Line #38 Literature/Sorcery


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/crown_of_kings.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:One crown to rule them all. It's good to be the king!]]
3
4	''Sorcery!'' is a {{Gamebook}} series that is a spin-off of ''Literature/FightingFantasy'', intended as a DarkerAndEdgier companion series aimed at adults. It comprises four volumes, which form one large over-arcing adventure:[[note]]''The Sorcery Spell Book'', an illustrated version of the spellbook eventually provided as part in the other volumes, was also published.[[/note]]
5	* ''The Shamutanti Hills''
6	* ''Kharé -- Cityport of Traps''
7	* ''The Seven Serpents''
8	* ''The Crown of Kings''
9
10	You have the option of playing as a wizard or a warrior; wizards are [[SquishyWizard given lower initial stats]] than warriors but can use the spell system, which consists of three-letter codes the player has to memorise and various items involved in the casting of spells. The series was designed chiefly to be played as one epic, but each volume can be played separately. It was written by Steve Jackson (the British one).
11
12	The plot is as follows: the Kingdom of Analand is given a magical crown, the Crown of Kings, that is passed around each year to a different kingdom as it grants the power to rule wisely. But something wicked happened: one night, Birdmen stole the Crown and took it to the cursed castle of Mampang, where rules the nefarious Archmage who has decided to rule over the land of Khakabad. Analand decides to send a single warrior/wizard in order to retrieve the Crown.
13
14	[[http://www.inklestudios.com/sorcery All four books have now been released by Inkle]] as [=iOS=], Android Applications and PC compatible games as of 2016. On the 23rd of June 2022, all four chapters are compiled and released as a Single Game for the Platform/NintendoSwitch. The video game versions start out as relatively straightforward adaptations but gradually diverge, adding much new content and changing characters or locations. See the ''VideoGame/{{Sorcery}}'' video-game page.
15
16	The series has twice been adapted into a multiplayer adventure for TabletopRPG campaigning, once for use with the d20 system and another for the ''Advanced Fighting Fantasy'' system itself.
17
18	Not to be confused with ''Literature/{{Sourcery}}''.
19	----
20	!!''Sorcery!'' provides examples of the following tropes:
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22	* AbsurdlySpaciousSewer: Present in Kharé. If you're not careful, you can end up in them.
23	* AdvertisedExtra: A Slime Eater appears on the cover of multiple editions of Book 2, but only appears as an optional battle in the book itself. Furthermore, it's a type of enemy rather than a specific monster and you can fight more than one of them if you get lost in the sewers. Compare that with the Manticore from Book 1, who also appears on multiple versions of the cover but functions much more like a traditional boss battle.
24	* AllThereInTheManual:
25	** As noted above, the spellbook was originally printed separately from the gamebook itself.[[note]]The spell book was originally part of a boxed set with ''The Shamutanti Hills'', but this went out of print because of retailer resistance to boxed sets at the time.[[/note]] Ultimately the books were reprinted with the spellbook included in the back.
26	** The Sun Serpent, being TheUnfought (it's already captured by Fenestra prior to the story's events) is the only serpent whose stats aren't revealed at any point of the book. Supplementary materials would reveal that it's quite a dangerous opponent if faced directly, with SKILL 13 (a score shared with its direct counterpart, the Moon Serpent) and STAMINA 18. If slain in battle, the Sun Serpent will turn into a Sun Jewel.
27	** In ''Sorcery! 4: The Crown of Kings'', there is a creature encounter who is aggressive if you act meek but is submissive instead if you act aggressive, with no further background detail provided. According to Steve Jackson (author for the original gamebook), the creature's name was apparently Nibdum, a mutant from the results of the experiments in Mampang. These unmentioned details were written into the adaptations by Arion Games' ''Advanced Fighting Fantasy'' as well as that of Inkle.
28	* AlluringFlowers: The first book has a field of black lotus flowers that emit a powerful, sweet-smelling scent enticing passers-by to automatically stray off their path and then wander into the lotus field, before falling over after breathing in the lotuses' sweet-smelling, fatal poison.
29	* AlwaysChaoticEvil:
30	** The Red-Eyes. Nasty little {{Jerkass}}es. Whenever you meet Red-Eyes, you are ''always'' in deadly danger. And even running away from them is not the best option.
31	** {{Subverted}} with the Birdmen. They are introduced as a race of servants of the Archmage, but in the last book, you join forces with a group of rebels who oppose him.
32	* AntiFrustrationFeatures: If you miss any of the spell lines in Kharé, then the game provides an opportunity to go back to before you went down the wrong [[StoryBranching Story Branch]] on occasion (there is a character who will direct you to a different spell line depending on how many you already have, and there is an item that will take you directly to the location of the fourth line at any given time).
33	* AntiMagic:
34	** The Minimites are small sprites with an aura that prevents the use of magic at short range. It is quite problematic in the first book where one such creature, [[TheMillstone Jann]], takes a liking to the protagonist and follow him around, refusing to leave even when asked to. Worst, the aura doesn't protect against hostile magic cast from outside it, only preventing spellcasting. Plus, since spells are CastFromHitPoints, you don't find out about the aura until the first try, costing you STAMINA, as the little twit never bothers to warn you.
35	** One of your spells can do this, deflecting any magical spells used against you.
