I recently got a group of friends together for a game, and since there are some newcomers in the group, I thought It would be a neat thing to start off with some HeroQuest before the full immersion into the Theater of the Mind.
Despite me telling them the wrong time I'd be online (sleep deprivation is a bitch), in the end we had a fun evening.
We played over roll20 (but I really hope we will soon be playing again in person), and my three players chose to play as Barbarian, Dwarf, and Elf.
Here's how it went!
As their final graduation test, our to-be-heroes are sent into a labyrinth by their teacher, Mentor the Archwizard. They will need to use their skills and powers to defeat the monsters lurking in it, avoid deadly traps, and find the exit. First to escape will be awarded an impressive sum of gold coins.
The protagonists are beamed into the labyrinth, each one at a different location, and their trial begins.
The Barbarian heads off along the corridors, kicks open doors, and unceremoniously beats to pulp the orcs that dare to stand in the way.
Meanwhile, the Dwarf inspects a dead end, only to be hit by hidden trap, and decides to retreat back where they came from. Soon after, the two meet and decide to proceed together.
The Elf, instead, wanders into a different dead end where an orc dwells: the Elf attempts a spell, but the orc manages to avoid it. This does not demoralize the elf: where magic fails, iron does the job perfectly.
As the other two wander aimlessly and inspect stone walls, the Elf finds a sliding wall... which leads to the lair of yet another denizen of the labyrinth! However, this lair directly connects to the exit.
When Dwarf and Barbarian finally manage to escape from the labyrinth, they find the Elf waiting for them, prize already cashed in and exchanged for tools and equipment. However, all have passed the trial, and are now recognized, card-carrying capital H Heroes.
In fact, their first real assignment waits for them already!
A local noble was kidnapped by a gang of monstrous marauders! Whoever rescues them will be granted gold and honor. The three fresh Heroes don't lose time, track down the kidnappers, and enter the lair.
The Elf got rid of the gremlin, and now snoops around too, only to catch the attention of a whole band of gremlins. Barbarian and Dwarf happen to pass by and decide to help bring order in the hallway. The group agrees that that cooperation may be helpful in the current situation, and proceed together. Another few doors lead to a group of orcs, but teamwork solves the situation. The barbarian decides the place is too poor to be the bandit hideout, and devastates a few rooms looking for hidden loot: finally, he finds a bag full of gold coins, hidden under a carpet.
In a further room, a second chest is found, and close inspection reveals it as genuine: inside are gold and a healing potion! Another room, another fight with orcs: the Dwarf gets injured, but is too determinate to leave this world yet, and soon pays back what he owes.
Having inspected all side rooms, only the main hallway is left to explore, and it s soon secured. It leads to the dining room, and the orcs there are not happy to be interrupted during their meal.
After the skirmish is over, the Heroes are perplexed: where is the prisoner?
The only occupied cell holds the Noble, and the Heroes escort them out. As the group flees, the Jailer uses his last strength to sound the alarm, but it doesn't do much: all guardians have already been beaten up.
The Heroes manage to bring the Noble back safe and alive, and are awarded the prize. They decide to split it unevenly and give the Dwarf the bigger share, as his knowledge was extremely helpful and he suffered the most wounds.
To be continued...
Wow so much memories. Its been like 10 years since I played that for the last time. I remember I missed much the roleplaying facet of the games and ended up mastering a game with loose rules (random objects of the house as enemies (though very big objects could not pass through doors), cursed gold, enemies asking questions or befriending pcs etc). My friends got pissed at me because they adapted poorly to the game. I think I remember that they even resorted to PvP in the end.
ReplyDeleteHeroQuest is a delightful little game.
DeleteYou can put as much roleplaying into it as you want, so I use it mostly to get new people into the right mindset without overwhelming them with abstract games of pretend. It's also great to play with kids, they get engaged even more than grown-ups. You should really try to get your friends to play it again.