Post/Author/DateTime	Post
stellarguy1138 10-30-07, 01:52 AM	I am a pretty new dm. Have played D&D for probably like 8 years now and am wondering what D&D modules are good to get. So what do you think is the best D&D module and what makes it so good?
RobbyPants 10-30-07, 10:24 AM	Well, I just started playing in the Temple of Elemental Evil (I mean a single session ;)), but I've heard it's pretty well done. I've also heard good things about Red Hand of Doom. To be honnest, if it weren't for 4E coming out soon, I would have probably bought RHoD, because I heard so many good things about it. I may still, as it's probably one of those "you only use it once" sort of things, but other than that, I have a hard time justifying spending money on any 3.5 material anymore...
WotC_Huscarl 10-30-07, 11:24 AM	I've played a lotta D&D modules, and my all-time favorite is, was, and possibly always will be Night's Dark Terror (http://www.rpg.net/news+reviews/reviews/rev_5488.html). It's still available as a PDF from Paizo. Steve edit -- For some reason, that link refuses to work. Here's the URL. You'll need to copy and paste it into your nav bar. http://www.rpg.net/news+reviews/reviews/rev_5488.html
Ariakus 10-30-07, 12:37 PM	That's a tough question for me, I too have played hundreds of mods, my favorites would be the Dragonlance Campaign DL1-DL16, Against the Giants, and Queen of the Demonweb Pits...all from 1st Ed but I think they've been converted (unsure about DL1-16 though) The DL campaign is probably my favorite because of the detail involved and the modules actually were the story behind the 1st DL trilogy. They take you from 3rd level on up into the teens, around 14-16 I think. I like Against the Giants because you don't see too many mods about giants, and it takes you through the levels starting with hill giants and escalate all the way to the cloud giants...I lost an 8th level ranger in that game to a frost giant's boulder :weep: But it was a blast. The Demonweb pits because it was my introduction to the Underdark and Drow, and ultimately to Lolth herself, a fantastic module.
Seeker95 10-30-07, 06:36 PM	My absolute favorite is Dwellers of the Forbidden City (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwellers_of_the_Forbidden_City), module I1 from the early 80s. It was fresh, introduced a brand new creature (the yuan-ti) and involved an encounter setting that could be used over and over -- my PCs were able to return to the city many times, each with a different purpose. "Cleaning it out" was simply not an option, unlike many dungeon-based or single-objective-based adventures out there. It was practically a mini-setting.
WotC_Huscarl 10-30-07, 06:46 PM	Ooh, I'm glad to see Forbidden City getting a vote. It was a tough choice for me, but I had to bump I1 to #2. I loved it for all the same reasons Seeker listed. Steve :)
Well_Aged_Brew 10-30-07, 09:19 PM	Tough question. I'd have to say A1-A4, the Slave Lords modules if I have to narrow it down. X4 Master of the Desert Nomads and X5 Temple of Death would be a close second. B2 Keep on the Borderlands, B6 The Veiled Society, and B10 Night's Dark Terror are all great, too.
1red13 10-30-07, 10:01 PM	I played most of my modules back in th eighties so my choices are somehwat dated. I liked the module Against The Giants. A sentimental favorite is Keep On The Borderlands, because it was simplistic and my first
Ariath Ska'Vhor 10-30-07, 10:16 PM	I don't know if it's because it was my introduction to D&D or not, but the Sunless Citadel has always been my favorite adventure. I've probably played through it about 4 times using different characters, and I recommend it to anyone I know who needs an introduction to D&D.
