[AD&D Gamebook] The Sorcerer's Crown (Kingdom of Sorcery, book 2 of 3)
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Joshua Randall
Legend
205
The cavalier’s eyes widen and he stares deeply at us. He leans forward and says that he doesn’t know who we are or why we brought such a powerful magic weapon to this “city of evil”, but that any other paladin with the Detect Magic spell will also be able to sense the size of our sceptre. Uh, potency. Potency of our pole. Err, our rod. Umm. Yeah.
We glance at Dalris and somehow intuitively know that she’s thinking what we’re thinking: that any paladin with Detect Magic will be able to track us wherever we go! We open our mouths to explain but get interrupted.
The paladin advises us to say nothing and not bother to deny the size of... -- STRENGTH. The STRENGTH of our… magical aura.
"Suffice it to say that I know about both your magical cloak and the powerful object you conceal under it."
"I also know that neither you nor the girl with the enchanted flute are evil."
Rufyl mentally pipes up that he warned us, which he did, but we ignore him.
"Exactly who are you, sir?" we demand.
"And what happened in Saven?" Dalris asks in a more gracious tone.
The "handsome warrior" nods but waits until the barmaid brings us more drinks before he begins his story at (154).
The cavalier’s eyes widen and he stares deeply at us. He leans forward and says that he doesn’t know who we are or why we brought such a powerful magic weapon to this “city of evil”, but that any other paladin with the Detect Magic spell will also be able to sense the size of our sceptre. Uh, potency. Potency of our pole. Err, our rod. Umm. Yeah.
We glance at Dalris and somehow intuitively know that she’s thinking what we’re thinking: that any paladin with Detect Magic will be able to track us wherever we go! We open our mouths to explain but get interrupted.
The paladin advises us to say nothing and not bother to deny the size of... -- STRENGTH. The STRENGTH of our… magical aura.
"Suffice it to say that I know about both your magical cloak and the powerful object you conceal under it."
"I also know that neither you nor the girl with the enchanted flute are evil."
Rufyl mentally pipes up that he warned us, which he did, but we ignore him.
"Exactly who are you, sir?" we demand.
"And what happened in Saven?" Dalris asks in a more gracious tone.
The "handsome warrior" nods but waits until the barmaid brings us more drinks before he begins his story at (154).
Joshua Randall
Legend
Commentary:
any other paladin with the Detect Magic spell...
any paladin with Detect Magic will be able to track us wherever we go...
Paladins in AD&D did not have their own spell list. Instead, starting at level 9, they gained a limited number of cleric spells, capping out at 4th level spells at 15th level. The maximum number of 1st level cleric spells a paladin could ever cast was 3, starting at 14th level.
The 1st level cleric version of Detect Magic had a duration of 1 turn, or 10 minutes in "real" time. That's not 1 turn per level. That's 1 turn, period.
So for a total of 30 minutes per day, a 14th+ level paladin can Detect Magic. The archcleric would need a veritable ARMY of 14th+ level paladins running around Saven to achieve any kind of blanket coverage of the city.
That said, it would be reasonable to assume that if -- and it's a big if -- there are a sufficient number of 9th+ level paladins available, each could be under instructions to cast Detect Magic on any suspicious looking characters they come across, once per day. Thus, Carr and Dalris could really be in danger as they move about the city, because each time they pass a paladin, said paladin could Detect Magic (assuming the paladin hadn't already cast it earlier in the day).
This does beg the question: is ALL magic forbidden or considered dangerous? Because surely SOMEONE else in Saven has a magic item or two that would show up.
"Suffice it to say that I know about both your magical cloak and the powerful object you conceal under it."
I swear that I have not altered this sentence in any way. The only thing I have added is a 13-year-old boy's sense of humor about "powerful objects" that are "conceal[ed]" under one's "cloak".
The "handsome warrior" nods but waits until the barmaid brings us more drinks...
Ohhhhh, crap. Is it happening AGAIN? This handsome young man had BETTER not get drunk and grab our wand like Thayne did.
any other paladin with the Detect Magic spell...
any paladin with Detect Magic will be able to track us wherever we go...
Paladins in AD&D did not have their own spell list. Instead, starting at level 9, they gained a limited number of cleric spells, capping out at 4th level spells at 15th level. The maximum number of 1st level cleric spells a paladin could ever cast was 3, starting at 14th level.
