Anyone got any good sources or links for writeups of Heroquests? I'm asking with a view to using them in my God Learner game that I'm planning to run in a few weeks time.
The problem with searching for heroquests online is that HeroQuest is also the name of "the other Gloranthan game system", so you get a lot of hits that aren't strictly related to actual Heroquests.
Update: Simon Phipp's site is a good start, it has some nice simple quest outlines.
I'm thinking about how to start off my God Learner game, and I thought, why not start with a bang, and send them on an actual Heroquest as their first scenario? I'd send a sorceror along with the appropriate Open Heroquest Gate and Abort Heroquest spells, if one of the players doesn't make one, and it would start in Zistorwal.
Simon had an idea a few years back that the technique that the Zistorites discovered that enables them to mass-produce magical items is that they had mapped and adjusted a number of "magic weapon" quests, and they repeated these quests to easily acquire magical weapons or items.
So, the adventurers are invited to begin their career as professional plunderers by going on a few quests. They are interviewed and tested for their abilities, and quests are selected that will provide rewards that are appropriate to each of them. They sit through long boring lectures about the quests, detailing the steps and possible variations, and the roles that each of them will play at various points.
For example, using Simon Phipps' quests, if a scout wants the Scarf of Mist, then they are told about Orlanth's role in the quest. A female adventurer in the group is offered the role of Huraya, and if she is reluctant, then she is offered the compromise that the questor will just attempt to kiss her, rather than forcing himself upon her in the traditional manner. If there is no female available, then they can either not provide this role themselves, in which case Huraya will be an encounter and therefore less predictable, but the rewards may be greater, or alternatively a male character could even take the role. The Huraya adventurer's benefit from the quest is that s/he will receive a token of affection from the Orlanth character that will become a Divine Magic matrix of either Aphrodisiac or Crash of Thunder. The power of the item will depend on how fully she embraces the role of Huraya. She will start the quest from a different Heroquest Gate, as she is following a different path through the myth. She can join in the fight against the monsters of course. Another adventurer can take the role of Issaries, or maybe several of them can tag along in this role. The Issaries questor's reward is a Clear Path matrix. If there is a female adventurer, then she can get a Pathfinder matrix as a quest reward instead. If the adventurers aren't tough enough to risk a random encounter, then the Loathsome Foe will be some monsters from the local arena, who will be gated in to a third starting point, but this will reduce the potency of the rewards. The adventurers are all outfitted with rather silly-looking hats, and Huraya is given a blue woolen scarf. If the Huraya adventurer is male, he is also outfitted with a long blonde wig with paper flowers in it. Despite the fact that the hats look silly, they are in fact highly magical, imbued with the essence of the roles that they represent. It's probably best not to ask where the essence came from. If any of the adventurers want to swap roles at any point, they just swap hats.
The Questing Laboratory has a set of large and impressive Heroquest Gate matrixes, which have large amounts of Range manipulation baked into them. These matrixes are activated and the gates to the quest starting points are opened.
Suggestions for other quests that reward magic weapons that could be co-opted by the Zistorites are welcome!
The problem with searching for heroquests online is that HeroQuest is also the name of "the other Gloranthan game system", so you get a lot of hits that aren't strictly related to actual Heroquests.
Update: Simon Phipp's site is a good start, it has some nice simple quest outlines.
I'm thinking about how to start off my God Learner game, and I thought, why not start with a bang, and send them on an actual Heroquest as their first scenario? I'd send a sorceror along with the appropriate Open Heroquest Gate and Abort Heroquest spells, if one of the players doesn't make one, and it would start in Zistorwal.
Simon had an idea a few years back that the technique that the Zistorites discovered that enables them to mass-produce magical items is that they had mapped and adjusted a number of "magic weapon" quests, and they repeated these quests to easily acquire magical weapons or items.
So, the adventurers are invited to begin their career as professional plunderers by going on a few quests. They are interviewed and tested for their abilities, and quests are selected that will provide rewards that are appropriate to each of them. They sit through long boring lectures about the quests, detailing the steps and possible variations, and the roles that each of them will play at various points.
For example, using Simon Phipps' quests, if a scout wants the Scarf of Mist, then they are told about Orlanth's role in the quest. A female adventurer in the group is offered the role of Huraya, and if she is reluctant, then she is offered the compromise that the questor will just attempt to kiss her, rather than forcing himself upon her in the traditional manner. If there is no female available, then they can either not provide this role themselves, in which case Huraya will be an encounter and therefore less predictable, but the rewards may be greater, or alternatively a male character could even take the role. The Huraya adventurer's benefit from the quest is that s/he will receive a token of affection from the Orlanth character that will become a Divine Magic matrix of either Aphrodisiac or Crash of Thunder. The power of the item will depend on how fully she embraces the role of Huraya. She will start the quest from a different Heroquest Gate, as she is following a different path through the myth. She can join in the fight against the monsters of course. Another adventurer can take the role of Issaries, or maybe several of them can tag along in this role. The Issaries questor's reward is a Clear Path matrix. If there is a female adventurer, then she can get a Pathfinder matrix as a quest reward instead. If the adventurers aren't tough enough to risk a random encounter, then the Loathsome Foe will be some monsters from the local arena, who will be gated in to a third starting point, but this will reduce the potency of the rewards. The adventurers are all outfitted with rather silly-looking hats, and Huraya is given a blue woolen scarf. If the Huraya adventurer is male, he is also outfitted with a long blonde wig with paper flowers in it. Despite the fact that the hats look silly, they are in fact highly magical, imbued with the essence of the roles that they represent. It's probably best not to ask where the essence came from. If any of the adventurers want to swap roles at any point, they just swap hats.
The Questing Laboratory has a set of large and impressive Heroquest Gate matrixes, which have large amounts of Range manipulation baked into them. These matrixes are activated and the gates to the quest starting points are opened.
Suggestions for other quests that reward magic weapons that could be co-opted by the Zistorites are welcome!
