Section 124 posted:

Roll one die. Score 1 to 3 and the Nerd manages to ring his bell: go to 101. Score 4 to 6 and you get in the first blow, thus preventing his ringing the bell and starting yet another hassle.

The Nerd has 20 LIFE POINTS, hits on 6 and carries a stiletto with paralysing poison on the blade so that you miss one strike back each time he hits you successfully.

If you manage to kill him, you will find 100 gold pieces in his boot but no other treasure, and may leave the room through the door to 133.

If he kills you, it's 14.

Section 101 posted:

The Nerd reaches out a slim hand and rings the bell which sounds with a delicate, though
penetrating, tinkle.

'There,' he says primly, 'I did warn you.'

But warn you about what? Perhaps it has something to do with the massive shape slowly solidifying in a corner of the chamber. At first it looks like swirling smoke, but gradually it takes on the form of a bearded, turbanned giant, naked to the waist, green skinned and carrying a scimitar. It looks like a cross between Sinbad and the Incredible Hulk, and with your luck is almost certainly a Djinn.



'Another adventurer needs bashing, Master?' the Djinn says to the Nerd.

'Precisely,' says the Nerd. 'Bash, hack, slay then throw the pieces to the crows, making sure to keep any gold, weapons, magical items or other valuables for our leader's Treasure Repository.'

'Now just a minute -' you protest, holding up your hands in horror, this being you they are talking about bashing, hacking and slaying. It's not that you're frightened of course, but that Djinn looks as though he might have a million LIFE POINTS so a fight is definitely to be avoided.

But circumstances are largely outside your immediate control at this point. It's doubtful if you can kill the Djinn (or even the Nerd, come to that) so the only thing that really counts is whether or not one of those hands you held up in horror happened to be wearing a Tinglering.

If you are wearing a Tinglering, either collected during this adventure or during any previous adventure in the GrailQuest, then you should turn to 127.

If you don't have a Tinglering, then you're in big trouble. The Nerd has 20 LIFE POINTS and a concealed dagger that does +5 damage on account of its being made from finest Sheffield steel and lightly poisoned. He is a poor fighter and hits on 8 or better. The Djinn, while it does not have a million LIFE POINTS, certainly does have 100. What's more, it hits on 5 and does +3 damage with that scimitar. Neither will accept a bribe at this point, so you 're going to have to try to kill them. If you manage it you can go back out through the door to 133 and count yourself lucky. If you don't, pick up the pieces in 14.

Pip's Stat Block posted:

LIFE POINTS: 24/44
SPEED: 9/18
EXPERIENCE POINTS: 12
INVENTORY:
E.J. (hits on a 4 or higher, +5 damage, +10 damage against dragons), dragonskin jacket (-4 damage), Healing Potion x21 (heals two dice rolls' worth of LIFE POINTS), Healing Salve x5 (heals 3 LIFE POINTS), xylophone x1, Artifical Aardvark x1, bookworm x1, blue powder x1, clickstick x1, hammer x1, joke book x1, container of oil x1, gold braid x1, torch x1, hunk of cheese x1, old boot (left foot) x1, powdered shark teeth (heal poison) x1, key to the Gateway of the Ghastly Kingdom of the Dead x1, Scruffy Old Sir's Patent Weed-Killer x3 (double damage for one hit versus plant enemies)
MAGIC:
Pip's First Spellbook and Pip's Second Spellbook (costs 3 LIFE POINTS per spell, maximum 3 uses per spell, need roll 7 or higher on two dice or spell doesn't work, used: PIP x2), Lightning Bolt x10 (10 damage, automatic hit), Fireball x2 (75 damage, hits on a 6 or higher)
MONEY AND VALUABLES:
279 Gold Pieces
STATUS EFFECTS:
Magic coin: +5 damage in battle

Roll of the dead posted:

Death the first: (poisonous) smoke inhalation

Jazzimus Prime posted:

Wait, don't we get the 100 gold in the Nerd's boot?

Let's drink two more healing potions.

