14) Temple of Terror Solution

[champskees]

Temple of Terror is a Livingstone adventure. As such, it is linear, requires you to obtain a whole bunch of items and fight a lot of opponents (none over Skill 10 though).That being said, with a Skill score of 11-12 & a decent Luck score (10+), you shouldn’t have too many issues with this one. I admit that I do like Livingstone’s revisiting of earlier locations and use of items such as Gillibran’s Hammer.

- Choose spells: Sleep Creature, Light, Fire, Open Door. Take 25 Gold Pieces.
- Buy passage on the barge to Blacksand.
- Haggle.
- Pay 3 Gold Pieces.
- Pay 1 Gold piece and follow the old man.
- Fight Sk 8 St 7 Robber.
- Fight Sk 7 St 7 Robber.
- Take Brass Telescope & 3 Silver Buttons.
- Eat enough provisions to recover to maximum stamina.
- Pay a total of 12 Gold Pieces.
- Tell him not to be so clumsy (1 Damage).
- Fight the man.
- Fight Sk 9 St 8 Pirate.
- Take 2 Gold Pieces & Large Pearl.
- Eat enough provisions to recover to maximum stamina.
- Test Skill (rolling equal counts as fail). Fail = Death.
- Swim towards the man o war.
- His name is Gillibran.
- Take enough provisions to restore amount to 10 in backpack.
- Walk east inland.
- Fight them with your sword.
- Fight Sk 5 St 6 Needle Fly.
- Fight Sk 6 St 7 Needle Fly.
- Fight Sk 7 St 6 Needle Fly.
- Look inside the leather pouch.
- Take Golden Key.
- Speak to the desert rider.
- Trade the Pearl for a Canister of Water (2 Damage).
- Test Luck. Success = Take Brass Handbell. Fail = Lose 1 Skill point.
- You possess a water canister.
- Make contact with the nomad (+4 Stamina).
- Take Onyx Egg, Bracelet of Mermaid Scales & Crystal Key (-9 Gold Pieces).
- Fight Sk 10 St 20 Giant Sandworm.
- Take Sandworm’s Tooth.
- Cast a Fire spell (1 Damage).
- Walk over to the trees.
- Continue south without drinking.
- Inspect the rocks (4 Damage).
- Untie the sack.
- Release the sprite (+1 Luck).
- Wear Headscarf.
- You possess a water canister.
- You are wearing a headscarf.
- Try to open the wooden side door.
- Cast an Open Door spell (2 Damage).
- Open the casket.
- Take the Helmet (+1 Skill).
- Pull back the drapes.
- Open the door.
- Fight Sk 9 St 7 Giant Centipede.
- Cut down the bucket from the ceiling.
- Take Bone Dragon.
- Test Skill. Fail = 6 Damage & -1 Skill.
- Look through your backpack for something to use.
- Use Onyx Egg.
- Walk on.
- Go left.
- Cast a Creature Sleep spell (1 Damage).
- Take Iron Key.
- Go left.
- Climb up the ladder.
- Talk to him.
- You have a Brass Telescope.
- Take Crystal Dragon.
- Fight Sk 5 St 4 Rat Man.
- Fight Sk 5 St 5 Rat Man.
- Take 3 Gold Pieces & Monkey’s Tail.
- Take left arch.
- Go left.
- Keep on walking.
- Walk past him.
- Go towards the glowing lights.
- Fight Sk 5 St 4 Giant Firefly. (50% chance it inflicts 4 Damage instead of 2 if it hits you).
- Fight Sk 5 St 5 Giant Firefly. (50% chance it inflicts 4 Damage instead of 2 if it hits you).
- Fight Sk 4 St 6 Giant Firefly. (50% chance it inflicts 4 Damage instead of 2 if it hits you).
- Walk to the right.
- You are wearing a Bracelet of Mermaid Scales.
- Continue straight on.
- Reach into the alcove.
- Open the box.
- Take Silver Dragon.
- Test Skill. Fail = 4 Damage. Success = Use item from backpack. Use a Silver Button (+1 Luck).
- Turn right towards tapestries.
- Walk past them.
- Press on.
- Bathe your wounds in the herbal liquid (+4 Stamina).
- Reply to his question.
- Reply that you like the artist’s work.
- Learn that the winner receives 300 Gold Pieces.
- Ignore & keep walking.
- Use Golden Key.
- Answer ‘300’ (+2 Luck & +2 Skill). Turn to Para 300.
- Take left door.
- Walk through without making a donation.
- Cast a Light spell (6 Damage). Alternatively, you can walk through blind (2 Damage, -1 Luck).
- Search through your backpack for a weapon.
- Test Luck. Fail = 2 Damage & -1 Skill.
- Use Brass Handbell. Otherwise Fight Sk 10 St 10 Night Horror (it inflicts 2 Damage & -1 Skill each hit, you only have 50% chance of damaging it).
- Pick up the silver rod.
- Use Crystal Key.
- Take a closer look at the wood carving.
- Take Ebony Dragon (+1 Luck).
- Tell them you have come with a gift for Leesha.
- You are not wearing a gold medallion.
- Test Luck.
        - Success = Give up one item (Monkey Tail).
        - Fail =
            - Fight Sk 9 St 5 Dark Disciple.
            - Fight Sk 8 St 6 Dark Disciple.
            - Fight Sk 9 St 5 Dark Disciple.
            - Take Dagger.
- Fight Sk 6 St 4 Sword.
- Fight Sk 6 St 4 Sword.
- Fight Sk 6 St 4 Sword.
- Fight Sk 6 St 4 Sword.
- Step through the golden rain.
- Fight Sk 8 St 8 Slave Guard.
- Let yourself fall asleep (+2 Stamina).
- Hide behind the drapes.
- Hack the lock open with your sword.
- Open the Moon Door.
- Lift the lid of the white pot.
- Place the ring on your finger.
- Take Copper Ring.
- Walk through the chamber to the archway.
- Open the door in the far wall.
- Take the Golden Skeleton Statuette (+1 Luck).
- Leave via door opposite.
- Go right.
- Eat the grapes (+4 Stamina).
- Attack with sword.
- Fight Sk 9 St 6 Skeleton Man.
- Fight Sk 9 St 8 Skeleton Man.
- Fight Sk 8 St 8 Servant.
- Fight her using a Giant Sandworm’s Tooth.
- Run through the doorway after her.
- Stop and inspect the idol.
- Take Golden Dragon.
- Speak to the Dwarf.
- Take Gillibran’s Warhammer.
- You have collected five Dragon Artefacts.
- Crush Bone Dragon.
- You are carrying a War Hammer.
- You are wearing a Copper Ring.
- Fight Sk 10 St 18 Malbordus.
- You have saved Allansia. Plus you are rich (from the statuette).

