[Let's Play] Fighting Fantasy 34 - Stealer of Souls

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

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What should be the name of our Hero?

Harry Balzac
3
43%
Dick Hertz
1
14%
I.P. Freely
1
14%
Grabsack Moorcock
2
29%
 
Total votes: 7

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angelfromanotherpin
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Post by angelfromanotherpin »

Seems both friendly and helpful. Greet.
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Post by SGamerz »

The strange talking lizard seems friendly, and it wants your help. It tells you that a foul pair of predators, Giant Stormbirds, are in the habit of stealing its eggs. The lizard can't climb up to the birds' nest to drive them away. It wants you to kill the birds for it, and it promises you a reward - a fine rosy-pink pearl! Will you:

Say you've already killed one Stormbird?
Agree to help the lizard?
Refuse to help?
The Stormbirds eat the lizard's eggs? Sounds like this lizard is a giant too, after all. Normal lizard eggs wouldn't be enough to feed a normal bird, much less a giant one.

Take the side quest? Refuse? Brag about past accomplishment?
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Post by Darth Rabbitt »

Brag. At worst it'll be like "KILL THE OTHER ONE YOU HO"
Pseudo Stupidity wrote:This Applebees fucking sucks, much like all Applebees. I wanted to go to Femboy Hooters (communism).
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angelfromanotherpin
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Post by angelfromanotherpin »

It's bragging, but it's also just sharing accurate information, which is the right thing to do.
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Post by SGamerz »

'Good,' says the lizard, 'so you won't have any trouble with the one that's left, will you?' There is no answer to this.
Image
.....hey, don't we get half the reward first, since we've already completed half of the service?
'The nest is just up there, to the north-east,' says the lizard; and indeed you can just make it out, on top of a rocky outcrop. There doesn't seem to be anyone at home, either! Perhaps you can climb up and ambush the birds as they return . . . so you set for the nest.


"Birds"? I thought there's only one left. There's no way to avoid killing one right from the beginning.
You reach the rock face and begin to climb up. It's a tricky, slippery surface, and you curse at the mosses which make it so hard to get good hand-and-foot-holds. Roll two dice and check the total against your SKILL. If the total of the two dice is less than or equal to your SKILL, you make it to the nest; tum to 368. If the dice-roll is greater than your SKILL, you fail in your attempt to climb and fall back. Deduct 2 STAMINA points caused by the fall. If you fall, you can attempt to climb again but each time you try you have to roll two dice and compare the total rolled against your SKILL, as before. If you want to abandon your mountaineering attempt and return south, tum to 119.
Dice roll = 2! (Success!)
You clamber into the nest. There are two eggs here, and you espy gold glinting in the nest as well - but mother Stormbird is swooping down from the sky! You must fight her.

GIANT STORMBIRD SKILL 7 STAMINA 12

If you win, turn to 288.
So it was the Daddy we killed earlier. And it looks like the male was the slightly stronger one of the pair. Again, we should be able to win this.....the difference is how costly it will be, depending on the dice.

COMBAT LOG:
Stormbird 15, Harry 17. Stormbird is at 10.
Stormbird 13, Harry 15. Stormbird is at 8.
Stormbird 14, Harry 15. Stormbird is at 6.
Stormbird 15, Harry 17. Stormbird is at 4.
Stormbird 13, Harry 15. Stormbird is at 2.
Stormbird 16, Harry 14. Harry is at 16.
Stormbird 18, Harry 17. Harry is at 14.
Stormbird 9, Harry 17. Stormbird is dead!
Wow, we actually rolled the exact same numbers most of the rounds, and our 2-point advantage in SKILL almost gave us a flawless, but it managed to gave us 2 desperation hits right before we kill it.
You search through the nest and find 3 Gold Pieces (add these to your Adventure Sheet). You clamber safely down from the nest, to see what reward the lizard has for you.