Section 92 posted:

You have entered a Gallery of Mirrors, 20' wide and a full 80' long. Not ordinary mirrors, of course: not in a place like this. They are all distorting mirrors, the sort you get at carnivals where you look in and see yourself as a fat dwarf or a thin giant. Except they aren't exactly like carnival mirrors. Carnival mirrors are fun. These reflections show you all gnarled and deformed and nastily distorted, wizened and twisted and yuuuch.

In fact, they're making you feel as though you really were all gnarled and wrinkled and -

'They're magic mirrors, Pip!' shouts EJ, somewhat muffled from his scabbard. 'Don't look into them!'

Fool sword: never gives good advice and when he does, it's too late. You're looking in the mirrors, Pip, and gradually changing into something ghastly. Throw two dice quickly to find out if you have the willpower to look away.

Score 2 to 6 and go to 109.
Score 7 to 12 and go to 130.

Section 130 B**** posted:

There's willpower for you! With a massive effort, you drag your gaze away from the distorting mirror and find, to your relief, that your body begins to untwist and un wrinkle and ungnarl until you change back into the incredibly fit, handsome and athletic person you have always been.

The only problem is the Thing that is stepping out of the mirror you've been looking into.



It's the gnarled, wrinkled, twisted version of you that you have just been looking at. It's open to a four-star bribe, since it shares your lust for gold, but apart from that, you'll never get a Friendly Reaction. What you need to do here is fight, Pip. Fight the ghastly version of yourself. Fortunately it only has half your current LIFE POINTS, but apart from that it is you in every respect, including the twisted version of EJ that it carries, so it won't be an easy fight.

If you kill the twisted you you will find your distorted replica carries the same amount of gold and booty you do, so everything you have is automatically doubled. If you can cope with the weight, you can stagger off to 123 through the door to the south, to 77 through the door to the west or into the corridor through the northernmost door to the west.

If you kill you ( that is, if the real you gets killed by the twisted you) one of you had better get on down to 14.

Pip's Stat Block posted:

LIFE POINTS: 13/44
SPEED: 3/18
EXPERIENCE POINTS: 14
INVENTORY:
E.J. (hits on a 4 or higher, +5 damage, +10 damage against dragons), dragonskin jacket (-4 damage), Healing Potion x19 (heals two dice rolls' worth of LIFE POINTS), Healing Salve x5 (heals 3 LIFE POINTS), xylophone x1, Artifical Aardvark x1, bookworm x1, blue powder x1, clickstick x1, hammer x1, joke book x1, container of oil x1, gold braid x1, torch x1, hunk of cheese x1, old boot (left foot) x1, powdered shark teeth (heal poison) x1, key to the Gateway of the Ghastly Kingdom of the Dead x1, Scruffy Old Sir's Patent Weed-Killer x3 (double damage for one hit versus plant enemies)
MAGIC:
Pip's First Spellbook and Pip's Second Spellbook (costs 3 LIFE POINTS per spell, maximum 3 uses per spell, need roll 7 or higher on two dice or spell doesn't work, used: PIP x2), Lightning Bolt x10 (10 damage, automatic hit), Fireball x1 (75 damage, hits on a 6 or higher)
MONEY AND VALUABLES:
578 Gold Pieces
STATUS EFFECTS:
Magic coin: +5 damage in battle

Roll of the dead posted:

Death the first: (poisonous) smoke inhalation

Jazzimus Prime posted:

The dragonskin jacket and boot(s?) are worn, not carried, so do they really count against inventory slots?

Section 77 posted:

This looks interesting. A 20' x 20' room with a chest in the middle of the floor. An unguarded chest in the middle of the floor. How about that? The monster must be on its tea break.

The thing is, Pip, do you risk trying to open the chest? It may have some sort of nasty trap all ready and waiting to send you back to 14.

Risk trying to open the chest by going to 104.

Go through the north western door to 92.

Go through the southern door into the corridor.

Pip's Stat Block posted:

LIFE POINTS: 43/44
SPEED: 9/18
EXPERIENCE POINTS: 14
INVENTORY:
E.J. (hits on a 4 or higher, +5 damage, +10 damage against dragons), dragonskin jacket (-4 damage), Healing Potion x34 (heals two dice rolls' worth of LIFE POINTS), Healing Salve x5 (heals 3 LIFE POINTS), xylophone x1, Artifical Aardvark x1 , bookworm x1, blue powder x1, clickstick x1, hammer x1 , joke book x1, container of oil x1, gold braid x1, torch x1, hunk of cheese x1 , pair of old boots x1 , powdered shark teeth (heal poison) x1, key to the Gateway of the Ghastly Kingdom of the Dead x1, Scruffy Old Sir's Patent Weed-Killer x3 (double damage for one hit versus plant enemies)
MAGIC:
Pip's First Spellbook and Pip's Second Spellbook (costs 3 LIFE POINTS per spell, maximum 3 uses per spell, need roll 7 or higher on two dice or spell doesn't work, used: PIP x2), Lightning Bolt x10 (10 damage, automatic hit), Fireball x1 (75 damage, hits on a 6 or higher)
MONEY AND VALUABLES:
578 Gold Pieces
STATUS EFFECTS:
Magic coin: +5 damage in battle

Roll of the dead posted:

Death the first: (poisonous) smoke inhalation

Section 104 posted:

The chest is open and you're still here. No trap at all.

Inside there is a vial of a light blue liquid which, when you take the stopper out, smells of old socks. You're going to have to risk testing that liquid if you want to find out what it does. But if you taste it, you'll also risk the possibility that it's the most potent poison known to humanity and it might kill you outright.

This is known as Hobson's Choice, Pip.

You can taste the liquid by going to 141, take the north eastern door to 92, or take the southern door into the corridor.

Section 123 posted:

There's a man eating plant in here.

The plant he's eating is a carrot and it's screaming for help. This Ghastly Kingdom gets more like a loonybin every step you take.

'Help! 'screams the carrot.

'Ignore it,' remarks the man, with a friendly nod in your direction. 'This is one of the most appallingly evil carrots ever to pollute the face of the globe. I shall die instantly when I finish eating it, but I willingly sacrifice myself for the good of humanity which will be all the better for the demise of this evil carrot.'

'I'm not evil! I'm not evil!' shouts the carrot. 'I am a beautiful young princess bewitched by an Invisible Wizard who haunts this Ghastly Kingdom. Please rescue me!'

'You will be making a terrible mistake if you try to rescue this carrot,' says the man mildly. 'It's a vampire carrot.'

'He's lying,' shrieks the carrot desperately.

But is he? Or is it? Or are they both? Desperately you look around for some clue to help you make your decision. Your eye catches a prominent notice on the southern wall. It says:

RESCUE THE CARROT!

You reach for EJ, but then you catch sight of a second notice on the western wall. It says:

DON'T RESCUE THE CARROT!

You allow your hand to fall away in confusion. You glance upwards. A huge poster pasted on the ceiling says:

PLAY YOUR XYLOPHONE!

Which seems as sensible a course as any in this lunatic situation, provided, of course, you brought a xylophone.

So what will you do ?

If you decide to rescue the carrot, go to 112.

If you decide to ignore the whole affair and try to find a saner room, go to 143.

If you happen to have a xylophone with you and feel like playing it, go to 149.

Pip's Stat Block posted:

LIFE POINTS: 43/44
SPEED: 9/18
EXPERIENCE POINTS: 14
INVENTORY:
E.J. (hits on a 4 or higher, +5 damage, +10 damage against dragons), dragonskin jacket (-4 damage), Healing Potion x34 (heals two dice rolls' worth of LIFE POINTS), Healing Salve x5 (heals 3 LIFE POINTS), bookworm x1, blue powder x1, container of oil x1, gold braid x1, torch x1, pair of old boots x1, powdered shark teeth (heal poison) x1 mysterious blue potion , key to the Gateway of the Ghastly Kingdom of the Dead x1, Scruffy Old Sir's Patent Weed-Killer x3 (double damage for one hit versus plant enemies)
MAGIC:
Pip's First Spellbook and Pip's Second Spellbook (costs 3 LIFE POINTS per spell, maximum 3 uses per spell, need roll 7 or higher on two dice or spell doesn't work, used: PIP x2), Lightning Bolt x10 (10 damage, automatic hit), Fireball x1 (75 damage, hits on a 6 or higher)
MONEY AND VALUABLES:
578 Gold Pieces
STATUS EFFECTS:
Magic coin: +5 damage in battle

Roll of the dead posted:

Death the first: (poisonous) smoke inhalation

Comstar posted:

Cast the spell to protect vs poison, drink potion.

