Daggerheart General Thread [+]

[overgeeked]

I've done effective horror with D&D, so I'm sure I can do it with DH.

It would probably be a bit easier with Daggerheart than 5E due to the PCs being built with backstory and connections as the default. Threatening those is a quick and easy avenue of horror. Overwhelming monsters is easy in any system, in Daggerheart just ignore the suggested combat math. The lack of darkvision makes things a bit easier.

 

[Neonchameleon]

I'm not sure what you mean. Maybe I wasn't clear: I do not think Daggerheart's mechanics will support horror gaming. At all. Even with some setting rules.

And I'm going to disagree hard. Daggerheart's mechanics with a couple of fairly simple rules in the campaign frame do more to support horror than Call of Cthulhu does. Losing (maximum) hope is far more impactful than losing Sanity because it's not such a restricted resource - and With Fear results are great for horror.

 

[nyvinter]

Would also use a custom rule that getting a scar is automatic and not up to a dice roll when you pick the fall unconscious death move — possibly with an exception if you strike a bad deal with whatever entity is on the other side. (I was certain automatic scar was in Age of Umbra already but now I can't find it.)

 

[SteveC]

I think that while Daggerheart can do a lot, it can't do everything. And options/rules/settings ... you name it, those are coming. The game is just getting started, and it seems clear they want to do a lot with it.

 

[Neonchameleon]

I think that while Daggerheart can do a lot, it can't do everything. And options/rules/settings ... you name it, those are coming. The game is just getting started, and it seems clear they want to do a lot with it.

Oh, I really don't think Daggerheart can do everything. It's not rules light, it's not "death is cheap", it doesn't support detailed world simulations.

It just provides very good support to the theatre kid end of the math nerd/theatre kid D&D dichotomy. And horror is theatre kid stuff.

 

[overgeeked]

Oh, I really don't think Daggerheart can do everything. It's not rules light, it's not "death is cheap", it doesn't support detailed world simulations.

It just provides very good support to the theatre kid end of the math nerd/theatre kid D&D dichotomy. And horror is theatre kid stuff.

If you look at it a certain way, most genres would fall under that same umbrella. The hardcore sim and wargame are left out, of course. But most everything else is “theater kid stuff” as you say. There’s already some Star Wars campaign frames and house rules floating around. I’m sure someone’s working on an investigative horror hack. It’s what gamers do.

 

[Faolyn]

Out of curiosity, what does "effective horror" look like to you?

Scares the bejeebers out of the players?

 

[Reynard]

Scares the bejeebers out of the players?

I have never in my 40 year gaming history seen genuinely "scared" players. I have sent them disturbed and perplexed and even tense, but never scared. The medium just doesn't support it IME.

 

[Seramus]

Fear is pretty subjective. I was watching Nightmare On Elm Street at the age of 6 because my parents DGAF, and now almost nothing scares me. But I still have a deep appreciation and love of the horror genre, so even if I'm not feeling "scared" I'm probably loving every minute of the atmosphere. It's one of my favorite things to run. I would love to do a gribbly Curse of Strahd conversion for Daggerheart.

Speaking purely mechanically, we have the ability to inflict stress whenever appropriate. You can literally scare people into having heart attacks. Having your maximum Hope reduced is a heck of a threat. And you can easily create some custom Frame consequences like having your Fear corrupted, leading to hallucinations or slow transformations.

The encouragement to ask questions can also include things like "You feel it crawling beneath your skin. It's circling around the back of your neck. Where does it go next?"

 

[Arilyn]

The encouragement to ask questions can also include things like "You feel it crawling beneath your skin. It's circling around the back of your neck. Where does it go next?"

Shudder. I'm not playing in any of your horror games.