Sorcery!
 The cover of The Shamutanti Hills, the first chapter in the Crown of Kings storyline (1983).
Art by John Blanche. |
|
| Designer(s) | Steve Jackson |
|---|---|
| Illustrator(s) | John Blanche |
| Publisher(s) |
Penguin Books Puffin Books Wizard Books |
| Publication date | 1983 |
| Genre(s) | Fantasy |
| System(s) | Gamebook |
Sorcery! is a single-player four-part adventure gamebook series written by Steve Jackson and illustrated by John Blanche. Originally published by Penguin Books between 1983 and 1985, the titles are part of the Fighting Fantasy canon, but were not numbered within the original 59-book series. Sorcery! was reissued by Wizard Books in 2003 and was released as an app for iOS and Android devices in 2014. In 2016 it was ported to PC.
The Sorcery! series was published by Penguin Books (and later by their Puffin Books imprint) as four individual titles, beginning in 1983 with The Shamutanti Hills, followed by Kharé: Cityport of Traps and The Seven Serpents in 1984, and The Crown of Kings in 1985.
Each title could be played as an individual adventure or as part of the overall story arc. The series was supported by the Sorcery! Spellbook, published in 1983, which was eventually incorporated as an appendix into the four titles in later printings. A boxed set titled Sorcery! was released, containing both The Shamutanti Hills and the spellbook. The series was reissued by Wizard Books in 2003.
Sorcery! features several mechanics not present in previous Fighting Fantasy gamebooks. The principal difference is the ability to choose between playing as a warrior or a wizard. As a wizard, the player is weaker in combat, but has access to 48 spells, with each appearing as a three-letter word that has to be memorised by the player. Examples include ZAP (creates a lightning bolt from the finger) to ZED, the effects of which are unknown. When given the option to cast spells the player is presented with a small selection of these three-letter words to choose from; the player is encouraged to choose from these without consulting the spell listing. It is also possible to fail to cast at all, as false spell words are placed alongside correct choices. Many spells also require a certain item (e.g. GOB requires one or more goblin teeth). If the character does not have the necessary equipment then the spell fails. All spell choices, irrespective of the outcome, incur a Stamina penalty.
Warriors and wizards share the ability to call on the character's patron goddess, Libra, once each adventure. The goddess can perform a range of services, such as providing an automatic escape from a situation, restoring lost Skill/Stamina/Luck points or curing a curse.
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