Daggerheart to Heart

We finish our Hope & Fear Campaign Frame review with a long look at Journey to Horizon. Perhaps the most mechanically complex frame we've seen to date.Gethin: @thewelshdm Nico: @NicodeGallo === COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT - FEAR ME! ===Fear Me is a Daggerheart supplement designed to give GMs a framework for adding Villains into any campaign they are running. The structure in which these Villains are presented offers an array of details for you to pull inspiration from, all on a single two-page spread.Heart of Daggers: https://heartofdaggers.com/products/fear-me/Topics:00:00 - Intro07:40 - Other Systems?12:36 - News & Commentary28:06 - Listener Questions37:53 - Reviewing Journey to Horizon01:25:46 - Community Spotlight01:40:13 - OutroMusic - Middle-Earth by Luis_Humanoide

Nico and Gethin dive into the monster filled nights of Anadluria this week, and reminisce about our teen years and Kate Beckinsale.

Gethin: @thewelshdm

Nico: @NicodeGallo

=== COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT ===

=== MAB Music TTRPG ===

Mark is a composer from Montreal writing full scores for TTRPGs, including campaign albums, tavern ambiences, and dungeon crawls. No AI is used in their products.

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@UC24a4Vb26IC2yZ5oFM2th3w

Patreon: patreon.com/mabmusic

Heart of Daggers: https://heartofdaggers.com/author/mab-music-ttrpg/

Topics:

00:00 - Intro

02:35 - Relaxing After a Session

06:27 - TTRPG News

09:37 - Listener Question

10:56 - Reviewing Dark Heart of Andaluria

01:04:43 - Community Spotlight

01:11:00 - Outro

Music - Middle-Earth by Luis_Humanoide

We continue our mini series looking at the Campaign Frames in Hope & Fear, this week the fairy tale themed Curse of the Weredragon!

Gethin: @thewelshdm

Nico: @NicodeGallo

=== COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHTS ===

=== Bard & Raven ===

Community live streams and interviews with designers, providing you with new content and an insight into the design process of the best Daggerheart content out there.

Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/bardandraven

Patreon: patreon.com/cw/bardandraven

=== Daggerheart Dispatch ===

A central place for all your Daggerheart news, inspiration, and discussions. Subscribe to their newsletter to make sure you don't miss any of the fantastic content out there.

http://daggerheartdispatch.com

Topics:

00:00 - Intro

04:00 - Best of Britain

08:43 - Daggerheart News

15:10 - Listener Question

28:05 - Reviewing Reign of the Weredragon

01:08:15 - Community Spotlight

01:17:43 - Outro

Music - Middle-Earth by Luis_Humanoide

We start a new mini series breaking down and reviewing the campaign frames from Hope & Fear, starting with everyone's favourite magical boarding school Castle High!

Gethin: @thewelshdm

Nico: @NicodeGallo

=== COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT - ATLAS OF ADVENTURE ===

The White Horse of Lowvale is a system neutral, folk horror scenario.

Atlas of Adventure: Volume 1 introduces 30 new environments, including traversal challenges like the Perilous Journey, magical events like the Time Loop, and larger-scale environments capable of supporting an entire story arc like the Masquerade Ball and the two-phase Planar Incursion!

Heart of Daggers: https://heartofdaggers.com/products/atlas-of-adventure-vol-1/

DriveThruRPG: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/580408/atlas-of-adventure-vol-1-daggerheart-compatible-environments?affiliate_id=3073419

Topics:

00:00 - Intro

04:34 - Balancing for Party or Story?

