Quest for the Auburn Pelt: A PageQuest Game
Quest for the Auburn Pelt: A PageQuest Game Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Overview
This PageQuest game is a solitaire, diceless, fantasy adventure. All you need to play this game is this folio and a pencil.
I. Character Creation
On the Character Record, fill in your name, and the name of your character. Next, decide and record the value of your character's two attributes: Stamina (ST) and Magic (MG). The total of these two attributes must not exceed 10. For each point of Stamina taken, cross off one column of Runes in the Tome of Magic (you decide which columns).
Note: your character begins with no Inventory; any number of items may be carried, but only one item may be a weapon.
II. Exploration
Your character begins in the chamber that is already drawn on the map grid. Each turn, you may enter a new chamber by passing through a door (marked with a small square). Whenever you move through a door into an unmapped chamber, read the coordinates of the square just beyond the door. Using the Chamber Index to look up these coordinates, copy the map segment of the new chamber to the map grid exactly as it appears (including its orientation and all markings), such that any square containing coordinates ends up on the Adventure Map at those coordinates. Numbers written in squares of a chamber indicate encounters (see ENCOUNTERS).
Note: you may not move through walls and you may not move diagonally through doors.
III. Encounters
Any two digit number shown in a chamber refers to an encounter on the Encounter Table. Encounters occur as soon as you enter the chamber they occupy. If more than one encounter occurs in a chamber, the encounter closest to the door by which you entered the chamber will resolve first, then the next closest, and so on.
If the encounter indicated is marked COMBAT, your character is attacked and must fight the enemy to the death (see COMBAT section below). If the encounter is an EVENT, the event occurs automatically and immediately. COMBAT and EVENT encounters cannot be avoided by the character. ITEMs, however, may be picked up by the character (recorded in the Inventory section of the Character Record), or ignored.
When the encounter is complete, cross out the number on the map grid, but do not cross out the entry in the Encounter Table since some encounters may recur. After all encounters in the chamber have been resolved, proceed with the next turn (see EXPLORATION).
IV. Combat
A combat encounter will list the type of foe your character faces, the foe's Endurance (EN) and a series of combat actions enclosed in square brackets. Each of these combat actions represents your enemy's attack or defense during successive combat rounds, with the action on the far left of the series in round 1. Before resolving combat, copy your enemy's combat actions and EN into a row in the Combat Rounds section.
To resolve the combat, you must choose a combat action for your character from the Combat Table for each combat round, one at a time, until either your enemy is dead, your character is dead, or there are no more combat actions listed for your enemy. In the first combat round, you may choose any combat action on the Combat Table, except Alert or Claw, which are reserved for your enemies (you may never choose these as combat actions). In each round after the first, you must choose an action that is listed as a possible next action next to the combat action chosen in the previous round.
For each round, after choosing and recording your character's action, check to see if you have wounded your enemy, or if your enemy has wounded you; an attack (attack icon) is successful if it is listed higher (above) on the Combat Table than the opponent's defense (defense icon). An attack is also successful if the opponent used an attack combat action during the round, rather than using a defense combat action. All successful attacks score 1 point of damage against the opponent, which must be immediately subtracted from the ST or EN of the victim.
Note: [runes] and [runes] may be used in any combat, but act like any other combat action and must be cast like any other spell (see SPELLS).
If at any time, your character's ST falls to zero, your adventure ends. If your enemy's EN drops to zero, you have slain your enemy and any remaining enemy combat actions should be ignored; also, to indicate that the encounter is resolved, cross off the encounter number from the map. If your enemy runs out of combat actions before either of these results, the enemy flees the combat. Your character may not give pursuit, and the enemy will return the next time you enter this chamber; to indicate this, do not cross off the encounter number on the map. When the enemy returns, treat it as if you were encountering it for the first time, with its full Endurance and all combat actions.
Combat example: Gwyneth Cranequin (ST=5; MG=5) encounters an ornery Red Cap (EN=3) [ W D D C W K W C C D ] stomping about the chamber she has just traipsed into. Sensing that he is not aware of her presence, she sneaks up behind him for a Backstab, causing 1 point of damage (although the Red Cap's Wait is a defense action, Gwyn's Backstab is higher on the combat table, so her attack hits), bringing his Endurance down to 2. Since that got his attention, Gwyn jumps back to Wait in round 2 to see what the Red Cap will do (besides, it's her only possible next action following a Backstab according to the Combat Table). After Waiting, Gwyn has several choices for round 3. She decides to try a Thrust, but since it is below the Red Cap's Dodge on the Combat Table, she misses. In round 4, Gwyn tries to Dodge, but since Claw occurs higher than Dodge on the table, the Red Cap scores 1 point of damage, bringing Gwyn's Stamina down to 4. In round 5, Gwyn Slashes and hits for a point leaving the Red Cap's Endurance at 1. Desperate, the Red Cap Kicks at our heroine in round 6. Since Gwyn's only possible next actions after her Slash are Thrust and Wait, she goes for the coup-de-grace Thrust. Both the Kick and the Thrust go undefended, causing 1 point of damage each. The Red Cap keels over dead, and Gwyneth presses onward, a tad worse for wear with a Stamina of 3.
