The Warlock of Firetop Mountain (revised) - Final Thoughts & Exploring Titan 7

FINAL THOUGHTS

There's not a lot to say here that I didn't already cover in my entry for the book version of The Warlock of Firetop Mountain.  Given that the revised version is mostly identical, pretty much everything I said still applies.  It's a fun, iconic adventure that perhaps makes little sense but compensates for that with atmosphere and mystery (and perhaps a bit of nostalgia).

The idea of revising Warlock is a good one.  I doubt many buyers of the magazine hadn't already read the book, so changing a few details and mixing the keys around to create a different path to victory is a good way of giving them their money's worth.  I can't help feeling, though, that not enough was changed.  Aside from switching the keys, Ian and Steve have left the adventure much the same as it was.  Initially it was fun, as I enjoyed the uncertainty of no longer knowing the exact path to victory.  Once I found the path I was a little disappointed though, as one of they keys was in exactly the same location as the book, and another was very easy to find.  I suppose I was hoping that there would be more variance.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN VERSIONS
The differences between the book and magazine versions are mostly in the locations of the keys.  In the book, the keys are located as follows:

    Key 99 - In the snake box
    Key 111 - Inside the Iron Cyclops
    Key 9 - Carried by the Ogre
    Key 125 - In the room with the gas trap
    Key 66 - In a drawer in the Boat House
    Key 111 - Guarded by the Minotaur

In the magazine, they are switched around as follows:

    Key 125 - In the Orc Chieftain's chest
    Key 111 - Guarded by the Werewolf
    Key 111 - Guarded by the Minotaur   
    Key 66 - In the room with the gas trap
    Key 99 - Inside the Iron Cyclops
    Key 9 - Carried by the Giant

This switching of locations means that some places which once had keys now have different treasures.  The snake box now contains 6 gold pieces instead of a key.  The Ogre now has 3 gold pieces.  And best of all, the drawer in the Boat House now contains a silver dart, which can be hurled at enemies before battle begins.  It's also useful in battling the Wight.

There's one other difference that switching the keys around brings: you can't win the adventure with the Eye of the Cyclops.  In the book you never have to fight the Warlock on a successful play-through, because you'll always have the Eye and can blast him into oblivion.  Here you have to battle him, and consequently the book is slightly more challenging, and less of an anticlimax.

COOL STUFF I MISSED
It's difficult to think of cool things I've missed while playing this adventure, because I've literally played through every paragraph of the book.  (I do mean literally; I spent a few weeks circa 2000 playing the book over and over again until I had legitimately covered every single entry.)

I guess I've missed some things for the blog though, in my coverage of this and the book version.  The major path I never covered is one that goes through a room of magical darkness, which you need a blue candle to get through safely.  This path also contains a magical iron helmet, and an enchanted sword by the riverbed.  Oh, and a giant spider.  It's too bad that in neither version can you take this path and still win.

MISTAKES AND RED HERRINGS
There are quite a few items in this book that serve no purpose.  The black silk glove, the Y-shaped sticks, and the book from the vampire's coffin spring immediately to mind.  The glove ties into a rumour about Zagor's power, albeit a false one, and I guess it comes in handy as an item you can discard in order to pick up the shield.  The sticks and the book do nothing except take up room in your backpack.  Like the shield, you need to discard an item to pick them up, so perhaps the purpose they serve is to tempt you into dropping something that's actually useful.

There's one entry of this adventure that can't be accessed from anywhere: 192.  It's supposed to be one of the entries you go to by adding up the numbers on your keys when unlocking the Warlock's treasure chest, but there's no combination of keys that adds up to this number.  No doubt it was added in there to bump the number of entries to 400.

Speaking of key combinations, all of the possibilities are accounted for even though you can never get to the end with every key.  There are three keys that you can always find: the one in the Orc Chieftain's chest, the one guarded by the Werewolf, and the one guarded by the Minotaur.  As for the other three, you can only get one on any adventure.  The Iron Cyclops, the Giant and the room with the gas trap are all on mutually exclusive paths, which means that you can finish with four keys at most.  As such, entries 174, 186, 200, 219, 233 and 290 can't be reached legitimately.

BEST DEATH
I've already covered my genuine favourite in my entry for the book: being eaten alive by the Ghoul.  None of the other deaths quite match up, but for this entry I'll provide a solid alternative.

S.T.A.M.I.N.A. RATING

I was tempted not to give this a STAMINA rating, as it's so similar to the book, but what the hell.  Here it is for the sake of completeness.

Story & Setting: Looking at the book version, I see that I gave it a rating of 5.  That is super high, and I really don't know what I was thinking.  I was going to rate this a point higher, because the Background section is a genuine improvement that ties Firetop Mountain much more directly into the FF setting.  But I can't in honesty give this a 6.  So I'm giving it the same score, and I still think it's too high.  Rating: 5 out of 7.

Toughness: It's the same well-balanced adventure as before, and garners the same score.  Rating: 5 out of 7.

Aesthetics: The writing is the same, and most of the illustration have that same Russ Nicholson goodness.  Many of the illustrations are smaller, though, and much of the detail is lost.  Nicholson provides two new illustrations, but they're in a different style.  Some time after The Citadel of Chaos Nicholson started using thicker lines, and his work looks busier and more cluttered.  I've never liked it as much as the delicate linework of Warlock and Citadel of Chaos.  Throw in the ugly frontispiece illustrations from Tim Sell (that have little relevance to the adventure at all) and I have to knock this down a few points.  Rating: 4 out of 7.

Mechanics: There's no significant difference between the book and the magazine versions.  Rating: 5 out of 7.

Innovation & Influence: Given that this is revising the original, I can't mark it as highly.  It's hard to know just how to rate this one to be honest, so I'm going to split it down the  middle.  Rating: 4 out of 7.

NPCs & Monsters: Again, this is little different from the book. The villagers in the introduction are a little more fleshed out, but not enough to affect the rating.  Rating: 5 out of 7.

Amusement: I gave the book the full rating in this category, but if I'm being perfectly honest I enjoyed this version more because it's new to me.  I can't rate this higher than a 7, though, and it doesn't feel right to rate it equally to the book. It's enjoyable, but I can't see myself going back to it any time soon. Rating: 5 out of 7.

No bonus point for this, as it's not different enough to warrant it.  The above scores add up to 33, which doubled gives a STAMINA Rating of 66. It's a strong variant, but it can't match the influence and iconic power of the original.

EXPLORING TITAN 7

This is going to be a short one, because most of this adventure has been covered in Exploring Titan 1.  The details are mostly the same as the book version, and I've covered them already.

What is different, and greatly so, is the Background.  In the book version, the adventurer follows some rumours to a generic village, stays there for a short time, then ventures off to Firetop Mountain.  It's serviceable, but that's about it.

Now, with the setting of Allansia firmly established, Ian & Steve can rewrite this so that it fits better.  It begins with you meeting an old man while wandering the Pagan Plains.  The old man tells you that his village's crops are failing, and blames it on the evil Warlock who lives in nearby Firetop Mountain, which looms over the Moonstone Hills.  The villagers sent their bravest men to face the Warlock, but only one returned, and he was a shadow of his former self.  Not only does this tie the book into Allansia better, but it also gives the hero more motivation than simple treasure hunting.  In the book, the Warlock is just minding his own business until the hero breaks into his house and tries to murder him.  In this, he's a little more explicitly sinister, and whatever it is he's doing in Firetop Mountain is having an adverse effect on the nearby village.

The village is named explicitly as Anvil, which solves a mystery that's been bugging me for decades.  I had always known Anvil from the map in Out of the Pit, but couldn't find which book it came from. I suspected that it was supposed to be the village from Warlock, but I had also gotten the idea that it was populated by Dwarves (from the name, I suspect).  Nope, it's populated by human farmers, and it is indeed confirmed here to be the village near Firetop Mountain.  At least I was half right.

