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Post by champskees on Sept 22, 2015 12:41:08 GMT
Book III has perhaps one of the most depressing endings to any gamebook I have read. The book itself is perhaps my favourite out of the three, largely due to a certain trader which you encounter throughout. It is much easier to complete when you have completed the previous two adventures with a decent amount of honour points intact. Book III: Return of the Wanderer
Starting Might: 5 Starting Protection: 11 Intelligence: 4 Divine Sword (Might 4/*6) or Theseus’ Sword (Might 5/*8 Protection 5/*8). Divine Shield (Protection 4/*6). Divine Breastplate (Protection 4/*6). Wolfskin Pelt (Protection 2). Honour gained thus far: 62-79 (you have used a lot of this in the last two books, so I note this here as simply an indicator). Shame: 3 In favour with: Hera, Hephaestus, Athena, Demeter. In disfavour with: Poseidon. Patron: Ares (+2 Might in all combats).
- 1+20=21. Turn to Para 21. - You have read at the court of King Minos. - You are in Disfavour with Poseidon. Roll D6. o 3-5: You are now neutral with Poseidon. o 6: You are now in favour with Poseidon. - Your patron is Ares. - Submit. - Swim away. - Add 8 Shame Points (11). - Add 8 Honour Points due to 4 Intelligence. - If you are in favour with Poseidon: o Lose all possessions. o Make your way up the mountain, to look for help. o Investigate. o Roll D6. 1-3: Lose 1 Honour Point. o Help the Centaur. o Follow the Centaur’s instructions. o Pick the one with four petals. o Take Petals. (One round to use, takes three hits to go from Seriously Wounded to Dead). o Investigate. o Take D6+1 Obols. o Add 1 Shame (12). o Pay the obol (-1 obol). o Dice with the Achaians. o Play until you have 0 obols left. o If you have won an item: 400+20=420. Turn to Para 420. o Lose all obols. o Take Green Plume. o You are in favour with Hephaestus. o 224+20-244. Turn to Para 244. o Lose 1 Honour Point. - If you are not in favour with Poseidon: o Invoke your patron’s aid. o Lose D6 Honour Points. o Go to investigate. o Accept. o Travel back to Troezen with Vizhazid. o Investigate the town. o Stay and risk being carried on once more. o Note you are unarmed and without any armour for the following fights. o Note that your Honour will be restored at the end of each of the following combats. o Deal with the corn first. o Fight Might 4 Protection 9 Beast 3. You must kill it. o Deal with the water. o Fight Might 5 Protection 11 Beast 2. You must kill it. o Deal with the fire. o Fight Might 6 Protection 13 Beast 1. You must kill it. o This is the third opponent you have destroyed. o Drop the water and flame tiles. o You are now in favour with Demeter. o Add 3 Honour Points. o Take Dove. o 10+120=121. Turn to Para 121. o You have a dove with you. o Take Helmet (Protection 1). - Ask a passer-by. - Approach a guard. - Mention Agnostes’ name. - Sleep at once. - Add 1 Honour Point. - Play boat race game. - If win: Add 5 Honour Points. - If lose: Add 1 Shame. - If crash: Add 3 Shame. If in Disfavour with Poseidon: Lose D6 Honour Points. - Resort to the temple of Athena close to the gates. - If you possess an even number of Shame Points: o Hera is not your patron. - If you possess an odd number of Shame Points: o Ask one of these folk for aid. o Fight them. o Add 1 Honour Point. o Lose all weapons. o 550+20=570. Turn to Para 570. o Steal one of the fishermen’s rafts. - Take Rope and Beeswax. - 303+20=323. Turn to Para 323. - You have some beeswax & rope. - Roll 2D6 six times. +4 for being tied to mast, +1 per Honour point spent. - If 3 or more rolls <= 9: Death. - Add 3 Honour Points. - Make for Circe’s island. - Hera is Favourable to you. - Take Moly Root. - 469+20=489. Turn to Para 489. - Demand that the sorceress return your crew to their proper form. - 127+20=147. Turn to Para 147. - You have moly root. - Refuse. - Leave on your raft as she suggests. - Add 1 Shame. - Lose all weapons and armour. - If in Disfavour with Poseidon: don’t spend any Honour Points. - Refuse. - Refuse it. - Try to negotiate. - Go along with them and hope for the best. - Make a sunburst gesture. - Take Jade Knife (Might 1). - Add 1 Honour Point. - Go inland. - Lose all weapons and armour. - Try to communicate with sign language. - Await further developments. - Become a servant. - Try to go by boat. - Cross. - Take Lionskin. - Explore. - Head off towards the trees. - Continue into the island. - You are in favour with Athena. - Ask how you may find food on this barren island. - 230+20=250. Turn to Para 250. - Take Sword (Might 2). - Take Breastplate (Protection 2). - 514+20=534. Turn to Para 534. - Add 1 Honour Point. - Continue straight. - Wander on this bank for a while. - Ask Dipthis what fate has befallen him. - Agree. - Lose Sword. - Add 1 Shame. - 437+20=457. Turn to Para 457. - You are wearing a lionskin. - Add 2 Honour Points. - Go straight. - Go to the right. - Approach them. - Visit the corrupt court officials. - You did not eat the pomegranate. - 337+20=357. Turn to Para 357. - Tell him that both are under his left hand. - Roll D6. 