G'day all

[Zenithfleet]

Hi folks. I've been lurking around for a few weeks following a sudden attack of HeroQuest mania. I think it was triggered by unwisely pulling out my old set and deciding to go hunting for the missing bits. The plans have... expanded since then

As you can probably tell, I'm an Aussie and grew up with the European version of HeroQuest. It's been a couple of years since I played--usually with younger cousins and the like, who can be happily relied upon to unleash unprovoked Genie spells on each other at the drop of a Treasure card. I went through a phase of feeling jealous of the North American game (extra monster body points! Chaos spells! Clearer instructions! Cheesier Evil Wizard name!). These days, though, I think of them as two equally good rulesets with different aims in mind--the NA one encouraging cooperation and the EU one competition. I'd be interested to hear if anyone agrees...

Many thanks to drathe and everyone else involved in this great site. I've been hungrily devouring the resources pages--hopefully I'll have something to contribute soon! European versions of the Chaos Spells, for instance. (Although... technical question... how do I offer those if I'm not yet able to add attachments?)

[Goblin-King]

Welcome to the inn

I agree that the Euro and US both have their pros and cons

You can always upload your content somewhere else and post a link.

[Nerrad72]

g'day mate

so right about the NA cheesey Morcar.

I been through exactly the same thing as you. I simply upgraded my EU to NA game by using their quest books and monster ref chart. The NA quest books are better, for one, and also detail when and who gets the chaos spells. That first time feeling using chaos spells, as the evil wizard, is 'unforgettable.

Alas my set have expanded vastly, due solely to this excellent site, I am currently up to my ears in paper, card and glue making new Fate Cards.
Many thanks Dock and to everyone else who has contributed to this site.

[drathe]

Glad you're making good use of the Website.

how do I offer those if I'm not yet able to add attachments?

1. Do as Goblin-King suggests and upload them to a file hosting site
2. Wait until you have Champion Status (you're already 28% of the way there)
3. If you want to submit content to be download-able on the homepage, email them to drathe{at}drathe{dot}com

[Sjeng]

welcome to the forum mate! hope you enjoy your visits here

[Zenithfleet]

Thanks for the welcome and advice everyone

I've just finished creating some European-style Chaos Spells (suitably toned down and reworded), so I'll see about using one of those methods to share them.

Nerrad72, I was all set to use all the NA rules until I realised Heroes weren't allowed to attack each other and had to divide up their gold rewards. What you say?! I think the easier monsters in the EU version work pretty well since you also have to watch out for your mates in case they decide to stab you in the back and nick your gold. Of course, if you have a group of players who tend to work together like clockwork, it's another story...

The Chaos Spells are nifty though, and the boss monsters could definitely do with a boost. These days I'm just picking and choosing, like you.

I've found the NA quests are much better than the EU ones for a 2-player game (you vs one player controlling all four Heroes). Since the Heroes will be perfectly cooperating, the quests definitely need to be much harder.

I do often wonder if Morcar was renamed Zargon to avoid confusion with Mentor. Kids with reading disabilities might find it hard to tell them apart since Mentor and Morcar have the same first and last letters. If so, it was thoughtful of them. But still cheesy.

[drathe]

I was all set to use all the NA rules until I realised Heroes weren't allowed to attack each other and had to divide up their gold rewards.

It's uncommon, but there's nothing stopping heroes from attacking each other in the NA version (it's happened in a couple of my groups). There's also no rule stating they have to divide their gold treasure, only the reward in the quest introduction is often divided, but this is still only divided among the surviving heroes. Most often, the gold treasure found during the quest remains the prize of the hero who got to it first.

Every one usually tailors their games to their own preferences and players. Picking and choosing aspects from both versions plus homebrew rules.

[Zenithfleet]

It's uncommon, but there's nothing stopping heroes from attacking each other in the NA version (it's happened in a couple of my groups). There's also no rule stating they have to divide their gold treasure, only the reward in the quest introduction is often divided, but this is still only divided among the surviving heroes. Most often, the gold treasure found during the quest remains the prize of the hero who got to it first.

D'oh! You're right about the treasure. That's what I get for making sweeping generalisations... I was only thinking of the reward at the end of the Quest, not treasure searches--but even in the EU version, often every Hero is rewarded rather than just one.

I also just went back and read through the NA rulebook again, and you're right, it doesn't explicitly forbid you to attack other Heroes--it seems to assume nobody would ever be so unscrupulous as to need forbidding

I do note, though, that the NA version says Heroes can move through other Heroes, whereas in the EU version you have to get permission from the player controlling that figure. This was the cause of many a kerfuffle in my games, especially in Quests like Bastion of Chaos when everyone's racing one another to kill stuff for gold. Wizard cruelty potential: high.

I may be a bit vague on the particulars because I lost my EU rulebook sometime in my childhood and could only find an NA rulebook online to replace it back in the day, so my memories are a weird blend of both, plus our own house rules. As you say, it's one of those games that everybody plays differently anyway. Like Monopoly, only with less violence. (That old chestnut about asking to open treasure chests vs just searching in the same room, for instance...)

The EU 1st edition book appears to have been a bit more blatantly competitive than the 2nd edition, too. They seem to have toned it down a bit after that. I've only skimmed through the 1st edition online, but even the learn-to-play sections involve fighting the other players to the death...

(This is all probably a bit rambling for what's basically a 'hello!' thread... sorry!)

[Nerrad72]

I use the NA rule book now but didn't read through it all,
I encourage hero's attacking eachother and only reward one hero with quest gold, to encourage discontent. Its up to them if they share it.

The game is developing into shelf interested teams with each hero leading a group of henchmen. With that many characters on the board i can add more monsters

[Daedalus]

I do note, though, that the NA version says Heroes can move through other Heroes, whereas in the EU version you have to get permission from the player controlling that figure. This was the cause of many a kerfuffle in my games, especially in Quests like Bastion of Chaos when everyone's racing one another to kill stuff for gold. Wizard cruelty potential: high.

Kerfuffle...never heard that one. Equals hyjynx...snafu...mayhem?

I may be a bit vague on the particulars because I lost my EU rulebook sometime in my childhood and could only find an NA rulebook online to replace it back in the day, so my memories are a weird blend of both, plus our own house rules. As you say, it's one of those games that everybody plays differently anyway. Like Monopoly, only with less violence. (That old chestnut about asking to open treasure chests vs just searching in the same room, for instance...)

Waitaminute- your Monopoly game had more violence? Sounds epic: You landed on my orange property- you owe me $18. Sorry, man- I don't have the money right now- come back next week and I'll pay you, I swear. I can't believe this- pay up now! Roll some dice. I smack you with my car token until you beg like a baby to stop. Next time you pay double, Monopoy or not!