Heaven + Earth (H+E) is a tabletop role-playing game system that is now and ever shall be available for free online. Children don't need expensive books and toys to play brilliant imaginary games, and if we can help it, you shouldn't either. We believe that a free, open-source game will be more fun than anything you could buy. If you don't think so, then join our community and help make it happen.

Q: What sort of game is H+E? What is the setting? What kind of characters can I play? How do I go about character creation?

A: H+E is a game system adaptable to any sort of setting or character. Unlike traditional tabletop RPGs in which each player sets out every aspect of his or her character before play begins, a H+E character begins play with only a concept, and three governing statistics called Heaven ratings. Heaven ratings represent your character's belief in or relationship to three ideas which will guide him or her throughout life. For example, a Catholic priest's player might take Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as his Heaven ratings. A guitar virtuoso might take Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll. A vampire might take Blood, Death, and the Night, and a Leninist revolutionary might take All Land to the Peasants, All Power to the Soviets, and Stop the War Now! The player assigns values to each of these Heaven ratings, representing their relative influence over the character's life; and with no further preparation, the character is ready for play!

Q: What about everything else my character can do?

A: Whenever your character takes an action whose outcome relies on a roll of the dice, you can spend experience points to buy or increase an Earth rating. Earth ratings represent any advantage or disadvantage a character may have in affecting his or her story: strength or skill, luck or money, magic power or advanced technology, divine favor or deals with the Devil. You never have to worry about building a character whose capabilities don't relate to the story at hand; for example, if your character is an expert sailor, you needn't spend any experience on a Seamanship rating if your game never gets near a boat.

Q: What's your combat system like?

A: Fast, dramatic, and accurate. Every player rolls exactly once every round. We've even got provisions for large-scale combat between armies or vehicles, as well as team-up attacks.

Q: Anything else I should know about your game?

A: We have a fun optional module for introducing dramatic devices to your game. In addition to your experience points, Heaven ratings, and Earth ratings, each player gets a few opportunities which he or she can spend to influence the story itself. You can expend one of these dramatic opportunities, called screws, to force epic successes or tragic failures; but you can also spend them to gain powers such as Retcon, Stall, Training Montage, and Fourth Wallhack. Forget to bring a crucial item? Retcon the story so you remembered to pack it this morning! Has the bad guy got your character on the ropes? Stall the villain and force him to monologue until the cavalry arrives! Need to get super strong in time for the championship match? Call a Training Montage! Your friend's character about to do something really stupid, and no way to let him or her know? Hack the Fourth Wall to tell the character what to do! The possibilities are ridiculous.

Q: Okay, I'm curious enough about H+E to give it a shot. What do I do?

The easiest way to play is to join one of our ongoing online playtests. E-mail Lula and say you're interested, and he'll invite you to the Transneptune Gaming mailing list. By playtesting, you can learn H+E firsthand, and even take part in the design process. We need your ideas! New players are always welcome. If you want to set up a H+E game independently, check the setup page—but please, let us know how it goes!