H E R O Q U E S T (Gremlin) INTRODUCTORY NOTES The first thing to do is to choose one of four characters. While the choice is always yours when playing solo, you may not get the right character with other players. Therefore, experiment with all four characters, paying special attention to the Elf and Wizrd - some scenarios demand a competent use of magic. Avoid playing this game like a normal RPG. The original board game encouraged competition between the players (at least in the first few Quests) so it's best to play this version as a multi-player RPG. In other words, if there are three or four people then cooperate to beat the Quest and advance to the next stage. If it is only you playing, or yourself and a friend, share the characters between you. This is the only way you can hope to get through the later levels. Use the Barbarian and the Dwarf for close combat, and keep the spell casters hanging back to use magic and search for treasure and secret doors. Keep the party together to make them less vulnerable to attack. Leave no stone unturned (for hidden secret passages); it's usually worth having to fight an extra monster or two if it gains you a scroll or weapon. Risks are worth it! Remember that wounds sustained on a previous quest are carried forward to the next quest, which obviously makes your next fight that bit tougher. Although there is little you can do about this, you can avoid problems by using Healing Potions and using different characters. Be frugal when buying equipment as there is not much point in having someone buy tools if the Dwarf is in the party. Armour will help protect the fighters and save having to waste potions - conserve them for the more difficult challenges. It is well worth 100 Gold Pieces for a Staff as this makes the Wizard the strongest member of the party. The later Quests increase in danger and complexity. It is tempting to plunge the party into the final conflict for the sheer hell of it, though there's no real reason not to. However, you almost certainly won't get very far as the party needs some of the magic items found on previous levels. But it's entertaining enough while the party survives. Do not use the Wizard to search as he cannot keep the gold, which is infuriating if you didn't know! Magic is vital to the game, but it's tempting to only use the obvious 'major firepower' spells. These spells, such as Lightning, certainly have a good effect on the opposition, but don't underestimate the rest of the magic in the Wizard's repertoire. Flood, for example, has an interesting result when cast on a room full of creatures, especially on the 'Undead'. The key here is to experiment - take a spell-user for a spin and find out the best time and place to use each spell. QUEST ONE: THE MAZE This is really an introductory level as it contains hardly any monsters or traps. The basic idea is to find your way out of the maze in which you have been incacerated. Each player will start off in a different location so it isn't just a case of one person finding the way out, everyone must escape. Your entourage will start in each corner of the level map. The maze exit is in the centre, so all you have to do is guide your party to the centre. The first person to find the exit will be rewarded with 100 Gold Coins. As the Wizard cannot buy anything useful, make sure that the Barbarian or the Dwarf are first to the exit. If the Wizard arrives first, just make him wait until the others appear to collect the reward. The inhabitants of this level are easily killed and, with a litle luck, you can find a couple of Staves or Daggers...don't forget to search EVERYWHERE! QUEST TWO: RESCUE OF SIR RAGNAR Sir Ragnar, the Emperor's most fierce knight, has been kidnapped by Ulag the Orc Warlord. He has been taken far beneath the city and is being guarded by two of Ulag's henchmen. You must find him and bring him back to the safety of the Emperor's castle. Whoever finds him will be given 200 Gold Pieces. The reward can be split between each character, so don't worry about who gets to him first. He can be found in a room surrounded by creatures. It is at the top right-hand corner of the level. On this level search for secret doors. One will open to the left, then enter it to locate Sir Ragnar. Once you have destroyed the creatures, Sir Ragnar will automatically follow whoever touches him first. Try to get the character with the best weapons, armour and hit points to him first as this will offer the best protection. Sir Ragnar can be killed in combat with the creatures of the maze, so try and surround him with the party members to protect him. You will get nothing if he is killed. QUEST THREE: LAIR OF THE ORC WARLORD After the kidnap of Sir Ragnar, Prince Magnus has ordered the capture and death of the perpetrator - Ulag the Orc Warlord. Ulag is hiding in his lair, which can be found at the bottom left corner of the level. He is fiercely guarded by his own creatures of the night. Whoever delivers the final blow to Ulag will be given 100 Gold Coins. The treasure chest is booby-trapped, so search for traps before you look for gold. Things start to get a little bit difficult from this level onwards. The creatures begin to learn how to fight and grow in strength and courage. Spend time on this level searching for gold and objects. By this time, you should have each character kitted out with a toolkit, an average weapon and some form of armour. QUEST FOUR: PRINCE MAGNUS'S GOLD Three treasure chests containing the year's taxes have been stolen en route to the Emperor. The culprits are a band of fearless Orcs who have taken to hiding in the perilous Black Mountains. Their leader and mastermind behind the robbery is Gulthor, a Chaos Warrior. The Emperor has offered a reward of 200 Gold Pieces to anyone who can return the chests and ALL the gold. By now you should be getting used to the position the enemy usually occupy. Towards the middle of each level is where you are likely to find your objective. The chests are in a small room, guarded by two Orcs and Gulthor the Chaos Warrior. All must be defeated in order to recapture the chests. Exit the room by the other door and search for traps. A secret door should open, making your journey a lot easier. Search regularly for traps. When you return to the exit, you will be given the chance to declare your find to Prince Magnus or keep the chests. If you keep the chests, you will make 600 Gold Pieces, instead of just 200. QUEST FIVE: THE MAZE OF MELAR Long ago, a powerful Wizard by the name of Melar created a magical Talisman. It is said that this would enhance the wearer's understanding of magic. Melar kept it on him at all times, fearing it might be stolen and used against them. The Talisman is kept hidden on a book shelf in his laboratory, deep in the heart of the maze which has been filled with traps and magical adversaries. You will need to walk up to the shelf and touch it before the Talisman becomes your possession. In the second room you enter, search for treasure and the throne will disappear. Now search for secret doors. The Talisman of Lore is in the bottom left area with a bookcase. This level is quite difficult as it contains some rather hard enemies. They can all be killed using the normal weapons, but it is advisable to avoid combat if possible. QUEST SIX: ORC WARLORD LEGACY Ulag's foul son, Grak, has decided to avenge his father's death. After several months of tight planning, Grak has tracked you down and imprisoned you in his dungeon until he thinks of a way to get rid of you. Fortunately, as the guard sleeps, you manage to pick the lock of your cell. You must recover your equipment, which can be found in the top right room with the bookcase in it, and then escape te dungeon. There are no rewards for the completion of this particular quest - only your life! To escape, you must first find your things that were confiscated on your capture and then locate the exit. The dungeon is full of Orcs, Goblins, Fimirs and Chaos Warriors who will need to be disposed of in order to escape. Don't forget to search as the dungeon also contains some valuable treasures. QUEST SEVEN: THE STONE HUNTER The Emperor's favourite Wizard, Karlen, has gone missing. Fears that he has been murdered or succumbed to the lure of Black Magic must be proven or revoked. The Emperor has ordered you to find out what has happened to Karlen and, if he is alive, bring him back to safety. All survivors will receive 100 Gold Pieces on their return. Karlen has been hidden deep in the dungeon. From your starting point, you must make your way towards the centre of the level. Creatures abound in this quest and you should have decent armour and weapons by now. Try and keep the party together as most of the enemies attack in two's or three's and it's better to be prepared. Once found, lingering in the top right room, Karlen will not follow you but it will be registered that you have freed him. Also, Borin's armour can be found in the top left room. QUEST EIGHT: THE FIRE MAGE The Orcs from the Black Mountains have been using fire magic in their recent raids on the townsfolk. They have the help of Balur the Fire Mage and it is he who is responsible for the magic. The Emperor's Wizards have been unable to counter his spells as no fire magic can harm him. You must enter his lair, situated deep within the Black Fire Crag, and destroy him. Each survivor will collect 150 Gold Pieces. This level is quite difficult as no fire magic can harm Balur. Give the fire magic to the Wizard and the earth magic to the Elf. This will, hopefully, give you more chance of catching the wizard off guard. By now, your Barbarian and Dwarf should both possess broadswords or even battle axes. These weapons are the only thing that will kill the evil Mage. Trap him in a room and hit him from all sides - even the Wizard should have a go. Occasionally, Balur will not be guarded but most of the time he is, usually by two Orcs or a Chaos Warrior. Balur can be found in the second from bottom left square of the level. The Wand of Recall is in the second from bottom right room. Search regularly as there are loads of secrets in this level. QUEST NINE: RACE AGAINST TIME A guide has led you into a dungeon that was, supposedly, full of treasure. You were led down many twisting corridors and finally ended up in a room with three doors. Then the guide extinguishes his torch and vanishes into the night amid a cackle of evil laughter. You must find your way out of the dungeon or face an eternity of hell. This level is very similar to the first quest - The Maze, in the fact that you are not actually looking for an object, only the way out, which is