Masks of Mayhem

Background - 

Ian and Philippa stood over the cybernetic ROBIN.

Ian "So its what you call an Artificial Intelligence?"

Philippa "Yes, an AI, it can learn and think for itself, we just need to feed it certain parameters.  Honestly Ian in the future they won't even need us.  People will just ask the AI any question and it will know the answer.  Some will even be able to create pictures based on text so you will not even need to hire the illustrators."

Ian "Which means we could just play games all day!"

Philippa "Well yes or it will be used to create armies and launch nuclear weapons and wipe us all out.  But that's a risk I am willing to take if it can write a few more Fighting Fantasy books."

Ian "So it wrote Rebel Planet, How do we make changes?"

Philippa turns the ROBIN around and shows Ian some dials at the back.  "Look here is the dial for Sci-Fi or Fantasy, its currently set at Sci-Fi so lets try a Fantasy one this time."

She turns the setting to Fantasy.

Ian "How long does it take?"

Philippa "Not long at all, imagine a battery farm of these, we could churn out hundreds per month.  But no point in doing that as the kids only get so much pocket money.  One a month seems to be the sweet spot."

She powers up the ROBIN and it begins to work on the typewriter in front of it.  Ian looks at the first page.

He raises an eyebrow.

Philippa "What can I say, it must have good taste!"

A voice comes over the PA system.  "Call for Philippa, line 3."

Philippa "Sorry I have to take this."

She leaves and Ian who is now alone with the ROBIN.

He looks around the various dial settings and finds one labelled difficulty.  It's currently set at average.  An evil smile creeps onto his face.  He turns the dial past the Full Livingston setting to the one saying  completely random before casually walking away, hands behind his back, with a nonchalant whistle.

Book 23 hits and it was released in October 1986.  That's still an amazing rate that they are being produced at.  Robin Waterfield returns, he wrote Rebel Planet which I felt had some great worldbuilding and started strong before losing momentum towards the end.  Really keen to see what he does with a fantasy setting.  I have never played this one before but I am aware that it is meant to be impossibly hard.  I have no illusions of having success here but will try and last as long as possible!

Covers - 

Just the one cover for Masks and I find it disappointing.  It features one of the Golems and I guess its made out of stone so fair enough its grey.  Its in a cave, also grey.  Its just very bland.

I assume he is also wearing a mask but its also grey so its hard to tell, the only fancy thing is a small rune on the mask itself.  

It does not illicit any kind of excitement as probably a big reason I never played it when I was younger.

Premise - 

I am the just and noble ruler of Arion in the North East of Khul.  Nice it sounds like I have already completed the book and ruling my own nation!  But trouble is brewing.  Ah of course it is!

I am summoned by the court wizard Ifor Tynin.  Wait I thought I was the ruler and this wizard is summoning me?  Ah patience for it is explained in the very next line that we are co-rulers due to his knowledge of sorcery.  I am however very distrusting of the sorcerous arts.  Well of course I am sorcerers tend to be bad wizards!

Old Ifor has been spying on Morgana the Sorceress who lives on the five peaks of Krill Garnash.  How does he manage this, by sending his astral body.  Oh god Ifor you can't be doing that you dirty pervert I say.  But go on tell me what you saw.  Dreading this.

So apparently the good sorcerers know of twelve forms or sigils that hold the power over all things and they use them to assist the thriving world.  Morgana though has figured this out for herself despite serving a lifetime ban from the council of elders.  She has eleven of the sigils and has put them on masks which she has attached to Stone Golems.  The masks have been imbued by the power of mayhem!  What does she need to complete her diabolical plan?  The twelfth sigil, which in the darkness binds them.... sorry wrong franchise.  The twelfth sigil binds the others together and makes them effective.  

Ifor tells me I must slay Morgana as I am the noblest ruler and boldest fighter of all the land.  Great of course its me.  How many people are in this kingdom that I happen to be the ruler and number one fighter?  Or have I fought them all to be under my rule and nothing but an evil dictator?

What about your council I ask?  Can they not help?  Good question me.  Alas no as he says a full on magical battle will be just as bad as letting the Golems run around causing their destruction.  Useless Council!

So I set of with a mixture of dread and eagerness.  Hmm not sure that's a safe mix of emotions. 

