The Princess Bride Rulesheet

Games Wiki Rulesheets
1

Quick Links:

Game Information:

Vendor: Multimorphic
Released: 2024
Wiki update based on Code Rev: 1.1.4.1
(please update the Code Rev when you make changes to the Wiki)

Team

  • Creative Director: Stephen Silver
  • Playfield Design: Entire design team
  • Art: Matt Andrews
  • Code: Josh Kugler, Greg Goldey, Michael Ocean, Steve Shoyer
  • Graphics and Animation: Rory Cernuda, Stephen Silver
  • Rules: Colin MacAlpine
  • Mechanical: TJ Weaver, Trey Jones
  • Music and Sound: Matt Kern, Paul Farrer

Gameplay Overview:

Immerse yourself in the world of The Princess Bride as you join your favorite characters in reliving each iconic scene as Modes and Multiballs, played out before your eyes. Shoot the three shots marked as Castle, Florin, and Guilder to choose different Story Modes. Collect 6-fingered glove shots to play Prepare to Die Multiball and spell TRUE LOVE at the side targets to play True Love Multiball.

After you master the basics, enjoy exploring the myriad ways to enhance your ability to further progress through the story and increase your scoring via both traditional stacking and thematically interwoven boosts between the Shot Features, Story Modes, Multiballs, and Skill Shots.

Playfield Walkthrough:

From left to right:

  • The left side targets (below the upper left flipper) are used to spell out TRUE to advance True Love Multiball.
  • The left ramp (aka CASTLE) is on the extreme left of the playfield and supports launching up through the same ball path through the castle. The ramp returns to the left flipper
  • The left orbit (aka FLORIN) can capture a ball or pass through and exit to the right orbit. It can serve as a ball launch.
  • A standup target is in between the orbit and Max’s hut.
  • Max’s hut shot has a drop target in front of it and captures the ball behind it. It can be a ball launch.
  • A captive ball is to the right of the Max’s hut.
  • The center ramp loops behind the Cliffs and returns to the right flipper.
  • A standup target between the center ramp and the cliffs.
  • The Cliffs (aka GUILDER) shot is protected by a drop target and has the cliff moving magnet mech behind it. The cliff can serve as a ball capture to the trough, or carry the ball to the top of the cliff based on context.
  • The side loop (aka INCONCEIVABLE) shot is accessible from the upper left flipper and loops out of the left orbit entrance. It is conceivably possible to repeat this shot from the upper left flipper.
  • There are two standup targets that cover the entrance to the upper loop shot from the lower flippers.
  • The right orbit boasts a spinner emblazoned with the Dread Pirate Roberts. It exits via the left orbit entrance.
  • The right side targets (below the upper right flipper) are used to spell out LOVE to advance True Love Multiball.
  • The inlane/outlanes spell KISS and are rotated by using the upper flipper buttons (by default – can be configured to use the lower flipper buttons or to rotate when the spinner spins)
  • The Book: immediately above the flippers on the playfield screen, shows detailed instructions on how to play each active aspect of the game (Modes, Multiballs, and Features) both during the intro video and while playing it, as well as the general status of Character and Mode progress, boosts, and any active Narrative Streak.
  • Tilt Warnings Remaining indicator: shown near the apron in the left outlane.

Flipper Button Functions

  • Red buttons: main/lower flippers
  • White buttons: upper flippers
  • Yellow buttons: HOLD for detailed Instant Info
    • Left Yellow button: Chapter and Narrative Streak details
    • Right Yellow button: Mode & Multiball boost details

Skill Shots (Farm Boy)

The game has 3 levels of Farm Boy skill shot combos available. Completing each combo sequence awards one use of As You Wish, which allows for the GUILDER modes to be played as a two-ball multiball. The skillshots must be achieved in order. Once a skill shot sequence is collected, subsequent balls will restart on the last uncollected sequence, wrapping around back to the first skill shot combo after completing the third combo. It is possible to complete and collect multiple skill shot combos in a single ball, with each consecutive skill shot becoming more lucrative.

The skillshots do not immediately turn off if some non-combo minor switches are hit, and it is possible to recover and complete the sequence. Follow the Westley icons at the top of the playfield screen which light the shots, and will turn off when Farm Boy is no longer available.

  • Center Ramp → Center Ramp (Sequence 1)
  • Center Ramp → Left Orbit → Left Ramp (Sequence 2)
  • Center Ramp → Left Ramp → Right Orbit → Upper Loop (Sequence 3)

Character Progress

Completion of Modes and collecting Multiball super jackpots awards Character progress for the Westley, Buttercup, Inigo, and Fezzik in the given scene. In order to unlock the final wizard mode, Four White Horses, you must collect 4 segments (adjustable) of each Character’s progress as indicated on the scoreboard displays. The notes below will outline what Character(s) will be earned by completing each mode and multiball.

