Heroquest from Hasbro/Avalon Hill

[Easy e]

For Christmas this year I got this nostalgia-bait. I had this when I was a younger person, and played the heck out of it. I also used my existing D&D and WHFB minis to expand the heck out of it. You could say, it was the first game I actually heavily modified as a budding wargame designer! New enemies, new heroes, and new magic! I also used it as a gateway to suck a lot of folks into RPGs and Wargaming back then. Mwahahahahahahaha!

Therefore, when it came back out I knew I would eventually get it. Lo and behold, here it is! One of my big projects for this year will be to get this bad boy painted up so I can use it to corrupt more people into wargaming! So, let's dig in and take a look at what is in the box.



I am sure many folks are all ready familiar with this game, so I just highlight the box contents, some of the simple mechanics, and talk about what its potential is. You can read about it on the blog if you are so inclined.

https://bloodandspectacles.blogspot....sbro-plus.html

However, I wanted to make this thread to talk about what you have done with this game. Have you played through the Quest book? Did you paint your boxed set up? Do you have the expansions? Have you made any of your own content?

Please share your experiences with the game here.

[zlefin]

I had one a long time ago. Never got to play much as I didn't have much in terms of friends at that point, mostly was content just to read it and use the dice for it, I think I only played a couple adventures ultimately. Years later I scavenged the pieces from it to use for bloodbowl leagues which was good fun.

[Anonymouswizard]

I was very disappointed with the miniatures, the plastic is too soft and they're not chunky boys like in the original version. It pretty much killed any desire I had to paint them.

Gameplay-wise? It's Heroquest but with this weird addition of multiple hit points for the monsters.

[LibraryOgre]

I was very disappointed with the miniatures, the plastic is too soft and they're not chunky boys like in the original version. It pretty much killed any desire I had to paint them.

Gameplay-wise? It's Heroquest but with this weird addition of multiple hit points for the monsters.

I'm pretty sure HQ always had multiple HP for a number of monsters.

[Anonymouswizard]

I'm pretty sure HQ always had multiple HP for a number of monsters.

Maybe some of the ones you used the Morcar figure for, but not Chaos Warriors and Gargoyles.

(Note: I played the original UK version.)

[Rodin]

Maybe some of the ones you used the Morcar figure for, but not Chaos Warriors and Gargoyles.

(Note: I played the original UK version.)

By crazy coincidence one of my work colleagues was asking about the new game today, so I dug out my US Milton Bradley edition. I can definitively say (and am rather proud of having my memories confirmed) that the US version had hitpoints for a bunch of different monsters. Fimirs and Mummys had 2, Chaos Warriors and Gargoyles had 3, and specially statted boss monsters might have more.

Sadly my box version is in worse shape than I remember - a dozen moves including an oceanic trip has not been kind to it, and I'm missing some of the minis which were presumably raided for D&D once it became unlikely that we would play the game. I'm very happy to see the new version get a release, because the original was the perfect gateway drug to get me interested in D&D.

[AMX]

Yes, normal monsters with multiple HP was a feature of the US edition.

[Glimbur]

My brother picked up the edition with the added quests at a garage sale. He played the actual game at his bachelor party, but generally he uses the minis for other games. Which is a good use for the price.

[Easy e]

I still have parts of the original, but it was scavenged for parts and conversions long, long ago. Same with my old Battlemasters set.

I wish I still had that one knocking around too.

[J-H]

I got it a couple of years ago, and we played through the 15 quests. Unfortunately, when I went looking online for expansions, almost all of the user-created maps expected content from some kind of expansion that included guards and spiders and whatnot. I wasn't able to come up with anything easy to print and use with the base game.

[Kardwill]

By crazy coincidence one of my work colleagues was asking about the new game today, so I dug out my US Milton Bradley edition. I can definitively say (and am rather proud of having my memories confirmed) that the US version had hitpoints for a bunch of different monsters. Fimirs and Mummys had 2, Chaos Warriors and Gargoyles had 3, and specially statted boss monsters might have more.

