Wednesday, January 12, 2022

Introduction to MurderHobo-ing 101 - HeroQuest (2021)

Hey, all you OG dungeon crawlers, check out my own personal history with HeroQuest, as well a visual comparison between the 1989 and 2021 versions right here.

So, for those of you in the dark out there sans infravision, here's the scoop on this hoary old classic right from the mouths of 'Borgs:

In the HeroQuest dungeon crawl board game, heroes work together to complete epic quests, find treasures and defeat the forces of evil. 

This semi-cooperative board game has one player taking on the role of Zargon, the Game Master, while 4 mythical heroes--Barbarian, Dwarf, Elf, and Wizard--team up in their quest for adventure in a maze of monsters and eerie dark dungeons. Players can immerse themselves in the fantasy with the stunning artwork, and 65+ detailed miniatures. 

The game comes with 14 quests, and has limitless re-playability because players can also build their own quests and create their own stories. Gather friends together for an exciting night of tabletop gameplay in an epic battle of good and evil.

Looking to attend Mentor's full TED Talk? The click on the following link to read his book of lore from cover-to-cover!

***

What follows is my full play-through of "QUEST 1: The Trial." As such, spoilers for the scenario abound, so if you don't wanna know what's behind them doors, feel free to skip to my review at the end of this entry.

Full disclosure: I decided to use the game's companion appto preserve a sense of mystery for myself. I'll talk about the pros and cons of this later on during my review.  

PLAY-THROUGH for QUEST 1 

The Trial

Mentor's guidance: "You have learned well, my friends. Now has come the time of your first trial. You must first enter the catacombs that contain Fellmarg's tomb. You must seek out and destroy Verag, a foul gargoyle that hides in the catacombs. His quest is not easy, and you must work together in order to survive. This is your first step on the road to becoming true heroes. Tread carefully, my friends."

First off, I’m assuming that the stairwell counts for a single space.

Hero's Turn

The Barbarian uses his 4 points of movement to venture through the closed door and into the hallway.

The Dwarf’s moves 6 spaces, so he ends up 2 squares in front of the Barbarian.

The Elf rolls a “6” and sidles in just behind the Dwarf.

The Wizard gets a “10” and jogs down the hall past the unopened door. He’ll let the Barbarian open that one!

Zargon’s Turn

There are no monsters on the board, so this phase is skipped.

Hero's Turn

With 7 movement points, the Barbarian whips opens the door, spots 2 Orcs and immediately charges towards them, swinging his Broadsword. Unfortunately, he rolls 2 White and 1 Black Shields, so that’s a miss.

Despite his best intentions to rush in and help his burly pal, he roll a "3" for movement and stumbles just inside the door!

Using a her 11 movement points, the Elf flanks and attacks one of the Orcs. Sadly, she also misses with 2 White Shields.

The Wizard rolls an "8" for movement, moves next to an Orc and jabs at it with his Dagger, but rolls yet another White Shield!

Zargon’s Turn

The first Orc lashes out at the Barbarian, scoring a hit, but the warrior gets a White Shield and defends himself. Unfortunately, he fails to repeat this feat on the second Orc’s strike, and he takes 1 point of Body damage.

Hero's Turn

The Barbarian whiffs again, rolling 2 White and 1 Black Shields. Ruh-roh!

Using a surplus of 11 potential movement points, the Dwarf gets all up in the grill of the Orc standing by the door...and promptly rolls 1 White and 1 Black Shield. WTF?!?

The Elf rolls 1 Skull, but the Orc rolls 2 Black Shields and ignores the damage. This ain’t good.

The Wizard rolls a White Shield and also misses. Sweet Jebus.

Zargon’s Turn

The Barbarian defends himself against a point of damage from one Orc, but takes a hit from the second!

Hero's Turn

The Barbarian rolls 2 White and 1 Black Shields. I’m literally defying the odds at this point!

The Dwarf finally puts down the Orc guarding the door!

The second Orc successfully parries the Elf’s attack!

The Wizard misses with his Dagger.