[Akharis]

One of my favourites over all the series. It was also an early one too. My favourite part of the game book was the bit where you meet the Night Horror and the vice trap!

[Charles X.]

I always felt Night Horror was overpowered. If you don't have a brass handbell, you're facing a monster who effectively has Skill 10 Stamina 15 and drains your skill by 1 point with every hit. I remember fighting him and winning 'victories' which would leave me with a skill well below 7. I haven't played Temple Of Terror for a long time, but if I remember right, you don't get your skill restored after the fight.

[kieran]

Jul 14, 2021 21:31:55 GMT Charles X. said:

I always felt Night Horror was overpowered. If you don't have a brass handbell, you're facing a monster who effectively has Skill 10 Stamina 15 and drains your skill by 1 point with every hit. I remember fighting him and winning 'victories' which would leave me with a skill well below 7. I haven't played Temple Of Terror for a long time, but if I remember right, you don't get your skill restored after the fight.

It's a very tough fight but it is at least avoidable with the right item - sadly not true of other tough fights in the series!

[The Count]

Jul 14, 2021 21:31:55 GMT Charles X. said:

I always felt Night Horror was overpowered. If you don't have a brass handbell, you're facing a monster who effectively has Skill 10 Stamina 15 and drains your skill by 1 point with every hit. I remember fighting him and winning 'victories' which would leave me with a skill well below 7. I haven't played Temple Of Terror for a long time, but if I remember right, you don't get your skill restored after the fight.

You can put on the helmet you picket up earlier which gives +1 Skill if you interpret the rules to allow this, there is also a +2 Skill elsewhere that you could argue covers the Skill loss, assuming you haven't lost any elsewhere.

