21) Trial of Champions Solution

[champskees]

God. Not much room to move in this adventure. I recommend Sk 12 and 20+ Stamina. Luck is only really used to avoid monsters, but should be used in combat when possible. Even then you will struggle. I really like the idea of various adventurers competing in a ‘game’, but the fact you need to get every gold ring to win is a bit harsh. Much harder than the original Deathtrap Dungeon (and not as fun imho).

Arena of Death

- Take the food.
- Stay at the back.
- Test Skill. Fail = Roll D6. 1-5 = Death.
- Choose trident and net.
- You are to fight it with a trident and net.
- Roll D6. 4-6 = Defeat Bonecrusher. 1-3 = -1 Luck & Test Skill. Fail = Death. Success = Repeat the process until successful.
- Fight Sk 10 St 8 Easterner.
- Test Skill. Fail = Death.
- Step to your right.
- Test Luck. Success = Step back.
- Fight Sk 9 St 8 Slave.
- Fight Sk 8 St 8 Fighting Slave.
- Restore 4 Stamina points.
- Fight Sk 10 St 10 Southerner.
- Restore Stamina to Initial score.

Trial of Champions – 1st Section

- Draw your sword and open the door.
- Fight Sk 7 St 6 Hellhound. Each round, Roll D6. 1-2 = 1 Damage.
- Rummage through the straw.
- Take Gold Ring.
- Go right.
- Climb down the rope into the pit.
- Test Skill. Fail = Death.
- Fight Sk 9 St 9 Strider.
- Put the medallion around your neck.
- Take Bone Medallion.
- Walk across the bridge without paying.
- Reach into the circular hole.
- Press button number 1.
- Open the door.
- Enter the room.
- Fight Sk 5 St 5 Vampire Bat. 1 Damage each round.
- Fight Sk 5 St 4 Vampire Bat.
- Put the phial in your belt pouch.
- Take Red Dust Phial.
- Leave the room.
- Open the door.
- Charge it open with your shoulder.
- Test Skill. Fail = -1 Skill.
- Fight Sk 10 St 11 Coldclaw. -1 Skill when you fight this battle.
- Break open the pot.
- Stay in the room.
- Take Gold Ring.
- Go into the cave.
- Try on the boots.
- Take Boots of Speed (+1 Skill).
- Rummage around for something else.
- Lift the top of the skull.
- You are wearing a medallion (+1 Luck).
- Fight Sk 10 St 8 Bone Devil.
- Take Gold Ring.
- Keep walking.
- Use the broadsword instead of your own sword.
- Take Magic Broadsword.
- Lever the boards off with your sword.
- Test Luck. Fail = Fight Sk 7 St 7 Mutant Orc. Take Glass Balls.
- Reply he is his son.
- Take Iron Key.
- Keep on walking.
- Go left.
- Open the door.
- Agree to wear her gauntlet.
- 3D6 Skill Test. Success = 3 Damage. Fail = 4 Damage & Fight Sk 9 St 9 Liche Queen. -3 Skill when you fight this battle. -1 Skill after battle.
- Take Gold Ring.
- Go left past the T-junction.
- Enter in order to investigate.
- Attack the giant spider.
- Fight Sk 7 St 8 Giant Spider. If fight takes over 5 rounds, take 2 Damage & Test Skill. Fail = take 2 Damage & Test Skill. Fail = Death.
- Take Gold Ring.
- Go down.
- Open the door.
- Fight Sk 3 St 2 Rat.
- Fight Sk 2 St 2 Rat.
- Fight Sk 3 St 2 Rat.
- Fight Sk 3 St 2 Rat.
- Fight Sk 4 St 2 Skilful Rat. (If you lose an attack round against any of the rats, Test Luck. Fail = Death).
- Eat the loaf (+2 Stamina).
- Take Iron File.
- Eat the salted beef (+4 Stamina).
- Go back up stairs.
- Lift the lid off the box first.
- Take Hammer, Rope & Anti Poison.
- Take Shield (+1 Skill).
- Take Winged Helmet.
- Run for it!

