[Let's Play] Give Yourself Goosebumps: Into the Jaws of Doom

[Darth Rabbitt]

You decide to head east.
You follow the corridor for thirty paces. Then it turns north.
Ten paces later, you find yourself at another junction. You hear a humming from the north.
You can keep going north or you can turn east.
Which way?

North?
East?

[Thaluikhain]

To the humming, as North is closest to left.

[maglag]

North, why not.

[SGamerz]

Find the hummer and steal the vehicle.

[Darth Rabbitt]

You decide to go north.
But after only a few steps, your compass goes crazy!
The needle is spinning around and around. What now?
You feel yourself being tugged forward, as if an invisible hand were pulling you.
You burst into a huge room. In front of you stands a giant magnet! It's pulling you closer and closer...
And you can't stop!

CLANG!
You hit the giant magnet with a smack! Ouch!
Magnets only attract metal objects. You can give up all your metal objects to escape.
Otherwise, you're stuck forever!
Just one question:
Do you have braces?

(I assume not?)

It's just a Game Over anyways.

You have to discard all your metal objects to escape.
Cross any of these things off your inventory list: Fire Extinguisher, Laser, Key, Space Glove, Compass, Walkie-talkie, Bomb (the jar has a metal lid, remember?).
Giving up all those objects. This could mean trouble.
You stumble away from the giant magnet and back into the maze.
But you have less hope than ever that you'll escape the Hall of Incredible Science.

In the Maze of Mirrors, you are surrounded by ghostly figures. They are all you, reflected back from every direction.
You're completely disoriented. You can't tell one path from another! How are you going to do this without a compass?
You stumble blindly around until finally you find an exit from the maze. But which exit have you found?

Roll the dice: (7)

You stumble out of the maze, your hands covering your face. Those mirrors everywhere made you dizzy!
The room you've entered is filled with a swooshing sound, like a huge sword swishing rhythmically back and forth.
You open your eyes.
It's a giant pendulum. But when you peer closer, you gasp.

The pendulum is covered with spikes!
And something red is dripping from them...
You start to turn and run, but a soothing voice calls to you. "Wait! And watch the pendulum..."
You pause for a moment, gazing at the spikes swinging back and forth...back and forth...
"Just watch the pendulum. You're getting sleepy..."
It's true. You are kind of tired.
And the pendulum is swinging so slowly...

The voice keeps talking. You feel yourself relaxing more and more. The pendulum swings back and forth, shifting just a little bit with every swing.
The spikes are getting closer and closer. But the voice assures you that you've got plenty of time to get out of the way. Just relax...
In the back of your mind, you realize that you're being hypnotized. You have to break the spell!

Can you stay awake? Roll to find out. (another 7)

You try to fight to stay awake, but the soothing voice is lulling you to sleep.
That's okay. You're tired, very tired.
You just want to stand here. Stand here while the pendulum swings closer and closer.
After all, those spikes are kind of pretty.
Soon, they'll reach you. And you'll get a long, long rest.
Because this is...

GAME OVER

We got screwed over a few times there.

Losing everything but our boomerang meant we lost some essential stuff, although I won't say what.

So although it's a bit of a cheat I'll just assume we headed east:

You decide to go east.
You walk ten paces. Then the hall turns south.
After twenty paces south, you have to turn east again.
You walk twenty more paces east, to a junction.
You can go north or south. Which will it be?

North?
South?

Inventory List:
Boomerang
Compass
Fire Extinguisher
Key
Noise Bomb
Space Glove
Walkie-talkie
Map of 4th floor at 220
Map of 3rd floor at 205
Running Total of Deaths/Game Overs: 11 total. 10 deaths (2 by robot arm, 1 by simulated crash, 1 by real crash, 2 by giant mosquito, 1 by electric door, 1 by giant germ, 1 by pendulum, 1 by hungry aliens running the place,) 1 Game Over (lost in maze with Nature Scouts)

[Omegonthesane]

If we're facing east, then north is left. So north.

[Darth Rabbitt]

You decide to head north.
You walk about thirty paces before you reach another junction.
Coming from the east is a strange glow. All the mirrors in that direction flicker with pink light.
Further north or turn east?

North?
East?

[Thaluikhain]

North would be left, but east is probably a new way to die, so try there.

[Darth Rabbitt]

You decide to head east.
You approach the glow very carefully. In this place, it could be anything!
You go about thirty paces east, then turn south again. In only ten paces, you reach a small room.
"Excellent!" you shout when you see what's there.
A laser! Just what Peedee A. said you needed to show the Visible Man a thing or two!
But then you notice what else is in the room.

