My friend seems to think since the Warlock Quests say must try to complete ASAP that it meens you have to try and do that first and you cant try to do anything else in the meantime. So an example would be visit the Cursed glade. You would have to go strait there, shortest route or if you have to take a life from another player thats what you have to try and do right away and you cant do anything else but hunt down another player to attack.

To me he is reading to much into the text and you can complete the quest when you can unless you have met the requirements when you first get the quest.

So my question is how is this supposed to be played?

You can take as long as you want with a Warlock quest.

If you satisfy the condition of it, you IMMEDIATELY move to the cave and then either get a talisman or a quest reward card (if you have that expansion) -- and then your turn ends.

But you can dink around and leave the quest unfinished for as long as you want to. Just remember that you can't cross the Portal of Power with an unfinished quest in your hand, though! And although there are ways to the Inner Region without passing the Portal, they are not easy.

Drevin said:

"Try to complete as soon as possible" means that the quest shall be completed as soon as you met the required condition or can afford the required cost. It means that you can't pospone the completion of a Quest that you're able to complete immediately.

Many players are confused by the subtle difference between "being able to reach the conditions" and "meet the conditions". The Warlock Quests don't force you to reach the conditions, but force you to solve the quest as soon as you meet the conditions.

Most quests are easy to understand: "lose 1 Gold" = is completed ASA you have 1 Gold to discard; "lose 1 Life" = is completed when you can afford to lose a Life (without dying, but this condition is always recalled by quest card text). You're never obliged to take a Bag of Gold if you don't want Gold that makes you complete a quest; and you don't have to heal/gain Lives if you can choose not to (i.e heal at the Doctor/Healer, or take a cone from the Pool of Life).

"Visit the Cursed Glade" means that you complete the quest as soon as you land on the Cursed Glade. You don't have to move towards the Cursed Glade at all costs, even if your die roll brings you exactly there. If you land there by choice or by chance, you complete the quest.

Thank you for the answers this make me happy because the way he was playing it was a real pain.

The_Warlock said:

Our group plays even more leniently. If you have a quest, you can complete it (during your turn) when you want to. If you have one magic object and get the "give up an item" quest, you don't immediately lose your one toy -- you can hold the quest until you Want to complete it.

Now, the ones like "visit so-and-so" aren't really optional - the first time you go there, you've completed your quest. We just hate those moments where "the breaks" seriously set a character back.

-VIC

So, on a related note, the Wizard currently has no fate and is on the 'Deliver (Discard) One Fate' quest. He draws the Enchanter. Is he obliged to take one fate in order to complete his quest or can he choose Strength, Craft etc.?

Séamus Mór said:

You can still choose for strength or craft, but if you choose for fate, then you automatically complete the quest.

Velhart said:

Well exactly. There wasn't much debate in my mind, I just have to persuade my mate to stop being such a spanner about it.

Yep..

A Warlocks Quest has to be done as soon as you get the "Cost" involved. You do not have to "Take" or "Get" the cost asap but as soon as you do you "Have" to complete the Quest. You cannot put it off or even decide not to once you have the "Cost" involved.

Eg, If you have 1 Magic Object and it is a great or fantastic one.. and you get a Warlocks Quest that says you have to "deliver an Magic Object" you "Must" deliver that one, You cannot choose not to.

But...

If you do not have a Magic Object and also have the same Quest to "deliver a Magic Object" but have the option to move to a space with a Magic Object or move to a normal space. You do not have to go and get the Magic Object, you may move to the other space.

But... Saying that to if you do goto the Magic Item space you do not have to pick the Magic Object up (oh unless it says you "Must" take it) ethier but if you do, you "Must" complete the Quest.

This goes for stat gaining too, you are not forced to pick a stat gain to complete a Warlock Quest but if you do you Must complete the Quest.

Its more of a "You cannot put the Quest completing off" more than a "You must do that now" ruling.

You can play it however your group is happy to do so...

If you are a more "roleplayish" group, then you might assume that the Quest becomes the focus for your character and they must complete it as soon as they are able.

If you are more tactical in your play, you might do as Uvatha says and leave that token of Object for the moment and get it when it suits your plan.

Talisman is adaptable and can be played however you wish.

But of course then when your playing a more "roleplay"ish style, what happens when hex is cast on the warlocks cave and you draw a Quest that will force you to teleport right there? I'm gathering as a "roleplay"ish style a character could go "hmmm not walking over that hex", justifing it as a "form or defence".

Of course this is totally upto the playing group but on a serious ruling it should be tough goblin toenail clippings Talisman is about stuffing other players up in game .

Ah, but if you were roleplaying you would not actually know that a Hex had been cast on the Warlock's Cave as your character would likely not have seen it done...

Unless you are on a flying dragon follower or that giant eagle, then you can say you can see it from the sky and thus can postpone the teleport .

By which time, the discussion about the whys and wherefores of the situation has caused the game to pass the six hour mark, and the person who has yet to take a turn wins by some strange turn of events!

Even more reason then to have a set of rules for such in place before a game begins .

We play with our own house rules regarding quests - everyone starts with 3 hidden quests and may choose when to complete them, as soon as he completes all 3 then he teleports to the Warlock's Cave and receives his Talisman. If one of those quests are really hard to complete, he may visit the Warlock's Cave in order to discard the specific quest and draw another random one.

Here are some things I have in mind.

Let's say you get the quest "Visit the Enchantress." Say I use the "Water Walking" spell and go to the city. Do I have to visit the enchantress, roll a die, and deal with the instructions listed for the die roll? If I'm turned into a Toad, do I still have to get a Talisman and litter it on the Warlock's Cave? Do I leave all my stuff on the City of the Warlock's Cave? Can you gain a Quest Reward as a Toad?

Can I give up just the Lodestone for the "Discard 2 Objects" quest? Can I even get rid of it like that at all?

For the "Discard 2 Objects" quest, do I have to give up 2 Objects simultaneously, or can I give up one, and then another?

If I have the quest, "Gain 1 Craft," go to the Mystic, and use my Lucky Charm, do I have to select 5 (Gain a Craft)? How about the "Craft" spell? Do I have to cast it?

Does the "Give 1 Gold to another Character" quest really make it so that a character can basically condemn you to the Outer & Middle Regions (unless, say, you're playing with the Dungeon Expansion and get to the CoC) by not accepting your gold? Does it take up your entire encounter?

(By the way, I play with a custom rule where you shuffle the Warlock Quest cards and draw them from the deck instead of choosing one.)