A FANTASY ROLE-PLAYING GAME FOR KIDS AGED 4 TO 10

BY

JUSTIN HALLIDAY
 Hero Kids
Hero KidsTM copyright 2016 Justin Halliday
herokidsrpg.blogspot.com

Credits
Designed and written by Justin Halliday
Hero and monster art by Eric Quigley (www.ericquigley.com)
Printing Authorization:
This PDF document may be printed for personal use.
Version: 2.0 (Build 100)
Changelog:
Updated Monster cards from Monster Compendium
Added Role-Playing section.
Added more monsters (new redesigned pirates).
Updated layout of Hero and Monster cards and stand-ups.
Renamed adventuring obstacles to obstructions.
Added Knocked Down to glossary.
Added Advanced Combat section.
Updated Skills section to add dark vision.
Updated Ability Test Examples for clarity.
Added Equipment and Items section.

 Items and Boons 13

TABLE OF CONTENTS Health and Damage
Health
14
14
Introduction 5 Damage 14
Pint-Sized Heroes 6 Knocked Out 14
Big-Sized Problems 6 Healing 15
Heroes of Shapes and Sizes 6 Magic 15
The Brecken Vale 7 Potions 15
Resting 15
Materials 8
Included Stuff 8 Encounter Setup 16
Stuff You Need to Find 8 Encounter Intro 16
Awesome Stuff 8 Role-Playing 16
Downloadable Extras 8 Map 16
Encounter Features 16
Playing the Game 9
Ability Tests 16
Skirmish 9
Monsters 16
Delve 9
Tactics 16
Exploration 9
Conclusion 16
Role-Playing 9
Running Encounters 17
Rolling For Stuff 10
Preparation 17
Attacking and Defending 10
Initiative 17
Special Attacks and Abilities 10
Rounds 17
Examples, Exschamples 10
Turns 17
Hero Cards 11 Actions 17
Melee Dice Pool (Strength) 11 Movement 17
Ranged Dice Pool (Dexterity) 11 Resolution 17
Magic Dice Pool (Intelligence) 11 Rewards 17
Armor Dice Pool 11
Adventuring 18
Health Boxes 11
Ability Tests 18
Normal Attack 12
Inventory and Skills 19
Special Action 12
Ability Test Difficulties 19
Bonus Ability 12
Ability Test Examples 19
Inventory 12
Skills 13 Exploration 20
Choices 20
Equipment and Items 13
Secrets 20
Equipment 13
Gates 20

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Obstructions 20
Puzzles 20
Hazards 20
Traps 20
Role-Playing 21
Playing a Hero 21
Harnessing Imaginations 21
Guiding the Story 21
Coaxing Their Voice 21
Advanced Combat 22
Additional Attack Effects 22
Alternate Attack Effects 22
Attacking Engaged Targets 22
Combining Effects 22
Improvising Actions 23
Knocked Down, Prone, Get Up 23
Line of Sight and Cover 23
Moving Around 23
Ongoing Effects and Conditions 24
Pushing and Pulling 24
Splitting Attacks 24
Creating Heroes 25
What Sort of Hero? 25
Allocating Dice 25
Normal Attacks 25
Special Action 25
Bonus Ability 25
Inventory and Skills 25
Considerations 26
Hints and Tips 27
Glossary 28
Heroes! 31
Monsters! 39

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 The Hero Kids fantasy role-playing game contains
I NTRODUCTION everything you need to play a fun and interesting
game with your kids, including:
From their earliest years, the kids of Rivenshore are
trained to survive in a wild and dangerous world. Heroes
Monsters
While the warriors and sword-maidens of their clan are Rules
away from the Brecken Vale protecting it from distant
Adventure ideas
threats, it's up to the kids to deal with any emergencies
Hero Kids comes bundled with an introductory
that arise in the vale.
adventure that is a great starting point for your kids.
Each of the kids specializes in a different area, training Further adventures and expansions are available,
and practicing so that they are prepared for the regular probably from wherever you got this core game.
calamities that plague the inhabitants of the town.

Whether theyre exploring the foreboding Darkenwold

Woods, rescuing lost miners from the abandoned Mines
of Martek, saving their friend from the lair of giant rats, Role-playing games are a unique and fun way of
or venturing into a fearsome minotaurs maze, the kids teaching our kids a huge number of skills, such as:
of Rivenshore are always ready for action and always Counting Problem solving
the first to volunteer to help a friend whos in trouble. Math Imagination
Probabilities Acting
These are Hero Kids!
Teamwork History
Younger kids can start with counting and as they
grow up they can work their way through the more
complicated skills that RPGs develop.
And while the kids are doing all this learning, you can
spend time together playing a fun game that offers
endless opportunities for excitement and adventure.

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PINT-SIZED H EROES Heroes of Shapes and Sizes
The hero kids include these scamps (and more):
Hero Kids isnt your average role-playing game. In
fact, its about two feet shorter than your average Warrior Hunter
role-playing game because in this game, the kids are
the heroes.

Big-Sized Problems
Hero Kids is set in the sort of world where grown-ups
are constantly getting themselves into trouble, and
where the kids are the ones who sort it out.
When several greedy miners get lost in the old
mine, its the kids who rescue them.
When a horde of goblins raid the village festival Double melee attack Split shot attack
and steal the prize pig, the kids are there to fight Animal tracking Versatile equipment
them off.
When rustlers steal their favorite horses and Healer Warlock
ponies, the kids set out to get them back.
When the tavern basement is overrun by unusually
large and ferocious rats (again!), the kids drive
them back out.
When a rare unicorn is seen in the woods, the kids
save it from mean goblins.
When an urgent message must be sent to a
reclusive mage, the kids set out to deliver it.
When ghost pirates attack the village and capture
everyone, the kids have to rescue themselves! Searing magic attack Flame burst attack
Healing abilities History and lore expert

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THE BRECKEN VALE
Hero Kids adventures take place in The
Brecken Vale, an isolated valley that lies in
the cold north of an ancient and dangerous
medieval world.
You live in a small village, Rivenshore,
which is nestled in a tight valley beneath a
range of towering mountains.
Rivenshore would be a beautiful place to
live, if it werent beset by an endless series of
calamities.
The village is on the eastern shore of the
Camarva River. The river runs fast and
crooked from the mountains, down through
the valley, The Brecken Vale, and out into
a small bay. To the east of the village are the
dark and wild Darkenwold Woods, which
have claimed many foolish travelers.
The Brecken Vale is bounded by the
Druinhowe Mountains, their snow-covered
peaks cloaked in cloud.
The vale should be a haven for its civilized
inhabitants, but instead it keeps them in
close proximity to no end of threats that offer
boundless opportunities for adventure.

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M ATERIALS Awesome Stuff
More Maps: Apart from the included maps, you
Hero Kids requires some materials to play; most are
can use your own dungeon tiles, poster maps like
included, some youll need to find, and theres some
the ones from recent D&D adventures, or even the
extras you can add to make the game awesome.
large flip-map from the Pathfinder Beginner Box.
Included Stuff For the more adventurous, you can even use Duplo
blocks or Lego Heroica sets.
Heroes: Warriors, hunters, and more are included
More Dice: Three d6s is good, but six or more is
here. Theres a hero card for the player and a
better for the opposed rolls. Go raid your kids
stand-up mini for the map. Cut and fold them.
Yahtzee set for a bunch of them, preferably in
Monsters: Monster cards and stand-up minis are different colors.
included in this pack. Cut out these minis too.
Candy: One fun way of tracking the health of the
Adventure: The included adventure Basement heroes and the monsters is to use candy to fill the
O Rats - has instructions for play. damage boxes. When a hero damages a monster,
Maps: Grid maps are used for combat; these are that heros player can eat the candy. But when a
included with all Hero Kids adventures. monster damages a hero, the GM gets the treat!
Stuff You Need to Find
GM: If youre reading this, then we can assume
that you are the game master (GM).
Players: Youll need one or more of these.
Printer: To print the cards, maps and stand-ups.
Downloadable Extras
Dice: Youll need at least one six-sided die (d6).
Extras: You can expand your Hero Kids
Pencils: To mark off damage and healing potions. experience with additional adventures and
Erasers: Youll also need to remove the damage supplements from DriveThruRPG:
and recover used healing potions. http://www.drivethrurpg.com/
Scissors: For cutting out the hero cards and stand-
up minis, of course. Watch out for little fingers!

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PLAYING THE GAME Exploration
When the players are ready to branch out beyond just
Hero Kids can be played as a quick and simple single-
combat encounters, you can progressively introduce
encounter skirmish game, a multi-encounter delve, an
the following exploration elements to the game:
adventure with combat, exploration, and role-playing
or even as a proper campaign with persistent heroes, a Choices Obstructions
plot, and a wider world to explore. Secrets Puzzles
Gates Hazards
Skirmish Traps
The simplest way to play Hero Kids is as a single- The players need to use their brains and their heroes
encounter skirmish, where a handful of heroes tackle capabilities, skills, and possessions to overcome these
a group of monsters in a pure tactical challenge. challenges.
These skirmishes can be quick battles against minions,
You can find more details about these exploration
or more challenging battles against tougher monsters
elements in the Exploration section on page 20.
that require good teamwork, strategy, and resource
management to overcome. Role-Playing
Delve The final ingredient for the complete experience of
role-playing games is actual role-playing. The
Delves are short combat-oriented adventures that
incorporation of role-playing into Hero Kids can take
string together a handful of encounters as a quick
a number of forms:
adventure. Delves are often structured like this:
Players using their heroes appearance and
Adventure hook
characteristics to determine how they act or speak.
Introductory encounter
A simple conversation between our heroes and the
Middle encounter quest-giver at the start of an adventure to tease out
Boss encounter important information.
Theres infinite variation in any format or style of A climactic conversation with the adventures
adventure, so this structure is not carved in stone and baddie before, during, or after the final battle!
the GM is empowered to color outside the lines.

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ROLLING FOR STUFF Special Attacks and Abilities
The number of dice rolled by the attacker and the
The main thing youll roll dice for in Hero Kids is
defender can be modified by their special actions or
combat. When in combat, there are three types of
bonus abilities, such as warriors who gain extra dice to
attacks (melee, ranged, and magic) and armor:
attack an enemy that an ally has recently attacked.

Heroes (and monsters) can only use an attack in

which they have at least one die in their pool.
Each hero and monsters strengths and weaknesses
are represented by the pool of six-sided dice they
have in each area, such as these examples:
Awesome Examples, Exschamples
Good Lets check out some examples of attack rolls:
None Attacker Defender

Mediocre vs. Attack hits!

The example hero card on page 11 shows how all this

looks for a real character. vs. Attack hits!

Attacking and Defending vs. Attack misses!

When attacking, the attacker rolls the dice pool for
their chosen attack (melee, ranged, or magic) and the vs. Attack hits!
defender rolls their armor dice pool.
If the attackers highest die equals or exceeds the
vs. Attack misses!
defenders highest die then the attack hits.

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H ERO CARDS Melee Dice Pool (Strength)
The heroes and monsters are neatly contained on hero The melee dice pool (melee pool) shows the
cards, which have all the information you need to play number of dice the hero or monster uses for
that character: melee actions and Strength ability tests.

Ranged Dice Pool (Dexterity)

The ranged dice pool (ranged pool) shows the
number of dice the hero or monster uses for
ranged actions and Dexterity ability tests.

Magic Dice Pool (Intelligence)

The magic dice pool (magic pool) shows the
number of dice the hero or monster uses for
magic actions and Intelligence ability tests.

Armor Dice Pool

The armor dice pool (armor pool) shows the
Heroes have the following characteristics: number of dice the hero or monster uses to
Melee Dice Pool Normal Attack(s) defend against attacks.
Ranged Dice Pool Special Action
Magic Dice Pool Bonus Ability
Health Boxes
Armor Dice Pool Inventory These boxes represent how much damage the
Health Boxes Skills heroes and monsters can take.
You can find more details about the heroes health in
the Health and Damage section on page 14.

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Normal Attack Bonus Ability
All heroes and monsters have a normal attack action, Each characters bonus ability is a passive ability that
which is their melee, ranged, or magic attack. Some reflects their special training, abilities, and nature.
characters may have more than one normal attack. These bonus abilities might offer extra dice for
These normal attacks deal 1 damage. attacks or armor, or grant the character a special
Melee Attack: Melee attacks target adjacent benefit in specific circumstances.
characters. Melee attacks against prone targets
Inventory
gain 1 extra die.
Ranged Attack: Ranged attacks target characters Heroes can hold a number of items in their
up to 6 squares away (including diagonally) and inventories, which they can use as an action. Healing
must have line of sight. Ranged attacks against potions are useful in combat, but the other items are
adjacent targets roll 1 fewer dice. useful in exploration and role-playing encounters:
Magic Attack: Magic attacks target characters up Healing potions heal heroes to full health and
to 4 squares away (including diagonally) and must can also be used on a damaged or KOd ally.
have line of sight. Its a rope. Its very versatile and useful for
overcoming terrain obstructions.
Special Action Food is also very handy, especially for
In addition to their normal attack, heroes and distracting monsters.
monsters have a unique special attack or action. Gold is useful for persuading intelligent
These special attacks and actions are more enemies or game characters.
complicated than the normal attacks, so the younger
players might need help. Herbs are used to make healing potions.

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Skills EQUIPMENT AND ITEMS
Heroes have skills to use in exploration, adventuring,
and role-playing, such as these: Equipment
The hero is learned and knows about history Equipment includes armor,
and lore. weapons, and unique magic items
The hero knows how to use disguises and to that the heroes can wear or wield.
sneak around. A hero can only use one piece of
equipment at a time. Heroes can
The hero can track people or animals. own multiple pieces of
The hero is good at talking and can win over equipment, but can only switch
hostile characters. between them when not in
combat.
The hero is can fly over obstacles and
enemies. Items and Boons
The hero can see in the dark and low light Items are consumables that have
conditions. a one-off effect. Heroes can
hold any number of items, but
they are discarded when used.
Items are used on the heros turn
as an action. This means that a
hero can move in the same turn
that they use an item, but they
cannot use their normal attack or
special action.
Boons are special favors that the heroes earn in their
adventures. Unlike normal items, boons can be used
at any time, even during an enemys turn.

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H EALTH AND DAMAGE Damage
Generally speaking, all melee, ranged, and magic
In the course of their adventures the heroes deal
attacks deal 1 damage when they hit. In certain cases
damage, take damage, and recover health.
the damage can be increased (or even negated), such
Health as through a hero or a monsters special action or
their bonus ability.
All heroes have three health boxes, which means that
they can take two hits without penalty, but the third Each time a hero or a monster takes damage, their
hit knocks them out: controller marks off one (or more) health boxes,
starting with Bruised, then Hurt, then KO.
Hero health boxes: Some heroes and monsters have special abilities that
only trigger when they take damage or when they are
Weaker monsters have less health, while tougher at a specific health level, such as Hurt.
monsters have more health than the heroes: When you mark off the final box, KO, the character is
knocked out and out of the fight.
Boss monster:
Knocked Out
When a hero is knocked out (KOd), he or she has no
Tough monster: actions until they are healed by an ally or their allies
win the encounter (giving them a chance to rest and
Normal monster: remove some damage).
OK KO

Weak monster:

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H EALING Potions
Heroes start each adventure with potions that are
The heroes have various methods of healing
shown on their hero cards, like this:
themselves and their allies during their adventures.

Magic Using a potion is an action.

Certain heroes such as Healers have the ability to It can be taken by the hero who is using it or
magically heal themselves or their allies. administered to an adjacent ally, and it returns the
hero to full health.
The potion is the GMs best friend (not literally, cos
that would be weird). With potions you can regulate
the amount of healing that heroes have available to
them. So if the heroes are having trouble, you can
throw them extra potions as treasure after encounters.

Resting
The final method of healing is for our heroes to take a
short rest after an encounter where theyve been
damaged (again, assuming this makes sense in the
adventure).
When heroes rest they remove 1 damage, KOd
In combat, this ability is a special action, which means heroes recover to hurt, hurt heroes become bruised,
that the character can either heal someone or attack and bruised heroes fully recover.
an enemy.
Outside of combat, magic healing can return all allies
to full health (if this makes sense in the adventure).

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ENCOUNTER SETUP Monsters
This section lists the number and types of monsters in
Encounters are described with the same details.
the encounter based on how many heroes there are:
Encounter Intro 1 Hero: 1 x King Rat
Each encounter has a short introduction that you 1 x Giant Rat
should read out to the players. Its in a box like this: 4 Heroes: 1 x King Rat
You slowly enter the ruins, wary of the ghosts that 4 x Giant Rats
inhabit them. The numbers are their starting position on the map.
Unique monsters have a monster card and stand-up
Role-Playing included on the final pages of the adventure:
Many encounters are purely role-playing, others open
with role-playing before degenerating into combat.

Map
Each combat encounter has a grid map that is used to
stage the encounter. This map shows the terrain and
starting positions for the heroes and monsters.
Heroes: Monsters:

Encounter Features
Some encounter areas have unique elements, such as Tactics
furniture or obstacles, which are described here. The monsters tactics and goals are detailed here.
Ability Tests Conclusion
Ability tests and skills that the heroes can use are What happens when the heroes have defeated their
detailed here. Read about Ability Tests on page 18. enemies or overcome the encounters challenges.

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 Actions
RUNNING ENCOUNTERS Actions include the heros normal attack, their special
Combat encounters have multiple parts: action, and using items. The player can also use their
Preparation Actions heros action to double their movement distance.
Initiative Movement The possible actions include:
Rounds Resolution Normal attack (melee, ranged, magic)
Turns Rewards Special action (defined on the heros card)
Use item (such as a healing potion)
Preparation
First set up the map and hero and monster stand-ups.
Movement
Characters can move up to 4 squares each turn
Initiative (including diagonally). Characters can move through
Once the map is set up, have one of the players roll a their allies, but not through enemies. Walls and solid
d6 for initiative and then you roll a d6 for the objects block movement entirely. Obstacles require 1
monsters. The side (heroes or monsters) with the extra square of movement for each square the heroes
highest roll wins and heroes win on a tie. enter and can grant cover. If a character is knocked
prone, it costs 2 squares of movement to stand up.
Rounds
Combat encounters are divided into rounds, during
Resolution
which each hero and each monster has a turn. Combat is over when all of the members of a side are
Either the monsters or the heroes will have initiative, knocked out (hopefully this is the monsters).
so run through each group until everyones had a turn If the players are defeated, then youll need to
then switch to the other side. Keep looping through improvise to get the story back on track.
until one of the groups is entirely knocked out.
Rewards
Turns If youre running a longer adventure then you might
On each hero and each monsters turn they can take reward the heroes with some gold or extra potions
an action and their movement, in any order. and allow them to rest and recover some health.

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ADVENTURING Ability Tests
Once youve started integrating exploration (see
Childrens abilities explode between 4 and 10, so
Exploration on page 20) into your Hero Kids game,
theres a large gap between the capabilities of the
you can use ability tests to test whether the heroes
younger and older players of Hero Kids.
actions are successful. Ability tests allow the player
If youve got older players (or well-practiced younger to roll dice to determine the outcome of their action.
players) and want to challenge them a bit more, you
For an ability test, the players roll 1 base die, plus the
can integrate some adventuring mechanics.
dice pool from their heros relevant characteristics,
Adventuring has a number of elements, which you plus they gain 1 extra die if they have a relevant skill
can pick and choose whether to include: or item. If their highest die roll is equal or higher
Ability tests than the difficulty, then they succeed at the test.
Inventory and Skills The heros three main characteristics are used as
strength, dexterity, and intelligence, like this:
Bash a locked door
Jump a crevasse
Lift something heavy
Climb a wall or tree
Hide from or sneak past a monster
Pick a lock
Decode a message
Break a magic lock
Know about a location or group
While exploration challenges may have an obvious
solution (such as using force to open a locked door),
alternate solutions are encouraged, including those
that utilize one of a heros other characteristics or the
clever use of an inventory item or a skill.
Hero Kids Fantasy RPG Justin Halliday Page 18
Inventory and Skills Ability Test Examples
While ability tests rely on the heros fundamental
First, tracking an animal, which is an Intelligence test
characteristics (their strength, dexterity, and
(Tracking). This character has no dice in their magic
intelligence), more advanced players are encouraged
dice pool (which is used for Intelligence tests), but
to look to their heros inventory and skills to see if
they gain 1 extra die for their Tracking skill, giving a
they have anything in those areas to assist with their
total of 2 dice for this ability test:
tasks. These areas are more important in exploration
or full role-playing adventures where the players need Base Die + Characteristic + Inventory/Skills
to overcome obstacles, puzzles, hazards, and traps.
More ideas for integrating these advanced challenges
into your games are included in the Exploration Alternatively, crossing a broken bridge is a Strength
section on page 20. or Dexterity test (Rope). Here the character has 1
When the players identify an inventory item or a skill base die, 2 dice from their ranged dice pool (they
that can assist them in an ability test, allow them to could use their melee dice pool here instead, if it was
add an extra die to their pool. better), plus 1 extra die from their rope, giving a total
of 4 dice:
Ability Test Difficulties
Base Die + Characteristic + Inventory/Skills
These difficulty numbers can be used for ability tests:
or
Difficulty: Target:
Easy 4 Finally, intimidating a game character is a Strength
Normal 5 test (Talking). This character uses the 1 base die plus
Hard 6 2 dice from their melee dice pool (used for Strength
Keep in mind that each hero usually takes the ability tests), and they have no inventory or skills to help,
test separately, so theres more chance of at least one leaving them with a total of 3 dice:
of them making the test when there are more heroes. Base Die + Characteristic + Inventory/Skills

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 Obstructions
EXPLORATION Obstructions are physical blockages that can be
When your players are ready to tackle adventuring overcome with simple actions:
and exploration challenges, try some of these. A doorway or cave entrance high up on a wall
Choices A river with a broken bridge
An open pit in a corridor
Choices are the simplest form of exploration and
allow players true interaction and agency: Puzzles
A simple t-intersection
Puzzles are blockages that the players must solve:
A room with multiple doors
Shaped objects that must be matched to slots
Several cave openings in a rocky cliff
Levers that must be set to a specific pattern
A choice of overland routes
Tiles where only one color/icon can be stepped on
Secrets Hazards
Secrets are bonuses that astute players can discover if
Hazards are obstacles that involve physical danger,
theyre paying attention. As the players wont know
but the danger is apparent before it is tackled:
what to look for, they may need to be presented with
something unusual or given a hint: A deep pit trap filled with venomous snakes!
A dead end corridor with a faint breeze A wobbly rope bridge over a deep ravine
An empty chest with a hidden compartment A room filling with poisonous gas
A different colored or textured section of wall Traps
Gates Traps are the most dangerous exploration challenge
because they can trigger a hazard or can even damage
Gates are blockages that cannot be passed until the
the heroes without warning:
players have performed a specific action:
A hidden pit trap that is lined with sharp spikes
An otherwise impassable locked door
A chest that shoots a poisoned dart when opened
A drawbridge over a chasm with a hidden lever
Treasure that triggers a rolling boulder when taken
A character who withholds a vital clue
Hero Kids Fantasy RPG Justin Halliday Page 20
 Guiding the Story
ROLE-PLAYING As the game master for a Hero Kids adventure; your
Children are natural and enthusiastic role-players, primary tool is the simple question:
they crackle with unbounded imagination. What do you do?
Playing a Hero Whenever the players reach a decision point, pause
and then ask them What do you do?
The heroes in Hero Kids offer children a large variety
Sometimes even this open question can prove too
of character archetypes to play. These archetypes
much for some players, so your fallback is to provide
include the warriors, rogues, and mages present in
several simple options tailored for the situation:
most fantasy role-playing games. However, young
players understanding of these archetypes is more Do you want to investigate the sparkling pool or head
likely to come from movies or television. Theyll back along the tunnel to the north?
know Hiccup, Rapunzel, Merida, or Aang. Coaxing Their Voice
Hero Kids gives children the opportunity to be an
Aside from encouraging the players to make decisions
active participant in these characters stories, not just
that guide the story, the other challenge of role-
a consumer of the stories.
playing with kids is to get them to speak in their
Harnessing Imaginations characters voice.
Childrens ideas for their heroes are liable to spin into When presented with a role-playing scene, such as an
wild imaginings. Heroes spontaneously develop new interaction with a character in the story, young
abilities, the world you describe is malleable, and the players may freeze. It may take a while before theyre
constraints of time and distance are ignored. comfortable speaking in character, so start easy by
guiding them with some options:
The game masters job is to translate each players
ideas into the rules of the game. The key is to balance Do you want to tell the sheriff about the giant spiders?
their imagination with the game system. Its Over time the players will build their confidence to
important to encourage improvisation and creative make decisions and speak as their characters.
play, while also developing the players understanding
of the rules of structured play as well as the limits of
their agency and authorial ability.

