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Leveling up is a crucial aspect of any tabletop roleplaying game, and Daggerheart is no different. While some games like Dungeons & Dragons stretch all the way from levels one to 20, Daggerheart only goes from levels one to ten. The progression is divided into several tiers, allowing players to advance through the game.
If you’re exploring Daggerheart for the first time—whether you’re a player or a Game Master—you might be curious about how the leveling system functions and if it fits your gaming group. To help with that, we’ve put together this guide. Here’s what you need to know about leveling up in Daggerheart.
When Do You Level Up?
What sets Daggerheart apart from other tabletop RPGs is its milestone-based leveling system. You won’t gain XP for defeating foes or completing quests. Instead, your Game Master will let you know when you’ve reached a significant milestone in the campaign, at which point the entire party levels up together—no one levels up alone.
While milestones are the preferred method for leveling up, the Daggerheart sourcebook suggests leveling up approximately every three sessions to maintain the game’s rhythm.
How Do Level-Ups Work?
When your party levels up in Daggerheart, you’ll enhance various character traits depending on your level and tier.
There are four level tiers in Daggerheart:
|
Level Tier |
Character Level(s) |
|---|---|
|
Tier 1 |
Level 1 Only ADVERTISEMENT |
|
Tier 2 |
Levels 2-4 |
|
Tier 3 |
Levels 5-7 |
|
Tier 4 |
Levels 8-10 |
Understanding level tiers is crucial because you gain different advantages depending on your level and tier. Moving into a new tier unlocks unique improvements that are independent of your character level.
When you level up, you’ll enhance your character in one of four ways:
- Level Achievements
- Advancements
- Damage Thresholds
- Domain Cards
If you’re considering multiclassing, remember that you can only start multiclassing at level five and can do so only once.
What Are Level Achievements?
The first thing to do when leveling up is to check which level achievements you receive. These achievements are awarded only at specific levels:
|
Level Achievement |
Details |
|---|---|
|
Level 2 |
At level two, you gain an additional Experience point and a +1 to your Proficiency. |
|
Level 5 |
At level five, you gain another Experience point and an additional +1 to your Proficiency. You can also clear any previously marked character traits, allowing you to increase them again. |
|
Level 8 |
Similar to level five, you gain another Experience point, a +1 bonus to your Proficiency, and can clear any marked character traits. |
Each of the levels mentioned above represents the first new level within a specific tier. This means that once you improve a character trait, you can’t do so again until you enter a new tier.
How To Choose Advancements
Whenever you level up, you’ll have the chance to select advancements, which allow you to further develop your character. At each level, you can choose two advancements.
Your character sheet will show an unmarked square next to each advancement option, indicating how many times you can select that advancement within each tier.
Advancements are minor enhancements that can enhance any of the following:
|
Advancements |
Details |
|---|---|
|
Character Traits |
You can improve two character traits by +1. |
|
HP |
Add one HP slot. |
|
Stress |
Add one Stress slot. |
|
Experiences |
+1 to two Experiences. |
|
Domain Cards |
Select one additional domain card of your level or lower. |
|
Evasion |
+1 to Evasion. |
Additionally, starting at level five, you gain access to three extra advancement options:
- Upgraded Subclass Card – Select an upgraded subclass card; this option prevents you from multiclassing within your current tier.
- Proficiency Increase – +1 to Proficiency.
- Multiclass – Choose an additional class for your character; taking this option means you can’t select an upgraded subclass card.
Keep in mind that when you opt for multiclassing or increasing your Proficiency, you must use both of your advancement points—this means you won’t be able to select any other advancements at that level.
How To Raise Damage Thresholds
In Daggerheart, armor, evasion, and damage thresholds operate quite differently compared to other RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons. However, when it comes to leveling up, raising your damage thresholds is straightforward: simply add +1 to all of your damage thresholds. Your damage threshold is calculated as follows:
- Damage Threshold = Armor-Specific Base Threshold + Character Level
How To Take Domain Cards
When you level up, you can take one domain card from your deck that corresponds to your current level or a lower level. You also have the opportunity to choose an additional domain card as part of your advancement.
For instance, if you’ve advanced to level three, you can take a new domain card from your available options at level three or below.
Additionally, each time you level up, you can swap out any domain cards you already hold for a card of equal level.
Remember, you can only have five active domain cards at any one time. If you accumulate more than five cards, you’ll need to choose which ones to keep and vault the rest.
This is your guide to leveling up in Daggerheart! If you ever find yourself uncertain, consult the level-up section in your character guide for a comprehensive list of your available options.
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