Summary
Spells work a little differently inDaggerheartas opposed to other tabletop games like Dungeons & Dragons. Rather than having to focus on spell slots or other complex mechanics, Daggerheart uses Domain Cards, which players earn at various levels to cast all manner of spells from various magical Domains.
So, if you’re diving into Daggerheart for the first time, you might be wondering which spells are the best. For this list, we’ve chosen a handful of spells across various levels and tiers, so you can get an idea of what spells to take when. Here are the best spells in Daggerheart.
1
Recall Cost
This spell allows you to imbue a personal trinket or item of yours with protective magic that can help reduce incoming damage. Whenever you are attacked, you can spend a Hope to reduce the damage by 1d8.
This is a great low-level spell that can be used as many times as you need, provided you have Hope available. The damage reduction might not seem like much, but sometimes a four or a five on the d8 might be enough to bring the damage severity down one threshold. Just be warned, if you roll an eight, you won’t be able to use this spell until after your next rest.
10
This is an extremely powerful, high-level spell that has a simple but incredibly clutch effect. After you or a willing ally makes any kind of roll, be it damage, attack, or action, you can spend five Hope to change the result of the roll to any other number so long as it’s realistic.
Because this spell allows you to change the numerical result,rather than individual dice, you can essentially cast this spell to auto-succeed on a difficult roll. Of course, you’re going to need to be almost full up on Hope, but the results are going to prove well worth it.
4
2
Codex spells often have a number of different effects you can use, making it one of the most varied Domains in Daggerheart. This book allows for excellent support abilities that can alterthe flow of combat, as well as a powerful attack spell within its pages.
First, with this spell, you can spend Hope to negate damage on an incoming attack. Second, you can target an object, forcing it to freeze in place, which you can use creatively to potentially halt environmental effects. And finally, you can create a wall of magic fire that can potentially cause 4d10 + 3 magic damage, which can prove highly lethal. Overall, this spell is highly versatile, despite itsrelatively low leveland recall cost.
6
This is a relatively high-level roleplay-based spell in Daggerheart that uniquely has no recall cost. This means you can leave it in your Domain Card vault and easily swap it in whenever the time is right, so long as you’re willing to sacrifice another card.
With this spell in tow, you can magically speak into the mind of any creature or person whom you’ve physically met before. They can also speak back to you. Plus, you can mark Stress to make a Spellcast Roll and potentially learn their location, what they’re doing, or something about their inner motivations. This utility spell is great for dealing with and tracking powerful adversaries.
9
3
Once per long rest, this spell allows you to perfectly copy the features and effects of any other Domain Card of level eight or lower, so long as it’s already in another player’s loadout. you may use this feature anytime you spend Hope equal to half of the card’s level until your next rest or the other player places the active card in their vault.
This spell is just great, thanks to its versatility. you may use this card to mimic a Domain Card that’s part of a character’s class features, spells, and much more, meaning you’ll be prepared for almost any situation. Just ensure you communicate with the other player before they vault their card.
When you cast this spell, you make a Spellcast Roll against the target and can do one of three things. First, you can pull them into melee range of yourself, or pull yourself toward them. Second, you can constrain them and make them mark two Stress. Finally, you can create magical vines between yourself and the target, forcing 3d6 + 2 damage on adversaries who fail their Reaction Roll.
Like most of the other spells on this list, one of the reasons this card is so great is that it’s highly versatile. You can easily tailor the effects of this spell to your needs, either using its utility or damage depending on the situation.
Eclipse is a top-tier Midnight Domain spell that allows you to embolden yourself just as much as your allies. When you cast this spell, you must make a Spellcast Roll of 16 or higher. When you do so, you may darken a large area within Far range, imposing disadvantage on attacks against you and your allies. Plus, you can impose additional Stress on adversaries when you attack them.
The only downside to this spell is its duration. You can only do this once per long rest, and the GM can spend a Fear on their turn to clear the effect. At higher levels, the GM is likely to have at least one Fear at their disposal, so sometimes you may only get a minute or two of cover from this effect.
This is a great support spell that can help your party back from the brink of death. Once per long rest, when you cast this spell, you create a magical field of plants around you that can heal your allies within Close Range. Everyone in Close Range can clear a Hit Point.
you’re able to also spend two Hope to clear two Hit Points instead. This can prove incredibly useful in tight combat situations. Plus, you don’t have to make a Spellcast Roll; the ability just automatically works, which can be a rarity in Daggerheart.
After you take a long rest, you can cast this spell to place a number of character tokens equal to your Spellcast Trait on the Restoration card. From there on out, you can touch any creature and spend any number of those tokens to clear up to 2 HP or 2 Stress, depending on how many tokens you decide to spend. Plus, you can spend a token to clear the Vulnerable condition or other magical or nonmagical ailments.
While you will have to keep this card in your loadout post-rest, this spell is incredibly versatile and can suit the needs of any party in distress. Plus, its ability to clear certain conditions can make the difference between life and death in tough combat scenarios.
This highly flexible, low-level Codex spell is great for newer players to Daggerheart, especially at level one. When you cast this spell, you’re able to activate several different effects.
First, you may make a Spellcast Roll to potentially knock back an adversary and inflict d10 + 2 magic damage using your Proficiency. Second, you can spend Hope to grant a +1 bonus to Armor Scores for allies. Lastly, you can create a large Ice Spike and attack enemies from afar. This spell is great as you don’t have to choose between defensive and offensive play.
