Friday, December 15, 2017

Heroquest - Quest 1: The Maze


Preamble...
Somewhere in the Olde Worlde south of Erengrad, west of Kislev, east of Marienburg and north of nowhere you will find the quaint and homely inn known as Eight Ways.  No greater scum or villainy can be found there; well... all the greater scum and villainy prefer Ma Baker’s Red Tavern to be honest.  Inside this inn gathered the almost level zero heroes of the Olde Worlde, run by Old Man Buggeroff and his horde of Halfling serving staff, though you’d be hard pressed to tell the difference between that and slaves.
That morning Barodis Brighttower, newly proclaimed (self made) wizard of stature entered seeking fellow adventurers to line his pockets.  Known more for his skills in sleight of hand than any real magic he made his coin through the old and noble art of the con.  Surveying the smoke saturated tavern room (honestly would it hurt anyone to open a window) he saw that there were only three other customers still sober and standing.  He espied a Dwarf standing at the bar waving his hands above the counter top trying to get the attention of Old Man Buggeroff, at the other end of the bar clearly trying to keep clear of the filth (which included the Dwarf) lounged an Elf.  Sitting near the fire pit he saw a wild man from the north, clad in naught but a loin cloth and knitting a rainbow coloured vest!
“Hail people of note I seek adventurers to line my... er our pockets.  Who’s game?” he shouted, though why when the room was so quiet - perhaps out of habit?
Almost as if it had been choreographed (it had), the three soon to be adventurers cried “I am, anything to get me out of this place”.
A small stampede of three made their way to Brighttower.  First there was the Elf who introduced himself as Silverleaf Fairtree, next came Grim Axebiter the northman and finally Ramble Stumpgrinder the Dwarf.
“Well chumps... er chums lets be off I know of a small dalliance called The Maze.”

The Maze

The first Quest in the Quest Book for Heroquest – can I say quest one more time!

In this game it took the player 14 turns to complete the Quest with every character surviving, though mauled to some degree.

Order of play was Dwarf (Ramble Stumpgrinder), Elf (Silverleaf Fairtree), Wizard (Barodis Brighttower), Barbarian (Grim Axebiter) and the finally the GM or Evil Wizard.

Turn 1
Dwarf makes his way to a room and searches it, finding a Potion of Speed.
Elf moves along the corridor.
Wizard enters a room containing an Orc.  Wizard fails to kill the Orc.
Barbarian moves along the corridor.
GM has the Orc already engaged with the Wizard to attack him, which he does and inflicts a wound on the Wizard.  First blood.

Dwarf (Body 7) (0 Kills) Potion of Speed
Elf (Body 6) (0 kills)
Wizard (Body 3/4) (0 kills)
Barbarian (Body 8) (0 kills)

Turn 2
Dwarf searches the room and is surprised by an Orc ambush (Wandering Monster).  Orc attacks and fails to wound.
Elf searches a room and finds Gem! Worth 50gc.
Wizard enters a room, encounters an Orc and kills it.  Here was the first error in the game, we know now that “characters may always search instead of making an attack or casting a spell”.  At the time we were still working out the order in which activations occurred.  In this instance the Wizard moved and then searched, after the combat, finding a Treasure Horde! – 100gc.
Barbarian continues to move rather slowly along a very long corridor.
GM has the Orc engaged with the Dwarf fight; with the Dwarf taking a hefty 2 wounds.

Dwarf (Body 5/7) (0 Kills) Potion of Speed
Elf (Body 6) (0 kills) Gem!
Wizard (Body 3/4) (1 kills) Treasure Horde!
Barbarian (Body 8) (0 kills)



Turn 3
Dwarf fights the Orc, fails to kill the Orc.
Elf moves into a room occupied with an Orc and engages it, fails to kill the Orc.
Wizard searches the room for a secret door and finds one.
Barbarian continues his ponderous movement along the corridor.
GM has the Orc engaged with the Dwarf continue their death duel; with the Dwarf taking another brutal 2 wounds.  The Orc fighting the Elf fails to inflict any wounds.

