This skill should be used when creating a new Daggerheart campaign, establishing world tone and themes, selecting or building a campaign frame, or reframing an existing adventure. Campaign frames provide pitch, tone, themes, community/ancestry/class guidance, principles, distinctions, inciting incidents, and special mechanics for a particular type of story.
Guide GMs through selecting or creating campaign frames that establish tone, themes, and special mechanics for Daggerheart adventures. Use when starting new campaigns or when players request thematic shifts mid-campaign.
/plugin marketplace add rjroy/adventure-engine-corvran/plugin install daggerheart-system@adventure-engine-corvranThis skill inherits all available tools. When active, it can use any tool Claude has access to.
references/frame-structure.mdreferences/frame-template.mdreferences/srdGuide GMs through selecting, customizing, or creating campaign frames that shape the tone, themes, and mechanics of a Daggerheart adventure.
Authoritative Source: For official frame content, reference the SRD frames in references/srd/.
A campaign frame is a template that provides inspiration, tools, and mechanics to support a particular type of story. Frames establish the narrative foundation before character creation begins, ensuring all players share expectations about tone, themes, and the world they'll inhabit.
Every campaign frame has a complexity rating (● to ●●●) indicating how much its mechanics deviate from core Daggerheart rules.
Invoke this skill when starting a new Daggerheart campaign to:
Players may request reframing when:
When reframing, preserve continuity while adjusting:
GMs might reframe when:
Caution: Mid-adventure reframing should be discussed with players. Sudden tonal shifts without buy-in can feel jarring.
Each campaign frame includes these sections:
| Section | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Pitch | 2-3 sentence hook to present to players |
| Tone & Feel | Adjectives describing the emotional atmosphere |
| Themes | Core narrative tensions and questions explored |
| Touchstones | Media references that capture the vibe |
| Overview | Background lore and setting context |
| Communities | How SRD communities fit this setting |
| Ancestries | Ancestry-specific adaptations |
| Classes | Class-specific setting connections |
| Player Principles | Guidelines for player roleplay |
| GM Principles | Guidelines for GM narration |
| Distinctions | Unique setting elements and rules |
| Inciting Incident | Campaign-starting scenario |
| Campaign Mechanics | Special rules unique to this frame |
| Session Zero Questions | Discussion prompts for character creation |
For detailed explanations, see references/frame-structure.md.
The Daggerheart SRD includes official campaign frames. To use one:
references/srd/When a new campaign begins:
| Resource | Starting Value |
|---|---|
| GM Fear tokens | 5 |
| Player Hope tokens | 2 each (per character creation) |
The GM's starting Fear provides immediate narrative options for the opening session without requiring player failures first.
When using a frame, document it in worlds/{slug}/world_state.md:
## Campaign Frame
**Frame**: [Frame Name]
**Complexity**: [● to ●●●]
### Active Themes
- [Theme 1]
- [Theme 2]
### Session Zero Answers
> [Question from frame]
[Player/group answer]
### Special Mechanics
[Any frame-specific rules in effect]
Use references/frame-template.md as a starting point. Fill in each section thoughtfully:
Start with:
Write the Overview section covering:
For each community, ancestry, and class:
Player Principles should encourage:
GM Principles should guide:
Distinctions are unique setting elements:
Each distinction should have narrative and potentially mechanical implications.
The inciting incident should:
If your frame requires special rules:
Questions should:
| Rating | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ● | Minimal mechanical changes; mostly narrative framing |
| ●● | Some new mechanics or modified rules |
| ●●● | Significant mechanical additions; requires familiarity with core rules |
Frame elements should flow into your world documentation:
| Frame Section | Maps To |
|---|---|
| Overview | worlds/{slug}/world_state.md |
| Communities/Ancestries/Classes | Character creation guidance |
| Distinctions | worlds/{slug}/locations.md, custom rules |
| Inciting Incident | Opening session prep |
| NPCs from frame | worlds/{slug}/characters.md |
| Session Zero Answers | Player backstory integration |
When reframing mid-campaign:
Sometimes only parts of the frame need adjustment:
Document changes as "Frame Evolution" in world_state.md.
references/frame-template.md - Blank template for custom framesreferences/frame-structure.md - Detailed explanation of each sectionreferences/srd/ - Official Daggerheart SRD frames