Cover
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[/spoiler]Happy April, everyone. Thanks to my latest Fighting Fantasy acquisition and the merciful nature of my work schedule as of now, I am able to and will start a new FF Let’s Play once more. The subject of this particular Let’s Play will be book #17, which nobody seems to have done yet, although there has been recent interest in doing so. Anyone wishing to join in is welcome. The plan is to update this series on a twice per day basis, with the exception of Sundays, where I will try to update more frequently on these days. However, there is a good chance that my work duties heat up and necessitates adjustments to this proposed schedule, which I hope that everyone understands.
Preface
How To Battle The Super-Villains of Titan CityTough, courageous, incorruptible champion of law and order, YOU are the Silver Crusader, using your super powers to protect the innocent citizens of teeming Titan City from the evil machinations of a host of super-villains. Arch villain of them all is the Titanium Cyborg, head of the notorious F.E.A.R. organization. Terrorism, violence, kidnapping and corruption – nothing is too evil for F.E.A.R. So when news leaks out of a secret meeting of F.E.A.R. heads here in Titan City, your mission is clear: to discover the location of the meeting, capture the Titanium Cyborg and his cohorts and bring them to justice.
There are four super powers to choose from, clues to find, Hero Points to gain or lose and new twists to the Fighting Fantasy combat system as Steve Jackson’s amazing new gamebook throws you up against the most challenging, most dangerous adventure of them all! All YOU need is two dice, a pencil and an eraser. Many dangers lie ahead and even with your super powers your success is by no means certain.
Steve Jackson is the co-founder (with Ian Livingstone) of the hugely successful Games Workshop chain.
For the purposes of this thread, the Adventure Sheet will be hand-made and will be periodically displayed.In Appointment with F.E.A.R., YOU will become the Silver Crusader, a superhero with unusual powers, dedicated to saving the citizens of Titan City from crime. You will come across robberies, kidnappings, and destruction – crimes committed by a host of super-villains. You must also find out where the fateful meeting between the heads of F.E.A.R. (the Federation of Euro-American Rebels) is due to take place and capture Vladimir Utoshski, otherwise known as the Titanium Cyborg, F.E.A.R.’s leader.
You do not have only your super powers to aid you. Through your Crimewatch your friend and informant Gerry the Grass will alert you to crimes even before they are committed, and you can keep in touch with the police. And as you fight and overcome villains of the underworld, you will discover clues. Some clues will enable you to locate arch-criminals and arrest them; others will give you information on the whereabouts of the secret F.E.A.R. meeting.
You begin the adventure with a choice of four super powers. With Super Strength, you are powerful and have the ability to fly. Psi-Powers enable you to read minds and influence objects by brain-power alone. ETS (Enhanced Technological Skill) provides you with a variety of devices and gadgets which you carry round in your Accessory Belt. If you choose Energy Blast, you can summon up a bolt of energy and project it from your fingertips. Depending on which power you choose, the solution to the book (finding the location of the F.E.A.R. meeting) will be different. Once you have solved it with one power, you can try it again with another.
And you may also monitor your success with your Hero Points score. When you overcome super-villains, you will be awarded Hero Points to allow you to compare the success of one adventure with another.
Because of these new features, the rules to Appointment with F.E.A.R. differ a little from other Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks. Combat is basically the same, but you will find several new sections in the following rules.
Before setting off to fight the super-villians of Titan City, you must first determine your own SKILL, STAMINA and LUCK scores by rolling dice as described below. On pages 22-3 there is an Adventure Sheet which you may use to record the details of your adventure. You are advised either to make records on the Adventure Sheet in pencil or to take photocopies of the page to use in future adventures.
Skill, Stamina and Luck
Making the appropriate rolls and modifications yielded the following initial scores:Roll one die. Add 6 to this number and enter this total in the SKILL box on the Adventure Sheet. The exception to this is if you have Super Strength, in which case you will start with an automatic SKILL score of 13.
