Character development in Hero Kids

Let's talk about character development in Hero Kids.

The number one thing that people ask me for in Hero Kids is:

MORE ADVENTURES

But the number two thing that they ask for is:

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT

Thus, I recently directed the Eye of Sauron to the task, and worked up some ideas for how character development could work in Hero Kids.

Before we discuss these actual ideas, these are the principles that guided the development work:

• Maintain compatibility with existing heroes and expansions (i.e. equipment)
• Minimise straight-up escalation of die pools
• Allow players to choose what aspects of their characters to develop
• Enable advancement in each of the aspects of characters (dice pools, armor, health, actions, abilities, and skills)
• Continue the look and feel of Hero Kids

So.

Here's the idea, the Hero Chronicle:

And here's how it works:

• Each hero has a corresponding 'Hero Chronicle'.
• The Hero Chronicle as a number of character development options
• Each character development option on the Hero Chronicle has one, two, or three check boxes
• Each time the hero completes an adventure (or a reasonable adventuring time period, such as 90 minutes), the player can check off a box on one of the development options
• When all of the check boxes next to a development option are checked, the hero has 'earned' that development
• The development options are:
• 3x Increase a dice pool by 1 die (Melee, Ranged, Magic, Armor)
• Add a new dice pool (Melee, Ranged, Magic), such as a Magic pool to a Melee character, and gain that pool's standard attack action
• Add a new health level (Grazed)
• 4x Add a new special action or skill
• Add a new bonus ability
• Each development option has matching set of Development Cards, representing all of the development options (such as different skills, special actions, or bonus abilities)

In play, a hero would venture forth, and as they completed adventures or adventure sessions, the player would check off boxes on the Hero Chronicle, and progressively accumulate additional development options, each of which would be represented through a Development Card:

The Development Cards would look like these:

So, that's the working idea.

Leave a comment below with feedback and discussion.  I'm keen to hear whether this seems feasible, or whether the great eye needs to look further afield.

Hero Kids YouTube Actual Play - Darkness Neath Rivenshore

People who've never played RPGs before often ask, "How do you even play Hero Kids?" This is a great question.

So much of playing RPGs is learned through participation and tradition. Which makes it hard for people to get started outside of that tradition.

For those out there who want to know how to play Hero Kids, I recorded a playtest of Darkness Neath Rivenshore with my kids:

This was my first shot at recording video and audio, and comes with a bunch of embarrassing qualifications and apologies.
• The exposure fluctuates a bit at the start, I kept moving the papers.
• I read too much of the adventure text verbatim (when you're running Hero Kids it's best to internalise the gist of the text blocks rather than read them like I did).
• Dash was sniffing at the start (you can see me looking at him sternly)...  :-)
• The video gradually progresses into potato quality as we lost light (it's not terrible, but it's a bit grainy). :-)
• I forgot to use some of the monsters' special abilities...
• Any rules mistakes are all my responsibility.
• The adventure changed slightly after this paytest; I added another puzzle in the encounter with the dire rats.

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Check out the Hero Kids Complete Fantasy PDF Bundle at DriveThruRPG

New adventure Darkness Neath Rivenshore

I've just released a new Hero Kids adventure; Darkness Neath Rivenshore!

This seven-encounter adventure takes place in the ancient tunnels, chambers, and cisterns beneath Rivenshore.

When the town’s well runs dry, a child’s pleas for help echo from the dry pit. The kids must delve to rescue the lost child. Yet something sinister lurks in the ancient structures beneath the town, and the kids will need all their skill and bravery to rescue the lost child Emon.

• Adventure with seven encounters and maps
• Monster Cards for the unique monsters (water beasts, dire rats, slime, slime beast)
• Additional 14 modular encounter maps

I'm trying something new with this adventure, it includes two possible endings, one for younger kids, and another for more mature players:

• The heroes rescue the lost child and reunite him with his parents
• The heroes discover that the lost child is a ghost who died in the well long ago

In the ‘rescue’ ending, the heroes find the child hiding in the final room, and reunite him with his parents. In the ‘ghost’ ending, the heroes find the child's bones, and take them to the cemetery to bury alongside his family.

I playtested the adventure with the 'ghost' ending, which my kiddos found challenging, but not distressing.

Once we got to the climax of the adventure, my youngest - Dash - twigged pretty quickly about the bones at the bottom of the fountain pool.  Violet was a bit more affected by the ending of the ending of the adventure, but they both determined to help reunite Emon with his (also long-dead) parents.

All in all, I was very proud of how they dealt with the adventure.

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Check out the Hero Kids Complete Fantasy PDF Bundle at DriveThruRPG

Playtesting Darkness Neath Rivenshore

Thanks everyone for your feedback around the idea of having a somewhat 'mature' ending for the next Hero Kids adventure: Darkness Neath Rivenshore.

Based on your feedback, I've included the option of having alternate 'rescue' or 'ghost' paths through the adventure:

"This Hero Kids adventure includes two possible endings, one for younger kids, and another for more mature players:
•  Emon is rescued and reunited with his parents
•  Emon is a ghost who died in the well long ago

In the ‘rescue’ ending, the heroes find Emon hiding in the final room, and reunite him with his parents.  In the ‘ghost’ ending, the heroes find Emon’s bones, and take them to the cemetery to bury alongside his family."

In other news; Violet, Dash and I have been playtesting the adventure, and everything's looking great!  Stay tuned!

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Check out the Hero Kids Complete Fantasy PDF Bundle at DriveThruRPG

Adventures with Challenging Themes?

Hero Kids people. Help me out. I've been writing a new Hero Kids adventure, where the heroes rescue another child who's trapped down a well.

However, I had a quandary last night: I'm not sure that all parents will be cool with the story tilt at the end of the adventure. Basically, the child is revealed to be a ghost who died in the well hundreds of years ago, and in the end the heroes lay the ghost to rest and reunite it with its parents.

What do you all think?

What do you think of this kind of content for Hero Kids?

Should I switch it to a straightforward rescue mission?

All Hallow's Eve Heroes

This expansion for Hero Kids includes ten new All Hallows' Eve heroes for your game:

• Jester Alchemist - The jester always gets the last laugh against anyone nearby
• Bear Brute - The bear brute is a formidable combatant
• Satyr Druid - The satyr can channel powerful druidic healing
• Krampus Duelist - Terrifying in stature and in combat
• Raven Hunter - The raven harries enemies from a distance
• Gorgon Mage - The gorgon is easily mistaken for a statue, to much demise
• Scarecrow Reaper - The reaper's razor sharp scythe sorts wheat from chaff
• Banshee Warlock - The banshee unleashes her fury against her foes
• Ghost Warlock - This ghostly specter crackles with magical energy
• Harpy Warrior - The harpy snatches up her enemies and drops them

Get them now from DriveThruRPG:

Hero Kids - Fantasy Expansion - Hero Cards VI

Hero Kids mapping tool

Seth from Sandy Knoll Software has just released a tool for creating Hero Kids maps:

Check it out here:

https://www.tabberer.com/sandyknoll/more/ttopmapmaker/index.html