10) House of Hell Solution

[champskees]

Note that you will need a score of 9+ for Fear as you must add 8 Fear points during your adventure. The Kris Knife is quite troublesome as it only provides the wielder with a Skill bonus, as opposed to an attack strength bonus. As most players disregard the Initial Skill cap for the final two battles, I have calculated percentages for both playing strictly by the rules and using the Kris Knife with an attack bonus modifier. The adventure can definitely be completed even with the Skill/Kris Knife debacle, but Skill 12 and high Luck are both recommended.

- Lose 3 Skill whilst unarmed. 
- Rap the door with knocker.
- Wait for the host to arrive.
- Note: Earl of Drumer.
- Relax and drink the brandy.
- Reduce Fear by 1.
- Choose the red wine.
- Eat duck or lamb.
- Choose the fruit, coffee and brandy.
- Try to leave the room.
- Break the door down.
- Test Skill.
- If success:
        - 2 Damage.
        - You feel that the door is too strong.
- If fail:
        - 2 Damage.
- Hide behind the door.
- Leap on the man and attack him.
- Fight Sk 7 St 7 Hunchback until enemy stamina drops to 4 or less. Use a luck point here to hit him.
- Try to force him to answer your questions.
- Ask him about the people in the house or about what is happening in the house.
- Follow landing around to the left.
- Enter Azazel Room.
- Investigate the room further.
- Examine the liquids in the glass vials.
- Drink the yellow liquid (Ignore the next two wounds you take).
- You came from the right.
- Head towards the two doors in the corner of the landing.
- Go through the other door.
- Investigate the window instead.
- Read ‘Mordana in Abaddon’ (‘88’).
- Try the unmarked door.
- Search through things on shelves.
- Take Garlic & Dagger (Restore 3 Skill, Weapon).
- Return to the landing.
- Ignore it and go on.
- Turn right & follow the landing.
- Follow the passageway around.
- Try the unmarked door ahead.
- Enter the room and investigate the bedside table.
- Eat this snack.
- Restore 4 Stamina.
- Restore 1 Luck.
- Leave the room.
- Enter the Belial Room.
- Rest here.
- Restore 4 Stamina.
- Increase Fear by 1.
- Grab the sheet.
- Reduce Fear by 1.
- Enter Abaddon Room.
- Walk over & wake her.
- Increase Fear by 2.
- Wait & see what happens.
- Ask her questions.
- Fight Sk 7 St 6 Great Dane.
- Fight Sk 6 St 6 Great Dane.
- Search the room.
- Ask about secret rooms.
- Say her name (‘Mordana’) Turn to Para 88.
- About the secret rooms in the house.
- Learn about Secret Door under cellar stairs (deduct 10 from paragraph when there).
- Try door on the left.
- Have a tipple from the decanter.
- Restore 3 Stamina.
- Take Brandy.
- Examine the fireplace.
- See what lies behind the wooden face.
- Try another approach.
- Move back towards the window.
- Press button.
- Increase Fear by 1.
- Test Luck. If fail: Lose 1 Skill.
- Spring behind door to surprise whomever is approaching.
- Step forward and announce yourself.
- You have met him before.
- Jog his memory.
- Offer him a drink.
- Follow the passageway.
- Increase Fear by 1.
- Hide under cellar stairs.
- Use Secret Door under cellar stairs (deduct 10 from paragraph when there). 320-10=310.
- Turn to paragraph 310.
- Look for secret doors.
- Try a password.
- Drumer = Murder.
- Enter.
- Take Kris Knife.
- Restore 3 Luck.
- Climb the stairs to the ground floor.
- Enter the door opposite.
- Increase Fear by 1.
- Investigate the room further.
- Grab the case and take it with you.
- Dive through the mirror.
- Take Golden Key.
- Go through right door.
- Use Golden Key.
- Take Iron Key (’27’).
- Restore 2 Luck.
- Step back through mirror.
- Turn right and follow hallway around.
- Go through left door.
- Use Iron Key (323 – 27 = 296). Turn to Para 296.
- Ring for butler.
- Attack Franklins first.
- Continue to pursue him.
- Fight Sk 8 St 8 Franklins. You only have to inflict one wound on him. Add 3 to your Skill if using Kris Knife.
- You are using Kris Knife.
- Increase Fear by 3.
- Fight Sk 14 St 12 Hell Demon. Add 6 to your Skill if using Kris Knife. Use luck to reduce damage and to inflict additional damage while luck > 6.
- Escape from the House of Hell.

