| Fighting Fantasy Gamebook | |
|---|---|
| Outline | |
| Location: | Space |
| References: | 400 |
| Publication Details | |
| Author(s): | Martin Allen |
| Illustrator(s): | Tim Sell |
| Puffin | |
| |
| Cover illustrator: | Les Edwards |
| First published: | June 9 1988 |
| Number | 33 |
| ISBN: | ISBN 0-14-032601-4 |
| Previous Book: | Slaves of the Abyss |
| Next Book: | Stealer of Souls |
| Wizard (Series 1) | |
| Wizard (Series 2) | |
| Scholastic | |
- For other uses of Sky Lord, see Sky Lord
Sky Lord is a single-player role-playing gamebook written by Martin Allen, illustrated by Tim Sell and originally published in 1988 by Puffin Books. It forms part of Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone's Fighting Fantasy series. It is the 33rd in the series in the original Puffin series (ISBN 0-14-032601-4). There are currently no announced plans to republish this book as part of the Scholastic series.
Creation[]
About Your Star System/Mission Background[]
“ Fearful foes from the far future!
L'Bastin, genius geneticist and renegade steward of Vaax, king of the planet Ensulina, is poised to conquer the cosmos with an army of terrifying clones - dog-headed Prefectas, the perfect warriors! Only a solo mission can penetrate the defences of L'Bastin's fortress planet Aarok; only the best solar trooper can undertake such a mission. That agent is YOU - if you dare!
Two dice, a pencil and an eraser are all you need for this adventure. YOU decide which paths to take, which dangers to risk and which monsters to fight.” —Sky Lord - Back Cover ("Dragon" Edition)
The player takes the role of Jang Mistral, a four-armed soldier from the planet Ensulina. His mission is to travel to Aarok, an artificial planet that has become a den of rogues and criminals, and capture a scientist named L'Bastin. The mission is doubly urgent because L'Bastin has reportedly created a species of Dog-headed humanoid called the Prefectas who are the ultimate warriors in the universe.
Your Abilities/Combat[]
The book in general follows the original rules set down in The Warlock of Firetop Mountain (see Game System).
Unique Rules[]
- Sky Lord features the stat of rating to determine the player's skill in piloting combat vehicles. It is a 1d6 roll where a 1, 2, or 3 means a rating of 3 and a roll of 4, 5, or 6 equals a rating of 4. The rating score is used to determine who fires first in such combat. If the player defeats an enemy whose rating was higher than their own, the player may add 1 point to their rating score at the end of the battle.[1]
- Uses Provision Tablets (restoring 4 stamina each) instead of regular Provisions.[2]
Equipment List[2][]
- Laser-sword
- Laser-pistol
- Electro-javelin
- Spiked buckler
- 10 Provision Tablets
- 10 Credits
Cover and Illustrations[]
- Main article: Sky Lord (illustrations)
Cover[]
The original cover of the book was designed and illustrated by Les Edwards.
| 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1993 |
|
 |
 |
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| Dragon ver.I | Dragon ver.II | Dragon ver.III | Dragon ver.IV |
| £2.251 | £2.502 | £3.503 | £3.994 |
NOTES
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Illustrations[]
The interior illustrations were by Tim Sell. There were 29 full page illustrations and 6 minor repeated illustrations scattered throughout the text. The paragraphs with a full page illustration were: 1, 15, 29, 42, 56, 69, 89, 100, 114, 127, 140, 154, 167, 187, 204, 214, 222, 238, 249, 267, 282, 293, 309, 322, 335, 351, 365, 375, and 393.
The inside front cover featured two diagrams for use during the course of the book, the artist of which is currently unknown.
Some of the later reprintings of Sky Lord saw the diagrams go missing. Oddly readers found that this did not pose a significant impediment to their progress in the book.
Intertextual References[]
Other Media[]
Main Characters[]
- Ben Frumpet
- Bok
- Brac
- Brag
- Bric
- Broomhilda
- Dr Strangething
- Fog Farkin
- Gnasha
- Jaj
- Jym Ego
- King Vaax
- Kogo
- Krill
- L'Bastin
- Ludo Kludwig
- Marsatu
- Queen Slin
- Rhio
- Sam
- Schaine
- The Deik
- Woderwick
- Zap
- Zud
Locations[]
- Aarok
- Cabrilow
- Delphon
- Dome of Marvels
- Ensulina
Encounters[]
- 17th-D Being
- Aarok Spider
- Angry Yellow Blob
- Arm - Axe/Flail/Mace/Sword
- Attack Whip
- Auto-Drone
- Bandit
- Brambles
- Bug-Eyed Corporal
- Brute - Long-Armed/Red-Nosed/Toothless/Warty
- Captain Big-Ears
- Chef
- Cyborg
- Defence Module
- Delphon Battleship
- Duck-Bill Caterpillar
- Epicurien
- Fahbad Redneck
- Fog Farkin
- Glip
- Gooblepotomus
- Grasshopper
- Green Giant
- Gruesome Armatilda
- Hulk - Big/Even Bigger
- Humans - Bald-Headed Rogue/Feather-Faced Rogue/Foppish Dignitary/Hook-Nosed Dignitary/Insane Crewman/Lion-Masked Guard/Old Man/Pot-Bellied Cut-Throat/Red-Hooded Terrorist/Warder
- Ixian
- Killer Krun
- Kogo's Chef
- Light-Fighter
- Little Robotoid
- Ludo Kludwig
- Marigold
- Metal Hound
- Mogs' Cutter
- Mosquito-Craft
- Mutant - Clumsy/Drooling/Green/Yellow
- Mutated Rhino
- Mutantoid
- Noado the Bandit
- Nob
- Ogre-Oid
- Pelhon Rangers
- Pirate Drone
- Pirate Launch
- Prefectas - Crafty Corporal/Last/Pugnacious Private/Sergeant/Snappy Sergeant/Trooper
- Robot Pathologist
- Ruthless Rod
- Scooter - Pilot/Trooper
- Scorbeetle
- Scuttlebug
- Security Robot
- Skimmer
- Sky-Wasp
- Smart Missile
- Snout-Nosed Trooper
- Space-Weed
- Spider - Brown/Fat/Spindly
- Spider-Guard
- Swamp-Yacht
- Valioog - Spike-Fighter/Starfire/Starfighter
Further Notes[]
- Sky Lord is the last, to date, gamebook to use a science fiction setting.
- Interestingly, where on the contents page the title of the game is listed for where to find the first paragraph, here it simply says "Countdown ...".
- On the later Puffin sans-foil prints Spectral Stalkers is listed as "Special Stalkers".
Errors[]
- The illustration at (86) depicts YOU with four arms, but this does not take into account the possibility of replacing one arm with a tentacle at (304).
Dedication[]
Thanks to
Keith, Richard, Andrew, Gail, Cugel, Mum and Dad[3]
See Also[]
Reviews[]
External Links[]
- Character Sheet Part 1 - Retrieved 2019-10-26
- Character Sheet Part 2 - Retrieved 2019-10-26
- Diagrams (Inside Cover) - Retrieved 2019-10-26
- Fighting Fantasy at Gamebooks.org - Retrieved 2019-10-26
- Sky Lord at Gamebooks.org - Retrieved 2019-10-26
- Sky Lord at the Internet Archive record of the old Fightingfantasy.com - Retrieved 2019-10-26