RULES OF PLAY

One day, four heroes were summoned by the king of Neef Island…
This is the beginning of Hero Quest!

WHAT’S IN THE BOX

1 Game board Rules of Play

1 Quest book Screen
35 Plastic figures: Screen

1 Warrior 1 Magician 1 Elf 1 Dwarf 1 Gargoyle 4 Dark Warriors 3 Monolizards 8 Orcs 6 Goblins

15 Pieces of furniture:

2 tables - 2 bookcases - 1 cupboard - 3 treasure chests

1 alchemist’s bench - 1 fireplace - 1 throne - 1 altar
2 Mummies 4 Skeletons 2 Zombies 1 Evil God
1 tomb - 1 torture table - 1 weapons rack
Furniture pictures are shown in the screen.

21 Doors:

5 closed and 16 open

64 Cards:
Character boards
8 Monster cards - 21 Treasure cards - 18 Equipment cards
3 Earth spells - 3 Water spells - 3 Air spells - 3 Fire spells
5 Legendary Treasure cards

60 Character sheets 2 Dice

4 Character boards: Combat die
4 Combat dice
Character sheet
1 Warrior - 1 Magician - 1 Elf - 1 Dwarf
Rock tiles (6 one-square, 2 two-square) 4 Secret door tiles
6 Pit trap tiles 2 Collapse tiles 1 Stairs tile

Annex, page 1/2

Some items must be assembled before starting the game.
The detailed assembly method is explained on the next page.
 ASSEMBLY
Be careful not to lose the small components.
Be careful of components with sharp points in order to avoid injuries.

Carefully remove the hero and monster pieces from the plastic sprues.
Assemble the gargoyle as follows:
Fit the wings to the Fit the head to the
neck as shown.
back as shown.
According to the illustrations on the back of
the screen, remove the parts of the alchemist’s
bench, bookcases, cupboard and torture table
from the brown plastic sprue and remove the
tomb tomb part from the grey
plastic sprue. Also detach
the matching cards from the
die-cast sheet. Bend the
card parts and insert into
the underside of the plastic
tops, as shown.
Carefully punch out the screen from
the die-cast sheet.
Remove the door bases from the
grey sprue. Punch out the
doors from the die-cast
sheet and attach them
to the bases as shown.
Assemble the open doors
in the same way.
Remove the levers from the brown
sprue and attach them to the sides
of the torture
table as shown
in the picture.
Attach the rats from the brown
sprue and the skulls from the white
sprue as you like, such as in the
holes of cupboard and torture rack.

Remove the bottles from the grey sprue and Remove the altar and candles from
attach them to the top-right the grey sprue. A card part isn’t
side of the alchemist’s bench, used for the altar. Carefully fit the
as shown. Also remove the two candles into the altar holes.
scales from the brown
sprue and place them
on the alchemist’s
bench, as shown.

Remove the weapons rack from the brown

sprue. It does not need to be assembled.
To assemble the throne, tables, treasure chests and fireplace, remove the rest of the parts
from the brown sprue. Also, punch out their cards from the die-cast sheet. Be careful with
the small pins.
Throne: Insert Tables: Insert the long, single Treasure Chests:
the two pins into pin into both sides of Using your
the sides of the the table, finger, bend the
throne, trapping trapping card to fit the curve of the
the folded card the folded treasure chest. Insert the pin into
between them. card between both sides of the treasure chest,
them. trapping the card between them.
Punch out the remaining card parts from the die-cast sheet. Fireplace: Bend the card to match
Annex, page 2/2 the plastic base, then insert.
 INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION

GAME OVERVIEW
One player becomes the Demon King of Darkness Grimdead, (abbreviated as 'The
Demon King' below), and the rest of the players become heroes: a Warrior, a Magician,
an Elf and a Dwarf.
Hero Quest is not a game in which the players compete amongst themselves for 1st
place. It is a game where the party (the term for the team made by the heroes) works
together to solve quests (go on adventures). If they clear a quest, the party wins, but if
they don't, the Demon King wins.
The heroes grow stronger while completing the 14 quests one by one. Or else, they die
along the way. The Demon King controls monsters and attempts to stop the heroes
clearing the quests. Also, he aids gameplay by checking the quest book and reading out
quest objectives for each of the heroes, and checks whether traps* are encountered or
not. The conclusion of the game is not revealed here, so by all means, you must
discover it for yourself.
The game difficulty is divided into 3 levels, related to progression through the quests.
Chapter 1: The Departure Quests 1-3 Beginner Rules
Chapter 2: The Mission Quests 4-8 Intermediate Rules
Chapter 3: The Search Quests 9-13 Advanced Rules
Final Chapter: The Showdown Quest 14 Advanced Rules
To begin the game, you can play just by learning the Beginner Rules. The players
proceed through the quests, learning the Intermediate Rules after the 1st chapter ends,
and the Advanced Rules after the 2nd chapter ends.
WARNING: Do NOT open the Quest Book until after roles have been chosen.

NUMBER OF PLAYERS
This game can be played by 2-5 players.

BASIC CONCEPTS TO PLAY THE GAME

CHARACTER ABILITIES
Body Points (BP), Maximum Body Points (Max. BP):
BP is linked with a character’s strength. It decreases when receiving damage in Combat
or from a trap, and the character dies if it drops to 0. Lost BP can be recovered using
magic or medicine, but it cannot be raised higher than the character’s Max. BP. When
heroes level up, their Max. BP increases.
Mind Points (MP), Maximum Mind Points (Max. MP):
MP is linked with a character’s wisdom. Characters die if their MP drops to 0. At the
beginning of the game, MP does not have much use, but it becomes necessary in the
quests in the latter half of the game. MP cannot be raised higher than the character’s
Max. MP.
Others:
Movement, Attack, and Defence will be explained later.
NOTE: A hero dies if either of their BP or MP drops to 0. Annex, page 3/2
INTRODUCTION

CONTENTS
Game Board.
There are squares and white lines on the game board. Characters stop in the centre
of these squares. The white lines are walls. Walls cannot be moved through. The
game board is separated into rooms and passages.

NOTE: When this rulebook uses the terms ‘adjacent squares’ or ‘neighbouring
squares’, these terms mean the 4 squares in front, behind, and to the left and right. The
symbols ◯ in Diagram A show squares facing Orcs. The term ‘surrounding squares’
means the 8 squares in front, behind, to the left and right, and diagonally adjacent. The
symbols ◯ in Diagram B show surrounding squares containing Orcs.

Diagram A Diagram B

Adjacent squares Surrounding squares

Character Boards.
Character boards show each hero’s characteristics, Attack, Defence, Movement,
Body Points, and Mind Points.

Character Sheets.
Character sheets are used during gameplay to record each hero’s current status.
When you begin the next quest, you start with the status displayed on the character
sheet. Basically, the character sheet records a hero’s growth.
First, give your character a name, and write it on the
Character Sheet
character sheet. Next, look at the character boards, and
write down your character’s type, Maximum BP, BP,
Maximum MP, MP, Attack Power and Defence Power.
During the game, whenever these values are raised or
lowered, write the new values on your character sheet.
You will need to change these values at times, so it’s best
to use a pencil and rubber.
During your adventure, write details such as the gold
you’ve obtained, and weapons you’ve bought on to the
character sheet too. Every time you clear a quest, tick its
checkbox.

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 INTRODUCTION

The Quest Book.

14 quests are contained within the Quest Book. The Demon King runs the game by
following the Quest Book. He must never show it to the heroes.
The Quest Book is mainly split into four sections.
The Quest Book
Dungeon Map.
These maps have symbols showing the monsters that
the Demon King can move, and their starting
positions. The maps also have symbols showing the
locations of furniture, dead-ends, traps, hidden doors,
and treasure chests. The Demon King must place
monsters, furniture, and other objects on the board as
the heroes move around the dungeon in accordance
with the map. Which symbol mark represents which
item of furniture is written on the back of the screen.
The Book of Adventure.
The Book of Adventure contains the objectives of
each quest, and the rewards obtained when they are
cleared. Before playing the game, the Demon King
reads from this book to the heroes.
Quest Rules.
Each quest has its own rules. Before each quest begins, the Demon King should read
the quest rules carefully. They must not be read to the heroes in advance. The quest
rules explain the contents of treasure chests, events that happen when the heroes reach
certain rooms, and the actions that the heroes should take.
End of Quest.
The endings of each quest. Explains what is learned when clearing each quest, and the
story connecting to the next quest. When the heroes clear a quest, the Demon King
should read this section to them.

Screen.
This is used so that the heroes do not see the quest book and other items. The Demon
King sits behind the screen, and places the game board so that the words HERO
QUEST can be read from his position. There is a list of furniture on the back of the
screen.
Combat Dice.
Use these in combat, when defending, and when a level up occurs. When you need to
roll 5 or more dice, roll 2 times. In the explanatory text and on the cards, they are
abbreviated as ‘CD’ at times.

Monster Cards.
The monster cards show monsters’ abilities. There is a card for every race of monster,
and each card lists that race’s Attack, Defence, Movement, Body Points, Mind Points,
and the gold obtained when defeating them.

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INTRODUCTION

Legendary Treasure Cards.

It is said that there are 5 legendary treasures in this world. To be able to clear the
final chapter, the heroes must obtain all of them. The locations of each legendary
treasure are shrouded in mystery. Are they found in treasure chests? Or are they
being carried by terrifying monsters? More details can be found in the quest rules.
These cards must not be mixed with the Ordinary Treasure Cards (see page 13).
Other Cards.
How to use these will be described as necessary.

GAME SETUP
Deciding Roles.
Before the game can begin, players must each choose their own role. Everyone
should roll a die, and then each player chooses the role they wish to play,
beginning with the player who rolled the highest number and then going in order.
If nobody has chosen to be the Demon King when it is the last player’s turn, the
last player to choose automatically becomes the Demon King. When there are less
than 5 players, players control 2 or more heroes each. However, the Demon
King may not also control a hero.
When roles have been decided, the heroes each take the following items:
The plastic figure for their character.
The character board for their character.
A character sheet.
The Demon King takes the following items:
The Quest Book.
The plastic figures for the monsters.
The furniture, doors, treasure chests, and similar items.
The cards.
The tiles for traps and secret doors.
The screen.
NOTE: The Demon King Grimdead has no plastic figure or character board.
If this is your first time playing this game.
The heroes must write certain details on their character sheets. (See the ‘Character
Sheets’ section on page 4)
Setup.
This section remains the same for the Beginner Rules, Intermediate Rules and
Advanced Rules.
The Demon King begins by checking the dungeon map and placing the stairs tile
on the heroes’ starting position on the game board. (In certain quests, the starting
position is something other than stairs, and in these cases, do not place the stairs
tile on the game board.)
The Demon King reads the Book of Adventure to the heroes, to let them know
what they should do. Next, the Demon King should read the quest rules silently.
The stairs are the entrance and exit of the dungeon. The heroes place their plastic
figures on the squares adjacent to the stairs. When there is a special starting
position, follow the quest rules instead.
The Demon King places the contents (furniture, etc.) of the room the heroes start
in. They
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6/2 not place any other areas yet. (‘Placement’ is described on page 9)
 CHAPTER 1 BEGINNER RULES
BEGINNER RULES

By learning the Beginner Rules, you can play chapter one. In the Beginner Rules, only
the Monster Cards are used. Also, tiles for traps and secret doors are not used. The
Beginner Rules are the basis of the rules of the entire game, so be sure to read them well
and understand them before playing.

