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HeroQuest: The FAQ
Author: Carl Forhan
(forhan@millcomm.com)
This article is copyright 1995-1996 by Carl Forhan and may not be
reproduced in any form without permission by the author, except
for personal use or redistribution through normal Usenet channels
and no fee is charged for such use.
------------------------------
Subject: 1. Disclaimer
HeroQuest is a trademark of Milton Bradley. Advanced HeroQuest is a
trademark of Games Workshop. The use of these and other trademarks is
not intended to challenge their respective copyrights. This document
is not specifically approved by Milton Bradley or Games Workshop.
------------------------------
Subject: 2. Table of Contents
1. Disclaimer
2. Table of Contents
3. New to this Version
4. Introduction
Section I: General Questions
5. Can you tell me a little about HeroQuest (HQ)?
6. Is HQ still produced? How can I reach Milton Bradley?
7. What supplements ("Quest Packs") were made?
8. What is Advanced HeroQuest?
9. Do you have any suggestions for sprucing up the game
(besides extra rules, etc.)?
10. What public domain info is available for HQ enhancements,
and where is it located?
11. What other sources of HQ supplements are available?
Section II: Specific Rule Questions
20. HeroQuest game system
21. Kellar's Keep
22. Return of the Witch Lord
23. Quest Pack for the Elf
24. Barbarian Quest Pack
99. End of FAQ
------------------------------
Subject: 3. New to this Version
10/02/96 HeroQuest article to appear in Fractal Spectrum (question #11)!
08/01/96 Update to Vindicator info (question #11).
05/31/96 Update to Vindicator info (question #11).
02/07/96 WWW site changed.
01/06/96 Added reference to Vindicator journal, question #11.
10/29/95 FTP site corrected.
09/18/95 FTP site changed.
Answered questions 24a and 24c.
General clean up.
04/25/95 WWW site has been established! See #10.
FTP site has been established! See #10.
Added UK supplements.
Please note that many rule-specific questions are unanswered. If you
have some answers you'd like to submit (or even more questions!) please
forward them to me.
------------------------------
Subject: 4. Introduction
Welcome to HeroQuest: The FAQ! This FreQuently Asked Questions
document is intended to provide you, the reader, with information on the
current status of HeroQuest, availability of components, etc., as well
as provide some reasonable answers to questionable or conflicting rules.
Please forward all questions, comments, and corrections for this FAQ to:
forhan@millcomm.com
Enjoy!
------------------------------
Subject: Section I: General Questions
------------------------------
Subject: 5. Can you tell me a little about HeroQuest (HQ)?
Sure. HeroQuest is an enjoyable fantasy boardgame, where each player is
allowed to develop a recurring Hero over a series of adventures
(Quests). The game play is simple yet entertaining for a typical one to
two hour Quest. Players are generally encouraged to work together
against one designated player who controls the antagonists in the Quest:
monsters, traps, and puzzles of all sorts.
------------------------------
Subject: 6. Is HQ still produced? How can I reach Milton Bradley?
HQ is no longer in production at Milton Bradley. I mailed them a letter
in August 1994 inquiring about this, and also on the availabilty of the
remaining HQ inventory. I received a more or less form letter reply
saying, "Thanks for your interest, but HQ is no longer produced." They
didn't mention whether or not they had additional items in stock.
Here's the US address for Milton Bradley that I used:
Milton Bradley Company
443 Shaker Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028-5247
Phone: (413) 525-6411
Anybody know of an email address or web page?
------------------------------
Subject: 7. What supplements ("Quest Packs") were made?
Kellar's Keep
Return of the Witch Lord
Quest Pack for the Elf
Barbarian Quest Pack
In addition, the following Quest Packs were released in the UK (it is
unknown if they were released in the US):
Wizards of Morcar
Against the Ogre Horde
Dungeon Design Kit
(I personally own all the above, so, yes, every one of them does exist.)
------------------------------
Subject: 8. What is Advanced HeroQuest?
Advanced HeroQuest was produced solely by Games Workshop. It is
considerably different from its MB counterpart. The rules are much more
detailed, and make it a more complex "role-playing" game. AHQ is no
longer in production as of this writing (April '95).
(Anyone care to give a better review of this item?)
------------------------------
Subject: 9. Do you have any suggestions for sprucing up the game
(besides extra rules, etc.)?
Here are a few:
* Add some non-combat encounters. These could be anything from a dying
Goblin with an important message, to a Dwarf who's digging for gold in
a remote passage. Non-combat encounters make the players think more
about what's going on in their surroundings. Sometimes the encounters
have important implications, others may be strictly "random" to confuse
or entertain the players.
* Along the same lines, add important plots or themes to your Quests.
What if there's a feud going on between the Orcs and the Goblins? Will
they attack the Heroes, or try to enlist their help? How about a
mystic portal that must be closed to stop the outpouring of Undead?
These longer-running plots can create ongoing goals for the Heroes to
pursue.
* And who can resist the Recurring Villain? Create a villainous Wizard,
Chaos Warrior, etc., complete with some special items or abilities, and
have him do his best to foil the Heroes' Quests. You don't have to use
him in every adventure, and sometimes he may not even be the primary
antagonist, but a properly played Recurring Villain can be a nuisance
and a challenge rolled up into one. Make sure he has a way to retreat,
however, such as the Escape spell. You don't want your Heroes defeating
him on the first encounter!
