Quick Start

This walkthrough takes you from a fresh install to a finished character. For full installation steps, see Installation.

First-run welcome

The first time Hero Mancer loads, a “Welcome to Hero Mancer 2” dialog appears. It introduces the module as a guided character creator and level-up tool, with steps tailored to your role.

Players see a “Getting started” section that points to where the wizard opens, reminds them to fill out every tab and sub-tab, and explains the “Build Character” button. GMs see a “For GMs” section with deep links into source configuration, the settings dashboard, and the approvals queue.

Tick “Don’t show this again” to skip it permanently. Press “Got it” to dismiss it for the session. By default it shows once per session.

Open the wizard

There are two ways to launch the wizard:

From the Actor Directory header, use the Hero Mancer button.
In Foundry’s native Create Actor dialog, choose “Create with Hero Mancer 2”.

While options load, “Gathering your character options…” appears briefly. The wizard then opens as a window with a left sidebar holding the live character preview on top and a vertical tab list below it. The right side of the window shows the active tab’s content.

The left sidebar holds a “Live character preview” above the tab list. It shows the portrait, movement and senses, proficiency, and saving throws, and updates as the player makes choices. Each tab in the list carries a small badge counting the choices still remaining.

Walk the tabs

Tabs run top to bottom. The Identity tab holds three sub-tabs, Species, Class, and Background, in the order the GM sets.

Start

The player sets the character name, typing one or shuffling a random name by style and culture. Player and token settings live here, including portrait and token art, player color, and pronouns where allowed. If the GM has unlocked it, the player picks a starting level above 1 to enable multiclass and advancement choices. A GM can assign the new character to a player from the “Assign to player” dropdown; the player becomes the owner while the GM stays GM.

Species, Class, Background

The three Identity sub-tabs each present a dropdown of options sorted by folder and pack, with full descriptions. Pinning options compares them side by side in a separate window. Picking a class above level 1 opens multiclass rows where the player assigns levels across classes. Full detail lives on the Character Creation page.

Ability Scores

The player generates scores with the method the GM allows: Standard Array, Point Buy, or Manual Formula. Each ability shows a short description of what it governs and which skills it covers. Primary abilities for the chosen class are flagged. See Ability Scores for each method.

Hit Points

The player sets hit points per class level. Depending on what the GM allows, the method is Maximum, Average, or a manual roll with the hit die. The tab totals hit points and factors in the Constitution modifier. The Identity tab must have a class before this tab activates. See Hit Points.

Equipment

Gear granted by the character’s class and background shows as accordion tiles, with any either-or choices to resolve. The player can instead take starting wealth, rolled or flat, and buy gear in the purchase shop, where a cart is funded by the wealth pool. See Equipment and Gold for the shop, refunds, and bonus gold.

Biography

The player fills in personality traits, ideals, bonds, flaws, appearance, and backstory, plus optional details for alignment, faith, age, and physical description. A GM can make every Biography field required before submission.

Advancements

The advancements from a character’s class, species, and background appear as chips that mark what is granted versus what the player chooses across items, skills, languages, and tools. At the appropriate levels the player chooses an Ability Score Improvement or a feat through a stepper, with a searchable feat browser that respects prerequisites. See Advancements.

Finalize / Review

The Finalize tab is a read-only summary of basics, classes and total level, ability scores, proficiencies, equipment, shop purchases, and gold. The player confirms everything here before submitting.

Submit and what happens next

The player presses “Create character” to finish. If some required choices are still incomplete, a “Create anyway?” prompt warns before proceeding.

After creation:

A “Character created” summary card posts to chat if the GM has it enabled, with a “View Sheet” link.
Spellcasters are handed off to the Spell Book module to set up spells, unless the player opted out on the Finalize tab. See Integrations.
If the GM requires approval, the player presses “Submit for approval” instead of creating. The submission locks read-only while pending, and a banner explains the status. See GM Approval.