Zargon's Turn

The Orc strikes back, dealing 3 potential hits to the Barbarian...all of which he fails to defend against! Three more points of damage and he’s dead...and they haven’t even cleared the first room yet!

Hero's Turn

The Barbarian finally kills the Orc he's been dancing with. Yikes! He then moves 5 squares,  through the east door and into the next room. Clearly, impulse control isn’t this dude’s strong suit! This next chamber is guarded by a Goblin and an Abomination.

Frantically trying to keep up with the Barbarian, the Dwarf rolls a “9” for movement and flies into the Abomination, but gets 2 Black Shields on his Attack roll.

After rolling a paltry “4” for Movement, the Elf decides to Search for Treasure in the first room. She's delighted to find a "Potion of Healing"!

Using some of his 7 movement points, the Wizard moves next to the Abomination and casts "Ball of Flame." The Abomination rolls one “6” on  its Body “saving throw”, so it only takes 1 point of damage.

Zargon’s Turn

The Barbarian rolls 2 White Shields, defending against the Goblin attack. The Abomination also charges at the Barbarian and deals 2 Damage, 1 point of which is parried. He only has 2 Body Points remaining!

Hero's Turn

The Barbarian dials up 1 Skull but the Abomination rolls 2 Black Shields in defense.

The Dwarf rolls a “9” to move and harries the Abomination, but his 1 Skull is blocked by a Black Shield.

The Elf a portion of her 7 movement points to move next to the Barbarian and cast "Heal Body" on him. He instantly regains 4 Body Points.

The Wizard rolls a "3" for movement, moves next to the Goblin and tries to attack it with his Dagger. He misses with a Black Shield, which seems to be the order of the day.

Zargon’s Turn

The Barbarian shrugs off the Goblin’s single hit with a White Shield and then skillfully avoids 1 point from the Abomination.

Hero's Turn

The Barbarian’s single point of damage is deflected by the Abomination.

With 2 Black Shields, the Abomination also bats away the Dwarf’s single damage with authoritah! 

The Elf moves next to the Goblin and finally drops the pesky thing with 1 unopposed Skull!

Wanting to put an end to this protracted brawl, the Wizard casts “Fire of Wrath” on the Abomination. With a roll of “4”,  the creature fails its “saving throw” and takes another point of damage, finally laying it low.

Zargon’s Turn

There are no monsters on the board, so this phase is skipped.

Hero's Turn

After Searching for Treasure, the Barbarian finds his own "Potion of Healing"! He then rolls a "4" for Movement, opens the door to the north and strides down the corridor. Nothing stops his guy, not even common sense!

The Dwarf also Searches for Treasure, but finds nothing. He then scrambles to match the Barbarian's juggernaut pace. 

The Elf draws a Hazard during her Treasure Search, losing a Body Point and ending her turn.

The Wizard uses his 5 movement points to play catch up with the Barbarian and the Dwarf.

Zargon’s Turn

There are no monsters on the board, so this phase is skipped.

Hero's Turn

The Barbarian rolls a “4” for movement, boots the door open and barges in. He spies two Goblins and immediately charges at them. He rolls 3 hits on his attack roll and kills one of them outright. 

The Dwarf rolls a “5” for Movement and launches himself at the remaining Goblin. He rolls 1 Skull, which  the creature fails to defend against. Seems like the early jitters have passed and the team is now firing on all cylinders!

With a movement of only 3, the Elf barely gets out of the last secured room.

A 9 is plenty enough to let the Wizard meet up with the Dwarf and Barbarian. His subsequent Treasure Search triggers an unseen Hazard, causing him to lose 1 Body Point!

Zargon’s Turn

There are no monsters on the board, so this phase is skipped.

Hero's Turn

In a turn that now feels decidedly on-brand, the Barbarian uses his movement roll of “10” to kick open another door and rush the surprised Goblin and Orc inside! He rolls three Skulls, ganking the stunned Orc in one vicious chop.

The Dwarf throws snake eyes and barely gets out the door.

The Elf rolls a “10” and makes it to the doorway of the newly-revealed room.

