Heroes and Monsters
The Free Massively Multi-Player Tabletop Role-
Playing Game!
Materials Needed to Play
Heroes and Monsters Manual (You have it!)
Polyhedral Dice – special dice with various numbers of
sides – 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 20. See fig 1. These dice
are readily available at your local hobby store in the mid-
1980s. They are identified individually by a capital D
and then the number of side for the particular die, for
instance D6 means a six-sided die.
What’s a Role-Playing Game?
Heroes and Monsters is a role-playing game, which
means that the players assume a role and pretend to be
their characters during the game. Conflict is resolved
according to dice rolls and the rules. The referee for the
game is called the “Dungeon Guy.”
The Dungeon Guy
One player acts as the "Dungeon Guy." He designs
each adventure and tells the other players what their
characters see, what happens to them, and so on. The
Dungeon Guy also plays the roles of any non-player
characters, such as monsters or the old man at the
tavern.
Selecting a Character Type
Players begin by selecting which character type they will
play:
1. Warrior – masters of fighting.
2. Priest – receive magical powers from their deity and
are forbidden to use edged or sharp weapons.
3. Magician – students of the mystic arts who learn
magic from intense study.
4. Elf – May act as a Warrior or a Magician on any given
adventure, but must declare which in advance.
There are no relative advantages or disadvantages to
each character type – they’re all pretty much the same
in terms of the rules. All player characters start at “Level
One.”
Skill
The single Attribute used in this game is called “SKILL”
and it’s completely equivalent for each character. SKILL
begins at four and progress one point for each monster
killed or gold coin acquired thereafter, with a maximum of
20. When a character gets hurt, he loses one point of
skill. If a character’s skill drops below zero, then he dies.
A character’s skill determines which die the player rolls
in any given situation.
SKILL CHART
0 DEAD LEVEL DEAD
2 D4 LEVEL NEGATIVE ONE
3 D4 LEVEL ZERO
4 D6 LEVEL ONE
5 D6 LEVEL TWO
6 D8 LEVEL THREE
7 D8 LEVEL FOUR
8 D10 LEVEL FIVE
9 D10 LEVEL SIX
10 D12 LEVEL SEVEN
11 D12 LEVEL EIGHT
12 D20 LEVEL NINE
13 D20 LEVEL TEN
14 D20 LEVEL 11
15 D20 LEVEL 12
16 D20 LEVEL 13
17 D20 LEVEL 14
18 D20 LEVEL 15
19 D20 LEVEL 16
20 D20 CHARACTER RETIRES TO BECOME
A GOD
Playing the Game
The Dungeon Guy should prepare a map that consists
of various rooms connected by hallways. This is the
“Dungeon,” which exists in some caves near town. The
Dungeon Guy should make notes of monsters in each
room and the gold coins they possess, if any. Then the
Dungeon Guy should read the following to the players:
"A wise old man in a tavern tells you that the evil Big
Boss has kidnapped the Princess and is keeping her
in a Dungeon full of monsters. Are you bad enough
dude's to rescue the Princess?"
If the players answer "No," then the adventure is over.
Assuming they go to the Dungeon, read the following...
"You enter the dungeon. There is a door to your left
and a door straight ahead, as well as the entrance
behind you. What do you do next?"
For follow-on adventures, the Dungeon Guy can
prepare his own introductory text, similar to the example
above.
Monsters
Monsters are just like characters in game terms, except
that their starting SKILL varies. For each monster, roll a
D12. The resulting number is the monster’s SKILL and
you should make a note of it on your map.
Fighting
When characters encounter monsters, they fight each
other one at a time. Use dice rolls to determine which
side attacks first. When two characters (i.e. a Warrior
and a Lizard Man) fight, the player rolls his die and the
Dungeon Guy rolls the appropriate die for the monster.
In cases of ties, the character wins. If the monster gets
a higher number, the character loses one point of
SKILL. If the hero gets a higher roll, then the monster
dies. If the monster had any gold coins, the hero can
take them.
Monsters
Monsters are all pretty much the same, except they have
different names and appearances. Here are four
sample monsters:
Lizard Man
Rock-Throwing Goblin
Brain-Eating Zombie
One-Armed Dragon
Anything Else
The answer to any other rule question is usually the
character’s SKILL score.
