Daggerheart Environments

Features

• Overgrown Battlefield Passive There has been a battle here. A PC can make an Instinct Roll to identify evidence of that fight. On a success with Hope, learn all three pieces of information below. On a success with Fear, learn two. On a failure, a PC can mark 3 Stress to learn one and gain advantage on the next action roll to investigate this environment. A PC with an appropriate background or Experience can learn an additional detail and ask a follow - up question about the scene and get a truthful (if not always complete) answer.
  • Traces of a battle (broken weapons and branches, gouges in the ground) litter the ground.
  • A moss - covered tree trunk is actually the corpse of a treant.
  • Still - standing trees are twisted in strange ways, as if by powerful magic.

  Question: Why did these groups come to blows? Why is the grove unused now?

• Barbed Vines Action Pick a point within the grove. All targets within Very Close range of that point must succeed on an Agility Reaction Roll or take 1d8+3 physical damage and become Restrained by barbed vines. Restrained lasts until they're freed with a successful Finesse or Strength Roll or by dealing at least 6 damage to the vines.

  Question: How many vines are there? Where do they grab you? Do they pull you down or lift you off the ground?

• You Are Not Welcome Here Action A Young Dryad, two Sylvan Soldiers, and a number of Minor Treants equal to the number of PCs appear to confront the party for their intrusion.

  Question: What are the grove guardians concealing? What threat to the forest could the PCs confront to appease the Dryad?

• Defiler Action Spend a Fear to summon a Minor Chaos Elemental drawn to the echoes of violence and discord. They appear within Far range of a chosen PC and immediately take the spotlight.

  Question: What color does the grass turn as the elemental appears? How does the chaos warp insects and small wildlife within the grove?

Potential adversaries

Bear, Dire Wolf, Glass Snake, Minor Treant, Sylvan Soldier, Young Dryad

Features

• Relative Strength Passive The Difficulty of this environment equals that of the adversary with the highest Difficulty.

  Question: Who cues the ambush? What makes it clear they’re in charge?

• Surprise! Action The ambushers reveal themselves to the party, you gain 2 Fear, and the spotlight immediately shifts to one of the ambushing adversaries.

  Question: What do the ambushers want from the party? How do their tactics in the ambush reflect that?

Features

• Relative Strength Passive The Difficulty of this environment equals that of the adversary with the highest Difficulty.

  Question: Which adversary is the least prepared? Which one is the most?

• Where Did They Come From? Reaction When a PC starts the ambush on unsuspecting adversaries, you lose 2 Fear and the first attack roll a PC makes has advantage.

  Question: What are the adversaries in the middle of doing when the ambush starts? How does this impact their approach to the fight?

Features

• Tip the Scales Passive PCs can gain advantage on a Presence Roll by offering a handful of gold as part of the interaction.

  Question: Will any coin be accepted, or only local currency? How overt are the PCs in offering this bribe?

• Unexpected Find Action Reveal to the PCs that one of the merchants has something they want or need, such as food from their home, a rare book, magical components, a dubious treasure map, or a magical key.

  Question: What cost beyond gold will the merchant ask for in exchange for this rarity?

• Sticky Fingers Action A thief tries to steal something from a PC. The PC must succeed on an Instinct Roll to notice the thief or lose an item of the GM's choice as the thief escapes to a Close distance. To retrieve the stolen item, the PCs must complete a Progress Countdown (6) to chase down the thief before the thief completes a Consequence Countdown (4) and escapes to their hideout.

  Question: What drove this person to pickpocketing? Where is the thief's hideout and how has it avoided notice?

• Crowd Control Reaction When one of the PCs splits from the group, the crowds shift and cut them off from the party.

  Question: Where does the crowd's movement carry them? How do they feel about being alone but surrounded?

Potential adversaries

Bladed Guard, Head Guard, Masked Thief, Merchant

Features

• The Climb Passive Climbing up the cliffside uses a Progress Countdown (12). When the countdown triggers, the party has made it to the top of the cliff. It ticks down according to the following criteria when the PCs make an action roll to climb:
  • Critical Success: Tick down 3
  • Success with Hope: Tick down 2
  • Success with Fear: Tick down 1
  • Failure with Hope: No advancement
  • Failure with Fear: Tick up 1

  Question: What strange formations are the stones arranged in? What ominous warnings did previous adventurers leave?

• Pitons Left Behind Passive Previous climbers left behind large metal rods that climbers can use to aid their ascent. If a PC using the pitons fails an action roll to climb, they can mark a Stress instead of ticking the countdown up.

  Question: What do the shape and material of these pitons tell you about the previous climbers? How far apart are they from one another?

• Fall Action Spend a Fear to have a PC's handhold fail, plummeting them toward the ground. If they aren't saved on the next action, they must make a roll; tick up the countdown by 1, and they take 1d12 physical damage if the countdown is between 8 and 12, 2d12 between 4 and 7, and 3d12 at 3 or lower.

  Question: How can you tell how many others have fallen here before? What lives in these walls that might try to scare adventurers into falling for an easy meal?

Potential adversaries

Construct, Deeproot Defender, Giant Scorpion, Glass Snake

Features

• What's the Talk of the Town? Passive A PC can ask the bartender, staff, or patrons about local events, rumors, and potential work with a Presence Roll. On a success, they can pick two of the below details to learn - or three if they critically succeed. On a failure, they can pick one and mark a Stress as the local carries on about something irrelevant.
  • A fascinating rumor with a connection to a PC's background
  • A promising job for the party involving a nearby threat or situation
  • Local folklore that relates to something they've seen
  • Town gossip that hints at a community problem

  Question: Who has what kind of information? What gossip do the locals start spreading about the PCs?

• Sing for Your Supper Passive A PC can perform one time for the guests by making a Presence Roll. On a success, they earn 1d4 handfuls of gold (2d4 if they critically succeed). On a failure, they mark a Stress.

  Question: What piece do you perform? What does that piece mean to you? When's the last time you performed it for a crowd?

• Mysterious Stranger Action Reveal a stranger concealing their identity, lurking in a shaded booth.

  Question: What do they want? What's their impression of the PCs? What mannerisms or accessories do they have?

• Someone Comes to Town Action Introduce a significant NPC who wants to hire the party for something or who relates to a PC's background.

  Question: Did they know the PCs were here? What do they want in this town?

• Bar Fight Action Spend a Fear to have a bar fight erupt in the tavern. When a PC tries to move through the tavern while the fight persists, they must succeed on an Agility or Presence Roll or take 1d6+2 physical damage from a wild swing or thrown object. A PC can try to activate this feature by succeeding on an action roll that would provoke tavern patrons.

  Question: Who started the fight? What will it take to stop it?

Potential adversaries

Bladed Guard, Head Guard, Harrier, Sellsword, Spellblade, Weaponmaster, Merchant