A Closer Look at the HeroQuest Core Campaign Plotline | A Masterclass in Storytelling | Spoilers!

Always Board Never Boring decided that, with First Light on the way, it might be fun to take a closer look at the core campaign for HeroQuest and to discuss why he thinks it's a masterclass in storytelling with a fun and engaging plot that will keep players hooked for all 14 quests.
Obviously, there are spoilers.
If you would like to see ABNB's video about which quest represents a good starting point for new players, check out this video:
• HeroQuest - The Maze v...
And here are your time stamps for this video:
00:00 Intro
01:33 Classic campaign overview
02:29 Campaign plot
04:06 The Trial
05:35 The Rescue of Sir Ragnar
07:00 Lair of the Orc Warlord
08:14 Prince Magnus’ Gold
08:57 Melar’s Maze
09:43 Legacy of the Orc Warlord
11:07 The Lost Wizard
11:54 The Fire Mage
12:15 Race Against Time
12:55 Castle of Mystery
14:07 Bastion of Dread
14:44 Barrow of the Witch Lord
16:40 Quest for the Spirit Blade
17:01 Return to Barack Tor
17:55 Resolution
#heroquest #avalonhill #hasbro
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[@jeanlucgatoh]

Best hero quest content on yt … round of applause

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Thank you. That's really generous praise!

[@JemyM]

I searched for this video last week and I couldn't find it. A story/lore analysis of the original quest. With Kellar's Keep and Return of the Witch Lord. Very welcome!

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Well I hope my perspective was helpful. I will be doing breakdowns of Kellar's Keep and Return of the Witch Lord on the channel in the future.

[@JemyM]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring This would be much appreciated. Those have been the "main storyline" for me for 30 years, so considering Prophecy of Telor and Spirit Queen’s Torment as part of the story will take time for me to get into. As well as considering Rogar's Hall and Forsaken Tunnels of Xor-Xel.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I've mentioned on the channel before that I have always thought of the core game and the first two expansions as a "complete" story. It all works so well together and has an excellent flow to it. Only Prophecy of Telor really feels like a proper continuation of that story (which I think it does excellently). Everything else so far feels quite tagged on in terms of the plot, even when Avalon Hill tried to incorporate elements like Sir Ragnar in Rise of the Dread Moon.

[@mattwoolrich5313]

Ive always loved the witch lord story line… when i played it recently it was still amazing as I found it when i was a kid. This time myself and my friend had a plan to take him down but for one pesky pit trap it all went wrong… some great quests in the core set… I’ve now done core set KK and now we are on prophecy of Telor….. ⚔️⚔️⚔️

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Prophecy of Telor is a strong expansion. It does a great job of continuing that original plotline.

[@TSRCardMasterFan]

I still have PTSD from quest 10, all those teleporting doors and the treasure that disappears. What a mean trick!!

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

It's very harsh. Quite funny, though.

[@mafuletrekkie]

It is a blast to be Zargon on that mission! Downside is that you can only really play this with a fresh, never played the Core Campaign before group. I've had players even decades since the last time they played it realize which mission they are on and say "I step into the dungeon, breath deep.... and then leave and go to sleep outside." I Zargoned a campaign for a different board game group earlier this year and I straight up told them at the start of the adventure "This quest is bullshit, you don't have to complete the objective and can leave at any time with no reward should you wish." Two players stayed in the stair room until the Dwarf and Elf found the Mine and got chests that had 1,000 gold each. Greed took over there and they all went in to get it thinking the "bullshit" I mentioned was the teleporting doors. Fun times... they are still angry about it and one player refuses to mark the Fool's Gold off of his sheet.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

It's definitely a "gotcha" mission. The twist of the fool's good is pretty funny, but I can see how it could definitely sour the mission for some players. I suppose Zargon could always sweeten the deal with a few extra drops in some rooms.

