Player Questions

Melding zombie apocalypse storytelling and a fantasy world is an unusual mix! How was it making a character in Daggerheart to fit this show?

Daniel: In a world where a single bite can end a character, every aspect of your character sheet becomes influenced by that. Daggerheart is such a flexible system that I was able to easily create the character I envisioned for this show. The balance of strength and fragility found in the War Wizard perfectly tied my character together narratively and gameplay-wise.

Noir: When I think of a zombie apocalypse, I think of a character that is good at hiding, and there’s no one better at that than a Rogue. As for the Fairie aspect, I just really liked the art of them. Snatch has found a sweet spot for themselves in this adventure, and I’m truly excited to see where it goes next!

Meadow: Creating a Daggerheart character felt like it was made to be easy and in-depth simultaneously. I loved how community and backstory were built into your character AND mechanics.

Kelly: With the themes of survival we were leaning into, Ranger was the clear choice for me. I decided to create Crucible the way I did because I wanted to see a character molded by the drastic shift in the world and how they would move forward having lost their adolescence to tragedy.

Kujo: Making a character for this story was both beautiful and heartbreaking because we not only had to create a survivor, but establish their life and day-to-day before the world ended. It was a challenge knowing that these characters we were making were going to be put through a truly terrible origin before the game began in earnest.

What is your experience as a player in RPGs and with Daggerheart, and how has this experience been for you?

Daniel: As a player who values narrative, roleplay, and engaging system mechanics, Daggerheart is a perfect fit for me. I’ve had the joy of telling incredible stories throughout multiple systems; however, Daggerheart hits a different sweet spot altogether. There are so many tools that encourage collaborative storytelling while still leaving space for engaging, tactical combat. And the best part is that I don’t have to get bogged down by countless pages of rules just to make interesting things happen at the table.

Noir: I’ve been playing TTRPGs for almost 25 years, and I was very eager to get my hands on Daggerheart. This is around my fifth time playing, and I love it. The spotlight function in this game was truly a breath of fresh air that completely changed the way I think about adding to the narrative as a player.

Meadow: I’ve been playing TTRPGs since the pandemic, and I quickly became an avid devourer of dozens of systems. Daggerheart is brand new to me and feels like the perfect system for beginners who want to prioritize roleplay and the narrative. I’ve been lucky enough with Bitten to be in a cast that not only cares deeply for each other but want the same things in an actual play experience, and the chemistry is incredible.

Kelly: I’ve been playing TTRPGs for many years now, and I have the absolute joy of saying Bitten is my first ever Daggerheart game. It has been a wild, heartbreaking, gorgeous ride. Daggerheart feels like a perfect fit for how our group pursues storytelling and gameplay. With the beautiful friends I have the privilege of sharing a table with and a system that brings out the best in us, this experience has been incredible and one of a kind.

Kujo: I have been playing TTRPGs for well over a decade. One of my favorite gaming moments was getting to run the first streamed Daggerheart playtest to explore and enjoy this perfect blend of mechanics with narrative storytelling. This game hits a sweet spot in collaborative storytelling that is beautifully executed.

What was challenging about playing in this story or system?

Daniel: I think the initial challenge we faced was the open endedness of how our abilities functioned and  trying to figure out what was, or wasn’t, possible. However, the more we played, we quickly realized this was one of the greatest strengths of Daggerheart. There are so many incredible moments that occurred during season one that only could’ve happened with the player agency given by the system.

Noir: The hardest part for me was getting used to the changes from playtest to actual release of the system. Other than that the only difficulty I’m having is waiting for the next sessions…is it season 2 yet!?

Meadow: The challenge for me was mostly in tracking hit points and armor slots. Combat flows smoothly, but the way Evasion and armor are unlike anything I’ve ever played before definitely was a learning curve.

Kelly: The mechanics Jonny created for getting bitten by a Blighter are so terrifying! Every time he choses to use a bite attack, I can feel all of our hearts collectively drop to our stomachs. We never felt confident about escaping a combat unscathed because a bite could truly happen at any moment.

Kujo: The challenge of the system for me was the lethality of combat. It iss a fun and terrifying feeling playing as a sorcerer who truly embodies the phrase ‘glass cannon’. Having two moments where Torin’s stress was completely filled was terrifying and exciting all at the same time.

What surprised you through play?

Daniel: I was most surprised by how great it felt to play combat with no initiative. Everything felt more collaborative and intentional. It put us in exciting situations where we constantly had to be in communication with one another. And best of all, even our biggest combat encounters went by quickly because the system is so efficient.

Noir: I was truly taken by surprise by how game mechanics often lead to truly beautiful character moments. My character, Snatch, hadn’t really been communicating well, but a Tag Team move between Snatch and Roila created an opportunity to have a really deep and heartfelt conversation after the battle, which has completely changed Snatch for the better.

Meadow: How collaborative and engaging combat felt was consistently surprising. Even now, it’s challenging, fun, tense, and has weight to every action. I love how it feels like a push and pull to craft a cinematic scene with the GM.

Kelly: I was surprised by the fluidity that came with the lack of an initiative order. We weren’t only building on each other’s actions mechanically, but narratively. As an example, picture yourself wanting to defend a fellow PC who was just attacked. With other systems, you might feel frustrated because you know your character would intervene, but you’re waiting for your turn. With Daggerheart, you can lean into roleplay and your turn simultaneously when it narratively makes sense to rush across the battlefield.

Kujo: I was surprised by the seamlessness of moving between social and combat scenarios. There was also never a moment where it felt like the roleplay had to be on hold while mechanics were sorted out. It was seamless and beautiful.

What tips do you have for players of Daggerheart?

Daniel: DON’T BE AFRAID TO ROLL. I think players can put themselves in a box when they constantly avoid rolling dice because they do not want to generate fear for the GM. But by doing that, players are missing out on pushing the narrative forward, developing their characters, and generating Hope. The whole draw of the game is the tug-of-war between Hope and Fear. Don’t give in, just roll!

Noir: This system encourages you to take up space, so do just that! If I had to boil Daggerheart down to two words it’d be “Why not?”. Do the crazy plan, think of the cool power combos, and get messy! Daggerheart really focuses on the “Play” portion of “Roleplaying Games” and I think we’ve desperately needed that.

Meadow: Lean into the Fear.

Kelly: Enjoy the Fear just as much as the Hope! I know it may feel like maintaining Hope is the ultimate goal, but both in and out of combat, rolling with Fear allows for compelling story beats that will push your game forward in equally as interesting ways. “The dice tell the story.” Daggerheart took that saying and elevated it even further. Brace for Fear and embrace the Hope, but know that no matter how the dice fall, you’ll be telling one hell of a story.

Kujo: Remember that the main phrase of this game is collaborative storytelling. Everyone at the table is a player, even the storyteller. Communicate with each other. Spotlight each other’s moments at the table, whether they are large or small. This system was written to encourage collaboration, and when you let it happen, it becomes something beautiful.