Character Progress & Narrative Streak Reference Table

Mode/Multiball Narrative Order Region Westley Buttercup Inigo Fezzik
True Love Multiball N/A N/A X X
Prepare to Die Multiball N/A N/A X
Shrieking Eels 1 Florin X X
Cliffs of Insanity 2 Guilder
Battle of Steel 3 Guilder X X
Battle of Strength 4 Guilder X X
Battle of Wits 5 Guilder X X
Fire Swamp (Mini Wizard) 6 Guilder
Buttercup’s Nightmare 7 Castle X
There Will Be Blood Tonight 8 Florin X X
Guide My Sword 9 Florin X X
Miracle Max (Mini Wizard) 10 Florin
Mawidge 11 Castle X
Storming the Castle 12 Castle X X X
To The Pain (Mini Wizard) 13 Castle
Four White Horses 14

Story Modes

Modes in The Princess Bride are tied to the three regional shots (CASTLE, FLORIN, GUILDER) and are qualified by hitting the shots a number of times (default settings: 2 for the first mode, 3 for the second+ mode in each region). The final shot will prompt you to pick a mode from that region’s selections.

Each region has 3 modes to select from initially, plus a 4th mini wizard mode to select after the respective three regional modes have been played once. These modes do not need to be completed to unlock the 4th mode.

  • Modes that are not completed can be attempted again, and progress for most modes seem to carry over where you left off.
  • You may also choose to skip a mode selection if you don’t want to start a Mode from that region at the moment.
  • Modes may be completed in order of the story to contribute to a Narrative Streak bonus scoring (see below).

Mode Scoring Boost Reference Table

Region Mode Boosted by In-Mode Boost
Castle Buttercup’s Nightmare The Promise of a Woman
Castle Mawidge Rugen Ramps Outer shots shift points between Character shots
Castle Storming the Castle Dread Pirate Roberts Spinner After final shot lit, shoot more scoops (if enabled)
Castle To The Pain (Mini Wizard) # of completed Castle modes Complete marked shots in order
Florin Shrieking Eels Cliffs Double Scoring Immediate Side Loop
Florin There Will Be Blood Tonight Rhyme Time After final shot lit, more spinner
Florin Guide My Sword Crossing Swords Speed
Florin Miracle Max (Mini Wizard) # of completed Florin modes Phase 2: Side Loop worth 4x
Guilder Cliffs of Insanity Left Ramp
Guilder Battle of Steel As You Wish Multiball Captive Ball multiplies next shot
Guilder Battle of Strength As You Wish Multiball Immediate Side Loop doubles scoring
Guilder Battle of Wits As You Wish Multiball and Unique Combos Don’t switch the goblet shots
Guilder Fire Swamp (Mini Wizard) # of completed Guilder modes Avoid hazards

Castle Modes

Castle modes are qualified and started at the left ramp.

Buttercup’s Nightmare

Buttercup’s Nightmare is played as a two-ball multiball. To complete the mode, you must survive the entire time of the mode (~40 seconds) without losing either of the balls. Buttercup’s Nightmare starts with a significant ball saver that covers about the first half of the mode. To make matters more difficult, you are unable to hold any flipper up! Pressing a flipper button will quickly activate then deactivate the flipper.

Points are awarded at lit shots and targets. The upper flippers are active during this mode, so it might be possible to use those to your advantage! It’s also a good strategy to start this mode when True Love Multiball is already lit at the Max’s Hut (note: you can’t make progress toward TLMB during this mode), and if you can stack on the additional multiball about halfway through the mode, you should have enough ball save time to return any balls and successfully complete the mode.

Completion of this mode currently also awards Pit of Despair; or – if Pit of Despair is already qualified – a Miracle Pill!

Mawidge

This mode is all about whuv. Twoo Whuv. But you want to move Buttercup and Humperdinck away from each other, because he’s not Buttercup’s twoo whuv. Hit indicated shots for Humperdinck and Buttercup to collect a letter in MAWIDGE. After collecting shots, Humperdinck shots will move left and Buttercup shots will move right (excluding the side loop). Hitting indicated Shift Points shots will move points to that side’s next Buttercup or Humperdinck lit shot.

Once six shots are collected, a new short timer begins to complete the mode by hitting the castle shot and collect a hurry-up worth the sum of the mode shots.

Storming the Castle

Prepare to storm the castle by hitting roving scoops. Scoops will pop up from left to right, wrapping back around to the left. Hitting two scoops will increase the speed of the scoop sequence. After 4 made scoops, hit the left ramp to complete the mode.

