[Let's Play] Fighting Fantazine Adventure 5: Bones of the Banished
Posted: Wed May 17, 2023 11:25 pm
Default Fighting Fantasy rules:
You have three stats: Skill, Stamina, and Luck. Initial Skill is generated by rolling 1d6+6. Initial Stamina is generated by rolling 2d6+12. And Initial Luck is generated by rolling 1d6+6. Your Skill, Stamina, and Luck start out equal to their Initial values, and can never exceed their Initial values; some rare bonuses will increase the Initial value as well as or instead of the current value.
When told to Test your Skill, roll 2d6. If the result is lower than or equal to your current Skill, you succeed; if it is higher, you fail.
When told to Test your Luck, roll 2d6. If the result is lower than or equal to your current Luck, you succeed; if it is higher, you fail. Either way, reduce your current Luck by 1 afterward. For obvious reasons, it is advantageous to only Test your Luck if you have to.
Most enemies you encounter will have their own Skill and Stamina scores. One-on-one combat works like this:
Each round, you roll 2d6 and add the result to your Skill to get your Attack Strength. The enemy rolls 2d6 and adds the result to their Skill to get their Attack Strength. If one of you has higher Attack Strength, the other one loses two Stamina. If both Attack Strengths are the same, both of you have avoided damage. When one reaches 0 Stamina, that one is dead.
Immediately after you win an Attack Round, you may choose to Test your Luck. If you succeed, you do a further 2 points of damage to the enemy. If you fail, the enemy gets one point of Stamina back (it turns out your hit was just a graze).
Immediately after you lose an Attack Round (before you die, if the Attack Round brought you to 0 Stamina), you may choose to Test your Luck. If you succeed, you get one point of Stamina back (the wound was just a graze). If you fail, you take 1 more point of damage.
Combat against multiple opponents works like this:
Each round, you designate which opponent you are attacking. Then you roll for your Attack Strength as if you were fighting single combats with each of however many opponents you are facing (so if you are fighting five enemies, you generate five separate Attack Strengths for yourself). Each of them rolls for their Attack Strength normally.
If your Attack Strength is higher than your chosen target’s, they lose 2 Stamina (can be increased by Luck as normal). You have no chance of wounding any other opponent that round.
For each Attack Strength higher than yours, you lose 2 Stamina (can be decreased by Luck as normal).
PROVISIONS
By default, the PC starts with ten Meals worth of unspecified Provisions. Eating a Meal without being told it’s a requirement will cure 4 Stamina points worth of damage. If a gamebook says “you must eat a Meal now,” that Meal heals no damage, and if the PC is out of Provisions and cannot eat, they take damage instead. Whether eating Provisions is at will or only when a gamebook specifies that the PC can eat if they wish to varies from gamebook to gamebook.
POTIONS
By default, the PC starts with one of three potions. A Potion of Dexterity will restore Skill to its Initial score. A Potion of Strength will restore Stamina to its Initial score. A Potion of Fortune will increase Initial Luck by 1 and then restore Luck to its new Initial score.
Individual Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks may change any of those rules.
SPECIFIC RULES FOR THIS BOOK
You begin with a rucksack which will hold a total of 10 items. At the beginning it holds 5 meals (each of which counts as an item). You can eat whenever you are not in battle, but only one meal per section.
You have a sharp flint-tipped dagger, which you wear at your waist when not using it (so it doesn't need a slot in your rucksack).
You have no potions or other items.
This one does have a few bugs, which I will be fixing, one in this first entry.
BACKGROUND
Life is hard on the Plain of Bones, deep in the south-west of Allansia. For as long as anyone can remember, your people have dwelt in the village of Boneridge, battling both the elements and the gigantic beasts that stalk the plains. Despite only just having reached the age of adulthood, you are an experienced hunter and a vital member of the tribe. Each day you must venture out into the unforgiving wilderness to hunt down food for your people. Failure to return with a kill may mean starvation for the tribe. Despite the relentless conditions, the Boneridge tribe has managed to eke out an existence, bound together under the leadership and courage of your warrior-chieftain, Ngodo. It was therefore a devastating blow to your people when a tragic accident claimed his life. Three days ago Ngodo was out on a hunt with his fellow warriors, sitting astride his lifelong companion, the horned beast known as Longspike. The chieftain was tossed from his saddle by his once-faithful mount, tumbling over a cliff to his death. Longspike escaped into the wilderness, leaving the warriors to recover the broken body of their leader and return to the village.
Lost without a clear leader, your people turned to Valgrek, the village shaman, for guidance. The aged soothsayer retired to his tent to seek counsel with the spirits of your ancestors. For an entire day and night the village echoed with the unearthly chatter of the dead as Valgrek communed with the spirit world. Finally he emerged from his tent and declared to the gathered crowd that a new chieftain must be selected from among the tribesfolk. The ancient Rite of Banishment must be performed.
