FEAR THE DARK

Nostalgic Dungeon Crawl

THE UNDERGROUND TERRORS

issue 2 : undead monsters

INTRODUCTION
You should have played the first three Quests from issue number 1, granting
the players few rewards and improvements. Then you can read the following
text aloud to the players.

You ventured into the nest of goblins and orcs, you braved the lair of the
infamous Uruk and received the gratitude of the Merchants’ Guild and their
gold coins. Your company grew stronger, and you learned to explore and to
fight together, overcoming the war bands of green-skinned monsters.
Then you faced horrors like never before: animated corpses in form of skeletons
or zombies, and even mummies crawling slowly but inesorably towards you,
animated by pure evil and the desire for human flesh.
Treasure after treasure, dungeon after dungon, your reputation grew beyond
the little towns of this remote province, and even in the Free Cities they heard
of you: the strong barbarian who frightens even the orcs, the powerful dwarf
master of traps, the smart elf armed with sword and magic, and the great
wizard with a useful spell always ready.
The Free Cities Council has asked you to investigate the works of the
emissaries of Chaos; too many of them have appeared in this land. They use
orcs and goblins, sometimes fimirs too, to bring destruction to the human land
and to plunder. But especially they work to keep the humans busy with minor
struggles... while the Chaos warriors work on their terrible plans, whatever
they may be, and the Chaos sorcerers violate the threshold between life and
death. Be ready, for you may cross that threshold too!

FEAR the Dark is a fanzine dedicated to HeroQuest - the popular fantasy

board game of the 90s which introduced so many of us to dungeon crawling
and miniatures.
This is going to be a complete reboot of the game’s background and story. It
will remain faithful to the original material but it aims to bring a different
feeling to it, so that there will be no overlapping with the stories of Mentor,
Morcar and Zargon. Moreover, the ‘zine will contain new quests which can be
played by any group of players. Old players will find new maps and new
missions, and new players will be allowed to start from zero.
Everything presented in this fanzine is written to be played starting with
issue number one, and will slowly expand beyond the original box and
miniatures. It will also attempt to provide a modular system; it keeps the
traditional rules and will progressively add little, indipendent pieces to them.
You will be able to use all those rules, or just some of them.
MATERIALS
This second issue contains more and more of the undead and chaos monsters,
expanding beyond the first few quests which were based on orcs and goblins.
Introducing monsters slowly, and making them feel frightening and terrible,
is part of what makes the game great and gives players a sense of exploration
and growing experience.
Miniatures
In issue number 3, planned for Juanuary 2021, I will again use only the
original miniatures. But afterwards, I will add a few more miniatures and
monsters in the new quests I will publish. From issue number 4 the story will
“reboot” again, allowing a new group of heroes to start a new game.
Cards
A card with the rule for Fear of the Undead is included. New rules can be
referenced in the Summary of the Rules section, but I find that cards with
special rules can come handy during the game.
I keep them next to the board, so that players can refer to them, while the GM
uses this booklet.
FEAR OF THE UNDEAD
This little new rule was added in the last Quest of the first issue of the
fanzine. Since there were a few undead only in that last Quest, I envisioned
the heroes being potentially terrorized by them: this would allow these
monsters to act (move and attack) the first unlucky heroes within range. But
our heroes are now ready to face this sort of threat: so I would suggest to use
the rule only the first time for each type of undead, in each new Quest.
Skeletons therefore would have a chance to strike first only the first time
they’re placed on the board, zombies only the first time, mummies only the
first time. This would still make the first encounter with them, in each Quest,
a little more dangerous, without making these monsters too strong.
CREDITS
HeroQuest is once again a Hasbro trademark. This fanzine claims no
ownership of the aforementioned trademark, and is instead a personal project
made available to the public as a tribute to the old game.
Maps are made using the HeroQuest-Excel-Quest-Creator tool.
The cover image is picture of some painted monsters, and on the backcover is
a picture of the Fear of the Undead new rule, as a printable card.
 Summary of the Original Rules
This is a summary of the original rules; new original rules are presented in
dark red color.

TURN
Default order: Barbarian, Dwarf, Elf, Wizard, Game Master (GM).
Movement and Action
In a turn, you may move and then act, or act and then move. You cannot make
an action in the middle of a movement. Actions are:
† Attack † Search for treasure † Search for traps
† Cast a spell † Search for secret doors † Disarm a trap
Looking
Looking is not one of the basic actions. It happens automatically as heros
move. Everything in their line of sight must be placed on the board.
Doors
If a hero stops next to a closed door, they can ask the GM to open it, and place
on the board the content of the room. Opening doors does not count as an
action; it’s a part of the normal movement. Open doors cannot be closed.
Movement rules
A hero can move less of the 2d6 roll, and pass other heroes if allowed by the
other player. It is not allowed to move diagonally, through walls, through
blocked squares (walls), over adversaries, or backwards in the same turn. It is
not allowed to end a move sharing a square (exception: this is allowed on
stairs and in pits).
ATTACK
You may attack an adjacent enemy, not diagonally. Some weapons allow to
attack from a distance or diagonally, or change the number of dice to roll. An
attack scores one hit for every Skull rolled. One attack per Turn is allowed.
Defend
The defendant rolls its Defend dice, and blocks one hit for every white shield
if it’s a hero defending, or for every black shield if it’s a monster defending.
Roll the Defend dice every time someone attacks you.
Body Points
Every hit not blocked, is subtracted from the Body points. When they reach
zero, the hero or monster is dead (a hero may drink a potion already in their
possession or use a healing spell if they have not already made an action).
CAST A SPELL
A spell requires a visible target. After casting the spell, discard the spell
card and the same spell cannot be used until the next quest. The line of sight
is blocked by walls, closed doors, and other miniatures (heroes or monsters).
SEARCH FOR TREASURE
Treasures are only in rooms, not in corridors. Every hero may search
independently on their turn, and only once by each hero for each room. You
may search for treasure only when the room is empty of enemies.
Treasure deck
If there is no special treasure declared by the Quest Book, shuffle the
Treasure deck and draw a random Treasure card. Valuable treasure cards
remain in possession of the hero, while other cards are returned to the deck.
Wandering monster
Place it next to the searcher, and attack immediately. From the next turn, the
monster moves and attacks normally. If there is no space, place it anywhere
in the room, without making an attack.
SEARCH FOR SECRET DOORS
Secret doors may be in rooms or corridors. Every hero may search
independently on their turn, in the room or corridor they’re in. You may
search for secret doors only when the room or corridor is empty of enemies.
No need to search more than once: all secret doors in the room or corridor are
revealed as soon as the first hero searches for them. Secret doors are closed
until a hero opens them, and work as normal doors.
SEARCH FOR TRAPS
Traps may be in rooms, corridors, or chests/furniture. You may search for
traps only when the room or corridor is empty of enemies. If there are traps,
the GM will tell you what they are and where they are.
Trigger a trap
If a hero moves on a trap square, without checking, the trap is triggered. If a
hero searches for treasures, without checking, the chest/furniture trap is
triggered. Monsters do not trigger hidden traps.
DISARM A TRAP
To disarm a trap you must possess the appropriate tool kit; the Dwarf on
the other hand may do this even without tools. A hero must announce the
attempt and move to the trap square, then roll 1 Combat die. If you roll a
Skull, you trigger the trap and suffer its consequences; any other roll means
you disarmed the trap and it’s gone forever. The Dwarf fails and triggers the
trap only when rolling a black shield.
TRAPS RULES
Here is the list of the default traps, how they can be avoided or disarmed, and
what happens if they are triggered by the heroes.
Pit traps
This is declared as a weak floor by the GM, and may be jumped or
disarmed. If triggered, suffer 1 Body point damage and fall into the pit,
ending your turn; place a pit trap tile on the board, which cannot be
removed. The pit may only be jumped at this point. In the pit, a hero may
search for treasure or secret doors as if in a room. Attack and Defend rolls are
done with one die less (but not less than one, and this applies also to
monsters). A hero or monster may move out of the pit in the next turn.
Falling Block trap
This is declared as a dangerous looking ceiling by the GM, and may be
jumped or disarmed. If triggered, roll 3 attack dice and inflict 1 Body point
of damage on each Skull; the falling block tile is placed on the board and
becomes a permanent block which cannot be removed. The hero must decide
in which direction to make a last step (ahead or back), before the turn ends.
Spear trap
This is declared as suspicious by the GM, and may be jumped or disarmed.
If triggered, roll 1 attack die and inflict 1 Body point of damage on a Skull.
This ends the hero turn. When triggered once, a spear trap is gone and
nothing is placed on the board.
Chest/Furniture trap
This is declared as looking suspicious by the GM, and may be disarmed. It is
also avoided by not searching for treasures. If disarmed, it is possible to look
for treasures without triggering traps. If triggered, follow its instructions.
Jump a trap or a pit
You may jump traps which have not been triggered, or may jump an open pit.
You cannot jump over a fallen block: this is like a blocking wall. To jump, you
must have enough movement left to end in the square after the trap; if you do,
roll 1 Combat die. If you roll a Skull, you trigger the trap (or fall into the pit)
and suffer its consequences; any other roll means you avoided the trap or pit.
FEAR OF THE UNDEAD
When placing an undead (skeleton, zombie, mummy) on the board, or a group
of them, the GM rolls a combat die. If the GM rolls a skull, the undead(s) may
move and attack now, before any other hero’s action. Then the game resumes
normally.
Use the rule the first time for each type of undead (skeleton, zombie,
mummy), per quest (skeletons cause fear the first time they appear, then no
more until next quest; zombies cause fear the first time, etc.).
 Your Rules
Use this space to make notes about your own rules, so that you have a written
record for you and the players.
 QUEST 4
The Wizard’s Laboratory
When you raided Uruk’s lair, a dying wizard was kept prisoner by the fimirs and you probably
encountered a Chaos warrior working on the wizard’s alchemical notes. The Free Cities Council is
growing worried; more and more of these Chaos emissaries are found working with orcs, goblins and
fimirs. Perhaps the dying wizard discovered something and you are offered a 100 gold coins reward
for every piece of useful information that you may recover from the old wizard’s laboratory.