[@idristhomas8856]

Ha ha love that story. I'm with a group heading there soon... I might drop a couple of artefacts for them to find to prevent future PTSD 😅. It was nice to see elixir of life pop up again in MotM

[@theminimanifesto]

I literally just played that mission with my two nieces today. My orc bard had his first turn, ended up teleporting into a room with two orcs. My attack missed and they both rolled 3 skulls each, which i failed to defend against, and he was dead! One of my nieces refused to leave the stairway out of fear and the other teleported into 5 different rooms before getting back to the stairwell and escaping. We then played a more forgiving mission and had a blast. Forever may the ghost of Borg the Blabbermouth aid adventurers with his melodious soothing voice!

[@misomiso8228]

Agree for something written so long ago the quests form a fantastic storyline. I would also say that the Original Ogre Horde had a fantastic series of Quests as well. They hit the story beast very well.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I like the Ogre Horde quest and did a deep dive into that campaign recently (through the lens of the remake). However, I don't think it can match the core game, Kellar's Keep and Witch Lord, which is just so strong as a complete storyline. Prophecy of Telor comes closest for me, as it does feel like a very natural extension of the original story.

[@misomiso8228]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring Ogre Hoard is definately it's own thing. I do think it's beautifully paced though! I had Kellars Keep and Return of the Witch Lord back in the day, and though I thought the quests were good the lack of new rules, new mosnters etc always meant they were a little bit of a downer for me :-(. However yes great story. Thanks for the vids dude.

[@maurobarrocu6239]

Can’t wait for your videos on KK, RotWL, AtOH and all other extensions. Your videos on PoT and SQT were super helpful.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I've already done a breakdown of Against the Ogre Horde, Rise of the Dread Moon, Prophecy of Telor, and Spirit Queen's Torment. Kellar's Keep, Return of the Witch Lord, Frozen Horror, and Mage of the Mirror are all on the cards for future content like this.

[@SgtHouse]

Thank you for this breakdown and alternative perspective on this classic questline! Also cannot wait for your review on Jungle questline as well!

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Once I have a copy of Delthrak I can promise you there will be extensive coverage for it!

[@pochiri6446]

2: I like the idea Ulag somehow knows about of the future threat Ragnar will pose (a chaman vision maybe ?) and that's why he kidnaped him, but unsure about it, kept him alive to interrogate him later. I like the idea orcs aren't beast but a people victim of a structural racism from dwarfs and men since ages and developped a military society as answer to deadly threat Men Kingdom and Dwarfs keeps pose to them at every minute. 😅

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

If you wanted to lean into the roleplay and build on the story you could definitely have Ulag as the leader of a splinter faction battling (or at least resisting) Zargorn, so killing him was a mistake. The assassination was on the orders of Prince Magnus, so you make him an undercover agent for Zargon and then you can really go to town with some political intrigue.

[@pochiri6446]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring Indeed. Now, we could imagine an orc faction claiming Ulag's heirloom. "For a free orc's land!" They could say. "Ulag lives!" 😜

[@HivisoftheScale]

Ahh the classics! I kinda wish Avalon Hill would do a Character Pack for some of these memorable baddies, Balur, Grak and Ulag. I picture Grak as a sneaky orc, maybe with a hood and daggers.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I think a "boss pack" with a variety of cool boss-type enemies that could stand in for named characters would be cool.

[@HivisoftheScale]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring oh! Surprise, surprise, I may get my Jungles of Delthrak early... As early as this week! 🤔

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Lots of people have been receiving it this week. Once again it looks like an expansion has significantly undershot the release date!

[@HivisoftheScale]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring I am totally okay with that. More HeroQuest is always good in my book 😊

[@pochiri6446]

12-14 : I fully agree with you. This finale is awesome. The way heroes awake the witch king while zargon's orc force march from East is very clever. The way this core campaign ends is perfect to introduce expansions. Thanks to you for your work and passion. best heroic wishes.😂

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

It's perfectly structured. You get a big win, but while your attention was diverted something terrible happens. And the way the stakes mount at the end is pitch perfect.

[@Merlynn132]

There's a reason Heroquest is good. I think Bardic's old "Why Heroquest is so great" video hit on a lot of real reasons it holds up. I still say if they'd have gone with a "blank" board with modular room tiles,it would've been about as good as it gets for the medium. Well,without new rules and all. I just love the presentation and generally quick game play. I'm going to be catching up on ABNB content now that I have some free time.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

There's definitely a reason the game has stood the test of time, and in an age of very complicated dungeon crawlers it's still appealing to new gamers looking for adventure without a lot of baggage.

[@Emperor_Atlantis]

4:00 I think this fits very well actually. Ket me explain: I remember old heroquest playing dwarf and wizard with my twin brother. My dad (a metal guy with the voice and everything) was behind the sceeen. My 8year old self stared at the dungeon master screen, at the gargoyle, and mentor, towering over all the minions. This guy is serious, an old and powerfull being. He wants the heros to succeed, but his motivations are mysterious and definitly beyond the understanding of us mortals. He wont let us know the secret. Kinda like figures like dumbledore or gandalf not telling you the whole story for your own good

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I see where you're coming from, but if Mentor knows that they are going to wake the Witch Lord, there is no reason for him not to order them to get the Spirit Blade before. The fate of the Realm is at stake. I think it's more vague than that - "Loretome sees 14 great challenges ahead of you" - rather than "I know you are going to mess up but I'm going to let it happen." Those are great memories of playing with your dad and brother. That's the kind of thing that lodges in the brain forever.

[@Emperor_Atlantis]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring i see your point. Only way I could defend it now is by saying Mentor knows if he sends the heros for the spirit blade sooner they might not be ready yet (no gold means no equipment to deal with it properly), or even that the timing would give birth to a future unforseen and he takes the 'safe route.

[@ronkhoo]

Great summary and reminder of the base game quests!

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Thanks for watching. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@user-kh8tc9sp7r]

Best heroquest channel ever!!!!

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Thank you so much.

[@EnDungeoned]

Nice to see we have similar ideas about the core quests

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I think the core campaign is so well done. There are certainly layers in how they build the world and hint at larger threats. All stuff I absolutely would have overlooked when I was ten!

[@DavieMac-x3w]

Have to say I’m really enjoying these run through playing format videos 🎉 more please 🙌🏻

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Thanks. I've done a fair few of these videos for the expansions, and the aim is to do one for each expansion eventually.

[@bladerdj3503]

There was actually an episode of The Clone Wars where we see a group of clones failing their test to become proper soldiers by not working together. Later on they get a second chance and win due to think together and it is very memorable imo. That is funny especially because all the clones in star wars are vbasically the same character but with slightly varying genes. Which can be poetically twisted in a way that says while we are all the same and face similar challenges we are still different and vise versa. Now a few years later and going more into the lore I do realize that the stakes were a bit higher because it is canon that clone gen material is reused to prosuce more offsprings. Which is probably mostly the case for the dead bodies however the Kamoinians were willing to include the Order 66 program into them, were also racists who killed each other over eye colours and didnt share more details than nessecary with the jedi. They are gods who created an army of boba fetts... this derailed into more about CloneWars than the video itself.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

It's a common trope to have a group thrown together, fail, and then later succeed by drawing on their past experiences together. I've always liked it, and I am fine with leaning into it for HeroQuest.

[@MatthewCaunsfield]

Very apt comparison to a semi-episodic TV show. Of course from Season 2 the show really steered hard into the serialised storytelling mould! 😁

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

None of the later expansions have matched the core game, followed by Kellar's Keep and then Return of the Witch Lord. The only one that comes close is Prophecy of Telor, which really does feel like a genuine continuation of the story. Everything else is one of those episodes where the gang goes on holiday.

