[Let's Play] Fighting Fantasy 29 - Midnight Rogue

[Beroli]

Try something else.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to try something else by looking for a way around it.

[SGamerz]

The majority vote is to find another way around the slab...

The slab is big. It's the sort of thing you're meant to notice. And while you're looking at it, you're not looking at the real way in, which is hidden somewhere else. It's an old trick, but you wonder if it's being used here. You search the end of the passage, and finally you find a loose stone in the right-hand wall. You pull it out. Then another, and another. In no time, you have made a hole big enough to crawl through.

There's another picture here that I will have to post at a later time due to lack of scanner access.

You find yourself in an alcove looking into a small burial chamber. The chamber is crudely built, and soil filters in through the slabs of the walls and ceiling. An ancient body lies mouldering on a plinth in the centre with a longsword by its side, and two piles of bones show where other bodies once lay. Suddenly, the bones and stirred by an unseen force, and gather themselves into Skeletons each armed with a spear. They raise their spears and advance towards you. If you stay in the alcove, turn to 366. If you advance to meet them, turn to 233.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to stay in the alcove so our thief cannot get surrounded by the Skeletons.

[pragma]

Stay in alcove. Noob's argument is reasonable, though I could see us getting poked to death in cramped conditions.

[Beroli]

I do not remember this one. Stay in the alcove.

[Queen of Swords]

Sta in the alcove, and hope the skeletons don't use the length of their spears to stay out of reach while they stab at us.

[Darth Rabbitt]

I’m worried that they’ll poke us to death in the alcove so I suggest trying to take them on up close and personal; if they were armed with swords I’d have suggested staying in the alcove.

[SGamerz]

The last lone vote isn't sufficient to override the others, so Carmen Garrett stays in the alcove.

Because you stay in the alcove, the Skeletons can only attack you one at a time. Add 1 LUCK point for thinking of this, then fight the Skeletons one at a time.

First SKELETON SKILL 6 STAMINA 5
Second SKELETON SKILL 5 STAMINA 4

If you win, turn to 31.

Fortunately, it is has most of you anticipated.

Our LUCK is already maxed...in fact, I think it's pretty rare that, at this late stage in the book, we still hadn't had to do any LUCK test so far!

COMBAT LOG:
Skeleton#1 11, Carmen Garrett 15. S1 is at 3.
S1 15, CG 19. S1 is at 1.
S1 14, CG 19. S1 is destroyed.
Skeleton#2 15. CG 15. Tie.
S2 14, CG 16. S2 is at 2.
S2 16, CG 18. S2 is destroyed.

Despite many mediocre rolls, Carmen emerged victorious without a scratch, because the SKILL discrepancy is just too wide.

The two Skeletons crumble back into dust, hopefully for good this time. You have little time to enjoy your victory, however, for the Skeleton on the plinth begins to rise as soon as its guards are destroyed. Hefting the huge longsword which lay beside it, the Skeleton Lord advances slowly towards you.

SKELETON LORD SKILL 8 STAMINA 6

Every time the Skeleton Lord wounds you, you lose 2 STAMINA points, and the Skeleton Lord adds 1 to its Attack Strength for the following round only. If you win, turn to 288.

COMBAT LOG:
Skeleton Lord 12, Carmen Garrett 21. SL is at 4.
SL 13, CG 17. SL is at 2.
SL 18, CG 21. SL is destroyed.

Flawless again! Our Provisions have been just as untouched as our LUCK thus far!

At last the Skeleton Lord is destroyed. You pick up his sword cautiously - normally you would have trouble just lifting a weapon that size, but because of its enchantments you can handle it as easily as if it were a fencing foil. Make a note of its special ability on your Adventure Sheet: when you hit an opponent, as well as the usual STAMINA loss it incurs, you add 1 point to your Attack Strength for the next round only. Strapping the sword-belt on, you search the chamber. You find an old bronze helmet (add 1 point to your SKILL if you put it on - it is not a backpack item), and a polished stone axe set in an antler haft. There is no trace of the Eye of the Basilisk, and no sign of a way out. Inspecting the plinth, you find a symbol scratched into one side. Turn to 102 if you have SECRET SIGNS skill, 52 if you don't.

It doesn't say that the helmet will increase our SKILL above Initial level, so we will only get the bonus if we lose a SKILL point later. Still, it's good to have.

Since it's specifically mentioned that the helmet isn't backpack item, it's safe to assume that the axe, which is mentioned in the same sentence, is a definite backpack item. The sword is explicitly stated by the text to be strapped on your belt, and also completely lightweight, so I guess it means it's not.

Let me know if you wish to take the stone axe.

The symbol is familiar, but you can't make it out. You wish you'd worked harder at learning the secret signs - this might be an important clue, and you have no idea what it means. If you have SPOT HIDDEN skill, turn to 314. If you do not, turn to 212.

You look carefully, around the plinth, and find a crack between the plinth and the floor on one side. It rolls back suddenly when you give it a shove, revealing a set of steps leading down into the darkness. You follow them down.

You go cautiously down the steps. There are no traps this time, but as you reach the bottom you hear regular heavy breathing coming from down the crudely cut cut rocky passage which leads off in front of you. Advancing cautiously, you see an Ogre, obviously supposed to be on guard, slumped asleep in the passage. If you have SNEAK skill, turn to 279. If you do not, turn to 256.

You step lightly over the sleeping Ogre. It doesn't so much as twitch, and you carry on down the passage.

At the end of the short passage is a great iron door. It is as high and wide as the passage itself, and one look tells you that you would never be able to break it down. There is a keyhole in the door, but you realize that the lock on a high-security door like this will be very difficult to pick. Beside the door is a hole in the wall, containing an iron key on a hook and a small, brightly coloured scorpion. The scorpion does not move, but you know that if you try to take the key, there is a good chance that it will strike at your hand. Will you try to take the key (if you have PICK POCKET skill, turn to 13, if you do not, turn to 264), or will you leave it alone and try to pick the lock?

Lots of skill checks we're passing in a row, which is a good thing, I guess. This one is up to choice instead of auto-application, so do we take the key or pick the lock?

And please confirm whether you wish to take the stone axe.

Adventure Sheet:
[spoiler]Name: Carmen Garrett
SKILL 11/11
STAMINA 16/16
LUCK 10/10
Special Skills: Spot Hidden, Sneak, Pick Pocket
Backpack Items:
1) Provisions
2) Potion of Fortune (+1 to Initial LUCK, restores LUCK to new Initial value)
3) Rope and grapnel (gives CLIMB Special Skill)
4) Bottle of Brandy (3 doses, +2 STAMINA each, worth 1 GP)
5) Miniature silver-framed painting (worth 2 GP)
6)
Other Items: Shortsword, leather jerkins and leggings, torch, hand-lamp, tinderbox, dagger, lock-picks (gives PICK LOCK Special Skill), key marked with the letter 'L', Magical Longsword (+1 Attack Strength in the next round after winning a combat round), Bronze Helmet (+1 SKILL)
Provisions: 10
Gold & Treasure: 34 GP, silver paper-knife (5 GP)
Clues:
1) Look in a place of sleep and a place of work to find dark place of death where we will find what we're looking for (section 289)
2) Brass recently bought a piece of land called Barrow Hill; the Wizard Barbantius "refitted" it according to Brass's instructions (section 90)
3) Wizard "fitted out" Brass's property on Barrow Hill. 'E.O.B' penciled on ledger of Barrow Hill's purchase by Brass (section 335)
[/spoiler]

[Beroli]

Just pick the lock. Take the axe.

[JourneymanN00b]

Well, Carmen Garrett has the Pick Pocket skill, so I vote to take the key, since we have not had the chance to use it in this adventure. And yes, I vote to take the stone axe.

