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CLASS DOMAINS

Each class grants access to two domains:

PCs acquire two 1st-level domain cards at character creation and an additional domain card at or below their level each time they level up.

DOMAIN CARDS

Each domain card provides one or more features your PC can utilize during their adventures. Some domain cards provide moves you can make, such as a unique attack or a spell. Others offer passive effects, new downtime or social encounter abilities, or one-time benefits.

DOMAIN CARD ANATOMY

Each domain card includes six elements:

  • Level
    The number in the top left of the card indicates the card’s level. You cannot acquire a domain card with a level higher than your PC’s.

  • Domain
    Beneath the card’s level there is a symbol indicating its domain. You can only choose cards from your class’s two domains.

  • Recall Cost
    The number and lightning bolt in the top right of the card shows its Recall Cost. This is the amount of Stress a player must mark to swap this card from their vault with a card from their loadout.

Note: A player can swap domain cards during downtime without paying the domain card’s Recall Cost.

  • Title
    The name of the card.

  • Type
    The card’s type is listed in the center above the title. There are three types of domain cards: abilities, spells, and grimoires. Abilities are typically non-magical in nature, while spells are magical. Grimoires are unique to the Codex domain and grant access to a collection of less potent spells. Some game mechanics only apply to certain types of cards.

  • Feature
    The text on the bottom half of the card describes its feature(s), including any special rules you need to follow when you use that card.

LOADOUT & VAULT

Your loadout is the set of acquired domain cards whose effects your PC can use during play. You can have up to 5 domain cards in your loadout at one time. Once you’ve acquired six or more domain cards, you must choose five to keep in your loadout; the rest are considered to be in your vault. Vault cards are inactive and do not influence play.

Note: Your subclass, ancestry, and community cards don’t count toward your loadout or vault and are always active and available.

At the start of a rest, before using downtime moves, you can freely move cards between your loadout and your vault, so long as your loadout doesn’t exceed its five-card maximum.

To move a card from your vault to your loadout at any other time, you must mark a number of Stress equal to the vaulted card’s Recall Cost (located in the top right of the card next to the lightning bolt symbol). If your loadout is already full, you must also move a card from your loadout to your vault to make space, though you can do this at no cost.

When you gain a new domain card at level-up, you can immediately move it into your loadout for free. If your loadout is already full, you must also move a card from your loadout to your vault to make space.

USAGE LIMITS

If a domain card restricts how often it can be used, you can track such limits with whatever method you prefer, such as turning the card sideways, flipping it facedown, or using tokens.

Note: If an effect or ability gives you a number of uses equal to a trait with a modifier of +0 or less, it grants you 0 uses.

CLASSES

A class is a role-based archetype that determines a PC’s:

  • Access to Domains: Each class grants access to two domains; players choose cards from these domains during character creation and when leveling up.
  • Starting Evasion and Hit Points (HP)
  • Starting Items
  • Class Feature(s)
  • Class Hope Feature: a class feature that costs 3 Hope to activate.

There are 9 classes in the Daggerheart core materials: Bard, Druid, Guardian, Ranger, Rogue, Seraph, Sorcerer, Warrior, and Wizard.

SUBCLASSES

Each class is divided into two subclasses, each of which further defines and highlights one aspect of its class archetype. Your chosen subclass grants the following:

  • Spellcast Trait: the trait used on all Spellcast rolls.
  • Foundation Feature: a unique starting feature that establishes the identity and strengths of the subclass.
  • Specialization Feature: an advanced feature that can be gained on level up. For some subclasses, the specialization feature grants a new ability; for others, it expands or enhances a feature you already acquired through a class or subclass.
  • Mastery Feature: The mastery feature is a subclass’s most powerful feature, which can be gained at higher levels. For some subclasses, the mastery feature unlocks an extraordinary new ability; for others, it’s the impressive culmination of their subclass’s core feature.

The Daggerheart core set includes cards detailing each foundation, specialization, and mastery feature. When you acquire one of these features, take its card for use as a reference during play.