Daggerheart Core Set Covers Revealed

Darrington Press has revealed the covers for both the standard and limited-edition Daggerheart Core Sets. The new TTRPG, designed by Critical Role's game publishing arm, will feature a standard cover by Mat Wilma and a limited edition cover by Dominik Mayer. Both Core Sets will contain the books and cards needed to play the new TTRPG, with the limited edition also containing a GM Screen, dice set, and tokens. You can check out both covers (the limited edition is first, followed by the standard cover) below:

Daggerheart is a new high-fantasy TTRPG that is drawing attention due to its connection with Critical Role. The game uses 2D12s to make checks, with one die designated as the "Hope Die" and the other designated as the "Fear Die." While the two dice results are added together to determine checks result, the higher die also designates whether a roll is made "with hope" or "with fear," which adds narrative consequences to the roll. Players are also encouraged to take active part in worldbuilding, providing descriptions of their surroundings, NPCs, and other details instead of relying on the GM to fill in the blanks.

Daggerheart will be released in 2025.

 

[Reynard]

Someone probably just screwed up in the rendering process. I suspect this is all computer-generated, not a photo of actual production copies.

oh absolutely. Cards are not known to generally hover in mid air for so long.

Or it was the marketing department, who legit do not know how the game works. Stuff like that happens all the time.

 

[Ghost2020]

I need to read up on this or watch more videos, but I'm genuinely intrigued by what I've seen thus far.

 

[Tbiafore]

Played at GenCon. I did not like the whole Fear/Hope system. I was not alone at our table thinking this as well. Went to their booth and heard another person telling them how much they didnt like the system. I am sure there will be Critical Roll fanboys that will buy it no matter what, and maybe some people will like the new system, just not my cup of tea.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Played at GenCon. I did not like the whole Fear/Hope system. I was not alone at our table thinking this as well. Went to their booth and heard another person telling them how much they didnt like the system. I am sure there will be Critical Roll fanboys that will buy it no matter what, and maybe some people will like the new system, just not my cup of tea.

I suspect it'll take a while for players -- and maybe even Critical Role -- to figure out what sorts of adventures work best with the system.

Worrying about hope vs. fear doesn't make sense for some sorts of games (in a generic dungeon crawl, the inner life of the characters typically doesn't matter that much) but will be essential for others. I think this system will probably work best in a game that's about characters emoting and feeling things all the time, which fits the kinds of game the Critical Role performers enjoy. ("Yes, sure, we're about to fight an apocalyptic threat and are being chased by deadly enemies, but it's probably time for us to have an in-depth conversation about our relationship and our unresolved traumas.")

I think a con one-shot is probably not well-suited for this system, as compared to even a short ongoing campaign at home with players who all know and trust each other.

 

[mamba]

Worrying about hope vs. fear doesn't make sense for some sorts of games

are you really worrying / is it really about the character’s hopes and fears though? I saw this more as gradual levels of success at whatever you attempted.

Roll high enough and you succeed. If your fear die is higher than the hope die, there is a negative side effect or a slightly diminished success relative to what you attempted, whichever makes sense in the moment

Similarly for when you roll too low, the severity of the failure depends on which die is higher

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

are you really worrying / is it really about the character’s hopes and fears though? I saw this more as gradual levels of success at whatever you attempted.

Roll high enough and you succeed. If your fear die is higher than the hope die, there is a negative side effect or a slightly diminished success relative to what you attempted, whichever makes sense in the moment

Similarly for when you roll too low, the severity of the failure depends on which die is higher

If it was just about degrees of success, I don't think that they would be using the terms "hope" and "fear," although I am 99% unfamiliar with the game.

 

[mamba]

I am 99% unfamiliar with the game.

same, I am basing it on this video which was in another recent thread and basically is the extent of my DH knowledge

 

[zakael19]

Hope vs Fear sounded better than good vs bad. Rolling with hope (higher die on the Hope one) gives players meta currency and other things to spend for both narrative and mechanical effect. Getting a fear roll gives the GM cues to do stuff / boost effects / etc. it’s both degrees of success & secondary currencies off a pair of die.

 

[EthanSental]

A good idea for a box set to a new game so I can see what’s it’s about and try it without buying the books and finding out that way. Nicely done!

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

When is Darrington Press going to lean into the Matt Mercer branding and start producing GM vests?