[Let's Play] Fighting Fantasy 56 – Knights of Doom

[Beroli]

Don't banish it or flee until we know what it is. We came here because we were looking for not-an-enemy right now, right? Prepare to fight, and hopefully also prepare to not-fight.

[SGamerz]

Yeah, don't banish, prepare to fight if it turns out to be hostile.

[Queen of Swords]

Agreed, don't banish, but prepare to defend ourselves.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes registered; Belushi Jackson will prepare to fight.

304
Just as you are unsheathing your weapon, the apparition cries out, ‘No!’ You pause, then see that the ghost is that of an ageing priest. Sensing its goodness, you listen as it speaks to you: ‘My name is Guildas and I was once the priest of Myrton. I have been dead for many decades, as has the foul Necromage. There is sickness in the land and this has caused his return. While he lives, none here may rest in peace. A courageous knight lies to the south and may have weapons that would help you defeat the undead lord who reigns here. To find the Necromage, speak his name before the Door of Skulls. Now go and free the poor souls enslaved by him.’ With that, the ghost fades from view. If you ever find yourself in front of the Door of Skulls, and you know the Necromage’s name, convert it into a number using the code, A=1, B=2, C=3 … Z = 26. Total the numbers which correspond to the letters in his name, then multiply the total by five and turn to the paragraph with that number. Without further hesitation, will you look for the knight’s tomb by going south (turn to 361) or will you follow the western passage (turn to 391)?

Please make your votes before 6:00 PM PST to be sure that they will be counted.

Adventure Sheet
[spoiler]Belushi Jackson
SKILL: 12 Initial Skill = 12
STAMINA: 17 Initial Stamina = 24
LUCK: 9 Initial Luck = 12
SPECIAL SKILLS:
Battle Tactics
Ride
Tracking
Arcane Lore
Banish Spirit
HONOUR: 8
TIME ELAPSED: 5 days
WEAPON: Assassin’s Dagger
GOLD PIECES: 17
EQUIPMENT AND NOTES:
Chainmail Coat
Horse named Firemane
Backpack
2 Provisions
Lantern
Tinderbox
Purse
Aranandus’s Restorative Potion (two tots, restores STAMINA to Initial level)
Griffin Shield (-1 to enemy Attack Strength)
Helmet of Ventarc
Ironbane (Roll 1 die against armored opponent before combat, 1-2 destroys enemy armor, 3-4 reduces enemy SKILL by 3 if enemy has an iron weapon, 5-6 destroys enemy armor and reduces enemy SKILL by 3 if enemy has an iron weapon)
Great Boar’s Tusks
Nroht
Ecrof
Cleric’s Talisman
Raven Charm
Ecrof
Twisted Staff
Enorc
Encountered Banshee On Paragraph 175
Eehsnab
Reduce the Skill of any undead creature in Myrton by 1 point
When at the Door of Skulls, convert Necromage’s name using the code A=1, B=2, C=3 … Z = 26, total the numbers, multiply the total by 5, and turn to that number
Necromage’s name is Cadaver
RESURRECTIONS: 3[/spoiler]

[Queen of Swords]

Look for the knight's tomb.

[Beroli]

Go south to the knight's tomb.

Also, in case I am not around to post when we reach the Door of Skulls, CADAVER times 5 is 270. Did the Necromage's parents want him to practice evil necromancy when they named him...?

[SGamerz]

South.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes registered; Belushi Jackson will look for the knight’s tomb by going south.

361
Entering a chamber at the end of the tunnel, you behold a scene of destruction and desecration. The crypt is full of stone coffins but every single one of them has been broken open, and the bodies inside are missing – every one, that is, except for a sarcophagus resting on a plinth at the end of the chamber. Do you want to open and search this last coffin (turn to 214), or would you rather leave this crypt and search elsewhere in the sepulchre (turn to 243 and make another choice)?

Please make your votes before 9:00 AM PST or a 4-vote majority is reached to be sure that they will be counted.

[Beroli]

Only one option here that doesn't involve leaving the knight's tomb, so, search the coffin, though I am concerned about how the knight will take it.

[Queen of Swords]

Yes, search the coffin.