07:35 - Daggerheart News

23:04 - Listener Question

30:30 - Reviewing Castle High

01:03:22 - Community Spotlight

01:17:10 - Outro

Music - Middle-Earth by Luis_Humanoide

This week we discuss how we would take a system agnostic adventure and bring it into our games of Daggerheart. What steps would we take as GMs and what additional considerations would we have during prep and the game?Gethin: @thewelshdm Nico: @NicodeGallo === COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT - AMAZING ADVERSARIES & ENVIRONMENTS ===High above the clouds, scattered across a breathtaking chain of floating earthmotes, lies the Sky Isles—a secluded refuge where the disciplined Phoenix Monks have built a new life far from the world below.But peace here is fragile.The Sky Isles is a complete, ready-to-play Daggerheart location built around exploration, discovery, character-driven encounters, and a growing supernatural threat. Meet the enigmatic Phoenix Monks, earn their trust, explore their remote mountain sanctuary, and uncover the dark history that drove them here.Heart of Daggers - https://heartofdaggers.com/products/amazing-encounters-adversaries-the-sky-isles-preview/Topics:00:00 - Intro06:28 - Our Favourite Genre of Game10:29 - Using a System Agnostic Adventure51:16 - Community Spotlight01:01:05 - OutroMusic - Middle-Earth by Luis_Humanoide

Daggerheart is still a young TTRPG, which means there's not a lot of official or unofficial content for it yet. So why not borrow from other systems?

Gethin: @thewelshdm

Nico: @NicodeGallo

=== COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT - THE DRAGON'S VAULT ===

Over 200 new items, domain cards, and adversaries to include in your Daggerheart games. Expand the options available to your players, fill your magic shops, and populate the world with dangerous monsters.

All converted from the Magic Monday series by the WelshDM, converted and drawn by the many great minds of the Daggerheart community.

LINKS - TBD

Topics:

00:00 - Intro

01:54 - 100 Fowlbears vs 1 Grimmling

03:14 - The News!

16:19 - Using Content from Other Systems

39:46 - Community Spotlight

50:56 - Outro

Music - Middle-Earth by Luis_Humanoide

World Building is a crucial element of TTRPG campaign design, but how much is too much? And how do you ensure you leave space for your players to add to the world as well?

Gethin: @thewelshdm

Nico: @NicodeGallo

=== COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT - DAGGERHEART DECONSTRUCTED ===

A Dispatch companion series by Designer Chris Davidson where we reverse-engineer a Daggerheart Adversary or Environment statblock to unpack the hidden details that make it easier to prep and enjoyable to play.

https://www.daggerheartdispatch.com/daggerheart-deconstructed/

Topics:

00:00 - Intro

02:27 - Best Snack?

04:48 - The News!

08:51 - Nico's Void Playtest

15:30 - Main Topic: World Building

50:01 - Community Spotlight

55:28 - Outro

Music - Middle-Earth by Luis_Humanoide

Darrington Press recently released an updated Blood Hunter and the new Summoner class to the Void for playtest, and we have some thoughts...

Gethin: @thewelshdm

Nico: @NicodeGallo

=== COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT - BUREAU OF CHRONOLOGICAL AFFAIRS ===

A bureaucratic time-travel campaign frame for Daggerheart

At the heart of TIME/SPACE stands a vast office complex – its stairwells spiraling endlessly through every shadowed corner of the multiverse. This is the BCA, the Bureau of Chronological Affairs, long-time custodians of the universal time flow and guardians of the DOOM’S DAY CLOCK – a device that has ticked since the dawn of creation.

Or at least it did – before the entire staff of the Bureau vanished.

Now it’s up to you and a handful of freshly recruited field agents to navigate the surreal corridors of TIME/SPACE, restore the Bureau’s lost departments, and uncover the truth of what happened to the BCA.

Heart of Daggers: https://heartofdaggers.com/products/bureau-of-chronological-affairs/

Itch.io: https://dngnclub.itch.io/bureau-of-chronological-affairs

Topics:

00:00 - Intro

00:35 - Best Time for a Game?

05:32 - What's in the News!

12:36 - The Void Provides

15:43 - The Summoner Class

30:15 - The Updated Blood Hunter

50:20 - Community Spotlight

01:13:00 - Outro

Music - Middle-Earth by Luis_Humanoide

There is so much incredible community produced content for Daggerheart, and as best as we do to spotlight it every episode, there's only so much we can do. So this week we're catching up and showing you a bunch of outstanding content to pick up for your games of Daggerheart!

