[Fighting Fantasy] Bloodsword v2

[Jfdlsjfd]

After our resouding victory, we hurry toward the castle gates, as we notice Gristun is already regenerating thanks to his master's magic.

Since we're speaking of regenerating, it's time to regenerate by ourselves as well, and since we're close to the end of the book, at least in the final run, Salvia invests 2 HP and just regain them.

We're confronted to the Gate of Carnage, the Gate of Confusion and the Gate of Fear (432). While we ponder that, even if the landing section we're in is only two line long, it's another opportunity to heal... this time the roll is a 6, creating a 8 HP pool, putting Trixie back to 11 HP.

Given our experience with the book lying to us, we can't be more confused by it, so let's try this one. After all, it's a random choice since we don't get any information beforehand.

As we cross the gate, a huge portcullis crashes behind us. This is actually a good thing, since Gristun was after us and thrashes at the metal bars in order to further snack on our bodies.

And we're introduced to an actually interesting gamebook mechanics.

A shadowy creatures in the corridor seems ready to lunge at us... Players are asked to write down, without confering between them, on whether they want to avoid it by running in a side corridor or standing to fight. So the group an be separated, as the door to the side corridor slams shut.

Even if the choice is made within seconds, Salvia still has an opportunity to heal, a 5 this time, so she gets back to full HP and further heal Winny from 11 to 13 HP.

The difficulty of the encounter therefore depends on who did what: if everyone fled, the encounter is bypassed, if everyone fight, the encounter is reasonably easy, but if it's mixed...

A single character will be in dire straits facing the creature alone.

Replicating the interest of this encounter is difficult when you're doing the whole party as a single player, since one woud presumably choose "all or nothing".

In case we choose this path:

Round 1:

Trixie shoots an arrow at the beast, (12) and misses wildly.
The Ellesgaunt attacks Salvia (11) who defends.
Esmeralda casts Sword Thrust -- remembers, we forgot to change our memorized spell... for a measly 9 HP wound.
Winny attacks (8) and slashes the shadowy ghost for 5 HP.
Trixie shoots again (8), and if she hits, the damage isn't enough to pierce the gaunt creature's armour.


Round 2:
At this point, there is little reason to fire arrows as the creature were fighting is heavily armoured...
The Ellesgaunt can't catch a solid hit on Salvia (11) who's defending. Esmeralda prepares to save the day by calling Nemesis Bolt to memory...

Round3:

The beasts still fails to maim our healer (10, it was close in both cases) and dies horribly as Esmeralda completes her spell (9+5=14) for 38 HP (minus 3 for armour).

As usual, as a group, we steamroll the opposition...

 

[Joshua Randall]

I’m writing this down for Winny.

Spoiler

Fly, you fools!

 

[Jfdlsjfd]

I’m writing this down for Winny.

Spoiler

Fly, you fools!

If we decide to flee...

The ground below you turns into a chute and you land in strange place. You're sitting on a grey slab of stone, floating among grey mist. Around you are other slabs of stones. In the distance, a strange thurifer weilding a censer can be seen. As you get to your senses, you feel the slab you're in is falling, and it is picking up speed.

Do you want to jump toward the ghost or fall through the grey mist?

 

[Jfdlsjfd]

Spoiler

Here again, the key is that all players should do the same thing. The best outcome is to jump at the thurifer, who is frightened and drops his censer (that we can loot). Falling to our death offers a worse outcome (though it's not actually immediate death... you're sent, alone, on the path of Carnage... which isn't designed to be survived by a single rank 2 character).

 

[Jfdlsjfd]

After that, and assuming the group is reunited, we're offered a cool moment. There is a third what will you do as a group event, where the grop is facing a chasm with light slab that can be walked on... but which cycle in and out of existence. And we obviously nee to cross it to continue...

Unless there is an Enchanter in the party, who sigh at the risk of jumping between slabs, even if they weren't blinking in and out, and just cast Immediate Deliverance (our short-distance Teleportation spell) to move the group on the other side, eyerolling at this trap.

I love it.

Though we could have used the opportunity to unroll our flying carpet as well.

 

[Joshua Randall]

I wonder how often these books actually got played by 4 different players, vs. one player pretending to make 4 independent decisions.

I also really like the idea that some PCs would end up in ghost world, have a chance to dogpile an altar boy, but decide, “nah, let’s keep falling into the void.”

 

[Jfdlsjfd]

The worst that coud happen is that some of them stay to fight the Ellesgaunt, the other divide themselves on how to act, again, after the chute and end up being slaughtered in Carnage and falling, trickless, in the Chasm of Disappearing Bridge. If everyone is on the same page, whichever it is, the encounter becomes easy. To trivial. If you flee the Ellesgaunt and you pile up the alter boy, as @Joshua Randall suggested, there isn't even a fight:

"The thurifer had not noticed you before. Now, he is so unnerved by the speed and ferocity of your charge that he drops his censer in panic. You stop by the censer, seeing no advantage in a tiring pursuit of the thurifer, when the real foe is the Warlock-King. The censer is still producing puffs of smoke from time to time. You can take it if you want. Turn to 493."

(If only some character fights, the thurifer isn't that startled, and casts Summon Skeletons, leading to an easy fight, before running away).

 

[Joshua Randall]

Here is where I admit I had to long-press on the word ‘thurifer’ and do ‘look up’ to know what it means. (A couple of posts ago.) And I am now desperately hoping for a way to work it into conversation. Which will be tricky. Maybe I need to convert to Catholicism?

I also love how coy these books are about loot.

“You can take this obviously magical item. Y’know, if you want. Or, just leave it behind. You do you.”

 

[Jfdlsjfd]

I think the RPG crowd was exposed to the world with the lore of Exalted, were a group of baddies have very convoluted names, among which is the Bishop With a Chalcedony Thurible (I hope he goes by Bob outside of official functions) or
"The Dowager of the Irreverent Vulgate in Unrent Veils would be the most notorious murderer in Creation's history." It made me want to look into Exalted just because of those names.

I remember reading the word in French the first time and having to look it up at the time. It is sometimes used in French as an intellectual alternative to yes-man. I guess they are low ranking in the Catholic church (I am not into religion and I must say I have seen some of them in ceremonies but can't say a lot about them, besides the obvious "they hold a censer").

 

[Joshua Randall]

Everything sounds better and fancier when dressed up in Latinate and church garb. Jack Vance was a master of this, and we’ve discussed in the past how Vance-y these books can be.

As for Exalted. I am not convinced it can be played as written, but it’s incredibly evocative.

Hmm. How about a 1980s game book using the Exalted gameworld!