Quest 9 - The Stone Hunter

"The Emperor's personal Wizard, Karlen, has disappeared. The Emperor fears that either he has been murdered or succumbed to the lures of chaos magic. You are to find out what has happened to Karlen and, if he is alive, bring him to safety. You will be paid 100 gold coins each upon returning."
Mentor

Four Heroes enter the dungeon where Karlen was last reported seen. There have been no extra weapons purchased since we last saw these guys. Bretal the Elf has a lot of gold but he decided to save it up for a crossbow. My early decision to increase the cost of all equipment seems to be paying off, seeing as the Heroes are finding things quite easy and the last thing Morcar needs is these guys getting their hands on powerful weapons.
I know this quest too well to play as a Hero, so I took on the role of Morcar for this, with a new player slipping in to the skin of Rend the Barbarian. I changed the quest ever so slightly to throw off anybody else who may have had prior knowledge of the layout.

The first three rooms are eerily empty of life. Multiple treasure searches throw up no gold, but potions for each of the Elf, Dwarf and Wizard. Concoctions brewed by Karlen himself perhaps?

Still no sign of life as such, just these rattling undead monstrosities. Rend and Bretal send them back to the grave with no problems.

In the next room, two more skeletons slowly and jerkily raise themselves from the cold stone floor. This time it is Grimgold the Dwarf and Merkai the Wizard who despatch them. One kill for each of the adventurers so far!

The Barbarian finds another of Karlen's brew's (potion of resilience) wheilst the elf finds a trap in the lower corridor...

...but promptly falls into another one in the next room.

Grimgold defeats the latest skeleton, but the true spoils go to the Wizard; A gleaming suit of Borin's armour! This is the best artefact found so far (granting two extra defence dice to the wearer) and the other Heroes get rather upset that they didn't get to it first.

Bretal climbs out of the pit only to be attacked by a wandering monster, losing another Body Point. The Heroes quickly put aside their jealousy and attack the Mummy from all sides, hacking it to bits. This collegial behaviour is a far cry from the selfishness of earlier quests, much to my (Morcar's) annoyance.

 The Heroes backtrack to the centre of the dungeon, Merkai using Swift Wind to close the distance quickly (its always nice to see this spell used). Once there, the hapless Dwarf blunders into a horrible situation in which he is trapped between two hulking stone guardians. Their stone fists slam into his body, leaving large dents in his armour. In return, his axe does no damage on the moving statues.

Merkai tries to come to his friends aid, casting Fire of Wrath on one of the creatures. I roll a black shield and defend against the attack, laughing that stone monsters don't burn particularly well.
Grimgold retreats to allow healthier Heroes to have a go; Rend flexes his mighty muscles and pushes one of the guardians over, where it smashes on the floor!
Bretal uses his agility to unbalance the other, which also breaks apart.

The ordeal isn't over however, as two more of the creatures stand guard in the other corners around the centre room.
The Wizard makes a better spell selection this time, using a Genie to demolish one of them. Meanwhile, Bretal takes advantage of the slowness of the other and also bests it.

Shaken but not killed, the party continues. Grimgold finds a pile of gold coins beneath a creaking oak table. He loses one turn, grasping at the coins on all fours.

Another dire foe awaits in the next room, a gargoyle in stone form.
Rend selflessly blocks the doorway and fights the creature alone (you wouldn't catch me doing that if I was still playing the Barbarian).
The gargoyle is defeated but Rend drops to just 3 Body Points. However, the grateful Wizard uses Water of Healing to revive the heroic warrior.

 They are getting closer to Karlen, but chose the wrong door and disturb yet more dangerous foes...

Clad in his new magical armour and feeling tough, Merkai goes toe-to-toe with this mummy. The monster (a metal oldhammer mini) is destroyed without him even having to resort to using a spell.

The illiterate Barbarian finds some gems on the bookcase. "Blimey, books are useful after all!", he snorts, as the wizard rolls his eyes.

Finally, quest's end is reached. Bretal enters a sorcerer's laboratory and slays a zombie dressed in tattered robes which bear the insignia of the Emperor himself. Notes on the desk leave the party in no doubt that the zombie was once Karlen, enticed by the dark powers and consumed by a chaos spell! Good riddance to bad rubbish, sneer the pious Heroes.

I inform the Heroes that the chest in the room can only be opened with a toolkit, which none of them possess. Even the crafty Dwarf has no trouble with the lock. I had devised this rule hoping that one of the players would then opt to buy a kit. A bit devious perhaps, especially as they lost out on 200 gold, but they will really need a toolkit at some point and I'm just giving them a little nudge (their lives might even depend on it hahahaha).
A nice quest but we are still none the wiser as to who or what the 'stone hunter' is. Was is Karlen himself, who perhaps created those magical stone guardians, or maybe the hero who defeated them and completed the quest? Answers on a postcard please...

For those interested, the mini's I used for the stone statues are from Doctor Who. I bought them originally to use as statues in wargames, but thought they would go well in this quest. They had these stats - Move 6, Attack 4, Defend 4, Body 2, Mind 1.

The Shape-shifters

This is new quest that I have been working on. I doesn't yet fit in with the ongoing adventures described so far on the blog, but I might add it in to the story someday...