That was a difference between the US and Euro original editions. In the European edition, all big monsters had only 1HP.

[Easy e]

I have started to paint up my boxed set.....



Some Heroes ready to go on a quest..... a Heroquest!

[Easy e]

I have been painting along on the Core set.

I set myself two resolutions:

1. No playing until it is all painted
2. No expansions until it is all painted

Progress is being made!


I also used these guys in some D&D adventures too!

You can learn about the details I used to paint these guys on the Blood and Spectacles Blog, if you are so inclined:
https://bloodandspectacles.blogspot....heroquest.html

[ArmyOfOptimists]

Dem some nice paints.

Why'd you have to post this, though? Now I want to spend $200 on rebuying all the Hero Quest stuff I've lost over the years. Argh.

[Rodin]

I love seeing the artistry of the painted figs. Makes me wish I had an ounce of artistic talent. You’ve done a marvelous job there!

My family D&D group was breaking up for the summer because various people (including our DM) were going to be away on various holidays and business trips for 2 months straight. I suggested HeroQuest as an alternative - I’m not going away, and am an experienced Zargon who could run sessions for a rotating group of players. The simpler story means it’s easy to bring people up to speed on any sessions they missed.

They agreed and I picked up the remake box, giving me almost two complete sets of creatures and furniture to work with. Zargon never had it so good.

It has been an absolute blast, and to my delight my family has been greatly enjoying it as well. I put in some house rules from the word go, as an experienced group of D&D players would murderize the core game structure. After a shakey start we’ve hammered out a good set of rules that are a mix of HeroQuest and 5E (but with a strong emphasis on HeroQuest).

I’ve begun writing my own story to accompany it as well, stitching the quests together into a narrative. For example, the Sir Ragnar quest took place in the same lair as the following Ulag quest, and the heroes had the opportunity to launch a surprise attack on Ulag instead of returning to town to shop. I’ve also turned the various “mad wizard” quests into a cohesive story, although I haven’t yet managed to write Balur in. I may keep him as part as the “Rise of the Orcs” storyline.

It’s a ton of fun, giving me experience as a novice DM in a safe environment and keeping the weekly sessions going while folks are traveling. I’m hopeful we can turn it into a regular thing - I’m looking at the expansion sets and salivating, as they far exceed the quality of the Return of the Witchlord expansion which was the only expansion I had as a kid. That’s not a criticism of RotW by the way - it was a good first expansion. But looking at the new spells, new enemies (ghosties and werewolves and ogres, oh my!), and new quest designs of the later expansions sets my heart hammering like a Tex Avery character.

I’d love to set up a rotation where we complete an adventure (which usually takes two or three sessions) and then we go into HeroQuest for a couple weeks while our DM regenerates creative juices.

[Easy e]

Thanks all.

One of the things I love about it, is the simple structure and mechanics really allow you to bend it to your will.

I look forward to starting with my family and crew soon.

[Catullus64]

God, I love HeroQuest. When I first learned about it, I was rather too poor to justify buying a copy, so instead I contrived a complete digital facsimile on Roll20. I then played a lot of it with my long-distance friends; we played through the entire original Quest Book and the Return of the Witch Lord expansion.

I thought about buying a copy of the new edition, but found from images that the miniatures and artwork lacked a lot of the same charm, so I bought a vintage copy of the 1989 game instead quite recently. I'm still slowly making my way through painting up the monsters, but you can see my attempt at painting the heroes:

Spoiler

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My friends and I are now playing a custom campaign that I made. The simple ruleset makes it really easy to iterate on the basic formula of monsters, secret doors, and traps, adding custom monsters, artifacts, curses, complex traps, riddles, and puzzles into the mix. The characters have now defeated the Mad Alchemist, stolen the Jewel of Sunfire from the dragon of Brimstone Caverns, outwitted the fiendish Castle of Illusions, and recovered the lost Cloak of the Four Winds from the Genie's Tower.

[Easy e]

I wanted to make some of my own campaigns as well. Was there any tools or things I used to put them together? Like maps, icons, templates, etc.

[Rodin]

I wanted to make some of my own campaigns as well. Was there any tools or things I used to put them together? Like maps, icons, templates, etc.

I’m currently riffing on the original quest campaign using https://www.hquestbuilder.com/. It lets you build maps that use any of the existing Heroquest released material. That tool combined with some DM imagination is helping me put together modified versions of the original quests. For example:

Spoiler: Prince Magnus’s treasure

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The original quest is incredibly basic: Three treasure quests stolen, go get them back. The dungeon is linear and surprisingly undangerous, with only orcs and goblins and one big fight at the end. There’s a carry mechanic for the chests which is pointless, because the dungeon is linear and the chests are at the end. I think the idea was for competing heroes with only 3 chests and 4 heroes, but in the modern game it’s pointless.

So I’ve changed the setting. The heroes have pursued the orcs to a series of canyons and caves, and started by going into a cave. The rooms are dim, limiting vision. Not stumble in the dark, but enough for goblins to hide in the corners of the rooms and come up paths behind the heroes if they don’t check. All doors start open, with heroes only discovering monsters and furniture as it enters line-of-sight at a 4-5 square radius. The corridors represent dimly lit canyons in the setting sun, the rooms represent dark caves full of orcs and goblins. The whole time the heroes are ascending higher and higher into the hillside.

In the base quest, The chests are in a central room where the heroes briefly walk through the corridor outside, which has a pit trap on it. I’ve removed the walls to make an open area, but the heroes will be informed the room is far below them and the “corridor” is actually a precarious ledge from which they can see the orcs moving about. The pointless mandatory secret door becomes a pile of rubble the heroes must break through (using a strength check so the Barbarian can show off) revealing a beautiful sunset and a precarious path down the mountainside with falling rocks.

When they pick up the chests they can search for traps and find out the Chaos Dread Warrior marked them. If they succeed a difficult Disarm check they can stroll out. If not, an invulnerable Gargoyle comes KoolAid-manning through the wall and they have to sprint for safety down a path that leads back towards the staircase. A dank cave contains a secret door that opens into the staircase room that was not visible from the other side. A deep pool in this cave contains an abomination that only comes out once it hears the commotion to add extra chaos.

It took me 4 paragraphs to explain that, but really it’s just descriptive language, a couple house rules, and adding an enemy to the map. No new tiles or minifigs required, but I’m hoping the mission will be transformed. There’s a lot you can do to add variety without needing any extra props at all.

[Easy e]

Sweet, that builder was pretty much what I was looking for!

[Catullus64]

I thought I'd share one of my favorite custom quests for others to use. Thanks to Rodin for sharing the quest building tool!

This adventure is suitable either for heroes who have been on a few quests and acquired some extra equipment and potions, or for those seeking a challenge.

Spoiler: Page 1

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Spoiler: Page 2

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If you can't read the text in the image files above, here it is typed out:

Spoiler

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Library of the Damned
Wandering Monster: Orc

Once, the Citadel of Sages was a grand repository of knowledge. Knowledge, however, is not without danger. When the Sages' magic betrayed them, a terrible earthquake swallowed the library and plunged it into the foulest caverns of the earth. Now, the monster-infested ruin is used only as a disposal for unwanted criminals, who are tossed into its nighted pits. To such a fate you have been condemned. To escape, you must find a staircase leading up and into the sunlit lands. But while you are down here, take a look... you might find fantastic secrets among the horrors.

A: The four Chaos Warriors here are motionless knights. They appear identical. On the walls of the chamber are hung four shields with different devices: a dancing skeleton, a Giant, a soaring eagle, and a snail. An inscription on the doorway says: "Return each shield to its proper knight, and they shall reward you. But give a knight the wrong shield, and the knights will attack at once!" Each knight has an inscription at his feet. The inscriptions from left to right, along with the correct shield, are as follows:
"I am the strongest." (Giant)
"I can walk." (Skeleton)
"I am alive." (Eagle)
"I cannot fly." (Snail)

If the heroes give all four knights their correct shields, a fifth Shield appears as a reward.

B: A Fimir is busy torturing a goblin on the rack, and does not seem to notice the heroes as they open the door. If a hero enters and tries to intervene, however, both the Fimir and the Goblin (ungrateful creature) attack! Searching this room will turn up a small mirror worth 20 gold.

C: As soon as a hero sets foot in this corridor, the two-tiled block at the bottom of the passage begins to move upwards, one space at the end of each turn until it closes off the whole passage at this point. A character caught at the end when it reaches this point will be crushed to death!

D: In this chest is 55 gold coins and the Orc's Bane artifact.

E: The sarcophagus is trapped. If a hero attempts to search for treasure before the trap is disarmed, a fiery blast will inflict 3 Body Points of damage against all heroes in the room. Heroes may Defend against this damage.

F: Do not place the Gargoyle in this room when heroes first reveal it. The first hero to search the room for any reason must roll a number of dice equal to his Mind Points. If he fails to roll any number of 6s, he is compelled to read aloud the incantation in the book upon the altar, summoning the Gargoyle in the designated space, which then attacks. Subsequent heroes, if warned by the first, can avoid reading the book while they search.

G: The first hero who searches this room for treasure will find a Spear.

H: Sitting in the chair at the corner of the grand archive is the Librarian, a pale, emaciated figure in fine brocaded robes, now tattered. The undead creatures in the room do not attack when the heroes enter. The Librarian, bored with his long centuries trapped here, offers the heroes a challenge: each hero who solves one of his riddles will be allowed to search the archive for riches, but if a hero fails to answer correctly, they must die! His servants will not hinder the heroes, and he assures them (truthfully) that there are no traps in the chamber. To answer a riddle, a hero must stand in one of the four spaces in front of him. Only the hero being challenged is allowed to speak!

The Librarian has 4 Body Points and 5 Mind Points. He rolls 2 Dice to Attack and 3 Dice to Defend. He can cast the following Chaos Spells: Cloud of Chaos, Tempest, Lightning Bolt, Summon Undead.

A hero who searches the chamber after answering a riddle finds 75 gold crowns. The fourth hero who does so after answering a riddle will also find the Spell Ring artifact. If the heroes choose to fight instead or must fight after answering incorrectly, they search for treasure by drawing from the treasure deck as normal.

Below are some riddles that the Librarian might try, though you are free to substitute your own. If you wish to make the challenge easier, you may have a hero roll dice equal to his Mind Points. If he rolls any number of 6s, give them a hint.

It is not heavy, but no man can bear one. It cannot do much, yet no man can be without one. It ceases to be not by dying, but by living. (A child. Hint: A man cannot bear one, but a woman can.).

It runs but never walks. It has a bed but never sleeps. It has a mouth but never speaks. (A river. Hint: Something, though not words or breath, does flow from its mouth).

What can a man keep, only by giving it? (His word. Hint: If you break it, nobody will take it).

If you are given one, you will always have two, or more, or none. (Choices. Hint: If you choose not to take them, you will be making one).

[Easy e]

Super cool! Thank you for sharing!

I really need to start making some quests. That sounds super fun.

[Catullus64]

Super cool! Thank you for sharing!

I really need to start making some quests. That sounds super fun.

I eagerly await seeing some of your quests!

[Rodin]

Very interesting, I like it! It's better than most of the online quests I've seen. Has anyone gotten the chest in the bottom corner? It seems extremely difficult to get without knowing its there, as you only have 3 rounds to move down there, search for treasure, and move back, with monsters potentially in the way if you open the first door on your way past. If you discover it from the north, with that pit trap there, it looks near impossible.

I nearly killed my group last night. We were doing Prince Magnus's Treasure, which should have been a breeze. It's only quest 4, but for various reasons it got pushed back to quest 6 in the order. It also looks very easy on paper, and any party that beat The Trial shouldn't have a problem with it...right?

