Appendix V: Heroic Options
Alignment
When you have an alignment, you adhere to a certain code and when you roll a 1 on a meaningful attempt in the service of your code, you gain a Fortune Die. However, if you break your code, until you atone for your deeds or change your alignment, you cannot gain Fortune Dice from any source.
• You can change your alignment when you gain a level.
Alignment covers both ethics on the axis of law and chaos and morality on the axis of good and evil. If you choose to keep a strict alignment, choose from one of the nine alignments here.
Lawful Good: You believe in righteousness and law; that through order and morality society is made better. As a lawful good hero, you can gain bonus fortune dice in the service of both order and charity, but lose access to them if you break a law or commit an act of selfishness.
Good: You believe in good as the ultimate cause, irrespective of law and order. As a good hero, you can gain bonus fortune dice in the service of charity, and lose access to fortune dice if you commit an act of selfishness.
Chaotic Good: You believe that morality and freedom go hand in hand and true good cannot grow under the yoke of rule and law. As a chaotic good hero, you can gain bonus fortune dice in the service of both freedom and charity, but lose access to them if you mete justice or commit an act of selfishness.
Lawful: You believe in the rule of law as the end-all-be-all, the compass by which intelligent life is maintained. As a lawful hero, you can gain bonus fortune dice in the service of order, but lose access to fortune dice if you break a law.
Neutral: You are unconcerned with moral or ethical forces, seeing them as beneath you, beyond you, or even a scourge on intelligent behavior. As a neutral hero, you can gain bonus fortune dice by eschewing the concepts of ethics and the concepts of morality, but lose access to fortune dice if you mete justice, break a law for anarchy's sake, or commit an act of selflessness through a desire for charity or commit an act of selfishness through a desire for retribution.
Chaotic: You believe in freedom and individual expression above all else, seeing any rule or law as a great oppressor. As a chaotic hero, you can gain bonus fortune dice in the service of freedom, but lose access to fortune dice if you ever mete justice.
Lawful Evil: You find comfort in order and the rule of law and seek ways to advance yourself within these systems and utilize them to gain dominion over the weak. As a lawful evil hero, you can gain bonus fortune dice in the service of both order and selfishness, but lose access to fortune dice if you break laws or commit an act of selflessness.
Evil: Your own concerns are all that matter to you and you take advantage of anything that might further them. As an evil hero, you can gain bonus fortune dice through selfishness, but lose access to fortune dice if you commit an act of selflessness.
Chaotic Evil: You crave chaos, destruction, and power so that you might make others suffer. As a chaotic evil hero, you can gain bonus fortune dice through acts of anarchy, depravity, and selfishness, but lose access to fortune dice if you mete justice or commit an act of selflessness.
Good: You believe in good as the ultimate cause, irrespective of law and order. As a good hero, you can gain bonus fortune dice in the service of charity, and lose access to fortune dice if you commit an act of selfishness.
Chaotic Good: You believe that morality and freedom go hand in hand and true good cannot grow under the yoke of rule and law. As a chaotic good hero, you can gain bonus fortune dice in the service of both freedom and charity, but lose access to them if you mete justice or commit an act of selfishness.
Lawful: You believe in the rule of law as the end-all-be-all, the compass by which intelligent life is maintained. As a lawful hero, you can gain bonus fortune dice in the service of order, but lose access to fortune dice if you break a law.
Neutral: You are unconcerned with moral or ethical forces, seeing them as beneath you, beyond you, or even a scourge on intelligent behavior. As a neutral hero, you can gain bonus fortune dice by eschewing the concepts of ethics and the concepts of morality, but lose access to fortune dice if you mete justice, break a law for anarchy's sake, or commit an act of selflessness through a desire for charity or commit an act of selfishness through a desire for retribution.
Chaotic: You believe in freedom and individual expression above all else, seeing any rule or law as a great oppressor. As a chaotic hero, you can gain bonus fortune dice in the service of freedom, but lose access to fortune dice if you ever mete justice.
Lawful Evil: You find comfort in order and the rule of law and seek ways to advance yourself within these systems and utilize them to gain dominion over the weak. As a lawful evil hero, you can gain bonus fortune dice in the service of both order and selfishness, but lose access to fortune dice if you break laws or commit an act of selflessness.
Evil: Your own concerns are all that matter to you and you take advantage of anything that might further them. As an evil hero, you can gain bonus fortune dice through selfishness, but lose access to fortune dice if you commit an act of selflessness.
Chaotic Evil: You crave chaos, destruction, and power so that you might make others suffer. As a chaotic evil hero, you can gain bonus fortune dice through acts of anarchy, depravity, and selfishness, but lose access to fortune dice if you mete justice or commit an act of selflessness.
Catalysts
A catalyst replaces your background and its benefit. If you select a catalyst, when you have more than 0 hit points and are reduced to 0 or fewer hit points, you do not lose a hero's surge.
Several example catalysts are presented here but feel free to conjure your own. If you do, keep in mind that a catalyst is a driving force that is extremely difficult to conquer and should be capable of carrying you throughout your entire adventuring career.
