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Non-NEC Console Related Discussion => Chit-Chat => Topic started by: Naniyue on July 21, 2025, 02:15:45 AM
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There's been an adventure gamebook renaissance, at least online, over the past several years. I've been able to buy many vintage ones, reprints and updates, as well as brand new titles. It gets pretty serious, too! New works such as Destiny Quest, a part 7 AND prequel for Way of the Tiger, and the hardcover epic, "Rider of the Black Sun" are just a few that are available. There's also the GIANT, absolutely UPROARIOUS, "Sword of the Bastard Elf"! Many are now in electronic form, as well! Too bad they still use boring old six-sided dice, but one can get creative and implement other types of course!
https://www.david-velasco.net/heroes-urowen/
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/43892847-rider-of-the-black-sun
http://www.destiny-quest.com/
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42246013-the-sword-of-the-bastard-elf
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It's a MIRACLE!!!!! For the first time, and possibly last, ever, I beat a gamebook on the first try!!!!!
Well, not technically the first. I had started it a couple years ago, but just wasn't in the mood at the time, and I had yet to come to a dice event. So yeah, HOORAY!!!!
AD&D gamebook 10 - Lords of Doom
I even have the bookmark for this one!
Currently playing "Castle of the Crystal Blade" by T.H. Brandt. I've lost once so far, on the VERY first die roll! :evil:
Not 100% on topic, but I've readily found dice sets over the past few years in places like Walmart and Five Below, even the dollar store a little while back! I guess RPG stuff is better accepted now, especially post Covid.
I went through the first Destiny Quest book a few years ago. The workings of the character sheet felt like a pencil and paper version of Diablo. The story was decent, and battles were variable and intuitive, but of course, too difficult. My suggestion is to give yourself 1 XP per successful battle, and with every ten battles, a permanent +1 to a stat of choice. It helps even the odds, while still retaining enough challenge to keep you on your toes.
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Are these types of books considered LitRPGs? I've seen a few of them pop up in my queue due to reading the Dungeon Crawler Carl series (Which I RECOMMMEND!!)
Titles like He Who Fights with Monsters and How to Become the Dark Lord (And Die Trying) are potential examples (but I haven't read them yet!!)
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Adventure gamebooks are actual games. They are a combination of Choose Your Own Adventure and RPG. So, instead of just making choices, there are rules of combat, inventory management, and such. Basically, solo RPGs! They were in almost every book and toy store from the mid 80's into the early 90's. I personally think they lost popularity with the rise of more complex video games. Old ones are hard to find in the wild, and online can sometimes fetch hefty amounts for those crazy enough to spend that much. And, of course, two of them I had as a kid, but mysteriously lost, are worth hundreds of dollars. Figures.
I should have put this link in the first post:
https://gamebooks.org/
And the standard Wikipedia entry:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamebook
Some books have been electronically scanned, but you are on your own to find them.
Others are freely available, such as the entire Lone Wolf series, with Joe Dever's blessing:
https://www.projectaon.org/en/Main/Home
The first five have been remade for the DS!
https://www.projectaon.org/staff/frederic/index.php
There are also fully electronic ones, such as:
https://tinmangames.com.au/games/curse-of-the-assassin/
https://play.google.com/store/apps/dev?id=5443760275283054929&hl=en_US
Suggested series:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Dungeons_%26_Dragons_Adventure_Gamebooks
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Way_of_the_Tiger
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fighting_Fantasy
OH! and they're not all fantasy. Remember Car Wars?
https://gamebooks.org/Series/62/Show
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I'm not going to heavily post here like I do in my Return to Turboland thread, but I DO want to give a couple or so more examples as I play to show you the range of settings and rule sets that are available, as well as list more suggested titles or series.
I suggest vinyl slip covers, if you can find the right size. Old gamebooks are usually classic sized paperbacks.
I will soon play "The House on Sentinel Hill" by Graham Plowman. It's a Cthulhu kind of setting I bought three years ago, but am only now getting around to trying. I am fairly new to this genre of fiction/games, so we'll see how it goes. It uses the usual 2d6, but I'm curious how (dis)advantageous using a 1d12 will be. I will use some reddish, blackish, and greenish dice I got from Walmart a couple years ago, as well as the Haunted Castle set I recently got from Five Below:
https://www.fivebelow.com/products/table-top-roleplaying-dice-1-set-9155028?srsltid=AfmBOopgnc_mphsCXy7hJVfpPosQPxMNR8hMDzjagxm5HDGKbVtb4cH0&variant=9155031
There's also a soundtrack by the author on youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gElf_7kKBEw
Or visit:
https://www.grahamplowman.com/
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Kinda sorta spoiler alert!!
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Unfortunately, just about all adventure gamebooks lean towards the difficult side of things, meaning multiple plays just to win the first time. In this one, it seems, you are MEANT to fail, as a way to trap you in some sort of time loop that drives you MAD! Normally, I would consider mapping your choices to be cheating, but unless you have a damn good memory, it's almost VITAL in this one to keep oneself from an insane number of repeats!
Clarification: I've only mapped out what it takes to get to the meat of the game. From there, I'm trying my best!