6) Deathtrap Dungeon Solution

[champskees]

This book is hard. You need high initial stats to stand a chance (skill, stamina & luck), as there are many mandatory Skill 11/12 opponents and many critical luck rolls to be made throughout.

I recommend taking the Potion of Skill because towards the end it is likely you will lose at least 1 Skill point & you will need at least Skill 11 to stand a chance.

- Choose Potion of Skill.
- Open box.
- Take 2 Gold Pieces.
- Go east.
- Continue east.
- Climb over it.
- Drink liquid (+1 stamina).
- You drank the liquid from the bamboo pipe.
- Slide the iron plate.
- Jump over the pit and take the rope.
- Take Rope.
- Roll D6. 1-2 = -4 skill for following orc fights, 3-4 = 3 Damage.
- Fight Sk 5 St 5 Orc.
- Fight Sk 6 St 4 Orc.
- Take Gold Piece & Hollow Wooden Tube.
- Open door.
- Search barbarian.
- Eat the dried meat (+3 stamina).
- Leave the chamber to continue west.
- Climb the idol to take the jewels.
- You have a rope.
- Prise out the left eye.
- Fight Sk 7 St 8 Flying Guardian (-2 to your attack strength for this fight).
- Fight Sk 8 St 8 Flying Guardian (-2 to your attack strength for this fight).
- Take Emerald.
- Climb down the idol.
- Test Luck. Fail = Lose rope.
- Keep walking north.
- Walk through light
- Memorize spirit girl’s poem.
- Continue along tunnel.
- Go east.
- Jump over the pit carrying all of your possessions.
- Test Luck. Fail = -1 Skill, -2 Stamina, take Ruby Gem.
- Open the door.
- Wait for his question.
- Answer 200 pounds.
- Receive +1 Skill, +1 Luck & +1 Stamina.
- Open door.
- Take the parchment from the skeleton.
- Fight Sk 8 St 6 Skeleton Warrior. Use luck once to reduce damage here.
- Learn Manticore attack.
- Step through archway.
- Burst through the trapdoor with your sword drawn.
- Fight Sk 5 St 4 Goblin & Sk 5 St 5 Goblin together.
- Go north.
- Continue north.
- Crawl down the pipe.
- Crawl back out of the pipe and examine your find.
- Take Iron Key & Sapphire (+1 Luck).
- Wear the necklace yourself (+1 Skill, +1 Stamina).
- Head west with the barbarian.
- Accept the barbarian’s offer.
- Open the black leather book.
- Drink the liquid (+2 Luck).
- Open the red book.
- Learn all about the Bloodbeast.
- Continue north with Throm.
- Fight Sk 10 St 11 Cave Troll.
- Continue east with Throm.
- Head straight for the archway.
- Persuade Throm to go through with the Dwarf’s test.
- Guess that it will total less than eight.
- Roll 2d6.
    - If 8+ and you possess a Rope:
        - Lose 2 Luck (consult table below, you may be better off losing 2 Skill instead).
    - If 8+ and you do not possess a Rope:
        - Lose 2 Skill (use Potion of Skill here).
- Skill Test. Fail = Test Luck. Fail = 5 Damage then Skill Test. Repeat until Skill Test successful.
- RUIN MOAT = Minotaur.
- Fight Sk 9 St 9 Minotaur.
- Eat and drink the Dwarf’s offerings (+2 stamina).
- Fight Sk 10 St 12 Throm.
- Walk straight into the tunnel.
- Walk west to investigate what or what is making the noise.
- Continue west.
- Stand your ground with your sword drawn.
- Talk to him.
- Pay for the old man’s advice (-1 Gold Piece).
- Learn the secret about the demon bird chair.
- Go north.
- Sit in the chair.
- You have talked to the crippled servant of the Trialmasters.
- Take Doppelganger Potion.
- You remember the spirit girl’s poem.
- Dive into the water.
- Test Luck. Succeed = -2 Food. Fail = lose all food & lose wooden hollow tube.
- Enter cavern and investigate.
- Help the Elf out.
- Take 2 Daggers, Mirror & Monkey Charm.
- Eat bread (+3 stamina).
- If you possess a Rope:
    - Lift grille.
    - Reach down for items.
    - Test Luck. Succeed = -1 Skill. Fail = -3 Skill.
    - Take Grappling Iron & Brass Bell.
- Keep walking.
- Drink Doppelganger Potion.
- Run over the bridge.
- You have an Iron Key.
- Give the man something (lose Mirror).
- Talk your way out.
- Just keep talking.
- Leave the room.
- You do not have an old bone.
- Fight Sk 7 St 7 Guard Dog.
- Fight Sk 7 St 8 Guard Dog (+2 luck).
- If you possess a Rope and Grappling Iron:
    - Use Coil of Rope & Grappling Iron.
    - Throw Bone Monkey Charm into pit.
    - Test Luck. Fail = 5 Damage, use potion of skill & Fight Sk 12 St 15 Pit Fiend. Pull the ring. Take Shield (+1 Skill).
- If you do not possess a Rope:
    - Fight Sk 12 St 15 Pit Fiend.
    - Pull the ring.
    - Take Shield (+1 Skill).
- Do not abandon your weapons.
- Test Luck. Fail = -1 Skill & 4 Damage (use potion of skill here).
- Fight Sk 11 St 9 Ninja.
- You still have your weapons.
- Eat the rice & rub in the ointment (+4 stamina).
- Take Diamond.
- Leave.
- Recall Bloodbeast information.
- Fight Sk 12 St 9 Bloodbeast (only win two rounds).
- Recall the Manticore information.
- You have a shield (well, it is implied twice in the adventure).
- Fight Sk 11 St 11 Manticore.
- Show the emerald.
- Show the sapphire.
- Show the diamond.
- Use Sapphire, Emerald & Diamond combination.
- Test Luck. Fail = 3 damage.
- You receive your prize of 10,000 Gold Pieces. Baron Sukumvit then places a laurel crown on your head and declares you the Champion of Deathtrap Dungeon.