As for where this adventure fits in Fighting Fantasy "continuity" (such as it is) I have two ideas.  The first is that it's a parallel reality from, one where the keys are simply in a different place.  Of course the idea of there being any solid continuity for Fighting Fantasy is absurd given the nature of the adventures.  But if there is one, then alternate/parallel realities must be a given.  Everyone's experience of the books is different, and every play-through is unique, so there must be thousands or perhaps millions of subjective realities in the FF multiverse.

That said, I prefer something that at least ties the magazine to the book.  Rather than the book and magazine realities running in parallel, I prefer the idea that the magazine branches off from the book under specific circumstances.  In this case, the circumstances would be the Warlock killing the hero, then redistributing his keys in different places.  It's perhaps a bit laboured as an explanation, and it's absolutely unnecessary, but it's also the sort of thing obsessive nerds like me enjoy thinking about.

NEXT: I'm still mired in Warlock Magazine #2, as I'll be tackling the preview of Caverns of the Snow Witch.  Gah, I haven't done a main series Fighting Fantasy since November!

The Warlock of Firetop Mountain (revised) - Attempt 3

I've rather enjoyed revisiting The Warlock of Firetop Mountain over the last few weeks, and this revised version has given me an experience that I haven't had with this adventure in many years: failure.  Twice I've defeated the Warlock, but both times I've only had two of the three keys needed to unlock his treasure chest.

I have an idea where the third key might be, though.  There's only one key that shows up in the illustrations, and it's in a dead-end room protected by a poison gas trap.  Finding that key is my goal for this attempt, and hopefully it's the one I need, because if it isn't then I'm all out of ideas.

I made some stellar rolls for my character this time around, and managed Skill 12, Stamina 21, and Luck 11.  If I fail on this attempt, there'll be no blaming it on poor stats.

I began my adventure with a concrete goal in mind, and I set my sights on it with a laser focus.  I stuck to the corridors, ignoring the many side-rooms, and I was able to make it to the portcullis without having any encounters at all.  I've never realised just how much of this book you can skip if you really want to, and how inessential most of the encounters are.  The only items that are required for victory are the keys, so there's a level of freedom to this book that a lot of later ones in the series lack.

After the portcullis I turned left, and once again proceeded to ignore as many doors and side-corridors as possible.  Soon I came to another junction, where I turned right.  This put me into territory I've yet to cover for the blog, so from here on I'll go into a little more detail.

The tunnel turned north, and I continued north at the next junction until the passage ended at a door.  Inside was a room lined with books, and an old man at a desk.  On his shoulder was a small, winged figure - a Winged Gremlin.

The old man asked me if I was game for a wager.  I had no money, so I declined.  As I was on the lookout for keys however, and I wanted to leave no room un-looted, I drew my sword for a bit of unprovoked murder.  The old man fled through a secret door, but I had to fight the Gremlin, which I killed easily.  I couldn't find the old man's escape route, but in his desk there were 5 gold pieces which I was happy to pocket.

Back at the junction I turned west, and followed the tunnel as it bent around to the north again.  The passageway ended at another door.  The room beyond was large, with a floor covered in a mosaic of tiles.  The most prominent shapes of the tiles were hands and stars.

I wanted to reach the door on the far side of the room, so I walked across.  I suspected a trap, so I was careful to walk only on the star tiles, and avoid the hands.  Nothing happened, and I was able to cross the room in safety.

At yet another junction I continued north, and the tunnel ended at a door with a leather skirt tacked along the bottom.  Inside I found what I was looking for: the room with the key!

I leaped in to grab the key, but the door slammed behind me, and the room started filling with gas.  I had to hold my breath while taking the key, but I was able to escape without inhaling any of the gas.  (This required rolling equal to or under my Skill on two dice, which was impossible to fail with my Skill of 12.)  The key had the number 66 engraved on it.

From there I continued through a couple of junctions until I came to a subterranean river.  I leaped in and was swept downstream, where I was washed up on the shore of the river, and back into familiar territory.

I crossed the river by paying the boatman, and made sure to kill the Werewolf and his Dog in order to claim key 111.  From there I chose the route with the zombies rather than the boathouse, and I mowed through them as well.  Following the zombie fight I chose to search the dead body propped in the corner.  Last time I had taken his sword and crucifix; this time I opted for his armour and gold.  The armour wasn't special, and the gold amounted to 10 gold pieces.  I had hoped there might be a key hidden on this corpse somewhere, but it looks like that's not the case.  (Unless it's in his shield, the only item I've not investigated, but I doubt it.)

I skipped right past the Vampire and the Ghoul, hurrying my way into the Maze of Zagor.  Fighting the Minotaur was a necessity, and he provided me with my first genuine challenge of the adventure, hitting me twice before I killed him.  Afterwards I searched the room, claiming 8 gold pieces and key 111.

It was a simple matter to get through the maze, and soon I was in confrontation with the Warlock's Dragon.  This time I hadn't learned Farrigo DiMaggio's Dragonfire spell, so I found myself in the rare situation of having to defeat the Dragon in battle.  I needn't have worried; it hit me once, but with the aid of a couple of Luck points I was able to knock it off quite quickly.  (This book is very generous with Luck bonuses, so the option of using Luck in battle is well worth it.)

It was time for the final confrontation: the Warlock.  I didn't fancy taking him on in a fair fight, so instead I burned his magic cards.  The weakened Warlock was a pushover, and soon I was standing in front of his treasure chest, ready to test out my keys.

I inserted key 66, and both keys marked with 111.  One by one they all turned, and the chest opened.  Success!  The treasure was mine!  As was the Warlock's book, with all of his secrets, and the rad option of staying to claim his power.  Part of me was hoping for a rewritten final entry; the Background had been redone, after all.  That said, it's an iconic ending, so it's not such a big deal. 

NEXT:

That was fun, but I'm glad it only took me three attempts.  I love this book, but even the greatest of gamebooks needs to be given a rest now and then.  I'll do a couple of quick round-up posts for this adventure, maybe an Exploring Titan, and then I'm going to move on to the preview of Caverns of the Snow Witch from Warlock #2.

The Warlock of Firetop Mountain (revised) - Attempt 2

Last week, I failed in my attempt to find the  treasure in the revised version of The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, as seen in Warlock Magazine #1 and #2.  I had only found two of the correct three keys needed to open the Warlock's treasure chest: one guarded by a Werewolf, and another by a Minotaur.  So I'm back at the beginning, and my plan for this attempt is to fight the Iron Cyclops; that's where the correct key is in the original version of the adventure.  I almost hope that it's not there, as I'd prefer this version to be as different as possible.  Then again, I'd be perfectly happy to be done with this and on to the next gamebook.  It's a win either way.

My character for this adventure had a Skill of 10, a Stamina of 15 and a Luck of 12.  This time around I chose the Potion of Strength, as my Stamina score was quite poor.  Normally I would choose the Potion of Fortune, but my Luck was really good and this book is generous with Luck bonuses.

I'll skim past the opening stages of the book, because I did very little that was different from my last attempt.  Mostly this part involves killing loads of Orcs, and collecting various minor treasures.  I did manage to break into the armoury this time, which I had failed to do previously.  There's no key to be found there, but I did find a shield that will occasionally reduce the damage I take in combat.

At the junction past the portcullis I turned right, then followed a few more turns until I came to my ultimate goal: the Iron Cyclops.  The Cyclops is one of the toughest battles in the book, and in this case he really lived up to that.  This battle went right down to the wire: I only had 1 point of Stamina left when it was done, and I had used 3 Luck points to help me win.  Straight away I drank a dose from my Potion of Strength (restoring my Stamina back to 15), and I was pretty happy that I'd chosen it this time.  In most Fighting Fantasy gamebooks, provisions are sufficient to restore Stamina, but the restriction to eating one at a time in this book really limits their usefulness.

