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Advanced HeroQuest Re-Reforged

Version 1.81a (Dropbox) 

 Game Features

*An old-school tabletop dungeon crawler that preserves the essence and feel of Advanced HeroQuest as much as possible. It retains most of the original mechanics, so it plays more like the old classic than Reforged does. The system can be very flexible, so purists may simply omit most of the new content for an experience even closer to the original.

*The old flaws in the vanilla rules have been fixed. Issues like monotonous characters, repetitive combat tactics, 1/12-chance dice rolls, etc. are a thing of the past.

*Implementing an improved system of combat actions and feats ported over from AHQ Second Edition but added with a few twists that give them a new shine. For example, actions like change places and push (borrowed from Second Edition) now acquire more depth when combined with the doorway-exploit fix used in this revision and vice versa, turning some encounters into real tactical puzzles. Combat becomes even more varied as the adventurers gain experience and acquire new feats and skills.

*Intended for Reforged veterans looking for an upgrade. However, the example GM Play Sheet included makes it very easy to start playing right away if familiar with the vanilla game, as the basic rules are the same. I know that the size of the rulebook may be discouraging at first glance, but it’s not that difficult once the player gets familiar with Slev’s rules. Most of the new content is used only between expeditions, and the game doesn't require monster matrices or to-hit tables, so the new rules don’t slow down exploration and combat in any way, quite the contrary.

*Slev’s sheer selection of equipment and treasure is used, which I believe is the largest ever offered in an AHQ variant.

*More than 70 Abilities, 120 Heroic Feats, and 22 Heroic Skills for character customization, including Slev’s. I believe that’s more than in any other revision of AHQ.

*Bestiary with more than 400 ready-to-play entries, entirely compatible with the original PV scale implemented in the old classic and all the other variants out there except Reforged. I’m not aware of a larger bestiary for AHQ anywhere else.

*Solo-play oriented design. I haven’t yet found another commercial tabletop dungeon crawler that delivers the same sense of tension and unpredictability while playing solo.

 To-Do List

*Slev’s campaigns, equipment, magic, and treasure may still need to be revised extensively. For example, Reforged implements a lowered PV scale, so the WS, ST, and TH modifiers provided by some of its artifacts and spells may need to be adjusted accordingly. Also, Slev’s Enemy Loot Table may need some tweaks, considering the changes implemented in this revision.

*Slev’s bestiaries had to be redone and most of his PVs reassessed, and it’s still an ongoing process. There’re no canonical rules for determining the PV of each monster, so one has to proceed with imagination and common sense. The difficulty of the game is determined mostly by Common Enemies (which keep the original PV scale), not Elites and Characters, but some of their PVs may need further adjustments.

*More example Heroes and Henchmen are needed. Although this variant encourages the creation of characters from scratch, it’s always convenient to have a good selection of pre-made ones just in case.

*The Heroic Feats may need more playtesting to detect exploitable combinations and conflicts between them. The system is so mod friendly that more feats and skills can always be added, but I’d preferably look into the existing ones first.

*Although they perform reasonably well, it seems that some gameplay elements could use some work. I’m not particularly satisfied with Heroic Tokens as currency, for example, as I believe there could be even simpler ways more in tune with the original feel of the game. I’m still working on it.

*V1.81 moves toward the standardization of dice roll modifiers, making them easier to remember. However, there’s still work to do on the exploration tables.

*Some of the workings of this revision may still seem somewhat complex and/or complicated. I know it wouldn’t hurt to improve on simplicity and clarity in some parts.

*The presentation is still bare bones. I think it’s clear at this point that I’m more of a lawyer than a visual artist.

*Some of the text could use less wording and be rephrased for clarity, I know. I still struggle with English grammar sometimes, so please bear with me.

As usual, a detailed list of updates is included. Any feedback will be greatly appreciated.

AHQ-Revamping Squad’s Workshop 

Advanced HeroQuest Re-Reforged–as the title suggests–is a set of variant rules for Slev’s Advanced HeroQuest Reforged.

A variant of a variant, implemented as a mod. If I had to describe it in a few words, I would say it is essentially a cross between Reforged and AHQ Second Edition, with a heavy dose of our own house rules.