Dwarf (Body 3/7) (0 Kills) Potion of Speed
Elf (Body 6) (0 kills) Gem!
Wizard (Body 3/4) (1 kills) Treasure Horde!
Barbarian (Body 8) (0 kills)

Turn 4
Dwarf fights the Orc and finally gets the upper hand killing it.  Moves into another room and engages the Orc within but fails to kill it. It was at this point we made another error, the rules state “you may move first, then fight, or fight first, then move”.  Moving into contact with another target did not allow you to fight again, or at least that’s how we interpreted.
Elf fights the Orc and kills it. 
Wizard encounters an Orc and casts Ball of Flame resulting in a very dead Orc, well done.
Barbarian searches a room and suffers Wandering Monsters! The Orc ambush deals the Barbarian 2 wounds.
GM has the Orc continue its battle with the Barbarian for nil effect.  In fact nil effects were also dealt against the Elf and the Dwarf as well.

Dwarf (Body 3/7) (1 Kills) Potion of Speed
Elf (Body 6) (1 kills) Gem!
Wizard (Body 3/4) (2 kills) Treasure Horde!
Barbarian (Body 6/8) (0 kills)



Turn 5
Dwarf finally gets the upper hand on the Orc and slays it.
Elf fights with the Orc and results in a stalemate.
Wizard makes it to the stairs is the first out of the dungeon!
Barbarian fights and kills the Orc.
GM has an Orc fight the Elf inflicting no wounds.  An Orc fought the Barbarian causing 1 wound.

Dwarf (Body 3/7) (2 Kills) Potion of Speed
Elf (Body 6) (1 kills) Gem!
Wizard (Body 3/4) (2 kills) Treasure Horde!
Barbarian (Body 6/8) (1 kills)

Turn 6
Dwarf searches the room for a secret door and finds none.
Elf continues his futile battle with the Orc, inflicting no damage.
Barbarian searches a room and finds a Heroic Brew.
GM had no actions to take this turn.

Dwarf (Body 3/7) (2 Kills) Potion of Speed
Elf (Body 6) (1 kills) Gem!
Wizard (Body 3/4) (2 kills) Treasure Horde!
Barbarian (Body 6/8) (1 kills) Heroic Brew



Turn 7
Dwarf searches a room for a secret door and finds one.
Elf finally kills the Orc.
Barbarian searches a room and finds a Potion of Healing.
GM has no actions to take this turn.

Dwarf (Body 3/7) (2 Kills) Potion of Speed
Elf (Body 6) (2 kills) Gem!
Wizard (Body 3/4) (2 kills) Treasure Horde!
Barbarian (Body 6/8) (1 kills) Heroic Brew, Potion of Healing

Turn 8
Dwarf searches the room and finds Gold! A whole 10gc worth...
Elf searches and discovers a Trap! taking a wound in the process.
Barbarian searches a room and discovers Nothing.
GM an Orc finally gets an opening and moves into combat with the Dwarf, but inflicted no wounds.

Dwarf (Body 3/7) (2 Kills) Potion of Speed, Gold
Elf (Body 5/6) (2 kills) Gem!
Wizard (Body 3/4) (2 kills) Treasure Horde!
Barbarian (Body 6/8) (1 kills) Heroic Brew, Potion of Healing

Turn 9
Dwarf fights an Orc for nil effect.
Elf searches a room for secret doors and finds one.
Barbarian makes it to the foot of the stairs, almost out.
GM has the Orc fight the Dwarf for nil effect.