Hero Kids Fantasy RPG Justin Halliday Page 21

 Attacking Engaged Targets
ADVANCED COMBAT To encourage players to coordinate their characters
Once you and your players have conquered a few actions, many characters gain benefits their targets are
encounters, youll likely be ready to explore the engaged. Engaged targets have an enemy adjacent to
characters special actions and the further scope of them, or have been the target of any attack since the
Hero Kids combat system. The depth of the system attackers last turn. Some characters have special
is encompassed in the unique actions and abilities of attacks only usable against engaged targets while
the heroes and monsters. These allow the characters others, such as warriors, automatically gain benefits
to interact with each other and their environment, through their Teamwork bonus ability:
shaping combat and creating advantageous situations. When a target is engaged, your attacks against that target
Additional Attack Effects gain 1 extra die.

Some attacks have additional effects that trigger Combining Effects

regardless of the success of the attack, indicated with Combining multiple attack effects is a great way to
also in the attack description. In this example, the maximize the effectiveness of characters, especially in
swashbucklers attack moves the target back and the the face of difficult enemies. This involves finding
character moves into their square: synergies in actions and bonuses.
Melee attack at an adjacent target using 1 fewer dice; the For example, a warrior with two adjacent enemies
target is also pushed back and you move into its square. could split their melee dice to attack both:
Alternate Attack Effects Split your melee dice to make melee attacks at multiple
adjacent targets.
While additional attack effects happen in addition to
However, if both of those targets are engaged, then
damage (remember, all attacks deal 1 damage), some
each of those attacks gains 1 extra die:
attacks effects instead of dealing damage. For
example, the mancer can attack with 1 extra die, but When a target is engaged, your attacks against that target
the target is moved without taking damage: gain 1 extra die.
Magic attack at a target up to 4 squares away with 1 As you can see, combining these actions and abilities
extra die; if the attack his it deals no damage but you can effectively doubles the attack strength of the warrior.
push or pull the target up to 4 squares.

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Improvising Actions Moving Around
Players often come up with unexpected ways of Moving around during combat is relatively
dealing with enemies and obstacles, whether its straightforward, but there are a few areas for
swinging through the rigging of a ghostly pirate ship, clarification. Characters:
distracting an enemy with a well thrown chicken can move up to 4 squares (and they may have
drumstick, or fashioning a tripwire with a length of abilities or actions that affect their movement)
rope. This creative improvisation by players should can move diagonally
be encouraged and rewarded.
can move through their allies
Knocked Down, Prone, Get Up cannot move through enemies
When characters are knocked out (KOd) or get must end their movement in an empty square
knocked down, they become prone, which means cannot move diagonally around corners
they are lying on the ground. require extra movement squares to pass obstacles
While prone, the characters actions all have 1 fewer
dice, melee attacks against them gain 1 extra die, and
characters gain 1 armor die when their attacker is not
adjacent to them. To stand up, prone characters need
to get up, which costs 2 squares of their movement.

Line of Sight and Cover

Ranged attacks require line of sight to the target,
which means that there cannot be any solid walls
between the attacker and the target. However, targets
can gain cover from objects or obstacles that partially
block line of sight. For example, low crates or walls
can provide cover without totally blocking line of
sight. When a target has cover from their attacker,
that target gains 1 extra armor die.

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Ongoing Effects and Conditions Splitting Attacks
In addition to simply damaging or moving their Some characters can split their attack dice, which lets
targets, many characters (especially those capable of them attack multiple separate targets with one action,
magic) can alter the battlefield, or hamper their such as warriors with their Whirlwind Attack:
enemies. The warlocks Freezing Strike bonus ability Split your melee dice to make melee attacks at multiple
locks her enemies in place: adjacent targets.
When you roll a 6 on an attack die, your target cannot When splitting attacks, each attack must target a
move during their next turn. different character, characters cannot split their dice
While the stonemasters Wall of Stone action allows to attack the same character.
him to raise stone walls that block enemies or provide Warriors normally have 2 dice for their melee attacks,
cover to the stonemaster and his allies: allowing them to attack one target with 2 dice, or to
Create an obstacle or impassable wall for each die in use their Whirlwind Attack to strike two targets with
your magic pool on empty squares up to 4 squares away. 1 die each. However, if a warrior gained 1 extra melee
die, such as through a piece of equipment or an item,
Pushing and Pulling then they could attack two or three adjacent enemies
Some attacks have alternate or additional effects that (1 die each against three enemies or 2 dice against one
allow the attacker to move the target by pushing them target and 1 die against another).
further away or pulling them closer. When pushing
or pulling, the target must move in a straight line,
cannot move through characters, can move through
obstacles if they can pay the extra movement costs,
and must end up in an unoccupied space:
Ranged attack at a target up to 6 squares away (but not
adjacent); if the attack hits the target takes no damage
but is pulled to an empty square closer to you.

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 When using this method, the heroes are built by
CREATING H EROES allocating the four dice amongst the characters four
abilities; Melee, Ranged, Magic, and Armor.
In addition to the pre-made heroes that are included
However, the first die allocated to the Ranged and
with Hero Kids, your kids can make up heroes of their
Magic abilities costs two dice, instead of one die.
own using a blank hero card, like this:
Normal Attacks
All heroes have normal attacks for each of their
Melee, Ranged, and Magic abilities where they have at
least one die:
Melee attack against an adjacent target
Ranged attack against a target up to 6 squares away
(1 fewer dice against adjacent targets)
Magic attack against a target up to 4 squares away

Special Action
Each heros special action is a unique attack or
alternate action that reflects the heros specialization.
Blank cards are included with the pre-made heroes.
Bonus Ability
What Sort of Hero? The heros bonus ability is something that happens
The first thing to consider is what sort of character automatically, such as added dice to attacks or armor
they want; a melee fighter, a skillful archer or knife during combat in specific circumstances.
thrower, a well-armored warrior, a powerful warlock,
or even a versatile hero who can use multiple attacks.
Inventory and Skills
The last element of the heroes is their inventory and
Allocating Dice skills. Again, look to the characters specialization to
Each of the pre-made heroes in Hero Kids is built think of appropriate items and skills in this area.
with a four dice method.

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CONSIDERATIONS
When playing Hero Kids you need to carefully Language
consider the sorts of game events that we take for As with violence, make sure the language youre using
granted with more mature players. is appropriate for the age of your players.
Other Peoples Children! Religion
First, when playing with other peoples children, Role-playing games often take place in ancient worlds
make sure their parents approve of any content that with polytheistic or pagan religions. This may be a
will be in the game. sensitive area for the parents of some kids.
Violence Morality
One of the core gameplay elements of Hero Kids is Adult players often explore more grey moral areas in
combat, but this can be presented with more or less role-playing games, but this game is for heroic kids
described violence, so adjust this for the age of the who fight only for the good of their friends and
players. For example, when playing with younger community.
players have the defeated enemies scamper away at the
end of combat.

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HINTS AND TIPS
Here are some hints for playing Hero Kids with real The players probably dont know all the clichs
life kids: and tropes of fantasy role-playing games yet, so
Your players are young, so be patient and help feel free to use them!
them when theyre making decisions. Add or remove monsters from the encounters to
Get into the fun with funny voices for the tune them for your players.
monsters, especially the bosses. Keep the monsters moving so the fights dont turn
Get the kids involved in coming up with scenarios into toe-to-toe slugfests.
and stories for their heroes adventures. Bend the rules if theyre getting in the way of the
Encourage improvisation so the players can use players fun.
their actions, movement, and the obstacles and Dont be afraid to skip, add, or change encounters
terrain of the encounter in interesting ways. if the games running short or long.
Make sure all the players get their share of the The kids are little, so play nice and dont try too
action and attention. hard to defeat their heroes.
You might be used to playing 3 or 4-hour sessions
with adult players, but keep the kids sessions
shorter (up to an hour).
The heroes can take their action and move in any
order, so the kids may want to make an attack and
then move away from a monster.
Remind the kids about their heros special action,
bonus ability, and healing potions (except for
younger players, where you can just ignore their
heros special action and bonus ability).

