Secrets of HeroQuesting lists the HeroQuests that I have found, here is what I have included.
HEROQUESTING IN OTHER RULES
Although HeroQuesting was mentioned in RQ2, rules of HeroQuesting have not been detailed to any great extent. However, some rule sets have attempted to cover HeroQuesting in various ways. The following is a summary of how these rule sets treat HeroQuesting.
Author’s Comment
Why bother talking about how HeroQuesting is covered in other sets of rules? Surely, this supplement is looking at new rules, not harping on about old versions? Yes, but looking at previous rules for HeroQuesting helps influence new rules. How closely to these rules fit with existing rules? How do the existing rules differ from each other and the new rules? These are interesting questions.
The author will not pass comment on the HeroQuests, as people will have different ideas of what makes a good or bad HeroQuest.
Hero Wars
Narrator’s Book
The Otherworld Magic chapter contains rules about HeroQuesting as well as a HeroQuest, Hervald’s Helm. These rules are variants of the “normal” HeroQuesting rules, with special attention paid to crossing barriers and using Contests. The Grotto of Despair is a HeroQuest to the Other Side.
Thunder Rebels
Although Thunder Rebels does not contain any HeroQuesting rules as such, it does contain an excellent description of the Storm Stead and GodTime, as well as a detailed breakdown of Orlanth Cults/SubCults, with myth fragments, all of which are useful for building HeroQuests.
Storm Tribe
As with Thunder Rebels, Storm Tribe contains no HeroQuesting rules but many cults with their myths that can be used as the basis of many a HeroQuest.
QuestWorlds
Although the QuestWorlds system is built on the idea of using HeroQuests, in fact HeroQuesting makes up a tiny part of the rules and supplements.
HeroQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha
There is a HeroQuesting chapter in the rulebook. This covers the types of HeroQuest and where they occur. It also covers creating HeroQuests, using Myths, Differences in the Story, Ritual preparations, Community Support, Crossing Over, Power Spots, Alien Worlds, Dropping Out and Falling Off, Opponents, HeroQuest Levels, Expect Surprises, HeroQuest Moment, Station Results, Side Benefits, HeroQuest Challenge, The Climax, and The Return. There is a HeroQuest, Heavy Earth, which pits Sartarites against a local Earth Spirit.
The HeroQuesting rules are good and follow the classic HeroQuesting model. HeroQuests are split into Stations, with opponents and rewards. It gets its knickers in a twist when discussing the Planes, moving a HeroQuest between the Otherworld to the Gods War then to the Hero Plane, so my advice is to ignore that section.
HeroQuest Glorantha
The rewrite of HeroQuest 2 for Glorantha has a section on HeroQuesting, which covers Origin, What is Myth, What is HeroQuesting, The HeroQuest of Eringulf Vanak Spear, Breaking Down of a HeroQuest into Stages, HeroQuest Surprise, HeroQuest Challenges, The law of Synchronicity and Types of HeroQuest. The Illumination chapter has a note on Illumination and HeroQuesting. There is a HeroQuest detailed with descriptions of how it works, what the rewards and penalties are and, more importantly, how it could play out.
This is well-written and is a lot clearer than those in HeroQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha.
The note on Illumination and HeroQuesting is very useful and shows what benefits an insight can bring to HeroQuesting. The sample HeroQuest allows the HeroQuestors to rescue a stolen goddess from Hell and has a lot of detail that will help enrich other HeroQuests.
Anyone who is interested in HeroQuesting in Glorantha should buy HeroQuest Glorantha as it is an invaluable resource.
Sartar: Kingdom of Heroes
This contains a chapter on HeroQuests and Running a HeroQuest, as well as a HeroQuest, The Feast of Beasts, with several Stations that count as scenarios in their own right. It also details the consequences of success or failure at each stage. The HeroQuest takes up 60 pages and is well worth reading.
The HeroQuesting rules are very simple and easy to read. HeroQuests are of two types, this Side and Other Side, which is an interesting split. The rules are better described than those in HeroQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha and have a different slant to those in HeroQuest Glorantha. The rules also include a description of the Short Lightbringers’ Quest as an additional bonus.
Sartar Companion
This contains two HeroQuests, The Hero and the Grove, and the Law Staff, which are given as scenarios. Although not as detailed as The Feast of Beasts, there is enough information here to run the HeroQuests fairly easily.
Pavis: Gateway to Adventure
This contains the Three Blows of Anger and Red Moon Rising HeroQuests, which are interesting as they are both Involuntary HeroQuests, where the HeroQuestors are forced onto the HeroQuest.
The Eleven Lights
This is full of HeroQuests. War is a minor HeroQuest, or rather a ritual battle, which includes The Thunder Shout. Peace Weaving is a minor HeroQuest to bring Justice to the clan. The Stealing of the Giant's Cows is a HeroQuest to strengthen the clan's herds. The Missing is a minor HeroQuest to find some missing children. The Three New Stars is a HeroQuest to restore stars to the Sky.
13th Age Glorantha
13th Age Glorantha is a rules system about Adventuring and it is no surprise that it covers HeroQuesting. In fact, it has a whole chapter devoted to HeroQuesting.
Running HeroQuests: Advice and mechanics for adventures on the Hero Plane.
• The GodTime, The Hero Plane, & Myth
• Entering The Hero Plane
• Assume Competence
• Invite Style
• HeroQuest Surprises
• The Way Things Look
• Paths To Victory
• Fleeing From A HeroQuest
• Tiers
• Higher-Tier Myths
DIY HeroQuests: Guidelines for building your own.
• Initiating Design
• Mythic Lore
• Deity Protagonist
• Victory
• Create Four Or Five Stations
• Station By Station Advice
• Premade Myths - A couple of Humakti Myths
• Humakt The Champion
• Humakt And The Sword Of Life
• Broken Myths: Chaos-affected Myths
• River Crossing
• Wedding Of Orlanth And Ernalda
• Broken Myths By Class
Lost Myths: Mysterious myths where the HeroQuestors are on their own to figure them out.
• Stories That Might Shape A Lost Myth
• Example Of A Lost Myth: Fangplace
• Mythic Adventures - Special contexts for HeroQuests and what can happen on the Hero Plane.
• Bring Out The Dead
• Here Come The Dead
• Dogpile
• You Can Never Go Home
• Vindictive Nightmare
Gloranthan HeroQuests to Emulate: Snippets or short descriptions of HeroQuests, these are fascinating summaries of previously unknown HeroQuests, including: Lokamayadon's Hagodereth Quest, Harmast's HeroQuests and The Quest OF Eringulf Vanak Spear
HeroQuests detailed are: Humakt the Champion, Humakt and the Sword Of Life, River Crossing, Wedding Of Orlanth and Ernalda, Fangplace, Sounding the Horn of Alarm, Upland Marsh HeroQuest and Starlight Ritual
Running Glorantha Chapter: We have:
• Runes & HeroQuesting - a description of how runes are used when HeroQuesting
• Entering the Hero Plane
• Narrating a Rune While HeroQuesting
• Death & Heroic Returns - An interesting description of how Heroes can return from the dead
• Returns Are Not Immediate
• Heroes Return
• If The End Is Death, The Means Don't Matter
• Save The Body?
• Dying On The Hero Plane
• Three Methods Of Attempting A Heroic Return
• Heroic Return Examples
HeroQuest Gifts: A long section of acquiring HeroQuest Gifts, with some interesting ideas
• Acquiring HeroQuest Gifts
• Successful HeroQuesting
• Empowered Runes
• Timing Of HeroQuest Gifts
• Trace Of Glory
• Player Chooses
• Gifts Are Singular
• Basic Bonuses Don't Stack
• One Gift Per Level
• Minimum By Level
• Upgrading Gifts
• Creating Experienced Characters
• Gift Types
• Gifts By Rune
• Gifts As Loot
• Gifts As Signature Magic Items
Overall, HeroQuesting in 13th Age Glorantha is pretty good. It fits into the "Super RuneQuest" mold, but for 13th Age, where HeroQuests are treated as if they are normal Adventures with HeroQuest stuff tagged on, which is how they should be treated. The descriptions of HeroQuest Gifts are useful, although I don't know enough about 13th Age Mechanics to comment on them individually, they are eminently stealable for the HeroQuest or RuneQuest rules.
Stafford Library
The Stafford Library is a set of rules-independent books detailing the history, geography and mythology of Glorantha. Once called the Unfinished Works, these are an unparalleled resource for anyone interested in Deep Glorantha.
Author’s Comment
I have only mentioned those Stafford Library works that I own and which have useful content for HeroQuesting.
Arcane Lore
This is the only supplement wholly devoted to HeroQuesting. As such, it is an invaluable resource, containing 35 HeroQuests in varying forms, from sketches to fully-detailed HeroQuests. However, it is hit and miss in places, a hotchpotch of different rules that contradict each other. I recommend purchasing this to anyone interested in HeroQuesting.
The chapters cover various aspects of HeroQuesting, the Otherworlds, deity Classification and much more: HeroQuesting, How HeroQuesting Works, What is HeroQuest, Metaphysical Mechanics, Four Magic Systems One Magic, Characteristics of the Three Realms of HeroQuesting , Release Keys, The HeroQuest Quiz, The Divine Rune Identification System, The Heroic Rune Identification System, Gods and Mortals, Deity Statistics, The Pantheons of Glorantha, Fame, The Chaos Wars, Arkat's Tome, A HeroQuesting Vocabulary, The Seven Planes, Shared Characteristics, Levels of the Hero Plane, Entering the Hero Plane, The Other Worlds, The Mythic Ages, Crusades and The Malkioni Otherworld. Each chapter goes into its topic in detail, but there is not attempt to provide a unified whole. Some rules are clearly for the RuneQuest game, some are for the HeroQuest (QuestWorlds) game and some seem to be for a different but unspecified system.
HeroQuests covered are: The Hill of Gold, The Lightbringers’ Quest, Maintain Spirit, The First Battle, Downland Migration, Liberating Ernalda, Killing Aroka, Fourteen Tribes, Great Music Wind, King Contest, Crushing the Green, Winter is Scattered, The Trembling Shores, Route to Orlanth's Longhouse, Rainmaking and the Harvest, The Quest of Knowledge, The Wyter Quest, Kargan Tor's Court, Berserkergang Quest, The Quest for Ten Strikes, A Humakti Scenario, So You Want to raise the Dead, Elovare's Blue Moon Quest, The Seven Sky Gates, The Path of Lightfore, Tale of the Twelve Brethren, The Crossroads, The Jackal's Path, Alebard's HeroQuest, The Citadel of Drang, Hellmouth, Renallien Breaker of Bricks, Waha's Beast Quest and The Seven Sky Games. All the HeroQuests are usable and can easily be adapted for anyone’s game.
Book of Heortling Mythology
Crammed full with Myths, sometimes quite detailed, this can be used as the basis of many HeroQuests.
Fortunate Succession
This list of the Emperors of Dara Happa is full of Gloranthan history. As the Emperors were often Demigods or Heroes themselves, there are a lot of hints regarding their HeroQuests.
Glorious Reascent of Yelm
This contains many myths of the Sky Gods and histories of the Emperors of Dara Happa. The myths can easily be turned into HeroQuests and the histories contain many examples of HeroQuesting.