Roll both dice. Add 12 to the number rolled and enter the total in the STAMINA box.
There is also a LUCK box. Roll one die and add 6 to this number rolled. Enter this total in the LUCK box.
For reasons that will be explained below, SKILL, STAMINA and LUCK scores change constantly during an adventure. You must keep an accurate record of these scores and for this reason you are advised either to write small in the boxes or to keep an eraser handy. But never rub out your Initial scores. Although you may be awarded additional SKILL, STAMINA and LUCK points, these totals may never exceed your Initial scores.
Your SKILL score reflects both fighting and problem-solving skills; the higher your SKILL score the better. Your STAMINA score reflects your general constitution, your will to survive, your determination and overall fitness; the higher your STAMINA score, the longer you will be able to survive. Your LUCK score indicates how naturally lucky a person you are.
SKILL: 8 (assuming Super Strength is not chosen as the player's super power)
STAMINA: 21
LUCK: 9
Yikes, do we have some below average rolls for Skill and Luck. Having a good Stamina score takes some of the sting out of this unfortunate start, though.
Battles
LuckYou will often come across pages in the book which instruct you to fight a villain of some sort. If so, you must resolve the combat as described below.
First record the villain’s SKILL and STAMINA scores in the first vacant ‘Villain Encounter Box’ on your Adventure Sheet. The scores for each villain are given in the book each time you have an encounter.
Unlike other Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks, you may not kill the criminals you are fighting. As a sworn upholder of justice, you may not take the life of a super-villain, no matter how evil he or she may be. But they will be attempting to kill you! If you manage to reduce the STAMINA score of a criminal to zero, you have killed him and must lose 1 Hero Point as a result. When a criminal has been reduced to 1 or 2 STAMINA points, he will surrender himself to you.
The sequence of combat is then:
1. Roll two dice once for the criminal. Add his SKILL score. This total is the criminal’s Attack Strength.
2. Roll two dice once for yourself. Add your own current SKILL score. This total is your Attack Strength.
3. If your Attack Strength is higher than his, you have landed a blow: proceed to step 4. If the criminal’s Attack Strength is higher than yours, he has landed a blow on you: proceed to step 5. If both Attack Strengths are equal, you have avoided each other's blows: start the next Attack Round from step 1 above.
4. You have landed a blow on the criminal, so subtract 2 points from his STAMINA score. You may use your LUCK here to do additional damage (see over).
5. The criminal has landed a blow on you, so subtract 2 points from your STAMINA score. Again, you may use LUCK at this stage (see over).
6. Make the appropriate adjustments to either the criminal’s or your own STAMINA scores, and to your LUCK score (if you used LUCK).
7. Begin the next Attack Round (repeat steps 1-6). This sequence continues until the STAMINA score of the criminal has been reduced to 2 or less or your own STAMINA has been reduced to zero. A criminal with a STAMINA of 2 or 1 is semi-conscious and will give himself up. A STAMINA score of zero (for you or the criminal) is equivalent to death. If you kill a criminal, you must lose 1 Hero Point, so be careful about this and use your LUCK when appropriate.
For the purposes of this Let’s Play, the attack rounds will be resolved all at once. I will generally only consider using Luck in battles if the character has less than 7 STAMINA points. For such battles, I will ask whether Luck should be used to improve the odds of winning the fight.At various times during your adventure, either in battles or when you come across situations in which you could be either lucky or unlucky (details of these are given on the pages themselves), you may call on your LUCK to make the outcome more favourable. But beware! Using LUCK is a risky business and if you are unlucky, the results could be disastrous.
The procedure for using your LUCK is as follows: roll two dice. If the number rolled is equal to or less than your current LUCK score, you have been Lucky and the result will go in your favour. If the number rolled is higher than your current LUCK score, you have been Unlucky and will be penalized.
