About Revised Edition

PROJECT ORIGINS

This is a project that grew as it proceeded. I had originally intended to simply clean-up the rules text for clarity. However, I then discovered that there where multiple versions of the game, each with subtly different rules and cards. And thus the plan became to create a single rule set as a synthesis of the best parts of the rules.

The problem I'd had was how poorly defined the rules had been. Multiple versions of the same item with different rules, different items with the same rules, and some effects who's results where unclear when they where combined. Thus the rules and items where re-written to create a single, consistent system, where multiple effects could work together, and everything was clear.

We then play-tested this system. A lot. A few things where altered for balance. A few things where changed where the original game called for them. Some things where changed to make the narrative work.

To this I added a few items: I home-brewed the two "missing" US Quest packs. I created a few quests to round out the story, and a "final" quest pack to round out the story. I added two Monsters, the Outfitter's Emporium, and Sergeant Henchmen.

The resulting game is now akin to the original, but cleaned up into a well oiled machine.

THE PROJECT GREW

However, the original game is known to have a few flaws. While these where broadly addressed in the main project, fixing them properly required more radical changes, which is why I added the "Advanced Game" option. This then allows the playing of the cleaned-up classic game, or the re-balanced game with the new bells & whistles.

The first problem was that the Heroes could clear an area and spend as long as they wish doing very little, making a very boring game for the Evil Sorcerer Player, and made certain tactical situations pointless. The Event Cards are not unique to my rules, several people also having similar ideas, inspired by modern board games, but they are effective, and also tie into the other adjustments.

The second problem was that the only way for the Heroes to improve was via the rather limited range of equipment, and as a result, Hero death was nothing but a speed-bump. The Advanced Game expands this range of equipment in the first instance, but the Skills system is the actual fix here, with the Dungeon Cards as a balancing mechanism.

The third flaw was the similarity of some of the Heroes. With the advanced Hero Cards, differing Skill suites and Equipment choices, the Heroes all now work quite differently.

The biggest flaw was with the magic system, and the resulting weakness of the Wizard. Some Spells where near useless, some massively powerful, and without magic, the Wizard was massively underpowered. Allowing infinite use of the selected Spells was massively overpowered, as some, such as Water of Healing, would break the game, so Spell casting needed to be more limited, while at the same time, the Wizard needed Spells to be constantly available.

My online discussions with other HeroQuest fans lead to one community member, Anderas, taking my rough ideas, and working them into a fully-fledged system that does just what we need. This I then tied back into the Skills and Equipment, and a wider range of Spells that have been created for the advanced game, making the Wizard a fully useful Hero.

Thus, while the advanced game's many options requires a slightly older mindset than the original game, it is for more balanced and interesting.

Have fun adventuring!