[Let's Play] Fighting Fantasy 43 - The Keep of the Lich-Lord

Shiritai · Post by **Shiritai** » Sun Mar 08, 2015 12:39 am

May as well visit all the places. Go to the site of Mortis' defeat!

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Sun Mar 08, 2015 2:22 am

Maybe we'll get more hints on how to defeat him.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Sun Mar 08, 2015 2:34 am

The cross-country walk to the old battle-site is almost pleasant. You arrive at last in a wide green meadow with an old standing stone near by, inscribed with the history of this ancient battle. Looking around, you see that in all directions the earth is churned up as if by hundreds of labourers digging for treasure. The few named graves that you find are all open and empty. It is as if the dead had woken from their sleep to do battle once more. You examine the plaque on the standing stone It reads:

Here was fought a great battle between the hero Qadarnai and his knights against the necromancer Mortis and his undead servants. Amongst the servants of Morfis were the Battalion of Ancient Bones, skeletal warriors without number, and the dreaded Knights of Alptraum, the honour guard of Mortis, summoned to him from other worlds. Terrible in battle are they, for they can never be fully laid to rest. Their power is great and the fear of them is all-encompassing. Yet the great hero, aided by the White Queen, did overcome them and their master, although he lost his own life in doing so.

There is nothing else of interest here on the old site. Will you now head north for Port Borgos or northeast into the hills and thence to Bloodrise Keep?

Is this some omen that we have to sacrifice our own life to kill Mortis like Qadarnai did? Ominous....

Do we still want to continue visiting every place (Port Borgos), or go straight for Bloodrise Keep now?

Omegonthesane · Post by **Omegonthesane** » Sun Mar 08, 2015 6:40 am

We're on a deadline and we already have a magic spear of penetrating undead, to Bloodrise.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Sun Mar 08, 2015 2:41 pm

Agreed.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Mon Mar 09, 2015 11:52 am

It is mid-afternoon when you reach the keep. You had anticipated problems with crossing the moat, but now you see that a dam of skulls has been built across the rivermouth, further up the hillside. This has reduced the stream feeding the moat to a sluggish trickle, and as a result the Keep is now surrounded by a ditch of muddy swamp. Clouds of gnats hang in the humid heat of the afternoon sun, and the reek of stagnant water makes you gag. If you think now would be a good time to make a report to General Chaideshu, and if your Ring of Communing still has any magical energy, turn to 126. Otherwise, you begin to make your way towards the gatehouse - turn to 228.

Our ring still has 1 charge left. Do we want to report?

Shiritai · Post by **Shiritai** » Mon Mar 09, 2015 2:28 pm

Sure. We'll probably want radio silence when we sneak into the Keep.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Mon Mar 09, 2015 3:20 pm

We should probably tell them we're about to penetrate the enemy base.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Mon Mar 09, 2015 3:56 pm

You see the general's leathery old features in your mind's eye. He listens to your report and then ponders for a moment. 'The stream that fills the moat has been blocked off because Mortis's undead legions would have difficulty crossing running water,' you hear him say. 'If enough of the castellan's men are still alive and if you can find and free them, they may be able to help you destroy the dam and trap the Undead in the keep. Act quickly, however. Daylight inhibits our enemy's powers, but it is only a few hours till nightfall.'

The sensation of his presence departs from your mind. Cross off one charge from the Ring of Communing (if you have now used it three times, it is useless and must be discarded). You make your way to the gatehouse.

However, the Ring would actually be brought up later in the text despite it being possible for us to have discarded it, so I'm not going to cross it off the Adventure Sheet.

As you approach, you notice a mechanism like a giant crossbow on top of the gatehouse. It is a ballista, a device capable of hurling lethal steel-tipped bolts a distance of up to 400 metres. Doubtless in the past it has been deployed against ,any besiegers of the keep, but you are sure it would have been of minimal effect against the relentless troops of Mortis' Zombie army. If you have a copper coin with the head of Mortis stamped on both sides, turn to 285. Otherwise, tum to 388.

Nope, we aren't carrying Mortis' personal currency.

As you approach the gatehouse, the ballista seems to be watching you like an ominous giant insect. It is only your imagination, of course; without anyone to operate it, the potentially lethal weapon is just a harmless piece of machinery. Then again, what if Mortis has left spells on it that could make it shoot of its own accord? You try not to think of that possibility! It is with considerable relief that you reach the gatehouse safely and pass on into the outer bailey.

You stand by the gatehouse and look across the bailey towards the walls enclosing the inner keep, where twin towers stand like grim granite sentinels against the cloudless blue sky. Smouldering in the sultry heat of the afternoon, the packed earth of the courtyard throws back a fierce glare from the sun that makes you squint. The outer wall casts a block of shadow along the southern perimeter of the courtyard. If you want to use the shadows as cover to reach the stables to your left, turn to 9. lf you prefer to make for the barracks to your right, turn to 42. If you are prepared to stride across the middle of the courtyard and enter the inner keep, turn to 379.

We've gone deep in, but now which way do we continue our penetration?

Adventure Sheet:

Name: Gonad the Penetrator
SKILL 9/9
STAMINA 7/18
LUCK 11/15
RESOLVE: 11 (12 for next test)
Equipment: Sharpened Sword (+1 damage), Leather Armor, Ring of Communing (0 charges remaining), Spear of Qadarnai (double-damage when fighting undead), Golden Whistle, Elixir of Lhyss, Suit of Fine Armour (-1 to all damage taken), Ring of Fays, Polished Shield (-1 SKILL to 1 Undead opponent during combat at a time), Heavy Iron Mace
Provisions: 3 Meals (+4 STAMINA)
Gold: 41
Codeword: PIRATE

Omegonthesane · Post by **Omegonthesane** » Tue Mar 10, 2015 7:50 am

Barracks. Might have people in it.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Tue Mar 10, 2015 3:14 pm

Forgot to mention, now that we're in the Keep itself, we'll have to start keeping track of Alarm Value, although currently it's still at 0.

Reaching the barracks door, you pass through it into the cool gloom of a long hall. Even as your eyes are adjusting from the bright afternoon sunlight outside, the very air in front of your face vibrates with a rumbling, growling sound, and the next instant a huge hairy arm crashes into you; at the same time, you are overwhelmed by a disgusting stench that rolls over you from the creature confronting you. Deduct 2 points from your STAMINA. This is a Werewight - a beast fashioned by necromantic sorcery, a thing neither living nor undead, but, for all that, a fighting fury.

WEREWIGHT SKILL 7 STAMINA 12

If you defeat it in seven Attack Rounds or less, tum to 226. If it takes you between eight and ten Rounds, turn to 284. If you are still fighting it after ten Rounds, turn to 178.

It specifically mentioned that it's 'neither living nor undead', so our Spear doesn't work, but our default sharpened penetrative implement should still make short work of it. Also, our armour ensures that we take only 1 damage from the ambush (assuming that the damage came from the blow, and not from the stench).

COMBAT LOG:

Werewight 14, Gonad 17. Werewight is at 9.
Werewight 14, Gonad 18. Werewight is at 6.
Werewight 16, Gonad 11. Gonad is at 5.
Werewight 15, Gonad 16. Werewight is at 3.
Werewight 15, Gonad 20. Werewight is destroyed.

We finished it off in 5 rounds.

With a final bestial cry, the shambling man-thing crashes to the floor. Hurriedly you wipe its blood from your sword before it can tarnish the metal. Desperation has lent you great strength, and you were able to kill it quickly before its bellows of insensate bloodlust could attract the attention of Mortis's sentries. Restore 1 point of LUCK, but also add 2 to your Alarm Value, since the creature's death will not go unnoticed for long. You can now either go along the hall to an archway at the far end or go back out into the courtyard and make for the inner keep.

I'm going to have Gonad consume a meal and restore STAMINA to 9.

Adventure Sheet:

Name: Gonad the Penetrator
SKILL 9/9
STAMINA 9/18
LUCK 12/15
RESOLVE: 11 (12 for next test)
Equipment: Sharpened Sword (+1 damage), Leather Armor, Ring of Communing (0 charges remaining), Spear of Qadarnai (double-damage when fighting undead), Golden Whistle, Elixir of Lhyss, Suit of Fine Armour (-1 to all damage taken), Ring of Fays, Polished Shield (-1 SKILL to 1 Undead opponent during combat at a time), Heavy Iron Mace
Provisions: 2 Meals (+4 STAMINA)
Gold: 41
Codeword: PIRATE
Alarm Value: 2

Starmaker · Post by **Starmaker** » Tue Mar 10, 2015 3:37 pm

Check the archway.

