Repose of the Witch Lord or "How we broke Heroquest"

[chaoticprime]

So my players did something funny.

In 1.12, Barak Tor, they searching for secret doors in the starting room, and found the one leading into the Mummy/Wizard's Staff room. From there they found the next secret door leading out into the hall. They followed the hallway (destroying the gargoyle) and eventually found the dead-end secret door into the center room with the Star of the West in it. They then exited north, fought through undead, and made their way past the falling rock trap which then sealed them out. They went to the stairs, and that was that.

[knightkrawler]

Now, why did they do that? They could have proceeded...

[chaoticprime]

You remember that post where I talked about how I always killed the whole party at least one time on their first trip through that particular quest? They remembered it. They remembered it damn good.

[knightkrawler]

In that case, fraggle Me Rigid! It's funny, then...

[chaoticprime]

We played right after I'd whipped them in Talisman, too.

[Daedalus]

Seeing how the Parchment text of the next Quest starts with "You have awoken the Witch Lord!", I imagine simply removing the Star of the West from Barok Tor is enough to break the magic seal that has imprisoned him. Thanks a lot, Mentor! I hope the Emporer is happy with his new-found diamond. Waitaminute...is that a red, reversible underlining I see inside that black cape of yours?

[bastianbux]

Haha, yeah, I'd never considered what would happen if the Heroes completely avoided that room. Hm. I suppose I would do a Sir Ragnar style thing and and say that simply being in Barok Tor awoke the Witch Lord and place him and all the doors and furniture and monsters on the board.

[chaoticprime]

I responded by not having a 13th and 14th Quest.

[Ethica]

I responded by not having a 13th and 14th Quest.

That is fair enough. In fact, why wouldn't Morcar just wake the Witch Lord himself.

[Daedalus]

Because it's more amusing to reverse his cape and dupe the Heroes into doing his dirty-work as Mentor. Who do you think sent the Orcs against the Empire in the first place, necessitating the Quest? MWUA-HA-HA-HA-HA!