Fighting Fantasy Gamebook | |
---|---|
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) | |
Wizard (Series 2) | |
Scholastic | |
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.
Creation
Vymorna Besieged!
“ 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 Play
The book in general follows the original rules set down in The Warlock of Firetop Mountain (see Game System).
Unique Rules
The player can carry a maximum of 4 provisions at any one time and may only eat 1 at any one occasion.[2]
Equipment List[3]
and the player is given the choice of two of the following:[3]
- 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 Illustrations
- Main article: Battleblade Warrior (illustrations)
Cover
The original cover of the book was designed and illustrated by David Gallagher.
1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1993 |
Dragon Format | Dragon No No. | No. Spine Only | No Bronze-Foil |
£2.251 | £? | £3.502 | £? |
NOTES
- Price of 1st~2nd Impressions (David Gallagher credited on copyright page, 1st Impression only)
- Price of 5th~6th Impressions (David Gallagher credited on copyright page, 5th Impression only)
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, 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 References
Other Media
Main Characters
YOU: Hero of Battleblade Warrior
- Alexandros the Second
- Katya
- Laskar
- Julius Lecarte
- Queen Perriel
- Telak
- White-eye
Locations
- Axehead Plains
- Border Hills
- Capra
- Coppertown
- Desert of Skulls
- Gulf of Shamuz
- Kaynlesh-Ma
- Kharnek
- Lion Heights
- Lizard River
- Nightshriek Jungles
- Plain of Bronze
- Rogaar's Hold
- Sardath
- Swamplands of Silur-Cha
- Telak's Mount, The Durtelakin
- The Snakelands
- Vymorna
- Vymorn River
Encounters
- 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 Notes
- 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.
Errors
- 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).
Dedication
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
See Also
Reviews
External Links
- Character Sheet
- Fighting Fantasy at Gamebooks.org
- Battleblade Warrior at Gamebooks.org
- Battleblade Warrior at the Internet Archive record of the old Fightingfantasy.com