Hydras and Heroes

Hydras and Heroes (H&H) began as a total conversation of Dungeons of Dragons to fit a world based on The Illiad, The Odessy, The Trials of Hercules, and other Hellenistic sources to provide a world of Greek Fantasy. As the modifications grew it came to operate more as it's own system. The resources provided here will allow GMs to bring players into a world like that from the film 300 or Assassin's Creed Odyssey- a world of gods, monsters, and men. It blends myth with history to create a Hellenistic Fantasy as opposed to a Medieval Fantasy.
== Version Status ==
=== Current Version ===
* Mythic Dawn - Conceptual experimentation and refinement.
== Classes ==
Hydras and Heroes views the classes as 'professions' with modifications to the standard rules allowing for easier multiclassing. Due to this not all classes can advance to the highest levels yet the experiences a character has gained will add to their 'total level' which is determined by the level of all the classes they have taken.
* Hoplite - Hoplites are citizen-soldiers of the states (freemen usually of the farmer or artisan profession) and typically serve under contract for a few months before returning to civilian life. They must procure their own weapons and armor. Hoplites fight with spear, sword, and shield with especially talented Hoplites being selected to become 'Epilektoi' - members of the Chosen who serve as full time soldiers of the state with all the benefits and obligations that come with such an honor. This obligation includes being on the front line of a Phalanx.
* Pious - While any character can be pious this class serves the role of Cleric in Hydras and Heroes with a focus on prophecy and invocation of the divine. While many decide not to devote themselves to any one god or goddess those who do find avenues for advancement and support with in their organization. They may even find a place among the Oracles.
* Toxotai - Archers and Bowmen the Toxotai where part of the light skirmishing forces of war who harassed enemy phalanxes. They where typically hunters in civilian life. Their feats with the bow can become legendary.
==Epochs==
Drawing from Hellenistic sources the world of Hydras and Heroes has provided a timeline that is divided into Epochs in which a DM may host their game. Some epochs are more desirable then others but one will find resources to hold a game in any of them.
The Birth of the Gods is an era that sees creation spring from nothingness. The first being in existence is Gaia. Gaia was joined by Erberus, Tatarus, and Eros. She without male aid gave birth to Uranus, the sky with whom she procreated with. The product of their union where twelve Titans. Six males and six females. Gaia soon after was impregnated by Uranus again but this time she produced what Uranus saw as monsters- a cyclops and being of 100 hands. Rather then embrace these children with the love he learned from Eros Uranus threw them into Tatarus. Gaia was furious and ordered their youngest son to castrate his father Uranus. Cronos did so and became King of the Gods until he like his father acted against his children before Zeus defeated Cronos with the aid of Metis and took over leadership of the gods. His first act was to toss his father and his father's siblings into Tatarus as Uranus had tossed the cyclops. <conflicting sources are being examined for what happened next>
=== Primal Epoch ===
The first stirrings of Humanity; the era of Prometheus.
* Prometheus was among those Titans not cast into Tatarus (others being ofcourse Gaia and Atlas). Prometheus was asked by Zeus to tell him which of Zeus's children was destined to overthrow his rule over the gods. Prometheus refused to tell which angered Zeus and increased Zeus's fear which would eventually lead to the decree that no new gods would be born. Prometheus, being unwelcomed in Mount Olympus spent days on the Earth and created Man.
===Atlantian Epoch===
This is the time of great Atlantis, the island of Atlas upon whose back the world is held. This epoch allows players to play as Atlantians and explores a period of conquest, colonization, and native resistance with the Athenians being the most prominent. This epoch begins to decline with the Athenian revolt, descending down into the destruction of Atlantis, and fizzles into a new Epoch as the former colonies of the Atlantian Empire assert their independence while Atlantian generals war with one another for leadership of their people. Those Atlantians not killed are either enslaved, join the native cultures, or retreat into enclaves that with generations will eventually loose their identity.
*Atlantis (the Island of Atlas) is established. Named after Atlas, a son of Posieden the island was his place of birth. Atlas was made King of Atlantis and the ocean around the island named in his honor the Atlantic.
*King Atlas and his wife have 5 sets of twin sons (10 sons in total) with each being given a region of the island to govern. These regions become diarchies with a royal house for each son. The eldest line, governing the capital of Atlantis, serves as the patriarchs of the clan. Every six years the kings hold council in the capital to discuss national affairs and keep the family together. As a clan the kings of Atlantis guide the island towards prosperity and innovation.
*Ceropes I establishes a city and becomes it's king. He names it Ceropia after him self. Some of the gods however are interested in becoming the patrons of the city and having it renamed in their honor. Eventually only two of the gods remain interested; Athena and Posieden. Athena is chosen and the city renamed Athens in her honor.
