Game encyclopedia

HeroQuest elements

Explore the board materials, figures, dice, furniture, equipment, magic, and action artwork used throughout the campaign.

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Heroes and creatures

Meet every playable hero, the dungeon master, and every monster type, with the authoritative statistics used by the engine. A figure with an animated portrait plays it here. Every status a figure can wear is drawn as it looks on the board.

Monster demo

Press Play on a monster below to see it strike a hero in this corridor.

Heroes and Zargon

Zargon
Dungeon master controlling monsters, hidden information, and quest events.
Barbarian
Attack 3 · Defense 2 · Body 8 · Mind 2
Dwarf
Attack 2 · Defense 2 · Body 7 · Mind 3
Elf
Attack 2 · Defense 2 · Body 6 · Mind 4
Wizard
Attack 1 · Defense 2 · Body 4 · Mind 6

Monsters

Goblin
Move 10 · Attack 2 · Defense 1 · Body 1 · Mind 1
Orc
Move 8 · Attack 3 · Defense 2 · Body 1 · Mind 2
Abomination
Move 6 · Attack 3 · Defense 3 · Body 2 · Mind 3
Skeleton
Move 6 · Attack 2 · Defense 2 · Body 1 · Mind 0
Zombie
Move 5 · Attack 2 · Defense 3 · Body 1 · Mind 0
Mummy
Move 4 · Attack 3 · Defense 4 · Body 2 · Mind 0
Dread Warrior
Move 7 · Attack 4 · Defense 4 · Body 3 · Mind 3
Gargoyle
Move 6 · Attack 4 · Defense 5 · Body 3 · Mind 4
Dread Sorcerer
Move 8 · Attack 3 · Defense 3 · Body 3 · Mind 6

Statuses

Heroic Brew
The next attack is followed by a second one.
Potion of Strength
+2 Attack dice on the next attack.
Potion of Defense
+2 Defend dice the next time it is attacked.
Potion of Speed
+1 movement die on the next movement roll.
Swift Wind
+2 movement dice on the next movement roll.
Pass Through Rock
Walks through walls on the next move.
Rock Skin
+1 Defend die.
Courage
+2 Attack dice on the next attack against a monster.
Veil of Mist
Walks through occupied squares on the next move.
Sleep
Loses its turn.
Tempest
Loses its next turn.
Fear
Attacks with a single die.
Command
Turns its weapon on the nearest ally.
Petrified
Turned to stone. It cannot act, and nothing can harm it.
Dormant
Stone-still. It will not act.
Invulnerable
No weapon or spell can harm it.
Sealed
Bound by a seal. It cannot act.
Carrying a royal chest
Carries a royal chest. Movement is limited to one red die.
2 auras
Courage and Rock Skin share the ring, one sector each, the most pressing first, the whole wheel turning slowly.
3 auras
Fear, Potion of Strength, and Swift Wind share the ring, one sector each, the most pressing first, the whole wheel turning slowly.

Board and rooms

Browse the repeatable floor materials and the code-rendered door states used to assemble every quest on the fixed dungeon board.

Corridors and room floors

A compact board overview showing every corridor and room floor in place.

Doors

Closed door
Blocks movement and conceals the area beyond it until opened.
Open door
Permanently connects two adjacent board areas.
Revealed hidden door
A discovered hidden doorway, opened to connect its two areas.

Dice

Movement uses numbered dice. Combat dice resolve attacks with skulls, hero shields, and monster shields.

Turn the dice

Drag to rotate
Movement die — turn it
Drag the die to roll it in your hand and see all six numbered faces.
Drag to rotate
Combat die — turn it
Drag the die to see all six faces — three skulls, two white (hero) shields, one black (monster) shield.

Dice and combat faces

Movement 5
Movement die
A hero normally rolls two numbered dice to establish movement.
Skull
Skull
Scores one hit for the attacker.
Hero shield
Hero shield
Cancels one hit when a hero defends.
Monster shield
Monster shield
Cancels one hit when a monster defends.

Furniture, traps, and markers

Every reusable single-tile dungeon object can be placed, rotated, revealed, trapped, or collected by quest rules.

