Simoniuss challenge Introduction You are an adventurer who has bitten off more than you can chew

and gotten yourself in a mage contest! Since you know nothing about casting spells, you head off to a cave rumoured to hold many magical items. Skill, stamina and luck Roll one die. On a roll of 1-2, your initial skill is 8. On the roll of a 3-4, your initial skill is 9. On the roll of a 5-6, your initial skill is 10. Roll 2 dice. Add 12 to the number rolled. This is your initial stamina. Roll one die. On a roll of 1-2, your initial luck is 7. On the roll of a 3-4, your initial luck is 8. On the roll of a 5-6, your initial luck is 9. Equipment You start this adventure with quite a lot of equipment as you have just come back from a successful mission. You are armed with a sword and have a dagger hidden in your boot in case you lose your main weapon. You are dressed in warm, hard wearing travelling clothes with a woolen cloak. For protection, you have leather armour and you carry a shield which you can use with skill in battle so that you can reduce each opponents attack strength by 1 in combat. You also have a backpack which contains a lantern, a tinderbox, a waterskin and 5 meals worth of provisions. You have 137 gold pieces remaining from your last missions reward. Provisions You may only rest and eat provisions when you are instructed to in the text. Eating a meal restores 4 stamina points. Vials and potions Potions can be drunk on any paragraph that does not contain a combat. If you drink a potion, remember to add a vial to your equipment list. You may find something else to fill it up with later. Combat Combat is as normal fighting fantasy books. Before the combat starts, you may perform only one special attack such as fire a bow at an opponent.

Background Barkeep! Another round for my friends! You shout with gusto across the tavern. You are blind drunk. The innkeeper rolls his eyes and fills up another dozen tankards of ale. Your friends are just the patronisers of the inn who just happen to have been graced by your presence. At first they found you amusing, but now they are getting irritated by your rowdy behavior. You are only being tolerated because you are flush with money at the moment. One of the patronisers, Simonius, is talking about taking a test where he will get to the next level of sorcery. Pah! you scoff I am the greatest sorcerer in all of Allansia! The sorcerer humours you. Oh really. Well how about a little contest then. Lets see who can do the most spectacular illusion. He mumbles a few words and then performs a series of tricks. He produces a miniature rainbow across the table, makes the tankards dance to music from a ghostly source and finishes off by having doves fly out of his robes and then disappear in a shower of lights and colours. Your crowd gasp in awe and wonder. Thats rubbish! You shout. Im gonnaIm gonna blot out the sun! The whole tavern roars with laughter, but you ignore them as you walk outside. Chukling, your crowd follows you. You begin a tirade at the sun, high in the sky, telling it to go away. At first, everyone laughs, but then they stop. A black disk appears and starts to creep across the sun, slowly obscuring it. Everyone falls silent as a shadow falls across where you are standing. Even you are surprised the effect you have wrought. Within two minutes, the disk has completely coverered the sun, leaving only a bright corona surrounding it. The disk then moves on and lets the sun continue its business. Its just an eclipse! Says Simonius, but the ignorant peasants believe you to be an agent of the Gods and shout him down. They want a proper contest. Very well. I will give you a week to prepare for our duel. Says the humbled mage, peeved at your magnificent stroke of luck. Yeah, you better be ready. You shout, not caring that you are now facing a sorcerer in a magical duel. You dont remember much else of that day. You wake up the next morning with a stinking hangover and walk downstairs. Baldus, the innkeeper chuckles upon seeing you. Oh look, its the most powerful sorcerer in Allansia! The innkeeper tells you the story of your exploits from last night. Listen. He says Ive got people betting on Simonius to beat this mage at his own game. He convinced everyone that you were a drunken idiot. You know about as much about magic as a rock, so go to a cave a days journey from here in the mountains which is rumoured to have many magical items. If you collect a few of them, you can pass yourself off as a wizard and if you win, Ill keep all the money that the villagers bet on Simonius. Ill give you half if you win fifty gold pieces. Not bad, huh? After you have recovered from your hangover, you get the directions to the cave and head to the market to prepare for your journey. NOW TURN OVER