To The Pain

  • Narrative Order: 13 (Storming the Castle before, Four White Horses after)
  • Character Progress: N/A
  • Boosted by: N/A
  • Completion Award: required for Four White Horses

Coming to the end of the story and Westley is still feeling the effects of being Mostly Dead, so this mode starts with a longer ball save, and long timer, and very weak flippers. Hitting indicated side target banks will slowly add power to the respective flippers, making it easier/possible to hit shots.

  • Shoot each shot once to complete the mode.
  • For multiplied scoring, shoot the “X”-marked body part shots in the order that Westley describes them to Humperdinck in To The Pain.
  • Scoring is also based on number of completed Castle modes.

Florin Modes

Florin modes are qualified and started at the left orbit.

Shrieking Eels

  • Narrative Order: 1 (No modes before, Cliffs of Insanity after)
  • Character Progress: Buttercup, Fezzik
  • Boosted by: Cliffs Double Scoring feature
  • Completion Award: immediate access to Cliffs of Insanity

Hit shots indicated by the Buttercup icons that are scattered around the playfield to help Buttercup swim away from the eels and reach safety. While there is a shorter initial timer (15 seconds) to hit the shots, each shot adds time to the mode and lights different shots (it is not possible to repeat the same shot back-to-back – except for the side loop – and make progress). Hit five shots to light the escape shot at the Cliffs worth half the sum of your total Buttercup shot values. You can choose to continue shooting more Buttercup shots to score more points, add more time, and increase your final escape shot value. Later shots add less time.

Scoring for this mode can be doubled by quickly hitting the green-lit side loop one time when the ball is first launched into play.

There Will Be Blood Tonight

Time to sober up Inigo! TWBBT has two phases, each with distinct timers:

  • Phase 1: Sober up Inigo by hitting alternating ramps. Hitting three ramps will start the next phase.
  • Phase 2: Shoot the spinner to get The Man in Black to help Inigo plan. After hitting the spinner enough times (25 total spins), shoot the hut to complete the mode. After the Hut is lit for the final shot, you may opt to continue shooting the spinner to increase the final shot value.

Scoring for this mode can be doubled by quickly hitting the green-lit side loop one time when the ball is first launched into play.

Guide My Sword

A P3 classic! Time for the walls to come up and to hit the indicated scoop, with a twist! One scoop will be the location you need to shoot (indicated in yellow). Your current position of your sword will be the scoop indicated in blue (the large sword on the playfield also points to your current position).

Move your sword left and right by hitting the side targets on the corresponding side of the playfield, and the wall to the yellow scoop will drop, the scoop will turn green, and you will make progress by hitting the scoop. Be careful! It is possible to “overshoot” at which scoop your sword is pointed by hitting more side targets than needed.

The mode completes on the third successfully shot scoop.
Note: no multiball progress can be made nor can be stacked onto GMS mode.

Miracle Max

  • Narrative Order: 10 (Guide My Sword before, Mawidge after)
  • Character Progress: N/A
  • Boosted by: N/A
  • Completion Award: Miracle Pill and required for Four White Horses
  • Florin’s mini-wizard mode

This mode has multiple phases:

  • Phase 1: You will have a ball save for the entirety of this phase. Pump the bellows by alternating Center Ramp with Left Ramp or Right Orbit to add time and value to Phase 2.
  • Phase 2: Shoot lit shots before they slowly disappear.
  • Phase 3: Valerie Frenzy Multiball – hit each shot and target once to complete the mode and earn a Miracle Pill.

Scoring is based on number of completed Florin modes.

Guilder Modes

Guilder modes are qualified and started at the Cliffs shot and always begin with the Cliffs of Insanity mini-mode until COI is completed.
Completing any Guilder Battle mode will also start a Humperdinck Hurry up at the pair of standup targets near the right orbit. The starting value will be correlated with your scoring in the mode, and counting down until hit.

As You Wish Multiball Option

  • Guilder Battle modes can be played as a two-ball multiball using an As You Wish (AYW) award.
  • Doing so upgrades you to untimed 2x scoring in the mode. If you do play as a multiball, draining down to one ball immediately ends the mode – Double the risk, double the rewards.
  • AYW can be earned via Skill Shots, a The Dread Pirate Roberts Spinner feature award, or as a Mystery Award.
  • It’s also worth noting that other multiballs (TLMB, PTDMB) cannot be stacked with nor progress made during Guilder modes.

