Mythical Heroes

In an age of myth and legend, when petty gods and horrifying monsters stalked the land, only the
bravest heroes dared to stand against them. The mightiest of these champions were the demigods,
those who—through birth or deed—had achieved a “divine spark” to signify their greatness.
Author
Richard Woolcock
System
Tricube Tales <
Background
Figu Design
Story Symbols
Delapouite, Lorc, Skoll,
Ancient Greece is a cradle of civilization and culture, nestled within a rugged landscape of mountains Cathelineau, Caro Asercion
and seas. Yet it is also a realm fraught with danger, both magical and mundane, with the people of many Game-icons.net <

city-states suffering under the yoke of cruel tyrants, ruthless sorcerers, and capricious deities. Illustrations
Dean Spencer
You are mighty heroes of Greek Mythology, battling monsters and protecting the innocent. You must
Some artwork © Dean Spencer, used
endure great trials and embark on seemingly impossible quests at the behest of kings and gods. with permission. All rights reserved.

Character Creation
Each player creates a character as follows:
1. Choose a trait: Agile (used for reflexes, dexterity,
stealth, and ranged combat), brawny (covers strength,
vitality, athletics, and melee combat), or crafty (covers
smarts, charm, alertness, and mental/social combat).
2. Select a concept: Warrior, thief, bard, sorcerer,
hunter, seafarer, or priest (specify deity).
3. Pick a perk: Herculean strength, lightning fast,
acute senses, fearless, artifact (specify), divine gift
(describe it), or legendary talent (describe it).
4. Select a quirk: Honorable, stubborn, vengeful,
overconfident, ruthless, vain, or proud.
5. Grab 3 karma tokens and 3 resolve tokens.
6. Make up a name and introduce yourself to the
group (e.g., “I’m Atalanta, a brawny huntress who’s
lightning fast but also overconfident”).
Resolving Challenges
If a player attempts something risky, they roll 1-3
six-sided dice and must equal or beat a difficulty
of 4-6 on at least one die. Succeed on multiple dice
for an exceptional success (narrate an additional
benefit). Rolling “1” on all dice is a critical failure
(introduce a complication to the scene).
The GM picks a trait and a difficulty for each
challenge: 4 is easy (e.g., fighting mere mortals), 5
is standard, and 6 is hard. Combat challenges use
effort tokens—eliminate 1 per successful die.
Players usually roll 2 dice, but roll 3 dice if the
challenge matches their trait. If a challenge falls
completely outside the scope of their concept (e.g.,
a hunter picking a pocket), they lose 1 die.
Karma and Resolve
Each player has 3 karma and 3 resolve. Spend 1
karma after rolling to reduce the difficulty by 1, if
you can justify how your perk helps you. Recover
1 karma if you increase the difficulty by 1 before
rolling, narrating how your quirk hinders you.
If you use a quirk and succeed at the challenge,
you may recover 1 resolve instead of 1 karma.
For dangerous actions (such as combat), failure
costs 1 resolve (or 2 on a critical failure). If a PC
runs out of resolve, they are eliminated from the
scene—but death is primarily a narrative conceit,
and the PC usually returns later at full resolve.
Heroic Quests
Roll on the following tables to generate the latest
adventure (see the next page for examples):
The heroes embark on a quest to...
A Slay a monster/tyrant D Recover lost treasure
B Rescue a prisoner E Obtain a weapon
C Defend a settlement F Capture a monster
Along the way they must also...
A Receive a blessing D Navigate a hazard
B Survive an ambush E Protect the weak
C Defeat a rival F Consult an oracle
While facing and overcoming...
A A puzzle or riddle D Time constraints
B Divine vengeance E A feud or rivalry
C A moral dilemma F Treachery or betrayal
Running the Game
The GM should describe the opening scene, react
to the players’ decisions, and assign the traits and
difficulties for challenges. Offer players karma in
return for complications based on their quirks!
For combat encounters, assign the challenge 2-
3 effort tokens per player. The enemy is defeated
when all their effort tokens have been removed.
The players should make all the rolls, narrate
the outcome of their actions, and drive the story
forward whenever possible. They can also spend
1 karma to influence the story or discover a clue
through their perk, at the GM’s discretion.
 Main Quests
Described here are various examples of the main
quest for the adventure generator (first table):
Side Quests
Described here are some examples of side quests
for the adventure generator (second table):
Complications
Described here are example complications for the
adventure generator (third table):

