Make Yourself a Hero by Nick Forker is a TTRPG character creation guide made for all-ages!  It’s got fun roll tables, engaging examples, and quirky questions to help you hone your concept, and I’m excited to check it out with you here!

Challenge: Balancing Character Stories

I see this booklet as a tool used for creating an interesting tabletop RPG character that not only has a lot of personality but opportunities to lead into character development and backstory exploration… without getting too overwhelming OR too extreme.

And both sides of that have been really important when running TTRPGs with kids!

Most of the time, I’ll have kids come in maybe not really getting the character creation idea at first and not generating a ton of elements for their PC OR I will have kids come in with the MOST EXTREME CHARACTER EVER!  Like… this PC has already saved a city, defeated a god, has a statue in their honor, or is backed by an army of 1000 robotic squirrels… at level 1.

Giving a base while also reigning things in a smidge can really help to balance the whole party out so Princess Korvaneia, Demigoddess of Technology and Hero of Evercrest doesn’t totally overshadow Jeff the Ranger.  We need to ask some questions about why Princess Korvaneia is level one and working with the party AND we need to get a little more story in there about Jeff the Ranger.

That’s where this book comes in!

Solution: Make Yourself a Hero

In Make Yourself a Hero, there are ten sections that cover big topics like your character’s origin, powers, flaws, gear, and favorite color to help fill your PC out.  

In each section, there are three main elements: 

1. A d20 roll table for ideas
2. Three specific questions about your character
3. An example drawing that points out how to fill in character elements

The roll tables are GREAT for when a kid comes in and just says “I don’t know” because the dice CAN choose for them or it can give a list of ideas so there’s some kind of frame for new players to see the wide scope of choices available when playing a TTRPG (like picking a yeti or fish-person in “hero type”).  For the players who tend to go big, it also gives some examples that can fit the campaign.  Players may choose to create things that aren’t on the lists, but there’s also a bit of a guide for what the ends of the spectrum can be and a push to add some flaws (there’s a flaws section) so this character isn’t already coming in perfect.

For the questions, these are great for getting players to think a little more critically about their character while also giving the GM insight as to what the player values in the game or might like to have incorporated from their character into the game.   Some example questions are: 

• Flaws: Does your character hide or parade this trait?
• Super powers: Can they control them (the powers) successfully?
• Role: Who is their hero/role-model?

They’re REALLY good prompts for filling in more story while also humanizing the character.  The demigoddess is going to have a flaw, and maybe the idea of her not having full control of her powers sounds interesting enough to include in the game!  For Jeff the Ranger, maybe this prompts the player to think about Jeff looking up to a hero and trying to follow in their footsteps… which is a fantastic start to a whole character growth arc that a GM could include in a campaign.

Then we have the example drawings and points of interest.  

These are really fun and tap into a bit of observational learning by providing a solid image of what kind of silly and serious characters could come from answering each step while also showing a bit of the thought process behind them. 

My favorite was probably the Dwarven Chef on the Magical Object page because it showed this character with a Hammer of Lightning strapped to his back instead of using a Knife of Chopping to prepare a meal while a Pot of Stewing sat in the back.  It’s a great way to convey that the game won’t be all fighting and that someone who wields a sweet weapon can also have hobbies.  It also gave Dungeon Meshi vibes, and I’m always a fan of that. 

And… that’s that for my walkthrough!  This was thorough and engaging while being concise and giving clear examples, and it felt fun and playful from start to end. 

I hope you get to check it out, and happy gaming!

You can find Making Yourself a Hero by Nick Forker here!

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