1 You browse the shops in Zengis. There are several places selling you equipment and hardware that adventurers sometimes find handy as well as shops run by alchemists and sorcerers who sell more exotic goods. These are the following things that you can buy. Unless stated, you may only buy one of each item. Shovel Pick Steel mirror Bag of chalk Mace Silver arrow Silver dagger Potion of Healing Glowstone Antipoison Quarterstaff 5gp 8gp 2gp 1gp 25gp 10gp 25gp 40gp 35gp 15gp 3gp Healing herbs Bow + 6 arrows Rope Meals Hammer + spikes Glass vial Breastplate Lucky Charm Potion of Strength Ring of shielding Vial of acid 3gp each (5 available) 15gp 5gp 1gp each (available) 6gp 1gp each (5 available) 35gp 40gp 25gp 40gp 15gp

The healing herbs can be eaten instead of a meal. They will restore 6 stamina points instead of 4. Glass vials can be used to hold liquids you may come across. The breastplate may reduce damage done against you in combat. Whenever you are hit, roll a die. If you roll a 13, reduce the damage done against you by 1. The potion of healing, when drunk, will restore your stamina to its initial level. The lucky charm reduces all test for luck rolls by 1. The glowstone is a glowing white gem that casts the same light as a lantern. It does not need fuel and stays lit, which may be an advantage. The potion of strength, when drunk, will restore 4 stamina points and increase the damage you deal in your next combat by 1. The antipoison will cure all stamina loss from poison. The ring of shielding will negate the first hit you take in a combat. You can throw the vial of acid at one opponent before a combat. It will cause 1-6 stamina points of damage. If you have a bow and arrows, you may fire an arrow at an opponent before combat. If you test your skill successfully, you will cause 2 stamina points of damage. When you have finished your purchases, you start your journey. It is hard going through the mountains and you have to make many climbs over many hours of travel. Lose 6 stamina points. If you have a bag of chalk, you may use it to chalk your hands and make your climb easier. Cross the chalk off your adventure sheet and lose 4 stamina points instead. If you have hammer and spikes, you may use them to make your climb easier. Lose 2 stamina points instead. Eventually, you get to the cave and steel yourself before you enter. You may eat a meal here. Turn to 30. 2 You feel poison burning through your veins. If you have antipoison, you may drink it now and you will suffer no more ill effects. If you do not, you writhe in agony for several minutes before the pain dies down. Lose 1 skill point and 4 stamina points. You search the cavern. Turn to 17.

3 The smell gets stronger but nothing else untoward happens as you explore the cavern. Until, of course you see some smoke drifting up from a crack in the floor and then coalescing into the shape of a humanoid. If you have a staff of storms, you may summon up its power to create a strong gust of wind that will tear the smoke monster apart. If you dont have it, you must fight it. SMOKE MONSTER SKILL 8 STAMINA 12 If you win, you search the cavern to find a polished silver helmet and several silver bracelets, rings and necklaces. If you wish to wear the silver helmet, add it to your equipment list. Add 4 silver bracelets worth 25gp, 5 silver rings worth 15gp and 2 silver necklaces worth 30gp to your equipment list. Add the codeword monster to your adventure sheet. You leave and try to find a way out of this maze. Turn to 37. 4 You walk for what seems to be forever. Lose 1 stamina point. You may eat a meal. You then come to a cavern which is filled with sarcophagi. You are in a huge crypt. If you have the word open on your adventure sheet, turn to 46. Otherwise, if you wish to leave this place and go elsewhere, turn to 46. If you wish to explore the crypt, you walk amongst the sarcophagi and start to hear voices in your head. If you have an amulet of clear sight, turn to 32. If not, turn to 28. 5 Searching through the chunks if ice, you see a gold glint. You see that the ice demons head has a gold ring with a sapphire embedded in it lodged right in the middle of the block of ice where its brain would be. You smash it open to get the ring. You have seen a similar ring before from a jeweler in Port Blacksand. It is a ring of ice. When you rub the sapphire, you can produce a blast of ice with it. Add the ring of ice to your adventure sheet. You do not want to tarry here in the freezing cold. There is an exit to the north. You take it. Turn to 20. 6 You hold the crystal and command the rock to shape itself into a path to the cave exit. A slope forms allowing you to walk downwards and then the stone forms a bridge over the river. You cross it and get to the other side. Turn to 26. 7 You walk along the corridor. As you do, you hear the banging of metal on metal. You walk on to find yourself in a cavern where a smithy seems to be set up. A doughty dwarf is hammering out a sword blade with a large hammer. A smithys paraphernalia surround him. There are shelves with many items of metal and armour on them. The dwarf greets you and explains that he is from a kingdom from deeper in the mountain but he works here as there is a lot of magical energy at this point. You ask him if he has any items for sale and he says yes, but only for the worthy. If you want to buy items from the dwarf, you must hammer out the sword at the anvil and endure the intense heat of the forge. If you do not wish to do this,