The project offers a revised version of Reforged (reimplementing most of the original AHQ mechanics while fixing the old issues) added with improved character-development and combat systems ported from Second Edition, all combined with our own modifications and adaptations from the other variants out there.

At the core level it retains most of the original game mechanics, so it plays more like Advanced HeroQuest than Reforged does. However, the recent implementations (working cohesively with Slev’s system) provide new options that spice up the experience considerably.

It is designed to be a tactical dungeon crawler, light and uncomplicated but varied and engaging at the same time. It is focused on exploring dungeons, fighting monsters, finding treasures, and developing your character(s) in a challenging environment.

 The game requires very few components and short set-up times, so the administration is relatively simple and agile even when controlling the whole party of adventurers. Also, we have not yet found another tabletop dungeon crawler that delivers the same sense of tension and unpredictability while playing solo. If we add all the customization options included and (of course) the nostalgia factor, we then have features rarely found together in a dungeon crawler these days.

This is a non-profit effort based on shared work. Our goal is to evolve Advanced HeroQuest to the level it deserves as an exceptional and unique dungeon-crawl system ahead of its time. We believe that Slev's revision came to boost the system's potential even further, but we don't agree with some of his design decisions. Nevertheless, his character-creation and matrix-scaling systems are very ingenious, and they are indeed solid foundations to build upon.

It is a work in progress, so the purpose of the attached document is to share what we have so far (as an open test version) in order to receive criticism that may be useful for its improvement. Any feedback will be greatly appreciated.

AHQ-Revamping Squad’s Workshop

The new Character Generation system is quite simple but turned out to be very flexible and prolific given the varied dice pool mechanic used. Literally thousands of combinations are possible by mixing just four basic attributes: Defense, Attack, Magic Resistance and Life Points.

This new system has been thoroughly described in our previous development update posted more than three months ago. Using the guidelines described there I was able to create a "universe" of 9,324 different combinations (see our Downloads section) from which I picked my 107 candidates for Advanced DR&D 2.0. 

Since we have thousands of specimens to choose from, there's a lot of room for adjusting and fine-tuning every one of the 107 monsters in the deck. Every one is unique and therefore different from each other. No version of Dungeon! has offered this vast array of monsters.

Could you find a better candidate for any of the 107 proposed monsters? The Monster Cards uploaded recently still require some work and polish. One can come up with their own choices within this "universe", and that´s the beauty of it

DR&D Project

After spending some time experimenting with the Character Creation system I've finally put together a first set of monsters for Advanced DR&D 2.0

The new Monster Cards deck will have 120 cards: 107 monsters and 13 traps. Traps will be discussed in an upcoming entry.  The deck includes the 79 original monsters from all versions of Dungeon! as well as 28 additional ones inspired in the D&D universe.

As you may see, there will be a few more monsters than the maximum required (80 rooms+18 creatures in 6 chambers=98 required monsters) I made this design decision expecting varied sets of monsters between games as well as rendering virtually impossible for the players to track which ones are left to appear, as few cards will always remain unused in the deck to the end of the game. I would love to hear your opinions on this matter.

The new system is quite simple but turned out to be very flexible and productive, given the varied dice pool mechanic used. Literally thousands of combinations are possible by mixing just four basic attributes: Defense, Attack, Magic Resistance and Life Points.

This new system has been thoroughly described in our previous Development Update published more than three of months ago. Using the guidelines described there I was able to create a "universe" of 9,324 different combinations as shown in the document attached, from which I picked my 107 candidates. No version of Dungeon! has offered this vast array of monsters.

Most of the monsters in DR&D resemble their Dungeon! counterparts and preserve their relative strengths and weaknesses between each other. However, specific attributes have been allocated and tailored to suit our own design, therefore they’re not always in harmony with the originals or their counterparts in the D&D universe, though I’m sure more adjustments and refinements will find their way into the final version.

Having exposed the above, here are the details of the new design and sorting patterns:

The monsters of DR&D are sorted into 3 levels: 1, 2 and 3.

Each level is divided into 3 LP Groups depending on their LP allocation (low, med or high)

Example: Level 1 includes monsters with 2, 3 and 4 LPs. Level 2 with 4, 5 and 6 LPs. Level 3 with 6, 7 and 8 LPs.

Every LP Group is divided into 3 Attack Strength Groups depending on their attack strenght (low, med and high).

Example: Level 1 monsters may attack with 2, 3 or 4 maximum hits, Level 2 monsters with 4, 5, 6 or 7 and Level 3 monsters with 8, 9, 10, 11 or 12.

The maximum hits possible for a monster come in different configurations. Obviuously some configurations will tend to hit more than others, therefore have been sorted in the same 25/50/25 pattern.

Example: 5 max hits may be completed either with 1 Red die and 1 Yellow die, or 1 Red die and 1 Orange oie, or 1 Red Die and 2 White dice and so on.

According to the above, the monsters are sorted in the following way (roughly):

25% of the monsters are Level 1
50% Level 2
25% Level 3

Whitin each level:
25% of the monsters are low (LPs)
50% are medium (LPs)
25% are high (LPs)

Whitin each LP group:
25% of the monsters are low (max hits)
50% are medium (max hits)
25% are high (max hits)

Whitin each Attack Strenght group:
25% of the monsters have low chance to hit
50% have medium chance to hit
25% have high chance to hit.

The rationale behind the design goes as follows:

There's only one deck of Monster Cards in DR&D, players have no control over the level of the monsters they'll face. This is an important deviation from the original Dungeon! where monsters are sorted according to dungeon levels so the adventures are able to simply choose the level they want to be in.

Taking the above into account and considering my own conception of how the game should play, I decided to privilege an average allocation, meaning that average (Lvl 2) monsters will be the most likely to appear at early stages of the game. Adventurers will start off relatively weak, I don’t want to make it too hard for them to obtain their first Lvl 2 (or 3) weapon, though I neither want the game to become too easy after getting it. This is the balance I´m looking for.

Also, one third of the monsters will perform magic attacks; this means that the Barbarian will be weak against 1/3 of the monsters in the new deck. This is a balance adjustment, the Barbarian won´t be the most powerful combat character all the time.

Besides, one third of the monsters have higher magic resistance so the Wizard will be weak against 1/3 of the monsters. Magic will be a powerful weapon in the game but some monsters will have higher magic resistance.

I’m still figuring if these two groups should be composed of different monsters or several of them could be concurring in both groups. 

DR&D is mainly a game of exploration, combat and random occurrences. If a very powerful monster is found early on, the adventurers will have the option to flee for a relatively low cost. Continuous exploration is rewarded but it could also help more powerful opponents looking for treasures, as the fleeing adventurer must reveal the monster he´s running from.

Since we have 9234 candidates to choose from there's a lot of room for adjusting and fine-tuning every one of the 107 monsters in the deck. No work is perfect though, so I’m sure that some improvements and revisions will be included in Advanced DR&D 2.0. 

This is an open test version, which means that it is subject to modifications and revisions until the final version is relased with Advanced DR&D 2.0. Every user may report any issue or suggestion regarding the design. Please feel free to submit your candidates as well as your corrections to the ones proposed in the files attached.  

Some new features in Advanced DR&D 2.0

-Print and Play. DR&D has become an unofficial PnP expansion; everything you need to play will be included.

- Simpler rules. The rulebook became thinner; rules are now mostly card driven so they’re more straightforward and easier to follow.

-Random Character abilities and powers. Each adventurer will play differently every time.

-Random Monster abilities and powers. Monsters will have different abilities and powers every time.

And there’s more coming...

What's DR&D?

Dungeon, Rings & Dragons may be categorized as a semi-coop or competitive multi-team adventure board game.

DR&D´s defining elements are adopted from Calabozo: La Aventura de los Anillos" (Dungeon The Adventure of the Rings) which is a Mexican version of Dungeon! Perhaps the sole multi-team specimen of it´s type.

This variant is based on the original gameplay from The Classic Dungeon, borrowing and blending elements from the Mexican "rings and dragons" version, HeroQuest, Advanced HeroQuest and D&D Fantasy Adventure Board Game, as well as other original novelties.

We´re looking for extra depth and strategy yet keeping things simple and beer/family friendly like in the original. That´s essentially the DR&D Project.