Chosen One: You were born to auspice, perhaps under a once-in-a-generation comet, into the language of a prophecy, or beneath extraordinary circumstances that saw you be the only spark of life. Beneath such a crown, you strive onward, either to fulfill your destiny or to escape it.
Failure: You have been surrounded by wild success while never having tasted it yourself. Those closest to you – friends, family, fellow nobles, etc. – have achieved greatness. You, however, have only seen your dreams crumble. What you do now may never be enough to match their accomplishments, but you will die before you stop trying to match them.
Familial Burden: You had a sibling, parent, child, or another close relation who everyone believed was meant for greatness. Then tragedy struck. That close relation would never fulfill their promise, and you are the only one left who could replace them in that dream or undo the damage they did.
Haunted: Your life was ordinary. Then tragedy struck. Now a voice, spirit, split personality in your mind, or something similar speaks to you wherever you go. Your flight from it or compulsion to fulfill its bidding holds no end in sight.
Last Hope: You are the last hope for a group of people. Perhaps you are the last of a great bloodline, an order of magi, a subrace, or an entire nation. No home you find will ever truly be as it was, and no place you go will ever welcome you as you were, so you drive onward, the last candle in the night.
Mentee: You had a mentor who believed you would be truly great. Then tragedy struck, stealing them from you or costing you their faith. Without their guidance, you've been left to find your own way to reach what they believed you capable of.
Overlooked: Nothing has ever been expected of you. Your whole life, everyone has told you that you are who you are – someone who lacks what it takes to become memorable. However, you will find a way to prove them wrong.
Stolen Identity: You were no one of consequence. Then you told a lie. Perhaps it was out of greed, boredom, or to save your aged father from conscription, but others believed you. Now you are in far too deep to give up the person you have become, or perhaps, having tasted such a life, you will never be satisfied without it.
Survivor: You were one amongst many: a faceless servant, a nameless soldier, a sailor in a fleet. Then tragedy struck and left you the only survivor. Now the secret of what transpired and how you stayed alive pursues you on tireless legs.
Witness: You were always content with a normal life. Then tragedy struck. Amid that pain, something amazing happened before your eyes. Perhaps you witnessed unparalleled heroism, villainy, magic, or divine power. Whatever it was, the spark awe lit in you drives you inextinguishably onward in search of a way to recreate that feeling of truly being alive.
Failure: You have been surrounded by wild success while never having tasted it yourself. Those closest to you – friends, family, fellow nobles, etc. – have achieved greatness. You, however, have only seen your dreams crumble. What you do now may never be enough to match their accomplishments, but you will die before you stop trying to match them.
Familial Burden: You had a sibling, parent, child, or another close relation who everyone believed was meant for greatness. Then tragedy struck. That close relation would never fulfill their promise, and you are the only one left who could replace them in that dream or undo the damage they did.
Haunted: Your life was ordinary. Then tragedy struck. Now a voice, spirit, split personality in your mind, or something similar speaks to you wherever you go. Your flight from it or compulsion to fulfill its bidding holds no end in sight.
Last Hope: You are the last hope for a group of people. Perhaps you are the last of a great bloodline, an order of magi, a subrace, or an entire nation. No home you find will ever truly be as it was, and no place you go will ever welcome you as you were, so you drive onward, the last candle in the night.
Mentee: You had a mentor who believed you would be truly great. Then tragedy struck, stealing them from you or costing you their faith. Without their guidance, you've been left to find your own way to reach what they believed you capable of.
Overlooked: Nothing has ever been expected of you. Your whole life, everyone has told you that you are who you are – someone who lacks what it takes to become memorable. However, you will find a way to prove them wrong.
Stolen Identity: You were no one of consequence. Then you told a lie. Perhaps it was out of greed, boredom, or to save your aged father from conscription, but others believed you. Now you are in far too deep to give up the person you have become, or perhaps, having tasted such a life, you will never be satisfied without it.
Survivor: You were one amongst many: a faceless servant, a nameless soldier, a sailor in a fleet. Then tragedy struck and left you the only survivor. Now the secret of what transpired and how you stayed alive pursues you on tireless legs.
Witness: You were always content with a normal life. Then tragedy struck. Amid that pain, something amazing happened before your eyes. Perhaps you witnessed unparalleled heroism, villainy, magic, or divine power. Whatever it was, the spark awe lit in you drives you inextinguishably onward in search of a way to recreate that feeling of truly being alive.
Faith
When you adhere to a strict faith, when you roll a 1 on a meaningful attempt in the service of your faith, you gain a Fortune Die. However, if you dishonor your faith, until you atone or change your faith, you cannot gain any Fortune Dice.
• If you chose to devote yourself to a faith, you cannot benefit from an alignment.
• You can change your faith when you gain a level.
The church, deity, or power you devote yourself to may determine the cornerstones of your faith, and most faiths include other practitioners, places of worship, sacred and profane sites and objects, and a code of beliefs. Whatever the precise precepts, to remain in service of your faith, you must adhere to at least two of the following tenets.
