[LP] Virtual Reality Adventure Book: Down Among the Dead Men

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SGamerz
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[LP] Virtual Reality Adventure Book: Down Among the Dead Men

Post by SGamerz »

For my second non-FF Let's Play, I've decided to try one of my personal favourites. Virtual Reality is a series of gamebooks that can be played without dice - to use the book's own terms (inside the front covers), "Virtual Reality Adventure Books are solo adventures with a big difference. They are not random. Whether you live or die doesn't depend on a dice roll - it's up to you!"

Yet the book's mechanisms are still more complex than a simple CYOA. To start though, all the player needs to do is to choose 4 'Skills' out of a Glossary of them listed in the book (there are 12 in total for this book) that they wish to specialize in!

There are 6 books published for this series. Unfortunately, I only own 3 of them. Out of them, 4 were written by Dave Morris, 2 by Mark Smith. I own the 2 written by Mark Smith (Green Blood and Coils of Hate), plus this one that I'm now trying to host an LP of. It's a pity that I haven't been able to get my hands of the other 3, since I've always been a fan of Dave Morris' writing (he's better at breathing "life" and colour into his creations than most of the FF writers, IMO), and his books (in this series, at least) in general seems to have gotten better reviews online (especially the 5th book , Heart of Ice, considered by some to be one of the best gamebooks ever). Down Among the Dead Men is definitely my favourite out of the 3 books I own.

Here's the back cover summary:
Adrift at sea in an open boat, you make your desperate bid to escape from the evil pirate Skarvench. The odds are stacked against, for, even if you do not die of thirst, there are still formidable dangers to overcome. And if you do survive to reach civilization, your adventure is only just beginning since you must round up a crew and sail in search of Skarvench and avenge his tyranny. But will you be able to thwart his most evil and blackguardedly scheme ever: to kidnap the beautiful young Queen Glorianne?

Not Luck but judgement!
Anyway, to begin with, we need to choose a character. Here are the Skills we can choose 4 out of:
GLOSSARY OF SKILLS

AGILITY
The ability to perform acrobatic feats, run, climb, balance and leap. A character with this skill is nimble and dexterous.

BRAWLING
Fisticuffs, wrestling holds, jabs and kicks, and the tricks of infighting. Not as effective as SWORDPLAY, but you do not need weapons - your own body is the weapon!

CHARMS
The expert use of magical protections and wards to protect you from danger. Also includes that most elusive of qualities: luck. You must possess a magic amulet to use this skill.

CUNNING
The ability to think on your feet and devise clever schemes for getting out of trouble. Useful in countless situations.

FOLKLORE
Knowledge of myth and legend, and how best to deal with supernatural menaces such as garlic against vampires, silver bullets against a werewolf, and so on.

MARKSMANSHIP
A long-range attack skill for both hunting and combat. You must possess a pistol to use this skill.

ROGUERY
The traditional repertoire of a thief's tricks: picking pockets, opening locks, and skulking unseen in the shadows.

SEAFARING
Knowing all about life at sea, including the ability to handle anything from a rowboat right up to a large sailing ship.

SPELLS
A range of magical effects encompassing illusions, elemental effects, commands, and summonings. You must
possess a magic wand to use this skill.

STREETWISE
With this skill you are never at a loss in towns and cities. What others see as the squalor and menace of narrow cobbled streets is home to you.

SWORDPLAY
The best fighting skill. You must possess a sword to use this skill.

WILDERNESS LORE
A talent for survival in the wild- whether it be forest, desert, swamp or mountain peak.
Most of the Skills are pretty standard in every Virtual Reality boo, but a few are unique to only 1 particular book. MARKSMANSHIP (the ability to shoot with a pistol) for example, is only in this book, not in Book 1 or 3 (Book 1 does have Archer, though, which is lacking here).

The book also provides 8 pre-created characters, but we are not required to choose one of them.....it's just for convenience's sake. Take a look to see if you like any of the character descriptions or Skill combinations:
The Adventurer

Skills: FOLKLORE, ROGUERY, SEAFARING and SWORDPLAY
Profile: You have explored haunted castles, ruined cities, dank crypts and desolate forests in your constant search for gold and glory. Now try your luck on the high seas.
Life Points: 10
Possessions: Sword
Money: 10 doubloons

The Buccaneer

Skills: CUNNING, MARKSMANSHIP, SEAFARING and SWORDPLAY
Profile: You're a clever and resourceful pirate, loyal to your comrades and a deadly foe to anyone who crosses you.
Life Points: 10
Possessions: Pistol, sword
Money: 12 doubloons

