Guidance for Experiences in Daggerheart (Patreon)

One of the things that I saw people ask about most frequently during the Open Beta for Daggerheart was how best to decide and create Experiences. Experiences are a very flexible character element, intentionally-so. If the approach you're using is working for the table, then great! But if you're looking for more guidance, here are some thoughts - these are not Official Darrington Press statements or Rules Clarifications, they're just my perspective.

In addition to the guidance in the book (p.20 for players/character creation, p.148 for a GM perspective), it's often handy for starting PCs to have at least one Experience that will frequently be useful in combat and at least one that will frequently be useful in interpersonal/non-combat situations.

Experiences based on jobs the PC held or a core character concept are also very useful. Like, if I have a Simiah Ranger who is a Bounty Hunter, I probably want an experience that is just "Bounty Hunter". I had a character I built for a DH version of Call of the Netherdeep who had the experience "Ex-Aurora Watch", suggesting military experience, combat relevance, and social relationships (she was a member, but has left, which suggests certain things about connections with Aurora Watch members, etc.)

Other options for Experiences include a catchphrase. These are especially great for Experiences your character gains later in the campaign. If the character develops a catchphrase or iconic saying, consider making it an Experience to give it some mechanical heft to match the importance that it's gained in the narrative. This might be something like "Nobody Gets Left Behind", "I Wasn't Technically Lying" or "I'm Just a Little Guy!"

Additionally, Experiences should signal to the GM when it might make sense for a PC to just automatically get information due to past experience/expertise as well as times when the player shouldn't have to make a roll that they would otherwise have to make without the experience. A character with the Experience "Second-Story Thief" might not have to roll to make a leap between buildings that would be a Difficulty 10 roll otherwise, or a character with "Safecracker" might not have to roll when picking a lock that would be Difficulty 10-15. Alternatively, instead of negating a roll entirely, you might let a PC's experiences to reduce the difficulty of a roll, give them character advantage on the roll, or let them ignore disadvantage.

And finally, make sure to check back in on your experiences as the campaign progresses. The book has some notes about changing experiences, either if they prove to be too narrow or too broadly-defined, or if the experience just doesn't fit who the character is anymore. Experiences are about giving a mechanical bonus/manifestation to a fictional aspect of your character, and they should help the player convey what is and was important to the character and the role they play in the story.