Thoughts on the New Orc Bard Hero?

[Shadzar]

Gear I have in my game as player generated gear.

The exact problem with the "orc bard" proven here, people trying to turn HQ board game into their homebrew modern D&D for the masses. Player agency nonsense.

The instructions manual told the Wizard to save his gold for powerful magical items in future quest packs

This was a problem with 30,000 versions of the rules and not trying to complete one. HQ is at least designed more compete than the MOTU board game/RPG...

Which is why people will use the same rules they have used for years and probably discard all changes made to the new version ("heroes" included), and the ones that will lose out will be those that never played or are forced the NA rules onto other territories that never saw them before.

I can understand printed the Armour on the screen for NA to prevent component bloat, since many games printed assembly or other instructions on the box top at the time, but to me it makes more sense for a board game, with limited "character" that have to restart, to also use the cards as a hard limit.

For a sandbox system it really did need formalization and polishing to specify if the point of lack of equipment for the wizard was because the greater amount of power the spells provided. Then the Elf specific spells just destroyed that and made the Elf more powerful without ever offering anything to the Wizard to compensate...

Would have made more sense to make more spells and add wizard equipment at the same time to balance both out. That or just throw in a house-cat monster to show how the wizard isnt supposed to try to get into melee.

Makes if even more concerning this "metal equipment" designation being added but no new equipment.

[cynthialee]

"You kids get off my lawn!!!"

[Kurgan]

"You kids get off my lawn!!!"

Hey, I resemble that remark!

[dungeonsandataraxia]

It'll be an Orc captain or something I'll work in there that is particularly full of himself, flamboyant, and likes the sound of his own voice. That's what the figure looks like - basically an ass.

Not an option for someone to play as. Because... just, nah. Nah, you can't be the Orc Bard because Zargon said so.

He will killed by the Dwarf and the peasants will rejoice.

[Kurgan]

A campaign protecting a village against raiding Orc pirates sounds like a swashbuckling adventure...

[Kurgan]

Maybe it won't fix anything for some people, but I whipped this up, based on some earlier half-baked ideas!

[Kurgan]

Semi-related, but from the WizKidz line there's this character, an Orcish Druid. I think he looks kinda cool anyway.

[Kurgan]

Just had a crazy idea... now this would do nothing for those hating the idea of "good guy orcs" but what if you went all greenskin on the "new" heroes?

The "Bard" could be a goblin, the "Warlock" could be a Fimir, and the "Druid" could be an Orc? Or something like that? So you get three unconventional characters, turncoats from the evil ranks and somewhat generic but special from the rank and file "greenskin" armies. Most of those creature types are just brawling/fighting types... pure brute force/fodder, but they all have some kind of quasi-magic/specialist support type in there. Maybe the Goblin could play another instrument besides a mandolin (through shredding a tiny guitar would be pretty funny), the Fimir would be a sorcerer (which is canon, as WH fans know!) and the Orc could be a Shaman or Druid type spellcaster.


Who let these guys in? Well, as long as you're here, might as well make yourselves useful... !


*Snarl* For a share of the loot 'n' meat, we'll fight along sides with ye... but just try and cross us and you'll be sorry!



What was that? !

Nuttin!

[Daedalus]

Kurgan, your all-greenskins idea reminded me of the old Anti-Heroquest....or Evilquest if you will.......... topic.

If it's fun, why not? I think a fourth monster is needed, however. Just as the Wizard and Barbarian (and Druid) are human, an extra Orc seems the obvious choice. Or a Troll!

[Kurgan]

The Ogre! Though he might be too powerful. Low mind points? Maybe a need to devour opponents or go into a berserker rage and target comrades?

The war hasn't been going well in many places and some of the mooks have rebelled... these malcontents have joined your side... for now. As traitors and deserters they're in big trouble with the boss if they fail!


It would be funny to have disgruntled undeads too but I think the way they're constructed is as violent automatons so maybe not. They would be more like minions you control (Bond Wand to control skeletons) than characters in their own right.