*The King of Athens accidentally kills the son of Minos II of Crete during a game of sport. As punishment they must send sacrifices to the Minotaur. The son of the King of Athens goes on one such sacrificial journey intent on killing the Minotaur; he succeeds but due to forgetting to give a signal that he was alive his father in grief committed suicide by diving into the sea. His son, upon hearing this, renamed the sea after his father.
*The Kings of Atlantis decide to share their prosperity with the world; not by trade but war. They spread their influence upon Africa as far as Egypt and upon the lands of the Mediterranean towards Greece.
*Athens becomes a democracy.
*Athens resists Atlantian conquest and inspires revolts in the Atlantian Empire. It rallies an alliance of the Greek states to combat the invasion.
*Atlantis, the island, is destroyed in a single day- sinking beneath the sea but so too are much of the resistance that fought against the Atlantians due to Earthquakes in the Mediterranean.
*Atlantian colonials without a central authority degrade to a power struggle that allows the natives of the territories to regain power though as they to revert to infighting amid the Earthquakes no large state emerges in any of the former colonies.
===Tragedies of the Trojan War===
This epoch focuses on the events and fallout of the Trojan Wars. While the Greeks won their act of desecrating the temples of the gods in Troy angered the gods leading many to live unfortunate lives. The war set in motion a period of tragedy and vengeance that continued to haunt those involved until death.
*The Trojan Prince Paris steals Helen, a Queen of Sparta from her husband and takes her back to Troy. Sparta declares war upon Troy and gathers allies to free Helen from her captor and take revenge upon Paris for this barbaric act. When Paris presents Helen to Troy his sister Kassandra realizing this meant war tore the golden veil Paris had draped over Helen from the woman's head and announced a prophecy of Troy's destruction. She remained angered and unforgiving of her brother.
*Odesseus departs from the Kingdom of Ithaka to fight in the Trojan War.
*Achilis is killed in battle.
*Odesseus devices the Trojan Horse assuring a victory for Sparta and her allies. The victors burn the city of Troy. They kill the men of Troy while enslaving the woman and children. Sparta has new Helots (slaves) to bring home to the fields, mines, and smithies of Sparta. A statue of Athena was clung to by Kassandra, the daughter of Troy's King and a prophetess. The status was to keep her safe and those around understood this, but Ajax the Lesser tore her from the status and brought her to the other captives but not before defiling her. This angered Athena to the point that her status glowed with fury. When Ajax was accused Odesseus did not believe Ajax and advocated for Ajax to be stoned seeing truth in Kassandra. Ajax swore his innocents upon Athena's name which brought her to further wrath as those who should have stoned Ajax did not and it was by invoking her name that he was spared by them.
*Athena directs Posieden to destroy that part of the returning Greek fleet that aligned with Ajax the Lesser for his act. No ship with any man who had been present when Ajax swore innocent and believed him was spared harrassment.
*Unknown to the victors some will have escaped under the leadership of Aeneas who was ordered by the gods to flee. While Odesseus undertakes a voyage home Aeneas sets off to settle a new land far from the Greeks. He, after a few failed attempts, settles in Italy with his people and becomes an ancestor of the brothers Romulus and Remus.
*Kassandra was by the grace of Athena not with Ajax's men distributed as a spoil of war for captivity. While it was too late for her to have escaped with Aeneas (whose departure she was unaware of) it was not too late for a turn of fortune. King Agemenon of Mycenea claimed her. Agememnon had commanded the united Greek forces at Troy. Agemenon was a noble King and unknown to him his wife had taken a lover of her own in his absence. Kassandra was being positioned to have the opportunity to become a Queen however before either she nor Agemenon could learn of the infidelity the two along with Agememnon's most loyal of war companions where murdered. While fortune did not come to favor Kassandra in life she was in death given a funeral suiting of her piety.
*King Agememnon speaks with Odesseus in the underworld, telling him of his death and warning him not to trust woman. This promotes Odesseus paranoia upon his return to Ithaka. There he disguises himself and learns of the suitors that have come for his wife Penelope. He learns also of her acts to keep them at bay and her undying hope for his return. After revealing himself he begins to kick the suitors out of his home only for them to draw blade- Odesseus spares none of them. In the processing making many mortal enemies.
*Ithaka as a Kingdom falls in the years that follow as mortal and divine agencies now work against Odesseus. While he is alleged to have living decedents who could claim the throne of the land none have proven themselves of the heritage.
Category:Fantasy RPs
Category:Hydras and Heroes