I wanted to run Daggerheart as a one-shot, so I tried to adapt (most of) the entire Witherwild campaign frame into a 4-hour slot. It ran to 3 hours. My loose prep notes, along with some advice, are below. In terms of structure, I went with Robin Laws’ excellent Three Fights structure from Adventure Crucible – I’ve blogged about this before, and it works really well for any sort of pulpy, actiony game where combat is interesting and flavourful.

This is for Tier 1 starting characters, by the way – by all means use the ones in the Quickstart.

Curious about what Daggerheart looks like in play? Check it out on Unconventional GMs – where we’ve run the Quickstart and a Wild West-style Colossus of the Drylands one-shot!

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Introduction

(Give the general Witherwild background from the core book / SRD)

Players can introduce themselves and their characters, giving a throwback scene to a recent adventure.

We see you in the dim twilight, as Oove, Watcher of the Night Bloom, a Faint Divinity, addresses you. You have received your mission – hasted to Haven, infiltrate the city – now under full lockdown, climb the archmage’s tower, and recover Nikta’s Reaping Eye.

Haven’s Godless Gate has been closed for weeks now, as fears of Fanewick rebels accessing the city spread. There are rumours, however, of catacombs – the cities that Haven was built on before – as a means of access.

Scene One – River Attack

The main roads through the Haven will be heavily patrolled, forcing you to cut cross-country and stay below the radar to get to the city. As you dart through the thick forest, you see Haven in the distance – but between you lies a raging river – can you cross it?

This is a simplified version of the Raging River Tier 1 Environment.

It’s Difficulty 10 and each PC must make a check to cross, or they are buffetted about and swept downstream – taking 1d6+1 damage and becoming Vulnerable. Once everyone has rolled, and some may be stuck in the river – out of the forest come strange, mutated beasts – the first fight!

Fight 1 – Animal Attack!

# Players	Opponents
3	Bear + 2 Dire Wolves + 1 Horde of Giant Mosquitoes
4	Bear + 3 Dire Wolves + 1 Horde of Giant Mosquitoes
5	Bear + 5 Dire Wolves + 1 Horde of Giant Mosquitoes
6	Bear + 6 Dire Wolves + 1 Horde of Giant Mosquitoes

The Mosquitoes target anyone trapped in the river initially. All these beasts are Withered, so use the rules in the Witherwild campaign frame for Corruption from the Witherwild.

After they defeat the beasts, they have a chance to catch their breath and proceed to Haven. 

Scene Two – Outside the Gates

With the Godless Gate shut, a sizable tent city has grown up outside – Havenites wanting to get in, numerous soldiers and guards stationed outside, Wickland rebels, and opportunistic merchants. With a rumour of a catacomb to find, the players must ask around to find a way in.

Start a “Discover the Catacombs” clock with 4 segments, and a “Caught by the Guards,” also with 4. Introduce (I wrote these on index cards – portraits would have been better) the following NPCs that the PCs ‘recognise’ – but they can also make their own up

• Oom, an elven spice trader / smuggler, who will trade secrets for recipes
• Blav, a dwarf necromancer, has been into the catacombs and is always after a source of fresh bodies
• Gasp, a half-statue Haven guard, deep in the throes of Serpent Sickness and desperate for a cure
• The rats that infest this tent city (and other critters) no doubt know of the catacombs

In turn, players can make checks against the dynamic countdowns – if they fail, they’re accosted by a number of Bladed Guards equal to their number – they’ve one last chance to talk their way out of it, before they must fight or be captured.

On a success, there’s a secret route into the catacombs on the South side of the city that they can gain access through.

Scene Three – The Catacombs

These are ancient, old city streets now filled with skeletons and memories. They need to be make a Group roll to navigate (Difficulty 15) – on a success, they emerge in the Assassin’s Cathedral, if not, they are ambushed by the Assassins in the catacombs.

Scene Four – The Assassins

This takes place in a crumbling, ruined cathedral, now the headquarters of Haven’s Assassins Guild. Pews, stonework, a defiled altar, fighters in odd dark robes with long poisoned knives.

Fight 2 – Assassin’s Guild

All attacks inflict +2 damage

# Players	Opponents
3	Jagged Knife Lieutenant, 3 Jagged Knife Bandits
4	Jagged Knife Lieutenant, 4 Jagged Knife Bandits, 1 Jagged Knife Hexer
5	Jagged Knife Lieutenant, 5 Jagged Knife Bandits, 2 Jagged Knife Hexers
6	Jagged Knife Lieutenant, 5 Jagged Knife Bandits, 3 Jagged Knife Hexers

In the cathedral, the Hexers are on balconies overlooking the central knave of the cathedral – they will need to use powers (or a Difficulty 15 Agility check) to get up to them.

Scene Five – City-Crawl

They now have to make their way across Haven – a teeming, panicked city, stuffed with the statues of Serpent Sickness victims.

Run this as a 13th-Age style Montage, with each player describing an opposition and a resolution – remind them of the scope of it, they should end at the summit of the archmage’s tower

If you’re not sure if your table will take to this, rather than replacing it with something more trad, try brainstorming a list of dangers that could beset them in Haven – either at the table, or more conservatively, have NPCs warn them of these in previous scenes. If you’ve already had Blav tell them of the perilous Death-Guards with their skull-masks and bone halberds, there’s something there a stuck player can pick up and run with.

Scene Six – Finale at the Top of the Tower

As they arrive, they see Archmage Phlanx – and the Reaping Eye, held suspended in magical force in the centre of this circular room. Upon seeing them, Phylax tells them they’re too late – the Reaping Eye will never function again – and disappears in a puff of smoke, replaced by a summoned Demon.

The statue in the corner animates too, and a number of Phlanx’s tower guards – spellblades – rush in too!

Fight 3 – Wizard’s Tower

# Players	Opponents
3	Construct, Minor Demon
4	Construct, Minor Demon, Spellblade
5	Construct, Minor Demon, 2 Spellblades
6	Construct, Minor Demon, 3 Spellblades

Epilogue

With the eye recovered (although perhaps damaged) the tide has turned in Fanewick’s battles – if this is a one-shot, invite the players to narrate a short vignette of their PC’s next move – or think about what the next step in the ongoing campaign would be – maybe there’s a Faint Divinity can help to reinvigorate the eye?