I thought it was going to be us against Miles Mayhem from M.A.S.K.  I mean it was going strong in 1986.....sure that's not a coincidence at all.

Playthrough - 

So its back to as default as we can be.  Just the core Skill, Stamina and Luck.  Ten Provisions (in my trusty backpack) and one potion of my choice.  You would think though that my sorcerer friend would have kitted me out with all the potions, I mean I am trying to save the world here and clean up his councils mess.

Skill - 10

Stamina - 21

Luck - 11

Decent stats, as they should be for a leader of a nation!  I still elect to take the potion of strength, despite also having ten provisions.  Just trying to keep myself alive as long as possible!  One thing before I set off, there is a section for gold in my adventure sheet and I start with none.  I am the leader of a nation and I can not even scrape together a couple of gold coins?!  Maybe Arion is plagued by financial mismanagement.  

So we start with a trip to the armory.  To see my trusted old friend...

Kevin Truehand!

I am not making this up, his name is Kevin Truehand.  We get told about my trusty helmet which has been handed down through generations of the family.  Legend tells if it would fall into the hand of evil Chaos would stalk the land!  Ok got it, do not lose the helmet.  Does it help with any in game bonuses?  No of course not.  

Kevin tells me to head to the castle of Hever, Lord of Fallow Dale to borrow a magical horn that strikes terror into any evil heart.  Ok thanks Kev, I guess I have nothing really else to go on.  With all my equipment on I head off through the North Gate.  The Gate of Skulls.  Of course my kingdom has Gate of Skulls, I am the bad guy here for sure.

I make my way though my lands with no problem and plenty of game so I do not need to use any provisions.  Before coming to the south shore of Lake Nekros.

A handy map!

Now first choice of the book.  Sail across the lake, go through the forest or go over the hills.  Well before we make the choice we are told that no one has ever managed to sail across the lake as it has hideous monsters, unfathomable depths, mysterious winds, chill currents, whirlpools and ungovernable waves.  Ok I should take the hint and stay off the lake.  I decide to head through the forest, there is always a forest in each good adventure.

Night starts to fall and I get the option of carrying on through the dark.  Yeah that sounds a terrible idea so I make camp.

I get a fire going without a problem and have some berries and nuts and water from my flask.  Next choice is go straight to sleep or refill flask down by the lake.  What the murder death lake I have been told very clearly to avoid?  No thanks.

Maybe some Calamari tonight! 

I think this is the first time in my experience I have found an illustration for a test your luck roll!  I wake up crying out Kevin! No!  This is getting dark, don't tell me I have some unresolved childhood trauma from Kevin Truehand....

Anyway turn out a Kraken is creeping closer and I manage to force the first tentacle away with a firebrand.  I can now leg it or fight the Kraken.  Well I really, really do not like having a good nights sleep ruined so I think ill take him on.  His beaked face surfaces but he is scared of the fire so I have to fight five tentacles instead.  I can grab a brand from the fire before fighting each tentacle but its a d6 roll.  1 or 2 I burn myself and lose a stamina point.  3 or 4 and it splutters out.  5 or 6 and I do 3 points of stamina damage instead of 2.  Now each tentacle is Skill 6 Stamina 6 so I am not too worried here.

And then proceed to burn my hand with the very first roll!  Embarrassed I kill the first tentacle easy enough and for the second one I pick up the flaming firebrand.  And then proceed to miss and get hit by the tentacle.  This is all very embarrassing.  I only get hit one more time in the huge amount of dice rolls involved in this combat (ironically once again straight after getting a success on picking up a firebrand).  

What happens next is quite unexpected.  A spectral army appears of around 40 ghosts.  They approach me and thank me for releasing them from the Kraken!  They advise they will repay their debt and help me before going to eternal rest.  If I get the option to summon Galrin I can turn to 100.  Nice.  I also get 2 luck points so back to max and I decide to eat a provision as I took 5 stamina damage in that brawl.  

My character decides not going to get any more sleep tonight, which upsets me in real life, and we fire on through the forest.  Do I want to press on or take a rest.  I really want to have a rest but a tree will probably try and eat me and stamina currently at 20 so I press on.

I stumble across some Spriggans!

What is a Spriggan you ask?  Well they are evil fairy folk who can inflate themselves to much bigger size as normal fairies.  There are six of these guys but its fine as they are cowards so only have to fight two, Skill 6 and 7 respectively.  

I dispatch them with only one hit in return.  These guys are professional thieves and I acquire 10 gold pieces and a garnet ring from them.  More gold than in the whole of my kingdom!  Even better though they have magic lanterns which keep you safe in the forest when sleeping.  They disappear in the morning but I get a great nights sleep!

And we get our first bland T-Junction, North East or North West.  Well consulting the map I think I want to go east.  Reduce your stamina if you did not eat through the night?  Well I ate after the Kraken fight last night so I am counting that.

Hope these are not Robin Hood types.

An arrow thuds into a trunk next to me.  I can duck into the undergrowth or remain still.  I decide jumping into a hedge on their home turf would be a tad daft.  They start taking me somewhere and I get the option to make a break for it.  But Wood Elves are good guys right?  Right?

Right???

I am taken to the Wood Elf Chief and his Shaman.  They are looking at a crystal mirror.  Which when they ask me what I am up to I get an option to instead sneak a look at the mirror.  I am all in on these guys being good though now so I tell them the truth.

Turns out we are on the same side as they say they have seen something in the mirror relating to this.  They offer me one favor to help.  I can ask about Galrin, ask what they saw in the mirror or ask for safe passage through the woods.  Now I know Galrin, mystic warrior freed from the Kraken.  Safe passage sounds wonderful but this is a fighting fantasy book, what did you see in the mirror boys?

I swear on Ian Livingstone's 80s moustache if he says my reflection I will run him through with my sword.  No need to fear though, they show me and I see myself between two mighty oaks.  I am holding an object in both hands, one is long.  However the image is instant and disappears.   The Wood Elves tell me they have seen more but can't tell me as it would deprive me of free choice.  Cheers guys.  With that the village magically disappears.

I am magically transported to the hills on the other side of the lake.  It is misty and I get the option to travel now or wait until the mist clears.  Well lets wait until it clears.  2 Stamina points please, its cold.  I eat another provision.

An old dilapidated mine.

Do you want to skirt it or explore.  Real life skirt it, Fighting Fantasy there could be some mission critical item so lets take a gander.

So we can have a look at the main shaft, a collapsed outhouse or an intact house.  Lets try the intact one first.  It is the home to a crazy hermit.  He collapses to his knees when he sees my magnificent helmet...

He is babbling that they told me I would come and when pressed says the voices, the voices.  He does give me a nice iron scepter which says in runes Only one should rule.  He collapses and I am off again.  Lets try the other building.  

I fall through a hole and get welcomed by this mob.

I fight my way out easily enough but a cheeky rat bites my ankle and I lose 1 stamina.  Now do I want to try the main shaft or leave the site altogether.  Hmm I do not fancy walking blind through a mine.

And just like that I make it to Fallow Dale.  So Fallow Dale is basically a confederation of villages with human and other species all living together.  In the centre is a castle where the overlord lives.  Currently Haver.  He boasts that his castle is just for external enemies as everyone in the dale gets along swimmingly.  So I can make my way to the castle through a village or try and sneak through the fields.  Well the travel brochure makes it sound nice so I head to the village.

Nothing really exciting happens, I go to the inn and can recover 2 stamina points for 1 gold but I decline.  I continue up the road and some drunks try and give me some hassle.  I have to box them as I do not want to upset the local lord by killing them.  Alas its not a skill based fight and back to dice rolling.  I have to hit them 3 times.  1/2 they hit me for 1 stamina, 3/4 we both block, 5/6 I score a hit.

My god this goes on forever, so many 3s and 4s.  I lose a whopping 4 stamina before I land enough blows.  Did not enjoy this.  I have another meal after they run away.

Hever looks like a drunkard.

So arriving at the castle I can go to my room or head to the feast where Hever has invited me.  I get the seat to his right and its full of all sorts of creatures.  Fair play for having such a variety as friends!  He offers to have my things taken up to my room but yeah, don't know you that well yet pal so ill keep hold of them.  I get 4 stamina back from the meal (wasted a provision earlier) but at least I am back to maximum stamina.

Hever invites me to listen to his bard but the book tells me I feel sleep is necessary.  But I go with him as I need this guys magic horn.  

Hilariously his bard is terrible as his regular one has gone missing.

He sings a song about my quest which keeps going on about a scepter and an orb.  Hmm guess what ill probably need then.  With that its off to bed.

Next day I ask Hever for a loaner of his horn after explaining the mission.  But its a symbol of his rule and he is quite right in worrying that I will be killed.  So in order to get it of course I need to hunt and kill a sabre tooth tiger currently causing a lot of grief in his lands.  Can't be too hard can it?

Wait what?!

Yep its a game of hunt the tiger.  I know where he is, E4.  I appear with hunting hounds at E12.  I roll a dice to see if the hounds pick up the scent and in which direction I move.  I also roll for the tigers movement.  I have 8 turns to catch up.

Let me tell you people I get nowhere near this tiger.  He runs off North, very nearly off the map before he eventually ends up back at his lair which was funny.  Closest I got was five squares away.  How are you meant to get to the Tiger without an insane amount of spot on dice rolls.  You have to roll a lot of fours but I wasted all of them apparently on my boxing fight.

So true to his word, Hever does not give me the horn, but I do get another meal from the kitchens to restore stamina I did not need.  It's not going well.

But it is worse for Kevin Truehand!  He appears in the castle grounds but he dies with his last words being majesty, I tried, black magic, must not give in.  I should be shocked at Kevins death but after my weird dream he probably got what he deserved.  Or poor Kevin is good and I dreamt of his cruel fate.  The 80s were a much more innocent time I guess.

I head over to Hever when a hellfire spirit erupts from the body of old Kevin.  It is wielding a whip and throws a barrier over us which means nobody can help but Hever.  If I win a combat it takes off 3 stamina.  Skill 9 Stamina 12 though!

I am reduced to 13 stamina before we take him down.  Honestly at one point he rolled a double 6 when I was 11 points ahead on attack strength.  Stupid Demon Kevin.  I sit and eat lots of meals while Haver asks me questions.  In good news though Haver restocks my provisions, gives me a new back pack and a new water container.  No horn though.

I wander into Pikestaff Plain and its chest high grass.  Unfortunately my dude has hayfever.  I find a trail of treasure ants but I feel that's not what I am here so continue heading North.  Night falls and again the option to press on or flatten some grass to make a bed.  I decide to camp.  And lose 2 provisions to some field mice.

Do you want to go North straight to the destination or North West?  Well only thing West is the nice sounding Marsh Vile so I head North.

It is here I find a gaily painted caravan being pulled by a Water Buffalo.  It has on the side, Canches - Alchemist and Trader.  I have a look at his wares.  I really want to splurge the lot on Cloak of Temporary Invisibility but instead I split it on a potion of healing (6 stamina restore) and a potion of anti freeze (very specific and I am heading to some mountains).

I find a hollowed out rock to spend the night but Morgana appears in my sleep.  Excellent you are on the way, our little plan is working.  I lose 2 luck points!  Wait just a minute, why is she happy I am on my way and what does she mean our plan?

A wildcat then attacks me the next day and I lose 2 stamina before the fight begins.  It is easily killed though and I do it fast enough to be rewarded with a wildcat pelt!

Several days pass (and a few provisions used) before I spot a wild fire.  It is many kilometers long and spreading very fast.  I have seen the film Only the brave and I know wildfires can move very, very fast.  So running away or east and west does not appeal to me.  One of the options is to run towards the fire...

I need to create a break by doing my own fire, which is not one of the options.  So I stay where I am and have to make a skill test which I pass and my character realises he needs to create a fire break, great stuff.  But do I create it south of where I stand between me and the fire, or to the North?  I initially think well obviously between the fire and me but if I don't get this is right and its probably death.  If the wind is blowing it my way, its just going to blow right into me and kill me quicker.  I think?  I plumb for North.  Not sure I have got this right, its now a roll 1d6 to see how you did.

Oooo a 6.  Just as well as my fire break works as intended.  I follow it safely all the way to a canyon.  There is no way down or across so I have to go east or west.  My character though thinks about all the roast meat at least from the bushfire.  Brutal.

Well west heads towards the evil sounding marshes so I decide to go east.  

Straight into a Hill Giant...

Skill 9 but the dice are ok but I am still down to 13 stamina so I chug the potion of healing to get 6 back.  I get 3 gold pieces for beating him and an option to try on a badly dented helmet.  No thanks, I have been told that losing my helmet spells bad news so ill keep it on.  

I finally find a crossing point the next day.  In fact I find two.  A landslide has provided a route down with a similar one on the other side, but also a rope bridge has also been put up.  Never trust a rope bridge, down into the gorge it is.

Alas when I get down the river is a lot wider, deeper and faster than it appeared.  I can wade across or paddle on a large trunk that's nearby.  Lets ride the tree trunk.  It does not go well and I am swept away on my tree trunk.  I lose sight of the beach on the other side and its just cliffs.  How far do I get washed down?  Well I am told day turns into night and then day again.  Should have just swam or taken the bridge.

Eventually a massive waterfall appears and I do not have a rope to try and get the rocks so I try to maneuver the log to wedge between them.  I pass a luck test and the log jams.  But I have no boots of agility or rope so I must try to move the log again or go along the slippery logs.

The thought of moving the log sounds very difficult so I go over the rocks.  I have to roll the dice 3 times.  If I roll a 1 at any time I am swept over to my death.  A 2 and I lose my helmet over the waterfall.  First roll is a 6, one stone done.  Another 6, I am show boating now, balancing on one leg.  Fully expecting a 1 I actually roll a 4 and make it over without death or loss of helmet.  

To reach the cliffs on the far side I have to swim through a pool.  Of course it has an Alligator in it.  I go down and attack the underbelly and wound it.  Now its a normal skill 7 fight now but I lose 1 skill point for fighting in the water.   It takes one bite out of me before I am able to kill it.  I get asked to roll 2d6 after the fight.  I roll a 7 and nothing appears to happen.  So I eat a provision.  

I am close to Marsh Vile but I try and move away from there if I can and back towards the mountains.  I make good progress and plenty of game means I only use up one provision.  

A giant bloodsucking spider!

Its been a while since an illustration.  The Spider is only skill 6 but it has stamina 14.  The Skill difference is too much for the spider though and he is easily dispatched.  

My journey continues on and I spot a couple of big oak trees that look very much like the ones I saw using the Wood Elves magic mirror!  I am asked if I can guess what is meant to be happening here and the amount of items involved together and turn to that paragraph.  Hmm well my iron scepter says only one should rule so that's number 1, but I do not have any other items that feature a number so I think I am stuffed here.

I camp on the side of the hill for the night and get asked if I have an anti freeze potion or a wildcats pelt.  Well I have both!  Either keep the cold from sapping my strength.  I trudge on through the snow.

I mistake snowshoe prints for a yetis.

I decide not to attack these guys and see what they have to say.  This is quite the mistake as this close to Morganas lair they are under her rule.  They don't like her but fear her and decide to take me prisoner and march me up to her lair.  So wait I got the option to attack them but now that they are hostile I can not attack them and they just capture me?

As we get closer I spot a figure that my captors do not notice.  I cry out and my voice starts an avalanche.  Time for another random d6 roll.  Hmm a 1, that's not going to be good.  

And I am proved correct when my captors find me and decide I am more trouble than I am worth and run me through with their spears.  Defeated by a random roll of the dice.

Notable Encounters - 

  

A lot can happen in Affen forest, it is one of my favorite areas of this book.  If you go a different route with the Wood Elves you can try and loose them in the forest which leads to quite a fun cat and mouse.  But by far my favorite part of it is if you ask the about Galrin.  The mere mention of his name summons him by mistake and him and his spectral crew massacre the entire wood elf village.   Galrin calls you

an idiot but you do get a magic mirror, 30 gold and a magic bow which raises your initial skill by 1 in plunder from the destroyed village. 

If you go down the mine it does feel a bit like one of these dreaded mazes.  But it is not actually that bad.  

Including crashing into this guys house.  Note his partner having to pick up their kids and flee.

Yep you kill him and take his stuff, one of them is crucial.  More evidence that you might be the bad guy!

If you do go to your room first at Havers castle things can get complicated fast.  Some Pygmy Orcs steal your helmet but also kill the guard.  Of course the rest of the guards turn up and see you with your sword out and a dead guard at your feet.  You are locked in your room and can end up pursuing the thieves yourself or with some of the guards.

Traveling Salesman and Alchemist Canches.

The clever thing bout the encounter with Canches is that you meet him at a different location depending how long you have taken in your adventure.  This is quite a cool way of showing Canches moving along his trade route as time goes by.

Also the ruined village is creepy.  Its been attacked by Morgana's forces and it is suitably atmospheric.

Excuse me miss, is that erm bones you are sewing together?

Marsh Vile is just death, followed by more death, with an extra dash of death.  To be honest if you know the way it is not so bad and the meeting with Juja is entertaining and vital.

And one of the best written encounters is going through the portal (and hopefully back again) to talk with Vashti who provides a bit of an info dump, even though it might not all make sense.  Good luck ever getting here though as even if you know the route through this gamebook you still need some random dice rolls to go your way.

Artwork - 

It's a return from the OG!  Russ Nicholson who illustrated the first two books is back.  Now I liked his art in those but he had really bland backgrounds.  Not so in this book.  Backgrounds are in and it just feels like fighting fantasy.  This is some of the best art for a long time and would it be controversial for me to say this is better than Warlock?  It gets all the love and nobody mentions Masks of Mayhem but this is great.

Normally here I say which ones from my playthrough I liked the most.  Well that's easy, all of them!  But my favorite is the bloodsucking spider, I think it might be the best looking beastie in Fighting Fantasy so far.

Galrin and his spectral crew if you meet him on the other side of the lake.

  

Possessed Kevin if you fight him solo.  To be honest I think this is just normal Kevin.

Every good villain needs a corridor of hands!

Its not a 100% though.  There were a couple I was not sure of -

The Bloodhawk just has an odd face for me.

The Wight showing fire once again the bane of Fighting Fantasy artists.

These are minor for sure though as overall I was delighted with the artwork here.  More of this please.

Big Bad - 

Morgana confronting you, just as she planned, kind of.

In previous entries I bemoaned the lack of the big bad having any effect up until the end.  Not the case here.  As you get closer to her lair, Morganas influence can be felt.   Most particular in the case of the ruined village which has the flag of her forces in it.  And of course with the Hillmen being loyal to her which I clearly fell foul of.  But it makes perfect sense!

She also can curse you from afar or appear in your dreams.  But this is where she is quite  bit of an idiot by saying things like you are on your way just like we planned.  Oh you want me to head on over?  In that case I think ill just go home.  

As for the battle itself she is Skill 11 which is quite high for this book but only Stamina 6.  This is explained well though as even though she is weak her magical powers compensate so you can only do 1 stamina point of damage per hit.  At first I thought this was a bit lame just give her Stamina 12, what is the difference.  But it is limited what you can do in a gamebook so it was at least thematic.

Or was she the big bad?  More of that in the Final Thoughts.

Menagerie - 

A really enjoyable difference here.  Although it seems Robin Waterfield likes breeding his orcs with other creatures.  God know how those are being made.  Actually I know how they are being made, just have a think about that when we go through these.

Such as the Pygmy Orcs, or the Doragar who you murder, steal his stuff and scare his family.  He is half Orc and half Troll.

Black Hearts are half Orc and half Dark Elf and all dick.

Some interesting others as well that I found.

The Chion is a ice version of the dune worm.

Giant Hyenas, or at least described as Giant Hyenas but called Mordida.

And the poor Ice Hulk who is so dumb he tripped up and arrives as a rolling snowball.

Entertaining Deaths - 

Stick with me here, this book has a lot of ways to kill you.

In your very first choice of the book.  Getting to the Lake and building a raft, you get 100 meters before the Kraken pulls you to your death.

Choosing one 50/50 path in the forest where the mist closes behind you and you are never seen again by man or monster on this earth.

Sneaking a look in a mirror, its a vortex and sucks you in.

Giving said mirror as a gift and it being turned around and you get sucked in.

Examining a small pile of animal bones in the mine.  They had fallen down a small hole.  A Blackheart is passing by and just happens to look down said hole and sees you, he shoot an arrow out of spite and kills you.

Walking in the dark and stepping into thin air.