This procedure is known as Testing your Luck. Each time you Test your Luck, you must subtract 1 point from your current LUCK score. Thus you will soon realize that the more you rely on your LUCK, the more risky this will become.
Using Luck in Battles
On certain pages of the book you will be told to Test your Luck, and will be told the consequences of being Lucky or Unlucky. However, in battles, you always have the option of using your LUCK either to inflict a more serious blow on the criminal you have just hit, or to minimize the effects of a blow the criminal has just inflicted on you.
If you have just landed a blow on the criminal, you may Test your Luck as described above. If you are Lucky, you have landed a severe blow and may subtract an extra 2 points from the criminal’s STAMINA score. If you are Unlucky, however, the blow glanced off and you must restore 1 point to the criminal’s STAMINA (i.e. instead of inflicting 2 points of damage, you have inflicted only 1).
If the criminal has just hit you, you may Test your Luck to try to minimize the effects. If you are Lucky, you have managed to avoid the full force of the blow. Restore 1 point of STAMINA (i.e. instead of taking 2 points of damage, you take only 1). If you are Unlucky, you have taken a more serious blow and must subtract 1 extra STAMINA point from your score.
Remember that each time you Test your Luck you must subtract 1 point from your own LUCK score.
Restoring Skill, Stamina and Luck
Hero PointsInstructions for restoring your SKILL, STAMINA and LUCK scores will be given in the pages of the book as appropriate. STAMINA will be restored when you rest at home in the evening. STAMINA bonuses are difficult to come by, so be careful! LUCK points will be gained when you find some clues.
CluesAs you defeat super-villains and solve crimes, you will be awarded Hero Points, to be recorded on your Adventure Sheet. Hero Points have nothing to do with your main objective, which is to locate the secret F.E.A.R. meeting and capture Vladimir Utoshski, the Titanium Cyborg. Hero Points are a measure of how successful you have been in your adventure. Each time you go through the book, record your Hero Points score and compare each adventure with previous ones. As you will find, if you try a different super power, the solution to the book will be different, so you can rate your own performances with each of the four powers.
Super Powers and CluesWhichever super power you begin the game with, you will have knowledge of two clues which will help you trace and capture Titan City’s criminals. Indeed, you will not be able to find some of the villains without knowledge of the appropriate clues.
In fact there are two types of clue. Some relate to the villains and their crimes – the ones you start with are of this type. Others relate to the secret F.E.A.R. meeting. Without finding the necessary clues to the meeting, you will never be able to prevent it, with disastrous results for Titan City! So bear in mind that you must find these F.E.A.R. clues, and remember also that, when you try the adventure using a different super power, the F.E.A.R. clues that you need will be held by different villains!
Please keep all spoilers covered out of respect to those of us who want to have a blind experience. Any ties will be broken by me based on my personal instincts.You are Jean Lafayette, the product of a dangerous – but successful – genetic experiment. Although seemingly normal as a child, it became apparent in your early teens that you were a far from ordinary human being. You are gifted with a superhuman power, which you have sworn to use only for the benefit of your fellow man. As the Silver Crusader, you are well known to the population of Titan City. Most people admire you, some distrust you, but all members of the underworld fear you. Only your parents, who are both dead, ever knew your real identity and the origin of your powers.
In the adventures ahead, you will begin with one of four powers. During your daily activities and encounters with disasters and super-criminals, you will have two objectives. First, you must learn the whereabouts of the secret meeting of F.E.A.R. (the Federation of Euro-American Rebels) which is due to take place within the next few days. This dangerous alliance of master-criminals and enemy agents is planning to overthrow the governments of the western world and establish their own rule. Secondly, you may assess your own performance as a superhero by trying to gain as many Hero Points as possible.
Before you start each adventure, you may choose which super power to start with, from the four powers listed below. You will also start the game with knowledge of two clues. Following the description of each super power, you will find instructions on where to find your clues, which are hidden in the text of the adventure. Before you turn to reference 1 to start your adventure, choose your super power, locate and read the clues and enter the information on your Adventure Sheet.
