The Game Structure

Heroes in the Storm has a structure to play, with four parts. By default, the game is in free play. Characters talk to each other, they go places, they do things, they make rolls as needed.

When the group is ready, they choose a target for their next quest, then choose a type of plan to employ. This triggers the engagement roll (which establishes the situation as the quest starts) and then the game shifts into the quest phase.

During the quest, the PCs engage the target. They make rolls, overcome obstacles, call for flashbacks, and complete the quest (successfully or not). When the quest is finished, the game shifts into the downtime phase.

During downtime, the GM engages the systems for payoff, trouble, and entanglements, to determine all the fallout from the quest. Then the PCs each get their downtime activities, such as indulging their vice to remove stress or working on a long-term project. When all the downtime activities are complete, the game returns to free play and the cycle starts over again.

Each phase works towards a different goal. For example, free play is very fluid. You can easily skim past several events in a quick montage and characters often split up to do things on their own or work their own personal projects. The quest phase is more concrete and focused. Play becomes about finishing the quest, and watching as the party overcomes each successive obstacle and challenge. The players use flashbacks to elide time and establish previously unseen preparations. After they finish the quest, play shifts into downtime and the focus of play moves to the consequences of the characters’ actions and resulting changes in the world.

The phases are a conceptual model to help you organise the game. They’re not meant to be rigid structures that restrict your options. Think of the phases as a menu of options to fit whatever it is that you’re trying to accomplish in play. Each phase suits a different goal.