[champskees]

The magazine version of the book is much easier & not as sneaky. In fact it is a completely different animal altogether; even the Fear stat is used differently in this version. Personally I prefer the actual 400 paragraph adventure over this, but it is interesting to play nevertheless. I recommend Skill 9+ for this adventure.

- Rap the door with the knocker.
- Wait for the host to arrive.
- Relax, drink the sherry & ask if the Earl for the use of his telephone (-1 Fear).
- Choose the red wine.
- Test Luck. Fail = 2 Damage.
- Follow her into the room (+1 Fear).
- Escape from the house.
- Race for the staircase & run back downstairs.
- Try a door on the left (+1 Fear).
- Look over the collection of books.
- Look at a book on black magic.
- Take Pentacle ‘66’ (+2 Luck Points).
- If you are damaged:
        - Look for other interesting books.
        - Press this button.
        - Go down the passage.
        - Enter the door on the right.
        - Choose to eat the bread (+2 Stamina).
        - You ate none of these.
        - Retrace your steps along the passageway.
- Leave the room (Para 46).
- Go back upstairs instead.
- Turn to the right.
- Enter the unmarked room.
- Open the box on the mantelpiece (2 Damage, +2 Fear).
- Fight Sk 7 St 6 Zombie.
- Take Key ‘114’ (+1 Fear).
- Enter the Astor Room.
- Search the room to make sure it’s safe.
- Wait to see who is there.
- Take a short nap, perhaps to gain some stamina (2 Damage).
- Try to find a way out.
- Move quietly along the wall towards it.
- You have something else you can use. Use pentacle. Turn to Para 66.
- Try the door on the left (+1 Fear).
- Investigate the room further.
- Grab the case & take it with you.
- Quickly go through the mirror.
- Take Kris Knife (+3 Skill).
- You have a key. Turn to Para 114.
- Pull the rope to ring for the butler.
- Fight Sk 9 St 10 Earl of Drumer.
- You are using the Kris Knife, so continue fighting enemy until he is defeated.
- You burn down the House of Hell & escape.

[Jon]

Why not go in the Belial room before going into the Abaddon room? The text allows going into both the unmarked room and the Belial room before going in Abaddon, but after the player character has been in Abaddon, they are given no choice by to go downstairs. The Belial room is probably the safest and best room in the House of Hell, you gain 4 stamina and it is the lowest risk room. Nothing supernatural happens in it. Someone in the attic tries to make it look like a sheet is floating, but the player character can easily ascertain that this is just a trick with a piece of string.

I strongly suspect that House of Hell was unfinished and that the rules were never quite finalised. It really feels as though the player characters stats were not supposed to be capped at their initial scores. Remember all the luck bonuses for finding the Kris knife and iron key? There is no point to them if you cannot exceed initial luck. Furthermore, you should be able to exceed initial stamina and the meal at the beginning should definitely impart some.

[Jon]

Anyway, here are my changes to the book that would make it winnable even for a player character with minimum stats:

1) The Hunchback is unarmed, so he should have skill 4 only. Seriously, why's he so strong when he's feeble, slow, dullwitted and scared, so obviously no fighter? The character described should certainly never be a skill 10 enemy, even with a knife.
2) The wonderful brandy in the drawing room should deduct 2 FEAR points as well as restoring stamina.
3) Given everything in the house is so retro, there should be a shield in the drawing room as well as an ornamental dagger and the shield should increase attack strength by one point.
4) When falling through the trap door, the player character should not have to test their luck, or risk losing 1 skill point.
5) The Kris Knife should explicitly increase attack strength by six points in all combats. And feel free to disagree, but instead of being described as a wavy blade, it should actually be described as a practically designed weapon, like a scimitar or a cutlass.

I believe that if anyone had bothered to play test the House of Hell, they would have made these changes, which would allow even the minimum stats player character a chance to scrape through to victory.

