Opening
Hear ye, listen close! I’ve run Hero’s Dreams for nigh on forty years, and now my time behind the bar is nearly spent. This tavern’s yours—if you’re clever enough not to get yourself, your heroes, or our reputation killed by dawn. So before I hand you the keys and leave for a well earned vacation, here’s what you need to keep us thriving, or at least—open:
The Day-to-Day
Each sunrise, a fresh batch of would-be quest-givers crowds the door. I always display a fair number of quests, more than our current band of heroes usually dares attempt. But remember—quests cost coin to claim, and you’ll only earn from those you pay to join. The rest, let ‘em walk.
Growing Your Heroes
We start humbly: just a single hero under your roof. Want to rally more? It’ll cost you. Each day before you buy quests, you have the option to invest your gold and raise your maximum heroes—one more at a time, but the price doubles with every expansion. No shortcuts, no free rides.
When fortune smiles and the tavern levels up, you can recruit another hero from three eager hopefuls—provided you’ve room to house them. Each hero comes with their own Level, Class, quirky Personality, and a shimmer of Hidden Potential. The higher their Potential, the more miraculous their powers when they grow.
Don’t forget Happiness! Heroes lose spirit if pushed too hard, left unused, or shortchanged. Bring joy—with victories and generous rewards—and they’ll stay loyal. Unhappy ones? They’ll slack, sour, or storm out.
Dealing & Dividing
When a quest is yours, you set your tavern’s commission from the haul. The rest must be shared among those you send—but they’ll refuse any deal short of their minimum.
Assign wisely, split fairly, or you’ll see refusals, desertions, or worse.
Resolution & Consequence
Win, and our name (and your purse) rises. Fail, and you’ll lose coin, face, and friends—sometimes to the grave. Even victorious heroes may suffer: injuries, poison, or lingering curses.
You and your heroes earn experience (XP) after every mission. Heroes unlock potent new abilities as they level, shaped by their Hidden Potential. The tavern itself gains no new tricks with each level, but you’ll always get a shot at recruiting fresh talent.
Tavern Upkeep
Every dawn, pay your dues just to keep the ale flowing and the lights on. Fame draws better quests and heroes, but your bills climb, too. Can’t pay? Your reputation takes the hit, and too much shame will close our doors forever.
Reputation
Rise high, and heroes and clients worth having come calling. Let it plunge—and two days of disgrace will see the place shuttered for good.
The Day’s Flow
Quest Market: Choose what quests to gamble on from today’s options, or use hard-earned gold to grow your hero roster.
Team & Take: Set your cut, assign your best (or boldest), and be sure every hero is content with the deal.
The Outcome: Find out who returns, who prospers, and who you’ll be raising a toast (or a gravestone) for.
Choose your keeping style:
Easy: Quests are tamer, heroes less demanding, and tragedy is rare. Good for greenhorns and gentle souls.
Normal: The classic struggle—a fair fight between danger and reward.
Hard: Life is cruel here—clients are stingier, quests deadlier, and heroes desert (or die) more easily. Gold flows sweeter, but at a cost.
Nightmare: Only the most ruthless barkeeps survive. Each mistake breeds ruin, success is hard-won, and heroes walk the razor’s edge.
The keys are yours, barkeep. Don’t let Hero’s Dreams become Hero’s Nightmares.