Shiritai · Post by **Shiritai** » Tue Mar 10, 2015 9:44 pm

Agreed; hopefully that battle wasn't for nothing.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Wed Mar 11, 2015 2:08 am

Penetrate the archway.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Wed Mar 11, 2015 12:54 pm

When you are half-way along the hall, you are gripped by an abrupt sense of chilling unease. Test your Resolve If you succeed, turn to 262. If you fail, turn to 282.

Again, we are immune to Resolve failures (without modifiers)

Panic wells up inside you, but you manage to fight it down. Add 1 to your RESOLVE. Your realize that you are in great danger here: the barracks must be the base for Mortis's undead troops, and it is only a heaven-sent premonition that has warned you to get away before they return and find you. With your jangling nerves still on a tight rein, you quickly retrace your steps and go out again into the courtyard. The sunlight does something to restore your spirits after that harrowing sense of foreboding you experienced, but you now realize that there are only a couple of hours until nightfall. You hurry across to the inner keep.

And we've now hit max RESOLVE.

Failing the test would have led to us getting auto-killed by spectres and phantasms. Still, considering how easy it is for RESOLVE to hit max, I don't consider that auto-death to be a harsh one.

You sprint across the courtyard, the afternoon sun waming your bones. You haven't much time: soon twilight's shadows will light your way, dread night will fall across the castle like a shroud and the living dead will stalk these walls. The gate looms above you, a huge edifice of crenellated stone. The two doors are of iron-bound oak, carved with the insignia of the Triumvirate. They are not even closed, so sure is Mortis of his invulnerability. All is quiet. Stepping in, you find yourself in an arched entranceway. Ahead of you, a raised portcullis leads to the inner bailey of the castle. As your eyes grow accustomed to the gloom, you see a door set into the wall on either side. Suddenly, out of the shadows two figures emerge. They are dressed in ragged armour, grimed with rust, and they wield strange, ornately barbed swords, equally rusty but none the less deadly. Their eyes stare blankly at you, their faces ghastly masks of worm-eaten decay. Zombies! The sight of these undead things fills you with terror. First, add 1 lo your Alarm Value; next, Test your Resolve. If you fail to make the roll, you are trembling with fear while fighting them - subtract 1 from your SKILL for the duration of this fight only. If you succeed in the roll, fight on normally. You must fight them one at a time.

First UNDEAD GUARD SKILL 7 STAMINA 9
Second UNDEAD GUARD SKILL 6 STAMINA 10

If you kill them and are yourself wounded twice or more, turn to 188. If you kill them but take only one wound or none, turn to 384.

Resolve Test? Gonad laughs in the face of generic, unimaginative Undead mooks like this. And then proceeds to show them their own ugly faces with his shiny Polished Shield before sticking his long hard and pointy double-damage penetrater into them.

This won't last long....

COMBAT LOG:

Undead Guard#1 16, Gonad 16. Tie. (Would have been hit without the Shield)
UG#1 16. Gonad 15. Gonad is at 8.
UG#1 13. Gonad 20. UG#1 is at 5.
UG#1 12. Gonad 14. UG#1 is at 1.
UG#1 13. Gonad 11. Gonad is at 7.
UG#1 11. Gonad 17. UG#1 is destroyed.
UG#2 11. Gonad 18. UG#2 is at 6.
UG#2 10. Gonad 12. UG#2 is at 2.
UG#2 13. Gonad 17. UG#2 is destroyed.

Unfortunately, we got hit exactly twice.

Taking another meal to restore STAMINA back to 11.

The fight is hard and protracted. You make a lot of noise in slaying the undead guards. Add 2 to your Alarm Value. Will you now go out into the courtyard, go through the door to your right or through the door to the left?

More random penetration choices!

Adventure Sheet:

Name: Gonad the Penetrator
SKILL 9/9
STAMINA 11/18
LUCK 12/15
RESOLVE: 12
Equipment: Sharpened Sword (+1 damage), Leather Armor, Ring of Communing (0 charges remaining), Spear of Qadarnai (double-damage when fighting undead), Golden Whistle, Elixir of Lhyss, Suit of Fine Armour (-1 to all damage taken), Ring of Fays, Polished Shield (-1 SKILL to 1 Undead opponent during combat at a time), Heavy Iron Mace
Provisions: 1 Meals (+4 STAMINA)
Gold: 41
Codeword: PIRATE
Alarm Value: 5

Starmaker · Post by **Starmaker** » Wed Mar 11, 2015 2:35 pm

Now that everyone knows we've penetrated the fortress, let's avoid open spaces. Left door, because it's not a UK Steve book.

