Have you been itching to play Darrington Press’s Daggerheart, but don’t know where to start with creating a Daggerheart character? If you’re new tabletop roleplaying games, the process of making a character, even with a more accessible TTRPG like Daggerheart, can be overwhelming. 

Pre-cursor: Create an idea of your character

The first thing you should do in Daggerheart character creation is to craft the core concept of your character. In Daggerheart, character creation differs from tabletop RPGs like Dungeons and Dragons because there’s a greater emphasis on narrative elements, rather than stats and modifiers (though there is still some of it). This means that you should have a strong idea of your character’s backstory - their motivations, background and personality when making them. 

Here’s are some questions you can ask yourself: 

What kinds of characters do you like? Are there certain archetypes or personalities you’re drawn to?

What kind of story do you want to tell with your character? Redemption? Growth? Catharsis?

What drives your character - what are their ambitions? What are they afraid of?

Step 1: Choose your class

Classes make up the basic archetype of your character: what their abilities are, what weapons they can wield, what spells they cast and how they’ll develop as they level up. 

If you’ve played DnD before, some of the Daggerheart classes will be familiar to you, while others might be entirely new. This is an important choice as it’ll shape your gameplay and your character’s entire identity. 

Bard

Bards are charismatic performers who use their talents to inspire themselves and others. 

Domains: Grace & Codex (charisma and magical knowledge)

Hope feature: Spend 3 hope to distract and give a -2 penalty to enemy difficulty

Class features: Once per session, you can rally your party members - they gain a rally die (starting with d6), which they can roll and add to action rolls, reaction rolls, damage rolls or to clear stress rolls. 

Bard subclasses: 

Troubadour: A music player who protects and heals their allies.

Wordsmith: A public speaker and writer who encourages and persuades others.

Druid

Druids are defenders of the natural world, who utilize their connection with nature for both rejuvenation and destruction. 

Domains: Sage & Arcana (nature and instinctual magic)

Hope feature: Spend 3 hope to transform into beastform without taking stress, raise one trait by 1 until you drop out of beastform. 

Class features: Mark stress to transform into a creature of the same tier as your class (or lower) from the beastform list, gain features of that beast type. 

You can perform slight feats of nature. 

Druid subclasses

Warden of the elements: Channel the natural elements for both damage and protection. 

Warden of renewal: Promotes both healing and regeneration through nature.

Guardian 

Guardians are protectors and followers of people they love and respect. They use their martial abilities to fight with ferocity against overwhelming odds. 

Domains: Valor & Blade (protection and weapon mastery)

Hope feature: Spend 3 hope to clear two armor slots, which can be used to prevent taking damage. 

Class features: Gain an unstoppable die - starts as a d4, which you place with the 1 up. When making a damage roll, if you roll 1 or more, you increase the die number shown by one, until it reaches the highest number, after which you remove it and end unstoppable. 

When unstoppable you can:

• Reduce the severity of physical damage against you by one threshold.
• Add the value shown on the die to a damage roll. 
• You can’t be restrained or vulnerable. 

Guardian subclasses 

Stalwart: You take damage well and you keep on fighting. 

Vengeance: Deal revenge damage against enemies who hurt you or your allies. 

Ranger 

Rangers are hunters with strong survival instincts, whose abilities focus on finding their enemies/prey and entrapping them. 

Domains: Bone & Sage (tactics and instincts)

Hope Feature: Spend 3 hope, when you succeed on an attack with a weapon, you can apply the same attack to two other enemies within range. 

Class features: Spend 1 hope and make an attack against a target. If your attack is successful, your target becomes your focus. 

• You know exactly what direction they’re in. 
• Whenever you deal damage to them, they have to mark a stress. 
• When you fail an attack against them, you can end your focus to re-roll your duality dice.

Ranger subclasses

Beastbound: You form a close bond with a helpful animal companion, who fights alongside you. 

Wayfinder: Become an expert hunter and strike with precision. 

Rogue 

Rogues are scoundrels who use their talents in subterfuge and underhanded tactics to gain the upper hand on their opponents. 

Domains: Midnight and Grace (shadows & secrecy, and charisma) 

Hope feature: Spend 3 hope to get a +2 bonus to your evasion until the next attack succeeds against you or next rest. 

Class features: When hidden, you are cloaked - you remain unseen when stationary, even when an enemy should spot you, this ends when you attack or move if in line of sight. Attacking in cloaked gives you a sneak attack, which adds a number of extra d6 to damage (depending on level). You also sneak attack when attacking with an ally in range. 

