[Let's Play] Fighting Fantasy 59 - Curse of the Mummy

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to take a rope and grapple, a lantern and 5 skins of oil, 2 torches in case our hero loses his lantern, a brass telescope and 10 Provisions. This will cost 28 Gold Pieces, which leaves Rick O'Connell with 12 Gold Pieces. I also vote to look at what they have to offer in terms of unusual wares.

[Thaluikhain]

I suggest getting some anti-poison, and maybe not deciding how many provisions to buy until we see the fancy unusual stuff.

[SGamerz]

maybe not deciding how many provisions to buy until we see the fancy unusual stuff.

Not an option, unfortunately. As I said, you have to decide what to by in this section before you get to see the unusual wares.

[Thaluikhain]

Ah, I thought so, but was hoping I was wrong about that. And now I read that you specifically said we couldn't and I somehow missed that.

3 Rope and Grapple

4 Lantern and 1 additional skin.

4 Firepowder

2 Torch x2

4 Anti-poison

5 Healing Draught

5 Provisions x 5

That's 27, leaving us with 13. Not sure about the telescope or more provisions. I definitely want a flaming torch to hit mummies with, and oil for the same, firepowder looks like it'd come in handy.

Must say, this shopping list is full of cool, action movie style items.

(And maybe Boris O'Connell for the name? Ric Karloff?)

[SGamerz]

Since there's no consensus on shopping lists, I will make the purchases that got at least 2 votes, which means:

Rope and Grapple (3 GP)

Brass Telescope (5 GP)

Firepowder (4 GP)

2 Torches (2 GP)

10 meals (10 GP)

Everybody wants a lantern, but no one can agree on how much extra oil to buy, so we can only settle on the minimum (1 extra skin), which costs 4 GP total.

That spends 28 GP, leaving us with 12.

Between them, the merchants have some very interesting items for sale: they are listed below with their prices. If you decide to buy anything, do so, then turn to the relevant paragraph to find out more about your new acquisition.

Oil of Lotus - 4 Gold Pieces
Two Yokka Eggs - 6 Gold Pieces
Sandworm's Tooth - 6 Gold Pieces
Alabaster Scarab- 7 Gold Pieces
Crystal Pyramid - 5 Gold Pieces

When you have finished here, you leave the market and set out on your quest.

Left with 12 GP, we obviously can only afford 2 items on this list at best. Again, we only get to find out more about each item after we'd made the purchase, so pick carefully!

Adventure Sheet:
[spoiler]Name: ??
SKILL 12/12
STAMINA 16/18
LUCK 12/12
Poison: 0/18
Equipment: Sword, backpack, Rope and Grapple, Brass Telescope, Firepowder (can be thrown at opponent at start of combat, hit after successful Skill test for 1D6 damage), Torch (x2), Lantern, Skins of Oil (x2)
Provisions: 10
Gold: 12
Extra Lives remaining: 1
[/spoiler]

[Queen of Swords]

Yokka Eggs are the ones that break to release a burning bird, but I don't think we need a third fire attack method if we have a lantern and torches already. I'll pick the crystal pyramid and the oil of lotus.

[JourneymanN00b]

I also vote to take the crystal pyramid and oil of lotus. This is because yokka eggs are probably redundant per Queen of Swords explanation, alabaster scarabs are probably bad if the book follows conventions of The Mummy movie, and I doubt we will need a crysknife if the sandworm's tooth turns into one a la Dune.

[SGamerz]

We buy the Oil of Lotus:

Extracted from the White Lotus flower, this oil is clear and sweet-smelling, and is non-combustible. There is also not very much of it.

Not very much of info either.

Now, the crystal pyramid:

The small pyramid has been carved out of a piece of quartz crystal; it refracts the light from the sun inside it into a myriad colours.

We leave the market with 3 gold pieces remaining.

