Calling all FIGHTING FANTASY fans...

[wrly_bird]

Did anyone else ever read the Fighting Fantasy gamebooks...? Lone Wolf, Grey Star, Blood Sword, Way of the Tiger, Duel Master, Freeway Warrior, Golden Dragon, I couldn't get enough of them. In fact they became a bit of an obsession before I re-discovered comics in my teens.
   I didn't usually bother with dice and always kept a finger between the pages in case I made a wrong turn. And I always made a map – complete with reference numbers, of course, and a key of symbols for the various encounters. My nerdiness knowing no bounds, I then figured out an experience-point system that allowed me to boost my stats with each successive book. (I hope I don't sound like I'm actually proud of all this...) Once I'd figured out how the writers kept track of the paragraphs I started writing gamebooks of my own, full of violence and pointless gore, i.e. 'You deal the Orc Chieftain a mortal blow. Blood squirts from the wound in his neck as he staggers round the cavern in his death throes, spraying the walls with dripping black. If you wish to decapitate him, turn to 367. If you would rather run him through with your sword and twist the blade so that blood squirts out of his eyes, turn to 153.'
   Anyway, last year I stumbled upon the old books and re-read a bunch of them: Deathtrap Dungeon (the first I ever read – those Iain McCaig illustrations are incredible!), the Sorcery set (such a weird, exotic atmosphere – I used to spend hours trying to copy those John Blanche illos) and some of the later gothic ones like Vault of the Vampire and Dead of Night were pretty good too. Then I got a bit carried away and wrote a 50-paragraph amateur adventure for the official Fighting Fantasy website, but for some reason the email wouldn't work and I heard they were having problems with the site. I couldn't be arsed to look into it, work got on top of me again and I eventually forgot about it. Came across the story again the other day and thought there might be some old Fighting Fantasy fans out there who might enjoy it. So I've posted the background section and the first paragraph below. If anyone's bored enough to want to read the rest just drop me a line and I'll email you the full doc. (It's only 29 pages long, including official rules and background and comprises a complete, self-contained adventure in 50 paragraphs.)
   I'm NOT looking to get this published. I'm NOT looking for feedback. I just want to hoof it into the crowd on the off-chance someone else out there might enjoy the same daft shite as I do.
   It's more in the style of the later Gothic FF books, although I tried to work in something of the iconic settings of the original Steve Jackson/Ian Livingstone run. And the writing's streamlined 'cos it was originally intended for kids (that's my excuse anyway).
   May the luck of the gods go with you on the adventure ahead!

GARDEN OF BONES: BACKGROUND

The man behind you slowly draws a dagger. With a single motion you sweep your sword from its sheath and strike the weapon from his hand with a ringing clang. The dagger spins high into the air. You kick the man hard in the chest and he topples onto his backside. A second later the dagger lands point-first in the ground between his legs.

He yelps in surprise and his brow glistens in the moonlight as you aim the point of your sword at his throat. "I'm sorry," he babbles. "B-b-but..."

You lower your sword and laugh. If it was gold he sought he only had to ask. You toss him a gold piece. In astonishment he studies its seal - that of Baron Sukumvit of Fang! "But these," he exclaims. "These are granted only to one who has survived the Trial..."

You laugh again and sheath your sword. The great riches that you recently acquired in Chiang Mai have indeed come in useful. Gold has bought you everything you ever wanted, except excitement.

Bored with your comfortable dwellings in Chiang Mai you travelled to the city of thieves, Port Blacksand, in search of adventure. Of the many tales you heard in the Black Lobster tavern, one in particular caught your interest...

The next day you bought a leaky old boat and sailed down the ruddy waters of the Red River towards the Moonstone Hills. You stopped to buy supplies from the gruff Dwarfs of Stonebridge, along with a sharp new sword. Sailing on you passed the twisted trees of Darkwood Forest and the blood-red peak of Firetop Mountain, before coming to moor at the humble village of Barn.