[Thaluikhain]

Search coffin. The sure like "are you sure?" sections in these books.

[SGamerz]

Search the coffin.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes registered; Belushi Jackson will search this last coffin.

214
[spoiler][/spoiler]

You push against the heavy stone lid and with a grating noise it slides open. Draped over his skeleton is the uniform of a knight, bearing the insignia of a Golden Dragon. An unpleasant grey mould covers the bones; when you opened the coffin, a cloud of spores flew into the air. You cannot avoid inhaling a lungful, and you start coughing violently. The spores of the poisonous mould affect your breathing and you must lose 3 STAMINA points. If you have the word ‘Eugalp’ written on your Adventure Sheet you must lose 6 STAMINA points and 1 SKILL point instead, because the leper’s wasting disease is aggravated by the spore-cloud. When the cloud has cleared, you look into the sarcophagus to see of the dead knight has anything that may be of use to you. His weapons of war have long since rusted and are of no use to you. However, on one bony finger you notice a gold ring inscribed with the picture of a shield. Do you want to take the ring, at the risk of releasing another cloud of spores from the asphyxiating mould (turn to 131), or will you leave the crypt and search elsewhere (turn to 243 and choose again)?

Belushi Jackson does not have ‘Eugalp’ written on his Adventure Sheet.

Important Note: Because my copy does not manage to capture the coffin lid’s full inscription, the puzzle that the player is supposed to solve is in this paragraph is indecipherable, even if the player knows the runic code used to translate the runes on the coffin lid (the process of finding the code is counterintuitive and makes the adventure much harder to win under normal rules). Because of this, I will provide the translation of the coffin lid’s inscription below:

“Ever onward through the land
In the shrine the spear to find
Great was his hope when he espie
High upon a barren peak
The templar shrine that he did seek.”

Please make your votes before 6:00 PM PST to be sure that they will be counted.

Adventure Sheet
[spoiler]Belushi Jackson
SKILL: 12 Initial Skill = 12
STAMINA: 14 Initial Stamina = 24
LUCK: 9 Initial Luck = 12
SPECIAL SKILLS:
Battle Tactics
Ride
Tracking
Arcane Lore
Banish Spirit
HONOUR: 8
TIME ELAPSED: 5 days
WEAPON: Assassin’s Dagger
GOLD PIECES: 17
EQUIPMENT AND NOTES:
Chainmail Coat
Horse named Firemane
Backpack
2 Provisions
Lantern
Tinderbox
Purse
Aranandus’s Restorative Potion (two tots, restores STAMINA to Initial level)
Griffin Shield (-1 to enemy Attack Strength)
Helmet of Ventarc
Ironbane (Roll 1 die against armored opponent before combat, 1-2 destroys enemy armor, 3-4 reduces enemy SKILL by 3 if enemy has an iron weapon, 5-6 destroys enemy armor and reduces enemy SKILL by 3 if enemy has an iron weapon)
Great Boar’s Tusks
Nroht
Ecrof
Cleric’s Talisman
Raven Charm
Ecrof
Twisted Staff
Enorc
Encountered Banshee On Paragraph 175
Eehsnab
Reduce the Skill of any undead creature in Myrton by 1 point
When at the Door of Skulls, convert Necromage’s name using the code A=1, B=2, C=3 … Z = 26, total the numbers, multiply the total by 5, and turn to that number
Necromage’s name is Cadaver
RESURRECTIONS: 3[/spoiler]

[Thaluikhain]

Half vote for grave robbing the shiny gold ring.

[Queen of Swords]

Yes, take the ring.

[Beroli]

Take the ring. And hope that the inscription wasn't actually all we were supposed to come into this tomb for, but do observe that the first letter of each line spells out EIGHT.

[Thaluikhain]

Oh, well spotted there.

[SGamerz]

Take the Precious ring.

[Darth Rabbitt]

We can tank another 3 STAMINA points, engage in some grave robbing.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes registered; Belushi Jackson will take the ring, at the risk of releasing another cloud of spores from the asphyxiating mould.

131
Carefully you reach into the coffin and slide the ring from the knight’s finger. Test your Skill. If you are successful, you take the ring without disturbing the mould. If you fail, you knock the body while removing the ring and a second spore-cloud is released (lose 2 STAMINA points unless you have the word ‘Eugalp’ written down on your Adventure Sheet, in which case you must lose 4 STAMINA points). Add the Shield Ring to your possessions. There is nothing else for you here, so you leave the crypt. Turn to 243 and choose another option.

[spoiler][/spoiler]

Rolling the dice yielded a 9, which is obviously less than Belushi Jackson’s Skill, so he gets the ring without disturbing the mould. Belushi Jackson has already gone south and north upon returning to paragraph 243, so he will go west next.

391
The sickly-sweet small of decay grows stronger as you make your way along the passage and the tunnel soon opens into a small, bare chamber, littered with bones of both human and animal origin. On the opposite side of the room is a huge door of black granite, its surface covered with skulls that have been carved in high relief on the stone. This is all you have time to take in before your attention is distracted by a rattling sound. Some of the bones covering the floor are starting to move jerkily towards one another. Suddenly the bones leap into the air and join together, forming the complete skeleton of a large dog. Snarling, the charnel-house guard springs at you. If you have the Holy Strike Special Skill, you may use this righteous attack against the dog (reduce its STAMINA by 2 points and its SKILL by 1 point). If you have a Shield Ring, turn to 320.

SKELETAL DOG SKILL 7 STAMINA 6

Edged weapons, such as swords, will be deflected by the skeleton’s bones and will do only 1 point of damage to its STAMINA. Smashing and crushing weapons are not affected in this way. If you destroy the undead dog, turn to 42.

Belushi Jackson has a Shield Ring, but not the Holy Strike Special Skill.

320
As you draw your weapon, you feel a tingling sensation in the finger on which you are wearing the ring. Distracted for a moment, you look down and see a shield of golden light flicker into existence on your arm; this is powerful magic indeed. Whenever you find yourself in combat, while you are wearing the Shield Ring this magical shield will appear and protect you from an enemy’s blows (reduce your opponent’s Attack Strength by 1 point). Add 1 LUCK point and return to 391 to fight the skeletal dog.

Belushi Jackson is fighting with an edged weapon in the form of an Assassin’s Dagger.

The fight:
[spoiler]Round 1: Skeletal Dog Attack Strength: 14, Player Attack Strength: 20;
Skeletal Dog Stamina: 5, Player Stamina: 14
Round 2: Skeletal Dog Attack Strength: 11, Player Attack Strength: 20;
Skeletal Dog Stamina: 4, Player Stamina: 14
Round 3: Skeletal Dog Attack Strength: 10, Player Attack Strength: 24;
Skeletal Dog Stamina: 3, Player Stamina: 14
Round 4: Skeletal Dog Attack Strength: 10, Player Attack Strength: 21;
Skeletal Dog Stamina: 2, Player Stamina: 14
Round 5: Skeletal Dog Attack Strength: 12, Player Attack Strength: 24;
Skeletal Dog Stamina: 1, Player Stamina: 14
Round 6: Skeletal Dog Attack Strength: 12, Player Attack Strength: 22;
Skeletal Dog Stamina: 0, Player Stamina: 14 [/spoiler]

As expected, Belushi Jackson flawlessly destroys the Skeletal Dog.

42
The guardian dead, you concentrate on how you will open the great black granite door. The door has no lock or handle and you cannot see any means of opening it. Above the lintel is an inscription which you can make in the lantern-light:

Beyond this portal lies the body of the foul Necromage who brought death and sorrow to Myrton. Let not any speak his name lest his atrocities be remembered.

If you know how to pass beyond the door of skulls, do it now. If you do not, there is no way you could possibly break down the immense stone door, so you have no choice but to leave the sepulchre in failure. Turn to 7.

Belushi Jackson does know how to pass beyond the Door of Skulls, which is to convert the name Cadaver using the alphabetic code, multiplying the sum by 5, and turning to that number. As Beroli said, that number is 270, so we will turn to paragraph 270.