36	* BagOfHolding: The Gnome trader in Kharé has an extra-large bag. This can be very valuable, for whenever you find an item that makes you get rid of another item first, this overrides that ruling. So you can store whatever and however much you want in it.
37	* BaitAndSwitchBoss: Subverted: in ''The Crown of Kings'', [[spoiler:you reach the top of the Fortress only to find that it is a prison cell for Farren Whyde, who directs you to another fortress. If you reach this second fortress you meet an unnamed wizard who turns out ''not'' to be the Archmage; Farren Whyde ''was'' the Archmage in disguise, and you have to time travel back to your first meeting to fight him.]]
38	* BarrierWarrior: There are 3 types of defensive magical shields available; a spell which creates a force field around you, one which instantly forms an invisible wall between you and your opponent, and one which forms a small, invisible weightless shield attached to your wrist. The first two are rather costly in STAMINA, though, while the last one is relatively cheap at the cost of 1 STAMINA point and 1 gold piece.
39	* BathroomStallGraffiti: In the Mampang fortress, the latrine scene is accompanied by an illustration with some really hilarious graffiti. "A Bird in One Hand Can Make a Horrible Mess"... really Steve Jackson?
40	* TheBeastmaster: One of the first spells wizards can learn allows them to control animals... but only for a very limited amount of time. Usually if this spell is available as a choice, the option it gives involves the player using the spell to order hostile animals to leave them in peace.
41	* BigFirstChoice: Whether to be a wizard or a warrior when starting the first book.
42	* BlindedByTheLight: Using a Sun jewel, the SUN spell can do this to your opponents.
43	* BlowYouAway: Using a Galehorn, one of your spells can create whirlwinds that can knock back or lift opponents.
44	* BodyHorror: Most of the effects of the Mutant Meatballs. You can grow a third arm, a horn, sprout hair all over your body... the worst outcome is the reorganization of your internal organs and an enlargement of your brain which had it bursting through your cranium, two instances that leads to your imminent death.
45	* BodyToJewel: The Moon Serpent, owing to its magical nature, turns into a CrystalBall you can collect and use after its defeat. Its counterpart, the Sun Serpent, supposedly turns into a Sun Jewel if slain too, although [[AllThereInTheManual you wouldn't know that since you don't get to battle or slay it in the book]].
46	* BondVillainStupidity: [[spoiler:The Archmage tricks you into entering his prison tower of your own accord. When you run into his badass wizard form, he locks you up without killing you or even taking your belongings, giving you the opportunity to escape. Then, when you confront him for the second time, he's stuck in the weak form of Farren Whyde and is forced to assume his demonic form to fight you, enabling you to kill him while he's still extremely vulnerable.]]
47	* BoringButPractical: The HUF spell, which creates a gust of wind. It costs a single stamina point and the item you need to cast it can be easily obtained if you [[spoiler:follow the directions to Shadrack's house at the beginning of the third book.]] While it isn't the most dramatically satisfying or flashy solution, you can use it to [[spoiler:one-shot two of the Seven Serpents and weaken a third.]]
48	* ButThouMust: The Svinn chief tasks you with saving his daughter, and there's no way around it.
49	* BuyOrGetLost: Most shopkeepers in Kharé will respond with hostility if you enter their shop without buying anything. Exaggerated in the Baklands, where if you didn't purchase anything from the Dark Elf caravan, they will crucify you on the spot and leave you to die.
50	* CastFromHitPoints:
51	** How your magic works. The most basic and powerful spells cost 4 STAMINA points, the more niche and average-powered ones 2 STAMINA points, and all the spells also necessitating an item cost only 1 STAMINA point. The ZED spell is the most costly of all.
52	** The only other enemy who does this is a fox who can set itself on fire.
53	* CastFromMoney: The WOK spell, which creates an invisible shield at the cost of 1 gold piece.
54	* CastingAShadow: One of the spells will render the surrounding in total darkness, as long as it is cast in an enclosed environment.
55	* ChekhovsGun: Several times, making for nice continuity between the books. There are a number of items that you can obtain in one book that won't have any purpose in that adventure, but will in subsequent books. Most notably, the locket you can find in ''The Shamutanti Hills'' won't have any obvious purpose at all until very late in ''The Crown of Kings'' if you remember the portrait within.
56	* ChekhovsGunman: In book 1 you fight a highwayman; if you spare his life, he will meet you as an ally in the second book. [[spoiler:And the other installments as well in the app versions.]]
57	* ContinuityNod: One of the items you can use in spellcasting is a ring of green stone mined from Craggen Rock, the setting of ''Literature/TheCitadelOfChaos''.
58	* CoversAlwaysLie:
59	** The [[https://fightingfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/The_Shamutanti_Hills_(book)?file=FF_Sorcery_Original.jpg original cover]] of ''The Shamutanti Hills'' shows the Manticore outside of the cave. In the game itself, the Manticore battle takes place inside.
60	** The [[https://fightingfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/The_Seven_Serpents_(book)?file=Sor03WizSLE.jpg reprint edition]] of ''The Seven Serpents'' actually shows all Seven of the titular Serpents on the front cover, implying you will have to do battle with all seven at once. No such things happens in the book, although it could be justified as part of the narration by Shadrack the Hermit, which does occur in the book. Alternatively, it can also be justified that the reprint cover with all seven elemental serpents [[RuleOfCool looks way cooler than the original]].
