An Interactive Guide to the Rules and Systems of Critical Role's Fantasy TTRPG
Complete with worked examples and narrative scenarios
Daggerheart is a collaborative fantasy tabletop roleplaying game of incredible magic and heroic, heartfelt adventure. Created by Critical Role's Darrington Press and designed by Spencer Starke, Daggerheart offers a unique system based on the tension between Hope and Fear.
Players roll two distinctly different 12-sided dice called Duality Dice—one representing Hope (colored one way) and one representing Fear (colored another way). Unlike traditional RPGs, Daggerheart cares which die rolls higher, not just the total.
This creates a sophisticated mechanic where success can come with hope for the heroes, or success can come at a cost (with fear). Even failure has nuance—failing with hope or failing with fear creates vastly different story outcomes.
Roll Hope and Fear dice. The higher die tells you the emotional/narrative flavor of the outcome. Success still means success, but the cost varies.
Players earn Hope when rolling well. Spend Hope to power special abilities, help allies, or swing the narrative. It's a resource that flows through the game.
No rigid initiative. The spotlight flows naturally between players based on narrative. Everyone gets moments of heroism without waiting for their turn.
Instead of spell lists and feat trees, characters gain power through Domain Cards—flexible abilities that represent their growth and specialization.
Use the navigation menu at the top to jump to specific sections. Each section includes:
Daggerheart uses two 12-sided dice (d12s) in different colors:
You roll both simultaneously. The result depends on:
| Outcome | Total vs Difficulty | Hope vs Fear Die | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Critical Success | Meets or beats ✓ | Both dice match! | Succeed + Bonus + Gain Hope + Clear Stress |
| Success with Hope | Meets or beats ✓ | Hope > Fear | Succeed + Gain Hope |
| Success with Fear | Meets or beats ✓ | Fear > Hope | Succeed + Complication (GM gains Fear) |
| Failure with Hope | Falls short ✗ | Hope > Fear | Fail + Minor consequence + Gain Hope |
| Failure with Fear | Falls short ✗ | Fear > Hope | Fail + Major consequence (GM gains Fear) |
Click to simulate a roll. Imagine a Difficulty of 12.
Every action uses one of six character traits. When you roll with a trait, you add that trait's modifier to your dice total.
Sprint, Leap, Maneuver, Dodge
Nimbleness and speed
Lift, Smash, Grapple, Push
Physical power and endurance
Control, Hide, Tinker, Strike
Precision and delicacy
Perceive, Sense, Navigate, Track
Intuition and awareness
Charm, Perform, Deceive, Lead
Charisma and force of personality
Recall, Analyze, Comprehend, Deduce
Intellect and learning
Hope is earned when your Hope die rolls higher than your Fear die. You gain 1 Hope on Success with Hope, Critical Success, or Failure with Hope.
You can spend Hope to:
Maximum: You can have at most 5 Hope at any time. You start play with 2 Hope.
Fear is the GM's resource. When your Fear die rolls higher than your Hope die, the GM gains Fear.
The GM spends Fear to:
Creating a Daggerheart character is a nine-step process that builds a complete, playable hero ready for adventure.
Daggerheart offers nine classes, each with two subclass options:
Your Heritage combines two elements: Ancestry (species/lineage) and Community (culture/origin).
Examples: Clank, Drakona, Dwarf, Elf, Faerie, Faun, Firbolg, Fungril, Galapa, Giant, Goblin, Halfling, Human, Infernis, Katari, Orc, Ribbet, Simiah
Examples: Highborne, Loreborne, Orderborne, Ridgeborne, Seaborne, Slyborne, Underborne, Wanderborne, Wildborne
Assign the following modifiers to your six traits in any order: +2, +1, +1, +0, +0, -1
Each class provides starting values for:
Each class defines a character archetype with unique abilities and domain access.
Bards are the most charismatic people in all the realms. Masters of captivation and performance.
Starting Stats: Evasion 10 | Hit Points 5
Domains: Grace & Codex
Class Feature: Rally - Once per session, give yourself and allies Rally Dice (d6) to boost rolls or clear Stress
Becoming a druid is more than occupation—it's a calling. Learn from and protect wilderness magic.
Starting Stats: Evasion 10 | Hit Points 6
Domains: Sage & Arcana
Class Feature: Beastform - Transform into animals, gaining their stats and abilities
Guardians represent an array of martial professions defined by their moral compass and dedication to protection.
Starting Stats: Evasion 9 | Hit Points 7
Domains: Valor & Blade
Class Feature: Unstoppable - Once per long rest, become harder to hurt and deal more damage
Rangers are highly skilled hunters who rarely lend their skills to armies. Sly tacticians of the wild.
Starting Stats: Evasion 12 | Hit Points 6
Domains: Bone & Sage
Rogues excel through cunning, precision, and deception. They thrive in shadows and use wit as their deadliest weapon.
Domains: Grace & Midnight
Seraphs channel divine power to heal, protect, and smite. Warriors of faith with incredible magical reserves.
Domains: Splendor & Valor
Sorcerers wield magic as an inherent gift. Their power comes from within—blood, destiny, or wild magic.
Domains: Arcana & Midnight
Warriors are unparalleled in martial prowess. Through dedication and discipline, they master every weapon and tactic.
Domains: Blade & Bone
Wizards master magic through intensive study and research. Their power comes from understanding equations of reality itself.
Domains: Codex & Splendor
Domains are the primary way characters gain new powers and abilities. Instead of spell lists or feat trees, you acquire Domain Cards.
| Domain | Theme | Accessible By |
|---|---|---|
| Arcana | Innate and instinctual magic | Druid, Sorcerer |
| Blade | Weapon mastery | Guardian, Warrior |
| Bone | Tactics and body understanding | Ranger, Warrior |
| Codex | Intensive magical study | Bard, Wizard |
| Grace | Charisma and language mastery | Bard, Rogue |
| Midnight | Shadows and secrecy | Rogue, Sorcerer |
| Sage | Natural world power | Druid, Ranger |
| Splendor | Life and death control | Seraph, Wizard |
| Valor | Protection and defense | Guardian, Seraph |
You can have up to 5 Domain Cards active in your Loadout at any time. Once you acquire 6+ cards, extras go to your Vault (inactive). You can freely swap cards during downtime.
Combat in Daggerheart isn't a rigid system of initiative and turns. Instead, it's a fluid, narrative-driven exchange where the spotlight moves naturally between combatants.
Rather than rolling initiative and taking turns in a fixed order, the spotlight flows between players naturally based on:
When you have the spotlight, you describe what your character does. Then it swings to someone else.
When you attack, roll Duality Dice using an appropriate trait. The GM sets the Difficulty.
| Damage Threshold | Damage Range | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Minor | 1-5 damage | Mark 1 Stress (or armor reduces) |
| Major | 6-11 damage | Mark 1 Hit Point (or armor reduces) |
| Severe | 12+ damage | Mark 2 Hit Points (or armor reduces) |
Effect: Attacks against you are made with Advantage.
Effect: You can't move. Attacks against you are made with Advantage.
Effect: Each time you act, you take 1d10 direct physical damage.
Effect: Enemies can't see or target you. You can't move or attack (you're invisible).
Effect: -2 penalty to your next roll.
Effect: Disadvantage on attack rolls; prioritize escaping.
You're dying but not dead. Choose one:
Running Daggerheart is collaborative and narrative-focused.
Use story to drive mechanics, then connect mechanics back to narrative.
The PCs are the protagonists. You're all building the story together.
Showcase rich cultures, visit wondrous places, introduce dangerous creatures.
Let players shape the world. When they have ideas, make them work.
Only ask for rolls during meaningful moments. Every roll should change the story.
| Difficulty | Circumstance |
|---|---|
| 8 | Easy, straightforward |
| 10 | Moderate, achievable |
| 12 | Challenging |
| 14 | Very difficult |
| 16+ | Nearly impossible |
You gain Fear when players roll with Fear die higher. Spend Fear to:
Philosophy: Spend Fear freely! Don't hoard it. Use it to keep play dynamic.
Quick reference for Daggerheart terminology.