The Changeling

Skills: AGILITY, CUNNING, SPELLS and WILDERNESS LORE
Profile: Your origins are shrouded in mystery. A misfit in your own homeland, you wander far and wide in search of the truth.
Life Points: 10
Possessions: Magic wand
Money: 10 doubloons

The Gipsy

Skills: BRAWLING, CHARMS, FOLKLORE and ROGUERY
Profile: Fleeing persecution in the Old World, you have come to the colonies of the New World to carve a new life of fame and fortune.
Life Points: 11
Possessions: Magic amulet
Money: 10 doubloons

The Mariner

Skills: AGILITY, SEAFARING, STREETWISE and WILDERNESS LORE
Profile: Born on the deck of a ship and raised with the salt breeze in your face, you have been toughened by the experience of a hundred ports and desert islands. No one can match your knowledge of the seven seas.
Life Points: 11
Money: 15 doubloons

The Swashbuckler

Skills: AGILITY, CUNNING, STREETWISE and SWORDPLAY
Profile: With your dashing good looks, gallant wit, aristocratic manners and flair for stylish derring-do, you're a hero to your friends and a real pain in the neck to your enemies!
Life Points: 10
Possessions: Sword
Money: 10 doubloons

The Warlock

Skills: CHARMS, MARKSMANSHIP, SPELLS and STREETWISE
Profile: Your scholarly appearance disguises the fact that you are one of the most powerful opponents a pirate captain could ever fear to face.
Life Points: 10
Possessions: Magic amulet, pistol, magic wand
Money: 10 doubloons
You would have notice that the pre-created characters have some slight differences in their stats, some are richer, others are tougher, etc. If we choose to create our own character, we automatically start with any possessions needed for the skills chosen (e.g. a sword if you choose SWORDPLAY), and we will start with 10 doubloons. Initial Life Points score will be 10.

So, yeah, that's it, basically, just choose your 4 Skills (and a Name, of course), and we're ready to go!

Anyone signing up? :)
Last edited by SGamerz on Tue Sep 16, 2014 2:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Starmaker »

http://www.amazon.com/Dave-Morris/e/B0034PMDNA/
All four books by Dave Morris were reprinted and are now available on Amazon. Don't buy the kindle versions though, they are shit and there's no art. I got the VR versions on ebay.
SGamerz wrote:(especially the 5th book , Heart of Ice, considered by some to be one of the best gamebooks ever
Maybe I should run it (after you iron out the kinks*) and see if you guys die to the same infuriatingly unfair zillion damage paragraph that I did, hur hur. Minimum spoiler rant:
(There's a skill which seems supremely useful in the adventure, so the player is very likely to pick it, then there's one of the many opportunities to use it, which the player most likely will -- and this leads to a branch where the hero gets "naturally" unlucky and is hit by a stray blast for zillion damage without any dramatically appropriate cause and effect, the end.)
It has the best structure, though.
SGamerz wrote:I've always been a fan of Dave Morris' writing (he's better at breathing "life" and colour into his creations than most of the FF writers, IMO)
And that's why I like Necklace of Skulls best, even though it's structurally mediocre, being essentially a choice of three trial-and-error obstacle courses that later converge. And it, too, contains a wtf paragraph (in which an immortal being immune to hp damage dies of thirst in the desert, even though thirst was established to cause hp damage). And a shopping scene. Shopping under the "not luck but judgment" paradigm is a crime. But the writing is great, so [almost] all is forgiven.

*Seriously, I have no idea how to run these books in a forum format. There's just too much arbitrary crap replay value that depends on starting skill picks and choices made waaaaaaay back (such as shopping, ew), and while you can shift to an alternate reality where you rolled well or never went there in a FF book, neither really works in these.

edit:
YOU FORGOT SOMETHING IMPORTANT
There's a 8 item limit. So "you must possess X" skills don't just come with zomg free stuff!!!, they also kind of bone the player. (They might or might not be worth the boning. Items can be lost (and gained). Skills can be lost and gained, too, but it's a very rare occurrence.)
Last edited by Starmaker on Tue Sep 16, 2014 4:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Mr Shine »

half a vote for Swashbuckler, as it seems to have a good array of skills.
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Post by Sirocco »

One more for Swashbuckler.
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Post by Silent Wayfarer »

I want something with spells in, but I'[ll go with Buckswashler.
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Post by Darth Rabbitt »

I think we should go custom. Agility, Cunning, Thievery and Brawling (since item slots are limited) and rock out as a ninja. I could be convinced to drop something in lieu of Spells.

