Dungeons of Drakkenheim

Dungeons of Drakkenheim is one of the coolest campaign settings out there. It's a fabulously dark and gritty love letter to cosmic horror. The world is rich with lore, many of the Npcs are genuinely interesting and the story can take so many unique twists and turns. I cant recommend this campaign enough!

Eldritch Horror & Intrigue are two of my favorite things. This campaign leans into both. Conflicting factions unable to unite against a terrifying evil makes for great stories, and a need for even greater heroes. The livestream, with the same name, is just one way to play through this campaign that has a very open ended sandbox feel. Player choices will tell the story, and determine the outcome, not just in a linear beat the BBEG or not, but remake the world based upon which factions they support and oppose.

A cursed city. Cosmic forces beyond all comprehension. A punishing urban wasteland that will take every resource you have available to survive. Rival factions that can help your mission or hinder your every move - and you'll have to pick between them. No two games of Drakkenheim will ever be the same, because your choices as the players deeply matter in the way your story unfolds. This adventure is maybe the best-written module I've ever had the pleasure of running as a GM. It is laid out in a way that is incredibly easy to run, and the setting is rich and evocative. Personal Quests for every player give me as a GM lots of story threads to use and weave into the larger narrative. I used to think I didn't like horror - until I started running Drakkenheim! Play this adventure if you like player-driven stories, sandbox-style worlds, tactical survival and combat mechanics, cosmic horror, and faction intrigue.

Welcome to Dungeons of Drakkenheim, where your party gets to explore a post-apocalyptic fantasy city crawling with horrors, political schemers, and a deadly, reality-warping substance called the Haze. Think Chernobyl meets Lovecraftian horror, but with mutant abominations, crumbling towers, and way too many people trying to “reclaim” a city that actively wants to kill them. Your players aren’t just looting dungeons—they’re navigating the ruins of a once-great capital, now overrun with contaminated creatures, rival factions, and eldritch weirdness caused by a magical meteor strike. The deeper they go, the worse things get, both physically and mentally. Pros: ✔ The setting is fantastic—a ruined, haunted city with a mystery at its core, plus a ton of factions fighting over the scraps. ✔ The Haze makes everything dangerous—the city itself is actively hostile, and exposure to eldritch contamination has long-term consequences. ✔ Factions actually matter—players can’t please everyone and will have to choose allies and make enemies. ✔ Perfect mix of horror, exploration, and political intrigue—this isn’t just hack-and-slash; your choices shape the fate of Drakkenheim. Cons: ✘ This is NOT a casual dungeon crawl—Drakkenheim is lethal, complex, and requires actual planning. ✘ The Haze can be brutal—contamination effects punish reckless exploration, which some players might hate. ✘ The factions will NOT get along—the party will have to pick sides, and some choices can lock them out of certain quests. ✘ If your players just want to kill monsters and collect loot, they will be confused and dead. Final Verdict: If your party loves dark fantasy, faction intrigue, and survival horror with eldritch mutations on top, Dungeons of Drakkenheim is one of the best third-party campaigns out there. If they just wanted a traditional dungeon crawl, they are about to have a VERY bad time. 9.5/10 – The City Hates You.

Dark, gritty, deadly and mysterious. The world of Drakkenheim is super evocative and it has the best written module I had the pleasure of reading Lots of great advice and ideas on how to run a story with multiple competing factions and how to make them living and moving parts of the game It is full of new weird and creepy monsters to get players by surprise I would only recommend against playing it if you prefer a more straightforward campaign, as the complex sandbox here expects you to be paying attention to the details and to take the story in your own hands, instead of just expecting the DM just telling you where to go next

Dungeons of Drakkenheim is hands-down the best gothic horror adventure there is for D&D5e. From the moment you step into the eldritch mists engulfing the ruins of a once-breathtaking capital, you will have to contend with the terrors within: unimaginable monsters, haunting visions, lawlessness, otherworldly contamination – even your own mind might betray you. But it’s not all fighting monsters and exploring dungeons. The campaign features a hefty amount of political/faction intrigue. There are 5 factions stuck in a stalemate, who will try to recruit you – or thwart your plans if you refuse. It will be up to you to tip the scales and help shape the future of the city and beyond. Personal quests will help you feel like you belong in the world and have a purpose, and setting-specific subclasses will provide fresh and flavorful mechanics. Things to know in advance: - This is, at its core, not heroic fantasy; Drakkenheim is a morally grey setting, and the story is grounded in cosmic horror. The world sucks, it is unfair and dark, and you might not survive. - Political intrigue is a crucially important element of the adventure, it makes Drakkenheim what it is. Not every Gamemaster can pull it off, not every player will enjoy it, and that’s okay – there are other campaigns out there. - Personal quests and character arcs are an intended feature. If everyone is on the same page about campaign themes and expectations, you will have a fantastic time!