Junior-Level Adventure #2

Working Title: DEVILSTONE

Market and Audience

DEVILSTONE is an easy-to-play introduction to interactive fantasies like
ZORK.  Its goal is to familiarize novices with the conventions and
traditions of the genre.  Text, plot and puzzles will be geared to the
comprehension of a bright sixth-grader.

Plot Synopsis

You're an apprentice postal clerk in the sleepy village of Frobton.  As
another eventless afternoon draws to an end, your boss Mr. Blather hands
you a special delivery envelope addressed to Ye Olde Magick Shoppe, a
little-visited establishment on the far side of town.  You obediently
hop onto your bicycle and pedal through the friendly streets, where you
are greeted by old neighbors and ritually chased by a poodle.  After
passing Hoople's Drug Store, the Palace Theater, the Park and other
familiar landmarks, you cross the little creek at the edge of town and
climb the steep hill up to the Magick Shoppe.

The Shoppe is a fascinating place full of strange machines, forbidden
books and fake ice cubes, all presided over by a sad old woman.  She's
mourning the loss of her beloved pet cat, which disappeared under
mysterious circumstances a few nights ago.  The letter you are
delivering turns out to be a ransom note:

"Bring the one true Devilstone to me before the moon sets, or you will
never see your cat again!"

or words of similar ilk, signed by a dangerous-sounding witch.

The bereaved woman vows never to surrender the Devilstone to anyone, cat
or no cat, and somehow manages to recruit you for a rescue mission. Your
only defense against the Evil Witch is to be the Devilstone itself, an
ordinary-looking pebble said to possess considerable Magick power when
used according to the instructions provided.

Upon leaving the Shoppe, you discover that the entire town of Frobton
has been skewed into some kind of alternative reality.  All the
landmarks and faces have taken on a sinister, larger-than-life aspect:

-- The little creek that used to run around the outskirts is now a dark,
raging river.  There's only one bridge, and that is guarded by a
creature which less original scenarios would refer to as a Troll.

-- The poodle that used to chase your bicycle has evolved into a
Hellhound.  Its appetite for bicylists is unaffected.  Good thing your
bike changed into a broomstick.

-- The little park in the center of town has become a dense forest full
of wild beasts, quicksand and other inconveniences.  But it's better
than walking the streets, which are patrolled by the Witch's Goon Squad.

-- Mr. Hoople's Drug Store and Ice Cream Parlor is now a swarmy tavern
full of ne'er-do-wells, misfits and troublemakers like yourself.  You
can buy supplies here that may prove useful in your quest.  But don't
expect much sympathy from Mr. Hoople, who is a spy for the Evil Witch.

-- The Palace Theater appears to be running a propaganda film called THE
WITCH IS WATCHING.  A better title might be WATCHING THE WITCH, because
what you see on the screen corresponds to what the Witch is actually
doing at that moment -- a good thing to know if you're trying to avoid
her.

-- The Post Office you used to work in is now the fortresslike lair of
the Witch.  Those unfortunate enough to visit the witch's Dungeon will
notice that the Chief Torturer bears a remarkable resemblance to Mr.
Blather.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to rescue the poor
little kitty cat without being turned into a furry toilet seat cover or
a Commodore 64.

Spellcrafting

Unlike ZORK IV and V, it takes more than a magic word to make the
Devilstone do its thing.  Each of the dozen or so available spells
requires the player to locate some object or solve a puzzle before the
miracle can be invoked.  Some silly examples:

-- To "Fly," you must find a feather and wear it in your hair.

-- To "Walk Across Water," you must put white sand in your shoes.

-- To "See Through Walls," you must be holding a lighted candle.

The props you need for each spell are "spelled out" in the Devilstone
instruction card provided with the game (see below).

Other possibilities include:

-- Spells can be used only a few times, or once.

-- Using the Devilstone helps the Evil Witch find out where you are (a
"lighthouse" effect a la Tolkien).  This implies that it should be
possible to solve any problem without using the Stone, thereby rewarding
clever players with less interference from the Witch.

-- A "panic button" spell that works like an on-line hint service.

Characters

-- Mr. Blather.  He has two cameos, first as your boss at the post
office and later as a torturer in the witch's Dungeon.

-- The Woman in the Magick Shoppe.  She sounds and acts like a feeble
old lady, but is sharp enough to get you to do her dirty work.  Like the
other characters in DEVILSTONE, she talks a lot but doesn't move around
much, if at all.

-- Various Townspeople.  Amiable enough in Frobton, their New Frobton
counterparts greet you with warnings, sneers and sharp farming tools.
Some of them are employed by the Evil Witch as spies and/or goons.

-- The Evil Witch (to be named later).  Impervious to water and falling
houses.

Package Ideas

-- A small white pebble.

-- Instructions for using the Devilstone.  Instead of a booklet, it
might be more fun to design a cardboard slide-rule device that lets you
"dial up" the combination of objects you need to invoke a spell.

-- A sealed special-delivery letter containing the ransom note.

-- Two maps, one for each "version" of Frobton.  It might be possible to
use a single map with a clever transparent overlay or something.


