The Jewelled Mace is the most important special item to be found in Shadow on the Sand. The backpack item Oede is highly desirable to acquire as well, but it can only be acquired by first contracting Limbdeath, which can be dangerous.
Walkthrough criteria[]
The gamebook can be completed in many different ways. This walkthrough is compiled according to the following criteria, in order of importance:
- assume that this is the first gamebook played, except for some items;
- collect and use as many items as possible;
- avoid combat as much as possible, especially the strongest enemies;
- see as many illustrations as possible.
Getting started[]
Suggested disciplines[]
- Tracking
- Weaponskill (no matter the weapon, you'll use it with bow and blowpipe)
- Camouflage
- Sixth Sense
- Mindshield
Suggested equipment[]
You can take up to four of the following items and weapons. In other words, one weapon and all the three remaining items.
Choose one weapon:
- Dagger
- Sword
- Spear
- Mace
Take all these items:
- Potion of Laumspur (backpack item)
- 2 special rations (meals & backpack items)
- Shield (special item)
Useful items from previous gamebooks[]
- Crystal Star Pendant (found in Book 1; extra-12 special item): a bookmark that allows you to recognize Banedon; the book actually says "if you were ever given a Crystal Star pendant", so it is not mandatory to carry it with you.
- Sommerswerd, sword of the Sun (found in Book 2; weapon-like special item): +8CS, plus it doubles damage vs. undead and allows you to fight the Darklords.
- Kalte Firesphere (found in Book 3; special item): it can replace tinderbox and torches, that are anyway found in the book.
- Blue Stone Triangle (found in Book 3; special item): it can replace the prism; the only real advantage is to free one slot in the backpack.
- Onyx Medallion (found in Book 4; special item): it can replace the Discipline of Animal Kinship in one instance.
- Chainmail Waistcoat (found in book 4; special item): +4 EP
- Padded Leather Waistcoat (found in book 3; special item): +2 EP.
- Rope (found in book 4; backpack item).
Walkthrough[]
Part I-I: The Streets of Barrakeesh[]
(1) Don't fight nor surrender to Maouk, but run back to the galley. There's no need to fight the horseman either, so jump into the water. You can easily evade the Bloodlug.
(95) When you emerge from the water, if you don't have the Discipline of either Mind over Matter or Weaponskill, there's still a high chance (70%) of avoiding being captured.
(153) When you get to the courtyard, use the Discipline of Tracking to rule out one of the three exits; if you enter a house, don't stop to eat, but run out of the window. Don't try to go back to the harbor.
(169) Buy a black sash for 2 GC. Read the poster, if you want. When you get in the tree-lined plaza, enter the tavern to use the black sash, but the dwelling is harmless too.
(16) In the cellar, get the tinderbox and the rope, then leave from the grill.
(51) In the Baga-darooz sewers, the correct path is the one to the left, towards the South. At the fork, continue south, then climb the ladder. When you exit, use the tinderbox to get rid of your pursuers.
(90) In the public baths, rub the oil on your skin to restore some endurance, then leave keeping the towel. Enter the herb-shop to purchase a series of items: some standard potions of Alether, of Laumspur and of Larnuma, plus the unusual tinctures of Gallowbrush, of Graveweed and of Calacena; the most important ones for this adventure are the Alether and the Graveweed ones.
(179) No matter what you do, now you will be captured, but at least you collected several useful items.
Part I-II: The Grand Palace[]
(69) You wake up into a prison cell, and all your equipment was taken away. Take advantage of the surprise effect, and grab a weapon (a sword) as soon as you can. After you defeat the two gaolers, search their bodies to find two more weapons, 6 Gold Crowns and the gaoler's keys.
(150) Since you just got some keys, go towards the door and use the gaoler's keys.
(136) At the armoury gates, the Discipline of Camouflage will allow you to avoid confrontation with the guard. Search his body to find 4 more Gold Crowns. Once inside, read the book and note the number.
(181) Open the wooden chest and fight the Yas snake. The reward for the fight consists in a copper key and the Jewelled Mace.
(14) Get back your equipment and use any healing potion now. Search the chamber for more items: a silver comb, a hourglass, another potion of Laumspur, a prism and food for three meals; the silver comb and the hourglass are not necessary.
(58) At the great Bronze Door, if you don't know the the correct number that opens the door, you will be attacked by three guards. Use the potion of Alether to fight the first guard, and you will easily defeat the other two. Search the bodies for 4 Gold Crowns, a new potion of Alether, the blowpipe, the sleep dart and the parchment with number 67, that allows to open the bronze door.
(67) You are now in the private chambers of the Zakhan, the ruler of Vassagonia: prepare for the next part of your adventure!
Part II-I: Escape from the Palace[]
(201) Avoid fighting the Drakkarim warriors, then escape through the the archway.
(381) Go past the guard, then run down the stairs towards the garden. Use the copper key to open the door and enter it.
(246) Once in the garden, climb the stairs to the portal.
(352) You get to the roof and to the Itikar pens. Use the blowpipe and the sleep dart to knock out the guard; the Discipline of Weaponskill greatly helps, leaving just a 10% failure chance. Search the guard to find 8 Gold Crowns and a brass whistle.
(224) Although it was very hard to get, use the Onyx Medallion if you have it. If you don't, you'll have to tame an Itikar with Animal Kinship, or by brute force alone; Alether can be useful here.
(343) Ride the Itikar to fly away from the city of Barrakeesh, then head towards the sea, unless you possess the Sommerswerd.
(221) Your Itikar is wounded, but you are saved by Banedon, the young man who gave you the Crystal Star Pendant in Flight from the Dark. When you get on the skyship, don't help the fighting dwarf: he will be safe anyway (although it looks otherwise at the beginning); help Banedon instead, and he'll drive the skyship to safety.
Part II-II: Travels across Vassagonia[]
(339) At dinner with the dwarves, feel free to accept the Bor-Brew beer: if you don't collapse, you'll restore 2 Endurance Points, otherwise you'll get to a section with illustration. You should not have a Black Crystal Cube with you, so the Drakkarim should not attack the Skyrider.
(247) After landing outside Ikaresh, there's a 70% chance to come across a cave. If you don't have a Jewelled Mace already but you have some Oede instead, you can obtain the Jewelled Mace here from the diseased hermit, otherwise avoid the cave completely as without the Oede healing herb, you must flee losing 2 backpack items in the process. He will also suggest to talk to the widow Soushilla to learn more about Tipasa the Wanderer.
(337/241) At the house in the outskirts of Ikaresh, accept the invitation of the man. Drink the wine to restore Endurance, and feel free to buy a bottle of Kourshah. The goatherd will then tell you that Tipasa the Wanderer lives near the Dougga Market.
(272) In the town of Ikaresh nothing of consequence can happen. You can go straight to the Dougga Market and ask about Tipasa, but don't buy anything: it's just a waste of money. Alternatively, you can go towards the main square to see an illustration, and then you'll get to the Dougga Market anyway.
(206) In Tipasa's house, you'll have to decipher his diary notes based upon features on your map to find out the location/page reference of Majhan's Tomb. The solution is 373.
(320) When you get to the Majhan's Tomb: use the tincture of graveweed to get past the guard, then use the prism or the Blue Stone Triangle to open the stone door. When you meet Darklord Haakon, the Discipline of Mindshield will come in handy, then use the Jewelled Mace to face the monster summoned by the Darklord, instead of retrieving your Sommerswerd and doing hand-to-hand battle. You can then defeat the Darklord himself if you use his power stone against him. If you have the Sommerswerd, you can use it instead of the Jewelled Mace and the power stone, but at the risk of a duel.
(400) Once you defeat the Darklord, you finally can retrieve the Book of the Magnakai.
Appendices[]
Item list[]
Items that are missed following this walkthrough are in brackets.
Starting equipment:
Items found in Part I-I:
- Black Sash
- Potion of alether
- Potion of graveweed
- Vial of larnuma oil
- Potion of laumspur
- Rope
- Tinderbox
- Towel (useless)
- Potion of calacena (useless)
- Potion of gallowbrush (useless)
- (Herb pad) (useless)
- (Rendalim's Elixir)
- (Potion of oede)
Items found in Part I-II
- Jewelled Mace
- Copper key
- Gaoler's keys
- Blowpipe
- Prism
- Sleep Dart
- Hourglass (useless)
- Silver Comb (useless)
Items found in Part II-I:
- Brass Whistle (useless)
- (Canteen of water) (useless)
- (Black Crystal Cube) (dangerous!)
Items found in Part II-II:
- Bottle of kourshah
Useful items for subsequent gamebooks[]
- Any backpack item that restores Endurance.
- Shield (special item): this is the last opportunity to acquire one; as long as Lone Wolf carries it, it enhances Combat Skill +2.
- Jewelled Mace (weapon-like special item): it is one of the few special items that can be carried over in book 13 and subsequent ones; however, its usefulness is limited.
Enemy roster[]
Default sorting is in the order the enemies can be met in the gamebook.
Lone Wolf's average combat skill (because the average result of the Random Numbers Table is 5):
- 17, if this is his first adventure and he has a Shield
- 19, if he completed all previous adventures, but is not using the Sommerswerd
- 27, if he completed all previous adventures and is using the Sommerswerd
Lone Wolf is at disadvantage if the Combat Ratio is -4 or less, i.e. if the enemy Combat Skill is 4 or more units higher than Lone Wolf's one.
