The Wizard Clearing House of House Rules

[Big Bene]

Issue the Wizard three random potions before the start of every dungeon.

Adding artifacts is the micro-expansion prefered way to house-rule exceptions that are easily referenced

I like the shelf life idea

Artifact:
Tome of Potions
This ancient tome contains the receipes and the necessary magical and alchemical instructions to create every potion included in the HQ rules. The wizard must collect ingredients as he goes about his day, and the potions he can make depend on which incredients he could find. As the potions are made on the go, they lack some stabilizing processes that could only be done in a laboratory. Therefore, thay won't last for longer than one quest.
If he posesses the Tome of Potions at the beginning of a quest, let the wizard take one potion of his choice and draw two more random potions. Keep these potions separated from the ones you find or purchase the normal way. Unused potions of this type are discarded at the end of the quest.
Can only be used by the wizard.

[Infje]

I'm sorry if this has been posted before but I haven't read through all 10 pages yet. I wanted to add that my group has been experimenting with a simple but thus far effective system for the Wizard. He can keep his spells. Directly after casting one he rolls 1 die and the outcome determines how many turns he can't use that spell. We've only played once like this and I think that certain spells that are too powerful must be excluded, but it makes it more fun to play as Wizard.

[Darkforce44]

The equipment and artifacts in Hero Quest do a GREAT job of making the Barbarian, Dwarf, and Elf better at combat but they do a terrible job of making the Wizard better at magic.

The Wizard needs more artifacts besides the Spell Ring. The Wizard's Spellbook idea is on the right track. The staff with infinite fireballs is too. A crossbow is better than infinite Fire of Wrath or Ball of Flame anyways so this is not overpowering.

I've read through this whole thread and I see lots of convoluted ways to give the wizard more spells without actually giving him more spells. (re-rolls to keep spells, etc). Why not just give the Wizard more spells?

One house rule we always used was each additional mind point equaled another spell group. A Wizard with a Talisman of Lore could cast 4 spell groups of spells. So 4mp = 1 group, 5mp = 2 groups, 6mp = 3 groups, 7mp = 4 groups, etc.

[slev]

There's actually two different fixes needed.

1. Especially in the early game (starting wizard), the spells are very "all or nothing", which can make the wizard quite boring.
2. In the late game (experienced wizard), there's not much done to allow the wizard to upgrade.

Both problems require different solutions. Giving extra Spell Groups, infinate casts of a specific spell, etc, are good ways of fixing problem 2, but don't do much to fix problem 1.

[cornixt]

"Low-power but infinite casting" spells are one way to handle 1. The wizard doesn't feel like he is wasting a spell that could come in more useful later. Many of the regular spells are a bit crappy and hardly get used anyway.

For 2, I've toyed with a few ideas that are a little more than "more spells":
*greater range - casting around corners or into adjacent rooms.
*Bonuses for being adjacent to the spell target.
*access to a sword - far too many wizard models have him wielding a huge sword (bloody Gandalf influence!)

[slev]

Inspired by the Japanese system, I did have the idea of a number of items: one per original spell, all Wizard Only, Maybe have one per Spell Group (weakest Spell) that the Elf can use too!

These items would mimic the abilities of the original spell, and further give a bonus to casting the original spell.

Example:
Ruby of the Hearth
You may use this when casting a spell, instead of a Spell card. One figure in line of sight is attacked with two white combat dice. Any white shields rolled count as skulls. The target may not defend.
If you cast the Spell “Fireball” while you have this item, you may roll an extra white combat die.

[cynthialee]

"Low-power but infinite casting" spells are one way to handle 1. The wizard doesn't feel like he is wasting a spell that could come in more useful later. Many of the regular spells are a bit crappy and hardly get used anyway.

For 2, I've toyed with a few ideas that are a little more than "more spells":
*greater range - casting around corners or into adjacent rooms.
*Bonuses for being adjacent to the spell target.
*access to a sword - far too many wizard models have him wielding a huge sword (bloody Gandalf influence!)

The entire idea a Wizard can't have a sword is a Gygax and Arneson idea that was weak when the first D&D came out and is weak now.

[slev]

"Low-power but infinite casting" spells are one way to handle 1. The wizard doesn't feel like he is wasting a spell that could come in more useful later. Many of the regular spells are a bit crappy and hardly get used anyway.

For 2, I've toyed with a few ideas that are a little more than "more spells":
*greater range - casting around corners or into adjacent rooms.
*Bonuses for being adjacent to the spell target.
*access to a sword - far too many wizard models have him wielding a huge sword (bloody Gandalf influence!)

The entire idea a Wizard can't have a sword is a Gygax and Arneson idea that was weak when the first D&D came out and is weak now.

I can get behind the idea os the Wiazrd not being as good with the sword, or not being able to use some of the heavier quipment due to low strength, etc.

Lamentably, this is hard to model in HQ. My solution is new equipment items that act like the sword, but are more expensive, such as a "rapier" instead of a shortsword. Cots smore, no limits on who can use it. Everyone else will, of course, plumb for teh cheaper option.

[cynthialee]

Long swords are not really that heavy and there are plenty of smaller women who dominate with them in SCA fighting.
If a short and generally un-athletic girl like my ex "R" can be a terror with a long sword, I imagine that the wizard who spends his life next to the other heroes should know a trick or two about how to swing a sword.
Now I could see penalizing the Wizard in some way. Loss of a dice after he swings the sword as many times as his Body points... Only hits with Black Shields.. That would be rather brutal though... Loss of a movement point..

[slev]

Long swords are not really that heavy and there are plenty of smaller women who dominate with them in SCA fighting.
If a short and generally un-athletic girl like my ex "R" can be a terror with a long sword, I imagine that the wizard who spends his life next to the other heroes should know a trick or two about how to swing a sword.
Now I could see penalizing the Wizard in some way. Loss of a dice after he swings the sword as many times as his Body points... Only hits with Black Shields.. That would be rather brutal though... Loss of a movement point..

Exactly. In an RPG, strength, speed, height, etc would each be an incrimental bonus, skill is the main thing, and the Wizard would be putting stats into other things in the main, hence being at a skill disadvantage. As I say, the problem is how to model that efficiently in HeroQuest, where abilities to use weapons are yes or no.