Welcome Stumbling Tiger!
It's always nice to have more people to have great discussions with. Our own Jon Usiak (who has yet to join the forum
*shakes fist*) is from the San Francisco Bay area as well.
You really need to find a decent copy of HeroQuest as soon as you can. It's such a great game! But obviously, most of us here are biased in that opinion.
Have you had a chance to at least play the game?
I've never attempted my own dungeon-crawler. At least, not yet. So my tips are few. If you're looking for some more resources for a random tile system, or one that is free from a solid state board layout, try
HeroQuest Cooperation. They've designed a Modular HeroQuest system, similar to how Advanced HeroQuest was done. A fantastic resource for such an endeavour. Our own
Design Tools page has plenty of card making resources. They are geared toward HeroQuest, but the standard template could be used for cards of most any game type. If you haven't been to the page yet, check it out! There's more than just Tiles and Quests here.
That's all I've got for now. If I think of anything else, I'll be sure to let you know. There may yet to be a fair number of people here, but thus far, everyone is experienced in fantasy gaming and may have more suggestions for you.
Don't forget to bring some friends by too. The more the merrier and everyone will benefit. One idea always spawns another.
Enjoy your stay!
~drathe