Hsien 10-30-07, 10:22 PM	The classics have so many fond memories. Theres just to many as they were my early DnD experiences. Favorite to run; The Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun and Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth Honorable mention to Dungeon magazine. I haven't been real fond of it the past few years but the old stuff had plenty of resource material. Heres a wiki link to a list of all the old modules at least. Modules (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Dungeons_&_Dragons_modules)
Well_Aged_Brew 10-31-07, 01:24 PM	The classics have so many fond memories. Theres just to many as they were my early DnD experiences. Favorite to run; The Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun and Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth Honorable mention to Dungeon magazine. I haven't been real fond of it the past few years but the old stuff had plenty of resource material. Heres a wiki link to a list of all the old modules at least. Modules (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Dungeons_&_Dragons_modules) I'm looking at all these from a DMs perspective, as I've never played a published module as a player. I miss the good old days of Dungeon magazine as well. I used to love the Side Treks and the non-world specific modules that required very little alteration to fit into my campaign. Now that you mention it, my all-time favorite module is from Dungeon, "The Bandits of Bunglewood", from issue no. 51. It's about seven kobolds who flee their tribe and idolize this fighter, who trains them to be proficient fighters. I liked it because I was still pretty new as a DM and it was the first time I really started looking at how to buff standard monsters to give my PCs a challenge or to hit them with the unexpected rather than just maximizing characteristics and abilities as printed. Guess I experienced a bit of an epiphany. I've always liked kobolds as a DM, way before it was the "cool" thing, back when they were little yippin' yappin' dogmen, before they were reptilians with dragon blood, and way before that whining little Deekin. My PCs came to respect kobolds as resourceful, tricky little critters anyways, so when they ran into kobolds in full plate riding umber hulks, they turned tail and fled until they could reevaluate the situation,even though they were more than competent to handle the encounter.
Shiftkitty 10-31-07, 03:34 PM	To play or DM, Keep on the Borderlands. My players have been through this one at various levels, and each time they find themselves running out of healing potions and low on HPs. They've gone in low level, high level, mid level, and there's always a point where the dice just decide they hate PCs. It's usually the kobolds or the gnolls that do it, but the minotaur proved quite an obstacle in one session. While DMing this one, only minor tweaks were needed to bump up the levels. These guys couldn't believe they were getting their butts kicked by an introductory module! But to throw a fond memory of an old module I DM'ed, I don't recall the title, but I think it was in the Against the Giants line. It involved a frost giant, and one player, who had no taste for medieval fantasy but had nothing better to do, played a misplaced modern soldier. When he saw the setting, an ice cave, he decided that the one piece of modern equipment I was allowing him would be a flame thrower. So he goes trigger happy, blasting anything that moved with his "portable dragon". It was taking away the fun for the others, as this piece of equipment made him a super-character. (I had naively hoped he'd be a better sport.) So after awhile, one of the other players slips me a note asking "What happens when you subject ice to large amounts of flame?". I thought the water dripping from the ceiling might give super PC's player a clue that his actions were about to have dire consequences. Nope, dumb as a box of rocks. Eventually, the tunnel collapsed and the cave-in killed the character. He got mad and stormed off while the rest of us continued the game. (The flamethrower was deemed ruined.)
Phrennzy 10-31-07, 04:20 PM	Castle Ravenloft is a great one. It has a built in randomizer for key components of the 'mystery' that change each game, without DM control, which is nice as a DM. The maps are awesome, and the thing is huge. My all time personal though is Tomb of the Lizard King. I've run it multiple times, and used the bones of it for other campaigns. The surprise attack in the throneroom alone makes it great. I think it may have been the first module I ever ran that had a dragon in it.
Ornum 10-31-07, 04:52 PM	Well, the original Ravenloft was fun. That's definitely on my list. And though it's not a classic, my favorite 2nd Edition adventure was Harbinger House for Planescape. I think that adventure marked the first time my players became interested in actually thinking their way through problems instead of just bashing everything in sight. As far as 3e and 3.5 are concerned, I can't really say any stand out. Though the Savage Tide adventure path is an interesting read. I'll know more about how it actually plays in a week or two, as that's the next series of adventures we are playing.
crystalseas 10-31-07, 05:04 PM	Not to sidetrack this, but does anyone remember the side adventure (probably in an old Dungeon mag) that had little mushroom men with dopey grins? If you do, would you PM me where I might find it? For some reason, the post about "Bandits of Bunglewood" triggered the memory.
Xguild 10-31-07, 06:48 PM	When it comes to modules I'm a huge fan of White Wolf 'Sword and Sorcery' stuff but I have to throw in my vote to some of the classics as well. The Siege of Durgam's Folly - Probobly one of my all time favorites, as a GM I have worked it into about 4 campaigns now. Its well written, has a wonderful approach to events and NPC characters and I suppose I'm a bit partial to the darker aspects of RPG's and this one is definitly on the dark side. Morrick Mansion - Also a really great module with suprises for D&D players who have grown acustomed to calculating odds base on creature types. This one breaks the molds and has a great mystery aspect to it. The Giant's Skull - One of my top 5 modules of all time, the players get a chance to switch places with the very enemy they are fighting against offering a totaly new approach to play. I really love this one, well worth the dirt cheap price of white wolf modules these days. From the classics Keep on the Borderlands - D&D wouldn't be D&D without this module. I can only say that if a module is good enough to trigger an author to write a book in its honor it can't be ignored. Hope that helps.. Good Luck!
CCS 11-01-07, 01:48 AM	My all time favorite would be the original version of Ravenloft (1st ed AD&D). I love to DM that one. Sadly neither of my current groups are anywhere near the right levels for this classic atm. And I really want to see them tackle it with characters they care about, not ones specially built for the task. So that means I didn't get to run it this year. :( Oh well, the Master of Barovia can wait until Oct '08..... I also enjoy the updates to this module; House of Strahd & EtCR. Other favorites include; .Ravenloft II: House on Gryphon Hill (1st ed AD&D) Especially when run in conjunction with Ravenloft I. Not as sequel, but AT THE SAME TIME! That's a really tough DM trick to pull off seemlessly though. And an even harder trick to survive if you're one of the vict - oops, I mean players. .Rahasia (80's basic edition D&D)- PCs have to save an elven maiden & stop an evil priest from re-animating/resurecting a trio of long dead witchs. .Forest Oracle (1st ed AD&D) - PCs must seek out druidic advice as to how to stop a crop plauge. Wich, after a trek through forest encounters, a crumbled goblin infested keep, and an ancient dwarven tunnel, leads them to tracking down a gypsey band that the locals offended as they passed through a few weeks prior. Anyone want to guess who I use as the gypsies? .Desert of Desolation - or Pharoh/Oasis of the White Palm/Lost Tomb of Martek. (both 1st ed AD&D) Players find themselves banished into a haunted desert & get to explore a pyramid, tackle an evil desert cult, and ultimately save the desert peoples from a vengefull efreet by delving into a wizards long lost tomb. Same adventure, just the Desert book is the compiled version of the original 3modules with some extra details added - & nominally set in the FR. .Keep on the Borderlands (80's basic D&D) & later Return to the Keep on the Boarderlands (2nd ed AD&D) The 1st adventure I experienced - both as a DM and as a player. Return plays a bit better, but nothing ever actually beats the original.... .Horror on the Hill (80's basic D&D) - PCs set out to explore the goblin/hobgoblin infested hillside just across the river from a frontier town. This was written for a lv 1-3 party from the old "basic" days in the early 80's. But it can make any modern 1-3 lv. party cry. So you can just imagine what happened back in the day.... Much like the Keep, this one has EVERYTHING in it. Including a red dragon! And it can make for a pretty good precursor to the modern classic RHoD with virtually no tweaking beyond verbal description. Which leads me too; .Red Hand of Doom. Not perfect (though none of my picks actually are), but this one'll stand the test of time right there beside Keep on the Boarderland & Ravenloft. People will still be converting & playing this one when 8th ed approaches. $ well spent, even if you only get to use it every few years.
Stormonu 11-02-07, 01:37 AM	I too, have to go with the original Ravenloft. And I too, have run Griffon Hill at the same time with much DM glee. The new Ravenloft, as well-put together as it may (or may not) be, just doesn't have the same feel or heart. Keep on the Borderlands I would rank as second. Nothing beats feeding incautious characters to the owlbear, or the yell of "Breeyark!" from the kobolds (or was it the goblins?) Out of 3.0/3.5, my favorite has been the Forge of Fury, though I so dearly wanted to run a "Planet of the Apes" version of the Standing Stone.
mmshah 11-02-07, 06:12 AM	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_30_Greatest_D%26D_Adventures_of_All_ Time Old school adventures ranked.
Ariakus 11-02-07, 08:10 AM	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_30_Greatest_D%26D_Adventures_of_All_ Time Old school adventures ranked. Well it's good to see 2 out of the 3 I mentioned on the list, one of them being 1st. I'm surprised Against the Giants is not on there though...
Varia 11-02-07, 10:14 AM	Against the Giants IS on there, at #1 even. Its just listed under Queen of the Spiders, which is the name for the entire combined Giant/Drow/Lolth series. I want to protest the lack of Nights Dark Terror on that list though. I never thought that Tomb of Horrors was very good- I'm sure it doesnt warrant 2 spots on that list over NDT.
Ariakus 11-02-07, 10:57 AM	Against the Giants IS on there, at #1 even. Its just listed under Queen of the Spiders, which is the name for the entire combined Giant/Drow/Lolth series. I want to protest the lack of Nights Dark Terror on that list though. I never thought that Tomb of Horrors was very good- I'm sure it doesnt warrant 2 spots on that list over NDT. Ah, missed that :rolleyes: ...thank you...so two of my favorites at #1 :D
SodaBob 01-15-08, 04:20 PM	I am a pretty new dm. Have played D&D for probably like 8 years now and am wondering what D&D modules are good to get. So what do you think is the best D&D module and what makes it so good? Maybe this is cliche' and a popular choice, but I would say that the original 1st Edition Ravenloft module (not the campaign world) is the best. Why? It's arguably the most influential D&D module ever. First, it spawned an entire campaign world in 2nd Edition. But more importantly, therein many 3rd edition concepts, like the "monster with character classes" concept, were originally conceived (at least in an official D&D publication - my buddy was applying fighter classes to orcs, for example, well before this).
Temmogen 01-15-08, 04:30 PM	I'll have to put Tomb of Horrors at number 1, just because it's so much fun to run. The Keep on the Borderlands is a close 2nd, because that is also alot of fun to run. When the Goblins throw a bag of gold to the Ogre so he'll help them....the Pc's never see it coming. It's great. I would have to put Expedition to the Barrier Peaks in 3rd, just because of Veggy Pigmys.
Trench-Raider 01-15-08, 04:38 PM	But to throw a fond memory of an old module I DM'ed, I don't recall the title, but I think it was in the Against the Giants line. It involved a frost giant, and one player, who had no taste for medieval fantasy but had nothing better to do, played a misplaced modern soldier. When he saw the setting, an ice cave, he decided that the one piece of modern equipment I was allowing him would be a flame thrower. So he goes trigger happy, blasting anything that moved with his "portable dragon". It was taking away the fun for the others, as this piece of equipment made him a super-character. (I had naively hoped he'd be a better sport.) So after awhile, one of the other players slips me a note asking "What happens when you subject ice to large amounts of flame?". I thought the water dripping from the ceiling might give super PC's player a clue that his actions were about to have dire consequences. Nope, dumb as a box of rocks. Eventually, the tunnel collapsed and the cave-in killed the character. He got mad and stormed off while the rest of us continued the game. (The flamethrower was deemed ruined.) Most man portable flame thorwers don't have enough fuel for more than just a few seconds of operation. This, the danger to the user and his kameraden, and it's very short range is why they have fallen out of use. Just nick-picking! :P I have to vote for most of the Gygax written modules of the '80s. They have a certain quality and tone that is just missing from the game today. I have given thought to converting "Against the giants" for use in 3.5, but to be honest given the much higher threat posed by giants in the game today and the numbers of the creatures involved, it is simply not a practical module any more. TR
Shiftkitty 01-15-08, 05:35 PM	I learned that later about the flamethrower, but since his was tipping the game balance, I have no regrets about my lack of technological knowledge on the subject.:) I recently ran the old 2e "Queen of the Spiders" campaign, upping everything to the 3e stats as we went. It was a killer-diller. Halway through the elf and dwarf were clinging to each other, crying pitifully. It really made them work, though, and they were happy that were able to do a couple of resurrections. (Frikkin' pyrohydra...) Had a classic moment of heroism during the meeting with the red dragon. In 2e, it would have had only 88 hp. I think the 3e version of the dragon had something like 537 hp. Just a bit of a change. It was an encounter that called for everyone to play their characters to the best of their abilities. It was the most satisfying campaign I have run to date. They should take this one and republish it without rewriting anything but the stats.
