Take the High Road

The core premise of Fable®, the groundbreaking roleplaying game from Big Blue Box, is that you can develop your character any way you want. This includes your morality. You can align yourself with the cause of good, evil, or something in between. If you crave the glorious destiny of a well-loved hero, here's a strategy guide to help you keep to the high road.

Hopeful young heroes have so much to learn.

Getting Off to a Good Start
Reputation is everything in Fable. Heroes are renowned for their unswerving dedication to higher ideals; villains are infamous for their vile deeds. Because the game's narrative spans your entire life, your reputation is in constant flux—if you want to end your days a beloved hero, you'd better get an early start.

The journey to heroism begins with a series of childhood decisions. Don't treat these lightly; each is an opportunity to develop your character. You may be just a young boy living in a peaceful rural village, but everything you do in this chapter is relevant to your future development. Focus on obeying your parents, treating others respectfully, and helping those who ask for your aid. Temptation to do exactly the opposite surrounds you, offering easier and quicker routes to getting what you want. Resist or you'll face an early slide into evil! You'll know your reputation is suffering if the village guards go out of their way to scold you for behaving like a brat. Be sure to listen to the villagers as well. What are they saying about you? If it isn't good, you'd better shape up in a hurry.

All the world shall know your name!

A Guild of Their Own
You'll spend a lot of time at the Guild of Heroes, first as an apprentice and later as a full-fledged member. This is where you'll learn to use weapons and magic, and you'll return periodically to rest and gain new quests.

It's important to keep a rein on your emotions in this place, whether you're in training or just visiting to stock up on supplies. Tempted to punch a fellow apprentice right in his smart mouth? Too busy with your personal goals to answer an appeal for help? You'd better cool out and reconsider, unless you want to spend a lot of time repairing a damaged reputation. Aiding others, even without the promise of immediate gain, is a hallmark of the heroic spirit. When a serving wench asks you to hunt for apples so she can make a pie for the Guild Master, do it. It may take time away from your training, but what you'll gain in good will is more important.

Your apprenticeship concludes when you pass all the necessary tests and receive your Guild Seal. From this point forward, it gets trickier to remain solidly on the path of righteousness. Sneaking around and ambushing monsters from a distance with ranged attacks is an undeniably effective combat strategy, but it's also not very heroic. You'll earn a better reputation for facing your enemies head on, despite the increased risk of injury (but, hey, every hero needs a few battle scars!).

Shining aura? Check. Good reputation? Check. Congrats—you’re a hero!

How Big Is My Ego?
A handy meter in your inventory tracks your moral progress, but there are several important social and visual cues to keep you on the straight and narrow.

The world itself helps keep you honest. Every inhabitant of Albion has an opinion about you, and it's constantly updated to reflect your activities. Word gets around pretty fast in this place. If people celebrate your arrival in their community with excitement, if they shower you with honor and treat you like a celebrity, you're one of the good guys. If they shun you and curse your name, stop punching random villagers and start being more helpful.

Keep an eye on your physical appearance, too. Good characters eventually develop a soft "aura" of diffuse light when they're standing still. If you notice any abnormalities such as horns, glowing red eyes, or a receding hairline (seriously!), you're straying from the path of righteousness and into the weeds of wickedness!

Follow this strategy and you'll become a figure celebrated in song and legend. Stray from this course and—well, that's the topic of another article!

Article by Jim W. Gettys