History of the Heortling Peoples
This contains descriptions of the history of the Orlanthi. Among these histories are many examples of HeroQuesting, especially Creative HeroQuesting. These accounts show that Creative HeroQuesting did not begin with Arkat. The ritual and battle to create Nysalor, the war between Rastalulf Vanak Spear and Lokamayadon, the war against Nysalor/Gbaji, the deeds of Henrik and the Iron War against the Clanking City are all described in detail, with HeroQuesting elements.
Author’s Comment
Both the book of Heortling Mythology and History of the Heortling cover the First Council, Arkat Wars, Dragon wars and the Wars against the Clanking city, but from different viewpoints. However, both have enough of the events, stories and myths that can be used to describe the HeroQuests used in those events.
King of Sartar
The Story of Argrath is all about HeroQuesting. The Lightbringers’ Quest is described in detail, The Strange Fragment describes using HeroQuesting powers, Orlanth Mythology has some excellent myths that can be turned into HeroQuests and Three Invocations describe how a HeroQuest can be invoked.
Nearly every page in this excellent book provides hints and examples of HeroQuests.
Middle Sea Empire
The God Learner chapter covers Developmental Stages, detailing the history of God Learner HeroQuesting, The New Order of HeroQuestors, the Impossible Landscapes and Five New Ways books and Overall Effects on the Hero Planes.
This is interesting from a historical point of view and also describes the effects of HeroQuesting on the Hero Plane.
Revealed Mythologies
This contains mythologies of the Western, Southern and Eastern lands of Glorantha. It is very theoretical in places, but gives a good overview of those areas.
The Western section describes GodTime through Western eyes, splitting it down into a series of Actions. It describes the Western Otherworld as Kiona, Solace and Joy and has a Glossary of places and terms. The Pamaltela section describes the GodTime in a more accessible form than the western view, with myths that can be used as the basis of HeroQuests. As with the western section, it has a potted History and Glossary. The Vithelan section covers similar ground, with a description of the GodTime in terms of cycles, describing the Gods and Antigods. This is less useful than the Western or Pamaltelan sections and does not contain a History.
Overall, this is a reasonable source of myths, but is very alien to someone used to looking at very rich Central Genertelan mythology.
RuneQuest Glorantha
The latest version of RuneQuest contains some things on HeroQuesting. The Games Master's Guide should contain a little more, with a HeroQuesting Character Sheet and extra rules.
HeroQuesting seems to have been built into the rules from the bottom up, which can only be a good thing.
Author’s Comment
In my opinion, RuneQuest Glorantha, the latest version of RuneQuest, is the best and prettiest version that we have seen. It has its flaws and could have done with a good proofreader who excels at checking rules, but has a lot of good stuff that supports HeroQuesting.
RuneQuest Glorantha Rulebook
HeroQuesting is mentioned throughout the Rulebook, which is how it should be, as HeroQuesting is an integral part of Gloranthan gaming.
Introduction
• Epic Scale: This mentions a HeroQuest as a ritualized adventure where an Adventurer may discover new magical secrets and better learn how to become a Hero.
• Heroes and HeroQuesting: This describes HeroQuesting as a magical act that brings mythological magic into the Mundane World, a HeroQuestor as someone who simultaneously interacts with Mythology and the Mundane World and a Hero as someone who has walked this path and been changed by it. Pretty good definitions, I think.
