Daggerheart General Thread [+]

[Argyle King]

From what I'm reading, it sounds as though Daggerheart Solos suffer some of the same issues as D&D 4E Solos. Is that an accurate assessment?

Related question: Would it be possible to use an encounter deck (like D&D 4E did)?

 

[zakael19]

From what I'm reading, it sounds as though Daggerheart Solos suffer some of the same issues as D&D 4E Solos. Is that an accurate assessment?

Related question: Would it be possible to use an encounter deck (like D&D 4E did)?

Well I think the issue is that “Solos” aren’t actually designed as such! They’re only 5 points in encounter math where a group of 3 PCs is going to have a budget of 11 points for an encounter.

I don’t see why you couldn’t do an encounter deck (if my quick google of “pre generated encounters to draw from as random encounter alike”), since the budget & creatures are pretty set.

 

[Vael]

From what I'm reading, it sounds as though Daggerheart Solos suffer some of the same issues as D&D 4E Solos. Is that an accurate assessment?

Related question: Would it be possible to use an encounter deck (like D&D 4E did)?

Yes and no ... I think? Still haven't played yet, so this is theory-crafting, but Solos look Fear hungry, as they can spotlight multiple times per GM turn, but that does mean if you have the Fear to spend you don't have as much of a Action Economy issue.

 

[overgeeked]

Yeah, the encounter building guy’s advice was to run solos like that. Even just a second instance of the same Solo with a tweaked ability and some fiction.

Solos are… 5pts, -2 to the total budget if you’re using 2 or more solos. For 4 PCs, 3x4+2 =14, 12 if doubling up solos.. add the static +2 damage and hypothetically a 2 phase solo is an encounter. Gotta 3 phase them for 5 though..

Honestly it all makes me want a 4E style breakdown of the monster math that much more or a Blog of Holding business card post for Daggerheart. It would be so much easier to just have the "this one monster = one PC" set up and have the other monsters be variations on that.

 

[overgeeked]

Yes and no ... I think? Still haven't played yet, so this is theory-crafting, but Solos look Fear hungry, as they can spotlight multiple times per GM turn, but that does mean if you have the Fear to spend you don't have as much of a Action Economy issue.

Basically, yes.

One GM move is one free action for a monster. Solos get to make multiple actions if the GM spends fear. To match the PC's action economy, the PCs would need to roll with fear or fail exactly 50% of the time. So if you're going into a so-called solo fight with capped fear, it'll probably work out...if not...well. Fear and free moves help with the action economy, but the big problem is HP. With a party of PCs beating on a single target, that single target is going to drop fast. Even with the beefed up stats of a so-called solo. And because the so-called solo can't match the PCs' action economy, they're not going to present anywhere near what could reasonably be considered to be a challenge to a party of PCs.

 

[dbm]

because the so-called solo can't match the PCs' action economy, they're not going to present anywhere near what could reasonably be considered to be a challenge to a party of PCs

I dunno - the ‘Mother’ monster in Age of Umbra had a big sweep attack that kept hitting multiple PCs per strike. Given that homebrew will need to be a big thing for DaggerHeart monsters giving solos lots of multi-attacks or area effect attacks seems like a way to square that circle.

 

[zakael19]

I dunno - the ‘Mother’ monster in Age of Umbra had a big sweep attack that kept hitting multiple PCs per strike. Given that homebrew will need to be a big thing for DaggerHeart monsters giving solos lots of multi-attacks or area effect attacks seems like a way to square that circle.

I mean take a look at the Ogre. You have to spend a Fear to spotlight, but when you do you can attack all targets in range. You deal direct damage (no armor). Spend a stress to grab anything nearby and huck it at all targets roughly in front of the ogre with Far. Any time they mark 2 hp, they can immediately "rampage" to move and deal damage.

Adding a second phase to a lot of these probably solves the HP problem, and resets the Stress meter as well.

 

[overgeeked]

I mean take a look at the Ogre. You have to spend a Fear to spotlight, but when you do you can attack all targets in range. You deal direct damage (no armor). Spend a stress to grab anything nearby and huck it at all targets roughly in front of the ogre with Far. Any time they mark 2 hp, they can immediately "rampage" to move and deal damage.

Adding a second phase to a lot of these probably solves the HP problem, and resets the Stress meter as well.

You could just as easily double the HP and stress then increase their relentless feature by 1-2.

 

[overgeeked]

I dunno - the ‘Mother’ monster in Age of Umbra had a big sweep attack that kept hitting multiple PCs per strike. Given that homebrew will need to be a big thing for DaggerHeart monsters giving solos lots of multi-attacks or area effect attacks seems like a way to square that circle.

The Patchwork Zombie has an AoE. I used that monster in my playtest. It was effective once or twice. Didn’t get to use it a third time because he died. The AoEs will help. But the HP and stress is where they’re hurting the most. Phases or doubling HP and stress are the easy fixes.

 

[zakael19]

You could just as easily double the HP and stress then increase their relentless feature by 1-2.

Sure, I just think phases fit the cinematic/dramatic bit well!

Leaders get to do that via their reinforcements and large scale activations to be an absolute pain.