Rules for solo playing with no GM

[Patroclus]

I have made some rules for solo playing to test my missions or just to have fun. I post this to have your opinion and do some changes, or maybe fix some grammatical errors.

ps: If you give me feedback I’ll update this first post

The Combat

The enemies should always try to hit the hero with the less body points (the weaker hero), so when it is possible, the player must try to always cover his weaker heroes and left exposed the heroes he wants to take the attacks. If two or more heroes have the same body points, enemies should try to kill the most valuable hero(the one with the greater attack for example), and finally if nothing of this works you can roll a dice with equal possibilities. Of course the fans of warhammer quest could like the token solution, “the warrior counters”, where randomly you choose one token. Instead of tokens you could use dices or better the common playing cards (kings, queens, etc).

(House rule) If a hero has some extra bonuses for one round, from a spell for example, the enemies do not know this. So, you won’t count this bonus when you choose the weaker hero.

When you start a game you should always create the weaker hero sequence, by placing the hero cards from the weaker to the most “valuable”, and every time this changes re-place the cards in the right order.

This is the combat list of actions in sequence:
1. The enemies should always try to attack if they can. If they can’t reach any of the heroes they should just come closer.
2. If you have to choose one between two or more monsters to attack a hero, you should choose the most powerful and with the most HP.
3. Run and Hit, Hit and Run: If they are far they will come adjacent and hit. If they are adjacent they will hit and go far. If they have long range weapons, they will move as far as they can.
4. Weaker Sequence: The monsters are attacking the hero with the less HP. If two or more heroes have the same HP, they will choose the most “valuable” hero (each player has his own preferences). In calculation remove the supporting spells.
5. Trap Magnet: If there is a trap, monsters likes to stay adjacent to it. When they are very far from heroes, it won’t go away from trap but wait until heroes come close and fall in.

The Exploration

1. Choose your path, roll 1d6. With 1 you go to the other.
2. For secret doors, roll 1d6. With 1 you forget to search.
3. For special items, if you want it, don’t leave the board until you find it.
4. For traps, roll 1d6. With 1 you fall in.

The Traps

You don’t have to search for traps in every room when you know the map and that there is nothing, but there are two kinds of traps. Those which are placed for you to fall in, and those which are far and have to chose paths to go there. When you make your choices and it is obvious that you have a possibility to activate a trap you should roll 1d6 and if you score 1 you fall in. For example, it is not obvious if there are monsters, the trap is in a corner of the room and the monsters are not adjacent to it, except you have a crossbow. There is a possibility to fall in when you are a melee hero and the trap is adjacent to a monster or the trap is on your path to reach the monster. But feel free to decide on your own what is "obvious" and what is not.
1. If the hero uses a melee attack in the round or walk closer to his target and between him and his target is a trap in a possible path he may choose, should roll the 1d6, except if he doesn't want to move at all.
2. If a hero uses a ranged attack in the round and there is a trap with no monsters adjacent to it, should roll the 1d6, except if he doesn't want to move at all or his moving score is not enough to reach the trap.
3. If there is more than one trap, you should roll 1d6 for each.
4. After you have activate a trap, of course you know where it is and you don’t have to roll again. If there is more than one trap, you should keep rolling the dice.

The Secret Doors

You don’t have to search for secret doors in every room when you know the map and that there is nothing. Each room can be searched only from one hero. If you have explore all the map and there is no other way to keep going you should instantly reveal the secret door for the heroes without searching to continue their quest.

[Von Necron]

Some one else posted like a month ago about tactics each monster used. I don't remember who or which thread. But skeletons relentlessly attacked first person they saw, zombies attacked closest. I don't remember the others but I would have goblins go for weakest, chsos warriors go for strongest to show their martial pride.

[LordZeke]

Yah I thought i remembered something like this.
My suggestion would be to build some tactic cards similar to what is used in the dungeons and dragons board games. This would give some diversity to your encounters.

I have been thinking alot about figuring out a way to play hero quest without a GM, as my group tends to be 4 people.
Somethings that would have to be accomplished:
- Monster Tactics
- A way to handle traps
- A way to a secret doors
- Treasures... you could just use the treasure deck but for "scenario" treasure you would have to come up with a way of handling it.
- Rooms... if you use the standard map or if you used the "random" rooms, right now rooms are different sizes, might have to standarize a base tile size and varry the rooms on those tiles..

Another out of the box idea, place each "room" on a seperate sheet so the set up of each room can be kept secret...

Things to ponder.

I would think there would be a lot of randomizer

[Patroclus]

The random maps are not my favorite. I like to play a game like I am playing an adventure. Quests with a start and an end, like Heroquest’s missions, where a person created them and put things for a purpose, and that makes you feel great when you make smart choices and choose the right path. I’ve played games with random encounters and are not bad, but I think the Heroquest is the best because of his quests.

These rules are made to test the quests I make and see if they are too hard or very easy. The tactic cards are not bad. I like the idea where the goblins prefer to attack the dwarfs, etc, but this is an advanced mod, and I don’t want to make the HQ more advanced. I tried to turn the common moves we all do when we are playing the GM to rules.

For example, when I am a GM, I always try to hit the one with the less Body points. That’s why I put the rule of “weaker sequence”.

The fact is that you already know the map, and you know the right and the wrong choices. That’s why I put the rule of 1 to 6, where you choose the right choice but if you score 1, you take the other. It is very fast and simple and too realistic when sometimes you take the wrong way.

For example, you know that the room has a secret door, but if you score 1 on the six-sided, you will “forget” to search and you should continue without searching!

If you want to play a game without knowing the map, the best choice is the HQGM program, but you could keep my combat rules if you like. The excel sheets are not a bad idea, but I prefer the HQGM which is a lot easier to use.

[Daedalus]

What does a monster do if the weakest Hero is beyond a monster's movement, but in line of sight? Will it instead attack another Hero that is within its movement range? I assume rule 1 supercedes rule 4, and this is the case. Maybe reword rule 1 a bit to make this more clear.

Under rule 5- Trap Magnet, shouldn't a monster revert to rule 1 and move to attack if it was attacked by a Hero with a spell or missile attack?

For exploration, does each Hero roll 1d6 for a secret door, or is only the first Hero entitled to search (and fail)? Consider clarifying.

If your willing to complicate things a little when deciding the weakest Hero, add a Hero's defend dice to his Body Points. Seems to me a Dwarf with a helmet, shield and 3 Body Points is more formidable than an Elf with just 4 Body Points. This ignores offensive power of the Hero, so it doesn't account for everything- but it is still fairly simple.

Attacking just the weakest creature seems really brutal for Hero Quest, which is an interesting way to play things. Another complication to mod this into a more generalized style of play would be to adjust the weakest Hero's Body Points by +1 for each monster attacking it. Perhaps a monster or two would choose to ignore a Hero it already considers as doomed and seek status by attacking another threat instead.

I don't know if the latter suggestions are of any use, as they may conflict with your streamlined approach. Overall, things appear to work nicely as is. I was going to suggest you use the character cards for randomly choosing a Hero until I read you are already using them to track the weakest Hero. Two game sets would allow for both tasks, however.

[torilen]

I've looked over the posts so far, but my mind is on
other things right now. Sorry.
BUT - to add my two cents right now, he are some
thoughts, based on what I have taken in during my brief
reading:
1 - come up with a brief story line, and think up a few
boss characters the heroes will have to fight - put them
in order of when the fight will come.

2 - start by rolling a few dice to see how many rooms
there should be total for the quest.

3 - start with the heroes in a room with one door. When
they exit the door, roll to see if there are any monsters.
Also, roll to see if there is a block in the hallway and
just make a decision how far down it will be. Then roll
to see how many doors the characters see.

4 - roll 1 red die for each monsters' attack: 1-2 =
attack barbarian, 3-4 = attack dwarf, 5 = attack elf,
6 = attack wizard.

5 - for each new room, roll to see if there are monsters,
have a table for the monster type and numbers, and roll
on the table if there are monsters in the room.

6 - make a table for treasure found, as well, or if the
hero would simply draw a treasure card. Some treasures
may be specified for the story line, if you like.

7 - when you get to the last three or four rooms (based
on the number of rooms you rolled at the start), begin
rolling to see if the boss monster shows up.

.......

Just some ideas. If you like, I can organize and expand on
these - just wanted to put them out there for now. I'm going
to go work on other things, for now.

[Patroclus]

Very interesting Torilen. A random generated map is a good idea, but it is not what I want to do right now. Though, when I am creating quests there are always some rooms where I just say “this should be an easy room”, or “a hard room” and if I had some monstrous tables could be very useful.

[Patroclus]

What does a monster do if the weakest Hero is beyond a monster's movement, but in line of sight? Will it instead attack another Hero that is within its movement range? I assume rule 1 supercedes rule 4, and this is the case. Maybe reword rule 1 a bit to make this more clear.

Exactly… If the monster cannot reach the Wizard with the 4 Body points, it will try to attack the next in the “weaker sequence”. I do some changes in the rule 1.

