Let's Play Lone Wolf: Book 29 and beyond!

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Mikl: Nov 8, 2009; Vote shit sandwich or the shit sandwich gets it!

Hey now, let's not be rude. He saw a shiny thing and decided to grab it, without knowing it's ours. Just yell at him and everything will be fine.

# ? Mar 30, 2018 21:08

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# ? Apr 19, 2024 20:33

nelson: Apr 12, 2009; College Slice

Fire an arrow at him.

# ? Mar 30, 2018 22:40

Maugrim: Feb 16, 2011; I eat your face

Mikl posted:

Hey now, let's not be rude. He saw a shiny thing and decided to grab it, without knowing it's ours. Just yell at him and everything will be fine.

He also just killed our guide. For that he deserves a poke with the Sommerswerd.

# ? Mar 30, 2018 23:43

Comstar: Apr 20, 2007; Are you happy now?

Mister Perky posted:

show this creature the arrowr of his ways with our Bow with which we have so many bonuses it's almost literally impossible to misfire.

# ? Mar 31, 2018 03:11

Tiggum: Oct 24, 2007; Your life and your quest end here.

Maugrim posted:

He also just killed our guide. For that he deserves a poke with the Sommerswerd.

He probably killed our guide. We didn't see it happen.

The Prisoners of Time posted:

The speed and determination of your attack takes your adversary by surprise. Before he can scoop the Lorestones into a small velvet sack hanging from his sword belt, you strike a blow that causes him to back away hastily. An intoxicating rush of energy washes over your body as you step within a few feet of the Lorestones, but this charge momentarily numbs your reflexes, leaving you unprepared for your enemy�s response. He unsheathes a curvy-bladed sword and launches a flurry of blows aimed at your head, forcing you to duck and retreat to avoid instant decapitation. He takes this opportunity to stoop down and drop the Lorestones in the sack before springing forward, like a big cat, to continue the fight.

Lone Wolf: COMBAT SKILL 32 ENDURANCE 37 Scarlet Warrior: COMBAT SKILL 29 ENDURANCE 38 Combat Ratio: 3 We roll: 5 Lone Wolf: COMBAT SKILL 32 ENDURANCE 35 Scarlet Warrior: COMBAT SKILL 29 ENDURANCE 29 We roll: 10 Lone Wolf: COMBAT SKILL 32 ENDURANCE 35 Scarlet Warrior: COMBAT SKILL 29 ENDURANCE 13

The Prisoners of Time posted:

Breathless and bleeding, the warrior evades your skilful attacks by leaping for the rope ladder and holding fast. From there he shouts a command and the giant black bird takes to the air, lifting him off the roof. A wave of panic engulfs you. In desperation you leap up and strike a blow at the velvet sack swinging from his belt. He tries to fend off your attack but his position is precarious. Your blow strikes home, slitting open the velvet and gashing deep into the back of his gloved hand. He drops his sword and one of the two Lorestones tumbles from the sack and falls into the graveyard below, coming to rest close to the door of the Sepulchre. Yet he manages to save the second Lorestone from falling and, with a parting curse, you watch as he is lifted above the trees and carried away into the cold, grey sky.

Healing: +1 EP (36/37).

Peering over the parapet, you try to locate the Lorestone, but it is impossible to see through the eerie blue carpet of grave mist. You are about to leave the roof when you hear a thrumming noise, like the sound of wild and discordant drumming. You peer in the direction of the noise and see a line of hulking shapes shambling towards the gaps in the perimeter wall. Instantly you recognize them�they are Agtah, the hideous creations of the Chaos-master.

Spurred on by anger and fear, you race through the inner sanctum of the Sepulchre and skid to a halt outside its great door. There, shrouded in mist, you discover the body of your guide, his chest torn open and blackened by a bolt of power that claimed his life. You kneel to close his sightless eyes and immediately sense that the Lorestone is close at hand. Guided by instinct you race towards the Lorestone but, as you are running past the entrance to a crypt, you are set upon by a pair of snarling Chaos-creatures.

Healing: +1 EP (37/37).

You are in combat with two Agtah scouts, who are determined to fight you to the death.

Agtah Scouts: COMBAT SKILL 26 ENDURANCE 21

These creatures are immune to Mindblast (but not Psi-surge). Unless you possess the Magnakai Discipline of Huntmastery, reduce your COMBAT SKILL by 3 points for the first two rounds of combat, owing to the speed and surprise of their attack.

Lone Wolf: COMBAT SKILL 30 ENDURANCE 37 Agtah Scouts: COMBAT SKILL 26 ENDURANCE 21 Combat Ratio: 4 We roll: 10 Lone Wolf: COMBAT SKILL 30 ENDURANCE 37 Agtah Scouts: COMBAT SKILL 26 ENDURANCE 5 We roll: 3 Lone Wolf: COMBAT SKILL 30 ENDURANCE 34 Agtah Scouts: COMBAT SKILL 26 ENDURANCE 0

The Prisoners of Time posted:

You leap over the bodies of the dead Agtah and press on with your search. Ahead you see a glimmer of gold in the pale blue luminescence and you thrust your hand towards it into the mist. A tingling sensation runs the length of your arm, filling your body with an incredible sense of strength and well-being as you close your hand around the Lorestone and hold it up before your eyes.

Endurance: 37/37.

The golden glow fades as the wisdom contained within the Lorestone is infused into your being. Your spirit soars, but you do not allow your euphoria to blind you to the danger that is closing on Tolakos. You turn and run back towards the entrance to the Grand Sepulchre, intending to seek sanctuary behind its door, but your foot catches on something sharp and sends you sprawling to the ground. The toe of your left boot is cut through but fortunately your foot has escaped without a scratch. Cautiously you try to locate what caused such a vicious cut and discover the scarlet warrior�s curvy-bladed sword.

Do we pick up the sword or leave it?

# ? Mar 31, 2018 11:02

Mikl: Nov 8, 2009; Vote shit sandwich or the shit sandwich gets it!

A vorpal sword? Grab it.

# ? Mar 31, 2018 11:24

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

We don�t need another sword, we have a Swerd. Leave it.

# ? Mar 31, 2018 14:15

Comstar: Apr 20, 2007; Are you happy now?

Loot the sword.

# ? Mar 31, 2018 14:58

nonrev: Jul 15, 2012

take the sword

# ? Mar 31, 2018 15:18

nelson: Apr 12, 2009; College Slice

Leave it.

# ? Mar 31, 2018 16:03

Leraika: Jun 14, 2015; Luckily, I *did* save your old avatar. Fucked around and found out indeed.

Can never have enough special pointy weapons

# ? Mar 31, 2018 16:10

Runcible Cat: May 28, 2007; Ignoring this post

Leraika posted:

Can never have enough special pointy weapons

# ? Mar 31, 2018 16:25

Guy Fawkes: Aug 1, 2014; Lvl 62, +5 meadow defense

He robbed us of one Stone, so we have the right to some kind of compensation.

Pick up the sword.

# ? Mar 31, 2018 18:56

Tiggum: Oct 24, 2007; Your life and your quest end here.

Leraika posted:

Can never have enough special pointy weapons

What about weapons that aren't pointy? Are jewelled maces and bronin warhammers worthless to you?

The Prisoners of Time posted:

You raise the sword and essay a cut or two to assess its worth. It is a fine weapon, skilfully crafted by an expert smith. Its hilt is bejewelled with emeralds and the curvy blade is engraved with a spectacular fiery dragon. At once you recognize the design and your hopes of retrieving the last Lorestone are revived. It is identical to the symbol you first saw in the Table of Visions: the mark that emblazoned the stone gate of Haagadar.

You focus your Kai skills on the blade and they confirm your suspicions. The scarlet warrior came from Haagadar, and it is to that distant city that his black-winged mount is now returning with the last Lorestone of Nyxator.

From the depths of the Nahgoth Forest crawls a nightmare army of gibbering Chaos-creatures. They are directed by one sinister being and all are obedient to his silent command. You run towards the Sepulchre with terror in your heart as their writhing shapes pour through the gaps in the perimeter wall in ever increasing numbers. You evade their spears and stones but, as you reach the great door, you are confronted by three tentacled horrors, wearing heavy armour strapped to their warty hides. Their bloated bodies fill the doorway and prevent you from entering.

Your senses of Divination, Huntmastery, and Pathsmanship tell you that Lorkon Ironheart�s army is within a league of Tolakos and will be here within the hour. Until then you must find somewhere safe from the chaos-horde or you will be overwhelmed and destroyed by sheer weight of numbers. Quickly you scan the surrounding crypts and note that, with the exception of the Grand Sepulchre and Baylon�s Tomb, they are all in a state of ruin.