Otherwise, use Luck in those rounds when you win and can do damage do it. You get 2 Luck back afterwards if you are on the right path.

It is the toughest (and most atmospheric) fight in the book, but as the joint highest Skill you face is 10, its reasonable and fairly well balanced. At least compared to Crypt, Caverns, Spellbreaker etc...

[Akharis]

You can work out what the codes on the sun and moon doors say by deciphering earlier messages in Vatos and remembering them after you go through the golden rain and your magic is taken away. That way, it's not just a guess between life and death when you choose which way to go! Very clever!

[johnbrawn1972]

Temple of Terror. 12/14/7. 10 provisions
-Open door. Creature Sleep. Light. Fire
-Open door
-Creature Sleep
-Light
-Fire
- 25gp. If you wish to buy your passage on the barge to Port Blacksand
-If you wish to haggle
- -3gp
22gp
- -1gp. If you wish to pay and follow the old man
21gp
- 1st Robber sk8 st7 2nd Robber sk7 st7
-small brass telescope. 3 silver buttons
- -1gp. -1gp. -10gp. If you would rather tell him not to be so clumsy
9gp
- -1 stamina. If you wish to fight the man
9 meals 14st-13st-14st
-Pirate sk9 st8
- 2gp. large pearl
11gp
- 2d6 <skill=ok
-If you wish to swim towards the man-of-war
-If you reply that his name is Gillibran
- 10 meals. If you wish to walk east inland
-If you wish to fight the giant insects with your sword
- 1st Needle fly sk5 st6 2nd Needle fly sk6 st7 3rd Needle fly sk7 st6
-If you wish to stop to look inside a leather pouch clutched in the hand of the dead man
-small golden key
-If you wish to speak to the desert rider
- -1 silver button. Canister of water
- -2 stamina. 2d6 <=luck=brass handbell >luck=-1 skill
11S 14st-12st 6L
-If you possess a water canister
-If you wish to make contact with the nomad
- +4 stamina. -3gp Onyx Egg. -3gp Bracelet of Mermaid Scales. -3gp Crystal Key
2gp 12st-14st
-Giant Sandworm sk10 st20
7 meals 11S=14st-2st-14st 12S=14st-4st-14st
-Sandworm tooth
-If you are able to cast a Fire Spell
- -1 stamina
14st-13st
-If you wish to walk over to the trees
-If you wish to continue south without drinking
-If you wish to inspect the rocks
- -4 stamina
13st-9st
-If you wish to untie the sack
-If you wish to release the Sprite
- +1 luck.Headscarf
7L
-If you possess a water canister
-If you are wearing a headscarf
-If you wish to open the wooden side-door next to the entrance gate
-If you can and wish to cast an Open Door spell
- -2 stamina
9st-7st
-If you wish to open the casket
-If you wish to place the helmet on your head
-helmet. +1 skill
12S
-Pull back the drapes
-Open the door
-Giant centipede sk9 st7(use 1 luck for extra damage)
6L
-If you wish to cut down the bucket from the ceiling
-Bone Dragon
-If you are forced to jump the pit without magical aid
- 2d6 <=skill=ok
-If you would rather look through your backpack for something to use
-An Onyx Egg
-If you would rather walk on
-If you wish to go left
-If you can and wish to cast a Creature Sleep spell
- -1 stamina
7st-6st
-large iron key. If you wish to go left
-If you wish to climb up the ladder
-Talk to him
-If you have a telescope to trade
-Crystal Dragon
- 1st Rat Man sk5 st4 2nd Rat Man sk5 st5
- 3gp. Monkey’s tail
5gp
-If you walk through the left arch
-If you wish to go right
-If you wish to see who is coming down the corridor
- 1st Skeleton Warrior sk7 st5 2nd Skeleton Warrior sk6 st6
-shield. +1 skill. If have an iron key
-clay goblet
-If you would rather keep on walking
-Kick his sword away and try to talk to him
-If you wish to investigate the moving lights
- 1st Giant Firefly sk5 st4 2nd Giant Firefly sk5 st5 3rd Giant Firefly sk4 st6
-If you walk to the right of the idol
-If you are wearing a Bracelet of Mermaid Scales
-If you wish to continue straight on
-If you wish to reach into the alcove
-If you wish to open the box
-Silver Dragon
- 2d6 <=skill=ok
-If you would rather rummage through your backpack for an item to use against it
-A Silver Button
- +1 luck
7L
-If you wish to walk right towards the tapestries
-If you wish to pull one of the tapestries from the wall and put it in your backpack
-If you would rather press on
-Bathe your wounds in the herbal liquid
- +4 stamina
6 meals 6st-10st-14st
-Reply to his question
-If you wish to reply that you do like the artist’s work
-If you would rather ignore the cries and keep on walking
-Try to unlock it with a golden key
-turn 300
- +2 skill. +2 luck
-If you wish to open the door to your left
-If you would rather walk through without making a donation
-If you wish to cast a Light spell
- -2 stamina. -4 stamina
4 meals 14st-8st-14st
-(if you have a Brass Handbell otherwise*)
-If you would rather search your backpack for some other weapon
- 2d6 <=luck=A Brass Handbell** >luck=-2 stamina. -1 skill. A Brass Handbell**
11S 14st-12st 6L
-*If you wish to use your sword against this loathsome creature
-Night Horror sk10 st10(if stamina=2 use 1 luck to reduce damage)(if win attack round 1d6 1-3=no damage 4-6=ok. If Night Horror wins attack round -2 stamina and -1 skill)
11S 14-12st 6L
-**Pick up the silver rod
-If you have a crystal key
-If you wish to take a closer look at the wood-carving
-Ebony Dragon. +1 luck
7L
-If you wish to tell them you have come with a gift for Leesha, the High Priestess of Vatos
- 2d6 <=luck=silver button >luck=1st Dark disciple sk9 st5 2nd Dark disciple sk8 st6 3rd Dark disciple sk9 st5
6L
- 1st Sword sk6 st4 2nd Sword sk6 st4 3rd Sword sk6 st4 4th Sword sk6 st4
-If you would rather step through the golden rain
-Slave Guard sk8 st8
-If you let yourself fall asleep
- +2 stamina. If you wish to hide behind the drapes
12st-14st
-If you wish to hack the lock open with your sword
-Open the Moon door
-Lift the lid of the white pot
-copper ring. Place the ring on your finger. Walk through the chamber to the archway in the far wall
-If you wish to open the door
-Take the golden skeleton statuette
- +1 luck. Leave the room by the door opposite
7L
-If you wish to go right
-If you wish to eat the grapes
- +4 stamina
-Attack them with your sword
- 1st Skelton Man sk9 st6 2nd Skeleton Man sk9 st8
3 meals 11S=14st-12st-10st-14st
-Servant sk8 st8
-If you can and wish to fight her using a Giant Sandworm’s tooth
-If you would rather run through the doorway after Leesha
-If you wish to stop and inspect the idol
-Golden Dragon
-If you wish to speak to the Dwarf
-If you have collected five Dragon artefacts
-The Bone Dragon
-If you carrying a war-hammer
-If you are wearing a copper ring
-Malbordus sk10 st18
11S=14st-6st
12S=14st-10st

