Rules-light D&D: A Perspective from Dungeon World

I suspect that that many Daggerheart players come from D&D 5e. Not only is it the most popular TTRPG out there, it’s also the primary system for Critical Role campaigns and the most apt comparison for Daggerheart. However, Daggerheart distinguishes itself from 5e in many ways, one of which is to take a more rules-light approach. Here’s a bit from the Open Beta rules

Daggerheart is a heroic narrative-focused experience that features combat as a prominent aspect of play… Those who prefer a highly strategic, rules-heavy experience with more heritage from wargames may find Daggerheart doesn’t have all of the “crunch” they’re used to.

A more rules-light D&D certainly exists on a wide spectrum. Relatively recently, I ran a Dungeon World game and thought it could provide some perspective on where Daggerheart might fit in.

Back in 2023, the online tabletop RPG community blew up around a leaked change to the Open Gaming License covering the use of 5th edition D&D. Although Wizards of the Coast, the publisher of D&D, ended up moving forward with a much more community-friendly plan, the whole experience left many players with some concern over the direction of D&D.

Before Dungeon World

The group actually played D&D for quite awhile before we switched to Dungeon World. The players had little to no experience playing any TTRPGs, but they universally voted for 5e. I wasn’t surprised. D&D is the Kleenex of TTRPGs. Its brand is so strong that outsiders assume that it is the best, right way to play.

And yet, I prefer not to use D&D to introduce TTRPGs to new players. I personally enjoy TTRPGs for the freeform nature of the game. I tell the players to think of it more like improv theater than a board game. It isn’t about the rules: it’s about the conversation, and the rules occasionally come up. Rules make players think narrowly, and I would rather let imagination lead.

However, that really isn’t true with D&D, because as soon as we get into combat, it really does play like a board game. Players have to know the rules and options to play the game correctly. And frankly, it’s a lot, especially for spell casters. A good chunk of the Players Handbook is just descriptions of spells that we absolutely will go back and forth like lawyers over.

Tactical combat can be a lot of fun for the right group, but it’s a specific style of play. In the case of this particular group, D&D unfortunately meant that the players spent a lot of time re-reading rules and me telling them no.

Why Dungeon World

D&D 5e, played correctly, requires an understanding of roughly 25 pages of rules, 8 pages of class abilities, and, for spell casters, rifling through 100 pages of spells.

Dungeon World, played correctly, requires an understanding of exactly 4 pages for non-spellcasters and 6 pages for spell casters.

That’s it.

I felt like this particular group would benefit from sticking with the D&D vibe but going rules light in two ways.

First, we could play in a more engaging way without being burdened by the rules. We could spend less time looking things up and interpreting rules.

Second, the players could fulfill more of their imagination of the game. Rather than trying to work with tighter constraints, they could let the fiction lead.

What I learned from Dungeon World

I first played Dungeon World about a decade ago. Back when 5e was still in testing as D&D Next, I messed around in a campaign by switching to Dungeon World because it seemed cool. In retrospect, I don’t think I really understood how it worked. Having run far more games since then, I can see how it might work better.

I had two surprising takeaways from running Dungeon World for this particular group.

First, rather than the open-ended nature leading to more creative approaches, the players actually just ended up falling back on the same tactics again and again. The Druid had favorite forms to shapeshift into. The Wizard just wanted to use Invisibility and Fireball.

To be clear, I’m not blaming the players for being uncreative: it’s hard to start with a blank canvas and no constraints. As a GM, if I wanted more varied play, it became my responsibility to anticipate and create novel situations for them.

Also, since they had played D&D first, they were used to relying on their character sheets to give them options rather than coming up with something on their own.

Second, the pace of the game didn’t really speed up much by going rules-light. Rather than spending the time going over rules, the game slowed down as we adjudicated the situation and interpretation of their abilities.

In my experience, games feel exciting and fast-paced when everyone is on the same page. That synchronization come from a shared understanding of something, whether that be rules, situations, styles, or all of the above. Games can bog down when there’s a lot of discussion and deciding.

In some ways, I was hoping that rules-light would circumvent the need for my players to really get into the rules. It did, but it wasn’t free.

Final thoughts

This, of course, is a Daggerheart blog, so let me bring this all back around.

I was first attracted to Daggerheart because it really is a rules-medium system. Between 5e and Dungeon World, I think there’s space in-between to run a game that feels punchy. The duality dice is the slightest version of graded success to build in some flexibility. The ranges and abilities provide narrative constraints without getting too granular.

So when crunch exists on a spectrum, there are plenty of great systems out there. It’s just a matter of exploring and figuring out what works for you and your group.

Elsewhere in Daggerheart

Wow, it’s been a busy month of Daggerheart activity as we get closer to release. Let’s see what’s been going on.

Bleeding Cool has an interview with artist Bear Frymire and a preview of some art.

Wargamer has a preview of a few adversaries: I tend to prefer something more cozy than this, but I will happily take any teased content.

Darrington Press did a surprise livestream with their team! Not only is great to see how awesome they are, but the Q&A covered several prominent community members as well.