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Is it fair to use an existing character in the Barbarian, Elf and Wizard side quests? They seem as though they'd be too powerful for them with full gear.

That said, it's fair to use characters from the base 14 quests in Kellars keep and the witch lord correct?

Thanks!

The much more seasoned veterans here can probably give better answers, but hopefully I'll at least give a direction.

FainFlynn wrote:Is it fair to use an existing character in the Barbarian, Elf and Wizard side quests? They seem as though they'd be too powerful for them with full gear.

My Frozen Horror quest book seems to have disappeared to the mists of time, so I can't check that, but in the Mage of the Mirror book on page 7 they say the first three adventures are for the Elf alone, and that they are good starting missions, or for when only 2 players are available, or for getting a new player 'caught up'.

FainFlynn wrote:That said, it's fair to use characters from the base 14 quests in Kellars keep and the witch lord correct?

I believe it is the assumption that the characters continue from the initial 14 quests into Kellar's Keep and then into the Witch Lord.

Having said all of that I believe the most important rule is that if you're Zargon/Morcar/GM or whatever, it is totally up to you. 'Fair' is in the eye of the beholder, so as long as you're all having fun... who cares?

Thanks! Yeah, my impressions here are that the experienced DMs of this game adjust it to make it harder/easier to create balance when they see it get out of whack in the story.

Well you have two schools of EWP here.
You have the group who operate under the paradigm that the game is to be played as it is written and the EWP is playing to win.
Then you have the group that feel the game is intrinsically flawed in the above approach and the game is played with the EWP more as a Gamemaster than a player.

Personally I like to try and run the system as written, where I can, but I feel the game has flaws that are only resolved with the EWP becoming the games Gamemaster.

As a member of camp 2 I say do as thou will, for you are Mentor.

The idea of a game is that everyone has fun and is challenged. Whatever approach you take to Heroquest {or any other game for that mater} should have that ideal in mind.

So if you go the it is written it is law then no. If you go with the Gamemaster route, then why not?

Personally, I like to treat the quests like the chapters of a book: each quest/quest pack is the ongoing adventures of the group of heros.

So personally, I like the idea of keeping the same characters throughout the quests for continuity sake. I don't feel having the "advanced" charcaters
effects the overall enjoyability of the game.

FainFlynn wrote:Is it fair to use an existing character in the Barbarian, Elf and Wizard side quests? They seem as though they'd be too powerful for them with full gear.

What Rook said about the EQP also applies to the BQP, word for word with the exceptions of Barbarian substituted for Elf.

FainFlynn wrote:That said, it's fair to use characters from the base 14 quests in Kellars keep and the witch lord correct?

From p.23 of the NA Instruction Booklet under What Happens Between Quests?:

Wizard: Since there are so few things
that you can buy from the Armory, it
would be wise for you to save your money.
Other powerful magic items will be offered
for sale in future adventures. (in the
Quest Packs). You may wish to spend
your money on those items.

Yes, it's fair and recommended.

In addition, the fluff epilogue at the end of the Quest Booklet of the Main Game System explains, "You have done well. And yet it seems your task has hardly begun...." The text continues on to explain the situation at Kellar's Keep and the return of the Witch Lord. The same Heroes are expected to confront these threats by Mentor in the text.

FainFlynn wrote:Is it fair to use an existing character in the Barbarian, Elf and Wizard side quests? They seem as though they'd be too powerful for them with full gear.

That said, it's fair to use characters from the base 14 quests in Kellars keep and the witch lord correct?

Thanks!

I would have to disagree. I've playtested the solo quests of Mage of the Mirror with an unequipped female elf and it was disastrous for the Hero. I did it 2 more times choosing different spells and I couldn't get passed On Sacred Ground. The Giant Wolf was vicious. After playing with the fully equipped elf after Keller's Keep, the first solo quest was a breeze, but the 2nd Quest was still within the realm of difficulty, but it was doable, but still needed a few potions if healing.

Agreed here. The EQP/BQP solo adventures are very difficult as written, and are likely to turn away a noob HQ player with a basic character once they get killed. So upgrade your hero first.

I tried playing EQP 1 with a basic Elf and a basic Barbarian. I gave them each a 2 BP mercenary (random draw) and I also gave them each a random Equipment draw (they each ended up with a piece of armor). It went very well and was a lot of fun. This compared with an equipped Elf (6 defend dice, 3 attack) who gave up after her character was reduced to 1 BP in a stalemate with a mummy. If I had forced the player to pick Earth spells it would have been a lot easier (she picked Fire), though.

BQP 1 & 2 were okay for an equipped Barbarian (4 defend, 4 attack, Armband of Healing) but he died on the third one, so I brought him back with some low level mercs (4 with 1 BP each). Without tweaks and with a basic hero, I'd say they are very unfair and so adding your own stuff, even another player, isn't "wrong" by any means. In an ideal world they would have play-tested them and balanced them for a basic beginner Hero. If you want those types of quests, check out the early adventures in the Japanese game system.

I still love the IDEA of a basic solo quest, so I'd say either being more generous with the treasure weapons & potions and having more manageable monsters (fewer and/or weaker), more forgiving traps, are all ways to ease a player into things without making it boring. Build up their confidence before you destroy them in the really hard quests later...

GS-->KK-->ROTWL--->EQP--->BQP (and somewhere in between there, AtOH and WOM, and either the Dark Company there or maybe at the very end!) but you play them in the order you wish. I think they grow in complexity based on release order, so that is a bit of a natural guideline (though EQP/BQP were intended for the NA audience and AtOH/WOM intended for the EU). Carrying your character from one to the other is more fun usually and I think they specifically wanted you to keep them from base game into the first two expansions at the very least. The EQP/BQP intended for the other heroes outside the solo quests to already be equipped, so you would have played something earlier. The books for the expansions even recommend if you haven't to at least play some of the GS quests before attempting them, mostly for familiarity. But you can also do the random equipment thing to make up for the lack of gear.

I've never run either, but my plan when I do is to have the same fully equipped characters along with the assistance of a new gender-swapped version of the same character type (who the player can also control like a Mercenary) who will act as a sort of NPC party member and part of the story for that Quest Pack.

I have all of the different quests and quest packs as one long story for the same players and characters.

Spookyhappyfun wrote:I have all of the different quests and quest packs as one long story for the same players and characters.

I agree, it should be a continuous journey for 4 epic heroes. I don't like killing characters, though as Zargon I have done it (The Barbarian had 2 BP and the Sleep spell took hold, I had no choice). I try to make it challenging and fun for my heroes. But occasionally due to bad luck (or stingy wizards) sacrifices must be made.

The Barbarian quest pack is much too difficult, however, and I'm ok with adding a 5th hero. Since they come with a Female Elf and Barbarian, I feel compelled to add them to the game and story. So I allow them to join the group if they survive the first 3 solo quests (although I altered those to make them survivable).
In addition to the Elf and Barbarian quest packs, the Wizard should be granted a 4th set of spells or he'll run out much too quickly.