Posted: Wed Dec 27, 2017 1:16 pm
We've not been given an actual incentive to change our mind.
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Some would consider having a Wand of Incredible Destruction pointed at them to be a good incentive. However, Pip is obviously made of sterner stuff than that!Omegonthesane wrote:We've not been given an actual incentive to change our mind.
Dice roll = 8. Success! We've gained a new bodyguard!Phut!
A globule of leprous green light leaps from the tip of the wand, only to fall with mediocre sizzle on the floor.
'My wand has run out!' shrieks the man in alarm.
Splat!
You crack him on the head with the flat of EJ's blade, knocking him instantly unconscious.
'My hero!' cries the carrot in delight and promptly fangs you in the ankle. At once you feel your LIFE POINTS draining away at an alarming rate.
'Beware the bite of the Vampire Carrot!' calls out the carrot joyously, preparing to deliver a final, lethal bite.
You've only one chance here, Pip: the spell that turns vegetable monsters friendly! What is it called? PALS! If it works, then the Vampire Carrot will return all the LIFE POINTS it's just drained and remain with you as a bodyguard until you leave the Ghastly Kingdom. (And a good bodyguard it is too: in normal circumstances it requires a roll of six to score a hit, but if it manages three in succession, at whatever damage, it will always kill its opponent.) If the spell doesn't work, the Carrot's final bite will drain your last remaining LIFE POINTS and send the pale husk of poor Pip straight to 14.
A peculiar room this, peculiarly shaped and with a deep purple velvet curtain closing off the northern section.
Cold, isn't it?
There are little glittering crystals on the walls, like ice, except they are green and pink. You touch one curiously and promptly get a cold burn. This stuff is colder than ice, colder than anything you've ever experienced. You're shivering already. You head for the curtain fast before you freeze to death.
If you race for the curtain, throw two dice. Score above 3 and you make it to 138. Score 3 or below and you're a block of pink and green ice, thawing out slowly in 14.
Sword in hand, you brush aside the curtain.
No monsters, but something maybe just as terrifying. You've found a locked door and behind it (as you can see through a tiny barred window) stairs! Stairs going down...
Only one key can unlock this door--the Key to the Gateway of the Ghastly Kingdom itself. If you have it, unlock the door and take the stairs down to 71.
If not, you'd better make your way back the way you came and continue to explore this level until you find the Key.
***
These are very long stairs. Very long, very steep and very dark.
'The sort of place you'd likely find spiders,' whispers EJ, who is a bit nervous of spiders.
But you press on bravely, brushing aside webs--
'Spider webs,' groans EJ.
--knowing perfectly well that any spiders you are likely to meet will be quite harmless little fly catchers who wouldn't do any harm to a brave--
'Here it comes!' shrieks EJ as two fiery red eyes approach you like an express train from the darkness ahead.
It's a giant spider, of course. What else could it possibly be in a place like this. Only 13 LIFE POINTS, but the bite is poisonous so that if the Spider manages to hit you three times in a row without you hitting back, then you're lethally poisoned and the Spider's next meal. The Spider hits on 6 or better and has surprise automatically since this is its home territory. Curiously enough, it is susceptible to Bribery, as you may have noticed by the asterisks, but it will demand an awful lot of gold. If you get past the Spider, go to 74. If not, try 14.
At the bottom of the stairs you find yourself in a 20' x 30' chamber with a door in the south wall. The entire place is piled high with the bones, skulls and rusting weapons of previous adventurers. This is not a good omen, Pip.
But pinned to the wall with a broken spear is a tattered sketch map... (see Appendix, p.223)
You will find in the corridors of this level that you must make a Wandering Monster roll every 50 feet (5 squares) not every 60 as on the level above. Results should be read from the Level 2 Wandering Monster table (see Appendix, p.211).
Try the door?
Or return to 138 and Level 1.