Dietary Restriction: You never eat a certain type of common food, fast one day out of the week, or always consume a certain food or beverage daily or with every meal.
Proselytizing: You must either spread word of your faith or condemn another's in any meaningful interaction.
Reverence: You must not kill a certain type of creature, but instead hold such creatures in great reverence, or you must always kill a certain type of creature and always speak of them with disdain.
Tithing: You donate a tenth of your coin every week when you visit your place of worship or a charitable cause, spend the same amount on baubles or toxins when you visit a sacred or profane site, or pay the same in a membership fee.
• You can change your faith when you gain a level.
The church, deity, or power you devote yourself to may determine the cornerstones of your faith, and most faiths include other practitioners, places of worship, sacred and profane sites and objects, and a code of beliefs. Whatever the precise precepts, to remain in service of your faith, you must adhere to at least two of the following tenets.
Dietary Restriction: You never eat a certain type of common food, fast one day out of the week, or always consume a certain food or beverage daily or with every meal.
Proselytizing: You must either spread word of your faith or condemn another's in any meaningful interaction.
Reverence: You must not kill a certain type of creature, but instead hold such creatures in great reverence, or you must always kill a certain type of creature and always speak of them with disdain.
Tithing: You donate a tenth of your coin every week when you visit your place of worship or a charitable cause, spend the same amount on baubles or toxins when you visit a sacred or profane site, or pay the same in a membership fee.
Flaws
If you choose to have a flaw, you become burdened by something that negatively impacts your heroism, costing you part or all of an action in specific situations or make common tasks difficult to accomplish. However, a benefit grows out of your struggle with this shortcoming.
Example flaws are listed hereafter. You can work with your DM to develop one that specifically suits you.
Animal Lover: You believe natural creatures to be kind at heart and spend the first round of combat with such a creature trying to convince it and your allies to be friendly.
Benefit: You possess the Handle Animal skill.
Awkward on the Ground: When prone, you must spend an entire Move to get back to your feet.
Benefit: You are Trained in Trip.
Chivalric: You believe a specific gender, race, or class can only be kind at heart and spend the first round of combat with such a creature trying to convince it and your allies to be friendly.
Benefit: +1 Rank Bonus to Persuade attempts with this gender, class, or race.
Deep Sleeper: You sleep so deep another character must spend a Full-Round Action physically interacting with you to awaken you.
Benefit: You possess the Endurance skill.
Farsighted: When you drop an item, you must spend your entire Move to pick it back up.
Benefit: You are Trained in Disarm.
Fire Fool: You possess a fundamental and unalterable misunderstanding of the nature of fire. You have difficulties lighting, maintaining, and not extinguishing fires of all kinds, from torches to lanterns to allies and foes who are on fire.
Benefit: You reduce fire damage by 5.
Had a Bad Experience: The first time in a day when an ally makes a ranged attack against a creature you are adjacent to, you spend your next turn screaming at that ally.
Benefit: You are Trained in Dodge.
Insecure: You struggle to believe in yourself. The first time in a day you would roll initiative against a creature with more hit dice than you, you consider your roll a 1.
Benefit: You possess the Deceive skill.
Made a Horrible Mistake: The first time in a day when you would make a ranged attack against a creature adjacent to an ally is in melee with, you instead spend your action paralyzed with hesitation.
Benefit: You possess the Medical skill.
Phobia: You have a crippling fear of a specific thing, such as heights, spiders, or public speaking, giving you a -1 Rank Penalty on all attempts in such situations.
Benefit: You possess the Run skill.
Skeptic: You don't believe in arcane or divine magic and the first time in a day when you would benefit from such a spell, you instead spend your action trying to explain away it.
Benefit: You gain a +1 Rank Bonus on defenses against such spells.
Benefit: You possess the Endurance skill.
Farsighted: When you drop an item, you must spend your entire Move to pick it back up.
Benefit: You are Trained in Disarm.
Fire Fool: You possess a fundamental and unalterable misunderstanding of the nature of fire. You have difficulties lighting, maintaining, and not extinguishing fires of all kinds, from torches to lanterns to allies and foes who are on fire.
Benefit: You reduce fire damage by 5.
Had a Bad Experience: The first time in a day when an ally makes a ranged attack against a creature you are adjacent to, you spend your next turn screaming at that ally.
Benefit: You are Trained in Dodge.
Insecure: You struggle to believe in yourself. The first time in a day you would roll initiative against a creature with more hit dice than you, you consider your roll a 1.
Benefit: You possess the Deceive skill.
Made a Horrible Mistake: The first time in a day when you would make a ranged attack against a creature adjacent to an ally is in melee with, you instead spend your action paralyzed with hesitation.
Benefit: You possess the Medical skill.
Phobia: You have a crippling fear of a specific thing, such as heights, spiders, or public speaking, giving you a -1 Rank Penalty on all attempts in such situations.
Benefit: You possess the Run skill.
Skeptic: You don't believe in arcane or divine magic and the first time in a day when you would benefit from such a spell, you instead spend your action trying to explain away it.
Benefit: You gain a +1 Rank Bonus on defenses against such spells.
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