Post by pip on May 2, 2020 15:56:28 GMT
In Book 2, Merlin asks you to find the Den of Dragons and kill a Brass Dragon that has been ransacking Camelot. This volume steers away from the more traditional FF-like gameplay of the previous book. During roughly the first half of your adventure, you are provided with maps and are allowed to roam the land in a fairly non-linear fashion, a concept which would continue and thrive in later volumes.
The writing here is fun and creative as usual, but, on the other hand, it is not a very fair book if you play by the rules. Unforeseeable instant deaths are common, and even the best path requires a tough random dice roll to survive. However, once you have figured the optimal path, you can reach the goal rather quickly.
SOLUTION
- Whether you’ve played The Castle of Darkness or not, you take E.J.
- If you’ve played The Castle of Darkness, you may keep the special items and spells you still had in your possession when you completed the book.
- Roll 2d6 to determine your initial gold pieces. You do not need anything from the shopping list on the left for this adventure. Some of these items can be used to overcome certain situations, but this solution takes you through a path where you won’t need any of them. Only the Healing Potions are worth getting (and even then, you will find another nifty healing item during the adventure). Do not bother with the weapons either, you have E.J. which is better. Armour is what I recommend purchasing, if you can afford it. So my advice is to purchase the strongest armour you can, and spend the rest of your money on Healing Potions just in case. Learn your new spells. Definitely save your Fireball and Invisibility spells for the fight with the Brass Dragon. The other spells can be used during the adventure as you see fit.
The adventure begins. One of the destinations on the map Merlin gave you is a dead-end, while two others make you go through a lengthy and potentially lethal sequence, only to (at best) lead you to section 58, which also happens to be the fourth and correct option.
- Choose section 58 on the map.
- Roll 2d6:
o 2-4 : You meet a tiny man. Share your rations with him. Tell him where you’re headed. You then reach Stonemarten.
o 5-8 : You reach Stonemarten immediately.
o 9-12 : You meet a Stone Man you will have to fight. Choose to use E.J. or magic. Fight the Stone Man (28 LP, hits with 8+, +4 damage, -4 from E.J.’s damage). Use spells to help you here. After defeating him, you reach Stonemarten.
- Enter the shimmering doorway.
You may now use the Stonemarten map found at the beginning of the book to choose your next destinations.
- If you’ve lost LP, choose section 61 on the map.
- Restore all LP. Note that you can come back here at any time while you are in Stonemarten.
- Choose section 47 on the map.
- Enter the crypt.
- Answer “one of its legs are both the same”.
- Take the silver snuffbox, an extremely useful item. Use it to heal yourself anytime you can.
- Choose section 51 on the map.
- Explore the secret passage.
- Ignore E.J. and step out of the passage.
- E.J. now scores +10 damage when fighting dragons.
- Note that if you’ve played The Castle of Darkness, you can choose section 55 on the map to meet again with Pellinore and obtain vague clues about the path to take in the Den of Dragons.
- Choose section 30 on the map.
- Roll 2d6:
o 6- : you reach the Den of Dragons (see next section)
o 7+ : you die
That’s right, the only way to make progress is to pass this roll (41.66% chance)!
The Den of Dragons doesn’t provide you with a map, so this time you can only follow the paragraph sequence.
- Go north-east.
- Take the corridor to your right.
- Fight the Minotaur in a fist fight and be first to make him lose 10 LP. The text clearly indicates you have to use your fists, so E.J., other weapons, or attack spells are not allowed. However, nothing is said about the use of other magic spells such as PANIC, POW, PILL, etc. Not very chivalrous, but I would consider it legal.
- Open Chest 2 and the casket.
- Take the venom antidote and the large key. Go to section 137.
- Choose to fight the Dwarves.
- Fight the 12 Dwarves and defeat 10 of them (10 LP each , they hit with 8+, +3 damage).
- Use the large key and push all three levers up.
- Go south.
- Read the scroll (you don’t need to, but it helps you pick the correct option to open the chest).
- Smash the chest open.
- Cut the webs with E.J.
- Choose to fight the Shades.
- Fight the 6 Shades (special fight).
- Take the Orb of the Dragonmaster.
- Roll 2d6:
o 9- : the Dragons do not attack you
o 10+ : lose half of your LP and go back to the Den’s entrance
- Fight the Brass Dragon (150 LP, hits with 5+ (8+ if you’re invisible), +5 damage (+10 every third strike)). Use your two Fireball spells here, as well as your Invisibility spell for protection. If needed, finish him with E.J. (you have a +10 damage bonus against dragons) and possibly your other spells.