Also armed with a 10 for movement, the Wizard moves next to the Goblin and pokes at him with his Dagger. The resulting White Shield is a miss!

Zargon’s Turn

The Barbarian takes 1 hit from the Goblin.

Hero's Turn

The Barbarian responds with a 2-point strike, chopping the Goblin in half like Conan the Librarian. He then throws a “5” for movement. Finally listening to the Wizard's pleas for some modicum of restrain, this time he doesn’t immediately whip the door open.

With his 10 points of movement, the Dwarf tucks in behind the Barbarian and then Searches for Treasure. He finds some Gold, which is kind of on-the-nose, dontcha think, HeroQuest?

After dicing up a “10” for Movement, the Elf shifts 6 squares to the right of the Barbarian and also Searches for Treasure. A Wandering Monster, specifically an Orc, was apparently hiding behind that stack of old newspapers. Fortunately the Elf expertly defends the resulting 1-point sneak attack with a White Shield.

The Wizard rolls “7”,  moves next to the Orc and attacks it with his Dagger, rolling a Skull! Incredibly, the Orc rolls 2 White Shield symbols, so it’s felled! Nice one, Poindexter!

Zargon’s Turn

There are no monsters on the board, so this phase is skipped.

Hero's Turn

With a meager 3 movement, the Barbarian opens the door to the north, moves into the new chamber and immediately hacks at the Skeleton he suddenly finds himself in melee with! He rolls 2 hits and, since it’s not defended, the Skelly is smashed into a pile of inert bones!

Using all 5 of his Movement Points to positions himself just north of the Skeleton, the Dwarf d lands 1 potential hit. The Skeleton rolls 2 Skulls in defense, so it’s history.

With a movement roll of “9”, the Elf nimbly shifts into the room, ending up just north of the eastern door. She Searches for Treasure, but finds only an Arrow Hazard, taking 1 Body Point in damage from the trap.  

The Wizard gets an “8” for Movement, positions himself next to the Barbarian and also Searches for Treasure. Another Wandering Orc springs out of the latrine (presumably) and levels a potential hit on the Wizard. Fortunately, the mage throws a White Shield and blocks the attack!

Zargon’s Turn 

The Orc shifts up to attack the Barbarian, but his one hit is nullified with a successful defense roll.

Hero's Turn

After the Barbarian deals 2 unopposed damage and drops the Orc, he rolls a “9” for movement and opens the eastern door, which is guarded by two Zombies...and a Mummy! He immediately dodges to the right to clear a path for his allies!

On a roll of “5”, the Dwarf runs into the room and chops at the closest Zombie, rolling 2 Skulls. Since the Zombie rolls all Skulls for defense, it takes 2 damage and is destroyed.

With a mediocre movement roll of “3”, the Elf occupies the doorway and casts “Rock Skin” on the Barbarian.

A roll of “7” lets the Wizard move into the room, right in front of the still-sealed eastern door. He casts “Tempest” and the Mummy misses its next turn!

Zargon’s Turn

The Zombie misses!

Hero's Turn

With a movement roll of “6”, the Barbarian manoeuvres around behind the Mummy and gets two potential hits. Since his quarry generates no Black Shields, he takes 2 damage and crumbles away into a cloud of dust and gauze!

The Dwarf rolls “6” to move, which is more than enough to get him in behind the last Zombie. He rolls 1 Skull, but its countered by 2 Black Shields.

The Elf rolls a “2” for Movement, just enough to get her next to the Zombie. Unfortunately, her attack turn up all Shields, so she misses. 

Using 5 of his 6 movement, the Wizard moves next to the Zombie, but he telegraphs his attack.

Zargon’s Turn

The Zombie misses the Dwarf!

Hero's Turn

With a whopping “12”, the Barbarian has no problem occupying the last space adjacent to the Zombie. Unfortunately, his follow up swing goes wide. 

The Dwarf stays put and attacks the Zombie, getting 2 potential hits. The Zombie rolls 1 Black Shield, but since it only has 1 Body Point, it’s defeated! He then moves 2 squares and opens the door to the next room, which features a Crypt and a Chest guarded by 2 Skeletons and another Mummy! He decides to remain in place and bottle-neck the doorway.

Heeding the Barbarian's plea to get into the fight, the Elf holds in place and casts “Pass Through Rock” on him.

With a roll of “10”, the Wizard moves just north of the Dwarf and casts “Courage” on him.

Zargon’s Turn

A Skeleton deals one point of damage to the Dwarf.

Hero's Turn

Armed with 6 points of movement, the Barbarian strolls right through the wall and ends up standing next to the Mummy! He attacks...and gets 3 Skulls! The Mummy does a fine job defending, however, getting 2 Black Shields!

The Dwarf hacks at the Skeleton, rolling 2 extra die thanks to “Courage.” He gets 1 Skull and the Skeleton’s defense fails, so his foe clatters across the floor in a rain of bones and armor. He then uses 4 of his 7 movement points to flank the Mummy.

With 10 movement points, the Elf enters the room and targets the Skeleton, but she rolls no hits.

The Wizard uses a segment of his 9 movement points to position himself in the south east corner of the room, next to the Treasure Chest! 

Zargon’s Turn

A Skeleton deals one point of damage to the Elf. The Mummy goes after the Barbarian, scoring 1 hit, which goes undefended...even with "Rock Skin" providing extra Defense Dice! With that damage slipping through, the spell fizzles! He now has 4 Body Points remaining!

Hero's Turn

The Barbarian hits the Mummy with 2 Skulls and the creature rolls 4 Skulls in response! It’s annihilated!

The Dwarf uses one of his 9 movement points to shift next to the Skeleton. He gets 2 Skulls on his 4 dice (juiced thanks to “Courage”) and his foe only rolls a single Black Shield, so he’s destroyed! Since there are no longer any visible enemies in the room, the “Courage” spell ends.

The Elf searches the room for Treasure and finds 84 Gold in the chest! She then moves 10 spaces back into the room with the altar.

The Wizard searches the room and finds a Gem, then  moves 4 spaces towards the door.

Zargon’s Turn

There are no monsters on the board, so this phase is skipped.

Hero's Turn

The Barbarian moves 9 spaces and Searches for Treasure, stumbling into an Arrow Trap for a point of Body damage. Now looking pretty beat up, he decides to drink his Potion of Healing, but a crap roll results in him only getting a single Body Point back. FFS!

The Dwarf moves 7 spaces and is now just a few strides behind the Barbarian.

The Elf moves 6 spaces out into the “T” intersection in the west side of the dungeon, revealing a door just a few feet away to the south!

The Wizard uses 7 movement points to catch up to the Barbarian and the Dwarf.

Zargon’s Turn

There are no monsters on the board, so this phase is skipped.

Hero's Turn

The Barbarian uses 6 movement points to exit the altar room.

The Dwarf uses 10 movement points to catch up to the Elf.

The Elf uses some of her 10 movement points to open this new door, revealing a Goblin and Orc presiding over a Torture Rack. She immediately quaffs her Healing Potion, recovering 2 Body Points, and then rushes inside to attack the Goblin. Her one hit is not blocked and the Goblin is killed!

Hearing the renewed sounds of battle and concerned that he’s lagging behind, the Wizard casts “Swift Wind” on himself, moving 1 + 3 + 2 + 4 = 10 squares!

Zargon’s Turn

The Orc hit the Elf for 2 unopposed damage! She's in trouble!

Hero's Turn

The Barbarian uses all 10 of his movement points to rush to the Elf’s defense, but his attack misses!

The Dwarf uses a portion of his 10 movement points to flank the Elf, but his 1 Skull is blocked by the Orc.

The Elf attempts to defend herself, rolling 2 Black Shields...a miss!

The Wizard rushes in and attempts to stab the Orc with his dagger. He rolls a Skull and the Orc rolls a White Shield and a Skull...he’s killed! Wow, someone's gunning for MVP!

Zargon’s Turn

There are no monsters on the board, so this phase is skipped.