Slipping on a rock and falling into the water where a water snake drowns you.

Opening a pouch, it has a flame asp and bites you. 5 seconds later the poison kills you.

Clearing a cave in with a pick axe, you bring the tunnel roof down on you.

Randomly ending up on square c9 during the tiger hunt and being impaled on spikes on a tiger trap.

Running straight into a bush fire.

Lowering yourself onto a ledge to avoid a bush fire.  It burns your rope and you are marooned.

Taking a crown from an underwater Skeleton which shoots you with laser eyes.

Jumping on a mound that turns out to be a slime sucker.

Winner for me this time out though is - Attacking an alchemist who blasts you into oblivion as his water buffalo watches on.

Pete's Corner - 

Get a better fitting helmet!  Stupid Kevin!

Final Thoughts - 

Right just a heads up in case you care about spoilers this far into my review I am about to talk about a big one so if you want to play this one stop here.

Still here?  Ok.  The twist in this book is Morgana is not working alone.  Its heavily hinted throughout that something is not right, such as Kevin's fate and Morgana pretty much saying it.  Vashti pretty much says you are walking into a trap as well.  But who you ask, could be the traitor?   Well your sorcerer friend is the only option really.  In a neat twist though it says turn to the page that would reveal them, and its quite difficult to figure out.  I had mapped the book by this stage and worried I had missed something.  Nope its staring you in the face from page 1, as the number reference is in his name.  Very cool.

But unfortunately its just the mechanic that is cool.  Expecting information from him on why he has allied with Morgana etc does not come.  All you get is that he curses your cleverness and the fight begins.  Its a shame that this story does not get expanded on.  Maybe not though, maybe once he is defeated he will confess on his death bed when we turn to 400.

Absolutely criminal!  I said this in his last book, Rebel Planet, that it started out well and petered out.  Well story wise it is the same here.  It starts off really well, especially around Havers castle but that ending is lazy.  Just before Morgana you find the Golems and have to summon Galrin and his spectral horde to defeat them.  It should be an epic scene but its just a quick few sentences.  

It is the same with encounters.  Affen forest, Havers castle and the destroyed village are great.  But then it gets a bit dull such as the canyon and the glacier.  A shame as if it kept up from the start this would have been really good.  But no the end is just a damp squib which is gutting as the secret traitor could have been the best story in a Fighting Fantasy book.

Now I said I heard this book was difficult.  To be fair it is not because of crazy difficult battles as most of the enemies are a fair skill level.  And it is not because of all the sudden deaths (there is a lot) but most of them are avoidable if using common sense.  Although not all but these are avoidable when you play multiple times.  No the difficulty comes with the random dice rolling.  This really winds me up as the game has skill and luck to determine how you do.  But too many times you are reduced to rolling a dice and hoping for the best.

In my playthrough instead of using skill I was reduced to random dice rolling to work out a fist fight, and it went on forever.  Even if you do everything correct in the wildfire scenario you still need to roll 1d6 and hope for the best with a 1 in 3 chance of death.  Bizarrely in that encounter I found a bit where random roll of 1 or 2 costs stamina but 3 or 4 is death.

The Tiger hunt, good lord the tiger hunt.  Now fair play, its clever but the random dice rolling for both you and the tiger take all the fun out of it.  Especially when the Tiger runs off in the opposite direction and you know you can't reach it.  It is an interesting game but the random dice rolling breaks it.

Or working out what happens in the avalanche which killed me or jumping across wet rocks.

But by far the worse case is you have to roll randomly and not get 4-10 on 2d6 to even spot the orb which is crucial.  Why can this not be a test of luck?  Its pretty game breaking and unfortunately takes a lot of fun out of the book.  

 

In Robin Waterfield's Rebel Planet his world building is excellent but the background section in this book is disappointingly sparse.  

What I did love about this book though is the art.  Russ Nicholson does a super job and it makes this book feel like a real fighting fantasy.  It is worth it for the art alone.

Great start, loved going through the forest and Havers castle.  Liked the attempt at the big twist and storytelling through the book.  It just didn't pan out well and died towards the end.  That and the incessant dice rolling instead of stat tests including a game breaking luck requirements this one was a bit of a let down.  Which is a shame as the art is great.

Score - 4 out of 10.