The Iron Cyclops still had a key inside it, just as in the original version, number '99'.  I also took the Cyclops's jewelled eye (not that I remembered to use it later on).

After leaving the room I headed north, plowed through a Barbarian, and ignored a few more rooms until I came to the river.  I paid the ferryman his fee of 3 gold pieces to help me cross, and from there I headed to fight the Werewolf and his Hellhound pet.  Like the Cyclops, this was a tough fight.  The Hellhound kept blasting me with its fiery breath, and by the time I killed them both I had but 4 Stamina left.  I finished off my Potion of Strength, and claimed the Werewolf's keys, including one that is needed to open the Warlock's treasure chest.

In my last game I had gone through the boat house, but this time I opted to head north, through the room with the Zombies.  There were five Zombies in all (the one with the scythe being my favourite), and I mowed them down with ease.  I could have searched some barrels, or the weapons of the Zombies, but instead I chose to loot the corpse of an adventurer that was propped in the corner.  The corpse had a number of interesting items, but I chose to take its sword and crucifix.  The sword was enchanted, and allowed me to add 2 points to my Skill in combat.  (It's possible that I missed a key in this room, as there's no way to inspect everything in one pass through.)

In the next room was a coffin, with the obligatory Vampire.  I held it at bay with my crucifix, and staked it through the heart (using sharpened sticks and a mallet that I had looted from the Barbarian mentioned earlier).  Alas, there were no keys inside the coffin, so I moved on.

I went down a flight of stairs, and ignored the three corpses found in the chamber at the bottom.  I knew from my previous attempt that they didn't have anything essential, and I didn't feel like fighting the Ghoul, so I just walked right on by.

After that was the Maze of Zagor, which I zipped through as quickly as possible.  The only place I visited here was the Minotaur's room, as I knew that he had one of the necessary keys.  He proved little trouble, and Key '111' was soon mine.

Soon I was out of the Maze, past the Dragon (defeated using Farrigo's Dragonfire spell), and on to face the Warlock.  I totally forgot that I had the Eye of the Cyclops, and could have used it to kill him instantly.  Instead I drank a Potion of Invisibility, and engaged him hand-to-hand.  The Warlock's stats are super-high (Skill 11, Stamina 18), but my invisibility powers coupled with my magic sword made me far too powerful.  Trucking through the Warlock without taking a scratch is always satisfying.

That's where my satisfaction ended, unfortunately.  The third key needed to unlock the Warlock's chest is not the one guarded by the Iron Cyclops.  I'm pleased by this, to be honest.  The Warlock of Firetop Mountain is always a book I'm up for reading, and I'm looking forward to exploring some paths less trodden while trying to find the right key.  I'm not entirely sure where it is, but I have one idea: there's a small room in the original book version that has a key guarded by a gas trap, and I feel pretty confident that this encounter will still be there.  Check in next week to find out!

The Warlock of Firetop Mountain (revised) - Attempt 1, Part 2

It's been a couple of months since I tackled the first half of the revised version of The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, as found in Warlock Magazine #1. Now that I'm covering Warlock #2, it's time to resume my quest.  Have I found the right keys to unlock the Warlock's chest and claim his treasure?  There's only one way to find out I suppose.

But first, here is my character as he was at the end of the first part:

SKILL: Initial - 10, Current - 10
STAMINA: Initial - 19, Current - 13
LUCK: Initial - 9, Current - 9

GOLD: 7
POTIONS: Potion of Fortune (2 doses)
PROVISIONS: 7
EQUIPMENT: Sword, Leather Armour, Backpack, Lantern, Key '125', Bow, Silver Arrow, Key '9', Boat House Keys, Key '111', Silver Dart (used before combat, hits for 2 damage on d6 roll of 1-4)

At the end of my last post on this adventure I had just fought a Wight, and I was standing at the top of a flight of stairs, which I descended to find myself in a room with three corpses.  (One of which, I knew, was the Ghoul whose illustration had so terrified me as a young tacker.)  I initiated a thorough search of the bodies, because in this new version of the book there could be keys anywhere, and I didn't want to miss one.  I wasn't surprised when the Ghoul sat up to attack me, but nevertheless I failed my Luck test, and it scratched me with its nails (dropping my Stamina to 12 and my Luck to 8).

The battle that followed was surprisingly close, and the Ghoul managed to hit me three times before I could kill it (reducing my Stamina to 6).  A fourth hit would have resulted in my paralysis, and the Ghoul eating me alive (starting with the buttocks, I kid you not).  This raises the question: if it wounded me after I failed the Luck test, then hit me three more times during the battle, should I consider myself paralysed?  A strict interpretation of the book's text says no, but the spirit of the rules says that I probably should.  I usually rule these things based on the exact wording of the text, so I let myself live.  Besides, the first scratch only did 1 point of damage, so it wasn't a full blow.  I'll keep telling myself that so I feel better about rules-lawyering my way out of an instant death.

After the battle I ate a meal (leaving me with 6, and restoring my Stamina to 10).  A full search of the corpses netted me 13 gold pieces, a pair of earrings worth 1gp, a piece of parchment and some holy water. The holy water restored my Stamina to 17 and my Luck to 9 (and it would have restored my Skill had I lost any).  The parchment was a faded map of the Maze of Zagor, with a few cryptic notations.  (I don't need a map of the Maze of Zagor. The Maze of Zagor is an intrinsic part of my psyche. I'll forget the names of my family before I forget how to navigate the Maze.)

Before continuing, I quaffed both doses of my Potion of Fortune. I didn't need it to restore my Luck, I just wanted the bonus to my Initial score. Said bonus bumped me up to 11; I really do love the double-dose potions of Warlock, and there are later books that could really use them.

After the encounter with the Ghoul I entered said Maze, and set about hitting the high points.  The card-playing Dwarves were as friendly as ever, and the Mazemaster just as cowardly.  I also fought the Minotaur, who proved to be surprisingly tough. He hit me five times before I could kill him, and I had to burn a Luck point to knock him off faster. After the battle I ate a meal, and search of his room turned up 8 gold pieces and key marked with the number '111'.  (It's a little disappointing, to be honest, that this key is in the exact same place here as in the original.  In fact, I didn't notice any changes at all in this half of the adventure.  After this encounter, my Stamina was 11, and a Luck bonus had bumped that score back up to 11 as well.)

A new illustration of the Mazemaster from Russ Nicholson

With the Maze behind me, I encountered the Warlock's Dragon, which I quickly dispatched with Farrigo Dimaggio's Dragonfire spell.  Along the way I ate two more provisions, meaning that I would be fully refreshed for my battle with the Warlock.

Said battle proved to be quite simple.  He looked impressive, but after a Luck test (reducing my score to 10) I spotted his magic cards, and burned them. With his power reduced, I was able to kill him without being hit at all (burning a Luck point in the process to get the fight over with faster).  (I also remembered to use my silver dart in this battle, which I had been neglecting to do. It can be thrown before any battle, and on a die roll of 1-4 it wounds the enemy for 2 Stamina. Pretty handy.)

The Warlock was dead, and I had but to test my keys on his treasure chest.  I had found four keys, marked with the following numbers: 125, 9, and two marked with 111.

The first combination I tested was 111, 111 and 125. Two of the keys worked, but the third didn't, and I was injured by a jet of acid (reducing my Stamina to 17).

The second combination I tried was 111, 111 and 9. Again, only two keys worked, and the jet of acid reduced my Stamina to 15.