[Axel Mageblood]

To take the vital ruby gem, I think you have to swing over the pit using the rope, not jump over the pit carrying all your possessions. If you jump over the pit carrying all your possessions and roll a successful Luck Test you never end up in the bottom of the pit and never find the vital quest gem. Bravo on the rest of this and the other solutions you've posted, by the way. It's been fun completing books (like Deathtrap Dungeon)I'd given up on a long ago!

[greenspine]

The ruby's not vital, though.

[Axel Mageblood]

Dear Global Moderator,

I checked and you're right. It's emerald, sapphire and diamond. In that case, at the pit mentioned in the above solution, would the optimal action not be to throw your shield across and jump after it, thereby saving your Luck?

[kieran]

Doesn't some creature swipe your shield if you do that?

[Axel Mageblood]

Kieran Wanderer, I just checked. No, it doesn't get stolen but it "slips from your hand," falls in to the pit and you are given no option to go after it. What, no Skill test on the toss/slip? No option to go after it? Thanks Ian! And thanks Champskees, I bow to the superiority of your Solution. Thanks to Champskees for all your solutions. Thanks to them I've recently completed a lot of these books for the first time since I was a kid: Snow Witch (barely!), Warlock, Citadel of Chaos, Forest of Doom, City of Thieves, Deathtrap Dungeon, Island of the Lizard King, the whole Sorcery quest (that was satisfying!) and Temple of Terror. Glad I found this page!

[Axel Magebllood]

Oh, and Selator's quest in Scorpion Swamp too. Cheers

[kieran]

Apr 9, 2015 7:37:14 GMT Axel Mageblood said:

No, it doesn't get stolen but it "slips from your hand," falls in to the pit and you are given no option to go after it. What, no Skill test on the toss/slip? No option to go after it? Thanks Ian!

Ah yes that's it. To be honest, a creature swiping it would have been better!

[Axel Mageblood]

@ Kieran Wanderer - Definitely!