Super Strength
You have the strength of many men. The muscles of your immensely powerful legs and arms bulge through the fabric of your costume. They are developed to the point of perfection and, in combat situations, you always fight with a SKILL of 13. You also have the power to fly through the air at any speed you wish. This allows you to hover unsupported above the ground or to chase and catch up with the fastest jet.
To find the first of your clues, turn to reference 127. For your other clue, you may choose one from the following:
108 280 312
Psi-Powers
You have extraordinary mental abilities. You are able to reach into the thoughts of most other humans (and some animals) to read their minds and influence them. You also have limited powers to make objects move mentally and even to change the very nature of some elements. However, using this power is an enormous mental effort for you. Each time you use your Psi-Power, you must deduct 2 STAMINA points.
Turn to 222 to discover your first clue. You may also choose one clue from the following:
280 152 108
Enhanced Technological Skill (ETS)
Your considerable intelligence has allowed you to develop a whole collection of hi-tech gadgetry. Through advanced micro-circuitry designs, you have been able to miniaturize most of these gadgets so that they will fit conveniently into a special Accessory Belt worn around your waist. Whatever the situation, you are usually fortunate enough to have something appropriate to use. However, you have avoided developing weaponry in case any weapon you developed should ever fall into the wrong hands and be used by the criminal element to wreak untold havoc.
You start the adventure with two clues, which must be chosen from the following list:
280 88 152
Energy Blast
You are able to summon up electrostatic energy from within your own body and channel it out through your fingertips. You can aim these Energy Bolts at adversaries or objects and your control is such that you know before you aim how much force will be needed to deal with them. You have taken a personal oath that you will only stun any human target, no matter how villainous your opponent may be. When using Energy Blast, you need only determine whether or not your aim is true; if you hit a human opponent, the effect will be an automatic stun. Test your aim by rolling two dice. If the result is equal to or less than your SKILL score, the Bolt has hit. If the result is higher than your SKILL, you have missed and a normal battle must be fought or the situation must be resolved as per the instructions in the text. Sometimes you will not be able to use a second Bolt. Each time you use Energy Blast, you must deduct 2 STAMINA points.
Your first clue will be found at reference 88. For your second clue, you may choose one of the following:
222 312 280
Since our hero has mediocre stats and this book can be relatively hard depending on which super power is chosen, I will allow our hero to have up to 3 boons if Enhanced Technological Skill is selected or 2 boons if Energy Blast is taken. This is to help even the odds in order to prevent one super power from being overly superior to the others (coughSuper Strengthcough) based on our hero’s starting stats. Below is a list of boons to choose from:
Rewinds: If our hero dies from any cause other than Stamina loss, the story will be reverted to a previous decision, with the Adventure Sheet being modified to what it was at that point in the story. You may use as many rewinds as you wish upon said death, with a rewind being used for each decision that you wish to rewind to. For example, if our hero starts with 3 rewinds, we can rewind to a maximum of 3 decisions before said death.
Restorations: If our hero’s Stamina falls to 0 in any way, it will be restored to its initial score after reducing initial Stamina by 2. This penalty is to ensure that we act sensibly when it comes to maintaining Stamina should our hero take a restoration or two.
Extra starting clues: Self explanatory.
Background
NOW TURN OVERThe time of your birth was an anxious moment for your parents and their doctors. Your mother had consented to undergo an experimental form of genetic surgery. The doctors had warned her of the dangers of the radiation experiments; their research programme was nowhere near complete. But this she already knew, for she herself was one of the researchers. The work had reached the stage where progress was impossible without testing it on a human subject. Your father had not fully understood the implications when he gave his consent, and eight pairs of apprehensive eyes watched your arrival into the world.
