Ye Olde Inn

I know this may sound kinda dumb..but hear me out.

So I was re-reading the HeroQuest (US version) instruction book, and found something that bothers me. So while pit, falling rocks or even the rolling boulder from the Kellar's Keep, are all represented with tiles on the game board..however spear traps are not??

According to the instruction book, the Zargon says that a square looks suspicious. Then the hero moves close and either attempts to disarm or "jump" a spear trap..even though it says they could come from the walls or ceiling.

I was thinking, that..ok, so if the hero doesn't search for any traps..then yes, do not place a tile...and once the hero steps on it...the trap goes off and causes damage to the hero. ALSO, once the trap has been sprung, then a tile is place in the same spot (kinda like prison bars?) to show the spear trap has gone off, and now that tile is un-passable.

If they search for the trap, then I suggest a tile be made (like the spear in the instruction booket) and it is placed on the board. A hero can then attempt to disarm it. If it is a success (based on the same rules as disarming a trap) then the spear trap is removed and the tile passable. If the disarm fails, the trap goes off, does damage and the tile is again un-passable. If the hero's search for traps, and the spear is discovered, if a hero attempts to walk past a spear trap tile without attempting to disarm it, it goes off, does damage and becomes un-passable.

What do you think?

Interesting concept although i dont think it should act like a falling block trap. Maybe it could slow down the heroes.. require them to spend some number of movement spaces to get past it. I was intially thinking spending an action but this might be a little harsh.

Monsters would be affected the same way as heroes?

Would you have it block line of sight?

LordZeke wrote:Interesting concept although i dont think it should act like a falling block trap. Maybe it could slow down the heroes.. require them to spend some number of movement spaces to get past it. I was intially thinking spending an action but this might be a little harsh.

Monsters would be affected the same way as heroes?

Would you have it block line of sight?

The European Screen says "only the first character to enter the square is affected", so presumable the spear goes back from whence it came, and the square returns to normal.

Falling Block: A heavy boulder loosens from the ceiling, falling down on you and causing damage. Naturally, the square is blocked from then on.
Spear Trap: A javelin is fired by a mechanism hidden in the wall or ceiling, causing damage. Now, there it lies on the square it hit. Hardly an impassable obstacle.
So I never had a problem with the lacking spear trap tile. Making it block a square would make the falling block an spear traps virtually the same in terms of game mechanics. The only difference would be the number of combat dice, the falling block would be just an "upgraded spear".
I like diversity, so for me the spear stays non-blocking.

In the UK rules, the spear trap is rendered harmless by simply being found and as Ken says it only affects the first character to spring it and then only if they roll a skull. Ideally you would have a tile marker to represent spear traps that had been found or sprung. I don't agree with giving them extra rules as I consider them the goblins of the trap options.

Big Bene wrote:Falling Block: A heavy boulder loosens from the ceiling, falling down on you and causing damage. Naturally, the square is blocked from then on.
Spear Trap: A javelin is fired by a mechanism hidden in the wall or ceiling, causing damage. Now, there it lies on the square it hit. Hardly an impassable obstacle.
So I never had a problem with the lacking spear trap tile. Making it block a square would make the falling block an spear traps virtually the same in terms of game mechanics. The only difference would be the number of combat dice, the falling block would be just an "upgraded spear".
I like diversity, so for me the spear stays non-blocking.

I agree on this. It's a spear that shoots out and hits whoever triggers it. once triggered, the trap is "defused". Finding it also makes it harmless, as any hero could trigger it with a rock or simply by pressing his/her weapon on the floortile in front of him and triggering it, rendering it harmless.

Ethica wrote:Ideally you would have a tile marker to represent spear traps that had been found or sprung.

But why?
A sprung spear trap has no further effect in the game. It isn't there anymore in terms of game mechanics. A tile would be purely aesthetic.
A found (but still not disarmed) trap is never marked by a tile, regardless of the trap type. The heroes have to remember which squares are dangerous. It's more challenging, more realistic and even more simple as a rule.

Big Bene wrote:

Ethica wrote:Ideally you would have a tile marker to represent spear traps that had been found or sprung.

But why?
A sprung spear trap has no further effect in the game. It isn't there anymore in terms of game mechanics. A tile would be purely aesthetic.
A found (but still not disarmed) trap is never marked by a tile, regardless of the trap type. The heroes have to remember which squares are dangerous. It's more challenging, more realistic and even more simple as a rule.

Because you can diferentiate between spear traps that have been found/triggered and those that haven't. The benefit of having this is very minor, but it helps me to remember which ones are still live.

OK, understand.

I think I didnt explain what I had in mind..possibly because what I think I spear trap is and what the game and what the rest of you think of a spear trap.

The ones you all are thinking of are ones that are hidden and shoot out of walls. Once they are fired, thats it.

In my mind...I was thinking like the spear trap in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Instead of raising slowly..it would be very fast, something a hero wouldnt be able to avoid if the trap is sprung.

Picture to show what I mean..and maybe it will make more sense what I had in mind:



So, I was thinking that after this trap was set..it would be hard..if not impossible to pass the tile...just maybe something a little extra to make the level harder?

Monsters would be affected..and I dont think it should block LOS.