Action Roll
When you try something difficult or risky, you make an action roll: roll the Duality Dice, add the trait that fits, and compare against the Difficulty. Anything trivial to do (or boring to fail) just succeeds without a roll.
Vocabulary
Table talk, translated
Plain-language definitions for the words that come up at the table, with links to the full rules when you want the details.
Action RollAdvantage & DisadvantageAgilityArmorConditionDeath MoveDifficultyDomainDomain CardDuality DiceEvasionExperienceFearFinesseFoundationGM MoveHit Points & Damage ThresholdsHopeInstinctKnowledgeMasteryMulticlassingPresenceRangeReaction RollRest (Short & Long)SpecializationSpotlightStrengthStressTierTrait
Advantage & Disadvantage
When circumstances help you, roll an extra d6 advantage die and add it to your total. When they work against you, roll a d6 disadvantage die and subtract it.
Agility
Sprinting, leaping, and maneuvering — add this to rolls about being quick and acrobatic.
Armor
Armor gives you Armor Slots. When you take damage, you can mark an Armor Slot to reduce the Hit Points you would mark by one.
Condition
A temporary effect attached to a character that grants a specific benefit or drawback. The standard conditions are Hidden, Restrained, and Vulnerable.
Death Move
When you mark your last Hit Point, you choose how the moment goes: go out in a Blaze of Glory, Avoid Death and face the consequences, or Risk It All on the Duality Dice.
Difficulty
The number an action roll has to meet or beat to succeed. The GM sets it based on how hard the task is; rolls against another character use that character's Evasion or Difficulty instead.
Domain
One of Daggerheart's nine broad themes of magic and skill, like Bone, Sage, or Grace. Your class gives you access to two domains, which decide the domain cards you can choose.
Domain Card
A spell or ability you pick from your class's two domains. You gain new cards as you level up, choosing from cards at or below your level.
Duality Dice
The two d12s every player rolls: one Hope die and one Fear die. Whichever lands higher decides whether you roll with Hope or with Fear, and matching dice are a critical success.
Evasion
How hard a character is to hit. Any roll made against a player character has a Difficulty equal to that character's Evasion. Your base Evasion comes from your class.
Experience
A short phrase about your character's background, like "Caravan Guard" or "Raised by Wolves." Spend a Hope to add its modifier to a roll where that history would genuinely help.
Fear
The GM's resource. Whenever a player rolls with Fear, the GM gains a Fear token (up to 12) to spend on making or enhancing GM moves and using Fear features. Fear carries over between sessions.
Finesse
Controlling, hiding, and tinkering — add this to rolls about precision and a delicate touch.
Foundation
Your subclass's starting card. You take your foundation at character creation (level 1), so every hero begins with it — and multiclassing later also starts you at the new subclass's foundation.
GM Move
Something the GM does to push the story forward — introducing danger, raising the stakes, or showing the consequences of a roll. Failed rolls and rolling with Fear hand the GM the chance to make one.
Hit Points & Damage Thresholds
Hit Points (HP) track how much injury you can take. When damage comes in, compare it to your Major and Severe damage thresholds: below Major marks 1 HP, at or above Major marks 2, and at or above Severe marks 3.
Hope
The players' resource. You start with 2 Hope and can hold up to 6, and it carries over between sessions. Spend it to Help an Ally, Utilize an Experience, power class features, and more.
Instinct
Perceiving, sensing, and navigating — add this to rolls about awareness and gut feeling.
Knowledge
Recalling, analyzing, and comprehending — add this to rolls about what you have studied and reasoned out.
Mastery
The top tier of your subclass. Take the "upgraded subclass card" advancement again once you already have your specialization. The upgrade can only be taken once per tier, so the earliest you can have your mastery is level 5 (tier 3).
Multiclassing
Taking a foundation in a second class as you level up, trading some focus for a wider set of options.
Presence
Charming, performing, and deceiving — add this to rolls about force of personality.
Range
Daggerheart measures distance in story-sized bands instead of squares: Melee, Very Close, Close, Far, and Very Far. On a map, one inch stands for about five feet.
Reaction Roll
A roll made in response to an attack or hazard. It works like an action roll, except it doesn't generate Hope or Fear, doesn't trigger GM moves, and allies can't Help.
Rest (Short & Long)
Between conflicts the party can rest to recover, and each character makes up to two downtime moves. After three short rests in a row, the next rest must be a long one.
Specialization
The second tier of your subclass. When you level up, choose the "upgraded subclass card" advancement to take it. That option opens up in tier 2 (levels 2-4), so the earliest you can have your specialization is level 2.
Spotlight
Whoever the table's attention is on "has the spotlight." It moves around naturally as scenes unfold — but when a roll fails, the GM seizes it to make a GM move.
Strength
Lifting, smashing, and grappling — add this to rolls about raw physical power.
Stress
Mental, physical, and emotional strain. Every class starts with 6 Stress slots (up to 12 with levels). Marking your last slot makes you Vulnerable until you clear at least one.
Tier
Levels group into tiers — 1, 2-4, 5-7, and 8-10 — which gate things like equipment tables, rewards, and tier achievements when you level up.
Trait
The six numbers that describe what your character is good at: Agility, Strength, Finesse, Instinct, Presence, and Knowledge. You add the fitting trait to your action rolls.