Rogue subclasses

Nightwalker: You use the shadows to hide you and strike at your foes.

Syndicate: You can utilize the illegal resources and contacts at your disposal. 

Seraph

Seraphs are warriors imbued with sacred purpose from one of the many deities present throughout the universe. 

Domains: Splendor & Valor (life and protection)

Hope Feature: Spend 3 hope to clear a hit point on an ally within close range.

Class features: At the beginning of each session, roll d4s that are equal to your subclass trait. You can spend these to: 

• Reduce incoming damage by that amount. 
• Increase a roll result by that amount. 
• Gain hope for yourself or an ally by that amount. 

Seraph subclasses

Divine wielder: You wield a powerful spirit weapon to smite your enemies with. 

Winged sentinel: You can summon wings and swoop down on your enemies.

Sorcerer

Sorcerers are powerful magic users who are able to harness their innate magical abilities to cast a wide range of spells from elemental to illusory. 

Domains: Arcana & Midnight (innate magic and shadows)

Hope Feature: Spend 3 hope to reroll any number of damage dice on a magic damage attack.

Class features: You can sense the presence of magical people and objects. 

You can make a spellcast roll (10), if successful you produce a minor illusion within close range. 

Per long rest, you can put a domain card into a vault and gain hope equal to the card level, or enhance a spell to increase the damage roll by two times the level of the card. 

Sorcerer subclasses 

Elemental Origin: You channel your magic through the natural elements. 

Primal Origin: You gain access to a collection of magical spells that are both versatile and utilitarian. 

Warrior 

Warriors are seasoned fighters who have mastered weaponry, honed their bodies and studied tactics, to aid whichever organisation or institution they’re loyal to.

Domains: Blade & Bone (weapon mastery and tactics + body)

Hope Feature: Spend 3 hope to gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls until your next rest.

Class features: If an adversary within melee range attempts to leave, you make a reaction roll using a chosen trait against them - if you’re successful then choose one: 

• You can move away
• Deal an amount of damage to them equal to your primary weapon’s damage
• Move along with them

Ignore burden when equipping weapons. 

When you deal physical damage, gain a bonus to your damage roll equal to your level.

Warrior subclasses 

Call of the Brave: You stand tall in the face of danger by emboldening yourself and your allies.

Call of the Slayer: You punish your enemies and inspire your allies through your mastery of combat.

Wizard

Wizards are scholars of magical study, who discover and learn spells either through an institution or personal focus.

Domains: Code & Splendor (magical study and life)

Hope Feature: Spend 3 hope to force an adversary in far range to reroll an attack or a damage roll. 

Class features: You can perform harmless subtle magic effects. 

Choose a number between 1 and 12, when this number is rolled on your duality die, you can gain a hope or clear a stress.

Wizard subclasses 

School of Knowledge: You unlock greater magical utility, as well as access to more support abilities.

School of War: You empower yourself with a range of magic perfectly suited to combat. 

Final notes on class

Daggerheart features character sheets for each class that are invaluable, you should use them.

• All characters start at level 1 
• Make sure to choose your character’s subclass and make note of it
• Write down details about your character’s appearance, their background and other elements
• Some classes will force you to choose between class features, make note of which of these features you’re choosing on your character sheet

Step 2: Choose your heritage

Your heritage makes up part of your character’s background, with there being a variety of different ancestries to choose from. Once again, the emphasis here is on the narrative possibilities that could come from your choice, with some bonuses and features to consider.

Clank

Clanks are mechanical beings who have obtained sentience. Clanks can be made from various materials and come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes.

• Gain a +1 bonus to an experience
• When taking a short rest, you can take a long rest move

Drakona

Drakona are large dragon people with thick scales that act like natural armour. Drakona have sharp teeth, and the ability to breath a powerful elemental attack at their enemies. 

• Mark a stress to take 1 fewer hit points when you’d take a severe damage 
• Choose an element for your breath attack, which can be used against one or more people, dealing 1 d8 damage using your proficiency 

Dwarf

Dwarves are short, muscular humanoids with thick hair. The average height of a dwarf is 4 to 5 and a half feet. Dwarves are resilient, with all genders able to grow facial hair. 

• When taking a minor damage, you can mark 2 stress instead of marking a hit point
• Spend 3 hope to halve incoming physical damage

Elf

Elves are tall people with pointed ears and strong senses. Elves are able to drop into a celestial trance instead of sleeping, letting them rest in a shorter amount of time. 

