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

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.

 

[Reynard]

If they're rolling a lot of fear, the story should be getting more fearful.

You can literally brew up a storm. Turn the weather against them.

Great response, not just for Daggerheart but any similar system like 2d20.

 

[DragonLancer]

I think you just needed to spend them.

You seem to be hung up on the idea that you're being an "asshat" if you use them, which is not their point. When the players are rolling "with fear" (regardless of success or failure) it means that things are looking dire for them. You need to spend them to add complications. Come up with things that are exciting and fun based on whatever is going on. The simplest thing, if I understand the game correctly, is to spend them to add disadvantage (-1d6) to the PCs' rolls, caused by a narrative complication.

I certainly think that could be the issue. We have only had one game so far so it's still a learning curve. Our next game is in two weeks and I'll see what happens if I do go all out on them.

 

[overgeeked]

I certainly think that could be the issue. We have only had one game so far so it's still a learning curve. Our next game is in two weeks and I'll see what happens if I do go all out on them.

Do you run a lot of different games or mostly 5E? I ask because the default of 5E is treating the PCs with kid gloves, whereas many other games have a “no really, push the PCs” attitude. The more challenging and difficult the obstacles/challenges, the more interesting and satisfying the story is.

 

[Zaukrie]

I think you just needed to spend them.

You seem to be hung up on the idea that you're being an "asshat" if you use them, which is not their point. When the players are rolling "with fear" (regardless of success or failure) it means that things are looking dire for them. You need to spend them to add complications. Come up with things that are exciting and fun based on whatever is going on. The simplest thing, if I understand the game correctly, is to spend them to add disadvantage (-1d6) to the PCs' rolls, caused by a narrative complication.

If they're rolling a lot of fear, the story should be getting more fearful.

You can literally brew up a storm. Turn the weather against them.

I should have had one of my players slip and fall into the sewer water (and make a Con save).....good points here.

 

[DragonLancer]

Do you run a lot of different games or mostly 5E? I ask because the default of 5E is treating the PCs with kid gloves, whereas many other games have a “no really, push the PCs” attitude. The more challenging and difficult the obstacles/challenges, the more interesting and satisfying the story is.

I have been role-playing, both player and GM, since the late 80s, and that is with dozens of game systems. Back in the day it was largely AD&D 2nd edition, Call of Cthulhu, Vampire and Deadlands. Recent years it was 3rd edition and we've been die hard Pathfinder 1st edition players since it launched. And with PF it's certainly a game of challenge the players and their characters.

I think with the Daggerheart playtest, it is a very different system and game style to what we are used to. It's proved very very popular with my group as I think it's a nice breath of fresh air and change of pace. It's just a case of adapting to a new system and play style. Things like Fear tokens being something I have never experienced as a GM before.

 

[Campbell]

Looking forward to hearing more about how it goes @DragonLancer ,

 

[DragonLancer]

Looking forward to hearing more about how it goes @DragonLancer ,

As I mentioned, after just one session, the whole group was like "we want to do this". Definitely a winner for us.

 

[overgeeked]

I have been role-playing, both player and GM, since the late 80s, and that is with dozens of game systems. Back in the day it was largely AD&D 2nd edition, Call of Cthulhu, Vampire and Deadlands. Recent years it was 3rd edition and we've been die hard Pathfinder 1st edition players since it launched. And with PF it's certainly a game of challenge the players and their characters.

I think with the Daggerheart playtest, it is a very different system and game style to what we are used to. It's proved very very popular with my group as I think it's a nice breath of fresh air and change of pace. It's just a case of adapting to a new system and play style. Things like Fear tokens being something I have never experienced as a GM before.

Cool. I ran the hell out of Marvel Heroic Roleplaying and the Fear tokens are very reminiscent of the Doom Pool from that game. It did take some getting used to. But it is a great pacing mechanic to keep things interesting.

 

[SteveC]

So in our group, the very crunchy, build-centric player is saying she wants to run it. On the surface that sounds like not the best recipe for success, but she is a really good player. I think the characters will have to bring their A-game to be successful. Will report on what happens when this gets to the table.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Do you run a lot of different games or mostly 5E? I ask because the default of 5E is treating the PCs with kid gloves, whereas many other games have a “no really, push the PCs” attitude. The more challenging and difficult the obstacles/challenges, the more interesting and satisfying the story is.

The thing with 5e is if you push the players hard you get a TPK. Does this game have something to prevent throwing fear at the players whipping them out? I didn’t see anything in my read through.

It’s a narrative game, slaughtering the party is undesirable, especially if it’s down to bad luck.