Daggerheart Review: A Fresh, Flexible Fantasy Ruleset Worth Your Table Time

First off, a huge thank you to Darrington Press for sending us a copy of the Daggerheart ruleset. Getting to dig into this system early has been an absolute treat—and after spending time with the mechanics, character options, and overall design philosophy, I can confidently say that Daggerheart stands out as one of the most inviting and creatively charged fantasy TTRPGs in recent years.

A Ruleset Built on Narrative Momentum

At its core, Daggerheart uses a simple but elegant mechanic: the Hope and Fear dice. When a character takes an action where the outcome is uncertain, you roll two d12s—one representing Hope (positive potential) and the other representing Fear (risks, complications, or unintended consequences). You then add the appropriate modifier to the higher die.

The beauty of this system isn’t just in its simplicity, but in the way it cleanly integrates narrative tension. Regardless of success or failure, the Fear die still matters—providing hooks for complications, twists, or emotional beats. It keeps the story moving, rewards bold choices, and avoids the binary pass/fail boredom that sometimes creeps into other fantasy systems.

Character Building that Invites Creativity

Of all the features in Daggerheart, my absolute favorite is the ease of mixing ancestries to create half-heritage characters. Many games allow hybrid races, but few make it as smooth—or as fun—as Daggerheart does.

Each ancestry comes with two abilities:

• A Primary ability

• A Secondary ability

To create a half-race, you simply take the primary from one ancestry and the secondary from another. That’s it. No complex stacking, no nested subchoices, no messy balance concerns. It gives players a clean, intuitive way to build something that feels both mechanically sound and personally distinctive.

Want a Hearthkin who inherited stone-solid resilience from one parent and the nimble woodland instincts of another? Easy. Want a half-Tideborn spellcaster with aquatic vision blended with the fiery heart of an Emberfolk? Done in seconds.

This system strikes a perfect balance between customization and speed, making it ideal for new players while offering enough depth for veterans to craft truly memorable characters.

The Tone: Heroic, Hopeful, and Player-Forward

While Daggerheart certainly supports dramatic stakes and emotional weight, it’s built on a framework that feels inherently heroic. Players have:

• Agency to shape the narrative

• Tools that encourage taking risks

• Mechanics that reward flavor and storytelling

Between the Hope/Fear dice, the flexible ancestries, and class features designed to promote cinematic moments, the system leans into a style of play that’s meaningful without being punishing.

Final Thoughts

Daggerheart feels like a modern fantasy RPG that knows exactly what today’s players want: streamlined mechanics, narrative-driven play, and customization that empowers creativity without overwhelming the table.

If you’re looking for a system that’s approachable yet deep—one that embraces high adventure and big emotions while giving you tools to build strikingly unique characters—Daggerheart is absolutely worth your time.

Once again, thank you to Darrington Press for sending us this copy. We can’t wait to get it to the table again.

Thanks for reading. Until Next Time, Stay Nerdy!!