The 1st level cleric version of Detect Magic had a duration of 1 turn, or 10 minutes in "real" time. That's not 1 turn per level. That's 1 turn, period.
So for a total of 30 minutes per day, a 14th+ level paladin can Detect Magic. The archcleric would need a veritable ARMY of 14th+ level paladins running around Saven to achieve any kind of blanket coverage of the city.
That said, it would be reasonable to assume that if -- and it's a big if -- there are a sufficient number of 9th+ level paladins available, each could be under instructions to cast Detect Magic on any suspicious looking characters they come across, once per day. Thus, Carr and Dalris could really be in danger as they move about the city, because each time they pass a paladin, said paladin could Detect Magic (assuming the paladin hadn't already cast it earlier in the day).
This does beg the question: is ALL magic forbidden or considered dangerous? Because surely SOMEONE else in Saven has a magic item or two that would show up.
"Suffice it to say that I know about both your magical cloak and the powerful object you conceal under it."
I swear that I have not altered this sentence in any way. The only thing I have added is a 13-year-old boy's sense of humor about "powerful objects" that are "conceal[ed]" under one's "cloak".
The "handsome warrior" nods but waits until the barmaid brings us more drinks...
Ohhhhh, crap. Is it happening AGAIN? This handsome young man had BETTER not get drunk and grab our wand like Thayne did.
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And most importantly, Saven is historically the center of power of the Archcleric of Saven. Yes, that goes without saying. But why is it suddenly a "city of evil", when it was, and is, the place where everything is controlled by the church of Bob Dylan? Either the paladin is a traitor, or he's 100% turned by Arno into being evil himself, in which case he shouldn't be able to cast Detect Evil to be able to assert that Dalris and us aren't evil. He could cast Detect Good, which we would presumably register, while Dalris is Neutral (partly, as she's a bard, and I remember that alignment was tied to class back in the day).
Joshua Randall
Legend
154
In a very long section, the handsome man introduces himself as Garn of Ristling in the west country, who was until last month "Knight Paladin in the personal service of His Excellency, Oram the First, Archcleric of Saven, Highpriest of Blessed--"
We interrupt and tell Garn to skip the titles, but Dalris says to let Garn tell the story in his own way. She's blushing again. We don't need to be a telepathic pseudodragon to know why Dalris is defending the handsome cavalier, and we're super jealous.
After introductions all around, Garn informs us that "less than two months ago", the archcleric met with "a visitor from Seagate Island, a thin, very dark man who has since changed everything in Saven."
"Arno!" we exclaim.
Gran wants to know how we knew it was Arno, but we encourage the paladin to finish his story first. Garm explains that Arno became Oram's "constant companion and advisor" and introduced the cult of Pazuzu to the Knights of Blessed Dyan.
And, yes, everyone knows Pazuzu is a demon. Garn tells us that his former colleagues are gathering in the cathedral this very night for "another unholy ritual."
We ask how that can be, when paladins are sworn to combat evil. How could Arno have overcome such powers?
Garn stares into his wine and responds that he has asked that question of himself a thousand times. "I have possessed these powers for good since I took the oath to Blessed Dyan. I knew that the man called Arno was evil from the moment he entered the cathedral. The paladins he has influenced are no longer my fellows!"
Dalris realizes this is why Garn no longer wears the crossed logs of the Order.
"Indeed, lovely lady," Garn replies. He believes that because his erstwhile comrades have switched their allegiances to "the demon Pazuzu and his evil stooge, Arno", their paladinhood is forfeit.
We surmise that must mean they have also forfeited their supernatural powers to combat evil. Garn agrees this is a reasonable assumption, "but a false one," because he has seen them use evil magic more powerful than the holy power they used to possess.
Dalris mutters that things are worse than Perth and Thayne thought, and that the evil power behind "your [Carr's] old rival" must be very strong.
"Rival?" demands Garn. "How could you be a rival of someone like Arno?"
(193) to reveal our identity to Garn, or
(21) to "try" hiding it.
In a very long section, the handsome man introduces himself as Garn of Ristling in the west country, who was until last month "Knight Paladin in the personal service of His Excellency, Oram the First, Archcleric of Saven, Highpriest of Blessed--"
We interrupt and tell Garn to skip the titles, but Dalris says to let Garn tell the story in his own way. She's blushing again. We don't need to be a telepathic pseudodragon to know why Dalris is defending the handsome cavalier, and we're super jealous.
After introductions all around, Garn informs us that "less than two months ago", the archcleric met with "a visitor from Seagate Island, a thin, very dark man who has since changed everything in Saven."
"Arno!" we exclaim.
Gran wants to know how we knew it was Arno, but we encourage the paladin to finish his story first. Garm explains that Arno became Oram's "constant companion and advisor" and introduced the cult of Pazuzu to the Knights of Blessed Dyan.
And, yes, everyone knows Pazuzu is a demon. Garn tells us that his former colleagues are gathering in the cathedral this very night for "another unholy ritual."
We ask how that can be, when paladins are sworn to combat evil. How could Arno have overcome such powers?
Garn stares into his wine and responds that he has asked that question of himself a thousand times. "I have possessed these powers for good since I took the oath to Blessed Dyan. I knew that the man called Arno was evil from the moment he entered the cathedral. The paladins he has influenced are no longer my fellows!"
Dalris realizes this is why Garn no longer wears the crossed logs of the Order.
"Indeed, lovely lady," Garn replies. He believes that because his erstwhile comrades have switched their allegiances to "the demon Pazuzu and his evil stooge, Arno", their paladinhood is forfeit.
We surmise that must mean they have also forfeited their supernatural powers to combat evil. Garn agrees this is a reasonable assumption, "but a false one," because he has seen them use evil magic more powerful than the holy power they used to possess.
Dalris mutters that things are worse than Perth and Thayne thought, and that the evil power behind "your [Carr's] old rival" must be very strong.
"Rival?" demands Garn. "How could you be a rival of someone like Arno?"
(193) to reveal our identity to Garn, or
(21) to "try" hiding it.
Joshua Randall
Legend
Commentary:
…the handsome man introduces himself as Garn of Ristling…
What is with these names, Morris Simon?
Well, we do know this area has a history of piracy and named the strait of water that separates the mainland from Seagate Island as Pirates’ Alley, so….
Garn informs us that "less than two months ago", the archcleric met with "a visitor from Seagate Island…
Less than two months ago, you say? I shall note that down for future rant purposes.
… introduced the cult of Pazuzu to the Knights of Blessed Dyan.
And, yes, everyone knows Pazuzu is a demon.
In my recollection of this book, the name Pazuzu was introduced but the characters didn’t know who that referred to — my recollection was of a separation between character knowledge and player knowledge. (Because surely all good AD&D players had scoured the Monster Manual and were familiar with all the named demons!)
But nope! Garn tells us that Arno introduced the cult of Pazuzu and in the very next sentence uses the word “demon”.
This raises many, many questions about how Arno and Pazuzu pulled this off… but I’ll save those for a later section.
We surmise that must mean they have also forfeited their supernatural powers to combat evil. Garn agrees this is a reasonable assumption, "but a false one," because he has seen them use evil magic more powerful than the holy power they used to possess.
Huh? This is a weird response. It's like…
Carr: They must have given up their anti-evil powers.
Garn: Wrong, Carr. They now use evil powers.
Carr is not wrong here. The paladins have given up their anti-evil powers. They now have anti-good powers instead. They are anti-paladins.
Unless the implication is that the paladins must have given up ALL their powers, period, rather than replaced their anti-evil powers with anti-good powers. That's not how it's phrased in the book, though.
(193) to reveal our identity to Garn, or
(21) to "try" hiding it.
Way to put your finger on the scale, gamebook. We can be honest in front of this paragon of virtue or we can "try" to lie.
…the handsome man introduces himself as Garn of Ristling…
What is with these names, Morris Simon?
- Marla Delling
- Carr Delling
- Arno
- Garn
Well, we do know this area has a history of piracy and named the strait of water that separates the mainland from Seagate Island as Pirates’ Alley, so….
Garn informs us that "less than two months ago", the archcleric met with "a visitor from Seagate Island…
Less than two months ago, you say? I shall note that down for future rant purposes.
… introduced the cult of Pazuzu to the Knights of Blessed Dyan.
And, yes, everyone knows Pazuzu is a demon.
In my recollection of this book, the name Pazuzu was introduced but the characters didn’t know who that referred to — my recollection was of a separation between character knowledge and player knowledge. (Because surely all good AD&D players had scoured the Monster Manual and were familiar with all the named demons!)
But nope! Garn tells us that Arno introduced the cult of Pazuzu and in the very next sentence uses the word “demon”.
This raises many, many questions about how Arno and Pazuzu pulled this off… but I’ll save those for a later section.
We surmise that must mean they have also forfeited their supernatural powers to combat evil. Garn agrees this is a reasonable assumption, "but a false one," because he has seen them use evil magic more powerful than the holy power they used to possess.
Huh? This is a weird response. It's like…
Carr: They must have given up their anti-evil powers.
Garn: Wrong, Carr. They now use evil powers.
Carr is not wrong here. The paladins have given up their anti-evil powers. They now have anti-good powers instead. They are anti-paladins.
Unless the implication is that the paladins must have given up ALL their powers, period, rather than replaced their anti-evil powers with anti-good powers. That's not how it's phrased in the book, though.
(193) to reveal our identity to Garn, or
(21) to "try" hiding it.
Way to put your finger on the scale, gamebook. We can be honest in front of this paragon of virtue or we can "try" to lie.
Joshua Randall
Legend
193
We explain how we became rivals with Arno "when we were students together at the College Arcane."
Garn realizes that means both Arno and I/we are sorcerers. He watches us for signs of malevolence.
Dalris, rather unexpectedly, jumps in to tell Garn that we are THE Carr Delling, descendant of an ARCHMAGE whose power filled the GODS THEMSELVES with fear! Well, actually what she says is that we are "the son and heir of the great Landor."
Garn looks shocked and asks if we mean the same Landor whom "Venerable Oram sought to destroy for practicing evil wizardry?"
We retort that Landor got his power from the Bhukodian sorcerer-kings and that he was NOT evil. Apparently, though, "The Holy Guard hunted [Landor] because he dared to challenge some corrupt priests in the Kandian hinterlands."
Garn considers. He says he neither believes nor disbelieves us about Landor, but he does sense we are "a good and honest man." He asks us to take his hand and "bond ourselves to the task of ridding Tikandia of this menace" because our knowledge of Arno, and our magical arts, may help.
A feeling of great warmth and energy surges throughout your body as you clasp the cavalier's strong hand and look into his fiery gaze. The man's charisma is infectious and spreads into your own personality, inspiring both pride and confidence in your own abilities.
We add 1 Charisma [up to 14] and turn to (172).
We explain how we became rivals with Arno "when we were students together at the College Arcane."
Garn realizes that means both Arno and I/we are sorcerers. He watches us for signs of malevolence.
Dalris, rather unexpectedly, jumps in to tell Garn that we are THE Carr Delling, descendant of an ARCHMAGE whose power filled the GODS THEMSELVES with fear! Well, actually what she says is that we are "the son and heir of the great Landor."
Garn looks shocked and asks if we mean the same Landor whom "Venerable Oram sought to destroy for practicing evil wizardry?"
We retort that Landor got his power from the Bhukodian sorcerer-kings and that he was NOT evil. Apparently, though, "The Holy Guard hunted [Landor] because he dared to challenge some corrupt priests in the Kandian hinterlands."
Garn considers. He says he neither believes nor disbelieves us about Landor, but he does sense we are "a good and honest man." He asks us to take his hand and "bond ourselves to the task of ridding Tikandia of this menace" because our knowledge of Arno, and our magical arts, may help.
A feeling of great warmth and energy surges throughout your body as you clasp the cavalier's strong hand and look into his fiery gaze. The man's charisma is infectious and spreads into your own personality, inspiring both pride and confidence in your own abilities.
We add 1 Charisma [up to 14] and turn to (172).
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Joshua Randall
Legend
Commentary:
… we became rivals with Arno "when we were students together at the College Arcane."
Not in this book's Story So Far, we didn't. According to the introduction, we learned magic from Thayne, and only met Arno briefly after we recovered the Sceptre of Bhukod.
OUR Carr Delling did take the "students together at the College Arcane" path when we played book 1. So OUR Carr Delling on his real path in gamebook 1 (i.e., not the alternate paths we explored after we "won" that book) has a much stronger rivalry with Arno than the Carr Delling in the introduction to gamebook 2!
[Garn] says he neither believes nor disbelieves us about Landor, but he does sense we are "a good and honest man."
If you sense someone is honest, that means you believe what that person says. You can't have it both ways. You can't be agnostic about their statements, yet sure of their honesty.
We add 1 Charisma…
First ability score modification. This book is much, MUCH stingier than the first one.
… we became rivals with Arno "when we were students together at the College Arcane."
Not in this book's Story So Far, we didn't. According to the introduction, we learned magic from Thayne, and only met Arno briefly after we recovered the Sceptre of Bhukod.
OUR Carr Delling did take the "students together at the College Arcane" path when we played book 1. So OUR Carr Delling on his real path in gamebook 1 (i.e., not the alternate paths we explored after we "won" that book) has a much stronger rivalry with Arno than the Carr Delling in the introduction to gamebook 2!
[Garn] says he neither believes nor disbelieves us about Landor, but he does sense we are "a good and honest man."
If you sense someone is honest, that means you believe what that person says. You can't have it both ways. You can't be agnostic about their statements, yet sure of their honesty.
We add 1 Charisma…
First ability score modification. This book is much, MUCH stingier than the first one.
If there was a Trickster in the group, we could denounce this guy to the nearest Antipaladin troups for speaking ill of the His Excellency Oram and use our newfound credibility as rebel hunters to gain an audience with the cleric's inner circle of advisors.
Link to obligatory cross-promotion about the Trickster's team of jerks.
Pet Peeve alert. Until there is a second of the same name, people aren't titled "the first". That's why the first pope was St Peter, not St Peter the First, or the current one is Pope Francis, not the Francis the First, and it works for kings too: John Lackland isn't "John the First" only King John. Until there is another Oram, there is no need to give him a number to differentiate the two.
Did they utter the name of Pazuzu three times in a row?
Honestly, we need to boast in front of Dalris to reassess our status. Let's reveal our prestigious ancestry and flaunt our rod in his face.
lol
I am not surprised that arcane expert such as Carr would also be familiar with the name of powerful demon existing in his world. We know about several demons or malevolent spirit from our world's myths (including the original Assyrian Pazuzu), and while we have more source of information than a pseudo-medieval scholar, it is Carr's specialization to deal with magic, so...
I am looking forward to this rant!
He is correcting us (falsely) to assert superiority in front of Dalris.
Link to obligatory cross-promotion about the Trickster's team of jerks.
Pet Peeve alert. Until there is a second of the same name, people aren't titled "the first". That's why the first pope was St Peter, not St Peter the First, or the current one is Pope Francis, not the Francis the First, and it works for kings too: John Lackland isn't "John the First" only King John. Until there is another Oram, there is no need to give him a number to differentiate the two.
Did they utter the name of Pazuzu three times in a row?
Honestly, we need to boast in front of Dalris to reassess our status. Let's reveal our prestigious ancestry and flaunt our rod in his face.
lol
I am not surprised that arcane expert such as Carr would also be familiar with the name of powerful demon existing in his world. We know about several demons or malevolent spirit from our world's myths (including the original Assyrian Pazuzu), and while we have more source of information than a pseudo-medieval scholar, it is Carr's specialization to deal with magic, so...
I am looking forward to this rant!
He is correcting us (falsely) to assert superiority in front of Dalris.
What was he thinking Arno was? A tourist coming from Freeton? Also, Garrrr has already sensed that we are not evil 5 minutes ago. We were most probably sorcerers already at this point...
That's less impressive, but Garrrr isn't the best person to whom we could say that Dad's power rivalled Bob Dylan's.
I was going to tactically comment that since the pally think that Oram turned evil two month ago, he was a good and holy paladin who justly arrested our father to death.
As far as I know, it's the first time we hear it. We're either making this naughty word up, or we were lied in the first book. If Oram (back when he was venerable and holy) arrestokilled Dad because he was stirring trouble against the established religion, it would have been worth mentionning instead of saying Oram feared his power or something, or implying Oram was evil at this time. If Dad was indeed doing right and was hunted down for doing the right thing, then Oram was evil much earlier than "two month ago", so handsome Garrr lied, and should lose his paladinhood at once. Tough to have rolled all those good stats by pure luck and end up as a fighting-man.
You can't "neither believes or disbelieves". It's binary. If he still has doubts, then he is by definition not believing us.
That's the moment we take his hand while having the sceptre protrude from our sleeve, so we nudge him with it and BAM. He falls dead, nose into the frew stew, while we say "you would have fared better had you respected my father or believed now. Instead, you're going to the afterlife of the fallen paladin. Good luck, dretch."
Only if our CHA was low enough. Too bad he couldn't boost WIS.
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