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 Damage: Attacks that hit enemies deal 1 damage, but
GLOSSARY abilities or special actions can adjust this.
Action: Actions include normal attacks, special Dice: All rolls are done with d6s (six-sided dice).
actions, using items (e.g. potions), and ability tests. Dice, Extra: To add dice to the pool.
Adjacent: Characters are adjacent when they occupy Dice, Fewer: To remove dice from the pool.
squares that touch on an edge or a corner. Encounter: A single combat, exploration, or role-
Adventure: A series of encounters that are linked playing scene.
together into a continuous story. Enemy: Anyone fighting against the character.
Ally: Anyone fighting alongside the character. Engaged: A character is engaged if they have been
Attack: An action that uses one of the characters the target of an attack since their last turn or if they
three attack characteristics to damage a target. are adjacent to an enemy other than the attacker and
Bonus Ability: Each character has a bonus ability that enemy can take actions.
that automatically gives them an advantage or Empty Square: Squares without obstacles/characters.
disadvantage and reflects their unique nature. Equipment: Equipment is gear that grants extra
Boss: A strong monster with extra health. abilities or extra advantages in specific situations.
Bruised: The first health box for most characters. Only one piece of equipment can be used at a time.
Character: Any hero, monster, or game character. Game Character: A character controlled by the GM.
Characteristics: The characters details, including Game Master: The Game Master (GM) is you.
their dice pools for melee, ranged, magic, and armor. Get Up: To stand up from prone position. This
Combat Encounter: A single combat engagement. costs 2 squares of a characters normal movement.
Cover: A target has cover if there is an obstacle Grazed: An additional health box for bosses.
between them and their attacker but line of sight is
not totally obstructed (such as by a solid wall).
Cover grants 1 extra die to the targets armor pool.

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Hero: A character that is controlled by a player. Line of Sight: Ranged and magic attacks require the
Hero Card: These cards have all of the heros attacker to be able to see their target. If the target is
characteristics, actions, abilities, inventory, and skills. partially obstructed, they may have cover.
Health: The amount of damage that a character can Map: Combat encounters take place on game maps,
take, expressed in one or more health boxes: KO, either one that is supplied or one you make yourself.
Hurt, Bruised, and Grazed. Magic Attack: Magic attacks target characters up to
Healing: Special actions, potions, and rest can 4 squares away (including diagonally) and must have
remove some or all damage that a character has taken. line of sight.
Hit: Attacks hit when the highest rolled attack pool Melee Attack: Melee attacks target adjacent
die equals or beats the highest rolled armor pool die. characters.
Hurt: The final health box before getting KOd. Minion: A weak monster.
Inventory: The items that the heroes carry. Miss: When the highest rolled attack pool die is
Items: Items are consumables that heroes hold (such lower than the highest rolled armor pool die.
as potions) and can use on their turn as an action. Monster: Baddies with bad breath and bad attitudes.
Knocked Out (KOd): A character is knocked out Movement: Characters can move up to 4 squares
(KOd) when they take damage that fills their final (including diagonally).
health box. KOd characters are prone and cannot Normal Attack: Each hero and monster has one or
take actions or move, but can be healed by other more normal attacks, which are standard attacks using
characters (through magic or using a potion). one of their characteristics and dealing 1 damage.
Knocked Down: When a character is knocked down Obstacle: Obstacles require 1 extra square of
by an attack or effect, they become prone. movement for each square the heroes enter and may
provide cover.

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Player(s): The real-life people who control the Round: Combat encounters are divided into rounds,
heroes in the game. during which each character has a turn.Skills: The
Pool: One or more dice are rolled as a dice pool. things that characters are good at are skills, and are
Potions: Potions are items that characters can use an listed on the hero card.
action to administer to themselves or an adjacent Special Action: Characters can use their alternate
target to heal the target to full health. special action instead of their normal attack action.
Prone: The character is lying on the ground, such as Some special actions require specific conditions.
when they are KOd or otherwise downed. While Split: Some characters can split their attack dice,
prone, characters actions have 1 fewer dice. Prone allowing them to divide their dice to make attacks
characters gain 1 armor die when their attacker is not against multiple separate targets. Each attack must
adjacent to them. Melee attacks against prone targets have at least 1 die, which can then be modified by the
gain 1 extra die. characters bonus ability or other conditions.
Pull: Pulling a target moves that target closer to the Stand-Up: These printable representations of the
hero or monster that performed the action. heroes and monsters are used on the map.
Push: Pushing a target moves it further from the Square: Maps are divided into squares, each of which
hero or monster that performed the action. is about an inch square.
Ranged Attack: Ranged attacks target characters up Target(s): Targets are the characters at which attacks
to 6 squares away (including diagonally) and must are directed.
have line of sight. Ranged attacks against adjacent Turn: A characters opportunity to act, during which
targets roll 1 fewer dice. they can take an action and use their movement.
Rest: Resting after encounters removes 1 damage if
the character was damaged during the encounter.

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 H EROES!

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 MONSTERS!

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