Hero's Turn

The Barbarian Searches for Treasure but, instead of finding anything valuable, an Orc jumps down from the chandelier, threatening 2 points of damage. Fortunately, the fighter rolls 2 White Shields, blocking the hit. He then moves 6 spaces away.

The Dwarf uses a few of his 6 movement points to counter-attack, getting 1 Skull and 1 White Shield to the Orc’s 2 White Shields. It’s killed!

The Elf moves 5 squares, trailing the Barbarian.

The Wizard uses his paltry 3 movement to fall in step behind the Elf.

Zargon’s Turn

There are no monsters on the board, so this phase is skipped.

Hero's Turn

It’s an all-movement turn, with the Barbarian travelling 4 spaces, the Dwarf trailing 2 squares behind with an 8, the Elf jumping past everyone with 6 and the Wizard taking the vanguard with a 10.

Zargon’s Turn

There are no monsters on the board, so this phase is skipped.

Hero's Turn

The Barbarian moves 8 spaces to explore the northeast passage. He doesn’t find any doors, but he does notice that the north branch is sealed off.

Huffing and puffing, the Dwarf enters the "T" intersection.

The Elf blows past with a 6, taking the south-east corridor.

The Wizard uses 4 movement points to leap-frog past the Elf.

Zargon’s Turn

There are no monsters on the board, so this phase is skipped.

Hero's Turn

The Barbarian uses 9 of his 10 movement points to loop around, finally locating what he thinks is the last door! In an uncharacteristic show of restraint, he opts to keep it sealed, waiting for his companions to catch up.

The Dwarf uses all 9 of his Movement Points to round the south-east corner, noting another closed door on the branching path off to the right.

The Elf uses 9 movement points to approach the Barbarian at the door.

The Wizard uses his 7 movement points to tuck in between the Barbarian and the Elf.

Zargon’s Turn

The Barbarian gingerly opens the door, revealing Verag the Gargoyle, guarded by two Orcs and a Dread Warrior! He charges at the Dread Warrior (using a portion of his 10 movement) and attacks, but only rolls Shields! Here we go again!

The Dwarf uses some of his 10 movement points to go after the Orc. Unfortunately, he rolls 2 Shields as well! Is history repeating itself? 

The Elf only rolls a “3” for movement, but it’s just enough to get next to the Orc. Unfortunately - you guessed it - she only rolls Shields on her attack.

The Wizard rushes in (with 9 movement points) and uses “Water of Healing” to restore the Barbarian to full Health!

Zargon’s Turn

The Barbarian shrugs off one potential hit from the Dread Warrior.

The Orc leaps over the table at the Elf, dealing 2 damage to her. She’s nearly dead!

The Orc fighting the Dwarf deals 2 damage to him, but he somehow manages to avoid 2 strikes from the Gargoyle! Things are looking dire!

Hero's Turn

The Barbarian strikes the Dread Warrior for 2 damage, but 1 is defended. He then uses 5 of his 8 movement points to breaks through the scrum and distract the Orc menacing the Elf.

The Dwarf deals a point of undefended damage to the Orc he’s fighting and he’s defeated! He then moves to challenge the Dread Warrior.

The Elf gets a hit on the Orc, but it’s blocked with a Black Shield. She then wisely retreats next to the Barbarian.

In a “Hail Mary” move, the Wizard summons a “Genie” to attack the Gargoyle...and gets 5 Skulls!!! Verag's defense roll only yields a single Black Shield, so he's defeated in a single hit! Amazing!


Zargon’s Turn

The Dread Warrior charges at the Barbarian and gets 2 hits on him! He then takes another smack from the Orc.

Hero's Turn

The Barbarian lashes back, causing a single point of unblocked damage to the Warrior.

Sensing victory, the Dwarf uses a portion of his 12 movement points to leap off the table at the Dread Warrior, scoring a single Skull. The Warrior throws 2 Skulls and a White Shield for defense, so he takes another damage and is killed!

Stunned that the battle’s momentum has completely turned around, the remaining Orc rolls 2 White Shields again the Elf’s one Skull. He’s also toast!

