Campaign Frame Skill

Campaign Frame Skill

Guide 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/.

What is a Campaign Frame?

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.

When to Use This Skill

Initial World Creation (Primary Use)

Invoke this skill when starting a new Daggerheart campaign to:

• Select an existing SRD frame or create a custom one
• Establish tone, themes, and touchstones
• Prepare session zero questions
• Identify special mechanics that will apply

Player-Initiated Reframing

Players may request reframing when:

• The campaign's direction has shifted significantly
• The group wants to explore different themes
• A major narrative turning point demands new framing

When reframing, preserve continuity while adjusting:

• Tone and feel (can shift based on story events)
• Active principles (which ones are most relevant now)
• Distinctions (new world elements revealed)

GM-Initiated Mid-Adventure Reframing (Rare)

GMs might reframe when:

• A major world-changing event occurs
• The campaign pivots to a new arc with different themes
• Players have outgrown the original frame's scope

Caution: Mid-adventure reframing should be discussed with players. Sudden tonal shifts without buy-in can feel jarring.

Frame Structure

Each campaign frame includes these sections:

For detailed explanations, see references/​frame-structure.md.

Using an SRD Frame

The Daggerheart SRD includes official campaign frames. To use one:

1. Read the frame from references/​srd/
2. Present the pitch to players before session zero
3. Share tone, themes, and touchstones so players understand expectations
4. During session zero, use the community/​ancestry/​class guidance and questions
5. Record frame elements in your world's documentation
6. Apply campaign mechanics as specified in the frame
7. Initialize resources - GM starts with 5 Fear tokens

Campaign Resource Initialization

When a new campaign begins:

The GM's starting Fear provides immediate narrative options for the opening session without requiring player failures first.

Recording Frame Selection

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]

Creating a Custom Frame

Use references/​frame-template.md as a starting point. Fill in each section thoughtfully:

Step 1: Define the Core Concept

Start with:

• Pitch: What's the elevator pitch? (2-3 sentences max)
• Tone & Feel: List 5-7 adjectives
• Themes: What tensions will the campaign explore?
• Touchstones: What media captures the vibe?

Step 2: Establish the World

Write the Overview section covering:

• Recent history leading to current tensions
• Major factions or forces in conflict
• What the world was like before and what changed
• Stakes for the characters

Step 3: Adapt Character Options

For each community, ancestry, and class:

• How does it fit this setting?
• What unique aspects exist here?
• What session zero questions connect characters to the frame?

Step 4: Define Principles

Player Principles should encourage:

• Engagement with frame themes
• Character vulnerability appropriate to tone
• Roleplay that reinforces the setting

GM Principles should guide:

• How to portray NPCs and factions
• What kinds of challenges to present
• How to maintain tonal consistency

Step 5: Create Distinctions

Distinctions are unique setting elements:

• Geography, time, or cosmological differences
• Social structures or customs
• Supernatural elements or unique dangers

Each distinction should have narrative and potentially mechanical implications.

Step 6: Design the Inciting Incident

The inciting incident should:

• Thrust characters into the central conflict
• Connect to frame themes
• Provide clear initial direction
• Leave room for player agency

Step 7: Add Campaign Mechanics (Optional)

If your frame requires special rules:

• Keep complexity appropriate to the rating
• Clearly explain triggers and effects
• Consider how mechanics reinforce themes

Step 8: Prepare Session Zero Questions

Questions should:

• Connect characters to the world
• Establish relationships and stakes
• Reveal backstory relevant to themes
• Vary by community/​ancestry/​class where appropriate

Complexity Ratings

Integration with World Building

Frame elements should flow into your world documentation:

Reframing an Existing Campaign

When reframing mid-campaign:

1. Discuss with players - Get buy-in for the tonal/​thematic shift
2. Identify what persists - Core relationships, ongoing plots, character arcs
3. Define what changes - New themes, adjusted tone, revealed distinctions
4. Update documentation - Revise world_state.md to reflect new frame
5. Introduce narratively - The reframe should feel earned, not arbitrary

Partial Reframing

Sometimes only parts of the frame need adjustment:

• Tone shift: The story grows darker or lighter
• New themes emerge: Original themes resolve, new ones arise
• Distinctions revealed: Hidden world elements come to light

Document changes as "Frame Evolution" in world_state.md.

References

• references/​frame-template.md - Blank template for custom frames
• references/​frame-structure.md - Detailed explanation of each section
• references/​srd/ - Official Daggerheart SRD frames