Drakkenheim: Shadows over the Sunken City - D&D5e
Enter a grim, ruined city of political intrigue, eldritch fog, and deep personal stakes. Your backstory fuels every faction twist.
$25.00
/ Session
Details
2 players following this game
Weekly / Tuesday - 9:00 AM UTC
Session Duration / 3–4 hours
Campaign Length / 11+ Sessions
1 / 5 Seats Filled
Top Game Master
One of StartPlaying's top-rated GMs, a player favorite and highly recommended.
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Meet your party members
1/5
About the adventure
Welcome to the ruins of Drakkenheim, where ambition, corruption, and dark secrets collide. If you are an experienced player looking for a serious, atmospheric D&D 5e campaign where character backstories drive the plot and every decision carries heavy consequences, this table was built for you. WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT AT THIS TABLE: - Deep Backstory Integration: Your personal history, rivalries, and buried secrets are woven directly into the faction war and central mysteries. No generic filler quests—your character's motivations shape the world. - Heavy Intrigue & Unpredictable Twists: Navigate rival factions, shifting alliances, and morally gray conflicts where nothing is as simple as good versus evil. Every choice has lasting repercussions. - Grim, Atmospheric High Production: Fully orchestrated dynamic soundscapes, animated environmental lighting, dark fantasy battlemaps, and immersive audio on Foundry VTT that bring the grim reality of the city to life. - Tactical, High-Stakes Combat: Strategic encounters designed for advanced players that reward clever positioning, teamwork, and creative problem-solving over brute force. - High Roleplay & Voiced NPCs: Distinct, multi-layered NPCs with hidden agendas, realistic psychology, and memorable voices. We begin with a dedicated Session Zero to align character connections, safety tools, and custom faction ties. Step into the haze and carve your destiny.
Game style
Roleplay Heavy
Rule of Cool (RoC)
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
5.0
(25)
1 year on StartPlaying
140 games hosted
Highly rated for: Sets the Mood, Storytelling, Creativity
Average response time: Under 1 hour
Response rate: 100%
About me
Hi! I’m a passionate GM with 6+ years of experience, specializing in D&D 5e, Pathfinder2e and Daggerheart. I craft immersive, story-driven adventures where your choices shape the world. Expect rich lore, dynamic NPCs, and a balance of meaningful combat, roleplay, and exploration. I run custom campaigns using Foundry VTT with full automation, animated maps, music via Discord bots, and campaign wikis. My background in Biomedical Informatics brings vivid detail and realism to every scene. Whether you’re new or experienced, you’ll be welcomed with a Session Zero and open feedback culture. Let’s create something unforgettable together!
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
Character creation takes place collaboratively before and during Session Zero directly inside Foundry VTT using the official Dungeons of Drakkenheim compendiums. - Level: Starting at Level 3. - Stats: Point Buy or Standard Array (or 4d6 drop lowest if agreed by the party). - Personal Quests (Core Drakkenheim Rule): Every character chooses an overarching Personal Quest tied to the ruined city, rival factions, or eldritch mysteries. Completing it grants unique narrative boons and epic feats. - Faction Ties: We will establish your character's relationships, debts, or rivalries with the 5 major factions (Hooded Lanterns, Silver Order, Falling Fire, Amethyst Academy, and Queen's Men). - Contamination & The Haze: We use the official Drakkenheim Contamination system and gritty resting rules (no Long Rests inside the Haze). - Direct Foundry Setup: Full compendiums with setting-specific spells, items, mutations, and character sheets pre-configured in your browser.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
To prepare for Session Zero: - A reliable computer with Chrome or Edge to run Foundry VTT. - A good quality microphone and headset for clear voice communication. - A free Discord account for voice chat, campaign lore, and session notes. - A passion for deep character roleplay, serious dark fantasy, and collaborative storytelling.
What DM Yan brings to the table
Fully automated Foundry VTT: 2024 character sheets, dynamic lighting, atmospheric maps, soundscapes, and token art for every creature - including custom art for key monsters. - Professional-grade narration and pacing built for horror (700+ sessions as a paid DM) - All official and third-party content provided - you buy nothing - A safe, inclusive table: Session Zero, Lines & Veils, X-Card, debriefing after intense sessions - Session recordings available for review
Homebrew rules
- Potions as Bonus Action: Drinking a healing potion yourself is a Bonus Action; administering a potion to an unconscious ally remains an Action. - Drakkenheim Gritty Resting: You cannot gain the benefits of a Long Rest inside the Haze (the ruined city). Long Rests require retreating to Emberwood Village or fortifying a secure sanctuary. - Contamination Track: We use the official Drakkenheim 6-tier Contamination mechanic. Exposure to eldritch fog and delerium causes physical/mental mutations rather than standard exhaustion. - Personal Quests: Completing your character's overarching personal quest rewards unique thematic feats or epic boons. - Flanking (+2 Flat Bonus): Flanking grants a flat +2 bonus to attack rolls rather than Advantage, keeping class features that grant Advantage meaningful. - Rule of Cool & Environmental Tactics: Creative use of terrain, verticality, lighting, and monster weaknesses is always rewarded.
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How DM Yan creates a safe table
Horror is about tension, not harm. We'll align in Session Zero on what everyone is comfortable with: - Lines & Veils: tell me what's off-limits (hard lines) and what's okay to fade to black (veils). I respect them absolutely, no questions asked - X-Card: anyone can tap out of a scene at any moment, no explanation needed - Debriefing: after heavy sessions we check in - how did it feel, anything to adjust - Open Door: you can leave the table anytime, for any reason, no hard feelings - This is a game about fictional characters in a fictional nightmare. Real people at the table come first Content notes: this campaign features zombies, gothic horror, body horror, mind control themes, and morally difficult choices (e.g., whether to sacrifice one person to save many). Nothing graphic is described gratuitously - the goal is dread, not shock.
Content warnings
Safety tools used