Why Fantasy Grounds need Daggerheart Ruleset

[Egheal]

Right now, the only VTTs with meaningful Daggerheart support are Roll20 (thanks to its integration with Demiplane, the official character builder and digital compendium) and Foundry VTT, which has a robust, community-driven ecosystem and is rapidly adapting to new systems.


Fantasy Grounds, by contrast, is at risk, I'm afraid, of being left behind. Without an official ruleset for Daggerheart, Fantasy Grounds users are missing out on one of the most important new systems in the hobby.
With the talented Matthew Mercer and the rest of the Critical Role team now joigned by Chris Perkins and Jeremy Crawford (the minds behind D&D v5) I think Daggerheart is set to become a foundational system for years to come.
And this is said from the point of view of a non-American gamer and DM who rarely plays fantasy games.


Here is the last annoncement on the Darrington Press Discord:
"An updated Darrington Press Community Gaming License to include select virtual tabletops (VTTs)
We are so excited to say this currently includes Demiplane, Roll20, & Foundry!
And we are just getting started. There's more in the works for future DPCGL updates as we keep expanding Daggerheart and listening to feedback from the community!".
and the link to the Darrington Press Community Gaming Licence https://darringtonpress.com/license/


In summary: if nothing is done to get Daggerheart for FGU I think we are cooked.
Please avoid pointing to the feature request site, here is the mail you should use to state your interest for an FGU ruleset: [email protected], has stated in there FAQ:


"What are the whitelisted VTTs for Daggerheart’s SRD and Candela Obscura?
Currently as of June 27th, 2025 the whitelisted VTTs are:


Roll20
Demiplane
Foundry


If there are other VTTs that you’d like to see listed, please reach out to [email protected].".


Thanks

[Marmus]

---->pointing to the feature request site

[LordEntrails]

I'm glad you gave the links to the Darrington Info address. We need to convince Daggerheart it needs to be on FG.

And I know with the recent changes at Darrington that lots of fans are seeing the future being Darrington, and maybe they are right. But Darrington has what, less than 1% of the market? It might be the future, and I'm not opposed to such, but it's not yet.

[Egheal]

OP (me): please don't do that.
First poster: do that. :dead:

[Weeg]

If I were Smiteworks I would be doing everything I could to get a DH ruleset in place ASAP. The thing with FGU is you get players who are looking for a specific game but once they get how FGU works they start looking at more supported games leading to pull through revenue. Right now as hot as DH is, it could generate it's own revenue plus pull through revenue. Also, between Foundry, Roll20/Demiplane, Owlbear Rodeo, and Alchemy... FGU needs to stay relevant and competitive. We have already seen a decline in new content from places like Chaosium and WOTC is always a wildcard because you never know when they will try to pull a VTT plug.

[Ludd_G]

I'm also in the camp that thinks Smiteworks should be doing everything possible to get Darrington on side with Daggerheart, even treating it as a loss leader if needs be. If i start a new group for DH on Foundry or Roll20 I fear I will really struggle to get them to change VTT to FG for other RPGs. It really feels like DH could be a big deal, and something that possibly shouldn't be left to the community, in this instance, to negotiate the rights to develop for FG.

I really hope FG isn't going to get left behind.

[Singular Perpous]

I'm also in the camp that thinks Smiteworks should be doing everything possible to get Darrington on side with Daggerheart, even treating it as a loss leader if needs be. If i start a new group for DH on Foundry or Roll20 I fear I will really struggle to get them to change VTT to FG for other RPGs. It really feels like DH could be a big deal, and something that possibly shouldn't be left to the community, in this instance, to negotiate the rights to develop for FG.

I really hope FG isn't going to get left behind.

I agree

here is the link for the Fantasy Grounds requested features for Daggerheart, so please upvote this to the top of the list because i don't want FG to get left behind either.

https://www.fantasygrounds.com/featurerequests/featurerequests.php?titlesearch=Daggerheart%20(Cri tical%20Role)

[ddavison]

We have been communicating with Darrington Press, and it looks promising. We will have more to share later.

Please don't direct people away from the feature request list, though, because being able to show healthy numbers of our fans who want something is a useful tool for us when we approach publishers.

[Ludd_G]

Excellent news!

[Weeg]

Excellent!!! Great news!!

[MrDDT]

Feature Request Link BTW.

https://www.fantasygrounds.com/featurerequests/featurerequests.php?titlesearch=Daggerheart%20(Cri tical%20Role)

[Egheal]

Fantastic news, thanks a lot!
BTW, I said "please don't point to the Feature Request" because it is, in all those threads about new rulesets requests, the end of the chat, like the best and only thing to do. I acknowledge it is very important but, in this instance, the best option was to use the link to Darrington Press.
I'm very happy, you make my day!

[LeenaCruz]

This! Excellent news! I would love to play Daggerheart in my favorite VTT :o

I have voted and sent an email to DP

[paladinlee]

May I ask how was it that Cosmere got support on day one versus Daggerheart? Was it that a community developer in Fantasy Grounds was also aligned as a community fan of the new Cosmere RPG, thus willing to put the effort in to code it over to FG? Or was it that the publisher of Cosmere put in the resources to develop it alongside their release date, thus having skin in the game?

[Zacchaeus]

May I ask how was it that Cosmere got support on day one versus Daggerheart? Was it that a community developer in Fantasy Grounds was also aligned as a community fan of the new Cosmere RPG, thus willing to put the effort in to code it over to FG? Or was it that the publisher of Cosmere put in the resources to develop it alongside their release date, thus having skin in the game?

Cosmere was coded in house by one of the Smiteworks developers not by a community developer.

[LordEntrails]

Following up on MR Z's reply, I think that means we can assume the following;
- SmiteWorks was able to reach an agreement with Brotherwise before Cosmere was published. Whether this was because SmiteWorks reached out first or Brotherwise did, I don't know. But either way it was something Brotherwise wanted and facilitated.
- Because Daggerheart wasn't ready at release we can assume that Darrington did not prioritize FG support enough to facilitate such.

My experience is that it's really up to the fans of a system who are also fans of a VTT to drive this prioritization. Many in the RPG industry really are not aware of, or at least do not value, of the fans that use VTTs. Some are even hostile to them. Not that Darrington is, I have no idea what their stance or perception is. But really, as fans we are the ones most able to influence companies decisions.

[ju95]

May I ask how was it that Cosmere got support on day one versus Daggerheart? Was it that a community developer in Fantasy Grounds was also aligned as a community fan of the new Cosmere RPG, thus willing to put the effort in to code it over to FG? Or was it that the publisher of Cosmere put in the resources to develop it alongside their release date, thus having skin in the game?

I just thought CosmereRPG was neat. Although the shelf of Sanderson books in my office might make me bias.

[LordFruitsnack]

until then, anyone know how I can roll hope and fear dice at the same time?

[Moon Wizard]

You can roll 2d12 and assume first is hope and second is fear. (Pick up d12, right click, and roll)

Or type “/roll 2d12” in chat bar and drag to hot key. Then press hot key when you need it. Again, assume first is hope, and second is fear.

Regards,
JPG

[vegaserik]

until then, anyone know how I can roll hope and fear dice at the same time?

It's easy in the X-Core ruleset. I used roll 1g12+1r12+[a] and the two d12's will roll and the report in the chat window will show one green and one red, add them together plus the modifier in the a box which is whatever the score is and report the total number.

64940

[Weeg]

As a follow up... We are using the 1g12+1d12 with green being Hope and the black being fear and added 1g12+1d12+1b6 for advantage and 1g12+1d12-1r6 for disadvantage. Added an image with a circle for GM Fear and Circles for each PC for PC hope then made it a map and placed tokens on to represent Hope and Fear tokens so everyone can see the use. Did something similar for countdown timers. Takes a little management and getting used to but feels like it might work until we get a ruleset...

[LordFruitsnack]

I may have some follow up questions after I go poke around in X-core.

[LordFruitsnack]

are there any other colors than blue, red, green, and black? like 1b6, 1r6, 1g6, 1d6

[MrDDT]

p for purple

[Agamon]

Darrington Press has announced that their SRD has whitelisted FG. I've already bought the core rules for DH on Demiplane (already somewhat invested there because of Marvel), but I'll gladly move here if/when the rules are released here.

[Egheal]

Fantastic news, thanks!

[BushViper]

The hype (and sales) generated by the CR fans is already dying out and Daggerheart will be another fringe (i.e. dead) ruleset in a year. People that have actually run games of Daggerheart realized the ruleset is objectively poorly designed and exhausting to play; particularly for the DM.

The system tries so hard to make every moment super impactful and meaningful, but when everything is exciting -- nothing is exciting. Also, the system also tends to create an environment where you have a multiple players competing for the 'main character' role.

Certainly, the book has a high production value (outside of some of the ridiculous/pandering art), but it's really just CR merchandise.

[Egheal]

The death of this RPG is not impossible. After all, few new RPGs survive, especially in a genre as worn out as fantasy. But I would like to see your sources on the sales (still number one on Drivethrurpg since its release, may 20th) and on the "objectivity" of the poor design (names of the critics and YT channels or blogs, "People" is vague and seems to be no more than your own point of view).

[BushViper]

Obviously, what I said is an opinion.

However, my comments are not uninformed. I found much of the praise from 'influencers' about Daggerheart to be superficial. So, I looked into the game with a much more discerning eye than I would have otherwise. As I said, it's slick and well-produced, but deeply flawed.

D&D YouTubers, etc., are a niche within a niche and typically don't make a lot of money so many of them will have absolutely no problem hitching their wagon to the success that CR has had -- even if the game isn't great. It happens with products that are much less popular and even more poorly designed/shoddy.

Daggerheart isn't all bad, but it is far better suited for one-shots or very short, high-octane campaigns.

And, of course, the sales are going to be high, early on. CR has millions of fans and a lot of them will buy the book, but a huge portion will literally never use it. I can't remember the exact statistic, but I seem to remember at least half (likely much more) of CR fans have never played a single game of D&D so they don't have a reference point for how a 'real' game of D&D plays out, but CR definitely isn't it. CR performs for an audience and that performance just happens to have a D&D veneer.

Don't take my predictions personally. I don't hate the game -- I just don't like it and based on my own observations it will fade into obscurity once the new car smell wears off.

[Egheal]

I really prefer this version of your point of view, and you may be absolutely right about the viability of this game.
In fact, I think its potential success, or failure, is not related to its intrinsic qualities, but to the success of the Critical Role campaigns and the official and fan-created products that stem from them.
We'll see, and, in any case, it will be interesting. However, I stand by my position: Smiteworks should follow this trend in the (even unlikely) event that it becomes an important part of the hobby.
Thank you for this well-argued critic.

[Trenloe]

Coming soon!

https://fantasygrounds.com/store/product.php?id=DPDHC

[BushViper]

Smiteworks should follow this trend in the (even unlikely) event that it becomes an important part of the hobby.


Absolutely.

I certainly wasn't advocating against it. In fact, I'm all for Smiteworks making money and if there's any to be made by adapting the ruleset to FGU -- I'm 100% behind that.

[danman71]

Awesome news. Is Daggerheart going to get it's own forum?

[Weeg]

Your opinion is absolutely not rooted in fact if you look at actual sales data and reactions at places like Comic Con and Gen Con more recently. Pretty sure you never actually played DH, is that correct? After playing it for a while and writing my own campaign frame for it, I can with 100% confidence say it's as strong as any other RPG I have played (and have been playing dozens since 1979) for character progression and long term campaign. 5e has turned D&D into a hot mess, sales are down, all the key staff pretty much let and now venturing into micro transactions.

Personally my game of choice over the last few years has been Savage Worlds, but DH is quickly gaining ground.

You are certainly entitled to your opinions, but maybe actually play the game before bashing it so you at least have an informed opinion.

Taking a look at your previous posts I can guess why you are disparaging DH...

[BushViper]

Your opinion is absolutely not rooted in fact if you look at actual sales data and reactions at places like Comic Con and Gen Con more recently. Pretty sure you never actually played DH, is that correct? After playing it for a while and writing my own campaign frame for it, I can with 100% confidence say it's as strong as any other RPG I have played (and have been playing dozens since 1979) for character progression and long term campaign. 5e has turned D&D into a hot mess, sales are down, all the key staff pretty much let and now venturing into micro transactions.

Personally my game of choice over the last few years has been Savage Worlds, but DH is quickly gaining ground.

You are certainly entitled to your opinions, but maybe actually play the game before bashing it so you at least have an informed opinion.

Taking a look at your previous posts I can guess why you are disparaging DH...

Comic-Con and Gen-Con are two of the largest (if not largest) cons among the relevant industries and sales for any product with a built-in fanbase (such as CR) are going to spike during them.

No, I have not played DH and never intend to, but I have observed half-a-dozen full length (3+ hour) sessions and spoken with a number of DM/players afterwards. Doing this is extremely abnormal for me, but the initial sales/hype around the book intrigued me so I did some thorough investigating. Furthermore, in addition to observing nearly 20 hours of real-life play, I have read the entire rulebook, but I'm not going to rehash my previous points about the ruleset as my points have already been quite clear.

A LOT of players bought/will buy the book, but MANY of them will never use it. However, I have no doubt that DH will find a niche, rabidly-loyal base, but as I said, once the hype dies down the game will fade into obscurity like dozens of other rulesets have. Primarily, because it's extremely poorly designed and players have already started to realize this. If Daggerheart hadn't been a CR product, it wouldn't have been any different than the dozens of Kickstarted books we see every year.

You are correct that 5e has turned into a mess and there are numerous reasons for that, but 99.9% of them are WotCs fault. The company has stepped on every possible rake over the last few years and they haven't published a top-quality book since 2020 (5.5 aside). The D&D brand has been in freefall and it's likely to get worse now that they've lost what little talent the studio had. No-one should be surprised that the product suffers when activism and forced 'diversity' are prioritized over ability.

At any rate, I'm genuinely glad you like the game and sincerely hope you get a lot of mileage out of it, but you need to toughen up, buttercup. You seem to be taking it awfully personally that I don't share your opinion about the game.

[Weeg]

Moderator: Keep it civil please.

[Zacchaeus]

I'm closing this thread before it descends into chaos.