Yes, we just landed in a mini-maze within 129. Neither 78 nor 83 are on the map.Despite what the map shows, you are in a 10' x 10' room with doors in the north, west and east walls.
The door east leads back to the corridor.
The door north to 78.
The door west to 83.
Fight on our side, can't get killed, and auto-kills on 3 consecutive strikes:Ikeren wrote:What does the Vampire Carrot Body Guard do?
Going west:158 wrote:(And a good bodyguard it is too: in normal circumstances it requires a roll of six to score a hit, but if it manages three in succession, at whatever damage, it will always kill its opponent.)
East goes back to the previous section (which is till a legit option as we can go to 78 from there).Another 10' x 10' chamber. Doors in the east, north and west walls.
Take the door east to 129.
The door north to 118.
The door west to 89.
Almost the exact same text, just with different section numbers.Another 10' x 10' chamber. Doors in the east, north and west walls.
Go north to 93.
East to 83.
West to 86.
This might take a while.....Another 10' x 10' chamber. Doors in the east, north and west walls.
Go north to 121.
East to 89.
West to 98.
Quick someone find a way out before Pip dies from the monotony!Another 10' x 10' chamber. Doors in the east, north and west walls.
Go east to 86.
North to 79.
West to 84.
And west again:Another 10' x 10' chamber. Doors in the east, north and west walls.
Go east to 98.
North to 88.
West to 91.
......and it looks like we need a new strategy, because 129 is exactly where the maze started:Another 10' x 10' chamber. Doors in the east, north and west walls.
Go east to 84.
North to 106.
West to 129.
Yes, once again Brennan screws with players who map the place carefully.Despite what the map shows, you are in a 10' x 10' room with doors in the north, west and east walls.
The door east leads back to the corridor.
The door north to 78.
The door west to 83.
Since 129 is where we started in the maze, east takes us out of the maze, but back to where we first entered level 2, which is no good to us since all we can do is backtrack to level 1 from there.Thaluikhain wrote:Do we get the same sections going east?
Well, the plan dies here again, since we can't go north any further and we can't turn east either.Another 10' x 10' chamber. Doors in the south and west walls.
Take the door south to 129.
The door west to 118.
Another 10' x 10' chamber. Doors in the south, west and east walls.
Take the door east to 78.
The door south to 83.
Or the door west to 93.
And west again.....Another 10' x 10' chamber. Doors in the east, south and west walls.
Go south to 89.
East to 118.
West to 121.
Another 10' x 10' chamber. Doors in the east, south and west walls.
Go south to 86.
East to 93.
West to 79.
Another 10' x 10' chamber. Doors in the east, south, and west walls.
Go east to 121.
Go south to 98.
Go west to 88.
Another 10' x 10' chamber. Doors in the east, south and west walls.
Go east to 79.
South to 84.
West to 106.
Another 10' x 10' chamber. Doors in the east, north, south and west walls.
Go east to 88.
North to 144.
West to 78.
South to 91.
Pip isn't carrying any rations, so he just lost a Permanent Life Point! Well, at least he already accumulated quite a few of those in this adventure.By Jove, you're out, Pip! You're out of the maze! Mark you, the mental effort has taken a lot out of you. Better nosh some of your rations before going on. (If you aren't carrying rations, you lose 1 PERMANENT LIFE POINT sue to brain [EDITED].)
If you look around carefully, you will find you are standing in the northern corridor just outside the northern door to the area marked 129 on your map.
You will also find you are in grave danger of stepping on a small, but quite amazing, magical artifact--a Talisman of Wandering Monster Protection. When you invoke the power of the charm, it sends out rays which absolutely ensure you will never encounter a Wandering Monster on the level you are in. There is only one slight problem: the Talisman has only two charges, so use them wisely. (Or not at all, if you wish, some adventurers prefer to hack up Wandering Monsters for the sake of their gold.)
Should you wish to retrace your steps back through 129 from this direction, you can go direct to the door in the eastern wall since you've solved the maze now.