Core Mechanics

Daggerheart is a conversation.

The core gameplay loop is the procedure that drives every scene, both in and out of combat: The GM describes a scenario, establishing the PCs' surroundings…

The spotlight is a symbol that represents the table's attention—and therefore the immediate focus of both the narrative and the game mechanics.

Daggerheart's turns don't follow a traditional, rigid format: there is no explicit initiative mechanic and characters don't have a set number of actions they…

Any time a character does something to advance the story, such as speaking with another character, interacting with the environment, making an attack, casting…

Though Daggerheart relies on the same flow of collaborative storytelling in and out of combat, physical conflicts rely more heavily on several key mechanics…

Stress represents how much mental, physical, and emotional strain a character can endure.

An attack roll is an action roll intended to inflict harm.

You can play Daggerheart using "theater of the mind" or maps and miniatures.

Conditions are effects that grant specific benefits or drawbacks to the target they are attached to.

Between conflicts, the party can take a rest to recover expended resources and deepen their bonds.

When a PC marks their last Hit Point, they must make a death move by choosing one of the following options: Blaze of Glory: Your character embraces death and…

The following rules apply to many aspects of the game.

Your party levels up whenever the GM decides you've reached a narrative milestone (usually about every 3 sessions).

Starting at level 5, you can choose multiclassing as an option when leveling up.

Your equipped weapons and armor are the ones listed in the "Active Weapons" and "Active Armor" sections of your character sheet.

All weapons have a tier, trait, range, damage die, damage type, and burden.

By Mark Thompson The combat wheelchair is a ruleset designed to help you play a wheelchair user in Daggerheart.

Every armor has a name, base damage thresholds, and a base Armor Score.

Loot comprises any consumables or reusable items the party acquires.

Consumables are loot that can only be used once.

Gold is an abstract measurement of how much wealth a character has, and is measured in handfuls, bags, and chests, with 10 handfuls to 1 bag, and 10 bags to 1…