you may head north. Turn to 23. If you wish to take the challenge, you take the hammer and start to hammer the blade. The heat is intense and the hammer is heavy. You start to get exhausted. Roll four dice. If the result is equal to or less than your stamina, turn to 36. If the result is higher, you get exhausted and pass out from the heat. Lose 2 stamina points. You wake up to see the dwarf with a disappointed look on his face. You head north. Turn to 23. 8 You dive into the water and try to swim, but the current is too strong and you are swept under water. You are bashed by rocks and against the bank for about half minute, but it seems like an age. You then reach the top and gasp for air before realizing that you are heading for a waterfall. You are flung over a cliff and fall into a shallow pool. You hit the rock bottom. It is agaony. You manage to swim to the bank and pull yourself to the shore. You stagger for a bit before collapsing, in agony. Lose 1 skill point and 6 stamina points. You check your backpack to find that anything fragile has broken and that all your food is ruined. Cross all potions, vials and provisions from your adventure sheet. Your lantern, luckily is still ok and you do your best to dry it. You manage to light it to see that there is an exit to the cavern. You are about to go when you step on a strange white rock. It sticks out amongst the normal, grey rocks. You pick it up to see that it is on a gold chain. There are symbols on the rock. Your experienced eye tells you that the symbols are runes of clear seeing. This amulet will help you see through illusions and allow you to see invisible things. Add the amulet of clear sight to your adventure sheet. You scramble up a sloping tunnel until eventually you come to a cavern with exits to the north and south. Looking through the south exit, you see that you are on the other side of the river. Turn to 26. 9 You have no time to react as magical bars shoot up from the ground and surround you. You are trapped. Simonius walks up to the bars. If you have half a steel disk, turn to 14. If not, turn to 22. 10 Most would consider you foolhardy, but you get the last laugh as the hissing of the snakes comes from a nest of snakes on the floor. They are still dangerous, though, so you draw your sword and prepare for combat. SNAKES SKILL 9 STAMINA 13 If you win, if you lost any stamina in this combat at all, turn to 2. If you did not, you search the cavern. Turn to 17. 11 As you move on, the smell gets stronger and then the flame in your lantern flares up. Then the whole cavern explodes.

