5 Ideas for Daggerheart Experiences

Formative Experiences

When I was in grade school, we started English class every year by writing a personal anecdote. From fourth grade onwards, I used the same story every time.

In fact, I even used the same story for my college essays.

Anyways, it probably wasn’t a formative experience, but it’s the closest thing to it in my life. An adventurer, however, should have a notable event or period of their lives. I’m generally against preparing detailed backstories before the campaign starts, but one experience is just enough to work with.

1. Squire to the King’s champion
2. Raised by traveling merchants
3. Rescued from the demon lord

Rumors about your character

Words and perception have a powerful way of shaping even our real, non-magical world. Just imagine what they can do in fantasy.

When players make characters, it’s easy to fixate on the characters themselves or how the characters perceive themselves. But what’s their reputation in the world? What do people say behind their back? What first impression do they make?

1. “Trouble seems to follow him”
2. “Nice butt”
3. “She seems trustworthy”

Minor Superpower

In college, I had a friend who was uncannily good at guessing people’s heights. We could name random classmates or look around the dining hall, and he was always within an inch. Once, we even asked him how tall Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor without looking at a picture, and he was right.

We asked him how he did it, and he just said it was important to know. If he ever got into a fight with someone, he would know their reach. I’m not sure why he would get in a fight with Justice O’Connor, but I don’t know his politics, either.

Anyways, these minor superpowers tend to be quite specific because, in real life, superpowers don’t exist (as far as I know). These experiences might not get a lot of use in your Daggerheart games, but they certainly add flavor.

1. High spice tolerance
2. Human lie detector
3. Double-jointed

Yearbook Superlatives

Superlatives are useful because they provide a non-specific but generally understood perspective on a character. Your experience can’t just be “Indiana Jones” or “Doug from math class.” However, when you think of “Best Dressed,” everyone at the table, including your GM, can probably associate that with someone that they know.

And superlatives are a good mix of mostly positive but also amusing descriptors.

1. Class Clown
2. Best Smile
3. Most Likely To Become President

Song Names and Lyrics

I actually didn’t come up with this myself; it came from all of you in the community as relayed by Rowan Hall in this video (timestamp 28:22)

…there was an insanely high number of experiences that were pieces of Taylor Swift songs or Chappell Roan songs

I love this so much because in a line, you can invoke the meaning and emotions of the entire song. It probably helps if you pick something that your group knows, but what matters most is that it means something to you.

1. “You’ve Got a Friend in Me”
2. “Don’t Stop Me Now”
3. “Only shooting stars break the mold”

Please don’t guess how old I am based on those examples.