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Like many other tabletop roleplaying games,Daggerhearthas a unique combat system that’s meant to help elevate the storytelling of your adventuring party. If you’re used to playing in systems like fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons, you’re likely to find a lot of similarities between combat systems as well as differences.
If you’re wondering where to start, either as a player or as a GM, this guide has you covered. We’re going to break down everything about Daggerheart’s combat system, from attack rolls, damage, spells, and so much more. Here’s everything you need to know about combat in Daggerheart.
When Does Combat Start?
In Daggerheart, combat startswhenever any PC or adversary attacks another.
Unlike some other TTRPGs, like Dungeons & Dragons,there is no call for initiative or turn order.
Additionally, combat inDaggerheart doesn’t have limitations on actions or moves. Rather, Daggerheart uses something called ‘the spotlight.’
As players fight adversaries,players and the GM take turns in ‘the spotlight,‘either highlighting something a PC is doing, or something an adversary is doing.
If your table prefers more structured play,you can use a ‘spotlight tracker’and limit the number of actions each PC can take to three.
As combat progresses,players pass the spotlight back and forth to one another and the GM. Furthermore, the GM can spend Fear to spotlight additional adversaries.
Combat then resolves as it normally wouldin other TTRPGs, when either the PCs or the adversaries are successful in their endeavor.
How Combat Works
When it comes to using combat in Daggerheart as a player,there are a few key elementsthat you need to understand to be successful.
When in combat with adversaries, you’ll take turns within the spotlight, andmake regular Trait Rolls, Attack Rolls, Spellcast Rolls, and then calculate damage.
How To Attack
When you attackan adversary in Daggerheart, you’lluse one of the following methods:
Whenever you make an attack with a physical or magical weapon,you will make an Attack Roll by rolling your Duality Dice.
Remember,on Attack Rolls, you still gain Hope or grant the GM Fearbased on the results of your Hope and Fear dice.
When you do so, youadd modifiers based on the following:
If your roll meets or exceeds your adversary’s Evasion score, the attack hits, and you may then calculate damage.
When adversaries attack you, they are trying to meet or exceed your Evasion score, so keep this in mind when charging into battle.
In addition to standard Attack Rolls,you may also make an Unarmed Attack, in which case, youuse your Strength or Finesse Traitfor the roll.
Lastly,you may make a Spellcast Roll, which functions much like a normal Attack Roll. Simplyroll your Hope and Fear dice and add relevant modifiers, using your Spellcast Trait for your main modifier rather than a weapon trait.
However, when casting a spell,any rules on the Spell Card supersede normal Action Roll rules, so pay attention to what your Domain Cards say.
How To Calculate Damage
When you successfully attack an adversary, you then getto calculate damage.
To do this, you will roll various dice; the type of which and the amount rolled aredetermined by two factors:
If youhit with an attack with a magical or physical weapon, refer to that weapon’s statisticsto see what kind of damage die you will use.
Physical and magical weapons deal physical and magical damage, respectively, which various adversaries can have resistance or immunity to.
Once you’ve determined the die type, youroll a number of said dice by following the following formula:
So, for example, if yourplayer proficiency is two, and yourdamage die is a d8, you willroll 2d8on a successful attack roll.
If a weapon or ability has a damage modifierin its stat block, you onlyadd the modifier once to the total of the dice rolled.Proficiency has no bearing.
For Spellcast Attacks, simply follow the rules on the Spell Cardto determine the damage you roll.
If a Spell Card says you roll damage with your Proficiency, that means you willuse the same Proficiency Dice formulalisted above to determine damage.
If your character succeeds on an Unarmed Strike,the damage for the attack is a d4 using your Proficiency.
Additionally,if your attack is a critical success, your attack deals extra damage. Here’s the formula for calculating critical damage.
So, for example, if your weapon dealsa d8 + 3 physical damage, yourProficiency is two, and youroll a critical successon your attack,the damage would be 16, plus the value of an additional 2d8 rolled, plus three.
How To Take Damage
In combat in Daggerheart,when adversaries attack you, they are also trying to meet or exceed your evasion score. If they do so, they make a damage roll against you based on their abilities, weapons, and features in the same manner.
Your GM will tell you the result of the damage roll. From there,refer to your Base Damage Thresholds for your armor(which are first calculated at character creation).
Various conditions, line of sight effects, darkness, and more can affect the outcomes of damage and Attack Rolls.
From there, based on the result of the damage roll, you willmark HP like so:
1
Meets Or Exceeds Major Damage Threshold
2
Meets or Exceeds Severe Damage Threshold
3
When you take damage,you may also mark an available Armor Slot(provided you have Armor Score Slots available)to reduce damage by one threshold.
You can only reduce damage in this wayonce per attack.
If you run out of Armor Slots(determined by the Armor’s stat block),you must spend your downtime repairing the armorto use this feature again.
If you mark off all your available HP, you must make what’s called a Death Move, potentially forcing your PC to pass through the veil of life and death.
How To Move
In Daggerheart, while you may use a more traditional grid-based system for combat,the game encourages you to use theater of the mind and the following ranges:
Out of Range
300+ ft.
In combat,you may move to any location within Close Rangein addition to making an Action or Attack Roll.
Sometimes, an effect, attack, or spell will require you tomake a Reaction Roll. Thesefunction similarly to Action Rolls, but do not generate Hope or Fear.
Typically, you’llmake these rolls to avoid damage from an Area of Effect spell or attack, or some other environmental hazard.
If you wantto move farther than Close Range, you mustforgo an Action or Attack roll and make an Agility Rollto safely move.
Playerscan also initiate Tag Team rollsor Group Actionswhile in combat.
In the case of a Group Action, one player takes the lead, gaining modifiers based on their allies’ rolls.In the case of a Tag Team Roll, if you both succeed on an attack,you both roll damageand add the totals together.
How Combat Works For GMs
As a GM running combat in Daggerheart,most of the same principles apply to youwhen it comes to making Attack Rolls, calculating damage, and movement.
However, there are a few GM-specific things to keep in mindwhen it comes to running combat; keep these in mind as a GM running combat for Daggerheart.
Details
Adversaries
Adversaries function similarly to PCsin combat; however, there are a few notable exceptions.
First,they have unique attacks and propertiesseparate from Domain Cards and other class features.
Second,they don’t need to make Agility Rollsto move farther than Close Range.
Third, manyadversaries have features that allow GMs to spend Fearto buff their attacks, defenses, and more.
The d20
When adversaries make attacks, theyuse the d20 instead of two d12s.
Multiple Sources of Damage
Whenever multiple PCs attack a single adversary (and vice versa),the total of the damage is calculated before applying it to an adversary’s damage thresholds.
Direct Damage
Direct damage constitutes physical or magical damage thatArmor Slots cannot reduce in any way, like poison or fire.
Resistances & Immunities
Many adversaries, class features, spells, and more can grant adversaries and players alikeresistance to certain types of damage or full-out immunity, just like in DND.
Conditions
Daggerheart hasthree main conditionsthat can affect combat for adversaries and players.
These conditions areHidden, Restrained, and Vulnerable, whichimpose boons and baneson adversaries and players.
Advantage & Disadvantage
If an ability or other situation calls for advantage or disadvantage on a roll,players either add a d6 or subtract a d6,6, respectively, from the total of their roll.
For critical successes,a roll of 20 on the d20 is a critical success for the GM, just like in Dungeons & Dragons.