The villagers were friendly enough, once they were satisfied you had not arrived on some wicked errand from nearby Darkwood. You quickly found a local man who could help you find what you were looking for. His eyes flashed at the mention of gold. But his look quickly turned to one of horror when you told him exactly what you were searching for. It took several more coins and several more mugs of ale before he agreed to act as your guide. As night fell the two of you crossed the ferry north and followed a seldom used path by lantern-light, with bleak and lonely hills stretching away on either side, shrouded in moonlit mist.

You stand now outside a neglected graveyard. The bright moon illuminates a pair of jagged iron gates and a low, crumbling stone wall. The church here apparently burnt down long ago. The broken headstones that remain have since become so overgrown with weeds and wildflowers that the place has long been known among the locals as, "The Garden of Bones".

The tale you heard in Port Blacksand concerned events that took place over half a century ago, when an ambitious warlock named Morbius Kane struck a bargain with a Demon Prince in exchange for a weapon that would make Kane as mighty on the field of battle as he was in the field of magic. Kane was a man of inhuman vanity and collected the skulls of his enemies so as to keep a total of the number of lives he had taken. The Demon knew this and promised Kane a weapon truly worthy of a harvester of lives such as he.

The Demon gave Morbius Kane a great scythe, its long blade carved with runes that glowed like hellfire. The weapon increased its master's ability in combat to such a degree that now not even the mightiest of Kane's warriors could best him. Thus Morbius Kane grew demented with a lust for conquest, seeking more and more skulls to add to his monstrous collection. He even swore upon his scythe that he would not rest until he had claimed one hundred thousand Allansian lives.

He gathered an army of undead beings – Zombies, Skeleton Warriors, Ghouls, Wights and Crypt Stalkers – and with them ravaged the outlying lands. After months of bloodshed, Kane was eventually defeated by the Dwarfs of Stonebridge. In a ferocious battle their hearty leader, Gillibran, smote Kane dead with a blow from his magical hammer. Gillibran brought the Scythe of Kane back to Stonebridge for examination. But the weapon was stolen in the night by Kane himself, who had returned from death to reclaim it, bound by his own dreadful oath to take a hundred thousand mortal lives.

In the following weeks the villagers of nearby Barn saw ghostly figures wandering the streets at night. Men were found dead, women and children disappeared and word finally reached the wizard Yaztromo in his great tower on the southern edge of Darkwood Forest. The old wizard arrived in Barn and invoked a spell that took three days and three nights to cast. He thus captured the undead Morbius Kane, along with every one of the warlock's followers. Needing a suitable prison in which to house these monsters, Yaztromo bound them within the nearby Garden of Bones, placing a spell around the graveyard that prevented anything inside from ever escaping.

Yet legend has it that whenever the full moon shines upon the Garden of Bones its gates creak open once more. Though the undead remain trapped inside, it is possible for the living to enter their shadow realm. Many an adventurer has entered the Garden in search of the fabled Scythe of Morbius Kane. None have returned - at least none alive.

The full moon now shines bright upon the Garden of Bones. A strange fog seems to billow from among the graves. You hear a metallic clink, followed by a slow, painful, grinding creak as the gates open to greet you. Your guide scrambles to his feet, gibbering in terror, and dashes back towards the village.

It is said that once a living person enters the Garden of Bones they may never again find their way out. The writhing mist inside has a way of confounding one's sense of direction. But during your visit to Stonebridge you took the precaution of purchasing an enchanted lantern, which will light your way back to the land of the living.

The cold mist now curling round your ankles casts a pale glow. What a tale you will have to tell when you return to Stonebridge holding the legendary Scythe of Kane. A sudden shiver ripples down your spine. Then again, it will not do to underestimate the task ahead of you. Gripping the hilt of your sword for reassurance you walk boldly into the Garden of Bones. The gates swing shut behind you like the iron jaws of death.


Turn to paragraph 1.