"Garblox Gorehammer, who calls himself the Goblin King, has laid siege to the Imperial city of Talabheim with a huge army of greenskins. The Emperor's northern army has been obliterated by the goblins, and in his desperation he has pleaded with you, his greatest Heroes, to somehow lift the siege. If you can get to the Goblin King and slay him, there is a small chance that the alliance of orc and goblin tribes might fall apart. To this end, you have travelled across a fire-ravaged countryside to reach Talabheim. Many thousands of Greenskins now surround the city, and even worse, the key fortification commanding it from the heights to the south, has already fallen. The goblins have moved their machines of war into the fort and are even now lobbing fiery death into the screaming city. Talabheim has only a few hours left to survive, so we must act immediately. The Emperor's wizards have placed a shape-shifting spell upon each of you, magically disguising you as goblins. The spell should last long enough to get you through the siege-lines and into the fort, and possibly longer. Make your way up to where Garblox holds court. If luck is on our side, the confusion within the enemies ranks may give us a chance against huge numbers. Do not try to fight them all. Speed and subterfuge are your greatest allies now".


Notes and special rules for this quest
- This quest is for experienced Heroes that have completed at least the basic quests.
- All four Heroes start the game in 'goblin form'. Use a suitable model to represent the Hero, until he changes back to his usual form.
- You will also need Giant Wolves and Ogres for this quest, plus lots of orcs and goblins. If you don't have these models just use something else.
- Whilst in goblin form they have all their usual stats, abilities, spells and equipment. The shape-shifting spell is simply a magical glamour that has been placed on them that makes them look just like goblins. They are safe from attack whilst they remain in this magical disguise, and may search for secret doors and traps even in the presence of monsters. They may only search for treasure if there are no monsters in the same room, regardless of which form they are in.
- The only way that a hero loses his shape-shifting disguise is if he rolls a double during his movement roll. If a double is rolled that Hero, and only that Hero, immediately reverts to his usual form, and may then be attacked by monsters on Morcar's turn as usual.
- However, if a Hero rolls double for movement, he may chose to lose 2 Mind Points, and stay in goblin form. This represents the strain placed on the Hero's psyche by trying to hold onto the effects after the magic should have "naturally" dissipated.
- The Evil Wizard player must always allow Heroes in goblin form to pass through squares occupied by his monsters, and if ALL of the Heroes in a room or corridor are in goblin form, he may not move ANY of the monsters in that room or corridor.
- If a Hero attacks a monster whilst he is in goblin form, he gains the benefit of complete surprise and the monster rolls no defence dice against the attack. The Hero remains in goblin form, but all monsters within the same room or corridor will know that something is up and can attack the Hero as normal. If the Hero manages to reach another room or corridor and he is still in goblin form, any new monsters encountered will be fooled by the disguise as before.


A - The Heroes enter here. The gate was smashed down by the greenskins during their assault yesterday and the corridor is full of corpses of the Imperial soldiers.
B - This is a courtyard inside the fort. The walls of the fort rise up steeply on all sides. If a Hero in goblin form passes by a giant wolf, inform that player that the wolf gives him a good sniff, but then ignores him.
C - All of the goblins in this room are armed with spears. The weapons rack is empty.
D - This orc has one hand poised over a lever that will trigger a rolling boulder trap (from the square marked with an arrow). If the orc see's a Hero who is not in goblin form, he can release the boulder on Morcar's turn. It rolls using two red dice and hits all figures in its path with 5 attack dice, which may not be defended against. If a Hero can kill the orc before it releases the boulder, the Hero may himself choose to trigger the trap by standing in the square that the orc was in and using one action.
E - This is a rocky ledge on the north side of the fort which overlooks the city. From here the Heroes can see the burning houses and the inhabitants of Talabheim running for their lives. Of more pressing concern however is the hail of goblin arrows now hurtling towards the Heroes from an overlooking turret. Each Hero on the ledge that is not in goblin form is attacked with 5 combat dice, which may be defended against normally.
F - This is the chamber of Boil-face, a Goblin shaman. He stands on the X - move 10, attack 3, defend 4, body 4, mind 4. He has the spells Summon Greenskins, Cloud of Chaos & Command. In addition, as a magic user he is more likely to detect a magical deception. Morcar may roll one die for each Hero that enters the room in Goblin form. If the result is lower than Boil-face's Mind Point score, the shape-shifting spell is permanently ended and the Hero must revert to his ordinary form.
The chest contains the artefact Ring of Return.
G - These are the archers that were firing at the Heroes whilst they were on the rocky ledge. They are all armed with short-bows.
H - The torture rack represents an orc war machine that is flinging flaming missiles down into the city. The Heroes should slay the orcs manning the machine.
I - There is potion of healing on the table (4 BP).
J - Garblox Gorehammer, King of the Goblins, stands on the square marked X - move 8, attack 4, defend 5, body 5, mind 4.
If Garblox is slain, tell the players that they may hurl his body from a window in the room, down into the goblin camp below. The sight of their King's broken body will cause the greenskin army camped outside Talabheim to start fighting amongst themselves, or else retreat from the city walls. The Imperial city is now safe. However, the Heroes will still have to find a way out of the fort, dealing with any monsters that lie between them and gate A (unless they have the Ring of Return).
K - These treasure chests contain the Goblin King's loot. Each chest contains 150 gold coins, but is also armed with a spear trap.


Wandering monster - Giant wolf

Quest 8 - Legacy of the Orc Warlord

"Ulag's foul offspring, Grak, has sworn revenge on those who killed his father. Although it has taken him several months, he has finally tracked you down and captured you in an ambush. Now you are held prisoner in his dungeons while he racks his brains to devise a terrible punishment for you. While the guard sleeps, however, you manage to pick the lock of your cell with an old rat bone. you must find your equipment and escape".


Continuing with our alternating of the basic quests with two different groups of Heroes, it is Sir Ragnar and his chums who take on this quest. After all, it was this group that slew Ulag a few quests ago, and should therefore be the subject of Grak's revenge. This would be another quest where I, as the Evil Wizard, would have to try hard to get the game balance right. The worth of this Hero group is in the weapons and armour that they carry; with these items taken from them by Grak's minion's, I was worried that with their low body points they would get wiped out before they could find them again. I hoped this would be counterbalanced by the fact that their were 5 Heroes, and the wizard Zaphod eventually having access to better spells than last time (more on that later).


Sir Ragnar can hardly believe his bad fortune, having been captured and imprisoned AGAIN! Whilst he grumbles at his men crammed into the cell with him, Sneeks quietly picks the lock and pushes open the door. Garmin follows him out and strangles the sleeping goblin with his bare hands.

In what is quite a surprise for me, the Heroes decide to split up, reasoning that they would be more likely to find their equipment. Sir Ragnar and Garmin head left from their cell...

...whilst the other three Heroes interrupt an orcish feast in the centre room. Uh oh, that's a lot of monsters.

It was at this point that a dispute broke out at the gaming table. Somehow I had forgot to inform the wizard player that as well as missing all their equipment, spells could not be cast until Zaphod found his items. A bad error on my part. The players suggested that we waive that rule and allow Zaphod to use his spells, but I ruled that we should stick to the quest notes.

In another surprising act by the Hero players, they decided to actually run into the room with all the monsters, rather than their usual tactic of waiting at the door. They reasoned that with only one combat die each in attack, they would need more Heroes in combat to actually do any damage. Thankfully, Sarymoor managed to kill one of the orcs, and lost only one body point to the Fimir in my counterattack. This made me feel a bit better about forgetting to tell the players a crucial rule earlier.

Meanwhile, Sir Ragnar finds a cupboard containing all their weapons! What's more, its unguarded.

Which leads to a mad dash of the Heroes out of the centre room towards their equipment, with the monsters close on their heels.

Sneeks manages to hold off the monster congo line, losing only one body point in the process. This allows time for the heavy-hitters Ragnar and Garmin to rush down and kill the monsters one by one in the corridor. The Heroes were rolling very well, whilst my monsters could barely hit anything. They must have been drinking as well as eating in the big middle room.

With the small horde of greenskins defeated, Ragnar returns to the now empty feasting room and finds a stash of 60 gold coins on the table, in amongst all the empty flagons.

By now the other Heroes have collected their equipment and trekked right around the board. This poor goblin guard, sandwiched between 5 Heroes, never stood a chance.

Another Fimir roars a battle cry. This room was to be where the Heroes would be tortured and executed, at least in the plans held in the mind of the foul Grak.

Another angle showing the "new" torture rack. As with many of my 30 year old Heroquest pieces, the rack had pieces missing, so I added two new handles and a new skull.

Whilst Ragnar and Sarymoor take on the Fimir, Sneeks has moved around to the long south corridor, and is now confronted with an orc sentry armed with a crossbow!

With Sneeks not having enough movement to reach the orc, Zaphod Swiftspell puts himself in between them and casts Shape Shift on himself, taking on the form of an orc. The confused crossbow orc cannot now fire at either Hero on his turn. The spell card does say that the monstrous appearance occurs on the casts next turn, but seeing as it was such a clever use of a spell by a player, and as I still felt guilty about not informing this wizard about his loss of spells earlier, I decided to allow it immediately.

The real orc decides to retreat further down the corridor, hoping to stay out of range of the Heroes movement.

The view from the other end of the corridor.

Sneeks can't cover the distance to the orc, so ducks inside the doorway into an empty room. Living up to his name, I feel. The crossbow orc fires at Zaphod, who has now reverted back to his human form, causing two body points worth of damage.

The Heroes are hoping that Sarymoor can reach the long corridor to lend a hand with his own crossbow, but he keeps rolling very low for movement.

Another view of the converted orc crossbowman (from a Warhammer 40,000 model!).  This orc continued to retreat and caused another two hits on my turn, this time on the swordsman Garmin. Garmin eventually killed the monster marksman, but like Zaphod was now down to just two body points.

Sir Ragnar easily swots aside two more goblins.

On the next turn the Heroes find the stairway exit from the dungeon. However, their escape is blocked by Grak and his coterie of greenskin guards.

The only changes I made to this quest (other than using different Heroes of course) was to add a few more monsters to this room and giving the crossbow to the orc in the corridor. I decided to make these changes before the game started, as I don't really like to make changes during play (it's a slippery slope for me to cheat!).

Sir Ragnar, fearless leader that he is, charges in and kills the first orc. Sarymoor tries a shot at Grak through the doorway, but misses. Meanwhile Sneeks opens the other door and outflanks the greenskins. Garmin, seriously wounded, decides not to join the fray, but the brave Zaphod enters the room in order to cast Psychedelic Flash. Not surprisingly, the half-blind monsters do no damage on Morcar's turn. Grak howls in mad frustration. Not only has his prey escaped their cell, he can't even strike at them!

Sir Ragnar then kills Grak (pictured below), before my new model even has a chance to roll any attack dice. What a disaster for Morcar!

 Zaphod then casts one of his new spells, Distract Enemies. It works better than anyone could have hoped, with the two orcs targeted killing each other on Morcar's turn!

It is then a simple matter of the other Heroes slaying the two remaining goblins, and the quest is over.

The Heroes win again, but even I have to admit that they deserved it for their great use of spells and tactics throughout. I had decided ahead of time NOT to use the stats for Grak from the American version of the game, which made Grak into a spell-caster. That would have been fun for me, but it probably wouldn't have been fair on the Heroes (who only have Zaphod and his 6 spells in their group).

I'll just have to enact my revenge next time........

The Tyrant's Tomb - a Solo Quest Pack

The Tyrant's Tomb is a solo quest pack that I'm working on, based on the Heroquest novels by Dave Morris. It has new Heroes, and won't run alongside the main campaign I'm running on this blog.