1 = Lose 1 point of Might & Protection. 4-6 = Take Ring (Call Zeus one more time this adventure (on a roll of 1-5 on a D6)). - You have fewer than 25 Shame Points. - If you have already called on Zeus this adventure (so you can use the ring later if it allows a second Zeus): o Ask him for a lift. o Run after the farmer to attack him. - If you fall off: Take Broken Knife. - If the farmer falls off or is knocked unconscious: Jump out of the cart. - If you are knocked unconscious: Death. - If still both conscious after 5 rounds: Jump out. - If you have not yet used Zeus this adventure: o Wait for him to pass. o Attack the man. o Try to trip the man over. o Lose all possessions. o Take Knife. o 139+20=159. Turn to Para 159. o Escape. o Follow the path right. o 428+20=448. Turn to Para 448. o Add 1 Honour Point. o Tell him of your encounter with the birdmen. - 551+20=571. Turn to Para 571. - If your shame is 1 or more: o 172+20=192. Turn to Para 192. o If you have not already used your prayer to Zeus: Shame 0, Honour 1. - 519+20=539. Turn to Para 539. - If you have 1+ Shame Points: Death. - You look around the city and the rain continues to fall and a darkness seizes you. You have come home. And half a thousand miles away, your daughter waits her time, and sharpens her sickle.
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Post by misomiso on Feb 11, 2020 23:37:08 GMT
Wow these gamebooks really are rare and uncommon. No specific sub part on the site, and no comments on the walkthroughs of any of the three of the books!
Crazy
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Post by bloodbeasthandler on Feb 12, 2020 21:03:27 GMT
What's the idea behind the sickle getting mentioned? Just that she's working on a farm, or is she intending to do to you what Cronos did to HIS father?
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Post by vastariner on Feb 13, 2020 20:39:30 GMT
The latter...
Book 1 is fun stuff to get you into the world, and book 2 is fascinating; rewards replaying and the most "political" gamebook outside Usurper.
Book 3 is a disappointment. It tries to shoehorn most of Greek tragedy into it and loses its focus. Would have preferred the series to go on longer and take Altheus to Troy. There are however (in all of them) lots of little Classical easter eggs.
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kieran
Baron
Posts: 2,547
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy
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Post by kieran on Feb 13, 2020 21:03:23 GMT
Book 3 is probably the most depressing gamebook ever written. It's not bad per se (though expect to die a lot for not guessing the whims of the authors) but it's just so relentlessly grim.
Book 1 is fun but pretentiously written at times. The authors had clearly read their Robert Graves and wanted to shoehorn in every mythological reference going.
Book 2 is very engaging and well designed. But it doesn't stick with me as much as Book 3. It's the better book, it's definitely more upbeat, but I can't think of a gamebook that hits so much on an emotional level as Book 3. Even stuff like Life's Lottery doesn't punch as hard.
Oh and when it comes to awful gameplay mechanics, Taking a Hint is up there with One Strike Combat.
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Post by bloodbeasthandler on Feb 13, 2020 21:52:54 GMT
Book 3 is probably the most depressing gamebook ever written. It's not bad per se (though expect to die a lot for not guessing the whims of the authors) but it's just so relentlessly grim. Book 1 is fun but pretentiously written at times. The authors had clearly read their Robert Graves and wanted to shoehorn in every mythological reference going. Book 2 is very engaging and well designed. But it doesn't stick with me as much as Book 3. It's the better book, it's definitely more upbeat, but I can't think of a gamebook that hits so much on an emotional level as Book 3. Even stuff like Life's Lottery doesn't punch as hard. Oh and when it comes to awful gameplay mechanics, Taking a Hint is up there with One Strike Combat. I love all the 'wine dark sea' and 'stony-hearted hunger' stuff. Fits right in. As does the tragedy in book 3. I don't like the combat system much. Do you think it really works properly? I find myself haemorrhaging Honour trying not to become seriously wounded, especially vs multiple opponents. Taking a hint, one-strike combat, combat in Sagas of the Demonspawn and combat in the Cretan Chronicles is when I cheat the most in gamebooks I think.
