Let's Play Fighting Fantasy 41: Master of Chaos

Stories about games that you run and/or have played in.

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SlyJohnny
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Post by SlyJohnny »

Backtracking round to the other side, attacking the guard.
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The guard, who looks half-crazed, is sure to be strong; apart from his well-kept leather armour and broadsword, the helm he wears is very strange. It has a weird pattern of intertwined snakes on it which seem to swirl and confuse you. You must deduct 1 from your SKILL temporarily while he is wearing this helm and you are fighting him. If you want to try to snatch the helm from his head, turn to 127. If you want to fight without doing this, tum to 159.

Adventure Sheet
Huge Nuge

SKILL 11/11
STAMINA 15/17
LUCK 10/12

Skills: Blindsight, Acute Hearing, Tracking, Move Silently

Equipment: 9/12 Provisions
Boots with hidden coin compartments
7gp (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
Baalberith's Scimitar (+1 SKILL)
Book entitled The Three Hundred and Thirty Incantations of Ssassuzlit
SGamerz
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Post by SGamerz »

Oooh....it's got snakes on it! Pretty! Me want!

Grab his stuff.
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Post by Darth Rabbitt »

Huge Nuge wants that hat.
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Sirocco
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Post by Sirocco »

Mine!
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Post by SlyJohnny »

You guys are awesome. This is the best rationale for a decision ever.
Roll two dice, then add 2 to the total rolled. If this new total is less than or equal to your SKILL, you have managed to grab the helm: tum to 286. If the total is greater than your SKILL, you have failed - and the guard will get in a free strike against you for 2 points of damage to your STAMINA. You can try up to three times to grab the helm - if you can't do it in three tries you won't be able to do it at all! If you decide after fewer tries to fight normally, or if you fail three times, turn to 159.

(6+2=8, we pass.)
You grab the helm and throw it to the ground. As you do so, the warrior's eyes roll back in his head and he falls to the floor in a swoon. He manages to utter a few words, before his soul leaves his body in a ghastly, convulsing fit; he blesses you and whispers, 'The Moon Sword.' Then he is dead, released from the chaotic, warping control of the malign helm which was put upon him. Gain 2 LUCK points for releasing this man from his torment.

You search the room and find a sword with a moonstones set in the hilt. This is a keen-edged blade and its balance feels good in your hand. It is a Magic Sword with very useful powers! First, it will add 1 to your SKILL when you use it, and it can increase your SKILL above Initial level without restriction (so if your Initial SKILL was 12 and you have not lost any SKILL points, your SKILL is 13 with this sword). Secondly, the Moon Sword contains precious magical revitalizing charges - just three of these. If you draw a charge from the Moon Sword - you can do this a t any time except during a combat - roll one die and add 1. This is the number of points of STAMINA you regain from drawing this magical charge. Remember to keep track of how many charges you use and how many of the original three remain.

You leave the chamber with this excellent find (add it to your Possessions). You can now head straight towards the portcullis or double back towards the door now opposite you if you have not been that way round the ledge before.
So putting the pretty but cursed helm on our head is contraindicated, but at least we got another magic sword for our collection. Just killing the guard would've meant we'd get nothing, as there's too many weapons to sift through without his dying hint.

Going to assume the majority are still in favour of not backtracking to the sludge.
The portcullis is made of thick iron bars, and a massive lock prevents you from simply lifting the barrier. There is also a kind of pulley device on the opposite side which looks suspiciously like the trigger for a mechanical trap of some sort. If you have an Iron Key, (we do).
You are fairly certain that the Iron Key will open the portcullis - but what of that trap? You're going to have to take a risk here: you must open it. But you can hold one item in the hand not turning the Iron Key before you do this. Write down which item in your possession you will have, ready to hand, as you open the portcullis; then tum to 280.
What item are we going to hold, here? Complete list is below, on the adventure sheet:


Adventure Sheet
Huge Nuge

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

Skills: Blindsight, Acute Hearing, Tracking, Move Silently

Equipment: 9/12 Provisions
Boots with hidden coin compartments
7gp (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
Rope
Baalberith's Scimitar (+1 SKILL)
Book entitled The Three Hundred and Thirty Incantations of Ssassuzlit
Moon Sword, 3 revitalising charges
Last edited by SlyJohnny on Thu Dec 11, 2014 9:04 am, edited 1 time in total.
Omegonthesane
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Post by Omegonthesane »

Well we don't get any warning of the nature of the trap, and lighting isn't stated to be an issue, so Moon Sword for the Skill 12 and the mid-sentence healing if needed.
Kaelik wrote:Because powerful men get away with terrible shit, and even the public domain ones get ignored, and then, when the floodgates open, it turns out there was a goddam flood behind it.

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SGamerz
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Post by SGamerz »

I think it's possible to figure out what we might need here from our Equipment list.....unless we don't have the item anyway, in which case it's all moot.

It's a specific plot token needed to pass a certain trap, so it's not unreasonable to assume that it's a unique item that probably hasn't been checked/used in the book before. It's probably not something like a potion that we can use any time we want.

