All Rolled Up have released a new range of Fighting Fantasy products, including play mats, dice trays, dice bags, mugs, coasters, messenger bags, and the titular All Rolled Up. All items feature classic pieces of FF art by the likes of Iain McCaig, Martin McKenna, John Sibbick, and Leo Hartas.
These products are available for a limited time, so make sure you fill your adventurer's backpack before it's too late.
Coming soon to the Fighting Fantasy Classics library, from Tin Man Games, is Sir Ian Livingstone's legendary FF adventure, Crypt of the Sorcerer.
An ancient evil is stirring!
The long-dead sorcerer Razaak has been re-awoken and is poised to fulfil his promise of death and tyranny. The Forces of Chaos are at large across Allansia and it seems that they are all pitted against YOU! For it is up to you to battle against the odds - to find the only weapon to which Razaak is vulnerable, to arm yourself with protections against his awesome powers, and to face him in his lair, the Crypt of the Sorcerer!
Descend into one of the most punishing dungeons in Allansia with Crypt of the Sorcerer, a legendary Fighting Fantasy adventure by series co-creator Ian Livingstone!
First published in 1987, Crypt of the Sorcerer has earned its reputation as one of the most challenging and deadly gamebooks in the entire Fighting Fantasy series. With its dark, oppressive atmosphere, brutal encounters, and iconic villains, this book is not for the faint of heart.
You must take up arms against the resurrected sorcerer Razaak – a being of pure evil whose return threatens to plunge the world into eternal darkness. Armed with only your courage, your sword, and a handful of enchanted relics, can you survive the sorcerer’s devious traps, ruthless minions, and the final confrontation with death itself?
FEATURES
Originally pitched as Crypt of the Necromancer - until someone at Puffin decided that you couldn’t have the word ‘Necromancer’ in the title of a book aimed at children - Ian Livingstone’s tenth Fighting Fantasy adventure (published in 1987) saw the return of some familiar FF faces and places, whilst also introducing readers to a whole new region of Allansia and some new allies in the hero’s quest to defeat Razaak, the undead sorcerer of the title.
In each of these
three, YOU ARE THE HERO trying to save the world of Titan from impending doom
by attempting to destroy an evil ne’er-do-well. Temple of Terror has the evil wizard Malbordus, who will be given
unchecked power if he can get his hands on several dragon artifacts which are hidden
in the lost city of Vatos Crypt of the
Sorcerer has the necromancer Razaak, who has risen from the grave bent on
vengeance and can only be defeated by his own long-lost sword. And Armies of Death has the shadow demon
Agglax, who is amassing an army of evil in northern Allansia. 
The internal illustrations for both Temple and Armies were done by artists who would only do this once in the
FIGHTING FANTASY series, being Bill Houston and Nik Williams respectively. Crypt was illustrated within by John
Sibbick, who also did Midnight Rogue
and the cover for Masks of Mayhem.
And both Temple and Armies had covers by Chris Achilleos. Armies
is also unique in that it’s the only time YOU are the adventurer in a direct
sequel, it following on from your successful attempt at Trial of Champions. While the opening of Temple seems to suggest that the wizard Yaztromo knows you from The Forest of Doom, although whether this is actually
the case is not explicitly revealed.
The three adventures all started well with
either fair or good starting scores for my SKILL, STAMINA and LUCK. Temple added the ability to use several
magic spells – although I never actually had the opportunity to use any. Crypt dispensed with the usual ten
provisions and gave me a five-portion healing potion instead – although I never
got to use it. And Armies added the
opportunity to have skirmish battles between soldiers – although I didn’t get
to try this modification either.
In Temple
I was able to reminisce about good times as I visited Port Blacksand early on and
stayed at the Black Lobster tavern, although while there I was robbed of all my
gold (which is apt for the City of Thieves). I was later rescued from a sinking
pirate ship by a crew of sea-going Dwarves, but not before I was quizzed about
who was their King (the answer is in the background section of the book – well
played Mr. Livingstone!). Then I started across the Desert of Skulls looking
for Vatos. I fought some Needle Flies but then ignored too many opportunities
to gather information and objects and was finally killed by a Giant Sandworm. This
is only the fourth time the Second
Swordsman process has failed due to a fight (the previous time was against
a Kraken in Demons of the Deep). With
the Giant Sandworm’s SKILL score of ten I figure I either (a) had gone the
wrong way entirely, (b) had failed to find a special object to help kill it, or
(c) this was just a test to cull the weaker characters before they reached
Vatos where more fearsome foes dwelled. 
Crypt also starts with a chat with
Yaztromo where he tells me that Razaak’s sword is to be found in the Lost Lake
which is somewhere in the Moonstone Hills. I headed into the Hills on horseback but then,
through two unlucky rolls of the dice, I was thrown from my horse and then
robbed and left for dead by some Chameleonites. Thus a new record has been set
– dead after just two choices. No fights. No puzzles. Just an ignominious end.