Do we fight these horrors to get into the Grand Sepulchre or make a run for Baylon's Tomb?

# ? Apr 1, 2018 01:54

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

Check out Baylon's Tomb. Those Octopus things already have the other possible sanctuary locked down. Best to stay hidden from sight as long as possible.

# ? Apr 1, 2018 02:20

nelson: Apr 12, 2009; College Slice

Fight the horrors! This is our sepulcher, not theirs.

# ? Apr 1, 2018 02:53

Comstar: Apr 20, 2007; Are you happy now?

achtungnight posted:

Check out Baylon's Tomb. Those Octopus things already have the other possible sanctuary locked down. Best to stay hidden from sight as long as possible.

# ? Apr 1, 2018 04:21

Kangra: May 7, 2012

Checking out Baylon's Tomb might be dangerous. There could be a Baylrog down there.

Fight the eldritch monstrosities

# ? Apr 1, 2018 04:44

Maugrim: Feb 16, 2011; I eat your face

I have a good feeling about Baylon's Tomb.

# ? Apr 1, 2018 10:30

Runcible Cat: May 28, 2007; Ignoring this post

Let�s check out the named tomb!

# ? Apr 1, 2018 10:47

Tiggum: Oct 24, 2007; Your life and your quest end here.

Kangra posted:

Fight the eldritch monstrosities

They haven't proven to be too challenging so far, after all.

The Prisoners of Time posted:

The three creatures bellow and growl as your blows find their way between their plates of armour, and they retaliate by lashing you with their suckered tentacles. Their attacks are ill-aimed and clumsy, but wherever one of their rubbery limbs touches your body it leaves an angry red weal.

Octagtah: COMBAT SKILL 12 ENDURANCE 43

Unless you possess the Magnakai Discipline of Curing and have reached the Kai rank of Mentora or higher, add 2 to any ENDURANCE point losses you sustain during this combat, owing to the poisonous lash of their tentacles.

Lone Wolf: COMBAT SKILL 32 ENDURANCE 37 Octagtah: COMBAT SKILL 12 ENDURANCE 43 Combat Ratio: 11+ We roll: 5 Lone Wolf: COMBAT SKILL 32 ENDURANCE 34 Octagtah: COMBAT SKILL 12 ENDURANCE 29 We roll: 9 Lone Wolf: COMBAT SKILL 32 ENDURANCE 34 Octagtah: COMBAT SKILL 12 ENDURANCE 0

The Prisoners of Time posted:

As the last of your foul enemies falls dead at your feet, you sheathe your weapon and drag their blood-spattered corpses away from the great door. Then you push closed the heavy portal, making sure that it is secure, before climbing the stair to the roof.

Healing: +1 EP (35/37).

As you look down from the parapet you are greeted by a stirring sight. Lorkon Ironheart�s army is surging into Tolakos, transforming the chaos-choked grounds into a raging battlefield. At their head you see Lorkon, his silver armour and scarlet cloak tarnished with black blood, striking at the enemy with blurring speed and deadly accuracy. He leads a massive wedge of Meledorian warriors whose faces and armour are painted with magical runes to ward off the creatures of chaos. The Agtah melt before them, like ice before a fire, and flee in panic to the dark safety of the Nahgoth. The Meledorians give a rousing cheer of victory to speed the enemy�s retreat. But their jubilant cries are soon stifled when, from the depths of the forest, they are answered by a thunderous roar.

Healing: +1 EP (36/37).

Something huge and deadly is striding towards Tolakos. The ground trembles beneath its step and the air is filled with sounds of great destruction. The crack and groan of sundered trees and the thunderous growls of a gigantic beast grow steadily louder, driving many of Lorkon�s soldiers to the brink of despair. Desperately he tries to rally them but his voice is lost in the deafening noise.

Suddenly a gap appears at the forest�s edge as, effortlessly, a pair of stout trees are pushed apart by monstrous hands. Morbid terror grips the Meledorians and few stand their ground when they see the awesome visage of the Chaos-master looming thirty feet above. You look upon his massive, naked body and feel sickened by what you see. His features are in a constant state of flux, dissolving, merging, and melting into new and ever more hideous shapes. Only Lorkon appears unmoved by the dreadful sight; he raises his sword and challenges the evil being to single combat, but his brave words are met with a howl of derision.

