Daggerheart domain
Valor
Valor is a domain in Daggerheart: courage, protection, and standing between danger and everyone else.
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Overview
Valor is the domain of holding the line. Its cards redirect attacks, harden allies, anchor a position, and let a character keep functioning after a hit that should have stopped them. It is the clearest expression of Daggerheart's idea that defense is an active choice rather than a passive number. The Guardian takes it with Blade and the Seraph takes it with Splendor, and both lead with Strength. That makes Valor the most concentrated domain in the game: two classes, one trait, one job, approached through steel in one case and through blessing in the other.
How it works
Classes: Guardian (paired with Blade) and Seraph (paired with Splendor). Both lead with Strength, which is also the trait for their melee attacks. Card Types: Protective auras and zones, abilities that redirect damage from an ally to you, armor and resilience boosts, and reactions that punish an enemy for going around you. Damage taken is reduced by armor score before it marks any of your six HP slots. Themes: Courage, protection, and steadfast defense.
Tips and playstyle
Best for: Guardians, who have the highest HP slots in the game to spend on this job, and Seraphs who want to protect the ally they just healed. Character concepts: Shield knight, sworn bodyguard, town wall captain, penitent champion, a soldier who is the last one left from their unit. Synergies: Strength is the trait both Valor classes lead with, and heavy armor covers the low Agility that comes with the build. Valor with Blade (the Guardian) turns defense into counterattack. Valor with Splendor (the Seraph) turns it into protection plus healing, which is the closest thing Daggerheart has to a traditional paladin.
Frequently asked questions
How does Valor protect an ally?
Through cards that redirect attacks onto you, create defensive areas, grant armor to nearby allies, or absorb damage meant for someone else. The exact effects depend on which cards you picked at creation and each advancement.
Is Valor worth it if my GM targets whoever is weakest?
That is the case it is built for. Valor cards make yourself the profitable target or make the weak target harder to reach, which is a mechanical intervention rather than a request that the GM aim elsewhere.
Guardian or Seraph for a defender?
The Guardian pairs Valor with Blade for defense that counterattacks and the highest HP slot count. The Seraph pairs it with Splendor for defense that also heals. Pick based on whether your party already has a healer.