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Critical Role's 'Daggerheart' Open Playtest Starts In March

System plays on 'the dualities of hope and fear'.

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On March 12th, Critical Role's Darrington Press will be launching the open playtest for Daggerheart, their new fantasy TTRPG/

Using cards and two d12s, the system plays on 'the dualities of hope and fear'. The game is slated for a 2025 release.

Almost a year ago, we announced that we’ve been working hard behind-the-scenes on Daggerheart, our contribution to the world of high-fantasy tabletop roleplaying games.

Daggerheart is a game of brave heroics and vibrant worlds that are built together with your gaming group. Create a shared story with your adventuring party, and shape your world through rich, long-term campaign play.

When it’s time for the game mechanics to control fate, players roll one HOPE die and one FEAR die (both 12-sided dice), which will ultimately impact the outcome for your characters. This duality between the forces of hope and fear on every hero drives the unique character-focused narratives in Daggerheart.

In addition to dice, Daggerheart’s card system makes it easy to get started and satisfying to grow your abilities by bringing your characters’ background and capabilities to your fingertips. Ancestry and Community cards describe where you come from and how your experience shapes your customs and values. Meanwhile, your Subclass and Domain cards grant your character plenty of tantalizing abilities to choose from as your character evolves.

And now, dear reader, we’re excited to let you know that our Daggerheart Open Beta Playtest will launch globally on our 9th anniversary, Tuesday, March 12th!

We want anyone and everyone (over the age of 18, please) to help us make Daggerheart as wonderful as possible, which means…helping us break the game. Seriously! The game is not finished or polished yet, which is why it’s critical (ha!) to gather all of your feedback ahead of Daggerheart’s public release in 2025.
 

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darjr

I crit!
Demiplane created the Daggerheart tools in days. It was the original idea for DnDBeyond too, to have an infrastructure in place to rapidly generate software for new content.

Incredibly proud of what the team was able to pull off with this in mere days.
Having character tools and all the content available from the very start of the playtest for a game like this has been a quest for me these past several years - can't wait for the journey ahead!

 

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SteveC

Doing the best imitation of myself
So if you have a lot of time (say, like you're patching servers and have to wait for them to finish) and want to see a first look at this game from the Knights of Last Call, here's a three-hour video. The group goes through the playtest and does first reactions. These guys play indie games, so they're looking at the game from the perspective of playing the games that influenced it. TLDR: they like it, but think that many people will hate it.
 

Weiley31

Legend
I could be wildly mistaken based on a very cursory look through, but all of the cards feel like they took features that would just be written onto your typical character sheet and put them onto a card. I don't see why you couldn't write them down as usual with a little tick-mark to denote when the card is or isn't in your loadout.

Right. There's no reason you need the cards. If I were playing it, I'm sure I'd just make a note of them on paper.

A mildly cynical part of me says they are there for the sweet B&G version...
I get it, but I'll admit that I do like the concept of your character sheet pretty much being a lite deck of cards.
 

TwoSix

Dirty, realism-hating munchkin powergamer
So if you have a lot of time (say, like you're patching servers and have to wait for them to finish) and want to see a first look at this game from the Knights of Last Call, here's a three-hour video. The group goes through the playtest and does first reactions. These guys play indie games, so they're looking at the game from the perspective of playing the games that influenced it. TLDR: they like it, but think that many people will hate it.
I'm assuming they think the more narrative, storygame elements will be the more controversial ones?
 


SteveC

Doing the best imitation of myself
I'm assuming they think the more narrative, storygame elements will be the more controversial ones?
It's funny: they think the PbtA crowd won't like the amount of crunch either. But for people coming over from 5E, yes. It also has "fiddly bits" that some people won't like. And the combat turn structure doesn't have initiative so that will be divisive. For the record, they did really like it.
 

DragonLancer

Adventurer
So what are people running, scenario wise, for their play test? The quick start adventure feels a bit naff. I'm trying to put something together but struggling a little.
 

TwoSix

Dirty, realism-hating munchkin powergamer
It's funny: they think the PbtA crowd won't like the amount of crunch either. But for people coming over from 5E, yes. It also has "fiddly bits" that some people won't like. And the combat turn structure doesn't have initiative so that will be divisive. For the record, they did really like it.
Yea, I'm pretty impressed by it, but it's wearing its 4e influences AND its PbtA influences on its sleeve. Add that to the Critical Role aspect, and this is going to attract a TON of criticism.
 

SteveC

Doing the best imitation of myself
Yea, I'm pretty impressed by it, but it's wearing its 4e influences AND its PbtA influences on its sleeve. Add that to the Critical Role aspect, and this is going to attract a TON of criticism.
I was not sure what I would think about it, but I do like it. I'm going to pitch it to my group who is looking for something to play other than 5E. Some of the group will like it, some will likely hate it. We'll see.
 

TwoSix

Dirty, realism-hating munchkin powergamer
I was not sure what I would think about it, but I do like it. I'm going to pitch it to my group who is looking for something to play other than 5E. Some of the group will like it, some will likely hate it. We'll see.
Yep. I have one group it would be too complicated for, another group it would be too "bright and shiny" for, and maybe my 3rd group would be interested, but not automatically sold.

It definitely feels like one of those games where it's absolutely up the alley of 1-2 players in a typical group but no one else will be interested.
 

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