[electricwater]

I completely agree with your first 2 points, and 3 and 4 would be nice, but a kris knife does have a wavy blade (it’s an Indonesian ritual dagger), so the description is appropriate. It’s completely unique in the FF books, which is a good thing (it’s not just another magic sword), and while it’s limited in size, I assume it has mystical properties which make it deadly to the sevants of Hell.

I agree that the rules should state that the combat bonus should be added to your Attack Strength, rather than your Skill (a problem with many of the books). This would get around the Initial Score limitations, and resolve some impracticalities: what use would the kris knife be if you had to test your Skill when avoiding a trap, for example.

[Pete Byrdie]

Oct 23, 2017 11:31:32 GMT electricwater said:

I completely agree with your first 2 points, and 3 and 4 would be nice, but a kris knife does have a wavy blade (it’s an Indonesian ritual dagger), so the description is appropriate. It’s completely unique in the FF books, which is a good thing (it’s not just another magic sword), and while it’s limited in size, I assume it has mystical properties which make it deadly to the sevants of Hell.

There's an interesting video about kris swords and daggers on the scholagladiatoria youtube channel at the moment. It's currently the latest video. I've forgotten how to embed links, but it should be easy enough to find.

[thealmightymudworm]

Oct 24, 2017 18:49:03 GMT Pete Byrdie said:

Oct 23, 2017 11:31:32 GMT electricwater said:

I completely agree with your first 2 points, and 3 and 4 would be nice, but a kris knife does have a wavy blade (it’s an Indonesian ritual dagger), so the description is appropriate. It’s completely unique in the FF books, which is a good thing (it’s not just another magic sword), and while it’s limited in size, I assume it has mystical properties which make it deadly to the sevants of Hell.

There's an interesting video about kris swords and daggers on the scholagladiatoria youtube channel at the moment. It's currently the latest video. I've forgotten how to embed links, but it should be easy enough to find.

This one


rather than this one?

[Pete Byrdie]

Oct 24, 2017 19:59:28 GMT thealmightymudworm said:

Oct 24, 2017 18:49:03 GMT Pete Byrdie said:

There's an interesting video about kris swords and daggers on the scholagladiatoria youtube channel at the moment. It's currently the latest video. I've forgotten how to embed links, but it should be easy enough to find.

This one

rather than this one, yes?

Aye, that's the one! BEWARE of some foul language folks! Matt, you potty-mouth!

[electricwater]

Great stuff! I’ve always imagined the House of Hell one to be like the dagger-sized one at 9m 15s in the first video.

[Jon]

OK then, I've revised my suggestions on small amendments that would make the route playable even for a minimum stats character.

1) The Hunchback is unarmed and the character described is not much of a fighter, so he should have skill 4.
2) The brandy in the drawing room should deduct 2 FEAR points as well as restoring stamina.
3) When falling through the trap door, the player character should not have to test their luck, or risk losing 1 skill point.
4) There should be a point to the luck bonuses the player gets when finding the Kris Knife and the iron key. The Kris Knife should boost the player's initial luck by three and the key should boost their current luck by three. That way, the luck bonuses would actually make them innately luckier instead of being almost useless.
5) The Kris Knife bonus should explicitly be to the player's attack strength, not their skill! How difficult could it have been to get this right over the entire course of fighting fantasy. I mean seriously...

[vastariner]

But remember the hero of the book is not a trained warrior either. So someone completely unused to any sort of fighting might nevertheless struggle with a hunchback. Relatively speaking 10 might not be so bad compared to the random person in the street. After all, a Sk12 HoH hero is surely not going to be able to compete with (say) a Sk10 Allansian.

And that backs up the Kris Knife being an attack strength increaser - suddenly your off-the-street chap or chapess has a deadly, blessed murder weapon.

[Christophe]

With the Kris Knife, our have to add the bonus points at our Initial Skill or at our Starting Skill?
We should ask Steve Jackson. He alone knows the answer. Who can contact him?

[vagsancho]

The creature is bigger than the creator. The masterpiece is independent from the author.
(so i would say its irrelevant to ask steve jackson)

[Charles X.]

The only FF I know of set in the present-day (I think Appointment With F.E.A.R might be set in a more surreal world in the near-future, but it's a while since I've read it). I wonder why, because it works well, better than the Sci-fi ones.