The Trialmaster

- Obey the Trialmaster.
- Fight Sk 7 Caveman.
        - Take no damage, first to win four rounds wins. Lose = Death.
- 1+6+18 = 25. Go to para 25.
- Ready yourself to counter a blow.
- Defend your ribs.
- Take the initiative and strike back.
- Test Skill with Skill 8 for Trialmaster. Succeed = Make an overhead strike.

Trial of Champions – 2nd Section

- Continue walking.
- Fight Sk 9 St 7 Skeleton King. You have a hammer.
- Take Mirror and Wooden Whistle.
- Go left.
- Use rope to climb down pit.
- Follow the new tunnel.
- Enter the cave.
- Fight Sk 6 St 6 Tusker.
- Leave the cave.
- Follow the passage.
- Walk further into the slime (+1 Skill, +5 Stamina).
- Pull the elephant’s trunk.
- Take Gold Ring.
- Jump down into the tunnel below.
- Defend yourself with your sword.
- Fight Sk 11 St 12 Chaos Champion.
- Note ‘Set Two: 358’.
- Open the box.
- Take Gold Ring.
- Walk on.
- Eat some of the nuts and berries (+2 Stamina).
- Jump across the pit.
- You are a wearing a Winged Helmet.
- Ring the bell.
- Take Gold Ring.
- Investigate the rock pile.
- Clear away the rocks.
- Fetch a torch to read the numbers.
- Note ‘Set One: 249’.
- Open the door.
- Test Skill. Fail = Test Luck. Fail = -1 Skill.
- Take Blue Dye (+6 Stamina).
- Walk inside the mouth.
- Fight Sk 5 St 6 Tongue.
- Go down the steps to investigate.
- Roll D6. 1-2 = Test Skill. Succeed = Death. Fail = Fight Sk 8 St 12 Tentallus (need to win at least 1 in 3 attack rounds otherwise death).
- Carry on walking up every step (+3 Stamina).
- Look inside the urns.
- Put on the cloak.
- Take Purple Cloak (+1 Luck).
- Walk on.
- Open the door.
- Take the lamp.
- Fight Sk 9 St 6 Idol. You have a magic weapon.
- Take Gold Ring.
- Walk towards bright glow.
- Run quickly through the archway.
- You are wearing a purple cloak.
- Cut the rope with your sword.
- Take Clock Hands.
- Give the little man some nuts and berries.
- You are carrying a File.
- Inspect the painting more closely.
- Note ‘Set Three: 176’.
- Test Luck. Fail = Fight Sk 9 St 10 Hill Troll. Walk on.
- Fight Sk 10 St 9 Eastern Warlord.
- You possess a Phial of Red Dust.
- You possess an Iron Key.

The Second Trialmaster & Endgame

- You have an odd number.
- Nine or eleven.
- You have nine rings.
- Use 1st Set. Go to para 249.
- Use 2nd Set. Go to para 358.
- Use 3rd Set. Go to para 176.
- Fight Sk 9 St 4 Fire Imp.
- Fight Sk 10 St 10 Fire Demon.
        - Roll D6 every round:
                o 1-2 = 2 Damage.
                o 3-4 = 1 Damage.
- Put the Brass Hands on the clock.
- Pull lever number three.
- Go left.
- Take archway to its right.
- You have a shield.
- You made it out (+2 Skill, +6 Stamina).
- Fight Sk 10 St 10 Lord Carnuss.
- You take your reward of 20,000 Gold Pieces and blow it on a mercenary army.

[nathanh]

It seems to me that in the blind-fight in the arena, the sequence: Step Left, Swing, Succeed Luck Roll, Step Left, gets you out of the fight against the 9 8 slave. If your LUCK is 12, there seems to be no reason to avoid this route, since in any route you have to make one test of luck, and if you're certain to pass it you may as well choose the best. If your LUCK is 11 or less then we'd have to think harder about whether it's worth the risk of failing.