The final combination I could try was 111, 125 and 9.  This time only one key worked, and a pair of darts flew from the chest towards me.  I dodged them with a Luck test (reducing my score to 8), but was knocked unconscious when I hit my head on the floor (reducing my Stamina to 15).

I might as well not have woken up, because those were the only keys I had.  Our Hero had no recourse but to sit on the Warlock's treasure chest and have a big sook.  Looks like I'll have to crack into this one again...

THE POST-GAME
Looking at the combinations above, the two correct keys I had were the ones marked with '111'.  One of those was found with the Boat House keys (guarded by the Werewolf and his Dog), and the other was found in the Minotaur's room.  Again, I'm disappointed that one of the correct keys is in an identical location to the original.  I have a sinking feeling that the other might be the same as well, so in my next game I'll be fighting the Iron Cyclops just to find out.  Be there!

The Warlock of Firetop Mountain (revised) - Attempt 1, Part 1

In my last post, I mentioned that Warlock Magazine #1 contains the first half of a revised version of The Warlock of Firetop Mountain.  I am a huge fan of WoFM.  If I had to nominate the book that has had the most influence on my life, it would be right up there.  That said, I can't get much more out of it at this point.  I've scoured every nook and cranny of Firetop Mountain, and I know all of its secrets.

That's why I'm so excited to play the revised edition.  It's basically the same book, but the keys needed to open the Warlock's treasure chest have been placed in different areas of the dungeon.  To succeed I'll have to ignore the path to success that I have etched in my memory.  When I was a child, The Warlock of Firetop Mountain felt mysterious and frightening.  I felt like it had secrets that I could never discover or understand.  In later years I did discover those secrets, but now that feeling of mystery and danger has returned (albeit less powerfully than before, but that's the way of adulthood).  I get to explore Firetop Mountain all over again, and I couldn't be more stoked about it.

The introductory illustration, as drawn by Tim Sell

While the text of the adventure might have been altered from the original, the rules remain exactly the same.  It even retains WoFM's particular idiosyncrasies, the rules that appeared there and nowhere else: you can only eat provisions one at a time, and only when instructed by the text; and whichever potion you choose to take on your adventure has two doses.

The Background section has been completely rewritten from the original.  It begins with the hero travelling across the Pagan Plains, where he meets an old man pushing a handcart.  The old man talks about his village's failing crops, and blames it on the evil emanating from Firetop Mountain.  He says that the mountain is ruled by a Warlock, who has loads of treasure, and that the villagers would be grateful if the hero could get rid of him.  The hero travels to the village (named as Anvil, which is cool; I'd always seen Anvil on the map from Out of the Pit and wondered where it came from).  From there the Background follows the same path as the original: the hero gathers rumours about the Warlock, and the womenfolk cry when he leaves for the mountain.  I like the expansion of the Background.  It ties the book closer to the rest of the series, and gives the reader a slightly more heroic reason for invading the Warlock's home.

Okay, time to roll my character: Skill 10, Stamina 19, Luck 8.  That's a more than viable character for this book, at least in its original form.  As long as none of the monsters have been altered, I should be fine.  I chose the Potion of Fortune, as usual.  Now, let the adventure begin!

Russ Nicholson re-interprets the entrance to Firetop Mountain.  So much menace!

The re-written Firetop Mountain still begins with the same old familiar T-junction.  I went east, bashed down the door at the end of the passage, and fell into a pit (reducing my Stamina to 18).  Nothing's changed here, I see.

Heading west, I encountered the Orc asleep at his post.  I failed the Luck test required to sneak past him (reducing my Luck to 7), and had to fight, but the Orc was easy pickings.  Again, this is just like the original book.

I entered a door further along the passage, and stole a wooden box from the Orc sleeping within (requiring a successful Luck test that reduced my score to 6).  As expected, the box contained a single gold coin and a mouse, which I released.  At least my Luck got restored back to 8.

The next door I entered was an uninhabited sleeping chamber, containing yet another box.  Upon opening the box I was attacked by the snake inside, and swiftly dispatched it.  I was expecting to find a key in here, perhaps with a different number than in the original book.  To my delight, I instead found 6 gold pieces.  (This was the point at which I realised that the key locations had been changed, and my interest in this revision increased a great deal.)

From there things progressed much as expected: I killed a pair of drunken orcs (learning the Dragonfire Spell afterwards), and fought the Orc Chieftain and his servant.  The servant actually hit me twice, which is somewhat embarrassing.  The trap on their chest caused me to lose a further 3 Stamina, which left me with a meagre total of 11.  The chest contained the usual 25 gold pieces (raising my total to 32), a Potion of Invisibility, and a black silk glove.  What was new was the key hidden under the glove, engraved with the number 125.  I ate one of my provisions (leaving me with 9, and raising my Stamina to 15) before continuing.

From there I went through two junctions, and killed five more Orcs in a kitchen (which reduced my Stamina back to 11; I also used a Luck point to kill one of the Orcs instantly, which reduced my score to 7).  I didn't find any new keys or items, but the bow known as the Giver of Sleep was still there, and that's nothing to scoff at.  I also got a nice Stamina bonus for my bravery (restoring my score to 16), and a Luck bonus that restored me back to 8.

More familiar territory: I saved the crazy man from imprisonment, and listened to his tales of Firetop Mountain.  I wasn't able to break down the door to the armoury, so I'm not sure if there's anything new in there (and my Stamina was reduced to 15 in the bargain).  I killed the two Goblins in the torture chamber easily enough, and claimed the cheese from their pockets.

Once through the portcullis, I opted to turn left at the junction.  Normally I would go right, but with the path to victory changed for this version it made sense to choose the alternate path.  Unless Jackson and Livingstone are trying to swerve me, and make me think I need to take a different path, when in actual fact the same old path will lead to success...  They are devious buggers, I wouldn't put it past them.  Still, left I went, and into territory that I have yet to detail in the blog.

I soon came to another junction, and opted to go north.  The passage ended at a cavern, with no path through.  At the sound of footsteps I hid in a crevice, and watched as an Ogre entered the cavern.  Not wanting to leave his pockets unrifled, I attacked the Ogre, and quite an epic battle ensued.  We had three drawn rounds, and he wounded me thrice before I could kill him (reducing my Stamina to 9).  I used my Luck twice during the battle to kill him faster, reducing my score to 6.  It hardly proved worth it, as all he had in his possession were 3 gold pieces.  I pilfered them nonetheless (raising my total to 35).

Back at the junction I turned west, then turned north.  I passed a narrow passage heading west and decided to take a look.  It didn't go anywhere; instead it just got narrower and narrower, as a ghostly voice laughed at my predicament.  I returned to the passage and continued north.  (I've often wondered if this section was thrown in just to pad the book out to 400 paragraphs.  It doesn't serve any other purpose.)

I came to yet another junction, but this one had a recess where I could sit and eat provisions, which I did (leaving me with 8, and restoring my Stamina to 13).  I chose the west passage, which later turned sharply north.  As I continued the floor collapsed beneath me, and I had to test my Luck in order to avoid falling in.  I was Unlucky (reducing my Luck to 5 and my Stamina to 12), and tumbled into the pit.  At the bottom there were two passages, but from the southern one emerged a Troll.

One of my favourite Russ Nicholson illustrations.  It's a shame the scan I got is terrible.

I was able to avoid the Troll with my Potion of Invisibility, and escape through the north tunnel.  (I didn't have a choice as to whether to use the potion or not.  I always worry when I skip a battle like this.  What if the Troll had something I need to win?  Ah well, the escape granted me a Luck bonus that restored my score to 7).

I ascended a flight of stairs, presumably bringing me back up to the main level.  There was a door at the top, and beyond it I could hear scratching.  When I opened it, I was confronted by a trio of Giant Rats.  Not to worry though, I was able to distract them with my cheese, and run through the room unharmed (restoring my Luck to 8).  (Again, I worry that I've missed something.)