12 You trudge through the passageways for what seems like forever. You are tired. Lose 1 stamina point. You may eat a meal. If you have the codeword extinguish on your adventure sheet, turn to 37. If not, read on. You eventually come to a cavern which seems lit up by a bright light and enter it. There is a figure in the middle who seems on fire. You are intrigued and look closer. You then see, too late that the edge of the cavern is marked out by a chalk circle and that the figure who is on fire is a FIRE DEMON, which has probably been trapped here. It looks at you and raises its sword and flaming whip. Unless you have a dragon shield, roll 1 die at the beginning of each combat round. If you roll a 1-2, the demon hits you with its whip and you lose 1 stamina point. You may eat a meal. Also, unless you have a dragon shield, the demons flaming sword deals 3 stamina points of damage on a successful hit. If you have a dragon shield, it deals the normal 2 stamina points of damage. FIRE DEMON SKILL 10 STAMINA 10 If you win, you do not touch the demons crown, knowing that only a fool would do so. However, there is a pile of treasure here. You take several gold pieces, gems and a ring with an eye engraved in it. Add 87 gold pieces to your adventure sheet. Add 3 gems worth 40 gold pieces to your adventure sheet. Add the eye ring to your adventure sheet. You leave the cavern. Turn to 37. 13 You are in a large cavern. You can see a cave in the north wall, but you have to climb down a small cliff and cross a rushing underground river. If you have a crystal of earth command and wish to use it, turn to 6. Otherwise, you have to climb down the cliff, turn to 48. 14 Simonius is just about to speak when he sees the steel half disk. That was my masters! Did you get it from the caves. You confirm that you did. With a snap of his fingers, Simonius makes the bars vanish. Do you have the whole amulet? If you have two half disks, turn to 35. If you only have one piece, turn to 21. 15 You spend half an hour digging through the sand and rocks. It is hard going. Lose 2 stamina points. However, after half an hour, you see something glinting in the light. You pull it out to find a rough, uncut crystal the size of your fist. It has a dim glow of its own, so it must be magical. You have heard tales of such large crystals allowing their owners to command and move earth. Add the crystal of earth command to your adventure sheet. You think about where you can go next. If you go west, turn to 7. If you go east, turn to 45. 16 As you carry the key closer to the lock, it grows in size until it fits in the lock. You turn it and the door opens. You are free from the cave! Gain 1 luck point. You head back to Zengis. It is easier to get back as you know the way. When you get back to Zengis, you spend time recovering. You may go to the healer. For 20 gold pieces, you may restore your

stamina to its initial level. For 20 gold pieces, you may return your skill to its initial level. Eventually, you wake up on the day of the magical duel. You meet Simonius in the square, surrounded by his supporters. Brantus is there with a big bag of gold. Simonius begins by chanting. Not knowing what he is doing, you have to wait. He finishes. Then nothing happens. You look at Simonius who is smiling. Then a bolt of fire explodes near you. You look up to see that the sorcerer has summoned a WYVERN to combat you. How will you fight it? If you wish to use a ring of ice, turn to 38. If you wish to use the staff of storms, turn to 27. Otherwise you must fight it. The Wyvern lands near you and unleashes another bolt of fire from its maw. If you have a dragon shield, it blocks the fire bolt. Otherwise, test your luck. If you are lucky, you dodge the bolt. If you are unlucky, it hits you. Lose 4 stamina points. WYVERN SKILL 10 STAMINA 11 If you win, turn to 47. 17 The cavern is safe now that you have vanquished the snakes. You rest here. You eat a meal. You search through the cavern. There is an exit to the north. There is nothing of value, but there is a boulder which seems to be blocking a cave entrance. If you wish to explore this cave, you may break the boulder with a pick (turn to 39), break it with a crystal of earth command (turn to 31). If you cannot do either of these things, you leave and head north where you hear the sound of rushing water. Turn to 13. 18 The feeling of terror subsides and then you hear the voices in your head. We are here to help you. Once of the spirits points to a small rock which you pull away from the wall. You find a small steel disk with a chain on it. There are runes on the disk. The spirit motions you to take it so you do so. Add the steel disk to your adventure sheet. Note the codeword open on your adventure sheet. You see that the spirits are smiling and fade away. You leave the crypt. Turn to 46. 19 You walk for what seems like an age. Lose 1 stamina point. You may eat a meal. If you have the codeword Slain in your notes, turn to 41. You see a well lit cavern ahead. There seems to a figure inside the cavern. Then you hear a raging bellow. Will you enter the cavern? If not, turn to 41. If you do, you enter you see what is causing the cacophony. A huge MINOTAUR stands before you, mighty club in hand. It snorts, then charges. You must fight it. The minotaur is a mighty beast. Each blow it deals to you in combat will deal 3 stamina points of damage rather than 2. MINOTAUR SKILL 9 STAMINA 18 If you win, you may take the minotaurs treasure. It has a pile of gold and a silver key engraved with runes. Add 163 gold pieces and the runed key to your adventure sheet. Add the codeword slain to your adventure sheet. You try to get out of this maze. Turn to 41.

