This an old gamebook series, all by Dave Morris, although some of them (including this one) are co-written with different partners. In this case, the co-author is Yve Newham (who didn't seem to have written any other gamebooks that I know of). Each book is a standalone adventure unrelated to the rest of the series.
Stats:
Like FF, the general ruleset for the series is fairly simplistic. There are also 3 stats: VIGOUR, PSI and AGILITY.
VIGOUR is determined by 2D6 + 20. This is the equivalent of STAMINA/HIT POINT/LIFE POINT/ENDURANCE/etc, the score that we need to keep above 0 in order to stay alive, and which we will lose every time we get injured.
PSI and AGILITY are both determined by 1D6 +3. PSI is our resistance to magic and sensitivity to psychic impressions. AGILITY is tested for physical feats, like climbing walls and leaping across chasms. These 2 stats don't change as often, but can still increase or decrease by certain factors, such as magical equipment or crippling injury.
Rolling for our stats:
VIGOUR = 5+3+20 = 28
PSI = 1+3 = 4
AGILITY = 4+3 = 7
Combat:
Combat is even simpler than FF. Opponents only have a VIGOUR stat. There's no SKILL score or equivalent. Every combat gives you the odds of hitting or getting hit determined by dice roll for that specific fight (e.g. rolling 2-6 means you get hit, rolling 7-12 means you hit the opponent). Each hit generally does 3 damage to VIGOUR. One thing to note is that in general, having to fight multiple opponent is almost always very much stacked against you. Other than the odds of you getting hit are higher, rolling low numbers will lead to you losing more VIGOUR for getting hit my multiple opponents. This is in contrast with FF, where a high SKILL usually still gives you an advantage even against multiple foes.
Sometimes, we are allowed to ESCAPE from combat, and when we do that, the enemy gets one more swing at you, and his success is determined by you rolling 2D6 against AGILITY. Failing the roll means you get hit for 3 VIGOUR damage.
There are no provision system or similar equivalents for regular healing.
Items:
This is pretty generic system. No limits to number of items carried, and we will just add items to our adventure sheet when we pick them up. We start with these default items in this book:
Sword
Lantern
Tinder-box
30 Gold Pieces
Dagger
Bow and seven arrows
And that's it for the rules. Nothing complicated.
Now, as to the story...
Background:
So, sounds like a typical scavenger hunt and demon-slaying quest thus far...Lynton is a prosperous market town that has grown rich and fat on its bustling trade. The jewellers and craftsmen of the town are without peer; its cuisine is unsurpassed for many leagues; wealthy patrons ensure a flourishing of the arts. An excellent place to visit, for someone with gold to spend...
You push away your breakfast platter of gruel and glower at your sagging money-pouch. Soon it will be time to move on. Lynton is, you decide, altogether too peaceful - no one has need of services such as yours.
There is a tall young man crossing the dew-soaked green who shares your despondent mood. 'By all the Fates!' he mutters to himself as he passes. 'Is there no adventurer of true mettle in this wretched town?' Noting the young man's fine clothes and rings, you leap up and fall into stride beside him, quickly making an introduction.
He turns and says keenly, 'I am Jasper, head of the wealthy Faze family since my father's untimely death some months ago. My brothers and I require a warrior to undertake an extremely dangerous quest. We have sent word far and wide, and many freebooters have applied for the position. In every case, their boastfulness has exceeded their courage and skill. We are on the point of despair, but if you can prove yourself worthy then you stand to profit richly.'
You accompany Jasper to the Faze mansion, an imposing edifice that stands proudly in some thirty acres of grounds. He takes you to meet his four brothers and they waste no time in beginning their stringent tests. You demonstrate your fighting skill using a wooden practice sword, effortlessly flooring Jasper's ox-like bodyguard. An archery butt is reduced to splintered wood as you send one arrow after another unerringly along the target range. When, blindfolded, you are required to dodge skittles tossed by Jasper and his brothers, your sixth sense and your co-ordination are shown to be almost superhuman. You are questioned closely on your past adventures and have no trouble listing the proper way of dealing with any monster from a basilisk to a vampire. With each test, Jasper's smile broadens. Eventually he throws down the book in which he has been keeping notes. 'Enough!' he cries. 'There can be no doubt - you are the champion we seek.'
You accompany Jasper to his study, where he explains the quest to you. The Castle of Lost Souls,' he begins abruptly, 'is where the demon Slank imprisons the spirits of those who pledge themselves to him.' He puts a glass of brandy into your hand; you drain it without thinking. 'My father, Luther Faze, died a wealthy man, but in his younger days he was but a struggling merchant. One day he came across an ornate bronze jar among his trinkets and wares. Unable to remember where he had got it, he read the inscription on the bottom. Immediately the arch-demon Slank stepped from out of nowhere!
'After some haggling, my father concluded a deal with Slank - to wit, that he should prosper and grow rich in order to leave wealth for his sons and a dowry for his lovely daughter. For this price the demon would have his soul. 'Father died six months ago. As you can see from this mansion and the estates, the demon kept his side of the bargain. While Father lay on his deathbed, then, Slank waited to take his soul to the Castle. None of us could see Slank, of course, but we caught the odour of damnation in the room - and Father had already told me, his eldest son, about the deal. Just as father breathed his last, a single tear fell from our sister Elvira's eyes on to his face...
'We learned the rest later, and I'll explain how in a moment. The demon took father's soul through low hills and swamps to where the Castle lurks enshrouded by mist. Father heard the demon chuckle as he closed the doors behind them. Gathering his courage, he turned round and cast the teardrop into Slank's face. The demon howled in pain and ran off through the Castle, clutching his eye which now sizzled and smoked where the tear struck it.
'Father was - is - no fool. Seeing that in goodness lay the means to destroy the evil demon, he barricaded himself in the Castle library and sat down to work out the necessary weapons. The action of killing Slank can be thought of as a spell which requires six components: a crystal ball, a four leaf clover, the ashes of a saint, the hair of a nun, a metal fragment from the armour of a chivalrous knight, and a tear from my sister's eyes. Luckily Father also found a book of necromancy and used its spells to appear to us in a dream. He told us what to do, and that we should seek out a bold adventurer to be the family's champion. I hardly need to say that if you can rescue our father's soul from Slank's castle, we will pay you a sizable fortune in gold and gems.'
You smile and accept. Jasper reaches into his pocket and takes out a glass phial containing a single glistening teardrop. 'Here is one of the items you will need. I wish you all speed in finding the other five.'
You take the tear (record it on your Character Sheet) and set out at once. You have an uncanny feeling that you are about to become embroiled in the strangest adventure of your life!
Adventure Sheet:Resolving to be systematic in your quest, you decide to begin by finding the crystal ball and the four leaf clover. You remember passing an inn called The Four Leaf Clover just off the market square, and this seems as good a place as any to commence the search.
A short walk across town brings you to the inn. As you enter the tap-room, the first thing you notice is a horse brass in the shape of a four leaf clover which hangs above the bar. You may try stealing this if you think it will serve your purposes - or you could ask the innkeeper if he knows where there is some clover to be found. If you prefer, you could strike up a conversation with some of the customers in the bar. Will you join a group of gypsies, several farm workers having lunch or a trio of adventurers, presumably would-be champions who failed Jasper's tests?
[spoiler]Name: ???
VIGOUR: 28/28
PSI: 4
AGILITY: 7
Equipment: Sword, Lantern, Tinder-box, Dagger, Bow and seven arrows, Girl's teardrop
Gold: 30 GP
[/spoiler]