At another junction I chose the north passage, which ended at a large cavern.  This cavern was home to a Giant, over three metres tall.  (In a lovely touch of verisimilitude, Ian and Steve make sure to include a hole in the ceiling, so that the Giant can actually leave his cavern.  Good thinking, lads.)  I attacked the Giant, but before I could close on him he flung a dead pig at me.  I was Lucky, however, and the carcass missed me (but my Luck was reduced to 7).  The Giant proved a strong foe, and he hit me three times before he went down (reducing my Stamina to 6).  It was all worth it, though, because in his belt I found 8 gold pieces (raising my total to 43) and a metal key engraved with the number 9 (a stroke of good fortune which restored my Luck back to 8).  (At this point, I'd like to point out that the Ogre has a higher Stamina than the Giant.  That doesn't seem right, does it?)

Back at the junction I turned east, and at another junction the book forced me to go north.  I came to the bank of an underground river, where I decided to rest and eat provisions.  But before I could take a bite, there was a turbulence beneath me, and I was attacked by a Giant Sandworm.

Russ Nicholson can't draw sand.

I only had 6 Stamina left, so this was a tense battle.  I used my Luck to kill the Sandworm more quickly (reducing my score to 7), and came through unscathed.  I was able to finish my meal (leaving me with 7 provisions, and restoring my Stamina to 10), and I also decided to take a swig from my Potion of Fortune (raising my Luck score to 9).  Then I entered the river and swam downstream.

Soon I was washed up on another beach.  Here there was a bridge, and a sign advising me to ring the bell to summon the ferryman.  I rang the bell, paid him 3 gold pieces (leaving me with 40), and he ferried me to the opposite bank.  (I'm wondering if I should have killed him.  He might have had a key. This book has me feeling guilty for not murdering people.)

(At this point, I want to point out something that's been annoying me about The Warlock of Firetop Mountain for decades.  The southern bank of the river is paragraph 218, and the northern bank of the river is paragraph 214.  As a youngster I would often reach the northern bank, then turn to 218 and find myself inexplicably back on the southern bank, in a bizarre time loop.  It doesn't trick me any more, and the problem was undoubtedly my own stupidity, but could it have hurt Ian and Steve to separate these two paragraphs a bit?)

I had two passages to choose from, and door in front of me.  I chose the north-west passage, which led to a foul-smelling room where a sleeping man was being guarded by his dog.  I coughed to wake him up, and asked what he knew about the Warlock's treasure.  This made him angry, which made his dog angry.  I tried to pacify them, but they were having none of it.  I killed the fire-breathing dog (although it burned me once, reducing my Stamina to 9) but the old man (who was actually a Werewolf) hit me twice (reducing my Stamina to 5).  I used my Luck twice to deal more damage to the Werewolf: once successfully, and once unsuccessfully (leaving me with a Luck of 7).

After the battle I ate provisions (leaving me with 6, and restoring my Stamina to 10).  On a hook on the wall I found a set of keys marked 'Boat House', and another key engraved with the number 111.  (Another key in a different location).  I raided the Werewolf's pantry, claiming a jar of pickled eggs worth two provisions (raising my total to 8), then returned to the river bank.  Normally I go through the door to the north at this point, but this time I headed east towards the boat house.

Using my keys I entered the boat house, where a large number of Skeletons were busily constructing boats.  I tried to bluff my way through, claiming that I was their new boss.  They didn't believe a word of it, and I found myself face to face with five Skeletons.  The first attacked me by himself, but the others came in pairs.  I was able to win through unscathed, much to my surprise.

I could hear more Skeletons approaching, but I had time for a quick search, and decided to look in the bench drawers.  In the original book there's a key hidden here, but in this version I found a silver throwing dart.  I had to discard an item to take it (I left the black silk glove), but it was worth taking, as it can be thrown before any battle, with a die roll of 1-4 indicating a successful hit.

I left through the north door, hiding from Skeleton reinforcements (and gaining a Luck bonus that restored my score to 9).  While hiding I ate some provisions, leaving me with 7 (and restoring my Stamina to 9).

Further on I entered a room, where a hideous-looking man was asleep (or dead) in the corner.  There was a box on a table nearby, and I tried to tiptoe across to take a look.  The creature's eyes flicked open, and it advanced on me.  The creature was a Wight, and the first blow I struck proved to be ineffectual; as an undead creature it was immune to my normal sword.  I armed myself with the 'Giver of Sleep', and with a successful Luck test (reducing my score to 8) I was able to kill it instantly with the silver arrow.  Inside the box I found 18 gold pieces (raising my total to 58), and I also received a Luck bonus that restored my score back to 9.  Before continuing I ate another provision (leaving me with 6, and restoring my Stamina to 13).

I left the room through the north door, and the passage soon bent around to the west.  Some way along there was a narrow opening the led north, and I squeezed through.to find a staircase heading downwards.

And that's where the adventure ends, for now.  My character, as it currently stands, is as follows:

Skill 10, Stamina 13, Luck 9

Gold Pieces: 58
Provisions: 6
Gear: Sword, Leather Armour, Backpack, Lantern, Potion of Fortune (one dose left), Shiny Key '125', Bow, Silver Arrow, Metal Key '9', Boat House Keys, Key '111', Silver Dart

I'm happy with this so far.  My stats are still good, I have plenty of resources left, and I've already found three keys to the Warlock's chest.  For all I know, these could be the three I need.  I suppose we'll find out when I tackle Warlock Magazine #2.

Warlock Magazine #1

I'm back from the Christmas hiatus, with a look at the first issue of Warlock magazine.  This is significant, at least to me, because as a kid I had no idea that Warlock ever existed.  Everything I've covered for the blog so far has been heavily tinged with nostalgia, and fond childhood memories.  I'm reading Warlock magazine for the first time ever, so I feel like my opinions will be a little more objective.

Before I delve in, though, it's time to hit the Wikipedia highlights.  For those who haven't heard of it, Warlock was a magazine co-published by Games Workshop and Penguin that covered fantasy gaming, with a focus on gamebooks and Fighting Fantasy in particular.  It lasted for 13 issues, running from 1983 to 1986.  I see that it was published in Australia, but I would have missed it because my FF fandom didn't begin until 1988, well after it ceased publication.  I'm surprised to see that Warlock continued in Japan until 1997.  I'd be interested to find out just what that magazine covered.  (Further research shows that there are conflicting dates as to the last issue of Warlock.  Wikipedia puts it at 1997, citing the official Fighting Fantasy website.  The FF wiki puts the date at March 1992, and gives more concrete information.  I'm far more inclined to believe the latter.)

Alright then.  Warlock issue #1.

One Step Beyond: The Origins of Fighting Fantasy: I had expected this article to reveal the process that led to the creation of the FF series, but there's not much of that here at all.  What this really is is a short history and explanation of Dungeons & Dragons, written with the goal of turning gamebook readers into tabletop gamers (and Games Workshop customers, presumably).  Ian Livingstone's Dicing With Dragons gets a mention, as does the upcoming Fighting Fantasy: The Introductory Role-Playing Game.

Out of the Pit: This article was written by Ian Livingstone, and it introduces four monsters, three of which will later be used in his own gamebooks.  The first such monster is the SENTINEL, an animated creature used to guard treasures.  It was first created by Baron Kognoy of Kaypong, a province to the east of Fang.  He hired a wizard to create a potion that could be sprinkled over any gem or metallic object: when touched by bare flesh, the item would transform into a warrior composed of the same substance (the item could, however, be safely handled with silk gloves).  The potion became so popular that Baron Kognoy started selling it, doing a roaring trade.  BIRD MEN are pretty much what it says on the tin, bird-like men who live in rocky crags and attack humans that pass by.  EARTH DEMONS are spirits that dwell beneath the ground, rising up to attack those who step on them.  They draw their strength from contact with the ground, and can be more easily defeated is separated from this source.  There's a rudimentary origin story about them being created by an alchemist spilling his chemicals.  The MESSENGER OF DEATH is the most interesting of the four: a soulless assassin with hollow eyes and a mouth filled with slime.  They sentence their victims to death by tapping them on the shoulder and whispering the word "death".  Then they hide the letters of that word along the victim's path, and if the victim reads all of those letters the Messenger will show up to drain his life force.  It's possibly the least effective assassination method there is, but at least it has character.

How To Map: This is a short article with tips on mapping gamebooks, and some symbols that can be used to represent various dangers.

The Warlock of Firetop Mountain part 1: This is the centrepiece of the issue: a reprint of the first half-or-so of The Warlock of Firetop Mountain.  I was prepared to skim this one, until I discovered to my delight that it's slightly different to the original.  The keys have all been moved to completely different places, and some new treasures have been added where the keys were.  I'm looking forward to digging into this one, so look for it in my next post.

And now, for the piece de resistance...  the very first map of Allansia!

Click to embiggen.

This is a thing of beauty, even if it doesn't quite match up with the maps that will come later.  Not only does it show the locations of Book 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7, but it details some areas not yet introduced.  Appearing here for the first time: the Desert of Skulls, Anvil, the Pagan Plain, Whitewater River and the Icefinger Mountains.  I'm pretty sure that this is the first time the Moonstone Hills get named, and I'd bet the same for the Red River.  Maps will eventually become one of the coolest parts of the series, and this is the first (except for the rubbish one in Forest of Doom, which doesn't count).

The Warlock of Firetop Mountain - Scenic Solution

Years ago (okay, decades if we're being accurate) I started writing solutions to various gamebooks.  It's not an original idea, and there are a number of places on the internet where you can find Fighting Fantasy walkthroughs.  Mine weren't quite like the others, though.  Most of the walkthroughs you'll find take you by the quickest route, and the easiest path.  They're designed to take you through the book by the optimum path.  That's not what I was doing.  My "scenic solutions" as I dubbed them had quite a different goal: to find the successful path that allows you to see as much of the book as possible.

As you might have guessed, writing these took some time, and intensive study of the books.  I only got through a few before I abandoned the whole thing.  There wasn't really an outlet for them anyway, this being the days before I had ready internet access.  But now I have a blog, and a gamebook blog at that.  I figured that I might as well dust off these scenic solutions, and while I'm at it write some new ones as I go.  I realise that I'm delaying my progress through the Fighting Fantasy series even further, but hell.  I'll go for depth over breadth.

So here it is, the first in a series: the Scenic Solution for The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, as written by me circa 1996.

Starting Equipment: You begin the adventure with a sword, leather armour, a rucksack, a lantern, ten provisions and the choice of one potion from the following options: a Potion of Skill, a Potion of Strength or a Potion of Fortune.

The quest for the Warlock's treasure begins! (You lousy robber.)  (Turn to 1)

Turn east at the junction.  (Turn to 278)

Charge the door down.  (Turn to 156)

Your SKILL roll succeeds and the door opens.  (Turn to 343)

Lose 1 STAMINA for the fall.  Leave the room.  (Turn to 92)

Return to the junction and head west.  (Turn to 71)

Approach the sleeping Orc sentry.  You are Unlucky and the Orc wakes up.  (Turn to 248)

Kill the Orc (Skill 6, Stamina 5).  (Turn to 301)

Open the door. (Turn to 82)

You attempt to steal the Orc’s box, but are Unlucky. (Turn to 33)

Fight the Orc (Skill 6, Stamina 4). (Turn to 147)

Leave the room and open the box.  Take 1 gold piece and restore 2 LUCK. (Turn to 208)

Open the door. (Turn to 397)

Open the box. (Turn to 240)

Kill the Snake (Skill 5, Stamina 2). (Turn to 145)

Take the Bronze Key with the number 99 carved on it.  Add 1 LUCK. (Turn to 363)

Continue north, and marvel at the aural delights of Orcish drunkenness.  Investigate the hideous din. (Turn to 370)

Draw your sword and leap forward at the Orcs. (Turn to 116)

Kill the two drunken Orcs (Skill 5 Stamina 4; Skill 5 Stamina 5). (Turn to 378)

Open the box. (Turn to 296)

Learn the Dragonfire Spell, then leave the room. (Turn to 42)

Go west at the junction. (Turn to 257)

Investigate the angry shouting. (Turn to 168)

Spring at the mean ol’ Orc Chieftain in the hope that his poor little servant will aid you. (Turn to 65)

The Chieftain attacks you, and so does his servant!  Ungrateful bastard.  Continue the fight! (Turn to 372)

Kill the Orc Chieftain (Skill 7, Stamina 6) and his Servant (Skill 5, Stamina 3).  (Thus did I learn a most valuable lesson: never trust an Orc.) (Turn to 21)

Smash the lock on the Orc’s chest with your sword. (Turn to 339)

You are struck by a poison dart!  Roll a die and subtract the result from your STAMINA. (Turn to 201)

You may eat Provisions.  Take the 25 Gold Pieces, the Potion of Invisibility, and the Black Silk Glove. (Turn to 293)

Return to the junction and head east. (Turn to 113)

At the next junction, go east. (Turn to 78)

Go through the door. (Turn to 159)

Be bold and prepare to attack the five Orcs! (Turn to 365)

Kill the five Orcs (Skill 6, Stamina 4; Skill 5, Stamina 3; Skill 6, Stamina 4; Skill 5, Stamina 2; Skill 4, Stamina 4). (Turn to 183)

Restore 1 SKILL and 5 STAMINA.  Open the case. (Turn to 266)

Take the Giver of Sleep.  You may eat Provisions.  Restore 1 LUCK. (Turn to 237)

Return to the junction and head north. (Turn to 285)

Open the door. (Turn to 213)

It is locked.  Your SKILL roll succeeds. (Turn to 36)

Shout at the man to calm him down.  (A friend of mine dubbed him Mad Johnny Chairleg). (Turn to 263).

Listen to what the man knows of Firetop Mountain.  Restore 1 LUCK. (Turn to 314)

Open the door. (Turn to 223)

It is locked.  Force it open. (Turn to 53)

Your SKILL roll succeeds. (Turn to 155)

Take the Shield and discard the Black Silk Glove. (Turn to 300)

Open the door. (Turn to 102)

Draw your sword and fight the Goblins. (Turn to 19)

Kill the two Goblins (Skill 5, Stamina 5; Skill 5 Stamina 6). (Turn to 317)

Take the Cheese. (Turn to 303)

At the portcullis, pull the left lever (we’ll assume you’re forgetful). (Turn to 243)

Roll a die.  If you rolled odd, lose 3 SKILL and 1 STAMINA.  If you rolled even, lose 1 SKILL and 2 STAMINA.  Pull the right lever. (Turn to 128)

Turn east at the junction. (Turn to 58)

Stop and eat Provisions. (Turn to 15)

It's an enchanted bench,  Restore 6 STAMINA and 1 SKILL. (Turn to 367)

Turn east at the junction. (Turn to 323)

Continue east at the junction. (Turn to 255)

Open the door. (Turn to 193)

Try to take the jewel from the Iron Cyclops. (Turn to 338)

Kill the Iron Cyclops (Skill 10, Stamina 10). (Turn to 75)

You may eat Provisions.  Take the Eye of the Cyclops, and the Small Key with 111 carved on it.  Restore 3 LUCK. (Turn to 93)

Return to the junction and go north. (Turn to 8)

Kill the Barbarian (SKILL 7, STAMINA 6). (Turn to 273)

Take the Wooden Mallet and five Stakes. (Turn to 189)

You enter the next room.  Look at the paintings. (Turn to 25)

You tremble in fear at Zagor’s mighty visage.  Lose 1 SKILL.  Look through your pack for a weapon to use against the warlock. (Turn to 340)

Hold a jewel up in front of the painting. (Turn to 31)

Restore 2 SKILL.  You leave the room. (Turn to 90)

You may eat Provisions. (Turn to 253)

You enter a pear-shaped room.  Examine the bits of wood. (Turn to 328)

Don’t take the Y-Shaped Sticks.  Examine the rope. (Turn to 125)

You are Lucky, and defeat the rope. (Turn to 73)

You reach the river. (Turn to 218)

Swim across. (Turn to 316)

Your STAMINA roll succeeds. (Turn to 151)

Swim toward the turbulence. (Turn to 158)

Kill the Piranhas (Skill 5, Stamina 5).  You may eat Provisions. (Turn to 218)

Risk the bridge this time. (Turn to 209)

You don’t roll a 6, and manage to keep your footing. (Turn to 47)

You roll a 6, and plunge into the river below. (Turn to 158)

Fight the Piranhas (Skill 5, Stamina 5).  You may eat Provisions. (Turn to 218)

Punt the raft across this time. (Turn to 386)

Trust in your strength to get to the other side. (Turn to 55)

You roll over your LUCK or STAMINA, and fall in. (Turn to 166)

You roll a 5 or a 6. (Turn to 158)

Fight the Piranhas (Skill 5, Stamina 5).  You may eat Provisions. (Turn to 218)

Give up and ring the bell. (Turn to 3)

Threaten the tight bastard. (Turn to 127)

Prepare to attack. (Turn to 188)

Kill the Wererat (Skill 8 Stamina 5). (Turn to 342)

Take 2 Gold Pieces.  Restore 2 LUCK.  Row to the north shore. (Turn to 7)

You are on the north shore. (Turn to 214)

Take the passage north-west. (Turn to 271)

Go through the door. (Turn to 336)

Wake up the old man. (Turn to 172)

Tell the old man his boots are undone. (Turn to 165)

Tell the old man of your quest. (Turn to 141)

Try to pacify the old man. (Turn to 111)

The man orders his dog to attack. (Turn to 249)

Kill the Dog (Skill 7, Stamina 6).  Restore 1 LUCK. Stay in the room. (Turn to 304)

Kill the Werewolf. (Turn to 203)

Restore 1 LUCK.  You may eat Provisions.  Take the Boat House Keys.  Leave through the west door. (Turn to 38)

Take the Pickled Eggs.  You return to the Werewolf’s room and leave through the south door. (Turn to 66)

Go down the passage running eastward. (Turn to 99)

You investigate the door. (Turn to 383)

Charge the door down. (Turn to 264)

Lose 1 SKILL. Use the Boat House Keys. (Turn to 80)

Tell the Skeletons that you’re the new boss. (Turn to 195)

You roll a 3 or a 4.  The Skeletons aren’t sure whether to believe you. (Turn to 164)

Beat a hasty retreat. (Turn to 129)

You return to the river and open the north door. (Turn to 104)

You open another door. (Turn to 49)

You are knocked out.  Lose 2 STAMINA. (Turn to 122)

Try to talk to the Zombies. (Turn to 268)

Try to open the south door. (Turn to 13)

Kill the first Zombie (Skill 7, Stamina 6).  Restore 2 LUCK.  Kill the three remaining Zombies (Skill 6, Stamina 6; Skill 6, Stamina 6; Skill 6, Stamina 5). (Turn to 115)

Go over to the dead body. (Turn to 313)

Take the Sword and the Crucifix.  Restore 1 LUCK and 1 SKILL. (Turn to 221)

Examine the sword. (Turn to 27)

The sword is enchanted, and will add 2 to your Initial SKILL.  Restore 2 LUCK.  Throw away your old sword. (Turn to 319)

Investigate your second item. (Turn to 221)

Examine the Crucifix. (Turn to 170)

It is worth 4 Gold Pieces. (Turn to 319)

You have investigated both items. (Turn to 81)

You investigate the north door. (Turn to 205)

Investigate the room further. (Turn to 254)

Approach the Vampire as he wishes. (Turn to 352)

Lose 1 STAMINA.  Look in your bag for some other means of attack. (Turn to 279)

Try to kill the Vampire with a wooden stake. (Turn to 17)

You are Unlucky, and your stake doesn’t kill the Vampire.  Keep fighting! (Turn to 144)

You are Lucky. (Turn to 101)

The Vampire is killed. (Turn to 327)

Take the 30 Gold Pieces, the Book, and the Y-Shaped Stick.  Discard the Crucifix.  You may eat Provisions.  Restore 3 LUCK. (Turn to 380)

You go west. (Turn to 37)

Go south at the junction. (Turn to 277)

Search for secret passages. (Turn to 146)

Return to the junction and go west. (Turn to 11)

You watch the tools.  Restore 2 STAMINA and 1 SKILL.  Return to the junction and go south. (Turn to 250)

You reach a dead end, then return to the junction and head north. (Turn to 366)

Continue east. (Turn to 62)

Try the door. (Turn to 6)

Go back up the passage and use the opening. (Turn to 89)

You descend some stairs. (Turn to 286)

Search the first body. (Turn to 294)

Take the 5 Gold Pieces.  Restore 1 LUCK.  Tiptoe through the room. (Turn to 107)

Return and search the bodies, starting with the third. (Turn to 148)

The body springs up and attacks! (Turn to 230)

Kill the Ghoul (Skill 8, Stamina 7). (Turn to 390)

Take the Earrings.  You may eat Provisions.  Restore 2 LUCK.  Search the second body. (Turn to 393)

Take the 8 Gold Pieces.  Read the Parchment. (Turn to 212)

Take the Map.  Test the liquid. (Turn to 369)

You swallow some liquid. (Turn to 109)

Look, a reference to Kaynlesh-Ma!  Restore your STAMINA to 2 below your Initial level.  Restore your SKILL to 1 below your Initial level.  Restore 4 LUCK.  Go north. (Turn to 120)

You climb some stairs. (Turn to 197)

Check the walls for secret passages. (Turn to 295)

You attract a wandering monster. (Turn to 161)

Kill the wandering monster.  It could be a Goblin (Skill 5, Stamina 3), an Orc (Skill 6, Stamina 3), a Gremlin (Skill 6, Stamina 4), a Giant Rat (Skill 5, Stamina 4), a Skeleton (Skill 6, Stamina 5) or a Troll (Skill 8, Stamina 4). (Turn to 48)

Go west. (Turn to 60)

The portcullis blocks your way. (Turn to 48)

Go east. (Turn to 391)

Check for secret passages as you walk north. (Turn to 362)

A secret door opens. (Turn to 177)

Continue north. (Turn to 52)

Go east. (Turn to 291)

Investigate the dead end. (Turn to 315)

Check for secret passages. (Turn to 306)

You attract a wandering monster. (Turn to 161)

Kill the wandering monster.  It could be a Goblin (Skill 5, Stamina 3), an Orc (Skill 6, Stamina 3), a Gremlin (Skill 6, Stamina 4), a Giant Rat (Skill 5, Stamina 4), a Skeleton (Skill 6, Stamina 5) or a Troll (Skill 8, Stamina 4). (Turn to 291)

Try the door to the north. (Turn to 227)

Offer to play cards with the five Dwarfs. (Turn to 100)

Play fairly. (Turn to 346)

Gamble for a bit.  Restore 2 LUCK if you win. (Turn to 131)

