Corridors, treasure and traps

[Redav]

So, do your heroes go

Nope. At the moment we're only playing the rules as written. Then I'll try adjusted rules to limit to corridor intersections and traps. My house rules are different (these are still a WIP, I've not touched them for a while nor have they been used at all so I have no idea whether they would actually play okay);

Searching
Searching in a corridor;
- player announces they are searching
- they move half the number of squares that they roll (rounded up)
- they reveal both traps and secret passages as they go
- human's see one square away
- the Elf and Dwarf see two squares away
- having a torch equipped doubles a hero's searching distance
- you may search if a monster is present in the corridor but you must stop searching if you move within four squares of it

Searching in a room;
Unless a chest is present, specifically searching a room for treasure is as per original rules. To open a chest you must be adjacent to it. You may still search for treasure in a room with a chest however unless noted otherwise, you take a combat test to determine the outcome - = room empty, = treasure card, = wandering monster

Specifically searching a room for traps and secret passages is as per original rules. A player searching in a corridor may not continue searching in a room they enter on that turn.

Unless noted otherwise, secret passages are opened when discovered and may be found on both sides of the wall

Thorough Search;
It is also possible to make a thorough search where they search for treasure, traps and secret passages at the same time. This requires a full turn by the hero so they may only do this at the start of their turn. If a treasure card is required (as per quest notes), it is placed on the hero's character card and revealed on their following turn

[Bareheaded Warrior]

I have also always worked on the assumption that the rules meant that passageways cannot be searched for treasure, only rooms, and therefore have imagined passageways to be bland and featureless, obviously furniture especially treasure chests can be looted whenever they are present, but this is in no way connected to a search for treasure.

Our current house rules are as follows;

a) When a hero moves onto a trapped square roll a Combat Dice, on a roll of he or she spots the trap just before triggering it "you feel the light pressure of a tripwire and freeze before pulling back to safety" and is placed on the previous square and then has the option to avoid/jump the trap or disarm as per the usual rules (the same applies to a hero just about to open a trapped chest or item of furniture)

b) Secret doors can only be found on the room side even if they open onto a passageway as the door itself is practically impossible to spot so you can only find the 'trigger' in the room

c) Searching is a whole turn action that can only take place in a room without any monsters present and reveals a treasure card and any secret doors (obviously if you search a room that contains a trap then part a) comes into action)

[Count Mohawk]

b) Secret doors can only be found on the room side even if they open onto a passageway as the door itself is practically impossible to spot so you can only find the 'trigger' in the room

This house rule is incompatible with the layout of a few of the later Quests. For example, in the first Quest of Kellar's Keep, "The Great Gate", the Heroes need to find a secret door leading into the center room from the hallway to its north or they will not be able to progress farther than the first three rooms. Return of the Witch Lord also does this in its second Quest, "The Cold Halls" as the secret door leading to the room with the spiral stairway must be found from the hallway outside the large center room. (The rooms with the Spirit Riders are also accessed through secret doors from the corridors outside their rooms.)

[knightkrawler]

b) destroys original quests and, what's worse, takes from you some awesome possibilities when designing new quests. Plus, I don't see the reasoning behind it in the first place.

[mitchiemasha]

What people are over looking here is one doesn't have to be on a trap to disarm it. There could be a switch, trigger, means of which to disable it at any point in the room, corridor.

But yeah... I like the 'assumed movement' definition. As it was your action choice you could of made it at any point with in your movement or the movement your about to make.

- they move half the number of squares that they roll (rounded up)

Why not make it sacrifice one rolled movement die instead of halfing. That been said, I don't see any need to change the search mechanic. It already replaces your attack action. Just stick with EU and combine secret doors and traps, technically these would be very similar. I see it as a more careful treasure search as it will take 2 turns to search, instead of just quickly grabbing the loot.

I think I'm going to add, searching for treasure in a room not searched for traps will trigger the trap. Place Hero on the trapped square. it fits perfectly with how we see it themeaticly anyways.

