Robot Commando (book)

Fighting Fantasy Gamebook
Outline
Location:	Thalos
References:	400
Publication Details
Author(s):	Steve Jackson (2)
Illustrator(s):	Gary Mayes
Puffin
Cover illustrator:	David Martin
First published:	September 25 1986
Number	22
ISBN:	ISBN 0-14-032152-7
Previous Book:	Trial of Champions
Next Book:	Masks of Mayhem
Wizard (Series 1)
Wizard (Series 2)
Scholastic

For other uses of Robot Commando, see Robot Commando (disambiguation)

Robot Commando is a single-player role-playing gamebook written by Steve Jackson (2) (the American game designer, rather than the series co-creator), illustrated by Gary Mayes and originally published in 1986 by Puffin Books. It forms part of Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone's Fighting Fantasy series. It is the 22nd in the series in the original Puffin series (ISBN 0-14-032152-7). There are currently no announced plans to republish this book as part of the Scholastic series.

Background

“	Past and future meet in the land of Thalos! What would you do if you were a rancher on a distant planet, using robots to herd vicious dinosaurs? What would you do if your deadly enemies, the Karosseans, invaded? What would you do if you knew that the protection of your homeland against the invaders and marauding dinosaurs was up to you alone? Now is your chance to find out, for all this is exactly what happens in this thrilling futuristic adventure! Part story, part game, this is a book in which YOU become the hero! Two dice, a pencil and an eraser are all you need. YOU decide which routes to take, which dangers to risk and which foes to fight.	”
—Robot Commando - Back Cover ("Dragon" Edition)

The reader takes the role of a dinosaur rancher in the country of Thalos on a distant planet who finds themself in the middle of an attack by Thalos' mortal enemy, the militaristic Karosseans. A strange weapon is unleashed which causes all of Thalos, save the protagonist, a deep sleep and leaves the land free to be invaded. Over the course of the adventure the reader gets the opportunity to control a variety of giant robots in their battles against dinosaurs and Karossean invaders while looking for a way to rouse his countrymen.

Introduction/Hints on Play

The book in general follows the original rules set down in The Warlock of Firetop Mountain (see Game System).

Unique Rules

• Medikits replace Provisions and restore 1 stamina point each.
• Features combat instructions for fighting between robots.

Equipment List

• Sword
• 5 Medikits

Cover and Illustrations

Main article: Robot Commando (illustrations)

Covers

The original cover of the book was designed and illustrated by David Martin.

Robot Commando Cover Variants

1986	1987	1989	1990	1993
Zig-Zag Banner	Dragon ver.I	Dragon ver.II	Dragon ver.III	Dragon ver.IV
£1.951	£1.952	£X.xx	£3.503	£3.994
NOTES Price of 1st Impression Price of 4th Impression; £2.25 for 6th Impression Price of 7th Impression Price of 9th Impression

Illustrations

The interior illustrations were by Gary Mayes. There were 30 full page illustrations and 5 minor repeated illustrations scattered throughout the text. The paragraphs with a full page illustration were: 1, 13, 26, 39, 52, 65, 78, 91, 104, 117, 130, 143, 156, 169, 182, 195, 208, 221, 234, 247, 260, 273, 286, 299, 312, 325, 338, 351, 386 and 400.

Main Characters

YOU: Hero of Robot Commando

• Information Robot
• Minos

Locations

• Capitol Building
• Fuel-Refining Plant
• Robot Experimental Centre
• Thalos
• The Capital City
• The City of Industry
• The City of Knowledge
• The City of Pleasure
• The City of Storms
• The City of the Guardians
• The City of the Jungle
• The City of Worship
• The College of Medicine
• The Dinosaur Preserve
• The National Treasure House
• The Temple of Fear
• The Temple of Glory
• The Temple of Nothingness
• The Temple of Peace
• The Thalian Museum
• The War College
• The Weather Bureau

Encounters

• Air-Fighter
• Ankylosaurus
• Battleman
• Crusher
• Doctors
• Giant Lizard
• Guards
• Iguanodon
• Man-Trap Plant
• Minos
• Myrmidons
• Nothosaurus
• Officer
• Pteranodon
• Robot Guard/Information/Mini/Surgeon/Towing/Tyrannosaurus
• Soldier
• Street Cleaner
• Supertank
• Traffic Copter
• Triceratops
• Tripods
• Tylosarus
• Tyrannosaurus

Further Notes

• Robot Commando is one of the few entries in this series to feature multiple successful endings, as opposed to multiple methods of reaching the one successful ending.
• (400) is not the successful conclusion to the adventure.
• The book is one of two (the other being Seas of Blood) where on the original publication with the Adventure Gamebooks banner the words Adventure Gamebooks, Gamebook, and number are in black instead of the regular white.
• This was the first Puffin gamebook to feature a tag-line separate from the rest of the blurb.

Errors

• The rules are unclear if Initial skill can be exceeded, Pg 10 states "Although you may be awarded additional skill, stamina and luck points, these totals may never exceed your Initial scores unless something specifically occurs to change your Initial scores." and pg 18 states "Your skill score can never exceed its Initial value." However, immediately after the sentence on pg 18, the rules also state "However, bonuses (from artefacts or robots with a combat bonus) can add to your skill no matter how high its level is." The book does not clarify further what constitutes a 'bonus', and the text treats bonuses inconsistently - while the 'bonuses' at (79), (296), (334) and (392) all add just 1 skill point to either robot usage or personal combat, the bonus at (352) explicitly adds 1 to Initial skill for personal combat only as well.
• The Adventure Sheet lists "combat =" and "bonus =" items separately, when it should be "combat bonus ="
• The Adventure Sheet Enemy Encounter boxes have a "combat bonus" field for the robot/dinosaur enemies, but this is meaningless as these foes do not have a combat bonus score - the book provides their skill scores instead.
• One of the robots in this story is variously called a "Trooper" and a "Trouper" in section (167).

Dedication

Dedicated to my grandparents,
E.B. and Bonnie Lairmore

With special thanks to the playtesters:
Monica Stephens, C. Mara Lee, Jerry Self,
Norman Banduch, Jim Gould, Allen Varney,
Creede and Sharleen Lambard

External Links

• Character Sheet - Retrieved 2019-10-26
• Fighting Fantasy at Gamebooks.org - Retrieved 2019-10-26
• Robot Commando at Gamebooks.org - Retrieved 2019-10-26
• Robot Commando at the Internet Archive record of the old Fightingfantasy.com - Retrieved 2019-10-26