Trap demo

Press Play on a trap below to set it off in this corridor, or Disarm or Jump to see the dwarf deal with it.

Dungeon objects

Alchemist's bench
Reusable dungeon element
Blocked square
Reusable dungeon element
Bookcase
Reusable dungeon element
Treasure chest
Reusable dungeon element
Cupboard
Reusable dungeon element
Double blocked square
Reusable dungeon element
Fallen stone
Reusable dungeon element
Fireplace
Reusable dungeon element
Grave
Reusable dungeon element
Pit trap
Reusable dungeon element
Torture rack
Reusable dungeon element
Sorcerer's table
Reusable dungeon element
Spear trap
Reusable dungeon element
Stairway
Reusable dungeon element
Table
Reusable dungeon element
Throne
Reusable dungeon element
Tomb
Reusable dungeon element
Weapons rack
Reusable dungeon element
Sir Ragnar
Reusable dungeon element

Board decor

Cosmetic dressing painted on the board. Fixed decor is laid once per quest; combat marks stay where a fight happened. None of it blocks, hides or reveals anything.

Dungeon dressing

Wall torch
Someone keeps these burning, night after night, in rooms no living soul has visited for years. Nobody has ever seen who. Nobody has ever wanted to.
Chalk circle
Scuffed at one edge, but not broken. Not quite. Whatever was called into this circle may still be listening, and it may be very keen to talk.
Ash and soot
The last fire here burned hot, fast and angry, and not all of it was wood. The smell has faded. The scorch marks on the ceiling have not.
Melted candles
Black candles lit for the dead, and left to gutter out slowly in the damp. Someone still replaces them. The dead, it seems, have friends down here.
Cracked flagstone
The stone has been settling for centuries, and it is in no hurry to stop. Mind where you step. The floor has swallowed better-dressed heroes than you.
Old bloodstain
Scrubbed once, long ago, by someone who did not care much, and never quite gone. The stain has a shape. It looks a little bit like surprise.
Scattered bones
What is left of the last party that trusted the map. They are a reminder that the map was drawn by Zargon, and that Zargon has a sense of humour.
Skull
It grins at every newcomer as if it knows exactly how this ends. It has seen a lot of heroes walk past. It has seen fewer walk back.
Puddle
Black water, seeping from somewhere far above and dripping with a slow, maddening rhythm. It never dries, and nothing that drinks from it ever grows thirsty again.
Torn pages
Someone wrote down everything they learned about this dungeon. Someone else disagreed, strongly, and tore out the ending.
Broken pottery
It held oil once, or grain, or something that is now a dark smear. It did not survive the last party. Few things do.
Spilled wine
A fine vintage, knocked over in a hurry. Whoever drank here left without finishing, which down here is never a good sign.
Abandoned dice
The guards gambled away their pay, then their boots, then their shift. The dice are still showing a double one. Nobody collected.
Bloody bandages
Wrapped tight, stained through, and then abandoned. The wound healed, or the patient stopped needing it. The dungeon does not say which.
Candle stub
One stub, burned down to a puddle of wax. Someone sat here in the dark for a long time, waiting for something that took its time.
Worn rug
Threadbare, moth-eaten and still trying hard to look grand. It was a gift from a baron, once. The baron is no longer in a position to complain.
Scattered straw
Scattered bedding, trampled flat. Whatever slept here was large, restless, and not at all fussy about hygiene.
Copper coins
A few tarnished coins, dropped and never picked up. Whoever lost them was in too much of a hurry to bend down. Down here, that is usually wise.
Rusty dagger
Snapped near the tip and left to rust. It was the last weapon of someone who had already lost the others.
Torn cloak
Good wool, torn clean along one edge, as if something caught it and pulled. The owner let go of the cloak. That was the right choice.
Dented helmet
A sturdy iron helm with one very deep dent. It did its job, mostly. The strap snapped before the head inside did, which is something.
Broken lantern
Dropped, shattered and spilled. After this, its owner went on in the dark. The dark here does not give much back.
Rope coil
Good hemp, frayed at one end, as if it was cut. Every adventurer packs a rope. Few of them ask what the last one was cut from.
Drain grate
Rusted bars over a dark hole. The water goes down there. So does the smell, mostly. Something down there breathes when the torches gutter.
Shattered vial
Glass, a cork and a pale green stain. Somebody drank the potion, or dropped it, or threw it. The stain is still faintly warm.
Wall chains
The iron rings are worn bright where the prisoners pulled, and pulled, and pulled. The chains are still here. The prisoners, sadly, are elsewhere, in several pieces.
