GM Principles: Begin and End with the Fiction - Fill the World with Life, Wonder, and Danger

- Hold On Gently - Make Every Roll Carry Weight

GM GUIDE
Collaborate At All Times, Especially In Conflict - Play To Find Out What Happens - Ask Questions and Incorporate the Answers

GM Best Practices: Cultivate a Curious Table - Gain Your Players’ Trust - Treat the Characters as Competent - Cut to the Action
Keep the Story Moving Forward - Help the Players Use the Game - Create a Meta Conversation - Ground the World in Motive
Bring the Game’s Mechanics to Life - Re-frame Rather Than Reject - Work in Moments and Montages

Action Rolls GM MOVES

Call for an Action Roll when a character takes an action where the outcome is Make a move whenever:
in question and the success or failure is interesting to the story.
• A player rolls with Fear.
1. Pick a character trait. • A player rolls a failure.
2. Decide on a difficulty. • A PC does something that would have consequences.
3. Establish the stakes of the roll with the player. • The PCs give you a golden opportunity.
4. Assign advantage or disadvantage if applicable. • The players look to you for what happens next.
5. Tell the player to roll the duality dice.
6. Resolve the situation based on the result of their roll.
Example GM MOves
ACTION ROLL RESULTS
• Critical Success: They get what they wanted and a little extra. They clear a • Show how the world reacts. • Force the group to split up.
Stress and gain a Hope. “The kick shatters the door. Light “The elementals are scattering, two
• Success with Hope: They get what they wanted and they gain a Hope. spills in from the barracks as a heading for the town, three bearing
half-dozen sleepy soldiers stumble down on the mill. What do you do?”
• Success with Fear: They get what they wanted but there is a consequence. to their feet, looking worried.”
• Failure with Hope: They don’t get what they wanted and there is a
consequence, but they gain a Hope. • Show the cost of
• Ask a question or build collateral damage.
• Failure with Fear: They don’t get what they wanted and things go very badly. on the answer. “The Minotaur barrels into the
“How is it that you notice the street, shattering a vegetable
character traits assassin lurking in the treetops?” cart, sending cabbages
flying and knocking the
merchant into the wall.”
• AGILITY • INSTINCT • Make an NPC act in accordance
Sprint, Leap, Maneuver Perceive, Sense, Navigate with their motive.
“She claps you on the back • Make a character mark a
• STRENGTH • PRESENCE and laughs, saying ‘That’s Stress as a consequence
Lift, Smash, Grapple Charm, Perform, Deceive the kind of bravery I like to for their actions.
see from my friends. Here, “You hold the door shut, but
• FINESSE • KNOWLEDGE let’s get another drink!’” the skeleton knight is stronger
Control, Hide, Tinker Recall, Analyze, Comprehend than expected. You summon
all your might to keep them
• Lean on the character’s goals at bay, but you can’t keep this
Difficulty to drive them to action. up for long. Mark Stress.”
“The governor’s husband lies
groggy on the altar as the cultists
5 10 15 20 25 30 continue to chant. The ritual is • Make an attack.
VERY VERY NEARLY coming to a climax earlier than “The spellblade raises their
EASY AVERAGE HARD expected. What do you do? lightning-tinged sword and
EASY HARD IMPOSSIBLE
charges, slicing and stabbing
at you with incredible speed.”
Hope & Fear • Signal an imminent
off-screen threat.
On a roll with Hope, the player gains a Hope. “You hear the crashing of • Spend Action Tokens to activate
They can spend Hope to: falling trees and shattered an adversary or environment.
• Help an ally. branches as thundering steps “I’m going to spend two tokens
approach. What do you do?” for a Group Attack. All five
• Utilize one of their experiences on a roll. zombies shamble forward and
• Activate a Hope feature. converge on you, their stench
• Reveal an unwelcome truth overpowering as they close in.”
On a roll with Fear, you can use your GM move to gain a Fear. or unexpected danger.
When you do, describe how the tone or mood of the scene changes. “He reaches into his cloak and
You can spend Fear to: produces the Orb of Vengeance • Capture someone or
as you realize that he was the something important.
• Interrupt the players during combat to take action.
necromancer the entire time.” “The thief slides past you and
• Add two tokens to the action tracker. jumps into the cart, grabbing
• Use an adversary’s Fear feature. the idol from the seat and
• Offer the PCs what they want stuffing it into their pouch.”
• Use an environment’s Fear feature. in exchange for Stress.
“You can pull the baron to safety
Action Tracker if you mark 1 Stress, otherwise
you can only get yourself out
• Use a character’s backstory
against them.
• Spend action tokens to activate adversaries or use environment actions. of the way. What do you do?” “Your mentor sighs, drawing
their blade. ‘I wish it didn’t come
• Spend 2 action tokens at any time to take 1 Fear. to this, child. But you still don’t
• Make a move the understand what sacrifices are
characters don’t see. required to maintain the peace.’”
Activating Adversaries “What you don’t see is the assassin
pouring a vial of poison into the wine
When you activate an adversary, you might have them: before sending the server inside • Take away an opportunity
to deliver the Queen’s glass.” permanently.
• Move within Close range and make a weapon attack.
“The door slams shut, cutting
• Move within Close range and use an adversary action. you off from the vault as the
• End a temporary condition or effect. temple continues to collapse.”
• Sprint somewhere else on the battlefield.

