Kellar's Keep at a Glance
Kellar's Keep is the first quest pack most groups pick up after the core box. It adds no new rules system and no new hero. What it adds is ten more quests, more monsters to fill them, and a story that carries on from where the core Quest Book leaves off. If your group finished the fourteen core quests and wants more of the same game, this is the natural next box.
| Item | Avalon Hill edition |
|---|---|
| Publisher and year | Avalon Hill (Hasbro), 2021 |
| Requires | The HeroQuest Game System (the core box) |
| Quests | 10 |
| Heroes added | None. You play the Barbarian, Dwarf, Elf and Wizard from the core box, or any other hero you own. |
| Headline content | A new quest book and extra monster miniatures for a greenskin-heavy campaign: more orcs, goblins and Abominations |
| Companion app | Kellar's Keep is among the quest books the free HeroQuest Companion App supports, including its Digital Zargon mode |
No new heroes in this box. Kellar's Keep is a quest pack, not a hero pack. The first new hero of the Avalon Hill line is the Knight, from the separate Commander of the Guardian Knights collection; see The Heroes for which box brings which hero.
Where It Fits in the Campaign
The core Quest Book's story leaves the King's army holed up in Kaba Karn, an ancient dwarven stronghold. Kellar's Keep picks up that thread: the heroes head underground to reach them. Avalon Hill also released a free online quest, "Forsaken Tunnels of Xor-Xel", written as a bridge between the core book and this pack, so you can play it in between if you want a smoother hand-off.
The dotted line is the direct route: the bridge quest is optional. Most groups then play the later packs in release order, which is the order this guide follows.
Classic edition (1989–1990): the original Kellar's Keep was released in Europe and Australasia in 1989 and in North America in 1991, also with ten quests. It added more orcs, goblins and Fimir (the creatures the 2021 game calls Abominations), and its story sends the heroes to rescue the Emperor and his army. The Avalon Hill text speaks of the King instead, and the villain is Zargon throughout (Morcar in the original European books).
What Changes at the Table
The rules are the core rules. Heroes still roll two red dice to move, still move then act or act then move (never part of a move, an action, then the rest), and still choose from the same six actions: Attack, Cast a spell, Search for treasure, Search for secret doors, Search for traps, or Disarm a trap. What changes is the pressure.
More bodies on the board
With extra orcs and goblins in the box, Zargon can fill rooms and corridors far more densely than most core quests do. Expect to be outnumbered and to fight several turns in a row.
Abominations in groups
An Abomination takes more than one hit to drop. When several appear together they soak up attacks that a goblin crowd would not, so plan who finishes which one.
Your gear matters now
Body and Mind Points and spells reset between quests, but gold and equipment carry on. A party that bought armor during the core campaign walks into this pack in far better shape.
The Odds Against Greenskins
The numbers below use the classic 1990 North American monster stats, which fan sources say the 2021 game follows; the official figures are on the 2021 monster cards and Zargon's screen, so check yours. Combat dice have three skulls, two white shields and one black shield: each skull is a hit, a hero blocks on a white shield and a monster blocks only on a black one. Every percentage is computed exactly from those faces.
| Monster (classic NA Attack / Defend / Body) | Barbarian, 3 dice | Dwarf or Elf, 2 dice | Wizard, 1 die |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goblin (2 / 1 / 1) | 81.3% 96.5% | 66.7% 88.9% | 41.7% 66.0% |
| Orc (3 / 2 / 1) | 75.0% 93.8% | 59.0% 83.2% | 34.7% 57.4% |
| Abomination (3 / 3 / 2) | 33.3% 68.1% | 14.5% 41.0% | 0% 8.4% |
| Attacker | At least 1 Body Point lost | 2 or more lost | Average loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goblin (2 attack dice) | 44.4% | 11.1% | 0.56 |
| Orc or Abomination (3 attack dice) | 62.5% | 27.8% | 0.96 |
Two things stand out. First, the Wizard's dagger cannot kill an Abomination in a single attack at all: one die can do at most one point of damage against two Body Points. Point the Wizard's spells and the Barbarian's broadsword at Abominations, and let the Dwarf and Elf clear goblins. Second, an orc hits a two-dice hero more often than not. Over a long fight in a crowded corridor that adds up, so a Helmet or Shield bought between quests pays for itself here. You can check any matchup yourself with the Dice Roller.
Try It at the Table
- Fight in the corridor, not the room. Monsters cannot move or attack diagonally and cannot pass through heroes. A hero standing in a one-square corridor faces one attacker at a time while a second hero waits behind, ready to step up.
- Open doors with care. Doors never close again once opened. Opening several rooms at once can bring a whole wing down on you.
- Search only when the coast is clear. You cannot search while a monster is in view, and almost half of the treasure deck is wandering monsters or hazards, so a treasure search in a big dungeon is a small gamble each time.
- Save spells for the bad rooms. Each spell is cast once per quest. Spending Ball of Flame on a lone goblin leaves nothing for the Abomination pack two rooms later.
- Let the Dwarf handle traps. The Dwarf disarms without a tool kit and fails only on a black shield, so the rest of the party can keep their gold for armor.
Running It as Zargon
Kellar's Keep gives Zargon more figures, and the temptation is to throw them all in at once. The quests are more fun when the pressure builds: let the early rooms be manageable, then use the full weight of the greenskin miniatures where the quest notes call for it. Read each quest's notes before play so you know which monsters have special rules and where the wandering monster comes from. Playing Zargon covers pacing and fairness in more depth.
Where Next
- Kellar's Keep: Lore, the story behind the pack.
- Return of the Witch Lord, the next quest pack.
- The Core Quest Book, if you have not finished the fourteen core quests.
- Treasure & Equipment, for what to buy between quests.