HQ CERB - Expansions

[Davane]

Time to tackle Against the Ogre Horde, one of the rarer UK expansions with some very interesting rules. Some of these are straight forward, and some are, not so straight forward...

The big feature of AtOH has to be the Ogres themselves. Fighting these can be some confusing rules to follow, so let's look at them, and see what we need to add.

Ogres in HeroQuest
All Ogres occupy one space on the HeroQuest gameboard. No other figure may pass through the same space as an Ogre figure, whether they are good or evil. Once an Ogre blocks a corridor, it stays blocked until he moves or is killed.

The fact that Ogres occupy a single square on the HeroQuest game board is somewhat surprising, since in many games, Ogres are Large Monsters, such as in AHQ, which was released 1 Month after the HQ board game and therefore predated AtOH by several months at least. That said, in WHQ, which uses a larger scale (and will match the upcoming Hasbro remake of of HQ), Ogres are not Large Monsters, so it's not unreasonable to say Ogres aren't large monsters. In fact, it's quite interesting to see that WD published an adventure, Eyes of Chaos, for both HQ and AHQ, and in HQ, the Ogres were only a single space, yet they were a large monster, occupying 2x2 squares in AHQ, even though they were supposed to be the same quest. However, all HQ references show Ogres as being a single space, so they are a single space.

It's also noted that no figures can move through the space occupied by an Ogre. This is important, because Monsters CAN move through spaces containing other Monsters. Also, the spell Veil of Mist says that the targeted Hero CAN move through Monsters (which they normally couldn't), which creates an exception-based conflict here. In such instances Specific trumps General, so the Ogre NOT allowing any other Hero or Monster to pass through their space overrides the more general ability of Veil of Mist to allow Heroes to pass through Monsters. A simple rewrite resolves this for us, by calling out and resolving this conflict, as follows:

Ogres in HeroQuest
All Ogres occupy one space on the HeroQuest board. No other Hero or Monster may pass through the same space as an Ogre, even if they have an ability that would normally allow them to pass through Monsters, such as the Veil of Mist spell. Once an Ogre blocks a corridor, it stays blocked until he moves or is killed.

Moving on, we are given four types of Ogres in the game - Ogre Warriors, Ogre Champions, Ogre Chieftains, and Ogre Lords, and their characteristics.

Ogre Warrior
Move 6 Spaces
Attack 5 dice
Defend 5 dice
Body Variable
Mind 1

Ogre Champion
Move 6 Spaces
Attack 5 dice
Defend 5 dice
Body Variable
Mind 1

Ogre Chieftain
Move 4 Spaces
Attack 6 dice
Defend 6 dice
Body Variable
Mind 2

Ogre Lord
Move 4 Spaces
Attack 6 dice
Defend 6 dice
Body Variable
Mind 5

Seems simple enough, but note how the Body value says Variable - this is because Ogres use Variable Body Points, which was an attempt to make them tougher than other Monsters, for only special Quest Monsters had more than 1 Body Point in the UK rules. In the US Rules, Variable Body Points makes no real sense, because there are regular monsters that have multiple Body Points anyway. The toughest of these, the Chaos Warrior and the Gargoyle, have as many as three Body Points each. Now, I could spend time here including the rules for Variable Body Points as a UK house rule, but since the UK rules were already featuring Quest Monsters with more than one Body point, I will simply convert them to a set number of Body Points each.

This actually resolves a secondary issue - if you look, there's absolutely no difference between an Ogre Warrior and an Ogre Champion. We can therefore add this difference when we define the Body Points of Ogres, as we can make Ogre Champions tougher by adding an extra Body Point. Since all the monsters are supposed to be at least as tough as a Chaos Warrior, we can give the Ogre Warrior 3 BP, the Ogre Champion 4 BP, the Ogre Chieftain 4 BP, and the Ogre Lord 5 BP. These more or less match what the AtOH Quest Book recommends for Ogre Chieftains and Ogre Lords.

Thus we have some simple rewrites for the HQ CERB, and we can move on to some of the other aspects of AtOH...

[Davane]

As you may have gathered by now, I have a tendency to be somewhat formulaic with how information is presented, as this is often the easiest way to compile and combine various sorts of information. Thus, a lot of these posts can seem repetative, especially if you already know the content being added, and most people at Ye Olde Inn already know a lot of HQ inside and out. Still, feedback is important, such as whether there would be interest in keeping the variable body points system as a House Rule, and preserving the UK rule that all Monsters only have 1 Body Point as a House Rule too.

With that in mind, let's look at three new features that were included in AtOH, and how these rules can expand the HQ CERB, starting with Stone Doorways...

Stone Doorways
Stone Doorways are large slabs of rock which must be pushed out of the way using brute force before you can pass. To open one of these doors, a character must roll a number of combat dice and score two skulls. The number of dice he throws depends upon what character type he is: the Dwarf and the Elf both roll two dice, the Barbarian rolls three dice. The Wizard cannot open a Stone Doorway. Once a Stone Doorway has been opened it remains open for the rest of the Quest.

