[Let’s Play] Fighting Fantasy 65 – Blood of the Zombies

[SGamerz]

Sure, why not?

[Thaluikhain]

May as well.

[JourneymanN00b]

Going right received 3 votes, so No Name Nova will succumb to fascism.

207
You run down the north wing hallway, past the doors in the middle, to the staircase from which you emerged not long ago when leaving the basement. You are tempted to go back down the stairs to finish off the Zombies in the basement but decide that can wait until you have helped Amy escape from the castle. You turn left at the end of the hallway into the west wing, running all the way to the end before turning left again into the south wing, arriving at a door on your right with a sign on it marked ‘Stock Room’. Twenty metres further on the hallway ends at a glass-panelled door which leads to the castle’s main entrance gate. If you want to go into the stock room, turn to 283. If you want to walk to the door ahead, turn to 14.

Please make your votes before 9:00 AM PST or a choice receives 2 votes to guarantee that they will be counted.

[Thaluikhain]

Go into all siderooms, whether or not they are labelled Stock.

[Queen of Swords]

Agreed.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes registered; going into the stock room.

283
The door isn’t locked and you enter a small room that is fitted out with cupboards and shelves filled with boxes of tools, tins of paint, rags, brushes, cleaning materials, old gardening equipment, spades, shovels, compost bags, hosepipes, gardening gloves, sacks and miscellaneous household items that have been dumped in the room and forgotten. The one thing which catches your eye is a large brass key that is hanging on a hook by the side of the door. The words ‘Main Gate’ are written on the wall in black marker pen above the hook. You decide to take the key, slipping it into your bag. ‘Hey, look over here,’ Amy says excitedly. ‘I’ve found an electronic panel on the wall. It’s got a numeric touchpad below the display.’ If you know the code number to operate the panel, turn to that number now. If you do not know the number, there is not much you can do other than leave the stock room and turn right to open the door at the end of the hallway. Turn to 14.



No Name Nova knows the code number, which is 161.

161
You hear a grating sound as a section of wall at the back of the room slides back, leaving a gap just large enough for you to squeeze through to reach the outside world. Amy jumps for joy. ‘Yes!’ she shouts, clapping excitedly. Once outside Amy pleads with you not to go back into the castle. You reply that you have to stop Yurr before he unleashes his Zombies on the world. You reassure her that it won’t take you long to deal with the remaining Zombies and that you’ll catch up with her in no time at all. Amy stares at the ground, a single tear running down her cheek. If you possess a gold locket on a gold chain, turn to 372. If you do not have the locket, turn to 285.

No Name Nova possesses a gold locket on a gold chain.

372
You reach into your pocket and give Amy the gold locket and chain. ‘My locket! Where did you find it?’ she asks, suddenly cheerful again. ‘You don’t want to know!’ you reply, grinning. ‘Thank you. Thank you. Thank you,’ she says happily, grinning for the first time since you met her. You tell Amy it’s time for her to go and suggest that she walks along the edge of the forest, following the road, but making sure she stays out of sight of anybody driving along it. You wave goodbye, saying that you will see her soon. You go back inside the stock room and close the secret door behind you. You exit the stock room, turn left, and then walk north along the west wing before reaching the staircase at the junction with the north wing. You are about to go down the staircase to the basement when you catch sight of the telescope mounted on the table ahead. Turn to 230.

230


Crouching down to avoid being seen by the Zombies in the courtyard, you tiptoe down the hallway to reach the telescope. Pointing it at the balcony on the first floor of the east wing, you peer into the lens, focusing on the heavy machine gun mounted on the wall. You recognize it as a .30 calibre Browning, an insanely powerful rapid-firing machine gun that fires belt-fed high-calibre bullets. If only you could get your hands on it to mow down the Zombies. The French windows on the balcony suddenly open. The familiar figure of Gingrich Yurr appears as he walks to the edge. Holding a syringe full of blood in one hand and a glass of blood in the other, he screams manically at his Zombies below. They all turn and look up. Yurr stops shouting. He stands in silence for a few moments completely still, before injecting himself in the neck with the syringe and drinking the glass of blood. Your worst fears are soon realized as Yurr starts to transform into a Zombie. His skin turns grey and erupts with sores and blisters. His red-rimmed eyes turn milky white, sinking deep into their sockets. His lips split and begin to bleed. He crushes his glass in his hand, cutting his fingers badly, but doesn’t seem to care as he bellows at the sky. No longer human, he is a man possessed, spitting blood as he calls on his fellow undead to ransack the world. With the deafening sound of screaming Zombies ringing in your ears, you rush back along the hallway to escape down the staircase. Turn to 57.

57


You run down the stairs and along the gloomy basement corridor, passing the open cells and the lift before reaching the vulcanized rubber swing doors. There are small glass panels in them which you peer through to see a group of four men standing together. They are all wearing blood-spattered white laboratory coats and appear to be having a heated argument. One particularly evil-looking man seems to be very annoyed about something and keeps tapping at his clipboard whilst shouting at the other men. He has a shaved head, a patch over his left eye and a deep scar running down the left side of his face. There is a badge sewn onto his breast pocket with the name Roznik embroidered on it. The three others are Gober, Steen and Lange. But even though these are the evil scientists responsible for creating Yurr’s Zombies, you know you can’t just run in and shoot them. If you want to try to arrest the men and lock them in the cells, turn to 214. If you have a laboratory coat and want to talk to them whilst pretending you are a new assistant scientist recently hired by Yurr, turn to 380.

No Name Nova has a laboratory coat. Please make your votes before 7:00 PM PST or a choice receives 2 votes to guarantee that they will be counted.

Adventure Sheet
No Name Nova
STAMINA: 15
INFORMATION:
Username is White Rabbit
Roznik is owed $100 for blood
Secret door code is 161
DOLLARS $: 132
ITEMS AND EQUIPMENT:
‘Hendrix’ Bag
String
Small Key Stamped With ‘9’
Hack Saw
Sports Clothes
13 Boxes of Bullets
Wallet
Blacksmith’s Tongs
Yellow Notepaper Printed With ‘combination lock number: 181’
13 Boxes of Shotgun Cartridges
Steel Pulley
Brass Key Stamped With ‘111’
Tape Measure
Pair of Reading Glasses
Pocket Romanian-English Dictionary
Calculator
Car Keys
Empty Plastic Bottle
Empty Flask
Pair of Silver Frog-shaped Cufflinks
Notebook Page Written With ‘Password reminder: my car’
3 Cases of Machine Gun Bullets
Flak Jacket
Set of Keys Each Stamped With No. 1 Through No. 8
Small Gas Cylinder
Change of Clothing
Laboratory Coat
Clown Outfit
Cowboy Hat
Policeman’s Helmet
Fairy Princess Costume
Space Helmet
Sailor’s Uniform
Wigs
False Beards
Moustaches
Camera
Main Gate Key
MED KITS:
1 Small Med Kit (+4 STAMINA)
WEAPONS: DAMAGE
Barehanded: 1d6-3
Small Penknife: 1d6-2
Baseball Bat: 1d6
Crowbar: 1d6
Pistol: 1d6+2
Axe: 1d6
Machine Gun: 2d6+5
Loaded Handgun: 1d6+2
GRENADES: 1 (2d6+1)
TOTAL NUMBER OF ZOMBIES KILLED: 171
RESURRECTIONS: 4

[Queen of Swords]

Try conning them.

[SGamerz]

But even though these are the evil scientists responsible for creating Yurr’s Zombies, you know you can’t just run in and shoot them.

This in a Livingstone book? Seriously? All those times actual adventuring heroes get to walk into random shops to murder inoffensive shopkeepers just to take their stuff, and now we have a regular guy just trying to survive and he's not allowed reduce the threat to his own life by shooting people contributing to these threats - people who actually deserve to be shot for once for creating walking murder devices that prey on helpless people? It's really not much different from people who pay hired murderers, except they don't even have to pay for it.