61	* {{Cthulhumanoid}}: You encounter one of these in Kharé, who works as a cook. If you try to rob him, you'll find out his tentacles carries a nasty sting that can do additional damage to your stamina.
62	* CurbStompBattle: When you encounter the wizard that appears to be the Archmage, he will do this to you regardless of whether you attack him with sword or spell.
63	* DarkerAndEdgier: The books were aimed at older readers than ''Literature/FightingFantasy'', and the writing and illustrations reflected this.
64	* DarknessEqualsDeath: In the Mampang Fortress, there is a section where you will need to cross a room which is shrouded in permanent darkness, that no spells, not even the Illumination, will work in your favour. Trying to use a candle made of firefox blood, and you ''will'' die in one of the room's several traps.
65	* DeadlyDodging: In ''The Crown of Kings'', you can get confronted by three hostile Red-Eyes (humanoids with deadly EyeBeams). They're usually very dangerous, but the option to use the TEL spell (to read their minds) leads to a CurbStompBattle. By allowing the protagonist to anticipate when they unleash the fiery gaze attack, he can maneuver one into missing him and instead killing his two companions. The last one is then an easy pick as he's paralyzed by the horror of what he'd done.
66	* DemonicPossession: [[spoiler:Although it's not specifically stated, it's heavily implied that the Archmage is actually a demon who possesses humans as PeoplePuppets and gets them to do his bidding. You can raise Farren Whyde from the dead after the Archmage leaves his body, and he'll help you escape Mampang. Similarly, when you meet the wizard who you suspect of being the Archmage, he is ''never'' referred to as the Archmage, but rather the "spiky-haired fellow" or "the Sorcerer". When you confront him as Farren Whyde, he also refers to the Analander "knowing ''our'' secret", and being "more clever than ''any of us'' had imagined.".]]
67	* DevelopersForesight: If you kill six Serpents in ''The Seven Serpents'', but the only undefeated one is the Sun Serpent (which is AlreadyDoneForYou) and you're unaware it has been trapped, then the game allows you to claim the same bonus for defeating all seven Serpents.
68	* DisgustingPublicToilet: ''The Crown of Kings'' has one in the guard barracks, complete with illustration. You can search it if you want. [[spoiler:There's nothing useful or interesting at all there, and you risk catching a disease by searching it.]]
69	* DismantledMacGuffin: The four spell lines in Kharé.
70	* DoNotTouchTheFunnelCloud: In ''The Seven Serpents'', you meet a tiny tornado. Guess what happens if you touch it? [[spoiler:That's right, you get sucked into it.]]
71	* DoorStopper: ''The Crown of Kings'', which contains 800 freaking references. It is close to being the thickest gamebook ever. In terms of the number of encounters and areas, the book isn't actually much bigger than your typical ''Fighting Fantasy'' gamebook. What makes it so large is the sheer number of times you have the opportunity to cast a spell. Each opportunity has five separate spell choices, and many of those require specific spell components to work. Numerous references are nothing more than instructions to deduct STAMINA and then being asked if you have the spell component you need, and there are alternative versions of some encounters if you killed all of the Seven Serpents in the previous book.
72	* DoppelgangerSpin: One of your spells creates five mirror images of yourself, invoking this trope.
73	* DraggedOffToHell: In the third book, this is the ''worst'' ending you might suffer if you run afoul of the Seven Serpents' spirits. They will claim themselves to be your ally, offering you an incantation for your protection (that the book repeatedly asks, "accept their offer or move on?"). Repeat their incantation and you'll unintentionally disown your {{Patron God}}dess, Libra, leaving yourself helpless as the Spirits reveal themselves and merge into a giant face in the sky, before dragging you into their mouth with their tongue, effectively banishing you from your dimension to theirs.
74	* TheDreaded: The Archmage, to the civilized world.
75	* DyingAlone: The she-satyrs from ''The Crown of Kings'' embraces this tradition; if a member of their race catches any sort of disease, they will choose to venture away into the mountains to die by themself. You can come across a lone satyr in a cave who died of an infection called the Trembling Disease early in the adventure.
76	* ElementalPowers: The Seven Serpents, namely there are the [[DishingOutDirt Earth Serpent]], [[PlayingWithFire Fire Serpent]], [[MakingASplash Water Serpent]], [[CastingAShadow Moon Serpent]], [[BlowYouAway Air Serpent]], [[ThePowerOfTheSun Sun Serpent]] and the [[TimeStandsStill Time Serpent.]]
77	* EmpathicHealer: Implied to be the case for Javvine, a blind healer whose body is corroded with a multitude of different plagues. When you converse with her, she'll offer to read your palm, and if you happen to be carrying any sort of disease you can feel the sickness leaving your body... and entering hers. Don't worry, you can repay her by eliminating her tormentors later on.
78	* EverythingsDeaderWithZombies: And you know what makes it even cooler? Having the zombie explode and each of his body parts attacks you separately!
79	* EyeBeams: Red-Eyes are a race of lanky humanoids whose eyes are constantly closed. That's because when they open them, they can shoot fiery beams that are quite deadly. Having such a lethal weapon at their disposal has made all of them conceited bullies.
80	* EyeOfNewt: The magic system in the ''Sorcery!'' series has some interesting examples, but the one that takes the cake is probably the one where you have to have a green wig for the spell to work. Makes you wonder just what the process is for finding out the material component...