Dwarf (Body 3/7) (2 Kills) Potion of Speed, Gold
Elf (Body 5/6) (2 kills) Gem!
Wizard (Body 3/4) (2 kills) Treasure Horde!
Barbarian (Body 6/8) (1 kills) Heroic Brew, Potion of Healing



Turn 10
Dwarf fights the Orc for nil effect.
Elf searches a room and discovers a Trap! taking a wound in the process.
Barbarian while at the foot of stairs and almost to freedom succumbs to the lure of searching the room.  Yes there was a Wandering Monster lurking under the stairs. While surprised the Orc failed to wound the Barbarian.
GM has an Orc attack the Dwarf for nil effect, as was the attack on the Barbarian.

Dwarf (Body 3/7) (2 Kills) Potion of Speed, Gold
Elf (Body 4/6) (2 kills) Gem!
Wizard (Body 3/4) (2 kills) Treasure Horde!
Barbarian (Body 6/8) (1 kills) Heroic Brew, Potion of Healing

Turn 11
Dwarf continues his futile fight with the Orc, no wounds inflicted.
Elf searches a room for secret doors and finds one.
Barbarian fights the ambusing Orc and kills it, then legs it up the stairs to freedom.
GM continues the Orc fight with the Dwarf, nil effect.

Dwarf (Body 3/7) (2 Kills) Potion of Speed, Gold
Elf (Body 4/6) (2 kills) Gem!
Wizard (Body 3/4) (2 kills) Treasure Horde!
Barbarian (Body 6/8) (2 kills) Heroic Brew, Potion of Healing

Turn 12
Dwarf shows just how feeble he is by again failing to kill the Orc.
Elf seeing the Orc occupied by the Dwarf, kills the Orc from behind.
GM has no actions to take this turn.

Dwarf (Body 3/7) (2 Kills) Potion of Speed, Gold
Elf (Body 4/6) (3 kills) Gem!
Wizard (Body 3/4) (2 kills) Treasure Horde!
Barbarian (Body 6/8) (2 kills) Heroic Brew, Potion of Healing
  
Turn 13
Dwarf makes his way to the exit.
Elf leaves the dungeon, leaping over the Dwarf to get out.
GM has no actions to take this turn.

Dwarf (Body 3/7) (2 Kills) Potion of Speed, Gold
Elf (Body 4/6) (3 kills) Gem!
Wizard (Body 3/4) (2 kills) Treasure Horde!
Barbarian (Body 6/8) (2 kills) Heroic Brew, Potion of Healing

Turn 14
Dwarf leaves the Dungeon... last.


Conclusion
Barodis grinned with delight as he took the bookies money and waited for the others to stumble out of the dungeon.  The odds played well in his favour today, just a small wound from an over excited Orc, nothing to write home about. 
Grim was the next out his rainbow coloured vest now scarlet from the blood he had shed, while he had acquired some potions, they were quickly removed from him by the Dungeon staff with the excuse of waste not want not, and these are for the next batch of heroes.
Silverleaf bounded out of the exit just ahead of the Dwarfish curses that followed him.
“That one counts as mine your pointy eared git!”
Stumping out last was Ramble, red faced, panting and clutching his tiny winnings of 10 gold coins.
Barodis, having concealed his illicit gold, exclaimed in delight at the gem Silverleaf had found and valued it at some 50 gold coins – with the Dwarfs gold that made a take of 60 gold for the day.
“Right lads, how do you want to divvy up the takings?”
The stares from the others did not bode well for a loving and sharing band of brothers...

FINAL THOUGHTS
As always with playing a game and half remembering the rules, and trying not to get other game rules mixed into the lot, there were some mistakes.  The first Quest helped iron out a lot of the activity operations and now we feel more confident in playing the next one “The Rescue of Sir Ragnar”.

We also decided that the Treasure Horde which was found by the Wizard would not count, he got the 100gc for leaving the Dungeon first so we thought that that was a fair cop.  Nobody used the potions oddly enough, they weren’t too sure what else might have been coming.  Mind you with the prolonged combats concern was rising.

The Wizard spent his 100gc on a trusty Staff, the other members held onto their gold coins and cried into their beer when the other items vanished once they left the dungeon.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for the next adventure writ up soon.


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