City of Thieves
Solution by Mr Creosote
https://www.goodolddays.net
There are various valid ways to traverse Port Blacksand and arrive at a winning conclusion. This solution takes some optional fights against weak enemies. There are some unavoidable random dice rolls on the way. Anyway, this is one of the books where winning may not be the main purpose. Rather, it is about exploring this city. Following this solution will make you miss some of the best moments.
The solution assumes that when equipping special equipment, skill can be raised above the initial (cases in point: the helmet and the chainmail). It is explicitly stated for the helmet. If you disagree for the chainmail, don't bother getting it. The critical point of this adventure, without a doubt, is the fight with the moon dogs towards the end, one of which has skill 11. Considering three points of skill being acquirable in the city, it should be possible to win with an initial skill roll of 8 or above.
An alternative approach could be walking up Market Street instead of Clock Street at 74. This enables to acquire a shield which (by the book) increases attack strength by 1 (not capped by skill initial). You have to face two thieves before (7/7 8/6) at 296. It does require to /fail/ one luck roll at 64, which can be enabled by using luck every combat round against the thieves, and then fighting a wolf (5/5). This provides you a key at 97 which, in turn, can be used to open a locked door at 353. At 340, you find the shield, but only after another two more tests of luck at 128 of which you need to win at least one in order to not lose a skill point. I.e. you will need to drink your potion of luck in between, making it unavailable for use in the tower. Acquiring both the helmet and the shield is, unfortunately, impossible. If it were, it could be the winning strategy to get both, risking even the temporary -1 skill, and balance it out with the chainmail again.
The format of the following solution:
Section
(Optional comment)
Decision
1 // You start with 30 Gold Pieces
(Take a Potion of Luck with you)
Tell him you wish to be taken to Nicodemus
202
Allow yourself to be taken away
151
Ignore the old man
29
Attract the guards' attention
143
Tell them you think you have the plague
306
(Get 2 Gold Pieces and a merchant's pass) // 32 gold
-
74
Go east down Clock Street
17
Stop to talk to him
331
(Fight Madman 5/5)
-
86
Smash ball on the ground
45
Place it on your head
376
(The helmet grants +1 luck and +1 attack strength)
-
161
Keep going northwards
282
Keep walking north
247
(Test your luck)
(Assuming lucky)
384
Set off west again
396
Enter the shop
145
See what she has to offer
293
(Trade two provisions for the golden flower)
-
24
Enter the shop
336
Ask the price of the rings
36
(Get Ring of Fire, -8 Gold Pieces) // 24 Gold
-
196
-
148
(Lost 1 Gold Piece) // 23 Gold
-
287
(You can buy food to restore stamina here. Solution offers room to spend 1 Gold Piece.)
Walk past him
398
Walk on
52
(Buy Iron Spike and Meat Hook, -3 Gold Pieces) // 20 Gold
-
200
Continue north
117
Press on ahead
31
Climb down the steps
329
(Receive Nicodemus' shopping list)
Turn east down Candle Street
238
Continue east
139
Ignore the argument and continue east
375
Climb over the wall
40
Ask to join in their game
168
(Test your skill)
(Solution assumes success; if unsuccessful, drop Iron Spike and Meat Hook)
359
(Get 8 Gold Pieces, a Potion of Mind Control, a silver flute, a piece of chalk and an eye patch; +2 stamina) // 28 Gold
-
91
Toss a Gold Piece into his tin
332
(-1 Gold, +1 luck) // 27 Gold
-
124
Walk down the alleyway
326
(Fight wild dogs 4/4 and 4/3)
-
184
You do possess one of Mrs Pipe's golden flowers
55
(Get 10 Gold Pieces) // 37 Gold
-
180
Hide out of sight behind a barrel
34
-
171
Walk down the jetty to climb on board the ship
399
Board the shop by climbing the rope ladder
87
Creep along the deck to the stairs
50
Open the door on the left
271
Creep up and try to cut it loose
162
(Test your luck)
(Solution assumes lucky)
7
(Get six black pearls, +2 luck)
Open the other door
232
Hide behind the door inside the room to see who is about to take a bath
12
Surprise him by drawing your sword and utter a loud 'Ahem!'