© 2024 Daggerheart v1.4.1 Open Beta

 This section denotes your class. Each class is made up of This section gives you a place to record your name,
two domains. You’ll choose the majority of your abilities pronouns, heritage (the combination of your community
and spells from these domains. and ancestry), and subclass. There is also a space to
record your level.

Evasion represents your ability to not be hit by an attack. This area contains your six character traits. These are
The GM will roll against this number when seeing if an what you will use as your primary modifiers on action
adversary hits you. If you do get hit, you’ll be able to mark rolls. They have descriptions beneath each to remind you
armor slots (the boxes to the right of “armor”) to reduce how to use them.
the incoming damage by your armor score (the number
in “armor”).

This is the section for your active weapons. Along with a

The three boxes on top are your damage thresholds. name, weapons have an associated trait that you will roll
Whenever you take damage, compare it to the numbers when using them for an attack. They also have a range
here. If the incoming damage is minor, you mark one (melee, very close, close, far, or very far). The GM will tell
hit point. If it is major, you mark two hit points. If it is you what range a target is in. Damage dice are what kind
severe, you mark three hit points. If it’s below minor, of dice you’re rolling when you make a successful attack,
you mark no hit points. If you should ever need to mark and the type is either physical or magic. Proficiency
stress and can’t, you mark a hit point. If you ever mark tells you how many damage dice you roll. The Feature on
your last hit point, you must make a death move. a weapon gives you any special ability or requirement it
has.
Weapons are either one-handed or two-handed. You'll
see the appropriate amount of hands are already filled for
the weapon you've taken.
This is where you record your Hope. You may spend Hope
to use an Experience (details below) or to help an ally.
When you help an ally, you explain how you’re aiding
them and they roll an extra d12 Hope die and pick
whichever result they prefer between the two. You start
with 2 Hope marked.

This is the section for your armor. Along with a name,

Experience represents the particular specializations armor has a base score that will contribute towards
your character has. These are narrative tags that you your armor score. The Feature on armor gives you any
create to reflect what your character is skilled in. When special ability or requirement it has.
they apply to the scene, you can spend Hope before the
action roll to add their value as a modifier. You will earn
more of these throughout a campaign.

This is where you keep track of your gold during a

campaign. If you should mark your tenth handful, you
Inventory is where you will store all of your items and
instead mark a bag and erase all your handfuls. If you
consumables.
should mark your tenth bag, you insead mark a chest and
erase your bags. You start with one handful of gold.

Every class starts with a unique Class Feature that sets

them apart from other classes. Make sure to read through
them before you begin playing.

This is where you would store any weapon you want

to carry, but not have active. While in your inventory,
Features from these weapons have no effect.

SLIDE THIS OUT TO THE LEFT OF SLIDE THIS OUT TO THE RIGHT OF
YOUR CHARACTER SHEET. YOUR CHARACTER SHEET.

