[Let's Play] GrailQuest 1: The Castle of Darkness

ashimbabbar · Post by **ashimbabbar** » Fri Jul 14, 2017 2:40 pm

I don't know, poking around in the courtyard wasn't so grand and we've just fallen into a 20-LP damage trap. This castle is pretty well defended. What if there's another d*ck move lurking here ?

I'd vote for going on, save the healing and not bother with the bones

Ikeren · Post by **Ikeren** » Fri Jul 14, 2017 5:55 pm

I vote searching the cave.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Sat Jul 15, 2017 1:14 am

We search...

Nope, nothing here. What did you expect among a load of old dried bones? Go to 54.

Er.....something better than we found among horse manure? Of course, with Brennan's style, there could have been anything from a thousand killer bunnies to half a million gold coins there.

At least there's no trap this time. Moving on.....

This second cave is rather larger than the first. Again, accurate mapping is impossible, but approximate size is twenty metres north/south by fifteen metres east/west. There is an exit to the eastern side of the north wall. In the middle of the cave floor is what appears to be a Compost Heap.

If you want to search the Compost Heap for anything useful, go to 35.
If you decide to press on through the exit, go to 48.

Do we think there's anything here to find?

Thaluikhain · Post by **Thaluikhain** » Sat Jul 15, 2017 4:32 am

What appears to be a Compost Heap with capital letters?

I'm guessing monster, but have to search to find out.

Omegonthesane · Post by **Omegonthesane** » Sat Jul 15, 2017 5:48 am

Any capitalised Compost Heap must be worth searching.

ashimbabbar · Post by **ashimbabbar** » Sat Jul 15, 2017 10:25 am

if it's a monster, it might swallow us while we're busy searching it. I vote for steering clear of it and pressing on.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Sat Jul 15, 2017 10:44 am

* B

It's not a Compost Heap--it's something big and nasty and alive! And it didn't like the way you poked it, Pip. This vegetable (but certainly not vegetarian) monster is rising up to a height of over two metres and attacking. What's more, since you were poking around searching for heaven knows what, it has the first strike against you.

The creature has 35 LIFE POINTS and does an additional 4 points of damage every time it lands a blow, on account of its great strength. And since it's so big, it only needs throw a 5 or better to hit you. No fun at all. Get those dice rolling, Pip, and see what happens in this fight.

If the monster kills you, go to 14.
If you kill the monster, go to 39.

And ashimbabbar's suspicions prove justified! This thing is almost as tough as us, but the '*B' indicates that it's possible to bribe it with 100 GP. Remember that we lose the money even if the bribery roll fails, though.

What do we do? Try for Friendly Reaction? Try to bribe? And if we want to fight it, do we use any magic?

ashimbabbar · Post by **ashimbabbar** » Sat Jul 15, 2017 2:04 pm

we can't raise 100GP unless we hand it the magic ring, to which I'm violently opposed.

It needs 6+ to wound us and we 4+ starting with 5 damage so things should be OK even though if I understand the rules it needs to make only half as much damage as we do i.e. 17 to KO us ( and digest us afterward ) when we need to make 31.

Still, it is the most dangerous individual enemy we've met so far, so I won't oppose softening it with a firefinger to make sure, but I won't vote for it either.

SlyJohnny · Post by **SlyJohnny** » Sat Jul 15, 2017 2:14 pm

Firefinger it twice.

Omegonthesane · Post by **Omegonthesane** » Sat Jul 15, 2017 3:27 pm

Two fingers to warm it up before we penetrate it with our sword.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Sat Jul 15, 2017 3:40 pm

Firefinger it twice, then use Excalibur Jr. to turn it into the compost heap it resembles.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Sun Jul 16, 2017 1:25 am

The fight is on! The Compost Heap gets first hit on us.

Btw, we have to face this thing even if we don't search, but if we chose to avoid it, then we have a chance of getting the first hit.

COMBAT LOG:

Compost Heap rolls 5 and hits, but doesn't hurt Pip thanks to the Dragonskin Jacket!
Pip zaps Compost Heap with Firefnger for 10 damage. Compost Heap is at 25.
Compost Heap rolls 6 and hits for 2 damage. Pip is at 19.
Pip zaps Compost Heap with Firefnger for 10 damage. Compost Heap is at 15.
Compost Heap rolls 8 and hits for 3 damage. Pip is at 16.
Pip rolls 12 and hits for 8+5 = 13 damage. Compost Heap is at 2.
Compost Heap is knocked out!