81	* EyeScream:
82	** While in the Baklands, you may get attacked by a massive beetle with acidic pus for blood, which it discharges on you every time you inflict a hit on the monster. On an unlucky die roll of 1, the blood hits you in the face, blinding your right eye permanently and taking away a huge chunk of your life.
83	** In the last book, you can try to use the Creature Copy spell while fighting the hobgoblin chef, by using a golden-backed mirror to summon a reflection of your enemy. But that only backfires as the hobgoblin chef, realizing you're casting a spell, decide to smash your mirror instead, where the shards will end up in your eyes and blinds you permanently.
84	* TheFairFolk: The Elvins in the first book. They are quite a nuisance, to say the least.
85	* FairyCompanion: Jann the Minimite is a glorious [[DeconstructedTrope deconstruction]] because his anti-magic aura makes him TheMillstone.
86	* FaunsAndSatyrs: The fourth book has a colony of She-satyrs, an all-female race of satyrs who lives in the mountains outside the Mampang Fortress. They are neutral and would help you in your quest, especially if you're playing as a warrior.
87	* FlyingSeafoodSpecial: Taking an alternate route in Lake Iklakla to avoid the Water Serpent will instead have the player being attacked by a horde of flying fish with razor-sharp teeth, and pounces out the water en-masse.
88	* ForcedTransformation: In the encounter with Manata the Snake Charmer in third book, one of the bad endings reveals that Manata's snakes are actually his enemies, which you found out after you ticked him off the wrong way and end up getting transformed into a snake yourself.
89	* GenieInABottle: If you're playing as a warrior without any magical abilities, then the ''only'' way for you to win is to find the Satyrs and obtain a bottle containing a magical genie, which can send you out of the prison cell to re-encounter Farren Whyde and expose him as the Archmage. It's also a less complicated method comparing to using the ZED Spell (should the player have assumed the role of a wizard), since summoning the genie wouldn't drain a massive chunk of the player's lifespan or screw up the transportation process, leaving players stuck elsewhere thanks to incorrect use of the ZED spell.
90	* GlassCannon: The Red-Eyes are lanky humanoids with extremely dangerous EyeBeams; one hit is enough to cripple the protagonist, and two is certain death. However, if you manage to get close enough for melee, they happen to have pathetic STAMINA scores.
91	* GottaCatchEmAll: In Book 3, ''The Seven Serpents''. Guess what you need to find and kill. [[spoiler:You actually have to slay only six of them, as the Sun Serpent is AlreadyDoneForYou.]] Note that it's not actually necessary to kill all the Serpents; the primary mission is to successfully cross the Baklands. However, there is a penalty for doing really badly and only killing one or two Serpents, and two special bonuses for managing to kill them all.
92	* GuideDangIt: In ''The Crown of Kings'', you can get stuck in a hallway with nowhere to go but [[spoiler:a flaming inferno]] that kills you instantly. Good thing you've probably learned [[spoiler:a password for a hidden door]]. Too bad you were supposed to use it ''earlier'', with no hint that it was relevant.
93	* HalfHumanHybrid: The Svinns and Elvins are of Orc/Human and Elf/human descent respectively. Both types seem to have been around long enough to be self-sustaining communities, having their own villages in the Shamutanti Hills and also living in Kharé.
94	* HealingSpring: The Crystal Waterfall in the first book, which restores all your stats to its initial level and can remove any diseases you might have picked up during your quest.
95	* HoistByHisOwnPetard: The Red-Eyes are sadistic bullies who revel in being able to maim and kill people with their eye beams, but a wizard can turn it against them. Using the TEL spell in one encounter allows you to read a Red-Eye's mind and trick him into shooting his friends instead of you. Using the KIN spell creates duplicates of all the Red-Eyes, who will shoot and kill the originals.
96	* HopelessBossFight:
97	** The Sleepless Ram is a marbled statue that is absolutely indestructible, and trying to fight it directly will have you being trampled to death. You can obtain a vial of liquid from Dintainta or cast a quicksand spell to slow it down, but your best bet is to flee from its assault and make your way to the next exit.
98	** In the fourth book, you meet a freaking huge Hydra with the heads of ''gods'' in a cave. It has huge stats and if you manage to hit it, it will automatically strike back and cause injury to you. What you're supposed to do is [[spoiler:lose a round and the Hydra will be revealed to be an illusion.]]
99	* HornedHumanoid: The Archmage has some strange horns that look metallic. However, nothing confirms they might be another crown.
100	* HotWitch: Alianna is described so.
101	* InformedAttribute: Kharé is painted by the narrative as a den of absolute depravity and evil. There are ''plenty'' of evildoers in the city, including the aforementioned Red-Eyes, but there are also merchants and ordinary citizens who seem to just be living their lives, or are even benign. [[spoiler:Even the priest of the God of Malice seems AffablyEvil at absolute worst.]]
102	* InnOfNoReturn: One in Kharé, which [[ImAHumanitarian serves up its customers in the stew]].
103	* InvisibleMonsters: The Snattacats from the Forest of Snatta are big cats which become invisible when they close their eyes.
104	* InvoluntaryDance: The JIG spell, by playing a bamboo flute, allows you to give enemies the uncontrollable urge to dance a merry jig. It is easy to exhaust a creature or provide time to escape this way.