1.
At the sound of the clashing gates your blood turns to ice in your veins. You turn to see the iron railings vanish behind a rising wall of mist. Once it clears you see the gates through which you entered have vanished. You are now surrounded by seemingly endless hills littered with weed-strangled tombstones and dead trees. The sky appears a featureless grey and the air smells like stagnant pond-water. The only thing here that moves is the mist, ceaselessly curling and twisting. It seems possessed of a mind of its own, as you feel not the slightest breeze. All is silent, but for the occasional moan or strangled cry in the distance. You hear nothing else, not even the chirp of a cricket. Nothing seems to indicate the presence of anything living, except the clink of your battlegear and sound of your boots swishing through the tall slimy grass. Truly, you have entered a land of the dead.

You suppress a shudder and focus upon your quest. You must find the resting place of Morbius Kane and retrieve his magical scythe before the night is out. Your search begins now. To your left the land rises slightly and the graves and tombs appear more numerous. To your right the land slopes gently downward and seems particularly overgrown. Straight ahead you swear you saw something move among the tombstones, although your nerves may already be playing tricks on you.

If you wish to investigate the tombs to your left, turn to 43. If you wish to investigate the overgrown area to your right, turn to 30. If you wish to investigate the movement you think you saw straight ahead of you, turn to 37.

[...Give us a shout if you want to read the rest (it's easier to read on a Word doc than on here). Cheers, Alec]

[Dr Feeley Good]

Got into them when i was at school,bought The Warlock Of Firetop Mountain from my school bookclub,then from them moved onto Rpg's......recently bought the 10 book slipcase set cheap and put it away for my son to read. it includes the first 9 final fantasy books and the first Sorcery book.......

[Dr Feeley Good]

Forest of Doom and City of Thieves were my two favorites.....

[ThryllSeekyr]

Fighting Fantacy





The orignal covers before the 2003 reprinting.

I've been meaning to get all of those, one day.

Mine are falling apart.

I originally aquired these through a Book Club ( Where the teacher gives you list of books that they will order for you when give them money and you'll have these book s delivered to you in class a month later.)  at school. Along time ago now.

I surprised they would allow such controvercial pieces into the hands of school kids and I went to Christian/Catholic school/ as well.

It was during my trip to Sydney down south that I found a copy of Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson Bumper book of rules for the world Fighting Fantacy. Not that I could find the actual name of this tome on the Wiki.

//http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fighting_Fantasy
 
For about fifteen dollars in a second hand book store.

Though when I came back for it with money in hand, it was taken.

[Hoagy]

I  had Deathtrap Dungeon! That lurid beast with many eyes, so weird I can only just remeber the smell of the book and a few dungeonesque contents.

Ahg! Yes! Now I remember encountering the slimy horror and being pleased because it was the cover monster. Great pic.

[Zarjazzer]

30! overgrown area will hold secrets and useful potions! (Oh dang i bet I get killed by the sneaky something we saw earlier).

These books are fabulous fun.

Still have Deathtrap Dungeon and City of Thieves-I seem to recall Warlock had a particularly annoying maze in it towards the end.

[wrly_bird]

Iain McCaig, who did all those lovely pics for the early books like Deathtrap and City of Thieves went on to do design work for the Star Wars prequels. I think I'm right in saying he created Darth Maul. Anyway, he's got a book of his own out now //http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shadowline-Art-Iain-McCaig/dp/1933784245/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1229179576&sr=1-1
By the way, thryllseekyr, that sourcebook you remember was probably TITAN: THE FIGHTING FANTASY WORLD edited by Marc Gascoigne. The one with all the monsters in was called OUT OF THE PIT. Both had covers by Chris Achilleos. Hope this helps.
Another recommendation: they brought out a little hardback anniversary edition of Warlock of Firetop Mountain with a bunch of behind-the-scenes extras in it. Well good.

[Leigh S]

I think I followed the same path there!

Deathtrap Dungeon was in  Allans shop one wet holiday in Brean - made a change from the Doctor Who books (i seem to recall getting stung by a Hartnell historical earlier in the week!) From there to the Sorcery books, which were really exotic feeling - like a 'proper' fantasy setting as opposed to FFs more typical rag bag of mythical beasties.  Can't wait til Joe is old enough to go through them all!   House of Hell was another I remember quite vividly, with tis hammer horror vibe and effective creepout art.  Shame the sci-fi ones were all rubbish as far as i can recall.  Lone Wolf did the business when the FFs started being farmed out to other writers on the semi-sly.  Wish id kept up buying the LW ones, as th later books are ridiculously expensive now (and Mongooses reprints arent exactly filling me with much confidence that we'll see them any time soon).

[I, Cosh]

Lone Wolf did the business when the FFs started being farmed out to other writers on the semi-sly.  Wish id kept up buying the LW ones, as th later books are ridiculously expensive now (and Mongooses reprints arent exactly filling me with much confidence that we'll see them any time soon).

Interesting.. Is that the Magnakai ones? If so, I'll need to make a trip to the cupboard of doom when I'm at my mum's for Christmas. Always liked the way your character progressed through the Lone Wolf ones rather than starting fresh every time. This was also the case with those ninja ones (Way of the Tiger, maybe?) which were probably my favourite series. The same guys did a pretty good sci-fi series that I remember enjoying until it just sort of fizzled out inconclusively.

[wrly_bird]

House of Hell was another I remember quite vividly, with tis hammer horror vibe and effective creepout art.

Dear God, this one scared me witless at the time! I remember thinking at age ten, 'I really shouldn't be reading this!!!' But I reckon this was also much of the appeal of the FF books. As a kid I used to avoid 'kid's' books and movies like the plague, and the FF books, which started me reading in earnest, were clearly for kids, but never felt like it. Would it be too much to say that these books were the Harry Potter of our generation..? (I was born in '74)
By the way, there's this website that offers downloads of loads of out-of-print gamebooks, from Freeway Warrior, GrailQuest, Legends of Skyfall, even Sagard the Barbarian. Check it out. //http://www.the-underdogs.info/gamebook.php

[Leigh S]

Lone Wolf did the business when the FFs started being farmed out to other writers on the semi-sly.  Wish id kept up buying the LW ones, as th later books are ridiculously expensive now (and Mongooses reprints arent exactly filling me with much confidence that we'll see them any time soon).

Interesting.. Is that the Magnakai ones? If so, I'll need to make a trip to the cupboard of doom when I'm at my mum's for Christmas. Always liked the way your character progressed through the Lone Wolf ones rather than starting fresh every time. This was also the case with those ninja ones (Way of the Tiger, maybe?) which were probably my favourite series. The same guys did a pretty good sci-fi series that I remember enjoying until it just sort of fizzled out inconclusively.

Boks 13 to 20 go for a bit more it seems, but the real money seems to be/have been in the books from 21 to 28.

[JOE SOAP]

I preferred the Grail Quest books meself.




//http://homepages.tesco.net/~parsonsp/html/grailquest.html

[JOE SOAP]

I remember getting one of these for Christmas:








and one of the worst t shirt tranfers in history:

[Bouwel]

Oh for the heady hights of being a 'Puffin Gamesmaster'!

I can't talk as I had these books as well

-Bouwel-

[Roger Godpleton]

I think they should do some modern versions of these books that are relevant to our nation's yoot. You could be Tupac trying to avoid being shot or a single mother in the hood 'yo.

"Your son is at home, crying all alone on the bedroom floor 'cos he's hungry. Your only apparent means of feeding him is to sleep with a man for a little bit of money. His daddy is gone, you're in and out of lockdown, you haven't got a job now, for others this is just a good time, but for you, it is the entirety of your existence. What would you do?

You decide to suck it up and lie on your back. Turn to page 15.
You give your child up for adoption. Turn to page 127.
You eat the child. Turn to page 43.

Page 15.
Your John is a white supremicist like the one in Heat and you share the same fate as that hooker, accept you're not as pretty.