�You would challenge a god?� speaks the Chaos-master, his mocking voice unbearably loud. Lorkon remains undaunted by his enemy and repeats his call to combat. The Chaos-master laughs. �Ha! Then let us begin, for though our sport shall be but a brief affair, I will delight in killing such a righteous fool as thou, Lorkon.�

With terrifying ease the Chaos-master uproots a tree, pares away the branches with the edge of his hand, and then wields it like a gigantic club. He strides forward, pursuing Lorkon in a grim game of cat and mouse that leaves a trail of destruction wherever they go. The Meledorian relies on luck and fleetness of foot to avoid the crushing blows, but his luck and skill do not last indefinitely. He slips and falls near the wall of the crypt on the roof of which you are crouching. The Chaos-master bellows with glee and strides forward, his club raised to crush Lorkon to an unrecognizable pulp. His loathsome shoulders draw level with the parapet and, as he steadies himself for the coup de gr�ce, he comes within an arm�s length of your position.

Healing: +1 EP (37/37).

You draw back your golden blade and take aim at the Chaos-master�s heart. But the closeness of your goodly blade screams a warning at this evil god and quickly he turns to face you. You strike a blow which wounds his side but misses its vital target. With a roar of pain the Chaos-master drops his club and clasps his side. Pain swiftly becomes rage and, with a vengeful scream, he reaches out to crush you to death in his monstrous hands.

Chaos-master (lightly wounded): COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 62

This being is immune to Mindblast (but not Psi-surge). If you possess the Lore-circle of the Spirit, add 2 points to your COMBAT SKILL for the duration of the fight.

Lone Wolf: COMBAT SKILL 30 ENDURANCE 37 Chaos-master (lightly wounded): COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 62 Combat Ratio: -11 We roll: 5 Lone Wolf: COMBAT SKILL 30 ENDURANCE 30 Chaos-master (lightly wounded): COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 61 We roll: 9 Lone Wolf: COMBAT SKILL 30 ENDURANCE 27 Chaos-master (lightly wounded): COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 56 We roll: 9 Lone Wolf: COMBAT SKILL 30 ENDURANCE 24 Chaos-master (lightly wounded): COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 51 We roll: 4 Lone Wolf: COMBAT SKILL 30 ENDURANCE 16 Chaos-master (lightly wounded): COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 51 We roll: 3 Lone Wolf: COMBAT SKILL 30 ENDURANCE 8 Chaos-master (lightly wounded): COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 51 We roll: 6 Lone Wolf: COMBAT SKILL 30 ENDURANCE 2 Chaos-master (lightly wounded): COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 49 We roll: 10 Lone Wolf: COMBAT SKILL 30 ENDURANCE 2 Chaos-master (lightly wounded): COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 43 We roll: 6 Lone Wolf: COMBAT SKILL 30 ENDURANCE -4 Chaos-master (lightly wounded): COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 41

Well, I can't really see any other way that could have gone.

But is this another situation where having the Sommerswerd screws you out of the easy option? Kind of, but not really. If you don't have the Sommerswerd you have the opportunity to find another weapon called the Ironheart Broadsword. It's a temporary item that you only get to keep for basically this one fight and it adds +8 to your Combat Skill against this specific enemy. You also do a bit more damage to him with your first hit if you use it, because he doesn't sense it like he does the Sommerswerd, so his stats end up at CS 38, EP 54. That would still put as at a Combat Ratio of -8 though, at which you have to roll at least a 7 to do more damage to your enemy than they do to you - and this guy's got 17 more Endurance points than we do, so even a roll of 7 (5 damage to him, 4 to us) is not going to cut it. We wouldn't have the 20% chance of being autokilled that a ratio of -11 gets you, but we'd still not be likely to survive.

Now if we had Psi-surge and the Lore Circle of the Spirit our Combat Skill would be 38 (41 if we hadn't blown ourself up in the swamp) and even in the Sommerswerd version of the fight that only puts at a Combat Ratio of -6, which makes the fight just about winnable, so this one's not as bad as Zakhan Kimah back in The Cauldron of Fear, and the Sommerswerd penalty's not nearly as bad as with Tagazin in The Dungeons of Torgar, so it seems like maybe Joe was learning from his mistakes - but it's still pretty bad, because it basically does rely on you knowing in advance what choices to make. Quite a fair way in advance, if you want to make sure you get that Circle of the Spirit bonus.

There is, of course, no way to avoid the fight.

