Welcome to the Daggerheart character creation guide! This document will walk you through the steps to create a Level 1 character, covering everything from choosing your class and heritage to defining your background and abilities.
Choose your class and heritage, assign trait scores, fill in vital stats, pick equipment, create your background, define experiences, select abilities, and establish party connections.
Pick one of nine fantasy classes that suits your playstyle. Each class has access to two Domains (categories of abilities/spells) and comes with a unique class feature. At level 1, you also choose a Subclass (Foundation) that further specializes your character.
Example: Choose Bard and pick one of its two subclasses, gaining the listed features including a special "Hope feature."
Your Heritage has two parts:
Each ancestry grants two special features, and each community grants one feature. You can even mix ancestries for advanced character concepts.
Every character has six core traits representing their capabilities:
Assign these modifiers: +2, +1, +1, +0, +0, -1
Decide which trait gets which value based on your character concept.
All new characters start at Level 1. Record your starting stats:
Weapons: Pick from basic starting options (e.g., greatsword, sword and shield). Note the damage dice and which trait you use to attack.
Armor: Choose starting armor (leather, chain, etc.). Add your level (1) to the Base Damage Thresholds and note the Armor Score.
Standard Gear: Every character starts with a torch, 50 feet of rope, basic supplies, some gold, plus one Minor Health or Stamina Potion (your choice).
Answer prompts to flesh out your character's story and motivations. Examples include:
This step has no mechanical effect—be creative or keep it simple. You can even discover your backstory through play.
Experiences are free-form proficiencies or life experiences that give you a +2 bonus to relevant rolls when you spend Hope. Create two experiences like:
Guidelines: Avoid being too broad ("Strong," "Lucky") or magical ("Can Turn Invisible"). Focus on realistic skills, backgrounds, or personality traits.
Choose two level-1 abilities from your class's domains. You can take one from each domain or two from the same domain. These are your starting spells/abilities.
Example: A Rogue with Shadow and Blade domains might take a stealth attack from Blade and a sneaky trick from Shadow.
Link your character's story with other players using connection prompts:
Aim for at least one connection with each party member. Players can veto suggested connections that don't fit their character.
Bards are the most charismatic people in all the realms, masters of captivation specializing in various performance types. They thrive in social situations and can bring people together or tear them apart with their words.
Play the Troubadour if you want to play music to bolster your allies.
Gifted Performer: You can play three different types of songs, once each per long rest; describe how you perform for others to gain the listed benefit:
Play the Wordsmith if you want to use clever wordplay and captivate crowds.
Rousing Speech: Once per long rest, you can give a heartfelt, inspiring speech. All allies within Far range clear 2 Stress.
Heart of a Poet: After you make an action roll to impress, persuade, or offend someone, you can spend a Hope to add a d4 to the roll.
Druids are called to learn from and protect the magic of the wilderness. They can transform into beasts and shape nature itself through years of study and dedication.
Guardians represent various martial professions united by moral compass and unshakeable fortitude. They fight with remarkable ferocity to defend those they care for above all else.
Rangers are skilled hunters who become sly tacticians through mastery of body and wilderness. They pursue quarry with cunning and patience, often alongside animal companions.
Rogues are scoundrels known as liars and thieves who move through the world anonymously. They manipulate shadow and movement, utilizing sharp wits and blades for social manipulation and combat.
Seraphs are divine fighters and healers imbued with sacred purpose by various deities. Their ethos aligns with their god's domain, making them terrifying foes to those who defy their purpose.
Sorcerers learn to cultivate and control innate magical power passed down through families. Their abilities range from elemental to illusionary, making undisciplined sorcerers dangerous forces.
Warriors require years of training in weapons and violence mastery. They understand the importance of agile body and mind, making them sought-after fighters who must continue improving their skills.
Wizards acquire immense magical power through institutional or individual study using books, stones, potions, and herbs. They become wise community figures but often conflict over magical knowledge.
Clanks are sentient mechanical beings built from various materials including metal, wood, and stone. They can resemble humanoids, animals, or even inanimate objects, with highly specialized physical configurations like clawed hands, wheels, or built-in weaponry.
Drakona resemble wingless dragons in humanoid form with thick protective scales and powerful elemental breath. They are large, with long sharp teeth that continuously regenerate throughout their lives.
Dwarves are short, square-framed humanoids with dense musculature and thick hair. Their keratin-rich skin allows them to embed gemstones and support elaborate tattoos and piercings. All genders can grow facial hair.
Elves are tall humanoids with pointed ears and acute senses. They possess the ability to enter celestial trance instead of sleep. Some develop "mystic forms" with celestial freckles, plant matter in hair, or flickering eyes.
Faeries are winged humanoids with insectile features ranging from additional arms to compound eyes, chitinous exoskeletons, or plant-like camouflage. All possess membranous wings and undergo metamorphosis.
Fauns resemble humanoid goats with curving horns, square pupils, and cloven hooves. They have humanoid torsos with goatlike lower bodies covered in dense fur, and are known for their powerful kicks.
Firbolgs are bovine humanoids with broad noses and drooping ears. They range from humanoid-bovine blends to full minotaurs with cattle heads. All are covered in fur that can be earth-toned or pastel colored.
Fungril resemble humanoid mushrooms with incredible variety in colors, bodies, faces, and limbs. They can communicate nonverbally and use mycelial arrays for long-distance chemical communication with other fungril.
Galapa resemble anthropomorphic turtles with large domed shells they can retract into. They come in earth tones with unique shell patterns and move slowly regardless of age.
Giants are towering humanoids with broad shoulders, long arms, and 1-3 eyes. They're born sightless and develop their eyes over their first 10 years. Those with one eye are called cyclops.
Goblins are small humanoids with large eyes and massive membranous ears (about head-sized). They have keen hearing and sharp eyesight, with incredibly varied skin and eye colors