At this year's Gen Con, publisher Kobold Press took a daring leap in a new direction. No longer does it just make books for Dungeons and Dragons and Tales of the Valiant. Daggerheart has been officially added to the roster. I picked up a review copy of Court and Shadow, the Fey-focused campaign frame, and I have thoughts.
It's worth mentioning upfront that Court and Shadow is based on two existing Kobold Press books, 2019's Courts of the Shadow Fey and 2022's Book of Ebon Tides. That means the world presented here is full of re-used concepts. However, if you haven't encountered this world before, it feels familiar yet original.
You'll find yourself caught between the mortal world and the fey Shadow Realm. The humanoid citizens of Zobeck recently overthrew a tyrannical monarchy, which would be great news if it didn't violate a centuries old fey pact. The fey still have plenty of political squabbles of their own in the Shadow Realm, but now they're asserting ownership over Zobeck, too.
If you've roleplayed in a fey realm before, you can expect plenty of the usual tropes. Court drama? Tick. Time and space working in unexpected ways? Tick. An emphasis on the importance of words and promises? It's all there, baby.
This is pretty good news for Daggerheart players, who currently lack an official fey setting. In even better news, Kobold Press offers more than enough interesting details for its fey realm to stand out.
A new ancestry represents the unnerving Shadow Fey that populate these courts. Poisonous Death Butterflies swarm in forests of endless summer. Banished courtiers must flee from golems that feast exclusively on eyes.
Romance is a key part of courtly status, and may fey engage in open relationships. Everyone at court seems to be in love with a young princess, but personally, I think the most eligible bachelor is Akyishigal, a roach-like demon who definitely has sus intentions.
The setting's vibes are sexy, strange, and intriguing. That opening incident with fey invading after a pact dissolves is exciting, too. Unfortunately, my excitement fizzled somewhat when it came to the actual design. Kobold Press has flexed its huge narrative muscles in pleasing ways, but it's still getting to grips with what makes a successful Daggerheart campaign.
Most of the problem is the structure - and the fact it isn't fully fleshed out. Daggerheart campaign frames are significantly sparser than your average D&D adventure, it's true. However, Court and Shadow doesn't give you enough bones to make a skeleton.
The campaign itself consists of an overview, an inciting incident, several paragraphs about key locations, and a list of relevant factions. Occasionally, Kobold Press provides a bullet list of ways your group might interact with these disparate people and places, but even they don't give enough detail to shape the story. This is a sandbox that could have done with a few more rails - newer GMs are at risk of wandering listlessly through the Shadow Realm.
One mechanic does help keep you on track, and that's Status. This is a simple scale that raises or lowers, depending on how much the fey court approves of your actions. You'll need a high Status level if you want to speak to the hotshots of the Shadow Realm, so it's a handy starting point with lots of suggested ways to influence the world around you.
I'm less impressed by the optional Shadow Corruption rules. It's an ongoing effect you must roll to resist while in the Shadow Realm, but its only real effect is making you a bit depressed. With more thought, this could have been a really unique storytelling device.
Other areas feel shallow, too. There are some great adversaries in here (though players, beware: their powers get pretty mean), but none of the key figures of the fey court get a complete stat block. It seems odd not to cover their abilities and combat stats when conflict is likely - and because of how often Daggerheart's stat blocks are useful outside of a fight.
Kobold Press' first foray into Daggerheart has had some teething problems. I'm ready to fall in love with the world it wants to show me, but the delivery definitely needs some sharpening.
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