But if that's not going to win out, go with Swashbuckler I guess.
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Post by SGamerz »

Starmaker wrote:http://www.amazon.com/Dave-Morris/e/B0034PMDNA/
All four books by Dave Morris were reprinted and are now available on Amazon. Don't buy the kindle versions though, they are shit and there's no art. I got the VR versions on ebay.
SGamerz wrote:(especially the 5th book , Heart of Ice, considered by some to be one of the best gamebooks ever
Maybe I should run it (after you iron out the kinks*) and see if you guys die to the same infuriatingly unfair zillion damage paragraph that I did, hur hur. Minimum spoiler rant:
(There's a skill which seems supremely useful in the adventure, so the player is very likely to pick it, then there's one of the many opportunities to use it, which the player most likely will -- and this leads to a branch where the hero gets "naturally" unlucky and is hit by a stray blast for zillion damage without any dramatically appropriate cause and effect, the end.)
It has the best structure, though.
SGamerz wrote:I've always been a fan of Dave Morris' writing (he's better at breathing "life" and colour into his creations than most of the FF writers, IMO)
And that's why I like Necklace of Skulls best, even though it's structurally mediocre, being essentially a choice of three trial-and-error obstacle courses that later converge. And it, too, contains a wtf paragraph (in which an immortal being immune to hp damage dies of thirst in the desert, even though thirst was established to cause hp damage). And a shopping scene. Shopping under the "not luck but judgment" paradigm is a crime. But the writing is great, so [almost] all is forgiven.

*Seriously, I have no idea how to run these books in a forum format. There's just too much arbitrary crap replay value that depends on starting skill picks and choices made waaaaaaay back (such as shopping, ew), and while you can shift to an alternate reality where you rolled well or never went there in a FF book, neither really works in these.

edit:
YOU FORGOT SOMETHING IMPORTANT
There's a 8 item limit. So "you must possess X" skills don't just come with zomg free stuff!!!, they also kind of bone the player. (They might or might not be worth the boning. Items can be lost (and gained). Skills can be lost and gained, too, but it's a very rare occurrence.)
Thanks for the reminder about the 8-item limits, I did forget to post that. And unfortunately, I'm one of those losers who don't have a credit card, so online purchases are out for me at the moment. One of the first things I intend to do once I have that option is to try to complete my assorted gamebook collections, so thanks for link anyway.

As for situations relying in for starting skills/shopping lists.....I can't speak for the books that I don't have, but I don't think DATDM is that bad. There really isn't a single item in the book that is a must-have, although a lot of times you are given a list of 3-4 sills/items to choose from in order to get past a certain hurdle, and it's possible that we may not have ALL of them, but that's is still less harsh than what we may encounter in an average FF book (if you don't have A, you DIE). Admittedly, Dead of Night was one book that didn't have that particular problem, but considering this forum has done Deathtrap Dungeon before I don't think it's anything that can't be smoothened out. In terms of items/skill requirements, this book is sort of similar to Vault of the Vampire in that there's usually more than one option/quest item that can get you past a problem......but without having to worry about the constant bad rolls in combat like we did in that LP.

Looks like Swashbuckler will be what we're going with. I'll proceed with the prologue, but until we actually reach an option that requires u to use Skills, feel free to cast/alter your votes if you prefer another character (or your own creation).

Prologue:
'Pirates!' The roar of cannonfire thunders across the waves as the word leaves the captain's lips. Hurtling out of the billowing plumes of smoke comes a barrage of iron shells. Each is larger than a man's fist, and strikes with a force that splinters the oak beams of your ship and shatters men's skulls like eggs. The mainmast takes a direct hit and topples, crushing the sailors standing under it.

A grappling hook latches onto the rail. The pirates are getting ready to board. Rushing to the side, you see their sinister vessel drawing alongside. Black sails flapping in the breeze like a carrion-bird's wings, her prow has the face of a medieval gargoyle. You read the name painted on her bows: the Belle Dame. But there is no look of beauty about her, nor hint of mercy on the faces of the brigands lining her rail.

A crewman standing beside you utters a groan of fear. 'It's Skarvench's ship.'

'Who's he?' you ask, having to shout over the din of cannon shots and the pirates' battle-cries.

He stares at you as though you are a simpleton, and then remembers that this is your first voyage to the New World. 'The worst man that ever lived,' is his blunt reply. And then the ships come together and the pirates are upon you.

Rushing headlong into the terrified crew, the pirates cleave a swathe of gory death across the ship's deck, their cutlasses rising and falling like scythes. You see the ship's officers valiantly fighting to defend the helm, but they are hopelessly outnumbered and soon butchered at their post. The fierce grins on the pirates' faces tell you that they expect easy pickings. You narrow your eyes as anger wells up inside you. You know that you will die today, but you feel no fear - only a cold determination to sell your life dearly. Two pirates lunge towards you. You duck the swing of the first, catch his arm and throw him against his crony. The sword intended for you ends up embedded in a pirate's belly, and his knife comes up by reflex to slash at the man who has inadvertently impaled him.

'Two down...' You turn, and then for the first time you clap eyes on Skarvench himself. He stands on the rail, grasping a grappling-line in one hand and a pistol in the other, whipping his sea-dogs into a killing frenzy with his evil laughter. His broad back and gangling limbs make him look like a massive crow. His beard is as long and lank as seaweed, and a single eye blazes beneath his bald brow - the other is covered by a leather patch.

He is raising his pistol. You are rooted to the spot under his baleful stare. It can't be fear you're feeling, surely...

'Ah, matey,' he says with a brown-toothed grin. 'Got to kill you again, 'ave I?'

Again? You have no time to ponder this enigma. In the next instant, he fires his pistol and your whole world goes black.

You sit up with a gasp, sweat soaking your clothes. 'You've 'ad that dream again, eh?' says a voice.

You look around, your memory trickling back as the dream recedes. The slow creaking of a ship's timbers, the unhurried heave of the waves... you are in the stuffy confines of the Belle Dame's bowels. Sailors snore fitfully around you, catching some sleep between chores. In the glimmer of an oil lamp sits Old Marshy, the ship's carpenter, whittling at a stick of wood. He glances across at you, shaking his head sadly. 'It was two years ago,' he says. 'Don't know why you can't stop 'aving the dreams.'

'Dreams? Nightmares!' you say, mopping the sweat away. As you do, you feel the scar across your forehead where Skarvench's bullet struck you. A finger's breadth to the right — one less tot of rum for Skarvench's breakfast that fateful morning! - and your brains would have been blown out. As it is the bullet grazed you, leaving only the visible mark on your head and the scar of hatred deep in your heart.

Now that the nightmare has washed away, you recall the two years that have passed since that day. When you were first brought aboard the Belle Dame, Skarvench deemed you too insignificant to ransom and too close to death to be worth pressing into service. He would have cast you into the deep and never had a qualm - that was the fate of most who survived the battle - but Old Marshy undertook to nurse you back to health. You can well remember the weeks it took to get your strength back - weeks experienced like glimpses through broken glass, because of fever. You remember Old Marshy holding the wooden spoon of gruel to your lips until his thin arms trembled with tiredness, urging you to eat. You remember the shouts of the pirates as they toiled in the rigging, and their drunken laughter under the stars at night. And most of all you remember Skarvench, looming through your thoughts like the embodiment of cruelty, striding the deck and waiting for you to die.

You did not die; thanks to Old Marshy you regained your strength. But death might have been better than the living hell you have had to endure these two years as an ordinary seaman aboard the cruellest ship to sail the Carab Sea. Skarvench metes out discipline as the whim takes him, revelling in the suffering of others; pain is his wine, and death his meat. Often you have had to stand by and watch a man whipped for the slightest mistake. Sometimes you have felt that whip yourself- all to the raucous laughter of Skarvench and his vicious pirate band.

'All hands on deck!' Hearing the command, you shake the other sailors awake and hurry up out of the dingy confines of the orlop deck into the blaze of daylight.

Skarvench stands on the poopdeck. The ox-like first mate, Porbuck, gives you a shove and growls, 'You, get up in the rigging.' As you climb, you glance out to sea. A small ship lies off the port bow and the Belle Dame is rapidly closing on her. You see a tall wooden crucifix standing amidships; she has no cannon. That is foolhardy: 'Go to sea on a prayer,' as the adage goes, 'but take a keg of powder too.' You understand the reason for the other ship's lack of weaponry when you get a better view of the men lining her rail. They are all monks!

Skarvench's voice goes snarling across the water. 'Heave to or be blown out o' the water!' he calls. 'We'll be takin' your treasure, holy or not!'

'We have no treasure,' calls back one of the monks. 'We are poor brothers of the Saviour, travelling to the New World to spread His message to the heathen.'

Skarvench smiles — always a sign of his bad temper - and says, 'Is that so? Well, I know of no place more heathen than the ocean bed.' He leans on the poopdeck rail and calls to the master gunner: 'Mister Borograve, prepare to give 'em a broadside. I want their shaved heads sent forty fathoms deep, where heaven can't hear their mealy-mouthed prayers!'

The monks know they cannot outrun the Belle Dame. As Borograve orders the cannons primed, they begin to sing a hymn. It is a glorious and peaceful sound that reminds you of the meadows and villages of your homeland. Most of the sailors pause in their duties, overcome by the melancholy beauty of the song. Even one or two of the pirates look uneasy at what they are about to do.

'Prepare to fire,' says Skarvench, keen as a hound at the scent of a kill.

'No!' A carpenter's hammer goes flying through the air and strikes Skarvench's head with a crack loud enough to carry up to where you sit in the rigging. Skarvench remains as steady as a rock, his hand flashing out with startling speed to snatch the hammer out of the air as it falls. Then he turns. His face is a mask of white fury. The fact that there is a stream of blood flowing from his temple only makes him look all the more terrible. His gaze bores along the deck and finds:

'Mister Marsh! This your hammer, is it?'

Old Marshy quails, his one jot of boldness used up. 'B-but, Cap'n... they're holy men! I don't think...'

Skarvench tastes his own blood on his lip and savours it with his tongue. He gestures to a couple of the pirates, and Old Marshy is seized and dragged up to the poopdeck. 'Lay his head on the rail there, lads,' says Skarvench in a voice like honeyed venom. He raises the hammer. 'You're right, Mister Marsh; you don't think. That's the trouble with having nothin' in your brain-pan, see?'

Far too late, you realize what Skarvench is going to do. You give a gasp and start down through the rigging. But even as you act, you know there is nothing you can do...

The hammer smashes down. It sounds like a wineflask breaking. The ordinary seamen look away in horror. The pirates grin gleefully like their captain, excited by the grisly sight. The corpse slumps to the deck.

'God curse you, Skarvench,' you mutter under your breath as you reach the foot of the mast. 'I'll see you dead for that.

You're not alone in wishing that,' whispers a voice, 'but I'd stow such talk unless you want your own skull under the hammer next.' You look around to see three of the crew - Grimes, Oakley and Blutz - men who, like you, were taken off plundered ships and forced to work for the pirates. 'We've a plan,' continues Grimes in a low voice. 'If we stay aboard this devil ship our days are surely numbered, so tonight we plan to jump ship. We're scheduled to take the evening watch. We'll lower the jollyboat with a few supplies, then strike out towards Port Leshand.'

'Five hundred leagues of open ocean in a tiny boat like that!' you gasp. 'It's near certain death.'

'Better than certain death, which is what we can expect here,' mutters Oakley. 'Look, you've got a reputation of being a handy customer to have along in a tight spot. To be honest, we haven't got much of a chance without you. Now, are you with us?'

You glare back up at the tall stooped figure on the poopdeck. He stamps to and fro, the brain-smeared hammer still in his hand, annoyed that the monks made their getaway while he was distracted by Old Marshy. You'll make him pay for his crimes one day, but you know the moment is not yet right. You turn to Grimes and the others and give a swift nod. 'I'm with you,' you say.
And we begin!
You know that you will need supplies to have any chance of survival on the open sea. It means taking a big risk, because you will have to go right past the officers' cabins, but there is no help for it. While your comrades keep a nervous vigil, fearing discovery at any moment, you creep aft and descend below decks. The only light in the passage is the glow of an oil-lamp shining from the half-open door of Skarvench's cabin. As you skulk forward through the shadows, you hear the voice of the pirate captain raised in typically drunken bluster:

'What, my merry lads, is the easiest route to fortune, would you say?'

'Why, piracy, Cap'n,' you hear one of the men answer hurriedly.

'Aye, piracy, right enough,' roars Skarvench, 'but what's the most profitable form of piracy, I'm askin' you? Why, 'tis kidnap and ransom, that's what. There's no cargo takes up so little space nor fetches so high a price as live human baggage - so long as you choose the right person. Even you daft lubbers must've heard how Toliver Crimp earned himself a thousand doubloons last summer when he ransomed the Viceroy's nephew -'

'A thousand doubloons!' cry the pirates in unison.

'A spit in the ocean compared with what I've got planned! I'll be earning us a king's ransom - or a queen's ransom, rather, if you wants to split hairs on it - when I capture the best prize of all. I'm talking about that pretty young Queen Titania of Glorianne, my hearties, who'll soon be sailing here on a tour of the colonies!'

You were just tiptoeing past the door, glad of Skarvench's ranting as it kept you from being overheard, but this news roots you to the spot. Can Skarvench really mean to set his sights so high? The kidnapping of a monarch is surely beyond the limits of even his voracious ambition. Everyone knows that Queen Titania is well guarded by her loyal admiral, Lord Calidor, whose naval tactics have sent many a foe to the sea's bottom. And no trickery or poison can prevail against her while she is protected by her wizardry counsellor Mirabilis. Skarvench's plan seems impossible, and yet you have suffered enough harsh experience of the man aboard his ship to know that, although unmatched for cruelty and greed, he is nobody's fool. He must really think he has a chance of carrying off the Queen!

You glance across the passage to the sailmaster's cabin. No light shows under the door. The sailmaster must still be in the galley with most of the other pirates. Now is your chance to sneak into the empty cabin and gather a few items for your voyage — and, God knows, your comrades must be getting anxious for you to return. At any moment one of the pirates might go up on deck and your bid for freedom would be discovered. But Skarvench is still boasting of his madcap scheme, and despite your best instincts you feel compelled to eavesdrop further.

If you stay where you are and listen to what Skarvench says, turn to 20. If you look in the sailmaster's cabin for supplies, turn to 39. If you decide to hurry straight up on deck, turn to 172.
Here's the map inside the front cover:
Image
What to do now?

And the votes for a name and Skills is still open!

Adventure Sheet:
Name: ???
Profession: Swashbuckler
Skills: AGILITY, CUNNING, STREETWISE and SWORDPLAY
Life Points: 10
Possessions:
1) Sword
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
Money: 10 doubloons
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Post by Mr Shine »

I don't think we're going to learn his full plan yet, and attempting to is probably pushing our luck. We can't go back without the supplies, so I say look in sailmasters cabin.
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Post by Sirocco »

Agreed.
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Post by Silent Wayfarer »

Cabin,

And for a name, I vote Derek Longcox.
Last edited by Silent Wayfarer on Wed Sep 17, 2014 10:32 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Darth Rabbitt »

Grab supplies.

As for a name, our hero should be named Huge Nuge.
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Post by SGamerz »

We make like a vintage RPG PC and go for the Loot:
The sailmaster is the officer in charge of day-to-day navigation of the ship. His tiny cabin is strewn about with papers, compasses, books and other maritime paraphernalia.

A sound from the bunk directly by your shoulder makes you give a start of alarm. You thought the blasted cabin was empty! But just as you are lunging forward, the blanket is tossed aside and you have a clear view of the bunk's occupant — not a sailor, but only the little monkey that serves as the ship's mascot. Mister Chatter is what the crew call him. He squats on the bunk and watches as you search around the rest of the cabin.

You have time to grab two items from the following: a toolkit, a book of charts, a crucifix, a lodestone and the monkey. Record the two items you're taking among the possessions on your Adventure Sheet, then turn to 172.
SPOILER: There's NO Gonchong-controlled Lizard King in this book that will turn out to be extremely terrified of monkeys.

So...this is essentially a "shopping list" of sorts. Which two items to we grab?
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Post by Sirocco »

I'd go with Long Dong Silver, what with the pirate theme and all, but I fear copyright issues...
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Post by Silent Wayfarer »

Long Dong (Johnson?) Silver is genius. Also grab the charts and the lodestone.
Last edited by Silent Wayfarer on Wed Sep 17, 2014 5:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by SGamerz »

Sirocco wrote:I'd go with Long Dong Silver, what with the pirate theme and all, but I fear copyright issues...
We have been quoting large sections directly from published books in every single one of these Gamebook LPs. If we're concerned about copyright issues, using a joke parody name in a forum game will probably be somewhere near the bottom of our list of concerns. Although admittedly I'm no lawyer and may be wrong about this. :biggrin:

Any more votes on the items before I move on and just go with SW's lone vote?
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Post by Darth Rabbitt »

I'm cool with Long Dong Silver as a name, but I think we're obligated to take the monkey, just because it's so awesome. For the other item I'd take either the charts or the lodestone, but I imagine the crucifix will win some encounters for us if we take that instead.
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Post by SGamerz »

I was more concerned about the item selection votes than the name. The reason I waited so long before moving on is because we may have the opportunity to use some items in the very next section and I'd prefer not to have that influence the votes.

