Road Not Taken Ranger’s Handbook (Recipes, تلميحات, and Strategies)

This guide is for new and veteran rangers alike. It includes recipes for tools, potions, and consumable items. Hints and strategies are also covered. The ranger’s journey is an enigmatic one filled with peril. Dangerous creatures and frustrating puzzles are all too common. And in this line of work, there is no one else to rely on. How fortuitous then that you have stumbled upon this forgotten tome! It appears to have been carefully kept by a ranger not too different from yourself. Perhaps its contents can help solve some mysteries.

The Village

The Characters

The Belle

Sociable and teeming with enthusiasm, the belle happily walks about the village with her basket of flowers. Getting married is her number one goal, and she apparently doesn’t care who knows it. She is a lively character who strives to achieve whatever she puts her mind to. Her preferred gifts are coppers and rabbits.

The Highbrow

The highbrow sees himself as being more cultured than his fellow townsfolk. Having been born into a prosperous family, his understanding of the less fortunate can seem lacking at times. Although he is often lost in a book or deep thought, his intentions appear to be heartfelt. His gift of choice is coppers.

The Plague Doctor

The plague doctor roams the village looking for poor souls in need of her services. Her stark appearance is in keeping with her overly grim humor and nagging comments. She is quite eager to perform physical examinations on any who approach without even being asked. The plague doctor does not receive gifts. بدلاً من, she sells medicine.

The Recluse

Standing too close to the recluse would probably get most people knocked to the ground. Aloof and somewhat haughty, the recluse tries to conceal her lack of social skills beneath a hardened exterior. Her professed disinterest in those around her is demonstrated by the fact that she occupies herself with her bow. Her favorite gifts are berries and rice.

The Yodeler

The yodeler can be seen blithely singing to himself as he bounces to and fro. He takes pride in his work and speaks of it often, although he also seems to have some interest in philosophy. The yodeler is a bit of a troublemaker as well, confessedly amusing himself with pranks from time to time. His preferred gifts are berries and rice.

Your House

Front Room

The front room of your house is where charms are stored. Charms can be obtained by building relationships with different characters. Some carry penalties to equip while others don’t. All charms have their uses, لكن. Can you find them all?

Recommended Charms

• Coffee Mug
• Ring of Acceptance
• Rope of Social Bonds
• Trousers of Strength

The Bedroom

The bedroom is where trophies are stored. Trophy items are not equipped like charms because they are automatically enabled. Some can be obtained in the same way as charms. Others must be earned by surviving many winters. How long will you last?

Married Life

• Should you choose to marry, the bedroom is where you will find your spouse.
• Marriage will only become an option once a relationship reaches a high enough level.
• Giving a character the gifts he or she likes will increase the level of relationship at a faster rate.

The Basement

The basement houses a collection of creatures, النباتات, and objects encountered in the forest. A ranger has the option of choosing which of these things to banish. Once banished, the creature, نبات, or object will no longer appear in the forest. This should make things easier…يمين?

Banishing Worries

• Not all things encountered in the forest can be banished.
• Banishing some creatures or objects may cause even worse ones to take their place.
• Banishing can be used to disable certain puzzles.

الغابة

The Characters

The Dryad

The dryad stands in the midst of the forest with a serene smile as she calmly observes her surroundings. Although she never directly admits to being a supernatural creature, her true nature is subtly revealed through her words and actions. Not surprisingly, she has been mistaken for a witch. The dryad enjoys berries and rabbits as gifts.

The Hunter

The hunter is a big, easygoing fellow who takes his duty of hunting for food on behalf of the village seriously. The confident way in which he states his own opinions can make him seem somewhat crude and insensitive. But the truth is probably that he just lacks tact due to the time he spends away from the village. The hunter’s favorite gifts are berries and rabbits.

The Risks

Baba Yaga

The infamous witch of Russian folklore teleports throughout the woods looking for children to devour. Upon snatching a child, she will drag her victim toward a cauldron. So fixated is she on sating her hunger that she will completely ignore a ranger. Even so, she is highly dangerous.

Defeating the Witch

• Baba Yaga cannot be lifted. She is also immune to tools and potions.
• Entering Baba Yaga’s domain causes the gate to lock shut behind you.
• Do not allow yourself to be cornered before unlocking the gate.
• Throw a doll into Baba Yaga’s domain to distract her.
• Bring a parent into Baba Yaga’s domain to expedite the rescue mission.

Blizzards

Some areas of the forest are wracked by freezing winds and constant snowfall. Each step taken through a blizzard will drain a ranger’s energy. Unless some thought is put into the situation beforehand, the ranger can end up severely weakened or worse. Conserve energy at all costs.

Calming the Storm

• If no children are present, look for an alternate route to the next area.
• Allow willowisps to carry any remote children away from the area.
• Step on a spirit or take damage from a creature to reach a child sooner if needed.
• Remove any dolls, backpacks, or shoes from the area to restore calm.
• Use a fire to negate the blizzard if the area is free of dolls, backpacks, and shoes.

Lairs

When many creatures of the same kind inhabit one area of the forest, it becomes especially difficult to navigate. The creatures lurking in a lair are always menacing. At least one child is usually stranded within. إذا لم يكن كذلك, the lair may contain rewards such as berries or rice instead.

Taming the Beasts

• Throw an ax, spear, or stun potion to paralyze a creature.
• Toss a potion of fear at the creature to make it flee from you.
• Knock a creature away using a forest bull or rock.
• Send a crow to whisk the creature away to another area.
• Use plants, objects, or peaceful creatures in the area to isolate hostile ones.

