1986 Creature of Havoc - Steve Jackson

Please note: Although many of the gamebooks we sell are the first version of the paperbacks (But not necessarily the first print run)  they will have one, some or all of the following: Browning of the internal paper pages, previous owner's name on the inside cover, plastic covering on the cover, creasing or minor damage. All books are complete and readable. Condition as shown in the pictures.
 
Fighting Fantasy 24
 
Creature of Havoc is a single-player roleplaying gamebook written by British game designer Steve Jackson (not to be confused with the US game designer of the same name), illustrated by Alan Langford and originally published in 1986 by Puffin Books. It was later republished by Wizard Books in 2002. It forms part of Jackson and Ian Livingstone's fictional Fighting Fantasy series, and is the last Fighting Fantasy gamebook written by Jackson. It is the 24th in the series in the original Puffin series
The book begins with an extensive background section detailing the recent history of an area of Allansia known as the Trolltooth Pass. A necromancer named Zharradan Marr has been gathering a small army and is particularly feared as a practitioner of marrangha, a type of black magic that involves the transformation of limbs and organs from one creature to another. Three "Vapours" have been stolen from an elven village. These vapours are benevolent spirits which bestow the gifts of reason, languages and elven magic.
The player begins the adventure as the titular "creature of havoc", an unidentified, violent beast with no concept of who or where they are. The creature gradually recovers the ability to reason and communicate and must learn what has happened and why.
Because the creature cannot make its own decisions, it is governed by instinct. Once it finds the Vapour of Reason, it is able to make choices. The creature proceeds through the dungeon, killing a number of adventurers before finding the Vapour of Languages, which allows the creature to understand what others are saying. The creature escapes from the dungeon, killing Darramouss, one of Marr's allies, in the process.
The creature then elects to help a group of witches by collecting a particular root. Whilst doing this, it saves the life of a Half-Orc named Grog, who eventually returns the favour by saving the creature, at the expense of his own life. The creature picks up the bag that Grog was carrying and finds a box similar to the one which the Vapours of Reason and Language were encased in.
As a reward for retrieving the root, the witches lead the creature to an elf, the original thief of the Vapours, whom the creature can extort for information on how to access the Galleykeep, Marr's flying vessel. Aboard the Galleykeep Marr reveals the creature's identity and demands that he surrender Grog's box, which contains the Vapour of Elven Magic. If the creature is able to defeat Marr by destroying his portal, the necromancer is banished from the world of the living and the creature reverts into their previous human self, returning to his position as commander of the Galleykeep. If the creature fails, Marr takes the vapour by force and it is implied that Marr uses it to conquer the world of Titan with the creature either as Marr's second-in-command or slaughtered by his crew.
There are several diversions, such as the Testing Grounds where crew for the Galleykeep are recruited, but although they have a long decision tree all paths lead to death or failure.