Fantastic Quest

Game introduction:

Fantastic Quest is a game for two players, one acting as the "evil" guardians of a treasure, the other as a group of heroes and wizards seeking this treasure (the "explorers"). Both players record the location of their forces on a square grid (such as graph paper), using paper and pencil. The explorer player searches the area by moving and calling out the position of his men, and by using magic spells.

The guardian, with limited ability to move, attempts to kill the searchers or at least prevent them for as long as possible from finding the treasure. When an exploring hero or wizard occupies the same square as a guardian monster, a die is rolled to determine which is killed.

Turns alternate until the treasure is captured or, rarely, all explorers are dead. Usually two games will be played at the same time, with players alternating roles, and the winner of the match will be the first player to succeed in his explorer role.

Including set-up time, one play lasts no more than half an hour.

User summary:

The board is a simple 10 x 10 grid with rows enumerated by letters A - J and columns enumerated with numbers 1 - 10. The board is not actually used as a play surface, and each player may maintain their own annotated grid. Turns are played simultaneously, with each player secretly noting moves and then openly executing them in a determined order of precedence. Most "units" move and occasionally engage in conflict with opposing units - however, wizard units may cast a variety of spells that perform specific, unique functions. A few of the guardian units also have special abilities.

The explorer player wins by finding the treasure and moving a unit to it; the guardian player wins by destroying the explorer's units. If two simultaneous games are played, the player who first finds and reaches the opponent's treasure wins both games.

The game includes a few optional rules that complicate play but allow for more unit flexibility. A method also is presented that allows for play without dice by combining random numbers selected by each player - this method also is suitable for postal play (play-by-mail).

Fantastic Quest was written by Lewis Pulsipher and published in Chimaera (Issue 73 - Mar 1981).