[pragma]

Take the key, take the axe

[Queen of Swords]

Agreed, take anything we can find.

[SGamerz]

Very slowly, you reach for the key. The scorpion doesn't move as you take it. Breathing a sigh of relief, you turn the key in the lock and the great iron door swings open. You step through the doorway.

I assume there's no need to keep the key with us after this.

Going through the door, you find yourself in a passage, which leads off left and right. Will you go left or right?

While there were a couple of left-or-right choices earlier, this is actually the first completely random and uninformed one in this book so far, which is something of a rarity. I don't remember if there's any FF gamebook that's completely without at least one of those, but I certainly can't think of any right now.

Left or right?

Adventure Sheet:
[spoiler]Name: Carmen Garrett
SKILL 11/11
STAMINA 16/16
LUCK 10/10
Special Skills: Spot Hidden, Sneak, Pick Pocket
Backpack Items:
1) Provisions
2) Potion of Fortune (+1 to Initial LUCK, restores LUCK to new Initial value)
3) Rope and grapnel (gives CLIMB Special Skill)
4) Bottle of Brandy (3 doses, +2 STAMINA each, worth 1 GP)
5) Miniature silver-framed painting (worth 2 GP)
6) Stone Axe
Other Items: Shortsword, leather jerkins and leggings, torch, hand-lamp, tinderbox, dagger, lock-picks (gives PICK LOCK Special Skill), key marked with the letter 'L', Magical Longsword (+1 Attack Strength in the next round after winning a combat round), Bronze Helmet (+1 SKILL)
Provisions: 10
Gold & Treasure: 34 GP, silver paper-knife (5 GP)
Clues:
1) Look in a place of sleep and a place of work to find dark place of death where we will find what we're looking for (section 289)
2) Brass recently bought a piece of land called Barrow Hill; the Wizard Barbantius "refitted" it according to Brass's instructions (section 90)
3) Wizard "fitted out" Brass's property on Barrow Hill. 'E.O.B' penciled on ledger of Barrow Hill's purchase by Brass (section 335)
[/spoiler]

[JourneymanN00b]

Our hero is not trying to be a ruler, so I vote to shun fascism and go left.

[pragma]

Left

[SGamerz]

You follow the passage for a little way before it opens out into a small chamber, apparently once a storeroom of some kind, as it is littered with all kinds of debris. As you move cautiously across the chamber, you are struck down from behind by a flying chair - lose 1 STAMINA point. The chair flies at you again as you pick yourself up. Test your Luck. If you are Lucky, turn to 355. If you are Unlucky, turn to 282.

The first time we actually take damage and have of spend LUCK in this book!

Dice roll = 9 (Lucky).

The chair misses you by a whisker as you throw yourself to one side.

You can't see whatever is throwing the furniture about, but as a small table rises into the air and flies towards you, you realize that there is a Poltergeist in the room. Will you back out of the room, or try to make it to the other side?

Adventure Sheet:
[spoiler]Name: Carmen Garrett
SKILL 11/11
STAMINA 15/16
LUCK 9/10
Special Skills: Spot Hidden, Sneak, Pick Pocket
Backpack Items:
1) Provisions
2) Potion of Fortune (+1 to Initial LUCK, restores LUCK to new Initial value)
3) Rope and grapnel (gives CLIMB Special Skill)
4) Bottle of Brandy (3 doses, +2 STAMINA each, worth 1 GP)
5) Miniature silver-framed painting (worth 2 GP)
6) Stone Axe
Other Items: Shortsword, leather jerkins and leggings, torch, hand-lamp, tinderbox, dagger, lock-picks (gives PICK LOCK Special Skill), key marked with the letter 'L', Magical Longsword (+1 Attack Strength in the next round after winning a combat round), Bronze Helmet (+1 SKILL)
Provisions: 10
Gold & Treasure: 34 GP, silver paper-knife (5 GP)
Clues:
1) Look in a place of sleep and a place of work to find dark place of death where we will find what we're looking for (section 289)
2) Brass recently bought a piece of land called Barrow Hill; the Wizard Barbantius "refitted" it according to Brass's instructions (section 90)
3) Wizard "fitted out" Brass's property on Barrow Hill. 'E.O.B' penciled on ledger of Barrow Hill's purchase by Brass (section 335)
[/spoiler]

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to back out of the room, as I do not think it would be wise to go up against an invisible enemy.

