Return to Scorpion Swamp : character sheet, map, rules, chat

[linflas]

SKILL: 11 / 11

STAMINA: 9 / 18

LUCK: 7 / 10

HEALTH: 8 / 8

     

Items: Small Dagger, Rope, 3 torches, 3 Medicinal Herbs (+3 STA), Minor Skill Potion (+1 lost SKI), Fury Potion (+2 AS on first 5 rounds), Dodge Boots (no LUCK loss in fight), Orcish Light Sword (+1 AS); Talisman with Runic Signs, Bouquet of Fragrant Mushrooms

Gold: 17

Provisions: 3

Magic Gems: 1 Illusion, 1 Skill, 2 Stamina, 2 Luck, 1 Fire, 2 Ice, 1 Terror, 1 Wither, 1 Curse, 2 Weakness

Codes:

Map: ' ? ' are unvisited but possible clearings. ' X ' means swamp limit.

N

^

				9 - Dark cave (not explored)	35 - Tree shape like old man
			17 - Corpses abomination	31 - Fake Master of Gardens	19 - Goblins / Shaman	27 - Colour bushes	4 - Tree / Huge tentacles trap
			46 - Unicorn (confusion)	?	?	12 - Cliff / River
			26 - Dead Orc and Goblin (confusion)	7 - Turtle (bridge at south)	52 - Hut / Giant Octopus	32 - Cliff / River	23 - Master of Scorpions	?
				37 - Thieves company (bridge at north)	28 - Hell Hounds	2 - Wooden post + myst	47 - Ophidiane's lair
		?		?	25 - Swamp Goblins	50 - Mud clones
	29 - Aryoth / Master of Worms house	39 - Wounded Patroller / Shapechanger	16 - Gian tree with various vermins	33 - Two adventurers	20 - Undead musicians	38 - Toad footprints (not explored)	6 - Giant Scorpion	?
?	53 - Sword Tree vs. Giant Scorpion	13 - Abandoned Master of Wolves' hut	44 - Master of Platypus	1 - Start (south to Fenmarge)	49 - "Pulush"	15 - Master of Spiders	43 - Yellow mushrooms	26 - Mistress of Flowers

[linflas]

Special Rules

Equipment

You carry a Sword as default weapon and can have a second weapon if you find or buy one. You also have a small Dagger (-1 Attack Strength) hidden in a boot.

You have 30 Gold coins and can (should) buy some equipment before starting the adventure:

- Provisions     1 Gold per meal (restores 3 STAMINA, 4 max)

- Rope            3 Gold

- Torch           2 Gold (you can buy up to 3)

Magic Gems

NEUTRAL:

- SKILL = restores half of initial SKILL score, rounded up

- STAMINA = same as skill but for STAMINA. New! Also restores 1 HEALTH point.

- LUCK = same as skill but for LUCK

- FIRE = set medium-sized object on fire

- ICE = freezes water or vapour water

- ILLUSION = creates a small, short-lived illusion

GOOD:

- FRIENDSHIP = makes one creature disposed towards you

- GROWTH = accelerates growth of one large plant or several smaller ones

- BLESS = restores 3 lost skill, luck and stamina points to the creature you bless, not yourself

- FORCE = didn't exist in Scorpion Swamp : increases your Attack Strength by 2 points for one combat only

EVIL:

- TERROR = allows you to instill fear in a creature, provided that it is capable of experiencing such a feeling.

- WITHER = if you want a good-sized plant or several small ones to wither or shrivel. Be aware, however, that it only works on plants.

- CURSE = considerable power which should not be used lightly. Each time you use a curse, you must roll a die and reduce your STAMINA total by the number of points you roll. In return, a tragic spell - the nature of which you will not always be told - will immediately strike the opponent you have cursed.

- WEAKNESS = reduces your opponent's Attack Strength by 2 points for the duration of a combat. You cannot use several gems against the same enemy, nor can you combine the effect of a Weakness Gem and a Fury Potion. So be careful which battles you use the Gem for!

You may use the SKILL, STAMINA and LUCK gems at any time, except during a fight. If you wish to use them at the beginning of a fight, you may do so, but you may not use them after the first blow until the fight is over.
The Strength and Weakness gems must only be used before engaging in combat. The text will never suggest that you use them.
The other gems should only be used when given the opportunity to do so in specific sections.

Combat without weapon

If you have lost all your weapons or don't have time to grab one, your Attack Strength is decreased by 3 and you hit your enemy with only 1 STAMINA point instead of 2.

