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💫 Velvet–Daggerheart Move Matrix ✨⛓️🔥

“Every roll is a confession between Heart, Pulse, and Mind.”

Use this chart whenever a Move triggers from fiction. You roll Hope (d12) + modifier and Fear (d6). Then compare results to read the outcome tier below.


PbtA TierDaggerheart ResultNarrative OutcomeToken FlowTri-Engine Bonus
10+ (Triumph)Hope > Fear or Hope = 12Full success — your intent manifests with style and consent.Gain 1 Hope token; clear 1 Stress or Condition.VC: heal 1 Heart Stress. SP: gain +1 Momentum. PE: ask 1 insight question.
7–9 (Mixed)Hope = FearSuccess at a cost — you achieve it but mark Stress or grant the Guide a String.Spend 1 Hope token or add 1 Danger token to the pool.VC: mark emotional Condition. SP: expose ally to Danger. PE: reveal half-truth only.
6− (Setback)Hope < Fear or Fear = 6Failure / complication — Guide makes a Move or raises the stakes.Gain 1 Danger token; lose 1 Hope token (if any).VC: scar the bond but gain a String. SP: suffer gear or reputation loss. PE: take Mind Stress + fragment of forbidden knowledge.

TriggerActionEffect
Spend 1 Hope tokenBefore a rollAdd +1 to Hope die or reroll Fear.
Burn 1 StringAny timeCancel 1 Danger token or force honest answer.
Reach 3 Danger tokens (pool)Guide actsA “Hard Move” — scene turns dramatic or costly.
Clear 3 Hope tokensAt rest sceneRefresh 1 Stress track or unlock ritual Move.

EngineWhat It RepresentsBonus on TriumphCost on MixedShadow on Setback
Velvet Chains (Heart)Empathy, Consent, VulnerabilityGain +1 Hope token for an ally.Mark a Condition (“Exposed”).Bond strained → Guide marks String on you.
Space-Pirate (Pulse)Daring, Spectacle, DefianceAdd +1 Momentum to crew pool.Burn 1 Hope token to keep control.Mark Pulse Stress or break equipment.
Prime Empathy (Mind)Intellect, Memory, ForesightAsk the Guide 1 truth about the scene.Gain “Overclocked” Condition.Take Mind Stress and reveal new mystery.

  1. Fiction triggers Move: “You confess under fire.”
  2. Roll Hope +Heart vs Fear.
  3. Compare: Hope > Fear → Triumph.
  4. Apply Tri-Engine effect: VC → clear Condition, gain 1 Hope.
  5. Guide responds: narrate emotional resolution, mark Hope pool glow +1.

At any time, a player may invoke “fiction.” Pause, revise, or reframe the scene. All participants clear 1 Stress and the Guide removes 1 Danger token.


“Hope is not the opposite of fear — it is the language we use to argue with it.”Mistress Nebula, Navigator of the Silken Siren