270
[spoiler][/spoiler]

You whisper Cadaver’s name and the great black door swings open. A blast of air escapes from the tomb chamber beyond, causing you to gag at the reeking stench. Stepping through the grim portal, you descend a flight of steps into a high-ceilinged, cavern-like chamber. Stalactites hang down and the alcoves in the walls hold gruesome statures of Demons and the undead. Standing in the middle of the room is a huge stone sarcophagus, its lid covered in strange glowing writing. As you step towards the tomb, green fire begins to play about the crack of its lid. Slowly the heavy stone slab rises into the air, then slides to the floor with a hollow boom. What you witness next is like something out of your worst nightmare. A decomposing body, still wearing the robes of a sorcerer, sits up in the stone coffin and turns to face you. A sinister smile forms on its decaying lips and a rasping hiss rises from its throat. However, more horribly, you see, protruding from the corpse’s torso below its arms, are four huge spider’s legs, covered in bristly black hairs. Trailing strands of a thick gelatinous substance, the Necromage climbs out of his sarcophagus, while you remain rooted to the spot, petrified. ‘Well, Deathssshead, it sseemss we have a vissitor.’ When the undead sorcerer speaks, a human skull, glowing with faint phosphorescence, rises from the coffin and stares at you with two jaundice-yellow eyes, its jaws clicking incessantly.

‘Bite and tear, bite and tear,’ the snapping skull jibbers as it flies towards you. The Holy Strike Special Skill will inflict 2 STAMINA points and 1 SKILL point of damage upon this adversary. Whether you use this power or not, you are going to have to fight the Necromage’s servant, Deathshead.

DEATHSHEAD       SKILL 9       STAMINA 5

If you win, turn to 116.

Belushi Jackson does not have the Holy Strike Special Skill, so he will fight the Deathshead as he is now.

The fight:
[spoiler]Round 1: Deathshead Attack Strength: 10, Player Attack Strength: 19;
Deathshead Stamina: 3, Player Stamina: 14
Round 2: Deathshead Attack Strength: 13, Player Attack Strength: 22;
Deathshead Stamina: 1, Player Stamina: 14
Round 3: Deathshead Attack Strength: 14, Player Attack Strength: 17;
Deathshead Stamina: -1, Player Stamina: 14[/spoiler]

As expected, Belushi Jackson flawlessly eradicates the Deathshead.

116
‘Ssso, mortal. You may be able to overcome my minions, but you will never destroy me. I wasss exsspelled from my grave by the foul sssicknesss that isss in the land. Now none can ssslay me.’ You were right. It is the power of Chaos that has restored the Necromage and mutated his body while in the sarcophagus. The sorcerer stalks towards you, ready to use his decaying hands as weapons. If you have the Fear of Spiders, for the duration of this battle you must reduce your Attack Strength by 1 point because of the Necromage’s arachnid form.

CADAVER       SKILL 10       STAMINA 12

If the Undead Lord wins two consecutive Attack Rounds, turn immediately to 56. If you win, turn to 199.

Belushi Jackson does not have the Fear of Spiders.

The fight:
[spoiler]Round 1: Cadaver Attack Strength: 16, Player Attack Strength: 18;
Cadaver Stamina: 10, Player Stamina: 14
Round 2: Cadaver Attack Strength: 9, Player Attack Strength: 19;
Cadaver Stamina: 8, Player Stamina: 14
Round 3: Cadaver Attack Strength: 15, Player Attack Strength: 16;
Cadaver Stamina: 6, Player Stamina: 14
Round 4: Cadaver Attack Strength: 15, Player Attack Strength: 18;
Cadaver Stamina: 4, Player Stamina: 14
Round 5: Cadaver Attack Strength: 16, Player Attack Strength: 16;
Cadaver Stamina: 4, Player Stamina: 14
Round 6: Cadaver Attack Strength: 11, Player Attack Strength: 21;
Cadaver Stamina: 2, Player Stamina: 14
Round 7: Cadaver Attack Strength: 14, Player Attack Strength: 23;
Cadaver Stamina: 0, Player Stamina: 14[/spoiler]

Belushi Jackson flawlessly exterminates the Cadaver.