roughly located in the bottom left corner of the bottom right area. Just to make things difficult for you, this exit is situated near a large collection of Orcs. Most of the creatures on this level can be destroyed relatively easily, but you will encounter the occasional 'hard case'. Magic will help you on this level as will long-range weapons such as the bow and the spear, if you have them. No prizes for completing this quest, only your life. Plenty of gold can be found in the top right areas. QUEST TEN: CASTLE OF MYSTERY Years ago, an insane wizard, Ollar, found the entrance to an ancient gold mine. Using great magical powers, he erected a mystical castle above the mine to protect it. The castle was filled with many monsters and foul beings who were trapped inside by a force field. If you can find the entrance, all the treasure inside will be yours. To find the entrance, you must patrol the outskirts of the castle until you find a break. Upon entry, you will be attacked by many creatures you haven't met before. Don't worry! They can all be killed by the usual means - a sword in the gut. There's not much treasure inside the castle but if you keep searching, you're bound to find something useful. Note that when you go through a door you will be transported to a random square. Each character must find the exit. QUEST ELEVEN: BASTION OF CHAOS The lands to the East have been overthrown by battling Orcs and Goblins. You have been sent forth to destroy them. The Orcs are hiding out in a large underground fortress called the Bastion of Chaos. They are led by a small group of Chaos Warriors. You must battle your way in and kill anything that you find. The Emperor has offered a bounty of 10 Gold Pieces for each Goblin killed, 20 for each Orc and 30 Gold Pieces for each Fimir or Chaos Warrior. This level is basically a chance for you to try out any new weapons you have acquired. The monsters are pretty easy to kill but don't be too clever. Three Chaos Warriors can do some very serious damage if they strike lucky. The best creatures to go for are the Orcs as they are relatively 'soft', but you get 20 gold for each carcass. Spells are fairly useless on Chaos Warriors so stick to combat. On your explorations you will find a chest containing "5,000 Gold Pieces". Don't bother to pick it up as it is fool's gold and will disappear upon your exit. Don't forget to search for traps as it is also booby trapped! QUEST TWELVE: BARAK TOR The raging war with the Orcs from the East is brewing, and the Emperor needs to unite the lesser kingdoms for the conflict to come. To do this, you must locate the Star of the West, the jewel worn by Rogar when he battled with Morcar years ago, and return it to the Emperor. The finder of the gem will be given 200 Gold Pieces. The gem is situated in Barak Tor, the resting place of the Witchlord. Barak Tor is infested with Orcs, so you will not have to worry about fighting anything else. The gem is hidden inside a bookcase, deep within the territory of the Witchlord. It is currently in the possession of a Zombie in the top left room. You must find his chamber and retrieve the gem. The Witchlord, in the centre room, is guarded by two Chaos Warriors who will attack, but the Witchlord won't bother you. Collect the gem and find the exit. Make sure that the Barbarian or the Dwarf find the gem as 200 Gold Pieces will go a long way towards that suit of plate armour. QUEST THIRTEEN: THE SPIRIT BLADE After your successful robbery of the Star of the West, you have woken the Witchlord, also known as the King of the Dead, who is a powerful servant of the vile Morcar. The Spirit Blade is the only weapon that can harm him and it lies in an ancient ruined temple. You must locate the weapon, in the bottom left square towards the right room, and defeat the Witchlord before he can unite his army of undead warroirs and attack the Emperor's forces. This is one of the hardest missions that you will have to endure. The Witchlord's Lair is full of Orcs, Goblins and Chaos Warriors. He is even guarded by three Chaos Warriors, so it's going to be tough! The Witchlord will not attack you so don't pay any attention to him just yet. The easiest way to defeat the Chaos Warriors is to send in your Barbarian and Dwarf and surround them. Keep your Wizard and Elf at a distance and keep those spells blasting. You should now see the end of the Warriors. QUEST FOURTEEN: RETURN TO BARAK TOR Now that you have located the Spirit Blade, you must return to Barak Tor and destroy the Witchlord. The Emperor has ridden forth to meet the Eastern Orcs at Black Fire Pass. If you fail to defeat the Witchlord then he will creep up behind the Emperor's forces and attack them from behind. Well, this is it! This is the last quest, the final battle - good against evil. Many powerful creatures will be in Barak Tor; Zombies, Skeletons, Mummies and all manner of evil. By now, you should have your party equipped with battle axes and plate armour. These objects will help you overcome the odds against the evil Witchlord. Use the Spirit Blade as it is the only weapon than can inflict damage on him. The Witchlord can be found in the top right room. In the 'Top Room' area, search for secret rooms.....you should find one that leads directly to the Witchlord. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *