What is HeroQuest?
HeroQuest is a dungeon-adventure board game where heroes explore a board controlled by an opposing player. Its combat dice are not ordinary numbered d6: the pictures distinguish attacks from two kinds of defense. A generic numeric dice sum therefore misses the part a player actually needs. This page uses plain-text symbol names rather than copying the artwork from the physical components.
How to use the presets
A standard combat die has three skull faces, two white shields and one black shield. The helper counts each type separately. Skulls are read for attacks, white shields for hero defense and black shields for monster defense. Movement uses ordinary numbered dice in a separate preset. Equipment, spells and quest-specific effects still determine how many dice you should select.
Two skulls, a white shield and a black shield report two attack successes when the roll was declared as an attack.
Practical table tips
- Set the number from the current attack or defense value, not from the largest preset available.
- Keep a defense roll distinct from movement. The same six physical sides do not imply the same face meanings.
- Name the group after the acting hero or monster when sharing. A shield count is much easier to resolve when everyone knows who rolled it.
HeroQuest dice FAQ
Are these the special combat dice?
Yes. HQ dice use three skulls, two white shields and one black shield as their six outcomes.
Does it subtract defense from attack?
No. It reports the symbols for the present roll. Combine opposing results using the game's combat procedure.
Why are symbols written as words?
They preserve the required meanings without using publisher illustrations or pretending ordinary pips are equivalent.
Equipment, spells, quest maps and opponent state are not reproduced. The tool does not automatically determine combat damage.
Independent, unofficial dice aid. Game names identify the intended use; their publishers do not endorse this page. These original explanations are not a replacement for the rules.