Omegonthesane · Post by **Omegonthesane** » Wed Mar 11, 2015 6:49 pm

Seconding left for no reason.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Thu Mar 12, 2015 3:11 am

Sure, left sounds good.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Thu Mar 12, 2015 1:56 pm

The left-hand door leads into a corridor running through the wall . Several doors line each side of the cool, dusty passageway ahead of you. At the far end it fades into gloom - but at least it appears to be deserted. Will you walk on or head back to the entrance?

Withdraw or go in deeper?

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Fri Mar 13, 2015 11:34 am

Gonad doesn't leave anything half-penetrated.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Fri Mar 13, 2015 1:03 pm

Balls-deep in we go!

At the far end of the corridor you find an armoury. Swords and polearms must once have filled the wooden racks along the walls, but now the room has been ransacked by the undead army and most of the better weapons are gone. However, your attention is caught by a broad-bladed halberd, which looks as if it may have been fashioned in the land of Hachiman, where the weaponsmith's art is supreme. You test it; it is quite heavy, but you could carry it if you first discarded your current weapon. Decide whether you are going to do that (note the halberd on your Adventure Sheet and delete your current weapon/ if you decide to) and then plan your next move. From here, you can retrace your steps and head east, or you can ascend the stairs to the west tower.

We've found some potential loot. Do we think we've gone deep enough?

Also, the rule for discarding a weapon to take the halberd is a little ambiguous, considering we're carrying 3 weapons already (Sword, Spear, Mace). I'd think it refers to our sword, but I'm open to suggestions to drop the Mace our it if you prefer. I don't imagine anyone would want to drop the Boss-killing Spear for that, although I guess that's viable, too.

So take the Halberd or not? Take the stairs or not?

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Fri Mar 13, 2015 1:23 pm

Not giving up the mace that can kill the undead puzzle monster or the undead-killing spear. Give up the sword for the halberd.

And now let's check out the other passage.

Omegonthesane · Post by **Omegonthesane** » Sat Mar 14, 2015 10:07 am

Drop sword, penetrate east.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Sat Mar 14, 2015 4:14 pm

We drop our +1 sharpened sword for the bonus-less halberd. Let's hope all the opponents we encounter in the Keep are Undead, or we may regret dropping that sword.

As you make your way back, you observe a patrol of skeletal guards standing at the entrance to the inner keep. Stepping back into the shadows before you can be spotted, you watch to see what the skeletons will do. They hesitate at the doorway for a moment, milling about as if reluctant to venture into the open sunlight. Then, with a clatter of antique arms and armour, they shuffle outside and the great door creaks shut behind them. This gives you heart, for you know that the main search for intruders must be concentrated in the outer keep - you have already got past the first line of the enemy's defences. Add 1 to your LUCK and RESOLVE and reduce your Alarm Value by 2. From here, your only untried route lies through a door in the right hand wall of the porch.

Our RESOLVE can't go up any further, and stays at 12. Our LUCK is up to 13.

The right-hand door opens on to a corridor running the length of the outer wall; it is lit by torches set in brackets on either side. There is a wooden door to either side of you, and ahead the corridor disappears into gloomy darkness. Will you go through the left-hand door or the right-hand door, or go straight ahead?

More random directions!

Adventure Sheet:

Name: Gonad the Penetrator
SKILL 9/9
STAMINA 11/18
LUCK 13/15
RESOLVE: 12
Equipment: Halberd, Leather Armor, Ring of Communing (0 charges remaining), Spear of Qadarnai (double-damage when fighting undead), Golden Whistle, Elixir of Lhyss, Suit of Fine Armour (-1 to all damage taken), Ring of Fays, Polished Shield (-1 SKILL to 1 Undead opponent during combat at a time), Heavy Iron Mace
Provisions: 1 Meals (+4 STAMINA)
Gold: 41
Codeword: PIRATE
Alarm Value: 3

Omegonthesane · Post by **Omegonthesane** » Sat Mar 14, 2015 4:37 pm

Left per the earlier "this isn't a UK Steve book" algorithm.