NEWS – Anyone who’s into role-playing has heard about Critical Role, the professional voice actors who live-streamed D&D sessions. Matt Mercer, the group’s front man, has created an alternative RPG titled DaggerHeart. It’s still in a fantasy setting, but its goal is to simplify the rules and focus more on storytelling. It adds two mechanics to the game known as Hope and Fear that get at a character’s emotions, making them a bit more real. Combat is a lot less about turns and crunching numbers and a lot more about freeform narrative. It sounds like a lot of fun for anyone who wants to role-play more and rule-play less. If you’re interested in giving this new game a shot, you might find it hard to come by. The first printing is already sold out, but Amazon has it listed for pre-order. Once you get a copy, take a look at the videos that Matt created to help you get going. (Images from DaggerHeart)
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That emotional layer sounds like it could really deepen character arcs, especially for groups that enjoy heavy storytelling. I’ve been knee-deep in crunchy systems for a while now, so something looser and more narrative-driven is a refreshing shift.
(Also, this reminds me of that feeling when you’re about to crash into your own tail in the snake game—you know it’s coming, and your only choice is to pivot hard. Hope and Fear, right?)
Agree!