Here's the cover:
From the Introduction:
Using mysterious means, you have seen the danger that the creatures of Chaos pose for the future of the free world; you have made it your personal quest to stop them wherever they might be found. Over the years you have made a number of terrifyingly powerful enemies and now, angered by your many successes against them, they seek revenge. . ."
But first, the rules:
Standard FF Boilerplate rules
Skill, Stamina, & Luck
STAMINA score: Roll two dice. Add 12 points to the result. We roll a 6+1 and get 19 (Not as good as Blade, but still pretty decent)
LUCK score: Roll one die. Add 6 to the result. We roll a 5 and get 11 (Much better this time!)
SKILL score reflects your expertise in combat, your ability with weapons, and your dexterity. STAMINA is your general constitution and "Life points" . LUCK score shows how lucky you are. None of them may exceed their Initial score unless specifically stated.
Eating a meal restores up to 4 points of STAMINA; you may only eat one meal at a time.
Testing your Luck: When instructed by the book to test Test your Luck, roll two dice. If the result is equal to or less than your current LUCK score, you are Lucky. If the result exceeds your current LUCK score, you are Unlucky. Whatever the outcome, you must deduct one point from your current LUCK score every time you Test your Luck. The more you use your LUCK, the less likely you are to be Lucky.
The combat sequence is then:
1. Roll two dice for your opponent. Add the total rolled to its SKILL score. This is the Attack Strength of your enemy.
2. Roll two dice and add the total to your own current SKILL score. This is your Attack Strength.
3. If your Attack Strength is the higher, you have wounded your opponent: deduct 2 points from your opponent's STAMINA..
If your opponent's Attack Strength is higher, it has wounded you: deduct 2 points from your own STAMINA.
If both Attack Strengths are equal, you have avoided each other's blows.
4. Begin the next Combat Round, starting again at step 1. This procedure continues until either you or your opponent has a STAMINA score of zero. If your opponent's STAMINA score reaches zero, you have killed it and can continue with your adventure. If your own STAMINA score reaches zero, you are dead.
Often you will have to fight more than one opponent at a time. Sometimes you will treat them as a single opponent; at others, you will be able to fight them one at a time; and sometimes all of them will be able to attack you, while you defend yourself and may attack only one of them. Specific instructions will be given whenever you meet more than one opponent.
Using Luck in Combat
You can use your LUCK in combat to inflict a particularly serious wound, or to minimize a wound that has been inflicted on you.
Whenever you wound an opponent, you may Test your Luck. If you are Lucky, you have inflicted a severe wound: deduct an extra 2 points from your opponent's STAMINA. If you are Unlucky, you have merely grazed it, and you deduct 1 point less than normal from its STAMINA.
If you have been wounded, you can Test your Luck in exactly the same way. If you are Lucky, the wound upon you was only a glancing blow and you can deduct 1 less point of STAMINA than usual. If you are Unlucky, the wound is serious: deduct 1 extra point from your STAMINA.
Evil
You start the game with no Evil points. As a Templar, you are bound to uphold the values of honour, benevolence and forgiveness. However, your enemies may exploit them as weaknesses. If ever you act "in a manner more befitting a servant of Chaos" (like ruthlessly killing an undeserving opponent, for example), then you will attract the taint of Evil. Your Evil score will rarely, if ever, decrease during the adventure.
As the books says, "At times, adherence to the path of honour will seem like a restraint, but life is full of such dilemmas for a follower of Light."
Also:
"The question of Evil is made even more complicated by another fact. During your previous escapades you came to learn that sometimes you must fight fire with fire: some demonic forms are virtually immune to holy devices while they are extremely vulnerable to dark magicks and certain foul artifacts. However, to use these forbidden things is an act of Evil, and so your score will increase accordingly if you are forced to use them."
When told to Test your Evil, instructions on how to do this will be given in the relevant paragraph, as will the results of success or failure. (Mostly it will be similar to testing your Luck or your Skill.)
Speaking of which.....
Talents
BANISH UNDEAD - you have the power to repel or even destroy certain Undead using arcane words and gestures
DARK VEIL - you may cast a magical aura over yourself which, for a very short while, renders you invisible to most evil beings. However, this is a trick you have learnt from your study of Demons and so, whenever you use it, your EVIL score will increase. As you know, 'veil' is an anagram of 'evil', so be careful how you use this Talent. Be warned, too, that more powerful creatures will be able to sense the veil, though they may not see you and may even know a way to use the veil against you!
HEALING - through the application of special herbs you are able to heal various wounds and illnesses, though some will be too difficult for you. However, this Talent can be used only on others. Your beliefs prevent you ministering to yourself except in times of greatest peril.
HOLY CIRCLE - with the aid of simple chalk, charcoal or any other pigment, you can draw a protective magic circle around you which most Demons will be unable to enter. You may also trace a circle in dirt or sand, etc, with your finger.
MEDITATION - this takes time and may be carried out only in a place of absolute calm. You can commune with your deities, drawing strength from the experience If you are able to meditate properly, you receive divine guidance in the form of a vision or a message, and you may also gain strength from the experience in the form of restored STAMINA or LUCK. lf your meditation is interrupted, the result could be disastrous for you.
SENSE DEMON - you may- depending on the precise circumstances - experience a weird tingling sensation when certain types of Demon (including those which are disguised) come within twenty feet of you from any direction.
SPEAK DEMON - you can read and understand words spoken in the foul tongue of the Demons
"You carry your sword of finest steel, Nightbane, but you do not wear any armour. Instead you are garbed in the hooded, flowing robes and skull-cap of your order. You carry 10 Gold Pieces. and you also have a backpack in which are your Provisions (you start with enough for 5 meals), a silver Cross and three vials of Holy Water.
.....
You travel the Old World on Godsfire. your fine white stallion and oldest companion."
We even have a horse! Nice! Let's hope he lasts longer than Battle-Cat in my last LP! And at least we don't have to worry about losing our armour and suffering SKILL penalty as a result!
And last but not least, where most FF gamebooks give us a "Hint on Play" section at the end of the rules, Dead of Night gives us this:
Words of Warning:
You must even be careful about using your special Talents: some of your opponents already know all about you and your abilities; they will have devised ways of turning them against you - of such cruelly twisted ideas is a Demon's amusement made. Be warned!
Now finally, before we move on to the Backgrounds section to officially begin this adventure, let's start by voting for our 3 starting special Talents! Oh and a name for our Demon-Stalker would be nice, too!