Roll one die. Add 6 to the number rolled and note this total in the SKILL box on the Adventure Sheet. This is your Initial SKILL and will be in the region of 7 to 12.

Roll two dice. Add 12 to this number and note this total in the STAMINA box on the Adventure Sheet. This is your Initial STAMINA and will be in the region of 14 to 24.

Roll one die. Add 6 to this number and enter it into the LUCK box on the Adventure Sheet. This is your Initial LUCK and will be in the region of 7 to 12.

There is also a box for AWARENESS. To determine your Initial AWARENESS roll one die and add 3 to this number. Therefore your AWARENESS score will be between 4 and 10.

For reasons that will be explained later, your SKILL, STAMINA, LUCK and AWARENESS scores will change considerably during the adventure and therefore you will need to keep an accurate record of these scores at all times. You are advised to either write small in the boxes or to keep a rubber handy.

Your SKILL score represents phsical strength, fighting ability and fitness. STAMINA represents toughness, endurance, constitution and will to survive. Luck indicated how naturally lucky a person your character is. AWARENESS represents your character's ability in making connections, deduction power and how likely he is to spot something abnormal. In all these cases, the higher the better.

Various paragraphs will instruct you to increase your statistics by a number of points, but these additions may not take your scores above their Initial values unless otherwise stated!

Often during your adventure you will come across a paragraph which instructs you to fight a creature of some sort. A possibility of escape may be given, but if not, or you choose to fight the creature anyway, the procedure is as follows.

First record the creatures SKILL and STAMINA scores in the next vacant Encounter Box on your Adventure Sheet. Also note any special rules which are unique to this creature. The procedure for combat is then as follows:

1. Roll two dice for the creature and add its SKILL score. This is that creature's Attack Strength.

2. Roll two dice for yourself and add your SKILL score. This total is your Attack Strength.

3. If your Attack Strength is higher than the creature's, you have wounded it; proceed to step 4. If your Attack Strength is lower, it has wounded you; proceed to step 5. If they are equal, then no damage is done to either combatant and so a new Attack Round is begin from step 1.

4. You have wounded the creature, so you must subtract 2 points from the creature's STAMINA score. You may Test Your Luck here to try and inflict more damage (see below). Now go to step 6.

5. You have been wounded by the creature, so you will lose 2 points from your current STAMINA score. You may Test Your Luck here to try and minimise the damage (see below). Now go to step 6.

6. Make any necessary adjustments to combatants' STAMINA scores and, if necessary, your LUCK score.

7. Begin a new Attack Round from step 1. Repeat this procedure until either combatant's STAMINA drops to 0 or less. If this happens to the creature, it has been defeated and you may continue with the adventure. If this happens to you, you have died - go back to the beginning and restart, creating a new character in the process.

At various times during the adventure you will come across a situation where you could be either Lucky or Unlucky, and in these situations you will be asked to Test Your Luck. However, using LUCK is a risky business and if you are Unlucky, the results could be disastrous or even fatal.

The procedure for Testing Your Luck is as follows - Roll two dice and compare it with your current LUCK score. IF the number rolled is lower than or equal to your LUCK, you are Lucky and will be rewarded. If it is higher, though, you are Unlucky and must face the consequences. Whether you are Lucky or Unlucky, though, whenever your Test Your Luck you must lose 1 LUCK point afterwards.

You may Test Your Luck during combat to either increase the damage you inflict on an enemy or to reduce damage dealt to yourself.

To do this, Test Your Luck. If you are Lucky, you have inflicted a more severe wound, so subtract another 2 points from the creature's STAMINA. However, if you are Unlucky, you have merely scratched the opponent - restore 1 point to the creature's STAMINA.

You may also use LUCK to minimise damage done to yourself. If you are Lucky, you have avoided full damage, so restore 1 STAMINA point. If, however, you are Unlucky, you have taken a more serious blow - subtract a further 2 points from your own STAMINA score.

Remember that should your LUCK score drop to 1 or less, you will always be Unlucky, so try to avoid using LUCK too much.

When you are faced with two or more adversaries, the text will give you instructions as to how to go about the battle. Sometimes you will fight them one at once, while sometimes you will fight them all at the same time.

You will begin this adventure with a bare minimum of equipment indeed. You carry a sword and are dressed in leather armour. You also have a backpack to hold any additional items you may come across, such as treasure and Provisions.

In addition, you may choose one of these potions to take with you on your adventure -

Potion of Skill - restores your SKILL to its Initial value
Potion of Strength - restores your STAMINA to its initial value
Potion of Fortune - adds 1 to Initial LUCK then restores LUCK

There is only enough liquid in these potions for one use, so be careful. You may drink it at any time except in combat.

You will undoubtedly come across some magical items during your quest, but you may not have any idea as to what their uses are! For you are no wizard or mage, but a fighter relying on a sharp blade, strong arms, and a high SKILL score!

Does anyone recognise this bit?

There is one true way through Fortress Ildior and it will take you several attempts to find it. Make notes and draw a map as you play, these wll be invaluable assets in future forays and allow you to progress rapidly through to unexplored areas.

Not all areas contain treasure, some merely contain traps and creatures you will no doubt fall foul of. There are many "wild goose chase" passages and pointless tasks, and while it may seem you have found what you are looking for, you will not be able to defeat the Overlord easily unless you have certain rare magical items.

Be careful of Testing Your Luck unless the text says you MUST DO THIS! Generally, you should only ever use LUCK in combat if an opponent's blow would otherwise kill you. LUCK points are precious!

It will be noticed that reading the entries in numerical order makes no sense whatsoever. You should only read the entries that you are instructed to read! Reading the other entries will lessen the excitement during play and amounts to cheating.

May the luck of the gods go with you on the adventure ahead!

For many years the inhabitants of the area near the southern edge of the Forest of Night have been living peacefully, guarded over by the garrisons of mighty Fortress Ildior. However, recently, the fortress appears somewhat different. A few days ago, the Overlord, Wolfsart, vanished without trace. Some say he died, after all, he was over seventy. However, almost as if on cue, a black-bearded and charismatic young lord, Vornthrave, appeared and proclaimed himself Overlord of Fortress Ildior. Nobody thought this was suspicious in the slightest.

However, various things have been happening to the castle during Vornthrave's reign. The barracks have been extended and people are being press-ganged into his armies. An unnatural peace has been made between Ildior and the nearby Orc settlement. People have been disappearing in the valley without trace.

At this time, however, you were may hundreds of miles away in Salamonis, where you were enjoying the hospitality of a local inn. One evening, you were slipped a note. It was from the Grand Wizard Yaztromo. He wanted to see you in his tower. You jumped on your mount and sped there.

"So there we have it," he says after having explained the situation. "Fortress Ildior has been taken over by some black power which - most disturbingly - manifests itself in the Overlord Vornthrave. I do not have any idea what this power could be, but we're looking at a Greater Demon of some description - possibly even a Night Demon. I also see a - a horde of undead sweeping across the land! They are flying the Fortress Ildior banner!" He sits down exhausted.

"You must get into the fortress!" says Yaztromo. "Infiltrate it and destroy the dark being within! Use whatever it takes!"

You stand there dumbfounded.

"Now! Quickly!" shouts Yaztromo. "Before the hordes of the Fortress of Evil can ruin the entire land!".

Adventure Sheet - print off and use when necessary

Onward