Anyway, conning them requires an item check, so it's probably the better option. Pretend to be lab assistant.

[JourneymanN00b]

Talking to them whilst pretending you are a new assistant scientist recently hired by Yurr received 2 votes, so No Name Nova will carry out this masquerade.

380
After putting on the white laboratory coat, you walk boldly through the swing doors and introduce yourself to the scientists, saying that Gingrich Yurr has sent you to join them. The evil-looking scientist with the shaved head introduces himself in a cold voice as Professor Roznik. He looks at you suspiciously and demands to know if you have brought the $100 that Yurr owes him for the last batch of contaminated blood. If you have $100 and want to pay Roznik, turn to 138. If you do not have $100 or do not want to pay him, turn to 346.



No Name Nova has $100. Please make your votes before 7:00 PM PST or a choice receives 2 votes to guarantee that they will be counted.

[SGamerz]

Pay him. Regretfully (unless we can shoot him later and take the money back).

[JourneymanN00b]

Vote registered; paying Roznik.

138
Roznik snatches the money from you and stares at you coldly, saying, ‘Good. It’s about time Yurr paid me. Now, since you are new around here, you can start by washing out all the equipment in the laboratory. We are going for lunch. The laboratory is the first iron door on the right. But don’t open the door at the back of the laboratory. It leads into a room that we call the Slab Room. It’s where we convert humans into Zombies and they never seem to be too pleased when it happens to them. Funny that. So be warned – don’t go in. They may not take too kindly to you!’ Roznik suddenly roars with laughter and walks off down the corridor through the swing doors with his fellow scientists. You are determined to make Roznik pay for his evil deeds, but right now you have to deal with the Zombies. Turn to 251.

251
The door opens into a brightly lit laboratory that has stainless steel work tops laid out with microscopes, flasks, bottles, jars, pipettes, thermometers, weighting scales and glass tanks containing bubbling liquids. Glass cabinets line the walls and inside one there are three large glass jars containing a red liquid, most likely blood contaminated with the Zombie virus. At the far end of the laboratory there is a black-laminated cupboard with sliding doors. There is another iron door at the back of the laboratory on the left which is padlocked and bolted. If you want to smash the jars containing the red liquid, turn to 90. If you want to try to open the iron door, turn to 320.

Please make your votes before 9:00 AM PST or a choice receives 2 votes to guarantee that they will be counted.

Adventure Sheet
No Name Nova
STAMINA: 15
INFORMATION:
Username is White Rabbit
Roznik is owed $100 for blood
Secret door code is 161
DOLLARS $: 32
ITEMS AND EQUIPMENT:
‘Hendrix’ Bag
String
Small Key Stamped With ‘9’
Hack Saw
Sports Clothes
13 Boxes of Bullets
Wallet
Blacksmith’s Tongs
Yellow Notepaper Printed With ‘combination lock number: 181’
13 Boxes of Shotgun Cartridges
Steel Pulley
Brass Key Stamped With ‘111’
Tape Measure
Pair of Reading Glasses
Pocket Romanian-English Dictionary
Calculator
Car Keys
Empty Plastic Bottle
Empty Flask
Pair of Silver Frog-shaped Cufflinks
Notebook Page Written With ‘Password reminder: my car’
3 Cases of Machine Gun Bullets
Flak Jacket
Set of Keys Each Stamped With No. 1 Through No. 8
Small Gas Cylinder
Change of Clothing
Laboratory Coat
Clown Outfit
Cowboy Hat
Policeman’s Helmet
Fairy Princess Costume
Space Helmet
Sailor’s Uniform
Wigs
False Beards
Moustaches
Camera
Main Gate Key
MED KITS:
1 Small Med Kit (+4 STAMINA)
WEAPONS: DAMAGE
Barehanded: 1d6-3
Small Penknife: 1d6-2
Baseball Bat: 1d6
Crowbar: 1d6
Pistol: 1d6+2
Axe: 1d6
Machine Gun: 2d6+5
Loaded Handgun: 1d6+2
GRENADES: 1 (2d6+1)
TOTAL NUMBER OF ZOMBIES KILLED: 171
RESURRECTIONS: 4

[Queen of Swords]

I'm wondering if smashing the jars will expose us to the contaminated blood.