Centuries ago the Demon Kyrax was bound by wizardry under the mountains of the frozen north. Now his acolytes are on the brink of freeing Kyrax, releasing his evil power into the world again. Four lone adventurers, a Barbarian, a Wizard, and Elf and a Dwarf are drawn inexorably across the Sea of Claws to the land of Norsca. All four of them have a different reason for making their difficult journey, but each will have a role to play in thwarting the acolytes plans of bringing an end to the world.

Introduction
In The Tyrant's Tomb one player will take the role of the Evil Wizard player as normal, and another player will take the role of one or more of the Heroes. In one quest this player might control the Wizard, in another quest the Barbarian, or the Elf, or Dwarf, whilst in other quests he might play with a combination of these four Heroes.
This Quest pack is heavily based on the three Heroquest novels by Dave Morris; The Fellowship of Four, The Screaming Spectre and The Tyrant's Tomb. Each book contained a central story as well as a play-your own adventure story of the type that were fairly popular in the 90's. The last two books also contained traditional Heroquest solo quests for the Wizard and the Barbarian. This pack is an attempt to combine much of this material into one large Heroquest adventure. Please note that some of the events in the books have been mixed up somewhat in order to create a coherent story.

Starting Heroes
The solo player should keep a character sheet for all four Heroes. If a quest is failed, the Hero should play that quest again. During the later quests, in which a party of Heroes may be present, if a Hero dies the party should continue on to the next quest, with a fresh Hero made available to replace the dead character.
In the Fellowship of Four, the book that deals with the Heroes attempt to prevent Kyrax's return, the characters are the Wizard Fortunato, the Elf Eildonas, the Barbarian Asgrim and the Dwarf Anvil. But this is your adventure and the players are free to choose any names they wish.
Wizard - Same stats as a starting Wizard. He can choose any 3 of the elemental spell decks. He starts with a Dagger. The Wizard also has a Familiar, a magical accomplish named Faustus (See artefact card and special rules below).
Elf - Same stats as a starting Elf, apart from his attack dice. The Elf starts with a Dagger, giving him just one combat die in attack against adjacent enemies, and a bow, which give him three combat dice with ranged attacks. The Elf may also take any 3 of the Elf spells (from the Mage of the Mirror expansion).
Barbarian - Same stats as a starting Barbarian. He starts with a Broadsword and a Spear.
Dwarf - Same stats as a starting Dwarf. He starts with a Pick-axe (The Pick-axe rolls 2 dice in attack, and may also have some Quest specific benefits.

Special requirements
As well as a copy of the Game System you will also need;
- Iron door,Trapdoor & Magical darkness tile from KK
- Pit of Darkness traps, Ogre Throne, Stone Doorway, Outdoor tile & Bridge/Chasm tile from ATOH
- Mirror door, Elf Princess token, Quicksand tile & Carpet tile from MOTM
- Ice River, Ice Chasm, Ice Gremlin, Outdoor Snow & Frozen Horror Chamber tiles from FH
- Blizzard tile from Revenge of the Weather Man
- Ye Olde Inn Corner tile http://english.yeoldeinn.com/tiles-big-bene.php
- Step Stone Room tile http://english.yeoldeinn.com/tiles-capper.php
- Coast tile (currently under construction)

There are also a large number of new Monsters in these Quests. These are the suggested models to use for each.
Cacogast the Troll (Ogre)
Elf Knight (Elf Hero)
Ghost Sailors (Zombies)
Ghost Captain (Chaos Sorcerer)
The thieves Grinch & Grivois (Mercenaries)
Town Guards (Mercenaries)
Cooks (Mercenaries)
The Cabiri (Chaos Sorcerer plus 3x human Sorcerers from WOM)
Magister Caenwulf (Storm Master from WOM)
Orc Witch (Orc Shaman from WOM)
Giant Wolves (Giant Wolves from MOTM)
Draugr (Zombie)
Ice Gremlins (Ice Gremlins from FH)
Stone Guardians (Chaos Warriors)
Hantu (Use the magical darkness tile from KK)
Barrow Dwellers (Zombies)
Spriggan (Goblin)
Ghost Knights (Chaos Warriors)Banshees (Skeletons)
Banshees (Skeletons)
Undead Brides (Mummies)
Perdita the Milkmaid (Elf Princess token from MOTM)
Grim Dugald (Necromancer from WOM)
Attercop, Cockodrilles, Sea Monster, Giant Bats and Black Serpent (Models not required as do not have to physically represent on game-board)

Outdoor Quests
Half of the Quests in this pack take place on the surface, away from a traditional dungeon setting. This might be a forest, a swamp, a city or an icy mountain pass. A few of the Quests even take place on a boat out on open water. Unless otherwise stated in the Quest notes, these places follow the exact same rules as a normal Heroquest dungeon. A Room might be a forest glade or open field, whilst a corridor might be a sunken lane or an animal trail. A closed door might represent thick foliage over the opening to the next clearing, whilst fallen block tile might represent a fallen tree or thick bramble. In any case the rules are the same. If you have any special game boards representing these different environments feel free to use them.

Equipment & Markets
Heroes may NOT purchase new equipment between Quests. The Tyrant's Tomb forms part of a linked storyline, and equipment and other items are only gained via the Quests themselves. In another departure from the usual rules, special 'Markets' will appear at certain points during the Quests. The Heroes will have an opportunity to buy only the items listed for sale at that Market place at that time, so they should save their gold for those moments.

