D&D 5e to Heroquest conversion

HeroQuest has captured my family's imagination with its accessible gameplay and endless potential for homebrew adventures. However, we quickly found ourselves wanting more variety beyond the standard monsters included in the base game.

With the vast array of fantasy miniatures available today, it seemed a shame to limit our adventures to just the original creatures. While acquiring new miniatures was simple enough, creating balanced stats that would provide a fun yet challenging experience proved much more difficult.

This project bridges that gap by systematically converting D&D 5e monsters to the HeroQuest system. Leveraging mathematical formulas and the comprehensive monster data from the OPEN5E API project, we offer a library of over 3,000 converted monsters ready for your HeroQuest adventures.

Project Goals

• Expand your monster options beyond the HeroQuest standards
• Maintain game balance while preserving each creature's unique identity
• Provide consistent conversions that scale appropriately with difficulty
• Give Zargon more tools to create exciting and varied quests

Whether you're looking to introduce classic fantasy creatures missing from HeroQuest or incorporate more exotic monsters from the D&D universe, this conversion library gives you the tools to expand your game while maintaining the quick, accessible gameplay that makes HeroQuest special.

Important Disclaimer: D&D 5e and HeroQuest are fundamentally different game systems with distinct mechanics, scales, and design philosophies. This conversion guide offers an approximation rather than a perfect translation.

About This Conversion

• Purpose: To provide a starting point for adapting D&D monsters to HeroQuest
• Scope: Covers over 3,000 monsters from various D&D sources
• Philosophy: Balance faithfulness to the original while making it playable in HeroQuest

Limitations to Consider

• Some nuanced D&D mechanics have no direct HeroQuest equivalent
• Relative power levels between creatures may shift slightly during conversion
• Special abilities might require creative interpretation

Using These Conversions

• Treat these conversions as suggestions rather than rigid rules
• Feel free to adjust any stat if it doesn't feel right for your game
• Use your judgment as Zargon to modify monsters based on your players' experience

This conversion guide aims to save you time and provide a logical framework, but ultimately your table's enjoyment is what matters most. Modify these conversions freely to enhance your HeroQuest experience.

Movement

To convert a D&D monster's movement to HeroQuest:

• Identify the creature's fastest movement speed (walking, flying, or swimming)
• Divide that speed by 5
• The result equals the number of squares the monster can move in a single HeroQuest turn

Example:

A monster with 30 ft. walking speed and 60 ft. flying speed would use the flying speed (60 ÷ 5 = 12), allowing it to move 12 squares per turn in HeroQuest.

This approach streamlines gameplay while preserving the relative mobility advantages of different creature types.

Attack Dice

Converting D&D attack damage to HeroQuest attack dice follows a systematic approach:

1. Identify Maximum Damage: Find the highest potential damage output * from all the monster's attack actions.
2. Calculate Percentage: Divide this maximum damage by 240 (the highest standard attack damage in D&D) to get a relative power percentage.
3. Convert to HeroQuest Scale: Multiply this percentage by 18 (our maximum HeroQuest attack dice) to determine the appropriate number of attack dice.

Formula: Attack Dice = ⌊(Maximum D&D Damage ÷ 240) × 18⌋

Example:

A monster with a maximum potential damage of 60 would get 4 attack dice
(60 ÷ 240 = 0.25, then 0.25 ×18 = 4.5, rounded down to 4)

What About Multiattack?

You might be wondering about D&D monsters that get "Multiattack" (like two claws and a bite). Zargon always has final discretion on how these attacks work at their table
Typically, more powerful creatures can perform multiple actions that might include:

• Several basic attacks (like claw/claw/bite)
• A mix of physical attacks and special abilities
• Different attack types against different targets
  This approach creates more tactically rich encounters and reflects the greater combat prowess of powerful creatures, without necessarily giving them a single overwhelming attack.

* Choosing the right attack

Do I always choose the highest potential damage?

Absolutely not. Zargon—this is your game. Sure, that Ancient Red Dragon has a Fire Breath that deals a whopping 12 Attack Dice, but is it fun for your players if you use it every time?

Probably not.

Remember, the ultimate goal here is for everyone—including you—to have fun. That's the whole point of playing, right?

The Bestiary displays all available attacks for each creature, giving you options. Use this flexibility to create dynamic, engaging, and balanced encounters:

• Mix it up. That dragon can bite, claw, tail swipe, and use legendary actions too.
• Consider the narrative. Maybe the dragon is toying with the party before unleashing its full fury.
• Read the room. If your players are struggling, having that dragon use Wing Attack instead of Fire Breath might keep the encounter challenging without becoming devastating.
• Create memorable moments. Sometimes the most fun comes not from optimal damage output but from surprising tactical choices that create storytelling opportunities.

Trust your instincts! The rules and monster stats are tools to help you create an entertaining experience, not strict instructions that limit your creativity.
You know your players best—choose the attacks that will make your game session one to remember.

Defend Dice

To calculate Defense dice we look at the DND stat Armor Class. DND has a maximum of 20 for armor class. If We can look to the following table to get the defense dice:

Body Points

Body Points in HeroQuest represent a creature's physical resilience, similar to Hit Points in D&D but on a much smaller scale.
To convert D&D Hit Points to HeroQuest Body Points:

1. Take the creature's total Hit Points
2. Divide by 20
3. Round down to the nearest whole number
4. Apply a minimum value of 1 Body Point

Formula: Body Points = max(⌊Hit Points ÷ 20⌋, 1)

Examples:

A goblin with 7 HP becomes 1 Body Point (7 ÷ 20 = 0.35, rounded down to 0, then set to minimum of 1)

An ogre with 59 HP becomes 2 Body Points (59 ÷ 20 = 2.95, rounded down to 2)

A dragon with 256 HP becomes 12 Body Points (256 ÷ 20 = 12.8, rounded down to 12)

This conversion maintains appropriate proportional durability while adapting to HeroQuest's simpler health system.

Mind Points

In HeroQuest, the Mind stat combines what D&D separates into Intelligence and Wisdom:

• Intelligence: The ability to learn, recall information, and solve logical problems
• Wisdom: Awareness, intuition, and perception of the world

To convert D&D monster stats to HeroQuest Mind Points, calculate the average of the creature's Intelligence and Wisdom scores, then use the table below to determine the appropriate Mind Points value.

This conversion ensures that creatures in HeroQuest maintain the appropriate mental capabilities of their D&D counterparts.

Attacks

Many monsters have multiple attack options available for Zargon to choose from. These options provide variety and tactical depth to encounters.

Using Multiple Attacks

While the monster's standard Attack Dice value (used for general combat) is based on its highest potential damage output, the Attacks section provides tactical options:

• Tactical Variety: Choose between different attack types based on the narrative situation
• Strategic Pacing: Save powerful attacks for critical moments
• Challenge Adjustment: Use weaker attacks against novice parties or stronger attacks to challenge veterans

Zargon has discretion on which attacks to use and when. Consider the narrative situation, the party's composition, and the desired challenge level when selecting attacks. You might choose to use weaker attacks against novice parties or save powerful abilities for climactic moments.

Difficulty

These tiers help players understand what level of challenge to expect from monsters and what kind of party composition is needed to defeat them.