Gethin: @thewelshdm

Nico: @NicodeGallo

=== COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHTS ===

Grab yourself the products we spoke about in the episode at the links below! Don't forget to leave a Review and let them know we sent you.

Fearless Vol. 1 - heartofdaggers.com/products/fearless-vol-1/

Halflight Halls - heartofdaggers.com/products/halflight-halls-campaign-setting-starter/

Ghosts! - heartofdaggers.com/products/ghosts/

Branneth's End - heartofdaggers.com/products/branneths-end/

Traps! - heartofdaggers.com/products/traps/

Starheart - heartofdaggers.com/products/starheart/

Return to Daggerworld - heartofdaggers.com/products/return-to-daggerworld/

Topics:

00:00 - Intro

01:23 - Announcing Difficulty of Rolls

06:57 - Fearless Vol. 1

13:24 - Halflight Halls

22:42 - Ghosts!

34:54 - Branneth's End

42:45 - Traps!

49:29 - Starheart

57:01 - Return to Daggerworld

1:04:24 - Outro

Music - Middle-Earth by Luis_Humanoide

The Exploration player is the oft forgotten, but perhaps most important element of a heroic fantasy TTRPG, and Daggerheart provides a wealth of tools to explore this pillar of play. But even the best of us still can struggle with it, so we discuss our tips for running interesting, compelling, evocative Exploration in Daggerheart.

Gethin: @thewelshdm

Nico: @NicodeGallo

=== COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT - CRYPT OF THE NEKROLYCH ===

A Villain Frame for Daggerheart that brings the ancient NekroLych to life in your games, by Tomas Gimenez Rioja

You already know what a Campaign Frame is. Now, a Villain Frame is the same, except it puts a villain as its main point. The primary villain, in this case the NekroLych, becomes the Big Bad Evil of the campaign you port this Villain Frame to, and gives you everything you need to know about its backstory, motives, and plans to not only have a villain, but a compelling 3-dimensional villain your players will absolutely love to hate!

Support the Project: https://tgimenezrgm.itch.io/crypt-of-the-nekrolych

Follow Tomas: https://bsky.app/profile/tgimenezrgm.bsky.social

Topics:

00:00 - Intro

03:07 - Our Mimic Traps

04:21 - News & Releases

14:17 - What is Exploration in TTRPGs?

23:33 - Exploration in Daggerheart

34:56 - Engaging Players with Exploration

44:25 - Community Spotlight

53:00 - Outro

Music - Middle-Earth by Luis_Humanoide

The Social Pillar is often one of the least supported pillars in TTRPGs. This happens because it's hard to plan for every element. Daggerheart still has plenty of tools to help you out though.

Gethin: @thewelshdm

Nico: @NicodeGallo

=== COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT - THE DICE ROLETH ===

Made up of an unexpected party of heroes from the Heart of Daggers community, The Dice Rolleth is a mostly Daggerheart Actual Play!

https://www.youtube.com/@UCJANKDCZ6YtnSuUUbGjnCVA

Topics:

00:00 - Intro

02:54 - Your Best NPC Voice

06:40 - New Daggerheart Actual Plays

11:57 - The Art of Daggerheart

12:59 - Fear Fest!

16:15 - The Challenge of Social Encounters

22:22 - Social Sub-systems

27:47 - Using Stress

30:17 - When to Use Mechanics

35:58 - Know Your NPCs

39:00 - Community Spotlight

Music - Middle-Earth by Luis_Humanoide

Looking around the internet there is a wealth of digital tools available for Daggerheart and TTRPGs. But do you need them to have a good game? Which ones are useful? And can they get in the way of the system?