[champskees]

Jan 24, 2014 9:36:58 GMT nathanh said:

It seems to me that in the blind-fight in the arena, the sequence: Step Left, Swing, Succeed Luck Roll, Step Left, gets you out of the fight against the 9 8 slave. If your LUCK is 12, there seems to be no reason to avoid this route, since in any route you have to make one test of luck, and if you're certain to pass it you may as well choose the best. If your LUCK is 11 or less then we'd have to think harder about whether it's worth the risk of failing.

The solutions I suggest consider the effects of a failed roll. With two paths, I will generally recommend the path with the lowest negative consequence. I guess what you're saying is right, seems pointless to add it in though considering only ~8.33% of players would have a Luck of 12 at that stage.

[nathanh]

In this book it seems particularly irrelevant because a character that can't handle a 9 8 fight is unlikely to be a winner anyway. I think I'll continue to follow the policy of only taking that route with LUCK 12. Even with LUCK 11 I think a 1/72 chance of losing a skill point is worse for this adventure than a 9 8 fight.

[a moderator]

Especially as you get restored to maximum Stamina after defeating the Southerner, whereas a Skill penalty will stick around.

[stevendoig]

I have used this walkthrough with a full stats character 3 times now - I have run out of stamina each time!

Livingstone is ridiculous here- as if Carnuss would go to all the bother of finding a champion then send him into Deathtrap Dungeon without provisions or at least a potion of strength.

3 times is enough though, its quite a dull book really.....

[philsadler]

Personally, I just skip the beginning because it serves no purpose because, I think, you get all of your Stamina back after the arena bit.

[kieran]

It can cost you some Luck though...

[Jon]

If you were just able to bring 10 portions of provisions into the Dungeon as was normal in many fighting fantasy outings, then even a skill 11 character could possibly win (although the part with the Liche Queen's test of pain remains very dicey).

In Deathtrap Dungeon, what was in the player character's provisions? Wolverine meat? One portion restores 4 stamina points, whereas the elf's bread with 'secret healing herbs' only restores 3 stamina points, the barbarians special meat only 3 stamina points, the dwarf trialmaster's excellent chicken and wine only 2 stamina points and the Ninja's plain rations of rice and water 1 stamina point.

[Nora]

Hi
I followed the walkthrough also followed the map but still can't get the 9th ring.
I can't get to chaos champion paper message.
After the elephant trunk no option to jump down the tunnel.
I play this game on my phone.
Is any body can help please?

[daredevil123]

Dec 30, 2018 20:43:38 GMT Nora said:

Hi
I followed the walkthrough also followed the map but still can't get the 9th ring.
I can't get to chaos champion paper message.
After the elephant trunk no option to jump down the tunnel.
I play this game on my phone.
Is any body can help please?

Are you playing the App version? This walkthrough is for the print book.

[axelf]

Dec 31, 2018 10:51:19 GMT daredevil123 said:

Dec 30, 2018 20:43:38 GMT Nora said:

Hi
I followed the walkthrough also followed the map but still can't get the 9th ring.
I can't get to chaos champion paper message.
After the elephant trunk no option to jump down the tunnel.
I play this game on my phone.
Is any body can help please?

Are you playing the App version? This walkthrough is for the print book.

Interesting. Are there differences between the Fighting Fantasy Classics App version and the print book?

[axelf]

Aug 7, 2020 20:39:35 GMT axelf said:

Dec 31, 2018 10:51:19 GMT daredevil123 said:

Are you playing the App version? This walkthrough is for the print book.

Interesting. Are there differences between the Fighting Fantasy Classics App version and the print book?

Just to add I was able to get that ring on the app the same way that is described in the solution here

[pip]

Fun book, but it has the same problem as some other Livingstone books (like Crypt of the Sorcerer): playing by the rules is so ludicrously unfair to you that you are encouraged to disregard the rules. How much fun is it to make the perfect choices, and still lose because you don't get ridiculously lucky with dice rolls?

[dragonwarrior8]

Not that they are tough to find in any case, but I do kind of wonder if finding the "sets" of ring combinations is a bit botched. If all you have is the third set and therefore no other options to try (or used that one by mistake even)...you would go straight to the win section for that part of the trial even without the other two sets.