Trench-Raider 01-15-08, 05:51 PM	I learned that later about the flamethrower, but since his was tipping the game balance, I have no regrets about my lack of technological knowledge on the subject. No worries. I'm just a gun and weapon geek, so things like that catch my eye. TR
Brand_X 01-15-08, 06:17 PM	Well I didn't read the listings of Modules but for me I loved the Sinsiter Secret of Saltmarsh trilogy U1 - U3. Against the Giants and the Slavers were next. Though Expedition to the Barrier Peaks is good too.
Deacon Liadon 01-15-08, 07:13 PM	Tomb of Horrors. Because killing characters is fun :D I'm a big fan of Dead Gods from Planescape, just for the sheer epicness of the storyline. I'm also fond of the adventure Diplomacy, from Dungeon 144. An adventure where the talking is far more important than the fighting.
RedWizard 01-15-08, 07:45 PM	Against the Giants IS on there, at #1 even. Its just listed under Queen of the Spiders, which is the name for the entire combined Giant/Drow/Lolth series. That would also include the Slaver modules which lead into the Giant modules which in turn led into the Underdark modules which culminated with Queen of the Demonweb Pits which alltogether rocked. I also enjoyed from 2nd edition the Bloodstone modules that climaxed with a confrontation with Orcus. The origional Ravensloft is another one not to miss during your lifetime.
Filcha 01-15-08, 08:34 PM	I think the OP is really looking for newer modules (I am assuming for 3/3.5) but of course I could be wrong. On that note, I just played in Red hand of Doom and it was great. I have recently DMed Forge of Fury and parts were great... like the entrance battle at the chasm and all of the first level, but other parts lost their way. The dragon at the end worked well and some of the Duergar battles. I will agree with someone above that the Sunless Citadel is a nice little starter module. Back to 1e/2e stuff, The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh and follow-ups worked well. Also the original Village of Hommlet (precursor to ToEE). Although I love reading the long, epic modules, shorter ones seem to work better with most of my groups. One of my DM's blends modules with his own stuff so well that I never know which is which so I can't recommend any of it! That's all that stands out for now... Cheers
pangalactic 01-15-08, 08:47 PM	My favourite adventures were Eye of Pain, Eye of Doom, and Eye to Eye (along with I, Tyrant, the Monstrous Arcana book that went with them). They're a 2nd Ed. trilogy based around Beholders, and were just some of the best few sessions I ever ran. Them and Dragon Mountain. I haven't run any modules published since 3E was released, although I've bought several that I liked the sound of and kept up my Dungeon subscription. I intend to run either the Shackled City or Paizo's Rise of The Runelords next, although I might just borrow heavily from Runelords as it's very similar to the homebrew I was planning anyway. From a players point of view...Well, to be honest I've never really played much, I've always been more into DMing. The most memorable were the 6 (I think?) adventures in the First Quest boxed set, because that was how I got my introduction to gaming (after watching my dad play with his friends for about 3 years, until he thought I was old enough). I used to play with my dad for years after that, and he only ever wrote his own adventures, so I've never really played any official releases. Did anybody here ever run Reverse Dungeon? That was also an insanely fun session.
VrecknidjX 01-15-08, 09:01 PM	Sinsiter Secret of Saltmarsh trilogy U1 - U3.I played through that once, and DMed it twice. All three times, it was a fantastic experience. Dave
Mock26 01-16-08, 12:21 AM	The old 1st Edition Tomb of Horrors. Why? Because it was a tomb of horrors, for players and characters. With a good DM who knew what he was doing it was a slaughterfest for any players who made the slightest mistake. It required you to be in your best form, ever, in order to survive the adventure. The slightest mistake from any one player could cause their character to die a horrible death or even doom the entire party to a TPK. I still have vivid memories of losing multiple characters before we were able to finish it. Also, Dungeon Magazine some time last year or so published a list of the top 30 D&D adventures of all time, and they rated Tomb of Horrors right up there near the top of the list as #3. In fact, 18 of the 30 were 1st edition modules, and about 6 more were 2nd edition (though in reality the 18 was closer to 25 because the some series were classified as a single module (such as D1, D2, and D3 as being a single entry)). I like that a lot of these old modules have enough staying power to still be rated so highly today. They just prove my point that it isn't about which version you play, it is all about the D and the D.