Leaving Rimon, Jerran Farr and yourself set out round the steep Uron Heights, before turning north. As you walk, Jerran shows you a crude map of the area around the southern edge of the Desert of Skulls and points to a sketch of an oasis next to a temple. I was able to get the location of the temple from the explorer before he died but not that of the tomb," says Jerran, "but if we can find the temple, we should find the inscription that reveals the whereabouts of the tomb. I have also heard rumours of a Shaman who lives in the rocky hills to the east, at a place called the Spirit Rock. If we could find him, he may be able to help us in our quest. However, we'll leave the choosing of the way until it becomes necessary."

After two days of walking (during which time you must eat 2 meals or lose 2 STAMINA points for each meal missed) you reach the site of Jerran's camp. Here he has hidden a tent and bedrolls, so at dusk you settle down for a night under canvas. You are woken several hours later by an ominous clacking sound coming from somewhere close to the tent. There is a sudden scuttling noise, then you hear Jerran cry out. In an instant you are out of the tent. In the moonlight you see the archaeologist in the grip of a huge pincer belonging to a three-metre-long monstrosity covered in shiny black armour. The Giant Scorpion's sting rears up over its back, as large as a man's head. As you watch, the deadly sting of the overgrown arachnid lashes forward and strikes Jerran in the chest and the man stops struggling at once. You run at the scorpion and strike its claw. Releasing its grip on Jerran's body, the grotesque creature tums to attack you.

GIANT SCORPION SKILL 10 8 STAMINA 10

Each claw can attack independently, so conduct this fight as if you were up against two opponents, each with a SKILL of 10 8. If at any time the Scorpion's Attack Strength is 22 20, turn at once to 137. If you win, turn to 345.

So...about the apparent edits in the Wizard edition that's supposed to make things easier...well, it ended up just introducing more errors to the books and probably confusing new readers who hadn't read the older version. According to Titannica, The Giant Scorpion's SKILL (which was 10 in the Puffin edition that I own) was supposed to be reduced from 10 to 8. However, they forgot to edit the last paragraph right below the Giant Scorpion's listed stats, which means the text below still tells you to conduct the fight "as if you were up against two opponents, each with a SKILL of 10", and that it's somehow possible for the Scorpion to get an Attack Strength of 22.

I have, of course, added the necessary corresponding edits to that.

There's also some ambiguity about how the fight should be conducted (do we only damage it if we beat both claws in 1 round?), but I'm interpreting that the Scorpion basically gets a free second attack each round, and we only need to beat the 1st attack to inflict damage (but don't do any damage for beating the second one), since that's how multiple-opponent combat is supposed to be done in this book (and most others in the series), although in this case, both "opponents" have a joint STAMINA of 10 instead of having separate STAMINA scores.

COMBAT LOG:
Giant Scorpion 15, PC 14. PC is at 14.
GS 15, PC 17. PC dodges second attack.
GS 16, PC 22. GS is at 8.
GS 16, PC 23. PC dodges second attack.
GS 18, PC 19. GS is at 6.
GS 11, PC 19. PC dodges second attack.
GS 11, PC 18. GS is at 4.
GS 11, PC 20. PC dodges second attack.
GS 10, PC 24. GS is at 2.
GS 14, PC 18. PC dodges second attack.
GS 10, PC 15. GS is defeated.
GS 15, PC 18. PC dodges second attack.

Fortunately, it never managed to roll the dreaded double-6.

As the Giant Scorpion twitches its last, you run over to help Jerran. He is barely alive. "This is the end for me," he gasps, "but you must go on. Stop the Cult of the Cobia, and beware the Curse of Akharis." With that, the brave archaeologist dies. The next morning you bury Jerran Farr, marking the grave with his old, tattered hat. Offering a prayer to the gods for his departed soul, at the same time you swear to do all you can to stop the evil sect and prevent Akharis's return. Taking Jerran's map with you, you set off again, heading north.

By mid-morning your path is becoming gradually steeper as it leads you into the rocky foothills of the mountains which border the Desert of Skulls. You continue to follow the dusty trail as it tums towards the north-east. A few kilometres on, standing at the top of a ridge, you see that several semi-circular tiers of stone seats have been cut out of the base of the hillside in front of a raised platform and a low, rectangular stone building. Close to the seemingly deserted site lie fallen pillars and the remains of walls. Do you want to descend the hillside and investigate the ruins, or would you rather continue on your way?