• Mark a stress to gain an advantage on a reaction roll 
• When in downtime, you can drop into a celestial trance and choose an additional downtime move

Faerie 

Faerie are small, insect-like humanoid creatures with wings. Faeries can range from being more human or more insect-like, with some having extra limbs, exo-skeletons, lanterns or stingers. 

• Once per session, after you or your ally (in close range) makes an action roll, you can spend 3 hope to reroll the duality dice 
• After an adversary makes an attack against you, you can take a stress to get a +2 bonus to your evasion on the next attack made against you

Faun 

Fauns are people with goat-like features, often having horns, square pupils and cloven hooves. Most Fauns have a human top with a goat bottom half, though a Faun’s face will vary between the two. 

• Fauns can leap anywhere in close range, as though it were normal movement
• When succeeding on an attack against a target in melee, mark a stress to kick and deal 2d6 damage 

Firbolg

Firbolgs are tall, muscular cow-like people with broad noses and droopy ears. Some Firbolgs will have cow heads, whilst others are more human with cow features like horns and fur. 

• When you succeed on an agility roll, you can move from far or very far into melee range, you can mark a stress to deal a 1d12 physical damage 
• When you’d take a stress, roll a d6 - if it’s a six, you don’t mark the damage. 
  
  

Fungril 

Fungril are mushroom people who come in a wide variety of sizes, colours and appearances. All Fungril are able to communicate telepathically with each other regardless of distance. 

• Roll for instinct (difficulty 12) to speak with other Fungril, regardless of distance 
• When touching a recently dead person, you can mark a stress to extract a memory related to a sensation or a feeling

Galapa 

Galapa are large turtle people with round shells that they’re able to retract into for protection. Galapas’ heads, limbs and tails can look like any sort of turtle, even a mixture of different turtles. 

• You gain a bonus to your damage threshold equal to your proficiency level 
• You can mark a stress to retract into your shell to gain a resistance to physical damage, but with disadvantages on action rolls and you can’t move
  
  

Giant

Giants are tall and large humans with one to three eyes. Giants measure from 6 and a half to 8 and a half feet tall, and are naturally muscular. 

• You gain an extra hit point 
• All weapons, abilities, spells or melee range features can be used at a very close range
  
  

Goblin

Goblins are 3 ft to 4 ft tall with large ears and eyes. Goblins’ skin colour and eye colour may vary greatly, whilst all goblins can hear and see incredibly well. 

• You ignore disadvantages on agility rolls 
•  Mark a stress to force an adversary to reroll an attack against you or an ally in close range
  
  

Halfling 

Halflings are small people - between 3ft to 4ft tall - with large hairy feet, as well as larger noses and ears. Halflings have a strong internal compass, as well as hearing and smell. 

• At the start of each session, the party gains a hope
• Whenever you roll a 1 on the hope die, you can reroll it
  
  

Human 

Humans are 5ft to 6 and a half ft tall, with round ears and a strong sense of endurance. Humans vary greatly in shapes, sizes and appearances. 

• You gain an extra stress
• When you fail a roll that utilizes experience, you can mark a stress to reroll 

Infernis 

Infernis are the descendents of demons with horns, tails and sharp teeth. An infernis’ skin colour, hair and horns vary greatly, with the ability to change their appearance to intimidate. 

• When you roll with fear, you can mark 2 stress to change this to hope 
• You gain an advantage to rolls to intimidate hostile creatures with your dread visage

Katari 

Katari are feline people with fur, tails, whiskers, sharp teeth and cat ears. All felines have enhanced senses, with some felines looking more cat-like or more human than others. 

• When taking an agility roll, you can spend 2 hope to reroll your hope die
• You can make an agility roll to scratch a target from melee range, if successful your target becomes vulnerable

Orc

Orcs are humanoids with tusks that continuously grow. Orcs range greatly in both size and shape, but are usually between 5 ft to 6 and a half feet.

• When you’re at 1 hit point, attacks against you are made at a disadvantage
• When you succeed against an attack at melee range, you can spend a hope to deal 1d6 gore damage

Ribbet 

Ribbets are 3ft to 4 and a half ft tall frog folk with strong hind legs. Ribbets’ skin tone ranges from green to brown, and can swim with ease.

