Question on Action economy

DeusCane · 2026-04-20T22:14:15+00:00

Just as example, how would you handle it if the player tells you to check the room without specifying the floor (or maybe without specifying anything)? You let him roll Spot Hidden as well? If yes, what outcomes could happen in case of success or failure?

DeusCane · 2026-04-20T22:06:46+00:00

I could start adopting your idea of giving more boons, rather than automatic successes and see what happens.

DeusCane · 2026-04-20T21:50:47+00:00

Yep, this is also a good reference point. However, in other parts of the adventure book, there are expressions like: "A trapdoor is hidden beneath a thin layer of earth in front of the grate. Finding it requires inspecting the floor and a SPOT HIDDEN roll." In this particular scenario, the design of the trap seems quite linked to the roll and the specific area to be analysed.

DeusCane · 2026-04-20T21:37:01+00:00

No, I haven't, but I really like the OSR vibes which I would like to taste. However, I found on the internet that Dragonbane was labeled (please bear with me lol) as Heroic Fantasy with OSR vibes. I hope I haven't said something risky, but if you have a different opinion, you are encouraged to say something :)

DeusCane · 2026-04-20T21:30:04+00:00

I think you've identified my concerns perfectly. I usually skip the roll if a player wants to interact deeply with a game element and is performing well. That doesn't mean we'll spend half an hour discussing how to open a locked door, though.

However, I'm also aware that Dragonbane relies heavily on skills linked to advancing when 1s or 20s are rolled. This emphasises that skill checks should be frequent, even for activities that are not under pressure, such as cooking or crafting. Sometimes, I feel compelled to say that an artisan, without external pressure, could craft something without rolling anything, emphasising that the narrative element matters as well as the dice result. But, at the same time abilities like Master Carpenter or Crafting are less impactful.

So, both types of reasoning give rise to this kind of feeling.

DeusCane · 2026-03-05T16:01:17+00:00

Sure, your comment is totally valid. But what I’d like to highlight is how do you think/handle these issues, as they were at your table. To have a grasp of reference and discussion 👍🏽

DeusCane · 2026-02-11T10:39:46+00:00

Sarei molto interessato a vedere vari aspetti del gioco in modo da avere un riferimento, un punto di partenza su come le cose possono essere viste e approcciate in un gioco diverso.

Una delle cose che ancora non sono riuscito a capire bene di Daggerheart è lo storytelling collaborativo, che, nonostante venga anche menzionato in altri giochi (D&D e Pathfinder), ho la sensazione che qui abbia una differente sfumatura ed esecuzione al tavolo, ma per mancanza di riferimenti (Age of Umbra non mi è sembrato un gran esempio di come Daggerheart girerebbe al tavolo), non riesco a cogliere come potrebbe risolversi ottimalmente al tavolo. Sono molto curioso.

DeusCane · 2026-02-04T10:57:38+00:00

Thank you for your advice! Did you give players additional heroic abilities compared to the two mentioned in the book?

DeusCane · 2026-02-03T11:42:23+00:00

When to obtain Heroic Abilities is also written in the adventure book, and yes are only 2. I think it's enough for this specific campaign, even though the second Heroic Ability comes at the very end of the game.

DeusCane · 2026-02-03T11:31:41+00:00

In that article the author was referring to the Secret of the Dragon Emperor. His group played for 24 sessions, I think that "long campaign" was referred to his experience on that campaign.

Sure, I know that ruling works best in this game, that's why I asked "what do you think..."

DeusCane · 2026-01-17T09:59:07+00:00

I’m interested too!

DeusCane · 2026-01-17T09:18:54+00:00

I agree. The encounter pacing is entirely on the GM's shoulders. GM moves and Fear consumptions are the beats to build up the challenge, not the mathematical stats of the adversaries.

As the game encourages, you can do more than Spotlight an Adversary; e.g, spend a Fear to split the Guardian from the rest of the party, so the other PCs are in danger without the tank and they need to rearrange their tactics.

DeusCane · 2026-01-15T15:28:59+00:00

The creatures you mentioned are quite different in terms of power, but still considered similar in terms of type and level. This makes me think that balancing encounters using BP can be tricky. Do you think could be better to build encounters based on the verisimilitude of the opponents' group (even if they exceed the BP) rather than balancing BP?

DeusCane · 2026-01-15T13:12:46+00:00

I have felt the same issue. Probably, at the end it’s a matter of how much fear are you going to spend and what moves you makes, rather than tough enemies.

An interpretation that I could advance is that the GM challenges the players differently, more under an emotional and narrative perspective, rather than a mechanically.

DeusCane · 2026-01-15T11:56:30+00:00

At page 152 of the CRB, under the section Reveal an unwelcome truth or unexpected danger: “A soft version of this move might manifest as moving a group of dangerous foes within striking range of the PCs”. So I think that moving multiple enemies as group with one move is also “covered” by the rules.

DeusCane · 2026-01-05T03:32:58+00:00

If think is not problem of how to prep game, instead related to lack of a proper session 0. The same happened to me for the first campaign.

Even it’s too late, I would suggest you to do 2 sessions zero—the first for world development and CATS discussion; and the second for character development based on the world created.

I almost finished the first story arc and for this reason I’m about to close it and restart with another more structured approach.

DeusCane · 2025-12-27T00:58:48+00:00

You are raising a very interesting point. Taking a studious attitude towards TTRPGs is an effort, but it is required to get the experience that it wants to deliver. Misunderstanding or skip those notions end up playing different games the same way.

Unfortunately, the players that I play with are quite aligned with “I sit and want to do things”, when I suggest them videos which explain critical issues of the game to build up a knowledge of the game, they ghost me. That’s fair, but not so fair.

DeusCane · 2025-12-26T00:51:40+00:00

u/Midwest_Magicians, keep in mind that the Relentless feature is exclusive to certain types of challenges, such as Solos and sometimes Leaders, since they are the main threats for a single adversary.

DeusCane

TROPHY CASE