Literature / Sagas of the Demonspawn

Sagas of the Demonspawn is a Gamebook series by J.H. Brennan, with four books in the series:

• Fire*Wolf (1984)
• The Crypts of Terror (1984)
• Demondoom (1985)
• Ancient Evil (1985)

They focus on a wandering young Barbarian Hero named Fire*Wolf (yes, the asterisk is canonically part of his name) in the land of Harn who has been banished from his village and on the verge of dying, is rescued by an old hermit, Baldar, who later sends him on a quest to rescue his daughter, Yalena, who has been captured by the evil Demonspawn, that threatens to rule and destroy the world.

Despite it being authored by J.H. Brennan, the premise is surprisingly played straight, and in contrast with the usual gamebook fare, the references/paragraphs are very long and focus more on narration. A computer version produced by Tin Man Games retains Brennan's text but significantly updates the gameplay and adds new illustrations and achievements.

Not to be confused with the Demon Spawn storyline of the Supergirl comic.

For other gamebook series by J.H. Brennan, check out Horror Classic Gamebooks and GrailQuest.

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Sagas of the Demonspawn provides examples of:

• Adaptational Wimp: In the original books, Baldar is nigh-unbeatable because his chance to hit and his damage output are much higher than Fire*Wolf's. In the computer version, the changes to the battle mechanics give Fire*Wolf an equal chance to hit Baldar, and Baldar also does less damage overall. Baldar is still a worthy foe, to the point that beating him gives you an achievement, but he goes from being a Wake-Up Call Boss to a Warm-Up Boss.
• Anti-Frustration Features: The computer version allows players to choose between a "Casual" mode that allows them to fully heal at will, go back to previous pages, freely choose any page to skip combats and dice rolls if desired, and a "Gamer" mode that completely locks them into their choices, removes the full-heal option and prevents them from going to previous pages.
• Artificial Stupidity: A rare non-video game example. Several enemies can cast spells, but the book doesn't give any rules on when they actually cast them. This is apparently up to the reader's discretion, and they could Nerf the enemies by not having them use magic at all. The computer version corrects this, giving the enemies AI scripts to decide when they'll use magic.
• Attempted Rape: When Fire*Wolf is caught as a slave, he sees one of the slave-drivers about to take advantage of a young captive girl. He can choose to attack the man and protect her, at the cost of being whipped.
• Barbarian Hero: Fire*Wolf is almost a textbook example, except he is a teenager with long red hair.
• Big Good: Hadriana was a powerful sorceress who created Doombringer as a means of slaying a demon prince that threatened her people. She kept herself alive to counter the evil wizards who created the Demonspawn, and subtly guides Fire*Wolf into destroying the Spawn and eventually their masters.
• Book Dumb: The text repeatedly describes Fire*Wolf as a "man of action" who doesn't have much education or tact and prefers combat to philosophy. He still has to solve some serious puzzles in his adventures and is otherwise street smart.
• Captain Ersatz: Doombringer is obviously inspired by Stormbringer from The Elric Saga.
• Cast from Hit Points:
  • If Fire*Wolf gets captured by the slavers at the inn in the first book, he has to sacrifice some of his own life points to get Doombringer to cut him free. He also has to sacrifice his life force to activate its light-casting ability.
  • This also happens if Fire*Wolf uses Doombringer in the caverns of Serpentine Deep. Instead of transferring the enemy's Life Points to him, it'll drain an equal amount from both him and the enemy. The computer game partially averts this, simply draining one Life Point whether Fire*Wolf hits or misses while the enemy suffers normal damage. The computer game also gives Fire*Wolf the option of casting a fireball before a fight. If you do that, the magical barriers in the cavern will be disrupted and Doombringer will work normally.
• Character Level:
  • Fire*Wolf's Skill stat serves as experience points in the original book. He acquires a Skill point for every enemy or challenge he overcomes, which increases his Life Points and his chances to hit enemies in combat.
  • The computer version changes this by giving Fire*Wolf actual experience points and levels. Leveling up replenishes Fire*Wolf's hit points and magic points, makes him do more damage in combat and allows the player to improve one stat of their choice.