[johnbrawn1972]

Deathtrap Dungeon for 12-14-7. This is very hard. The main traps here are losing the rope, rolling more than a 7, losing all your provisions and losing the luck roll with the monkey bone charm. I have included a guide as to when to eat provisions. Take Potion of Skill as directed. 6.11.20
-If you wish to open the box. 2gp
-If you wish to head east
-If you want to continue east
-If you wish to try to climb over it
-If you wish to drink the liquid
- +1 stamina
-If you drank the liquid from the bamboo pipe
-Try to slide the iron plate
-If you wish to open the door, jump over the pit and take the rope
-rope
- 1d6 
- 1-2=-4 skill duration 3-4=-3 stamina 5-6=ok 
- 1st orc sk5 st5 2nd orc sk6 st4
- 1gp. hollow wooden tube
-If you wish to open the door
-Walk over to search the Barbarian
-Eat the dried meat 
- +3 stamina(if stamina <11 eat 1 meal)
-or leave the chamber to continue west
-If you wish to climb the idol to take the jewels
-If you do
-If you wish to prise out the left eye
-1st Flying Guardian sk7 st8 2nd Flying Guardian sk8 st8. -2 skill duration(if stamina <3 eat 1 meal)
-emerald. If you would rather climb down the idol
- 2d6 <=luck=rope >luck=lose rope            6L
-If you wish to open the door
-Sukumvit is a worm
-gold ring
-If you wish to walk through the light
-If you wish to continue along the tunnel
-If you wish to go east
-Jump over the pit carrying all your possessions
- 2d6 <=luck=ok >luck=-1 skill. -2 stamina. Ruby            5L
-If you wish to open the door
-Wait for his question
-200
- +1 skill. +1 stamina. +1 luck(if stamina <11 eat 1 meal)            6L
-If you wish to open the door
-If you wish to take the parchment from the skeleton
-Skeleton Warrior sk8 st6(if stamina <11 eat 1 meal)
-If you wish to step through the archway
-If you wish to burst through the trapdoor with your sword drawn
-1st goblin sk5 st4 2nd goblin sk5 st5. same time
-Open the cupboard
-Wooden mallet and ten iron spikes. If you wish to open the north door
-If you wish to open the door
-If you wish to cut him free from his chains
-If you wish to crawl down the pipe
-If you wish to crawl back out of the pipe and examine your find
-iron key. Sapphire. +1 luck                7L
-If you wish to wear the necklace yourself
- +1 skill. +1 stamina(if stamina <11 eat 1 meal)
-If you would rather decline his offer and head east alone
-If you wish to pull it off the wall to see whether there is a message written on it
-Accept the Barbarian’s offer
-Open the red leather book
-you may open the black book
-Drink the liquid
- +2 luck
-you must continue north with Throm
-Cave Troll sk10 st11(if stamina <11 eat 1 meal)
-If you would rather continue east with Throm
-If you would rather head straight for the archway
-If you would rather persuade Throm to go through with the Dwarf’s test
-If you wish to guess that it will total less than eight
- 2d6 <8=ok >7=if no rope=S=-2 skill(Drink Potion of Skill)otherwise if have rope=S=-2 skill
- 2d6 <=skill=ok >skill=2d6 <=luck=ok repeat >luck=-5 stamina repeat(if stamina <9 eat 1 meal)
-If you can identify the creature by rearranging the letters RUIN MOAT
-Minotaur sk9 st9
-If you wish to eat and drink the Dwarf’s offerings 
- +2 stamina(if stamina <11 eat 1 meal)
-Throm sk10 st12(if stamina <11 eat 1 meal)
-If you wish to walk straight into the tunnel
-If you wish to walk west to investigate who or what is making the noise
-Continue west
-If you wish to stand your ground with your sword drawn
-Talk to him
-If you wish to pay for the old man’s advice
- -1gp
-If you wish to go north
-If you wish to sit in the chair
-If you have
-Potion of Doppelganger
-If you can remember the spirit girl’s poem
-If you wish to dive into the water
- 2d6 <=luck=-2 provisions >luck=lose all provisions. lose gold ring                6L
-If you wish to enter the cavern to investigate
-If you wish to help her
- 2 daggers. Mirror. Bone monkey charm. If you wish to eat the bread
- +3 stamina
-If have rope=If you wish to stop and lift it up otherwise=If you prefer to keep walking*
-If you wish to reach down for them
- 2d6 <=luck=-1 skill >luck=-3 skill. grappling iron. brass bell                5L
-*If you would rather keep walking along the tunnel
-Drink a Doppelganger Potion
-If you wish to run over the bridge
-If you have an iron key
-If you wish to give something from your backpack for his services
-Give mirror. Talk your way out of giving her anything
-If you would rather continue the conversation
-If not, leave by the door in the east wall
-If you have not
-1st Guard Dog sk7 st7 2nd Guard Dog sk7 st8(if stamina <11 eat 1 meal)
- +2 luck                7L
-If you have a coil of rope and a grappling iron=ok. Otherwise=If you do not have these items**
-Throw your bone monkey charm into the pit
- 2d6 <=luck=ok >luck=-5 stamina(Drink Potion of Skill)**Pit Fiend sk12 st15. ring. shield +1 skill(if stamina <11 eat 1 meal)                6L
-If you would rather ignore the notice and carry on north
- 2d6 <=luck=ok >luck=-1 skill. -4 stamina(Drink Potion of Skill)(if stamina <11 eat 1 meal)                5L
-Ninja sk11 st9
-If you still have your weapons
-Eat the rice and drink the water
- +1 stamina. You may either rub some of the ointment into your wounds
- +3 stamina. Or leave the hall, taking just the diamond with you(if stamina <11 eat 1 meal)
-If you have previously read details about the loathsome Bloodbeast in a leather-bound book
-Bloodbeast sk12 st10. win 2 rounds(if stamina <11 eat 1 meal)
-If you have read the poem written on the Skeleton Warrior’s parchment
-If you have a shield
-Manticore sk11 st11(if stamina <4 eat 1 meal)
-If you possess an emerald
-If you do have a sapphire
-If you have found a diamond
-Sapphire. Emerald. Diamond
- 2d6 <=luck=ok >luck=-3 stamina            4L

