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Fighting Fantasy Gamebook
Outline
Location: Allansia, Titan
References: 400
Publication Details
Author(s): Ian Livingstone

Illustrator(s): Nik Williams
Puffin
Figfan36
Cover illustrator: Christos Achilleos
First published: December 1 1988
Number 36
ISBN: ISBN 0-14-032486-0
Previous Book: Daggers of Darkness
Next Book: Portal of Evil
Wizard (Series 1)
Figfan36r
Cover illustrator: Martin McKenna
First published: September 4 2003
Number 14
ISBN: ISBN 1-84046-436-4
Previous Book: Sorcery! 3: The Seven Serpents
Next Book: Sorcery! 4: The Crown of Kings
Wizard (Series 2)
AoDShield
Cover illustrator: Martin McKenna
First published: March 31 2011
Number 15
ISBN: ISBN 1-84831-234-2
Previous Book: Forest of Doom
Next Book: Appointment with F.E.A.R.
Scholastic


For other uses of Armies of Death, see Armies of Death

Armies of Death is a single-player role-playing gamebook written by Ian Livingstone, illustrated by Nik Williams and originally published in 1988 by Puffin Books. It was later republished by Wizard Books in 2003 and 2011. It forms part of Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone's Fighting Fantasy series. It is the 36th in the series in the original Puffin series (ISBN 0-14-032486-0) and 14th in the Wizard "Series 1" (ISBN 1-84046-436-4) and 15th in "Series 2" (ISBN 1-84831-234-2). There are currently no announced plans to republish this book as part of the Scholastic series.

Creation[]

Background[]

Can YOU defeat the nightmare army of the undead?

Agglax the Shadow Demon is amassing an army of undead warriors to conquer Allansia.

Setting off from Fang with over two hundred veteran fighters, YOU journey east to meet the enemy. But the Shadow Demon is not of this world and special powers are needed to destroy him. The longer you spend searching for these powers the stronger he will be.

Two dice, a pencil and an eraser are all you need for this adventure. YOU decide which paths to take, which dangers to risk and which monsters to fight.

Armies of Death - Back Cover ("Dragon" Edition)


The reader assumes the role of the winner of the Trial of Champions, who has a newly won purse of 20,000 Gold Pieces. The reader must defeat an Evil Shadow Demon, Agglax and his undead army and stop them from taking over the region of Allansia using an army bought with the coins.

Introduction[]

The book in general follows the original rules set down in The Warlock of Firetop Mountain (see Game System).

Unique Rules[]

  • The player begins the adventure with no Provisions.[1]
  • The book contains rules for mass-battle combat between opposing armies.[2]

Equipment List[]

The book makes no reference to any equipment carried at the start of the adventure.

Cover and Illustrations[]

Main article: Armies of Death (illustrations)

Cover[]

The original cover of the book was designed and illustrated by Christos Achilleos.

This was the last book in the range (bar the exception of Return to Firetop Mountain) to feature the number of the book on the front cover.

The first printing of Armies of Death marked the point at which the series started boasting on the back cover that the range had "over 10 million copies sold worldwide!" This small fact was celebrated by having this back cover banner (for this Fighting Fantasy gamebook only) printed in foil like the credit on the front cover and, unlike later printings, the foil was gold instead of bronze. The only other books printed in this way (with this back cover "over 10 million copies sold worldwide!" being in foil writing) were the Black Dragon Sub-Format of the Sorcery! series and the first two books of the Advanced Fighting Fantasy series.

Figfan36rs

The never released cover of the Wizard "Special Limited Edition" as shown on the inside front cover of Curse of the Mummy

When the book was republished by Wizard the cover was once again re-worked, this time by Martin McKenna. There was no Wizard "Special Limited Edition" for this book. With their 2003 reprint of the title, Wizard did not print a "Special Limited Edition" due to the pressures of releasing the series in Australia at the time. However, on the inside cover of a number of the later books, the "Special Limited Edition" cover of Armies of Death was shown along with the covers of other Wizard editions. The 2011 edition makes use of a section of the previous edition's cover art.

Armies of Death Cover Variants
1988 1989 1990 1993 2003 2011
Figfan36 Ff36 Ff36 Figfan36r AoDShield
Dragon ver.I Dragon ver.II Dragon ver.III Dragon ver.IV Wizard Wizard
Shield
£2.251 £X.xx £2.992 £X.xx3 £4.99 £5.99

NOTES
  1. Price of 1st Impression
  2. Price of 3rd Impression; £3.50 for 4th Impression
  3. Note that the colour map is not included in this edition

Illustrations[]

The interior illustrations were by Nik Williams. There were 34 full page illustrations and 6 minor repeated illustrations scattered throughout the text. The paragraphs with a full page illustration were: 6, 17, 28, 39, 52, 63, 76, 87, 100, 112, 121, 134, 143, 155, 166, 178, 188, 199, 209, 217, 230, 241, 252, 265, 278, 292, 307, 323, 338, 352, 368, 381, 394 and 400.

The colour map on the inside front cover was by Leo Hartas. It was not reproduced for the Wizard edition.

The upcoming digital release of Armies of Death by Tin Man Games will have new artwork by Joshua Wright.

Intertextual References[]

It is a sequel to previous Fighting Fantasy book Trial of Champions (the player assumes the role of the adventurer who successfully completed this earlier book), which in turn was a sequel to Deathtrap Dungeon.

Other Media[]

Main Characters[]

YOU: Hero of Armies of Death

Locations[]

Encounters[]

Further Notes[]

Series 2 Additions[]

Errors[]

  • The Wizard Books "Series 2" edition lists Nicholas Halliday as the illustrator of the cover when it is Martin McKenna.
  • The Wizard Books "Series 2" edition offers to the player 3 pre-generated characters. Each is listed as starting with 6 Provisions and a different Potion, despite the fact that those are not given to characters generated in the regular manner.
  • (113) says "cross the River Kok and and march south"
  • (248) says "Which of the three star pupils who trained at the school of the Grand Wizard of Yore was was the son of a priest from Salamonis?"
  • At (199), you are instructed to turn to (33) after five attack rounds. However, the Mudgrinder can be killed in five or fewer rounds if you use Luck to increase your damage during combat, rendering (33) nonsensical.

Dedication[]

Puffin Edition[]

To
Helen, Andrew and Sarah[4]

Wizard Edition[]

For Steve, Skye, Mark, Peter and Clive
of the Games Night Club[5]

See Also[]


Reviews[]

External Links[]

References[]

  1. Armies of Death - pg.16
  2. Armies of Death - pg.11-13
  3. 25th Anniversary Edition of The Warlock of Firetop Mountain - pg.221
  4. Armies of Death - pg.5
  5. Armies of Death - pg.5
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