InDaggerheart, when you create a character, you’ll be asked to create something called Experiences. These are one of the main aspects of character creation, and not only shape your character concept in drastic and distinct ways, but also give you bonuses to core gameplay mechanics like Action Rolls and more.

But, if you’re diving into Daggerheart for the first time, and are a longtime tabletop player used to something like backgrounds from DND, you might be unclear as to where to start. That’s why we’ve created this guide. Here’s what you need to know about Experiences and how to create them in Daggerheart.

A goblin warrior fighting and twirling in combat in Daggerheart.

What Are Experiences?

As mentioned,Experiences are an important part of your character conceptthat not only informs backstory and flavor, but alsoinforms your Action Rolls as well.

Some Ancestries and Classes havespecific buffs and perks that synergize well with Experiences, so pay attention to these during character creation.

A druid player-character casting a spell in Daggerheart.

When it comes to choosing an Experience, you willchoose either a word or phrase that details a set of skillsyour character has and has acquired in their past.

Here are some examplesof various Experiences you can have:

All of these terms or phrases count as Experiences, asthey are specific and help inform the character concept.

In Daggerheart,there is no specific list of Experiencesyou can choose from, rather,you may create your ownor take inspiration from the core rulebook.

A group of players in Daggerheart riding on glowing, mystical horse-like creatures.

How Do Experiences Work?

At character creation, you willselect two Experiences of your choosing. As you level up and progress,you’ll earn more Experienceslike so:

2

3

5

4

8

Because you gain Experiences as you play,your Experiences as you level up should reflect narrative beatsthat have occurred throughout your adventure.

For example,if your character spent time on a pirate shipduring their campaign, you couldadd the Experience ‘Seafaring Rogue’at level two.

From there, you’lllist your Experienceson your character sheet,giving each one a +2 modifier.

Whenever youmake an Action or Reaction Roll that lines up with your chosen Experiencein some way, shape, or form,you’re able to then add your Experience’s modifierto the result.

To do this, though,you must first spend a Hope. If you have no Hope left, you cannot add your Experience to the roll, so use this feature sparingly.

If it feels right,you’re able to technically add more than one Experience modifierto your roll. However, your GM will be the final arbiter of the matter in this regard.

How To Create Experiences

While the Daggerheart core rulebook has a ton of suggestions for various Experiences,it’s highly encouraged that you create your own Experiences, both at character creation and as you level up.

Here aresome things you’ll want to considerwhen creating custom Experiences:

With the above in mind,let’s take a look at an example character creationby creating two bespoke Experiences for a Daggerheart character.

This sample character is a clank Troubadour bardthat comes froma slyborne community. They grew up playing music in casinos, underground gambling halls, and busking on the street.

With this backstory in mind,we can create the following two Experiences.

Details

Street Smart

You grew up having to fend for yourself andare incredibly resourceful.

In major urban areas, you are right at home, and are good at figuring out the chain of command, who you may turn to for resources, and can make some quick coin.

Lie Detector

Thanks to your time in gambling halls,you know a liar when you see one.

You are very good at detecting liesor sensing if someone can be trusted or not.

These Experiences are specific and well-tailoredto the character concept in mind. As this character progresses, they will then add new Experiences to their character sheet based on their shared adventures with their party.

As you level up and progress,you can also change Experiences that no longer suit your character concept.

For example, if you feel that your character has become more trusting, they may not prove to be such a good Lie Detector any longer. you may then swap this Experience out for another.