RISE OF THE DREAD MOON discussion

[Vorimir]

I already have mine and I'm liking it very very much. Is not perfect but is quite good, better even than older quest packs and with more RPG felling on it. Well done AH.

[wallydubbs]

I just got my copy, I can easily tell it wasn't made by the same group. New mechanics are introduced that makes Hero Quest more interactive, with the ability to create potions and lay traps for monsters, new monster mechanics. I'm not saying this is a bad thing, just noting the obvious differences that the game is evolving from what it was originally.
I'm eager to see these new machinations in play, how well it flows.

I also noticed the plastic they're using is a bit different from all the predecessors, much more bendy, I'm worried they're gonna break.

[Kurgan]

I thought this quest (KnightFall) felt like it was geared towards people who were playing HeroQuest for the first time (introducing not just the new monsters but also some of the basic ones they would have faced many times by now). And yet the amount of gear you acquire on this one doesn't seem like it quite prepares the heroes for the main campaign of Rise of the Dread Moon. Do you agree? Or maybe the heroes should play some other quests after it?

Or maybe should we see it as a quest for a group that hasn't played the game together in awhile, but has powerful heroes, except maybe there's one new guy in the group who hasn't played (who gets the new gear)?

If we can go into quest spoilers here, you find a Battle Axe and Crossbow, which most parties would already have at this point had they been experienced veterans who have conquered at least the Game System. Then again they could trade those for gold at the standard Armory to afford some other things in preparation for ROTDM Quest 1.

Granted, I'm glad to get this since we had no online "bridge quest" for MOTM. This is the "Prequel quest" that is going to be played in several (sold out) sessions at GenCon in a week (I will be there, but I have only generic tickets and no official spots in any of the sessions).

[Kurgan]

Specters are "ethereal" meaning they not only can pass through solid objects (walls, furniture, closed doors, heroes) but that when attacking them you have to roll black shields instead of skulls, EXCEPT in the case of artifacts or magic spells...

So, here is what is of valuable use against Specters:

Game System:
(Equipment):
Holy Water (kills target instantly, LOS)
(Artifact):
Wizard's Staff (2 dice)
Spirit Blade (4 dice)
Orc's Bane (2 dice, single attack only)
Fortune's Longsword (3 dice, diagonal; once per quest re-roll 1 die)
Phantom Blade (1 die, once per quest, unblockable)
(Spells):
Genie (Air) - 5 combat dice (LOS)
Courage (Fire) - would the 2 extra dice that the hero it is cast upon when he attacks, count skulls when attacking the specter and the other attack dice (whatever they might be) count black shields? That's how I would do it.
Fire of Wrath (Fire) - uses red die for enemy resistance, no change (LOS)
Ball of Flame (Fire) - uses red dice for enemy resistance, no change (LOS)

Sleep (Water; and Spell Scroll version in expansions) would be of no use against the Specter, being an undead creature with 0 Mind Points. But Tempest would make it lose a turn!

Kellar's Keep & Return of the Witch Lord:
(Artifact):
Magical Throwing Dagger (1 BP instant damage, LOS)

Kellar's Keep:
(Artifact):
Spell Scroll Courage (see above)
Spell Scroll Fire of Wrath (see above)
Spell Scroll Ball of Flame (see above)
Spell Scroll Genie (see above)

Return of the Witch Lord:
(Artifact):
Spell Scroll Courage (see above)
Spell Scroll Fire of Wrath (see above)
Spell Scroll Ball of Flame (see above)

Frozen Horror (BQP):
Spell Scroll Chill (1 BP adjacent, instant damage)
Spell Scroll Ice Storm (3 BP in 2x2 square area, unblockable)

Prophecy of Telor:
(Artifact):
Spell Scroll Lightning Bolt (2 BP damage, multiple targets, LOS)

Crypt of Perpetual Darkness (Mythic):
(Artifact):
Dragon Spear (3 dice, diagonal)

Mage of the Mirror (EQP):
(Elf Spells):
"Slow" and "Double Image" could be used to in turn weaken and avoid the attacks of a Specter. "Deep Sleep" and "Hypnotic Blaze" would be of no use since Specters lack Mind Points. Twist Wood would have no effect since they lack physical weapons (wooden or otherwise), bout "Disappear" could allow an Elf to be undetected by them.
"Moon Time" was left on the cutting room floor, but it changes a Hero into a Wolf for 3 turns (With the powers of a Giant Wolf). Would the attacks of this monster be treated as conventional, or would they all be treated as magical?

Digital (free):
Ice Queen's Spear (2 dice, diagonal)

Rise of the Dread Moon:
(Artifact:)
Raven's Talon (2 dice)

Any one-off items in the quest notes that say they are magical and can attack I would treat the same way.

Any I missed? Would you consider spells that enhance the hero's attack to be magical and bypass the "black shields" protection of ethereal monsters? If so, then we'd have to think about magic potions, like Heroic Brew (maybe just the second attack?), Battle (just a re-roll, maybe not?), Battle Rage (double damage - maybe only half?), Icy Strength (maybe only the second attack?), Celerity (Elf Potion of Speed that has again, two attacks)?

I take it the attack "skills" of the Rogue would not be considered magical (the Druid, Bard and Warlock have "spells").

[SirRick]

Wizard’s Staff, and possibly the Warlock’s Wand even though its not an artifact or spell. And of course the Raven’s Talon dagger which you may have left out on purpose.

[Maalicia_Ironhoof]

I think I might need to do some tweaks for my own games, I would rather it be only magical weapons that are effective, holy water just doesn't make sense (That *lemony goodness* should go straight through them)! I think I'd also go the route that the only spells that are effective are ones that specifically target ethereal creatures (Binding spells etc), so more homebrew to come on this!

[Aki]

I think artifacts and spells are enough, potions and skills are not allowed to wound Spectres

[Kurgan]

Holy Water kills undead (regular enemies, not bosses), and they're undead. If your attacks went right through them, then nothing could harm them, but they also couldn't harm you either... So they are clearly not "pure spirits" they are creatures of matter that take on a semi-solid state at times, maybe like they are flickering in and out of existence, but not enough to just completely dodge a sword or arrow that otherwise would have hit them.

I wouldn't say the Wand counts skulls against Specters because it's just a regular piece of equipment (even if exclusive to that hero), not an artifact.

Zargon can do what he likes of course, but that's applying the rule as they described it. The app goes on the honor system so even though it lets you use the Warlock as a hero, whether you boost it is up to you, same with the Holy Water.

[SirRick]

Do new retail copies of the game system still come with the four extra artifacts? Meaning Fortune’s Longsword, Phantom Blade, Ring of Fortitude, and the Rod of Telekinesis?

I was considering giving them out in Kellar’s Keep since you don’t get anything good in that pack, but you could easily plant them in various other places if the heroes are in need of more artifact weapons, depending on how well equipped the group is that is planning on playing RotDM.

[wallydubbs]

I got to read through it and it's actually a bit disappointing, the Guardian Knights are mentioned in the opening segment, but at no point become part of the story. The quest pack plays like the original 4 heroes would be playing with no mention of the Rogue or Knight joining the party.

It's cool to finally have a Knight amongst the heroes but he's doesn't really add anything to the story. Plus there's no solo quests to introduce or build him up, so the question of his involvement simply boils down to the limited edition character (s) that not everyone got to buy.