[Jon]

There are more close shaves in the ending sequence even after the Pit Fiend's arena. Firstly - the possibility of losing skill to the Ninja after taking the potion of skill. And should the player character be able to stuff down provisions at this point, immediately before the Ninja attacks? Secondly, the fight with the manticore will be very tough indeed, if the player is saving a portion of provisions for after the fight.

[johnbrawn1972]

After I have been hit by a throwing star I always glug down my Potion of Skill, if I have not used it already, along with a chicken drumstick so I see no problem applying this to Deathtrap Dungeon.

The book is weighted so a skill 11 is the minimum. Trial Of Champions is even worse where a skill 12 is minimum but the 'quality control' at the beginning makes sense in a perverted sort of way.

[Jon]

I know I've mentioned this before, but Deathtrap Dungeon and Trial of Champions are the two gamebooks which have a cast iron excuse for being so unfair - all three of the contests are unfair. That is the premise.

[allansian]

As a slight improvement, shouldn't you use luck twice against the skeleton warrior and possibly the goblins? You still go back to max when you pick up the three luck in the next few paragraphs.

[johnbrawn1972]

Apr 4, 2019 20:27:15 GMT allansian said:

As a slight improvement, shouldn't you use luck twice against the skeleton warrior and possibly the goblins? You still go back to max when you pick up the three luck in the next few paragraphs.

Not in my system where the odds would be against you.

If you have very high luck then 1 luck against each opponent makes sense.

[DudeContinuingToAbide]

I'm curious why neither of you fight the dwarf for the permanent +1 skill boost of the chain mail?