Barrel
Sealed tight and heavy. It might hold ale, or pickled fish, or the last adventurer who asked too many questions. Best not to knock.
Crate
Nailed shut and stencilled with a mark nobody can read. Zargon's supply chain is efficient, discreet, and extremely well funded.
Sacks
Grain, mostly. The rats have been at the corners. The rats have been at everything, really, and they are not sorry.
Bucket
Half full of something that was water yesterday. Today it has opinions, and a faint green film that moves when you look away.
Straw pile
A guard's bed, or a prisoner's, or a very large dog's. It smells of all three. It is still warm, which is the worrying part.
Firewood
Stacked neatly for a winter that never reaches this deep. Somebody down here is very organised, and very patient.
Broken chair
Three legs, a split seat, and a story involving a Barbarian who was told to sit down. He did. Once.
Stone bench
Cold, hard and carved for waiting. Many sat here before a door opened for them. None of them sat here after.
Cauldron
Black iron, cold ash, and a ladle nobody wants to hold. The last stew here had ingredients that screamed. The pot remembers.
Pile of books
Mouldy tomes, stacked and then knocked over. One lies open to a blank page. It was not blank yesterday.
Iron cage
Small, rusted, and open. It was built for something that fits in a cage this size. The door was opened from the inside.
Burst barrel
The staves lie where they burst outward. Barrels do not do that on their own. Whatever was inside wanted out, and got out.
Cobweb
Undisturbed for years, thick as a curtain, which tells you exactly how few people come back this way. The spider that spun it is still around. It is also much larger than you would like.
Cave mushrooms
They glow faintly and grow only where nothing else will. Tasting one would be very brave, and very briefly educational.
Rat nest
Shredded cloth, gnawed leather and a few buttons from a very good coat. The rats are well dressed down here, and well fed.
Spider eggs
Pale silk sacs tucked in the corner, each the size of a fist. They are very still. That will change.
Rubbish heap
Swept into the corner by a guard with a broom and no ambition. Rags, sticks, shards, and one very good boot buckle.
Dust drift
Centuries of dust, piled soft in the corner. Nobody has swept here in a very long time. Nobody has walked here either.
Rubble
The ceiling gives up a little more of itself every year. Someday the whole corridor will come down. The dungeon is merely waiting for the right audience.
Muddy footprints
Muddy boots, heading deeper in. There is a second set heading out, much faster, with a longer stride. Then there is no third set.
Drag marks
Two long smears on the stone, the width of a pair of heels. Something was taken this way without its consent.
Spent torch
Burned out and dropped mid-stride. Its owner kept walking in the dark, which was brave, and did not come back, which was not.
Dead rat
Even the rats do not make it far down here. This one was brave, fat and unlucky. The dungeon keeps its own score.
Broken arrows
Snapped shafts and bent heads. Somebody held this corridor against something. The arrows ran out first.
Slime trail
A glistening trail, thicker at one end. Whatever left it moved slowly. It did not need to move fast.
Lost boot
One worn boot, laces still tied. Its owner left in a great hurry, on one foot. The other boot has not been found.
Wax drips
A trail of candle drips down the corridor. Someone walked this way with a light, slowly, and stopped here. The drips stop here too.
Rat hole
Gnawed through solid stone, which should tell you something about the rats. Something glints just inside. Leave it.
Wall moss
It creeps along the foot of the wall, green-black and damp. It only grows toward the dark, and it grows faster at night.
Claw marks
Four grooves, deep as a finger, raked into the stone at the foot of the wall. Whatever made them was trying to get in. Or out.
Wall niche
A small alcove for a lamp, or an offering, or a spare key. Whatever sat here was taken by someone luckier than you.
Gutter
A narrow channel cut along the wall to carry the water away. Down here, it carries away more than water.
Iron ring
A heavy ring bolted into the wall, worn smooth on the inside. Something was tied here. The rust streaks run down like tears.
Wall roots
Pale roots forcing their way through the stone. There is no tree for a mile above. The roots are growing anyway.
Web across the corridor
Strung from wall to wall at exactly the height of a face. The spider knows where heroes walk. It has planned for you personally.
Chain across the corridor
A slack chain between two rings, sagging to the floor. It once kept something in. The broken link says it no longer does.

