r/HardCoreHeroQuest

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.