The lizard looks very pleased when you return. 'A thousand thanks! Here are rewards for you. 'It opens a scaly paw and gives you a splendid rose pearl worth 12 Gold Pieces (add this to your Treasure) and a small Silver Medallion on a neck-chain which has the palm of a hand etched upon it. 'I'm not sure exactly what this is for,' says the lizard, ' but it's some sort of magical protection against evil. I hope it will be of use to you.' You take this and wear it around your neck (add the Silver Medallion to the list of Equipment Carried on your Adventure Sheet). To help you on your way, the lizard also gives you a small dose of a potion which will enable you to run quickly without getting fatigued. Thanking the lizard for his gifts, you quaff the potion and away south and then turn west to get back on right trail.
Nice, we got quite a number of shiny stuff from this mini-quest.

I do tend to be amused by this common scenario in gamebooks where someone you just help tells you: "I've got this piece of junk here that I don't really know what it does, and I don't know how to use it, so you can take it as a reward for risking your life and hope that it can help you in some unforeseen way".

This one isn't quite as bad, since the lizard at least knows the medallion has protection magic (and it does give us something else that it knows is definitely valuable).
You make good progress along the trail, but as the sun begins to set you see no sign of a safe place to sleep; there are hills to the north, and only the continuing trail in the west . . . to the south there's a small copse of trees nestling against the rock face. You move up to tale a look around. As you warily check the trees, a tiny, thin face with drooping, pointed ears and sharp little black eyes peers round a clump of bushes. 'Are you looking for somewhere to sleep?' the Tree Sprite asks shyly. You nod your head, and he races up a tree trunk and fumbles at something out of sight. Then he throws down a rope hammock! 'Get up in the trees,' he urges, 'there might be a wolf about - or worse.'

He dances away through the high branches and is gone. You take his advice, clamber up a tree, rig up the hammock, and settle into a sound sleep. Do you have any Treasure? If you do, tum to 158. If you don't, turn to 103.
We just got some from the lizard.
You must now Test your Luck. If you are Lucky, turn to 239. If you are Unlucky, turn to 338.
Dice roll = 8 (Lucky).
Image
You are awakened by the Sprite rummaging through your backpack! Angrily you grab him and put a stop to his thievery. He whimpers and begs you to spare his life; he even offers you magic if you will let him go. Do you want to break the little pest's neck or tell him that you might spare his life after all?
Spare the thief or not?

Adventure Sheet:
Name: Harry Balzac
SKILL 9/9
STAMINA 14/20
LUCK 9/10
Equipment: Sword, Leather Armor, Shield, Lantern, Jar of Ointment, Message Scroll ('350'), Silver Medallion
Provisions: 8 Meals (+4 STAMINA)
Treasure: Rose Pearl, 3 Gold Pieces
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angelfromanotherpin
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Post by angelfromanotherpin »

Theft isn't a capital crime.
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Post by Darth Rabbitt »

As amusing as it would be to snap the little shit's neck it's probably best to spare his life. And if he tries to curse us (which would be "offering [Harry] magic") we have a pendant that protects us from evil, which likely includes curses.
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 SGamerz »

The Sprite thanks you for your mercy; in return for sparing his life he gives you a small Pouch with three tiny bags of 'Luck Powder'. Add these to the list of Equipment Carried on your Adventure Sheet. Each of these bags contains a sprinkling of magical dust which, if shaken on your hands, will restore 1 LUCK point. You may use this magic to restore lost LUCK points at any time except during a combat. Shame-facedly, the Sprite promises not to disturb you again.

You wake next morning fairly refreshed by your sleep and regain 2 STAMINA points.
Nice, free LUCK bonus is never a bad thing. Even if the book doesn't test it much, it just means we have more of it to use in combat.
You set off on a fine day, with the cries of seabirds in your ears, and before long you arrive at a crossroads. By the side of the path to the north, there stands a wooden pole with a skull atop it. By the southern path, there is a bloodied fistful of bird's feathers on a pointed stick. There is nothing to mark the path which continues westwards. Will you:

Go north?
Go west?
Go south?
2 side tracks instead of 1! Which way do we go?