Puzzles

Most areas of the forest are randomly generated each winter. Some may turn up more than once, لكن. Creatures, النباتات, objects, and even their positions are fixed in these places. Reaching the exit, rescuing a child, or obtaining a reward can be very tricky.

Solving the Riddle

• Equip charms that enhance ability while avoiding ones that increase difficulty.
• Bring tools, potions, and resources from other areas to gain an advantage.
• Remove any unneeded creatures, النباتات, or objects cluttering the area.
• Use a jumpstone to teleport to the area if certain parts are inaccessible.
• Disable any puzzle by banishing one of the things that its layout requires.

Tool Recipes

Most tools are used to create things. Some have other uses, لكن. A ranger who knows how to make and use tools will never lack resources…

1. Fearsome Stew = Angry Spirit + Ancient Mortar
2. Fearsome Stew = Very Angry Spirit + Ancient Mortar
3. Berry = Rabbit + Ancient Mortar
4. Apple = Thorn Bush + Ancient Mortar
5. Apple = Thorn Tree + Ancient Mortar
6. Apple = 2 Flame Spirits + Ancient Mortar
7. Jumpstone = 3 Light Spirits + Ancient Mortar
8. Potion of Fear = 3 Willowisps + Ancient Mortar
9. Potion of Fear = Flame Spirit + Ancient Mortar
10. Potion of Following = Owl + Ancient Mortar
11. Potion of Grip = Light Spirit + Ancient Mortar
12. Stone Seed = Oak + Heavy Rock + Ancient Mortar
13. Stone Seed = Pine + Heavy Rock + Ancient Mortar
14. Stone Seed = Dead Tree + Heavy Rock + Ancient Mortar
15. Flame Spirit = Berry Bear + Ancient Mortar
16. الجليد = Ancient Mortar + Statue

1. Ax = 3 Flame Spirits
2. خشب = Oak + Ax
3. خشب = Pine + Ax
4. خشب = Dead Tree + Ax
5. خشب = Shrubbery + Ax
6. خشب = Hedge + Ax
7. Apple = Ninja Bear + Ax
8. حربة = 2 Axes
9. Rock Eater = Ax + Leshy

1. نار = 2 خشب
2. Raccoon Stew = Fire + Placid Raccoon
3. Raccoon Stew = Fire + Evil Raccoon
4. Owl Head Pickles = 2 Owls + نار
5. Mole Stew = 2 Moles + نار
6. Yeti Stew = Yeti + نار
7. Pork Roast = Fire + خنزير
8. طفل = Precocious Child + نار
9. Burning Tree = Oak + نار
10. Burning Tree = Pine + نار
11. Burning Tree = Dead Tree + نار
12. Burning Tree = Mimic Tree + نار
13. Burning Tree = Tree + نار
14. Fearful Fire* = Fire + Pork Roast

1. Evil Raccoon = Leshy + Forest Shrine
2. Boar = Willowisp + Forest Shrine
3. نحلة = Lodestone + Forest Shrine
4. Willowisp = Hawk + Forest Shrine
5. Rabbit = Doom Spirit + Forest Shrine

1. Jumpstone = 3 Light Spirits + Ancient Mortar

• Skeleton Key = 3 Skulls
• Apple = Skeleton Key + Gate A* + Gate B*

• حربة = 2 Axes
• Jar of Honey = Ninja Bear + حربة
• Berry = Thorn Tree + حربة

ملحوظة: * indicates the item is not included in the Book of Secrets.

Potion Recipes

Potions can make any puzzle easier to solve. A successful ranger is never without a bit of magic up his or her sleeve…

1. Potion of Duplication = 5 Flame Spirits

1. Potion of Fear = Flame Spirit + Ancient Mortar
2. Potion of Fear = 3 Willowisps + Ancient Mortar

1. Potion of Following = Owl + Ancient Mortar

1. Potion of Grip = Light Spirit + Ancient Mortar

1. Potion of Movement = 3 Hawks + Flame Spirit
2. Potion of Movement = 2 Apples

1. Stun Potion = 4 Light Spirits

Consumable Recipes

Consumables are useful for restoring lost energy. Knowing how and where to obtain them is the key to surviving long, harsh winters…

1. Apple = Thorn Bush + Ancient Mortar
2. Apple = Skeleton Key + Gate A* + Gate B*
3. Apple = 2 Flame Spirits + Ancient Mortar
4. Apple = Ninja Bear + Ax
5. Apple = Thorn Tree + Ancient Mortar
6. Potion of Movement = 2 Apples

1. Family Dinner = Crow + Parent

1. Fearsome Stew = Angry Spirit + Ancient Mortar
2. Fearsome Stew = Very Angry Spirit + Ancient Mortar

• Jar of Honey = 3 Beehives
• Jar of Honey = Ninja Bear + حربة
• Royal Honey = 3 Jars of Honey

1. Mole Stew = 2 Moles + نار

1. Owl Head Pickles = 4 Owls
2. Owl Head Pickles = 2 Owls + نار

1. Pork Roast = Fire + خنزير

1. Raccoon Stew = Fire + Placid Raccoon
2. Raccoon Stew = Fire + Evil Raccoon

• Royal Honey = 3 Scared Bees
• Royal Honey = Skull + نحلة
• Royal Honey = 3 Jars of Honey

1. Toadstool = 2 Leshies

1. Yeti Stew = Yeti + نار

ملحوظة: * indicates the item is not included in the Book of Secrets.

Many mysteries yet remain. But it is now clear that this tome was not forgotten at all. The ranger who wrote it must have left it to other rangers as a means of surviving the long winters ahead. You tuck the tome under one arm as you continue along your trek through the wild…