As this shambling brute sinks down bleeding chlorophyl from every wound, something catches your eye on the floor, half-hidden by the massive body. On closer inspection, you discover it is a leather purse. Open it (carefully) and inside you will find 10--yes, 10--solid Gold Pieces. Not exactly a Queen's ransom, but enough to buy a whole heap more chickens for your adopted mother, with cash left over for a lot of other necessities about the farm. (Alternatively, you could spend it all on sweets.)

Pop the gold in your backpack, Pip. You're entitled to keep any booty you find in this place. Just don't forget you can't take it with you if you're killed. Should you find yourself back at the dreaded 14, there will be no gold, or anything else you may have collected, in your backpack. And booty, once collected, won't be there second time around either. Still, you have it for now and with luck you may survive. Leave the cave by going directly to 37.

Not exactly worth what we had to spend/lose, but at least there's loot.

The cave exit leads into a corridor running north only six metres before turning sharply west and running west for twenty-five metres before ending in a stout wooden door. The corridor is empty and there are no traps, so what do you do when you reach the door, Pip?

If you knock politely and wait for an answer, go to 38.
If you run at the door with your head in an attempt to break it down, go to 34.
If you try turning the heavy iron handle, go to 45.

And here's the big classic decision in RPG of all ages: we find a door, how do we open it?

QUEST JOURNAL:

Pip's LIFE POINTS: 16/28

EQUIPMENT CARRIED:
Excalibur Jr. (hits on 4, damage +5)
Dragonskin Jacket (damage taken -4)
Dagger (hits on 6, damage +2)
Healing Potions (heals 2d6 LP) 12 doses
Healing Salve (heals 3 LP) 4 applications
Bully-beef sandwiches, two apples & some garlic
Parchment, quill and ink for mapping
Mirror made from polished metal
Hammer, nails and a saw.
Lodestone & twine to make a compass
Diamond Ring (heals 25 LP OR +1 Firefinger, worth 170 GP)

MONEY: 80 GP

MAGIC:
Firefinger Lightning Bolts (10 damage) - 8/10
Fireballs (6 to hit, 75 damage) 2/2

EXPERIENCE POINTS: 6
ENEMIES DEFEATED:
Wild Boar
Nott-Friendly Animated Skeleton
2 Hounds
Old Watchman
Compost Heap
PUZZLES SOLVES:

No. of Deaths:
1. Pecked to death by Ansalom's Savage Chickens

Omegonthesane · Post by **Omegonthesane** » Sun Jul 16, 2017 7:32 am

You can tell Pip isn't a seasoned adventurer, there's no option to open the handle with the point of EJ in case of traps.

Open the handle. We're not exactly here to be polite and ramming head first is just stupid. (Now if it had said kick the door down I'd have had to think it through...)

ashimbabbar · Post by **ashimbabbar** » Sun Jul 16, 2017 12:17 pm

there's some reason the option of knocking politely offered, but it could as well mean "get help from whoever" as "alert bad guy"

Then again, maybe there's a trap connected with the handle ?

Half a vote for knocking

Thaluikhain · Post by **Thaluikhain** » Sun Jul 16, 2017 2:00 pm

Headbutt the door? Maybe not.

Knock politely.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Mon Jul 17, 2017 11:37 am

Omegonthesane wrote:You can tell Pip isn't a seasoned adventurer

Heh,

you ain't seen nothing yet. The ending really highlights how much of a n00b Pip is.

Knocking the door wins by half a vote!

Nothing happens. Better go back to 37 and reconsider your options.

Oh well.....I think we can proceed with using the door handle, since nobody seems to like using Pip's head as battering ram.

Would you believe the door swings slowly open, that being what handles are for, obviously. You are looking into a six metre (east/west) by fifteen metre (north/south) chamber, the door set in the northernmost two metres of the east wall. This room is actually lighted--by torches set in iron brackets around the walls. There is, however, no sign of anyone in here. A flight of stone steps leads upwards to a small door high in the north wall. There is a second door (at ground level) set to the southern end of the west wall.

If you decide to climb the stone stairway to the high door, turn to 55.
If you prefer to try the door in the west wall, go to 44.

Stairs or doors?

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Mon Jul 17, 2017 5:54 pm

Try the door before going up a level.