• The City Narrows: The Crypts of Terror opens with Fire*Wolf traveling to the capital city of Pelimandar. He's searching for the Alchemists' Guild so he can improve his magic skills. The Guild is in a less than savoury section of Pelimandar, infested with thieves and con artists.
• Clingy MacGuffin: Once Fire*Wolf picks up Doombringer, it is now magically bound to him and he cannot get rid of it, despite feeling it is a dangerous and evil weapon.
• Composite Character: Fire*Wolf has Conan's Barbarian Hero background, Book Dumb mentality and hatred of sorcery, combined with Elric's aristocratic and sorcerous background and magical life-draining sword.
• Damage-Sponge Boss: Enemies normally don't have much health, but the exception is the Sastzensqquash, which has a health score of 900 (to give you an idea, the final boss of the first book only had 640).
• Disc-One Final Boss: The first two books each end with Fire*Wolf fighting one. Fire*Wolf has him fight the Demonspawn Regent, and The Crypts of Terror ends with him facing Prince Ragnok, who's recruited the Spawn in his plans to conquer Fire*Wolf's home country of Harn.
• Does Not Like Men: In the last two books, you can obtain the help of a secret order of extremely wise and powerful women, whose leader can't help but make constant demeaning or patronizing comments towards menfolk in general. In a bit of irony, the epilogue of volume 4 mentions that Fire*Wolf's daughter will eventually disband the order.
• Dub Name Change:
  • In the French version of the gamebooks, Fire*Wolf is "Loup*Ardent". This is also the title used for the whole series, becoming a Protagonist Title, instead of trying to translate Sagas of the Demonspawn (which ironically partly serves as the first book's title, "La Horde des Démons"). As for Doombringer, it is renamed "Exterminator" (hey, it was The '80s).
  • In the Italian translation, the Doombringer isn't translated literally as with Fire*Wolf's name (in "Lupo di Fuoco") but called "La Spada del Destino" (which can stand for both Sword of Destiny or Sword of Doom, without the negative implications of the word Doom.)
• Early Game Hell: Fights are difficult at first when Fire*Wolf is barely armed with just a mace or club, and facing mighty beasts. It gets easier when he gets Doombringer. The Tin Man Games computer version corrects this, re-balancing most of the early enemies so Fire*Wolf has a better chance of surviving.
• Femme Fatale: Fire*Wolf meets a couple of supernatural and very attractive women at the Xandine castle... have sex with them at your own risk!
• Fiery Redhead: The red-haired Fire*Wolf is initially a hot-tempered Jerk with a Heart of Gold who isn't shy about indulging his love of fighting or sex.
• Final Boss: The first book has the Demon Regent, the second has the villainous sorcerer prince Harkaan and the fourth has you battle three evil warlocks. The third book is the only one lacking a proper final boss.
• Giant Spider: Two examples in the first book:
  • While you're exploring Xandine Castle, you can get caught in a spider's web and fight it to escape.
  • One of the tests to gain power in the magical crypts makes you test your Attraction by having sex with a sultry lady in her room: if you don't pass the roll, the lady will transform in a giant black widow and devour you alive.
• Greater-Scope Villain: Fire*Wolf destroys the Demonspawn at the end of Demondoom. Ancient Evil centers around his confronting the evil undead wizards who originally created them thousands of years ago.
• Hotter and Sexier: The series is this compared to most gamebook series, as it has sex scenes (as a nod to the Conan heroic-fantasy genre). Most gamebooks are entirely chaste.
• Interrupted Intimacy: Fire*Wolf has been banned from his village because he was found having sex with the chief's daughter.
• Karmic Jackpot: The Crypts of Terror starts with Fire*Wolf hiring a street urchin to take him to the Alchemists' Guild to take its ritual tests and improve his magic skills. They're interrupted by a group of thugs attacking an elderly man with a trained panther. If Fire*Wolf lets his urchin guide go and helps the elderly man, he turns out to be a high-ranking Guild member. The elderly man not only takes Fire*Wolf straight to the Guild, but also gives him a special artifact to help fight the Alchillers he'll meet in the Guild crypts.
