Daggerheart, designed by Darrington Press (the studio behind Critical Role), is a fantasy RPG built to feel cinematic and character-driven. Its signature is the Duality Dice: a pair of d12s that resolve every action test and, at the same time, feed a running tug-of-war between the players and the GM.
What dice Daggerheart uses
The core roll is 2d12, but the two dice have distinct roles. You designate one as the Hope die and one as the Fear die — usually two differently coloured d12s so you can tell them apart at a glance. The game leans on other polyhedral dice for damage and effects (weapons deal, say, d6 or d10 damage), so a full set is handy, but the Duality Dice are always d12s.
How a roll resolves
When you make an action roll you throw both d12s, add the relevant trait modifier, and compare the total to a Difficulty. Meeting or beating it is a success; falling short is a failure. So far, familiar. The twist is that you also look at which die is higher:
| Which d12 is higher | Result |
|---|---|
| Hope die higher | You resolve the action with Hope — you gain a Hope token. |
| Fear die higher | You resolve the action with Fear — the GM gains a Fear token. |
| The two dice match | A critical success — you succeed, gain Hope, and typically clear a point of Stress. |
Because success/failure and Hope/Fear are read separately, you get four flavours of outcome: success with Hope (great), success with Fear (you did it, but the tide turns toward danger), failure with Hope (you missed, but keep some momentum), and failure with Fear (the worst). A matched pair short-circuits all of that into an automatic critical.
Effective strategy
Treat Hope as spendable fuel. Hope tokens power your special abilities, let you help an ally, and drive other class features. They are meant to flow — rolling with Hope earns them so you can spend them on the moments that count. Sitting on a pile of Hope you never use is leaving power on the table.
Understand that Fear arms the GM. Every “with Fear” result hands the GM a Fear token, which they bank to make harder moves, activate adversaries and interrupt the spotlight. A string of successes-with-Fear can still tip a scene against you, so weigh whether a risky roll is worth feeding the GM’s reserve.
Lean on the Help an Ally action. A teammate can grant you an advantage die (an extra d6 added to your roll), improving both your odds and your chance of a favourable Hope result. Coordinated groups generate far more Hope than solo heroics.
Manage Stress and armour deliberately. Many abilities cost Stress, and critical successes are one of the reliable ways to clear it, so pushing for those matched-die criticals has real economic value beyond the immediate win.
Rolling two differently coloured d12s and instantly seeing which is higher is exactly the kind of thing a physics roller handles cleanly — you can roll a Hope and Fear pair in your browser and read both at a glance.
Beginner tips & common mistakes
- Colour-code your dice. Decide which d12 is Hope and which is Fear before you roll. Sorting it out afterwards is how arguments start.
- Success and Hope are separate questions. The total decides success; the higher die decides Hope or Fear. You can absolutely succeed with Fear or fail with Hope.
- A match is always a critical. Equal numbers on the two dice mean a critical success regardless of the Difficulty — don’t overlook it.
- Spend Hope. New players hoard tokens. Hope is a renewable resource; use it and roll for more.
- Watch the GM’s Fear pool. If the table has been rolling with Fear all night, expect the GM’s next scene to bite. Play more cautiously when their reserve is high.
No dice at the table? Dice Drop rolls real physics dice in your browser — pools, exploding dice and modifiers built in.
🎲 Roll dice freeEnjoy dice that carry the narrative? See how a single highest die drives our Blades in the Dark dice & strategy guide.