Engine RoadmapPre-Alpha • Phase 2 Live

Want to see Daggerheart in action?Review the Daggerheart system overview in Explore →

LoreForge Daggerheart System Roadmap: Hope, Fear & Narrative Spotlight

Welcome to the Daggerheart Pre-Alpha roadmap on LoreForge Works. Daggerheart reimagines tabletop combat around a fluid narrative Spotlight and the dynamic tension between Hope and Fear.

Our goal is simple: build a fast, tactile operations companion that brings 2d12 Duality physics, Spotlight handoffs, Armor Slot mitigation, and Domain Card loadouts to life—without ever locking your table into rigid digital turn queues.

☀️ Phase 1: The Duality Dice Drawer, GM Console & Asymmetric Cards (Live in Pre-Alpha)

Everything you need to run a live Daggerheart encounter today.

🎲 The 2d12 Hope & Fear Duality Dice Drawer

Rolling Daggerheart’s paired d12s should feel electric on both desktop and mobile:

  • 3-Tab Bottom Thumb Dock: Switch instantly between [☀️ Duality] (2d12 Hope + Fear with traits and Experiences), [⚔️ Damage] (weapon proficiency dice), and [🎲 Manual] polyhedral rollers with zero scroll jumpiness.
  • Automatic Outcome Classification: Every Duality roll automatically evaluates Success with Hope, Success with Fear, Failure with Hope, Failure with Fear, and matching-face Critical Successes.
  • Live Resource Prompts: Rolling with Hope or Fear cleanly connects to the hero’s Hope track and the Game Master’s shared Fear pool.

🎬 The 4-Tab GM Operations & Fear Drawer

Because Daggerheart flows through narrative conversation rather than fixed initiative numbers, the Game Master gets a dedicated 4-tab command deck:

  • 4 Bottom Thumb Tabs: Instant access to [⚙️ Encounter Ops], [⏳ Scene Ops], [📚 Bestiary], and [👥 Roster].
  • Quick Stand-In Spawner: Need to drop a hero or adversary into a scene on the fly? Spawn customized PC or Adversary stand-in cards in seconds without waiting on full character creation.
  • Spotlight & Fear Pool Orchestration: Track the shared GM Fear pool (0–12) at the top of the table and pass the active Spotlight between heroes and adversaries with a single tap.

🛡️ Asymmetric PC & Adversary Combatant Cards

Heroes and adversaries play by different rules in Daggerheart, and their tracker cards are purpose-built for each role:

  • Player Character Slot Tracks: Interactive pip and slot steppers for HP, Stress, Armor Slots, and Hope, alongside Evasion and Major / Severe damage thresholds.
  • Asymmetric Adversary Cards: Displays Difficulty DC, Adversary Role badge (Bruiser, Skulk, Leader, Solo, Horde, Minion), flat HP & Stress steppers, damage thresholds, and 1-tap attack formulas.

🃏 Phase 2: The Character Forge, 9 Classes & Domain Card Decks (Live in Pre-Alpha)

Full hero building, Subclass progression, active Domain Card loadouts, and 2x2 combat tracking.

🛠️ The Daggerheart Character Forge & Smart Search

  • All 9 Core Classes & Subclasses: Build heroes across all nine classes (Bard, Druid, Guardian, Ranger, Rogue, Seraph, Sorcerer, Warrior, Wizard) with Foundation, Specialization, and Mastery subclass cards.
  • Searchable Pickers & Instant Homebrew: Type-ahead search filters for Class, Subclass, Ancestry (including Dual Ancestry / Mixed Heritage), and Community. Add custom campaign options on the fly with [+ Custom Option].
  • Experiences Bar: Define narrative Experiences (like Acrobat +2 or Silver Tongue +2) and toggle them directly inside the Duality Dice Drawer when spending Hope.

🎴 Interactive Domain Card Tray & Resource Automation

  • Compact Active Loadout Tray: Display and manage up to 5 active Domain Cards in a fixed-footprint horizontal strip beneath character defenses.
  • Instant Card Inspector: Tap any equipped Domain Card to inspect its complete rules text, domain level, and trait details.
  • 1-Tap Resource Validation & Spending: Automatically verifies Hope and Stress requirements against character pools before spending Hope or marking Stress via [Activate].
  • Shared Activity Feed Receipts: Every card activation posts an announcement card to the room feed with full rules text and resource spending receipts.

🏰 Character Vault & Streamlined 2x2 Tracker

  • Header Vault Access: Switch characters seamlessly from the lobby or mid-encounter via the top header shield icon.
  • 2x2 Vitals Layout: Clear quadrant layout for HP, Armor, Stress, and Hope with tactile [-] and [+] steppers.
  • Integrated Defense Shelf: Grouped Evasion, damage thresholds (Minor, Major, Severe), and quick damage calculation.

🐉 Phase 3: Adversary Bestiary Importer, Environments & Downtime Moves (In Active Development)

Rapid encounter prep, environmental hazards, and guided Short/Long Rests.

📖 Universal Adversary & Environment Importer

  • Tier 1–4 Adversary Library: Save and organize custom adversaries by Tier and Role (Solo, Bruiser, Leader, Horde, Minion) in your GM Bestiary.
  • Environment Cards: Track active scene Environments with their own impulse prompts, Difficulty DCs, and Fear spend actions.

🏕️ Guided Short & Long Rest Console

  • Downtime Move Selection: Players select two Downtime Moves during Short or Long Rests (Tend to Wounds, Clear Stress, Repair Armor, Prepare, or Work on a Project), while the GM’s Fear pool increments automatically per party rest rules.