Grailquest
Encyclopedia
GrailQuest is a series of gamebook
s by J. H. Brennan. The books are illustrated by John Higgins
.
The series is (usually) set in King Arthur
's realm of Avalon
, and follows the adventures of a young hero named Pip. Pip is often called upon by Merlin
to right wrongs and save the realm from evil.
The series is light in tone and does not take itself seriously, often spoofing the fantasy genre and inserting a lot of pure slapstick humor or nonsensical elements in order to make the book a fun read. Occasionally there is more serious drama, but this is usually reserved for very special moments.
The fourth volume, Voyage of Terror, takes place almost entirely in ancient Greece
, after Merlin's summoning spell goes wrong. Pip spends the adventure travelling with Jason
and the Argonaut
s, encountering enemies from Greek mythology
while trying to find a way back to Avalon.
While there were eight total books published in the series, books seven and eight were never published in the United States, where the series seemed to end with Realm of Chaos.
s. The player must roll two six-sided dice and add the results. If the result exceeds 6 (which will happen 58.3% of the time), then the enemy is injured and loses a number of Life Points - how much depends on what the dice shows, as every point over 6 will count as a point of damage. When a character's Life Points reach zero, the character is dead, and when they are at 5, they are knocked out.
If wielding a weapon, the number needed to hit may be lower, and extra damage will usually be inflicted. For instance, Excalibur Junior hits on a roll of 4 (hitting 91.7% of the time) and provides a bonus 5 points of damage.
There is no defence roll, but damage is reduced by a set amount by any armor the character is wearing.
Initiative
is determined by an initial, opposed roll where the highest roll gets the first attack. From then on, the character and the enemy take turns to attack. Surprise is sometimes involved (for example, in Gateway of Doom, a giant spider gets first strike automatically due to Pip being in its home territory).
If the character dies, the player must go to section 14, which describes his afterdeath and tells him to calculate his Life Points again. Merlin then resurrects Pip, who has to start from the beginning of the adventure again - although some books will only require him to start from a certain point, such as Gateway of Doom allows Pip to restart at the beginning of the Ghastly Kingdom of the Dead, or Realm of Chaos allows him to start from the beginning of a certain location. However, all previously killed enemies remain dead, and any treasure the player found is gone for good. (In some books, killed enemies return to life with half the Life Points they had the first time around.)
. This provides Pip with more spells of various uses in and out of combat. Pip also receives ten new firefingers (different from the firefingers on the previous book) and two new fireballs. If the player has finished the first book, he can keep any unspent spells from the previous book, and also the dragonhide jacket, which would otherwise be unavailable.
Pip's use of magic is limited by three rules that must be adhered to at all times. First, every spell thrown costs three Life Points whether it is cast successfully or not. Second, no spell can be thrown more than three times in any given adventure (and once thrown, it is used whether or not it is successfully cast). And third, no spell thrown is successfully cast unless a 7 or better is rolled on two dice.
Spell books, Firefingers, Fireballs, the dragonhide jacket and even E.J. are not available in the fourth book. Both spell books are also unavailable in books five and six; in the former case because Merlin has run out of time, and in the latter because no magic will work on account of the curse on Camelot.
Gamebook
A gamebook is a work of fiction that allows the reader to participate in the story by making effective choices. The narrative branches along various paths through the use of numbered paragraphs or pages...
s by J. H. Brennan. The books are illustrated by John Higgins
John Higgins (comics)
John Higgins is an English comic book artist and writer. He did significant work for 2000 AD, and he has frequently worked with writer Alan Moore, most notably as colourist for Watchmen.-Biography:...
.
The series is (usually) set in King Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
's realm of Avalon
Avalon
Avalon is a legendary island featured in the Arthurian legend. It first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's 1136 pseudohistorical account Historia Regum Britanniae as the place where King Arthur's sword Excalibur was forged and later where Arthur was...
, and follows the adventures of a young hero named Pip. Pip is often called upon by Merlin
Merlin
Merlin is a legendary figure best known as the wizard featured in the Arthurian legend. The standard depiction of the character first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, written c. 1136, and is based on an amalgamation of previous historical and legendary figures...
to right wrongs and save the realm from evil.
The series is light in tone and does not take itself seriously, often spoofing the fantasy genre and inserting a lot of pure slapstick humor or nonsensical elements in order to make the book a fun read. Occasionally there is more serious drama, but this is usually reserved for very special moments.
