Having written 9 of the last 10 books, the series creators started ramping up the use of other authors. This is the effort of Mark Smith and Jamie Thomson.

We're back to the standard starting equipment. So you get 10 provisions and a potion of your choice.

This one treats death rather oddly. Depending on how you die, you'll likely be resurrected. This sends you back to the last checkpoint. The first checkpoint is the start of the game so not really any different to just starting over. The second one is right near the end of the game and lets you keep retrying the endgame until you get it right.

1 - run (17) or draw sword (30)

If you run, you can hurl yourself through the archway and lose 2 stamina. Otherwise you confront the approaching people.

30 - Oh no! Trapped!

13 - another world (247), quest (60), play for time (75) or attack (5)

If you claim to be on a quest to destroy evil, they call you a liar. You can either tell the truth or play for time.

If you play for time, you lose a luck point and get forced to help them.

If you attack, you lose 1 skill and 2 stamina. Then you play for time (and lose a luck point)

So let's just tell them the truth.

247 - They realise you're telling the truth and wonder if you were sent by the gods to continue their quest.

100 - They explain that you need to take the talisman of death back to your own world.

125 - People are dying around you but the wizard finishes his spell.

185 - forest (256) or open ground (134)

Both paths lead to the same point but if you go through the forest, you can learn the information needed to pick up a shiny new suit of armour later on.

Option 1 - the forest

256 - back off (218), feed (52) or attack (232)

If you attack, she's skill 8 stamina 9. The druid then docks you a skill for being a dick and killing his friend. if you don't leave immediately after he curses you, you die. I guess what I'm trying to say is don't attack the she-wolf.

If you feed the wolf, you lose a unit of provisions. The druid is then so grateful he gives you a golden apple...that does exactly the same thing as a unit of provisions. Oh well, the upside to this otherwise pointless endeavour is that you learn the druid's name which is needed if you want the armour later on.

If you leave, well, you leave the area and continue on your way. What did you think was going to happen? :p

52 - Ah, his name is Wodeman. That's worth remembering.

159 - lucky (267), unlucky (135) or avoid (384)

If you try to avoid the basilisk, you lose 1 unit of provisions and skip the next encounter (it's a trap anyway, so you're not missing anything). If you just walk past it, you have a luck test to see if you lose 1 skill or not.

267 - The basilisk doesn't notice you.

270 - help (230) or not (65)

If you try to help the old woman, it turns out to be a skill 8 stamina 9 grendel which you then have to kill. Either way, you get to where the paths rejoin.

Option 2 - open ground

134 - orcs (68), elves (214), hills (63) or hide (148)

If you run toward the orcs, you die.

If you run toward the elves, you die.

If you hide, you lose all your gold pieces.

Let's take Iron Maiden's advice and run to the hills.

63 - elves (214), orcs (282) or run (227)

If you run at the elves, you die. God, this is starting to sound familiar.

If you run at the orcs, you have to fight 3 of them. (skill 5 stamina 6, skill 5 stamina 4 and skill 7 stamina 7)

If you keep running, you avoid both death and fighting.

227 - Run for the hills! Run for your lives!

203 - lucky (36) or unlucky (319)

If you fail the luck test, you lose 4 stamina before you attack the willow weird.

36 - Curiously, the willow weird has 8 extra stamina if you pass the luck test (skill 8 stamina 20 instead of skill 8 stamina 12) but this fairly irrelevant as the fight ends after you win 4 attack rounds anyway.

26 - pool (161) or run (39)

If you plunge your arms into the sap, you notice it has healing properties. You then collect some which allows you to heal 4 stamina. (basically an extra unit of provisions)

39 - river bank (359), river (253) or bushes (307)

If you run along the river bank, you die. Hiding in the bushes is a luck test. Fail and die. Wading up the river is the safest option here.

253 - This is where the paths rejoin. All things considered, you're better off taking the forest path.

Paths rejoin

65/331 - quest (101), another world (73), survivor (322), deaf (35) or demand (95)

If you tell them about your quest or claim to be from another world they demand your sword. If you hand it over, you lose 2 skill. If you don't hand it over, they take it off you...and you lose 2 skill.

If you claim to be a survivor, they ask where you're from. If you say Serakub, they take you to the city. Any other answer and they take your sword.

