
• ZED
• DUM

If you know none of these spells, you must either:
• Plan to attack the guard as he brings you food?
• Or simply wait to see what happens?
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Darth Rabbitt
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Post by Darth Rabbitt »

We didn't learn ZED for nothing. Let's cast it.
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Post by Starmaker »

Cast ZED.
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Post by Sirocco »

Cast FAL and jump out the window.

Who's with me? Huh?

Anybody?

Ah well... Fine then, cast ZED. :p
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Post by Omegonthesane »

Cast ZED now we finally got the chance.
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Post by Starmaker »

...anyone else thinking it might loop back to the beginning of book 1?
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Post by Sirocco »

That would be a major dick move on Steve's part.

...now I'm really worried! I reiterate my plan to

Image
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angelfromanotherpin
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Post by angelfromanotherpin »

Image

Deduct 7 STAMINA points. Your body trembles as you cast the spell. What lies in store? You have no idea what the spell will do. The first sound you hear is a squeaky scream from the Minimite. You look towards him and find he is in great pain, lying down on the floor and clutching his stomach. Magic! The spell has broken the little creature's defences and it is writhing in agony on the floor! Suddenly, Jann falls still. The strain has been too much. He is dead.

But what about yourself? As the Minimite dies, it seems to have the effect of triggering your spell. The room swirls. A rush of sound, like the sea in a large shell, comes to your ears. Your sense of balance falters... and is lost, as you tumble over and over in a magical void. You can see the world below you flashing past. People, places, creatures... all swirl past you – travelling backwards! The secret of the spell! That must be it! You are travelling backwards through time! But, the question is – and here you realize the folly of your actions – where to?
Where will your journey take you? Past adventures flash before you in no particular order. In one instant you are watching your own birth. Then you are being congratulated by the villagers of Torrepani. Then you are battling the Serpent of Time.
If you didn't learn the secret from Jann, you roll on a 2d6 table to find out where you wind up. The result you want is on the table, but it's not very likely you'll get it. I include the other outcomes in spoilers below for the curious.
2.
Sends you back to dinosaur times! Condems you to wander the timestream without control.
3.
Sends you back to the Inn in Kharé. Yes, in Book 2.
4.
Sends you back to the Baddu-Bak plains in Book 3.
5.
Sends you back to the ledge with the trapped rope.
6.
Sends you back to entering the prison tower.
7.
Sends you back to the Manticore fight. Yes, in Book 1.
8.
As quickly as it started, the spell wears off and you are returned to earth in new surroundings. The prison tower has disappeared and, as your feet touch the ground, you must fight to keep your balance. For you are on a spiral stairway. Behind and beneath you is a large set of double doors. Ahead of you, at the top of the stairs, is another heavy door. You climb the stairs and try the handle. It turns!


Image
9.
Sends you back to the meeting with the Marsh Goblins in Book 3.
10.
Sends you back to the very beginning of Book 1!
11.
Sends you back to the gatehouse prison in Kharé.
12.
Sends you to the distant past, long before the fortress was ever built. Condemns you to wander the timestream without control.
The room inside is sparsely decorated. It is a bed-chamber of some sort. Narrow window-slits in the bare stone walls provide a little light, although the sun has nearly left the sky. There is a desk in the room, but it is cheaply made. The room seems empty; no one is about. You step into the room. A sound comes from behind the door, followed by sobbing. You wheel round quickly. Standing behind the door, with a large brass pot in one hand, is a balding, plump man, dressed in long undergarments. 'It's no use,' he whimpers. 'I just cannot bring myself to do it!' Presumably he is talking about using his pot to knock you senseless as you entered. What will you do now?

Image

• Calm the man down and try to talk to him?
• Threaten him for daring to contemplate ambushing you?
• The Archmage! √
Spoilered for suspense...
You confront the snivelling creature before you. You have learned the Archmage's secret and you tell him so. Farren Whyde steps back, aghast. His whimperings cease. His expression changes as his eyes narrow. 'So!' he exclaims. 'The Analander knows our secret. Our foe is more competent than any of us had imagined. I offer my admiration for your skill. Such skill should be well rewarded. You have come for the Crown of Kings. No doubt you would like to set eyes on it.' The old man moves towards the desk and opens a drawer. From within, he pulls a shining golden crown and lays it on the desk. The Crown of Kings! You recognize instantly the treasured Crown and your eyes widen in awe of its beauty. At last it is within your grasp!

But while your concentration is focused on the Crown, you have taken your eyes off Farren Whyde, and a transformation is taking place. You wheel round towards the old man. Farren Whyde, dressed in his long undergarments, lies on the ground, still as death. Standing over the old man, a fearsome creature is forming before your very eyes. Your thoughts of the Crown disappear and you must quickly decide what to do. For the creature forming before you is a NETHERWORLD DEMON of some sort, with a huge bullish face, hoofed feet, and a black hairy body. Smoke curls from its nostrils. You must attack, quickly, before it forms fully.