Death count: 13. We roll: 2 4 Lone Wolf: COMBAT SKILL 30 ENDURANCE -12 Chaos-master (lightly wounded): COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 41 We roll: 3 Lone Wolf: COMBAT SKILL 30 ENDURANCE -20 Chaos-master (lightly wounded): COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 41 We roll: 7 Lone Wolf: COMBAT SKILL 30 ENDURANCE -25 Chaos-master (lightly wounded): COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 38 We roll: 1 3 Lone Wolf: COMBAT SKILL 30 ENDURANCE -33 Chaos-master (lightly wounded): COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 38 We roll: 5 Lone Wolf: COMBAT SKILL 30 ENDURANCE -40 Chaos-master (lightly wounded): COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 37 We roll: 6 Lone Wolf: COMBAT SKILL 30 ENDURANCE -46 Chaos-master (lightly wounded): COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 35 We roll: 4 Lone Wolf: COMBAT SKILL 30 ENDURANCE -54 Chaos-master (lightly wounded): COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 35 We roll: 5 Lone Wolf: COMBAT SKILL 30 ENDURANCE -61 Chaos-master (lightly wounded): COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 34 We roll: 1 5 Lone Wolf: COMBAT SKILL 30 ENDURANCE -68 Chaos-master (lightly wounded): COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 33 We roll: 9 Lone Wolf: COMBAT SKILL 30 ENDURANCE -71 Chaos-master (lightly wounded): COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 28 We roll: 1 3 Lone Wolf: COMBAT SKILL 30 ENDURANCE -79 Chaos-master (lightly wounded): COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 28 We roll: 8 Lone Wolf: COMBAT SKILL 30 ENDURANCE -75 Chaos-master (lightly wounded): COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 24 We roll: 8 Lone Wolf: COMBAT SKILL 30 ENDURANCE -79 Chaos-master (lightly wounded): COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 20 We roll: 10 Lone Wolf: COMBAT SKILL 30 ENDURANCE -79 Chaos-master (lightly wounded): COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 14 We roll: 5 Lone Wolf: COMBAT SKILL 30 ENDURANCE -86 Chaos-master (lightly wounded): COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 13 We roll: 4 Lone Wolf: COMBAT SKILL 30 ENDURANCE -94 Chaos-master (lightly wounded): COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 13 We roll: 6 Lone Wolf: COMBAT SKILL 30 ENDURANCE -100 Chaos-master (lightly wounded): COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 11 We roll: 6 Lone Wolf: COMBAT SKILL 30 ENDURANCE -106 Chaos-master (lightly wounded): COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 9 We roll: 2 2 7 Lone Wolf: COMBAT SKILL 30 ENDURANCE -111 Chaos-master (lightly wounded): COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 6 We roll: 5 Lone Wolf: COMBAT SKILL 30 ENDURANCE -118 Chaos-master (lightly wounded): COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 5 We roll: 9 Lone Wolf: COMBAT SKILL 30 ENDURANCE -121 Chaos-master (lightly wounded): COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 0

That is how hosed we are. So...

The Prisoners of Time posted:

You feel the strength of the god Kai fill your body and soul, and you sense that it is the only thing keeping you alive. It is a strength not your own, but it allows you to keep fighting even as you sustain injuries that should have killed you four times over.

As you strike the fatal blow, the Chaos-master vents a shriek loud enough to wake the dead. His great body stiffens and his skin writhes and shimmers, making it impossible to discern any detail. Then he fades until all that remains to record his existence is the lingering smell of his spilt blood.

Healing: +1 EP (-120/37).

The Meledorians are overjoyed to have witnessed the spectacular defeat of the Chaos-master, for your victory has rid them of their greatest enemy. They call to you to come down from the roof, and when you appear in the doorway, they shower you with praise.

�We owe you more than our lives, Aonian,� says Lorkon, his strange blue eyes aglow with admiration. �Your great deed has saved our realm and put an end to the plague of chaos that would have corrupted us all. We are forever in your debt.�

Healing: +1 EP (-119/37).

Lorkon orders that word of the victory be sent immediately to his people, and commands that a celebration be held in your honour. But the urgency of your quest prompts you to forego the festivities and begin your journey to Haagadar at once. Lorkon understands your need to make haste and offers to help you by assigning another scout to guide you through the Nahgoth to the Plain of Guakor.

Healing: +1 EP (-118/37).

