Dagger’s Moon is a turn-based tactical roleplaying game set in a gritty not-so-fantasy world. Right now, it is a concept only, but it could become a reality. We are looking for a development studio and funders to take on the project. Get in touch with me at joe.indvik@gmail.com if interested.

1. Dagger’s Moon
The next generation tactical RPG

2. Dagger’s Moon is a turn-based
tactical roleplaying game set in a
gritty not-so-fantasy world.

3. What Makes Dagger’s Moon Different?
Dagger’s Moon

4. What Makes Dagger’s Moon Different?
Truly Tactical: Every move counts
Stats 2.0: More of what matters, none of what doesn’t
Gritty Atmosphere: Giant rats and pixies, begone
Less Grind, More Gravitas: Fewer, better fights
Old School Challenge: Every battle on a dagger’s edge

5. Frontline
Position
Support
Position
Flanking
Position
Truly Tactical
Tactical Battlefield: Every fight occurs on a hand-
designed battlefield with unique tactical opportunities.
Smart Mobility: Characters begin in a fixed position and
are restricted in where they can move and who they can
attack. Fights never devolve into war-of-attrition melees.
Every Class Shines: The rigid positioning system means that
formation and specialization are key. Who you bring to each
fight and how you use them matters more than ever.
No Fight is the Same: Use your party in different ways to
take advantage of destructible barriers, elevated towers,
impactful weather events, claustrophobic crypts, enemy
reinforcements, and other battlefield features.
Friendly Party Deployment Positions
Enemy Party Deployment Positions

6. Truly Tactical
Every battlefield is unique, with attractive opportunities and unknown pitfalls. You must plan
ahead but adapt quickly. Some examples:
Crypt of Rising Dead Bridge Crossing
Heavies duke it out on the narrow bridge
while ranged fighters hurl missiles into the
fray, unless a nimble flanker can ford the river
and take the fight to the enemy’s rear.
Position your best brawler atop a fallen
king’s grave to lead your party in holding
back a seemingly endless zombie horde.
But beware what lies underfoot…
Take on a massive armored war elephant and
its brigand handlers cowering to the rear.
Your frontline fighters won’t last long, unless
your support specialists can turn the tide.
War Elephant Fight

7. Stats 2.0
What have we done? Over the last few decades, in an attempt
to improve depth, stats systems in RPGs have become bloated,
unwieldy, and no longer meaningful. Since when does a
leather belt improve your intellect? What does it really mean
to apply a 20% increase to a critical hit multiplier?
Let’s start from scratch: Dagger’s Moon achieves depth
through hard choices and tactical complexity—no calculator
required. Every skill is impactful, every piece of equipment has
a unique effect on gameplay, and true magic is rare.
Up the excitement: When you strip away the fat, it gets your
blood pumping. Finding a sword that does fire damage is a big
moment. Why? Because you don’t see them everyday, and you
don’t have to spend 20 minutes with a spreadsheet to figure
out if +20 to fire damage is worth giving up six other
complicated stat bonuses.

8. Stats 2.0
Classes have become boring; let’s make them cool again. In modern games, classes fall into the same trope
of homogenized fighters, mages, and rogues. In Dagger’s Moon, brawlers will never be able to do magic
damage, and spellcasters have more interesting things to do than cast magic missile. Some examples:
Hashish Wild Mage Missionary Jaguar Warrior
This desert assassin—adept at
deception and mobility—has
formed an alliance of
convenience with the sand gods.
A young and reckless savant
spellcaster, whose raw arcane
power is challenged only by
her inability to control it.
Healer by day and enforcer by
night, this pilgrim brings his faith
to those in distant lands—
whether they want it or not.
Steeped in legend and nightmare,
these bloodthirsty jungle warriors
serve an empire hidden amongst
the long-forgotten trees.

9. Stats 2.0
The Hashish skill tree shows how every skill decision is impactful.
Snake
Venom
Lvl 5
Lvl 20
Lvl 10
Lvl 15
2
3
Sand
Strike
2
2
Scramble
2
4
Mirage
2
3
1
2
Survive
3
Desert
People
2
2
Raider
2
3 Jihad
3
Key
X
Ability becomes available
Upgrade ability for X skill points
Pinnacle ability

10. Stats 2.0
Snake Venom Sand Strike Scramble Mirage
Survive Desert People Raider Jihad (pinnacle ability)
1) Single-target strike with added
poison burst damage
2) Adds poison damage over time
3) Weapon becomes serpent and
ignores armor and block
4) Serpent weapon has a chance
to instantly kill target (adds 2
balance to cost)
1) Single-target strike guaranteed
to critical hit if behind target or
in a desert zone
2) Chance to disarm target
3) Change to knock down target
(adds 1 balance to cost)
1) Can move up vertical spaces with
100% success without losing a turn
2) Can relocate to any adjacent
position without losing a turn
3) Can relocate to any empty position
without losing a turn
1) When attacked at range, can
trigger for 50% chance to miss
2) When flanking, can trigger for two
outcome rolls and pick the better
of the two
3) When attacked by any means, can
trigger for 50% chance to miss
1) In desert zone, immune to all
effects of deserts and 25%
increased damage
2) In desert zone, gains balance
twice as fast
3) In desert zone, 50% chance to
relocate to adjacent position
instead of dying
1) Exchange normal attacks with any
enemy until one combatant dies,
then return to starting position.
2) If the Hashish dies during the
Jihad, all friendly units do double
damage to that enemy until the
end of the battle.
[Mechanics TBD] [Mechanics TBD]

11. Stats 2.0
The Jaguar Warrior skill tree shows how every skill decision is impactful.
Jungle
Torch
Lvl 5
Lvl 20
Lvl 10
Lvl 15
2
3
Spirit
Strike
2
2
Blood of
the Oak
2
3
1
2
Feathered
Serpent
Treewalk
2
2 Imprison
3
Jaguar
Guide
3
Key
X
Ability becomes available
Upgrade ability for X skill points
Pinnacle ability
2
2

12. Less Grind, More Gravitas
Dagger’s Moon introduces a first-of-its-kind progressive combat system. Central to the system are
the three resource types:
Leverage: As warriors clash, they feel
out their opponent and identify new
ways to gain the advantage. Used by
heavy, melee-focused classes.
Balance: As a battle wares on, nimble
fighters gain situational awareness and
are able to execute more precise attacks.
Used by light range-focused classes.
Mana: Magic cannot be invoked
spuriously; those who wield it must take
time to consider their foes and build up
magical energy. Used by spellcasters.
First-Turn Blitzkrieg? In many RPGs, reserves of
spendable resources—like mana, energy, memorized
spells, action points, etc.—begin at full value and are
spent down almost immediately. This leads to a torrent
of initial actions, followed by a war of attrition.
The Progressive Approach: In the Dagger’s Moon
progressive combat system, these resources start
at 0 and build up each turn. Think Magic: The
Gathering’s mana build-up system.
A New Layer of Tactics: Gradually building resources
adds flexibility and depth. Should my hashish attack
now to poison his foe or wait another turn to unleash
a stronger dervish on the enemy’s entire front line?
That enemy wild mage in the back hasn’t cast
anything yet—what could she be saving up for?

13. Less Grind, More Gravitas
Dagger’s Moon also introduces a new flanking mechanic. In addition to attacking directly in melee
and at range, certain units in flanking positions can attempt to get behind enemy lines. However,
they must defeat or evade enemy flankers first.
The core principles of the flanking system are:
• Some battlefields offer flanking opportunities, some do not
• Some units can flank (i.e. “flankers”), some cannot
• Flankers have a “flanking score” that represents their ability to
flank as well as to defend against enemy flanking attempts.
• Units in flanking positions move at the end of each turn.
• Opposing flankers simultaneously select whether to flank or
defend.
• If one or both choose to flank, flanking scores are compared to
determine a winner.
• The winning flanker can then sideline the loser for a turn and
attack the enemy’s rear.
Flanking Positions