Image

• Will you draw your weapon and attack?
Or will you cast a spell?
• ZEN
• RES
• ZAP
• GAK
• HOT
Name: Fletch Beckett
SKILL: 9
STAMINA: 8/23
LUCK: 10/13
Favor of Libra: x

Backpack
Bag of Teeth (3 Goblin, 1 Giant)
Beeswax
Torch
Tinderbox
Gold-Backed Mirror
Incomprehensible Parchment Scroll
Green-Haired Wig
Bracelet of Bone
Serpent Ring
Galehorn
Chakram
Vial of Yellow Powder x2
Crystal Orb x2
Pearl Ring
Brass Pendulum x2
Mail Shirt (+1 SKILL, DR 1 on a 5+)
Snake-Bite Antidote
Hewing Axe (-2 CS)
Sand x2
Stone Dust x2
7 Pebbles
Jewel-Studded Medallion
Calling-whistle
Potion (cures disease)
Potion of Fire Water
Sun Jewel
Nose Plugs
Orange Powder
Throben Door Key
23 Gold Pieces
Vial of Glue
2 Provisions
Ring of Green Metal
Amulet of Luck
Holy Water
Sword (+1 Attack Strength)
Silver Whistle
Blood Candle
Candle
Nest w/Golden Egg
Jewel of Gold
Black Facemask
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Darth Rabbitt
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Post by Darth Rabbitt »

I'd avoid casting ZAP and HOT, because each eats 4 of our precious STAMINA.

I doubt Farren's body is actually dead, in which case RES won't do anything. And I don't see how levitation can help us here, other than perhaps to float out of his reach. So I suppose we should cast GAK and hope that it breaks the Archmage's concentration and messes his summoning attempt.

Also, I think we should don our Luck amulet now (right before the combat music starts playing), lest resisting/countering the Archmage's spells requires a LUCK test.
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Post by MisterDee »

So disappointing. Apparently, the French version I read was a lot more dickish that Steve's. I still think that sending you back to the beginning of Book 1 is pure dickhead artistry, mind you, but in my version you had to risk the roll - asking Jann for the secret was not an option, instead you got a "Cast ZED or Look at the spell list" choice - and casting ZED without looking at the spell list dropped you after Wylde.

(Plus I recall a lot more actual dead-ends in the random picks, specifically one dropping you in the Inner Sanctum trap.)

Out of curiosity, angel, what's the fighter's path out of the prison?
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Post by angelfromanotherpin »

Way back when you meet the She-satyrs, it asks if you're playing as a caster or not. If not, you can get a bottled genie. The ** is the trigger for that, and he sends you back in time to confront Farren Whyde.
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Post by MisterDee »

Interesting - that ** was probably edited out in my version or something. Three cheers for multiple editors splitting the book I guess. :)
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Post by Starmaker »

Jann has more presence of mind than every protagonist in recent time travel blockbusters put together.
angelfromanotherpin wrote:If you didn't learn the secret from Jann, you roll on a 2d6 table to find out where you wind up. The result you want is on the table, but it's not very likely you'll get it.
That's... not bad. A 5% chance of a game over, a 14% chance of a stamina drain loop and probably another game over, an 11% chance of another go at the book with precognition and a handicap, and a 70% chance of breezing through the earlier books with extra favors of Libra and a well-stocked lab's worth of spell components.

@MisterDee and angel: How did this version discrepancy even happen? Is the French version based on a deprecated printing that people know to be buggy and don't play, or a buggy release candidate? Did they just write what the hell they wanted Power Rangers style?
MisterDee wrote:instead you got a "Cast ZED or Look at the spell list" choice - and casting ZED without looking at the spell list dropped you after Wylde
Wow, they outSteved Steve.

As for our current predicament, I think we should use ZAP, there's no kill like overkill. We don't have a blessed spear so no stabbing, the demon breathes smoke so no HOT, GAK is specifically morale-dependent so nope, levitation isn't an attack, and if Farren Whyde is dead and resurrectable, he's going to be of less help against the demon than the giant was against the manticore.

edit: yes, and wear the amulet.
Last edited by Starmaker on Tue Jun 10, 2014 7:26 am, edited 1 time in total.
Omegonthesane
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Post by Omegonthesane »

ZAP, because surely they wouldn't have made it reasonably winnable for a noncaster.
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Post by Sirocco »

Another vote on the amulet, seems like we're reaching the end battle so it's now or never.

HOT is out, for obvious reasons (demons, fire etc.)
ZEN doesn't seem applicable.
I'm not sure how GAK will help us against a foe as powerful as this.
So I'm between ZAP and RES. ZAP seems the obvious choice, but there might be something more here.

Let's zappity ZAP the nastie as our ouverture.
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