by miflhanc
What's my project?I really like a lot of what I'm seeing from the coverage of changes made from first to second edition, but I'd like to get a lot more play out of my first edition and its expansions. I think my friends would be more willing to play if the game were as quick and simple as second edition promises to be, so to that end I'll be creating a little 'conversion' guide for my personal use to take what I can from 2nd edition and plant it into 1st edition.
If anyone else is interested, I can walk through some of the changes I'm thinking of implementing and produce this as a PDF rulebook with some sample quests.
My starting thoughts are following 2nd Editions lead specifically in getting rid of threat and Conquest Tokens, using the new "Stand Up" and "Revive" features, and advocating short Two Act Quests in which either Hero team or Overlord can win Act I without preventing Act II. The outcome of Act I would change the setup/situation of Act II, strengthening or weakening the 'boss,' following a design mantra of balance. This focus on balance would lead to some counter-intuitive decisions: if Heroes win Act I, then Act II would be more difficult, not easier. Conversely, an Overlord victory in Act I would lead to a more winnable Act II. I would like to think there is some scaling here, though naturally OL and Hero players can always choose to pull punches in Act I in order to really bring down the hammer in Act II.
I've been playing Descent First Edition only for about two years, but I have experience in modifying dungeon-crawl boardgames. Some of the most fun I've had involved adding depth and strategy elements to HeroQuest, for example. The goal I have in mind for this project is to have something playable and sharable before September of 2012, somewhat playtested and producing fun Descent First Edition play at about 60-90 minutes per "Act," making two and three Act "Quests." I'll decide soon on some basic vocabulary and try to be consistent (Acts verses Quests, Encounters, etc.). Naturally, I will like any comments, but I will really appreciate copy-editing and error finders.
Some other thoughts on converting First Edition:
What I love about Descent, despite the length of time it takes to play, is the feeling of growth and progression that comes from changing from the sturdy-if-boring shop equipment to the highly randomized goodies of Copper and Silver Treasures to the immortal-god-treasures of Gold Treasure. I think that having a two Act system is what allows Second Edition to do away with these Treasure Chests entirely, so I'll aspire to do something similarly - Act I will likely pit the store-bought-goods-equipped Heroes against some basic baddies, with the option to strap on some Copper-level gear, with perhaps a reward of a Silver Treasure at the end. This will allow them to step into Act II and the option of finding more Silver Treasure. If we allow for a third Act, or perhaps a one-room, one-monster Finale, that could throw in the possibility of a Gold Treasure find.
Potential Problems:
I foresee having many a headache as I deal with Overlord Cards. My plan is to aim for the 15 or 20 card deck that Second Edition is suggesting, so perhaps I'll simply allow the OL player to put whatever they want in there. And you see, then, the troubles that could lay in store for Heroes. The current card system is balanced by the gaining and spending of Threat, so perhaps I'll utilize the threat values similarly to Second Editions 3-level system of powered tiers.
One of the time savers in Second Edition is the building in of floor tiles - while First Edition obviously requires you to personally place each lava, water, pit, ice, and corruption tile yourself. I don't expect this to be a major headache, but we'll see.
Another problem I foresee is one that Fantasy Flight has all the time - dealing with uneven setups. I want to make my work available and useful to anyone interested, but what if a person doesn't have some element that I'm counting on them having? Say, for example, that I am really hoping the player will have cards from Altar of Despair, or a rule introduced for figures in Road to Legend. I will do my best to make this work with Vanilla Descent (just the base box), but I also realize that if one has only Vanilla Descent, there is much, much less stopping them from diving in Second Edition.