DR&D Project

As mentioned on previous entries, DR&D´s combat system is undergoing a serious revision.  After the release of DR&D Advanced1.0 more atention has been given to playtest and tuning, few sessions were enough to note some expected glitches and tweaks I need to implement, the main issue overall is that I might have given players too many Life Points, I had a moderately hard time killing enemy adventurers because of the defense dice scoring too many blocks, other than that (and considering I’m still working on spells and abilities) the system is playable enough.  I’m not entirely satisfied with the results nevertheless, although fairly consistent they´re still rough; I believe they can be fine-tuned a little further.

Having already started the project, the main and most important design decisions I faced were:

- Target DC or Dice Pool system? 

- Linear or Non-Linear Dice Pool?

I’m inclined towards the dice pool mechanic for a game like DR&D. I believe it´s more engaging for the players, allows a wide range of design options and varied results, which in turn could be counter-productive if not worked properly...tell me about it!

I always liked HeroQuest´s dice pool mechanic for a light dungeon crawl, I believe it to be simple, more engaging as the attacked player gets a defense roll and “fairer” as more dice represent a greater chance just like in real life.  I’m not going through all the details about these mechanics as plenty of information is available online, besides I’m sure many people will know what I’m typing about, however some revealing articles have been posted on our FB page, in case you´re interested.

After doing some research and playing around with a dice pool calculator (great tool btw) I have to admit two facts: statistics isn´t that boring after all, and the actual chances and probabilities in the current advanced version of DR&D are not quite the ones I was looking for. Even though our current combat system is customizable enough and tends to be consistent, since it´s D6 based and using a single type of dice the results and improvement options are limited.

I want the Warrior to hit harder but less accurately than the Elf for example. I want the defense ratings to be partly random by adding either a fixed +1 bonus or a 4/6 defense die for instance, and so on.

I´ve figured that increasing the number of dice in the pool just alters the probabilities in a disproportionately manner, also that a small and limited pool provides more manageable results and works well with slight bonuses and penalties. Also that DR&D is intended to be a beer and pretzels game after all, so combat must be fair, fast and lethal from my perspective, just a simple mechanism to resolve attacks with some certainty…..and some cool spells of course 

Further analysis revealed that a limited pool with varied target numbers on each die combined with bonuses and penalties could be the option I was looking for. I soon realized that the system I was seeking could be described as a mixture between HeroQuest, D&D Fantasy Adventure Board Game and Descent 2.0.

As far as I know, D&D FABG introduced this interesting yet simple system of using a limited pool with variations in target number. Assigning different custom results to the dice allows fine tuning and a wide range of customization. I have to point out that this system is originally a target DC pool system, so instead of comparing hits against defense dice results like in HQ, the attacking player must sum all his “swords” and compare against a  DC, the difference between the swords rolled and the DC is the damaged inflicted. There’re no defense dice rolled.

I´ve never played Descent 2.0 but thanks to FFG I was able to download the rules. Apparently it uses a similar system though just one (blue) “to-hit” die is used, it has an "X" on one of its sides, so if it´s rolled the attack is considered ineffective and the damage result is ignored. Maybe I’m missing something but, even though the game looks very promising, I’m not quite convinced by this mechanic. I believe some characters should have less to-Hit chance than others.

Taking the above into account, I want to share the first update on DR&D´s new combat system:

The combat mechanics remain almost exactly the same as in the previous version, though now the dice pool is limited to a maximum of three Attack and Defense dice respectively, plus the Special Action die. Dice come in different colors as shown in the following table:

According to this table, the maximum possible Hits with three purple dice are twelve (though very unlikely), while a maximum of six Blocks are possible rolling three blue dice. Of course we have to leave room for magical and ability bonuses. I believe the attacker should have a slight advantage, like in HQ where the attack dice have 3/6 chance of hitting and the defense dice have only 2/6 chance of blocking.

I’m trying to adjust the whole thing taking the Warrior as a basis, considering a 50/50 to-hit chance as standard and work from there, scaling accordingly. Let´s take the Warrior and Elf for example:

We can see that, while the Warrior has a better chance of delivering more powerful blows, the Elf has a higher chance of hitting, though with less damaging attacks.