199
The Necromage lets out a deathly shriek as, with your killing blow, his rotten flesh drops from his bones, which dissolve into slime. Soon all that is left of the diabolical undead sorcerer is a pool of fetid sludge. With Cadaver dead, the tormented souls under his control are free, and his undead army stops in its tracks and crumbles to dust. You have won this victory for the people of Assart! Regain 2 LUCK points and add 1 to your HONOUR score. Now all that remains for you to do is to leave the sepulchre and return to Assart. If you have the word ‘Reggad’ written down on your Adventure Sheet, turn to 249. If you haven’t, turn to 374.

Belushi Jackson does not have the word ‘Reggad’ written down on his Adventure Sheet.

374
Outside the charnel-house, you gulp in great lungfuls of air to rid yourself of the clinging stench of death and decay. Returning to Assart, you are given a hero’s welcome. The villagers’ means are not great, but they still give you a purse containing 5 Gold Pieces and Provisions enough for 3 meals, while the local wise-woman tends your wounds. Restore STAMINA points equal to half your Initial score (rounding fractions up). Then it is time for rest.

Not many hours have passed before you are woken by cock-crow, and you prepare to set off again (add 1 day to the Time Elapsed). As you mount Firemane, Ben, the forester, offers the villagers’ thanks once more and adds that, if there is anything they can do to help, you need only ask. If you wish to, you can recruit some of the villagers to fight with you against Belgaroth’s forces; you agree to meet them at the ruined outpost of Harnwatch that night, so that they have time to recover from the previous night’s struggle (write the word ‘Ecrof’ down on your Adventure Sheet if you have not done so already). Now, if you want to follow the road south towards Caer Skall, turn to 48. However, if you prefer to set off in search of Aelfgar, the legendary Elf-Spear, turn to 308.

Belushi Jackson is restored to full Stamina from the wise-woman’s care. Please make your votes on whether to recruit the villagers against Belgaroth’s forces and where to go next before 9:00 AM PST or a 4-vote majority is reached to be sure that they will be counted.

Adventure Sheet
[spoiler]Belushi Jackson
SKILL: 12 Initial Skill = 12
STAMINA: 24 Initial Stamina = 24
LUCK: 12 Initial Luck = 12
SPECIAL SKILLS:
Battle Tactics
Ride
Tracking
Arcane Lore
Banish Spirit
HONOUR: 9
TIME ELAPSED: 6 days
WEAPON: Assassin’s Dagger
GOLD PIECES: 22
EQUIPMENT AND NOTES:
Chainmail Coat
Horse named Firemane
Backpack
5 Provisions
Lantern
Tinderbox
2 Purses
Aranandus’s Restorative Potion (two tots, restores STAMINA to Initial level)
Griffin Shield (-1 to enemy Attack Strength)
Helmet of Ventarc
Ironbane (Roll 1 die against armored opponent before combat, 1-2 destroys enemy armor, 3-4 reduces enemy SKILL by 3 if enemy has an iron weapon, 5-6 destroys enemy armor and reduces enemy SKILL by 3 if enemy has an iron weapon)
Great Boar’s Tusks
Nroht
Ecrof
Cleric’s Talisman
Raven Charm
Ecrof
Twisted Staff
Enorc
Encountered Banshee On Paragraph 175
Eehsnab
Reduce the Skill of any undead creature in Myrton by 1 point
When at the Door of Skulls, convert Necromage’s name using the code A=1, B=2, C=3 … Z = 26, total the numbers, multiply the total by 5, and turn to that number
Necromage’s name is Cadaver
Shield Ring (-1 to enemy Attack Strength)
RESURRECTIONS: 3[/spoiler]

[Darth Rabbitt]

We already have the keyword from recruiting earlier so I'm not sure this one will give us any more help. Still, it doesn't seem like it costs us anything, so recruit them anyways. And go after the elf-spear. We don't seem to actually have a proper BBEG killing weapon so it should be useful.

[Queen of Swords]

Agreed, recruit them and go after the Elf-Spear.

[Beroli]

Recruit them and go after Aelfgar.

[Thaluikhain]

Recruit, and to the spear.

And that picture of the cadaver doesn't seem as scary as the description.

[SGamerz]

Recruit the villagers and go get the Spear.