• Ribbets can breathe underwater 
• Ribbets can grab things at close range with their tongues, they can also mark stress to use their tongues as a finesse weapon to deal 1d12 damage

Simiah

Simiah are monkey people with prehensile feet and a prehensile tail, which they can use for non-verbal communication and combat. Simiah can have features that reflect different kinds of monkey and primates. 

• You gain advantage on agility rolls on balance and climbing 
• You gain a +1 bonus to evasion

You can also choose a mixed ancestry, select two features - one from each ancestry. 

Step 3: Choose your community 

Community describes the culture or environment your character was raised in, which will reflect the kind of upbringing they had. 

Highborne 

Highborne are well-to-do people raised in wealth. Highborne people are amiable, candid and cunning. 

Feature: Gain advantage on rolls to consort with nobles, negotiate prices or use their reputation. 

Loreborne

Loreborne are people who have grown up in an academic or political environment. Loreborne people are eloquent, inquisitive and direct. 

Feature: Gain advantage on rolls on the history, culture and politics of a prominent person. 

Orderborne

Orderborne people were raised in an institution of discipline or faith. Orderbone people are ambitious, stoic and benevolent. 

Feature: Write 3 sayings or values from their upbringing, once per rest, if you’re embodying any of these, you can roll a d20 as your hope die. 

Ridgeborne

Ridgeborne people come from mountainous regions. Ridgeborne people are hardy, with keen survival instincts. 

Feature: Gain an advantage to traversing cliffs, ledges and harsh environments. 

Seaborne

Seaborne are folks who grew up near water, in a culture shaped around water. Seaborne people are cooperative, fierce and resolute. 

Feature: When you roll with fear, you can place a token on your community card, which can hold a number of tokens based on your level. Before an action roll, you can spend your tokens for a +1 bonus. 

Slyborne

Slyborne people come from groups that operate outside of the law. Slyborne people are clever, shrewd and calculating. 

Feature: You have advantage on rolls to negotiate with criminals, detect lies or find a safe place to hide.

Underborne

Underborne folks have grown up in subterranean communities. These underborne people are elusive, resourceful and brave. 

Feature: When in low light or heavy shadow, you have an advantage to rolls to hide, investigate or perceive. 

Wanderborne

Wanderborne people were raised in a nomadic community, who moved from place to place. Wanderborne folks are cultured, savvy and curious.

Feature: Gain a nomadic pack, which you can spend a hope to pull out something useful from. 

Wildborne

If you’re a wildborne, you grew up in a deep forest or jungle. Wildborne people are hardy, loyal and nurturing.

Feature: You have an advantage on moving without being heard. 

Step 4: Assign character traits

Your traits are your character’s core statistics, which will affect how accomplished your character is at certain actions. 

You’ll choose to assign this flight of stats (+2, +1, +1, 0, 0, -1) to your character’s traits. 

Agility: running, jumping 

Strength: lift, grapple, hit

Finesse: stealth, dexterity

Instinct: perceive, sense

Presence: charm, performance 

Knowledge: recalling information, analyze 

Think about what you think your character would be good at?

Step 5: Record additional information

• Record your evasion score (look at class and ancestry)
• Record your hit points (look at class and ancestry)
• Every character starts with 2 hope

Step 6: Choose your starting equipment 

You start with either one two-handed weapon or two one-handed weapons, as well as a set of armor - both of which you can choose from the starting weapon and armor section of the rulebook. Your weapon proficiency is based on your level. 

Other starting items include any you gain from your class, plus: a torch, basic supplies, a handful of gold and a minor health potion or minor stamina potion. 

Step 7: Create your character’s background 

Answer the questions found within your Daggerheart character guide, which will help shape the narrative of your character and give your game master some key information to use for stories. 

This is where you can really think about your character’s personality, motivations, hopes and fears.

Step 8: Create your character’s experiences

Experiences are more specific than your character’s traits and relate directly to their identity, past and background. Experiences aren’t set options, but elements you can come up with, that are represented by one word or phrases. 

For example, imagine your character served on a ship in the past, they might be accomplished at swashbuckling and navigation.

You can give your character two experiences to begin with. 

Step 9: Choose your domain cards 

Domain cards feature abilities that your character can use. 

You can choose two level 1 cards from their class’s domains. 

This can be a choice driven by narrative and/or gameplay.

Step 10: Decide your connections 

You can decide what kind of relationships your character has with both non-player characters controlled by the GM and the other player characters. 

Consider how your backgrounds and pasts might interconnect, as well has how you can develop your character’s storyline with this.