Combat marks

Blood splatter
Fresh, wet, and still bright red. The fight happened here only moments ago, and judging by the spray, someone lost the argument quite badly.
Pool of blood
The floor drinks it in slowly, a mouthful at a time. The dungeon is never in a hurry. It knows there will always be more.
Scorched stone
The stone still holds the heat of the spell, and the air smells of burnt hair. Someone here learned the hard way what fire magic is actually for.
Undead ichor
Thick, grey and cold to the touch. It never ran warm in the first place, and it is still twitching faintly, as if it has not heard the news.
Bone dust
The bones kept the drill to the very last, then simply let go all at once. Now they are a fine grey powder, drifting in the torchlight. At ease, soldier.

Treasure cards

Every distinct card in the shared Treasure deck, drawn when a hero searches a room for treasure. Gold appears on several cards with different values.

The Treasure deck

Treasure card
Gold
Loose coins for the hero's purse.
Treasure card
Jewels
50 gold
Gemstones worth a small fortune in gold.
Treasure card
Gems
35 gold
A pouch of cut gems, sold for gold between quests.
Treasure card
Healing Potion
Kept until drunk to restore up to 4 Body Points.
Treasure card
Heroic Brew
Drink before attacking to strike a second time.
Treasure card
Potion of Strength
Adds two Attack dice to the hero's next attack.
Treasure card
Potion of Defense
Adds two Defense dice the next time the hero defends.
Treasure card
Holy Water
Destroys one visible undead monster.
Treasure card
Potion of Speed
Adds one movement die to the hero's next roll.
Treasure card
Wandering Monster
A monster answers the noise and attacks at once.
Treasure card
Hazard
1 Body Point of damage
A trap or collapse catches the searching hero.

Equipment and quest items

Weapons, armor, artifacts, potions, and story objects persist through the campaign or power a single decisive action.

Weapon and item demo

Press Play on a weapon below to strike with it in this corridor, or on a potion or an object to use it. A dagger or a spear can also be thrown.

Armory equipment

Dagger
One Attack die; may be thrown at a visible target.
Usable by every hero
Staff
One Attack die and may attack diagonally.
Usable by every hero
Shortsword
Two Attack dice.
Usable by every hero
Spear
Two Attack dice; may attack diagonally or be thrown.
Usable by every hero
Broadsword
Three Attack dice; unavailable to the Wizard.
Usable by: Barbarian, Dwarf, Elf
Longsword
Three Attack dice and may attack diagonally.
Usable by: Barbarian, Dwarf, Elf
Crossbow
Three Attack dice at visible non-adjacent targets.
Usable by: Barbarian, Dwarf, Elf
Battle axe
Four Attack dice; two-handed and unavailable to the Wizard.
Usable by: Barbarian, Dwarf, Elf
Helmet
Adds one Defense die.
Usable by: Barbarian, Dwarf, Elf
Shield
Adds one Defense die unless wielding a two-handed weapon.
Usable by: Barbarian, Dwarf, Elf
Bracers
Wizard-only armor adding one Defense die.
Usable by: Wizard
Cloak of Protection
Wizard-only protection adding one Defense die.
Usable by: Wizard
Chain mail
Raises base Defense to three dice.
Usable by: Barbarian, Dwarf, Elf
Plate mail
Raises base Defense to four dice but movement uses one die.
Usable by: Barbarian, Dwarf, Elf
Tool kit
Allows any hero to attempt to disarm a detected trap.
Usable by every hero