20 You head north through some twisty corridors until you come to a large cavern. In the centre of the cavern is a throne. Upon the throne sits a skeleton in ragged robes. It is holding a staff with a crystal on the top of it. Do you want to risk taking the staff? If you do so, turn to 42. If you do not want to risk it, you leave through a northern exit and walk down a tunnel until where you hear the sound of rushing water until you come to another large cavern. Turn to 13. 21 This was my masters amulet. Says Simonius He went missing three years ago. He must have been lost in the caves. Will you accompany me to find the other half? Well pay 200 gold in advance, plus 300 gold for this piece plus 500 gold for the other half. How can you refuse such an offer? This amulet is obviously important to the sorcerers guild since you have the money within the hour and you are immediately preparing for a return journey to the caves. This is only the beginning 22 Give up now? Simonius gloats. You admit that you are just a warrior with a few magical items and that he wins the sorcerers duel. Simoniuss friends cheer as he snaps his fingers and the bars vanish. 23 You head north, away from the forge. You go along several twisty, turning passageways. You are about to turn a corner when you hear the sound of several snakes, hissing. Is there a gorgen in the cave? If you wish to enter the cavern looking into a mirror (only if you have one), turn to 49. If you wish to enter the cavern with your eyes closed, turn to 29. If you wish to enter the cavern normally, turn to 10. 24 You walk for what seems like forever. Lose 1 stamina point. You may eat a meal. You come to a cavern that stinks of death. There is a big pile of bones in the centre of the cavern. If you have the codeword heavy on your adventure sheet, turn to 40. If you do not, you enter the cavern and as you do, the bones start to reassemble to make a GIANT SKELETON. You face it. If you do not have a mace, reduce all damage dealt against the skeleton by 1. GIANT SKELETON SKILL 8 STAMINA 10 If you win, write the codeword heavy on your adventure sheet. There is no loot in this room. Turn to 40. 25 You cannot avoid the ball of ice. The cold is agonizing. Lose 6 stamina points. Turn to 9.

26 The cavern you are in is bare. There is an exit to the north. Upon quick exploration, you realize that the passageway branches off several times and becomes very maze-like. You will have to enter this confusing maze in the hope of getting out of this cave. Turn to 46. 27 You wave the staff at the wyvern. A wind picks up and sends the wyvern flying. It crash lands into a nearby cottage with a scream. You grin at Simonius. Turn to 47. 28 The voices are too much for you and you flee the crypt in terror. Unless you have a silver helmet, lose 1 skill point and 1 luck point. You go somewhere else in the maze. Turn to 46. 29 You advance forward, swinging your sword. However, it does not connect with anything. You then step on something wiggly and open your eyes to see that you are standing on nest of snakes! They bite you. Lose 4 stamina points. You have to fight them. SNAKES SKILL 9 STAMINA 13 If you win, turn to 2. 30 You enter the cave with your light source. You are in a large cavern with exits to the east and west. Before you can take in any more, however, you hear a rumbling sound from behind you. A large, heavy, metal door slides across the entrance to the cave. You are trapped. The cavern is empty apart from a pile of rubble and sand in a hole in the centre of the cavern. If you wish to take a rest, you may eat a meal here. If you have a shovel, you can dig through the pile of sand and rock if you wish. Turn to 15. If you wish to go west, turn to 7. If you wish to go east, turn to 45. 31 You hold the crystal and command the boulder to move. It rolls aside. You go down a short cave to find a small compass lying on the ground at a dead end. When you pick it up, it points towards where the exit is. You realize that the compass is enchanted and points towards what you ask for. Add the enchanted compass to your adventure sheet. Make a note that whenever you see the phrase You wander around the passageways, looking for some way out you may turn to 24. You leave the cave and head north, where you hear the sound of rushing water. Turn to 13.

