Deathtrap Dungeon

Walkthrough

by Lafe Travis

This is the solution for Fighting Fantasy Book #6 Deathtrap Dungeon by Ian Livingstone -- there is a videogame of Deathtrap Dungeon, but I do not know how it compares.

It's probably my favourite book of the Fighting Fantasy series, one reason being it occurs on May 1st, which also happens to by my birthday.

Deathtrap Dungeon is full of deadly situations, most of them can end your adventure if you choose wrongly. You'll likely be killed dozens of times, so learn from your mistakes and take notes. Taking the wrong branch in a passageway can lead you to death, or miss out on important items. The Bloodbeast room can be arrived at from different places in the dungeon.

The challenge is made more difficult by the numerous tests of Skill, Stamina and Luck you'll be asked to make throughout the adventure. Even if you know the correct path through the Dungeon, you will need good dice rolls to finish. There are many battles to be fought along the way, which will undoubtedly wear down your Stamina. Take advantage of areas where you can restore your Skill, Stamina and Luck scores.

It's interesting that only the correct path has you encountering all your other competitors. You'll learn from the Elven woman that different gemstones are needed to escape from the dungeon. The correct combination of gemstones at the end is not hinted at anywhere, so it is just a matter of guessing. Not all the gemstones in the dungeon are useful. My solution does not have you collecting any gems that you do not need.

Other items I haven't found a use for are the Wooden Mallet and 10 Iron Spikes, the Brass Bell, the Goblet, the Wooden Balls and the Mirror. These items may be safely disposed of when you're called to sacrifice something from your inventory.

It is not possible to get through the Dungeon unscathed, but the key is to get all the way to the finish without losing all your Stamina.


DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO SPOIL THE SOLUTION

Starting Items: Leather Armor, a Sword, a Backpack containing provisions (food and drink), and a Potion (you can choose a potion of Skill, Stamina or Luck to bring with you.)

Although not mentioned at the start of the book, I'm assuming that you ARE starting with a shield; simply because of reference #68, which does not question the possession of a shield. But reference #222 questions the possession of a shield (failure to have one will cost only 2 Stamina points from the Manticore's spikes). A shield can be gotten by killing the Pit Fiend and investigating the trap door underneath, but it's hardly worth the risk.

In this solution, I've assumed that all battles are won and all Skill, Stamina and Luck tests have been passed. If you don't want to play it that way, you can still follow along in the walkthrough; many of the failed ability tests will link you back to the correct path after the penalty reference.

Now the solution...

(1) You enter Deathtrap Dungeon

(270) You open the box - 2 gp!

(66) You read Baron Sukumvit's note and continue along

(119) Head east (following only the single footprints)

(56) Continue East, toward the obstruction

(373) Climb over the obstruction

(13) You head east

(147) Drink the liquid - +1 Stamina Point!

(182) You start off north again

(25) It's getting hotter and hotter...

(197) It's a good thing you drank the liquid

(156) Try to slide the iron plate on the door

(208) You want to jump over the pit and get the rope

(326) You've now got a rope in your inventory

(380) The only way to avoid damage is to roll a 5 or a 6.

(257) You win the battle with the two Orcs

(164) 1 gold piece and a Hollow Wooden Tube - you go west

(299) You open the closed iron door - a dead competitor!

(126) Search the unfortunate Barbarian - dried meat

(226) Eat the dried meat; add 3 Stamina!

(83) Leave the chamber and continue west

(37) You follow at least least three pairs of footprints

(351) Climb the idol

(396) You have a rope

(151) You prise out the left eye

(240) Battle the two flying guardians

(89) You've got an Emerald! Climb down the idol

(54) Hopefully you're lucky (if not, you'll lose your rope)

(239) Leave this chamber and continue north

(344) Keep walking north - a shaft of blue light with faces!

(229) Walk through the light - hear the spirit girl's poem

(107) Continue north

(267) Continue along the tunnel

(68) Go east at the junction

(30) Jump over the pit carrying all your possessions

(60) Test your Luck - you are lucky!

(237) Head east

(12) Open the wooden door

(382) Wait for the question - you see a competitor's fate

(391) The Knight weighs 200 pounds - +1 Skill, Stamina and Luck!

(100) You continue north along the passage

(87) Open the door with the X on it

(381) The door opens into a large room

(331) Take the parchment from the Skeleton Warrior

(71) The Skeleton comes to life - you must battle it

(128) You learn the Manticore rhyme and leave through the alcove

(35) Ignore the mushrooms and step through the archway

(124) Burst through the trapdoor with your sword drawn

(81) Kill the goblins

(307) Open the cupboard - a wooden mallet and 10 iron spikes

(136) Leave through the north door

(78) Continue heading north

(301) Crawl down the pipe

(162) Crawl back out of the pipe with the wooden box

(142) An Iron Key and a Sapphire! +1 Luck. Continue north.

(338) You walk over to two Orc bodies on the floor

(123) Take the necklace from the dead Orc +1 Skill and Stamina!

(282) Continue north - you run into one of your competitors!

(22) Head west with the Barbarian

(63) Accept the Barbarian's offer

(194) You follow the tunnel at the bottom of the pit

(52) Open the red book and read about the Bloodbeast

(138) Open the black book and drink the liquid

(397) You can now detect traps - +2 Luck points

(369) Continue north with Throm

(288) Fight the Cave Trolls

(221) Continue east with Throm (unless you want to risk the ring)

(60) Head straight for the archway

(365) Persuade Throm to take the Dwarf's test

(191) Predict the total will be less than 8 (greatest probability)

(152) Hopefully you roll less than 8 on two dice

(55) A skill test - can you grab the Snake by the neck?

(40) Choose RUIN MOAT (The Scorpion is harder to fight)

(163) You battle the Minotaur

(363) Eat and Drink the Dwarf's offerings - +2 Stamina

(302) You must battle Throm to the death

(379) If you kill Throm

(213) Walk into the crystal tunnel

(108) Investigate the buzzing sound

(59) Continue west

(341) Stand your ground with your sword drawn

(367) Talk to the Crippled Servant

(244) Pay him 1 gold piece for advice

(109) Learn how to find the Doppleganger Potion and continue on

(24) Go north at the junction

(324) Sit in the bird chair

(256) You've talked to the Crippled Servant

(188) You've got the Doppleganger Potion. You continue north

(155) You can remember the spirit girl's poem

(378) Dive into the water

(112) If you're lucky, all your stuff won't get wet

(356) You set off north again

(170) Enter the cavern and investigate

(281) One of your competitors, the Elf Woman, needs your help!

(399) You eat the bread +3 Stamina! Monkey Charm, Daggers & Mirror

(192) You should lift up the iron grille in the floor *

(228) Reach for the Grappling Iron and Leather Pouch

(150) If you're lucky, you'll only lose 1 Skill point - Brass Bell

(292) Keep walking along the tunnel

(230) Troglodytes! Drink the Doppleganger Potion

(385) Run over the bridge

(86) A heavy wooden door. You have an Iron Key

(187) You decide to walk toward the beckoning voice

(360) Give the man the Mirror from your backpack

(328) Poison Ivy the Troll Female! Try and talk your way out

(99) Continue the conversation - "smash!"

(266) Search her room - an old bone

(305) You find yourself standing at the end of another tunnel

(253) You hear barking dogs. You have an old bone with you

(315) You run past the dogs and down the tunnel *

(129) You arrive at a high wall. You have a Rope and Grappling Iron

(361) Throw your Bone Monkey Charm at the Pit Fiend

(82) If you're lucky, you get past

(214) Ignore the notice and carry on north

(312) The Ninja opponent! If you're lucky, you're not hit

(232) You must defeat the Ninja

(320) You still have your weapons

(330) A Diamond! Eat the rice and drink the water - +1 Stamina

(269) Rub some ointment on your wounds - +3 Stamina!

(90) Slide down the chute; a repulsive Bloodbeast!

(172) You've read about the Bloodbeast in the leather bound book

(278) You only need to hit the Bloodbeast twice

(134) You run around to the tunnel exit

(222) A Manticore! You've read the Skeleton Warrior's parchment

(196) You have a shield - you fight the Manticore

(364) You arrive at a door with a Gnome

(31) You possess an Emerald

(376) You have a Sapphire

(62) You have found a Diamond

(177) A=Sapphire B=Emerald C=Diamond -- Three Crowns!

(243) You need to be lucky (otherwise lose 3 Stamina)

(400) You are the Champion of Deathtrap Dungeon!


An alternate path would be:

* Skipping the Floor Grille (at 192 choose 292), so you'd have to battle the Pit Fiend (at 315 choose 245), but this would allow you to retain your Skill and retrieve the Shield from the trap door for even more Skill !


Creatures of Deathtrap Dungeon You Must Battle

First ORC Skill: 5 Stamina: 5

Second ORC Skill: 6 Stamina: 4

First FLYING GUARDIAN Skill: 7 Stamina: 8

Second FLYING GUARDIAN Skill: 8 Stamina: 8

SKELETON WARRIOR Skill: 8 Stamina: 6

First GOBLIN Skill: 5 Stamina: 4

Second GOBLIN Skill: 5 Stamina: 5

CAVE TROLL Skill: 10 Stamina: 11

MINOTAUR Skill: 9 Stamina: 9

THROM Skill: 10 Stamina: 12

PIT FIEND Skill: 12 Stamina: 15 (This battle can be avoided if you have the proper items and Luck roll.)

NINJA Skill: 11 Stamina: 9

BLOODBEAST Skill: 12 Stamina: 10 (but you only need to hit it twice.)

MANTICORE Skill: 11 Stamina: 11


Questions? Comments? lafef@shaw.ca

Go to Mark J. Popp's Fighting Fantasy Page

This Document was created on February 4th, 1998

It was modified on Sunday, October 14, 2001