------------------------------
Subject: 10. What public domain info is available for HQ enhancements,
and where is it located?
There is a collection of files at the FTP site ftp.indirect.com. The
directory is /pub/rpg/miniatures/HeroQuest. The file name is
HeroQuest1.0.zip.gz. (The file is ZIPed for IBM PC's.) Any submissions
you'd like to contribute go in the /pub/incoming/games directory.
I would also appreciate it if you emailed me a copy of any new Quests,
items, enhancements, etc.
Please contact Britt Klein at tierna@indirect.com if you have trouble
accessing/uncompressing this file. Thanks for the help, Britt!
Also, a WWW site has been established for HQ. Most of the FTP material
mentioned above is available now on the Web. The link you need is:
http://www.eden.com/~tmp/rules/fan/hq.html
Thanks to Bill Armintrout for volunteering to assemble this site!
------------------------------
Subject: 11. What other sources of HQ supplements are available?
An article for HeroQuest which I have authored has appeared in Fractal
Spectrum #13 (printed October 1996). This article elaborates on one of
the most popular portions of the FAQ, question #9, by giving the reader
more ideas on how to incorporate goals, atmosphere, recurring villains,
and more into HeroQuest adventures. You won't want to miss it!
Additional HQ articles may make their way into future issues of FS.
Check out:
http://www.fractal.mandarin.org/spectrum/spectrum.html
for ordering info for the Fractal Spectrum.
A newly published journal, Vindicator, is dedicated to the support
of classic / out-of-print SF and fantasy board games. Issue #2-5a all
include new HQ material. Future issues will include new supplements for
existing microgames, and eventually new microgames themselves.
Subscription info may be found at the Vindicator Online home page:
Vindicator Online: http://www.millcomm.com/~forhan/vindicator.html
------------------------------
Subject: Section II: Specific Rule Questions
------------------------------
Subject: 20. HeroQuest game system
a. Spell Cancellation
How does one handle multiple (and possibly conflicting) spells
cast on the same character? For instance Zargon casts Fear (1
attack die) on the Elf who has Courage (+2 attack dice). Does the
Elf have 3 attacks (Fear + Courage = fearfully courageous?) or
just 1 (Fear)?
We decided to stack the spells, stating he was Fearful until he broke
the spell, and then remained Courageous. Alternatively, Fear could
cancel Courage altogether, but it could be argued Courage lasts until
no more monsters are visible, therefore it could not be cancelled.
b. Jumping Pits and Diagonal Movement
In the basic rules it pretty clearly states that diagonal movement is
not allowed. However, under the section that describes how to jump a
pit a diagram shows that a jump to a diagonal square is allowed.
(See diagram.) What's the deal here?
_______
| |\ /|
| | X | <-- Pit
|___|/_\|
| |
| |
|___|
I think the intention of the rules here is to allow Heroes a means to
get around a "corner" pit, and is not truly diagonal movement. If
this movement were disallowed, then it would be impossible to get
around the pit (unless you just fell in intentionally, I guess). So
you have two choices:
1) Allow the jump as the rules indicate. Remember that 2 movement
spaces must still be spent, just as if the Hero was walking around
a normal corner with no pit. This solution is IMHO consistent with
the intent of the rules.
2) Allow diagonal movement, which allows a Hero to step directly to
the diagonal square, with no need to jump the pit at all.
------------------------------
Subject: 21. Kellar's Keep
------------------------------
Subject: 22. Return of the Witch Lord
------------------------------
Subject: 23. Quest Pack for the Elf
a. Jumping Long Pits with Rabbit Boots
Do the Rabbit Boots behave differently when dealing with long pits?
If they fail a normal pit jump on a black shield, should they then
not fail a long pit jump on a white shield, or even a skull?
b. Jumping Long Pits with a Potion of Dexterity
Does the Potion of Dexterity _really_ guarantee a long pit jump?
------------------------------
Subject: 24. Barbarian Quest Pack
a. Yetis and Defending
Can Yeti roll defend dice while hugging? (They can't make other
attacks while hugging, but can they defend?)
Every Hero or Monster should get to roll defend dice, regardless of
the circumstances. However, one could develop a house rule whereby
the defend dice of a Yeti is reduced while hugging by one or two
dice. This is strictly optional, of course.
b. Ice Gremlin stealing and moving
If an Ice Gremlin moves first, then steals something, does he
still get to run?
One could argue stealing is an action, and as such terminates the
movement phase. An alternative would be to allow the Gremlin to use
his remaining movement points in the escape, if not the full 10.
c. Lone Hero against Yeti
If a lone Hero encounters a Yeti which successfully "hugs" him, is
the Hero automatically dead? It would seem so; the rules didn't seem
to allow for a hero to free himself from the Yeti's grip.
A couple of alternatives here:
1) As the rules indicate, a "hugged" Hero may not defend nor take
any actions. This is probably intended to allow a deadly Monster
in the game which will cause the egomaniacs in the group to think
twice before wildly attacking. :)
2) Allow the Hero roll his or her normal attack dice at the start
of each turn. If at less than two skulls are rolled, the Hero
remains in the hug. If two or more skulls are rolled, no damage
is inflicted on the Yeti, but the hug is broken, and the Hero may
move away if desired (the Hero's action is lost for the turn,
naturally).
------------------------------
Subject: 99. End of FAQ
------------------------------