[scouserob]

There were two main decisions on the main path which interested me enough to investigate.
(All this is assuming my calculations are correct.)

1. The Sphinx Chair
You have an option to sit in a chair carved in the shape of a Sphinx and Test Your Luck.
If you are lucky then you gain 4 Stamina points and Lose 1 Luck point (from taking the test).
If you are unlucky then you lose 1D6 worth of Stamina points and 1 Luck point (from taking the test).

Advantages:
If your Luck score is 7 or above you have a positive expected Stamina gain from sitting in the chair:
Luck 6, Expected Stamina Gain: -0.375
Luck 7, Expected Stamina Gain: +0.875
Luck 8, Expected Stamina Gain: +1.917
Luck 9, Expected Stamina Gain: +2.75
Luck 10, Expected Stamina Gain: +3.375
Luck 11, Expected Stamina Gain: +3.792
Luck 12, Expected Stamina Gain: +4

Disadvantages:
You are going to lose a Luck point that could either have been used either earlier in battle against the Giant Sandworm or later against the Night Horror where being unlucky costs you a Skill point.
The risk of losing 6 points of Stamina may outweigh the gain of 4 extra Stamina points.
Gaining 4 Extra Stamina points with another 4 Stamina just a few rooms later would only benefit adventurers running over 4 below their Initial Stamina and only fully benefit those at least 8 below their initial Stamina.
(For example subtract 3 points from each of the expected Stamina gains above if you are only 5 below your Initial Stamina.)