Faustus
Faustus is a small Pippestrelle bat that follows the Wizard Hero as his Familiar. ONCE per Quest, the Wizard may use Faustus to scout ahead. Faustus is small enough to squeeze through gaps in closed doorways.The Wizard can understand the bats "speech" when he reports back to his master. The Evil Wizard player must tell the Wizard player what is in the next room or around the next corridor corner. A simple description of the room layout including Monsters, furniture and special tiles will suffice; there is no need to divulge any secret rules or traps for the room. If the Wizard is killed, Faustus is also lost and should not be made available to a fresh Wizard Hero.


The Wizard's Tale (replaces 'A Message from Mentor' as the usual story introduction for this Quest Pack)
"A great evil is stirring in the world..."
You have just returned to Matholem's School of Magic, on your island home of Truillon in the Sea of Claws. The hour is late due to the fact that you became hopelessly embroiled in a card game in a tavern along the way. You are a young Wizard, an adept of the great Archmage Matholem and thought to be one of his most able, yet wayward, students. Given your abilities, it has come as a bit of a shock to find that the Archmage has already departed on an urgent mission without you, along with all the other students.
At a loss to explain what could be so important that they would have left without waiting for one such as yourself, you mix a potion from Matholem's own collection of magical ingredients and summon a sentient spirit from the fiery elemental plane, by the name of Mordaciter.
        "Mordaciter", you say to the being, "by my art I have brought you from the Calid regions to submit to my interrogation".
         Mordaciter demurred for the sake of his dignity. "I shall endeavour to enlighten you", he conceded after a moment.
         "Archmage Matholem has departed with all the other adepts. Can you tell me why?"
         Certainly. Matholem seeks to prevent the awakening of the demon Kyrax".
         "The Archmage seems to consider this venture to be of considerable importance", you venture, "He departed without waiting for -".
         Mordaciter makes an impatience gesture, his weightless limbs drifting slowly as though stirred by currents of hot air. "Naturally. Should Matholem fail, the consequences would be severe. It would entail the end of the mortal world, for one thing".
         You cock your eyebrows at this, "Is this an example of your infernal wit, Mordaciter? I take your remark to be hyperbolic".
         "Not at all, I speak the literal truth; your world will be overrun by stark Chaos if Kyrax is restored to life. Kyrax was an entity of insensate malice who took the form of a giant white wolf or dragon. When, his power having waxed full, he sought to bring an eternal winter down upon the world, he was opposed by a mighty cabal of wizards who fought the Demon in the far north of your world. Eventually the surviving wizards cast down Kyrax, who fell into a frozen lake atop Mount Anger. They then erected an adamantine chamber around the cadavers heart".
         "If the Demon was slain, what was the purpose of this chamber?"
         "It was to contain Kyrax's essence and prevent his resurrection. However, at this very moment Kyrax's worshippers are travelling north to Mount Anger, led by the mad orc witch Ghashlug. They plan to release the Demon from his bonds. Your master races north to Norsca, to waylay them".
         "I must join him immediately. How can I do so?"
         "Why not wait until Kyrax is free and the eternal winter is unleashed on the world?" Suggested Mordaciter. "Then the seas will free over and it will be possible to walk across the Sea of Claws to Norsca".
         "That will be too late!" You object. "I demand that you recommend a more expeditious plan".
         "There are a variety of methods", said Mordaciter after seeming to ponder. "As an example chosen at random, you could tender me your soul, in exchange for which I would garnt you the power of flight, along with riches, comfort and - "
         "You snide demon", you cry. "I see that I shall get nothing more of value from you. Begone; return to your own world".
         Clearly you will have to rely on a more prosaic means of catching up with Archmage Matholem. You depart at once for Truillon docks in order to set sail on the first ship leaving for the Norsca. You can only hope that the notorious Sea of Claws is merciful and allows you to make the crossing with haste...

Quest 1 - Beyond the World's Edge

The Elf's Tale...

"After a day of fruitless treasure hunting in the great Laurelorn Forest, you find a place to camp under the stars. You drift off into a fitful sleep filled with strange eldritch dreams, concerning the end of the world. As the power of the prophetic dream waxes full you see a colossal white dragon, hard-scaled and full of hatred for all living things. Heroes of ancient times laid him low, penning him under slabs of ice. But he did not die - seven hundred years he lay there, whilst he plotted his vengeance. Now his awakening draws close. When he arises he will breathe forth the fimbul-frost across the land, biting the flesh and withering the bows, until no life stirs anywhere under the sky. And yet, you see a band of Heroes heading north to confront this vile demon. The dream-visions fade as you awake in the forest, but you remain full of foreboding. You are an elf, so you know that such dreams are not idle fancies. You now that you must take your weapons and travel north to confront this thing. Why else would you have been sent this disturbing dream? There is a human fishing village not far from here. If you can reach it you may be able to gain passage across the sea to the frozen northlands, there to meet your destiny beyond the world's edge."

Notes - This is a solo Quest for the Elf Hero. See the intro for the starting spells and equipment for this Hero.

A - This secret door cannot be found from the corridor. It can only be found from room B.

B - Place 3 Pit of Darkness trap tiles in this room. Tell the player that they are entrances to "attercob tunnels", but say nothing more. If the Elf searches the bottom tunnel he will find the skeleton of a long dead adventurer and a Helmet (give the Elf the corresponding Equipment card). If the middle tunnel is explored the Elf finds a coil of sticky webbing that he may take with him (note the word 'Rope' on his Character Sheet). If the Elf enters the top tunnel he will immediately be attacked by a Giant Spider - Move 10, Attack 2, Defend 2, Body 2, Mind 1. If the Elf slays the spider he will find 100 gold and a secret door in the tunnel, opening to corridor A.

C - Use the quicksand tile here. The Goblins are armed with bows and the blocked squares represent trees; any figure using ranged weapons against an enemy hiding directly behind a tree rolls one less combat die than normal. The sand represents a muddy river which is infested with Cockodrilles. It can only be crossed once the Goblins are dead, using a small boat clad in human skin that the Goblins have tied to the riverbank.

D - This door represents a magical toll gate set yet up by Cacogast the Troll, an old enemy of yours. There are only three ways to pass through, i) pay the toll of 100 gold by placing the coins in a box in the door, ii) use the spell Twist Wood to magically open the door, or iii) force the door open with brute strength.

E - This is abode of Cacogast the Troll. If the Elf paid the toll to open door D, or magically opened it with Twist Wood, do not place Cacogast or the door to room F on the game-board. However, if the Elf had to resort to brute force, place Cacogast and the door to room F as shown on the map; the Elf will have to fight the Troll - Move 8, Attack 4, Defend 4, Body 3, Mind 2. Cacogast is also immune to all spells.

F - Say what you want about Cacogast, but he did keep a well stocked larder. If the Elf searches for treasure here he will find some healing berries on the table, which will restore up to 4 BP.

G - Tell the Elf that he has reached the fishing village and has found a Market place. He may buy any of the following items, which he should mark on his Character Sheet; Rope 25gc, Lantern 30gold, Warm Furs 20gc, Wooden Stake 10gc, Holy Water 50gc, Healing Salve 50gold (will restore 2BP).

H - Use Ye Olde Inn corner tile here. This is the Inn of the fishing village. The poor villagers say that they will take you across the Sea of Claws if you can rid them of a sea monster that swims off the coast and prevents them from fishing. If the Elf agrees tell him that he search the storeroom (room I)for objects that might help his quest, before opening the door in the top corridor.

I - It is mostly old junk in here, aside from a strange looking sword. The villagers seem to have no idea of the true worth of this weapon, and you see no reason to tell them. Give the Elf the magic artefact Woe.

J - Use the Coast tile here. Night has now fallen and the Elf must row out to meet the Sea Monster. Place the Elf next to the tentacled creature in the water - Move N/A, Attack 1, Defend 3, Body 5, Mind 2. The Elf  may make the first attack and may use his bow if he wishes. The Sea Monster grows more tentacles for each wound that its suffers; every Body Point that it loses is added to its total number of Attack Dice.

If the Elf wins this battle the Quest is over. The villagers will now sail him across the Sea of Claws.

Wandering monster - goblin

Quest 2 - The Sea of Claws

The Barbarian's Tale...

"You are a Barbarian of Valringia, counted amongst the mightiest of warriors. In former days, when but a boy, you stood in defence of the Hall with the other thanes, even when those older than you took fright and hid amongst their mothers skirts. As a youth you went with spear and sword up into the fells, there to deal harshly with a night-gaunt that had preyed upon your fathers herd; it ate no more cattle after that. By the time you had spent your first summer as a grown man, you had travelled south across the sea to seek adventure and glory. The death of many fierce foes is accounted  to your name!

Yet now your homeland calls to you. Many strange tales have reached your ears recently, ill news concerning events in Norsca. The orcs have been very agitated, making war against themselves, the Valringia, and the other Barbarian tribes. Stories abound of the awakening of the dead, of demons and bizarre monsters. The elders of your tribe have sent word that the Fimbul-winter draws near, an eternal frost that will cover all the world.

You must return to Norsca and confront the evils plaguing your people. Fight your way north across the Enchanted Hills until you reach the coast. From there you may hope to gain passage by ship across the Sea of Claws..."

Notes - This is a solo Quest for the Barbarian Hero. He has the same stats as a starting Barbarian, and is armed with a Broadsword and a Spear. This quest begins in the Enchanted Hills, a remote region in the north of the Empire bordering the Sea of Claws..

A - An Elf knight stands here. Use the Elf Hero model - move 8, attack 2, Defend 3, Body 4, Mind 3. He accuses the Barbarian of trespass and demands tribute. If the player does not give up one item (either a piece of equipment, a potion, or all of the gold he has collected so far, the Elf knight will attack him. However, as soon as the knight inflicts one or more Body points of damage he will declare that "honour is served" and step back. The knight remains here, allowing the barbarian to pass through. If the barbarian wishes to continue the duel, and slays the elf, he may take his shield.

B - Use the outdoor tile from Against the Ogre Horde here. The chest contains the orcs belongings; mostly old junk, but deep down in the bottom are two potions of healing that will each restore up to 4 lost Body Points.

C - This is a Goblin market. The Goblin here is a merchant who will not attack, but instead offer his wares for sale. The Barbarian may buy any of the following items, which he should mark on his Character Sheet; Rope 25gc, Lantern 30gold, Warm Furs 20gc, Sprig of Garlic 10gc, Holy Water 50gc, Healing Salve 50gc (will restore 2BP), Genie in a bottle 60gc (the same as a Genie spell scroll).

If the Hero attacks the goblin or attempts to steal anything, the entire market and the merchant will disappear into thin air.

D - The falling block trap is actually a large rotten tree that collapses into the square marked with an arrow when the trap is triggered. It does no damage, but it startles a flock of angry ravens ; each turn that the barbarian remains in the corridor he will be attacked by the birds, which collectively roll one combat die. The birds are too numerous to kill.

E - Use the coastline tile here. Tell the barbarian that he has reached the coast of the Sea of Claws. The only ship to be seen has an ominous look about it, with black sails and a figurehead in the form of a cackling crows head. Hooded sailors beckon to the barbarian from its deck. As there is no way of knowing when the next ship might pass by, the barbarian has no choice but to call out across the water and ask for passage. Silent rowers hunched over like gravediggers row out in a small boat and take the barbarian over to their ship. Place the hero on the square marked F.

F - Use the Ye Old Inn corner tile here, placing a trap-door tile over the fire. This is the deck of the ghost ship Heldrasir. The two zombies are part of the crew, cursed to sail the sea forever. They attack the barbarian, hoping to force his reanimated corpse to labour in the ship's hull for all eternity. The barbarian must fight them off and then find a way out of this predicament.

G - This trap door leads down into the ships hull (the 5x3 room to the right). If the Barbarian searches for treasure down in the hull he will find the magic artefact Harpoon of the Heldrasir.

H - This is the ships undead overlord, Captain Athscar - Move 4, Attack 3, Defend 4, Body 3, Mind 0. Athscar is classed as undead, and if holy water is used against him it will cause 2 lost Body Points. Garlic has no effect. Any remaining Zombies on the ship will hang back and watch this fight without intervening, as they hate their Captain more than anything else, as he has kept them as slaved for centuries, doomed to know no rest. If Athscar is destroyed, all slain crew are reanimated. They will not attack the Barbarian as he has saved them from their curse. In gratitude they will perform one last duty, sailing the Barbarian across the Sea of Claws, before they go to their final rest.

The Quest is now completed.

Wandering monster - Goblin

The next quest is a variation of the Running the Gauntlet quest originally published in The Screaming Spectre. I have changed the layout so that anybody who has played the original cannot rely on previous knowledge. I also changed the puzzle in the starting room, and altered the story a little to make it fit in with the overall theme.

Quest 3 - Running the Gauntlet

The Wizard's Tale (continued)...

"You have been shipwrecked while crossing the Sea of Claws. Battered and half-drowned, you find yourself seized and brought to a gilded palace of great marble domes and towers. There you were nursed back to health, but despite the luxury of your surroundings you began to feel uneasy. Rather than being an honoured guest, it was as though you were being fattened for the kill.

Today your hosts came to you. They are tall men in long silk robes. From their lead-coloured skin and yellow eyes you suspect them to be Cabiri, a sorcerously powerful race descended from a union between men and sea-nymphs in ancient times. The Cabiri lords escort you to a stairway winding down into a labyrinth beneath their city. By telepathy they speak to you: 'below lies a great treasure, the Wand of Galimatias, a mighty wizard of ages past. Find it and return here. Then you will have proved yourself as a wizard and you will be free to leave our shores.

You attempt to explain that you are on an urgent mission to save the world, informing them Kyrax and the dire threat the demon presents. The Cabiri do not seem in the least bit concerned and simply point down at the stairway. It seems you must do what they ask. You are grateful that your Familiar, Faustus, has also survived the shipwreck and now squeaks encouragement at you from  his perch within the sleeve of your robe".

Notes - This is a solo Quest for the Wizard Hero. He has the same stats as a starting Wizard and may select any 3 of the elemental spell decks for this quest. He is armed with a dagger and also has his familiar Faustus (see introduction). To complete the quest the Wizard must find the Wand of Galimatias and return with it to the stairway, ideally with the Elf also in tow (see note F).

A - The Wizard Hero starts here in a room with 4 doors. Chiselled into the stone above each door is an inscription in the language of the Cabiri. The language is unknown to the Wizard, but shares a passing similarity with some of the tongues he has studied at Matholem's School of Magic. The Wizard may roll two red dice for each door in this room; if the result is the same as or lower than his Mind Point score, he can successfully translate the inscription. North door = "ALLY", East door = "AVOID", South door = "ARTEFACT", West door = "AIM".

The Wizard should only be give one attempt to translate each door. However, if he gets the Wand of Galimatias and increases his Mind Points, he can have one more attempt at each door.

B - Two goblins sit at dinner, stirring a bowl in which floats steaming human hearts. The item they are using to stir this gruesome feast is a fine-wrought artefact covered in runes. If the Hero searches for treasure here, he finds a Wand of Recall.

C - These two fimir are squatting on the ground playing knuckle-bones, and it will take them one turn to react to the Hero's appearance (getting up, grabbing their axes, etc), during which time he could either prepare for battle or turn and flee. If the Fimir are defeated, the Hero can take the 25 gold coins they were gambling with.

D - Use the bridge chasm tile from Against the Ogre Horde here. The gargoyle on the bridge will posture and growl, but will not actually attack the Hero until he steps on to the bridge himself or casts a spell on the gargoyle.

E - Tell the adventurer that the door here is unusually low and narrow - a human being could get through it, but a large monster such as a gargoyle or chaos warrior could not.

F - This is a torture-chamber where an orc is stretching an Elf on a rack (remember that the gargoyle, if in pursuit, cannot get through the door). Once the orc is slain, the Wizard will learn that the Elf on the rack is none other than the Elf Hero from quest 1. As the Wizard frees the Elf, the Elf explains how he was also shipwrecked on the island - the Cabiri deliberately wreck ships using their elemental magic, with the aim of using the survivors for their own ends. The Elf refused the Cabiri's demands and was therefore sent down here to be a plaything for the monsters in their dungeons.

The Elf seems to know all about the threat of Kyrax and joins the Wizard immediately. He suggests that the Wizard should keep the Wand of Galimatias as it will help them with their greater quest.

The Elf has full Body Points, but he has none of his spells or equipment for this quest as it was taken by the Cabiri and is held in their palace tower.

G - Here, amid the clutter on the bench, lies the Wand of Galimatias. See the new artefact card for the effects of this powerful item. The Hero may also take 75 gold coins from the dead chaos warrior.