Battle Victory Laps Multiball

  • Completing any Battle mode in As You Wish MB will also award victory laps at the completion of the mode. Shots will light starting at 10k and will be available for 60 seconds or until a ball is drained. After enough shots are hit, the captive ball will be lit to increase the shot value, carrying between plays of Battle Victory Laps.

Cliffs of Insanity

  • Narrative Order: 2 (Shrieking Eels before, Battle of Steel after)
  • Character Progress: None
  • Boosted by: N/A
  • Completion Award: access to Battle mode selection

A mandatory, mini-mode as the first Guilder mode. The ball will be held on the Cliffs mech/magnet and begin climbing the Cliffs. A different ball will be served for Cliffs of Insanity (COI) and you must make three shots to either ramp to make the magnet-ball climb the cliff. Hitting the left ramp awards more points: 2x the value of the center ramp for the first shot, 4x for a second shot, and 6x for the third. After 3 ramp hits, the middle two scoops will pop up. Hit the scoop to complete the mode and earn your Battle mode selection.

Notes:

  • The ball on the magnet during COI is not a “ball in play” – you are not in a multiball. If you drain during COI, your ball/turn is over and the magnet-ball will descend into the trough.
  • After completing COI, you do not have to play COI again to start subsequent Guilder Battle modes.

Battle of Steel

Why are you smiling? Because this mode can be played fully left handed! The left white button will control the right flipper, and the upper flippers are disabled.

  • Hit three shots and then you’ll be smiling, since you are not left handed — you’ll need to switch to right handed play where the right white button will control the left flipper.
  • Hit three more shots to best Inigo.
  • Hit the captive ball to increase scoring (2x/4x/6x to your next shot).
  • AYW: one additional final shot required

Battle of Strength

Scoring for this mode can be doubled at the beginning of the mode by quickly hitting the green-lit side loop.

This mode has 2 phases:

  • Phase 1: Shoot alternating orange-lit targets and shots to avoid Fezzik. Shoot 5 shots to complete phase 1. This phase is timed.
  • Phase 2: A health bar for Fezzik will pop up on screen. Shoot indicated orange shots to bring his health to zero. Fezzik’s health will regenerate if you take too long, so keep the shots flowing.
    • AYW: one additional final shot required

Battle of Wits

Defeat a Sicilian when death is on the line by collecting the letters IOCANE (indicated by orange targets) to build immunity to the poison. Then quickly drink from a cup with Vizzini.

  • Prior to building your immunity, AVOID shooting the one goblet with the poison (enlarged red one) because it will reset your IOCANE letter progress, and if shot a second time, then “kill” you (end the mode, not your ball).
  • Shooting the small GRAY goblet has no poison and will not hurt you.
  • Once you’ve collected all of the letters shoot the highlighted goblet shot to drink it and complete the mode. There will be two shots available to collect the final shot, and one will briefly award 2x points. Vizzini will switch the goblets, so be careful!
  • You can switch the goblets yourself at any time by hitting the center ramp.
  • AYW: one additional final shot required

Fire Swamp

Try to survive the fire swamp while avoiding its hazards — it only sounds impossible because no one ever has.

  • For this untimed single-ball mode you need to hit all 7 vine shots.
  • While progressing, hazards will pop up at the walls and some targets.
    • Hazards will block your progress and force you to hit additional shots in order to make it through.
    • Active hazards will continuously injure Buttercup, who has a health bar on the monitor. Don’t let Buttercup’s health run out.
  • Scoring is based on number of completed Guilder modes.

Four White Horses (wizard mode)

Narrative Streak Scoring

Completing the Story Modes in the narrative order (as listed in the book on the playfield display or backbox display, or by holding the left yellow button), including wizard and mini-wizard modes, will provide additional points collected in End-of-Ball Bonus as a % of the points scored during the Modes in the Narrative Streak and increased by the streak’s length.

  • It’s worth noting that the streak can start anywhere in the list and continue on from there — it does not need to start with Shrieking Eels, for example.
  • Additionally, if a mode is failed, the narrative streak can still continue by playing the mode again and completing it before starting any other mode.
  • Narrative Streak Scoring is multiplied by Bonus X, so playing the modes in order can rack up points quickly.
  • The second completed mode in a streak scores 25% of that mode’s points in base EOB Bonus. The third completed mode in a streak scores 50% of that mode. The fourth is worth 75%, and the scoring finally caps at 100% for the fifth+ mode.
  • Any completed portion of a Streak gets awarded during that ball’s EOB Bonus. A Streak can continue across balls – with the continually incrementing % amount – but only the newly completed mode(s) will be counted in that new ball’s EOB Bonus. For example, if you began your Streak with Buttercup’s Nightmare, you can collect the Streak Bonus from your second mode in the Streak (There Will Be Blood Tonight) on ball 1, and from Guide My Sword and Miracle Max on ball 2.

