Getting to Know HeroQuest: Kellar's Keep

What Is Kellar's Keep?

Kellar's Keep was released in 1991 as the first HeroQuest expansion. The modern Avalon Hill and Hasbro edition arrived in 2021 with redesigned artwork, updated terminology, and miniatures that match the current Game System.

The adventure begins after the Game System campaign. The King and his army are trapped in the underground fortress of Kaba Karn, and the route to their hiding place has been divided across four stone map fragments. The Heroes must recover the fragments, survive the passages beneath the fortress, and reach the King before Zargon's forces close in.

The pack does not add a new monster type. Its extra Orcs, Goblins, and Abominations increase the number of figures Zargon can place during larger encounters. Most of the expansion's new ideas come from its doors, dungeon tiles, traps, artifacts, and linked campaign structure.

Keep the Quest Book Nearby

The Kellar's Keep Quest Book contains the campaign introduction, map symbols, new tile rules, quest maps, special notes, and the story text read to the Heroes. The rules on this page are a play aid, not a replacement for the official book.

Finding Kellar's Keep

Kellar's Keep requires either the modern HeroQuest Game System or another compatible HeroQuest base set. The expansion supplies new quest material and extra components, but it does not include the board, dice, furniture, core cards, or complete monster collection needed to play.

Affiliate notice: Some store links may earn the Game Room a commission at no extra cost to you. Your local game store may carry the quest pack too.

What Comes in the Box?

The expansion reuses the Game System rules and monster cards. Its extra figures support the larger groups of greenskins and Abominations found throughout the campaign.

Starting the Campaign

Kellar's Keep is written as a direct continuation of the Game System. The same Heroes can carry their surviving equipment, artifacts, gold, and recorded progress into the first quest.

1. Finish the Game System epilogue. It introduces the King's disappearance and points the party toward Kellar's Keep.
2. Keep the Hero records. Bring forward each surviving Hero's character sheet, equipment, artifacts, and gold.
3. Add the new decks and pieces. Place the Kellar's Keep Equipment and Artifact cards with the components used during the campaign.
4. Read the campaign introduction. Zargon explains the rescue mission without revealing the maps or quest notes.
5. Begin at the Entrance door. The Heroes line up outside the board and enter the dungeon through the iron door shown on the quest map.

New Mechanics and Dungeon Features

Entrance and Exit Doors

The campaign replaces the familiar spiral stairway start with an iron Entrance door placed along the edge of the board. The Heroes begin outside the board and enter through this door. Many quests end when the party reaches the wooden Exit door after completing the objective.

Stone Map Fragments

The route to the King is divided across four stone map fragments. These tiles form part of the campaign story and appear as objectives during the early quests.

Special Tiles

• Giant Stone Boulder moves through a corridor and threatens figures caught in its path.
• Cloud of Dread blocks a Hero's sight and changes what can be seen from inside the cloud.
• Trap Doors move a Hero from one marked location to another part of the dungeon.
• Cliff Corridor changes the appearance and shape of a passage without adding a universal rule of its own.
• Long and Short Stairways connect areas identified by the quest map and notes.
• Weapons Forge and Statue provide distinct locations for encounters and objectives.

Gold Found in Chests

The Quest Book recommends dividing large amounts of recovered gold among the Heroes. The group can follow that direction or manage shared purchases in the way that works best at the table.

Notes for Zargon

The following notes discuss hidden traps, monster movement, and campaign rulings. Hero players can leave this section concealed.

Equipment, Artifacts, and Spell Scrolls

Kellar's Keep expands the campaign rewards with new Equipment and Artifact cards. Several artifacts are Spell Scrolls, giving a Hero a one-use spell without changing that Hero's normal spell selection.

When a quest awards a random Spell Scroll, gather the eligible scroll cards and let the Hero draw as directed. Record the scroll on the character sheet so it remains part of the Hero's inventory until used. Follow the Quest Book when it tells you to return a card to the available pool.

Read each card before carrying it into later quests. Restrictions, timing, and whether an item is discarded after use are controlled by the card text and the current quest notes.

Kellar's Keep is commonly played immediately after the Game System. Return of the Witch Lord is another direct follow-up introduced by the Game System epilogue, so the two packs can be treated as parallel adventures. The suggested order on this site places Kellar's Keep first.

Questions or Corrections?

This guide is meant to help a group prepare for the campaign and recognize its new rules. The official Quest Book remains the final source for each map, event, trap, and special ruling.

Send corrections, missing details, or suggestions through the contact page.