If you pretend to be deaf and dumb, they take you along but then they shout that there's an ambush. If you react, they take your sword.

Demand that they help you and they take your sword.

Assuming you want to keep your sword, you should claim to be a survivor or be deaf and dumb.

322 - spires (173), city (123) or serakub (191)

Serakub is the one that lets us keep our sword.

191 - Elvira doesn't like sharing her horse with you but she'll get over it.

268 - And we've reached the city.

296 - store street (357) or smith street (303)

Store Street has the chainmail you can get if you spoke to Wodeman but smith street lets you replace your sword if you lost it.

Option 1 - Store Street

357 - holy quest (198) or not (130)

If you say you're on a holy quest and you can correctly name the druid, follow her to the temple. She gives you the chainmail which adds 1 to your skill. Useful if the basilisk got you. It also opens up an extra option for leaving the city so it may be worth getting for that reason alone.

130 - give (179), attack (271) or deny (220)

If you give the talisman of DEATH to the envoy of DEATH. Something bad happens, I'll let you work out what it is.

The envoy of death is skill 8 stamina 6. Every time it hits you, you lose a skill point as well as the normal 2 stamina. If you attack it immediately, you get a free hit on it. If you deny having the talisman, it gets a free hit on you.

271 - Be careful, once he starts sapping your skill you can get into a nasty spiral and die.

Option 2 - Smith Street

303 - armourer (139) or not (104)

If you lost your sword, you can buy a new one for 7 gold pieces. Otherwise just move on.

104 - lie (81) or attack (96)

The minion of death is much like the envoy of death except skill 7 stamina 7. If you lie to him, he gets a free hit on you. Attack straight away and you get a free hit on him.

96 - This is a slightly easier fight than the envoy, but you can still get caught in a spiral of skill loss.

175 - You recover all your skill points except 1.

85 - staircase (245), jeweller (278) or store street (243)

If you go up the staircase you fight a pair of thieves (skill 6 stamina 7 and skill 7 stamina 6). Kill them and you get 6 gold pieces.

In the jeweller's some thieves burst in. If you side with the thieves, the jeweller is quickly killed. When you try to claim your share, the thieves try to kill you. Once you kill the first one (skill 6 stamina 7) the other one flees. Open the safe at any time and you get incinerated. If you side with the jeweller, you fight the same skill 6 stamina 7 thief. Only this time you get rewarded with 10 gold pieces and a ruby.

Paths rejoin

254/304/243 - library (346) or other building (279)

In the other building is a red book. If you read it you lose one luck point. The library is fairly boring but it won't hurt your stats.

346 - gods (336) or greyguilds (196)

Pick a book. None of them have any useful information.

336/196 - Whatever book you choose, you eventually leave the library.

186 - talisman (162) or not (150)

You get snared by a man-trap and lose 2 stamina. Then shadowy figures search you for the talisman.

162 - If you have the talisman, they steal it from you. If not, they grumble a bit then leave. Either way, you're still caught in a trap. You can't walk out.

128 - accept (143) or not (107)

If you didn't pick up the chainmail, you'll have to accept his invitation if you want to win. If you have the chainmail, it makes no real difference which one you choose.

Option 1 - accept invitation

143 - tell story (98) or not (92)

Sleeping the night lets you restore 4 stamina.

If you refuse to tell him your story, he kicks you out (but also gives you 5 gold pieces) and tells you to go to the Red Dragon Inn.

If you do tell him about the talisman, he gives you 5 gold pieces, a ring that raises skill by 1 (but is unlikely to help you all that much since you can't exceed your initial value) and most importantly a brooch that lets him identify you when you return that evening.

Option 2 - decline invitation

107 - An ogre attacks you while you sleep. You lose 2 stamina then fight the skill 8 stamina 10 ogre.

74 - You find an empty stable to sleep in.

91 - win (62) or lose (193)

You are then attacked by a skill 10 stamina 15 death knight. If he knocks you down to 6 stamina or if you win the fight, a paladin comes and gives you a holy sword. You gain 6 stamina and 1 skill for holding this sword.

Paths rejoin

98/121 - inn (57) or temple (221)

Anything you do at the temple will get you killed, go to the inn instead.

