The Cauldron of Fear: walkthrough

The Psychic Ring is a special item that can be obtained in this adventure.

Walkthrough criteria

The gamebook can be completed in many different ways. This walkthrough is compiled according to the following criteria, in order of importance:

1. assume that this several previous adventures have been played, except for some items;
2. collect and use as many items as possible;
3. avoid combat as much as possible, especially the strongest enemies;
4. see as many illustrations as possible.

Getting started

Suggested Magnakai disciplines

1. Weaponmastery - with Bow + Dagger (especially if you have the Dagger of Vashna). Even if you don't have the Dagger of Vashna, if you are captured by the South Gate guards, you will be able to make use of this discipline.
2. Huntmastery - completes Lore circle of Fire for +1 CS +2 EP
3. Divination
4. Curing - if you completed the Kai series and picked Healing, you can switch this out for Psi-Surge to complete the Lore circle of Spirit for +3 CS +3 EP
5. Psi-Screen
6. Nexus

Suggested equipment

Choose any one weapon:

• Sword
• Warhammer
• Quarterstaff
• Dagger
• Axe

It is highly recommended to take the following two items:

• Bow (Weapon)
• Quiver (Special Items), containing six Arrows.

Take all the disposable and consumable backpack items. Carry your Gold Crowns.

Useful items from previous gamebooks

• Shield: CS+2, also required in one instance.
• Silver Helm: CS+2
• Silver Bow of Duadon: Adds 3 to your score when instructed to fire an arrow.
• Dagger of Vashna (but is only useful if you leave the Sommerswerd in safe-keeping)
• Kalte Firesphere: Better than the tinderbox
• Mirror (you get it from The Kingdoms of Terror) (but not possible to have it, once you enter to Kazan-Oud - in the end of the book you will lost your backpack, so mirror is lost - if you have it in the backpack. And once you leave mirror in Kai Monastery after The Kingdoms of Terror, there is no possibility to get Kai Monastery in sequence between Castle Death and The Cauldron of Fear)

Walkthrough notes:

1. There are several options that will lead you to instant-death results. These will be pointed out indirectly in italicized text.

2. The discipline of Nexus eliminates two instant-death results, particularly in the middle of the adventure.

3. You should bring along the mirror if you took it in Book 6.

4. This walkthrough assumes that you were not arrested at the South Gate. However, the second part of the adventure may vary depending on the Senate vote outcome. (See Part II A and B). If you wish to get a vial of Sabito pills before your Senate meeting, see the section Sabito Pills. You will meet Sogh in that section but you must have either Nexus or Primate-level Psi-surge to start your escape. At the end of this subplot, you should also have Curing to identify the pills (although you can still take them with you and use them even if you can't identify them!).

5. This is the first of three adventures in which you might not want to carry the Sommerswerd in favor of using normal weapons as the fight against boss-type enemies can be extremely difficult. There are two ways to not carry the Sommerswerd. One is to simply leave it behind in safe keeping. The other is to take it with you, get captured by the South Gate guards, escape, and not be recaptured after you escape. You will get the Sommerswerd and your other confiscated weapons back at the end of the adventure (see note below).

6. You actually recover all your backpack and special items, but not weapons, when you escape from the South Gate. However, section 350 indicates that you did not recover all your weapon-like special items.

Walkthrough

Bracket nodes represents mandatory sections.

Part 1: Road to Tahou

(1) When you meet the caravan, let Banedon stop and talk to Lortha to gain the Invitation. This item is useful it allows you to show pass the guards on the way and at the Tahou's South Gate.

(52) The signpost at the dirt track is actually pointing to the wrong direction. The farm hands will also tell you the same thing. Continue along the highway, and ignore the turning to Sidara

(145) At Chadi, you can participate in the riddle contest where the answer to the first riddle is (5), then get some food and drink to restore any lost Endurance points.

(156) You will encounter Anarian rangers. If you have Principalin-level Huntmastery, and also Animal Control, you can hide among the rocks and let them pass. Alternatively, you can meet them and show them the Invitation pass. After that, if you have improved Pathsmanship, you can take a detour through a cave, assuming you help the old man hiding in the hut cellar and give him a meal (you will also need a light source to avoid a fight however). If you do not have Pathsmanship, just ride on and use an arrow to take down an enemy before moving on.

(100) You have reached the South Gate of Tahou. Show the captain the Invitation. Once in the city, ignore the eating house and head straight to Chiban's house. Then you will be taken to the Senate.

Part II: To the Cauldron

(300) The decision on whether the Senate will allow you to enter the Cauldron depends on the number you've selected on the Random Number Table. If your number is 0-4 see scenario A, while if your number is 5-9, see scenario B.

A. The Senate Gives Permission

(58) You will be given the permission to stock up on your weapons before reaching the shaft to the Cauldron.

(226) You are lowered into the Cauldron. Divination warns you of someone attempting to kill you by cutting the rope. As a result, you fall deep into an underground lake. Later, if you have Divination, you realize that everyone thinks you have died.

(141) The discipline of Nexus eliminates an instant-death outcome. However, you are not out of the danger yet. If your score is between 4-7 you still have to surface up to the water. If you have Sabito Pills, you can safely surface up or take the risk of discarding half or the entire backpack.

Errata: The entry corresponding your result in (141), (4) and (114) has been reversed in the older publications. This error has been corrected in the new Mongoose edition. Therefore, you should turn to (114) if your score is 8 or more.

B. The Senate Is Against You

(137) You must pass a dodge test to avoid fighting the Senate guards without weapons. Then escape by either path and head to the tavern. If you met Sogh when you escaped from South Gate tower he'll let you in without having to give away your entire money pouch. Psi-screen helps you to survive the Maghana's mind assault without loss of EP.