Let´s now take a look at the Displacer Beast, a medium (yellow) level monster:



We can see that this monster may inflict a minimum of one and a maximum of five Hits and may block up to two. This way one can tweak the game and figure how monsters stack against adventurers and other monsters, considering the minimum and maximum hits they may inflict.

I have not yet worked a formula for obtaining the exact probabilities resulting from this system as I believe it involves more complex calculations. I ignore the exact probabilites resulting from the Warrior attacking the Displacer Beast for example, though close estimations are possible. I have to admit that my geekiness reaches alarming levels in some fields, but math never was my type of deal. In absence of a proper formula I´ve been working with approximations.

However, using a dice pool calculator I´ve been able to determine some of the average probabilities involved, which gives us a general idea of how the system works:

For example, rolling 3 white dice, the attacker faces the following probabilities:
1 Hit: 87.50%
2 Hits: 50%
3 Hits: 12.50%

Rolling 3 white dice, the defender has the following chances:
Block 1 hit: 70.37%
Block 2 hits: 25.93%
Block 3 hits: 3.70%

Rolling 2 white dice:
Block 1 hit: 55.56%
Block 2 hits: 11.11%

Those are the average white dice, same with HQ odds. I don’t need to be Einstein to interpret what the above mean. The pool is limited to three attack and defense dice respectively, which I believe keeps the results more consistent with the odds I’m looking for.

As you could see, those are pretty much the results you´d get under our current advanced version. I´ve decided to keep those standards as a base model and start tweaking from there.

Rolling 2 green dice:
Block 1 hit: 75.00%
Block 2 hits: 25.00%
(Almost the same as rolling 3 white dice)

Rolling 3 green dice:
Block 1 hit: 87.50%
Block 2 hits: 50%
Block 3 hits: 12.50%

The results are not that jumpy and tend to be predictable. However, I’m still looking for a formula to calculate the probabilities with combined target numbers in the pool, but the above gives us a general idea of the possible outcomes, and also a solid base to start from. Any help with the formula will be much appreciated and rewarded

Besides, another novelty are the special attacks, characters and new weapons will be given more powerful but risky special attacks, fumbles and negative effects will have a greater chance of occurring during these special attacks. They will be the subject of our next update.

That´s where we´re at right now. Any help, advice or suggestion will be much appreciated.

DR&D Project

In order to make life easier for our followers we´ve just uploaded a PDF file with all the DR&D cards.

This file should save considerable time if you want to try DR&D, no more messing with card making software, just print, cut and play!

I remind you that DR&D is still a work in progress, so please free to report any issue you may find, your suggestions will be greatly appreciated as well.

I’m pleased to announce the release of our advanced rules. DR&DAdvancedRulesV1.0 is hereby ready for download!

The game has been substantially transformed:

- New character Abilities and Special Powers: A new system of character customization has been implemented; it´s simple but allows a decent representation of a fantasy setting IMHO. Every team gets ten Fate Points at start, Abilities may be used freely but Special Powers will be available only by trading one Fate Point.

- Completely reworked combat system: Introducing a new “dice-pool” system. I tend to lean towards this type of combat system because it appears IMHO to be fairer, less random and more engaging for the players, besides I like rolling buckets of dice

- New Combat Actions, Non-Combat Actions and Special Actions. Actions like run and prepare attack are added.

- New treasures: Armour may be found as treasure, Elixirs now restore Life Points.

It’s still a work in progress, there´s yet tweaking and testing to be done. A new supplemental version with new Abilities and Special Powers as well as Optional Random Abilities and Weaknesses will hopefully be released later this month. We´re still working on the Project, and expect to focus solely on a few important issues now that this release has been posted.

In order to provide a brief description of our new combat system, below you´ll find a quote from our latest release:

“Character Attributes

 The game system allows 4 Character Classes: Warrior, Dwarf, Elf and Wizard. Each class has its own strengths and weaknesses. While some attributes are class fixed, other may be customized at start, see Appendix 1.

Attack Dice (AD): The number of dice the adventurer rolls every attack roll.

Accuracy (Acc): The result required on every AD to hit a target.

Defense Dice (DD): The number of dice the adventurer rolls every defense roll.

Block (B): The result required on every DD to block a hit on a Defense roll.