57 - give (47), ignore (156) or take (32)

The charm is cursed and will make you be rude to people. This gets you into a lot of fights so don't pick it up. Giving the charm back gets you a luck point for honesty. If you don't need the luck, just ignore it.

156 - charm (11) or not (3)

If you have the charm, you abuse the bartender. This gets you in a fight with the barman (skill 7 stamina 8) and the cut-throat (skill 8 stamina 9). Once you whittle their health down a bit, you test your luck. Lucky and you lose the charm, unlucky and you keep it.

3 - barman (88), old man (19) or thieves (280)

If you talk to the barman, he sends you to talk to the thieves.

The old man refuses to talk to you.

That doesn't leave us much choice.

280 - guild (145), business (246), retort (167)

If you retort that you aren't scared of them, they attack you. If you ask them where the guild is, they get offended and ask if you're calling them thieves. Whatever you say to them, you end up finding the entrance to the guild. Of course, they tell you the sucker's entrance which has a decent chance of killing you. I think we can do better, let's discuss business.

246 - The coal hole is a much better entrance than the storm drain. Substantially less dangerous.

169 - say nothing (2), leave (363) or introduce (374)

If you say nothing, Tyuychev says he doesn't like your face. You can then leave or attack. You gain nothing from fighting them so just leave . (If you do fight, Tyutchev is skill 10 stamina 12 and Cassandra is skill 9 stamina 10 plus Cassandra does 3 damage with every hit)

If you try to leave, Tyutchev tells you to stay. If you ignore him, he attacks.

If you decide to stay or choose to introduce yourself, he asks you why you are in the pub.

If you say you want to meet thieves or want a drink, you leave. If you tell him to mind his own business he asks you to apologise. Do so and you can leave, if not he attacks.

2 - taunt (294) or apologise (305)

Nothing to be gained from fighting them.

305 - leave (289) or attack (294)

It's still a bad idea to attack them.

289 - dinner (229), west (195) or northwest (394)

You gain a luck point for surviving the Red Dragon Inn. Obviously, if you got the invitation, you should visit your friend for dinner.

Otherwise either direction is fine.

Option 1 - dinner

229 - help (216) or ignore (273)

If you agree to help the boy, you fight a skill 8 stamina 12 vivisect. Once it's dead, you get a scroll of agonizing doom. This is useful but not essential.

273 - token (6) or not (131)

This is a silly question, the only way you can get an invitation also gets you the token. If for some reason you want to deny having it, you find a place to sleep, heal 4 stamina and continue on your way.

6 - If you do have the token, he gives you some advice about which way to go and how to summon the All-mother. You then restore 4 stamina and head on your way.

Option 2 - west

195 - You fight a skill 8 stamina 10 ice demon.

61 - house (49) or street (28)

If you go in the house you get an amulet made from unicorn horn.

28 - You see an inn and decide to stay the night.

15 - Staying here restores 4 stamina.

Option 3 - northwest

394 - shop (372) or not (28)

In the shop you can buy some interesting items.

The elixir of life costs 12 gold pieces and raises your initial stamina by 2 then heals you up to your new maximum.

Barkskin ointment costs 7 gold pieces but gives you a rash. You lose 2 stamina but get your money back.

A fortunate luckstone costs 10 gold pieces and gives you 1 luck point.

The vapours of speed cost 10 gold pieces and do absolutely nothing.

Buy what you need and let's head off.

28 - You see an inn and decide to stay the night.

15 - Staying here restores 4 stamina.

Paths rejoin

64 - thieves' guild (83), go it alone (383) or watch magic (106)

If you go to the temple without the help of the thieves, everything you do gets you killed.

If you watch the magic, you get invited to meet Mortphilio. Accept and you fight a skill 7 stamina 6 winged skull. You flee the necromancer and end up in the temple of death. If you join the congregation, you lose 4 stamina. If you flee, you die. If you try on one of the helmets, you gain 1 skill.

Since it's unlikely you need to restore any skill, just head to the thieves' guild.

83 - storm drain (183) or not (149)

If you got told about the storm drain, you face a luck test. Lucky and you lose 2 stamina. Unlucky and you get a harpoon through the chest and die. You then get to decide between attacking the thieves and getting killed instantly or talking to them.

If you take the coal hole, there is no danger.

149 - You greet the thieves.

