Alternative / enhanced storyline

[Andy P]

Apologies in advance for the length of this post, the reasons for it will soon become clear, and hopefully you will agree that it is worth it...

Reading back through the Quest Book for the main game, it strikes me that the overall plot has plenty of room for improvement. So I have attempted exactly that! The goals for this effort are:

• To create a more coherent, continuous storyline, to help immerse players in the quest.
• To build upon the recurring mentions of the Witch King and Morcar, to make the world feel more real.
• To explain the presence and capabilities of many of the other named characters.
• To take some of the more obvious missed opportunities from the original text. (“You remember Sir Ragnar? He’s turned to Chaos. But don’t worry, someone executed him. Not really sure why I even mentioned that actually.”)

For the most part, the same quests are played in the same order, with the same objectives. Only the text read to the players between each quest differs. The only exception is that The Trial is moved to later in the story, and the character that the players are sent to kill in that quest is changed; The Trial is a very poor first quest as it contains almost everything in the game – every enemy, even every item of furniture! It leaves nothing for the players to anticipate, if it comes first. However, it’s neither unfair, nor too hard, so can comfortably be included later. (The Maze is an even worse first quest as it is boring; probably why it was removed in the second edition of the game!)

And now, without further ado...



Introduction
The fire burns warmly, but casts little light into the room. The flickering shadows only hint at the vast number of books and scrolls that fill the shelves. The old wizard looks up from his grimoire, piercing grey eyes regarding each of you in turn.

“Welcome, my friends,” he says, his quiet but powerful voice captivating your attention. “My name is Mentor. You are aware that you have been sent to me because you are the finest warriors among your people, yes? Good. The Empire has need of you. These are dark and dangerous times, and there are many foes who would see our Empire ruined. Our armies stand against them, but we need warriors like you to go where armies cannot.

“Do not think for one moment that you are being given a lesser task,” he continues. “Not every war is won on the battlefield. Your battles may be fought in the darkness, but you will be heroes still. Under my guidance, and with the aid of Loretome, my book of magic, you shall be sent into the most dangerous situations – but if you work together, you shall emerge triumphant, and will be richly rewarded beyond your wildest dreams.”

Abruptly Mentor stands. “Gather your belongings,” he says, ushering you towards the door. “There is no time to waste. Your first quest can wait no longer. You must be on your way. Go in the Emperor’s name – and,” he adds, offering a heartfelt smile, “good luck!”

The Rescue of Sir Ragnar
Sir Ragnar, one of the Emperor’s most powerful knights, has been ambushed and kidnapped while guarding Prince Magnus’ supply wagons. He is being held prisoner by the Orcs of Black Mountains. You are to find Sir Ragnar and bring him to safety. Do this and you will be paid 200 gold coins, but no reward will be paid if Sir Ragnar is killed while escaping.

Lair of the Orc Warlord
Now that Sir Ragnar has recovered from his ordeal, he has been able to reveal to us the hiding place of Ulag, the Orc Warlord who captured him. Now is our chance to slay Ulag and send the Orcs of the Black Mountains into disarray. Whoever kills Ulag will be rewarded with 100 gold coins, and you may keep any other other treasures you find in his stronghold.

Prince Magnus’ Gold
Ulag is dead, but it appears that he was not working alone. The Chaos Warrior that you fought alongside Ulag was a follower of the Gulthor, the Chaos Knight, and we believe that Gulthor now has the gold that was stolen from Sir Ragnar. You must find Gulthor, slay him, and recover the gold.

Melar’s Maze
With their leaders dead, the Orcs of the Black Mountains are no longer a threat. We must take this opportunity to strengthen our defences, so the next foe finds us well prepared. Long ago, a sorcerer by the name of Melar created a powerful magical Talisman, which he kept in his laboratory. The Maze protecting his laboratory is said to be trapped and haunted, but if you can conquer Melar’s Maze the Talisman of Lore will be yours…

Legacy of the Orc Warlord
We thought the Orcs of the Black Mountains were defeated, but somehow a new Warlord has risen to lead them already. Ulak’s foul offspring, Grak, has united the tribe – and his first target was you. You have been captured in an ambush, and are now held prisoner in his dungeons. You have managed to pick the lock of your cell; now you must find your equipment and make good your escape.

