heart rpg pdf

Heart: The City Beneath is a tabletop RPG by Grant Howitt and Chris Taylor, creators of Spire. It explores a dark, surreal undercity where characters risk everything for power or survival. The game combines deep storytelling with dungeon-crawling mechanics, offering a unique blend of exploration and character-driven narratives. Players navigate the dangers of the undercity, uncovering secrets and confronting their own desires. The Heart RPG PDF includes core rules, character creation, and the Dagger in the Heart adventure, providing everything needed for a thrilling journey into the unknown.

1.1 Overview of the Game

Heart: The City Beneath is a dark, narrative-driven tabletop RPG where players explore a surreal undercity filled with danger and opportunity. Designed by Grant Howitt and Chris Taylor, it builds on the success of their previous game, Spire, offering a unique blend of dungeon-crawling and character-driven storytelling. Players navigate the undercity, uncovering secrets, facing moral dilemmas, and risking everything for power or survival. The game emphasizes risk and reward, with characters defined by what they stand to lose. Ideal for fans of gritty, atmospheric RPGs with deep narratives and strategic combat.

1.2 Background and Development

Heart: The City Beneath was developed by Grant Howitt and Chris Taylor, the creators of Spire, and released as a PDF in April. This dark fantasy RPG serves as a spiritual successor to Spire, offering a fresh yet familiar experience. The game was designed to explore themes of risk, loss, and ambition, set in a surreal undercity. Its development drew inspiration from player feedback and the success of Spire, refining mechanics while introducing new ideas; The PDF includes the core rules and the Dagger in the Heart adventure, making it a complete package for players and GMs alike.

Core Mechanics and Rules

Heart RPG features a narrative-focused system with simple d6-based mechanics. It emphasizes storytelling, resource management, and player agency, creating a dynamic experience for both players and GMs.

2.1 Character Creation and Progression

Character creation in Heart RPG is designed to be intuitive and narrative-focused. Players craft unique characters by selecting roles, motivations, and desires, defining their place in the undercity. Progression revolves around achieving these desires, with characters growing stronger but also risking corruption or loss. The system emphasizes storytelling and player agency, allowing characters to evolve organically through their experiences. Mechanical advancements are tied to their pursuit of power, ensuring a deep, immersive journey into the heart of the undercity.

2.2 Combat and Exploration Systems

Combat in Heart RPG blends strategy with storytelling, emphasizing risk and consequence. Battles are intense and narrative-driven, with mechanics designed to reflect the dark, surreal atmosphere of the undercity. Exploration is equally perilous, rewarding curiosity but punishing reckless behavior. Players must navigate treacherous environments, uncover hidden secrets, and manage resources carefully. The system encourages creative problem-solving and strategic thinking, ensuring every delve into the undercity feels unique and memorable, with the ever-present threat of danger lurking around every corner.

The Setting: The City Beneath

The City Beneath is a surreal undercity of dark beauty and danger, where twisted architecture and strange creatures await. It promises power or death to adventurers.

3.1 Descriptions of the Undercity

The undercity is a labyrinth of twisted tunnels and ancient ruins, filled with strange growths and eerie landscapes. Its shifting walls and unpredictable dangers create a living, breathing nightmare.

Strange creatures and corrupted beings roam freely, while the air hums with dark magic. The undercity is alive, and it whispers promises of power to those daring enough to listen.

3.2 Key Locations and Districts

The undercity is divided into distinct districts, each with its own atmosphere and dangers. The Wound, a gaping chasm, pulses with raw energy, while The Grotto shimmer with bioluminescent fungi. The Iron Quarter, a maze of rusted machinery, echoes with ancient whispers. These locations are central to the undercity’s lore, offering players unique challenges and opportunities for exploration and discovery.

Adventures and Campaigns

Heart RPG PDF features The Dagger in the Heart, a thrilling adventure by Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan. Players can also craft custom campaigns, exploring the undercity’s depths and secrets.

4.1 The Dagger in the Heart Adventure

The Dagger in the Heart is a full-length adventure written by Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan, designed to plunge players into the depths of the undercity. This gripping narrative introduces new Beats, antagonists, and landmarks, expanding the game’s lore and challenges. The adventure is filled with dark, surreal encounters that test characters’ resolve and force them to confront their deepest fears. With its intricate plot and immersive setting, Dagger in the Heart offers a thrilling experience that complements the corebook’s rules and themes, inviting players to explore the undercity’s darkest corners.

4.2 Custom Campaign Ideas

Heart: The City Beneath encourages GMs to craft unique campaigns tailored to their players’ desires and fears. From delves into ancient ruins to navigating the undercity’s treacherous factions, the setting offers endless possibilities. Players can pursue personal vendettas, uncover hidden secrets, or succumb to the city’s corrupting influence. Custom campaigns thrive on weaving individual character arcs into the larger narrative, creating a story that is both deeply personal and interconnected with the undercity’s mysterious lore and themes of ambition and survival.

Characters and Classes

Heart RPG offers diverse character classes, each with unique abilities and playstyles. Players craft compelling roles, balancing strengths and weaknesses to navigate the undercity’s dangers and intrigue.

5.1 Unique Character Roles

In Heart: The City Beneath, characters are defined by their motivations and flaws, creating rich, nuanced play experiences. Unique roles like the Bound, Vermin, and Spirefinder offer distinct abilities and narratives, allowing players to explore the undercity through varied perspectives. Each role ties into the game’s themes of ambition and sacrifice, with characters driven by personal desires that often lead to risky, transformative choices. This depth ensures every character feels unique while contributing to the darker, story-forward tone of the game.

5.2 Class-Specific Abilities and Playstyles

Classes in Heart: The City Beneath offer distinct abilities that shape gameplay and narrative. The Bound wield dark, otherworldly powers, while the Vermin excel at survival and stealth. Each class features unique mechanics, such as resource management or conditional abilities, fostering strategic play and storytelling. These abilities not only define how characters interact with the undercity but also how they confront their desires and flaws, adding depth to both combat and roleplay. The system emphasizes player agency and narrative tension through class-specific choices and progression.

Art and Visual Style

The art in Heart RPG PDF features haunting, surreal illustrations that immerse players in the undercity’s eerie atmosphere. Dark, unsettling visuals enhance the game’s thematic depth and tone.