Fireburst Trap

[Beiren]

So if the wizard was the one doing the search or when he isn,t around or when his movement role flukes the others gets blown to peaces. If you use your rule you force the heroes to be glued together and remove all pace in the game. Still like mine suggestion more.

[Daedalus]

Did anyone know about heroes getting damaged by this type of trap. Because the moment this tile is being placed you run back to were you came from and you wait a little while untill it goes of. Or do you place the fireburst trap after the first hero complete movement, or after all heroes movements?

Glad you pointed this issue out--I hadn't realized the Fireburst trap needed clarification. When I had first read the text I had assumed "When a player enters an empty room, place a Fireburst token in the centre of the room" meant the token was to be placed after the triggering Hero completed movement. The trap functions well enough this way. If the wording were As soon as a player enters an empty room, immediately place... I'd agree a fix is needed.

As things stand, I'm happy enough with simply interpreting the Fireburst trap so that it works effectively. I believe this was the intention. Anyone desiring more precise wording might be satisfied by subtituting After a player has entered an empty room, place a Fireburst token in the center of the room.

The ambiguous wording of "When a player enters an empty room" could also allow token placement after the triggering Hero's movement is completed in the EU 1st edition. Wasn't WoM (released in 1991) after the EU first edition? While it is plain the Fireburst trap can't be escaped by backtracking using those rules, it's not certain that the triggering condition was originally governed by that mechanic. I wonder if the magical traps of WoM were part of the proto Hero Quest back in '88.

[chaoticprime]

After movement has been completed would be the logical way of interpreting it. Otherwise, there's no threat.

[knightkrawler]

I also wonder if "When" could be the "Whenever" variation here?
So, everytime a hero enters the room,...

[Daedalus]

Except that the rules governing magical traps at the beginning of the Quest book state: "Magical traps may only be activated once." It would make a cool variation to include in Quest notes, however, kinda like an Orc statue with great balls o' fire.

[The Admiral]

I've been looking at this trap and wondering how best to get it to work.

I think it should be placed at the end of the turn of the hero who triggered it. This way it will only affect the first person in the room, unless others choose to enter and suffer. In this way it only affects the person who triggered the trap, which is pretty much the same with most traps. It can't be discovered, but then many of the later traps had that rule e.g. Wandering monster trap. There is still the chance to disarm it with a tempest spell, but as this is in my humble opinion the most powerful spell, I wouldn't waste it on this, unless it was to save someone from possible death.

[wallydubbs]

I don't think so. It's a magical trap, and can be disarmed with Tempest.
I'd even say, let's make it disarmable by discarding any water spell.

Considering it is a Magical Trap, I think Dispell should also be usable to disarm it. Of course, in Wizard's of Morcar Dispell is generally used to to thwart an enemy spell caster.
I've added this trap to the treasure deck (As well as other cards from the expansion packs) when playing the original system so if the Wizard or Elf have Dispell or Tempest they'd be allowed to use those as a disarmament.

[wallydubbs]

After playtesting through Wizards of Morcar/Zargon, I find the quest pack still a bit too easy, the Fireburst trap is easily avoidable and the enemy spell caster's spells aren't overly effective.
To make it more challenging I've added some Chaos Spells from the American version to each wizard, while replacing others for a more powerful version: Dispell (WoM) with Dispell (MotM), and Lightning Bolt (WoM) with Lightning Bolt (HQ).
I also gave all Skeletons the ability to attack diagonally.
In regards to Fireburst Traps, they are activated either when a hero steps on the space they're on or searches for Treasure in a room they're in. They are magical traps and therefore can only be detected on a trap search by the Wizard (or Elf with 5MP). They can only be disarmed with a Tempest or Dispell.
In like manner all other Magical traps can only be detected by a character with 5 or more mind points. The Hurricane and Teleport traps can only be disarmed by Dispell.

[lestodante]

The normal fire burst trap is almost useless. I like the idea that only a wizard can find them by a search.

[Jalapenotrellis]

I don't see why not just implement the UK movement rules for this expansion. Now, they can't backtrack their movement. There were many times when the 'wrong' player would be facing a doorway or who encountered the boss and could just backtrack. E.g. in Pit of Chaos, my players found him via the secret door, then turned around and ran away. In the UK rules, they would have had to proceed forward and take a hit.

For Fireburst trap, I see it best to either adopt the UK rules for these 5 quests or place the trap in the room after the first person ends his or her turn. However, the latter option is not going to work with smart people I play with. They will see an empty room, and then turn around. They won't enter. So we will be adopting the UK rules so they are compelled to enter and deal with the trap or take the damage. They have tolerated the "trap on the other side of the door" shenanigans HeroQuest throws at us; they can tolerate this. It's part of the unforgiving charm of this game that I enjoy as an Evil Wizard player. Muahahaha.