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The first reaction was one of relief. You certainly seemed a normal, healthy baby. Post-natal tests showed no physical deformities whatsoever. In fact, you appeared to be a fine specimen. In your younger years your development was carefully monitored with a seemingly endless series of physiological and psychological tests, all of which you passed with flying colours. The doctors and researchers congratulated themselves; their experiments were a complete success. However, the experiments had been conducted in a shroud of secrecy. Had the world known of the risks of the experiment, public outcry would have been overwhelming. It would certainly have put an end to further genetic research. And from your mother’s point of view, she had no wish to have the world regard you as an experimental freak. Only a few knew what had really happened.
Over the years, the testing stopped as the doctors felt more and more certain that there was no need to monitor your progress. As fate would have it, it was just when this testing stopped that it became clear that you were anything but a normal child. Your latent superhuman powers did not show themselves until after the doctors had lost interest.
Your parents, who had become thoroughly fed up with the endless tests, decided that your extraordinary powers must remain a secret from the world. They had no wish to have you studied as some kind of freak for the rest of your life.
You have a regular job working in an office of a medium-sized company. But when duty calls, you become The Silver Crusader, upholder of justice; and you have taken an oath to serve in the fight against crime in Titan City. Apart from your own super abilities, you have one other device to aid you – your Crimewatch. This neat little device, worn around your wrist, receives and broadcasts transmissions to and from your two most important allies. You can be contacted by police headquarters through this Crimewatch and you can also summon the police to aid you. In addition, your friend and underworld contact Gerry the Grass is able to warn you of impending crimes through the Crimewatch.
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Gerry the Grass has recently become aware of an important meeting about to take place within the next few days. Vladimir Utoshski, leader of F.E.A.R. (the Federation of Euro-American Rebels), has been summoning his aides-in-crime to meet in Titan City. Utoshski, also known as the Titanium Cyborg, is a super-villain whose field of expertise is the electronic enhancement of human abilities. He is part man, part machine – and very dangerous. Gerry the Grass has not yet found out where or when the meeting is due, but one thing is certain. Its purpose is to finalize plans for a scheme which would mean disaster for the western world. The meeting must be stopped! You must find out where and when this meeting is due to take place and prevent it at all costs...
1
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[/spoiler]As you walk the ten blocks to work that morning, you can’t help but feel that something is not quite right. You stop by a telephone booth to consider what it could be.
The sounds of the city are the usual 8 a.m. cacophony. Cars and buses bounce past along Clark Street, their drivers too sleepy even to try to avoid the pits and bumps in the road. A newspaper-vendor bawls an incomprehensible headline – something about a robbery – at the crowds of men and women milling past him on their ways to work. Overhead in the sky the rhythmic beating of a traffic ‘copter’s blades fades into the distance. An argument is taking place between an elderly businessman and an over-large woman with an untrained dog, whose sidewalk deposits have offended the businessman. There is nothing unusual ... or is there?
The difference is only barely perceptible, but there is a distinct air of tension in the streets. There are nervous twitches in the eyes of the passers-by; the cars are accelerating and braking in a jittery manner – little things like that. To your heightened senses, the atmosphere is pregnant. Today will not be just another day.
Your thoughts are broken by the high-pitched wailing of a police siren. A yellow and black Cougar GS screeches round the corner and leaps ahead through the Clark Street traffic before swinging left into Audubon Park. Behind it, the traffic settles back into its regular flow. Your attention drifts back to the argument. A small crowd has built up around the man and woman. Raised voices are taking one side or the other and the situation is beginning to look nasty. What will you do next:
Go over and see if you can break up the argument? Turn to 263
Run after the police car into Audubon Park? Turn to 289
Buy a newspaper to find out about the robbery? Turn to 228
Ignore all these incidents and go to work? Turn to 341
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[/spoiler]Which super power, references, and boons of each type (if available) should be chosen? And what should our hero do to start this adventure? Please make your decisions before 9:00 AM PDT to guarantee that they will be counted.
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