Combat Table
| Abr | Type | Combat action | Possible next actions |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | (none) | Alert | (enemy only) |
| B | Attack | Backstab | W |
| C | Attack | Claw | (enemy only; no next actions listed) |
| D | Defense | Dodge | K P S |
| F | Rune spell | [runes] | D S T W |
| K | Attack | Kick | S W |
| L |
Note: Alert and Claw are reserved for enemies and may never be chosen by the player's character. F and L are rune spells that act as combat actions (see SPELLS).
Combat Rounds
Before resolving combat, copy your enemy's combat actions and EN into a row in the Combat Rounds section (see COMBAT).
V. Spells
When an encounter allows a spell to be cast, the spell will be written in Runes. In order to cast the spell, you must have each of the Runes in the spell name available in your Tome of Magic. To cast the spell, simply find each of the Runes that make up the spell name and cross them off.
Spell casting example: Lars Galbraith (ST=6; MG=4) has the opportunity to pick a lock by casting [runes]. This spell requires only three Runes, so he decides to cast the spell, and crosses off a [rune], an [rune], and a [rune] from his Tome of Magic, thereby opening the door.
VI. Winning or Losing
The object of this PageQuest is to find and retrieve the Selkie Pelt. Once this is accomplished, it is assumed that your character safely backtracks to the entrance and completes the quest. If at any time during your adventure, your character's Stamina falls to zero or less, the adventure is over.
Encounter Table
01 EVENT: Kettle o' gruel slowly simmering over a fire... Eat some → 13; Cast [runes] and eat → 24; or Ignore 02 EVENT: Thhp, thwwip. Poisoned darts. (-1 ST) 03 COMBAT: Sidhe Warrior (EN 4) [ A S T D P S P T S P ] 04 EVENT: An eerie glow approaches... Cast [runes]; Otherwise → 20 05 EVENT: You realize the stone underfoot just sank... Drop any one item or cast [runes]; Otherwise → 19 06 COMBAT: Fey Enchantress (EN 4) [ W F F L F L L D F L ] 07 EVENT: Fairie Torque or [runes] needed to open door. 08 COMBAT: Red Cap (EN 3) [ W D D C W K W C C D ] 09 ITEM: Runestaff, provides unlimited [rune] runes for spells. 10 ITEM: Belt of Machismo, +2 ST while carried. 11 EVENT: [runes] or Key of Bone needed to open this door. 12 COMBAT: Wight (EN 2) [ W C D W D C W C D C ] 13 EVENT: You've been poisoned! (-2 ST) 14 ITEM: Selkie Pelt! Your quest is completed. 15 EVENT: You hear armored footsteps approaching... Cast [runes] or [runes]; Otherwise → 03 16 EVENT: You feel a tripwire against you ankle... Cast [runes]; Otherwise → 02 17 COMBAT: Shade (EN 3) [ A D D T D T T D S T ] 18 ITEM: Key of Bone 19 EVENT: A ceiling block falls on your head. (-1 ST) 20 COMBAT: Will o' Wisp (EN 1) [ A D F W D W D F D F ] Each combat round, the Will o' Wisp drains (cross off) one rune of your choice from your Tome of Magic. 21 ITEM: Appears to be a staff, broken into splinters... Cast [runes] → 09; or Ignore 22 ITEM: Fairie Torque 23 COMBAT: Spriggan (EN 3) [ W K D K D K D K K W ] 24 EVENT: Mmm. Restore ST back to its original value. 25 EVENT: You sense a shadowy presence... Cast [runes]; Otherwise → 17 26 COMBAT: Mimic (EN = ST) [ W ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ] In each round after the first, the Mimic will copy the action you used in the previous combat round. 27 ITEM: Key of Elderwood 28 EVENT: The faint odor of the dead grows stronger... Cast [runes]; Otherwise → 12 29 EVENT: [runes] or Key of Elderwood required to open this door. 30 COMBAT: Sidhe Acolyte (EN 3) [ D S T D P S P T P K ] 31 EVENT: To open door, cast [runes] or spend 1 ST. 32 ITEM: Rune-enchanted axe, while carried you may not Thrust, but successful Slashes do 2 points of damage. 33 COMBAT: Sidhe Noble (EN 4) [ A L F L F D L L F F ] 34 EVENT: Antimagic barrier, cross off all runes remaining in your Tome of Magic.
Chamber Index
The Chamber Index gives the chamber number for each set of map coordinates. Look up the coordinates just beyond a door you pass through to find the chamber to copy onto the Adventure Map.
| Coords | Chamber | Coords | Chamber | Coords | Chamber | Coords | Chamber | Coords | Chamber |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AX | xi | CU | v | ER | ii | GU | iii | HW | iv |
| BP | xiii | CX | xv | FO | vi | GX | iv | JT | x |
| BQ |
Chambers and Adventure Map
The folio prints the chamber maps numbered i through xxi. Each is copied onto the Adventure Map as described in Exploration, using the coordinates from the Chamber Index. The Adventure Map is lettered A to M down the side and N to Z across the bottom. The chamber maps and the Adventure Map are graphic and are not reproduced in text here.
Character Record
The Character Record has fields for Player, Character, Stamina, Magic, Inventory, the Tome of Magic (a grid of rune symbols), and the Combat Rounds section.