[kieran]

Aug 8, 2020 20:38:09 GMT dragonwarrior8 said:

Not that they are tough to find in any case, but I do kind of wonder if finding the "sets" of ring combinations is a bit botched. If all you have is the third set and therefore no other options to try (or used that one by mistake even)...you would go straight to the win section for that part of the trial even without the other two sets.

Although you are specifically asked for the first set so you should know not to use set 3.

You can though work out what the other set is if you only find two. This may have been intentional on Ian's part.

I always think the phial of red dust should have had a number assigned to it that you could turn to whenever you decided to use it. That way it could be used to bypass the hill troll and the Eastern warlord (speaking of which, how on earth did he get so deep in the dungeon without picking up a single object?). It's particularly odd that you can't just use the dust to escape the cage if you don't have the iron file. And since you don't necessarily need Set 3 if you found Sets 1 and 2, you could still beat the book doing so.

Of course, use it too early and you won't have the iron key or enough gold rings but it could have been a judgement call on the player's part as to when to use it.

[dragonwarrior8]

Aug 8, 2020 21:28:55 GMT kieran said:

Aug 8, 2020 20:38:09 GMT dragonwarrior8 said:

Not that they are tough to find in any case, but I do kind of wonder if finding the "sets" of ring combinations is a bit botched. If all you have is the third set and therefore no other options to try (or used that one by mistake even)...you would go straight to the win section for that part of the trial even without the other two sets.

Although you are specifically asked for the first set so you should know not to use set 3.

You can though work out what the other set is if you only find two. This may have been intentional on Ian's part.

I always think the phial of red dust should have had a number assigned to it that you could turn to whenever you decided to use it. That way it could be used to bypass the hill troll and the Eastern warlord (speaking of which, how on earth did he get so deep in the dungeon without picking up a single object?). It's particularly odd that you can't just use the dust to escape the cage if you don't have the iron file. And since you don't necessarily need Set 3 if you found Sets 1 and 2, you could still beat the book doing so.

Of course, use it too early and you won't have the iron key or enough gold rings but it could have been a judgement call on the player's part as to when to use it.

Good points all. I think if set 3 was the only one you had though, then your character would have nothing to lose by at least trying it. Probably doesnt matter I guess as you should find all the sets anyway seeing as how you have to look absolutely everywhere to find the huge list of items to beat this book. I suppose the red dust is another prime example of an item that has many points in the adventure that it could have come in extremely handy but only one place you can actually use it. lol. (Why cant I eat the nuts and berries I put in my pouch and recover stamina if I decide not to give them to the guy in the ceiling?) Im sure an exhaustive list could be made of those in FF.  


This actually reminded me of a line from the Will Ferrell movie Land of the Lost:
"You mean youve been carrying a bag of fireworks around with you this whole time?? There's literally a dozen situations where we could have used these!"

[pip]

At the very least it's not a very effective "anti-cheating" device, It would have worked better in that regard if you had to add the combination to a number provided in the section.

[dragonwarrior8]

Overall I enjoyed the book but I do have to vent about the Siren. What an awfully designed encounter! One roll with a random 1 in 3 chance of dying? (Because if you made it this far lets face it you are going to pass that skill test afterwards). Its tough enough just to get here and then several times in succession that I did, I died right here because of this garbage. At least the 1 in 3 chance of death at the end of City of Thieves can be overcome with trial and error. I take it this is one of the examples Greenspine mentioned about the random rolls (ie. rolls not even involving your stats) becoming worse as the series goes on. I hope there is not too many more of these.

[kieran]

Aug 11, 2020 16:47:46 GMT dragonwarrior8 said:

I take it this is one of the examples Greenspine mentioned about the random rolls (ie. rolls not even involving your stats) becoming worse as the series goes on. I hope there is not too many more of these.

All I can say is, you're gonna love Luke Sharp's books!

[johnbrawn1972]

Trial of Champions. 12/24/12.
-If you wish to take the food
-If you would rather stay at the back
- 2d6 <=skill
-trident and net
-If you are to fight it with a trident and net
- 1d6 1-3=(-1 luck. 2d6 <=skill=(1d6=1-3=-1 luck 2d6 <=skill=try again 4-6=ok)) 4-6=ok
-Easterner sk10 st8
- 2d6 <=skill
-If you wish to step to your right
-If you would rather stand your ground and swing the ball and chain
- 2d6 <=luck=Step back
11L
-Slave sk9 st8
-Fighting slave sk8 st8
- +4 stamina. Southerner sk10 st10
-Restore stamina to initial. If you wish to draw your sword and open the door
24st
-Hellhound sk7 st6
-If you wish to rummage through the straw
-gold ring
-If you wish to head right
-Climb down the rope into the pit
- 2d6 <=skill
-Strider sk9 st9
-If you wish to put the medallion around your own neck
-Walk across the bridge without paying
-If you wish to reach into the circular hole
-If you wish to press button number 1
-If you wish to open the door
-If you wish to enter the room
-1st Vampire bat sk5 st5 2nd Vampire bat sk5 st4
21st
-Put the phial in your belt pouch
-If you would rather leave the room and continue along the corridor
-If you wish to open the door
-If you wish to charge it open with your shoulder
- 2d6 <=skill
-Coldclaw sk10 st11
24st-20st
-Break open the pot
-Stay in the room
-gold ring. If you wish to go into the cave
-Try on the boots
- +1 skill. Boots of Speed. If you wish to rummage around for something else
-If you wish to lift the top of the skull
-If you are wearing a medallion
- +1 luck. Bone devil sk10 st8
20st-18st 12L
-gold ring
-If you wish to keep walking
-If you wish to use it instead of your own sword
-If you wish to lever off the boards with your sword
- 2d6 <=luck=ok >luck=Mutant orc sk7 st7
11L
-Reply he is his son
-small iron key
-If you would rather keep on walking
-If you wish to go left
-If you wish to open the door
-If you agree to wear her gauntlet
- 3d6 <=skill=-3 stamina. Gold ring >skill=-4 stamina. Liche queen sk9 st9. -1 skill. Gold ring
18st-14st
-If you wish to go left passed the T-junction
-If you wish to enter in order to investigate
-If you wish to attack the Giant Spider
-Giant spider sk7 st8
-gold ring
-If you would rather go down
-If you wish to open the door
-1st rat sk3 st2 2nd rat sk2 st2 3rd rat sk3 st2 4th rat sk3 st2 5th rat sk4 st2. If lose an attack round 2d6 <=luck=ok
-Eat the loaf
-iron file, +2 stamina. If you now wish to eat the salted beef and have not done so already
14st-16st
- +4 stamina. Otherwise there is nothing else you can do except climb back up the stairs
16st-20st
-If you would rather lift the lid of the box first
-coil of rope. Hammer. Anti-poison
-Take the shield
- +1 skill. Take the winged helmet
12S
- If you would rather run for the door in the opposite wall
-If you wish to obey the Trialmaster
-If you are first to win four Attack Rounds
-turn 25
-If you would rather ready yourself to counter a blow
-If you wish to defend your ribs
-If you wish to take the initiative and strike back
- 2d6 Skill 8 <=skill=If you wish to make an overhead strike >skill=ok
-If you would rather continue walking
-Skeleton king sk9 st7
-mirror. Wooden whistle
-If you wish to go left
-If you are carrying a climbing rope over your shoulder and wish to climb down the pit using that
-If you wish to follow the new tunnel, leaving your rope behind
-If you wish to enter the cave
-Tusker sk6 st6
-If you would rather leave the cave
-If you wish to follow the passage
-If you wish to walk further into the slime
- +5 stamina. +1 skill. If you wish to pull the elephant’s trunk
20st-24st
-gold ring
-If you wish to jump down to the tunnel below
-Defend yourself with your sword
-Chaos champion sk11 st12
24st-16st
-Set two, 358. If you wish to open the box
-gold ring
-If you would rather walk on
-If you wish to eat some of the nuts and berries
- +2 stamina
16st-18st
-If you try to jump across the pit
-If you are wearing a winged helmet
-If you wish to ring the bell
-gold ring
-If you wish to investigate the rock-pile
-If you wish to spend time clearing away the rocks so that you can open the iron door
-If you wish to fetch a torch from the main tunnel so that you can see to read words and numbers
-Set one, 249
-If you wish to open the door
-If you wish to help the elven prince
- 2d6 <=skill
- +6 stamina. Bottle of blue dye. If you wish to walk inside the mouth
18st-24st
-Tongue sk5 st6
-If you wish to go down the steps to investigate
- 1d6 1-2=2d6 <=skill 3-6=ok
-If you wish to carry on walking up every step
- +3 stamina
24st
-If you wish to look inside the urns
-Put on the cloak
- +1 luck. If you would rather walk on
12L
-If you wish to open the door
-If you wish to take the lamp
-Idol sk9 st6
-gold ring
-If you wish to walk towards the bright glow
-If you wish to run quickly through the archway
-If you are wearing a purple cloak
-Cut the rope with your sword
-two brass hands
-If you wish to give the little man some nuts and berries
-If you are carrying a file in your pouch
-If you wish to take down the painting and inspect it more closely
-Set three, 176
- 2d6 <=luck=ok >luck=Hill troll sk9 st10. If you would rather walk on
11L
-Eastern warlord sk10 st9
24st-22st
-If you possess a file of red dust
-If you possess an iron key
-If you have an odd number
-If you have nine or eleven
-If you have nine rings
-turn 249
-turn 358
-turn 176
-Fire imp sk9 st4
-Fire demon sk10 st10
22st-20st
-Put the brass hands on the clock
-Lever number 3
-If you wish to go left
-If you would rather walk under the archway to his right
-If you have a shield
- +2 skill. +6 stamina
20st-24st
-Lord Carnuss sk10 st10(if stamina=2 use 1 luck to reduce damage)
24st-22st 10L