Coiled around the laser is a long black snake!
Its tongue flicks out at you. You spot its long, curving fangs. They drip with something that looks like poison.
You take a quick survey of your possessions. Which of them will work against this deadly opponent? Remember, you can only use something that's on your inventory list.

The space glove?
The fire extinguisher?
A stink bomb?
A noise bomb?
Slink back out of the room?

[SGamerz]

Go with the logical option first (of course, in this book that doesn't mean much), use the glove and protect your hand from being bitten while you seize the laser.

[Thaluikhain]

Yeah, try the glove, and see how we die.

[Darth Rabbitt]

You slip on the space glove.
"Try biting through this, snake!" you jeer, trying to sound brave. Your stomach churns with fear as you reach for the laser.
When your fingers clutch it, the snake strikes.
But not at your hand!
It hits your arm, above where the glove ends.
Almost instantly, you feel the poison coursing through your veins.
And you know that it's...

GAME OVER

(Here's a hint: You'll need a bomb to scare off the snake. Check the gift shop!)

Inventory List:
Boomerang
Compass
Fire Extinguisher
Key
Noise Bomb
Space Glove
Walkie-talkie
Map of 4th floor at 220
Map of 3rd floor at 205
Running Total of Deaths/Game Overs: 12 total. 11 deaths (2 by robot arm, 1 by simulated crash, 1 by real crash, 2 by giant mosquito, 1 by electric door, 1 by giant germ, 1 by pendulum, 1 by snake, 1 by hungry aliens running the place,) 1 Game Over (lost in maze with Nature Scouts)

[Omegonthesane]

See how the fire extinguisher kills us, then try the stink bomb.

[Thaluikhain]

Yeah, why not?

[SGamerz]

We only have a noise bomb, so use that instead.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Oh, yeah, forgot to strikeout the stink bomb we didn't have.

Fire Extinguisher:
You spray the snake with your extinguisher. It hisses angrily as the cold gas plays across it.
But when you're done, the extinguisher has had no effect!
Except the snake is madder than ever.
What should you try now? Take a look at your inventory list and choose a weapon.

Noise Bomb:
You decide to use the noise bomb. That should give this slithery snake a scare!
You toss the red jar into the air and cover your ears.
KABOOOOOOOOM!
The snake must be stunned after a blast like that.
But as you reach for the laser, the serpent strikes!
As your arms and legs grow stiff, you remember that snakes can't hear. They don't even have ears. So it's...

GAME OVER

(Here's a hint: You'll need a bomb to scare off the snake. But not a noise bomb.)

So since only one other bomb is listed, it's time to rewind and make the stink bomb:

You decide to make a stink bomb. The stinkier the better! You take out all the chemicals and test tubes, following the directions carefully. At the end, you wind up with a jar of dark green gunk. You screw on its metal cap carefully.
Throw it, and it's stink-a-rama!
Write Stink Bomb on your inventory list.
You leave the gift shop. "Nobody better mess with me now!" you mutter.

You decide to use the stink bomb.
Holding your nose, you drop the green jar. It shatters. With a puff of smoke, a horrible smell fills the room.
It smells like rotten eggs and old gym socks and sour milk all mixed together. "Gag me!" you gasp.
The snake sticks out its tongue to test the air. The minute the smoke reaches it, the snake slithers away as fast as it can.
Yes! The laser is yours! Write Laser on your inventory list.
You head back into the maze. (We have the compass.)

You walk ten paces north, then turn back towards the west.
Thirty paces later, you reach a junction. You've been here before!
You can head north or south...
Which will it be?

North?
South?

We've actually found all the ways to die/lose in the maze. Should I just steer us back to the entrance, since I know the way how? Mazes generally don't translate well to forum LPs.

Inventory List:
Boomerang
Compass
Fire Extinguisher
Key
Laser
Space Glove
Walkie-talkie
Map of 4th floor at 220
Map of 3rd floor at 205
Running Total of Deaths/Game Overs: 13 total. 12 deaths (2 by robot arm, 1 by simulated crash, 1 by real crash, 2 by giant mosquito, 1 by electric door, 1 by giant germ, 1 by pendulum, 2 by snake, 1 by hungry aliens running the place,) 1 Game Over (lost in maze with Nature Scouts)

[Omegonthesane]

Mazes generally don't translate well to forum LPs.

[Thaluikhain]

Yeah, back to the entrance.

