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Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks
Outline
Location:	Allansia, Titan
References:	400
Publication Details
Author(s):	Marc Gascoigne
Illustrator(s):	Alan Langford
Puffin

Cover illustrator:	David Gallagher
First published:	February 25 1988
Number	31
ISBN:	ISBN 0-14-032412-7
Previous Book:	Chasms of Malice
Next Book:	Slaves of the Abyss
Wizard (Series 1)
N/A
Wizard (Series 2)
N/A

Battleblade Warrior is a single-player role-playing gamebook written by Marc Gascoigne, illustrated by Alan Langford and originally published in 1988 by Puffin Books. It forms part of Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone's Fighting Fantasy series. It is the 31st in the series in the original Puffin series (ISBN 0-14-032412-7). There are currently no announced plans to republish this book as part of the Wizard series.

CreationEdit

Vymorna Besieged!Edit

“ The fate of Vymorna lies in your hands!

For six years Vymorna has been besieged ... but soon it must fall to the evil Lizard Men. Day after day you fight alongside your war-weary mother, Queen Perriel, but only divine assistance can save you now.

Then the great Lord Telak appears in a dream. YOU are the one chosen to seek out the weapon which will aid you and your city against the dark forces. Your mission will be fraught with danger but you must succeed ... YOU are Vymorna's only hope!

Part story, part game, this is a book in which YOU become the hero! Two dice, a pencil and an eraser are all you need. YOU decide which routes to take, which dangers to risk and which foes to fight.^[1] ”

Battleblade Warrior is set in the usual Fighting Fantasy world of Titan, on the continent of Allansia, and revolves around the besieged city of Vymorna. The player assumes the role of the city's prince who, upon receiving a vision from the god Telak, slips out through the ranks of the invaders in pursuit of a means to end the invasion once and for all.

Your Character/Hints on PlayEdit

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

Unique RulesEdit

The player can carry a maximum of 4 provisions at any one time and may only eat 1 at any one occasion.

Equipment ListEdit

Sword
Hunting knife
Cloak
4 Provisions
Backpack
Armour

and in the first paragraph the player is given the choice of two of the following:

A bow and 3 silver arrows
A bottle of pale liquid
A small glass globe filled with a swirling cloud of dust specks

Cover and IllustrationsEdit

Main article: Battleblade Warrior (illustrations)

Cover

The original cover of the book was designed and illustrated by David Gallagher.

**Battleblade Warrior** through the years
1988	1989	1990	1993

Dragon Format	Dragon No No.	No. Spine Only	No Bronze-Foil
£2.25¹	£?	£3.50²	£?

Price of 1st~2nd Impressions
Price of 5th~6th Impressions

Illustrations

The interior illustrations were by Alan Langford. There were 31 full page illustrations and 6 minor repeated illustrations scattered throughout the text. The paragraphs with a full page illustration were: "Vymorna Besieged!", 8, 21, 34, 47, 60, 73, 86, 99, 112, 125, 138, 151, 164, 177, 190, 203, 216, 229, 242, 255, 268, 281, 294, 307, 320, 333, 346, 358, 372 and 397.

The book mistakenly says that David Gallagher was also responsible for the interior illustrations,^[2] but they are clearly by Alan Langford and comparable to his interior illustrations from Island of the Lizard King (for the Lizard Men) and Portal of Evil (for the Dinosaurs).

The colour map on the inside front cover was by Leo Hartas.

Intertextual ReferencesEdit

Other MediaEdit

Main CharactersEdit

YOU: Hero of Battleblade Warrior

LocationsEdit

EncountersEdit

Black Panthers
Calacorm
Giant Slugs
Guardians
Guardian Spirit
Hobgoblin Fanatic
Ishkarim
Krell
Lizard Men Champion/Guard/Mutant/Pilot/Priest/Regular/Two-Headed/Woman
Messenger
Ogre
Orcs - Angry/Marsh/Seething Shaman
Panther Warriors
Pterodactyl
Rat Men
Running Lizard
Shadow Ghoul
Stegosaurus
Swamp Goblins
Swamp Mutant
Tomb Vipers
Triceratops
Trolls - Cave/Warrior
Tyrannosaurus Rex
Warrior-King
Warrior-Priest
Wasp Spider
Wharf Rat Pack

Further NotesEdit

A particularly memorable scene in the book is a sequence based around an Orc funeral.
Lecarte's use of flashpowder is a rare occurrence of explosives in Titan.

ErrorsEdit

When breaking out of Vymorna by force you can fight the Lizard Man Champion (333) an infinite number of times if you do not defeat him - this depends, of course, on your stamina score. (333) makes no mention of you having encountered him previously. However, the real error is that you can face him again even if you defeat him, if you decide to leave the battleground on foot.
Beyond the woods east of the Orc funeral, you meet Katya (396), a female messenger from Coppertown far to the north. She has come to fetch help and her Horse is now near to death from the long journey. If you choose to travel with her (113), you set up camp along the road and her horse dies during the night. In the morning you set off together on foot, yet in the next paragraph (272), the story describes the two of you as "riding" along the road. Riding on what?
When trying to sneak past the guard (237) you must Test your Skill. But the reference numbers are swapped with a skilful outcome being directed to (121) instead of the correct reference at (37).

DedicationEdit

For Bob N., Maggie S., Kevin W. and Stephen K.,
and all the staff at Greylight Industries plc,
for all the fun they're giving me

ReviewsEdit

Battleblade Warrior at FF Reviews Archive

External LinksEdit

ReferencesEdit

↑ Battleblade Warrior - Back Cover ("Golden Dragon" Edition)
↑ Battleblade Warrior - p.3-4; this was corrected in the 2nd Impression onwards, although in the 5th Impression the copyright page (p.4) still lists David Gallagher as the artist responsible.

[0] Battleblade Warrior - Back Cover ("Golden Dragon" Edition)

[1] Battleblade Warrior - p.3-4; this was corrected in the 2nd Impression onwards, although in the 5th Impression the copyright page (p.4) still lists David Gallagher as the artist responsible.

[1]

[2]