[Let's Play] Fighting Fantasy 17 - Appointment with F.E.A.R. (Take 2)

[SGamerz]

When you arrive at the house, a young boy opens the door. "Wow!" he gasps. "The Silver Crusader' come to see us! Er...if you want to see my dad, he's not in. But you can come in, anyway." You explain that it is him you want to see and you ask whether he's had any interesting dreams recently. He tells you about this 'really neat' one he's just had about a huge green monster rising out of the fountain and attacking people. Your suspicions were correct. This is the 'Brain Child' you were warned about. His dreams are so vivid that they actually come to life. His mother appears and you explain the situation. She will see that he is taken to a hospital immediately for treatment. You have saved the city from any number of possible disasters here. Add 3 Hero Points. His mother tells you that her son sometimes has premonitions of the future. He was talking the other day about something that might be important. Apparently a man in control of wild animals was using them to get some sort of revenge. He had a secret room under a lion's cage with a special trapdoor leading from it. With this information you can search for such a secret room, if you arrive at a lion's cage, by adding 50 to the reference you are on at the time and turning to this new reference. You may add 1 LUCK point for this information. Leave when you are ready and return to Radd Square.

I'm not sure how the hospital can even know how to treat this particular ailment. A more conventional story in Superhero comics is for another superhero/mutant with such powers to take the boy under his wing and teach him how to control his powers and potentially groom him into a more powerful successor to himself. Especially considering this Silver Crusader also has psychic powers himself, that's kind of a missed opportunity.

You leave the square to head for work. If only things were that easy. The Radd Square crowd has now focused its attention on you, and those papers and pencil ae once more being thrust into your face. A weasel-faced man catches your eye: 'Psst! Hey, you, Crusader! Over here." He looks a little suspicious and is holding a pencil and paper too. Will you go over and see what he has to say, or will you do your public duty and sigh autographs for the crowd?

Wait, why is it our 'public duty' do waste time signing autographs? I understand celebrity artistes having to do that because their fans are their main revenue source, but surely we have better things to do? Why don't we have the option to just ignore them and go to work?

Adventure Sheet:
[spoiler]Name: Jean Lafayette
SKILL 11/11
STAMINA 17/23
LUCK 6/7
Super Power: Psi-Powers
Hero Points: 11
Clues:
1) A young boy, Timothy Grant, known as the Brain Child, has extremely vivid dreams which seem to come true In certain instances. He lives on 100th Street.
2) Daddy Rich, an eccentric millionaire who has everything money could buy, gets his kicks by murdering innocent victims and revels in their fear. He has very expensive tastes and lives in a penthouse apartment at 113, 58th Street.
3) Man wearing gold watch is trying to keep some dark secret from the Silver Crusader that involves a pawnbroker's shop that is next to a diner.
4) A man in control of wild animals is using them to get some sort of revenge. He has a secret room under a lion's cage. Add 50 to the reference we are on at the time when we arrive at a lion's cage and turn to new reference to find the secret room.
No. of failures thus far: 0
[/spoiler]

[Queen of Swords]

Go over and see what the man has to say.

[Thaluikhain]

See what weasel man has to say.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Yeah, talk to the weasel faced man.

[SGamerz]

The Silver Crusader goes to find out what the man has to say, although I think the players already know, since we'd been down this branch in an alternate universe where the superhero has another superpower.

The man draws you down an alley. ‘Crusader, baby. Hi! Look, my name’s Rat-face Flanagan. I ain’t got much time to talk. Gotta get going. Here, read this. See ya …’ You take the note he thrusts into your hand and read the message: ‘There will be an assassination attempt on the President during his visit to Titan City. A decoy will be planted in the crowd. The real killer will be on the roof of the Regent Hotel.’ This is an important lead and you may add 1 LUCK point for finding it. When the President is due to arrive, add 100 to the reference you are on at the time and turn to this new reference to apprehend the killer. Looks as though Rat-face is trying to get even with someone. Now you had better be on your way to work.

Let's hope the Silver Crusader of this alternate timeline will put this clue to better use than the other one! LUCK is back at max, so at least it's now only mediocre instead of terrible!

‘Lafayette! Get in here at once!’ No sooner had you stepped through the office door than Jonah Whyte’s booming voice summoned you. You creep into his office, mumbling scanty excuses for being late yet again. ‘Enough!’ he hells. ‘What do you think we are running here? A charity? Do you suppose I should be grateful that you even grace us with your presence? Very noble of you indeed to even bother coming in at all! Well, I tell you what. I’m feeling kind today. You can have the rest of the day off. Without pay! And if you’re not in first thing tomorrow morning, you can start looking for another job!’ You slink out of his office with your tail between your legs. How can you tell him what you’ve been doing? And now you’ve been suspended for a day. Where will you go? Will you spend the day at Wisneyland, the amusement park, or will you go downtown to do some shopping?

Another choice we may be familiar with. Amusement park again, or shopping this time?

EDIT: Apparently I forgot to deduct 2 STAMINA for using our power to knock out the gun-wielding kid earlier, so STAMINA now adjusted below.

Adventure Sheet:
[spoiler]Name: Jean Lafayette
SKILL 11/11
STAMINA 15/23
LUCK 7/7
Super Power: Psi-Powers
Hero Points: 11
Clues:
1) A young boy, Timothy Grant, known as the Brain Child, has extremely vivid dreams which seem to come true In certain instances. He lives on 100th Street.
2) Daddy Rich, an eccentric millionaire who has everything money could buy, gets his kicks by murdering innocent victims and revels in their fear. He has very expensive tastes and lives in a penthouse apartment at 113, 58th Street.
3) Man wearing gold watch is trying to keep some dark secret from the Silver Crusader that involves a pawnbroker's shop that is next to a diner.
4) A man in control of wild animals is using them to get some sort of revenge. He has a secret room under a lion's cage. Add 50 to the reference we are on at the time when we arrive at a lion's cage and turn to new reference to find the secret room.
5) There will be an assassination attempt on the President during his visit to Titan City. A decoy will be planted in the crowd. The real killer will be on the roof of the Regent Hotel. Add 100 to the reference we are on at the time when the President is due to arrive and turn to this new reference to apprehend the killer.
No. of failures thus far: 0
[/spoiler]

[Queen of Swords]

I can't remember if there was a lion exhibit at the amusement part, but regardless, I'll go for the amusement park.

[Thaluikhain]

That makes sense.

(Also, we get a day off for not being at work? Ok)

[SGamerz]

(Also, we get a day off for not being at work? Ok)

It's a suspension without pay, not quite the same as day off.

Wisneyland is swarming with holiday-makers enjoying their day out at the amusement park. The smell of candy-floss and hot dogs hangs in the air and, as you stroll about, youngsters clutching stuffed animals run laughing past you. Screams of delight from roller-coaster riders turning through the corkscrew break through the general hubbub. You are going to enjoy yourself today. Which ride do you want to try:

The Big Dipper?
The Fun House?
The Dodgems?

No lion exhibition, unfortunately. Which ride do we try this time?

[Darth Rabbitt]

Try the Dodgems, since I seem to recall from last time that neither of the other two offered any clues.

[Queen of Swords]

Sure, might as well try the Dodgems.

[SGamerz]

To the beat of loud disco music, cars are circling round the track bashing into one another and causing hoots of laughter for their drivers. Your own car, Blue 7, seems to be a little slower than the rest, but you nevertheless get a couple of satisfying head-ons before your eyes catch sight of the danger...A young boy driving Red 14 is smashed in the side by Yellow 3. The collision knocks him sideways and out of his car on to the metal mat of the track in front of you. The driver of Purple 10, who was just lining up a head-on collision with you, screams and throws her hands up in the air as she sees the danger. The boy is lying right between your two cars! How quick are your reactions? Can you avert the collision about to crush the boy? Roll two dice and compare the total with your SKILL score. If the total exceeds your SKILL, turn to 388. Otherwise turn to 234.

Dice roll = 9.

You react immediately and swing the wheel full circle, taking your foot off the pedal at the same time. Your car lurches and stops dead. Although you have avoided hitting the boy, the woman in Purple 10 does not have the same speed of reaction. Her car hits the boy, who drops unconscious to the ground. The power stops immediately and a crowd of people, led by the boy's shrieking mother, flood on to the track. The boy is still breathing. An ambulance arrives to take him to the hospital. You are feeling somewhat shocked by the near-disaster and decide you have had enough of Wisneyland for the day.

This encounter is weird in that the player doesn't gain or lose anything no matter what he rolls (not even the ornamental Hero Points). If he fails the SKILL roll, the boy dies, but nothing else happens to affect gameplay in anyway, although I'm sure most players will be more relieved to read that they manage to avoid killing a kid.

Where are you heading as soon as you leave Wisneyland? Will you make your way downtown to do some shopping, or go home. If you decide to go home, you may either want to rest for the evening, in which case you may gain 6 STAMINA points, or you may wish to sacrifice STAMINA gain and spend the evening at the theatre if you can get a ticket for tonight’s performance of ‘Rats’.

[Darth Rabbitt]

I’ll have to ask after we finish this book whether or not anything can actually be gained from the amusement park.

Anyhow, go see Rats. I remember we found some good stuff there.

[Queen of Swords]

Sure, go see Rats.

[SGamerz]

You are in luck. A ticket for tonight’s performance has just been handed in. It is not the best seat in the house, but you get a good view of the show. It is all about a group of rats who live in a rubbish tip and sing to each other for amusement. A rather peculiar plot, you think, but you are particularly taken by the star, Lola Manche. In the last scene, as she is singing the title song, the show is interrupted. At first you thought this character in a serpent’s costume was part of the show. But when he picks her up in mid-song and runs off the stage, you realize that she has been kidnapped! You find a dark corner in the back of the theatre and change costume. Will you wait outside the theatre for the kidnapper to make his escape, or follow him backstage? You may remember your resolution and decide against intervening. If you will simply leave things be and go home, turn to 79.

[Queen of Swords]

Follow him backstage.

[SGamerz]

You rush across the stage and disappear into one of the wings after the kidnapper. Stairs lead down to the dressing-rooms. At the foot of the stairs are three rooms. Room number one has two stars on the door. The door to room number two has one star and is slightly ajar. Room number three has no stars on it. Which will you try:

Room number one?
Room number two?
Room number three?

[Darth Rabbitt]

I think Room number 3 got us some clues last time, so go with that.

[SGamerz]

You enter the room and interrupt a struggle. Lola Manche is punching and kicking her would-be kidnapper, who is attempting to push her out of the window to escape from the theatre! Judging by the mess all around the dressing-room – clothes are strewn about and jars of make-up lie broken on the floor – the struggle has been going on for some time, but the Serpent has almost succeeded in getting her through the window. You must leap in quickly before it is too late:

THE SERPENT SKILL 8 STAMINA 8

The Serpent has a powerful secret weapon – his poisonous bite. Each time he hits you, roll one die. A roll of 1 or 2 indicates a bite and the poison will take effect. Deduct 1 SKILL point each time you are bitten. However, the effects of the bite are only temporary. You will recover your SKILL after one full day. If you defeat the villain, turn to 432.

COMBAT LOG:
The Serpent 17, Silver Crusader 16. Poison roll 4 (not poisoned). Silver Crusader is at 13.
TS 16, SC 18. TS is at 6.
TS 17, SC 15. Poison roll 2 (poisoned!). Silver Crusader is at 11 STAMINA and 10 SKILL.
TS 13, SC 15. TS is at 4.
TS 14, SC 16. TS is at 2 and gives in.

Silver Crusader regains his lost SKILL point after the combat.

As the young starlet picks himself up and thanks you, the Serpent moans and pleads for mercy. He can offer you some information and wants to do a deal. He will tell you what he knows if you will release him. But you have sworn to uphold justice and can agree to no such deal. You explain that you can only suggest that helping you by relating this information may make the judge a little easier on him. Reluctantly he agrees. He tells you two pieces of information. First of all, you learn that the Creature of Carnage is in fact Illya Karpov, a known agent of F.E.A.R. Also he has heard that there will be an assassination attempt on the life of the President when he visits Titan City. The killer will be hiding on the roof of the Regent Hotel. If you decide to watch the President’s arrival, add 100 to the reference you are on when you arrive to apprehend the assassin. You may add 2 LUCK points for this information. After you have handed him over to the police, turn to 79. You may add 2 Hero Points for rescuing Lola Manche.