Game System
• Campaign Time: This mentions Sacred Time as a propitious time for HeroQuesting
• Sacred Time: Mentions that the only adventures carried out during Sacred Time are HeroQuests
• Death and Permanent Damage: Anyone dying and passing through Judgement can only be brought back by a HeroQuest
Skills
Cult Lore: This includes HeroQuests as part of the things covered by Cult Lore
Runes
• Magical Tests: This mentions HeroQuesting as being a place where magical tests are important and commonplace, showing two ways of having a test, either a Skill above a certain amount or rolling below a Skill on 1D100
Passions & Reputation
• Reputation: HeroQuesting is given as a way of gaining Reputation
Rune Cults
• Cult Mysteries: HeroQuesting is given as one way of gaining cult mysteries
• Worship: HeroQuest rituals are mentioned as a way of accessing secret rites
• Wyters: HeroQuests are mentioned several times, as something that defines a Wyter, as a way to gain new abilities for the Wyter and as a way to restore a Wyter
Rune Magic
• Resurrect: Reiterates that a person dead for more than 7 days needs a HeroQuest to return
• Seal Soul: Reiterates that a person dead for more than 7 days needs a HeroQuest to return
• Summons of Evil: If the participants have a HeroQuest Enemy, that enemy will be summoned by the spell
Between Adventures
• Sacred Time: Performing a HeroQuest is an optional event in Sacred Time and can give a modifier to the harvest
Although the information on HeroQuesting is sketchy, there is enough built into the rules to imply that HeroQuesting should play an important part in future RuneQuest supplements.
RuneQuest Bestiary
There are few mentions of HeroQuesting in the Gloranthan Bestiary, which makes sense as this is not really a supplement suited to an in-depth view of HeroQuesting.
• Dragonewts: The Don Armor skill is gained through a successful HeroQuest
• Mistress Race Troll: Typically has powers gained on HeroQuests
• War Zebras: Their ability to breed is due to a HeroQuest miracle
• Wyter: Created through HeroQuesting
Author’s Comment
What about the various Scenario Packs or in other Jonstown Compendium supplements, surely there are HeroQuesting rules in those?
Yes, there probably are, but as I am planning to play in a RuneQuest Glorantha Campaign very soon, I have promised not to read them. However, once the campaign has finished, I am free to read them and comment.
Watch this space!
Author’s Comment
There are excellent HeroQuesting rules in the system we are not allowed to mention. However, we are not allowed to include them in the Jonstown Compendium, so I won’t.
Fanzines
Although fanzines are not canonical and are generally not published by Chaosium, there are a large number of HeroQuests and HeroQuesting ideas in various editions of Fanzines.
The Fanzines covered are: Tales of the Reaching Moon (ToTRM), Tradetalk (TT), RQ Adventures (RQA), Codex (CX). Wyrms Footnotes (WF), Different Worlds (DW) and The Book of Drastic Resolutions (BoDR):
• ToTRM2: Heroes, Five Foes
• ToTRM4: Golden Barge HeroQuest
• ToTRM7: Glorantha: The Game, The Whole World in Your Hands, HeroQuesting Basics, Designing HeroQuests, The Old Hare's Riddle, HeroQuests of the Twins, Berserkergang Path, The Blue Boar HeroQuest, The Silver Fox HeroQuest, The HeroQuest Quiz
• ToTRM12: Questlines There is Always Another Way
• ToTRM14: Questlines Paths of the Hero
• ToTRM18: Odayla Initiation, The Stormwalk Path
• TT5: Three Flowers
• TT6: The Tower of Xud
• TT7: The Unicorn Quest
• TT9: Fintnail's One Day House, Joraz Kyrem Gains an Ally, Aldryami Planting Song
• TT12: Dry Hard
• RQA3: The Devil's Bones
• CX1: The Spirit of the Stream (HeroQuest in all but name)
• CX2: Map of the God Plane
• WF09: The Shepherd’s Tree HeroQuest, The Great Raid on the Temple of the Wooden Sword HeroQuest
• WF10: The Founding of the Temple of the Wooden Sword
• WF14: The Crown Test of Leika Ballista
• DW4: Waha HeroQuest
• DW45: Pavis HeroQuest
• BoDR Prax: Waha's HeroQuest
Author’s Comment
What about HeroQuests in other Fanzines? Why haven’t you included them?
Mainly because I don’t have the fanzines, have lost them or have not remembered HeroQuests in them.
I would be pleased if readers could let me know of Fanzines and HeroQuests I have missed, so I can include them in future versions of Secrets of HeroQuesting.
Treat it as a Knowledge Quest.