The Stone Hunter (aka. The Lost Wizard)
Our spies have brought us worrying news. Grak did not unite the Orcs of the Black Mountains unaided – he was given assistance by Morcar, my old apprentice, who long ago pledged his allegiance to the Dark Powers of Chaos. He has been gathering his strength, and seeking allies among our enemies. My old friend, the wizard Karlen, may know more of Morcar’s intentions; but Karlen has not been seen in some time. You are to find out what has happened to Karlen and, if he is alive, bring him to safety. You will be paid 100 gold coins each upon returning.

The Fire Mage
Alas, Karlen is dead. Worse yet, Balur, the Fire Mage, has declared his support for Morcar. You have been chosen to enter Balur’s lair, deep beneath Black Fire Crag, and put an end to his treachery. Beware – he is a powerful foe, and worse yet, no Fire magic can harm him. The Emperor will reward you with 150 gold crowns each for his destruction.

Race Against Time
As you returned from Balur’s lair beneath Black Fire Crag, you were met by Sir Ragnar who offered to show you a shortcut out of the dungeon. Suddenly Sir Ragnar put out his torch, and you heard his voice in the darkness. “Foolish Heroes,” he sneered. “I have been working for Morcar all along! You have annoyed him for the last time. Now is time for you to die!” You realise to your horror that it is a trap! You must escape or perish in this dark, forgotten hole.

Castle of Mystery
Even those we trusted most have turned against us. The traitor Sir Ragnar has fled, and our scouts report that Morcar’s forces are moving towards our borders. We need gold to finance our armies; legend tells that the crazy Wizard, Ollar, built his castle over the entrance to a gold mine. Ollar’s castle is full of magical portals; can you navigate through them, and find the entrance to the mine? Others have tried, but the castle has thwarted them every time.
Ignore the bit in this quest about the gold being Fool’s Gold; don’t allow the heroes to keep it though!

Bastion of Chaos
Using the gold you recovered from Ollar’s castle, Prince Magnus and the Emperor have begun to hire soldiers for the army. This is not a fast process; we need you to strike at the heart of the enemy and disrupt them, buying time for Prince Magnus and the Emperor to organise their troops. Journey to the underground fortress known as the Bastion of Chaos and slay as many foes as you can. You will be paid a bounty of 10 gold coins for each Goblin killed, 20 gold coins for each Orc killed, and 30 gold coins for each Fimir or Chaos Warrior killed.

The Trial
At last we have some good news. One of the Chaos Warriors you slew in the Bastion of Chaos was carrying a map that shows the location of Sir Ragnar’s hideout. Now is your chance to track him down, and enact swift justice for his treachery.
In this quest, replace the Gargoyle Verag with Sir Ragnar (using the same stats as a Gargoyle).

Barak Tor – Barrow of the Witch Lord
Sir Ragnar is dead, but Morcar is preparing to launch his invasion. Long ago, when Morcar first turned to Chaos, a great hero named Rogar forced him to flee. Rogar carried the ancient Star of the West, a gem once worn by the Kings of Legend – if the Emperor now carried the Star of the West, it would give our armies great heart. But Rogar, and the gem, have not been seen since he entered Barak Tor, the resting place of the Witch Lord. You must go to Barak Tor and retrieve the gem; you will be rewarded with 200 gold.

Quest for the Spirit Blade
You have awoken the Witch Lord, the King of the Dead. Already he plots with Morcar, to bring his army of Undead into battle against the Emperor. The only weapon that can harm the Witch Lord is the Spirit Blade, a sword forged by the Dwarves of the World’s Edge Mountains and cooled in the Elven fountain of Lebin. You must recover the Spirit Blade from the ancient, ruined temple where it now lies.