(275) Stock up with whatever equipment you may need before descending the rope ladder.

(231) The discipline of Nexus eliminates an instant-death outcome here (Huntmastery also works). The last rung of the ladder is about 30 feet above the ground so use a rope and attach it to the ladder to descend safely. Again, the Nexus discipline helps you to avoid EP loss due to the fungus.

Part III: Zaaryx

(218) You must fight a Zaaryx ghoul. Kill one by firing an arrow, then draw a weapon. However, the ghouls will flee and one of them will drop a token that you should take note of.

(175) You are now at the city square. If you have mastered the Lore-Circle of Spirit, raise your Psi-Screen and confront the Psi-Ghoul; otherwise if you have the discipline of Psi-Screen, fight it for the Psychic Ring. If you don't have Psi-Screen, avoid it - you will have to fight it anyway, but this minimizes EP loss.

(11) This where you get a glimpse of the Crorcaryx, the stewards of the ruined city. If you have Invisiblity and Divination, you can bypass a few obstacles here and go straight for the Lorestone. Otherwise, call out to them. They will flee but not before dropping a second token which you should look at.

(130) Behind the stone door is an ambush laid by two Crorcaryx. You can either use a mirror, then silence them with two arrows or flatten down and fight them, not opening the door straight away.

(241) Time for a door puzzle. The answer is actually a sum of the values of two tokens you've seen earlier (326). Even if you know the answer, you still need a key. The Crorcaryx leader approaches behind you. Just tell her who you are and she will open the door for you to get the Lorestone.

Part IV: Siege of Tahou

(2) Help the soldiers. With Nexus, you can extinguish the fire and rescue them. Go with the captain on the wagon but jump off as soon as it passes the tower.

(258) Zakhan Kimah of Vassagonia (previously seen in Shadow on the Sand) appears at the West Gate. You will be hit first, after which there are several options to defeat him:

a) You can use the Sommerswerd but his CS:EP is quite high and tough to beat.

b) You can use the Psychic Ring to fight him;

c) You can use the Dagger of Vashna to fight him, or

d) You can risk a kill-or-be killed throw attempt with the Dagger of Vashna. If you opt to do this, your total score must be at least 5 or more. Since you have Weaponmastery with dagger, you can add 3 to improve your score (80% chance).

Once you defeat the Zakhan, you've completed this adventure.

Sabito Pills

This subplot starts from section 242 of the game, after you have entered the city via the South Gate. It is an opportunity to explore further before meeting with Chiban. First you have to enter the eating house, then you have to engage the Deldanian mercenaries. Make sure you win the combat because the soldiers from the South Gate will capture you and put you into prison. Considering that you've not eaten all day, you should deduct 3 EP immediately.

Another way to get in here is that if you do not have the Invitation and you are captured by the South Gate guards (see section 312).

(134) You must have either Nexus or Primate-level Psi-Surge to open the door. Then you release Sogh. However, you must fight the gatehouse guards unarmed. This fight is potentially dangerous: your opponents have 20 CS, and you have no equipment of any kind, meaning the only bonuses you'll get are from lore circles and Mindblast. Remember that you only lose 2 CS if you have Tutelary-ranked Weaponmastery.

(248) To avoid fighting more guards, you need to silence the storeroom guard. You can use either Principalin-level Psi-Surge, win the fight within 3 rounds, or throw a dagger with a score of 7 or more. You then get to restore your confiscated items (minus weapons and weapon-like special items [per section 350]).

(177) The next area requires you to have a light (torch, Firesphere, etc.) and Primate-level Animal Control to deter the Roctopus, otherwise you must fight it.

(139) Now that you're out of the detention area, you and Sogh part ways. Although you've been told that your friend is at the Eastgate Barracks, forget about that route and find Chiban. You do not want to be captured by the guards again. If you are, then not only will you miss out on getting the Sabito Pills, you will end up getting your weapons back immediately, rather than at the the end of the adventure. If one of the weapons that you get back is the Sommerswerd, it will make the final battle much more difficult.

(158) At Brooker Court, the man you bumped into is a pickpocket. Chase after him and as soon as you enter the building, he will attempt to attack you. Defeat the thief to get the items including two doses of Sabito pills. If you don't have Curing you can't identify the pills. However, technically speaking, you don't need to identify the pills to take and use them (although it does seem weird how you would know what to do with them). Then head back to Brooker Court, and go north to Lamp Street before reaching Chiban's house to continue the second part of the adventure. 

Appendices

Enemy roster

Only unavoidable enemies will be shown.

Unavoidable enemies

Enemy	CS	EP	Section	Avoid	Notes
Zakhan Kimah	39	46	s.188/10/128/239	Pass a kill-or-killed test by throwing the Dagger of Vashna at him (80% chance of success with Weaponmastery with Dagger)	CS:EP follows the Mongoose edition. The stats may vary depending on what weapon player uses. If you do not have any magical weapons, use the Psychic Ring to fight him hand-to-hand.
Crocaryx	12	38	s.46/116	If you have a Mirror, Bow, and two arrows or if you have the Sommerswerd	Ignore damage to player for first two rounds of combat.
Psi-Ghoul	20	30	s.166/301/191	(unavoidable)	Undead enemy. If you approach him without Psi-Screen, you suffer a penalty of CS -4.
Zaaryx Ghoul	19	27	s.97	(unavoidable)	- 3 CS if without Huntmastery, undead enemy
Senate Guards	28	32	s.182	1. If the Senate votes for you or; 2. If the Senate votes against you and you pass a dodge test.	You fight unarmed for the first four rounds of combat.