Multiballs

There are two muliballs in the game that are not tied to any modes: True Love, and Prepare to Die

Multiball Qualify Helper Boost Boost during…
True Love Multiball TRUE LOVE at Side Targets MB Extender via TRUE LOVE again Mawidge
Prepare to Die Multiball Collect 6 Glove shots Spot jackpot progress via There Will Be Blood Tonight and Inconceivable Loops More Glove shots before collecting each Jackpot

True Love Multiball

“Well, when does it get good?”
Spell TRUE LOVE at the side targets, then shoot Max’s Hut to start. During the multiball, hit ramps/targets to spell TRUE LOVE again, then shoot the right orbit to hold a ball. Last, “kiss” the ball held at the left orbit entrance with another ball for the super jackpot.

“Keep your shirt on. Let me read:”
True Love Multiball (TLMB) is qualified by completing the side targets spelling TRUE and LOVE on the left and right sides of the playfield respectively. Once complete, True Love will light at the Max’s Hut shot on the left half of the playfield.

Collecting all the letters turns the side targets pink and allows the letters to be collected again, turning them from pink to red. If you successfully turn all letters red before starting TLMB, your multiball will be extended. This is similar to other famous extended multiballs like in Scared Stiff: when you drain down to one ball, the balls will kick back out to 3 and start a short ball saver, all progress persisted.

Hit lit shots to score jackpots (starting at 10k, increasing by 1k each) and collect a letter in TRUE LOVE. Once complete, hitting the right orbit or inner loop will briefly hold a ball on an up-post in the left orbit entrance. A super jackpot is awarded for kissing (ricocheting) the held ball into the scoop behind the left orbit while locked in that position. It is possible to score a double super jackpot as well with at least 3 balls in play, by completing the “kiss” ricochet shot with 2 balls held on up-post position!

The number of shots required to get to the super Jackpot phase is controlled by difficulty and past progress. On default settings, the first two Super Jackpot phases begin after just 4 ramp jackpots, and subsequent SJP phases require both the 4 ramp jackpots and 4 target jackpots to respell TRUE LOVE.

Scoring a Super Jackpot returns the scoring to the letter collect phase, and the first SJP awards an add-a-ball as well as Character progress for both Westley and Buttercup.

Prepare to Die Multiball

“Let me sum up:”
Collect all 6 Glove shots and then start at the left ramp. During the multiball, alternate Glove shots and captive ball bashes for jackpots and add-a-balls. The 6th jackpot will begin the Six-Fingered Duel super jackpot phase.

“Let me explain:”
Prepare to Die (henceforth PTDMB) is qualified by first hitting the captive ball during play. Doing so will light a six-fingered glove on playfield shots for collection. Multiple gloves can be spawned at once by hitting the captive ball. Current progress is shown on the banner on the backbox monitor as # shots collected / 6. Collect all 6 gloves and then hit the Castle ramp to start PTDMB.

In PTDMB, the first phase begins with six playfield shots lit with glove emblems and they serve dual purpose during this phase: they can both light a jackpot or build a lit jackpot. Collect 6 captive ball jackpots to advance to the next phase of the duel. Your built jackpot value continues building across subsequent jackpots.

  • The first Glove collected (“starter” shot) will light a Jackpot at the captive ball and unlight that Glove shot from any further use during the first phase – as a “starter” or as a “build” shot.
  • Each jackpot is worth the sum of the Glove shots collected for that jackpot, plus the prior jackpot collected.
  • Each Glove shot can only be used once as the “starter” shot that lights a jackpot*, and Glove shots that have NOT yet been used as a “starter” can be used as a “build” shot on multiple jackpots.
    • *Exception: if you use the Upper Loop as a “build” shot, it will replace the “starter” shot and become that jackpot’s “starter” shot.
  • Collecting more remaining Glove shots before hitting a lit jackpot at the captive ball increases the jackpot value and unlights those shots as “build” shots.
  • For the first five jackpots/fingers, if you collect ALL lit Glove shots before collecting the jackpot, your built jackpot will also be DOUBLED.
  • The 2nd and 4th collected jackpots also award an add-a-ball.

Once you have collected 6 jackpots at the captive ball, regardless of value, the 6-ball MB second phase of PTDMB begins. The number of balls in play will be upped to 6 and all six shots will relight as jackpots to collect at 6x, with the X counting down by the number of balls remaining in play. Completing all six shots lights a Super Jackpot at the captive ball, worth the sum of the 2nd phase jackpots and multiplied by the number of balls still in play. The value of the 6-ball MB phase jackpot is based on your final jackpot of the first phase.

In addition to normal stacking on an eligible already-running mode, PTDMB can be started as a stack simultaneously with a lit Castle mode, making it a good choice for completing the harder-to-complete modes (Mawidge, Buttercup’s Nightmare). If you have simultaneously started PTDMB with a Castle mode, you will see the 6-fingered glove icon on the Castle mode selection screen.

Other Multiballs:

Shot Features and Scoring Boosts

Shot Features are short, (mostly) timed mini-modes that can run concurrently with most Modes and Multiballs. Performing well during Shot Features awards +1x scoring boosts to the next play of certain Story Modes during your game. Timed Features are qualified by repeatedly shooting various shots and run for 30 seconds.

  • The number of shots remaining to begin each Feature is listed next to the respective Feature icon on the scoreboard displays.
  • Successive Feature plays throughout the game require more shots to qualify.
  • Progress toward starting Features resets each ball.
  • Timed Features may not be stacked with each other except for Cliffs Double Scoring, and you cannot make progress toward another Timed Feature with one already running.
  • Untimed Features are available during other Timed Features.

Shot Features Reference Table

(from left to right; Boosts apply to next play only)

Feature Shot Gives Boost to: Additional Perk
Rugen Ramps Left Ramp Mawidge
Rhyme Time Left Orbit There Will Be Blood Tonight
Crossing Swords Standups → Captive Ball Guide My Sword % boost to any next Story Mode
The Promise of a Woman Center Ramp Buttercup’s Nightmare
Cliffs Double Scoring Cliffs Drop Target Shrieking Eels Timed Playfield multiplier
Inconceivable Loops Side Loop (no scoreboard icon) Qualifies Pit of Despair Easier Prepare to Die Multiball
The Dread Pirate Roberts Spinner Spinner Storming the Castle Earns one As You Wish
Unique Combos Brief shot markers (no scoreboard icon) Battle of Wits

Rugen Ramps

Boosts Mawidge

Qualify and start by hitting left ramp. Shoot the left ramp three times to complete.

Rhyme Time

Boosts There Will Be Blood Tonight

Qualify and start by hitting the left orbit. Shoot the left orbit 3 times to complete.

Crossing Swords

Boosts Guide My Sword as well as any next Story Mode

Hit all stand up targets (previously hit targets will be lit solid blue). The final standup target needed will flash blue and have a shot indicator on the playfield monitor to start Crossing Swords.

  • Completing the standup targets gets progressively more difficult, but resets back to the easiest level on each new ball.
  • Hurry-up scoring for Captive Ball shots. Completing 3 hits awards +1x scoring for the next play of Guide My Sword.
  • Additionally, every captive ball hit during Level 1 adds +0.1x scoring to the next Story Mode you play that ball (+0.2x for Level 2 of this feature, etc). This general Mode scoring boost can be combined across multiple plays of Crossing Swords, but if you drain, you lose this Mode scoring boost.

The Promise of a Woman

Boosts Buttercup’s Nightmare

Qualify by hitting the center ramp. Start at the center ramp and hit the center ramp 5 times consecutively to complete.

Cliffs Double Scoring

Qualify by hitting the Cliffs drop target. Provides a timed 2x playfield multiplier, with the time remaining indicated near the flippers on the monitor as well as by the ball on the cliffs physically “counting down” as it descends. Hitting the Cliffs drops 3 times during the feature will provide the “completion” award of +1x scoring to next play of Shrieking Eels, and each 3 hits to the Cliffs drop adds +10 seconds to the Double Scoring timer (up to max timer of 30).

  • Note: the ball physically held on the Cliffs is not a “ball in play” – you are not in a multiball. After the Cliffs 2x timer ends or if you drain your turn during Cliffs 2x, the ball will return to the trough

Inconceivable Loops (untimed)

Hitting the upper loop shot at any time will score points and various awards for cumulative Loops reached throughout your game. Consecutive Loops multiply that loop’s scoring.
Awards:

The Dread Pirate Roberts Spinner

Boosts Storming the Castle

Qualify and start at the right orbit spinner. Different awards, including a scoring boost to Storming the Castle, an As You Wish, or points, can be awarded by the number of spins in a burst on the spinner. The playfield monitor will show the current number of spins indicated in the upper right, which will reset a second or so after the last spin is counted.

Unique Combos (untimed)

Boosts Battle of Wits

Hitting any playfield “flow” shot will start a brief combo opportunity comprised of different unique shots in the combo. The shots that can continue the Unique Combo will be indicated by a red dot over a yellow diamond shot marker at the top of the playfield screen.

