In fairness, the giant had just been awakened. Still, not everyone would be able to bring down a brute twice the size of a city temple, even if it was in a stupor, so I guess I am a hero. That’s not to say I’m the greatest hero or would even be remembered once I fell, but I would not turn away being called “Aesrias, the hero.” I am stronger than others of my age and have always been able to easily master all manner of weapons, although for challenge I prefer to use my own fists in combat.
But I boast too much. In truth, I am one of many who are blessed with the might of Iroas, children of devout parents to whom the God of Victory has given the strength to serve and protect the people. Everyone always said I was born a hero.
—Matt Knicl, “The Hero of Iroas”
What makes a hero? Is it a quality of birth that sets some mortals above others? Is it a blessing from the gods? Is it a matter of fate, spun out in the strands of a divine tapestry, charting the course of a hero’s life from miraculous birth to glorious end?
If you’re reading this, the answer is that you make a hero, of course. In Theros, player characters and heroes are synonymous, being rare individuals whose deeds aren’t bound by fate, who willfully stray from the paths laid before them and chart their own courses.
This chapter describes playable races of Theros, new subclass options, a new background, and their places in the world. It also includes a description of the supernatural gifts that set the heroes of Theros above the ordinary mortals of their world. But it begins with the question of what makes your character a hero.
Heroic Drive
The defining characteristic of a hero in Theros is their heroic drive—the force that impels them to live a life worthy of great epics. Ordinary mortals across the multiverse are driven to extraordinary deeds when they are called on to pursue their ideals, to protect their bonds, and to overcome their flaws. In Theros, heroic drive stems from the same sources, but the power of fate and myth destines every character for legend; all one must do is act and discover their own immortal tale.
Amplifying Your Ideal
Many characters’ ideals come directly from their service to a god. Each god’s description in chapter 2 includes a table you can use to determine your hero’s ideal if your character serves that god, instead of (or in addition to) an ideal derived from your background. But whether your character holds to one of those ideals, one from the Player’s Handbook or another source, or one of your own invention, try to state your ideal in the grandest possible terms to express your character’s heroic drive.
Legendary Bonds
The connections and goals that serve as characters’ bonds are powerful motivators, all the more so when they have supernatural origin or possess mythological weight. As with your character’s ideal, think on a legendary scale as you define your character’s bonds.
What if a person mentioned in your bond is actually a god? Consider this twist on a bond from the urchin background in the Player’s Handbook: “I owe my survival to Phenax, god of thieves, who taught me to live on the streets while disguised as another mortal urchin.” In this case, the secret divine identity of the person in the bond makes the bond more significant.
Tragic Flaws
The heroes of Theros don’t often conform to tidy definitions of heroic morality and virtue, and they are often laid low by their own flaws. The Player’s Handbook encourages you to think of “anything that someone else could exploit to bring you to ruin or cause you to act against your best interests.” For a hero in Theros, a tragic flaw is something that the gods themselves might exploit or punish, with hubris being the classic example.
The gods of Theros aren’t so concerned about “ordinary” flaws like addiction or laziness. Rather, consider a tragic flaw involving something you don’t want a god to learn or certain to provoke a god’s anger.
For example, some of the flaws listed for the outlander background in the Player’s Handbook could put a character into conflict with a god. “I remember every insult I’ve received and nurse a silent resentment toward anyone who’s ever wronged me” could cause significant problems when the character nurses a grudge against a god.
A tragic flaw can also be supernatural in nature. A hermit who harbors “dark, bloodthirsty thoughts that my isolation and meditation failed to quell” might have a sinister connection to the vicious god Mogis.
Comments