Return to Barak Tor
The Emperor has ridden forth to battle with Morcar at Black Fire Pass. If the Witch King is not defeated, his Undead army will attack the Emperor from the rear – he will be surrounded and destroyed. You must return to Barak Tor with the Spirit Blade and put an end to the Witch Lord's threat…

Epilogue
While you battled against the Undead, Morcar’s legions of Orcs and Chaos launched a ferocious assault on Black Fire Pass, the perilous mountain route linking the Empire and the Borderlands. The army of the Empire stood firm, though it was tiny compared to the vast hosts arrayed against it. Still, the bravery of men knows no bounds; assault after assault was repulsed, and it looked as though the Emperor’s army would be victorious.

But we had not reckoned with Morcar’s magic. Standing high on a ridge, overlooking the battlefield, he unleashed his terrible sorcery. Lightning flashed from his fingertips and great gouts of flame exploded among the defenders. Our lines were breached in a dozen places at once, and at that moment the Doomguard, Morcar’s elite force of Chaos Knights, launched their assault. Our army broke and ran. It is only thanks to your defeat of the Witch Lord, that they were not trapped and slaughtered.

Now the Emperor and the remnants of his army have taken refuge in the ancient Dwarven stronghold of Karak Varn. It is only a matter of time before Morcar and his army force their way in; we must act swiftly if we are to save them, and if we cannot save them the whole Empire is doomed. There is no time to rest upon your laurels; you must get to Karak Varn and help the Emperor to escape.

As for me… I will strive to weaken Morcar’s power as much as I can, but I am worried… the Witch King was slain by the Spirit Blade, but something is not right… I must consult Loretome, my book of magic… but I digress. Let me worry about that. You must set out for Karak Varn immediately. Until we meet again, take care, my friends. Farewell…



So... what do you think?

[Sjeng]

I think this is brilliant! I always wanted a better flowing story. Will you do the same for the quest packs?

[Andy P]

I think this is brilliant! I always wanted a better flowing story. Will you do the same for the quest packs?

Yeah, I think so, though I had a read through of them last night and they mostly have a more coherent story anyway, so I won't need to change much I think. (My guess is that the designers realised the three linked Witch Lord quests at the end of the main game struck a chord because of the link between them, and made the expansions offer more of the same; or maybe it was just a happy accident). I'll have a go at some point.

Reading it again, I'm tempted to change the Castle of Mystery quest so that the gold the heroes find isn't actually illusory... that would mean that the text for Bastion of Chaos could say that the army is now being hired with the money they found, and also explains where the gold comes from to pay the heroes their bounty! (As it stands, it reads like Prince Magnus didn't really want to donate his own money in defence of the realm, and only did so when there was no other choice, which doesn't seem very public-spirited!) [edit] I have now made this change. [/edit]

Thanks for the kind words!

[Malcadon]

I like it -- I really like it!

It was a minor rearrangement to the quests , but it simple approach that makes it better, and the twist with Sir Ragnar was great. I like the idea of the illusory gold being real to help give weight to the conflict. That is, the Empire is getting cash-strapped by the conflict and only the heroes could save the dwindling war coffers.

By the way, I have been thinking about adding cause & effect and nonlinear adventures to the game. That is, what would happen if the heroes failed in a quest. Want would happen if they overlooked an item. An example might be a minor item found in one quest (a map or clue) that would lead the heroes to a side-quest to find treasure, a powerful item or some other advantage. Failing to complete a quest could hinder the heroes in the long run. For example, stealing Prince Magnus’ coffers could prevent you from getting quest rewards. Much like a Choose-your-own-adventure book, the quests could branch into differing routs based on the actions and success of the heroes, with different endings and any number of bloody "Game over, you're dead" endings. The down side to this, is that it is a complicated to design a series, and one could make 20 or so adventures but players would only play around a dozen quests in an entire play through. On the other hand, there is much replay value, if you play a lot of HeroQuest.