[vagsancho]

I love this book.

[johnbrawn1972]

Sept 16, 2020 0:11:36 GMT vagsancho said:

I love this book.

Strong arguments have been made here where Deathtrap Dungeon can be considered as much kinder and the writing is more atmospheric.

[Berzercules]

This was my first FF. Got me to love the series, even though it was absurdly difficult even with maximum stats and ignoring the "do not exceed your initial scores" rule. Those Boots of Speed gave me a Skill of 13, my man!

[Charles X.]

As Champskees points out this is a seriously linear adventure, some of the more interesting parts are unreachable if you're going to win the book. I remember getting my mind blown as a kid when I was trapped via magic, and had to make a lucky roll for an adventurer to fall for the trap after I did. And in Citadel Of Chaos, the thrilling gambling room is unreachable, because you have to be somewhere else to get the combination code you will need at a later point.

[a moderator]

Jun 29, 2021 20:59:03 GMT Charles X. said:

I remember getting my mind blown as a kid when I was trapped via magic, and had to make a lucky roll for an adventurer to fall for the trap after I did.

Funnily enough, it is theoretically possible to pass through the trap and go on to encounter the Chaos Warrior, the Elf and the Eastern Warlord afterwards - so who triggered the trap to release you? Did the Dwarf manage to find his way back to the Witch's room and foolishly assume that the booby trap wouldn't affect him a second time?

[nexus]

I agree that a fairer way to play it is to allow your skill to exceed initial score. I suggest playing it this way for more enjoyment.

Also, I think it would have been fairer if IL had provided maybe 3-5 provisions from Lord Carnass before entering the dungeon. ideally, the number of provisions provided depends on how high or low your initial stamina is. So you only receive just enough provisions to balance your chances of preserving stamina, provided you make strategic choices of when to use them.

Personally, I love this book. It was my first FF. I think it has more atmosphere than a lot of books. For me, I love it as much as Deathtrap Dungeon. Perhaps the story perspective is overlooked due to the steep challenge being so dependent on optimal stats?