I'd go with charts and lodestone for now, since, DR has listed both of them in his 4 choices.
Image

The others are waiting for you on deck. In the slanting rays of the setting moon you make out the furtive silhouettes of Grimes, tall and gaunt; Oakley, strong as a tar barrel; and fat little Blutz.

They have the jollyboat swung out over the side. Stealthily you lower it into the water, working in deep silence like four burglars intent on a night's business. From below wafts the sound of a hornpipe and snatches of revelry as the crew sing sea shanties in the galley. Climbing down to the jollyboat, you shove off from the side and row with muffled oars away from the brooding bulk of the Belle Dame. The moon slips below the western horizon, leaving the night studded with stars. There is no wind and the sea is as flat as a pane of glass. As the sounds of jollity fade into the distance, only the soft splash of your oars remains to disturb the eerie quiet.

If you have either the SEAFARING skill or a book of charts, turn now to 381. If not, but you have the CHARMS skill, turn to 399. If you have none of the above but you have the SPELLS skill, turn to 416. Otherwise, turn to 289.
We don't have any of the Skills listed, but we do have the charts.
Your next goal is to reach civilization, and now you weigh up the advantages of each route. The direct westerly course to Port Leshand lies through stormy seas that might easily capsize a small boat like yours. Alternatively, diverting far south would take you into a region where the prevailing ocean currents flow westward, so you could be carried to Leshand faster than if you steered a direct course. The drawback is that your supplies might not last out. One solution to that problem would be to steer the middle course, island-hopping as you head generally west towards Leshand. Then your only worry would be the risk of attack from hostile natives.

Now, if you have CHARMS turn to 399. If you do not have CHARMS but you have SPELLS, turn to 416. If you have neither, turn to 289.


Unfortunately, we're not a magically-inclined pirate.
In the glimmering predawn, as your little boat drifts gently on across the still ocean, you have your first chance to take stock of the situation. You must judge every factor with great care from now on: even the smallest mistake could spell disaster, and you will need every scrap of luck and cleverness if you are to make it to civilized lands alive.

First, your companions on the voyage. Grimes, lanky and lantern-jawed, is a lugubrious fellow but despite his habit of expecting the worst he is a good man to have aboard, because he is neither timid nor quarrelsome. Oakley is tough and smart but abrasive - a possible challenge to your leadership if you fail to assert yourself. All the same, you have been in enough tough scrapes together in the past to know that you can count on him too. Blutz is the weak link of the group: a timid, clumsy little scuttlebutt of a man. But you know that he can be clever and resourceful when he has to be.

The three of them look at you and Oakley says, 'Well, where shall we point our prow?'

Look at the map. Port Leshand is your obvious destination. If you decide to steer straight for it, heading due west, turn to 2. If you prefer to steer a course through the Smoking Islands, turn to 21. If you elect to steer south of the islands, keeping well clear of them, turn to 40.

Image
Thanks to the charts we have some ideas of the difficulties of these routes. So what do we wish to face? The storms, the hostile natives, or starvation?

We have used the charts, but not the lodestone yet. If anyone else feels strongly that we should take the Monkey or the crucifix instead of that, feel free to shout out.

Adventure Sheet:
Name: Long Dong Silver
Profession: Swashbuckler
Skills: AGILITY, CUNNING, STREETWISE and SWORDPLAY
Life Points: 10
Possessions:
1) Sword
2) Book of charts
3) Lodestone
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
Money: 10 doubloons
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angelfromanotherpin
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Post by angelfromanotherpin »

Totally take the monkey instead of the lodestone.
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Post by Silent Wayfarer »

GO with the monkey, and go to the isles.
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Post by Sirocco »

Eh, the monkey has fun potential, so yeah, why not.

And isles, I neither want a watery death for us, nor do I have any inclination to start cannibalizing our fellow crewmates when supplies run out.
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Post by SGamerz »

Sirocco wrote:Eh, the monkey has fun potential, so yeah, why not.

And isles, I neither want a watery death for us, nor do I have any inclination to start cannibalizing our fellow crewmates when supplies run out.
How do you fancy being cannibalized by those hostile natives, though? :tongue:

And don't worry, now that we're bringing the monkey, we can always eat that! :thumb:

Monkey brains are a delicacy in some parts.....
Having sailed these waters as an honest merchant before he was press-ganged into service on the Belle Dame, Oakley relates what he knows of the islands:

'Pandanus Island, the westernmost in the chain, has often been visited by ships,' he says. 'The natives there are friendly enough. The next, known as Grimoire Island, is a mystery except I've heard the natives shun it out of fear for a hellish demon that lives there. Foolishness, of course! Next in the chain is Firepeak Island, which gets its name from the immense cone of a smouldering volcano that dominates its hinterland. I never met a man who went ashore there -'

'But what about the easternmost island?' asks Blutz. 'That's the first one we'll come to.' Oakley shrugs.

