Hero Quest 2021 Remake: Errata Compilation

[Kurgan]

Here's another errata... the "map symbols" (or icons) at the end of the Quest booklet (for 2021 Game System and also 2025 First Light) doesn't always correspond to what assets are found in the box.

Yes, it's true that when you are creating your own quests you can do whatever you want, but AH's strategy and policy has been generally (I say generally because MOTM for example references Frozen Horror as if you might own it) to write each expansion as if you only own that one and have access to the Game System.

First Light on the other hand, acts as its own game system. But the map symbols don't correspond exactly to what is in the box. Is there an easy fix? Absolutely, you can always print more copies of what symbols you want (if you're cutting and pasting) or don't use all the ones they give you.

The old ('91, EU exclusive) Adventure Design Kit suggests plotting out the physical pieces on the board before you just write down the symbols, so you can see how it will look (and not run out of assets).

Some of these errors are inherited from the classic versions:

FIRST LIGHT (Quest booklet) page 35:
shows 8 Goblin monsters (box contains 6 standees) [error present in Game System: 1990/2021 version... and 2022 version?]
shows 6 Orc monsters (box contains 8 standees) [error present in Game System: 1990/2021... and 2022 version?]
shows 2 Abomination monsters (box contains 3 standees) [error present in Game System: 1990/2021 version... and 2022 version?
(No symbol for gargoyle shown on this page... box contains 1 standee - symbol can be found on another page in theory, just as page 21 of the Rulebook for FL)

shows 20 Doors (there are 16 included standees for open doors, in theory you could have up to 5 closed doors visible at a time, but only 16 open on the whole board)

shows 1 Cupboard (does not show bookcase, and two bookcase tiles are included with FL; you can find this symbol on other pages such as page 3 of the Rulebook or page 11 of the Quest book)


And of course we've also seen that...

The movement dice in the box don't match the literature. These are called "Red dice" in the 2021/2022 Game System (as in the classic HeroQuest boxes) and all expansions call them "red dice." But as we've seen at least the first many boxes purchased from Target stores in the USA have white movement dice with red pips (spots) on them instead. Meanwhile the back of the First Light box shows the expected red dice with white pips, which is also what the rulebook shows as well as the GM screen depicts.

Reports have come in that owners of First Light in other countries (UK, elsewhere in Europe, Australia...) that their movement dice are red with white pips. One person reported they bought from Target recently and their dice were red with white pips. If this last report is accurate, perhaps the "white movement dice" were just a special secret "store exclusive" for a limited time (not advertised, but these do match the "not final" dice that Doug Hopkins showed us, that were used for the demos of the game at GenCon in 2024, and also shown at the last Cannes Game Festival at least in the display case, not sure about the live demos). Or it might be that they just got the colors reversed at the factory and decided to let the stock run out for them at Target before re-supplying with the correct red movement dice.

As many have pointed out, the white dice still have red somewhere on them... and they are the only standard dice included in the box so people can figure it out in seconds (even if they are buying First Light and starting to play expansions right away that refer to "red dice").

[Onan]

The movement dice in the box don't match the literature. These are called "Red dice" in the 2021/2022 Game System (as in the classic HeroQuest boxes) and all expansions call them "red dice." But as we've seen at least the first many boxes purchased from Target stores in the USA have white movement dice with red pips (spots) on them instead. Meanwhile the back of the First Light box shows the expected red dice with white pips, which is also what the rulebook shows as well as the GM screen depicts.

I've always wondered what I am supposed to do with the "blue dice" from Frozen Horror

[Kurgan]

The movement dice in the box don't match the literature. These are called "Red dice" in the 2021/2022 Game System (as in the classic HeroQuest boxes) and all expansions call them "red dice." But as we've seen at least the first many boxes purchased from Target stores in the USA have white movement dice with red pips (spots) on them instead. Meanwhile the back of the First Light box shows the expected red dice with white pips, which is also what the rulebook shows as well as the GM screen depicts.

I've always wondered what I am supposed to do with the "blue dice" from Frozen Horror

Whatever you want! Frozen Horror is an expansion after all... it merely adds to what you already have, not being able to stand on its own. Meanwhile FL is supposed to be an alternate game system, a starting point for many new players, yet compatible with all official expansions.

Extra dice are great, you can sub them out for sheer aesthetic variety or make rolling at the table between players faster because you can visually differentiate one from the other. Red is a nice contrast to white (same color scheme is used for Space Crusade).

[Kurgan]

Parzival pointed this out in another thread... but AH intends that "First Light" will be a starting point for a lot of brand new HeroQuest players (no prior experience with the franchise), and in fact they presume that some of these players may go on to buy expansions but potentially "never" get the main GS.

As such what happens if the Dwarf throws his starting hand axe? It is Lost, right? Well unless we missed it, there's no explanation of "unarmed combat" in this pack. So Zargon would have to make it up on the spot (or go hunting online for the answer), until such time (if any) that they purchase the 2021/2022 GS (or download the quest booklet for it) or do the same with ROTDM in that one quest where you get captured.

Otherwise I could imagine a scenario where Zargon has to just make a call and perhaps concludes that a Dwarf with no weapon can't fight until he finds (or buys) another, or else defaults to a kind of EU style "base attack" (he can just fight bare handed with 2 dice as would the ELf?, just as theoretically the Barbarian would fight with 3 and the Wizard with 1).