- You have saved Avalon. Merlin hints at your next adventure which promises to be even more dangerous.
The writing here is fun and creative as usual, but, on the other hand, it is not a very fair book if you play by the rules. Unforeseeable instant deaths are common, and even the best path requires a tough random dice roll to survive. However, once you have figured the optimal path, you can reach the goal rather quickly.
SOLUTION
- Whether you’ve played The Castle of Darkness or not, you take E.J.
- If you’ve played The Castle of Darkness, you may keep the special items and spells you still had in your possession when you completed the book.
- Roll 2d6 to determine your initial gold pieces. You do not need anything from the shopping list on the left for this adventure. Some of these items can be used to overcome certain situations, but this solution takes you through a path where you won’t need any of them. Only the Healing Potions are worth getting (and even then, you will find another nifty healing item during the adventure). Do not bother with the weapons either, you have E.J. which is better. Armour is what I recommend purchasing, if you can afford it. So my advice is to purchase the strongest armour you can, and spend the rest of your money on Healing Potions just in case. Learn your new spells. Definitely save your Fireball and Invisibility spells for the fight with the Brass Dragon. The other spells can be used during the adventure as you see fit.
The adventure begins. One of the destinations on the map Merlin gave you is a dead-end, while two others make you go through a lengthy and potentially lethal sequence, only to (at best) lead you to section 58, which also happens to be the fourth and correct option.
- Choose section 58 on the map.
- Roll 2d6:
o 2-4 : You meet a tiny man. Share your rations with him. Tell him where you’re headed. You then reach Stonemarten.
o 5-8 : You reach Stonemarten immediately.
o 9-12 : You meet a Stone Man you will have to fight. Choose to use E.J. or magic. Fight the Stone Man (28 LP, hits with 8+, +4 damage, -4 from E.J.’s damage). Use spells to help you here. After defeating him, you reach Stonemarten.
- Enter the shimmering doorway.
You may now use the Stonemarten map found at the beginning of the book to choose your next destinations.
- If you’ve lost LP, choose section 61 on the map.
- Restore all LP. Note that you can come back here at any time while you are in Stonemarten.
- Choose section 47 on the map.
- Enter the crypt.
- Answer “one of its legs are both the same”.
- Take the silver snuffbox, an extremely useful item. Use it to heal yourself anytime you can.
- Choose section 51 on the map.
- Explore the secret passage.
- Ignore E.J. and step out of the passage.
- E.J. now scores +10 damage when fighting dragons.
- Note that if you’ve played The Castle of Darkness, you can choose section 55 on the map to meet again with Pellinore and obtain vague clues about the path to take in the Den of Dragons.
- Choose section 30 on the map.
- Roll 2d6:
o 6- : you reach the Den of Dragons (see next section)
o 7+ : you die
That’s right, the only way to make progress is to pass this roll (41.66% chance)!
The Den of Dragons doesn’t provide you with a map, so this time you can only follow the paragraph sequence.
- Go north-east.
- Take the right-hand exit.
- Search the heap of dragon dung.
- Take a tinglering. (this is useless in this adventure, but will help you in the next book if you still have it)
- Go north.- Take the corridor to your right.
- Fight the Minotaur in a fist fight and be first to make him lose 10 LP. The text clearly indicates you have to use your fists, so E.J., other weapons, or attack spells are not allowed. However, nothing is said about the use of other magic spells such as PANIC, POW, PILL, etc. Not very chivalrous, but I would consider it legal.
- Open Chest 2 and the casket.
- Take the venom antidote and the large key. Go to section 137.
- Choose to fight the Dwarves.
- Fight the 12 Dwarves and defeat 10 of them (10 LP each , they hit with 8+, +3 damage).
- Use the large key and push all three levers up.
- Go south.
- Read the scroll (you don’t need to, but it helps you pick the correct option to open the chest).
- Smash the chest open.
- Cut the webs with E.J.
- Choose to fight the Shades.
- Fight the 6 Shades (special fight).
- Take the Orb of the Dragonmaster.
- Roll 2d6:
o 9- : the Dragons do not attack you
o 10+ : lose half of your LP and go back to the Den’s entrance
- Fight the Brass Dragon (150 LP, hits with 5+ (8+ if you’re invisible), +5 damage (+10 every third strike)). Use your two Fireball spells here, as well as your Invisibility spell for protection. If needed, finish him with E.J. (you have a +10 damage bonus against dragons) and possibly your other spells.
- You have saved Avalon. Merlin hints at your next adventure which promises to be even more dangerous.