TURN ORDER
Play begins with the player on the immediate left of the Demon King, and proceeds
around the table in anti-clockwise order. When all the heroes have taken a turn, the
Demon King takes his turn.

ON A HERO’S TURN
The following actions can be taken:
 Move (‘Movement’ is described on page 8)
 Combat or Magic (‘Combat’ is described on page 9, ‘Magic’ is described on page 11)
The player can Move and enter Combat (or use Magic) in any order they desire.
However, they cannot use some of their Movement, enter Combat, and then use the rest
of their Movement afterward. Also, even if a player does not use all of their Movement in
one turn, it does not carry over to their next turn. If a hero steps into a new passage or
room, the Demon King places doors, furniture, monsters and other objects according to
the map. (‘Placement’ is described on page 9)

ON THE DEMON KING’S TURN

When the Demon King’s Turn comes, he can move all of the monsters currently on the
game board in whatever order he likes. He does not have to move all monsters if he does
not want to. Each monster can take the following actions:
 Move
 Combat
Monsters can also Move and enter Combat in any order they desire.

THE END OF THE GAME

Play continues until the heroes escape from the dungeon or die. The game ends when
there are no longer any heroes remaining on the game board.
If the heroes achieve the objectives listed in the Book of Adventure, they clear the
current quest. However, they must leave the dungeon alive. If a hero stands on the stairs
tile, he can escape the dungeon. Monsters may never stand on the stairs tile.
Returning alive is the most important part of raising a character. There may be times
when you have to run away again and again without having completed the quest
objective. But do not worry. Even if you do not complete a quest, you can challenge it as
many times as you wish. (See 'When starting another game' on page 11)

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BEGINNER RULES
Diagram 1

WHAT CAN BE SEEN

In Hero Quest, what range on the game board
can be seen by a player’s figure is very
important. All figures and furniture in the
same room as the player can be seen. Passages
can be seen down so long as there are no
turns. When on a square adjacent to a door,
the room (or passage) on the other side of the
door can be seen. See Diagram 1 for examples.

MOVEMENT (All doors are open)

From , passage 1 can be seen.
HOW TO MOVE From , passages 1 and 2 can be seen.
From , room 3 can be seen.
Movement Distance From , passage 1 and room 3 can be seen.
From , room 4 and passage 2 can be seen.
Movement distance is measured in squares.
The furthest distance a character can move is
his Movement. Before moving a hero, roll the Diagram 2
number of dice listed under Movement on his
character sheet. The total of the numbers on
the rolled dice is his Movement. As long as
characters do not exceed their Movement, Elf’s dice roll.
they may move as many times as they want.
They also do not have to move at all.
Monsters have their Movement specified on
their cards, so they do not need to roll dice
when moving.
Rules of Movement
Neither heroes nor monsters can move:
 Diagonally
 Through squares occupied by enemies You cannot move through squares occupied by
enemies, so the Elf cannot move to the X.
 To squares occupied by another figure
Because of these rules, there are times at which characters may be unable to move. See
Diagram 2 for an example.
WHAT HEROES CAN DO WHILE MOVING
Heroes can do the following actions during Movement:
Open doors Pick up treasure
Doors
Heroes and monsters have to go through doors in order to go into and out of rooms. A
hero can open a door by proclaiming “Open the door” when on a square adjacent to the
door. If they do not want to open a door, they can pass by without opening it.
Movement is not used up when opening a door. If a hero still has Movement remaining
after opening a door, he can continue moving. Monsters cannot open doors on their
own. Once a door is open, it cannot be closed for the rest of the game.
Annex, page 8/2
 BEGINNER RULES

When a door is opened, the Demon King picks up the closed door and places an open
door in its place. When a door is opened, the Demon King must look at the quest book
and place what can be seen beyond it.
Picking up treasure
A hero can obtain the contents of a treasure chest by proclaiming “Open the treasure
chest” when on a square adjacent to the treasure chest. The Demon King then informs
the hero of the contents of the chest. The hero who obtained the treasure writes on to his
character sheet what he has discovered. Movement is not used up when opening a
treasure chest, but when a treasure is obtained, the hero cannot continue moving even if
they still have Movement remaining. Monsters cannot open treasure chests.
PLACEMENT - THE DEMON KING’S ROLE
How to Place
Nothing is to be placed on areas of the game board which no hero has yet entered. The
heroes enter these areas by moving. When a hero enters an unknown room or passage,
the Demon King temporarily stops the hero, looks at the map, and places doors,
furniture, monsters, treasure chests and other objects in it.
NOTE: If the heroes continue on with quests without defeating any monsters, there may
rarely be times when there are not enough figures for additional monsters. If this
occurs, use figures of other monsters not being used in their place temporarily.
Dead Ends
The symbol on the map denotes a dead end. The moment this square comes into a
hero’s view, the Demon King must place a rock tile on the board. Squares containing
rock tiles cannot be passed through by heroes or monsters. Monsters may not pass
through squares which contain rock tiles before the tiles are placed, either.
You have reached end of the rules for Movement. If a hero has not yet entered Combat
(or used Magic), he may enter Combat (or use Magic).

COMBAT
You can only enter combat against enemies on neighbouring squares. You cannot enter
combat diagonally. Combat occurs in the following order.