Omegonthesane · Post by **Omegonthesane** » Tue Jul 18, 2017 6:38 am

Open a door.

Thaluikhain · Post by **Thaluikhain** » Tue Jul 18, 2017 1:50 pm

Darth Rabbitt wrote:Try the door before going up a level.

Couldn't help but think of:
http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0012.html

And yeah, open the door on the same floor.

ashimbabbar · Post by **ashimbabbar** » Tue Jul 18, 2017 9:24 pm

Logically, the prison of the queen should be in the lowest levels of the castle.

Therefore I vote for the stairs since Brennan likes to mess with us.

Of course, there's a risk he'll pull some trap and troll us with "where did you think you were going, the queen's prison is obviously in the lowest levels" but I think the risk is worth taking, at any rate I think we have LP enough to weather it
( I hope we'll discover some healing carelessly lying around though )

SlyJohnny · Post by **SlyJohnny** » Tue Jul 18, 2017 11:56 pm

No one answered our knocking, so the next room might be unguarded. Door.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Wed Jul 19, 2017 12:01 pm

Down with stomach flu.....next update will have to wait a couple day.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Sat Jul 22, 2017 11:17 am

Sorry for the long wait guys. Thanks for the patience. Not sure if I can keep the updates daily in the next few days (still spending most hours in bed

), but I'll try to get this back on track at the earliest opportunity.

Opening the door to:

** B

The door opens into a large, ten metre (north/south) by twenty-five metre (west/east) hallway, entirely lined, floor, walls and ceiling, in shimmering green-veined marble. A curtained doorway stands in the western end of the north wall. Between you and it, ranged in two rows of three, are six (yes, six)...

ZOMBIES!

This is not good news, Pip. There are very few pretty Zombies anywhere, but these six are ugly even for Zombies. And big. Furthermore, they are badly dressed, in mouldering rags.

Zombies move slowly. (They are moving towards you now, Pip.) So you have lots of time to draw old EJ and take the first strike. In fact, you can get in two strikes before the Zombies get their mouldy old hands on you. The trouble is, being Undead, a Zombie can only be stopped by rolling a 9, 10, 11 or 12 on two dice. Nothing else works. Nothing else does damage.

For this fight (and if you don't fight, you're dead), the sequence runs:

1. You strike one Zombie.
2. You strike a second Zombie.
3. Unless you got lucky and killed them, Zombie No. 1 strikes back.
4. Then Zombie No. 2 strikes back.
5. Then Zombie 3.
6. Then Zombie 4.
7. Then Zombie 5.
8. Then Zombie 6.
9. Then you strike again.
10. And you again.
11. Then the Zombie.
And so on.

The Zombies are not armed, so score only damage shown by the dice. However, if they kill you (Go to 14.) you will turn into a sort of half Zombie yourself, which slows you down. In this case, next time around, you will NEVER get the first strike in any fight.

If you manage to kill the Zombies, go to 42.

Another example of the whacky flavor of the book: getting killed here turns you into half-zombie on your resurrection!

**B means that we can bribe them with 500 GP which we totally do not have, so we have to fight. While the penalty for losing sucks, their only doing dice damage means that they only hurt us on rolling 11 or 12 and only doing minimal damage. There's probably going to be a LOT of dice-rolling for this one.....

COMBAT LOG:

Pip rolls 6 and fails to kill any zombies.
Pip rolls 10 and kills Zombie#1.
Zombie#2 rolls 8 and does 0 damage.
Zombie#3 rolls 11 and does 1 damage. Pip is at 15.
Zombie#4 rolls 6 and does 0 damage.
Zombie#5 rolls 11 and does 1 damage. Pip is at 14.
Zombie#6 rolls 3 and does 0 damage.
Pip rolls 8 and fails to kill any zombies.
Zombie#2 rolls 3 and does 0 damage.
Zombie#3 rolls 8 and does 0 damage.
Zombie#4 rolls 5 and does 0 damage.
Zombie#5 rolls 5 and does 0 damage.
Zombie#6 rolls 11 and does 1 damage. Pip is at 13.
Pip rolls 10 and kills Zombie#2.
Zombie#3 rolls 7 and does 0 damage.
Zombie#4 rolls 6 and does 0 damage.
Zombie#5 rolls 12 and does 2 damage. Pip is at 11.
Zombie#6 rolls 7 and does 0 damage.
Pip rolls 12 and kills Zombie#3.
Zombie#4 rolls 5 and does 0 damage.
Zombie#5 rolls 4 and does 0 damage.
Zombie#6 rolls 6 and does 0 damage.
Pip rolls 6 and fails to kill any zombies.
Zombie#4 rolls 8 and does 0 damage.
Zombie#5 rolls 5 and does 0 damage.
Zombie#6 rolls 5 and does 0 damage.
Pip rolls 7 and fails to kill any zombies.
Zombie#4 rolls 11 and does 1 damage. Pip is at 10.
Zombie#5 rolls 11 and does 1 damage. Pip is at 9.
Zombie#6 rolls 7 and does 0 damage.
Pip rolls 5 and fails to kill any zombies.
Zombie#4 rolls 5 and does 0 damage.
Zombie#5 rolls 8 and does 0 damage.
Zombie#6 rolls 10 and does 0 damage.
Pip rolls 6 and fails to kill any zombies.
Zombie#4 rolls 2 and does 0 damage.
Zombie#5 rolls 10 and does 0 damage.
Zombie#6 rolls 9 and does 0 damage.
Pip rolls 4 and fails to kill any zombies.
Zombie#4 rolls 6 and does 0 damage.
Zombie#5 rolls 12 and does 2 damage. Pip is at 7.
Zombie#6 rolls 4 and does 0 damage.
Pip rolls 9 and kills Zombie#4.
Zombie#5 rolls 7 and does 0 damage.
Zombie#6 rolls 8 and does 0 damage.
Pip rolls 11 and kills Zombie#5.
Zombie#6 rolls 3 and does 0 damage.
Pip rolls 9 and kills Zombie#6.

Whew! Pip was 2 points away from being KOed!

Drinking a healing potion:

Dice roll = 6. Pip is at 13. Drinking a second dose:

Dice roll = 5. Pip is at 18. He tops up some more with healing salve to reach 21.

Nice going, Pip. Hold your nose and search the Zombies. One is wearing a silver ring with strange hieroglyphic writing inscribed on it. Put it on (you'll notice a slight tingling as you do so) and go to 49.

You draw back the curtain from the doorway leading out of the marble-lined room and find yourself looking along a torch-lit corridor which runs directly north. Ten metres ahead, further corridors branch off east and west, while the main corridor continues north and ends in a door.

If you decide to move up this corridor, searching carefully for pit traps, go to 75.

No pit traps, Pip, but better safe than sorry, eh?

Now, you've got a choice here. You can keep going north. Or try the eastern corridor. Or try the western corridor. You listen carefully, but there is no sound anywhere. The whole place is silent as a tomb. If there are any more monsters, they're waiting for you to make your choice. So what's it to be, Pip?

Go north and turn to 74.
Go west and turn to 71.
Go east and turn to 76.

Which direction now:

QUEST JOURNAL:

Pip's LIFE POINTS: 21/28

EQUIPMENT CARRIED:
Excalibur Jr. (hits on 4, damage +5)
Dragonskin Jacket (damage taken -4)
Dagger (hits on 6, damage +2)
Healing Potions (heals 2d6 LP) 10 doses
Healing Salve (heals 3 LP) 3 applications
Bully-beef sandwiches, two apples & some garlic
Parchment, quill and ink for mapping
Mirror made from polished metal
Hammer, nails and a saw.
Lodestone & twine to make a compass
Diamond Ring (heals 25 LP OR +1 Firefinger, worth 170 GP)
Tingling Silver Ring

MONEY: 80 GP

MAGIC:
Firefinger Lightning Bolts (10 damage) - 8/10
Fireballs (6 to hit, 75 damage) 2/2

EXPERIENCE POINTS: 12
ENEMIES DEFEATED:
Wild Boar
Not-Friendly Animated Skeleton
2 Hounds
Old Watchman
Compost Heap
6 Zombies
PUZZLES SOLVES:

No. of Deaths:
1. Pecked to death by Ansalom's Savage Chickens

Thaluikhain · Post by **Thaluikhain** » Sat Jul 22, 2017 2:35 pm

A tinglering? I remember that was a thing that existed, but not what, if anything, it was good for.

ashimbabbar · Post by **ashimbabbar** » Sat Jul 22, 2017 3:34 pm

Go west, young man, go west.