Mock26 01-16-08, 12:27 AM	Against the Giants IS on there, at #1 even. Its just listed under Queen of the Spiders, which is the name for the entire combined Giant/Drow/Lolth series. I want to protest the lack of Nights Dark Terror on that list though. I never thought that Tomb of Horrors was very good- I'm sure it doesnt warrant 2 spots on that list over NDT. Return to the tomb of horrors was not a repeat of the original adventure. It is a different adventure that takes place years and years later, albeit at the same location.
pangalactic 01-16-08, 01:51 AM	Return to the tomb of horrors was not a repeat of the original adventure. It is a different adventure that takes place years and years later, albeit at the same location. And is good fun to play with a group who beat the Tomb the first time around, using the same characters. With a bit of level fiddling so that the epic characters don't destroy your piddly little 2nd Ed. world before they even figure out what's up with that damn mist...
ColonelPanic 01-16-08, 03:05 PM	I must say that the original G1-G3 and D1-D3 Modules by Gygax still are really good. I've both played and DM:ed them in the early 80s. But the one single module that caused the most fun game ever played in DnD (AD&D at that time) was a module named The Clockwork Mage, from a third party. Why? because it made me as DM and they players laugh the whole game because it has such bizarre traps and stuff, like the arm that lifted the helmet of the fighter and dropped half a dozen rotten eggs in it and slammed it back on the fighters head, or the dozen not yet housebroken blink puppies that just was so annoying. For all of you who think starting a campaign in a tavern is lame. When I started with AD&D, we started all game session with: DM: - You stand outside a cave entrance, what do you do?
Mock26 01-16-08, 06:16 PM	Starting in a tavern is probably the most logical place to start any campaign or one-shot adventure. After all, the only thing that makes adventurers heroic and allows them to rise above the rest of the common folk is being drunk enough to go out and do those stupid and foolish things (like adventuring) that regular folk are smart enough (or just sober enough) to avoid. Bravado + Beer + Bragging + More Beer = Adventuring
KingOtyugh 01-16-08, 07:37 PM	I liked N1: "Against the Cult of the Reptile God." Also the Saltmarsh series already mentioned. "Keep on the Borderlands" was the first one I DMed. Never trust bugbears offering you cooked meat on a stick...
RedWizard 01-16-08, 08:04 PM	"Expedition to the Barrier Peaks" that adventure was fun on many levels and you get to shoot rayguns at psychotic weightlifting robots!
spades1013 01-17-08, 05:31 PM	3.5 Red Hand of Doom 2E Night Below 1E GDQ 1-7 Queen of the Spiders BECMI B10 Night Dark Terror
pangalactic 01-18-08, 08:43 PM	3.5 Red Hand of Doom 2E Night Below 1E GDQ 1-7 Queen of the Spiders BECMI B10 Night Dark Terror I forgot about Night Below. I ran that twice with the same group, we had that much fun with it.
pedro2112 01-22-08, 02:29 AM	No love for The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan?
Shilo 01-22-08, 06:46 AM	For me its the old stuff (don't old people always remember old things more fondly?!): 80s mega adventures rocked: Temple of Elemental Evil was great, although the subtleties of our DM’s plot/riddles were a bit lost on us and it went on forever (at least, playing it in 1-hour lunchtime blocks). Slavers was excellent: lots of BIG fights that AD&D probably didn’t do justice too (with all the hype about 4E being about lots of combatants, perhaps that would be a good to convert & re-play, or even re-release). X2? X4? Castle Amber (converted to AD&D) was crazy and wacky and true fantasy. Ruins of Undermountain & Haunted Halls of Eveningstar: classic crawls if the right plot threads are hung from them:P .