'Red Skull Island. I've heard that too is inhabited, but it lies clear of the main shipping route and so the natives can have had little contact with the outside world.'

If you have FOLKLORE, turn to 58. If not, turn to 97.
Nope, Long Dong has no use for superstitious old wives' tales.
Taking turns at the oars, you row westwards under the glare of a fierce sun. Soon your lips are parched, your necks blistered red in the heat. Everyone's spirits were at first buoyed up by the relief you felt at escaping from Skarvench's grasp, but soon you begin to wilt with the awful gnawing of discouragement and doubt. Will you survive long enough to reach land, or will the little jollyboat become your floating coffin?

Lose 1 Life Point owing to thirst, fatigue and heatstroke. (Exception: if you have WILDERNESS LORE lose no Life Points because you know to protect yourself from the heat by soaking your clothes in the water.)
Why would a sailor not know this trick though? I'd have thought SEAFARING would help here, too. Not that it would have helped us, either way...
Around noon of the second day you catch sight of Red Skull Island. 'Well?' mutters Grimes through thirst-blackened lips. 'Do we risk going ashore? There might be fresh water... and food.'

'Aye,' says Oakley. 'And it's us that might be the food, if there are cannibals in these parts.'

They look to you to make the final decision. If you go ashore, turn to 173. If you sail on towards the next island, turn to 116.
Look for food here or not?

Adventure Sheet:
Name: Long Dong Silver
Profession: Swashbuckler
Skills: AGILITY, CUNNING, STREETWISE and SWORDPLAY
Life Points: 9
Possessions:
1) Sword
2) Book of charts
3) Monkey
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
Money: 10 doubloons
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Post by angelfromanotherpin »

'Are you afeared of the natives, Oakley? It's strange, I thought this was a pirate ship, not a nursery.'

Land.
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Post by SGamerz »

Let's go on land and eat the natives find some food!
You beach the jollyboat on a narrow strand of fine white sand backed by high cliffs. At the top of the cliffs you can clearly see the tall green boles of coconut trees. 'We're saved!' cries Blutz, dancing an absurd little jig. 'We can eat those coconuts and even drink the milk if we can't find fresh water.' 'But there's a problem,' says Grimes, surveying the steep cliffs with a dour gaze. 'Who's going to climb up there and get them? You, Mister Blutz?'

If you have AGILITY and wish to climb the cliffs alone, turn to 192. If not, you can make your way along the beach in search of a way up (turn to 211) or try looking for food here on the beach (turn to 230). Alternatively, you could put to sea and continue west towards the next island (turn to 116).
Unlike Dead of Night, I don't think it's ever a bad thing to use a Skill in this book (although if more than one Skill option is presented, some options can be worse than others), so let's climb!
With a dexterity that amazes your companions, you scale the cliffs like a monkey and have soon hurled down enough coconuts to keep you all supplied for days. You scramble back down to the beach amid
cheers of delight.

'Well done,' says Oakley. He is smiling, but you notice that he turns to cast a wary look along the shore. 'Now I suggest we lose no time loading these aboard and casting off. I've no wish to run into the natives hereabouts.'

Note that you have two coconuts for yourself; record these among the possessions on your Adventure Sheet. Whenever you are told you need to
consume provisions, cross off one of the coconuts.

Now, will you leave this island and head west as Oakley suggests (turn to 116), or would you like to explore further (turn to 211)?
Did we pick some for the Monkey as well, or does he get our leftovers?

Anyway, we came for food, and we got some. Do we one to press on further inland?

Adventure Sheet:
Name: Long Dong Silver
Profession: Swashbuckler
Skills: AGILITY, CUNNING, STREETWISE and SWORDPLAY
Life Points: 9
Possessions:
1) Sword
2) Book of charts
3) Monkey
4) Coconut (provisions)
5) Coconut (provisions)
6)
7)
8)
Money: 10 doubloons
Last edited by SGamerz on Sat Sep 20, 2014 3:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Silent Wayfarer »

Further inland. Sexploration is the name of Long Dong's game.
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Post by Darth Rabbitt »

Explore, obviously.
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