105	* JustEatGilligan: At the end of ''Crown of Kings'', the Analander is stuck in a jail cell with Jann the Minimite, whose AntiMagic aura prevents him from casting any spell [[spoiler:except ZED, which kills the Minimite]]. There are windows that open to a huge height, causing death to anyone who falls from them (as you will find out if you try using an inoperant FAL spell). Jann tells you he refuses to jump outside the window to enable your spells. But you are ''not'' given the opportunity to pick up Jann -- who, remember, was originally described as being ''finger-sized'' -- and throw him outside the window. Yes, it would be an awful and evil thing to do, but wouldn't desperate times call for desperate measures?
106	* LastDiscMagic: The ZED spell is described as possibly the most powerful spell in existence, although nobody knows its purpose as the only person in history to cast it disappeared without trace, and [[CastFromHitPoints removes almost twice as much Stamina as any other spell]]. The game gives you the opportunity to cast it only once, near the end of the fourth book (it is possible to find out what it does before that).\
107	Which you better -- turns out that ZED is a spell for [[spoiler:traveling through time.]] If you learn before what it does, you are specifically instructed to concentrate very hard on exactly what you want to achieve, and will do just that. If not... well, you get a completely random rolls whose results range from 2 different [[FateWorseThanDeath fates worse than death]] ([[spoiler: Either becoming stuck in the prehistoric past or in the distant future millions of years after life on the planet... with a bone-chilling note that "without control of the spell, you will eventually deplete your STAMINA trying to recast it, and have no hope of ever returning to your own time."]]), and several that players would probably consider that anyway (the cruelest probably being [[spoiler: ''to return to paragraph 1 of the Shamutanti Hills!'' From the very end of the last book!]]).\
108	Also notable for being so powerful that minimite antimagic auras can't stand it. [[spoiler:You use it to escape from a prison cell in which you're trapped alongside the one from the first book, who is crippled and dying, and the final sight you see before being transported through time is his body convulsing in agony as his aura overloads with your magic.]]
109	* LethalChef: A literal one. You will meet a female Goblin cook in the Mampang fort who will prove to be quite dangerous.
110	* LivingStatue:
111	** At the entrance of the Gambling Halls in Kharé, you can find a bronze effigy guarding a pot of gold, which will come to life and attack you if you try stealing from it. If you choose to fight it, you can only hope to find its sole weak spot, use the MUD spell to drag it into quicksand or simply get clubbed to death by the invincible statue.
112	** The Temple of Courga in the same book also have gargoyles which comes to life if you try stealing any treasure in the hall. However you're not given an opportunity to fight; the narration simply said you're outnumbered by the statues and is forced to leave at once, therefore missing an essential clue (the Kissing Ritual) rendering your mission unwinnable.
113	** The Sleepless Ram in the Mampang Fortress, which guards the Archmage's quarters. It comes to life and is virtually indestructible to all attacks, and your only hope is to slow it down enough to escape.
114	* MagicKnight: You, if you play as a wizard. You get a penalty for SKILL, but are still functional in sword combat.
115	* MasterOfIllusion: Wizards can access two types of Illusion spells. One of those can create a pile of fake treasure which is useful in distracting enemies or be used as bribe, while another that requires the use of a bracelet made of bones can be used to fool enemies into seeing things, such as the caster turning into a much more powerful opponent.
116	* McGuffin: The Crown of Kings itself.
117	* TheMillstone: Jann the Minimite. This little twerp will hang with you in the latter part of book 1. Why is it a problem? He has an aura that prevents you from using magic! Oh, and even though you eventually get rid of him at the end, he will return in book 4, preventing you from escaping from jail....
118	* MindScrew: Just who or what the Archmage really is, for crying out loud? The original books made him an enigmatic if not undeveloped antagonist, and while the Inkle Adaptation gave him significant background and characterization, the additional time travel plot elements makes the story just as difficult to interpret.
119	* MirrorMatch:
120	** In Kharé, you come across a magic paintbrush that paints a portrait of you. If you let the brush finish painting uninterrupted, your portrait will come to live and attack you.
121	** And then there's a spell that requires a golden mirror, which can summon a duplicate of your enemy to fight on your behalf.
122	* MoeGreeneSpecial: The murderer Vanghorn will loose an arrow at you before fighting you, and on an unlucky die roll of 1, his arrow ends up in your eye -- which [[OneHitKill kills you on the spot]] regardless of your STAMINA level.
123	* MusclesAreMeaningless: The strength spell can boost your muscles to more than six times its mass... and is utterly useless in most of the situations you can use it in. Trying to use your strength on the flying fish swarm, and the narration states "there are far too many fishes for your increased strength to have any effect", while using it against the Mucalytics and you find out your increased power couldn't affect the monster's blob-like flesh. Not to mention you can't access this spell until gaining the Fire Water in the third book, and various other spells you can gain ''before'', such as the razor or speed spell, are ''far more effective'' in most situations.
124	* NoFairCheating: A crucial point of ''The Crown of Kings'' requires use of an item obtained in the previous book. To ensure honesty as much as possible, the book asks you how you obtained the item in question.
125	* NonStandardGameOver:
126	** Getting stranded in Kharé because you don't know all four of the spell lines.
127	** Getting trapped in the past or the future by incorrect use of the ZED spell.
128	* NotCompletelyUseless:
129	** As mentioned above, the locket you find midway through the first book has no function at all except in one of the final encounters in the last book.
130	** In addition, every spell that is not the main six seems like it would be extremely situational, but they all have their uses.
