Polygon.com / 05.09.24

Daggerheart, a new Critical Role game, feels more complicated than D&D in a good way

Daggerheart, the new tabletop role-playing game from Critical Roles Darrington Press imprint, entered open beta earlier this year with a bountiful playtest packet thats free for anyone to download and play at home. While early reports were mixed, Im pleased to say that I was delighted by my recent experience with the game but not for the reason I expected. At this years Gen Con in August, co-developers Spenser Starke and Rowan Hall ran several fast-paced introductory games for the press. The three-hour session kicked off with a lengthy character generation system, and I was absolutely charmed by the ancestries and communities on offer. I ended up with a wanderborne clank ranger, a semi-sentient automaton with a furry little dog friend named Ruthie. The experience was energizing, surprisingly collaborative, and an awful lot of fun.  But what really got my attention was the math. Whats so interesting here is that Daggerheart runs on a 2d12 system. Youre likely familiar with the d20 syst...
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