Once the Wand of Galimatias is discovered, the Wizard should return to the stairway. The quest is now over, unless the Hero wishes to explore through one of the other doors (the Cabiri will be confronted in a later quest).

Wandering monster - Skeleton

 Next up we have the first quest for the Dwarf. I had a lot of fun with this one.

Quest 4 - The Treasure of Chungor Chan

The Dwarf's Tale...

"You are a Dwarf miner, searching for your fortune. After a hard day's work in a quarry outside of Runeport, you sit in a foetid tavern enjoying a well-earned tankard of ale. You can't help but overhear a conversation from the next table.

'So that's the map, eh?'

'Yeah. E' didn't want to part wiv it. 'Ad to take a few of 'is fingers as well.'

'I wondered what that red smudge was.'

You look up, intrigued by this snippet of obviously villainous conversation. You see two sly-looking men with 3 ears, seven scars and an eye-patch between them. They are bent over a torn scrap of parchment.

'What's this then?' says the first rogue, the one with the eyepatch, pointing to a blob on the map.

The other peers at it, then rubs it away. 'That's me supper that I 'ad on the way over. This is the Tomb, see? The sort of pyramid with the settin' sun drawn on it. In this desert of ice.'

'Blimey!' gasps the one-eyed fellow. 'It's 'alfway to the edge of the world!'

'Well,' continues his friend, 'you'd 'ave to go as far as that an' back again to find a treasure as great as the hoard of Chungor Chan.'

You've heard enough and decide to muscle in. They look up, greeting you in unison with a cry of, 'Beat it, you Dwarven scum.' You could probably teach them a lesson in manners but don't want to start a fight with the town guards outside, so instead you hold your tankard over the map and start to tilt it. 'You shouldn't leave that where beer might get spilled on it,' you say casually, 'could ruin an old map like that.'

Mouths agape in horror, they stare at the tankard and then at you. 'B-be careful!' cries the fellow with the eye missing. 'What do you want?' says the other.

'Another drink would do for starters', you reply, tipping the tankard.

'There wasn't anything in it!' says the one-eyed fellow with a gasp of outrage, 'You scurvy mongrel!'

'Now, now,' you say, tucking the map into your belt pouch. 'That's no way to talk to your new partner is it?'."

Notes - This is a solo Quest for the Dwarf Hero. He has the same stats as a beginner Dwarf. He starts the game with a pick-axe (two combat dice in attack) & 60 gold coins that he earned from previous jobs. Tell the Dwarf that he must buy supplies for his treasure hunt and then leave Runeport via the City gate with the new "friends" he met in the tavern, the thieves Grinch & Grivois. The party also has the treasure map to the tomb of Chungor Chan (the player may look at the map included with this quest pack).

A - Use Ye Olde Inn corner tile here. The dwarf starts here, along with Grinch & Grivois (use men-at-arms or other suitable figures for these thieves). The thieves shadow the Dwarf player's movement for now.

B - This Runeport city guard eyes the trio suspiciously, but lets them pass. All guards in this quest have these stats - move 7, attack 2, Defend 2, Body 1, Mind 2 and defend on black shields.

C - This is the Runeport market. Grinch & Grivois insist that the Dwarf pay for supplies needed for the journey north. You suspect that they have money of their own, but you won't get it out of them. Items for sale are; Rope 25gc, Lantern 30gold, Warm Furs 20gc, Wooden Stake 10gc, Holy Water 50gc, Healing Salve 50gc (will restore 2BP).

D - This is the City gate. You are keen to be on your way but Grinch & Grivois strike up a conversation with the guards. Unseen by you, Grinch steals a pouch from one of the guards and plants it in your belt. Grivois then points at you and shouts 'Thief! Thief!' Before you know it, you are seized by the guards and arrested. Grinch & Grivois leave through the gate with sly grins. What's more, they took back the map during the exchange! Move the Dwarf to room E.

E - The Dwarf is imprisoned here. All his belongings have been taken and he has been informed that he is to be executed in the morning! The Dwarf can use the spoon from his last supper to try and work the mortar loose in his cell wall. Roll one combat die for each of the Dwarf's Mind Points. If the Dwarf rolls 2 or more white shields, he can escape into the corridor in the direction shown by the arrow. If the attempt is failed, morning comes and two guards arrive in his cell. The Dwarf must fight them unarmed and then leave the cell via the door. Either way, the Dwarf must now escape Runeport by finding another route back to the City gates. From now on all guards encountered are enemies.

F - The prisoner in room G (an old man), calls out for you to release him. If the Dwarf opens his door, refer to note G.

G - If released, the old man thanks the Dwarf and tells him that his equipment is stored in room J, and to avoid all the other rooms in the prison block. He tells the Dwarf to carry on without him as he will only slow him down.

H - These 3 guards are eating and will take a moment to realise the Dwarf is an escaped prisoner. They lose one turn before they can draw their weapons and move/attack.

I - This is the prison cook - move 5, attack 2, Defend 2, Body 2, Mind 2. There is a potion of Strength bubbling on the stove, and if the Dwarf has not yet found his equipment he may make use of the cook's cleaver (2 attack dice).

J - All of the Dwarf's equipment is in this chest, including any items he bought in the market. However, any gold he had is long gone.

K - There is a potion of healing in the desk (4BP).

L - This guard is the Sergeant-at-arms - move 7, attack 3, Defend 3, Body 2, Mind 3. If the Sergeant is defeated, the Dwarf may take a Hand-Axe and Shield from the weapon rack.

The quest is completed if the Dwarf can get back to the City gate and get past the 3 guards. The Dwarf will now set out to catch up with Grinch & Grivois to take back the treasure map (and revenge).

Wandering monster - Guard