ATTACKING THE ENEMY

First, the Attack against the enemy is decided by rolling the Combat Dice.
Roll the amount of dice listed under ‘Attack’ on the character sheet (or for monsters, the
monster card). The number of skulls that are rolled is the hero’s Attack Power. If no
skulls are rolled, you cannot attack at all, so the enemy has no need to defend either. If
one or more skulls are rolled, the enemy must defend against the attack.

THE ENEMY’S DEFENCE

When receiving an attack, roll the amount of dice listed under ‘Defence’ on the character
sheet (or for monsters, the monster card) to determine the Defence Power against the
attack. For heroes, the number of white shields that are rolled is their Defence Power,
and for monsters, the number of black shields that are rolled is their Annex,
Defence Power.
page 9/2
BEGINNER RULES

DAMAGE CALCULATION
When receiving an attack, damage is calculated as follows:
Damage = Attack Power – Defence Power
For each point of damage done to a character, he lose one Body Point.
If the Defence is more than the Attack, the damage is 0.
If a hero receives an attack, he must decrease the BP on his character sheet by the
amount of damage taken. If his BP drops to 0, the hero dies.
Monsters with 1 BP die as soon as they receive damage. Monsters with 2 BP will never
die unless they receive 2 or more points of damage in one attack. Even if they are dealt
1 point of damage, their BP is restored to 2 by the time the next hero attacks.
See Chart 1 for examples.
Chart 1
Goblin attacking Dwarf Mummy attacking Magician Dice
Simplified Chart
M
O
H
N
E
S
No need R
T
O
Attack Power 0 to defend Attack Power 2 Defence Power 1 E
R
Attack was 0, so no need to defend Attack 2 – Defence 1 = 1
Failed to attack the Goblin!! Mummy dealt 1 damage to the Magician!! Attack Attack
Power Power
1 1

Elf attacking Orc (1 BP) Warrior attacking Dark Warrior (2 BP)

Defence
Power
1

Defence
Power
Attack Power 2 Defence Power 0 Attack Power 2 Defence Power 1 1
Attack 2 – Defence 0 = 2 Attack 2 – Defence 1 = 1
Elf dealt 2 damage and defeated the Orc!! The Dark Warrior can’t be defeated by
dealing only 1 damage!!

DEALING WITH COMBAT RESULTS

Depending on the results of combat, proceed as follows.
If no Attack takes place, or no damage is dealt to the enemy.
⇨ Nothing happens. Play continues as-is after combat.
If a hero defeats a monster
⇨ The monster is removed from the board. The hero who defeated the monster
receives the money listed on the monster card as a reward. Combat ends after
adding the money to the hero’s character sheet.
If a hero takes damage
⇨ If he has BP remaining, the hero continues playing as-is after combat.
If a hero dies
⇨ The dead hero is removed from the board. All of the hero’s gold and belongings
are removed from the game.
YouAnnex,
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10/2 the end of combat phase. If you have not moved yet, you can move.
 BEGINNER RULES

BEGINNER MAGIC
Under the Beginner Rules, only the Magician can use Beginner Magic. Only 1 type of
Magic can be used under the Beginner Rules. It is also written on the back of the
Character Board.
▢ First Aid:
Magic that can be cast on yourself, or on an ally. The hero who has this magic cast
on him recovers 1 BP.
CASTING MAGIC
On the Magician’s turn, they may use Magic instead of entering Combat. Magic can be
cast on yourself, or another target which can be seen. Magic can be used as many times as
wanted during the game.

WHEN STARTING ANOTHER GAME

Before starting a new or previously challenged quest, restore the heroes’ BP and MP to
their maximum values. However, note that when challenging the same quest again, all the
monsters that have been defeated are replenished.
The player may use a surviving hero or create a new character to play.

REVIVAL
If a hero unluckily happens to die, he may be revived, but only once.
By donating all of the gold he held to a temple, the hero is revived exactly as he was just
before dying. Players who wish to revive themselves must write that they have 0 gold on
their character sheet. Revived heroes can be used in following quests as normal.

You have reached the end of the Beginner Rules.

Annex, page 11/2

INTERMEDIATE RULES CHAPTER 2

INTERMEDIATE RULES

Even more difficult quests wait in chapter 2. Players must learn the Intermediate Rules
to play chapter 2. The Intermediate Rules add various additional rules onto the
Beginner Rules.

GAMEPLAY UNDER THE INTERMEDIATE RULES

As well as Monster Cards, Treasure Cards and Equipment Cards are used. In general,
rules are the same as the Beginner Rules, except for the addition of the parts labelled in
bold.
The Magician and the Elf can now use Intermediate Magic.
Heroes can choose to take one action out of each of (a) and (b):
Move or use a Healing Potion
Combat, Magic, or Search
The order of the two actions from (a) and (b) does not matter.
Dungeons have traps* hidden in them.
There are hidden doors in dungeons.
There are hidden treasures.
The dwarf can disarm traps.
You can use equipment such as weapons and armour.
If you save up gold, you can attempt to level up.

INTERMEDIATE MAGIC
TYPES OF MAGIC
In chapter 2, the Magician and Elf can now use Intermediate Magic. The following 2
types of Magic can be used in chapter 2. They are also listed on the back of the
Magician and Elf’s character boards.
▢ Healing:
Magic that can be cast on yourself or on an ally. Roll 4 Combat Dice, and the hero
this Magic was cast on recovers BP equal to the amount of white shields that were
rolled.
▢ Holy Flame:
Magic to attack 1 enemy. Roll 2 Combat Dice, and the enemy receives damage
equal to the amount of skulls that were rolled. However, Monsters on which you
cast this spell can roll a number of Combat Dice equal to their MP for Defence.
Undead Monsters have 0 MP, so this Magic is very effective on Undead Monsters.
NOTE: Undead means monsters with no life force, animated by dark powers,
meaning Skeletons, Zombies and Mummies.