Artifacts

Talisman of Lore
Adds two Mind Points to its bearer.
Usable by every hero
Wizard's Cloak
Wizard-only; adds one Defense die.
Usable by: Wizard
Borin's Armor
Raises base Defense to four dice.
Usable by every hero
Wand of Magic
Wizard-only; lets the Wizard cast the same spell twice.
Usable by: Wizard
Elixir of Life
Restores a fallen hero to life at full Body Points.
Usable by every hero
Ring of Return
Returns its bearer immediately to the quest stairway.
Usable by every hero
Orc's Bane
Two Attack dice, plus one extra die against Orcs.
Usable by every hero
Wizard's Staff
Wizard-only; two Attack dice and may attack diagonally.
Usable by: Wizard
Spirit Blade
Three Attack dice, or four against undead.
Usable by every hero
Spell Ring
Recovers one spell already cast during this quest.
Usable by every hero

Potions and quest items

Healing Potion
Restore up to four lost Body Points.
Half-filled Healing Potion
Restore up to two lost Body Points.
Heroic Brew
Drink before attacking to make a second attack this turn.
Potion of Strength
Add two Attack dice to the hero's next attack.
Potion of Defense
Add two Defense dice the next time the hero defends.
Potion of Speed
Add one movement die to the hero's next movement roll.
Holy Water
Destroys one visible undead monster.
Mysterious Purple Potion
Makes the drinker invulnerable but immobile for five turns.
Star of the West
A quest relic to return as instructed by the quest.
Melar's Key
Quest key that opens the intended route through Melar's Maze.
Wardoz's Notes
Quest notes containing the clues needed for the mission.

Magic

The four elemental schools belong to the heroes, while Dread magic gives Zargon's sorcerers their own dangerous tools.

Spell demo

Press Play on a spell below to cast it in this corridor.

Elemental spells

Genie
Make a five-die magical attack against one visible monster.
Swift Wind
The hero rolls four movement dice on their next movement roll.
Tempest
A visible monster immediately loses its next activation.
Heal Body
Restore up to 4 Body Points to a visible hero.
Pass Through Rock
The hero may move through walls on their next movement.
Rock Skin
The hero gains 1 Defense die until they are next wounded.
Ball of Flame
Deal up to 2 Body damage; Mind can prevent each point.
Courage
The hero rolls 2 extra Attack dice on their next attack against a monster.
Fire of Wrath
Deal 1 Body damage; Mind may prevent it.
Sleep
A visible monster immediately loses its next activation.
Veil of Mist
The hero may pass through occupied squares on their next movement.
Water of Healing
Restore up to 4 Body Points to a visible hero.

Dread spells

Ball of Flame
Hurl two points of fire damage; the hero rolls to resist each point.
Command
Take control of a hero until the spell is broken.
Escape
Teleport the caster to the quest's marked refuge.
Fear
Reduce a hero's attack strength until the spell is broken.
Firestorm
Scorch every hero in the target's room.
Sleep
Put a hero to sleep until Mind dice break the enchantment.
Summon Orcs
Place up to four orcs in free squares around the caster.
Summon Undead
Call a skeleton, zombie, and mummy into adjacent free squares.
Tempest
Make the target lose its next turn.

Actions

These square command icons identify the principal actions available around the dungeon board.

Board commands

Attack
Roll %{attack} combat dice against %{target}, who defends with %{defend} dice.
Disarm trap
Attempt to make the detected trap safe. A failed roll springs it immediately.
End monster activation
Finish this monster's activation and choose another available monster.
End turn
End this figure's turn. Any unused movement or action is lost.
Escape through the stairway
Leave through the stairway after the Dread Warden is defeated.
Give item
Give %{item} to adjacent %{target}.
Activate %{monster}
Board command
Roll movement dice
Roll two movement dice. Their authoritative total becomes this hero's movement allowance.
Open door
Open an adjacent door and permanently reveal the room or passage beyond it.
Drink a potion
Drink a potion to restore up to 4 Body Points without using the hero's main action.
Find secret doors
Reveal any hidden doorway in the current visible area.
Search traps
Reveal every trap in the current visible area before somebody steps on one.
Search treasure
Draw one treasure while inside a room. Gold and potions help; hazards and wandering monsters do not.

Attack reach

Close combat
This attack strikes a figure next to the hero.
Ranged
This attack strikes a figure beyond arm’s reach.