14. Less Grind, More Gravitas
A flanking possibility tree shows how a simple system offers tactical depth. Assume there are two flankers (A & B)
arrayed opposite each other at the beginning of the battle.
A gains the
advantage
B gains the
advantage
A chooses to
engage
A chooses to
sideline
B Sidelined
B chooses to
stay sidelined
A & B locked in
combat
Begin
A & B choose to
flank
B chooses to
reenter battle
A wins B wins
B choses to
reset
B choses to
engage
A chooses to
re-try flank
B chooses to
re-try flank
Neither re-tries
flank
A wins B wins
Reset to
original
positions
Both A and B flanking scores
reduced for rest of battle
The flanker must sacrifice a
turn to re-try flanking
Sidelined flanker cannot participate in
battle, but may be attacked at range
While B is sidelined, A may attack
enemy flanks with a large bonus
Action or result
Action or result not shown
Additional explanation
KeyA flanks,
B defends
B flanks, A
defends
A & B choose to
defend
Flanking scores compared

15. Enemies

16. Zombie
Undead, Humanoid
Armor Dodge Block
Defense:
6 (low)
Attack: 10 (low)
Damage: 10 (low)
Critical chance: 10% (low)
Critical effect: 0.3x (low)
Weapon: None
Flanking: No
Bite
Description
Attack and Defense
Resilience
Effects
Fire: Normal
Poison: Immune
Dark: Immune
Light: Very vulnerable
Arcane: Vulnerable
Fortitude:
Mind:
Evasion:
Crippled
Dark Channeling
Scorched
Life
Leverage (+1)
200

17. Brigand
Human
Armor Dodge Block
Defense:
12 (med)
Attack: 40 (high) / 20 (med)
Damage: 20 (med) / 10 (low)
Critical chance: 10% (low)
Critical effect: 0.3x (low)
Weapon: Bow/Sword
Flanking: 30 (high)
Poison Arrow
Description
Attack and Defense
Resilience
Effects
Fire: Normal
Poison: Normal
Dark: Normal
Light: Normal
Arcane: Normal
Fortitude:
Mind:
Evasion:
Knocked Down
Scramble
Dirty Fighting
Life
Balance (+2)
250

18. Spider Queen
Arachnid, Beast, Huge
Armor Dodge Block
Defense:
12 (med)
Attack: 50 (high)
Damage: 40 (high)
Critical chance: 30% (high)
Critical effect: 1.5x (med)
Weapon: None
Flanking: No
Bite
Description
Attack and Defense
Resilience
Effects
Fire: Vulnerable
Poison: Immune
Dark: Normal
Light: Normal
Arcane: Vulnerable
Fortitude:
Mind:
Evasion:
Well Fed
Webbing
Infest
Life
Leverage (+2)
2000

19. Type: Attack
Range: Adjacent
Cost: 2 leverage
Duration: 4 turns
Attack the target with a
poisonous bite, dealing 10
poison damage per turn for
four turns.
Spider Queen has a 50%
chance to become Well Fed,
decreasing the cost of the next
Infest ability by 1 leverage. This
effect can stack up to 3 times.
Type: Utility
Range: All enemies
Cost: 3 mana
Duration: Until resisted
Weave a giant spider web
around the entire enemy
party. Unless resisted
(Evasion 5), each target
becomes entrapped and
cannot move or use abilities.
Each turn, entrapped
characters have an increased
chance to escape (Evasion X
= 5 – turns since entrapped).
Type: Attack
Range: Any
Cost: 5 leverage
Duration: N/A
Infests a webbed target with
the Spider Queen’s children.
On the next turn, target has a
chance (Fortitude X = 3 +
turns since infested) to burst
open and give birth to a
spiderling, killing the target.
The spiderling has health
equal to the target’s health
upon death.
Bite Webbing Infest

