HeroQuest with a 6 years old - Part 1

One of the best things about being a dad is to introduce your children to your hobbies, and enrich the bond between each other with the passion for nerdy things. This is how my elder son received a copy of HeroQuest for his sixth birthday.

For him it was love at first sight, but figuring out how the game actually works isn't that easy, especially since he can't read and count well yet. Under my guidance we played a number of solo games that were more role-play than board game, but he enjoyed it - still it was still an early phase where he would just explore rooms and run away from monsters, and fight only when he was cornered. I don't want to say that he was missing the point of the game, but in a way he did not understand yet the full range of possibilities available to him.

This was until the Covid19 quarantine - on an Easter weekend we managed to play an actual extended game that was really fun for both of us. For the benefit of other dads, I will record that here - hopefully it will give you some ideas on how to run a fun game with a child.

The Story

I asked my son to pick a character to play and give him a name. After some consideration, he picked a Wight and named him Evil Knight.

Then I asked him a story seed - why is the Evil Knight entering the dungeon. My son told me that he wants to be the boss of all the evil ones - again. When asked who is the current boss of the evil guys, my son picked the Necromancer, and named him Magician.

The story was clear now - the Evil Knight, once the Lord of Evil Things, had lost his position to the Magician. He wanted it back, so he entered the Dungeon to confront his nemesis.

In terms of Statistics, I had to generate a rather powerful character since the Dungeon is played solo, so here is it:

The Evil Knight
Wight
Movement 2 dice
Attack 3 dice
Defence 3 dice
Body Points 8 dice
Spells:
Swift Wind (Doubles Movement)
Veil of Mist (May move through enemies)
Pass through Rock (May move through walls)

The Dungeon

I built an easy dungeon in my mind, defining details as I went along - the picture below was drawn with HeroScribe after the game was finished. The dungeon is very simple - my son rolled the starting room with 2d6, and it was the central room. On one side I decided that the Magician lived, surrounded by undead minions. On the other side, he lodged his Goblinoid mercenaries. In one corner of the dungeon I placed an abandoned room full of independent monsters - the spiders.

Here's the Legend:
A - This is a practice room for the Goblinoid mercenaries. A rack full of rusty weapons is the only element of furniture.
B - This room houses two Orcs, the leaders of the Goblinoids.
C - These three rooms house two Goblins each.
D - This abandoned room has become a den of spiders. They will attack anyone entering.
E - A large room houses a temple to the Gods of Death, guarded by a Skeleton.
F - The sacristy of the temple contains ceremonial vases and a chest containing two random treasures.
G - This room contains 4 Zombies. This is where the Magician keeps them when he doesn't need them.
H - The Magician's Throne room is where he meets with his Goblinoid minions. Two Skeletons stand guard to the door behind the throne.
I - The Magician's study holds a big desk full of scrolls and scribblings. If searched it yields a Potion of Healing
J - The Magician sleeps here: the room only contains a simple bed.
K - The Treasure Room is locked with a door that can only be opened with a key found on the body of the Magician. It contains two chests, each yielding two random treasures, a cabinet, yielding one treasure, and a Black Stone. The Black Stone is obviously magical and, if touched, will restore all the Spells of a Magic User.
L - A Cell, closed by a door that can only be opened from outside, holds a prisoner, an Elf who was captured in the Dungeon. The prisoner, upon hearing the sound of battle, will plead to be freed and will help the Player against the Magician.

In Part 2 we will see how the game played...