32 Figures start to swim before your vision. You see spirits before your eyes. They float towards you. If you have a silver helmet, turn to 18. If not, the spirits advance on you and a feeling of terror overtakes you. You must either fight or flee. You may only fight them if you have a silver dagger. If you do not, you must flee. Turn to 28 If you have a silver dagger, you may attack the spirits with a bow and silver arrow if you have one. SPIRITS SKILL 8 STAMINA 12 If you win, you look through the sarcophagi. Note the codeword open on your adventure sheet. You find lots of gold pieces and a black shroud covered in golden runes. Add 110 gold pieces and a runed shroud to your adventure sheet. Turn to 46. 33 You point the jewel at the river and rub it. A blast of ice shoots out of the ring and hits the river. The surface of it freezes enough to form a bridge of ice. You carefully cross the bridge. Turn to 26. 34 You walk for what seems like an age. Lose 1 stamina point. You may eat a meal. You come to a cavern where there is a strange smell. It may be natural gas, but you are not sure. If you have the codeword monster on your adventure sheet, turn to 37. If you wish to carry on through the cavern with a glowstone for light, turn to 3. If you wish to carry on, but you do not have a glowstone, turn to 11. If you do not wish to enter the cavern, you look for somewhere else to go. Turn to 37. 35 Simonius takes both pieces and puts them together. There is a glow and you feel it. This was my masters amulet he explains He went missing three years ago. Thankyou for finding this. It means so much to me and my brotherhood. It is true. Within the hour, you are a thousand gold pieces richer. You become an honoury member of Zengiss sorcerers guild as well as a paid relic hunter for them. Your adventures with your new companion, Simonius take you many places and get you many rewards. This is only just the beginning 36 The dwarf is impressed with your strength and offers to sell several of his wares, all of the highest quality. Magical throwing dagger Gauntlet of Lightning Dragon shield 40gp 80gp 60gp

The magical throwing dagger can be used before combat. If you throw it at an opponent, it will automatically hit and deal 6 stamina points of damage. It will then disappear so it can only be used once. The gauntlet of lightning sends an electrical bold of energy down your

weapon the first time you hit an opponent in combat. The first time you hit an opponent in combat, it will deal an extra 4 stamina points of damage. This will only happen once per combat. The dragon shield will protect as a normal shield (it will reduce all your opponents attack strengths by 1) but it also absorbs fire directed against you. If you take it, you must leave your shield behind. When you have finished your dealings with him, you head north. Turn to 23. 37 You wander around the passageways, looking for some way out. Where will you end up? If you roll a 1-3, turn to 19 If you roll a 4-6, turn to 44 38 The wyvern lands near you and opens its maw to unleash its bolt of fire. Just as it does, you rub the ring and let loose a bolt of ice into its mouth. A layer of ice forms around the wyverns head. It shakes its head and breaks the ice. It attacks you with its teeth and claws. WYVERN SKILL 9 STAMINA 9 If you win, turn to 47. 39 You bring the pick down on the boulder several times. It is hard going (lose 2 stamina points), but soon the boulder is in pieces. You go down a short cave to find a small compass lying on the ground at a dead end. When you pick it up, it points towards where the exit is. You realize that the compass is enchanted and points towards what you ask for. Add the enchanted compass to your adventure sheet. You leave the cave and head north, where you hear the sound of rushing water. Turn to 13. 40 You head through a tunnel from the cavern and come to a dead end. There is a big steel door in the way with a key hole in the door. If you have a runed key, turn to 16. If not, you despair as you realize that you have to head back into the maze. Turn to 46. 41 You wander around the passageways, looking for some way out If you roll a 1-3, turn to 4 If you roll a 4-6, turn to 24 42 You slowly approach the skeleton, mindful of traps. You gingerly touch the staff, half expecting the skeleton to spring to life, but it does not. You manage to prise the staff from the skeletons fingers and examine it. You are able to read its runes. They tell you that it is a

staff of storm summoning. Add the staff of storm summoning to your adventure sheet. Glad that there were no unpleasant surprises, you prepare to head north until you hear a high pitched squeak. Two HARPIES descend from the ceiling and attack you. Fight them at the same time. FIRST HARPIE SKILL 9 STAMINA 6 SECOND HARPIE SKILL 8 STAMINA 8 If you win, you leave the cavern and head north. Turn to 13. 43 The ball of ice vanishes just before it hits you. Turn to 9. 44 You walk for what seems like forever. Lose 1 stamina point. You may eat a meal. You then come to a large cavern which appears empty. If you have the codeword fish in your notes, turn to 41. If you do not, if you do not want to explore the tunnel, you find somewhere else to go. Turn to 41. If you do wish to explore, you poke around in the cave and find some valuable gems lying around. You then feel a strange force upon you. You then see a metallic figure standing before you. All of your metal items start to pull towards it and then fly towards the MAGNETIC GOLEM. If you have an enchanted compass, the magnetic field of the compass negates the magnetic field of the golem. If you do not, all the items made of iron and steel that you own fly towards the golem. You lose the following items. Sword, any daggers, arrows, breastplate, cuirass, shield, gauntlet, hammer and spikes, mirror, pick, shovel. If you flee this room, you will not get your items back. Put an astericks by them to show note that if you do kill the golem, you will get them back. If you fight it, you must reduce your attack strength by 2 if you have no weapon. If you use acid against the golem, it will dissolve the metal away. It will do 1 stamina point of damage at the beginning of each attack round in addition to the initial damage. MAGNETIC GOLEM SKILL 7 STAMINA 12 If you win, you may get your items back. In addition, you may take 9 jewels worth 30 gold pieces each. You may also take a what looks like half a small steel disk. There is one small chain hanging off it and the edge looks jagged as if it was ripped apart. Add the half steel disk to your adventure sheet. Add the codeword fish to your adventure sheet. You leave the cavern to find the way out of this maze. Turn to 41.

45 As you walk down the tunnel, you notice that it is getting colder. You come into a cavern where the walls are covered in ice. In the centre, there is a big block of ice. However, as you enter, it starts to move and unfolds itself to become an ICE DEMON. You have to fight it. At the beginning of each attack round, lose 1 stamina point through intense cold. This damage cannot be reduced by armour or a ring of shielding. ICE DEMON SKILL 9 STAMINA 11 If you win, turn to 5. 46 You wander around the passageways, looking for some way out. Roll 1 die. If you roll a 1-3, turn to 12 If you roll a 4-6, turn to 34 47 The sorcerer is far from finished. He clicks his fingers and a ball of ice appears in mid air. It flies towards you. If you have an amulet of clear sight or an eye ring, turn to 43. If not, turn to 25. 48 You have to climb down the cliff. If you have a rope, you tie it around a rock and climb down it without a problem. However, you lose the rope (cross the rope from your adventure sheet). If you have a hammer and spikes, you climb down without a problem. If you have a bag of chalk, you can chalk your hands and it will let you climb down ok (cross the chalk from your adventure sheet). Otherwise, roll four dice. If the number is equal or less than your stamina, you get to the bottom fine. Otherwise, you fall. Lose 3 stamina points. You then think about getting across the river. If you have a ring of ice, turn to 33. Otherwise, you must swim. Turn to 8. 49 Looking through the mirror, you jump into the cave. You see nothing, even though you can hear the snakes. Then you point the mirror down to see a group of snakes slithering towards you. Test your luck. If you are lucky, you drop the mirror. It smashes to the floor (cross the mirror from your adventure sheet), spin around with your sword drawn, ready for combat. If you are unlucky, the snakes bite you before you can react (lose 2 stamina points). You drop the mirror and then prepare for combat (cross the mirror from your adventure sheet). You have to fight the snakes. SNAKES SKILL 9 STAMINA 13 If you win and you lost any stamina from this combat at all (including if you bitten because you were unlucky), turn to 2. If you were not bitten, you search the cavern. Turn to 17.

