Searching for Treasure

[Milk]

I would feel bad if I hijacked the original thread where this was posted so...new thread it is:

Each Hero is allowed to search each room once. So that is a maximum of 4 searches per room.

So anyway, I remember as a kid, we never actually followed this rule. In fact I don't think, in our groups, that we ever even noticed this. We always operated on each room can be searched once, period. (Don't really know how we missed that and decided this was actually the rule, but whatever.) It wasn't until years later when I finally realised this rule and thought to myself, "wow, that changes everything!" No longer is it the player immediately after the barbarian - in our groups it was usually the dwarf following the typical barbarian-dwarf-elf-wizard turn format - that is collecting all the treasure. Everyone gets a chance no matter the situation!
This seemed well and good until I played with a couple groups much later in years using this "new" rule that I had found. Unfortunately, I didn't too much care for it. Due to luck of the draw and everyone getting into treasure seeking, all the good treasures ran out fast, even with the shuffling after bad draws, so that latter rooms would always result in WM's or traps. This eventually led to heroes no longer searching for treasure halfway through the quest after they felt a good portion of the "good" cards had been drawn and ended up leaving some "needed" treasures left behind and then sort of having to nudge them in the right direction on missed items of importance.
I have never used any optional treasure deck rules, like some of the ideas phoenix or drathe has proposed. I certainly want to try, as I like the ideas involved and it certainly seems like it could potentially solve this problem, creating an unknown amount of good vs bad cards in a given deck.

Anyway, just wondering if its just me having horrible dumb luck with this rule and succumbing to some sort of strange treasure-seeking anomaly or what?

[AerynB]

Unfortunately, luck plays a big part in HQ (perhaps in any RPG really), especially when you consider the randomness of drawing cards and rolling dice. But now that I think about it, lots of card games are based on probabilities and luck. hm... I think my argument just escaped me. *shrugs* Anyway, it does kinda suck when players get a little 'gun-shy' about searching for treasure. I've never played with a group, but I imagine it's hard to get Hero players to play as a team instead of against each like in other board games. If you could convince them that they should share healing potions, or let a 1- or 2-BP character search for traps while a 5- or 6-BP character searches for treasure and they both get to share the loot, that could help maybe. It's probably too easy to throw all the wandering monsters and hazards out, though I have thought about it.

hmm...I'm not sure I helped. sorry.

[Milk]

If you could convince them that they should share healing potions, or let a 1- or 2-BP character search for traps while a 5- or 6-BP character searches for treasure and they both get to share the loot, that could help maybe.

Yea, I've thought about setting up something like this - sort of similar to how Descent doles out treasure - no matter who searches for treasure, all the heroes reap the benefits. This would prevent 4 possible searches to every room thus cutting down on an overabundance of "bad" draws. Of course, this could open up a whole new can of worms, as obviously splitting treasure is easy but when it comes to potions...

Unfortunately, luck plays a big part in HQ (perhaps in any RPG really), especially when you consider the randomness of drawing cards and rolling dice.

Ain't that the truth. A friend of mine and I have slowly been developing a homebrew rpg and we've been nothing but plagued with the "luck" of lucky/unlucky dice rolls (emphasis on unlucky!!) Ugh....

[drathe]

With the exception to artifacts that are may be useful to more than one Hero, most of my groups over the years are willing to give up potions during crisis. They have also given and loaned (without interest. Shame. ) gold to each other.

The method of searching varies. Some groups refuse to leave a room until they can search no more. Others search every room once. Right now, I've encountered a new technique. The Heroes will complete their 'mission' then each hero will search each room for treasure until the deck ratio becomes far too life threatening. That way they don't risk needed points if there is a big battle. However, they also miss out on possible potions that would greatly assist in such battles.

Everyone is different, but it has been in my experience that the Heroes need to search for treasure as much as possible. Those Healing and other potions come in handy for them during tougher quests.

[Kpax]

In my group I make clear that cooperate is easier than play individually, and I don´t have problems with treasure division. The group make a consense of what item belongs to each one (independent who take the treasure) and the gold to borrow to others Heroes. But if some Game Master has a problem can tell that the gold is a unique inventory to 4 Heroes, that need to vote what is necessary to buy, to the Heroes at the end of the Quest.

And I prefer the house rule of my group that each room can be searched just once. I always played taht way, is easier to control. Thyat wasn´t misunderstanding but our decision.

[Jaguar69]

When i played as a kid, we always played that rooms can be searched for treasure once, only if there was a table or bookcase etc in the room. Now as GM, I still keep this rule and it works well enough to obtain enough treasure, and hit a few traps and WMs.

Also when i played as the Elf as a kid with my brothers, we always played co-operatively, rather than each to thier own. We split gold at the end of the quest, borrowed potions, and gernerally promoted that working together was better than going it alone - and getting killed !!!

This co-oprative play is still strong today with my brothers and nephews (singhstar and paghala272 ) when we play, lending potions and gold if in trouble!! Best way to keep characters alive and progress together through the quest packs.

I do try my best to try and kill all the heroes though!!!