Adventure Sheet:
[spoiler]Name: ??
SKILL 12/12
STAMINA 14/18
LUCK 12/12
Poison: 0/18
Equipment: Sword, backpack, Rope and Grapple, Brass Telescope, Firepowder (can be thrown at opponent at start of combat, hit after successful Skill test for 1D6 damage), Torch (x2), Lantern, Skins of Oil (x2), Oil of Lotus, Crystal Pyramid
Provisions: 8
Gold: 3
Extra Lives remaining: 1
[/spoiler]

[Queen of Swords]

And of course our companion is killed off (though in the picture, he looks like he's bronc riding, Stetson hat, free hand raised and all).

Investigate the ruins, always.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Jerran died almost identically to Mungo.

I like Boris O’Connell as a name.

Go investigate the ruins.

[Thaluikhain]

Do our provision restore 4 stamina normally? If so, instead of eating 2 provisions to stop a 4 stamina loss, we can go hungry, take the damage and eat 1 provision to get it back. Not saying we should, just that Green should have thought of that.

And of course our companion is killed off (though in the picture, he looks like he's bronc riding, Stetson hat, free hand raised and all).

Huh, he does,

Anyway, investigate.

[JourneymanN00b]

Yes, I vote to investigate the ruins as well.

[SGamerz]

With no rules for companions in the beginning instructions, it was always highly doubtful that Jerran was going to last anywhere near the endgame, but yeah, this was the closest thing to the original "Mungo treatment" of doomed companions since...well, Mungo, I think, The circumstances, amount of time/encounters lasted, etc, are close to identical.

Do our provision restore 4 stamina normally? If so, instead of eating 2 provisions to stop a 4 stamina loss, we can go hungry, take the damage and eat 1 provision to get it back. Not saying we should, just that Green should have thought of that.

This is something that has been done in a lot of prior books, so Green was mainly just using what was almost becoming a tradition in the later half of the series. The point is that we can't choose not to eat if we have meals and we need to spend extra meals for any STAMINA recovery. In another sense, it means that meals don't restore any STAMINA at all if you eat when you're already starving. It doesn't matter if you skip your regular meal time and eat 2 hours or 1 day later than you normally do, you'll still be starving then, and meals just stop the STAMINA leak. I guess the authors can make it even more realistic by making you lose STAMINA at escalating rate for every continuous meal you skip so that if you skip 3 meals you lose 10 STAMINA instead of 6, but with so many meatgrinders in the later part of the series I think I'm grateful that they didn't go that route. (Or they can just forgo the headache and do what Livingstone did, and stop giving you Provisions entirely.)

You scramble down' the slope until you are standing in the sandy arena in front of the platform. The façade of the low building is decorated with the busts of people - or possibly of gods - standing in recessed alcoves.

"Who dares trespass in the Theatre of the Gods?"

The booming voice makes you jump almost out of your skin in surprise. The words echo around among the empty tiers of seats, but the voice itself seems to be coming from a dark doorway in the front of the building. What will you do now? Will you:

Answer, apologizing for trespassing?
Answer, demanding that the owner of the voice show himself?
Say nothing and approach the doorway?
Leave the Theatre of the Gods and continue your quest?

(Also, now that there's finally more than 1 voter in favour of a suggested name, Boris O’Connell is now the official name of our hero.)

Adventure Sheet:
[spoiler]Name: Boris O’Connell
SKILL 12/12
STAMINA 14/18
LUCK 12/12
Poison: 0/18
Equipment: Sword, backpack, Rope and Grapple, Brass Telescope, Firepowder (can be thrown at opponent at start of combat, hit after successful Skill test for 1D6 damage), Torch (x2), Lantern, Skins of Oil (x2), Oil of Lotus, Crystal Pyramid
Provisions: 8
Gold: 3
Extra Lives remaining: 1
[/spoiler]

[Queen of Swords]

Try the nice approach first and apologize for trespassing.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to answer and apologize for trespassing.

