A Rusted, Ruined Crowd -- A Hero Generator.

“No more terrible disaster could befall your people than for them to fall into the hands of a Hero.” - Pardot Kynes, Dune.

        Great men and women may not make history, but they can occasionally shape it. Whether for good or ill, heroes often define the culture around them, even if only as an inspirational myth. From those who forge empires, to those who crush them under heel, their actions are all around us.

        D&D is all about heroes, or at least heroics. While the default assumption of most campaigns is that the PCs will be the heroes, there’s always a need to come up with historical figures on the fly. To use this table, simply roll 4d8 and consult the table below.

1d8	What sort of life did they live before their rise?
1	The humdrum, average life of a commoner.
2	They were a member of the noble class, perhaps even royalty.
3	Surviving a lifetime of privation and poverty, they grew up on the edges of society.
4	They hail from a primitive culture. The ways of civilization were foreign to them.
5	Sequestered from the world in an abbey, temple, or other religious order.
6	One touched by destiny from the very beginning. Their birth was foretold in the stars.
7	A violent one. They were a soldier, bandit, or assassin.
8	No one knows.

1d8	What was their quest?
1	Bring about the death of some important figure.
2	Conquer or undo a nation or kingdom
3	Retrieve an item or artifact of great power to forestall some doom.
4	Destroy a cursed item or artifact.
5	Found a new dynasty.
6	Win a conflict.
7	Learn or identify a piece of world-shattering information.
8	A personal vendetta or mission which spins into one of great import.

1d8	What skills or abilities were they known for?
1	An uncanny ability to make friends and influence people.
2	Dexterous hands coupled with a cunning mind.
3	Truly awe-inspiring skill with various deadly implements.
4	Some special or deep secret of occult learning.
5	The favor of a divine or fell being, whether that be a demon lord or a god.
6	A seeming inability to be killed or deterred from their goals.
7	Knowledge of things to come. An unnerving prescience.
8	Pure dumb luck.

1d8	What happened to them?
1	No one knows. Some say they were just a myth.
2	Passed away from old age. They may even be a tomb or memorial.
3	Died in a great battle, surrounded by the bodies of their foes.
4	Their wounds from their quest caught up with them, and they expired while still young.
5	Captured by their enemies, they were executed publicly.
6	Suffering under a curse, they went mad in their search for a cure. They failed to find one.
7	Assassinated a few years after their adventures.
8	Disappeared one day, only stopping to promise they'd return when needed most.