Enhanced Advanced Heroquest - Spells during exploration?

[BubbaBobba]

I agree that shooting through friendly players needs to be possible. I already find the ranged combat quite limited since the game doesn't allow move & shoot..
Things might even get worse once the heroes bring along some henchmen who will block the LOS aswel.. So using the obscured penalty is a great way to fix this.
We're playing our next part of the campaign tomorrow night. Will be implementing this rule aswel.

I'm glad you found this useful, I think in large open areas like what I've been experimenting with (12x12 and up to 24x24) the issue is far less problematic, but in close quarters I just don't see how ranged units are viable when you have so many figures in a single room.

[BubbaBobba]

Thanks for the reply RECIVS,

I'll preface this by saying while I have skimmed through a fair chunk of reforged and also some of rereforged, I'm not fluent in all the changes and systems introduced so I have likely addressed some issues already dealt with across other rewrites of AHQ.

I'm still new to the game overall so I'm quite enjoying just playing Enhanced Advanced with some of my own house rules and using the premade mats. The exact mats I'm using are the loke books of battlemats (towns and taverns and dungeons). These allow for 12x12 and up to 24x24 playfields, some with many rooms already drawn in and others are more sparse. So far I am really enjoying the variety they bring and including the baked in scenery to affect line of sight.

The way I deal with reinforcements is to have them either appear from the stairs if they aren't blocked or to come from. Another entry point on the map which has worked well for me so far. I have been only rolling for reinforcements if the number of enemy units are equal or less than my own.

My comment regarding stat management was simply that while the mana system I came up with is appealing, I can't be bothered having to constantly manage resources etc when casting spells. I like the simplicity of the tremors system and while it makes short battles easier, the longer more drawn out battles can be more tense. Again, I'm sure as I play more my feelings on this will change.

As for enemy Placement and surprise I'm still not 100% sold on any one fix as of yet. Is the new version of slevs where the heroes are scattered in different directions? I spent last night experimenting with my own rule that basically (simple version) states that if heroes lose surprise they are randomly placed on the map using the two room axes and dice to plot them. You may then move each hero 1 square in any direction and then place all enemies based on the 1 on 1 rule. If enemies lose surprise they are placed in this same manner, swapping sentries and ranged enemies positions where appropriate and the heroes then move in 1 by 1 to attack (abiding by their speed stat and not ignoring death zones), or can flee if they wish. There are some other rules regarding rolling 1s and 12s but they are still being considered. I will continue to playtest this Ruleset and compare it to your own fix an any others that pop up in my readings. So far I like the random nature of this system but I can see how others may no like it.

As I play all my games solo, I try to incorporate rules which add randomness and remove my own agency from the GM role as to give myself the feeling that I'm not in control at all.

My other comment regarding suspension of disbelief was merely stating that in order to enjoy any other these 'fixes' or mods to the existing gameplay, we need to suspend out disbelief and try and just accept that we are playing a fantasy game and not everything will always make sense, in the same way as when you watch a film you do this also.