Let's Play Fighting Fantasy 41: Master of Chaos

SlyJohnny · Post by **SlyJohnny** » Sun Nov 23, 2014 4:21 pm

((Sorry about the delay, guys, been away in Wales for a wedding. Normal posting should resume next week.))

SlyJohnny · Post by **SlyJohnny** » Mon Nov 24, 2014 5:57 pm

As you touch the altar, a glimmer of light appears within it, and suddenly a pillar of flame rises to the ceiling and a figure forms within it: a bull-like body with powerfully muscled arms that are bound with bands of black metal, etched with strange runes, thick, hooved, black legs and a face which cannot be seen through the wreath of flame surrounding it, hissing and dripping yellow-red globules of fire on the stone floor! The terrifying Demon is wielding a flaming sword and whip, and breathes fire at you as well!

You must fight this horror! Each Attack Round, you must roll one die; if you roll 1-4, the creature's breath hits you and you must suffer 2 points of damage to your STAMINA in addition to any damage the Demon's weapons inflict!

FIRE DEMON SKILL 10 STAMINA 10

The first time you land a blow on the Demon, turn at once to 137.

...Ooof. We’re totally gonna die unless this thing goes down right quick, so I'm going to Test our Luck twice.

Combat Log:

Huge=18, Demon= 17. Demon breath: 5, miss. We turn at once to 137.

Do you have a Magic Sword? (We do.)

Your blow strikes the damage when you hit.

Combat Log, continued:

Testing Luck: 6, LUCKY. Huge 17, Demon 6.
Huge= 16, Demon= 20. Demon breath: 1, hit. Huge 13, Demon 6.
Huge= 14, Demon= 17. Demon breath: 4, hit. Huge 9, Demon 6.
Huge= 20. Demon= 20. Demon breath: 6, miss. Huge 9, Demon 6.
Huge= 15, Demon= 19. Demon breath: 6, miss. Huge 7, Demon 6.
Huge=17, Demon= 16 Demon breath: 4, hit. Testing Luck: 7, LUCKY. Huge 5, Demon 2.
Huge=21, Demon= 13. Demon breath: 3, hit. Huge 3, Demon slain.

You have killed a Demon, a feat to boast of if ever you get back to a civilized land; for now, however,who knows what enmities you may have aroused in the dark, extraplanar realms? Setting aside this dispiriting thought, will you:

Pick up the Demon's sword?
Take a metal torch (if you don’t have one?)
Leave and go elsewhere?

Adventure Sheet

Huge Nuge

SKILL 11/11
STAMINA 3/17
LUCK 9/12

Skills: Blindsight, Acute Hearing, Tracking, Move Silently

Equipment: 12/12 Provisions
Boots with hidden coin compartments
2gp (hidden in boots)
Backpack
Waterskin
Leather armour and shield
Lantern
Ring of Endurance
Boots of Stealth
Medicinal herbs, 2 bags
Preservative spices, 1 bag
Potion of Healing
Bronze Bracelet
Iron Key
Sword
Crossbow, 5 bolts
Magic Scimitar (+1 SKILL when below 11, sheds light as a lantern)
Brandy, 2 tots
29-ray Silver Amulet

MisterDee · Post by **MisterDee** » Mon Nov 24, 2014 8:15 pm

Can we eat provisions prior to picking up the sword? I'm afraid of a "the sword is glowing hot, take 3 stamina damage" trap.

If not, definitely don't pick it up. Even if so, I vote against - we already have a good enough weapon, multiple light sources, and I'd rather avoid the probable "the sword is glowin hot, take 1 skill damage" trap.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Tue Nov 25, 2014 12:26 am

We don't need to risk anything for a weapon that has at least a 50% chance of being cursed/scaldingly-hot/only-fit-for-Demons. We already have a magical weapon of our own.

Let's go elsewhere.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Tue Nov 25, 2014 12:36 am

Eat if we can, but leave the fire sword alone.

SlyJohnny · Post by **SlyJohnny** » Tue Nov 25, 2014 1:15 am

Okay, back to the hub. I will assume to eat two meals unless you guys would rather drink the brandy or healing potion.

Not having a magic weapon there means instadeath. Shagrot's scimitar saved our butts.

The ruins of Kabesh contain several noteworthy landmarks; you may care to make a sketchmap of the area. You may visit each area only once- unless you are specifically instructed to the contrary in a later paragraph - so make a note of each of the areas as you visit them. You will not learn or find anything on a second visit which you haven't already discovered first time around, so return visits are pointless. After selecting one location, you will be referred back to this paragraph to select another place to visit. If after visiting all the locations you still have not found the entrance to the Chaos Pits of the Master of Chaos, your mission has failed and your adventure ends in disappointment and frustration!

The areas within the ruins, with compass notations for position, are:

Ruined Senate House (NW)
Ruined houses (W)
Old Temple (SSW)
Mausoleum (S)
Warehouses (SE)
Ruined Coliseum (ESE)
Nomad camp (E and NE)

Adventure Sheet

Huge Nuge

SKILL 11/11
STAMINA 11/17
LUCK 9/12

Skills: Blindsight, Acute Hearing, Tracking, Move Silently

Equipment: 10/12 Provisions
Boots with hidden coin compartments
2gp (hidden in boots)
Backpack
Waterskin
Leather armour and shield
Lantern
Ring of Endurance
Boots of Stealth
Medicinal herbs, 2 bags
Preservative spices, 1 bag
Potion of Healing
Bronze Bracelet
Iron Key
Sword
Crossbow, 5 bolts
Magic Scimitar (+1 SKILL when below 11, sheds light as a lantern)
Brandy, 2 tots
29-ray Silver Amulet

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Tue Nov 25, 2014 1:19 am

I voted to visit every location in sequence, and I vote that again.

MisterDee · Post by **MisterDee** » Tue Nov 25, 2014 1:31 am

Agreed.

Since we can't go backanyway, were our Mon Calamari instincts right re: the demon's sword?

Sirocco · Post by **Sirocco** » Tue Nov 25, 2014 5:01 am

Thirded (again).

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Tue Nov 25, 2014 5:49 pm

Fourthed, for once.

SlyJohnny · Post by **SlyJohnny** » Wed Nov 26, 2014 5:28 pm

Returned from Wales. Your semi-regularly scheduled "picking through the bones of a dead ancient city in the hopes of finding an entrance to the lair of a sorcerer packing a stolen magical WMD" will now continue!

The fight with the demon was just a really nasty trap fight. And yes, the demon's sword was indeed a "you cannot has demon weapon, silly human, lose some STAMINA and a SKILL point" trap. Good instincts on that one! Though, admiral Ackbar himself would probably have pointed out the etched ring of fire around the suspicious altar wasn't terribly encouraging either, but I can understand why you'd err on the side of more exploration rather than less.

So, next up is the Ruined Senate House. I will assume to eat a third meal on arrival, unless anyone would rather save our food.

Also, in the face of so many votes, shall I just assume we automatically head to the next location in the list every time we're directed to return to the travel hub, unless we learn something specific about other locations?

The Senate House is a tall and beautiful structure -what remains of it. Above the arched entrance you can see lettering etched into the stone and some odd sculpted design, but you can't make out any detail. You might be able to read it if you could get up to have a closer look. Do you want to try climbing or go straight into the building?

Adventure Sheet

Huge Nuge

SKILL 11/11
STAMINA 15/17
LUCK 9/12

Skills: Blindsight, Acute Hearing, Tracking, Move Silently

Equipment: 9/12 Provisions
Boots with hidden coin compartments
2gp (hidden in boots)
Backpack
Waterskin
Leather armour and shield
Lantern
Ring of Endurance
Boots of Stealth
Medicinal herbs, 2 bags
Preservative spices, 1 bag
Potion of Healing
Bronze Bracelet
Iron Key
Sword
Crossbow, 5 bolts
Magic Scimitar (+1 SKILL when below 11, sheds light as a lantern)
Brandy, 2 tots
29-ray Silver Amulet

MisterDee · Post by **MisterDee** » Wed Nov 26, 2014 11:30 pm

I figure eating until we have only 4 meals left (or are less than a meal's worth away from full HP) makes sense.

Agree with the explore in order unless we find information.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Thu Nov 27, 2014 12:28 am

We don't have the Skill for climbing, and for some reason there's been no opportunity to gain any ropes or other kinds of climbing aid. So I say we go straight in the front door.