Optional Rules
Traps
Traps may be placed throughout dungeons. When a
character encounters a trap, the player makes a skill
roll, trying to get a four or higher. If the character
succeeds, he avoids the trap. If the character fails, he
did not find the trap and loses one point of Skill due to
injury.
Power-Ups
Power-Ups are items that can be scattered throughout
dungeons. When characters pick them up, they gain
special abilities, such as detecting traps or multiplying all
their skill rolls by two. The catch is that power ups only
last for a minute or two (of real time). One a character
gets a power-up, set a timer and when the timer goes
off, his extra power disappears.
Example:
Mario’s Mystic Hammer – the wielder of this hammer
instantly kills any enemy without the need to make a skill
roll.
When a Player’s Character Dies
When a player’s character dies, the other players may
choose to tell that player to leave forever and that he
doesn’t exist anymore because he’s dead. Also, note
that it’s the player’s fault the character died.
Learning to Really Cast Spells
If a player’s character is a priest or magician who
successfully reaches 8th level, then the Dungeon Guy
may feel that the intense occult training of playing
Heroes and Monsters has prepared the player to learn
to really cast spells and use evil black magic. In this
case, the Dungeon Guy invites the player to join a local
witch’s coven and provides appropriate follow-on
training. At this point the game becomes real, rather
than just fantasy. Players should be delighted to
discover the real power.
The Free Massively Multi-Player Tabletop Role-
Playing Game!
Materials Needed to Play
Heroes and Monsters Manual (You have it!)
Polyhedral Dice – special dice with various numbers of
sides – 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 20. See fig 1. These dice
are readily available at your local hobby store in the mid-
1980s. They are identified individually by a capital D
and then the number of side for the particular die, for
instance D6 means a six-sided die.
What’s a Role-Playing Game?
Heroes and Monsters is a role-playing game, which
means that the players assume a role and pretend to be
their characters during the game. Conflict is resolved
according to dice rolls and the rules. The referee for the
game is called the “Dungeon Guy.”
The Dungeon Guy
One player acts as the "Dungeon Guy." He designs
each adventure and tells the other players what their
characters see, what happens to them, and so on. The
Dungeon Guy also plays the roles of any non-player
characters, such as monsters or the old man at the
tavern.
Selecting a Character Type
Players begin by selecting which character type they will
play:
1. Warrior – masters of fighting.
2. Priest – receive magical powers from their deity and
are forbidden to use edged or sharp weapons.
3. Magician – students of the mystic arts who learn
magic from intense study.
4. Elf – May act as a Warrior or a Magician on any given
adventure, but must declare which in advance.
There are no relative advantages or disadvantages to
each character type – they’re all pretty much the same
in terms of the rules. All player characters start at “Level
One.”
Skill
The single Attribute used in this game is called “SKILL”
and it’s completely equivalent for each character. SKILL
begins at four and progress one point for each monster
killed or gold coin acquired thereafter, with a maximum of
20. When a character gets hurt, he loses one point of
skill. If a character’s skill drops below zero, then he dies.
A character’s skill determines which die the player rolls
in any given situation.
SKILL CHART
0 DEAD LEVEL DEAD
2 D4 LEVEL NEGATIVE ONE
3 D4 LEVEL ZERO
4 D6 LEVEL ONE
5 D6 LEVEL TWO
6 D8 LEVEL THREE
7 D8 LEVEL FOUR
8 D10 LEVEL FIVE
9 D10 LEVEL SIX
10 D12 LEVEL SEVEN
11 D12 LEVEL EIGHT
12 D20 LEVEL NINE
13 D20 LEVEL TEN
14 D20 LEVEL 11
15 D20 LEVEL 12
16 D20 LEVEL 13
17 D20 LEVEL 14
18 D20 LEVEL 15
19 D20 LEVEL 16
20 D20 CHARACTER RETIRES TO BECOME
A GOD
Playing the Game
The Dungeon Guy should prepare a map that consists
of various rooms connected by hallways. This is the
“Dungeon,” which exists in some caves near town. The
Dungeon Guy should make notes of monsters in each
room and the gold coins they possess, if any. Then the
Dungeon Guy should read the following to the players:
"A wise old man in a tavern tells you that the evil Big
Boss has kidnapped the Princess and is keeping her
in a Dungeon full of monsters. Are you bad enough
dude's to rescue the Princess?"
If the players answer "No," then the adventure is over.
Assuming they go to the Dungeon, read the following...
"You enter the dungeon. There is a door to your left
and a door straight ahead, as well as the entrance
behind you. What do you do next?"
For follow-on adventures, the Dungeon Guy can
prepare his own introductory text, similar to the example
above.
Monsters
Monsters are just like characters in game terms, except
that their starting SKILL varies. For each monster, roll a
D12. The resulting number is the monster’s SKILL and
you should make a note of it on your map.
Fighting
When characters encounter monsters, they fight each
other one at a time. Use dice rolls to determine which
side attacks first. When two characters (i.e. a Warrior
and a Lizard Man) fight, the player rolls his die and the
Dungeon Guy rolls the appropriate die for the monster.
In cases of ties, the character wins. If the monster gets
a higher number, the character loses one point of
SKILL. If the hero gets a higher roll, then the monster
dies. If the monster had any gold coins, the hero can
take them.
Monsters
Monsters are all pretty much the same, except they have
different names and appearances. Here are four
sample monsters:
Lizard Man
Rock-Throwing Goblin
Brain-Eating Zombie
One-Armed Dragon
Anything Else
The answer to any other rule question is usually the
character’s SKILL score.
Optional Rules
Traps
Traps may be placed throughout dungeons. When a
character encounters a trap, the player makes a skill
roll, trying to get a four or higher. If the character
succeeds, he avoids the trap. If the character fails, he
did not find the trap and loses one point of Skill due to
injury.
Power-Ups
Power-Ups are items that can be scattered throughout
dungeons. When characters pick them up, they gain
special abilities, such as detecting traps or multiplying all
their skill rolls by two. The catch is that power ups only
last for a minute or two (of real time). One a character
gets a power-up, set a timer and when the timer goes
off, his extra power disappears.
Example:
Mario’s Mystic Hammer – the wielder of this hammer
instantly kills any enemy without the need to make a skill
roll.
When a Player’s Character Dies
When a player’s character dies, the other players may
choose to tell that player to leave forever and that he
doesn’t exist anymore because he’s dead. Also, note
that it’s the player’s fault the character died.
Learning to Really Cast Spells
If a player’s character is a priest or magician who
successfully reaches 8th level, then the Dungeon Guy
may feel that the intense occult training of playing
Heroes and Monsters has prepared the player to learn
to really cast spells and use evil black magic. In this
case, the Dungeon Guy invites the player to join a local
witch’s coven and provides appropriate follow-on
training. At this point the game becomes real, rather
than just fantasy. Players should be delighted to
discover the real power.
Fig 1: Polyhedral Dice
The Dungeon Guy can actually
appear within the game if you so
desire. His role should be to act
as mentor and motivator to the
characters, i.e. "Hurry up and
get going or I'll strike you dead
with mystical lightning."
appear within the game if you so
desire. His role should be to act
as mentor and motivator to the
characters, i.e. "Hurry up and
get going or I'll strike you dead
with mystical lightning."
Fig 2: The Dungeon Guy
Fig 5: Priest
Fig 8: Lizard Man
Fig 9: Rock-Throwing Goblin
Fig 10: Brain-Eating Zombie
Fig 11: One-Armed Dragon
Fig 12: The Big Boss
Fig 13: The Princess
Fig 3: Warrior
Fig 4: Magician
Fig 6: Elf
Fig 7: Dungeon Map
Dark Dungeon
1. Entrance
2. Two Lizard Men (Skills 6
and 5)
3. Two Goblins (Skills 3
and 4)
4. One Dragon (Skill 10)
5. One Zombie (Skill 6)
6. One Zombie (Skill 8)
7. One Lizard Man (Skill 7)
8. Two Zombies (Skills 8
and 9)
9. Three Dragons (Skills 8,
9, and 10)
10. Seven gold coins
11. Empty Room
12. The Big Boss (Skill 15);
The Princess (Skill 6)
1. Entrance
2. Two Lizard Men (Skills 6
and 5)
3. Two Goblins (Skills 3
and 4)
4. One Dragon (Skill 10)
5. One Zombie (Skill 6)
6. One Zombie (Skill 8)
7. One Lizard Man (Skill 7)
8. Two Zombies (Skills 8
and 9)
9. Three Dragons (Skills 8,
9, and 10)
10. Seven gold coins
11. Empty Room
12. The Big Boss (Skill 15);
The Princess (Skill 6)