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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Joshua Randall" data-source="post: 9545102" data-attributes="member: 7737">Gamebook MechanicsAs the book informs us, OUR Carr Delling will be different from anyone else's because WE helped to create him.We are instructed to tear out the bookmark that also serves as our character sheet. And, because we will no doubt play this adventure many times (due to inherent love for replaying adventures? or because of how lethal it is), we should use pencil so it can be erased easily.We were also given permission to photocopy the card, but 13-year-old Joshua didn't do that, unfortunately. So you can see my stats from the last time I played![ATTACH=full]390904[/ATTACH]The book next explains the "Scoring System". I find that language weird; are these really "scores" like in a competitive sporting event? At any rate, we have Hit Points; Skill Points [analogous to Ability Scores in AD&D terms], and Spells.Hit PointsOur "life strength" and when they are gone, Carr "ceases to exist". (Perhaps "is dead" was considered too harsh?) We're told that we may not realize it yet, but we're a magic-user, "a class not known for great physical strength." Umm. Strength is its own ability score in AD&D. It doesn't affect your HP at all. Constitution does affect HP, although as we'll see, we don't have that as an ability score. But anyway.We start with 8 HP plus the higher of two d6 rolls. Google handily rolls us a 3 and a 6, so we have 14 HP. Way more than any 1st-level AD&D magic-user I ever played!Skill PointsThese are how we do stuff in the game and we only have three of them, Intelligence, Dexterity, and Charisma.To test our skills we roll 2d6 and add that total to our score. If it equals or exceeds the target number, we succeed.The book explains what each skill measures, but I'm sure everyone reading this already intuitively knows.Our base skills are<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">INT 13</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">DEX 11</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">CHA 11</li> </ul>We then have 5 more points that we can distribute among the skills with the caveat that INT must always be highest, and we have to put at least 1 point into each skill.Now, I can recall playing against type where I did…<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">INT 13+1=14</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">DEX 11+2=13</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">CHA 12+2=13</li> </ul>… but I won't be weird for this Where I Play. We'll go all-in on what the book tells us is our most important skill. So,<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">INT 13+3=16</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">DEX 11+1=12</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">CHA 11+1=12</li> </ul>Those would be pretty great ability scores for an AD&D character if you had rolled them!SpellsFor the purposes of this gamebook, we must first learn a spell before we can cast it. And then, once we cast it, it's gone; we only get to cast each spell once: "whenever you use a spell you have learned, you must erase it from your spellbook." Yikes!There's also an INT roll to cast a spell, so it's not guaranteed to work.The bookmark-slash-character-sheet divides up our spells into three categories. At this point, we are not given any more information on what these do. Of course, if we've played AD&D before, we might know.Cantrips<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Exterminate</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Tweak</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Cough</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Hairy</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Unlock</li> </ul>Weak Spells<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Friends</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Unseen Servant</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Spider Climb</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Feather Fall</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Comprehend Language</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Burning Hands</li> </ul>Strong Spells<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Armor</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Light</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Detect Magic</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Read Magic</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Sleep</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Find Familiar</li> </ul>The differentiation between Weak Spells and Strong Spells feels pretty arbitrary to me; why is a primo 1st-level AOE damaging spell like Burning Hands considered weak, while a utility spell like Light is considered strong?So those are the game mechanics. Now back to the story.</blockquote>

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