Adventure Sheet:
Name: Harry Balzac
SKILL 9/9
STAMINA 16/20
LUCK 9/10
Equipment: Sword, Leather Armor, Shield, Lantern, Jar of Ointment, Message Scroll ('350'), Silver Medallion, Luck Powder (x3, +1 LUCK each)
Provisions: 8 Meals (+4 STAMINA)
Treasure: Rose Pearl, 3 Gold Pieces
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angelfromanotherpin
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Post by angelfromanotherpin »

'Sup dawg, I see you like killing birds.
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Post by Darth Rabbitt »

Yup, go to the dead bird place.
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 SGamerz »

Image
The trail grows more overgrown as it descends into thick, verdant vegetation: masses of bushes, ferns, vines and trailing roots . . . gaudy insects buzz lazily around in the air. It is very warm and humid, and you use up a lot of energy hacking your way through the undergrowth in overgrown parts of the trail. Deduct 2 points from your STAMINA.

Suddenly two men just seem to melt out of the bushes beside the trail and stand before you! They are dark-skinned and wear loincloths, and they carry spears. These they point towards you and gesture wildly - you have no idea what it is they're trying to tell you, but their spears are sharp! Will you:

Attack them?
Try to greet them in some way?
Offer them a Gold Piece?
Hey, this time we have 2 friendly options.

Stab, say hello, or give them a shiny?

Adventure Sheet:
Name: Harry Balzac
SKILL 9/9
STAMINA 14/20
LUCK 9/10
Equipment: Sword, Leather Armor, Shield, Lantern, Jar of Ointment, Message Scroll ('350'), Silver Medallion, Luck Powder (x3, +1 LUCK each)
Provisions: 8 Meals (+4 STAMINA)
Treasure: Rose Pearl, 3 Gold Pieces
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angelfromanotherpin
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Post by angelfromanotherpin »

Show them the money.
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Post by Darth Rabbitt »

Offer them some fat stacks.
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 SGamerz »

You give the Natives 1 Gold Piece (subtract this from your Treasure on your Adventure Sheet). They smile, pat you on the shoulder, and offer you water from a flask that one of them is carrying. This refreshes you; you regain 2 STAMTNA points. Smiling and gesturing, they lead you to their village.
Money is indeed the universal language!
Image
There ale some thirty or so warriors in the village, with womenfolk and shy children who point and stare at you. You begin to feel uncomfortable - but when a richly dressed Native, bearing a ceremonial staff decorated with silver filigree and magnificent plumes, appeals from the grandest of the mud-and-wattle huts and approaches you. Haltingly, he speaks in a language you can understand. 'I am Alkandi, High Sharnan of the Kiaraboos, and we see you come in peace. You are not one of the Evil Ones. We welcome you with hospitality.' He takes you into his hut, and soon a fine meal is laid before you (restoring 3 points of lost STAMINA).

After you have eaten, the shaman looks at you a little craftily. Perhaps some trade between us would bond our friendship,' he says. If you have any Treasure and are willing to trade at least a little, tum to 329. If you have no Treasure or are unwilling even to consider trade, turn to 258.
We're almost back to full STAMINA!

We have Treasure, and I think there's no harm to at least look at the shopping list, so moving ahead:
The shaman has a box brought to him by a servant, then he lays out its contents before you. He tells you the price of each item. You may buy whichever ones you want (if you have the price!); add the items to the list of Equipment on your Adventure Sheet, reducing your Treasure accordingly. You can't haggle with him, he's too crafty for that. If you do not have enough Gold Pieces for everything you'd like to take, but you do have a rose pearl, Alkandi will give you items up to the value of 8 Gold Pieces in return for the pearl (and no haggling!). The items the shaman offers you are:

A silver feather 2 Gold Pieces
An ebony key 4 Gold Pieces
A small ivory statuette of a cat 3 Gold Pieces
A 15-footlength of rope 2 Gold Pieces
A small white gem 3 Gold Pieces
A phial of white oil 2 Gold Pieces

You may also buy Provisions here; 1 Cold Piece will buy you enough for two meals - but you cannot buy more than this because the food is perishable and will not stay fresh for long. When you have completed your purchases, the shaman has you shown to a comfortable hut, where you can sleep peacefully, so turn to 101; but if you buy nothing, turn to 444.
Wait, the pearl is worth only 8 GP? We've been conned by that lizard! He said it was worth 12!

