Queen of Daggers, Heart of Fire: A Daggerheart Adventure

Four young Poets--the realm of Lacuna's specially gifted guardians--embark upon a simple visit to a neighboring town, as part of their training. Surely, despite the strange omens they've all seen, things will go as planned... A love letter to the brand new Daggerheart TTRPG system by Darrington Press. (By/for fans of Actual Play who love drama and gaming in equal measure.) STARRING Jay Ben Markson as Lemma Katie McLean Hainsworth as Evelyn David Skeist as OrLeon Carmela Smith as Ginny and Asteria the Hag as Game Master Produced by Asteria (aka Liz Thaler) and Carmela Smith Sound Editor Carmela Smith Hag Deal Logo by Hazumonster www.hagdealgaming.com This product includes materials from the Daggerheart Playtest Manuscript 1.5 © Critical Role, LLC. under the terms of the Darrington Press Community Gaming (DPCGL) License. More information can be found at https://www.daggerheart.com/. Any intentional modifications are identified as such as they occur.

WARNING: We curse in this one! The dice will do that to you. Our heroes scramble to reckon with the strange force they've unleashed. As the Ward cracks around them, they must stretch their Poetic powers into territory fearful and new. They've never been tested before--can they step up and save people, including each other? An action-packed episode (with some lore at the end).   STARRING Jay Ben Markson as Lemma Katie McLean Hainsworth as Evelyn David Skeist as OrLeon Carmela Smith as Ginny and Asteria the Hag as Game Master Produced by Asteria (aka Liz Thaler) and Carmela Smith Sound Editor Carmela Smith Logos by Hazumonster www.hagdealgaming.com This product includes materials from the Daggerheart Playtest Manuscript 1.5 © Critical Role, LLC. under the terms of the Darrington Press Community Gaming (DPCGL) License. More information can be found at https://www.daggerheart.com/. Any intentional modifications are identified as such as they occur.

As strange music heralds the arrival of the Rain Queen's court, our heroes find themselves separated. Soren shows OrLeon what it's like to live amidst chaos; Ginny discovers yet another Duality; Evelyn is abandoned, but not alone; Lemma is faced at last with a choice he cannot ignore...but will he? An RP-heavy episode, with some major players revealed.   STARRING Jay Ben Markson as Lemma Katie McLean Hainsworth as Evelyn David Skeist as OrLeon Carmela Smith as Ginny and Asteria the Hag as Game Master Produced by Asteria (aka Liz Thaler) and Carmela Smith Sound Editor Carmela Smith Logos by Hazumonster www.hagdealgaming.com   This product includes materials from the Daggerheart Playtest Manuscript 1.5 © Critical Role, LLC. under the terms of the Darrington Press Community Gaming (DPCGL) License. More information can be found at https://www.daggerheart.com/. Any intentional modifications are identified as such as they occur. This product includes materials from the Daggerheart Playtest Manuscript 1.5 © Critical Role, LLC. under the terms of the Darrington Press Community Gaming (DPCGL) License. More information can be found at https://www.daggerheart.com/. Any intentional modifications are identified as such as they occur.

Everyone loves a carnival! Our heroes aren't exactly in the mood, but then they don't exactly have a choice, as the Rain Queen's court has blown into town as it always does--unexpectedly. If only they truly thought this was all a coincidence... Games of chance, mob unrest, and trying to figure out what it means for a person to be made out of your friend's soul: what else would a day at the fair hold in store for our young Poets of Lacuna?   STARRING Jay Ben Markson as Lemma Katie McLean Hainsworth as Evelyn David Skeist as OrLeon Carmela Smith as Ginny and Asteria the Hag as Game Master Produced by Asteria (aka Liz Thaler) and Carmela Smith Sound Editor Carmela Smith Logos by Hazumonster www.hagdealgaming.com   This product includes materials from the Daggerheart Playtest Manuscript 1.5 © Critical Role, LLC. under the terms of the Darrington Press Community Gaming (DPCGL) License. More information can be found at https://www.daggerheart.com/. Any intentional modifications are identified as such as they occur. This product includes materials from the Daggerheart Playtest Manuscript 1.5 © Critical Role, LLC. under the terms of the Darrington Press Community Gaming (DPCGL) License. More information can be found at https://www.daggerheart.com/. Any intentional modifications are identified as such as they occur.

