Topics Copy link
Knowledge Has a Story Copy link
Every Hero knows something.
Long before they ever become adventurers, they spend years observing the world around them. Some apprentice beneath master artisans. Others study ancient histories, memorize noble bloodlines, learn the songs of migrating creatures, or devote themselves to understanding forgotten civilizations. Knowledge is not simply acquired—it is lived.
The Topics section records the subjects your Hero has spent time learning, practicing, and exploring throughout their life.
Rather than measuring knowledge with a single numerical value, Rhuna encourages Heroes to develop areas of genuine expertise. These Topics help define not only what your Hero knows, but how they understand the world and what kinds of questions they are naturally inclined to ask.
Major Topics Copy link
A Major Topic represents a field of study in which your Hero possesses significant understanding.
Major Topics are more than hobbies or passing interests. They are subjects your Hero has dedicated meaningful time to mastering through education, apprenticeship, personal experience, or lifelong curiosity.
Your first Major Topic reflects the knowledge your Hero possessed before the campaign begins. As your Lore Pathway advances, additional Major Topics are gained, representing years of continued study, travel, discovery, and experience.
Major Topics should feel broad enough to appear throughout a campaign while remaining specific enough to distinguish one Hero from another.
Whenever the WorldKeeper determines that a Hero's Major Topic is relevant, they should possess meaningful insight beyond what an untrained individual would reasonably know.
Minor Topics Copy link
Not every interest becomes a life's work.
Minor Topics represent subjects your Hero has encountered through travel, conversation, observation, or personal curiosity. While they lack the depth of a Major Topic, they still provide valuable perspective and often serve as the beginning of future expertise.
Minor Topics allow Heroes to possess a wide range of practical knowledge without requiring complete mastery of every subject.
A Hero who possesses a Minor Topic understands its fundamentals, common practices, and recognizable details, but may still need investigation or assistance when confronting its deepest mysteries.
Learning Throughout Life Copy link
Knowledge is never static.
As Heroes explore Rhuna, their understanding of the world continually expands. New civilizations are encountered. Ancient ruins reveal forgotten truths. Long-held beliefs are challenged. Entire fields of study may emerge where none previously existed.
The WorldKeeper is encouraged to reward meaningful learning by allowing Topics to evolve throughout the campaign.
A Minor Topic may eventually become a Major Topic after years of study, while a Major Topic may expand as new discoveries reshape everything the Hero once believed.
Topics During Play Copy link
Topics are not intended to replace creativity or investigation.
Instead, they establish what your Hero would reasonably know before making decisions. When a Topic is relevant, it provides context, informed judgment, historical understanding, cultural familiarity, or practical expertise that may influence how your Hero approaches a situation.
Sometimes a Topic answers a question immediately.
Other times it reveals where additional answers might be found.
The WorldKeeper should treat Topics as opportunities to enrich the narrative rather than simply providing facts.
Choosing Meaningful Topics Copy link
The best Topics help tell your Hero's story.
Ask yourself questions such as:
• What fascinated my Hero while growing up?
• Who taught them these subjects?
• Why did they devote time to learning them?
• What memories are connected to this knowledge?
• How has this shaped the way they see the world?
The answers often reveal as much about the Hero as the Topic itself.
Knowledge Creates Opportunity Copy link
Every Topic is an invitation for adventure.
A Hero who studies ancient empires may recognize forgotten ruins others overlook. A student of monster ecology may predict the habits of dangerous creatures. Someone knowledgeable in merchant economics may uncover corruption hidden within a city's trade.
Knowledge rarely solves every problem by itself, but it often reveals possibilities invisible to everyone else.
The more your Hero learns, the more Rhuna begins to reveal its hidden stories.