HeroQuest De-Magicified (!)

[Zenithfleet]

Not sure if it's been mentioned yet, but 3rd edition Talisman (always a good source for HeroQuest-style plastic figures) had a pretty cool Alchemist:



The Astronomer might also come in handy:



Those plastics are expensive on eBay these days... but no worse than buying new plastic characters from GW.

[Kurgan]

In this world, fantastical things exist... so it branches a little bit into Sci Fi. It's not that the "De-magicified world" I envison is "primitive" it has some things that are cutting edge even for our science.

So here's the basics:

Yes, it is "loosely inspired" by the Warhammer fantasy world in which Hero Quest was originally set. It is possible (but rare and dangerous) to access a parallel dimension where the so-called "chaos gods" reside (very powerful and poorly understood aliens) exist.

Mentor and Zargon are humans who are nearly Immortal based on their use of the elixir of life.

Portals and wormholes exist that allow instantaneous travel, but again, costly, dangerous and rare to use. This includes time portals.

Loretome is a type of computer that makes predictions based on data inputed. It was designed by intelligent men [and I'm going to say they had input from Elves and Dwarves too] and Mentor is its chief guardian and interpreter. He has teams of monks that help him. Zargon has developed his own version, based on the information he obtained while Mentor's student.

Orcs, goblins, Fimirs, Ogres, all exist, they are simply other beings who developed on the world naturally. Most of the Orcs were corrupted by factions within them that pledged themselves to Chaos and Zargon's control.

"Magic" is simply advanced science, but also certain mental abilities that don't exist in our world, but do in theirs (mental powers far beyond earth based hypnosis, aided by chemicals and tricks).

Elves and certain other beings have heightened senses and inborn mental abilities that exceed anything on real life earth, and these can be honed with training. Humans also possess a latent ability but it requires years of difficult training and only certain people can begin to master it. This is how Paladins and other characters can wield what to the unlearned would seem miraculous or like magic spells. They call them "skills."

Dwarves, Barbarians, etc. are all variations of human. Goblins and Goblins are more distantly related. Haven't decided if Orcs were chemically enhanced but probably not. I'm treating "undead" as basically mutated creations, which are deadly but unstable, such that certain chemicals really affect them ("Holy Water" is one such weakness).

Elementals are like the good guy version of these "laboratory monsters" short lived automatons or glorified storms that can take out the enemy in short order.

"Magical" Artifacts and weapons work through natural (but secretive) means. Potions and elixirs work, etc. Spell Scrolls are single use dumbed down "cliffs notes" (remember those study aides, before "for dummies" books existed) versions of Alchemy skills, that any dummy can figure out and use.

I added to the lore of "Borin" a bit more. He seems to have created a lot of useful items that come up from time to time. Who was he? Perhaps the Heroes will learn more one day...

A thing like Mithril exists in this world, good quality stuff.

Symbiotes (yes, like Venom from Spider-Man comics) exist in this world. As do giant spiders and dragons of a sort (smaller than D&D!). And skaven too.

The Alchemists of this world are like the Wizards of classic Hero Quest, but they base their powers on material science and honed mental training. Their powers at best appear preternatural, but not supernatural. They also resort to trickery such that they appear more powerful than they actually are, which only enhances their presence and influence in the world.

The bad guys have conducted Alchemical experiments to develop new life forms (rather mutated forms of existing life) such as Sasquatches and Mutants which are based on living creatures of this world that are able to be influenced by them. Similar processes can enhance humans (Chaos Warriors). Think of Bane from Batman.

So I've tried to incorporate all of the official material, around the NA versions rules.. .Game System, Kellar's Keep, Return of the Witch Lord, Against the Ogre Horde, Wizards of Zargon, Dark Company, Mage of the Mirror, Frozen Horror, Rise of the Chaos God (Japanese). Haven't played the published quests over at Phoenix's (and translated at the Inn) but I plan to. The work is pretty much complete unless I wanted to just do word substitutions on the quest books, which I probably won't do, just a few errata sheets.

Basically anything from the "world of Magic" can be adapted at this point, and serves to open up the various components for play to my audience. Thanks for reading!

[Kurgan]

Creatures of the de-magicified world:

Orcs
Goblins (Ice gremlins are a form of goblin)
Ogres (of various sizes)
Fimirs (their experiments in chaos alchemy has lead to genetic damage, and their race is becoming extinct because of it)
Gargoyles (natural creatures, they seek to dominate others but also obey the most powerful leader)
Trolls (natural creatures, they have healing abilities that alchemists have studied and developed medicine from)
Skaven (mutants, not controlled by chaos, creations of the Dwarves from warpstone experiments; they rebelled and escaped)
Sasquatches (Yeti are related)
Chaos creatures: Mutants, Sasquatches, Zombis, Beastmen (including Polar Warbears), Werewolves, Vampires and (technically) Chaos Warriors (men who have been enhanced by chaos alchemy for increased strength, and with alchemically infused weapons)
(not all of these are equivalent to "undead" there is a continuum of free will or control within them)
these are modified insectoids, Sasquatches, humans (or elves in some cases), animal human hybrids and more modified or enhanced humans.

Elementals (artificial, temporary automata)
Minotaurs (a natural creature)
Centaurs (a type of mutant but not controlled by chaos; a creation of Chaos alchemists that escaped)
Miremen (swamp creatures resembling tree men)
Elves
Dwarves (Elves and Dwarves, other than dragons, are the some of the oldest sentient inhabitants of the land)
"Men" (Barbarians, Amazons, Alchemists, Apothecary, Rangers, Paladins, Clerics, Mystics.... related to Elves, Dwarves and distantly Orcs)
Faeries
hyraxes (badgers specially bred by the Dwarves for tunneling through solid rock)
Giant Spiders
Giant Wolves
Giant Eagles
Giant Warthogs ("Warhog" ridden by monsters in battle)
Dragons ("water" and "fire" types; once the dominant lifeform on the planet, now very rare)
"chaos gods" (invaders from another world)

I don't make too many distinctions between types of Elves, Dwarves or Orcs, they just vary in culture by region or kingdom.
Elves like our classic elf are common and the Elven scientists tend to be apothecary or mentalists. Dwarves have their own science which they tend to infuse into weapons and armor.

I'm working on a rough draft backstory of this "world." Loosely based on the old Warhammer world, of course. The essence is that humans came to the world from our past. In our world we dreamed and wrote fantasy stories about elves and goblins and dwarves and things, while in their world, the elves, dwarves and goblins and things dreamt and told stories about men like those on earth. The alchemists of our world discovered unstable gateways to other worlds, and were taken there (setting back knowledge for us, and gifting the de-magicified world with their true talents). The forces of chaos entered the world in a similar way centuries earlier, when aliens came to the de-magicified world but were destroyed and their technology left behind to tempt beings of all kinds. Obviously the quests will determine what needs to exist in the world.

Tech:

In large part it tends to mimic that found on earth in the high to late middle ages with some notable exceptions...

giant spider silk (great for making cloth that's as strong as metal or just entangling someone in a net)
mithril (red variety resists fire and heat, while the white varieties resist all kinds of damage)
instant ice (many uses!)
symbiotes (lab grown)
portals (distort space and/or time)
mentalism (enhance your own mental constitution, or influence others)
alchemy (chemical and materials science; potions and gadgetry; infusion of elements into weapons & armor; includes apothecary herb lore)
elementalism (manipulation of elements related to atmospheric and weather phenomena)
holograms (audio/visual three dimensional recordings)
mutation (modify lifeforms to make them more compliant, more dangerous or enhance natural abilities)

I have since learned that "Morcar" was the name of an actual historical figure (involved in the famous Battle of Hastings). Nevertheless to pay tribute to the EU name of the evil wizard GM, I am making the youth prodigy who was going to be Mentor's successor as master of Loretome to be named "Morcarius Sigillus" who went by "Morcar" for short. When Morcar fled after failing to overthrow Mentor and take control of Loretome before his time, he joins up with others in the Chaos wastes and begins building his own rival Empire (with the Chaos Warriors, Orcs, etc), giving himself the name "Zargon," styling himself a master of Chaos. Mentor blames himself for the fall of his student and so refuses to give up his post, using the Elixir of Life to stay alive for centuries in their cold war. Zargon does the same, and has constructed his own version of Loretome based on illicitly copied schematics while he was under Mentor's tutelage.

[Kurgan]

Edit: Updated the image of Ogre Token backs. Really old typo there, oops!

[Kurgan]

So, while I'm not going for the "sci fi futuristic conversion" of the De-Magicified mod, I did see Reaper released some cool looking bones minis that are basically Terminator endoskeletons that could replace the skeletons in such a mod:

https://www.reapermini.com/search/50354 (under "CyberReavers" two different sets, and yes they have guns)

You could go full cyberpunk/deus ex pretty easily as there are lots of bionic people, hackers, etc in their collection (if sci-tech replaced magic). You could also go steam punk, etc. But leave that to others. For now I'm happy how this went (and I never had Space Hulk/Crusade and never really got into WH40K).

[Kurgan]

Inspired by the remake here's a sample of what I'm working on... The red dotted lines aren't in the final version.

See updated version below!

[Kurgan]

Here's what I've got so far...

[Kurgan]

Official "Rise of the Dread Moon" is out now and this remake makes "Skills" and "Alchemy" an important part of the gameplay canon. I like it!

[Kurgan]

The Warlock is actually a "pet" of the "chaos gods" (alien invaders from another universe) bonded to a half-ling magician. He broke his oath (the term means "Oath Breaker") of loyalty to his former masters. But they're all dead now, so he has nothing to fear... right?