Dračí doupě k6: What will the new version of the legendary DrD bring?

The Mytago publishing house is preparing to release a new Dračí doupě titled Dračí doupě k6. Sounds unbelievable, right? But it's true! Let's take a look at how this came to be, what you can expect, and how you might be able to help.

The original Dračí doupě is a role-playing game over 30 years old, and it shows. Rules that were modern and relevant back then are long outdated today and sometimes hinder fun at the table rather than helping it. Yet, we still remember it nostalgically. It's not just about our own experiences, polished by our tendency to remember the good stuff. It's mainly because for many years, the vast majority of players of tabletop RPGs started with Dračí doupě, and even those who have never played a tabletop RPG have at least some idea of what it is.

Dračí doupě is simply a part of our culture and history – it's no coincidence that "dračák" is synonymous with any tabletop RPG for many people today. However, that is all ancient history. While the Dračí doupě brand is still alive, Dračí doupě II plays so differently from the original that it is practically a different game. Like many others, I found that a shame and wanted to do something to revive the original playstyle.

It all started with a lengthy debate on the RPG Forum, where we tried to convince Martin Kučera from the Altar publishing house that there was still market demand for a successor to the original Dračí doupě. After much persuasion, he gave us permission to try to write such a successor, with the condition that Altar would get the right of first refusal for publication.

How I decided to write new rules

At that time, I was also working on my own old-school dungeon crawl project, where character abilities came exclusively from magic items: a warrior with a belt of giant strength had giant strength, a wizard with a "lightning bolt" scroll could cast lightning. However, during the test campaign, it turned out that this approach to gaining abilities doesn't work very well for long-term play. And since that is the main thing that makes RPGs interesting to me, I decided to take Bouchi's offer and write a new Dračák. Since I had no guarantee that they would publish it, I decided not to try to improve the old rules, but to write completely new ones so I could release them even if Altar wasn't interested.

This decision also freed my hands. Creating simple yet functional rules based on the DrD 1.6 system is not easy at all. Deep in the rules, there are many unfortunate decisions hardwired – attributes have duplicate values and bonuses, attacks and defenses grow with level, but the same six-sided die is still added to them, so its significance gradually decreases; a wizard can burn through all their mana in one round and have nothing to cast with for the rest of the day, and so on. You could do something about most of this, but every such change would move the new rules away from the original DrD, and it's questionable whether you could even call it version 1.7 in the end.

The decision to write a new system solved all of this. It was possible to start by determining what kind of game I actually want to create and how it should work, and then design mechanics to support that as best as possible. If you know at least a little bit about the history of Dračí doupě, I assume you're holding your head in your hands right now: "This has been done before, twice!" Once in the case of DrD+, which went in the direction of the most realistic rules possible using exponential tables, and the second time in the case of DrD II, where the authors decided not to look back at the old Dračí doupě at all and simply write their own game. And maybe you're asking yourself now: "Do we really need another game that will have Dračí doupě in the title but have different rules?"

I think it makes sense if the game offers the same playstyle. But what is the playstyle of the original Dračí doupě, anyway? There is no single answer to that, because DrD 1.X was published for over 10 years and changed a lot during that time. The very original rules, which didn't have a version number, were based on the "Basic" version of Dungeons and Dragons. Subsequently, however, they evolved, partly due to copyright, partly based on experience from the game and player questions.

After version 1.2, there were such major changes that the Altar publishing house decided to skip two versions and label the new one 1.5 to make it clear that it was significantly different. At the same time, rules for advanced and later expert players were published, which no longer drew from Dungeons and Dragons and contained original authorial content. Such fundamental adjustments inevitably changed the playstyle. While Dračí doupě 1.0, 1.1, and 1.2, due to their similarity to Basic Dungeons and Dragons, fall into the playstyle we call old-school today, versions 1.5 and 1.6 are much more similar to later editions of Dungeons and Dragons.

Originally, I intended Dračí doupě k6 to be somewhere in between. But then it became clear that Jeskyně a draci would be released, which is a game built on the rules of the fifth edition of Dungeons and Dragons. I therefore decided not to make another very similar game. I returned to the deep roots, i.e., to the oldest versions of Dračí doupě and the old-school playstyle. At the same time, I wanted to focus on a narrative approach, where almost everything except combat happens without rolling dice, as a dialogue between the players and the Dungeon Master. I also wanted to make the combat system such that interesting actions like "I knock the goblin to the ground and twist his arms behind his back" could be easily evaluated.

So, instead of copying the rules of the first edition of Dungeons and Dragons, I was inspired by the principles of playing old-school games, cleaned them of elements I didn't want in the game (for example, high character lethality or experience for found treasure), and gradually built new game mechanics to support the intended playstyle as best as possible.

What can you expect from Dračí doupě k6?

• Monsters, races, and basic classes from the old Dračí doupě.
• Rules suitable even for players who have never played an old-school RPG or even any tabletop RPG, thanks to plenty of examples and explanatory texts.
• A game focused on sandbox exploration (a world composed of prepared game locations) and dungeons, and on playing long-term campaigns.
• A game that largely takes place as a dialogue between players and the Dungeon Master, with almost no rolls outside of combat.
• A simple and fast-paced combat system that allows for interesting actions.
• Play without searching through tables and unnecessary bookkeeping.
• Working with small numbers. Attribute values are in the range of 1-5, character power grows in breadth (more abilities, more options) rather than depth (higher numbers), and hit points do not grow with level.
• 18 levels divided into three tiers (basic, advanced, master). At each tier, character power increases significantly (attributes increase) and the possibility to learn new abilities opens up. You get something new at every level, and you choose your abilities.
• 4 sample adventures: 3 in dungeons, one in an open world.

Work status

• The rules are already almost complete.
• A few entries are missing in the bestiary, and I need to incorporate recent changes in the rules.
• Two adventures are almost finished, the third needs typesetting and the maps redrawn, the fourth is not yet done.
• I also have to finish the typesetting, graphics, illustrations, and create character sheets.

Release date

The release date has not been set yet. Given the volume of work, however, it will not be before 2026.

Testing and bug hunting

There is never enough testing for an RPG this big. At the same time, it is necessary to set a finish line somewhere, beyond which there will be no major changes, otherwise the game would never be released. That has happened just now. In the first edition, I will only be fixing bugs, clarifying ambiguities, and making the text clearer. However, I will honestly write down all suggestions and comments and incorporate them into the second edition. If you want to help with proofreading or bug hunting, please write to me on Discord.

Future outlook

Releasing the rules definitely doesn't end my work on Dračí doupě k6. I will be creating a new sandbox campaign, improving the website, collecting feedback, and continuously working on the second edition, in which I will take it into account. I don't plan to change the rules significantly; I want to build on them and create game content instead. I would also like to support community events and activities within my modest means.

Collaboration and promotion

Dračí doupě k6 is my private project; it has no investor, company, or large budget behind it. I therefore welcome any help, especially with promotion. If you are interested in collaborating: doing an interview, recording a podcast, writing an article, or anything else, please get in touch with me on Discord.

author Michal "York" Světlý (author of Dračí doupě k6)