Help Find: 1980s Choose Your Own Adventure with Giant Orb ("Eye"), Kappa
December 11, 2024 8:03 AM   Subscribe

Around 1987, I read a choose-your-own adventure book where you played an acolyte or adept exploring a waterlogged city. You were sent to recover a giant orb ("The Eye of the Dragon" or something), and fought coral-encrusted foes called "kappa" (no relation to the Japanese yokai)

There was an encounter with a skinless horse-man called the Nuckulavee that you could badly damage with a flask of fresh water, and there was a psychic battle against the kappa champion at the end where you had to "clear your mind" or else he would insta-kill you.

This wasn't a Fighting Fantasy book, and isn't a Lone Wolf book. The picture I remember was a teenage boy holding a big black ball (American football style, tucked under one arm) and holding his arm up to ward off the kappa champion.

I tried Googling this, but I just ended up circling around to Fighting Fantasy books. I think this was a short-lived attempt by a competitor to create an FF book line.

I really appreciate any help you can provide.
posted by jibberish to Writing & Language (3 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
Best answer: The Eye of the Dragon by Dave Morris.

In this next link, it shows the cover you describe and lists the eye, kappa, nuckelavee.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:20 AM on December 11, 2024 [2 favorites]


Response by poster: Yes! It was called "Eye of the Dragon." That's the exact cover I remember.

Google just sent me into a ChatGPT/AI swirl.

Thank you!
posted by jibberish at 8:33 AM on December 11, 2024


More details than you may possibly want on the series at its Demian’s Gamebook Web Page entry.
posted by zamboni at 3:36 PM on December 11, 2024


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