50 This has been a lesson in humility for both of use. Admits Simonius. His friends are collecting their winnings from Brantus. How about I buy you a drink. You can tell me about the caves you explored. They sound very interesting. Sounds great. You say. But Im on the fruit juice. Simonius grins. You head to the inn to swap stories with your new friends.

Notes I use the word powerup in these notes. What I mean by the use of this word is an item that restores skill, stamina or luck or increases your attack strength or improves your chances in combat. It is an item that has some numerical effect on the game as opposed to an item that you only use when prompted in the text. I was looking back through all of my books and there are almost no magical items. Inventory lists are small and that is how I like it. I want the books to be more about story. However, am I missing something good that item hunts have? This is why I wrote this book. The snake thing because you probably thought it was a gorgon. Lots of magic items more like a dungeon crawl. Do dungeon crawls and item based adventures just go well together? Item based adventures need stronger opponents too because you soon have a collection of powerups. I know I put them there and I dont have to but the point of this book is to have lots of items and this is the result. I could have taken out the combat items (powerups) but then the only items left are the situational ones and then it becomes a bit like Eye of the Dragon or Return to Firetop Mountain where it doesnt really matter what the item is. It could be a completely mundane item. At least the item hunt in Crypt of the Sorcerer required magical artefacts and there is some logic to why you need them (Razaak is a powerful sorcerer. He can cast lightning bolts, fireballs and swarms of magical insects and you need protection from them). Who would have known that the path to victory in Return to Firetop Mountain requires a small wooden brick and a mushroom? You need a small wooden brick and a mushroom (amongst many other arbitrary things) or you wont be able to kill a powerful and evil sorcerer who has a powerful army and rules over a dungeon within a mountain. At least if the items are mundane, you wont be disappointed if they have no use. Im more disappointed when a cool sounding magical item only turns up once in a whole book, or is useless or it is not mentioned at all (such as the rings of ice and invisibility from City of Thieves). Combat heavy and powerup heavy books are hard to balance. If you put too many powerups in, you make it too easy. Too few and it is too hard. There is more margin of error because a low skill character has different needs to a low luck character so you need to give people more options. However, it there is a way to get the most possible items, then to book would be super easy. However, maybe that could be a challenge for the book. I decided to do a good ending and a better ending. You may not know that there is a better ending at all unless you decide to experiment and do stuff which (I like to think) is not stuff you would normally do in an adventure. However, does that make it a bit arbitrary and reward bad play? I like having to shop for items but there are certain items that you can never know if they will be useful or how they will be useful without metagaming. For example, Im sure that a lot of people will think that there will be a gorgon or a basilisk in the book if there is a mirror available. Return to Firetop Mountain on paragraph 116 has this problem. You have to pick the correct 5 items and it will be hard to pick the correct ones without knowing whats ahead

of you. You may also look at the fact that there is a silver dagger on offer and think that there will be a vampire or that because there is a mirror, there will be a gorgon (in this case there is a gorgon). To what extent should adventurers be able to read? I would imagine , a battle hardened warrior in a medieval setting would have little opportunity or need to read, but all adventurers in fighting fantasy are literate. Some of them should be, for example the wizard in Citidel of Chaos, but what about the loner who likes to live outdoors in Forest of Doom? The only gamebook I have read with non literate characters was the HeroQuest gamebook The Fellowship of Four where you could play the barbarian, dwarf, elf and wizard simultaneously. Only the wizard was literate. Paragraph 48 is climbing a question of technique (test against skill) or endurance (test against stamina)? If you lose skill through injury, why doesnt a healing potion cure skill loss? Why do you need a potion of skill? I suppose it is hard to make the gamebook that realistic. This is probably my least realistic gamebook. Is this what happens when you make the items central to the book? Or is this just my idea of what an item based book should be like? Ive decided that codewords should not give a clue to the circumstances in which you get them because then it may give a clue as to whats coming up ahead or what you should do.