The fourth volume, Voyage of Terror, takes place almost entirely in ancient Greece
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
, after Merlin's summoning spell goes wrong. Pip spends the adventure travelling with Jason
Jason
Jason was a late ancient Greek mythological hero from the late 10th Century BC, famous as the leader of the Argonauts and their quest for the Golden Fleece. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcus...
and the Argonaut
Argonaut
Argonaut may refer to:* Argonaut , a kind of octopus in the genus Argonauta* Jason and the Argonauts, sailors in Greek mythology* Argonauts of Saint Nicholas, a military order in Naples...
s, encountering enemies from Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
while trying to find a way back to Avalon.
While there were eight total books published in the series, books seven and eight were never published in the United States, where the series seemed to end with Realm of Chaos.
Characters
- Pip: The hero of the series. Pip was brought up on a farm as the adopted child of Freeman John and his wife Miriam. One day, soldiers from King Arthur's court arrived to escort Pip to Merlin's log castle, where Merlin assigned the young adventurer the mission of rescuing Queen GuinevereGuinevereGuinevere was the legendary queen consort of King Arthur. In tales and folklore, she was said to have had a love affair with Arthur's chief knight Sir Lancelot...
from the evil Wizard Ansalom. Pip fights (and sometimes argues) with a magical sword, Excalibur Junior, and often wears a sturdy dragonhide jacket when adventuring. It should be noted that Pip is never assigned a gender pronoun by anyone in the books and as such could be a female hero, though the assumption is usually taken that Pip is a young boy. - Merlin: The (supposedly) wise old wizard. He introduces each adventure and is usually the one who gives Pip his mission, providing Pip with items and some magic. Merlin tends to be sarcastic and grumpy, not to mention eccentric. However, even though he treats Pip like a foolish child, he still cares about the young adventurer. In one of the series' running jokes, Merlin acquires a new, bizarre home in every volume.
- Cody: Merlin's young apprentice, introduced in Legion of the Dead, who brings Pip to Avalon via the Net Spell after Merlin disappears and is presumed dead following a fall from a tree.
- Excalibur Junior (E.J.): Pip's magical talking sword. It was created by Merlin, who based its design on King Arthur's swordExcaliburExcalibur is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Great Britain. Sometimes Excalibur and the Sword in the Stone are said to be the same weapon, but in most versions they are considered separate. The sword was...
(hence the "Junior"). E.J. is quite powerful but has the annoying tendency of speaking its mind at inconvenient times, and can even refuse to be pulled from its scabbard (showing an ability similar to its namesake) when in a bad mood. E.J. also suffers from arachnophobiaArachnophobiaArachnophobia or arachnephobia is a specific phobia, the fear of spiders and other arachnids such as scorpions. It is a manifestation of zoophobia, among the most common of all phobias. The reactions of arachnophobics often seem irrational to others...
, which is a disadvantage when Pip runs into giant spiders. - The Poetic Fiend: A vampireVampireVampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
poetPoetA poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
who is a recurring character through the series. The Fiend believes that he is a great poet, when in actuality his verse tends more towards doggerel (and has been known to make even cockroaches throw up when he gives a recital). He is often helpful to Pip, as long as Pip is diplomatic in his criticism of the Fiend's poetry. In the English-language books, the Fiend is unnamed. In the French translations, however, he is known as Nosferax. - King Arthur: Ruler of the realm of Avalon. He is rarely encountered by the player in person, but is a prominent and influential figure in the series. He is usually the one who gives missions to Pip by the way of Merlin.
- King Pellinore: King Pellinore of Listinoise appears in the first few books as a running gag, where he is often confused for the Black Knight because of his dark armor. Often it is Pellinore who is assigned the task of taking care of whatever problem is plaguing Camelot, with Pip only coming in later after the poor old king gets himself hopelessly lost.
- The Wizard Ansalom: An evil black-magic-using wizard, who is the main villain in the very first adventure. He returns as a ghost when Pip visits the Ghastly Kingdom of the Dead and Pip discovers that some of his dark influence remains in the last volume.
- The Black Knight: The Black KnightBlack Knight (Arthurian legend)The Black Knight is the title given to several characters in Western literature. In Arthurian legend he is a knight who tied his wife to a tree after hearing she had exchanged rings with Perceval...
of old legend is the main villain in one of Pip's adventures. He seems to appear in several volumes, but those other appearances are actually King Pellinore (see above).