Verdict:
Miss the chair.
I didn't find much of a strategy that makes sitting in the chair worthwhile.
The only decent percentage gain, of about 2.5%, was for a Skill 10 Stamina 22+ Luck 9+ adventurer who had been purposely living on low Stamina since the Giant Sandworm and only topping it up to ensure that you are not going to die at the Phantom and on the chair itself.


2. The Letter 'A' or a Blade in the Dark
Immediately before the Night Horror you cross a pitch black room where you can either:
Use a Light Spell, see the letter A planted by the Messenger of Death and lose a total of 6 Stamina points,
Or cross the room in the dark, cut your shin on a blade and lose 2 Stamina points and 1 Luck point.

Advantages of using a Light Spell and seeing the letter A:
You will be on maximum Luck for the Night Horror encounter where it would be used either in battle (if you don’t have the Brass Handbell) or to increase the probability of avoiding a loss of 1 Skill Point and 2 Stamina.
This extra Luck point will carry through to being used to avoid the fight with the Dark Disciples.

Advantages of walking into the blade in the dark:
You are 4 Stamina points better off.

Verdict:
Complicated, see the chart below.
In general walking into the blade is:
Better for those plucky Skill 9 and Skill 10 adventurers.
Better for higher Luck and/or lower Stamina adventurers at Skill 11.
Only really better for Stamina 14/15 or Luck 7(?) adventurers at Skill 12.

[vastariner]

Of course there's one other benefit of walking into the blade; you defeat the Messenger of Death's plan...

[scouserob]

Mar 14, 2024 10:16:00 GMT vastariner said:

Of course there's one other benefit of walking into the blade; you defeat the Messenger of Death's plan...

Yeah, don't want to allow that gunky lunatic the pleasure of chuckling to himself around the corner as you fall into one of his silly traps. 😂

Though he's gone to such an effort setting it all up I may be tempted to walk into it just to give the poor fellow a little moment of happiness amongst all that disappointment as we walk right past the rest of his craftily placed letters.

[CharlesX]

scouserob Many thanks for this table as I've often wondered about going in blind or using the Light spell. The table is complicated, with a small gain and a small loss sometimes side by side.

   The chair - a gain of 4 Stamina would be better than rough odds of losing 3.5 stamina if your adventurer has the correct chance of winning against Malbordus and the Sandworm with their Luck (Malbordus and the Giant Sandworm have roughly the same Stamina, and the Night Horror would probably not happen for an adventurer with the right Luck). So I don't doubt there are permutations where its beneficial. There are schools of thought you should meticulously professionally work out the tiniest of % that might be advantageous, and others which say a small advantage doesn't matter (as we say in the UK 'not worth the candle'), although just how small?

 

The only decent percentage gain, of about 2.5%, was for a Skill 10 Stamina 22+ Luck 9+ adventurer who had been purposely living on low Stamina since the Giant Sandworm and only topping it up to ensure that you are not going to die at the Phantom and on the chair itself.

 I think by Phantom you mean the Night Horror?

[scouserob]

Below when I say 'better' I mean always a worse or equal percentage chance of winning when rounded to 1 decimal point.

A low stamina strategy that seems best for using the chair is to only use enough provisions between the Sandworm and the Night Horror to keep you above the minimum needed to survive non-battle stamina loss.
(The desert heat thirst and scorpions, the pit, spell casting, the Phantom, the Chair, etc.)

With more tinkering and piggy backing Champskees, my best solution found so far is:
Use 2 Luck points to try to hit harder in battle against the Sandworm, unless your Luck drops below 7. (Always better than using 1 or 3)
Follow the low Stamina strategy, above, except boosting up to within 0-2 points of maximum ready for the Giant Centipede.
Never use the chair.
In the dark room follow the best strategy for your stats.
After regaining your Stamina in the Question Room keep it within 0-2 of maximum during the rest of the adventure.
Obviously scoff all your provisions pre-Malbordous and use Luck to try to hit harder whilst it is greater than 7.

