View source for Welcome To Our ool Table

{{NeedsConfirm|Presumably, the failure messages convey lack of skill and over-inebriation, respectively. Check whether this is true and, if so, what the precise conditions for each are.}}
{{adventuretop|name=Welcome To Our ool Table|image=poolghost.gif|num=875}}

*''On the first time this adventure is met''

While searching the Haunted Billiards Room, you find a pool table. This in itself isn't very surprising; there's two pool tables in this room, and they're difficult to miss. The surprising part is that a ghost has materialized next to one of them.

He's dressed in spats and sleeve-garters, and all the clothes in-between them are slick high-class fashion -- or at least were, some hundreds of years ago. He notices you looking at him and gives you a sly grin, then gestures toward a rack of pool cues, as if to challenge you to a game. You ready your cue, then notice that his own cue is the ghost of a very expensive-looking two-part mahogany and ivory job. You suddenly recall one of the very few bits of fatherly wisdom your dad ever gave you: "Never shoot pool against someone who brought their own cue."

Sensing your hesitation, the ghost grins again, and places a large, ornate brass key -- a real one, not the ghost of one -- on the edge of the pool table.

*''Subsequent occasions''

The ghostly pool-shark has rematerialized next to one of the tables, and grins at you smugly as he screws together his ghostly custom pool cue and chalks the tip of it with an actual cube of chalk, somehow.

He puts the brass key back on the edge of the table, and gestures with a jerk of his head for you to come try again.

{{button|Hustle the ghost}}

*''With too little [[Pool Skill]]:''

You put a little swagger into your step as you approach the table and break. With a mighty CRACK, the balls scatter around the table, and you manage to pocket not only the cue ball, but also the eight. "Hah! Beat that!" you challenge the ghost, who stares at you in blank disbelief for a full fifteen seconds before picking up the brass key and disappearing. Hey! What's his problem?

''or''

You lean over your cue and slam the ball for the break... and somehow manage to entirely miss the lead ball. The cueball clacks into the side of the rack, and the balls barely scatter. "I meant to do that," you say with a haughty expression, as the ghost just stares at you. He proceeds to run the table, and then vanishes with a shake of his head, taking the shiny brass key with him.

''or''

You step up to break, and drive the cue ball into the rack with a mighty blow! The balls rocket around the table, but alas, the only one that goes into a pocket is the cue ball. The ghost rolls his eyes at you and proceeds to run the entire table, leaving you standing there with your cue in your hands as he picks up the brass key and vanishes with a contemptuous shake of his head.

''or''

Stepping up to the table and breaking with confidence, you proceed to run the entire table, while the ghost looks on with mounting astonishment. With only the eight-ball to pocket to win the game, you aim carefully, and strike the cueball with a smooth, practiced motion. It rolls forward and strikes the eight, which rolls precisely into the pocket... and the cueball rolls in after it. The ghost picks up his shiny brass key with an air of relief, and vanishes, leaving you alone to bang your head on the table for a while.

''or''

You step up to the table and execute a nice solid break. You and the ghost trade shots back and forth for a while, neither one of you leaving any openings for the other. Eventually it comes down to just the eight ball. Just as you're making your shot, the ghost coughs loudly, and the ball bounces off the corner of the pocket. Ignoring your glare, the ghost proceeds to pocket the eight, and then picks up the brass key and vanishes with a falsely-apologetic shrug. That bastard!

''or''

You step up to the table, cue in hand, and execute a nice solid break. You run most of the table and, plainly impressed despite himself, the ghost decides not to go easy on you. He proceeds to pocket every one of his balls, including the eight, and vanishes triumphantly with the shiny brass key. Dammit.

''or (if you have more than 10 inebriety)''

You approach the table with a smirk, ready to show this ghost how a real expert plays pool. You line up your shot for the break with a bit of low english, and ram the cue forward. The ball leaps off the table (and straight through the ghost's hilarious facial expression), while your cue somehow ends up underneath the felt. In your effort to get it back without tearing up the table any further, you somehow catch your foot on the leg of the table, fall over, bang your head on the ball-return, and then your brain just gives up and you pass out for a while. The ghost is gone when you wake up, unsurprisingly.

