Daggerheart is an intriguing new project from some of the most famous RPG players in the business, and fans can try it out for themselves very soon.
Daggerheart is the next big swing from Critical Role’s Darrington Press, following the launch of theCandela Obscura rulebook.
While Candela took things in a spooky, esoteric direction, Daggerheart is a little closer to what fans of Critical Role will likely associate with the brand. This isa fantasy RPGfirst and foremost, using Critical Role’s own Illuminated Worlds system. Now, Daggerheart has announced its first open beta, giving fans a look behind the curtain at exactly whatDarrington Presshas been cooking up.
Critical Role Daggerheart open Beta details
All playtest materials and feedback surveys can be found directly onthe Daggerheart website.
Daggerheart differentiates itself from D&D 5e immediately with a simplified dice system, giving more roleplaying leeway than 5e’s encounter-first design. Fans of Critical Role’s RP-heavy campaigns will not be shocked by this, but there’s still plenty of mechanical depth on display.
It’s too early to say what form Critical Role campaign 4 will take, as the third campaign focusing on the Bells Hells is still in full swing. While many players are suspecting that Critical Role is trying to distance itself from official Wizards of the Coast content as much as possible – for example, renaming Exandria’s gods and many playable races – fully switching to a new system would be a stretch.
While utilizing their own game system for future campaigns would grant Critical Role greater control over their content, it would also potentially alienate fans who closelyassociate Critical Role with D&D.
For players curious to see how Daggerheart works before diving in for themselves, the Critical Role cast will be playing a live Daggerheart oneshot onMarch 12 at 7PM PTon the Critical Role Twitch and Youtube channels.
Jack Bye was a Games Writer on Dexerto’s UK team, specializing in ecommerce content. He is a Magic The Gathering and DnD expert, covering all things tabletop games. He also has bylines at WePC and VideoGamer.
