Fantastic Fights

Having survived a walking holiday in the Shamutanti Hills we now get to enjoy a citybreak in Kharé, a cityport known for having the most violent and paranoid locals anywhere in the known world. All that needs to happen is to walk from one side of the city to the other. What could possibly go wrong? Listen along to find out.

We’re on the old school track this episode as we tackle two classic Choose Your Own Adventure books from the mid 1980s, Prisoner of the Ant People by R. A. Montgomery, and Outlaws of Sherwood Forest by Ellen Kushner. But which will be better, the one that sounds like a 50s B-movie or the one that sounds like a 30s swashbuckler? Listen along to find out.

We’re taking a break from the mainline Fighting Fantasy books to work through the Sorcery series by Steve Jackson which are Fighting Fantasy books in all but name honestly. We’re starting at the beginning with The Shamutanti Hills. With a fancy new magic system and art by legendary UK illustrator and artist John Blanche this has all the ingredients to be a classic but will it land? Listen along to find out.

It’s a bittersweet bonus episode as we bid a fond farewell to the Way of the Tiger series of ninja themed gamebooks. The final volume Redeemer is by David Walters, Mark Smith, and Jamie Thomson with art by a variety of different talents. Can this series bow out strong with a book more than twenty five years in the making? Listen along to find out. Also I’ve relaunched my other podcast Popular Antiquarian. That’s exciting. You can also find it over on https://www.hauntedphonograph.com/popular-antiquarian/

We’ve made it to the end of the original run of Fighting Fantasy books but are we ending on a high note? With Jonathan Green and Martin McKenna involved the talent is certainly there for a classic but you’ll have to listen along to find out whether they manage to land this final outing.

In a change from the advertised episode we’re playing the penultimate Way of the Tiger gamebook (actually the last one to be released during the original run in the 80s). Our tireless hero has tried their hand at diplomacy, statecraft, and commanding armies in the field. What’s left? Why only a descent into the fabled Rift, also known as The Bowels of Orb. How will our fearless hero do? Listen along to find out.

We’re on the penultimate book from the first run of Fighting Fantasy novels and it’s also writer Keith Martin’s swan song after eight books. Revenge of the Vampire is a direct sequel to the excellent Vault of the Vampire and sees Martin re-united with artist Martin McKenna. It’s a great creative pairing but is Revenge of the Vampire on the same level as Vault of the Vampire? Listen along to find out.

The Bloodsword series is a set of gamebooks which take place in the world of Dragon Warriors, the classic roleplaying game written by Dave Morris and Oliver Johnson. It’s great that they are available again but do they bring anything fresh to the table? The first book, Battlepits of Krarth, tips its hat to Deathtrap Dungeon and has art by the great Russ Nicholson (who seems to have been a regular feature on the podcast lately). There’s no less than four different characters to play and a whole host of additional combat rules. Listen along to find out if more is more in this instance.

We’ve reached book 57 and Magehunter by Paul Mason with art by Russ Nicholson and cover art by Ian Miller. This one has a reputation for being quite the Chinese puzzle box of a gamebook but is that reputation justified? Also will we hunt a mage? Yes. Yes we will. Good job Magehunter on a fully accurate title.

We’re back playing Way of the Tiger again. Having dabbled in ruling a city in the previous book we now get to take on military command as our old foe Honoric is back and he’s brought 15,000 close friends with him. Can our hero manage to put together a force to oppose his angry nemesis? Listen along to find out.

Also my new book Mutiny Most Merited is out! You can get a copy by supporting me on patreon over at patreon.com/hjdoom. There’s a bunch of other stuff for all patrons as well, a positive treasure trove of gaming stuff and gamebooks.