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Post by lordomnibok on Apr 22, 2017 13:56:46 GMT
Here are my attempts for this book. If anyone else has played this one and wants to compare number of attempts/manners of demise, I'd be interested to see it. Played without cheating. Attempt 1: killed climbing the gate at the start. Attempt 2: Ensnared by the skeleton chair. Attempt 3: Slain by the bat horde. Attempt 4: Gem teleportation; death by Hell-Hound, (I knew my greedy curiosity would be a bad idea at this point.) Attempt 5: Slain by the Vampire Lord. Attempt 6: Success. His reign of terror is over and I am ready for my next adventure!
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Post by hynreck on Apr 27, 2017 12:38:43 GMT
Good going! I wish I hadn't trown away my notes, I could give some stats. Though I never take such elaborate notes to begin with, so it wouldn't be a thorough comparison. It's different if you take notes for a review or for a playthrough... You don't focus on the same stuff. In any case: Cheers!
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Post by peasantscribbler on Sept 12, 2021 20:56:01 GMT
Someone in the other thread asked for a solution for Crypt of the Vampire. I'm sure that no one needs a solution for this book if one is willing to make a handful of attempts, but, for the record, here is what I consider to be the easiest winning path. There is no chance of failure if you follow this solution, but it is the most boring way possible to win (i.e. there are many more interesting ways to win). This solution is for the 2013 revised edition by Fabled Land Publishing. I don't know if it works for the original Golden Dragon version. Walk along the wall looking for another way in.
Draw your sword and close to attack.
Immediately FLEE combat with the Soldier. Lose 3 Vigour points if you fail the FLEE Agility test.
Try the door of the house.
Advance along the passage.
Advance to the door with the crucifix symbol on it.
Greet the monk as a friend. Restore 3 Vigour points (if needed). Add a crucifix to your Character Sheet. Add a lantern to your Character Sheet.
You already have a lantern, descend the steps to open the cellar door.
Cross the room and open the door.
Go on along the corridor (ignore the door).
Pass straight on to the large room at the end of the corridor.
Ignore the sword and go through the double doors into the next chamber.
Duck for cover behind the table. Lose 2 Vigour points.
Break from cover and run up the steps to the left-hand door.
Advance along the corridor to your right (ignore the door).
Cross the room and leave through the far door (ignore the sword).
Leave the room by the door in the opposite wall (ignore the chest).
Leave the room at once by climbing into the hole in the far wall.
Take the oil-lamp. Add an oil-lamp to your Character Sheet.
Go right, towards the door.
Test against your Psi score. If you fail, lose 2 Vigour points and slip through the doorway. If you succeed, slip quietly through the doorway.
Ignore the hole in the wall and descend the steps.
Open the low, recessed portal in the right-hand wall.
Open Ganelon's sarcophogus.
Take the shroud.
Stand where you are. Add a shield with a unicorn emblem to your Character Sheet.
Take the stepping stones to get across the murky pool.
You have a shield bearing a unicorn emblem.
Continue along the tunnel and then take the middle door.
Try to fight your way against the bats through the tunnel leading from the cavern. Lose 2D6 Vigour points.
Open the copper-handled door.
Ignore the chest and leave by the door in the opposite wall.
You are not wearing the golden helmet.
Ignore the scene through the window and leave through the double doors.
Draw your sword to fight.
Immediately FLEE combat with the Hellhound. Because the Hellhound is chained, you do not have to test Agility and you will not be wounded.
Take an item from your backpack.
Attempt to use a crucifix. If you attempt to FLEE in the upcoming fight you do not have to test Agility and you will not be wounded.
You do not have any garlic.
Immediately FLEE combat with Lord Tenebron by running through the other door.
You have defeated the monstrous Lord Tenebron.
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Post by alziel on Dec 30, 2023 13:49:48 GMT
Just picked up all six of these books and made it through this one on my very first attempt... er... Are they all as easy and as forgiving as this one? I seem to recall that Temple of Flame and Eye of the Dragon are both VERY unforgiving and tough, but maybe I was just young and stupid back in 1980-something
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Post by a moderator on Dec 30, 2023 14:29:34 GMT
Temple is definitely not easy (though it has become a little less brutal in the more recent edition thanks to the correction of an error).
There is a low-risk route through Eye, but it's a very narrow path, and there are plenty of not-automatically-doomed-but-definitely-challenging paths on which you can end up instead of the 'safe' way.
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Post by alziel on Dec 30, 2023 15:11:10 GMT
Temple is definitely not easy (though it has become a little less brutal in the more recent edition thanks to the correction of an error). There is a low-risk route through Eye, but it's a very narrow path, and there are plenty of not-automatically-doomed-but-definitely-challenging paths on which you can end up instead of the 'safe' way. Yes - I started Temple today, and I am finding this one to be much more of a challenge! I just finished my second attempt, which ended when I bumped into an 'old friend' on a bridge, with only 3 Vigour remaining! My first attempt was over before it even started, when I ended up hanging upside down in the jungle and got speared after failing an Agility test (ouch!). I'll be starting my next attempt later today, though I got as unlucky as possible with my stat rolls - four '1's in a row (Vigour: 22, Agility: 4 and PSI: 4) I am enjoying this one much more. I do have fond memories of Eye of the Dragon, too, but these two titles were the only ones that I played back when the books first came out. I don't really recall anything about them, except for the monkey in Temple and a sense of feeling as if I had stumbled into James John Carpenter's The Fog in Eye! I did quite enjoy Crypt, though it was much too easy for my liking and a little bit nonsensical with it's story and encounters! Definitely feels like it was written for a very young audience. I think it'll be a while before I explore other paths through this book.
