Condial Greetings

[Nerrad72]

Thought i would introduce myself to the forum, and ask a question

My friends and I have been playing HQ from the start on the odd weekend. They have completed the first 3 quest books, with some difficulty. I was getting all prepared, i.e. doing my HQ homework, studying the level and employing my strategic brain; and I came to the concussion that the next two quest books would be far too hard for them. I didnt want to remove monsters or add HP, which would be the obvious course of action, as I am a firm believer in HQ virgins completing the quests adjusted first time round.

So where to go....?

I decided to go back, right back, to the start! almost 2 years had passed to complete 3 quest books and I was sure that they're memories of the levels would have faded with the passing of time (aided with the brews we had during the quest)

To my astonishment during the first 2 quest they're memories slowly returned!! Although patchy. I was in a panic, sweat developing cross my brow, I had to think quick for quest three.
Ok i thought, they know the levels, I had to jazz it up. I didnt have time to jazz up the level. So I quickly used the US stats for the monsters, something I wanted to do from the start but was held back due to their poor questing performance PQP. By now they should be able to handle big boy stuff, i thought; but to level it out i provided the elf and wizard characters with additional spells, provide from the elf QP and WOM. 1 spell per MP i decided.

The result of quest three was one long quest (approaching 4hours), lots of questions and arguments about what the spells do and the barbarian pissed off as they 'didnt get anything'. I even had to through in some daggers, as compensation, to defuse that one.

Sorry I have gone on to long for an introduction, from no posts to this long one, anyway my question is what sort of modifications have other people done to add life into old quests which work well for... i going to say seasoned amateurs????
I have already modified the next two levels (more rooms, more tresure etc) and I dont want to massively change the armoury, that's just my taste. But in fairness my group normally die within 2 quests.

Fin

[cynthialee]

Howdy!

Allow them to hire mercenaries. That should get rid of excess gold and provide them with the moxie they need to pull off the dungeons coming up without altering the quests.

There are merc rules in some of the supliments, which are in download form on this site.

[cynthialee]

Wizards of Zargon (Morcar) has merc rules in it.

http://www.yeoldeinn.com/wizards-of-zargon.php

[Nerrad72]

many thanks, I shall allow them to use merc's.
In the name of fairness i suppose i should use the US merc stats as appose to the UK ones. I think they could do with the extra BP's to be honest.

We once did a quest with mercs but didn't work out too well. My group found them a waste of gold, they would die quickly due to their bad decisions e.g like putting them up front and walking them into pits. I told them to hire a scout especially with no every picking the dwarf. (there are only 3 heroes in my group).

Alast i shall give it a go, I think I should produce a flyer to try and educate my group on the tactics of Mercs

[Phoenix]

well, it seems that the first problem is that there are only 3 Heroes in your group. You should realize that these Quests are made with 4 Heroes in mind. I once calculated the difficulty rating for each of the US version Quests (based on four Heroes) and the results weren't too bad. However, you take out just one hero (especially the dwarf, who can do some pretty good damage) and the odds of success basically go down the toilet...

I did catch on that you are using UK version ruleset, but it seems to me that you either need to find a forth player to assume the role of the Dwarf or somebody is going to have to pony-up and pull double duty (play two heroes). I think that you will notice a huge difference in how long the Heroes last. May also be a good idea to remind them to work together. Teamwork is what wins!

Just my very humble opinion...

[cynthialee]

Without the Dwarf on trap duty and playing off tank your group is completely hobbled in so many ways.

[Nerrad72]

for reasons unknown my group detest the dwarf. They always fight over who's going to play as the elf as they have decided he is by far the best.

It was always going to tough doing the quest with only 3 heroes; I used to allow the remaining hero( i.e. the dwarf) to enter the quest once one of the heroes had died. This often resulted in the dwarf 'cleaning up' the quest and extorting money from the hero who they believed resulted in their previous heroes death.

I have decided to make my own treasure deck to increase the chance of goodies and to allow my heroes to each search for treasure in a room.

I generally like to sow decent and rivalry between the heroes, for my own twisted enjoyment, I shall now encourage them to work together.

I wonder what everyone else does with champion status in the game? In my UK version in the small leaflet size rule book, it states that if the heroes complete 3 quests they will become champions and receive 500 gold. At the moment they have only completed 1 out of 4 (only completing the trail), perhaps i shall lower that to 2 quests or increase the gold.

In my group I'm the true HQ fan. I'm willing to try anything to keep the game fresh and true to original style of the game. I need to find a good balance soon as I have found my group starting to cheat; not removing BP, making up money and not removing healing potions; no doubt because they keep dying. I use the golf saying of 'your only cheating yourself'

Does anyone use/have any 'Tokens' with a HQ feel, for which I could use to represents gold and healing potions. I'm going to use monopoly money for the time being!

[dresdendoll]

The game "Zombies!!!" has heart tokens that could be used for an instant heal spot, or for potions.
The d&d board games (Ravenloft, Ashardalon, Drizzt) have many components that can be made to work with heroquest as well. Especially the modular tiles.

[cynthialee]

One of the things I do when I know that the game is more dificult than the players can typically handle (every game) is to issue a few artifacts from the 'Emperors Armory' before they even get on the trail to adventure. Typically I hand out one random artifact per player plus one extra. (One Hero gets 2 artifacts.) Of course before I randomly generate artifacts I pull out the ones that will not fit the dungeon or are going to be a quest object for that dungeon. After the dungeon is over the players must surender any artifacts that survive the dungeon back to the emperor.

To make the Dwarf more desireable you could buff him slightly.
Say he has a case of the a$$ for Chaos Warriors due to a pack of them burning his Village, so whenever he fights a choas warrior he may roll one free dice for attack and defence.
Or perhaps pick one type of trap that the Dwarf may always disarm without a roll.
Another good one for a Dwarf is to allow them to pass through stone twice per a dungeon as a racial power. (Explains how the Dwarves are so good at finding ore.)
If you have some of the modified HQ dice you could allow the Dwarf to always roll one of thier combat dice as a more favorable dice. If you have the purple or orange dice this could be a major beef. If you have the black dice and the green dice it would be a minor buff.
Perhaps the Dwarf may forge his own weapons and armor between quests for half cost.
Maybe Dwarves could have a racial ability to resist poisons. Let the dwarf roll a combat dice for each point of body they have and if they get a black shield then the poison doesnt even effect them.
If you have D4's then you could rule that the Dwarf may move 2D4 when in plate male instead of a D6.
Or give the Dwarf access to Dwarf only potions that provide the above buffs when imbibed.

There are so many ways you could buff the Dwarf.

In my opinion as an Evil Wizard that Dwarf is the biggest thorn in my side. It blows my mind that your group can not see the tactical advantages a Dwarf gives.

I just had a cool idea!

An all Dwarf campaign. Everyone plays a Dwarf. One of the Dwarves is the Hero that goes on missions with the normal heroes, but there is an issue in Dwarf lands so the Dwarf needs to go home. The other players take the roll of NPC dwarves and getting the Hero Dwarf through the missions will etermine how powerful the Dwarf is for future missions with his normal Hero friends. Or each is playing a PC Dwarf and they may play them in future quests but only 1 Dwarf at a time of course...
This makes all of them get some Dwarf time in and gives them a chance to get a feel for the Dwarf.
For my HQ dollar the Dwarf is where it is at.
The combined dungeon skills and access to arms is great combination.

(still thinking on other potential Dwarf buffs)

[cynthialee]

Some more Dwarf ideas:

Drunken Dwarves are -1 dice on all actions but regenerate 1 body point at the beggining of the Heroes turn. Dwarves have a hearty constitution and rapidly become sober and must constantly be drinking to remain drunk. (eats up gold and keeps the Dwarf questing for the ultimate brew that will actually get him plowed.)

Dwarven Champions could attack with one extra combat dice when wielding an ax.

Dwarven Lords (those who finish at least 20 quests or more perhaps) may always attack Orks, Fimir and Goblins with an extra combat dice regardless of weapon type ussed. May be combined with the Dwarven Champion ax bonus.

Dwarves may take a last great act of defiance right before they die. This action may only be a combat action and is taken imediatly out of turn as soon as the Dwarf is technically dead. (this would be a good Barabarian buff also, but it isn't like he needs buffing)