20. Desert Raider
Human
Armor Dodge Block
Defense:
12 (med)
Attack: 40 (high)
Damage: 25 (med)
Critical chance: 20% (med)
Critical effect: 1x (med)
Weapon: Spear
Flanking: 30 (high)
Snake Venom
Description
Attack and Defense
Resilience
Effects
Fire: Normal
Poison: Normal
Dark: Normal
Light: Normal
Arcane: Normal
Fortitude:
Mind:
Evasion:
Knocked Down
Dervish
Life
Balance (+2)
250
Desert Kin

21. Ancient Worldspinner
Human
Armor Dodge Block
Defense:
6 (low)
Attack: 100 (extreme)
Damage: 20 (med)
Critical chance: 10% (low)
Critical effect: 0.5x (low)
Weapon: Ancient Orb
Flanking: No
Flux Beam
Description
Attack and Defense
Resilience
Effects
Fire: Normal
Poison: Normal
Dark: Normal
Light: Normal
Arcane: Very Resistant
Fortitude:
Mind:
Evasion:
Knocked Down
Coriolis
Life
Mana (+2)
250
Alpha & Omega
Variable

22. Coriolis Alpha & Omega
Type: Attack
Range: Any target
Cost: Variable
Duration: N/A
Attack with a high-energy ray
that dissociates the particles of
the target, adding 5 arcane
damage per mana point spent.
Alternate: Receive a duplicate
version of any positive magical
effect on a friendly character.
This costs a turn but no mana.
Type: Defensive
Range: Self
Cost: 3 mana
Duration: Until depleted
Gravitational distortion
absorbs the next two ranged
attacks against the
Worldspinner. Melee
attackers have a chance to
be disarmed (Fortitude 3).
Type: Utility
Range: All
Cost: 6 mana
Duration: Until death
Opens a miniature wormhole
to the vast magical energies
at the beginning of the
universe. All friendly
characters have their rate of
mana generation doubled. By
refracting from the
wormhole’s event horizon, all
Flux Beam attacks have a
chance to hit 0, 1, or 2
additional enemies randomly.
Flux Beam
Variable

23. Fallen Knight
Outsider, Humanoid
Armor Dodge Block
Defense:
15 (high)
Attack: 30 (med)
Damage: 50 (high)
Critical chance: 10% (low)
Critical effect: 0.5x (low)
Weapon: Axe & Shield
Flanking: 10 (low)
Seethe
Description
Attack and Defense
Resilience
Effects
Fire: Normal
Poison: Normal
Dark: Resistant
Light: Vulnerable
Arcane: Normal
Fortitude:
Mind:
Evasion:
Knocked Down
Fire Emblem
Life
Leverage (+2)
400

24. Tillian Phalangite
Human
Armor Dodge Block
Defense:
12 (med)
Attack: 30 (med)
Damage: 50 (high)
Critical chance: 10% (low)
Critical effect: 0.5x (low)
Weapon: Sarissa Spear
Flanking: No
Description
Attack and Defense
Resilience
Effects
Fire: Normal
Poison: Normal
Dark: Normal
Light: Normal
Arcane: Normal
Fortitude:
Mind:
Evasion:
Knocked Down
Life
Leverage (+1)
300
Sarissa Strike
Phalanx

25. Type: Defense
Range: Group
Cost: 3 leverage
Duration: Until death
Any other Phalangites in the party
that can activate the ability may do
so, forming an impenetrable
phalanx. While active, any enemy
that attacks a Phalangite from the
front provokes a counter-attack
opportunity from all other
Phalangites in the phalanx that are
in range of the enemy (max 2).
The effect ends when any
Phalangite in the phalanx dies or is
disarmed. Only one phalanx may
be active at a time.
Type: Passive
Range: Self
Cost: N/A
Duration: N/A
The Phalangite wields an
extra-long sarissa spear. This
allows his melee attack to
reach enemies two spaces in
front of him, as well as
adjacent enemies.
If the Phalangite is disarmed,
his sarissa breaks and cannot
be recovered, ending this
effect for the duration of the
battle.
Phalanx Sarissa Strike

26. Dagger’s Moon a concept only, but it
could become a reality. We are looking
for a development studio and funders to
take on the project. Get in touch with me
at joe.Indvik@gmail.com if interested.