© 2024 Daggerheart v1.4.1 Open Beta

 CHARACTER CREATION

1 CHOOSE A CLASS. 6 CHOOSE STARTING WEAPONS. 11 ANSWER BACKGROUND QUESTIONS.

Your class represents what kind of Decide what kind of weapons you want Use the background questions on your
character you’ll be playing and will give to start the game with, and record their character guide as a jumping off point
you access to certain abilities and spells details in the appropriate spaces. to build out your character’s history, or
during the game. Take the character make up your own.
sheet specific for this class.
7 CHOOSE STARTING ARMOR 12 GENERATE EXPERIENCE.
Use all of the choices and backstory
2 CHOOSE A SUBCLASS. Take one of the available starting armors,
you’ve made about your character
and record its details in the appropriate
Each class has a number of subclasses spaces. so far to generate their Experience,
to choose from that help better define a set of narrative words or phrases
what kind of focus you’d like your that represent the kinds of things
character to have. Take the Foundation they’ve learned or become on their
card for your chosen subclass. 8 TAKE YOUR STARTING INVENTORY. journey so far. Assign one +2 and the
other +1 as their starting values.
The starting inventory for your class
3 CHOOSE A HERITAGE. is listed on your character guide.
Heritage is made up of both an Ancestry Record those items in the Inventory 13 RECORD YOUR NAME & PRONOUNS.
and a Community card. These two cards section of your character sheet. Create a name for your character and
that establish your physical appearance choose what pronouns they use. Then
and the kind of environment you grew 9 CHOOSE YOUR DESCRIPTION.
share your character with the rest of
up in. Make choices from the available options the table when they’re ready.
on your character guide or create your
own. This will help you start to build out
4 SET YOUR TRAITS & EVASION.
your character’s look and attitude. 14 CREATE CONNECTIONS.
Distribute the values -1, 0, 0, +1, +1, +2 across Ask any of the Connection questions
your Character Traits. When rolling, you’ll add on your character guide to the other
the value of that Character Trait to the roll. 10 TAKE DOMAIN DECK CARDS. characters at the table, or generate
Then record your starting Evasion score. Each class is made up of two different your own. Use this as an opportunity
domains, listed below the class name on to also discuss how you all met, what
5 SET YOUR THRESHOLDS & HOPE. the character sheet. Choose two cards brought you together, and why you’ve
total from the Level 1 cards in those decided to travel as a party.
Each class will start with its own Damage
domains from the domain decks. You may
Thresholds detailed on the character sheet
share these decks with other classes. If
under the Hit Points section. Record these
in their appropriate spaces. Then take
you do, make sure to talk with them about
what cards they’re interested in as well.
You’re now
2 Hope to start the game. ready to play!

first names FAMILY NAMES Experiences

Alucard, Ambrose, Astrid, Ash, Bellamy, Calder, Abbot, Advani, Agoston, Baptiste, Belgarde, Backgrounds like:
Calypso, Clover, Chartreuse, Dahlia, Darrow, Blossom, Chance, Covault, Dawn, Dennison, Bodyguard, Con Artist,
Deacon, Elowen, Emrys, Fable, Fiorella, Flynn, Drayer, Emrick, Foley, Fury, Gage, Gallamore, Merchant, Noble, Pirate
Gerard, Harlow, Hadron, Indigo, Inara, Jasper, Grove, Hartley, Humfleet, Hyland, Jones, Characteristics like:
Kai, Kismet, Leo, Marigold, Maverick, Mika, Jordon, Knoth, Lagrange, Lockamy, Lyon, Affable, Survivor, Sticky
Moon, Nyx, Phaedra, Quill, Raphael, Ronan, Marche, Merrell, Newland, Novak, Orwick, Fingers, Intimidating
Roux, Reza, Saffron, Sierra, Skye, Talon, Thea, Overholt, Pray, Pyre, Rathbone, Rose,
Triton, Vala, Velo, Wisteria, Yarrow, Zahara. Seagrave, Spurlock, Thorn, Tringle, Warren, Specialties like:
Worth, York, Zimarik Navigator, Sharpshooter,
region names Swashbuckler, Inventor
PLACE NAMES Skills like: Barter, Repair,
Watcher’s Ravine, Shattered Peaks, Holdland, Tracking, Quick Hands
Davesh Pass, Branishar, Crown of the World, Stone’s Throw, Golden Goose, Black Willow,
South Choir, Xuria, Wilting Valley, Bonecross, Limping Liar, Menagerie, Great Expectations, Phrases like: Nature’s
Roaming Sea, Mistvale, Hadriel’s Wall, Wicked Smile, Crow’s Nest, Balking Tide, Figero, Friend, This Is Not A
Bloomfare, Cloud Isles, Revenance, Mountains Idle Fiend, Quiet Magnitude, Nero’s Compass, Negotiation, Catch Me
of Creation, Sunbearer’s Crescent. Netherwell, Kross, Hollow Keep, Salute, If You Can, Never Again,
Hearthbreak, Parting Gift, Fool’s Gold. Knowledge is Power