GM – Describe the corridors as spiraling down, deep into the ground. At at every turn, the tunnels go deeper, towards
the bottom center of the laboratory. All colored doors (marked with A) are not with a trap but blocked; they cannot be
opened, but will open when triggered (see room G). The Council will pay 100 coins for each secret from room B-C-D.

These doors are blocked; put them on the board Searching for treasure will reveal the Talisman of
and keep them closed. Lore in possession of the Chaos warrior (see the
matching Artifact card).
The Chaos warrior is studying the wizard’s notes
about how to give additional strength to dead bodies. If the heroes enter this room, open the doors
marked with A on the entire dungeon. All monsters
Searching for treasure will reveal in the fireplace
from those rooms will converge, at their speed,
some half burned notes about training zombies.
towards room G, attacking the heroes which will be on
The chest contains 50 coins and the wizard’s their way out. There are 50 gold coins in a drawer, and
notes of received payments from a Chaos sorcerer. there are notes about the location of an old Archmage
tomb, which will lead to the next quest.
There is no treasure in this room.

Wandering monster: Skeleton - and remember to use the Fear of the Undead rule
 QUEST 5
The Tomb of the Archmage
You have heard rumors of the tomb of a powerful Archmage, long gone but whose rich treasures and
secret and forbidden knowledge are still the dream of every hero or adventurer. The tomb stands
above the ground as a simple, black obelisk; underneeth dark mouldy stairs bring you down into the
darkness. You’ve been warned that goblins and orcs have made the first chambers into their lair, but
it’s not the green monsters you’re worried about.

GM – If the heroes have the notes from room G of the previous Quest, they can begin this adventure right away.
Otherwise a local guide will bring them to the entrance of the tomb for 50 gold coins paid in advance. If the heroes do
not have enough coins, they can return to this Quest and pay the guide when they’ll be ready.

The treasure chest contains 40 gold coins. The This secret door can be found only from within the
door is protected by a poison needle that causes 2 Body room, not from the outside corridor.
points damage if not disarmed.
The dead Archmage treasure will reveal as 200
If any heroe searches for treasures before gold coins and a Cloak of Protection. When the heroes
discovering and disarming the pit trap, will fall into defeat the monsters, they’ll hear the sound of the wall
the pit. The alc. bench contains a Potion of Healing. in room F falling down, and monsters approaching.
The skeletons will not move until at least two The mummies will pursue the heroes until killed.
heroes are in the room, or are attacked. The colored The chest contains a Holy Water treasure, and here is
door opens on a thick stone wall which blocks the way. the real tomb of the Archmage.

