October might be spooky season, but gothic heroes are forever. Here’s how you can lean into the dark side of PCs.
Gothic fiction has done a lot for D&D. The idea of a noble hero that struggles against some supernatural or occult force is one that resonates strongly in any campaign. If you’ve ever fought cultists or dealt with deceitful nobles and evil spirits, you’ve been touched by the same influence that pervades books like Frankenstein and Dracula.
But it’s not just horror that defines gothic stories – it’s the heroes. Brooding. Struggling with their own vices as well as the burden of the supernatural forces in their lives? That’s peak gothic fiction right there. If you’ve ever had a hero with a darker side, then you’re playing with a gothic hero. It can be a ton of fun! They make for amazing stories, if you know how to play one.
Hubris
All characters have flaws. Even if it’s just a dump stat. But gothic heroes are often driven by some kind of hubris. It can take many forms. Maybe you believe you’re the only one who can grapple with the darkness of the world. Maybe you – and you alone – have to avenge some terrible wrong. Or maybe it’s just that you think that you’re built different, when you’re as mortal and fallible as the rest of them.
But hubris or pride or arrogance (in oneself) is only one side of a gothic hero.
Haunted Past
You’ve probably already got some sort of tragic backstory in mind. And gothic heroes often have haunted pasts. This could be because they were the only ones to survive a terrible incident. Maybe they committed some illicit experiment and unleashed a creation that they now try to stop.
Maybe they fell in love with someone who was lusted after by someone powerful and now they have a burning desire to live freely. Whatever the case, a haunted past goes hand in hand with any gothic hero.
Get Curious
Another characteristic of gothic heroes is that they see the occult or supernatural forces in the world and they are driven to understand them. Mystery and the unknown is what draws them onward. Even in the face of terrible consequences to themselves or others (that’s that hubris we’re talking about). But you don’t gain power by NOT poking holes in the fabric of the cosmos.
Romantic At Heart
Gothic fiction bloomed in the hands of romantics. Which I mention as a good reminder that any good gothic hero should be a little bit of a romantic. That is to say, they should believe that passion and intuition are crucial to understanding the world. And that beauty and love and the sublime are worth fighting for. Especially if that fight happens to involve rooftop duels in the rain.
Brood With The Best Of Them
Finally, a gothic hero has to brood. They have to ruminate. Think about what they’ve done. What’s been done to them. That is to say – all you have to do is talk about your feelings and your backstory and maybe give your inner monologue a little time in the sun.
Happy adventuring!
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