How to play and what you can do

What to do?

Once you have created your character, there is nothing stopping you from starting to play. Your Game Master will create the environment, the world in which your characters live. They will tell you where the characters are, what or whom they see, and so on. You tell them what your character does and how they react to the situation.

Let the GM finish speaking and don't all talk to them at once. Especially at the beginning it would be hard for them and the game would not go well for you.

Activities in general

Your character can do basically anything you can think of. From a gameplay perspective, her actions fall into three types:

Basic activity

Rest, sleep, personal hygiene, eating and drinking are basic activities. They are so common that we take them for granted (if conditions are at least somewhat suitable) and don't discuss them further.

A basic activity turns into a common or plot activity if the necessary conditions are disrupted.

Common activity

A common activity is ordinary, but you must announce it in advance. If you do not, the GM cannot acknowledge it.

By common activity we mean talking to someone, travelling, exploring, keeping watch at night, trading and the like.

Announcing it to the GM is simple - the player says “I'm going shopping” (meaning his character) or “We ride along the road to the east” (here meaning the party his character belongs to).

Plot activity

Plot activities take up the least time in the characters' lives, but the most time spent playing.

Plot activities include combat (the Combat chapter), spellcasting (the Magic chapter), use of special skills such as lock-picking, climbing, negotiation (see the Skills chapter) and the like.

The result of a plot activity depends on the character, its player and chance. It certainly cannot be considered automatic.

The passage of time

Time is measured in either "big units" (minutes, hours, days, months, years) or rounds.

For common activities, the GM estimates the time needed and tells the characters. The only more interesting thing is measuring the time spent travelling or resting (because of food, recovering health and the like).

Measuring time is especially important during plot actions - combat, spellcasting and pursuits, where characters try to be faster than monsters or other characters. This is where we switch to measuring time in rounds.

Playing Your Character's Character

Role-playing games differ from other games in their approach to the player and their character.

In any other game, the player always defends their own interests - in “Ludo” they try to get their pieces home as fast as possible and don't care how many of them the opponents knock out; in chess they try to checkmate the opponent's king and don't care how many of their own or their opponent's pieces fall.

In Heroes of Fantasy, and in role-playing games in general, the approach is the opposite - the player acts in the interests of their character according to the character's desires, experience and abilities. On their own they would often act differently in a given situation, but because they are playing their character, they must subordinate themselves to the character's interests.

A game of Ludo would look completely different if the players played for the interests of the pieces - a lazy piece would not want to go anywhere and would stay at the start, another would only go home together with her friends, another would want to “knock out” as many of the opponent's (and its own) pieces as possible because it likes violence. In chess, a pawn would refuse to step up and cover its king because it is afraid, and so on.

This way of playing reveals many new possibilities - you can play as someone completely different from yourself.

One of the pitfalls of role-playing games lies in collecting money and experience. Many players, especially beginners, make this basic mistake, and the whole game then looks like Ludo - they try to win something: “A monster - I'll kill it, it's weaker than me and it's worth experience”, “You want healing - pay up - I need to buy a new sword”, “Help others - because I'm a paladin - so what, what's in it for me?”

It is possible to play like that, but it denies the basic idea of role-playing - playing as someone. For some characters money means nothing, especially for the good ones; others would sell their soul for it. And above all, nobody in the world kills to gain experience - most reasonable creatures avoid combat - they fear death and don't like killing others.

Game Basics

Food, Drink, Rest

You must eat, drink and rest. This usually costs something, and money is not easy to earn. Money doesn't lie on the street and if it did, someone else would take it before you do (well, if there was an easy way to make money, everyone would have done it long before you).

Money

The basic monetary unit of the world of Heroes of Fantasy is one gold piece. This coin is made from a mixture of gold and copper in a ratio of 5:1 (five parts gold and one part copper or silver). One gold piece is worth 12 silver pieces, which are minted from pure metal. The smallest unit is the copper piece; 24 copper pieces make one silver piece.

Under normal conditions, a commoner gets by with five gold pieces a year, a townsman with fifty, and a wealthy person spends even several hundred gold pieces a year.

Simplified Payments

If you don't want to spend your time in the game constantly paying for food and lodging, characters can pay monthly amounts to cover these expenses. Prices depend on the luxury the character is indulging in:

Fear for Your Life

Your character's life is the most valuable thing they have. Never endanger it too much - not even the biggest fool throws himself at superior numbers or at a dragon. Even though it is “just a character”, act as if you were in their place.

Laws and Justice

Every country has its laws. Ask the GM about them (if they haven't told you already). Almost certainly, theft, murder or violence will not be allowed anywhere. Sciences, magic or even reading may be forbidden. Sometimes everything may be allowed and the law of the stronger applies.

Remember that everything you do will provoke a reaction from those around you. If you help, people may grow fond of you. If you murder and steal, you will end up swinging from the gallows (a very sad end for an adventurer).

Customs and Traditions

In the introduction you could read an example of a country from the setting of Heroes of Fantasy. Your world may be different, but it may often resemble it. Again, discuss with the GM what can be done, what should be done and what is expected.

