Creating our First Hero!
Your premade fleshed-out TTRPG character, as you or your loyal companion
Hi there! I am Kaelwyr from Wyrmwood Studios. As we step into 2025 with dozens of projects in the pipeline, I have decided for this time to diverge from my usual writings on game design, as I wanted to share my experience so far in designing a sort of TTRPG equipment that any player or GM can use to make their experience slightly better. I like to think of it as a prop as it serves as the connection between you and the story, and I believe that it plays a determining role in the overall immersion and fun.
Why does this matter? Perhaps it’s just me, but I have a hunch that the fantasy engine requires increasingly more fuel to get started. This may be due to the vast sources of imagination and of course the repetitive patterns in the new releases within this hobby. Driven by our urge to offer the community a more tangible and guided imaginative experience, we have been working on developing what we call “Your Hero” (If you have a better name, my DM’s are always empty for you!)
Before I start talking about it, I’d like to briefly mention the Wyrmwood Academy and this Substack, which we started to share our knowledge and experiences. As an added bonus, I also write about topics that few people want to hear me discuss for hours, hoping that someone will find value in my monologue. Looking at the expansive TTRPG landscape, we aimed at carving out our niche and create a meaningful connection between “You” and your “Hero”.
There are countless great concepts, captivating stories, and engaging mechanics, and we all enjoy the tangible element of filling up our bookshelves. We sought to create something that satisfies our DIY spirit and incorporates crafting as well. Among numerous ideas, breathing life into story-driven characters emerged as the essential element in the creation of “Your Hero”.
We are not trying to compete with anyone but ourselves here— as is the case with all quality and creative concepts. We discover something interesting and exciting, and we hope that you will find it as well. The challenge lies in creating a character that feels authentic, or at least somewhat real. With a passion for storytelling, world-building, and character development, our first hero is in the making. Spoiler alert—he is from Vayloria.
The journey, of course, doesn’t stop here. Since it is quite challenging to create flesh and blood, we attempted to create resin—aiming to complete the concept of the character, as is common in many board games, allowing players to see themselves in the game through these representations. This is, of course, subjective; therefore, we believe that the more personality and character you add, the greater the attachment. Additionally, time, care, and effort enhance engagement, so we encourage fellow hobbyists to pick up a paintbrush.
Hopefully, this will become part of our core identity and we will be able to help people find a slightly more in-depth and engaging way of sitting at the table and exploring the different worlds.
If you have read so far, I would like to thank you for your interest and attention. We will soon make available what’s promised to take a look, and if you want to see more on Storytelling, World-Building and Game Design, Subscribe to our Substack and visit our website (wyrmwoodstudios.com).
Talk to you later!