I missed out the +4 Stamina from the Nomad's Tent so everything gets a bit better.

Just in case anyone is interested here is the code for handling sitting in the chair:

SPOILER: Click to show

The Big Matrix just holds the probability of being in the Skill, Stamina, Luck, Provisions, Flag state for each possible combination.
(The flag here is 0 for having the Brass Handbell and 1 for not having it.)
Each non-zero state is multiplied by the probability of it passing the Luck Test is added to the state with one less Luck and 4 more Stamina.
The same state, multiplied by one sixth of the probability of it failing the Luck Test, is added to the state with 1 less Luck and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 less Stamina.
The state is then cleared (a Luck Point is always lost so it never stays where it is). 

[Per]

Does anything significant change if the goal is not to win but to die from seeing all the letters? You don't have to save Stamina or Luck for Malbordus, but you have to advance about as far and there will obviously be some additional Stamina drain.

Obviously anyone playing to win will learn not to see early letters by the time they find the last. But it wouldn't surprise me if it's bizarrely difficult to die from the MoD even if you're actively trying.

[scouserob]

Mar 14, 2024 15:31:52 GMT Per said:

Does anything significant change if the goal is not to win but to die from seeing all the letters? You don't have to save Stamina or Luck for Malbordus, but you have to advance about as far and there will obviously be some additional Stamina drain.

Interesting.
I wonder if the Making the Messenger of Death Happy strategy, would be significantly different...
I'll take it as you have to survive the 4 Stamina loss from seeing the letter 'D' to hear the whisper and succeed in this perverse quest.
It may even be easier, especially for Skill 10 Adventurers, who would miss out on a fight with an equally Skilled Malbordous.

H: -4 Stamina, -1 Luck (The loss of that Luck point will hurt for avoiding the Night Horror's staff ray, Skill point loss.)
T: -4 Stamina
A: -6 Stamina (Though many of my best strategies see this letter anyway.)
E: -4 Stamina, -1 Luck
D: -4 Stamina

That is a lot of extra Stamina loss!

I guess you'd move the Luck in battle use from Malbordous to the 2 Skeleton Men and ensure that you eat enough Provisions so that you don't die from seeing the letters (if you can).

I'll see if I can calculate it soon...

[CharlesX]

Mar 14, 2024 15:31:52 GMT Per said:

Obviously anyone playing to win will learn not to see early letters by the time they find the last. But it wouldn't surprise me if it's bizarrely difficult to die from the MoD even if you're actively trying.

Both in the spirit of a (young) player\adventurer who likes to check out every possibility, and knowing Ian Livingstone adventures that tend to be linear, it perhaps isn't bizarrely difficult for the kid audience. He's had my adventurer!

[scouserob]

Making the Messenger of Death Happy Quest

Paragraph 148 is the new 400 as to complete this quest you have to see all the Messenger's letters and survive to see the Messenger of Death reappear and revel in your death.

The best strategy that I've found is the same as that for the proper quest with the exception that if, and only if, your Initial Luck is 12 it is better to use 3 Stamina points (an extra 1) to hit harder in the battle against the Giant Sandworm.

The Chair still doesn't help. 🙁

It is generally an easier quest than the main one, so I guess that losing all that extra Stamina is still preferable to facing off against Malbordous.

The only exception to this seems to be for very Lucky Skill 10 and 11 adventurers, whose Luck, I guess, must give them enough of a relative advantage in the final battle to make facing Malbordous a better alternative than the extra Luck and Stamina loss from the five letters.

[CharlesX]

Thanks scouserob . Think the premise advanced is hilarious - it's like asking the best odds and route through Crypt Of The Sorceror wearing the Horned Demon talisman to become Razaak's servant. Both, I feel, are somewhere unarguably below a pyrrhic victory.

[scouserob]

Taking my cue from CharlesX in the solution thread for The Warlock of Firetop Mountain:
I get the percentage chance of winning Temple of Terror, pre-rolling for your Initial Skill, Stamina and Luck, to be:
25.3%
[Edited to account for the non-uniform Initial Stamina Distribution]