THE SOULFORGE

Wherein I chronicle my doomed attempts as Raistlin Majere in his Test at the Wayreth Tower of High Sorcery...

Raistlin Majere:

• Hit Points: 9
• Reasoning: 4
• Agility: 3
• Presence: 2
• XP: 6 (can be spent to improve rolls, but will be judged by how many remain)

1st Level Spells Available: (specific components must be collected to cast most spells)

• Burning Hands
• Charm Person
• Hold Portal
• Push
• Comprehend Languages
• Magic Missile
• Sleep

2md Level Spells Available:

• Audible Glamor
• Invisibility
• Mirror Image
• Detect Invisibility
• Darkenss 15'
• ESP
• Web

This is from THE SOULFORGE, choose your own adventure style AD&D book by Terry Phillips. Be warned, I'm recording decision by decision and roll by roll. Spoilers will follow.

First decision after traveling for a month through the Kharolis Mountains with my twin brother, Caramon as an ominous forest appears out of nowhere, I know what lies ahead, he does not, I choose partial honesty as opposed to foolery.

He doesn't like the truth, doesn't like the danger he senses and I'm forced to make a Presence Test (roll d6 and add it to my score to beat a number (this test is 7) I roll a total of 5...

He refuses to let me enter the haunted woods. I hop on my horse and make an Agility Test. I succeed, which means I'm about to cast a spell... I choose Charm Person because certain spells require components that I have not collected. There's no roll here, but the story dictates that Caramon tackles me before I get the spell off. His feelings are hurt and he ties me to my horse and takes me home, my dreams of high sorcery are over! That quick.

Take Two... (wherein I pretend my initial Presence Test succeeded...)

Caramon reluctantly agrees to enter the woods and says I need his protection, something I resent, but then I start to feel guilty as I begin to worry for his safety. And so, I'm called upon to make another, easier, Presence Test, which I succeed.

We proceed into Wayreth, but the woods are terrifying and oppressive, we are both spooked as the foliage seems unpassable and the things that lurk in the shadows... I have to make a Reasoning Test to resist fleeing in fear. Here, the book hints that I might wish to spend XP to help the roll. I don't, but succeed anyway, saying to my twin that it's all part of the protection spell that keeps the forest hidden, we'll be fine, after all, we were invited. And then... the forest parts and a massive ogre-dog appears and launches itself at me for an attack. I need to pass a 7 Agility Test and decide to spend 2 XP to help my roll, which it does, I succeed by 1!

XP: now 4.

We jump from our horses using them for cover from the beast. Caramon dances before it, blade in hand while I cast a spell... Burning Hands and Magic Missile are my only real options as both do not require components (I don't know why I set off on this journey without spell components, perhaps I used them up on the way?) I choose Burning Hands which will bring me dangerously close to the beast. It yelps in pain and swipes at me with it claws sending me flying to the ground.

HP: now 7.

Caramon then takes this opportunity to jump on the beast and send his blade straight through it's skull into the ground. Then, another path opens up in the woods with ice cold voices taunting us that our flesh will be ripped from our bones. Do we retreat? I say no... Caramon reluctantly follows. The woods grow colder and spookier. Caramon mutters something about not trusting mages. Does he trust me? Our horses are spooked. I fail an Agility Test and I'm thrown to the ground.

HP: now 6.

An ethereal red-robed figure appears and I ask if he is to guide us to the tower. Caramon barks an insult and the figure insults us back. Caramon draws his sword and here comes another Presence Test. I'm spending 2 XP and it helps. My twin calms down a bit.

XP: now 2.

This spectral minion approaches, hand aglow in spell-craft and I feel fear, but Caramon attempts to intercept and I don't let him. I instruct Caramon to stand aside as fear consumes me. I must make a Reasoning Test of 9, which isn't even doable. I turn and flee and trip over a root. Then I find myself frantic and weeping at my failure. The figure leaves, but not before giving my twin a message for me...

I am not worthy to even take the Test, perhaps I can return one day, but for now I fail, deemed a witless dunce and a coward. I'm devoured by misery as my dreams of high sorcery have (once again) come to an end.

As has my desire to keep reading. 

And so Raistlin's Test will continue as vague a mystery to me as it was in the original novels. I know a book was ultimately written, but I have no interest in Dragonlance beyond the original 3 (or 6 if I'm feeling generous.)

Some things are best left unknown.