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The Shamutanti Hills (book)

From Titannica

Sorcery! Gamebook
Outline
Location Kakhabad, Old World, Titan
References 456
Publication details
Author(s) Steve Jackson
Illustrator John Blanche
Puffin
Cover illustrator John Blanche
First published October 27 1983
Number 1 (in Sorcery! series although no number in original printing)
ISBN ISBN 0-14-006794-9 (Penguin)
ISBN 0-14-031807-0 (Puffin)
Next Book Kharé - Cityport of Traps
Wizard
Cover illustrator Mel Grant
First published February 17 2003
Number 9 (in main series)
ISBN ISBN 1-84-046430-5
Previous Book The Forest of Doom
Next Book Caverns of the Snow Witch


For other uses of The Shamutanti Hills, see The Shamutanti Hills (disambiguation)

The Shamutanti Hills is a single-player role-playing gamebook written by Steve Jackson, illustrated by John Blanche, originally published in 1983 by Penguin Books (ISBN 0-14-006794-9) and later by Puffin Books, and is the first book in the Sorcery! epic. It was originally packaged with The Sorcery Spell Book as the first release in the Sorcery! series by Penguin Books in the boxset entitled "Steve Jackson's Sorcery!". It forms part of Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone's Fighting Fantasy series. It was not numbered as part of the original Puffin series when it was republished in 1985 by Puffin (ISBN 0-14-031807-0), but is 9th in the modern Wizard "Series 1" (ISBN 1-84-046430-5).

Contents

[edit] Creation

[edit] Background

“ An epic adventure awaits YOU in the dark land of Kakhabad!

Your search for the legendary Crown of Kings takes you to the Shamutanti Hills. Alive with evil creatures, lawless wanderers and bloodthirsty monsters, the land is riddled with tricks and traps waiting for the unwary traveller. Will you be able to cross the hills safely and proceed to the second part of the adventure - or will you perish in the attempt?

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.

Complete with all the magical spells you will need, The Shamutanti Hills can be played either on its own, or as part of the whole epic.[1] 		”

It details the beginning of the player's journey to Mampang Fortress, covering the distance from Analand to Kharé through the Shamutanti Hills, a dangerous region occupied by a wide variety of nomads and monsters. As the first in the series this book is the easiest to complete, apart from a trap-filled Manticore lair at the very end.

[edit] Rules

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

[edit] Unique Rules

  • The introductory rules offer the reader a choice of a "simple" (where no magic is used and fights are run according to standard Fighting Fantasy combat) or an "advanced" game (which relies heavily on magic).
  • The player has a series of magic spells that can be used, each costing between 1 and 4 stamina points.
  • The player may also call upon the help of Libra, - the goddess of Justice, once in the adventure (she may not be called upon again till the events of Kharé - Cityport of Traps). In calling on her the player may ask for "Revitalization" (restoration of skill, stamina, or luck points to their Initial level; "Escape" which allows you (when the text offers it) to escape a situation; or "Removal of Curses and Diseases" which can take place at any time and removal all curses or diseases that the player labours under at the time.

[edit] Equipment List

[edit] Covers and Illustrations

Covers

The original cover of the book was designed and illustrated by John Blanche.

The first two covers were both of the Wraparound Cover Format. The obvious difference in the second cover is the inclusion of coloured triangle in the top right corner, with a serrated edge and the number "1" in it. This came about after the release of Kharé - Cityport of Traps which extended the series to book 2 and so numbering was introduced. The spine and back cover were almost identical to the first save that in the bottom right hand corner under the Penguin Books logo was the wording "Fantasy Game" as opposed to "Game" and in the bottom left hand corner were international prices. The writing also differed very slightly on the back cover. The first back cover, released with the original Sorcery! gamebox/slip case did not mention The Sorcery Spell Book presumably because the book was bought in the same package as the Spell Book. The second cover specifically said:

“ In this fantasy role-playing gamebook you may elect to become either a warrior or a wizard - the spells that will give you power are found in The Sorcery! Spell Book ”

whereas the first cover said:

“ In this fantasy role-playing gamebook you may elect to become either a wizard or a warrior - to fight either with sorcery or the sword. ”

This was to advertise The Sorcery Spell Book which was being sold separately.

Differences between spines of first and second covers

The spine also had a slight difference in that in the second cover the spine had the writing "Sorcery! 1 The Shamutanti Hills" whereas the first edition just said "The Shamutanti Hills".

When the book was republished by Wizard the cover was re-worked by Mel Grant.

The Shamutanti Hills through the years
1983 1984 1984 1987 1993 2003 2003
Wraparound Triangle Zig-Zag Banner Dragon No Bronze-Foil Wizard "Special
Limited Edition" 		Wizard
£3.951 £1.952 £1.953 £4.504 £5.99 £5.99
  1. No price was given for the 1st or 2nd Impressions on their own. They were sold along with a separate book called The Sorcery Spell Book as part of the original two book box release titled "Steve Jackson's Sorcery!".
  2. Price of 3rd Impression (by Penguin Books)
  3. Price of 4th Impression (1st Puffin printing and incorporating The Sorcery Spell Book). Also the price of the 5th (1984) and 6th (1985) impression with same cover.
  4. Price of 13th Impression

Illustrations

The interior illustrations were by John Blanche.

[edit] Intertextual References

[edit] Other Media

[edit] d20 System Conversion

Main article: The Shamutanti Hills (d20)

There is a D20 System conversion by Myriador called Sorcery 1: The Shamutanti Hills.

[edit] Main Characters

YOU: Hero of Sorcery!

[edit] Locations

[edit] Encounters

[edit] Further Notes

  • 20 endings, plus death by stamina loss or bad luck.
  • The Sorcery! series originally began publication under the main Penguin Books brand rather than the Puffin imprint.
  • The Sorcery Spell Book was originally a separate, small book that came boxed with The Shamutanti Hills, and was not incorporated into the main gamebook till the first publication by Puffin under the Adventure Gamebooks banner. When it did so the illustrations were excluded, making a return when the book was re-issued by Wizard.

[edit] Errors

  • (319) is unreachable and superfluous.
  • (248) instructs you that you’ve been given a Vial of Glue (along with other artefacts), but when you later come across the Night Creatures (123) and try to cast the GUM spell, you are told that you cannot cast this spell because you don’t have the Vial of Glue.
  • It is possible to reach (170) without passing any heads on posts. This reference is also an instant death, even though you are Lucky after Testing your Luck.

[edit] Dedication

[edit] Penguin/Puffin Editions

To Ian Livingstone

[edit] Wizard Edition

For Ian Livingstone
Thanks for the adventures ...

[edit] See Also

[edit] Reviews

[edit] External Links

[edit] References

  1. ↑ The Shamutanti Hills - Back Cover ("Adventure Gamebooks" Edition)
Steve Jackson
The Warlock of Firetop Mountain
 The Citadel of Chaos
 Starship Traveller
 The Shamutanti Hills
 The Sorcery Spell Book
 Fighting Fantasy - The Introductory Role-playing Game
 Kharé - Cityport of Traps
House of Hell
 The Seven Serpents
 The House of Hell
 The Crown of Kings
 Appointment with F.E.A.R.
 Creature of Havoc
 The Riddling Reaver
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