Daggerheart Desert Campaign

Rules and Mechanics

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Version: 1.0
Canon through: August 27, 2026

Outline

System and Party State

The current campaign uses Daggerheart rather than D&D 5e. The party was established in early play at approximately level 2. Later notes do not definitively record a level increase, so level should be checked against current character sheets before encounter design.

The current party contains six PCs:

  • Altennis.
  • Sedric Runeborne.
  • Intrepid.
  • Sylvester Dalone.
  • Mulch “Fungi.”
  • Jengo Dustpaw.

Official References

The uploaded official Daggerheart PDFs are source references rather than encyclopedia content.

Current Ancestries

  • Clank — Daggerheart, Ancestry p. 53.
  • Elf — p. 56.
  • Faun — p. 58.
  • Fungril — p. 60.
  • Katari — p. 67, when applicable to a campaign character.
  • Aetheris — from Void, issue 2; not in the uploaded core ancestry excerpt.

Useful Adversary Baselines

  • Giant Scorpion — Daggerheart, Adversaries p. 211.
  • Glass Snake — p. 212.
  • Skeletons — p. 217.
  • Demonic Hound Pack — p. 222.
  • Stonewraith — p. 227.

Hope and Fear

Previously discussed table notes include:

  • Player characters begin with 2 Hope.
  • The GM uses Fear as a resource to spotlight adversaries, activate features, escalate scenes, and respond to rolls with Fear.
  • Starting Fear and the exact effects of rests were discussed more than once.

Because the official rules may have changed across playtest and final versions, use the current rulebook wording when a precise amount matters.

Rests and Pressure

A later rules review identified that player rests can generate Fear for the GM. Short and long rests do not represent consequence-free pauses.

The Quartz Below deliberately intensifies this principle. Resting in the mine should carry fictional and mechanical risk, such as:

  • Additional Fear.
  • Encounter or hazard checks.
  • Countdown advancement.
  • Crystal growth or environmental change.
  • Enemy regrouping.
  • Loss of position or safe routes.

The exact official Fear gained from each rest should be checked against the current Daggerheart rulebook rather than the conversational paraphrase.

Movement and Grid Play

Movement on a tactical grid was discussed for the group’s table setup. Daggerheart uses abstract ranges—Melee, Very Close, Close, Far, and Very Far—rather than requiring a universal feet-per-square conversion.

When using maps:

  • Establish a consistent table convention for each range.
  • Preserve the narrative purpose of range bands.
  • Avoid treating every diagonal or small positional change as a separate rules dispute.
  • Use terrain, barriers, elevation, and zones to make movement meaningful.

Damage and Adversary Handling

Daggerheart damage is compared against character thresholds to determine Minor, Major, or Severe damage and the number of Hit Points marked.

Adversaries use their own thresholds, HP, Stress, attacks, roles, motives, and features. Boss-like humanoids should be built as adversaries rather than full player characters unless a specific rule requires otherwise.

Conditions and Custom Effects

Flash Blindness

A developed hazard uses a bright magical flash and a Difficulty 18 Finesse Reaction Roll.

Possible results discussed include temporary blindness or a similar impaired state. Duration and removal should be clearly stated in the encounter, for example:

  • Until the target’s next action.
  • Until the next roll with Hope.
  • Until a successful Instinct or Finesse action clears it.
  • Until an ally assists.

The exact duration was not permanently standardized across the campaign.

Vulnerable, Restrained, Hidden, and Other Conditions

Custom adversaries should use official Daggerheart conditions whenever possible rather than creating near-duplicates. Environmental descriptions can remain vivid while the mechanical effect stays concise.

Adversary Design

Custom adversaries were created to align with the official presentation. A complete entry ordinarily includes:

  • Tier and role.
  • One-sentence description.
  • Motives and tactics.
  • Difficulty.
  • Damage thresholds.
  • HP and Stress.
  • Attack modifier, range, damage, and type.
  • Experiences when useful.
  • Passive, action, and reaction features.
  • Fear costs, Stress costs, countdowns, or spotlight rules.

Campaign-developed examples include Duneveil Stalkers, Corpsebearer Shades, Ash-Salt Dead, Tomb Scorpions, Demon Dogs, Hound Masters, Flame Guardians, Temple Skeletons, and Cinderquartz shard creatures.

Narrative Carryover from D&D

The previous D&D heroes provide story continuity only.

  • No automatic level, spell, class, item, feat, or ability transfer.
  • Past-life memories are narrative permissions rather than mechanical bonuses.
  • A player may build a completely different Daggerheart character.
  • Recognition and dreams should create choices and mysteries, not invalidate the current identity.

GM Verification Notes

Before a session involving precise mechanics, verify:

  • Current party level.
  • Current final-rule Hope and Fear values.
  • Rest-generated Fear.
  • Exact range-to-grid convention.
  • Current wording of relevant conditions.
  • Whether a custom adversary was built against playtest or final adversary math.