Redacted Heroquest

[chaoticprime]

So here's my "new" HeroQuest topic.

This editorial redaction of the game is intended to: introduce expansion-pack rules to the basic game, incorporate better player interfacing, adjust values and functions found to be dysfunctional during actual play, intensify current play modes, include more self-referencing play-aids (cards, etc). It will also include the reformatting of most play-aids.

I will not be adding new play modes not present in the game originally, such as experience gain or scalability.

Simply put, I am going to present new ways to use the same original information.

I am taking all the components of the game and its expansions and unifying their theories. Nothing done here will be representative of provocation experienced outside of an active play. Its all just better (and easier) ways of doing the same things.

Every redaction will be self-referencing and will not require revision to the rules-as-written or to any officially published quests.

The ironic goal of this is to remove the most compelling reasons people have for making home-rules.

Here are examples:


This inspired format instructs the player what to do with cards (there will be more cards for things), conveys attributes not already incorporating equipment, instructs the use of cards, and has the card become a more functional object in play. It takes two concepts (character sheets and cards) that are both present in the game but incorporated poorly. Also introduced are exceptional abilities designed to make play more interesting, but not ultimately different.





Its just new ways to look at old play items, and new ways to experience regular game-play. Each hero now shines particularly well at something previously routine. Though all the heroes are mostly unchanged, the most unchanged is the Wizard.

[knightkrawler]

That is seriously awesome in idea and execution so far.
It's what I aim to do with rule and card texts in order to limit (necessary or useful or preferred) houserules of my own and to... well, you introduced the goals already, but it's basically what I've been trying to do with the NA rulebook (in German, sadly - will turn around and go American, as all my players speak English anyway).

One question: I understand you go "What you see is what you get" and give the Dwarf a helmet from the start. Does that mean he gets to defend with 3 dice or does it imply that his innate Defend ability is 1 die lower than the Wizard's and Elf's?
I will not include the Barbarian in this question, for reasons explained in "my own" thread: http://www.yeoldeinn.com/hqforum/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=1548&hilit=stats+combat

[chaoticprime]

The Dwarf has the same base attack and defend dice as the other three. A benefit of his being the Dwarf, however, is that he gets to start with a helmet and axe. If "starting equipment" were an attribute, the Dwarf would have the highest among all heroes.

The idea is that free Tools benefit is worthless. The Dwarf gets the same gp value perk as the Barbarian, but has less BP and can't filibuster (rolling more skulls than the enemy has defend dice), the meat-and-potatoes enemy in the game, orcs. The Tools also barely come into play during the main quests--by the time Tools-ability becomes useful, you're half-way done and can afford to buy them the old-fashioned normal way. By giving the Dwarf the helmet, his out-of-the-box purpose is to Tank. The Dwarf was designed to be a Jack-of-All-Stats, but that's not really that helpful. By combining a higher starting defense with the ability to burn through gold pieces to keep hurling axes, daggers, or spears, the Dwarf becomes a Mitigation Tank capable of holding a doorway while still maintaining a degree of control over what he attacks. His gold-shedding missiles also reconcile with the plate armor, as you don't have to move quickly when you can throw axes.

The basis for this is from when I played against veteran war-gamers the other day, and the Rescue of Sir Ragnar turned into a ferocious struggle. They got Ragnar and set off the dungeon--they pretty much went straight to him by way of luck, but then had to negotiate with a dungeon full of pissed-off Orcs that I set to be hell-bent on killing their sprung captive. The Heroes had to fight to block access to Ragnar, while forging a path to the stairs. I rushed my orcs to choke-points as fast as they could go. I kept them pinned down in the bottom intersection for about thirty-minutes. The guy playing the Elf figured out the best exploit in the entire game by casting Disappear on himself and then moving in front of the doorway to the stairs where he proceeded to do nothing--he could no be attacked nor could monsters pass through his square. He only had 1 BP left, too. My plan was to win through attrition--keep attacking until I eventually killed one of the Heroes which would have shattered any chance for them to secure the stairway. The whole point of this being that a Hero that starts with an emphasis on defending against attacks is vastly more useful than easily disarming the traps that aren't anywhere.

[chaoticprime]

I just got into a patch of Legacy of Sorasil box and manual scans and came out with this:

I spent awhile trying to enhance the art from the back of the box, but with no real copy of that on hand what you see here is the best I could manage. I'll probably buy it off of ebay at some point just to make HD scans.
This happening cat here is more or less the same guy:

[Nephew of Mentor]

I think between Goblin King and myself you can get any scans you need. Let me know what you are after.

[Goblin-King]

Yeah I got the original box, manual and codewheel.
Can't remember- Did I already do some scans for you Neph?

[chaoticprime]

I want a nice big 600 - 1200 dpi scan of the back of the game box.
Likewise with any other instances of color graphics included in packaging, etc.

[Sotiris]

Your editing/creating cards work is at least excelent!
Some questions about the gaming part:
1) Armory cards are unique or can be purchased by multiple heroes? If they're not unique then i think there's a mistake on plate armor (it adds 1 instead of 2)
2) Are WoM spells available for the Wizard?
3) If someone can't/won't print all of these cards, i think there would not be a problem to play with the original set, right?

casting Disappear on himself and then moving in front of the doorway to the stairs where he proceeded to do nothing--he could no be attacked nor could monsters pass through his square

He moved through monsters with that spell?

[chaoticprime]

He didn't move through monsters, he stayed in one square and did nothing for about twenty turns.

Armory cards are indeed unique--equipment is only available as cards.

Plate armor is not wrong--instead of having mail and plate mutually exclude one-another, they now stack with the same results. The two, together, make plate mail.

Yes, the wizard gets all the WoM spells.

You should be able to play it without the custom cards. The Dwarf's ability would instead apply to equipment that has its price listed somewhere.

[Sotiris]

Plate armor is not wrong--instead of having mail and plate mutually exclude one-another, they now stack with the same results. The two, together, make plate mail.

Ahh now it makes sense! I really like this combination of..equipment cards

Can dwarf use his ability on a "rust" spell too? By spending 125 gold coins to save his helmet for example?
I also read your bowgun card. You are using a greek word (orthogonally) that unfortunately we don't. Selecting this word you prevent from the confusion of "are diagonal squares adjacent squares?". In our language those adjacent squares described in the rulebook as "body to body" squares..

You shouldn't let a disappeared hero to block your way..