[@goodjessehobbies]

I appreciate you framing "The Trial" this way. If memory serves me, there are no instructions in the original game directing players to proceed to the next quest even if they fail. Either that or I was just stubborn as a kid.. actually, I remember having the thought "If we can't even get through level one, we have no shot at level two." Quite a sad story. Back in 1991 when I gathered my friends to play, we just kept playing the trial repeatedly and wiping out. After a couple of attempts, no one wanted to hear the name "HeroQuest" ever again. It wouldn't be for 25 years that I got it out again, skipped the first quest, and had a wonderful time with it.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

My first introduction to HeroQuest was The Maze in 1989, so I never had that bad first experience with The Trial. But it's important to realise how The Trial was initially represented in the 1990 European edition of the game. It was explicitly called an introductory game that you played before reading all of the rules. After playing it, you were supposed to return to the rules to learn how to search for secret doors and treasure and even how to cast spells. So, it always felt very much like a practice run, and not really part of the quest chain, even though it does state in the introduction fluff that some heroes won't survive, and training will only continue for the heroes that do. Effectively, it replaced "The Arena" from the 1989 edition, where death, winning and losing meant nothing. This "practice" concept isn't so overt in the US edition of the game (although there are still no traps or secret doors). The Trial feels more like a "showcase" - an excuse to put every monster and piece of furniture on the board so that new players get to see lots of cool things. I think it's fine to skip The Trial, or let heroes continue on from it even if they fail. It just involves a little roleplaying from the Zargon player. I think The Rescue of Sir Ragnar is probably a much stronger way to start the "proper" quest line. I think even Avalon Hill believe The Trial is not the best way to start a new campaign, which is why they offered the alternative introductory missions online.

[@goodjessehobbies]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring If I ever do it again, I'm taking your lead and just having it be a rogue like plunge, a trial meant to fail. Just see how far my group can make it then reveal that it's meant to fail. Maybe even return to it later in the campaign like some video games do.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Letting them revisit it later would be a good story beat. Perhaps after Bastion of Dread to show them how far they have come, right before tearing them down again in Barak Tor.

[@EriktheRed2023]

I had no idea this was coming our way. Thank you!

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I'm surprised you hadn't heard about First Light. Make sure you have notifications switched on for "all" on my channel so you don't miss any of my community posts that aren't videos, as I sometimes do quick updates there when I don't have enough content to make a video.

[@EriktheRed2023]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring I never get any of those notices anywhere, and you bet I've turned notices from your channel all the way up. It's annoying.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

KZbin plays by its own rules, which are not the rules it tells us about. It's a real nuisance.

[@pochiri6446]

11: The presence of a dread warrior, leading Zargon's orcs with a weapon specificaly designed to be a threat for greenskins goes in the same way as my thoughts about quest 2. Orcs aren't genuinely evil, they are forced this way. 😊

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Avalon Hill have introduced this idea that not all orcs are bad in newer expansions, but I prefer things to be a bit simpler than that for HeroQuest. Original Games Workshop orcs just love fighting. It's not necessarily that they are plain evil, but they only care about violence. A chaos warrior with a sword designed for bashing orcs is just a great way to subdue any outbreaks. Avalon Hill's orcs have become something different since the core set, but I still see them as villainous characters that are also out for themselves and will occasionally need a bonk on the head to make sure they follow orders.

[@legalam]

Love your content bro. Just binged all your reviews on the HeroQuest expansions. Looking forward to picking them up based on your recommendations. I wasn’t initially thrilled with the minis and board, So I replaced the board with one made of mouse pad material which is also a little larger. I also opted for replacing all the minis with Warhammer Age of Sigmar minis for added immersion.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Thanks for watching. I'm glad the videos were helpful.

[@cerealmad]

Great run through of this game. Perhaps do something similar for the Expansions 😀

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Thanks for watching. I've already done similar videos for a lot of the expansions - you can find them in the HeroQuest playlist - and the ones I haven't done yet will be covered eventually as well.

[@Mailed-Knight]

Great vid, lovely storytelling.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Thank you for watching.

[@jeffrichardson3951]

Would love this for the expansions too!

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Videos like this? I've already done them for a lot of the expansions, and I will be doing them for the rest at some point. Keep an eye on the HeroQuest play list.

[@pochiri6446]

3: 😮 It never occured me that Prince Magnus wasn't the legal ruler and maybe was following his own agenda... That plus the Waldo's fate, it's inspiring how about dread corruption can be close to the thrown. 😅

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

There are some fun little threads woven into the story that are fun to pull on. The fact that originally Ragnar's story was going to continue (and I would imagine in a more fulfilling way than Avalon Hill handled it) makes me think that there may have been some other seeds sown here that never came to anything.

[@pochiri6446]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring Go. Let's work for Avalon Hill. 😜

[@jezhunt8394]

Great video, as always! Out of curiosity, you often have a mat under things in your photos, it has lovely rocky spirals on it, where is that from?

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

That is a neoprene mat from the Skyrim Call to Arms miniatures game from Modiphius. It's double-sided with a tomb on one side and a snowy outside location on the reverse. It's my favourite mat.

[@jezhunt8394]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring cheers dude! It looks great! Really enjoyed the video, we're playing through Kellars Keep at the moment, and the 9 year old me is happy to finally get to it after decades

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Kellar's Keep is a great expansion pack. The story is really strong, and it has some fun set pieces. It's a shame it doesn't have new monsters, but if you get something like Against the Ogre Horde you can at least add in the goblin and orc archers for more variety!

[@jezhunt8394]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring that's a great idea, I was going to grab that for our little gaming group at some point, you may have spurred that on

[@meoff7602]

I still remember how my screwed me on this game. After quest 13, yes right before the last quest. He cooked up his map. He throw everything he could at me. If it was a power unit or simply a game mechanic that screwed the player. He put it in there. I stood zero chance. It was a clean wipe out. So I come over the next day to finish out the game last quest. He says all heros were all killed and handed me fresh me sheets. Only problem, I don't have the witch killing sword anymore. I have to start completely over. That was it. Never got to finish to the game. Thanks for this.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Sounds like an amazing way to ruin the game for everyone and ensure people don't play with you again.

[@BRNDMYR]

Castle of Mystery is really fun and really hard!

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

It's an interesting change of pace. Really tough for characters like the wizard.

[@sparrowsparrow7505]

Trial by fire more like, when we were children we were unlucky enough to have a teen being the Zargon that knew how to "properly" throw dice. What a waste of a summer that was. Stuck on mission 1.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I think I was quite lucky to be introduced to HeroQuest with the Maze quest rather than the Trial!

[@mistyrosenooneknows2668]

I think I maybe in the minority (not sure) but I am actually really excited to see what this First Light thing will turn out to be. AH hasn't disappointed me yet, so I will see if they work there magic.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I think most of us are looking forward to seeing exactly what it's going to be. The front cover caused a lot of disappointment, but generally, I think people are on board with a more streamlined starting point. Hopefully it will include a lot of content that existing players will enjoy too.

[@RobsMemoryLane]

I have two daughters. 5 and 3 years old. What age is appropriate for them to play? 10?

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

HeroQuest isn't a difficult game to learn, and the co-op nature means adults can help younger gamers. I think some people have had success with children around six or seven, but from personal experience I would say around 10 is good. My boy is about to turn seven and he still doesn't have the concentration and focus to sit through a whole game. My daughter is 13 and quite the gamer, so she will play anything and settle in for hours of gaming in the evenings.

[@professorbrix]

I play it with my boys aged 6 and 9 and they’re having a great time. If an adult plays Zargon and helps them it works well with younger children. But 3 will be a bit too young I think because their attention span might be too short. Hope that helps.

[@garyoreachtair4855]

might be a handy travel pack?. Awkward taking the core box with you on holidays like all good heros do....right.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I always take games on holiday, but I would never consider HeroQuest as an option. But yes, a smaller box is helpful for that.

[@1000jjwalker]

im very guilty of the save the princess trope.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

It can be a useful trope.

[@russellede]

Whenever I run the core campaign, I always replace Castle of Mystery. It just becomes a pain for players and Morcar alike.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I quite like it, as it's something very different, but I can definitely see why people would want to pull it. It's very chaotic, the poor wizard is at serious risk of getting stomped, and it doesn't advance the plot.

[@jamesmorgan3623]

I think the Trial is a misstep because it shows too much - removing some of the excitement for the rest of the campaign.