If it was not for the ridiculousy tough fights and scant means of recovering stamina, it would be just as great as Deathtrap in my opinion.

I accept the tough fights limit the scope for exploring which can make books less fun, as your focus is always on preserving stamina. You can't afford to have even one unnecessary fight.

For example, the encounter with the Xoroa warrior is potentially fatal being back to back with the chaos warrior, which forces you to miss out on one of the most interesting (albeit unnecessary) creatures to encounter. And if you blow the horn...might as well just make it an instant death with those warriors' stats. For example, fighting the zombies is an instant death and they are surely less able fighters than 4 Xoroa warriors???

[CharlesX]

May 9, 2022 9:15:21 GMT nexus said:

I agree that a fairer way to play it is to allow your skill to exceed initial score. I suggest playing it this way for more enjoyment.

Also, I think it would have been fairer if IL had provided maybe 3-5 provisions from Lord Carnass before entering the dungeon. ideally, the number of provisions provided depends on how high or low your initial stamina is. So you only receive just enough provisions to balance your chances of preserving stamina, provided you make strategic choices of when to use them.

Personally, I love this book. It was my first FF. I think it has more atmosphere than a lot of books. For me, I love it as much as Deathtrap Dungeon. Perhaps the story perspective is overlooked due to the steep challenge being so dependent on optimal stats?

If it was not for the ridiculousy tough fights and scant means of recovering stamina, it would be just as great as Deathtrap in my opinion.

I accept the tough fights limit the scope for exploring which can make books less fun, as your focus is always on preserving stamina. You can't afford to have even one unnecessary fight.

For example, the encounter with the Xoroa warrior is potentially fatal being back to back with the chaos warrior, which forces you to miss out on one of the most interesting (albeit unnecessary) creatures to encounter. And if you blow the horn...might as well just make it an instant death with those warriors' stats. For example, fighting the zombies is an instant death and they are surely less able fighters than 4 Xoroa warriors???

I agree wi you Nexus, Trial Of Champions is one of my favourite Livingstone gamebooks and to me one of the better books in the series, although it has two big flaws, it's difficulty and it's linearity. Although to be Spanish Inquisition for a moment, it's third flaw might be the opening 'arena' section doesn't work quite as well as it should, though it's fun enough the first few playthroughs.
   The whole gold ring hunt, which you can't miss even one of, together with the absence of any trading or choice of magic (or even objects), makes the gamebook a linear one, whatever it's other strengths might be (such as atmosphere, challenge and colour).
   I know what you mean about the difficulty level - after once rolling a Skill 10 Stamina 24 Luck 12 PC I tried it out to see if a Skill 10 Avatar could do it, and he died. Via the Champskees solution algorithm, a Skill 10 PC has an insignificant chance of success, below .1%, harder than Crypt with a 12 14 7 PC.
   As you say, it's a shame this otherwise good gamebook is marred by excessive difficulty, or it could approach the quality of say Island Of The Lizard King. It seems like IL put a lot of emphasis on putting beautiful, fiendish enemies and traps and very little in anything beneficial or magical. The fact you get no healing at all - not even a single 4 stamina meal - during the main section seems crazy.

[CharlesX]

A very rough % chance of completing an FF worked out by extrapolating Champskees Table Skill, 3 permutations for Stamina and Luck.

Trial of Champions Odds of Victory 1.67%

It's very very slightly over, technically 1.67(09recurring)%, just over that allowing for average Stamina being a touch higher.

However, it's still safe to say the odds are somewhere below 2%.

Add to that that even a Skill 10 Hero has a negligible chance of victory, and a Skill 11 Hero would only succeed if they were deeply lucky, and one might question Sir Ian's entire gameplay methodology.

[CharlesX]

Hi

The above stats for odds of victory are based on a deeply flawed and incorrect model (just adding and dividing by the permutations given in Champskees table w\o accounting for the likelihood) so should probably be ignored, along with most others I personally have written. However, what shouldn't be ignored is my amazing Trial Of Champions revised version which eases the ridiculous difficulty fightingfantazine.proboards.com/thread/1792/less-trying-trial-champions.