Try opening the door instead.

[Queen of Swords]

This in a Livingstone book? Seriously? All those times actual adventuring heroes get to walk into random shops to murder inoffensive shopkeepers just to take their stuff, and now we have a regular guy just trying to survive and he's not allowed reduce the threat to his own life by shooting people contributing to these threats - people who actually deserve to be shot for once for creating walking murder devices that prey on helpless people?

That reminds me of Space Assassin's options for dealing with the scientists on board Cyrus's ship - either shoot them down or question them, then make them strip (!) and tie them up. I guess by now even Livingstone was tired of the endless "you have to kill X number of enemies, do you want to use a grenade" choices.

[Thaluikhain]

Half vote for opening door.

(Killing human would make a change from killing zombies)

[SGamerz]

Smash the jars so that they can be used to make more zombies.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes tallied; trying to open the iron door won over smashing the jars containing the red liquid by a 1.5-1 vote.

320
The large padlock on the door is made of toughened steel. There is no way you could prise it open even with a crowbar. If you have a bunch of keys numbered 1 to 8 and want to try to open the door, turn to 396. If you do not have these keys or do not want to try to open the door, you must go back out into the corridor. Turn to 164.

No Name Nova has a bunch of keys numbered 1 to 8. Please make your votes before 7:00 PM PST or a choice receives 2 votes to guarantee that they will be counted.

[Beroli]

Open the door.

[SGamerz]

It requires an item check, so it's important. Open the door.

[JourneymanN00b]

Trying to open the door received 2 votes, so No Name Nova will attempt this.

396
You see that there are two keyholes in the lock, one larger than the other. There is a number 8 scratched above the larger keyhole and a number 2 scratched above the smaller keyhole. If you want to try to open the padlock with the keys numbered 8 and 2, turn to 82. If you would like to try a different combination of keys, turn to 274.



Please make your votes before 7:00 PM PST or a choice receives 2 votes to guarantee that they will be counted.

[JourneymanN00b]

Since nobody voted, I will have No Name Nova try to open the padlock with the keys numbered 8 and 2.

82


You place both keys in their respective keyholes and turn the one stamped with a number 8 first, followed by the one stamped with a 2. The padlock flips open. You slide back the metal bolt in the door, the grating sound reminding you of the dark cell in which you were so recently imprisoned. You suddenly hear banging and shouting coming from the other side of the door. You check your gun and push the door open, ready to face whoever is on the other side. It opens into an unlit room. The bright light from the laboratory casts a long shadow of your body onto the floor. A terrible stench wafts out of the room making you retch. You see figures moving about in the semi-darkness, some moaning, others shouting in anger. The room is full of Zombies, walking towards you in a solid block. If you want to feel around for a light switch on the wall, turn to 310. If you want to start firing your weapon, turn to 179.

Please make your votes before 9:00 AM PST or a choice receives 2 votes to guarantee that they will be counted.

[Queen of Swords]

I'm curious about why we get the option of searching for a light switch (and it would make a change from the usual mowing-down-zombies). Try that.

[SGamerz]

Light switch

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes registered; feeling around for a light switch on the wall.

310
With the Zombies closing in, you fumble around frantically in the shadows for the light switch, finally locating it high and to the right of the doorway. You flick the switch down and the room is immediately illuminated by rows of neon lights fixed to the low ceiling. The room is devoid of any furniture. There is just a blood-stained slab of polished stone on a plinth in the middle which has manacles and chains attached to each corner. The Zombies moan and groan, shielding their eyes from the bright light. You count twenty-eight in total. If you possess any grenades you may want to use one of them now whilst the Zombies are still blinded by the neon lights. If you want to lob a grenade at the slow-moving Zombies, turn to 209. If you do not have any, turn to 262.