© 2024 Daggerheart v1.4.1 Open Beta

 PLAY GUIDE
ACTION ROLLS ACTION ROLL RESULTS QUICK REFERENCE
• On a critical success, you get what you want and Advantage: Add a d6 advantage die to your roll.
Describe what you want to do and a little more. Gain a Hope and clear a Stress.
work with the GM to determine Disadvantage: Subtract a d6 disadvantage die from
whether a roll is necessary to • On a success with Hope, you pull it off well and your roll.
accomplish it. If it is... get what you want. Gain a Hope.
Help An Ally: Spend a Hope and roll a d6 advantage
• On a success with Fear, you get what you want, die to add to their roll. If more than one advantage
but it comes with a cost or consequence. You might die is being used on the roll, they only take the
get attacked, get limited information, attract highest result.
+1 Agility, +1 Thief danger, etc.
Group Action: Nominate a leader of the action. All
• On a failure with Hope, things don’t go to plan. other participants in the group action make reaction
Decide what modifiers apply. Spend
Hope to add an Experience. You probably don’t get what you want and must rolls. Any successes give the leader a +1 modifier.
face the consequences. Gain a Hope. Any failures give the leader a -1 modifier. After all
• On a failure with Fear, things go really bad. You other participants have contributed, the leader
probably don’t get what you want, and there is a makes an action roll including these new modifiers.
major consequence or complication because of it. If the action tracker is active, the leader adds action
6 12 tokens for everyone who participated.
Tag Team Roll: Each player can choose one time per
DAMAGE ROLLS session to spend three Hope and initiate a Tag Team
Roll your Duality Dice and add
After a successful attack, roll a number of weapon Roll with another PC. When you do, work with your
them together along with your
modifiers. dice equal to your proficiency and add them chosen partner to describe how you combine your
together. actions in a unique and exciting way. You both make
6 6 separate action rolls, but before resolving the roll’s
If the attack roll was a Critical Success: Take the
outcome, choose one of the rolls to apply for both
maximum potential value of all your damage dice
of your results. If the action tracker is active, this
“20 with Fear!” added together, and add it as a modifier to your
roll only takes one action token. On a roll with Hope,
damage roll.
Tell the GM the result and the PC whose action roll was used gains the Hope. If
6
which Duality 2
Die 1rolled you Tag Team on an attack roll and it succeeds, you
higher.
Reaction rolls both roll damage, then add it together to determine
the damage dealt. If the action tracker is active, only
Reaction rolls work just like action rolls, but don’t place one token.
generate Hope and Fear (or GM moves), and don’t
require placing an action token on the tracker. Vulnerable: A condition that allows any rolls against
6 6 that creature to be at advantage.

USING ARMOR Restrained: A condition that keeps the target from

moving.
Critical Success!
If you are taking damage, you may mark armor slots
If the Hope and Fear die both land to reduce the amount by your armor score. Multiple Temporary: When a spell, condition, etc. is
on the same number,
armor slots may be marked to reduce the damage temporary, it means the GM must end it on a GM
it’s a critical success.
further. move.

Downtime represents moments of respite within the perilous journey player characters

DOWNTIME
are on together. It is not only an opportunity to recover and prepare for what lies ahead,
but also a time to share more quiet, intimate scenes that help to build or showcase the
relationships characters have with one another.

SHORT REST LONG REST

Each player may swap any number of domain cards in their Loadout for Each player may swap any number of domain cards in their Loadout for
domain cards in their Vault, then choose two options below. They may repeat domain cards in their Vault, then choose two options below. They may repeat
the same action twice if they’d like. the same action twice if they’d like.
• Tend to Wounds • Tend to All Wounds
Describe how you temporarily patch yourself up and clear 1d4 hit points. You Describe how you patch yourself up and remove all marked Hit Points. You
may choose to do this on an ally instead. may choose to do this on an ally instead.
• Clear Stress • Clear All Stress
Describe how you blow off steam or pull yourself together, and clear 1d4 Describe how you blow off steam or pull yourself together, and clear all
stress. marked Stress.
• Repair Armor • Repair All Armor
Describe how you spend time quickly repairing your armor and clear 1d4 used Describe how you spend time repairing your armor and clear all of its Armor
Armor Slots. You may choose do this to an ally’s armor instead. Slots. You may choose do this to an ally’s armor instead.
• Prepare • Prepare
Describe how you are preparing for the next day’s adventure, then gain Hope. Describe how you are preparing for the next day’s adventure, then gain Hope.
If you choose to Prepare with one or more members of your party, you may If you choose to Prepare with one or more members of your party, you may
each take two Hope. each take two Hope.
• Work on a Project
Establish or continue work on a project. The GM might ask for a roll to
determine how much to tick down on the completion track.
© 2024 Daggerheart v1.4.1 Open Beta
 EQUIPMENT
starting Primary weapons ­— Physical