Wandering monster: Skeleton - and remember to use the Fear of the Undead rule
http://www.daimongames.com/ - https://daimon-games.blogspot.com/
 QUEST 6
The Cursed Palace
Many have tried before you, but the ancient treasure of the Mad King has always remained buried.
The dark palace is in ruins and full of undead, their ranks growing stronger with the bodies of dead
adventurers. Now there is yet one more reason to enter the ancient palace: a young wizard entered the
palace to spy on the emissaries of Chaos which have been seen crawling inside. Free the way for the
young wizard to escape and you’ll be rewarded 200 coins by the Free Cities Council.

GM – The heroes enter from the door marked with an arrow, at the side of the board. If they can kill all monsters
blocking the young wizard, they will receive 200 gold coins when they return. They can keep exploring the palace if
they find the stairs in room G. If they do, they can move further down into the darkness.

were killed, otherwise it must be escorted. He will

In these small rooms there are signs of battle, the
move with two dice, has 2 Defend dice and 2 Body; he
remains of two mummies and of three mercenaries.
cannot attack and has no spells.
There are no treasures.
When the skeleton is defeated, the double door can
Noises can be heard from the room with the orcs.
be opened; when opening a double door, both sides
These skeletons are statues and won’t move (and are opened at the same moment. Monsters will swarm
cannot be harmed) until the young wizard is rescued. the room, as double doors are harder block.
The Chaos warriors are about to break the door. This room can be accessed by the secret door found
in the corridor. The chest contains 50 coins and Borin’s
The young wizard is here. The wizard can escape Armour (4 Defend dice). The stairs lead to Quest 7.
to safety if all monsters in the bottom half of the map
Wandering monster: Zombie - and remember to use the Fear of the Undead rule
http://www.daimongames.com/ - https://daimon-games.blogspot.com/
 QUEST 7
The Mad King’s Treasure
After you found the way down, you enter the obscure tunnels under the ancient palace of the Mad
King. Here is where you hope to find the precious treasure lost centuries ago.

GM – If the heroes continue from Quest 6, they can have a short rest now: each regains 1d6 Body points, and the
Wizard and the Elf recover half of the used spells (rounded down). If instead they exit, fully recover, then enter again,
the monsters of Quest 6 will be in place again (but no wizard). Note the usage of double doors (marked with X).

These doors are locked (see room C). These Chaos The Mad King appears as a Chaos warrior, in
warriors will call for help from the other room A and form of a ghost. The undead will attack and the Mad
the doors of the empty room B will be opened by the King will escape through the secret door, which can
monsters in the GM’s turn. Searching for treasure will only be opened from the room, not from the corridor.
reveal the Spirit’s Blade on the weapons rack.
The Mad King will escape towards this room. The
There is no treasure here. The doors will be secret door can only be found and opened by the Mad
opened by the monsters in the GM’s turn. King. In his escape, he will leave it open for the
heroes. He will continue towards room G.
The key for the two rooms A is here, found
searching for treasure. Here is the treasure: 500 gold coins in the chest.
In the library, there are scrolls mentioning dark spells
The chest is protected by a poison needle for 4
of resurrection. The Mad King (who will return in
combat dice damage (each skull a Body point). It
future quests) will escape through the door to the side,
contains 100 gold coins. The tomb is empty.
which leads back outside, near the palace.
Wandering monster: Zombie - and remember to use the Fear of the Undead rule
http://www.daimongames.com/ - https://daimon-games.blogspot.com/
FEAR the Dark is a fanzine dedicated to HeroQuest - the popular fantasy
board game of the 90s. It’s a complete reboot of the game; faithful to the
original rules but with a new feeling to it. The ‘zine will contain new quests,
suitable to new players and to veteran players as well.

The fanzine is hosted at www.daimongames.com/heroquest

Comments, suggestions, collaborations: davide.pignedoli@gmail.com

Issue number 2 – November 2020:

† A short introduction
† A usable summary of the traditional rules
† Three new quests adventuring into the realm of the Undead
† A bonus fourth quest adventuring deeper below
† A simple new rule for double doors