Most of what you need to play a session of Daggerheart is included in this book, but there are a few additional components you’ll need to gather before you begin.

2-5 Player Characters

If you’re playing a PC, your responsibility is to get in the headspace of the character you’re playing and decide what they do. You’ll confront problems and obstacles the GM puts in front of you, and figure out how to tackle those problems in a way that makes your game most interesting. As a player, it’s your job to shape the story of your character through the choices you make, as well as look for opportunities to spotlight other characters at the table.

A Game Master

If you’re taking on the role of the Game Master, you’ll be playing the world as it responds to the PCs’ choices. That means you’ll set exciting scenes for the characters, manage the flow of the story and its conflicts, play any characters not represented by the players at the table (known as non-player characters or NPCs), including the various opponents and monsters the characters will face (known as adversaries). The GM will also ask questions of the players that drive the narrative forward. Often, you’ll be the one who knows the rules and can answer any questions about mechanics during play. If a judgment needs to be made during a session about a rule or mechanic, that’s either not in the rulebook or can’t be quickly referenced, you’ll be the one to make the final decision.

As a GM, it is important to remember that you are not an antagonistic force against the players. Though you’re often the one introducing the dangers and complications in a scene, it’s your job to challenge their characters in exciting and fun ways that let players showcase their strengths and face their flaws. Be a fan of the characters and a collaborator with the other players at your table.

Game Dice

Daggerheart uses the full set of polyhedral dice: d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, and d20. When referring to dice, the game will usually indicate the amount of dice and the number of sides, like 2d6 (two 6-sided dice) or 3d8 (three 8-sided dice). At the beginning of the game, you’ll need two d12 dice of different colors (your Duality Dice ), a d6 of a distinct color (your advantage/disadvantage die), and a few sets of the rest of the polyhedral dice to share amongst the table—you may find it easier to have your own. As you level up your character, you may need more dice to represent those advancements.

Character Tokens

Character tokens are small objects that represent the look and feel of your character. Gather about seven tokens per player. Some players may require more or less, depending on their character’s needs.

As you play the game, you’ll use these to help track several things:

• When you roll dice, you’ll add tokens to help you easily count your modifiers on the roll (see “Counting Character Tokens” in chapter 2).
• When you make an action roll while in combat, you’ll add one token to the action tracker (see “Action Tracker” in chapter 2).
• When you use a spell or ability, its card might ask you to place a token on it.

These tokens not only make your rolls and actions easier to resolve, but also provide an opportunity to further express the color palette and style of your character at the table. You can use whatever small objects you’d like (plastic gems, pennies, buttons, etc.), but we recommend they be no larger than a quarter and sit on the table without rolling away. They should ideally have a distinct appearance for your character, so they won’t get confused for somebody else’s tokens at the table.

Game Cards

Along with this rulebook, you’ll also need the cards that come with the core set: Ancestry, Community, Foundation, Domain Cards, and the Action Tracker. If you don’t have a physical set of cards (or need extra copies), you can download and print the cards at home; the “Reference” [pending] section also contains the text for cards from the core set.

Character Sheets & Notes

The “Reference” [pending] section contains character sheets and guides you’ll use when building your characters. If you’re utilizing pen and paper, you’ll want to have these printed out and available for use at the table. If you’re planning to use a digital version instead, ensure you have a laptop or tablet available to view and edit your character sheet & guide during the game.

We also recommend paper and writing utensils (or a digital equivalent) to keep notes during the session. This allows you to record important details that the GM or other players share.

Optional: Maps and Miniatures

Using maps and miniatures to represent the scenarios the players are facing, especially during battle, can help to illustrate the scene that is before them, rather than relying solely on the theater of the mind. When drawing or building a map scale, distance, and details are not always going to be perfectly accurate, and that’s okay. The maps and the miniatures should never limit your imagination, only provide extra spatial context so that everyone can picture the scene clearly.