Defense Rating (DR): The required result to hit the monster or adventurer. It´s usually represented by two numbers; the first one in parenthesis is the required result on any of the AD to hit; the second is the number of those results the attacker must roll. For example: A target with DR (5) 1 means that the attacker must roll at least one 5 with any of his AD to hit.

Special Action (SA): The result required on the “wild” dice to perform a special action in combat.

Agility (A): Used to determine how hard the adventurer is to ambush or surprise.

Life Points (LP): Number of wounds the adventurer may suffer before dying.

Speed (S): Number of spaces the adventurer may move each turn.

Classes may be customized at setup. Each adventurer has a set of Abilities and Special Powers listed in their Character Cards, see Appendix 5. Abilities may be used as an Action during the adventurer´s activation and Special Powers may only be used by trading Fate Points.

Combat

DR&D introduces its own “dice-pool” system to resolve attacks. Combat is resolved by a single (and always one) roll from the attacker and one from the defender, each player will roll a number of dice according to their adventurers´ attributes, abilities and magical ongoing effects. Every adventurer has Attack Dice and Defense Dice ratings on his Character Cards, those represent the base number of dice they roll every time they attack or defend, respectively. The numbers may be increased or decreased during the game.

The Accuracy rating is the result required in every AD to hit. The Block rating represents the result needed on every DD to block a successful hit from an attacker. The Magic Resistance rating is the result needed on every DD to block a hit from a magic attack.

Results of 6 or 1 on any AD are considered critical hits or fumbles, correspondingly. Two Criticals in a single roll inflict double damage for every critical thrown in the roll, two fumbles in the same roll cause a Free Attack from the defender. If the attacker fumbles, he must end his activation and the Free Attack must be resolved immediately afterwards, with the possibility of generating a free attack of its own, and so on.

Additionally, one Special Action (or wild) Dice is added in a different color to each roll by attacker and defender. The Special Action rating on each Character Card is the required result an adventurer must roll on the wild dice to perform a special action during combat. If the attacker rolls the required result during an attack, he must complete the regular attack normally and the special action must be performed and resolved immediately afterwards.

Most monsters and every adventurer have a Defense Rating (DR) which is the required result to hit them. It´s usually represented by two numbers; the first one in parenthesis is the required result with any of the AD to hit; the second is the number of those results the attacker must roll. For example: A target with DR (5) 1 means that the attacker must roll at least one 5 with any of his AD to hit. A DR of ¨--¨ means that no special result is needed therefore every successful hit from the adventurer will damage. A DR with a (*) means the required result on one dice won´t be considered as critical damage. If the DR is not tackled then the attack is considered failed.

After the attacker has rolled his dice the defender (adventurer or monster) makes his roll, using the number of DD provided by the Character Card or Monster Card. The defender must use the Block or Magic Resistance ratings to determine which of his dice actually blocks damage from the (melee or magic) attack.

(...)

-Retreat: Any adventurer may retreat from a monster or dragon as an action during his activation. The adventurer must be inside a room or chamber with a monster or dragon in it, and must have attacked the creature in the past activation. The retreating adventurer must roll 3D6; he can retreat from a monster rolling 4-6 on 2 dice, but needs 5-6 on the same 2 dice to retreat from a dragon, if he fails he must terminate his activation and suffer a Free Attack from the creature! The retreating adventurer must observe the Movement rules above and he can´t make another action during the same activation.”

Please feel free to join in and drop some comments. Your feedback will be greatly appreciated.

 DRnD Project 

We announce the recent creation of a space dedicated to Advanced Heroquest within this website.

You will find the AHQ categories in this Blog, Forvm, Downloads and Photos pages.

I hope they can be of some use.

Yes, we also play AHQ!

DRnD Project now has its own Facebook Page which will feature news, links and information relevant to our purpose.

Please visit and like us on Facebook

After a long delay, despite real life adversities and scarce time, I finally publish the first DR&D Project´s release! BasicRulesV1.0 is now ready for download.

It´s evidently a work in progress, I´m aware that there´s still tweaking and testing to do, that´s precisely what we launched this site for in the first place

We´re currently in the process of testing this rules and some other ideas planned to be implemented as Advanced Rules. Updates will be relased as soon as development progresses.

Please feel free to join in and drop some comments, your feedback will be greatly appreciated.

DR&D Project