Heroic fantasy where players roll two d12s for hope or fear, with cards for abilities and a story-forward flow.
From 50 firsthand play reports in 5 r/rpg threads. The threads alone average 6.8.
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562 r/rpg posts named it, October 2023 to October 2026.
Medium. Hype 9.0 for its age.
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Most tables that ran Daggerheart report a quick, approachable game, especially groups coming from 5e. Experienced or PbtA-leaning groups were more mixed, and some found the mechanics fiddly or thin on pressure. Reports come from one-shots, starter adventures and a few longer campaigns.
Each thread is rated for the play it describes, from the firsthand reports in it. Load one here or read it on Reddit.
Most people who ran or played Daggerheart report a fun, easy-to-run game. Combat without initiative and the Hope/Fear dice get praise, and players moving over from 5e adjust quickly. A sizeable minority found the tracking of many tokens and currencies too much, felt it lacked a distinctive hook, or bounced off the improv demands. 13 firsthand · 320 comments
Players and GMs who actually ran Daggerheart describe a flexible, approachable game with fun spotlights like team-ups, Hope/Fear and cinematic combat. They also report balance problems, combat that drags, weak incentives for bold play, and heavy reliance on the table to supply drama. Experiences split between groups who love it (especially newer or 5e-leaning ones) and PbtA or other experienced groups who found it just OK, and some of whom homebrewed much of it away. 12 firsthand · 183 comments
Firsthand reports lean positive: GMs and players say Daggerheart plays fast, is easy to improvise, and is friendly to new and D&D-weary players. Critics who played it found Hope/Fear rolls meaningless, the design incoherent, and dungeon and exploration play weak. The thread is partly a wider debate about narrative versus trad play and Critical Role, which I ignored. 10 firsthand · 245 comments
Several GMs report running Daggerheart one-shots, the starter adventure and one ongoing campaign, mostly with groups used to D20 games. Players were confused at first by Evasion, Armor and Thresholds, but one worked example and the cards cleared it up. Combat then clicked and the spotlight-sharing was a hit. 9 firsthand · 83 comments
The thread is mostly advice on whether a combat-averse GM should switch, so firsthand play reports are sparse and short. The few players and GMs who actually ran Daggerheart mostly enjoyed it, citing smoother combat and more engaging storytelling, with one strongly negative experience and a complaint about GM burden. 6 firsthand · 72 comments