Name Trait Range Feature Damage Damage Type Burden

Battleaxe Strength Melee d10+3 Phy
Warhammer Strength Melee Heavy: -1 to Agility. d12+3 Phy
Greatsword Strength Melee Massive: -1 Agility, roll one extra damage die d10+3 Phy
and drop the lowest.
Mace Strength Melee d8+1 Phy
Broadsword Agility Melee Reliable: +1 to attack rolls with this weapon. d8 Phy
Longsword Agility Melee d8+3 Phy
Cutlass Presence Melee d8+1 Phy
Rapier Presence Melee Quick: Mark stress to attack an additional d8 Phy
target in range.
Dagger Finesse Melee d8+1 Phy
Quarterstaff Instinct Melee d10+3 Phy
Halberd Strength Very Close d8+2 Phy
Spear Finesse Very Close d8+2 Phy
Shortbow Agility Far d6+3 Phy
Crossbow Finesse Far d6+1 Phy
Longbow Agility Very Far Cumbersome: -1 to Evasion. d6+3 Phy

starting Primary weapons ­— magic

Name Trait Range Feature Damage Damage Type Burden

Arcane Gauntlets Strength Melee d10+3 Mag
Hallowed Axe Strength Melee d10+1 Mag
Hand Runes Instinct Very Close d10 Mag
Glowing Rings Agility Very Close d10+2 Mag
Shortstaff Instinct Close d8+1 Mag
Returning Blade Finesse Close d8+1 Mag
Wand Knowledge Far d6+1 Mag
Dualstaff Instinct Far d6+3 Mag
Scepter Presence Far Versatile: Presence Melee - d10 d6 Mag
Greatstaff Knowledge Very Far Powerful: Roll one extra damage die and d6 Mag
drop the lowest.

starting secondary weapons

Name Trait Range Feature Damage Damage Type Burden
Round Shield Strength Melee Protective: Add +1 to your armor score. d4 Phy
Tower Shield Strength Melee Barrier: Add +3 to your armor score, -2 to d6 Phy
Evasion.
Small Dagger Finesse Melee Paired: +2 to Primary Weapon damage in d8 Phy
melee.
Shortsword Agility Melee Paired: +2 to Primary Weapon damage in d8 Phy
melee.
Whip Presence Very Close Whipcrack: Mark stress to scatter enemies d6 Phy
in melee back to close range.
Grappler Finesse Close Hook: On a successful attack, you may also d6 Phy
pull the target into melee with you.
Hand Crossbow Finesse Far d6+1 Phy

Starting Armor
Name Feature Base Score
Gambeson Armor Flexible: +1 to Evasion 2
Leather Armor 4
Chainmail Armor Heavy: -1 to Evasion. 6
Full Plate Armor Very Heavy: -2 to Evasion and -1 Agility. 8

© 2024 Daggerheart v1.4.1 Open Beta

 DOMAIN card: DOMAIN card:

DOMAIN TYPE RECALL DOMAIN TYPE RECALL

FEATURE FEATURE

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FEATURE FEATURE

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FEATURE FEATURE

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© 2024 Daggerheart v1.4.1 Open Beta

 ANCESTRY: COMMUNITY:

FEATURE FEATURE

subclass: FOUNDATION SPECIALIZATION MASTERY

SPELLCAST TRAIT FEATURE

DOMAIN card: DOMAIN card:

DOMAIN TYPE RECALL DOMAIN TYPE RECALL

FEATURE FEATURE

DOMAIN card: DOMAIN card:

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subclass: FOUNDATION SPECIALIZATION MASTERY

SPELLCAST TRAIT FEATURE

subclass: FOUNDATION SPECIALIZATION MASTERY

SPELLCAST TRAIT FEATURE

© 2024 Daggerheart v1.4.1 Open Beta