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Horror has been a blood-spattered staple of fantasy tabletop RPGs going back to the early days of D&D, driven in large part by the success of the Ravenloft campaign setting. A new Kickstarter from Kobold Press, however, is looking to resurrect the genre by providing both player options and GM tools that add a touch of terror to the table.
Entitled Night Hunters: Gothic Horror for Tales of the Valiant and D&D 5E, the project blends new character options, game mechanics and a full adventure anthology into a single horror-focused line. Crowdfunding runs from now until (fittingly enough) Friday the 13th of February, with the campaign currently live on Kickstarter.
So just what can fans expect in this grizzly new grimoire? Below, we hack apart all the details.
What is the “Night Hunters” Kickstarter about?
The Kickstarter campaign includes two primary products: A core book, entitled Night Hunters, which focuses on player-facing options and GM systems, and a companion volume, called Night Terrors, which provides a collection of ready-to-run horror adventures.
Both books are designed to be compatible with Tales of the Valiant and Dungeons & Dragons 5E, and thematically are all about either battling or embracing dark, supernatural powers.
Player-focused materials
On the player side, Night Hunters introduces:
- 5 new subclasses, including options like the Nemesis Fighter and Cursebreaker Cleric
- 3 monstrous lineages, such as the fan-favorite Darakhul and two new options rooted in death and hag magic
- 5 horror-themed backgrounds inspired by classic gothic archetypes
- Guidance for horror backstories tied directly into the book’s supernatural themes
The book also adds new spells, rituals and magic items designed to support monster-hunting and supernatural investigations.
GM-focused materials
For Game Masters, Night Hunters provides a variety of horror-inspired game mechanics, including:
- A new Shadow Token system, which tempts players with power in exchange for narrative risk
- An expanded Dread system, building on existing mechanics with campaign-specific consequences
- Generators and tables for ghost stories, curses, diseases, hazards and hauntings
- 3 fully detailed “Dread villains,” each with unique mechanics, lairs, minions and story hooks
The Night Terrors companion book also contains 12 standalone adventures that showcase these systems, ranging from cult investigations to infernal journeys and navigating undead courts.
What are the “Night Hunters” backer options?
The Kickstarter offers a wide range of pledge tiers, covering digital-only, print-only and deluxe collector options.
Digital versions
- Night Terrors PDF: $26 USD
- Night Hunters PDF: $30 USD
- Both PDFs (Night Hunters + Night Terrors): $50 USD
- Complete Digital Bundle (2 PDFs + 2 VTT licenses): $92 USD
Print versions
- Night Terrors Hardcover + PDF: $40 USD
- Night Hunters Hardcover + PDF: $58 USD
- Print Only: Night Hunters & Night Terrors: $80 USD
- Both Hardcovers + Both PDFs: $95 USD
Limited and deluxe print editions
- Limited Edition Night Hunters (foil cover): $102 USD
- Limited Edition Night Hunters & Night Terrors: $182 USD
- Limited Complete Bundle of Terrors: $328 USD
- Leather Edition Night Hunters & Night Terrors: $1,385 USD
Additional accessories and tie-in products
There are also a number of optional items you can pick up along with the two books, including:
- A Shadow Oracle Tarot deck
- A Spirit Board playmat (essentially Kobold Press’ version of a ouija board)
- Shadow tokens and character journals
Estimated fulfillment is currently set for July 2026, with shipping handled through Kobold Press’s existing international partners. If you’re interested, you can also check out a free preview PDF from either Kobold Press or DriveThruRPG.
Why back the “Night Hunters” Kickstarter?
- Built for horror-first play: Night Hunters is explicitly designed for groups that want gothic horror with moral complexity and lasting consequences rather than straightforward heroic fantasy or mindless gore.
- Strong GM-facing tools: Instead of locking groups into a single setting, the material instead focuses on a range of NPCs, story hooks, monsters and character motivations that can be dropped into any horror-focused campaign or standalone adventure.
- Meaningful new mechanics: The Shadow Token system and expanded Dread rules encourage risky decisions on the part of characters, reinforcing horror themes through play rather than flavor text alone.
- High production value: Kobold Press absolutely kills it when it comes to art, writing and design, and it’ll be interesting to see this take on horror, which is a genre they haven’t really explored much in the past.
Final thoughts
When it comes to fantasy TTRPGs, horror can be notoriously difficult to get right, with game mechanics and power creep often working against the feeling of tension and fear. Projects that succeed tend to focus less on setting alone and more on systems that reinforce tone, consequences and difficult choices.
Night Hunters appears to take that latter approach, positioning itself as a toolkit for groups intentionally looking to explore darker themes. Whether it can pull it off, however, remains to be seen.
We’ll be keeping a close eye on this product in the days ahead. In the meantime, you can learn more and back it now on Kickstarter.