Hero's Book?

[Lorenzo Rubbo-Ferraro]

Hi all.

My local shop doesn't have HQ but they do have the Hero's Book.

I have done a bit of net surfing and can only conclude that the Hero's Book is a very simplified version of HQ.

I'm not really interested in Glorantha and am more fascinated by the mechanics.

Being really more interested in the system do you think the Hero's Book will suffice or should I go the whole way and order in HQ?

Thanks for your help.

[buserian]

Hi all.

My local shop doesn't have HQ but they do have the Hero's Book.

I have done a bit of net surfing and can only conclude that the Hero's Book is a very simplified version of HQ.

I'm not really interested in Glorantha and am more fascinated by the mechanics.

Being really more interested in the system do you think the Hero's Book will suffice or should I go the whole way and order in HQ?

Thanks for your help.

Depends on what you want, and what you are going to do. If you just want to test whether or not HQ will work for you, Hero's Book is a cheaper way to start. But it does not give the full flavor of HQ by any means. If you are going to be running a game, you'll definitely need HQ itself anyway, though many of your players will be able to own just Hero's Book and so get a good feel for the game and their place in it.

buserian

[Lorenzo Rubbo-Ferraro]

Ah what the heck. I'll buy HB and If I like it I'll get HQ as well.

Cheers,
Lorenzo.

[hix]

But it does not give the full flavor of HQ by any means.

buserian, could you expand on what this means?

Cheers,
Steve.

[buserian]

But it does not give the full flavor of HQ by any means.

buserian, could you expand on what this means?

Cheers,
Steve.

Me and my big mouth.

Basically, Hero's Book is just a subset of the rules. It addresses common magic very briefly, leaves out a lot of contest options, condenses two chapters on magic into three pages, and ignores two complete magic systems, each of which have their own unique strengths, weakness, and flavors.

It ignores heroquesting almost completely. And the current heroquesting rules are so much smoother and more intuitive than the one published in Hero Wars.

Like any "Lite" rules system, it ignores complexity and depth in favor of simplicity. This can be great for players who just need the basics, but it really isn't enough for the narrator.

Finally, the background of Glorantha is what made Runequest so popular (at least partially), and although the Orlanthi and Lunars get some nice sections, the rest of the world is left pretty empty in Hero's Book. I think the background in HeroQuest -- the boxes, the Hero Wars quotes, the many cults and keywords, make the book a fun read. I don't find Hero's Book as fun.

Hope this helps. I am not knocking Hero's Book at all, I think it's great. But it has to give up the main flavor of HQ, and I don't think it really has the space or the right venue to give much of its own.

buserian

[hix]

Buserian, thanks for that. That helps me a lot. Just one more question: when you say "It leaves out a lot of the contest mechanics", are you referring to stuff like group extended contests, augments and flaws?

The reason I'm asking is that I recently did a solo playtest of the HQ quickstart rules because I'm fascinated with the simplicity of the mechanics. The areas I mention above seemed the most difficult to figure out how to apply.

With the Hero's Book, what sort of mechanics issues does it skimp over / leave out?

Cheers,
Steve

[Lorenzo Rubbo-Ferraro]

Yeah, I went down to the shop today and they only had the Hero Book. It is very small and I opened the page to read in large letters, "This does not contain the rules for Heroquest" or something to that effect.

The Heroquest book is arriving soon so I am saving my hard earned cash on that.

[buserian]

Yeah, I went down to the shop today and they only had the Hero Book. It is very small and I opened the page to read in large letters, "This does not contain the rules for Heroquest" or something to that effect.

The Heroquest book is arriving soon so I am saving my hard earned cash on that.

Hi Lorenzo,

I think you're looking at it wrong. I don't have my copy here at work, but I am sure it says that it does not contain the _full_ rules for HeroQuest.

Make no mistake -- Hero's Book is not enough to play the game alone, I don't think anyone said that. It is a supplement, nothing more, which is a good way for players to get introduced to the game without having to shell out $40. Some players won't play a game unless they own the rules, so they can refer to them. (HQ doesn't need this, but RQ and DnD always have IMO, so it is an understandable attitude.) Hero's Book is a great way for players not really into Glorantha or HQ (yet) to have the basic rules set in their hands when play starts, to read bvefore the first sessions so they know something of what's going on, etc.

If you plan to run a game, or are very interested in HQ or Glorantha as systems or worlds, HQ itself is a must.

As for what rules are or are not in Hero's Book instead of HQ, again, don't have either book here at work. But look at the facts -- about 32 pages of rules in the one book, close to 200 pages of rules in the other. More is missing than is there. However, I think of all the sections in Hero's Book, the one with the most complete picture is actually the Contests section -- comparing chapter lengths in the two books, I bet it is the highest rating.

I hope this helps.

buserian

[hix]

Thanks, buserian. [/questioning]

Steve

[Lorenzo Rubbo-Ferraro]

Thanks Buserian. Your post makes things a lot clearer - it's the players handbook, enough for the players to know how to play a game but  not enough for the GM to run one.

Well, actually I am sitting here, itching to scratch the HQ itch! So all that's left is convincing my wife that the Hero's Book is essential for our relationship to continue and buy it today.

Cheers.