It's worth noting that the number of combat dice rolled by characters is equal to their starting Attack Dice, and this makes it easier for new Heroes to be added to this simple mechanic. It becomes obvious that the reason that the Wizard cannot open a Stone Doorway is because they begin the game with only a single Attack Die, and therefore it is impossible for them to roll the TWO Skulls required to open a Stone Doorway. Thus, a simple rewrite for the HQ CERB is as follows:

Stone Doorways
Stone Doorways are large slabs of rock which must be pushed out of the way using brute force before anyone can pass. To open one of these doors, a Hero must roll a number of Combat Dice and score two Skulls. The number of Combat Dice they throw depends upon what character type they are, and their starting Attack Dice. Therefore, the Dwarf and the Elf both roll two Combat Dice, whilst the Barbarian rolls three Combat Dice. The Wizard can only roll a single Combat Die, and thus cannot open a Stone Doorway. Once a Stone Doorway has been opened it remains open for the rest of the Quest.

---

Another feature added by AtOH is the Swinging Blade Trap...

Swinging Blade Trap
The trap is tripped when a character lands on a space marked with a black blade symbol: a huge blade swings down from the roof attacking any character in any one of the three spaces marked with a white or black blade symbol. These characters will be attacked with two combat dice which they may defend against normally. A Swinging Blade trap can only be detected by a search in the room or corridor containing the black blade symbol.

Any character with a Tool Kit may attempt to disarm a Swinging Blade Trap. To do so they must roll any shield, using only one Combat Die. If they roll a skull, they will set off the Swinging Blade Trap. The Dwarf may disarm a Swinging Blade Trap automatically once it has been discovered.

First off, it's worth noting that the Swinging Blade Trap has been written for the UK version of the HQ rules, and thus, Searching for Traps automatically reveals the traps, which are then placed on the board, if necessary. In this case, the Swinging Blade Trap works a bit like the Spear Trap, in that it has no tile to place on the board. However, unlike the Spear Trap, it is not automatically rendered safe when it is triggered, and must be disarmed to pass by safely. This disarming procedure is exactly the same as any other trap, however.

This means that we would need to check to see if any of the US house rules for Traps would apply here. Luckily, since the Swinging Blade Trap has no tile to place, we can treat it as if it was an identified Spear Trap, in that the triggering tile can be disarmed or jumped over.

The effects of the Swinging Blade Trap are easy to describe, but it's worth noting that the text says any character. We already know that Monsters do not trigger traps, but the rules don't state that Monsters aren't affected by traps, and as such, Monsters caught in the area of effect (the white blade symbols) should be attacked just like Heroes.

It's worth noting that because the Swinging Blade Trap needs to be disarmed, it can be triggered multiple times, and this can lead to a Swinging Blade Trap being triggered whilst there is already a Hero (or Monster) on the Black Blade symbol marking the trigger of the Swinging Blade Trap. Thus, we should state what happens in this circumstance, which is that the moving Hero takes damage as if they were on the Black Blade symbol, and then ends their turn in the nearest unoccupied space. Depending on what other spaces are occupied, this could keep them within the area of the trap to be affected when another Hero moves through the space with the Black Blade symbol.

All this considered, we can rewrite the Swinging Blade Trap as follows:

Swinging Blade Traps
A Swinging Blade Trap is a carefully hidden huge blade that swings down from the roof.
The trap is tripped when a Hero lands on a space marked with a Black Blade symbol: the huge blade swings down from the roof attacking any Hero or Monster in any one of the spaces marked with a White or Black Blade symbol.
A Swinging Blade Trap can only be detected by a search in the room or corridor containing the Black Blade symbol. If found during a search, the Evil Wizard will say that the square with the Black Blade symbol looks suspicious and will point to the square where the Trap is located. Once a Swinging Blade Trap is discovered, a Hero may attempt to DISARM it on his next turn.
[US]: Once a Swinging Blade Trap is discovered, a Hero may attempt to JUMP the Trap or DISARM it. Only once disarmed, is the Swinging Blade Trap gone forever and the square with the Black Blade symbol can be moved onto safely.
When a Hero steps onto the Black Blade symbol of a Swinging Blade Trap, they automatically spring the Trap. This ends their turn.
A huge blade swings down from the roof attacking any Hero or Monster in any one of the spaces marked with a White or Black Blade symbol. These characters will be attacked with two Combat Dice which they may defend against normally.
Once a Swinging Blade Trap has been triggered, it automatically resets, and may continue to be triggered by any Hero moving through space with the Black Blade symbol, until the Swinging Blade Trap is disarmed.
If the Swinging Blade Trap is triggered whilst another Hero is currently on the Black Blade Symbol, the triggering Hero is attacked by the blade just like every other Hero or Monster on a Black or White Blade symbol, and then must end their turn in the nearest unoccupied space.

---

Finally, let's look at the third new feature added by AtOH - Pits of Darkness...