No Name Nova has a grenade, and I assume that it is used here.

209
You pull out the pin and throw the grenade into the path of the advancing Zombies. Before it explodes, you jump back into the laboratory and close the iron door, taking cover behind it. There is a huge explosion seconds later, and you hear the Zombies wailing louder than ever. Reduce their number by 2d6+1. Seizing the initiative, you open the odor to fight the remaining Zombies. If you win, turn to 298.



Rolling the dice and applying the appropriate modification reveals that the grenade deals 4 damage to the Zombies before the fight begins. I assume that the machine gun is used to deal with the rest of the Zombies.

The fight:
Round 1: Zombies Killed: 14
Zombies Remaining: 10, Player Stamina: 5
Round 2: Zombies Killed: 13
Zombies Remaining: 0

298
You look around at the carnage in the room. You almost feel sorry for the Zombies, these helpless lost souls were once human beings before being transformed by Gingrich Yurr and his evil servants. There is another iron door in the left-hand wall of the room which is also padlocked and bolted. Using the numbered keys you are soon able to open it. You find yourself back in the gloomy corridor. The entrance to the laboratory is on your left with the swing doors beyond. On your right you see that the corridor continues on for some distance. You decide to turn right, walking up the corridor to where it ends at a fire door. There is nowhere else to go so you push down on the metal bar to open the fire door. Turn to 172.

172
Opening the fire door triggers a red light to start flashing and an alarm to start ringing loudly. You are at the bottom of a fire escape which houses a winding iron staircase leading up several flights of stairs to another fire door at the top. If you want to run up the staircase, turn to 377. If you want to stay where you are to see if anybody comes to investigate, turn to 8.

Please make your votes before 7:00 PM PST or a choice receives 2 votes to guarantee that they will be counted.

Adventure Sheet
No Name Nova
STAMINA: 5
INFORMATION:
Username is White Rabbit
Roznik is owed $100 for blood
Secret door code is 161
DOLLARS $: 32
ITEMS AND EQUIPMENT:
‘Hendrix’ Bag
String
Small Key Stamped With ‘9’
Hack Saw
Sports Clothes
13 Boxes of Bullets
Wallet
Blacksmith’s Tongs
Yellow Notepaper Printed With ‘combination lock number: 181’
13 Boxes of Shotgun Cartridges
Steel Pulley
Brass Key Stamped With ‘111’
Tape Measure
Pair of Reading Glasses
Pocket Romanian-English Dictionary
Calculator
Car Keys
Empty Plastic Bottle
Empty Flask
Pair of Silver Frog-shaped Cufflinks
Notebook Page Written With ‘Password reminder: my car’
3 Cases of Machine Gun Bullets
Flak Jacket
Set of Keys Each Stamped With No. 1 Through No. 8
Small Gas Cylinder
Change of Clothing
Laboratory Coat
Clown Outfit
Cowboy Hat
Policeman’s Helmet
Fairy Princess Costume
Space Helmet
Sailor’s Uniform
Wigs
False Beards
Moustaches
Camera
Main Gate Key
MED KITS:
1 Small Med Kit (+4 STAMINA)
WEAPONS: DAMAGE
Barehanded: 1d6-3
Small Penknife: 1d6-2
Baseball Bat: 1d6
Crowbar: 1d6
Pistol: 1d6+2
Axe: 1d6
Machine Gun: 2d6+5
Loaded Handgun: 1d6+2
GRENADES: 0 (2d6+1)
TOTAL NUMBER OF ZOMBIES KILLED: 199
RESURRECTIONS: 4

[Queen of Swords]

Use our med kit and run up the stairs.

[SGamerz]

Stay and watch. Could be more zombies that need killing or more human allies.