Listen to the Dwarfs.  You may eat Provisions, but will only gain 2 STAMINA as you must share your meal. (Turn to 291)

Go west. (Turn to 52)

Check for secret passages on the way north. (Turn to 234)

You attract a wandering monster. (Turn to 161)

Kill the wandering monster.  It could be a Goblin (Skill 5, Stamina 3), an Orc (Skill 6, Stamina 3), a Gremlin (Skill 6, Stamina 4), a Giant Rat (Skill 5, Stamina 4), a Skeleton (Skill 6, Stamina 5) or a Troll (Skill 8, Stamina 4). (Turn to 43)

Go north. (Turn to 354)

Check for secret passages on the way west. (Turn to 14)

You attract a wandering monster. (Turn to 161)

Kill the wandering monster.  It could be a Goblin (Skill 5, Stamina 3), an Orc (Skill 6, Stamina 3), a Gremlin (Skill 6, Stamina 4), a Giant Rat (Skill 5, Stamina 4), a Skeleton (Skill 6, Stamina 5) or a Troll (Skill 8, Stamina 4). (Turn to 117)

Go west. (Turn to 308)

Go north at the junction. (Turn to 54)

Go through the door. (Turn to 179)

Kill the Minotaur (Skill 9, Stamina 9). (Turn to 258)

Take the 8 Gold Pieces and the Red Key with 111 inscribed on it.  You may eat Provisions.  Restore 2 LUCK. (Turn to 54)

Go south. (Turn to 308)

Go west. (Turn to 187)

Investigate the dead end. (Turn to 171)

Investigate the wall. (Turn to 337)

Gas knocks you out.  You awaken in unfamiliar surroundings. (Turn to 267)

You are at a crossroads.  Go north. (Turn to 312)

You travel north. (Turn to 308)

A familiar junction!  Go back south. (Turn to 160)

You go south. (Turn to 267)

Go east. (Turn to 349)

Investigate the dead end. (Turn to 30)

Pull the rope. (Turn to 67)

Return to the crossroads. (Turn to 267)

Go west. (Turn to 79)

Search for secret passages. (Turn to 137)

Gas knocks you out, but this time you wake up in more familiar surroundings. (Turn to 354)

Go west. (Turn to 308)

Go south. (Turn to 160)

You travel south. (Turn to 267)

Go south. (Turn to 246)

Go back east.  (Turn to 70)

You follow the passage east, north, east and north.  (Turn to 267)

Go south.  (Turn to 246) 

Go west. (Turn to 180)

Investigate the dead end. (Turn to 22)

Knocked out again!  You wake up in unfamiliar surroundings. (Turn to 4)

Investigate the north passage. (Turn to 46)

Go back around the bend. (Turn to 4)

Go south. (Turn to 332)

Go through the door. (Turn to 329)

Open the door in the west wall.  (Turn to 157)

Don't go through the door. (Turn to 329)

Go up to the door to the north. (Turn to 392)

Go through the door. (Turn to 206)

You haven’t been in this room before. (Turn to 341)

Demand that the man answer your questions. (Turn to 191)

Leave through the south door, but don’t follow the man’s directions. (Turn to 392)

Go south. (Turn to 329)

Continue south. (Turn to 238)

A familiar junction!  Go back north. (Turn to 329)

Go up to the door to the north. (Turn to 392)

Go through the door. (Turn to 206)

You have been in this room before. (Turn to 284)

Leave by the south door. (Turn to 392)

Go south. (Turn to 329)

Go east. (Turn to 299)

Check for secret passages along the way. (Turn to 260)

You find none.  You are on your way north. (Turn to 359)

Go south.  (Turn to 94)

You walk south, then west.  Don't check for secret passages.  (Turn to 329)

Go east.  (Turn to 299)

Proceed northwards without checking for secret passages.  (Turn to 359)

Go east. (Turn to 121)

Investigate the dead end. (Turn to 103)

Pull the lever. (Turn to 252)

Go south. (Turn to 226)

You travel south. (Turn to 267)

Go south. (Turn to 246)

Go north. (Turn to 329)

Go east. (Turn to 299)

Proceed north. (Turn to 359)

Continue north. (Turn to 190)

Investigate the dead end. (Turn to 167)

Return to the junction. (Turn to 359)

Go west. (Turn to 385)

Go south. (Turn to 114)

You travel south, then east.  (Turn to 359)

Go west. (Turn to 385)

Go north. (Turn to 398)

Pull the knob. (Turn to 12)

You attract a wandering monster. (Turn to 161)

Kill the wandering monster.  It could be a Goblin (Skill 5, Stamina 3), an Orc (Skill 6, Stamina 3), a Gremlin (Skill 6, Stamina 4), a Giant Rat (Skill 5, Stamina 4), a Skeleton (Skill 6, Stamina 5) or a Troll (Skill 8, Stamina 4). (Turn to 12)

Return to the junction. (Turn to 256)

Go north. (Turn to 398)

Push the knob. (Turn to 364)

Climb through the doorway. (Turn to 373)

You go north. (Turn to 85)

Go east at the junction. (Turn to 318)

Search for secret passages. (Turn to 228)

Return to the junction. (Turn to 85)

Go west. (Turn to 59)

You come to a junction. (Turn to 150)

Go south. (Turn to 133)

You are knocked out and wake up elsewhere (this one’s a really dirty trick, I reckon). (Turn to 52)

Check for secret passages on the way south. (Turn to 362)

A secret passage opens. (Turn to 177)

Go through the secret passage. (Turn to 175)

Go to the crossroads. (Turn to 267)

Go south. (Turn to 246)

Go north. (Turn to 329)

Ge east. (Turn to 299)

Proceed north. (Turn to 359)

Go west. (Turn to 385)

Go west. (Turn to 297)

Continue west. (Turn to 150)

Go north. (Turn to 222)

You travel north and then east. (Turn to 85)

Go north. (Turn to 106) (I'm pretty sure that I've covered every damned paragraph in the Maze of Zagor.  Congratulations to anyone who stuck that all the way out, you’re a real glutton for punishment.)

Search your memory for another way to attack the Dragon. (Turn to 126)

Yes, the name ‘Farrigo Di Maggio’ means something to you. (Turn to 26)

You defeat the Dragon. (Turn to 371)

You may eat Provisions.  Restore 3 LUCK.  You leave to the west. (Turn to 274)

Knock on the door and greet the man courteously. (Turn to 356)

It’s the Warlock!  (Cue organ music). (Turn to 358)

Look around the room for another means of attack. (Turn to 389)

You are Unlucky. (Turn to 112)

Search your backpack for a weapon to use. (Turn to 105)

Use a piece of Cheese (we’ll assume you've forgotten about the Eye of the Cyclops). (Turn to 368)

Lose 3 STAMINA.  Try something else from your backpack. (Turn to 105)

Use a Bow with a Silver Arrow (the Giver of Sleep). (Turn to 194)

The Warlock stops it.  Try something else from your backpack. (Turn to 105)

Use a Y-Shaped Stick. (Turn to 215)

It’s broken.  Try something else from your pack. (Turn to 105)

Use a Potion of Invisibility. (Turn to 39)

Kill the Warlock. (Turn to 396) (I prefer this to using the Eye of the Cyclops.  It’s only sporting to give Zagor a chance, innit?)

You use two of your keys on the Warlock’s door. (Turn to 242)

Hack at the box with your sword. (Turn to 379)

You are Lucky, but your sword is destroyed.  Use your keys. (Turn to 139)

Use the three keys you have found. (99+111+111=321.  Turn to 321)

Ominous page-turning… (Turn to 169)

Your keys fit! (Turn to 400)

Congratulations, you’re quest is over, and the Warlock's treasure is yours!

Paragraphs Included: 243 out of 400 (60.75%)