He's not particularly difficult at that stage (Stam 6 Skill 8, functionally with the -2 debuff he's only Stam 6 Skill 10), if you have spare luck 1 luck against him the presumed stamina cost is low, and the value of the permanent boost is quite large at that stage, and you have required fights of 3 enemies of skill 11, 12 (though only 2 rounds), and 11 from that point.

I think this is the reason you guys have the 10 skill win chance significantly lower than it should be. With that extra boost, 10 skill becomes reasonably doable (although obviously not a guarantee), as up to that point you don't have to beat any monster with an effective skill higher than 10, and you've already boosted your skill with the stoner magician/necklace. I just beat it pretty comfortably on a couple runs with skill 10 and Stam 19 and 21 and luck 9/11 fairly comfortably, I don't think my stam dropped below 8 at any point.

[kieran]

Feb 9, 2021 1:07:46 GMT DudeContinuingToAbide said:

I'm curious why neither of you fight the dwarf for the permanent +1 skill boost of the chain mail?

He's not particularly difficult at that stage (Stam 6 Skill 8, functionally with the -2 debuff he's only Stam 6 Skill 10), if you have spare luck 1 luck against him the presumed stamina cost is low, and the value of the permanent boost is quite large at that stage, and you have required fights of 3 enemies of skill 11, 12 (though only 2 rounds), and 11 from that point.

I think this is the reason you guys have the 10 skill win chance significantly lower than it should be. With that extra boost, 10 skill becomes reasonably doable (although obviously not a guarantee), as up to that point you don't have to beat any monster with an effective skill higher than 10, and you've already boosted your skill with the stoner magician/necklace. I just beat it pretty comfortably on a couple runs with skill 10 and Stam 19 and 21 and luck 9/11 fairly comfortably, I don't think my stam dropped below 8 at any point.

But the armour doesn't allow your Skill score to exceed its initial level, does it?

[Dude]

Feb 9, 2021 8:43:29 GMT kieran said:

Feb 9, 2021 1:07:46 GMT DudeContinuingToAbide said:

I'm curious why neither of you fight the dwarf for the permanent +1 skill boost of the chain mail?

He's not particularly difficult at that stage (Stam 6 Skill 8, functionally with the -2 debuff he's only Stam 6 Skill 10), if you have spare luck 1 luck against him the presumed stamina cost is low, and the value of the permanent boost is quite large at that stage, and you have required fights of 3 enemies of skill 11, 12 (though only 2 rounds), and 11 from that point.

I think this is the reason you guys have the 10 skill win chance significantly lower than it should be. With that extra boost, 10 skill becomes reasonably doable (although obviously not a guarantee), as up to that point you don't have to beat any monster with an effective skill higher than 10, and you've already boosted your skill with the stoner magician/necklace. I just beat it pretty comfortably on a couple runs with skill 10 and Stam 19 and 21 and luck 9/11 fairly comfortably, I don't think my stam dropped below 8 at any point.

But the armour doesn't allow your Skill score to exceed its initial level, does it?

Well that's an interesting question.

The terminology in the books is a bit inconsistent book to book, but If I recall correctly they did an interview with Livingstone who said that the 'correct' way to play was to treat all armor/helm/weapons/shields as permanent +/- changes that didn't actually change your base score (obviously you can use only 1 of each at a time), and that any other event/item that specified it changed your SCORE as changing your actual maximum value but did not actually give you an increase to that value (so for instance if you had 12 current out of 12 max skill and found a potion that increased your skill score by 1, you would now have 12 current out of 13 max skill) , and that anything that said 'gain/add/found X stat point' increased your current value but could not exceed maximum.

In this case I'm also going off the Steam versions of the game, which autocalculates everything for you, and it gives you the +1 equipment modifier rather than changing your skill value, and it also correctly increases your score from the Stoner Magician, and does not increase your actual score from the necklace.

So with that interpretation (and again, I'm going off the Steam version as a guide), if you start with 10 skill and follow the true path, after the Stoner/necklace you now have skill 11/11, and the armor should give you 11/11 +1.

