I Need a Hero!
This work was originally published as: GM’s Journal—Heroes on https://maltedmeeple.com/2015/07/28/gms-journal-heroes/(2015).
In most campaign settings, the players’ characters are. . .different. There is something that sets them apart from the rest of the world. They have special skills, magical aptitude, special equipment, or even boons granted to them by the gods (depending on the setting). But why have they been given these special gifts and what sets them apart from the other inhabitants of the world? I would argue that the player characters are destined for something greater. Whether by choice or fate, they are destined to be heroes! If this is to be their destiny, let’s take a look at what it means to be a hero.
For the last decade or so, our media has been saturated with heroes. You can find them in cinema, board games, literature, video games, and especially roleplaying games. But this fascination with heroes is by no means a new phenomenon. It seems our culture has a fascination with heroes dating back to the earliest days of civilization. Humans have told stories about heroes going all the way back to Beowulf and Gilgamesh.
Even when faced with insurmountable odds or unfathomable cosmic horror, the hero staggers back up, wipes the blood and sweat from their brow and continues to fight the good fight for another day, another hour, or even another minute.
But what does it mean to be a hero? Most traditional definitions focus on the physical attributes of the character, their legendary courage, titanic strength, enemies slain, battles won, or the laurels they’ve earned. I believe there is something more—a certain heroic spark that ignites in the dark when all hope seems lost. I believe that heroes truly shine when the going gets tough. When all the lights go out, the hero is the ever-burning torch in the darkness. The difference between a mundane person and a hero is that a hero never gives up and never stops fighting the good fight. Even when faced with insurmountable odds or unfathomable cosmic horror, the hero staggers back up, wipes the blood and sweat from their brow and continues to fight the good fight for another day, another hour, or even another minute. They soldier on even when all hope seems lost. They continue to persevere when the normal man or woman would have thrown in the towel long before and gone home. If fate wills it, they are willing to give everything they have, even their lives, for what they believe in. I believe that we all have an innate desire to follow the heroic tradition. The willingness to put oneself in harm’s way and to sacrifice everything to protect something greater than ourselves. That’s what heroes do!
The key to getting the players involved is to find out what the characters value and giving them a reason to protect it, seek it out, or avenge it.
How do we as Game Masters facilitate this desire to be heroes? The recipe is rather simple! We follow in the tradition of heroic tales. We must give the players something to fight for: a banner to carry, innocents to protect, or a quest to fulfil. This does not need to be glory for the sake of glory, but some noble quest that means something to the characters, and this quest can vary from character to character. We must give our players the opportunity to use their special gifts in a meaningful way to accomplish their goal and save the day. The players need something more important than new equipment or XP. They need a reason to be a hero. The key to getting the players involved is to find out what the characters value and giving them a reason to protect it, seek it out, or avenge it. Alternatively, the players may need an intolerable injustice to stand against. Sometimes an entire campaign can spring from a single noble cause!
In the not too distant past, I ran a campaign for a group of friends. In this campaign I created a particularly abhorrent NPC who was known only as “The Duke.” Admittedly, The Duke was only designed to be a one-shot villain. The players, however, decided that this guy was going down. Despite my best efforts to direct them elsewhere, the players wouldn’t let his grievous injustices stand. From then on their sole mission was to remove him from power. The rest of the campaign was built around evading his agents, gathering allies, and ultimately confronting the villain. Ultimately they succeeded, but it cost them dearly. They lost many friends, and made many enemies but ultimately The Duke was slain and his many victims avenged.
Not just anyone can slay a dragon, quell an uprising, or bring balance to the force. . . . The only thing a player needs to rise to the challenge of being a hero is the opportunity.
The lesson that we can take from this is that when the players set their mind to a quest, they will often pave the road to proving themselves heroes. With a party full of heroes, legendary campaigns can unfold before you.
As Game Masters we must keep in mind that the player characters are special. Not just anyone can slay a dragon, quell an uprising, or bring balance to the force. Characters must be given the chance to use their gifts to make their world a better place even if only for a night. The only thing a player needs to rise to the challenge of being a hero is the opportunity.
Give your players the chance to fulfill their destiny even if only one session at a time.
Let your players be heroes!
Take Heart!
Karington Hess
Game Master and Founder of Open Heart Games