[Darth Rabbitt]

So that really only leaves us with the fire stairs:

You decide to go back to the fire stairs.
You've got to face the Visible Man sooner or later!
As you walk up to the doors, you gulp. He's still banging on them from the other side.
He sure doesn't give up easily!
You ready yourself to open the doors.
Choose your weapon. But remember, you can only use an object that's on your inventory list!

Stink bomb?
Noise bomb?
Laser? ?
No weapon?

You steady the laser and fling open the doors.
The Visible Man barrels through. He reaches for you with his slimy hands. Bare muscles clutch for your throat.
"Take that!" you yell, firing the laser at his face.
"Arghhh!" his bubbly voice screams. The beam of light is blinding him. He tries to close his eyes. But he can't—he doesn't have eyelids!
He covers his face with his hands, and you duck past him and onto the stairs.
But you hear his squishy footsteps behind you...

Thinking fast, you turn and fire the laser again.
The Visible Man keeps charging, but he's blinded by the ruby rays of the laser. He starts to fall. You duck out of the way.
Just in time! He tumbles past you, falling all the way to the bottom of the stairs.
You swallow nervously when you see the result.
It's bad to fall down the stairs when you have no skin.

Your walkie-talkie suddenly crackles to life.
"Great job!" Peedee A.'s voice announces. "You froze the Super Computer again."
"Does that mean it's dead?" you ask hopefully.
"Not really. Just knocked out for a few minutes," Peedee A. explains. "The Super Computer was controlling the Visible Man. After that fall, the Computer's going to have one big headache!
"So—can I leave now?" you ask.
"You can try," Peedee A. tells you. "But I doubt there's time. Just watch out for the—"
Then the tiny voice is consumed by static.

A new voice takes over the walkie-talkie.
The Super Computer!
"Very clever, human!" it booms. "But I'm not done yet!"
"Oh, yeah?" you shout. "I'm winning so far!"
"Let's see you win against this!" the voice roars.
Water suddenly starts spraying from the ceiling. It gushes from the sprinklers above, soaking you.
"Hah!" you laugh. "A little water never hurt anyone."
But then you hear a rushing sound building above you.
It sounds like more than just a little water.

The roaring increases. Water starts to roll down the stairs. In seconds, it's as if you're standing in a rushing stream.
You tear down to the first floor. The sooner you're out of this place, the better!
You run as fast as you can. But you hear a torrent building behind you.
Can you make it before you're crushed by the water?

Can you make it to the door? Roll to find out. (7.)

You leap down the stairs. You can barely keep your balance in the rushing water. A huge wave roars behind you, big enough to crush you.
But the door to the first floor is right in front of you. You fling it open and shut it behind you just in time. The water crashes against it, but then flows on down into the basement.
You made it!
There, about a hundred yards away, is the main entrance to the hall. Escape is right in front of you!
Except for one big problem.

Between you and the doors looms the giant motorized skeleton of a Giganotosaurus. It's standing next to a pool of bubbling tar like the one its ancient bones were found in.
You shiver as you remember what your field-trip guide told you earlier that day:
"Sort of like a Tyrannosaurus rex, but bigger!"
The huge skeleton was scary enough back then, when everything was normal. You remember the way its huge jaws chewed and chomped. Each of its teeth is over a foot long!
Now the skeleton is perfectly still, as if someone turned it off. But you have a feeling it could turn back on. The Super Computer forced you down here for a reason!
Should you run for the exit? Or go back to the second floor? Maybe there's something helpful up there.

Run for the exit?
Go back to the second floor?

[Omegonthesane]

Run for it. We can definitely just power slide underneath a fukcing dinosaur right?

[Thaluikhain]

I'd guess we are supposed to look around the second floor to get the thing to get past it, same as the previous floor was for the Visible Man.

But, eh, try to run past it anyway, see what happens.

[SGamerz]

As your arms and legs grow stiff, you remember that snakes can't hear. They don't even have ears.

They don't have noses either, but somehow the stink bomb affects them. :/

Run for it because we need a death-by-dinosaur end in this book.

[Darth Rabbitt]

They don't have noses either, but somehow the stink bomb affects them. :/

Snakes smell with their tongues, while the closest thing they have to hearing is feeling vibrations on the ground. I mean this is clearly "the author remembered one high school bio textbook" territory (and the vibrations made from a noise bomb would probably still scare the snake off) but I kind of get the backwards logic being used here.

You dash for the exit. You want out of here. Now!
You run as fast as you can. The doors seem so close now. You can almost taste your freedom.
But as you hurtle past the huge skeleton, you hear an ominous clanking. Oh, no. It's coming to life!
No sweat. You can outrun a pile of old bones, can't you?
Or should you try your laser? It worked on the Visible Man.

Use the laser?
Try to outrun the Giganotosaurus?

[SGamerz]

They don't have noses either, but somehow the stink bomb affects them. :/

Snakes smell with their tongues, while the closest thing they have to hearing is feeling vibrations on the ground.

Snakes actually "hear" with their tongue too (as you said, it's more about sensing the vibrations), so there's no reason one should work better than the other.

And use the plot token.

[Darth Rabbitt]

They don't have noses either, but somehow the stink bomb affects them. :/

Snakes smell with their tongues, while the closest thing they have to hearing is feeling vibrations on the ground.

Snakes actually "hear" with their tongue too (as you said, it's more about sensing the vibrations), so there's no reason one should work better than the other.

Good point. I go back to my "the author remembered one high school bio textbook" hypothesis.

You stop running and lift the laser to your shoulder.
You aim the red light of the laser at the dinosaur's face. "Take this, fossil-breath!" you shout.
But the creature keeps clanking toward you.
You gulp as you suddenly realize something.
The skeleton doesn't have any eyes. The laser can't blind it as it did the Visible Man!
The gigantic skeleton towers over you, reaching for you with its foot-long teeth. Looks like it's...

GAME OVER

Well, the only other option is to run, so:

You keep running.
The whir of motors and clatter of bones come from behind you. You feel the ground shudder with each giant step.
Will you make it to the doors in time?
Can you make it to the doors? Roll to find out. (7.)

You run as fast as you can. The doors are almost within reach. You've made it!
But when you pull the handles, they won't budge. Locked!
You turn and face the lumbering skeleton. Maybe you can make it back to the stairway doors.

Can you make it back to the stairway doors? Roll to find out. By now you're pretty tired. And all the stuff you're carrying is weighing you down. For every object on your inventory list, subtract one from your roll. (7-7=0.)

This is the only time that inventory size matters. And honestly I wish there were more points where things actually modified your dice rolls, that would help a lot with how heavily stacked they are against you.

You're almost to the doors, but the huge teeth clamp down on your shirt like a steam shovel.
The skeletal dinosaur lifts you into the air.
It carries you back to the pool of bubbling tar.
Your guide explained that many dinosaurs were preserved for millions of years when they fell into tar pits.
As the dinosaur holds you over the tar, you wonder if someone will find you too. In about a million years.
Great. Even after all that time, you'll still be stuck in a museum!

GAME OVER

As it turns out, succeeding on that second roll is the same as going back to the second floor, so either of my suggestions for "what should we go back to?" are exactly the same.

You climb the wet stairs back to the second floor.
You sigh. Escape seemed so close. But now you're headed back to another floor of the hall.
Maybe you can find something to help you fight that giant skeleton. Or maybe you'll find another way out.
You open the door to the second floor cautiously. In front of you is another map.
Great!
But when you see what's on it, a cold shiver of fear runs down your spine...

This is the second floor map. Someone has spray-painted on it in bloodred letters. You gulp as you read the words.

Write down "MAP OF 2nd FLOOR AT #23." When you come here to glance at the map, make sure to remember where you came from.

If this is your first time here...

There are four places you can get to from here.
One is the elevator, if you're brave enough.
There's also the fire stairs. They lead down to the exit. And to the Giganotosaurus.
There's a room called Electricity.
The other room is called Thinking Machines. It's full of computers. That's where you were when you got that weird message from Peedee A., back before everything went crazy. What did it say? "Help me! The Super Computer has taken over!"
Hey! That reminds you. Peedee A. said that it's somewhere on this floor. All right!
Where do you want to go?

Try the fire stairs?
Try the elevator?
The Thinking Machines Room?
The Electricity Room?

Inventory List:
Boomerang
Compass
Fire Extinguisher
Key
Laser
Space Glove
Walkie-talkie
Map of 4th floor at 220
Map of 3rd floor at 205
Map of 2nd floor at 23
Running Total of Deaths/Game Overs: 15 total. 14 deaths (2 by robot arm, 1 by simulated crash, 1 by real crash, 2 by giant mosquito, 1 by electric door, 1 by giant germ, 1 by pendulum, 2 by snake, 2 by dinosaur skeleton, 1 by hungry aliens running the place,) 1 Game Over (lost in maze with Nature Scouts)