CHOOSING MAGIC
During the game, the Magician can use both types of Magic. The Elf can only use one
type of Magic per quest. Before playing, the Elf must decide which Magic he wishes to
use that quest, and write it on his character sheet.
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 INTERMEDIATE RULES

CASTING MAGIC
On their turns, the Magician and Elf may choose to use Magic once during their turn
instead of entering Combat. Magic can be cast on yourself or on a target you can see.
Under the Intermediate Rules, you may use each Magic as many times as you want.

SEARCH
There are hidden doors, traps, and hidden treasures in dungeons starting from Quest 4.
On their turn, heroes may choose to search for them by Searching instead of entering
Combat or using Magic.

TYPES OF SEARCH
The following 2 types of search can be done.
Treasure Search:
To check whether there is any hidden treasure.
Trap Search:
Trap Searches can find hidden doors, and all types of traps.
If a hero decides to Search, he must decide whether he want to conduct a Treasure
Search or a Trap Search, and announce this to the Demon King. Players cannot do
both types of search at once.
TREASURE SEARCH
Range of a Treasure Search
Treasures are only hidden inside rooms, so Treasure Searches can only be done inside
rooms.

How to do a Treasure Search

When a hero declares a Treasure Search, the Demon King looks at the map, and
checks if there is any treasure hidden in the room the hero is currently in.
If something is found, then award the treasure to the hero conducting the Search, as
stated in the Quest Rules. A Treasure Search cannot find traps or hidden doors.
If there is no treasure in the room, then the hero conducting the Search draws 1
Treasure Card. Treasure Cards will be described in the next section.
Treasure Cards
If there is no treasure in a room being Treasure Searched, draw one Treasure Card.
Before drawing a card, shuffle the cards well. The Treasure Cards contain the
following.
Treasure, Gold, Jewels (6 cards):
If you draw one of these cards, write the money onto your character sheet, and
discard the card, placing it to the side of the Treasure Card pile.

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INTERMEDIATE RULES

Various Medicines (7 cards):

These cards are placed in front of you, and can be used whenever you decide. Each
card contains instructions on how to use it. These cards can only be used during
the quest currently being played. After they are used, discard them, placing them
to the side of the Treasure Card pile. If cards are not used during the quest, return
them to the Treasure Card pile.
Traps (3 cards):
Follow the instructions states on the card, then return the card to the Treasure
Card pile, and shuffle it well.
Wandering Monsters (5 cards):
If you draw one of these cards, a monster appears. The monster that appears
attacks the hero that drew the card once. Because it is a surprise attack, the hero
cannot defend themselves. After attacking, the monster vanishes. Return this card
to the Treasure Card pile.

TRAP SEARCH
Range of a Trap Search Diagram 3
A trap search can be conducted to find
hidden doors and traps placed in
passages and rooms. At any one time,
you may either search all the passage
that you can see, or a single room. If
you can see both a room and a passage,
or multiple rooms, then you must
choose and declare which part you
want to search. See Diagram 3 for an
example.
How to do a Trap Search
The hero declares which area he can
see in that he would like to conduct a
Trap Search. (All doors are open)
When a hero declares that he is From , room 3 can be searched.
conducting a Trap Search, the From , passages 1 and 2, or else room 4 can be searched.
From , one out of passage 2, rooms 3 or 6 can be searched.
Demon King looks at the map, and
From , room 5 or room 6 can be searched.
checks whether there are hidden
doors or traps hidden in the area
being searched.
If something was found, place the hidden door tiles or trap tiles onto the board.
Hidden doors and traps will be explained in the next section. Trap Searches will
never find treasure.

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 INTERMEDIATE RULES

HIDDEN DOORS
Hidden doors are escape routes hidden in walls. Hidden doors should not be placed on
the game board until they are found with a Trap Search. By using hidden doors, you
can get to areas you may not otherwise be able to. Both heroes and monsters can freely
pass through hidden doors. Hidden doors can be discovered from the inside or the
outside. Once a hidden door is placed on the game board, it can never be closed.

TRAPS
3 types of traps exist, which are as follows.
Pit trap
Collapse
Trapped Treasure Chests
Traps appear on the board when either found by a Trap Search, or when a hero passes
through the trap’s square. The Demon King must tell heroes of traps as soon as a hero
passes through the trap’s square. A hero caught in a trap is stopped, and must follow
the rules of the trap.
The hero’s turn ends, even if they have not yet finished moving or entered Combat.
Monsters will never get caught in traps. Monsters can freely move through squares
where traps are hidden, but after the trap tile is placed on the field, must follow the
same rules as the heroes.
PIT TRAPS
When discovered in a Trap Search
Pit traps stay on the board as an obstacle. The trap square may not be passed through.
When caught in the trap
A hero that falls in a pit trap loses 1 BP. When their next turn comes, they can move
normally, but cannot conduct a Search while in the pit trap. Also, when attacking or
defending from in a pit trap, use one Combat Die less than usual. Pit traps stay on the
board as an obstacle. Pit traps may not be passed through.

Jumping over a pit trap

Pit traps are an obstacle blocking the way, but heroes and monsters can jump over
them. When jumping over a pit trap, follow the following rules.
▢ You can only jump in a straight line.
▢ You can only jump over 1 square.
▢ The other side must be empty.
▢ You must have enough Movement to reach the other side, including counting the
Movement for passing the pit trap.
▢ Characters must roll 1 Combat Die when trying to jump. If they roll a skull, the
jump fails, and they are stuck in the pit trap. Their turn ends, and they must
follow the rules listed in the previous section, under ‘When caught in the trap’. If
they roll anything other than a skull, they may continue their turn. If they have
Movement left over, they may continue to move.
Annex, page 15/2
INTERMEDIATE RULES

COLLAPSE
When discovered in a Trap Search
Collapse is a trap where an enormous rock and rubble fall from the ceiling. The
collapse stays on the board as an obstacle. The collapse may not be passed through.
When caught in the trap
The hero that activates a Collapse loses 2 BP. The hero is sent back one square in the
direction he came from. If there are no open squares next to the Collapse, the hero dies.
If the hero survives, he can continue moving normally on his next turn, but may not
pass through the square with the Collapse.

TRAPPED TREASURE CHESTS

Some treasure chests are trapped. The rules to follow when activating these traps are
explained in the Quest Rules for the quest. To avoid getting caught in these traps, you
must conduct a Trap Search before opening the treasure chest. If a trap is discovered,
the Demon King informs the heroes what sort of trap it is. Then, the treasure chest’s
trap automatically disengages.

THE DWARF’S SPECIAL ABILITY

The Dwarf has the ability to disable traps while moving. Each time the Dwarf moves,
he can disable one trap. He can disable Pit and Collapse traps. To disable a trap, he
must be on an adjacent square to the trap he wishes to disable. The disabled trap is
removed from the game board, and may be passed through freely. The Dwarf does not
use up Movement when disabling a trap, but his Movement that turn ends after
disabling a trap, even if he has Movement remaining.

EQUIPMENT
When a quest ends, the heroes may use the gold they have obtained to buy equipment.
You can purchase equipment after Quest 3 in Chapter 1 ends, before Quest 4 in
Chapter 2 starts.
Equipment is divided into the following types.
Weapons
Armor
Healing Potions

HOW TO BUY EQUIPMENT

Heroes that wish to buy equipment take the card they want, remove the cost of the
equipment from the gold on their character sheet, and write the name of the equipment
they’ve bought in the Equipment section.
There is a limited amount of each piece of equipment at the shop. If many heroes all
wish to buy the same piece of equipment, they should discuss who will get to buy it.
They should consider who gains the biggest advantage from that piece of equipment.
Some weapons and armour can only be used by some characters, and not others.
Further details are explained on the cards.
Annex, page 16/2
 INTERMEDIATE RULES

Selling
The shop will buy equipment that is no longer needed for half its price. When selling
equipment, return the card to the Equipment pile, and add half of its price to your
character sheet.
Trading
You may trade equipment you own for equipment a fellow hero owns. You can also sell
equipment to other heroes, or give it to them for free. Trading must be done before
each quest begins.

WEAPONS
Weapon cards list how many Combat Dice you should roll when attacking on them.
Some weapons even allow you to attack diagonally, or at a distance. Further details are
explained on the specific cards.
You can only own 1 weapon card at a time. When attacking, you can decide whether or
not to use this weapon for the attack.
Weapons that can attack diagonally
Club, Spear, Short Sword, etc.
Projectile Weapons
The crossbow can shoot arrows to attack enemies at a distance from you. There is no
limit to the amount of times you can use the crossbow, but you cannot use it to attack
enemies on squares surrounding you. When attacking enemies at a distance, you can
hit any enemy you can see, no matter how far away they are. The combat procedure is
followed as normal.
The Spear and Hand-Axe may be used as normal weapons, but can also be used to
attack at a distance by throwing them. Weapons are lost when thrown. Return the
Equipment Cards for lost weapons to the pile.

ARMOUR
There are various types of armour, such as Armour, Helmets, Cloaks, and so on. You
can equip one of each at the same time. Where some pieces of armour list things such
as “Defence +1”, this means that you should roll one more Combat Die when
defending. Below is an example.

If Chainmail, a Shield, and a Helmet are equipped:

Chainmail Defence 3 Combat Dice

Shield Defence +1 Combat Die
Helmet Defence +1 Combat Die

Total Defence 5 Combat Dice

NOTE: Chainmail and Plate Armour cannot be equipped at the same time. Also, you
cannot wear 2 pieces of the same type of equipment at the same time.

Annex, page 17/2

INTERMEDIATE RULES

HEALING POTIONS
Instead of moving, heroes can choose to restore their stamina using a Healing Potion.
Drinking Healing Potions bought at the shop restores 2 BP. (However, you cannot
surpass your Max. BP.) You cannot give Healing Potions to another hero during a
quest. When drinking a Healing Potion, write your new BP on your character sheet,
and return the Healing Potion card to the Equipment Card pile.

LEVEL UP
After each quest, heroes may attempt to Level Up by paying 500 gold. If heroes Level
Up, their Max. BP increases by 1. If they fail to Level Up, their Max. BP does not
change. The 500 gold is not returned.
The conditions for levelling up are as follows.
Warrior and Dwarf:
Roll 4 Combat Dice, and you Level Up if you roll 2 or more white shields.
Magician and Elf:
Roll 3 Combat Dice, and you Level Up if you roll 2 or more white shields.

You have reached the end of the Intermediate Rules.

Annex, page 18/2

 CHAPTER 3 · FINAL CHAPTER ADVANCED RULES
ADVANCED RULES

In Chapter 3, the enemies become more powerful, but the heroes also continue to level
up. To play Chapter 3 and the Final Chapter, players must learn the Advanced Rules.
Gameplay Under the Advanced Rules
All cards are used.
The basic rules of gameplay do not change from the Intermediate Rules, but in the
Advanced Rules, the following rules are added.