131	* NothingIsScarier: The Spiny Ones' lair is completely pitch-black, meaning the Analander can never see the exact nature of the threat, only that there's ''something'' very big in the room.
132	* NotSoDifferentRemark: Several characters in the iOS versions of the first three books imply that the Crown of Kings is more than it seems, and the King of Analand is not the benevolent ruler he appears to be. Some explicitly say that the Archmage is not worse than the King.
133	* OldSaveBonus:
134	** Playing the previous books usually gives a huge advantage for the later ones (as you are allowed to carry over items and other benefits such as recognizing characters from previous volumes), especially in the last book.
135	** Successfully killing all seven serpents stops you from being recognized when you reach the fortress in ''The Crown of Kings'' (by means of turning to a new reference any time you are referred to as "the Analander").
136	* OneWingedAngel: The Archmage attempts one at the very end. [[spoiler:It is not so cool.]]
137	* OnlySmartPeopleMayPass: Vancass, a hunchbacked sorcerer, prevents the Analander from crossing a bridge unless he can answer several questions relating to names in Shamutanti. It's less "smart" rather than "knowledgeable".
138	* OurElvesAreDifferent: Black Elves. They think they're superior, and don't take kindly to being made fools of, despite how easy it is. They're also usually antagonists.
139	* OurGiantsAreBigger:
140	** You meet a big unfriendly giant in the Shamutanti Hills.
141	** And a spell lets you summon a Giant from a severed tooth.
142	* OurGoblinsAreDifferent: Not so much... except that by collecting their severed teeth, you can summon a Goblin from each one of them! Problem is, they're, ahem, quite weak fighters. Plus, you need to spend a STAMINA point for ''each one'' summoned. This is more trouble than it is worth if you want to use them in regular combat.
143	* PatheticallyWeak: ''The Crown of Kings'' shows you can get into a fight against a huge, ogre-like champion who lunges at you with an ax. You can choose to fight it, run from it, or cast a spell. If you choose to fight, to your surprise, he goes down automatically in one hit.
144	* PatronGod: The players are guided by their patron goddess, Libra, who will help them ''once'' (and only once!) per book. Either by restoring the player's life stats to maximum level, erasing all curses and diseases the players might have the misfortune of picking up, or creating miracles to get the players out of tricky situations (again, ''just once'' per book!).
145	* PlayingWithFire: One of the most powerful spells lets you cast a fireball.
146	* PlotHole:
147	** Incorrect use of the ZED spell in ''The Crown of Kings'' [[spoiler:can send you as far back as the beginning of ''The Shamutanti Hills''... with all your inventory, including several spell-casting items that you shouldn't be able to acquire for several books, intact.]] This problem was caused by the series not being written as a whole, but one book at a time. It was thankfully corrected in the 20th Anniversary reprint [[spoiler:wherein you have ''all'' your items reset to the beginning specifications, money included, but you get to keep the ability scores ''at their new maximum''.]]
148	** If you eat Mutant Meatballs and transform to look like the same race/species as Mampang's guards, you will gain the same advantage as if you killed the Seven Serpents. However, if you meet Cartoum and use this special advantage, he will be described as being surprised to see a human just like him. Which doesn't make sense if you have been transformed.
149	** One of the secrets of the Throben Doors is held by Naggamanteh the torturer. If he doesn't recognize you (because you killed all of the Seven Serpents), then the encounter makes sense. If he ''does'' recognize you, then he will happily give you the secret of the Throben Door [[spoiler:if you compliment his torture chamber]] and lets you go despite knowing full well who you are and what your mission is, which makes rather less sense. Unless, of course, [[spoiler:taking good care of his torture chamber]] really means ''that'' much to him.
150	** The encounter with the Sleepless Ram gives you the option to use an item which can never be obtained in any of the books, although this may have been a [[NoFairCheating cunning plan to catch cheaters out]].
151	* PoisonedChaliceSwitcheroo: You will meet a witch (who does ''not'' take no for an answer when she will invite you for a drink) who'll serve you a drink... and will test your trust by poisoning her own mug.
152	* PoisonousPerson: The Mucalytics in the fourth book are so very poisonous, one breath from their trunk can kill you on the spot. They're also hostile and attacks on sight.
153	* PortalPool: In Kharé. [[spoiler:They lead to the sewers.]]
154	* QuicksandSucks: One spell allows you to create quick-sucking quicksand.
155	* QuirkyMinibossSquad: The Seven Serpents again. Their task is to spy on you and inform the Archmage of your arrival.
156	* RapidAging: The first book sees you coming across an old man stuck in a tree in the Shamutanti Hills, who gave you a page from a spell book in return for helping him, saying he got the page from a sorceress. Later in the adventure, you come across that very sorceress, whom you can return the page to — according to her, a young thief stole that page from her a week ago, but she managed to cast an aging spell on him as he flees.
157	* RedHerring: Two in Kharé, with one involving an actual fish. At one point you see a fish in Kharé that seems to speak to you. If you try to listen to it, you'll hear something, but not enough to make out what it's saying. In another encounter, a voice from a well promises to share secrets if you throw gold coins down the well. Think you'll learn anything useful in either encounter? [[spoiler:No, you won't. You'll just get laughed at by a fish in the former and waste your money in the latter.]]
158	* ReptilesAreAbhorrent: You are definitely not going to meet friendly reptiles here. Especially in the third book, where snakes will be part of your many problems.