Shall we accept the scout's help or make our own way?

Oh, and we could have evaded combat with those octagtah, but they were so weak I didn't think it was worth bothering with.

Tiggum fucked around with this message at 21:21 on Apr 16, 2018

# ? Apr 1, 2018 15:54

Materant: Jul 22, 2010; see, what you don't understand is he now has

THE MANLIEST MUSTACHE

_{_{_{_{it defies physics}}}}

There is no loving way we're recovering from -118 EP before the next fight. It's as good as walking dead.

# ? Apr 1, 2018 16:26

Tiggum: Oct 24, 2007; Your life and your quest end here.

Materant posted:

There is no loving way we're recovering from -118 EP before the next fight. It's as good as walking dead.

Do you think Kai would save us from one unwinnable fight just to let us die in the next? I know gods work in mysterious ways, but that would just be mean.

# ? Apr 1, 2018 16:33

Kangra: May 7, 2012

Tap the nametag and go our own way.

The thing about this fight is that it is unavoidable. It was at least possible to defeat the Zakhan by other means, and Tagazin almost has to be sought out. Here, you have no choice, and pretty much no chance. I've been playing ahead with this run since I'd never gone beyond Book 6 before, and this was the first time it was all but impossible to continue. My character has nearly as many bonuses as you can get, but a measly base 2 CS. I did some computer runs, and even with Alether and Psi-Surge, I had about a 2% chance of winning.

# ? Apr 1, 2018 16:58

Comrade Blyatlov: Aug 4, 2007; should have picked four fingers

Oh so it wasn't just me that had a goddamn nightmare with that fight. That's good to know. I did win it in the end but I can't really remember how.

# ? Apr 1, 2018 17:06

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

The Prisoners of Time posted:

You feel the strength of the god Kai fill your body and soul, and you sense that it is the only thing keeping you alive. It is a strength not your own, but it allows you to keep fighting even as you sustain injuries that should have killed you four times over.

This is the actual book text btw. Good to see Joe acknowledging the Chaos Master fight is one you pretty much have to cheat to win. He isn't the worst fight in the LW books by a longshot, but a lot of players hate him for good reason.

We are going to be on life support for the rest of the book probably, and there are many tough fights ahead. I know of a blog where the poster is going through the Lone Wolf books and posting his experiences- he won this fight legitimately by the skin of his teeth. He had the Sommerswerd and Spirit IIRC and he didn't get blown up, but still... it was tough. He also barely survived the rest of this book. He's up to Book 16 now and I want to avoid spoilers, so I will say no more other than to recommend his excellent blog to all Lone Wolf gamebook fans. Way of the Tiger gamebook fans too- he's got another blog for that series here.

Current choice- Take the Scout with us. We clearly need all the help we can get- Lone Wolf's currently in a wheelchair and someone has to hold up the IV bag at the least!

# ? Apr 1, 2018 17:09

Guy Fawkes: Aug 1, 2014; Lvl 62, +5 meadow defense

achtungnight posted:

Current choice- Take the Scout with us. We clearly need all the help we can get- Lone Wolf's currently in a wheelchair and someone has to hold up the IV bag at the least!

Agreed.

# ? Apr 1, 2018 17:12

nelson: Apr 12, 2009; College Slice

achtungnight posted:

Take the Scout with us. We clearly need all the help we can get- Lone Wolf's currently in a wheelchair and someone has to hold up the IV bag at the least!

R.I.P. in advance Scout.

# ? Apr 1, 2018 17:33

Mikl: Nov 8, 2009; Vote shit sandwich or the shit sandwich gets it!

achtungnight posted:

Current choice- Take the Scout with us. We clearly need all the help we can get- Lone Wolf's currently in a wheelchair and someone has to hold up the IV bag at the least!

The scout will be the Ishmael to out Snake.

# ? Apr 1, 2018 17:51

Runcible Cat: May 28, 2007; Ignoring this post

nelson posted:

R.I.P. in advance Scout.

Alas for the noble Redshirt!

# ? Apr 1, 2018 18:47

EclecticTastes: Sep 17, 2012; "Most plans are critically flawed by their own logic. A failure at any step will ruin everything after it. That's just basic cause and effect. It's easy for a good plan to fall apart. Therefore, a plan that has no attachment to logic cannot be stopped."