Health

- If your HEALTH score is 4, you are WEAKENED.
- If your HEALTH score is 3 or 2, you are SICK.
- If your HEALTH score is 1, you are AGONISING.
Penalty: a penalty of X to SKILL tests and Attack Strength means that you add X to the dice roll to test your Skill, and you subtract X from your AS in combat.

WEAKENED :
Apply a penalty of 1 to your SKILL tests and AS.
You die if your STAMINA score is 1 (instead of zero)

SICK:
Apply a total penalty of 2 to your SKILL tests and AS.
You die if your STAMINA score is 2 or less

AGONISING :
Apply a total penalty of 3 to your SKILL tests and AS.
You die if your STA score is 3 or less

[vastariner]

Instead of "malus", "penalty" or "deduction" looks to be the appropriate word.

Any way of boosting Health?

[CharlesX]

Jan 12, 2022 20:27:37 GMT vastariner said:

Instead of "malus", "penalty" or "deduction" looks to be the appropriate word.

Any way of boosting Health?

Health seems to be a big concern in this gamebook, and we've yet to discover a way of restoring it. Before Willowbend, we might be able to restore it via this dark cave.

   Before then, I suggest we take a provision after we get out this danger, definitely if we're wounded (here).

[linflas]

Health is the subject that was most discussed during the elaboration of the rules of this adventure. Some authors wanted to add a health gem (of the neutral type) that would restore health to its maximum, while other wanted that the stamina gem would restore 1 health point in addition to half of the maximum stamina, but none of these were done.
Currently, there are only two way to recover health in the swamp : a cure potion (you already missed it ) and a magic fountain.

[vastariner]

The ironic thing is that normally leeches would BE a cure, this time they've put us in danger.

I do like it as a stat though. Adds an intriguing dimension.

[CharlesX]

Jan 12, 2022 21:50:13 GMT linflas said:

Health is the subject that was most discussed during the elaboration of the rules of this adventure. Some authors wanted to add a health gem (of the neutral type) that would restore health to its maximum, while other wanted that the stamina gem would restore 1 health point in addition to half of the maximum stamina, but none of these were done.
Currently, there are only two way to recover health in the swamp : a cure potion (you already missed it ) and a magic fountain.

I wonder where we missed the cure potion   and whether it would have been easy to get  . I would have half-expected a night in an inn in Willowbend to restore health, even just the 1. It's possible to reach Willowbend in this gamebook, right?
   It almost doesn't matter to me we missed the cure potion - if you want any feedback on Return To Scorpion Swamp (I'm pretty sure you don't), it's well-written, deeper than Scorpion Swamp and it has had quite a bit of effort put into it (the length, for example), but it's darker and more frustrating than Scorpion Swamp.

[CharlesX]

Jan 12, 2022 22:10:24 GMT vastariner said:

The ironic thing is that normally leeches would BE a cure, this time they've put us in danger.

Yes, only in the middle ages when 'Doctors' said your health depended on the balance of humours. You sound like you come from Swift's time!
  

[The Count]

I suspect we missed the cure potion when there was a fear of exploring early in the adventure

Jan 12, 2022 20:27:37 GMT vastariner said:

Instead of "malus", "penalty" or "deduction" looks to be the appropriate word.

Any way of boosting Health?

Malus is actually fine, it's just very archaic and not really used anymore - it means bad or evil in a direct translation, but penalty or detrimental effect was the more common use.

[linflas]

SPOILER: Click to show

The "Pulu!" creature gives you different items, depending the way you interact with it.

SPOILER: Click to show

You'll need light to find the fountain.

SPOILER: Click to show

There are two paths to reach Willowbend. The hard one is the one we missed (confusion clearing).

"Malus" in french has more a mathematic sense, that's why it is most used in RPG than "pénalité" (which is more a sport word).

I guess the Swamp Leeches are full of disease/microbs and so on, not the ones used by medics

[linflas]

A little anecdote about this fanfiction: we talked to Steve Jackson (US) about it and invited him to write one of the clearings for fun. He would have been up for it, but given the rights he does not own, he had to decline obviously.

[CharlesX]

Feb 3, 2022 15:17:28 GMT linflas said:

A little anecdote about this fanfiction: we talked to Steve Jackson (US) about it and invited him to write one of the clearings for fun. He would have been up for it, but given the rights he does not own, he had to decline obviously.

And did he glance at it, or say anything about it? I imagine he would have been wayyy too busy ofc.

[linflas]

I suppose he wouldn't have time for that, in any case.