• Legions of Hell: Demons and the Demonspawn are a constant threat across the series, culminating in the battle against the evil wizards who apparently are responsible for the Demonspawn.
• Literal Disarming: After Fire*Wolf sets out in search of Baldar's daugher in the first book, you roll a die to determine what kind of encounter he has. If you roll a 5 or a 6, he runs into a pair of bandits who try to rob him. Fire*Wolf severs the hand of one of the bandits before the fight begins. In the books, this translates into the bandit losing 10 extra Life Points per round. In the computer version, the bandit loses an experience level and his defenses are reduced, making him easier for Fire*Wolf to hit.
• Magic Knight: Much as Fire*Wolf hates sorcery, he still uses it along with his sword. However, you still need to throw dice in case he just isn't in the mood for using it, no matter how bad the situation asks for it. This is removed in the computer version, where Fire*Wolf can always use magic if he has enough Power.
• Nerf:
  • In the books, Doombringer restored as many Life Points to Fire*Wolf as it took from the enemy. It could also blind them for three rounds if Fire*Wolf passed a Skill check, which was easier said than done. The computer version removes Doombringer's blinding ability and reduces the amount of Life it can transfer.
  • In both the books and the computer game, Doombringer is also hindered by the crypts of the Alchemists' and Necromancers' Guilds. It still functions as a normal sword, but mostly won't drain any Life Points in combat.
  • Inverted with the healing stone Fire*Wolf can get near the start of the first book. It's *much* more powerful in the computer version than the book version, and is arguably one of the most useful items in the entire game.
  • The computer version does this with some enemies, particularly in the first two books to avoid Early Game Hell. They're still dangerous, but the fights are much more survivable. The Alchillers are the most notable example, as described in the YMMV section. The computer version keeps their immunity to Doombringer's life-draining ability, but it removes their spellcasting and reduces their Life Points, chances to hit and damage output.
• Never Mess with Granny:
  • Fire*Wolf confronts an old woman who prepares to stab him with a knife, and trying to stop her arm is actually a challenge since she has surprising strength.
  • In Demondoom, an older woman offers to guide Fire*Wolf through the mountains to his destination. When he shows concern about her, she snarks back that she'll try to set a pace that won't tire him out too much. She proves to be just as tough and resilient as he is.
  • Hadriana, the head of the Gegum witch-nuns order, is the Big Good who subtly directs Fire*Wolf to destroying not only the Demonspawn but eventually their creators. The series also ends with her destroying Doombringer once and for all once Fire*Wolf has destroyed the Spawn's creators.
• No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: Zigzagged if Fire*Wolf saves a teenage girl from being raped by one of the slavers. The slavers brutally flog him, but the girl's mother gives him a healing stone that constantly replenishes his life points and the girl herself willingly has sex with him.
• Non-Lethal K.O.: A few battles will end immediately when one combatant loses a certain number of Life Points. Fire*Wolf still gains experience if he's the winner... and sometimes even when he loses, such as the fight with Baldar.
• Old Master: Baldar, the old hermit who saves Fire*Wolf at the beginning, is definitely no pushover when fought. In fact, he is quite a tough enemy considering he is the very first one to be fought right at the beginning. In the computer version, beating him actually earns you an achievement.
• One-Hit Kill: The Poison Needle spell can istantly kill an enemy if you roll higher than 3 on a dice. Very useful against some enemies with lots of health to save time.
• Our Dragons Are Different: Fire*Wolf can run into a couple of dragons, and they're every bit as dangerous as you could expect. Some of them breathe fire, but one breathes poison instead. One of the last encounters in the final book pits Fire*Wolf against a dragon with 800 Life Points, as it has 100 in every stat. Worse, it's resistant to Doombringer's life-draining ability and will only transfer half the Life Points it normally would.
• Out with a Bang: Two notable cases caused by failing an Attraction test (in other words, you don't die because you had sex, bur rather because you didn't make satisfying sex).
