Critical Role continues to whet fans’ appetites for the show’s increasingly action-packed tenth anniversary with a treasure trove of enticing 2025 announcements, the latest being a Pax Unplugged sneak peek at the artwork for Daggerheart‘s standard and limited-edition sets.
Darrington Press, Critical Role‘s publishing branch, welcomes players into the emerging fantasyscape of Daggerheart with stunning artwork from Mat Wilma and Dominik Mayer emblazoned on the game’s respective standard and limited editions. Wilma’s work adorns the Daggerheart Core Set, which includes the TTRPG’s rulebook and an accompanying card box. The limited edition version of the roleplaying game includes an exclusive Game Master’s screen in addition to Mayer’s rendition of the game’s core rulebook and card box. Tabletop enthusiasts attending this year’s Pax Unplugged can feast their eyes on both artists’ work in person at Darrington Press’ Booth #3535.
(Left: Daggerheart standard edition cover by Mat Wilma, Right: Daggerheart limited edition cover by Dominik Mayer)
Critical Role Game Master Matthew Mercer first teased Daggerheart during Darrington Press’ 2023 “State of the Press,” marking a massive step in the company’s evolution as a leader in the tabletop storytelling space. While Critical Role‘s brand is often synonymous with Dungeons & Dragons, the pre-streaming version of Vox Machina’s story utilized Pathfinder as its system. The channel has featured a diverse array of tabletop stories over the past decade through one-shots, miniseries, and collaborations such as Moonward: A Midst Roleplaying Story. Original systems Candela Obscura and Daggerheart signify Critical Role‘s natural progression into the game development space, with the latter striking particular interest with the show’s core audience as it’s oriented toward the long-form, fantasy storytelling at the heart of Critical Role‘s brand.
Fans clamoring to get their hands on Daggerheart were granted an introduction to the new system this past year when Darrington Press offered an open beta playtesting period. The Menagerie served as the show’s inaugural Daggerheart actual play troupe, with each chapter in their three-part adventure representing a different phase of the roleplaying game’s open beta development. In addition to revealing Daggerheart‘s official cover art at PAX Unplugged, Critical Role will showcase the final version of the system in a holiday-themed live show in Camden on Saturday, December 7. Critical Role Presents: A Daggerheart Critmas Story LIVE will weave a separate tale from The Menagerie, introducing a fresh batch of characters to its system of Fear and Hope.
Daggerheart will arrive in Spring 2025, with pre-orders for both the standard and limited editions available now on Darrington Press’ website.
(Daggerheart limited edition set)