THE CHAOS WARS

A quest pack for use with HeroQuest.

Written by Dewayne Agin  dagin@my-dejanews.com

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File Note:  

The pack zip file contains the following files: 

    readme.txt                (this file)
    quest1A.bmp - quest1D.bmp,
    quest2.bmp - quest3.bmp   (the quest maps)
    quest1.txt - quest3.txt   (quest descriptions)
    Key.bmp                   (a key to the symbols found on the maps)
    tiles.jpg                 (tiles to use with the quest)
    well.jpg                  (a board overlay tile)

This quest also uses the Cave Tiles found at http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Chasm/9223/ 
If you do not have a copy of these tiles you can download them from there.  If you prefer not to use the tiles, feel free to create your own board for quest 1.
 
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Intro (to be read to the Heroes at the beginning of the quest):

A persistent knocking at the door awakens you.  You get up from your bed and open the door to your chambers in the royal palace.  You find a page, who informs you that the Emperor wishes to see you immediately.  You quickly make you way to the throne room, where the guards usher you in.

The Emperor stares at you for a moment; he seems to be making up his mind. A look passes over his face as if he has come to a decision.  "The forces of Chaos have massed for war!"  he exclaims.  "Armies are attacking our forces throughout the empire."  The Emperor looks around, then motions you closer.  "Frankly, our position is grim.  Chaos has never attacked us en masse like this before.  Their armies are well trained and disciplined.  Our commanders everywhere are begging for reinforcements, but we have none to send."

You start to volunteer, but the Emperor motions you quiet.  "I appreciate the offer, but you could not make much of a difference that way.  Our generals and war-masters have decided that we need to launch a counter-offensive.  The hope is that Chaos will need to pull troops away from other battles to meet this threat, and that this will give our commanders a chance to regroup.  For the plan to succeed, we must hit Chaos hard.  Our strategists have decided that we need to recapture Ceir Renim."

You are startled at this information.  A few moments ago you were not even aware that war had broken out, and now you have found out that Ceir Renim, the castle guarding the pass out of the Darkfang Mountains, has fallen.

"Ceir Renim was overrun several days ago by a large force comprised mainly of Orcs and Goblins.  Unfortunately, we do not have the men to launch a major offensive against the castle, nor the time for a siege.  There is perhaps another way, though.  Several soldiers escaped from the castle through a hidden cave system that runs underneath the dungeon.  When the castle was built many centuries ago, the cave system was incorporated as an escape hole.  The men were able to block the passage from the dungeon into the caves as they left, and it is believed that it has not yet been found by our enemies."

"The task I have for you is dangerous.  Your small band must travel into the cave, unblock the entrance into the dungeons, and make your way to main level of the castle.  From there you must attack and take control of the gatehouse.  Our forces will launch an attack on the castle at the same time to try to divert the enemy's attention away from you.  Once inside the gatehouse, open the gate to allow our soldiers into the castle.  With our troops inside Ceir Renim, we will be able to retake it and free it from the hands of Chaos!"

"The soldiers who escaped from Ceir Renim will lead you to the cave entrance.  Go now, and may good luck be yours."

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Special Notes For The Game Master (The rest of this file is not meant to be read to the Heroes.  Doing so will reveal parts of the game):

1. This quest pack was meant to be played with one quest following after the other without allowing the Heroes to buy and sell items in-between.  The Heroes do start each quest with full Body and Mind Points, though.

2. Quest 1, The Caves Below The Castle, was designed to use the rules found with the cave tiles.
   
3. Potion Shop:  Besides the normal potions, the shop also sells this potion:

Potion of Anti-Venom        Cost 300 Gold Pieces
Removes poison from the Hero's System, but does not restore lost Body or Mind Points.
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New Monsters:

This quest pack uses Giant Spiders and Giant Rats.  If do not have either of these, use Goblins to replace the Rats and Orcs to replace the Spiders.  Tell the players that the Orcs and Goblins have been in the caves a long time.  They do not look like normal Orcs and Goblins - their skin is much paler and their eyes are larger.  They have normal stats.  The Goblin caught in room 'C' is now about to be eaten by his troglodyte cousins.  He is tied with ropes instead of Spider web thread.


Giant Hunting Spider:
Giant Spiders hunt and stalk their prey, using sight and smell to find food.  Once these Spiders have caught the scent of an animal, they will tenaciously follow it, not giving up until it is caught.  These Spiders can leap several times their own body length during their attack.  They use this ability to pin their prey underneath them, giving them a chance to envenom it.

	Movement:	8     
	Attack Dice:	4
	Defend Dice:	2
	Body Points:	4
	Mind Points:	0
	These Spiders have the special traits of Venom, Leaping,
	and Following Prey.

Venom:
Besides causing normal damage, a Giant Spider's bite is venomous.  When bitten by a Giant Spider, the Hero must roll 1 red die.  On a roll of 6, he has been envenomed.  Until an anti-venom potion is taken, the Hero will loose one Body Point per turn from the poison until dead.  A healing potion or spell will restore Body Points, but the Hero will still be envenomed.  Once a Hero is envenomed, additional Spider bites will do regular damage but he will not receive additional doses of venom.  An unconscious Hero can be restored by either a healing spell, or by forcing a healing potion down his throat.

Leaping:
Once per turn, during its movement phase, the Spider may leap onto a Hero.  The Spider makes this leap onto any Hero no more than two squares away.  The Spider may leap over other Heroes, Monsters, or furniture.  When making this leap, it attempts to jump on top of the Hero.  The Hero must roll one red die.  On a roll of 1-4, he has avoided the Spider.  Place the Spider on an square adjacent to the Hero (if none are free, leave the Spider in its current location).  If the Spider pins the Hero, he may not attack with any weapon besides a dagger, and may attack no other monster besides the Spider.  If the Hero has a dagger but is not currently wielding it, he must spend a turn dropping his other weapon and drawing the dagger.  The Hero remains pinned as long as the Spider lives.  As long as the pinned Hero lives, the Spider will only attack him, even if other Heroes attack the Spider.

Following Prey:
Once a Spider with this trait either sees a Hero, or crosses the path where a Hero has traveled, it will follow him as long as it lives - it will not give up the pursuit until it dies.  If the Hero dies, it will still follow his scent until coming to the death place.  In this place it will either begin following another Hero's scent (if another Hero was in the same location) or begin hunting again.  If a Spider with this trait crosses a trail where more than one Hero has been, assign each of the Heroes a number on a red die (use the left over numbers as 'roll again').  Roll the die to determine which of the Heroes the Spider begins following.



Giant Rats:
Giant Rats are larger than normal rats, but still relatively weak.  Their stats are:

	Movement:       8     
	Attack Dice:    1
	Defend Dice:    1
	Body Points:    1
	Mind Points:    1

	

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Non-Player Character (NPC):

Quest 2 and Quest 3 have an NPC, Sir Wolfar.  You will need an extra human figure for Sir Wolfar.  If you do not have one, or do not wish to use Sir Wolfar, you will need to take out all references to him in these two quests.

Alternately, if you have another player who wishes to join the group, he can do so and play Sir Wolfar.
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If you wish to leave all the cave tiles on the table as they are being played, the following table gives the number of each tile you that are used in quest 1:  

Blocked Tile            3
Corner Tile            12
Cross Tile              1
Passage Tile           23
Pit Tile                0
'T' Tile                3

Besides these tiles, you will need this many copies of the Cave Room tiles:

Cave Room 1             1
Cave Room 2             1
Cave Room 3             2
Cave Room 4             1
Cave Room 5             2