It's possible for the weaker Chaos-Master fight to be pretty reasonable, it's just that the thread's Lone Wolf is kind of low on CS. Not getting blown up by swamp gas in Jungle of Horrors, getting the Silver Helm from Caverns of Kalte, and having the Circle of Spirit would total to an additional 12* CS in that fight (3 from not being burned, 2 from the helm, 3 from the Circle of Spirit, and 4 from Psi-Surge). With the Ironheart Broadsword, that's a combat ratio of +4. Granted, the Silver Helm is a pretty specific thing, and 13 base CS is entirely possible for an unlucky player to have naturally without Fireseed accidents, but even then you're only at -1, where the damage numbers still lean a bit in your favor. Given that the Circle of Spirit has a massive stat bonus attached, it's not unreasonable to expect players to have snapped it up by the eleventh book, where only two Disciplines remain unchosen. Dick move to punish having the Sommerswerd, but this is the third book in a row where that's the case, so is it really that surprising?

The real lovely thing is that Joe Dever is kind of full of it when he claims that any new player can win these books. Consider coming into Prisoners of Time as your first book. Circle of Spirit is unattainable, first of all, because you only get three Disciplines. And if you want even a chance of survival, those are going to have to be Huntmastery, Weaponmastery, and Psi-Surge (for a maximum CS bonus of +8). The Shield isn't on the starting equipment list for this book, either, so that bonus is off the table. So, even if you manage to get a perfect 19 starting CS, that's 35 with the Ironheart Broadsword (assuming they took Broadsword for Weaponmastery), and a ratio of -3, more likely down at -5 to -7 from having lower initial CS (and pitifully low EP going into the fight, since you're going to take a lot of damage from not having Psi-Screen, Pathmanship, etc., and won't have the auto-heal effect of carrying over Healing or taking Curing). Unlike Tagazin, this one is mandatory, too, so a new player can't just find a way around it. Even assuming Prisoners of Time isn't meant to be standalone, playing it after Dungeons of Torgar isn't much better, since getting the Circle of Spirit, while probably better for your EP by avoiding damage, results in a net loss of 1 CS for not having Weaponmastery, so it's not really any better. And to get a Shield (the only reasonably easy source of additional CS), you'd need to go all the way back to Castle Death to even have a chance of finding one (and good luck finding it there), getting one guaranteed requires playing through at least Shadow on the Sand. Basically, if you're not a series veteran, you're not making it through the Magnakai series without cheating.

*This assumes you drop Animal Control, so as not to disrupt the existing Circles, otherwise reduce the math totals by 1, though that doesn't affect the Combat Results Chart, as 3/4 and -1/-2 share columns.

# ? Apr 1, 2018 20:39

Tiggum: Oct 24, 2007; Your life and your quest end here.

EclecticTastes posted:

It's possible for the weaker Chaos-Master fight to be pretty reasonable, it's just that the thread's Lone Wolf is kind of low on CS. Not getting blown up by swamp gas in Jungle of Horrors, getting the Silver Helm from Caverns of Kalte, and having the Circle of Spirit would total to an additional 12* CS in that fight (3 from not being burned, 2 from the helm, 3 from the Circle of Spirit, and 4 from Psi-Surge). With the Ironheart Broadsword, that's a combat ratio of +4.

The Silver Helm is pretty hard to find; Circle of Spirit only gives +2 in this fight, not +3, and gives nothing if you use the Ironheart Broadsword; the explosion in the swamp only took us from above average to slightly below average CS - we initially rolled a 7, so it's like we rolled a 4 instead. The fight is doable if you've made the right choices leading up to it, but it's still pretty unreasonable.

nelson posted:

R.I.P. in advance Scout.

It's good thing we don't often meet the same people twice or they might stop trusting us with their soldiers.

The Prisoners of Time posted:

Your new scout�s name is Arke, a wiry Meledorian with steely grey hair and a lean, scraggy face. He is an expert woodsman and with his help you are able to avoid all contact with marauding remnants of the chaos-horde. The journey to the edge of the Plain of Guakor takes nearly 100 hours, during which time you are able to conserve your food supplies by living off the land. In fact, so bountiful is the Nahgoth Forest that you are able to gather a surplus of food equivalent to 3 Meals (if you wish to keep any of this surplus food, adjust your Action Chart accordingly).

You share a meal with Arke and bid him farewell (you do not need to erase a Meal from your Action Chart). Then you check your equipment and consult your map before setting off with trepidation across the barren Plain of Guakor.

