TECH-BASED CAMPAIGNS
You can use the following mechanics for a campaign in which magic has been supplanted by technology.
TECH DAMAGE
Tech damage is a replacement for magic damage in campaigns where damage is caused by technomancy. You can reflavor magic attacks as sonic blasts, blinding flashes of light, swarming nanobots, plasma beams, or any other product of advanced technology.
ICONIC WEAPONS & OTHER TOOLS
The following sections detail how weapons, armor, and other items might work in a tech-based campaign.
ICONIC WEAPONS
Characters don’t have access to Daggerheart’s normal selection of primary and secondary weapons during a tech-based campaign. Instead, each character receives an Iconic Weapon that begins as a simple rod of metal but can be incrementally modified to suit the wielder’s needs.
A player designs their character’s Iconic Weapon using an Iconic Weapon Sheet. For inspiration, see the Motherboard Module sheet in Daggerheart Core or available online at daggerheart.com/downloads. Each player should take a copy of the module and complete the following steps:
- Slide the Iconic Weapon Sheet under the right side of their character sheet so only the fillable section is visible
- Make selections about trait, range, and damage
- Make up a name and description
- Record the weapon’s details in the Primary Weapon slot of their character sheet
Iconic Weapons are considered two-handed weapons and start with the Bonded feature:
Bonded: Gain a bonus to your damage rolls equal to your level.
UPGRADES
A character’s Iconic Weapon starts with two Upgrade slots at Tier 1 to indicate that it has evolved from its most basic form. An Iconic Weapon gains an additional Upgrade slot at each subsequent tier. An Upgrade can be crafted as a downtime move when a PC has the Parts to do so. See the upcoming “Crafting & Trading” section for more information.
Each Iconic Weapon begins without any installed Upgrades. A character can build as many Upgrades as they wish but can’t install more Upgrades than the number of Upgrade slots their Iconic Weapon has. An installed Upgrade is treated as a weapon feature. During downtime, a PC can freely swap Upgrades they’ve already crafted or otherwise acquired.
The Iconic Weapon Sheet includes a selection of basic Upgrades. GMs are encouraged to make more, using the provided options as a template, and offer them to the players as appropriate.
TECH LINK
Each tech-based campaign setting includes a worldwide data and energy network that a PC must connect to in order to perform downtime moves. The primary way most PCs connect to this network is via a Tech Link, which looks like a data cable with a hook on one end, that each PC gains at character creation.
CRAFTING & TRADING
Gold is not used as a currency in tech-based campaign frames. Instead, PCs gather Scrap to trade for a currency known as Credits. The Iconic Weapon Sheet includes areas for tracking both Scrap and Credits. All PCs start with 5 Credits.
CONVERTING GOLD TO CREDITS
Use the following conversion for Daggerheart when pricing other goods and services using quantum:
- 10 Credits = 1 handful of gold
- 100 Credits = 1 bag of gold
- 1000 Credits = 1 chest of gold
GATHERING SCRAP
PCs can collect Scrap from defeated tech-based adversaries outside of combat. Each category of Scrap is represented by a die size. When the PCs collect Scrap, the GM determines how many of each category they find, which in turn determines the total dice pool each player rolls. Compare the results of each player’s roll against your campaign’s Scrap table to determine the number of each type they acquire. PCs can also obtain specific pieces of Scrap by completing NPC contracts, hunting particular adversaries, exploring certain areas, or purchasing them from special merchants.
Scrap Table
The table below lists generic outcomes you can replace as needed to suit your campaign.
| Result | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shards (d6) | Gear | Coil | Wire | Trigger | Lens | Crystal | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Metals (d8) | Aluminum | Copper | Cobalt | Silver | Platinum | Gold | n/a | n/a | ||
| Components (d10) | Fuse | Circuit | Disc | Relay | Capacitor | Battery | ||||
Parts Reward Table
Use the following table as general guidance for Scrap rewards after encounters:
| Adversaries | Easy Fight | Standard Fight | Difficult Fight | Very Difficult Fight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mostly non-tech-based | 2 Shards | 2 Shards, 1 Metal | 2 Shards, 1 Metal, 1 Component | 2 Shard, 2 Metals, 1 Component |
| Mostly tech-based | 2 Shards, 1 Metal | 2 Shards, 2 Metals, 1 Component | 3 Shards, 2 Metals, 1 Component | 3 Shards, 3 Metals, 2 Components |
| All tech-based | 2 Shards, 1 Metal, 1 Component | 3 Shards, 2 Metals, 2 Components | 3 Shards, 3 Metals, 2 Components | 4 Shards, 3 Metals, 3 Components |
RELICS
Relics are unique pieces of Scrap only found on specific tech-based adversaries. When the PCs defeat a particularly important or powerful tech-based adversary, the GM can grant them each a Relic in addition to Scrap from the table above. Relics should be customized to reflect the adversary from which they were obtained. Relics are worth 20 Credits and can be used to craft powerful Upgrades.
CRAFTING WITH SCRAP
PCs can use a downtime move and spend the appropriate Scrap or Relics to craft Upgrades for their Iconic Weapons or other items. A PC can’t craft an Upgrade until they satisfy its Prerequisites. An Upgrade can always be broken back into its constituents to reacquire the Scrap used in its creation.
BUYING AND SELLING SCRAP
By default, a piece of Scrap is worth a number of Credits equal to the value rolled to acquire it on the table above. This value is unaffected by whether the party intends to buy or sell it.
Merchants have a limited amount and variety of Scrap for sale, usually 1d10 of each Shard, 1d8 of each Metal, and 1d6 of each Component. When a PC wants to buy a specific piece of Scrap from a particular merchant, the GM can roll to determine how many are in stock, subject to the GM’s discretion.