Return of the Witch Lord at a Glance
The core Quest Book ends its story at Barak Tor, the barrow of the Witch Lord, where the heroes recover the Spirit Blade and go back to finish him. This pack brings him back. It is the undead quest pack: ten quests built around skeletons, zombies and mummies, with no new rules system and no new hero.
| Item | Avalon Hill edition |
|---|---|
| Publisher and year | Avalon Hill (Hasbro), 2021 |
| Requires | The HeroQuest Game System (the core box) |
| Quests | 10 |
| Heroes added | None. Use the core four or any other hero you own. |
| Headline content | A new quest book and extra undead miniatures: skeletons, zombies and mummies in larger numbers than the core box allows |
| Companion app | Supported by the free HeroQuest Companion App, including its Digital Zargon mode |
Classic edition (1989–1990): the original Return of the Witch Lord came out in Europe and Australasia in 1989 and in North America in 1991. It was also an undead-themed pack of quests. The European books name the villain Morcar; the North American books and the 2021 game call him Zargon.
Where It Fits in the Campaign
You can play this pack straight after the core book if you want the Witch Lord story while it is fresh, but most groups play Kellar's Keep first, in release order. Either way, bring your heroes' gold and equipment with you: a party still in starting gear will find a long undead campaign hard going.
Fighting the Undead
Undead in HeroQuest are not immune to weapons and do not need special tactics to hurt. What sets them apart is how they move and how hard they are to put down. The table uses the classic 1990 North American monster chart, which fan sources say the 2021 game follows; your 2021 monster cards and Zargon's screen have the official numbers.
| Monster | Move | Attack | Defend | Body | Mind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skeleton | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Zombie | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Mummy | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| Monster | Barbarian, 3 dice | Dwarf or Elf, 2 dice | Wizard, 1 die |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skeleton | 75.0% 93.8% | 59.0% 83.2% | 34.7% 57.4% |
| Zombie | 68.9% 90.3% | 52.1% 77.0% | 28.9% 49.5% |
| Mummy | 28.9% 61.1% | 12.1% 34.1% | 0% 5.8% |
All figures are exact for combat dice with three skulls, two white shields and one black shield, where monsters block only on the black shield. Against a hero defending with two dice, a skeleton or zombie (2 attack dice) causes at least one point of damage 44.4% of the time, a mummy (3 attack dice) 62.5% of the time.
You are faster
Heroes roll two dice for movement and average 7 squares. Zombies move 5 and mummies 4. Retreating to a better spot, such as a corridor mouth or a doorway, is usually possible, and slow undead arrive one at a time.
Mummies are the real threat
A mummy blocks better than anything else in this table and needs two hits. Give it the Barbarian or a damage spell; a Wizard with a dagger has less than a 6% chance of killing one in two attacks.
Skeletons come in crowds
One skeleton is easy. Six in a room add up: each one that reaches you has a fair chance of a hit. Thin them before they surround the weakest hero.
Named Villains and Dread Magic
Quest books give named characters, the Witch Lord among them, their own stat boxes, and Zargon gives Dread spells to the specific monsters the quest notes list. This guide does not reprint those stat boxes. Before each quest, Zargon should check which characters can cast and how many spells they hold; heroes should expect at least one spellcaster when a quest names a villain. Heroes resist some Dread spells with their Mind Points, which is one reason the Wizard and Elf are worth keeping alive deep in a crypt.
Try It at the Table
- Use the speed gap. If a mummy and two skeletons enter a room together, step back and let the skeletons reach you first. You fight the fast ones before the slow, tough one arrives.
- Keep a healing source in reserve. A hero at 0 Body Points dies unless a healing potion or healing spell is used on their own turn, and allies cannot save them afterwards. Carry a potion on the hero most likely to be swarmed.
- Spend spells on mummies and named villains. Spells are once per quest. A skeleton falls to a sword often enough; a mummy may not.
- Finish the quest. A quest only counts once the heroes get back to the stairway or reach the exit the quest names. Don't let the last undead room eat the party on the way out.
Running It as Zargon
The undead are slow, so their danger comes from placement. Put them where heroes must come to them: between the heroes and the exit, or in rooms the quest requires the heroes to search. Play the Witch Lord as the quest notes describe; his menace lies in what the quest notes give him and in the servants around him, not in powers you add. Playing Zargon has more on pacing a pack campaign.
Where Next
- Return of the Witch Lord: Lore, the story behind the pack.
- The Frozen Horror, the next quest pack.
- Combat & Tactics, for the full combat rules.
- Dice Roller, to test any matchup yourself.