1.TheSlay the Hydra

heroes must journey to the lake of Lerna and
1.A warlord
Temple of Artemis
attempts to desecrate this magnificent
1.TheSphinx’ s Riddle
Sphinx is a mythical creature with the head
slay the Lernaean Hydra, a serpentine beast with temple and plunder its mysteries. The heroes will of a human and the body of a lion. It won’t allow
poisonous breath and many heads. receive a blessing if they protect the building—or the heroes to pass unless they solve a riddle.

2.A dastardly
Rescue the Royal Heir
villain kidnaps the heir to a city-state.
earn the goddess’s disfavor if they fail.

2. Lair of the Cyclops 2.TheWrath of the Gods

heroes attract the anger or jealousy of a god,
Can the heroes find and return the victim before The heroes inadvertently stumble upon a cyclops’ who seeks to hinder their progress, perhaps with
the youngster is sacrificed or fed to a monster? lair during their journey. They must fight, flee, or a curse—or by sending a monster after them.

3.Poseidon
Defeat the Kraken
has unleashed the Kraken, and the giant 3.
negotiate with the one-eyed giant.

Amazons’ Challenge 3.TheLesser of Two Evils

heroes find themselves in a situation where
beast threatens to destroy the city of Argos if not The heroes cross paths with a group of Amazon they must allow someone to die in order to save
defeated. But how can the heroes stop it? warriors, who challenge them to either a physical the life of another. Whatever decision they make,

4.TheFind the Golden Fleece or intellectual contest. Can the heroes prove their
worth and earn the Amazons’ respect?
there will be lasting consequences.

4.An oracle
Lunar Prophecy
heroes must set sail on a quest to recover the
Golden Fleece from a sacred grove. This mystical
item is a symbol of authority and kingship.
4.TheClashing Rocks
journey takes the heroes to sea, where they
has foretold disaster if the heroes fail to
complete their quest before the new moon. That

5.TheClaim Medusa’ s Head

heroes must find and decapitate Medusa and
must navigate between the Clashing Rocks.

5.TheBlind Seer
doesn’t leave them much time!

5.TheClash of the Monsters

recover her head—for even in death, her terrible blind seer Phineus is tormented daily by vile heroes become entangled in an ancient feud
gaze can turn any living creature to stone. harpies who steal his food each time he sits down between two legendary beings. It may be difficult

6.A fierce
Capture Cerberus
three-headed dog guards the gates to the
to eat. If aided, perhaps he will grant a boon.

6.TheGray Sisters
to avoid taking sides—or to survive if they do!

underworld. What better way to prove their grit
than for the heroes to overpower and capture the
mighty Cerberus in hand-to-hand combat?
6.A servant
Minion of Darkness
Graeae are three ancient gray-haired sisters of the enemy is spying upon the heroes,
who share one eye and one tooth. They know the and they will attempt to undermine or derail the
secret the heroes need to complete their quest. quest if given the opportunity.

Adding a Twist to the Story

For further inspiration, roll two dice on the table below and use the symbol as an improvisational prompt (you don’t need to interpret it literally). For example,
B A might indicate freedom, virility, duality, cavalry, or even a literal centaur, while rolling C C could symbolize stormy weather, illumination, destruction, or
a punishment from the gods, and F B might represent wealth, prosperity, wisdom, foresight, good luck, or the favor of Athena.
AA AB AC AD AE AF BA BB BC BD BE BF CA CB CC CD CE CF DA DB DC DD DE DF EA EB EC ED EE EF FA FB FC FD FE FF