In general, subordinates are respectful and humble towards their superiors (subjects versus nobility), the clergy tends to be highly respected, the young honor the old, and so on. It is unlikely that you will start the game as nobles or high priests, so put yourself in a role where there may be authorities that must be respected. Democracy and freedom are rare in a fantasy world and resemble those of our world even less.

Playing Your Character's Character

At the beginning of creating your character, you chose a race, character, training, and you have your past. This should give you a guide to how your character should behave and act.

The descriptions given for character traits may show to a lesser or greater degree - you don't have to follow them to the letter. On the other hand, the Game Master (and the other players) should be able to recognize the trait from your character's behavior.

Your character's Character can also change and develop over time. You can steer your character towards it, or it can come about as a result of your own deeds.

Reward for Playing Your Character

Playing your character is rewarded by the Game Master. They judge whether you played the character well (character, race, skills, knowledge) and reward you by awarding experience points.

At the start of the game

Remember that at the start your character is young and inexperienced, and has probably never fought to the death or killed anyone. Try to initially play on remorse after your first kills (even with an evil character!).

The same goes for looting dead enemies - a novice character doesn't have the stomach for such an activity (the GM can check it with a roll on Wil + Con).

Character's Goal

Your goal as a player is basically simple - to play well the character you have chosen. But what is the character's goal? That is essentially up to you. Your character can have short-term goals, long-term goals and dreams.

Short-term goals

Or what you want to accomplish in, say, a few months.

Long-term goals

What you would like to achieve in a few years.

Dreams

Dreams, as their name suggests, are goals that you may never achieve - certainly not until years from now.

Choose several short-term and long-term goals and one or two dreams.

Each time you accomplish a goal, choose another one, and the Game Master may reward you by awarding experience.

Playing Your Character's Knowledge

Another important thing in role-playing games is the art of separating your knowledge from your character's. Often you know much more than your character (for example, from past adventures or from real life).

Even if the player knows that silver harms werewolves, his character may not know it and acts accordingly - if he sees a werewolf, he will calmly charge at it with his steel sword.

Similarly, you may know that your fellow player is playing a thief, but your character doesn't. If something of yours goes missing, you know that the culprit is that thief, but the character doesn't know it and must act accordingly.

The characters, at least at the beginning of the game, have little idea of the world and its mysteries. As they move from adventure to adventure, they learn new things.

To illustrate, read the following examples of playing your character's knowledge:

Journal

At the end of these rules you will find tables called the Character Journal. It contains several sheets with your basic information, appearance, character, past, goals, attributes, skills, condition, items and possibly spells.

Recommendation: Before each game, read through your journal, especially skills, character, contacts, and items.

Play with the Game Master

Group Cooperation

Role-playing games hold a great charm, and that is freedom. In the world created by the Game Master you can do pretty much anything. For the sake of the game itself, however, we recommend one basic restriction - try not to split up your group for long. Although it is of course possible and your characters may go their separate ways, the GM would not be able to manage the game (or only with difficulty) and you would all be bored.

Likewise, it is impractical if the party kills each other off - that can be the finale of a big game, but if the characters kill each other off right at the beginning, the game will be about nothing.

So try to get along with the others regardless of your nature - your characters don't have to like each other, but something will always bind them together.

Helping to Create the Game

With the one character you play, you are in a fairly easy situation. The GM has to react to all the players, come up with the whole story, control the other characters or monsters and also the whole world.

You can help them during play. A reminder from the past can provide further ideas for the game (your character can tell the others something about themselves or about the past).

Contacts

Contacts can be a great help - you can go and visit relatives in a neighboring village, or meet an old acquaintance in a foreign city who has come there to do some shopping.

Stories, legends

Experienced players can “set up” an opportunity for the GM with words like “I heard the mountains are swarming with robbers and they have a hoard of treasure.”

However, don't overdo it, as in “Behind the town there's a cave with golden armor in it” - that wouldn't help the GM much and there would be no cave there (except maybe one full of bats).

Experiences from the past

You can also tell other characters some stories from your past or your family's past.

Vivid Dreams

You can tell the others that you dreamt something, or wake up with a scream and they will ask you themselves.

Discussing the situation, fear, worry

Even characters have a psyche, and most of them are afraid of something (it's not just fools who are afraid). Before an action, a journey or a fight, thoughts run through their minds about what could happen if...

Everyone can go through this alone, or they can discuss it openly. The GM can then get an idea or a clue from these hints, or even a whole new situation.

Filling in Details

You can help the GM by elaborating on some detail. The GM describes the situation and you fill in a specific part of the description (on your own, or when the GM asks you). If you use this game technique, you as players (even less experienced ones) can influence the story beyond your own character.

Game Strategy

Play Styles

There are many ways of playing role-playing games. You can find whole studies on how to play properly, what to do or not to do. Each way has its own merits and fun. Which one you choose is entirely up to you. So that you can compare them and perhaps try other ways over time, we bring you examples of several styles of play. The styles can also overlap and be combined.

Fighting

You like combat and fighting in general. You prefer to destroy your opponent rather than argue with them. Much of the actual gameplay is taken up by duels, encounters, casting spells, chases and other forms of action.

Heroic

Your story will be full of big challenges - you'll help save many people, overcome great dangers, and over time your names and stories will become legends.

Storytelling

Your game is built on an ingenious story presented to you by the GM. You take part in it yourselves, help create it, and use the combat system or rolls rather rarely. It's not so much what you can do as how you do it.

Fight for Survival

The world you live in is very harsh and leaves no room for mistakes. You have to work hard so that you don't starve to death or freeze in the wilderness, or get your throat cut in the slums for a few coppers.

Advice for everyday life

— Take food and drink even on a short journey, death by starvation is terrible.

— From common equipment, get a lantern or torches, flint and tinder, oil, a rope at least 10 meters long, a bag or a backpack for your things, a blanket for sleeping

— Beware of thieves in towns, treacherous innkeepers and strangers - they will steal everything from you before you know it.

— Don't go to dangerous places alone - more people can cope with danger better.

— Don't forget warm clothes, a dry place to sleep and other “little things”. A character with a cold or an illness is weaker and can die of the disease.

Skills

Don't underestimate knowing skills. Even if you have low stats, you can work on them and get better at them (especially thanks to feats, you can gain considerable advantages).

Negotiation

A completely essential skill if you want to deal with other characters is Negotiation. If you want to haggle over a price, ask for directions, outwit someone, defend or accuse someone, all of that is Negotiation. Unless your character is to be a dull fool who just bleats or grunts curses, they must be able to negotiate at least a little. If you remember the chapter Game Basics - Success Roll, it says that to overcome the difficulty “none” you must roll at least -5. But if your Negotiation is lower (and you roll low), you won't manage to express even a simple thought, you will say something else or insult someone.

Woodcraft

If you plan to venture outside the town, you should know your way around the wilderness (or go with someone who does). The Woodcraft skill is then exactly what you need. At first you will get lost even if you just step off the road, you won't light a fire and won't catch anything to eat. An experienced woodsman, on the other hand, can live off nature even in a harsh winter and is at home in a desolate forest

Perception

It is also very important whether you can notice your surroundings. Perception will save your life in the city as well as in the wilderness; no one will ambush or rob you that easily.

Movement

An important skill to mention at this point is movement. This determines both your speed for travel, but also your speed in combat, which can be vital. In addition to running and footwork, you can also learn to swim or ride as part of your movement.

Combat Skills

When it comes to weapons, your combat skills will be invaluable. To fight effectively, you need both a weapon and to know a fighting style. You will also appreciate some armor.

Character Improvement

As you've already learned, you'll be rewarded for your play in the form of experience. This is a game mechanism that allows your character to improve - getting stronger, gaining better skills, new spells or knowledge. There are basically two ways to improve your character:

Heroic

You strive to make your character the best in their field - they will be a great warrior, wizard or thief. You put your points into attributes and skills directly related to your main focus. The character will be very strong at what they do, but may have weaknesses - everyone robs the warrior, the wizard freezes to death in winter, and so on.

Versatile

You'll develop multiple skills, depending on what you do often, for example. You'll be able to sneak, you'll know your way around town and the wilderness, but you won't be as good as specialized characters in their field. Your versatility will allow you to handle more situations more gracefully and often more entertainingly.

When can you learn?

All raising of skills and feats must be approved by the Game Master. The usual principle is that the activities the players have been doing allow them to increase related attributes / skills or gain feats; if a warrior fights with a sword, he should have no problem raising Strength or Reflexes. Higher feats, however, usually require the character to find a teacher or master, visit libraries or search for long-lost arts. It is always up to the GM whether the character can learn a given feat on their own or not. Even greater restrictions apply to the Secret arts, especially to higher spells, recipes or feats that no master will just hand over to you.

Combat

In your game you may face enemies in a fight to the death, where the only solution is cold steel or the whistle of arrows.

The mechanics of combat are covered in a separate chapter; here we will look at what you need to watch out for:

— The key to survival is defense, so focus on weapons that have a high one. Defense depends mainly on Reflexes and Dexterity, but also on the weapon. Swords or staffs defend best; axes, clubs and flails are the worst. Speed is just as important.

— If you don't have high defense, protect yourself with armor, a shield or both. Watch the weight of your load - it reduces your speed, hit and defense!

— Use styles.

— Learn to use special attacks and defenses (Improved defense, Accurate attack, Furious attack, Headlong attack and the like)

— Never fight against superior numbers and beware of large monsters. On the contrary, try to use the party's numerical superiority against monsters.

— You can defend yourself against missiles by lying down (kneeling), but a shield provides the surest protection.

— Few opponents can withstand an attack from behind. Be careful that no one uses this attack against you!

— Don't forget to count all your bonuses.

— Beware of magic - you don't know everything spells can do.