We have 2 GP in addition to the pearl (after giving away 1 to the two random tribesmen earlier), so we can buy items for up to 10 Gold.

What do we buy? (Note that we're directed to a different section if we don't buy anything)

Adventure Sheet:
Name: Harry Balzac
SKILL 9/9
STAMINA 19/20
LUCK 9/10
Equipment: Sword, Leather Armor, Shield, Lantern, Jar of Ointment, Message Scroll ('350'), Silver Medallion, Luck Powder (x3, +1 LUCK each)
Provisions: 8 Meals (+4 STAMINA)
Treasure: Rose Pearl, 2 Gold Pieces
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angelfromanotherpin
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Post by angelfromanotherpin »

Everything but the cat and the gem.
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Post by Darth Rabbitt »

I'll agree to that plan.
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 SGamerz »

We spend all our treasure in return for a feather, a key, a rope and some oil.
In the morning, before departing you can ask Alkandi about the Message Scroll, if you have it. lf you wish to do this, tum to the paragraph with the same number as that written on the scroll. As you are about to leave, the shaman tells you not to turn north when you get back to the crossroads, for his people have seen dangerous Hobgoblins in that direction. You thank him for his advice (add 1 LUCK point). You take your leave and head north to the crossroads.
We have the Scroll!
Alkandi reads the scroll, and a worried frown crosses his brow. 'I have sensed some magical evil in the night-time breezes lately; whisperings of tormented souls imprisoned by an evil creature. This may be the singing which the writer speaks of. I feel also that the spirits of the dead lie uneasy here, that old terrors are awakened by one who has come here- Perhaps this one is the Stealer of Souls mentioned. I can tell you no more, but take heed of the writer's words and beware of singing voices that lure you!' Pondering his words, you set off north towards the crossroads and, once there, you turn west along the unmarked trail.
Not really all that enlightening...

I'm assuming we still get that LUCK bonus mentioned in the previous section (wouldn't make sense for us to lose out on the bonus for having a plot token), so our LUCK is back to max.
Having reached the crossroads on the trail, you set of west along the unmarked path. You are heading into undulating low foothills, and your legs grow tired as you march. There are craggy peaks to the north, and the trail turns north-west towards them. It is late afternoon when you begin to grow hungry, and you must stop and eat a meal. The rays of the setting sun bathe the countryside in a warm glow and reflect back from some kind of small building, made of grey rock, to the west. You could reach it in an hour. You can either make for the building or continue on the trail.
We haven't even taken a single meal for STAMINA restoration, and we're already down to 7 meals...

Take another sidetrack?
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Post by Darth Rabbitt »

Sure, why not?
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 angelfromanotherpin »

Always dick around on the way to an urgent mission.
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Post by SGamerz »

Image
Struggling across rocky terrain, you arrive at the building just as twilight descends This is a small, simple structure, without windows, but with an open door facing west. It is too gloomy to see what is inside. You will have to enter, for you need safe shelter, so you light a lantern and move in.

A groan greets you as you enter. In the gloom you make out a man chained to a wall, on one side of what could be an altar. He reaches out a hand to you as you enter and begs your help, mumbling in an unknown tongue. Will you:

Attack him?
Approach and help him?
Stay where you are and look around you?
What to do here?

Adventure Sheet:
Name: Harry Balzac
SKILL 9/9
STAMINA 19/20
LUCK 10/10
Equipment: Sword, Leather Armor, Shield, Lantern, Jar of Ointment, Message Scroll ('350'), Silver Medallion, Luck Powder (x3, +1 LUCK each), Silver Feather, Ebony Key, 15-foot length of rope, Phial of White Oil
Provisions: 7 Meals (+4 STAMINA)
Treasure: Nil
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angelfromanotherpin
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Post by angelfromanotherpin »

Shit be freaky, check for traps.
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Post by Darth Rabbitt »

Look around.
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 SGamerz »

You don't move - but he does. The illusion melts away, so that you can see the black-robed Dark Priest for what he is . . . but not before a spell of magical cold has wrapped you in numbing blackness. Deduct 6 points from your STAMINA. If you are still alive, he moves in to finish you off with his mace.
That spell's NASTY! Keith Martin really doesn't seem to advocate caution in this particular book for some reason.
Yes, this is one of the rare moments in this book where flipping out and attacking immediately was the right option, because it means he has no time to cast spells at us.
You are confronted by a Dark Priest. You must fight for your life against this pitiless enemy, in this dark and terrible place.