Pits of Darkness
The Pit of Darkness Trap works in the same manner as a normal pit trap with the following exceptions: if a character crossing a Pit of Darkness space rolls a skull, he plunges 30 feet onto hard floor. Once he falls, a character will suffer damage depending on how much armour they are wearing. Characters not wearing any armour must roll one combat die to see if they lose a Body Point; those wearing Chain-mail or Borin's Armour must roll two combat dice; and those wearing plate mail must roll three combat dice. A character may climb out of a Pit of Darkness on his next turn if there is a free space on any one side of the Pit of Darkness.

Pits of Darkness may not be disarmed but characters may jump over them like ordinary pit traps.

Pits of Darkness are essentially advanced pit traps, with variable damage based on the armour worn by the Hero falling into the pit. It's worth noting that Pits of Darkness cannot be disarmed.

Once again, we must compare this with the US rules for Traps, and this time there IS a tile to be placed on the board, so normally if a Pit of Darkness is detected, it is revealed, and then cannot be disarmed. However, under the US house rules, even though the Pit of Darkness hasn't been triggered when detected, it still cannot be disarmed, thus a detected but unrevealed Pit of Darkness is no different from a revealed Pit of Darkness. However, to preserve the suspense of not knowing what trap has been detected, the Evil Wizard should only reveal that the trap cannot be disarmed AFTER the first disarm attempt has been made.

Looking at the HQ CERB, Heroes who fall into Pits automatically suffer 1 Body Point of Damage. Thus, the variable range of damage from the Pit of Darkness has been changed to include 1 automatic loss of a Body Point, and then those wearing Chain Mail or Borin's Armour must roll a single Combat Die to determine if they take extra damage, whilst those wearing Plate Armour must roll two extra Combat Dice to determine extra damage. I have clarified that only Body Armour is considered - other forms of armour, such as Shields, Helmets, Bracers, and Cloaks are not considered for the Pit of Darkness Trap.

It's worth noting that this distinction answers the lingering question of whether or not Borin's Armour is Chain Mail enchanted to provide more defence (equivalent to Plate Mail), or Plate Mail enchanted to be lighter and not provide a movement penalty. Since Chain Mail and Borin's Armour are together, we can only assume that the former case is true, and that Borin's Armour is equivalent to Chain Mail in all respects.

Finally, to avoid any conflicts, the Rabbit Boots have been updated to specifically include Pits of Darkness.

So, with all that done, our entry for Pits of Darkness traps in the HQ CERB is as follows:

Pits of Darkness
A Pit of Darkness works in the same same manner as a normal Pit Trap, and is a covered hole in the floor.
If the Trap is found during a search, the Evil Wizard will say that the floor looks weak and will point in the square where the Trap is located. The Evil Wizard will put a Pit of Darkness Tile on the Board at this time. The Pit of Darkness Trap remains on the Board as an obstacle.
[US]: The Evil Wizard will NOT put a Pit of Darkness Tile on the Board at this time. It has not yet been sprung.
Once a Pit of Darkness is discovered, a Hero may be able to JUMP the Trap. The Pit of Darkness Trap cannot be disarmed and removed.
[US]: To preserve the suspense of an unrevealed Pit of Darkness Trap, the Evil Wizard should not reveal that the trap cannot be disarmed until AFTER a Hero tries to disarm it.
If a Hero does not search for traps and moves onto a Pit of Darkness Trap square, he automatically springs the Trap. If a Hero moves onto a Pit of Darkness Trap square, the Evil Wizard will stop them by saying, "You have just stumbled into a Pit of Darkness!"
Any Hero who stumbles into a Pit of Darkness Trap will automatically fall, and will suffer damage depending on how much Body Armour they are wearing. Characters not wearing any Body Armour lose a Body Point; those wearing Chain Mail (including Borin's Armour) lose a Body Point and must roll a Combat Die, losing an additional Body Point if they roll a Skull; and those wearing Plate Mail lose a Body Point and must roll two Combat Dice, those an additional Body Point for each Skull rolled.
The Evil Wizard will then put a Pit of Darkness Tile on that square (under the Hero figure). This ends Hero's turn. They must then record the Body Point damage on their Character Sheet.
Heroes in a Pit of Darkness may attack and defend, but roll one less Combat Die than normal. (This applies to Monsters as well).
Note: A Hero's minimum attack or defend strength is always 1 Combat Die, even if the Pit of Darkness penalty would reduce their dice to zero.
They may not search whilst in a Pit of Darkness.
[US]: A Hero, once in a Pit, may search the pit for Treasure or Secret Doors as if it were a separate Room unto itself.
A Hero may climb out of a Pit of Darkness on his next turn if there is a free space on any one side of the Pit of Darkness.
Pits of Darkness may not be disarmed but Heroes and Monsters may jump over them like ordinary Pit Traps.

[Kurgan]

Will you consider Elven Chain Mail (EQP artifact) to be Chain mail for purposes of Pits of Darkness?

Edit: Oops, you haven't gotten to that expansion yet.

[Davane]

Will you consider Elven Chain Mail (EQP artifact) to be Chain mail for purposes of Pits of Darkness?

Edit: Oops, you haven't gotten to that expansion yet.

Probably.