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:

assume that several previous adventures have been 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 Magnakai disciplines[]

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.
Huntmastery - completes Lore circle of Fire for +1 CS +2 EP
Divination
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
Psi-Screen
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.
Chainmail Waistcoat (found in book 4; special item): +4 EP.
Padded Leather Waistcoat (found in books 3, 6, and 7; special item): +2 EP.
Dagger of Vashna (but is only useful if you leave the Sommerswerd in safe-keeping)
Kalte Firesphere (found in book 3; special item): Better than the Torch and Tinderbox
Mirror (found in The Kingdoms of Terror, but you need to leave it at the Kai Monastery before Castle Death since you lose your backpack at the end of that adventure)

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 unavoidable fight against an enemy at the end of the book 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). If you take this path, you must have either Nexus or Primate-level Psi-surge to start your escape.

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 during the escape.

7. The afore-mentioned unavoidable fight also makes this book formidably hard for new characters. The fight is against an enemy with a combat skill of at least 29 (by the Mongoose edition of the book). A new character can have at most a combat skill of 19 (natural) +3 (weaponmastery) +1 (Lore circle of Fire) +2 Mindblast (since Psi-Surge doesn't actually result in a combat advantage), giving a combat skill of at most 25. This -4 combat ratio means equal loss of endurance points, and very likely death, especially since Lone Wolf would have taken at least 5 points of endurance damage prior to the fight (not mitigated by Curing), and since this foe also has an endurance points total of 38.

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 allows you to pass the various guards you meet unchallenged.

(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 the door 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 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 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 Principalin-ranked Invisiblity and Divination, you can bypass a few obstacles here and go straight for the Lorestone by approaching them. 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) If you have Principalin-ranked Nexus, help the soldiers. You can extinguish the fire and rescue them, after which go with the captain on the wagon but jump off as soon as it passes the tower. Without this improved Nexus, avoid the house. You'll make it to the West Gate, which is under attack. Don't use your Bow (it's not necessary), after which you'll have to fight a Gourgaz. Next, if you have Principalin-ranked Huntmastery, you can find and reach Banedon at once; otherwise you'll meet a captain first. Respond to his call for help, 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. If you have Weaponmastery with dagger, you can add 3 to improve your score; the Lore Circle of Fire adds another 1. If you have both, you have a 90% chance of success.

Unless you have the Dagger of Vashna and are willing to gamble, the best option is to use the Psychic Ring. Once you defeat the Zakhan, you've completed this adventure.

Getting captured[]

This subplot is an opportunity to explore further before meeting with Chiban, and to "lose" the Sommerswerd (if you are carrying that weapon) so you can avoid fighting a full-strength Zakhan Kimah. There are two ways to get captured. The easiest way is to not have the Invitation and get captured by the South Gate guards when you first enter Tahou (section 100); simply tell them you intend to enter the Tahou Cauldron.

The other way is to enter the eating house (section 242). Whatever you do now, you will be forced into a confrontation with some of the mercenaries defending Tahou. The best approach is to talk to the soldiers, then prepare for combat. Make sure you win the combat, after which the guards from the South Gate will capture you and put you into prison.

(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 you will get 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	39/30/29	46/38/38	s.188/10/128/239	Pass a kill-or-killed test by throwing the Dagger of Vashna at him (50% chance of success, +30% with Weaponmastery with Dagger, +10% with Lore Circle of Fire)	CS:EP follows the Mongoose edition. The stats may vary depending on what weapon player uses. Unless you are willing to risk throwing the Dagger of Vashna at the Zakhan, 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.
Gourgaz	23	34	s. 249	Have Principalin-ranked Nexus and use it to help the soldiers earlier in the book	Immune to Mindblast, but not Psi-surge