Dave Morris were published: ''The Fellowship of the Four'', ''The Screaming Spectre'' and ''The Tyrant's Tomb''.
In 1997, Milton Bradley let their ''HeroQuest'' trademark lapse. It was subsequently purchased by
Issaries, Inc.
Issaries, Inc. was a game publisher incorporated in California in 1999 by Greg Stafford to control and manage products using Stafford's fictional world of Glorantha. It partnered with Moon Design Publications to develop the flagship roleplaying ga ...
who used it for an unrelated
tabletop role-playing game
A tabletop role-playing game (typically abbreviated as TRPG or TTRPG), also known as a pen-and-paper role-playing game, is a form of role-playing game (RPG) in which the participants describe their characters' actions through speech. Participa ...
. This was sold in 2013 to
Moon Design Publications
Moon Design Publications are publishers of tabletop role-playing game books set in Greg Stafford's world of Glorantha. They were founded in 1998 by Rick Meints and Colin Phillips in the UK.
History
In the 1990s, American expatriate Rick Meints wa ...
who
continued to use it for the same purpose, eventually selling it back to Milton Bradley (now Hasbro Gaming) in 2020.
''HeroQuest'' remake
At the direction of
Jeffrey Anderson, the general manager of Hasbro Gaming, the company bought the ''HeroQuest'' trademark from
Chaosium
Chaosium Inc. is a publisher of tabletop role-playing games established by Greg Stafford in 1975. Chaosium's major titles include '' Call of Cthulhu'', based on the horror fiction stories of H. P. Lovecraft'', RuneQuest Glorantha'', ''Pendragon ...
in September 2020.
This allowed
Avalon Hill
Avalon Hill Games Inc. is a game company that publishes wargames and strategic board games. It has also published miniature wargaming rules, role-playing games and sports simulations. It is a subsidiary of Hasbro, and operates under the company ...
, a subsidiary of Hasbro, to launch a teaser website with the HeroQuest logo, art and a countdown timer, leading to speculation that an official remake or app was being produced. On September 22, 2020, the countdown revealed a Hasbro Pulse crowdfunded campaign for $1,000,000 to produce a updated edition of HeroQuest with new figures, and ''
Kellar's Keep'' and ''Return of the Witch Lord'' expansions. Funding was achieved with 24 hours, with Hasbro expecting to ship in late 2021. The initial campaign was for US & Canada only, with Hasbro later expanding the campaign to include Australia, United Kingdom and New Zealand.
Games Workshop branding and intellectual property was removed, with all art replaced; the "Chaos" monicker changed to "Dread" in all instances; miniatures all received new sculpts; and the Fimir monsters, a type of water-based lizard monster originating in the Warhammer universe, replaced by the fish-based Abomination monsters.
In 2021, ''HeroQuest'' was re-released in retail stores, along with two expansions, ''
Kellar's Keep'' and ''Return of the Witch Lord''.
In August 2022, the ''Barbarian Quest Pack'' expansion was re-released as The Frozen Horror Quest Pack.
Avalon Hill have announced they expect to re-release the Elf Quest Pack, called ''The Mage of the Mirror'', in Spring 2023.
Components
The original boxed game comes with the following components:
* 16-page rule book
* 36-page quest book
* game board
*
gamemaster's screen
A gamemaster's screen, also called a GM's screen, is a gaming accessory, usually made out of either cardboard or card stock, and is used by the gamemaster to hide all the relevant data related to a tabletop role-playing game session from the playe ...
* 15 pieces of furniture
* 21 doors
* door and trap tiles
* 64 playing cards
* dice
* 4 character references
* pad of character sheets
* 35 plastic miniatures
Characters
The heroes are agents of the Wizard known only as Mentor, Zargon's former master and keeper of a book called Loretome, which contains all the world's knowledge. The four player characters offer a choice of gameplay. The Barbarian and Dwarf allow a more combat-oriented game, while the Wizard and Elf can cast spells. The artwork and miniatures of each character are standardised, but the equipment stats vary somewhat from this basic portrait.