  • In the first book, as part of the crypt tests, there's a sex scene with a gorgeous black-skinned lady who will turn into a giant black widow to kill you if you fail the roll.
  • The second book has an entire palace of eager ladies you have to sleep with, but rolling low enough will result in your partners being so frustrated they'll kill you with their bare hands.
• Panthera Awesome: Enemies include a tigon and a pantherine, some impressive and threatening big cats. The latter is actually a panther-ape hybrid. The demon trapped within Doombringer is also described as "feline".
• Redheaded Hero: Fire*Wolf is described with long red hair, which actually makes him stand out from his Barbarian people.
• Reptiles Are Abhorrent: One dangerous giant lizard monster is fought in a swamp... and it has randomly-generated stats, and Fire*Wolf only has a wooden club as a weapon. Definitely an abhorrent enemy.
• Roaring Rampage of Revenge: When Fire*Wolf leaves Lord Xandine's castle, he stays at an inn where he meets the slavers who captured him earlier in the book. If they capture him, the innkeeper's good-natured stepdaughter helps free him. She advises him to flee, although Fire*Wolf may decide to attack the slavers, who are drinking downstairs. If he does, most of the slavers are too drunk to react immediately. Fire*Wolf kills three of them and sends three more running, but the last two slavers sober up enough to fight back, helped by the sleazy innkeeper.
• Run the Gauntlet: Several combats have Fire*Wolf attacked by multiple enemies, but the books don't provide any guidelines on how to run the fight. The computer version corrects this by requiring you to fight each enemy in turn, although if you're playing in Casual mode you can heal between fights. Items or spells that can only be used once in a battle also reset with each new fight, so you can use them again.
• Secret Legacy: It's quickly revealed that Fire*Wolf is the son of a wizard lord of Xandine, which gives him the ability to learn powerful magic.
• Snakes Are Sinister: Fire*Wolf battles a couple of dangerous snakes in Demondoom' and Ancient Evil''. They have some nasty abilities like being able to drain Fire*Wolf's strength and instantly kill him unless he dodges their initial attack, but they're actually fairly weak enemies otherwise.
• Talking Weapon: Doombringer, who is a chatty sword not unlike Excalibur Junior in J.H. Brennan's other gamebook series. But while E.J. was a good-aligned (though cowardly/petty) Deadpan Snarker, Doombringer is an evil Soft-Spoken Sadist.
• Trademark Favorite Food: Fire*Wolf is used to eating fungus, the main source of food from the caverns deep in the desert, and even Baldar calls him "Fungus Feeder". He also considers worms and grubs a "delicacy", and initially finds meat and vegetables repulsive.
• Updated Re-release: The Complete Sagas of Fire*Wolf, a computer version of the original books produced by Tin Man Games, is a huge improvement to the point of being a Polished Port. It re-balances the combat system to avert Early Game Hell and Nerf someinvoked Demonic Spiders, adds Dynamic Difficulty options to make gameplay easier, includes new achievements and illustrations, and standardizes Brennan's often-inconsistent game mechanics.
• Ungrateful Bastard: It is possible for Fire*Wolf to refuse Baldar's quest... which makes Baldar extremely angry considering how ungrateful this is, and Fire*Wolf gets pricked by a poisonous needle for his troubles. His death is described as no less than what he deserves.
• Victory by Endurance: If you beat Baldar in the computer version, this is probably how you'll do it. While his level and damage output are higher than Fire*Wolf's, his Life Points are likely to be much lower. Since the fight ends with a Non-Lethal K.O. once one combatant loses enough Life Points, Baldar usually has less room for error than Fire*Wolf does.
• Wake-Up Call Boss: Subverted in that even the very first enemy fought is a wake-up call boss. No Warm-Up Boss from Baldar!
• Warm-Up Boss: Unlike the books, Baldar is a warm-up boss in the computer version. While he's two levels higher than Fire*Wolf and does more damage in combat, he'll probably also have a lot less Life Points. The fight ends automatically when one combatant's Life Points are reduced to 9 or less. Baldar is still not a pushover, but Fire*Wolf has a much better chance of winning the fight. You also get experience and a full heal whether you win or lose.

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