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Post by vastariner on Feb 13, 2020 22:11:34 GMT
I love all the 'wine dark sea' and 'stony-hearted hunger' stuff. Fits right in. As does the tragedy in book 3. I don't like the combat system much. Do you think it really works properly? I find myself haemorrhaging Honour trying not to become seriously wounded, especially vs multiple opponents. "Wine-dark sea" and "grey-eyed Athene" and similar things are straight from Homer. Standard way of helping to get names to fit the poetic metre.
I quite like the combat system, because it's quick...
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kieran
Baron
Posts: 2,547
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy
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Post by kieran on Feb 13, 2020 23:24:13 GMT
The combat system is a bit too unforgiving. One unlucky roll can put you in dire straits very quickly. Still it's not the worst system by any means and it feels quite realistic.
And yes the combat system in Sagas of the Demonspawn is horrendous. You'd think such a ridiculously complicated system wouldn't be so incredibly unbalanced.
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Post by philsadler on Feb 14, 2020 7:36:21 GMT
the combat system in Sagas of the Demonspawn is horrendous. You'd think such a ridiculously complicated system wouldn't be so incredibly unbalanced.
Is that the one where you quite literally needed a calculator?
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Post by misomiso on Feb 14, 2020 9:25:25 GMT
Why is book 2 a 'political' Gamebook? How does it reward replaying?
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Post by bloodbeasthandler on Feb 14, 2020 10:13:43 GMT
Why is book 2 a 'political' Gamebook? How does it reward replaying? Not political in the sense of modern party politics, conservatives vs liberals or whatnot... But rather because you have found yourself in the court of a cunning and ruthless king in which various intrigues are being plotted. Caveat: I’ve not read it for years and years but I do recall.... There are court factions which may or may not help you. Someone who befriends you is an agent. Approaches are made to you in an attempt to manipulate you into doing something quite significant.. etc It rewards replay because there’s more than ‘one true path’, and these side paths or features are worth doing. When I was younger I played it lots of times and never discovered Ariadne until the very end, for example, but there is the chance to meet her earlier on in the book. Other gamebooks do this sort of politics too - Usurper has already been mentioned, but you've also got Overlord (you are the government), Warbringer (seeking allies for a war), The Shattered Realm (two player, alliances followed by a battle). There's not much of this sort of thing in FF. There's some in Slaves of the Abyss.
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kieran
Baron
Posts: 2,547
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy
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Post by kieran on Feb 14, 2020 10:29:57 GMT
the combat system in Sagas of the Demonspawn is horrendous. You'd think such a ridiculously complicated system wouldn't be so incredibly unbalanced.
Is that the one where you quite literally needed a calculator?
It would certainly help. Not that it would make it any more workable. One of my favourite gamebook combat systems is the Golden Dragon one. So simple and yet perfectly balanced.
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Post by philsadler on Feb 14, 2020 12:26:06 GMT
Is that the one where you quite literally needed a calculator?
It would certainly help. Not that it would make it any more workable. One of my favourite gamebook combat systems is the Golden Dragon one. So simple and yet perfectly balanced.
I still say (warning: blasphemy) that Lone Wolf has the best combat system of all. Bloodsword also had that nice combat map, mind. The two of those combined would be rather good.
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kieran
Baron
Posts: 2,547
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy
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Post by kieran on Feb 14, 2020 14:12:46 GMT
It would certainly help. Not that it would make it any more workable. One of my favourite gamebook combat systems is the Golden Dragon one. So simple and yet perfectly balanced.
I still say (warning: blasphemy) that Lone Wolf has the best combat system of all. Bloodsword also had that nice combat map, mind. The two of those combined would be rather good.
The problem with combat in Lone Wolf is that there's such a wide range for Combat Skill. Aside from the 9 point difference in your Initial stats, there's all the bonuses for equipment (particularly the +8CS Sommerswerd), disciplines, lore circles etc. It results in most fights being too easy or too hard and limited Discipline selection by requiring you to max out your character. The basic concept of the combat system with the combat ratios is quite clever but it needed a more narrow range for Combat Skill to work properly. I find Bloodsword a bit too cumbersome. I generally play it with my own simplified rules rather than bothering with the maps. I do like the spellcasting rules though. Way of the Tiger's system is quite cool, but after a while you just work out what the optimal move is and repeat ad nauseam. It doesn't help that most of the enemies are overpowered too. I thought the combat system for Jamie Thomson's short lived Eternal Champions series was an improvement though too much of it hinged on your Defence score.
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Post by Ed on Feb 15, 2020 12:55:30 GMT
Way back when, my friend referred to this series as ' the cretin chronicles. '
To be fair, they did have nice covers.
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Post by Guest22 on Jun 14, 2020 10:47:32 GMT
Any maps for Cretan Chronicles solutions?
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