[Bareheaded Warrior]

Some fair points and some excellent feedback so I have adapted;

a) "Dwarf Trap Abilities" Replace Dwarf auto-disarm option with Tool Kit as starting equipment (which more than compensates for the Barbarians higher priced weapon although I would drop the tool kit price to 200gc anyway)

b) "Spotting Traps" Any character stepping on a trapped square or opening a trapped chest may roll a die and on a they spot the trap before triggering it and may then avoid or disarm the trap. Characters rushing automatically trigger traps (rush action is a house rule).

c) "Search Action" Characters may opt to search an entire room or a section of passageway six squares directly to their front (they may change facing prior to starting the search) provided no monsters are in vicinity, this takes a whole turn and is entirely independent from looting chests and similar furniture. If searching a room then the character can be placed anywhere in the room at the end of the search action, if searching a section of passageway then move the character to the end of the search area i.e. six spaces forwards unless otherwise instructed below once the search is completed;

i) If the room or section of passageway contains any undetected traps (marked on the map) then this interrupts the search and the trap must be handled first - place the character next to the trapped square, roll a dice and on a then she spots the trap before it goes off and can either avoid the trap (see d) below) and continue searching or may choose to disarm the trap (see e) below) - once disarmed that ends the characters turn - alternatively the trap is not spotted and is triggered which ends the characters turn.

ii) If the room doesn't contain any undetected traps then the search will reveal any treasure marked on the map or a treasure card and any secret doors marked on the map. If the treasure card is a trap then roll a dice and on a you avoid the effects otherwise you don't.

d) "Avoiding traps" - if a trap is spotted without being sprung it can simply be bypassed by moving without touching that square, if however that isn't possible such as in a narrow passageway then any character crossing that trapped square will have to roll a die, on a , the trap is triggered.

e) "Disarming a trap" - if a trap is spotted without being sprung it can be disarmed by any character equipped with a tool kit and located in an adjacent square. Roll a dice if the score isn't then the trap is disarmed and removed from the board otherwise it is triggered and you get the full effects

[Bareheaded Warrior]

"A Searching Question" would have been a great name for this thread...

I've always thought that the Search rules and the related rules for handling traps and secret (or hidden) doors were a weak point of the original HQ, awkward and inelegant but I have lost count of the number of times that I have reworked the search rules but never been happy with the outcome (see above)

Movement

Replace one of the two original HQ red six sided dice with a six sided die of another colour.

When a player rolls the dice and moves onto a trapped square then check the score on the red die if the roll is a 1 or 2 then tell the player that they have spotted a trap on that square and have managed to avoid triggering it, otherwise the trap is triggered.

When a player rolls the dice and moves onto a secret door square then check the score on the red die if the roll is a 1 or 2 then tell the player that they have found a secret door, otherwise tell them nothing.

Searching

Searching (not for traps, treasure or hidden doors just 'searching' as you don't know what you will find until you look) can be carried out in a room not a passageway. Searching takes a full action as it covers both action and movement (no monsters present)

1) If there is an undetected trap in the room then roll a dice, on a 1-3 you find it before you set it off and can continue searching on a 4-6 you set the trap off and suffer the effects, ending your turn
2) If there is a secret or hidden door then you find it and it is placed on the board and your turn ends.
3) You find any treasure indicated on the quest map or you are directed to draw a treasure card which ends your turn and the search.

As you can see in certain situation it may take more than one search action to 'clear' a room and these different search actions do not have to be completed by the same Hero. Once a room is cleared it cannot be searched again.

*Dwarf adds one to these rolls so 1-3 or 1-4 to spot the trap or secret door

Treasure Chests

Chests need to be 'looted' as a separate action, combined with movement as usual. If the chest is trapped then roll a dice, on a 1-2 you find it before you set it off otherwise you suffer the full effects, either way you claim the contents - provided of course that you survive the trap!

What I'm not sure about is if chests are handled separately then why not cupboards also...

[sajungzak]

I've always thought that the Search rules and the related rules for handling traps and secret doors were a weak point of the original HQ, awkward and inelegant but I have lost count of the number of times that I have reworked the search rules but never been happy with the outcome (see above)

I agree, the original release (EU) left something to be desired in this area, but I never had a problem with the updated version (US). Of course, I never even knew there was a difference until I discovered the Inn.

Before you go back to basics and rewrite the book, have you carefully considered the US version? The mechanics concerning searching, secret doors, traps, and the dwarf are different than what you might be used to.

Above, you can see my "assumed movement" interpretation with a few optional specifications.

[mitchiemasha]

I agree, the original release (EU) left something to be desired in this area, but I never had a problem with the updated version (US).

I'll have to disagree lol.

Traps and secret doors need to be combined.

[Bareheaded Warrior]

sajungzak,

I understand the concept of assumed movement but it raises a few issues for me as the way it is described above - it sounds more like astral projection

Under normal circumstances you can move 2-12 squares on your turn, but sacrifice your normal move for a slow, painstaking and meticulous study of the floor and walls of the passageway and you can cover far more distance!

I take your "assumed movement" and raise it with my "actual movement" under the model I described (poorly) above - you simply move and if you step onto a trap or hidden door you have a chance of spotting it or not. Searching (for treasure) is in a room that may contain hidden traps or secret doors, has the same effect (although in this case the movement IS assumed).