In fairness, the giant had just been awakened. Still, not everyone would be able to bring down a brute twice the size of a city temple, even if it was in a stupor, so I guess I am a hero. That’s not to say I’m the greatest hero or would even be remembered once I fell, but I would not turn away being called “Aesrias, the hero.” I am stronger than others of my age and have always been able to easily master all manner of weapons, although for challenge I prefer to use my own fists in combat.
But I boast too much. In truth, I am one of many who are blessed with the might of Iroas, children of devout parents to whom the God of Victory has given the strength to serve and protect the people. Everyone always said I was born a hero.
—Matt Knicl, “The Hero of Iroas”
What makes a hero? Is it a quality of birth that sets some mortals above others? Is it a blessing from the gods? Is it a matter of fate, spun out in the strands of a divine tapestry, charting the course of a hero’s life from miraculous birth to glorious end?
If you’re reading this, the answer is that you make a hero, of course. In Theros, player characters and heroes are synonymous, being rare individuals whose deeds aren’t bound by fate, who willfully stray from the paths laid before them and chart their own courses.
This chapter describes playable races of Theros, new subclass options, a new background, and their places in the world. It also includes a description of the supernatural gifts that set the heroes of Theros above the ordinary mortals of their world. But it begins with the question of what makes your character a hero.
Heroic Drive
The defining characteristic of a hero in Theros is their heroic drive—the force that impels them to live a life worthy of great epics. Ordinary mortals across the multiverse are driven to extraordinary deeds when they are called on to pursue their ideals, to protect their bonds, and to overcome their flaws. In Theros, heroic drive stems from the same sources, but the power of fate and myth destines every character for legend; all one must do is act and discover their own immortal tale.
Amplifying Your Ideal
Many characters' ideals come directly from their service to a god. Each god’s description in chapter 2 includes a table you can use to determine your hero’s ideal if your character serves that god, instead of (or in addition to) an ideal derived from your background. But whether your character holds to one of those ideals, one from the Player’s Handbook or another source, or one of your own invention, try to state your ideal in the grandest possible terms to express your character’s heroic drive.
Legendary Bonds
The connections and goals that serve as characters' bonds are powerful motivators, all the more so when they have supernatural origin or possess mythological weight. As with your character’s ideal, think on a legendary scale as you define your character’s bonds.
What if a person mentioned in your bond is actually a god? Consider this twist on a bond from the urchin background in the Player’s Handbook: “I owe my survival to Phenax, god of thieves, who taught me to live on the streets while disguised as another mortal urchin.” In this case, the secret divine identity of the person in the bond makes the bond more significant.
Tragic Flaws
The heroes of Theros don’t often conform to tidy definitions of heroic morality and virtue, and they are often laid low by their own flaws. The Player’s Handbook encourages you to think of “anything that someone else could exploit to bring you to ruin or cause you to act against your best interests.” For a hero in Theros, a tragic flaw is something that the gods themselves might exploit or punish, with hubris being the classic example.
The gods of Theros aren’t so concerned about “ordinary” flaws like addiction or laziness. Rather, consider a tragic flaw involving something you don’t want a god to learn or certain to provoke a god’s anger.
For example, some of the flaws listed for the outlander background in the Player’s Handbook could put a character into conflict with a god. “I remember every insult I’ve received and nurse a silent resentment toward anyone who’s ever wronged me” could cause significant problems when the character nurses a grudge against a god.
A tragic flaw can also be supernatural in nature. A hermit who harbors “dark, bloodthirsty thoughts that my isolation and meditation failed to quell” might have a sinister connection to the vicious god Mogis.
Natal Omens
The birth of a hero is often accompanied by signs in Nyx and Theros alike. You can use the Omens table in chapter 4 to randomly determine an omen that appeared when you were born. It’s up to you and your DM to determine the omen’s meaning.
Supernatural Gifts
Most heroes of Theros have some kind of supernatural aid to help them achieve their goals. Often this aid comes from the gods, but some heroes might find their support from other beings, such as the sphinx Medomai, an oracle like Atris or Kydele, or a repository of mystical knowledge. Some heroes are born with supernatural power or born as a result of supernatural events.