; Barbarian: The barbarian figurine is depicted as being tall and muscular, brandishing a broadsword. He is the strongest character in combat, benefiting from excellent attack and health, but lacks any magical abilities and is fairly weak against magical attacks. His starting weapon is a
broadsword
The basket-hilted sword is a sword type of the early modern era characterised by a basket-shaped guard that protects the hand. The basket hilt is a development of the quillons added to swords' crossguards since the Late Middle Ages.
In m ...
.
; Dwarf: The dwarf figurine is short, stocky and well armored, carrying a
battle axe
A battle axe (also battle-axe, battle ax, or battle-ax) is an axe specifically designed for combat. Battle axes were specialized versions of utility axes. Many were suitable for use in one hand, while others were larger and were deployed two-ha ...
. He is very good in health, but lacks the attack strength of the barbarian and the magical prowess of the elf or wizard. However, the dwarf can boast the unique ability of being able to disarm traps without the aid of a toolkit. His starting weapon is a
short sword
The English language terminology used in the classification of swords is imprecise and has varied widely over time. There is no historical dictionary for the universal names, classification or terminology of swords; a sword was simply a double ...
.
; Elf: The elf figurine is tall and slender, armed with a short one-handed
sword. He is equal in attack strength to the dwarf, but is less physically robust. He is able to use one type of spell element (air, earth, fire, or water magic) and can resist magical attacks more effectively. His starting weapon is a
short sword
The English language terminology used in the classification of swords is imprecise and has varied widely over time. There is no historical dictionary for the universal names, classification or terminology of swords; a sword was simply a double ...
. In the 2021 re-release, the elf is female by default rather than male.
; Wizard: The wizard figurine wears a full-length cloak and carries a
staff. In combat, he is the weakest in attack and health and is unable to use most weapons and armor, but compensates for this by being able to use three types of spell elements, for a total of nine spells. His greater mind allows him to be the hero most resistant to the effects of magic. His starting weapon is a
dagger
A dagger is a fighting knife with a very sharp point and usually two sharp edges, typically designed or capable of being used as a thrusting or stabbing weapon.State v. Martin, 633 S.W.2d 80 (Mo. 1982): This is the dictionary or popular-use de ...
.
Gameplay
The game is played on a grid representing the interior of a
dungeon
A dungeon is a room or cell in which prisoners are held, especially underground. Dungeons are generally associated with medieval castles, though their association with torture probably belongs more to the Renaissance period. An oubliette (from ...
or
castle, with walls segmenting the grid into rooms and corridors. One player assumes the role of the evil wizard character (Zargon/Morcar), and uses a map taken from the game's quest book to determine how the quest is to be played. The map details the placement of monsters, artifacts, and doors, as well as the overall quest the other players are embarking upon. Quests vary and include scenarios such as escaping a dungeon, killing a particular character, or obtaining an artifact. The evil wizard first places the entry point on the map, usually a spiral staircase, although on some quests the players enter via an external door or begin in a specific room. The map may also specify a ''wandering monster''. This is a monster that may enter the game if a player is unlucky while searching for treasure.
The remaining players select their character from the four available. If the wizard is chosen while the Elf is not then the wizard player may choose any three spell sets. If the Elf is chosen while the wizard is not then the Elf may choose any spell set. If both the wizard and Elf are chosen then the wizard chooses a spell set first, then the Elf chooses a set and the wizard gets the remaining two sets. The players may also start the quest with items collected on previous quests, such as extra weapons, armor, and magic items.
The game begins with the gamemaster reading the quest story from the perspective of Mentor, to set the scene for the game about to be played.
Starting with the player to the left of the evil wizard, the game begins.
During a Hero's turn, the player can move before or after performing one of the following actions: attack, cast a spell, search for traps and secret doors, search for treasure.