Gethin: @thewelshdm

Nico: @NicodeGallo

=== COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT - HEART OF DAGGERS ===

Heart of Daggers is a one-stop shop for all things Daggerheart. Whether you are looking for 3rd party content to expand your games. A Character Creator for your dozens of character ideas. Or GM tools to help you run smoother and more enjoyable games.

https://heartofdaggers.com/

Topics:

00:00 - Intro

02:45 - News

06:57 - Digital Tools in Daggerheart

37:41 - Heart of Daggers

Music - Middle-Earth by Luis_Humanoide

Daggerheart turned 1 year old this week, and Darrington Press did a big ol' birthday stream announcing all sorts of new releases for Daggerheart. We discuss it, and question what it means for Daggerheart's future.Gethin: @thewelshdm Nico: @NicodeGallo === COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT - THE NEW UNKNOWN ===The New Unknown is a full science-fiction Core Rulebook for Daggerheart™ Compatible. It works as a stand-alone TTRPG system using and building onto the core mechanics of Daggerheart's freely available SRD, providing you with everything you need to start your own science-fiction roleplaying campaign!Kickstarter - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1981524065/the-new-unknown-a-sci-fi-role-playing-gameTopics:00:00 - Intro05:14 - Age of Umbra Season 2k08:25 - Dice & Music10:52 - Adversary Builder16:38 - Adventure Pipeline28:21 - Hope & Fear41:13 - Community SpotlightMusic - Middle-Earth by Luis_Humanoide

Campaign Frames were an innovative alternative to a singular world, campaign settings, or adventure modules at Daggerheart's launch. What do they provide as us GMs and Players in creating exciting games?Gethin: @thewelshdm Nico: @NicodeGallo === COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT - BEACON OF HOPE ===Now, after centuries, one nation has shattered the towers and slain their draconic overlord. In the newly-free country of Bastion, a defiant few stoke the flames of revolution. In a Bastion of Hope campaign, you’ll face impossible odds as you fight to end the age of tyrants. This original campaign frame provides everything needed to play using the Daggerheart rules, including: Heart of Daggers - itch.io - https://michaelrunderwood.itch.io/bastion-of-hopeTopics:00:00 - Intro01:18 - Hope & Fear Excitement06:02 - Main Topic: Campaign Frames11:44 - Inciting Incidents Value18:47 - Campaign Mechanics25:17 - What About Adventures?31:00 - Community SpotlightMusic - Middle-Earth by Luis_Humanoide

As the cursed artifact of polluted mimicry becomes more prevelant in modern society, this weeks episode discusses AI in Daggerheart, the community's usage of it, and what other options are available to us for our tables and design work.

Gethin: @thewelshdm

Nico: @NicodeGallo

=== COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT - TTRPG RESOURCES ===

If you need to find art, artists, or other resources for your Daggerheart - other other TTRPG - experiences, ttrpgresources.com is the place to go. A centralised hub of public access artwork, places to find artists, and other ethical generative content.

https://ttrpgresources.com/

Topics:

00:00 - Intro

00:58 - Iconic Items in Daggerheart

02:35 - The Presence of AI

04:57 - The Need for Art in TTRPGs

08:14 - Why AI is Bad

14:27 - Other Options to AI

18:38 - Community Response to its Use

25:04 - Community Spotlight

35:35 - Character Sheet Tangent

39:41 - Outro

Music - Middle-Earth by Luis_Humanoide

Daggerheart is still a new system, barely a year old, and yet we've seen loads of great 3rd party content already. This week we ask Carlos Cisco how they've found desigining in Daggerheart, and share our own experiences as well.

Gethin: @thewelshdm

Nico: @NicodeGallo

=== COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT - PISTOLHEART VOL 2 ===

Heart of Daggers:

DriveThruRPG:

Topics:

00:00 - Intro

02:32 - Iconic Items in Daggerheart

05:24 - Daggerheart Survey

08:30 - Designing in Daggerheart

18:45 - Shifting to Daggerheart

23:06 - Homebrew vs Publishing

26:57 - Designing to a Theme

29:44 - Community Spotlight

Music - Middle-Earth by Luis_Humanoide

Session 0's are a foundational part of TTRPGs, Daggerheart even has an entire chapter dedicated to them. However it is very easy for players and GMs to come to them ill prepared to collaboratively build the world and establish their story. Let's discuss how we can all do better in our Session 0s.Gethin: @thewelshdm Nico: @NicodeGallo === COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT - THROUGH THE UNSEEN EYE ===Explore your characters' backstories and connections with your friends while being stuck in a realm made up of your own memories.
Collaboratively build your own big boss that you have to face as a group together. All of this is possible, in “Through The Unseen Eye”Heart of Daggers: https://heartofdaggers.com/products/mystical-emotional-adventure-for-all-levels-through-the-unseen-eye/DriveThruRPG: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/555026/mystical-character-driven-daggerheart-adventure-through-the-unseen-eye?src=hottest_filtered&affiliate_id=3073419Topics:00:00 - Intro01:02 - Our Dream Characters04:43 - Main Topic08:02 - Nico Doesn't Run Session 0s11:50 - Creating Characters Collaboratively15:24 - Don't Railroad the GM22:20 - Don't Prewrite the Adventure32:02 - Community SpotlightMusic - Middle-Earth by Luis_Humanoide

Ever since it's launch there have been a number of swirling half-truths about Daggerheart in the online community. Hearsay and passed on pieces of information that have led many to believe certain elements of the game that aren't true. Let's shine a light on these, and figure what the game actually wants you to do.

Gethin: @thewelshdm

Nico: @NicodeGallo

=== COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT - FANGS & FELONS ===The ultimate campaign companion designed to keep your game running smoothly and your players running scared. Whether your table is wandering the corrupted wilds of the Witherwild, navigating the political fires of Five Banners, or exploring any Daggerheart world, this book drops predators, profiteers, and peril directly into play. Every adversary and environment is designed to create motion, pressure, and conflicts, with scaling guidance so they grow alongside your campaign.

Heart of Daggers: https://heartofdaggers.com/products/ettins-adversaries-fangs-felons/

DriveThruRPG: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/555251/ettin-s-adversaries-fangs-felons?affiliate_id=3073419Topics:00:00 - First Adventure Adversaries04:11 - Daggerheart Myths06:40 - The Cards11:26 - Fuzzy Ranges14:36 - Gold System21:29 - Character Sheets25:31 - What's In the Chest!?37:53 - Community Spotlight48:43 - OutroMusic - Middle-Earth by Luis_Humanoide

The Spotlight is an oft talked about facet of Daggerheart, often creating a lot of debate about how it's best used, and how it reframes the way we play TTRPGs. It's a lot simpler than people seem to think though.

Gethin: @thewelshdm Nico: @NicodeGallo

=== COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT - MENAGERIE OF MAYHEM ===Menagerie of Mayhem: Volume 1 introduces 35 new adversaries, including multi-phase foes like the Blood Mage and adversary groups such as the ferocious Umbral Hunting Pack and the nihilistic Congregation of the End.

Heart of Daggers: https://heartofdaggers.com/products/menagerie-of-mayhem-vol-1/

DriveThruRPG: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/553609/menagerie-of-mayhem-volume-1?affiliate_id=3073419Topics:00:00 - Character Establishment Tricks04:57 - Sharing the Spotlight38:13 - Community SpotlightMusic - Middle-Earth by Luis_Humanoide

Combat in Daggerheart invites players and GMs to fill the story with high octane action and dramatic moments. But the lack of initative has been a major hold up for many. This episode we discuss why Daggerheart's story first combat opens the door for much better experiences at the table.Gethin: @thewelshdm Nico: @NicodeGallo=== COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT - HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL ===Hope Springs Eternal has 120+ pages of original content made for Daggerheart. All 5 campaign frames are complemented by a location usable in any campaign. Check out further details at the Kickstarter below.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ericlazure/hope-springs-eternal/Topics:00:00 - Fear Trackers03:17 - No Initiative System14:11 - Action Movies18:38 - Narrative Over Mechanics33:10 - Community SpotlightMusic - Middle-Earth by Luis_Humanoide