Don't rescue the carrot. That's no Disney princess.

Ghostwoods posted:

Go fetch the xylophone, come back, and give it a try.

Comstar posted:

Cast the spell to protect vs poison, drink potion.

Jazzimus Prime posted:

Section 141 posted:

Tastes like old socks as well. It could be poison with a taste like that - Poisonous Elixir of Old Socks, a famous alchemical distillation. But don't start to writhe in agony just yet, because this is, in fact, a Poison Antidote. One swig of this stuff will cure any known poison. . . and there are six swigs in the vial. Use a dose now if you happen to be poisoned, otherwise save it carefully in case you might be in the future.

Go through the north eastern door to 92, or go through the southern door into the corridor.

Section 149 posted:

Both the carrot and the man stare at you in dumb amazement as you begin to play the xylophone.

'What on earth are you doing?' asks the carrot.

'Have you taken leave of your senses?' asks the man.

Plinka plinka plink, goes the xylophone.

'You'll attract an ampitherian if you keep playing that thing,' warns the man.

No, I don't know what an ampitherian is either, but the question is do you want to risk attracting one? If you continue playing, go to 114. If not, return to 123 and pick another option.

Pip's Stat Block posted:

LIFE POINTS: 40/44
SPEED: 9/18
EXPERIENCE POINTS: 14
INVENTORY:
E.J. (hits on a 4 or higher, +5 damage, +10 damage against dragons), dragonskin jacket (-4 damage), Healing Potion x34 (heals two dice rolls' worth of LIFE POINTS), Healing Salve x5 (heals 3 LIFE POINTS), bookworm x1, blue powder x1, container of oil x1 xylophone x1 , gold braid x1, torch x1, pair of old boots x1, Poison Antidote x6 , key to the Gateway of the Ghastly Kingdom of the Dead x1, Scruffy Old Sir's Patent Weed-Killer x3 (double damage for one hit versus plant enemies)
MAGIC:
Pip's First Spellbook and Pip's Second Spellbook (costs 3 LIFE POINTS per spell, maximum 3 uses per spell, need roll 7 or higher on two dice or spell doesn't work, used: PIP x3 ), Lightning Bolt x10 (10 damage, automatic hit), Fireball x1 (75 damage, hits on a 6 or higher)
MONEY AND VALUABLES:
578 Gold Pieces
STATUS EFFECTS:
Magic coin: +5 damage in battle

Roll of the dead posted:

Death the first: (poisonous) smoke inhalation

Comstar posted:

Lets face the music and keep playing.

We brought this thing all this way, let's use it for what it was made for.

Jazzimus Prime posted:

https://www.google.com/search?q=ampitherian

Your search - ampitherian - did not match any documents.


If not even Google knows what that is, I really don't know what to think. Let's keep playing and find out, I guess.

Section 114 posted:

The door behind you smashes open. Both the man and the carrot flee without a moment's hesitation, crashing through the other door into the corridor and racing off as fast as the man's legs will carry them both.

You spin round and find yourself facing a squat, rather toad-like creature about five feet high and six feet broad. It carries a club which hits with +3 damage, strikes on 6 and has 50 LIFE POINTS.

It hates xylophone players.

If you survive the encounter with the ampitherian, you may take the door to 92 or the other door into the corridor.

If not, you can take your broken xylophone to 14.

Section 69 posted:

A peculiar room this, peculiarly shaped and with a deep purple velvet curtain closing off the northern section.

Cold, isn't it?

There are little glittering crystals on the walls, like ice, except they are green and pink. You touch one curiously and promptly get a cold burn. This stuff is colder than ice, colder than anything you've ever experienced. You're shivering already. You head for the curtain fast before you freeze to death.

If you race for the curtain, throw two dice. Score above 3 and you make it to 138. Score 3 or below and you're a block of pink and green ice, thawing out slowly in 14.
Or you can go back out into the corridor the way you came.

Section 138 posted:

Sword in hand, you brush aside the curtain.

No monsters, but something maybe just as terrifying. You've found a locked door and behind it (as you can see through a tiny barred window) stairs! Stairs going down....

Only one key can unlock this door - the Key to the Gateway of the Ghastly Kingdom itself. If you have it, unlock the door and take the stairs down to 71.

If not, you'd better make your way back the way you came and continue to explore this level until you find the Key.

Section 71 B*** posted:

These are very long stairs. Very long, very steep and very dark.

'The sort of place you'd likely find spiders,' whispers EJ, who is a bit nervous of spiders.

But you press on bravely, brushing aside webs -

'Spider webs,'groans EJ.

- knowing perfectly well that any spiders you are likely to meet will be quite harmless little fly catchers who wouldn't do any harm to a brave -

'Here it comes!' shrieks EJ as two fiery red eyes approach you like an express train from the darkness ahead.

It's a giant spider, of course. What else could it possibly be in a place like this. Only 13 LIFE POINTS, but the bite is poisonous so that if the Spider manages to hit you three times in a row without you hitting back, then you're lethally poisoned and the Spider's next meal. The Spider hits on 6 or better and has surprise automatically since this is its home territory.
Curiously enough, it is susceptible to Bribery, as you may have noticed by the asterisks, but it will demand an awful lot of gold. If you get past the Spider, go to 74. If not, try 14.

Section 74 posted:

At the bottom of the stairs you find yourself in a 20' x 30' chamber with a door in the south wall. The entire place is piled high with the bones, skulls and rusting weapons of previous adventurers. This is not a good omen, Pip.



But pinned to the wall with a broken spear is a tattered sketch map . . . (see Appendix, p. 223).

You will find in the corridors of this level that you must make a Wandering Monster roll every 50 feet (5 squares) not every 60 as on the level above.

Results should be read from the Level 2 Wandering Monster table (see Appendix).

Try the door?
Or return to 138 and Level 1.

Section 129 posted:

Despite what the map shows, you are in a 10' x 10' room with doors in the north, west and east walls.

The door east leads back to the corridor.
The door north to 78.
The door west to 83.

Pip's Stat Block posted:

LIFE POINTS: 39/44
SPEED: 9/18
EXPERIENCE POINTS: 18
INVENTORY:
E.J. (hits on a 4 or higher, +5 damage, +10 damage against dragons), dragonskin jacket (-4 damage), Healing Potion x34 (heals two dice rolls' worth of LIFE POINTS), Healing Salve x5 (heals 3 LIFE POINTS), bookworm x1, blue powder x1, container of oil x1 , gold braid x1, torch x1, pair of old boots x1, Poison Antidote x6, key to the Gateway of the Ghastly Kingdom of the Dead x1, Scruffy Old Sir's Patent Weed-Killer x3 (double damage for one hit versus plant enemies)
MAGIC:
Pip's First Spellbook and Pip's Second Spellbook (costs 3 LIFE POINTS per spell, maximum 3 uses per spell, need roll 7 or higher on two dice or spell doesn't work, used: PIP x3), Lightning Bolt x10 (10 damage, automatic hit), Fireball x1 (75 damage, hits on a 6 or higher)
MONEY AND VALUABLES:
618 Gold Pieces
STATUS EFFECTS:
Magic coin: +5 damage in battle

Roll of the dead posted:

Death the first: (poisonous) smoke inhalation

Section 83 posted:

Another 10' x 10' chamber. Doors in the east, north and west walls.

Take the door east to 129.
The door north to 118.
The door west to 89.