That would be true if the game itself hadn't pitted itself against the party. The Barbarian and Dwarf kept rolling double 1s for movement, splitting the party. The Wizard kept being at a loose end on his turn, so he searched for Treasure - and got two Abominations in a row, each of which clocked him for 3 skulls. The second one dropped him, needing a healing potion from another player by our house rules. Healing potion rolled for 1 as well. The wizard gets back up, searches for treasure again, and promptly falls in a pit and dies due to a hazard card. Second potion of healing to get him back up results in another 1. Meanwhile, the treasure deck steadfastly refused to provide any healing potions, forcing me to insert some into a cupboard to avoid an incipient party wipe. Other than the reward for beating the quest I think the party wound up at around 40 gold found, -4 healing potions, and -2 support potions (Heroic Brew, etc).

In the big ending fight, I have never seen such bad combat rolling. The Dwarf lost a 1v1 fight with an Abomination which clocked him for 3 skulls, 3 times in a row, while his battleaxe failed to scratch the beast. The Elf has Orcsbane, which should have allowed her to take out the small fry orcs and goblins with no trouble. It took 3 rounds to clean up a single orc and goblin, while the Chaos Warrior happily beat the Elf over the head with his sword.

I had added additional monsters into the quest, thinking it would be easy. The Chaos Warrior had a Lightning Bolt spell to surprise the heroes if they stood in the corridor. I wound up removing almost all the additional threats I had put in to scale the quest to the higher power level of the heroes, and I had to deliberately throw the fight by making the Abomination and the Chaos Warrior go after the Barbarian once he FINALLY made it into the room.

It was a humbling experience. As much as I can try to tune these quests, the REAL Zargon is RNG.

[Catullus64]

Very interesting, I like it! It's better than most of the online quests I've seen. Has anyone gotten the chest in the bottom corner? It seems extremely difficult to get without knowing its there, as you only have 3 rounds to move down there, search for treasure, and move back, with monsters potentially in the way if you open the first door on your way past. If you discover it from the north, with that pit trap there, it looks near impossible.

With really good movement rolls/Swift Wind, it's possible to make it there, search, and get out in three turns, but not likely. It's very risky, hence the significant reward! But you can always double back via the staircase chamber after the fact. In the event, our party Elf went to grab the chest and got out via a Pass Through Rock spell.

[Rodin]

With really good movement rolls/Swift Wind, it's possible to make it there, search, and get out in three turns, but not likely. It's very risky, hence the significant reward! But you can always double back via the staircase chamber after the fact. In the event, our party Elf went to grab the chest and got out via a Pass Through Rock spell.

Ah, okay, I was assuming that the whole corridor was filling in. That makes it much more obtainable (as does having your sprinter with Pass Through Rock).

[Easy e]

I got a good start painting up the Heroes, the Dread Warlock, and the Goblins, but there is still a lot of miniatures to go. I had decided to start with the forces of Dread and the Greenskins first. Here was my progress so far...



Not a bad start, but there are still a lot of miniatures to paint. Almost a daunting amount. It took me a few weeks, but I eventually got all the Dread forces, Orcs, and Undead finished up. I mostly used ARmy Painter Speedpaint 1.0, Armypainter Washes and basic Armypainter paints for a few touch-ups here and there.

I ended up with the set looking like this....



That is the Heroquest Core Boxed set miniatures done. Now it is onto the furniture. Nothing like painting some doors to get the heart pounding!

If you want to know more about how I painted any particular model, some close-ups, and group shots you can find them on the Blood and Spectacles blog here: https://bloodandspectacles.blogspot....-on-quest.html

[Mordar]

That is the Heroquest Core Boxed set miniatures done. Now it is onto the furniture. Nothing like painting some doors to get the heart pounding!

If you want to know more about how I painted any particular model, some close-ups, and group shots you can find them on the Blood and Spectacles blog here: https://bloodandspectacles.blogspot....-on-quest.html

Very nice - enjoy seeing the models. Recommend a thin chestnut/flesh to age mummy wrappings, but YMMV.

Actually think it can be nice and relaxing to paint fixtures and furniture sometimes...and frankly I like painting wood/wood effects, so it appeals to me.

Keep it going!

- M