Agreed. I think atmosphere and pacing are crucial, with contests not just limited to regular combat. Crumbling bridges, waterlogged tunnels, elaborate traps protecting blasphemous idols; they all have their place.
One thing I'd like to include is the 'dungeon chase': an extremely extended pursuit contest with smaller, obstacle-related contests nested within it. Something along the lines of the Fellowship's flight from Moria, which is something one rarely sees in traditional subterranean RPG adventures.
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> Funny this should be coming up - we are working on a dungeon crawl for HQ2 in the Sartar Companion.
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> In a nutshell, HQ2 works far better for the literary/cinematic dungeon crawl (e.g., REH's Conan stories, JRRT's Mines of Moria or the Goblin caves, Indiana Jones, Alien, Umberto Eco's labyrinthine library, etc) than traditional RPG systems do (which ultimately approach it like a war game). Confusion, disorientation, fear - these are more important than keeping track of Hit Points, Magic Points, one-use items, etc.
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> Jeff
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> > "This is adapting the dungeoneering to HQ2.0 and not the other way around..."
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> > An important distinction! I could have been clearer in my original message.
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> > "...and should be great."
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> > Excellent. I was wondering how a narratively focussed game like HQ2 might lend itself to this sort of thing. Nice to know I'm not the only one who thinks it could work.
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> > "This sounds very doable but not with every players (especially not the one that like hacking for 10 of minutes to a monster HP before it goes to the ground)."
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> > My players should be cool with it, but I take your point.
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