176
(Learn about the silversmith in Clog Street)
Leave the ship and continue your search of Port Blacksand, walking north up Harbour Street
78
Continue north up Harbour Street
256
Stop to talk with the women
320
(Learn location of a hag)
-
216
Stop to help
72
(Fight the goblin 5/4)
-
208
(Get some garlic, old knucklebones, +2 Gold) // 39 Gold
-
317
Continue east
280
Enter the shop
213
Talk to the silversmith
248
You can afford his asking price
85
(Get silver arrow, -10 Gold) // 29 Gold
-
100
Continue east into Stable Street
246
(Optional)
Pay for a drink
98
(+1 luck, +3 stamina, -2 Gold Pieces) // 27 Gold
-
363
Lift the manhole cover to see where it leads to
48
Climb down the ladder
321
Walk north along the tunnel
356
(Fight the rats 4/4 5/4 5/5)
-
28
Continue further north along the tunnel
265
You have a Potion of Mind Control
82
(Get hag's hair)
-
104
Climb up ladder to continue east
205
Walk back to the junction and turn right into Tower Street
127
Avoid the brawling men and continue north
348
Walk under the bridge and continue east
30
-
76
(If you lost the Bay's Ball game, skip this part and move on)
Walk through the barn doors
25
Make conversation with the blacksmith
169
Pay 20 Gold Pieces for a chainmail coat
46
(+2 skill, -20 Gold) // 7 Gold
-
115
Hand him over to the town guards
274
(+5 Gold Pieces) // 12 Gold
-
222
(-1 Gold Piece) // 11 Gold
Go into the gardens
370
Risk picking one of the flowers
14
You have a Ring of Fire
237
(Get lotus flower)
-
133
Walk down the lane
182
You can afford his high price
279
(Get tattoo, -10 Gold) // 1 Gold
-
307
Risk walking past the Trolls
290
You have a merchant's pass
219
Answer 'No'
393
Let them throw you out of the city
156
You have all items and the tattoo
201
(Fight a random creature)
138
(Depending on the creature you fought)
312 / 283
(If you fought an ape man, get an own talisman to see in the dark)
217
(Fight the moon dogs 9/10 11/9)
There are two possible strategies here:
a) Use luck as much as possible, drink the potion of luck after to be prepared for the final test of luck.
b) Drink your potion of luck before, use luck twice during the fight. You can restore two points of luck later on.
259
Pull on a cord hanging down in front of the door
4
Tell him you are a lost traveller
339
Explore the tower after waiting a few minutes
77
Climb up to the third floor
310
Climb to the next floor
65
Open the white door
319
Open the sarcophagus
352
Fight the Mummy
193
(You have a Ring of Fire)
286
-
163
(You have found the Ring of the Golden Eye, +2 luck)
-
231
Enter the black door
96
Walk over the the chest
257
You are wearing the Ring of the Golden Eye
385
(Fight three skeletons 6/7 8/6 7/7)
203
(Test your luck)
244
Lotus flower and Hag's hair
337
-
400
You have won!
Island of the Lizard King is next on my list. It was not one of my favorites in the 80s, to be honest. But lets give it a chance. Not sure how long I can keep up going through them in order
Comments
Mr Creosote
Feel free to share anything about City of Thieves here!Jake Beamer
woww YES I love these books! Recently grabbed this reprint. The art is ALWAYS such - sword and sorcery ftw!Posted on Mastodon
Attachment: 395878f86bdcf1f7-1697985501-jpg
Mr Creosote
Island of the Lizard King is next on my list. It was not one of my favorites in the 80s, to be honest. But lets give it a chance. Not sure how long I can keep up going through them in orderPosted on Mastodon
Jake Beamer
hahaa that's so awesome. Great to see it here, I miss what I saw of it over on the bird sitePosted on Mastodon