Strength

Overview

Strength is raw physical force in Daggerheart: hitting things in melee, hauling, shoving, breaking, and enduring punishment that would drop someone else. When the fiction asks whether you can move an obstacle or overpower a body, this is the modifier added to the duality roll. It is the most common primary trait in the game. Three of the nine classes lead with it: Guardian, Seraph, and Warrior. That concentration is deliberate, because Strength is the trait that puts a character into the front line and keeps them there while the Hope and Fear economy swings back and forth around them.

How it works

Rolls: 2d12 plus your Strength modifier against the GM difficulty, with the Hope die and the Fear die deciding who gains a point on top of the outcome. Matching dice are a critical success. Used For: Melee weapon attacks, lifting and forcing, grappling and shoving, and resisting physical harm. Damage itself uses the weapon or ability dice, reduced by the target's armor score, so Strength decides whether you connect rather than how hard. Starting Values: -1 to +2 at creation, shaped by your foundation. Strength is the primary trait of the Guardian, the Seraph, and the Warrior.

Tips and playstyle

Best for: Guardians standing between the party and a threat, Warriors pressing an attack, and Seraphs who fight and heal in the same turn. Character concepts: Shield knight, temple champion, pit fighter, caravan guard, blacksmith turned soldier, sworn protector who kept the oath and lost the order. Synergies: Blade and Valor domain cards assume a Strength character, so those pools line up with the trait. Instinct is the natural second trait, since reading a fight tells you where to plant yourself. Pairing Strength with a low Agility is the classic trade: harder to hurt, easier to hit.

Frequently asked questions