The Adventure

Narrative Overview

Act One: The Merchant Cart

On their way to Hush, the PCs run across an overturned merchant cart blocking their path. A strixwolf is feeding on the driver, who is dead.

Act Two: Thicket Thieves

The PCs are ambushed by Thistlefolk who try to steal the carriage holding the delivery.

Act Three: Seeking An Arcanist

When the PCs arrive in Hush safely, they must track down the Whitefire Arcanist by talking to the townspeople.

Act Four: The Treehouses

Upon opening the crate, the package is revealed to be the keystone from the city gate’s main archway. King Emeris sent the stone to the Arcanist to repair the ward placed upon it that protects the city. The Arcanist asks for the PCs’ help holding off danger while she completes the ritual needed to repair its magic.

Act Five: The Ward Renewal

The PCs take the stone to the ritual site and, while the Arcanist works her magic, fight off the magical creatures that begin to invade.

Act One: The Merchant Cart

The Beginning

Read the following aloud to your players:

When a player volunteers their character as the carriage driver, you can ask them a question like:

Describe the trees the party passes, specifically including details from their answer. This is utilizing one of the GM Principles in Daggerheart, “Ask Questions and Incorporate the Answers.” Then, read the following aloud:

Allow the PCs to roleplay for a little bit if they’d like. When somebody approaches the merchant cart, that will trigger the first action roll.

The First Action Roll

Read the following aloud:

Success

If they rolled a 10 or higher, it is a success! Describe the strixwolf calmly trying to keep her pups out of danger.

If the roll was with Hope, tell the player to gain a Hope.

If the roll was with Fear, gain a Fear. This is also your chance to introduce a consequence to the scene. It should not undermine the success, but rather forward the narrative in an exciting way. You might say:

Failure

If they rolled a 9 or below, it is a failure. Describe the strixwolf snarling and snapping, angry that the PC is approaching.

If the roll was with Hope, tell the player to gain a Hope. You still get to make a GM move, but because it’s with Hope, it shouldn’t be as bad as it could be. You might say:

If the roll was with Fear, things go badly. Gain a Fear and describe the strixwolf snarling at the PC, causing them to mark a Stress.

Critical Success

If both dice roll the same number, it’s a critical success! Tell the PC to mark a Hope. They can also clear a Stress, if they have one. Then, describe the strixwolf moving towards the PC, head down, tail wagging. It sits in front of them.

Act Two: Thicket Thieves

The Fallout

Let the events of the previous act play out, allowing the players to roleplay and take other actions. Use the scenarios below for guidance.

Scenarios

If they search the merchant cart, you can talk about the cart being stripped of all valuables and showcase the dead driver with a mangled arm, picked over by the strixwolf family for food. If the PCs inspect the body further, they might find that the driver had his neck slit.

If they attack the strixwolf, have them make an attack roll against it at a difficulty of 10. On a success, they deal damage using their weapon. The pups will flee.

If they fail any rolls to interact with the strixwolf, it will pull its pups onto its back and fly into a nearby tree, watching the adventurers from above.

If they try to find signs of something strange, they see the remnants of thorny bramble tangled around the wheel of the carriage and strewn across on the road.

If they want to move the merchant cart out of the way, are taking steps to get their carriage moving again, or are trying to leave the trail, jump to "Ambushed!"

The Ambush

When the moment feels right, or one of the above scenarios triggers it, ask a PC who seems like they are paying attention to their surroundings to make an Instinct Roll with a difficulty of 14.

On a success, they notice eyes watching them from the darkness beyond the trail. If it was with Fear, gain a Fear and have the PC mark a Stress. Use the “See Them Coming” prompts.

On a failure, they are immediately ambushed. If it was with Fear, gain a Fear and have the PC also mark a Stress. Use the “Ambushed!” prompts.

See Them Coming

Read the following aloud:

Ambushed!

Read the following aloud:

Setting Up The Battle Map

Take the forest terrain you’ve cut out and ask for your players to help you spread it across the table to build a map. You may also encourage them to grab other items from around the room to add terrain to the map. Build out the playspace together.

Then, place the overturned merchant’s cart on the table and ask the players to put their miniatures nearby, where they think they would be in the scene, along with their carriage. Finally, take the Thistlefolk Ambusher standees and the Thistlefolk Thief, and put them in Close range of the PCs.

Beginning The Encounter

On the next page, you’ll find the stat blocks for the Ambushers and Thief. You’ll use those stat blocks to run the remainder of this encounter. Remember to make the battle your own. Decide what the Thistlefolk look like in detail, describe the scene as if the players were watching a movie or reading a book, and if you’re comfortable with it, ask them to participate in building out the scene as well. This can be as easy as asking them to describe their attack or their evasion in detail, but you might also involve them further—ask them what unique clothing item the Ambushers are all wearing, or the interesting fighting style they seem to employ. You might also ask what level of violence the players are comfortable with. Are they looking to kill the enemies? Incapacitate them? Knock them out?

The First Encounter

Ambushed!

If the players were ambushed, the Thistlefolk act first. We can see this reflected in their feature, “Ambush.” Read the following aloud:

Move the ambushers into melee with the PC closest to them. Then follow the attack guide below for each Ambusher.

See Them Coming

If the players spotted the Ambushers coming, they get to act first. Read the following aloud:

The Thistlefolk's Goal

Use the Ambushers to keep the party’s attention while the thief attempts to steal their carriage.

Using Reference Stat Blocks

On the Thistlefolk Ambusher, you’ll notice the stat block is listed as "Reference" with three other smaller stat blocks below it. This is how Daggerheart represents three adversaries that all have the same stats. Instead of repeating all of the information three times, it is in one centralized area.

Ambusher Attack Guide

When you make an attack against a PC, roll a d20 and add its attack modifier (+1), then compare it to the PC’s Evasion. If it hits, make a damage roll using 1d8+5. Ask them to compare the total to their damage thresholds, use armor if they'd like, and mark their hit point(s).

THIEF ATTACK GUIDE

When you make an attack against a PC, roll a d20 and add its attack modifier (+3), then compare it to the PC’s Evasion. If it hits, make a damage roll using 2d4+3. Ask them to compare the total to their damage thresholds, use armor if they'd like, and mark their hit points. If they’re using Back Off, on a success deal the damage and move the PC’s standee a direction of your choice in far range of where they previously were.

Ambusher/Thief Defense Guide

When an adversary is hit with damage, compare the amount to their thresholds, then mark the appropriate hit points. When you mark their last hit point, they are defeated.

The Encounter's End

The encounter ends when all adversaries are defeated. Clean up the map, then encourage the PCs to describe a montage of the remaining travel time to Hush.

Act Three: Seeking An Arcanist

Arrival in Hush

Read the following aloud:

If the players would like to talk to an NPC, you can choose one of the options below.

During their discussion, choose an additional NPC from the list above. The second will be a friend that has knowledge of where the Whitefire Arcanist lives. They last saw this person at the tavern and send you in its direction.

For example, your PCs might meet Fidget in town. After some conversation and coaxing, Fidget points the party to the tavern to meet Lausa.

The Clover Tavern

Read the following aloud:

Let the players roleplay here for a bit, introduce them to a barkeep or a friendly local who asks them to hang their shoes on the line. Let them explore the different levels of the tavern, and if you feel comfortable, ask some of your players to participate in describing details about it.

When you’re ready, guide the players in finding an NPC who will help them. If they bypassed asking someone in town, just use one of the NPCs from the list here instead. After a few exchanges, you can have the NPC say something like:

When the PCs are ready, set them off towards the Arcanist.

Act Four: The Treehouse

The Whitefire Arcanist

Read the following aloud:

Give the players the option to roleplay and problem solve. Use the section below as guidance, or create your own.

• If they try to call to the Arcanist from below, there is no response, but the light within still flickers.
• If they try to cut the counterweight rope, it will immediately blast them backwards a few feet, dealing a point of Stress.
• If they try to climb the tree, its an Agility Roll with a difficulty of 13. On a failure, a limb of the tree grabs them, gently sets them down on the forest floor, then resumes its original form.

When they finally do something to successfully get the Arcanist’s attention, use the following to describe her as she emerges from her cabin to greet them.

The Package

Let the players roleplay with the Arcanist. Make her curious about their journey, the NPC who directed them towards her house, and how each of them have imagined they might die one day.

Once she’s had enough conversation, the Arcanist will ask about the package from King Emeris. In order to inspect it in safety, she will magically unfold her home as if it were a blossoming flower. She’ll hurry the players to get the crate inside before closing the cabin back up, now just a bit bigger. When she opens the delivery, read the section below aloud:

If the players seem enthusiastic about helping, you should cut straight to the Open Vale, transitioning into Act Five. Otherwise, you can encourage the players to describe their time traveling with the eccentric Whitefire Arcanist.

Act Five: The Ward Renewal

The Open Vale

Read the following aloud:

Speak to the players as the Arcanist, describing the Open Vale as a place used for strong ritual magic. It’s where she first forged the ward pillars that reside on all four corners of Hush, keeping the village safe. She almost died in that ritual, but is reluctant to say more for fear of angering the Forgotten Gods. Engage the PCs in conversation, then when you’re ready, read the following:

A Short Rest

Tell the PCs that they will now take a short rest.

During a short rest, a PC may choose up to two of the following options. They may choose the same option twice.

TEND TO WOUNDS

Describe how you patch yourself up and clear 1d4+1 hit points. You may also tend to an ally instead.

CLEAR STRESS

Describe how you blow off steam or pull yourself together, and clear 1d4+1 Stress.

REPAIR ARMOR

Describe how you spend time quickly repairing your armor and clear 1d4+1 marked Armor Slots. You may also repair an ally’s armor instead.

PREPARE

Describe how you prepare yourself for the path ahead and gain a Hope. If you choose to Prepare with one or more members of your party, you may each take two Hope.

GM Prep During Rest

While the PCs are resting, take 1d4 Fear as your downtime benefit, then review the stat blocks for adversaries located below and on the next page. These will be used in the final battle.

ANCIENT SKELETON BATTLE GUIDE

Because the skeletons have no attack modifier, roll a d20 and ask if it hits the target’s Evasion. On a success, deal 1d6+1 physical damage.

If the ancient skeletons take 6 or less damage, they mark one hit point. Otherwise, they are defeated.

Their Group Attack Feature allows you to activate several skeletons at once to make a powerful attack. When you use this action as your GM move, you must spend a Fear to activate the group attack, then move all skeletons in close range of a target into melee with them. Make one attack roll with a +0 modifier against the PC's Evasion. On a success, deal 4 phy damage per skeleton. Add all of this damage up before dealing it to the PC.

Act Five Part Two: The Ward Renewal

The Ritual Begins

Read the following aloud:

Then place the Whitefire Arcanist standee at the center of the table. Ask the players to also place their standees in the scene. Finally, place four Ancient Skeletons within close range of the Arcanist and two Forest Wraiths within far range, then read the following aloud.

Grab a d8 and set it on the table with the 8 facing up. This is a countdown die. It will tick down one number every time an adversary is defeated. It will tick up every time the Whitefire Arcanist is hit with an attack. When the countdown reaches 0, the ritual is complete and the fight will end.

Environment Feature

Environments can have their own features that let you utilize them in a unique way. For this encounter, you have an environment feature called Vengeance of the Vale.

Encounter GM Guidance

The countdown progresses every time an adversary is defeated, so if it's not moving quickly enough, use Vengeance of the Vale to spawn more skeletons, as they're easy to take down. Have adversaries target the Whitefire Arcanist if no other PCs are within attack range. Her difficulty is 11. She doesn't mark Hit Points or Stress, any damage done to her should be purely narrative.

Forest Wraith Battle Guide

Forest Wraiths can attack from far range with a +3 attack modifier. On a success, they deal 2d6+8 magic damage. They have resistance to physical damage, meaning any incoming physical damage is cut in half (rounded up).

Their Memory Delve move makes the target Vulnerable, which means all rolls you make against them are at advantage (roll an additional d20 and take the highest result). This condition doesn’t stack.

Pass-Through should be used sparingly to avoid incapacitating the whole party at once. Because this move knocks a PC out of their body and stops them from acting until an adversary is taken down, using the Vengeance of the Vale Encounter Move can be a useful way to generate new, easily defeatable adversaries to avoid this from happening.

Death Move

If a PC ever marks their last hit point, they make a death move. For the purposes of the Quickstart Adventure, they fall unconscious until they are healed or the danger passes.

The Ritual Ends

When the Ritual Die ticks down to 0, move to the Epilogue.

Epilogue: Beyond the Vale

The Keystone Ward

Read the following aloud:

Give the PCs the chance to wrap up their story with the Arcanist. When conversation stalls or the PCs ask about the keystone, you might say something like:

Beyond the Adventure

Congratulations, you’ve completed the Daggerheart quickstart adventure! For more, visit www.daggerheart.com to purchase the full game and join our community.