The Wizard searches the area for Treasure..and finds 120 Gold Coins in the Treasure Chest! He then moves 7 spaces out of the room.

***

I actually played out the movement required to escape, but with no traps or Wandering Monsters in this scenario, the Hero's escape was inevitable. 

By some minor miracle, all four of the heroes managed to get back to the surface and win the day!

VICTORY!!!

Recovered Treasure

Gold! - 25 Gold

Gem! - 35 Gold

Treasure Chest - 84 Gold

Treasure Chest - 120 Gold Coins

***

REVIEW

PROS

  • As if this wasn't already blatantly self-evident...the game's production values are uniformly amazing, making for a really immersive experience. 
  • Unlike most modern dungeon crawl board games, this one is lean and mean. There aren't a lot of anal-retentive rules to slow down the aspiring murder-hobo.
  • The game is truly co-operative. If you don't work together you might as well kiss your collective asses goodbye.
  • The game is surprisingly tactical. In a way, it kinda feels like an intro version of Space Hulk...and that's high praise.
  • There's a nice variety of Spells and, not unlike D&D, you can use them in a lot of creative and fun ways. 
  • The custom dice represent a nice, easy way to simulate combat. They also provide a healthy dollop of luck, which can result in some really goofy and memorable gaming moments.
  • Whereas movement in other dungeon crawls is a foregone conclusion, it's a genuine source of tension here. Will my character leap to the the defense of their allies...or will they carom uselessly off the door frame and nearly knock themselves out cold?  
  • Unlike say, MARK I DescentHeroQuest actually feels like an adventure game. Sure, there isn't a huge variety of foes, but the designers did a great job giving players a variety of interesting goals to achieve from Quest to Quest. As such, there's genuine anticipation whenever you're about to boot a new door in. 
  • I like the fact that you can spend Gold to upgrade the Hero's weapons, armor and equipment, making your team more effective as the challenges get tougher.
CONS

  • Sadly, the Heroes and Monsters are nothing more than a boring collection of numbers. That's fine if you're a ten year old kids that's new to fantasy gaming, but if you're a D&D veteran like me, the whole thing feels woefully vanilla.
  • Sure, the props look right some purdy, but it scarcely has any impact on game play. In fact, the only time the presence of furniture in a room affected my turn is when I'd Search for Treasure whenever a Chest was in the room. Furniture isn't even really discussed in the rule book, making me assume that you can have a knock-down, drag out melee between three figures on top of a bookshelf.
  • To that last point, I can understand how the original version of the game had some rules vagaries, but there's absolutely no excuse for this version to be confusing. For such a simple game, I still have lingering questions about the aforementioned Furniture, Spells and even the Stairwell!  
  • As tense as random movement can be, it's also patently stupid and frustrating at times.
  • Sure, your equipment improves, but the Heroes never do. As such, the game really cries out for new combat skills and Spells to unlock. 
THE APP

The app did a decent job providing ambiance, keeping the rooms a mystery to me and tracking damage to Monsters. Unfortunately, it also reeks of half-assery.  

You can't roll Hero attacks in the app, but that didn't bother me, 'cuz why would you even play a game like this if you can't roll a massive mitt-full of dice? On the other hand, moving your Hero around in the app is a genuine exercise in frustration, since your path tends to veer all over the place like a drunken bard that just got paid for a gig. 

And perish forbid that you switch to another app while you're playing. The first time I tried to take a photo, the HeroQuest app collapsed and I lost my game. Mercifully, I was only one room in so I didn't lose a ton of progress. My advice: save often!

Perhaps the app's biggest issue is Monster AI. Unless it physically can't move, Monsters will always attack the Hero with the most Body Points. Translation: they tend to ignore the squishy Wizard in lieu of tapping the Barbarian on the shoulder like a drunken frat-boy  challenging a power-lifter to a fight. This might be a good feature for beginners, but it's also not very smart from a tactical standpoint. 

I'll probably keep using the app to preserve the mystery of the scenarios, but I wouldn't say no to a few updates if it made the thing more user-friendly.       