MisterDee · Post by **MisterDee** » Thu Nov 27, 2014 2:10 am

Let's go in.

SlyJohnny · Post by **SlyJohnny** » Thu Nov 27, 2014 3:26 am

Inside the building, broken fragments of sculptures and statues are scattered together with the bone-dry remnants of chairs and tables which have mostly crumbled away to dust. There are even some book covers lying around, although the paper has long since been consumed by the ravages of heat and insects.

At the far end of the chamber there are stairs leading down, which you investigate. You will need a lantern here - if you do not have one, you can make your way down, but you could well have problems with traps and fighting! Also, you thought you heard something hard scraping on stone, down below. If you want to descend the stairs, turn to 85. If you want to leave and go elsewhere, turn to 4 - if you are leaving because you don't have a lantern, make a note that you can return to investigate later on if you manage to find one.

Adventure Sheet

Huge Nuge

SKILL 11/11
STAMINA 15/17
LUCK 9/12

Skills: Blindsight, Acute Hearing, Tracking, Move Silently

Equipment: 9/12 Provisions
Boots with hidden coin compartments
2gp (hidden in boots)
Backpack
Waterskin
Leather armour and shield
Lantern
Ring of Endurance
Boots of Stealth
Medicinal herbs, 2 bags
Preservative spices, 1 bag
Potion of Healing
Bronze Bracelet
Iron Key
Sword
Crossbow, 5 bolts
Magic Scimitar (+1 SKILL when below 11, sheds light as a lantern)
Brandy, 2 tots
29-ray Silver Amulet
Metal Torch

Sirocco · Post by **Sirocco** » Thu Nov 27, 2014 4:49 am

Investigate.

Starmaker · Post by **Starmaker** » Thu Nov 27, 2014 8:50 am

We have a lantern, so of course we investigate.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Thu Nov 27, 2014 4:46 pm

Investigate.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Fri Nov 28, 2014 12:45 am

On hind sight, we probably should have saved money on that lantern, since we have Blindsight.

But yeah, considering we can't come back later, if the entrance to Shanzikuul's lair is down there and we miss it, we're basically screwed so there's absolutely no reason not to investigate every location until we're told we can't.

SlyJohnny · Post by **SlyJohnny** » Sat Nov 29, 2014 5:24 am

You press on down the stairs and come to a door, which is easily pushed off its hinges. Beyond lies a small sanctum with many wall-shelves and the remains of books and scrolls. However, this lair is the den of a creature that reveals the power of Chaos in this place! If you have a lantern, turn to 71. (yais)

You are face to face with a huge, ten-legged scorpion with garish, yellow green pincers and a black tail which arches over its back and ends in a forked, red-tipped, stinging point. The back of the creature is protected by thick black spines; from them a sticky, milky fluid oozes, coating lhe flanks of the monster with a foul-smelling, dripping membrane. You do have the option of running away from here now without taking any damage, since the monster is slow to react to your presence. If you wish to run away and search somewhere else, turn to 4. lf you want to stay and fight the scorpion turn to 97.

Do we run, or does Huge Nuge introduce the scorpion to his own foul-smelling, dripping membrane if you know what I mean (I am making a reference to penises?)

Although this scorpion seems like a fairly chill dude, really. I'm pretty sure he's wearing shades.

Adventure Sheet

Huge Nuge

SKILL 11/11
STAMINA 15/17
LUCK 9/12

Skills: Blindsight, Acute Hearing, Tracking, Move Silently

Equipment: 9/12 Provisions
Boots with hidden coin compartments
2gp (hidden in boots)
Backpack
Waterskin
Leather armour and shield
Lantern
Ring of Endurance
Boots of Stealth
Medicinal herbs, 2 bags
Preservative spices, 1 bag
Potion of Healing
Bronze Bracelet
Iron Key
Sword
Crossbow, 5 bolts
Magic Scimitar (+1 SKILL when below 11, sheds light as a lantern)
Brandy, 2 tots
29-ray Silver Amulet

Sirocco · Post by **Sirocco** » Sat Nov 29, 2014 6:07 am

KILL IT WITH FIRE!

