DnD rival Daggerheart’s new Duality Dice system terrified my players
DnD rival Daggerheart is going out of its way to bring a fresh approach to fantasy TTRPGs. While I was excited to see what the new title had in store, I was unprepared for how much narrative tension its new dice system would add to our games.
The TTRPG formula is simple: you roll dice and add a number. If you beat another number, you succeed in doing what you set out to do – simple. Daggerheart, however, makes this approach look like child’s play.
When you roll in Daggerheart, you use a pair of d12s rather than the more traditional d20, adding your numbers together to get your total. These d12s are called the Hope and Fear dice. Regardless of whether you succeed or fail, should your Hope die be higher than your Fear die, you succeed or fail “with Hope”, meaning that, no matter the outcome, something extra positive will happen. The reverse is true of Fear, where even a success might be mired by a minor setback or complicating factor.
At the table, this means that every roll has an added element of chance and storytelling opportunity. For example, in session one of our latest campaign, our Goblin warrior succeeded with Fear on a roll to distract a dancing couple in a tavern. She caused a fuss as intended, but tumbled into the nearby band, inviting more than a little ire from the innkeeper.
What’s more, when a player rolls with Fear, the GM gets a Fear point – a glorious resource that can be spent on all sorts of narrative twists or potential setbacks. When this number goes up, things get tense and dramatic. Players start to look over their shoulder and wonder where the next threat might come from. You can even spend Fear to do things in secret – a powerful tool for GMs who like to have NPCs actively pursue their agendas ‘offscreen’. This level of control is tantalising, and I cannot wait to see how it feels as the campaign continues.
Looking to play Daggerheart for yourself? Hop onto the Wargamer Discord and find some like-minded adventurers.
