4) The Eye of the Dragon solution

[pip]

This solution is for the original version (I don't own the revised edition).

This book is really excellent, probably my favourite in the series. The addition of a series of spells, which you can only use once each, is a great idea, requiring you to think hard about the best time to use each spell. Even though the introduction warns you that this book is difficult, "even by the challenging standards set by earlier Golden Dragon gamebooks", you can get a 100% success rate if you figure out the optimal path. Figuring it out, however, is very challenging indeed, which is the kind of difficulty I like.


- Decline, saying you will find Master Giru yourself
- Try one of your spells
- Cast Deadly Swarm
- Catch his dying words if you want to, or continue
- Dodge through the gateway
- Go back out
- Make for the warren of narrow streets
- Draw your sword
- Take the bottle
- Get the bottle of vinegar
- Don't drink from it
- Brush the mynah bird away
- Head along the Avenue of Sphinxes
- Investigate the mansion
- Enter the mansion
- Climb up to the next floor
- Go through the charred wood door
- Snuff out the candles
- Ignore the ivory plaque, or take it if you want
- Open the door
- Descend into the dark
- Cast Mind Shield
- Get the sheet of strange fabric
- Explore the mansion further
- Get a potion of wind walking and an unidentified potion
- Try the double doors
- Return to the entrance hall
- Retreat
- Run back into the mansion
- Your current Agility is 4 or greater
- You have a potion of wind walking
- Answer truthfully
- Return northwards as the Sphinx said
- Cast one of your spells
- Cast Dagger of the Mind
- Get the harp
- Escape by diving into the chute
- Cast a spell
- Cast Invulnerability
- Pursue the mynah bird
- Cast Befuddle
- Go over and take a closer look
- Cast Dodge to automatically win the Agility test
- Try and free him
- Use an item
- Use the harp
- Refuse to do as he asks
- Flee from the fight with Lord Mantiss
- Cast Gust of Wind
- Get the tuning fork
- Wear the gauntlet
- Get the glove of unerring dexterity (+1 to every combat roll, instakill an enemy if you roll 12); neat, but you actually won't even need it
- -2 Vigour
- Go east
- Ignore the beggar, or give him gold if you want
- Brave the dangers of the Citadel
- You still have your orb of illumination
- Stop at the door
- Use the tuning fork
- Say you killed Mantiss
- Hit it with your sword
- Swing your sword at the spider
- Get the ship in a bottle, and another potion of wind walking
- Pass through the archway with the tusks
- Clean your boots with the second potion of wind walking
- Try the small door on your left
- You have the unidentified potion
- Get the black reins
- Think of another way to get across the bay
- Play the harp
- Use an item
- Use the black reins
- -4 Vigour
- Use the water you got in your starting equipment
- You still have your orb of illumination
- Cast Seance to summon one of the warriors you met at the gates (if you have somehow already cast it, you can also just turn right towards the west tower)
- Open the door
- You have both a ship in a bottle and a sheet of strange fabric
- You have a bottle of vinegar
- Choose the lowest frequency
- You save the Eye of the Dragon from the Kappa, and wisely relinquish it to Giru.

[CharlesX]

Pip, as a huge Golden Dragon fan I think these solutions are amazing! Thank you & please continue!

   By the way Eye Of The Dragon is perhaps my favourite Golden Dragon as well, for very similar reasons to yours - the magic system is great, I can't fault the difficulty level (no sneaky do-or-die BS either), and writing and illustrations are really good, as is standard with this series.

[tyrion]

Thanks again for doing this. In the revised version (I've not got the original so can't comment), you roll 3d6+20 for your vigour.

It does seem that Dave Morris liked you to flee from at least one fight in his books.

[tyrion]

It occurs to me that you could wash off the blood using the potion of wind walking. Go through the door and use the unidentified potion (from the mansion) to get the black reins. To cross the sea, use the harp to summon nucklavee, use the black reins and your flask of water to subdue him. This avoids the lich knights altogether, reducing the number of combats to zero.

[pip]

Nov 20, 2022 12:08:29 GMT tyrion said:

It occurs to me that you could wash off the blood using the potion of wind walking. Go through the door and use the unidentified potion (from the mansion) to get the black reins. To cross the sea, use the harp to summon nucklavee, use the black reins and your flask of water to subdue him. This avoids the lich knights altogether, reducing the number of combats to zero.

You're right, I missed that using water after using the black reins produced a different result (using water first will just make Nuckelavee disappear; I missed that it took you to a different reference if you used the reins first). I will update my solution.