"I see you begin to understand... I found that I was capable of transferring the human consciousness directly into another form. I needed a subject - I need to know how much you can mentally endure before becoming insane." Seething with rage, you reach for Tey but pause as you see your outstretched arms. Your limbs, and apparently the rest of your body, now seem to be composed of clay. Imprisoned in a Clay Golem!
Now Simon Christopher Chapman's gamebook, a 2012 Windhammer competition entry which has been sitting on the downloads page for quite some time can be played online. Here it uses FF rules rather than the proprietary system of the original.
Will play this again because I never got very far. A giant got me but at least I found a key.
Paul Mc Mon Nov 23 18:52:49 2015
Need Help
Paul Mc Mon Nov 23 20:11:01 2015
You cannot complete the adventure. I have done every possible option and downloaded the hard copy to read the references incase I have missed anything. I haven't there is no way of completing it.
No, it's definitely possible.
Jordan Wed Nov 25 02:20:37 2015
Is the fire irng a necessary part of the optimum ending? If I obtain that, my sanity always drops to 2 or 3, I believe we need four or more to proceed. A walkthrough would rock lol.
Jordan Wed Nov 25 05:37:36 2015
Disregard my former rantings, this gamebook can indeed be completed, all with a sanity score of 4! Great job Simon, keep up the good work man. Look forward to more from you.
meggypeggs Thu Nov 26 18:45:13 2015
Great story
Owen Harries Wed Dec 2 21:34:35 2015
A refreshing FF change. Did it take long to create this?
As far as the online adaptation went, no, not really. It's fairly short, doesn't have any complicated permutations and didn't need any corrections (although it looks like Amir has since found one). I don't know how long it took to write originally.
Amir Thu Dec 3 04:49:27 2015
Minor correction:
SPOILER
You can get to entry 68 without losing your left arm (if a salamander has already "baked" you), but the text still incorrectly says you are off balance due to the loss of your left arm.
END SPOILER
Fixed. Thanks, Amir.
twistedsync Mon Dec 14 20:03:19 2015
SPOILER
ending?
so when the mega guardian thing is summoned by tey, are you supposed to die as the end of the book?
END SPOILER
No.
SPOILER
You are not supposed to die.
END SPOILER
Amir Mon Dec 14 23:42:37 2015
Thought I'd posted this earlier; my net must have died. Lovely book! Tight pacing, good progression of forms, and the bad endings were always placed to come immediately after a wrong choice, so you didn't waste too much time on a dead end path. Not to mention, there were some useful warnings in text for the attentive reader to escape a bad fate.
Perhaps I'd quibble that there's a streak of combat near the end which seems too harsh and demanding of fortunate dice rolls, but otherwise the balance was perfect too.
SCC Mon Dec 21 10:31:29 2015
Thanks to the webmaster for posting the story. In answer to the question, it took about 10 days to write and structure. I was always a fan of Steve Jackson's Sorcery! series, and as such tried to craft a story in this style. As with Steve's series, I attempted to place clues which would help guide the player to the hopefully logical solution.
I submitted the story in the 2012 Windjammer Competition, but that year there were 22 entries, and - through no fault of the organiser - mine was at the bottom of the list and I suspect few people read it. I suppose the list could have been alphabetical to be fair, but c'est la vie.
I'm proud of it as I think it channels Steve's series. The paragraph I like most is the description when the player looks back into the rain-drenched night for pursuit. The trick is atmosphere, atmosphere, atmosphere.
SCC Thu Dec 24 05:24:38 2015
Since I spoke up, I may as well plug the other story - Gem Runner. The original version was rushed as I need to meet the Windjammer deadline and I was quite ill at the time. The revised version is here, and the final reveal is a nod to the original FF stories. Nice to see a now defunct book line is still remembered and has inspired all these stories.
SCC Thu Dec 24 05:28:09 2015
Oh, and for those that don't know, the illustration at the top of the page is of a Wood Golem that appears in The Shamutanti Hills, the first book in the Sorcery! series. If you haven't read it, check it out! Thanks again to the webmaster for making the connection.
Gameking Tue Jan 19 16:15:58 2016
Excellent!
I'm not sure Tue Jun 7 10:58:50 2016
The fact is a very good at all of you
Missing word Sun Jun 26 01:22:38 2016
Page 76 "...and looking ahead can see what appears to a steam valve..." Should read "appears to be a steam valve"
I'm of course being picky. I saw a similar error on another page and thought it was simply the writing style, but missing words makes me feel like I'm stumbling over things more than a clay golem.
Whole story could do with a proof read, imo... It doesn't mean that it's a bad story, but it needs a good proofing.
vincent Wed Jul 13 18:26:27 2016
Keep getting killed. Balance between enjoyment and difficulty is off. Too difficult. Played a few times but tired of getting killed and going to the start. Not replaying.
Rose Tue Jul 26 14:26:43 2016
This is not a bad game but I wonder that the designer of the game didn't vary the script. after all if you've been baked by a fire salamander as happens at one point in the story your 'arms' wouldn't become 'slick and slippery with the rain'. Also you can't lose the same arm twice which I have done while playing the game without restarting. Just a thought.
I've now fixed it so you can't lose your left arm twice, thanks for pointing it out.
Ryan Fri Aug 19 21:52:47 2016
A very intriguing game book where you change forms to overcome different obstacles with changing skill and stamina. The story however can be very harsh and unforgiving as at one stage near the end you must fight ten orcs one after the other and if you have played FF you know how long one fight can take. After you do that you must then fight five more last foes b4 getting to Tey. If u die at any stage u go back to the start although rock golem if pretty op anyways. I however cannot find the bit where u get ur human body. I died in the slime pit in front of Tey. A good game but challenging enemies and possibly too many choices with only one precise pattern leading to a good ending but hey it's free! I look forward to reviewing all the other Books!