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Post by CharlesX on Dec 30, 2023 17:37:59 GMT
I am enjoying this one much more. I do have fond memories of Eye of the Dragon, too, but these two titles were the only ones that I played back when the books first came out. I don't really recall anything about them, except for the monkey in Temple and a sense of feeling as if I had stumbled into James Carpenter's The Fog in Eye! <pedant> John Carpenter <pedant>.
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Post by pip on Dec 30, 2023 20:13:59 GMT
This first book is good and has atmosphere, but yes, it truly is easy. It's the only Golden Dragon book for which I haven't written a solution, since peasantscribbler already did earlier in this thread, apparently with a 100% success rate.
Here are the success rates for an optimal character I got for the next books (original editions only):
Temple of Flame: a very measly 13.5% (bumped up to 45.3% for the revised edition, thanks to a correction) Lord of Shadow Keep: 51.3% Eye of the Dragon: 100%, and that's also true if you roll the worst possible character, but don't let that fool you, since figuring out the 100% successful path is difficult Curse of the Pharaoh: 79.1% Castle of Lost Souls: 97.7%, also considering the real challenge here is figuring out the best path like in EotD
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Post by CharlesX on Dec 30, 2023 20:37:13 GMT
This first book is good and has atmosphere, but yes, it truly is easy. It's the only Golden Dragon book for which I haven't written a solution, since peasantscribbler already did earlier in this thread, apparently with a 100% success rate. Here are the success rates for an optimal character I got for the next books (original editions only): Temple of the Flame: a very measly 13.5% (bumped up to 45.3% for the revised edition, thanks to a correction) Lord of Shadow Keep: 51.3% Eye of the Dragon: 100%, and that's also true if you roll the worst possible character, but don't let that fool you, since figuring out the 100% successful path is difficult Curse of the Pharaoh: 79.1% Castle of Lost Souls: 97.7%, also considering the real challenge here is figuring out the best path like in EotD Eye Of The Dragon is definitely not 100% success rate, more so if you roll up a below-average starting character. From the "How Important is gameplay difficulty thread" six months or so ago, this exchange between myself, Greenspine and you: Failing either Agility roll is risky, because you either don't reach Lord Mantiss or have to fight him. Basically I'm explaining in terms what Greenspine says just above, there is a "low-risk" route rather than a "very-low-risk\no risk" route.
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Post by a moderator on Dec 30, 2023 21:47:14 GMT
This first book is good and has atmosphere, but yes, it truly is easy. It's the only Golden Dragon book for which I haven't written a solution, since peasantscribbler already did earlier in this thread, apparently with a 100% success rate. Here are the success rates for an optimal character I got for the next books (original editions only): Temple of the Flame: a very measly 13.5% (bumped up to 45.3% for the revised edition, thanks to a correction) Lord of Shadow Keep: 51.3% Eye of the Dragon: 100%, and that's also true if you roll the worst possible character, but don't let that fool you, since figuring out the 100% successful path is difficult Curse of the Pharaoh: 79.1% Castle of Lost Souls: 97.7%, also considering the real challenge here is figuring out the best path like in EotD Eye Of The Dragon is definitely not 100% success rate, more so if you roll up a below-average starting character. From the "How Important is gameplay difficulty thread" six months or so ago, this exchange between myself, Greenspine and you: Failing either Agility roll is risky, because you either don't reach Lord Mantiss or have to fight him. Basically I'm explaining in terms what Greenspine says just above, there is a "low-risk" route rather than a "very-low-risk\no risk" route.
You can use a spell to substitute for the first Agility roll, and failing the second one doesn't force you to fight, just causes you to take a wound. Thus, unless you managed to roll -17 or lower on two dice when determining your VIGOUR (and if you did, stop using weird dice), there's no way you can die on the 'true path'. The challenge lies in discovering that path.
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Post by pip on Dec 31, 2023 10:52:24 GMT
Eye of the Dragon does have a 100% success rate too, as indeed failing to flee that fight simply causes you to take a wound, and you will necessarily be able to take it if you followed the rest of the true path.
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Post by alziel on Jan 1, 2024 7:06:48 GMT
I am enjoying this one much more. I do have fond memories of Eye of the Dragon, too, but these two titles were the only ones that I played back when the books first came out. I don't really recall anything about them, except for the monkey in Temple and a sense of feeling as if I had stumbled into James Carpenter's The Fog in Eye! <pedant> John Carpenter <pedant>. Pedant away! Consider me deservedly mortified! I have corrected my egregious error, but left the original blunder in there for all to admire and laugh at! (My only excuse is that I love John Carpenter and James Cameron both, and as I got into their works at around about the same time back in the 80s, my aging brain must be confusing the two! )
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