[Andy P]

By the way, I have been thinking about adding cause & effect and nonlinear adventures to the game. That is, what would happen if the heroes failed in a quest. Want would happen if they overlooked an item. An example might be a minor item found in one quest (a map or clue) that would lead the heroes to a side-quest to find treasure, a powerful item or some other advantage. Failing to complete a quest could hinder the heroes in the long run. For example, stealing Prince Magnus’ coffers could prevent you from getting quest rewards. Much like a Choose-your-own-adventure book, the quests could branch into differing routs based on the actions and success of the heroes, with different endings and any number of bloody "Game over, you're dead" endings. The down side to this, is that it is a complicated to design a series, and one could make 20 or so adventures but players would only play around a dozen quests in an entire play through. On the other hand, there is much replay value, if you play a lot of HeroQuest.

Funnily enough, I was thinking about this when I was writing the above.

Right from the first (as should be) quest - the quest is not technically failed if Sir Ragnar is killed, the heroes just don't get their reward. And yet, even in the "official" story (never mind my version), the heroes are later told (at the end of KK or RotWL? Can't remember) that "Sir Ragnar, who you rescued" has turned to Chaos. Erm... what if they didn't rescue him?

But forget Sir Ragnar, there's an even bigger potential problem - it's completely possible for the heroes to complete the Barak Tor quest without awakening the Witch Lord! In which case, the final two quests make no sense, neither does the epilogue to the first quest book, and neither does the entire RotWL expansion pack!

So yeah, two ways of dealing with it really. Tweak the quests in question such that those events have to happen (Sir Ragnar dying is treated like a TPK; remove the secret door from the Star of the West room, so the heroes cannot avoid going through the Witch Lord's tomb; etc), or make it a twisting, branching plot where what the heroes do has more consequence than just success or failure. The former is obviously much simpler; the latter is potentially a lot more involving... but I have to confess that the reason I like HeroQuest at all is its simplicity. I would be inclined to suggest that the twisting/branching approach is better suited for a "true" RPG, personally... YMMV.

PS. I've edited the Castle of Mystery / Bastion of Chaos section as discussed.

[Daedalus]

Very nice. I'd suggest wording Sir Ragnar's betrayal in the present tense to lend it some added drama. This would be even better if it were done up in booklet form, ready to use. Worth the print.

[Tott]

wow! really liked that. added a very good story to all the quests, it also highlights the named characters there and actually gives a reason for each quest rather than 'Orcs. kill them'. the only thing I'd add is to modify the quests so that the named enemies (ulag, gulthor, Grak, etc) have additional body points, to make them last longer. I remember playing through the original quests and none of the players realised that the particular orc they killed was a boss. extra body points keep the boss char around for a while so every player gets a chance to attack him and highlights them as a 'boss'.
you could also use a unique mini when playing them but the extra body points highlight them better on paper.

[Andy P]

wow! really liked that. added a very good story to all the quests, it also highlights the named characters there and actually gives a reason for each quest rather than 'Orcs. kill them'. the only thing I'd add is to modify the quests so that the named enemies (ulag, gulthor, Grak, etc) have additional body points, to make them last longer. I remember playing through the original quests and none of the players realised that the particular orc they killed was a boss. extra body points keep the boss char around for a while so every player gets a chance to attack him and highlights them as a 'boss'.
you could also use a unique mini when playing them but the extra body points highlight them better on paper.

Yeah, there's definitely tweaks that can be made to the quests themselves, and those are all good suggestions. Here I was really concentrating purely on the story itself; there's certainly more that can be done to improve the quests.

[Big Bene]

It's really a nice idea, simple and neat, but effective.

