Scorpion Swamp

Infobox Fighting Fantasy book


caption=The cover of "Scorpion Swamp" illustrated by Duncan Smith
location=Khul, Titan
references=400
authors=Steve Jackson
illustrator=Duncan Smith
coverillustrator=Duncan Smith
year=1984
number=8
ISBN=ISBN 0-14-031829-1
wcoverillustrator=N/A
wyear=N/A
wnumber=N/A
wISBN=N/A

"Scorpion Swamp" is a single-player roleplaying gamebook written by Steve Jackson (the American game designer, rather than the series co-creator), illustrated by Duncan Smith and originally published in 1984 by Puffin Books. It forms part of Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone's Fighting Fantasy series. It is the 8th in the series in the original Puffin series (ISBN 0-14-031829-1). There are currently no announced plans to republish this book as part of the modern Wizard series.

This was the first Fighting Fantasy book to be written by an author other than the two series co-creators. The book has three different successful endings and unlike most of the other Fighting Fantasy books the 400th reference does not contain an ending to the adventure.

tory

Having acquired a magic Brass Ring from a mysterious old woman, which allows the player to detect evil and always know which way is north, the player enters the notorious Scorpion Swamp.

Unlike other Fighting Fantasy gamebooks, "Scorpion Swamp" allows the player to choose one of three quests - each from a patron who is either good, evil or neutral. The gameplay has a non-linear design, allowing the user to explore the swamp at will and return to locations previously visited, a first for the series.

Quests

Players choose from one of the following quests.

Good

A powerful magic plant is known to reside within the confines of the swamp. The player must locate it and bring back a sample to the good wizard Selator.

Evil

A group of powerful wizards, known as "Masters", have taken up residence in the swamp. These wizards each bear a magic amulet which is the source of their power. The evil warlock Grimslade pays the player to retrieve as many of these amulets as possible.

Neutral

A local trader by the name of Poomchukker wants to send caravans through the swamp to Willowbend. Doing so would save weeks of travel time, but he needs a map. The player must make his way from the southern side of the swamp to the northern end, and return a map to Poomchukker showing him the route.

etting

This is the first Fighting Fantasy gamebook set in the continent of Khul, although this was not alluded to until the release of "Titan - The Fighting Fantasy World".

ee also

*Fighting Fantasy
*List of Fighting Fantasy gamebooks

References

* cite web
title=Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks on gamebooks.org
url=http://www.gamebooks.org/show_series.php?id=11
* cite web
title=Scorpion Swamp on gamebooks.org
url=http://www.gamebooks.org/show_item.php?id=45
* cite web
title=Scorpion Swamp on the Internet Archive record of the old fightingfantasy.com site
url=http://web.archive.org/web/20051127132124/www.fightingfantasy.com/ffb8.htm