[Beroli]

Run away! Run away!

[SGamerz]

Another picture that should have been posted earlier today:

The Poltergeist attacks once more as you run across the room. You plunge towards the door, wishing that it was something you could at least fight.

POLTERGEIST SKILL 6 STAMINA 0

Roll for Attack Strength as normal, but if you win, you have not wounded the Poltergeist, merely dodged its missile. If the Poltergeist wins, you lose 1 STAMINA point. Fight one round of combat, then leave the room and go back along the passage to try the other way.

COMBAT LOG:
Poltergeist 10, Carmen Garret 19 (he would have won even before he need to roll the dice). CG dodges the missile.

Balked by an invisible enemy, Carmen Garrett is forced to abandon his stance and backtrack to take the fascist way!

After a few yards, the passage comes to an abrupt end. The only way onward is a hole in the floor, leading down into the darkness. Will you go down the hole (if you have CLIMB skill, turn to 216, if you do not, turn to 297), or will you go back and try the other end of the passage?

We've already gone down the other way, but since we don't know what happens if we press further into the Poltergeist room, there's technically nothing stopping the players to go back and try it, so I'll pause here for votes again.

[Darth Rabbitt]

The Poltergeist feels like it's just going to be a Stamina sink since we can't fight it. So go down the hole with our handy rope.

[Beroli]

Climb down.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to climb down the hole.

[SGamerz]

Bracing your hands and feet against one side of the shaft and your back against the others, you work your way carefully downwards. After about forty feet, the shaft opens out into the ceiling of a passage, and you drop cautiously to the floor.

The text really doesn't take into account the possibility that we may be using a rope instead of just our hands and feet to climb. And realistically there should be some difficulty with us being able to recover the rope and grapnel after using it to climb down since we'd need to secure it at the top end, although it's not entirely impossible to get it loose after the climb. There are some sections where using a rope or using your own skill makes a difference (same goes for some of the other skills/substitute tools), but not here, oddly.

The passage is roughly carved out of the bedrock, and leads away to the north. You follow it for a few yards, and find that it ends in a large and strong-looking door. You try the door, and find that it is not locked. You open the door quietly, and advance into a darkened room. Your torch does nothing to dispel the darkness, only the heat on your face tells you that it is still burning. The darkness must be magical. You hear a shuffling, slithering sound from the darkness. Will you advance into the room, or go back?

I've checked the sections, and "go back" basically just presents you with the option to just give up your quest entirely, so I think we can just proceed ahead here.

You advance cautiously into the darkness, wondering what is in there. Turn to 24 if you have SNEAK skill, 331 if you don't.

Skill check passed!

You hurry silently across the darkened room, feeling your way along one wall. You feel another wall in front of you, and quickly find a doorway and a wooden door. You push and pull, but it doesn't open, it must be locked. If you have PICK LOCK skill, turn to 324. If you do not, turn to 245.

We do (I don't think we could have gotten this far without either the skill or the lock-picks, actually).

You step through the doorway into a torch-lot passage. You shut the door quickly as you hear a scrabbling, slithering sound from the darkened room behind you. Just outside the door stands a small bottle, containing a liquid which glows very brightly - so brightly that it hurts your eyes. You wonder if it will penetrate the darkness of the room. Will you find out, or will you ignore the bottle and carry on up the passage?

Apparently, someone managed to bottle up the light from that room. Do we want to see if we can restore it?

[Queen of Swords]

I don't think whatever's making the slithering sound will help us, so ignore the darkened room and the bottle, and carry on up the passage.