Game Rules

1. Basics

In order to play the game, you will need a few physical ressources:

• two six-sided dice
• Some paper and pencils

=> If you do not have dice and cannot be bothered to procure yourself any:

At the top of each chapter will be an image like the following:

Access the story map, pick a chapter at random, click and voilà: dice roll. (When you only need to roll one die, default to reading only the one on the left or the right. So long as you're consistent).

This should be a bit like playing Dungeons & Dragons. The story is your Dungeon Master, and depending on which pages you turn to it will instruct you as to what you are to do.

On one sheet of paper you should create a basic character sheet. Here is an example:

https://imgur.com/gallery/bBI9b6h

And you should have another to record battles with any monsters or adversaries:

https://imgur.com/gallery/YHiH4Jf

2. Initial variables

You should see on the character sheet three boxes with PROWESS, VITALS & LUCK. Each one will be assigned a numerical value by a die roll as instructed below. They should be self-explanatory, but basically they represent your skill, proximity to and how often you are on the right side of fate. If it isn't clear now it will be in context.

There are three additional variables which do not appear on the character sheet: charisma, will to live and reaction time. Exactly how these work will be explained on the particular pages that they are relevant.

How to obtain the initial variables:

PROWESS: Roll one die and add 6 to the result.

VITALS: Roll both dice and add 12.

LUCK: Roll one die and add 6.

Fights, use of LUCK and testing reaction time will affect the value of VITALS, LUCK and PROWESS respectively. At different times you will be given opportunities to restore them to their initial values, or higher if and when instructed.

3A. Fights

You will face people and monsters of all kinds. Each will be presented to you like the following example:

ORC CHIEFTAIN

PROWESS: 11

VITALS: 22.

Write this down somewhere. The fight proceeds in rounds until one of you dies.

• Roll two dice for your opponent and their PROWESS score.
• Roll two dice for yourself and add your PROWESS score.

For the sake of the example, your current PROWESS equals 10. Say the Orc rolls 6. He adds 11, that makes 17. You roll 9 and add 10, that makes 19. You scored higher, so subtract one point from the Orc's VITALS. Continue until his or your VITALS reach 0. If you both score the same, neither loses a point. Just start again.

3B. Escape

You can start a fight, and then decide to run away, but only when given the option on the page. If at no point it says "if you wish to escape turn to..." then you must win and live or lose and die - game over.

Each time you escape your opponent automatically scores higher than you. Lose a VITALS point.

4. Luck

Say you fall from a great height. Using luck will determine how much damage the fall will do you - anything from whether you break a limb or are mildly bruised to whether you drop dead or are crippled.

To test your luck:

Roll both dice. If the number is equal to or less than your current LUCK score, you have been lucky. If the number rolled is higher than your LUCK score, you have been unlucky.

Each time you test your luck, subtract one point from your current LUCK score.

5. Restoring PROWESS, VITALS & LUCK.

Eating will restore points to your VITALS and PROWESS. Each meal is worth 4 points. If you have portable provisions, you may eat one or two meals at a time. If you pay to eat on the spot, you only have one meal's worth of restoration.

LUCK is not affected by eating. You do not restore LUCK with food. You will be given specific instructions as to how to restore points to your LUCK on particular pages. You might drink a magic potion, someone might perform a spell on you, or you might have sex. We'll see.

6. Starting possessions

You don't have gold, you don't have a sword, a shield or leather armour. All of that you will either have to steal, earn or otherwise puchase. You have a backpack with a few survival tools: the werewithal to hunt small prey like a knife and thread for snaring, and possibly other minor items. You have nothing fancy to start with - not even one of the three potions often available in the original Fighting Fantasy books.

Note

I originally read Steve Jackson & Ian Livingtone's The Warlock of Firetop Mountain. It was lots of fun. Deathrap Dungeon was even better. All of the above is directly inspired by the rules detailed in those books. You should try them someday.

...to cross the valley following the path to your left, turn to 55. To go around on the slightly quicker route to the city, turn to 64.