DARK PRIEST SKILL 9 STAMINA 13

If you win, turn to 117.
Due to the damage we just took, this is a perfectly even fight, as we have the exact same stats. We're going to need some luck.....and maybe some LUCK, too.

COMBAT LOG:
Dark Priest 15, Harry 19. Dark Priest is at 11.
DP 17, Harry 15. Harry is at 11.
DP 18, Harry 15. Harry is at 9.
DP 15, Harry 18. DP is at 9.
DP 12, Harry 16. DP is at 7
DP 15, Harry 15. Tie.
DP 20, Harry 20. Tie.
DP 17, Harry 16. Harry is at 7.
DP 17, Harry 14. Harry is at 5.
DP 17, Harry 17. Tie.
DP 16, Harry 12. Harry is at 3.
DP 14, Harry 18. DP is at 5.
DP 15, Harry 17. DP is at 3.
DP 16, Harry 19. Luck Test....Roll = 9 (Lucky)! Dark Priest is dead!
Bloody fight there, but we just managed to come out on top!
Breathing heavily, you push away the body of the evil cleric with your foot; as you do so, a pouch he had at his belt spills out 5 Gold Pieces (add these to your Treasure on your Adventure Sheet). As you look around, it dawns upon you how evil this place is; you sense an emanation of evil from the altar, and there are dread wall-paintings showing scenes of unspeakable horror. One in particular captures your attention: a black skull with livid red eyes, floating in the air above a rocky crevasse, gloating over the terrified ghostly forms of spirits of the dead. But there's no shelter to be found outside, so you will have to sleep here. You look around and discover a trapdoor beneath a carpet in front of the altar; you pull the Dark Priest's body over it to stop anything getting in, then settle down to sleep. Now you must Test your Luck. If you are Lucky, turn to 237. If you are Unlucky , turn to 279.
Dice roll = 6 (Lucky).
Do you have a silver medallion? If you do, turn to 192 If you don't, tum to 9.
Blue option FTW!
In your sleep you have a peculiar dream, which you recall vividly when you wake up. In the dream you are standing before a stone statue of a man; as you look at it, wisps of smoke pour from its mouth and form a skeletal shape which strikes at you with yellowed claws. But a pure white light shines from the medallion around your neck, and you realize the thing is merely an illusion. One blow from your sword destroys it and it is but a harmless small cloud of smoke. You know this is a good omen; regain 1 LUCK point. When you set off again the next morning, you can either head east to the trail and then set off north-west again or open the trapdoor and see what is below.
This item check is a little weird......if we don't have the medallion, we don't get the dream or the LUCK bonus, but we get a good rest and regain 2 STAMINA. With the medallion, we get a LUCK bonus but lose out on the STAMINA bonus, which we probably need more at the moment.
Do we want to check out what that sick perv keeps in his basement?

Adventure Sheet:
Name: Harry Balzac
SKILL 9/9
STAMINA 3/20
LUCK 9/10
Equipment: Sword, Leather Armor, Shield, Lantern, Jar of Ointment, Message Scroll ('350'), Silver Medallion, Luck Powder (x3, +1 LUCK each), Silver Feather, Ebony Key, 15-foot length of rope, Phial of White Oil
Provisions: 7 Meals (+4 STAMINA)
Treasure: 5 Gold Pieces
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Post by angelfromanotherpin »

Yes. If nothing else, there may be more evil that needs purging.
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Post by Darth Rabbitt »

We've already gone in this far, so let's keep at it.
Pseudo Stupidity wrote:This Applebees fucking sucks, much like all Applebees. I wanted to go to Femboy Hooters (communism).
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