Now the Wizard could always throw away his starting dagger... and that might lead Zargon to figure out that oh yeah probably it's not just the Wizard who fights unarmed with one (I think when we were kids we had a moment where we thought about this... is he "punching" his enemies? using martial arts?) or it might lead to the base attack interpretation, but there will be a moment of decision since it's not spelled out what happens, and the Dwarf's card says attack: 2. The flavor text portrays the Wizard as a weakling in combat, so maybe the other characters would be imagined to have a naturally greater physical strength? (rather than limiting this to their durability of constitution represented by their higher Body Point totals).

Maybe the Dwarf player would fear he couldn't fight without the axe and so would never try to throw it, avoiding this problem scenario in the first place? But this seems to be an oversight on AH's part. They tell owners of FL that the 2021 rules exist, but don't actually explain more about that (and just viewing the rulebook wouldn't explain it either, though the questbook is attached to the big copy of the rulebook on Hasbro Consumer Care).

[wallydubbs]

Other Zargons might do it their own way. Me, in particular, I adopted someone else's suggestion (can't remember who) to give the hero their starting combat dice, but they require a black shield to get in 1BP of damage. So the Elf & Dwarf get 2 dice, but still require a black shield. The Barbarian gets 3, imposing a physical advantage over the other 3. Wizard only gets to roll 1. The same will apply to the newer heroes:
Berserker 3 combat dice needs black shield
Knight, Explorer, Bard & Warlock roll 2
Rogue & Druid get 1 dice.
If the Druid uses Shapeshift and the Warlock uses Demonform I'd be willing to throw out the Black Shield in those scenarios and go with Skulls.

I understand it's not written anywhere, but this is where the creativity of Zargon comes into play.

[Kurgan]

Other Zargons might do it their own way. Me, in particular, I adopted someone else's suggestion (can't remember who) to give the hero their starting combat dice, but they require a black shield to get in 1BP of damage. So the Elf & Dwarf get 2 dice, but still require a black shield. The Barbarian gets 3, imposing a physical advantage over the other 3. Wizard only gets to roll 1. The same will apply to the newer heroes:
Berserker 3 combat dice needs black shield
Knight, Explorer, Bard & Warlock roll 2
Rogue & Druid get 1 dice.
If the Druid uses Shapeshift and the Warlock uses Demonform I'd be willing to throw out the Black Shield in those scenarios and go with Skulls.

I understand it's not written anywhere, but this is where the creativity of Zargon comes into play.

From this page on the inn "Unarmed Combat" not sure who created it originally but John Burnham is thanked.

[wallydubbs]

Thanks for pointing it out, but that's generally what I go by when playing. However in terms of spells and Legacy of the Orc Warlord, I just let the Wizard and Elf start off with their spells, it makes the Wizard more valuable.
But I tend to make other changes to that quest to make it more fun or interesting.

[Kurgan]

As pointed out by Parzival:

First Light Quest 3 (Note B) requires that a hero be adjacent to a certain piece of furniture to find something essential to the quest, which was never a rule before! (a clue is provided that being adjacent is important while searching in Quest 1, but not in regard to furniture). The App (v5.1) prompts the hero to use their action to search once they move adjacent to the bookcase.

[Kurgan]

Not really an errata, but just an interesting thing... the Spider Step Elixir [Alchemy - Potion] or Bracers of the Wild [Artifact] (both from JoD) lets a hero pass through furniture... but unlike stopping inside "solid rock" (Pass Through Rock, Cloak of Shadows, Elven Cloak of Passage) there's no apparent penalty for ending your movement "inside" a square that contains furniture. Presumably this doesn't prevent you from being attacked by adjacent (or ranged) monsters, however, while in this state, but it could sometimes be used to evade combat! (unless you're playing with the App and turned on "intangible furniture" or playing First Light and Zargon decided that furniture doesn't hinder movement, period...)

[Kurgan]

Jungles of Delthrak, a small errata... I am now convinced this is a mistake with regard for the tiles called for in a certain quest...

*Spoilers*

Quest #7 map (page 24)...

Note "B" Room calls for the 4 square "dinosaur bone" tile. This is colored in brown (implying it is meant to be the "sand" type of hindering terrain).
However, the previous room with note "C" calls for the four square forest/leafy (green) hindering terrain tile. The dinosaur bone image is the reverse side of the 4 square forest/leafy (green) hindering terrain tile and these rooms are adjacent to one another!

When you count up the forest/leafy (green) hindering tile squares in the box, there are 15 of them total. This quest uses all 15, however you can't actually display them all at the same time.

So you will run out of these proper hindering terrain tiles by the final room.

Possible work-arounds:

...you could substitute some other types of hindering terrain tiles when you run out (the web tiles are already used in the room with note "A") meaning the sand (brown) tiles.

...there are several "mossy green" versions of the stone blocked square tiles. No official use is given for these (though you could imagine maybe they are meant to be used in Quest #5 (page 20) for the four "unsteady columns" in the room for note "A." Most of these tiles have a Spawnling monster on the reverse side, so several of these tiles will be used in the battle in page 24's room with note "D" but there will be a few left that you could use as "leafy forest" hindering terrain.

*END Spoilers *