Gasps ripple through the crowd; the ancient rite has not been invoked for many generations. But since Ngodo died without leaving an heir, there can be no other way. All eligible adults, including you, gather your weapons and provisions and assemble at the edge of the village. Valgrek silences the crowd with a wave of his gnarled hand.
‘Our beloved ancestors have spoken the truth – the Rite of Banishment must commence. Each of you has been tasked with proving yourself worthy of leading our people, but only one will succeed. Strength, bravery, and resilience – these are the virtues by which you will be judged. Go now into the wild and seek the mightiest trophy; be it horn, claw, eye or tail; and return within one moon. The one who returns with the greatest prize will be proven worthy. Until then, you are hereby exiled from the tribe!’
The candidates begin to depart the village. Your duty is clear – venture out into the wilderness, track and kill the most fearsome creature you can find, and return with a trophy worthy of a chieftain. As the Plain of Bones is infamous for its colossal lizards and bloodthirsty monsters, finding such a beast should prove no problem!
Before you leave, you make a quick check of your belongings. Tucked into your belt is a flint-tipped Dagger. Your rucksack holds five Provisions, more than enough to last you the two days of banishment. Make a note of these items on your Adventure Sheet. You also have the choice of taking either a Rope, a Torch, or a Javelin with you (but not more than one). The Rope will be useful should you do any climbing, the Torch will be invaluable at night or in a cave, and the Javelin will be useful should you need to throw a weapon at an enemy.
A few warriors remain, still finalising their preparation. The women, children and the elderly have gathered a short distance away, tearfully waving off their partners, fathers and sons.
So, as you can see, your tribe is sexist enough that a potential chieftain can only be male, but vote on name, whether to take a rope, a torch, or a javelin, and where to distribute dice for your three stats: 5, 4, 2, 1. Then vote on whether to start off by:
Waste no time and head off immediately?
Talk to Paru, your childhood friend?
Talk to Wanushu, the tribe's greatest hunter?
Talk to Ogmil, Valgrek's apprentice?
Talk to Kuwi, a close friend?
Adventure Sheet
Name: ??
Sex: Male
Skill: ?/?
Stamina: ??/??
Luck: ?/?
Weapon: Dagger
Rucksack contents: 5 provisions
Trophies:
Deaths:
You have three stats: Skill, Stamina, and Luck. Initial Skill is generated by rolling 1d6+6. Initial Stamina is generated by rolling 2d6+12. And Initial Luck is generated by rolling 1d6+6. Your Skill, Stamina, and Luck start out equal to their Initial values, and can never exceed their Initial values; some rare bonuses will increase the Initial value as well as or instead of the current value.
When told to Test your Skill, roll 2d6. If the result is lower than or equal to your current Skill, you succeed; if it is higher, you fail.
When told to Test your Luck, roll 2d6. If the result is lower than or equal to your current Luck, you succeed; if it is higher, you fail. Either way, reduce your current Luck by 1 afterward. For obvious reasons, it is advantageous to only Test your Luck if you have to.
Most enemies you encounter will have their own Skill and Stamina scores. One-on-one combat works like this:
Each round, you roll 2d6 and add the result to your Skill to get your Attack Strength. The enemy rolls 2d6 and adds the result to their Skill to get their Attack Strength. If one of you has higher Attack Strength, the other one loses two Stamina. If both Attack Strengths are the same, both of you have avoided damage. When one reaches 0 Stamina, that one is dead.
Immediately after you win an Attack Round, you may choose to Test your Luck. If you succeed, you do a further 2 points of damage to the enemy. If you fail, the enemy gets one point of Stamina back (it turns out your hit was just a graze).
Immediately after you lose an Attack Round (before you die, if the Attack Round brought you to 0 Stamina), you may choose to Test your Luck. If you succeed, you get one point of Stamina back (the wound was just a graze). If you fail, you take 1 more point of damage.
Combat against multiple opponents works like this:
Each round, you designate which opponent you are attacking. Then you roll for your Attack Strength as if you were fighting single combats with each of however many opponents you are facing (so if you are fighting five enemies, you generate five separate Attack Strengths for yourself). Each of them rolls for their Attack Strength normally.
If your Attack Strength is higher than your chosen target’s, they lose 2 Stamina (can be increased by Luck as normal). You have no chance of wounding any other opponent that round.
For each Attack Strength higher than yours, you lose 2 Stamina (can be decreased by Luck as normal).