Looking through the list, I don't think there're really that many items to choose from:

Bronze Bracelet
29-ray Silver Amulet
Metal Torch
Book entitled The Three Hundred and Thirty Incantations of Ssassuzlit

Notice that I'm counting the torch as a unique item but not the lantern. I think the torch is meant to be more than just a simply light source, because when we went to the Ruined Senate's House earlier, we were checked for the lantern but not the torch, which we could already have picked up.

The book has a special reference number and we know where we could have used it, so I'm striking it off the list. That leaves us with 3 items.

The Amulet, while we don't know where it can be used, also has a reference number (29), which I'm sure will be called into play if we need to use it. It possible that we'd asked to do that in the next section, but then why bother with telling us to prepare it in advance? The reference number should be enough to prevent any cheating attempts, so I don't think that's the right item.

The Bracelet is worn on the arm anyway, so it'll be kind of silly that we'd be required to take it off and hold in in our hand for it to work. Plus, I think it's just an item that helps to track whether our character made friends with the Dark Elf (kind of like the Crystal Star Pendant in Lone Wolf gamebooks to keep track of whether he met Banedon).

That leaves us with....the metal torch, which is my vote.
Last edited by SGamerz on Thu Dec 11, 2014 9:50 am, edited 1 time in total.
Omegonthesane
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Post by Omegonthesane »

That's a lot more thought than I put into it, switching vote to torch.
Kaelik wrote:Because powerful men get away with terrible shit, and even the public domain ones get ignored, and then, when the floodgates open, it turns out there was a goddam flood behind it.

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Darth Rabbitt
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Post by Darth Rabbitt »

Torch sounds good.
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Post by Sirocco »

Torch, why not. Let's play lightning rod.
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SlyJohnny
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Post by SlyJohnny »

The strange hard tip of the metal torch bursts into flame as you will it to do so! Just as you unlock and open the portcullis, a wire basket of snakes drops from a concealed overhead shaft and the snakes spill out on to the ground, but they back away in fear from the strange, flickering, silent flame of the torch. You head down the passage beyond the Portcullis.
Deductive logic wins the day!
Image

You make haste along the winding passage; perhaps you are already being followed and hunted by the wretched Mutants in this ghastly place. The walls themselves seem to be infested with the forces of Chaos: strange, eldritch, serpentine forms seem to twist and writhe in the very stone, and it feels as if the stone floor is writhing and sucking at your boots as you speed along. You wonder, just how far down does this nightmare dungeon descend...

You round a corner and come lace to face with one of Shanzikuul's most 'successful' mutant creations. Standing some eight feet tall, the Zoalinth's four eyes gaze balefully at you, and its taloned, eight-fingered claws reach out towards you as it lumbers forward. Twin crocodile heads top the barrel-chested body of a bear, and powerful legs covered in fur and feathers support the torso, while a long, spined, lizard-like tail scrapes along the ground. On its heads, a weird pattern of black and white bands radiates out at odd angles along its scaly skin from the central yellow snouts. Acid drools from its mouths as it slavers for your flesh!

Do you have a Silver Amulet? If you do, turn to the paragraph with the same number as the number of rays on that amulet. If you don't possess this item, you'll have to fight the horror, so tum to 296.
The Zoalinth stops in its tracks as it sees the amulet. 'Servant, servant,' its twin heads gurgle. It gestures you towards a door which it was guarding. It seems to believe that the amulet proves that you are a friend! You can decide to attack it anyway, if you want to, or you can head for the door.
Adventure Sheet
Huge Nuge

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

Skills: Blindsight, Acute Hearing, Tracking, Move Silently

Equipment: 9/12 Provisions
Boots with hidden coin compartments
7gp (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
Rope
Baalberith's Scimitar (+1 SKILL)
Book entitled The Three Hundred and Thirty Incantations of Ssassuzlit
Moon Sword, 3 revitalising charges
Last edited by SlyJohnny on Fri Dec 12, 2014 4:22 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Darth Rabbitt »

Spare the creature. Huge Nuge may have a massive dick, but he isn't a massive dick.
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Post by Sirocco »

Seconded.
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Post by SlyJohnny »

You approach the door the Zoalinth was guarding and listen carefully. To your ears, the sounds beyond are strange indeed: you can hear a wailing, cacophonous music, the sound of gurgling water perhaps, and carefree laughter resounding from within. This is hardly what you expected, so you throw open the door.

This is the Great Hall of the Master of Chaos, the Cheater of Deaths; you know this as soon as you lay eyes on the man - even though he is hardly what you expected either. At the far end of a long table, laden with food and fruit, wine and sweetmeats, sits a slim young man swathed in silver-and-black robes, holding a wooden staff, the design of which you cannot make out at this distance. In this palatial chamber hang fine tapestries and paintings, and in a side-room a fountain of crystal clear water gushes into a pool. The young man clicks his fingers carelessly, and two bizarre tiger-woman servants beside him turn and walk away down cool marbled steps, through bead-fringed curtains, to chambers beyond. Shanzikuul gives you a brilliant, flashing smile, white teeth gleaming in the pearly light cast by ornate and embellished wall-lamps. 'You are late', he admonishes you, 'but never mind, I have plenty of time,' and he smiles mischievously. 'Come and sit down to dinner. I have a proposal for you,' and he gestures to a seat on his left hand side.

This is all quite astonishing! Will you race to attack Shanzikuul or walk across and sit by him?
Adventure Sheet
Huge Nuge

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

Skills: Blindsight, Acute Hearing, Tracking, Move Silently

Equipment: 9/12 Provisions
Boots with hidden coin compartments
7gp (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
Rope
Baalberith's Scimitar (+1 SKILL)
Book entitled The Three Hundred and Thirty Incantations of Ssassuzlit
Moon Sword, 3 revitalising charges
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Post by SGamerz »

He seem like a nice guy! Maybe he's just misunderstood. Sit and chat, I'm sure we can resolve this like civilized folks.
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Post by Darth Rabbitt »

Attacking the wizard here and now seems like a trap. So talk to him.
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Post by Sirocco »

Talk.
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Post by SlyJohnny »

Shanzikuul eyes you cautiously as you move across to sit by him. You now see the warped Staff of Power in his right hand: black wood, shod with silver and bronze, ensorcelled with runes. It is topped by a sculpted black skull with bloodstone eyes and wide-open jaws and the sharp-fanged teeth are unnaturally long. Just for a moment you think you can see a faint wisp of something arise from it. That something was half-transparent, but it seemed like a puff of elemental Chaos, twisted and corrupted, savage and vile.

'Power, warrior,' whispers the demented mage, and his hand tightens on the Staff. 'Beautiful, raw power. Let me tell you,' and his voice rises with an edge of hysteria to it, 'all this'- and he sweeps the Staff round in an arc to take in the room, 'this too is forged from the Staff. It creates what I desire, from the infinite possibilities of Chaos. It brings great Chaos into existence, it warps and mutates, but it is shaped by my will also, for I am power myself! An Undying One!' He half-laughs, half-cackles; he is obviously mad, but don't underestimate his cunning! 'Did you like my pretties?' he sneers, pointing to where the tiger-women have gone. You say nothing.

You accept Shanzikuul's offer of food and wine, and you regain 4 STAMINA points by eating the excellent repast. Shanzikuul is offering you power too; he knows a good right-handman when he sees one. He offers you whatever you want from the Staff's power: might, luxury, hedonistic self-indulgence... anything you ask. As he raves on, you notice that a sheathed sword rests by his left hand; you also see that on his left hand he wears a strange ring, of platinum with gems inset. That ring screams magic at you. What are you going to do? Will you:

Accept Shanzikuul's offer of power?
Try to grab the mage's ring?
Try to knock the Staff from his hand?
Attack Shanzikuul immediately?
Huge Nuge

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

Skills: Blindsight, Acute Hearing, Tracking, Move Silently

Equipment: 9/12 Provisions
Boots with hidden coin compartments
7gp (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
Rope
Baalberith's Scimitar (+1 SKILL)
Book entitled The Three Hundred and Thirty Incantations of Ssassuzlit
Moon Sword, 3 revitalising charges
Last edited by SlyJohnny on Sun Dec 14, 2014 10:29 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Post by Sirocco »

My precioussssss!
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Post by Dr_Noface »

magic magic magic ring
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Post by Darth Rabbitt »

Pseudo Stupidity wrote:This Applebees fucking sucks, much like all Applebees. I wanted to go to Femboy Hooters (communism).
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Post by SlyJohnny »

This isn't going to be easy. Roll two dice and add 2 to the total rolled. If this new total is less than or equal to your SKILL, tum to 105. If the total is greater than your SKILL, turn to 294.

(7+2=9, we pass.)
You snatch the ring from Shanzikuul's hand, and the wizard screams in rage and fury! He springs up from his throne-chair and backs away from you. Will you attack him at once or spend a few precious seconds putting the ring on your own hand, so giving the wizard time to put more distance between himself and you?
Huge Nuge

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

Skills: Blindsight, Acute Hearing, Tracking, Move Silently

Equipment: 9/12 Provisions
Boots with hidden coin compartments
7gp (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
Rope
Baalberith's Scimitar (+1 SKILL)
Book entitled The Three Hundred and Thirty Incantations of Ssassuzlit
Moon Sword, 3 revitalising charges
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Darth Rabbitt
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Post by Darth Rabbitt »

Attack the evil wizard. Huge Nuge can figure out how to use his new cock ring later.
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Post by Sirocco »

Sic 'im.
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Post by Omegonthesane »

I'd have put on the cock ring immediately.
Kaelik wrote:Because powerful men get away with terrible shit, and even the public domain ones get ignored, and then, when the floodgates open, it turns out there was a goddam flood behind it.

Zak S, Zak Smith, Dndwithpornstars, Zak Sabbath, Justin Bieber, shitmuffin
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