Hey Paul. Don't forget to try the books in the 'Downloads' section (if you want to).
Glen Davidson Tue May 21 07:58:28 2019
I enjoyed this adventure.Thank You
MPerera Tue Oct 6 14:39:33 2020
I collected the four dog tags, but every time I try to use them to open the study door, it's Game Over. I can't figure out what to do. Can anyone help?
meschlum Fri Oct 9 07:51:51 2020
Possible, but there is a tendency for the dog tags to behave unpredictably if all are not collected.
SPOILER
Time appears to be short if all tags are not obtained.
SPOILER
Including the decoy tag
END SPOILER
MPerera Fri Oct 9 16:55:00 2020
SPOILER
So there are more than four tags to be found? OK, I'll try searching again. Thanks!
END SPOILER
meschlum Sat Oct 10 07:43:24 2020
There are indeed!
SPOILER
Many are linked to food and most can be missed. HINTS!
SPOILER
One cannot be missed, in the ebon drake's chamber.
One can be found early, if you are fortunate as you seek sustenance.
One is guarded in a place of feasting, but beware not to become the meal...
One belonged to a sailor.
One will always be found where the herb you are looking for grows.
END SPOILER
MPerera Sat Oct 10 16:03:11 2020
SPOILER
I have the first four tags (black dragon room, pantry, room with ghouls, room with schooner on the door), but I'm guessing the fifth one is in the back yard, and the door to that is locked. I've tried everything I could think of to open it. Is there a key hidden elsewhere in the house that I should be looking for?
END SPOILER
meschlum Sat Oct 10 23:46:53 2020
You should have everything at that point.
SPOILER
The order I listed the hints in is (more or less) the order in which you can find the tags.
SPOILER
You get the final tag when you obtain the belladonna.
SPOILER
You need the belladonna before you try the complicated lock
END SPOILER
MPerera Sun Oct 11 00:07:45 2020
Thanks! I thought the belladonna was in the room with the complicated lock.
SPOILER
I can't figure out how to get the belladonna (and the final dog tag), though. If the belladonna is outside in the herb garden or the back yard, is there a way to get there?
END SPOILER
MPerera Sun Oct 11 03:13:33 2020
SPOILER
Well, I got into the back yard by testing my luck, finding a pickaxe in the room with the fireplace, breaking the aquarium in another room and retrieving a brass key, then opening the door to the back yard so I could get the belladonna and the last dog tag. But after that, when I tried the study door, I still got killed.
END SPOILER
meschlum Sun Oct 11 07:07:46 2020
You've reached the point where the book's implementation is harder to predict.
SPOILER
My experience has been that trying the door without all the tags can be lethal even if you have only the 'right' ones.
If you have all five tags, you're aware that there is one too many for the lock. Is the combination giving you trouble? If so...
SPOILER
A lucky traveler uses the tags that cannot be missed
END SPOILER
If you're dying despite entering the correct combination, you might have been too slow about it all.
SPOILER
The original gamebook had a timer of sorts at the last set of doors, which does not seem to be very well implemented. I'd suggest using as few doors as necessary, but it's not guaranteed to work even then.
SPOILER
And you may need more doors in the long run if you acquired any ailments during your exploration - it's possible to win even with them, if you like a challenge.
END SPOILER
MPerera Sun Oct 11 07:10:00 2020
SPOILER
Okay, through trial and error I figured out which one is the decoy tag and got through the study door.
END SPOILER
MPerera Sun Oct 11 07:48:14 2020
I don't believe this. I actually won!
SPOILER
After going through the study door, I had to get out of the house, evade the militia and find the calamus root and blood of a ghoul. Also, I had to previously obtain the spikenard while avoiding the decoy dog tag. Managed to get rid of both the lycanthropy and the plague, and then it got easy after that, since the crazed chainsaw guy was quickly dispatched with the sparkling axe. There wasn't even an actual fight.
END SPOILER
Thanks very much for your help! This was super difficult, so I wouldn't have completed it on my own.
meschlum Mon Oct 12 06:12:12 2020
Well...
SPOILER
I guess my hint was too obscure, then? Hopefully it's obvious retroactively.
SPOILER
Lucky: pantry LUCK roll, traveler: schooner
END SPOILER
Also, it's possible to win after picking up two different deadly curses (you got one), or without getting any (you missed one).
And the web version of the book has a third deadly curse which will kill you if it triggers. Getting it to trigger is the real challenge.
MPerera Mon Oct 12 07:40:23 2020
Oh no, your hints were clear.
SPOILER
I just didn't know which one was the decoy tag, so by a trial and error process I managed to discover it was the one in the ghoul-guarded pantry. I'd like to try this game again to see if I can win without picking up any deadly curses, because the fight in the ghoul-guarded pantry (to get the spikenard) is really difficult.
END SPOILER
MPerera Mon Oct 12 08:23:16 2020
SPOILER
Played again, and it looks like you get infected with the plague if you check out the fireplace and get bitten by a monkey, which I avoided this time.
END SPOILER
Liam burgandy Thu Jan 21 19:49:06 2021
Sometimes maybe good, sometimes maybe sh1t
BB Tue Feb 16 12:27:25 2021
Dying to being unlucky with no choice given to escape a room is not great. A lot of this one seems to rely heavily on luck, there no hints to help.