209 - something (315), talisman (276) or jewellery (291)

If you claim that the job is to steal jewellery, they tell you to bugger off. From here all paths lead to death.

If you say you need them to steal "something" they ask what it is. If you tell them the location but not the object, they kill you.

Only way forward is to mention the talisman.

276 - The thieves agree to help you.

241 - silence (217) or ignore (228)

If you don't silence the old man, you get caught. This means a luck test to avoid dying followed by a fight with a skill 7 stamina 8 temple guard. If you fail to kill the guard withing 5 rounds, you die. Seems like we should take him out then.

217 - knock out (206) or kill (194)

If you stab him, he screams in pain and you get caught.

206 - stop (251) or allow (239)

If you stop the thief from killing him, the guards are alerted and you get caught.

239 - You lose a luck point but that's better than the alternative.

222 -1-4 (105) or 5-6 (132)

It seems Hawkana is unhappy about the whole breaking into the temple thing. She summons a pillar of flame on top of you. Rolling a 1-4 costs you 3 stamina but a 5 or 6 costs you 6.

105 - speed (76), amulet (87), scroll (59) or nothing (50)

Hawkana is skill 12 stamina 14 and only the scroll is likely to be of any help. The vapours do nothing, the amulet boosts your skill by 2 but again, doesn't let you exceed your initial so probably won't help. The scroll is pretty helpful though.

59 - The scroll knocks 8 stamina off her but she's still got skill 12 so it's still a tough fight.

44 - examine (54) or run (31)

You gain a luck point then notice Hawkana's wounds are healing.

If you try to run, she comes back and attacks you with skill 9 stamina 6. If you kill her a second time, you choose to examine her body.

54 - leave (16) or search (137)

Taking Hawkana's regenerative ring heals you for 6 stamina. If you don't leave immediately, however, the ring shrinks and severs your finger. This costs you 1 skill and 2 stamina.

16 - pass (163) or fail (56)

If you fail the skill test, you fall off the roof and lose 3 stamina.

163 - You land safely and continue on your way.

235 - attack (45) or get hit (141)

If you try to fight back, you lose 2 stamina and discover that the troll was an illusion.

141 - Harg disappears before his hammer hits you and you're safe.

171 - run (244) or stand ground (225)

If you stand your ground, you get incinerated by the fireball and lose 6 stamina.

244 - By running towards Tyutchev, the fireball grazes your back and only costs you 3 stamina.

265 - You fight Tyutchev (skill 10 stamina 12) until you manage to land a blow.

301 - call for god (330) or get brutally and horribly slaughtered (292)

In case I was too subtle in my description of the choices, we can't win this fight. We need the gods on our side.

330 - avatar (347), lifespirit (284), rocheval (361), all-mother (248) or fate (389)

The first 3 options are all duds. Absolutely nothing happens. Fate is not much better, he just tells you that it is your fate to die. Gee, thanks. The All-Mother is obviously the right answer here.

248 - chainmail (375) or not (258)

If you got the chainmail, you get the extra option of waiting around until after dark.

375 - moorgate (237), lie low (126) or cemetery (261)

Going straight out the Moorgate Arch gets you killed. The other two options are fine.

Option 1 - lie low (only if you have the chainmail)

126 - You come up against a skill 8 stamina 8 dark elf.

249 - You gain a luck point for escaping.

Option 2 - cemetery (only if you had dinner with the sage)

261 - ask (338), tell (311) or attack (288)

If you tell him to move or attack, he fights as a skill 9 stamina 8.Every time he wins an attack round you need to roll a die. On a 5 or 6 he knocks you out and robs you.

Far better to be polite.

338 - let him pass (379) or not (311)

If you let him pass, you avoid the encounter. If you don't, he attacks.

379 - There's nothing to gain from the fight anyway.

392 - lantern (274) or wall (99)

Examining the lantern gets you in a fight with a skill 7 stamina 8 ghoul. Should you fail to kill it within 5 rounds, you die. Better off ignoring it.

99 - You get a luck point for escaping the city.

Paths rejoin

8 - southeast (287), south then east (300), east then south (313)

As with most of this book, you can go whichever way you want.

