Daggerheart GM checklist cheat sheet
Before-session and during-session reminders. At-the-table reference for Daggerheart.
Daggerheart GM checklist: prep your Fear moves, set Difficulties, and keep the spotlight flowing.
Before the session
- Prep 2-3 Fear moves (what happens when you spend Fear tokens: reinforcements, environmental hazards, NPC betrayals).
- Set Difficulty for likely checks (10 easy, 15 moderate, 20 hard).
- Know your NPCs: Evasion, HP, and one signature move each.
- Prepare a tension clock or countdown for time-sensitive scenes.
During play
- Move the spotlight after each roll: Hope = player keeps it, Fear = GM moves it (or spends Fear).
- Do not go around the table in order: the spotlight system IS the initiative.
- Spend Fear tokens regularly: hoarding Fear kills tension.
- When a player rolls doubles, make the critical feel special (narrate the moment).
Common mistakes
- Hoarding Fear tokens removes tension. Spend them to keep pressure on.
- The spotlight is not a turn order: let Hope streaks play out, then hit hard with Fear.
- Difficulties above 20 (hard) should be rare: very hard (25) and nearly impossible (30) are the system's high end, not a routine ask.