Pip's Stat Block posted:

LIFE POINTS: 39/44
SPEED: 9/18
EXPERIENCE POINTS: 18
INVENTORY:
E.J. (hits on a 4 or higher, +5 damage, +10 damage against dragons), dragonskin jacket (-4 damage), Healing Potion x34 (heals two dice rolls' worth of LIFE POINTS), Healing Salve x5 (heals 3 LIFE POINTS), bookworm x1, blue powder x1, container of oil x1, gold braid x1, torch x1, pair of old boots x1, Poison Antidote x6, key to the Gateway of the Ghastly Kingdom of the Dead x1, Scruffy Old Sir's Patent Weed-Killer x3 (double damage for one hit versus plant enemies)
MAGIC:
Pip's First Spellbook and Pip's Second Spellbook (costs 3 LIFE POINTS per spell, maximum 3 uses per spell, need roll 7 or higher on two dice or spell doesn't work, used: PIP x3), Lightning Bolt x10 (10 damage, automatic hit), Fireball x1 (75 damage, hits on a 6 or higher)
MONEY AND VALUABLES:
618 Gold Pieces
STATUS EFFECTS:
Magic coin: +5 damage in battle

Roll of the dead posted:

Death the first: (poisonous) smoke inhalation

Section 89 posted:

Another 10' x 10' chamber. Doors in the east, north and west walls.

Go north to 93.
East to 83.
West to 86.

Pip's Stat Block posted:

LIFE POINTS: 39/44
SPEED: 9/18
EXPERIENCE POINTS: 18
INVENTORY:
E.J. (hits on a 4 or higher, +5 damage, +10 damage against dragons), dragonskin jacket (-4 damage), Healing Potion x34 (heals two dice rolls' worth of LIFE POINTS), Healing Salve x5 (heals 3 LIFE POINTS), bookworm x1, blue powder x1, container of oil x1, gold braid x1, torch x1, pair of old boots x1, Poison Antidote x6, key to the Gateway of the Ghastly Kingdom of the Dead x1, Scruffy Old Sir's Patent Weed-Killer x3 (double damage for one hit versus plant enemies)
MAGIC:
Pip's First Spellbook and Pip's Second Spellbook (costs 3 LIFE POINTS per spell, maximum 3 uses per spell, need roll 7 or higher on two dice or spell doesn't work, used: PIP x3), Lightning Bolt x10 (10 damage, automatic hit), Fireball x1 (75 damage, hits on a 6 or higher)
MONEY AND VALUABLES:
618 Gold Pieces
STATUS EFFECTS:
Magic coin: +5 damage in battle

Roll of the dead posted:

Death the first: (poisonous) smoke inhalation

Section 93 posted:

Another 10' x 10' chamber. Doors in the east, south and west walls.

Go south to 89.
East to 118.
West to 121.

Pip's Stat Block posted:

LIFE POINTS: 39/44
SPEED: 9/18
EXPERIENCE POINTS: 18
INVENTORY:
E.J. (hits on a 4 or higher, +5 damage, +10 damage against dragons), dragonskin jacket (-4 damage), Healing Potion x34 (heals two dice rolls' worth of LIFE POINTS), Healing Salve x5 (heals 3 LIFE POINTS), bookworm x1, blue powder x1, container of oil x1, gold braid x1, torch x1, pair of old boots x1, Poison Antidote x6, key to the Gateway of the Ghastly Kingdom of the Dead x1, Scruffy Old Sir's Patent Weed-Killer x3 (double damage for one hit versus plant enemies)
MAGIC:
Pip's First Spellbook and Pip's Second Spellbook (costs 3 LIFE POINTS per spell, maximum 3 uses per spell, need roll 7 or higher on two dice or spell doesn't work, used: PIP x3), Lightning Bolt x10 (10 damage, automatic hit), Fireball x1 (75 damage, hits on a 6 or higher)
MONEY AND VALUABLES:
618 Gold Pieces
STATUS EFFECTS:
Magic coin: +5 damage in battle

Roll of the dead posted:

Death the first: (poisonous) smoke inhalation