PROVISIONS
By default, the PC starts with ten Meals worth of unspecified Provisions. Eating a Meal without being told it’s a requirement will cure 4 Stamina points worth of damage. If a gamebook says “you must eat a Meal now,” that Meal heals no damage, and if the PC is out of Provisions and cannot eat, they take damage instead. Whether eating Provisions is at will or only when a gamebook specifies that the PC can eat if they wish to varies from gamebook to gamebook.
POTIONS
By default, the PC starts with one of three potions. A Potion of Dexterity will restore Skill to its Initial score. A Potion of Strength will restore Stamina to its Initial score. A Potion of Fortune will increase Initial Luck by 1 and then restore Luck to its new Initial score.
Individual Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks may change any of those rules.
SPECIFIC RULES FOR THIS BOOK
You begin with a rucksack which will hold a total of 10 items. At the beginning it holds 5 meals (each of which counts as an item). You can eat whenever you are not in battle, but only one meal per section.
You have a sharp flint-tipped dagger, which you wear at your waist when not using it (so it doesn't need a slot in your rucksack).
You have no potions or other items.
This one does have a few bugs, which I will be fixing, one in this first entry.
BACKGROUND
Life is hard on the Plain of Bones, deep in the south-west of Allansia. For as long as anyone can remember, your people have dwelt in the village of Boneridge, battling both the elements and the gigantic beasts that stalk the plains. Despite only just having reached the age of adulthood, you are an experienced hunter and a vital member of the tribe. Each day you must venture out into the unforgiving wilderness to hunt down food for your people. Failure to return with a kill may mean starvation for the tribe. Despite the relentless conditions, the Boneridge tribe has managed to eke out an existence, bound together under the leadership and courage of your warrior-chieftain, Ngodo. It was therefore a devastating blow to your people when a tragic accident claimed his life. Three days ago Ngodo was out on a hunt with his fellow warriors, sitting astride his lifelong companion, the horned beast known as Longspike. The chieftain was tossed from his saddle by his once-faithful mount, tumbling over a cliff to his death. Longspike escaped into the wilderness, leaving the warriors to recover the broken body of their leader and return to the village.
Lost without a clear leader, your people turned to Valgrek, the village shaman, for guidance. The aged soothsayer retired to his tent to seek counsel with the spirits of your ancestors. For an entire day and night the village echoed with the unearthly chatter of the dead as Valgrek communed with the spirit world. Finally he emerged from his tent and declared to the gathered crowd that a new chieftain must be selected from among the tribesfolk. The ancient Rite of Banishment must be performed.
Gasps ripple through the crowd; the ancient rite has not been invoked for many generations. But since Ngodo died without leaving an heir, there can be no other way. All eligible adults, including you, gather your weapons and provisions and assemble at the edge of the village. Valgrek silences the crowd with a wave of his gnarled hand.
‘Our beloved ancestors have spoken the truth – the Rite of Banishment must commence. Each of you has been tasked with proving yourself worthy of leading our people, but only one will succeed. Strength, bravery, and resilience – these are the virtues by which you will be judged. Go now into the wild and seek the mightiest trophy; be it horn, claw, eye or tail; and return within one moon. The one who returns with the greatest prize will be proven worthy. Until then, you are hereby exiled from the tribe!’
The candidates begin to depart the village. Your duty is clear – venture out into the wilderness, track and kill the most fearsome creature you can find, and return with a trophy worthy of a chieftain. As the Plain of Bones is infamous for its colossal lizards and bloodthirsty monsters, finding such a beast should prove no problem!
Before you leave, you make a quick check of your belongings. Tucked into your belt is a flint-tipped Dagger. Your rucksack holds five Provisions, more than enough to last you the two days of banishment. Make a note of these items on your Adventure Sheet. You also have the choice of taking either a Rope, a Torch, or a Javelin with you (but not more than one). The Rope will be useful should you do any climbing, the Torch will be invaluable at night or in a cave, and the Javelin will be useful should you need to throw a weapon at an enemy.
A few warriors remain, still finalising their preparation. The women, children and the elderly have gathered a short distance away, tearfully waving off their partners, fathers and sons.
So, as you can see, your tribe is sexist enough that a potential chieftain can only be male, but vote on name, whether to take a rope, a torch, or a javelin, and where to distribute dice for your three stats: 5, 4, 2, 1. Then vote on whether to start off by:
Waste no time and head off immediately?
Talk to Paru, your childhood friend?
Talk to Wanushu, the tribe's greatest hunter?
Talk to Ogmil, Valgrek's apprentice?
Talk to Kuwi, a close friend?
Adventure Sheet
Name: ??
Sex: Male
Skill: ?/?
Stamina: ??/??
Luck: ?/?
Weapon: Dagger
Rucksack contents: 5 provisions
Trophies:
Deaths: