Heroes are special, long-lived characters who attach to armies, cities, and diplomatic posts. They level up, learn special abilities, accumulate equipment, and shape outcomes around them.
A hero can fill one of several roles, with culture-specific archetypes:
| Role | Function |
|---|---|
| General | Attached to an army; multiplies BP, gates strategy-script complexity. |
| City Leader | Assigned to a city; biases its bonuses (Builder, Warden, Merchant, Scholar, Priest). |
| Ambassador | Assigned to an embassy; negotiates diplomatic contracts. |
| Spy Master | Runs a spy network; attribution sharpening. |
| High Priest | Runs a temple complex; doubles faith generation. |
| Avatar (divine) | A Belief-Tier-V god summon; legendary stats, permadeath consequence. |
A hero can switch roles between in-game days but loses partial leveled XP from the previous role.
| Archetype | City bias |
|---|---|
| Builder | +construction speed, +stockpile yield. |
| Warden | +security, +garrison strength. |
| Merchant | +trade income, +marketplace efficiency. |
| Scholar | +research, +knowledge gauge. |
| Priest | +faith, +belief tier gain. |
| Captain | +manpower, +recruit speed. |
Cultures bias which archetypes feel native. River Crown produces Scholars naturally; Fjordborn produce Captains; Cairnveil produce Priests (druids); Sun Dune produce Merchants.
Heroes accumulate XP from:
Levels typically go 1–10 with major ability unlocks at 3, 6, and 9.
Each hero acquires 3–5 active abilities and a similar number of passives. Examples:
A full ability list per archetype lives in generals_hero.md.
When a hero is attached to an army:
(1 + hero_attach_bonus) (bonus depends on hero level + culture flags).A high-level hero gains a retinue — a small unit of personal guards / advisors. Retinues:
If a hero dies:
Each culture has at least one signature legendary hero (often Avatar-tier at Belief V). Sample list:
Signature heroes are tied to gods at Belief Tier V + Wonder + State God status.
Sources: generals_hero.md (29K), rts_general_hero_design_table.xlsx, gods_and_avatars.md, metrics.md §Signature hero combat stats.