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The Dungeons of Drakkenheim are back – this time under an entirely new system. The popular dark fantasy setting first created for D&D 5e by YouTubers The Dungeon Dudes is being reimagined for Daggerheart, the new fantasy TTRPG from Critical Role’s Darrington Press, which was only just released in May 2025.
The new Dungeons of Drakkenheim: Daggerheart book will arrive first via Kickstarter in November 2025, marking the setting’s official transition from D&D 5e to the new system. So just what can fans expect in this new critical crossover? Below, we dig into all the details.
What is “Dungeons of Drakkenheim: Daggerheart” about?
While full details will be revealed closer to launch, we do know that the primary focus will be on updating Drakkenheim’s rules to the Daggerheart system. To accomplish this, The Dungeon Dudes‘ Kelly McLaughlin and Monty Martin have said they’ve teamed up with Daggerheart designer Mike Underwood.
We also know that the Dungeons of Drakkenheim: Daggerheart Campaign Guide will cover adventures from levels 1–10, which is slightly reduced from the D&D 5e version’s levesl 1-13 scope (this is because Daggerheart’s progression system caps at level 10).
The new edition will also overhaul Drakkenheim’s contamination system, which remains one of the setting’s defining features. In the new version, exposure to the setting’s eldritch energy reduces a character’s maximum Hope (a key Daggerheart stat tied to morale and emotional resilience). When a character’s Hope reaches zero, players risk succumbing to dark mutations, losing their humanity and becoming a true monster.
When Will the New Drakkenheim Daggerheart Supplement Be Available?
The Kickstarter campaign launches in November 2025, with a full retail release expected in late 2026. The Dungeon Dudes have confirmed that the crowdfunding campaign will include both digital and print editions, as well as potential stretch goals such as new factions, NPCs and expanded contamination mechanics.
Backers can expect familiar features from the first Drakkenheim campaign (such as maps, original artwork and faction-based player hooks) alongside new narrative tools designed for Daggerheart’s Hope/Fear system.
While exact pricing and pledge tiers haven’t yet been revealed, the project is expected to follow a similar structure to the original Dungeons of Drakkenheim Kickstarter, which raised over $1.2 million USD in 2021.
What is Dungeons of Drakkenheim?
Dungeons of Drakkenheim is a dark fantasy setting that takes place five years after a strange arcane meteor strike has annihilated the once great metropolis of Drakkenheim. The disaster has reduced the city to a fog-choked ruin filled with arcane contamination, mutated monsters and five rival factions vying for control of what remains. Players take on the role of adventurers who plumb the ruins for wealth and treasure while facing eldritch horrors and working with or against the city’s NPCs and factions.
In the real world, Dungeons of Drakkenheim began as a popular actual play series on YouTube, where Monty Martin and Kelly McLaughlin showcased their homebrew world. Its success led to a Kickstarter campaign in 2021, which quickly became a hit, raising over $1.2 million and spawning a lavish hardcover sourcebook compatible with Dungeons & Dragons 5e and published by Ghostfire Gaming.
Since its release, Drakkenheim has spawned a number of other supplements through Ghostfire and appeared as some of the few third-party supplements to be featured on D&D Beyond.
Final Thoughts
Over the past few years, Dungeons & Dragons fifth edition has remained easily the most popular TTRPG system, with most major third-party publishers focusing on the 5e system. With the upcoming Dungeons of Drakkenheim: Daggerheart Campaign Guide, however, that’s about to change.
If successful, the Kickstarter could set a precedent for other independent publishers to bring their own established worlds and content into Daggerheart. A lot is still up in the air, but for Dungeons of Drakkenehim it’s also a chance to step out of the shadow of D&D 5e and bring its own blend of dark horror into Daggerheart.
The official Kickstarter will launch in November, but in the meantime you can sign up for alerts now via Kickstarter. Below is also a teaser trailer from the official Dungeon Dudes YouTube channel.