A character in Theros begins with one supernatural gift chosen from those in this section. Work with the DM to decide where your character’s gift came from. Is it tied to the god you serve? Was it the result of a fateful encounter with a sphinx or an oracle? Does it indicate the nature of your birth? Each gift’s description also includes a table to spark your imagination as you think about your character’s gift.
These supernatural gifts are intended for starting characters, but some might be bestowed by gods as rewards for remarkable deeds.
- Anvilwrought
- Heroic Destiny
- Iconoclast
- Inscrutable
- Lifelong Companion
- Nyxborn
- Oracle
- Pious
- Unscarred
Heroic Feats
If your campaign uses the optional feat rules from chapter 6 of the Player’s Handbook, your Dungeon Master might allow you to take a feat as a variant supernatural gift. You gain one feat of your choice. This list suggests twelve feats from the Player’s Handbook, but you can choose any feat your DM allows:
A snake emerged from my mouth before I took my first breath—an omen of my gift for deception. (
Actor )I hear voices on the wind, warning me of danger. (
Alert )Iroas gifted me with physical prowess, intending to see me compete in the Iroan Games. (
Athlete )I feel the vitality of the earth beneath my feet, and it refreshes my strength when I rest on it. (
Durable )The stars of Nyx are never hidden from my sight, revealing their secrets to my eyes. (
Keen Mind )I hear the echoes of the gods' speech in every mortal language and trace the patterns of Nyx in the written word. (
Linguist )The gods smile on me, but I dread the day when they withdraw their favor and my luck runs out. (
Lucky )As a child, I used to run through the woods and play with a giant lynx—which, I learned later, was an emissary of Nylea. (
Mobile )The sun’s light brings what is hidden to clear view in my eyes. (
Observant )I ate a magical fruit that blessed me with extraordinary resilience. (
Resilient )I studied with a supernatural tutor. (
Skilled )I was bathed in the waters of a mystic river that left my skin resistant to harm—and glittering with starlight. (
Tough )
Myths of Theros
The world of Theros is alive with myths. From stories about the deeds of gods that explain the workings of the world to inspirational (or cautionary) tales of heroes, remarkable tales spread in countless ways, be they diversions, lessons, or songs. Just as in Theros, throughout this book you’ll find numerous tales of great deeds, magical origins, grim tragedies, and more. In each case, such myths appear in sidebars like “Myth of the First Kings of Meletis.” These cues note the legendary places these stories occupy in the minds of Theros’s people and their place as tales that endlessly play out among the constellations of Nyx.
Myth of the First Kings of Meletis
In ages past, the peoples of what would one day become Meletis were ruled by the archon tyrant Agnomakhos. Unchecked for generations, the vicious overlord carved out a mighty empire. Willing to endure the immortal’s cruelty no longer, the heroes Kynaios and Tiro—united by their love of freedom and one another—rose to challenge him. The people rallied to their cause, and through strength of arms, magic, and devotion, they defeated Agnomakhos. The polis of Meletis rose from the ruins of the archon’s empire, established as a beacon of freedom and enlightenment, and its people chose Kynaios and Tiro to be its first kings.
Races
A diverse assortment of peoples dwell among the lands of Theros. Aside from humans, the races in the Player’s Handbook are unknown on Theros, unless they’re visiting from other worlds.
This chapter provides information about the following common playable races of Theros, as well as racial traits for all of them except humans:
Human on Theros are similar to those found on other D&D worlds: adaptable, ambitious, and wildly diverse.
Centaur employ cunning and equine strength to further the goals of the roaming Lagonna and Pheres bands.
Leonin are proud lion-like hunters, many of whom live in defiance of the gods.
Minotaur are infamous for bloodthirstiness, a reputation even the most peaceful struggle to escape.
Satyr follow their passions in the pursuit of wild revels and new adventures.
Triton are an enigmatic, sea-dwelling people with an endless desire to explore.
Human
The most numerous of Theros’s mortal races, humans embody the mortal will to carve out a place for civilization from the wilds. Although other, smaller settlements exist, the majority of humans are associated with one of Theros’s three major poleis: Meletis, Akros, and Setessa.
Human Names
Human names tend to honor heroes or philosophers of old—an aspirational nudge from parent to child in the hope that their offspring might one day live up to such a storied name.
Family surnames are uncommon in the human poleis, and people with the same name must find ways to distinguish themselves from one another. Some attach their place of birth or residence to their own names. A merchant from Meletis named Brigone, for example, would be Brigone of Meletis. Others link their name to their trade, like Ristos the Learned, or Alesta the Hunter.
The most prestigious names however, are those earned through deeds or temperament. These names typically mark heroes, such as Hypatia of the Winged Horse, Kalogeros Doomhammer, or Ianthe the Bold.
- Female Names: Agathe, Alesta, Arissa, Brigone, Callaphe, Corisande, Hira, Hypatia, Iadorna, Ianthe, Lidia, Luphea, Nymosyne, Olexa, Polyxene, Psemilla, Rakleia, Sophronia, Telphe, Tikaia, Vala
- Male Names: Alkmenos, Basarios, Braulios, Drasus, Eocles, Hixus, Kaliaros, Kalogeros, Kanlos, Kleon, Kytheon, Lanathos, Lindos, Nyklos, Phrogas, Prokopios, Rhexenor, Ristos, Teraklos, Uremides, Verenes, Zenon
Subclass Options
At 3rd level, a bard chooses a Bard College and a paladin chooses a Sacred Oath. This section offers the bard for bards and the paladin for paladins, expanding their options for that choice.
Background
Remarkable individuals from all walks of life seek their destinies among the lands of Theros, from devout servants of the gods, to triumph-hungry athletes.
While the heroes of Theros might come from any of the backgrounds presented in the Player’s Handbook, the gods have a way of interceding in the lives of those meant for greatness. When determining your character’s backstory, consider how the gods have influenced your life. The gods are pervasive in the stories and cultures of Theros, and even their devout followers shouldn’t feel bound to choose a faith-focused background like acolyte. The gods' followers come from all walks of life, and any heroic soul might find themselves thrust into the midst of divine schemes.
Whether or not your character is exceptionally devout, consider reviewing the deities presented in chapter 2 and see if you gravitate toward one. Perhaps this god has a special interest in you, is the deity your family has hailed as a patron for generations, or embodies values you hold close. Based on this, consider that chapter’s possibilities for how you might have earned that immortal’s favor (if indeed you have) and alternate background ideals related to their worship—along with other boons that might entice you into their service.
Your character doesn’t need to be a follower of any of the gods, but if you’re not, there’s likely a reason why you’ve avoided them.
In addition to the gods, the supernatural gifts presented earlier in this chapter might influence your background. Consider what story emerges from your combination of supernatural gift, background, and other choices.
Beyond these options, the athlete background presented here provides a new way to seek glory through discipline and physical prowess.
Myths of the Iroan Games
Competitors seeking a place among the athletes of legend endlessly push themselves to claim victory during Akros’s world-renowned annual contest, the Iroan Games. The deeds of past victors set a high bar for those who follow.
In recent memory, the famed wrestler Lanathos bested all rivals and, after a day-long struggle, a wild Akroan bull.
When the pankratiast Nymosyne had her contest interrupted by a cyclops attack, she threw her rival at the creature, then snapped the brute’s neck with her bare hands.
Perhaps most dramatically, though, was the recent victory of the Akroan hunter Arissa. While waiting to claim her second place award, Arissa witnessed a Nyxborn bat-creature snatch an infant from the crowd. The hunter threw her javelin an impossible distance, skewered the bat-thing, then caught the child as it fell. Collectively, the other assembled competitors gave Arissa their awards, and the hunter claimed her citizenship among the Akroan lektoi.
Who knows what legends will unfold during next year’s Iroan Games?