Or with a magic scimitar, either way works.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Sat Nov 29, 2014 6:45 pm

Non-wounded Giant Scorpions are known to be closet trolls. Flame the troll.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Sun Nov 30, 2014 2:17 am

This reminds me of the picture of Thom the barbarian from Deathtrap Dungeon. The first time I saw that pic, I was convinced that I just met the coolest barbarian ever, because the picture looked like he was wearing shades.

Stab the monster.

SlyJohnny · Post by **SlyJohnny** » Sun Nov 30, 2014 3:47 pm

You have a tough fight on your hands against the Mutant Scorpion. Each time it wins an Attack Round, roll one die. lf you roll 1 or 2, you are hit by the creature's stinger, and the venom from this does double normal damage (4 points per strike).

MUTANT SCORPION SKILL 7 STAMINA 8

Combat Log

Huge 19, Scorpion 15. Huge 15, Scorpion 6
Huge 21, Scorpion 17. Huge 15, Scorpion 6
Huge 16, Scorpion 13. Huge 15, Scorpion 2
Huge 16, Scorpion 15. Huge 15, Scorpion dead.

Flawless victory. So long, Skorpex!

If you have a lantern, and/or the Blindsight Skill (Sure we do.)

Among the crumbling and useless paper, you can make out a small wooden casket, the runes and sigils upon it faded and illegible after so many years. You open it, and inside you discover a small golden ball with gem insets and an inscription that you can read more easily in the light of day outside. The inscriptions says simply 'Hazdur'. If there is someone you want to give this to, you already know which paragraph to turn to. Otherwise, turn to 4 to visit another area in the ruins.

Well, that was easy. Those warrior nomads are slackers.

You take the Sacred Sphere of Hazdur to Baalberith the Savant. His face reflects his delight when he takes the ball; as he does so, it hums slightly and radiates a faint blue glow in the hands of the priest. His devout attendants fall to their knees and mumble prayers. He puts the Sphere aside on a velvet cushion, and tells you that you have brought his people the source of divine wisdom they sought here.

Baalberith blesses you; gain 1 LUCK point. He will also reward you; he will gladly give you any or all of the following which you might need: a lantern with oil, some rope, a sword, and enough Provisions for 6 meals. He also offers you a magical item: you can take either a Potion of Stamina (if drunk, it restores STAMINA equal to one-half your Initial level, rounding fractions up; you can drink it at any time except during combats); or you can have a fine scimitar which is a Magic Sword. This will add 1 to your SKILL, in combats only. Think carefully before deciding which item you want!

You may stay with the nomads tonight and rest; regain 4 STAMINA points. In the morning the nomads will leave, so you cannot return to their camp; turn to 4 to find another area in the ruins to visit.

So, sword or potion? Incidentally, the court building we were in was called the 'PILLASTRIUM', we could've picked that up if we'd climbed up high enough to read the writing.

Anyway, back to the travel hub, and thence to the Ruined Houses.

Many houses here lie in ruins, and it takes some time to make even a cursory check. You must eat a meal. Finally, passing by one of the larger houses, you think you spot a dark figure moving out of the shadows, away from your line of sight, inside the building. Will you:

Enter and investigate?
Search other houses?
Go elsewhere in the ruins?

Adventure Sheet

Huge Nuge

SKILL 11/11
STAMINA 17/17
LUCK 10/12

Skills: Blindsight, Acute Hearing, Tracking, Move Silently

Equipment: 11/12 Provisions
Boots with hidden coin compartments
2gp (hidden in boots)
Backpack
Waterskin
Leather armour and shield
Lantern
Ring of Endurance
Boots of Stealth
Medicinal herbs, 2 bags
Preservative spices, 1 bag
Potion of Healing
Bronze Bracelet
Iron Key
Sword
Crossbow, 5 bolts
Magic Scimitar (+1 SKILL when below 11, sheds light as a lantern)
Brandy, 2 tots
29-ray Silver Amulet
Rope

MisterDee · Post by **MisterDee** » Mon Dec 01, 2014 3:42 am

I think we're loaded with medkits already, so sword on the off chance that we lose Shagrot's and take a skill penalty.

(Or would the skill bonus apply anyway? Does the standard "magic weapons don't do anything unless you've lost Skill" clause apply here? If it doesn't of course we go for the free Skill.)

As to the house: investigate!