[kieran]

Feb 9, 2021 9:29:26 GMT Dude said:

Well that's an interesting question.

The terminology in the books is a bit inconsistent book to book, but If I recall correctly they did an interview with Livingstone who said that the 'correct' way to play was to treat all armor/helm/weapons/shields as permanent +/- changes that didn't actually change your base score (obviously you can use only 1 of each at a time), and that any other event/item that specified it changed your SCORE as changing your actual maximum value but did not actually give you an increase to that value (so for instance if you had 12 current out of 12 max skill and found a potion that increased your skill score by 1, you would now have 12 current out of 13 max skill) , and that anything that said 'gain/add/found X stat point' increased your current value but could not exceed maximum.

Interesting, I hadn't heard that before. It would certainly make books like Eye of the Dragon much easier.

[greenspine]

If only there were a word that could be used before an attribute to indicate that a change should apply to its maximum value.
Naturally, the lack of any such term leads to confusion.
I wonder if we could invent a suitable term.
Then again, nobody else would understand it, so its effectiveness would be limited.
If someone were able to come up with a word that made it self-evident, that would be great.
Amazing, in fact.
Let's see if anybody has any ideas.

[TheDude]

Feb 9, 2021 13:04:27 GMT kieran said:

Feb 9, 2021 9:29:26 GMT Dude said:

Well that's an interesting question.

The terminology in the books is a bit inconsistent book to book, but If I recall correctly they did an interview with Livingstone who said that the 'correct' way to play was to treat all armor/helm/weapons/shields as permanent +/- changes that didn't actually change your base score (obviously you can use only 1 of each at a time), and that any other event/item that specified it changed your SCORE as changing your actual maximum value but did not actually give you an increase to that value (so for instance if you had 12 current out of 12 max skill and found a potion that increased your skill score by 1, you would now have 12 current out of 13 max skill) , and that anything that said 'gain/add/found X stat point' increased your current value but could not exceed maximum.

Interesting, I hadn't heard that before. It would certainly make books like Eye of the Dragon much easier.

It makes the most sense if you think about it.

If you are at max skill drink a healing potion that says 'gain +1 skill point', it makes sense that it can't increase past your max. 

If you are already at max skill and find a magic sword that says 'gain +1 skill point', it doesn't make much sense that you are now using a magic sword and have gained absolutely no benefit from it.

[The Count]

Feb 9, 2021 8:43:29 GMT kieran said:

Feb 9, 2021 1:07:46 GMT DudeContinuingToAbide said:

I'm curious why neither of you fight the dwarf for the permanent +1 skill boost of the chain mail?

He's not particularly difficult at that stage (Stam 6 Skill 8, functionally with the -2 debuff he's only Stam 6 Skill 10), if you have spare luck 1 luck against him the presumed stamina cost is low, and the value of the permanent boost is quite large at that stage, and you have required fights of 3 enemies of skill 11, 12 (though only 2 rounds), and 11 from that point.

I think this is the reason you guys have the 10 skill win chance significantly lower than it should be. With that extra boost, 10 skill becomes reasonably doable (although obviously not a guarantee), as up to that point you don't have to beat any monster with an effective skill higher than 10, and you've already boosted your skill with the stoner magician/necklace. I just beat it pretty comfortably on a couple runs with skill 10 and Stam 19 and 21 and luck 9/11 fairly comfortably, I don't think my stam dropped below 8 at any point.

But the armour doesn't allow your Skill score to exceed its initial level, does it?

No it doesn't. Check the text on P28 and the rules on Skill / Stamina / Luck.

Once you lose the Skill at the grate, you could then argue that you have the bonus from the armour, negating one point of Sk penalty, however due to sloppy writing by Steve and Ian, this is not covered by the rules unless another author puts it in themselves. Remember that Ian has a habit of handing out useless stat boosts, and still does it on twattir, to disguise his poor penmanship and planning.

Though if people choose to bend, break or disregard the rules to suit themselves, then that is their call. Anything the app versions do is irrelevant as they depend on someone who didn't write the book to programme the app.