The first three Quests are solo adventures, designed for play by a
Barbarian alone. These can be used as an introduction to Hero Quest
for a new player or as fun Quests to play when only two players are
available. Also, if a new Barbarian is to join a party of experienced
characters, these three Quests will enable the Barbarian to catch up
with the other Heroes by gaining gold, equipment and magical items.
So, the premise is a Barbarian with nothing but a Broadsword, 2 Defend dice and 8 Body Points goes in. Unless he is lucky in his exploration rout, he probably is doomed. Another Barbarian will be needed because of the Yeti waiting for him in the Quest 1...
With 5 Body Points and 3 Defend dice, the Barbarian's 3 Attack dice should chop it down in about five turns. In the four turns before that happens, the Yeti's 3 Attack dice will likely score 1 Body Point of undefended damage to the Barbarian on three seperate turns.
Just one occurence of undefended damage will trigger the Yeti's "hug" ability which will subsequently cause 2 automatic Body Points of damage the the Barbarian until someone intervenes. Whoops! The Barbarian is in this Quest alone, and as no actions are allowed to the Barbarian while being hugged by the cuddliest-looking monster in the game, he can do nothing but whimper as he dies.
A player going into this Quest Pack for the first time doesn't possess knowledge of the "hug" ability, so scratch one Barbarian. Is the point of this futile encounter to demonstrate the brutal, life-is-unfair nature of the Barbarian's world, or was this Quest Pack not playtested?
In take two, the Barbarian's cousin goes in for vengeance. Probably the player will cleverly avoid this room, but Zargon is encouraged to change the Quest. Maybe another Yeti is waiting- hopefully not. Assume the new Barbarian survives the rest of the Quest.
He'd better hire a mercenary before the next Quest (can't! see note below), because there is a 50/50 chance of choosing the route to another Yeti in need of a hug. Out-running it or successfully runnin' and gunnin' with the Crossbow is unlikely as it has a speed of 8. The Shield should cancel another Body Point of damage, but the 2 Body Points likely to get through still result in another case of dead Barbarian.
Quest 3 offers the best chance of avoiding the resident Yeti as a lucky Barbarian can make it back to the stairway to simply escape. Of course, Zargon has the option of simply relocating Mr. Abominable in the Quest for act II. I know there are evil Zargons on this board.
As there was a Yeti placed in each of the three solo Quests, it seems at least one deadly encounter was intended. Only great luck can avoid it. That being the case, I feel the Frozen Horror introductory passage cited above is flawed in three ways:
- First, new players shouldn't be practically forced to 'lose' (they may be discouraged and quit the game entirely).
- Second, if only two players can play, it ain't much fun at least one time if one is likely to die without a chance to recognize the threat and properly deal with it .
- Third, it isn't very likely a Barbarian can catch up with an experienced party of Heroes if he repeatedly loses all his equipment upon death with nobody to claim his lost items and treasure for him. (Those mercenaries better not die.)
EDIT: It gets worse! The introductory pages forbid the Barbarian from hiring Mercenaries in the first 3 solo Quests. D'oh!