  • Completing a 4-way Unique Combo will add +1x scoring boost to your next play of Battle of Wits.
  • Completing a 5-way Unique Combo – or completing a 4-way Unique Combo three different times – will award a Miracle Pill.

Other Gameplay Elements

Pit of Despair

The Pit of Despair (PoD) is a way to resurrect your ball/turn (including — yes — tilting out!). You can qualify PoD by hitting the side loop, completing Buttercup’s Nightmare, or via Mystery Award. Once qualified, PoD will start when you drain/tilt.

Pit of Despair is a survivor-style multiball and by default, starts as a single-ball mode, and 3 (or 5) shots must be made to save your ball. The first shot is timed, though subsequent shots are not. All successful shots add a ball with no ball-save. If you drain a single ball, you become All Dead, so careful ball management is key.

If you successfully complete the last shot of PoD without losing a ball, you’ll be returned to play as “Mostly Dead.” Be wary, you will lose all your tilt warnings from the ordeal!

If you activate PoD by tilting or if you qualify Pit of Despair a second time after previously completing PoD, Rugen increases your difficulty to Level 50 and it will take 5 shots to complete.

  • First PoD: Center Ramp, Left Orbit, Left Ramp
  • Second+ PoD (or a PoD activated by tilting): Center Ramp, Left Orbit, Left Ramp, Right Standup Targets, Max’s Hut

Miracle Pills (Extra Balls)

Miracle Pills acts as an “Extra Ball” in TPB. They are awarded by completing the Miracle Max (Mini Wizard) mode and via the other methods described below. A Miracle Pill is consumed on drain of the current ball and immediately returns the ball to play without tallying an End-of-Ball Bonus and without ending any Mode or Feature that is currently running (think of the spatula save in Weird Al and you’ll get the idea). The resurrected ball will also enjoy a lengthy ball-save.

  • Just like extra balls, Pills can be stacked.
  • Unlike Pit of Despair, Pills will NOT activate if you tilt – so don’t tilt!
  • Miracle Pills available:
    • Complete Miracle Max mini-wizard mode
    • Complete one selectable Mode from each Region. (Cliffs of Insanity does not count)
    • Complete a 5-way Unique Combo, or complete a 4-way Unique Combo three different times.
    • Mystery Award
    • Conditionally, by earning a 2nd Pit of Despair on the same ball with one PoD already qualified and not used yet.

Miracle Pill interaction with Pit of Despair:

  • When earned, both will show as separate icons between your flippers.
  • A Pill takes precedence over PoD (you’ll consume the Pill first)
  • If you tilt with both a Pill and PoD qualified, your PoD will activate:
    • If you successfully survive PoD, you will still have your Pill.
    • If the Machine kills you in PoD, then you lose your Pill along with your ball, and along with your Bonus.

Miracle Pills in Competition Settings:
If Competition Settings are enabled, each Pill will instead bank a dynamic value of points at the time you earned the Pill, equal to your current score divided by the ball in play:

  • If ball one: Your current score is banked.
  • If ball two: You bank half of your current score.
  • If ball three: You bank 1/3rd of your current score.

Just like the Miracle Pill in Normal Settings, you won’t actually use your Pill (in this case, score your banked Miracle Pill Points) until you drain your ball – so don’t tilt! And just like Default Settings, you can resurrect any Pill Points you tilt away if you succeed at a PoD you also have qualified when you tilt.

Mystery Awards

Mystery awards are qualified and collected by repeatedly hitting the drop in front of Max’s Hut. A non-comprehensive list of awards:

  • Tilt Warning Forgiveness (this COMPLETELY refills your tilt warnings, and is not a flat +1 tilt warning. Nice!)
  • 20-Second Ball Save
  • Add BonusX
  • MLT Sandwich (Big Points)
  • Pit of Despair qualified
  • Additional As You Wish
  • Miracle Pill
  • Open All Regions

Bonus Multiplier

The bonus multiplier can be increased by completing KISS in the inlanes and outlanes. Use the white auxiliary buttons to rotate the lit letters (configurable to red primary buttons in settings or to cycle with spinner rotations, if you wish). BonusX via KISS caps out at 5x and subsequent collections of KISS will award points instead of further BonusX. After achieving 3x, rolling through a lit KISS letter will unlight it, making further completions more difficult!

It is possible to achieve a 6x Bonus Multiplier, if Bonus Multiplier is advanced through a mystery award!

End of Ball Bonus

Many components comprise the end of ball bonus. Bonus can be multiplied up to 5x by completing the KISS lanes.

  • Narrative Streak
    • Narrative Streak can be lucrative, with mode performance and length of streak factoring in to how many points are awarded
    • Narrative Streak bonus awarded for any Modes completed during that ball which were part of a Streak.
    • See Narrative Streak section for details on how to achieve this
  • Each earned but unused As You Wish awards 10k
  • Each character segment of progress earned scores 5k points
  • Longest Combo chain that ball awards 1k for each shot in the combo
  • Your longest unique combo that ball awards 10k for each shot in the combo
  • The number of modes played awards 3k each

General Strategies

[[feel free to contribute]]

Competition Mode

IMPORTANT: notes on two settings the TD/operator will need to change are listed at the end of this section.

The Princess Bride is the rare P3 game that has a Competition Mode option in Settings → Gameplay → General. Turning it on makes the following changes:

  • Miracle Pills award points, not a resurrected ball
  • Mystery Awards are in a set, deterministic order (see below).
  • Prepare to Die Multiball is harder to qualify: Hitting the captive ball spawns 2 shots with a captive ball glove hit, instead of all shots spawning from the first hit.
  • True Love Multiball is harder to qualify: Only the cycling currently highlighted letter can be collected by hitting it.
  • Region’s first qualification shots do not get spotted at beginning of balls 2 and 3.
  • Pity As You Wish on ball 3 removed.

Mystery Awards in Competition Mode

If Competition Mode is on, the Mystery Awards should award in a fixed order. The only exception is that, if mystery is hit with less than the default number of tilt warnings, “Tilt Warning Forgiveness” will be the award given, once per game.

  • Mutton Lettuce and Tomato (MLT) Sandwich (”Big Points”)
  • 20-Second Ball Save
  • BonusX +1
  • MLT Sandwich
  • Pit of Despair qualified
  • As You Wish
  • MLT Sandwich
  • Open all Regions (all regions shots qualified)

Settings that need to be Manually Adjusted

  • Disable the Profile System
    • Service Menu (open coin door and press Launch) → Settings → Profile System → set Profile System Enable to “NO”
    • Otherwise, a player will be able to set up and use a personal Profile that will override the Comp Settings, just for them.
  • [[You no longer have to Disable the Service Menu, because there is now a 5-button press gatekeeper on the Launch button to access it. nNo more accidentally bumping the Launch button with the coin door open and unintentionally end the game!]]
3 Likes
2

thanks for drafting this! I’ll add in some quick corrections.
And if I have time, some hyperlink formatting.

1 Like
3

@gdd or @moderators would you mind turning this into a wiki?

4

Appreciated! I would have done the hyperlinking but wasn’t entirely sure how Discourse managed those. I’m adding a few edits as well that people are sending over!

5

This is now a wiki :+1:

2 Likes
6

I added additional quick standard lines at the beginning of each Mode description to describe both Boost “directions” – what it’s boosted by, and how it boosts something else by completing it.

Also fixed/clarified a couple minor things. You can see the revisions if you click on the upper right pencil/paper icon at the very top of the rulesheet wiki.

1 Like
7

Cleaned up and better organized some mode descriptions in bullet point format. Moved Comp Settings info to the end.
And some other miscellaneous stuff.

8

Thanks @BorgDog for the edits!

1 Like
9

IMPORANT NOTE FOR COMPETITION AND TOURNAMENTS: please see the last section on Comp Settings. I added two important P3 software framework settings that will need to be manually adjusted to prevent awkward situations.

10

They need to code better.
Also why can’t Mystery Awards are in a set, deterministic order be it’s own setting?
Why does comp mode have to be an FORCE HARD MODE INSTALL?

11

Mystery: interesting idea. I don’t know of anybody that offers that as its own setting. My guess is that when you’re not playing a competition match, you want a mystery award to, you know, be a mystery.

Similar to many other manufacturers and games’ comp mode settings, it changes a couple gameplay elements to make achieving those require more skill and intentionality. Good news for you: just like other manufacturers, there are a myriad of individual gameplay settings that can be altered to each owner’s or operator’s desires.

12

Began adding some hyperlink formatting for easier access to each section

13

somehow read that as humperdinck formatting

3 Likes
14

that is how most of the others work with the comp mode setting. Make stuff deterministic and disable player to player carry overs / game to game carry overs.

Stern has an COMP install that does other stuff (stuff that you can set one by one)

JJP has comp mode the right way (really should allow re picks)

it’s this and pulp fiction that make comp mode an FORCE INSTALL.

The older DE, SEGA, STERN games had an comp mode that is an install but you can override what it installs.

15

“Humperdinck. Humperdinck! Humperdinck!!”
I added a bunch more “humperdinck” links for easier cross-referencing between modes, features, and multiballs, etc.

1 Like