159	* RhymesOnADime: Vancass, the hunchbacked guardian of a bridge, speaks this way.
160	* RunOrDie: More often than not, in ''all four books'', you'll encounter enemies that is simply too powerful or too numerous for you to battle, with running like hell away from the scene being your best option. Be it headhunters in the Shamuntanti Hills, the Red-Eyes in Kharé, an entire pack of Snattacats, outnumbered by the Birdmen of Mampang, the Sleepless Ram...
161	* ScaryScorpions: You find a scorpion in a box that also contains gold coins and a key. If you get stung, you lose ''half'' your Stamina points. ''Each'' time.
162	* SchmuckBait: More often than not, the book will give you options for casting spells that are, logically speaking, completely useless in the situations they're given in. For instance, using the petrification spell against a Rock Demon (a monster ''already'' made of rock), the invisibility or illusion spells against a group of Red-Eyes (creatures whose eyes are closed the whole time, and relies on mystical senses instead of eyesight), the fireball spell against the Water Serpent, the thunderbolt spell against the Air Serpent... needless to say, in all these instances the outcomes are as useless as you'd expect.
163	* SeriesContinuityError: The bottle of gas you get given in ''The Seven Serpents'' has become a bottle of liquid by the time you use it in ''The Crown of Kings''. And the only way you can differentiate from others if you specify it was given to you by a woman (considering its description is ''very'' generic).
164	* SeriousBusiness: A puzzle in ''The Seven Serpents'' that requires you to remember the name of the god whose temple you're in says that you are "on your honour" not to check the reference that names them until you've guessed.
165	* SerpentStaff: In the Baklands, you can come across Dintainta of the Steppes, a sorceress who disguises herself as an old hermit. If you obtain her favour by giving her a magical item, she will give you her oak staff as a gift — a serpent-shaped staff that gives you a SKILL boost against snake-based enemies.
166	* ShockAndAwe: One of the most powerful spells lets you cast a lightning bolt out of your hand.
167	* SignsOfDisrepair: In the fourth book, you can eat from a jar labelled "ANT MEATBALLS", which turns out to be more delicious and nourishing that it sounds. But after you're done eating, the cook catches you and reveals that the label on the jar is partially damaged and you've consumed a massive quantity of "'''MUT'''ANT MEATBALLS". Cue IAteWhat
168	* SizeShifter: One of the spells available for wizards can enlarge their sizes up to three times. When used correctly in-game (such as in wide, opened spaces instead of a cramped environment), this will double the caster's skill stats and deliver a CurbStompBattle to their foes.
169	* SlayingMantis: In Kharé, players can come across the lair of the Mantis Man, a dangerous insectoid man who, due to its armoured appearance, [[NobodyHereButUsStatues like to disguise itself as a statue]] to ambush its victims, and then drag the victim's corpses to its nearby lair to feast on. It is however a non-sapient enemy — the Creature Control spell that affect animals only works fine on the Mantis Man.
170	* SlidingScaleOfGameplayAndStoryIntegration: The spellbook was originally a separate entity to the gamebooks themselves, sold in a boxset with ''The Shamutanti Hills''. This was because in-game, you weren't allowed to take the spellbook out of Analand and had to rely on memory alone. However, the need to make the volumes work as standalones and the unpopularity of boxsets with retailers at the time meant that this was quickly abandoned; by the time ''The Seven Serpents'' was first released the spellbook was now printed in the back of the gamebook, even though this made it easier to cheat.
171	* SnakeCharmer: Manata from the third book is a charmer who lives in a pit with his pets... who turns out to be his enemies he transformed with his magic flute.
172	* SpeaksFluentAnimal: A spell that requires a green wig allows you to converse with animals or non-human opponents.
173	* SquishyWizard: More or less averted. Playing as a warrior will give you higher Skill points, but not that much higher than the wizard's. You get a -2 penalty to Skill, which you can easily offset by obtaining a magic item from a witch in the first book that gives +2 attack strength when wielding a sword.
174	* SummonMagic: Two spells allow you to summon allies when needed, as long as you have teeth of the adequate creatures in your possession. GOB summons goblins, who are rather weak fighters. YOB summons a giant, who can give a better fight, as long as it has enough room to appear in the first place.
175	* SupernaturalFearInducer: Wizards can access a spell, used together with a black mask, to create a magical aura of fear in their enemies. The results varies depending on the intended victim's nature, however.
176	* SuperSpeed: A spell that is activated by smelling yellow powder can make you super-fast. It's mostly used as a defensive spell however; every opportunity you're given to use this spell is for fleeing from battles or dangers.
177	* TakenForGranite: The ROK spell, used together with a handful of stone dust, can petrify your opponents. Its solidifying rate varies depending on your opponents' sizes, however.
178	* {{Telepathy}}: The Telepathy spell, conveniently marked with the codeword TEL, allows wizards to read the minds of their enemies. Sometimes when used in combat, it can have absolutely impressive results (such as using it to trick three Red-Eyes into killing each other).
179	* TeleportationMisfire: Played absolutely straight with the Teleportation spell, which most of the time puts you in a worse situation than the one you're already in. Notably, trying to use it to escape a rock slide will have you teleporting ''closer'' to the falling rocks instead. The only one time the spell works is when you use it to escape the Archmage's Captain, but by doing so you're also missing an essential clue necessary for winning the game.
180	* TheUnfought: You can never fight the Sun Serpent, which the sorceress Fenestra magically captures. Its stats and abilities were never revealed until the ''Beyond the Pit'' sourcebook was published in 2013.
181	* TimeTravel: [[spoiler:With the ZED spell.]] Also in the iOS adaptation of the second book, you're given an option to go back in time if you don't have all the spell lines, and in the third you bounce between the thriving past and the barren present frequently.
182	* TokenHeroicOrc: While the Birdmen of Mampang Fortress are described to be the Archmage's most loyal servants, by the time you encounter them in the fourth book you learn that there are a small group of Birdmen on the side of good, who opposes the Archmage and is entirely on your side. It's in fact essential to befriend their leader, Peewit Croo, if you even want to succeed in the adventure.
183	* TooManyMouths: The Slime Eater, as illustrated on the original cover for ''Kharé — Cityport of Traps'', is a {{Cephalothorax}} monster with a huge maw, and smaller mouths on the tip of each finger.
184	* TortureTechnician: Naggamanteh the ogre, who watches over the Archmage's torture chamber. He's actually ''proud'' of his job, and delights in inflicting suffering from the various instruments he have.
185	* TheTreesHaveFaces: In the third book, this is how Shadrack the hermit reveals himself to you, by manipulating the branches of a tree you're resting against to form his face, which then talks to you and instructs you to his cave.
186	* UngratefulBastard: Subverted in the first book. You can free Alianna the witch from being imprisoned by bandits; she will reward you with giving you a few items... and then summons a wooden golem to fight you just for the fun of it. Thanks a lot. On the other hand the golem is not too hard to beat and the items are very useful.
187	* UnreliableIllustrator: When you get inside Kharé's Wayfafer's Rest inn, the text claims that nobody looks at you when you enter, but in the illustration, many characters ''are'' staring into your direction.
188	* UnusuallyUninterestingSight: This gets a passing mention when you publicly fights and kills the rogue Sightmasters in Mampang. The fight inevitably gets some attention, but since violence is commonplace in Mampang, the residents quickly lose interest and move on.
189	* UnwinnableByDesign:
190	** If you renounce your goddess Libra in ''The Seven Serpents'',[[note]]There's also a possibility to do so in Kharé, but that is a penalty for failing to solve a puzzle that makes that book unwinnable anyway.[[/note]] then ''The Crown of Kings'' is unwinnable right from section 1, although you'll only find out right at the end.
191	** Failing to find all four spell lines in Kharé, going the wrong way in the Mampang Fortress, or failing to get the secret of any of the Throben Doors also isn't really advised.
192	** If you're playing ''The Crown of Kings'' as a warrior instead of a wizard, it is still possible to win [[spoiler:provided you don't miss the She-Satyrs right at the beginning of the book.]]
193	* UselessUsefulSpell: So many cool spells! So little that you are given the option to use! You could spam destructive spells so many times on enemies, but are too often given useless spells, spells that can't function or even spells ''that don't exist'' as options.
194	* VideoGameCrueltyPotential: The second book, which is set entirely in Kharé, a crime-infested cityport. Naturally, you're given the option to act like a thief or a crook, partake in streetfights, attack a group of unarmed elves, and rob shopkeepers and bystanders alike without any guilt.
195	* ViolationOfCommonSense:
196	** In the first book's encounter with headhunters, if you succeed in testing your Luck you die no matter what [[spoiler:(you jump over a pit only to be caught by another obstacle)]]. You need to be Unlucky to stand any chance of surviving.
197	** The Archmage offers you the Crown of Kings in return for your sword and the condition that you leave at once. Does this work if you take him up on it? Of course not, but somehow it doesn't get you killed and is in fact the most direct and harmless way to finish the encounter.
198	* WeaksauceWeakness: Each one of the serpents has a weakness: [[spoiler:the Fire Serpent's is sand, the Water Serpent's is oil, the Moon Serpent's is fire, the Sun Serpent's is rain, the Air Serpent's is having its empty body destroyed, the Earth Serpent's is losing contact with the ground, and the Time Serpent's only weakness is a special spell owned by the Swamp Goblins.]]
199	* WeaponizedStench:
200	** One of the spells wizards can access is the NIF incantation, which creates a toxic cloud of noxious gas that causes anyone exposed to it vomit uncontrollably, and in some instances (such as when used against enemies with large noses) will actually kill them outright. Unfortunately, this spell affects the caster as well and they have to use a pair of nose plugs before casting it.
201	** In the mountainous areas of Kakhabad live the skunkbear monsters, which are essentially giant skunks. When a skunkbear feels threatened, it sprays a nauseating secretion from a gland underneath its tail, making the enemy gag from the stench and reducing their Skill score.
202	* WingedHumanoid:
203	** The [[BirdPeople Birdmen]] who stole the crown, kicking off your entire quest in the first place.
204	** There's also Jann the minimite, and the Elvins from the first book.
205	* WretchedHive: Kharé. It's a toss-up as to whether here or Port Blacksand from the mainstream ''FF'' continuity is a worse hellhole.
206	* YourMindMakesItReal: In the Mampang castle, you will be stopped by a double-door engulfed in flames. It is an illusion that will only burn you if you believe it is real.
207	* YourPrincessIsInAnotherCastle: Subverted -- [[spoiler:it turns out you were in the right castle in the first place.]]

Context Literature / Sorcery