Heart⁚ The City Beneath RPG, Overview
Heart⁚ The City Beneath is a tabletop roleplaying game. It is about delving into a nightmare undercity. The undercity will give you everything you have dreamed of. It might also kill you in the process.
Core Concepts of Heart RPG
Heart⁚ The City Beneath, a creation by the designers of Spire, presents a dungeon-crawling experience. However, it is more story-driven than many in the genre. Players assume the roles of delvers, venturing into the dangerous and unpredictable Heart. Their motivations may vary. Some seek answers to long-held questions. Some seek secrets that were better left buried. Still others seek absolution from past sins.
The Heart is a shifting and mad underground region. It is described as a “red wet heaven” slumbering fitfully beneath the city of Spire. The game focuses on what characters are looking for within the Heart. It also focuses on what they are willing to sacrifice to get it.
Comfort and safety are not guaranteed. Players should be aware of potential discomfort when engaging with the game’s themes.
Setting⁚ The City Beneath
The game’s setting is a dangerous underground region called the Heart. Delvers venture into it, seeking answers, secrets, or absolution. The Heart is a shifting and mad landscape beneath the city.
Description of the Heart
The Heart is a red wet heaven. It slumbers fitfully under the city of Spire. It is a nightmare undercity. It can taste and smell you. The Heart makes bone seep into the world of man and elf. Down through deep, the city stretches into the earth.
It will give you everything you have ever dreamed of. The Heart might also kill you in the process. Venture into the Heart seeking answers, secrets, or absolution. The Heart is shifting and mad.
This dangerous investigation is set in Canada in the 1920s. Investigators meet the powerful Lavoie family of Montreal. They learn of the city beneath. Be careful, the heart can smell you. Wonder what you are looking for.
The Relationship to Spire
Above us is the city of Spire, stretching into the sky. Beneath us is the city of Heart, stretching into the earth. Heart is a dungeon-crawl setting existing below Spire. Spire is a game in the genre of urban fantasy-punk. Heart is set in a dangerous underground region.
The Heart is located directly beneath Spire. It is a strange, twisted place. Spire is a city reaching for the heavens, while Heart delves into the earth. The two cities are connected. The setting shares the same universe as Spire.
Heart is a red wet heaven. It slumbers fitfully under the city of Spire. The Aelfir government is based in Spire. Delvers descend from Spire into the Heart.
Gameplay Mechanics
Heart utilizes story-forward gameplay. The game focuses on what characters are seeking. Delvers venture into the Heart seeking answers. They also seek secrets or absolution. The Heart can taste and smell you.
Stress and Trauma System
In Heart⁚ The City Beneath, delving into the unknown has consequences. The game employs a Stress and Trauma system, reflecting the psychological and physical toll on characters as they explore the dangerous undercity. As delvers face horrors and make difficult choices, they accumulate Stress.
Stress represents the immediate pressure and strain on a character. Accumulating too much Stress can lead to Trauma, which represents lasting scars, both mental and physical. Trauma can manifest in various ways, impacting a character’s abilities, relationships, and overall well-being; The system encourages players to consider the long-term impact of their actions.
Managing Stress and Trauma becomes a crucial part of gameplay. Characters may seek ways to alleviate Stress, such as finding moments of respite or seeking solace in their connections. However, the allure of the Heart often outweighs the risks, pushing characters to their limits and beyond. The system adds depth and realism to the game.
Character Creation
Creating a character in Heart⁚ The City Beneath involves selecting an ancestry and a calling. These choices define your delver and their skills. It also gives you your starting point in the nightmare undercity.
Ancestries and Classes (Callings)
In Heart⁚ The City Beneath, character creation revolves around two core elements⁚ Ancestries and Callings. Ancestries define your character’s fundamental nature and origins within the world of Spire and the Heart. They offer unique perspectives and inherent abilities that shape their interactions with the City Beneath.
Callings, also known as Classes, represent your character’s chosen path and expertise. They dictate your skills, talents, and the role you play within your delving party. Callings provide specific abilities and advancements as you venture deeper into the Heart.
The combination of Ancestry and Calling creates a diverse range of character possibilities. It allows players to craft delvers who are uniquely suited to face the horrors and mysteries that lie beneath the city of Spire. These choices will impact your journey!
Themes and Tone
Heart⁚ The City Beneath explores themes of obsession, sacrifice, and the corrupting influence of power. The game embraces a dark and unsettling tone. It emphasizes body horror, psychological dread, and the constant threat of the unknown within the Heart.
Body Horror and Dungeon Crawling
Heart⁚ The City Beneath masterfully blends body horror elements with classic dungeon-crawling mechanics. Delvers will confront grotesque mutations and physiological terrors as they navigate the ever-shifting tunnels of the Heart. The environment itself is a source of horror.
Expect encounters with creatures whose forms defy natural laws, pushing the boundaries of sanity. The game emphasizes the physical and psychological toll of venturing into such a place, with characters facing potential corruption and transformation.
Dungeon crawling is not merely about combat; it is about exploration, resource management, and making difficult choices in the face of overwhelming dread. Each descent into the Heart risks changing delvers forever, blurring the line between self and the monstrous unknown.
Availability and Formats
Heart⁚ The City Beneath is available in both PDF and physical formats. The PDF version offers convenient digital access. Physical copies provide a tangible experience for tabletop enthusiasts to have the game.
PDF and Physical Copies
Heart⁚ The City Beneath offers accessibility through both digital and physical formats. The PDF version provides immediate access to the game’s content, allowing players to delve into the undercity without delay. This digital format is ideal for those who prefer to play on tablets or laptops, or for quick reference during sessions.
Physical copies of Heart enhance the tabletop experience with tangible rulebooks and character sheets. Holding the book in your hands adds a tactile element to the game, making it more immersive and engaging. Physical copies are perfect for collectors and players who appreciate the traditional feel of tabletop gaming.
Whether you choose the convenience of the PDF or the immersive experience of the physical copy, Heart⁚ The City Beneath is readily available to suit your preferred gaming style.