[bloodbeasthandler]

Jul 10, 2021 18:47:03 GMT Charles X. said:

The only FF I know of set in the present-day (I think Appointment With F.E.A.R might be set in a more surreal world in the near-future, but it's a while since I've read it). I wonder why, because it works well, better than the Sci-fi ones.

I might have a look through 'You are the Hero' to see if I can find a reason for it.
It might be that might be that the RPGs of the time were overwhelmingly focussed on Fantasy (D&D, AD&D, Runequest etc), sci-fi (Traveller, Paranoia) and even comic-book superheroes (Golden Warriors) and the FF books were born of RPGs and written by people who played them. There wasn't much present day (1980's) stuff around. Call of Cthulhu was mainly 1920's and 30's, or even earlier, except Cthulhu Now (published in 1987) which was set in the 80's. 
I would say that Steve J and Ian L were probably keen on focussing on what was popular, what sold, and what they knew about. Though House of Hell is really good, I am glad that the books were fantasy and sci fi and that FF wasn't 'all over the place' like Choose Your Own Adventure was. 
Edit: One of the problems with sci-fi gamebooks is how does a reader make an informed choice when in a world he or she knows little about? There's the background section to set the scene and the writer will be trying to show what the technology is like during the book but it's not as easy as modern day. How do you communicate, implants in the ear and throat or walkie-talkie? Are there teleporters? Are there personal forcefield shields? Nanotechnology? Spy drones? The possibilities are endless.

[Charles X.]

Jul 10, 2021 19:17:38 GMT bloodbeasthandler said:

Jul 10, 2021 18:47:03 GMT Charles X. said:

The only FF I know of set in the present-day (I think Appointment With F.E.A.R might be set in a more surreal world in the near-future, but it's a while since I've read it). I wonder why, because it works well, better than the Sci-fi ones.

I might have a look through 'You are the Hero' to see if I can find a reason for it.
It might be that might be that the RPGs of the time were overwhelmingly focussed on Fantasy (D&D, AD&D, Runequest etc), sci-fi (Traveller, Paranoia) and even comic-book superheroes (Golden Warriors) and the FF books were born of RPGs and written by people who played them. There wasn't much present day (1980's) stuff around. Call of Cthulhu was mainly 1920's and 30's, or even earlier, except Cthulhu Now (published in 1987) which was set in the 80's. 
I would say that Steve J and Ian L were probably keen on focussing on what was popular, what sold, and what they knew about. Though House of Hell is really good, I am glad that the books were fantasy and sci fi and that FF wasn't 'all over the place' like Choose Your Own Adventure was. 
Edit: One of the problems with sci-fi gamebooks is how does a reader make an informed choice when in a world he or she knows little about? There's the background section to set the scene and the writer will be trying to show what the technology is like during the book but it's not as easy as modern day. How do you communicate, implants in the ear and throat or walkie-talkie? Are there teleporters? Are there personal forcefield shields? Nanotechnology? Spy drones? The possibilities are endless.

In that awful Skylord, the choices are just so inane and random, right to the point they make CYOA look sane. At one point, even the 'true path' solution is 'close your eyes and push, pull and kick anything you touch'. As one review put it, Skylord is as much an acid trip as it is a gamebook.

[a moderator]

Jul 10, 2021 18:47:03 GMT Charles X. said:

The only FF I know of set in the present-day (I think Appointment With F.E.A.R might be set in a more surreal world in the near-future, but it's a while since I've read it). I wonder why, because it works well, better than the Sci-fi ones.

Blood of the Zombies is set in the present day, and it is at least nominally FF.

[misomiso]

Request: Does anyone have a FLOW MAP of this book, ie not just a plan of all the rooms but an encounter flow chart type map? I know there is the outspaced site but that is just too detailed for me, and I'm more after how the encounters all link to each other.

I think this book is LUDICROUSLY hard, and it would be good to see the whole thing laid out.

Many thanks

[pip]

As long as you consider the Kris to allow you to go beyond your initial skill stat (and I feel that's how it was intended) and as long as you roll a sufficient fear stat, the book's difficulty only comes from finding the correct path. IMO, the right kind of difficulty. I love the red herrings in this one.

[misomiso]

Yes, but I would like to see the flow chart laid out if possible. It's a very complex book and very different to the Sorcery! series which is my favourite.

[miles]

Hello Squire:

I analyzed every single of the 400 pages in HOUSE OF HELL and mapped them in excel using the map reference from

/photo/1


I also used brededor.narod.ru/2009/hoh/sa/sa.html which is useful for mapping in the introduction and for the first floor (only).

Happy to send you the excel, which makes mapping VERY easy given it is all sorted and solved:

I distinguish between “flow” pages (where we move) and “room” pages (where we are in a room):


A) 70 of the 400 pages are “flow pages” and these are the one to map and very easy to map as they are divided up into 18 pages from the cellar, 19 pages from the ground floor and 33 pages from the first floor. Example you can be in a choice between “kitchen” and “Dining room” door on 3 different pages: p. 21 and p. 58 and p. 316 and the excel explains when and how.


B) 330 of the 400 pages are in a “room pages” so you just map each room individually in an “appendix” (very easy as the excel has the room sorted).

Flow comments to solve the book


1) The bad start (p. 173: Mephisto room) and the good start (p. 5: Erasmus room) turn into the same story and same page numbers as soon as you enter Apollyon room (turned right: p. 332) or Balthus room (turned left: p.299) - of course with the difference that in the “bad start” you do not meet the hunchback. Apollyon (p. 332) comes from earlier 33-> p. 229 in “bad start” OR from earlier p. 5-> …. >p. 350 in “good start”. Balthus room (p. 299) comes from earlier p. 173->… -> p. 317-> p. 287 in “bad start” and from earlier p. 5-> …. >p. 350-> p. 257->p. 287 in “good start”.


2) Assuming you don’t die, you either leave 1st floor by the main stairs (p.132) OR from behind Shaitan secret stairs room (p. 102). In the latter case this takes to you to either the ground floor (p. 24) or to the cellar (p 216) and you will always eventually die no matter what from the “behind Shaitan stairs” option as on the ground floor you pass reception room to kitchen given you don’t have the Dining room key (sequence is 24->349->131->58->323->118) and given study room was locked (p.211) and you are not given any other choices. In the “behind Shaitan stairs” option to cellar case (p.216) you are just in dead zone: everything in the north on map referenced in the twitter link above (Area “J/K/L/M/N/O/P“).


3) Back on the ground floor (p. 132 down), again assuming you don’t die you can do one of 7 things: The first are good, the last 5 bad:

3A) do the correct one: drawing room (p. 353) and then later here: trap door to the cellar (p. 392->p.397) to meet the Hunchback – this room is mapped in the link above.

3B) Do the longer but still correct: all the passageway around and then enter the study room (p.195) and then drawing room (p. 353)

3C) Do the drawing room (p. 353), then study room (p.195) and then passageway again (p.247): BAD – You eventually end up in kitchen and die (from p.118) as the reception room scares you (p.307)

3D) Do the drawing room (p. 353), then study room (p.195) and then passageway again (p.247) and the cellar (p. 217): BAD as you don’t meet the hunchback again.

3E) Do the drawing room (p. 353), then study room (p.195) and then you find the secret stairs in the study room (p.225->241). BAD as it sends you to the dungeon (p.241->p.209) which you can survive by just leaving (p.91) but again you won’t meet the hunchback again.

3F) Just take the passageway around to cellar main stairs (p. 132->p.222->p.108->p.49-> 217)- BAD – see 3D)

3G) Go straight to kitchen (p. 118) from p. 132->p.222->p.108->p. 21 and die (Dining room is locked).


DO NOTE: The reception room scares you (p.307) UNLESS you have been in the cellar and are coming up (p. 393-> 370-> p.293) or at least have been on the cellar stairs (p.217->p.370->p. 293) after which you CAN explore the study room (p. 113). You don’t explore the reception room if you come from “behind Shaitan stairs” (24->349->131 sequence mentioned above).



Solution following 3A) or 3B): You eventually use the “deduct 10” from p. 320->p.310 under the stairs to get the Kris Knife (p. 35) so you can go the GROUND floor again and the study room (p.113) and get the golden key (p.273) to open and the get the cast-iron key (p.10) to then being able the enter dining room (p. 323 turns to p. 296 trick) and fight and win (p.400). See full solution: yosemite-sam.net/Solutions/HouseHell.htm



FINALLY: There is an ERROR on p. 282 as these two rooms are not opposite each other.

Cheers

[terrysalt]

Good job. That must have taken ages! Thanks a lot.

[vastariner]

The HoH solution linked is from 1998, so it must be one of the oldest unaltered web pages still out there.

[splendid]

Dec 26, 2021 10:39:30 GMT misomiso said:

Yes, but I would like to see the flow chart laid out if possible. It's a very complex book and very different to the Sorcery! series which is my favourite.

The attached image is not what you asked for, but shows the link structure for the 400 page references as they appear in Twine. (Additional unlinked boxes contain game logic for combat, inventory, menus. etc.)

Attachments:

[misomiso]

Wow guys ty lots of info to unpack here -

1) What difference if any is there between the good start and the bad start? Ie if you have the bad start can you still complete the book?
2) I remember that there are a few references that seem to change depending on where you come from - am I correct? if so can you get stuck in infinite loops at all or not really?
3) After you get to the ground floor are you saying you only have TWO paths to vicotry out of seven?
4) The link structure is great ty. Do the colours mean anything? ty

[miles]

BAD/GOOD START:
There are ONLY 2 rooms that are different between the bad and the good start: Mephisto & Erasmus: You start in Mephisto on p. 173 (bad start) and on p.298 (good start), and you start in Erasmus on p. 5 (good start) whereas the door is locked (p.140) in the bad start. The room in between (Azazel) is the same in bad/good start and starts on p. 358 (sequence to Azazel: BAD: 173=>136=>317=>33=>358 and GOOD: p.5…=>p.350=>p.257=>p.358).
It makes the whole difference, as in the bad start you don’t meet the hunchback in Erasmus room, which you need later in the cellar starting on p.397 (unless you cheat of course and say “yes” after the sequence: p.397>p.6=>p.367=>p.210).
Basically p. 210 here determines the later outcome between the good and the bad start (death) as you will never get the Kris knife after saying “no” on page 210.
So: No, you can’t complete the book with the bad start as you don’t meet the hunchback initially in the Erasmus room.

SAME PLACE AND DIFFERENT REFERENCE:
Yes, there are several. I listed for you all the passageways on the ground floor below (there are 19), as an example. The ground floor is by far the most complex (naturally, as this is where you cross).
Referencing again:

/photo/1 for the ground floor: left is page number and right is how you get there:

42 passageway Ground floor: Middle hallway intersection - -after first study and then drawing room (no cellar)
108 passageway Ground floor: Middle hallway intersection (coming from main door area and only been there on ground floor)
211 passageway Ground floor: Outside "C": study room - after coming from "w":secret stairs from upstairs OR after cellar with reception room visit
260 passageway Ground floor: Outside "C": study room - after coming from "z" cellar stairs with no reception room visit
21 passageway Ground floor: Outside "D"/"y": Dining room / kitchen (coming from main door area and only been there on ground floor)
58 passageway Ground floor: Outside "D"/"y": dining room/kitchen- - after coming from "w":secret stairs from upstairs OR after cellar with reception room before
316 "passageway Ground floor: Outside ""D""/""y"": Dining room/kitchen
(having been on cellar stairs/cellar but not in reception room OR no cellar but have done study + drawing room (either direction)"
259 passageway Ground floor: Outside "D": dining room (coming from main door area and only been there on ground floor)
97 passageway Ground floor: Outside "D": dining room (entrance area)-after first study and then drawing room (no cellar)
251 passageway Ground floor: Outside "D": dining room (entrance area)-after first study and then drawing room (no cellar)
285 passageway Ground floor: Outside "D": dining room (entrance area)-beginning
222 passageway Ground floor: Outside "I": main door
102 passageway Ground floor: outside "w": secret stairs (coming down)
293 passageway Ground floor: Outside "x"/"z"/"C"; reception room/cellar stairs and study room (after cellar stairs or cellar visit)
49 passageway Ground floor: Outside "x"/"z"/"C"; reception room/cellar stairs and study room (after having just turned in hallway and have not done cellar stairs)
247 passageway Ground floor: Outside "x"/"z": reception room/cellar stairs (after first drawing room and then study room - and not have done cellar stairs)
131 passageway Ground floor: Outside "x": reception room - after coming from "w":secret stairs from upstairs OR after cellar with reception room before
323 passageway Ground floor: Outside "y": kitchen- - after coming from "w":secret stairs from upstairs OR after cellar with reception room before
205 "passageway Ground floor: Outside ""y"": kitchen
(having been on cellar stairs/cellar but not in reception room OR no cellar but have done study + drawing room (either direction)"



The book is well made as infinite loops are impossible. In fact, the only room you can enter TWICE is the dining room (of all rooms in the entire book). The author always makes sure that either a 1) door is closed, or 2) you are not given access to a certain passageway to avoid infinite loops.

SOLUTION & GROUND FLOOR:
Yes, you can solve the book by going first study and then drawing room on the Ground floor, so technically speaking there are two routes to solve the book.

ANOTHER MISTAKES IN THE BOOK?
P.349: Why is the noise coming from the drawing room (far away) when we are in the reception (mirror) room? Wouldn’t the “study room” has been a better choice for the source of the noise?

SPEED / LONG RUN:
If you count the solution in yosemite-sam.net/Solutions/HouseHell.htm you visit 94 pages (the link missed one page) of the 400 pages in the book.
I did look at the SPEED run to the final dining room fight (where we would then die, as we don’t have the Kris knife), which would be basically be done in 68 step: Solution above takes you to p. 132 (= the 49th page) and then just do p. 222 => p.108 =>p.49 => p. 217 => p. 370 => p. 293=> p. 113 => p. 324 => p. 147 => p.3 => p. 160 => p. 294 => p. 10 => p. 204 => p. 349 => p. 131 => p. 58 => p. 323 => p. 296

Maybe others have alternative rules as well for the game?

Say: The longest possible run IF you forget skill/luck/stamina/fear limitations?

[miles]

Sorry guys, SPEED run to the final battle is actully doable in 23 steps only (and from the bad start)

p. 1 => p. 289 => p.345 => p. 207 => p. 267 => p. 173 => p. 136 => p. 317 => p. 287 => p. 193=> p. 113 => p. 324 => p. 147 => p.3 => p. 160 => p. 294 => p. 10 => p. 204 => p. 349 => p. 131 => p. 58 => p. 323 => p. 296

[misomiso]

Yes I'm getting the hang of it now.

I'm coming to the conclusion that is probably the best 'designed' gamebook of the whole franchise. It's very very clever.

SJ's use of dead ends where you can only die is how he does it I think, as it allows him to funnel players into dead zones from various different directions.

I remember playing this as a kid and just having my mind melted; I worked out the cellar was bad, but I think I got hooked on the secret staircase in the Shaitan room, which is a MASSIVE ballpunch as it turns out the secret stairway is the BAD way down!

Brutal design.

[misomiso]

Jan 5, 2022 23:09:17 GMT miles said:

Sorry guys, SPEED run to the final battle is actully doable in 23 steps only (and from the bad start)

p. 1 => p. 289 => p.345 => p. 207 => p. 267 => p. 173 => p. 136 => p. 317 => p. 287 => p. 193=> p. 113 => p. 324 => p. 147 => p.3 => p. 160 => p. 294 => p. 10 => p. 204 => p. 349 => p. 131 => p. 58 => p. 323 => p. 296

HOw many entries is the quickest way getting the kris knife?  94 as on that other website?

[CharlesX]

Jan 5, 2022 23:24:17 GMT misomiso said:

Yes I'm getting the hang of it now.

I'm coming to the conclusion that is probably the best 'designed' gamebook of the whole franchise. It's very very clever.

SJ's use of dead ends where you can only die is how he does it I think, as it allows him to funnel players into dead zones from various different directions.

I remember playing this as a kid and just having my mind melted; I worked out the cellar was bad, but I think I got hooked on the secret staircase in the Shaitan room, which is a MASSIVE ballpunch as it turns out the secret stairway is the BAD way down!

Brutal design.

That depends; to me, SJ's combination of heavy horror and instant deaths comes across as cliche. Funny the other SJ writes FF so forgiving and so dissimilar from his UK counterpart.