The president assassination clue is one that we got twice...which is exactly like in the alternative timeline/last LP.

After a good night’s sleep, you set off for work the next morning. To your great relief, your Crimewatch does not sound at all and you actually arrive before Jonah Whyte, who is astounded to find you hard at work when he arrives. You may add 2 LUCK points, as the danger of losing your job has now passed. At five o’clock, you leave. Will you change into the Silver Crusader and visit police headquarters to find out why so little has been happening on the crime front all day, or will you pay a surprise visit on your aunt who lives out in the suburbs?

Unfortunately, the "good night's sleep" does not restore any STAMINA. But then the text actually did warn us that we'll be forgoing the STAMINA restore if we choose to hang out late at night for the theatre show.

Adventure Sheet:
[spoiler]Name: Jean Lafayette
SKILL 11/11
STAMINA 11/23
LUCK 7/7
Super Power: Psi-Powers
Hero Points: 13
Clues:
1) A young boy, Timothy Grant, known as the Brain Child, has extremely vivid dreams which seem to come true In certain instances. He lives on 100th Street.
2) Daddy Rich, an eccentric millionaire who has everything money could buy, gets his kicks by murdering innocent victims and revels in their fear. He has very expensive tastes and lives in a penthouse apartment at 113, 58th Street.
3) Man wearing gold watch is trying to keep some dark secret from the Silver Crusader that involves a pawnbroker's shop that is next to a diner.
4) A man in control of wild animals is using them to get some sort of revenge. He has a secret room under a lion's cage. Add 50 to the reference we are on at the time when we arrive at a lion's cage and turn to new reference to find the secret room.
5) There will be an assassination attempt on the President during his visit to Titan City. A decoy will be planted in the crowd. The real killer will be on the roof of the Regent Hotel. Add 100 to the reference we are on at the time when the President is due to arrive and turn to this new reference to apprehend the killer.
6) The Creature of Carnage is Illya Karpov, a known agent of F.E.A.R.
No. of failures thus far: 0
[/spoiler]

[Darth Rabbitt]

Visit police headquarters; I vividly recall last play through that our aunt’s place was a bust.

[Queen of Swords]

Police headquarters sounds like a good idea.

[SGamerz]

Lieutenant Wojak shakes your hand enthusiastically as you enter police headquarters. "Crusader! Hi! Good to see you. Come into my office..." He tells you that, apart from the usual muggings, break-ins and auto-thefts, he has just had some disturbing news. There has been a well-organized jail break at Woodworms Scrubs, the high-security prison. Marcus Buletta, who was serving a fourteen-year sentence, climbed over the wall with a rope ladder and escaped in a waiting van disguised as an ambulance. Also, Central Hospital has just reported a strange admission, someone named Winston Woods, whose head and hands are rough and hairy, like those of a great ape. Do you wish to investigate the strange case at the hospital, will you go shopping, or will you tell the police to keep you informed and go visit your aunt?

What, no option to go investigate the jailbreak? That's actually the only confirmed crime!

[Queen of Swords]

The hospital, I guess. Seems more interesting than the other two options.

[SGamerz]

You arrive at Central Hospital and ask at the desk about the strange admission. You are regarded suspiciously and one nurse, turning her nose up, says: "Why do you want to know? Are you one of those gutter-press reporters?" You show her the emblem on the chest of your costume, but she is unimpressed. Finally, a police officer fills you in. "Yeah, I know ho you're looking for, Crusader. Something strange going on there if you ask me. But the guy died an hour ago. He's gone down to the morgue." There's not much more you can do here. Will you leave and head for your aunt's, or do you want to check the morgue anyway?

[Darth Rabbitt]

Check the morgue.

[Queen of Swords]

Since we're here, might as well go down to the morgue.