Titles
- The Castle of Darkness (1984)
- The Den of Dragons (1984)
- The Gateway of Doom (1984)
- Voyage of Terror (1985)
- Kingdom of Horror (1985)
- Realm of Chaos (1986)
- Tomb of Nightmares (1986)
- Legion of the Dead (1987)
Combat
The rules of GrailQuest are quite simple when compared to current RPGRole-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
s. The player must roll two six-sided dice and add the results. If the result exceeds 6 (which will happen 58.3% of the time), then the enemy is injured and loses a number of Life Points - how much depends on what the dice shows, as every point over 6 will count as a point of damage. When a character's Life Points reach zero, the character is dead, and when they are at 5, they are knocked out.
If wielding a weapon, the number needed to hit may be lower, and extra damage will usually be inflicted. For instance, Excalibur Junior hits on a roll of 4 (hitting 91.7% of the time) and provides a bonus 5 points of damage.
There is no defence roll, but damage is reduced by a set amount by any armor the character is wearing.
Initiative
Initiative (role-playing games)
In role-playing games and some table-top wargames, a character's initiative is a statistic which determines the order in which player characters take actions, especially during combat or other forms of conflict resolution....
is determined by an initial, opposed roll where the highest roll gets the first attack. From then on, the character and the enemy take turns to attack. Surprise is sometimes involved (for example, in Gateway of Doom, a giant spider gets first strike automatically due to Pip being in its home territory).
If the character dies, the player must go to section 14, which describes his afterdeath and tells him to calculate his Life Points again. Merlin then resurrects Pip, who has to start from the beginning of the adventure again - although some books will only require him to start from a certain point, such as Gateway of Doom allows Pip to restart at the beginning of the Ghastly Kingdom of the Dead, or Realm of Chaos allows him to start from the beginning of a certain location. However, all previously killed enemies remain dead, and any treasure the player found is gone for good. (In some books, killed enemies return to life with half the Life Points they had the first time around.)
Magic spells
In some of the books, Merlin provides Pip with magic spells. In the first book, Pip has only two spells - ten firefingers (lightning bolts) and two powerful fireballs. The firefinger lightning bolts hit automatically for a straight 10 points of damage, while the fireballs score a massive 75 points of damage each, but require a 6 or better on two dice or else they miss completely.Pip's First Spell Book
In the second book, Merlin provides Pip with a spell bookGrimoire
A grimoire is a textbook of magic. Such books typically include instructions on how to create magical objects like talismans and amulets, how to perform magical spells, charms and divination and also how to summon or invoke supernatural entities such as angels, spirits, and demons...
. This provides Pip with more spells of various uses in and out of combat. Pip also receives ten new firefingers (different from the firefingers on the previous book) and two new fireballs. If the player has finished the first book, he can keep any unspent spells from the previous book, and also the dragonhide jacket, which would otherwise be unavailable.
Pip's use of magic is limited by three rules that must be adhered to at all times. First, every spell thrown costs three Life Points whether it is cast successfully or not. Second, no spell can be thrown more than three times in any given adventure (and once thrown, it is used whether or not it is successfully cast). And third, no spell thrown is successfully cast unless a 7 or better is rolled on two dice.
- Pip's Armour of Nearly Impenetrable Coruscation (P.A.N.I.C. for short) - Throws a shimmering wall of light around the caster for the duration of a single combat, which deducts four points of damage scored against Pip in addition to any other protection or armour worn.
- Pip's Outlandish Wallop (P.O.W. for short) - Adds +10 damage to the next attack Pip makes on top of any other attack bonuses.
- Pip's Instant Levity and Laughter (P.I.L.L. for short) - Causes a single enemy to laugh so hard that he or she misses the next three consecutive turns in combat.
- Pip's Attacking Dart (P.A.D. for short) - Allows Pip to launch a ranged attack for a straight 10 damage against an opponent who is otherwise out of combat range. An enemy hit with the dart can only counter-attack if he or she has ranged weaponry or spells of his or her own.
- Pip's Immunity to Poison (P.I.P. for short) - If cast before poison is taken, it completely counteracts the effects of the poison. The spell does not function if cast after Pip has already been poisoned, however.
- Pip's Instant Neutralizer (P.I.N. for short) - Counteracts one spell or enchantment placed on an object (not a living being). It is useful for opening a chest or door which has been magically locked, for example.
- Pip's Immense Rapid Repeater (Pi R squared for short) - Doubles Pip's speed during a single combat, allowing Pip to get in two attacks for every one made by an opponent.
- Invisibility (I.N.V.I.S.I.B.I.L.I.T.Y. for short) - This spell is an exception to the normal rules of magic in that it can only be cast once per adventure for a cost of 15 Life Points, and only in designated areas, but the effect renders Pip completely invisible.
- Firefinger - This spell is an exception to the normal rules of magic in that it can only be successfully cast once per adventure. It gives Pip 10 Firefinger lightning bolts (five in each hand) which can be fired immediately or stored for later use.
- Fireball - Like the Firefinger spell, it can only be successfully cast once per adventure. It gives Pip 2 fireballs which can be thrown immediately or stored for later use.
Pip's Second Spell Book
In the third book, Merlin provides Pip with a new spell book. When Pip wonders why this second spell book is shorter than the first one, Merlin tells Pip that spell books require a great deal of research and development, making them quite expensive, and he is not made of money. These spells follow the same three rules of magic described in the second book.- Pip's Patent Lock Picker (P.L.O.P. for short) - Will pick one non-magic lock per section on a throw of 6 or better on two dice.
- Pip's Incredible Duncher (P.I.D. for short) - Creates a magical cap which, when worn, shrinks Pip to the size of six inches, thus allowing travel through small passageways. Pip returns to normal size in the next section.
- Pip's Amazing Legume Spell (P.A.L.S. for short) - If Pip should come under attack by any sort of vegetable, this spell guarantees an automatic Friendly Reaction from said vegetable.
- Pip's Instant Levitation (P.I.L. for short) - Allows Pip to levitate straight up or down, but if used indoors it causes a concussion when you hit the ceiling and the loss of half your current Life Points.
- Pip's Obliging Power Sword (P.O.P.S. for short) - If cast before a hit roll in combat, it causes E.J. to score double damage on the next strike, but only half damage on the hit after that.
Spell books, Firefingers, Fireballs, the dragonhide jacket and even E.J. are not available in the fourth book. Both spell books are also unavailable in books five and six; in the former case because Merlin has run out of time, and in the latter because no magic will work on account of the curse on Camelot.
Running Jokes
- In every book, once you are killed you have to turn to the infamous section 14. This rule is true for all of J.H. Brennan's gamebooks, except the DemonspawnSagas of the DemonspawnSagas of the Demonspawn is a four issue gamebook series written by J. H. Brennan and illustrated by Goeff Taylor and John Blanche .The books feature a protagonist named Fire*Wolf in a continuing storyline....
series where the killed player must go to the section 13. - Merlin's eccentricities are showcased in each book with Merlin acquiring a new dwelling, more bizarre and off-the-wall than the last. In Castle of Darkness, Merlin lives in a log castle. He's moved to a crystal cave in Den of Dragons. By Gateway of Doom, he has moved into the lightning-blasted remains of an ancient druid oak. Voyage of Terror shows Merlin trying out a magical bubble spell which places a home of sorts at the bottom of the well in the town square of Glastonbury Village. In Kingdom of Horror he has created a home in the shape of a large six-sided die up in the Welsh Mountains. Realm of Chaos actually showcases two of Merlin's homes: the first being the enormous barrel-shaped house he is living in at the beginning, and the second one being a sort of abandoned fortress in the Astral Plane. Tomb of Nightmares has Merlin living inside a hollowed-out roc egg, presented to King Arthur by a drunken Arab sailor and given to the wizard when the King had no other idea of what to do with it. Only the final book in the series omits specific details about Merlin's home, though wherever it stands, there is a one-way door out of it which leads into Hell.
- In Realm of Chaos, Pip finds a book "about some idiot called Fire*Wolf", who is the hero of Demonspawn, another series by J.H. Brennan.
- Upon meeting Pip, most people recognize him as "...the one that put paid to old Ansalom, eh?" Ansalom, as previously noted, was the villain in the first book. In addition, the further along in the series one gets, the more titles get appended to Pip's name. By the end of the series, Pip is known as the Wizard Basher, Dragon Slayer, Gateway Closer, Realm Saver, and Chaos Tamer and is often addressed by all of those titles at once by Merlin or E.J. and often at times when brevity would be far better for the circumstances.
External links
- J H Brennan Book Covers & Info
- J H "Herbie" Brennan's personal website
- Demians' Gamebook Web Page Guide to GrailQuest gamebooks.