What is a "Hero" in your campaign, and why play them?

[Sound of Azure]

Hello all,

I sometimes think that the word hero gets bandied around far too much in the modern era in real life. These people given that title are often remarkable, excellent people who have my respect... but do not fit my conception of "Hero".

What makes a character "Heroic" in your games? Is there any difference between a common adventurer and a hero? Does being a PC automatically make them a Heroic protagonist who we can admire and understand?

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

Personally, I'd say that a hero is someone who willingly puts himself in harms way to protect others, despite the fact that there is no incentive for him in doing so.


In my current Exalted campaigns, the characters are more "heroes" in the Homeric sense of the world - powerful, passionate beings who stride like giants upon the face of the world, but not neccessarily "good", despite the fact that most of them try to be it.

 

[dcas]

A 4th-level Fighter.

 

[kibbitz]

Haven't campaigned for years, but I still feel that a hero is a being that believes in making the world a better place for everyone and strives to make that a reality.

 

[diaglo]

A 4th-level Fighting Man.

fify.

ditto.

qft

 

[Gold Roger]

Heroes are the main protagonists of a heroic story (duh).

Let me elaborate. I prefer games where the PC's are heroes, but they have to earn that title.

By that I don't mean they have to be good aligned or even nonevil, it just means they should generally be people that would make for a good main protagonist in a story and that you could see yourself rooting for.

An example of a nongood hero in my games:

Lorgan Thar is a LE cleric of Hextor. He believes in rule by power and glory by battle. He saves cities, fights terrible monsters and fights valiantly, but he doesn't do so out of altruism, but for the glory he gains for Hextor and (more importantly) himself by doing so. He won't hesitate to kill in battle, nor will he hesitate to do battle. For example he might challenge a paladin to duell and then kill the paladin in said duel simply to prove that he is the better fighter. However, he wouldn't use torture or kill a helpless opponent.

That last sentence is critical. There are some things I just find distastefull when done in gaming. As long as a character (PC or NPC) does the "PC-thing" (fighting the BBEG, fearsome monster, go into ruins etc.) he can be considered a hero.

 

[Jedi_Solo]

Jet Li.

Oh... wait...

Someone who does that others can/will not. Someone that puts themselves in the line of fire to protect someone else. Someone that will gladly cross the line between Brave and Stupid because it is what needs to be done.

 

[reanjr]

Heroes in my campaigns are individuals who are like everyone else in skill and ability, but apply those skills and abilities to helping others at the risk of their own lives.

 

[HeavenShallBurn]

In my current Exalted campaigns, the characters are more "heroes" in the Homeric sense of the world - powerful, passionate beings who stride like giants upon the face of the world, but not neccessarily "good", despite the fact that most of them try to be it.

That's what I think when I see the word HERO, the original Homeric sense of the word and it's one of the things I really like about Exalted it holds that feel well. It isn't about good, or evil or morality and ethics of any kind. It's about the incredible, the fantastic, about those who are more than most will ever dream of being and bestride their world like titans.

 

[T. Foster]

What DCS said