Personally, I would not think it necessary, because the episodal and "random" nature of the original quests fit well into the simplenes that makes the charme of Heroquest. It's a board game, after all. You see, for me, HQ was not the introduction to rpg, but I had played several role playing and tabletop games for some years when HQ was published, so I was mainly fascinated by the furniture and the sheer number of minis - the game system itself had rather a certain "trashy charme" to me. Compared to a rpg, it was all but elaborate, and so was the storyline. It all fitted, and it fitted well to make a ingeniously simplistic game.
I explained my motives in this lengthy manner to show that that's a very personal view. More objectively speaking, your idea is great.

The Chaos Warrior that fought alongside him was a follower of the Chaos Warrior Gulthor...

I think two times "Chaos Warrior" in one sentence doesn't sound good. Perhaps you can make Gulthor a "Chaos Knight" or the like, or at least "Gulthor, (one of) the most dangerous/most corrupted/foulest... of the chaos warriors".
Also I don't understand what the quest name "The Stone Hunter" means.
And why was Sir Ragnar, when having worked for Morcar "from the beginning", imprisoned at all?

[Andy P]

Personally, I would not think it necessary, because the episodal and "random" nature of the original quests fit well into the simplenes that makes the charme of Heroquest.

I agree that simple is good - that's why I wouldn't be too bothered about branching storylines, etc. But I think a bit of continuity improves the experience. I know that when I played it originally (ooh, 24 years ago or so!?) my favourite quests in the original box were the three Witch Lord ones, because they had some context. Not just "Kill stuff. Go!" You're absolutely right that HeroQuest isn't a "true" RPG, but I think many players still appreciate having a reason to fight (otherwise why bother with any story at all?).

I think two times "Chaos Warrior" in one sentence doesn't sound good. Perhaps you can make Guthor a "Chaos Knight" or the like, or at least "Gulthor, (one of) the most dangerous/most corrupted/foulest... of the chaos warriors".

You're right, and it felt a bit clumsy to me while I was writing it; I was trying to stick relatively closely to the original texts, but since it's changing anyway, might as well make a clean break, right? When I get a few moment I'll have another go at that bit. [...] Done.

Also I don't understand what the quest name "The Stone Hunter" means.

That was the original (European edition) name for that quest, I guess referring to alchemy (Philosopher's Stone, etc). It was called "The Lost Wizard" in the North American version of the game, by all means use that name if you prefer.

And why was Sir Ragnar, when having worked for Morcar "from the beginning", imprisoned at all?

Hahaha, you spotted that? I must admit that I was going on the assumption that, while playing the game, the players probably wouldn't notice and would accept it without worrying too much. (Again - in the "official", published story, Sir Ragnar eventually turns to Chaos and I don't think any reason is given, or whether it happened before the heroes rescued him, or anything - and the heroes don't even get to enact justice on him themselves... most unsatisfactory, something I really wanted to improve on here).

However - since you ask, there is actually an explanation... the Orcs of the Black Mountains weren't working for Morcar when they first kidnapped Sir Ragnar. The Chaos Warrior in the same room as Ulag in Lair of the Orc Warlord was an emissary of Morcar (via Gulthor), trying to convince Ulag to join Morcar. The heroes kill Ulag before that can happen, but Morcar assists Grak in rising to power, in exchange for his fealty (hence the clue about "somehow a new Warlord has arisen already" in Legacy of the Orc Warlord, and the reveal that Morcar assisted him, in The Stone Hunter). By killing both Ulag and Grak, the heroes (without realising it!) meant a lot of Morcar 's effort was wasted, which is why he eventually ordered Sir Ragnar to get rid of them in Race Against Time.

So you see, Sir Ragnar was working for Morcar all along... but Ulag and the Orcs of the Black Mountains weren't, not until after Sir Ragnar was rescued! So it is actually consistent, but as it depends on a couple of things happening "behind the scenes" that the heroes wouldn't know about, I didn't want to disrupt the flow of the story by mentioning these details (...unless someone asked!).