[]
Enemy | CS | EP | Section | Avoid | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Palace Gaoler | 14 | 21 | P.I-II, s.4/91 | (unavoidable) | - |
Yas (snake) | 14 | 28 | P.I-II, s.194 | DON'T : fight him for the Jewelled Mace | Enemy mindblast: CS-3 |
Vestibule Guard | 15 | 23 | P.I-II, s.168 | DON'T : fight him for Blowpipe and Sleep Dart | - |
Drakkar | 18 | 25 | P.II-I, s.361 | (unavoidable) | Three rounds only |
Full list[]
Enemy | CS | EP | Section | Avoid | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Horseman | 21 | 28 | P.I-I, s.20 | Just jump into the water | - |
Bloodlug (leech) | 17 | 11 | P.I-I, s.12 | Just choose to evade | Fast enemy: CS-2; Mindshield |
Sharnazim Underlord | 18 | 28 | P.I-I, s.123 | Jump into the sewers straight away. | - |
Kwaraz (lizard) | 19 | 30 | P.I-I, s.110 | Go left/south in the sewers | Weak mind: double mindblast |
Kwaraz (lizard) | 20 | 30 | P.I-I, s.64 | Go left/south in the sewers | Weak mind: double mindblast |
Sharnazim Warrior | 17 | 22 | P.I-I, s.135 | Go left/south in the sewers | Noxious fumes: CS-2 |
Steam spiders | 10 | 35 | P.I-I, s.162 | Go left/south in the sewers | Enemy mindshield |
Courier | 16 | 23 | P.I-II, s.106 | Don't get infected in the sewers | Disadvantage: CS-2 |
Palace Gate Guardians | 16 | 30 | P.I-II, s.119 | Don't get infected in the sewers | - |
Elix (cat) | 17 | 32 | P.I-II, s.57 | Don't get infected in the sewers | CS+2 if you fought one already |
Palace Gaoler | 14 | 21 | P.I-II, s.4/91 | (unavoidable) | - |
Armoury Guard | 16 | 22 | P.I-II, s.159/178 | Use discipline of Camouflage | - |
Yas (snake) | 14 | 28 | P.I-II, s.194 | DON'T : fight him for the Jewelled Mace | Enemy mindblast: CS-3 |
Hammerfist the Armourer | 18 | 30 | P.I-II, s.190 | Use the gaoler's keys in the palace | Terrible heat: CS-2 |
Vestibule Guard | 15 | 23 | P.I-II, s.168 | DON'T : fight him for Blowpipe and Sleep Dart | - |
Vestibule Guard 2 | 14 | 24 | P.I-II, s.46 | Defeat other guard in less than 4 rounds | - |
2 Drakkarim | 18 | 35 | P.II-I, s.273 | Choose to evade the Akataz dog | - |
Tower Guards | 17 | 32 | P.II-I, s.334 | Choose the palace garden instead of the marble tower | - |
Drakkarim | 17 | 35 | P.II-I, s.387 | Don't climb to the top of the tower | - |
2 Drakkarim | 18 | 34 | P.II-I, s.231 | Don't climb to the top of the tower | - |
Tower Guard | 17 | 22 | P.II-I, s.375 | Use the copper key | Enemy mindshield |
Drakkar | 16 | 25 | P.II-I, s.393 | Don't go in the arboretum | Surprised: CS-2 |
Vordak | 17 | 26 | P.II-I, s.355 | Don't go in the arboretum | Undead; Enemy mindshield and mindblast: CS-2 |
Platform Sentry | 15 | 23 | P.II-I, s.357/389 | Use Blowpipe, Sleep Dart and Weaponskill | Unbalanced: CS-2 |
Itikar (bird) | 17 | 30 | P.II-I, s.240/370 | Use discipline of Animal Kinship or Onyx Medallion | Taming: double enemy Endurance losses |
Drakkarim Kraan-rider | 20 | 28 | P.II-I, s.244 | DON'T : fly towards Chula, the other way is worse | One-round only |
Vordak | 17 | 25 | P.II-I, s.299 | fly towards Chula | Undead; Enemy mindshield and mindblast: CS-2 |
Drakkar | 18 | 25 | P.II-I, s.280 | Don't help the dwarf (he's doomed) | - |
Drakkar | 18 | 25 | P.II-I, s.361 | (unavoidable) | Three rounds only |
Drakkar | 18 | 26 | P.II-II, s.316 | Don't take any Black Crystal Cube | Surprised: CS-2 |
Drakkar | 18 | 23 | P.II-II, s.330 | Don't take any Black Crystal Cube | Two rounds only. |
Drakkarim Sentry | 18 | 25 | P.II-II, s.324 | Use tincture of Graveweed | - |
Dhorgaan (monster) | 20 | 40 | P.II-II, s.253 | Either this or the Crypt Spawn. | Use Jewelled Mace: CS+5 |
Crypt Spawn (monsters) | 24 | 40 | P.II-II, s.223 | Either this or the Dhorgaan. | - |
Darklord Haakon | 28 | 45 | P.II-II, s.353 | Don't use the Sommerswerd. | Enemy mindblast: CS-2 |
Illustrations list[]
- Section stub