Under rule 5- Trap Magnet, shouldn't a monster revert to rule 1 and move to attack if it was attacked by a Hero with a spell or missile attack?

Yes, he will attack
My English does not help a lot on this. I wrote “monsters likes to stay adjacent to the trap”. I use the word “likes to” because they won’t have to do it. They just feel safer if they are adjacent to a trap. The rule 1 makes them want to come closer and attack, but the next turn, when they are adjacent to a hero they will “Hit and Run” back, and then they will choose a square adjacent to the trap so the heroes should roll the 1d6 if they choose to attack him. Maybe, it is better to say “monsters likes to be adjacent to the trap” or better you could help me to say it, lol.
The range attackers have a little problem here. If a player is a mage and won’t use any ranged attack in its round you can count him as a melee. But if a hero uses a ranged attack, if someone follows exactly what I say, he should roll 1d6 each round even if the trap is adjacent to a monster, which obviously no range hero will choose to go adjacent to a monster to do a ranged hit. It is unfair. I should make an exception. “If a hero uses a ranged attack in the round and there is a trap with no monsters adjacent to it, should roll the 1d6, except if he won’t want to move or the moving score is not enough to reach the trap”. “If the hero uses a melee attack in the round or walk closer to his target and between him and his target is a trap in a possible path he may choose, should roll the 1d6, except if he won’t want to move”. “If there is more than one trap, should roll 1d6 for each”

For exploration, does each Hero roll 1d6 for a secret door, or is only the first Hero entitled to search (and fail)? Consider clarifying.

I should write more... “each room can be searched only from one hero. If you have explore all the map and there is no other way to go you can reveal the secret door for the heroes without searching to continue their quest”

If your willing to complicate things a little when deciding the weakest Hero, add a Hero's defend dice to his Body Points. Seems to me a Dwarf with a helmet, shield and 3 Body Points is more formidable than an Elf with just 4 Body Points. This ignores offensive power of the Hero, so it doesn't account for everything- but it is still fairly simple.

Yes, it is very important to keep it simple. I am afraid that a more complicated system could ruin everything. Yes, a Dwarf with a helmet and a shield is a real tank, and you are right, but in Heroquest one good roll in an attack and one bad in defense could be fatal for everyone, so I think the Body points are enough to do the job. If you try it my way you’ll see that it is very easy to keep the “weaker sequence” without wasting a second, and you will only focused on tactics, to give to the heroes the right position for covering or to do the most damage, etc.

Attacking just the weakest creature seems really brutal for Hero Quest, which is an interesting way to play things. Another complication to mod this into a more generalized style of play would be to adjust the weakest Hero's Body Points by +1 for each monster attacking it. Perhaps a monster or two would choose to ignore a Hero it already considers as doomed and seek status by attacking another threat instead.

You are right again. Sometimes a GM can’t show always his bad face, and charge every time the Wizard. When I am playing as GM I am pissed off when I see wizards in the first line of battle, and I usually charge on them, but sometimes I choose the closest hero, or I split the enemies equally. Though, don’t forget that we are talking for a solo game where you play all the heroes and you handle them as a cooperative team. You do not care if someone is always the target. By the way, this never happens, because at start you try to cover the wizard, but after some rooms, the barbarian has lost 3-4 Body points, and dwarf too. Then you will see that the barbarian turns to the weakest hero, and you try to cover him. But if someone wants to have a more tactical game when it is hard to know his weakest hero, and this changed during zargon’s turn then the rule of Body Point + Attacking Monster is an excellent choice. Maybe I should add this as an advanced option.

I don't know if the latter suggestions are of any use, as they may conflict with your streamlined approach. Overall, things appear to work nicely as is. I was going to suggest you use the character cards for randomly choosing a Hero until I read you are already using them to track the weakest Hero. Two game sets would allow for both tasks, however.

Your suggestions are great and very helpful. I already did a lot of changes. Thnx Daedalus

[el_flesh]

Or, with only 4 players, I would always have a DM - because I think his decisions are needed in a game.
To make up for the heros you could :

#1) Give control of the wizard to everyone in the team - so each player (in turn) does something with the wizard every 3 turns.
#2) Make the three players that stay more powerful with custom artifacts & more potions.

[Patroclus]

Or, with only 4 players, I would always have a DM - because I think his decisions are needed in a game.
To make up for the heros you could :

#1) Give control of the wizard to everyone in the team - so each player (in turn) does something with the wizard every 3 turns.
#2) Make the three players that stay more powerful with custom artifacts & more potions.

The role of GM is very important. Even with two players in my opinion the one should be the GM. These rules are made only for 1 player without GM.