Darrington Press’ Daggerheart Arrives May 20

Darrington Press, the publishing arm of Critical Role, is almost finished with its most ambitious project to date: a new TTRPG they call Daggerheart. Its mission is nothing less than “to redefine what’s possible in tabletop roleplaying.”

Here’s how it works: Daggerheart will use something called the “Duality Dice system,” where players will roll two D12s on each turn, one representing Hope and the other representing Fear. These levels of Hope and Fear will drive the outcome of their next decision. Meanwhile the GM will roll a traditional D20 to determine the actions of enemies. Darrington claims this asymmetrical style of gameplay adds unpredictability to each campaign and, overall, makes them more memorable.

They’re not just blowing smoke…they’ve tested this thing. Over 150,000 players were called to participate in an open beta for Daggerheart last year. Their feedback helped shape the game’s direction, refining the combat system and storytelling elements until they were just right. We’ll find out if they succeeded!

• Hope and Fear mechanics: At the heart of Daggerheart is the Duality Dice system, which uses two twelve-sided dice (d12s), one representing Hope and the other Fear. Players roll these dice to determine the outcome of actions, with Hope and Fear representing the ebb and flow of the story.
• Tools to build worlds steeped in magic, history, and intrigue: Embark on journeys in campaigns filled with mythic landscapes, dangerous foes, and untold wonders. Daggerheart enables players to collaborate with the GM to shape and explore a world brimming with magic, ancient secrets, and ever-present dangers​.
• Ready-made campaign frames to dive into: Six ready-made frameworks provide inspiration, tools, and mechanics to support a specific story your table can tell, from the cozy cooking and dungeoneering campaign fame of Beast Feast to the post-apocalyptic world of technological marvels in Motherboard.
• Asymmetrical gameplay: The game offers a distinctive experience for both players and Game Masters. Players use the Duality Dice for action rolls, while the Game Master employs d20 rolls to control their adversaries. This asymmetry keeps gameplay unpredictable!
• Cards bring player abilities to your fingertips: Rather than flipping through a book to look up what that spell does again, each player has their character abilities and details right in front of them on beautiful art-filled cards!

Darrington will be selling Dragonheart as both a Core Set ($59.99) and a Limited Core Set ($149.99). The Core Set includes a 300-page illustrated rulebook and 279 cards. The Limited Core set costs almost three times as much but packs in a GM scteen, the full set of dice needed for playing, a set of 102 acrylic crystal tokens to keep track of things, a rip pad, and alternate cover artwork in a magnetically-closed collector’s edition box. You decide what you need.