After Episode 4, Asteria and the players pause to talk through their level-up decisions. Almost NO SPOILERS or campaign familiarity required--just good clean system talk. (Plus some hard-hitting nostalgia around backpacks.)  Though Season 1 used the Daggerheart playtest, almost everything we discuss here is applicable to the official release rules! Carmela explains at top of the episode.   If you're not interested in the mechanical nitty-gritty, we'll be back in two weeks with Episode 5. (You won't miss any story if you skip this one.)   This product includes materials from the Daggerheart Playtest Manuscript 1.5 © Critical Role, LLC. under the terms of the Darrington Press Community Gaming (DPCGL) License. More information can be found at https://www.daggerheart.com/. Any intentional modifications are identified as such as they occur. This product includes materials from the Daggerheart Playtest Manuscript 1.5 © Critical Role, LLC. under the terms of the Darrington Press Community Gaming (DPCGL) License. More information can be found at https://www.daggerheart.com/. Any intentional modifications are identified as such as they occur.

Our Poets hit the road, and the books. Will unraveling Lacuna's past help them decide its future? And while they're choosing the realm's path, they'd better keep an eye on their own...   STARRING Jay Ben Markson as Lemma Katie McLean Hainsworth as Evelyn David Skeist as OrLeon Carmela Smith as Ginny and Asteria the Hag as Game Master Produced by Asteria (aka Liz Thaler) and Carmela Smith Sound Editor Carmela Smith Logos by Hazumonster www.hagdealgaming.com   This product includes materials from the Daggerheart Playtest Manuscript 1.5 © Critical Role, LLC. under the terms of the Darrington Press Community Gaming (DPCGL) License. More information can be found at https://www.daggerheart.com/. Any intentional modifications are identified as such as they occur. This product includes materials from the Daggerheart Playtest Manuscript 1.5 © Critical Role, LLC. under the terms of the Darrington Press Community Gaming (DPCGL) License. More information can be found at https://www.daggerheart.com/. Any intentional modifications are identified as such as they occur.

A jam-packed episode! Our Poets are caught in the thick of a shadowy ambush. In the aftermath, they'll learn things about Lacuna--and themselves--they never imagined.  The beginning of a big second arc. Who (and what) are the Shadowjacks? Where is the Sallow Ring, and why are generations of Poets drawn there? How many accents will Asteria attempt in just one session? Stay tuned.   STARRING Jay Ben Markson as Lemma Katie McLean Hainsworth as Evelyn David Skeist as OrLeon Carmela Smith as Ginny and Asteria the Hag as Game Master Produced by Asteria (aka Liz Thaler) and Carmela Smith Sound Editor Carmela Smith Logos by Hazumonster www.hagdealgaming.com   This product includes materials from the Daggerheart Playtest Manuscript 1.5 © Critical Role, LLC. under the terms of the Darrington Press Community Gaming (DPCGL) License. More information can be found at https://www.daggerheart.com/. Any intentional modifications are identified as such as they occur. This product includes materials from the Daggerheart Playtest Manuscript 1.5 © Critical Role, LLC. under the terms of the Darrington Press Community Gaming (DPCGL) License. More information can be found at https://www.daggerheart.com/. Any intentional modifications are identified as such as they occur.

As night falls on the Shadowjack camp, our heroes are drawn apart--by their pasts, by their fates, and by curiosity. Though they call themselves allies, each mysterious figure here sings a different siren song. What will our young Poets discover about themselves in the shadows? They may have changed the world, but they're now learning how strange it already was... Gird yourself for flashbacks, new characters, and an ever-thickening plot. Plus, the juiciest of reveals: Soren's age. STARRING Jay Ben Markson as Lemma Katie McLean Hainsworth as Evelyn David Skeist as OrLeon Carmela Smith as Ginny and Asteria the Hag as Game Master Produced by Asteria (aka Liz Thaler) and Carmela Smith Sound Editor Carmela Smith Logos by Hazumonster www.hagdealgaming.com   This product includes materials from the Daggerheart Playtest Manuscript 1.5 © Critical Role, LLC. under the terms of the Darrington Press Community Gaming (DPCGL) License. More information can be found at https://www.daggerheart.com/. Any intentional modifications are identified as such as they occur. This product includes materials from the Daggerheart Playtest Manuscript 1.5 © Critical Role, LLC. under the terms of the Darrington Press Community Gaming (DPCGL) License. More information can be found at https://www.daggerheart.com/. Any intentional modifications are identified as such as they occur.

Strange visions greet our Poets in their sleep. Stranger still is the task that awaits them on the morrow...    STARRING Jay Ben Markson as Lemma Katie McLean Hainsworth as Evelyn David Skeist as OrLeon Carmela Smith as Ginny and Asteria the Hag as Game Master Produced by Asteria (aka Liz Thaler) and Carmela Smith Sound Editor Carmela Smith This product includes materials from the Daggerheart Playtest Manuscript 1.5 © Critical Role, LLC. under the terms of the Darrington Press Community Gaming (DPCGL) License. More information can be found at https://www.daggerheart.com/. Any intentional modifications are identified as such as they occur.

The Poets at last find themselves in a fight they can't escape. What will they learrn about themselves in this trial by chaotic fire? Will motes of Madness herself change their fates?    STARRING Jay Ben Markson as Lemma Katie McLean Hainsworth as Evelyn David Skeist as OrLeon Carmela Smith as Ginny and Asteria the Hag as Game Master Produced by Asteria (aka Liz Thaler) and Carmela Smith Sound Editor Carmela Smith This product includes materials from the Daggerheart Playtest Manuscript 1.5 © Critical Role, LLC. under the terms of the Darrington Press Community Gaming (DPCGL) License. More information can be found at https://www.daggerheart.com/. Any intentional modifications are identified as such as they occur.

Faced with a showdown between Glory and Fortune themselves, the Poets make some quick decisions--and try to put together the pieces of all that's befallen Lacuna in a few short days.     STARRING Jay Ben Markson as Lemma Katie McLean Hainsworth as Evelyn David Skeist as OrLeon Carmela Smith as Ginny and Asteria the Hag as Game Master Produced by Asteria (aka Liz Thaler) and Carmela Smith Sound Editor Carmela Smith This product includes materials from the Daggerheart Playtest Manuscript 1.5 © Critical Role, LLC. under the terms of the Darrington Press Community Gaming (DPCGL) License. More information can be found at https://www.daggerheart.com/. Any intentional modifications are identified as such as they occur.

GM Asteria chats Daggerheart mechanics! Joined by Katie McLean Hainsworth and Jay Ben Markson after the debut episode of Queen of Daggers, Heart of Fire, and the Daggerheart system itself. Just three theater folk who love spreadsheets, trying not to get hit. This product includes materials from the Daggerheart Playtest Manuscript 1.5 © Critical Role, LLC. under the terms of the Darrington Press Community Gaming (DPCGL) License. More information can be found at https://www.daggerheart.com/. Any intentional modifications are identified as such as they occur.

GM Asteria, in a solo episode, considers a hallmark of the Daggerheart system: Making GM Moves. A nerve-wracking prospect--especially when your players roll with Fear! Eight months after the Queen of Daggers, Heart of Fire campaign began, what has Asteria learned the hard way? What might she do differently? Our Episode 2 look back at our other Episode 2. Because hindsight is 20-20--or, as we say in Daggerheart, 12-12.  This product includes materials from the Daggerheart Playtest Manuscript 1.5 © Critical Role, LLC. under the terms of the Darrington Press Community Gaming (DPCGL) License. More information can be found at https://www.daggerheart.com/. Any intentional modifications are identified as such as they occur.

Carmela Smith (producer, editor, and hag-about-town) chats with her fellow player Jay Ben Markson about his PC's custom ancestry, and about how both Ginny and Lemma (their Queen of Daggers, Heart of Fire PCs) use the Orderborne community. A great discussion for anyone intereted in the mesh of mechanics and flavor/backstory in the Daggerheart system.  This product includes materials from the Daggerheart Playtest Manuscript 1.5 © Critical Role, LLC. under the terms of the Darrington Press Community Gaming (DPCGL) License. More information can be found at https://www.daggerheart.com/. Any intentional modifications are identified as such as they occur.

Carmela and Jay Ben return to discuss playing half a season using only one of their two domains. What's it like to be a spellcaster who won't cast spells? (Yes, both of them.)  Featuring Carmela Smith and Jay Ben Markson Edited by Asteria This product includes materials from the Daggerheart Playtest Manuscript 1.5 © Critical Role, LLC. under the terms of the Darrington Press Community Gaming (DPCGL) License. More information can be found at https://www.daggerheart.com/. Any intentional modifications are identified as such as they occur.

Asteria and Carmela visit Katie in Chicago for our first ever in-person coven meeting! In this portion, we talk about the homebrew mechanics of Season 1, our biggest collaborative storytelling moments, and the inherent Daggerheart-iness of fitting your method to your madness.  Featuring Katie McLean Hainsworth, Carmela Smith, and Asteria (aka Liz Thaler) Edited by Asteria This product includes materials from the Daggerheart Playtest Manuscript 1.5 © Critical Role, LLC. under the terms of the Darrington Press Community Gaming (DPCGL) License. More information can be found at https://www.daggerheart.com/. Any intentional modifications are identified as such as they occur.

Asteria and Jay Ben share the collaboration and pre-campaign discussions that led to Lemma's flashback scenes and backstory reveals. Looking back on the vignette of Lemma's kindling, we discuss how we've been able to set each other up for dramatic improvisation and build off each other's storytelling--while still, ideally, ruining each other's lives. (It's a game after all.) Contains heavy spoilers for episodes 1-7 of Queen of Daggers, Heart of Fire. Featuring Asteria and Jay Ben Markson Edited by Asteria This product includes materials from the Daggerheart Playtest Manuscript 1.5 © Critical Role, LLC. under the terms of the Darrington Press Community Gaming (DPCGL) License. More information can be found at https://www.daggerheart.com/. Any intentional modifications are identified as such as they occur.

The second half of our most recent chat episode, for those who haven't yet listened to episodes 6 and 7 of Queen of Daggers, Heart of Fire.  In this section, Asteria and Jay Ben discuss the pre-campaign groundwork that went into creating the Elegists, and into building comfort with group worldbuilding and storytelling as a whole.    Featuring Asteria and Jay Ben Markson Edited by Asteria This product includes materials from the Daggerheart Playtest Manuscript 1.5 © Critical Role, LLC. under the terms of the Darrington Press Community Gaming (DPCGL) License. More information can be found at https://www.daggerheart.com/. Any intentional modifications are identified as such as they occur.

Part 2 of our Live From Chicago session! Asteria, Carmela, and Katie talk about exploring the Realm of Lacuna through player questions and dice rolls. Plus, these veterans of multiple systems compare the Daggerheart experience to other games in their wheelhouse (especially the super-crunchy ones).  Featuring Katie McLean Hainsworth, Carmela Smith, and Asteria (aka Liz Thaler) Edited by Asteria This product includes materials from the Daggerheart Playtest Manuscript 1.5 © Critical Role, LLC. under the terms of the Darrington Press Community Gaming (DPCGL) License. More information can be found at https://www.daggerheart.com/. Any intentional modifications are identified as such as they occur.

Asteria and Carmela react to the big Episode 9 combat, and break down Asteria's use of the "Burning Heart of the Wood" environment. Listen to the actual play podcast we're talking around, "Queen of Daggers, Heart of Fire," at https://www.hagdealgaming.com/qod-podcast Featuring Carmela Smith and Asteria (aka Liz Thaler) Edited by Asteria This product includes materials from the Daggerheart Playtest Manuscript 1.5 © Critical Role, LLC. under the terms of the Darrington Press Community Gaming (DPCGL) License. More information can be found at https://www.daggerheart.com/. Any intentional modifications are identified as such as they occur.