Option 1 - southeast

287 - run (219) or stand ground (207)

If you run, you lose 2 stamina then fight a skill 9 stamina 10 wraith. Each time it hits you, you lose a skill point. After the fight you heal 2 stamina and all but one of the skill points lost in the fight.

Standing your ground makes the wraith go away and you recover a stamina point.

154 - examine (138) or hide (127)

If you keep the talisman hidden, you get killed. Let's examine it instead then.

138 - burn (388), break (164) or use (46)

Trying to burn the talisman once again gets you killed.

Speaking of horrific deaths, guess what happens if you try to break through the circle of wraiths?

Looks like we have no choice here.

46 - Using the talisman allows you to recover 2 stamina.

Option 2 - south then east

300 - You have a dream about Hawkana (not THAT kind of dream, sicko) and wake up feeling drained. At any rate, you lose 2 stamina.

116 - You are attacked by Hawkana's spirit which is skill 10 stamina 12.

108 - It was all a dream, you heal any damage you sustained during the fight.

326 - stand (18), kneel (27) or lie (37)

If you stand or lie down, the roc grabs you and takes you to her nest. The roc is skill 10 stamina 16 but after every blow you land, if you roll a 1, you instantly defeat it.

Kneeling avoids the whole incident.

27 - The roc misses you and decides to eat a horse instead.

Option 3 - east then south

313 - You lose 2 stamina then fight a skill 8 stamina 14 griffin. If you get it down to 6 stamina, it surrenders.

94 - plateau (86) or southeast (287)

If you let the griffin fly you, you skip forward a bit. Otherwise you go to the start of the southeast path.

Paths rejoin

20 - steps (328) or waterfall (33)

If you go into the waterfall and go through the dragon door, you can get a spear which is extremely useful later on.

328 - pass (308) or fail (277)

If you fail the skill roll and don't have a roc's feather, you die.

308 - The rocks miss you.

192 - I come in peace (151) or shoot to kill (172)

If you attack them, you lose 2 stamina and they drag you to their village.

If you tell them you come in peace, you can offer them a gift.

151 - food (133), ruby (122) or attack (172)

Offering them food causes offense. Offering them a ruby makes them happy. Either way you can still get to their camp so don't worry if you didn't get the ruby.

133 - go (365) or not (172)

Refusing to go is the same as attacking. Either way gets you to their base.

365 - portals (110) or city (90)

If you say you are looking for portals, the hogmen give you an essential item.

110 - You heal 2 stamina points and get the gum of an ambered pine.

7 - main (378) or narrow (48)

The main tunnel leads to the dragon, we are not ready to fight it yet. Let's get ourselves a shield first.

48 - spear (285), scales (269), treasure (38) or leave (369)

Plunging a spear in its back costs you 2 stamina. It also adds a luck test to your efforts to collect scales.

If you didn't stab him in the back, collecting his scales gets you an essential item without any danger.

Collecting treasure or leaving without the scales is instant death.

269 - You grab 3 dragon scales and get the hell out of here.

310 - gum (385) or not (369)

No gum means you die.

385 - You make a shield out of the dragon scales and gum.

69 - attack (382), warn (358) or threaten (275)

If you warn it that death sweeps the land, it doesn't care. Continued efforts to talk to it result in it trying to trick you into letting it murder you. If his attempts fail, you attack (with the same results as if you just chose to attack in the first place)

If you threaten, you have a life or death luck test then attack anyway.

Looks like we have to attack then.

382 - pass (34) or fail (79)

Fail the skill test and you lose your shield. Pass a luck test and you recover it at the cost of 4 stamina. If you're unlucky, you die.

34 - spear (51) or not (10)

The red dragon is skill 12 stamina 20. If you don't have a spear, you have to fight it normally.

51 - If you have the spear, you do 5 damage with each hit instead of 2.

29 - trust (77) or attack (12)

When you knock him down to 5 stamina, he turns into an old man and begs you to spare him. If you trust him, he kills you. Guess we'd better kill him then.

12 - Frail old men are generally much easier to kill than red dragons.

400 - And victory is ours.

Due to the general lack of essential items, pretty much any path will get you to the end. This gives you a freedom to explore not usually seen in FF. You need either the chainmail or to have dinner with the sage in order to leave the city and you need the dragon scales and pine gum to make the shield but everything else is merely helpful, not essential.

#11 Guide for Talisman of Death.