Legends walk the lands of Theros, a realm shaped by deities and the deeds of heroes. From the temples of omen-speaking oracles to the five realms of the Underworld, the champions of the gods vie for immortal favor and a place among the world’s living myths.
A vast, opaque fog acts as a wall at the borders of Theros. If you check the map, the areas to the very edge of the map is covered by this fog, and it seems unpassable by mortals. Everyone who has tried to traverse into the fog always winds up exiting the fog at a random fog-obfuscated point in Theros. Though, there are the very few who walk out of this fog with no memory of where or who they were previous, sometimes they are seemingly completely new to the realm as there is no evidence of a previous life before exiting from the fog. These people are called the Mistborn.
Theros is a place filled with myths, mysteries, monsters, heroes and divinity. Paths divulge according to the hero’s choices, and the world adjusts as desired. The roots of Theros lie in the myths of ancient Greece, tales dominated by gods, heroes, and monsters. This world takes inspiration from real-world mythology and adapts it into a world designed for heroics and fantastical adventures. The central conflict in Theros is among gods, striving against each other over the devotion of mortals. Mortal devotion equates to divine power, after all. Fate and destiny is always at play in this realm, with each mortal bound by the strands of fate, but some heroes choose to take it into their own hands… will that be you? Will you become a champion of the gods, or even against them?
Setting
You are located in Theros, a region of the "realm" Fanensunn. The themes of this world are Mythology, Heavy Divine Influence, Heroic, Destiny, Discovery, and Adventure.
Here is the Timeline of Theros, which includes history of each of the four ages.
Character Creation in MOoT
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.
The following is information you should know when creating a character in Theros:
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.
Heroic Feats
If you don't like any of the Supernatural Gift options presented below, you may choose 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)
- lroas 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)
Most of everything in the God's Guide Dashboard (except the homebrew Bloodlines) can be used in character creation, as long as you check with me first. Although, if a section below has "EXCLUSIVE" in the title, that means those options are your only choices for that section. The following options are added for this setting:
New Background(s)
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.
EXCLUSIVE Race(s)
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 or are the extremely rare case of an unknown race Mistborn.
New Subclasses(s)
The heroes of Theros always find a way to throw their own spin on fighting styles, spellcasting, and of course, subclasses. The following subclass options are only available to the Theros setting, and are thus influenced by the gods and people of the setting.
- Bard:
- Cleric: Revelry Domain
- Druid:
- Fighter:
- Paladin:
- Ranger:
- Sorcerer:
- Warlock: