Daggerheart Discussion

[Reynard]

I just find it problematic saying that it can do all the things 5e can, when it mathematically just cant,

It was not a mathematical statement.

I'll restate: there is nothing i want out of a 5E game that I can't get out of a Daggerheart game, and Daggerheart is a better game overall.

 

[Agamon]

Huh, seems the conclusion is that some people want different things out of the games they play. Wild.

 

[Umbran]

Most people also do not make use of how fast their car is and still many like to buy a fast car.

Even worse - that big manly pickup truck that never hauls anything.

Its also not just the number of ability its the range of abilities. The game design range in daggerheart is more limited.

I'd agree with this. There's a limited number of class/subclass options. But, there's a similar lack if you are playing D&D with just the PHB, so....

 

[Umbran]

I just find it problematic saying that it can do all the things 5e can, when it mathematically just cant, since it has a way narrower design space (in combat).

I don't know if "problematic" is the right word there.

I will agree that it is hard to do a crunchy, tactical-combat forward game with DH, where that's really the default for, say, 3e D&D. I don't know if I'd use 5e for that game these days, either, though.

 

[Reynard]

For my aetherpunk/magi-tech supers game, I need to create stats for 3 powerful hags pretending to be newly arrived magical girls superheroes (basically, I stole the plot from Morrison's JLA Hyperclan story whole cloth). Each is going to be a Tier 3 Solo (the 5 PCs are 5th level) and I will round out the big final fight with some minions.

I want to create a "coven" power that makes the Triarch (as they call themselves) een more effective when working together -- something akin to the Tag Team ability of the PCs.

APEXA is the physical brute and is secretly an Annis hag. She gives Maxima or Power Girl vibes.
GAIA is secretly a Green hag and has plant based powers. Interestingly, one of the PCs is a Poison Ivy type and so GAIA is jealous of her.
NOCTURNA has umbral and psychic powers and is a Night hag. This thing was her idea, because she wants to get into the heads of all the Triarch's "adoring fans".

What sorts of cool DH translations of traditional hag spells or powers would you use for these characters? How would you build the "coven" ability I mentioned above?

Oh, the PCs are:
Skyfyre: a dracona winged seraph (secret ID: aristocratic debutante)
Riven: an infernis primal sorcerer (secret ID: a cad)
Baseline: a human troubadour bard (secret ID: punk rocker)
Wild Thorn: a human warden of the elements druid (secret ID: gardener to the wealthy)
Citadel: an earthkin stalwart guardian (secret ID: resurrected guardian of the Church)

In this setting, only "supers" have DH classes. Normals can use magic to a degree, mostly in an engineering, magitech kind of way. But PCs (and their villains) are special in the same way they are in most supers settings.

 

[zakael19]

For my aetherpunk/magi-tech supers game, I need to create stats for 3 powerful hags pretending to be newly arrived magical girls superheroes (basically, I stole the plot from Morrison's JLA Hyperclan story whole cloth). Each is going to be a Tier 3 Solo (the 5 PCs are 5th level) and I will round out the big final fight with some minions.

I want to create a "coven" power that makes the Triarch (as they call themselves) een more effective when working together -- something akin to the Tag Team ability of the PCs.

APEXA is the physical brute and is secretly an Annis hag. She gives Maxima or Power Girl vibes.
GAIA is secretly a Green hag and has plant based powers. Interestingly, one of the PCs is a Poison Ivy type and so GAIA is jealous of her.
NOCTURNA has umbral and psychic powers and is a Night hag. This thing was her idea, because she wants to get into the heads of all the Triarch's "adoring fans".

What sorts of cool DH translations of traditional hag spells or powers would you use for these characters? How would you build the "coven" ability I mentioned above?

Oh, the PCs are:
Skyfyre: a dracona winged seraph (secret ID: aristocratic debutante)
Riven: an infernis primal sorcerer (secret ID: a cad)
Baseline: a human troubadour bard (secret ID: punk rocker)
Wild Thorn: a human warden of the elements druid (secret ID: gardener to the wealthy)
Citadel: an earthkin stalwart guardian (secret ID: resurrected guardian of the Church)

In this setting, only "supers" have DH classes. Normals can use magic to a degree, mostly in an engineering, magitech kind of way. But PCs (and their villains) are special in the same way they are in most supers settings.

My recommendation: write out the fiction of what you want them to do via PBTA move lists first.

"Suffuse the area in a blanket of shadow," "reach into their minds and pull out fears," etc.

Then think about what within the mechanics of DH might align with that! If you want to make that list, happy to toss out some suggestions based on stuff I've done.

 

[Reynard]

Got in my monthly supers game, introducing a new player whose character Citadel is a "paladin" reawakened to fight the new incusion into the world by evil forces (my coven of hags masquerading as a magical girl superteam).

The PCs defeated their homunculus guards and tossed the apartment (all after the requisite "will the heroes fight this new hero they just met" scene). During the process, the druid PC succeeded with fear while trying to understand all the magic weirdness the "girls" had around their penhouse. So I determined she pricked her thumb on a black rose in the evil Gaia's botanical lab. Now they are connected since they are both tied to whatever passes for The Green in this world.

Man I hate playing monthly. Now I have to wait 4 weeks before we can follow up and have the big fight!

 

[Parmandur]

https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/3718353/gen-con-2026-most-rpg-seats-by-system

So, apprently Daggerheart is going big at GenCon this year, cracking past perrenial Call of Cthulu for number of seats.

 

[Reynard]

https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/3718353/gen-con-2026-most-rpg-seats-by-system

So, apprently Daggerheart is going big at GenCon this year, cracking past perrenial Call of Cthulu for number of seats.

I am surprised to see so few Draw Steel.

Also, people want to play that Dungeon Crawler Carl game.

 

[Parmandur]

I am surprised to see so few Draw Steel.

I mean, as I said elsewhere, I would take these numbers with a grain of salt for any broader considerations. MCDM is a lean operation, getting those nine tables at GenCon and running them with attention to quality may just be a major stretch for their organization (though the game seems to be a bit niche by other metrics I've seen, such as the lack of presence in FLGS sales info, but who cares if the company can stay in business and the players are happy).

Daggerheart, on the other hand, has a gargantuan driven fanbase and lots of resources and industry connections.

Also, people want to play that Dungeon Crawler Carl game.

Well, for one thing, it is particularly well suited for Convention play by Setting. I would not want to play in a campaign, but a one-shot at a Convention sounds about right for the material.

If you want a fun party game, look up how long the wait is to get the first novel at your local library, it is extremely popular right now and the TV show hasn't even dropped yet: