Heroquest Challenges

From: Michael Schwartz <mschwartz_at_...>
Date: Wed, 10 Jan 2001 15:40:48 -0500

One important thing to keep in mind about heroquesting (as evinced in "King of Dragon Pass" especially) is that the true challenges are often derived from those parts of the quest not revealed by the myths the heroes know. The unknown should always be a significant danger on heroquests, because the heroes will never know initially whether they have strayed from the myth or have discovered a new aspect. Certain stations of a heroquest may even vary greatly depending on the time of year in which they are attempted, due to correspondence 'twixt the season and the mythic age in which the deity's actions take place.

Consider Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle as if it were a mythic axiom: it is impossible, even in principle, to know everything about a given heroquest. A heroquester can know either where he or she is, or where he or she is going. Most theistic heroquests we have seen focus on knowing where one is going; following the path of one's deity through the Other Side. The secret of experimental heroquesting, however, seems to be in knowing where one is, eschewing the path in order to achieve the unpredictable or otherwise unattainable. Mayhap I have that exactly reversed; regardless, it may help Narrators to keep Heisenberg in mind when creating heroquests for their players' heroes.

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Michael Schwartz mschwartz_at_... Ann Arbor, MI USA