Daggerheart General Thread [+]

[zakael19]

Generally through a conversation between the player and GM. If you are the GM, I recommend helping the player work on crafting their Experiences so you can both understand the intent behind them. While not Daggerheart per se, here is some advice on creating good aspects for Fate. You can easily port some of the advice from this game to Daggerheart.

Yup, and the book tells players this!

“Before creating Experiences, you’ll want to have a solid idea of who your character is; the background questions are especially helpful for this. When you’re ready, work with your GM to create two Experiences that have shaped your character.”

If it’s not clear to both sides what the Experience means and some places where it might apply - time to talk it out.

I absolutely agree that they could’ve used some more guidance around the Experiences, for each of my frames I’ve added in additional bits to walk the players on to some character shaping to get to the tone I was looking for.

 

[Vael]

It'll be a process getting all the advice centralized, as Experiences are part FATE Aspect, freeform skills that DnD Next flirted with, 13th Age Backgrounds and One Unique Thing ... etc.

And also Experiences need to be a little general and malleable as some campaign frames might have specific designs for them.

IOW, it's a part of the system that'll take awhile to mature.

 

[Reynard]

Ah that is helpful!

Yes. This. Experiences are just FATE Aspects.

 

[Reynard]

What setting mechanics would you implement for a super-hero Daggerheart game?

One thing I was thinking of is a special Death Move for villains called "No One Could Survive That" that basically compels the players to not chase down a villain. Maybe everyone gets an extra Hope at the start of the next session?

 

[Agamon]

What setting mechanics would you implement for a super-hero Daggerheart game?

One thing I was thinking of is a special Death Move for villains called "No One Could Survive That" that basically compels the players to not chase down a villain. Maybe everyone gets an extra Hope at the start of the next session?

In any DH game, you can spend a fear (I'd probably make it two) to just have the villain get away. The game is set up to give players maximum agency, and then the fear is the tool to temporarily take it away to increase the tension.

 

[Reynard]

In any DH game, you can spend a fear (I'd probably make it two) to just have the villain get away. The game is set up to give players maximum agency, and then the fear is the tool to temporarily take it away to increase the tension.

Sure, but in a supers game I kind of like a carrot more than a stick.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

One thing I was thinking of is a special Death Move for villains called "No One Could Survive That" that basically compels the players to not chase down a villain. Maybe everyone gets an extra Hope at the start of the next session?

The trouble with that is it's a bit "I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today", which is to say, you're essentially giving the players a cheap IOU for something you should be paying for in your own money. I would suggest paying Fear is going to be less insulting and better accepted (probably relative to the scale of the villain too, I think if you try and get away with 1 Fear that's going to kind of feel rubbish, 2-3 would be more like). Having to pay Fear also means you can't just blast through all your Fear in an encounter and get away anyway, you have to hold back a bit and have the villain escape legit.

Also I'd suggest the Death Move maybe means the villain can't be directly involved in like, the next 3 sessions or something.

I think I might have the following requirements to the move:

1) 1-3 Fear contingent on the importance of the villain (i.e. named mooks 1, notable bruisers and sidekicks 2, actual masterminds and monsters 3).

2) Villain can't directly (i.e. in combat or social) fight the PCs for 1d3 sessions (or just 3). He has to run away again (probably only costing 1 Fear this time) if they track him down (masterminds can still mastermind but should take care not to get caught - make sure your base has an emergency exit, preferably involving some kind of rocket or train or a rocket-propelled train-sled!).

Alternative 2) The villain can't use this move again until they have been captured/defeated/imprisoned. So the next time they meet the PCs, they're going down, or escaping "legit" (i.e. running away early in the fight etc.).

3) Villain has to have at least 1 Stress or HP box left unchecked when he pulls this move.

I do think the basic framework for Daggerheart, with different classes, and Powers instead of Weapons/Armour/Domains could make for a particularly good supers RPG. I am not the man to write it though!

 

[Reynard]

The trouble with that is it's a bit "I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today", which is to say, you're essentially giving the players a cheap IOU for something you should be paying for in your own money. I would suggest paying Fear is going to be less insulting and better accepted (probably relative to the scale of the villain too, I think if you try and get away with 1 Fear that's going to kind of feel rubbish, 2-3 would be more like). Having to pay Fear also means you can't just blast through all your Fear in an encounter and get away anyway, you have to hold back a bit and have the villain escape legit.

Also I'd suggest the Death Move maybe means the villain can't be directly involved in like, the next 3 sessions or something.

I think I might have the following requirements to the move:

1) 1-3 Fear contingent on the importance of the villain (i.e. named mooks 1, notable bruisers and sidekicks 2, actual masterminds and monsters 3).

2) Villain can't directly (i.e. in combat or social) fight the PCs for 1d3 sessions (or just 3). He has to run away again (probably only costing 1 Fear this time) if they track him down (masterminds can still mastermind but should take care not to get caught - make sure your base has an emergency exit, preferably involving some kind of rocket or train or a rocket-propelled train-sled!).

Alternative 2) The villain can't use this move again until they have been captured/defeated/imprisoned. So the next time they meet the PCs, they're going down, or escaping "legit" (i.e. running away early in the fight etc.).

3) Villain has to have at least 1 Stress or HP box left unchecked when he pulls this move.

I do think the basic framework for Daggerheart, with different classes, and Powers instead of Weapons/Armour/Domains could make for a particularly good supers RPG. I am not the man to write it though!

Either paying fear or giving hope at the moment does not make any sense. It is the end of the BBEG fight by definition, therefore very likely the end of any need for spending fear and hope for the session.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Either paying fear or giving hope at the moment does not make any sense. It is the end of the BBEG fight by definition, therefore very likely the end of any need for spending fear and hope for the session.

Why not?

Fear doesn't reset between sessions. Paying 3 Fear now means 3 Fear you don't have next session. It also means you have to hold Fear back to be able to pay for it, limiting how hard you can go in combat.

I really think a lot of people forget that Fear doesn't reset. And they should probably not forget that lol.

 

[Reynard]

Why not?

Fear doesn't reset between sessions. Paying 3 Fear now means 3 Fear you don't have next session. It also means you have to hold Fear back to be able to pay for it, limiting how hard you can go in combat.

I really think a lot of people forget that Fear doesn't reset. And they should probably not forget that lol.

I... I did not realize that. I have been refreshing Fear and Hope at the start of each session.

Huh.