Healing: +1 EP (-117/37). We roll: 4

The Plain of Guakor stretches to the cloudy horizon like a vast sea of dust, broken only occasionally by a boulder or clump of wire-hard scrub. It is a drear panorama: a land once rich and fertile murdered by the curse of chaos. It instils in you a feeling of dread uncertainty at first, but as you trudge each weary mile, it slowly strengthens your determination to fulfil your quest. For the fate that has befallen Guakor will befall Sommerlund if you fail to find the last Lorestone and return to defeat Darklord Gnaag.

Shortly after your second stop for rest you hear a sound far to your right. A tiny speck in the grey sky grows steadily larger until, at last, you are able to discern its shape. A cold chill runs down your spine when you recognize its dragon-like features: it is a Zhengha, the scourge of Guakor.

Healing: +1 EP (-116/37).

Do we try to fight it or try to hide from it?

Since we had space for them in our backpack I took the meals.

# ? Apr 2, 2018 01:36

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

Travel over 4 days (100 hours) and we only recover a couple EP? I know you're playing by the rules, but... Never mind, just shaking my head at Dever again.

Fight the dragon. Being dead several times over is filling me with bravado.

# ? Apr 2, 2018 01:57

Comrade Blyatlov: Aug 4, 2007; should have picked four fingers

achtungnight posted:

Fight the dragon. Being dead several times over is filling me with bravado.

# ? Apr 2, 2018 02:36

nelson: Apr 12, 2009; College Slice

Hide. I�d like to at least try staying alive.

# ? Apr 2, 2018 02:43

EclecticTastes: Sep 17, 2012; "Most plans are critically flawed by their own logic. A failure at any step will ruin everything after it. That's just basic cause and effect. It's easy for a good plan to fall apart. Therefore, a plan that has no attachment to logic cannot be stopped."

Tiggum posted:

Circle of Spirit only gives +2 in this fight

That only applies in the Sommerswerd version of the fight, I was working with the Ironheart Broadsword version, acknowledging that the Sommerswerd version is pretty much a "gently caress you" to anyone that brought it, and also I'm pretty sure that the +2 is on top of the usual bonus (+3 CS, +3 EP), since it doesn't state that it's modifying the normal bonus, but that sort of thing is a matter of GM discretion (like many instances of ambiguous wording in the Lone Wolf series), and I tend to be pretty lenient in that regard.

EDIT: Yeah, I just checked, and the other version of the fight says nothing about the Circle of Spirit, so you get the usual +3/+3 bonus.

EclecticTastes fucked around with this message at 02:49 on Apr 2, 2018

# ? Apr 2, 2018 02:45

Tiggum: Oct 24, 2007; Your life and your quest end here.

EclecticTastes posted:

That only applies in the Sommerswerd version of the fight, I was working with the Ironheart Broadsword version, acknowledging that the Sommerswerd version is pretty much a "gently caress you" to anyone that brought it, and also I'm pretty sure that the +2 is on top of the usual bonus (+3 CS, +3 EP), since it doesn't state that it's modifying the normal bonus, but that sort of thing is a matter of GM discretion (like many instances of ambiguous wording in the Lone Wolf series), and I tend to be pretty lenient in that regard.

Oh right, I was just thinking of the situational bonus and forgot about the permanent stat adjustment.

# ? Apr 2, 2018 02:57

Tiggum: Oct 24, 2007; Your life and your quest end here.

Slavic Crime Yacht posted:

Fight the dragon.

Once you've killed a god, I suppose a dragon doesn't seem that threatening.

The Prisoners of Time posted:

The Zhengha approaches with deadly grace, its huge, grey-green wings bearing it along at marvellous speed. Wisps of smoke trail from its fanged mouth and its emerald eyes sparkle like a pair of evil jewels. It circles you once to consider its action before diving to attack.

Healing: +1 EP (-115/37)

Do we use our bow or our sword?

# ? Apr 2, 2018 12:48

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

Bow!. It worked for Bard in The Hobbit.

# ? Apr 2, 2018 13:17

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# ? Apr 19, 2024 20:33

Toplowtech: Aug 31, 2004

Use the bow to kill the dragon we literally killed a god already and this book can be finished even if it's the first one we play. We should be safe. :suicide:

Toplowtech fucked around with this message at 13:22 on Apr 2, 2018

# ? Apr 2, 2018 13:20

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Let's Play! > Let's Play Lone Wolf: Book 29 and beyond!

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