[SGamerz]

A short figure appears in the open doorway, dressed in plain grey robes and wearing a mask with grotesquely exaggerated features. "What do you want of the great Cranno?" the little man booms. Will you:

Ask if he can aid you in your quest?
Ask him what he knows of the Shaman?
Attack the man?
Leave the ruined theatre?

[Queen of Swords]

We're certainly not going to just walk out, and I'd rather not jump straight to attacking a "little man" with an exaggerated sense of the dramatic.

Hopefully we're not limited to only one other option, though. Let's ask him what he knows about the Shaman.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to ask him what he knows of the Shaman, as I also do not think it wise to become a psychopath and attack the man. Yet.

[SGamerz]

"The Shaman of the Wilderlands has his abode at Spirit Rock, a league to the east. But be warned, the lands beyond here are home to all manner of primitive and inhuman tribes." You thank Cranno for his information (make a note of Cranno's Warning on your Adventure Sheet). Now will you ask him whether he can aid you on your quest, or will you leave the theatre without further delay?

[JourneymanN00b]

Okay, now I vote to ask him whether he can aid our hero on his quest to see if we can get him killed like almost all the other Fighting Fantasy companions that we have encountered in the past adventures.

[Thaluikhain]

Ask for aid.

Also this is rather reminiscent of Perseus meeting Ammon in the 1981 film, Clash of the Titans.

[Queen of Swords]

Yes, ask if he can aid us.

[SGamerz]

You give Cranno a brief outline of your mission without revealing too many important details. "Indeed I may," he says, removing the mask and revealing himself to be middle-aged, grey-haired and balding. He leads you through a doorway into the stone building; you find yourself in a long room, full of pieces of faded scenery and other theatrical props. "You know, I used to be one of the greatest actors Allansia has ever seen," Cranno says. "I have played all the great parts: Duke Merion of Kallamehr, Quor the Sorcerer, Vorga the Pirate Lord. You understand I mean no harm really, what with the mask and dramatic performance. I just prefer to spend my retirement away from unappreciative audiences." You are startled to see a huge Sabre-toothed Tiger pad over to the actor and lick his hand. "Don't mind Cleomina," Cranno adds. "She's perfectly loyal. Anyway, about my aiding you, I've collected a number of interesting pieces; I would gladly swap some trinket you may possess for two of these items." Cranno would like any one of the following: a Brass Telescope, a Healing Draught, some Oil of Lotus or a Crystal Pyramid. In return, you may choose two items from the list below if you decide to trade. Having chosen your items, turn to the paragraph relevant to each object to find out more about your new possessions.

Papyrus Scroll
Carved Bone Horn
Old Lamp
Statuette of a god
Large Bronze Key
Sealed Black Bottle

When you have finished here, you thank Cranno for his help and leave the ruined Theatre of the Gods.

We have 3 items that he may want (telescope, oil, pyramid), with which we may trade for all the listed items, but of course you may not wish to trade all of them away. Please specify which items you wish to trade away and which items you wish to get in return!

[Queen of Swords]

OK, looking at the things he has to trade...

Papyrus Scroll - likely to be something the ancient Djaratians might have used, so this gets a definite vote.
Carved Bone Horn - not sure what good this would do.
Old Lamp - might contain a genie, but then again, might not, and we already have light sources.
Statuette of a god - could be useful, like the statuette in Masks of Mayhem, if it's one of the gods the Djaratians worshipped.
Large Bronze Key - may or may not be useful.
Sealed Black Bottle - not sure what good this would do.

So my votes are for the scroll and the statuette, and I'll trade the telescope for them. The telescope sounds like the least likely item to be necessary once we're actually inside a pyramid anyway.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to take the Papyrus Scroll as one of the two items, as it probably contains a useful spell or a key clue. Due to my uncertainty, I am only giving a half vote for the Statuette of a god, since I could see the old lamp and large bronze key potentially being useful, especially if the former has a genie. I also give a half vote on the crystal pyramid to trade out, as a telescope still seems useful on the hero's journey to the pyramid.