Update: The Playtest is now live and available for all to access
Today Critical Role and Darrington Press have announced that Open Playtesting for their new fantasy TTRPG Daggerheart will begin next month. On March 12th those interested in seeing what a RPG from the mind of Spenser Starke and Matthew Mercer can dive into Daggerheart at home or by participating in in-person playtest events.
Daggerheart was first announced by Darrington Press and Critical Role almost a year ago on April 20th, 2023 when they hosted their Darrington Press State of the Press. Daggerheart then described as an RPG system "designed for long-term campaign play and character progression", will let players create fantasy characters and explore vibrant worlds to create a story together.
Lead Game Designer on Daggerheart Spenser Starke explained "It's been over a year of work behind the scenes and now we’re ready to show you Daggerheart’s current status. By opening this project up to the community while it’s still in progress, we have the opportunity to build this game together. The Open Beta will give us insight into what people like, what they don't, and how to best support the players. Throughout the development process, we’ll make changes and release new versions of the game based on the feedback we receive, which means you'll see the game take shape in real-time with us! I hope you have a great experience learning to play, and we can't wait to hear your thoughts."
Daggerheart Mechanics
Some of Daggerheart's mechanics discussed in this announcement are related to two d12 that the player will roll that control HOPE and FEAR that determine the outcome of events for your characters. A Card System was also described as a way to keep better track of important aspects of your character such as their background, ancestry, and community.
Daggerheart Playtest Materials
On March 12th players will be able to download the playtest packets from Daggerheart.com or DriveThruRPG to play the game at home, for those who enjoy digital character creation you can do so through Darrington Press' partnership with Demiplane and the Daggerheart NEXUS. There will also be select Darrington Press Guild stores that will have physical playtesting packets that will be hosting sessions at their store.
Critical Role will be further promoting the release of the Daggerheart Playtest by playing it live via their Twitch and YouTube channel at 7pm Pacific on March 12th.