Movement
Players roll two six-sided
dice, referred to as "Red Dice" in the game manual, and may then move up to that number of squares. A player does not need to move the full amount of the roll and can end movement at any time. Players may move over a square occupied by another player if the occupying player grants permission, but may not occupy the same square. Doors, monsters, and other objects are placed on the board by the evil wizard player according to line of sight. Once placed on the board they are not removed unless killed, thereby providing a steady stream of monsters for the evil wizard player to use.
Combat
Combat involves special six-sided dice, referred to as "White Combat Dice" in the manual, each bearing 3 "skull" sides, 2 "Hero" shield sides and 1 "monster/Zargon" shield side. The character players and the evil wizard player use the same dice, but the evil wizard player has a smaller chance of rolling their specific shield. The number of dice used is determined by the basic statistics of the player or monster, whether they are attacking or defending, plus any modifiers due to spells or items being carried.
The attacker attempts to roll as many skulls as possible, and the defender as many shields as possible. If the attacker rolls more skulls than the defender rolls shields, the defender loses body points according to how many skulls they failed to defend. If a character's body point count falls to zero, they are killed and must be removed from the game. If there is a fellow hero in the same room or hall when the hero died, that hero may then pick up all weapons, armor, gold and any artifacts. At the start of the next quest a new hero can be created and then given all items. If the hero dies with no other hero in the same room or hall then the monster collects all items and all are then lost forever.
Spell casting
The Wizard and the Elf are the only two player characters allowed to use spells, and must choose their spells from four sets of element-themed (Air, Fire, Water, Earth) spell cards, each consisting of three spells. A further set of 12 "Chaos Spells" is available to Zargon, but the use of those spells is restricted to special monsters. Spells can be broadly split into offensive, defensive, and passive varieties, and their use and effect vary greatly. Some spells must be played immediately before attacking or defending, and all require the target to be "visible" to the character using the game's line-of-sight rules. Each spell may only be cast once per quest in the base game.
Searching for traps and secret doors
There are four kinds of traps in HeroQuest:
pit traps, spear traps, chest traps, and occasionally falling rocks. Of these, only spear traps and chest traps do not appear on the board as they are activated only once and then they have no lingering effects. If a pit trap is not discovered and a player walks over it, they fall in and lose one body point. The pit will remain in play as a square that may be jumped over. A falling rock trap will cause a rock slide tile to remain in play as a square that must now be navigated around, much like a wall. A quest may also contain secret doors which allow alternative routes to the objective or access to secret rooms containing treasure or monsters.
A player can only search for traps and secret doors in the room or corridor they are currently standing, and only if there are no monsters within the room or corridor. When this happens, the evil wizard character indicates where any traps may be and places secret door objects on the map. Trap tiles are only placed onto the board once a hero trips the trap. It is important for players to remember where traps are once they have been revealed.
The dwarf is the only character that can disarm traps without the aid of the specialized kit which is either bought in the armory or found during certain quests.
Searching for treasure
In a similar manner, players can search a room for
treasure
Treasure (from la, thesaurus from Greek language ''thēsauros'', "treasure store") is a concentration of wealth — often originating from ancient history — that is considered lost and/or forgotten until rediscovered. Some jurisdictions le ...
if no monsters are in the room. On some quests, searching for treasure in certain rooms will yield a particularly valuable artifact. More likely, however, the quest will not have specified any treasure for the current location and instead a treasure card is taken. Out of the 25 Treasure Cards, 6 are Wandering Monster cards and 4 are Hazard Cards, making a total of 10 "bad" cards that get put back in the deck when discovered. There is also a chance that searching for treasure may trigger chest traps that were not disarmed, or cause monsters to attack, usually a Gargoyle already in the room that does not move at first and cannot be harmed until it does move or attacks a Hero.
Game end
The game ends when every player has either returned to the spiral staircase, exited by a door or been killed by the evil wizard. If the objective of the quest has not been accomplished then the evil wizard character wins. Items collected during the quest may be kept for future quests. The quests usually form part of a longer story, especially the quests which are part of the expansion packs.