P.S. bonus points for hiring a voice actor for Zargon that sounds suspiciously like Mark Hamill at his most flamboyant. 

FINAL VERDICT

At first, I was really disappointed that Avalon Hill / Hasbro didn't bother to spruce up the rules. In light of decades worth of board game evolution, this new version of HeroQuest is more stubbornly lodged in the '80's than a University English professor.

But, honestly, that ain't so bad. I legit had fun using the app to do my solitaire play of this game. After a nigh-disastrous start, my plucky band of Heroes finally got their collective shit together and, despite the odds stacked against them, they managed to pull off a surprising win. Sorry, but snatching victory from the jaws of defeat is the very definition of fun to me.

In a way, HeroQuest's simplicity is also its greatest strength, since you can enjoy it perfectly fine right out of the box or slowly mix in some of your own house rules (see below). Despite the sticker shock that inherent with this version, I really hope that the game ends up in the hands of as many 10-year-old kids as possible. Not only will it spark their imagination for fantasy...it might also turn them into aspiring game designers!

HeroQuest scores four pips out of six with a tilt down into Zargon's unfinished basement.


BONUS: POSSIBLE HERO AND MONSTER HOUSE RULES

Alternative Hero Movement

Dwarf d6 + d4

Barbarian and Wizard d6 + d6

Elf d6 + d8

Starting Hero Features and Powers

Barbarian

Berserker Rage: Re-roll one attack and defense die until there are no visible living enemies. Can only be used once per Quest. 

Dwarf

Detect Traps: Upon seeing a newly-revealed room or corridor, roll a d6. On a roll of 1-2 Zargon immediately reveals trap locations without the Dwarf spending an action.  

Disarm Trap: as per the regular rules.

Trap Avoidance: Whenever you encounter Pit or Falling Block Traps, roll d6's equal to your current Mind value. If you roll at least one 6 you avoid the effects.  

Cleave: If you cause at least one Body Point of damage to a Monster, roll an attack against an adjacent enemy with 1 fewer die.

Resistant to Poison: Roll d6's equal to the Dwarf's current Body Points. If you roll at least one 6 the Dwarf is unaffected by the effects of poison. (NOTE I don't think there are any Monsters or Dread Magic Spells that currently use poison, but it might happen in an expansion.)

Elf 

Immune to Sleep spells.

Resistant to Command: Re-roll Mind Point dice when trying to Resist this Spell.

Nimble: you can move through Monster's spaces. 

Wizard

Magical Resistance: Re-roll one Mind Point Die when defending against Dread Magic. 

Monster Special Abilities

Goblins

Evasive: Goblins can move through spaces occupied by Heroes.

Swarm: Goblins can re-roll one Attack die if at least one other Goblin is adjacent to the same enemy.

Orcs 

Brute Force: Re-roll one attack die. 

Abominations

Eldritch Horror: Roll a Mind check whenever you encounter one or more Abominations. If you fail to roll at least one "6", your attacks against Abominations are performed with -1 die. 

Dread Warriors

Heavily-Armed and Armored: Re-roll 1 die when attacking and 1 die when defending. 

Skeletons

Smashy-Smashy: Re-roll 1 Skull when attacking a Skeleton with bladed or piercing weapons. If attacking with a blunt weapon (Staff, Hammer or a Mace), re-roll one miss.

NOTE: Magic bladed / piercing weapons do normal damage against Skeletons.

Zombies

"WHY WON'T YOU DIE?!?":  Instead of removing a Zombie from the board when defeated, roll a die. On a roll of "1" it stays on the board with 1 Body Point.

Mummies

Rotting Touch: After you've taken at least one point of damage from a Mummy, roll d6's equal to your current Body Point level. If you fail to roll at least one "6", take one point of Body damage at the start of your next turn.

Gargoyle

Stone Skin: When attacking a Gargoyle with bladed or piercing weapons, re-roll one hit. Magic bladed weapons do normal damage against Gargoyles.

Dread Sorcerer  

Dark Magic: Re-roll one die on Mind Point checks when attacking with your spells.

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