Post by pip on May 3, 2020 19:00:22 GMT
In Book 3, you have to close the Gateway of the Ghastly Kingdom of the Dead, from which the Brass Dragon of the previous book escaped. This is easily one of my favourite books in the series (probably my favourite). The comedy becomes truly absurd here (we're talking vampire carrots kind of absurd), and the gameplay innovates with the constant use of maps and a random encounter system. The writing is fun and inventive all around. This book is so creative and surprising that you will probably actually want to visit every room in the Ghastly Kingdom, just to see what's in them.
I believe the series reaches a peak here, both with the writing and the gameplay. It is more fair than the previous book, with less instant deaths, however there is still a non-trivial mandatory dice roll you have to pass.
SOLUTION
- Pick any options you want with the snake, it makes no difference. Eventually the snake will reveal it is actually Merlin, and he will take you to his new lair.
- The amount of equipment you can safely take with you depends on your speed score, so hopefully the dice will be kind on you here. Here is what I recommend taking: artificial aardvark, clickstick (which will allow you to find 6 doses of healing potion), food rations, and as many healing potions as you can. The rest of the solution will assume you have these items, but if you don’t, the path to take remains the same, you will just have a more difficult time. Getting the aardvark is the priority.
- Learn your new spells. Save the Fireball spells for the final encounter with the Black Knight. The other spells can be used during the adventure as you see fit.
- Take E.J.
The adventure begins. You are told you will find the Ghastly Kingdom of the Dead by always taking the least pleasant direction, but first you need to find out whether Merlin warped you to the proper location.
- Roll 2d6:
o 6- : proceed
o 7+ : Merlin messed up and you find yourself on a barren island. Climb the tree. Throw yourself on the Gorillas’ mercy. Try sign language. The picture says "Go to 16". Go to section 16 and spin the top. Alternately, you can try for a friendly reaction, which will take you through the same path if you succeed.
- The least pleasant choice is playing pogolfit, which will take you straight to the Kingdom. But let’s take an alternate route to grab a light source and have a chance to find a really useful item. Go north into the village.
- Go to the church.
- Take a torch. Go to the oak doorway with the coffins.
- Knock.
- Replace the numbers with the corresponding letters in the alphabet. The message reads "Opening coffin section forty four", so go to section 44.
- Draw anything for the Fiend’s poster.
- Your chance of finding the special item depends on how many Grail Quest adventures you’ve played so far.
- Roll 2d6. If this is your first adventure, you need to roll 11+. If this is your second adventure, 9+. If this is your third adventure, 7+. If you succeed, take the magic coin and 99 gold pieces. If you fail, take 100 gold pieces.
- Go to the gloomy corridor, which will take you to the Kingdom in the same way as if you’d played pogolfit.
- Either attempt to ignore the Thing or try to attack it (it makes no difference). You are taken inside the Ghastly Kingdom of the Dead.
You will need to use the maps at the end of the book to navigate through the rest of your adventure. You do have a light source (the torch from the church), so you won’t suffer the fighting penalty when you encounter wandering monsters in the corridors.
- You find the first part of Level 1’s map.
- Go to section 125.
- Take 10 gold pieces.
- Take the corridor to section 90.
- Fight the Ants (special fight), using your artificial aardvark to make the fight considerably easier.
- Go to section 110.
- Make a wandering monster roll.
- Take the corridor to section 105.
- Make a wandering monster roll.
- Take the corridor to section 82.
- Go to section 97.
- You have a clickstick.
- Take a healing potion (6 doses).
- Go to section 100.
- Fight the Little Old Lady Monster (50 LP, hits with 6+ (3+ on the first round), +3 damage). She has a lot of life points, so use spells to help you here.
- Take the key to the Gateway.
- Take the long corridor to section 80.
- You find the second part of Level 1’s map.
If you have a tinglering from either of the previous books (my solutions showed you how to find them), the sequence below is worth completing. Otherwise, skip it.
- Take the corridor to section 133.
- Fight the two Guards (15 LP each, -3 from your damage).
- Let the Nerd ring the bell.
- You have a tinglering.
- The Djinn joins you.
Back to the main part of the solution.
- Take the corridor to section 92.
- Roll 2d6:
o 6- : you die
o 7+ : proceed
Yes, it’s another of these arbitrary dice rolls you need to pass in order to make progress.
- Fight your double (half of your LP, apart from that he’s just like you). Use spells to have an edge here, or summon the Djinn if he joined you.
- Go to section 77.
- Open the chest.
- Taste the liquid.
- Take the poison antidote (6 doses).
- Take the corridor to section 69.
- Roll 2d6:
o 3- : you die
o 4+ : proceed
Another of these arbitrary dice rolls, but this one is lenient.
- You have the key.
- Fight the Giant Spider (13 LP, hits with 6+, kills you with poison if it hits three times in a row without you hitting back). You have the poison antidote to counter this special power.
- You find Level 2’s map.
You are now tackling Level 2, where wandering monsters are stronger and appear more frequently, but you will soon find something to protect you from that.
- Take the corridor to section 129.
- Go west. (The "maze" here actually corresponds to the squares on the map, so it’s not very difficult to figure out.)
- Go west.
- Go west.
- Go west.
- Go west.
- Go west.
- Go north.
- Go north.
- Eat one of your food rations to avoid the permanent loss of 1 LP. Take the talisman of wandering monster protection and use it now.
- Take the corridor to section 87.
- Go down the stairs.
Yep, you’re already in Level 3. Use the talisman of wandering monster protection again.
- Take the corridor to section 170.
- Step on the white squares.
- Take a healing potion.
- Take the corridor to section 187.
- Wear the spectacles.
- Take the spectacles.
- Take the corridor to section 190.
- Inspect the room with your spectacles.
- Fight the three Ghosts (10 LP each, hit with 6+, +1 damage).
- Take the fireball wand.
If you have a tinglering from either of the previous books, do the sequence below. Otherwise, skip it.
- Take the corridor to section 162.
- Open the urns.
- Wave the tinglering and befriend the Djinns.
Back to the main part of the solution.
- Take the corridor to section 179.
- The answer is 24 miles.
- You befriend the Dwarves. Follow the Dwarves through their secret route.
- You have befriended the Dwarves. If you have a tinglering, you have also befriended the Djinns, otherwise you will have to fight the seven Djinns (30 LP each, hit with 5+, +2 damage). You will necessarily have to fight the seven Slime Monsters (10 LP each, hit with 6+, poison you on their first successful strike). You have the poison antidote to counter this special power. Finally, fight the Black Knight (80 LP, hits with 4+, +4 damage, his armour absorbs 12, 6, then 4 damage). Use your Fireball spells during this fight, as well as any fireballs you have in the fireball wand. If that isn’t enough, use your remaining Firefingers and/or summon the Djinn if he joined you.
- You close the Gateway of the Ghastly Kingdom, return triumphantly, and receive a knighthood.
I believe the series reaches a peak here, both with the writing and the gameplay. It is more fair than the previous book, with less instant deaths, however there is still a non-trivial mandatory dice roll you have to pass.
SOLUTION
- Pick any options you want with the snake, it makes no difference. Eventually the snake will reveal it is actually Merlin, and he will take you to his new lair.
- The amount of equipment you can safely take with you depends on your speed score, so hopefully the dice will be kind on you here. Here is what I recommend taking: artificial aardvark, clickstick (which will allow you to find 6 doses of healing potion), food rations, and as many healing potions as you can. The rest of the solution will assume you have these items, but if you don’t, the path to take remains the same, you will just have a more difficult time. Getting the aardvark is the priority.
- Learn your new spells. Save the Fireball spells for the final encounter with the Black Knight. The other spells can be used during the adventure as you see fit.
- Take E.J.
The adventure begins. You are told you will find the Ghastly Kingdom of the Dead by always taking the least pleasant direction, but first you need to find out whether Merlin warped you to the proper location.
- Roll 2d6:
o 6- : proceed
o 7+ : Merlin messed up and you find yourself on a barren island. Climb the tree. Throw yourself on the Gorillas’ mercy. Try sign language. The picture says "Go to 16". Go to section 16 and spin the top. Alternately, you can try for a friendly reaction, which will take you through the same path if you succeed.
- The least pleasant choice is playing pogolfit, which will take you straight to the Kingdom. But let’s take an alternate route to grab a light source and have a chance to find a really useful item. Go north into the village.
- Go to the church.
- Take a torch. Go to the oak doorway with the coffins.
- Knock.
- Replace the numbers with the corresponding letters in the alphabet. The message reads "Opening coffin section forty four", so go to section 44.
- Draw anything for the Fiend’s poster.
- Your chance of finding the special item depends on how many Grail Quest adventures you’ve played so far.
- Roll 2d6. If this is your first adventure, you need to roll 11+. If this is your second adventure, 9+. If this is your third adventure, 7+. If you succeed, take the magic coin and 99 gold pieces. If you fail, take 100 gold pieces.
- Go to the gloomy corridor, which will take you to the Kingdom in the same way as if you’d played pogolfit.
- Either attempt to ignore the Thing or try to attack it (it makes no difference). You are taken inside the Ghastly Kingdom of the Dead.
You will need to use the maps at the end of the book to navigate through the rest of your adventure. You do have a light source (the torch from the church), so you won’t suffer the fighting penalty when you encounter wandering monsters in the corridors.
- You find the first part of Level 1’s map.
- Go to section 125.
- Take 10 gold pieces.
- Take the corridor to section 90.
- Fight the Ants (special fight), using your artificial aardvark to make the fight considerably easier.
- Go to section 110.
- Make a wandering monster roll.
- Take the corridor to section 105.
- Make a wandering monster roll.
- Take the corridor to section 82.
- Go to section 97.
- You have a clickstick.
- Take a healing potion (6 doses).
- Go to section 100.
- Fight the Little Old Lady Monster (50 LP, hits with 6+ (3+ on the first round), +3 damage). She has a lot of life points, so use spells to help you here.
- Take the key to the Gateway.
- Take the long corridor to section 80.
- You find the second part of Level 1’s map.
If you have a tinglering from either of the previous books (my solutions showed you how to find them), the sequence below is worth completing. Otherwise, skip it.
- Take the corridor to section 133.
- Fight the two Guards (15 LP each, -3 from your damage).
- Let the Nerd ring the bell.
- You have a tinglering.
- The Djinn joins you.
Back to the main part of the solution.
- Take the corridor to section 92.
- Roll 2d6:
o 6- : you die
o 7+ : proceed
Yes, it’s another of these arbitrary dice rolls you need to pass in order to make progress.
- Fight your double (half of your LP, apart from that he’s just like you). Use spells to have an edge here, or summon the Djinn if he joined you.
- Go to section 77.
- Open the chest.
- Taste the liquid.
- Take the poison antidote (6 doses).
- Take the corridor to section 69.
- Roll 2d6:
o 3- : you die
o 4+ : proceed
Another of these arbitrary dice rolls, but this one is lenient.
- You have the key.
- Fight the Giant Spider (13 LP, hits with 6+, kills you with poison if it hits three times in a row without you hitting back). You have the poison antidote to counter this special power.
- You find Level 2’s map.
You are now tackling Level 2, where wandering monsters are stronger and appear more frequently, but you will soon find something to protect you from that.
- Take the corridor to section 129.
- Go west. (The "maze" here actually corresponds to the squares on the map, so it’s not very difficult to figure out.)
- Go west.
- Go west.
- Go west.
- Go west.
- Go west.
- Go north.
- Go north.
- Eat one of your food rations to avoid the permanent loss of 1 LP. Take the talisman of wandering monster protection and use it now.
- Take the corridor to section 87.
- Go down the stairs.
Yep, you’re already in Level 3. Use the talisman of wandering monster protection again.
- Take the corridor to section 170.
- Step on the white squares.
- Take a healing potion.
- Take the corridor to section 187.
- Wear the spectacles.
- Take the spectacles.
- Take the corridor to section 190.
- Inspect the room with your spectacles.
- Fight the three Ghosts (10 LP each, hit with 6+, +1 damage).
- Take the fireball wand.
If you have a tinglering from either of the previous books, do the sequence below. Otherwise, skip it.
- Take the corridor to section 162.
- Open the urns.
- Wave the tinglering and befriend the Djinns.
Back to the main part of the solution.
- Take the corridor to section 179.
- The answer is 24 miles.
- You befriend the Dwarves. Follow the Dwarves through their secret route.
- You have befriended the Dwarves. If you have a tinglering, you have also befriended the Djinns, otherwise you will have to fight the seven Djinns (30 LP each, hit with 5+, +2 damage). You will necessarily have to fight the seven Slime Monsters (10 LP each, hit with 6+, poison you on their first successful strike). You have the poison antidote to counter this special power. Finally, fight the Black Knight (80 LP, hits with 4+, +4 damage, his armour absorbs 12, 6, then 4 damage). Use your Fireball spells during this fight, as well as any fireballs you have in the fireball wand. If that isn’t enough, use your remaining Firefingers and/or summon the Djinn if he joined you.
- You close the Gateway of the Ghastly Kingdom, return triumphantly, and receive a knighthood.