Expansions
*HeroQuest "
Kellar's Keep"
*HeroQuest "Return of the Witch Lord"
*HeroQuest "Adventure Design Kit" (Europe)
*HeroQuest "Against the Ogre Horde" (Europe)
*HeroQuest "Wizards of Morcar" (Europe)
*HeroQuest "The Frozen Horror" / "Barbarian Quest Pack" (North America)
This expansion featured a female barbarian blue hero miniature.
*HeroQuest "The Mage of the Mirror" / "Elf Quest Pack" (North America)
This expansion featured a female elf blue hero miniature. Its name was changed to "Quest Pack for the Elf" in a settlement after Warp Graphics, owner of the ''
ElfQuest'' trademark, brought suit against Milton Bradley for infringement.
Reception
In the August 1989 edition of ''
Games International
''Computer Games Magazine'' was a monthly computer and console gaming print magazine, founded in October 1988 as the United Kingdom publication ''Games International''. During its history, it was known variously as ''Strategy Plus'' (October 19 ...
'' (Issue 8), Philip A. Murphy thought that ''HeroQuest'' "plays simply but effectively" but he noted a few flaws, mainly to do with loopholes in the rules that players can quickly take advantage of. He concluded by giving it an average rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars, saying, "''HeroQuest'' is a good game waiting to be a great one."
In the April 1991 edition of ''
Dragon'' (Issue #168),
Ken Rolston
Ken Rolston is an American computer game and role-playing game designer best known for his work with West End Games and on the computer game series ''The Elder Scrolls''. In February 2007, he elected to join the staff of computer games company B ...
was enthusiastic about this game, commenting that it "scores early and often in toy value and accessibility for young gamers
..a simple fantasy board game that ingeniously incorporates the
antasy role-playing gameconvention of the
gamemaster
A gamemaster (GM; also known as game master, game manager, game moderator, referee, or storyteller) is a person who acts as an organizer, officiant for regarding rules, arbitrator, and moderator for a multiplayer role-playing game. They are m ...
/referee who confronts a cooperative party of adventurers with deadly traps, monsters, and arch-villains." He did admit that the adventures were pre-programmed, noting that "this game provides none of the broad creative and improvisational impulses that the D&D game provides." He also noted that this was a game for children, saying, "I can’t see myself playing the ''HeroQuest'' game with other adults, particularly with FRPG or board-game veterans, unless everyone’s tongue is firmly planted in cheek."
Reviews
*''Dragão Brasil'' #3 (1994) (Portuguese)
Awards
At the 1992
Origins Award
The Origins Awards are American awards for outstanding work in the game industry. They are presented by the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design at the Origins Game Fair on an annual basis for the previous year, so (for example) the 1979 a ...
s, ''HeroQuest'' won for "Best Graphic Presentation of a Boardgame 1991".
See also
*
Dungeon crawl
*
Warhammer Quest
''Warhammer Quest'' is a fantasy dungeon, role-playing adventure board game released by Games Workshop in 1995 as the successor to ''HeroQuest'' and '' Advanced HeroQuest'', set in its fictional '' Warhammer Fantasy'' world. The game focuses u ...
*
Descent: Journeys in the Dark
*
Dungeons & Dragons: The Fantasy Adventure Board Game
*
Space Crusade
''Space Crusade'' is an adventure board game produced by Milton Bradley together with Games Workshop and was first made in 1990. It was produced in the UK and available in some other countries including Finland, Ireland, France, Spain, Denmark ...
References
External links
*
Heroquest at Hasbro Pulse
{{Games Workshop
Dungeon crawler board games
Board games introduced in 1989
Board games with a modular board
British board games
Cooperative board games
Fantasy board games
Games Workshop games
Milton Bradley Company games
Origins Award winners
Turn-based strategy video games
Warhammer Fantasy