''or (if you have more than 10 inebriety)''

You lean over the table, preparing to break. And then you lean a bit more, and more, and gee this felt feels nice and soft on your face, and zzzzzzz...

When you wake up, the ghost has left.

''or (if you have more than 10 inebriety)''

You start playing pool against the ghost. It goes okay for a bit, until you get in an argument with the ghost about whether you were playing solids or stripes, declare "Shcrew it! I'ma play wh'ever balls I wanna! You ain't shtop me!" You start randomly knocking balls around the table, and the ghost throws up his hands exasperatedly, and leaves with his key.

''or (if you have more than 10 inebriety)''

You swagger up to the table get ready to break, and stare at the balls for a moment. "Ish... is there s'posed to be like thirty balls?" you ask the ghost, who looks at you quizzically. "There'sh like thirty-'leven balls on this table! An' two... three... three cue balls!" You shrug and line up your shot anyway, choosing the cue ball on the left, but somehow you totally miss it, and the ghost proceeds to run the table and win the game handily.

''followed by''

Oh well. At least you got some practice.
<center><br>[[File:8ball.gif]] '''+1 Pool Skill'''</center>

*''With sufficient Pool Skill:''
You lean over the table, cue in hand, and aim for the break. With a good solid ''CRACK'', the balls skitter around the table like panicked rats, two of them escaping into their holes. You knock in a third and fourth, but can't get a decent shot at a fifth, so you satisfy yourself with parking the cue ball somewhere inconvenient for your opponent.

The ghost grimaces, then tries to cover with a carefree shrug. He just barely manages to make his shot, but it's a close call, and the relief on his face makes it plain that you've already thrown him off his stride. He sinks three more, and then misses. With the table now opened up nicely, your next three balls ''thunk'' into the pockets with the rhythm of precision clockwork, and you gild the lily by unnecessarily banking the cue ball off of three rails before sinking the eight and winning the game.

With a howl of frustration, the ghost attempts to break his pool cue over his knee. When they just pass through each other, he becomes even more frustrated, and vanishes to find somewhere that he can really lose his cool without anyone seeing it. You pick up the brass key he left behind, with a smug grin of your own.

{{acquire|item=Spookyraven library key}}
----
{{button|Hustle over to the other table and practice}}
<center>You approach the empty pool table and practice for a while. Your game improves!<br>[[File:8ball.gif]] '''+1-4 Pool Skill'''</center>
----
{{button|Hustle away}}
You ain't 'fraid of no ghost, but neither are you confident that you can beat one at pool. The ghost, too suave to actually make chicken noises at you, sniffs disdainfully and vanishes as you turn to leave.
----
Occurs at [[The Haunted Billiards Room]].

==Notes==
*When you attempt to beat the ghost, a number between 14 and 18 is secretly rolled. If your [[Pool Skill]] is greater than or equal to that number, you beat the ghost.
*Practicing at the other table gives you:
**'''+1''' Pool Skill by default
**'''+1''' with the [[Chalky Hand]] effect
**'''+2''' with the [[Staff of Fats]] equipped.
**Having the [[pool cue]] equipped does ''not'' give any additional skill when practicing.
*Cannot be encountered until [[That's your cue]] occurs.
*Once the ghost is beaten, this adventure will no longer occur.

==References==
*The title of this adventure is a reference to a sign near some public swimming pools that reads, "Welcome to our ool.  Notice there's no 'P' in it.  Let's keep it that way."
*Much like Ray Parker, Jr., [[wikipedia:Ghostbusters (song)|you ain't 'fraid of no ghost]].
*The fact that you are playing pool against a ghost likely refers to the concept of Playing the Ghost, a practice game where you break a rack of balls, then put the cueball anywhere on the table and try to sink all of the balls without missing.