Delve With Hope

Daggerheart for 5e Players

(Author’s Note: this post was written based on the Daggerheart Open Beta v1.5)

Daggerheart comes from Darrington Press. Darrington Press comes from Critical Role. Critical Role plays Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition (5e), so it seems like that many Daggerheart players are coming from 5e.

The good news is that these two systems should feel very close. However, where there are differences, it can perhaps be easily explained by a related concept. This page will translate a bit between the systems.

Character Creation

Class

Classes are Classes, but they’re quite a bit thinner in DH. For Classes in the base rules that don’t match exactly by name, the mapping is a bit fuzzy.

  1. Guardian -> Paladin/Barbarian. Flavorwise, they seem closer to Paladin, but the tank-like function is closer to Barbarians
  2. Seraph -> Cleric/Paladin. They’re the closest to a Cleric because there isn’t anyone else in more of a pure support role.
  3. Warrior -> Fighter

Heritage

Ancestry corresponds to either Race or Species and largely functions the same way. For the Ancestries in the base rules that don’t match exactly by name,

  1. Clank -> Warforged
  2. Drakona -> Dragonborn
  3. Fungril -> Myconid (not playable in 5e)
  4. Inferis -> Tiefling
  5. Galapa -> Tortle
  6. Katari -> Tabaxi
  7. Ribbet -> Grung
  8. Faun -> Satyr
  9. Simian -> Nothing as far as I can tell

Community conceptually corresponds to 2014 Backgrounds where it grants you some minor, useful ability.

Character Traits

Character Traits correspond to Abilities. Notably, DH does away with the correlate for Ability Scores and only assigns Trait Modifiers (like Ability Scores).

  1. Agility -> Dexterity/Constitution. Agility covers gross motor skills
  2. Strength -> Strength
  3. Finesse -> Dexterity. Finesse covers fine motor skills
  4. Instinct -> Wisdom. At least, it covers the way that Wisdom grants most skills
  5. Presence -> Charisma
  6. Knowledge -> Intelligence

Experience

Flavorwise, DH Experiences are like 5e Backgrounds, but mechanically, they actually function more like free-form Skill Proficiencies. DH doesn’t have any correlate for Skills: you just directly make checks against your Traits, and if you have a relevant Experience, you might get a bonus.

Domains

Domains correspond to Class Features that you accumulate as you level up.

Additional Character Information

Hit Points still count how close you are to dying, but you only have a few because damage is converted to lost hit points by your Damage Threshold.

Connections correspond to Bonds. They don’t give any mechanical advantage, but then again, I don’t know anyone who plays using the Bonds rules, either.

Equipment

A Secondary weapon corresponds to an Offhand weapon.

Damage Proficiency is conceptually most similar to Extra Attacks where you can increase your weapon damage as you level up.

Armor and Armor Score have no corresponding concept in 5e. However, they work more intuitively like how you might imagine armor would be reducing damage.

Game Rules

Rolls

The Duality dice function like a D20 Test where you need to roll higher than a target number to succeed.

The most common check is an Action roll, which corresponds to an Ability check. You roll with a given trait and adjust the modifiers.

Reaction rolls correspond to Saving throws.

Advantage and Disadvantage also exist but function differently. Rather than rolling two d20s and taking the better or worse, you roll additional d6s and add or subtract that from your total.

Hope is sort of like a plentiful, minor version of Inspiration in that it helps you roll better. However, it mechanically is so different (and so vital) so you should just know how it works.

Fear is like anti-Inspiration.

Combat and Damage

Evasion corresponds to Armor Class in that it determines whether someone will miss. However, armor in DH doesn’t increase your Evasion.

Stress Points have no corresponding concept in 5e.

Damage types are much simpler in DH: there is only physical damage and magic damage.

Resistance and Immunity both exist and function similarly to 5e.

The rule that corresponds most closely to 5e opportunity attacks is that you cannot move Far and act without making an Agility roll. Thus, you can reposition within Close range without any concern.

The Action Tracker replaces the need for Initiative. However, it is not fixed and in general just works differently.

Conditions

There isn’t an exact mapping between conditions, but they should largely be intuitive:

  1. Vulnerable -> Anything else bad
  2. Restrained -> Restrained
  3. Hidden -> Kind of what you would think