Player Options

Character Creation

You keep a record of your H&S character on a character sheet. Here you note down your class, background, features, wounds, statistics, and any other advancements you make throughout the game.

Heart & Steel is a game about everyday commoners who make heroic decisions. Your H&S character isn't extraordinary because they were born with supernatural powers or are the agent of gods will, no. They gain glory and renown through the heroic decisions they make during play.

The game is about stepping of a preordained path and making a new life for yourself and those you love. You don't get to choose where you came from, but you do get to choose who you become.

Starting characters are in H&S are generally not competent, legendary adventurers; they are commoners with only a few skills under they belt and possesions to their names. They enter the world with four virtues, an alignment, and a background, that grants them a skill, and one or two meager possessions.

Character Creation

You keep a record of your H&S character on a character sheet. Here you note down your calling, background, features, injuries, statistics, and any other advancements you make throughout the game.

Download and print the sheet here. The steps below guide you through creating your character.

H&S Character Record.pdf

Step 1: Alignment

Roll a starting alignment for your character using the system found here. Your alignment represents how well you are perceive by the world, and it will shift over time as you discover who you really are.

Step 2: Background

Roll to determine a social group your character comes from, then roll to determine your former occupation. This grants you a skill and possessions. All backgrounds are listed here.

Step 3: Calling

The calling you choose represents what you aspire to be. It gives you some of initial features, and provides you with your key virtue, first mastery, talent, deeds, and skills.

Step 4: Statistics

You have all the game statistics listed here. Fill them in as seen below.

Vigor: 20 + 4(Might)
Recovery Rate: 1/4 of maximum vigor
Inventory Slots: 8 + Might
Speed: 5 squares.
Mobility: Grace (minimum of 2).
Endurance: calling base + Grace
Throwing Distance: 6 + Grace

Advancement

As the PC's journey and quest, they gain glory. Glory emboldens the player characters and rewards them with additional focus during encounters. But, once the PC's undergo a day's rest, all glory they acquired is turned into experience points, and their glory is reset to 0.

You can gain glory in the manner listed below.

Win a fight for your life.
Bring treasure back to your haven.
Negotiate to end a looming threat.
Explore a site of peril.
Become the champion of a tourney.
Fulfill a long-kept oath.
Gain authority over a region.
Pull off a scheme.
Glimpse that which lies beyond.
And many other similar activities as determined by the judge.

Levelling

When you acquire enough experience to meet the next level's threshold, you automatically advance to it during a day's rest. The leveling table below details the benefits you gain at each level and how many experience points are needed to get there.