u/Venonomicon

Between 1989-1996 we played HeroQuest to the point it was uninteresting to us, as compared to Advanced HeroQuest, Dungeons & Dragons, Warhammer Quest, World of Darkness, & Cyberpunk, it was too simple.

We all loved HQ though, so we decided to modify the rules for our club in 1996, adding elements from other games that we liked, both table-top, & video-games.

Table-top inspiration mostly came from World of Darkness (1991), Vampire: The Masquerade (1991), & Werewolf: The Apocalypse (1992).

Video-Game inspiration came from The Elder Scrolls (1994), Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (1996), Diablo (1996).

Later inspiration was taken from Demon's Souls (2009), & Dark Souls (2011).

A key element of all of the inspiration for HCHQ is the use of fundamentally balanced, mathematically calculated systems shown in charts, & tables.

Above you can see some examples charts in the Diablo, Vampire: The Masquerade, & Dark Souls books.

With a balanced system beneath the fluff on the surface, the game is easy to scale. Additionally we use a decimal system for money, making things cost 100s, up to 1000, as it keeps the economy easy to manage.

We also have the conversion charts for automatic HQ enemy statistics generation by assessing the equipment represented on the models themselves. This is another example of why an underlying system is better for serious players than pulling ideas out of nowhere.

HQ was a great game for us as children, but as teenagers it had to grow with us or be left in the past. We decided to carry HQ forwards as HCHQ, & still today we play our way, the way we've enjoyed HQ for 30 years, the HardCore way!

My favourite English HeroQuest (1989) expansion is the classic Adventure Design Kit (1990), as it gave us the ability to create our own content for HQ without having to use a photocopier, scissors, & glue.

The ADK consisted of a booklet, blank maps, bigger character sheets, & stickers of the quest icons.

This was not the first time we were told to make our own content however it was the expanded version of what was presented to us in the 1st printing of English HeroQuest (1989).

Suffice to say making HQ into whatever suits you has always been part of HQ, & every official quest release by MB Games, & Avalon Hill demonstrate that the only limit to the Game System is your creativity.

That's a point that needs to be made, HQ is not just a board game, it's a board game that operates on a Game System, & that system allows infinite tweaking, modification, & transformation.

That's why HCHQ exists, it's part of the official HQ system, the same way all House Rules are.

As for the products, all Hasbro (the owners of MB Games, & Avalon Hill) wants from us is our money, so as long as we are paying for their products, they don't care what we do with them.

So prepare for some more mature High Adventure in a World of Magic in video format on YouTube... eventually.

I've been updating my HCHQ website, Sub-Reddit, YouTube Channel, & Discord Servers recently. They are all used as means to distribute my rules, but none are as good a tool for teaching as demonstration videos, a phone-call, or in person.

I am constantly working on the rules back-end, which is the mathematical systems, tables, charts, & basically all of the unglamorous, ugly stuff. That said, you need the underlying system to be sound before you can dress it up. The system is the metaphorical foundation, & without it, the game falls apart.

HeroQuest is a great starter game for teenagers, & it's my favourite table-top adventure game, but the game is very basic by design. It succeeds in its goal of being a family board-game, & to many people that's what HeroQuest is, a simple board game to play on a rainy day with the family.

For me however it's a hobby made of other hobbies. Playing games is a hobby, model-making is a hobby, painting models is a hobby, writing rules is a hobby, & writing stories is a hobby too.

I intend on doing a full explanation video for each element of HCHQ, how it was developed, why it was developed, & what inspired its development. I feel this will help make the obscure elements more understandable.

HCHQ is simple when you play it, but it can look confusing, & esoteric on a screen.

HCHQ is a way to play HQ for people that enjoy table-top games with hefty rule-books, & that want to use their HQ components for more than their simple use in HQ.

HCHQ is not actually complex to play, it's the same as HQ to play, but it offers a full set of rules for experienced table-top role-players to enjoy, & a mathematically balanced system beneath it that follows the lead that HQ set to its logical conclusion.

Longer YouTube videos are the intention, so expect them.

The HeroQuest Barbarian takes a trip to Lordran in Dark Souls, to show the local Undead Hollows the pointy end of his Broad-Sword!