The Magician and Elf can now use Advanced Magic.

Enemies are now considered obstacles that block projectile attacks and magic.
You can now add optional rules.

ADVANCED MAGIC
In Chapter 3, the Magician and Elf can now use Advanced Magic. There are many
different types of Advanced Magic. Use the 12 Spell Cards to unleash magic in whatever
way you desire.
TYPES OF MAGIC
Advanced Magic is classed into 4 elements of magic based on the magic’s energy source.

Earth Magic - Defence and Healing Magic Air Magic - Attack Magic
Water Magic - Defence and Healing Magic Fire Magic - Attack Magic

There are 3 Spell Cards for each magic element.

CHOOSING MAGIC
In each quest, the Magician can use magic from 3 elements. The Elf can use magic from
1 element. Before starting a game, the Elf first chooses 1 element, and takes that
element’s 3 Spell Cards. Then, the Magician takes the remaining 3 Spell Cards for the
other 3 elements, making 9 cards in total.

CASTING MAGIC
During their turns, the Magician and Elf may cast magic once instead of entering
Combat or Searching. You can choose the magic you wish to use from the Spell Cards
you hold. Each Magic can only be used once during each quest. Once the magic’s effect
fades, discard the card of the Magic you used. Magic can only be cast on yourself or a
target you can see. Also, you cannot cast magic on a target when there is an enemy in
the way between you and the target.

Annex, page 19/2

ADVANCED RULES

USING PROJECTILE WEAPONS AND MAGIC

Under the Advanced Rules, if Diagram 4
there is an enemy figure between
you and your target in a passage,
It becomes an obstacle, and you
cannot use projectile weapons or
magic. Allied figures are not
considered obstacles. When in a
room, you can use projectile
weapons and magic on any target Hero

without restriction. See Diagram

4 for an example.
Allies
(All doors are open)
Enemies
In a situation like this Magic cast on allies can be cast on yourself, or
allies or . Attacks using magic and projectile weapons can only
be used on enemies and . If a line drawn between you and the
enemy would pass through an enemy, they are considered an
obstacle. When it is doubtful whether or not an enemy is in the way,
the Demon King holds the final decision.

OPTIONAL RULES
By adding these rules, clearing quests becomes much more difficult. If you wish to have
a more full-fledged Role-Playing Game experience, try adding the following conditions.

Optional Rule 1: Conditions for Obtaining Treasure

▢ If a room has monsters in it, you may not obtain any treasure.
If there are monsters in a room, you cannot obtain treasure from treasure chests or
hidden treasures. To obtain the treasure, you have to either defeat all monsters in the
room, or wait for them all to leave. Monsters cannot open treasure chests.

Optional Rule 2: Conditions for Searching

Diagram 5
▢ If there is a monster in an area to be Searched, it cannot
be Searched.
By adding this rule, when a hero wants to conduct a
Search, they must defeat all the monsters they can see
first. Also, the Demon King may consider tactics such as
sending many monsters in a room containing a hidden
treasure. However, it will become impossible to avoid
traps placed at the entrances of rooms containing
monsters (Diagram 5), so this is a very harsh rule for the
heroes.
In a situation like this,
the hero cannot avoid
the trap.
You have reached the end of the rules.
Annex, page 20/2
 To the one taking up the role of the Demon King

Some players may dislike playing a “Villain” such as the Dark Demon King Grimdead.
Not to mention the annoying role of “Game Facilitator” that comes with it……

SO,
Here is an explanation of the right way of enjoying the role of the Dark Demon King
Grimdead.
Whatever may happen, the Demon King knows every secret of every dungeon, and can
freely control every monster, so he is like a God in the game. If the Demon King felt
like it, he could easily murder all of the heroes. However, you shouldn’t think like that.
The true joy of playing the Demon King, is to entertain the heroes. How you can help
the heroes have an exciting adventure should always be on your mind. Your goal is to
freely aid them.
By doing that, you’ll soon realise that you’re enjoying the game as well as the heroes.
The main points are as follows.

Understand the rules well.

Don’t drop hints without thinking.
Don’t concentrate attacks on one hero.
Try and trick the heroes into danger.
Try your best not to kill the heroes.
Give fitting ad-libs as necessary. For example, “The orcs ran away in fear!”.

ALSO,
The ultimate way to enjoy the game is to make up custom dungeons. This is a special
privilege given only to the Demon King. Feel free to photocopy the blank map
attached and use it.
When making a dungeon, remember these warnings.

Check how many items of furniture are in the game.

For example, there are only 3 treasure chests. Once you’ve made a
map, try placing the furniture and seeing how it looks.

Don’t add too many monsters.

It’ll take a very long time to clear the quest.
Don’t make the dungeon too complicated.
For the same reason.
Be careful about where you set up traps.
So you don’t find yourself in a situation where if the Dwarf dies, the
rest of the heroes can’t escape the dungeon.

Try your best to be the greatest Demon King you can be. Farewell.
Annex, page 21/2
Annex, page 22/2
 GLOSSARY

A H Q
Adjacent squares……...P04 Healing Potions ……….P18 Quest .…………………...P03
Advanced Magic………. P19 Hidden Doors ………….P15 Quest Book ..…………...P05
Advanced Rules……….P19 Hidden Treasure ………P13 Quest Rules..……..…….P05
Armour………………….P17 I ………….P15 R
Attack……………………P09 Intermediate Magic ……P12 Revival.……………….…P11
Attack Power…………....P09 Intermediate Rules …....P12 S
B L Screen …………………..P05
Beginner Magic ………..P11 Legendary Treasure…..P06 Search …………………..P13
Beginner Rules ………..P07 Level Up ………………..P18 Surrounding squares......P04
Body Points ……………P03 M T
Book of Adventure …….P05 Magic: Beginner Magic Trap Activation .………...P16
BP → Body Points Intermediate Magic Trapped Treasure Chest...P16
C Advanced Magic Traps..……..…………….P15
CD → Combat Die/Dice Maximum Body Points ..P03 Trap Search.….….……..P14
Character Sheets ……..P04 Maximum Mind Points ..P03 Treasure: Hidden Treasure
Character Boards ……..P04 Mind Points …………….P03 Open Treasure Chest
Collapse ……..…………P16 Monster Cards ….……..P05 Treasure Search
Combat …………………P09 Movement ……….……..P08 Treasure Cards
Combat Dice…………...P05 Movement Distance ..…P08 Treasure Cards .……..…P13
Custom Dungeons…….P21 MP → Mind Points Treasure Search.…....…P13
D O Turn Order.…………...…P07
Damage………………...P10 Open Treasure Chest ...P09 W
Dead Ends ……………..P09 Optional Rules …..…….P20 Weapons.…………….....P17
Deciding Roles………...P06 P What can be seen..…….P08
Defence ………..………P09 Party ….………………...P03
Defence Power ………..P09 Pit traps…………………P15
Doors……………………P08 Placement……………...P09
E Projectile Weapons……P17
End of Quest …………..P05
End of the Game………P07
Equipment ……………..P16

CO., LTD.
Takara Customer Service Centre
T 4-19-16 Aoto, Katsushika-ku, Tokyo 125
TO CUSTOMER WHO PURCHASE: O
K
Y

Thank you for purchasing our product. O

5-6-14 Tanimachi, Chuo-ku, Osaka 540

If you have any questions about the product, sorry O
S (Uemachi Building 3 North)
A
to trouble you, but please contact the “Customer K
A

Service Centre”. *Telephone reception hours: 1st Friday of the month (excl. holidays) 10:00 - 17:00.

Annex, page 23/2

Annex, page 24/2
 Hero Quest Japanese Edition Rules of Play
Version 1.4, English, 04/Feb/2022

This is a fan-made work performed by HispaZargon for the Ye Olde Inn’s Community Members.

ABSTRACT

This document is a direct translation to UK English language of the original 1991 Hero Quest
Japanese Edition Rules of Play. The only aim of this work is helping to preserve the information
contained in the original document for all past, today and future generations of Hero Quest players.

Please note that this is not an official translation, but its content tries to be as much accurate as
possible to the original version so, this means that, despite of including some minor corrections of
blatant errata detected in the original Japanese text, it has not been included modifications to the
Japanese original rules nor adaptation of them to the rules of other existing official editions of
Hero Quest. Additionally, this also means that there are several terms of the game that this version
names in a different way than the European & North American editions of Hero Quest do, but it has
been intentionally written in such way in order to preserve as much as possible the charm and context
of the original Japanese version. Some examples of those used terms are: ‘Demon King’ instead of
Evil Wizard, ‘Evil God’ instead of Chaos Sorcerer/Warlock, ‘Dark Warrior’ instead of Chaos Warrior,
‘Monolizard’ instead of Fimir, ‘Warrior’ instead of Barbarian, ‘Magician’ instead of Wizard and
‘Grimdead’ instead of Morcar/Zargon.

ACKNOWLEDGES

Thanks to Ye Olde Inn’s Community, especially to the following members who directly helped me in this task:

Daedalus, Kurgan, iKarith.

Special Thanks to the following Ye Olde Inn’s members who performed, during years 2013 – 2016, the first
known translation works of the rules of Hero Quest’s Japanese Edition. Note that the legendary OldScratch forum
also worked on it. Creating this document could not have been possible without their work, thank you so much:

AerynB, Bob-Bob, bluesun, fenrir79, JackieX.

Final Special Thanks to Milton Bradley, Games Workshop and all the original
Hero Quest’s design teams for creating this great and legendary board game.

FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY

Use of the Hero Quest Logo, Theme and Images are not intended as a challenge or threat to their
Copyrights. This document is made available for the sole purpose of private use and may not be
otherwise sold, in whole or in part, without the explicit permission of the Copyright holders.

HeroQuest is © 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993 Milton Bradley Company. All Rights Reserved.
A Division of Hasbro, Inc. Developed with Games Workshop. Japanese partner Takara Co. Ltd.

Annex, page 1/2

 RECORD OF REVISIONS

Version Date Affected pages Performed changes

1.0 15/Jul/2021 All Original release.

Pages 2 & 5 Minor text corrections.

1.1 16/Jul/2021
Annex page 1 Improvement of Abstract, Acknowledges and Disclaimer text.

All Term “marker” has been replaced by “tile” one.

Pages 1, 15, 16 & 23 Trap types have been renamed according to Screen v.1.0 texts.
1.2 09/Aug/2021 Pages 5 & 16 Minor text corrections.
Annex page 1 Improvement of Acknowledges list.
Annex page 2 Inclusion of Record of Revisions table.

Pages 1 & 4 Character Sheet picture is replaced by a translated version.

Page 4 Text slightly corrected according to Character Sheet content.
1.3 08/Sep/2021
Page 5 Quest Book pages picture is replaced by a translated version.
Page 24 Map’s original translation of ‘Spirit Valley’ has been corrected.

Pages 12,16,18 & 23 Term ‘Heal Potion’ has been replaced by ‘Healing Potion’.
1.4 04/Feb/2022
Annex page 1 Legendary OldScratch forum members acknowledge is included.

Annex, page 2/2