New Heroes For ADVANCED HEROQUEST

The Advanced Heroquest rulebook shows you how to create two types of Hero - the Warrior and the Wizard. Here are a few new Heroes, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, for you to use in your games.

Rogue

We've already met the Rogue in the Hazards section of the Advanced Heroquest rulebook. Strange as it may seem, some Rogues can become Heroes in their own right, turning their skills away from crime and towards adventure. As some would say, it's just a case of who you steal from - steal from law-abiding citizens and you're a criminal, steal from monsters and you're a Hero. A Rogue is very good at being stealthy, finding hidden things and dealing with traps. He's also quite useful with missile weapons, but not so good hand-to-hand. A wise Rogue stays out of fights as much as possible! Rules for Rogues are as follows:

A Hero of any race may be a Rogue.

1. Rogues may not wear metal armour, although they may wear leather armour. They may not use shields, two-handed weapons or halberds.
2. A Rogue adds +1 to surprise rolls, in the same way as an Elf. An Elven Rogue adds +2 - +1 for being an Elf and +1 for being a Rogue.
3. A Rogue adds +1 to all rolls to spot and disarm traps, in the same way as a Dwarf. A Dwarven Rogue adds +3 - +2 for being a Dwarf and +1 for being a Rogue.
4. A Rogue adds +1 to all rolls on the Secret Doors Table and +2 to all rolls on the Hidden Treasure Table.

Templar

Templars are Warrior-Priests, dedicated to fighting evil with sword and spell alike. They have the ability to cast spells in addition to their fighting prowess, and can make very formidable Heroes. Rules for Templars are as follows:

Only Humans may be Templars.

1. A Templar may use spells, even while wearing armour. He starts the game with none, and may only learn the first four spells of the Light College - those with which a Wizard of the same College would start the game. It costs double the normal amount for a Templar to learn a spell. Casting spells while in armour is very difficult, though, and the Templar must pass an Intelligence test to cast any spell while wearing armour, even though the spell does not normally call for an Intelligence test. If the test is failed, the Templar may either accept that the spell has not been cast, or sacrifice a Fate Point to convert failure into success.
2. Templars have a free choice of weapons and armour.
3. On returning from an expedition, a Templar must give half his wealth (after dividing treasure but before buying anything or paying for henchmen) to the poor.
4. A Templar may not take an Apprentice or a Squire.

Barbarian

Barbarians are Human warriors from remote, bleak regions. They are a good deal hardier than people from more civilised areas where life is easier, and they take naturally to a life of adventuring. Rogar, the Barbarian from MB's Heroquest game, is a typical example of this kind of warrior, and the Advanced Heroquest rulebook gives you a character sheet for him. Rules for creating your own Barbarian characters are as follows:

Only a Human may be a Barbarian.

1. Barbarians may only wear leather or chainmail armour, but they have a free choice of weapons. They may use shields.
2. To reflect his background, a Barbarian's profile is modified as follows: Intelligence -2, Strength +1, Bravery +1.
3. A Barbarian may never take a Squire.

Troll Slayer

Troll Slayers are dedicated to seeking out and confronting danger, and will rush headlong into the most perilous situations. They never speak of their past, but Dwarven tradition states that a young Dwarf who has been disgraced may redeem his lost honour by becoming a Troll Slayer; others may have been crossed in love, and taken to the life of a Troll Slayer to forget. Troll Slayers are among the most fearsome warriors of the Dwarven race. They typically shave the sides of their heads and use resin or animal fat to stiffen the rest into a high, orange-dyed crest, and they cover themselves with elaborate tattoos and gold jewellery.

Only a Dwarf may be a Troll Slayer.

1. A Troll Slayer's profile is different to that of a normal Dwarf, to reflect his dedication to fighting and danger. A Troll Slayer's roll for Intelligence is modified by -2, and his Bravery by +2, over and above the modifiers on the Hero Creation Table. Likewise, his Bow Skill is reduced by -2 and his Strength and Toughness by +1 each.
2. Because of his peculiar attitude to danger, a Troll Slayer may never wear plate or mithril armour, or use a shield. He may never use ranged weapons.
3. A Troll Slayer has the ability to go berserk in combat, just like a Berserker monster.

Woodfey

Woodfeys are Elven Warrior-Wizards, who have studied combat and magic equally. While some claim that a Woodfey is a jack of all trades and master of none, their versatility can be a blessing in some situations. Some Woodfeys have become very great Heroes indeed. Rules for Woodfeys are as follows:

Only Elves may be Woodfeys. A Woodfey's profile is as generated from the Hero Creation Table - it is not altered as it is for an Elf Wizard.

1. A Woodfey may use spells, even while wearing armour. He starts the game with none, and may only learn the first four spells of his College - those with which a Wizard of the same College would start the game. It costs double the normal amount for a Woodfey to learn a spell. Casting spells while in armour is very difficult, though, and the Woodfey must pass an Intelligence test to cast any spell while wearing armour, even though the spell does not normally call for an Intelligence test. If the test is failed, the Woodfey may either accept that the spell has not been cast, or sacrifice a Fate Point to convert failure into success.
2. Woodfeys may wear leather or chainmail armour; they may not wear plate or mithril. They have a free choice of weapons.
3. A Woodfey may not take an Apprentice.

Wardancer

To the Elves, art and fighting are different aspects of the same thing - everything is part of the Great Dance of Life. Wardancers are athletic, acrobatic Elf Warriors who take this philosophy to its logical extreme. They spend their whole lives training and exercising to keep their bodies supple and their reflexes sharp, and they fight with an almost supernatural grace, speed, and deadliness. Rules for Wardancers are as follows:

Only an Elf may be a Wardancer.

1. To reflect his lifelong training, a Wardancer's profile is modified as follows: Bow Skill -5, Weapon Skill +2, Toughness +1, Speed +2.
2. Wardancers may not use armour, shields or ranged weapons. Otherwise, they have a free choice of equipment.
3. In hand-to-hand combat, a Wardancer may make two attack rolls instead of one. This may be two attacks with the same weapon or a single attack with each of two weapons.
4. Wardancers are very skilled at dodging and feinting, making them very hard to hit. Any creature fighting a Wardancer in hand-to-hand combat suffers a -2 modifier to its hit rolls.

Priest

Priests are dedicated to the unending battle against evil, and some Priests will turn to a life of heroic adventure - taking the battle to the enemy's camp, as it were. They certainly never run short of evil to fight. Rules for Priests are as follows:

A Hero must be Human in order to become a Priest. This is not to say that Elves and Dwarfs don't have Priests, it's just that they are much closer to Wizards than to the Hero presented here.

1. At the end of each expedition, a Priest must give half his money to the poor. This figure is calculated after treasure has been divided up and before the Priest has bought anything or paid for henchmen.
2. A Priest may not wear metal armour, although he may wear leather armour. He may not use shields or any metal weapon larger than a dagger. He may use his staff as a weapon.
3. A Priest may cast spells. Priests are allied to the College of Light, which also includes some Wizards. A complete spell book for Light Wizards and Priests is given later.