The fifth Knightmare adventure gamebook, published with The Forbidden Gate story.

Taking place outside the traditional Dungeon, it lacks the dungeoneering ambience found in previous gamebooks. Arriving in an unnamed harbour town, the player must set out to retrieve an earth dragon's egg, which involves an indirect sea voyage to the Draconis Islands aboard a ship called the Pendragon.

Uniquely, in addition to the help provided by possessions, spells and money, the player starts the quest with a skill - seamanship, swordplay, fisticuffs, acrobatics, thievery, gambling, trading or swimming - which may offer a timely advantage or two during the adventure.

'Codewords' are also introduced: certain outcomes to certain events will lead to the player acquiring a specific word, which may affect how certain later events unfold.

In spite of its departures from earlier KM gamebooks, The Quest For The Dragon's Egg does include some familiar characters: Julius Scaramonger, Sylvester Hands, Hordriss, Motley, Pickle, and as always Treguard. Its original characters include Witch Hazel and Vestella.

Ostensibly, it is the shortest of all the gamebooks, comprising only 97 passages.

[Earlier version: 2006-05-16 18:13:22]

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